Online Casino Spotlight

Sega Games isn’t just about hedgehogs anymore; the company is branching out to the world of online casinos. They recently announced that they would are launching their own brand of online casino and poker room.

What is Sega Games?

Sega Games makes video games for several consoles like the Playstation 2 and Playstation 3. Sega Games has produced over 900 video games in total, but the company may be most famous for their Sonic the Hedgehog games. Sonic the Hedgehog has been played on several gaming consoles and even had his own cartoon series. In recent years, Sega Games took a back burner to larger companies like Nintendo but has recently announced that they are branching out in to the casino world.

Sega Games Launches an Online Casino

It may seem like a big leap to go from video games to internet gambling, but it may not be for a company like Sega Games. Sega has launched two new websites, SegaCasino.com and SegaPoker.com. Both websites will host Sega branded games. Both sites will offer players the chance to win actual money.

SegaCasino.com

SegaCasino.com will feature both popular poker games as well as virtual slot machines. Currently, SegaCasino.com offers Blackjack, Roulette, and a few other poker games with plans to expand in the upcoming year. SegaCasino.com also hosts several virtual slot machines that are based around the Sega brand name. Players have the chance to win several bonuses that are exclusive to the Sega Company.

SegaPoker.com

SegaPoker.com is a poker room hosted separately from SegaCasino.com. The poker room offers players a chance to compete against each other and win money by playing Sega style poker games. The poker room is live action and can host as many as 30,000 players at a time. This will make the stakes high and the action live.

The Future of Sega Casinos

Sega hopes to cash in on the billions of dollars spent on online gaming in Europe each year. They have several plans to expand both SegaCasino.com and SegaPoker.com through the duration of 2010. At the launch of both websites, Sega will be hosting tournaments in their poker room and special incentives for the first players to join in on the action at SegaCasino.com

The opening of the enormous Las Vegas CityCenter complex has many Vegas residents excited at the prospect of 10,000+ new jobs, but many wonder if all of these new employees might soon be in line at the unemployment office.  The CityCenter boasts thousands of rooms and a vast casino, but tourism to Vegas has seen a sharp decline.  Even with unprecedented flight and hotel deals to Vegas, vacationers are still shying away.   In addition to the CityCenter project, new wings of the Hard Rock Hotel and Planet Hollywood add even more supply to an already very weak demand.

Both the Hard Rock Hotel and Planet Hollywood claim the new casinos are aimed to attract higher-end customers whose tastes and travelling are not affected by the recession. While high-end customers may be more inclined to travel to Las Vegas regardless of economic conditions, 500 rooms at Planet Hollywood, starting at $350 a night on weekends, may still be a huge void to fill.  It is true that places like MGM, the Wynn and Belagio have faired better in the recession than lower end establishments like the Tropicana, Hooters and the Stratosphere.

Low-End Casinos Hit the Hardest

Late night at lower-end Vegas establishments can sometimes resemble a ghost town more than an action-packed entertainment destination.  Things have gotten so bad that some weekday prices for a hotel room at a place like Hooters or Circus Circus have dipped to a range of $20-$25 per night.  Some of the promotions low-end places are running are almost unheard of.  For example, the Tropicana is currently running a promotion through January 30 that includes $50 in free slot play when booking a stay at $50 per night.  At the other end of the Strip Circus Circus is running a special that entails booking two nights now and receiving a free night on a return visit.  Even the higher-end New York, New York is offering a promotion where you book three nights and get the lowest-pricest night free.

Preparing for a turnaround

Each casino operator is hoping to be ahead of the curve if and/or when the economy turns around and tourism in Vegas begins to flourish once again.  The problem is that there is a fine line between getting a jump on the competition and making poor business decisions.  If and/or when the economy stregthens to a point where droves of people flock to Vegas again, they will have more choices than ever.  Combine the drastic increase in supply with the increasing popularity of Internet gaming and it becaomes clear that things don’t look too good for a drastic upswing for Vegas casino operators any time soon.

A quick scan of hotels.com shows many recognizable Las Vegas hotels offering rooms for as low as $20/night on weekdays and even $40/night on weekends.  Consequently, The Sahara and Binion’s have closed most or all of their hotel rooms. It was determined that it makes better business sense to close the rooms than offer rates lower than $20/night.

