Seminole Tribe of Florida Chairman James E. Billie has fired back at Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, with an editorial titled: "Seminole Gaming: clean since 1979" in response to claims by Bondi earlier this month that law enforcement could not back up.

Billie's comments are part of a quarter-page editorial dated today in The Seminole Tribune, a monthly newspaper covering tribe news. He names all the agencies and auditors that "scrutinize" the casino, including the FBI, IRS and gaming commissions -- all of which would have had to have missed the criminal action that Bondi claimed happened.

"If Bondi's statement is factual, then why didn't she alert us?" he wrote.

At a Dec. 8 news conference against a destination casino bill (which, ironically, the Seminoles are also against) Bondi said: “I went and spoke personally to many law enforcement officers and in Hillsborough County, many of the last drug trafficking cases that they made, the money was laundered through the casino.”

When pressed to name which casino, Bondi said it was the Hard Rock Tampa.

The Hillsborough County sheriff’s office contradicted her claim in a news release Dec. 14, saying “Our office has not conducted any investigation involving money laundering at casinos, nor do we have any official information that this type of criminal activity is/has occurred in Hillsborough County.”

Bondi later admitted via a statement that she did not speak to "many" officers, and instead said her information came from only one person -- at a charity function. She did not name the event. Through her office, Bondi has declined repeated requests for interviews.

Billie's editorial concludes: "It is disturbing to us for such a serious charge to come out of nowhere through the mouths of such high-ranking leadership as the Cabinet of the State of Florida without any regard to the high potential for damaging the Tribe's reputation and the reputation of its businesses."

Billie's editorial is at http://seminoletribune.org/seminole-gaming-clean-since-1979.

The deal to sell Dania Jai-Alai to local investors is dead.

The potential buyers, Dania Entertainment Center LLC, notified current owners Boyd Gaming Corp. on Monday that they would not meet the Nov. 28 purchase deadline, and Boyd exercised its right to terminate the transaction, said Rob Meyne, vice president of corporate communications for Boyd.

“Boyd Gaming Corp. remains the owner of Dania Jai-Alai and will continue to operate the property,” he said.

Boyd Gaming, which bought the fronton for $152 million in 2006, announced in May it was selling the property to a group of private investors for $80 million. The buyers put up a $5 million nonrefundable deposit, and the transaction was expected to be completed by Sept. 26. But in September, the buyers announced that they were paying an additional nonrefundable $2 million to extend the deadline to Nov. 28.

Continue reading "Dania deal, with Nov. 28 deadline, falls apart" »

An 81-year-old woman from Sunrise had plenty of reason to shout "Bingo!" at a Hollywood casino, taking home $53,367.

Mary Ferrone of Sunrise, who says she was a regular at the nearby Seminole Casino Hollywood "Classic" years ago, hit the 11 a.m. matinee game for old times' sake on Nov. 21, with a friend of hers.

The casino, located just south of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on State Road 7, has run bingo games for more than 30 years -- the precursor to the Native American casino gambling we see today.

Ferrone, a mother of eight, grandmother of 15, and great grandmother of three children, said she couldn’t believe her run of luck and she daubed completed a blackout card -- with just 47 numbers called -- to hit for $53,367.

“It’s like winning the lottery in bingo,” said director of marketing Robert Dearstine, explaining that there are only 24 numbers on each bingo card and Ferrone had more than every other number called of the 48 on her card. He's pictured at left with Ferrone and casino host Lavencia Lacy.

Upon winning, she told casino officials: “My grandchildren will have a great Christmas now.”

Seminole Casino Hollywood pioneered Indian gaming when it opened as the country’s first large stakes bingo hall in 1979, eventually expanding with gaming machines and poker. There are four high stakes sessions offered daily and each bingo session has its own progressive jackpot, which regularly exceeds $100,000.

The Seminole Casino Hollywood is located one block south of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood at 4150 North State Road 7 (U.S. Highway 441) in Hollywood, Florida.

Call 954-961-3220 or visit www.seminolehollywoodcasino.com. For more information on Seminole Casino Hollywood bingo, visit www.seminolehollywoodcasino.com/casino/bingo.

Five panelists will discuss a gambling bill at the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce meeting at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at The Westin hotel, 400 Corporate Drive.

The bill, proposed by state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, and Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, would allow for up to three "destination casinos" in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

The speakers are: Bogdanoff, Mardi Gras Casino president Dan Adkins; Isle Casino & Racing General Manager Rob Wyre; Nick Iarossi, a lobbyist for the Las Vegas Sands; and John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family Policy Council.

Sun Sentinel Editorial Page Editor Antonio Fins will moderate.

The forum is being presented in conjunction with the Broward Council of Chambers, which includes all county chambers of commerce.

Cost is $30, which includes breakfast. Go to FTLChamber.com or call 954-462-6000.

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek job fair is hitting the road: A van will be making 19 stops in the next month.

One will be at the Florida Atlantic University campus in Boca Raton; the rest at South Florida malls. The first stop is Monday, from 10 a.m. to noon at Coral Square Mall, 9469 W. Atlantic Blvd., Coral Springs.

With a $150 million expansion nearing completion, casino managers are looking to fill about 800 positions, including chefs, servers, bartenders, dealers, cashiers, slot machine technicians and security personnel. About 4,000 filled out applications at a job fair Nov. 2 at the casino.

Most jobs are hourly, with pay starting at $9 an hour. But the casino also expects to hire about 300 blackjack dealers, who can make up to $80,000 a year.

The 43-foot recreational vehicle will have casino staffers logging in applicants’ information.

Those interested also can apply online at GoToWorkHappy.com, or at the casino, 5550 NW 40th St., on State Road 7 near Sample Road.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/seminolecasinocococreek.

The full schedule is below:

Continue reading "Seminole Coconut Creek rolls out job fair van" »

Our Sun-Sentinel show, Inside South Florida, airs at 6 a.m. Sundays on Channel 39, although I'm sure you guys already knew that.

Offering me the incentive they do for all guests -- a night at a Fort Lauerdale Beach Hotel, with dinner, limo and gift bag -- I graciously agreed to grace their show. It's worth it for getting up that hour.

OK, really the show's taped, and I didn't get squat, other than enjoying the presence of the perpetually cheerful Nik Robinson.

But I did get eight minutes for intense gambling conversation and if you click on the link, you will, too.

And, yep, I know I blew the Broward-Dade thing. The bill now does not specify a number for any particular county.

Mardi Gras Casino presented the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation with a check for $2,073.25, money raised throughout October from the casino's Player’s Club Members who donated their points for the cure. The points were converted into cash.

The part of this effort that I really like is that it's the players who are giving up something of value. (You have no idea how difficult that is.)

Mardi Gras Casino is located at 831 N. Federal Highway on the corner of U.S. 1 and Pembroke Road. Call 954-924-3200, visit www.mardigrascasinofl.com; or go to facebook.com/mardigrascasino or twitter.com/MardiGrasFl.

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino, the first pari-mutuel to open with slots, celebrates five years on Saturday.

There will be free birthday cake at 7 p.m. in the second floor casino and a surprise celebrity impersonator will lead casino staff and patrons in singing "Happy Birthday" to themselves.

The casino also will have $1,000 cash drawings every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight. Players can earn one drawing entry for every 25 slot points earned, and can start accumulating entries at 9 a.m.

The casino's actual opening date was Nov. 15, 2006.

While most of the talk about destination casinos has centered on Miami-Dade County, a proposal by legislators to create up to three Las Vegas-style resorts also includes Broward County.

So the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce has invited five panelists to discuss the bill at a forum starting 7:30 a.m. Nov. 29 at The Westin hotel, 400 Corporate Drive.

“Our No. 1 industry is tourism, so it’s very important to have an educational exchange and see if this is something that’ll enhance South Florida as a destination,” chamber board member Chuck Malkus said. “The purpose is to hear the panelists’ views and hear information, so individuals will be able to form their own opinion and be in a better position to communicate with their elected officials.”

The speakers are: state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale; Mardi Gras Casino president Dan Adkins; Isle Casino & Racing General Manager Rob Wyre; Nick Iarossi, a lobbyist for the Las Vegas Sands; and John Stemberger, head of the Florida Family Policy Council.

Sun Sentinel Editorial Page Editor Antonio Fins will moderate.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Chamber has casino forum Nov. 29" »

Blackjack players root for each other. Poker players oppose each other. And slot players are usually alone.

That’s changing. More banks of interconnected games — called “community gaming” — are surfacing at casinos. The games usually involve bonus rounds, where players accrue more spins on their slot machine, giving them a greater chance of hitting the jackpot.

“We felt something was missing from slot floors, and that was the excitement of table games,” said Brad Rose, executive director of game development for WMS Gaming, a slot manufacturer based near Chicago. “So we came up with games where everyone is rooting together.”

The company announced several new games at last month’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.

Rose said the following games are among those you might see soon at South Florida casinos:

Battleship. Playing off the Hasbro game, the slot machine pits two players’ fleets against each other to see who sinks the most ships for additional bonus spins.

Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv26N9fNTP0

Super Team. Players can customize their screen to pick their hero’s gender, hairdo, cape and colors. The hero guides the player through the bonus spin round.

Clue. Based on the classic board game, the Clue theme allows multiple players on a bank to work together to solve a mystery.

The Wizard of Oz Journey to Oz: The latest in a series of “Wizard of Oz” themes has Glinda the Good Witch spinning a community bonus wheel on a 52-inch overhead screen.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L1UD8VHLiI

Mardi Gras Casino will be hosting a flag ceremony at noon to honor veterans.

