Sports Betting a reality in New Jersey??

I was at work when I got the news. Sports Betting is going to start in New Jersey within 45 days. The Supreme Court may have something to say about this. For now, Governor Christie is looking at a interpretation from a appellate court that would allow sports betting without actual sanctions from the state. Wagers would take place at racetracks and casinos. No bets can be placed on contest involving college teams playing in New Jersey or in state college teams anywhere.  All bets must be made in person.

 

The timing is perfect because of the closings of several casinos this year in Atlantic City.  Something must be done to generate interest in New Jersey. Sports Betting can do that.  Now additional weeks of full rooms and restaurants. Long weekends starting with Thursday Night Football and ending with Monday Night Football. March Madness with collegiate basketball for 3 consecutive weeks. The revenue from sports betting would create a ripple effect on the current offering of casino entertainment and pari-mutuel wagering.

The professional leagues have not issued a comment on this pending development. The NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver did give insight about the possibility of betting on games.  — given Silver's comments last week at the Bloomberg Business Summit in New York.

"It's inevitable that if all these states are broke that there will be legalized sports betting in more states than Nevada and we will ultimately participate in that," Silver said. "If you have gentleman's bet or a small wager on any kind of sports contest, it makes you that much more engaged in it. That's where we're going to see it pay dividends. If people are watching a game and clicking to bet on their smart phones, which is what people are doing in the United Kingdom right now, then it's much more likely you're going to stay tuned for a long time."

In Nevada, you can presently wager on any professional sport on your phone if you have an account with a casino. One of the prominent sports betting sites is William Hill.

You must be within the state to do so. Just another extension of online gaming thru mobile device. New Jersey is coming to the new millennium. Are you?

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Philly Casino is raising the ante

It's a rare occurrence to talk about a local casino actually expanding and not about ones facing closure. SugarHouse Casino recently broke ground on a $164M expansion plan that includes a poker room with approximately 24 tables, an attached seven-story parking garage and more non-gaming related amenities. 

 

SugarHouse is planning for new restaurant spaces and a ballroom/event space that overlooks the Delaware River. Public riverfront trail access will be expanded by 250 feet.

SugarHouse is preparing for the opening of the poker room with a training class that consist of dealers and employees from security, food and beverage and player services. They are currently learning Texas Hold' Em and Omaha.

I was able to speak with several members of the class about what the experience of embarking on a new career. Here are some of their responses.

What is the most challenging aspect of learning a new game?

Anna Chen - "My biggest challenge right now is reading the hands. Telling the difference. between a high or low."

Gilberto Mercado - "I am working hard trying to get the mechanics down from the dealer's perspective. I enjoy poker so my transition to the gaming side is enjoyable to me."

Unique Wilson - "I am the only left handed person in the class. I 'm doing things in reverse and retaining information differently."

Tell me some of the things that make a good poker dealer?

Emmitt Whitefield - "Two things that make a good poker dealer are knowledge of the rules and calling a good game. I want to make my poker players have a memorable experience on my game."

Unique Wilson -  We're in the hospitality and entertainment business so being personal and engaging is important. I love guest interaction and I'm looking forward to displaying that."

What made you want to be part of this class?

Anna - "I wanted to acquire a skill that would lead to a better job. I have been part of the SugarHouse Family for 3 years and looking forward to meeting different people everyday."

Who in the class has been with the company the longest? 

Unique and Emmitt have been with SugarHouse since day one! SugarHouse just celebrated it's 4 year anniversary.

What is your ultimate goal once you complete this class?

Unique -  "I dream big. One day, I want to  deal in the WSOP tournament."

From left, Unique, Danny R, Anna Lee, Anna Chen, Emmitt (standing) and Gilberto.
 

Minh Truong after passing his audition.

All of the members of the class are looking forward to the expansion and the growth opportunities that SugarHouse will offer. I want to thank each of the participants from the class that consented to answer my questions. I also want to acknowledge the instructors of the class, Magdalena Gonzalez and Raye Ramsey.

