EGamingPulse - Related News

Theft of $5M No Safe Bet for Disgraced Exec

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Broke and with head bowed, Yoshio Yamakis voice quivered as he gave his reply to Magistrate Marilyn Gos question of if he knew why he was in court: I like to plead guilty.

The disgraced former president of Long-Island based Sigma USA, who once made over $200,000 a year, showed up to the Brooklyn Federal Court alone and represented by a court-appointed attorney to answer to charges of stealing over $5 million dollars from company coffers to fuel his out of control gambling habit.

An email to Yoshios brother, Michihiro Yamaki, Chief Executive Officer and founder of the camera equipment manufacturer parent company in Japan, in 2004 began the unraveling of Yoshios career. The anonymous email revealed that he was constantly spotted going to casinos and dropping large amounts of cash, all the while with his mistress at his side.

Best sex of your life Vs. your team winning.

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0700

ESPN runs some great participant surveys, here is some information they have come up with over the last month. Most of it will not shock hard core sports fans, but many of the results surprised this writer.

Percentages of participants who think these sports are fixed:

Pro wrestling 56%
Boxing 28%
Horse Racing 12%
NBA 6%
NFL 5%
Olympics 5%
MLB 5%

Percentage of participants that have gone to a game and

Snuck into a better seat 27%
Missed a day off work or school 20%
Traveled more than 250 miles to get there 19%
Tailgated for 3 or more hours 17%
Scalped a ticket 13%
Verbally abused players from another team 10%
Painted their face 6%
Lied to a boss, parent or significant other to go 4%
Had sex 3%
Snuck in without paying 2%

% of participants whod rather have their favorite team win a championship rather than

Be U.S. president for one day 83%
Get Superhero powers for a day 64%
Have a year added to their life 63%
Have the best sex of their life 62%
Go on a dream vacation 48%
Win $100,000 Cash 17%

59% of fans say that their team was robbed by referees or umpires at some point this past year

63% of fans say that the U.S. has lost its relevance in International Sports.

8% of fantasy (league) players say they pay more attention to their teams than to their spouse.

29% say playing fantasy (leagues) make their lives better.

source ESPN magazine

Only Poker can challenge Paris Hilton in most searched list.

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Sat, 16 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0700

AOL and Lycos recently announced results of top searches carried out by their visitors for 2006.

Just what are America's Internet users looking for? In a word, celebrities.

Paris Hilton ranked as the number 1 search for AOL users. Over at Lycos, the most frequently searched for celeb was Clay Aiken.

However in 2006, for Lycos surfers the top search wasn't a person, but the online gambling phenomenon poker. Lycos commented that "Search activity for poker has been steadily climbing since it made its first appearance on the 2004 year-end list at number 10," Lycos also said that searches for poker had climbed over 425 percent in the last 12 months..

In other search metrics, the top news story for AOL was gas prices. For Lycos it was the Iraq war.

Conspicuous by their absence were computer and high-tech searches. The most popular in that category was iPod for an AOL Search. Over at Lycos the iPod was the fourth most-searched of 2006, ranking behind poker, MySpace, and RuneScape.

Lotto: Ticket sellers 6 times more likely to win

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Lotto players dont like their odds.

Residents dont like their odds when purchasing lottery tickets from B.C. retailers. People selling lottery tickets are six times more likely to win a jackpot than the general public, according to internal B.C. Lottery Corp. documents obtained by the Vancouver Sun.

Abbie Merkley, a receptionist, said she finds the whole lottery thing is a little bit shady. But, she added that retailers winning more often than most wont deter her from buying tickets. BCLC spokesperson Paul Smith said the corporation is considering turning 70 per cent of its retail distribution sites into self-serve ticket machines in 2007. When asked about the alleged discrepancies between lotto retailer wins and the general population, Smith said winners of prizes over $10,000 are carefully screened. BCLC is currently conducting a review of its lottery system. BCLC says self-serve machines currently being considered.

Source: Metro Vancouver

Con man gambled away £2.3m online

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

A financial adviser who conned clients out of £2.3m to feed an online gambling habit has been jailed for nine years.
Philip Smith, 49, formerly of Gaddum Road in Bowdon, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to offences including theft, forgery and money laundering.

