Online Casino Spotlight

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.

It seems like there is no end to the United States recession’s reach. People are cutting back on everything from everyday luxuries to Christmas presents, and now it appears that casinos are starting to feel the burn of a small pocket book

American Indian Casinos starting to see a Decrease in Profit

At first glance it appears that American Indian casinos are doing well, certainly better then Las Vegas casinos, and this is true to some extent; a few states seem to be recession-proof. However, while the American Indian casinos did see an increase in profit in 2008 from the previous year, a 1.5 percent increase across all 28 states that have American Indian casinos, that profit margin is slim compared to past years. Between 1993 and 2006, American Indian casinos had an average growth of 20.3 percent. Even in 2006, when the nation’s economy started to make a turn for the worst, these casinos still saw a 4.6 percent growth.

Oklahoma and Recession-Proof Casinos

Oklahoma may be the exception to the rule when it comes to a decrease in casino spending. Overall, Oklahoma has 110 casinos, (the largest collection in any state,) and saw an 18 percent increase in revenue in 2008. The biggest reason for this may be location. Oklahoma borders Texas, a state that has mostly escaped the recession and does not allow casino gambling establishments. With locations like Winstar World Casino, Oklahoma is able to draw in thousands of Texas residents daily.

The Future of American Indian Casinos

While American Indian casinos may have seen a drop in sales in 2008, it is unlikely that the set-back will be anything but temporary. Most casinos are still getting the same number of annual visitors as any year prior to the recession; those visitors are just spending less. Chances are when the United States recession starts to turn around, those visitors will return to spending as much, or more, as they were before.

Also, American Indian casinos are still on the rise, there was a 3 percent increase in casinos nationwide in 2008. Several states like California and Oklahoma are building new casinos and making additions to their existing ones. Winstar World Casino was one of the many American Indian casinos in Oklahoma to get a face-lift in 2008 and 2009. Winstar expanded their casino, added an adjacent hotel, and even a few restaurants. All of these attractions are likely to mean more visitors overall.

The United States recession can be seen everywhere, even at the casino, but overall the American Indian casinos are still making a profit. These same casinos are likely to see a bump in profits each year as the recession starts to turn around.

Poker enthusiasts have long been anticipating the North American Poker Tour to make its debut. Since the poker tour was created by poker players, it offers low buy-ins and a chance for almost anyone to play. Thousands are expected to participate in this year’s tour hosted by Poker Stars.

What is Poker Stars?

Poker Stars is the largest online poker site, with millions of registered users. Pokerstars.net offers beginners a chance to learn in an easy online environment.

Pokerstars.net has the best environment for beginners and experienced poker players to practice their skill through their free poker games. These games are for practice only and no winnings can be had at the site.

The North American Poker Tour

The first annual North American Poker Tour kicked off on January 5^th, 2010, with the Pokerstars.net Caribbean Adventure held in the Bahamas. Players will get a chance to play in a highly anticipated poker tournament in one of the most beautiful places on earth. From there the North American Poker Tour makes its next stop in Las Vegas where Poker Stars is hosting the Venetian event from February 20^th-24^th. Next, the tour heads to Connecticut for the Mohegan Sun in April. So far only four tour dates have been announced, but Poker Stars plans to add more events in 2010.

The main events have a $5,000 buy-in. Several smaller events will be hosted throughout each tournament to give every poker player a chance to play. The North American Poker Tour will also be televised and hosted by Joanna Krupa. In addition to players of all skill levels, several famous poker stars are expected to attend the tournaments including, Vanessa Rousso, Daniel Negreanu, Greg Raymer, and Joe Cada.

Poker Stars is offering a chance for players to win a set in the main events held through out the North American Poker Tour. Players can register for a chance to win on Poker Stars website.

The North American Poker Tour expects to pay out millions in winnings to poker players of all skill levels through out 2010 while they make their way across the nation. More tour dates are expected to be announced as the tour progresses. More information about joining the North American Poker Tour is available at the Poker Stars website. This highly anticipated tour promises to be entertaining for anyone interested in joining, or just watching the televised events.

Veteran online casino InterCasino has launched an impressive lineup of new games to keep players busy over the holiday season.  These games are based on two classic MGM movies and one of the most beloved comic book heroes of all time.

