BJ21.com Newsletter
June 15, 2007                                070615

Compiled by Al Rogers
 Al@bj21.com


More Online Gambling Legislation Introduced


The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative announced its support for the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act, introduced today by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA). The bill would create a taxation regime for online gambling companies to be licensed under the recently introduced Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2046).

Gambling bill looks like a long shot -- Bettors mixed on merits of sports wagering; lawmakers say it's not a priority

It looks as if people may need to wait a little longer before they can place bets on sporting events at a Delaware racino, even though a House committee released a bill Tuesday to allow sports betting in Delaware.

N.J. casinos fight rising competition by raising comps


Bad news for casinos has so far meant good news for gamblers. Revenues at the city's 11 casinos declined by 5.5 percent in May, marking the fourth month out of five this year that the take was down from the previous year.

Casinos lift ban against software pioneer

Harrah's casinos has lifted its ban against the man who wrote the first version of Microsoft Word.

Court decision goes against San Manuel casino


A federal appeals court has refused to revisit a decision by a three-judge panel involving the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians that could have broad implications for tribal sovereignty and labor relations.

Cashell Jr. to run Fitzgeralds Reno

Fitzgeralds hotel-casino downtown should continue operating under the direction of the mayor's son, Rob Cashell Jr., once new owners take over in October, officials said Tuesday.

Small casinos won't get tax breaks

For the second consecutive session, small casinos failed to get a tax break passed in the Nevada Legislature.

Hellmuth the first to earn 11 World Series of Poker bracelets 


The prize money Phil Hellmuth collected Tuesday after winning his record 11th World Series of Poker championship nearly equaled the paycheck he earned in 1989 when he captured his first title.

New Frontier owners to seek funding; hotel to close July 15 

A spokeswoman for the New Frontier said Tuesday the 984-room Western-themed hotel-casino will close at midnight July 15.

Company tracks casino cheaters -- Tulane offers free symposium

Griffin Investigations is based in Las Vegas but the company has eyes all over the world, including the Gulf Coast, watching for casino crooks.

Debate wages on over table games' defeat


Jefferson County's casino table games referendum is over, but the level of debate stayed high Sunday as a Charles Town Races & Slots official lashed out at opponents like Del. John Doyle and Shepherdstown, W.Va., residents over the defeat of the games.

Area Residents React to Table Games


They're not going to waste any time, and they have a mandate from the voters, too. More than 13,000 Ohio County residents went to the polls and passed the table games referendum by a two-to-one-margin.

N.J.'s top casino regulator nominated to new term


he head of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission has been nominated by Gov. Jon S. Corzine to a new five-year term overseeing Atlantic City's $5.2 billion gaming industry.

Downtown casinos: Race was pits

The Vegas Grand Prix attracted tens of thousands of fans and a global television audience to downtown, but it didn't do much to revive the stagnant Fremont Street-based gambling market.

Jeff Haney on a presidential hopeful from the Las Vegas Valley who hopes to parlay a 2008 Libertarian campaign into a serious run some time down the road


"I want Wayne Root to become the new face of the Libertarian Party," Root said at his home in the Anthem section of Henderson. "The Libertarian Party has always had good ideas, but it needs someone who's a great communicator, someone who can raise money, someone who is a salesman. That's where I come in."

California Dems back gambling-rich Indians’ greedy wars of expansion

State Senator Gloria Romero has written and is carrying an onerous piece of legislation titled “Unlawful Entry: Tribal Land” that would allow California Indian tribes to issue stiff fines against non-tribal members entering what are called “Indian Lands.” The uninitiated here might be scratching their heads asking: Exactly what problem does this bill solve? Aren’t “non-tribal members” just the usual endless flow of pasty-faced patsies hurriedly tooling through the rez eagerly trying to get to the slot machines? Or has there been some unreported invasion of Indian holdings by a Palm Springs cattle-rustling gang?

Should casinos be judged for reaching out to Asians?


It is not a secret that casinos have been investing a lot of resources into catering to their Asian clients, but should it be acceptable for them to actively and aggressively try to pull Asians into their gaming facilities?

Thunder Valley plans to expand

The United Auburn Indian Community revealed plans Thursday to build a hotel bigger than anything existing in the Sacramento region -- a 650-room resort.

Garden Grove looks at casino deal

Here we go again. Garden Grove, perennially in the game to boost its troubled finances, is again talking to an Indian tribe about bringing a Las Vegas-style casino to a downtown district a few miles from Disneyland.

Aztar lays off 12 more -- Broken promises anger Weinzapfel

Twelve more Casino Aztar employees were laid off Thursday, prompting a pointed response from Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, who said the latest cuts broke yet another commitment by the casino's owner.

Job cuts continue at Tropicana in Atlantic City


Tropicana Casino and Resort has slashed 55 positions, mainly in the supervisory and management ranks, as its new owner continues an aggressive layoff program that has drawn objections from New Jersey gaming regulators. The job cuts add to the hundreds of layoffs made by Columbia Sussex Corp. since the Kentucky-based company bought out Tropicana's former owner, Aztar Corp., on Jan. 3.

