Whenever casinos are proposed or built they are always met with strong opposition. Gambling is a controversial business that has seen its share of detractors since the beginning of time, and rightfully so. There are many aspects of casinos and gambling that can be harmful to society if not controlled properly. To start, gambling can be a destructive personal problem. There is also the opportunity for crimes such as petty theft to embezzlement to cheating to tax evasion. Then there is the social aspect of having a casino in the region. What does it mean to the culture of an area? The history? The natural beauty?

Those types of questions are exactly what the people in Samoa are wondering right now. There is a piece of land that may be granted a casino license, and this is brining development companies from all over the world who want to cash in. While Samoans may enjoy a casino and it could be a boost for tourism, a casino on an island that is synonymous with the beauty of the South Pacific could be counter productive. One Hawaiian company is promising that if they were granted the right to develop the casino result they wold be respectful of the culture and the beauty of the area. “I can assure you, we would probably be more responsible in my mind than anyone else I know from outside of Samoa,” said South Pacific Development Group CEO, Jesse James. He continued that he did not want to see blinking neon signs or anything else that could not be integrated into the culture and environment.

The main opposition for the proposed casino resort is saying that James’ statement is “a real joke.” They are claiming that those who come to Samoa come for the people, the culture, and the natural beauty of the island and not to gamble. Then there is what a casino would mean to the people who actually live in Samoa. This could be one of the most controversial casino resort development projects going on right now

The major casino resort companies are run the same way big time international businesses are run. There are CEO’s and boards of directors, and share holders to please. They are run this way because, that is what they are, big time international businesses. This also means the casino companies are just as susceptible to the coat throat business world. Make the boss angry and you could find yourself pounding the pavement. This month Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s Sand’s China lost its Chief Executive Officer and President. Steven Jacobs was abruptly told to pack up his belongings and leave. Jacobs held that top job that over saw Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s Macau operations. Jacobs was making a base salary of $1.3 million.

Unlike other CEO’s that have stepped down, Jacobs got no “we hope he does well” statement from his former bosses. There was no skirting around it, he was fired. Sadly, this dod not come as a big surprise to those who follow the casino resort industry or Las Vegas Sands investors. Jacobs and Las Vegas Sands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Sheldon Adelson, had a much publicized rocky relationship. Jacobs had wanted more control over Sands China without interference from the parent company, Mr. Adleson did not agree.

Sands China is set to restart a couple of construction projects in Macau and the need for harmony between Sands China and the home office are imperative. Michael Leven who is Las Vegas Snad Chief Operating Officer and President will serve as the new Sands China CEO.

Officials from Las Vegas Sands are expecting to take a bit of a hit on the trading floor in reaction to the firing, but do not believe it will have a long term affect. They think the solid working relationship between the new CEO and the big boss will help move the company forward more smoothly, and translate to better business.

The landscape of the Las Vegas casino resort market is changing. The recession that has covered all aspects of the economy in the United States has had major affects in the casino resort industry, especially in Las Vegas, and especially for the locals market. The big names like Wynn, Las Vegas Sands, and MGM Resorts International will always have a draw and with their international interests and the eventual economic upswing, they will be able to survive. However, the smaller casino and casino resorts, which dominate the locals market, don’t have such a optimistic fate. Some of them will be okay as they are not big enough to have lasting affects from the recession. However, names like Station Casinos and Herbst Gaming have not been so lucky.

Both of the above mentioned casino companies have filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Station Casinos has been in and out of the courts while they decide on how best to restructure and save their business. In the upcoming months many of their well known properties will be auctioned by the court. There is a chance that Station Casinos founding family, the Fertittas, will be able to hang on to some of the casino properties under the new name Fertitta Gaming.

What should be interesting to watch in what happens when the American economy turns around and the smaller casino and casino resort companies are able to rebound and take advantage of any restructuring. Some experts believe that these companies will be able to take reasonable business risks because they will be under less debt. Some companies may be able to acquire properties that have not fared so well. Boyd Gaming Corporation and Silver State Financial Advisers are both looking to take part in snatching up some of the less fortunate properties. In any case, the future of the locals Las Vegas scene could see some big events in the next year or so that could reshape the way the business is run.

Even though the casino and casino resort industry has been hit hard but the economic recession that has been blanketing the United States over the past two years, some casino resort companies are still wanting to expand. Harrah’s Entertainment, which already owns a large section of the famed Las Vegas strip and some of the biggest names in Las Vegas like Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas and, of course, Harrah’s Las Vegas, wants to restart plans for a regional casino in Kansas. Last week Harrah’s Entertainment released that it had submitted a new proposal for a state owned casino in the south central part of the state.

The proposal to develop and operate the Kansas casino is on a much smaller scale than the original proposal that came out before the economic nose five of 2008. The first plan was for a resort that would have included a casino, 175 hotel rooms and an 18 hole golf course at a cost of close to $535 million. In the current economy that isn’t as attractive. The new plan, which Harrah’s Entertainment is making with the same partner, Summer Resorts, is for a 100 room hotel, and includes several restaurants, a sports bar, retail shopping and almost 15,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.

