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Facts and figures

Number of Games 67
Download Version Yes
Flash Version Yes
Live Dealers Yes
Software Used Playtech
Jackpots 10 Progressives & 11 Bonus Games
Deposit Bonus up to $300 free
Other Bonuses 10%-15% for non-credit card deposits
Languages English / French / Spanish / German / Japanese / Italian
Currencies $US, €, British £
Payment Methods Neteller, InstaCash, EcoCard, InstaDebit, UseMyBank, Firepay, 900Pay, Citadel, Moneybookers, Bank Draft, Wire Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, My Citadel, EwalletXpress, Click2Pay, Solo & Switch
Support Provided 24/7 Toll-Free US ;International number & Online Chat
Comp Program Yes – Free Comps & VIP Program

Pay out percentage: 97.5%

Tropez Casino ($10 free to PLAY NOW)

Online casino gambling: reviews

Here you find what the top online casinos say about themselves. Now, the choice is yours! These casinos give you, at least, a 100% bonus to see if you like their games.

Golden Palace Online Casino


The flagship of all online casinos, GoldenPalace.com is probably the world's best known and respected online casino. Since 1997, serving over 5 million customers, GoldenPalace.com is by far the hottest casino on the Internet.


GoldenPalace.com has won virtually every award in the industry, including: Best Slots, Best Video Poker, and Best Sign-up Bonus, voted by Only Slots Magazine. With accolades like that, you to have check it out. GoldenPalace.com is simply the best of the best.


GoldenPalace.com uses the latest version of the great PlayTech software, and their software and Random Number Generator (RNG) are audited and verified for accuracy by BMM, the most credible casino auditing company in the world. And the odds here are better than Vegas across the board. Their games and their graphics are first-rate too. The games are easy and fun to play, and they feel like the real deal. You'll love playing here.


You'll get a huge 200% bonus within 15 minutes of your first deposit and a constant stream of comps, rewards, bonuses and cash-back to maximize your bankroll every week.


As for their customer support, it's simply the world's best, with 24/7 live support via email, live chat or toll-free phone call from anywhere in the world.


Golden Palace offers almost every depositing and banking option, and deposits go through very quickly.


Players can make deposits using FirePay, credit cards, Neteller, Citadel and many other ways. GoldenPalace.com is legally licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, the strictest online casino licensing authority in the world.


GoldenPalace.com is the top shelf of online casinos in every respect.

Grand Online Casino


One online casino that stands out from the crowd is certainly GrandOnline.com.


A number of reasons make GrandOnline.com a must-play destination for online gaming, including the super fast download and easy registration, the incredible 200% new player sign-up bonus and the weekly cash-back, match deposit bonuses and special offers for every player.


Add all of this to amazingly beautiful games, the best 24/7 live customer service in the business, and the most recent updated version of the world-class PlayTech casino software, and you have a winner all around.


With the widest range of slots and table games, BMM-audited Random Number Generator, and higher odds and payouts than you will find in Las Vegas casinos, Grand Online is clearly one of the hottest places to play.


Grand Online is based on the very reliable and audited PlayTech software, which offers graphics that are extremely beautiful, and over 60 casino games, which make playing a lot of fun.


Grand Online lets players make deposits through all the expected options - like FirePay, Visa and MasterCard, Neteller, Citadel and a few others. All the options are clearly explained on their 'Cashier' page to make it easy for players to make fast deposits.


GrandOnline.com is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, widely recognized as the most professional online casino licensing authority in the world, and one that is totally concerned about protecting the player.


The games, the terrific customer service and some of the best bonus programs in the industry make Grand Online someplace you have to check out soon.

Flamingo Online Casino


One of the most beautiful and enjoyable online casinos is FlamingoClub.com. The game graphics are amazing, but the games themselves are fast, exciting and offer extremely high payouts - with better odds than what you will find in any Las Vegas casino.


Flamingo Club uses the latest version of the world-famous PlayTech software, and their Random Number Generator is audited by BMM, the world's leading independent casino auditing firm.


In addition, Flamingo offers the largest new player sign-up bonus in the business - a full 200% on your first deposit, giving you triple the playing power and chances to win.


Flamingo offers a very wide range of different slots as well as every popular table game and video poker. You can also play the world's first $1 million payout slot machine.


