« Year 2003 Summary

Evangeline Casino Expects to Hurt Indian Rivals - 30 November 2003
Officials at the new Evangeline Downs casino say that they expect the gambling hall to chop sharply into the profits of two Indian reservation casinos."We will be disappointed if we don't whack them by at least 30 percent," Evangeline Downs general manager Bruce Fraser said of Paragon Casino in Marksville and Grand Cas - read more »

Casino beats licensing ban - 30 November 2003
The country's newest casino will open at Sky City on Friday, despite the passage into law last month of the controversial Gambling Bill which prohibits any new casinos being licensed. Sky City Group managing director Evan Davies said planning for the $25 million, 15-table, 223-gaming machine casino at Federal St, Auckl - read more »

Here Come the Casinos - 30 November 2003
Some members of the Maryland legislative committee studying gambling issues were "visibly startled," The Post's Craig Whitlock reported, when the chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority appointed by Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) proposed a big, fat horse racing and gambling emporium for Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Di - read more »

Casino-hotels may not be ready for 2006 Super Bowl - 29 November 2003
The construction of all three permanent casino-hotels in Detroit may not be completed in time for the 2006 Super Bowl. Even if a federal injunction that kept the permanent casinos from being built is lifted quickly, the casinos still need to get approval for zoning changes from the Detroit City Council. Council Preside - read more »

Binion's hit with $5 million IRS lien - 29 November 2003
Binion's Horseshoe is behind on its bills with the Internal Revenue Service and Nevada Power Co. The IRS on Nov. 5 placed a federal tax lien on the downtown Las Vegas hotel-casino, claiming more than $5 million in employees' withheld taxes are past due. The IRS lien -- filed against the property's parent Horseshoe Club - read more »

Gaming firms looking at deal - 29 November 2003
Gambling operators in Las Vegas and around the country are likely considering making offers to buy the U.S. gaming assets of troubled British gaming company Wembley PLC, analysts say. The assets, a big dog track with slot machines in Rhode Island and four tracks in Colorado, may be for sale because of a scandal in Rhod - read more »

Measures could alter Indian gambling - 29 November 2003
Two measures targeting Native-American casinos will head to the ballots next year. Either could alter the future of gambling in Southern California.Hesperia residents likely will vote on a proposed Native- American casino in March; signatures for a referendum were validated this week. It will nullify an agreement signe - read more »

Russian Mafia target online gambling sites - 29 November 2003
According to law enforcement agencies, there are an increasing number of reports of organized criminal gangs carrying out denial-of-service (DDos) attacks. Their motive? To blackmail online gambling and ecommerce websites. A few weeks ago, Online Casino News reported of Dos attacks, which crippled the WorldPay system. - read more »

Keep hands on table in casino selection - 29 November 2003
With all the doubt and hard feelings hovering over recently legalized gambling in Orange County, the community hardly needs a credibility gap in its process of selecting a casino operator.Steps should be taken at the local and state levels to close a loophole that allows advisory members of the French Lick-West Baden S - read more »

Wayne Newton Brings Vegas Show to Legends Casino - 28 November 2003
Far from the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Wayne Newton has spent the past few weeks entertaining U.S. troops in Iraq. But tonight, Newton is back on American soil to perform at the Yakama Nation's Legends Casino in Toppenish. Long known as Mr. Las Vegas, the 61-year-old Newton settled on achieving a musical career a - read more »

California's advance on gambling raises alarms - 28 November 2003
The course California elects to take on expanding gambling to clip the state's budget deficit has industry experts concerned about the possible impact on Nevada. At least one industry expert is warning that political leaders in Nevada need to make the case that the economies of the two states are linked and increased g - read more »

Dice roll on casino proposals - 28 November 2003
Contraversial proposals to turn part of the amusement centre at Aberdeen's Beach Boulevard into a casino are expected to be given the go-ahead by city council planners next week. John Codona Pleasure Fairs is seeking approval for plans to change the use of a substantial part of the company's Miami Beach amusement centr - read more »

Less than 5% of S Africans gamble too much - 28 November 2003
Research conducted by the National Responsible Gambling Programme (NRGP), a public-private partnership of government and the gambling industry, found that just 5% of those with easy access to commercial gambling facilities gambled too much. Speaking at the Cape Town Press Club on Thursday, the executive director of th - read more »

State will focus on Blue Chip Casino - 27 November 2003
The Indiana Gaming Commission will investigate dealings between the Blue Chip Casino and its former owner, who was stripped of a casino license in Illinois.The Illinois Gaming Board moved to strip bankrupt Emerald Casino of its license after it said top Emerald officials, including Kevin Flynn, lied to regulators and t - read more »

Casino withdraws expansion proposal - 27 November 2003
Fearing it was about to be dealt a losing hand by city councillors, the Baccarat Casino refused to gamble on Tuesday. In a sudden change of strategy, the casino's owners withdrew their application to undertake a $30-million expansion project that would have seen the city's largest gaming centre built on the northern ed - read more »

Lawsuit Filed in Casino Garage Collapse - 27 November 2003
Families of two ironworkers killed when the casino garage they were building in Atlantic City, New Jersey, collapsed filed a lawsuit Wednesday. The suit, filed in Philadelphia, alleges the Tropicana Casino and Resort and two contractors were responsible for the October accident. Lawyer Robert Mongeluzzi says investigat - read more »

Thailand to hold gambling referendum - 27 November 2003
Thailand is to hold a referendum early next year on the legalisation of casino gambling.The prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, says if the referendum gives the go ahead, the government will allow private companies to run the businesses, copying the model successfully adopted in Australia and the United States. A recen - read more »

