Is a Vegas Casino Complex Coming to Madrid or Barcelona with Sheldon Adelson?
Posted on | January 25, 2012 | No Comments
Sheldon Adelson has been looking to Europe for his next huge casino complex, and he wants to take all of the good things about Las Vegas and move them over to the Old Continent. So that’s the UK out of the running (on weather grounds). He’s set his sites on Sunny Spain. It’s a show down between the 2 old rivals- another “el Classico” between Barcelona and Madrid.
Madrid regional premier Esperanza Aguirre this week has proposed creating a legal and tax “island” in the Madrid region to accommodate the plans of the American US gambling supremo and his plans.
Sheldon’s EuroVegas project, with TWELVE resorts (36,000 rooms), 6 casinos, 9 theaters and 3 golf courses would involve an investment of up to 18.8 billion euros through to 2022 and the creation of 261,000 jobs.
But Sheldon drives a hard bargain. In return for all of this Euro Vegas Strip investment, he wants the land for the complex free, a long summer (or probably summers) tax holiday and for the Spanish smoking ban in Spain to be waived at the complex (that will go down well with the tobacco loving locals who have been forced out onto the street with their weed). So, basically, a state within a state then?Speaking after a meeting with the new mayor of Madrid, Ana Botella, Aguirre promised to keep all of the region’s “principles and values” when negotiating the project. (Yeah, right!).
Spain would certainly be a great bet on the weather front. And it’s Europe’s most popular tourist destination already, so no worries with connections etc.
Personally, we’d plump for Barcelona over Madrid. It’s by the beach. It’s closer to the rest of Europe by road. And it’s already the top tourist destination in Spain. There’s a big expanse of land right by the airport which could be used for such a project. But I guess it will come down to money as usual, and if Sheldon is as wily as we know he is, he’ll put the Castillians and the Catalans head to head and he’ll see who comes up with the sweetest deal.
It’s a massive undertaking if it goes ahead. The Madrid authorities have proposed changing legislation to ease the development, and the Madrid project would mean a €16.9bn investment over 15 years, with an €6.7bn invested during the first four years. The Euro Vegas complex would need changes to the city’s urban planning laws ito free up some 6m sq.m. of land. There’s be new metro and train stations, new roads and a big demand for water in a region that has suffered from droughts in recent years.
Sheldon Adelson is loaded: the eighth-richest man in the US, according to Forbes, and is the man behind the Las Vegas Sands Corp., the owner of 2 casinos in Las Vegas, 3 in Macao and the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Bond – the casino fashion icon. What to Wear at The Casino Tables
Posted on | January 25, 2012 | No Comments
As previously mentioned, here on Online Casino King we love James Bond, and we love his dapper style whether in the casino, on the slopes, throwing himself across the bonnet of a classic car, seducing beautiful women, or being tied to a post in the middle of a lake while sharks circle round him and an evil-moustachioed villain explains once again how his masterplan will work. In this series on the style of the James Bonds, we’ve already covered iconic Bond Sean Connery – this time, we’re looking at one time Bond, George Lazenby, who starred in the 1969 ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’. OK- not the most popular Bond, but he at least did get a substantial wardrobe budget.Lazenby’s Bond, coming as it did at the end of the 60s, has more than a hint of psychedelia about him and a taste of things to come with the flamboyant menswear of the 70s. 
The Lazenby Look is an easy if somewhat individual style to achieve, and can easily be interpreted for casual wear (when you’re playing online casino at home) or formal wear (when you’re playing online casino…at home, but it might be a Friday night).
The Lazenby Look is an easy if somewhat individual style to achieve, and can easily be interpreted for casual wear (when you’re playing online casino at home) or formal wear (when you’re playing online casino…at home, but it might be a Friday night).If you are looking for tips on what to wear at the casino- why not pick up a few tips for the maestros?
Lazeby’s classic Bond tuxedo has the similar sharp lines of Connery’s, but this time the white shirt has a distinctly ruffled front and the waist has a more nipped in shape. In ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’, Lazenby also sports traditional Scottish dress – including a kilt and sporran. While this might not be quite appropriate for sitting at home, relaxing and having a few games at an online casino, the lace cravat he pairs with this ensemble could be particularly fetching at work. Next time, ditch that Marks and Sparks tie and opt for a white, lacey concoction instead. If nothing else, it’ll make a great photo for the newsletter. Keep your knees together though, if you are going the kilt thing at a landbased casino (at home this isn’t a problem obviously).
