Osiris, the little green alien, is back and ready to use his extra-spectacularly technological skills to give birthday cakes the ability to turn Preteens into Teens! Let your Teens have their first awkward kiss, find a serious date or hang out in the park. Since launch there has been over 16 million cakes baked to grow Babies into Toddlers and then on to Preteens – now that’s a lot of cake!

Now you can hit the books at Sim Town High and earn rewards on the way to becoming an A+++ student. Plus, coming Mid-November Simmers will also be able to live a life of fame and fortune by becoming a Teen Idol where you can compose songs on the new keyboard, bass guitar, drum, electric guitar and microphone. Sign autographs, take photos and make other Teens swoon – all perks of being famous.

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Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Giveaway

It is 1715. Pirates rule the Caribbean and have established a lawless pirate republic. Among these outlaws is a fearsome young captain named Edward Kenway. His exploits earn the respect of pirate legends like Blackbeard, but draw him into an ancient war that may destroy everything the pirates have built.

Key Game Features

A BRASH REBEL ASSASSIN

Become Edward Kenway, a charismatic yet brutal pirate captain, trained by Assassins. Edward can effortlessly switch between the Hidden Blade of the Assassin’s Order and all new weaponry including four flintlock pistols and dual cutlass swords.

EXPLORE AN OPEN WORLD FILLED WITH OPPORTUNITIES

Discover the most diverse Assassin’s Creed® world ever created. From Kingston to Nassau, explore 50 unique locations where you can live the life of a pirate including:

Loot underwater shipwrecks

Assassinate enemies in blossoming cities

Hunt for rare animals in untamed jungles

Search for treasure in lost ruins

Escape to hidden coves

assassins creed 4 black flag

BECOME THE MOST FEARED PIRATE IN THE CARIBBEAN

Command your ship, the Jackdaw, and strike fear in all who see her. Plunder and pillage to upgrade the Jackdaw with ammunition and equipment needed to fight off enemy ships. The ship’s improvements are critical to Edward’s progression through the game. Attack and seamlessly board massive galleons, recruit sailors to join your crew and embark on an epic and infamous adventure.

EXPERIENCE THE GRITTY REALITY BEHIND THE PIRATE FANTASY

Stand amongst legendary names such as Blackbeard and Benjamin Hornigold, as you establish a lawless Republic in the Bahamas and relive the truly explosive events that defined the Golden Age of Pirates.

MULTIPLAYER EXPERIENCE

Play with your friends in the ruthless and critically acclaimed multiplayer experience. Choose from an eclectic cast of characters from the Golden Age of Pirates and fight to the death in exotic locations.

EXPLORE AN OPEN WORLD FILLED WITH OPPORTUNITIES: Discover the most diverse Assassin’s Creed world ever created. From Kingston to Nassau, explore 50 unique locations where you can live the life of a pirate.

BECOME THE MOST FEARED PIRATE IN THE CARIBBEAN: Command your ship, the Jackdaw, and strike fear in all who see her. Plunder and pillage to upgrade the Jackdaw with ammunition and equipment needed to fight off enemy ships.

MULTIPLAYER EXPERIENCE: Play with your friends in the ruthless and critically acclaimed multiplayer experience. Choose from an eclectic cast of characters from the Golden Age of Pirates and fight to the death in exotic locations.

A BRASH REBEL ASSASSIN: Become Edward Kenway, a charismatic yet brutal pirate captain, trained by Assassins. Edward can effortlessly switch between the Hidden Blade of the Assassin’s Order and all new weaponry including four flintock pistols and dual cutlass swords.

EXPERIENCE THE GRITTY REALITY BEHIND THE PIRATE FANTASY: Stand amongst legendary names such as Blackbeard and Benjamin Hornigold, as you establish a lawless Republic in the Bahamas and relive the truly explosive events that defined the Golden Age of Pirates.

 …

Internet Wire – Jackpot Madness announces that the 65-casino network has exceeded a record-smashing $40,000,000 in total jackpot payouts. This milestone was achieved exactly one year after the gaming portal was launched in September 2000.

“No other gaming network has approached anywhere close to $40,000,000 in payouts. This milestone was achieved just one year after introducing the portal, making for a very happy birthday celebration for the over one thousand progressives winners who hit jackpots this past year,” said Marilyn Glazier, press agent for Jackpotmadness.com.

