« Year 2003 Summary

Rock County approves casino resolution - 28 February 2003
The Rock County Board voted Thursday night to approve an agreement with the city of Beloit about proceeds from a proposed off-reservation American Indian casino.The agreement, approved 17-11, would give the county 30 percent of the $145 million promised to the city over a 10-year period if the casino is built.The Bad R - read more »

West Sac casino rejected - 28 February 2003
In a victory for Yolo County, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Wednesday that the United States does not have to allow the Upper Lake Band of Pomo Indians to build a casino in West Sacramento.The tribe wanted to acquire 67 acres in West Sacramento for a Nevada-style casino/hotel complex. In the ruling, U.S. Distr - read more »

Proposed gambling amendment defeated in House committee - 28 February 2003
A proposed constitutional amendment to let Kentucky voters decide whether to legalize more types of gambling was narrowly defeated in a House committee Thursday.The proposal would have enabled the General Assembly to authorize additional gambling at racetracks or at facilities within 50 miles of a licensed track, said - read more »

Support Splintered On Casino Legislation - 28 February 2003
Sen. Kermit Brashear of Omaha had the late German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in mind when he rose to comment on the fragmented legislative debate over casino gambling."This is the sausage-making process," Brashear said, referring to Bismarck's famous opine that "Laws are like sausages. It's better not to see them bei - read more »

Vegas official: Water more valuable to casinos than farmers - 28 February 2003
The water that fuels glitzy megaresorts and lush green golf courses in Las Vegas provides a greater economic return than that used to grow crops in California's Imperial Valley, a Vegas-area leader told a water conference Thursday.Drop for drop, the water used for tourism and gambling in Las Vegas is one of the most ef - read more »

Gamblebook Parters with Gamblehunter - 27 February 2003
Spotlight Media, owners of the award-winning gambling and sportsbook portal Gamblebook (www.gamblebook.com) has announced that Top Site Media, owners of Gamblehunter.com (www.gamblehunter.com) has chosen them to be their exclusive marketers for their already successful casino and sportsbook campaigns."We have chosen Sp - read more »

Senator Urges Colleagues To Act On Gambling - 27 February 2003
A state senator urged her colleagues to put a casino gambling measure on the ballot or risk losing control over the issue."We need to act," Lincoln Sen. DiAnna Schimek said Wednesday during first-round debate on her measure (LR14CA), that would allow casinos on land owned by the state's four American Indian tribes. It - read more »

Gambling cruise boat not likely until June - 27 February 2003
The 450-foot gambling cruise ship that was supposed to set sail twice a day from the city's port by March is unlikely to make an appearance until at least June, organizers say. The delay comes as Titan Cruise Lines, the company promising to operate the Spirit of St. Petersburg, has lost its chief financial officer to a - read more »

SportsLine.com to Sell Two Gambling Sites to Create College Sports Web Site for NCAA - 27 February 2003
SportsLine.com will sell two gambling sites as part of an agreement to create and manage a college sports Web site for the NCAA.The agreement, announced Wednesday, extends through 2006. The site, which will bring a range of sports to the Internet, is expected to start by March 1.SportsLine acquired licensing rights fro - read more »

Old Hospital A Potential Casino Site - 27 February 2003
The Eastern Pequot Tribe, granted federal recognition last summer, is looking at the former Norwich Hospital property in Preston as a possible location for a casino.The 500-acre hospital property, owned by the state, is directly across the river from Mohegan Sun and is frequently mentioned as a casino development site. - read more »

Dole's 1st bill could open door to Lumbee casinos - 27 February 2003
Sen. Elizabeth Dole's first piece of legislation -- full federal recognition for the Lumbee Indians -- could pave the way for another casino in North Carolina, a public policy group said.If the bill became law, "it would almost certainly grant the Lumbees status to have a casino," said Bill Brooks, the president of the - read more »

Harrah's New Orleans Casino still struggles after promise - 26 February 2003
Ten years after the Legislature created the New Orleans casino, a decade after the promises that New Orleans would be revived by gambling, the reality of today is far different.Harrah's New Orleans Casino is taking in only a fraction of the money once touted. Long after pro-gambling bumper stickers proclaimed the hope - read more »

Mirage facing reporting penalty - 26 February 2003
The Mirage faces a hefty fine because of a failure to file required financial information with federal and state authorities.Company spokesman Alan Feldman said Monday that the Strip casino failed to file "months worth" of currency transaction reports, and that the casino deals with hundreds of the reports each month.F - read more »

Casino equipment maker files suit against slot makers - 26 February 2003
Shuffle Master Inc. said Monday it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against WMS Gaming and Bally Gaming and Systems -- considered the second- and third-largest slot makers in the country behind International Game Technology -- alleging infringement of Shuffle Master's patent governing a bonusing software system. - read more »

Tribe signs new casino deal - 26 February 2003
The state has reached an amended compact with the Forest County Potawatomi tribe to continue running its casinos indefinitely in exchange for five times as much money in annual payments to Wisconsin, Administration Secretary Marc Marotta said Monday.The deal, signed last week by tribe chairman Harold Frank and Gov. Jim - read more »

Richmond council approves huge new casino - 26 February 2003
A proposal to zone a $65-million casino-and-hotel complex breezed through Richmond council last night by a 5-to-3 vote."A modern, new casino will bring money to Richmond," said Coun. Harold Steves. "People prefer revenue from a casino to higher taxes or cutting services."Plans call for 300 slot machines, a 200-suite ho - read more »