The ceremony will be performed by the Hallandale Beach Police Department’s Honor Guard. Following the ceremony, the casino will be serving cupcakes to the first 500 people.

Mardi Gras Casino is located at 831 N. Federal Highway on the corner of US-1 and Pembroke Road.

Call 954-924-3200 or visit www.mardigrascasinofl.com.

Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park in Pompano Beach is looking to hire 50 hospitality professionals, the casino announced Friday.

The openings cover mainly the food and beverage department and the Isle will be holding a Job Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Interested job seekers can apply at the Isle’s human resources office (777 Isle of Capri Circle, Pompano Beach). Qualified applicants will receive an immediate interview.

Online applications are also being accepted through the “Careers” section of www.islecorp.com.

The two legislators who filed bills that would add three "destination" casinos in South Florida say their proposal is about many issues. But there's one it isn't about: Money.

"If I were to list the top 10 reasons I proposed this bill, revenues would not be among them," said Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, who last week filed a long-awaited proposal to bring two destination casinos to Miami-Dade County and one to Broward County.

Indeed, the revenues issue is complicated, involving not just the potential of the destination casinos but also how they would affect slot-machine and poker revenues now generated by the state's parimutuel facilities. In addition, the Seminole Tribe of Florida would reduce its payments to the state because its compact with the state is based on certain exclusive gambling rights.

But a quick numbers crunch, based on current state revenues and expert opinions, shows the state is likely to come out ahead if it passes the destination casino bill. How much ahead depends on whom you ask.

Here's the math:

Continue reading "Destination casinos: Working out the revenue figures" »

Because I played drums all through high school and college (if you count marching band "cymbals" as drums), this has a special place in my heart: It's “The Big Beat” at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino from 2 – 6 p.m. Sunday.

It's free to watch, but $15 to join in. All funds raised during this year’s event will go directly to The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which will benefit the music programs in select South Florida local public schools.

Each celebrity drummer will play on the stage. This year’s lineup includes Derek Roddy, a drum clinician; Edwin Bonilla and Eduardo Rodriguez, Gloria Estefan’s Latin percussionists from the Miami Sound Machine; Lil’ Dave Chiverton, drummer for Lauryn Hill and Flo Rida; Omar Tavarez, drummer for Pit Bull, Willie Stewart, former member of the legendary reggae band “Third World”; Lancelot Hall, former drummer from the reggae band “Inner Circle”; and Fushu Daiko, Japanese Taiko drumming group.

After their set, Jeff Lee, event organizer and owner of Resurrection Drums, will lead a brief interview session. Following the interview, the celebrity drummer will lead a play-along drumming session where celebrity drummer will quickly teach the crowd the groove, and the participants will jump in.

At 5:45 p.m., the participants will play the same groove simultaneously as drummers in 15 cities across the United States attempt the largest mass-drumming performance in history. This feat will be achieved through a live-streaming internet connection. Conductors in each city will direct participants to play the same score of music as they follow a live-feed of the lead conductor in Seattle. Last year’s Big Beat drew 1,653 drummers and percussionists with about 6,000 spectators, which raised more than $54,000 for charity.

Drummers wishing to be a part of the event can register by calling Resurrection Drums, or download the registration form at www.rezdrums.com. Participants are to bring a drum kit consisting of at least a bass drum, snare drum, tom, throne, hi-hat stand with cymbals and a carpet or rug. All participants will receive a free Big Beat t-shirt and a swag bag.

Trying to get there, and, yes, it happens to be near the poker room...

Quick reminder: The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is running its job fair today, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

They're looking to fill about 800 jobs as a result of their expansion, hiring everything from dealers to service staff to security to managers.

Go to JobsForFlorida.com.

Looks like a huge crowd. Here's what Channel 10 had...

Mardi Gras Casino has had a tic-tac-toe chicken and a "crappiest promotion ever," so when they put out September's Udderly Ridiculous contest, well, it kind of figured.

Except one guy took it really seriously. Stephen Edelstein thought he had won the grand prize of $4,500 for gathering the most milk from the Hallandale Beach casino's fake cow, and filed suit when he didn't get paid off. He claimed the equipment was defective and that caused the liquid to splatter over his arms and shirt instead of the bucket.

Wednesday he settled for $625.

According to our Georgia East, in court documents, he said he was prepared to subpoena videotapes of the contest along with laboratory tests of his shirt to measure the quantity of splattered liquid.

The contest ran its course at the casino and is no longer there.

The Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach re-opened Fling, its center bar, after $400,000 in renovations.

The cainos says there will be live entertainment every day from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. weeknights and all the way untill 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. A highlight in October is “The Mermaids,” which the casino says is "four sirens of the stage in a cabaret-style performance."

For a complete entertainment schedule, go to http://pompano-park.isleofcapricasinos.com/entertainment-fling.aspx

King of Foods, Inc. will host its third annual “King of Ribs” BBQ Cook-Off & Food Festival at Calder Casino & Race Course from noon to 8 p.m. Nov. 5.

It will be on the fourth floor terrace of the Miami Gardens casino.

Participants will each prepare their best slab of barbecue ribs to impress judges/chefs from Johnson & Wales University. One winner will be named the “King of Ribs” and receive a $1,000 cash prize and a four-foot trophy.

Continue reading "King of Ribs competition Nov. 5 at Calder" »

Magic City Casino will celebrate its second birthday on Saturday and the Flagler Greyhound Track will celebrate its 80th year in operation.

“We have much to celebrate and encourage our guests to share this momentous day with us,” said Scott Savin, chief operating officer of Magic City Casino.

Magic City Casino will commemorate its upcoming anniversary with an all-day celebration that includes giveaways, free play promotions and live music, among other activities. Live racing will be featured, with a post time of 1 p.m. The Wheelin’ Dealin’ Street Food Festival will host 20 trucks from 5 p.m. to 10 p,m.

The Chirino Sisters will perform at Secada’s at 9:30 p.m. Admission is free, and limited VIP tables are available. Table reservations can be made by calling 305-649-3000 ext. 3429.

The schedule:

11 a.m.: $250 Free Play giveaways begin and continue every hour through 2 p.m.
Noon: First 100 seated poker players will receive a free gift
1 p.m.: Live racing performance
5 p.m.-10 p.m.: Wheelin’ Dealin’ Food Truck Festival
6 p.m.: Key to the city ceremony
9 p.m. & 10:15 p.m.: Fire show presentations
9:30 p.m. & 11 p.m.: The Chirino Sisters

Magic City Casino, located at 450 NW 37th Avenue in Miami, offers valet parking and free self parking.

The Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach is looking to hire 50 hospitality professionals.

The openings cover mainly the food and beverage department and the Isle will be holding a job fair from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 22. All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

Interested job seekers can apply at the Isle’s human resources office (777 Isle of Capri Circle, Pompano Beach). Qualified applicants will receive an immediate interview.

Online applications are also being accepted through the “Careers” section of www.islecorp.com.

Jeb Bush fought long and hard against casinos back when he was governor, but times are changing, he tells a Las Vegas newspaper.

“I opposed gambling expansion, but I’m not governor anymore,” Bush told the paper.

As for destination casinos?

“The north will let the Heathens in the south have the casinos and they’ll take the benefits,” Bush said.

(Thanks to Jann Sabin for the link.)

You know, the former governor is probably just saying what most of us have been thinking. Florida is in a lot of ways really two states: South Florida, and then sunny, spacious land with pristine beaches and a magical place called Disney. (OK, not really, but that's the narrative the northerners created, so let's give it to 'em.)

So why not have different rules for different part of the state, and Gov. Rick Scott told us last week that he believed gambling should be "a local decision."

And you gotta respect the honesty about Bush's "take the benefits" remark. That's what happened with slots, mind you. We tax our gamblers at a 35 percent rate, then the money gets spread all over the state. Hey, if I'm up north, I'll take that deal, too.

Hialeah Park's John Brunetti was in Las Vegas when the court ruling was handed down, supporting his operation of slots that's coming next year. But his office sent this statement, so I thought I'd put it up:

"Needless to say I am pleased with the decision of the 1st District Court of Appeal on confirming the decision of the lower court granting us permission to conduct gaming operations at Hialeah Park.

This will put us back on par with other thoroughbred facilities and other pari-mutuels in the Miami-Dade and Broward County areas. This decision, I believe, ends this issue, and we will begin accelerating our development program so that, hopefully, we can meet our scheduled completion and opening in December of 2012.

I want to thank the people of the City of Hialeah and our political representatives for their continuing support that has made this all possible.

We all look forward to the grand opening of our new facility and all the amenities and opportunities it will bring to the people of Hialeah and South Florida."

Still waiting to hear from the opposing pari-mutuels on whether they'll appeal.

While casino expansion and job creation may have yet to be debated in Tallahassee, there’s already some action here in South Florida: One casino is expanding, and there are 800 jobs to go with it.

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek announced Wednesday that it’s almost doubling its current size, and will hold a job fair on Nov. 2 “for everything from service industry to management to technical staff to dealers,” casino General Manager Steve Bonner said.

The casino is in the midst of a $150 million expansion project, which includes building a 2,400-space garage, opening three new restaurants, closing the old poker room for a roomier new one and knocking down walls and laying new carpet to grow from 1,700 slot machines to about 2,300. Casino officials said the construction has meant about 1,000 temporary jobs; now comes the need for full-time staffing.

“If I could have a parade right down main street in Coconut Creek, I would,” said Bob Swindell, president of Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, which promotes economic development.

The county has about 93,000 people looking for work, he said, “so this addresses about 1 percent of them with this project alone.”