Chinese Officials Seize Gambling CDs - 26 November 2003
Ahead of the holiday season, customs officials here seized 3,544 CDs used for international online gambling in three cases this month. The CDs contain eight kinds of games and the users could join in the online gambling simply by entering the website and downloading the process. Sources said the smugglers wanted to cas - read more »

4 commissioners favor lifting Iowa’s casino moratorium - 26 November 2003
Thursday was a good day for Worth County at the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting in spite of the IRGC's decision to not lift the riverboat gaming moratorium. Commissioners Kate Cutler of Honey Creek, Gerald Bair of Ankeny, Joyce Jarding of Farly and vice-chairwoman Diane Hamilton of Storm Lake said they would - read more »

Tribe settles lawsuit with 2 Detroit casinos - 26 November 2003
The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has agreed to settle a lawsuit against two Detroit casinos, paving the way for the construction of permanent casino-hotels in the city in time for the 2006 Super Bowl. The tribe, which has 430 members and a casino in Watersmeet in the Upper Peninsula, filed su - read more »

Casino is step closer in county - 26 November 2003
The Ho-Chunk Nation is one step closer to bringing casino gambling to the state capital after the Dane County Board overwhelmingly approved putting a referendum before area voters Feb. 17. After hours of bickering about the wording of the referendum question, the board finally settled on language that wasn't as neutral - read more »

Making Your Money Last At Casinos - 26 November 2003
If you like to gamble, then you already know the house always has the edge. But KCRA 3 found there are games you can play and things you can do in a casino to make your money last longer and give yourself a better chance to beat the house odds. Jean Scott is a professional gambler and author of "More Frugal Gambling." - read more »

Gaming Corp prepared to pay out on new acquisition - 26 November 2003
Gaming Corp raised £520,000 through a share placement today and plans to use the money together with funds raised earlier in the year to make an acquisition."When the right acquisition comes along we'll buy it and it will more than likely be in the area of online casinos" a spokesperson for the company said.Gaming Corp - read more »

Sportsline.com sells another gambling info business - 25 November 2003
SportsLine.com Inc. (SPLN.O: Quote, Profile, Research) , an online provider of sports information, on Monday said it sold a gambling analysis and consulting business to a group of Las Vegas investors for an undisclosed sum. SportsLine, which runs cbs.sportsline.com, sold its Las Vegas Sports Consultants unit in part to - read more »

Warning on online casinos - 25 November 2003
The Department of Internal Affairs is warning that people who buy or operate internet gambling franchises being sold by an overseas company, are likely to be breaking the law.The department is investigating promotions by the Malta-based Casino Slot Club, of $25,000 franchises for online casinos.Organising, promoting, m - read more »

Proposed casino deal could benefit New Jersey tracks - 24 November 2003
New Jersey legislators and executives with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority met on Friday to discuss a potential deal that could divert up to $100-million in Atlantic City casino revenue to horse racing purses over the next three years.The proposed arrangement would allow the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park - read more »

Stanley bets on gambling by numbers - 24 November 2003
Britain's biggest casino group, Stanley Leisure, said yesterday it was recovering from a series of heavy losses to high-rolling gamblers at Crockfords, its club in Mayfair, London. The group is projecting a "satisfactory" performance this time, though that will not be enough to allow it to match last year's first-half - read more »

Nevada Initiated Probe into Japan Loan Shark's Activity at Las Vegas Casinos - 24 November 2003
The Nevada Gaming Control Board, not the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, originally uncovered suspected money laundering activities taking place at local casinos by Tokyo loan shark Susumu Kajiyama and tipped off law enforcement agencies in the United States and Japan.Gaming sources close to the investigation who - read more »

Racing and Gaming passes gambling issue to Legislature - 23 November 2003
Competing pro-gambling groups in Black Hawk County plan to mount a full-court press with local lawmakers to encourage the Iowa Legislature to break a regulatory logjam on the issuance of new state gaming licenses."We're disappointed, but we're not discouraged," Don Hoth, co-organizer of the Black Hawk County Gaming Ass - read more »

Plan would expand gambling - 23 November 2003
The state's cardrooms and racetracks are preparing an initiative that could expand slot machines beyond Indian reservations and take them into downtown Los Angeles and San Francisco.The measure, expected to be filed as early as Monday, could touch off a political firefight with flush gambling tribes if the cardrooms an - read more »

Ehrlich seems to convince GOP on slots - 23 November 2003
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. appears to have won the solid backing of Republican lawmakers - once a reliable bloc opposed to gambling expansion - for efforts to legalize slot machines.About three-quarters of Republican legislators who responded to a survey by The Sun say they are prepared to vote to legalize slots to rai - read more »

Tunica RiverPark opens - 22 November 2003
A $26 million museum and ecological park has opened on the banks of the Mississippi River, the latest in a line of entertainment developments largely paid for with casino tax money that Tunica County officials hope will lure a wider range of visitors.The Tunica RiverPark opened its doors Wednesday. The park features a - read more »

Trump to manage Caribbean casino - 22 November 2003
Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts signed a deal to manage a small casino on Canouan Island, a 3-square-mile sanctuary in the Caribbean nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the company said Friday.The "club-style" casino in the Villa Monte Carlo will be part of a sprawling resort development that includes estate and go - read more »

Schwarzenegger doesn't favor challenge of Indians' monopoly on Calif. casinos - 22 November 2003
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't support a proposed ballot initiative that could allow operators of horse tracks and card rooms to add Las Vegas-style gambling if tribal casinos don't pay more of their winnings to the state, the governor's spokesman said.The proposal, which sponsors hope to bring to a statewide vote - read more »

