Online Casino Edition – Casino News News about online casinos and gambling

There has been a lot buzz and press focusing on tiny Macau lately and for good reason. The small piece of land, a part of China still, has surpassed all expectations in terms of its success with it gaming and resort efforts. In fact, it has become one of the top gaming destinations on the globe, according to industry experts. In just the last three years, Macau has seen an increase in its gaming revenues when other areas that offer gaming have seen dramatic losses.

One has to be careful when assessing expert opinions these days. During the last six months or less, many experts suggested that Macau would begin to lose revenues just as other areas offering gambling opportunities were doing. It is true that Macau did see a drop in its revenues during this period, but its drop was far less than what experts assumed would happen. These same experts expected that Macau’s drop in revenues would last at least until fall or into winter, but that simply did not happen. Revenues for gaming establishments in Macau actually went up in August of this year. When compared to the same time period for 2011, revenues are up by 5.5 percent. This represented in real money an increase of some $3.3 billion.

One should be too harsh with the analysts, however. It is true that in 2010 and ’11 Macau revenues were soaring (at times) to 70 percent over the year prior. This, of course, is a rate that is simply unsustainable, which is what the experts based their opinions upon. By the middle of the year, revenues had dropped into the single digits. But in August, those revenues began to soar again.

Many analyst consider Macau’s popularity to be due to the fact that this tiny piece of land is the closest thing to Las Vegas that Asian populations have at their immediate disposal. Macau itself spent considerable time and energy in making sure that it did things right in terms of accommodations, dining, entertainment, etc which brought it into the spotlight of all international travelers, not just those living in Asian countries. They have done such a good job at it that many of those who would be visiting Vegas are actually taking the extended trip to Macau, if for no other reason than to see what all the hoopla is about. Few are disappointed, it seems.

Just a couple of years ago, the government of Macau was rethinking its position on gaming as it was beginning to feel that Macau was becoming too dependent on the gaming industry. Local casino owners at the time agreed, but for other reasons, one suspects. The plan was to attempt to diversify the local economy, and much of that has happened. However, the success of casino and hotels in the area brought any plans for a complete halt to new establishments to a halt itself.

In addition to Macau being a success, other nearby countries are also seeing an increase in casino and hotel construction. Singapore and Malaysia are just two areas that are actively seeking new facilities, and many established casino owners are investing in these areas.

For years now, the residents of Cincinnati have watched as other areas within the state built and prospered from a variety of hotels and casinos. Now, at long last, Cincinnati is planning to open its own casino and many residents are touting this as a good deal for the city as well as for the city’s economy. The project is expected to happen next spring and has been received with both excited acclaim and some anxiety from a few residents who feel casinos bring in crime and other social problems.

According to officials from the Horseshoe Casino, the city of Cincinnati submitted assurances that the $400 million gaming facility that is being proposed will be completed on time and that the facility will open as expected this upcoming spring. It was reported that the project is on schedule and staying within budget. The new Horseshoe Casino is said to become the fourth and last casino to open in Ohio.

One concern that some residents had about the proposed new casino was if it would fit the overall model of downtown Cincinnati. That issue was resolved and the casino will fit perfectly with its surroundings. The new facility will host a Margaritaville Restaurant which is said to be one of its of most popular coming attractions. Officals from Horseshoe were adamant that their efforts fit into the locals needs and that it represented Cincinnati is a good light.

The new casino was approved back in 2009 along with three other casinos. It was during the 2008 recession, which hit Ohio hard, that voters finally gave in to allowing casinos. Because of the four casinos that were approved, thousands of Ohio residents, and many others, have been able to find and keep steady work.

According to gaming analyst Brad Dawkins, “The Ohio casinos did exactly what lawmakers anticipated they would do. They created jobs, and they now are starting the process of bringing hundreds of millions of dollars to the state budget. So far it has been a win-win for lawmakers and residents of Ohio.” Even so, some critics remain.

The critics, for the most part, are keeping quiet until they see if the casinos that were allowed actually bring in revenues while at the same time are able to keep crime low. They are also worried about gambling addiction becoming a problem. To date, no reports have been issued showing any large increase in crime due to the casinos.

The new casino is owned by Daniel Gilbert, who also owns the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is the founder of the Rock Gaming organization which is said to own both the new casino in Cleveland as well as the Horseshoe Casino going up in Cincinnati. As for the casinos that are located in Toledo and Columbus, the rights to those are owned by Penn National gaming.

No estimates were released as to just how much revenue the city of Cincinnati might expect once the new casino opens in the spring. If the new casino has as much success as its predecessors, revenues should be impressive and very helpful to this financially struggling city.