Swindell also noted that while not every job is high-paying, each will carry benefits, and unemployment is an even greater problem for those who lack four-year degrees, and would love any kind of paycheck.

“You need jobs at all stratas,” Swindell said.

Bonner said that while the security jobs, for example, pay only $10 to $15 an hour, he expects to hire about 300 blackjack dealers, who can make up to $80,000 a year, and the casino also will need some managers who make more than $100,000.

While the Seminole Tribe of Florida isn’t required to release its revenue figures, business is good, Bonner said. He took out an advertisement recently comparing Seminole Coconut Creek’s action to nearby Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach and other pari-mutuels. The Coconut Creek generates about twice the slot revenues as the Isle, and as much as the Isle, Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino and Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach combined. Seminole Casino Coconut Creek also has blackjack and other table games.

Alfredo Herrera, of Hollywood, actually happened to be at the casino Wednesday morning with a resume, cold-calling for a job. When he found out the casino would be hiring 800 people, he promised to return next month.

“I’ve been looking for a job since January,” said Herrera, who said he’s an electrician but “will take any job.”

The casino currently has about 1,000 full-time employees. The expansion is expected to be completed in February.

Continue reading "Seminole Coconut Creek hiring 800 after $150M expansion " »

Usually the color gamblers like to see is casinos in green, but in October there’s plenty of pink, too – the color link to fund-raisers for breast cancer research.

From 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek has a “Save the Coconuts” promotion. Six people each hour win $300 to $2,000 in free play, and the casino will match 10 percent of each amount won and donate it to a breast cancer awareness charity.

Seminole Casino Hollywood hosts a motorcycle run at 8 a.m. Oct. 16 from Peterson’s Harley Davidson, 19400 NW Second Ave., Miami, to the casino, 4150 N. S.R. 7. Cost is $20. Call 305-651-4811.

Isle Casino & Racing has a Steps for Life 5K walk at 9 a.m. Oct. 22 around the track. Cost is $25 and includes breakfast and a T-shirt. Dogs are welcome. Proceeds go to Gilda’s Club of South Florida.

Palm Beach Kennel Club will give a T-shirt saying “On Track To Beat Cancer” to patrons who donate $20, with proceeds benefiting the kennel club's charities. The kennel club also has a “pink ribbon” feature race every Saturday afternoon and evening, with proceeds from the races going toward local cancer charities. The poker room also will collect a $5 add-on during its $65 tournaments on Thursdays.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino will donate proceeds from specially designated “pink-sheet” hotel rooms and Hard Rock Cafe pins, T-shirts, bags and robes to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and charities.

Mardi Gras Casino has “Points for the Cure,” encouraging slot players to donate their points to support breast cancer research.

Gianni Russo, who played Don Corleone’s son-in-law, Carlo Rizzi, in The Godfather, entertains at Mardi Gras Casino at 8 p.m. Oct. 8-9.

The night is titled "An Evening You Can't Refuse," and Russo, 67, performs songs from Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and others, as Russo tells tales of what is quite a colorful life.

Tickets are $25. Russo's show ties in to the casino's Godfather theme for October, with Cadillac giveaways, and promotions such as “bada bing bada boom.”

More info at MardiGrasCasino.com or 954-924-3200.

The Palm Beach Kennel Club will support area charities during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For patrons who donate $20 will receive an “On Track To Beat Cancer” T-shirt, with proceeds benefitting the kennel club's charities.

Other activities will include:
A Pink Ribbon Feature Race will be held every Saturday afternoon and evening during October. In these special events, all eight Greyhounds will be wearing pink blankets. All proceeds from these races will also go to local cancer charities.

The Poker Room will also have a $5 add-on Thursdays in its $65 re-entry tournament.

“Pink” Drink Specials: $2 Pink Lemonade / $4.50 Pink Lemonade & Vodka.

The benefitting charities include the American Cancer Society, National Canine Cancer Foundation (south Florida Chapter), The Kelly Rooney Foundation and PBA / Connie Vanderwey Memorial Scholarship.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is coming to our editorial board Tuesday morning, and I'm planning on crashing the meeting to eke out a question or two about gambling.

The problem is: I'll probably get only one, maybe two questions. So, dear readers, what exactly do I ask and how do I phrase it to get some form of a concrete answer?

If you can't reply via Facebook, email me at nsortal@Tribune.com.

Hope to have something to share tomorrow.

Magic City Casino has unveiled the musical lineup for its 2011-2012 concert season.

George Thorogood and the Destroyers starts it off on Saturday, Nov. 26.

“We are very happy with the quality of the artists we will be presenting this season and expect some show-stopping performances,” said Scott Savin, Chief Operating Officer of Magic City Casino.

The schedule so far:

o November 26 – George Thorogood and the Destroyers (8pm)

o December 17 – Air Supply with Ambrosia (8pm)

o January 27 – REO Speedwagon (8pm)

o March 9 – Styx (8pm)

o May 12 – Exposé, Lisa Lisa, Tiffany and Nelson (8pm)

o May 19 – Willy Chirino with the Celia Cruz All Stars (8pm)

Other shows will be announced as they are confirmed. Concert ticket prices begin at $15 and may be purchased at www.magiccitycasino.com or by calling 305-460-6579.

Two performances are also currently scheduled for Magic City Casino’s smaller stage at the Secada’s lounge:
o November 5 – An Intimate Evening with Jon Secada (9pm)
o November 25 – Super Open House Dance Reunion starring Peter Fernandez (9pm)

Limited VIP tables are available for these two shows. Reservations can be made by calling 305-649-3000 ext. 3429. Free upper level seating is available for both of these performances.

Magic City Casino, located at 450 NW 37th Avenue in Miami, offers valet parking and free self parking.

It'll cost another $2 million, but Dania Entertainment LLC has elected to extend the closing date of its pending $80 million acquisition of Dania Jai-Alai, moving the deadline for the sale to Nov. 28.

When Boyd Gaming announced the sale in May, it gave Dania Entertainment the option to close the deal by Sept. 30; if not, they could pay another $2 million for a Nov. 28 close.

Of the $2 million payment, $1 million will be applied to the $80 million purchase price. Boyd Gaming previously received a $5 million non-refundable deposit upon execution of the definitive agreement. Meanwhile, Dania Entertainment Center got $4 million from Lakes Entertainment Inc., in Minnesota, which will be not only the gaming manager and operator but also an equity partner.

Lakes Entertainment said it is planning to invest an extra $6 million once the agreement is complete.

Dania Entertainment said it'd like to open the casino in fall 2013.

The official groundbreaking for the Hialeah Park casino is set for 4 p.m. Friday.

Owner John Brunetti said in a press release: “We appreciate the patience and support of everyone in the local community and our friends in the local and state political arenas. We’ve had our hurdles but we’ve cleared them now and everything is full steam ahead. We only get one chance to do this and we wanted to make sure we do it right. When we’re finished, it will be something that people will be talking about all over the world.”

The makeover is for the track, the addition of a new building and a casino, set to be finished in fall 2012.

Meanwhile, Hialeah Park hired Steve Calabro as its new director of gaming. Calabro has been president at Gulfstream until earlier this year.

Brunetti said he hired Calabro “because of his knowledge of the South Florida market and his experience with other casinos.”

Dania Entertainment Center has hired Lakes Entertainment, Inc. to run its casino, and there's a familiar name at the top of the company.

It's Lyle Berman, who helped start the World Poker Tour along with Steve Lipscomb, is chairman of the board and chief executive officer for Lakes.

Berman has won three World Series of Poker bracelets and helped start the Rainforest Cafe company, an act of cruelty to adults that I will be hard-pressed to forgive him for.

A Dania LLC press release said that "After several months of consideration, Lakes Entertainment was selected because of their expertise in development and management of casinos outside of traditional gaming markets, creating destinations in non-destination cities, and generating employment and value to the communities in which they enter."

“We are very excited to have Lakes Entertainment as our partner in the redevelopment of the Dania Jai–Alai property,” was the quote from Louis Birdman of Dania Entertainment Center, LLC. “We share the vision of developing a first-class casino destination to serve the local community, the local gaming customers, and those visitors to South Florida that are looking for the type of quality experience that Lakes Entertainment is known for.”

The release also noted that Lakes is not only the gaming manager and operator but also equity partner. The company has made a $4 million investment in the joint venture, and is planning to invest an additional $6 million when the purchase agreement between DEC and Boyd Gaming Corporation is expected to close before the end of the year.

As equity partner, Lakes will be included in decisions surrounding the branding, theme and design of the redevelopment of the existing fronton.

Berman was quoted as saying: “This is an opportunity for our company to expand into an ownership role and into Florida for the first time."

The company also had its own release, pointing out that it is currently managing the Red Hawk Casino for the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and has an investment in Rock Ohio Ventures, LLC for their planned casino developments in Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio. Lakes is also involved in other business activities, including the licensing of table games to tribal and non-tribal casinos.

Overall, you gotta give Dania Entertainment credit for their team: Berman, designer Klai Juba and Tallahassee's Gunster legal team are connected so far. Not bad.

Jai-alai action resumes at 7 p.m. Thursday at Dania Jai-Alai, ending a one-month break at the fronton to repaint the court.

Dania now goes back to its regular schedule of noon Tuesdays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. The fronton's poker room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The fronton, at 301 E. Dania Beach Blvd in Dania Beach, is in the process of being sold by Boyd Gaming to a group of local investors, who plan to remodel it and add restaurants and slot machines by early 2013.

More information at BetDania.com or 954-927-2841.

