Supporters of Berlin, NH casino not giving up
(NEW HAMPSHIRE) -- Legislators may've nixed plans for gambling in New Hampshire, but casino supporters in Berlin aren't giving up. State Rep. Paul Ingersoll said he'll join other gambling supporters to reintroduce a bill allowing slot machines at the state's three race tracks and two casinos in the North Country, The Berlin Daily Sun reported.
Onex, Yemenidjian Take Over Tropicana Vegas Casino
(LAS VEGAS) -- Onex Corp. and former MGM Mirage President Alex Yemenidjian have acquired a majority stake in the Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Casino as debt holders took ownership following its exit from bankruptcy yesterday.
State gambling issues could return
(INDIANA) -- Indiana lawmakers worried about distractions during the special budget session kept gambling issues from creeping into negotiations. But the push to give racetracks a break and help struggling casinos could surface again this summer and in 2010.
Primm’s lure: Freebies
(LAS VEGAS) -- On a recent Monday afternoon, Buffalo Bill’s — a Western-themed casino about 45 miles from the Strip at the California border — offers a glimpse of Las Vegas’ past.
New era in gaming nears in Black Hawk, Central City
(COLORADO) -- Ushering in a new era of gambling in Colorado, casino officials threw full-fledged parties Wednesday, complete with ribbon cuttings, ceremonial dice rolls, live bands and B-list celebrities.
New Trop owner vows return to glory
(LAS VEGAS) -- On his first day back as a Strip executive, former MGM Grand exec Alex Yemenidjian greeted his new employees with a promise to return the Tropicana to its former luster.
Venetian, Palazzo lay off workers amid downturn
(LAS VEGAS) -- The Venetian and Palazzo hotel-casinos in Las Vegas have laid off 194 employees since Monday in response to the continuing economic downturn and the resulting drive to cut costs.
Harrah's meets with Murphy, signals interest in Twin River
(RHODE ISLAND) -- Two top executives from Harrah's Entertainment, the Las Vegas-based company that financed the 2006 drive for the proposed Narragansett Indian casino in House Speaker William J. Murphy's hometown of West Warwick, were back at the Rhode Island State House Tuesday morning to meet with Murphy.
60 Las Vegas hotels have rooms under $50
(LAS VEGAS) -- You may have heard that room rates are low in Las Vegas, but you might be surprised just how low they can go. A survey of rates conducted the week of June 15 turned up extraordinary values, including 60 hotel-casinos with room rates below $50, compared with 42 in the same survey last year.
Las Vegas Sands lays off nearly 200
(LAS VEGAS) -- Casino operator Las Vegas Sands says it has laid off nearly 200 people in Las Vegas. Company spokesman Ron Reese says the layoffs came this week and are an attempt to adjust staffing levels to meet the "current economic environment."
Sussex racino bill clears hurdle
(DELAWARE) -- Backers of a proposed Sussex County racino project won a victory in the state House, keeping alive the chance the casino could get its license before year's end.
Table Game Pressure Building in US Northeast, Say Analysts
(USA) -- Increased competition in the north-east casino market will force previously slot-only states such as Pennsylvania, Delaware and Rhode Island to approve the licensing of table games in order to remain competitive, according to new research from analysts at debt ratings agency Moody’s.
Casinos now open all night
(COLORADO) -- It was the ultimate multimillion-dollar bet. Casinos in Colorado's three mountain gambling towns were part of a roughly $7 million campaign to persuade state voters to let them have more games, operating hours and betting limits.
State Supreme Court won't shift casino funds to E.C.
(INDIANA) -- The Indiana Supreme Court has denied the city of East Chicago's bid for a court order to route millions of casino dollars back to the city. The justices also ruled the Indiana Gaming Commission can alter the agreement that funnels riverboat gambling money to two private groups.
Colorado casinos prep for all-night gambling
(COLORADO) -- As of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, thanks to events sparked by voter approval of Amendment 50, Colorado gamblers can wager $100 instead of $5 and play craps and roulette instead of just poker, blackjack and slots.
Casino operators: Table games in Pa. would narrow budget deficit
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Legalized table games in Pennsylvania casinos would create thousands of well-paying jobs and narrow the state's crippling budget deficit, but taxes on them must be lower than those on slot machines, two Pittsburgh-area casino operators said Wednesday.
Georgia poker pro wins $1.28M HORSE title in Vegas
(LAS VEGAS) -- A 37-year-old former pro bowler from Georgia outlasted a 44-year-old New Yorker in a marathon poker session Wednesday to win $1.28 million and the mixed-game H.O.R.S.E. title at the World Series of Poker.
