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American players may be able to start laying bets, too. It seems TRA is thinking about taking proactive choices to avoid foreign bets exchanges to invade the local market.
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"One way the North American industry could compete would be to … uh, compete."
So wrote Chris Scherf, executive vice president of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations (TRA) in a submission to the Thoroughbred Times. The article came a little over a week after Scherf proposed to attendees of the TRA's International Simulcast Conference that race tracks in North America should carefully consider creating their own betting exchange.
You can read the full article, by Bradley Vallerius, on http://www.igamingnews.com/
Harrah's survey is making the headlines... Well I am not surprised that, as reported in the previous post, players are politically active. Most of the players I met has strong opinions about what they like to do and what they consider better for the Country.
I am more surprised to see that 1/4 of WSOP players also play slots. I suppose the "historical" poker players are more likely to go at sports books or BJ tables, so the high percentage seems to come from new players.
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By Liz Benston, verbatim from www.lasvegassun.com
American gamblers tend to earn more per year than nongamblers and tend to be more involved in their local communities, according to a survey from Harrah's Entertainment Inc.
Gamblers also tend to be somewhat more politically active than nongamblers, according to the survey. Twenty-six percent of gamblers said they contributed money to a political candidate or cause compared with 19 percent of nongamblers. Fifty-one percent of gamblers said they have signed a petition in support of a political candidate or cause in the past four years compared with 42 percent of nongamblers. Slightly more gamblers identified themselves as "mostly Democratic" than "mostly Republican."
The company's annual Profile of the American Casino Gambler has grown into more than just a one-time publicity gig for Harrah's, the most geographically diverse casino company in the nation. Casino companies say it is also cited by competitors and pitched as a reliable source of information for elected officials considering whether to legalize gambling in their state.
"Casino gambling is a central feature of political debates in our country and abroad, yet these debates are surprisingly uninformed by facts about casino guests," Harrah's Chief Executive Gary Loveman writes in the survey's introduction. "The preferences, choices and aspirations of American's more than 50 million casino customers are under-reported and misunderstood."
The company added politically tinged questions to this year's survey because of the election year buzz.
"We've known that gamblers are more active vacationers, investors and restaurant and movie-goers" than nongamblers, Loveman said. "With this year's survey we now know that gamblers also are enthusiastic participants in politics and a significant political constituency."
The survey, conducted by Connecticut-based market research firm TNS NFO, is based on questionnaires sent to 3,475 adults nationwide in April.
The median household income of U.S. casino gamblers was $53,204, 16 percent higher than that of nongamblers, the survey found. Seventy-eight percent of casino players own their own homes compared with 71 percent of nongamblers.
Of gamblers, 36 percent said they were connected to religious or spiritual groups compared with 44 percent of nongamblers. Thirty percent of gamblers said they were in volunteer groups compared with 27 percent of nongamblers. Seven percent of gamblers said they were affiliated with political community groups compared with 4 percent of nongamblers.
Casino gamblers are just as likely to attend church at least once a week as nongamblers but nongamblers are more likely report going to church at least twice a week, the survey found. However, 18 percent of gamblers and 19 percent of nongamblers said they never went to church.
The study is similar in scope to an annual survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates and the Luntz Research Cos. for the American Gaming Association.
The AGA survey has concluded in recent years that about 80 percent of Americans view casino gambling as an acceptable activity for themselves or others and more than 50 million people visit casinos each year.
At the Global Gaming Expo, the premier industry trade show and convention held in Las Vegas last week, executives said casinos can expect to confront at least 30 percent of the population who are opposed to casinos on religious or moral grounds and who sometimes spread "misinformation" about casinos.
The industry still suffers under the perception that gamblers are people who succumb to their addictions and aren't productive members of society, convention speakers said.
Casinos have had difficulty establishing a downside to opposing gambling, even among politicians who depend on donations from casinos, said Terry Wade, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant for the American Gaming Association as well as a variety of industries and nonprofits.
"We've always been the carrot. We've never been able to establish the stick," he said.
The Rev. Tom Grey, a United Methodist and executive director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, said he expects Harrah's and other companies to use the survey in future attempts to legalize casinos in Maryland, one of several key states nationwide.
Grey, who is addressing a Methodist group in Las Vegas today, said he doesn't think the study will be effective in expanding gambling.
Pennsylvania was the only state to legalize slot machines in the past year in spite of efforts in other states, he said.
He said the studies are proof that the industry "still has an image problem" and that Harrah's is "upset that they're not embraced in the community" like a nongambling business.
