A visitor from Mexico, identified only as "Simon," hit for $100,000 at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino.

The man was playing the Ten Times Pay machine.

The Hangover slots have made their Florida debut at six Seminole gaming properties, including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and Seminole Casino Hollywood.

Inspired by movie, the IGT-developed game features four character-themed progressive bonuses, four bonuses themed around movie plot points and a base game wild feature. Mr. Chow, voiced by Ken Jeong, randomly pops in with sayings throughout the game play.

Each main character stars in four themed progressive pick bonuses:

The “Stun Gun” bonus in which players press the button to zap Alan and build credit values;

The “Wedding Chapel” bonus where players pick from several boxes to reveal wedded bliss, mugs and hats for credit values;

“Mr. Chow's Freaky Free Games” where players are awarded free spins with locking wild poker chips and can advance to the “Deal in the Desert” bonus for a chance to reveal the correct Doug for additional winnings.

“The Villa” bonus, players pick from several icons found in the hotel room to reveal credits. Base game wilds are awarded when a police cruiser, an SUV, a tiger paw swipe, a mattress, or Mr. Chow enters the screen and randomly converts game symbols to wilds.

After going through a dry spell for a couple of months, slots are heating up at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The latest: Anh Thi Ho hit a $417,929.50 jackpot on July 11.

Ho, of Lake Lake Worth, was playing a Wheel of Fortune linked progessive slot machine, a "wide-area progressive," meaning the machine is linked to Seminole casinos across the state. A portion of each slot pull goes into the big jackpot, which hits occasionally at one venue or another.

Last month, a Wizard of Oz linked progressive hit -- the same type that hit back on June 22 for $374,934.

The Wizard of Oz slot machine had Thais Vallejo clicking her heels at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino last week: That's because she won a $374,934.52 jackpot playing it.

Vallejo was playing what is known as a "wide-area progressive," meaning the machine is linked to Seminole casinos across the state. A portion of each slot pull goes into the big jackpot, which hits occasionally at one venue or another. This time, on June 22, it was Vallejo's turn.

In case you haven't been in a casino lately, slot machine makers are going with anything and everything for a machine theme. There's "John Wayne," "The Three Stooges" and "Sex and the City," as well as "American Idol." The all-time greatest machine success story is "Wheel of Fortune," which has raked in more loot than Pat Sajak and Vanna White could ever count.

There are several versions of "Wizard of Odds" slot machines out there. Vallejo hit on the "Ruby Slippers" version.

You know, if you keep trying and trying, eventually luck will come your way, some people believe.

Case supporting their point: A Seminole Casino Hollywood Classic long-timer -- a very long-timer -- finally hit his big jackpot, raking in $1.1 million on a slot machine.

The man, who would identify himself only as "Richard T.," told casino officials he had been coming to Seminole Hollywood since 1979, the year it opened as the first Native American bingo hall and casino in North America.

On June 8, the man bet $4 and hit the $1,150,318.76 jackpot on an Indiana Jones progressive slot machine. Progressive slot machines are linked in a nationwide Native American Indian network including all Seminole casinos. International Gaming Technology is the manufacturer for Indiana Jones.

The casino opened as the country’s first large stakes bingo hall in 1979, eventually expanded with slots, poker and blackjack.

It takes fewer points and the benefits are easier to obtain: The Isle Casino & Racing has altered its player's club program.

"Our benefits are now more reachable to the casual gamer," said Joshua LeDuff, senior director of marketing. The change took effect May 2.

The biggest change is at the mid-level card, called IsleOne Select. Slot players used to need 10,000 points over a 12-month period to make IsleOne Select. Now it's only 1,000 points. Players earn one point for each $12 in slot play, regardless of whether they win or lose.

LeDuff also announced that the Isle is now doubling points every day to Select card holders.

"We're giving people a whole lot of value, which is what people want," he said.

A note about "coin in." That's not money spent, but the total cycling of the money. For example, if a patron plays $120 in slots, breaks even and then plays all of that $120 again, that's $240 coin in = 20 points. If that $120 gets played through again and becomes, say, $100, which yields another $80 that's then pushed through, that's another $180 coin in = 15 points.

But those 20+15=35 points are doubled = 70 points after four cycles of the $120.

"We figure even a once-a-month player will get a buffet every now and then," LeDuff said. That's because players get a 50 percent discount at the buffet if they pay with points. More math: A $19.99 dinner buffet would require 1,000 points, which would be $3,000 coin in (One point for every $12 would earn 500 points, which the Isle is doubling.).

IsleOne Select players also get a $50 gift certificate to Farradays' restaurant every year, $25 in free play during their birthday month and other promotional offers.

The casino's top tier is called IsleOne Paradise and requires 15,000 points. One players reach that level, they receive triple points each day, $100 free play on their birthday and $100 for Farradays'. New players receive basic player's club cards.

The casino also now allows players to convert points into free play while sitting at their machines, with 100 points earning $1 at the slots anytime for club level, Player, Select or Paradise holders, with no blackout dates (did that just sound like a "frequent flier" line?).

Poker players also qualify for IsleOne Paradise cards, based on the time they spend at the table and the stakes they play, LeDuff said. The casino is adjusting its perks for poker players, he said. Horse racing bettors also can earn updgraded cards.

Because video poker has a higher payback ratio under optimal strategy, video poker players need $24 coin in to earn one point.

More offers are now via Twitter at @IsleCasinoPP, LeDuff said.

Dania Jai-Alai, the lone Broward County pari-mutuel without slot machines, is being sold.

Boyd Gaming Corporation, which bought the fronton in 2006, announced Monday it is selling the property to a group of private investors called Dania Entertainment, LLC for $80 million. The transaction is expected to be completed by Sept. 26.

The owners didn't show up in our routine searches, but I'm trying to track them down. Would love to know if anybody is acquainted with them....

“We’ve disclosed all we’re able to disclose about them,” Boyd Gaming spokesman David Strow said.

The general thinking is no one is spending $80 million without thinking casino.

“I can’t imagine anybody buying that property and not wanting to start casino operations,” said Joe Weinert, of Spectrum Gaming Group, an international consulting firm that analyzes gambling markets.

