Two Las Vegas Strip properties will host fireworks displays for the Fourth of July, but one will be hosting its a day early...
Suspects Accused of Slot-Rigging Scheme in Two States: "Two men are accused of rigging slot machines and illegally winning nearly $1.4 million from Las Vegas casinos. The men allegedly targeted specific machines in an elaborate scheme that spanned coast to coast. The FBI is heading up the investigation and made the arrest in dramatic fashion."
LINK
Was I one of the last to know or what? When I found out that they are closing one of my favorite spots in Henderson next month, the Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas, I just had to visit the property tonight to pick up my last midweek "player appreciation" gifts and say goodbye to some of the people that I know who work there and will soon be looking for new employment. Oh, and also to say goodbye to my money for maybe the last time ;-0 Those gifts were a "step above" most casino promotions. And most of the people that worked there were very friendly and nice to me and my wife. And it wasn't just the casino that attracted me -- it was also the restaurant ( Tenuta Cafe ); and long walks though the village which were good for my heart; and perhaps most importantly, an endless schedule of events like concerts, wine tasting, and fireworks in the village ( which incidentally will remain open ).
I knew or sensed, based on the traffic, which was beginning to get poor even on the weekends, that this casino's days were numbered. But everybody acted like the party would never end.
So for me the closing will begin a period of grief and mourning, almost like losing a good friend; and then maybe I will stay home more or more likely start spending my spare nickels at the "M" resort !
Rumor has it that investors, including Donald Trump, are already eyeing this "distressed" property; so, I predict that we may see the resurrection of this casino in the near future. Well, at least I can indulge in some wishful thinking ...
In case you missed the news here is a list of breaking news reports.
Fourth generation or "4G" is a name to describe some invention or innovation that has gone through several levels of improvement. Sometimes it may seem that there are four distinct stages. An example I am very familiar with is the evolution of computer programming languages from machine language to Fourth Generation Language ( which uses Artificial Intelligence methods). Other examples abound in technology: the vacuum tube was a first generation invention that was replaced by the transistor and printed circuit board, which further evolved into the integrated circuit chip, which will eventually evolve into nano-technology. Another example would have been the automobile: some may argue that because of the powerful international oil cabal, the American automobile industry has not been allowed to evolve much beyond the first generation internal combustion engine. Any innovations in engine design that reduces or eliminates the need for gasoline fuel are quickly bought out and the inventor is silenced, or worse. Or so the conspiracy theorists , uh, well, ... so they theorize.
Yet another example of 4G innovation is the modern casino gaming device. Notice I did not say "improvement", I said "innovation". The jury is out on whether these new machines are improvements for people who play. Let's review a brief and incomplete history of the casino gaming device:
1) Antiques - these are typified by the "one-arm bandit" of the Old West -- completely mechanical with gears and moving metal parts.
2) Traditional single action - these are the older ancestor of the modern video poker machines I played back in the late seventies and eighties. You put five quarters in them and then pull the handle --- each pull is completely independent and if you win it dumps the quarters in your tray. Coins in, coins out. Simple to understand. Biggest drawback: dirty hands ( from touching the coins).
3) Modern credit machines - the big innovation here was that you could play without putting more money in as long as your balance was positive. This led to machines that took bills ( paper money ) and then multi-denomination games that allow you to choose amongst several games and your unit of play --- penny, nickel, dime, quarter, etc... This also led to the "ticket in --- ticket out" machines that pay in vouchers that can be fed for credit into another machine. This also led to the casino's ability to track your betting habits, wins, and losses in great detail with their slot club cards.
4) So called "penny slot machines" - These 4G gaming machines may use more electricity than the traditional machines, but based upon their growth, they are big money makers for the casinos. Oddly enough, they tend to pay less, but many people like to play them more than the traditional machines.
At the center of concern are new penny, 2-cent, 3-cent and nickel machines. Many look much like video games, sometimes with interactive touch screens, TV or movie clips and attractive themes like "Wheel of Fortune," Monopoly or "The Wizard of Oz."
These aren't your average one-armed bandits.
Psychological studies, focus groups, surveys and other intense research goes into empowering these slots to keep gamblers playing longer and betting more - and ultimately losing more, but somehow leaving happy.