"Most politicians don't want to be identified with casinos even still," Grey said. "That's not a vote-getter."
Harrah's spokesman David Strow said a "vast majority of Americans have agreed with us that gaming is a perfectly acceptable activity for themselves or for others."
"Tom Grey just doesn't want to accept that," he said. "We have facts and Tom has rhetoric."
Strow said the company intends to share the information with state lawmakers because it is "a very valid and very solid report."
"Ultimately the decision (to legalize casinos) lies with state lawmakers and we will respect their decision," he said. "However, we will share whatever relevant information we have on the subject."
About 649,000 Nevada residents, or about 40 percent of the gambling-age population, gambled in a casino last year making an average of 24 trips, the survey found. That participation rate was similar to rates in Arizona, California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Each of those states save for Rhode Island had hundreds of thousands more gamblers but those gamblers made many fewer trips per year. TNS NFO extrapolated the totals from 67,575 respondents to a survey mailed in 2003.
The Harrah's study also included a separate survey of players polled during the World Series of Poker tournament at Binion's Horseshoe in May, the first year Harrah's has owned the tournament. Ninety-five percent of professional poker players are men and 98 percent of amateur players are men, according to the poll. Sixty-six percent of professional players said a nonsmoking environment makes a great poker room compared with 76 percent of amateurs.
More than half of World Series of Poker players gamble at other casino table games. About a quarter of players also play slots and make sports bets.
The pros said they have played poker for an average of 24 years while amateurs have been playing for an average of 23 years.
As the debate over expanded gambling continues in Florida, a nationwide survey of casino gamblers sponsored by a casino owner shows 2.1 million Florida adults gambled at a casino last year. The survey also reports casino gamblers are more politically active than non-gamblers.
Full story on http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com
After 40 years, the Beatles are back in Vegas. And that's not a mirage...
LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil are banding together to create a powerhouse theatrical production at the Mirage hotel-casino to replace the legendary Siegfried & Roy act that closed more than a year ago.
This is the first time the Beatles have teamed up to do a major theatrical partnership after carefully guarding its popular music for decades, said Neil Aspinall, managing director of the band's Apple Corps label.
The deal for the joint-venture production that is expected to cost more than $100 million US was reached this week between Cirque du Soleil, Apple and the Mirage, said Bill McBeath, the hotel-casino's president and chief operating officer.
The yet untitled show should be ready in about 20 months, McBeath said.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Aspinall said a Las Vegas marriage with Cirque du Soleil was "too good of an opportunity to pass up."
The Beatles had been approached with many theatrical proposals, he said, but none offered the creativity and innovation for which Cirque du Soleil is regarded.
French for "circus of the sun," Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil is known for its acrobatic performances that blend athleticism with music and artistry. More than seven million people saw its shows around the world last year.
Aspinall said other offers amounted to nothing "more than a stage production with cover versions" of Beatles songs, not something that would burnish the Beatles' musical legacy.
Other locations, London, New York and Tokyo also were considered but none could match Las Vegas's appeal and its massive influx of tourists. The city is expected to top 37 million visitors this year.
"That helped tip the balance," Aspinall said.
Another draw was the Mirage's commitment to building a new theatre. McBeath said the theatre, under construction since August, will hold about 2,000 people and offer 360-degree seating.
The theatre replaces the one in which the German illusionists performed for about 13 years before Roy Horn was nearly killed Oct. 3, 2003, by one of his tigers. Since the mauling, the Mirage has been without its signature act.
The show not only fills a major entertainment void at the Mirage, the mega-resort that helped redefine Las Vegas, but also adds another high-dollar extravaganza to bolster the city's pitch as the entertainment capital of the world.
Caesars Palace built Celine Dion a $95 million theatre for her A New Day show, which Concerts West produced for $30 million. The Phantom of the Opera, one of the most successful shows in the history of Broadway, is coming to the Venetian hotel-casino in 2006; and the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q will open in September 2005 at the Wynn Las Vegas resort.
Cirque du Soleil recently announced a new $165 million show at the MGM Grand called KA.
Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte didn't reveal much about the 90-minute Beatles show, other to say it would contain the Canadian company's famous acrobatics and be a celebration of Beatles music.
Laliberte said the two groups, although using different mediums, complemented each other.
"They did with words what we did with images," he said. "It's timeless."
Laliberte said he began discussing the idea about four and a half years ago with George Harrison, who died of cancer in 2001.
The remaining Beatles will help shape the production, though Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will not appear in the production. Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison also will collaborate on the project.