The court heard how Smith targeted the elderly and vulnerable, and used people's credit cards for betting.

Judge Peter Lakin, sentencing, said he was a "callous, manipulative and thoroughly dishonest man".

Smith conned at least 50 victims - many of them elderly - and gambled away at least £2m on the internet. One woman in her 80s lost more than £200,000.

Passing sentence at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday, Judge Lakin told Smith his clients had put their trust in him as a financial adviser.

"You breached that trust placed in you in a cold and calculated way," he said.

"You deliberately targeted elderly and vulnerable people. Being the consummate fraudster you are, you drew them into a web of deceit and conned them out of a substantial amount of money.

"This was dishonesty on a truly breathtaking scale."

Smith had admitted 49 counts of theft, five of money laundering, two of false accounting and three forgeries at a hearing in September.

The court heard that he sent the money to offshore bank accounts and lived a lavish lifestyle on the proceeds of his crimes.

Many clients were allowed to stay at Smith's villa in Spain

Some of those he conned had known him for more than 20 years, including his own brother.

Many stayed with him in his holiday homes in North Wales or the Costa del Sol - paid for with the money he stole from them.

Smith's sentencing followed a long and complex investigation by Greater Manchester Police.

The force believes it was one of the biggest cases of theft by an individual it has ever investigated.

Det Con John Ashington, who worked on the investigation for 18 months, said: "Philip Smith was a man driven by greed, selfishness and ultimately desperation.

"He has left not only financial chaos and devastation in his wake, but also dozens of decent and hard-working people feeling shocked, shattered, betrayed and angry.

"I have seen at first hand the misery and distress that Smith has caused and I sincerely hope I do not have to deal with another case like this ever again."

Mr Ashington said he hoped the case would serve to remind people to check the credentials of financial advisors with the Financial Services Authority (FSA).

source : www.bbc.co.uk

Hefty fine for spammer who sent 75m emails

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

A Perth-based company has been fined $5.5 million for sending millions of unsolicited emails, with a judge labelling the spam annoying, costly to combat, and a threat to the internet.

It is the first time an Australian company has been fined under the the federal government's spam laws, introduced in April 2004.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) last year launched the Federal Court action against business seminar advertiser Clarity1 Pty Ltd and director Wayne Robert Mansfield.

It is believed Clarity1 clogged inboxes with as many as 75 million emails between April 2004 and April 2006.

Earlier this year, the court found Clarity1, which also trades as Business Seminars Australia and Maverick Partnership, had contravened the Spam Act 2003.

Federal Court Justice Robert Nicholson on Friday fined Clarity1 $4.5 million and Mr Mansfield $1 million for those contraventions.

Justice Nicholson said it was impossible to calculate the amount of loss or damage caused by the emails.

The spam would have resulted in "real loss or damage to the recipients ... in the form of direct financial costs associated with purchasing blocking and filtering software (and) other financial costs in the form of lost time and productivity ... " he said.

Justice Nicholson said he also accepted the emails had caused recipients "annoyance and frustration".

"Such loss or damage is therefore an aggravating factor to be take into account," he wrote in his reasons for the fine.

He said spam also posed a "threat to functionality of the internet".

The company has also been banned from sending any unsolicited emails.
ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said the judgment provided a strong warning to Australian spammers.

Clarity1 and Mr Mansfield could not be reached for comment.

source : http://www.smh.com.au

SA gamblers lose record amount on pokies

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

South Australian 'No Pokies' MP, Nick Xenophon, has new ammunition in his call for a referendum on whether to ban poker machines.

The latest auditor-general's report shows national turnover on poker machines reached a record $7 billion in the past financial year, that is despite 1,400 of them being taken out of circulation.

South Australian gamblers also lost a record amount of money - a total of $751 million, or nearly $2 million a day.

Mr Xenophon says pokies are destroying hundreds of families and South Australians should be given a chance to have their say.

"If the Government is serious about taking on the damage caused by pokies, about the devastation caused to tens of thousands of people in the state, then it ought to give South Australians a say at the next state election via a referendum as to whether we want pokies in our community at all," he said.

source : www.http://www.abc.net.au

Anti Online Gaming bill would cost sports team plenty

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

A bill introduced at Queen's Park yesterday could cost the CFL and especially the Argos a lot of money.

