BJ21.com Newsletter
March 15, 2007                                0711

Compiled by Al Rogers
 Al@bj21.com

Online gambling ban reconsidered

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank is considering a bill to repeal a ban imposed last year on online gambling, said a spokesman for the lawmaker on Wednesday.

Frank to Repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

Prior to the passing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in October, Congressman Barney Frank asked... "Has it become the role of this Congress to prohibit any activity that an adult wants to engage in voluntarily if it doesn't add to the GDP or make us more competitive? What kind of socio-, cultural authoritarianism are we advocating here?"

Former Clark County sheriff to head Station Casinos’ security

Former Clark County Sheriff Bill Young has a new title: vice president of corporate security at Station Casinos.

Gold Coast high roller sues Crown for lost $30 million ...

According to Harry Kakavas, the conduct of Crown was "high-handed", "in flagrant disregard of the law of the state of Victoria" and designed to cause him to lose "substantial amounts of money".

... The gambler

"These bastards deliberately went after him. They knew he had a weakness and they seduced him. This is a volcano that is going to erupt and it could jeopardise Crown's gaming licence," the source said. "That's why I doubt it will go to court."

Thanks to new Green Chip member Marwan Farha for providing the links to the above two articles.

$8,000 or a cool million? -- Casino slot jackpot in dispute

The Mississippi Gaming Commission is scheduled to decide Thursday whether a disputed jackpot at IP Casino is worth $1 million or $8,000.

Another blow for Shuffle Master

Two weeks after telling Wall Street its quarterly results would be below expectations, Shuffle Master Gaming hit investors with a second piece of bad news -- the company's 2006 earnings need to be restated because of an error.

Carano family partners in Carson City casino

A longtime Reno casino family is partnering in the development of the $20 million Bodine's casino in south Carson City.

Charges against gambling agency investigator are thrown out

A judge acquitted an investigator for the state's gambling regulatory agency who was arrested after state police said they learned that his college degree came from a reputed online diploma mill.

Gambling With Mississippi's Future

A free society cannot succeed when ideologues exert a degree of influence on government disproportionate to their numbers. Sharia law is a good example, although most Americans cannot fully understand the hardships it imposes.

Thousands gather to pay their final respects as the Stardust makes way for a megaresort

The demolition raised a thick cloud of dust that moved across the Desert Inn Super Arterial and onto the Strip, covering buildings and causing spectators in the New Frontier parking lot to scramble for cover.

Gambling watchdog questions more Ontario slots

Ontario's gambling regulator has agreed to meet with members of a gambling watchdog group after new concerns were raised about unusual patterns in the video displays of slot machines.

Smokers take last drags as casinos crack down

Next month, Atlantic City will make smoking off-limits on 75% of the gambling floor in each of its 11 casinos.

Trump Entertainment Resorts hires Merrill Lynch

The casino company that bears Donald Trump's name said Monday that it has hired an investment firm to help it explore strategic alternatives which could include a possible sale.

A.C. casino revenue down again

February was the first full month that Atlantic City's 11 casinos went head-to-head with two new slots parlors in the Philadelphia area, and the numbers are not pretty.

New Jersey politician requests Ho-MGM Mirage investigation

A New Jersey assemblyman has requested an official investigation be undertaken by the state’s attorney general with regard to the suitability of Hong Kong businesswoman Pansy Ho’s partnership with MGM Mirage in its two ventures in Macau.

French Lick casino's low draw seen as seasonal

Indiana's newest gambling destination had the fewest visitors of any state casino last month, and monthly admissions have steadily decreased since the French Lick Resort Casino opened in November.

Blagojevich proposes $115 million increase in casino taxes

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is looking to raise another $115 million in taxes and fees from riverboat casinos next year, a move that could have implications for gambling expansion measures in the Legislature.

Return to glory goal for Binion's

Operators of a historic casino in the sagging downtown Las Vegas gambling market say they'd like to restore at least some of their property's former glory.

