Casino forum archive

Great Griffin online slot game was released at Microgaming online casinos earlier this month. It has been wagered on extensively, not only because of its novelty but also because of the excellent gaming features offered. Therefore it has also started appearing on the winners list. One player from Roxy Palace online casino won €24,531 wagering on this game on February 13. Other players at Roxy Palace have recorded smaller wins on this slot game.

Great Griffin is a fantasy genre slot game. There is plenty of magic on the reels with a sorceress, potions and herbs. Above all is the great griffin, mythical bird that is a cross between an eagle and a lion. The griffin is the wild symbol and doubles payouts. There is a symbol of a griffin holding an egg in its talons and one of a baby griffin hatching out. In the Griffin Wild bonus the majestic bird flies across the reels turning some other symbols into wild ones. This happens so frequently that payouts just pile up. The Great Griffin logo symbol offers scatter payouts and triggers the free spins feature. There are three options the players can choose from. More free spins or a larger multiplier is the choice they have to make. Finally there is a Pick Me bonus game that offers up to 150 times the total bet. Great Griffin has 50 paylines and four rows of symbols across the reels.

Roxy Palace online casino players have also registered wins on other fantasy themed online slot games. These include Immortal Romance and Goblins Gold. Immortal Romance is a slot game that every Roxy Palace online casino player must have wagered on by now. Goblins Gold is not that frequently played game. One reason for this is Goblins Gold is a three reel slot game. These do not usually have bonus features and are therefore less popular. In this game the goblin is the wild symbol and offers the jackpot payout of 3,000 coins. The bag of gold and the lantern are other thematic symbols. Then there are the usual single, double and triple bars.

Another relatively unknown three reel slot that was on the winners list of Roxy Palace online casino was Lucky Charmer. Dispel the thoughts of an attractive female. The charmer is a snake charmer from India. The symbols on the reels include cobras, king cobra and red hot chilies. Lucky Charmer offers a bonus game on the second screen in which players have to select a flute for the snake charmer. He then plays the flute and one of the snake baskets opens to reveal bonus credits.

Roxy Palace online casino is powered by software from Microgaming and is licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta.

A scottish punter's sleep was broken up in the middle of the night by a barking dog, and the man went on to play online gambling to win a record-breaking £5.1million , Daily Mail reported.

The winner - who has decided to remain anonymous - staked just one pound on a slot machine game.

After a few wins in a row on the game, which is like a computer version of a one-armed bandit, he was up £250.

He then moved on to a Betfred game called Beach Life, which has a massive jackpot. After six spins he’d hit the top prize - £5.1million. He had won the UK's biggest online slot jackpot of all time - and the third largest ever in the world.

The winner is in his 20s and lives in a modest flat in Ayrshire, according to the Daily Record.

His friend told the paper: ‘He obviously found it pretty difficult getting back to sleep after that. It’s just unbelievable.

‘He owes it all to that dog – he’d like to meet it and shake its paw.

‘He is over the moon and just trying to take it all in.’ He added that the winner has gone to stay with a relative while he gets his head round his win and decides whether to keep his story a secret.

Shortly after hitting the jackpot, the newly-made multimillionaire was flown by private jet to meet Betfred.com founder Fred Done, where he was presented with the massive cheque.

Betfred.com was unable to give any details of the winner as he had requested anonymity, but confirmed: ‘One lucky customer has become the biggest online progressive jackpot winner in UK history after scooping the ¬mind-blowing £5.1million jackpot on the Beach Life slot game.’

Done added: ‘As a bookmaker, I get a thrill out of turning someone into a multi-millionaire at the click of a mouse.’

The rise of two sparkling casinos from the swamp and ledge of southeastern Connecticut is a remarkable tale of circumstance and opportunity.

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, a regional gambling monopoly operated by sovereign Native American tribes, have raked in boatloads of cash, only a small fraction of which is being paid in lieu of taxes.

Both have busted out beyond their original footprints, continually expanding their Connecticut facilities to offer not just more gaming but to become the entertainment, recreation, shopping, lodging and dining giants of the area. And both jumped headfirst into the Pennsylvania gaming market, where Mohegan currently is operating but Foxwoods ultimately lost its license.