Dania currently has a jai-alai business and poker, although the poker room last month was 21st out of 23 statewide in revenues. The card room took in only $81,645, compared to $1,133,916 for the Isle, $494,481 for Gulfstream and $463,833 for Mardi Gras.

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming has 16 casinos, located in Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, and Louisiana.

This from Boyd: “After a careful analysis, we determined that Dania Jai-Alai no longer fits our current growth strategy,” said Keith Smith, president and chief executive officer of Boyd Gaming in a news release. “The sale of this asset is consistent with our priority of strengthening our balance sheet, and will be immediately accretive to earnings.”

Dania, which opened in 1953, has seen better days. Officials say the fronton would draw about 1,000 people a day and 10,000 on Fridays in the 1970s. Now, attendance often is below 100 and jai-alai has dwindled from 14 frontons nationwide to six.

Last week, Miami Jai-Alai announced it had received an $85 million loan to upgrade its fronton, located near Miami International Airport. The fronton, which posted a $5 million loss last year, is adding slot machines.

Two new slots are attracting players at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, officials say.

One game is called Blood Life, and allows players to sto each reel in any order at any time. Patrons use a joy stick to navigate through top box bonuses.

The other game, Red White & Blue, has the same features

On display from the Reel Edge series of games will be the vampire-inspired Blood Life and Red, White & Blue Falling Stars.

Photo Credit: Chris Hoadley/Seminole Hard Rock

Despite how the movies portray it, there really aren’t that many high rollers in casinos.

In fact, surveys show that most people spend less than $100 per gambling outing.

Sunday, 13 people will do that on one spin of a slot machine.

Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino is randomly selecting players for 10 free slot pulls each on a $100 machine, on the second floor of the casino. They’ll pick one person every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to midnight Sunday. Gulfstream patrons can get an extra drawing ticket each day they hit the casino before Sunday.

“How many times does a player get to take a shot on a $100 machine?” said Mike Couch, Gulfstream’s director of gaming. “This isn’t something we do every day.”

He said Mike Goldin in the marketing department came up with the idea.

Top prize for players on the 777 Hot Slot machine: $75,000.

Couch said even if players spin 10 blanks in a row, they’ll get a $500 consolation prize.

“We want them to walk away with at least something,” he said.

A random slot machine jackpot has hit 15 times at the three Seminole casinos in Broward County, paying between $50,000 and $100,000 in free slot play each time.

The Big Dogg Bonus has hit about once every two weeks since starting Aug. 1 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek and the Seminole Casino Hollywood Classic. Slot players must have their cards in a machine to be eligible.

The casinos have a rolling electronic board that shows the jackpot amount and is reset to $50,000 each time the bonus hits. The casinos guarantee it will hit before the board reaches $100,000. The prize is not weighted, meaning that a one-time penny slot player has as much chance as an everyday high roller.

The jackpots also have been spread out across the three casinos: The Big Dogg has hit six times at the Hard Rock, five times at Coconut Creek and four times at the Hollywood Classic.

The most recent winner was a Palm City woman who hit for $69,939 on Feb. 17 at Seminole Coconut Creek.

When the promotion was announced last year, Seminole officials said they chose the name “Big Dogg” because “the Seminole casinos are the big dog in South Florida gaming.”

A New York snowbird won $210,589.61 playing the slots at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Monday.

Lucia Fulgenzi of White Plains, N.Y., hit the Bankroll Bonus game, manufactured by International Game Technology.

For the past eight years, Fulgenzi has escaped the cold winter months by traveling to Greater Fort Lauderdale with her family and friends. It has evolved into a tradition to kick off their extended vacation by visiting Seminole Casino Coconut Creek once the entire group arrives, the casino said.

Fulgenzi said it's the first time she's won, and she immediately put the money in the bank.

"I still don't believe it," she said.

Now you know Cougars are here to stay: There's a slot machine out called "Cougarlicious."

International Game Technology rolled out the machine last week aboard the Third International Cougar Cruise on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Sky.

“Having Cougarlicious aboard the Third International Cougar Cruise gives cruise-goers the chance to indulge in a slot machine experience that embodies the spirit of the cruise,” said Harold Zeitz, vice president of core and specialty products for IGT. “In the game, players can chase Nate the Bait as he stumbles upon motel room keys, lipstick-kissed matchbooks and the prowling Cougarlicious™ women.”

The International Cougar Cruise is co-sponsored by Singles Travel Company (www.singlestravelcompany.com) and the Society of Single Professionals. Younger men and older women can enjoy all the luxuries of the Norwegian Sky while meeting other single travelers.

Cougarlicious allows players to chase cub “Nate the Bait” for a chance at bonus wins. This video slot has motel key and lipstick-kissed matchbook symbols that make you feel kinda lucky, the press release says.

More information about IGT is available at www.IGT.com.

A Gainesville woman had a profitable trip to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino -- although she missed her ride home.

Beulah Brown, 73, won $974,133.38 Sunday afternoon at the Hollywood casino, when she hit the Wheel of Fortune slot machine jackpot on a 25 cent game.

She told casino officials she was playing her last $20 of $80 budgeted.

“You know what,” said Brown, “I’m thrilled, but this won’t change anything. I will be at work tomorrow, and I will make sure I put the money to good use.”

She's a private nurse.

Brown and her sister, Geneva Moore, arrived in South Florida on a chartered bus group on Saturday. The trip consisted of an overnight stay with a stop at the Seminole Hard Rock before they were to get back on the bus and travel back home to Gainesville.

Within just three hours of her arrival, at 12:50 p.m., Brown hit the jackpot on the Wheel of Fortune machine, an International Gaming Technology (IGT) Wheel of Fortune “wide area” progressive machine.

All seven Seminole casinos are part of a Native American “wide area” progressive gaming network of more than 300 casinos nationally (and someone at Coconut Creek hit a few days earlier). The jackpot for each machine accumulates throughout the network until it’s won.

Tthe bus group ended up leaving her behind as she waited for her winnings. (Casinos take time to process everything and they also check out the winner's background. When I was at a poker table for a bad beat, it took more than two hours, and that was for about $1,000.) But the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino made sure Brown and her sister got home safely: They paid for a limo ride home.

Dora Cheston won more than half-a-million dollars on Wednesday night at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek when she hit the Wheel of Fortune slot machine jackpot on a $1 game.

