Casino Roulette: Mohawks revive lawsuit, seek $3B from Harrah's

The St. Regis Mohawks and a trust representing some major shareholders in Empire Resorts recently restarted a federal lawsuit attempting to bag $3 billion from the casino giant Harrah's.

The suit, filed in the U.S. Northern District, dates back to 2001 and alleges that Park Place Entertainment (which was later bought by Harrah's) duped the Mohawks into bolting from the Raceway to pursue a casino at Kutsher's.

This case has been batted around for years by the Mohawks tribal court, by top officials in the Interior Department and had one go in federal court.

The plaintiffs are asking the federal court to uphold a tribal court judgment awarding $1.8 billion, and interest at 9 percent a year since 2001.

Catskill Litigation Trust (essentially representing shareholders of the company that became Empire Resorts) will split the judgment with the Mohawks 50/50 — a nice consolation prize, indeed, if the casino at the Monticello Gaming & Raceway never gains federal approval.

Dennis Vacco, former New York state attorney general working with the trust, reviewed the Mohawks' confidential files in their dealings with Park Place and found information to bolster their case that Park Place committed fraud and manipulated tribal leaders.

"We are going to vigorously seek a court judgment," said Lorraine White, one of the Mohawks' three tribal chiefs.

Harrah's, which is being bought out by a group led by the Texas wheeler-dealer David Bonderman, has told their shareholders that the suit has been settled — but is also making some moves of its own. The casino giant is lobbying the Interior Department for a letter saying that tribal court is not a valid court.

The case has also brought changes at Empire Resorts, now partners again with the Mohawks in trying to bring Sullivan County's first casino.

Joseph Bernstein, a major shareholder, recently resigned from the board, believing he had a conflict of interest.

He is a named plaintiff and a co-trustee in the trust.

Bernstein said yesterday that Harrah's has emerged as the main threat to a Mohawk casino, and is making waves with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who must still OK the casino.

Not only because the company is facing a $3 billion judgment, but also because it owns several casinos in Atlantic City and doesn't want a casino built 90 minutes from Manhattan.

"In my opinion, they are holding Kempthorne's pen," Bernstein said.

Coventry casino operator speaks out over dispute

New UK casino, The Isle in Coventry, has responded to claims from a disgruntled customer that he was manhandled after a dispute over a roulette loss.

Mario Dejfar claimed he was manhandled by 15 security staff, ejected from the building after a disagreement, and left with cuts and bruises.

Dejfar believed his number had come up on one wheel, winning him £175, while he had moved on and was playing another. He later reported the incident to the police.

However, a spokesperson for the Isle told InterGaming that CCTV evidence had vindicated the casino.

"There was an incident where a customer lost on a spin and didn't accept it," she said. "However, CCTV is everywhere in the casino and proved our case. He's not disputing the decision now.

"All our security staff are totally professional and are very well trained and briefed on how to behave, and casino management has the utmost confidence that the incident was handled in the right way."

The spokesperson added that the casino, which is the largest in the UK and operated by Isle of Capri, had enjoyed a busy first week since its official opening earlier this month.

"It's been seen as a true entertainment centre, which is exactly what we hoped for," she concluded.

Top chef Novelli turns his hand to casino chips

Celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli was due to open a £7 million new casino in the city today.

Circus Casino at Fountain Park will include a restaurant called "110", where chefs work in a theatre-style kitchen preparing food in front of guests.

The 27,000sq ft site also has a bar and the latest in electronic gaming, including roulette and slots. There's also a high stakes area for roulette and blackjack players and a poker room.

Stanley Casinos regional director Sotos Scholarios said: "It's our vision to put Circus Casino Fountain Park on the 'must see' map in Edinburgh - making it a top leisure destination that appeals to people of all ages looking for a lively night out. The casino employs about 100 people."

Mr Novelli worked in a bakery in France before moving to the UK to manage Keith Floyd's gastro-pub. He opened his own restaurant in London in 1996, and became head chef on TV show Hell's Kitchen in 2005.

City Eyes Casino As Possible Solution To Money Woes

Mayor David Miller and several Toronto councillors are considering allowing a full-scale casino at Woodbine Racetrack to help the city out of its financial crunch.

But they want a large share of the revenues from any roulette, craps or card games -- an idea the provincial government doesn't appear to support.

"There is a (slots) casino now at Woodbine and ... if they want to expand, I'd look at it, but only if the money comes down to the city," Miller said.

"There's no point of us even looking at it if the money keeps going to the province because casinos have a lot of downsides as well."

Councillor Adrian Heaps (Ward 36, Scarborough Southwest) backs a casino that would solely benefit Toronto.

"If we're going to have a casino, then we've better have 100 per cent of the revenue, and the province can stay out of it 100 per cent as well," he said.

The mayor is looking for additional sources of revenue after his proposal to raise $350 million through a land transfer tax and vehicle registration fee was deferred until after the October provincial election.

