Online Casino Bonus Codes

LONDON (MarketWatch) — Ethos Private Equity said Tuesday that South Africa’s Gold Reef Resorts Ltd. (GDF.JO) has agreed to a 11.4 billion rand ($1.6 billion) buyout by its consortium, which also includes Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The offer of ZAR34 per share is at a 48.5% premium to the pre-cautionary price of R22.90 as at March 8, 2007 and is one of the largest ever leveraged buyouts in South Africa.
The consortium also includes Gold Reef management and the company’s existing black economic empowerment shareholders, which have a 25.1% stake in the South African gaming and entertainment company.
Ethos said that the buyout is backed by fully committed financing provided by a cluster of banks, including Goldman Sachs and Nedbank Corporate, a division of Nedbank Ltd. (NED.JO).
The transaction is one of very few leveraged buyouts to be completed since the volatility in the credit markets slashed the availability of debt.
Several companies have postponed or pulled sales as the cost of leverage will make it difficult for potential buyers to meet sellers’ earlier price expectations. Some 80.5% of existing shareholders of the company have irrevocably undertaken to accept the offer in respect of their entire shareholdings, subject to no competing offer being received that is at least 10% higher than ZAR34.00 a share.
Gold Reef operates the Gold Reef City Casino and Theme park in Johannesburg and is developing the Silverstar Casino on the West Rand, both in Gauteng Province.
It also operates the Golden Horse Casino in Pietermaritzburg, the Garden Route Casino, the Mykonos Casino at Langebaan, the Goldfields Casino, and has a shareholding in the Queenstown Casino, which is currently under development.
The offer is still subject to certain conditions, which include approval from the relevant Provincial Gambling Boards and the Competition Commission.

No Comments Yet »

SEATTLE (AP) - A hearing is scheduled tomorrow in federal court in Seattle for the son of Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, Jacob Nickels, to change his plea to casino-cheating charges.

The 25-year-old had pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and theft charges in an indictment.

He is accused of accepting $5,000 to enlist a dealer in a false shuffling scam two years ago when he worked as a pit boss at the Nooksack Tribe’s casino in Deming, Whatcom County. The casino-cheating ring is accused of stealing millions of dollars by bribing dealers in seven states.

Earlier this month a card dealer from the Nooksack casino pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge. The dealer, 24-year-old Levi Mayfield, said he was recruited by Jacob Nickels.

Nickels grew up in Seattle and graduated from Garfield High School in 1999. He attended Western Washington University in Bellingham, but didn’t graduate.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

No Comments Yet »

BEIJING: The world’s largest casino space boasting a 50,000 square metres of floor space was opened in Macao, considered as an emerging global gambling centre.

The $ 2.4 billion casino and hotel complex is owned by American billionaire Sheldon Adelson, further boosting the southern Chinese city’s claim to be a major global gambling centre, surpassing even the Las Vegas Strip.

The Venetian boasts what it claims to be the world’s largest gaming space of 50,000 sq metres, housing 3,400 slot machines - with room to expand to 6,000 - and more than 800 gambling tables.

It has 3,000 rooms, a 15,000-seat sports arena, retail space for 350 stores, 108,000 sq metres of convention space, fine dining and a Cirque du Soleil-produced show, the China Daily reported. Its decor aims to replicate the beauty of Venice - with a Chinese touch. Chinese-style sampans as well as gondolas will sail down canals.

The resort also features a replica of Venice’s St Mark’s Square, the report said. Macao, a former Portuguese colony, a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China since December 2000, is the only place in the country where casinos are legal.

This week, a Chinese court in Shanghai, sentenced a South Korean national to two years in prison for running an illegal on-line casino.

No Comments Yet »

Red Lounge online casino has received the best Google rating for highest payout games.

Payout is the main emphasis of the Red Lounge’s promotions. New players get a £50 bonus once they sign up, and for the rest of the summer regular players get 15 percent off and VIP’s receive 20 percent off. It doesn’t matter how much players have won, 15-20 percent of the sum they have lost will be automatically transferred back to their account every Wednesday of every week for the rest of the summer.