The Seminoles' press release has all the details, so I'm basically cutting-and-pasting here:

The $645,819.83 win almost didn’t happen, she told Coconut Creek officials.

“My whole family went to the casino like they usually do when they visit from New York but I wasn’t going to go because I had things to do,” she explained. “I did some errands and changed my mind and went to meet them for a couple of hours.”

As she was leaving the casino just after 8 p.m., Cheston stopped at an International Gaming Technology (IGT) Wheel of Fortune wide area progressive machine and on third spin it hit.

“The machine wasn’t making any noise or doing anything. No one around me knew what was going on either. So I pushed the button for an attendant and called my sister on her cell and asked her if I need to spin the wheel again. She said, ‘No! You won that progressive amount!’”

“I said no way! I was in shock. It was like I was in a dream” Cheston recalled.

What will the private caregiver do with more than $645,000?

“Probably invest it,” she answered quickly. Cheston estimated that she plays the slots at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek three to four times a year. But she hadn’t gone there since the last time her relatives visited one year ago.

All seven Seminole casinos are part of a Native American “wide area” progressive gaming network of more than 300 casinos nationally. The jackpot for each machine accumulates throughout the network until it’s won.

Calder Casino & Race Course has begun offering slot players the chance to trade in their player’s club points for cash.

In addition to converting points into cash, slot players can redeem their points for a variety of merchandise at the player’s club, ranging from apparel and gifts to electronics, to meals and VIP perks.

Players essentially get a penny a point, with a minimum of $5 for 500 points and a max of $100 for 10,000 points. Calder demurred on saying how much it took for a player to earn a point.

Members of the Twin Spires Club Slot Rewards program – the official Player’s Club at Calder – will now be able to convert points they earn through slot play to cash.

“We are excited to offer this super benefit to our slot players,” said Calder Casino & Race Course President Austin Miller via a press release. “This is another example of how the Calder Casino has the only true ‘Vegas-style’ Player’s Club in Florida.

"We expect this feature to be very popular here.”

Membership to the Twin Spires Club Slot Rewards program is free. In addition to converting points into cash, slot players can redeem their points for a variety of merchandise at the Player’s Club, ranging from apparel and gifts to electronics, to meals and VIP perks.

The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park is giving visitors a chance to win up to $1 million starting Nov. 5 and running the entire month.

Patrons with a player's club card can enter to win a free pull each day on the Isle's gigantic slot machine. Players can earn additional entries for every 10 slot points earned. (Note: No offer on Nov. 28.)

For more information about events and promotions happening at the Isle, visit www.theislepompanopark.com.

Juan Bello won a $355,870 MegaJackpot on a $1 machine on Friday at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

The game he was playing? The casino favorite, the Wheel of Fortune. Somehow Pat Sajak and Vanna White just have that certain panache.

The winner, a maintenance man from Miami, said he is a Seminole Casino fan but his visit on Friday was somewhat spur of the moment, according to a press release.

Bello reported being drawn to the winning progressive game because he “likes machines with a 5 on them.”

When asked about immediate plans for his winnings, Bello replied simply that he will “save it.”

The Wheel of Fortune $1 progressive has a starting jackpot of $300,000 and features a bonus spin. In order to win the MegaJackpot, a player bets three dollars at a time while attempting to line up the Wheel of Fortune symbols on the machine’s payline.

Friday’s MegaJackpot is the first to be paid so far this year at the casino. However, the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is no stranger to huge MegaJackpot payouts.

Last year, a $1.5 million MegaJackpot hit on a Jeopardy! machine, and in 2008, it hit for a $2 million prize that on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition game.

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is part of a Native American progressive gaming network that includes over 300 casinos nationwide. Each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates until some winner hits the top jackpot award.

The next slot machine to hit the market with a TV theme: The Amazing Race.

The game, created by International Game Technology, employs video of show host Phil Keoghan, and takes players to Europe, Africa, South America and Australia. Earlier this year, IGT also has rolled out Sex and The City, based on the HBO series,

The Amazing Race slot machine also has a sound chair, so patrons get that 360-degree feel of being immersed in the game. In the past month, the game has rolled out at Calder Casino & Race Course, Mardi Gras Casino, Gulfstream Park Casino & Racing, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

Players gather "mileage" and chart a course across the world -- say, from Shanghai to Tokyo. There's also The Ticket Challenge group play bonus, where players "dig" through the pile of sand searching for the tickets as a timer counts down.

Maxine Kelly of Palm Beach, who has seen The Amazing Race TV show but doesn't describe herself as an avid fan, called the machine "interesting."

"There's a lot going on, that's for sure," she said.

Mardi Gras Casino is betting heavily on penny slots.

The Hallandale Beach casino has created a bank of 78 progressive 1-cent slots that will all feed into a five-level jackpot. Every six or seven minutes, someone will win at least $15 (the lowest of the five levels), and could take in up to $1,000, slot director Mike DeLuca said.

"That's a decent win on a penny machine," he said.

And while most progressive slots require patrons to bet the maximum -- meaning it could be 35 cents a push, and yields the word "penny" meaningless -- players are eligible for jackpots even if they have only 1 cent in.

The new area opened over the weekend and is located between the poker room and the main slot room, in what used to be the high-limit room on the first floor. DeLuca said the 78 games are a combination of the old-time reel games and the high-tech video slots, and are a combination of Aristocrat, WMS and International Game Technology offerings. He said it's the largest group of progessive penny machines in the state.

Each time a player hits, the winning machine name will appear on TV screens around the casino, he said.

Penny slots have boomed in the past five years, with Las Vegas strip casinos reporting double-digit increases each of the past five years. When technology converted slot machines to a cashless system that distributed paper vouchers, it also became more viable, because patrons no longer had to lug around a cup full of coins.

Sheldon Burnett of Hollywood is on a heck of a hot streak.

On June 9, Burnett won $360,000 by on a Triple Diamond $1,000 Slot Machine, in the high-limit slots room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The next day he won another $180,000 on a Triple Diamond machine. I documented the high-roller life in a recent SunSentinel story and if he's on a $1,000 machine, I'd think he qualifies.

You can tell by his pictures that he's a pretty happy winner.

All that’s missing is Vanna White in person.