Toronto faces a potential $575 million budget shortfall next year. After the tax vote delay, Miller ordered spending within public service departments to be tightened and warned property tax increases could rise by up to 10 per cent next year.

He also said large cuts could be coming to the city's services.

The financial misery, however, is no reason for a casino, said Councillor Joe Mihevc.

"I don't like the aesthetics of a casino in Toronto. There are other places people can go -- Windsor, Niagara Falls and that -- let them go there," Mihevc said.

"I think there are a number of social ills that need to be looked at as well that come as a result of casinos."

Earlier this week council approved a $750 million development at Woodbine. The Rexdale facility will feature a skating rink and hotel, and it has more than enough room for a full casino.

While Woodbine Entertainment Group supports a municipal casino on its grounds, licensing is up to the province.

The Ontario government says such a proposal in not under consideration at the moment.

"We did announce a gaming strategy in January 2005 where we said no new gaming sites -- that is still in effect," a Ministry of Public Infrastructure and Renewal spokesperson told the Toronto Star.

Sources at Queen's Park said consultants hired by Woodbine have been lobbying the province to lift that moratorium, the Star reported.

About one-third of the Niagara casino's customers and half of Casino Rama's players come from the GTA, the newspaper reported.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming also owns two commercial casinos with private-sector partners, in Niagara Falls and Windsor.

Casinos and gambling facilities are a large source of revenue. A recent study said gambling contributes $15 billion to Canada's economy each year.

Supercasino was always a bad bet

If it's true that Manchester's controversial supercasino is not to be after all, then good riddance say we. The residents of Beswick, in the east of the city where the Vegas-style complex would have been erected, have had a lucky escape. For while there's no doubt that this area - along with numerous other deprived urban areas up and down the country - is in serious need of 'regenerating', the idea that building a vast gambling emporium might achieve this aim was always extremely questionable.

Why should paying (badly in most cases) 3,000 hard-up locals to service a business which sucks cash out of the pockets of other, even harder-up locals, produce a net gain to the local economy? For the evidence of other countries - most notably the US and Australia - shows only too clearly that the vast majority of gamblers are not high-stakes high rollers at play but rather the urban poor, playing low-stakes games that they can ill afford to lose.

The debate may well be tainted - as industry boosters and class warriors maintain - by a hefty dose of unpalatable, affluent liberal disapproval, but that doesn't alter the fact that gambling demonstrably creates more problems than it solves. The only real 'value' likely to be 'added' to the community by such activity is an increased demand for social services and Gamblers Anonymous. A less headline-grabbing but more effective approach might go something like this - build lots of decent modern housing, improve the transport infrastructure and offer hefty tax and grant incentives to encourage businesses to relocate there.

To cap it all, the supercasino wasn't even going to be British run, so the only real money in the game - the hefty profits on the operation - would have gone elsewhere. Urban regeneration is a real and ongoing challenge, but roulette wheels, crap tables and one-armed bandits are not the way to tackle it. We should not mourn their loss.

'Millionaire' parties can aid nonprofits

Due to the popularity of online gambling and increased television coverage, poker's popularity has skyrocketed.

And nonprofits betting on the trend may find it pays off in terms of fundraising.

Nonprofit organizations can tap into the casino gambling market as a fundraising source by conducting Texas Hold'em poker tournaments via a millionaire party license.

A "millionaire party" is an event where casino games, such as blackjack, roulette and poker, are used to raise money. In addition, a millionaire party license allows for cash or merchandise prizes, the sale of charity game tickets and raffles in conjunction with the event.

A nonprofit organization is limited to four millionaire party licenses per calendar year and the maximum amount of money the organization may receive in exchange for imitation money or chips is $15,000 per day. Hosting events such as Texas Hold'em poker tournaments can raise a significant amount of money due to the entertainment appeal.

It is important to note that only members of the nonprofit may handle chips, cash and game records. But dealers do not have to be members.

In addition, even though millionaire parties have stringent reporting requirements, they are relatively easy to run. Instructions are available online.

Nevada Casinos Report Record Win

Nevada casinos won $1.14 billion from gamblers in May for a 1.5 percent gain compared with the same month a year ago - and set a record for the win in any single month.

The state Gaming Control Board reported Thursday that the win, about $2 million higher than the previous record win for a month that was set in January 2006, occurred despite a slump in baccarat winnings.

"This could have been a little stronger but the casinos took a hit on baccarat," Control Board analyst Frank Streshley said.

Craps and roulette were big factors in a gain of 6.5 percent for all live games combined. The win from slot machines was up 2.6 percent in the same period.

Gov. Jim Gibbons said that along with the record win for casinos the state saw an increase of 16.4 percent in its percentage fee collections from resorts, which enabled the state to end its fiscal-year collections from the casinos slightly ahead of earlier projections.