Medieval warriors are sure to love Brave Heart, a slot game centered around the sword slashing movie starring Mel Gibson.  This game even incorporates the memorable battle for Scotland’s freedom into the format.  Led by Gibson’s character William Wallace, the better the Scotts do in battle, the more points the player gains.  Brave Heart also offers a nice selection of progressive jackpots that are strategically named after different levels of movie success.  Ranging from Smash and Epic to Acclaimed and Blockbuster, each jackpot is individual but can be targeted by the player within a single game.

Forest Gump is another new slots game you can find in the Intercasino lobby.  This one is based on the historical film starring Tom Hanks and comes with two full bonus games.  Forrest Gump serves up many famous quotes from the hit film and caters to interactive fans with “Run Forrest Run” feature that provides players with control over Gump’s incomparable dash.

Fans of DC comic books will have a filled day with InterCasino’s new super hero-themed slots game – Superman.  This is an epic game based on the alter ego of Clark Kent.  It features an amazing 50 paylines and calls for players to court the lovely Lois Lane while thwarting the evil attempts of the sinister Lex Luthor.  This game is action packed because all this goes on during your pursuit for a wealth of free spins and prosperous jackpots.

In addition to the movie and comic book-themed virtual slot machines, InterCasino also has a new game called Perfect Pairs Blackjack.  This game is largely based on the classic hole-card variant known as Atlantic City Blackjack.  While very similar to traditional Atlantic City, the differences add a uniquely fresh touch to the game.  The most notable difference is the inclusion of an optional side wager that offers bonus payouts based on the first two cards the player receives. Another catch is that these bonuses only apply to pairs.  For example, mixed pairs payout 5 to 1, colored pairs payout 15 to 1, and Perfect Pairs pay out 25 to 1.  Perfect Pairs offers the highest quality graphics you will find in an online casino game, boasting brilliant animation and 3D graphics that give it a realistic look and feel.  It also includes dealer voice-overs that liven the flow of the game and keep the action moving.

Powered by CryptoLogic, InterCasino is one of the oldest casinos in the online gambling industry, first emerging on the scene in 1996.  In fact, it is the very first casino to utilize CrytopLogic software.  InterCasino is well known for welcoming customers with generous deposit bonuses and more exciting games than they know what to do with.  Unfortunately, due to the controversy surrounding online gambling in the United States, this casino does not accept U.S. players.

The NFL is one of the biggest opponents of legalized sports betting, telling U.S. citizens that it will only lead to the increased manipulation of game outcomes.  However, research conducted by an investigative reporter shows that regulated sports wagering could actually help prevent match fixing and corruption.

Declan Hill, an independent British investigative journalist and author, stated that the hundreds of manipulated outcomes from soccer games being revealed in Asia and Europe is not due to the regulation of internet casinos and sportsbooks, but the extensive underground gambling market that operates in Asia and Eastern Europe.  Hill, who is perhaps best known for his 2008 release of “The Fix,” a book in which he predicted that international soccer would soon be the victim of a major scandal, recently made the bold statement that game fixers are placing their bets with unregulated and illegal sportsbooks with connections to organized crime rings.

In a December interview with The New York Times, Hill said that the gambling industry in Asia is much larger than it is in Vegas and Europe combined.  He also noted that because most of it is filtered through illegal operations, concealing fraud and money laundering within a covert, criminal industry is considerably easier.

Experts in the gaming industry state that it is very difficult to manipulate the industry with corrupted outcomes when regulated internet gambling sites are involved.  This is primarily because the online records containing customer identities and transactions create a level of transparency that works to the criminals’ disadvantage.  In addition to this, advanced technology provides for the rapid detection of suspicious wagering amounts and patterns, particularly on more obscure sports that are often vulnerable to corruptible influences.

It has been reported that as many as 200 matches could have manipulated outcomes across international borders, many of them speculated to involve a number of referees and well known players.  However, legal, fully regulated sportsbooks have come out to say that their respective services were not targeted by cheaters, claiming that both the fixed matches and participating parties would be easy to identify.

