Bethlehem casino gets name
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Now that the debate is over and the steel is being erected to build a casino in south Bethlehem, the gambling hall finally has a name. Las Vegas Sands officials Friday announced that the casino will be called "Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem."
KCK casino makes first payment to city
(KANSAS) -- Gamblers are apparently embracing the new Wyandotte Nation-owned casino here, which made its first revenue-sharing payment to city officials this week.
Already, CityCenter’s scale, complexity unparalleled
(LAS VEGAS) -- For all the stories I’ve written about CityCenter, the largest construction project in the country, nothing could have prepared me for the experience of standing in the middle of it this week.
House panel holds table games hearing despite Senate opposition
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The Democratic-led House Gaming Oversight Committee took the first step Thursday on a bill to legalize table games at the state’s licensed slots casinos, holding a hearing on them despite heavy opposition in the Senate to expanding the state’s gambling platter.
Pa Casino’s Considering More Games
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The gaming oversight committee heard testimony from people on both sides of the issue. Advocates say expanding gambling in the commonwealth will lead to more jobs.
CityCenter budget hits $9 billion
(LAS VEGAS) -- The cost to build MGM Mirage's massive CityCenter development has cracked the $9 billion mark. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, MGM Mirage said the construction budget for CityCenter had increased to $9.2 billion, which includes capitalized interest.
Off-Strip hotels push harder
(LAS VEGAS) -- Three off-Strip properties are addressing the economic pinch by increasing promotional spending, although they are taking separate approaches to cost-cutting efforts.
Hearing consensus: Grant slots license
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The overwhelmingly positive response by the community will be a factor in the Pennsylvania State Gaming Board’s decision on whether to give Valley View Downs a license to operate 3,000 slot machines at the planned harness racing track.
Atlantic City keeping current
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- It's been a brutal year for this seaside gambling mecca. Competition from Pennsylvania and New York slots parlors began in late November 2006, and a law that will convert a partial smoking ban on casino floors into a full ban beginning Oct. 15 will further test Atlantic City's staying power.
Table games bill still faces opposition
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The debate on gambling in Pennsylvania shifted Thursday, if only briefly, to craps, poker and blackjack, instead of whether the Legislature set up a flawed regulatory mechanism to vet who should win a slot-machine casino license.
State unlikely to approve table games anytime soon
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Two casino executives want the state Legislature to let Pennsylvania casinos add popular table games, like blackjack, poker, dice and roulette, to the hundreds of slot machines already available for bettors.
States see casinos' benefit
(MISSISSIPPI) -- Casinos have been a good bet for states over the last 10 years, when revenue for commercial casinos soared 73 percent.
Another casino faces financing crunch
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Another planned Pennsylvania casino faces an uncertain financial future, according to testimony today before the state Gaming Control Board.
Casino debate is back
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- The debate over casino gambling is back, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said Thursday, two months after pronouncing it dead and as a commission the House approved to study the issue remains unformed.
Casino revenues jump
(LAS VEGAS) -- Americans spent more money gambling in 2007 than on movie tickets or candy, but the steady growth of commercial casinos in the past decade could take a hit next year because of a slumping economy and setbacks in building new places to play. A survey released
New NYRA board takes shape
(NEW YORK) -- Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno (R-Brunswick) has tabbed a former Ad Hoc Racing Committee member as one of his picks for New York Racing Association’s reconstituted board of directors.
Final OK given to deal for slots host
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- It's official. Dauphin County and East Hanover Twp. have entered a four-year pact in which the county will provide $3 million annually to help with expenses the township incurs as host of the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
Bill that transformed a city
(NEVADA) -- A piece of Nevada legislation with a name of big dreams and high expectations, "The Wide Open Gambling Bill of 1931," was the cornerstone on which Las Vegas’ modern economy was built.
No bluffs called in table games showdown
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A House Republican lawmaker threw down the gauntlet during a hearing Thursday on legislation to legalize table games at Pennsylvania’s slots casinos.
Senate supports video bingo limit
(LOUISIANA) -- State legislation that would cut off the expansion of video bingo machines that resemble video poker or slot machines was approved Wednesday in Senate.
Table games bill still faces opposition from Senate, Rendell
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The debate on gambling in Pennsylvania shifted Thursday, if only briefly, to craps, poker and blackjack, instead of whether the Legislature set up a flawed regulatory mechanism to vet who should win a slot-machine casino license.