The statewide win of $1.14 billion was the amount left in casino coffers after gamblers wagered $14.7 billion during May. That included $11.8 billion bet in slot machine games and the rest on table games.

Resorts on the Las Vegas Strip reported a 1.4 percent gain while downtown Las Vegas casinos were up 0.3 percent in May. Increases also were reported in Mesquite, the Boulder Strip, Sparks and Stateline, on Lake Tahoe's south shore.

The state collected $83.3 million in percentage fees based on the May win. That was up 16.4 percent compared with the fees collected for the same month in 2006. Total fiscal-year collections hit $821 million, up 3.4 percent.

"Win" is a gross figure, with no operating costs or other expenses deducted. It represents casino revenue only, not hotel, restaurant or bar revenues.

A breakdown of the statewide win for May showed that slots accounted for about $762 million of the total. That included $319.2 million won by multidenomination slots, up 3.6 percent. Penny slots were second with a win of $143.6 million, up 31 percent.

Live games, including poker, accounted for the balance of the $1.14 billion May total. That included $134.3 million won on blackjack tables, up 5.1 percent; $40.8 million on craps, up 19.8 percent; and $37.2 million on roulette, up 15.1 percent.

The win on baccarat was $71.2 million, down 18.2 percent; and the win on mini-baccarat was $13 million, down about 54 percent.

Sports books won $5.8 million in May, up 479 percent. Poker games won $14.1 million, up 6.5 percent.

Top chef Novelli turns his hand to casino chips

Celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli was due to open a £7 million new casino in the city today.

Circus Casino at Fountain Park will include a restaurant called "110", where chefs work in a theatre-style kitchen preparing food in front of guests.

The 27,000sq ft site also has a bar and the latest in electronic gaming, including roulette and slots. There's also a high stakes area for roulette and blackjack players and a poker room.

Stanley Casinos regional director Sotos Scholarios said: "It's our vision to put Circus Casino Fountain Park on the 'must see' map in Edinburgh - making it a top leisure destination that appeals to people of all ages looking for a lively night out. The casino employs about 100 people."

Mr Novelli worked in a bakery in France before moving to the UK to manage Keith Floyd's gastro-pub. He opened his own restaurant in London in 1996, and became head chef on TV show Hell's Kitchen in 2005.

Take a spin at Oklahoma casinos

It's Sunday morning, 10:40, and Marilyn Monroe is primping in the ladies room of the Riverwind Casino. She freshens her lipstick, tugs her wig straight and ensures that her white halter dress covers everything it should before stepping out and vanishing into the cacophony of the casino floor.

Norman, Okla., has its own glamour. OK, Vegas it ain't. But Oklahoma is fourth in the nation in tribal gaming revenue, and my husband and I had a swell weekend supporting that economy. We hit old-school casinos, the WinStar and Thunderbird, and slick new-generation casinos, Riverwind (where Marilyn was part of a promotional event) and FireLake Grand in Shawnee.

Tom played electronic games and craps, while I was seduced by an electronic game called Crazy Catz that I'm sure I could beat with more time and nickels. We drank cocktails and ate unhealthy food and agreed that what happens in Norman stays in Norman.

All this and a road trip, too.
Interstate 35 heading north from Dallas is not (yet) a corridor of shopping centers and construction. The drive offers expansive green vistas where the wind comes sweeping down the plains. And there's stuff to do if you're in no big hurry.

Our trip from Norman to Shawnee took us through Oklahoma City, where we stopped at the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to pay our respects to the victims of the April 1995 bombing. We lucked into an air show at Tinker Air Force Base (our first clue was when a Stealth bomber flew over the highway) and joined locals in a shopping center parking lot to watch loop-the-loops and death spins and a re-enactment of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

And en route home, something about Ponder's restaurant, right off the highway in Ardmore, called us. We took a gamble and hit the jackpot with a late breakfast of fresh coffee and eggs, plump bacon and fried quail, of all things.

Road-trip luck was with us even if casino luck wasn't. ("At least ya still got yer britches," a friendly fellow in the Riverwind parking lot said on Sunday morning.) But the weekend was worth every penny, nickel and quarter. (OK, some dollars, too.)

Aces Royal Launches Real-Money Roulette Game for Mobile Phones

The UK’s most popular mobile gaming company, Aces Royal, today announced the launch of its latest real-money game, Aces Royal™ Roulette.

The third title released by Aces Royal, following multiplayer poker and blackjack, brings the classic roulette game to your mobile.

Roulette also marks a breakthrough in mobile gaming as the first game to be released on the world’s fastest mobile gaming platform, the AR3. Developed by Aces Royal, the AR3 platform sends bets in just 0.2 seconds.

Aces Royal Roulette is designed specifically for mobiles with players being able to view the whole betting table at once - without the need to scroll. As well as providing realistic table graphics and a fun spin animation, the game is easy for players to navigate because there is no switching between the betting table and the action itself.