Proposed by Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips, the Consumer Protection and Service Modification Act includes a clause that would outlaw advertising on Internet gambling sites, and on sites that link to them.

That ban would include the offshore gambling site Bowmans.com, and Partypoker.net, an instructional site with links to a gambling page. The Argos and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have a promotional deal with Bowman's, while Partypoker.net sponsors the CFL.

Argos president Keith Pelley says the provincial government would be better off legislating Internet gaming than outlawing it.

"My feeling is that Internet gambling is no different from playing Pro-Line or playing slots at the racetrack," he said. "If you eliminated Internet gambling sites, a lot of TV and radio stations and sports teams are going to suffer. The Argos would be one of them."

An Argos source said yesterday said Bowmans.com pays about $500,000 a year to advertise with the Argos, about four times the value of the team's deal with Pro-Line, which expired in 2003. Players wear the Bowman's logo on their jerseys, and Bowman's sponsors team functions, like a charity dinner at the Liberty Grand next week.

CFL spokesperson Perry Lefko wouldn't reveal how much the league makes from its deal with Partypoker.net. Last season, Bowman's sponsored the league and four of its teams, including Hamilton and Toronto, for a reported total of $750,000.

In 2004, the CFL connected with Bowman's and became the first pro sports league to broker a sponsorship deal with a gambling website.

But during Grey Cup week last year, the B.C. Lottery Corporation protested that Bowman's which is based on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius was an illegal gaming operation. The corporation persuaded the CFL to ban Bowman's from sponsoring any official Grey Cup events.

This season the league dropped Bowman's in favour of Partypoker.net.

Lefko said the CFL has no plans to alter its deal with Partypoker.net unless the bill becomes a law.

"The CFL is aware of the situation," Lefko said. "If it gets to the point where (Internet gambling advertising) is banned, the league will react accordingly."

The bill still must survive a second reading, a debate and third reading before the provincial legislature can pass it, and that will take at least two months, said ministry spokesperson Paul de Zara.

"We're hoping it passes before Christmas, but we can't presuppose the outcome," he said.

source : http://www.thestar.com

Footbal star flees, accountant badly beaten over debts

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

AN adviser to a football star who ran up £100,000 of gambling debts has been beaten up in a vicious street attack.

Grant Brebner recently left Dundee United for Australia owing a substantial sum.

The former Hibs player's affairs are being handled by a Tayside company. And the man dealing with Brebner's debts was viciously battered at his home.

Gavin McLeish, 32, a director of Dand Carnegie Accounting Solutions, suffered a broken arm, cuts, bruises and severe shock.

During the attack by three men, he was told: "You'd better get Brebner's affairs in order."

He was taken to Ninewells Hospital and operated on. Last night his condition was "stable".

The attack happened around 5.20pm on Monday, close to McLeish's home in the Blackness area of Dundee.

Brebner played for Manchester United and Hibs before Dundee United.

He joined Australian side Melbourne Victory in the summer.

Last night, speaking from his Melbourne hotel, the 29-year-old footballer said he was shocked his name was linked to the attack.

Brebner admitted he still owes money but refused to discuss the actual amounts and insisted: "Anyone I do owe money to I speak to and they are fine. There is no nastiness whatsoever."

The footballer confirmed that McLeish has been appointed to manage his financial affairs but said they had not spoken for around three weeks.

Brebner said: "It's a horrendous situation. I feel for Gavin but for me to be brought into it as well is very concerning."

He added: "What's the logic in attacking this man? What benefit would that do to anybody?"

Brebner has spoken openly in the past of his massive gambling problems.

He has freely admitted that in one spree, he punted more than £100,000 on dogs, horses and football results.

When he was earning £2500 a week, he gambled the lot. On some occasions, he placed single bets of £500 and often lost his enitre weekly pay on betting.

The former Hibs captain even spent a Christmas in a rehabilitation clinic run by Sporting Chance, the charity founded by former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams, a recovering alcoholic.

The clinic deals with alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling and eating disorders.

Brebner has told how gambling gradually took control of his life.

He said: "It was a big part of my life and took a grip of me. With addiction, you gamble until your final penny is gone."

While in rehab, Brebner saw a psychologist twice daily for a month and attended Gamblers Anonymous meetings.

