Michigan City, Indiana - Fireworks marked the grand opening of Blue Chip Casino's new 22-story hotel tower, which it hopes will make it stand out among the area's gambling destinations. The new hotel opened Jan. 22 in Michigan City. It cost USD 130 million to build and its 302 rooms join the 184 rooms in the original eight-story Blue Chip Tower. The hotel overlooking Lake Michigan has a 1,200-seat theater, a luxury spa and new bars and restaurants.

(Bloomberg) -- Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., a venture between Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau magnate Stanley Ho’s son, said its City of Dreams casino will open in the second quarter of this year. “The worst time has probably gone” for Macau, Chief Executive Officer Lawrence Ho said at a press conference in Macau today. The opening of the USD 2.1 billion project in the world’s largest gambling hub will create about 7,000 jobs, he added.

Following moves by other companies to delay or cancel building projects amid the floundering economy, Harrah's Entertainment is delaying the opening of its Octavius Tower expansion at Caesars Palace until demand for hotel rooms improves, the company said today. The company had planned to open the 660-room tower, part of a USD 1 billion hotel expansion, this summer.

As it usually occurs, Las Vegas Convention Center will welcome today G2E 2008, an event that expects to attract more than 30,000 professionals of the gaming industry, in which the biggest international companies will offer its innovations facing 2009. The event, that will start today after the traditional Ribbon Cut Ceremony, will count with more than 750 exhibitors (117 of them from abroad), keeping its leadership as the most important event in the gaming industry worldwide.

Gallup, New Mexico - Eldon Etsitty deals blackjack hands to a half-dozen players, then corrects one trying to double down improperly. "It's my table," he says in answer to a questioning look. Cards flash. Chips clatter. Etsitty turns up a winning card for himself, and the players groan. "They're feelin' it," he says, laughing. "Oh, they're feelin' it." The players laugh, too, because this is only a mock game created for casino trainees.

Chile Casino Superintendence (SCJ) determined that constructive remarks on operation and procedures have been corrected. They have been performed by the entity to Antofagasta and Talcahuano projects, so this Tuesday 11th and Thursday 13th the respective casinos will be inaugurated. Enjoy Antofagasta (Enjoy-I.Simunovic) and Marina del Sol (Valmar-Clairvest), have just finished to correct the 24 and 39 remarks performed at the end of October by SCJ.

"I don’t have to welcome foreign operators, the State did it." Patrick Partouche summarized in one line the situation of the online gaming conference that considered the opening conditions of gambling in France. In France, many people from various sectors cohabit in the same place, namely: operators of French casinos who are not allowed to operate online games in France by the present law; managers of foreign companies operating online bets illegally on the territory...

Singapore (Reuters) - The full opening of one of Singapore's casinos may be delayed due to construction issues and a shortage of labour, a local newspaper reported on Thursday. The Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, awarded to Las Vegas Sands in 2006, is several months behind schedule, the pro-government daily Straits Times said, citing sources. The casino was due to open at the end of 2009.

The first ever casino in Rwanda, Casino Kigali, failed to open as promised due to what insiders call unforeseen delays, The New Times has learnt. Casino Kigali which will be located at Top Tower Hotel in Kacyiru was supposed to open on October 21. Sources close to the venture but who preferred anonymity, say that the Casino which will operate under Lotto Rwanda, from the opening was delayed by unfinished work at the building where it will be located.

Evelyn Maybin has no problem driving the approximately 25 miles to check out Aliante Station when it opens, though other casinos are closer to her Summerlin home. She said she's been to the opening of every new casino in the valley since 2001. "It's like the premiere of a new blockbuster movie," she said. Station Casinos is betting the valley's newest casino resort will draw an audience even during the economic slump.

Las Vegas Casino Lines' Liquid Vegas, Port Canaveral's latest gambling ship, should be ready to sail sometime this week, a company representative said Monday. Management was "fine-tuning" the vessel, including ensuring employees are ready in all facets of the operation, company spokesman Tom Palermo said Monday. "This is a huge undertaking in logistics. It involves the training of 300 people," Palermo said. "We want to make sure everything is perfect."

The challenge for Station Casinos in opening Aliante Station is to not scare away the customers. In other words, the USD 662 million North Las Vegas hotel-casino may resemble Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, but it better not have Red Rock prices. Aliante Station executives seem to have to have taken that thought to heart. "The key is to have approachable price points, to correctly market the property and to be smart enough to understand our customer base,"...