We think that George Lazenby’s casual look is ideal for some online casino action – it’s not a look to be taken lightly but if you can pull it off, you’ll be onto a winner.
Get the Dapper Casino Look
A pre-70s polo neck in on-trend mustard colour, paired with a leather and sheepskin coat? Retro never looked so good. A slick of Brylcreem and you’re ready for anything – whether that’s thwarting an evil Russian dictator or making a cup of tea before settling down to play online poker.
That last shot is a classic. That’s George Lazenby’s “Blue Steel” (I’m hard as nails) look, but he hasn’t quite pulled it off, has he? He looks like he’s suffering from a severe case of wedgie pants under all of that 70’s garb.
Celeb Poker Players Part 2
Posted on | January 23, 2012 | No Comments
In the second of our award-winning* series (*best blog post written about celebrities on that website on that day!) on celebs playing poker, we take a look at more famous faces who have graced the gambling world with their presence.
Teddy Sheringham
As a professional footballer with 51 appearances and 11 goals for England, his work-rate and eye for a cheeky shot on goal was renowned. As one half of Team SAS with Shearer, he certainly slotted them in. As a poker player, and with a number of top five finishes and big money-cashes on his CV already, Teddy Sheringham is certainly one of the bigger UK names to be involved in both beautiful games. Having scored in the Champions League final for Man United, he knows all about high stakes too.
Jason Alexander
You wouldn’t associate his trademark character, Seinfeld’s George Costanza, with any of the positive qualities required of a poker player –subtlety to name just one – but Jason Alexander has been a regular on TV tournaments of a celebrity bent; he reached the final of the 2005 Celebrity Poker Showdown but was the first to be eliminated. He’s also cashed in at two tournaments, most notably a 5th place finish and a prize of $16,000 at a World Series of Poker Circuit Event.
Boris Becker
It’s not all been about dalliances in broom cupboards in fancy Japanese restaurants for Boom Boom Becker. Oh no. The youngest ever Wimbledon men’s champion might be no spring chicken these days, but the six-time Grand Slammer can certainly cut it on the cloth. With nearly $70,000 of winnings in the bank, Becker’s four cashes-in includes among them a 7th place finish at the 2008 PokerStars EPT Grand Final for a takeaway of a cool 12,000 euros. He’s now signed as a member of Team SportsStars for the PokerStars brand.
Sir Clive Sinclair
Okay, so he’s no Phil Hellmuth when it comes to poker prowess, but this entry is just too random to ignore. Sir Clive Sinclair, creator of the groundbreaking ZX Spectrum in 1982, and less groundbreaking (ground-scratching?) weird bike thing three years later, is a keen poker player! He appeared in all three series of Challenge TV’s Celebrity Poker Club, scooping the top prize of £25,000 in the first run. Whodathunkit? There’s nothing quite like arriving at the big tourneys in your C5. Go Clive.
The moral of the story? Go and get yourself a successful career in sports, or inventing if you want to get a leg up in porfessional poker.
Lady Luck & Her Many Disguises. Our Favourite Casino Superstitions
Posted on | January 16, 2012 | No Comments
We’ve just survived another Friday 13th (last week), considered to be one of the unluckiest days of the year (for some, anyway – I know someone born on Friday 13th!). For gamers, luck is both a blessing and a curse, with all of us having our favourite lucky numbers, trinkets and other paraphernalia that we carry with us or keep hold of when we’re playing online casino. Lucky objects are different the whole world over, just like superstitions are completely different, so here’s some of our favourite superstitions and lucky trinkets from across the globe!
There’s a variety of different animals (and animal parts) that are considered to bring good luck or bad luck in different countries. Ladybirds are said to be lucky, with the number of spots the ladybird has signifying how much you might win or find. In Germany, the pig is also a lucky animal, while in the UK finding or wearing a rabbit’s foot is meant to bring good luck. In some African countries, wearing alligator teeth is thought to have a similar effect, while spying magpies or black cats in many other countries can be seen as a bad luck omen (especially if there is only one of them in the case of magpies).
