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Posts Tagged ‘Maryland’

Northeastern States Changing Gaming Laws

Wednesday, December 15th, 2010

Though New Jersey legislators are making moves, they could have some competition when it comes to bringing gambling laws into their markets. Now it is Maryland and Maine both that are makign moves towards solidifying their market shares in the northeastern area. Both states are new to gaming and by no means are experts; still this isn’t necessarily a negative thing. They are toying with various rules to see what works for them. The fact that they have premiere gaming could be the first step in becoming gaming centers in their area of the US. Maine of course was debating Oxford County’s petition for a casino. It was the recent recession that changes it all when people opted to vote a casino to be built. A casino was approved for building. This was a huge change because prior to the official vote, the sides were pretty evenly divided. Maryland too has its own gambling initiative going. The state of course has been working iwth Anne Arundel County for some time now to bring a casino to the mall. This would be a huge facility and would introduce a good amount of competition to the area as a whole. This could change the face of gambling in the northeast.

So who is going to win? That depends on what the fickle gaming public are looking for. Since all the states involved are advanced, they know what good casinos should offer. They have a great handle on what needs to happen in terms of gaming floors, promotions, deals, specials, etc. They have strong gaming companies that are able to help them put together the right plans for opening facilities if they don’t have they yet, and to develop facilities if they are already built. This could pose a problem for New Jersey– not tha the state already hasn’t seen its share of issues. The state’s numbers have been down for a long time now– since the recession actually and they are showing no signs of a quick turnaround. No one knows how the competition will sort itslef out or where gamers are going to show the most loyalty. That has yet to be seen.

MA Still High on Hollywood Casino Opening

Saturday, October 30th, 2010

Maryland is still on a high thanks to its Hollywood Casino opening. The casino brought in the thousands it was hoped to serve, and then some. Gamers from all over chose to get in on the fun and found that the slots at the casino were top notch and a lot of fun for them. There were even a few big winners since the opening of the casino in Perryville. So far crowds have continued to gather at the casino and wager. In just four days of initial operations the casino managed to bring in about $2 million. That is huge news for legislators who pushed for gambling to be brought in, and those who didn’t. Regardless of what side they were on, the change is a huge asset for the community. If this is a sign of what is to come, they could be sitting pretty on revenues of anywhere from $40 to $60 million per month, part of which would go directly to the state.

Part of their big draw was that people left the casino with great things to say. There were 1,500 slot machines for them to enjoy and on average, every slot handed out about $350. That is a huge return and most people who wagered for any length of time were able to win some money—a great feeling at any casino. The state’s legislators were ecstatic too. They know that the casino is going to be highly lucrative for them. Taking their tax revenue cut of a $40-$60 million revenue stream every month is no small change. That money is already being earmarked for various public works programs and education. The state was forced to cut back on education programs in the past and now can reinstitute them. This great news for residents who want more options for their children and anyone going back to further their education. If the state can continue to flourish with Hollywood Casino, it can eventually rebuild itslef and its market to what it was pre- recession, or even better. Overall this is one of the best action plans gambling has taken in the US market. Hopefully other states will see the same long-lasting success with their own gambling plans.

Maryland Excited about New Hollywood Casino

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Maryland is making a big splash in the market with its new Hollywood Casino. The casino opened a few weeks ago and already it has a good fan base. It seems that thousands of customers have already ventured to the casino in search of some great gambling fun. Prior to its opening residents of the state had to drive to Delaware Park in Wilmington—it was the closest casino in the area for Perryville residents to find gaming. The Hollywood Casino now is offering premiere gambling to the area and people love it. If you are a fan of gambling and live in the state, no doubt you have at least heard about the wagering going on at this new location. The casino has been a long time in coming. Talks of it began years ago and no one was sure that it would end up being a reality to the people in the state. Of course slots gaming offers millions of dollars in revenue via taxes to any state that brings them in, but that doesn’t mean that every state is opting for them. In fact, some states are looking to keep gambling out altogether.

