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Posts Tagged ‘tribe’

Tribal Leaders Having Problems with Poker

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

The state of California is having serious issues with gambling these days. First of all, gambling is highly lucrative and the state’s deficit is huge. Bringing gambling in is almost a necessity if the state is going to have any chance at overcoming the huge shortfall in funding. There are few other options that could potentially bring in the billions needed. Gambling is the best chance the state has to overcome its struggling financial position. The move to expand online gambling is not without cause for debate though. Namely tribes within the state are showing huge resistance to the expansion of gaming because it eats at their own revenues. Nativer Americans are ready to fight for their rights due to a treaty worked out with them giving them the right to offer legalized gambling in the state. Many tribes rely on that revenue to sustain their budgets and have few other options. They too suffered due to the recession. Gamers who frequented their casinos now are coming in sparser and sparser numbers due to the recession. If the state expands its own gambling and legalizes online gaming, that could mean financial disaster for Indian-owned casinos. Gambling is their main source of income and without it, they have few other means of supporting themselves or promoting growth within the tribes.

The Morongo Band is organizing a group of tribes to voice their demands for protection of their rights and financial revenues. They have the backing of twelve other tribes that believe that without gambling protection, they are going to suffer financially to the point of depression themselves. The tribal leaders want all casino websites to work through their own tribes. They state that the deal with the US was for this protection and they won’t stand for the changes that are happening. No one knows for sure what is going to happen, but the tribal leaders have to be vocal about their issues. It is going to be difficult for California legislators to stop gambling expansions due to the financial positions they are in right now as a result of the recession. Hopefully they will be able to implement changes that bring in revenue, but still protect the tribally-owned casinos and their profits too.

Online Gambling Network Becoming a Reality

Sunday, August 15th, 2010

Many US states have huge deficits. It’s no secret that the recession was hard on the economy and though there are small signs of change, it still isn’t anywhere near returning to pre-recessionary models. California is a state that was particularly hard-hit by the recession. It had a huge deficit prior to the economy’s fall and after it was much worse off. Their deficit reached unparallelled proportions. Now the state’s legislators are waiting for options to help spur the economy back to growth or at minimum to bring in millions of dollars that are needed to have even a slim chance of recovery.

The state’s legislators are now talking about formalizing an online gambling network. The purpose would be to join the state in an effort to maximize the amount of funds that are coming in due to gambling. Thirty-five analysts came together recently to discuss the issue’s pros and cons of legalizing the network. It was interesting because there issue was delved into from both perspectives. Though many legislators are pro-gambling, the meeting was to allow both sides the equal amount of time to state their cases. One entity that was present and hoping to bring the positives of gambling to the world was the Morongo Indian Tribe. The Tribe owns the casinos in the area and is now making a move to go online. The reality is that the tribe has suffered great declines in revenue since the recession and they are finding online gambling as a direct competitor. Their belief is that if they can’t compete with online gambling, then why not get into it? The Tribe is hoping they can be instrumental in building the online gambling network and share in its spoils. People are not gambling in land-based casinos like they used to and Tribal leaders know if they don’t do something drastic they could face more financial strain for a lot longer.

Only time will tell where gambling is going from here, but most likely California will do whatever it takes to legalize and properly regulate gambling. The network would be the easiest way to saturate the entire state with gambling but still have a handle on how it is grown in the market.

Tribal-owned Casinos Still Suffering Post-Recession

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

Durign the recession, many industries suffered. With unemployment rates high and spending low, markets were at a loss for revenue and had to fall back on cutbacks, layoffs and restructuring to survive. It’s no secret that the gambling industry was one of the hardest hit. The reality is tha though wagering is fun, it isn’t a necessity. when people were left with drastically smaller incomes, they had no choice but to cut out discretionary spending from their budgets. That of course included gambling fun.

Not only did gambling suffer, but areas that relied heavily on tourist income also suffered. Las Vegas, a city that mostly relies on gambling for its revenue, is still trying to recover. The foreclosure rate in the city was at 60% at its highest and that is a huge number for one singular city. Now that the recession is over, many cities are still in turmoil and so are many casinos. Indian-owned casinos are feeling the pinch too. Many Indian-owned casinos are having additional problems with economic recovery now that the rise of the internet is continuing to grow. Internet gambling is taking away from their markets and that means that millions of dollars is no longer flowing into their doors.

