Atlantic City, New Jersey - Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. and Diamondhead Casino Corporation announced today that they have signed a letter of intent pursuant to which the parties intend to form a joint venture partnership to develop, build and operate a destination casino resort in Diamondhead, Mississippi.

One of the problems with a metropolitan area that grows as fast as Las Vegas is that our roadways can't keep up with the traffic on them. It's a problem that plagues many valley businesses, and I hear from a lot of them when their customers are inconvenienced by traffic snarls and road construction. Customer inconvenience costs these folks business, especially in the locals casino business.

Washington, D.C. - Nevada is now the only state where a gambler can walk into a casino and bet USD 10 on either the Dallas Mavericks or the Miami Heat to win the next game in the NBA Finals. But there are three other states that are exempt from a federal ban on sports betting, Delaware, Montana and Oregon. And Delaware may want some of the action.

Johnston - State officials sanctioned Burlington business owner Randy Winegard's request Thursday to operate two year–round gambling facilities in southeast Iowa, saying the move will guarantee local ownership while benefiting the region economically. Winegard had sought Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approval to operate separate casinos in Burlington and Fort Madison. The Catfish Bend Casino riverboat currently docks for six months in the winter in Burlington and for six months in the summer in Fort Madison.

A company that started out running a Days Inn in Richwood has grown into a major player in the multibillion-dollar casino business and in the nation's hotel industry. Columbia Sussex Corp., based in Fort Mitchell, is buying Aztar Corp., a USD 2.75 billion cash purchase that, when final, will give it 13 casinos across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, and place it squarely in the heart of the nation's gambling capital, the storied Las Vegas Strip.

A quarter plunked into a video poker machine in May 2002 could turn into USD 1 million for an Alton woman, her lawyer said Friday. It wasn't because she hit the jackpot but because, in a sense, the jackpot hit her. Ameristar Casino in St. Charles agreed this week to pay that amount to settle Robyn Smith's personal injury suit, according to her lawyer, Jody Pravecek of Chicago. The settlement of the suit, in U.S. District Court at East St. Louis, is not yet official, she said.

The Las Vegas Strip isn't the only part of the state undergoing an image makeover. Even properties in sleepy outposts such as Lake Tahoe and Laughlin are going upscale, aiming to attract regulars with richer tastes as well as more discriminating visitors. Over the Memorial Day weekend, the former Caesars Tahoe changed its name to the Montbleau Resort as part of a significant overhaul of the entire property.

Grants Pass - The tribe with Oregon's most profitable casino has offered to help another tribe build a casino on its reservation in Central Oregon if it will drop plans to build one that taps the lucrative Portland-area gambling market. But the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs are not likely to go for the offer.

Casino companies are starting to hedge their bets in case rising fuel prices start keeping some visitors away. To keep them coming, some Las Vegas casinos are offering gasoline giveaways and discounts. Circus Circus, for example, sent out an electronic blast Monday announcing a free USD 25 gasoline card, featuring colorful pictures of young drivers.

Las Vegas (AP) - Wynn Las Vegas, casino mogul Steve Wynn's flagship resort, will pay USD 15.9 million to buy the rights to its headline show "Le Reve" from creator Franco Dragone so he can add lights, lasers and perhaps more performers. The sum, revealed in a filing this week by Wynn Resorts Ltd. to the Securities Exchange Commission, will pay for "substantially all rights in and to the show and to repay certain unreimbursed excess production costs," the filing said.

City MP Geoffrey Robinson has pledged to do everything he can to revive Coventry's super casino bid after a successful meeting with culture secretary Tessa Jowell. Mr Robinson met Ms Jowell on Monday evening to talk about what could be done to get Coventry's bid for a regional casino at the Ricoh Arena on to the shortlist.

Pittsburgh City Council members pressed would-be casino owners yesterday on promises to redevelop and aid neighborhoods, and got very different answers. Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. defended its focus on the Hill District. Forest City Enterprises argued for spreading the wealth. And Detroit businessman Don Barden's Majestic Star Casino offered North Side and Hill District aid but bemoaned the cascade of promises.