Flamingo Club offers all players either a cash-back or a deposit bonus every week, which makes it the richest rewards program of any casino. You can contact Live Customer Service representatives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by toll-free phone, email or live online chat.


FamingoClub.com is licensed by the Kahanawake Gaming Commission, which has built a reputation for fairness around the world.


Overall, Flamingo Club games are really beautiful, the download is extremely quick, and the 200% instant sign-up bonus makes the whole get-started experience very nice. This is one first-class online casino.

Wynn Expands Vision of Las Vegas Encore Project

Steve Wynn's Wynn Resorts has expanded the scope of its planned Encore development on land next to the Wynn Las Vegas casino complex set to open next month, Reuters reported.

In a regulatory filing, the company cited anticipated high demand for Wynn Las Vegas, continued strength in the Las Vegas market and a desire to maximize the potential of its substantial real estate assets for the new plans.

Encore was to initially include a 1,500-room hotel room tower and a relatively small gaming space at a cost of no more than $900 million. The new plans call for Encore to include about 2,000 full suites, a casino, convention space and other amenities, the news agency said.

Instead of opening in the second half 2007, Encore, under the new plans, would open during the first half of 2008.

Foundation pledging $50 million for arts center in Las Vegas

More art coming to Vegas...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2005/mar/18/031810194.html

Foundation pledging $50 million for arts center in Las Vegas LAS VEGAS (AP) - A $50 million gift from a philanthropic foundation will ensure construction of a proposed performing center in Las Vegas, the project's executive director said.

The donation from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is the largest ever by the foundation and the biggest charitable contribution in Nevada history, officials said.

It makes plans to build the performing arts center "a done deal," project chief Myron Martin told the Las Vegas Review-Journal for a Friday report. Martin said it should take about three years to design and build the center on a vacant 61-acre former railroad yard west of downtown.

The late Donald Reynolds founded Donrey Media Group, now known as Stephens Media Group, which owns the Review-Journal. Reynolds' interests in Donrey were sold in 1993.

Fred W. Smith, chairman of the Reynolds Foundation, said he will donate $1 million of his own money toward the center, to be called the Fred W. and Mary B. Smith Center for the Performing Arts.

The center is expected to cost up to $150 million, with an endowment of $50 million or more for expenses. State, county and city governments have approved a car-rental tax to pay almost half the estimated cost.

The center will be built on a vacant former railroad yard southeast of the busy Spaghetti Bowl freeway interchange near the proposed site of an Alzheimer's disease research center to be designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry.

City officials have also discussed putting an academic medical center, residential and retail buildings, a baseball stadium and a new city hall nearby.

The $50 million grant will be spread over six years, with $5 million awarded immediately and $9 million over each of the next five years for the endowment, said Steven Anderson, Reynolds Foundation president.

State Archivist Guy Rocha told the Review-Journal he knew of no other single donation as large in the history of Nevada.

Don Snyder, chairman of the arts center foundation, called the performing arts center important for southern Nevada.

"For us to attract non-gaming businesses, to diversify things here ... you have to have something that people expect in a large city," he said.

Las Vegas goes global... in Macau!

Reuters
Mar. 19, 2005 12:00 AM

MACAU - Hoping a new Las Vegas will rise from the sea off southern China, multibillionaire gaming tycoon Sheldon Adelson on Friday unveiled his "dream" plans for a strip of casinos, plush hotels and shopping malls in Macau costing up to $15 billion.

The world's 19th-richest person, who flies from the United States to Macau in his private jet once a month, said that his planned Cotai Strip project would give Asia its first "neon alley" entertainment venue.

A former Portuguese colony handed back to Beijing in 1999, Macau is the only place in China where gambling is legal.

Flanked by executives from investing hotel operators including Hilton Group's Hilton International, Marriott International and Four Seasons Hotels Inc., Adelson told reporters the three-phase development would feature 60,000 rooms in seven casino hotels.

By comparison, Las Vegas has 130,000 hotel rooms.

The centerpiece of Adelson's vision is the $1.8 billion Venetian Macau, to be built by Adelson's Las Vegas Sands Corp., a copy of the themed casino, conference and entertainment complex in Las Vegas.

"I had a dream one night. All of a sudden, it came to me. There's room there and demand to create Asia's Las Vegas," Adelson, 71, told a packed conference, as waitresses in 16th-century costumes served champagne.