The win that pushed the payout total over the forty million dollar milestone was a $58,683.68 jackpot on the site’s newest multi-line progressive, Treasure Nile. This is the second big jackpot win for First Web Casino player, Peggy L. who recently hit a $16,757.88 jackpot playing the casino’s Cash Splash progressive slot.

“We congratulate Peggy on her second big win, and look forward to seeing her name again on our rapidly growing list of multiple jackpot winners. With the new portal launch next week, developed to house the new progressive games and highlight the extremely popular winners’ testimonials, we expect these huge numbers to multiply even faster.”

The newest member of the Jackpot Madness family is the Treasure Nile progressive, the Internet’s first nine-line payout progressive slot. Launched just a month and a half ago, Treasure Nile has already paid out $1,515.684.90, including the biggest jackpot ever won online: $389,843.85 to Lucky Nugget player Olivier C.

Jackpot Madness awarded an unprecedented $3,152,918.09 in Judi Mpo Slot jackpots to 85 thrilled players during the month of August alone, and this number is increasing monthly.

Aspinalls Offers $15k Travel Giveaway

from Aspinalls.com – If you had the choice of any vacation what would it be? Scuba diving in the South Pacific? Skiing in the Canadian Rockies? Or simply taking it easy on a deserted island?

Imagine having a $15,000 travel budget to spend on your dream vacation and a personal adviser to help you realise your travel dreams. Well, this dream will come true for someone with the “Aspinalls.com Dream Ticket” prize draw.

Aspinalls.com, one of the world’s great casino names and the first online-only casino business to be publicly traded, has unveiled the unique “Aspinalls.com Dream Ticket” prize draw. The competition is open to all new members of Aspinalls.com who deposit and play $50 before September 19, 2001.

The winning new member will receive $15,000 to spend on any travel over a period of up to five years. Whether it be trains, planes and automobiles, villas or excursions, it’s the winner’s choice. They can spend as little or as much as they choose at any given time.

Until September 19th, all new members who register and download the Aspinalls.com software and deposit and play $50 will automatically be entered into the “Aspinalls.com Dream Ticket” prize draw. Potential players simply need to log on to Aspinalls.com, download the Caribbean or London Casino and register for free membership. The software can be downloaded directly from the site or installed from a free CD-ROM, and the process takes just a few minutes.

Russell Foreman, CEO of Aspinalls Online plc, said, “Over the past 40 years Aspinalls has built a reputation for trust, security and unrivalled customer service. Consequently, we at Aspinalls.com are committed to providing our members with the ultimate online gaming experience. We offer levels of comfort and security that cannot be surpassed in the online environment.”

 …

The following are American jurisdictions having recent activity concerning legal gambling.

* – States and territories with gaming devices are marked with an asterisk: *

! – States with at least one casino (defined as having both banking card games and slot-like machines) are marked with an exclamation point: !

UNITED STATES – Interior Secretary Gale Norton told Congress she needs time to decide whether to implement regulations proposed by former Secretary Bruce Babbitt, which would give this federal official power to approve tribal casinos over a state’s objections. Florida and Alabama had sued Babbitt, and bills to explicitly give or to take away the secretary’s power have failed to pass both houses. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission has come and gone and been forgotten; its Final Report was filled with factual errors. One bill (Kyl) to prohibit Internet gambling, with many exemptions for state-licensed gaming, passed the Senate & another (Goodlatte) passed House committees, but both failed to get two-thirds majority in the House. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled federal laws against casino broadcast commercials were unconstitutional; state prohibitions may still be valid. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has so far stopped bills to outlaw legal sports betting.

