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Archive for June, 2010

AL Sees Issues with Gaming in Near Future

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Alabama has been debating gambling laws for a while now. Governor Robert Riley formed a Task Force on Illegal Gambling a few months ago and the purpose of the team was to control illegal gambling. They have swiftly taken action over the past few months to uncover, investigate and close down illegal operations. The problem is that shutting down various locations is also eliminating much-needed jobs. This is an offshoot of the problem that has yet to be addressed until now. Alabama residents are having issues and will continue with them throughout the future until this is sorted out completely.

Residents of the US have suffered a great loss in jobs in the past few years. The recession caused many businesses to shut down or to go through major cut backs. The unemployment rate soared and millions of Americans were left out of jobs. Now, that unemployment issue is still rearing its ugly head via new changes in the market. For example, in Alabama Greenetrack is one of the biggest companies and employs the highest number of workers in the state. Unfortunately it was hit hard by the Governor’s Task Force. The facility was raided and hundreds of bingo machines were seized. Once the machines were gone, the facility was shut down.

Although the Greenetrack is appealing the decision, that does little good for the hundreds of residents who are employed at the facility. They are at a loss for finding new jobs. Many have been with the facility for years and now are left in teh same unemployment line as the other millions of Americans are. So far, Attorney General King has tried to step into the actions of the Task Force. He believes that it needs to be regulated to not put hundreds of
residents in unemployment danger. It will take some time for the issue to sort itself out. Residents are left reeling while the legalities are sorted out. The governor will continue his directions to the Task Force, wanting them to continue finding illegal operations and shutting them down swiftly and completely.

NJ and CA Fighting for Gaming Title

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

New Jersey and California are two states in a head-to-head race. It may seem strange, but the title each one wants is the first state to successfully regulate online gambling. It is an interesting time in the market because gamblign is a much-needed money generating activity. Since the recession states have been left with short budgets and huge deficits to deal with. Without the legalization and regulation of online casino gambling and land-based gambling there are few other options to manage financially.

Since the recession states have been scrammbling to change their budgets. Many programs have been cut that include education, public works, development and expansion. The 2010/2011 budget has been revamped to manage the smaller revenues to work with and state legislators are working to find other ways to bring in cashflow. The number one way thusfar has been gambling.

It is for this reason that New Jersey and California are fighting it out to institute a reliable gaming law. it could mean millions of dollars for each of the economies and it also would help to bring more casino facilities to the areas. That means that more jobs for locals will be created. Overall building new casinos is a win-win situation. Despite the positive changes, there are still some naysayers who believe that casino gambling in the area will inevitably bring more crime. They believe that it will bring in money laundering, identity thefts and other forms of criminal activity. Still state legislators are are focused and determined to bring a reputable law into play. They believe that the overwhelming benefit of millions of dollars per year is going to overshadow any additional problems that may arise.

New Jersey and California are fighting it out for the first state to regulate gaming. Imagine that a precident that state will create for future states as the US moves into full gambling regulation in the future. They are each testing different bills but only time will tell what each will find success and failure with.

WSOP Shows Huge Poker Growth in the Market

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Although the WSOP is taking over online gambling these days, many professional poker players are busy right now at the Tournament of Champions. The winner of this tournament is going to be $500,000 richer. This of course is an invite-only event that has no entry fee. So far there are seventeen players still in the event. Right now Mike Matusow is at the top of the chip count. Next is Huck Seed and finally Johnny Chan. The leaders are all fighting hard and it will only be a matter of days before things are sorted out. This is a great prelude to the WSOP and the players who are in on the invite-only event are rushing to the WSOP soon.

These two tournaments are proof of how far the world of poker has come in the past few years. The WSOP is the biggest tournament around and it began humbly back in the 1970s. Though it was slow in starting, the world of poker has come a long way. Now the WSOP offers millions of dollars to the top winners. The event is broadcast live all over the world and has gained corporate sponsorship. Though it used to be an underground activity, the game has moved into the mainstream quickly. It was not too long ago that poker was thought of as an activity that mobsters and criminals participated in– today’s market has expanded greatly to welcome on line casinos and land-based casinos that focus on poker.

If you are looking for a fun time then get in on the WSOP and its viewing. It is a premier event these days that offers hours of gaming fun. Plus, the professional players make the game that much more exciting. Each player has his or her own persona that they use to not only bluff other players with, but also to make the game thatmuch more fun. Check out live coverage of the WSOP tournament and you will find hours of gaming fun to enjoy.

WSOP Set to Begin July 4th in Las Vegas

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

It’s that time of year again—the WSOP, or World Series of Poker is at hand. Coming on July 4th expect Las Vegas to be filled with poker players wanting to either test their luck at the game or watch other players do the same. The WSOP of course is a huge tournament that has grown exponentially throughout the past few years. It began back in the 70s as a small gathering of poker lovers who put together the “event.” It has taken a few decades but now the tournament has grown to a multi-million dollar event where players vie for a number of wins and of course the WSOP bracelet.

