« Year 2004 Summary

Sportingbet deals out full-time record - 30 April 2004
Sportingbet, the online bookmaker, yesterday posted record 12-month profits and said it was encouraged by regulatory moves in its main American market.The company, which is changing its year-end to July, said profits rose 557pc in the 12 months to March 31 to a record £9.2m, boosted by its European activities, reversin - read more »

Vegas firm eyes land near Eppley for casino - 30 April 2004
Las Vegas casino owner Michael Gaughan wants to develop a "first-class" casino and 500-room hotel on Omaha's riverfront to compete with Iowa casinos. Gaughan said the hotel, which would be the largest in the city, is needed to help lure large conventions to Omaha's new convention center and arena. "It's got to have roo - read more »

SkyCity buys Tainui's casino stake - 30 April 2004
Sky City Entertainment is raising its stake in Riverside Casino Ltd to 70%.Sky City is buying a 15% holding from Tainui Group Holdings Limited (TGL), increasing its stake in the Hamilton-based casino from 55% to 70%.Hamilton's Perry Developments holds the remaining 30%.Sky City will pay $10.5 million, plus accrued conv - read more »

Isle of Capri stock drops with downgrade in estimated 4Q earnings - 30 April 2004
Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. downgraded it's estimated fourth-quarter earnings this week and the companies shares fell in trading Wednesday.In heavy trading, shares of the Biloxi-based company dropped by 11.4 percent, to close Wednesday at $20.87. That's a drop of $2.68 from Tuesday's close.The Isle downgraded its estima - read more »

Federal appeals court rejects Hudson casino lawsuit - 30 April 2004
A federal appeals court rejected a lawsuit Thursday challenging the governor's ability to block Indian tribes from acquiring a western Wisconsin dog track.The decision by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago was the latest ruling to go against three Chippewa tribes in their efforts to open a casino at the S - read more »

House Speaker Earns Hero's Slot in Victory Against Gambling - 29 April 2004
The dust is still settling on what happened in Annapolis during the latest session of the Maryland General Assembly, but right this minute Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) is looking like a hero to me. Busch was instrumental in making sure the state lives up to its obligations for funding schools - read more »

D'Iberville casino finally has green light - 29 April 2004
After nearly 12 years of anticipation and false starts, D'Iberville officials have all the permits needed for its first casino. They plan to meet with developers next week to set up a timetable for construction of the Royal D'Iberville resort.The City Council voted Wednesday to allow Michael Cavanaugh, its attorney for - read more »

Lucio bets on Texas gamblers - 29 April 2004
State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. says he is not a gambling man.“But, I bet that a casino on South Padre Island would bring so many jobs, tourists and economic development throughout the Rio Grande Valley,” the Brownsville Democrat said Wednesday.And if he garners support from both the community and colleagues in the Legislat - read more »

Isle of Capri stock drops 11.4% - 29 April 2004
Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.'s stock slid Wednesday, after the company announced some new projects weren't as profitable as anticipated.In heavy trading, shares of the Biloxi-based company dropped by 11.4 percent, to close the day at $20.87. That's a drop of $2.68 from Tuesday's close.Chief operating officer Tim Hinkley - read more »

2nd Seneca casino to open - 29 April 2004
The Seneca Nation of Indians will open its second casino in less than two years when it begins operating Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca Saturday night.The 124,000-square-foot casino at the western edge of the city in Cattaraugus County employs more than 900 workers, according to the chief operating officer. The wo - read more »

Some fret over casino fallout - 28 April 2004
Some Warren County officials are worried about the "trickle-down" if there would ever be an Indian casino here. News surfaced last week that the Oklahoma-based Shawnee tribe was looking at several Middletown sites for a 100-acre resort, casino and entertainment center. Among the Middletown locations being considered is - read more »

Trump proposes $123.5-million casino for southern Indiana - 28 April 2004
The Indiana Gaming Commission is in the midst of negotiations with billionaire developer Donald Trump, who wants to construct a $123.5-million riverboat casino complex on a waterway to be dug near French Lick, Indiana, which is about 130 miles northwest of Lexington. Trump is one of three bidders in the running for the - read more »

Isle of Capri issues profit warning - 28 April 2004
Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.-which hopes to build the state's 10th casino in suburban Rosemont-on Tuesday slashed its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings estimate to 34 cents to 38 cents per share, citing higher costs from expansion, construction disruption and lower than expected volumes.In previous guidance, the Biloxi, Mis - read more »

UK Casino Granted Licenses - 28 April 2004
Millionaire entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne will open his first casino in Newcastle following the granting of gaming and drinks licences yesterday. The £5m (US$8.96 million) casino will be launched as an extension to the Bannatyne Fitness health club on the Newcastle Quayside and Mr Bannatyne said it would be the first o - read more »

Profit improves for Icahn's Vegas casinos - 27 April 2004
Investor Carl Icahn on Friday reported higher revenue and cash flow for his three-property collection of Las Vegas casinos in 2003.Icahn's American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC (ACEP), a subsidiary of his American Real Estate Partners (AREP), announced the results for the Stratosphere and the two Arizona Charl - read more »