The songs to be used in the show are undecided, but Cirque du Soleil will have complete access to the Beatles' musical archive. Other show details remained closely guarded.
"That's a tough one," Aspinall said. "It's still a work in progress."
McBeath said he expects the combination to supplant the popular Siegfried & Roy spectacle, which generated $44 million in annual revenue.
"We had anticipated Siegfried and Roy closing out their career at the end of the 2005," McBeath said.
It turned out Laliberte had the perfect pitch.
"It was a home run," McBeath said. "There was no equivocation as to whether this would be successful or not."
The investment should improve the fortunes of the aging Mirage, a gilded hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip that Steve Wynn opened in 1989.
"I think this show is the most important statement The Mirage could make after 15 years," McBeath said.
This is Cirque du Soleil's fifth show in Las Vegas, and Laliberte suggested it wouldn't be the last. He called Las Vegas a gold mine.
"If I can be producing 10 shows, I'll be producing 10 shows."
It will a homecoming of sorts for the Beatles. The band last played Las Vegas in 1964, playing two performances at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Verbatim from http://www.canada.com
Su Oct 10 – 2:00pm EST (NBC)
This week’s race at Kansas Speedway is the 4th Cup race run on the track. Jeff Gordon won the first two and Ryan Newman took last years race. In each of the races Gordon won, Newman finished 2nd, and in the race Newman finally won last year, Gordon finished 4th. They are the only drivers to finish in the top of every Kansas race and, not surprisingly, head our outright market this week. Kansas is very similar to Las Vegas in terms of banking and size, so you would expect the Roush drivers (so dominant in Vegas) to do well here. The fact is they have yet to yet to notch a top five in all three Kansas races, but that may be ready to change this week?
Matt Kenseth won at Vegas this year and was followed home by Kasey Kahne. The latter has been threatening to break out with a win all year and this track offers him his best shot to do so. Like Ryan Newman he is a lover of these cookie cutter tracks (1.5 mile ovals). Another driver to watch out for this week is Newman’s teammate Rusty Wallace. Wallace has finished in the top 10 in all 3 Kansas races, with two top5's, and looks cracking each way value at 28/1!
Sa Oct 30
Funny Cide rekindled memories of his dual Classic-winning season with an impressive victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park last Saturday. Since the 2003 Preakness, Funny Cide had won just twice, and time seemed to have run out for last year’s Kentucky Derby hero. Saturday’s race was his last chance to prove he still retained the ability, but a return to the big time wasn’t looking assured as he began to falter after taking a brief lead early on, dropping back to third as the field turned into the stretch. After being headed, however, he came back running, coming home strongly for a three-quarter length victory over Newfoundland to earn himself a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Classic. Bago, winner of last weekend’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris, is considered only a possible runner for the Classic at this stage.
The Jockey Club Cup topped a weekend full of Breeders’ Cup clues, with Kitten’s Joy sending out a warning to the European contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Turf with victory in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.
Three-year-old Kitten's Joy, racing against older horses for the first time, clearly relished the 1 ½ mile trip to register a 2 ½ length victory over favorite Magistretti in the $750,000 contest. Such an impressive success indicates that the US has another serious contender for the Turf, after Johar’s dead-heat with High Chaparral last year produced the first success for a home-trained horse in the race since Buck’s Boy in 1998.
Powerscourt, first-past-the-post (later disqualified) in the Arlington Million, is still likely for the Turf after skipping the Arc with a minor ailment, but could also be entered for the Classic.
Sa Oct 9 – 1:00pm EST (ESPN2)
Su Oct 10 – TBD
With the National League Division Series tied at 1-1, Minute Maid Park will be rocking when the Astro’s return home on Saturday, needing only two wins to advance to the NLCS. Houston won Game 1, 9-3, before the Braves rallied to win Game 2, 4-2, in 11 innings. Both teams won games having to come from behind, and a similar type of tight game is expected again this weekend.
The Braves can claim momentum after an emotional victory - plus a very tough loss for Houston - but the Astros are going home to a park where they have won 18 consecutive games, and it would be a mistake to think either team is lacking for confidence. The Braves have won the only playoff games they've played at Minute Maid Park, beating Houston, 7-4, in Game 1 of the 2001 NLDS and 1-0 in Game 2. Every pitcher who worked in that series for Houston is either injured or has moved on, while closer John Smoltz is the only Brave still pitching for Atlanta who saw duty in that series. With two different teams this time, this is another situation entirely, and the difference could be the Astro’s home record this year.
Prediction: Astros @ 10/11/Under 9.5 @ 4/5.