* ALABAMA – The Seminole case began when the Poarch Band of Creek Indians sued the state because the Governor refused to negotiate for casinos. The U.S. Supreme Court: 1) ruled a state could not be sued without its consent, but 2) refused to decide whether the Secretary of the Interior could make the gaming regulations, leaving tribes and states in limbo. The tribe is operating gaming devices in a bingo hall, while the court fights continue. The state allows slot-like machines in kiddie arcades. Dog tracks and adult arcades have put in machines which pay out coupons. A state judge ruled and Atty. Gen. Bill Pryor opined these are illegal slots; suits are pending. A federal judge has cleared the way for Casino Malaysia authorities to ban video arcades in Jefferson County. A proposal to give the state’s four moribund dog tracks true video poker machines has been reintroduced, but appears to be dead. Gov. Fob James, Jr. (R) opposed a State Lottery and lost reelection to Don Siegelman (D) in Nov. 1998. But an unprecedented mobilization of religious organizations throughout the country defeated a constitutional amendment to allow a State Lottery at the polls in Oct. 1999.

ALASKA – Casinos are prohibited by state law. Proposals to allow cruise ship gaming and the Klawock band of Tlingit Indians to open a full casino on remote Prince of Wales Island have gone nowhere.

!* ARIZONA – In July 2001, federal Judge Robert C. Broomfield issued a 121-page opinion, agreeing with the state’s three racetracks that the Legislature unlawfully gave the Governor a “blank check” to sign future compacts, and that the state does not allow blackjack, keno or slots. He ordered Gov. Jane Hull not to enter into any new compacts. (Gov. Hull and the state’s 17 gaming tribes were renegotiating, looking at a cap of 14,675 slots statewide and a 7% revenue sharing with the state.) Former governors signed compacts for casinos with slots (which remain open while the case is on appeal) because an Attorney General had ruled charities may run casino games. Judge Broomfield is wrong, mainly because the voters approved a standard form tribal compact. Former-Gov. Symington signed compacts with 16 tribes, but, misreading the federal Ninth Circuit’s opinion in Rumsey, refused to sign any more. In Nov. 1996, voters approved the “Fairness Initiative,” requiring the state to negotiate compacts with the remaining five tribes — the first time in American history a state voted to allow new high-stakes casinos in the face of active opposition. In 2000, the Legislature authorized the governor to renegotiate the compacts (they begin to expire in 2003), but imposed requirements, including that compacts must: set guidelines on ATMs and credit card use; require casinos to post the Arizona Lottery’s problem gambling hotline number; prohibit advertising to minors; and establish a voluntary self-ban procedure for problem gamblers. The Legislature and Governor also approved raising the gambling age from 18 to 21 for all wagers, including tribal casinos.

 …

Orbital offers players the impressive choice of 39 download or no-download Flash games, in addition to Jackpot Madness progressive slots jackpots like Cash Splash, Fruit Fiesta and LotsaLoot.

In addition to the great selection of games, Orbital has a free $110 bonus. You’ll get $10 free on sign-up and a 100% bonus up to $100. Players can track their wagers with PlayCheck and financial transactions with CashCheck.

Orbital accepts FirePay, PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, ACH, and wire transfer, and the casino has 24/7 support. Payouts are reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Sands of the Caribbean

Sands of the Caribbean offers the choice of a Lite- or full version of the casino download package, with the option of adding games later on.

Players will find all their favorites at Sands of the Caribbean, as well as the Jackpot Mania progressive slots jackpots. The Spice Island Poker jackpot is more than $186,000 and Rags to Riches will pass through $150,000 before long, so be sure to check it out.

Sands also has some excellent bonuses. Deposit $100 and get $50 every month or earn a 10% bonus for wire transfers, money orders, and certified checks. There’s also a $20 referral bonus, in addition to four $25 winners randomly drawn each week and 10 $100 monthly draw winners.

Last but not least, the casino is giving away free cell phones to new members.

Colosseum Casino

Players can get up to $100 at Colosseum. Earn $10 free on sign-up with no purchase required, along with a 100% match bonus up to $70 and a $20 bonus if your initial purchase at Colosseum is made with FirePay or PayPal.

That’s not all. There’s a 10% bonus on all ACH or Western Union purchases over $100, and a chance to win $10,000 in the PayPal lottery.

Colosseum hosts the Jackpot Madness progressive slots jackpots and payouts are reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers. The casino is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission.

The Latest Online Gambling News Headlines

Here are a few items that made the news over the past week.

From the ‘watch where you bet’ files: A U.S. teenager has agreed to return some of the $900,000 he allegedly made running an online sports betting scam.

Federal securities regulators in the States believe the 17-year-old bilked investors of more than $1 million through his Invest Better 2001 web site and bulletin board.