The revelation made by Hill speaks highly of the desperate need for fully regulated and licensed internet gambling, sports wagering included.  With the lingering threat of corruption and criminal activity, this is the best way to ensure the integrity of the games and most importantly, protect the players.  The NFL seems to be high on its position that illegal sports betting is not a frequent thing, claiming that legalizing and regulating it would only tempt cheaters.  However, it is becoming clearer to see that regulation may be the only way to keep incidents such as the soccer scandal that has rocked international headlines from infecting the NFL and other major sports in the United States.

The grueling year long battle between James Giordano and U.S. officials has finally come to an end.  Early this month, the 55 year old resident of Pinecrest, Florida pleaded to the charges of illegal gambling associated with a sports betting ring operated in offshore jurisdictions.  While Giordano stressed that none of his employees ever accepted wagers on America soil, simply allowing U.S. residents to gamble on internet sites appears to be all the ammunition authorities needed to take legal action.

Ironically, the United States government permits wagering on slots, poker, horse and dogs across the South Florida area, which is unfortunate for offshore gambling mavens the likes of Giordano.  It also interesting to note that the crackdown comes in light of the 2007 Nevada Legislature that legalized online gambling within state borders. Utterly disgusted, Giordano describes the entire ordeal as “hypocritical.”

No stranger to the law, Giordano has previously been in hot water for running sportsbooks in the state of New York.  In the late 1990s, the crafty offshore gaming mogul decided that he could evade legal ramifications by setting up shop with his own internet gambling operation on St. Maarten, a jurisdiction that openly allows sports wagering.  Giordano was able to run a legit gambling operation under a license provided the Netherlands government – or so he thought.

Destined to claim his stake in the online gambling realm, Giordano brought renowned maverick Al Goldstein onboard to help promote the operation and from there, the popular gambling site PlayWithAl.com was born.  Raking in tens of thousands of dollars every week, Giordano purchased a lavish mansion in Florida while maintain gaming servers in St. Maartens and expanding his operation to the jurisdiction of Costa Rica.  Despite the rapid success, U.S. lawmakers set a precedent with Mr. Giordano as his company represents the first offshore online gambling operation to be accused of criminal activity in the U.S., without actually having any operative base on U.S. soil.

According to the plea agreement, Giordano will receive a five-month sentence the infamous Riker’s Island in addition to a hefty fine of a whopping $1 million.  This is one top of an estimated $1 million that had been seized by authorities.  Initially, authorities claimed that the sports betting website had booked more than $3.3 billion in wagers in just over two years, a figure Giordano says is simply ridiculous.  This leads some to believe that the plea and relatively light sentence shows federal officials’ urgency to quickly close out a weak case.

Giordano reports that all of his business was conducted in a legitimate manner, citing that all his taxes were paid and that he violated no laws. However, he is concerned that the illegal and unethical practices conducted by prosecutors could eventually result in a much stiffer sentence.

As for making a return to the online gambling business, Giordano says that he is done and looking for another line of work.

The Pacific Tour sponsored by PokerStars.net Asia is slated to wrap up their third season at Australia’s luxurious Star City Casino.  The tour is set to end with a bang as the APPT Grand Final that starts on December 1st to December 6th has an AUD $6,300 buy-in.

There are a variety of tournaments scheduled for the Grand Final, which could most certainly be considered one of the most anticipated poker festivals in Asia.  The stars will be participating as well, among them are former world champions Joe Hachem and Peter Eastgate, along with fellow PokerStars Pros teammates Eric Assadourian, Emad Tahtough, Tony Hachem and winner of the Season 1 Grand Final Grant Levy.  In addition, Dermot Blain, Dong-bin Han and Simon Watt, APPT champions of season 3, have all won themselves a seat in the Grand Final.

The schedule for the Grand Final opened with a No Limit Hold’em tournament at a AUD $200 buy-in.  A slew of additional events will take place each day up to the Final.  This includes a PLO event, mega satellite tournaments, and a deep stack tournament, all of which lead up the Main Event.  There are also several events that will kick off once the Main Event begins.   These include the Ladies Tournament, a Team Event, Heads-up Event, High Roller event with a AUD $15,300 buy-in, and the Camp Quality Charity Event in benefit of the Australian Children and Families Cancer Charity.

