The New Jersey Senate bill S 490 has cleared the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee yesterday by a vote of 10 for and 1 against. The next step is discussion and consideration by the full Senate, which is expected to take place by the end of this year.
S 490 was sponsored by Senator Ray Lesniak with the objective to bring online gaming to New Jersey. It was introduced in the Senate in January 2010. This bill will allow the Atlantic City land casinos to offer online versions of their games to residents of New Jersey and to customers outside the United States. These games include poker, blackjack and baccarat. In the Budget and Appropriations Committee S 490 was clubbed as a part of a package of Democrat-sponsored bills aimed at propping up the state's ailing horse racing and casino industries. If this bill is ultimately signed into law it would make New Jersey the first state in America to offer intrastate and international online gaming. After the success in the committee, Lesniak told the Cape May County Herald, "The revenues generated and jobs created are now going offshore to international gaming operators. S 490 will redirect those revenues to our casinos in Atlantic City and, under S 11, to build a bridge to self-sufficiency for our horseracing industry and help save its 13,000 jobs and $1 billion of revenues generated in New Jersey."
The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) has worked closely with Senator Lesniak on drafting the bill and lobbying for its support. A study commissioned iMEGA has estimated that intrastate gambling in New Jersey could raise up to $250 million in gross gaming revenue and $55 million in taxes and fees on an annual basis. The bill proposes that the state collects 20% of annual gross gaming revenues as taxes.
Before the Senate committee hearing, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee lobbyist William Pascrell III stated in an interview to The Record that New Jersey was experiencing a recession coupled with an ailing horse racing industry and struggling Atlantic City casinos. The only solution lay through legalizing online gaming. He went on to say, "New Jersey could become a global Mecca for Internet gaming." Pascrell indicated that all regulatory and licensing issues could be addressed within six to nine months of the bill becoming law.
Lesniak and iMEGA are simultaneously handling other barriers to online gambling. They are contesting a motion by the United States Department of Justice to dismiss their attempt to overturn the 1991 federal law prohibiting state-regulated sports betting. They are also warding off challenges from the land casino giant Harrah's, which is in favor of a federal regulatory framework for online gambling and is lobbying against New Jersey's attempts to legalize online gambling at the state level.
Local Vegas showman Wayne Newton is looking for more ways than one to crawl out of his debts and his latest attempt involves turning his home into a museum where he stores valuable works of art and memorabilia from his old pals Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash. The only problem is that his neighbors are up in arms over the idea of turning Casa de Shenandoah into a Vegas attraction.
It’s true, Wayne Newton is planning on turning his 40-acre property into a place where tourists can take a historical tour of the “oldschool” Vegas that he remembers so well. According to KTNV, a local news outlet in Vegas, he is looking to create a museum and a night club as well. Apparently, he has purchased the piece of land next to him and is looking to develop it into what his neighbors feel may turn into a nightmare. The opposition from his neighborhood has been overwhelming but it he should be granted a permit from the city then he’ll be able to continue with his project. Wayne’s argument is that he would provide over 400 jobs to the area and that his intention is not to disrupt the neighborhood which is a hefty concern at the moment.
Vegas residents see Wayne himself as an institution; he has been part of Vegas for the last 50 years so why wouldn’t the world be open to seeing his South African penguins, sweeping crystal staircases, rare collections of Vegas memorabilia all while listening to ‘Danke Schoen’? They might, but some may wonder if he can draw the crowds much like Graceland has, especially after the closing of the Liberace museum which was very dear to Vegas.
This may be a way for Wayne to earn some cash to repay the $3.35 million loan he acquired to build the place, which he's being sued for lack of payment. But hey, it's Vegas Baby anything goes right? :dance:
In an attempt to stem the tide of declining casino profits and lower tax revenues, the New Jersey State Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly approved a measure that would allow state residents to play in online casinos managed by the struggling Atlantic City casino resort properties.
State Senator Ray Lesniak has proposed the bill, labeled S490, as a way to remedy the state’s economic woes. Atlantic City casinos, a major source of tax dollars for the state, have seen attendance decline every month for over two years. The famous casinos now face stiffer competition from neighboring states, such as Maryland, Pennsylvania and Delaware, which have recently legalized casino gaming.
The bill would allow New Jersey state residents to play versions of online poker, blackjack, roulette and other casino games. The proposal would also allow players from overseas to participate, but Americans in other states would be excluded. Federal law prohibits US-based customers from conducting transactions with online gaming sites.
