Judge: Unshuffled cards void game, winnings must be returned

Bill Kearney

 

Massachusetts ‘GAMING’ Future

Even when casinos screw up they still win. Now if the gamblers would have lost $1.5 million do you think they would have gotten their money back?

The Associated Press - February 12, 2015

Judge: Unshuffled cards void game, winnings must be returned

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Gamblers who won $1.5 million at a casino after realizing the cards hadn't been shuffled have been ordered to return the money.

State Superior Court Judge Donna Taylor has sided with the Golden Nugget casino in its long-running dispute with 14 gamblers who say the fault wasn't theirs and they should be allowed to keep their winnings.

At issue were games of mini-baccarat played in April 2012 using decks of cards the casino had paid a manufacturer to pre-shuffle but that hadn't been shuffled. Once players realized the pattern in which the cards were emerging they drastically upped their bets from $10 a hand to $5,000 and won 41 straight hands.

In the ruling, issued Monday and publicized by the casino on Thursday, the judge determined the games were illegal under state law because they didn't conform to gambling regulations specifying the way each game must be played.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/…/20150212_ap_c7cf8db578c44de8b07ca10…

 

WAYNE PARRY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

POSTED: Thursday, February 12, 2015, 8:56 PM

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Gamblers who won $1.5 million at a casino after realizing the cards hadn't been shuffled have been ordered to return the money.

State Superior Court Judge Donna Taylor has sided with the Golden Nugget casino in its long-running dispute with 14 gamblers who say the fault wasn't theirs and they should be allowed to keep their winnings.

At issue were games of mini-baccarat played in April 2012 using decks of cards the casino had paid a manufacturer to pre-shuffle but that hadn't been shuffled. Once players realized the pattern in which the cards were emerging they drastically upped their bets from $10 a hand to $5,000 and won 41 straight hands.

In the ruling, issued Monday and publicized by the casino on Thursday, the judge determined the games were illegal under state law because they didn't conform to gambling regulations specifying the way each game must be played.

"The dealer did not pre-shuffle the cards immediately prior to the commencement of play, and the cards were not pre-shuffled in accordance with any regulation," the judge wrote. "Thus, a literal reading of the regulations ... entails that the game violated the (Casino Control) Act, and consequently was not authorized."

 

She ruled that the gamblers must return any cash paid to them by the casino and any outstanding chips in their possession. The casino in turn must refund the gamblers the money they first put up to play.

 

The Golden Nugget was pleased with the court's ruling, casino general manager Tom Pohlman said.

 

"We believe it was the right decision," he said.

 

A lawyer for the gamblers did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on the decision. A lawyer for the casino's partner, Landry's Inc., said he expects the decision to be appealed.

 

The Golden Nugget bought what were supposed to be pre-shuffled cards from a Kansas City manufacturer, which acknowledged in court it failed to shuffle them. The casino said its litigation with the manufacturer has been resolved but a confidentiality agreement prevents it from revealing details.

 

The judge's ruling was the latest in a long series of decisions that have seesawed between favoring the casino and favoring the gamblers. The owner of the casino, Texas billionaire Tillman Fertitta, originally decided to let the players keep their winnings, but that offer was contingent on them dropping other claims they made against the casino, which they declined to do.

 

The casino paid out about $500,000 in winnings for the disputed games. About $1 million in chips remains outstanding.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20150212_ap_c7cf8db578c44de8b07ca10b8227f35a.html#Woo3mkZSZjFAEsYc.99




 

“The House Always Wins”

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts ‘GAMING’ Future

Two interesting stories that validate the saying, “The House Always Wins”

Associated Press - June 13, 2014 - Judge: Casino not liable in unshuffled cards case

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A judge says an Atlantic City casino does not have to pay $1.5 million won by a group of gamblers who realized the cards had not been shuffled.

A Superior Court judge ruled Friday that the Golden Nugget Atlantic City does not have to redeem the nearly $1 million in chips still held by the gamblers, and said the casino can recover more than $500,000 it already paid them.

A lawyer for the casino's parent company, Landry's Inc., had no immediate comment. An attorney for the gamblers also declined to comment.

The judge ruled that because the cards had been unshuffled, that made the game of mini-baccarat in April 2012 illegal under state casino rules.

Fourteen players racked up $1.5 million in winnings over 41 straight hands.

Associated Press - June 13, 2014 - NJ man sentenced to 17 years for casino cheating

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A northern New Jersey man's penchant for cheating at craps has earned him a lengthy prison sentence.