Vegas man indicted on lewdness charge
(NEVADA) -- A 39-year-old Las Vegas man is to appear Tuesday before District Judge Dave Gamble on a lewdness charge after a casino cocktail waitress said he put his hand under her skirt and ran his hand between her legs.
CityCenter pushes ahead, despite economy
(LAS VEGAS) -- MGM Mirage officials topped off the first of six high-rise towers on its CityCenter development Wednesday, and a senior company official said it was pushing ahead despite nervousness across the casino industry because of the uneasy U.S. economy.
MGM Approves Share-Buyback Plan
(LAS VEGAS) -- MGM Mirage took the bull by the horns and approved a massive share buyback, a move that shows the casino operator remains focused on ways to unlock value for shareholders.
MGM Mirage approves 20 million-share buyback program
(NEW YORK) -- MGM Mirage Wednesday said its board approved a 20 million-share stock repurchasing program. The casino company said it has repurchased 1.3 million shares so far in its current quarter, leaving 1.4 million shares remaining under a buyback program approved in December 2007.
Court to hear challenge to state gambling law
(KANSAS) -- The future of four resort casinos in the state hangs on a Kansas Supreme Court ruling on whether what the Legislature calls state-owned and operated facilities really are that.
Las Vegas Sands (LVS): Gamble on Macau
(WALL STREET) -- While many know that Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are the two wealthiest, Tony Sagami notes that few know the third: Sheldon Adelson. In his Asia Stock Alert, he explains, "Adelson is the founder and CEO of Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS), our latest featured stock."
Cornell Quarterly Aims to Boost Loyalty of Casino Slot Club Members
(USA) -- Most casinos offer slot clubs with the idea of boosting customer loyalty, but too many customers are just in it for the deal. Ways to increase casino patrons’ loyalty are examined in the featured article in the May 2008 issue of the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.
New board to oversee divvying of Casino taxes
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- When Dauphin County starts divvying up its share of taxes on the Hollywood Casino, $3 million will go to East Hanover Twp., host of the gambling operation. And surrounding municipalities will get priority status.
Barden's hearing might be postponed
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A state Gaming Control Board hearing on Don Barden's plans to pay for his North Shore casino could be postponed because the financing package is still being negotiated.
GAMING: Del. lawmakers hear appeal for expanded gambling
(DELAWARE) -- The state’s budget woes could bolster efforts by the gaming industry to expand gambling in Delaware. Video Lottery Advisory Council chairman Edward Sutor says allowing table games, such as craps, at the Delaware slots casinos could generate an additional $42 million per year for the state and create 750 jobs.
U.S. gambling revenues up 5.3 percent to $34 billion in 2007
(LAS VEGAS) -- Americans spent more money gambling in 2007 than on movie tickets or candy, but the steady growth of commercial casinos in the past decade could take a hit next year because of a slumping economy and setbacks in building new places to play.
Hearing postponed for Pittsburgh's Majestic Star Casino
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Pittsburgh casino operator Don Barden asked for and received a postponement of a planned public hearing on financing for his proposed Majestic Star Casino, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board said Wednesday.
RICK ALM: Take at casinos hits record
(KANSAS) -- U.S. gamblers left behind a record $34.1 billion in the nation’s 467 commercial casinos in 2007, up 5.3 percent over 2006, an industry trade group reported Wednesday.
Slots referendum further divides Franchot, Smith
(MARYLAND) -- Comptroller Peter FranchotComptroller Peter FranchotAmong the many issues that divide Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) and Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith (D), the debate over whether the state should permit slot machine gambling is certainly on that list.
Ruston might raise gambling tax
(WASHINGTON) -- Establishments in Ruston that offer gambling to their customers could be facing a steep tax increase in the near future. Ruston Town Councilmember Wayne Stebner is proposing an increase in the city’s gambling tax from the current 3 percent to 20 percent, the maximum allowed under state law.
Court hears challenge to state gambling law
(KANSAS) -- Kansas Supreme Court justices lost little time Wednesday getting to the key question of whether what the Legislature calls state-owned and state-operated casinos really are that.
Glace Bay MLA introduces casino bill
(NOVA SCOTIA) -- Dave Wilson, Liberal MLA for Glace Bay, has introduced a bill called The Sydney Casino Profits Distribution Act, aimed at increasing the casino’s charitable contributions in Cape Breton.
Special prosecutor likely for jury probe
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A special prosecutor will probably be appointed to investigate alleged news leaks from the grand jury that charged Mount Airy Casino Resort owner Louis DeNaples with perjury.
