♠ July 28th, 2008 by ♣ admin
Indian tribe moving onward with new financing for California casino Indian tribe impelling forward with new financing for California casino –> << Back finance [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski The American Indian family which plans to build a casino resort complex at the old Point Molate Naval Base near San Jose, Calif. has found a new partner another tribe that runs a popular Cache Creek casino resort in Yolo County.
Funds from the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians will help the Guidiville Band of Pomo Indians through a difficult federal approval process in its bid to build an 1,100-room resort with a casino , theater, convention center, retail, and other amenties on the land at the foot of the Richmond-San Rafael bridge, said tribal spokesman Michael Derry.
The Rumsey Band will operate the casino, Derry added.
Much of the 312 acres has already been transferred to Richmond, but another 50 acres remain with the Navy, as part of an environmental clean-up effort. The Navy may turn over those acres, along with cleanup money , under an early transfer now being discussed, Derry said.
Guidiville is going to give Richmond $20 million a year if the plan materializes.
The tribe is pursuing a rarely given exemption under a federal law that prohibits Indians from gaming on land acquired after 1988.
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, which wants a casino along Richmond Parkway, is also pushing for the same exemption.
A go vernment decision on Scotts Valley is expected much sooner than for Guidiville. Critics charge that both tribes hail from the North Bay and that their pursuit of Contra Costa casinos amounts to “reservation shopping.”
Derry declined to discuss the other terms of the deal.
“It’s enough of a commitment to get us through the entire process,” he said.
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♠ July 25th, 2008 by ♣ admin
Baccarat driving casino revenue growth in Macau Baccarat driving casino revenue growth in Macau –> << Back Macau Casino [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski Baccarat is driving Macau's casino revenue growth. Sales in the former Portugese colony rose 48 percent in the second-quarter, according to a government report.
The Chinese enclave’s 30 casinos brought in $3.6 billion in the three months through June, a massive increase from the same period a year-ago, the territory’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau revealed on its Web site in figures released on Thursday.
Higher baccarat revenues from VIPs, up more than 52 percent to $2.5 billion, were the biggest gainers. New casinos such as the Sands’ Venetian Macao, which opened August last year, are promoting the game heavily.
Fewer visitors from mainland China — the majority of Macau’s gambling patrons — after the May earthquake in Sichuan province dampened revenues a bit from what they could have been, analysts said. The 7.9 magnitude temblor killed 70,000 people and left 18,000 missing and unaccounted for.
The number of visitor arrivals from mainland China softened from around 1.55 million in May to nearly 1.36 million in June, according to Macau’s tourist office. The number of mainland visitors rose in June.
Last year, Macau casinos raked in $10.3 billion, according to the government. The former Portuguese colony surpassed the Las Vegas Strip as the world’s top gambling center two years ago, according to industry experts.
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♠ July 23rd, 2008 by ♣ admin
New casino for Illinois soon New casino for Illinois soon –> << Back Illinois casino [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski The Illinois Gaming Board is planning to sell the state's last available casino license by the end of the year. The goal is to finally get revenue out of the long-unsold license by next summer.
State gambling authorities spelled out the latest plans to sell Illinois’ 10th casino license, which was revoked from Emerald cottage after improperly filed paperwork scuppered the deal.
The revocation of the license began in 2001 and only ended last November when the state Supreme Court declined to hear Emerald’s appeal.
Applications to buy the license will go out this and are due back, with bids and proposed site locations, in late September or early October.
A winner will be picked from three finalists, who will get a chance to increase their offers.
Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe said he wouldn’t speculate on the chances of any town being selected as a casino site again.
A spokesman toward the Town of Rosemont, Gary Mack, said the suburb remains interested — and still has a casino site ready.
The state has forfeited $1 billion or more in tax revenue while the Emerald license has been unused.
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♠ July 21st, 2008 by ♣ admin
Casino donations used to feed the needy in Indiana Casino donations used to feed the needy in Indiana –> << Back donations [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski A new, fully outfitted cargo van is being donated by Ameristar Casinos to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana during a celebration marking the rebranding of its East Chicago, Ind., casino this weekend.
The donation is to be followed by a free concert featuring pop and jazz music icon Lionel Richie.
“Ameristar has a long-standing commitment to giving back to every community in which we operate,” said Pete Longi, Assistant General Manager of Ameristar Casino Hotel . “We’re proud to continue this tradition by making this donation to our deserving neighbor, the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.”
The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana provides food to the needy in Lake and Porter counties through a network of 90 charities. Its service area is home to about 100,000 people who live significantly below the poverty level. The new cargo van will significantly improve the food bank’s delivery capabilities, as the charity now only has one other vehicle which is not in very good operating condition.
According to Angelina Williams, executive director of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana , the van will help us in numerous ways and will directly help many, many people in our community.
“We deeply appreciate Ameristar making a donation that will improve our entire distribution efforts,” said Williams.
Through its charitable=2 0giving program, Ameristar Cares, the company and its team members donate millions of dollars annually to charitable organizations in markets in which Ameristar serves.
Ameristar Casinos, Inc. is a leading Las Vegas-based gaming and entertainment company known for its premier properties characterized by creative architecture, state-of-the-art casino floors and superior dining, lodging and entertainment. Founded in 1954 in Jackpot, Nevada, Ameristar has been a public company since November 1993.