The tribes have lofty goals for the future, but the circumstances are changing and the opportunity may go elsewhere.

The boom times have been followed by a mini-bust, with a downtrodden economy cutting dramatically into earnings at the highly leveraged Connecticut casinos. Mohegan recently announced that it had refinanced its $1.1 billion debt and Foxwoods, which continues to try to rework the terms of the $2 billion it owes creditors, defaulted on loans in 2009.

And the road ahead looks bumpier still. Even if the economy recovers and gamblers once again are flush with disposable income, the Connecticut casinos no longer will be the only kids on the block.

Three new resort casinos will be sprouting in Massachusetts, although gaming commissioner Stephen Crosby expects it might take five years. Rhode Island is likely to add table games at its two slot parlors. New Hampshire is considering legislation to establish four casinos. New York's governor has talked of building the nation's largest convention center and casino in Queens. And who knows what breakthroughs could occur in online gaming?

So what are "The Wonder of It All" and "You Could Use Some Sun" to do?

Industry watchers say it will have to be big, brash and bold.

"They have a first-mover advantage but it certainly did not help Atlantic City," where business buckled by 15 percent when casinos opened in nearby Pennsylvania, said Richard McGowan, a Boston College economist who studies gaming. "So unless they can do something radical to hold on to customers they face a very bleak future."

Staying competitive

David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said: "There are two ways they can stay competitive in an expanded market, both of which are expensive."

"One, they can give players more back, more comps." Even so, "Player loyalty only goes so far. I don't think even the most sentimental gamblers are going to continue to go there is there's a closer alternative."

Steve Norton, a retired gaming executive who formerly worked for Argosy and Las Vegas Sands, said the Indian casinos are in a good position to reward loyal customers. "Because Connecticut has zero tax on table games, they can do a lot more for the table player."

Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods pay the state of Connecticut 25 percent of their take from slot machines, but nothing on any other earnings. In contrast, Massachusetts casinos will pay 25 percent on all gaming revenue.

Schwartz's second suggestion is that the Indian casinos "can give (visitors) something they can't get at other locations, which traditionally has been entertainment."

But it goes far beyond entertainment.

"Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are now following the model established by Las Vegas in the 1990s and 2000s, which is to expand non-gambling offerings such as concerts, sporting events, comedy clubs, cabarets, dance clubs, spas, golf courses, retail shopping, and gourmet dining," said Clyde Barrow, head of UMass Dartmouth's Center for Policy Analysis, which has been surveying the New England gaming scene for more than 15 years.

"These amenities give customers a reason to travel farther, stay longer, and spend more money," Barrow said. "In Las Vegas, the major casinos now generate more than 50 percent of revenues from their non-gaming offerings; it is currently about 28 percent at Foxwoods and 19 percent at Mohegan Sun, so both have an opportunity to further diversify their customer base."

The center's 2010 New England Gaming Behavior Survey "found that 17 percent of visitors to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun do not gamble, but visit for the non-gaming amenities," Barrow said. "This compares to 7 percent only six years ago, so their diversification strategy is somewhat successful. As they lose gaming customers to adjoining states, the Connecticut casinos will evolve into entertainment destinations."

Foxwoods' plans

While Mohegan Sun isn't talking about any future expansion or improvement of its Connecticut casino, Foxwoods is hewing to the lines suggested by the industry experts. At its 20th anniversary celebration last week, Foxwoods announced plans to increase its brand's visibility, upgrade its player rewards program and build an upscale retail outlet mall.

Ground will be broken for the 300,000-square-foot Premier Outlet Shoppes at Foxwoods this spring. The 85-store mall, about half the size of Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, will be located between Foxwoods' original casino and the newer MGM Grand. While it will be built as an enclosed mall, it will have a retractable roof for seasonal outdoor shopping.

The new rewards program accelerates earnings for players and gives more options for exchanging earned points for merchandise discounts, hotel accommodations, golf fees, tickets to shows and cash.

The new "Anything But Ordinary" marketing campaign, replacing "The Wonder of It All," focuses on the five types of gamblers attracted to Foxwoods: the Ace, a smart, sophisticated, serious gambler; the King, who wants to be treated like royalty; the Queen, who likes to be pampered; the Jack, a regular guy; and the Joker, who goes to Foxwoods for a great time.

