Gaming

$54.3 million on the line in jackpot dispute

The case of a Swiss man who claims he was wrongly denied a $54.3 million slot machine jackpot points out some key differences in the way disputed jackpots are handled in Nevada and elsewhere.

Colorado man returns $10,000 in gambling winnings found at Vegas airport

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — A Colorado man who found $10,000 before boarding a flight in Las Vegas says he returned the money to the owner because he wanted to show his children it was "the right thing to do."

The surprising group that could move online poker forward

Those witnessing last week’s Nevada Gaming Commission meeting got a sense that they saw history being made when the board unanimously approved the nation’s first regulations for online poker.

Sports books back in action with end of NBA lockout

In this Dec. 12, 2011, photo, Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade, back, LeBron James and Chris Bosh pose for photos during the NBA basketball team's media day in Miami. It's Act Two for the Big Three, and the Heat are bringing back almost the exact same cast for what they hope is another title shot.

Steve Fezzik, a big-time professional sports bettor, is excited about the long-awaited Christmas Day opening of the NBA season following a nearly five-month work stoppage.

DOJ opinion 'important day' in efforts to legalize online gaming

WASHINGTON -- A Department of Justice opinion released today declares that Internet gaming transactions are legal between states where gambling is legal, provided they don’t involve sports betting.

Nevada approves nation's first regulations for Internet poker play

The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the nation’s first regulations for Internet poker play today, opening the door to the licensing of companies to offer online play within the state.

Is Nevada still the national leader in gaming regulation?

Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli, center, talks to Deputy Attorney General Michael Somps, left, and attorney Mark Clayton during a break in a meeting in Carson City.

By the end of this week, Nevada is expected to be the first state in the nation to have regulations in place for Internet poker play. It’s historic. It’s indicative of the state’s leadership role in the gaming industry.

Buffalo Bill's in Primm unveiling renovations on Dec. 24

A view of Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2011.

Primm Valley Casino Resort Buffalo Bill’s announced it will unveil brand new room and casino renovations Christmas Eve.

Caesars' Octavius Tower — with 'small hotel feel' — is set to open

The hallway inside the new Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011.

Las Vegas tourists often come to the city looking for a bargain, especially as the economy continues to falter. Caesars Entertainment is counting on the boutique feel of a new hotel tower to attract customers despite its higher prices. Finishing touches are being put on Octavius Tower, Caesars Palace’s “hotel within a hotel,” in advance of its Jan. 2 opening.

Experts pick casino industry winners and losers of 2011

An exterior view of the newly renovated Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas on Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2011.

The Las Vegas gaming market rebounded this year with a jump in visitor volume nearing the record total of 39.6 million in 2007. Room occupancy rates and gaming revenue are up from the depressed levels of recent years, while visitors have shifted their spending patterns, focusing an ever-larger percentage of their cash on special events and clubs rather than casino floors. So, can you brand Las Vegas a winner in 2011 despite the region’s continued battle with double-digit unemployment, record home foreclosure rates, the ever-present sense of economic uncertainty, and the continued domestic and international expansion of the casino industry?

Fight over Las Vegas Hilton casino operations to continue

A dispute over control of the Las Vegas Hilton’s casino is moving to the Nevada Gaming Commission after a court ruling Wednesday.

Wynn to pitch casino project to town of Foxborough, Mass.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, right, hosts casino mogul Steve Wynn and his wife, Andrea Hissom, on the field at Gillette Stadium prior to the Patriots' NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011.

A divided Foxborough Board of Selectmen has voted to allow Las Vegas gambling mogul Steve Wynn to directly pitch his billion-dollar casino proposal to the town.

Doyle Brunson gets lifetime Epic poker card

Poker professional Doyle Brunson competes during the first day of the World Series of Poker main event at the Rio Thursday, July 7, 2011. Brunson is the first two-time WSOP main event champion to win consecutively - in 1976 and 1977.

LAS VEGAS — A professional poker league that's trying to become the PGA Tour of poker is giving card icon Doyle Brunson its first lifetime player card, making him automatically eligible to play all future tournaments.

Romney $10,000 challenge to Perry would have been 'routine' in Las Vegas sportsbook

Jay Kornegay has witnessed the behavior countless times during his tenure as a Las Vegas gaming executive — one guy calling out another with a sizable financial bluff.

Lessons learned at the finish line of the Rock ’n’ Roll Las Vegas Marathon

Runners head northbound on the Las Vegas Strip during the Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon Sunday, December 4, 2011. The marathon and half-marathon attracted 44,000 official entrants from all 50 states and 54 countries, organizers said.

What a week it was for tourism news: An estimated 44,000 people raced down the iconic Las Vegas Strip, online poker suffered a blow and the National Transportation Safety Board looked at a recent helicopter crash.