Our Opinion / Hawaii lucky to be free from gambling
(HAWAII) -- Hawaii has been fortunate in fighting off attempts to legalize commercial gambling. Betting has been known to exacerbate poverty and other social problems, and a new study supports evidence that it can be addictive.
Editorial / Economic numbers bad for bets
(OHIO) -- Egg production seems to be down with the golden geese. As the Enquirer reports in today's story by Alexander Coolidge, recession fears are nagging at the casino industry.
Marrero man arrested in Boomtown mugging
(LOUISIANA) -- Hours after a man was robbed of almost $1,000 outside of Boomtown Casino in Marrero, a 23-year-old man confessed to the crime, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said.
Ameristar Casinos reports quarterly loss
(MISSOURI) -- Ameristar Casinos reported a loss Thursday of $77.1 million during the first quarter, blaming a noncash impairment charge of $129 million related to the company's purchase of a riverboat casino in East Chicago, Ind.
Report card on Atlantic City casinos
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- When gambling supporters made their second run at getting casinos approved in 1976, New Jersey's unemployment rate was 12 percent - the highest in the nation. In Atlantic City, it was even higher, more than 13 percent.
Riviera executive says bids lacked cash
(LAS VEGAS) -- There were several offers to buy Riveria Holdings Corp. last year, but no one ever came forward with any cash to back up their bid, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer William Westerman said Thursday during a conference call announcing the company's first-quarter earnings.
Food, fuel costs trim gaming
(NIDIANA) -- Casinos in Southeast Indiana saw another month of declining revenues as a slowing economy has begun dogging the nation's gambling industry for the first time.
Ameristar Casino shares rise on upgrade
(MISSOURI) -- Ameristar Casinos Inc. shares rose Friday as an analyst said the casino operator is the best-positioned in a difficult environment and upgraded the stock.
It's no Mirage: Vegas Strip revenues declining
(LAS VEGAS) -- Las Vegas Strip casino gambling revenue fell 4.8 percent to $517.5 million in March, the third consecutive monthly decline, as gamblers confronted higher fuel and food costs.
Trump A.C. casinos in play
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- They could soon be playing let's make a deal at the three Trump casinos in Atlantic City. Officials said Thursday one or more of the gambling properties could be sold if the right deal presents itself.
Yellow Cab driver shot at end of ride in Puyallup / Man expected to survive wounds
(WASHINGTON) -- Some cab drivers won't pick up people who try to flag them down on the street. That isn't Frazdag "Fraz" Eltahir's style. "A lot of drivers won't do flags just because it's taking a risk," said Carla Hauge, a customer service representative for Yellow Cab in Tacoma. But Eltahir "is very attentive to people needing rides," she said.
Trump Casinos Lose $19M in Q1
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Trump Entertainment Resorts yesterday said it had a net loss of $18.6 million, or $0.59 per share, in Q1 ended March 31, compared with a loss of $8.1 million, or $0.26 per share a year earlier.
AC Council approves land plans for new casino
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Plans for a new $2 billion casino at Atlantic City's south end are one step closer to reality now that the City Council has approved a redevelopment plan for the area.
Agents arrest Lake Elsinore doctor in fatal overdose
(CALIFORNIA) -- State narcotics agents arrested a doctor at his Lake Elsinore hotel room Tuesday for illegally writing numerous painkiller prescriptions that led to the death of a 28-year-old man in November, the California attorney general's office said.
Michigan Senate OKs smoking ban in bars, restaurants
(MICHIGAN) -- The state Senate on Thursday passed a bill to ban smoking in all Michigan bars, restaurants and workplaces. The 25-12 favorable vote, somewhat of a surprise in the Republican-led chamber, even removed exemptions for cigars bars, casinos and bingo halls that had been contained in the version of the legislation that passed the House last December.
Accused Slot Cheat Nominated For Nevada's 'Black Book'
(NEVADA) -- William Cushing, imprisoned in the 1980s for gambling-related cheating violations and facing trial in November on new slot-cheating charges, was recommended Thursday for Nevada's "black book" of unsavory types barred from casinos.