This year the tournament is set to begin July 4th and Las Vegas is already seeing a huge increase in patrons to the city. That’s good news for the city because since the past two-year recession the city has had a difficult time recovering. Numbers have been down since the beginning of the recession and though they are headed upward, they are nowhere near what they were in earlier times. The WSOP is hoped to bring in a huge attendance to the city and casinos on The Strip are aware. They are working hard to create festive events around the holiday weekend and hoping that it spurs more customers than usual.

The main event is going to start on Monday and so far over 6,000 players are scheduled to enter the tournament. It is a $10,000 buy-in event and some of the top names in the professional world of poker are set to participate. In addition, amateur players are also scheduled to round out the many tables. It’s a great time for poker and if you are a fan of the game, now is a great time to tune into the event. It is going to be broadcast live via ESPN and ESPN2 for the world to follow along with the best players in the poker industry.

American Idol Creates More Wagering Possibilities

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

The world of online wagering is about to stomach another change. This time it is American Idol that is the target of betting. American Idol of course is the singing phenomenon that took over the past near-decade of time. Judges search for singing talent all over the US and auditions are taped. If the contestants get through the preliminary judges, they move on to a second level of judging. If they make it past that panel, then they move on to the big judges: Randy Jackson, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul or Randy, Simon and Kara Dioguardi along with Ellen Degeneres in later years. The show has gone through changes over the years and some have proven lucrative while others have not. Randy and Simon have been staples but the other judges have been changed throughout recent seasons of the show. There has been much speculation over what judges work and which ones don’t for the show.

Due to the shows overwhelming popularity, it has become a staple in the wagering rooms across the country. People put wagers on who will win, whether or not the new winner will be a certain age, sex or race. It gets interesting to combine wagers and test your chances at varying combinations. Online betting companies are now taking a wide range of bets regarding American Idol. Namely a change in the system is causing a new rise in wagering. The show announced that it is changing the rules to lower the age limit to fifteen years of age. In former years contestants had to be sixteen to enter the competition.

The move to lower the eligibility age is not without criticism though. Many people watched former seasons only to cringe at young performer’s uncomfortable showings when the show got tough. It was clear that younger performers were unable to handle the strain of competing on national TV to millions of viewers. Still the change has already been instituted and will be implemented in the coming season of the show. Online betting companies will be taking wagers on a new age range of competitors starting when the season begins.

PlayStation Network Down for Online Betters

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

One of the most reliable things in the online world is gaming. Players who love PlayStation know that they can log into the network and participate in a wide range of games with players all over the world. Still that reliability is not without fault. Earlier this month the company’s network was down causing millions of users to have to skip their post-work pastime of gaming. The PlayStation network announced to its users via a website message that its network would be down for maintenance, however it wasn’t posted until users tried to log in. Many left the website frustrated due to no forewarning of the issue or the amount of time that it would take to maintain the servers.

The PlayStation console is not only a staple in many gamers’ everyday lives, but it also has become a tool they use to place bets on games. Baseball for example is an American pastime that the PlayStation takes wagers on throughout the season. Millions of users log in to put money on the outcome of games and the season-ending winners. The popularity of the consol is indicative of where the market is going in terms of online casino gaming and wagering. The application’s timeout for maintenance caused more than a small hubbub in the market and many users were not happy that they had to turn to other means of gaming for the entire 24-hour period the company needed for service. That was a large window of time to require gamers to be off the system.

In the future PlayStation officials stated they would take more precautions to notify gamers of their plans and give them more time to plan accordingly. In addition, they stated via a press release that they would be modifying their upgrades to shorter periods of time when gamers could not log in. Rather than taking an entire day to maintain the applications, they would opt for three sessions of downtime that last for a few hours. Hopefully the changes will be positive for gamers and wagers will still be able to be made in the world of online sports betting via the PlayStation console.

Wagers on “The Bachelor” Continue

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Are you a fan of “The Bachelor” TV show? If not, it may seem odd that the final cast is making its way into the world of gambling. The truth though is that wagers on the outcome of reality shows have become more and more popular throughout the past few years. It is no longer sporting events that solely see fans’ bets. Nowadays gaming companies are seeing more and more pop culture wagers coming into the market. They are taking bets and making them more lucrative for the players.

With The Bachelor bets were taken on who would walk away with the star, Jake Pavelka as he sought after his “wife” throughout the 8-week long show. A wide range of women were involved in the competition and Pavelka was sent on a series of dates with each one to find his “one and only true love.” He quickly sorted through the ladies to come up with the final two vying for his attention. This is where bets began. Betting companies all over began taking wagers on the final choice he would make at the season finale of the show. He took his time in choosing and editors of the show were careful to not give anything away throughout taping. As a popular TV show the competition took a huge number of wagers on who the winning woman would be. In the end, Pavelka chose Vienna Girardi as his lady love. And they lived happily ever after from that day on– never leaving eachother’s loving arms…or did they?