Colorado Casinos Gear Up For New Gaming Rules
(COLORADO) -- Colorado casinos are gearing up for a new era in gaming. New rules go into effect Thursday, July 2nd at 12:01am. Casinos in Cripple Creek, Blackhawk and Silver City are adding roulette and craps tables and bettors can wager up to $100 under a new law passed by Colorado voters last November.
Deadline passes for A.C. land bids
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Atlantic City's plans for the former Bader Field airport site are still on the runway. Mayor Lorenzo Langford says he'll unveil a development plan for the land next week.
Casinos have high hopes for higher limits
(COLORADO) -- Gambling in Colorado is set to change. At midnight on Wednesday, the stakes will rise for gamblers. However, it's Colorado's casino towns that have the most on the line.
Colorado casinos prep for all-night gambling
(COLORADO) -- Colorado casinos are getting ready to raise betting limits, add games and take wagers all night long. The expanded hours and higher limits take effect Thursday. State voters approved Amendment 50 in November, letting voters in the mountain casino towns of Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk decide whether to expand gambling.
Casinos ready to cash in?
(COLORADO) -- Colorado casinos are placing their bets that the gambling rule changes going into effect at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow will put an end to their bad fortune.
Court: E.C. casino pact can be altered
(INDIANA) -- The legal arrangement that pays the for-profit East Chicago Second Century Inc., and two other not-for-profit entities a portion of East Chicago casino gambling revenue can be modified under Indiana Gaming Commission rules, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled.
Clubs, not casinos, may be key for A.C.
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Despite predictions that Atlantic City will never again be the end-all, be-all adult playground for East Coasters, two investors are taking a long shot that the nightlife will still attract young people and their cash.
Casino in works for Delmar-area site
(DELAWARE) -- A Wilmington developer's announcement that he intends to build a gambling casino in Delmar already is drawing criticism from at least one would-be competitor, the nearby Dover Downs Hotel and Casino.
Deadwood's casino tax goes into effect Wednesday
(SOUTH DAKOTA) -- That tax on revenue from Deadwood casinos will rise from 8 percent to 9 percent beginning tomorrow, July 1, as a bevy of new laws passed by the South Dakota Legislature earlier this year and signed by Gov. Mike Rounds goes into effect.
No casino bids yet for historic NJ airport site
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- It gave the world the term "airport," but the future of Bader Field is in a holding pattern right now. Tuesday was the deadline for interested parties to bid on the 143-acre site that could hold as many as three new casinos.
Backers of proposed Franklin County casino move location
(IOWA) -- A casino and hotel complex that's being proposed in Franklin County will now be built near Dows, just off Interstate-35, if state regulators give it the go ahead. Developer Gayle Burnett, of Rockford, says it's a move of about six miles to the north for the Landmark Hotel and Casino, which was announced in 2005.
Gayle Beck: Slots: Ohio's big gamble
(OHIO) -- Will Ohio’s new budget authorize the seven racetracks in the state to add slot machines? Or will Gov. Ted Strickland have to make it happen on his own authority, apart from the budget approved by the Legislature?
Gaming index reveals industry still suffering
(LAS VEGAS) -- Two months after picking themselves up off the floor, stocks in gambling-related companies are losing steam again. On Tuesday, Applied Analysis of Las Vegas reported stocks in its monthly gaming index lost 2.9 percent of their value in June, the first decline since March.
Casino Industry Says Shutdown Would Be Devastating
(INDIANA) -- The state's burgeoning casino industry said Monday that the looming possibility of a state government shutdown would have an immediate negative impact on communities that rely on the industry economically.
Governor's slot proposal called unconstitutional
(OHIO) -- A group that has campaigned against past attempts to bring casino gambling to Ohio said Gov. Ted Strickland's plan to place slot machines at horse racing tracks is unconstitutional.
Are Casinos a Done Deal?
(PHILADELPHIA) -- The Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s 4-2 vote to approve the proposed SugarHouse casino on the Delaware River is only the most recent reminder that public officials have made up their minds in favor of gambling.
Moody's: New casinos ramp up Northeast competition
(NEW YORK) -- Moody's Investors Service said in a report on Tuesday that new casino openings in the Northeast were threatening the dominance of Atlantic City and Connecticut as gambling destinations.
Banned gambler arrested at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- A 37-year-old Catasauqua man who placed himself on the state's self-exclusion list, which bans individuals from the gaming floors of casinos, was accused of gambling at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem earlier this month.
Group wants voters to authorize four casinos
(OHIO) -- Although Gov. Ted Strickland has proposed the state legislature unilaterally authorize slot machines at the state's seven horse racing venues, voters may still face a gambling issue on the November ballot.
The Daily Debates: Should the state allow gambling to boost revenue?