Now he is fighting to kick the habit, but he admitted: "I deal with gambling day to day - and I will until the day I die.

"I do what's needed to stave off the urge to gamble.

"Family and friends support me and I have enough people I can call."

The attack on McLeish has resulted in the finance firm cutting its links with Brebner.

A spokesman for the company,formerly known as DCFS, said: "Mr Brebner is no longer a client here."

Asked when that relationship ended, the spokesman replied tersely:"Recently."

He added: "It is very difficult for us to make any comment. We have been advised to make no comment because it is a police matter.

"We are worried about our employees."

Tayside Police are investigating the brual assault and have issued an appeal for witnesses.

The three attackers were last seen running down Abbotsford Street and west towards Seymour Street.

A small blue car - possibly the getaway vehicle - was then seen to drive off at speed towards Blackness Road.

One of the men was wearing a blue tracksuit, another was wearing a dark coloured tracksuit and baseball cap.

Tayside Police have appealed for information or witnesses.

Speaking about the extent of his gambling addicition in the past, Brebner said: "I did it a lot but every day was different.

"Initially, you do it because there's a buzz attached to gambling. That's first and foremost why you do it."

He added: "It's the adrenalin highs which make you do it but then there's the downside, which affects you when things don't go right.

"And nine times out of 10, they don't."

source : http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk

American gambling giant increases bid for UK casino group

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Casino operator London Clubs International was on the verge of American ownership today after Las Vegas gaming giant Harrahs Entertainment upped its bid.

Harrahs, the biggest casino operator in the world and owner of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, increased its offer from 125p a share to 135p a share to value LCI at £302.2m (451.2m).

Harrahs also secured a 29.6% stake in LCI after it paid Malaysian gambling firm Genting International 135p a share, or £89.6m (133.8m), for its holding.

It had been thought that Genting was preparing its own counter-bid to trump the Harrahs offer but Harrahs now looks certain to have won control.

LCI chairman Michael Beckett said: We are delighted that Harrahs and Genting have agreed terms as it removes the principal uncertainty for other LCI shareholders.

There is a great fit between these two businesses and the logic for this deal is compelling for all LCI shareholders.

Harrahs is itself a takeover target after private equity firms Apollo Management and Texas Pacific Group lodged a $15bn (22.4bn) bid.

source : http://www.breakingnews.ie/2006/10/22/story282013.html

City of Dreams casino has $1.75bn price tag

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

LEIGHTON Holdings has won its biggest Asian development, a $US1.3 billion ($1.75 billion) contract to build the City of Dreams casino and hotel complex in Macau for the James Packer-backed Melco group.

The project in the Las Vegas of Asia will have four deluxe hotel towers, ranging from 4.5-star to luxurious six-star accommodation, serviced apartments; an "underwater-themed" casino with 450 gaming tables and 3000 poker machines; a luxury retail arcade; and a world-class performance hall.
News that Leighton (lei.ASX:Quote,News) would be undertaking the construction would provide a measure of confidence for investors in Mr Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (pbl.ASX:Quote,News) as it would ensure that the major project is completed to Western-style building standards at a time when the company has substantially increased its exposure to the Macau casino business.

Melco said last night that work on the City of Dreams would begin immediately and should be finished in the second half of 2008. Construction work on the massive project would be handled by Leighton Asia and its subsidiary John Holland in conjunction with the company's long-time Asian partner, China State Construction Engineering.

Pre-foundation work on the City of Dreams, aimed at mid-market gamblers mainly from mainland China, has been under way for some months.

But more substantial work on the job has been awaiting the finalisation of its design plans and the construction contract. The managing director of Leighton Asia (Northern), Joe Dujmovic, said last night the City of Dreams would be a "significant landmark" in Macau.

Leighton has completed the first stage of Steve Wynn's Wynn Macau which opened in September -- the first Western-style casino/hotel complex to open in the city since it opened up its casino market to outsiders in 2002.

The City of Dreams site, on Macau's Cotai strip, is next to the site of the massive Venetian casino/hotel/shops complex which will feature Venetian-style canals and is due to open next year. Leighton is now working on the second stage of Wynn Macau.

