In order to continually attract players, casinos are constantly going to game providers and asking for newer, exciting themed games.  some are quite simple, like the three wheeled, get three “7’s” in a row one armed bandit.  However, some are more complex and therefore more exciting and appealing to players.  It is the massive theming that is attracting casual gamblers to the slot machines.  Two distinct feature are the most coveted, a recognizable, popular theme, and bonus games.  Themes vary from celebrity endorsements like Kenny Rogers; popular TV shows and movies like Deal or No Deal and The Wizard of Oz, seasonal games, and the list goes on and on.

Of course, all of this theming leads to the inevitable bonus rounds.  It is ok to see Captain Kirk on your video screen, but even more fun if you can get him to make out with a green skinned beauty for free spins.  This kind of fun keeps the casinos hopping and the cash flowing.

Online casino players now have two more choices in the themed slot type games.  Mixing the popular genres of blockbuster movies and comic books, Casino Plex is offering its players Incredible Hulk and Iron Man games.  They are both five reel and twenty playline video slots.  Both feature familiar scenes and actin packed bonus games.

The Incredible Hulk offers casino players a smash bonus round.  This is achieved when the Smash Bonus icon appears on both reels one and five simultaneously.  Players can assume the role of the Green Monster as he is chased by police officers.  The player gets to choose three out of five police cars to smash for prizes and one of three police helicopters for the multiplying prize amounts.  There are also free game scatter bonuses.

Iron Man is equally as exciting.  Online casino players get the chance to shoot down missiles as the play as Tony Stark or his superhero alter ego Iron Man.  Again, bonus prizes and game multipliers are determined buy the number of missiles shot down.  Iron Man also has a massive prize of 5,000 times the line bet for extra lucky winners.

Casinos have found a new way to entice their sports betting cliental.  Gone are the days of walking up to a window placing a bet and then sitting in the bar or lounge for hours cursing the place kicker who has gone wide right for the third time in a game.  Casinos and betting establishments have been looking for a way to keep sports betters excited, continuously involved, and of course, spending money.  The player has been demanding ways to have more control over their bets, and then casinos want to keep the players involved.  The catch has been keeping the players moving throughout the casino instead of being stuck in the sports betting parlor.

The Palazzo and the Venetian Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, have come up with an idea that suits everyone.  They have taken the technology that has made iPhones, smart phones and BlackBerries so effective and incorporated it into a high tech, mobile betting device (provided of course you stay in the casino). Las Vegas based Cantor Gaming has introduced the hand held device and it is taken off like gang busters.

The concept is simple.  Players are able to make continuos bets on games, matches and events that the casino is offering bets on.  Not only can they bet on the spread or the outcome but they can continue to update their status and make numerous side bets.  For example, wagers can be placed on if an American football team will make a first down, or if a basketball player will make a free throw.  This not only keeps the money rolling, but allows the player to hedge their bets and retain the feeling of control.

The concept is called In-Running Wagering.  One player said “If you can use a BlackBerry, you can use this.”  To add to the ease, casinos have staff who work the room, helping those who ask for it.  Another player put it best when he said, “This is going to grow in popularity.  I wish I could use it from home.”

Despite substantial growth in its economy due to gambling, the city of Macau in China is considering limiting its powerhouse gambling industry.  Most of these limitations center around the number of table games permitted and slot machines.  This is a big blow to companies who have recently entered into public trading on Macau Stock Exchange.  Two major players are the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd.  They’re trading fell this week after initial trading was profitable.

Shares of Wynn Resorts Ltd. fell 2.86 percent on the Nasdaq and the Las Vegas Sands Corp. lost 33 cents per share and fell to $17.72.  Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp. represent the two largest American based Casino operators in Macau.  Macau, incidentally is the only city in China which has legalized casinos and gambling.  Both have spent massive amounts of money building casinos and expansive resorts.

Macau city officials are concerned over diversifying their economic growth and feel that the proposed limitations are what is the city’s best interest.  In a statement released by the Macau government they said that they would prevent, “unlimited expansion” in Macau’s gaming and casino financial sector.  They stated that this was in agreement with the six casino operators they have been in talks with.  Francis Tam, Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance said, “Our main policy is that economic growth has to be diversified, and anytime there is a conflict, then the gambling industry has to be regulated.  This is the government’s strong belief.”  There is also a proposal that would raise the legal casino entry age form 18 to 21 years old.

All seems to be agreeable between the casino operators and the Chinese government.  It not believed that the current drop off in trading is a trend or a sign that the gambling haven in China is going away.  “We think this afternoon’s sell-off on these headlines is an unwarranted overreaction,” Robert LaFleur, a respected gaming analyst stated. “The government’s primary concern appears to be distortions in the labor market caused by gaming’s rapid expansion. This report does not appear to present any threat to the current operators.”

Most casino patrons today are thrilled by the advancements made in slot machines.  They enjoy the high tech graphics, surround sound, exciting themes, multiple play lines, bonus games, and free spins.  They are equally as excited about not having to carry around heavy buckets of coins.  Now players can simply insert bills or printed tickets into machines and the all of the work is done for them.  When it is time to leave, assuming the player has won their fortune, all they have to do is reprint the ticket and play another machine or cash it out at a cashier or any conveniently located casing ATM like machine.