Derek Bethea was sentenced to 17 years in state prison on Friday after a jury found him guilty of cheating at three Atlantic City casinos last summer. The incidents occurred weeks after Bethea had been released from prison on a previous cheating conviction.

After a weeklong trial last month, Bethea was convicted of swindling and cheating at casino gambling. Prosecutors introduced evidence that showed the 57-year-old Bayonne resident had posted bets at the craps tables after the dice had already come out. The incidents occurred at the Borgata, Resorts and Revel casinos last August.

Bethea was convicted in 2001 and 2005 for similar crimes.

http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view5/3599614/casino-cheater-s-justice-o.gif

STREAM1.GIFSOUP.COM

Mississippi: June casino revenue takes a slide

June casino revenue takes a slide

Published: July 22, 2013

 

By MARY PEREZ — meperez@sunherald.com

BILOXI -- The grand opening of the Golden Nugget Casino Biloxi in June wasn't enough to move casino revenue on the Coast above last year's levels.

The same thing happened last month in Louisiana, where the new Margaritaville Casino was open in Bossier City for 17 days and took in $7.9 million, but revenue statewide was down $8.3 million from a year ago.

The 12 casinos in South Mississippi finished June with gross casino revenue down 5 percent from June 2012, according to the report released Monday by the Mississippi Department of Revenue. The amount won by the casinos dropped to $85.2 million from $89.9 million a year earlier.
Bradley Rhines, vice president of marketing at the Golden Nugget, said revenue has exceeded expectations since the Isle Casino was rebranded as the Golden Nugget June 21.

"That trend has continued through July," he said. "We've been encouraged by the turnout."

The Golden Nugget is giving away four Mustangs this summer as a promotion to draw new visitors and Rhines said they are signing up visitors to their players' club that were never registered at the Isle Casino, exposing new people to the market and the Golden Nugget brand.

Revenue at Mississippi's river casinos dropped by 8 percent in June. Winnings were $89.3 million from $97.0 million a year ago. The state's casino revenue was down $12.4 million, or 7 percent, from June 2012.

Larry Gregory, executive director of the Mississippi Casino Operators Association, said June's numbers aren't drastic or unexpected.

"Less people are coming to the state and are spending less dollars. We know that," he said. "We have to stop it."

In South Mississippi, he said the new three-county tourism commission is looking for an answer to declining tourism. Gregory said what is needed to draw people to the casinos is more non-casino activities.

Declining revenues also impact taxpayers in South Mississippi, since fewer tax dollars are being shared by the state and local governments and school districts.

For the first six months of the year, Coast casino revenue is $541 million compared to $562 million from January to June in 2012 and $566 million in 2011.

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/22/4814424/june-casino-revenue-takes-a-slide.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/22/4814424/june-casino-revenue-takes-a-slide.html

 

 

 

 

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/2013/07/22/4814424/june-casino-revenue-takes-a-slide.html#storylink=cpy
 

Slap On The Wrist for Golden Nugget Owner

Interesting Forbes story that puts the fine in perspective --

The World's Richest Restaurateur Has A Secret: It's Not About The Food

 

Texas billionaire Atlantic City casino owner fined for gambling

Published January 23, 2013

Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The Texas billionaire who owns Golden Nugget Atlantic City casino has agreed to pay a $15,000 fine.

 

New Jersey regulators cited Tilman Fertitta for playing blackjack at two Atlantic City casinos last year. That violates a law that bars holders of a key casino employee license from gambling in Atlantic City.

 

 

 

Golden Nugget general manager Tom Pohlman tells the Press of Atlantic City Fertitta feels bad because he didn't know about the ban. Pohlman says Fertitta can gamble in Nevada except at his own casino.

 

 

 

Pohlman says the Golden Nugget notified regulators after Fertitta had said he had gambled.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/23/texas-billionaire-atlantic-city-casino-owner-fined-for-gambling/#ixzz2IoWIomgL

Golden Nugget Attempted Suicide

SUICIDE and attempted SUICIDE is the DIRTY LITTLE SECRET of the Gambling Industry.

And never counted in the COSTS.

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts ‘Gaming’ Future

Notice how there is no mention of a suicide attempt. This is typical news coverage in casino towns.

Atlantic City Press - December 20, 2012 - Man seriously injured after fall from Golden Nugget parking garage

A 22-year-old man was seriously injured Thursday morning after an apparent fall from the Golden Nugget Atlantic City’s self-park garage.