Pequot tribal chairman Rodney Butler conceded

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ATLANTIC CITY - Golden Nugget Atlantic City will transform what has traditionally been nongaming areas of the casino into special gambling attractions, especially for big events such as the Super Bowl.

Parts of Golden Nugget's atrium, grand ballroom and pool deck will be converted for gambling, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said Friday while giving regulatory approval to the plan.
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The conversion continues a trend by Atlantic City casinos in recent months to add slot machines and table games to pool areas and nightclubs or next to retail shops and restaurants.

Tom Pohlman, Golden Nugget's general manager, said the pool deck on the sixth floor will be the only permanent gambling area. It will have three blackjack tables, but no slot machines, beginning in March.

The atrium and ballroom will host special events such as gambling tournaments or big parties on Super Bowl Sunday, New Year's Eve or during the NCAA's "March Madness" men's basketball tournament. Partygoers would be able to play slot machines or table games.

"It's a way for us to bring gambling to the people as opposed to being in a party and having to go outside to the casino to play some blackjack or do some other gambling," Pohlman said.

Golden Nugget now joins Harrah's Resort and Tropicana Casino and Resort in adding gambling to what had traditionally been nongaming areas. The Division of Gaming Enforcement previously approved new blackjack tables in the pool and nightclub area at Harrah's, as well as new slot machines and electronic table games at The Quarter, the mall-like retail, dining and nightclub complex at Tropicana.

The division has shown a willingness to approve new gambling attractions to help Atlantic City's struggling casinos gain an edge on their competitors in neighboring states. The trend of mixing gambling with entertainment started in Las Vegas and has become increasingly popular in Atlantic City since last fall.

The gambling expansion represents another phase in Golden Nugget's $150 million renovation under its new owner, Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, who controls the Landry's Inc. gaming, restaurant and entertainment empire.

Landry's bought the former Trump Marina Hotel Casino last May for $38 million and immediately rebranded it as the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. Landry's also owns the Golden Nugget casino hotels in Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nev.

Golden Nugget is remodeling the hotel rooms, sprucing up the casino floor and adding new upscale restaurants, lounges and a spa. Moreover, the building's once-drab exterior has been given a makeover, now sporting a glitzier, gold-hued facade.

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission granted Golden Nugget its first gaming license Wednesday, capping the casino's transition to new ownership.

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Gary Loveman likes to explain the gambling business in words that could only come out of the mouth of a Harvard management professor who ended up running a giant casino company.

The chief executive of Caesars Entertainment Corp. will tell you that his industry exists to offer an “opportunity for people to place a modest bit of consideration on the realization of an uncertain outcome.’’ He delivered that line for laughs to a packed room at the Boston College Chief Executives’ Club of Boston luncheon last week and hit the mark. Loveman, a Wellesley resident who did indeed teach at Harvard Business School, was no random selection as the event’s speaker. His company wants to build a new gambling resort with Suffolk Downs in East Boston, and they are widely seen as favorites to win the state casino license reserved for Eastern Massachusetts. If casino gambling finally comes to Boston, Gary Loveman is probably the person who will bring it here.

Caesars itself brings lots of experience and enormous scale to any casino development proposal. But the company also lugs around a mountain of debt that should make anyone pause.

How big is the business? Caesars operates 52 casinos in a dozen US states and seven countries. Those facilities operate about 3 million square feet of gambling space (nearly double the number of rentable square feet in the John Hancock Tower) and 42,000 hotel rooms. That operation generates roughly $9 billion in annual revenue, an average of about $1 million for every single hour of every day in a year.

Here’s something the company’s vast gambling empire finds it difficult to produce: a profit.

Caesars earns lots of money from its operations but spends nearly every penny of it - sometimes more - on interest payments. That’s the biggest reason why the company has reported an annual profit only once over the last four years.

In an industry crammed with companies that borrow lots of money, Caesars is an especially indebted competitor. The company’s assets amount to nearly $29 billion but the pile of debts approaches $20 billion.