Jeff Simpson on how the El Cortez is quickly becoming downtown's feel-good story of the year

Megaresort developments have become the norm on the Strip, and those multibillion-dollar investments have been dwarfed by recent casino industry mergers and acquisitions.

World Series of Poker prepares for 10,000 entrants in Las Vegas

World Series of Poker organizers are preparing for 10,000 entrants to this year's main event, a 14 percent increase from last year, despite a U.S. crackdown on online gambling sites that have boosted the tournament's popularity.

Isle of Capri may buy Casino Aztar

Missouri’s first three-casino owner might be the hometown team.

Harrah's chief executive earned $12.6 million in 2006

Gary Loveman, the chief executive of casino giant Harrah's Entertainment Inc., received total compensation valued at $12.6 million last year, a regulatory filing showed Wednesday.

Atlantis bridge deal approved

Tourism officials approved an initial legal agreement Tuesday to connect the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to the Atlantis hotel-casino with an elevated skywalk, but also said the convention center's art sculpture is unlikely to get fixed.

Penguins to Get New Igloo in Pittsburgh

The Penguins and government officials ended months of difficult negotiations, agreeing to a $290 million arena deal that ensures the team will stay in Pittsburgh.

MGM Mirage, Culinary Union open contract talks in Las Vegas

MGM Mirage Inc., the largest private employer in Nevada, entered contract negotiations on Wednesday with the union that represents more than 21,000 of its cooks, waiters, housekeepers and other service employees.

Man to plead in casino murder

Ramiro Vazquez Galicia, charged with killing his estranged girlfriend at Horizon Casino Resort, intends to plead guilty to one count of murder while violating a restraining order later this month in Minden.

The Bear Growls: As I predicted six months ago, "retired" Sheriff goes to work for a casino

Long-time Las Vegas-based advantage player, casino critic, and frequent BJ21.com contributor LVBear offers his opinions on things that sometimes go wrong in the world of casinos.  Current and past growls can be read and comments posted at LVBear's website, TheBearGrowls.com

By LVBear
LVBear584@cox.net

Station principals Lorenzo Fertitta and Frank J. Fertitta III, as well as their relatives, supported Young during his tenure as sheriff. In 2002, the company and its owners donated $50,000 to Young’s campaign. In 2006, they donated $60,000, according to Clark County election records.  Link to news article.

This is sickening. It happens over and over and over. "Political contributions" in exchange for protection when casino employees commit crimes against patrons, then a fat-cat job handed to the "retired" former public official. These people truly have no shame.

His role at Station will include overseeing the security and surveillance departments at the company’s 16 properties.

Security and surveillance are two separate departments that have serious potential for being in conflict with one another. An independent and well-run surveillance department can help protect a casino from liability by reporting security guard misbehavior to senior management before bad guards get completely out of control. How can one guy head both departments? If Mr.Young was to be more than a phony figurehead, it would be a serious conflict of interest that even casino bosses should be able to recognize.

The reality is that, as a friend put it, Mr. Young will probably have no real duties other than perhaps "interviewing cocktail waitresses" and collecting his fat payoff --- err, I mean paycheck.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Attorney who successfully prosecuted the corrupt former Clark County Commissioners has been fired.  Who will look out for the taxpayer and citizen now?

Click here for link to my comments made six months ago.  (Scroll down)  I wish I had been wrong about this, but obviously I wasn't.

The Bear Growls  is on a new website

People have been kind enough to ask me how they can retrieve past "growls."  To make it easy, I created a blog on a website devoted exclusively to my opinions on things that sometimes go wrong in the world of casinos.  My new website is TheBearGrowls.com  Please visit the site, post comments if you wish, and let me know how you like it. I hope it helps give further well-deserved bad publicity to the people, companies, government agencies and other miscreants that I growl about. Thanks for reading.

LVBear
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