"There is a science to everything," says Scott Herrington, a senior producer for WMS Gaming Inc., a major slot machine designer and manufacturer based in Waukegan.
At WMS' trendy programming office on Chicago's North Side, he walks along rows of new, vibrant slots in a small side showroom.
Jumping from machine to machine, Herrington illustrates the alluring elements his team of researchers and programmers have created to keep gamblers entertained and spending:
- Bonus round: All of these new slots offer gamblers a chance to enter a second game level where they can rack up extra cash, sometimes by selecting boxes or targets to reveal prizes.
- Theme: Many slots target demographic groups via movie, TV show or iconic themes such as "Star Wars" or "Happy Days." This is enhanced with video clips and theme songs. The longer a gambler plays, the longer the video and audio tracks run.
- Hits: The more gamblers bet on a spin, the more often they will "win" or hit a combination that sets off video, theme songs and other psychological rewards. But often, the "win" ends up being less than the amount bet, say $1 on a $5 bet. The machine constantly encourages the gambler to "Bet Max."
"If you don't play all the lines, you are not seeing everything the game has to offer," Herrington says.- Control: Some new machines give players the illusion of control, such as bonus rounds that require gamblers to pick boxes or targets to win prizes. The newest line from WMS offers "mechanical" reels that have video graphics displayed on top of them. Herrington says some gamblers prefer reels because they don't trust a computer. These slots, like all slots, are actually run by computer chips.
- Payout: Programmers set up these slot machines to pay out at different rates. Some "dribble" out small amounts to gamblers more often. Others hold back on small payouts to give fewer, larger ones. Herrington calls this "playing with the math" of the computer chip, which is set to withhold a certain percentage of total bets over a long period of time.
The best slot machine "is the perfect stew of all of this," summarizes Herrington. All of these new elements draw in more gamblers and more money, but none of them loosen the machine's tight payout. That is determined by the casino operators.
As long as gamblers keep flocking to more entertaining, tighter machines, there is little reason for casino operators to increase the overall payout.
"Casinos are a business and obviously their interests are in maximizing profitability," Eadington says.
Vegas locals and tourists alike: if you are looking for a slot club that is slightly out of the way but a step above the rest, then try Club Uno at the Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas resort in Henderson. The Casino Monte Lago is adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton.
The latest free offerings for players are depicted above. They are a great improvement over the traditional mugs and tee shirts! Actual items may vary slightly from the images shown.
From left to right:
( Click image above for larger version. )
One of their recent "gifts", a "bennie" of their Club Uno player's club.
Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas Resort is quickly becoming my favorite place. I wish they would scrap the piped in radio music and substitute live music. Rumor has it that there will eventually be live music at their Tappo Lounge, but I have not seen it yet. Apparently, the casino footprint that used to be a live lounge act stage was torn down & replaced by a HIGH LIMIT ( READ: high roller ) slot room. But the place is cozy, clean & classy.
If you walk into any Vegas casino, you are bound to notice ( usually ) very loud, piped in music. The music, just like the carpets, lighting, and decor are chosen carefully by the behavioral psychologists the casinos consulted, to excite your emotions, and induce you to "live it up" and forget ( distract you from ) your natural inhibitions. Sometimes the music is chosen to appeal to a certain demographic. Often, if you can determine what era the music is from, then you can pretty much pinpoint which age group the casino believes is their greatest "contributor" - uhhhh, I meant customer!
If the music is not your cup of tea and it is played loudly enough, it can often have the opposite effect than what the casino intended. This happened to my wife and I when we recently visited the Casino MonteLago in Henderson. Contemporary and nineties music were blaring from their rather good music system. Apparently the source was an XM radio station. I hate Britney Spears' music and all the other sappy, sexually charged music that sounds like it. But apparently, the casino is trying rather unsuccessfully ( IMHO ) to attract a younger crowd who thinks this type of musical crap is cool. ( And yes, I am old enough to have the right to say "cool". :-)
This piped in music was played at a level which made it hard for me to even think where my wallet was without being annoyed. It was louder than the noises coming from the penny keno slot machine that I was playing ( low roller that I am ) . I complained to the slot supervisor on duty, and he said we were not the only people who have complained about the background music, and that they ( the management ) were "looking into it". After the casino recently changed ownership they had made the remarkable decision to tear down their perfectly good live music stage and convert it to a "private" high limit slot room. I did not see anybody playing in there, probably because it was unimaginatively built with no full time human attendants, and with just some big screen TV's lining the walls to differentiate it from the rest of the casino. As if to say to the more ambitious, affluent patrons, here is a play area with some 100 dollar denominated games to keep you busy and if that is not enough to keep you happy, you can watch sports TV! Sort of a bad day care center for people willing and able to throw very large amounts of money into slot machines. What an insult.