The investigation was still in its early stages, so police had not yet conclusively determined what happened, Sgt. Monica McMenamin said Thursday.

The man was conscious when security staff found him about 2:30 a.m. They immediately called paramedics, the casino’s general manager Tom Pohlman said in an emailed statement.

“It is unfortunate,” Pohlman said of the incident. “The person was not a registered guest of our hotel, but, according to friends, was with them prior to the incident at a neighboring property.”

The Golden Nugget is one of three casinos in the city’s Marina District. Borgata and Harrah’s Resort are the others.

The man, whose name was not being released yet, was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center for treatment.

Police had not yet determined the floor from which he fell. They were still reviewing surveillance footage, McMenamin said.

 Atlantic City police Detective Tom Holton was leading the investigation.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/atlantic-city_pleasantville_brigantine/man-seriously-injured-after-fall-from-golden-nugget-parking-garage/article_b7796bbc-4ac8-11e2-b2d9-001a4bcf887a.htmlSee More

Bill Kearney: Massachusetts 'Gaming' Future

From:

Bill Kearney

Massachusetts 'Gaming' Future

Maybe this will make religious leaders address this 'VICE' know today as 'GAMING.'

Atlantic City Press - December 4, 2012 - Old-fashioned bingo draws a crowd at Atlantic City casinos
...

Crowds started streaming up the escalator to the Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

“You can see a sea of people going up there,” Borgata spokeswoman Liza Costandino said, smiling.

Borgata’s Event Center, usually a venue for concert headliners, was being used on this particular afternoon for another purpose — bingo.

The old-fashioned game, usually associated with churches and firehouses, has been amped up by the casino industry, drawing big crowds that play for lucrative prizes.

Read more: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/old-fashioned-bingo-draws-a-crowd-at-atlantic-city-casinos/article_d850374a-3da7-11e2-b888-0019bb2963f4.html

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Crowds started streaming up the escalator to the Event Center at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa at 1:30 p.m. Monday.

“You can see a sea of people going up there,” Borgata spokeswoman Liza Costandino said, smiling.

Borgata’s Event Center, usually a venue for concert headliners, was being used on this particular afternoon for another purpose — bingo.

The old-fashioned game, usually associated with churches and firehouses, has been amped up by the casino industry, drawing big crowds that play for lucrative prizes.

Bingo has shown incredible staying power in Atlantic City. It has remained a staple for years, despite the array of more contemporary entertainment and gambling attractions offered at the resort-style casino hotels.

“When you come to a casino, everyone hopes to win some money. But with bingo, you don’t have to put up any money to win. That’s why people come to play this game,” Borgata bingo aficionado Denise Cairo, of Galloway Township, explained of the game’s popularity.

With $5,000 in total prize money up for grabs, the Event Center was crowded with about 1,100 bingo fans on Monday afternoon. As bingo host Lori Kelley called out the numbers, the players kept track by filling in their playing cards using pink magic markers.

During one unusually long game, someone prematurely screamed, “Bingo!” The crowd groaned and let out a good-natured boo.

“There’s no booing in bingo,” Kelley joked.

Kelley stood in front of a gigantic, electronic bingo tote board. She drew numbers from a lottery-style hopper that spit out ping pong balls marked with numbers. The next number Kelley called out resulted in a legitimate winner. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause, but the players quickly turned their attention to their score cards as the next game began.

“This is my first time playing here. Everyone’s telling me that I should have beginner’s luck,” gushed Marie Mihalos, of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Sitting at the same table as Mihalos were husband and wife John and Jennie Casiello, of Nutley, Essex County. The Casiellos described themselves as diehard bingo players.

“It’s another reason for coming to the casino. It gives you a chance to win,” Jennie Casiello said.

Casinos don’t charge their customers to play bingo. Unlike the slot machines and table games, bingo doesn’t generate any direct revenue for the casinos. Instead, bingo is a marketing tool to get customers in the door. But once the games are over, the casinos count on bingo players to hit the slots or gambling tables or to spend their money at the restaurants, bars and retail shops.

“It’s all spinoff business,” said Tom Pohlman, general manager of Golden Nugget Atlantic City. “We more than benefit in other parts of the casino.”

Golden Nugget runs major bingo events in Atlantic City, offering up to $20,000 in total prize money, according to the casino’s website. Pohlman noted that Golden Nugget recently increased its bingo schedule from two Mondays each month to three. It also has added Friday night bingo.

