Gaming

Opening weekend crowds find history, Emeril

In this May 13, 2009 photo, slot machines crowd the floor of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, in Bethlehem, Pa. Fourteen years after the blast furnaces went cold, former employees of Bethlehem Steel are returning to their sprawling workplace as employees of Las Vegas Sands Corp., which opened Friday.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Sands Bethlehem casino has a visually stunning interior that conjures images from the rich history of the storied Bethlehem Steel plant site the venue is located on. Overhead, hundreds of bright orange accent lights conjure visions of glowing steel rods and the restaurants and bars have names such as Coil, Molten Lounge and Cobalt. One of the big attractions on opening weekend was Emeril Lagasse.

24 May 2009
By Mark Hansel

Harrah's launches interactive department for WSOP

Harrah’s Entertainment announced today that it has launched a new subsidiary, Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment, to oversee the global and online growth of its World Series of Poker brand.

22 May 2009
By Amanda Finnegan

Las Vegas Sands opens $743 million Pa. casino

Las Vegas Sands opened its newest casino in Bethlehem, Pa., in 2009. The $743 million casino's architecture pays homage to the steel mill.

About 2,500 miles away from its home base, Las Vegas Sands opened its newest casino this morning in Bethlehem, Pa. The $743 million Sands Bethlehem is about an hour from Philadelphia and northern New Jersey suburbs and an hour and half from New York City. The industrial design and architecture of the casino pays homage to the historic Bethlehem Steel Mill site the casino sits on. Sands Bethlehem debuted with 3,000 slots, four restaurants -- including Emeril Lagasse’s first restaurant in the northeast, Emeril’s Chophouse -- and two bars and lounges.

22 May 2009
By Amanda Finnegan

Poker Palace hit with $250,000 fine

A North Las Vegas casino has agreed to pay a $250,000 fine for allowing a group of alleged illegal bookmakers to lay off bets at the property’s race book. Representatives of the Poker Palace on Las Vegas Boulevard North did not dispute the action approved today by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

21 May 2009
By Richard N. Velotta

Las Vegas Sands wants shareholder lawsuits thrown out

Hotel and gaming operator Las Vegas Sands Corp. is trying to have three lawsuits filed by disgruntled shareholders thrown out of court. The company says the three suits should be dismissed because the four shareholders involved failed to make required demands on the board of directors before they sued; and because their allegations are false.

21 May 2009
By Steve Green

Harrah’s CEO sees signs of stability

Gary Loveman, CEO of the world’s largest casino operator, said during a television interview Wednesday that Harrah’s Entertainment is in a more stable place than last fall and earlier this year. "The underlying fundamental health of the industry remains strong," he said.

21 May 2009
By Amanda Finnegan

CityCenter condo prices not bending to market

A sales executive talks about Veer towers during a January 2006 media open house. So far, 432 condo and condo-hotel units have sold at Veer. The average price per unit at Veer, Mandarin Oriental and Vdara towers is $1,250 per square foot, four to six times as much as other luxury units have sold for in Las Vegas recently.

Buyers of CityCenter condos are urging the project’s managing partner, MGM Mirage, to lower prices on the units by 30 percent to 50 percent to better reflect the valley’s sagging condo market. MGM Mirage is balking at the idea — at least for now. Some buyers — many of them signed purchase contracts more than two years ago — are bracing for an uncomfortable confrontation with the company late this year.

21 May 2009
By Liz Benston

Man with $14.7 million in gambling debts pleads not guilty

Terrance K. Watanabe, left, of Omaha, Neb., leaves the Regional Justice Center following his arraignment in Las Vegas on May 20, 2009, accompanied by sister Pam Watanabe-Gerdes.

Nebraska philanthropist Terrance K. Watanabe pleaded not guilty today to felony charges of theft and passing bad checks in connection with $14.7 million in gambling debts. Watanabe, 52, made the plea during an arraignment in justice court. Earlier this week through his Las Vegas attorney, David Chesnoff, Watanabe accused Caesars Palace and the Rio of plying him with alcohol and, at Caesars Palace, prescription painkillers as his losses mounted.

20 May 2009
By Cara McCoy

Black Gaming announces layoffs, business closures

Black Gaming LLC today announced additional layoffs as the economic outlook continues to decline for its Mesquite hotel-casino operations. The Las Vegas-based company said 147 of the company's 1,700-plus employees are affected by additional reductions in services.

20 May 2009
By Steve Green

Six questions for Mark Clayton, Nevada gaming attorney

Six questions for Mark Clayton, Nevada gaming attorney

With a wide-ranging career as a corporate attorney, Nevada gaming regulator and gaming attorney in private practice, Mark Clayton has an industry perspective few can match. Clayton joined Lionel Sawyer & Collins in January after four years as a member of the Gaming Control Board.

20 May 2009
By Liz Benston

Kerkorian buys more MGM stock, but his stake drops

Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian's purchase of 14.3 million newly issued shares in MGM Mirage was not enough to maintain his controlling interest in the casino company.

19 May 2009
Associated Press

MGM Mirage inks deal to manage Dubai resorts

A rendering of a room at Dubai Pearl.

MGM Mirage has signed an agreement with the developers of a $4 billion luxury resort in Dubai to manage MGM Mirage-branded hotels there. In a press release Tuesday, Pearl Dubai FZ said it will own and finance a 250-room Bellagio hotel, 350-room MGM Grand hotel and a 30-suite Skylofts hotel. MGM Mirage would run the hotels. No timetable was given for the hotels or Dubai Pearl.

19 May 2009
By Liz Benston

N.J.: MGM Mirage should 'disengage' from Macau partner

Regulators in Nevada and Mississippi cleared MGM Mirage's partnership with the Ho sisters for their Macau casino -- but New Jersey regulators don't see it that way and are recommending rejection of the deal.

19 May 2009
By Steve Green

Poker players swarm site seeking input on big issues

During his transition to the White House, President Barack Obama asked Americans to send him their policy priorities, the makings of a Citizens Briefing Book for his new administration. Poker players flooded the Web site, suggesting online gambling should be made legal. The timing couldn’t have been better.

19 May 2009
By Lisa Mascaro

Fontainebleau developer lays off 40 employees

The company developing the $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Resort in Las Vegas laid off about 40 people Monday, or about 20 to 25 percent of its staff, a spokesman said.

18 May 2009
By Las Vegas Sun Staff
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