PBL/Melco's first Macau casino, the upmarket Crown Macau, is due to open in April next year.

source : http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,20593062-14334,00.html

Congress puts a chokehold on virtual casinos for good reason

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

When you talk or write about the need to ban casinos, racinos and other forms of slot machine gambling in Maine, proponents of slots often respond by pointing to the widespread opportunities that exist for online gambling.
These folks are inclined to ask, if slot machines are so damaging, then why do we continue to ignore the numerous Web sites that bring virtual slot machines into every American home with an Internet connection? The answer to this question was recently provided in dramatic fashion by the U.S. Congress.
Most forms of online gambling were banned, under a bill that received final U.S. congressional approval on Sept. 30.
The bill puts enforcement teeth in existing laws against online gambling.
Now that the bill has been signed by President Bush, the party's over for online gambling.
It was a "vote heard 'round the world," according to Dr. Guy C. Clark, chairman of the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion. "You can almost hear the doors slamming on virtual casinos from Antigua to London," Clark said.
The vote was the 11th-hour amendment that will cut the money supply from illegal Internet gambling.
Clark's coalition has worked with members of the House and Senate for more than seven years to get such a bill passed.
The organization has praised U.S. Reps. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, and Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., who have spent years working to enforce a ban on Internet gambling. Now those hopes have been realized in dramatic fashion.
"Bill Frist also deserves credit for getting the bill attached to the port security bill and leading the charge, along with Sen. Kyl, for passage in the Senate," Clark said.
"The bills leading up to this action had overwhelming bipartisan support" Clark said.
He added, "I can't think of better proof that America has had all it intends to endure with the expansion of gambling." There was tremendous pressure arrayed against Congress to kill this bill. All the Internet gambling companies were fighting the legislation and making campaign contributions to influence the vote.
Many of the major gambling giants like Bally, Boyd and MGM were pushing to get access to this lucrative but deadly enterprise.
According to Clark, the Poker Player's Alliance boasted about getting more than 100,000 members to write, phone or e-mail Congress to pressure them into killing the bill.
"But the people spoke louder," Clark said. "People really do understand the dangers of Internet gambling, and they're not about to let this menace loose on every home and office in the country."
As one congressional staff member put it, "Internet gambling is the 'perfect storm' of harm."
It has all the negative aspects combined with an electronic delivery system. Electronic gaming machines have long been called the "crack cocaine" of gambling, Clark noted.
Internet gambling is especially damaging to the local economy. Every cent of every dollar these sites get is entirely lost from the community.
Research has shown Internet gambling to be as addictive as slot machines. It is also the ultimate in "convenience gambling," allowing a person to gamble from the family room or den of their own home.
"Click the mouse and lose your house from your house," Clark said.
"The rate of gambling addiction has always been shown to be higher when gambling is more accessible, and this places a gambling terminal in a person's home or workplace."
Internet gambling has virtually no regulation or protection for the gambler.
he FBI and other law enforcement agencies have testified about the money that criminal elements are able to launder using Internet gambling sites.
"The National Gambling Impact Study of 1997 recommended the banning of all Internet gambling.
"This bill went a long way toward accomplishing that goal. We plan to work with Congress to see future legislation finishing the job," Clark concluded.
Returning to the state scene, the success of the coalition and responsible members of Congress in stopping Internet gambling is a cause for hope.
It should provide fresh impetus to the ongoing effort to eliminate, as well, real-world slot machine gambling in our state.
That form of gambling has been allowed to expand far beyond the parameters under which it was first presented to the people.

About the Author
Douglas Muir (e-mail: douglasmuir@comcast.net) of Kittery is media coordinator for No Slots for ME (www.noslotsforme.org).

source : http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/viewpoints/mvoice/061015casinos.html

Nevada gaming flourishes, but one area struggles

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

While the revenue earned by Strip casinos continues to feed Nevada's record-pacing year, downtown gambling halls are heading in the opposite direction.

The closure of the Lady Luck and renovations at Fremont Street casinos were the primary reasons cited for the more than 14 percent drop in gaming revenue in August, the third straight month that downtown casinos' win declined.

Meanwhile, the statewide gaming win in August raced to its third-highest monthly total this year, numbers released Tuesday by the Gaming Control Board show.

Nevada casinos won more than $1.06 billion from customers during the month, a 7.5 percent increase from August 2005, when the gaming win was $989.1 million. It was the sixth time in 2006 the total gaming win surpassed $1 billion.