The teen promised risk-free investments for people who gave him their savings, and guaranteed returns of 125 percent to 2,500 percent. This money was then bet on sporting events through a Costa Rican sports betting site.

Down in the South Pacific, Vanuatu Internet Data Centre Togel Hongkong has announced that it will be launching a Sammy Davis Jr.-branded online casino.

Davis, who was a member of the legendary Rat Pack, died in 1990 but his wife signed a licensing agreement with marketers The LaRoda Group and Gaming & Entertainment Technology Inc. that allows them to use his likeness for the site.

The casino is expected to open in March. U.S. residents will not be able to make real-money bets, but will be able to collect points redeemable for Sammy Davis Jr. memorabilia.

The big news of the past week was William Hill’s decision to block U.S. customers from making bets on its sportsbook after January 31.

The company has said that it will no longer be taking sports bets from America because of the 1961 Wire Act’s ban on placing these types of wagers over telephone lines.

U.S. players will be able to withdraw money from their accounts after January 31 but will not be able to place bets or deposit money. They will, however, still be able to make bets at the William Hill online casino. Bettors in other parts of the world remain unaffected.

 …

Another season of baseball’s cross-league mixer has come to an end and I thought it would be interesting to discuss the results from both a statistical and a financial point-of-view.

First, a little background. For roughly a century, the American League and the National League played their regular season games oblivious of each other. The only time teams from the two leagues would see each other in a meaningful game would be during the World Series. But five years ago, baseball decided to add a handful of Interleague games to the schedule each season to help sell tickets.

Purists screamed and argued that the integrity of the game was at stake but I think the numerous work stoppages and outrageous salaries have taken care of that. I agree that interesting geographical World Series match-ups such as St Louis-Kansas City (“I-70 Series” in 1985), Oakland-San Francisco (“Bay Bridge Series” in 1989), or Yankees-Mets (“Subway Series” in 2000) lose some significance because the teams have met but I feel that this pales in comparison to the fact that a fan in Seattle would otherwise never gets to see great players like Bonds or Maddux and the fan in Atlanta wouldn’t get to see A-Rod or Clemens. Another good result is that the World Series should be slightly more competitive as the visiting teams will have a little more practice playing by the other league’s rules come October.

The schedule is still a mess as there are more NL teams, the Togel Hongkong divisions are different sizes and the league wants to promote geographic rivals every year. However, the concept is good and lots of tickets are being sold so it isn’t going away anytime soon. These games represent roughly 10% of the schedule so as a bettor it is worth your while to spend some time doing a little extra research.

I haven’t compiled the data for past years but I did spend a little time going through this year’s results and here are a few details.

NL won this year 129-122 (51.4%)

Home teams were 130-121 (51.8%)

NL at home was 67-59 (53.2%)

AL at home was 63-62 (50.4%)

In other words, there was absolutely nothing very remarkable about the stats from this season. However, I did find it interesting that home teams had a lower win percentage during Interleague play than for all other games (55.2%). AL teams should benefit from carrying an everyday DH on the roster when playing at home and NL teams should benefit from the fact that their pitchers bat all the time (among other advantages) but it didn’t seem to be the case this year.

Interleague play proved to be good for the House as it finished up more profitable than the regular schedule and the failure of the home teams to produce may be the key. According to Kent, BoDog’s top bookmaker “We always see a slight drop-off in baseball handle when Interleague play rolls around. During the first couple of days we see as much as a 30% reduction but by the time the last Interleague games roll around, the bettors have a better feel and handle is restored. We did very well on Interleague play this year including a monster win when the Tigers went into Arizona and beat Schilling with a winless rookie pitcher making only his second start.”

For the record that was Mike Maroth pitching Detroit to a 6-3 victory on June 14th. Not only did he hand Schilling (a -350 favorite) just his second loss against 12 wins, but he even managed to get a base hit. Oh the joys of Interleague baseball.

One other interesting fact is that good teams seem to do even better during Interleague play. AL teams that currently sport winning records were 64-44 (59.3%) while winning NL teams were 78-54 (59.1%). It looks like the quality of the team may be more important than home field advantage for this portion of the schedule.

