Gambling News by House of Odds

The International Gaming Conference & Expo (IGCE), which took place April
9th-11th in San Jose, Costa Rica, dramatically exceeded its goal of
addressing issues of growth, technology, legalities and consolidation as
they affect the companies competing within this burgeoning industry of
gaming. As the accolades continue to pour in from those who attended,
exhibited and sponsored, plans are presently underway for IGCE Europe, to be
held in Dublin, Ireland, September 10-12 at Fitzpatrick Castle. "It was
clearly our intention to take the lead as a conference destination for the
industry," indicated Chris Dauer, Director of Conferences for The Sports
Network, organizer of the event, "and the final results have indicated that
the first step towards that goal has been achieved. Those are the facts, not
self-aggrandizement or breast-beating by ourselves, the organizers, but
truly the reflection of the results. The plaudits and kudos, the
compliments, have been ongoing and we fully expect that Dublin will be twice
as big and successful as Costa Rica.

"Consequently, one's accomplishments and successes are best judged by what
others have to say about your efforts, and not by self-indulgence, so
inclusion of those comments are more than ample confirmation of the result,
as well as what the future holds."

"I've been to many conferences over the years, as speaker, moderator,
chairperson and attendee in some cases but this was the best opening
cocktail party for those in attendance that I have seen," said Joe Kelly, a
renowned attorney and Professor of Business Law at SUNY College at Buffalo,
who spoke on a panel addressing the political hurdles facing the industry
world-wide today. "It was not only planned down to the last minute detail
but organized in such a fashion that speakers, sponsors, attendees and
exhibitors were able to interact for extended periods of time without
worrying about dinner plans thanks to the repast offered. Just fantastic!"

"Congratulations on a really great conference! I don't think I have ever
spoken before a more interested audience. And a lot of people told me that
our legal debate was the best of its kind they had ever seen," stated I.
Nelson Rose, attorney and gaming law expert, who debated Bob Blumenfeld, one
of the lead counselors for Antigua in the case against the U.S. in the WTO.
"I am glad I was able to help make the conference such a success."

Melissa Kearns, Assistant Director for Conferences at TSN, added that "Our
direction of analyzing and examining the gaming industry today, and what the
future holds, began, sustained and closed with presentations followed by
questioning and interacting with some of the preeminent names in the
industry and organizations that have helped to set the height of the bar.
It
is fully our intention to maintain that pace when we arrive in Dublin in
September and it is very encouraging to see that the inquiries for
sponsorship, exhibiting, speaking and attending are already coming to us in
great numbers. Those who have attended conferences for years, who are
extremely knowledgeable and respected, have added such laudatory comments as
the following:

'The show had a good flow, interesting topics, and a great mix of panelists.
I was proud to be a part of the maiden voyage!' - Terry Lefton, Editor at
Large, Sports Business Journal

'The event was not only informative, but the most well planned event I have
attended in years. I will definitely be in attendance in Dublin.' - Michael
Caselli, Editor, iGaming Magazine

'The convention dramatically exceeded its goal of addressing issues of
growth, technology, legalities and consolidation as they affect the
companies competing within this rapidly expanding industry. With a brilliant
first effort behind them, the IGCE takes on Dublin, Ireland in the fall of
2006.' - Buzz Daly, Contributing Writer, EOG.com

"It is expected," Ms. Kearns concluded, "that everyone will be marking down
those dates in September for IGCE Europe and that ours, in Costa Rica and
Ireland, will be the mainstays and principal gathering places for conference
participants for the future."

Casino Data Imaging (CDI), the casino industry leader in data visualization
and report writing slot analysis solutions, announced today that Casino Del
Sol, Casino of the Sun, Paradise Casino Arizona, and Paradise Casino
California have licensed CDI's CasinoCAD(C) v4 business intelligence
program. Casino Del Sol and Casino of the Sun (owned and operated by the
Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona) and Paradise Casino Arizona and Paradise
Casino California (owned and operated by the Quechan Indian Nation) are the
latest in a growing list of world-class gaming companies that are leveraging
the power and flexibility of CDI's CasinoCAD(C) analysis program.

"We are very excited about working with CDI and look forward to using the
system as a means of making informed real-time decisions which will impact
our bottom line," said Roy Corby, vice president of gaming for Casino Del
Sol and Casino of the Sun.

CasinoCAD(C) delivers actionable slot analysis to casino and corporate
personnel via point-and-click report generating, color-coding, data mining,
and data drilldown techniques. The program allows casino management to
quickly generate, share, and present graphical financial analysis, financial
report analysis, floor profiles, charts, and group/query analysis via
snapshots, html export, print, plot, and e-mail features.

"We have a very complex, diverse and multi-lingual market. We look forward
to CDI tools helping us break through some of those barriers and answering
many of our analysis questions with quantifiable data analysis that
CasinoCAD provides," said Charles B. Montague Sr., general manager of
Paradise Casino Arizona and Paradise Casino California.

"CasinoCAD(C) is a great example of how leading organizations are using BI
tools to gain a companywide understanding of casino performance to make
informed decisions in time with the pace of business," said George Levine,
CDI corporate spokesman. "The innate integration capabilities and
scalability of CasinoCAD(C) and CasinoCAD(C) Enterprise uniquely positions
our multi-casino clients to constantly feel the pulse of their casino slot
operations. Quickly and securely CasinoCAD(C) delivers actionable data to
employees across the enterprise." With more than 130 clients in North
America monitoring more than 200,000 machines, CasinoCAD(C) has become an
important analysis tool for users of ACSC, Aristocrat Oasis, Bally System
One, IGS, IGT, SDG, and SDS slot information systems. CDI's continued
customer satisfaction proves CasinoCAD(C) is fulfilling its commitment to
focused development and value-added support to a diversified user base. Look
for CDI at the May 4-5 Southern Gaming Summit in Tunica, Miss., and May
24-25 Gaming Technology Summit in Las Vegas.

As reported by the UK Daily Telegraph: "A British tourist is missing after
apparently gambling away the money for her return flight to London at Star
City casino. "Frances Mary Embleton, 24, from London, was last seen at the
Three Wise Monkeys bar, in Sydney's CBD, last Saturday afternoon. "Police
said she told a bar patron she had gambled her savings at the Star City
Casino and could not make the final payment on her fight to London.

"Friends became concerned when she did not show up for a planned farewell
party later that night.

"Ms Embleton, who had been in Australia on a 12-month working visa, also
missed her flight from Sydney airport last Monday.

".She is European in appearance, of slim build with blonde hair and blue
eyes. Ms Embleton was last seen wearing a singlet or white top, black cargo
pants and black thongs."

As reported by the Morning Call: "The odds of a casino coming to the Lehigh
Valley, the Poconos or both got better this week as opposition to a proposed
$650 million slots parlor, hotel and convention center in Limerick Township
intensified. "Township supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to tell
the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board they oppose the slots parlor. Boyd
Gaming, one of the nation's largest gambling companies, proposed the casino
for a 125-acre site near the Limerick nuclear power plant.

"Officials in Allentown and Bethlehem, which are both potential host cities
for a new casino, said opposition in Limerick can only make a Lehigh Valley
slots parlor more likely.

"Six companies are competing for two licenses to build stand-alone casinos
outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Two casinos are proposed in the
Poconos, and one each is proposed in Allentown, Bethlehem, the Gettysburg
area and Limerick, Montgomery County.

".In their vote against the casino, the Limerick supervisors directed
community outreach consultant Mike Pincus to present their opposition to the
gaming board. The five supervisors did not say why they're against the
casino."

As reported by the Blackpool Today: "Coral Island is planning to convert the
former Palace nightclub into a three-storey gaming venue which would also
include a restaurant and a show bar. "Called the Coral Island Casino, it
would boast a pirate theme and act as a complementary attraction to the
company's existing Coral Island amusement centre. David Biesterfield, group
development director for the Noble Organisation, which owns Coral Island,
said: 'This will be the best casino in Blackpool.

"'It will have a variety of table games and slot machines and a mix of
automated and traditional gaming.'

".The Noble Group is in the process of applying for its casino licence under
existing legislation."

The International Gaming Conference & Expo (IGCE), which took place April
9th-11th in San Jose, Costa Rica, dramatically exceeded its goal of
addressing issues of growth, technology, legalities and consolidation as
they affect the companies competing within this burgeoning industry of
gaming. As the accolades continue to pour in from those who attended,
exhibited and sponsored, plans are presently underway for IGCE Europe, to be
held in Dublin, Ireland, September 10-12 at Fitzpatrick Castle. "It was
clearly our intention to take the lead as a conference destination for the
industry," indicated Chris Dauer, Director of Conferences for The Sports
Network, organizer of the event, "and the final results have indicated that
the first step towards that goal has been achieved. Those are the facts, not
self-aggrandizement or breast-beating by ourselves, the organizers, but
truly the reflection of the results. The plaudits and kudos, the
compliments, have been ongoing and we fully expect that Dublin will be twice
as big and successful as Costa Rica.