World Series of Poker May Be Shared Between Casinos - 27 April 2004
Thousands of gamblers are at the tables at Binion's Horseshoe Casino over the next few weeks. They're taking part in the annual World Series of Poker -- but a new home for the tournament is in the cards next year. The event was in doubt earlier this year, following the closing of the Horseshoe. Now the casino is under - read more »

Independent NZ casino may be pushed out - 27 April 2004
New Zealand's only independent casino operator fears he could be forced out of business if Sky City Entertainment gets a cornerstone shareholding in Christchurch Casinos Ltd (CCL).Mike Stone, a joint owner of the Wharf Casino in Queenstown, is supporting embattled CCL chairman Barry Thomas to help resist the South Isla - read more »

Trump hopes Indiana hires new casino - 27 April 2004
Donald Trump's entertainment and real estate company has its sites set on building a riverboat-style gambling casino in Orange County, Ind.Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Monday unveiled plans for a $123.5 million casino that would employ 600 people and offer financial help to historic state sites like the French Lick Re - read more »

Casino Owner Bets On The Value Of Diversity - 27 April 2004
Ask a Super Bowl MVP flush with victory what he'll do next, and the classic reply is "I'm going to Disney World!"With Vegas casinos diversifying, he might one day say, "I'm going to Mandalay Bay!"Vegas casinos are not about just gambling anymore. They've become destination resorts. Partly it's a response to growing com - read more »

Study supports casino concept for downtown Wichita - 27 April 2004
A study commissioned by a downtown business group shows a downtown Wichita casino would generate nearly 1,100 jobs and almost $200 million in revenue per year.Members of the Wichita Downtown Development Corporation unveiled the $35,000 study Monday, saying it convinced them to back a casino in downtown Wichita.The stud - read more »

Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller joins Trump in bid for Orange County casino - 26 April 2004
Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller said Saturday he has agreed to join Donald Trump in a bid by the billionaire developer's casino company to operate a gambling venture with an accompanying golf course in southern Indiana.The announcement, which came a day after the two other bidders for the casino submitted details of their proposa - read more »

Former casino executive bets on selling software - 26 April 2004
A software company formed by a Crystal City couple is getting some high-powered marketing help. Jim Zweifel, formerly an executive with President Casino, has started a marketing partnership with Ion Systems, a software company founded by Thomas and Jill Thomas. Cross Homes Chief Executive Bill Cross turns all legal wor - read more »

Video gambling offers a different spin for racetracks - 26 April 2004
When state lawmakers refused in the mid-1990s to legalize slot machines in Arkansas, the owners of tiny Oaklawn racetrack in Hot Springs didn't give up: They developed an alternative.Dozens of video gambling machines -- developed in part by a Maryland company -- are now crowded into a busy, casino-like gameroom at the - read more »

Las Vegas to close Sky-Vue - 26 April 2004
Las Vegas officials today were to give notice to the remaining occupants of about 40 trailers at Sky-Vue Mobile Park that they have 72 hours to move out because the park is too unhealthy and dangerous to live in, Elaine Sanchez, spokeswoman for Mayor Oscar Goodman, said."We'll be providing the notice to the residents a - read more »

New delay for Rosemont casino - 26 April 2004
The goal to get a Rosemont casino up and running by May 2005 is in bigger doubt.An investigation to clear the air about the Illinois Gaming Board's decision to route a casino to the northwest suburb is on hold once again, this time because the law firm Gov. Blagojevich tapped to do the job has a problem with its propos - read more »

Thousands Rally At Closed Windsor Casino - 26 April 2004
A labor rally for workers at Casino Windsor has demanded more respect from management, an end to Ontario's Liberal government and for the casino's American managers to leave.Unionized workers gathered on the riverfront across from Casino Windsor on Sunday in a show of support for striking casino employees. Between 2,50 - read more »

9 out of 10 bettors prefer resort casino - 24 April 2004
A poll conducted by Lincoln Park shows that nine out of 10 of its bettors would bolt to a resort casino if one were built in West Warwick. Not only that, but a full 50 percent of those who visit the park 25 times a year or more would visit the casino with the same frequency.That would not only would this reduce the num - read more »

Tribe lays out casino options - 24 April 2004
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs released two design options for its planned casino in the Columbia River Gorge to local governments Friday as it awaits Gov. Ted Kulongoski's decision on where the gambling oasis will land. Depending on the governor, people visiting the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic A - read more »

Bidders share plans for 11th state casino - 24 April 2004
Three bidders to run a planned casino in southern Indiana's Orange County submitted proposals Friday for the venture, with one bidder envisioning a casino with a nautical theme and another suggesting a Larry Bird Museum be part of the project.The proposals came at the request of the Indiana Gaming Commission, which is - read more »

Profits soar at Caesars Entertainment in first quarter - 23 April 2004
Strong operating results at its casinos helped Caesars Entertainment Inc. post record first-quarter revenues and a 93 percent increase in profits, the company announced Thursday.Net income for the largest gambling company in the U.S. increased to $79 million, or 25 cents per share, from $41 million, or 14 cents per sha - read more »

Malaysia's Star Cruises Gets US$400M Loan To Buy 6 Ships - 22 April 2004
Malaysia-based Star Cruises Ltd. (0678.HK) said Thursday it secured a US$400 million revolving loan facility to partly finance its purchase of six ships from its Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd. unit. DnB NOR Bank ASA and HSBC are coordinating arrangers of the facility, which will be repaid within seven years from the first - read more »

