Casino [ptz]
formerly the Gaming Studies Weblog

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Friday, February 13, 2004

Lottery switcheroo

I don't usually use words like "switcheroo," but this whole thing seems like something about of Scooby Doo: "Look, Shaggy! I think it's a clue!" Elecia Battle, the woman who would be a lottery millionaire, has withdrawn her plea of guilty to charges of having lied to police. If you've forgotten, here's the story, fair and balanced:

Days after the Dec. 30 Mega Millions drawing, Battle filed a police report saying she had bought the winning ticket but lost it. Battle said she dropped her purse outside the convenience store in suburban Cleveland where the winning ticket was sold.

When Rebecca Jemison, 34, of South Euclid, produced the winning ticket and claimed the jackpot, Battle sued to block payment but later dropped her lawsuit and tearfully apologized.

Battle had been found guilty by Judge Patricia Ann Kleri after the no contest plea. The plea switch came before she was to be sentenced next week.

The court said a pretrial hearing would be scheduled for sometime in March.

Sheldon Starke, Battle's attorney, said Friday the court called Battle in and asked her if she wanted to change her plea. He would not elaborate.

South Euclid Law Director Michael Lograsso said Battle's change of plea was a surprise to the city, which he said has already spent valuable time and money on the misdemeanor case.

"Unfortunately, for us, it's more resources that we have to put into this. Unfortunately, people are going to be dragged in as jurors," Lograsso said.

Battle and her attorney expressed in court that they want a change of venue, but not have filed a motion with the court.

"That's up to the judge," Lograsso said.

Asked if he'd ever had a request for a change of venue on a misdemeanor he said, "There really hasn't been a case like this before."

Check out the full story here:FOXNews.com - Top Stories - Lottery Loser Changes Plea, Wants Trial

I get it--changing venues has been in the news lately, so I guess her lawyer figures this is the thing to go. The fact that a story about a bogus police report in Ohio makes the international news shows just how big into gambling people are.
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posted by Dave at 3:42 PM

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Playing to the demographics

First, there's this bit of news: women over 40 spend more time playing games online than any other group. For the most part, they're playing puzzle and crossword games and not actually gambling, but it shows you that the potential is there:
MSNBC - Women over 40 biggest online gamers
With that in mind, Harrah's is launching a new online gaming site. This site will not provide digital craps or slots, but will have skill-based games. Tellingly, it will focus on women from 35 to 48 as the prime audience. From Online Casino News:

The games will be skill-based, rather than casino games. Users will pay subscription fee between Ł10 and Ł56 per month for unlimited access to the site. There is a fixed pool of prize money which must be given away each month, with a top prize of Ł150,000 on the main Wingo game, which is based on Bingo. 'We don't want to subject our audience to that much risk,' explained Kevin Flood, MD of Harrah's Interactive. Harrah’s has a UK license to run Wingo.

Harrah's is a household name in the states, operating 26 land-based stateside casinos. However, it doesn’t seem to think its brand equity is worth much in the UK, so its new site will go by the name of LuckyMe.

Advertising is planned on Yahoo!, MSN, Tiscali and the TradeDoubler affiliate network. Offline advertising will be in women's magazines and shopping centres.

Harrah's has learned the lessons of other land-based casino companies' moves into online gaming, which have been successful but not profitable. I think that these two items demonstrate that the gaming business is fundamentally determined by market preference: women in a certain age bracket prefer to play in a certain way, so Harrah's is tailoring a website to target them. Smart.
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posted by Dave at 8:45 AM

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

What a headline!

Just when you thought you'd seen it all, here comes news from Malaysia...
Angry wives put stop to casino

No longer able to tolerate their husbands' gambling, a group of wives reported to police the existence of a mini casino in Taman Emas near here.

They put a stop to the casino's eight-month operations run by a 60-year-old man and his 17-year-old nephew.

The police raided the shoplot where the casino has been operating, after a six-week surveillance and found 31 men and nine women, aged between 17 and 60, in the middle of their baccarat and roulette games.

More than 2,170 plastic chips, each with a value range of RM10 to RM5,000, were recovered.
Police also found another 1,640 chips with no printed value, 198 baccarat dices, stock cards and 11 football betting score charts.

State CID chief Senior Asst Comm II Abu Bakar Mustapa said the casino had affected the lives of the residents.

“Many came to play the game of chance but ended up losing more than they had put in,” he said.

He said the casino operated without money being exchanged but the winners were given a chit to collect their money at another location.

SAC Abu Bakar said it was the biggest gambling bust so far this year.

The internet is great for seeing news from distant lands. The hot new movie release in Malaysia, for example, is Gothika. Also, the online Star covers professional wrestling as straight news. Who would have known?
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posted by Dave at 9:29 AM

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.