A model of the planned complex showed palm-lined avenues, gondoliers on canals and a dozen high-rise buildings. The project's first phase, to be completed in 2007, will include 10,000 hotel rooms, plus the Venetian's 3,000 suites, a 15,000-seat arena and 850,000 square feet of shops.

"The mainland could send so many people that, if there were no piling, they would sink the strip," Adelson said of the voracious appetite for gambling in China.

Mainland Chinese visitors have thronged once-sleepy Macau since Beijing eased travel restrictions for its citizens two years ago. New investment, meanwhile, has poured in since Macau ended tycoon Stanley Ho's gaming monopoly in 2002.

Last year, Macau welcomed 16.7 million visitors, up 40 percent on 2003, which pumped up economic growth by 30 percent. Just over half were from mainland China.

Property prices have jumped 50 percent in the past year. Developers are rushing to build luxury flats to feed the Macau investment fever that has infused Hong Kong, an hour away by ferry or 10 minutes for those who can afford a helicopter ride.

In Adelson's one existing Macau casino, the 10-month old Sands, every baccarat table was surrounded by about a dozen gamblers at midday on Friday, mostly from the mainland.

Analyst Gabriel Chan estimates gaming tables will double to 4,000 by 2009, with 600 reserved for VIPs and high-stakes gambling.

Although some of the older Macau casinos with crumbling facades could lose ground to the glitzy newcomers, U.S. operators such as Adelson and his Las Vegas rival, Steve Wynn, may find it hard to compete for mainland business.

Many of the highest rollers in Macau are brought by tour operators who collect debts back in the mainland.

Macau could face increased competition for gamblers in Asia, with Singapore considering a casino. Las Vegas Sands reportedly is interested in operating in Singapore.

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You can open a real money account with as little as $20.00 and the casino will give you a 200% bonus, up to $100. But that’s just the beginning…they’ll also welcome you back by giving you 50% EXTRA - up to $50 on your first deposit of each month, for the next 10 months! For example: deposit $80 and get $120 to play! Deposit $100 and get $150 to play!.

As a Real Money player at Rio Casino, you earn extra money while you play through the complementary points program, which allows you to redeem points for cashable dollars and determines your VIP level. The Casino Del Rio VIP program is the most progressive player rewards program available. As soon as you open a Real Money account, you’ll be on the fast track to earning special perks and benefits that only get better over time! Note: Rio online is not associated with casinos in Las Vegas or casinos elsewhere with similar names.

At Casino Del Rio, you will receive fair gaming, fast payouts, 100% privacy & security. Friendly 24/7 support is available by phone, email and even live chat!

Facts and figures

Number of Games 67
Download Version Yes
Software Used Playtech
Jackpots 10 Progressives & 10 Bonus Games
Deposit Bonus up to $600 free
Other Bonuses 10%-15% for non-credit card deposits
Languages English / French / Spanish / Italian / Japanese
Currencies $US
Payment Methods Neteller, InstaCash, EcoCard, InstaDebit, UseMyBank, Firepay, 900Pay, Citadel, Moneybookers, Bank Draft, Wire Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, My Citadel, EwalletXpress, Click2Pay, Solo & Switch
Support Provided 24/7 Toll-Free US & Online Chat
Comp Program Yes – Free Comps & VIP Program

Pay out percentage: 97.5%

Play now at Rio Casino! Roulette, baccarat, slots, video poker and other exciting casino games!

Casino gambling: play from home, Las Vegas style gambling online

Download Las Vegas now, and get in on the $888 action!

If you’ve landed on Vegas Online, you’ve hit the Jackpot in online gaming. VR goes all out to create true Vegas-like ambience and the thrill of anticipation that only “Sin City” can provide.

Vegas Online boasts superb graphics, with over 60 fantastic games, displayed with state of the art graphics, in real-time animation. All of the games are available both in download or Flash versions, for your convenience. You can also choose between Fun Player or Real Money playing modes. Once you get a feel for how the games work as a Fun Player, you can raise the stakes and try your luck at betting for money.

Why not invite a couple of friends to join you? This is a great option for Roulette, Sic Bo, Blackjack, Baccarat, Casino War or Red Dog, that allows you to invite two friends to play alongside you in the casino. From the lobby, all you do is mouse over any of the above games and click on the Private Group option. You then enter a password of your choice and send it to your friends so that they can enter your Private Group with this password. What could be better? Gambling with two of your friends online in a private environment, AND you can even converse via online chat!