More gambling novices, pros ante up with rapid growth of online casinos - 22 April 2004
Dave is living the gamer's dream, or the government bureaucrats' nightmare, depending on your point of view. It's all because Dave's got a knack with playing cards, a desire to avoid 9-to-5 work, and, of course, a computer connected to the Internet. Dave won't reveal his last name, but doesn't mind saying that he's a - read more »

THE GAMING CLUB ANNOUNCES SPONSORSHIP OF THE WORLD POKER CAHMPIONSHIP IN TWO YEAR DEAL - 21 April 2004
The Gaming Club, part of Belle Rock Gaming and one of the world's leading online casino and poker rooms owned by Carmen Media, announces its sponsorship of The World Poker Championship in a two year deal. The deal is the largest poker sponsorship deal ever made in Europe and is worth in excess of one million Euros. Sta - read more »

700,000 reasons to ditch these Las Vegas dreams - 21 April 2004
This has indeed been the week that marks the beginning of the end of the Blair era. However long it takes, the power is ebbing from him before our eyes. He should never have gone to Washington to be sacrificed under the great tumbrel of American election year. Once back from the rose garden humiliation, what tragedy to - read more »

Glasgow odds-on to be casino capital - 21 April 2004
THE continuing regeneration of Glasgow has made the city odds-on favourite to be the gambling capital of the UK, according to one of the world's largest gaming and entertainment companies.MGM Mirage, the US based gambling giant, and a British developer have announced plans for a multi-million-pound casino development i - read more »

Casinos can't match record highs - 21 April 2004
Total gambling revenue at Northwest Indiana's five casinos reached $105.8 million in March, falling slightly short of February's record $106 million.Results were uneven, with Majestic Star, in Gary, and Blue Chip, in Michigan City, up over February and Harrah's, Horseshoe and Trump down.Hammond's Horseshoe Casino was t - read more »

State legislator prepars gambling expansion proposal to plug budget deficit - 21 April 2004
State senators could be mulling another move to expand gambling in Illinois, an influential lawmaker said Tuesday.State Sen. Denny Jacobs, D-East Moline, who would be sponsoring the proposal, said the expansion would create two new casino licenses and allow slot machines at racing tracks - as well as increase the numbe - read more »

U.S. consortium agrees trump bid for UK's Wembley - 20 April 2004
A U.S. group including golf courses-to-hotels firm Starwood Capital agreed to pay at least 309 million pounds ($559 million) for UK racetrack owner Wembley Plc (London:WMY.L - News) on Tuesday, overturning a previously agreed deal.But analysts said a bidding race with U.S. casino giant MGM Mirage (NYSE:MGG - News), whi - read more »

Station Casinos Beats the Odds - 20 April 2004
Station Casinos (STN:NYSE - news - research) topped rising Wall Street estimates and raised guidance in announcing first-quarter earnings that were more than double year-ago levels, excluding all charges. Station Tuesday announced a first-quarter net loss of $29.8 million, or 48 cents a share, which includes a $93.3 mi - read more »

Caesars renews push for casino near Mall of America - 20 April 2004
Caesars Entertainment Inc. is renewing its push to build a casino near the Mall of America now that lawmakers lining up behind gambling bills have given the plan new life.Caesars hired a local lobbying firm and is conducting its own polling to determine how Bloomington residents might feel about a casino in their back - read more »

MGM Mirage plans a gambling blitz - 20 April 2004
Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage has forged an alliance with British developer Peel Holdings to build at least four casino and leisure projects in cities across the country. More could follow. The planned developments in Liverpool, Manchester, Salford and Glasgow could be worth £650m and create 20,000 jobs. The proposals dep - read more »

Gambling plans raise health concerns - 20 April 2004
Plans to liberalise gambling laws and allow Las Vegas-style casino resorts in Britain risk leaving more people in poverty and suffering from mental health problems, according to a public health expert. Geof Rayner, the chairman of the UK Public Health Association (UKPHA), has warned ministers to seriously consider the - read more »

Gambling supporters turn attention toward gaming commission - 19 April 2004
With the Legislature about to pass a gambling package that doesn't block expansion, North Iowa supporters must now take their fight to the Racing and Gaming Commission. A major hurdle has been cleared by those seeking expanded gambling in Iowa. But don't start counting your chips yet. Another major hurdle, perhaps the - read more »

Atlantic City casino obligations to CRDA - 19 April 2004
Each casino is obligated to contribute to the CRDA for 35 years.Year one for casinos that opened before the 1984 formation of the CRDA began in 1984.Year one for casinos that opened between 1984 and 1990 began on their one-year anniversary.Year one for the Borgata began with its opening in 2003.The first three years of - read more »

Asia poised for new casino boom - 19 April 2004
Asia's legal gambling industry is poised to boom with a spate of new casinos as governments around the region seek to haul in the billions of dollars circulating through the unlicensed system, analysts say. Singapore's announcement last month that it is considering allowing a casino on its popular Sentosa tourist islan - read more »

State could share casino profits - 19 April 2004
Time and again our leaders have assured us that tribal casinos are the property of sovereign nations and therefore exempt from local permit processes, code enforcement and taxation. This is not always the case. Twenty-four states have signed gambling compacts with tribes. Seven of those states -- Arizona, California, C - read more »