Su Oct 10 – 1:00 pm EST (FOX)
The Giants go into this battle of NFC East rivals on a three-game winning streak following a season-opening 31-17 loss at Philadelphia, but look set to face their biggest test since Week 1 from Dallas. The Cowboys (2-1)
are coming off a bye after a Monday night win at Washington. With division leaders Philadelphia on a bye themselves this week there is an opportunity for both teams to make up some lost ground.
Since that opening loss the Giants have put away the Redskins, Browns and then Green Bay at Lambeau Field, all teams that have had their troubles, so it is difficult to know just how good New York are. Their turnover margin has certainly been excellent, forcing 13 turnovers and committing just two during their streak. In addition once the offence takes the field, the ball is being protected relatively well. Kurt Warner has re-established himself as a decent quarterback, while Tiki Barber is enjoying a renaissance as the NFC's leading rusher.
In Dallas, however, they face a team with a decent secondary who should be able to focus on stopping the ground game. The Giants’ offensive line may have provided sufficient protection so far for Kurt Warner, but can this really last for too much longer? Cowboys QB Vinny Testaverde can throw the ball as well as any in the league. He has good targets in the receiving corps in Johnson, Glenn and Bryant and so should pose problems for the Giants' secondary.
Last season, Dallas swept the Giants for the first time since 1998, winning at Giants Stadium (35-32), and in Dallas (19-3) on December 21. In fact the Giants have lost 10 of their last 13 visits to the Texas Stadium, and that sequence is fancied to continue here. Our handicap betting requires Dallas to win by more than 3.5 points, and that is something they should achieve comfortably. Prediction: Dallas (-3.5) @ 10/11.
You no longer need to guess what your beloved ones want to receive as X-Mas gifts. You bet you are going to make them happy! :-)
John Seewer, Associated Press, verbatim from http://www.azcentral.com
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With poker's popularity growing because of televised tournaments, retailers are betting that playing cards and chips will be among the must-have items during the holiday shopping season.
Stores are showcasing displays of casino-quality chips and gaming tables with holders for drinks and betting chips.
"I'm not a big poker player, but I know a lot about it because it's such a hot item," said Kmart spokeswoman Caryn Klebba. "It seems like the teenagers are in love with it." advertisement
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Karen Burk said the renewed interest in poker may make a deck of cards the top stocking stuffer of the holidays this year.
Poker, which was introduced to much of the country by riverboats on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in the 1800s, is now seeing another surge thanks to tournaments being televised on cable networks.
"The World Series of Poker" on ESPN along with Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" and the "World Poker Tour" on the Travel Channel are among the hit new shows.
Few networks were interested in poker until the World Poker Tour turned into an overnight success a year ago.
PokerStars.com, a popular Web site that offers poker online, estimates based on anecdotal research that from 50 million to 60 million people play poker at least once a month.
Games range from high school students gathering in basements on weekend nights to organized tournaments.
Noah Campbell, 25, started a weekend tournament in Toledo this year that draws a combined 80 players on Friday and Saturday nights, with the money going to charities.
He spent at least $2,000 buying tables, cards and chips. Campbell said many of his friends are buying their own supplies too - including high-end chips and cards.
"They want to emulate what they see on TV," he said.
Sears, Roebuck and Co. sells a $99 gaming set that comes in a portable velvet-lined case with a chrome handle and 300 chips and two decks of cards.
Georganne Greece, a buyer for the company's game room group, said expectations are that poker supplies will see a huge surge in sales in the coming months.
"It's somewhat in its infancy," she said. "But early indications are that we're going to sell through most of this product - even the high-end items."
Most items began arriving at Sears stores in the middle of August. "We saw it fly away," she said.
Books written by some of the game's best-known players, such as Phil Hellmuth and Doyle Brunson, have been top sellers at Borders bookstores, said Beth Bingham, a spokeswoman for Borders Group Inc.
Hellmuth has a second book, "Bad Beats and Lucky Draws," coming out in November. He's also working on a couple more for next year.
In the last year, Borders has added 20 percent more poker-related books. "It's not just the book titles," Bingham said. "There's a lot more products - we're carrying poker games, a Texas Hold 'Em game."
Restoration Hardware, the furniture and home decor retailer, sells playing cards and all the extras - mechanical card shufflers, playing card coasters and shot glasses.
The retailer, just like any good poker player, had a little luck on its side, too. It began stocking gaming items a few years before the poker boom.
Dave Glassman, a spokesman for the Corte Madera, Calif.-based company, said at first the items "didn't get much visual importance in the store." But the company was well-positioned to capitalize when poker shows on television began drawing fans.
