The Hippodrome Casino in London's Leicester Square hopes to launch in August 2011

24 November 2010

I was lucky enough today to have an opportunity to take a look around the current construction site of the soon to be Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, London.

Many a time have I walked past this construction site and wondered what on earth was going on inside, with the front boarded up and a make shift theatre ticket booth taking its place, it seemed that no one cared enough or was brave enough to do something with this prime location real estate.

About a year ago I started noticing that activity was taking place. There was the innovative circus show called La Clique which housed a short run show here, with great success. They went on to create the new show called La Soiree currently showing at the Big Top on the Southbank. This is a cool new show, I went there a few weeks ago and it’s a fabulously entertaining spin on traditional circus shows.

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Living the Diamond Life at Harrah's - Part 1

15 August 2010

First things first, Harrah’s wants us to disclose that CasinoMan.net and several other important gaming and travel websites had writers invited to a “Live the Diamond Life” event. The writers were provided with flights, rooms, special events and “Total Rewards” credits by Harrah’s PR department. Harrah’s has not dictated how we report on the event or in any way placed any restrictions on what we publish (though we had to abide by rules about shooting inside the casino.

As for my own personal disclosure, I am a small time casino player, who prefers $5 table games and keeping my losses to just $100-200 per night at the casino. So, i’ve never been a considered a high roller or regular at the casino. I have been to Las Vegas about 25 times since 1985, when i stayed at the Riviera while working a booth at COMDEX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COMDEX).

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Slot Machine Superstitions

10 September 2009

Winning at slot machines, land based or online, is mostly just about luck. There are a lot of people however who think otherwise and have spread around many myths and superstitions linked to playing slot machines and the �real’ ways to win, here are just a few to give you a laugh;

Temperature of the coin- some people argue that if you have a really hot or cold coin (there are arguments over which one) then you can get the machine to pay out.

Learn the sequence- one of the biggest myths around slot machines is that you can learn the winning sequence and when they will pay out so that you can then go the same slot machine and wait for the right time in order to hit the jackpot. This is not true and all slot machines have randomised coding that can’t be tricked.

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Folies Bergere at the Tropicana Review

13 October 2008

Fans of Las Vegas, Nevada can agree - there’s a little something for everyone. No matter what you’re into, you can find something to do in Vegas. It’s truly the land of a million options, although most only arrive for one or two. One Vegas attraction that some are unaware of is the Folies Bergere show at the Tropicana.

Critics of the show agree that Folies Bergere is the glamorous spark that takes Las Vegas back to a long-removed golden era. This timeless musical show personifies "sexy" Vegas, and provides classic entertainment that proves to be a much appreciated break from magic and mayhem. The show takes its name from The Folies Bergere, a Parisian music hall which was extremely popular throughout the late 1800s to around 1920. It’s still in business today.

For lovers of all things music, dance and entertainment, Folies Bergere has a seat reserved just for you. It contains all the elements that a great Las Vegas show needs to succeed: singing and dancing, gorgeous scenery, gut-busting comedy, and the cr�me de la cr�me of Las Vegas - the showgirls.

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A little background on the MGM Grand Las Vegas

22 September 2008

The MGM Grand Las Vegas is a hotel/casino located on the Las Vegas Strip. The MGM Grand is truly that, grand. It’s the second largest hotel in the world and the second largest in the U.S. behind The Venetian. MGM Grand is owned and operated by MGM Mirage, a publicly traded company.

The main building is 30 floors and 239 feet high and features five large outdoor pools, waterfalls and rivers, all covering 6.6 acres. It also has a 380,000 square foot convention center; the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Grand Spa, and CBS Television City are all housed on location. And if that’s not enough for you to take in, MGM also has 16 restaurants, two food courts, and one of the largest casinos in Vegas.

Kirk Kerkorian purchased the Marina Hotel in 1990 to obtain the site that would eventually become the home of MGM Grand. During that time, the Marina was commonly known as the MGM-Marina, and the site was closed on November 30, 1991, and the ground was broken on October 7 the same year.

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A casino which refuses to pay a jackpot

17 August 2008

What would you do with a million dollars? It’s a question we’ve all pondered at one time or another. For Aurea Privee, she could smell the sweetness of the bills being fanned in front of her face. She was so close to a million dollars that she could literally taste it. But close only counts in horseshoes, unfortunately, and Privee’s million-dollar dream quickly turned into a poor man’s nightmare.

Aurea Privee walked into the Fiesta Casino in Henderson and started playing the penny video poker machines. The retired Privee had an ongoing relationship with the Fiesta casino; mostly of the give-give variety. Privee played the machines, but rarely won. Privee claims she spent twenty minutes between her regular bingo games dropping her pennies into a video poker machine. After a string of mediocre hands, Privee finally caught the hand of a lifetime.

