Smoking Ban Lifted at Casinos to Increase Gaming Revenues

Smokers have another year to puff away at gambling tables in Atlantic City after casinos convinced local officials that a ban on lighting up would devastate revenue that has been dropping as consumers spend less.

The seaside gambling resort's city council voted 5-4 this week to lift a smoking ban that only became effective Oct. 15. The move will give casinos more time to recover from the U.S. economic crisis, supportive council members said.

"I'm trying to protect people's jobs here as well as their health," said Councilman John Schultz, who voted to suspend the new regulations. "Gaming is about smoking, drinking and gambling. It all goes together. It's all sin."

For the complete story, please see Smokers can light up again in Atlantic City casinos, Bloomberg News via inRich.com, October 30, 2008.

Bingo Daubers Added to Wholesale Bingo Supplies

On a slow news day, I figured I'd take the time to mention that we've added a number of additions to our bingo daubers section on our Wholesale Bingo Supplies site.

Patriotic dabbers, School funding daubers, Olympic daubers (at a discount)Halloween daubers, Christmas daubers and more can be found on our novelty daubers page. Also, there's 4 or 5 styles of designer dab daubers that allow players to dab various symbols like dollar signs instead of the standard old circle style.

So, have a look at our new bingo dobbers. We think you and/or your players will really like them. And, check back in the future for more additions.

Caesars Empire Goes Modern

These days, Caesars Palace is looking a lot less Roman Empire and more Empire State.

When it opens its sixth hotel tower, Octavius, next summer the flagship property of the world’s largest casino company will be another step closer to the look and feel of luxury hotels found in other major cities.

At a time when casinos are forced to work harder to attract business, Caesars Palace is trying its best to bridge old and new Vegas by luring new, more discriminating tourists and younger hipsters as well as regulars who appreciate the property’s legacy.

The under-construction tower features the same white-walled Romanesque look of the adjacent Augustus tower and, like Augustus, sits apart from the casino and across the themed pool and garden complex known as the Garden of the Gods. Roman statues abound, and guests can grab snacks at a bar appropriately named Snackus Maximus.

Yet inside, the tower’s 665 rooms will feature a bold, modern look by Wilson Associates, which created the muted, urbane look of the Augustus rooms, with nary a Roman column or statue in sight. That firm has no kitsch on its resume, which includes suites for the Palms and the Mansion, MGM Grand’s high-roller oasis.

The sophisticated appearance has spread to other areas at Caesars, which has recently remodeled rooms in its Palace and Forum towers. Until a few months ago, the Forum Tower featured mirrors above beds and couples tubs a carpeted step away. The 21st century makeover includes Anichini linens, iPod docking stations, wireless Internet and dual rain showerheads.

For the complete story, please see Liz Benston, Caesars empire goes modern with latest hotel expansion, Las Vegas Sun, October 23, 2008.

Soaring Eagle to Cut Workforce

Isabella County’s largest employer plans to cut its work force.

The Tribal Council for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe made the decision to offer all full-time associates at the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, a voluntary buy-out.

“We realize the same economic conditions which are affecting the national economy and the gaming industry are also taking their toll on the Soaring Eagle,” Tribal Chief Fred Cantu, Jr. said.

Tribal Council and senior management of the casino and resort have determined the necessity to reduce payroll costs by cutting their workforce.

For the complete story, please see Patricia Ecker, Tribe offering buyouts to some workers, Morning Sun, October 23, 2008.

Analysts Negative on Gaming Industry

Three months ago a Wall Street analyst did something unusual for his business.

He admitted he was wrong.

Andrew Zarnett, the lead gaming bond analyst for Deutsche Bank, issued an investor report in July downgrading some Station Casinos bonds from “buy” to “sell” and “hold,” concluding, “we were wrong as we were caught off guard by the quick deterioration of local Las Vegas fundamentals beyond our expectations.”

Zarnett is one of several analysts who have been busy downgrading the projected value of gaming investments.

These downgrades have come months after gaming companies first reported earnings declines, making the analysts’ actions appear somewhat delayed.

