Casino [ptz]
formerly the Gaming Studies Weblog

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Thursday, January 08, 2004

Another Strip demolition

Yet again, another small, aging motel is being demolished, making it three in the past few months. The first was the Glass Pool Inn, which was closed for business a few months ago. Because it has a pretty neat above ground pool that's been in some movies, there was a little outcry. Then it was the La Concha, which has some interesting architectural flourishes. Again, some people lamented the passing of an era, but no one wanted to stand in the way for progress. Now, it is the Tam O'Shanter, which the Venetian is tearing down to make way for what will no doubt be an exciting new resort. From the LV Sun:

The Tam O' Shanter, at 3317 Las Vegas Boulevard South, will be one of the first buildings on the corner to come down, Las Vegas Sands Inc. representative David Friedman said. Friedman declined to comment on a timeline or development details of the resort Tuesday, saying those plans haven't yet been finalized.

All of the other buildings around the Tam O' Shanter will eventually be razed to prepare for the development once it is ready, he said. Friedman couldn't say when the other buildings on the corner would be torn down.

A demolition permit for the site, required before the motel can be torn down, hadn't yet been issued by the county as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Tam O' Shanter will be shut down by Jan. 12. Neighboring business also have been notified to vacate the premises, motel manager Leah Zeldin said.

Zeldin's father Bernard built and opened the 100-room motel in 1958. He passed away in 1997, transferring management to his two daughters, Leah and Julie Pfeiffer, and Pfeiffer's husband Ben. The motel employs about 18 people.

FULL STORY

So the question is, who weeps for the Tam O'Shanter? I doubt anyone will actually sob, but it sounds poetic, doesn't it. For those who flap their gums about Las Vegas destroying its history, riddle me this: When you come to town, where do you stay? Places like the Tam, La Concha, and Glass Pool Inn, or the big casinos? The old motels of the Strip are businesses, and when they are no longer profitable, they are replaced by newer, more profitable businesses. But if you want a piece of the old Vegas Strip, stay at the Algiers next time you are in town. I've never set foot in the rooms, so I can't vouch for them, but it has a classic sign and the lounge has a real ambience.
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Research update: Everyone here at the Library of Congress is very helpful, and I'm making much progress with the research on Uneasy Convictions. I've got documentation that shows that Congress considered a ban an interstate gaming transmissions as early as 1907, which I never knew. So the Wire Act was over fifty years in the making, as it finally passed in 1961. Hopefully, Congress will get more with the times, or by the time they address Internet gaming we'll be hopping around on transporters or something, making the point moot.
Today, I've got some more researching to do here, and then it is off to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. This is what writing a serious historical work is about, I guess. I think my last big stop on the research tour will be Boston, for the JFK Presidential Library. I don't foresee having much time to update over the next few days, so have a great weekend, and look out for those civet cats.
posted by Dave at 7:18 AM

Tuesday, January 06, 2004

Taking a shot

Let's say you're playing the quarter slots, and you hit a $1,000 jackpot. Not too bad for a day's work, huh? But then, when the slot attendant inserts a card into the machine, the display read $42 mil. That $1 K doesn't sound so sweet, does it? From the LV Sun:

An Oklahoma woman feels she's entitled to a $42.9 million payment after hitting a jackpot on a quarter machine at the Mandalay Bay Resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

The state Gaming Control Board will consider the appeal of Terri Snow on Thursday at its Las Vegas meeting. Board Hearing Examiner Rick DeGuise has recommended against paying the amount, which he said would be the largest payout ever in Nevada.

Snow played three quarters in a progressive Signature machine and hit three 7s for a $1,105 jackpot, DeGuise said. As she was waiting for the payoff, an attendant inserted a card to record the win and a display appeared showing "$42,987,000."

DeGuise said there was a "glitch in the communications system" that produced the $42.9 million figure. But Snow insisted she be paid the full amount. The casino paid her $1,105. She then appealed to the Control Board.

DeGuise said he recommended against payment because the game was over when the slot card was inserted and the winning amount was $1,105.