Maryland is not one of them though. The state has long been pining for the slots parlor called Hollywood Casino. They know the benefits—not only in tax revenue dollars, but also in job creation. Both combine and bring an added benefit to the communities there. One thing that legislators were concerned with also was gamblers who were taking money out of the city. With highly competitive neighboring communities, residents who don’t find gambling in their own borders are going to venture to other counties to wager. This fuels money out of the local economies. Legislators did not want that to happen so they pushed forward with the gambling in Perryville. Now Hollywood Casino is proving to be a force to be reckoned with in the area. On its first three days of operation, Hollywood Casino brought in over 21,000 patrons. Since that first day the casino has brought in a steady stream of patrons too. That is great news for legislators and casino operators alike.

MA Officials Waiting on Gambling Vote

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Maryland is looking to expand its gambling world and it seems that the voting public most likely is alright with that. A recent poll showed that the majority of residents believe that gambling would bring much needed jobs and revenue to the state. They are in support of the move as long as it is regulated by the state. The issue is set to be put on the November ballot, but that still needs approval. If residents voted in favor of expanding gambling, it would allow the state to build the biggest casino facility in the state of Maryland. The casino proposed would be located in Arundel Mills mall area in Anne Arundel County. It is proposed that this casino would dwarf others in the state and be the biggest money maker for the state. It would have a huge number of slot machines and be a premiere slots parlor.

Now that there is debate over putting the vote on the ballot, anti-gambling activists have come out with their own advertising plans. You can’t watch television or listen to the radio in the state without hearing or seeing some hefty campaign warning of the dangers of bringing gambling into the state. It is David Cordish, of Cordish Company, that is on the other side of the argument. He is the one who would help to build the facility of over 5,000 slot machines into the state. He thus far has accused anti-gambling companies of running advertisements that were riddled with untrue information about the problems of gambling. Chairman of “No Slots at the Mall” though believes differently. He says that all advertisements run by the company have been based in fact and there have been no exaggerations to name. Both sides are pushing hard for the issue, but if the people have the final say, it could be that much closer to bringing slots gaming on a big scale into the state. Though organizations keep on decrying gambling, it may do little to actually defray the overall plan of action. There is just too much revenue on the table for gamers or legislators to pass up the chance to bring the slot parlor to the area.

Maryland Excited about New Hollywood Casino

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Maryland legislators have some great news to start off October with. The state has long been pining for gambling laws that bring in millions of tax revenue dollars. They know that the amount of money available via gambling is startling and could bring the economy out of the financial slump it has been in since the recession. The recession was a difficult time for every state. With dollars seriously pulled back, it was hard for states to find ways of bringing in the revenue needed to manage their budgets. The recession left state legislators to deal with huge deficits. With few options, legislators were left to manage with cutbacks. Many programs were put on hold with no option to bring them back to the market. The only viable option was to find some way of bringing in millions needed and the most viable option is to legalize and regulate gambling.

Maryland asked its residents if they were ready for gambling about two years ago and people via a vote, said yes. They were ready for some big casinos to be built in the market and since that time have been seriously searching for gambling options. Though they traveled out of state to neighboring casinos for their gambling needs, many voiced their desire to have a local gaming center. The reason was because they felt that Maryland needed to take advantage of the money and jobs that a good gaming casino could bring. Now that is happening because Hollywood Casino just opened. It opened to great reviews and a long line of patrons. Though it ended up opening early, that did little to deter anyone from coming in for gaming. So far the casino operators have noted the successful revenue stream and are hoping that it continues. If the past week is any sign, then most likely it is going to keep up with the demand. The state is ready to accept the millions in tax revenue dollars and already has benefited from a good amount of revenue. It shouldn’t take long for a consistent market to come to the casino and build up its reputation as a leading gaming facility in the state.