I also asked Kent for his view on the World Cup. “Overall, handle was much bigger than I anticipated it would be considering the start times were in the middle of the night for a North American audience. It seems that the game started to grow on our players as we had 7 or 8 times the handle on the final game as we did on the first big games. We didn’t make much money on the games overall but hopefully there will be other dividends down the road such as increased handle on MLS, Premiership, Serie A and Champion’s League soccer as American fans may be more interested and now have some experience in betting on the sport.”

I would like to wish everyone an especially happy and safe Fourth of July this year and as always, I welcome your comments, questions or suggestions via email at rob@bodog.com

I would also like to thank the many people who took time out of their busy schedules to meet with the BoDog team on our recent tour of Las Vegas including Jimmy Vacarro, Jim Feist, Doc Sports, Big Al McMordie, Bryan Leonard, Don Best Sports, Bettorsworld, Superior Sports and our good friend Buzz Daly.

 …

We asked several Internet gambling gurus, “What’s the best advice you would give to an online gambler?” Here are their responses.

Mark Balestra, Author: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Online Gambling

“Never EVER lose sight of the fact that you’re playing with real money. And if you have problems controlling your spending, stop playing. Period.”

Spearmaster: Got2Bet.com

“Patience, patience, patience. Patience because getting paid your winnings takes time. Patience because you should only gamble for entertainment – not because you want to chase losses. Patience because you need to spend time looking for a suitable casino – and not jump in the deep end. Take your time – select a good casino, choose only games which you understand the strategies for, and be patient while playing and while waiting for winnings.”

Rick Jessup: GamingJackpots.com

“Know your limits. Gambling is entertainment, not employment. If you’re down, cool off for the night. If you’re up, tuck your original deposit away and bet the winnings.”

Michael Shackleford: The Wizard of Odds

“Choose where you play carefully. Good Internet casinos are those that play fairly and pay winners timely and without having to be nagged. I don’t want to name any casinos in particular but the bulletin boards are a good way to know which ones to avoid. Signs of a good casino are toll free phone support, a professional looking web site, access to historical play records, and an independent auditor to verify payouts and/or randomness.”

Bill Haywood: RGE21.com

“If you are playing the bonuses, give 10-20x the deposit in action (and with healthy sized bets). It really does not eat up that much of the edge. You’ll lose the full deposit from time to time, but collect more at the places you do win. Saves hassles.”

Eric Morris, Publisher: Gambling Online Magazine

“The best tip I could give is to only play with a site that you have researched, has a customer service telephone number, and advertises both off and online. Generally, if a site advertises both on and offline, they will have the money to pay out winnings.”

Bryan Bailey: Casinomeister.com

“Do your research and stick with the IDN Slot casinos that are here for the long haul. Stay loyal. Participate in their promos, but at times make an occasional bonus-free deposit. These are businesses that appreciate player loyalty, and the good ones will usually provide incentives to keep you happy.”

GOM Forms Alliance with YourTeller

Gambling Online Magazine would like to announce a new strategic alliance between online gamings largest print publication and YourTeller, the newest and safest means for merchants and users to clear all credit card transactions. Gambling Online Magazine will be distributing copies of the magazine, for free, to the top YourTeller account holders. We strongly recommend that you take the time not only to review the documentation below, but as well, contact YourTeller at Sales@YourTeller.com. Please be sure to mention code GOM for special promotions. For advertising rates, please contact Eric Morris at emorris@hhcus.com or (770)422-3225 ext. 225.

YourTeller is for merchants to receive and pay out funds safely and quickly. YourTeller provides merchants and users with their own offshore bank accounts. Despite the “7995” code on credit card and other financial transactions, we CAN process the payment. We ARE the solution to the gaming industries current problems. Please email Sales@YourTeller.com for more information.

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 …

Utilization of the table games dealer in a role more fitting for today’s casino.

With the changing of the gaming business, a business that has evolved from a strictly provincial entity to a national business, the role of the dealer has changed drastically. Lets face it, even the name has changed…When was the last time one of us said they were in the GAMBLING business? How many times have we all said we are now in the entertainment business now?

Well, if we are “ The complete entertainment package” as we are so kindly advertised as, this article is going to address the prime table game entertainer, THE DEALER.