Another option for Blackjack is Multi-hand, where you can play three hands at once, or choose Multiplayer, where you can join other people at the tables and get to know each other via online chat.

The ‘$888 Free Welcome Bonus’ includes 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th deposit bonuses of over 100%, 25%, 50% and 100%, respectively. Comp points are automatically awarded as you wager, and can be converted into cash – so the more you play, the more extra cash you’ll receive. Comp points also count towards determining your VIP level, but high rollers can enter the VIP Fast-Track by contacting the VIP Manager.

To sum up, Vegas Red offers a lot more than most online casinos– not just in lucrative bonuses, but also in attention to detail, quality of product and exciting atmosphere. So if you can’t make it to Nevada today, then escape to Vegas Red – it’s definitely your best bet!

Facts and figures
Number of Games 67
Download Version Yes
Flash Version No
Live Dealers No
Software Used Playtech
Jackpots 10 Progressives & 10 Bonus Games
Deposit Bonus up to $888 free
Other Bonuses 10%-15% for non-credit card deposits
Languages English / French / German / Japanese / Spanish
Currencies $US, €, British £
Payment Methods Neteller, InstaCash, EcoCard, InstaDebit, UseMyBank, Firepay, 900Pay, Citadel, Moneybookers, Bank Draft, Wire Transfer, Visa, Mastercard, My Citadel, EwalletXpress, Click2Pay, Solo & Switch
Support Provided 24/7 Toll-Free US, International Number & Online Chat
Comp Program Yes – Free Comps & VIP Program

Pay out percentage: 97.5%

Play now! Las Vegas casino games waiting for you

3 states may legalize online gambling

From http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-03-15-cyber-gaming-usat_x.htm

By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Undeterred by murky federal law and emboldened by a trade ruling, at least three states are edging toward legalizing online gambling, and Great Britain is on the verge of permitting its land-based casinos to take bets online from U.S. citizens.
Those are the latest assault on the federal Wire Act of 1961, which bans use of telephones to place sports bets. U.S. lawmakers have struggled for a decade to update the law, hoping to restrain the fast-growing, $10 billion-a-year Internet gambling industry.

Legal experts say that the act is narrow and hard to enforce and that it does not specifically ban casino games. The vague law has prompted online gaming overtures from:

• States Lawmakers say they are confident proposed legislation will not violate federal law, and they are willing to defend themselves in court.

"No one wants tax increases. This is a legitimate revenue maker," says North Dakota state Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo. He introduced legislation that would allow Internet poker sites to operate inside the state. It has passed the House.

Kasper says legalized Internet poker could bring in millions through taxes and fees. North Dakota's constitution would have to be amended, he says. The state attorney general's office, which would regulate sites, last week received a letter from the Justice Department reiterating the federal ban on all Internet gambling.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has forwarded the letter to the state Senate Judiciary Committee, which is reviewing the bills.

Illinois' legislature is considering a bill to allow the sale of lottery tickets online to state residents 18 and older. The bill, scheduled for a Senate vote next month, could generate millions, says state Sen. John Cullerton, D-Chicago.

Georgia state Rep. Terry Barnard, R-Glennville, has proposed a similar bill. It passed the House last week.

• British Parliament. Lawmakers this year are expected to allow 137 land-based casinos in the U.K. to take online wagers from U.S. citizens. A move by such a key trading partner could undercut efforts by U.S. officials to snuff Internet gambling, says Joseph Kelly, a Buffalo State College professor who researches online gambling.

All this comes against the backdrop of a closely watched World Trade Organization gaming decision. The U.S. is appealing a WTO ruling that it violates international trade rules by allowing credit cards to be used for domestic gambling but not online bets. Much is at stake: Poker's popularity has made online gambling huge. More than $200 million is bet on online poker daily, up from $16 million two years ago, says researcher PokerPulse.com.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., advocate anti-online-gaming bills.

Casino dealer schools

We start with the raw data...