"Consequently, one's accomplishments and successes are best judged by what
others have to say about your efforts, and not by self-indulgence, so
inclusion of those comments are more than ample confirmation of the result,
as well as what the future holds."

"I've been to many conferences over the years, as speaker, moderator,
chairperson and attendee in some cases but this was the best opening
cocktail party for those in attendance that I have seen," said Joe Kelly, a
renowned attorney and Professor of Business Law at SUNY College at Buffalo,
who spoke on a panel addressing the political hurdles facing the industry
world-wide today. "It was not only planned down to the last minute detail
but organized in such a fashion that speakers, sponsors, attendees and
exhibitors were able to interact for extended periods of time without
worrying about dinner plans thanks to the repast offered. Just fantastic!"

"Congratulations on a really great conference! I don't think I have ever
spoken before a more interested audience. And a lot of people told me that
our legal debate was the best of its kind they had ever seen," stated I.
Nelson Rose, attorney and gaming law expert, who debated Bob Blumenfeld, one
of the lead counselors for Antigua in the case against the U.S. in the WTO.
"I am glad I was able to help make the conference such a success."

Melissa Kearns, Assistant Director for Conferences at TSN, added that "Our
direction of analyzing and examining the gaming industry today, and what the
future holds, began, sustained and closed with presentations followed by
questioning and interacting with some of the preeminent names in the
industry and organizations that have helped to set the height of the bar. It
is fully our intention to maintain that pace when we arrive in Dublin in
September and it is very encouraging to see that the inquiries for
sponsorship, exhibiting, speaking and attending are already coming to us in
great numbers. Those who have attended conferences for years, who are
extremely knowledgeable and respected, have added such laudatory comments as
the following:

'The show had a good flow, interesting topics, and a great mix of panelists.
I was proud to be a part of the maiden voyage!' - Terry Lefton, Editor at
Large, Sports Business Journal

'The event was not only informative, but the most well planned event I have
attended in years. I will definitely be in attendance in Dublin.' - Michael
Caselli, Editor, iGaming Magazine

'The convention dramatically exceeded its goal of addressing issues of
growth, technology, legalities and consolidation as they affect the
companies competing within this rapidly expanding industry. With a brilliant
first effort behind them, the IGCE takes on Dublin, Ireland in the fall of
2006.' - Buzz Daly, Contributing Writer, EOG.com

"It is expected," Ms. Kearns concluded, "that everyone will be marking down
those dates in September for IGCE Europe and that ours, in Costa Rica and
Ireland, will be the mainstays and principal gathering places for conference
participants for the future."

Casino Data Imaging (CDI), the casino industry leader in data visualization
and report writing slot analysis solutions, announced today that Casino Del
Sol, Casino of the Sun, Paradise Casino Arizona, and Paradise Casino
California have licensed CDI's CasinoCAD(C) v4 business intelligence
program. Casino Del Sol and Casino of the Sun (owned and operated by the
Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona) and Paradise Casino Arizona and Paradise
Casino California (owned and operated by the Quechan Indian Nation) are the
latest in a growing list of world-class gaming companies that are leveraging
the power and flexibility of CDI's CasinoCAD(C) analysis program.

"We are very excited about working with CDI and look forward to using the
system as a means of making informed real-time decisions which will impact
our bottom line," said Roy Corby, vice president of gaming for Casino Del
Sol and Casino of the Sun.

CasinoCAD(C) delivers actionable slot analysis to casino and corporate
personnel via point-and-click report generating, color-coding, data mining,
and data drilldown techniques. The program allows casino management to
quickly generate, share, and present graphical financial analysis, financial
report analysis, floor profiles, charts, and group/query analysis via
snapshots, html export, print, plot, and e-mail features.

"We have a very complex, diverse and multi-lingual market. We look forward
to CDI tools helping us break through some of those barriers and answering
many of our analysis questions with quantifiable data analysis that
CasinoCAD provides," said Charles B. Montague Sr., general manager of
Paradise Casino Arizona and Paradise Casino California.

"CasinoCAD(C) is a great example of how leading organizations are using BI
tools to gain a companywide understanding of casino performance to make
informed decisions in time with the pace of business," said George Levine,
CDI corporate spokesman. "The innate integration capabilities and
scalability of CasinoCAD(C) and CasinoCAD(C) Enterprise uniquely positions
our multi-casino clients to constantly feel the pulse of their casino slot
operations. Quickly and securely CasinoCAD(C) delivers actionable data to
employees across the enterprise." With more than 130 clients in North
America monitoring more than 200,000 machines, CasinoCAD(C) has become an
important analysis tool for users of ACSC, Aristocrat Oasis, Bally System
One, IGS, IGT, SDG, and SDS slot information systems. CDI's continued
customer satisfaction proves CasinoCAD(C) is fulfilling its commitment to
focused development and value-added support to a diversified user base. Look
for CDI at the May 4-5 Southern Gaming Summit in Tunica, Miss., and May
24-25 Gaming Technology Summit in Las Vegas.

As reported by the UK Daily Telegraph: "A British tourist is missing after
apparently gambling away the money for her return flight to London at Star
City casino. "Frances Mary Embleton, 24, from London, was last seen at the
Three Wise Monkeys bar, in Sydney's CBD, last Saturday afternoon. "Police
said she told a bar patron she had gambled her savings at the Star City
Casino and could not make the final payment on her fight to London.

"Friends became concerned when she did not show up for a planned farewell
party later that night.

"Ms Embleton, who had been in Australia on a 12-month working visa, also
missed her flight from Sydney airport last Monday.

".She is European in appearance, of slim build with blonde hair and blue
eyes. Ms Embleton was last seen wearing a singlet or white top, black cargo
pants and black thongs."

As reported by the Morning Call: "The odds of a casino coming to the Lehigh
Valley, the Poconos or both got better this week as opposition to a proposed
$650 million slots parlor, hotel and convention center in Limerick Township
intensified. "Township supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to tell
the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board they oppose the slots parlor. Boyd
Gaming, one of the nation's largest gambling companies, proposed the casino
for a 125-acre site near the Limerick nuclear power plant.

"Officials in Allentown and Bethlehem, which are both potential host cities
for a new casino, said opposition in Limerick can only make a Lehigh Valley
slots parlor more likely.

"Six companies are competing for two licenses to build stand-alone casinos
outside Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Two casinos are proposed in the
Poconos, and one each is proposed in Allentown, Bethlehem, the Gettysburg
area and Limerick, Montgomery County.

".In their vote against the casino, the Limerick supervisors directed
community outreach consultant Mike Pincus to present their opposition to the
gaming board. The five supervisors did not say why they're against the
casino."

"'It will have a variety of table games and slot machines and a mix of automated and traditional gaming.'

"…The Noble Group is in the process of applying for its casino licence under existing legislation…"

Allegiant Air, the Las Vegas-based low-fare air carrier, has abruptly
canceled an ad deal with an online casino company that would have turned six
of the airline's jets into flying billboards. Allegiant specializes in
flying tourists from middle-market cities such as Des Moines, Iowa, and
Shreveport, La., to Las Vegas.

Ponder Harrison, Allegiant's managing director, said Allegiant pulled the
plug on the deal with Bodog.com after airline executives learned more about
the Justice Department's views on advertising Internet gambling, which the
government considers to be illegal.

Allegiant canceled the deal after a Las Vegas Sun reporter questioned an
airline executive .

Allegiant wouldn't disclose the value of the canceled deal, but published
reports said it was worth $500,000.

Harrison said Mylar film with the Bodog brand had already been applied to
the fuselages of five MD-80 jets .

"The more we did our due diligence, the more we became uncomfortable with
displaying the brand," Harrison said.

Bodog had hoped its three-month deal with Allegiant would reach gamblers who
go to Las Vegas once or twice a year and might consider playing online. Tray
tables resembling blackjack tables were also planned .

In a statement, Bodog's founder and Chief Executive Calvin Ayre said he
understood Allegiant's decision.

"I have no problem with Allegiant changing our agreement when faced with
this type of threat," Ayre said. "We 100 percent support them and are
saddened that they are not being able to pursue their constitutionally
protected rights of free speech in this case."

As reported by Hotels Magazine: "Australia's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd
(PBL) has signed an agreement with Russia's Crocus Group and is expected to
manage a casino and a hotel in Moscow, said Emin Agalarov, one of owners of
Crocus Group, Russian business daily Vedomosti reported Friday. Crocus Group
is building the 24.300 square meter casino and the about 80,000-square-meter
hotel at the Crocus City Mall at the intersection of the Moscow ring road
and Volokolamskoye highway, Agalarov said.