Based around classic European roulette rules, Aces Royal Roulette includes the following features:
- Standard bets and payoffs found in land based casinos
- No “00” on the wheel which is a player advantage
- Rebet feature so players can use one click to bet the same pattern on the next spin
- Review your session history which details bets and results

Table limits on Aces Royal Roulette start from 10 pence, so there are games to suit all levels of experience.

Aces Royal Roulette is configured for compatibility on virtually any mobile, and utilises a high speed connection which ensures continuous, fast game play - making it quick and simple to take part in while on the go.

“The roulette wheel is often associated with the excitement of Monte Carlo casinos, and with the launch of roulette on your mobile, players across the country can now experience that excitement on their mobile phones,” said Peter Karsten, CEO of Aces Royal. “Players will really love the high quality graphics and the ability to view the whole betting table at once. Whether you like to gamble on straights, or think the best way to win is by placing even money bets, roulette players all over Britain will enjoy trying to break the bank with Aces Royal Roulette.”

Aces Royal Roulette is free to download at www.acesroyal.com, and is compatible with all popular mobile phone handsets. More Aces Royal games are due in 2007.

Town's voters will have input on casino contract

Opponents of a proposed Indian casino in this southeastern Massachusetts town will get a chance to reject any deal the Board of Selectmen make with the Mashpee Wampanoags, according to an opinion by the town's lawyer.

Town Counsel Daniel Murray, in a letter to the board, said state law requires voters at Town Meeting to approve contracts before the board signs off.

Under a draft agreement, the tribe would pay the town $7 million annually for 10 years in exchange for the town's support in hosting a casino. The Mashpee Wampanoags and their financial backers own or have options on about 350 acres in Middleborough.

"It's a step in the right direction," said Robert Desrosiers, a member of the group CasinoFacts.org and a former selectman.

The board plans to schedule a special Town Meeting. Tribal leaders say they can go ahead with their plans without a contract with the town, but would prefer local support.

Desrosiers and his group also asked Attorney General Martha Coakley to investigate the town's sale of 125 acres to the tribe, contending it was improper because it included 20 acres the town did not own. That remains under review, a Coakley spokesman said Tuesday.

By law, the tribe can build a "level 2" gambling facility, with machines similar to slots. If the state changed the law to allow "level 3" gambling, the tribe could build a casino with slot machines and games such as poker, blackjack and roulette.

In New Bedford, Mashpee Wampanoags' tribal council chairman Glenn Marshall appeared to hedge the tribe's bets in finding a friendly location for the casino.

He said New Bedford stands a good a good chance of hosting the casino, even though tribal representatives have secured a draft agreement to locate the facility in Middleborough.

Marshall told a City Council's committee that is spearheading efforts to land the casino in New Bedford that the tribe is open to locating the facility in the Whaling City. Negotiations could begin soon and a final decision could come in about a month or two, he said.

"Neither community is ahead of the other," Marshall told several of the New Bedford's department heads and former city councilors who led the city's past efforts to land a casino.

Gov. Deval Patrick has said he would wait for the recommendations of a panel he appointed to study the issue before deciding his position.

At stake is hundreds of millions in possible revenue for the state at a time when lottery sales are sagging and Patrick has proposed billions in new spending.

New Casino Parque Mediterráneo with roulette tables

The Gran Casino of Cartagena, which is operated by the Gran Madrid Group, is going to be opening its facilities next November 16th. The place has 1500 square feet of surface and, after investing nine million euros, it will employ a total of 103 persons.

The staff will be formed by the 70 professionals that were doing their job in the Casino Costa Cálida, in the Hotel Hyatt Regency La Manga and other 33 incorporations.

The 16 croupiers of the new casino (of which 12 are women) have been recruited in Cartagena, and started taking classes last July.

The Gran Casino is going to have a total of 11 table games, habilitated to gamble in games such as the popular game of American roulette, or poker or even blackjack, it will also have 42 slot machines and a restaurant.

Average casino punter loses $68 a visit

The Press obtained a revenue report for the Christchurch Casino for the month ending May 13 during its investigation into loan sharks at the casino.

The monthly report reveals punters gambled $25.8 million in the Christchurch Casino that month. Of that, the casino's winnings were $2.27m, or 8.8c of every dollar bet.

The $2.27m winnings is an average of $67.80 from the 33,586 casino customers in the month.

The monthly report gives a rare glimpse into a business where few figures have been available.

The company is owned 40.5 per cent by Queenstown-based Skyline Enterprises and 40.5 per cent by listed entertainment group SkyCity Entertainment.

When Sky City reports, there is only a small amount of information about the Christchurch Casino.

The report shows that 33,586 casino customers spent an average of $768 each at the casino in the month.

The gaming machines appear to be where the casino won most money. But it won the greatest cut or percentage of what punters spent on the gaming tables.

Just over $21.8m was spent on the machines, and the casino's winnings were $1.6m, or 7.36c of each $1 bet.