Celebrity chef to open Palms Place eatery
(LAS VEGAS) -- Casino developer George Maloof, in a business partnership with celebrity chef Kerry Simon, is opening Simon at Palms Place on Thursday, a $7.2 million restaurant catering to both local residents and the affluent demographic that bought into the condominium hotel on Flamingo Road.
East Hanover reaps reward from casino
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- When Dauphin County carves up its share of slot machine gambling money this year, it will favor grant requests from East Hanover Twp. and other municipalities closest to Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.
Newport Grand won’t open overnight
(RHODE ISLAND) -- Newport Grand will keep its slot machines open later, but not all night as the General Assembly permitted in its attempt to balance the state budget with revenue from gambling.
Casino Crime: The Real Deal
(WEST VIRGINIA) -- Table gaming is now a staple at both local racetracks, but it didn't get here without controversy and concern, as many local people were worried the games would bring an increase in crime.
Long-shuttered Henderson casino destroyed by flames
(NEVADA) -- Firefighters are probing the cause of a blaze that destroyed a long-shuttered Henderson casino. Authorities say the upper sections of the Alystra Casino were engulfed in flames when Henderson firefighters arrived a little before 7 p.m. Tuesday.
MGM Grand’s gambling revenue up in 2008
(DETROIT) -- MGM Grand Detroit Casino L.L.C. reported gambling revenue to the Michigan Gaming Control Board of more than $190.7 million for the first four months of 2008, up 15.1 percent over the same period in 2007.
Yung fighting for control of company
(MISSISSIPPI) -- As Bayou Caddy's Jubilee Casino and other properties owned by Tropicana Entertainment begin reorganizing their finances under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, William J. Yung III, Tropicana's chief executive officer, is fighting to retain control of the company.
And you wonder who pays for those expensive casinos
(LAS VEGAS) -- Gamblers lost a record $34.13 billion in non-tribal casinos last year, a 5 percent increase from 2006 and more than consumers spent going to movies and buying video games combined, the American Gaming Association reported today in its annual industry survey.
Filling the Gaming Industry Need for Talent
(USA) -- In a recent article, Frank Fahrenkopf the CEO of the American Gaming Association, made the point that the commercial gaming industry has been a significant jobs creator.
Fire destroys Boulder Highway casino
(NEVADA) -- The Henderson Fire Department is today investigating the cause of a Tuesday night fire that gutted the boarded-up Alystra Casino along Boulder Highway at Sunset Road.
$800 million to fund casino up in air
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Just five days before the payoff deadline on a $200 million loan, Don Barden hasn't secured the money he needs to build a North Shore casino, his attorney told state gambling regulators Wednesday.
Review of state gambling officials sought
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- House Republicans on Tuesday asked the state attorney general to investigate whether top officials of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board violated any law by allegedly directing investigators to change a background report about Poconos casino owner Louis DeNaples.
Panel: Let Iberville Parish vote on new track
(LOUISIANA) -- A House committee approved an Iberville Parish vote on whether to allow construction of a horse racing track, but Gov. Bobby Jindal's office said he would veto the bill if it gets to his desk.
Lawmakers turn sights on gaming board
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Two Pennsylvania lawmakers Tuesday demanded the attorney general investigate accusations that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board revised investigative reports on Mount Airy Casino Resort owner Louis DeNaples during the licensing application process.
Despite few layoffs, workers feel fear
(LAS VEGAS) -- After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thousands of hourly Strip workers were laid off as tourists stayed home, and profit at some casinos was halved. It took more than a year to recover.
Casino investor asks to drop ownership stake
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A financial backer of the proposed $429 million Lawrence County casino and racetrack is asking the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to withdraw his casino license application.
Tropicana's former owners seek return of casino license
(NEW JERSEY) -- Six months after they were run out of town, and with the search for a new owner nearing the finish line, the former owners of the Tropicana Casino and Resort tried Tuesday to get their casino license back and stop the sale of the property.
Vegas slump hits Station Casinos
(LAS VEGAS) -- Station Casinos has historically reaped impressive gains by putting most of its eggs in one basket. The risky strategy has paid off previously for Station, which bought up most available casino sites in Las Vegas, where neighborhood casinos are limited by state law, and benefits from population and job growth.
Anti-gambling bill dies in Senate
(LOUISIANA) -- Anti-gambling legislation that would have banned ATMs and any credit extensions from casinos narrowly failed Tuesday.
Hard landing: Casino slowly being demolished
(NEVADA) -- More than a year after closing, the Nevada Landing is history. Since mid-February, MGM Mirage has been slowly demolishing the Jean casino, which was to make way for a master-planned mixed-use development. As of last week, only the Nevada Landing marquee remained.