Now the items are front and center inside its stores and catalogues.
Crate & Barrel spokeswoman Bette Kahn said poker's elevation is a testament to the power of television.
It's hard to say whether card playing will stick around, she said. "It may not be a fad. They've played poker for years and years," Kahn added.
I suppose this isn't a surprise. But the article provides a useful overview of gaming exec training in US.
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By Christina Littlefield, verbatim from www.lasvegassun.com
As casino gaming becomes legal in more and more states, primarily through the spread of tribal casinos, the need to train more casino executives is growing, a keynote speaker at the Global Gaming Expo said Monday.
But efforts to offer more courses in casino management are typically met with resistance outside of Nevada, said Thomas J. Brosig, faculty fellow at the private Tulane University and co-founder of Grand Casinos.
Only 17 universities and community colleges throughout the nation offer courses or programs in casino management, Brosig said, with UNLV, UNR and the Community College of Southern Nevada leading the way. About 350,000 to 400,000 people work in the industry nationwide, Brosig said.
Although casino executives spend most of their time in the non-gaming ends of the job, such as running restaurants, entertainment and hotels, Brosig said casino management courses are stigmatized by the same prejudices that people have toward the gaming industry as a whole.
Even in Mississippi, where legalized gambling employs about 12,000 people and accounts for 10 percent of state revenue, lawmakers there typically view the gaming industry as promoting immorality and have refused to allow Mississippi's public institutions to offer courses in casino management, Brosig said.
Whereas hotel executives are usually admired, Brosig said, hotel and casino executives are typically despised and lumped together with the mobsters who controlled the industry a generation ago. Lawmakers also often dismiss the need to educate casino executives, he said.
"Legislators think that when we're teaching gaming we're teaching people how to deal blackjack," Brosig said. "But what we're really doing is teaching people how to think like a CEO in an industry that has its own unique attributes."
After failing to convince officials at the University of Southern Mississippi to allow him to offer casino management courses there, Brosig brokered a deal to start an associate's degree program at Tulane's branch campus in Biloxi.
One of Brosig's first steps was to send Tulane officials to Las Vegas to learn about UNLV's program, and UNLV worked with Tulane to help the school develop the program in Biloxi, he said. UNLV even co-sponsors some of the seminars Tulane offers, Brosig said.
"They've been a tremendous help," Brosig said, noting that UNLV's nationally known program in casino management serves as a blueprint for other institutions. "They've had a great openness to sharing information."
UNLV is the only institution in the country to offer a bachelor's degree in gaming management, Stuart Mann, dean of the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, said. UNR offers a minor through its business college.
There are about 2,500 students in the college's hospitality management program, which includes gaming, and 400 to 500 graduate each year, Mann said.
"Most institutions that have anything at all about gaming management have an introductory survey course," Mann said.
The university prides itself on being a pioneer in advancing casino management training, Mann said, but faculty are generally willing to share information about the program with others. The hotel college gets about two to three calls a year from different institutions, Mann said.
"We don't feel that we are in competition," Mann said. "There is plenty of room for other institutions to graduate students in the industry. Our reputation stands on its own, we are in the best in the nation."
by Rod Smith, Las Vegas Gaming Wire - Verbatim from www.casinocitytimes.com
Despite grim prospects for several Nov. 2 ballot initiatives aimed at legalizing or expanding gambling, manufacturers and industry insiders at the Global Gaming Expo's opening sessions were betting slot machines sales will enjoy a big surge in the next two years.
Their arguments, however, have shifted. Rather than state fiscal crises driving expansion, the "domino effect" -- don't let neighboring states tax your residents -- will keep overcoming local opposition to new gaming, they said.
Specifically, because Pennsylvania enacted a law in July to allow slots at tracks, neighboring states -- especially Maryland, Ohio, Kentucky and New York -- are expected to hustle to keep their residents from driving across state lines to gamble, Orrin Ediden, executive vice president of WMS Gaming, told a packed meeting room of G2E attendees at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
There's at least a 50-50 chance Florida will move to legalize slots at tracks, despite vocal opposition from Gov. Jeb Bush, to head off competition from new resorts likely to be created around expanded racetrack operations with casinos in the Northeast.
There's also likely to some growth in table games, with West Virginia already moving to expand casino operations in anticipation of the rush to add slot machines around the Mid-Atlantic region, said Tim O'Leary, business development manager of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Atronic Americas, a slot machine manufacturer with operations in Las Vegas.
