Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Posted on | March 13, 2012 | No Comments
There’s plenty of awesome casino films out there, including Casino and, er Casino Royale. But the ultimate in Vegas-based hedonism and frankly worrying ingestion of hallucinogenic substances, combined with some incredible Hawaiian shirts and a trip round some of Vegas’ most iconic casinos, is Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This film, based on the book by Hunter S. Thompson, sees Raoul Duke and Oscar Acosta travel to Las Vegas in order to find the American Dream, and isn’t a good film to watch after you’ve eaten some cheese or just before you go to bed.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream is an autobiographical work by the one and gonzo journalist only Hunter S. Thompson (sadly deceased), and illustrated by (equally nuts) visual partner Ralph Steadman. Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, hit Vegas to find the American Dream through a drug-induced haze. If you are deciding whether to read the book or watch the movie- read the book. It’s miles better.
We don’t recommend you recreate any of the scenes in Fear and Loathing by the way (there is a good reason why Hunter S. Thompson is pushing up daises, and it’s got nothing to do with a healthy lifestyle) – but if you want to bring the book to life, there’s a few casinos that you’ll want to visit on a trip round Las Vegas. Or you know, pretend you’re visiting as you’re playing at an online casino. One of the best pieces of advice (or rather a comment) about Vegas from the book, is “Vegas Loves a Drunk”. Even if it it takes you 3 trips round the revolving door to get into the place and you’ve got your pants around your ankles, they’ll usher you win, pull up your smalls, serve you another Jack Daniels and show you to the tables. Gambling when intoxiated is much like Drink Driving. It seems a great idea at the time, but you’ll end up crashing and burning, but do the casinos give a damn? Hell, no!
An iconic scene in the movie takes place in the Circus Circus Casino – or at least would have done, if they’d agreed to being involved with the film. However, the Circus Circus Casino still does have that central revolving bar and disturbing circus theme to the casino, meaning you too can gaze at bearded ladies while you indulge in some blackjack.
When the two roving reporters of Fear and Loathing are covering the exciting, vaguely dangerous, Mint 400 race, they stay in the Mint Hotel – and while you might not be able to stay there now, you can at least be in the same place thanks to it being rebuilt as part of a new hotel, Binion’s Horseshoe.
Duke and Acosta also traverse the Las Vegas strip like any good tourist, parking on the sidewalk and terrorising locals where appropriate. Anyone online casino fan worth their salt will take the time out to visit at least a few of the places on the strip; just keep your eyes peeled for rampaging 427 Super Sport Impala Convertibles.
Online Casinos, Bodog and Seized Domains.
Posted on | March 9, 2012 | No Comments
Big questions were posed as to the future of online casinos in the US this week, following the seizure by the American government of a popular website belonging to one of its biggest brands. The Land of The Free? Think again.
As a website connected to gambling, the BoDog name was the subject of a takedown order brought by the Department of Homeland Security in the United States. The owners (including self made millionaire and playboy Calvin Ayre) pled their earlier co-operation; the domain name bodog.com now leads to an image displaying the DHS seal and a message that it has been seized under US law. The company itself is actually, and has always been, based in Canada – which begs the question: how was it possible for the US government to enforce this seizure?
It’s all in the domain name. The .com suffix is controlled and operated by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a group founded under the reign of former US President Bill Clinton to monitor the expanding World Wide Web. As this company was based in the United States (and despite the ‘International’ moniker), it follows that all .coms fall under American jurisdiction.
As for online gambling in the US, it’s something of a grey area; the result of which follows its inclusion as an afterthought in President Bush’s 2006 Safe Port Act; slipped in by a proponent of the vote to ensure it passed with their blessing, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was a very, very vague bill which placed a blanket ban on the transfer of money to or from any online betting site within the country. The long and short of it is that it is illegal in the States for companies to move money around to facilitate betting, with a special emphasis on sports betting. If you can’t pay the winners or take the bets in the first place, you are not going to be able to run a very successful sports betting site.
Supporters of the bill argue that any gambling done online would take away from the handsome profits drawn in cities such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas; critics argue that that was precisely the reason for the subsequent ban.