2 in 5 US web users have broadband at home - 19 April 2004
Two in five Internet users in the United States now have high-speed access at home as telephone companies slash prices to better compete with cable broadband services. In a report Sunday, the Pew Internet and American Life Project placed the adult residential broadband population at 48 million, or one-quarter of all ad - read more »

Washington Tribal Casino Plans Move Forward - 17 April 2004
Fresh developments make it more apparent that the Cowlitz Indian Tribe plans to build a casino in La Center, even though tribal leaders continue to insist they've made no official decision. The tribe submitted an environmental study that describes an $8.5 million, 41,000 square-foot casino on 6.4 acres. The casino woul - read more »

Ads Take On Tribes on Gaming - 17 April 2004
Six months before the next election, card rooms and racetracks began airing television ads Friday favoring a possible ballot initiative that could give them 30,000 slot machines.But the commercials make no mention of that possible outcome. They also fail to note that the measure - financed exclusively by card clubs and - read more »

Argosy to float bigger boat - 17 April 2004
By bringing a much larger riverboat casino and a lot more slot machines to Sioux City, Argosy Gaming Co. is increasing its odds of carving out more gaming business in Siouxland."We think we'll probably capture a greater market share than we're capturing now," Jesus Aviles, general manager of Argosy Casino Sioux City, s - read more »

New study downplays impact of college-age gambling - 17 April 2004
College gambling may not be as pervasive as previously thought, according to a recent Harvard Medical School study.The study, the first nationally representative survey of gambling among college students, found that college students also are at no more risk for problem gambling than the general adult population. The st - read more »

Casino Boom Threat to Bingo - 17 April 2004
Dozens of West bingo halls will close or convert into casinos because of the Government's massive shake-up of the gambling laws, an official report warned yesterday. The Government wants to relax the current tight controls to allow Las Vegas-style hotels and casinos to open up in resorts and major towns.But a study by - read more »

Channel 4 gambles on betting - 16 April 2004
Channel 4's loss making arm 4 Ventures, is to turn to gambling in an attempt to move into the black. The division, headed by ex-City spiv Rob Woodward, recorded an annual loss of £10.1m in 2003, on turnover of £172.7m. Channel 4 recently pulled out of the ill fated Attheraces venture, which failed, due to a lack of int - read more »

Distributed Denial of Service Attacks No Joke - 16 April 2004
Denial of service attacks aimed at blackmailing online gambling sites into paying "protection money" have started impacting the online casino and poker room sectors, but the industry is fighting back.These criminally extortionate attacks became common last year against major sportsbooks, but more recently a number of t - read more »

House votes to allow more gambling licenses - 16 April 2004
The Iowa House turned back a final attempt Thursday to block the issuance of new riverboat gambling licenses in the state, handing a hard-fought victory to several communities betting on new casinos to boost their economic prospects.Lawmakers from six counties where residents voted to allow new casinos mounted a full-c - read more »

NETeller raises £30m in stock market debut - 15 April 2004
Stephen Lawrence, the Canadian internet entrepreneur who founded NETeller, an electronic payment company for online betting sites, saw his stake in the business valued at around £85m when shares made their stock market debut yesterday.In the biggest flotation on London's junior market, the Alternative Investment - read more »

Video gambling initiative could trouble tribal casinos - 15 April 2004
Tim Eyman's initiative to use video gambling machines to cut state property taxes could wind up cutting the income of Washington's Indian tribes as well, tribal spokesmen say. The revenue at the state's tribal casinos has risen sharply since they began using the video machines in 1999 as part of a negotiated deal with - read more »

Catfish Bend Casino heads to FM on Monday - 14 April 2004
Catfish Bend Riverboat Casino announces its semi-annual port of call move.On Monday, April 19, Catfish Bend will close their doors at 2 a.m. in Burlington, pull up anchor and head south to their summer port of call in Fort Madison. Once the boat is docked, doors will open at 11 a.m. to begin its six-month stay at 902 R - read more »

Mob Allegations Threaten Ill. Casino Plan - 14 April 2004
It sounds like a can't-miss deal - a new casino within sight of one of the world's busiest airports. But gambling regulators' decision to allow the casino in a suburban town whose mayor may - or may not - have ties to organized crime has set off an investigation and a storm of criticism, with critics on both sides sett - read more »

Neteller Floats on London Stock Exchange - 14 April 2004
Today saw the floatation of one of Europe's biggest and much awaited technology stock on the London Stock Exchange. Neteller (NLR) was incorporated in Canada and has since spread across the globe as a foremost electronic payment solution. Their listing on AIM has been touted at valuing £50million ($93.4 million), valui - read more »

Multimillion dollar jackpots won at Mississippi casinos - 13 April 2004
The Grand Casino Biloxi and Gulfport had back-to-back jackpot winners over the Easter weekend, for a combined $4.55 million payout.Linda Philbeck, a bounty hunter and bail bondsman from Greenville, S.C., won $2.7 million on a Wheel of Fortune 50-cent machine at Grand Biloxi on Friday.Then Rebecca Margaritis, a special - read more »

General Growth in $1 billion-plus deal - 13 April 2004
Analysts say the eye-popping acquisition of The Venetian's Grand Canal Shoppes mall by the operator of Las Vegas' Boulevard and Meadows malls will put a key retail asset in the hands of a company that has succeeded in a major tourism environment.Representatives of The Venetian hotel-casino and General Growth Properties - read more »