Binion’s has closed all 365 of its hotel rooms and The Sahara has closed two of its three room towers.  The situation at Binion’s seems to be direr since they have also cut 100 jobs and have no plans to re-open the rooms anytime soon.  In addition to the rooms, Binion’s Original Coffee Shop is also closing and keno will no longer be offered.  However, the casino, sports book, and poker room will remain open.

The Sahara hopes to re-open some of its rooms after the lull in demand during the winter months.  A loophole in the law requiring casinos with non-restricted gaming licenses to have hotels allows Binion’s to close their rooms.  Since Binion’s was open before the regulation was approved it can legally close its hotel.

The Sahara will keep the 1,720-room Tangiers Tower open.  When the current owners purchased the iconic Sahara in late 2007 for $331.8 million they probably never envisioned they would have to close rooms as a business strategy.  Closing rooms during non-peak times of the year is not a new concept, but it is a far cry from announced plans to build a new 1,000-room hotel tower. The renovation plans have been tabled for now, but the hope is to revisit them when an economic turnaround occurs.

Creativity is Key

If current economic conditions continue, don’t be surprised to see other establishments follow in the footsteps of Binion’s and the Sahara by closing entire sections of their hotels.  Places like the Tropicana, Hooters, the Stratosphere, and Circus Circus are currently offering rooms for as low as $25/night.  One has to wonder how much lower rooms rates can go before these establishments also determine that it makes more sense to just close some or all of their rooms.

Closing hotel rooms, limiting hired entertainment to weekends, cutting weekday restaurant and lounge hours, and even cutting back on things like the number of free bottles of shampoo are all creative ways that mid-to-low tier hotel-casinos will have to examine the longer this current recession continues.

The Stratosphere casino, located on the Las Vegas strip, will be hosting a poker tournament in remembrance of Dale Earnhardt with Dale Earnhardt related prizes. In addition to several exciting games of poker, several famous NASCAR drivers will be in attendance, and some of the tournament’s proceeds will go to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation, a charitable organization that focuses on children and our environment.

Who was Dale Earnhardt?

Dale Earnhardt was a race car driver with more then twenty years racing in NASCAR events and several dozen wins. Earnhardt was one of the most popular NASCAR drivers on the track. In 2001 at the Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt died in a car crash in the last of the race.  Dale Earnhardt was also known for his charitable nature and love of children and the environment. Throughout his career, he routinely gave money to organizations that supported education, wildlife foundations, or needy children. After his death, the Dale Earnhardt Foundation was started to continue this charitable movement for education, children, and wildlife programs.

What is the Stratosphere Casino?

The Stratosphere is a large casino resort located on the Las Vegas strip. The Stratosphere casino is 80,000 square feet. There are more then 1,200 slot machines. Several popular games are found on the casino floor like craps, blackjack, and roulette. There is also a large poker room, which hosts no limit poker tournaments on a daily basis.

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament

The Dale Earnhardt Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament will be held on February 25^th inside the Stratosphere casino. Dale Earnhardt’s son, Kerry Earnhardt, will host the poker tournament. Several other NASCAR drivers are expected to appear including Scott Lagasse Jr, Andy Ponstein, Danny Efland, Aric Almirola, and Eric McClure.

The poker tournament will have a $150 entry fee, which will go to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation. The winner of the tournament will receive $2,500 as well as a package of Dale Earnhardt souvenir merchandise. In addition to monetary prizes, there will be loads of NASCAR related prizes, signed autographs, and a year’s subscription to iRacing.com.

Entry in to the Dale Earnhardt Foundation Celebrity Poker Tournament is limited to the first 500 players who sign up. There will also be a special promotional price for the Stratosphere’s hotel during the event. Interested poker players can sign up for the poker tournament on the Stratosphere’s website.

Most colleges and universities would prefer its students to stay as far away from casinos as possible.  In fact, in 2006 Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA, petitioned the State Gaming Board to block the construction of a slots parlor within a mile of its campus.  The slots parlor was ultimately built across town, but officials at Duquesne would have preferred that it were never built at all.  No such controversy exists at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).  UNLV sits surrounded by casinos and it embraces them.  The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration houses one of the world’s premier hotel administration programs.