So, thanks to all those who entered for a chance to play in the Nick Sortal Division at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek blackjack tournament on Wednesday. Our tech department tapped into a random number generator, and here are the winners (apologies to my friends, who got no love, nor luck):

The 16 players:
Robert Ruggiero, Herman Lovett, Steven Nattis, Gina Demascola, Ross Senter, Stephen Bruno, Gary Blum, Steven Hall, Mike Smith, Bill Jessell, Randy Potter, David Grandmaison,
Jeni Herman, Marshall Brown, Sheena Scariah, Jason Jones.

The four alternates (in order) David Fisher, Susan Campagnano, Marilyn Ankers, Justin Fitzdam.

Note to Ruggiero, Brown and Campagnano: Your emails bounced back to me... this is a problem. Email me at NSortal@Sun-Sentinel.com immediately.

It's going to work like this: The 20 folks are to show up for the registration party between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. They have to belong to the Seminole Players' Club, and they gotta bring ID (and that also proves they're over 21).

If there are no-shows, the alternates step in. If the alternates are shut out, I'm trying to get them a little love (no promises, so far).

There are three 21-player tournaments, one with former Dolphin Zach Thomas as the celeb, one with radio host/former Dolphin Troy Stradford and the third with me.

Also confirmed, and playing for charity: Former NFL pros Keith Simms and Leon Searcy, 640-AM sports talk hosts Andy Slater and Orlando “Big O” Alzugaray.

Wednesday's tournament will pay out more than $45,000 in promotional chips to be used at the casino's blackjack tables after the event. There are 16 spots available for the 21-player “Nick Sortal Division.”

After my 21-player session narrows to six people, I'll join the group at our final table. First prize is $5,000 in chips, and everyone at the final table receives at least $1,000 in chips, except me. My loot is going to charity.

Look for results Thursday at SunSentinel.com/action.

Calder Casino & Race Course had made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross AmeriCorps program, whose members respond to local disasters and teach our community to prepare for and prevent disasters.

“This significant donation helps the Red Cross to better prepare our community for the dangers of hurricane season and to prevent disasters such as house fires that affect hundreds of South Florida families each year,” said

Sam Tidwell, CEO of the American Red Cross South Florida Region, said the donation helps the Red Cross prepare for hurricane season and response to house fires.

Calder also welcomed AmeriCorps team members and American Red Cross Emergency Response leaders at its hurricane preparedness seminar Aug. 18.

The Seminole Casino Hollywood's "Face of Classic", which carries a $100,000 compensation package, is down to 10 people.

On Aug. 14, 50 finalists were invited back to the casino to complete a mock photo shoot, a voice-over, and second job interview. From that field, the finalists are:

Vanessa Conde of Miami, Darryl Ellis of Pembroke Pines, Catherine Gestewitz of Hollywood, Vanessa Jerome of Coconut Creek, Telli O’Connor of Pompano Beach, Ayme Sanchez of Davie, Marcus Smith of Miami Beach, Lisa Steadman of Surfside, Tonya Traylor of Miami Gardens, and Kenny Walker of Davie.

Continue reading "'Face of Classic' down to 10; winner announced on Tuesday" »

Calling it "a dream come true," Tim Ritvo has taken the reins at Gulfstream Park Racetrack and Casino.

Ritvo, who had been vice president of racing operations, replaces Steve Calabro, who resigned on June 10. Ritvo, who was named the interim in June before being permanently announced last week, becomes the fifth Gulfstream president since the Scott Savin reign ended in 2006.

Ritvo, 46, has worked his way up the past 21 years at Gulfstream as a trainer and racing official after starting off as a jockey in New England, including at Suffolk Downs. He also served as vice president of the Florida Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

"This is something I've always dreamed of," Ritvo says, while negotiating paperwork and smartphones in an office that includes casino revenues, floor plans and photos of racehorses. He says Mike Couch, director of gaming, will continue to run the casino side of the business, but report to Ritvo. (Calabro's background, meanwhile, was more in casinos.)

"I'm still a horse guy," says Ritvo, of Davie. "And the casino has been running fairly well."

Meanwhile, Ritvo is keeping abreast of the future of gambling in Florida. Gulfstream parent company CEO Frank Stronach was in Tallahassee on Monday, discussing destination casinos. (Gulfstream's thought is that maybe they get the license for here and hustle up the hotel in the plans, or, at least get the same tax rate and games that any destination casino would get.)

Gulfstream, with its horse racing and Village at Gulfstream mall, "has an advantage" over casinos, Ritvo believes.

"But we're still going to focus on customer service. We want to reach out and see what makes us different that the other guys, and focus on that. The goal is for people to leave here with a good experience.

"A lot of couples come here together, they break up for awhile (for horse and poker for men, slots and shopping for women), then meet back for dinner."

On the horse-racing side, he wants to implement the quad-super bet, which, like the 10-cent Pick Six, can yield "life-changing" money to bettors.

"If you bet $20, and make, say, $580, well, that's a nice day," he says. "But we also want to have some options that provide very high payouts."

Ritvo’s wife, Kathy, is a trainer who made the news earlier this year as the Kentucky Derby approached with Mucho Macho Man.

South Florida radio personality Mindy Lang has joined the celebrity judging panel for the Seminole Casino Hollywood promotion: “Face of Classic $100,000 Dream Job Giveaway.” Comedian Jimmie Walker, celebrity correspondent Michael Yo and others will also help determine who’ll be chosen during the final round of competition on Aug. 23.

Lang is a staple on the air at Majic102.7.” Her “Daily Music Buzz” airs every weekday morning at 10:20 a.m., “Weird & Wacky News” at 11:50 a.m. and "Friday Funnies every Friday at 12:20 p.m.

“Dream Job Giveaway” candidates chosen from the first round that was held on June 11 and 12. On Aug. 14, a second call-back of approximately 75 finalists will complete a mock photo shoot, a voice-over, and be further interviewed. The final round public event on Aug. 23 will consist of interviews by the judges with the top 10 finalists, and the “Face of Classic” winner will be chosen.

The winner will be involved in multiple TV, print, and billboard advertising photo shoots, attend all of the casino’s community and special events, co-host the majority of promotions on the property, perform all casino intercom announcements, conduct a radio publicity tour, host the casino’s Facebook account, post YouTube videos, and write daily tweets.

In addition to a guaranteed salary of $75,000, the winning job candidate will drive a new automobile with free gasoline; have a $6,000 wardrobe expense account; receive a $2,500 photo and video shoot portfolio; get free food for the year, a special parking space at the casino, and more. The nine other finalists will receive $1,000 in cash, $250 in free casino play, and a photo shoot portfolio they can use at their next job interview.

Applicants must be 21 years old, a U.S. citizen, have a valid driver’s license, have at least a high school education, and be able speak English fluently and clearly. Casino experience is not necessary.

The Seminole Casino Hollywood is located at 4150 North State Road 7 (U.S. Highway 441), just south of Stirling Road, in Hollywood, Florida. For more information call 954-961-3220 or 1-866-2-CASINO or visit www.seminolehollywoodcasino.com.

The Institute for American Values launched the new website, GetGovernmentOutofGambling.org, which sheds light on what it calls "the numerous—and significant—social ills caused by the partnership of governments with legalized gambling."

"In short, this toxic relationship is a bad bet for Americans," the institute says.

The institute says governments and the gambling industry "tout the jobs and tax revenue that comes from legalized gambling but they consistently minimize, and often completely ignore, the many painful costs. Studies consistently show that wherever casinos open up there is an increase in crime, divorce, bankruptcy and other social ills. Once those costs are totaled up, gambling often extracts more wealth from communities than it creates."

The whole press release is at http://www.getgovernmentoutofgambling.org/pr/20110801.pdf

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino mobile apps for Hollywood and Tampa have reached almost 150,000 downloads, the casino says.

The free mobile apps, available on iPhone and Android, as well as on mobile websites accessible from any smartphone, tells of special events and activities at the two casinos.

Continue reading "Seminoles say mobile apps have been downloaded 150,000 times" »

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino will play host to Food Truck Derby from 4-10 p.m. Saturday, consisting of 20 gourmet food trucks.

The afternoon and evening, to be held at the track's tiki hut, will include giveaways and a live disc jockey. Also in attendance will be 790 The Ticket and the "Ticket Chicks."

Global Gaming Business, an industry magazine, put its focus on Isle of Capri, the company that owns the Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Park.

Isle CEO Virginia McDowell, based in St. Louis, discusses the various properties, including these comments, re: Florida.

The magazine writes:

"In Florida, where talks are under way to potentially allow integrated resorts in tourist destinations around the state, McDowell feels the company is in good shape with its racino operation at Pompano Park. It all started with the state’s negotiations with the Seminoles over the tribe’s gaming compacts.

“I give our corporate legislative team and our lobbyists for the parimutuel coalition a tremendous amount of credit,” she says, “for making the legislators in Florida realize how important the parimutuel industry is to the state, to get the tax rate down to a much more competitive level. It makes for a healthier industry.”

Now that more gaming is being considered, McDowell believes Isle is still sitting pretty.

“The dialogue that started in the last legislative session continued into this year’s session,” she explains. “And the relationships we developed in the last session allowed us to make our points on parity. To the extent that these resorts will be introduced in the state—and that could be a long way off—we would have parity in our county. Assuming that a $2 billion investment would mean a tax rate of 10 percent, we would get the same deal and get full parity in terms of games. That is helpful. But who knows how likely that is, given the state’s relationship with the Seminole tribe and a lot of other factors.”

The Isle is the most successful of the three pari-mutuels in Broward County with slot machines, taking in almost as much as Gulfstream and Mardi Gras do combined. The Isle gets all the nonsmokers in Boca Raton and north Broward County (the closest nearby casino, Seminole Coconut Creek, allows smoking, and does very well) and has one of the best poker rooms in the state.

