Looks like Mariah Carey is adapting quickly to life in Sin City. The day after she opened her Las Vegas show, #1 to Infinity , she dropped by the Chippendales all-male revue at the Rio Hotel & Casino…and ended up on stage.
Monthly Archives: May 2015
Bookies lick wounds after UK election
Bookmakers in the UK are likely sleeping easier this weekend after the Conservative party won an outright majority in Thursday’s General Election.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s Tories won 331 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, a net gain of 25 seats. Ed Milliband’s Labour party fell 24 seats to 232 and the Tories’ former Liberal Democrat coalition partner fell from 56 seats to just eight. Up north, the upstart Scottish National Party went from six seats to 56, leaving the three other major parties with just a single seat apiece in Scotland. (Message delivered.)
The prospect of another five years of Tory rule gave UK markets their biggest gains since January. Publicly traded bookmakers – particularly those with retail operations – were among the biggest gainers. William Hill rose nearly 6% on Friday and Ladbrokes was up 10%. And, as testimony to the theory that a rising tide lifts even leaky boats, Bwin.party was up 4%.
Not that the Tories have been particularly kind to bookies. The Conservatives instituted the new 15% online point of consumption tax and boosted the Machine Games Duty to 25%. But Labour had made it part of its manifesto to impose a new sports betting levy, plus further curbs on betting shops and their dastardly fixed-odds betting terminals.
Lottery Scammers Target People on "Sucka List"
One of the principal figures behind a so-called Jamaican lottery scam has been found guilty on several counts, becoming the first to be convicted in a massive FBI probe of the graft with deep Broward ties.
WMS to close Waukegan HQ; 247 workers affected
WMS Gaming Inc., maker of gaming and video-lottery machines, plans to close and relocate its Waukegan headquarters by early June and lay off 247 workers. The company filed documents with the state in April that it intended to close its headquarters.
Nun of 'Dead Man Walking' fame may testify for Boston bomber
Russian relatives of Boston Marathon bomberTsarnaev are expected to testify at his trial as his lawyers continue to make their cas… A 25-year-old man was convicted Thursday for his role in a Jamaican lottery scam that authorities say cost victims around the country millions of dollars. A 25-year-old man was convicted Thursday for his role in a Jamaican lottery scam that authorities say cost victims around the country millions of dollars.
Calif. gas station off the hook in lottery ticket probe
A Palmdale, California, gas station employee who mistakenly gave $75 to an undercover state compliance officer instead of advising him that he was the holder of a lottery ticket worth $75,000 did not commit fraud, lottery officials said Thursday.California, Scratch Games, Error, Retailer, Investigation
Crystal Palace – Manchester United Betting: Back goals galore when Van Gaal's men visit Selhurst Park
Both sides are struggling to find their best form as the season draws to a conclusion, but our tipster is backing plenty of goals when they meet in south London on Saturday Manchester United suffered a third successive Premier League defeat when they crashed to a 1-0 loss against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford last Saturday. Louis van Gaal’s side have also failed to score in any of their last three matches but, despite their poor recent run of form, United go into Saturday’s showdown with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park knowing that a win could be enough to ensure a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.
Espinoza Fined for Whip Use on Stellar Wind
Victor Espinoza was fined $300 by the Santa Anita Park stewards May 8 for “causing a break in the skin” with his whip on Stellar Wind during her victory in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) April 4.
Jacksons to Open New Chapter in Preakness
Nine years after Barbaro broke down in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), Gretchen and Roy Jackson are returning to Pimlico for the 140th edition of the race May 16 with another homebred colt, Divining Rod.
Akira Ohyama Signs with 888Poker
Online poker sites have been cutting down on their sponsored pro teams, but that general trend doesn’t tell the whole story. While the overall number of sponsorships may be down, sites are still seeking out partnerships where they think they are profitable, targeting specific areas and players rather than simply trying to sign every big […]
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Online Poker Continues Decline in France
French online gambling regulator ARJEL released its Q1 gross gaming revenue figures this week, and the picture remains bleak for poker. While online poker continues to attract the most players and generate a higher level of turnover than other forms of online gambling, it also yields the lowest level of gross gaming revenue. France’s cash […]
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Begg Tapped JC of Canada's Chief Steward
The board of stewards of The Jockey Club of Canada has appointed Jeffrey Begg to the position of chief steward.
