BJ21.com Newsletter
March 14, 2008 080314
Presented as a public service
by BJ21.com, the leading source of accurate
information about casino games and conditions.
Compiled by Al
Rogers
Al@bj21.com
US
prepares for web gambling hearing
"Rather than waste valuable resources attempting to enforce the Act,
the US should instead regulate and tax internet gambling."
Online
Gambling Interview - Professor I. Nelson Rose
Professor I. Nelson Rose is an internationally known scholar, public
speaker and writer and is recognized as one of the world's leading
authorities on gambling law. Professor Rose granted
CappersMall.com an
exclusive first rights interview and we discuss a number of issues
concerning online gambling, the WTO and we asked him his opinion on
where online gambling stands now and what it looks like as we head in
to the future.
Thanks to Green Chip member Maverick
for posting this link.
Study of
regulations slated for ban on Web gambling
WASHINGTON - A House panel plans next month to review regulations
proposed by the Department of Treasury to enforce a 2006 ban against
Internet gambling.
Owner
of DiamondJacks Casino files for Chapter 11
SHREVEPORT, LA - Legends Gaming LLC, parent company of DiamondJacks
Casino in Bossier City, filed for Chapter 11 on Tuesday.
Deal puts Binion's
in local hands
LAS VEGAS - Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel is back under
local ownership after the close of a deal that netted more than $28
million for the Fremont Street property's former owners.
Audit blasts inspectors -- Favoritism toward commercial property owners
revealed ...
LAS VEGAS - Clark County building and fire inspectors have been
"derelict" in their duty to keep commercial buildings safe, according
to a scathing outside audit released by the county Wednesday. ...
As to inspectors, Kessler wrote he repeatedly was told that inspectors
who check out safety complaints at hotels were reluctant to create a
hostile relationship because the hotels gave them comps including
"meals, show tickets, stays at other properties and branded
clothing." Link
to the full Kessler Report.
... Blowing whistle
satisfies 'crybaby' -- Rio remodeling report pleasing to electrician
Fred Frazzetta, the non-union electrician who blew the whistle on
illegal remodeling at the Rio hotel, said he feels vindicated by a
consultant's report that exposed dysfunction -- and suggests corruption
- in the county's building and fire departments.
Jackpot
casino sues over new development
ELKO, NV - Barton's Club 93 casino and hotel has filed a lawsuit
against Elko County and a group planning a large resort-casino project
in Jackpot that would compete against it.
Harrah's pullout
unnerves Bahamas businesspeople
Harrah's Entertainment's sudden withdrawal from a $2.6 billion resort
project in the Bahamas has left the country's business community
stunned.
Barona
trespass measure moving again
SACRAMENTO - A Barona-sponsored bill that would give American Indian
tribes added legal leverage against reservation trespassers has cleared
an Assembly committee where it had been stalled for months.
American Indian Tribes Should Have To Follow State Laws at Casinos
The days of Indian tribes doing whatever they well please within their
casinos should come to an end. For years now, these tribes have given
no respect in regards to laws in the states in which they operate, a
situation that needs to be corrected.
Bankrupt gambler sues casinos
A crooked Queens lawyer who bottomed out at the blackjack tables to the
tune of $1 million is trying to recoup her losses and then some with a
$20 million lawsuit blaming seven casinos for her downward spiral.
Casino
insider tells (almost) all about security -- Engineer built systems
used by up to half the world’s casinos
Jeff Jonas knows the Las Vegas gambling industry inside and out.
Plan
would let casinos regulate themselves during state budget crisis
TRENTON - State Sen. Jim Whelan thinks he's got the right bill to stave
off a casino shutdown if state lawmakers fail to pass a budget this
June.
Rolling the Dice for the Tropicana -- The casino-hotel’s trustee hopes
for a sale by the end of April
ATLANTIC CITY–There’s no shortage of companies interested in buying the
Tropicana Casino and Resort, the Atlantic City property that has been
overseen by a state trustee for the past 10 weeks since owner Columbia
Sussex Corp. was stripped of its gaming license.
CCC
orders former Tropicana owner to pay $750,000 fine
ATLANTIC CITY - New Jersey gaming regulators Wednesday turned down a
request by the former owner of Tropicana Casino and Resort to delay a
$750,000 fine until after the gaming hall is sold.
Nightclub
nightmare costs couple a bundle ...
Couple gets eye-opening — and wallet emptying — view of what goes on in
one of the hottest nightclubs on the Vegas Strip.
... Looking the other way -- Experts say they should have monitored the
‘avalanche of money’ flowing through clubs ...
Casino companies should have known about the huge amounts of cash
washing through nightclubs on their properties long before the Internal
Revenue Service began investigations of two of Las Vegas’ most popular
clubs, say former gaming executives and others familiar with the
industry.