Caesars reported earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization - roughly the cash income generated by its business - totaling nearly $1.4 billion through the first nine months of last year. But the company interest payments for that period were $57 million more.

Caesars was taken private in 2006 near the peak of the previous bull market. Private equity investors Apollo Global Management and TCP bought the company for $17 billion in a highly leveraged transactions.

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Maine officials have issued the state's first casino license.

The Gambling Control Board on Tuesday approved a gaming license for Hollywood Slots in Bangor. Hollywood Slots is now licensed as a slots operator, but it requires a casino license now that it plans to add poker, blackjack and other table games in mid-March.

The Bangor Daily News reports that the board also approved a name change to Hollywood Casino Bangor.

John Osborne, vice president and general manager of Hollywood Casino Bangor, said the casino will open March 16 and has hired about 60 of the 89 employees needed.

A proposal by the Prince George's County executive to single out National Harbor as the only acceptable site for a casino in that county ran into fierce opposition on multiple fronts Wednesday in Annapolis.

At a hearing before a state Senate committee, the owner of Rosecraft Raceway predicted that slots at National Harbor would lead to the demise of the harness racing track. Also objecting was the developer of the soon-to-open slots casino at Arundel Mills, who opposed the opening of any new gambling sites before the five locations already authorized have proven their viability.

But the proposal was embraced by the owner of the National Harbor development.

Last week, Prince George's County ExecutiveRushern L. BakerIII announced his support for an envisioned $1 billion, Las Vegas-style casino — complete with table games, and high-end entertainment and dining — at National Harbor, a luxury development on the Potomac River waterfront.

The chairman of the company that owns National Harbor, Milton V. Peterson, told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee that he embraces Baker's position "thoroughly." Peterson said his company had no interest in building a mere "slots barn or slots parlor" at National Harbor. He promised only the best at the complex, which has 2,000 hotel rooms and a convention center.

"It would not be shoddy, it would not be cute. It would not be glitzy," said Peterson. "It would exude class."

But a top official of Penn National Gaming, which owns the ailing Rosecroft Raceway in Prince George's, countered that when the current slots law was approved by voters in 2008, one of the main reasons given was to revive horse racing in Maryland.

"A location at Rosecroft Raceway is the last viable option for racing in this state," said Steven T. Snyder, a senior vice president at Penn National. If Baker's recommendation were adopted by the General Assembly, he said, racing at Rosecroft could end.

Meanwhile, the top executive ofthe Cordish Cos., the developer of the giant slots complex expected to open at Arundel Mills in June, filed written testimony objecting to any expansion of gambling to a sixth site. David Cordish told senators that he opposes not only Baker's plan but also the legalization of table games as compensation to the existing operators of slots-only sites.

Maryland currently allows slot machine gambling at five locations. Any measure to expand gambling beyond slots or to add more sites would require a constitutional amendment and would have to go before state voters.

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As the number of tribal casinos has mushroomed across Oklahoma, many residents have wondered when they will reach their saturation point.

Others have expressed concern that the increased access to casinos has created more gambling addicts, with a destructive effect on these people, their families, and their finances.

“I think the market has proved itself, kind of like in ‘Field of Dreams’ — if you build it, they will come,” said Edwin Marshall, chief of staff for the Muscogee Creek Nation, which operates 11 casinos.

As far as Marshall knows, no casinos in Oklahoma have shut down for lack of patrons.

Plans for expansion are under way at some of the Creek casinos, as well as several Cherokee Nation-owned sites.

“There continues to be room for investment in gaming,” said David Stewart, CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses. “Those facilities that continue to offer a high level of customer service, the best amenities and a fun, safe atmosphere will continue to thrive. These are the qualities that separate Cherokee Casinos from other gaming operations.”

Construction of the new Tahlequah Cherokee Casino, planned for the intersection of U.S. 62 and State Highway 82 south of town, has been put on hold until after CNB seats several new members on its board, Stewart said. However, work is in progress at these Cherokee Casino sites:

• Site work for the new Cherokee Casino Fort Gibson began last June. The new facility, four times larger, will employ nearly 190 people, about double the current work force. The 27,500-square-foot casino will house 500 electronic games.