Slot makers and industry insiders also agreed that while two ballot initiatives in California are likely to fail, the push behind new compacts to expand tribal casinos will only grow, adding to the push for the expansion of manufacturing operations.
Altogether, there was general agreement that over the next two years, racetracks and tribal casinos will order 150,000 more slot machines, possibly even 175,000 units, increasing the number of slots in use in the United States from 650,000 to 800,000 by late 2007.
The main driving force will be the entry of Pennsylvania into the racino business. That will be followed closely by an expected response from New York and added slots at California's tribal casinos.
Pennsylvania alone is expected to offer up to 61,000 slots at tracks within the next two years, although the state's top gaming regulator has yet to be named and regulations have yet to be adopted.
While Roy Garrett, director of new business development at the Bally Gaming and Systems division of Alliance Gaming, said projections for Pennsylvania may be optimistic because of regulatory delays, he expects at least 45,000 new slots to come online.
The expansion in Pennsylvania is virtually certain to draw a proportionate response in Maryland, which has been slow to legalize slots at tracks, and from there the dominos will keep falling, said Bill Bartolomay, director of new market development at WMS Gaming.
"Ohio will be a tough sell as long as Gov. (Bob) Taft is there, but it'll be examined closely. New York is the most likely to move because it'll get penalized the most by Pennsylvania," he said.
The experts agreed other states should learn from the example in New York, where slots at tracks were authorized after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks when the state needed money to pay for lost revenues.
New York track operators retain 20 percent of the money played in slots, while they will keep 48 percent in Pennsylvania.
As a result, the tracks in Pennsylvania will add a broad range of amenities, in effect creating new destination resorts with which the modest slot operations in New York will be hard pressed to compete.
Other states where chances are improving for expanded gaming include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Texas.
In Illinois, for example, Gov. Rod Blagojevich seems to have suddenly realized he needs the support of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley to be re-elected. Daley wants casino gambling in Chicago and expanded gaming in Illinois.
In Indiana, talks have bogged down over how much gambling should be expanded and when, rather than whether there should be an expansion or not.
In Iowa, a 1998 moratorium has been tagged unconstitutional by the courts and discussion is under way on how to move toward limited expansion.
In Michigan, the main issue is how severely to limit any expansion that does occur, and in Texas, the issue is where legalized gambling will get its foot in the door.
But there was one conclusion on which all the manufacturers -- happily -- agreed. Whatever the momentary setbacks, they see few limits on the expansion of slot machine operations in the United States, especially in the near term.
Considering the feedback received on this topic, I can tell that's the hottest event of the week. We'll keep monitoring news, gossip, trends at the Global Gaming Expo. As you may imagine, participants are literally flooding the media with press-releases, so as usual we'll provide to you the stories we consider more interesting, filtering the noise for you.
Stay tuned, news coming soon!
Alliance Gaming Corp. announced that its Bally Gaming and Systems business unit has entered into a licensing agreement with celebrity icon Pamela Anderson for a new Playboy slot machine and that she will introduce the game *in person* at the upcoming Global Gaming Expo.
Thursday, October 7, 2004, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
The 'Mad Genius of Poker,' Michael Caro, widely regarded as the world's foremost authority of poker strategy, psychology and statistics, will facilitate this lively discussion about the issues surrounding the renewed popularity of one of the world's favorite card games. Panelists include Lyle Berman, CEO of Lakes Entertainment and one of the world's leading poker players; Jack Binion, former Chairman, Horseshoe Gaming; and Jennifer Harman, widely regarded as the best female poker player in the world. Sponsored by ShuffleMaster.
Wednesday, October 6, 2004, 11:30AM - 12:30PM
Emmy Award-winning talk-show host Larry King will once again lead a panel of industry experts, including:
Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., President and CEO, American Gaming Association
Paulus Karskens, President, International IGT
Gary Loveman, President and CEO, Harrah's Entertainment
J. Terrence Lanni, Chairman and CEO, MGM MIRAGE
Rebecca Paul, President and CEO, Tennessee Lottery
Ernie Stevens, Chairman, National Indian Gaming Association
Larry King according to www.cnn.com
He celebrated his 45th year in broadcasting in 2002. CNN's Larry King is the host of the network's Larry King Live, the first worldwide phone-in television talk show and the network's highest-rated program. The Emmy Award-winning King and author of multiple books has been dubbed "the most remarkable talk-show host on TV ever" by TV Guide and "master of the mike" by TIME Magazine.