Maryland Opens First Casino Successfully

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010

The state of Maryland recently entered the gambling market with its first casino. Though it was a long time coming, it is proving to be a lucrative decision for the state. Consider that gambling is a $3 billion market and expected to grow to $7 billion within the next four years. That means huge tax revenue dollars for states and legislators everywhere are pushing for the change to bring them some huge revenue dollars. That money can be used to fund various state programs, expansion, education, public works and other programs that were shelved due to lack of funding. If a state can consistently bring in a few million dollars per month extra, that could take a huge chunk out of their deficits and budgetary shortfalls.

Maryland analysts are noting how successful gambling has been thusfar with one casino and they are looking ahead to expanding that to more gamblng activities. They are hoping that if one casino brings in a few million, then two casinos will double that, and so forth. There is a problem though. Many gaming analysts are citing an issue. Though states are looking to bring more casinos to their market, that doesn’t mean that their markets can sustain it. Even if a casino is built, does that mean there are enough gamblers to sustain them? Sure 200,000 gamers sounds like a lot for one casino but if a state builds three other casinos, that market is divided by four. Now only 50,000 gamblers are portioned out. Of course this sets up the market to be even more competitive than it already is. With a finite gambling public and customer base, casinos are going to have to continue to put forth their best efforts when it comes to bringing in new customers and sustaining old ones. That means that gamblers are going to have a wide selection of options, but the number of gamblers is still finite. It could eventually pose problems for gaming companies. Maryland just welcomed its first casino and experts are already talking about more. It has yet to be seen if this is the best move possible though. More research and results will have to be studied before that can be answered.

Maryland Ready for Slots Gaming

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Maryland is bracing up for its own slots gambling initiative. Now that the recession is over, states everywhere are working with gaming law and hoping to come up with viable plans to overcome their states’ deficits and depleted coffers. Neighboring states Pennsylvania and Delaware have already made moves to bring in gambling and now Maryland is hoping to create its own gambling hub for gamers to frequent. Recently slot machines were sent to the state’s first casino location. Though there are 1,500 expected to be installed, this first shipment brought 900 to the casino. Maryland’s casino is going to be Hollywood Casino and it is located in Perryville.

In coming months the casino machines will be linked to the state’s lottery and the estimate so far is that the machines will be instrumental in bringing in millions of dollars quickly. So far the state is allowing electronic table games to be installed and they are going to be varied. If you go to the casino you are going to find a wide range of games to have fun at and that’s one of the best things about gambling today. There are so many variations of games that when a new casino opens, it is already stocked full of choices for gamblers. When you find a new premiere location being built, you can rest assured that the facility will provide hours of gambling fun. In particular in today’s market where the casino market is so competitive, new casino operators know that they have to step up their games and bring premiere games and gaming to the locations. If they expect to be competitive and stay in the market, they have to be focused on developing their casino floors into the best gaming locations possible today. If you are in the state of Ohio, then consider stopping by the Hollywood Casino. The casino is being run by Penn National—a leader in gaming throughout the industry. Expect some of the premiere gaming in the area and the best games to be introduced shortly. Not only are neighboring states creating gambling centers, but now Ohio is making a bid for the top name in gambling within the area.

Cordish Cos. Fights for Maryland Casino

Friday, April 9th, 2010

Cordish Cos is a casino development company that has been around for a while now and has gained respect in the world of gaming as a leader. Now the company is planning on building a slot machine parlor in Anne Arundel County of Maryland. The group sees the move as a lucrative one that will help the state to recover from the former recession.

Like with most other decisions on gambling though, there is another side. Cordish Cos has a strong opponent trying to block its move to build the casino. Earlier last month opponents began gathering signatures to take the slots issue up to a November vote later this year. They want the people to be able to make the decision on gambling and they want the adequate time inform the public of what the new pending casino development will mean to the neighboring communities. Since that time, 19,000 signatures have already been gathered to give support to the opposition. If the votes are approved then they are enough to bring the issue to referendum. However, Cordish Cos is not taking it lying down.