The new Center Stage Wheel of Fortune Experience at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek actually involves solving the puzzle, just like on the TV show.

Up to five participants sit in front of a 103-inch monitor — so big you can’t miss it — and play $1 to $3 a spin.

Three players on the bank are chosen at random about every five minutes for the puzzle-solving bonus round, according to manufacturer International Game Technology. For each letter a player picks, the “multiplier” increases. For example, players who land “N” three times get a triple bonus.

The payoff comes after the puzzle is solved. The bonus wheel appears on the big screen and spins, landing on the amount that serves as everyone’s bonus. Then each multiplier is applied.
Also, the puzzle-solving is a lot easier because the only letter options you have are in the puzle. (Example: if the answer were “cat,” you could only choose from C, A or T.) Players don’t get to keep going if they get a letter right, they just rotate selections.

Because the machine is linked with other Seminole slots, making it an “area-wide progressive,” the jackpots can surpass $1 million.

The new game, which arrived in South Florida in May, can also be found at the Seminoles’ Immokalee and Tampa casinos.

Regular Wheel of Fortune slot machines have been an industry goldmine the past decade, the most successful slots game ever, according to industry reports.

“It’s big, but I look at it the same way as I do any game,” said Nancy Rodriguez, of Margate. “If I win money, it’s a good game.”

Taking one more step in playing off their horse racing theme, Calder officials have rolled out six "Kentucky Derby" slot machines.

Calder already has Studz poker club, the Twin Spires slot players' club, and dining areas called "Front Runners" and "The Homestretch."

Now in the center of the casino is the bank of six machines, which cost from 30 cents to $3 per push and have a top jackpot of $10,000. Footage of past Kentucky Derbys play on a screen and spinning symbols include horseshoes, a bugler, race binoculars and roses (the Derby is called "The Run for the Roses).

"The horse racing theme attracted me to it," said Ralph

Troccoli of Boca Raton, who says he is both a horse racing fan and a slots player. "I thought it was an entertaining game."

Calder's parent company, Churchill Downs, contracted with Aristocrat Gaming last year to build the machines, which also made their debut April 24 at Calder and at Churchill Downs' racino in Louisiana.

The machines came out in time for the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby, which is Saturday.Calder's events Saturday include a handicapping seminar; a chance to win $50,000 in WKIS FM’s “Roll the Roses” contest; live horse racing; mint juleps and mojitos in commemorative Derby glasses; Kentucky Derby betting; and an After Party on the Terrace with live entertainment starting at 7 p.m.

A Miami woman won $1,135,795.45 playing a Millionaire Sevens penny progressive slot machine at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday.

Kelly M.(boy, I really don't like the partial-name thing, and in my own reporting I don't use it, but this is from the casino) and her husband made the drive across Alligator Alley to Collier County and played at the Seminole Casino Immokalee. They said they did it mostly to escape the heat because their home’s air-conditioning unit had stopped working.

Both are members of the Seminole Players Club and frequently play the slot machines at Broward County’s three Seminole casinos. They used a mail offer to come back and play after her recent first-time visit to Seminole Casino Immokalee, the tribe said.

Millionaire Sevens is manufactured by Bally Technologies and is a wide-area progressive
slot machine, meaning it is linked to machines at other Native Indian casinos across
the United States.

Seminole casinos have awarded more than $22 million to their slot machine players since July 2008. Eleven of 18 wins have been for at least $1 million.

Christopher Detzler, a 59-year-old man from Bonita Springs, won $3,577.517.97 on a
$5 Wheel of Fortune wide-area progressive slot machine manufactured by International Game Technology (IGT) last Aug. 30 at Seminole Casino Immokalee, setting a slot machine jackpot record in Florida.

The chart:

SEMINOLE CASINOS MILLION DOLLAR PLUS WINNERS AS OF APRIL 12, 2010
• 3/6/10 1¢ Millionaire Sevens $1,634,211.47
• 12/8/09 1¢ Jeopardy $1,589,194.15
• 10/17/09 5¢ MegaBucks $1,028,214.82
• 9/29/09 5¢ Nickel Megabucks $1,110,779.37
• 9/14/09 N/A Seminole $1million Slot Tournament
• 9/13/09 5¢ Millionaire $1,463,313.30
• 8/30/09 $5 Wheel of Fortune $3,577,519.11
• 2/26/09 $5 Wheel of Fortune $1,195,508.98
• 11/25/08 $5 Wheel of Fortune $2,551,037.56
• 10/14/08 5¢ Millionaire Sevens $1,469,701.20
• 7/19/08 25¢ Wheel of Fortune Bonus Wheel $2,029,596.52

Mardi Gras Casino says it's adding The Amazing Race and Top Dollar slot machines this month, one of 100 additional machines at the casino.

The debut date is April 18, according to a news release.

Mardi Gras Casino is also gearing up to launch the a progressive link of 78 penny slot machines, which is says is the largest in the country (I'm checking).

A progressive link encompasses multiple slot machines (78 in this case) linked together so that every bet on every machine contributes to a growing jackpot.

Three South Florida casinos are offering slot tournaments with a twist.

Beginning in April, players at the Isle Casino & Racing Pompano Park must earn five Player’s Club points to qualify for a free tournament. The casino launches its $50,000 Grant’s Slot Tournament from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday. And will offer it every Thursday in April. The top 100-point scores receive $100 in free play.

As part of an April promotion called Mobster’s Month at the Seminole Casino Hollywood Classic, players who earn 100 points can play for free in the Bonnie and Clyde Slot Tournament, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. Players will be paired up and spin for one minute each, with a chance of winning up to $500 each.

Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach will distribute 1,000 miniature slot machine banks to new and existing Player’s Club members starting 3 p.m. Thursday. The banks will contain a coupon redeemable for a scratch card and an entry form for a chance to be selected in the April Fools’ Day Slot Tournament at 9 p.m. that evening. The grand prize is $10,000 cash and second is $2,500. There will be cash awards down to 20th place.

Meanwhile, other casinos also have slot tournaments. Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino has a free tournament from 3 to 8 p.m. Mondays, and the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek has one for players age 55 and older from 9 a.m. to noon Mondays.

After a couple of slow years, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino had its third millionaire slot winner earlier this month.