Senator Lesniak told local reporters that the bill would create thousands of jobs and would also save over 13,000 jobs at the state’s declining horse race tracks. He also said that much of the online gaming revenue that is currently going to sites based overseas would stay within the state.
The senate committee passed the bill by a vote of 10 to 1. Political observers expect the bill to pass sometime early in 2011. If and when it does, New Jersey will become the first US state to allow online gambling within its borders.
If you’re like millions of other people in the UK that like to play the lottery or place a wager on a game of football once in a while, you should play casino games online. You will be surprised how easy it is.
Not only is it easy to play casino games online but most online casinos allow you to play their games for free. That’s a pretty good deal. Imagine walking into a land-based casino and asking if you could play their casino games for free for an unlimited amount of time? No land-based casino wants you to gain enough experience to beat the house. Land-based casinos can’t afford to let you practise till you learn. They need to cover the costs of dealers, maintenance, floor personnel and pay the cost of the building. Online casinos however, don’t have to worry about any of these overheads and can therefore allow you to practise your technique online and play for fun until you are ready to go in for money.
The more popular online casino games become, the more online games are becoming available. You don’t have to leave your house to play some of your favorite casino games anymore. Research shows that hundreds of thousands of Britons are logging on to the internet to get a piece of the action from home. There is big money accumulating in some of those jackpots waiting to be won by someone sitting in his bathrobe playing in his den. Are you ready to test your luck online and join the following like so many others each day?
The variety of games available to play online is almost endless. Just look at slots online and you will find something for everyone. Convenience is another great aspect when you play casino games online. Imagine going to a casino in your pyjamas at 2am! When you play at home, however, there is no dress code and there is no opening or closing time and you don’t have to pay for transportation either.
So, next time you are thinking of wagering some money, go online and check out all the different games available to you. It’s not only fun, but convenient as well.
Companies are still gambling on Calgary casinos, despite declining revenues and patrons holding their dollars more tightly.
Thursday, Century Casinos held the grand opening of the former Frank Sisson's Silver Dollar after doing $4 million in renovations. It purchased the facility from a company that filed for creditor protection last year.
In the spring, the Calgary Stampede bought back the casino on its grounds after the former owner went into receivership.
The moves come while the Alberta government reports revenue from gambling in the province - while still hefty - declined for a second straight year in 2009.
There are seven casinos in Calgary, including the Tsuu T'ina's Grey Eagle Casino.
But Brad Humphreys, chair in the economics of gaming at the University of Alberta, says companies realize that there is money to be made in the long-run.
"Casinos are in the entertainment business and that involves discretionary spending, so when the economy's bad people tighten their belts," he said. "I would interpret that these current problems are viewed as short-run problems.
"There's no reason to believe that in the long-run the health of the industry in this province isn't good."
Erwin Haitzmann, chair and co-CEO of Century Casino, which also owns a facility in Edmonton, said his company feels "extremely confident with the Alberta environment, both from a regulatory point of view, as well as a customer point of view."
The company purchased the casino on 42nd Avenue S.E. earlier this year in a deal pegged at $10.6 million US, after Evergreen Gaming Corp. asked for creditor protection and the casino was placed into receivership.
Evergreen had purchased the casino from Frank Sisson in 2007 for $22 million.
After extensive exterior and interior renovations of the casino - including a new facade, new carpets, paint, lighting and sound system - Haitzmann says they are poised to do well.
"On the one hand, I think we're not too far away from the business rebounding, but more importantly we feel we are able to deliver a product to our customers that they will like, disregarding whether economic times are great or medium," he said, adding that despite the ongoing renovation, "we've been able to increase revenues in the year-over-year comparison already. Now with the product being completed there's an excellent chance to further enhance the economic performance as well as the customer's experience."
Todd Eilers, who follows Century Casinos for Roth Capital Partners, said the company purchased the former Silver Dollar after selling two casinos in South Africa for $50 million US.
"They're re-investing a portion of those funds into buying distressed assets," he said, adding that the growth opportunity will come from the renovated and re-branded Century Casino Calgary.
Doug Fraser, spokesman for the Calgary Stampede, which purchased its casino back this summer after Calgary West Hospitality Inc. went into receivership, said the industry is still struggling as the economic recovery slows.
"But we're very confident in the future of our casino," he said of the new facility, which cost between $40 million and $50 million to build and opened in 2008. "It's a long-term investment."