".However, the agreement between PBL and Crocus Group was confirmed by
Sergei Riabokobylko, managing director of Cushman&Wakefield
Stiles&Riabokobylko real estate company, which consulted the companies on
the project, the daily reported. PBL will be the first foreign company
managing a casino in Russia, Riabokobylko said.

"However, PBL may wait until the legislation regulating gambling business in
Russia is clarified, said Lavrentiy Gubin, spokesman for the
Netherlands-based Storm International B.V. company, that manages casinos in
Moscow, the daily said."

As reported by the Press Enterprise: "An ace and a face mean money at the
blackjack table, but for dealers at some Inland tribal casinos, shuffling
cards isn't paying off like it used to. "Next month, Pechanga Resort &
Casino near Temecula will become the latest tribal gaming hall in California
to require table game dealers to pool their tips and split them equally
instead of keeping what they make individually. "That means dealers assigned
to low-stakes tables or slow times of the day will pocket as much as those
who work high-limit tables or during prime weekend hours.

"The change is the result of an agreement between the casino and the
Internal Revenue Service, which requires dealers to report tips as income,
according to a statement from Michelle Schilder, Pechanga's vice president
of marketing.

".The change is good for dealers because those with more seniority can work
daytime hours without worrying about losing out on the best tips, [David
Fendrick, chief operating officer for the Agua Caliente tribe] said.

".But Fendrick acknowledged that some of his 250 dealers were unhappy with
the policy -- and some even quit -- because they like taking money home at
the end of every shift and because some of them now make less money.

As reported by the Business First of Buffalo: "The Niagara Frontier
Transportation Authority has been removed from the laundry list of
defendants in a civil lawsuit filed, aimed at preventing the Seneca Nation
of Indians from building the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in downtown
Buffalo. "In an agreement with Citizens for a Better Buffalo, the group that
filed both state and federal lawsuits concerning the planned downtown
casino, the NFTA was stricken from the defendants list.

".The NFTA had been included because the authority and the Seneca Gaming
Corp. had been negotiating about the possibility of the 100,000-square-foot
casino going in the second floor of the historic DLW Terminal, a building
the authority owns. Those talks have long since broken off."

Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc. today announced that on April 26, 2006, the New
York State Racing and Wagering Board granted a temporary conditional track
license to Nevada Gold NY, Inc. on behalf of Tioga Downs. The license
enables Tioga Downs to continue the current construction and development
schedule. Issuance of a final license is subject to compliance with various
conditions. Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc., through Nevada Gold NY, Inc., owns
a 40% membership interest in American Racing and Entertainment, LLC.
American Racing owns the Tioga Downs Racetrack in Nichols, New York.

John A. Arnesen, President & COO of Nevada Gold & Casinos, Inc., commented,
"Receiving this temporary conditional license marks an important step in our
progress at Tioga Downs. We continue to be very excited about bringing this
racing and entertainment facility to the region."

As reported by the Kansas City Star: "Pai gow poker players at Ameristar's
Kansas City casino were prevented from winning the top prize of $62,500
because the company had improperly posted a $20,000 lid on jackpots. "The
Missouri Gaming Commission on Wednesday fined the casino $5,000. The
commission forbids table-game payout limits to be less than the amount of
each game's maximum bet times its maximum odds.

"Ameristar limits pai gow wagers to $25, and the commission said the odds of
a player getting the game's top hand were 2,500 to 1, which would require a
top jackpot of $62,500.

"Steve Johnson, the commission's acting director, said there was no way to
determine how long the improper jackpot limits had been in place at
Ameristar's five Fortune Pai Gow tables, nor whether any player had been
underpaid."

As reported by the Lincoln Journal Star: "For four years, members of
Lincoln's Vietnamese Buddhist community have scrimped and saved for their
dream of a new temple. Now they're $400,000 closer - thanks to a gift from
Powerball winner Quang Dao. "Dao, who has been active in the Linh Quang
Buddhist Center, dropped by the existing temple at 216 W. F St. a couple of
Sundays ago and more than doubled the pot.

".The Vietnamese Buddhist community bought 20 acres in 2002 at Southwest
33rd Street and West Pleasant Hill Road for a new temple. The converted
house they're in now has been used for worship, prayer and meetings since
the early 1990s.

"The temple serves about 1,000 Vietnamese Buddhists living in Lincoln.

".Dao was one of eight employees of Lincoln's Cook's food processing plant
who shared the largest Powerball jackpot in U.S. history in February.

"Each winner received $15.1 million after taxes. Dao reportedly planned to
spend some of the money building homes for himself and other family members
in south Lincoln. He also was one of three winners who gave nearly $6,000 to
residents of the People's City Mission on April 4."

Top executives representing the Strip's major casinos and the gaming
industry's largest labor union urged employees to come to work Monday,
saying they could do more in the effort for comprehensive immigration reform
by staying on their jobs, rather than participating in a national day of
protest. A planned nationwide job boycott by immigrants on Monday, designed
to draw attention to the role they play in the U.S. economy, is part of the
ongoing debate in Washington concerning an overhaul of the nation's
immigration laws.

During a news conference Wednesday at the Stardust, D. Taylor,
secretary-treasurer of the 50,000-member Culinary Local 226, said casino
workers can do more to help bring about immigration reform by going to their
jobs.

"May 1st is just one day," Taylor said. "On May 2nd, May 3rd or May 10th, we
still have to get a bill through Congress that is comprehensive and
addresses the core issues (of immigration reform)."

Casino executives fear thousands of Hispanic workers could take part in the
planned Day Without Immigrants protest and cripple the Strip hospitality
industry. Hispanic workers account for some 40 percent of the membership of
the union, which represents cooks, maids, waiters, waitresses, bellhops and
housekeepers at casino resorts on the Strip, said union political director
Pilar Weiss.

Instead of boycotting their jobs for a day, Taylor asked employees to come
to work and sign large petitions that will be placed in employee dining
areas inside casinos along the Strip, downtown and at unionized properties
that cater to local customers.

Also on Monday, the union will sponsor a rally at 6 p.m. at the Fremont
Street Experience that will recognize the contributions immigrant labor has
made to the gaming industry.

The petition will be printed in several languages, including Spanish and
Chinese.

The petition asks Congress to adopt a plan for comprehensive immigration
reform that includes a path to citizenship; plans for the future flow of
workers and family members; protects workers; reunites families; and helps
communities promote citizenship and civic participation.

Taylor said the gaming industry has been built by the efforts of an
immigrant work force and that casino companies have recognized the
contributions of those employees.

"The union and the gaming industry have been working on this issue hand in
hand for years," Taylor said. "We're not Johnny Come Lately."

Gary Loveman, Harrah's Entertainment chairman and chief executive officer,
Terry Lanni, MGM Mirage chairman and chief executive officer, Keith Smith,
Boyd Gaming president, and Andrew Pascal, Wynn Las Vegas president, attended
the news conference and were the first to sign the petition, followed by
about two dozen Culinary workers.

Together, the gaming executives spoke on behalf of 19 Strip casinos.

"We are a nation of immigrants, and this is an issue that affects all of
us," Lanni said. "These are employees who have come to this country looking
for opportunities and they have taken advantage of those opportunities by
earning good jobs."

Lanni said the gaming companies will discuss immigration reform with members
of Nevada's congressional delegation and congressional leaders of both
parties to voice the concern of the companies and employees.

More than half of MGM's 70,000 workers are minorities, and 30 percent are
Hispanic, company officials said.

Pascal said the message has been sent to employees of Wynn Las Vegas that
they are expected to be at their shifts on Monday. However, the casino is
making contingency plans if there is a large amount of absenteeism. In some
job classifications, Pascal said immigrant labor makes up 50 percent of the
resort's work force. He said a large rate of employees staying away could
have a "potentially devastating impact" on the services offered by Las Vegas
hotel-casinos.

"(The petition) is a viable alternative," Pascal said. "We're encouraging
everybody to be responsible."

Miguel Abad, who buses tables at the Les Artistes Steakhouse at Paris Las
Vegas, signed the petition after the news conference. A U.S. resident for 14
years and now an American citizen, Abad said he has told fellow Paris
immigrant employees they could do more good by staying on the job.

"One day is not going make a difference," Abad said. "We have to get a
solution for this issue. Rather than stay out of work, we have to send a
message to Congress."

Taylor said the names of between 50,000 and 70,000 casino employees on a
petition calling for comprehensive immigration reform would send Congress "a
powerful message from Nevada."