South Korea to let locals gamble on board cruise ships; Paradise’s lost VIPs
South Korean casino operator Paradise Co Ltd has confirmed its earlier projections of a significant VIP downturn in Q1.
In the first three months of 2015, Paradise reported revenue falling 11.2% to KRW 151.4b (US $139m) as gaming revenue fell 13% to KRW 131b and profit fell 20.5% to KRW 40.5b. The Korean Casino Association reported that Paradise’s share of the country’s overall casino market fell 4.2 points to 46.9% in Q1.
The decline was sparked by across the board dips in the number of international VIP gamblers crossing the thresholds at Paradise’s five foreigner-only casinos in Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Jeju. The ranks of Chinese VIPs were down 17% year-on-year while Japanese high-rollers were off 16%. On the plus side, VIPs from other countries were up 6.4% and mass market gambling table drop increased over 10%.
Things may improve for Paradise in Q2, thanks to expansions of the casino floors at its Walkerhill property in Seoul (set to grow 25%) and its Incheon property (30%). Daiwa Securities projected Paradise would return to growth by H2 2015. The Paradise City Incheon integrated resort joint venture with Japan’s Sega Sammy Holdings is on track to open in H1 2017.
Player dissed by lottery ticket message
New York lottery officials say a disrespectful message on a player’s scratch ticket was a freak accident but the player is far from convinced.
A few weeks back, Nick Lynough, a 22-year-old college student from Elmira, New York, purchased a $5 Wheel of Fortune scratch ticket from a machine in a local bar. While scratching away the ticket’s chemical coating, Lynough was shocked to find the phrase “You Elmira Trash” spelled out in the ticket’s Person, Place and Things categories.
Lynough told ABC News that he originally believed the ticket was “fake and tampered with.” Shock was then replaced by anger and the notion that Lynough, as an Elmira native, was being “disrespected” by some prankster at International Game Technology (IGT), which produced the ticket. Lynough eventually persuaded Sheriff Christopher Moss of the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office that the ticket was sufficiently suspicious to warrant further investigation.
Moss forwarded the ticket to the New York State Lottery, which conducted its own investigation. On Wednesday, lottery officials confirmed that the ticket was legit and that the “unfortunate arrangement of words on this individual ticket was completely random, coincidental and – most importantly – unintentional.”
Minnesota Senate votes to kill online lottery games
The Minnesota Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday to warn the state lottery that its days of selling instant-win tickets on the Internet, at gas pumps and through ATMs are likely numbered. The Senate’s 56-8 vote would end the virtual games the lottery launched last year without explicit legislative approval, which prompted cries of executive-branch overreach and expressions of concern that state-sponsored gambling was becoming too convenient.
Jockey David Flores Cleared to Race in CA
Jockey David Flores has been cleared to race by the Santa Anita Park stewards, according to documents released May 7 by the California Horse Racing Board.
Gross Up, Average Steady at Louisiana Sale
Total sales rose nearly 8% at the Equine Sales Co. 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age sale April 27 in Opelousas, La., with trading topped by a 2-year-old Gold Tribute colt for $65,000.
OBS June Catalog Available Online
The catalog for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. June sale of 2-year-olds and horses of racing age is available via the OBS website at obssales.com.
TRPB to Provide Integrity Services for USTA
The U.S. Trotting Association announced May 7 that the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau will provide a variety of integrity services on its behalf.
Nobu Hospitality And RCD Resorts Announce Nobu Hotel Los Cabos
Nobu Hospitality is a private company owned by Chef Nobu, “We are exceptionally proud to extend our partnership with RCD Resorts, as they have demonstrated their vision and aptitude for leading innovation in world class resort developments. The Nobu Hotel Los Cabos will represent a new and differentiated luxury product, which will be unique for both continues to be a destination of choice for the luxury traveler and this resort will embody our commitment to create a property that intertwines fun and luxury, and to offer guests from around the world a unique and exciting experience.”