On the gaming tables, punters spent $3.95m, with the casino winning $665,183, or 16.8c of each $1 bet.

The winnings differ on the machines. For instance, $8.7m was bet on the 2c slot machines and the casino won $912,084, or 10.5c of each $1 bet.

On the $2 machines, the casino won 2.7c of every $1 bet, the report says.

An analyst said the law restricted gaming organisations to winning 12.5% maximum from gaming machines, and the organisations did not necessarily go to that maximum to give a perception of value for money on the machines.

According to the report, the best percentage win for the casino in the month to May 13 was on Keno, where the percentage win was 39.4 per cent.

On the gaming tables, the casino's highest win was 33 per cent on stud poker.

In Club Aspinall, a gaming room for high rollers, roulette was the casino's best game, with a 19 per cent win rate.

Revenues from food, drinks and parking are also substantial.

For the month, total food and beverage sales were close to $433,000, and carpark revenue was just over $44,500.

Waterloo gives gambling another go

Gambling is getting a second chance in Waterloo and many folks here hope it's a winning hand.

The tropical-themed Isle Casino & Hotel, built at a cost of $175 million, will open at 7 p.m. Saturday, promising one of Iowa's biggest and most plush gambling operations.

The facility will employ 750 people and expects to attract 2 million admissions annually while raking in gross casino revenues of about $100 million.

The city's first experiment with legal gambling ended in failure 11 years ago when state regulators ordered the financially troubled Waterloo Greyhound Park to close its doors. The track, owned by the National Cattle Congress, was initially a big success, drawing 322,000 gamblers its first season in 1986-87. But its fortunes plunged amid tough competition from other tracks and the growth of casino wagering.

Herb Mohler of Waterloo, who is retired from the Deere & Co. tractor plant here, said he isn't a big gambler. But like many residents, he views the casino as a potential boon to the local economy, which has traditionally relied heavily on meatpacking and farm equipment manufacturing.

"We should have had this years ago," Mohler said.

Linda Gienau, a registered nurse at the University of Northern Iowa's student health center in Cedar Falls, said she hopes the casino will stimulate the area's housing market. "I'm all for it. We need something like this to bring in people from out of the area," she said.

The Waterloo casino is the last of four new casinos authorized two years ago by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. Iowa will now have 20 casinos statewide that attract more than 20 million guests who leave behind more than $1 billion annually.

The new gambling complex has been built by Isle of Capri Casinos of St. Louis, which already operates Iowa riverboat casinos in Davenport, Bettendorf and Marquette. The facility will feature a Las Vegas-style gambling environment with 1,100 slot machines and 35 table games on a single, wide-open floor.

The new casino and hotel offer more luxury and a fancier place to gamble than some other Iowa casinos. Amenities include guest suites with whirlpool baths and fireplaces, several restaurants, a nightclub, and a pool and spa.

The goal is to compete with the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort near Iowa City and with other new Iowa casinos, said Kim Hardy, the Isle's general manager. The closest competition will be about 50 miles away at the tribal-owned Meskwaki casino and hotel, which has undergone a $111 million expansion.

Gamblers arriving at the Waterloo casino will see the latest in high-tech gadgetry, including a digital light display surrounding a two-story cascading water feature. Roulette players will place bets on touch-screen terminals, although there still will be a live dealer and a real roulette wheel. Each hotel room will have wireless Internet access, plus flat-panel televisions.

Nancy Donovan, the Isle of Capri's regional vice president of operations, said the debut of the Waterloo casino will mark the introduction to Iowa of a new upscale brand of property by her company.

"We are creating a new experience, and we are really excited about it," she said.

The opening of the Waterloo casino is the culmination of a long push by some community leaders to bring casino gambling here. In 1994, a campaign to permit slot machines at Waterloo Greyhound Park bitterly split Black Hawk County residents, who narrowly voted twice to reject the plan. By October 2003, 66 percent of voters approved a ballot proposal to permit riverboat-style gambling.

Don Hoth of Waterloo is the president of the nonprofit Black Hawk County Gaming Association, which recruited the casino here. His group expects to receive almost $6 million annually from casino profits that will be used for property tax relief, charitable contributions and other community purposes.

Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley said the casino is further evidence of the economic turnaround in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls area from the dark days of the 1980s, when Iowa's farm economy soured and residential property values here nose-dived.

"We're not a two-horse town anymore," Hurley said, referring to Deere & Co. and the Tyson Foods meat processing plant. He noted that Target Corp. and Ferguson Enterprises have opened large distribution centers here, and there is growth among many other businesses. The city has new restaurants, recreational trails and other attractions. More than $50 million in improvements are planned for downtown Waterloo, including a project to allow boats to navigate on the Cedar River, the mayor said.

But the casino's arrival won't be a blessing for everyone.