Most of the games at Red Lounge casino focus on payouts. Its blackjack games for example, have been rated the best payouts by Inside Edge magazine, and Double Exposure 21 has 99.74 percent payout.

The casino’s Baccarat is also on the hot list as one of the best payouts of its kind and is currently offering players 4 percent commissions, combined with 9 to 1 payouts.

Red Lounge is always looking for new players and its policy is exclusively targeted to satisfy the needs of all its customers. The company’s generous payouts are combined with its exceptional customer service and one of the best graphics among online casinos.

No Comments Yet »

A Sunday morning tradition turned into a windfall of winnings for 55-year-old Vallejo man John Wendler and his wife Judy.
“We like to go to breakfast on Sunday mornings, and I gave her a choice,” said the automobile technician. “Did she want to go to breakfast in Berkeley, or to Cache Creek? The salmon BLT sandwich is a treat for us at the casino. Judy chose to go to Cache Creek - thank God she did!”

That’s because Wendler was treated to more than just a great breakfast. He won the first and largest Super Cache Fever Jackpot ever, receiving a check for $225,000.

“I saw the sign for the Super Cache Fever Jackpot when we first walked in,” said Wendler. “I just thought, ’some lucky dog will get it.’ I never figured it would be me!”

The big winner said it was hard to believe he actually won.

“All of a sudden the machine just quit, I thought the doggone thing was broke!” said Wendler. “I just about died when I found out I was the winner. I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, fall on the floor or what!”

The couple, who have been married for 23 years, say they plan to use their winnings to pay off their mortgage. Judy also plans to travel with her girlfriends on a cruise this October.

And there’s one more tradition they’re going to keep.

“We’ll be at Cache Creek this Sunday morning again,” said Wendler. “We have a tradition that if we do well at the casino, we will treat ourselves to an ice cream. We were so excited about the win that we forgot it - so we have to go back to get our winning ice cream!”

“Cache Creek Casino Resort and the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians would like to congratulate Mr. Wendler and his wife on their good fortune,” said Mike Leonard, vice president of marketing at Cache Creek. “We hope that this jackpot can do some wonderful things for their family.”

Super Cache Fever Jackpots are promotional payouts available on all slot machines, any denomination, at Cache Creek Casino Resort. The promotion is for a limited time and started July 23. The Super Cache Fever Jackpots start at $100,000 and are guaranteed to hit by $300,000.

Cache Creek is Northern California’s only casino resort. It operates 3,100 slot machines and 142 table games throughout its 100,000-square-foot facility.

No Comments Yet »

BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI –Casino employees and those who aspire to work in the industry have just over a week to enroll in the fall semester of casino courses to help them advance or secure a job.

Similar to employees in any large corporation, “A lot of managers are finding out to get to the next level they’ve got to have a college degree,” said Alan Silver, director of Casino Resort Studies at Tulane University. Casinos are recruiting the best and brightest people, he said, and many Coast casinos offer tuition reimbursement and flexible schedules to employees enrolled in college.

Professor Tony Hawthorne, chairman of Tourism Management at the University of Southern Mississippi, said the university makes it convenient for casino employees to take college courses. Three of their classes meet just once a week in the later afternoon or evening and the fourth is an online course that students complete at their convenience.

Scholarships are available in casino studies at both universities. Classes start at Southern Miss today and at Tulane on Aug. 29, but registration for both is open until Labor Day.

This month Tulane signed a 2+2 agreement with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College that allows students to transfer all their credits in the hotel and resort management program, up to a maximum of 60, directly to Tulane. There they will earn an additional 60 credits toward their bachelor’s degree, studying with instructors “who have years of experience in the industry and also advanced degrees,” said Silver.

“We think it’s certainly a very beneficial program for everyone,” said Assistant Dean Rosaria Guastella.