Casino expansion put at $120 million - 26 February 2003
The Forest County Potawatomi tribe plans to build a $120 million addition to its Menomonee Valley casino - doubling its original cost - and add 950 employees and may put up a hotel, a tribal official said Tuesday.The expansion would be fueled by the new state-tribal gaming compact, which eliminates the casino's limit o - read more »

Casino Affiliate Convention to be Held April 3-4 in Amsterdam - 26 February 2003
Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc. announces the Casino Affiliate Convention (www.CasinoAffiliateConvention.com), which will be held on April 3 - 4, 2003 in the city of Amsterdam at the Mercure Hotel de Amstel. WHAT: Casino Affiliate Convention WHEN: April 3-4, 2003 WHERE: Mercure Hotel de Amstel Amsterdam, Th - read more »

Ehrlich tells panel best option is slots - 26 February 2003
Republican Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. presented his case yesterday for legalizing slot machines at the first House hearing on the legislation, as busloads of people on both sides of the gambling issue crowded the State House.Mr. Ehrlich told the House Ways and Means Committee that installing 10,500 slot machines at fou - read more »

Republicans Show Their Hand in Gambling Debate - 26 February 2003
Governor Jim Doyle indicated he'll veto a bill that would take away some of his power to approve Indian gaming compacts. Republicans are preparing for a fight.Republicans are very close to having enough votes to override a potential veto. The bill that would give lawmakers the final approval of gaming compacts passed t - read more »

State OKs Aurora casino sale - 26 February 2003
The Illinois Gaming Board Tuesday gave unanimous approval to Penn National Gaming Inc.'s purchase of Hollywood Casino Corp., owner of the Aurora casino.The state Gaming Board is one of the final gambling regulatory bodies that needs to approve the deal, first announced last August.The Louisiana Gaming Control Board and - read more »

Louisiana casinos lose Supreme Court challenge on political contribution ban - 25 February 2003
Casino operators in Louisiana today lost a free-speech challenge at the U.S. Supreme Court to a state law that bars them from making political campaign contributions.The justices declined to hear the Casino Association of Louisiana's argument that the law violates their free-speech rights. The state says the law is int - read more »

Casinos get asset performance tool - 25 February 2003
Two Tunica casinos are part of a deal that will let Park Place Entertainment compare and contrast asset performance.Casino Data Imaging says it has entered into a strategic partnership with Park Place for additional sales of CDI's advanced graphical interface and report writing program. Seven properties in the Mid-Sout - read more »

William Hill Announces New Casino and Poker Agreements - 25 February 2003
William Hill, the UK's leading online bookmaker, today announced new licensing arrangements with its incumbent supplier WagerLogic (a wholly owned subsidiary of CryptoLogic Inc. of Canada) and Boss Media of Sweden, the two premier software suppliers to the online gaming industry.William Hill added the WagerLogic online - read more »

BetGameDay.com Pays $103,988 Jackpot - 25 February 2003
Michael M., a store clerk from Illinois, took home the Progressive Stud Poker Jackpot worth $103,988 at BetGameDay's Casino (www.betgameday.com) on Wednesday, February 19, 2003.His first time ever playing Stud Poker at BetGameDay.com, Michael made one of the best decisions of his life -- to activate the Progressive Jac - read more »

Help available for families of compulsive gamblers - 25 February 2003
If there is a gambling problem in a home, the Gam-Anon family group may be able to help. People living with a compulsive gambler, will answer "Yes" to at least six of the following questions: 1) Do you find yourself constantly bothered by bill collectors? 2) Is the person in question often away from home for long, unex - read more »

Second tribe has perpetual gaming pact - 25 February 2003
As Republicans attacked Gov. Jim Doyle last week for cutting a deal with Oneida Nation for a perpetual gaming compact, Doyle was busy signing a similar deal with another of the state's 11 tribes, records released Monday show. On Feb. 19, Doyle signed a perpetual agreement with the Forest County Potowatomi to allow tha - read more »

Lawmaker proposes casino at Canterbury - 25 February 2003
Supporters of opening a non-Indian casino in Minnesota say this is the year to get it done because the money could be used to help offset a $4.2 billion budget deficit."It's time," said Sen. Dick Day, R-Owatonna. "Minnesotans are telling us it's time."A proposal being introduced this week would allow the state lottery - read more »

Gambling bill will not be considered - 24 February 2003
A bill that would require full legislative approval of state compacts with American Indian tribes will not be considered by lawmakers this legislative session after failing to get out of the Oklahoma House's rules committee. “We had to complete committee work by Friday and we were not able to finish up on the bill,” sa - read more »

Lawsuits will showcase social costs of Canada's gambling bonanza - 24 February 2003
Quebec City lawyer Jean Brochu says he was robbed blind for years by bandits. Video lottery terminals, dubbed electric morphine for their addictive pull on some players, arrived in his favourite lunch-time pub in 1997. "I never went to a casino in my life except in the Dominican Republic 15 years ago," Brochu says. But - read more »

More gambling or more taxes? - 24 February 2003
Time and again, a recurring theme emerged when local residents were asked this weekend about Gov. Jim Doyle's plan to help solve the state budget crisis by renegotiating tribal gaming compacts: They'd rather see more gambling than more taxes."That's a tough one," said Baraboo homemaker Tiffany Downing. "I'd rather have - read more »

Casinos Can't Stop Track VLTs, Says Senator - 24 February 2003
Competition for Atlantic City's casinos is on the way, regardless of whether video gambling terminals are placed at the Meadowlands Racetrack, New Jersey's Democratic senate leader said. "I understand the casinos' opposition, but what happens when New York and Philadelphia put them in?" Democratic Senate President Rich - read more »

