Bodog Girl Search 2004

BoDog and its CEO Cole Turner launched a competition to elect the new BoDog girl. Fourteen gorgeous girls made to the final phase, now it's time for you to vote and decide who you want to see on BoDog site! One lucky voter will win a trip to South Beach (Miami) to party with the winner.

Check here the BoDog finalists.

Sports handicapping and betting with Bob Scucci

Bob Scucci recently gave a very interesting lecture at UNLV. Bob is the Race and Sportsbook Manager for Stardust. He was born
in New Jersey and move to Vegas while attending high school, because both his mother and father got job offers from Las Vegas sportsbooks. Well, this is really the case to say that Bob grow up with sports betting in its vein! He assisted for six years the former manager Joe Lupo, before getting promoted to run the show.

The Stardust was the first casino on the Strip to provide sports betting to its patrons. "Lefty" Rosenthal - yes the man portrait in Casino with Robert de Niro, Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci - worked at the Stardust. On NFL games, betting limits are $10,000 for sides and $2,000 for totals, while college football limits are $5,000 for sides and $1,000 for totals. Considering this is the first casino to post lines, at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays, the world of betting - made by bettors, oddsmakers, bookmakers - is literally looking forward to see what the Stardust lines will be.

Bob explained what we all want to know: how are the lines made? Well, lines are made with the help of the only licensed oddsmaker, Las Vegas Sports Consultants. Bob and his team aim to forecast how the public will bet, to achieve profit for the sportsbook. Some bettors think sportsbooks try to predict the outcome of events, which is a just a myth. Sportsbooks are not concerned with the match outcome, because they want to get a profit regardless of who wins and who loses. So, when we talk about lines, it's all about getting the value of the teams in the eyes of the bettors. Another myth is that sportsbooks want to achieve perfect balance on both sides, for every single match. That would be great, but according to Bob is not a realistic goal. They just want to profit in the medium term, that is, the sport season.

Bob supports legalization and regulation of online betting, to satisfy bettors demand. He says that, currently, online offshore sportsbooks are attracting professional handicappers, who want to bet anytime and anywhere they consider it profitable. So, in terms of net win, Stardust didn't lose much due to offshore operators. In fact, sportsbooks aren't a big profit-center in casinos. A 3%-5% annual profit is considered a good result, and if you consider the risk casinos takes while accepting sports bets, it is not a huge return-on-investement. But sportsbooks attract players who then spend the evening playing at casino games, so it's an excellent marketing tool.

He sees betting patterns all season long. Certain players bet underdogs, while others strictly try to "middle" games (lay -2.5 points on one side of a game and then take +3.5 points on the other team). Also, professional bettors never stray from their systems and strategies. They are very disciplined. When they have a bad run of luck, they never double their wagers to chase their money, and they never change their approach to handicapping. They weather the storm to overcome the house edge.

When asked how the Stardust became the top sportsbook in USA, he replies saying they pay the highest odds on parlays and parlay cards. Also, they have one of the largest sportsbooks in town with several TVs to watch the games. But with all the competition recently coming from other properties, there is little left to differentiate them from other books, except the fact that Stardust comes out first with the lines.

The Stardust accepts bets right after the lines are posted, on Sunday evening. So, several bettors go there to be witness how the lines move and to see the general reaction of bettors to the lines. For years, a group of aficionados started queueing very early to be the first to bet. Now, Bob and his team run a free lottery to determine who will bet first. YOu may think this another marketing tool. But that's more of a safety tool... Some years ago, a guy was queueing and left a few minutes to go to the toilette. He then came back and claimed his place in the line. Another guy kindly invited him, showing a gun, to go at the end of line. So, the next Sunday the Stardust lottery was born to avoid any possible... discussion.

Sportsbooks comp players' bets in a different way from the rest of the casino. As told above, the house profit on sports bets is vert tiny, so players cannot receive the same treatment they get while playing keno with a double-digit house advantage. To increase your chances to win, remember to check the "Sports Handicappers Library," located next to the Stardust book in a quiet area, with three walls of statistical information about current sporting events.

Of course, now you can get the opening and current lines without leaving your seat. Just check http://www.stardustlv.com, which also provides extensive coverage of betting rules and the Stardust show on KDWN AM 720.

If you want to know more about Bob Scucci, just make a query on Google. Covers.com, DocsSports.com, OSGA and every other sport betting publication worth its name talked about Bob, so you can get even more insider information about your favourite hobby (or your work if betting is your profession :-).

So many things to see!

Well, it pays to do a little of homeworks before coming to Vegas. I mean, to know which shows you would like to see here!

There are many shows, you find them featured on every tourist guide and in the promotional leaflets you find in your hotel room. Las Vegas itself is a huge stage: themed casinos, happy people on the Strip, the Freemont experience in Downtown Vegas, ...