...
Killing the golden goose? -- Casinos should be careful that nightclub
operations don’t end up driving patrons away
The whole thing smacks of unbridled greed, and that could be worse than
an investigation. The clubs may run their customers off.
Don't
keep us in the dark about casino operations
INDIANAPOLIS - Steve Key, legal counsel for the Hoosier State Press
Association, says House Bill 1224, and to a lesser extent Senate Bill
227, would not only reduce public and media oversight of casinos but
also would shield the state Gaming Commission from scrutiny.
How one troubled business was turned around — and why some might not be
saved
This week I’d like to take a look at four failed or challenged Las
Vegas businesses and examine whether they can be revived.
Las Vegas marks time
to its own steady beat -- While precision keeps a hotel on schedule,
it's not something to share with gamblers
Las Vegas is a town created on the notion of taking every natural or
man-made obstacle in its path and crushing it like a Hummer saying
"Howdy" to a one-legged jackrabbit.
I was Your
Customer -- Casinos’ Catering to the Affluent Instead of the Faithful
has Chased Away Regular Business
I was your customer: As you were the first casino to open here, I
didn’t expect you to really be too generous. But having to pay for
valet parking and casino admission, giving me cheap players club
benefits (with no cash back and “secret comps” that I had to always ask
for) and seeing inflated buffet prices on weekends, all seemed a little
too strong to me. And now that you and your competitors have free
parking, “tiered” players clubs with strong comps, and routine
discounts for the buffet, well, I feel that perhaps you had been
ripping me off before.
Panel member might not keep seat ...
Gov. Jim Gibbons is not expected to reappoint Nevada Gaming Commission
member Ray Rawson when his term expires next month, sources said last
week.
... Doctor tapped
for gaming post -- Governor replaces legislator on regulatory panel
A Las Vegas physician whose father was a longtime casino executive was
chosen Wednesday to replace a former state legislator on the Nevada
Gaming Commission.
Chips
down as Vegas feels pinch
If any more evidence was needed to show that the US economy is in
serious trouble it can be found in Las Vegas, where gambling revenues
are falling for the first time since 2001.
Minden rolls out red carpet for C.O.D. casino
MINDEN, NV - Proffering a taste of things to come, Paul Schat
distributed more than 100 loaves of freshly baked bread and cookies
Wednesday night to Minden residents at a town board hearing on the
proposed C.O.D. Casino.
Vegas-Style
Slots To Chime At Hard Rock By Summer
TAMPA - The Seminole Tribe of Florida said Wednesday that it expects to
begin offering Las Vegas-style slot machine gambling by early summer at
its Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa. The Seminole Tribe also said
it plans to phase in blackjack, baccarat and pai gow poker by this fall
and hire about 1,000 new employees at the Tampa casino, many of whom
will be card dealers, spokesman Gary Bitner said.
Ex-Seminole Nation official indicted in bribery
MUSKOGEE, OK - A federal grand jury indicted a former Seminole Nation
Council member Wednesday, accusing him of taking bribes from the
tribe's casino financier.
Lawyer attacks
petition limit -- Tax, tip lawsuits benefit if law tossed
CARSON CITY, NV - A lawyer who has been frustrated in his attempts to
increase gaming taxes has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Reno that
could lead to a judge throwing out the state law that has hindered his
efforts. Clark County lawyer Kermitt Waters said Wednesday he filed
legal documents on behalf of the International Union of Gaming
Employees, charging that the law that limits initiative petitions to a
single subject violates the U.S. Constitution.
Ramsey:
Special police districts for casinos?
PHILADELPHIA - Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey said yesterday
that the city was exploring the creation of special police districts
around two proposed waterfront casinos to prevent the gaming industry
from draining police resources from the rest of the city.
Vegas
adopts new ad campaign
Southern Nevada tourism officials are starting a $12 million ad
campaign to invite visitors and conventioneers to town despite high
gasoline prices, sagging consumer confidence and a global credit crisis.
Judge
Dismisses Casino's Claims
An administrative law judge has ruled that a federally-supervised union
election held at Foxwoods last fall was conducted correctly, dismissing
claims by casino management of errors by the National Labor Relations
Board and unlawful tactics by labor organizers.
Fired
former CEO sues River Rock Casino
As River Rock Casino prepares to embark on a major expansion, its
former chief operations officer is pressing a lawsuit claiming he was
forced out after questioning millions of dollars in unauthorized
expenditures.
'Mini Bellagio' planned for Nevada border town
The Peppermill plans to build a $400 million resort with 1,200 rooms
and a large casino in West Wendover, a ranking city official said
Wednesday.
The
Bear Growls: County employees allegedly
admit
taking bribes from casinos -- Will Gaming Control Board do
anything about
it?
