The Miami, Florida based Opium Group have been in a lot of trouble. The Opium Group operate nightclubs and lounges in Miami and Las Vegas. Right now they are most famous (or infamous) for operating the Prive Nightclub and the Living Room Ultralounge in the Las Vegas Strip casino hotel, Planet Hollywood. Last year Opium Group and operators of the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino were slapped with some pretty serious fines. The nightclub owners fell out of favor with the Nevada Gaming Condition when it was discovered and confirmed that operating practices in the Prive Nightclub were illegal. They were charged with admitting underage guests and permitting excessive drinking. Intoxicated patrons were “dumped” into Planet Hollywood’s casino floor and that was all that could be tolerated.

“All that could be tolerated,” that is a nice segue. This February Harrah’s Entertainment bought and took control of the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. This was a serious deal for them as it greatly expanded their customer base and gave them control of almost an entire city block on the Las Vegas Strip. Harrah’s Entertainment is in no mood to deal with the defunct nightclub owners. Opium Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Miami, but Harrah’s Entertainment wants them out of their new casino hotel.

According to a settlement made between the Opium group and the former owners of the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino, the owners of the Prive Nightclub agreed to pay an upfront payment of $125,000 and five monthly payments of $50,000. This was to go straight to the fines imposed for the disorderly conduct. Harrah’s Entertainment claims that Opium Group still owes $500,000.

Now Harrah’s is simply asking the Opium Group to leave the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino. They owe rent, fines, and a reputation that Harrah’s Entertainment is used to. The Opium Group has asked for an extension on their lease while they decide if they want to stay in the Las Vegas property.
The ordeal between the Prive Nightclub and the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino has been saga worthy. This is just the latest chapter. Now there is a new character, Casino super-name Harrah’s Entertainment.

Online scratch of games are the newest form of online gambling to hit the online casinos and gambling sites. They are quickly becoming as popular as other online casino games like slots, blackjack and poker. Part of this is because they are not a new concept to both novice and regular gamblers.
Instant win scratch cards have been one of the most popular forms of lottery games hosted by state governments. Players enjoy their ease of play, fun themes, and instant results. This is no different to online players. They can often be played while gamblers are waiting for hands and games to play out.
NeoGames is one of the most popular providers of instant win online scratch off games. In fact, they were the first company to exclusively commit themselves to developing the online scratch off games and themes. For almost five years they have been leading the charge and doing it well. They love the instant fun, entertainment, and, of course, winning that comes along with their product. They are also proud of continually coming up with new products.

The newest online instant win scratch off game to come out of NeoGames offers online players two times the fun. The number “7” has always been considered to be lucky. Land based casinos along with online casinos and lotteries have been using 7’s reputation for what seems like forever.
NeoGames is doing the same. Their new online instant win scratch off game is called 7th Heaven. What makes NeoGames 7 themed game different is the chance at multiple wins. Each online instant win scratch off game card features seven games. That is nice, but there is not much of a surprise there. The fun comes in when players realize that they have two chances to win on a single card!
Online instant win scratch off games are making their statement as a popular form of online gambling. More and more online casino and gambling sites are offering them. Thus, NeoGames is giving them more and more games to offer.

The Red Flush Online Casino is quite confident they offer the best online gambling and casino experience on the internet. They feel so strongly about this they state on their website that they have an “…unparalleled choice in internet gambling, and offers an online casino that is second to none in quality functionality.” The Red Flush Online Casino is constantly offering exciting promotions, tournaments, that are both distinctive and inventive. Their Slot Survivor is a favorite among online slot players. They have set the standard even higher with their newest and most radical promotion. It will be part video game, part gambling fun, and part epic adventure.

The Red Flush Online Casino is combining the wild popularity of the Tomb Raider series of video games and movies and its star Lara Croft with the casino fun players have come to expect from Red Flush. The Lara Croft Bonus Adventure will take place over an exciting thirteen weeks. Red Flush is billing the Lara Croft Bonus Adventure as less of a tournament and more of an epic in the form of a quest. There are six adventures in the quest. Each one will be about two weeks long with the climax taking place during the final thirteenth week.