Gambling a top issue in legislature - 24 February 2003
Gamblers could lose at least a billion dollars more each year and government could reap nearly $320 million in taxes if all the gambling bills under consideration by the Indiana House become law.That prospect is unlikely, given the opposition to the expansion of gambling by Senate President Pro Tem Robert Garton, a Rep - read more »

Casino hiring from Puerto Rico, Poland - 23 February 2003
The Mohegan Sun has been recruiting experienced casino workers from Puerto Rico and Poland after having trouble attracting enough workers from casino communities in the United States.The workers from Puerto Rico, where the gambling industry has been on the skids, said they earn much more money and get faster promotions - read more »

Ehrlich uses Internet in lobbying for slots - 23 February 2003
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has turned to the Internet to rally support for his bill that would authorize 10,500 slot machines at Maryland racetracks. The governor's political campaign sent e-mails to about 10,000 people last week asking them to let their legislators know they would rather legalize slot-machine gambling - read more »

Eyes on casinos - 23 February 2003
The smallest casino in the state can be found in the Mississippi Gaming Commission's Biloxi office. It has one table each for blackjack, craps and roulette. The green felt and the plastic chips all bear the commission's logo.The tables aren't set up to bring in extra money for the commission, which has been hamstrung b - read more »

Casino for baseball stadium? - 22 February 2003
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde want Oregon to take an unusual gamble. The tribe has offered to back construction bonds for a major league baseball stadium in exchange for permission to build an off-reservation casino in the Portland area.The estimated cost of a stadium -- $350 million - and the state's curr - read more »

Santee Rep: Gambling Measure Will Appear On 2004 Ballot - 22 February 2003
The manager of the state's only casino -- which has operated illegally for seven years -- is certain a constitutional amendment allowing casino gambling will appear on the ballot in November 2004.Thelma Thomas, manager of the Santee's Ohiya casino and the legislative coordinator on gambling for the Santee Sioux, said t - read more »

House passes casino money plan - 22 February 2003
Acting on a key Republican campaign promise, the House passed legislation yesterday intended to boost school funding by distributing gambling revenue as bonus payments to school districts. The House voted 97-58 yesterday for legislation directing casino taxes and fees into a new Classroom Trust Fund, which could start - read more »

Gaming Commission Orders Halt To Blackjack At Indian Casinos - 22 February 2003
Two American Indian tribes in northeastern Oklahoma have shut down their blackjack tables at the order of the National Indian Gaming Commission. The Quapaw Casino near Miami and the Grand Lake Casino near Grove shut down blackjack Sunday night.The commission sent letters to Oklahoma Indian tribes who own gaming operati - read more »

Mega Millions bringing in less money than forecast - 22 February 2003
Sales for the state's newest lottery game have been sluggish, prompting officials to lower revenue projections by about 22 percent at a time when Washington is scrambling to find every dollar it can. Lottery profits help pay for schools, health care, prisons and other state programs. As of last Saturday, sales from Meg - read more »

Nevada lawmakers talk about problem gambling - 22 February 2003
Nevada legislators open the fourth week of the 2003 session with discussions of problem gambling and a plan to boost pay of various county officials by more than 25 percent.Senate Finance will discuss SB42, which sets up a special $250,000 account for programs to help people deal with gambling addictions. It also allow - read more »

Casino plan withdrawn - 21 February 2003
Protesters have been celebrating after a plan to create a £3.2 million casino in Felixstowe was withdrawn at the last-minute.Uncertainty now surrounds the scheme by company Palatial Leisure to transform the resort's cinema and bingo hall into a hotel and leisure complex.Suffolk Coastal District Council's development co - read more »

Aladdin casino in Las Vegas improves finances in January - 21 February 2003
The Aladdin casino posted its best operating month since the megaresort opened its doors on the Las Vegas Strip more than two and half years ago.The Aladdin earned a profit of about $96,000 in January, the company reported in a federal bankruptcy filing this week. That was a dramatic swing from $12.8 million the casino - read more »

Convicted slot cheat added to Nevada's 'black book' - 21 February 2003
Tommy Glenn Carmichael says he's now using his cheating skills to improve slot machine security. But that got him nowhere Thursday with Nevada gambling industry regulators.The state Gaming Commission voted unanimously to list Carmichael, 52, whose criminal record dates to 1973, in a “black book” of unsavory types barre - read more »

Stacked deck: 150 rally against higher casino taxes - 20 February 2003
About 150 casino industry executives, workers and community leaders turned out Wednesday to protest plans for new taxes on casinos, saying the added burden would stymie growth and threaten jobs.The 45-minute rally, emceed by state Sen. William Gormley, featured pastors and politicians taking aim at Gov. James E. McGree - read more »

Casino developers give up license - 20 February 2003
Developers of a riverboat casino in Bayou Caddy turned in their operating license to the Mississippi Gaming Commission on Wednesday, but said they still plan to open the casino by the end of the year."We are not abandoning the project," said Gene McCarlie Jr., president of Phoenix Leisure. "In the next 60 to 90 days, w - read more »

Some reasons for slot machines in Pennsylvania - 20 February 2003
Gov. Ed Rendell views allowing slot machines at Pennsylvania horse racetracks as a relatively pain-free way of adding $500 million a year to the state's coffers. Some in Chester County view the proposal as one that will help the popularity of Pennsylvania's horse tracks and subsequently, invigorate the horse-breeding b - read more »