Between 800 and 1,200 bingo players pack Golden Nugget’s Grand Cayman Ballroom, Pohlman said. Bingo, he explained, allows the customers to stretch out their playing time and is a fun-filled diversion from the slot machines.

“It takes an hour or an hour and a half to play bingo. Sometimes, they can put $100 in a slot machine and play for just 15 minutes,” Pohlman said.

Joe Lupo, senior vice president of operations at Borgata, said bingo is especially popular among older customers who frequent the casino during weekday afternoons. In that sense, Bingo allows Borgata to cater to a niche audience, he added.

“It’s loyalty-building with this demographic group,” Lupo said. “Obviously, it drives thousands of people into the building to partake in both the gaming and nongaming attractions.”

Most bingo games are reserved for customers who hold casino loyalty cards. Resorts has been sponsoring invitation-only bingo about twice monthly for the past year, but will open the games to the public in December, starting today, spokeswoman Courtney Birmingham said. Resorts customers will simply have to earn two points on their Star Card to be eligible for the public games.

Michael Pollock, a casino analyst and managing director of Linwood-based Spectrum Gaming Group, said bingo is hugely popular at casinos across the country, especially at those owned by Indian tribes.

“It becomes very much a social experience,” Pollock said.

The social aspect of bingo is one thing that attracts Joanne and Sal Bassi, a married couple from Manchester Township, Ocean County. They are usually joined by four or five friends for monthly bingo games at Borgata.

On Monday, the Bassis played bingo both in the morning and afternoon. Joanne Bassi said she scored a $500 prize during a morning game, the first time she had ever won.

“Some people have lucky charms spread out on the table. But my husband is my lucky charm,” she said, noting that the Bassis are newlyweds.

CASINO BINGO

Bingo at the Atlantic City casinos is played the same way as regular bingo. Some games attract more than 1,000 players and offer thousands of dollars in total prize money. Most casinos invite only their cardholders to play, but Resorts plans to open its bingo games to the public beginning today.

Since there is no charge for customers to play bingo, it does not generate any direct revenue.

 

But after the games are over, casinos count on their bingo customers to gamble and spend money in restaurants, bars and other parts of the property.
 

Bingo at each casino includes:
 

* Golden Nugget Atlantic City offers a $20,000 “Bingo Bonanza” promotion, according to the casino’s website. Golden Nugget recently increased its bingo games from two Mondays a month to three and has added a Friday night schedule, said Tom Pohlman, the casino’s general manager.
 

* Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa runs bingo games once a month. Total prizes are $5,000, Borgata said.
 

* Atlantic Club Casino Hotel has weekly bingo games offering $5,000 prize packages, spokeswoman Barbara Murphy said.
 

* Resorts Casino Hotel has had bingo games for invitation-only guests about twice a month. Starting Tuesday, Resorts will open up the December games to members of the public if they earn two points on their Resorts Star Card, spokeswoman Courtney Birmingham said. A $10,000 holiday bingo promotion will be held at Resorts today and on Dec. 18.
 

* Caesars Entertainment, owner of the Bally’s, Caesars, Harrah’s Resort and Showboat casinos, holds bingo a few times a year for small groups. Prizes include cash, trips, electronics and other items, spokeswoman Katie Dougherty said.
 

* Revel and Tropicana Casino and Resort do not have bingo.
 

* Trump Entertainment Resorts did not respond to requests for comment about bingo at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino.

Targeting the Young Gambling Addicts on the Internet

Casino Companies Are In For an Overhaul

By Travis Hoium, The Motley Fool
10/12/12

In just a few years' time, the casino business that we've become familiar with may be changed completely. New technology and an expanded acceptance of mobile technology by regulators will begin turning the traditional casino upside down.

Slot machines may be replaced by iPads, table games will be electronic, you will be able to play from your room, and online gaming will be everywhere.

This isn't a negative for gaming companies. In fact, it creates a huge opportunity and it may open up gaming to a new breed of consumer.


The revolution is here

Bally Technologies (NYS: BYI) and International Game Technology (NYS: IGT) were granted the first online game licenses in Nevada earlier this year, and casino operators Boyd Gaming (NYS: BYD) , Stations Casinos, and the Golden Nugget were the first casinos recommended for approval for intrastate online poker . Online poker was big business in the U.S. until the Feds shut down Poker Stars and Full Tilt Poker, and this is another step on the way to a comeback.

The Global Gaming Expo last week also showed a new generation of games for casinos. No longer will casinos have to buy a $20,000 slow machine when an iPad can hold more games and costs only $500. The possibilities for games begin to open up pretty quickly with devices like this.