All these events lead up to the APPT Tournament, which will start on December 7th.  Dubbed the “Tournament of Champions”, an invitation only event that is comprised of winners from the APPT and other big names in poker, all of who compete to win money for the charity of their choice.  Australia’s Joe Hachem of Team PokerStars Pro, won the inaugural event.  Last year’s tournament was won by Vanessa Rousso of American Team PokerStars.

The immense success garnered from the 2008 APPT poker event which was hosted in the Philippines, on the magnificent Cebu resort island, shattered records for any event ever hosted in the country.  This inevitability helped to generate even greater interest in the APPT Grand Final this season.  Last year, the Grand Final Main Event alone attracted 477 players, seeing Martin Rowe clinch the title and take home a purse of more than USD $648,046.

PokerStars.net still has satellite tournaments running online that are free to enter, giving players the chance to win a prize that buys their way into the APPT Grand Final for free.  The prize package is worth a total of USD $9,500, which includes entry to the Grand Final and a free stay at the spectacular Star City Hotel in Sydney, Australia.  The Star City Casino is running live satellite tournaments daily.

The Global Gaming Expo dazzled attendees with slot machines that featured games with HD, 3-D graphics and animated characters, touch-screens, and rich video game features.  Slot machines designed around popular themes and culture hogged the spotlight at the G2E held inside the Las Vegas Convention Center.

WMS Industries highlighted a gamed based on the successful movie trilogy Lord of the Rings, while International Game Technology showcased a slot machined inspired by the popular HBO show Sex and the City.  Bally Technologies unveiled its games featuring liquid –crystal displays and new cabinet deigns as well slots with innovative bonus rounds to increase player interest.

Taking the experience to the next level, some vendors have embedded movie theater-esq audio systems into their slot machine chairs!  Imagine sitting in your slot machine chair and feeling the surround sound of your casino game.

Due to the positive turnout and reception, the manufacturers were more pleased with the 2009 event than they have been about prior shows.  For example, Patti Hart, International Game Technology CEO, felt the “sense of energy and anticipation” at the 2009 G2E, attributing the positivity to the attendees’ enthusiasm regarding new products.

Amidst a struggling economy, many of the casino corporations, as well as independent operators, have been reluctant to significantly update their slot machine floors.  To cope, casino managers have tried hard to maximum the life of their older, outdated games.  However, small but hopeful signs that the economy is heading in the right direction have raised the enthusiasm and outlook of slot manufacturers and investors alike.

Joe Greff, a gaming analyst at JPMorgan, told investors that the company is impressed with many of the newer products on the market and believe that they show significant improvement over products introduced at some of the previous G2Es.  He said JPMorgan feels these improvements are necessary because innovative and more competitive content is mainly what investors are looking to see as gaming expansion continues to open up new revenue opportunities.

Representatives from the slot machine manufacturing sector noted that the G2E isn’t all about sales as the trade show is more geared towards showing the casino industry what is in store for the coming months.

Steven Kent, gaming analyst at Goldman Sachs, remarked that the strength and technological innovation of today’s games are of such excellent quality that they should be able to catalyze replacement sales.  Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Simkins, echoed those sentiments by stating that the long-term prognosis for equipment manufacturers is in great shape.

Other highlights of the trade show consisted of IGT’s 3-D Center Stage series, a franchise that includes a network of slot machines link together and complimented by a 103-inch HD TV screen.  Among the many themes is one based on the hit reality television series American Idol.  Players can assume the persona of one of the show’s panel of judges in the bonus round and also enjoy clips of past Idol contestants.

Last Thursday, Nevada gaming regulators approved a license for the centerpiece casino of the $8.5 billion CityCenter development.  This approval will grant the 4,004 room Aria Resort hotel and casino to open as planned on December 16, 2009. Aria will have the only casino resort inside the CityCenter, which also includes a 500,000-square foot retail, dining and entertainment district, boutique hotels and high-rise residential units.

John Moran Jr., a member of the committee, said a project such as this could not have come at a better time for the community.  A large portion of the hearing , which ran more than two hours, focused on the 67-acre CityCenter and the positive affect it would have on the Vegas Strip, an area where gaming revenues have dropped over 12% this year because of the nation’s ailing economy.

Jim Murren, MGM Mirage CEO and Chairman, spent more than 40 minutes going over the project’s qualities while explaining the measures the company took in 2009 to deal with its financial problems.  He also stated that the project will help the market for not only the MGM Mirage resorts on the strip, but the competition as well.