OP/ED: Setting the record straight on Tacomas casino vote
(WASHINGTON) -- Mike Purdy might be the unluckiest man to ever run a gambling hall around these parts. He’s the guy who had the misfortune to be managing two Silver Dollar casinos at a time when the City of Tacoma was shutting down gaming.
Ascuaga, Nugget award 25 scholarships
(NEVADA) -- For more than a half-century, John Ascuaga and his Nugget hotel-casino have distributed scholarships to college-bound seniors, making it one of the longest-running programs of its kind in the state.
Harrah's Holds Paducah Job Fair
(KENTUCKY) -- Finding a job isn't easy right now, but at least one area business is looking to beef up their number of employees. Harrah's Casino held a job fair in Paducah on Thursday.
Bets on economy / Summitgoers wager it will improve
(MISSISSIPPI) -- Beyond the dazzle of the new slot machines and the aroma of grilling shrimp at the Southern Gaming Summit on Wednesday was the question of the economy and how it might affect casinos in Mississippi and across the country.
Sonco big winner in N.B. casino project
(NEW BRUNSWICK) -- Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Ltd. has won the jackpot in the bid to build the province's first casino. Finance Minister Victor Boudreau announced Thursday that the Sonco partnership is the preferred proponent for the project.
The Meadows tops W.Va. rivals
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The Meadows Racetrack & Casino, once projected to fall far short of its own revenue estimates, is paying out hundreds of millions of dollars more than competing casinos in West Virginia.
Economy deals cardrooms lousy hand
(WASHINGTON) -- La Center’s four cardrooms, after beginning to rebound from the statewide smoking ban that took effect in 2006, now could be feeling the sting of a weak economy.
Pinnacle's Lumière Place posts loss in Q1
(MISSOURI) -- Pinnacle Entertainment's Lumière Place casino and luxury hotel complex in downtown St. Louis lost $760,000 during the company's first quarter primarily due to significant initial marketing and overstaffing.
Trump casinos: Buyers are welcome
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- One or more of the three Trump casinos could be sold if the right deal presents itself, the company said Thursday. Mark Juliano, chief executive officer of Trump Entertainment Resorts, said the gambling company is "looking at strategic alternatives" and would sell if a good deal materializes.
Ameristar climbs; analysts relatively pleased with results
(NEW YORK) -- Shares of Ameristar Casinos Inc. climbed Thursday as an analyst was relatively pleased with the casino operator's first-quarter results given competitive pressures, current economic conditions and regulatory challenges.
Expo offers a peek at future
(MISSISSIPPI) -- The 15th annual Southern Gaming Summit expo was like "Wheel of Fortune" as people wandered the sold-out floor and grabbed prizes ranging from food to a quick game of poker.
Teachers and Casinos Talk, But Continue Battle
(NEVADA) -- With education accounting for the biggest share of the state budget and the gaming industry the biggest share of state revenues, the 2 groups are inevitably at odds every 2 years as the legislature meets.
Editorial / Gasp! A smoking ban at last?
(DETROIT) -- The Michigan Senate, in one surprising fell swoop, pulled the bill to ban smoking in public places out of committee today and then passed it. Good for them.
True sign of the times: Vegas tips are slipping
(LAS VEGAS) -- The economy, as you know, is off a couple of ticks. First-quarter room occupancy is down 1 percentage point, Boyd Gaming’s Las Vegas revenue is down 5 percent or 6 percent, MGM Mirage’s profit is down a whopping 30 percent, and Stacy Taylor’s income is down 40 percent.
Trump casinos can't shake losing streak in Q1
(NEW JERSEY) -- Gas prices are high. The economy is weak. And on the East Coast, competition for gamblers has become intense. Add some bad luck to the mix and you have Trump Entertainment Resorts, the latest in a string of casino companies to report disappointing first-quarter results.