Nick Kallos' Casino Gaming School of Nevada
900 E. Karen, Suites 216, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: (702) 893-1788
www.Learn2deal.com

Community College of Southern Nevada
3200 East Cheyenne Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89117
Phone: 702-651-4579

Dealers Training Center
3330 East Tropicana Avenue, Suite D, Las Vegas, NV 89121
Phone: 702-547-1171

Las Vegas Gaming & Technical School
3030 S. Highland, Las Vegas, NV 89109, Nevada
Phone: (702) 733-3030

Las Vegas School of Dealing
3850 S. Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89103, Nevada
Phone: Phone: (702) 368-1717

National Academy for Casino Dealers
557 E. Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89104, Nevada
Phone: (702) 735-4884

PCI Dealer School
920 South Valley View Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89107
Phone: (702) 877-4724

Personalized Casino Instruction
920 S Valley View, Las Vegas, NV 89107
Phone: 702-877-4724

Vegas Careers School
3333 S. Maryland Pky, Ste. 12, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 702-792-6299, Admissions: 702-477-7744

Tangerine Lounge & Nightclub

Here we go with Tangerine Lounge & Nightclub fact sheet. You'll soon understand why you may be interested in this venue...

Verbatim from http://www.tangerineclub.com/press_release.html

Tangerine at TI (Treasure Island)
3300 Las Vegas Blvd., South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Office at TI: (702) 894-7580
Fax at TI: (702) 894-7582
Corporate Office: (702) 212-8140
Corporate Fax: (702) 735-8334
www.tangerineclub.com

OVERVIEW

The speakeasy style of 1920s burlesque sweetens Las Vegas’ newest nightspot: Tangerine Lounge & Nightclub at Treasure Island. Tangerine opened Fourth of July weekend and features an indoor lounge and outdoor deck, plus a DJ spinning rock and dance with live musical interludes by a saxophone, percussion and stand-up bass trio highlighting burlesque performances.

With its deck overlooking Sirens’ Cove, Tangerine offers premium views of the steamy Sirens of TI performances and the Las Vegas Strip. Tangerine is all about daiquiris and steel drums during the daytime and then becomes a sexy, dynamic nightclub and lounge at night.

OWNERSHIP

Tangerine is a partnership between TI and partners Jennifer Worthington and Robert Frey. Worthington moved to Las Vegas to form a partnership with Frey to develop innovative nightlife concepts after leaving her position as a senior vice president with Jerry Bruckheimer Films. Their first project, Coyote Ugly Bar & Dance Saloon, was inspired by Worthington’s association with the film, and opened at New York-New York Hotel & Casino in November 2001. The team then opened BiKiNiS Beach & Dance Club in October 2002 and Coyote Ugly Bar & Dance Saloon in Washington, D.C. this February.


DESIGN

International architectural firm Graft Lab designed Tangerine with subdued orange, amber and natural hues, blurring the line between lounge and nightclub, and from the intimate interior to the open deck.


HOURS OF OPERATION

Lounge: Tuesday – Saturday

9 p.m. – 4 a.m.

Patio: Daily

3:30 p.m. – close

COVER

Men: $20
Women: $10
Women w/Nevada ID: $0

DRESS CODE

Casual Chic: Fashionable attire is required. No sports jerseys, tank tops on men, or athletic wear of any kind will be permitted. The dress code is at management discretion. All casual wear is permitted on the patio in the daytime.

BURLESQUE SHOWTIMES SIRENS of T.I. SHOW TIMES

Act One: 10:45 p.m. 1st Performance 7:00 p.m.

Act Two: 11:45 p.m. 2nd Performance 8:30 p.m.

Act Three: 12:45 a.m. 3rd Performance 10:00 p.m.

Act Four 1:45 a.m. Last Performance 11:30 p.m.

Note: Each performance is approximately 8-10 minutes long.###

WPT Launches the Professional Poker Tour

Season One of The Professional Poker Tour(TM) (PPT) is jampacked with a stellar line-up of All-Star players, 134 of which turned out for the Tour's inaugural competition on November 9-10 at Foxwoods Resort Casino. Many of the game's favorites played a hand in the elite competition, but only six prevailed. Chris Bigler, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Harrington, John Juanda, Casey Kastle, and Ron Rose will advance to the PPT Final Table on Nov. 19 where only one will capture the very first PPT victory.