At Waterloo's Allen Hospital's gambling treatment program, which now has about 30 clients, the number of problem gamblers seeking help will undoubtedly spike because of the casino's convenience, said Jewel Cooper, the program's coordinator.

"Absolutely," she said. "Instead of driving an hour to gamble, they will have it 10 minutes away. I expect people to stop at the casino on their way to work and on their way home from work."

Lawyer Jay Nardini of Waterloo, a leader of gambling opponents in the 2003 referendum, lives about three-quarters of a mile from the glitzy new casino. He was among those who argued that a casino would cause more crime, bankruptcies and divorce, and that the bulk of gambling profits would flow out of state to the Isle of Capri headquarters.

"I think everybody has kind of resigned themselves to the fact that this is going to occur," Nardini said recently. "This is what a majority of the people wanted, so we will find out whether it is going to be a boon or a bane."

New tribal casino resort ready to open this week

Area media were given a preview tour of the new Odawa Casino Resort Monday, June 18, as the facility prepared to open its doors to the public on Wednesday, June 20 at 5 p.m.

Some aspects of the facility will not be up and running until the grand opening celebration July 24, but there will be plenty to see and do from the first time folks step into the nearly 300,000-square foot casino.

"We've created a new market," said general manager Barry Milligan. "Victories (the tribe's original casino, which closed June 18) was successful, but now we have an entertainment destination."

The $140 million state-of-the-art facility features 1,500 slot machines on a 46,700-square foot gaming floor. There are two craps tables, including one for tournaments; two roulette tables; 20 blackjack tables, plus an additional six for the high limit room; and six poker tables.

While the casino, owned and operated by the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, is certainly a gamer's dream, the facility offers far more than just gambling.

"There's something for everyone," Milligan said. "Our focus is gaming, but not everyone gambles. Everything is open to the public and we want to expose people to our facility."

The casino's Ovation Hall provides a place for anything from concerts to wedding receptions. The room, which Milligan said is currently the largest in the area, offers space for 1,000 guests in a concert setting, and 500 guests in a sit-down service setting. Comedian Bill Cosby is scheduled to perform at Ovation Hall during the grand opening on July 25.

The "O Zone" nightclub is another unique offering at the casino. O Zone has a dance floor for guests who want to cut loose, and individual "party pods" which hold eight guests and feature a personal fireplace and plasma screen television, and a stage for live entertainment in the club.

"We've been hearing more buzz about O Zone than anything,"Milligan said. "There is nothing like it in the area."

Directly across from O Zone, guests can visit Waas-no-de (meaning 'northern lights'). The "Vegas-style" buffet has room for 350 guests with over 100 food offerings, all cooked in house. The buffet will offer Chinese, Italian, American and various other ethnic foods.

"It's like no buffet you've ever had," Milligan said.

The casino is also home to Sage, a fine dining restaurant offering guests a more intimate culinary experience.

"We want Sage to be the best restaurant in the state," Milligan said.

While smoking is allowed in the facility, the casino features an air filtration system which replaces 100-percent of the building's air with fresh air 12 times per hour.

"All the air is taken out and new air is brought in," Milligan said. "You won't even be able to smell the cigarette smoke."

The casino also includes state-of-the-art water treatment equipment, natural gas generators, and downcast lighting to avoid light pollution.

"Our goal is to make as little impact on the environment as possible," Milligan said. "We're doing more for the environment than most casinos."

The Casino's impact on the local economy will be significant. When all aspects of the new facility open, there will be more than 1,000 full time employees, 500 of which are new positions.

Milligan was unsure about the total payroll, but said upwards of $30 million is a reasonable guess.

"There were over 5,000 applications," he said. "I really think we picked the cream of the crop."

The Casino is currently the second largest employer in Emmet County, behind Northern Michigan Hospital. They anticipate increasing staff and possibly surpassing the hospital. Some 30-percent of casino's workforce are tribal members, and the majority of the positions are full time and include benefits, Milligan added.

"Most of the people who work here live here," he said. "We're proud of this community and we want to give back to it with these new jobs."

Between the wide array of entertainment opportunities and the boost to the local economy, the Odawa Casino Resort is truly a remarkable addition to the community and certain to be a success, Milligan said.

"Victories was only supposed to be open for two years," he said. "It took a lot longer than we thought, but it was definitely worth it."

Construction And Hiring Process Underway At Wheeling Casino

Now that table gaming is legal in Ohio County, Wheeling Island Racetrack is hustling to tweak the areas where the gaming tables will go.

Hiring and training the dealers needed for the games is also underway.

Local contractors began work early Monday on the new section of the racetrack that will soon house the poker tables.

Wayne Soard, vice president of operations for the track, said the room will have slots and poker and it's getting a major overhaul right now.

Soard said they've been designing the poker area and the upstairs casino area for some time in anticipation that the local option bill would pass.

Twenty poker tables will be placed in the lower level and 43 other table games, including roulette, craps and blackjack, will be housed on the main level just inside the main entrance.