Get more information about the events and promotions at SugarHouse Casino by following:
                                     
                                            http://www.sugarhousecasino.com/
                                            https://www.facebook.com/sugarhousecasino
                                            https://twitter.com/winatsugarhouse

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SLS Casino Opening in Las Vegas

                                SLS Las Vegas is located at 2535 Las Vegas Boulevard. 



SLS Las Vegas features 1,613 guestrooms in three distinct towers – Story, World and Lux – ranging from luxurious 325-square-foot rooms to opulent penthouse suites spanning 3,300 square feet. The restaurants include Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres, SLS Buffet and the Griddle Café.  The Griddle Café gets a special mention because it specializes in breakfast and is open 24 hours a day. This is perfect for the other city that never sleeps.

There is a  total 6  bars and lounges. I'll preview 3. The Sayers Club will feature emerging and acclaimed artists performing for the patrons. Lenny Kravitz and a lot of known artists tend to jump on the stage and play at the venue in Los Angeles.  LIFE features visual and lighting elements along with a combination of premier and up and coming DJ talent. Situated in the location formerly the Sahara Theater, LIFE utilizes a series of vivid HD screens in addition to stunning aerialists and performers to amplify the music experience.

LIFE

The nightlife is complete by the Foxtail. This club will have format music along with celebrity appearances and entertainment. Bottle service available for those that want to turn it up.

At  SLS  Vegas, they are featuring 3 nightclubs located where the old Sahara theater use to be. Girls will be coming down from the ceiling to serve. I predict that  Foxtail will  probably be the trendier club scene. The cool thing about Foxtail is the "graffiti" was hand written by the artist while the CEO Sam Nazarian was talking to him. Here a picture.

FOXTAIL




The gaming area offers about 800 of the latest slot and video poker machines, more than 70 classic table games, a race and sports book presented by William Hill and three table games located poolside. Conveniently located across from the Cashier Cage, SLS Las Vegas also offers an intimate High Limit Salon with a gaming environment for those looking for a more private experience – featuring table games and slot machines, including video poker, video slots and mechanical reels in denominations up to $100.

 

 

For all the people that love to bet on the NFL and NBA games, this is the place. Sports book guests have access to innovative wagering technology, available on iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Additionally, the sports book features an expansive HD video wall for viewing of sporting events and betting odds, as well as fully automated InPlay wagering.

 

The crowd tonight for the invited guests were what you expected from a classic casino opening. Men in suits, women in dresses. Most parties traveled in packs,with everyone out to celebrate new life in the desolate north end of the strip. This is one property people will be talking about.

   

 Iggy Azalea was the musical guest tonight

                                       

 

SLS Las Vegas is unique. Monkeys are their symbol as it represents the playful and sophistication of the animal. Monkeys are featured through out the property.

SLS stands for style,luxury and service but it isn't necessarily that. It is whatever you can make of it .Scandalous little Secret. So long Sahara.   See the pattern.
SLS did keep remnants of the Sahara. In the hall leading to the buffet, there are pictures of classic Hollywood celebs and movie scenes. Some spots on the carpet have pictures of Sahara visitors and one restaurant has a gigantic ace from the Sahara cards This is a class move to stay connected to the past. So I'll close with this memory.

 

Shout out to SLS Las Vegas, my newest follower on Twitter.  Special thanks to Paul, Julia and Sary from Table Games for their help with this post. Three outstanding people and great dealers.

 

                                                       Follow SLS Las Vegas at  

                                        

                                                            Facebook.com/SLSLasVegas

Twitter:       @SLSLasVegas

                                                                  Instagram:        @SLSLasVegas

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Gaming by the Numbers- AC vs.Las Vegas

Revenue is coming to the two renown gaming places in the country in two contrasting ways. Atlantic City gets 30% of it's revenue from non gaming activity and 70% from gambling. Las Vegas is just the reverse with 35 % from gambling and 65 % from non gaming sources.