Lots of people have their own specific good luck charms, including toys, pens, pieces of jewellery or even particular garments that have to go everywhere with them – just think about the mascots from football matches or on quiz teams! Native American dream catchers are considered to be lucky thanks to their, er, dream catching properties, while in some countries sapphires are considered to have lucky, even supernatural powers. Particular numbers also have significance across several continents, like the number 7 and the number 3, both of which have a relation to a number of different religions (like three as the Holy Trinity in Christianity).
For the Chinese, it’s number 8 that is golden. Try and buy a numberplate in Hong Kong with an eight in it and you will need deep pockets!
Closer to home, there are a number of superstitions that come from old folklore that are said to give us bad luck: putting new shoes on the table and opening an umbrella indoors are both well-known ones. Breaking a mirror is said to cause seven years bad luck, although frankly I think this might be actually how long it takes to make sure you’ve picked up all the tiny bits of glass. Walking under a ladder is also said to be bad luck (possibly because of the likelihood of something falling on your head) but can be remedied by walking back and spitting three times through the rungs. Best to do this just after someone has climbed up though, rather than when they’re on their way back down.
What are your lucky charms – or superstitions that you always abide by? Do you have any good luck charms that you make sure you use every time you play at online casinos? Like switching the computer on and off 3 times, turning around in your swivel chair 4 times (clockwise) and touching your nose before every 5th slots spin. Well, that’s what we do here when we play on the fruities- it works for us 
Celebrity Poker Players. Who Are The Big Guns?
Posted on | January 11, 2012 | No Comments
They’ve made a career in other fields, and are famous faces wherever they go; but as the game of poker has surged in popularity over the last few years, so too has the number of celebrities crossing over into the casino to try their luck at the poker table.
Here we present…Celebrity Poker Players.
Ben Affleck
The Oscar-winning actor, writer, producer…odds are Ben Affleck’s had a hand in at least one film from the last ten years that you have enjoyed. In 2004 Affleck became the first celebrity to win a major open tournament when he took home a pot of almost a quarter of a million pounds from the California State Poker Championship. Like he needs the money!
Jennifer Tilly
Probably best known as the Bride of Chucky, although she has enjoyed some success in mainstream Hollywood, the Academy Award-nominated (and very high-pitched) actress has won a World Series of Poker bracelet; in the Ladies’ No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em event she beat 600 other ladies to the prize, and helped herself to £100,000 in the process. As of the start of last year she’s earned over £400k, thanks to another seven money finishes at the WSOP.
Shannon Elizabeth
Surely poker’s only Lebanese-Texan star, the American Pie sex symbol first achieved success at the table with her appearance in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event; she also cashed in at the following two WSOP contests, and was the overall winner of a special tournament to open a new poker room at Caesar’s Palace casino in 2006.
Victoria Coren
When not bamboozling contestants on BBC Four’s fiendish quiz show Only Connect, the TV presenter, newspaper columnist and raconteur can often be found playing a few hands at the Victoria Casino in London. She’s earned over a million pounds on the poker circuit, and is often generous enough to divert winnings to charities such as Age UK, which received $10,000 from her second place finish at last year’s inaugural The Table World Championship.
Stay tuned for more stories from the celebs who turned heads at the poker table! They all sound like they are making a nice living from their “second jobs”.
The World’s Biggest Superyachts
Posted on | January 6, 2012 | No Comments
Just in case you just happened to have scooped the top jackpot on the Mega Mooolah slot, (although that would probably only cover a couple of weeks maintenance on these puppies), here is a great article showcasing the world’s Top 10 Superyachts. Enjoy!
http://www.superyachts.com/largest-yachts/predictions-for-2012.htm
Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich is the rumoured owner of the biggest yacht sitting at #1 in the list: Eclipse. This boat is believed to accommodate 30 guests in 15 cabins and also cater for 75 crew members. There’s your maintenance cost for you.
What to Wear at a Casino. Get the Best Casino Look.
Posted on | January 6, 2012 | No Comments
Looking dapper at a casino: How to Get the best casino look.
Ok, ok – so playing at online casinos is not the same as waltzing into a real life, high rolling casino where the barman always knows your favourite drink and there’s plenty of eye candy.