• Construction to triple the size of Cherokee Casino Ramona began last summer. Nearly 200 people will be employed when it opens in 2012. The current casino is a modular, 11,500-square-foot building with 211 electronic games, a restaurant, and a bar. The new permanent building will be 31,000 square feet, with a restaurant, bar, entertainment space and 500 electronic games.

• At the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, construction began in November on a third hotel tower. It will add 100 suites and more than 55,000 square feet of entertainment and gaming space. The $52 million project will be completed this year.

The parking lot is usually full at the Keetoowah Cherokee Casino in Tahlequah. Assistant Chief Charles Locust said business is good, and he doesn’t rule out the possibility of expanding Keetoowah casino facilities.

“Every year, our sales continue to grow. We’ve never had a year where our sales have declined,” he said. “We’re at a place where we’ve got so much potential for growth in the tribe. We have the potential to really take off.”

Marshall said several Muscogee Creek Nation casinos are undergoing renovation and updating.

“Perhaps the most notable project planned in the near future is the addition of a conference hotel and additional venues at the Mackey Sand Bar [Tulsa River Spirit Casino],” he said.

Representatives of the three tribes interviewed say they provide help for guests who have compulsive gambling problems. As with any addiction, a person must first realize he or she is addicted, and that the addiction has become a problem in his or her life.

“We’re here to provide fun and safe entertainment options for our guests. At the same time, we strive to be a socially responsible community partner,” Stewart said. “Although a very small percentage of the population suffers from problem gambling, we take it very seriously. Our measures go above and beyond what is required by Oklahoma law, and that’s something we’re very proud of.”

The Cherokee Nation created a self-exclusion program, with a Play Smart program readily available to guests and noted on all marketing materials. Employees receive training to guide guests who may have gaming problems so they may find the information they need to get help.

All guests can self-exclude for one year, five years or permanently. The person’s information and photo are collected. Before each shift, security personnel review photos of excluded guests and others. When excluded guests return, they are escorted off the property. If they do get in and win any money, those winnings are forfeited. That money goes to fund Cherokee Nation behavioral health programs and the Play Smart program, which educates the public on problem gambling.

Rod Fourkiller, general manager of the Keetoowah Cherokee Casino, said his facility also has a self-exclusion policy.Two or three people each month seek to exclude themselves from the premises because they realize they have a problem.

“It happens more often than most people realize,” he said. “We can refer them to Gamblers Anonymous, or we can refer them to a counseling service. They can come to any of our staff. If they realize they have a problem, they can come to us.”

The Muscogee Creek Nation makes Gamblers Anonymous resource material available to patrons at all of its gaming facilities. Gamblers Anonymous is an independent entity, Marshall noted.

Each program is available to people who believe they have gambling problems, regardless of tribal citizenship.

All the tribes have security personnel at their casinos, and are able to call on the services of marshals or lighthorse officers as needed.

With 92 casinos currently operated by 34 tribes in Oklahoma, the market has yet to determine how many casinos are too many.

Derek Campbell, head of the gaming division in the Oklahoma State Office of Finance, said the number of new casinos has begun to slow down.

“I think we saw our big boom the past few years,” he said. “I think every tribe that can compact has compacted at this point.”

None of the casinos have closed, and they have provided financial impact to state government. In 2011, the state received $122 million in casino fees.

Of that amount, the first $250,000 goes to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, then 88 percent goes to education. The last 12 percent is put in

The day after the Senate’s resounding defeat of the casino gambling amendment, supporters vowed Friday that the issue won’t go away — even though most concede that it’s dead this year.

Proponents’ efforts to revive it could take several forms, including working to elect more senators who support their views and trying to change Senate Republican leadership, which largely opposed the amendment.

The latter prompted a testy exchange among Senate President David Williams; Woodford County breeder Bill Farish, a leader of the horse industry’s efforts to win approval of expanded gambling; and Gov. Steve Beshear, who made the gambling amendment a top priority.

Farish cited Williams, R-Burkesville, as a major obstacle to casino gambling who knows how “to use the system to his advantage,” while Williams said that if Farish and other supporters have their way, “the gamblers will run Kentucky.”

Beshear accused Williams of “bullying” to kill the amendment.