There are shows for families, couples, singles, young and mature people. There are early and late shows. With such a variey of ways to have a great time, we cannot guarantee to provide a complete guide to Vegas entertainment. But our highights will save you a lot of time, so you know what's going on in Vegas.

If you come to see a specific show, it pays to check its official website (often just check the site of the casino hosting the event) to see on which days and time of the year it's performed. Well, you know, even big singers and impersonators need a rest from time to time!

More gaming studies resources

I'll keep posting the useful resources I found online and the ones you suggest me. Here we go with some more urls.

Casino News: keep updated about the casino industry, new players in the gaming arena, merging and special bonus to attract customers at casinos.

Ascend Media Gaming Group: publisher of several gaming-related trade magazines. With information about coming events.

Interactive gaming news: e-lottery, online gaming laws, interactive gaming regulation.

Gaming studies resources

Online, there are several "me too" gaming sites. They look more or less the same, with no real added value.

But there are some gold mines as well. They aren't several of them, but they can save you a lot of time and improve your gaming studies achievements. I searched for them while studying, so now you can save time and get them here. If you find useful websites you like to add, just drop us a line. If you want to promote your own site... please think twice. If it's useful for other people, you are welcome to suggest us your site; if you want to promote it for its own sake, please save your and my time :-)

Casino spreadsheets (http://www.urbino.net/analysers.cfm?specificSS=1): put the numbers in the right place and get the big picture! This is an astonishing collection of spreadsheets you can use to analyse games performance.

Game Performance Analyser (http://www.urbino.net/ss/excel07.zip): in just 60k, it determines if the introduction of a new game is warranted based on financial criteria. This is an example of the files you can find on Urbino.net.

Cirque du Soleil

Started in 1984 in Quebec (Canada), Cirque du Soleil is now a worldwide hit with four resident shows and five shows touring worldwide. Its 500 artist speak more than 25 languages and come from 40 different countries.

Going to a Cirque du Soleil show is a unique experience. "It's very much like you're walking into a world and it is a theatrical experience" says CDS female performer Nicola Down. "I think it's more theatrical than some shows and there's no animals, of course, and it's just a very heightened theatrical experience. There's poetry, there's music, there's beautiful dance, there's amazing acrobatic performances that are going on: you really get the sense that it's a world that you're coming into".

Jesko von den Steinen, a.k.a. as Eddie the clown a.k.a. as the Baron, says that "the Baron will come out at the beginning of the show and proposes the audience to come on a journey, to suggest that everything is illusion, it doesn't mean anything, yet if we allow ourselves, we can get on the ship and go. Really, all we need is the power of immagination".

If you like to join this trip, Cirque du Soleil is performing in Las vegas at Bellagio (http://www.cirquedusoleil.com) and New York - New York (http://www.zumanity.com/). Its official website, in English and French, is (guess what :-) http://www.cirquedusoleil.com

UNLV at a glance

Everything you wanted to know about UNLV, now ranked by the U.S. News & World Report annual America's Best Colleges guidebook in its National Doctoral Universities category, but were afraid to ask...

UNLV departments are growing and getting important achievements nationwide, not only in gaming studies (for example, the department of Nursing received full reaccreditation through the year 2010 from the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission). The campus is growing,with the 30,000-square-foot Beam Music Center, a 433-bed expansion to Tonopah residence hall, and Eller Media Softball Stadium. Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching ranks UNLV as a Doctoral/Research University-Intensive, which is the organization's second-highest ranking.

Research is expanding with federally funded project, with new facilities and a research park to host information technology, biotechnology, materials and alternative energy laboratories.

Compared to the national average, UNLV number of graduate students is growing at about 1000% rate. Graduate students represent 20 percent of the student population.

More information available about financial aid for students and renting your accomodation off-campus.

Gold of Nevada: new pics

After your huge demand of more pics... :-) enjoy new ones, made during different sport seasons at UNLV:



If you like to be a cheerleader, know more about UNLV cheerleaders and see their pictures, check their official site on: http://unlvrebels.collegesports.com/trads/unlv-cheer.html

Why should you study at UNLV?

Thinking about studying in Las Vegas? UNLV has just released the new guide, to successfully enroll for Spring semester. Clark County ranks as the sixth-largest school district in the United States, and that's a nice start!

UNLV enrolls more than 27,000 students, with approximately 850 faculty members. UNLV offers more than 200 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs, during two semesters (Fall & Spring) of 16 weeks each. Summer sessions are held from May through August.