The buzzers sounded, the coins dropped, and hearts raced as Privee had suddenly hit the one-million dollar and eight-two cent jackpot. Excited to be Nevada’s newest millionaire, Privee was attempting to retrieve her money when an agent from the Nevada Gaming Control Board showed up unexpectedly. Upon "careful" examination, the agent found that the machine’s maximum jackpot was supposedly set at $20,000, $980,000 shy of Privees prize. So, why would a machine set at $20,000 spit out $1,000,000? It’s a question Privee wanted answered.

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Star Trek The Experience is Closing it's Doors

06 August 2008

A sad day sits on the horizon for many Trekkies. Space has never felt this empty. As the Hilton Hotel makes preparations to close down their Star Trek: The Experience site this coming autumn, loyal fans set their phasers to stun and prepare to wage war against the Borg-like fat-cats who decided that this exhibit isn’t popular enough to keep alive. As the stars slowly dim and fade away, Hilton execs are busy working on something to replace the exhibit.

The Experience is a blend of ship simulator, environment, museum, and gift ship/restaurant. It opened up 10 years ago, during the heyday of the Star Trek: The Next Generation movie series.

This exhibit gives fans a change to boldly explore a Trek time-line with a collection of various sci-fi vestiges. After purchasing a ticket that allows for unlimited rides for the day, customers are free to walk through a museum of Star Trek History. You can then explore displays for each of the major alien races from the show/movies, including the Borg, Klingons, and Ferengi.

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The History behind the Bellagio Hotel and Casino

25 June 2008

The Bellagio is an AAA Five-Diamond rated luxury hotel and casino in Las Vegas, located on The Strip. MGM Mirage holds ownership of this luxurious hotel and casino, and it was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.

Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Vegas’ Bellagio is famed for its elegance. One of the most notable features of the Bellagio is an 8-acre artificial lake between the hotel and the Strip, which holds the famous Fountains of Bellagio. The Bellagio has been one of Vegas’ most famous resorts since its inception. It employs approximately 10,000 people, and is visited by millions each year.

The Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn, an American casino resort developer, and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. Wynn is often considered as the man who changed Vegas. In 1989, his first major Strip casino, The Mirage, opened, setting a new standard in Vegas, making immediate history.

With his second project, the 1993 Treasure Island Hotel and Casino, Wynn proved once again that his vision for Vegas was different. The $450 million dollar resort was another instant smash with the public.

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Casino Monte Carlo and the Famous Casino Square

16 June 2008

The Casino Monte Carlo is built for and used by tourists only. In fact, citizens of Monaco are not allowed inside the gaming rooms of the facility. The royal family of Monaco can attend opera and ballet performances, but they do use an alternative entrance.

Other individuals must display a passport and pay the entrance fee before being allowed entrance to the building. Individuals wearing military uniforms are also prohibited from using the facilities of the casino. The casino is arguably the most famous of Monaco’s tourist draws.

The casino complex includes more than just the gambling facility. The Grand Th��tre de Monte Carlo is situated in the complex, as well as the opera and ballet house. The gardens behind the casino offer a glimpse of Bordighera in Italy.

The theater was not part of the original facility, but was added in 1910. The Ballets de Monte Carlo headquarters is also located in the complex. The entire facility is part of the Monte Carlo quarter.

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A Brief Bio on Sheldon Adelson

15 June 2008

Born August 1, 1933, Sheldon Gary Adelson is an American billionaire businessman and property developer. As the third richest person in the United States, Adelson’s net worth of 26-billion dollars has earned this CEO the respect and admiration of millions who wish to follow in his footsteps.

Adelson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., which is the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited, which also operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Adelson’s biggest increase in wealth came when he sold 10% of his casino shares to the public.

Adelson has recently bore the brunt of rumor and scandal. He has come under fire for his involvement with right-wing lobbying groups. The allegations suggest that Adelson has financed several unsuccessful Republican congressional candidates and has attempted to raise as much as $250 million to attack Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

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Who is Sol Kerzner

11 June 2008

Solomon Kerzner was born on August 23rd, 1935. He is best known for being a South African hotel and gambling tycoon. Born in Troyeville, Johannesburg, Kerzner was the youngest of four children. His parents were Jewish Russian immigrants, wishing to capitalize on the times with their entrepreneur spirit.

His family successfully started a hotel chain. After Kerzner graduated as a Chartered Accountant, he took over the running of the hotels and eventually went on to create the most successful hotel group in South Africa: Sun International. Sol Kerzner is currently Chairman of the Board of Kerzner International, which is located on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

Playing off of the Sun City resort success, Kerzner got involved in international hotel and gambling resorts; with his most notable role being the innovative developer behind the famous Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. Kerzner quickly scored a hit with this beautiful resort.

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The World's Largest Casino: The Venetian in Macao

08 June 2008

Out of the thousands of casinos in the world, many often wonder which is the largest. Though America boasts some big casinos in places like Las Vegas and Connecticut, it’s China that tops the list with their monstrous casino, The Venetian.