Opening up to a whole new customer



Some casino games have always been intimidating to play. Once you move beyond your first penny slot machine as a new gambler it's intimidating to sit down at a blackjack table or play poker against real people. Mobile gaming and new devices can alleviate some of these jitters. Online gaming and mobile gaming is an opportunity to expand the customer base for gaming companies at a time when gaming has stagnated in many locations.

Forcing the Fed's hand

This may eventually push Congress to lay out a framework for regulating and controlling online poker and other online games of chance. Nevada is the first to go forward with online gaming, but others will soon follow. Even those who want online poker legalized admit that federal regulation makes more sense than 50 different sets of rules.

Most casino operators would jump at the chance to offer gaming on a federal level. MGM Resorts (NYS: MGM) and Caesars Entertainment (NAS: CZR) would be two of the biggest players in all likelihood. The companies own some of the world's most well-known gaming brands including Caesars' World Series of Poker.

But not everyone is bullish on online games. Las Vegas Sands (NYS: LVS) chairman Sheldon Adelson has spoken out against online poker and hasn't made any indication he intends to participate in the potential boom in the gaming business. We'll see if he changes his tune if MGM and Caesars start raking in profits from online games.

The next gaming boom

The companies that have benefited from gaming's boom in Asia may not be the companies that benefit from an online or mobile boom in the U.S. Caesars and MGM have been dogged by debt in recent years, but they would be huge beneficiaries of online games. Las Vegas Sands may be left in the dust online unless Adelson changes his tune.

But the big winners may be IGT and Bally's. These companies will provide the technology needed for online gaming and will open up a new revenue stream. The gaming revolution isn't a done deal yet, but it's time to start preparing for it because policymakers aren't stopping it.

For many companies, successfully capitalizing on a booming Chinese economy is like winning the jackpot. That's certainly the case for gaming company Las Vegas Sands, which made a big bet on Macau gaming about a decade ago that's paid off in spades. The company is now looking to spread its empire further, but will it be able to replicate its prior successes? Learn about all these opportunities, and the risks they pose, in our brand-new premium report on Las Vegas Sands. We're providing a full year of analyst updates to go with it, so make sure to claim your copy today by clicking here.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/10/12/casino-companies-are-in-for-an-overhaul/

Golden Nugget owes +12 million

From Bill Kearney:

Massachusetts ‘Gaming’ Future

Donald Trump was notorious for stiffing contractors on his casino projects.

Atlantic City Press - October 6, 2012 - More than a dozen contractors say Golden Nugget Atlantic City owes them more than $12 million for renovation work
...

Golden Nugget Atlantic City is facing millions of dollars in claims from construction companies that are still awaiting final payment for work on the casino’s $150 million renovation project completed last spring.

In the past 90 days, at least 15 contractors have filed construction liens claiming that Golden Nugget owes them more than $12 million, according to a review by The Press of Atlantic City.

Read more: http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/more-than-a-dozen-contractors-say-golden-nugget-atlantic-city/article_57bb0f64-0f45-11e2-a091-001a4bcf887a.html

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Golden Nugget slapped with discrimination suit

From Bill Kearney --

Massachusetts ‘Gaming’ future

Here’s another good casino job for Mom, wife, or daughter,

The Associated Press - Sep. 19, 2012 - Another NJ casino hit with bias suit by waitresses
...

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Another Atlantic City casino has been hit with a bias lawsuit by cocktail waitresses.

In a case just moved to federal court, seven servers at the Golden Nugget claim they were discriminated against. They claim they were denied the chance to work lucrative shifts in so-called "party pits" because of their appearance. They say the jobs went instead to new female hires between the ages of 19 and 26 with dress sizes of zero to four.

They say the pits are staffed by servers wearing "little more than a see-through negligee." Golden Nugget's owners tell The Star-Ledger of Newark the lawsuit is "meritless."

Last year seven waitresses claimed they were fired by Resorts Casino Hotel because they weren't sexy enough. In 2008 two former servers settled a sex discrimination suit against the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.

 

See More

Golden Nugget moves gambling outdoors

NJ lets Golden Nugget move gambling outdoors
September 5, 2012

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — For the past few years, Atlantic City's casinos have been thinking outside the box when it comes to ways to drum up new business and compete with gambling halls in neighboring states.

But the Golden Nugget Atlantic City is doing so literally by becoming the first casino in New Jersey to offer outdoor gambling.

