Dennis Gomes’ daughter shines spotlight on late father in new book (LVRJ) Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 6, 2013 at 1:40 am ATLANTIC CITY - The late Dennis Gomes had a colorful and Hall of Fame-worthy 40 years in the gaming industry. He operated more than a dozen casinos in Las Vegas and on the Boardwalk from the mid-1980s until his sudden passing at age 68 in February 2012. Many of those endeavors played out vividly in the public arena. Gomes’ daughter Danielle Gomes is now shining the spotlight on her … [Read more...]
Gaming bigwigs occupy top three spots in Sweet 16 rankings of CEO pay (LVRJ) Tim O'Reiley, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 5, 2013 at 5:00 pm The natural order returned last year to the CEO pay ranking for Las Vegas public companies. After a year that saw the head of a pharmaceutical maker incongruously rise to the top of the last, the titans of the Strip dominate the top of the list in 2012. But don’t feel sad for Rajesh Shrotriya of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, a cancer drug maker that quietly shifted is headquarters from Southern … [Read more...]
Compulsive gambling funds off pace of new casinos (AP) Associated Press · May 5, 2013 at 10:54 am HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Tom Leksan lost nearly everything when gambling became an addiction with easy access to casinos. Once an Ohio lawyer, Leksan lost his job and marriage because of gambling, specifically blackjack. He had been gambling for years, he said, but did not become a problem gambler until he became hooked on riverboat casinos in nearby Indiana. "I think the casinos thrive off … [Read more...]
DERBY LIVE: Sloppy track, Revolutionary, bets (AP) Associated Press · May 4, 2013 at 8:00 pm LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The 139th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs had a field of 19 horses, with Orb topping the field in just over two minutes. He's the newest contender for a Triple Crown in thoroughbred racing. The Preakness follows in two weeks and the Belmont Stakes is June 8. The last horse to sweep all three races was Affirmed in 1978. Black Onyx was scratched from … [Read more...]
UNLV to offer gaming innovation course (LVRJ) Chris Sieroty, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 4, 2013 at 9:53 am Mark Yoseloff spent a career designing, developing and manufacturing electronic games. Whether it was handheld football in the early 1980s at Coleco Industries or slot machines at Bally Technologies in the 1990s or SHFL Entertainment Inc. in the early 2000s, Yoseloff has seen technology evolve over the past 30 years. Today, a trustee with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation, … [Read more...]
Reid: Federal Internet Poker Legislation All But Dead (LVRJ) Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 4, 2013 at 9:40 am Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the idea of Congress passing a bill legalizing Internet poker on a federal level is all but dead now that individual states are moving forward on their own online gaming initiatives. The Nevada Democrat, who attempted to sponsor a federal Internet poker legislation in 2010 and last year, said it was doubtful another attempt would surface in Congress. "I … [Read more...]
New Nevada online poker site deals out 100,000th hand (LVRJ) Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 4, 2013 at 9:20 am Ultimate Poker has registered thousands of users from every U.S. state and 20 countries. That’s in just 72 hours. By Thursday evening, the website dealt its 100,000th hand of poker. Around 10 p.m., Ultimate Poker had 50 poker tables with action. “I would say we were the largest poker room in the state at that hour,” Ultimate Gaming CEO Tobin Prior said Friday. Company officials said … [Read more...]
Rocky Gap casino invites gamblers to a preview (AP) Associated Press · May 4, 2013 at 7:15 am CUMBERLAND, Md. (AP) - The Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort is holding an open house where gamblers can sign up for a casino loyalty program. The event Saturday at the resort near Cumberland comes about 2 1/2 weeks before the planned opening of Maryland's fourth casino. Owner Evitts Resort says the Rocky Gap Rewards Club will enable gamblers to earn points toward additional play on slot … [Read more...]