The Venetian Macao is a casino resort in Macau, China, and is owned by the Las Vegas Sands hotel-casino chain. This 40-story building is set to be the anchor for the 7 resort hotels which are currently under construction on the Cotai Strip in Macau. Modeled after its sister casino in Las Vegas, the Venetian Macao is an astonishing 10,500,000-square-feet, and is the largest single structure building in all of Asia, and third largest in the entire world.

The main hotel tower was finished in the summer of 2007 and the resort officially opened for business in August of the same year. With over 3,000 suites, the Venetian also has 3400 slot machines, 800 gambling tables, and a 15,000 seat arena for sports and entertainment events.

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A Short Travelers Guide to Atlantic City

05 June 2008

If you’re ready for the experience of a lifetime, then pack your bags and get ready to set out to one of the world’s most famous cities. Atlantic City has been known for decades as one of the most exciting places in the USA. It’s most famously known for being the "other" city.

But as any ocean lover will tell you, Las Vegas can be a little too hot and a little too far away from the water. Atlantic City sits just yards off of the Boardwalk, and has some of the best casinos around. AC is the total package.

You get all the great entertainment that Vegas can offer, and you’re guaranteed to save money on room accommodations, food, and much more. Atlantic City is the best resource for sights, hotels, restaurants, casinos and bars.

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A mini-bio on Steve Wynn

30 May 2008

Stephen Alan Wynn was born on January 27th, 1942 in New Haven, Connecticut, and is best known for being an American casino developer. He was thought to be responsible for the efforts of reestablishing Las Vegas in the 90s, spearheading the resurgence and expansion of the Vegas strip.

His companies refurbished and built some of the most widely recognized resorts in Las Vegas to date, such as the Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, and Wynn. Wynn currently lives with his wife in a suite at Wynn Las Vegas, awaiting completion of their Highlands Golf Club home. He has two daughters, Kevyn and Gillian. Wynn suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, which affects his peripheral vision.

Wynn’s father Michael Weinberg ran a host of bingo parlors in the United States. In the late 40s, he changed his name to "Wynn", a marketing strategy and an attempt to counter anti-Jewish bias.

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The oldest casino in Las Vegas, The Golden Gate Casino

21 May 2008

When you’re in Las Vegas, odds are you’re there to gamble. Not many people pay attention to other aspects of Vegas. To stop and look at Vegas as a whole, many would notice that it’s dry, dirty, hot, and extremely expensive.

The euphoric rush which takes over while gambling and partying often blinds individuals to the current state of affairs. But let’s face it, we all love to gamble. And some places in Vegas do have more appeal than others.

Though some people may rather stay in places like the Bellagio and Caesars Palace, the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino really tells the sordid story of Vegas, and people still frequent its small quarters.

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A Brief History of Foxwoods Resort Casino

18 April 2008

Foxwoods Resort Casino is a stunningly beautiful hotel-casino located in Ledyard, Connecticut. It is by far the largest casino in the world, as measured by sheer floor-space for gambling. With 340,000 square feet of gambling space, Foxwoods can hold more people than almost any two other Atlantic City casinos.

The entire resort comprises 4,700,000 square feet of space. The casino area has over 380 gambling tables which include blackjack, craps, poker, and roulette. There are well over 7,400 slot machines, and even a bingo room and keno parlor. There are several restaurants located there, including a Hard Rock Caf�. Foxwoods has 1,416 hotel rooms and a two-story arcade, which is mainly for children and teens.

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The Rise of the Cirque Du Soleil Circus in Las Vegas

10 March 2008

Eight time winner of the Las Vegas Best Production Show for Myst�re, Circque Du Soleil is also winner of several other awards, including four Primetime Emmy Awards, a Bambi Award and three Gemini Awards. The Cirque Du Soleil Circus currently is operating five permanent shows in the city of Las Vegas with plans for three additional Las Vegas productions. Considering that the first of the permanent Las Vegas productions did not open until the year 1993, the phenomenal success of the company is laudable.

Prior to Las Vegas, the company had several years of struggle and financial setbacks. Several times, Cirque Du Soleil (literally Circus of the Sun) narrowly escaped financial ruin. To go from those beginnings to a estimated annual revenue of $600 million. In Las Vegas alone, the existing Cirque Du Soleil performers play to over 9000 people daily. That’s about one in every twenty people who visit the city daily.

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Top Ten Things to Do in Las Vegas

10 March 2008

Dozens of things to do in Las Vegas means there is fun for the entire family not just those with blue hair. Traditionally, Las Vegas is known for a mixed bag of things to do including getting married, getting divorced, gambling and watching a few of the headline entertainers at a floor show. That has all changed now and changed for the better. Here are some tips for enjoying Las Vegas with the entire family:

1. Gamble

A major activity in Las Vegas will always be gambling. Everything from slot machines to World Class Poker Tournaments can be found in the 24 hour day casino hotels.

2. Gambling classes

If you don’t know your way around a deck of cards or a roulette wheel, why not learn as part of your activities in Las Vegas. Most of the large casinos will be happy to enroll you in a class to top off your knowledge of one or more of the games of chance.

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