The construction should be complete in six to eight weeks and the main level will be complete by October.

The gaming center is investing $13 million in this initial phase.

Soard said 350 jobs will come with the addition of table games. Two job fairs are scheduled at the gaming center this week.

The fairs are scheduled from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. for Wednesday and Saturday.

The Wednesday session is in the meeting rooms and the Saturday session is in the showroom.

Pittsburgh areas first casino

Casino officials were joined by elected officials, members of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and Meadows visitors to cut the ribbon and officially open the region’s first casino.

The opening comes after two highly successful test nights that generated $2.9 million in wagers and more than $100,000 in charitable contributions for the Greater Washington County Food Bank and The Washington Hospital.

“Today is the culmination of two years of hard work by so many people,” said Bill Paulos, a principal of Las Vegas-based Cannery Casino Resorts (CCR), which owns The Meadows. “We truly believe our temporary casino is already among the finest gaming facilities in Pennsylvania.

“Southwestern Pennsylvania has been looking forward to gaming for a long time. We’re excited to be the first venue open to provide that opportunity. Our visitors are going to love it, and they haven’t seen anything yet! We believe this facility will provide an exciting preview of the permanent casino, which will open in early 2009.”

Before the casino opened, nearly 25,000 people signed up to be members of the Meadows Rewards Players Club. Members will receive one point for every $1 of coin-in on any slot machine. Rewards points may be redeemed for goods and services throughout the casino, including logo merchandise, food and gift cards from local businesses.

Amazingly, the temporary casino was built in about seven months. In November, CCR and Meadows officials broke ground on the 82,000-square-foot temporary casino, which includes 1,738 slot machines, a 360-seat all-you-can-eat restaurant, a snack bar, and sports bar with 24 bar-top video poker games. The gaming floor includes a wide array of slot machines, including popular games such as Wheel of Fortune and Hot Hot Penny.

The Meadows is also the first casino in the state to offer several games, including Keno, video roulette and a version of Monopoly.

Visitors can play 880 slot machines that cost as little as a penny.

Machines range in playing price from one penny to as much as $25.

“I cannot say enough about the work our construction and design team did to build this incredible facility in such a short time,” said The Meadows Vice President and General Manager Mike Graninger. “There was nothing here in November. Now we have a state-of-the-art casino. Some people didn’t believe we could do it, but all our hard work has paid off, and our visitors love it!” The vast majority of the construction and subsequent goods and services have come from area businesses. Close to 1,000 local jobs will be created for construction of the temporary and permanent casinos. The Meadows also hired area residents to fill 430 of the 450 jobs in the casino.

“We’re proud to be in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and we’re happy to create opportunities for local residents and companies,” Graninger said. “We really see the local community as our partner.”

A permanent 350,000-square-foot, two-story casino, which will hold 3,000 slot machines, will open in early 2009. It will fully integrate the horse racing and casino functions, making it a true destination entertainment experience.

The casino complex will have a covered grandstand area overlooking the racetrack, and a 200-seat simulcast area which connects to the outdoor grandstand seating.

Plans also include a premier steak house, an American-style all-you-can-eat restaurant, and a specialty restaurant, which overlooks the racetrack. A centrally located lounge and bar with terraced seating will feature panoramic views of the both the gaming floor and racetrack. A circular food court accessible from both the gaming floor and the grandstands will accommodate six different food outlets. VIP boxes will also be available and provide a select view of the racetrack.

CCR owns two highly regarded resorts in Las Vegas – the Rampart Casino and the Cannery Casino & Hotel. Construction began in March on a second Cannery branded casino in Las Vegas.

The Best Bets At The Casino

Americans are suckers for betting. Of the 56 million people that visited a U.S. casino last year, almost all placed some form of wager--from the nickel slots to blackjack. Non-Indian casinos clocked $32 billion in gambling revenues (and billions more if you add in lodging and entertainment). People just can't get enough.

The funny thing about all of this, of course, is that the house has the edge. Still, people throw good money after bad--some for the thrill of it, others because they actually believe they can win a few bucks.

If your goal is to nab the best risk-adjusted return (as opposed to playing for hours on end), place fewer, smarter and larger bets. It's a difficult strategy to stomach, and your night could be over in a hurry. Still, if you lose, at least you know you gave it your best mathematical shot.

Here's the logic. Say you flip a coin 10 times and bet $10 per flip. In a fair game--one in which you are appropriately compensated for your risk--you would either double your money or lose it all.

But the casino isn't fair. The "house edge" lies in the misalignment between the promised payout and the inherent odds of the game. The house doesn't take the extra risk--you do. When you flip that theoretical coin at the casino, you only win, say, $9.75; if you lose, the entire $10 goes to the house. Sure, you might win some of your early losses back if you keep flipping, but in the long run, the edge eats you alive.