Ballot Measure in Works to Spread Slots Beyond Casinos - 21 November 2003
In a move that could break Indian tribes' monopoly on Nevada-style gambling in California, corporations that own major horse-racing tracks and card rooms are preparing an initiative aimed at next November's ballot to allow them to operate slot machines.Some backers of the initiative have connections to Gov. Arnold Schw - read more »

Citizens seek delay in Casino plans - 21 November 2003
They're not all sure what they want, they just know they don't want it right now. Need for a community gathering space, desire for a far-reaching overview of island character and distrust that their voices will be heard all fought for attention Wednesday at the first public hearing about design plans for construction o - read more »

Stanley Leisure sees Positive Future - 21 November 2003
Stanley Leisure, which in September warned that a string of major payouts could dent first half earnings, said trading has improved since then.The UK's biggest casino operator issued an update ahead of its interims due on January 22, saying losses suffered at Crockfords earlier this year narrowed as the win margin impr - read more »

William Hill revises online gambler profiling - 21 November 2003
Gambling giant William Hill is creating new customer profiles through its online portal to better understand its audience and drive loyalty. The company is investigating different ways to track consumers after losing faith in 'tagging' systems such as cookies and Internet protocol (IP). RedEye, the e-CRM agency, has be - read more »

Hubbard group gets Hobbs track and casino license - 21 November 2003
The New Mexico Racing Commission awarded a horse racing and slot-machine license on Wednesday to a group headed by R.D. Hubbard, former chairman of Hollywood Park.The group plans to build a $43 million racetrack and casino in Hobbs, N.M., in the southeastern corner of the state. To be called Zia Park, the casino is sch - read more »

Accor Casinos - Don't be fooled by the name - 21 November 2003
Amidst the noise surrounding gambling deregulation in the UK, one name has been missing from the discussion; that of Accor. Perhaps surprising, considering that the company's portfolio consists of 76 hotels in the UK, alongside 20 casinos in Europe. Accor is the leading hotel group in Europe and one of the largest trav - read more »

Gambling bill to return to Palau congress - 21 November 2003
Palau's president Tommy Remengesau has called a special session of Congress to give it the opportunity to override the veto he made on a gambling bill.Palau's National Congress earlier this week passed the bill allowing a casino to be built on sparsely populated Angaur Island, 50 kilometres from the capital, Koror.Howe - read more »

State pushes floating casinos to pay tax per passenger - 21 November 2003
Like a groom at a shotgun wedding, Florida's unregulated and largely untaxed floating-casino industry is being pushed to the tax altar. "We could craft a bill to make it illegal for you guys to operate," Sen. Skip Campbell, D-Tamarac, repeatedly warned day-cruise operators at a Thursday legislative committee meeting. E - read more »

Newcastle announce MGM Mirage casino plans - 20 November 2003
Newcastle United have announced a joint casino venture with American company MGM Mirage.The partnership will see a new casino and hotel built in Newcastle, though plans are subject to a number of conditions - including the deregulation of current gaming laws in this country.Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd said: "Thi - read more »

Gambling shake-up delayed for a year - 20 November 2003
Government proposals published yesterday to create a new generation of "warehouse casinos" have failed to win a place in the new legislative programme which starts next week.The draft gambling bill will be mentioned in the Queen's Speech, but will have to wait a further year before the first overhaul of the £40bn indus - read more »

Canadian traffickers laundering money through casinos: U.S. - 20 November 2003
Canadian drug traffickers are laundering illicit cash through casinos and clandestinely shipping shady money to the Caribbean and South America, says a U.S. intelligence report. Drug proceeds are also being moved quietly into Canada and deposited in banks, adds the stark assessment by the Drug Enforcement Administratio - read more »

Gaming shake-up could bring £3bn boost - 20 November 2003
The Government yesterday announced a radical shake-up of the gambling industry, setting the stage for the arrival of a myriad of Las Vegas-style casinos into the UK, as it published its long-awaited draft gambling Bill.The move could also prove a winner for Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, since liberalis - read more »

Bidding war breaks out over Wembley - 20 November 2003
The US casinos group Penn National is in talks to buy the casino and dogs track operator Wembley PLC. News of the talks, which Wembley will announce to the Stock Exchange today, is expected to flush out rival bids from other gaming companies and private equity firms and send shares in Wembley soaring. Penn National, wh - read more »

From Online Casinos to Cannabis - 19 November 2003
Warren Eugene, considered one of the pioneers of Internet gambling and electronic cash from 1995 to 2003 (www.casino.org) and prominently featured in Playboy, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), USA Today, CNN, CBS, CBC and Wired magazines is now back in action betting on a plant.Eugen's company Medical Canna - read more »

Palau Congress Passes Casino Bill - 19 November 2003
The Palau National Congress has passed a bill that would legalize casino gambling on a sparsely populated main island here, although it appears legislators will need a veto override to make it law. The push for a casino on Angaur, population 150 at its summer peak, follows similar efforts in other Pacific nations and t - read more »

Louisiana Casino Winnings Up Slightly - 19 November 2003
Gamblers lost $163.3 million at Louisiana's state-licensed casinos in October, up about 6 percent from a year ago, state police reported Tuesday. The state's 14 riverboat casinos took in $124.1 million, up from $122.6 million in October 2002. Harrah's New Orleans Casino won $24.3 million, compared with $23.4 million a - read more »

Las Vegas Developer Impressed with Gaming Potential in Asia - 19 November 2003
It's full steam ahead for Wynn Macau, Strip developer Steve Wynn said Monday.Just back from a two-week trip to China, Hong Kong and Macau, Wynn and his company's board of directors witnessed firsthand the power of the Macau gambling market and the booming South China economy.Wynn said the company remains committed to b - read more »