Plans are slipping out for what likely will be the final new casino in Broward County for a long time.

The expected new owners of Dania Jai-Alai, who formed a corporation called Dania Entertainment Center, have been showing renderings to town officials and neighborhood groups, and issued more details in a press release on Friday. The plans call for building additional space for slots adjacent to the 58-year-old jai-alai fronton and eventually working the back portion of the 50-acre property to make room for a hotel and a deepwater marina connected to an existing canal.

The company plans to reduce seating in the fronton from approximately 5,000 to 1,800 seats and convert it to a “multi-purpose live performance venue” on the times there is no jai-alai, the release says. But jai-alai isn't going anywhere: The state requires at least 150 sessions for owners to keep the slot license.

But jai-alai hasn't been hot for years. The fronton used to draw about 1,000 people a day and 10,000 on weekends 1970s and 1980s. Now, attendance often is below 100 people as jai-alai nationwide has dwindled from 14 frontons nationwide to six. Dania also currently has a poker room.

Also coming: A buffet style restaurant, two casual restaurants, and a fine dining restaurant with a performance stage and dinner theater style seating. a night club, lounge and day club with pool and cabanas.

If you want to see the floor plans -- and I suggest you do -- click on download file. Looks like the slots will be behind the fronton, and a pool on the second floor, and poker stays the same, except for a high-limit area. Would love comments.

Download file

Download file

Continue reading "New Dania owners have plans for slots, big renovations" »

A poker instruction camp featuring a former World Series of Poker player of the year is set for the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Aug. 13-14.

Gavin Smith, the 2006 WSOP player of the year, is among the instructors at the WPT Boot Camp, which has been in existence for about five years.

Topics include bankroll management, trapping players, playing online, calculating pot odds and adjusting for stack size. Other pros also will be at the boot camp, and will play hands against the students. Cost is $1,895. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

An "advanced lab," for those who have attended other WPT Boot Camps, is set for Aug. 15. Cost is $800.

For more info, go to WPTBootCamp.com or call 866-978-2668.

The boot camp runs during the start of the 19-event Hard Rock Summer Splash Poker Open, which runs Aug. 12-22. (Details and schedule coming soon.)

Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman interviewed a Harvard addiction expert, who said that despite the nation's increase in gambling opportunities, the pathological gambling numbers have remained the same.

The expert found that the initial increase in gambling behavior among the population soon wanes after gambling comes to an area. He also said “people gambling on the Internet change from gambling more to less in weeks.”

The good news: South Florida has been represented at the last three final tables of the World Series of Poker, with David "Chino" Rheem, Kevin Schaffel and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

The average news: We still have a player left in 2011, but he's a huge underdog when the cards fly today at the Rio All-Suites Hotel in Las Vegas.

He's Badih Bounahra, 49, a part-time Fort Lauderdale resident and Belize businessman. He sits in 21st place out of 22 remaining, with 3.8 million chips. (The leader has more than 20 million.)

Bounahra says he goes by "Bob," and the World Series site for a while had his first and last names reversed. He's been playing short-stacked for days.

"The first few days, it was day by day," he said. "Today it'll be hand by hand."

He plays "a little" in South Florida, but loves the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure tournament and on Nov. 4, 2008, won $30,054 in the second chance Latin American Poker Tour tournament in San Jose.

He's cashed a couple of times at the WSOP, he said, and on Oct. 8, 2009, finished second in the UltimateBet Aruba Poker Classic in Palm Beach, earning $11,000, according to Hendon Mob poker database.

Badih owns a wholesaler and grocery business. He's married with two boys and a girl, and plays online under the name "LEB_BEL" (that's Belize abbreviation backward and forward).

ESPN says he runs a poker room in Belize City.

Action starts at noon Vegas time, and makes TV tonight.

More later; I finally got ahold of him and wanted to get something up quickly.

Update: Now Bounahra has moved up to 16th, winning a 1.5 million hand as two players were knocked out. And he's changed his hometown listing from "Fort Lauderdale" to "Belize." But if he wins, I'm claiming him.

On the heels of the massive haul by Don Johnson (no, not the Miami Vice star), another gambling has raked in loot in Atlantic City.

The unidentified man took in $5.3 million at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, playing mostly craps.
(Note: He left a $150,000 tip.)

Casino execs say he's welcome back anytime.

The Palm Beach Kennel Club is again on the circuit for the eighth season of the World Series of Poker Circuit series.

The WSOP released the schedule Friday.

The Palm Beach Kennel Club stop is Feb. 16-27.

The tour begins Sept. 8 n Bossier City, La., and continues through the following May. A revised points-ranking system for all tournament participants will be used throughout and will reward those players who participate in multiple events.

The entire 2011-12 schedule can be found at http://www.wsop.com/schedule/wsopcircuit.asp

Continue reading "WSOP Circuit stop is Feb. 16-27 for Palm Beach Kennel Club" »

The World Poker Tour's coverage of the Hard Rock Showdown from two months ago hits the airwaves Sunday, at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports.

The show repeats at 11 p.m. Sunday and 8 p.m. Wednesday.

If you forgot who won, cool. I'm not going to tell you...

With rumblings across the casino floors and an ominous note in a recent Fitch Ratings release, the Seminole Tribe of Florida issued some news Thursday about gambling CEO James F. Allen.

He's not going anywhere.

"The newly-elected Tribal Council of the Seminole Tribe of Florida announced today its continued support and confidence in the senior management of Seminole Gaming, Seminole HR Holdings, LLC and Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Hard Rock International. The Tribal Council further confirmed its continued support of the existing operating agreements for the companies as well as certain equity interests of senior management," the press release read.

James F. Allen is chairman, president & CEO of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC, Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. (the parent company of the Hard Rock International business), and CEO of Seminole Gaming. Brad Buchanan is executive vice president & CFO of Seminole HR Holdings, LLC and Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc., and executive vice president & CFO of Seminole Gaming. Hamish Dodds is president & CEO of Hard Rock Cafe International (USA), Inc.

The release said Seminole Gaming has posted a 463 percent increase in revenue and a 275 percent increase in EBIDA since Allen and his team took over management in late 2001.

They also say that since the development of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Hollywood and in Tampa in 2004, Hard Rock International has grown in excess of 69 percent in Revenue and EBIDA. "This growth is attributed to the Tribe's ownership and the success of the management team led by Hamish Dodds," the release said. Allen also is leading the move to add Atlantic City to the Seminoles' roster.

Speculation about Allen started almost as soon as James Billie was re-elected as head of the Seminoles' tribal council, after a 10-year absence. (He had been The Man from 1979 until hitting rocky terrain in 2001.) Fitch Ratings, in its June 30 release, wrote: "In the near-term, as it relates to the new leadership, Fitch is most concerned about future decisions pertaining to the employment of the gaming division's top management. STOF's current gaming management is very well regarded, so Fitch could have increased concern if the new tribal leadership caused management turnover at the gaming enterprise. The employment contracts of the gaming division's CEO and CFO expire in May 2013."

The context of the comments came while affirming the Tribe’s bond ratings.

Thursday, Fitch's Michael Paladino sent out this statement: "The public display of support is encouraging from Fitch's perspective." The Seminoles' press release didn't address the contract question.

Here's one take on the history: Billie was basically out in as Allen arrived in 2001, although technically still in charge until 2003. Allen was instrumental in the Hard Rock purchase, and whether or not he's Billie guy, well, no reporter is likely to get for the record.

But overall Billie is a smart guy: If Allen is helping the tribe make money -- and it's pretty easy to argue that he is -- well, Billie that's what it's really about.

Promoters always stress that it takes only one ticket to win, and now they can point to 79-year-old Stanley Tannen of Boca Raton.

Tannen and his wife, Frances, joined the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek player's club (making him eligible for giveaway drawings) at 2:30 p.m. on July 2, just 90 minutes before the casino was to give away a 2011 Dodge Charger. He swiped his new player’s club card immediately, then milled about, looking for a slot machine to play.

“And next thing I know, I'm hearing 'Stanley Tannen, you have three minutes to claim your prize,” he says. “I didn't know what was going on.”

Turns out, he won the car, worth $37,000.

“I'm still in shock. Last time I won something was 47 years, ago, in Brooklyn. It was a turkey for Thanksgiving.”

For those who don't hang out at casinos much, drawings usually work like this: Everyone gets one entry, then can accumulate more points, i.e., by either playing a lot of times or with a lot of cash. That's why often you see big players with multiple prizes -- they just overtake the drawing with their sheer volume. There are usually thousands of entries, and not many Stanley Tannens win.

But a footnote: Tannen, who used to be director of taxes for Foot Locker in Staten Island, took the cash option from the casino, which is usually two-thirds of the car's sticker price. So Coconut Creek gave him $1,000 cash, $500 in casino play and a check for $21,000. He says income tax on the new car would run him $12,000 -- and they just bought a Hyundai Sonata three months ago.

(Sorry about the comments going up slow: Because of a Spam attack, I have to check the blog hardware every know and then and approve them.)

Steve Bourie's American Casino Guide publishes a monthly newsletter, and for July there's coupons, a review of a Gary, Ind., casino and, most importantly, a video of the Robosaurus that came to Seminole Casino Hollywood last month (complete with dramatic background music.).

http://www.betdania.comDania Jai-Alai's poker room has expanded its hours, and added an inexpensive morning tournament and a weekly player loyalty payout.

The fronton is now open at 10 a.m. daily (it used to be noon) and advertises a 2 a.m. closing time Mondays through Thursdays (and later on weekends).