Louisiana casino win off slightly in January - 20 February 2003
Louisiana's state-licensed casinos won $162.4 million in January, down slightly from December, as the business showed the usual seasonal pattern leading up to the traditionally big months of March and April.The 14 riverboat casinos won $128.4 million in January, compared with $133.7 million in December, while Harrah's - read more »

Two casino bills voted to the floor - 20 February 2003
Soon after the General Affairs Committee sent her casino gambling proposal to the floor Wednesday, Sen. DiAnna Schimek of Lincoln strode to the speaker's office and made it her priority bill. Arriving shortly after Schimek was Sen. Ray Janssen of Nickerson, whose own casino proposal also made it out of committee. "She - read more »

Taverns Want a Piece of the Gambling Pie - 20 February 2003
Although it promises to bring in millions of dollars for the state, the new gaming agreement between the state and the Oneida Nation isn't a hit with everyone, especially not the state's tavern league.The Tavern League of Wisconsin has been pushing the state for years to allow gaming machines in bars and pubs, to no av - read more »

Gambling machines confiscated from arcade - 20 February 2003
Austin police confiscated 52 electronic gambling machines from the Sit-N-Spin gameroom on South Lamar Wednesday.Police said the machines themselves are not illegal, but the way they were operated. A machine is considered an illegal gambling device if it pays out more than the law allows. A novelty machine that pays out - read more »

No Casino Ban during War Time - 19 February 2003
For a while now there's been quite a bit of banter about online gambling. Vast numbers of official groups and governments around the globe have been trying to enforce restrictive regulations in attempt to ban online gambling altogether. But while politicians and other officials deliberate over social evils imposed on t - read more »

Mohegan, Foxwoods report strong business in January - 19 February 2003
Despite a sluggish economy and chilly winter weather, both Mohegan Sun Casino and Foxwoods Resort Casino reported strong net slot wins in January.Gamblers wagered a combined $1.47 billion at the state's two casinos last month, a 10 percent increase over the same period last year, the casinos said Friday.The state treas - read more »

No gambling in Elora until fall - 19 February 2003
The cry, "They're off!" won't be heard in Elora this summer, as the opening of the Grand River Raceway has been pushed back until fall. "I expect it will be September or October, in that range," said raceway general manager Ted Clarke yesterday. "I think any sooner than that will be miraculous." The $15 million project - read more »

Don't Expand State Gambling - 19 February 2003
When will Connecticut stop increasing state-sponsored gambling? Apparently, not ever if you take into account the remarks of officials from the Division of Special Revenue and the efforts of some local legislators.In general terms, the state officials have supported the notion that keno might be a good game to add at t - read more »

Las Vegas strippers fight back - 19 February 2003
Strippers in Las Vegas are fighting back against moves to clean up 'Sin City'.They are joining forces as political activists following moves to impose new regulations on their industry.The Clark County commission has barred lap dancers in most Las Vegas-area strip clubs from sitting in customers' laps.Some prosecutors - read more »

For stranded gamblers, storm spells bad luck - 18 February 2003
Mike DiBiase leaned against an empty craps table, surveying the eerily-quiet blackjack tables and slot machines around him at Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino.DiBiase, 49, of Staten Island, N.Y., had heard the snow forecasts before he drove here Saturday for a one-night stay.He gambled the storm wouldn't be bad. He lost. The - read more »

Gambling lobbyists hope cash-strapped state will OK video slot machines - 18 February 2003
With Florida facing a potential $4 billion shortfall in next year's budget, state gambling interests are betting on renewed legislative interest in video slot machines.The state's pari-mutuels, along with dog and horse breeders, have poured more than $6.2 million into the past four state elections -- including $2.4 mil - read more »

House plan calls for keno startup - 18 February 2003
The budget bill passed yesterday by a House committee would require the Hoosier Lottery to launch keno, a fast-paced game typically played in bars that is a sort of a cross between bingo and the Powerball. House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford, D-Indianapolis, said wagering on the game could mean an additional $4 - read more »

Gambling lobbyists hope cash-strapped state will OK video slot machines - 18 February 2003
With Florida facing a potential $4 billion shortfall in next year's budget, state gambling interests are betting on renewed legislative interest in video slot machines.The state's pari-mutuels, along with dog and horse breeders, have poured more than $6.2 million into the past four state elections -- including $2.4 mil - read more »

Online betting company attracts ire of minister - 18 February 2003
Minister of the Interior Yu Cheng-hsien (-]�­Œ›) yesterday vowed to clamp down on illegal gambling, reacting to reports in yesterday's Chinese-language press that a British sports betting company intended to promote its online business here."Gambling without the government's permission is definitely illegal in Taiwan. - read more »

Charity bingo operators worry about MGM plan - 18 February 2003
Charity bingo operators in Michigan say they worry about losing some of their $31.9 million annual earnings if the MGM Grand Detroit Casino follows its plan to open a bingo hall.MGM plans to open a new $500 million casino complex in 2005, featuring a bingo hall, the first of Detroit's three casinos to do so.Independent - read more »

Anti-casino canvassers misleading public: resident - 16 February 2003
Anti-casino canvassers aren't making it clear that their intent is to kill a plan to build a downtown destination casino in Saskatoon, claims an irate resident who chased two volunteers off her doorstep."I think a lot of people are being misled," said Twyla Fiddler. "I don't care if the casino is built or not, but I do - read more »

Gambling addiction fund unspent Millions intended for fallout from Indian casino boom - 16 February 2003
The cash-strapped state of California has collected nearly $50 million from the gaming profits of Indian tribes to pay for problems related to the casino boom, including addictive gambling -- but has yet to spend a penny of the money, The Chronicle has learned. The Indian gaming "special distribution" fund has been col - read more »