Gaming deregulation Bill set to transform UK's resorts - 19 November 2003
A fast-track process to reform Britain's arcane gaming laws by the end of next year will be announced today by the Government, paving the way for an explosion in casinos around the country.Tessa Jowell, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, will announce the long-awaited draft Bill for gaming deregulatio - read more »

COURTS AND CASINOS - 19 November 2003
Good news on state-sponsored gambling front: The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to get involved in a key New York case involving the St. Regis Mohawks' upstate casino. The decision upholds a ruling by the state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, invalidating a special compact negotiated a decade ago by the Indian t - read more »

Casinos could hold cards in talks - 18 November 2003
Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger hopes to get at least $1 billion from California Indian casino tribes to help bridge the gaping state budget deficit.What he gets might amount to a little less than chump change, thanks in part to a computerized bingo game that looks and plays a lot like a slot machine.Unlike traditiona - read more »

PartyPoker.com Million III -- World's Largest No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament - 18 November 2003
Not since pirates floated on the Spanish Main has so much money been up for grabs on the high seas. Capitalizing on America's newfound passion for poker, PartyPoker.com will set sail March 13 for a weeklong cruise on Holland America's luxurious MS Ryndam, culminating in the March 14-18 PartyPoker.com Million III, the w - read more »

Player Won Jackpot of $599,494.50 at Casino On Net - 18 November 2003
Casino-on-Net is delighted to announce that VIP Member Sandra C. from California won an incredible jackpot of $599,494.50, while playing one of our slot machines. We would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Sandra, who has been a valued member of Casino-on-Net since 2001.Millions of players have downloaded Ca - read more »

UKbetting launches broadband service - 18 November 2003
UKbetting, the Internet gambling and sports content company, today launched a broadband Internet service aimed at football, rugby and racing punters.The price of the monthly service is £27.99, £2 cheaper than BT's premium broadband service. UKbetting claims to have more sports content than anyone except for the BBC. Su - read more »

Mississippi Gaming Group Works with Black Caucus to Increase Minority Vendors - 17 November 2003
The Mississippi Gaming Association and the Legislative Black Caucus are working together to get more minority- and female-owned businesses as casino vendors, tapping into a $1 billion annual market.The effort has been under way since January, when state Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, and Rep. George Flaggs Jr., D-Vicksbur - read more »

Schwarzenegger plans tax on casinos - 17 November 2003
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will take the oath as California's 38th Governor on Monday, is planning to bring in a tax on casinos in a bid to beat the state's budget crisis. Analysts say the state's budget deficit is likely to top $10 billion next year, despite an improving economy. California and other states across the - read more »

Casino firm may be named by early May - 17 November 2003
The Indiana Gaming Commission plans to move as quickly as possible to name the company to operate an Orange County casino voters approved this month, the panel's director said.A decision on proposals by five groups to operate the casino could be made by early May, according to a tentative timeline announced at Friday's - read more »

Will Lady Luck favour Leeson? - 17 November 2003
If the Barings banking dynasty wants to get some of its money back, now's its chance. Nick Leeson, the trader who in 1995 precipitated the collapse of Barings Bank by running up £800m ($1.2bn) in hidden losses, is helping to launch Celebpoker.com - a new gambling website. But he's not just cutting the virtual ribbon - - read more »

State goes after Web sites taking N.J. bets - 17 November 2003
If Mike Barbee feels like playing poker, he doesn't have to go to Atlantic City. He doesn't have to organize a group of buddies on a Friday night, either.All Barbee, 43, of Voorhees, has to do is turn on his computer. He goes to his favorite poker Web site and he's playing for money in a matter of minutes."Just to be a - read more »

Australian Casino Gave Cricketers Free Gambling Chips - 17 November 2003
The Australian cricket side was given free gambling chips by Melbourne's Crown Casino to repay them for patronising the venue, it was revealed yesterday. A former Test cricketer, whose identity cannot be revealed, has confirmed Crown gave players free 'play money' when they visited during Boxing Day Tests. Former Austr - read more »

Indiana Casino Workers Stole $62,000 in October, Police Reports Show - 17 November 2003
Employees at Indiana's casinos must be fingerprinted and pass background checks. They work under the constant scrutiny of security cameras. Many must wear uniforms without pockets and carry their belongings in clear plastic purses, all in an effort to prevent theft.But the aggressive security didn't stop casino employe - read more »

IGT Prepares to Enter U.K. Gambling Market - 17 November 2003
While some of the world's largest casino companies make headlines seeking potential sites to build gambling halls and resorts in Britain, the world's largest slot maker isn't far behind. With the potential deregulation of gambling laws in the United Kingdom more than two years away, International Game Technology is gea - read more »

Appeals court sides with tribe in casino challenge - 16 November 2003
A federal appeals court rejected the attempt of two Sacramento suburbs to block a tribal casino that is considered the biggest Northern California threat to gambling interests in the Reno area of Nevada.The three-judge appeals court unanimously rejected the challenge by neighboring Roseville and Rocklin as "nonsensical - read more »

Akaka bill could revive question of gambling in Hawai'i - 16 November 2003
In California recently, I was struck by the political role played by Indian-sponsored gambling casinos and how the issue could relate to Hawai'i. I was there during the campaign to recall Democratic Gov. Gray Davis. Indian gambling money was in the news because most of it was going to Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who soug - read more »