Ohio investigators raid suspected Internet cafe (AP) Associated Press · May 3, 2013 at 7:45 pm ONTARIO, Ohio (AP) - Ohio's attorney general says state investigators searched a Richland County business suspected of operating as an illegal gambling establishment. Attorney General Mike DeWine's office said Friday that agents with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation seized evidence, but made no arrests at the facility in Ontario. The investigation is ongoing. DeWine recently formed an … [Read more...]
Mayor, Ill. lawmakers make case for Chicago casino (AP) Sophia Tareen, Associated Press · May 3, 2013 at 6:07 pm CHICAGO (AP) - Visitors to the nation's third-largest city are usually spotted wandering the Magnificent Mile, snapping pictures of the Willis Tower and sampling Chicago-style deep dish pizza, but if some persistent Illinois lawmakers and Mayor Rahm Emanuel get their way, a glitzy casino would be on their agenda, too. Trying to land a Chicago casino has become an annual sticking point, despite … [Read more...]
Tribe business CEO says it desires Nebraska casino (AP) Associated Press · May 3, 2013 at 1:36 pm SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) - The Winnebago Tribe's business arm intends to develop a casino at a former horse track in Nebraska, where casino gambling is not allowed. Chief executive Lance Morgan of Ho-Chunk Inc. told the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal (http://bit.ly/18z6abT) that the casino would be located at Atokad Downs in South Sioux City, Neb. Ho-Chunk bought the track property last year … [Read more...]
Legendary Tony Bennett back at Caesars Palace (LVRJ) Mike Weatherford, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 3, 2013 at 12:09 pm The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is a mere 10 years old. But Caesars Palace has been there since 1966, and Tony Bennett was the second act to play there. The 86-year-old legend is due back today, which has to be some kind of longevity record for singing on the property. Bennett once had the Las Vegas Hilton rustle up a 100-piece orchestra to back him. But the Colosseum’s pristine acoustics … [Read more...]
PokerStars still wants to buy casino (AP) Wayne Parry, Associated Press · May 3, 2013 at 8:31 am ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The British parent company of the PokerStars website says it still wants to buy an Atlantic City casino, even though a deal to obtain it fell through on Wednesday. The Rational Group said Thursday night it wants to try to save its deal to purchase The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel. The casino said Wednesday the purchase deal was dead, but declined to say why. Eric … [Read more...]
US casinos brace for impact of Internet gambling (AP) Wayne Parry, Associated Press · May 3, 2013 at 6:03 am ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey (AP) - With legal gambling in the United States now moving beyond the casinos and onto the Internet, the industry is bracing for the most far-reaching changes in its history. A Las Vegas firm, Ultimate Gaming, on Tuesday became the first in the U.S. to offer online poker, restricting it, for now, to players in the state of Nevada. New Jersey and Delaware also have … [Read more...]
Vegas, Macau help MGM Resorts beat 1Q expectations (AP) Hannah Dreier, Associated Press · May 2, 2013 at 6:07 pm LAS VEGAS (AP) - MGM Resorts International reported a surprise profit for its first quarter on the strength of room bookings and gambling tables on the Las Vegas Strip and continued profits in Macau. CEO Jim Murren called the results the best first quarter since the beginning of the recession five years ago, and shares rallied in morning trading. "This is the beginning of a new era for MGM," … [Read more...]
Convicted slot cheat gets Black Book nomination (LVRJ) Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 2, 2013 at 5:21 pm A convicted slot machine cheat on Thursday became the first nominee in almost four years to Nevada’s Excluded Person List, commonly referred to as the Black Book. The Gaming Control Board unanimously nominated Roderick William Dee II for inclusion on the list, which makes it a felony for that person to enter a Nevada casino. The list currently has 33 names. Dee, 58, who lives in Las Vegas, … [Read more...]
