PA Legalizes Poker, Blackjack at Slots Casinos
(Associated Press) – Pennsylvania legalized poker, blackjack and other table games at slots casinos Thursday, upping the ante in the increasingly fierce competition among states for gamblers’ money. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., Thursday, Jan. 7, 2010. Rendell has signed a bill in private legalizing table games at the state’s slots casinos. Gov. Ed Rendell, whose signature was the last step in the protracted process of passing the law, said he had misgivings about expanded gambling, partly because not all of the 14 casinos authorized by the 2004 law that legalized slot machine gambling are up and running. (Read the full post about ‘PA Legalizes Poker, Blackjack at Slots Casinos’…)
Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse Favs to be Busted First in 2010
Troubled celebrities like Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse are expected to carry on with their reckless ways while the likes of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears are expected to calm down a bit in the coming year. Oddsmakers at BetUS.com have posted odds on the first celebrity drug bust of 2010 with Doherty listed at 8/11 odds and Winehouse at 5/1. Celebrities alleged to have had drug problems in the past such as Britney Spears and Whitney Houston were well into double digits, a sign that they are well on to changing their lives for the better. Even singer George Michael, who has had his fair share of runins with the law related to drugs and is often unapologetic, was listed with 12/1 odds. However, Gambling911.com feels there is good value in George Michael with the potential payout $12 for every $1 bet. &q (Read the full post about ‘Pete Doherty, Amy Winehouse Favs to be Busted First in 2010′…)
Super Bowl Shutout for Delaware?
Sunday, February 1, 2009, is Super Bowl Sunday, and two states in the USA have legal wagering on the National Football League (NFL)–Nevada and Delaware. That day will be the busiest football betting day of the year in Nevada–and the most profitable–but in Delaware all will be quiet and nary a penny’s profit will be turned. That’s because Nevada casinos allow bets on single games while Delaware casinos only permit parlay bets of at least three games. Since there’s only one game on Super Bowl Sunday, and three-game parlay bets won’t be possible, Delaware bettors will be shut out on the biggest betting day of the year. If you (Read the full post about ‘Super Bowl Shutout for Delaware?’…)
Quiet Day To Close 2009 For Las Vegas Sands Stock
Las Vegas Sands The end of the year came with no big surprises for US gaming stocks. Las Vegas Sands and other casino companies had a quiet day to end 2009, and now look to rebound in the new year.Sands stock was at $15.02 just minutes before the close of the trading day. Sands has been busy in the past couple of months, with an initial public offering in Asia, coupled with a re-starting of projects in Singapore and Macau.MGM Mirage is another gaming company that has been busy in December. The company, along with Dubai World, opened their long-anticipated CityCenter project in stages. The centerpiece to the facility, the Aria, was opened in mid-December.MGM stock was up less than one percent, and appears headed towards closing the year around $9.21. (Read the full post about ‘Quiet Day To Close 2009 For Las Vegas Sands Stock’…)
New York Times: Vegas Sportsbooks Go Wireless
Matt Villano, www.newyorktimes.com LAS VEGAS – For decades, sports bettors in this city have queued up at sports book windows and handed over cash in exchange for paper tickets formalizing their bets. But on a recent Sunday in the sports book at the M Resort in nearby Henderson, gamblers seeking action on professional and college football games were engaging in a much different ritual: betting through hand-held devices no larger than a smartphone. The technology, part of a new system from Cantor Gaming, a subsidiary of the financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, lets gamblers place bets on certain sporting events like football or baseball, tennis matches and horse races from anywhere in the casino and play other games like blackjack and baccarat. (Read the full post about ‘New York Times: Vegas Sportsbooks Go Wireless’…)
Blotter: Poker playing priest gives thanks for $100k
In other news from last week’s PokerStars.Net Million Dollar Challenge, another runner-up is getting big press for his final round finish. Father Andrew Trapp first made gambling industry headlines when he won $100,000 in the first round of the challenge in October. Last week he boarded another plane to Los Angeles in hopes of winning the event’s $1 million first-place prize. While God was clearly on Trapp’s side in his first visit to the City of Angels, prayers alone weren’t enough to help the priest beat his formidable pro opponent, Daniel Negreanu, at the final table.
But don’t feel too bad for Father Trapp and his hopeful parishioners; he still brought another $100,000 home for the church fund.
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Casino Industry: Outlook: Unfavorable
By HOWARD STUTZ LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL The impact the recession had on the casino industry in 2009 has not been completely accounted for, but by all measures the year will go down as the worst on record. Through October, gaming revenues have declined more than 12 percent both on the Strip and throughout Nevada. Monthly revenue figures statewide have fallen to 2003 levels. Get ready — 2010 may not be any better according to one casino industry analyst. Fitch Ratings Service, which follows the high-yield bond markets, believes gaming revenues nationwide will continue to be pressured by the economy. Spending trends remain weak and unemployment will continue to reduce how consumers dole out their discretionary dollars. (Read the full post about ‘Casino Industry: Outlook: Unfavorable’…)
$1 Million up for Grabs at Online Poker Room
The leading online poker site’s UBOC Satellites and STEP Tournaments are up and running, with four new UBOC contests dealing out more cash prizes and tournament entries than ever. The festive mood continues at UB.com with the return of UBOC 4, the leading online poker site’s Championship tournament series, from January 20th through 31st, 2010. In the spirit of giving, UB.com has put four shiny new competitions under the UBOC tree, including the Single Event Satellite Contest, and the Super STEP Contest. There’s no need for ribbons and bows, because the gifts are impressive enough on their own. It’s UBOC’s headline Bubble Buster promotion that’s creating a buzz, and staying in the game after the Bubble bursts is worth up to $1 Million. (Read the full post about ‘$1 Million up for Grabs at Online Poker Room’…)
Colleges Need to do More About Gambling Addiction
The links between problem gambling and other mental health and addiction issues are manifold. "Gambling disorders tend to be highly co-morbid with other disorders such as alcohol abuse and so on," says Reilly. "And we know that kids who binge drink also gamble a lot, for example. There are a lot of connections." Recently, a task force convened to look into the issue found that the overwhelming majority of colleges and universities don’t even have formal policies for dealing with problem gambling on campus, according to Dennis Miller of the Behavioral Health Central Blog. The report, A Call to Action: Addressing College Gambling and Recovery from Addiction, includes a list of 10 policy recommendations its authors say schools should consider adopting. (Read the full post about ‘Colleges Need to do More About Gambling Addiction’…)
WPT Doyle Brunson 5 Diamond World Poker Classic
It’s fitting that in a tournament named in his honor, Doyle Brunson would take the spotlight. Heading into Day 3 of the Doyle Brunson 5 Diamond World Poker Classic, Doyle Brunson holds 283,000 chips, and is just a handful of spots away from the top prize in the $4,761,450 tournament.The Doyle Brunson 5 Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event began on December 14, 2009 with 329 players. Heading into Day 3, after 2 full days and 10 levels of play, 130 players remain.
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