Analysts in general have been criticized as being cheerleaders for the investments they cover. Being positive may yield better access to company executives. Besides being paid for their research, these firms make money issuing bonds and other financial instruments for companies on their watch lists.

An invisible wall separates these departments, yet analysts are careful how they criticize these companies.

With analysts growing bearish by the day, the result is a widening gap between critics and the bulls. The latter are hanging on to the comforting mantras about Las Vegas: The gaming business is generally resistant to recessions, and business on the Strip will return stronger than it was before the downturn. That’s the way things have always been, after all.

For the complete story, please see Liz Benston, Analysts transform from bulls to bears, Las Vegas Sun, October 20, 2008.

Compact Amendments to Increase Number of Casinos

Amendments to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians' gaming compact will give the state an immediate $15 million and give the tribe the right to open satellite casinos in Hartford and Dowagiac.
The amended compact resolves issues between the state of Michigan and the tribe that led to the Pokagon Band's withholding revenue sharing payments to the state for most of the 14 months its Four Winds Casino Resort near New Buffalo has been open for business.

The Band contended the state's Club Keno game eliminated the tribe's exclusive rights to operate electronic games of chance. The exclusivity provision was eliminated in the amended compact.

The amendments were signed by Tribal Chairman John Miller and Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Although the state legislature must ratify compacts, it does not ratify amendments. Those changes are approved at the federal level.

Similar disputes between the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians were resolved earlier this year.

"These changes to the compact are a victory for the state, the tribe and the communities of Southwest Michigan," Granholm said in a prepared announcement.

"The agreement provides a steady stream of revenue to further Michigan's economic development efforts. It also provides economic development opportunities for the tribe and local communities, while establishing a more stable and cooperative relationship between the state and the tribe."

For the complete story, please see Lynn Stevens, Compact amendments give Pokagon Band satellites, Western Michigan Business Review, October 23, 2008.

Bingo Equipment: General Cleaning Instructions

We are frequently asked about the best ways to keep bingo equipment clean and running smoothly. So, here's a quick guide on how to keep your bingo equipment as clean as possible without damaging anything.

Before cleaning anything, make sure that your equipment is turned off and unplugged.

Bingo Machines and Bingo Flashboards

For metal surfaces, use a mild soap or cleanser with a soft cloth to wipe down your bingo console and bingo flashboards . Do not use a harsh cleanser. Harsh cleansers can easily damage lettering. For additional protection you may follow-up your cleaning with an automotive style polish.

For acrylic surfaces, use mild soap or cleanser with a soft cloth as well.

Finally, vacuum dust from the blower regularly to clean the ball chute area.

Bingo Console Caller Monitor

Use a mild soap or window cleaner with a soft cloth. Again, do not use anything abrasive.

Static Treatment

Bingo balls can stick together due to static over time. To counter this, every few months you should lightly spray anti-static aerosol compound over the blower base pan foam and inside the chamber of the blower.

If the anti-static tinsel found surrounding the blower base pan is damaged or missing, you should consider ordering a new one.

Bingo Smoking Ban Update

From our insider at the Capitol:

Things are as quiet at the Capitol as they will ever be; the calm before the storm. We expect the Legislature to return on Thursday, November 6th for 6 session days in November and 9 in December before officially ending on 12/31/08 at midnight. This will be the classic “Lame Duck” session period in which anything can happen.

With at least 43 members not returning in January the smoking ban will either pass or fail based on their desire. Whether the version exempting bingos and casinos is the version pushed forward by the legislature is anyone's guess.

More on the Pokagon Casino Expansion

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is currently operating one casino in southwestern Michigan and now has Michigan’s permission to build two more casinos.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s office announced the deal Monday — a deal to rewrite the tribe’s gaming compact with the state in response to the tribe’s reaction to the proliferation of Michigan’s Club Keno game since 2003.

The tribe — along with the Manistee-based Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians — originally signed gaming compacts, or agreements, with the state in 1998. Under the terms of those compacts, the tribes agreed to operate only one casino each and pay the state 8 percent of their slot machine profits as revenue sharing payments.