For the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the province reported Albertans spent $22.9 billion on VLTs, slot machines, electronic bingo and lottery tickets. That's down from $25 billion in 2008-2009 and $26.3 billion in 2007-2008. That's net revenue and doesn't factor in expenses, such as the amount paid out in prizes or to the Alberta Lottery Fund and charities.
"Gaming is cyclical," the University of Alberta's Humphreys said. "In the next few years it will return to previous levels of business."
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With the aftershocks of the global recession still reverberating around many business sectors of the world, it seems the gambling industry is still finding the going tough. That isn’t to say that profits are down, indeed, quite the opposite is true, however, the impact and subsequent recovery have been deeper and slower that many first thought. Over the past year commercial casinos across America saw a 1.3% rise in profits to just over $8 billion, some $100 more than this time last year.
However, the growth is less than many expected, something Frank Fahrenkopf, chief executive of the American Gambling Association, commented on recently: "The impact of the recession has been deeper and the recovery slower than nearly everyone predicted. Consumer discretionary spending has been significantly depressed throughout most of the year, which means that the gaming industry, and others like it, have continued to struggle."
The industry is far from collapse but there is certainly a noticeable difference to the heights of 2007. However, with a steady increase in spending start to appear across the board, it seems that the gambling industry is slowly getting back to full strength both in America and across the world.
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The New Jersey Senate voted 29-5 Monday to allow Atlantic City casino operators to offer online gambling to New Jersey residents.
The bill was amended to allow residents of other countries to wager on the Atlantic City sites. People living in other U.S. states would not be allowed to play on the sites.
The amended bill also includes a 15 percent tax on gross gaming revenue.
If the New Jersey State Assembly passes the bill, and it is signed into law by Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey would become the first state in the U.S. to offer licensed intra-state online gambling.
The bill, authored by Sen. Raymond Lesniak, authorizes the online offering of "poker, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, big six wheel, slot machines, minibaccarat (sic), red dog, pai gow, and sic bo; any variations or composites of such games, provided that such variations or composites, and any above listed game or variation or composite of such game to be offered through Internet wagering."
The bill also specifies that Internet gambling operators have to be licensed Atlantic City casino operators, and that all equipment used to conduct Internet gaming be located either in Atlantic City casinos or a "secure" location in Atlantic City.
In an interview at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) last week, Sen. Lesniak told the APCW he expects the governor will sign his bill into law before the end of the year.
"It's going to be presented to the governor and I don't think he's going to have any option but to sign it before the end of the year," Lesniak said.
"We have to put forward regulations...so that will take some time, but we're very well versed in regulating gambling... so we're in good shape to get this rolling as soon as possible."
Lesniak said he also understands he's raising international trade issues by allowing people outside the U.S. to gamble online in New Jersey.
"We are going to be raising World Trade Organization issues by taking international gaming in New Jersey and showing how juvenile our federal government's policy is with regards to gaming," Lesniak said. "It makes no sense, we're trying to isolate and segregate something people want to do, they do everywhere, and we create a mass of restrictions that's unconstitutional and quite frankly just dumb in terms of governmental policy."
When most people hear something mentioned about online casino games, they tend to automatically think of games like poker and blackjack. However, it is the slots games that are currently the bread and butter of most online casinos as most of these businesses haul in large profits from their reeled games.
In 2010 we have experienced a boom in online gambling and most every casino owner will be quick to tell you that he/she is making the most money from their casino’s slots games.
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Are casino slot machine players a fickle bunch? Are they constantly lured by the latest flashy creation offering extra bonus rounds and games? Why yes, they are and that’s because with technology changing at the speed of light and video games blurring the lines of reality, slot machine players are demanding new and exciting games that keep up with the pace of the latest advancements.
After the Global Gaming Expo held in Vegas, this was one of the major topics that faced industry leaders – how to keep gaming fresh and exciting. The Las Vegas Sun put their focus on the Reno-based manufacturer, International Game Technology, who happens to be focusing on providing casino players with new and innovative skill-based game machines.
They are introducing Reel Edge slots which are similar to your everyday slot machines but these come equipped with a joy stick – giving it more a video game type feel. These slot machines allow players to have some control over the reels, allowing them to stop them by pushing a button. The joystick comes into play during bonus rounds where they may enter a Pac-Man like stage where they will use it to collect more points. These slot machines, which have been in the works for quite some time, are being created in efforts of attracting a younger generation.
Another interesting movement in casino gaming is the integration of social networks which is being introduced by WMS, a Chicago-based company who has created an option for casino players to continue their successes at online. Basically, players who play a specific casino slot machine can then return home and login to a network allowing them to unlock special bonus stages and while players won’t earn extra cash playing at home it will certainly keep them engaged.