The CityCenter project is a 50/50 joint venture agreement owned by MGM Mirage and Dubai World.  Pete Bernhard, Chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission, asked Murren and Dubai World CEO Christopher O-Donnell how the two companies where able to resolve their differences on the brink of a near split early this year.  This past March, Dubai World surprised MGM Mirage with a lawsuit, claiming that the construction of the CityCenter had been mismanaged.  This lawsuit almost sent the entire project spiraling into bankruptcy, an unfortunate fate that would stopped its development completely.

Murren said the two were able to come to terms after finally sitting down and discussing the matter, stating that the partnership between MGM Mirage and Dubai World is now just as strong as the company’s other joint partnership agreements.  O’Donnell followed this up by saying that despite the bumpy road, the two were able to work through all of their issues.

According to Murren, Aria is the most world’s most luxurious and technically advanced casino hotel and resort, stating that it will set the bar for others in Las Vegas.

Murren also noted that MGM officials will consider plans for the CityCenter’s Harmon Hotel in 2010.  Due to construction issues, work on the Harmon was stopped until further notice.  Planned to include 47 stories, development of the building was halted at 26 stories and the condominium component of the project was canceled. Murren remarked that the building has been sealed off and will cost at least $170 million to finish.

Dr. Tony Alamo Jr., the Gaming Commissioner, told Murren that he believes the CityCenter would be a success.  Formerly a member of the Nevada Athletic Commission, Alamo referenced a boxing analogy when describing the challenges MGM Mirage has dealt with in 2009, a year in which it sold Treasure Island, laid off 9,000 employees, and cut more than $800 million in annual expenses to avoid filing bankruptcy. Alamo stated that it is a 12-round bout and although MGM  has taken a beating for the first six, it is round seven and they are now staging a comeback.

The Canadian-based Optimal Group Inc. recently brokered a non-prosecution agreement with the United States Department of Justice to forfeit $19.2 million in funds. The case was tied to Optimal’s involvement as an e-wallet provider to process billions of dollars related to online gambling operations.

US government pursuing online gambling operations

The United States has been actively seeking out any e-wallet providers that have been involved with any online gambling sites. The US has used a variety of laws to make their case. Among these laws are the Wire Act, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and the Illegal Gambling Business Act.

From 2004 to 2006, Optimal’s e-wallet company Firepay was operating in the United States. “Optimal, operating an electronic wallet called Firepay, processed more than $2 billion worth of illegal gambling transactions for United States customers,” the  U.S. Attorney’s office said. When the United States enacted their Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in October of 2006, Optimal no longer accepted payments from customers within the US. Prior to the legislation, about 80% of their payments were from customers in the United States.

Under the deal, Firepay acknowledged a violation of federal law by providing wagering in the United States. The Optimal Group agreed to forfeit $19,182,418 as part of their non-prosecution arrangement with the US. Optimal stated that the amount was a “disgorgement of property involved in and proceeds received from the payment processing services that were provided by the company’s subsidiaries to Internet gambling merchants in relation to U.S. customers of such merchants.”

Firepay is no longer in operation. The Optimal Group has focused their business interests into some different areas. The Group’s WowWee business is a leading designer, developer, marketer and distributor of innovative hi-tech consumer robotic and entertainment products. The operation is also involved in the development of toys.

Electracash also a target

The US is also looking into the operations of many other foreign and domestic e-wallet providers. The California based online cash processor Electracash Inc. has been a target of the government in recent months. In July, US federal authorities seized bank accounts of the company. The accounts were allegedly used to process payments from online gambling operators. Now, the government is seeking to gain access of Electracash e-mails to find further evidence of illegal activity.

UIGEA related seizures could be winding down

While the government has been able to seize some funds from several e-wallet providers tied to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, the seizures could soon be a thing of the past. With Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank’s reform legislation to end the UIGEA gaining momentum, the government could focus on taxing online gambling operators instead of the far more difficult process of trying to enforce laws that are vague in nature. The current policies of the United States have done nothing to stop the continued growth of the online gambling industry. The impending UIGEA reforms would enable federal authorities to direct their energies towards more substantive issues and concerns.