Royally Flushed

Voters will have their say on gambling issues in several states.

Election 2008 sees some interesting gambling-related issues on ballots in several states.  Of these, two are of particular interest to me and here’s why.

This past summer, P.B. and I took a cross-country jaunt and stopped to stay and play at several mid-West casinos including Harrah’s St. Louis.  When we arrived at the casino, we were informed that we needed new player’s club cards and to obtain them, we had to produce picture ID’s plus sign the backs of our replacement cards.  We were told that we must insert these cards into the machines in order to play and that’s when we learned about the $500 loss limit.  Huh?  Yes, unique to Missouri, is a law that says a player cannot lose more than $500 in any two-hour period.  (The cards keep track of your play.)  (more…)

Casino gaming revenue is down all over the country.  No surprise there considering the state of the economy.  In September alone, Biloxi casinos — hit with Hurricane Gustav and forced to close over a typically busy Labor Day Weekend — reported revenue down a whopping 26% from a year ago.  In Atlantic City, September brought the biggest monthy drop ever for the seaside gaming community – 15.1%.  And for August – which included most of the Labor Day weekend numbers – Nevada reported an 8.1% decrease with gaming capital, Las Vegas, down 7.4%.  I’m sure we’re going to see Nevada’s September numbers more in line with the double-digit declines reported above when they are released later this month.

And in Arizona, the state department of gaming, announced Friday that for the quarter ended September 30, tribal contributions from Indian gaming revenue – which are based on gaming earnings — to the state fell 9.5% from the same period a year ago.  

According to the Arizona Department of Gaming press release, “Arizona tribes’ combined contribution for the quarter…was approximately $25.0 million.  That’s down from $27.6 million in the same quarter a year before.”

So what do these revenue drops mean for casino visitors?  Look for more competition among gaming venues for your gambling dollars.  More and bigger promotions (think Harrah’s Ak-Chin “Win Your Million“), enticing hotel rates all around the country, especially in room-laden Las Vegas, and lots of other events and ideas aimed at getting fannies into the gaming seats.

Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino gives players a "mystery multiplier" this Monday.

Just a quick Sunday “drive-by” post for players in the Phoenix area.  Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa has a terrific special promotion going on tomorrow – Monday – for Total Rewards Club (TRC) members.  Swipe your card at the Total Rewards center to receive a multiplier of 10x, 15x or even 20x on Bonus Reward Credits earned on play from 6 AM until midnight.  (The website reads 6 a.m. – 5:59 a.m. but I was told midnight when I called to check on details.) 

Be sure to swipe your card at the TRC desk BEFORE you begin play.  That’s also when you’ll learn your “mystery” multiplier. 

If you have any questions about this promo, be sure to ask a casino host or the folks working the TRC center desk. 

Good luck!

Party all day and night Halloween weekend at Harrah's Las Vegas.

Okay, so you’ve decided to let someone else hand out the Kit Kats while you cash in on one of those great Las Vegas hotel deals I told you about yesterday and you’re heading to Sin City for Halloween.  Now it’s time to check out the coolest parties going at the hottest clubs on and around The Strip all weekend long.  Here’s a list of just some of the most popular events scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Beginning Thursday, October 30, at NOON, Harrah’s turns their Carnaval Court into a huge outdoor Halloween bash complete with live entertainment, costume contests, Halloween-themed cocktails (no doubt tied into event-sponsor Bacardi,) psychics, tarot card readers and more.  The “Superheroes & Villains” party happens Thursday and Friday from noon – 3 AM each day.

Studio 54 at MGM Grand transforms their 22,000 square-foot club into a Halloween fright-fest for the week and especially for their 42nd Annual Beaux Arts Ball on Thursday and the “Nightmare on 54^th Street” gala on Friday.  The Beaux Arts Ball is one of Las Vegas’ biggest fall bashes with lots of special guests, elaborate costumes, exclusive entertainment and more all benefiting the charity Golden Rainbow, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting those living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada. 

Taolloween 3 with guest DJ and mistress of ceremonies Tera Patrick takes place Friday night at hotter-than-hot 10,000 square-foot nightclub TAO at The Venetian.  This club, with its 40-foot balcony offering stunning views of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the premier clubs in Vegas and has one of the longest entrance lines in town so plan accordingly.

New in September to the Las Vegas Strip and brought to you by the creators of TAO is LAVO at The Palazzo.  Their first Halloween party is creating major buzz by bringing in the cast of “Phantom – The Las Vegas Spectacular” from neighboring Venetian to host the club’s Masquerade Ball on Friday.

