BJ21.com Newsletter
April 13, 2007
0715
Compiled by Al
Rogers
Al@bj21.com
'Slim' hope for repeal of US gaming bill
Barney Frank, the chairman of the House financial services committee,
on Thursday damped hopes that US Congress would soon repeal a
controversial law to curb online gambling, saying such a move lacked
support among lawmakers.
Tribal
courts written into three compacts
If a trio of gaming compacts before the Legislature this year become
law, casinos patrons eventually could find themselves in an unfamiliar
place: tribal court. ... "The same entity that owns and profits from
the casino will have the authority to, not only hand patron complaints
but, also, adjudicate the final appeals of those complaints. It may be
appropriate to apply the ancient and time-honored analogy of 'the fox
guarding the hen-house' in this situation."
Development
company agrees to buy aging Reno casino
A Chicago-based development company has agreed to buy Fitzgeralds
Casino & Hotel in downtown Reno for an undisclosed price, a
newspaper reported.
Report reveals grim
news for Binion's
Binion's showing a negative cash flow of more than $3 million was bad
enough. But the news got worse for the Fremont Street hotel.
Odds are casino-goers are safe, if they're careful
Mohegan Sun's security people have some tips to discourage criminals.
Tropicana
victims to get $101 million
Calling it the largest settlement of its kind, lawyers for the
construction workers caught in the October 2003 parking-garage collapse
at the Tropicana Casino Resort announced last night that they had
resolved all legal claims against the casino and the project's
contractors for $101 million.
Detroit
casinos easier fit for UAW
The United Auto Workers union has soared on the assurance to casino
dealers here that it has experience representing dealers at Detroit's
three casinos since it first negotiated contracts there in 2000 and
2002, shortly after they opened.
Harrah's to announce new Biloxi project in May
Harrah's Entertainment will announce in May a new casino project
adjacent to the Biloxi Grand Casino.
Harrah's New Orleans casino winnings coming mostly from locals
In another sign that New Orleans' tourist economy is far from recovered
from Hurricane Katrina, the head of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. said
Wednesday that the money won by the company's downtown casino has
mostly come from local residents.
Indiana
probing casino operator
The Indiana Gaming Commission is conducting an investigation of
Columbia Sussex Corp., the Fort Mitchell-based hotel and casino
operator that purchased the casino on the Ohio River in Evansville last
year.
Missouri
Gamblers Losing Money in Big Numbers
Riverboat gamblers in Missouri are losing record amounts at the state's
eleven casinos.
Topaz
Lodge meets with workers
More than half of the Topaz Lodge's employees met with management on
Monday to hear what the future held for them.
Casino
opponents urge Rendell to dismiss chief of gaming board
Anti-casino activists called yesterday for the firing of the state's
top gambling regulator because his agency is trying to halt a May 15
referendum to sharply limit casino development in Philadelphia.
Shuffle
Master Slides After Downgrade
Shares of Shuffle Master Inc. slipped Wednesday after an analyst
downgraded the maker of automatic card-shuffling and casino chip
sorters on increased competition in Macau.
Casino
revenue declines
Mostly snowless skies didn't benefit Northern Nevada casinos in
February, with gambling revenue falling 4.6 percent in Washoe County,
regulators said Tuesday.
Checking the books
brings intrigue for casino auditor
Armed with an accounting degree from Arizona State University, Gregg
Gale wanted more than just a job as a numbers cruncher.
Survey: Casinos
behind upturn -- Gambling playing role in Gulf rally
Legalized gambling has returned as one of the few industries driving
the economic recovery from disastrous hurricanes in Mississippi and
Louisiana, a survey commissioned by the American Gaming Association
found.
A hopeful glimmer
for Neonopolis -- Inquiry from major mall owner has local officials
intrigued
There may be light at the end of the tunnel for Neonopolis, a
neon-themed mall in downtown Las Vegas known more for darkened
storefronts than attracting tenants and shoppers to the city's
once-proud Glitter Gulch.
Casinos
constantly on lookout for cons
They call them fleas. Casino cons. Guys who buzz around the betting
floor, looking for a scam or a cheat or a fleece.
Small
casinos team up to play like the big boys, stay in loop
In the shadow of luxury condo towers and giant north Strip casinos sits
the Eureka Casino, where the big news is not a posh nightclub or
high-limit lounge but the remodeled Teddy's Restaurant (home of the
Thunder Burger and $4.44 breakfast specials), hand-paid jackpots and
the opportunity to chew on your club sandwich while you sit at the slot
machine.
It's
union time or demolition for Imperial Palace
Imperial Palace, once the most virulently anti-union property on the
Strip, will almost certainly become unionized if it is not imploded by
its new owners.
Silverton eyes
golden future -- Property on I-15 plans to launch $500 million
expansion, upgrade
With the roadwork outside its door completed, the Silverton is
scheduled to begin a $500 million expansion this June that will include
doubling its hotel occupancy.
How Should Casino-Hotels Be Rated?
Should the standard AAA full service hotel service expectations apply
at a casino-hotel? How much emphasis should be allotted to casino
services? Should casino-specific factors like services, cleanliness,
and employee performance be considered at all? Is it fair to ignore the
casino operation entirely and rate the hotel solely on its own merits?
Current Blackjack News
On the 1st and 2nd of every month, a couple dozen Pi Yee Press
reporters visit casinos around the United States to check on the
blackjack rules and playing conditions. Five of those reporters split
up Las Vegas and visit every casino in town. Any changes in rules and
playing conditions that they find, they email to the CBJN editor, who
compiles them into a newsletter that is published late in the afternoon
on the 3rd. That report is available as a single issue, your choice of
e-mail or regular mail. The price of a single issue is $12 for
electronic or $15 for regular mail.
You can subscribe to download CBJN from the BJ21 web site. The price is
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A
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Beat the Players - Casinos, Cops and the
Game Inside the Game, by Bob Nersesian
This
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