We are going to look at the role of the casino dealer, how it has evolved from the early days of gaming to today. The role of the casino dealer has changed dramatically over the years, especially in the last decade. Not technically but in expected behavior.

The topic here is the Casino Dealer as entertainer. What exactly do we mean when we say the dealer has to entertain the customers? Am I saying that the dealer has to sing and dance for the customer? Dress the dealers in Elvis outfits or celebrity look-alike outfits?

Well in some venues this may not be a bad idea, that is not what I am selling here. The ป๊อกเด้ง ไฮโล dealer as entertainer is not singing nor dancing but more of a mind set for these employees. Dealers are entertainers and in essence the stage is the casino floor. Dealers in our casinos must be more in tune with role playing, scripting, communication and even body language training, all designed to keep the customer more entertained with the table game experience.

Relate our casinos to a Broadway play or a movie. The similarities are striking. Movies have a theme or a story they tell, casinos do also. Look at your casino’s mission statement. Movies put out trailers and advertisements to pace people into their movies. Casinos do the same. Our advertisements lead and pace customers into our casinos. Broadway has a stage where the performers tell the story. The casino floor is the stage where our actors, especially in table games, are the performers.

We as an industry expect our dealers to be more than just deliverers of cards and handlers of money.

THE CASINO DEALER OF THE NEW MILLENIUM IS EXPECTED TO

NOT ONLY DEAL AND PROTECT THE GAME, BUT ALSO KEEP THE CUSTOMERS ENTERTAINED AND HAPPY.

If we expect this from our employees, If we are to expect dealers to make entertaining and servicing customers a majority of their job duties, three things are certain:

1.THE DEALER OF THE NEW MILLENIUM HAS TO HAVE A REAL OUTGOING STYLE AND PERSONALITY.

2. THE DEALER OF THE NEW MILLENIUM HAS TO BE TRAINED IN HOW TO SERVICE AND ENTERTAIN TABLE GAME PLAYERS.
3. THE CASINO OF THE NEW MILLENIUM, BOTH IN DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT’S ATTITUDE, HAS TO BE CONDUCIVE TO BEING AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTER.

The problem here is the parameters and expectations of the dealer have changed drastically. We will look at exceptions of the past and present. They are not the same.

WE HAVE CHANGED EXPECTATIONS OF THE DEALER WITHOUT CHANGING THE TRAINING METHODS.

Past expectations for dealers:

1. Deal cards/dice to customers
2. Pay and take bets

Current expectations for dealers:

1. Deal cards/dice to customers
2. Pay and take bets
3. Entertain customers so they play longer

Lets take this a little further and add the floor supervisor to this mix:

We expect more out of our floor supervisors than we did in the past. Different traits and duties. We stress service and entertainment but we don’t train for it.

WE HAVE CHANGED EXPECTATIONS OF THE SUPERVISOR WITHOUT CHANGING THE TRAINING METHODS.

Past expectations for supervisors:

1. Supervise games
2. Account for bankrolls
3. Manage dealers

Current expectations for supervisors

1. Supervise games
2. Account for bankrolls
3. Manage dealers
4. Entertain customers so they play longer

BOTH DEALERS AND SUPERVISORS OF THE NEW MILLENIUM HAVE ONE MANDATORY MISSION AS BOTH OPERATORS AND ENTERTAINERS…

CIRCLE MANAGEMENT:

MEANING:

KEEP THE CUSTOMERS CHIPS IN THE BETTING CIRCLE

THE GAME WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE

The only way to comply with Circle Management principles is for the table game dealer and supervisor to entertain the customer.

To do this, the table game operators have two options, both have merit.

1. Hire entertainers to be dealers and train them as such
2. Hire dealers as entertainers and train them as such

Some casinos are experimenting with option one. The problem with hiring entertainers to be dealers is this is expensive. While a great way to go, I do not see many casinos able to afford to hire this type and expect experienced entertainment types to work as dealers.

All casinos will eventually wish to further execute option two. Serious training efforts must be made to arm our front line employees in table games with the entertainment-based skills needed to do the job their position requires. I am not talking here of the basic generic customer service based training programs we offer but detailed, targeted programs designed to get dealers more entertainment based than factory worked based.

