Casino [ptz]
formerly the Gaming Studies Weblog

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Friday, March 05, 2004

Where there's smoke...

I guess the post 9/11 downturn in Las Vegas is officially over, despite the fact that two noted local casinos have closed so far this year (though Binion's is reopening). On the heels of Mandalay Resort Group releasing its 4th-quarter results, ananalysts have officially deemed Las Vegas to be "on fire." from reviewjournal.com:

"'Las Vegas is clearly on fire and it was a great quarter for Mandalay,' Susquehanna Financial Group gaming analyst Eric Hausler said. 'There was nothing in their performance to complain about, but the big story was they continue to manage for (higher room) rates, and they're doing a good job of it.'
The most recent period represented the strongest fourth-quarter comparison year over year since the company's initial public offering in 1983, Mandalay President and Chief Financial Officer Glenn Schaeffer said during a conference call with industry analysts and investors.
The company easily overcame a subpar table hold at Mandalay Bay with the strong opening of its new hotel tower, The Hotel, and double-digit increases in revenue per available room, also known as RevPAR.
'Pretty much the power of RevPAR is driving our breakout earnings growth,' Schaeffer said.
RevPAR was up an average of 22 percent over Mandalay's properties along the Strip, and revenue was up about 25 percent for the properties in aggregate, he said.
Schaeffer said he is confident Mandalay and its competitors are not overcharging for the rooms they offer, given the increasing demand for leisure and business travel to Las Vegas.
'Everybody in India has a slot machine,' he said. 'What they don't have is a destination resort.'
reviewjournal.com -- Business: CASINO EARNINGS: Mandalay in the money in quarter

I'm not sure I entirely follow Mr. Schaeffer's point. According to the CIA Factbook, India has a population of about 1,049,700,118 .
But according to il dado, casinos in India are restricted to Goa, which has six. The Holiday Inn has 150 slots, but many of the others have less than ten. I'm not seeing a billion slot machines there, so I don't get how everyone in India has a slot machine. I sincerely do not understand this comment, but the article didn't make any further mention, so it must not be important.
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posted by Dave at 4:40 PM

Thursday, March 04, 2004

Barrick's big plans

As we've been saying around here for a while, Barrick is the player to watch in Las Vegas. The company has plans for a major development downtown, and they are now becoming public. From the LVRJ:

Tony Cabot, a partner in Las Vegas law firm Lionel, Sawyer & Collins who represents Barrick, told the Nevada Gaming Control Board the investments the Barrick group is making and its redevelopment projects 'will redefine the future of downtown Las Vegas.'
'Downtown once was the glory of the gaming world, but now you see places you don't want to go. The application before (the control board) is different from others. It's really the redevelopment of downtown,' he said.
Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander praised the group's efforts to redevelop downtown and the board recommended approval unanimously for Barrick Gaming's buyout of most of Jackie Gaughan's downtown Las Vegas real estate assets.
Barrick Gaming owners David Barrick and Stephen Crystal outlined plans for a massive redevelopment of the Plaza and its seven additional acres, the Las Vegas Club, the Gold Spike and the Western Hotel, which they plan to retheme as a Latino destination resort.
Barrick officials said the redevelopment plans call for spending 'hundreds of millions of dollars.'
Although they offered no details on the final cost and financing of the project, Crystal said said his company has arranged for international financing of the project with backers mainly experienced with traditional real estate developments.

The Barrick group also plans to create a themed street behind the Plaza, which will recreate the ambience of old downtown Las Vegas.

Crystal said it has taken 2 1/2 years to develop the plans, which will represent more than 45 percent of the downtown hotel inventory and protect 4,000 downtown jobs as well as create new positions.

They said the plans may be expanded to include the recently approved downtown entertainment district, the El Cortez, on which they have an option, and the Queen of Hearts motel on Main Street and the Nevada Club Hotel, which they plan to buy.

The plans include adding 1,200 hotel rooms and 1,200 time share units to the Plaza, linking the Plaza and the Las Vegas Club with a deck over Main Street and adding a portable arena.
FULL STORY

These developments make a lot of sense. There is only so much room on the Strip, and with Las Vegas growing as both a city and a tourist attraction, it is only logical to do what many cities have done: revive the urban core. This plan could really vindicate the mayor's emphasis on downtown development. It will be interesting to see if non-casino properties can also be coaxed downtown.
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posted by Dave at 7:00 PM

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

An unhappy winner

An LA attorney has sued MGM MIRAGE, charging that the casino owner ejected him from New York-New York for the crime of being a successful, skillful blackjack player. From the Las Vegas SUN:

"The complaint, filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court, says casino officials photographed Franceschi while he played high-stakes blackjack and circulated the photo to other Las Vegas casinos after he left the table with his winnings. When he returned later to resume playing, casino officials escorted him out of the property and said he was barred for life from MGM MIRAGE casinos, the suit said.
Franceschi said he was ejected from two other Las Vegas casinos the same day after sitting down to play blackjack.
His suit alleges invasion of privacy, defamation and violations of California's unfair business practices laws.
In an interview today, Franceschi said he was barred for being a 'skillful' player and was never accused of cheating.

MGM MIRAGE, of course, had an entirely different spin on the suit.

MGM MIRAGE spokesman Alan Feldman said the company "will prevail on all the merits."

Feldman called the suit "a very creative way of hiding the fact that he doesn't want to play by the rules ... if you don't play by the rules, you'll be asked to leave."

He declined to discuss the details of the allegations. "We'll save all of that for court," he said.

Las Vegas SUN: Attorney sues Las Vegas casino over ejection

Last time I checked, casinos had the right to refuse service to anyone for any reason. As long as they don't violate someone's 14th amendment rights to due process based on discriminatory practices, I think, they can bar anyone they want. As far as the clandestine photograping charge, signs on the casino floor clearly state that the area is under surveillance and that photos may be taken.
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posted by Dave at 2:49 PM

Tuesday, March 02, 2004

Greatest story never told?

Credibility has been a building block of the gaming industy in Nevada. People come to Strip because they know the games are honest. After all, with the built-in house edge, casinos have no reason to be anything other than completely fair, right?
But in a John L. Smith column this week, there is a rather disturbing story. Not only did the Venetian rig a promotional drawing, but the gourmet libations, apparently, are not what they seem:

Buried in The Venetian settlement are two complaints that focused on the purchase of seven $15,000 cases of wine through unorthodox channels. A well-placed gaming industry source with knowledge of The Venetian investigation said there was evidence labels were switched on bottles and that the wine, priced in excess of $1,000 a bottle, was counterfeit. Some of the wine was tracked to one of the resort's gourmet restaurants.

JOHN L. SMITH: Counterfeit booze and crooked contests can sink credibility

Wow. In all likelihood, this is a story so big that you will hear about it once and then never hear about it again. It's been my experience that major casino rules violations tend to be that way: an initial disclosure, usually long after the fact, and no real public call for any investigation into whether there is a pattern of malfeasance.
Why should there be? After all, as Smith says, "All that separates Las Vegas from a grifter's carnival is its precious credibility." Everyone concerned has a direct stake in maintaining the image of credibility that the industry projects. No one wants to be the one to upset the applecart and jeopardize the $4.5 billion industry that powers the state's economy.
Maybe someone can use an investigation like this to actually spur tourist interest. For example, turn it into a reality TV show. Each week, one employee gets nabbed for a regulatory or ethical violation. That could be one way of turning a negative into a positive, something that, historically, the Strip has done to perfection.
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posted by Dave at 9:06 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.