Green Felt Journal
Goin’ mobile
With all of the sound and fury stirred up by the recent “Black Friday” indictments of three online poker operators, some major news that’s bringing Nevada a bit further into the future and a bit closer to the mainstream of sports betting in the rest of the world has gone largely unheralded. Last month, William Hill, a London-based bookmaking giant that claims 25 percent of the competitive market in the British Isles announced plans to acquire both American Wagering—the owner of Leroy’s, a chain of 53 sports books, 19 betting kiosks, and a Lovelock casino—and Club Cal Neva, a betting chain with more than two dozen outlets, primarily in Northern Nevada. This week, William Hill also bought Brandywine Bookmaking, parent of Lucky’s race and sports books. Read more »
Behind the reels
To most players, slot machines are only screen deep. The spinning reels are what’s important. But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that makes the action possible. Without back-end systems to track play and account for payouts, those slot machines would be very expensive ornaments. Through fiber-optic cable and data drops, a series of networks connects slot machines to each other, to master systems, and even to software that lets managers analyze the casino in real time. Though invisible to the players, these systems are absolutely essential. Read more »
What Happens in Vegas Goes in The Vegas Box
Although gaming revenues continue to sag, nongaming spending in Las Vegas is showing a slight rebound. Numbers recently released by the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority show upticks in expenditures on food and drink, transportation, shopping and entertainment for 2010. The proprietors of The Vegas Box, a start-up geared toward frequent Vegas visitors, are hoping that now might be the time to start a business that capitalizes on people’s love for Vegas—and convenience. Read more »
Tavern owners ponder life after football
Should the current National Football League lockout stretch into the 2011 season—previously scheduled to begin in early September—there will be an impact on Las Vegas, even though the nearest NFL team is in Arizona. Read more »
Lofty expectations? Here’s your man.
Sherman James might not be onstage when he arrives for work at 6 each morning at MGM Grand’s Skylofts, but he’s still the star of the show. He’s been a concierge at the 51-loft hotel within a hotel since it opened in 2005, and he brings a different kind of experience than most employees of the ultra-luxury guest boutique: Long before he was a concierge, the sprightly 62-year-old had a career singing professionally and touring with groups like the Platters, the Coasters and the Imperials. Read more »
Leap of Faith
It’s not often that a CEO becomes a hero by jumping off a building, but most CEOs aren’t like Frank Riolo. And most companies don’t operate observation towers attached to a Las Vegas casino. In April, Riolo’s main charge, the Stratosphere, was putting the finishing touches on its new Sky Jump ride. As part of the opening festivities, he opened up the ride for free to all employees who wanted to try. It looked like so much fun, he joined them. Read more »
Suite Designs
When the El Cortez announced the winner of its Design-a-Suite Downtown competition recently, the downtown stalwart did more than decide the look for its suites; it reaffirmed its faith in the neighborhood. “Jackie Gaughan’s always said that’s what’s good for downtown is good for the El Cortez,” executive manager Alexandra Epstein says. “That’s why we’re cultivating friendships with designers and the World Market Center and bringing in as many people as possible. We want to highlight our neighbors.” Read more »
Station’s math: More employees mean more business
The local employment picture has been a dire one. In the past five years, the unemployment rate has more than tripled. That’s why a local company hiring 1,000 new employees is pretty good news. It’s particularly noteworthy when it’s in the high-profile casino sector, and even more so when it’s a company that specializes in the hard-hit locals market. Add that it’s a company that’s been driven into bankruptcy by the plummeting fortunes of the Las Vegas Valley, and it’s easy to see why Station’s big hiring push was a cause for celebration. Read more »
Gaming insider moves to the outside
Many Nevadans have transitioned into new jobs and even careers. Patrick Wynn is one of them. The former Nevada Gaming Control Board deputy chief of investigations, who recently retired after more than 31 years of service, sees his new role as more of a shift in position than in mission. Read more »
Serious about cyber security
Amid the excitement of the Cosmopolitan opening and the end-of-year eagerness to get out of the office, an industry letter circulated by the Nevada Gaming Control Board attracted far less attention than it should have. Reading it is a reminder of just how reliant on player databases the industry has become. Read more »
