BJ21.com Newsletter
November 20, 2008 081120
Presented as a public service
by BJ21.com, the leading source of accurate
information about casino games and conditions. Our free
weekly newsletter archive contains
back issues of our weekly newsletters.
Compiled by Al
Rogers
Al@bj21.com
Fahrenkopf
says online gambling tops industry concerns
The legalization of Internet gambling will be the hottest federal issue
facing Nevada's gaming industry in the next few years, the president of
the American Gaming Association said.
State
gaming commission approves suitability of Dubai World to invest in MGM
Mirage
The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the suitability of Dubai World to
invest in MGM Mirage.
Adelson
backs business plan with talk, cash -- In tough times, he dips into his
own deep pockets
LAS VEGAS - Adelson, Forbes’ third-richest American in 2007, was a
symbol of fortune during the tourism boom. He’s now generating national
headlines, with words including “biggest loser,” reserved for hard-luck
gamblers.
Macau’s hot streak shows signs of cooling
MACAU - The baccarat tables at the Venetian’s Red Dragon section still
teem each night with hundreds of the Chinese players who have fuelled
Macau’s breathtaking shot to the top of the gambling world. But
as gamblers place bets of 500 patacas ($65) and more in Las Vegas
Sands’ popular casino, cheering and bellowing with each flip of a hand,
construction cranes stand idle atop hulking steel shells of three
half-finished hotel towers across the street.
Harrah's
Bondholders Get as Low as 40 Cents in Swap
Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is offering to exchange its bonds at a rate
of as little as 40 cents on the dollar for new debt as the casino
company tries to push back maturities and avoid default.
Harrah's
closing Memphis office in downsizing move
MEMPHIS — Harrah's Entertainment Inc. is closing its Memphis office and
data center, leaving 250 employees without jobs.
Insiders
see doubts over diploma as career drag -- Investigation of
claim on resume may mar Lanni’s reputation
LAS VEGAS - State gaming regulators are investigating the academic
credentials of
MGM Mirage Chief Executive Terry Lanni, who may have embellished his
resume with a nonexistent MBA.
New CEO says he’s ready to lead MGM Mirage
LAS VEGAS - MGM Mirage's new chairman and chief executive says he
learned how to be a leader from a master with whom he has conferred
nearly every day for the past decade.
Appeals
court upholds tribal immunity -- Victim of drunk casino worker is
denied in bid to sue Fort Mojave for damages
The immunity Indian tribes have against being sued in federal court
also extends to their profit-making businesses, the 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals has ruled.
Link
to the 9th Circuit's opinion: Appeal
from the United States District Court for the District of Arizona
Thanks to Green Chip member Cal_Heel
for posting the above link.
Navajos open
their first casino
GALLUP, N.M. — The Navajo Indian Tribe opened its first casino
Wednesday just east of Gallup, hoping that slot machines, poker and
bingo will inject new income into the reservation.
Thanks to Green Chip member Flatpick
for submitting the above link.
At
Global Gaming Expo, industry's outlook is downbeat
LAS VEGAS - The casino industry's outlook is downbeat at this year's
Global Gaming Expo trade show here, but there is a possible bright spot
for Kansas -- Penn National Gaming may again seek to build and operate
a state-owned casino south of Wichita.
Casino 'arms race'
declared over -- Harrah's boss says fiscal crunch forcing companies to
rethink, refocus
Harrah's Entertainment Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary
Loveman told people attending the convention's "State of the Industry"
roundtable that the financial crunch has put an end to the days when
casino companies could land unsecured funding for projects at low rates
-- at least for as long as the head of the world's largest gaming
company expects to be in the business.
Casino
industry focuses on future -- G2E looks at what Obama may change
The economy is creating as much of a buzz as the newest technology at
the annual G2E conference in Las Vegas this week.