Long Gaughan: El Cortez owner sells stake in downtown casino
(LAS VEGAS) -- Longtime Las Vegas casino owner Jackie Gaughan is finally walking away from the tables. During a process that took just a few minutes on Wednesday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board approved a request by the downtown casino owner to sell his stake in the El Cortez, Gaughan's signature property since 1963.
Pinnacle's casino project looks dicey
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- The sprawling dirt site where Pinnacle Entertainment's $1.5 billion megaresort is supposed to rise will remain vacant for at least two more years.
Bill would loosen Pennsylvania's bingo rules
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- The House has approved a revamp of the state's bingo law -- a plan that supporters say is needed to help nonprofit organizations compete with the state's glitzy new casinos.
Slots cops: Nip it, nip it, nip it
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Given the scandalous reputation of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, its proposed "slots cops" -- board agents with arrest powers in casinos -- would have the credibility of the Keystone Cops. Or Barney Fife.
Pinnacle profits in first quarter
(LAS VEGAS) -- Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment bucked a gaming industry trend, reporting first-quarter increases in revenues and earnings on Wednesday because of its newly opened casino in St. Louis and an expansion at the company's flagship resort in western Louisiana.
MGM Mirage Q1 2008 Earnings Call Transcript
(LAS VEGAS) -- Operator: Good morning and welcome to the MGM Mirage first quarter 2008 conference call. Joining the call from the company today are Terry Lanni, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jim Murren, President and Chief Operating Officer, et al.
Casinos, bars might escape no-smoking ban
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Casinos, private clubs and smaller bars and taverns appear to be winning their fights for exceptions from a bill to ban smoking from most indoor facilities in Pennsylvania.
Argosy Casino Could Soon Be Smoke-Free
(IOWA) -- Smokers may have to snuff out their cigarettes before boarding the gambling boat. Some Sioux City Councilors are looking to ban smoking on the riverboat.
O'Malley presses public to back slots
(MARYLAND) -- Gov. Martin O'Malley said yesterday that if a referendum on slot-machine gambling fails in November, "it'll be back to the drawing board with a lot of unpopular choices, and I don't think any of us wants to go there."
Bodines casino opens
(NEVADA) -- Workers finished screwing in the last light bulb Wednesday at the newest casino in Carson City. Bodines, at the corner of South Carson Street and Old Clear Creek Road, is now open.
Teachers union negotiating on casino tax increase plan
(NEVADA) -- A teachers' union pushing an initiative petition to raise Nevada's gambling taxes is negotiating with resort representatives on a possible deal that would head off the petition while still providing more education funds.
Sioux City city councilman defends proposed ban of smoking at casino
(IOWA) -- The Sioux City councilman who proposed an ordinance banning smoking at the local casino is answering criticism of the effort by a top state lawmaker. Senate Democratic leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs suggested Sioux City's leaders would be on shaky legal ground by enacting the ordinance.
More trouble for Vegas
(LAS VEGAS) -- Busy day here: I just got caught up on Tropicana Entertainment, whose stable includes Vegas and Atlantic City casino resorts, which has filed for bankruptcy protection.
MGM reports gambling profits off 30 per cent
(LAS VEGAS) -- MGM Mirage Inc., the world's second-largest casino operator, said yesterday quarterly profit fell 30 per cent as a slower U.S. economy hit spending in Las Vegas.
Casino foe warns of dangers
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Bruce Barron, who ran then-U.S. Rep. Rick Santorum's office in McKeesport, heads "No Dice," a coalition opposed to legal gambling.
Tropicana bondholders ask for trustee control
(NEW YORK) -- Some noteholders of Tropicana Entertainment LLC, which has filed for bankruptcy, asked for it to be placed under a court-appointed trustee's control, saying CEO William Yung had come close to destroying the casino operator's prospects, according to court filings.
Quick Hits: No Honeymoon in Vegas
(LAS VEGAS) -- Like the Hunter S. Thompson book suggests, it's a time full of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as Sin City feels the pain associated with economic slowdown.