Contracts with casinos - 16 November 2003
The Mississippi Gaming Association and the Legislative Black Caucus are working together to get more minority- and female-owned businesses as casino vendors, tapping into a $1 billion annual market.The effort has been under way since January, when state Sen. John Horhn, D-Jackson, and Rep. George Flaggs Jr., D-Vicksbur - read more »

Once casino mess is resolved, Illinois should add licenses - 16 November 2003
With the Illinois state government squeezing every last penny till it squeaks, the legal logjam over the 10th casino license, frozen up by the Emerald imbroglio, is particularly maddening, considering the hundred million dollars or so it is costing the state in unearned revenues. At this point, any resolution would be - read more »

Governor drops rule on Indian casinos - 15 November 2003
In a stunning move hailed by tribal attorneys, Gov. Gray Davis yesterday waived a mandate to shore up weak environmental protections in the state's Indian gambling agreements. The last-minute decision by the outgoing governor means the state has voluntarily given up a major piece of leverage in a broader effort to rene - read more »

Lotteries push to lift credit card ban - 15 November 2003
NSW Lotteries is pushing for a change in the law to allow punters to use credit cards to buy lottery products.The move is aimed at boosting sales of Lotto, Powerball, scratchies and 6 from 38 Pools tickets which topped $1 billion last year.Under the 1996 Public Lotteries Act, customers cannot use their credit cards to - read more »

Casinos in Macao pay record high tax - 14 November 2003
The gaming industry in Macao, which is dominated by casinos, has contributed over 9 billion patacas (1.125 billion US dollars) to the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government's tax coffer in the first 10 months of the year, the Macao Radio reported Friday. The Macao Gaming Holding Company (SJM) earned 22.4 - read more »

UK Gambling Industry - De-Regulation on the Cards - 14 November 2003
When the notion of industry deregulation was first floated, the prospect of a mini-casino on every High Street loomed large. However, the prospect of this was nipped in the bud on 7 August 2003, when the Government issued a statement saying that that the new gambling bill would only recognise two particular categories - read more »

Biloxi, Miss., Casino Spends $1.7 Million to Add Nightclub - 14 November 2003
Palace Casino is spending $1.7 million to renovate its theater and add a nightclub that will compete with Beau Rivage's popular Coast Brewing Company.Z the Club, set to open in late January or early February, will be "youthful, fun, sexy and tempting," said Keith Crosby, Palace general manager."The market is demanding - read more »

House GOP pushes for gambling - 14 November 2003
Republican leaders of the state House are pushing ahead on video poker and a state lottery and are pointing to a new poll as evidence that Alaskans are interested in more gambling."This latest poll shows that Alaskans have basically changed their attitude," said House Speaker Pete Kott, a Republican from Eagle River. B - read more »

Aztar reopens remainder of Atlantic City casino - 13 November 2003
Phoenix-based Aztar Corp. Wednesday announced the reopening of the 950-space parking garage and pedestrian bridge at the company's flagship Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The garage and bridge had been closed since a fatal construction accident Oct. 30 on an adjacent site. Four workers were killed w - read more »

Unique Insight into Punter's Major Win - 13 November 2003
A Harrods Casino (www.harrods-casino.com)customer won £40,000 (about $68,000) in less than two hours last Thursday. The detailed play-by-play records (fully appended below and released today) give a fascinating insight into a fabulously successful betting session.In less than two hours, from 10.13am to just before noon - read more »

Trident Entertainment Group sweeps GOM Awards - 13 November 2003
Trident Entertainment Group, operators of the popular King Neptune's, Trident Lounge and Vegas USA online casinos, has swept the Gambling Online Magazine awards with multiple wins including the Winners Choice Award for Top Casino Group. Trident Lounge was awarded the gold for Best New Site and an honorable mention for - read more »

Shark leaving casino for new home in New Jersey - 13 November 2003
A casino shark, of the fish not the loan variety, is leaving the Mohegan Sun Casino for New Jersey. The casino had been looking for a new home for the aggressive sand tiger shark that had been swimming in the 25,000-gallon aquarium at the casino's aquatic-theme gift shop, the Odysea Store. The 6-foot-long shark has eat - read more »

Extortion racket cripples gambling sites - 13 November 2003
Criminals have used distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to bring down six online businesses, demanding £50,000 from each to stop targeting their websites. Police are investigating the incidents and the companies, predominantly gambling sites, are currently upgrading their IT defences. Gambling websites are tar - read more »

Citizens group to hold anti-casino forum - 13 November 2003
What seems like a moot point to some is still a pressing problem to First Selectman Rudy Marconi and the Ridgefield Citizens Against Casino Expansion. Marconi and the citizens group will hold an anti-casino forum Thursday at 7 p.m. at East Ridge Middle School. Speakers will be state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, - read more »

Vegas, gambling images go mainstream in ads - 13 November 2003
Decades after Elvis Presley warbled "Viva Las Vegas," marketers, agencies and media companies are lustily joining the chorus, flooding the commercial culture with images of gambling and Las Vegas to woo consumers.The allure of slots, showgirls, roulette and raffish Rat Packers is being invoked by blue-chip companies li - read more »

South African Gambling Regulations Approved - 13 November 2003
Legislation aimed at revamping the way gambling is regulated in South Africa was approved in the national assembly on Tuesday. Although the National Gambling Bill is intended to replace the National Gambling Act of 1996, it re-enacts many of its provisions in a new form, while adding several new ones. The bill addresse - read more »

Racetrack Casino Conference Underway in Chester - 12 November 2003
This was the message Tuesday at Mountaineer Racetrack and Gaming Resort where some 300 leaders of the so-called racino industry are gathered for a two-day conference.Jim Rafferty is vice president of marketing at Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center, a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies. Rafferty says Delawa - read more »