The overall gaming win was based on the reporting of 342 casinos in Nevada and fueled by more than $14 billion wagered on slot machines, gaming tables and other gambling offerings.

Strip casinos accounted for $69.6 million of the total statewide increase of $74 million. On the Strip, 40 casinos won $556.3 million in August, a 14.3 percent jump from $486.6 million a year ago.

"Gaming revenues on the Las Vegas Strip continue to be robust, and we believe they are likely pacing ahead of investor expectations, particularly for the higher-end market," Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Bill Lerner said in a note to investors.

Frank Streshley, the Gaming Control Board's senior research analyst, said through the first eight months of 2006, Nevada casinos are ahead of 2005's record year of $11.6 billion in gaming win by more than 9 percent. Strip casinos are 12 percent ahead of 2005's record gaming win total of $6 billion.

"We were told after June that there might be some softening in the numbers, but that really hasn't been the case," Streshley said.

He said baccarat play boomed on the Strip during August, which helped support Nevada's overall gaming win. Baccarat win statewide was $75.7 million in August, up 112.7 percent from $35.6 million in August 2005. The amount wagered on baccarat was up 84 percent to $778 million, compared with $426 million a year ago.

Streshley said only one special event was on the calendar that may have played a part in the baccarat increase, the heavyweight championship fight at the Thomas & Mack in the middle of the month between Hasim Rahman and Oleg Maskaev.

Visitation, he said, was boosted by the men's apparel convention at the end of August, which brought 100,000 people to Las Vegas.

Gaming revenue in Clark County jumped 9.6 percent overall in August, but areas of the county were affected by the newest casinos, Station Casinos' Red Rock Resort in Summerlin and Boyd Gaming Corp.'s South Coast.

Nowhere was more distressed than downtown. Casinos won $45.9 million from gamblers in August, down from $53.5 million a year ago. During the month, downtown slot machines took in $562 million, off 10.5 percent from $628 million a year ago; table game wagering was $81 million, down 7.4 percent from $87 million in August 2005.

While Streshley said February's closing of the Lady Luck has taken some business from the area, he couldn't comment on the individual performances at the other operating casinos.

Analysts pointed toward several factors affecting downtown's performance.

The Golden Nugget, downtown's largest casino, has been undergoing a $100 million renovation since the casino was purchased a year ago by Landry's Restaurants. Property spokeswoman Sylke Finnegan said the construction should be completed by the end of the month or early November.

"It's really a complete renovation of the property and it's been ongoing throughout 2006," Finnegan said. "There's not an area of the property that hasn't been impacted."

Earlier this year, the Navegante Group, a casino management company, took over the operations at four downtown casinos -- the Plaza, Western, Gold Spike and Las Vegas Club -- and has been making improvements to the casinos.

Boyd Gaming Corp., which operates three downtown casinos, recently completed a renovation of all 400 rooms at the Fremont.

"There has been a turnover in management relative to some of the (downtown) properties and until those management teams come in a find their way, we may see a continuation of this trend," said Brian Gordon, a partner in Applied Analysis, a Las Vegas-based financial consulting group.

Casinos in North Las Vegas had their gaming win decrease almost 4 percent; Boulder Strip casinos were off 6 percent from a year ago. Those figures were more than made up for by the area categorized by the control board as the balance of the county, including Red Rock Resort, which opened in April, and South Coast, which opened in December.

Balance of the county casinos reported a gaming win of $116.2 million, a 21 percent increase from $96 million in August 2005.

"The weakness in Boulder Strip and North Las Vegas results is likely a function of short-term cannibalization caused by the new supply added this year," Lerner said.

Bear Stearns gaming analyst Joe Greff said casinos catering to local customers are still exploring methods to keep their regular customers from gravitating to the new resorts.

"We continue to sense the local market is somewhat promotional in certain areas as properties attempt to offset the impact from Red Rock," Greff said.

source : www.lvrj.com

High-rollers spend thousands and tip hundreds

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Perhaps you've noticed them strolling toward the elevator with their butlers while you wait in the check-in line. Maybe you've seen them, from the 25-cent slots, as they stepped into the VIP room with enough chips to buy a Porsche, a house, or both.