"These petitions are not going to stay here. They're going to Congress,"
Taylor said. "We view this as much broader than just one group. Our
congressional delegation needs to hear this message in a unified way and in
very strong terms."

While Hispanic immigrants have been the focus of the immigration reform
issue, Taylor said the matter cuts across a wide path. He said one Las Vegas
resort, where employees are covered by the Culinary union, has workers
representing 84 nationalities.

"It's a compliment to this industry that they have embraced the
contributions of immigrant workers," Taylor said. "This is a hotly debated
issue right now in the streets of every single city in this country. In some
ways, we haven't seen anything like this since the civil rights movement."

While Culinary representatives will place the petitions in all properties
where it represents workers, nonunion Las Vegas resorts also could feel the
effects of any one-day worker boycott.

At Station Casinos, which has more than 14,000 nonunion workers in 15
casinos, plans are under way to help employees support a change in
immigration laws.

Company Vice President of Human Resources Valerie Murzl said initiatives
throughout all properties involving workers would demonstrate Station's
commitment toward immigration reform.

At The Venetian, the Strip's largest nonunion resort, spokesman Ron Reese
declined to discuss the property's plans for next week should immigrant
employees participate in the boycott.

As reported by the Telecom Asia: "Mobile gambling is touted as one of the
big revenue drivers for mobile data services in the next five years. But
it's not easy money, and the house is the big winner, so the real value for
cellos may be in 3G-based VAS packages that maximize 3G's multimedia
channels to deliver a rich experience "Mobile gambling isn't a new thing to
the wireless industry. It's been around for years in one form or another.
".Inevitably, the emergence of sophisticated handsets and advanced mobile
data services is already taking mobile gambling services and apps to new
levels. Today, users can download Java-based gambling apps over higher-speed
wireless networks.

"As 3G networks become mainstream and handsets with advanced Java and video
capabilities, many believe that such trends will help mobile gambling grow
sharply over the next few years.

"One source of optimism for mobile gambling enthusiasts is, of course, the
rapid rise of remote gambling on the Internet, which has opened up sports
betting and casino-style gaming to a mass-market audience.

".Estimates on the size of the mobile betting market vary widely. Figures
from Informa Telecoms & Media indicate that the global mobile gambling
revenues will grow from $1.2 billion in 2005 to $7.6 billion in 2010, split
across the chief categories of sports and spread betting, mobile lotteries
and scratch-cards, and casino and skill games. Juniper Research is even more
bullish, predicting that global mobile betting will grow from $2 billion
last year to $19.3 billion by 2009, with mobile lotteries becoming the most
popular form of mobile gambling.

"Either way, Asia is pegged as a key market for mobile gambling over the
next few years. Informa says mobile gambling in Asia will grow from $426
million to $2.7 billion by 2010, making it the second largest market for
mobile gambling after Europe. Juniper Research reckons that Asia will see
strong growth of mobile lotteries, due to the strong culture of lottery in
the region - and because most lottery apps don't require 3G capabilities to
succeed.

".The relationship between mobile gambling growth and regulatory climates is
clearly illustrated in Europe. Mobile gambling is gaining traction there at
rapid rates, largely due to more relaxed legislation."

As reported by the Wanganui Chronicle: Rangitikei District Council has
thumbed its nose at the New Zealand Problem Gambling Foundation. "The
council yesterday resolved to confirm its existing policies on gambling and
TAB venues without change, unmoved by the foundation's criticisms of some
aspects of the policy. "The PGF had suggested that the current policy was
too weak in the areas relating to the merging of chartered clubs and in
defining specific purposes for some venues where gambling machines might be
located near areas where food and drink were on sale and therefore where
children might be present.

"While council chief executive Leigh Halstead hinted that he might like some
discussion on those issues and perhaps for changes to be made, councillors
generally dismissed the Foundation's assertions as 'minor . pedantic and
semantic'."

As reported by the San Bernardino County Sun: "A bill to ratify gaming
compacts between the governor and two American Indian tribes was pulled
Tuesday before going to the state Senate, sparking angry exchanges Wednesday
among competing groups hoping to open casinos here. "The sponsor of the
measure, state Sen. Wesley Chesbro, D-Arcata, removed the context of the
bill before it was sent to the full Senate floor from a Senate committee, a
press aide confirmed.

"The measure, Senate Bill 1582, called for ratifying a gaming compact signed
Sept. 9 between Gov. Arnold Schwarnegger and the Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon
tribes.

"The two tribes and a third tribe, the Chemehuevi of eastern San Bernardino
County, are seeking local, state and federal approval to open
multimillion-dollar casino resorts near west Barstow's two factory-outlet
malls.

".Tom Shields, spokesman for Detroit-based BarWest Gaming, business partner
for Los Coyotes and Big Lagoon, said the compacts are still alive in
Sacramento."

As reported by Reuters: "Shares in casino operator London Clubs
International rose by 8 percent on Wednesday on rumours bookmaker Ladbrokes
was preparing to make a bid. "London Clubs shares closed 8.3 percent higher
at 123-1/2 pence, valuing the group at around 275 million pounds, after talk
Ladbrokes might offer up to 155 pence-a-share. ".For its part, London Clubs
has been surrounded by bid speculation for months, mostly linked to
stake-building by its Malaysian shareholder Genting , which reached 29.9
percent last April, stopping just short of the 30 percent at which it must
launch a full take-over bid under UK rules."

As reported by icLiverpool: "Liverpool-based gaming group Stanley Leisure's
expansion plans are snowballing, with a new venue now planned for Sheffield.
"The firm, which announced it had also been granted permission for an £8m
casino in Liverpool two weeks ago, is to create a 30,000 sq ft venue in
Sheffield's St Paul's Place after city magistrates approved the plans.
"Stanley is going ahead with a further five new licence applications for
casinos and three new licence applications in respect of moves in London,
Edinburgh and Southampton.
"The 30,000 sq ft casino in Sheffield will be Stanley's first in the city.
The new Liverpool casino will be Stanley's third here. Stanley expects to
open the Sheffield casino in early 2008 and the Liverpool casino in late
2008.

"The 48-year-old company has focused on its casinos since selling its UK
high street betting shops to rival William Hill last year for £504m."

After a grueling 82-game regular season, the NBA playoffs are finally here,
which is one of the busiest betting events every year. During the post
season many sharper players shift their focus from sides and totals to
something easier to beat: playoff series wagers. Betting on the winner of a
series often provides a bigger return on investment than betting on a
straight side. Consider this hypothetical: two fairly equal teams are
playing a best of seven series at a neutral site. One can bet on any of the
seven games at Pick'em, or the winner of the series. From basic
handicapping, every bettor knows that the two teams aren't equal and that
one of the teams should win each game about 52% of the time. The fair
moneyline for each game is (-52/48 * 100) = -108.3. Taking advantage of the
10-cent reduced juice lines at Pinnacle Sportsbook will usually give bettors
a marginal play, while betting at a traditional sportsbook's 20-cent lines
will almost always leave players making negative wagers on NBA sides.

Considering the series play, the team handicapped as a favorite will win the
series about 54.3% of the time. This is the danger bookmakers face when
handicapping series - small mistakes in the line compound themselves, giving
the players better opportunities than found just betting the games
themselves.

The odds in this example are similar to what one would expect if San Antonio
and Dallas meet in the second round of the playoffs using Sagarin's power
ratings - the Spurs would most likely be a moderate favorite at home, and a
small dog on the road. Unfortunately, blindly using power ratings doesn't
work as well in the playoffs. Some teams, especially those that started the
season slow and finished strong, will outperform their power rating.
Understanding situational factors is critical not just to playoff game
betting, but mid-series betting as well. Two examples being that home court
advantage increases in a game 7 and that teams that get blown out usually
play better than after losing a tight game.

Another helpful tip about mid-series betting is to pass on long-shots down 3
games to 0. There's been 63 times where a team was up 3-0 and no NBA team
down 3-0 has ever comeback to win the series. The great comeback requires
more than just winning 4 evenly matched games as the team up 3-0 is not only
superior team, but will likely play 2 out of the 4 games at home. Consider
the current Detroit-Milwaukee series. Detroit at home is a 13:1 favorite. On
the road, Detroit will be better than a 2:1 favorite. If Milwaukee gets down
3-0 and the market prices are right, the Bucks chances of completing the
first "grand-slam" series comeback are (1/14)(1/14)(1/3)(1/3), or 1764 to 1
against.

Whenever playing futures, bettors should also know how much juice they're
paying. How can one figure this out? The Pinnacle Sports Book homepage
provides a calculator where you can type in the moneylines and it will
calculate the juice. Players who aren't used to higher moneylines often
mistakenly believe they're paying more juice, since the two moneylines are
further apart. If you see a series priced at -480/+440 at
PinnacleSports.com, the house edge is only 1.26% - much less than the 1.92%
edge on a MLB game with -104/-104 pricing. If you want to know how much
juice another sportsbook is charging, use the calculator and compare.

