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I know how popular Alaska Cruises are, but I did not know that it could result in banning high rollers, a concept that I believe is worth a rant. Gayle.
1) Tax on Cruise Ship Casinos Is Still a Work in Progress
Several cruise lines have told us they are not inviting groups of casino "high-rollers" on Alaska cruise junkets this summer as a result of the tax they would have to pay to the state if these cruises proved profitable to the cruise line.
Alaska voters in last August's primary election approved a variety of new levies on cruise ships including 33% on gross gambling revenues of cruise ship casinos while they are in Alaska waters. Draft regulations for the gambling tax are still being written with the hope that they can be adopted early this fall, and tentative plans call for the payment of this tax to be due each year on April 15.
Alaska state officials also have expressed some concern about how they will verify taxable gaming revenue.
Read more...
I have never been fond of the ‘slots in name only’—electronic bingo machines and it appears that I am in good company. I find the practice of placing these slots to get around a state allotment and then offering unregulated (=read lower) payouts offensive. Gayle.
2) Bingo Machine Gamble Not Paying Off
Gamblers love slot machines. What they don't much care for, it appears, are machines that look, feel and sound like their beloved slots - but aren't.
It's especially true when gamblers have a choice between slot machines and the look-alikes, which actually are electronic bingo machines. Chukchansi installed 200 of the machines to skirt state limits on the number of slots allowed at the casino. The state regulates slots but not bingo machines. One of the biggest differences involves the inner workings of the bingo machines. Legally, prize money must be taken from a pool of money generated by those playing the machines. At least two players must put in money before the game starts. Players essentially play against each other, unlike slots, where the players are betting against the house.
Bingo machines are run from a central server - as opposed to slots, most of which operate independently of each other
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This item particularly caught my interest as Toronto is my hometown and they have been discussing a full casino for a while—that’s the good news. However, based on surrounding casinos and current Woodbine slot payouts, they are now and most likely will be in the future—dismal.
Additionally, as the item states, the city needs the money, so the option to increase payouts is definitely not in the expansion plans, in my opinion. Gayle.
3) Casino Eyed As City Saviour
Mayor David Miller and several high-ranking Toronto councillors said they would consider a full casino at Woodbine Racetrack to help dig the city out of its financial misery. But they would want a bigger share of revenues than they get now from Woodbine, which has slot machines but not roulette, craps or other gambling games found at other Ontario casinos.
And getting one would take a strong selling job to compete with its existing four casinos.
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Here are the 3 updates to previous rants. We begin with the faulty Easy Money Slot at Caesars, Indiana. The casino, in what I believe is a very bad PR idea, is trying to recoup their losses.
4) Casino's Mistake Could Cost Players
A faulty slot machine called Easy Money cost Caesars Indiana nearly half a million dollars a year ago, giving big payoffs to gamblers when it showed 10 times the credit for each dollar they inserted. But some of the winners may face an unwanted cost — in criminal court.
The problem came to light in August when the casino reported to Byrd's office and state police that it had lost $487,000 over the July 21 weekend to patrons who used a slot machine installed with new software that wasn't designed for U.S. currency. Caesars found out when a Louisville couple noticed that the slot machine had registered $200 when they slid in $20. They alerted Caesars employees, but by then more than two-dozen gamblers had played the device.
Read more...
5) Striking Casino Workers Accept New Deal
Workers at the West Edmonton Mall's Palace Casino gambled and won.
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Issue 102 ranted about the banning of high roller Richard Brodie from Harrah’s properties. While, there is good news, I also publish a reader’s view of the incident below.
6) I Can Play!
Thanks to the quiet diplomacy of WSOP commissioner Jeffrey Pollack and to many of my fellow poker players vouching for my character, Harrah’s has decided to allow me to play in the remainder of the WSOP and lifted the ban on my entering their properties. I’m still learning the details of why this was handled this way but it’s looking more and more like a big mistake.
I want to thank everyone who supported me from the bottom of my heart. It is very gratifying to know how much my friends care.
7)
Gayle: I'm wondering how banning this fellow would hold up in court? Harrah's is a public company; it's not a private enterprise. So I'm thinking--what if Mr. Brodie owned some shares, I doubt as an owner they'd be able legally to ban him? Linda
Linda: Interesting question, but my experience has been that casinos usually do as they please. However, in this case, they did the right thing. Gayle.
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