Neb. casino proposal remains on the table - 13 April 2004
Whether to accept a mental health reform plan and deciding whether voters should consider legalizing casinos are two issues lawmakers face in the final days of the session.The Legislature is scheduled to work its 60th and last day of the year Thursday. Today is the last day senators can make amendments to bills. The fi - read more »

Wynn remains skeptical of British opportunities - 13 April 2004
Las Vegas Strip casino-resort developer Steve Wynn isn't a believer in the supposed untapped power of the United Kingdom gaming market.While Las Vegas-based competitors MGM MIRAGE, Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and The Venetian owner Las Vegas Sands Inc. have scrambled to line up deals to tap into what they see as the U. - read more »

House OKs bill to regulate slots at harness racetracks - 13 April 2004
Lawmakers mowed down a series of amendments Monday to a bill to regulate slot machines at harness racing tracks, then approved a package of new rules that's been debated and refined since December.The bill would create a Gambling Control Board to regulate slots at the tracks, and it would set a formula under which slot - read more »

Power failure plagues top Las Vegas Strip hotel - 13 April 2004
One of the biggest and priciest hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip closed Monday after a main power line failed, forcing the property to relocate thousands of guests. The Bellagio lost partial power about 2 a.m. Sunday when the line coming into the 3,000-room property failed, said Alan Feldman, a spokesman for MGM Mi - read more »

The Venetian hotel-casino agrees to sell mall for $766 million - 13 April 2004
The Venetian hotel-casino has agreed to sell its Grand Canal Shoppes mall to a Chicago-based firm for about $766 million, company officials announced Monday.General Growth Properties Inc. will buy the 500,000-square-foot mall as well as future retail space in a planned megaresort, making the total deal possibly worth m - read more »

Gambling: thousands squander monthly pay online - 13 April 2004
More and more Belgians are gambling online. A working group helping gambling addicts says around 25,000 people each month squander their pay on games of chance on the internet. Belgium has a special commission to supervise gambling. Traditionally this takes place in a handful of licensed casinos, race tracks and gam - read more »

Dot-com gamblers sets sights on Vegas - 12 April 2004
Dot-com millionaires Tim Poster and Tom Breitling knew how to get a deal at a hotel-casino and book flights to Las Vegas, but were far less expert about the gambling business. Yet the entrepreneurs have transformed themselves into gaming executives with the purchase of downtown Las Vegas' famed Golden Nugget.Poster and - read more »

Senecas plan casino in Cheektowaga, project it as most lucrative - 12 April 2004
A new casino planned near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport is projected to be the most lucrative of three casinos the Seneca Indians will operate, tribal officials said.The Seneca Tribal Council on Saturday approved the purchase of 57 acres near the airport to build a casino that will be about twice as large a - read more »

Atlantic lottery could use online club to pioneer Internet gambling: CEO - 12 April 2004
An online club that has attracted 24,000 Atlantic Canadians will be used to set up one of the country's first legal Internet gambling sites if the Atlantic Lottery Corp.'s board approves the plan, the agency's president has confirmed. Michelle Carinci, in an interview with The Canadian Press, said the website is alread - read more »

We Bet it won't be Found on Google or Yahoo - 12 April 2004
The US Justice Department is serious about its crackdown on online gambling. Last year they forced the major credit card companies and US based Pay-Pal to stop processing transactions for online gaming. Now they have reached into the legal departments of the worlds two largest search engines, Google and Yahoo.Tradition - read more »

Man wins $270,000 after betting life savings - 12 April 2004
A man who put his life savings on the line Sunday took home $270,600 in a double-or-nothing roulette wheel gamble at the Plaza Hotel and Casino. Ashley Revell, 32, a London man who said he liquidated all his possessions to fund his leap of faith, put $135,300 on red at the roulette table as a film crew videotaped his w - read more »

BET-TV Billionaire May Join Bid for Pennsylvania Gambling Franchise - 12 April 2004
Robert L. Johnson, the billionaire founder and CEO of Black Entertainment Television, may be joining the competition for a gambling franchise in Pennsylvania.Johnson visited Philadelphia two weeks ago for meetings with state legislators and businessmen, many of them intent on creating a consortium of African-Americans - read more »

Bingo! Rank's boss hits all the right numbers - 12 April 2004
One popular maxim among fund managers is that when the chief executive starts to enjoy his own publicity, it is time to dump the shares. On that basis, Rank Group must be a raging buy. Mike Smith has been running the company behind Mecca bingo clubs and Grosvenor casinos for the past five years, but he spends precious - read more »

Expanded Hotel Lisboa of Macao aims to be Asia's most luxurious - 09 April 2004
Expansion project of a new wing of Asia's oldest casino resort Hotel Lisboa in Macao is expected to cost some 250 million US dollars to flaunt itself among Asia's most luxury hotels. Macao's largest Portuguese-languaged newspaper Ponto Final said Friday that Stanley Ho Hung Sun will launch construction of the 40-st - read more »