A simple trend to remember with series or mid-series betting is to never
underestimate the result of the first game in the series. The winner of the
first game in a series ultimately takes the series 79% of the time.

Bettors should also be careful with the size of bets to avoid hedging. At
Pinnacle Sports Betting there are regular patterns in futures betting.
Usually players who bet the long shots often bet against their initial
future once it has equity, trying to "lock in a profit". For example, let's
say a bettor has the Indiana Pacers to win the series at +320 and the New
Jersey Nets (Indiana's opponent) are a -240 favorite in game 7. Many players
with Indiana series bets would bet on the Nets in game 7. It's fine to bet
on the Nets if you think that's "the right side", but it's a mistake to bet
New Jersey just to hedge a future bet on the Pacers. If you're in a position
where you need to hedge, you may have wagered too much on Indiana initially.
Hedging out half of a play costs the juice on the hedge play; if you had
just bet half as much to start with, you'd avoid that cost.

One thing to remember is that home court advantage becomes monstrous in a
seventh game where home teams have won a whopping 85% of seventh games in
NBA history. While many sharps know this and bet the game, many fail to cash
in on mid-series wagers. If a team is up 3-1 or 3-2, don't be afraid to lay
heavy chalk on the favorite. The NBA is unique with its game-7 home
"locks" - in baseball, for instance, the home team wins closer to only 50%
of seventh games.

With the first round series in full swing, future betting at Pinnacle Sports
has been extremely active. Here's just a few examples of the futures the
public and pros have expressed definitive opinions.

Detroit to win NBA Championship -127

The Pistons opened at +114, and after being flooded with public money,
Detroit has fallen to a massive -127 favorite to win the NBA Championship.
The Pistons finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA,
despite losing its final 2 games while resting many players. Historically,
the public has always backed the team with the best record to win the league
championship. This year the public has also given support for the Suns,
Clippers, Lakers and Kings to emerge as NBA champions.

Dallas to win the Western Conference +346

After taking multiple hits from sharps, the odds on the Mavericks to win the
Western Conference fell from +405 to where it currently stands at +346.
While the wise guys are backing them to win the conference, no one thinks
Dallas can hang with Detroit. The Mavericks opened at +980 to win the NBA
title, but the influx of Detroit money has elevated Dallas's price to +1133.

Pinnacle Sports Book & Online Betting

Pinnacle Sportsbook is an online betting company providing the best odds on
sportsbook gambling, online horseracing, online casino gaming, and online
poker.

With excellent 24/7 customer service, fast payouts, and secure Internet
betting, Pinnacle Sports Book satisfies all your sports book betting
requirements and game wagering needs.

As reported by St. Louis Today: "A Missouri appeals court has ruled that a
Kentucky company lacks standing to mount an appeal that a new casino in
downtown St. Louis is too far from the Mississippi River. "The decision was
made public on Tuesday by the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District.
Columbia Sussex Corp. had appealed the Missouri Gaming Commission's decision
that the casino was 1,000 feet or less from the river. The $400 million
casino is being built by Pinnacle Entertainment Inc."

As reported by the Independent: "Future adverts by casinos, betting shops
and internet poker sites may have to carry warnings about the dangers of
gambling, under rules being drawn up by the Government before the lifting of
the ban on advertising in the gambling industry next year. "Under last
year's Gambling Act, gambling operators will be allowed to advertise in all
media from September 2007. Tessa Jowell's Department for Culture, Media and
Sport and the Gambling Commission have recently proposed new rules for the
industry to promote 'socially responsible gambling'.

"The new code, akin to the rules surrounding advertising for alcohol, seeks
to pacify critics who fear the new gambling laws will lead to a surge in
gambling addiction.

"...The Gambling Commission said it was considering whether adverts should
carry warnings to discourage loss-chasing as in some countries, messages
such as 'know your limit, play within it'..."

As reported by the Financial Times: "The gaming industry's hopes for more
Las Vegas-style super-casinos will be dashed tomorrow when the Conservatives
rule out their support for plans to increase the number of properties. "Only
one super-casino will be built following changes to gambling laws although
the government has indicated it would be prepared to increase the number if
there were sufficient cross-party support.

"However, the Tories will outline their opposition to an increase at a
special seminar that will be attended by groups such as the Salvation Army
and GamCare, which helps problem gamblers.

"In a letter sent to Tory MPs this week, Hugo Swire, the shadow culture
secretary, called on his colleagues to stress their opposition to more
super-casinos."

Nevada Homeland Security commissioners will meet in closed session today to
complete work on a study expected to identify Las Vegas as a likely target
for international terrorism. The study essentially undercuts findings by the
U.S. Homeland Security Department, which in January left Las Vegas off a
list of 35 American cities terrorists are most likely to strike. That
omission drew strong protests from Nevada officials and terrorism experts,
who argued that the federal agency's analysis failed to consider the obvious
desire of al-Qaida to strike symbols of Western materialism and decadence,
such as Las Vegas.

Leaving Las Vegas off the list meant less federal anti-terrorism money that
could be used by local agencies for prevention and response.

The state study, prepared by UNLV's Research Foundation and its Institute
for Security Studies, is expected to lay out that argument and others, as
well as detail locations in Clark County and throughout the state most
vulnerable to attack.

It also is expected to detail flaws in intelligence sharing, emergency
communications systems and evacuation plans and to recommend improvement in
the ability of communities to provide medical care on a massive scale during
a terrorist attack or natural disaster.

Many details, however, will remain classified. Nevada Homeland Security
commissioners plan to meet again next week to decide how much information to
make public. The study was paid for with $400,000 in federal Homeland
Security funding. The findings will be provided to the federal agency as it
updates its list of threatened cities later this year. Cities on the list
are eligible for special federal anti-terrorism aid. Nevada Homeland
Security Commission Chairman Dale Carrison, one of the few people to see the
study, was reluctant Tuesday to discuss its conclusions until the entire
commission has a chance to review the study this morning.

But he said that dealing with the threat of terrorism in the Las Vegas
metropolitan area is his greatest concern.

"In my mind, an act of terrorism is the biggest threat to Southern Nevada,"
said Carrison, who is director of emergency services at University Medical
Center.

His view was shared by Sheriff Bill Young, who is also on the commission.
Young said he hasn't seen the study, yet.

"Our No. 1 issue isn't flooding, fires or earthquakes," Young said. "It's
terrorism."

In explaining why Las Vegas didn't make the list of 35 likely target cities,
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said that his department had
come up with a new risk-based formula that had made 3.2 billion computer
calculations.

But Carrison and Young were astounded to learn earlier this month that
Homeland Security personnel who compiled facts to feed into the computer
relied on inaccurate information about Las Vegas.

Chertoff's subordinates told Nevada officials that such prominent and
potential terrorist targets as the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
Motor Speedway and Nellis Air Force Base had not been included.

Nevada officials are hoping to get a better shake from federal authorities
during the next round of anti-terrorism funding.

Young has said that counterterrorism experts at the FBI and CIA consider Las
Vegas one of the top five cities at risk in the country, not far behind New
York and Washington.

The Sept. 11 hijackers spent time in Las Vegas before the attacks, and since
then, the city has repeatedly surfaced in terrorism intelligence chatter.

Al-Qaida also has had a tendency to attack tourist sites in other parts of
the world since Sept. 11 - a strategy that has not gone unnoticed in Las
Vegas, a city regarded as a top international tourist destination. Las Vegas
boasts of being home to 12 of the world's largest hotels.

I started playing poker at 12:28 p.m. on Saturday, April 22 and played the
last hand of a $1/$2 modified H.O.R.S.E. cash game just over 24 hours later.
Oh yeah, since we hadn't had quite enough at that point, we played a $5 No
Limit Hold'em Tournament to cap the experience.

For the last few days, I've struggled to come up with something coherent to
say about the experience. In fact, I've been struggling to come up with
anything coherent to say about anything. Pretty much all I've been able to
write is "poker," which, thanks to one player, became the catchall phrase
for the group at approximately 2 a.m.

The Godfather, a man who refuses to be referred to by his given name in
print, who traveled all the way from upstate New York, was the man behind
this movement. Win a big pot? "Poker." Lose on a suck-out on the river?
"Poker." Catch trip aces in razz? "Poker." Taking a bathroom break? "Poker."

Three days later, my brain is finally returning to normal, or at least my
version of normal. Now that I've had a chance to analyze the experience,
here's a breakdown of the 24-hour poker game by the numbers .