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- It has come down to a matter of chance. State lawmakers are considering table games as a way to help reign-in a $3.2 billion deficit. It will take more than Lady Luck to fix Pennsylvania’s revenue shortfall; however, compared to other proposed solutions, gambling in all forms is a good idea.
The empire strikes back at Pa. slots
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Tired of watching slots parlors in Pennsylvania steal away their best customers, Atlantic City casinos are fighting back with billboards and direct marketing aimed squarely at residents of the Keystone State.
Casino picture not always rosy
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- The state's top law enforcement official warned legislators on Monday that Massachusetts is unprepared for expanded gambling and needs an extensive overhaul of regulations and criminal laws if it legalizes casinos.
MA reconsiders casino gambling
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- Casino gambling is back on the table in Massachusetts. Lawmakers held a public hearing Monday to discuss the possibility of expanded gambling.
$336 million casino opens on Ohio River
(INDIANA) -- Opening ceremonies are being held Monday for a new $336 million casino boat in southeastern Indiana. The new Hollywood Casino on the Ohio River at Lawrenceburg opened up to its first gamblers on Thursday, replacing the 13-year-old Argosy Casino.
LETTERS: Casinos learn gamblers want the human touch
(LAS VEGAS) -- To the editor: Congratulations to MGM Mirage officials for returning to poker dealers rather than staying with the touch-screen monitors. This will undoubtedly bring more gamblers to the floor.
Governor eyes gambling for budget fix
(OHIO) -- Gov. Ted Strickland stared down the barrel of even more painful cuts to state programs, and he decided that reversing himself on gambling would be the least painful option at his disposal.
Receiver takes reins at Silver Dollar Casino
(CALGARY) -- B.C. courts have turned over operations of Calgary’s iconic Silver Dollar Casino to a subsidiary of accounting firm Grant Thornton LLP, granting the cash-strapped facility a new lease on life in time for Stampede, albeit through receivership.
Canyon Again Seeks Sale of Greek Isle Casino
(LAS VEGAS) -- The main lender on the off-Strip Greek Isles hotel and casino here is seeking bankruptcy court approval to sell the property at auction—exactly what was set to occur when other creditors jumped in and forced the business into Ch. 11 bankruptcy in April.
Circus Circus names 2008's best worker
(NEVADA) -- Dina Kish, marketing coordinator and Web site support administrator, was recently named the 2008 employee of the year at Circus Circus Reno and will receive a $10,000 award. Kish was recommended by her supervisor, Jennifer Cunningham, director of sales and marketing.
Is gambling back on the table in Mass.?
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- A portion of a legislative committee led by Ashland Sen. Karen Spilka held a hearing on expanded gambling yesterday, a first step in revisiting the introduction of casinos and slot machines following a leadership shake-up.
Gambling Debate Kicks Off At State House
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- A new round of public debate about allowing casinos in Massachusetts kicks off at the State House on Monday. Debate about specific bills that would allow slot machines at race tracks and or destination casinos is not expected until the fall.
Pa. Mount Airy casino party welcomes owner back
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Hundreds of people gathered at the Mount Airy Casino Resort to welcome owner Louis DeNaples, whose gaming license was restored after county prosecutors dropped perjury charges against him.
Two arrested for shooting man near Harrah's
(LOUISIANA) -- Two men have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a man near Harrah's Casino early this morning, according to the New Orleans Police Department.
OP/ED: Governor’s scheme for slots isn’t surprising
(OHIO) -- Early in his administration, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland was lumped in with other prominent Ohio politicians for criticism by this writer because of their hypocritical stance on gambling: Opposition to casino-style gaming, but acceptance of horse racing, the state-run and ever-expanding lottery and other games of chance, including bingo.
Man preps others for game of craps' debut
(COLORADO) -- Denis Kellam is a craps evangelist. To him, the complicated dice game is the best way to spend an hour in the casino - or away from the casino: Kellam built his own scaled-down craps table, which he takes to local bars for craps nights (without wagering real money, naturally).
Ohio lawmakers postpone last-minute budget attempt
(OHIO) -- Lawmakers scrambling to reach a budget deal canceled a meeting planned for Sunday, reflecting a continuing stalemate over the issue of slot machine gambling and casting serious doubt on their ability to meet a July 1 deadline.
Experience Vegas-style glam at nearby casinos
(MISSISSIPPI) -- Hattiesburg is within an hour's drive to the beaches and casinos that line the Gulf Coast. Visitors can choose from 11 casinos that offer amenities that rival Las Vegas - from restaurants to spa services.