Even though Harrah’s Entertainment has pulled back on some of its plans for the Kansas casino resort, they are leaving room for the resort to expand. Expansion plans could include, the golf course that was part of the original plan, more hotel rooms, a tennis facility, an RV park and a water amusement park.

Of course, Harrah’s Entertainment isn’t the only company looking to develop a casino resort on the Kansas location. Other interested companies have until July 29 to submit plans and proposals. Harrah’s Entertainment and the other interested companies will be able to give presentations on their proposals in August.

Many of the big time Las Vegas casino resort names are shifting their focus to the Asian gambling market, specifically Macau and the Cotai Strip. There is no better example of this than Wynn Resorts. Casino resort mogul Steve Wynn and his company re-envisioned Las Vegas in the 1980’s and 1990’s. They took the casino hotels and made them casino resorts. Much of the look and feel of today’s Las Vegas can be attributed to Steve Wynn and other casino resort visionaries. However, since the recession that has hit the United States over the past couple of years hit, Las Vegas has seen almost record low numbers. Almost all of the well known casino resorts have been stung and had to find ways to cut expenses while still generating revenue. It has not been easy.

This is where the Asian gambling connection comes into play when it comes to dealing with the long term health of the casino resort companies. Wynn Resorts Ltd. is set to announce a $17.2 million operating loss for the second quarter of 2010. Even though Wynn Resorts is facing high health care and employee costs, feeling the sting of lower visitor numbers and falling room rates, and low cash flow, investors on the NASDAQ market did not seem to be panicked by the low revenue numbers for Wynn Resorts’ Las Vegas Properties.

Gaming analyst for Stifel Nicolaus, Steven Wieczynski, stated that, “Most investors are well aware of the challenges posed by the Vegas market.” Because Steve Wynn has announced that he is spending more energy in the Macau market, Mr. Wieczynski went on to say, “As we have indicated in the past, Wynn shares are driven by Macau with Vegas an afterthought.

At one point in time Las Vegas was the gambling and vacation capital of the world. However, Macau has become the world’s largest gambling hub. With the major Las Vegas casino resort names establishing their presence in Macau, the Chinese peninsula could become the place to go for a gambling vacation.

One of the features that has made bingo so appealing for decades is its sense of entertainment. Bingo callers on cruise ships, in bingo halls, church basements and community and senior centers, usually do just more than call out a letter and a number. They are there to provide some fun for the players. This may come in the form of telling jokes or funny anecdotes. They may have a goofy way of calling each ball. They may also be able to develop a report with the bingo players who are there to have as much fun as they are to gamble. This source of live entertainment has been a feature that online bingo sites have lacked. Online bingo sites have been able to create a sense of community through chat rooms, but there has not been anyone specifically to entertain the online platers.

GTECH G2 has recognized this missing component in the online bingo industry and fixed it. They recently announced that they have developed a live caller bingo system. Online bingo sites that are powered by GTECH G2 such as Butlins Bingo, Chit Chat Bingo, and Littlewoods Bingo, will be using the live caller bingo in some of their games.

GTECH G2 is very proud of their live caller online bingo games. “We invested all this time and energy into incorporating live presenters so that they could interact with the players and entertain them while the numbers are being called and between games,” said Bingo Product Manager for GTECH G2, Jennifer Ekholtz. They have cast five “young and congenial British presenters” for the job. Each one has their own personality and will be able to connect with online bingo players in way that have never been seen before. The presenters will not only find fun ways to entertain the online bingo players, but be available to tell the players about new games and promotions. Online bingo has reached a new level.

Online bingo sites are constantly finding new ways to compete with their online casino and poker cousins. Online bingo has moved beyond just being a whimsical way to enjoy online time and become a major way for online gamblers to spend and make money. Online bingo communities have sprouted up and players are getting into it more than ever before. Online bingo sites have raised their jackpots and started offering mega promotions and exciting tournaments. In short, online bingo sites are just as much fun as online casinos and offer an ease of play and gambling action that is enjoyable to those who are intimidated by playing online poker.

To drive the point home one online bingo site has been has been offering a summer promotion that is seeing winners almost every night. Bingo Liner has been hosting its MegaBingo Marathon. Every night at 10 p.m. the online bingo site has been hosting online bingo games that give players the chance at a £500 prize pool. The games only cost £1 per game. Players can also buy five games and get ten free. Bingo Liner keeps finding new ways to make their players winners. All of this winning means the online bingo site will be giving away £15,000 for the month of July.

The summer online bingo promotion is designed to attract new players for the summer and keep their current and loyal players winning and having fun. It is sort of a thank you to Bingo Liners online players. The online bingo site offers their players games that can be played at their own pace. However, there are also online bingo rooms that give online bingo players the sense of community that has made bingo so popular for decades in bingo halls, cruise ships, and community recreation halls. Bingo Liner wants to make sure online bingo players know there isn’t much time left of this promotion. There is only one week left of July.