The big prize Red Flush Online Casino is offering with the Lara Croft Bonus Adventure is a staggering all expenses paid luxury cruise for two aboard the Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the largest, most expansive cruise ships in the world. The ship itself could be an adventure. As if that wasn’t enough the winners will be cruising in style for nine days a grand suite. There will also be weekly mystery and bonus prizes which could total close to $50,000.

To qualify for each level of Red Flush Online Casino’s Lara Croft Bonus Adventure players need to deposit a minimum amount and acquire points along the way. Each adventure will require a certain amount of points. As mentioned before this new promotion from Red Flush Online Casino is less of an online casino tournament and more of an online casino adventure

According to their website the Go Wild Online Casino was “brought together by a dynamic team of online casino experts looking to alter the world of online gaming.” They have more or less adopted the motto that the rules as you know them simply do not apply. They pride themselves on knowing that everyone plays a different game. Everyone has different styles, different habits, and different attitudes. The rebellious team at Go Wild Online Casino want to make a difference. They want to break the mold and set Go Wild Online Casino apart from other online gambling sites. They have a simple philosophy. They believe the player has the right to choose. They want to revolutionize the online gambling industry by putting the emphasis on the player and not the system. They want to be known as the online casino and gambling site that has a personal relationship with its players. Of course, they also want the reputation as being the online casino site that offers the most entertainment.

Go Wild Online Casino offers lots of promotions and features that draw customers to their site. They have weekly races, blackjack and slot tournaments (often times daily), refer a friend and daily special bonuses, and chances for free spins. They also entice new players by offering them the Wild Welcome Package. This new player bonus offers 1000 online casino credits, over 150 free spins and free slot tournaments.

Go Wild Online Casino is proud to announce they are the home of winners, too. Just this week an Irishman who goes by the name Tom k. won the equivalent of close to $45,000 while playing Treasure Nile at the Go Wild Online Casino. He won when he got the right combination on the 9 pay line, 5 reel progressive jackpot slot game. Go Wild Online Casino wants to be the online casino of online casinos. They feel their approach of catering to the player and the status quo of online gambling sites is their own jackpot.

It seems as though every week I am writing about the big winners from the casinos in the Fortune Lounge Online Casino group. Of course, this would make sense. The list of names the Fortune Lounge Online Casino family include such popular online casinos as Royal Vegas, Vegas Palms, Vegas Towers, Platinum Play and others. They all have one thing in common, the Fortune Lounge Players Club. This enables loyal customers to earn points and rewards by visiting the Fortune Lounge Group of casinos. This brings us back to the fact that every week there is a new report on the winners from the Fortune Lounge Group. That’s a good thing.

As usual the Vegas Palms Online Casino and Royal Vegas Online Casino were tops on the winner list. The Royal Vegas Online Casino saw $56,000 in winnings handed out. One winner took home over $20,000 just for themselves. The jackpots came when players held the winning hands on Cyber Stud Poker, Bonus Poker Video Poker, and Aces and Faces Video Poker. This went a long with the $61,000 won in various online slot games, most notably Pharaohs Tomb Bonus Slot, Gypsy Queen Bonus Slot, and Bomber Girls Bonus Slot. The Fortune Lounge Players Club paid out over 3.5 million points. With the millions of points came 3,650 credits that can be used in their online casinos.

There were no progressive jackpots won this week. However, that glass is half full depending on how you look at it. No big wins there means the next winner is already seeing his or her jackpot payout rise higher and higher every day. Already the progressive jackpot is topping the 3 million Euro mark.
It seems as though every week I am writing about the big winners from the casinos in the Fortune Lounge Online Casino group. With a progressive jackpot in the millions, reward points to be collected, and favorable odds it is no wonder the Fortune Lounge Online Casino group is one of the most popular.