Gambler's double or nothing spin - 09 April 2004
A professional gambler has sold everything he owns to bet it all on a single spin of a roulette wheel. Ashley Revell, 32, from London, will bet £75,000 on red or black in a Las Vegas casino after selling all his possessions, including his clothes. He will double his money if he wins but will be left with nothing if he - read more »

DFL senators soften stance on gambling - 09 April 2004
Minnesota Senate Democrats may be ready to deal the cards. Some are ready to soften their long-held opposition to any gambling that could compete with 18 Minnesota tribal casinos. “There has been some interest in our caucus,” Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson told a small group of reporters Thursday. “I would be fool - read more »

14 arrested in gambling conspiracy - 09 April 2004
Authorities arrested 14 men Thursday in connection with a Fort Myers-based sports handicapping business that investigators say scammed millions from gamblers across the country. The men - who are from Fort Myers, Estero and Cape Coral - face federal charges of conspiracy to transmit wagering information by interstate a - read more »

Plan might reopen Tigua casino - 09 April 2004
A provision in the school finance plan that Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday would allow for video lottery gaming at Texas racetracks and Indian reservations. Reservations and racetracks could be allowed to offer video lottery games for cash prizes, which would be taxed for revenue that would apply toward funding Tex - read more »

Casino Win Up 3.4 Percent So Far This Fiscal Year - 09 April 2004
A strong February win of $876 million for Nevada casinos increased their fiscal-year total to $6.59 billion - up 3.4 percent compared with the same period a year ago. State revenues based on the fiscal-year total amounted to $485.3 million, according to a state Gaming Control Board report Thursday. That's 3.7 percent o - read more »

Senate backs away from gambling tax plan - 09 April 2004
Before the ink was even dry, Republican Senate leaders backed away Thursday from a proposal raising gambling tax rates and imposing one-time fees totaling $160 million on the state's 13 racetracks and riverboat casinos.But leaders said they haven't totally abandoned the plan rolled out on Wednesday, which imposes a one - read more »

Six counties waiting for casinos - 09 April 2004
While Senate Republicans struggle to settle a complex dispute over gambling taxes, six Iowa counties lobbying for new riverboat casinos are waiting in the wings for a chance to rejoin the gaming debate.For weeks, the Statehouse spotlight has focused on intense efforts to craft a new, politically acceptable tax structur - read more »

Problem Gambling Danger - 08 April 2004
Deregulating the betting industry could lead to a rise in problem gambling, a new report has warned. The high-level Parliamentary paper highlighted the dangers of developing Las Vegas-style supercasinos. In a 300-page report, the joint committee on the draft Gambling Bill made 139 recommendations, including scrapping p - read more »

MPs scrutinising draft bill urge tight restrictions on casinos - 08 April 2004
The government was warned yesterday that Tessa Jowell's plans to reform Britain's antiquated gambling laws are far too free-market - and that the culture secretary should limit the number of highly lucrative slot machines allowed in any one casino. "We do not believe that it is acceptable that casinos, once they reach - read more »

Call for layers to register - 08 April 2004
Professional punters who make a living from laying bets on betting exchanges will be required to register with the new Gambling Commission, if recommendations made yesterday by the joint committee scrutinising the gambling bill are adopted. The regulation of what the committee called "non-recreational layers" could hal - read more »

Waterfront casino bid revealed - 08 April 2004
Suffolk's first casino could be established in Ipswich after a multi-million pound deal was struck for a landmark waterfront site.Colwyn Developments has bought a series of properties and a development site on the town's waterfront from international shipping firm Contship Containerlines and is in talks about opening a - read more »

Casinos to pay up to 60% more if Iowa bill passes - 08 April 2004
Senate Republicans unveiled a gambling tax plan Wednesday that hikes taxes for racetracks and riverboat casinos and imposes a one-time fee on all 13 state-licensed casinos, a plan they say will break a stalemate in the closing weeks of the legislative session.Senate Majority Leader Stewart Iverson, R-Dows, said they ha - read more »

Governor pledges casino incentives - 08 April 2004
One year after dealing them a round of tax hikes, Gov. Jim McGreevey offered a kinder hand to casinos yesterday, promising $92 million for capital construction projects at the gambling halls. The money -- $60 million of which would be borrowed -- would go toward construction of new hotel rooms and other non-casino amen - read more »

Governor pledges incentives for Atlantic City casinos - 07 April 2004
One year after dealing them a round of tax hikes, Gov. James E. McGreevey offered a kinder hand to casinos Tuesday, promising $92 million for capital construction projects at the gambling halls.The money - $60 million of which would be borrowed - would go toward construction of new hotel rooms and other non-casino amen - read more »

Jaworski readies charges vs online gambling operators - 07 April 2004
Sen. Robert Jaworski said Wednesday he is preparing to file charges against Sports and Games Entertainment Corp. (SAGE) for defying a Supreme Court ruling that banned online or internet gambling in the country. "Because there is no control in one's use of the internet, online gambling has victimized many children," Jaw - read more »

UK parliamentarians want tighter casino controls - 07 April 2004
British parliamentarians called on the government on Wednesday to put tighter controls on casinos and slot machines as it prepares to deregulate an industry worth more than 40 billion pounds ($73.5 billion).A cross-party parliamentary committee scrutinising a draft gambling bill, designed to overhaul laws dating from t - read more »