In a lot of ways, Indian-owned casinos are akin to Las Vegas. Both built their economies on the field of gambling– almost solely. There is a huge danger with that. Even cities like Detroit, Michigan know how precarious a move that is. Detroit was a manufacturing hub of the states and when the recession caused many in the industry to close down, it left the city a barren wasteland. Detroit is filled with foreclosed houses and empty warehouses and buildings. The same can be said for Las Vegas and Indian-owned casinos. Both are in danger of losing even more of their revenue in coming months. The recovery from the recession and market shifts is proving to be a difficult one for both entities to manage. Only time will tell whether or not the Indian-owned casinos and Las Vegas are truly able to recover or if their markets are changed for the long run. It will take time and both may have to come up with a new business model for future success in the market of gambling.

Tribal-Owned Foxwoods Resort Casino Offers Great Gaming

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

If you are looking for great gaming, why not try heading out to Mashantucket, Connecticut? The city is home to the tribal-owned Foxwoods Resort Casino that has gained a lot of notoriety over the past few years as a premiere gambling facility in the US.  The Foxwoods Resort Casino is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and their reservation is in southeastern Connecticut. Foxwoods started out in 1986 as a high stakes Bingo parlor. The casino opened in 1992 offering table games only and had slot machines by 1993. The casino has worked over the years to bring outstanding gaming to the public and has developed itself into one of the best casinos in the US.


Since then Foxwoods has grown to become the largest casino in the United States and second largest in the world behind the Venetian Casino in Macau, China. Casino size is measured by actual gaming space and Foxwoods boasts 340,000 square feet of gaming space which houses over 380 table games, 7,400 slot machines and a 104-table poker room. At the casino you’ll find all of the standard games– including blackjack, slots, poker, video poker and bingo. Because they were founded with bingo, expect to find some of the best bingo games and most exciting bingo tournaments around. Though their other games are outstanding, they are particularly adept at offering bingo and any bingo lover should have hours of fun at this casino.

The other premiere offering of the Foxwoods Resort Casino is its Dream Club. This is a special players club that offers comp points on any table game or slot machine. The points you earn can be used for food, merchandise, hotel and a variety of other expenses.  Players can also earn cashback for slot play that is only paid at a 2:1 ratio. The amount of coin-in to earn a point varies on the game and the denomination of the machine being played. In order to keep the points on your card you must use it within 12 months. If your account is inactive for more than 12 months they will expire. Overall though, any gambler will have a lot of fun at the casino and should check out Foxwoods for premiere gaming.

The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Florida

Sunday, February 28th, 2010

The Seminole Tribe has created a virtual giant. The tribe based in Florida, worked with the international Hard Rock Corporation to bring their Seminole Hard Rock Casino. It was introduced to the market back in 2003 and in seven short years the casino has grown to become one of the biggest attractions in the Florida area. It is a AAA four star-rated facility located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale and its managers call it South Florida’s leading entertainment destination.  The resort features a hotel with 500 luxury guest rooms and suites, a casino with 145,000 square feet of gaming space, a 4.5 acre lagoon-style pool area, and eight major restaurants. 

Adjacent to the hotel is Seminole Paradise a 300,000 square feet outdoor entertainment complex with 22 retail shops and 17 restaurants, plus 11 bars and lounges. The complex is also home to Seminole museum and the Okalee Village tourist attraction.  Hard Rock occupies 100 acres in all. Not unlike Las Vegas’ City Center, the Seminole Hard Rock is working to bring all forms of entertainment to its visitors. Whether you love gambling, shopping, golf, shows or dining, you’ll find the right place within the casino organization to enjoy your time in Florida. 