The player, who declined to be identified, hit for $1,634,211 on a Millionaire Sevens machine on March 6. The person was playing $3 a spin, according to the Hard Rock.

The Millionaire Sevens wide-area progressive features and initial million-dollar top award that increases the more games are played. It's linked to all the Seminole Casinos in Florida.

This marks the third wide-area progressive jackpot hit for over a million dollars at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino – Hollywood in the last six months, according to a Hard Rock news release. The casino awarded a $1,028,215 Megabucks Video MegaJackpot on Oct. 17, 2009 and on Sept. 29, 2009 the casino paid the first-ever Florida Megabucks MegaJackpot of $1,110,779.

I wrote earlier about the Sex and the City slot machine coming to Mardi Gras, and now it has hit the Seminole casinos.

According to the Hard Rock folks, "the slots have been a stirring new addition since they hit the floor on March 13. They have a this link with YouTube footage "of a few “fashionable” ladies enjoying the new Sex and the CityTM slots:"

Another angle to the horse racing theme at Gulfstream: A new slot machine called Breeders Cup.

The bank of six machines can be found on the first floor, next to the electronic wagering area that horse racing fans frequent at Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino in Hallandale Beach.

Breeders Cup is the first horse-racing themed slot produced by Bally Technologies and hit the market in January, according to Laura Olson-Reyes, the company’s director of corporate communications. Gulfstream is the first in South Florida to have it, she said.

“There’s a lot of appeal to events like the Breeders’ Cup and with the number of racinos in the U.S. we see this game could be very, very popular,” she said.

The machines have a minimum bet of a penny, but most players cover all 40 possibilities, meaning they pay at least 40 cents a spin. To hit the maximum jackpot, it’s $2 a push. The 32-inch video screen is tilted lengthwise, like the video roulette machines now at casinos.

Even while opening the first stage of a $1.2 billion mall last month, Gulfstream Park has tried to keep true to its racing heritage. For example, the mall was designed so visitors can see the horse track’s finish line from the center of the shopping area, and architects arranged the stores so one epicenter is the horses’ walking ring.

If you miss Carrie, Samantha and the gang from Sex and the City but don't wait to wait until their second movie in May, there's good news: They're on a slot machine now.

International Game Technology has created what's called a multi-level progressive featuring the HBO stars. It made its debut Wednesday at Mardi Gras Casino and hits the Seminole casinos, Gulfstream and the Isle later this month.

The machine has pumps in music and voice-overs from the show into the "sound chair" players sit in.

And you gotta love the names of the bonus rounds: Progressive Pick Bonus, Simply Fabulous! Bonus, Perfect Present Bonus, Change of Dress Bonus, and Hello Lover! Bonus. They're all tied to the show. For example, Change of Dress has players select a character from the show and then change her outfit while collecting bonus credits and multipliers.

The games came to Las Vegas and Reno earlier this year, and are spreading across the country. They follow the trend of blending entertainment and slots: there's already a Sopranos,a Wizard of Oz and even a Three Stooges machine.

Follow Sex and the City at www.megajackpots.com/wheretoplay/satcmlp.

South Florida’s gambling industry expands a little bit more today, when a horse track on the Broward-Miami-Dade line opens a casino with 1,200 slot machines.

Calder Race Course & Casino will become the fifth South Florida pari-mutuel to offer slot machines since 2006. The state completed its required machine inspections Thursday.
The casino is opening at a time when the overall gambling has slumped with the economy, but also during a period of hope in Florida: legislators have taken steps toward reducing what pari-mutuel owners have called a burdensome tax.

“It’s so difficult to assess where the market goes from here,” Calder GM Tom O’Donnell said.
Other than four Seminole Indian casinos in central and west Florida, South Florida is the only part of the state that allows slots, thanks to approval from Broward voters in 2005 and Miami-Dade voters in 2008. The casinos pay a 50-percent state tax on their slot winnings, which generated $107 million for the state in 2009.

That’s down from the $112 million in 2008, but O’Donnell balances gambling’s recent decline against the hope that Calder’s location will attract nearby gamblers. That includes people in Miramar, west Pembroke Pines and north Miami-Dade.

Continue reading "Calder to open slots at 9 a.m. Friday" »

The three Seminole casinos in Broward County are running a "20 Days, 10x Rewards Stockpile Points" promotion through Jan. 23.

Slot players can "stockpile" points for direct mail offers, such as free play and merchandise. The points will be in an account separate from their existing Players' Club totals. The Seminoles will send out the offers next month, and are keeping mum for now on what you'll get.

Players get one point for each $2 put into the slot machines, at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Seminole Hollywood Classic and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. But that includes "recycled" money. An extreme example: You put in $100 in a $1 slot machine, and after 100 pulls, you have $80. Then you play that $80, and let's say you lose it all. You have played $180, and earned stockpile points as well as your regular 90 points.

During the promotion, you'll have earned 900 points. The points offer doesn't apply to video poker, video roulette or video blackjack.

Meanwhile, the three casinos are also running a Super Mystery Jackpot giveaway from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Five names will be randomly selected to receive $500 to $1,500. When a Super Mystery Jackpot is awarded, nine other players also can collect their own jackpot prizes, ranging from $500 - $1,500 in free play.

A Boca Raton tennis instructor aced a slot machine Tuesday night.

Kennis Collins, 51, won $1,589,193 at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. He was playing the Jeopardy! MegaJackpot game. (Collins didn't want to pose for a photo for the casino, but Coconut Creek GM Steve Bonner overcame his aversion to the media and stepped in.)

It's the fourth $1 million-plus slot win the past 20 months at the casino.

According to a press release from game manufacturer IGT, Collins said he was drawn to the winning machine when he noticed other players winning on the same type of game. Collins went on to say that he was surprised to find he had won the million-dollar-plus top progressive prize.

“I wasn’t sure which of the three amounts listed I won. I didn’t think it was the big one,” he commented.

He said he will “pay off debt” and take a much needed vacation.

"I haven’t had one in four years," he said. Collins' tennis students can rest easy however, the winner said he will continue working.

“I love teaching tennis” he said. His students include Ahsha Rolle, according to old news reports; he played college tennis at Grambling.

The Seminole Casino Coconut Creek is part of a Native American progressive gaming network which includes over 300 casinos nationwide. Each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates until it is won.