I vote that they bring back the live music venue and maybe ratchet down the volume of their background music and change the type of music to appeal to a wider audience, most of whom do not really care to listen to lousy XM radio music while gambling. Me, I like live music. But I'm an old foggy, what do I know about how to run a casino? But I predict that the casinos that avoid the homogenized cookie cutter mentality and not treat their patrons like player card numbers will be the ones to attract the future Vegas gamer. When all the casinos begin to look alike, why would anybody choose yours, Mr. Casino Operator?
The following is from Layer8's Blog On Network World.
I am a Las Vegas local, so of course I like the Station Casinos ( although I realize not all locals do ). I've heard tourists say they would not go to a casino because it is a "local place". If I were a tourist, I would go to the locals casinos precisely because they are frequented by locals. Just like the best restaurants just off the Interstate Highways are frequented by the most truckers, who should know where the best food is for the money. The three closest casinos to my home in Henderson are: The Green Valley Ranch (just down the street), The Sunset Station, and The Fiesta Henderson.
I can't say that my gaming experiences there have always been fortunate, but most often I seem to go back for reasons other than using my Boarding Pass to win the Super Jumbo Jackpot. When you eliminate having to chose a hotel for its accommodations, then all that's left are the three biggies: gaming, food, and entertainment. The last time I went to the Fiesta was to eat at their wonderful reasonably priced (especially with a two for one ticket) buffet. I recently went to Green Valley Ranch to see a movie and walk around The District, always a lot of fun.
Tomorrow night I'll be celebrating the midpoint between my wife's birthday ( July first ) and mine ( August sixth ) by having a nice meal at the Costa Del Sol Restaurant at the Sunset Station followed by the Johnny Rivers concert at the Boulder Station.
See, being a Las Vegas local does not always imply spending hours in front of a video poker machine!
With 30 million pieces of crystal comprising white, blue and deep orange chandeliers furnishing the hotel, Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa is located four miles from Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas, Nev. Canyon Pointe Shopping Center is one-half mile away. The hotel is 12 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.
Hotel Features. Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa features nine restaurants, including Terra Rossa with Hell's Kitchen winner Heather West as Senior Chef. Terra Rossa serves authentic Italian foods including homemade pastas and thin pizzas from a wood-burning oven. Grand Café, open 24 hours, features burgers, pastries, breads, desserts, and all-day breakfasts. Sandbar, a shoes-optional seasonal poolside café, serves sandwiches, burgers and salads. The hotel contains a business center, 70,000 square feet of meeting space and wireless Internet access for a fee. The 70-acre hotel showcases a 30,000-square-foot, Asian-inspired spa with a full-service salon, fitness area, movement studio, boxing ring, and lap pool with three outdoor cabanas. A three-acre oasis contains gardens, a sandy beach, private cabanas and a pool. The 87,000-square-foot casino features 2,700 slot and video poker machines, 60 table games, a race and sports book, a 15-table poker room and a 600-seat bingo parlor. The hotel contains a 16-screen cinema complex.
Address : 11011 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89135, USA
I don't know about you, but I do not go to a casino to have a social networking experience -- I go to gamble and perhaps win some money. In fact, a snapshot of my mental state at any time while pushing the video poker buttons would be about as anti-social as one could imagine. In my semi-hypnotic state of mind, the only communication going on are thoughts like, "Why did this durn video poker machine just infuriate me by dealing four cards to the royal flush and then hold back the winning card -- twice in a row??" Sometimes I am glad that the glass protecting the video poker machine can withstand my banging fist and my purposely spilled drink. I am not a very good loser, nor am I very social while gambling. If I want "social" I would go to the craps table.
Slot machines way high tech
"...As for turning solitary slot playing into a community experience: International Game Technology, which is also offering wide screen slots, is building slots with shared bonus rounds that allow gamblers seated next to one another to bet on one another or compete collectively for a bonus.