This kind of thing happens more than occasionally, and it is almost never resolved in the player's favor. It's possible to check the slot's memory and replay the last several spins, so it is an easy thing to determine exactly who won what. If this happens to you, just take what they give you and like it.
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posted by Dave at 2:53 PM

Monday, January 05, 2004

Brits bet online

Online gaming is becoming more popular, and the British are eagerly hitting the Internet to get their action down. This article from the Mirror describes the phenomenon:

Last year Britons bet Ł3.5billion online. This year, the number of online gamblers is expected to rise sixfold, splashing out an astonishing Ł18million a day, according to industry experts.
Football and horse-racing are among the most popular flutters for the new-breed of cyber-gamblers although casinos with six-figure jackpots have also become massive successes.
But the rise of internet betting has also caused a rise in the number of gambling addicts.
One charity working to help those break their high-spending habits has seen a 56 per cent rise in patients - with nearly half of those addicted to internet betting.
It is the ease of checking into a 24-hour online casino from the comfort of our living rooms which is fuelling the extraordinary boom.
Raj Ramanandi, of online betting firm oddschecker.com, says: 'The industry has exploded. It has come from nowhere to become the easiest and fastest way of placing a bet.'
Oscar Nieboer, an online gambling consultant, says: 'Poker rooms are intimidating, male-dominated and serious. People who wouldn't normally put themselves in a big poker room can play online.'
Anyone with a computer and a credit card can bet on a football match or play poker or roulette in the comfort of their own home. Last year 2.9 million Britons staked Ł3million a day on the net, and Ladbrokes predicts a six-fold increase in the number of gamblers this year.
FULL STORY

In anticipation of the deregulation of gaming suggested by the Budd Report, problem gambling experts are expecting a boom in problem gambling. Indded, that is the main thrust of this article. Probably the bigger question is, when will the government try to cash in on the online gaming bonanza?
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I'm going to be in Washington DC this week doing research on Uneasy Convictions, my book about the Wire Act, illegal bookmaking, and Internet gaming. If you've got a question, email me at dgs@unlv.nevada.edu--I'll be checking. I'll try to post a few times, but I've found that being on the road is usually not conducive to the meditative news-checking I do before blogging. So, if I don't post, have a great week.
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posted by Dave at 4:56 PM

Gaming Studies@UNLV | Casino [ptz] | Archives | Email

I am the maker of rules, dealing with fools/I can cheat you blind

What is Casino[ptz]?

In a sentence: "A weblog featuring news, notes, and opinions from the world of casinos and gambling."

Casino is self-explanatory; ptz refers to a surveillance camera that can pan, tilt, and zoom, thus offering the operator a better perspective and more detailed shot.

Casino [ptz] was maintained by Dave Schwartz, coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

As of now, Casino [ptz] is not being updated. Instead, you can find Dave's wit and wisdom on his own website, www.dieiscast.com. \

Go there now, for casino carpets and more.

The opinions expressed are those of Dr. Schwartz and not those of UNLV or any of its students, staff, or faculty.

If you have any questions, please direct them to Dave at dgs@unlv.nevada.edu.

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You can't win money here, but you can take a quiz or two.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with two quizzes I have devised for your enlightenment and entertainment.

1. Do you know gambling?

If you've read this weblog, I'll bet you do.

Take the...

Gambling quiz

(view the Scoreboard)

This quiz features ten questions about gambling, mostly in casinos.

2. Do you know casino history?

Take the...

Suburban Xanadu quiz

(view the Scoreboard)

This quiz features ten questions taken from the pages of Suburban Xanadu.

If you've read the book, the quiz should be a snap.

Or, take the quiz and see what you are missing.

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Read about strange slots and more.

Classic posts

Bashing the Donald

Betting on cheating

Las Vegas bites!

What happens in Vegas...

Porn or advertising?

New Jerseyans talk funny?

Mystery Creature from Maryland
Update: Mystery solved

Seven questions

Dave's book quoted in Parliament

Bird gets Trumped
(Fuzzy Zoeller unleashed)

Merger update, 7/04

A game called hope

Casino blocking monument?