Jeopardy! is a multi-denominational progressive system with a starting jackpot of $500,000. The game is one of IGT’s newest and most advanced, including “Double Jeopardy!” action.

The casino billed itself as the "Jackpot Capital of the World" after a $2 million win last July by a Lake Worth man. The Seminole Casino Immokalee had a $3.5 million winner on Aug. 30 this year to set the state record, but Coconut Creek can contend that it has produced the most millionaires.

Mardi Gras is giving away three BMWs this month.

The drawings are at 10:15 p.m. Nov. 14, 21 and 27. Slots players get more entries based on how much they play.

The first shipment of slot machines arrived at Calder Casino & Race Course in Miami Gardens on Monday morning. Track officials and state regulators were at the casino loading dock to check in 242 slot machines.

Calder will eventually have 1,225 slot machines when it opens in January 2010.

The 242 machines came from WMS and were delivered to Calder’s new 104,000-square foot casino, which is approaching the final phases of its construction, according to a press release. In addition to the slot machines, the Calder Casino will also have three new restaurants.

Calder is currently conducting its 39th horse racing season. The live racing season started in April and continues through Jan. 2. This weekend, Calder hosts its annual Florida Million, featuring $1.2 million in stakes showcasing the Florida Thoroughbred industry.

Simulcasting is offered year-round at Calder and the track also opened its Studz Poker Club on Oct. 23. Studz is holding three $10,000 Guaranteed Deep Stack Tournaments on Nov. 14, 15, and 21.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has settled up with a Daytona Beach man who thought he had won a $166 million jackpot Sunday at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa.

Bill Seebeck had been playing the Bally Ultimate Party Spin slot machine for about a half-hour spending close to $80. The machine's bells began ringing and the numbers flashed the amount he'd won, according to wire reports.

"$166,666,666.65. So I was screaming. I was up and around screaming...and I have high blood pressure but it went up really fast," he said.

Seebeck spent an hour deciding how he'd spend the money. Then the bad news came.

Casino workers told him the machine had spun out of control, malfunctioned and he wouldn't be paid any money. The casino has since reached an agreement with Seebeck.

In a statement, the casino says:

"The Seminole Hard Rock Casino has made an offer to William Seebeck, and he has accepted, recognizing that the slot machine he was playing on Sunday malfunctioned, in what can be best described to the layman as a "computer glitch." The maximum payout on the Ultimate Party Spin machine played by Seebeck is $99,000, although his bet of $1.50 at the time of the malfunction could have generated a maximum payout of only $2,500, with the right combination. Determination of a malfunction was made by representatives of the machine’s manufacturer and software provider, according to established gaming industry standards, with confirmation from an independent third-party laboratory analysis. The casino has opted to settle this matter for an undisclosed amount as a good faith gesture, and we look forward to welcoming Mr. Seebeck on future visits."

The Seminole Gaming Commission and officials from Bally, the software maker for the slot machine, are heading to Tampa to investigate the malfunction.

Continue reading "Why a $166 million win at the Hard Rock doesn't make cents" »

Four days don't make a casino, but it certainly could predict a bright future.

Flagler Dog Track, now also known as the Magic City Casino, averaged $472 win per machine in its opening four days, Oct. 15-18, according to Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering records.

In English: They made $472 each day off of each of its 700 slot machines. By comparison, the Isle made $168 per machine Oct. 12-18, Gulfstream took in $145 that week and Mardi Gras $100.

Now, admittedly the comparisons are unfair because a.) Flagler had an unexpected opening-day curiousity rush of people, a newness factor working for them and b.) they have only 700 machines, so "win-per-machine" is kind of bogus. The Isle has 1,459 slots, Mardi Gras 1,354 and Gulfstream 849. Flagler's average would dip if they had more machines.

Still, as I wrote when the casino opened, they must be doing some things right.

After not having a $1 million slot winner in its more than five years of being open, the Hard Rock hit its second $1 million plus jackpot in less than a month -- on the same machine.

It came Saturday night, paying off $1,028,215 to a person who wished to remain anonymous. (Can't blame 'em.) The game was the Megabucks Video MegaJackpot and the woman played 75 cents per spin (the max bet).

If you're searching: the winning machine is in the southeast quadrant of the main casino, near the Council Oak restaurant.

The jackpot costs the Hard Rock almost nothing: That's because the casino is part of a Native American progressive gaming network that includes over 300 casinos nationwide. So each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates until it is won. The Hard Rock -- and every other casino -- root for the progressives to hit at their casino. It's the best marketing you could want.

The jackpot starts at $1 million, then increases as people play the machines. On Sept. 29 the casino paid the first-ever Florida Megabucks MegaJackpot of $1,110,779. They're catching up: In July 2008, the >Seminole Coconut Creek Casino paid a $2 million on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition machine, and last November the Tampa Hard Rock hit for $2.5 million.

The Seminole Immokalee Casino got the state record on Aug. 30, with $3.5 million on a Wheel of Fortune $5 progressive game.

Megabucks was developed by IGT. A press release said she came to the casino for an “evening out” and chose the winning machine at random. She has no immediate plans for her winnings beyond “collecting them.” (You know, I was at a wedding early Saturday and gave a woman who liked gambling my card. I told her if she hit a jackpot to call me and give me the exclusive. Hmmm...)

Florida parimutuels have progressive slots approved, as part of new gambling laws, but it's being held up while the state and the Seminoles negotiate a compact -- it's all rolled together.

A woman hit a $1.1 million jackpot at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tuesday.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, played the Megabucks Video MegaJackpot game.

The win came on a progressive machine, meaning a portion of each spin at Native American casinos nationwide are lumped into one large jackpot.

It’s the largest jackpot ever at the Hard Rock. The state record is $3.5 million hit by a man on Aug. 30 at Seminole Casino Immokalee.

According to a press release, a player’s club coupon brought her to the casino. When asked what drew her to the winning machine, the winner said she had never played the winning machine before, but "liked the way it looked" with the "spinning wheel on top," the release said.

Combined, Seminole casinos have now awarded ten MegaJackpot prizes totaling over $9.7 million. The Seminole Casino Hollywood is part of a Native American progressive gaming network which includes over 300 casinos nationwide.

