Casino Connection Atlantic City

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I’m of two minds

I am thoroughly conflicted about the smoking-in-casinos issue. Like most of those in my generation, I’m a former pack-a-day girl, and on occasion—usually after a snifter of brandy with the Prime Minister—I still have the urge to fire up a Basic Ultra-Light. I seldom do. (Please notice that I did not say I NEVER do.)
A […]

On the Cuff

Las Vegas casinos hand out so many comps and free passes that it’s about time someone return the favor. That’s exactly what Clark County Fire Chief Steve Smith gave Union Erectors and MGM Mirage when he announced there would be no charges in connection with the fire at the Monte Carlo—a free pass.

Smith reasoned that […]

Technology in Practice

I had occasion recently to write about the new WMS Gaming slot machine “The Wizard of Oz.” I wanted to research it properly, which, for us so-called “slot experts,” means playing the game in a live casino setting. So, I went to a casino and searched for the game. What I encountered says a lot […]

Break in the Food Chain

The U.S. ban on playing poker online appears to be working. Working, that is, if the goal is to turn off the stream of players flowing into live poker tournaments staged inside the country’s casinos.
Three established tournaments have seen year-on-year attendance drop at their latest high buy-in events. In Atlantic City, the Borgata’s big show […]

Jack Gallaway

There are many special people in the gaming industry. Some are clearly visionaries, like Steve Wynn or Gary Loveman. Others are people who know how to get things done. Jack Gallaway, who died last week after a long battle with cancer, belonged to that category.
But let’s not diminish Gallaway’s vision. He was president of the […]

Who’s the boss of Bader Field?

When equally inept opponents step into the ring, it’s hard to know who to root for.
I’m talking about the bill that would require Atlantic City to get state approval before it sells Bader Field, the $1 billion, 143-acre former airport that’s had developers salivating since it closed to air traffic in 2006.
Sponsored by Senator and […]

Danger in Nevada

Driving in Southern Nevada can be a crap shoot—I’ve driven multiple times in Chicago and Manhattan during rush hour and didn’t see half the things I see here on a regular basis—but a new study says simply living in the Silver State is a risk.
The study, based on statistics compiled by the FBI, ranks Nevada […]

Feds vs. Tribes

There is a new type of conflict between the U.S. government and Native American tribes. It involves the question of casinos created off a tribe’s reservation. In January, the federal Department of the Interior refused to take land into trust for 11 planned Indian casinos—including some very high-profile projects—because it said they were too far […]

It’s the Economy, Stupid

As the banking system in the U.S. threatens to implode, the Fed keeps lowering interest rates, and gas prices soar, casino executives are keeping a wary eye on the economy.
Two months ago, I wrote in Global Gaming Business that they myth of casinos being recession-proof was over. And not only is it over, but […]

Killer Bees Syndrome

The recent announcement that after 2012 the Australian state of Victoria will ban ATMs from gaming locations was cheered by local anti-gambling advocates. The new Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, is looking for ways to solve the problem of compulsive gambling, and Victoria’s premier, John Brumby, was the first to step up and offer a […]