The Seminole Hard Rock Casino houses southern Florida’s largest game room which features 50 live action poker tables and 2,500 electronic gaming machines with all your favorite games. Whether you love monopoly, Wheel of Fortune, Blazin’ Sevens or Draw Poker, you’ll find it at the location. In addition, Class III gaming has recently been initiated, and true Vegas-style slots, video poker, and video blackjack are also available.  The casino is open 24-hours a day so any visitor can find the perfect pastime when they are looking for something to do. The poker room offers both ring games and Texas Hold ‘em tournaments. Daily and sometimes twice-daily tournaments are offered, with buy-ins ranging from $100 to $1,100.  Soon the casino will offer blackjack and baccarat but other non-card-game, such as craps and roulette, however, will not be allowed. 

Hard Rock Live is a premiere theater that seats 5,500 people for concerts, sporting events and various conventions.If you are in the Florida area and want some high-quality entertainment, check out the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. It is top-notch rated for a good reason.

Kansas Puts Plans for Casino On Hold- Part 2

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

The Indian-owned casinos all operate under federal law. State law however, gives Kansas Lottery officials the authority to hire private developers to build, operate and plan their state-owned casinos. Chisholm Creek is the bidder for the Wichita facility and has no competition on the project. There were a number of other bids from various other casino companies but each dropped out quickly as time went on. Much of the decision for other bidders to drop out of the project was spurred by the voting public. Other counties voted against having a casino built in their area and bidders took that as a sign that the market was not yet ready to support another full blown gambling facility. One by one they left contentions for the plan.

Chisholm Creek was planning a grand opening in September of 2011. The floor plan included 1,300 slot machines and 30 gaming tables for patrons’ gambling needs. A spokesperson for the casino said that they may try to open sooner and open with a larger amount of games and square footage. They are hoping to make a big bang in the market from the beginning and sustain their own market share of gamblers under their roof. Part of the hold up, however is that the Kansas Lottery officials must agree on any plans Chisholm Creek has and thus far, it has not given the approval to go ahead on schedule. Chisholm Creek’s partners in the project are Lakes Entertainment Inc., of Minnetonka, Minn., which has been involved in 11 Indian casinos in seven states. Also Clairvest Group Inc., a Toronto merchant bank, and Och-Ziff Real Estate Acquisitions, based in New York are partners in the deal.

Kansas is hoping to bring their casino to the market, but wanting time to plan better. It seems as though the state officials know how well-versed the tribal-owned casino operators are in the dealings of operations. They know what to do and what not to do. State officials want a premiere facility to bring to the market that can immediately bring revenue to the state in the form of gambling tax revenue and licensing.  Only time will tell which wins out: Indian-owned casinos or state-owned ones.

 

Kansas Puts Plans for Casino On Hold- Part 1

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Kansas is looking to compete in the gambling market. The state was planning on building a state-owned casino in the Wichita area and hoping the revenue from the facility would bring in much-needed money to state coffers. Recently however, the state put their plans on hold, citing more sophisticated Indian-owned casinos as the reason.

Kansas officials are aware of the fact that tribal-owned casinos have been around for a while now. They have been through the pre-work every business goes through before making it big. They have had the time to hone their business model and bring the best and brightest casino games to the public. They know what works and what doesn’t and have learned well how to manage successfully in the market. On the other hand, Kansas doesn’t. The state is still new at building a state-owned casino from the ground up. For that reason the state has put its former plan of a casino on hold to better revise their proposal for a state-owned casino.

Developers were looking for a state contract to build and operate a $225 million casino facility in the Wichita area. Last week however, the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board and developers had a meeting where they decided putting plans on hold was the best option. The developers’ partnership, Chisholm Creek, asked the review board Tuesday to postpone its decision on the project, and the board agreed. Doug Spangler, lobbyist for the Wyandotte Nation tribe said, “We wish that they would go ahead and build. We have no objection to it at all.”  He also added that the tribe does not oppose the state’s initiative and will continue its own plan of expansion and growth regardless.

The Wyandotte Nation tribe operates a casino in Kansas City and there are four other tribes with casinos in the area. The state is saturated with Indian-owned casinos and many believe that they have a monopoly on the market. This makes them confident that a state-owned facility most likely will not affect them drastically. Although they acknowledge that a new casino could take money away from then at the beginning of its opening, the hype most likely won’t last and patrons will return to their known and familiar casinos to gamble.

Part two coming next.