Pentagon Stays Mum On Its $1B In Gambling - 16 February 2003
Even a powerful institution such as the military can't resist the lure of gambling. That's why in 2001 the Pentagon quashed research on the impact slot machines on overseas bases have on the Armed Forces. I recently obtained that study after filing a Freedom of Information request for it last June. The PricewaterhouseC - read more »

Problem gambling study triggers debate - 15 February 2003
Results of a new survey on Las Vegas-area gambling addicts revealed Thursday could be used to develop treatment programs and policies to address the social costs of gambling, authors say.The study may also have political implications for the casino industry, which is preparing to endorse a tax hike of a quarter percent - read more »

Casino: Bussing program a success - 15 February 2003
Nights of driving up twisty Reservation Road to Eagle Mountain Casino are a thing of the past with the introduction of a unique employee rural reverse commute service.The service, each day, busses about 350 hourly employees from three sites in Porterville up to the casino every odd hour. On even hours, busses make trip - read more »

Foxwoods celebrates 11 years - 15 February 2003
It's a week of anniversaries at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Some 5,000 of the 11,000 employees are celebrating their fifth year at the gaming complex. The B.B. King clubs just marked their first year of business. And on Friday, a few hundred people gathered at Rainmaker Country to celebrate the casino's 11th anniversary wi - read more »

Gambling bills win in committee - 15 February 2003
Three bills that would expand the scope of lawful gambling in the state received favorable recommendations from a legislative panel Thursday.The bills now go to the full Senate for debate and votes.House Bill 92 would broaden legal pari-mutuel wagering to all professional rodeo events. Currently, pari-mutuel wagering i - read more »

CryptoLogic Inc. met its financial targets in the fourth quarter - 15 February 2003
Internet gambling software developer CryptoLogic Inc. met its reduced financial targets in the fourth quarter, reported Tuesday, but warned that profits will fall as it expands its business in 2003. The Toronto-based company, which supplies casinos with systems and software so they can offer online gambling over the In - read more »

Black Legislators Target Slot Profits - 15 February 2003
A small group of black ministers held a strategy session Thursday night in a historic church in East Baltimore. Their mission: to persuade their state legislators to keep slot machines and casinos out of Maryland.What the pastors didn't realize was that many of those lawmakers were quietly meeting that same night, 30 m - read more »

Casino Slot Machines Boost Revenue To State - 15 February 2003
With new research revealing that New Englanders are the country's heaviest gamblers, the latest numbers from the state's Indian casinos are just a further reminder of an industry transforming Connecticut.Despite a sagging economy and wintry weather, gamblers are still pouring more quarters than ever into slot machines - read more »

Bill wants casino to boost tourism - 15 February 2003
A percentage of money from casino gambling should help fund the state's “I Love NY” tourism campaign, said Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, D-Irondequoit. Morelle's legislation unveiled Tuesday calls for a tourism economic development fund that would be supported through state revenue from gambling at Native American casino - read more »

Casino opponents claim signatures are rolling in - 14 February 2003
The Coalition Against Gambling Expansion in Saskatoon (CAGES) is a third of the way to securing enough signatures to force a public vote.In just two and a half weeks, CAGES and Citizens For a Quality Saskatoon (CFQS), which crushed a casino plan in 1994 with a plebiscite, have collected 7,635 of the requisite 21,000 si - read more »

Hopes of casino suffer blow - 14 February 2003
Hopes of a £3.2 million leisure complex and casino for Felixstowe today suffered a massive setback after it was revealed planners are recommending the project be rejected.Councillors will meet next week to decide the town centre scheme, which could prove a major attraction for tourists and businessmen but has generated - read more »

Few turn out for hearing in Warren on gambling, casino - 14 February 2003
Only six people showed up on a snowy Monday night for what turned out to be 20-minute hearing on expanding gambling and possibly building a casino in the Ocean State. "I'd like to thank people, all six of you, for coming through the snow," said state Representative for Warren and Barrington, Jan Malik. Indeed, few atte - read more »

Mississippi Gaming Commission running short of agents - 14 February 2003
The Mississippi Gaming Commission is suffering through a shortage of agents charged with halting illegal gambling and regulating the state's $3 billion casino industry, officials say.Leigh Ann Wilkins, a spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission, said the agency has one agent per 65,000 square feet of casino gaming space a - read more »

Gambling and alcoholism share a deeper bond - 14 February 2003
The relationship between alcohol and gambling seems to be deeper than meets the eye. New research suggests that gamblers tend to think about alcohol more when they are winning; gamblers take more risks and play longer when they are drinking; people with concurrent gambling disorders (GDs) and alcohol use disorders (AUD - read more »

Casino group: Video lottery games would require vote - 13 February 2003
Launching a counteroffensive, a casino trade group yesterday released a legal opinion asserting that the installation of video lottery terminals anywhere but Atlantic City would require the permission of New Jersey voters.Robert Clifford, a retired state Supreme Court justice writing on behalf of the Casino Association - read more »

Banks Agree To Block Use Of Credit For Online Gambling - 13 February 2003
People's Bank has joined several other banks in blocking the use of bank-issued credits cards for Internet gambling.New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced Tuesday that People's and nine other banks are following in Citibank's footsteps in blocking transaction codes for online gambling sites.The actions mean - read more »