Slots, urban design, and destination dreams

BJ by the sea

News of the Inane

Dogs not playing poker

My book is a buzz word

Mega merger mania

Stripped of dignity?

Of sleaze and goldmines

The Real Addicts

WSOP thoughts ('04)

Sweet Georgia busted

Secret to a long life

Don't be afraid, the clown's afraid too

Failed casino marketing

Out of this world?

It's a Hard Rock Life

Hastert blasts casinos/2 tiger tales

Russian Regulation?

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In Memoriam

Claude Trenier

Shannon Bybee

Si Redd

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These bloggers are in the Casino[ptz] club.

Other blogs

Alberta Gaming Research Institute Library

Bill Barol's Blather

Love and Casino War

Online Casino Legalization Blog

Poker Babe's
Game Journal

Presence of Mind

PokerProf's Pokerblog

Email Dave if you want him to add your blog.

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Who is Dave Schwartz?

Dave Schwartz is the coordinator of the Gaming Studies Research Center at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, which means that he spends most of his time at work doing three things:

1) Extending and improving the collection of books, journals, and primary materials about gambling known as the Gaming Collection.

2) Working on digital initiatives, such as this weblog and the GSRC site, that facilitate the understanding of gaming research and gaming issues.

3) Answering questions about gambling from media and researchers, or directing them to the answers.

Atlantic City, NJ-you can see Dave's home in this photo, but he won't say where.

Before coming to UNLV, Schwartz worked in the Atlantic City casino industry as a surveillance officer. He is also the youngest person known to have received a Ph.D. in History from UCLA.

Schwartz is the author of Suburban Xanadu: The Casino Resort on the Las Vegas Strip and Beyond, which is an intelligent, accurate account of the creation and legacy of the Las Vegas Strip. Click on the link for more information about this best-selling book, or just buy it from amazon.com.

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In his own words:

"To answer the biggest question I get, no, I don't gamble. I know the odds and, having spent more hours than I care to remember watching people gambling, it doesn't excite me at all. So why do I study gambling? Because the industry and the interactions fascinate me.

"Las Vegas is an interesting place to live, and my job gives me a good window on the city. In a typical day, I might go from talking about gambling books with a system player to answering a question from a reporter from a major newspaper to meeting with casino executives. So I think I can bring a unique perspective on the industry and the people who make it work."

To learn more about Dr. Schwartz, go here.

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The unofficial Casino[ptz] mascot

It's the mystery mammal, of course. Dave is currrently developing a "Mystery Mammals" cartoon idea. Hey, if "Father of the Pride" works, maybe animal cartoons will become the next big thing.

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Just because

Dave just likes these images, and hopes you do as well.

You'll find strange non-sequiturs in many Las Vegas casinos, but none as heart-warming (literally) as this dragon. He once belched flames and terrifying townsfolk, but now he stands watch over some nickel progressives.

It's always important to remember your roots. Dave has chosen this image to constantly remind him just where he came from. It is a heraldic crest gone wrong.

Oh yeah, Dave also likes to see his name in lights. This is a genuine, non-photoshopped image...or is it?

Casino carpet is almost (but not quite) abstract art. This is from a real casino floor in a real Las Vegas Strip casino. Guess where and win a prize!

Here are some closing thoughts from Orff's Carmina Burana, "Fortuna, Imperatrix Mundi" (Fortune, Empress of the World):

O Fortune,
like the moon
you are changeable,
ever waxing
and waning;
hateful life
first oppresses
then soothes
as fancy takes it;
poverty and power,
it melts them like ice.

Somehow I don't think you'll find that in any casino advertisements. But Carmina Burana would be a great casino show, particularly sectons 2 and 3, which deal explicitly with gambling, drinking, debauchery, and sex.

The opera is almost an adaptation of the 13th century version of "what happens in Vegas (or, in this case, Beuren), stays in Vegas. Certainly it has all the elements of a great revue extravaganza.

people have panned, tilted and zoomed since July 2004.