Ideally in this casino you’d also constantly win the jackpot, but just because you’re not there in real life doesn’t mean you can’t take some style tips from those who do frequent fabulous casinos – namely, one of the most stylish men in the world, James Bond.
We’ve all got our own favourite Bond, so instead of just telling you to chuck on a tux and be done with it, we thought we’d feature each of the Bonds’ styles individually, starting with Sean Connery.
Each has a different style and different charms, so you’ll be sure to find one that fits your personality – meaning you can be super suave even when playing online casino. Altenatively, yu can play in your jim jams of course- but then that’s the beauty of playing online.Sean Connery, thought by many to be the James Bond, starred in six films that mostly spanned the sixties, and so his style is definitely of that era. Think fantastically well-tailored suits, classic British style and never, ever looking flustered. Aside from going for a well-tailored suit, Connery wears his ties and bowties very slim with small knots; so avoid wide styles of knot at all costs.
A classic black or navy blue suit is a great idea for everyday wear – possibly paired with a waistcoat – but Connery also experiments with brown and tweed suits (like a true gentleman, of course), as well as always wearing cufflinks with his suit, not just buttoned cuffs. We particularly like the ‘gun holster and Martini’ look although it’s not always considered office-appropriate.His tuxedo, unlike some modern Bonds, is traditional with wider, satin lapels – if you’re feeling particularly adventurous you could even go for a signature 60s look with a white tuxedo jacket. Please note that this isn’t a sensible choice if you’re going to be eating: it’s scientific fact (sort of) that food is more attracted to white clothing than any other. Above all, if you’re going to wear a white tuxedo then make sure of one thing – act confidently and know that you are definitely the coolest guy in the room. Just please don’t try out your Sean Connery impression on anyone…
Best films for a casino night
Posted on | January 4, 2012 | No Comments
If you’re about to head out for some casino action, or getting ready to play online with friends, what better way to get into the right headspace than with a casino-related film?
OK, OK, we admit it. It’s silly season. News is thin. We’re still deaf after watching the London New Year’s Eve fireworks bash on the Thames. WHAT? SORRY? DID YOU SEE THEM? YEAH! THEY WERE AMAZING! SPEAK UP PLEASE. The best bit being Big Ben spinning round on its access propelled by blue and red retro rockets.
OK, anyway. Back to the article. I got sidetracked…..where was I……movies….casinos…oh yes….
Hmm, first off you’ll need a film that’s about a casino, set in a casino, with characters who work in a casino. How about a film called…“A Day at The Zoo”.
No, try again.
“Casino”! Of course! The cautionary tale of gambling as the funding for organized crime…… Robert de Niro positively sparkles as a bloke who casually dispenses threats like they’re cough drops, as does Joe Pesci, who sounds like he could do with eating a few of them. Sharon Stone was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance, which basically entailed chain-smoking and flirting with mob types. She lost out to Susan Sarandon for Dead Man Walking that year, but did win a Golden Globe; small consolation for such a trying role. There’s also a fair bit of footage of people gambling, if that’s your thing.
Not Scorsese’s finest in our opinion and not as good as Goodfellas, but then Goodfellas isn’t about a casinos (although there is some poker in it), and that’s what this article is about. I actually preferred his next movie: Kundun. Nothing happens in it, but the cinematography is out of this world.
Not so much of that in our next picks, though: two different versions of the James Bond story Casino Royale. One of them was an overindulgent mess; the other starred Peter Sellers. The 1967 version of Ian Fleming’s first Bond novel was plagued by budget issues, production delays and the eventual walkout of the afore-mentioned Mr Sellers, apparently because of an ongoing feud with co-star Orson Welles.
The 2006 version, meanwhile, sparked new life into what had become a stale film franchise (no offence Mr Brosnan), as the reboot allowed Daniel Craig to show a more sensitive side of Bond that wouldn’t have had Connery fans choking on their popcorn in disgust.
The Top 10 Places to Celebrate New Years Eve
Posted on | December 29, 2011 | No Comments
Well, it’s almost the end of 2011. I can’t believe it. Yes, I can actually…bring on 2012!
I know it’s probably a bit late for you to change your plans for New Years Eve, but we thought it would be fun to have a think about some top places to celebrate New Year’s Eve. So here’s our vote on the Top 10 Places to Celebrate New Years….in reverse order of course, so you don’t cheat and zip to No.1!