Following on from Black Friday – the day that three of the biggest poker sites were taken down over indictments as serious as bank fraud (that criminals did knowingly trick their bank into fraudulently accepting money known to be obtained from poker sites) – it seems that the battle for net neutrality is far from over. The SOPA and PIPA acts may have been struck a blow earlier this year, but the war goes on.
Countries in Europe are taking a different approach to “Prohibition”, some would say a more realistic route, which is one of legislation. Online casinos are legal in the UK of course. Indeed, some of the biggest online gaming companies are British (Ladbrokes, William Hill, etc).
Denmark has recently regulated the market and Spain is soon to follow. This allows the governments in these countries to police these entertainment sites, to protect its citizens and to make some tax euros.
Sky Poker: Play The Nation Results. Which UK Region is Best at Poker?
Posted on | March 8, 2012 | No Comments
There’s a new poker promotion from Sky Poker called “Play The Nation” – which aims to sort out out the men from the boys and the women from the girls on the UK poker map. And now we know which part of these British isles can claim themselves to be the best poker players.
Throughout the month of February, budding betters took their seats at games in three disciplines of poker: Cash Tables, Sit and Go’s and Tournaments, and the leaderboard was swept by the South East region of the UK – who took 28 out of a possible 30 points. No southern shandy drinkers in this lot!
Invitees were divided into their regions by postcode, and ten teams battled it out for the top prize – a doubling of each winning players’ points haul.
Bad news for the North East however, who didn’t manage to emulate the recent revival of the black and whites, who scraped a paltry 6 points in all events. The second place finishers managed a very impressive tie, between London and a dream team of Northern Ireland and the Rest of the World. All this counted for naught, however; as even second place was a full eight points behind your poker prizewinners in the South East – with the most wins in both Sit n Go and tournament events.
Worth considering, however, is the combined winning power of Wales and Scotland – who would’ve scored a maximum 30 points if they had been on the same team. Wales managed to finish 8th place with 13 points, whilst our friends in the north took 17 points on their way to a fifth-place finish.
Sky Poker’s Dave Bland said of the February promotion: “When thinking of a way to embrace poker in the UK, we had to think of a promotion that we thought the customers would enjoy but would also tell us something about the players themselves. Play the Nation gave us so many conversation points as well as chances for players to rally around their region and compare their skills. We’re delighted with how it turned out and we hope the winning regions enjoy their Cash for Points boosts.”
So there you have it folks – if you want to be a winner at the poker table, move down south!
Caesars Entertainment Q4 and Full-Year 2011 Results
Posted on | March 1, 2012 | No Comments
Well, we do like to keep a handle on casino stocks and shares (just in case you want a flutter on the stock market).
One of the Vegas big boys, Caesars Casino (who incidently have a great online casino in the UK- but not in the US (land of the free??!!) have just released their year end and Q4 numbers for 2011.
Here’s the summary:
- Net revenues increased 2.4% for the quarter and 0.2% for the year
- Income rose 61.4% in Q4 and 64.5% for 2011
- Property EBITDA was up 7.6% for Q4 and 4.6% for 2011
Well, that’s enough of the numbers. Suffice to say, they are heading north and there’s lots of black numbers on the year on year percentages.
According to the management, this was all down to their brilliant management skills, (obviously), but also thanks to strong results in Las Vegas and from their international resorts and online activities (so said Gary Loveman, chairman, president and CEO and General Man About Town (one who does not get the coffees in por la mañana) at Caesars Entertainment).
On the poor side, “challenges in certain regional domestic markets” didn’t do so well. Errrr, Atlantic City then?
So says Gazza:
“The continued growth in Las Vegas was driven by robust international play and higher room and occupancy rates at our properties. The outlook for continued strong group bookings and increased visitation to that market bodes well for the success of our Caesars Palace projects, including the Nobu hotel tower and restaurant additions and the Octavius Tower completion, which opened to the public in January this year. Work is progressing on the Linq retail, dining and entertainment experience that will open on the Strip in phases in mid to late 2013.”
Roughly translated, this means:
“Vegas was up thanks to the Out of Towners, and we got alot of bums in beds. All the new stuff is coming on nicely, like the new posh Sushi and hotel which has just opened. Watch this space for more shopping girls, plus more posh nosh and razamatazz next year. Looking good, people”.