Ohio Senate rejects Strickland gambling plan
(OHIO) -- Gov. Ted Strickland said Saturday the Republican-controlled Senate rejected his proposal to erase Ohio's $3.2 billion budget deficit, dealing a strong blow to the already diminishing chances the spending plan would be finished on time.
Governor: Senate rejects gambling measure
(OHIO) -- Gov. Ted Strickland says the GOP-controlled Ohio Senate has rejected his plan to erase the state's $3.2 billion budget gap. The news Saturday is a major blow to negotiations on the 2-year spending plan, which lawmakers are scrambling to finish by a July 1 deadline.
Colorado towns betting on high-stakes gaming
(COLORADO) -- Colorado enters the big leagues of casino gambling July 2 with higher betting limits, expanded gaming and round-the-clock operations that could bring a new breed of gambler and a lot of new investment to the state.
Gayle Beck: Slots: Ohio's big gamble
(OHIO) -- Will Ohio’s new budget authorize the seven racetracks in the state to add slot machines? Or will Gov. Ted Strickland have to make it happen on his own authority, apart from the budget approved by the Legislature?
State to launch new games, limits on Thursday
(COLORADO) -- At the Colorado Grande Casino in Cripple Creek, the last security cameras are being placed over the roulette table. At Bronco Billy's Casino, gamblers are laying wagers on blackjack table in the new table games pit.
Casinos getting ready for new games, higher stakes
(COLORADO) -- Five dollars used to be the betting limit in Colorado. On July 2 at 12:01 a.m., that limit will be $100. Also, casinos have the option to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And, casinos can offer new table games, like craps and roulette.
Top Senate Republican calls for executive order on slots
(OHIO) -- The head of the Ohio Senate wants Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland to sign an executive directive enabling slot machines at the state's seven horse racing tracks, rather than putting the proposal before the Legislature.
Practice of building before designs are done hits wall at Fontainebleau
(LAS VEGAS) -- Las Vegas has a way of building high-rise resorts unlike any other city in the nation. It builds them in a hurry. So quickly, in fact, that it’s not unusual for construction to begin before all the architectural plans and details are in place. The goal is to open resorts as quickly as possible so they can start making money.
OP/ED: Once it starts...
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Table games are being considered in the Pennsylvania Legislature. With state lawmakers facing the biggest deficit they’ve ever seen, many who previously discounted the notion of legalizing table games this soon are now looking to poker and craps as a source of cash to help plug the state’s massive shortfall.
Gambling issue holds up Ohio budget
(OHIO) -- Disagreement over who should approve slot machines at horse tracks - Ohio voters or state legislators - has pushed the General Assembly up against a Tuesday deadline to pass Gov. Ted Strickland's two-year budget or resort to emergency spending for the first time in 18 years.
Las Vegas mayor losing support for city hall plans
(LAS VEGAS) -- Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's visions of a revitalized downtown may be in trouble as he loses support for a new city hall. A re-imagined downtown with two new casinos, busy office towers and a mass transit line can't happen without a new hall, Goodman says.
Hollywood Casino bigger, better
(INDIANA) -- After two years and $336 million worth of construction dust, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg is set for a big debut. While the gambling industry has taken a beating from the recession, officials believe the replacement for the old Argosy riverboat casino will be a blockbuster.
Editorial: High-rolling politicians
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- While thousands of patsies continue to pump quarters into the slot machines popping up across Pennsylvania, the political high rollers play a different game in the backrooms of Harrisburg.
Recession brings ‘Las Vegas dream’ to an end
(LAS VEGAS) -- Bursting skyward in the middle of the US’ gambling capital, seven glittering towers are nearing completion. The lavish US$11 billion CityCenter complex will boast a casino, four hotels, luxury apartments, a fire station and even an on-site power station. But its timing could hardly be worse.
Farmers market hitting the casino
(IOWA) -- Casino leaders are betting everyone wins at a new endeavor the local casino has launched. Farmers market vendors will be hawking produce, crafts and baked goods in the casino's parking lot once a month through September.
Louis DeNaples Welcomed Back to His Casino
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The owner of the Mount Airy Casino and Resort was welcomed back to his property Saturday night. A perjury accusation forced Louis DeNaples to stay away, but the perjury charges have been dropped and DeNaples is back.
Editorial / Involve law enforcement in game licensing
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- State legislators are considering some huge changes to the state's gambling regulations, trying to close a loophole allowing the industry to influence legislators through campaign donations, while considering an expansion of legal gambling from slot machines to table games.
OP/ED: Casinos — yea or nay?
(OHIO) -- Re “Plan for slots, casinos in Ohio gains strength,” June 26: Gambling takes money that could otherwise be used elsewhere, like food and prescription drugs. There is no justification for giving people another vice that takes from themselves and their families.
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