Improvements in digital and reel technology are 'evolutionary rather than revolutionary,' said slot critic and gambler John Robison, who writes for the trade publication Strictly Slots.
'There's a lot more buzz about the community gaming developments because this is something that really hasn't been done before,' he said.
The first of these for IGT was last year's debut of the Wheel of Fortune "Super Spin" - a giant, colorful wheel much like that used in the original game show. Players sit at individual screens situated around a big wheel and can join in a neighboring player's "spin," or wait for their own, once they are eligible for a bonus. Each player's winnings are largely displayed. Rather than drawing accidental spectators, the game is intended to draw crowds that wait to witness the spin of the giant wheel.
This fall IGT will introduce an 'Indiana Jones'-branded game with a bonus round in which neighboring players can compete, and has begun rolling out electronic versions of table games - such as baccarat, roulette and blackjack - allowing players more opportunity to interact around a table.
'This is a strange universe where people interact with a single computer,' IGT Chief Executive T.J. Matthews said at a technology conference last week. 'People want to interact with each other.' "
Welcome to the Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa and Casino. Only minutes away from the Las Vegas Strip, you will discover an escape that combines exciting casino action and the hottest nightlife with the pampering and relaxation of a luxury resort and spa.
MonteLago Village Resort, a one of a kind luxury resort and real estate opportunity just 17 miles from the Las Vegas strip. Set among the desert mountains of Nevada on the shores of sparkling Lake Las Vegas, the Mediterranean-themed village offers exquisite shopping and dining, golfing, European-style gaming, and access to championship golf and lakeside recreation of Lake Las Vegas Resort.
We are located in the heart of the premier southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Some of our many amenities include a 16-screen Century Theatre movie complex, 64-lane bowling center and a handful of restaurants that cater to all appetites and tastes. Our casino features a large selection of table games and the latest slot and video poker machines. Our distinctive hotel features spacious rooms and suites with 42-inch plasma televisions, Coast Plush mattresses and Wireless Fidelity throughout. A unique feature to this property is its Equestrian Center, which is the finest horse facility in the country. Stop by the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa today, we are sure you will want to stay.
- 493 guest rooms including 46 suites/parlors
- Spa featuring 11 treatment rooms, full-service beauty salon and complete fitness center featuring massages, skin therapies, manicure and pedicures, cardio and strength training equipment
- 2 signature pools, a swimming lagoon, cabanas and water activities
- 18-hole Reflection Bay Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus signature design championship golf course with instructional programs
- The Falls Golf Club, including 10-acre practice facilities and PGA professionals available for private or group instruction
- Kayaks, pedal boats, canoes and a number of electric boats to explore Lake Las Vegas
- Lake Mead Cruise to sit back and enjoy the view, including Hoover Dam
- 45,000 square feet of indoor function space and 70,000 square feet of outdoor function space
- Kid's Club and Baby-sitting service
- Self, valet and boat trailer parking
- Laundry/dry cleaning
- Cafe Tajine: American cuisine with Mediterranean influences
- Arabesque Lounge
The Hacienda Hotel & Casino welcomes you with gaming excitement, fine dining, and spacious accommodations.
The Hacienda offers all of the excitement of live gaming, plus a variety of popular state-of-the-art slots, electronic keno and video poker machines. Visit our sports book to place a wager on your favorite team.
Get away from it all at the Hacienda Hotel & Casino. We offer a spectacular panoramic view of beautiful Lake Mead and we're just minutes from Hoover Dam.
South Point Hotel Casino
Location: 9777 Las Vegas Blvd. S.It isn't often you can brag about staying in a bargain-rate hotel room that features a 42-inch plasma screen TV. Mine had not one, but two.
South Point (until just recently, it was called South Coast), advertises itself as "the gateway" to Las Vegas, but it is actually a 20-minute drive south of the Strip. It's too far from the action, and it's a $25 cab ride to get there.
But it's a great deal. It has an 80,000-square-foot casino with a 25-story hotel tower; rooms are big and plush; food is cheap; and the amenities are those usually found in pricier hotel rooms.
To top it off, when I checked in on a busy Friday night, all the standard rooms -- I had booked mine anonymously two months in advance -- were full, and I was upgraded to a suite, with a sitting room and two plasma TVs. The rooms were a sunny yellow and gold, the king bed was triple sheeted and a coffee maker offered a free java jolt.