Street: Casinos
bad gamble -- Analysts at expo say financing cost ignored
Sneaker-clad tourists aren't the only ones to stop making tracks to Las
Vegas casinos. Wall Street-types in wingtips have also tired of losing
money on the Strip. That leaves gambling operators to fend for
themselves and turns talk of the next gleaming tower into chatter about
who may be the first to turn off the lights.
Smoking bans sap
casinos' revenue -- Colorado, Illinois see significant dips
Gaming's had it tough in Las Vegas lately. The state collected 14.5
percent less money in gaming taxes in September than it hauled in a
year earlier.
Tough
times getting even tougher in Sin City -- Recession tightens grip on
Las Vegas as visitation, spending fall off a cliff
The airport cab stand said it all. Set up to get thousands of visitors
an hour into taxis, there were none of the usual massive lines on a
recent weekend afternoon. In fact, there was no queue at all.
Blown
call costs gamblers
LAS VEGAS – The Pittsburgh Steelers walked off the field Sunday just
happy they had won. A lot of bettors in this gambling city were more
concerned by how many points they ended up winning by.
Poker
site relaunch brings winnings
U.K. - Online gaming firm PartyGaming said the relaunch of its Party
Poker site was stemming a decline in its poker customers.
'Casino-ology'
a must read for enlightened management
Bill Zender is a dedicated jack-of-all-trades. He's a former casino
manager, and was a gaming enforcement agent. He's also an expert on
casino surveillance who has written a book that anyone worth his salt
should read. Order Casino-ology by Bill Zender.
The Taxman
Cometh
How many of you have won money at a casino and not bothered to declare
it as income? Maybe you hit a slot machine for $900, moved to another
one, then came back and hit for another $600. Okay, so maybe I'm
fantasizing, but you get the picture.
President Casino to cut hours of operation, considers moving
ST. LOUIS - President Casino, Pinnacle Entertainment Inc.’s
riverboat gaming property in downtown St. Louis, is cutting back its
hours of operation to compensate for the continuing financial losses at
the property.
IGT
shares hit new 52-week low
RENO - Shares of International Game Technology hit a new 52-week low
Wednesday, the same day the company said job cuts will cost up to $21
million in one-time charges during the first quarter of the fiscal year.
Tropicana
says it got bad deal with no renewal
TRENTON, NJ - In an appeal before New Jersey's highest court, the
former owner of Tropicana Casino and Resort contended Monday it was
unfairly denied a new license because of political meddling and
overzealous state gaming regulators.
Black Gaming Authorized To Close One Casino
MESQUITE, NV - With the gaming industry continuing its downward spiral
in an increasingly difficult economy, Black Gaming has reported that it
has received permission from its creditors to close one of the
company’s three casinos.
Penthouse May Bring Nude Dealers To Las Vegas Casino
Penthouse, the adult magazine may soon become Penthouse, the casino.
Chief Executive Officer Marc Bell has indicated that he is interested
in buying real estate and bringing a Penthouse themed casino to the Las
Vegas Strip.
The Bear Growls
Long-time Las Vegas-based advantage player, casino critic, and frequent
BJ21.com
contributor LVBear offers his opinions on things that sometimes go
wrong in the world of casinos.
Current and past growls can be read and comments posted at LVBear's
website, TheBearGrowls.com
NEW
BOOK: Casino-ology
by Bill Zender
Casino-ology
provides contrarian solutions to common gaming management issues.
It is must reading for
patrons and casino employees.
THE BOOK IS IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE
SHIPMENT.
Bill Zender knows the art of casino management. In addition to having
worked in, managed, and owned casinos for decades, Zender has also been
an enforcement agent for the Nevada Gaming Control Board, as well as
spent time as an advantage player, exploiting the vulnerabilities of
casinos from the civilian side of the tables. Today, he travels the
globe consulting for the international casino industry.
In Casino-ology, Zender argues against excessive card-counter and
shuffle-tracker countermeasures in favor of hand production to increase
profits, and concludes that rhythmic dice rollers aren.t the threat
they.re made out to be. He details the dangers of customer-service
breaches; ill-conceived non-negotiable-chip programs; and past-posting,
marked-card, and false-shuffle scams. He addresses player tracking
systems, 6-5 payouts for blackjacks, the subtleties of marketing to
Asian customers, nuances of the derivative pit games, even the science
of turning around a distressed casino.