15: People who took part in the game
3: People who played for the full 24 hours
5: People who started at 12:28 p.m. on Saturday
8: Largest number of people playing at any given time
6: People playing at 12:28 p.m. on Sunday
6.4: Average number of people at the table
4: People in the No-Limit Tournament, including all three players who played
for 24 hours
1: People allergic to our cat . sorry Frank!
150: Total man hours spent at the poker table by the group
4: Total woman hours spent at the poker table
3: Episodes of Star Wars played by our VCR
3: Times The Godfather said "Oh, this is the one that starts with words
scrolling up the screen and then pans to spaceships in the sky."
2: Times we played the Rounders DVD
368: Miles driven by The Godfather to attend
872: Times the word "Poker" was said
3: Straight flushes showed down
5: Hands won with quads
20: Pushups I did at 3:30 a.m.
3: Variations of H.O.R.S.E. suggested by the group (including H.O.S.E.R.,
adding Pineapple for H.O.R.S.E. P. and adding a wild card game for
W.H.O.R.E.S.)
12: Donuts brought by Liam at 4:25 a.m.
2: Rugby games played by Ryan prior to arriving
60: Pints of beer in a quarter barrel of Budweiser
52: Approximate number of pints consumed
10: Approximate number of pints consumed by Noah
13: Estimated liters of flatulence expelled in my living room
8: Estimated liters of flatulence expelled by just two players . thanks
Shobu and Akin
64: Ounces of crackers and cookies consumed by the group
0: Ounces of vegetables consumed by the group

I lost eight hours of sleep and a few bucks along the way, but overall I
think the experience was worthwhile, if only for the social aspect of the
game.

I doubt I'll ever want to play poker (or do anything for that matter) for
that long again. But who knows, maybe by the time I finish catching up on
all my lost sleep, I'll forget about how hard it's been to function these
last few days and only remember how much fun we had along the way.

All I know is I'm glad it's over. Poker.

As reported by the (China) Standard: "The Hong Kong Jockey Club has
exaggerated the amount of horse-racing bets placed with illegal bookmakers
to win legislators' support for the proposed betting duty reform, an
anti-gaming watchdog has alleged. "With Jockey Club chairman Ronald Arculli
earlier hoping the proposed betting duty reform could help the club
recapture between 10 and 20 percent of the HK$50 billion to HK$60 billion in
horse-racing bets now said to be placed with illegal bookies, Hong Kong
Gambling Watch said Sunday the figures provided by the club are 'inaccurate'
and 'unrealistic.'

"Group convenor Reverend Wu Chi-wai said a gambling study conducted by Hong
Kong University last year showed that just 0.4 percent of the local adult
population - or about 20,000 people - placed bets on horse racing through
illegal bookies, while soccer betting receipts confiscated by police last
year amounted to HK$10 million. He wondered how such a huge amount in
illegal bets could be attributed to so few punters, as the club claimed..."

Five prominent Wall Street analysts will examine the challenges and growth
potential of gaming in the East at the 10th annual East Coast Gaming
Congress, May 22-23 at the House of Blues here. East Coast gaming revenue
surpassed $11 billion last year and is poised for strong growth with the
legalization of slot machines in Pennsylvania and billions of dollars
earmarked for expansion in other jurisdictions. The East Coast Gaming
Congress will analyze this dynamic in the panel discussion "From Maine to
Florida: The Wall Street View." The participants are:

-- Marc Falcone, Deutsche Bank

-- Dennis Forst, KeyBanc Capital Markets

-- Lawrence Klatzkin, Jefferies & Co.

-- William Lerner, Prudential Securities

-- Daniel Silvers, Fortress Investment Group

"These experts have significant influence in the gaming industry, from
moving markets to shaping the investment climate. Their analysis is closely
read in every executive suite in the industry. Attendees at the East Coast
Gaming Congress will benefit tremendously from their insight," said Thomas
Sykes, a principal with conference co-producer SOSH Architects.

The signature event of the East Coast Gaming Congress is the "Industry
Leaders Forum," moderated by American Gaming Association President and CEO
Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr. The participants are:

-- James Allen, CEO, Seminole Gaming

-- Peter M. Carlino, Chairman & CEO, Penn National Gaming

-- Gary Loveman, Chairman, CEO & President, Harrah's Entertainment

-- James J. Murren, President, CFO & Treasurer, MGM Mirage

-- James B. Perry, CEO & President, Trump Entertainment Resorts

-- Keith E. Smith, President & COO, Boyd Gaming

Conference registration is available at early-bird rates by visiting
EastCoastGamingCongress.com.

The East Coast Gaming Congress is produced by Cooper Levenson, Gaming
Industry Observer, Ernst & Young and SOSH Architects. Sponsors include A.C.
Coin & Slot, Ainsworth Game Technology, Atlantic Cape Community College,
Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, Bally Technologies,
Commerce Bank, Gaming Laboratories International, Global Gaming Business
Magazine, International Game Technology, JCM American Corp., Jefferies &
Co., MEI, New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, The Press of
Atlantic City, Progressive Gaming International, Richard Stockton College of
New Jersey, South Jersey Industries, Sprint Nextel, and Vibrant Development.

As reported by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "Ribble Valley MP Nigel
Evans hopes a private lottery will ensure worthy causes like the Bowland
Mountain Rescue Team do not lose out on cash grants. "Following the launch
of the new lottery, which Mr Evans says will be a wake-up call to the
Government, he also called for changes to the rules of the National Lottery,
giving more power to the punters to decide where their money should go."

As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "A top House leader has doubts
about a key element of a property tax relief plan, threatening to complicate
a legislative panel's efforts to produce an acceptable compromise. "House
Republican leader Sam Smith, of Punxsutawney, said yesterday he didn't like
the idea of transferring about $240 million from the state lottery fund to
provide property tax and rent rebates this year for senior citizens.

".A six-member, House-Senate tax panel met briefly yesterday without
reaching a solution. It plans to meet today with leaders of both chambers,
along with Gov. Ed Rendell, in an effort to find a compromise on property
tax relief that will pass both the House and Senate.

".The panel is trying to increase, from the current $15,000 to either
$25,000 or $30,000, the annual income limits for seniors to qualify for
property tax and rent rebates. The maximum rebate is now $500 a year, which
the panel would like to increase to $650.

"But doing so will cost about $200 million, [House Democratic Whip Mike
Veon] said. He favors transferring that amount from the Lottery Fund for two
years and then repaying the lottery account by using the projected $1
billion in slots revenue."

As reported by the Louisville Business First: "The Kentucky Lottery Corp.
has selected Cincinnati advertising agency Northlich as its agency of
record. "Northlich will partner with Cincinnati marketing firm DeanHouston
Inc., which will serve as a consultant. "The two firms plan to launch a
campaign that includes scratch-off and online games, with the first radio
and television commercials airing in June."

The 2006 WPT World ChampionshipTwill be remembered in a string of
superlatives - the most, biggest and first! When Joe Bartholdi, of Las
Vegas, defeated the brightest poker talent from nearly 40 countries, he did
so in a tournament that is going to be talked about for years. The finale to
the WORLD POKER TOUR®'s Season IV drew a record-breaking 605 entrants,
generated the highest ever WPT prize pool of more than $15 million, and for
the first time in WPT history, awarded more than a million dollars to a
player that qualified on a $25 satellite! Bartholdi pockets a coveted first
prize of $3.76 million, the enviable title of WPT World Champion and a seat
in the 2007 WPT World Championship at Bellagio.

The WPT World Championship is the jewel atop the crown of the WPT's fourth
season. Its $15 million purse brings the total prize money for the 17 Season
IV tournaments to a staggering $85+ million. The riveting shows, currently
airing on the Travel Channel every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT, have
revealed the 20 newest WPT Poker Millionaires. After the WPT World
Championship that number rises to 23 as the tournament paid more than $3
million to first place, nearly $2 million to second place and $1 million to
third place.

"This tournament captures the dream and the reason we created the WORLD
POKER TOUR," says Steve Lipscomb, Founder and CEO of WPT Enterprises, Inc.
(NASDAQ: WPTE). "The Championship is an open event where anyone with the
drive and courage to enter can test his or her skills against the best
players in the world. This Final Table match-up will absolutely fuel the
poker fantasies of millions of players. We congratulate Joe and welcome him
to our family of WPT Champions."

Champion Joe Bartholdi was cheered on by a sizable hometown crowd. His
post-tournament plans include taking his cheering section out to "celebrate
for a while," and once the party ends he intends go out and "buy a house."
His friends were also heard to be talking about a Bartholdi-funded trip to
the Caribbean. Money is no object for the newest WPT Millionaire.