Reality TV is not reality, as it has proven time and time again. Pavelka and Girardi recently split up as a couple and have little to say to each other. Though that may be bad news for the formerly betrothed couple, it is good news for those who placed wagers that the relationship would not last until marriage. Expect more and more wagers based on reality TV and pop culture to be entering the market. This is big business for the market and no one wants to pass up a chance to wager on their favorite show.

Ohio Racetrack Owners Worried about Future

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Ohio is in the midst of problems regarding gambling and setting the laws. Many states in the US are having heated debates over how to write laws and change the face of gaming and how it is used by the economy. It was last November that the approval for four new casinos was passed. State officials were excited because of the potential because they saw it as a means of bringing in much needed cash flow. Since the recession began economies everywhere have suffered greatly. It has been a difficult time and state legislators, along with cities, are hoping that gambling is just what they need to turn things around financially. It has worked for other cities and now this one is hoping to capitalize on the change to turn the economy around for the good.

The changes are now without consequence though. In Ohio the biggest casualty is the struggling racing industry. Of all the industries that have taken hits during the recession, racing probably is one of the most hard-hit. People suffered high unemployment rates and quickly cut back on discretionary spending. This included gambling and racetrack wagers. Though gambling I seemingly on the rise, racing has yet to come to any clear turnaround. In fact, the numbers are continuing to decline. This is horrible news for the race track owners who were hoping to see the same turnaround that other industries have seen post-recession. Things don’t seem to be turning out that way now that the industry is settling.

In Ohio racetrack owners are particularly concerned because if the four casinos do open it could take what little business racetracks have now completely away. Also, considering that racetracks were making moves to gain approval to include slots gaming at their locations, now this could hamper that. Even if they do get the approval, there are going to be so many widespread choices for gaming at the four state-of-the-art casinos that visiting a racino will be all but unnecessary. State racetrack owners are holding their breaths in anticipation of what comes next. All too many are worried that the only alternative will be to shut their doors permanently.

PA Goes Through Final Stages of Casino Openings

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Pennsylvania legislators are ready for gaming. So far table games have been the target for change and they are now legalized. The last issue to be resolved is the live in-house trial run. State law dictates that regulators have to visit each casino and test out every game. They are responsible for making sure the games are reliable before the public is open to play them. It was the second week of July that Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse welcomed legislators for their test day. Inspectors visited the facility to play various table games for eight hours op operations. That inspection ushered in the official opening of the casino to the general public.

Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz stated that casino operators throughout the state are excited about the changes pending, however to make the transition to gambling they have to protect the general public. It is their primary focus to make sure that all games are reliable and follow good gaming practices. One problem with a single machine could cost the facility thousands in lost revenue. Operators at Hollywood Casino were hoping for a clean bill of health during their review. Optimally this is what would allow them to open on time and make the most of the gambling legalization in the state of Pennsylvania. Thankfully they were approved and the casino opened just two days after the thorough review by regulators.

One of the draws of the state’s goals is to attract gamers and overtake near-by Atlantic City as a gambling hub of the area. It is even capable of competing with some of the best online casinos around today. It may take some time, but this is the first step to the change. If Penn National can immediately build a name for itself via Holly wood Casino it can more easily move into the market. Future developments and expansion are already on the docket for approval in the near future. The state’s legislators seems confident that it is well on its way to becoming a gaming center of the area of the US. Casino operators agree and are putting their hope on the market as a means of spurring the economy into action post-recession.

Georgia Enters Debate over Gaming and the Budget

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

The question of legalizing gambling is taking center stage for many legislators and creating a new political debate to sort through. Georgia is another state that is taking on the issue full steam. Attorney General and Gubernatorial candidate Thurbert Baker would like to see gambling brought to the state’s budget. His hope is that gambling will fund the state’s education program for the coming years. Since the recession Georgia, like other states in the US, has found itself hampered financially by troubles due to the recession. Many programs have no option but to be cut if the state cannot find ways to bring in added revenue to sustain them.

Baker is just one of the legislators who is opting for bringing in casino gambling as a money-generating activity, rather than see huge education cuts in the budget, His main goal is to take the revenue from gambling and fuel it directly into the state’s education fund. He is currently estimating that over the next ten years gambling could bring in well over $2 billion in tax-revenue dollars. Much of Baker’s platform is dependent on the public perception of gaming and using it as a way to fuel the budget further in coming years. It may be difficult for people to say no to the huge estimate and naysayers are already accusing the Attorney General of gross exaggerations when it comes to the estimated revenue stream of gambling’s legalization in the state. They believe that the numbers will be much lower, and that they will be not as stable as reported by those who want to pass legislation for gaming.

The primary election in Georgia is July 20 and if Baker is going to make gambling a major issue in his platform, he needs to get the word out quickly. Voters are already forming preconceived notions of the issue and seeing this is Baker’s main focus in all his press, they may have already discounted him from the race. Right now Roy Barnes, the favorite candidate to win, is already winning votes by citing his decision to keep the issue in the hands of the people.