Legislators look at expanded gambling - 13 February 2003
The Entertainment Industry Coalition has recruited Rep. Bill Grant, a Walla Walla Democrat, to introduce a bill to give its members the right to offer the same type of razzle-dazzle electronic gambling devices that tribal-owned casinos offer their customers. A similar bill failed to pass last session, and tribal leader - read more »

Casino, racetrack won't bet on gov's gaming ban - 12 February 2003
A Connecticut casino and New Hampshire racetrack said yesterday they won't pony up millions in return for the Bay State banning expanded gambling here, even as Gov. Mitt Romney embraced the so-called "blocking" plan as a "creative" budget fix.The operators of Mohegan Sun casino and New Hampshire's Rockingham Park track - read more »

Bear Stearns analyst resigns - 12 February 2003
Jason Ader, Bear Stearns Cos. casino and hotels analyst, left the No. 6 U.S. securities firm last week to explore other options, he said.Ader, ranked No. 1 by Institutional Investor magazine from 1999 to 2001 and No. 2 in 2002, will hand coverage of companies such as MGM MIRAGE and Hilton Hotels Corp. to Mark Abramson. - read more »

Experts sought to analyze slots plan - 12 February 2003
The Ehrlich administration, stung by criticism of its first attempt at drafting a bill allowing slot machines at Maryland racetracks, is seeking emergency help from an outside consultant to salvage the legislation. State Budget Secretary James C. DiPaula Jr. said the administration is rushing to hire experts with exper - read more »

Adelson promotes casinos for Nebraska - 12 February 2003
One of America's richest men strode into the Capitol on Monday with an entourage of men in business suits and a glitzy DVD presentation to convince lawmakers that Nebraska is ready for casinos."Casinos create jobs and create tax revenue and provide a lot of economic benefit for any community," said billionaire Sheldon - read more »

New Internet Bingo Platform, Chimera Enters Alpha Test Phase - 12 February 2003
Chimera Technology Corp. (Other OTC:CMRA.PK - News), through its wholly owned subsidiary 724Bingo.com "724", an innovative Internet Gaming Software Provider/Licensor & e-Commerce services company, today announced it has initiated Alpha Testing on its "new" Online Internet multi-player Bingo games.Chimera is extremely e - read more »

Casinos may be banned in exchange for cash - 12 February 2003
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is considering barring casinos in the state in exchange for money from Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire gaming companies, the Boston Herald reported, citing unidentified people.If realized, the state could reap a one-time fee of $80 million without the long-term costs and impli - read more »

Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas spa and golf resort opens - 12 February 2003
In a town where distances for businesses are often measured in terms of how far they are from the Las Vegas Strip, the Ritz-Carlton Lake Las Vegas resort is an anomaly.Today, the Ritz opened its first Nevada resort about 17 miles from the Strip -- between the modest outskirts of Henderson and Lake Mead off Lake Mead Dr - read more »

Leighton to sell stake in Star City Casino - 11 February 2003
Contractor Leighton Holdings hopes to soon sell its long-held 15 per cent stake in the management company for the Star City Casino, with casino owner Tabcorp Holdings the most obvious buyer.Leighton also revealed yesterday that while it expected to benefit greatly from a "large upswing" in non-residential and engineeri - read more »

Gambling Cruise Plan Hits Snag - 11 February 2003
A top city official said Monday that he did not know whether a new cruise venture would begin operating out of the Port of St. Petersburg next month as scheduled. The city and Titan Cruise Lines have yet to sign an agreement, which the city council approved in December, because the company has not provided proof that i - read more »

Gaming proposal pushes pull-tabs for Allen parlor - 11 February 2003
A powerful House Democrat proposed a gambling amendment Monday that would put 1,500 slot-like, pull-tab machines in Fort Wayne's off-track betting parlor.Although the House Public Policy Committee did not vote on the pull-tab bill or amendment, the suggestion has placed Allen County in the middle of a brewing controver - read more »

STAR Group adding to its list of casino clients - 10 February 2003
STAR Group Communications Inc. is vesting itself in the gaming industry - but says this is no roll of the dice. The Cherry Hill advertising agency now has nine casino clients and is looking for more. Gaming is hot right now. "States that are having a hard time balancing the budget, the ones hurting for money, are all p - read more »

Rumors Of Casino Drawing Mixed Reactions - 10 February 2003
Rumors that an American Indian tribe may be looking at more than one Ohio location as sites for casinos are drawing mixed reactions in one southwest Ohio county. Rumors have been spreading through Clermont County east of Cincinnati for months that one or more tribes is looking for land and might try to open a casino al - read more »

Bucks for Gambling - 10 February 2003
MARYLAND SENATE President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Prince George's) is as good as anyone in the Free State at making political money talk, and it's screaming in Annapolis this year. Staff writer Craig Whitlock reports that gambling and horse racing interests have contributed more than $500,000 to a federal campaign - read more »

Casino says governor offered deal on gambling machines - 09 February 2003
Gov. James E. McGreevey's office got into a verbal sparring match with one of the nation's largest casino operators over their differing accounts of a Friday phone conversation.Harrah's Entertainment said its chairman, Phil Satre, turned down an offer from McGreevey to operate slot-like gambling machines at the Meadowl - read more »

Norwich: Casinos revived our city - 09 February 2003
Located among the hills of Eastern Connecticut, Norwich City Hall stands only seven miles from Foxwoods Resort and Casino and five miles from Mohegan Sun. Lathrop heaps praise on the gaming facilities and a drive through the city seems to back up his words. The area surrounding city hall appears to be enjoying a renais - read more »