He pays, he scores: Escort biz is booming
(NOVA SCOTIA) -- Hockey isn’t the only hot ticket in Halifax. "It’s been a good day and a half," said a woman who answered the phone at an escort service listed in the Yellow Pages. "I lost my phone, and when I found it, there were 52 messages.
Texas state worker hits $21 million slot jackpot in Vegas
(LAS VEGAS) -- A 58-year-old Texas state employee has won a $21 million slot jackpot. Connie Thiele says she was playing a Megabucks slot machine at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas when she decided to switch to the machine next to her.
Pinnacle's AC casino plan still looking dicey
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Prospects for Pinnacle Entertainment's plan for a mega-casino and hotel project in Atlantic City look to be about the same as the red-and-black numbers on a roulette wheel: 50-50.
Casino Employee Foils Robber
(SOUTH DAKOTA) -- Sioux Falls police say a female casino employee foiled a robbery attempt early this morning. According to Detective Sean Kooistra, a male suspect entered the Jackson's Casino at 825 South Minnesota Avenue just after 1:30am.
Onex Offers Financing to Tropicana
(WALL STREET) -- Canadian buyout firm Onex Corp. is jockeying for position in the Tropicana Entertainment LLC bankruptcy case, offering $100 million of financing to the troubled casino operator.
Law allows for phased-in casino
(KANSAS) -- When members of the Kansas Lottery Commission looked to the gaming law for guidance when voting on a possible phased-in investment for a casino, all they found was silence.
Arredia Remains Confident In Landing Casino Here
(ILLINOIS) -- There's little doubt that ultimately a decision will be made whether Illinois's 10th casino license will be awarded and if additional licenses to operate gaming establishments in the Chicago region will be approved.
Multimedia Games revenue, profit increase
(TEXAS) -- Multimedia Games Inc., an Austin-based supplier of gambling equipment and technology, reported a profit of $1.3 million, or 5 cents a share, on $32.2 million in sales in its fiscal second quarter.
Gaming’s future clouded
(MARYLAND) -- A judge’s ruling last week in St. Mary’s added one more opinion to the issue of electronic gambling machines, already addressed in an appeals court ruling, attorney general’s letter and legislation awaiting the governor’s signature.
Weak economy trumps casino stocks
(WALL STREET) -- Investors who bet on companies that offer gambling in Las Vegas aren't used to losing money. Historically, Vegas has been relatively immune to the problems that plague the broader economy.
Sheriff: ADF raid eyed its bookkeeping
(MARYLAND) -- St. Mary’s Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron testified Friday that a raid seizing 64 electronic gambling machines the day before at ADF Bingo in Mechanicsville concerned its financial records.
Atlantic City Trumps Las Vegas
(ATLANTIC CITY) -- Market Metrix’s latest hospitality study found Atlantic City, N.J., ahead of Las Vegas in virtually every category—from value for price to sophistication and pampering.
Lawyer, gambling-interest money pours into court race
(WEST VIRGINIA) -- The latest campaign reports from state Supreme Court candidates, required to be postmarked by Friday, reveal fundraising patterns similar to those in their first reports filed last month with Secretary of State Betty Ireland.
"Burglaries & Break-Ins" For May 7th, 2008
(SOUTH DAKOTA) -- A quick thinking clerk thwarts an armed robbery attempt at a Sioux Falls casino. Also, we'll show you where thieves stole cars in the city last night.
Plan Would Use Casino Money To Fund Nevada's Schools
(NEVADA) -- Ranking members of the casino industry and the Nevada Education Association were in closed door talks Wednesday afternoon to possibly close to a tax deal that could pump millions into Nevada's schools.
Kansas Lottery Commission approves casino contract
(KANSAS) -- The Kansas Lottery Commission has approved its first contract with a developer for a casino in southeast Kansas, a major step toward getting four state-owned and operated gambling facilities operating.