Second place finisher, Davidson Matthew of Toronto, Canada, enthused, "This
tournament has turned me from an amateur to a professional. It's set me up
to play poker. Now if I lose, financially, it just doesn't matter." To put
his accomplishment in perspective - his $25 spent on a satellite buy-in to
cash over $1.9 million puts his winnings at $76,000+ for every dollar
spent - now that's good investment!

Roland De Wolfe, of London, England, was the only previous WPT winner (Grand
Prix de Paris, Season IV) to make the Final Table. De Wolfe also joins the
ranks of WPT Millionaires as his third place finish awarded him $1,025,205.
Claus Nielson of Las Vegas finished in fourth and cashed $659,120. Fifth
place, with an award of $439,375, was given to James Van Alstyne also of Las
Vegas. Sixth place and $292,915 goes to the legendary Men "the Master"
Nguyen of Bell Gardens, California.

This tournament marked the closest yet that a woman has come to making the
Final Table of the WPT World Championship. Vanessa Russo of Miami, FL,
finished "on the bubble" -- seventh--but took home to the "Sunshine State" a
consoling $263,625.

The $25,500 buy-in tournament at Las Vegas' Bellagio proved to be a lure to
marquee players from all around the globe. Among those who took to the felt
for the WPT World Championship were defending champion Tuan Le and Alan
Goehring, plus T.J. Cloutier, Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi, Doyle Brunson,
Antonio "The Magician" Esfandiari, Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, Scotty
Nguyen, Erick Lindgren, David Williams, Allen Cunningham, Men "The Master"
Nguyen, Phil Ivey, Kathy Liebert, Chip Jett, Ted Forrest, Gavin Smith, Barry
Greenstein, Paul Darden, Nick Schulman, Freddy Deeb, Jennifer Tilly, Michael
Gracz, John D'Agostino, Hasan Habib, Scott Fischman and James Woods.

The international contingent also included Martin DeKniff, Paul Maxfield,
Gus Hansen, David Benyamine, Juha Helppi, Chris Bigler, Humberto Brenes,
Juan Carlos Mortensen, Johan Storakers, Marcel Luske, David "Devilfish"
Ulliot, John Gale and Patrik Antonius, among others.

The 2006 WPT World Championship will bring the excitement coast-to-coast
when it airs on the Travel Channel on Wednesday, June 28th at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

The WORLD POKER TOUR is the global leader in poker. The WPT introduced poker
to a worldwide audience through its innovative and riveting brand of
televised poker, now seen in more than 147 countries and territories.
Capturing all the excitement and sizzling action at its 17 Tour stops around
the globe, the show sets the gold standard in poker programming. The WPT
inspired a global poker phenomenon that has attracted millions of men and
women to the game and legions of devoted followers to the poker lifestyle.
It has transformed poker into the sport of choice for vast numbers of
viewers and players, and the hundreds of millions of dollars of prize money
on the WPT have rekindled the promise of "The New American Dream." The WORLD
POKER TOUR airs on the Travel Channel, every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET/PT
in the U.S. and on ITV4 in the U.K. For more information, go to
www.worldpokertour.com.

About WPTE WPT Enterprises, Inc. (Nasdaq: WPTE) is a company engaged in the
creation of internationally branded entertainment and consumer products
driven by the development, production, and marketing of televised
programming based on gaming themes. WPTE is the creator of the World Poker
Tour®, a television show based on a series of high-stakes poker tournaments
that airs on the Travel Channel in the United States and more than 147
markets globally. WPT Enterprises currently licenses its brand to companies
in the business of poker equipment and instruction, apparel, publishing,
electronic and wireless entertainment, DVD/home entertainment, casino games,
and giftware.

As reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "When Don Barden came to
Pittsburgh last week, he seemed like a long shot in his bid to secure the
city's casino license. By the time he left, he had served notice that he
wouldn't be treated as an afterthought. "As state Gaming Control Board
public hearings wrapped up Wednesday, Mr. Barden had positioned himself as a
more serious threat to the two bidders that have commanded the most
attention, Forest City Enterprises and Isle of Capri Casinos Inc.

"Of the three, the Detroit businessman, who operates five casinos, including
one in Las Vegas, appeared to do the most to improve his bid's standing, at
least in terms of public perception.

"Much of that had to do with timing. With the caginess of a poker player, he
waited until the day before the hearings, months after his competitors had
trotted out their proposals, to commit funding to a new arena and to unveil
a $350 million plan to redevelop the lower Hill District.

".Mr. Barden, head of PITG Gaming LLC, lined up just-retired Steelers star
Jerome Bettis, who will lead a consortium on the Hill development, to
counter the celebrity power of Steelers Hall of Famer Franco Harris for
Forest City and the Penguins' Mario Lemieux for Isle of Capri.

".In two days of hearings, Mr. Barden raised his public profile in
Pittsburgh, where he had not done one news conference before last week. And
he proved to be quick on his feet.

". Mr. Barden's $1.1 billion bid includes a proposed $410 million Majestic
Star casino to be built on the North Shore, west of Carnegie Science Center.
He is pledging $7.5 million a year over 30 years under Gov. Ed Rendell's
alternative Plan B for funding a new arena, plus a possible 300-room hotel."

A recent study by one of the largest bingo sites on the Internet,
Bingohall.com, has found that offline and online demographics of bingo
players do not always match up. The study, which was completed by a random
sampling of thousands of real money online bingo players at the site, have
concluded that offline and online bingo players are not the same.
"Typically, if you walk into any offline bingo hall, you're going to find
table after table of retired ladies sweating on the next number out", said
Bingohall.com's VP Marketing Scott Logan. "We've found this just isn't the
case when it comes to online players."

Logan went on to say that while the majority of their players were still
women, the age demographic drops significantly, to around 35 years old. In
line with this, the number of players working full or part-time was over
50%.

"We definitely see an influx of players logging on at the end of the working
day in an attempt to relax and enjoy the evening with their online bingo
friends", said Logan. "We provide an enjoyable community that makes it
possible, with a range of bingo games with big jackpots along with other
games such as slots, video poker and keno."

Bingohall.com offers a wide range of fun games such as bingo, slots, video
poker and keno and awards over $8 million every month in prizes.

Joe Welch Sr. has lived his whole life on the Barona Indian reservation, an
8,000-acre patch of ranch land nestled in a valley near the community of
Lakeside. For years, he watched the poverty-stricken tribe struggle. He
thought bringing a small bingo hall would be a step toward giving the
community economic self-sufficiency. Never did Welch imagine that 20 years
later, his idea would grow into a gambling operation rivals some of the
Strip's well-known resorts.

At a cost of $320 million, the expansive Barona Valley Ranch sits as a
tribute to the Indian tribe's perseverance. In 1983, Welch and the Barona
Band of Mission Indians needed a favorable ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit
Court of Appeals to have bingo.

In 2003 the bingo hall was replaced by a 400-room hotel that's surrounded by
a 310,000-square-foot casino (MGM Grand's casino, by comparison, is 170,000
square feet) and an 18-hole golf course.

Welch, now 69, still serves on Barona's council. Soft-spoken and humble, the
tribal elder says he's sometimes amazed at the riches the casino profits
have brought the tribe and its 500 members.

"Our only goals were to do something for the community and our members,"
Welch said. "I think we've achieved that."

About an hour north of Barona, Steve Glisson piloted his van around the Pala
Indian Reservation one morning and picked up a few of the 25 students who
attend classes at the private Aswe-T Pati'a Christian Academy.

Glisson, principal of the tiny school located in a large portable across
Highway 76 from the Pala Casino, doesn't belong to the tribe. His friendship
with a tribal member, however, brought the school to Pala.

"She wanted a Christian school for the tribal children and she gave us the
land for the building," Glisson said.

Serving grades 3-12, the school will move next fall into a new modular
structure and will have room for all grades, which will double the
enrollment. In addition to a normal school curriculum, the students receive
a Christian education and a bonus: Once a month an Indian woman comes into
the classrooms to teach tribal culture.

Tuition costs about $500 a month, a seemingly steep price to pay for members
of the rural community. Glisson said there is just one reason why parents
are able to give their children a private education: the annual payment each
member of the Pala tribe receives from the earnings pool of the Pala Casino.

"There is absolutely no way this school would be here without the casino,"
Glisson said. "The tribal members have the money to pay for tuition, and a
member provided land for the school."

Five years ago, San Diego's first Las Vegas-style casino opened after
California voters approved Proposition 5 in 1998 and Proposition 1A in 2000,
which allowed Indian tribes the right to have full-blown gambling on
reservation land.

Gambling was viewed as an economic development tool Indian tribes could use
to provide a revenue stream to members.

For most tribes, housing, medical insurance, education, tribal
infrastructure and other economic development opportunities have increased,
fueled by gambling revenue.