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
By LVBear
LVBear584@cox.net
Previously reported quote
from Nevada Gaming Control Board member Randall Sayre: “I don’t
think it is right, at this point, to push a great deal of expense
through the entire industry to go look for a maybe.”
From page 40 of the recently released Kessler
Report:
... some Building
Division and CCFD inspectors did not want to create a hostile
environment at the hotels where they were assigned to inspect
complaints since it was alleged that certain
inspectors receive comps from the hotels including meals, show tickets,
stays at other properties and branded clothing.
From the Nevada
Revised Statutes:
NRS 281A.400 General requirements;
exceptions. A code of ethical standards is hereby established to govern
the conduct of public officers and employees:
1. A public officer or employee shall
not seek or accept any gift, service, favor, employment, engagement,
emolument or economic opportunity which would tend improperly to
influence a reasonable person in his position to depart from the
faithful and impartial discharge of his public duties.
If the allegations in the Kessler Report are true, presumably the
District Attorney or the Attorney General will handle the criminial
prosecutions of the crooked inspectors who accepted the bribes.
From the Nevada Gaming
Regulations:
5.010 Methods of operation.
1. It is the policy of the
commission and
the board to require that all establishments wherein gaming is
conducted in
this state be operated in a manner suitable to protect the public
health,
safety, morals, good order and general welfare of the inhabitants of
the State
of Nevada.
2. Responsibility for the
employment and
maintenance of suitable methods of operation rests with the licensee,
and willful
or persistent use or toleration of methods of operation deemed
unsuitable will
constitute grounds for license revocation or other disciplinary action.
(Amended: 1/69.)
5.011 Grounds
for disciplinary action. The
board and the commission deem any activity on the part of any licensee,
his
agents or employees, that is inimical to the public health, safety,
morals,
good order and general welfare of the people of the State of Nevada, or
that
would reflect or tend to reflect discredit upon the State of Nevada or
the
gaming industry, to be an unsuitable method of operation and shall be
grounds
for disciplinary action by the board and the commission in accordance
with the
Nevada Gaming Control Act and the regulations of the board and the
commission.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following acts or
omissions may be determined to be unsuitable methods of operation:
1. Failure to exercise
discretion and
sound judgment to prevent incidents which might reflect on the repute
of the
State of Nevada and act as a detriment to the development of the
industry. ...
It is obvious to me that issuing comps including stays
at
other properties to county inspectors who then falsify public
records, ignore obvious code violations, and allow shoddy construction
work, putting countless patrons’ lives at risk, are unsuitable
methods of operation.
Will the Gaming Control Board
belatedly make an effort to do its duty, or will it continue, by its
inaction, to help enable these crimes to go on being committed? I
suspect the usual “see no evil, hear no evil” do-nothing attitude of
the Board will prevail once again. I hope I am wrong.
You've Got Heat
Volume II, new e-book by
Barfarkel now available
Publisher's comments:
Barfarkel is the pseudonym of a
skilled card counter who treats card counting as an avocation. His card
counting trips to Las Vegas and Reno are quite detailed, and show how
grueling it can be to take on the casinos at their own game.
Barfarkel's first book, You've Got Heat, was well received in the
blackjack community.
Barfarkel began his card counting
journey in April 1999 with a $2,000 playing bankroll. Four years later,
he was able to grow his bankroll to $10,000. This part of his playing
career is fully documented in his first book, You've Got Heat.
You've Got Heat Volume 2 encompasses
the subsequent 20 trips that Barfarkel took to Las Vegas and Reno
during the period of October 2003 through October 2007. During this
time, Barfarkel played 643 hours of blackjack, and his bankroll took
some wild swings (from a high of $17k to a low of $7k). How this
happened makes for fascinating reading.
As usual, Barfarkel prefers to write
as he speaks, directly and to the point. So don't be surprised if you
find some abbreviated sentences and unorthodox phrasing in his
narratives.
Each of the trip reports in this book
was originally published in Blackjack Insider Newsletter. They were
updated and most of the repetition was removed from chapter to chapter
although some was left intact to maintain the original style of each
trip report.
Blackjack players will get
inspiration from reading Barfarkel's story. He shows that you can win
money playing blackjack using the principles and techniques of card
counting. Is it easy? Hardly, as you'll discover when you read this
book. Barfarkel started his card counting journey as a red chip player,
with the desire to become a green chip bettor. After he started
winning, he accomplished this goal. He then set his sights on winning
more to allow him to become a high-rolling black chip player. Did he
achieve this goal? We'll let him tell the story.
Note: This is an "e-book" and not a regular paper book. When ordered it
will come via email in PDF format. The price is $14.95
(plus sales tax if sent to a Nevada address). Click here to
order.
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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
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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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