That's like saying you won the first PGA tournament in history, or ensnared the first Wimbledon title. In addition to being entitled to bragging rights and becoming the latest answer on the next generation of Trivial Pursuit, the winner will go home with $200,000, a $25,000 seat to the WPT World Championship, and some serious respect from the poker world. The tournament at Foxwoods is the first of five free-rolls that will offer a total sponsored prize pool of $2.5 million over the inaugural 2004-2005 Season. After its debut at Foxwoods, the PROFESSIONAL POKER TOUR will move on to Commerce Casino (Los Angeles), Bellagio (Las Vegas), and The Mirage (Las Vegas) in Season One of the Tour.

Launched by WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:WPTE), the creator of the World Poker Tour(TM) (WPT), Professional Poker Tour reflects the evolution of poker as a sport. Whereas anyone can play on the WPT, only the game's professional elite that qualify will compete on the PPT. The PPT is unique because players can earn PPT Tour Cards throughout the WPT season and begin free-roll tournament play immediately. To be eligible to play on the Professional Poker Tour Professional Poker Tour, players must have proven themselves in past poker competition: By winning or making a Final Table at a WPT event or a WPT Championship, by scoring as a top 10 point leader in WPT Player-of-the-Year rankings, by winning or placing highly in the $10K buy-in event at the World Series of Poker, by securing a spot on either CardPlayer Magazine's Card Player of the Year Top 10 list or Poker Europa's Top 10, or by being a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.

These are the players who made the first PPT final table:

Chris Bigler- From Fislisbach, Switzerland, Bigler was a business-man until he discovered his true calling-poker-just six years ago on a trip to Vegas. He has already made it to more than one World Poker Tour Final Table, including placing fifth at the Bellagios' World Poker Classic in Season One.

Jennifer Harman: To many, Harman is not just the best female player on the planet, but one of the best payers, period. She is the only woman who can claim two World Series titles, and is a regular at the biggest poker game in the world at Las Vegas' Bellagio. Harman was recently featured on WPT "Ladies Night," the WPT Final Table of the Ultimate Poker Classic.

Daniel Harrington: A former attorney who currently resides in Santa Monica, CA, Harrington began playing poker more than a decade ago mainly for the excitement and enjoyment of the game. Harrington has gone from winning state chess championships to winning a World Series title and placing in the money at several final tables.

John Juanda: A thirty-something poker player originally from Indonesia, Juanda is called a "class act" by fellow poker pros and amateurs including celebrities, who appreciate his cool demeanor at the table. He won his first of three World Series titles in 2002. Juanda became instantly famous when he placed second in the first-ever WORLD POKER TOUR tournament: the 2002 Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic. In both 2001 and 2002, Juanda was runner-up to Card Player Magazine's Tournament Player-of-the-Year.

Casey Kastle: A Slovenian American from Chicago, Kastle is the man who spearheaded the efforts to make poker tournaments non-smoking. Kastle first got involved with the game of poker by helping a church group host a charity casino night where he volunteered to deal at a blackjack table. When the event concluded, Kastle played in a $2-$4 poker game which kicked off his love of poker. Kastle placed tenth in last season's LA Poker Classic.

Ron Rose: This retired executive calls the Northwest home, though he and the WPT's own Mike Sexton, have a common link--they both went to the same high school in Dayton, Ohio. Rose is an accomplished tournament player and successful businessman who once held a seat on the stock exchange. The father of three, Rose captured first place in WPT's Battle of the Champions that aired on Super Bowl Sunday in 2004.

Stronger Euro, more people in Vegas!

Pearls of wisdom about the Euro, from IHT France...

"This not only makes a vacation to Las Vegas or Hawaii cheaper, but it lowers the price of imports from the United States."

Time to gamble, European people!

Back to Vegas stories - The city of MGM Mirage

Las Vegas, 2010. Big news about boom town!

From www.lvbusinesspress.com, by STEVEN MIHAILOVICH

If the history of Las Vegas consists primarily of casino operators outdoing each other in creating the next generation of grandiose billion dollar-plus casinos, then MGM Mirage made history last week with the announcement of its Project CityCenter development.

Approved by the company's board of directors, the plan calls for a mix of residential, hotel, and retail sites along with the ubiquitous casino to be developed in phases by 2010 along the lines of a master planned community on 66 acres of prime Strip real estate between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo casino resorts.

Unlike the construction of themed casinos, which try to recreate historical or international destinations, MGM Mirage's multi-billion dollar development aims to produce a 21st century urban district akin to Greenwich Village in New York City or Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco that will bring the company into the business of urban planning and potentially take the casino industry to the next stage of its evolution.