10. Las Vegas. Well we would say that wouldn’t we? But seriously, Vegas is all about being over the top. Which is perfect for New Years Eve. You’d have a blast. Your only problem? There are no clocks in the casinos in Vegas so make sure you wear a watch!
9. Champs Elysees, Paris. For history, and atmosphere, the French capital is hard to beat. For those of you who are after a more sophisticated New Year.
8. Edinburgh. No-one celebrates Hogmanay quite like the Scots. They practically own New Year’s Eve. If you want a riot, and a sore head the next day, head north. The only reason that it’s not higher up the list, is ‘cos is so friggin’ cold up there- not that you’ll notice after a few wee drams of Dalwhinnie single malt whisky next to a roaring log fire. Mmmmmm.
7. Tokyo. If you want different (for westerners anyway), head to Tokyo and to the Shibuya district in particular. This is New Year Blade Runner style.
6. Brandenburg Gate, Berlin. Matches Paris for atmosphere. The party kicks off in Berlin big time.
5. Sydney. Who can resist the iconic images from the bridge. Plus it’s nice and hot down under, which always help. The only problem is flying home afterwards, unless you live in the Antipodes or SE Asia.
4. New Orleans. For great music and an even better atmosphere, this is a must.
3. New York City. Hey, you are going to be doing Sinatra impressions with your mates at 12.01 anyway, singing New York, New York. You may as well be there.
2. London. The firework display is getting crazier and crazier every year in the Big Smoke. And for a party atmosphere, London town is hard to beat. The only downside is getting about. So just stay out late.
1. Hong Kong and Macau. We’d pick Hong Kong for our top spot for New Years. The fireworks display shooting off the famous skyline and reflected in the harbour is something special. And this is a serious 24 hour party town. Plus the weather is pleasant at this time of year. The we’d hit the tables in Macau for a couple of days for a superb holiday combo.
Happy New Year to all of our readers and may 2012 be prosperous for you. Kung Hei Fat Choi, as they say in Hong Kong (er…..a bit later though- that’s Chinese New Year).
Christmas at The Casino
Posted on | December 23, 2011 | No Comments
Many of you will regularly play at an online casino, we are guessing, whatever your favourite game, and sometimes you might visit a real life casino rather than its online counterpart.
During winter, the terrible weather, gridlocked traffic as everyone tries to make it home for Christmas Eve, packed out city centres, and the ridiculous amounts of shopping and preparation we have to do for Christmas itself, mean that we’re more likely to stay in, settle down, and stay online than venture out to the nearest bingo hall or poker club.
But for next Christmas, we’re seriously thinking about having our Christmas party at a land based casino. Many casinos offer fantastic packages including meals, entertainment, accommodation and – of course – gaming that would make the perfect Christmas event for a big group of friends. If you don’t fancy travelling, you could hire a couple of gaming tables and croupiers for the office Christmas party: this way you can enjoy the casino experience without worrying about travelling, and it can be a great way to gem up on some of the more difficult games (like craps) too.
Of course our plan B, is to head online the night before the Christmas party, stick a tenner on the progressive jackpot slot Mega Moolah (the current jackpot is grinding up to $2 million as we speak, it’s $1,891,000 or something), and then announce the following day that everyone is off to Barbados for the Christmas party. First Class, 2 nights at Sandy Lane. You get the picture.
OMG. I have just checked ot a few other progressives. The jackpot at the Beach Lift Progressive is now over $6,000,000. Adios. I’d love to stick around chatting, but I’ve got to wash my hair.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Cool Yule. See you on the other side.
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Last 10 Posts
- Is a Vegas Casino Complex Coming to Madrid or Barcelona with Sheldon Adelson?
- Bond – the casino fashion icon. What to Wear at The Casino Tables
- Celeb Poker Players Part 2
- Lady Luck & Her Many Disguises. Our Favourite Casino Superstitions
- Celebrity Poker Players. Who Are The Big Guns?
- The World’s Biggest Superyachts
- What to Wear at a Casino. Get the Best Casino Look.
- Best films for a casino night
- The Top 10 Places to Celebrate New Years Eve
- Christmas at The Casino
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