The Pala Casino Spa and Resort in Pala, California is an oasis for gambling, entertainment, relaxation nestled in the Californian mountains. The casino hosts over 2,000 of the latest slot machines; table games including roulette, craps, baccarat, and blackjack; and multiple types of poker including high stakes tables. The Pala has a full spa which offers manicures and pedicures, full body treatments, prenatal treatments and couples suites. The resort offers deluxe rooms and suites, a beautiful pool, golf, shopping, and banquet and meeting spaces. Of course, no go casino resort would be complete without dining options. The Pala Casino Resort and Spa has plenty, from buffets to casual dining, from steaks to sushi. The Pala Casino Spa and Resort is also known for its entertainment venues. From Tony Bennett to the Professional Bull Riders Touring Pro Division, the Pala is able to offer it all.

Of course, the main reason most visitors go to the Pala Casino Spa and Resort is for the hot gambling and casino action. The Pala Casino Resort and Spa is a nice get-a-way for Californians without having to go all the way to Las Vegas or deal with its hustle and bustle. They offer all kinds of promotions. According to their website there is always something new and exciting at the Pala Casino Spa and Resort. By joining their Pala Privileges program players can earn even more rewards and participate in more events.

The Pala Casino Spa and Resort is also known (and this may be the most important) for its winners! Just last week another couple left better off then they came in. “We were visiting our favorite casino and our favorite restaurant and then we won the jackpot,” exclaimed Jian L. of Arcadia, California. He and his wife made a trip out for some sushi at Pala’s Sushi Sake and decided to play some slots. That’s when they won $100,000 on the Triple Stars slot machine. The Pala Casino Spa and Resort has it all, including winners!!!

Back in the early 1990’s Iowa, the plain state almost smack dab in the middle of the United States, (and future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk), became one of the first states to approve measure to allow casinos on riverboats. This was a big step for the casino and gambling industry. When the United States and gambling were mentioned in the same breath it usually meant Las Vegas, Reno, or Atlantic City. From time to time it could mean one of the regional casinos run by Native American tribes, but during this time they were small, smoke filled casinos which hosted little more than slots machines, keno, and possibly a sports book.

With the riverboat casinos, the regional gaming market to a big leap forward. Riverboat casinos are casinos that are basically a on a riverboat by name only. It harkens back to the old days of the mid to late 1800’s when boats would steam up and down America’s great rivers like the Mississippi and the Missouri. In order to host a casino these new riverboats basically had to keep their gambling to a structure that was technically floating on the water. However, smart gambling entrepreneurs quickly realized that They could build hotels, restaurants, and convention spaces around these casinos and increase their draw. (Consequently the Native American casino operators found the same thing, and thus the boom of the regional casino market.) Now riverboat casinos can be found in states like Louisiana, Missouri, and Iowa.

Iowa which already hosts seventeen riverboat casinos and two Native American operated casinos now is looking at adding four more. Governor Chet Culver is wants Iowa’s gaming regulators to approve licenses in four different counties. He is citing jobs, revenue and economic stimulation for those counties. “It’s important that Iowans know that I want to bring these jobs to Lyon, Webster, Wapello and Tama counties,” he stated. He also confirmed that voters in the respective counties approved of the measures that would allow the expansion of gambling. When one thinks of Iowa they think of farms, and maybe Captain Kirk (if they’re nerdy enough). Maybe they should think of a casino resort vacation.

Tiger Woods has seen some difficult times as of late. His failed judgement has led him to be the subject of criticism throughout the country and even the world. Since his first public appearance where he made his apology, the sponsors have not been on board with supporting Tiger through this time. In fact, many of his sponsors have decided to jump ship so as not to tarnish their own name. Although many companies are leaving Tiger behind, one Powerful Online gambling company is now in their courting phase.