Continue reading "Dania has $30 daily tourney, weekly $1,000 reward" »

The next preliminary round of the TropicBeauty Model Search is at 10 p.m. Saturday at Seminole Paradise at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

First prize is $1,000. DJ Mingle Mixx from CBS’ Big Brother reality TV show is the host.

On Aug. 20, a final competition will award $1,000 prize money and airfare to Las Vegas for the $80,000 TropicBeauty World Finals in January 2012.

Due to a rainy forecast the Miami food trucks will not be at the Sminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, as they have been each Thursday in the summer. The outdoor movie viewing is also canceled (although I'd propose they show 'Singin' in the Rain.')

They'll be back next week, the Hard Rock says.

A man with Broward ties was sentenced in a casino fraud case in California.

According to the Fresno Bee, Jeff Livingston, 51, admitted he used company credit cards for personal gain while working as the general manager at Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in California.

He spent about $48,500 of the casino's money, prosecutors said, on things such as a Hawaiian vacation package, a PGA golf package, a diamond necklace and autographed sports and music memorabilia, prosecutors said.

The story said he was a "former Broward Sheriff's deputy," and one bio says he was a detective involved in developing gang task forces and assisted in enhancing sentences for violent crimes committed by gang members, but I'm not sure what that really has to do with anything. Records show he worked for BSO from Nov. 6, 1989, to June 26, 1993.

I'm not putting the BSO angle in the headline because he worked here two decades ago, and linking him to something from decades ago to build traffic just seems a crappy way to do business.

(Cops, remember that the next time I'm pulled over...)

Other old clips show Livingston was a 1978 graduate from Northeast High School in Oakland Park. (Maybe we put 'former NE High grad' in the headline?)

More about the Broward angle from a profile article on Livingston:

Continue reading "Man with Broward ties sentenced in casino fraud" »

Gulfstream president and general manager Steve Calabro has resigned, continuing the high turnover rate for top management of the Hallandale Beach horse track and casino.

Calabro is the fifth president/GM to leave Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in the past six years.

Frank Stronach bought Gulfstream in 1999, hiring Scott Savin, who ran Gulfstream until May 2006. (Savin, who grew up a horse guy, is now at Magic City Casino. Looking back, Savin's six years under Stronach seems pretty remarkable.)

Then came Paul Micucci, then Bill Murphy took over in January 2007, only to leave in October 2009. Ken Dunn took over Nov. 1, then left May 28, 2010.

Calabro, who had been in charge of the gambling portion of Gulfstream, became president of the whole shebang, only to depart Friday. It hurts the gambling side because Calabro knew the business, having worked as a senior VP of Marketing at the Trump Plaza Casino Hotel in Atlantic City for six years, and leading the casino side of Gulfstream since September 2007.

Gulfstream's parent company, MI Developments, could not be reached for comment, but a Gulfstream press release said Calabro left to spend more time with his family in New Jersey.

The press release said Mike Couch, director of gaming, will maintain the day-to-day operations of the casino while Timothy Ritvo, VP of racing, will assume the responsibilities of the day-to-day operations of the building.

Ritvo's quote in the press release: “We at Gulfstream Park wish Steve the best and appreciate all he has accomplished while he was here. We look forward to continuing the success that Gulfstream has enjoyed the last several years.”

It's been an interesting time at Gulfstream. On Feb. 11, 2010, the first phase of a shopping center opened, consisting of about 70 retail shops, restaurants and bars, costing developer Forest City Commercial Group about $250 million.

The casino numbers look fine. Gulfstream and Hallandale Beach rival Mardi Gras Casino, run neck-and-neck, each taking in about $50 million per year in slots, according to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

That's about as good as they're going to do, considering the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is nearby, and Miami Dade has added slots at Magic City and Calder.

Meanwhile, horse racing experts say Gulfstream's product has been very good, with another strong meet concluding a couple of months ago.

But then there's Stronach...

Continue reading "Another Gulfstream Park CEO (Steve Calabro) leaves" »

South Florida poker rooms repeatedly steer players toward games other than Texas Hold 'em, but the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is actually putting money behind it.

Players who have logged at least 30 hours' play of Omaha 8 or Better before Tuesday will be eligible to play in a free tournament at 4 p.m. June 26. Entry is limited to the first 70 players who qualify.

“We wanted to reach out into a segment of the market that we haven't tapped into, actively,” said William Mason, Hard Rock's director of poker.

He said the Hard Rock also wants to build up interest for the WPT Summer Regional poker tournament series, which includes an Omaha 8 or Better tournament on Aug. 14.

The June 26 event winner will receive $2,500. Those who finish second through ninth get free entry into the $230 buy-in Aug. 14 tournament.

The Hard Rock and most South Florida poker rooms offer Omaha games if there are enough players to get a game going. (Players put their names on a “list of interest.”) Mason noted the Hard Rock gets regular pot-limit Omaha games, but seldom is there interest for the Omaha 8 or Better. Both versions of Omaha deal four cards face-down to players instead of the two in Texas Hold 'em. Omaha 8 or Better differs in that the pot is split between the highest and the lowest hands.

Meanwhile, the Hard Rock also is having a similar tournament for the first 135 No-Limit Texas Hold 'em players who have logged at least 50 hours by Tuesday. A June 26 tournament will pay $10,000 cash to the winner. Second through 10th places win a satellite entry worth $230 for the WPT Summer Regional.

Vanessa Rousso, of Hobe Sound, is conducting a poker instruction camp from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 7 at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

The camp is designed to help those entering the World Series of Poker main event. The main event has four Day 1s, with the first starting on July 7.

Rousso, the 2001 Wellington High valedictorian, has more than $4 million in poker winnings.

Cost is $300. Players can register at bigslickbootcamp.com. or call 1-877-337-5425.

All In Free Poker has strengthened its relationship with the Isle Casino & Racing, offering seats in Isle tournaments at prizes.

For the past five years, All In Free Poker has conducted free Texas Hold 'em tournaments at bars and restaurants in South Florida, especially catering to players reluctant to try playing in casinos. But as players have become more confident in playing for free, some are less intimidated now, co-owner Bryan Oulton said.

"We know we’re part of a natural transition," Oulton said. The 33 participating restaurants and bars often hold up to four tournaments a night, and in past years the Isle hosted a quarterly tournament for All In Free Poker players.

But now All In offers prizes such as $50 in Isle slot play, an entry into a $100 buy-in Isle tournament and a weekend champagne brunch for four at the Isle's buffet.

Also, the one player with the best hand of the night at All In play across South Florida receives a weekday buffet for two. All In also has weekly and monthly tournaments, and those winners receive entries into Isle tournaments.

"It’s a win-win for both of us," co-owner Sandy Swartzbaugh said.

In addition to the Isle's prizes, many of the restaurants also offer gift certficates of $10 or $25 to tournament winners. More info at AllInFreePoker.com.

With new leadership taking over for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, it prompts the question: What does that mean for the everyday casino gambler?

James E. Billie, a charismatic former chairman of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, regained office Monday, in a jovial ceremony that drew a packed house at the Seminole Hollywood Casino Classic tent north of the casino. (It's a ceremonial spot, near the tribe's old oak tree.)

"I got kicked out at 57, now I'm back at 67," told the crowd, which lined up for an hour afterward to shake his and other leaders' hands.

So after that I finally to to ask Billie, "what's it mean for the everyday gambler?"

Continue reading "Billie takes over Seminoles, points to Sanchez for casino expertise" »

Seminole Casino Hollywood is offering a one-year work opportunity in what they’re calling the “Face of Classic $100,000 Dream Job Giveaway.”

“In a declining job market we’re going to search for a lucky South Florida resident who’ll receive a $100,000 compensation package,” director of marketing Rob Dearstine said via a press release. The casino, the first one the Seminoles opened, is often referred to as "Hollywood Classic" by players.

Candidates will be able to download an application at www.faceofclassic.com, and turn it in completed at the Seminole Casino Hollywood Player’s Club starting June 1. The last day to apply will be July 23. The three-month search will end on Aug. 23 when the Face of Classic is selected. The successful candidate will start working on Sept. 1.

“This is a PR, goodwill position working at Seminole Casino Hollywood for a $75,000 guaranteed annual salary and $25,000 worth of additional benefits.” said Dearstine. The ideal candidate will have an especially outgoing personality and be very well-spoken, energetic, educated, and dependable. Casino experience is not necessary, the release said.

A job fair and casting call will be held at the casino event pavilion from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 11-12, with a possible second job fair at the end of July. At the job fair, participants will fill out a “Face of Classic” questionnaire, submit their photo, and be seen.

Continue reading "Seminole Casino Hollywood -- Classic offers $100,000 'dream job'" »

The $150 million expansion at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is in high gear, with machinery laying the foundation for a 2,800-space parking garage at the casino.

Construction has forced the closure of Northwest 40th Street, just north of the casino, on May 11, so patrons now must either park to the east of the casino and take a shuttle or enter the property via the west, on either State Road 7 or an access road off of Sample Road.

The garage is expected to be completed by February 2012, and a steakhouse, a deli and a yet-unnamed restaurant are also planned.

The casino is already doing fine. Officials took out a newspaper advertisement last week, titled “No Other Casino Stacks Up.” The Seminole casino, which doesn’t have to report its numbers to the state, said it paid out $269 million in slot winnings, which is about the business the three pari-mutuels casinos in Broward County did combined.

For those of you who didn't see the article in Sunday's paper, here's my story about Bobby "Zorro" Hunter, a former Harlem Globetrotter who now works as a greeter at the Isle Casino & Racing.
Hunter, 69, was Meadowlark Lemon's back-up, playing the third quarter as showman-in-training. When you click on the video, you'll see he's got the voice for it.