Seth Diamond is studying at Tulane’s Edgewater Mall Campus in Biloxi while working as director of food and beverage at Boomtown Casino Biloxi. Although he finds it challenging to schedule work and school, Diamond said his employer, Penn National Gaming, is pro-education and his professors at Tulane are reasonable with their requirements.

“The gaming industry has been very good to me and my family,” said Diamond, who started in the casino business 20 years ago. His college courses give him insight into casino operations beyond food and beverage, he said, and provide future opportunities.

This fall’s classes are the first to meet at the Long Beach campus of Southern Miss since it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The university received state permission to offer the program right before the storm, and Hawthorne said, “This is the first time we’re offering a full slate of courses.”

Students can transfer their credits from any of the state’s junior colleges. The program is part of the Business Administration Department and all students get a strong business background, taking core classes in computers and marketing. Among the instructors is David Paster, who for years was a consultant to the casino industry in Las Vegas.

The students can benefit from the partnerships and internships being formed between the Coast casino industry and the universities. Casino executives have gone into the classroom and online to share their knowledge and their enthusiasm for the industry.

No Comments Yet »

Two Members of America’s House of Representatives have published an editorial in the New York Post newspaper outlining why they believe in regulating online casinos rather than banning them.

Representatives Steve Israel, a Democrat, and Republican Pete King were original co-signers of Barney Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA), House of Representatives Bill 2046, and said that the Treasury Department is in charge of a number of jobs, including protecting the President, investigating counterfeit money and tracking terrorist financing and should not be made to look after the ban on online casinos.

The Treasury Department is now being asked ‘to spend their time and resources going after something far more trivial, people who play cards from their home computers’, the two Long Island Representatives wrote.

The article, Web Gambling: Tax, Don’t Ban, even pointed out that ‘years ago, the Treasury’s Secret Service agents used to help Harry Truman put poker games together in the White House. Now they’d be locking him up. Frankly, Federal law-enforcement officials have bigger fish to fry’, the Congressmen affirmed.

Frank’s Bill would see online gambling licensed and regulated by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and exempt from the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) with players having to pay tax.

‘Simply taxing web betting would generate significant revenues that could be used for a variety of domestic priorities,’ the duo pointed out.

As US residents will always find ways to gamble online, Israel and King said that the ban is misdirected and unenforceable and, ironically, leads to an increase in the unprotected environments that UIGEA claimed to address.

This is because, the two claim, a bans pushes businesses into the hands of ‘scam artists and grey market entrepreneurs’ based in unregulated offshore locations.

The piece ends by saying, ‘In the end, there is the question of how much we want Government to be involved in our private lives. For many, playing poker with friends on the Internet is a way to unwind at the end of the day. Technology aside, web gambling isn’t so different than the way Americans have relaxed and enjoyed the company of friends for decades.’

No Comments Yet »

One of online gaming’s most recognisable brand names PartyGaming, has seen its shares crash to their lowest price since the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in September 2006, forced the company out of the US market.

PartyGaming’s stock price fell to 27 pence (54¢ US) at yesterday’s close of business, equalling its previous lowest price which came 10 days after President Bush put pen to paper on the Safe Port Act, which also contained the UIGEA.

The company’s stock had initially floated at 122.75 pence on June 27, 2005, peaking at 173.50 pence two months later. However, the loss of the North American arm of its business proved to be a critical one, leaving its shares to a gradual decline, which has resulted in yesterday’s low.

Courtesy of http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/

No Comments Yet »

Kansas City Business Journal - 9:41 AM CDT Monday, August 13, 2007
Print this Article Email this Article Reprints RSS Feeds Most Viewed Most Emailed
The Kansas City area’s four casinos posted higher revenue despite fewer customers in July compared with the same month last year, the Missouri Gaming Commission reported.

The Kansas City market as a whole reported revenue of $62 million in July, up 2.2 percent from $60.7 million last year, the agency said in a release Friday.