However, there are those who reminisce about the good old days of walking into a casino, dropping the coin in the slot, and pulling the lever of the one armed bandit.  What they miss most is the sound and the good feeling associated with watching all those coins drop from the machine into a collection tray when they hit the jackpot.  Sure most modern slot machines offer the sound, but old schoolers say it is not quite the same

Recently an Atlantic City, New Jersey resort and casino tried to offer up that bit of nostalgia. Resorts Atlantic City garnered national attention when they reintroduced eight old school, coin operated slot machines.  They were the only ones of their kind in the whole of Atlantic City.  Initially and over the summer they were a great success.  Then, all of the sudden, they were switched back to coinless machines, much to the dismay of little old ladies in sequined hats, who are the stereotypical patrons of those machines.

The reason? Casinos in Atlantic City say there are not enough coins.  The slot machines described were one dollar play slots.  Currently the only acceptable coin was the Dwight D. Eisenhower silver dollars.  Casino and resort officials said the bank just didn’t have enough to go around.

It looks as though this is the final swan song for the coin drop slots in Atlantic City Casinos.

Not to be alarming, but casinos in the United States offer up an attractive target to those wish to do harm or cause a scare.  Much like airports, sporting events, or themed amusement parks, casinos offer a high degree of visibility, large congregations of people, larger amounts of money, and easy access.  Unlike airports, sporting events, and themed amusement parks, most casinos don’t offer up a highly visible front line of defense like metal detectors and bomb sniffing dogs.  While they’re security systems are top not and on the cutting edge of technology, they are most useful for spotting an offense as it is happening.  This is by design.  Casino operators don’t want potential gamblers, players, and customers hampered or deterred by having their bag inspected every time they enter a new building.

Again, not to be alarming but this scenario is what makes casinos and casino resorts such an easy target.  Take in case the incident that took place at the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino on East Lynne, Connecticut recently. Connecticut State Police officials stated that an arrest was made in regards to a bomb threat against the casino.  The threat, thankfully, turned out to be hoax.  A 16 year old male allegedly called in the threat this summer.

The identity of the teen aged boy is being withheld due to underage, youthful offender laws in the state.  However he has been charged with “falsely reporting an incident and a second degree breach of peace.”  The bogus threat was made against the casino on July 15th of this year.  The boy has been released by authorities on a $2,500 non-surety bond.  He will face a court hearing on October 22nd in a Norwich Superior Court.

Not to be alarming, but casinos in the United States offer up an attractive target to those wish to do harm or cause a scare.  Fortunately, most offenders just want to cause mischief and have their moment in the spotlight.  Whew!

Cellectivity has its way up the ladder in building a fan base for its online casino gambling. The ability to add mobile devices to an already expanding online gambling market has proven to be one of the top innovative trends of the time. Based out of the United Kingdom which currently holds leading ground for cornering the market of online casinos, Cellectivity has been building up its reputation and now has taken home one of the highly regarded awards of 2009.

Cellectivity has one the best gambling company award for all of the United Kingdom. The award ceremony took place on October 1 at the Royal Garden Hotel in London and featured many awards given out to companies with new and innovative products and online gambling market. Over 120 companies were represented in the competition ranging in areas from media, technology and entertainment. With these new honors, Cellectivity continues to climb the ladder of success and gain the approval of its peers as it shows its customers the level of integrity required for creating a strong online business. Chief executive officer, Marcel Puyk stated, “I am very pleased to have won this award.”

These awards were given out to online casino innovators and voted on by their peers, therefore making it an important leap in progress for any gambling company that proves it went above and beyond this year. The competition for these awards is very stiff and requires a high level of excellence especially in dealing with the mobile gambling market which is still being discovered month by month. The safety and security of customers is dependent on a high level of professionalism by these online gambling operators. Cellectivity won best overall gambling company, however it also was a contestant in many other aspects of the business where it stood out as a chief contender in the various areas of the market.

Now that the new government is in charge in the United States, many gambling organizations are creating a large push in order to bring their names to the mainstream and help in the effort to legalize online casino gambling. The United States is facing interesting times as many states are changing their laws and making poker a game of skill versus a game of chance and thereby allowing their citizens to participate in poker games. This is a huge step in the legalization of gambling process, but there are many miles to go in order to make this a reality.

The poker players alliance is now doing their part by trying to get their members to write letters to Pres. Barack Obama in order to plead their case and not make their hobby such a dirty word within society. The members of the alliance have written a letter to the president and are encouraging the members of the organization to do the same in an effort to legalize online casino gambling. It is their belief that this type of gambling should be allowed without being under the thumb of the federal government. The letter to the president throws out many common threads that our nation was founded on and pushes hard on the idea of asking for support for our individual rights.