The state Division of Gaming Enforcement recently granted the casino's request to move three blackjack tables onto its outdoor deck. Tom Pohlman, the casino's executive vice president and general manager, said the outdoor games debuted right before Labor Day weekend and did better than expected.

"It's the only place in Atlantic City where you can play blackjack, listen to live entertainment, look out at the beautiful Atlantic City skyline and look out over the water," he said.

Casinos dealing with cutthroat competition from neighboring states have expanded gambling into areas where it never had been before, meaning patrons can now gamble at bars, pools and shopping areas.

The Tropicana Casino and Resort kicked off the trend when it moved slot machines into The Quarter, its retail shopping and dining area across the street from the casino itself.

Harrah's Resort Atlantic City moved tables into its swimming pool area that by night doubles as one of the city's most in-demand nightspots.

And the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort put table games, including $1 blackjack tables, into its Ego Bar & Lounge.

Atlantic City's casino revenues fell from a high of $5.2 billion in 2006 to $3.3 billion in 2011. So far this year, the casinos revenues are running 7 percent behind that pace.
The Golden Nugget's predecessor, Trump Marina Hotel Casino, once offered table games outside the casino floor, but they were surrounded by roll-up doors and had a roof overhead, so they were not considered to be truly outdoor games, said Lisa Spengler, a spokeswoman for the gaming enforcement division.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57506757/nj-lets-golden-nugget-move-gambling-outdoors/

Golden Nugget agrees to pay

Sat, Sep. 1, 2012

Casino fluke is gamers' big win

The Golden Nugget owner agreed to let the gamblers cash in the nearly $1M they won in a disputed game.

By Wayne Parry

Associated Press

 

ATLANTIC CITY - Hours after a judge ordered the Golden Nugget to let gamblers cash in nearly $1 million worth of chips they won in a disputed card game, the Texas billionaire who owns the casino overruled his lawyers Friday and agreed to pay up.

The judge's decision had drawn an angry reaction from casino officials, who called it "an ambush" and vowed to file an appeal first thing Tuesday morning.

But Tilman Fertitta, who owns the Golden Nugget, said in a statement he had decided to pay up.

"Without question, the mini-baccarat game that took place on April 30, 2012, allowed $10 bettors to realize a gambler's dream and enabled them to beat the house out of $1.5 million," he said.

"Even though we can appeal the court's ruling and take full advantage of the appellate process and legal system, and tie the matter up in litigation for a number of years, the Golden Nugget is a people business and is prepared to allow the gamblers - most of whom continue to gamble at Golden Nugget - to realize the gambler's dream of beating the house."

Within a year, the Golden Nugget will have all of its $$$ back and then some. Gambling Addiction prevents people from walking away with their pockets full.


The casino also will let gamblers keep more than a half-million dollars it had already paid out from the same disputed games.

"I wasn't cheating," one of the gamblers, 51-year-old Michael Cho of Ellicott City, Md., said after the judge's ruling. "I didn't do anything illegal. It wasn't right for them to get the money."

The dispute stemmed from a game of mini-baccarat earlier this year in which the decks, unbeknownst to the players or casino personnel, came unshuffled from their manufacturer, Gemaco Inc. of Kansas City, Mo.

Over a speakerphone in the judge's chambers, the company's attorney, Jeffrey Mazzola, was heard to acknowledge it had erred.

"There was a mistake made at the Gemaco facility, which we freely admitted," he told the judge. "This was a one-time, isolated mistake, but it occurred. It's supposed to be a game of chance. It changed from a game of chance to a windfall for the individual players. What we have now is individual players coming to the court asking for a free payday based on a mistake that took place."

Lawyers for the Golden Nugget said the pattern of cards became apparent to the players, who had been wagering $10 a hand and suddenly upped their bets to $5,000 a hand. The cards did not come out of the chute in numerical order, such as 2-3-4-5. Rather, they came out in a predetermined pattern the manufacturer lists as a proprietary secret, the attorneys said.

But it did become obvious to the players.

"Anybody could see that - that was the dream we all look for," Cho said.

Cho said he and the other gamblers still faced risk because they had no idea how long the pattern would endure. It lasted at least 41 hands, during which the players won more than $1.5 million.

Casino officials, suspecting a sophisticated cheating operation was under way, tried to find out how it worked and did not stop the games.

"We took a chance on every hand we bet that it wouldn't change," Cho said. "We didn't know if it was going to change. That's called gambling."