The market’s customer count was 947,976 in July, down 6 percent from 1.01 million last year.

Argosy Casino reported revenue of $15.5 million in July, up 12.7 percent from $13.8 million last year. The casino had 216,542 customers, up 8.5 percent from 199,582 last year.

Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino & Hotel had revenue of $17.6 million, up 2.6 percent from $17.2 million last year. The casino had 258,588 customers, down 10 percent from 287,297 last year.

Market leader Ameristar Casino & Hotel Kansas City reported revenue of $21.9 million, down less than 1 percent from $22.1 million last year. The casino had 331,946 customers, down 4.3 percent from 346,981 last year.

Isle of Capri Casino Kansas City had revenue of $7 million, down 9 percent from $7.6 million last year. The casino had 140,900 customers, down 19 percent from 174,376 last year.

No Comments Yet »

Delivers a Gaming Experience Unlike Any Other Currently Found in Chicagoland, Indiana or Michigan
August 02, 2007: 08:00 AM EST

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is pleased to announce the grand opening of its Four Winds Casino Resort, which sets a new standard for gaming in the Midwest. Paying homage to the heritage of the Pokagon Band, the Four Winds Casino Resort is situated on a beautiful landscape off of I-94 at Michigan Exit 1 in New Buffalo, Mich. and offers 130,000 square feet of gaming space including 3,000 slot machines and 100 table games. It also features a 165-room suite-hotel, six restaurants, entertainment bars and retail shops. The doors will open to the public at noon on August 2nd.

“This is a proud day for members of the Pokagon Band,” said John Miller, chairman of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, and president and CEO of the Pokagon Band Gaming Authority. “On behalf of the Pokagon Band, I would like to thank the members of our Tribal Council, members of the Pokagon community and Lakes Entertainment for helping to make this vision a reality.”

“It’s an absolutely spectacular property. It has the look of a Northwoods lodge with all the amenities of a modern casino,” said Matt Harkness, General Manager, Four Winds Casino Resort. “Our staff will offer a level of guest service that has not been seen before in the region. We encourage everyone to come out and experience the difference.”

Upon entering Four Winds from its main entrance, guests enter an expansive rotunda which includes two stunning fireplaces. These fireplaces pay tribute to the Potawatomi Indians, who are known as the “Keepers of the Fire.” Over the course of the next year, renowned Native American artist Mike Larson will paint four murals in the rotunda that symbolize significant moments of Pokagon Band history. Materials such as copper, cedarwood and stone can be found throughout the property, which are utilized in many tribal ceremonies.

Players of all games are encouraged to join The W Club, the ultimate player loyalty club, offering greater flexibility and control of earned points and complimentaries. Club members are also entitled to exclusive slot jackpots. Unique to Four Winds Casino Resort is the Midwest’s only World Poker Tour® Poker Room, where players have a chance to participate in special promotions with a chance to win a seat at a World Poker Tour satellite event, valued at $10,000. The room holds 19 PokerPro® tables with seating for up to 158 people at a time.

In addition to its gaming attractions, the Four Winds Casino Resort also offers six restaurants including Swimm, a gourmet seafood restaurant and The Copper Rock Steakhouse, a white table cloth gourmet dining experience. Other restaurants include The Willowbrook Café, serving comfort food in a relaxed and casual twenty-four hour environment, Timbers Fast Food and Deli, conveniently situated to offer a view of the casino floor and The Buffet, with seating for up to 500 people. The property is also home to Silver Creek Bistro, a cafe serving a full line of Starbucks® products as well as an eclectic variety of fresh pastries, artisan sandwiches and specialty salads.

