Executives at Genting, a Malaysian conglomerate with big gaming interests, have always been fond of England. On one visit, they were treated to a tour of the Houses of Parliament by Lord Baker, the former Conservative minister and a non-executive director at Stanley Leisure, one of the groups Genting invests in. They had lunch of roast beef and all the trimmings.
If you're dealing blackjack or parking cars at a Mississippi Gulf Coast casino, chances are your pay is better - maybe 30-40 percent or more - than it was before Hurricane Katrina devastated the gaming industry last August. "Wages and salaries are increasing significantly," said Bill Kilduff, general manager at Isle of Capri Resort in Biloxi where 1,400 people are employed. "Hourly positions that paid USD 7 or USD 8 are now paying USD 10 to USD 13 an hour."
Boomtown Casino reopened on Thursday in Biloxi. The casino's general manager, Pat Murphy, said there are no big changes in the layout of the casino, except for the absence of an arcade for children and baby-sitting service. Boomtown will use the space for more slot machines and a new restaurant.
Worley, Idaho (AP) - An explosion rocked the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe's casino on Thursday, a tribal spokeswoman said. There was no word on injuries or extent of damages at the casino, about 35 miles southeast of Spokane, Wash.
Plans to construct a 10-screen movie theater and a 98-room hotel and add more than 24,000 square feet to Casino Fandango's gaming area were approved Wednesday by the Carson City Planning Commission. "It's a great thing," said Commissioner Bill Vance. He and other commissioners asked about such things as outdoor signs, security and infrastructure improvements needed to make the South Carson Street business' expansion viable.
More than 1,200 workers at Cache Creek Casino Resort have ratified their second union contract, securing pay raises and freezing health insurance costs. Cache Creek, in Yolo County, was the first Indian casino in the state to get a collective bargaining agreement, three years ago. It is now the first to renew. With the contract at Cache Creek completed, UNITE HERE, which represents the workers in Local 49 at Cache Creek, is renegotiating other contracts at Sacramento-area hotels -- and potentially getting in position to have the employees of Thunder Valley Casino in Placer County vote for representation this year.
Hull: The city's new cabinet member for economy says he is backing Hull's bid for a new casino licence. Councillor Andy Sloan said the development of a large casino complex would add to Hull's appeal as a destination. "When people talk about tourism in Hull you have to look at providing a package of attractions," he told the council's urban regeneration scrutiny commission. "We have one or two good attractions, such as The Deep, but the problem with somewhere like that is that people are not going to come back for a second visit for a few years after their first visit.
The proposals, which include plans for a hotel, spa and conference centre, will be on display in Blackpool's Central Car Park off Seasiders Way. Urban regeneration company ReBlackpool is urging stakeholders and residents to view the plans, which form the first step in the application process.
Las Vegas (AP) - Gamblers have bet their last at the kitschy Klondike, a south Las Vegas Strip landmark that new owners plan to raze to make way for a new hotel and condominium complex. ''I think we were standing in the way of progress,'' said John Woodrum, who bought the former Motel 6 with partner Katsumi Kazama in 1974 for USD 1.2 million and converted it in 1978 into a casino, restaurant, bar and lounge with a 153-room hotel.
The heat may be turned up on proposals to limit smoking in Atlantic City casinos after Surgeon General Richard Carmona's report on secondhand smoke. The report stated that separate smoking sections do not prevent secondhand smoke and only smoke-free public places can truly protect non-smokers. "One of the most important things that came from the report is there is no safe level of secondhand smoke," said Michele Holcomb, director for media relations for the South Jersey Region of the American Cancer Society. "The ventilation systems that are used just aren't effective."
By noon, more than 1,500 Long Beach residents had signed in and voted in the non-binding gaming referendum. Joanna Hudson's ballot was a vote against the casino concept. "I can't see us having it," she said. "I like Long Beach as the little city where I moved to after I married 50 years ago." What voters were asked to decide was whether Long Beach should open the north side of Highway 90 near downtown, and across from the harbor, to casino developers. If the answer is yes, Rob Stinson welcomes the competition.
Expansion in Europe continues