Counseling Available For Problem Gamblers - 12 November 2003
Individual and family counseling for problem gamblers is now available at 2 Center Road West. The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services opened the new office as the result of a significant rise in the number of people seeking help for gambling problems. The department has been working with problem ga - read more »

Rockaway Beach to vote in February on having casino - 12 November 2003
Rockaway Beach residents will be able to decide in February whether to bring a casino to their struggling town.The Board of Aldermen on Monday unanimously approved an ordinance setting an election for Feb. 3. Voters will be asked to allow the city to provide a business license to a casino if it is approved under state - read more »

Gambling Commission has no business expanding gaming - 12 November 2003
When it spelled out the duties of the state Gambling Commission, the Legislature included no mandate to look out for the profits of the gambling industry. The commission should keep that in mind Thursday when it considers a proposal to double, from $100 to $200, the betting limits in commercial casinos. The commission' - read more »

Gaming tribes ready to deal with gov.-elect - 12 November 2003
Despite spending millions of dollars to defeat Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger's recall candidacy, some of California's wealthiest Indian tribes are actively pursuing him and his plan to renegotiate their gaming compacts.American Indians were defiant during the campaign when Schwarzenegger promised to make them "pay t - read more »

A.C. casinos set sights on video signage - 11 November 2003
The brightest expansion idea in casinos these days is not in table games, hotel rooms or nongaming attractions - it's in video signage.High-tech signs are sprouting up everywhere in casinos, notably 42-inch and 60-inch flat plasma screens that can display advertising, up-to-the-minute property information, live video f - read more »

Vicksburg casino robbed - 11 November 2003
Vicksburg police searched Monday for a man who robbed the Horizon Casino and fled with an undisclosed amount of money after telling employees he was leaving a bomb behind.The casino was evacuated following the Sunday robbery but "it was later determined the device did not have any explosive properties," said DaVon Grey - read more »

Gambling backers suggest voters decide - 11 November 2003
Casino boosters may look to the ballot box in a bid to bring Las Vegas-style gambling to the Bay State. Gambling-friendly lawmakers are eyeing plans to have Massachusetts vote next November on the hot-button issue. The move comes after the House sent a series of gambling bills to lopsided defeats, and the collapse last - read more »

9.2% revenue jump not win for all casinos Borgata is tops in table games, but only three halls report gains - 11 November 2003
A little luck and a lotta Borgata helped casinos to a 9.2 percent jump in gambling revenue last month.The 12 houses won $380.7 million from gamblers in October, or $32 million more than they did a year earlier, according to figures released Monday by the Casino Control Commission.The new Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa main - read more »

Despite casino setbacks, Indian clout rises - 10 November 2003
In Maine, the most expensive campaign in state history leads to defeat for a mammoth $650 million Indian-run casino. In California, the early front-runner in the gubernatorial recall - Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante - nosedives in the polls with revelations of $8 million in contributions from state tribes. Eventual winner Ar - read more »

Priceless art collection comes to Las Vegas hotel-casino - 10 November 2003
The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum has opened its most ambitious exhibition to date at The Venetian hotel-casino, still determined to bring priceless art to the Las Vegas Strip and tap a lucrative market. The show contains 37 works from the Guggenheim's permanent collection of late 19th and 20th masterworks. Paul Cezanne, - read more »

Red Lake Band, International Falls considering casino - 09 November 2003
A casino that economic development officials say would help boost tourism and jobs along Minnesota's northern border is being considered in International Falls.The Red Lake Band of Chippewa would own and operate a casino complex that would include 400 slot machines, eight to 10 blackjack tables, conference rooms and a - read more »

Video slot parlors in Volusia, St. John's raided, shut down - 09 November 2003
Hundreds of video slot machines were seized after authorities raided seven adult arcades in Volusia County and one in St. Johns County for alleged illegal gambling operations. The arcades busted Friday feature slot machines that pay off in tickets redeemable for gift cards, restaurant coupons and other low-stakes prize - read more »

Federal request could delay final Harrah's-Horseshoe deal - 09 November 2003
A federal regulatory agency's request for additional information could delay Harrah's Entertainment's pending $1.45 billion purchase of Horseshoe Gaming, a Harrah's spokesman said.It was unknown exactly what might concern the Federal Trade Commission, or which gambling markets it wants additional information about. Bot - read more »

Rake in more from Iowa gambling - 09 November 2003
You hear the question all the time: Why does Iowa have budget problems when the state gets all that money from gambling? The answer is that gambling revenue isn't that much.But it helps, and it ought to be more. State revenue from gaming last fiscal year was $182.6 million - from racetracks with slot machines and river - read more »

New York publisher launches gaming lifestyle mag - 08 November 2003
A new player has emerged on the lifestyle and gaming media scene. in fact, Avery Cardoza's Player, bills itself as the "Total Gambling Lifestyle Magazine." The glossy monthly magazine, which combines elements of Maxim and CasinoPlayer, launched last week.It features a very heavy dose of Las Vegas news repackaged with s - read more »

Thai opposition says 'no' to legalised betting - 08 November 2003
Thailand's opposition has slammed the government over its plans to legalise football gambling, saying the move would compound the country's social problems.In a report yesterday in the English-language Bangkok Post, opposition leader Banyat Bantadtan said the legalisation of gambling would increase crime and public deb - read more »

Maine Vote Bodes Well for Connecticut's Two Casinos - 08 November 2003
Connecticut's monopoly on casino gaming in New England remains intact following Tuesday's referendum in Maine and appears safe for the foreseeable future, analysts and tribal leaders said Wednesday."Everything seems to be on a holding process at this point," said Mark F. Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribe.Maine voter - read more »