Most patrons will never be ushered to ringside seats or have extravagant dinners laid before them in opulent suites. Such luxuries are reserved for high rollers, the gamblers who represent as much as 50 percent of a casino's revenue and are treated accordingly.

But just for tonight, nod knowingly to the security guard and step past the velvet rope. Come along for a night at one of the world's largest casinos as the guest of one of its most important customers.

The limousine is arriving to pick up Nick Varano at Strega, the restaurant he owns in Boston.

First things first, however. Varano peels off a $100 bill and presses it into his busboy's palm. Two boxes of cannoli from the bakery up the street, he instructs, for the Foxwoods butlers who can't get pastry like this in eastern Connecticut.

Just before stepping into the limousine, Varano, 35, takes the boxes and motions for the busboy to keep the $70 or so in change. The driver puts the pastry in the trunk.

Foxwoods sends a limo to Varano's restaurant three, maybe four times a month. Tonight, a Thursday, he's joined by a few friends: Frank DePasquale, 54, a fellow restaurant and nightclub owner, and Ralph Ventola, 38, who runs a fleet of cars for funerals.

There are two types of high rollers: whales and premium players.

The highest of high rollers, whales might bet $5 million per night. While glamorized in movies, whales are increasingly too risky for many casinos who fear huge losses with a few spins of the roulette wheel.

Premium players don't reach whale status and don't get the biggest casino perks -- free Lamborghinis, discounts on gambling losses or shopping money for their wives. But many casinos consider them their most desirable customers.

Varano and his friends are premium players.

"I like to have a minimum of at least $1,000 to $10,000. If I feel that the day's going my way, you know, I don't mind betting $10,000 a hand or more," DePasquale says. "If the day's not going my way, I'll stay as low as $100 a hand. Everything's about rhythm."

Any ultra-rich businessman can drop millions of dollars a few times a year, but DePasquale says the true high roller returns every week, living the high life and playing for high stakes.

Tonight, Varano's plan is to eat like a king, win $25,000 and come back next week.

They're greeted at the casino by Frank Playo, their host. Top players don't call the reservations line. They call their casino host.

Want to see a title fight? Catch a sold-out show? Tee off on a private course? Call the host, whose job is keeping the best customers returning.

Like any good salesman, a host knows his clients' tastes and makes sure they're met without being asked. Casinos spend millions collecting this data and, thanks to corporate consolidation, a regular at the MGM Grand can visit the Bellagio and his favorite champagne will be waiting.

Playo ushers them to the elevator, swipes his card for access to the VIP floors, and shows them to their suite, a palatial flat set in marble. The Red Sox game is on the big screen. The butlers pour the drinks -- the usuals -- from the in-room bar.

A butler is like a personal concierge. He secures tables at the finest restaurants and has the limo waiting downstairs. He's also quick to meet an odd request. One Foxwoods butler arranged the baptism of a player's baby.

Varano and his friends enjoy a selection of imported Italian meats and cheeses, cracked crab, shrimp and -- because the butlers knew DePasquale was coming -- a tray of caviar. Then it's upstairs to the gourmet restaurant where chef Scott Mickelson greets them.

"Some appetizers," Varano says. "What do you suggest?"

"I'll have three of each brought out," Mickelson replies.

Mickelson wears a pager on his shoulder in case of a high-roller emergency. If a seafood lover suddenly announces he's coming, Mickelson can have a wahoo fish head-speared in Hawaii that day and shipped overnight.

The appetizers arrive in stages: oysters and crab on silver tiers, lobster risotto, shrimp, beef and more. It's all complimentary, a small price for their business.

"I can't imagine the way everybody else lives," Varano says.

Ventola is getting antsy. The invite-only casino is calling.

"Frank, wanna come?" Ventola asks eagerly. "Five minutes. Five minutes."

Ventola dreams about gambling. That morning, he blindly bet on soccer just to make the World Cup -- which was underway in Germany that week -- interesting. Now, he's craving blackjack. Five minutes.

"Well, maybe just to check and see if it's the same," DePasquale replies, smiling, "if they changed the colors."

DePasquale can't resist. He'd take an unbeatable night gambling over a night with a beautiful woman anytime. There are plenty of beautiful women.