The Golden Nugget had sought a ruling barring the gamblers from cashing in more than $977,000 worth of chips they won from the game. The casino also wanted the judge to order the return of more than $500,000 in winnings it immediately paid out to some of the winners.

The judge denied both requests, saying there would be time to address those issues as the lawsuits both sides filed came to trial. He agreed the gamblers did nothing wrong, and even though they discerned a pattern, the judge said there was no guarantee it would not change at any moment.

Fertitta said the payments to the gamblers would be made on the condition that both sides would drop their litigation.

"It was a rigged game," casino attorney Louis Barbone said. "We walked in that day believing everything was on the up-and-up. We walked out $1.5 million in the hole."

The casino claims the vendor's failure to shuffle the cards made them "defective" and was in violation of state gambling regulations mandating fair odds for casinos and gamblers.

Fertitta said the proper course for Golden Nugget to recoup its losses was through litigation with the card manufacturer. "We have a company we can go back against that has admitted fault," he said.

"But that's our problem."

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20120901_Casino_fluke_nets__1M_for_gamblers.html

Golden Nugget Cheats Winners

Unshuffled cards a costly headache for AC casinos

The Golden Nugget Atlantic City, shown here on Feb. 13, 2012, is suing a group of gamblers who won $1.5 million in an April 2012 game of mini-baccarat. The Atlantic City, N.J., casino says the eight decks of cards were not shuffled by the manufacturer before being placed into use. It was the second time since December that the use of unshuffled cards led to expensive headaches for an Atlantic City casino. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

By WAYNE PARRY

Associated Press / August 21, 2012

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — At first, it seemed like a coincidence, the kind of thing that happens from time to time at a casino, where the same number or same sequence of cards happens twice in a row.

But when the players at an April game of mini-baccarat at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City kept seeing the same sequence of cards dealt, over and over and over again, their eyes grew wide and their bets grew bigger, zooming from $10 a hand to $5,000.

Forty-one consecutive winning hands later, the 14 players had racked up more than $1.5 million in winnings — surrounded by casino security convinced they had cheated but unable to prove how.

In a lawsuit against a Kansas City playing card manufacturer, the Golden Nugget contends the cards were unshuffled, despite being promised to be pre-shuffled and ready to use.

The April 30 incident was the latest instance of unshuffled cards causing big headaches for an Atlantic City casino. In December, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort used unshuffled mini-baccarat cards for 3½ hours before realizing something was wrong. That episode led to a $91,000 fine against the casino, which fired nine people it said were involved.

It is so basic to the concept of gambling that it often goes without saying: the cards in the deck need to be shuffled before anyone uses them. But in the case of the Golden Nugget, the gamblers did nothing wrong, and deserve to be paid the nearly $1 million they still have coming to them, according to their lawyer, Benjamin Dash.

‘‘The Golden Nugget appealed to gamblers to come in and play games licensed and sanctioned by the state of New Jersey,’’ he said. ‘‘My clients did exactly that, and then were denied their winnings.

There is absolutely no law in New Jersey that would permit the Golden Nugget to declare the game illegal because it failed to provide shuffled cards.’’

But in a lawsuit filed against the 14 gamblers in July, that is exactly what the casino seeks, citing state gambling regulations requiring all casino games to offer fair odds — to both sides. The casino’s lawsuit asserts the gamblers and the casino both began the game believing it was legal and proper — until the players kept winning over and over again.

The Golden Nugget said it flooded the area with floor persons, managers, supervisors, surveillance and security officers, believing they were watching ‘‘a sophisticated swindling and cheating scheme’’ in progress.

‘‘From the beginning to the end of play, however, plaintiff could not identify any particular act of those players that actually constituted swindling and cheating,’’ the casino wrote in its lawsuit.

Accordingly, it let nine of the players cash out $558,900 worth of chips. The other players still have $977,800 in chips that they have not yet cashed in.

The Golden Nugget also asserted in its lawsuit that Gemaco, Inc., a Missouri playing card manufacturer, acknowledged it had provided a defective shipment of cards that were not pre-shuffled.

A message left at the company’s administrative offices was not immediately returned Monday.

Three of the Golden Nugget gamblers have filed a counter-suit against the casino, alleging the gambling house discriminated against them based on their Chinese heritage. The three are from Atlantic City, Queens and Brooklyn, N.Y. One of them, Hua Shi of Brooklyn claims he was sleeping in his room at the casino when someone knocked on the door. When he answered, he was rushed by four Golden Nugget employees who pinned him against the wall and searched him and his belongings, according to his lawsuit. He said casino personnel held him in a room without food, water or an interpreter for eight hours. After a second search of his room, he was released, his lawsuit asserts.