For the complete story, please see Kevin Braciszeski,Pokagon tribe OK'd for two more casinos
, Ludington Daily News, October 21, 2008.

Big and Small in Gaming Industry Hurting

Casino companies’ earnings are plummeting by double digits. Debt costs are rising for many companies. And their customers are spending less.

In the financial world, in this economy, those are the trend lines of doom.

Indeed, a few smaller operators are already close to bankruptcy. But could giants like MGM Mirage and Harrah’s Entertainment be next?

The breathtaking series of Wall Street failures and Washington bailouts of recent months suggests anything is possible — even spectacular failures in Las Vegas.

For now, bankruptcy protection remains a remote, if grim, possibility for all but the most damaged companies. Experts say that banks will negotiate with the big casino operators rather than force them into bankruptcy.

For the complete story, please see Liz Benston, Even major players feel serious squeeze as revenue drops, debts rise
, Las Vegas Sun, October 19, 2008.

Deal Paves the Way for 2 Additional Casinos

More casinos could be coming to West Michigan because of a new deal between a local tribe and the state.

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, which owns the Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, has a new gaming compact, allowing two smaller, satellite casinos to be added in Dowagiac and Hartford.

24 Hour News 8 uncovered a document that shows in 1999 the tribe had Hartford and Benton Harbor as backups in case New Buffalo didn't work. If Hartford was selected, then the tribe was planning to put in 800 slot machines and 35 gaming tables.

For the complete story, please see Marc Thompson Deal paves way for 2 local casinos , WoodTV8 Grand Rapids, October 20, 2008.

Potential Ohio Casino Could Challenge Detroit Gaming Market

Two weeks from Tuesday, voters will decide whether to legalize what could be the largest casino in the Midwest - a monster 97-acre complex just off Interstate 71 near Wilmington.

Developers think they can win $850 million in projected annual gambling income as part of a total $1.2 billion in projected revenue.

If they did, the new casino could make the Southwest Ohio/Southeast Indiana market a challenger to Detroit as the nation's No. 5 gambling destination. By itself, the casino would make Wilmington the nation's 11th largest market.

With developers planning to hire more than 5,000 workers, the casino would be the region's 12th-largest private-sector employer - behind the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and ahead of Macy's Inc. If the development were counted as a private enterprise, the $1.2 billion in total revenue - gambling plus restaurants, retail and lodging at a 1,500-room hotel - would make it large enough to tie with Fort Mitchell-based Drees Co. as the region's third-largest company.

For the complete story, please see Alexander Coolidge, Issue 6: High stakes in casino vote, Cincinnati.com, October 19, 2008.

Casino Threatens Pullout if Smoking Ban Enacted

The president of Kansas Speedway suggested Thursday night that developers might not build the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino if Wyandotte County banned smoking on casino floors.

Jeff Boerger said in a public hearing at City Hall that there were a lot of nervous people at International Speedway Corp., the speedway’s parent, who expected that the casino would be built next to Kansas Speedway.

Revenue projections, Boerger said, have assumed that the casino would not be subjected to a smoking ban, and if one were adopted, the project’s developers would have to go back to the drawing board. The speedway is a 50-50 partner with the Cordish Co. in the casino project.

The county’s Unified Board of Commissioners did not act on the proposal Thursday night, and has yet to schedule a vote. Kansas City, Kan., remains the largest city in the metropolitan area without an indoor smoking ban.

For the full story, please see Mark Wiebe, Casino may not be built if smoking ban is imposed in Wyandotte County The Kansas City Star, October 17, 2008.

Despite Players Casinos (Bingos) See Drop in Business

Wednesday brought more trouble on Wall Street as the Dow closed down more than 700 points.

Economic disappointments like this not only have investors worried, but also have people all over the nation cutting expenses.

That includes entertainment. Casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are reporting big drops in revenue. But how are Mid-Michigan's casino's doing?

The Saganing Eagles Landing Casino near Standish was packed today and that has pretty much been the pattern ever since it opened on New Year's Day.