Whether the proponents’ next effort will involve working for a change in state law to expand gambling — or another effort to amend the constitution — was unclear as they tried to sort out Thursday’s 21-16 defeat of Senate Bill 151.

Despite falling seven votes shy of the 23 needed to pass an amendment in the Senate, Minority Leader R.J. Palmer, D-Winchester, said he still believes it’s “absolutely possible” to get to 23 votes.

The bill would have allowed up to seven casinos, but none could have been within 60 miles of an existing Kentucky racetrack unless it was operated by a track.

Opponents criticized the bill on several grounds, including that it would have added language to the state constitution giving the tracks a monopoly.

Proponents, including Palmer, were critical that the vote was taken Thursday when one known supporter — Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, was out of town on business.

“Until it gets a fair and final vote, it’s not going to be over,” Palmer said. “And they can say that it’s seven votes short, but we all know that there are people that have conflicted convictions on this issue. And when it’s apparent that it’s not going to pass, it allows them to vote ‘no’ easier. … So without Gerald (Neal) here, it was virtually impossible to get it done.” For their part, House Democratic leaders declared the issue dead for this session.

“I think one has to say it got a full and fair hearing, and now it’s time to move on,” said House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, stopping short of declaring the issue dead forever.

“We’re going to have to have a very simple question on the ballot and not have too much language in the constitution,” said Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Louisville. “And there’s obviously got to be a lot of education of members why they (the horse industry) want to put it on the ballot.”
Lobbying efforts

Clark declined to address Beshear’s handling of the bill, but did say he believed “the industry should have done a better job lobbying people.”

He said the industry “took a lot of votes for granted, and I think that the constitutional amendment was way too wordy. It needs to be one sentence. Give the legislators the power to vote on expanded gaming. Do the rest in statute.”

But horse industry representatives expressed concerns during and after the process regarding a simpler amendment.

“I think it’s extremely risky for the horse industry to do that,” said Farish, of Lane’s End Farm, one of Central Kentucky’s most prominent breeding establishments.

If “you just send an expanded-gaming bill through, with no limits whatsoever, that could just crush the racing and the breeding in this state,” Farish said. “… I don’t know why that’s not clearer to people, that when you put casinos right next to racetracks, you’re going to hurt the racetrack unless the racetrack’s operating it and can have some control over it. And the benefits are going to be the same to the state.”

Regardless, Farish suggested that the horse industry needs to continue its involvement in legislative races and that expanded gambling may never pass with Williams as the Senate president.

“I’m not thrilled with the outcome,” Farish said of Thursday’s vote, “but as long as David Williams is there, I’m sure that this is the inevitable outcome, unfortunately.” Asked about the horse industry’s best legislative approach in the future, Farish said: “No matter what you do, you have to go through David Williams. He has indicated he’s not going to support it in any way and there’s just too many ways for him to use the system to his advantage. And he’s proven time and time again that he’s not above doing any of that.”

Williams said the bill got a fair hearing and he expects Farish to work against Republican candidates.

“It hasn’t worked up to this juncture, and if they can spend enough money to take over the state Senate, then the gamblers will run Kentucky,” Williams said. “But they don’t now. … If the Kentucky state Senate could be bought, Mr. Farish would already own it.”

Williams also said Farish is misdirecting blame.

“If he wants to be mad at someone, he needs to be mad at Steve Beshear,” Williams said. “He can’t count votes. He lost a bunch of Democrats. None of those Democrats voted for me to be president of the Senate.”

Beshear responded: “Bill Farish hit the nail on the head. Everybody in Frankfort knows that for the last two months the Senate Republican caucus has been subjected to intense pressure, intimidation and bullying by Sen. Williams over this issue, which ultimately resulted in the defeat of the bill.”

Palmer said a change in leadership might make passage easier but isn’t essential.

“I think it could pass with that leadership,” Palmer said. “It would be easier obviously if there were someone else that were supportive, but I don’t think it has to change.”

It was unclear whether the horse industry will pursue another constitutional amendment — which only can be on the ballot in

This week the Omni Casino newsletter has offered a new type of bonus designated VIP Member Free Slot Play. Towards the end of the month there are a couple of bonuses associated with the ongoing Love & Money Slot Tournament.