Casino under threat - 07 April 2004
Plans for a Las Vegas-style casino complex on Liverpool's waterfront could be threatened if the UK government decides to water down proposed gambling reforms.A report by a cross-party committee of MPs into an overhaul of gaming laws is today expected to recommend many restrictions on gambling remain.This will come as a - read more »

European iTV betting and gaming to turnover €4 billion by 2007 - 07 April 2004
Europe's iTV betting market is forecast to turnover €4bn by 2007 with gross margins of €709m, according to a report from market analysts Screen Digest. The report, iTV Betting and Gambling, says that the UK accounts for 76 per cent of this market currently, although this share will drop to 65 per cent by 2007. Sports b - read more »

Floating casino planned - 07 April 2004
A local company has been set up to run a casino ship off Bermuda this summer, lawyer Llewellyn Peniston confirmed yesterday.He said the company had entered an agreement with an overseas charter company to bring in a luxury boat and hoped to begin operations by June at the latest.Gamblers will be able to use the casino - read more »

Another shuttered hotel-casino could become condos - 07 April 2004
A second former hotel-casino in downtown Reno could be in for conversion into condominiums. The shuttered Sundowner Hotel Casino could be available for condo buyers as early as October, said San Francisco-area developer Siavash Barmand, who said he's close to a deal with owners George Karadanis and Bob Maloff. "General - read more »

Choctaw casino lays off workers - 06 April 2004
Pearl River Resort has laid off 87 employees, reflecting decreased customer demand for the table games it operates at the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos, company president Jay Dorris said.The employees, most of whom earned $9.50 hourly and up, were notified this past weekend that their jobs had ended. "There were - read more »

Casinos, tracks near deal on purses Casino Association to discuss plan - 06 April 2004
The casino industry could approve an agreement as soon as this afternoon to add $86 million to horse-racing purses over the next four years.In exchange, the horse-racing industry would postpone its pursuit of video lottery terminals at the state's three racetracks.New Jersey Casino Association President Dennis Gomes sa - read more »

Casinos face the bare facts: Girls just want to have fun - 06 April 2004
It was the moment during the Chippendales show at Harrah's Atlantic City that everyone was waiting for: A chance for three lucky ladies to be taunted and teased on stage by two buff studs. The women screamed, lurched forward and stretched out their hands. A middle-aged blonde was chosen, then a very eager bride-to-be. - read more »

Jennifer Lopez's mother hits the jackpot in Atlantic City - 06 April 2004
Jennifer Lopez isn't the only one in her family with a million-dollar booty.J.Lo's mom, Guadalupe Lopez, beat astronomical odds Saturday night when she played a dollar "Wheel of Fortune" slot machine at the ritzy Atlantic City Borgata - and hit a $2.4 million payout."It was divine intervention," Guadalupe Lopez declare - read more »

Sky City bets on Christchurch - 05 April 2004
Casino operator Sky City Entertainment Group said it had reached an agreement to buy a stake in the Christchurch casino for $93.8 million from the shareholders of Aspinall NZ.UK-based gambling business Aspinall holds an effective 40.5% shareholding in Christchurch Casinos, the owner and operator of the Christchurch cas - read more »

Hold all bets: Search engines end casino ads - 05 April 2004
Google and Yahoo, two of the most widely used Web search engines, have decided to stop running advertisements for online casinos, a shift that could dampen the growth of Internet gambling.The move, which the companies said would go into effect by the end of April, comes as U.S. prosecutors are threatening action agains - read more »

Casino Windsor closed for 3rd day as strike continues - 05 April 2004
A labor dispute shut down Casino Windsor for a third day Sunday, diverting many would-be bettors to the three gambling halls across the river in Detroit.Casino Windsor management shut down operations at Friday night ahead of a threatened strike by 3,600 members of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444. Workers hit the picket - read more »

Caesars Palace draws the punters - 05 April 2004
Naming their new luxury residential complex after a Las Vegas casino was a good bet for one Guangzhou property development company. The 52-storey Caesar's Palace in the city's Dongshan District - said to be the tallest in southern China at 192 metres - has already attracted a lot of interest from overseas Chinese and s - read more »

CASINO $$ MEN THUMP TRUMP - 04 April 2004
Donald Trump's new book is called "How to Get Rich" - and disgruntled investors say he certainly knows how. While his Atlantic City casino and hotel company struggled, Trump earned millions, and now plans to leave his creditors languishing in debt while he waltzes to "Apprentice" glory, shareholders allege. Auditors wa - read more »

Rapid gambling expansion is a losing bet for society - 04 April 2004
You can tell the Ameristar riverboat casino is a riverboat by the neon that outlines its wheel and smokestacks. But the lights that most interest Iowa are the ones twinkling on the Omaha skyline across the Missouri River. Iowa has put not one but three full-blown casinos right next to Nebraska's biggest population cent - read more »

Bingo halls slam ‘unfair’ advantage for casinos - 04 April 2004
Planned legislation to deregulate Britain's gambling industry could lead to a major shake-up in the bingo sector, as operators struggle to compete against “unfair” advantages given to casino operators.According to Peter Perrins, managing director of Inverness-based Carlton Clubs, many of the proposals introduced to mod - read more »