The Palms – the off-Strip, über-popular resort — is hosting events at its venues Rain, The Playboy Club, Ghostbar and at the rooftop Moon where guests will find J-Roc’s Halloween Bash featuring the popular “Girls Next Door’s” Bridget and Holly.  Costume contests abound – think “Best Sci-Fi” at Moon, “Best Undead” at Ghostbar – with more than $100,000 in cash and prizes to be awarded.

Saturday, The Orleans Arena will be the site of what event producers are calling the largest-ever Las Vegas Nightlife Party – The Fabulous Festival.  Outdoor stages as well as the indoor arena will be home to an all-night extravaganza combining dance, music, performance art and more.  You’ve just got to check out their website for the line-up of musicians, dancers and other performers – FabulousFest.

Boo! Halloween on the Las Vegas Strip will be a hauntingly good time.

What’s scarier than a 700-point drop in the Dow but a lot more fun?  Halloween in Las Vegas, baby!   The city rolls out the blood-red carpet for grown-up ghosts, ghouls and goblins looking for some non-stop Halloween partying.   Costume contests, haunted houses and other sublimely scary events combined with terrific hotel deals up and down The Strip make Halloween in Las Vegas a very un-scary option this year.

Check out these best “pack your suitcase and go” Las Vegas hotel deals for Halloween weekend.*                 

                MGM Grand Halloween Blow-Out!   Rooms from $69 – $99 per night for a standard room or upgrade to the Bungalow King Suite for $89 – $119 per night.  WOW!

                New York New York - 20% off Room Rates Deal.  Park Avenue Deluxe room, one step up from standard and newly-renovated, for $66 – $118 per night.

                Bally’s – This center-Strip Harrah’s hotel has rooms in their South Tower at $69 – $119 per night.

And while you’re in Las Vegas, take in one – or more – of these special Halloween  events!

                Fright Dome at Circus Circus - Named one of the” Top 5 Scariest Attractions” by The Travel Channel, this event is not for the faint of heart.   Check out the “trailer” video showing killer clowns, flayed zombies and chainsaw-wielding woodsmen for a preview of what to expect. 

                Monster Mayhem at Town Square Mall – This scary site features three separate attractions including the “Morbid Clown Manor” (what is it with killer clowns?), the only-in-Las-Vegas “Aces and Eights Haunted Casino” and a haunted mansion.  (For an explanation of Aces and Eights, also called the ”Dead Man’s Hand” in poker, check out this article on Gambling Blog. 

                 Castle Vampyre - Freakling Brothers Horror Shows — love that name! —  puts on this event at the Sunset Station Casino in Henderson. 

Tomorrow – Read about  Halloween parties scheduled at some of Las Vegas’ hottest clubs.

*(Rates were checked for three nights beginning Thursday, October 30 with check-out on Sunday, November 2 and were current as of 10/23/08.  Rates do not include taxes and other fees.  Book-by dates vary by property and offer.)

Bette Midler's show at Caesars Palace wowed our guest reviewer.

Caesars Palace always manages to convince some of the biggest names in musical entertainment to pack up their bags and head to the Nevada desert for an extended run of shows and 2008 has been no different.   In a performance rotation that started after Celine Dion vacated Caesar’s Colosseum last December, Cher, Bette Midler and Elton John have been keeping audiences thoroughly entertained this year. 

Bette Midler especially made quite an impression on audiences and critics alike when she brought her concert act, “The Showgirl Must Go On,” to Caesars for the first time in February.  Reviewers called Midler a Las Vegas natural; the combination of Midler and the city a match made in heaven.  Even “The New York Times” weighed in with this positive review:  ”That Ms. Midler is capable of instantly warming up a room this daunting and filling a stage this forbidding is a testament to her consummate skills as an entertainer.”

One of our guest writers saw Bette Midler’s show this summer and wrote this exclusive review for RoyallyFlushed.

“Among the revered music giants staking their claim on the Las Vegas Strip is superstar Bette Midler who wowed crowds during her summer appearance at the Colosseum at Caesar’s Palace. 

One of the biggest venues in Las Vegas — the Colosseum holds thousands of fans — seating nonetheless filled quickly and soon the lights dimmed for Ms. Midler’s appearance. While the majority of attendees were probably long-time fans of Ms. Midler’s music, a clutch of younger admirers like myself fully shared in the excitement of seeing her perform.

The show opened with a Imax-sized movie montage of a tornado ripping through Las Vegas which set the stage for the appearance of a gaggle of showgirls — complete with tights, plumes and heavily-bejewelled regalia — who were then joined by back-up singers, a live band, and finally, the petite Ms. Midler herself. She stands around 5’0″ but easily commands the stage with her dazzling attire and out-sized personality.