We offer the perfunctory customer service program to our employees. One day touchy feely type programs full of anachronism’s that we assume will make our employees more friendly and customer service proactive. If you want a gauge of how these programs generally work, try this, place a hidden camera on the way out of one of these customer service programs. Do these people look happy? Now they are going to go out and work with your customer!

I am not addressing or knocking customer service training. I am saying that the problem is we need to train our dealers and supervisor in PLAYER ENTERTAINMENT.

I recently produced a Dealer as an Entertainer training program for the Shooting Star Casino in Minnesota. The idea for this program was to take their already customer service pro-active group of dealers and supervisors and instill in them certain entertainment based principles. This program worked well for them and would be beneficial in a great many tribal casinos. It is the same program I produced for the Paris

Dealer’s opening orientation. It is needed for a great many non-tribal casinos also.

Whether a tribal casino, Las Vegas operation or any of our nations casino’s. The same message is true:

IF WE ARE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS LETS USE THEIR METHODS TO TRAIN OUR DEALERS AND SUPERVISORS…

1. SCRIPTED SCENARIOS
2. REHEARSAL
3. PRACTICE
4. SPEECH AND COMMUNICATION TRAINING
5. ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

 …

Launching of a casino guest service program does not have to be tied to the beginning of a new year and the planning process leading up to it. “It’s never too late to start a guest service program and reap the rewards,” says Martin R. Baird, president of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest service consulting firm for the gaming industry. “Fall is just around the corner and now is as good a time as any for casinos to get their service plans in motion.”

It’s Never Too Late to Launch A Guest Service Program;

Five Crucial Steps to Get the Process Going

Launching of a casino guest service program does not have to be tied to the beginning of a new year and the planning process leading up to it.

“It’s never too late to start a guest service judi online  program and reap the rewards,” says Martin R. Baird, president of Phoenix, Ariz.-based Robinson & Associates, Inc., a guest service consulting firm for the gaming industry. “Fall is just around the corner and now is as good a time as any for casinos to get their service plans in motion.”

Baird offers the following five steps to starting, implementing and maintaining a guest service plan.

Number 1: Review and revise your standards. Focus first on your existing service standards and be sure to take a hard look at guests’ standards. “You need to know where your standards are today and where your guests want them to be,” Baird notes. “Set standards that meet or exceed guests’ needs.”

Number 2: Get management to buy in. Outstanding service must start at the top with a commitment and a pledge of support from management. “This attitude must spread to all staff members and management must visibly support the execution of a guest service plan on a daily basis,” Baird says.

Number 3: Give staff members the necessary skills. “Few people naturally excel at providing good service,” Baird points out. “Your employees will need training to learn these new service skills.”

Number 4: Reward, reward, reward. Once the staff has the necessary skills, they need a reason to use them. “Create and launch a reward and incentive program,” Baird explains. “Focus on the positive and let employees know they’re doing a good job.”

Number 5: Make service an ongoing commitment. “No one will buy into a guest service program if they think it’s just the management idea de jour,” Baird says. “Keep the program going and make it the backbone of your casino.”

Owned by Lydia and Martin Baird, Robinson & Associates, Inc., is a guest service consulting firm that provides specialty guest service training, management skills training, presentation skills training, team building programs and employee incentive and recognition programs for the gaming industry. The Bairds have a Web site, www.casinocustomerservice.com, that’s devoted to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and increase revenues. Robinson & Associates may be reached by contacting Lydia at 480-991-6421 or at lbaird@casinocustomerservice.com. Robinson & Associates is an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

 …

The Hard Rock Hotel parlayed big-act entertainment and its table-game focus into a strong second quarter, according to results the property announced Tuesday for the period ended June 30.

Revenue, cash flow and net income were all up, with property executives crediting the increases to additional business generated by new marketing and entertainment spending.

“(Hard Rock Chairman Peter) Morton’s a smart guy,” Bear, Stearns & Co., casino industry analyst Jason Ader said Tuesday. “He understands his market. Mandalay Bay and the Palms and others have targeted his market niche, but he always figures out a way to keep his customers.”

Hard Rock net income jumped 58.9 percent to $3.7 million from $2.3 million, and operating cash flow, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, was up 4.4 percent, to $9.7 million from $9.3 million.