Mardi Gras Gaming Center and Racetrack is offering double and triple slot jackpots through Nov. 30.

If you hit a jackpot on the first floor they will double it; if you hit a jackpot on the third floor they will triple it. (I think part of the idea is to increase action on the third floor, which has a nice view of the dog racing but is a little bit of work getting to.)

The minimum jackpot they'll double is $1,200; the maximum is $5,000.

A full-page ad in our Showtime section today served as likely the most information the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek has ever given out, and it shows what we suspected.

THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY!

Twice as much as even the hottest state-supervised casino.

"No Other Casino Stacks Up," it read, with a graphic of gold coins.

Then it showed slot payouts for four casinos:

Coconut Creek: $221,452,536
Pompano Isle: $88,548,255
Mardi Gras: $51,499,299
Gulfstream: $36,562,236.

Now, the bottom three numbers are public. The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering web site lists them each month, if for no other reason than to document how much tax money the state is getting (50 percent).

But the Seminoles never tell how much they make. Until this ad. They frame it as "slot payouts," meaning how much you and I win when we go there to play (I like video poker).

"We had conversations whether or not we wanted to do it, but it’s such a good story to tell that we’re having that kind of volume and paying out that much money," GM Steve Bonner said. "It’s a number we’re proud of."

He said the ad is a "positioning statement" for Coconut Creek, and that's why it didn't include the Hard Rock or the Hollywood Classic casinos (and everyone knows the Hard Rock will cream them -- and he has a point, that the Hard Rock is a whole 'nother game). Coconut Creek decided to do it now because it technically lost the "jackpot capital" claim this month when the Seminole Casino Immokalee had a $3.5 million payout, largest in the state, besting a $2.1 million payout at Coconut Creek last year.

The ad will run on billboards soon, too, Bonner said. Isle GM Michael Bloom, Coconut Creek's closest competitor, declined comment.

From their number, presuming it's true (and I do), we can glean:

If they pay out 92 percent (same as the Isle), they had almost a $240 million handle (amount of money put into their machines) in August. I get that number because the $221 million is about 92 percent of $240 million.

And they'd have a win of more than $19 million for the month (if they were a racino that'd mean $9.5 million to the state).

For their 1,500-plus slots, that'd be a "win per machine per day" of $400, almost double the Isle's and more than triple Gulfstream's and Mardi Gras'. Each Isle machine made $161 in August; Gulfstream's took in $122 and Mardi Gras' $101.

It also shows how far the other casinos are behind -- and that's Bonner's point, of course.

I need some comments here. I love numbers, but would like some thoughts as to what this means. Did you think they made more, or they made less?

Dawn Olitsky of Naples won $1 million as champion of the “Seminole $1 Million Slot Tournament” at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood over the weekend.

Olitsky earned entry into the tournament through the Seminole Casino – Immokalee where she plays regularly.

Participating Seminole Casinos include Seminole Casino Big Cypress, Seminole Casino Brighton, Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, Seminole Casino Hollywood, Seminole Casino Immokalee, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

Her sister has cancer and the money will give her time to take off of work to be with her, Orlisky said.

Players from each of the Seminole Casinos earned entries to the tournament through a promotion that began eight months ago. Each "Seminole $1,000,000 Slot Tournament" entry included a four-day, three-night stay for two, two tickets to the Ice Breaker cocktail reception, two tickets to the awards banquet and a tournament shirt.

A Bonita Springs man hit the largest jackpot in Florida's history Sunday, good for $3.5 million at the Seminole Casino Immokalee.

Christopher Detzler, 59, who said recent jobs including driving a truck and reupholstering patio furniture, hit for $3,577.517.97 on a $5 Wheel of Fortune wide area progressive. He bet $10 a spin.

Detlzer, who regularly play at Immokalee and at the Hard Rock Tampa, attributed his multi-million dollar win to a recent lucky streak.

“I was on a roll for the last two months," he said, noting he had his eye on the winning machine, but had to wait until the game was open to play. He had cashed $22,000 and $8,000 wins recently.

Said Immokalee GM Tony Sanchez: "I'm glad to see it happen to a regular customer."

The Seminole Immokalee Casino is part of a Native American progressive gaming network that includes over 300 casinos nationwide. Each time a coin is played in a linked machine, anywhere in the network, the jackpot accumulates until it is won.

(I wrote a 1A story a few weeks ago about linked progressives coming to South Florida's parimutuels once this whole compact thing gets worked out. In other words, there will be a similar jackpot available at the Isle, Gulfstream, Mardi Gras and Miami-Dade, eventually.)

Sunday’s MegaJackpot is largest to be paid in the state to date. It's also part of a hot run that includes three prizes of over $1 million each, including a $2 million prize July 19, 2008, at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek.

More coverage at the Naples Daily News site, reported by Steven Beardsley.

You can say what you want about a parent company going bankrupt and poor publicity from a 2-year-old state investigation of out-of-control employees, but you also gotta say this: Of the three Broward County parimutuels with slot machines, only Gulfstream Casino and Racing can report gains from last year.

The state's July slot figures are out, and they support Gulfstream's argument that they're gaining ground:

Gulfstream had net slot revenues of $3.3 million this July, compared to $2.8 million in 2008;

Mardi Gras took in $4.6 million this year, down from $5.7 million in 2008;

Isle Casino and Racing reported $7.5 million this July; last year, it was $8.5 million.

Overall, Florida gambling is down about 9 percent, according to the state's web site.

Gulfstream issued a press release to this effect, documenting the percentage losses the two others have had, and quoting Michael Pollock’s Gaming Industry Observer: “The percentage gulf between these racinos is attributable, in part, to a commitment to keeping the slot floor fresh.”

In the Gulfstream release, Gulfstream VP Steve Calabro said, “We’ve achieved these results by offering our customers ‘the latest and greatest’ slot machines; fun and exciting marketing promotions on a daily basis; a safe and clean environment in which to play, great guest service and great jackpot payouts."

Meanwhile, the Village at Gulfstream Park project keeps rolling along, with a Feb. 11 planned opening date. The Gulfstream poker room reports solid tournament play, as its season-long "leaderboard" concept creates player loyalty. And there's momentum from last year's horse racing season, which industry observers (I'm not real good with horse racing) described as "excellent."

