Of rats and machine players
Can people control their behavior? Or, as the Smashing Pumpkins might say, in spite of all our rage, we’re still just rats in a cage? This piece in the Columbian gives a shot at figuring it out, and...
View ArticleBWI casino
I’ve traveled through Baltimore-Washington International Airport a few times, and there’s not a lot to do there. This proposal to allow a massive slot casino at the airport might change that. From the...
View ArticleVideo slots comes to Illinois?
Lawmakers in the state of Illinois are seriously considering legalizing video poker and other electronic gambling devices throughout the state. With a maximum of 5 devices per location, this would be...
View ArticleMore about the year of the penny
Here’s my latest from the Las Vegas Business Press, in which I continue to deconstruct the popularity of pennies: When the year-end Nevada gaming revenue figures came out, two trends dominated the...
View ArticleGaming taverns in Vegas 7
It’s Thursday, so that means the latest Vegas Seven is hot off the presses–printing and digital. This week, I’ve got an article about gaming taverns–you know, those bars with slots in them that are...
View ArticleFamily feud over jackpot
Often, gamblers decide to pool their resources and share both the costs and the gains from their gambling. Lottery clubs are the best example of this. Sometimes, though, it ends badly, as in this...
View ArticleNV February numbers good, not great
Las Vegas Strip casinos had a strong February. From the LVRJ: When combining the first two months of 2010, gaming revenues are up 5 percent statewide and 13.4 percent on the Strip. “February turned out...
View Article85% Buckeye slot payout
The rules for Ohio casinos are being codified. From the Columbus Dispatch: Would-be Ohio gamblers can rest easy: The slot machines at the state’s four casinos will pay back, on average, at least 85...
View ArticleSurprising AC slots in LVBP
Just to show you the kind of week I’m having, it’s Thursday and I’m just now getting around to posting a link to my bi-weekly LVBP column, which I should have done on Monday or Tuesday. I just got the...
View Article60 Minutes hits slots
The 60 Minutes hit piece on slot machines finally came out. I’ve been hearing about this for a while, and it was actually about what I expected: We Americans spend more money on slots than on movies,...
View ArticleFrom the book: The first poker machine
Lots of people have heard of San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell, which was the first auto-pay reel slot to gain popularity. He unveiled it in 1899. Fewer people know that the first...
View ArticleAuthor David G. Schwartz discusses Chapter 8, “Wise Guys…
Author David G. Schwartz discusses Chapter 8, “Wise Guys & One-Armed Bandits," of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition). This chapter covers the rise of Saratoga Springs as a...
View ArticleBehind the reels in Vegas Seven
There’s a Green Felt Journal in today’s Vegas Seven, focusing on what many slot players don’t see: To most players, slot machines are only screen deep. The spinning reels are what’s important. But...
View ArticleG2E convergence in the LVBP
I wrote up some of my thoughts on the new tech stuff at G2E for the Las Vegas Business Press. Take a look: The official theme of the Global Gaming Expo, held Oct. 3-6 at the Sands Expo and Convention...
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Casino Industry Makes a Bid for Millennial Attention – Vegas Seven
In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at the new machines at this year’s just-concluded Global Gaming Expo: Some subtext of the 2016 show (if you haven’t been keeping up on recent gaming...
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