Gaming - VEGAS INC

Gamblers from half the country try to bet online in NJ

Joseph Brennen of Ventnor, N.J., logs on to a Harrah's online casino on his laptop from a highway rest area in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, the first day of a test of Internet gambling in New Jersey.

Would-be gamblers from at least 23 states tried to log onto casino gambling websites in the first night of New Jersey's test of online betting. Matt Katz is CEO of CAMS LLC, which provides geolocation technology to the Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza, and age verification technology to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

22 November 2013

By Wayne Parry, Associated Press

Nevada gaming regulators OK Bally's acquisition of Shfl

People try out new Titanic slot machines by Bally Technologies during the G2E convention at the Sands Expo Center Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2013. The slots are themed after the 1997 "Titanic" movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

State gaming regulators quickly approved Bally Technologies’ $1.3 billion buyout of Shfl Entertainment in a pair of special meetings Thursday.

21 November 2013

By Richard N. Velotta

Culinary, Bartenders unions reach agreement with MGM Resorts

Leaders of the Culinary Union and Bartenders Union Local 165 have agreed on terms for a new five-year contract with MGM Resorts International.

19 November 2013

By Ed Komenda

Will the SLS change the game for the north Strip?

A view of renovation work at the SLS Las Vegas resort (formerly the Sahara hotel-casino) Thursday, July 25, 2013.

The $415 million, 1,600-room SLS Las Vegas, budding on the former grounds of the Sahara, has been considered a key factor in the recovery of the Strip’s struggling north end.

19 November 2013

By Ed Komenda

Gaming changes: Number of slot machines on the Strip hits lowest point in more than a decade

Players hope dealer Nikki Chang is good to them in the Hells Belles Party Pit inside of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Thursday, July 21, 2011.

The number of slot machines and poker tables in the valley has steadily declined. Casino floors in Nevada lost about 38,000 slot machines between 2000 and 2012. Why the drop?

14 November 2013

By Ed Komenda

Station Casinos says payroll taxes, Obamacare drag on Las Vegas economy

Las Vegas-based Station Casinos, operator of 15 locals casinos in Southern Nevada, reported its third-quarter earnings today.

12 November 2013

By Richard N. Velotta

Stratosphere parent company reports $9.4 million loss

The Stratosphere is seen Monday, December 21, 2009.

Las Vegas-based American Casino & Entertainment Properties LLC, operators of the Stratosphere and two Arizona Charlies properties in Las Vegas and the Aquarius in Laughlin, reported losing $9.4 million in the third quarter.

12 November 2013

By Richard N. Velotta

Sandoval talks to Delaware governor about online gaming compact

Gov. Brian Sandoval said he has talked with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell about allowing Nevada’s online poker games to operate in that state. He called the conversation “positive,” but nothing is expected to happen soon.

11 November 2013

By Cy Ryan

Company agrees to $20,000 fine over unlicensed slot machines

A Las Vegas company has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine for operating slot machines in a bar that did not have a state license.

7 November 2013

By Cy Ryan

IGT earnings dip 29.5 percent in 4th quarter

Las Vegas-based IGT, the leading manufacturer of slot machines and casino game management systems, reported its fourth-quarter earnings Thursday.

7 November 2013

By Richard N. Velotta

2 Las Vegas taverns seek rebranding as Jackpot Joanie’s

The Nevada Gaming Control Board is recommending approval and licensing for new owners of the iconic John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks.

6 November 2013

By Richard N. Velotta

Pinnacle revenue soars after Ameristar acquisition

Las Vegas-based Pinnacle Entertainment, which owns 14 casinos and two racinos in nine states, including Cactus Pete’s and the Horseshu in Jackpot, reported its third-quarter earnings Wednesday. The company experienced a period of adjustment as it completed a $2.8 billion acquisition of Ameristar Casinos.

6 November 2013

By Richard N. Velotta

The science behind gambling superstitions: It's all about the illusion of control

Casino chips on a poker table during the opening event of the 2007 World Series of Poker at the Rio on Friday, June 1, 2007.

If the average gambler had one wish, odds are he’d want one of two things: an endless supply of cash to gamble or an endless supply of luck to win. Unfortunately, such wishes don’t exist. But many gamblers make do with superstition.

6 November 2013

By Ed Komenda

Where do poker chips go to die? Look in Lake Mead and concrete casino foundations

Michael Spinetti of Spinettis Gaming Supplies holds a chunk of concrete-covered poker chips from the the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall in Laughlin. The concrete was recovered from a building foundation by an unnamed source and now is sold in his shop on Monday, Oct. 28, 2013.

All poker chips expire. But unlike with sour milk in a fridge, casino bosses choose when chips go bad. It can be months, years or decades after they are issued. “It’s a personal choice,” said Mark Lipparelli, a gaming consultant and former chairman of the Gaming Control Board.

5 November 2013

By Ed Komenda

Happy birthday to her: Texas woman leaves Harrah's with a $1 million gift

A Dallas, Texas, woman had a Las Vegas birthday to remember when she hit a $1.036 million jackpot at Harrah's.