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The seven Ohio Casino Control Commission members appointed by Gov. Ted Strickland began their work before being confirmed by the state Senate - and, initially, that seemed prudent. They are required to finsh proposals to regulate casinos in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo by Jan. 11, and give them to the General Assembly for approval or revision.
Time is short - but there is an important catch: Strickland lost his bid for re-election. Governor-elect John Kasich has said he wants to review plans for new legalized gambling in Ohio. And the state Senate, controlled by Republicans, has signaled it may not approve the people Strickland appointed to the commission. Reportedly, some lawmakers want Kasich to be able to choose the panel's members.
But Kasich does not take office until Jan. 10. Clearly, the timeline does not work for a commission of his appointees to submit casino regulation proposals by the next day.
Strickland's appointees should continue their work. If it is not satisfactory to Kasich and state legislators, the proposals can be altered. Then, Kasich can choose his own appointees for the panel and have them confirmed.
Suspending the commission's work now simply doesn't make sense because of the Jan. 11 report requirement, however. The panel should proceed, so legislators have at least a starting point for regulating casinos.
It seems that actor Russell Crowe has been leading a double life as an Oscar-winning actor as well as the co-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, an Australian rugby team which he is trying to help make a household name in United States via a yearly World Cup Challenge – a global event to be held in Las Vegas.
He feels that Americans will accept rugby quite easily once high profile players are introduced. “I have in mind that rugby league can create in America the same type of opportunity that the Premier League has in Europe,” says Crowe to the Guardian UK.
Of course it will be accepted, it’s the ultimate testosterone challenge which should be quite interesting to fans of the NFL due to their similarities. “Rugby is so easily explained to NFL fans because of its defined periods of offence and defense,” he goes on to explain.
As far as Vegas is concerned, Crowe feels it's the ideal location for such a global event which is full of high profile investors and promoters. "There is a possibility that in a city like Las Vegas, home to many world-class promoters, a sponsoring partner could be found to present the competition. Vegas is a very popular travel destination and has many travel options for interested spectators. I point to boxing fixtures as proof of how many people are willing to travel there for a sporting event," said Crowe to the Sydney Morning Herald.
As for now, the push is to hold the World Cup Challenge competition in Las Vegas, where top rugby leagues from the NRL and the Super League will compete at the end of the season. This event will hopefully be held in Vegas in hopes of raising awareness for the sport that Crowe loves and hopes the U.S. will too.
S 490 was sponsored by Senator Ray Lesniak with the objective to bring online gaming to New Jersey. It was introduced in the Senate in January 2010. This bill will allow the Atlantic City land casinos to offer online versions of their games to residents of New Jersey and to customers outside the United States. These games include poker, blackjack and baccarat. In the Budget and Appropriations Committee S 490 was clubbed as a part of a package of Democrat-sponsored bills aimed at propping up the state's ailing horse racing and casino industries. If this bill is ultimately signed into law it would make New Jersey the first state in America to offer intrastate and international online gaming. After the success in the committee, Lesniak told the Cape May County Herald, "The revenues generated and jobs created are now going offshore to international gaming operators. S 490 will redirect those revenues to our casinos in Atlantic City and, under S 11, to build a bridge to self-sufficiency for our horseracing industry and help save its 13,000 jobs and $1 billion of revenues generated in New Jersey."
The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) has worked closely with Senator Lesniak on drafting the bill and lobbying for its support. A study commissioned iMEGA has estimated that intrastate gambling in New Jersey could raise up to $250 million in gross gaming revenue and $55 million in taxes and fees on an annual basis. The bill proposes that the state collects 20% of annual gross gaming revenues as taxes.
Before the Senate committee hearing, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee lobbyist William Pascrell III stated in an interview to The Record that New Jersey was experiencing a recession coupled with an ailing horse racing industry and struggling Atlantic City casinos. The only solution lay through legalizing online gaming. He went on to say, "New Jersey could become a global Mecca for Internet gaming." Pascrell indicated that all regulatory and licensing issues could be addressed within six to nine months of the bill becoming law.
Lesniak and iMEGA are simultaneously handling other barriers to online gambling. They are contesting a motion by the United States Department of Justice to dismiss their attempt to overturn the 1991 federal law prohibiting state-regulated sports betting. They are also warding off challenges from the land casino giant Harrah's, which is in favor of a federal regulatory framework for online gambling and is lobbying against New Jersey's attempts to legalize online gambling at the state level.