Wish I had saved my Globetrotter memorabilia from those years...

The state is cutting the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling's budget by 60 percent -- while appropriating $400,000 to study the profitability of destination casinos and horse racing.in Florida.

“The Florida Legislature has made its priorities crystal clear, which is a sad day for the residents of this state," said council Executive Director Pat Fowler.

In the compromise budget agreed on by legislative leaders Tuesday, the council's funding has dropped from $1.88 million to $824,000, Fowler said. The council uses the money for prevention, education and outreach initiatives, which includes the HelpLine (888-ADMIT-IT) operation,

Meanwhile, the state is spending $400,000 to study the economic effect of destination casinos and horse racing in Florida, "which will ultimately be used as the future justification for expanding gambling throughout Florida," Fowler said. "The roadmap is very clear.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, sponsored a $400,000 budget addition to study destination casinos.

“Many programs took a hit to lessen the impact on education, health and human services,” said David Bishop, spokesman for Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

Responded Fowler: “Although budget cuts were made in many areas of social need, those issues are not promoted by the state of Florida the way that gambling is.”

Continue reading "State's compulsive gambling center takes big budget cut" »

A Broward County woman certified in counseling people with gambling addictions is forming a support group for women.

Janet Gerner, a social services counselor at the Seventh Avenue Family Health Center (part of Broward Health), said there is a need for women to talk among themselves about their gambling problems.

The group will meet from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday at the Seventh Avenue Family Health Center, 200 NW Seventh Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Cost is $10. Future meetings are TBA.

“Sometimes women are uncomfortable in the group setting with men,” she said. The group is designed to augment the work of Gamblers Anonymous, which also has women’s-only meetings, she said.

“Gamblers Anonymous is a 12-step program that’s very helpful,” she said. “This one is more of support. We are going to examine some of the reasons why they gamble and maybe find other avenues to relieve them of their depression and their loneliness.”

Since slot machines came to Broward County in the past five years, there has been a boom of women who go there for socialization and escape, Gerner said.

“A lot have lost a loved one in the last year and the gambling helps them forget for that moment their depression and their loneliness,” she said. “If you have a choice between staying home alone with no one to talk to or go somewhere with lights, noise and where you feel safe, you’re going to go for that other option.”

Call certified gambling addictions counselor Janet Gerner at 954-759-6734.

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek has upped its social media offerings, with Facebook, Twitter and a Youtube channel

The Facebook address: facebook.com/seminolecasinococonutcreek

Twitter: twitter.com/SemCasinoCoCo or @SCCoconutCreek

Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/SeminoleCasinoCC

Youtube is part of the casino's "Bonner Bobblehead" contest, which has a special Facebook post with the rules.

The Isle Casino & Racing in Pompano Beach is advertising 37 open positions, including slot workers, food service staff and part-time poker dealers.

The Isle said it offers health care benefits for part-time employees and quarterly bonus eligibility to all full-time employees.

For more information, go to theislepompanopark.com or visit the Isle’s human resources department at 777 Isle of Capri Circle, Pompano Beach.

Steve Bonner, general manager at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek , gets some air time on Monday night's Pawn Stars (10 p.m., The History Channel).

Bonner shows up with a watch previously owned by Bernard Madoff.

The casino bought two of the convicted money manager's wristwatches via the U.S. Marshals Service national forfeited jewelry auction. It made one of the main prizes in the "We Made off With Bernie's Watches" promotion last June.

Bonner took the second watch, an 18-karat vintage Rolex appraised at $35,000, with him to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, and stopped by for a Pawn Stars taping. The show's stars are three men at the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop outside of Las Vegas who evaluate items brought in to them.

How much was Bonner offered and what was the result? He's sworn to secrecy until after the show airs.

The watch will be the centerpiece of a Seminole Coconut Creek promotion April 29.

You still have until Monday to turn in your income taxes, thanks to Friday being a local holiday in Washington, D.C. And if you're a novice gambler, you may have some questions.

Tax expert/poker player Russ Fox, who blogs about both topics at taxabletalk.com, is an enrolled agent with Clayton Financial and Tax in Irvine, Calif., and he offers the following:

You can never have losses that exceed your winnings. But you can deduct your losses up to the amount of your winnings.

But you better keep a record. You absolutely should keep a gambling log, Fox says. Buy a small notebook and write down the date, the casino name, the table number, the game you're playing, the start and end time and the results, and you have met the IRS requirement. If you play online, do the same thing, but keep a spreadsheet.

All gambling income is taxable - even $1. Many people believe that $600 is a "magic figure" because most Form 1099s must be issued when someone is paid $600. However, just because you don't receive a tax form doesn't mean you can exclude income.

Online winnings also are income. As far as taxes are concerned, whether online play is legal or illegal is immaterial (It is not illegal to play Internet poker, but it's against federal law for a U.S. company to run an online poker room for money.) Fox advises that if you have online gambling income, just mark it on your return as "gambling income." "All the IRS is concerned with is that you pay your fair share of taxes," Fox says.

The World Poker Tour/Hard Rock Poker Showdown, a series of 34 events, begins from Friday and runs through through May 2. Player buy-ins range from $150 to $10,000.

The main event is April 27-May 2 at the Hard Rock Live. Admission is free for viewers.

The event will air on Fox Sports Net on July 17 and July 24.

I profiled the WPT and its Big Bang on the poker scene, in last Sunday's paper.

Season 9 of the World Poker Tour began in July 2010 and covers 20 tournaments, including the Hard Rock Poker Showdown.

Shows are at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Sundays, 11 p.m. on Wednesdays and other times (check local listings).

For more information on the World Poker Tour, go to WorldPokerTour.com.

It was a happy -- and weird -- birthday for Mike Puccio.

Puccio, co-founder and partner of G Machine: The Ultimate Poker Utility, a poker advice application for mobile phones, tried to get into his usual $2-$5 no-limit game at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek last week. But there was no seat available.

So, he waited around for a while, and around 1:30 a.m., when he just turned 34, he got J-10 of diamonds.

Then there was a power glitch. The room froze.

After poker room officials checked the cameras to make sure all was kosher, then came the flop.

You know it: K-A-Q of diamonds. Puccio had hit the royal flush on the flop.

Now here comes the math: the odds of hitting a royal flush are 1 in 647,000. Multiply that by the 365 days in a year and you could argue the odds of hitting a royal flush on your birthday are 23 million to one. (But that's assuming you play only one hand.)

But here's where it's weird for Puccio: it's the third royal he's hit at Coconut Creek in the past 10 months.

"Crazy," he said. "Just crazy."

He took down the pot of about $125 when another player kept taking a stab at it, plus the $500 royal bonus, plus a $100 high hand bonus.

The new figures are out from the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, and it's good news for the Palm Beach Kennel Club poker room.

The venue had the best month in the history of any state-supervised Florida poker room.

The kennel club took in $1,473,465 -- called "the rake" in poker parlance -- beating its previous record of $1,153,314 from July 2010, the first month uncapped poker became legal in Florida (previously there was a $100 limit on buy-ins for cash games).

"We are absolutely thrilled," card room director Noah Carbone said.

It's not really a surprise, though: The kennel club hosted a set of 10 World Series of Poker Circuit tournaments in February, drawing players from not only South Florida but from across the United States.

"We'd like to thank all the players for coming out," Carbone said. "Florida poker is officially on the map."

Poker rooms make their money by pulling a little bit from the pot in each cash game (say, $5 from a $50 pot or more), and also holding out money from tournament play. The kennel club paid the WSOP to come to West Palm Beach, then kept the rake from each tournament.

"You could call it a gamble, but it really wasn't, because we were so confident in the WSOP Circuit brand," Carbone said. "We're tickled with how we came out, and hope the momentum carries on here."

The kennel club had among the best-attended of the 15 WSOP nationwide stops. Its main event entry count of 712 ranks No. 2 of the 10 stops so far and its opening tournament drew 877 players, the largest field ever in Florida.

The breakdown: $1,136,143 for cash games, $337,322 via tournaments. (Usually, they do about $1 million in cash and about $60,000 in tournaments.

The state figures come from the poker rooms at Florida horse tracks, dog tracks and jai-alai frontons. The Seminole Tribe of Florida keeps its poker revenue figures private.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino now has a free mobile site that acts as a tour guide, casino handbook, and social media hub.

“Whether they are already at the Seminole Hard Rock or if they’re planning a visit, our mobile apps offer users from virtually anywhere, and at any time, the ability to access the information that they need for their stay.” said Jeanine Repa, senior vice president of brand marketing for Seminole Gaming.

The iPhone app is available for download in the Apple iTunes Store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id411443946?mt=8 and the Android application is available in the Android Market at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.mvl.hollywood. BlackBerry and other smartphone users can log on to http://mobile.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.

The app also has QR codes, which can be automatically redirected to a website, receive additional information, connect to a wireless network, and other functions.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is marking 1,000 days of blackjack with a $25,000 giveaway on March 18.

The money will be handed out $1,000 at a time, every 30 minutes from noon to midnight. Players must be seated at a blackjack table and have their Player's Club card swiped to be eligible.

The casino became the first in Florida to offer blackjack when it rolled out 71 table games (most of them blackjack) on June 22, 2008. It has since expanded to 91 tables, with Baccarat, Mini-Baccarat, Three-Card Poker, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Spanish 21 and Texas Hold 'em Bonus.