Larry King Live debuted on CNN in June 1985 with its now famous mix of celebrity interviews, political debates and topical discussions. Telecast each weeknight at 9 p.m. (ET), the program also features phone calls from viewers around the world. CNN's Larry King Weekend airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9 p.m. and offers in-depth profiles and career retrospectives of news and entertainment figures. In June 1994, King created the first daily radio/TV talk show by simulcasting CNN's Larry King Live on Mutual/Westwood One radio stations nationwide.
King has been asking famous people questions throughout his career, having accumulated more than 40,000 interviews, including every U.S. president since the Ford administration. King's famed NAFTA debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot in 1993 broke cable industry ratings records (outside of the first night of Gulf War coverage) and obtained the highest rating in CNN history--reaching more than 16.3 million viewers. In 1995, King showcased his extraordinary skill in international diplomacy when he hosted a historic hour on the Middle East Peace process with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, King Hussein of Jordan and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. King's award-winning jailhouse interviews include: convicted murderers Sante Kimes and her son, Kenneth; Karla Faye Tucker, the first woman to be executed in Texas; and Mike Tyson.
During the war with Iraq in 2003, King hosted live shows for 29 consecutive days hosting Generals Richard Myers and Hugh Shelton, Queen Noor of Jordan, captured Newsday journalist Matthew McCallester, families of POWs and ambassadors from Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Syria and Turkey. Other exclusive guests appearing on Larry King Live in 2003 include former President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister John Major, Elizabeth Taylor, Sean Penn, the "Central Park Jogger" Trisha Meili and Paul Burrell, butler to the late Princess to Diana. In 2002, King had more than 60 exclusive interviews. Those included the first television interview with then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott after Lott's remarks that caused him to resign his position; former President Jimmy Carter's first interview after being named the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner; interviews with the family of the D.C.-area snipers; actor Harry Belafonte regarding his controversial comments about Secretary of State Colin Powell; a sit down with Bill Clinton regarding his Sept. 11 scholarship fund; Erin Runnion, mother of murdered 5-year-old Samantha Runnion; multiple exclusive breaking news interviews the night Robert Blake was arrested; a live hour with Mariane Pearl, widow of slain journalist Danny Pearl; and former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling's first interview. After 2001's Sept. 11 attacks, King interviewed more than 700 guests, including more than 35 world leaders and dignitaries. In 2000, King's 37 consecutive days of political coverage during the election recount in Florida featured 348 guests, including George W. and Laura Bush and Al and Tipper Gore with both respective vice presidential candidates giving King their first interviews after being selected as running mates.
For more than four decades, King has consistently made headlines night after night with such high-profile guests as Tony Blair, Marlon Brando, Barbara Bush, Johnny Carson, Bette Davis, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Gleason, Mikhail Gorbachev, Billy Graham, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Hope, L.Ron Hubbard, Michael Jordan, Bobby Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Dr. Martin Luther King, Monica Lewinsky, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Al Pacino, Prince, Nancy Reagan, Eleanor Roosevelt, Pete Rose, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand,
Margaret Thatcher, Oprah Winfrey and Malcolm X.
Described as the "Muhammad Ali of the broadcast interview," King has been inducted into five of the nation's leading broadcasting halls of fame and is the recipient of the prestigious Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism. Both his radio and television shows have won the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. King also has won a News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Interview/Interviewer and 10 CableACE awards for Best Interviewer and for best Talk Show Series.
In 2003, King won the prestigious Gracie Allen Award by the Foundation of American Women in Radio and Television for his interview with former first lady of Texas Nellie Connally. In 2002, King was nominated for an Emmy Award for his interview with Sir Paul McCartney in addition to receiving two New York Festival Awards for his Sept. 11 coverage and again for his interview with McCartney. King was also selected to be an Olympic Torch bearer for the 2002 Winter Games. King received the Unity Award for excellence in public affairs, reporting on minority issues from Lincoln University of Missouri and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Public Service Award for his programming on depression in 2001.
King was also crowned Bacchus XXXIII at the 2001 Mardi Gras in New Orleans and was presented the keys to the city. In 2000, King received Harvard University's Mahoney Award for increasing public awareness about neuroscience and the March of Dimes' Franklin Delano Roosevelt Award for his efforts on behalf of community volunteerism. In celebration of 40th anniversary in the broadcasting industry, Hollywood honored King in 1997 with a star on the Walk of Fame for his life's work. In 1996, the American Academy of Achievement honored him with the Golden Plate Award for his life's work in the broadcasting industry. In 1994, he received the Scopus Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University and in 1993, the National Association of Radio Talk Show Hosts named King "Talk Show Host of the Year." He has received honorary degrees from George Washington University, the New England Institute of Technology, Brooklyn College and the Pratt Institute and was a recent commencement speaker at Columbia University Medical School.