NeoGames is the industry leader in online scratch card and instant win games. They have branded themselves as “bringing the fun back” to the online gambling industry. Since their inception in 2005 NeoGames has rapidly grown to providing games for large affiliates, first tier operators and national lotteries. NeoGames has developed the leading software for online soft gaming. They are selling close to 120 million online scratch games every month. NeoGames has also made a move to make themselves even more a part of the online casino and gaming community. They have penned a deal with Kamay Holdings Ltd. to create a new soft gaming offering. Kamay Holdings is the parent company behind such big online casino names such as, LuckyAce Poker, LuckyAce Casino, Silk Bingo, and Supro Casino. Kamay Holdings also owns PlatinumAffiliates.com, which is a industry renowned online casino affiliate program.

The deal penned between NeoGames and Kamay Holdings will see the launch of Superscratch.com. Having an online instant win scratch site will give Kamay Holdings a full portfolio of online gaming options. Their affiliate network consists of online casino, poker, bingo, and now soft gaming scratch games. “We are excited to partner with NeoGames and believe that SuperScratch will be a great addition to our existing portfolio of online gaming products,” said Kamay Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Itai Loewenstein. He believes that Kamay Holdings extensive experience marketing online gaming and their affiliate network will only be complimented by their partnership with NeoGames.

Obviously, NeoGames is just as excited about their deal with Kamay Holdings. “Our partnership with Kamay Holdings proves the recognized potential of scratch and instant games as a beneficial revenue stream,” commented NeoGames Managing Director, Shay Bar Joseph. NeoGames will be offering Kamay Holdings online instant win scratch off games in fourteen languages. With this kind of support the new online gaming site, SuperScratch, is sure to take off and quickly become a player favorite.

BestCasino is one of the most respected online casino review sites in the United Kingdom. They have made their reputation by appealing to both the first time, novice online gambler as well as the well seasoned, professional one. BestCasino offers unbiased reviews of virtually all the products in the online casino and gambling industry. They also offer news, tip and tools which allow online casino players to make the most out of their playing time. They have maintained their high level of operation by making sure they only work with operators who have proven, first rate reputations. They pride themselves on being honest in their opinions not providing “…duplicate diversion from their [online casinos] PR teams!”

The reputation BestCasino has worked so hard for is the reason why online casinos throughout the industry want to be on their good side. This is why it was such good news for Jackpot Games Ltd. when they were able to announce that they had won favor with the online casino review site. Malta based Jackpot Games recently announced that they will be partnering with BestCasino. The deal mean BestCasino will promote the online casino and all of its 85 casino games. This is exciting for Jackpot Games as they have just launched this year. This also means that Jackpot Games can advertise that they adhere to strict policies in fair gaming.

Responsible gaming is a high priority for BestCasino. BestCasino owner and operator, David Newstead stated, “The transparency of our casino, bonuses and game reviews on BestCasino reflect both our decision to encourage responsible gaming and our commitment to partner only with those casinos that, like us, believe gambling should be enjoyed conscientiously.” He went on to say of Jackpot Games, “Jackpot Games shares this view and is upfront about its operation, providing excellent games in a secure, player friendly environment.” He also added that he was proud to endorse the online casino and is looking forward to working along side them.

The Gala Coral Group is the only gambling company in the United Kingdom that has both high street and online bookmaking, bingo, and casino markets. Gala Coral Group employs well over 16,000 people and has become a world class gambling and bookmaking company. Gala Coral is the first gambling company to receive the GamCare accreditation in all of its United Kingdom divisions. They became an international gambling company in 2005 when they merged with Coral Eurobet. Since then they have seen their international business grow across Europe and recently into the Italian online casino and gambling market. The merge with Coral Eurobet made the Gala Coral Group the third largest bookmaker and bingo operator in the United Kingdom.

Recently the Gala Coral Group announced that they will be making changes at the top of their company. Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Harrison, will be stepping down to “seek new career opportunities.” Mr. Harrison has been the CEO of the gambling company since 2008 and has been with Gala Coral Group since 2004. His statement read, “After six years with Gala Coral it is time to seek fresh challenges.” He went on to say of his successor, Neil Goulden, “I wish Neil and the rest of the team all the best as they take the company forward to the next phase in its development and ensure that it remains at the forefront of the sector.”

Mr. Goulden will take on the role of interim Chief Executive Officer until a full time replacement is found, which is expected to be around the first of October, 2010. Mr. Goulden will be retaining his current position with the gambling company while he is the acting CEO. Of his predecessor Mr. Goulden said, “Dominic has played a big role in the development of the group over the last six years and we are grateful for his contribution. He leaves with our thanks and best wishes for the future.” Even though there will be changes in executive management Gala Coral Group should continue to operate as one of the strongest gambling and online gambling businesses in the industry.