By challenging long-cherished conventions, Casino-ology provides
contrarian and radical, but proven, solutions to common gaming issues,
all in the service of refining the art of casino management.
The price is $39.95 plus shipping (plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada
address). Order Casino-ology by Bill Zender.
BJ21.com
Blackjack, Poker, Craps, other casino-related free
message board and Green
Chip
membership
If you are serious about beating casinos, you like to talk about it
once in a while. You like to discuss strategy, and you like to discuss
what is going on in casinos you plan to visit. If you are like most
of the gamblers of the world, your family and neighbors and coworkers
prefer to talk about things other than casino games. If
you want to broaden your circle of friends to include more people
willing to discuss real casino winning principles, Green Chip is for
you.
Request a copy
of our free catalog of products and services.
Green
Chip members receive complimentary three-month memberships
to Blackjack Insider, a
blackjack newsletter published monthly by e-mail since 2001, and to The Dice Institute's Members Only
Forum and Message Board.
Current Blackjack News
On the 1st and 2nd of every month, a couple dozen Pi Yee Press
reporters visit casinos around the United States to check on the
blackjack rules and playing conditions. Five of those reporters split
up Las Vegas and visit every casino in town. Any changes in rules and
playing conditions that they find, they email to the CBJN editor, who
compiles them into a newsletter that is published late in the afternoon
on the 3rd. That report is available as a single issue, your choice of
e-mail or regular mail. The price of a single issue is $13 for
electronic or $16 for regular mail. Sample issue of Current Blackjack News.
You can subscribe to download CBJN from the BJ21 web site. The price is
$27 per quarter (three issues) or $89 per year (twelve issues) by
Visa/MC/AmEx with automatic renewal. Minimum subscription is one
quarter. Order Current Blackjack News.
Beat the Players - Casinos, Cops and the
Game Inside the Game, by Bob Nersesian
This
book should be read by everyone who sets foot in a casino: average
casino patrons, skilled players, casino employees, and anyone else. It
should be required reading for police officers, regulators, other
public officials, and attorneys who may represent any of the
aforementioned. Beat the Players
was the subject of a
feature in USA Today.
Bob
Nersesian is an attorney who represents victims of casino wrongdoing
against patrons. In an enjoyable writing style, he takes a look at the
often too-cozy relationship between casinos, police, and regulators. He
discusses specific cases and dispenses sound, practical advice that
patrons, casinos and public officials would be wise to heed. Cases
discussed are from Nevada and other jurisdictions.
Chapters
include: Your Money or Your Liberty; Scary Cop Statements; They'll Take
Your Liberty Anyway; Gaming Agents Speak; The Take of the State; Rules
for Casino Patrons; Gambling at the Legal Limits; Cops Hate Card
Counters; Griffin Investigations; Casinos Cheat With Impunity; A
Judicial and Government Overlay; Finding a Nickel Brings Trouble; Names
and Aliases; The Security Office and Surveillance Functions, and
Casinos and Cops.
Appendices
include Nevada Cheating and Detention Laws with Commentary; Other
Nevada Gaming Laws of Interest; Gaming Cases of Interest, and Nevada
Gaming Regulations with Commentary.
The
320-page book includes a bibliography and an index.
The
price is $19.95 plus shipping (plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada
address). Green Chip
members get their normal 10% discount .Order Beat
the Players.
This free newsletter has been sent to you by:
Pi Yee Press, 4855 West
Nevso Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89103, phone 702-579-7711.
Don't want to
receive our newsletter? Unsubscribe.
Please send an email to
webmaster@bj21.com if you have
removed
your email address, and are still receiving this newsletter. We
do not want you to receive our newsletter if you do not wish
to receive it.