A glimmer of gold for downtown -- Golden Nugget reports first-quarter profit rise


In the stagnant sea of mediocrity that is downtown Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget is doing more than just staying afloat. The largest casino downtown, along with a sister Golden Nugget in Laughlin, is managing to turn a profit for its corporate owners.

Poker Dome's pullout leaves Neonopolis a house of cards

In another blow to Neonopolis' future, the Poker Dome, a custom-built facility that hosted nationally televised tournaments, plans to move out of the struggling downtown complex this summer, leaving Las Vegas trying to revive the mall with one less card in its hand.


The Bear Growls


Long-time Las Vegas-based advantage player, casino critic, and frequent BJ21.com contributor LVBear offers his opinions on things that sometimes go wrong in the world of casinos.  Current and past growls can be read and comments posted at LVBear's website, TheBearGrowls.com


Current Blackjack News

On the 1st and 2nd of every month, a couple dozen Pi Yee Press reporters visit casinos around the United States to check on the blackjack rules and playing conditions. Five of those reporters split up Las Vegas and visit every casino in town. Any changes in rules and playing conditions that they find, they email to the CBJN editor, who compiles them into a newsletter that is published late in the afternoon on the 3rd. That report is available as a single issue, your choice of e-mail or regular mail. The price of a single issue is $12 for electronic or $15 for regular mail.

You can subscribe to download CBJN from the BJ21 web site. The price is $25 per quarter (three issues) or $79 per year (twelve issues) by Visa/MC/AmEx with automatic renewal. Minimum subscription is one quarter.   To order Current Blackjack News, click here.


BJ21.com  Blackjack, Poker, Craps, other casino-related free message board and Green Chip membership

If you are serious about beating casinos, you like to talk about it once in a while. You like to discuss strategy, and you like to discuss what is going on in casinos you plan to visit. If you are like most of the gamblers of the world, your family and neighbors and coworkers prefer to talk about things other than casino games. If you want to broaden your circle of friends to include more people willing to discuss real casino winning principles, Green Chip is for you.

Click here to request a copy of our free catalog of products and services.

Green Chip members receive complimentary three-month memberships to
Blackjack Insider, a blackjack newsletter published monthly by e-mail since 2001, and to  The Dice Institute's   Members Only Forum and Message Board.


Poking Surveillance in the Eye, presented by BJ21.com

This eighty-two minute video contains excerpts from a BJ21.com seminar presented by a long-time casino surveillance professional. It gives tips and information on how to avoid attracting the unwanted attention of pit personnel and surveillance. Every level and type of skilled casino patron should be able to benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of the seminar presenter.

A full-time professional player commented that something he learned in the seminar changed one of his standard operating methods in a casino, and has already been validated by his avoidance of a backoff that otherwise would have occurred.

The price is $29.95 plus shipping (plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada address).  To order Poking Surveillance in the Eye, click here.

NEWSLETTER DVD SPECIAL:   Order Poking Surveillance in the Eye and get  the DVD of Casino Abuse of Skilled Players for half-price, only $14.95.  In the Special Instructions section of the order form, specify Newsletter DVD special.  The two DVDs will be shipped together, for a total price of only $44.90 (plus $5.00 shipping to U.S. or Canada, $10.00 shipping elsewhere).


Beat the Players - Casinos, Cops and the Game Inside the Game, by Bob Nersesian

This book should be read by everyone who sets foot in a casino: average casino patrons, skilled players, casino employees, and anyone else. It should be required reading for police officers, regulators, other public officials, and attorneys who may represent any of the aforementioned.

Bob Nersesian is an attorney who represents victims of casino wrongdoing against patrons. In an enjoyable writing style, he takes a look at the often too-cozy relationship between casinos, police, and regulators. He discusses specific cases and dispenses sound, practical advice that patrons, casinos and public officials would be wise to heed. Cases discussed are from Nevada and other jurisdictions.

Chapters include: Your Money or Your Liberty; Scary Cop Statements; They'll Take Your Liberty Anyway; Gaming Agents Speak; The Take of the State; Rules for Casino Patrons; Gambling at the Legal Limits; Cops Hate Card Counters; Griffin Investigations; Casinos Cheat With Impunity; A Judicial and Government Overlay; Finding a Nickel Brings Trouble; Names and Aliases; The Security Office and Surveillance Functions, and Casinos and Cops.

Appendices include Nevada Cheating and Detention Laws with Commentary; Other Nevada Gaming Laws of Interest; Gaming Cases of Interest, and Nevada Gaming Regulations with Commentary.

The 320-page book includes a bibliography and an index.

The price is $19.95 plus shipping (plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada address). Green Chip members get their normal 10% discount.

To order Beat the Players, click here
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