$150bn gambling bill - 09 February 2003
Australians have gambled away about $150 billion in the last 30 years, with current losses running at almost $14 billion a year.Tomorrow, the gambling industry will mark the 30th anniversary of the opening of Australia's first casino - Wrest Point in Hobart. Anti-gambling campaigner Rev Tim Costello said the anniversar - read more »

Gaming firms reap windfall; addicts a whirlwind - 09 February 2003
As state governments nationwide embrace gambling to raise money without raising taxes, they cannot do it alone.They share the receipts with the companies that bring slot machines to the people. And for these companies - manufacturers, casino operators, and racetrack owners such as Penn National Gaming Inc., of Wyomissi - read more »

Casino bus falls on side, killing two - 08 February 2003
An Atlantic City casino bus that was weaving in and out of traffic overturned in the falling snow on the Garden State Parkway yesterday, killing two passengers and injuring 28 others, authorities said.State police were questioning the driver of the bus, which was en route from Chinatown in New York to the Trump Taj Mah - read more »

Japanese authorities urge loosening of gambling law - 08 February 2003
The metropolitan Tokyo government and four other regional authorities yesterday urged the state to lift a ban on casinos to boost their finances amid the economic slump, officials said."Local governments are having difficulties revitalizing regional economies ... and the establishment of casinos could be an effective m - read more »

State's last eligible tribe close to winning a casino - 08 February 2003
The state's last federally recognized Indian tribe without a casino is one court ruling away from building a gambling resort on the Oregon coast."If we get the green light, we would hope to have it up in 18 to 20 months," at a site near Florence, said Ron Brainard of Lebanon, tribal council chairman for the Confederate - read more »

Nevada hotel-casinos lose millions in 2002 - 07 February 2003
Nevada's major hotel-casinos, pinched by terrorism, Indian gaming and a sickly economy, lost $33.5 million in fiscal 2002, according to a state report released Thursday.It marks a reversal of fortune in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2002, after a $554.4 million net gain in the previous year, according to the annu - read more »

Park Place riverboat deal OK'd by Louisiana regulators - 07 February 2003
The state gambling board approved a proposed $21 million settlement Wednesday to end the long dispute over Bally's riverboat casino in New Orleans.The decision had been delayed from last month because Louisiana Gaming Control Board chairman Hillary Crain said the board shouldn't approve the settlement until state polic - read more »

Prefectures seek casinos - 07 February 2003
Five prefectural governments delivered a petition to the central government today calling for legal amendments to lift a ban on establishing casinos, the Kyodo News Service reported.Osaka Gov. Fusae Ota and senior officials of Tokyo, Shizuoka, Wakayama and Miyazaki handed the petition to Yoshitada Konoike, state minist - read more »

Harrah's recruits Iowa officials to endorse Rhode Island casino - 07 February 2003
Riverboat gambling was an economic boon for their community and the predicted problems never materialized, two officials from Iowa told a special House commission studying gaming.Pottawattamie County Supervisor Bob Williams said riverboat gambling in Council Bluffs, Iowa, was "a gift" that turned around the city's fina - read more »

Blackjack games hit Arizona Indian casinos - 07 February 2003
With dollar signs in their eyes, gamblers began saying "hit me" as Arizona Indian casinos offered their first day of live, Las Vegas-style blackjack.The table games became legal Wednesday morning and by midday, there was standing room only at Casino Arizona at Salt River, one of two casinos on this Indian reservation j - read more »

Dunne fights for jackpot in Las Vegas - 06 February 2003
Dubliner Ben Dunne hopes to finish off his apprenticeship in style when he boxes his final four-rounder against Eric Trujillo, a reigning Golden Gloves champion from Colorado, at Sam's Town Casino in Las Vegas tomorrow night.“From here on we will be thinking in terms of six rounders,” his manager, Dunshaughlin business - read more »

Construction on Tampa Seminole casino reaches milestone - 06 February 2003
Seminole Tribe officials celebrated the progression of construction on the 12-story Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a $100 million project scheduled to open in April 2004.Officials gathered Tuesday at the site across Interstate 4 from the Florida State Fairgrounds for the hotel's "topping off ceremony" - a construction tradi - read more »

Hong Kong Racetracks Lose to Soccer Pools - 06 February 2003
Gambling on horse races may never return to the heights before Hong Kong's economic downturn, a leading sociologist said yesterday. The prediction came after the annual Lunar New Year horse races at Sha Tin on Monday attracted 92,900 spectators and recorded HK$1.16 billion (US$148 million) in gambling revenue - a drop - read more »

A new gamble: bringing sports into casinos - 06 February 2003
Ever since the dark days of 1919, when the Chicago "Black Sox" conspired with gamblers to rig baseball's World Series, America's pro sports leagues have treated gambling as if it were a kind of toxic sludge: It spawned corruption, which corroded fans' confidence in the game, so they wanted it buried far, far away. But - read more »

Racing Funds Flow to Miller - 06 February 2003
Gambling and horse racing interests contributed more than $500,000 last year to a national political action committee overseen by Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr., a champion of the movement to legalize slot machines in the state, records show.The money was donated to the Democratic Legislative Campa - read more »

Global Gambling Comes of Age Now Available through Casino City Press - 06 February 2003
The most definitive resource ever published on the global gaming market is now available through Casino City Press.The 2nd Annual Review of the Global Betting and Gaming Marketing, Global Gambling Comes of Age, provides an up-to-date guide to the global betting and gaming market for both land-based and interactive gamb - read more »