The company has a portfolio of eight casinos in seven markets throughout the U.S., and makes charitable donations throughout the communities it serves.
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♠ July 17th, 2008 by ♣ admin
New poll shows support for a casino in Massachusetts growing New poll shows support for a casino in Massachusetts growing –> << Back Massachussetts [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski A new poll shows that residents of New Bedford, Mass. "strongly support" location of a casino there, according to a new poll the UMass-Dartmouth Center for Policy and Analysis. The person was released on Monday.
A total of 53 percent of those surveyed said they support locating a casino in New Bedford, and 20 percent are opposed and 27 percent are undecided.
“Since the casino issue was first broached in Massachusetts in 1995, New Bedford residents have consistently and persistently indicated that they are willing to host a resort casino,” center director Clyde Barrow said. “Despite 13 years of contentious debate on the issue, and unfavorable votes by the Massachusetts House of Representatives, a majority of the Whaling City’s residents still want to host a resort casino.”
During referendums in 1995 and 2001, New Bedford voters overwhelmingly indicated their support as being a local casino.
Last fall, Governor Deval Patrick, whose campaign manager was David Axelrod, who is also leading Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency of the U.S., put forth a proposal to license up to three casino resorts in Massachusetts. The plan, he said, would generate badly needed revenue and create new jobs. The House effectively killed the bill, however. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has also been in negotiations for the past year to build a casino on land it purchased in Middleboro.
The governor’s proposal required that casinos be located and licensed in communities that have approved a binding referendum on hosting such a resort.
“Local support for hosting a resort casino will certainly be an important determinant of where any future casinos are located in Massachusetts,” said Barrow.
The $6,000 UMass-Dartmouth poll was sponsored by Northeast Resorts Group.
Northeast Resorts, along with local partner Peter Picknelly of Peter Pan Bus Lines, has an exclusive development agreement with Mohegan Sun to develop a 152-acre site in Palmer, a site that has been identified as a likely location for a destination resort casino should the legislature approve gaming expansion in Massachusetts.
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♠ July 11th, 2008 by ♣ admin
New casino planned by reason of Reno area New casino planned for Reno area –> << Back Reno [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski Government officials are this week planning hearing for a special use permit request for a proposed new casino and hotel in Dayton, Nevada.
The permit is scheduled to be heard at 9:30 a.m. at the July 3 Lyon County Board of Commissioners meeting located in the commission meeting room inside the Lyon County Administrative Complex, at 27 South Main St., Yerington, Nev.
An earlier permit proposal for the Dayton Development Group/Project One ended without a recommendation since a motion to approve the permit for the casino at Traditions Parkway and Highway 50, part of the large Traditions development, failed. The vote was 2 in favor and four opposed by the Lyon County Planning Commission at its June 10 meeting.
Lyon County planning staff had recommended a continuance to permit the applicants to redesign the project in accordance with approved Traditions Village One Design Guidelines, but the applicants preferred the item proceed rather than go with the continuance request.
One controversy that emerged at the prior meeting was whether the submitted design for the proposed 79,000 square-foot casino, 250-room hotel expansion and 718 parking spaces conforms to the” original intent and requirements” of the Traditions project master planned unit development community project, observers note.
Among specific concerns brought up by the county staff deals with the design of the casino building , the size and content of the entry monuments, the 93-foot wide buffer along Highway 50 and the linear water feature throughout the 10.75 acre parcel of property.
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♠ July 11th, 2008 by ♣ admin
Gambling rules eased for high-rollers in Indiana Gambling rules eased for high-rollers in Indiana –> << Back gambling [Enlarge Image] By Gene Koprowski State officials are easing gambling rules for high-rollers in Indiana. Regulators last week approved a rule change that will spur more group trips that usually include free meals or rooms for gamblers.
The new rule from the Indiana Gaming Commission makes it much easier for “junketeers” — firms that organize casino junkets, and are paid based on how much their customers gamble — or are expected to wager.
Junketeer firms no longer must be licensed casino suppliers. What’s more, they will no longer have to pay a $5,000 fee to operate. Rather, companies will simply register with the state and pay a fee of $250 for the business, plus $75 for each individual junketeer.
“Our casinos are becoming more destination resort-style facilities,” said Jennifer Arnold, the gaming commission ’s deputy director. “We would certainly like to see more people from out of state come visit. The goal is to see if we can help the casinos generate more revenue from high-level players.”
According to Gerald Ades, the owner of Bluegrass Travel in Louisville, he’s organized gambling trips to Mississippi, New Jersey and Louisiana for almost 30 years. But he’s never done business with an Indiana casino because of the, until last week, outrageous licensing fee.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “The $250 registration fee is more in line with other states.”
The change is now in effect through an emergency rule, and the commission said the rule will be permanent after a July 29 public hearing. No opposition is expected, Arnold said.
According to Rick Mazer, a Harrah’s regional vice president, Indiana has been losing gambling business because of its repressive rule. Mazer estimates the change could bring as much as $20 million in additional annual gambling to Indiana’s 13 casinos, including the new facility at the state’s two horse racing tracks, or “racinos.”
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