LINKS:
The official UNLV site is: http://www.unlv.edu/
The official Gaming Studies Research Center site is: http://gaming.unlv.edu/
The Official Athletic Site of the UNLV Rebels is: http://unlvrebels.collegesports.com/

Sports at UNLV

UNLV offers us different ways to enjoy sports: as athlete, fan, intramural competitor. UNLV provides the coaching, facilities, and traditions associated with big-time,
Division I college athletics. As a fan, we can cheer on the Rebels in 17 intercollegiate sports. If we're more interested in recreation, there are plenty of athletic action in intramural, club sports, and general outdoor recreation programs.

Relocating to Las Vegas/2

Useful links to relocate to Vegas:

http://www.lvchamber.com/relocation/index.htm offers a guide with information as demographics, weather, transport, education. In the real estate section, you find all the mayor developers and agencies in the area, as KB Home and ReMax (which offer a free video and relocation package http://www.sunnylasvegas.com/newsletter.htm)

Relocating to Las Vegas/1

Las Vegas has been nominated number one city to do business by Inc., while Fortune ranked us number two. Anyway, our city is growing fast and new business opportunities arise everyday. In such a fast moving environment, I bet you want to get reliable information about relocating here.

First: is relocating here necessary? Well, if you live outside US and you just want to use your Nevada company to get the benefits of an "offshore" companies plus the advantage of a business entity registered in the biggest World market (US), you may decide to incorporate here while staying in your own country.

If you live in US and you run your Las Vegas company from another State, you may be required to pay/register with your State of residence, so check it out with a lawyer before deciding.

Second: is relocating here convenient? YES, it is. Lower cost of life, opportunities to invest in real estates and other local assets you may resell in the future, living where the action is and networking with other local enterpreneurs. There are several good reasons to move here.

Useful links to relocate here are coming soon.

Incorporating in Nevada at a glance

For updated information about incorporating in Las Vegas-Nevada, please visit BizFil
* Corporate Name Endings
The name must not be the same, or deceptively similar to, the name of any corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, foreign corporation, foreign limited partnership, foreign limited liability company, or a name reserved for use of any other proposed corporation, unless written consent of the person or other entity for whom the name is reserved is filed with the articles. A name appearing to be that of a natural person and containing a given name or initials must not be used as a corporate name, except with an additional word such as "Incorporated," "Limited," "Inc.," "Ltd.," "Company," "Co.," "Corporation," "Corp.," or other word identifying it as not being the name of a natural person. If the name implies banking, trust, or insurance powers, prior approval of the banking superintendent or insurance commissioner is needed.
Corporation Requirements

* Director Information
Minimum Number - One or more.
Residence Requirements - No provision.
Age Requirements - Directors must be a natural person at least 18 years of age.
Directors are required to be listed in the articles of incorporation.

* Officer Information
Officers are not required to be listed in the articles of incorporation.

* Stock Information
An increase in shares may cause an increase in initial filing fees.

* Corporate Records
The articles of incorporation, bylaws, any amendments thereto certified by the Secretary of State, and a copy of the stock ledger, or statement of where it is kept, must be kept at the principal office of the corporation.
Taxes and Fees

* Initial Statement
The Initial List of Officers, Directors and Resident Agent is a set fee of $125.00 and must be in the possession of the Secretary of State on or before the last day of the first month following the incorporation/initial registration date. Forms received after the due date will incur a late fee of $75.00. Business Filings does not submit the Initial List of Officers, Directors, and Registered Agent on behalf of your company.
Annual Statements
Domestic and foreign corporations must file an Annual List of Officers, Directors and Resident Agent by the last day of the month in which the anniversary date of incorporation occurs. Forms received prior to 90 days before the due date will be considered an amendment to previous year's filing. Forms received after the due date will incur a late fee of $75.00. The filing fee is based upon the shares and par value assigned, with a minimum fee of $125.00 owed each year.
In addition, all foreign corporations doing business in the state of Nevada must publish a statement of its last calendar year's business in two issues of a newspaper published in the state by March 31st of each year.

* Income Tax Rate
There is no income tax in Nevada.

* S Corporation
There is no income tax in Nevada so S Corporation elections have no state impact.

* License Requirements
Nevada requires most businesses to obtain a license and pay a fee if operating in the state. Please check with the state to make sure your business is complying with the license requirements for your particular profession.

For more information on taxes, visit http://sos.state.nv.us/geninfo/

Business in Las Vegas: fast-track

Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing American cities. While housing and offices are still at competitive prices, the tax system here is very business-friendly. The hospitality and gaming industry were the main beneficiaries of this welcoming business environment, but then other companies started relocating to Vegas: incorporating here is cheap and fast, plus there are no income tax.

If you are outside US, you can incorporate in Nevada and take advantage of having a US-based company. If you live in US, you may based your countrywide operation in the Silver State. As usual, before incorporating ask for expert advices to see which solution suits you best.