History of the Program

The program began in 1967 with 16 students.  By the late 1980s, the college had grown so much that it began to branch off into various departments, including food and beverage management, tourism and convention administration, and hotel management.  Additionally, a Master’s degree option was added. At the end of the 1980’s, a generous $5 million donation from the Holiday Corporation and William Harrah’s widow lead to the renaming of the school to honor the iconic Nevada casino owner.  The 1990’s saw the addition of a Doctoral program and the creation of the International Gaming Institute.

Program Offerings

Students can choose from a wide variety of fields of study.  Program offerings include lodging management, gaming management, food and beverage management, recreation management,  private and public club management, entertainment management, professional golf management, meeting and convention management, or timeshare management. Administrators like to call Las Vegas a “living laboratory”, and with more than 125,000 hotel rooms and some of the greatest entertainment in the world the phrase makes perfect sense.  Consequently, internships play a major role in the completion of each program. 

Plans for the Future

The school continues to grow in popularity.  Today, the Harrah College of Hotel Administration has nearly 2,500 students enrolled from 42 states and 39 countries.  A major future plan for the school is INNovation Village, which will consist of an on-campus hotel, shops, a restaurant, a conference center, and an academic building.  Most institutions of higher learning would be weary of a campus located near so many casinos, but for UNLV it’s the school’s location that makes it possible for the world-renowned program to exist.  While there are other college and universities that offer these majors, none are able to offer the real-world learning experiences that UNLV can. 

A 52-year old gambler who reportedly gambled over five million dollars a day, and lost a grand total of $127 million dollars in one year, has taken civil action against a popular Las Vegas casino. According to the gambler, Terrance Watanabe, the casino is to blame for his incredible loss, and he wants his money back.

How Terrance Watanabe Got Here

Terrance Watanabe made a fortune running an import company that sold party favors started by his father. Around 2000, Watanabe started frequenting Las Vegas casinos, particularly ones owned by Harris, aimed at spending that fortune. Watanabe didn’t start out small, after all the man had a fortune to spend, but Harris employees say his gambling didn’t become a problem until almost five years later.

In 2005, Watanabe had developed a heavy drinking problem. He was also visiting the casinos more frequently. Some reports say he was gambling on five million or more a day.

Two years later, in 2007, Harris casino employees took a keen interest in Watanabe. Steve Wynn personally reviewed the gambler’s history and spoke to him about what Wynn considered to be a serious gambling addiction. Watanabe was eventually banned from the casino.

Las Vegas’ Big Loser

Between 2000 and 2007 Terrance Watanabe lost a good deal of money. In fact, his losses added up to 5.6% of Harris total revenue in one year. That year marked the longest loosing streak in Las Vegas history. Watanabe lost a total of $127 million dollars in the Caesars Palace and Rio casinos.

Unfortunately, most of those losses were on credit given by Harris; a credit that Watanabe didn’t repay. In April of 2007 he was charged with four counts of intent to steal when he failed to repay Harris a $14 million dollar debt. He faces up to 28 years in prison if he is convicted of the charges.

Terrance Watanabe Sues Las Vegas

In lieu of just repaying Harris, Watanabe elected to file a civil suit instead. According to him, employees of the casino alternated between feeding him pain medication and alcohol in an attempt to keep him gambling.

Pierce O’Donnell, Watanabe’s lawyer, told reporters that Harris “preyed” on Watanabe’s drinking and gambling addiction, and that the failed to follow protocol. (In Las Vegas, a casino is supposed to ask anyone who has had too much to drink to stop gambling.) However, he admits claims that Watanabe knew he had a problem when he lost the $127 million.

The civil suit has caused the Nevada gaming commission to open an investigation in to Harris’ treatment policies.

The results of the civil case may not be in for months. In the meantime, Watanabe’s debt is on hold and he is still banned from the casino.

The corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard is, arguably, the most famous intersection in the world and at that intersection the Tropicana Hotel and Casino stands tall.  This intersection has the most hotel rooms of any intersection in the world and the Tropicana has been its cornerstone since it opened in 1957.  Today the Tropicana offers 1,876 rooms and is attached to a 61,000 square foot casino. The Tropicana also boasts of 100,000 square feet of convention and exhibit space.

Back in 1957 the building was much smaller.  The original building only offered 300 rooms. In 1959 another 150-room wing was added.  Again in 1962 another 116 rooms were added surrounding the swimming pool.  The Paradise Tower shines with 21 floors, which hold 600 well appointed guest rooms and suites. In 1985 the 22-story, 806-room, Island Tower was constructed.

The Tropicana has also seen its fair share of memorable shows and performers over the years including the famous Folies Bergere production, Roger Williams, Count Basie and Guy Lombardo.

The Present

When the Tropicana first opened it was tagged as the “Tiffany of the Strip”, but in recent years it has lost much of its luster.  This hotel once catered to the affluent, but now offers some of the cheapest rooms on the Strip.  The once impressive décor of the 1960’s has not been updated since then.  Many of the Tropicana’s amenities that were considered luxurious in past decades have now become obsolete.  The once upscale shopping has been replaced with trinkets and a strip mall-like shopping area.

Future Plans

In late 2009 Alex Yemenidjian, Tropicana’s new CEO, announced a robust plan to invest $100 million to develop a South Beach Miami theme, which will be completed in several phases. The first phase is nearly complete and features the renovation of the 100,000 square feet of meeting and convention areas.  The Island Tower walkway is also undergoing extensive renovations that include imported Grecian marble.  The second renovation phase will include room renovations and upgrades to common areas. The third phase, including restaurant overhauls, is still in the design phase.

Overall, the owners plan to invest more than $100 million to renovate the 1,876-room property.  The $100 million renovation will include a makeover of every room, a new poker room, new sports book, new restaurants and even a new nightclub.

A popular UK based online casinos-Crazy Poker-will be hosting a tournament to benefit the people of Haiti in late January. Proceeds from the tournament will go directly to a grass-roots organization devoted to providing relief for the people of need in the island nation.

An Earthquake Hits Haiti

On January 12^th, 2010 an earthquake struck the island of Haiti in the island’s capital city, Port-au-Prince. The earthquake was a 7.0, the highest the island has seen in more then a decade. Aftershocks were felt for hours across both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Strong winds and turbulent weather were felt as far as the island of Jamaica.

The death toll from the earthquake in Port-au-Prince was massive, with some estimates reported over 50,000. Thousands more are suffering from serious injury, living on the streets with no home after the earthquake caused hundreds of buildings to collapse.

A Nation in Need

Haiti issued a distress call and was unheard by an unlikely source- A UK based online casino. Crazy Poker has decided to host a poker tournament in honor of Haiti and has promised to send all of the casino’s proceeds to the cause.

The tournament named, “The Help for Haiti Poker Tournament,” will feature an additional $1,500 for the pool as well as an additional $1,500 earmarked for the Haitian Health Fund. The buy in for the tournament is the standard $10 with another $10 to support the cause. Crazy Poker has promised to donate the entire $10 from each player, as well as the $1,500 to the Haitian Relief Fund.

About Crazy Poker

Crazy Poker is a UK based online casino that hosts both regular games and several tournaments throughout the month. Crazy Poker is part of the Microgaming Poker Network. Some of the regularly scheduled tournaments include monthly and weekly events. The site also hosts an interactive guide to poker where beginners can learn the ways of the game and develop skills. In addition, there are several bonuses and incentives featured on the site, especially for newcomers.

The disaster in Haiti is monumental. People are still missing, the city of Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas took a major blow and most homes, and buildings are destroyed. Crazy Poker stepped up to the challenge, offering not only to donate funds received by their tournament players, but also to match them. The result will easily be in the $1,000s.

May 27^th, 2010 marks the inaugural day for Las Vegas’ World Series of Poker’s 41^st annual tournament year. The tournament will run from May 27^th through July 17^th.