Fulton Considers Gambling Resolution - 06 February 2003
The Fulton County Commission on Wednesday night briefly considered a resolution that would bring gambling to the City of Atlanta.The resolution was tabled for a later session but it, nonetheless, underscored the need for local governments to find new ways to generate revenue in these lean economic times. The idea of br - read more »

Share buyback approved - 06 February 2003
MGM MIRAGE, the second-largest U.S. casino owner whose stock is down 25 percent in the past month, said its board approved a plan to buy back as many as 10 million shares, or 6.4 percent of its outstanding common stock.MGM MIRAGE will buy the shares from time to time on the open market or in third-party transactions, t - read more »

Casino tribes' budget fix is no sure thing - 05 February 2003
Despite the Davis administration's rosy projections of a $1.5 billion budget bailout from California's Indian casinos, tribal representatives and industry analysts say the odds of getting anything close to that amount are slim and none -- and don't bet on slim.Strapped for cash to close a yawning state budget deficit, - read more »

Profits Tumble Slightly for Harrah's - 05 February 2003
Harrah's Entertainment Inc. on Wednesday reported a small decline in quarterly net profit, but revenue rose as the casino operator rode out weak New Year's Eve business in Las Vegas. Harrah's, which owns or manages 26 casinos, posted a fourth-quarter net profit of $53.9 million, or 48 cents per share, down from $55.1 m - read more »

Critics say casino contributions stack deck on gambling committee - 05 February 2003
A new House committee designed as the starting point for all gambling legislation is stacked with members who've received money from casinos and horse tracks, leaving gambling critics crying foul.All but two of the 14 panel members received gambling money to run their campaigns last year. The 12 members, three of whom - read more »

Governor Wants N.J. Casinos To Ante Up In Budget Crunch - 05 February 2003
When the chips are down, it's casinos that ante up for better or worse: While several cash-strapped states are considering adding racetrack slots or new casinos, New Jersey's governor has proposed millions of dollars worth of new taxes on gambling halls. Gov. James McGreevey, a first-term Democrat, unveiled a budget Tu - read more »

California Casino Recruiting Reno Table Dealers - 04 February 2003
Some of the nation's most experienced card dealers and casino workers are right here in northern Nevada, so it's no surprise that recruiters are in Reno trying to lure them to a new Indian casino.The Thunder Valley Casino opens in a few months in Roseville, California. This casino is designed to attract the same marke - read more »

Hotel-casino hearing will be a quiet gathering of comment - 04 February 2003
People who want to loudly object to the Jamul Indian band's hotel-casino plans might be in for a surprise at Thursday night's public hearing in El Cajon. Nobody's going to hear them except a stenographer and, maybe, the person behind them in line. Instead of stepping to a microphone and addressing the audience, people - read more »

Budget plan pounds casinos - 04 February 2003
The lovefest between Gov. James E. McGreevey and Atlantic City casinos is over.On Monday, McGreevey proposed casino taxes that figure to cost the industry at least $135 million this year, which would wipe out its net profit and reduce its cash flow by 11 percent.McGreevey, trying to bridge a $5 billion state budget gap - read more »

Plans for casino protested - 04 February 2003
Seven weeks after Yuba County supervisors approved the casino agreement, sign-carrying protesters showed their displeasure on the courthouse steps Monday.Many of the protesters don't live in Yuba County and aren't old enough to vote."Statistics show most poor people go into casinos and waste all their money, and then t - read more »

Huge rise in gambling losses - 04 February 2003
Punters' gambling losses at pubs and clubs have almost doubled in the past six years, new figures showed.The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) said net takings from pub TAB, Keno, pokies and bingo increased 86 per cent between 1996 and 2002 to a record $5.43 billion last financial year.Proceeds from gambling - excl - read more »

Critics: There's more to slot machines than meets the eye - 03 February 2003
When you change the name, says Pat Fowler, executive director of the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. "They're basically slot machines that are computerized," says Fowler. Critics say video lottery terminals are politically antiseptic versions of traditional slot machines. The primary difference is that video lo - read more »

Stampede to Slots - 02 February 2003
Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. would patch Maryland's budget in two ways: by relying on a new gambling industry and looting the state's already depleted transportation fund. This phony deficit solution is coming under responsible challenge in Annapolis. House Speaker Michael E. Busch, who opposes slot machines, is - read more »

Tribe, County at Odds Over Casino Expansion - 02 February 2003
This is a village of rustic charm set amid the vineyards and pastures of the Santa Ynez Valley. Just a few miles down Highway 246 are the Danish bakeries and windmills of Solvang. Up the road is Lake Cachuma and the forests and mountains that surround it.Then there's Chumash Casino. Once it was just a tiny place, but n - read more »

California Looks to Casinos for Revenue - 02 February 2003
Trying to close a $34 billion budget deficit, Gov. Gray Davis has cast a covetous eye on a gushing revenue stream just beyond his reach: the billions pouring into California's Indian reservations, where slot machines and blackjack have made casino gambling the fastest-growing industry in the state.States cannot tax sov - read more »

Casino dispute settled - 01 February 2003
Industrial action planned at Melbourne's Crown Casino this weekend has been called off after a pay dispute was settled.The casino and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union (LHMWU) have been at loggerheads over a 15 per cent pay claim since late last year.On January 3 about 500 union members went on s - read more »

Gaming could come to Botkins - 01 February 2003
Jim Thompson felt like the “odd man out” Friday night at an informational meeting designed to promote a proposed 10-year, seven-phase, $550 million gaming facility.The former police chief and former village council president and his wife, Virginia, were almost the only flies in the ointment among the several hundred ga - read more »

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