"This is the largest development project in the United States at this time," says Jim Murren, president and CFO of MGM Mirage. "No one has embarked on a development [of this scale] in this town. It's hard to equate it to anything. We are going to be leaders in the reshaping of the valley into a global market."

Currently named Project CityCenter, the outline was assembled with the assistance of three urban planning firms over an eight month period. The company settled on the master plan designed by New York-based Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut and Kuhn Architects (EEK), which has previously done similar work for Battery Park City in New York City and the Baltimore's Inner Harbor East.

According to Murren, MGM Mirage and EEK will be interviewing leading architects, general contractors, construction companies and related businesses from around the world over the next 18 months to flesh out the project, which is still in its infancy. Once the blueprints, materials and work schedules are developed within that period, construction will begin and is expected to last 42 months.

"You're not going to see another white tower with fancy gingerbread," Murren says. "It's going to be an icon and you will be able to see it from McCarran International Airport."

Although details remain to be worked out, the first phase will be the construction of a 4,000-room hotel and casino, along with three other 400-500-room hotels managed by independent operators, 1,650 condominium-hotel units and retail, dining and entertainment areas comprising 550,000 of the total 18 million square feet to be developed in the first stage.

Once completed, the first phase will create more than 12,000 new jobs, the largest single infusion of employment in Las Vegas history.

Estimated to cost $3- $4 billion and creating more than 7,000 construction jobs, the MGM Mirage president says the new casino and other structures will depart from the "theme" craze of the past decade and will instead target the kind of qualities that pervade notable communities and neighborhoods in cities worldwide and make them so attractive to tourists.

"I think the era of themes have come and gone in Las Vegas," he adds. "I think the word is 'feel.' It will have an urban feel that is contemporary, modern and forward-looking. The whole project will have that type of nomenclature. It will [incorporate] modern ideas, modern materials. It will recreate a city of the past but be a city of the 21st century."

To develop the project along those lines, MGM Mirage will use top developers and consultants for each of the different segments in the overall project. For instance, in creating retail shopping outlets, the casino operator will rely on consultants to design space and provide tenants that will fashion an inimitable shopping experience similar to that found in places such as Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills or Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

"I don't think Las Vegas needs another mall," says Murren. "We're going to build SoHo (in New York City). We'll get lots of retailers because they know it's revolutionary."

The same philosophy will underpin the residential development. Project CityCenter will blend condominium-hotel units that are used as hotel rooms when the occupant-occupants are away. They can also be sublet and used as fractional timeshares.

MGM Mirage has hired market research firm McKenzie and Co. to determine the market absorption rate of the residential products in order to calculate the optimal amount and timetable of each.

For the three hotels, MGM Mirage has been talking to about 12 different operators to date about entering into management contracts to run the boutique lodgings, most without a presence in Las Vegas, and even the U.S., currently. The arrangement gives MGM Mirage the advantage of tapping into the brands of the individual operators and their loyal and large customer bases.

As a result of the possibility of legalized gaming in Singapore and MGM Mirage's interest in the new jurisdiction, Murren confirmed that one of the hotel operators includes the Raffles chain of Singapore.

"We will own [the hotels] and bring in hoteliers of the type not represented here to manage them," he says. "Many are the absolute best brands in Europe and Asia."

Because of the massive scope of the project and its goal of creating an urban district, MGM Mirage and the companies ultimately involved in the various service segments will be able to draw the whole gamut of consumers, from mass market to high end.

A resident of Manhattan for 14 years, Murren compared Project CityCenter to his prior home, where people would choose whether to have a quiet dinner in the East Village or see a show in the Broadway Theater District.

"They don't have to be ultra high end [exclusively]," Murren says. "The great thing about a city is its diversity. It is vibrant and dynamic and has people of different backgrounds. Real cities have many different environments, like Manhattan. That's what I loved about the idea. We're not creating a fake city but a real one."

The mix of participants will lead to a creative palette of participation. Although still in the works, the project could allow a range of models, from leases to management contract to joint ventures.

Although the ultimate price of Project CityCenter will be determined once the plans are finalized, the inclusion of others from the start will relieve MGM Mirage of bearing the full costs while allowing the company to maximize efficiencies and realize almost immediate returns.