"There's nothing more exciting than making a score," he says. "It's when you're popping champagne and you're laughing and you're joking and everybody's slapping each other five. And everything seems like the perfect world."

The casino staff greets them by name. Ventola lays $3,000 on the table. As he wins, he rolls the money into the next bet. It's called progressive betting and, if he catches a run of good cards, it's the fastest way to turn huge profits. Within minutes, he's up thousands of dollars, playing $4,000 a hand.

It's gone just as quickly and when Ventola returns to the dinner table -- loaded now with chateaubriand, Kobe beef and Hawaiian tuna -- he has only his original $3,000.

After dinner, Varano smiles and announces: "Now I want to gamble."

No roulette dealer is upstairs so the boss calls to have someone sent up. In the meantime, Varano plays a few hands of blackjack and DePasquale takes $10,000 from his credit line.

Twice in five minutes, Varano loses when the dealer catches a six to make 21. They're terrible losses and are a bad omen for DePasquale, who abruptly slides all his chips to his friend. They'll settle up later but those sixes spooked DePasquale out of betting tonight.

Down a few thousand dollars and sick of blackjack, Varano gets his private roulette table just before midnight. He always plays the same 10 numbers, hoping for a 35-to-1 payoff.

He begins at $500 a spin, betting progressively. Because of the house advantage, he says betting conservatively for hours is a losing venture. With these odds and betting strategy, four or five good spins can get him his $25,000 in minutes.

He coaxes the wheel with sudden outbursts:

"We're movin' on up, just like the Jeffersons."

"C'mon now! C'mon!"

"I've got more comebacks than Judy Garland."

Not tonight. He burns through DePasquale's $10,000 and his own. DePasquale reminds him of the sixes and suggests they return next week.

This is a bad night but it barely registers on the losing story scale. It's not like when they had to mail the limousine driver a tip, or when, in Las Vegas, Varano lost a massive, potentially break-even blackjack hand, hurled his Rolex at a slot machine and tossed his last pocket change off a balcony.

"You always remember the losses more than wins because the losing stories are so much better," he says.

Varano wants to play another $20,000 but DePasquale urges restraint. It starts like this, he says, then it'll take another $80,000 to break even. Varano ponders it.

"I wish I ordered the bread pudding for dessert," he says. He'll play a while longer.

It's no better the second time and by about 2 a.m., Varano is down more than $25,500. He's tired and they retreat to the suite to watch TV, sleep a bit, maybe take another shot around dawn before heading back.

DePasquale has a busy day tomorrow and, as he selects a bottle of wine from the bar, they call him a limousine.

"You wake up in the morning and start going crazy gambling, call me," DePasquale says on his way out. "I'll wire you some money."

DePasquale knows the routine. He'll call.

source : www.ap.org

Australia's PBL to expand online, gaming interests

info@egamingpulse.com (news manager) — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd. (PBL) (PBL.AX: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Monday it is expanding its online and gaming businesses, buying an Australian online car site and agreeing to buy up to 50 percent of a UK casino business.

PBL, controlled by Australia's richest man James Packer, said it offered A$1.21 each for the shares it does not already own in Carsales.com.au, valuing the unlisted online car site at A$270 million (106.5 million pounds).

PBL will also pay A$91.8 million for a 46 percent stake in Aspinall's casino business in the UK.

Gaming helped drive 12 percent growth in annual profit in the last business year at PBL, offsetting a fall in profit at its free-to-air Nine Network television channel.

Apsinall's runs a London casino, a recently opened casino in the northern city Newcastle and a casino being developed in Swansea in Wales. Management is pursuing a number of possibilities to develop casinos in various regional cities in the UK, PBL said.

"Aspinall's is a platform for our expansion into the growing UK gaming market, said PBL Chief Executive and Managing Director John Alexander in a statement. "It is a long established business with a strongly recognised brand."

PBL also said it has acquired a further 2.4 percent stake in SEEK Ltd. (SEK.AX: Quote, Profile, Research), Australia's top online job search site, for A$35.3 million.

Seek said last week it had bought a 25 percent stake in Chinese Internet employment site Zhaopin Ltd.

PBL shares fell 1.4 percent to A$17.88, after it paid out a dividend of 29 cents, and Seek rose 0.8 percent to A$4.86 in a broader market down 0.05 percent

source : www.reuters.co.uk