New name coming to Nevada casino "Blackbook"
(NEVADA) -- The News 3 Investigators has learned there may soon be a new name added to the so-called "Blackbook". That's the list of people who are not allowed in most Nevada casinos.
WSOP final table on TV in November
(LAS VEGAS) -- The final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker will be played in November, four months after the nine players in the no-limit Texas Hold 'em game earn their spots.
GTECH parent posts 23.1% rise in 1Q profit
(RHODE ISLAND) -- Lottomatica S.p.A. and subsidiary GTECH Corp. reported a first-quarter profit of $84.6 million (€55.4 million), an increase of 23.1 percent from the year-ago $69.2 million (€45 million), on total revenue that rose 3.2 percent to $691.2 million (€448.5 million).
Tropicana Hits Bottom
(WALL STREET) -- Tropicana Entertainment overplayed its hand in a high-stakes game that involved Chapter 11. A pricey $2.1 billion takeover early last year was paid for in part with budget cuts that led the company to lose control of its Atlantic City property in December at a time the casino business was beginning to show the effects of a weak U.S. economy.
'For sale' sign could be headed for Fitzgeralds
(LAS VEGAS) -- Fitzgeralds owner Don Barden is pledging his downtown Las Vegas property to generate a $35 million equity stake in a slots-only casino in Pittsburgh, making a sale likely for the Fremont Street hotel.
Casino lenders seek trustee
(OHIO) -- Tropicana Entertainment LLC noteholders Tuesday asked a court to appoint a trustee to run the casino operator, claiming bad management forced the company to file for bankruptcy after defaulting on $1.32 billion in debt.
Bankruptcy won't affect Aztar workers
(INDIANA) -- Casino Aztar employees won’t be affected by the bankruptcy declared Monday by the owner of the casino. Mike Jones, the manager of Casino Aztar, said he met with employees this morning to assure them the bankruptcy won’t affect their positions or pay. About 900 people work at the Evansville casino.
Belle of BR’s parent firm files bankruptcy
(LOUISIANA) -- The parent company of Tropicana casinos, the properties of which includes the Belle of Baton Rouge and the downtown Sheraton hotel, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today, several months after gambling regulators in New Jersey stripped the famed Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City of its license.
Legislative task force debates ‘slots cops’
(PENNSYLVANIA) -- Lawmakers debated the merits of arrest powers for “slots cops” Monday as a Senate-House task force convened for the first time in an effort to find consensus on gambling reform bills.
‘Mini-casinos’ bring more slots
(BRITISH COLUMBIA) -- Critics are warning a fresh wave of gambling expansion is underway as area cities agree to put slot machines into revamped bingo halls. The conversion of the halls into so-called community gaming centres with slots is a key strategy of the BC Lotteries Corporation (BCLC) to replace declining bingo revenue and ring up higher gambling profits for the province.
Tropicana Hits Bottom
(WALL STREET) -- Tropicana Entertainment overplayed its hand in a high-stakes game that involved Chapter 11. A pricey $2.1 billion takeover early last year was paid for in part with budget cuts that led the company to lose control of its Atlantic City property in December at a time the casino business was beginning to show the effects of a weak U.S. economy.
House, Senate override veto of 24-hour gambling
(RHODE ISLAND) -- With Twin River primed and ready to offer overnight gambling starting Friday night, the Democrat-dominated General Assembly yesterday overrode Republican Governor Carcieri’s veto of legislation allowing 24-hour video-gambling at both Twin River in Lincoln and Newport Grand.
Casino developers caught off-guard by Lottery’s attempt to keep more revenue
(KANSAS) -- When Kansas legislators passed the Kansas Expanded Lottery Act last spring, the legislation included a breakdown of gross gaming revenues: not less than 22 percent of revenues to the state, a combined 3 percent to the city and county governments hosting the casino and two percent to the Problem Gambling and Addictions Fund.
