Switzerland's 19 casinos registered higher revenues than lotteries for the first time last year, the federal commission in charge of gambling says. The casinos earned CHF 955 million last year, while lotteries took in CHF 900 million, the commission said in a report released Tuesday. Casino revenues in 2006 rose 9.2 per cent from the previous year while those from lotteries increased less than five per cent.
Construction has begun on a new ZAR 68-million Sun International hotel adjoining the Golden Valley Casino site in Worcester, in Western Cape. Due to open in autumn next year, ahead of the Easter holiday, the two-storey hotel will consist of 100 rooms, including two suites. In keeping with the casino complex, it will boast a Cape Dutch architectural theme.
Das Casino Konstanz trat beim Frühjahrsmeeting in Frauenfeld als einer der Hauptsponsoren auf. Am Sonntag den 20. Mai wurde auf der Rennbahn in Frauenfeld (CH) der GP Casino Konstanz, der 27. Frühjahrspreis der Dreijährigen ausgetragen. Pont des Arts, geritten von Olivier Placais gewann das Flachrennen der 3-jährigen Hengste und Stuten über 2000m überlegen.
Employees of 2 casinos run by the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes in Oklahoma will take over management after a 5-year contract extension with an outside contractor was nullified. Tribal Governor Darrell Flyingman says control will pass Saturday from the management team of Minneapolis-based Southwest Casino and Hotel Ventures to the casino staff.
Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell was accused in the High Court of treating existing gaming establishments with "blatant unfairness" as she pushed ahead with plans for 17 new casinos, including in Solihull and Wolverhampton. Lost profits could be as much as GBP 120 million a year and old, established operators forced out of business, a judge was told.
Anthony Marnell III started out small in getting back into the casino operating business. Purchasing two of Laughlin's largest casinos, he figured, was the logical next step for his management team. The Gaming Control Board gave Marnell and the investment group he heads tentative approval Wednesday to acquire the Edgewater and Colorado Belle casinos from MGM Mirage for USD 200 million.
Putting more bums in more seats could be part of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort's recipe for keeping its gamblers happy. Falls Management Co., is considering adding a 5,000-seat entertainment centre to the casino, said casino spokesman Greg Medulun. "Entertainment complexes are critical and important drivers for the casino industry," Medulun said.
The horse breeders, owners, drivers and trainers who fought for Las Vegas-style slot machines at The Isle Casino & Racing at Pompano Park now want the gambling devices temporarily unplugged. The Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association has filed a harshly worded lawsuit against the racetrack casino, alleging that Pompano Park officials refuse to give the horsemen their fair share of the slots revenue.
Providing further evidence of increasing competition from a revived Mississippi Gulf Coast, Louisiana's state-licensed casinos saw their winnings from gamblers in April drop nearly USD 9 million from the same month last year. The state's 12 riverboat casinos, Harrah's Entertainment Inc.'s downtown land casino in New Orleans and three slot machine casinos at race tracks took in a tad less than USD 205 million last month, compared with USD 213.9 million in April 2006, state police reported Wednesday.
The State of Texas currently does not allow casino gambling, but if State Senators John Corona of Dallas and Rodney Ellis of Houston have their way, voters will be able to decide in December whether to allow casinos in the state. The new bill, which has been proposed by these two senators, would allow voters to decide the future of gambling in the state.
The company that manages the largest group of downtown Las Vegas casinos is leaving Glitter Gulch, a move that adds even more uncertainty to an already struggling gambling market. The Las Vegas-based Navegante Group on Thursday announced it would part ways with Tamares Group of Vaduz, Liechtenstein. That leaves Tamares, the largest private landowner downtown, to find new management for the Plaza, Las Vegas Club, Western and Gold Spike casinos, a collection that includes more than 1,600 hotel rooms, nearly 2,400 slot machines, 51 table games and employs about 1,600 people.
Aspers Casino in Swansea will open its doors to the public for the first time on September 6.Boss Damian Aspinall was in Swansea yesterday to announce the official opening of the Salubrious Place gambling emporium. With GBP 7 million fit-out costs, the casino represents a huge investment in the city and Mr Aspinall is confident it will pay off. Aspers is one of the biggest casino groups in the UK, and Mr Aspinall says it is leading the way in making casinos respectable.