The company is now fighting back against the signatures and filing a lawsuit to make the names invalid due to the method of collections used to get them. Cordish Cos issued a statement citing the names as questionable because anyone could have made the names up. They don’t come along with any type of verification or proof. The lawsuit is heading to the Maryland courthouse and Cordish Cos is hoping its position will negate the signatures, thus eliminating the issue off of the 2010 November ballot. They don’t want the opposition to have time to advertise and petition for the blocking of their plans. Recent polls however are showing that Cordish Cos may not have much to worry about. Residents in the Anne Arundel area are showing a growing excitement over the casino facility coming to their area. There is a lot of support for the construction and most likely even if a vote is taken on the 2010 ballot, it will ultimately approve the creation of the casino for the area.

Bodog.com Under Investigation

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Back in 2006 someone opened an account at Bodog.com. Over the next year it wagered on quite a few different horse races and poker games. That may seem inconsequential, but fast forward four years later. The Maryland gambler’s wagers and payouts have had major repercussions in the online-gambling world. That’s because, starting in 2008, the details of that person’s online betting activities were included in meticulous affidavits supporting warrants to seize the contents of bank accounts said to be tied to illegal gambling. The Maryland gambler was actually a special agent working undercover for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division. Under U.S. law, facilitating transactions tied to online gambling is illegal. Yet, due to the immense popularity among Americans of wagering over the internet, the overseas companies that provide this kind of entertainment continue to seek ways to do business with U.S. customers. In order to pay out winnings to gamblers in this country, they have to hire U.S. companies willing to operate as payment processors–middle-men who take foreign casino companies’ money and disburse it to players when they want to cash out their online gambling accounts. These payment processors are taking a risk that U.S. law enforcement will detect the transactions and seize the money while it’s sitting in the payment processors’ accounts—which is exactly what federal investigators in Maryland, and elsewhere, have been doing—but due to the lucrative nature of the business, both the payment processors and the online-casino companies have been willing to take that gamble.

It was decided by the investigation that Maryland to look not only into Bodog.com’s activities, but to include an investigation of funds held by companies set up in Antigua. It seems that many illegal activities are being conducted in the offshore location and allowing US players to partake in illegal gambling activities. It made light of many activities going on in the world of online gambling and it is helping to shape the laws regarding the activity. With more and more people moving to the online world for their gambling, it is necessary to figure out what is going on in terms of legalities. Players need a strict law to follow so they know what is legal and what isn’t.

Maryland Woman Hits Big in Progressive Slots

Friday, February 5th, 2010

One Maryland woman will never forget her Friday night spent at Delaware’s Dover Downs Hotel and Casino.  It was on this night that Lady Luck passed by Tracy Shepard.  While playing a Wheel of Fortune, MegaJackpots slot machine, a peculiar thing happened and suddenly Tracy’s slot machine started beeping and flashing lights.  While excited, Tracy Shepard, of Edgewood, Maryland, had no idea how much money she had won.  The jackpot on this machine was progressive, meaning that it was carried forward until it was won, and the jackpot increases over time.  This jackpot had reached $410,885!  It’s huge numbers like this that make progressive slots the most  popular games on a casino floor. The payouts are big if you play the maximum coinage.

The Dover Downs Hotel and Casino is calling this to be the third highest payout in their casino’s history.  Everybody loves it when something pays out, be it rakeback from your online poker game, ora slot machine. You love it even more when it’s a progressive. Imagine the joy you would feel if your progressive slot machine jackpot was sitting pretty at 400,000 US Dollars and your luck changed and it came in! For Tracy Shepard of Edgewood in Maryland USA, her Friday night flutter will be one that she remembers for the rest of her life when she spun the wheels on her slot machine and hit the jackpot! The Delaware casino was the Dover Downs Hotel and Casino in Delaware and this jackpot is chalking up to be the third highest in casino history.

Tracy Shepard may have been surprised by her good fortune, but there is at least one person who isn’t.  That would be Mr. Steve Schwartz, a casino analyst.  He is convinced that it won’t be long before these sort of progressive wins start to appear with more and more frequency.  He says, “In the future it is inevitable that these sort of jackpots are going to become more common due to the growth of casinos through America and the new casinos will be built with slot machines that are linked and so will create more jackpot hits.”