The next morning, I checked out a few standard rooms: All had 42-inch plasma TVs (one, not two), plush bedding and free wireless Internet.
Price paid: $162.41, including tax. (January rate range: $75.21-$381.50 Sunday-Thursday; $118.81-$350 Saturday-Sunday).
Parking: Free.
Amenities: Casino, room service, six restaurants, business center, fitness center and spa, child-care facility.
Pros: Inexpensive and well-maintained. Large casino on site features inexpensive food. (A 16-ounce T-bone or 10-ounce prime rib dinner is $9.95.)
Cons: Five miles from the Strip, but a free shuttle runs from hotel to airport and Strip (it stops at Mandalay Bay), 6 a.m.-12:30 a.m. daily.
Info: 866-796-7111; www.southpointcasino.com. -- Rosemary McClure
* OK music aficionados - my mistake: the saxophone is technically a woodwind instrument, even though it is made of brass! It indeed has a reed!
From Wikipedia:
"The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family, usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece like the clarinet."
and
"The view of most scholars (see organology) is that the term 'brass instrument' should be defined by the way the sound is made, as above, and not by whether the instrument is actually made of brass. Thus, as exceptional cases one finds brass instruments made of wood, like the alphorn, the cornett, and the serpent, while many of woodwind instruments are made of brass, like the saxophone."
Sorry, Tony!
If you live here long enough you begin to hear about this dichotomy of locals vs. tourist casinos. If you ask me, there is no such thing as a "Locals Casino" in Las Vegas, at least technically. Nobody asks for your Nevada Driver's License to be admitted at the door. Now if you ask me if some casinos cater more to the local market, I would have to answer, "You bet!".
My definition of a Locals Casino is purely from phenomenological reasoning, in "udda verds", I'm guessing! No scientific studies here. In my opinion, a Locals Casino has the following benefits or qualities in various amounts ( feel free to modify this list or add your own ):
1. It's definitely not located on the strip or (usually) even downtown! But it may be a few blocks off the beaten path.
2.They say "hi!" and are "friendlier" and encourage you to be a regular patron (say, of the restaurant or the bar) by remembering you, sometimes by first name (reminiscent of "Cheers").
3. This may be a Las Vegan (not the vegetable type) Urban Legend, but the slots are supposedly looser. Hard for me to prove a higher payback, though -- really hard.
4.If there is a show, you sometimes get discounts (2 for 1's, etc.) as a local.
5. They do not hesitate to cash your personal check, local paycheck, or government check with proper ID. (How nice of them!)
6. They provide special invitations like a New Years' Eve Party for "regulars" ( usually as determined by amount of casino play ).
7. Freely dispense token gifts like mugs and tee shirts to locals with minimal play. These can be re-wrapped as gifts to out of towners!
8. The food deals in the restaurants are better than the "early birds" in Florida!
9. My wife just reminded me of free child care when you gamble... no comment! ( Maybe this is not such a great quality.)
10. And the number 10 quality or benefit is: those postcard mailers from the casino that fill up your mailbox make great book markers!
Consider the ergonomics of the casino environment. We all know about the lack of clocks (does anybody really care what time it is?), the pumping in of pure oxygen and negative ions, and the free flowing libations. The rest rooms and buffet line are always on the opposite side of the casino from the entrance. Also, the beautiful cocktail waitresses (maybe not necessarily where yours truly hangs out!) and the loud and exciting music, and those flashing lights are all designed to transport you into unreal, dreamy world of the casino, and remove all your inhibitions... and the contents of your wallet... but wait, has anybody ever really checked out the carpeting? Are all those swirling patterns there just to camouflage the stains from spilled drinks?
OK, next time really look down and tell me what is the carpet saying shouting to you? (Please don't shout back!) The carpetting is like a (reverse?) mandala for your subconscious mind - it draws you in briely and then spits you out! You are being told subliminally to get excited (see all the mostly bright, swirling primary colors) but please don't stare too long (go back to concentrating on the games) or you'll get dizzy!
The following gallery is of present and past carpets of major existing and defunct Las Vegas strip properties, please don't stare too long! (Courtesy of Die Is Cast Casino Carpet GallerySite.
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