New rooms at the station and IGT keeps index afloat - 08 November 2003
As if buying $63 million dollar's worth of machines weren't expensive enough, Station Casinos will spend $110 million with partners Greenspun Corporation to expand facilities at their jointly-owned Green Valley Ranch Station. Planned to start at the end of the year, the project will add 296 rooms and 25,500 square feet - read more »

Illinois Casino Boat Captain Fired - 08 November 2003
The captain of the Alton Belle Casino disclosed Thursday that he had been fired in the wake of his involvement in the Sept. 28 rescue of boaters who had crashed into the Melvin Price Dam. Capt. John Mosele, 52, of Godfrey, said the casino's owners, Argosy Gaming Co., fired him Oct. 31 because of the rescue. He said he - read more »

MGM Mirage Gets Approval for Interest in British Casino Firm - 08 November 2003
MGM Mirage says today that it has regulatory approval to acquire a minority interest in a British casino company that plans to open a casino in England next year. The Las Vegas-based gambling giant says the Gaming Board for Great Britain approved its acquisition of a 25 percent interest in R-J Bown Holdings Limited's M - read more »

No casinos or slot machines for Massachusetts this year - 07 November 2003
Expanded gambling will not be among the economic incentives the Legislature approves this year. A Senate amendment that would have allowed for the opening of two casinos and thousands of slot machines at race tracks was withdrawn during Senate debate on a $150 million economic incentive package, effectively killing the - read more »

Senecas to unveil site of casino in city of Salamanca - 06 November 2003
The Seneca Nation of Indians has chosen the site of its casino in Salamanca, with a ground-breaking slated for this afternoon.The casino will be in a 125,000-square-foot building on the south side of Interstate 86 opposite of the city of Salamanca and could open by April 1.Seneca Nation officials planned to break groun - read more »

Tribes go to Beacon Hill to plead case for casinos - 06 November 2003
The Mashpee Wampanoag and Nipmuc tribes last week extolled the benefits of Indian casinos to a group of state lawmakers, but they will have to overcome skeptics on Beacon Hill.State Rep. Daniel Bosley, the co-chair of the legislative committee that would consider a gaming bill, said he remains opposed to casinos and sl - read more »

Voters in Indiana county OK casino plan - 06 November 2003
Proponents of a casino for economically depressed Orange County won a swift victory Tuesday, passing a referendum after a decade-long campaign to win gambling rights.Casino supporters voted nearly 2-to-1 in favor of the referendum.Passage of the referendum clears the way for a casino to be built between two historic ho - read more »

Calif. town opposes proposed casino - 06 November 2003
The Petaluma City Council has voted to oppose an Indian casino proposed for Rohnert Park, joining a number of Sonoma County communities who don't want the gambling palace built.Monday night's unanimous vote came after council members warned of problems with traffic, crime and lost sales tax."The traffic impacts are ver - read more »

Detroit casinos sued by problem gamblers - 06 November 2003
Two problem gamblers have filed a lawsuit claiming that Detroit's casinos failed to enforce a state program designed to keep gambling addicts out of their casinos.The lawsuit comes as the state's "disassociated persons" list has grown from 56 gamblers in 2001 to 508, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, whic - read more »

‘Racino’ proposal scores,this time - 06 November 2003
Maine voters who overwhelmingly rejected a proposed $650 million casino referendum Tuesday decided to allow hundreds of slot machines at existing harness racing tracks in Bangor and Scarborough.Three years after a similar question was rejected by a 2-to-1 margin, voters on Tuesday favored the expansion of gambling at r - read more »

New York Officials May Consider VLT Gambling at OTB Sites - 05 November 2003
New York budget officials are reviewing a proposal that would allow off-track betting parlors to operate video lottery terminals throughout the state. Governor George Pataki proposed VLTs at OTBs during private conversations last year, but lawmakers rejected the idea. With an estimated $14-billion deficit projected ove - read more »

Senecas to break ground for casino in Salamanca - 05 November 2003
The Seneca Indian Nation planned to break ground Tuesday afternoon on a temporary casino expected to open in March in western New York. The 125,000-square-foot casino, on reservation land about 50 miles south of Buffalo, is one of three allowed under a 2002 agreement between New York state and the tribe. The Senecas op - read more »

Yuba County, Calif., Casino Foes Fighting Back - 05 November 2003
A Yuba County group that opposes the Enterprise Rancheria casino wants to hire a Washington, D.C., lawyer.The group, Citizens for a Better Way, will hold a fund-raiser Sunday, hoping to come up with $5,000 to pay for a retainer.The Butte County tribe is seeking federal approval to place 40 acres in trust on Forty Mile - read more »

City park one possible riverfront casino site - 05 November 2003
A downtown riverboat may not necessarily be an "all or nothing" proposition, but all the investment in downtown Waterloo will be for nothing if the boat goes somewhere else.That's the opinion of the Cedar Valley Improvement Association, a newly formed organization advocating a gambling boat be located downtown, instead - read more »

Northern Marianas voters again reject a casino for Rota - 05 November 2003
The people of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas are split over the benefits or disadvantages of the gambling industry.Voters on one island have rejected a casino, but another island has voted to strengthen its gaming sector. Our reporter, Gemma Casas, says debate has been going on for years in Rota about the ca - read more »

Deal on slots taking shape - 05 November 2003
As lawmakers head for Western Maryland today on the last leg of a statewide tour to study slot machine gambling, they are finding that crafting details of a plan to legalize slots is far from an easy task. The refrain from Del. Sheila E. Hixson, chairwoman of the House Ways and Means Committee that will hold the hearin - read more »