The company has got a grip on their expenses with a corporate initiative called Project Renewal and there are 2 Ohio casino projects on the go with Rock Gaming which are going full steam ahead.
Horseshoe Cleveland is opening May this year and Horseshoe Cincinnati should be opening its doors for a Q3 2013 opening.
There’s also plans afoot for a 3,750-slot mega gaming palace in Baltimore,” he said. Plus they are teaming up with Suffolk Downs that plans to bid for the Zone 1 casino license in Massachusetts.
And Caesars are really going hell for leather online as well. They bought the remaining 49% of online social-games operator Playtika, with more than 3 million active daily users and they have applied for a license to offer online poker to Nevada players, which has set out regulations for intra-state online gambling, and will go after similar licenses in other states as the US market opens up.
Busy Busy!
Blackjack Player Wins Big- Then Goes Down
Posted on | February 22, 2012 | No Comments
Retro Las Vegas 1962- Casino Nostalgia
Posted on | February 9, 2012 | No Comments
Retro Las Vegas- Get Back to 1962.
In the UK, we’ve never really benefited from the same casino culture as the US. With stricter gaming laws, the UK’s casino scene – while buzzing – hasn’t taken off in the same way. Of course, this isn’t just down to the laws; while America had vast stretches of Nevada desert to populate, games for ‘every man’ and newly electrified cities, here in the UK we had smaller spaces that were densely populated and a population itself split clearly into those who went to casinos (upper class high rollers) and those who went to the bookies (working class men and women).
So there’s something really attractive about the history of the American casino, and especially the electric beauty of Las Vegas and other gaming spaces like Atlantic City. It’s always seemed like Britain – especially from after the Second World War to the 1960s – was the poor cousin of America, with its nylon stockings, brightly coloured ‘New Look’ dresses and incredible race for political and geographical power, heightened by the ‘space race’ of the 60s onwards. Not only are we attracted to the fun and excitement of the casino history that we never had, but also of a glowing and glittering past that the whole country seemed to revel in. And while we know that, really, the glitz and glamour exuded by a fifties or sixties Vegas wasn’t indicative of the country as a whole, there’s something appealing about enjoying the nostalgic neon of the old Las Vegas strip.
Online casinos have gone some way to make visiting and taking part in casino gaming more democratic, allowing many more people to experience the thrill and excitement of poker, blackjack and a host of other games from the comfort of their own home. And lots of sites, too, have tried to recreate the glamour of a nostalgic American casino with their online casino counterparts, featuring traditional slots games, VIP programmes and a multitude of other benefits – all available anywhere with an internet connection and not limited by the physical building.
But American casinos, while still incredibly popular, will always have a hey-day of the fifties to the seventies. With a growing economy, the birth of the teenager and the increase in disposable income, and the push for a bright new future (both at home and out into the reaches of the globe and space), America saw the towns that had previously been home to infamous hubs of prostitution and gambling after the Gold Rush and during the Prohibition slowly morph into centres of glamour, excitement and tourism – both nationally and internationally. And now? Still as popular as ever, these gaming centres of America now work alongside online casinos and virtual gaming to provide more people than ever with access to gambling excitement: but we still are just a little bit in love with the American casino of yesterday.
Caesars Casino is Valued at $1.13 Billion After IPO
Posted on | February 8, 2012 | No Comments
Casino Stocks and Shares. Does it Pay Dividends to Invest?
Posted on | January 30, 2012 | No Comments
And one thing that is really starting to persuade us to get off our backsides and actually buy some shares, is the latest trend on dividends.
The welcome news last year for anyone holding Wyn shares was the announcement of a $5.00 special dividend from Wynn and the widely expected announcement of a dividend in 2012 or 2013 from Las Vegas Sands.
There’s a standard $2 dividend a year on Wynn shares anyway, by the way. The latest special dividend makes a total of just under $30 in specials in 5 years – which equates to around a 6% dividend yield plus any money you make on the share price if you get your timing right on entry.
Is a Vegas Casino Complex Coming to Madrid or Barcelona with Sheldon Adelson?
Posted on | January 25, 2012 | No Comments
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?
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.
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).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.
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