"It's almost 1 p.m. and we are at capacity," said the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe's Frank Cloutier.

Wednesday was Senior Day at the Saganing Eagles Landing Casino south of Standish, and there were no signs of a sluggish economy here.

"Somebody's got money," said Connie Schoonover of Arenac County.
But Cloutier says while people are filling the building, they might not be betting as much as they once did.

FOr the complete story, please see Terry Camp, Casinos see some drops in business, WJRT-TV, October 15, 2008.

HalloweenPartySupplies.com Launches!

We're probably a little crazy.

However, we were encouraged by the positive feedback we have received from our Wholesale Bingo Supplies customers, to make the decision to add another website to our family. So, after many months of hard work, we're proud to announce the launching of our brand new website HalloweenPartySupplies.com!

Halloween Party Supplies will carry the latest in Halloween Party Supplies, Halloween decorations, Halloween tableware, and other miscellaneous party supplies all geared to make your Halloween event a success. Currently, we won't be carrying any costumes, but we will be looking at the possibility of adding those items next year.

We realize this post isn't specifically about bingo, but there's no reason a bingo manager couldn't liven up their bingos this year with a few Halloween decorations, right?

Anyway, if you have a minute, please check us out and give us your thoughts. It's a new site, so there are no doubt some improvements that will have to be made.

Impact of Indian Gaming Law 20 Years Later

The gaming industry changed irrevocably when President Reagan signed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act on Oct. 17, 1988.

Twenty years later, tribal casinos earn more money than those in Las Vegas and Atlantic City combined.

“I believe the expectation of almost every lawmaker then was that the future of Indian gaming was going to be in high stakes bingo,” said Phil Hogen, chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Instead, about 90 percent of the $26 billion in Indian gaming revenue last year came from casinos. By comparison, Nevada casinos collected $12.8 billion and New Jersey casinos collected $4.9 billion.

The Indian gaming industry employs more than 700,000 workers -- more than half of them are not Indians.

Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association, said the law changed the landscape of the casino industry.

“I don’t think anyone ever thought the result would be as dramatic as it has been,” Fahrenkopf said.

For the complete story, please see Tony Batt, Impact Of Indian Gaming Law Changed Casino Industry, The Morning News, October 11, 2008.

City Pushing for Sale of Greektown Casino

Citing what it calls years of mismanagement, the city of Detroit is pushing Greektown Casino to find a buyer sooner than required by a bankruptcy court's Feb. 16 deadline, as the troubled casino continues to miss revenue projections under bankruptcy protection.

The downtown gambling hall has amassed about $755 million in debt and will be the last of the city's three casinos to complete a required 400-room resort hotel. Since entering Chapter 11 in May, Greektown has required an infusion of $47 million dollars for operations in September from the Indian tribe that controls it, laid off 89 workers and missed its preliminary income projection last month by $1.54 million.

The city's push for a quick sale of the casino could put it in the hands of Ted Gatzaros, a Detroit businessman and restaurateur who helped push for the law creating the city's casinos, according to two sources working with Greektown and the city. These sources asked not to be named because they weren't authorized to speak on behalf of either Gatzaros or the city. Calls to Gatzaros for comment went unanswered Wednesday afternoon.

For the complete story, please see Nathan Hurst Detroit pushing Greektown to sell, The Detroit News, October 9, 2008.

How to Change Bingo Flashboard Bulbs

Bingo flashboards frequently have bulbs that burn out over time. And, if you've never changed flashboard bulbs, it can be a little tricky. So, here's some helpful guidelines on how to change a bingo flashboard bulb:

Before you begin, TURN OFF ALL POWER TO THE FLASHBOARD! Changing bulbs while the power is on can be dangerous and can damage your entire bingo board .

Now, let's divide the flashboard into 2 parts, the "sides" and the "main body" of bingo numbers.

The "sides" of the flashboard can be opened by removing the appropriate screws from the front panel. Typically the left side of the bingo board containing the last number called and the bingo pattern, is on a hinged panel and should be swung open. After opening, slide out the covering panel (you may have to bend it a little outwards) to gain access to the bulbs. Change bulbs as needed.