The glittering set complimented her various songs with different backdrops gently swooping in and out of sight as the show played on. Midler, who, in her sixties, can still move across the massive stage with the nimble footing of a much younger performer, delivers a show packed with irreverent  humor and pure musical talent. It was difficult for fans not to sing along to her more famous numbers including “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Wind Beneath My Wings” and “The Rose” to name just a few.

My companion and I were awed by the Divine Miss M’s pipes, still able to tear up those high notes. Her trademark humor dazzled the audience as she kvetched about the hard knocks life of a pop diva and mused about her own brand of Midlerian divinity. The star – never one to shy away from telling it like it is — spoke her mind on everything from the politics of Washington to the politics of the bedroom.

The ninety minute show proved that Ms. Midler still has the voice, the spunk, the wit and sheer talent to dazzle her audiences. We look forward to a return stint soon.”

Ms. Midler appears at Caesars on select dates from November 11 through December 31 with tickets available at the Ticketmaster box office. 

Also on the roster this fall:  Elton John brings his tour, “The Red Piano,” to the venue October 22 through November 9.

Hot Shot Progressive by Bally Technologies is a smokin' fun game!

Some of the most popular slot games in casinos across the country come from Bally Technologies and now you can play them for FREE online on your personal computer.  Video slot games such as the extremely popular Hot Shot Progressive® as well as both Playboy® and S & H Green Stamps® can be downloaded from the Bally Technologies site and played for free whenever you want a little casino-style fun at home or on the road.  Follow the link that says “Click here to play for free.”

Not only can you enjoy fun casino-style action but your points stay on the game so you can track your luck visit-to-visit.  To keep your play even more interesting, there’s a “chat room” available while you play so you can connect with fellow players if you wish.

Also, when visiting Bally’s site be sure to check out the “Players Center“ section.  There you’ll find a Winners Gallery, current progressive Jackpot Totals, and a game-finder for locating your favorite Bally slot.  For instance, if you click on the Hot Shot Progressive logo, you’ll be taken to a page that lists — by state — the casinos that have that game available.  In Arizona, you’ll find this game at both Harrah’s Ak-Chin outside of Phoenix and the Desert Diamond casino near Tucson.

So if you’re between visits, have fun playing these “reel life” casino games!  Also, check out these fun DVD games at Amazon.com with favorites from Bally’s, WMS Gaming and more.  Specially-priced double-disc set Slots WMS Double Pack, or try these popular games — Slots From Bally Gaming.
More slots fun:

"Gold Fish" - a popular slot game from WMS Gaming.

For a spirited discussion on “favorite slot machines,” visit TripAdvisor and check out what people are talking about right now in regards to slot machines. This is one hot topic on TripAdvisor considering the original post asking Las Vegas visitors to name their favorite slots game is dated August 24^th and the replies keep coming – six pages of them so far.

I don’t play slots too often but always stop and check out any new games I see  – think eBay®, Deal or No Deal® – and any games that seem to have a lot of people gathered ‘round.

From the topic replies, it looks like “Gold Fish” from WMS gaming is a hot slot favorite.  I mention this one specifically because P.B. and I walked by a double bank of the machines several times during our last stay at Paris Las Vegas and not once was there a machine open.  People were even hanging around waiting for machines to open up so they could play.  Hmm, based on its popularity, maybe we’ll check it out again when we go to Vegas later this month.

The hot new "Wizard of Oz" slot machine from WMS Gaming.

We recently saw this new game at Harrah’s Ak-Chin near Phoenix  - “The Wizard of Oz” from WMS Gaming (for information, click on the game icon in this cool virtual gameroom.)  Check out the high-backed spaceship seating for this game.  Here’s what the manufacturer says about it on their website:   “The Wizard of Oz^TM is the newest theme in the revolutionary “Sensory Immersion Gaming” product category, where players hear, see, and feel the experience, thanks to real-time 3D animation and our innovative gaming chair that features the BOSE® 3Space^TM audio system and CPU-NXT®2 enhanced graphics.” Again, we didn’t get a chance to play since all the machines were taken but we will definitely play Wizard of Oz slots in the future – when we get the chance.

If you’re a slots player, I’d love to hear about your favorite game and where you play it.  Also, check out the thread on TripAdvisor and chime in with your recommendations.

Win $1,000,000 at Harrah's Ak-Chin in Arizona.

Someone will be a new millionaire on December 28th when Harrah’s Ak-Chin casino in Maricopa, Arizona gives away the guaranteed $1,000,000 grand prize in their new “Win Your Million Dollars” promotion. 

Beginning October 31 (or October 29 for upper-level Total Rewards Club members), players can earn entries into weekly drawings with those winners then eligible for the big event drawing in late December.  The weekly cash drawings will be held  every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm. 

There’s lots of cash being given away, lots of opportunities to earn bonus entries and lots more “fine print” so for details be sure to get all the information at the promotions center at the casino.