N.S. casino operator’s profit $5.4m
(NOVA SCOTIA) -- Great Canadian Gaming Corp. said Monday it earned a first-quarter profit of $5.4 million, up from $4.3 million a year ago, as growth at the company’s casinos in the Vancouver area offset an ongoing anti-gambling campaign in Nova Scotia.
Revenue drops for KC-area riverboat casinos
(MISSOURI) -- Argosy Casino was the only one of four Kansas City-area riverboat casinos to report higher revenue and more customers in April compared with last year, according to statistics the Missouri Gaming Commission released Monday.
Smoking on the Argosy: Leave it alone
(IOWA) -- I don’t smoke, drink or gamble, but this whole smoking ban thing is getting way out of control. What are you people at City Hall thinking (or not) of?
Third time for gambling issue not charming, either
(OHIO) -- Here we go again: Ohio voters, having rejected an expansion of legalized gambling twice, are being asked to reconsider the idea. A big-bucks out-of-state casino developer, eager to expand into the Buckeye State, is playing a key role in the initiative.
His bet is off: Would-be part-owner wants to pull out of Lawrence County casino project
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Stephen Hilbert, the flamboyant former chief executive of Conseco Inc. and would-be part-owner of a racetrack casino in Lawrence County, is asking Pennsylvania's casino regulatory panel if he can withdraw his application for a casino license, a move that would minimize the need for state investigators to dig into his personal and financial history.
CEO Gambles on Future
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Maybe it's only fitting for a man who runs a gambling company to cite these odds of staying in his current job after his contract expires: 50-50.
MTR Gaming predicts strong summer for Pa., W.Va.
(WEST VIRGINIA) -- With a new synthetic track, fat purses for horse races and 13 miles of lakefront beaches a two-hour drive from millions, the summer is looking "really, really good" for Pennsylvania's Presque Isle Downs & Casino, its owner says.
Bally Technologies fiscal 3Q profit jumps
(WALL STREET) -- Casino equipment maker Bally Technologies Inc. said Monday its fiscal third-quarter profit more than quadrupled as gaming equipment and systems and gaming operations revenue climbed.
Despite slowdown, casino giant spending big
(LAS VEGAS) -- Even as gamblers, shoppers and diners are clutching to their dollars and Las Vegas reels from the worst economic slowdown since Sept. 11, MGM Mirage is spending billions of dollars on itself.
Smoking ban compromise unravels
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A veto threat, backed by opposition from a number of Democratic senators, scuttled the latest attempt Monday to pass a compromise public-places smoking ban.
Court sides with casino boats
(SOUTH CAROLINA) -- The S.C. Supreme Court ruled 4-1 Monday that casino boat companies do not have to report monthly wagers at gambling machines to the state, a move that some say could make it hard for municipalities to collect casino boat taxes.
Woman opposes bus service to casino
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A local woman is objecting to proposed bus service to Presque Isle Downs & Casino, saying the money could be better used elsewhere in the bus system.
Casino smoking ban on hold, but still hot topic
(IOWA) -- Two Sioux City residents were not ready to let rest the issue of exemptions for state-licensed casinos from the statewide ban on smoking in public places, or the prospect of a city-imposed ban on the Argosy Casino in Sioux City.
Isle of Capri reopens after floods forced closure
(MISSISSIPPI) -- Sandbags, silt and debris couldn’t stand in the way of the Isle of Capri casino boat re-opening at 10 a.m. Monday. Interim General Manager John Moran said he was pleased to return to business as usual.
Station forges ahead despite quarterly loss
(LAS VEGAS) -- Station Casinos posted sharp declines in key revenue categories during the first three months of the year, although a gaming analyst said the locals casino giant is showing no signs of cutting back on development.
HP casino project on schedule, on budget
(INDIANA) -- Construction at Hoosier Park continues to be on time and on budget, Rick Moore, general manager of racing at Hoosier Park, reported to the Indiana Horse Racing Commission on Monday.
Study says casinos cut into bingo profits
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The pots might get sweeter soon at the local bingo game. But according to the firefighters who rely on such games of chance to pay bills -- as well as a Carnegie Mellon University research team -- legislation proposed to more than double the allowable payouts at bingo games can't trump the power of real casinos.
City council sets limits for video lottery
(SOUTH DAKOTA) -- City councilors approved a measure that would restrict bars and casinos with video lottery from congregating near each other or near schools and parks Monday, setting the stage for a showdown with the state.
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