Judge puts civil case between Wynn, Okada on hold (LVRJ) Tim O'Reiley, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 2, 2013 at 1:50 pm The case over the way Wynn Resorts Ltd. forcibly bought back the entire stake of Kazuo Okada, its former largest shareholder, has been put on hold for six months. Clark County District Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez made the ruling on Thursday morning after federal prosecutors expressed fear that the civil litigation would interfere with their criminal investigation of Okada’s attempts to gain a … [Read more...]
Pa. slots revenue down for 5th straight month (AP) Patrick Walters, Associated Press · May 2, 2013 at 12:54 pm PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Gross revenue from slot machines at the state's 11 casinos declined for the fifth straight month in April, down 4 percent from the same period the year before, state gambling regulators reported Thursday. Casinos brought in $205.2 million in gross revenue from slots last month, or about $9 million less than the previous April, according to figures released by the … [Read more...]
MGM Resorts reports best quarterly report since 2008 (LVRJ) Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 2, 2013 at 10:06 am Strip casino giant MGM Resorts International reversed a first quarter net loss from a year ago to report the company’s best quarterly results in five years. The casino operator, which owns 10 resorts on the Strip including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and half of the CityCenter development, reported net income of $6.5 million, or earnings per share of 1 cent, for the quarter that ended … [Read more...]
Macau gaming revenues increase 13.2 percent in April (LVRJ) Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 2, 2013 at 10:05 am Macau gaming revenues grew 13.2 percent during April for the market’s fourth straight double-digit increase this year. The Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau said Thursday the region’s casinos collected more than $3.5 billion from gamblers in April. Analysts said the figure was impressive because April 2012 produced a nearly 22 percent gaming revenue hike. For the first four … [Read more...]
Cuomo makes case to delay public vote on casinos (AP) Michael Gormley, Associated Press · May 1, 2013 at 9:35 pm ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - As another casino prepares to open near New York's state line, Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a case Wednesday to postpone a referendum on whether to allow major casinos off Indian land to give the politically difficult issue a better chance of passing. A public referendum to change New York's constitution to allow non-Indian casinos has been expected to be on the ballot in … [Read more...]
Macau helps Las Vegas Sands top 1Q expectations (AP) Hannah Dreier, Associated Press · May 1, 2013 at 8:49 pm LAS VEGAS (AP) - Las Vegas Sands Corp. drew a record number of gamblers in Macau in the first quarter and took in more money from its Singapore casinos, helping lift net income by 15 percent to top expectations. The company run by billionaire Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson reported Wednesday that it continues to win big in China, luring 14 million visits to its Macau properties in the first … [Read more...]
Las Vegas taxi strike ends (LVRJ) Tim O'Reiley, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 1, 2013 at 8:40 pm Striking drivers at Yellow Checker Star Transportation, Las Vegas’ second-largest cab company voted Wednesday to return to work after receiving concessions on several key contract provisions. Although the formal contract signing will take place at the company’s offices this morning, drivers were allowed to return to work starting at midnight Wednesday after manning the picket lines for 60 days. … [Read more...]
Wynn tells legislators: Nevada’s gaming industry not healthy (LVRJ) Ed Vogel, Las Vegas Review-Journal · May 1, 2013 at 8:20 pm CARSON CITY — Gaming magnate Steve Wynn met behind closed doors with the governor and legislative leaders Wednesday, proclaiming in a brief interview that the gaming industry is not in a “healthy” condition and future growth will be in places other than Nevada. “Right now the gaming industry has a serious health problem,” said Wynn in a brief hallway interview. When asked whether he favored … [Read more...]
Caesars’ 1Q loss shrinks but still misses estimate (AP) Hannah Dreier, Associated Press · May 1, 2013 at 7:28 pm LAS VEGAS (AP) - Casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp. posted a smaller loss for its first quarter on Wednesday, but results still missed expectations as a drop in visitors dragged down revenue. Caesars owns or manages more than 50 casinos, most of them in the U.S. and Britain. In addition to its Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J., resorts, Caesars operates properties in Indiana, Louisiana … [Read more...]