The letter is addressed and directed to Pres. Obama where the gambling organization asks Obama to support their rights as citizens and give them back the freedoms that they so deserve. The gambling alliance stands at over 1 million members strong and is asking for support of the president for all 1 million of these numbers. Many other matters are being taken into consideration such as the seizing of online gambling funds is currently underway by the Department of Justice. This generic letter has been used as a template so that each one of their members can send their own individual letter to the president as a plea for their freedoms and rights.

SInce the beginning of television, programs have been put on the air due to a large part of corporate sponsorship. In the early days there were such programs as the Colgate Comedy Hour, and Cadillac Theatre.  Even such big names like Jack Benny were sponsored by Lucky Strip Cigarettes.  That sponsorship soon evolved into what we recognize (and sometimes loathe) as the commercial.  The presentation may have changed but the idea is the same.  Companies sponsor a television program, in return the companies name and product are advertised during the program’s airing.  In England the popular television show Emmerdale has acquired a new sponsor for the months to come.  Tombola, the United Kingdom’s number one online bingo and gambling site has taken on that role.

The deal is set to last from November to the end of January 2011.  It will include sponsorship on ITV1, ITV2 and ITV3.  It also includes a deal with itv.com/emmerdale, interactive sponsorship and licensing.  The chief executive officer for the online bingo site, Phil Cronin said, “Sponsoring Emmerdale, one of ITV’s leading brands, is a significant opportunity for Tombola. The show’s reach, the affection in which it’s held, and its values of drama, fun and community make it the ideal partner for the Tombola brand. Tombola is the biggest online bingo site in the country and with this sponsorship we hope to continue to build our community of players.”

The sponsorship manager for ITV1, Bhavit Chandrani, said of the online company, “Emmerdale is one of ITV’s leading brands and one of the nation’s favorite soaps. We are delighted to have Tombola as sponsors until January 2011.”

Research showed that the demographic for viewers of the British television program was similar to those targeted by online bingo companies.  Tombola stepped right in and made sure they were leading the charge in reaching those potential customers.  Don’t be surprised if viewers of Emmerdale see one of their favorite characters sitting on a computer playing online bingo, on the UK’s number one site, Tombola.

As recently reported, casino mogul Steve Wynn has made a break into the Chinese gambling market.  His company Wynn Macau Ltd.  broke into the Macau stock exchange with promising initial results.  The attempt to have a Las Vegas style city on the Chinese mainland seems imminent.  However, Mr Wynn has also expressed a concern that development in the Chinese city may be “moving to slow development.”  As of right now, Macau is the only city in China where gambling is legal.

In an interview with the European press agency, Reuters, Mr. Wynn said, “I’ve got a feeling that the government’s (of Macau) going to tamp it down.”   This comment was in reference to a place in Macau called the Cotai Strip.  The Cotai Strip is a batch of reclaimed land, that has casino operators hopping.  Their hopes for the Cotai Strip is to develop it and turn it into an area which would closely resemble the famous Las Vegas Strip in Nevada.

Mr. Wynn who represents the company he is the Chief Executive Officer for and founder of, Wynn Resorts Ltd., along with six other companies who have casinos in the area met with officials of the southern Chinese city.  Wynn and the other casino representatives fear that the government of Macau is close to a decision that would limit the amount of gaming tables.  A limit on tables would be sufficient reason to slow down development and expansion of casinos in Macau and all but bring to a halt the rise of the Cotai Strip.  Mr. Wynn said, “If the limit the amount of (gaming) tables there is no reason to build any more.”

Chinese officials have expressed concerns that continued building  of casinos and resorts would have lasting consequences on the workforce in Macau.  Wynn stated that it was officials brought to his attention that, “The government wants t keep everybody calm while they provide jobs and industrialize the country.

There is a casino in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, and there is a chance that it may be close to falling down.  Not figuratively.  This is not a pun or a clever take on the well known economic crisis and how it may be affecting the casino industry worldwide.  Literally, there may be a chance that the casino in Lake Worth Beach, Florida may be falling down.  At the very least it is in major need of repair.  There have been talks of vacating the building, leaving the good citizens of Florida minus one popular entertainment spot.  This would be a travesty to the nice, elderly ladies who spend time pumping coins into their favorite one armed bandit.

Believe it or not there may be some good news, though.  The Florida newspaper, The Palm Beach Post, has reported that due to recent evidence “…the faded 1922 casino building at Lake Worth Beach needs repairs, but it’s not falling down.”  This assessment was given by a structural engineer to Lake Worth Beach city officials.

During talks surrounding the Lake Worth Beach Casino B.P. Taurinski, the fore mentioned structural engineer, presented photos that showed where concrete was cracking and the steel reinforcement bars were rusting.  This was not a surprise.  However, Mr Taurinski noted that the cracks and the rust was not specifically centered on one area.  This was welcome news to those who wish to keep the casino structure in place.

This new analysis by Mr Taurinski may overturn a former opinion of Lake Worth Beach building officials that would force the tenants of the casino building to move out no later than the end of March, do to construction and safety guidelines and building codes.

Mr. Taurinski believes that the cost of repairs to the Lake Worth Beach casino site would come in somewhere between $600,000 to $700,000.  He further went on to state that the concrete in question could be fixed once the casino was restored.