Odds on lengthy delay to new Gambling Bill - 04 April 2004
Plans to overhaul the UK's gambling industry are expected to suffer a setback this week when a Parliamentary committee that has been probing the legislation publishes its findings.Insiders believe the joint scrutiny committee, led by Conservative MP John Greenway, will publish a lengthy report with numerous recommendat - read more »

A Flat No to Slots - 04 April 2004
Marylanders are about to find out just how determined their House of Delegates is to do the financially responsible thing: to say no, unconditionally, to opening the door even a crack to slot-machine gambling in the Free State. Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel) already has shown that Maryland need not -- and ou - read more »

Niagara Fallsview Casino Set to Open - 03 April 2004
One of the world's most popular and enduring tourist attraction centres is about to experience a major revival, with the opening on June 8th of the new Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. The culmination of six years of planning and development, the $1 billion entertainment complex is situated on a prime site overlooking - read more »

Casino Windsor closed temporarily before anticipated strike by 3,000 workers - 03 April 2004
Casino Windsor closed its doors Friday just hours before an anticipated strike by more than 3,000 workers, and will remain shut until a new agreement is reached, casino officials said. "Despite our best efforts to reach a fair and workable agreement, we unfortunately find ourselves in this position of having to tempor - read more »

College Campuses Rife with Gambling - 03 April 2004
Experts say campus poker craze is not just harmless fun. If you have kids in college, there's a chance they might be learning as much about five-card stud and Texas Hold 'Em as they are their chosen major. Poker appears to be the latest campus craze. That's certainly the case at the University of Georgia , for instance - read more »

New Jersey Eyes Sports Betting - 03 April 2004
Sports betting -- once considered a dead issue for Atlantic City -- is getting another look. Lured by the chance of collecting hundreds of millions more in taxes, the leader of the Assembly Budget Committee is pushing the plan. And to make it more attractive to the non-gambling public, it calls for hospitals to get as - read more »

Authorities Raid Wyandotte County Casino - 02 April 2004
Armed with a search warrant, local authorities raided a casino in downtown Kansas City around 6 a.m. Friday morning.A few employees were inside at the time. Authorities said they charged one employee with a pair of gambling-related offenses, including felony commercial gambling.The raid came after the National Indian G - read more »

Some expansion is OK for existing casinos - 02 April 2004
When Californians voted to allow expanded gambling on Indian reservations, they thought the state would regulate it and, most important, get a cut of the tribes' profits. The reality turned out differently from expectations. The expansion of Indian gaming has been much bigger than most people imagined, and the amount - read more »

They'll gamble on Golden Nugget - 02 April 2004
DOT-COM millionaires Tim Poster and Tom Breitling knew how to get people to Las Vegas, and how to get them a deal on a hotel when they arrived -- but they were far less expert when it came to the gambling business. Yet after reaping a fortune selling their travel Web site, the savvy entrepreneurs' lack of casino experi - read more »

Gambling firm odds on to net a £19.5m profit win - 02 April 2004
Online betting firm Sportingbet has forecast annual profits to be ahead of market expectations, after backing a winner with results at the Cheltenham Festival. The company, which brings in its profits from sporting upsets across major horse racing events, as well as basketball in the United States, said it expected ann - read more »

Internet gaming back in forefront - 02 April 2004
Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., a staunch foe of Internet gambling, said Thursday a recent ruling by the World Trade Organization may spur Congress to finally approve legislation to prevent Americans from wagering at offshore Web sites. A three-member WTO panel declared on March 24 that federal prohibitions against Internet gam - read more »

Singapore Casino Could Hit Ja - 01 April 2004
A casino opening here could trigger an annual jackpot of anything from US$235 million to US$335 million in spin-offs for the operators alone - as well as help create up to 1,000 jobs. This is based on the US experience. The possibility of Singapore having a casino was broached early this month by Trade and Industry Min - read more »

Trump seeking $400m to keep casinos in game - 01 April 2004
Donald Trump is battling the second big financial crisis of his career after auditors warned his casino group needs a serious stroke of luck.Ernst & Young said in its annual statement about the health of the business that Trump Hotel & Casino Resorts faces a cash crunch that "raises substantial doubt about the company' - read more »

UK punters to gamble record £200m on National and FA Cup day - 01 April 2004
Britain's ever-increasing gambling habit will reach record levels on Saturday when more than £200m is expected to be wagered on the Grand National and the FA Cup. Bookmakers predict that the coincidence of the most popular horse race of the year and the FA Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Manchester United will attra - read more »

Pennsylvania Gambling Vote Delayed - 01 April 2004
It now appears there will be no vote this week on expanded gambling in Pennsylvania. Supporters of legislation that would legalize slot machines in order to finance property and wage tax relief in Pennsylvania had hoped for a vote in at least one chamber, the senate, this week. But sources say the major problem now is - read more »

California Nears $1 Billion Gambling Deal - 01 April 2004
A group of California tribes and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger are near agreement on a deal that could immediately deliver $1 billion or more to the state while lifting the lid on slot machines for Indian casinos. The emerging agreement would generate a large, one-time payment as a bond issue financed with increased reven - read more »

Betfair takes out honesty adverts - 01 April 2004
Betfair, the betting exchange, yesterday took the extraordinary step of defending itself against the charge that it facilitates corruption, by placing full-page advertisements in national newspapers. Because exchanges allow punters to lay horses to lose as well as win, Betfair and others have been criticised in recent - read more »

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