“If the Four Winds Casino Resort were located in Las Vegas, it would be the second largest casino in terms of gaming positions,” said Lyle Berman, CEO, Lakes Entertainment (NASDAQ: LACO), which was retained by the Pokagon Band to develop and manage the property. “It offers a full complement of slot machines, including progressive slots linked to other Native American casinos, ensuring the highest jackpots in the region. Also featured are approximately 100 table games including Blackjack, Craps, No Way Craps, Three Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Crazy Four, Let It Ride, Mini and Midi Baccarat, Rapid Roulette and Roulette. We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the Pokagon Band on this first class property.”

Players at Four Winds can also experience the excitement of three entirely new categories of slot game play from Chicago-based WMS Gaming. Slots such as Monopoly Big Event, Top Gun and Super Money Grab provide unique player experiences and represent the next-generation in casino entertainment. In addition, WMS is supplying dozens of other favorites at Four Winds including Life of Luxury, Hot Hot Super Jackpot and Hot Hot Penny.

Connected to the casino is a 165-room, suite-hotel featuring some unique amenities. Every room features granite counter tops, leather wrapped headboards, a flat screen high-definition television, and complimentary Starbucks coffee. There are 98 suites available at Four Winds which include the Junior, Deluxe and Celebrity Suites, and feature curved walk-in showers, whirlpool jets and a wet bar with refrigerator and microwave. The six Celebrity Suites are created in three distinct themes, the Chicago Suites, the Harbor Suites and the Dunes Suites. They feature 60-inch high-definition TVs complete with five-speaker surround sound, which provides the best in audio visual entertainment.

The hotel lobby, designated hotel rooms, certain areas of the gaming floor and the poker room are non-smoking. Retail outlets include the Four Winds Outfitters as well as a jewelry and sports memorabilia store. Hourly child care services are available in Kids Quest, a supervised child care center for children six weeks to 12 years-old, as well as Cyber Quest, a supervised arcade for older kids. Complimentary parking is available through the casino’s valet and in the outdoor lot or in the enclosed parking garage, which is connected to the property. Guests must be 21 years or older to gamble.

A portion of funds generated by Four Winds Casino Resort will be donated to a Michigan non-profit corporation, The Pokagon Fund. The mission of The Pokagon Fund is to benefit communities surrounding Pokagon Band trust land, where the Band is now conducting Class 3 gaming as defined in the Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), and the New Buffalo region. Contributions can be made to support government, charities, school districts, non-profit and non-governmental organizations.

For more information and to make reservations, please call 1-866-4WINDS1 or visit www.fourwindscasino.com.

About Four Winds Casino Resort

Four Winds Casino Resort is owned by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians and is located at 11111 Wilson Road in New Buffalo, Mich. Managed by Lakes Entertainment, Inc., the resort offers 130,000 square feet of gaming with 3,000 slot machines and 100 table games including poker. It also features six restaurants, entertainment bars and retail venues, and a 165-room suite hotel, making it a premier destination resort for Midwest tourism. More information can be found at www.fourwindscasino.com.

About The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ Tribal Recognition was restored and signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Tribe’s ten county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northwestern Indiana. The Pokagon Band provides services including housing, education, family services, medical care and cultural preservation to approximately 3,150 members of the tribe. The Tribe’s administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, Mich. More information is available at http://www.pokagon.com.

About Lakes Entertainment

Lakes Entertainment, Inc. currently has development and management agreements with five separate Tribes for casino operations in Michigan, California, and Oklahoma, for a total of eight separate casino sites. In addition, Lakes has announced plans to develop a company owned casino resort project in Vicksburg, Miss. The Company also owns approximately 61 percent of WPT Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ: WPTE), a separate publicly held media and entertainment company principally engaged in the development, production and marketing of gaming themed televised programming including the World Poker Tour® television series, the development and operation of an online gaming website, the licensing and sale of branded consumer products and the sale of corporate sponsorships. More information is available at http://lakesentertainment.com.

Media Contacts:
Joshua Taustein
Dresner Corporate Services
312-780-7219
jtaustein@dresnerco.com
David Gutierrez
Dresner Corporate Services
312-780-7204
dgutierrez@dresnerco.com

No Comments Yet »