The mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, has tried to encourage public support for an expansion in Illinois for the development of cash-generating casinos in Chicago. Unfortunately, the support from the people of the public has begun to fade according to reports from Chicago-Tribune and WGN-TV media networks.
The public has spoken out against any new casinos or video slot machines at horse race tracks. A similar poll conducted a mere eight months prior was significantly different, showing that Illinois citizens were at that time, in favor of the development. Instead, what has happened is that the Illinois Governor, Pat Quinn, vetoed a legislature bill that would allow for gambling expansion. Though lawmakers had already made approvals to create five brand new gambling facilities in Chicago, Danville, Rockford and other surrounding suburbs, the governor’s decision seemed to change many peoples’ minds about the issue.
The survey results are somewhat close across the board in regards to the issue at hand. Currently, 47 percent of the surveyed population opposes the expansion of gambling amenities and 43 percent approve it. The prior survey taken a few months prior had showed that 50 percent of statewide voters ok’d the expansion while 42 percent were against it. The results statewide somewhat vary in the different areas in Illinois but it remains similar across the board that the people in Illinois have decided that allowing new gambling palaces in the state is not all right after all. Out of all the areas in Illinois, only Downstate voters were the only ones that still supported the plan simply because the supporters believe that adding video slot machines to the horse race tracks would improve the agriculture and horse racing industries in Downstate.
The Chicago mayor still has plans to encourage the public to see his side of things in hopes that revenue can be generated that would greatly help several communities. Emanuel claims that the money brought in from the casino locations would be used to build new schools, pave roads and improve mass transit systems. There are still Chicago voters that back a city-owned casino. For Emanuel, this was a method to look for new revenue to come into the city. Gambling and the developers that bring in casinos could generate an estimated $200 million in annual tax revenue. It could then also bring in $1 billion in fees for licensing of these casinos. On top of this, the casinos could create at least an additional 10,000 local jobs.
Recently, video gambling has become legal at truck stops and bars so some people can take part. However, Governor Quinn thinks that offering video slot machines at the horse racing tracks would lead to too much gambling. Quinn also seems to think that the legislation that was put before him was not enough to provide enough control over casinos and also does not allot a certain amount of money for schools. Those that are supporting gambling expansion efforts will attempt to use the upcoming elections to try to override the veto.
October 20, 2012
According to Polls in Chicago, Support for Casino is Dwindling
Microgaming Introduces New Slot For Craps Players
Microgaming has launched a variety of new games this month, including their new online slot, which is called Joy of Six. This is a fun and exciting new slot machine that is only available on Microgaming’s website on their flash casinos. Joy of Six is not available at their download casinos. The number six is in reference to the six sides of a die. The word “joy” is simply the pleasure associated with gambling, namely craps. Joy of Six is an extremely easy slot game, particularly in comparison to some of the latest slot machines that have been released by others in the online gaming industry. Joy of Six is a 30-pay line game, with the opportunity to wager up to five coins per day line and is an extremely attractive slot game, because of its bonus round that provides numerous free spins that can be extremely lucrative.
The background of Joy of Six is that of a craps table. The symbols available on the slot include a beautiful croupier, dice, a drink, stacks of chips and the Joy of Six logo. This is a very typical Microgaming style game, with other icons that appear on the reels that are high value cards. In this game, the die is wild and substitutes for every other symbol in the game except for the scatter symbol. On its own, it does not provide the player any line payouts, but it doubles the payout within substitutes for another symbol in a winning combination. The scatter symbol for this game is the croupier, and the scatter is awarded when two or more croupier appear anywhere on the reels.
If a player is lucky enough to have three or more croupier symbols appear, the croupier smiles sweetly and holds up a sign saying that you get 15 free spins. You are then transferred to the free spin round, and the die symbol is still wild, but when it appears in a winning combination, the croupier will roll two dice on the craps table that is the background. Animation of this part of the bonus round focuses on one of the two dice, and whatever number is revealed is what the payout is multiplied by, making this very lucrative. Your winning combination can be multiplied anywhere between 1 to 6 times. In addition, if you spin and three or more croupiers appear again during your free spins, it will re-trigger the feature.
Joy of Six also provides Microgaming’s double opportunities, so you have the chance to activate a double up game, so you can try to win more money or simply collect the amount that you have already won. If you decide that you would like to play the double up game, all you have to do is select the color or the suit of the next card, and if you guess correctly, your payout will be either double if you guess the color correctly, or quadrupled if you guessed the next suit correctly. If you guess wrong, you lose your winnings, but any amount that you win in the double of the game you can continue to attempt to double up to win even more.
Are You New to Online Gambling?
Starting out at an online casino need not be a difficult or a scary experience. Several new gamblers are very nervous concerning casino transactions and playing casino games online for cash. As a matter of fact, however, the majority of online casino sites are secure and safe, so you can rest assured that you will be protected and secure. You can be sure of this if you choose an online casino that is regulated by a board and that is licensed.
Once you have located a casino that is known as reliable, you will register for an account and choose your payment method to be able to play. When you choose your payment method, you will easily be able to make withdrawals and deposits within the online casino.
When it comes time for you to actually play, you may feel overwhelmed. Most online casinos have numerous games to choose from, all offering a fun experience and the potential for a huge payout. Many times, if you are just starting out, you more than likely have a limited budget for gambling. If this sounds like you, it is your best bet to start out on games like the slot machines. This way you can build up your winnings to be able to try your hand and your luck at the table games, which sometimes offer greater payouts, especially if in a tournament. The greatest benefit of starting out with slot machines is that it requires no previous skill and there are very little rules.