Tiger Woods had sponsorships galore when he was in his hey day. Now that the scandal has been brought public, he has been dropped by cutting edge, iPhone selling provider AT&T. Other sponsors have also fled, but companies such as Nike who have stabilized to the point that even with the scandal, Tiger Woods merchandise is still flying off the shelves. The company has decided to stand behind him after all they have invested in him. In fact, there is even a building on the Nike Campus that proudly presents Tiger’s name. With that in mind, online gambling firm, Paddy Power is ready to jump on board in supporting Tiger.

Since the incident, Paddy Power has been trying to get a sponsorship deal with Tiger for thei online casinos. Tiger has denied them on more than one occasion, but they are not planning on giving up any time soon. Their latest rejected deal by Tiger was for an alleged $75 million for 5 years. After Tiger declined, the company has gone back to the drawing board and are trying to come up with a better deal.

The real gambling takes place in whether or not the golf icon will return to the sport. If Tiger comes back, then anyone who supported him through this time will profit greatly. Those such as AT&T who jumped ship when things got bad will not be as lucky. Tiger Woods is a huge name in the gambling world, in fact every time he leaves the sport, even for a small injury or rest, the entire field of gambling is disrupted. It is amazing to think that golf of all sports has now had some of the most action in sportsbetting over all other sports.

Stanley Ho has been a large figure in gambling and has recently been struggling with his health. In the past year he has been in and out of the hospitals with a variety of issues. In August of last year he underwent a surgery that was unspecified, and later that year was submitted again after falling and hitting his head. The rumor spread that he had a brain condition which would explain the first surgery, and possibly could lead to thought on the following incident.

Ho has been a major player in the gambling world and now has over half of the licenses within his family of the casinos in Macau. HE also had the gambling monopoly sewed up in Macau for nearly 40 years before his string of luck ran out in 2002. This billionaire has been alleged to have ties with the mafia which has caused quite a bit of controversy within the gambling communities. It is also the reason that some governments don’t want to go into business with him as they are not sure of his reputation.

Now Ho has been released from the hospital in Hong Kong, and the stock markets are once again happy. When Ho entered into the hospital each time, his gambling stock dropped due to the news. Now that he has returned, his stock once again rose, showing the full power that this one man has over the casinos and gambling in Macau. His company SJM is now benefiting from the release of the billionaire as they have the largest market share in all things gambling in Macau. At his ripe old age, Ho should be looking towards a successor who will continue the family business with as much faith from the investors as he has. The idea that one man’s health will determine the rise and fall of a company is a sign that extreme measures must be prepared for the future. At least for now the Gambling King is returning to his throne which is making everyone very happy.

The Pokie, or the gambling machines that have been a staple in this area are now under fire and are threatening to be removed in the near future. There has been an increasing amount of concern about how much these machines are causing harm on the people in the surrounding areas. Gambling and addiction are some of the issues that they are facing, so now the government is working toward phasing out these machines in an attempt to eliminate these problems.

There are many concerns with eliminating the Pokies once and for all. The first of which is the idea that these machines are helping employ many locals that would soon be out of a job. Currently the hospitality business is running strong and if these machines take gambling out of the hospitality field, then many employees will suffer the consequences. The Hospitality Association in Tasmania is protesting the Tasmanian Greens plan to eliminate all of the Pokies.

What does this all mean to those who are currently gambling at the pokies? Well for starters they are raising the maximum bet to $1.00. This could sway many of the gamblers away just because of the fact that this will not be enough to hold their attention for long if they plan on spending some serious money on gambling.

Let’s not neglect the fact that if there are problem gamblers in the area, they will still be at the machines no matter what the price is to play. According to Tasmanian Hospitality Manager, Steve Old, “What the Greens fail to acknowledge is that even ardent anti-poker machine politician Nick Xenophon believes Tasmania is far ahead of any other state when it comes to preventing problem gambling.” He also feel that the impact of the 23,000 employees in the hospitality field could be severely detrimental in these poor economic times. Once this impact hit these venues, surrounding business would also feel the aftershock.