The "main body" of the board can be accessed by removing all appropriate screws and then removing the plastic retaining strip between the low and high side acrylic. Push in the panel while grasping the strip and pulling it out slightly to the right. Once this strip is removed, the panels can be slid from side to side to uncover the bulbs. Change bulbs as needed.

Be sure to keep track of your screws! Once finished, slide the panels and strips back into place, and screw everything back into place.

Hopefully this helps. Remember, bingo machines and bingo flashboards can vary in design. For instance, some flashboards contain a "prize payout" section on the right side and some don't. Our instructions are meant as a guideline to help with the most common bingo boards in the industry.

Locals Have Mixed Feelings on Four Winds Casino

Barbara Flies has lots of reasons to dislike her new neighbor.

Cars bring visitors at all hours of the day and night, turning Flies' formerly quiet two-lane road into a pulsing artery. She now has to lock her front door and car doors. Most disturbingly, on the second day after her neighbor moved in, a visitor broke into her house, tried to steal her possessions and then drove off in her van when the thief thought he'd been spotted.

Flies, a 62-year-old retired New Buffalo native, has an unusual neighbor. Just down the street from her modest home and unfinished barn is the Four Winds Casino Resort, one of the largest gambling palaces in the Midwest.

Four Winds opened in August 2007 as the first casino developed by Lakes Entertainment Inc., the Minnesota gambling company that's backing the Nov. 4 Ohio ballot measure that would allow it to build a casino along I-71 about halfway between Columbus and Cincinnati.

While Flies may have reason to resent the teeming gambling complex just down the street, her feelings -- like those of many in New Buffalo -- are more complex.

For the complete story, please see James Nash, Casino's effects mixed for town in Michigan, The Columbus Dispatch, October 5, 2008.

MGM Announces Layoffs

The MGM Grand Detroit is preparing to lay off an unspecified number of food service workers from its staff of 3,600 employees, company officials say.

In a sign that hard times are in store for operators of the city's three casino-resorts,the MGM Grand was the only gaming complex there to increase its revenues so far this year, The Detroit News reported Saturday.

For the complete story, please see Detroit MGM Grand announces layoffs UPI via Times of the Internet, October 4, 2008.

Bingos & Charitable Gaming Hurting from Smoking Bans and Slumping Economy

A year after a statewide smoking ban went into effect, charitable gambling operations in Minnesota aren’t feeling so lucky.

“The wonderful world of gambling unfortunately is not so wonderful right now,” said King Wilson, executive director of the Allied Charities of Minnesota.

“We’ve lost 30 percent of our charitable gambling organizations, and the ones that remain are basically down 20-25 percent.”

Wilson said the industry once had as many as 1,800 groups operating in the state, but that has fallen to barely 1,300 today, and several more are terminating their licenses every month.

He talked to about a dozen representatives of charitable gaming operations in Detroit Lakes Monday.

“It’s been a tsunami of bad news,” said Wilson. Gaming receipts so far in 2008 are down about 8 percent over last year, due to a variety of factors — including a smoking ban in bars and restaurants, higher gasoline prices and a weaker economy.

For the complete story, please see Nathan Bowe, Charitable gaming industry down on its luck - wants lower state taxes
, Park Rapids Enterprise.com, October 3, 2008.

Terminator Bans Bingo

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late Tuesday signed last-minute legislation that bans electronic bingo machines but allows large charities to run "remote caller" bingo games, which joins multiple sites into one contest.

Senate Bill 1369, a "gut-and-amend" bill that came in the final days of legislative session, was the product of a compromise between Indian gambling tribes and large charities such as the Catholic Church. The charities wanted the change because they said their games were losing customers to Indian casinos in recent years, while the tribes sought to end electronic bingo, which they saw as an encroachment on their exclusive right to operate slot machines in California.

For the complete story, please see Kevin Yamamura, Schwarzenegger signs bingo ban, Sacbee.com, October 1, 2008.