Revenue was up 4.4 percent to $34.1 million from $32.7 million. Expenses also jumped, up 4.3 percent, to $24.4 million from $23.4 million.

The property reported that it spent an additional $600,000 on marketing and entertainment expenses during the quarter, funding a new national advertising campaign and concerts by groups like the Eagles.

“We believe that the marketing and entertainment expenditures will more than pay for themselves through increased awareness of the property,” Morton said in a statement.

Hard Rock President Don Marrandino said the Hard Rock had a great quarter.

“Our table UFA game business continues to grow,” Marrandino said. The property generates two-thirds of its gaming revenue from its 100 table games, with the remaining third coming from 600 slot machines.

The table-game share of the Hard Rock’s revenue is believed to be the biggest in the city, with many properties almost reversing the ratio.

Marrandino expects a scheduled summer installation of about 360 new International Game Technology EZ-Pay ticket-in/ticket out machines to improve the slot floor’s performance.

Food and beverage revenue was up 6.7 percent, to $5.6 million from $5.2 million, while hotel revenue dropped 8 percent to $1.8 million from $1.9 million.

Marrandino said hotel room rates and occupancy remained relatively constant.

Hard Rock executives have some new changes planned for the property, he said.

New banquet space, a few new high-roller suites and a few new floors on top of the parking garage are on the drawing board, Marrandino said, although he declined to say when the new features would be built.

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Aside from special promotions, casino mistakes, and cheating, there are four games one can play in a casino which can be played well enough to gain an edge over the house. They are horse and sports betting, poker, blackjack, and video poker. The notion that the last item on this list, which are nothing more than fancy video games, can be played with a positive expectation may be a surprise to many, but for many folks who manage to get the better of the casinos they visit, this is their weapon of choice. Video Poker–Optimum Play tells you how to get an edge at this game.

The book is accessible to those who have merely seen a video poker machine, the reader is not expected to be familiar with the nomenclature and mathematics of video poker. The book starts with a number of introductory sections explaining these concepts, the principles by which video poker can be beaten, and explains how the mathematics allow this out without the need to comprehend the math itself.

Then Paymar launches in to a description of “Precision Play”, a list of relatively simple rules for Jacks-or-Better, Deuces Wild, and Joker Wild that allow one to play very close to the optimum strategy. Most video poker books provide the same information as a chart of hand rankings, so this is a fairly novel approach. I think a great many people will find it easier to remember the Precision Play rules than some hand rank chart, and everyone who falls into this category will be grateful for this by itself.

The book continues with a lot of information on what one can expect for long and short term fluctuations in bankroll, other games one might encounter, and some information on the machines, tipping, the IRS, etc.. All of this information is quite good, and to have it all collected in one place is extremely valuable. There are also some ligaz11 quizzes so the reader can test themselves on how well they know the Precision Play rules, although these quizzes could have been made more comprehensive.

The book concludes with six appendices and a glossary, stating, at the time of the book’s printing, where the full pay machines and some of the better slot clubs are located, gaming regulations, sources for other information, etc.. As with the rest of the book, I detect no inaccuracies in the data, nor any bad advice. On the whole, Video Poker–Optimum Play is one of the most accurate gambling books I’ve ever read.

If I were to quibble, I’d mention that I was surprised to see Joker Wild included as one of the three games covered rather than the ubiquitous, albeit quite complicated, Double Bonus. It may be the case that a set of Precision Play rules would end up being too complex to be valuable for this game, yet the fact that it’s often the only 100+% game available in many casinos with otherwise good slot clubs means that it is often the game of choice for the experienced VP player.

Overall, this is an absolutely excellent book, certainly the single finest book on video poker I’ve read. I’m on the fence as to whether there is enough new information here to make it worthwhile for those who have already read its predecessor, Video Poker–Precision Play, to upgrade or not. But at its price, its probably worth it to have all this information in one place. Folks who play a significant amount of video poker almost certainly need to obtain and read this book.

Capsule:

The single best book available on winning at Video Poker. There are other books available that are worth reading in addition to Paymar’s masterpiece, but this should be the VP player’s starting point. At worst, the veteran player who already knows this information will appreciate having so much of it aggregated in a single place. At best, it can save the casino patron a great deal of money. Highly recommended.

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