"We've been talking to a variety of retail, residential and [other entities]," Murren says. "Now the phone is ringing off the hook. We've getting so many calls from people saying would you please let us invest."

Bordering the Bellagio and Monte Carlo, both fully-owned MGM Mirage properties once the proposed purchase of Mandalay Resort Group is approved, Project CityCenter should eventually connect to both properties.

With the 66-acre development taking 11 acres from the Bellagio campus on the north, the first tangible physical structure to emerge from the project will be the construction of a parking garage for Bellagio employees as well as future residents. That portion is set to begin in the middle of next year and will take a year to complete.

While Project CityCenter complements similar projects announced for downtown and UNLV, the undertaking moves MGM Mirage into an almost entirely different field: urban planning. The project is to be supervised by Mirage Resorts president and CEO Bobby Baldwin.

In a city and industry renowned for its ability to replicate success, Murren says it will be difficult for competitors to copy its venture because of the huge financial wherewithal required as well as other resources. Moreover, no company has 66 acres of prime Strip property at its disposal or can afford to acquire as much with an acre currently valued at $20 million.

"We hope they do but I doubt it," he said. "We own the most and best land and have the best financial resources. It's urban planning, which is why we're not doing it alone. It's our first significant departure from the same old same old."

By pulling ahead of the pack, MGM Mirage's entry into the larger urban planning segment puts the company in somewhat unfamiliar, and thereby, riskier territory. Yet Murren contends that is how the company achieved its leading position within the city and its industry in the first place and the only way it will lead in a city whose reputation is based on innovation and imagination.

"The market here is one of a kind," he says. "We could have taken the land and turned it into a casino/hotel and been served [well]. It would have been alright but it doesn't provide the civic opportunities that this does. This is historic for our company and for Las Vegas."

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VIP Management Services announced today the launch of its much-awaited online poker product VIPpoker.com. Operated by United Poker Network, this cardroom allows all players from VIP's flagship sites VIPsports.com and BetGameDay.com to experience live, real money online poker with players from all over the world. "UPN has done a fantastic job in delivering us this room, and the initial feedback from all our players has been overwhelmingly positive," said Alistair Assheton, Managing Director of VIP.

Online poker is growing at a huge rate; according to independent studies, the industry is developing at 10% per month. VIPpoker.com is built on brand new software architecture, developed by the team of professionals at AceKicker.com. AceKicker's design is based upon the operational experience of the longest running online cardroom in the world.

CEO Randy Blumer said, "Our online poker solution is designed to meet the demands of the industry's most reputable and respected gaming organizations. We share VIPpoker's core values of honesty and integrity and are proud to be selected as their online poker provider."

The cardroom will be extensively marketed in all the regions VIP operates, including via its European division -- which recently obtained a UK bookmaker's permit, allowing it to operate a sports betting business from Great Britain.

"Obtaining our UK bookmaker's permit is a natural next step for us in seeking global approval for our products," commented Assheton. "We are committed to regulation of Internet gambling, and are also involved in the process of evolving the legislation in our home jurisdiction of Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles."

The company was founded in 1997 and has grown into an international operation with 150 employees in 3 countries. Licensed in both the UK and Netherlands Antilles, the group recently appeared on the "Power 25" list of the 25 most influential global online gaming operators; published by eGaming Review. The company operates 9 distinct gaming brands and currently has turnover in excess of $750 million per year with strong growth.

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Gambling tycoon donates £50,000 to Labour

Games of power, money and chance... From www.onlinecasinonews.com

Figures in the Electoral Commission published this Tuesday show the director of a large Online Casino company gave £50,000 to the Labour party in the months before the Gambling Bill.

Peter Coates, the director of Bet365.com donated the cash in July of this year, while the controversial proposals to reform the gambling industry were being drafted. Coates claims the timing is coincidental and has nothing to do with the Bill.


He told the Telegraph newspaper: 'I have been supporting the Labour Party all my adult life. I believe in the party's values and I shall go on supporting the Labour Party. It has nothing whatever to do with any gambling bill.”


Coates, who has given substantial cash donations to the Labour party in the past, warned that the government should not be too hasty to install Las Vegas style casinos in the UK, but that the Gambling Bill was not a slippery slope to damaging our society.


However, the donation has fuelled sceptics who have already pulled the Government up on links with US casino firms who lobbied Labour about gambling tax.