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The Belle Rock online casino group is one of the oldest and most successful in the Internet gambling space. It has just announced the findings of a survey that it had commissioned to ascertain the proportion of female online casino players in the United Kingdom and what their preferences are. The survey was carried out by Hitwise, the world's largest sample of online consumer search and behavior intelligence. The survey was conducted across all UK online casinos and not just those of the Belle Rock group. It compared the situation in 2007 with that at present.

The results showed that the numbers of women playing online casino games in the UK has increased four times from 2007 to 2010. The number of women at online casinos is now almost as high as men. Getting into specific numbers, the Belle Rock Entertainment press release stated that 48.38% of players in 2011 were female and 51.62% were male. The report also indicated the reason for this increase. Online casinos can very conveniently be accessed by women who wish to gamble online. They also provide an environment in which women feel safer, away from the prying eyes and bemused looks they might encounter from males at land casinos. Online gambling sites have been cashing in on this trend by putting out female-oriented online casinos and online bingo halls.

Belle Rock also highlighted that males and females visited different types of online gambling sites. Citing the latest British Gambling Preference Survey figures, the Belle Rock press release stated that men varied their gambling activities more than women. The preference of males was for online poker, roulette and sports betting. Females had a strong preference for online slots and bingo. Online bingo was fast becoming a female dominated domain, with women numbers already being twice that of men.

At the same time Women at NBCU reported that women are getting more tech-savvy than men. Their survey found that 54% of women in the US own a smart phone, compared to just 46% of men. The survey also concluded that women are more likely to own a smart phone app and Nintendo Wii. Melissa Lavigne-Delville, of Women at NBCU, added that 75% of the women are online and are determining how the digital space is evolving. The springing up of women oriented online gambling sites as reported by Belle Rock is a manifestation of this phenomenon. Online casinos that aggressively and exclusively target the male customer base will miss out on 50% of the online gambling market that has now opened up.

The Belle Rock Entertainment group has several online casinos rated highly by CasinoAdvisor. These include Jackpot City, River Belle, Gaming Club and Lucky Nugget. All of them are powered by software from Microgaming and licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta.

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I would have hardly bet against this one: a new "independent study" released today by the New York Gaming Association says the legalization of casino gambling would generate big bucks for the state.

According to the study, major investments planned by the nine racinos already in existence would generate more than $3.3 billion in economic output, including wages, salaries and the purchases of goods and salaries while also creating more than 17,000 construction-related jobs.

The study, done by Appleseed, finds that full-scale casino gambling at the nine racinos would generate an additional $317 million in state revenues.

"As this report clearly illustrates, the authorization of live table games will allow our members to create more jobs, provide additional revenue for our state, and to help local governments," NYGA President James Featherstonhaugh says.

The full report follows:

Major investments planned by the nine racetracks that constitute the New York Gaming Association (NYGA) would generate more than $3.3 billion in economic output, which includes wages, salaries and the purchase of goods and services, for New York State and create more than 17,000 construction-related jobs if a constitutional amendment was passed to allow for live table games, according to an economic impact analysis conducted by an independent firm. When the planned expansion is completed, enhanced gaming would increase the State’s annual economic output by $976 million, and generate an additional 8,200 jobs statewide.
The analysis, conducted by Appleseed, a New York City firm that specializes in providing economic and social research analysis, also estimates that in its first full year of operation, enhanced gaming would generate an additional $317 million in State revenues, including approximately $300 million in annual payments to New York’s public education which is equivalent to the salaries of more than 4,300 teachers. In addition, the projected private investment by NYGA of $1.8 billion in construction would generate nearly $81 million in New York State income, sales and business taxes and more than $36.4 million in local income, sales and business taxes.

The report finds that the proposed amendment would result in an increase in direct employment at the nine racetrack casinos of approximately 5,780 permanent full and part-time jobs. Based on current salaries and wages (escalated at 2.5 percent annually through 2014), annual salaries and wages for these additional jobs would total approximately $210 million. The addition of live table games would result in approximately 8,200 direct, indirect and induced jobs.