For other games, the majority of online casinos will offer tutorials that show you how to play each game and that will walk you through moves that you should and should not make. This is a great way to learn the ropes, as you will be playing for free and, although the payout is in play money, it offers valuable experience that you can take to the cash tables.
The biggest key to becoming a successful online gambler is choosing a safe, reliable casino that is regulated and licensed by a reputable board. Once you have assured that the casino is safe, you will enjoy the twenty four hour per day access to all the games you have been dying to try. Just remember to play responsibly.
Starting out at an online casino need not be a difficult or a scary experience. Several new gamblers are very nervous concerning casino transactions and playing casino games online for cash. As a matter of fact, however, the majority of online casino sites are secure and safe, so you can rest assured that you will be protected and secure. You can be sure of this if you choose an online casino that is regulated by a board and that is licensed. The more wary you are, the better your overall experience will be. If you are new to online gambling, trust the above information to get you through your first few days or weeks of playing. As you play, you will become more reassured about what casinos are the best.
October 18, 2012
Omni Casino’s Slotoberfest Is A Must Play For All
Halloween is just around the corner, and Omni Casino is keeping up the theme of Halloween as well as their Slotoberfest Tourneys. This is great news for all of On the Casino’s players, because they are given more opportunities to win. What is even more exciting is that Omni Casino has launched its new German website, which is spectacular for all German players. They will be able to read, understand and appreciate all of the terms, conditions, games and rules associated with Omni Casino and all of their games, in German. Although they Omni Casino already offered wagering in euros, all German players will not have to change their payment option, as they can continue to play with euros.
Omni Casino provides the Jack-O-Cash bonuses every Saturday, and every player on their casino that makes a deposit on Saturday will receive a free bonus that is based upon the amount of the deposit. Anyone that deposits $10-$30 will receive a 150% bonus on their money, up to $35. Any player who deposits $31 up to $80 will receive a 125% bonus up to $100. For players to deposit more, and deposit $81 up to $150 will receive a 100% bonus of up to $150. Every player at Omni Casino can take advantage of Slotoberfest, where every Omni Casino member that has deposited a minimum of $200 throughout the month of October will be able to take advantage of $15 in free play bonuses. The only thing players have to do is contact the amazing 24/7 customer support for this online casino. They will quickly be credited their $15, and players can use it to play any of the slot games available at Omni Casino. The only requirement of this $15 in free play, is a play of 10 times and a max of $500 on winnings.
Omni Casino players are also able to take advantage of the guarantee Spin to Win cash rewards, and any player who spends at least 1000 qualifying spin points at any of the Slotoberfest slots tournaments will automatically be placed into a random draw. Winners of the random draw prize are guaranteed to win anywhere from $10 up to $150. Omni Casino is also holding their Slotoberfest Bonus Festival, with players being able to take advantage of a spectacular bonus based on the amount of the deposit. These bonuses are similar to the Jack-O-Cash bonuses, but any player the deposit is $151 up to $900 will receive a 75% bonus of up to $250. Omni Casino utilizes software from Playtech, and anyone who uses Playtech slots is likely to be able to take advantage of all the slots in the Slotoberfest online tourneys. Some of the most popular slot machines at Omni Casino include Marvel branded slot machines Iron Man 2, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Blade and Iron Man. With these popular slots and many others, Omni Casino is a must visit throughout the month of October as well as the rest of the year, because of their extensive bonuses, free play opportunities and more.
October 13, 2012
Las Vegas Hits Stunning Billion-dollar Month
It may seem unlikely, perhaps even impossible, but Las Vegas managed to pull off something of a miracle. New numbers on revenues for Las Vegas gaming during the month of July show that the city pulled in an estimated billion dollars. The city was able to do this even though tourism for that same month was down.
Most analysts suggest that one of the major reasons the city was able to make such a stunning amount of money in a single month was tied to several high rollers arriving in town to play their favorite game, baccarat. In the month of July alone, baccarat raked in nearly $190 million.
While many people do not play baccarat, or even know how to play the game best known for its appearance in many James Bond movies of yesteryear, many of those who do enjoy the game are very well-heeled. Their love of the game helped the city to increase its revenues by over 100 percent when compared to numbers from July 2011. What surprised many analysts was that during this same time tourism to the city was down.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Vegas hosted an estimated 3.4 million visitors in July of 2012. This represented a decrease of about 0.8 percent from what was reported for July of 2011. The number of visitors during that time period was estimated to be almost 3.5 million.
Even though the increased revenues for July were a welcome sight for many struggling gaming concerns, analysts suggest that no one get a swelled head just yet. They suggest that the city’s gaming concerns need to see a steady increase in revenues, month after month, before assuming that the worst is over in terms of the sluggish economy. They caution that with some much of July’s revenues coming from a single game (baccarat, in this case) and from such a select clientele, the loss of that clientele would bring revenues back down. They would prefer to see more across the board revenues being generated by more diverse activities and players.
In related news, Atlantic City also saw a big increase in its revenues for August. Some of the casinos located in Atlantic City saw double digit increases in the monthly revenues for August when compared to revenues a year ago. Even smaller casinos and hotels were able to see profits in what is now considered a “financially struggling locale”. While there are no hard and fast reasons for this increase, good weather and a wide array of local, public events are being touted as possible reasons for Atlantic City’s good fortune.
At the same time, plans for a new casino in Atlantic City were nixed on September 12. The reason for canceling the project is said to be the city’s sluggish economy as well as lower revenues for casinos that are already in business in the area. This would seem contrary to what most of the casinos are reporting in the revenue reports, at least for the current time period.