Placing a big one-time bet "cuts the house edge to its bare minimum because it works on your stake only once," says Anthony Curtis, a one-time professional gambler and president of lasvegasadvisor.com. "The more you bet, the more you will lose."

Next time you're in Vegas, consider this trip around the casino floor.

Your first stop is the blackjack table. Here the object is to beat the dealer in getting as close to 21 without going over. Unless you employ what is known as "basic strategy" (meaning that you make the best move in every situation), the house will get the better of you the longer you play.

Place one bet, though, and the odds are nearly 50-50 that you'll win. For the unskilled, the house edge is roughly 2%--or $20 for every $1,000 wager. Compared to other games, that edge isn't so bad.

Now look at the big wheel of fortune, where you bet on whether the wheel will stop on $1, $5, $10, $20 or a joker. Here the house edge is a whopping 11% when you bet that the wheel will land on a $1 mark--the safest bet in the game. (You can double your money, but the odds of winning are only 44%.) Bet on a joker and the house advantage shoots to 24%.

Better to skip the carnival atmosphere and move to the craps table, where your fortunes lie with the shooter of the dice. The permutations here are endless, but a "pass line" bet has essentially 50-50 odds and pays out accordingly. House edge: a mere 1.4%. (Betting on specific numbers boosts the edge.)

Next to the craps table sits roulette. All bets--whether on red or black, or on a specific number--are equivalent on a risk-adjusted basis. House edge: 5.6%--worse than blackjack but better than the wheel of fortune.

We probably don't need to remind you that you shouldn't gamble with more than you can afford to lose. Our advice if you do win? Smile--and stick the stash in index funds.

Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe shows interest in casino

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Indians have declared that they'll seek to open a casino if the state's other federally recognized tribe reaches a deal with Massachusetts to open a casino.

"The state has to treat the tribes in the same way," Donald Widdiss, chairman of the Aquinnah Wampanoags of Martha's Vineyard, told The Boston Globe on Saturday.

The Mashpee Wampanoags hope to build a casino on land they've purchased in Middleboro, relying in part on the financial backing of developers of the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut.

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe won federal recognition this year. By law, the tribe can already build a so-called "level 2" gaming facility, with machines similar to slot machines. If the state changed the law to allow "level 3" gambling, the tribe would be able to build a casino with slot machines and games such as poker, blackjack and roulette.

The Mashpee Wampanoags may also try to negotiate a compact with Gov. Deval Patrick, and try to bypass legislative approval, to open a casino.

The Aquinnah Wampanoags have been a federally recognized tribe since 1987. They tried to open a casino in southeastern Massachusetts in the 1990s, but the plan stalled when lawmakers rejected a proposal to have the tribe take over state land.

Widdiss said the tribe is fielding development proposals from would-be partners. He wouldn't identify them, nor would he offer possible locations. He ruled out the tribe's 500 acres on Martha's Vineyard.

The Mashpee Wampanoags said developers Sol Kerzner and Len Wolman — known as Trading Cove Mashpee — can provide as much as $1 billion in capital for the development of a major destination casino. The two are no longer involved in Mohegan Sun, one of the world's largest casinos.

State Treasurer Timothy Cahill has said the state should try to beat the tribe to the punch by building one or more resort casinos. But opponents, including House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, D-Boston, remain cool to the idea.

At stake is hundreds of millions in possible revenue for the state at a time when lottery sales are sagging and Patrick has proposed billions in new spending.

Casino let me in despite ban, gambler tells court

A pathological gambler is suing an Australian casino for his massive losses after he placed himself on an "exclusion list" and was still allowed to return to the casino to gamble.

Behrouz Foroughi, 43, originally from Iran, lost more than $600,000 playing roulette at the Star City Casino in Sydney. He volunteered to be banned from the casino, believing that security staff would stop him from gambling.

However, Mr Foroughi was allowed back to the casino a further 65 times, with his gambling losses mounting up all the time. He was even offered entry into the high rollers’ room on some occasions.

Greg Laughton SC, representing Mr Foroughi, told the federal court in Sydney that the casino had neglected its duty of care after his client placed himself on the exclusion list.

"At the very least, Star City was on notice that Mr Foroughi had a problem with gambling and was probably addicted to it by reason of his voluntary exclusion from the casino," Mr Laughton told the court.

"Star City knew or ought to have known his ability to resist gambling was diminished. He was told that he would be detected and removed. Star City was at least accepting an obligation to do that."

However, Mr Foroughi accepts that he did not follow the advice of the casino to go and seek professional help for his addiction. When Mr Foroughi did win, he admitted that he spent his winnings on lavish dinner parties and on prostitutes.

Dave Mackey, who was the security operations manager for the Star City casino when Mr Foroughi was banned, told the court that the casino would do the best they could to keep him out of the casino, but the responsibility also rested on Mr Foroughi’s shoulders too. He also told the court that he explained to banned individuals that the casino would not be liable if they entered the casino.