Entertainment Tonight called him the "master interviewer," and King has made cameo appearances in 21 movies including Ghostbusters, Primary Colors, Contact, The Kid, The Contender, America's Sweethearts and John Q. King has appeared in such television series as The Practice, Arliss, Murphy Brown, Frasier and Murder One.
Before broadcasting to an international audience, King was a popular media personality in Miami where he hosted interview programs for WIOD-Radio and WTVJ-TV. From 1978-1994, King's voice was heard by millions of radio listeners on Mutual Radio's The Larry King Show.
In addition to his broadcast credits, King founded the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars and provided life-saving cardiac procedures for nearly 60 needy children and adults. King also recently established a $1 million journalism scholarship at George Washington University's School of Media and Affairs for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
King is married to singer/actress Shawn Southwick-King and is the father of Andy, Larry Jr., Chaia, Chance and Cannon.
I was asked: "Where should I go, if I have time to attend only one event at the G2E?".
This is the answer...
Wednesday, October 6, 2004
Start Time: 3:00pm
End Time: 3:50pm
The Internet has opened up new vistas for international commerce and communication. To date, the U.S. government has used the Wire Act of 1961, a statute designed to disrupt illegal gambling businesses, to prosecute licensed online gaming operators. Antigua’s successful challenge of the U.S. restriction on its cross-border gaming supply highlights the difficulties of enforcing gaming prohibition in a borderless medium.
Speakers:
David G. Schwartz - Coordinator - Gaming Studies Research Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Bob Blumenfeld - Attorney
Jay Cohen - Former President - World Sports Exchange
Yes, David is the same Dave of http://www.dieiscast.com/
Sponsored by leading companies as Deutsche Bank Securities and Goldman, Sachs & Co, on Tuesday, October 5, and Wednesday, October 6. Investors, analysts, stockbrokers and investment professionals will learn about the financial future of leading gaming companies. This forum features chairmen, presidents and CFOs explaining expansion plans, market situations and company strategies.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
2:00pm - 2:50pm
S226
Even as politicians in the United States resist all efforts to legalize Internet gaming, other jurisdictions are getting into the act. In the U.K., for example, the proposed draft gambling bill legalizes Internet gaming, a development that promises to make that country one of the leading Internet jurisdictions in the world. This session will explore how the growing legitimacy — and regulation — of Internet gaming has caused this pattern to be replicated in the U.K. and beyond.
I noticed a lot of interest about the financial present and future of the gaming industry. With this event, you get Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr., to moderate the panel of experts. So, who better than the President and CEO of American Gaming Association himself can moderate this important event? If you want to see what the top financial analysts think about the future of the industry, this event is a must.
The quarterly P&L statements are of paramount importance to all casino operators, but for publicly traded gaming companies, their executives and thousands of investors, there’s another perhaps more important barometer: the opinions of Wall Street gaming analysts, who can make a stock drop or soar with a single report. In this session, Wall Street’s top gaming analysts get together to give their views on the state of the industry and its major players.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
10:25am - 11:15am
S226
With the recent poker boom, television has become more aware of the gaming industry and the innovative programming it can provide. Experts at this session will examine where and how gaming has been successful on TV and its prospects on some of the major networks. The viability and possibilities of interactive gaming on TV will also be discussed.
Tuesday, October 5, 2004
10:25am - 11:15am
S231
How should your money be invested in marketing and promotions? This session will explore the use of direct mail, players clubs, pull tab marketing, marketing via email and the Web, newspaper/radio advertising, new marketing and promotion ideas, among other techniques.
Here we go with some highlights about what you can find at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). We are not proving information about all the events, this is just to give you an idea of the quality of the event.
Looking at our statistics, all the previews we gave about Global Gaming Expo are getting hot among readers.
G2E is the preeminent show in the gaming-entertainment industry worldwide. It's the only place to see hot new products from 750+ exhibitors, network with the Who's Who of gaming, and learn the latest industry trends during 100+ conference sessions. October 5-7, 2004, Las Vegas Convention Center, G2E Training & Development Institute, October 4, 2004. Visit www.globalgamingexpo.com for further information about the Show and the Conference.
Las Vegas Blog: Las Vegas casino games, Las Vegas entertainment, Las Vegas business, studying at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Information provided for entertainment purposes only; consult a professional before making any decision on the topics proposed on this site