Anti-casino activists bow out of contentious Bangor rally - 04 November 2003
A planned rally in opposition to a proposed Indian-backed $650 million resort casino in Maine was silenced by the shouts and protests of casino supporters Saturday in front of City Hall.What was supposed to be a public rally on the steps of City Hall featuring Maine Gov. John Baldacci turned into a small press confer - read more »

Some worry tribes may expand mini-mart casinos - 04 November 2003
Expanded gambling contracts between American Indian tribes and the state allow for the expansion of mini-mart casinos, although observers differ on the potential impact.The Ho-Chunk Nation plans to enlarge its truck stop stores in Tomah and Wittenberg to make room for new gambling operations by spring, tribal attorney - read more »

Casino Proposal Splinters a State Used to Consensus - 03 November 2003
Bonnie Bea's Cafe and Gifts is a quiet little shop that sells buttery desserts and ceramic knickknacks, but these days it resounds with impassioned talk about one of the most divisive political battles to hit Maine in years.At issue is whether the state should allow a casino to be built in Sanford, a down-on-its-luck f - read more »

Vegas va-voom Sin City returns to its traditional values -- decadence - 03 November 2003
"Children do not belong in casinos." So proclaimed Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn in the heyday of America's all-night city. 'There is nothing worse than having a kid go through a casino bouncing a ball." But in the mid-'90s, Sin City somehow turned into Family Town. Because gaming is now legal in 36 states, Vegas needed t - read more »

Funding for research into problem gambling in Australia - 03 November 2003
Australia's state, territory and federal governments have agreed to fund a national gambling research program targetting problem gamblers.It's planned the five-year, five-million dollar program will better define problem gambling and examine the effectiveness of existing harm minimisation strategies.The research deal h - read more »

La. casino expectations unfulfilled after decade - 03 November 2003
When Louisiana's first casino opened 10 years ago, the state hoped it would be the beginning of a long-needed fix for chronic employment and economic development problems. After all, the argument went, gambling and the state's bawdy image were a perfect fit.Now, with 17 state-licensed casinos in full operation and thre - read more »

Waging War on Casinos - 03 November 2003
She never saw it coming, Cheryl Schmit says; never figured life would take this turn. Schmit happily defined herself as a wife and mother, shuttling her sons to soccer practice and school, watching over the family's pastoral two acres in this foothill hamlet up the interstate from Sacramento.But one day in 1996 an Indi - read more »

Gaming ship heads to St. Petersburg - 03 November 2003
The gambling ship that a fledgling cruise line plans to operate at the Port of St. Petersburg has a draft of about 18 feet, which is the maximum Tampa Bay harbor pilots allow for ships they guide in the Pinellas Point Channel.Shallow channel depths and sharp turns have long been issues because they limit the size of sh - read more »

Ten years later, casino expectations unfulfilled - 02 November 2003
When Louisiana's first casino opened 10 years ago, the state hoped it would be the beginning of a long-needed fix for chronic employment and economic development problems. After all, the argument went, gambling and the state's bawdy image were a perfect fit. Now, with 17 state-licensed casinos in full operation and thr - read more »

Isle style going to British Isles - 02 November 2003
British gamblers may soon be saying, "The Americans are coming! The Americans are coming!" now that U.S. casino firms are starting to invade the UK market.MGM Mirage, the parent company of Beau Rivage, announced plans last week to invest $254 million to build a casino in central London. A week before, Biloxi-based Isle - read more »

Vegas casino employs celebrity look-alikes as dealers - 02 November 2003
When the clock strikes 6 at the Imperial Palace, some familiar faces parade through the casino. OK, you may need to squint a little to ascertain exactly who's who, but somehow when Elvis, Barbra, Elton and other celebrity impersonator dealers arrive to take their places behind blackjack tables, the crowd gets excited.O - read more »

Orange County neighbors divided over gambling - 02 November 2003
For years, residents clad in orange T-shirts drove by the busloads through the winding hills of Southern Indiana to the Statehouse to lobby lawmakers for a casino. They finally won the legislative battle. Now, back on their home turf in Orange County, a Tuesday referendum on whether to proceed with a gambling boat is d - read more »

Are you addicted to gambling? - 02 November 2003
A few lucky wins at the casino can turn a casual gambler into a casino regular. But at what point does a love of gambling become a full-fledged addiction? According to the American Psychiatric Association, people have a gambling disorder and should seek help if they experience five or more of the following symptoms:ul> - read more »

'Vegas Live' set to debut on Las Vegas ONE - 01 November 2003
For Clint Holmes, hosting a new television show is like stepping into a pair of comfortable shoes.In 1991, the entertainer hosted "New York at Night," a talk show that aired on WWOR in New York City for a year and won a local Emmy.Holmes (who titled the musical autobiograpy of his life, "Comfortable Shoes") was a corre - read more »

Park Place To Sell Reno Hilton - 01 November 2003
The Reno Hilton, northern Nevada's largest hotel-casino, is up for sale. A real estate broker for Park Place Entertainment Corp., the Hilton's parent company, confirmed the property is on the market, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Thursday. The hotel-casino near Reno-Tahoe International Airport has 2,003 rooms, nine - read more »

World Poker Tour Fuels Growth of Tournament Poker - 01 November 2003
The phenomenal success of the WORLD POKER TOUR, airing Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the Travel Channel, has been a boon for casinos and poker parlors across the nation, but among the biggest winners are those organizations hosting tournaments on the WPT and the players on the Tour.With a huge influx of new playe - read more »

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