Joe Giaimo, regional vice president of tables games, said he was surprised at how busy the casino was immediately after blackjack rolled out. He estimates the Hollywood Hard Rock has dealt about 350 million hands since opening.

“I knew it'd be busy but not as overwhelming as it was,” he said. “It sort of reminded me of Atlantic City, the same thing, with people having trouble getting in.”

Giamo, who has been in the casino business for 33 years, said the Hard Rock seems more of a local place, than say, Las Vegas, everyone is on vacation.

"The majority of the peple are from South Florida," he said. "It’s another avenue for their entertainment."

When blackjack started in 2008, most of the Hard Rock tables had a $25 minimum bet. A year later, the casino added a guarantee it would always have a $10 minimum table running. Giaimo said the Hard Rock has recently added more $10 tables, with the number varying based on how busy the casino is on a given day.

Blackjack and other table games also are available at the tribe's two other casinos in Broward County. Seminole Coconut Creek started with 12 blackjack tables on Aug. 13, and now has 32 table games (mostly blackjack). And Seminole Hollywood Classic began with 12 on Aug. 20 and now has 18.

In his newly launched blog, Mardi Gras Casino president Dan Adkins tells us what he thinks of the state considering Las Vegas style casinos across Florida.

What does he think? Well, not much.

Adkins writes:

The Committee Chair of Senate Regulated Industries, Sen. Dennis Jones of Pinellas has introduced SB 1708, an “act related to destination resorts”. I guess a more appropriate title like “an act related to casino gambling to benefit non-Florida casino interests at the expense of voter approved highly taxed Florida businesses” would not sound so attractive. Seriously, do you think this is about anything other than casino gambling?

Adkins says the casinos would:
"Lose thousands of jobs,
" Lose hundreds of millions in annual recurring tax revenue from the Dade and Broward facilities,
"Lose hundreds of millions in annual revenue share from the Seminole Tribe under compact
"Ignore the Statewide vote of the people."

Adkins continues:

"Senator Jones bill has no mention of the existing Dade and Broward voter approved slot machine operators, the effect on the Seminole gaming compact or the negative impact to the State.

"AND, this bill may not even be legal. The issue of placing slot machines anywhere other than at the statewide, voter approved, Dade and Broward pari-mutuel facilities is a constitutional question that is currently being debated in court. In other words, it takes another constitutional amendment, a statewide decision of the people, to allow slot machines anywhere else in the State.

"This just doesn’t pass the smell test. Seems like Senator Jones just wants to roll the dice and risk everything. Hmmm, perhaps that’s why they call it craps.'

Adkins, of course, says a better approach is for the state to consider expanding gaming at the existing gaming (pari-mutuel) facilities across the state.

He would like them to grow into sites with hotels, convention space and theatres, spas and other resort style amenities. His blog calls out Sen. Jones, asking patrons to contact him.

Meanwhile, a blog based in St. Petersburg has some things to say about Jones' bill, too, and they're not very positive.

Arnold Wexler, a gambling addiction consultant, is conducting three seminars at 12:30 p.m. March 9, 23 and 30 at the Ross Jewish Community Center, 8500 Jog Road, Boynton Beach.
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The seminars are titled "Compulsive Gambling: America's Hidden Addiction."

The seminars are part of the JCC's continuing education program. Cost to non-JCC members is $15 for Wexler's seminar, but allows patrons to attend other classes at the JCC on the same day.

For more information contact Wexler at 561-200-0165.

This week is Problem Gambling Awareness Week, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, and with the NCAA basketball tournament coming up, the focus is on sports betting.

The FCCG has also launched a site, www.BlowTheWhistle2011.com for Problem Gambling Awareness Week.

Broward and Palm Beach county events include:

2 p.m. Wednesday at Fred Lippman Multi-Purpose Center, 2030 Polk St., Hollywood: Giveaway items to be dropped off.

11 a.m. Friday: Miramar Senior Center, 6700 Miramar Parkway, Miramar: Brief presentation and giveaway items

In Palm Beach County:

11 a.m. Wednesday: No Excuse for Abuse Luncheon, 5841 Corporate Way, Suite 200, West Palm Beach. Gambling table to accompany the FCCG advertisement in the No Excuse program booklet.

9:30 a.m. Friday, Mid County Senior Center, 3680 Lake Worth Road: Problem gambling announcement .

The council's confidential and multilingual HelpLine is 888-ADMIT-IT (236-4848).

A long-time friend of Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi is leading an effort to sell wristbands for charity -- and offers gamblers a trip to the World Series of Poker in the process.

Donna Marks, a former dealer and poker room manager, has co-founded "GrinderKnots" with Mizrachi, the Miramar poker player who reached the final table at the World Series of Poker this year.

Proceeds from the GrinderKnot, a black rubber bracelet similar to Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong bracelet, will go toward charities for education, Marks said. Cost is $10.99.

Marks, of Sunny Isles Beach, started playing poker in the 1970s as a house player, at The Gardenia in California, then became at dealer at The Bicycle, then eventually moved to South Florida. She was a card dealer on Discovery Cruise Lines, then poker room manager for SeaEscape, then a shift manager in the mid-1990s at the Seminole Hollywood Classic (where she became friends with the Mizrachi family).

She has sold about 500 bracelets so far. The drawing for the WSOP seat will be June 26.

Email TheGrinderKnot@gmail.com.

Sometimes it's good when another media hops onto the gambling reporting scene. That includes the story Michael Vasquez of the Miami Herald did about charity poker (good idea, well-executed) and this report by WPLG's Roger Lohse about slot payouts.

Sometimes I get too close to this stuff and, so, when other folks have good stuff that explain something that I kind of know, I'll give them props, as is the case here.

Hey, you can't win 'em all...

If you're interested in internet poker and legislation, you really need to read the report to the state committee that handles gambling.

My story runs in print on Friday, and, as usual, I had more sources than I did space. So I want to give some extra parties a little room to talk here.

Peter Karroll, CEO of IAM Corp, a leading independent online gaming marketing firm. (IAM Corp specializes in online Marketing, Social Media, Music, Television Production, Artist Management and Live Events.):

"Florida Rep. Joseph Abruzzo, D-Wellington, is apparently a smart and progressive thinking man. I don’t know him personally or really anything about him, however this gentleman is willing to roll up his sleeves and bring in needed state tax revenues, create employment opportunities and stem the flow of cash from rolling out of state to offshore countries.

"Now this will not be a groundbreaking initiative on a international level. In fact America falls way behind most European countries in the online gaming license curve however it is never to late to ensure that the good state of Florida gets their fair share of the money. Online Casinos are the future of entertainment in the gambling space. This business is worth tens of billions of dollars in Gross Gaming Revenues yearly and it is growing somewhere between 25% and 70% annually.

"The funny thing will be to watch the federal government try to catch up in order to collect their share of the revenues. They will need to actually agree on a gaming law that works federally then try to carve a percentage out for the federal government or they may just allow each state that elected them to congress so they can have a protected territory status, similar to the Mohawks on the Kahnawake Reservation in Quebec, Canada, which hosts most of the major online gaming companies."

Scott Long, co-publisher of Ante Up Magazine: "Since a federal bill to regulate online poker seems unlikely now, we're left with state-by-state options. Unfortunately, we have real concerns whether an intrastate poker room can generate enough traffic to compete against the PokerStars of the world.

"There is an intriguing niche quality to this proposal, in that pari-mutuel rooms will likely be able to offer penny or nickel games or low buy-in tournaments that aren't economically feasible to offer in their real rooms, but it's a big "if" in my mind whether that niche can generate the level of revenue that has been projected.

"If you look at the staff analysis of the New Jersey bill, analysts determined that it's impossible to predict any level of revenue, since nothing like this has been done before and no one knows how many people will abandon PokerStars or FullTilt to play on the state's sites."

Amy Young Grimes, a lobbyist representing the U.S. Online Gaming Association: "Facing the reality that states would lose (collectively) billions of dollars of revenue if the federal government passed regulation of online poker, many states took advantage of the opportunity to legalize the sport under the parameters of the UIGEA which specifically allows for legalization of intrastate online poker. Florida and California were the first states to attempt to pass legislation that would bring in millions of dollars of revenue that is now going to offshore, unregulated companies.

"Now that the Republicans have gained a decisive majority in the US House, it is clear that Congressman Barney Frank's legislation to legalize Internet poker rooms in the United States has hit a dead end. Furthermore, with the defeat of Sen. Harry Reid's, (D-Nevada) similar amendments to an omnibus bill in the lame duck Session, the industry does not expect ANY activity at the federal level for the next several years.

"Opponents to our legislation in Florida, HB 77 by Representative Joseph Abruzzo (D-Wellington) want to open the regulation to other "affiliates" instead of keeping to our model of only allowing the activity to flow through our existing state regulated and licensed cardrooms. This would constitute expansion of gaming and would be a very heavy lift to pass in this current legislative climate. Keeping the activity flowing through poker rooms that currently have a solid reputation and are strictly licensed and regulated is, in my opinion, the only way to ensure the protection of those players who are active in those unregulated environments today."

Matt Waxman, a Parkland poker pro who won Monday at the Isle's main event: "I don't like that one bit. The best thing about online poker is the massive sized tournament fields making first a lot of money for a rather small comparative investment. This would not only take away from my opportunity to participate in the massive online fields replacing it with the Florida-only tournaments, but it would probably take away from the local live turnouts as well.

"On another note, if poker were legalized I think legislature needs to make an adjustment with tax-paying. I always pay my taxes from my winning years, but if I were to have a losing year I receive no compensation from previous or future years profits. Its completely unfair if you make this job your profession because it is one of the few jobs that you can actually LOSE money doing."