Magna Loss Soars in First Quarter
(ONTARIO) -- Despite mounting losses and lack of investor confidence, executives of racetrack operator Magna Entertainment Corp. remain confident the company’s fortunes can be reversed.
Mischief-making blockers are signature gatherers’ bane
(LAS VEGAS) -- Russ Stevens walks out of the North Las Vegas DMV office and is approached by a woman asking him to sign a petition in favor of raising casino taxes to benefit teachers and schools. Suddenly, a young man descends on them, yelling.
Tropicana owner bankrupt
(LAS VEGAS) -- The Tropicana's parent company was working to file for bankruptcy Monday but said the Strip hotel-casino and the company's other properties would continue to operate while it seeks to negotiate with creditors.
Poll: 57% in Mass. now favor allowing casinos
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- Fifty-seven percent of Bay State residents think the Legislature should authorize two or more destination casinos in the state, while 30 percent disagree, according to poll results released today by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
Gaming win expected Friday
(NEVADA) -- Nevada's gaming win report for March is expected to be released Friday by the Nevada State Gaming Control Board.
And after two months of a downward trend on the Las Vegas Strip, Control Board members are hoping for better numbers in March.
Carcieri vetoes bill for 24-hour gambling
(RHODE ISLAND) -- While lawmakers are counting on round-the-clock gambling on weekends and holidays at Twin River and Newport Grand to raise upward of $14 million in new money for the cash-strapped state, Governor Carcieri has vetoed the legislation.
Lottery Commission OKs SEK casino contract
(KANSAS) -- The Lottery Commission has approved a contract with a developer for a casino in southeast Kansas. Penn National Gaming Inc. was the only applicant to build and operate a hotel-and-casino complex in Cherokee County. The Lottery would own the new gambling facility.
Tropicana Entertainment to file for Chapter 11 protection
(WALL STREET) -- The owner of Tropicana casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday, nearly five months after New Jersey regulators stripped the Tropicana Casino and Resort of its license.
Kansas Lottery OKs casino contract
(KANSAS) -- The Kansas Lottery Monday approved its first contract for a state-owned and operated casino as provided under the new expanded gambling law. The contract will be sent to the lottery review board for final approval.
Tropicana files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
(WALL STREET) -- After a run of bad luck that included the sale of its flagship casino, Tropicana Entertainment LLC is filing for bankruptcy, the Associated Press reported Monday.
BLOG: Slay pleased to see gambling measure go to voters
(MISSOURI) -- With the push to repeal casino loss limits having accrued enough signatures to get on the ballot, Mayor Francis Slay has re-iterated his support for the idea. Patrons at Missouri casinos are prohibited from purchasing more than $500 in chips per an “excursion” - defined as a two-hour stay.
Hotel-casino planned near V&T
(RENO) -- Work could begin as early as next year on a new hotel-casino that would be among the largest in Carson City, planners say.
Economic Troubles Affect the Vegas Strip
(LAS VEGAS) -- For decades, this gambling center seemed nearly immune to the economic swings of the rest of the country. But these days, the city built on excess is seeing a troubling sign: moderation.
Limits to video lottery delayed
(SOUTH DAKOTA) -- Sioux Falls city councilors delayed a major vote on restricting video lottery Monday after state officials asked for more time to study the measure.
Casino backer isn't folding
(MASSACHUSETTS) -- Casino speculator Leon Dragone is betting that gaming still has a future in Massachusetts, and specifically in New Bedford.
Short on Cash, State Hastens Plan for Casino in City
(NEW YORK) -- For New Yorkers, a casino will soon be a mere subway ride away. Or a racino, to use the gambling industry’s term: a gambling emporium built into the Aqueduct thoroughbred track in Queens that will include 4,500 video slot machines, but no table games.
Bingo Machines Might Be Reinstalled
(MARYLAND) -- St. Mary's County went from having no instant bingo machines in operation in any bars, restaurants, bingo halls or liquor stores Thursday night to a possible resurgence of the machines after a Circuit Court ruling Friday.
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