All About World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker tournament started in 1970 and has grown to become the longest standing poker tournament in the world. It is hosted once every summer; with the largest tournament game hosted by the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. To date, the tournament has handed out over one billion dollars in prizes.

People from all over the world come to the World Series of Poker tournament (WSOP.) The tournament hosts some of the most well-known poker players in the world, but players from all walks of poker sign up to compete. Recently, the WSOP has expanded to include online tournaments. The online tournaments are played on the 4^th of July via satellite.

The World Series of Poker tournament hands out a large amount of prize money each year, however, the WSOP is also home to the “gold bracelet.” The gold bracelet may be one of the most coveted prizes in poker tournament history.

The World Series of Poker- Beyond Las Vegas

The WSOP has expanded well beyond its humble beginnings in the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino. There is also a WSOP Europe tournament hosted in London. The WSOP Europe tournament runs in the fall.

The WSOP also has a traveling tour which hosts tournaments at Harris casinos across the nations. These touring tournaments run from October to through May each year. The touring tournaments offer a lower buy-in, and give less experienced poker players a chance to compete.

The World Series of Poker in 2010

The WSOP kicks off on May 27^th of this year. Any player 21-years of age or older is invited to join in. The WSOP will be hosting games like Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha, Pot Limit, Stud, and Horse to name a few.

There will be a total of 57 gold bracelet events for the tournament year. The first gold bracelet will be given out on May 28^th. The buy-in for the first gold bracelet game is $50,000; the most expensive buy-in the WSOP has ever had. The game will include a series of eight rounds of poker. The Chip Reese Memorial trophy will also be handed out at this event.

The 4^th of July will be the only off day for the WSOP. However, the games will still be run via satellite for anyone who wants to attend online.

The World Series of Poker will come to a close with a $10,000 no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament. The Texas Hold ‘Em tournament will begin on July 5^th and come to a close on July 17^th. The last nine remaining Texas Hold ‘Em players will compete in the “November Nine.” The November Nine is a televised poker event held in November.

The World Series of Poker is expected to have over 60,000 participants and will last most of the 2010 summer. Millions of dollars of prizes are set to be given away, and most of the event will be televised by ESPN and other networks.

Thousands of slot-machine enthusiasts, poker players, and thrill-seekers were on-sight in Las Vegas for the opening of the new Aria Resort and Casino.

The Aria Resort

The Aria Resort and Casino is a 61-story resort, and part of the most expensive destination on the Las Vegas Strip- CityCenter; costing $8.5 billion. The Aria is set to be the biggest part of Las Vegas’ new CityCenter. The Aria resort has nightclubs, bars, and restaurants. The resort also has a 2,000 seat theater that will be playing a permanent Elvis attraction put on by Cirque du Soleil. A three-story convention center hosts four large ballrooms. There is even a 70,000 square foot spa with a salon, barber shop, and fitness room. The salon also features several private and group rooms. There are three pools outside of the resorts hotel rooms as well.

The Aria Casino

The casino is taking on a new direction from traditional casinos by incorporating natural light in with fluorescent lighting. The casino is 150,000 square feet and features high-end slot machines and poker tables. Many of the high-end options at the casino are featured in private rooms and offer a high-tech level of gaming that is new for Las Vegas.

Opening Night Festivities

Opening night for the new casino was truly Las Vegas style. The grand opening started the evening before opening day with gala hosted for 5,000 guests. The gala served Perignon champagne and caviar among other high-quality food. Around midnight, guests were allowed to enter the Aria for the first time. They were greeted by models and executives, all cheering for the new casino. A fireworks show was held outside for guests who were still awaiting entrance.

Viva Elvis: Truly a Las Vegas Show

The Aria even put on a show for their grand opening. The resort hosted a preview of their soon-to-be permanent attraction; Viva Elvis. Viva Elvis is put on by Cirque du Soleil. The show includes 75 performers reliving the life of Elvis through his songs. The production is a mix of performance art, dance, and acrobatics.

The Aria Resort and Casino promises to be an excellent center attraction for Las Vegas’ highly anticipated CenterCity. Since it will be one of the biggest, and most expensive, project Las Vegas has ever under-took, the Aria may be the trick to turning around the recession slump in the city that never sleeps.