“New York Gaming Association members have a solid record of creating jobs and bolstering their regional economies,” James Featherstonhaugh, President of New York Gaming Association said. “As this report clearly illustrates, the authorization of live table games will allow our members to create more jobs, provide additional revenue for our state, and to help local governments. Just as important, our support for agriculture, breeding and the racing industry will increase tremendously.”

The addition of live table games in the nine racetrack casinos would also increase the purchases of goods and services in New York State. When the improved facilities are fully operational, annual spending by New York Gaming Association members on goods and services bought from New York companies would increase by $152.5 million, directly supporting over 575 full-time equivalent jobs in those companies, with wages and salaries of nearly $53 million.

The study estimates that subsidies provided to the racing and breeding industries would increase by approximately $26.3 million annually and directly support over 460 jobs in horse racing and breeding with wages over $13 million. Combining direct, indirect and induced impacts, the projected increase in racing and breeding subsidies would support nearly $53 million in economic output and over 640 jobs in New York State with wages and salaries of almost $24 million.
The nine Racetrack Casinos comprising the New York Gaming Association include:
· Batavia Downs Casino
· Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway
· Empire Resorts at Monticello Casino & Raceway
· Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack
· Hamburg Casino at the Fairgrounds (Buffalo Raceway)
· Resorts World Casino New York at Aqueduct Racetrack
· Saratoga Casino & Raceway
· Tioga Downs Casino
· Vernon Downs Casino & Hotel

Earlier this month, NYGA released the first part one of this economic analysis which outlined the positive economic impact gaming has had on the local economy.

According to estimates from the analysis, in 2011 New York Gaming Association members accounted for 17,400 jobs with 5,431 of those jobs representing direct employment by the nine racetrack casinos. Wages and salaries for those 17,400 jobs totaled more than $855 million including $141.3 million from those employed directly by NYGA members. NYGA members supported 4,724 jobs for the racing and breeding industry.

Additional findings from the report show that, on an annualized basis, New York Gaming Association members in 2011:

· Contributed $1.06 billion in State revenues, of which over $830.5 million went towards education in New York State. This is the equivalent of paying the salaries of more than 11,900 elementary and secondary school teachers throughout New York State; and
· Accounted directly and indirectly for $73 million in revenues for local municipalities.

William Hill PLC, a British land-based and online bookmaker, generated $1.79 billion in revenue in 2011, a 6 percent year-over-year increase.

Operating profit for 2011 totaled $432.9 million, the company said Monday.

William Hill said the net revenue increase was largely driven by its online business, which posted a 28 percent increase, to $508.4 million in 2011, while its retail operations gained 1 percent, to $1.24 billion.

"We believe there are more opportunities to grow in our core market in the U.K. and also for the business to expand internationally beyond the traditional roots as more governments open up their regulated gambling markets," William Hill CEO Ralph Topping said.

The company, which operates 2,370 betting shops, takes more than 1 million bets a day, averaging between $4.75 and $6 per wager. Topping said the company will be selective in where it takes its brand outside of the United Kingdom.

"We are taking our first steps into the U.S. with the three impending land-based sports betting acquisitions," Topping said. "We were warned the regulators process could take 12 to 18 months. It's an exceptionally long process but we are in the hands of the regulators and we are not complaining."

Topping said the company was "keeping an eye on where online could be going." He told gaming analysts in a conference call that William Hill has applied for a full gaming license in Nevada, putting the British bookmaker in a "very strong position."

"While we are focusing (on Nevada) we (had) better not overlook the move by Gov. (Chris) Christie in New Jersey particularly to overturn the land-based ban."

In January, Christie signed a bill legalizing sports betting in New Jersey. The state is expected to sue to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which effectively outlawed sports betting in all but a few states.

As of Monday, the state had yet to file a federal lawsuit challenging the act.

William Hill entered the United States last year with its acquisitions in Nevada.

On April 14, William Hill purchased American Wagering Inc., parent company of Leroy's Horse & Sports Place for $18 million, along with Club Cal Neva Satellite Race and Sports book division in Northern Nevada for $21 million.

That was followed May 3 with the $15.7 million purchase of Brandywine Bookmaking LLC, which operates Lucky's Race & Sports books.