"Every tribe is different, and some are a lot more successful at this than
others," said Robert Smith, the chairman of the Pala Band of Mission
Indians. Smith is in his 17th year at the helm of the tribe with almost 700
voting members and their families.

"We've been able to do what we set out to accomplish, putting the money back
into the tribe so we can use it for years to come," Smith said. "I think
we've been successful."

Bonnie LaChappa, a councilwoman for the Barona Indians, said the large
casino was controversial at first, but the tribe's operation of the bingo
hall helped ease any fears.

"We're doing things for our members that we never thought possible,"
LaChappa said. "(Gaming) has meant so much for us."

California has 56 American Indian casinos, stretching as far north as Amador
County near the Oregon border to the far southeast in Imperial County near
Arizona.

Nowhere in California, however, have the Indian casinos gained a greater
concentration than in San Diego County. Nine casinos are spread through the
northern and eastern reaches of San Diego's rural communities, from a tiny
slot machine parlor in Pauma Valley off Highway 76 to the expansive Barona
Valley Ranch just northeast of Santee and El Cajon.

California's casinos operate 58,000 slot machines; in San Diego, 12,680 slot
machines are being used, almost 23 percent of the state's total.

"Without question, this county, probably because of the sheer size of some
of the facilities, has to be the casino leader in California," said Jerry
Turk, who heads the management company that operates Pala Casino.

Turk said that when you add in the eight casinos in neighboring Riverside
County and two casinos in San Bernardino County, Southern California drives
the state's casino engine.

"It's remarkable to see what's happened in San Diego," Turk said.

One of the majority owners of Fitzgeralds in downtown Las Vegas for almost a
decade, Turk cashed out in 1996 and retired to San Diego. But a chance
meeting with representatives of the Pala Band of Mission Indians led to his
involvement with the tribe's quest to open a casino on a portion of its
12,000-acre reservation in the shadow of Palomar Mountain.

Pala opened in April 2001 at a cost of $115 million with just a casino,
event center and a handful of restaurants. In 2003, the tribe spent $125
million to add a 500-room hotel tower, a spa and convention space.

"The business has been phenomenal for the tribe," Turk said. "They run their
business in a very democratic way and the casino proceeds have allowed them
to do many things for the reservation and the community. They're very
careful how they make outside investments, which is a good thing."

Customers to Pala and the other San Diego-area casinos come predominately
from San Diego County, and nearby Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Los
Angeles and Orange counties, two of the state's most populated counties, are
void of Indian casinos, providing a steady customer base for San Diego's
gambling halls.

"When we opened we thought all the guests would come from San Diego," Turk
said. "We were wrong. We didn't focus on the fact Los Angeles and Orange
County didn't have casinos. That's a huge amount of people, and we've been
able to penetrate that market."

Operating a casino in California has some differences from operating in Las
Vegas. One example is alcohol. While booze flows freely in Las Vegas 24
hours a day, liquor sales by state law are ended in California at 2 a.m.
Casinos also can't give free drinks to gamblers.

Barona Valley Ranch doesn't even offer alcohol on the casino floor.
Customers can order drinks in the Barona Oaks Steakhouse, in their hotel
rooms and on the golf course, but not in the casino.

Barona casino leaders said the winding and hilly Wildcat Canyon Road that
leads into the reservation is a primary reason they don't want to be
responsible for sending alcohol-impaired gamblers out on the highway.

"It works for us," said Barona General Manger Karol Schoen. "Our customers
appreciate the environment we've established. If you think that might be a
negative, you should have seen our New Year's Eve party."

Revenue figures on Indian gaming are not easily accessible. The tribes don't
publicly disclose monthly gaming win, but all figures are reported to the
National Indian Gaming Association in Washington, D.C.

In 2004, the most recent year for which statistics were available, American
Indian casinos generated $19.6 billion in gaming revenue. In California, the
56 tribal gaming operations reported gaming revenue of $5.8 billion, the
highest of any state in the nation. Nongaming revenue generated by the
Golden State's Indian casinos was $544.6 million, also highest in the
nation.

A spokesman for the National Indian Gaming Association said figures for 2005
should be released within a month.

Companies managing the tribal casinos have different arrangements for
revenue sharing. Some receive a set management fee, some a portion of all
revenue generated by the property, while others have a contract calling for
a little of both.

Harrah's Entertainment, the only major Las Vegas gaming company running a
casino in the San Diego area, receives a percentage of the profits from the
operation of Harrah's Rincon as a management fee from the Rincon San Luiseño
Band of Mission Indians.

In the company's quarterly earnings statements, Harrah's protects the
tribe's revenue secrecy by combining the fee with fees the company earns
from managing American Indian casinos in Kansas, Arizona, North Carolina and
on three cruise ships. The figure is under the heading labeled managed
properties.

Revenue generated by the tribal casinos is used for economic development.

While most tribes won't divulge annual payments to members, Pala's Smith
said each voting tribal member receives about $60,000 annually. The money
for tribal members under age 18 is put into a trust that they can access
once they achieve their high school diploma or an equivalent. What they do
with the money is their business, Smith said.

"We have a financial department within the tribe that helps members invest
their benefits," Smith said.

Since the Pala Casino opened, tribal members all receive medical, dental and
life insurance coverage. The tribe spent almost $8 million to build a tribal
administration building that is surrounded by an athletic complex.

The tribe operates its own infrastructure and Smith said money from the
casino enhanced sewer treatment and trash collection. A $7 million fire
station is under construction.

About 17 homes annually are built around the reservation and an elders
program provides about 150 meals a day to homebound seniors.

"We had some stuff before gaming, but the money from the casino enhances
everything and gives us a way to provide for our members," Smith said.

Similar activities have taken place on the Barona reservation.

More than $5.5 million has gone toward infrastructure enhancements, while
the tribe pays its students $1,500 per semester in college scholarships as a
way to give tribal members an opportunity to continue their education.

The tribe spent $225,000 to expand its reservation public school and, at a
cost $1.2 million annually, members, spouses and dependents all have
insurance coverage.

"The first thing the tribe did for its members was to buy insurance,"
LaChappa said. "We pay for schooling. I worked two jobs full time just to go
to community college. My son won't have to work. He can concentrate on his
schooling and that's such a good benefit."

IGT today announced the appointment of Jon Wade as its new Executive Vice
President of Engineering, overseeing the management and deployment of the
Company's various engineering and systems development groups. Wade is the
former President of AgilePower Systems. As a founder of that company, he was
responsible for its technology development strategy, product marketing and
finances. He also spent 10 years with Sun Microsystems, Inc., during which
time he managed the hardware development of the UltraSPARC V(TM)-based
Enterprise Server family and served as product manager for high-performance
interconnects.

Wade earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has many patents and published
articles to his credit.

International Game Technology is a global company specializing in the
design, development, manufacturing, distribution and sales of computerized
gaming machines and systems products.

California's Indian gaming regulations allowed tribal casinos to have live
casino table games as long as the outcome is determined by cards. While
blackjack, baccarat, poker and poker's variations, such as Let It Ride and
Three Card Poker, were offered from the outset, the casinos seemed empty
without the traditional roulette and craps tables, an essential aspect of
the Strip's gambling offerings. Bingo, which had been legal on Indian lands
since 1983, was still allowed.

"Our customers seemed to miss those particular games that we couldn't
offer," said Lee Skelley, assistant general manger of casino operations for
Barona Valley Ranch.

Individually, the casinos set out to get around the regulation, using cards
as well as dice on craps tables and in conjunction with the spinning
roulette wheel.

"We found a way to give players a variety of games," Skelley said. "The
games are the same, the mathematics are the same, and the objects of the
games are the same. But there is just a little variation."

At Barona, the craps tables have eliminated dice all together. Cards, aces
through sixes, representing the six sides of a die, are placed in an
automated card shuffler. The shooter -- the player who's turn it is to roll
the dice -- tells the dealer how many cards to "burn" before turning over
two cards, which determines the roll.

"It's still craps and we give the player some control by telling the dealer
how many cards they want to burn," Skelley said.

Barona patented the game and has licensed it to other Indian casinos in
California for a small fee.

Other San Diego casinos still allow players to roll dice, but it's in unison
with cards determining the roll.

At Pala, a craps dealer places 36 cards in a shuffler -- representing the 36
possible combinations of two standard dice. Two cards are placed face down
in red and blue boxes on the table and the shooter rolls red and blue dice.
The die with the highest number determines which of the two cards the dealer
will turn over as the play card.

Craps players at Harrah's Rincon use one red and one green die while six red
and six green cards are placed face down on the table. The stick person
calls out the roll and a dealer turns over the two cards that correspond to
the roll.

"We'll explain the game to customers, and once they realize the odds and
pay