A new casino is opening in Las Vegas. 3 is the number of casinos that recently closed at the shore. We don't have to guess  whose model is working.  What the numbers don't tell us is what goes into making it work. One word.

                                                                 CORDINATION

Las Vegas welcomes a new competitor. They do this knowing that a successful competitor should expand the market. More guests and longer stays equal return trips.  Atlantic City does not mirror this approach. They have more competition surrounding them in neighboring states. An analogy of AC is similar to selling a used car. Just want to get rid of it. Trump Plaza had a buyer over a year ago. Pulled out of the deal. Showboat has shown decent numbers. Not enough! The Atlantic City way out is to divide the pie up minus 3.This doesn't increase the demand. What does?

                                                                 CREATIVITY


Follow me and I'll share more insight over the next  several weeks as the dusk settles in Atlantic City and the sunrises in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania is the 2nd leading gaming market.in the United States.


                                                                BY THE NUMBERS

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Revel Casino Closing in September

Revel Casino and Hotel is scheduled to close September 1. No qualifying offer was rendered for this beautiful facility. This does not seem real that the so call "savior" property of Atlantic City is now on life support. They're reports that they are entertaining offers but this seems like a straw clutching tactic.

 

I can only reflect  back to three years ago when Revel was taking applications. The thought of working in Atlantic City again was appealing but not enough to lure me from a good situation. Many of my peers thought otherwise and returned to the shore. I attended  the East Coast Gaming Congress at Revel that year and later that month saw Beyoncé perform at Ovation Hall.  The excitement  of that concert created a synergy through the entire region. Now this! I never saw this coming back then. I feel bad for the 3200 employees that are affected by the pending closing of the casino hotel.

Governor Christie has announce that he will attempt to find work for the employees of the casinos scheduled for closing. This includes Showboat and Trump Plaza.

Lights at Showboat and Trump Plaza are going dim.

A summit of casino executives, labor leaders and elected officials will convene on September 8th. They will discuss the future of Atlantic City. This is being planned with the hope that someone will make an offer that will bring Revel back from the canvas. This knockout would devastate the resort and the thought of future gaming investments.

What is lost in all the negativity of the closings is non gaming revenue, hotel occupancy and internet gaming are increasing. There are some things right in Atlantic City  I 'll expand on these variables in my next post.

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Online Gaming and the bids for Revel Casino

 

The bids were submitted for Revel Casino this week. The casino asked for an additional week to review what was submitted. Analysts think this does not bode well in terms of the offers that were made. No one submitted a bid that comes close to the amount of money that was spent to build

Revel. Revel also has a mountain of debt that must be factored into the sale. The good news is there is interest in the property and a strong possibility that the jobs at the casino will be spared.

I would love to see an operator with an online gaming vision win this bid. A new entry in the market would also be appropriate. This would give a fresh start to the Atlantic City landscape. A casino or hotel that is embracing technology while having the prudence of maintaining the current customer nucleus. Online Gaming will be the driving force that will make Revel become viable.


Good Luck to the winning bidder!



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Online Gaming and Entertainment brings excitement to Atlantic City and Las Vegas

Over the past week, the combination of online gaming and entertainment have rejuvenated AC and Las Vegas. The Blake Shelton concert brought a crowd of over 60,000 to the beach.

 

More than 45 states were represented by the crowd. This was confirmed by Ticketmaster and Live Nation. I am sure that some of that group registered to play at an online casino during their stay. Another concert is planned for this Sunday with Lady Antebellum. This should spike the numbers as well.

 

I am basing this assumption on what happen in Las Vegas during the WSOP over the past 2 weeks. Revenue went up as players were being eliminated from the tournament. Many sought out an online poker game to recoup losses from early exits and disappointing finishes. The common denominator is both of these entertainment events brought crowds. Both groups had a direct correlation on the revenue spent by gaming online.

Follow me for more news and strategic insight that will make online gaming an exciting experience for you.

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