And so, you gotta wonder: Could this whole mall-casino-horse track idea actually work?

Why do you think Gulfstream's slot business is up, while the two others are down?

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is introducing Boomerang Bucks Friday, a promotion that helps ease the pain for new slots players who happen to lose.

The promotion is available only to new Player’s Club members. As is the case at most casinos, Player’s Club membership is free for those 21 and older who present a valid driver’s license.

The Hard Rock promotion gives gamblers a rebate of 50 percent on losses in their first 24 hours, up to $100. The casino will mail coupons, rounded to the nearest $5 increment, to players within a week after their initial visit. Patrons then bring the coupons back to the casino for a free-play voucher.

The casino previously offered $25 in free play to new members, and sometimes a free lunch. The other Seminole casinos in Broward County offer similar incentives for first-time slot and video poker players.

Most casinos continually have new-player incentives going. Gulfstream Casino and Racing in Hallandale Beach is offering $20 in free play for new players. Mardi Gras Gaming in Hallandale Beach offers $10 in free play and $5 off a meal. And beginning Monday, the Isle Casino Pompano Park will rebate the first $25 a new player loses.

Jaws slot machines are surfacing in Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood and Tampa.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood is giving away four tickets to the Miami Seaquarium from 1-7 p.m. Saturday. Additionally, at 8 p.m. a prize drawing of four certificates for Miami Seaquarium’s Swim with the Dolphins experience, the Dolphin Odyssey, will be given away to slot players.

According to the casino's press release, the prize is designed to build excitement for the launch of Jaws Slot Machines and raise awareness about sharks and other fascinating sea creatures.

With a flick of a finger on the "shark tooth" spin button, the game begins with that trademark ominous John Williams Jaws theme, the casino says. Players can vie for one of four progressive jackpots and bonus games to keep them in the "water" and in the game, longer.

When Miami Seaquarium first opened in 1955, one of the main attractions was the Shark Channel, the casino says. At the Shark Presentation, animal care specialists feed 200-pound sharks while explaining the various species of shark that exist worldwide.

The grand prize winner will not only get to see the sharks at the Miami Seaquarium, but win the opportunity to experience the Dolphin Odyssey at Miami Seaquarium’s Dolphin Harbor. Guests kiss, hug, dance, rub and get up-close to the dolphins, plus swim into deeper water for more interactions including a dolphin ride across the pool. Participants in this program must be 52 inches or taller.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino has joined the multiplayer community slot gaming trend, adding Slingo Bonus Deluxe and Super Bankroll Bonus. The Isle, Seminole Coconut Creek and others have also tapped into the community gaming trend (I wrote about it awhile back).

Slingo Bonus Deluxe features a vivid 21-inch LCD screen and uses International Game Technology’s (IGT) highly competitive Double Diamond 20-line program. Three bonus symbols on any activated pay line ignite the “Deluxe” bonus round in which the player “flips” a blinking award card to reveal the bonus spins won, from eight to 16. Each spin sends the five video reels into motion. If a reel matches a number on the column above on the player’s grid or comes up as a Joker, the player wins a “spot hit,” earning him or her anywhere from one to 100 credits. Earning “Slingo,” which is all the numbers covered in a column, row or diagonal, or a full card (all numbers in the grid covered) awards additional credits, from 20 to 100.

Super Bankroll Bonus is a six-station community bonusing game with a five-reel, 20-line video slot that capitalizes on the popularity of AC Coin’s Bankroll. Like its forerunner, it promises to enhance the group experience on the casino floor with the excitement of a shared bonusing event. Over the last three years the original Bankroll has been placed in more than 400 casinos throughout North America.

Super Bankroll, at 7 feet by 6 feet 9 inches, entices players with jumbo-sized signage that features a scrolling display of a printing press printing oversized dollar bills while it broadcasts the song “Money (That’s What I Want).”

The Isle Casino & Racing has created a bank of machines promising a 98 percent payback -- believed to be the highest advertised return in the history of Florida slots.

The payback rate is the rate that the machines, over time, pay back to customers. In this case, if you'd put in $100 time and time again, you'd get $98 back. Most Broward slots are at 90 to 92 percent. Casinos are required to post their overall payback rate near their entrance.

The bank of 10 games is in the $1 area, and is "very popular," said the Isle's Evan Lucash. They include "Double Diamond" and games from the "Triple 7" family.

“What we are trying to offer patrons is an excellent value for their gaming dollar,” he said. “If we continue to see a good response, we’d consider expanding it.”

But, again, regarding payback rates: There is no guarantee you're getting $98 back. There's no guarantee you're getting even $1 back. But over a long period of time...

There's good news for Sex and the City fans with an itch to gamble, Casino City Times columnist John Brokopp notes: The gals will soon be on a video slot machine that mirrors the TV series.

Writes Brokopp:

International Game Technology partnered with HBO to create what it hopes will be a huge casino hit, not only among Sex and the City devotees but also among slot players who are always looking for new technologies that take their gambling experience to the next level.

A big draw will be the fact Sex and the City will feature MegaJackpots, an opportunity for participants to cash in on huge awards for fortuitous spins, even though the odds against hitting a big one are steep.

... the slot comes equipped with what IGT is calling a MEGAfx "Surround Chair", the company's answer to WMS Gaming's Sensory Immersion playing experience. Both technologies feature enhanced audio capabilities.

Continue reading "Sex and the City slot machines hit Vegas" »

I wrote in the business section last week about a course teaching people how to repair slot machines.

Now if they can show me how to get one to hit a jackpot.

OK, so Miami-Dade passed slots Tuesday.

My thinking: Gulfstream and Mardi Gras won't be affected much by the Aventura crowd, which still sees itself as more Broward than Dade, those places are closer to them than anywhere in Dade.

What I'm wondering about is west Pines and Miramar, with Calder Race Course just a few miles away. And whether other people will go to the fronton or the dog track in Dade from Broward.

So, southwest Broward folks, let me hear it. Does the Dade vote help you?

Here’s my hunch bet of the week: Slots are going to be rejected once again in Miami-Dade.

Maybe I’m wrong, but the vibes don’t seem good for the three pari-mutuels that want to bring taxed slot machines to our south.

To read my full analysis, click here to the Mayo on the Side blog.

And then post your thoughts here, there or both.