The casino called the allegations in the gamblers’ lawsuit ‘‘completely false.’’

‘‘The Golden Nugget values all of its customers and would never discriminate against anyone, including the Asian community,’’ it said in a statement. ‘‘In fact, the Golden Nugget designed and built an Asian gaming area and restaurant to specifically attract Asian guests to the casino. The countersuit has no merit and is nothing more than a ploy by the gamblers and their lawyers to tarnish the Golden Nugget’s reputation in order to gain an economic advantage in the lawsuit. We will not let this happen.’’

Since the December incident with the mini-baccarat cards, the Trump Taj Mahal has installed a $2.2 million digital recording system which it says has greatly improved its surveillance capabilities, and the surveillance department has added eight officers.

http://www.boston.com/business/news/2012/08/20/unshuffled-cards-costly-headache-for-casinos/2ntZdWxzIloD6P0EtFJN6K/story.html

Three women robbed while walking to work at Golden Nugget

From Bill Kearney --







Three women robbed while walking to work at Golden Nugget

Posted: Friday, August 17, 2012           

Three women robbed while walking to work at Golden Nugget

By LYNDA COHEN, Staff WriterpressofAtlanticCity.com

Three women on their way to work at the Golden Nugget casino this morning were robbed at gunpoint, police said.

The women are from Turkey and are working in Atlantic City for the summer, Sgt. Monica McMenamin said. They told police they live on Wabash Avenue and walk the route to work every day.

As they were on the 800 block of North Maryland Avenue at about 8:20 a.m., two men came up behind them. One of the women said a suspect pointed a handgun at her and she gave him her purse, according to the report. Inside was a cell phone, credit card and cash.

One suspect is described as a tall, thin-build black male, dark complexion, wearing a white tank top and tan pants. He was seen running south on Maryland Avenue after the robbery.

There was little description of the second suspect, who was unable to get anything as the two other women would not give up their purses.

A witness stopped to help the women, McMenamin said.

Police checked a nearby residence in the 800 block of North Maryland Avenue for the suspects but found no one.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Atlantic City Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit at 609-347-5766.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/atlantic/three-women-robbed-while-walking-to-work-at-golden-nugget/article_486acc00-e8a0-11e1-ae6f-001a4bcf887a.html

Atlantic City casinos win tax appeals

Atlantic City casinos win tax appeals, putting additional burden on residents

By EMILY PREVITI Staff WriterpressofAtlanticCity.com    

  April 24, 2012       

ATLANTIC CITY — Local tax bills could rise more than 9 percent to make up for casino property values dropping by nearly $2.3 billion during the past year.

Most property owners will pay the higher taxes because half of the city’s casinos have successfully contested their property assessments.

Officials are working on ways to reduce the burden on noncasino taxpayers under the $232 million proposed budget for 2012, which is down $12 million, or 5 percent, from last year’s $244 million budget, City Council members said Monday.

The proposed tax rate is $1.13 per $100 of assessed value, up 9 cents from the $1.04 rate in 2011.

This year’s proposed budget would be 20 percent more than the 2007 budget of $193 million and up 91 percent from a $121 million budget of 10 years ago.

For the average residential property owner, the new budget means a bill of $2,715 this year, up $225 from $2,490 in 2011, assuming the property’s value did not change.

Average residential property values, however, dropped by nearly 5 percent in Atlantic City since last year, according to numbers provided by the municipal Tax Assessor’s Office.

Driving the tax increase is the loss of $1.4 billion in ratables, 7 percent of the city’s ratable base, down to $18.1 billion. The drop came mainly because of tax appeal settlements, including those that reduced property values for Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s four local properties.

The city’s ratable base could erode even further if remaining casino tax appeals also result in lower assessments. The city has not yet resolved appeals filed by Revel, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Tropicana Casino and Resort, Atlantic Club Casino Hotel and Golden Nugget Atlantic City, formerly Trump Marina.

“This doesn’t look good at all, and next year looks just as bad, so it’s not a good situation,” 6th Ward Councilman Tim Mancuso said. “We’re down almost $2 billion. How do you make that up?”

The proposed budget does not call for layoffs and limits department spending increases mainly to contractual obligations, city Revenue and Finance Director Michael Stinson said.

The largest is an increase of $1.8 million for police, attributable to 4 percent contracted raises and the $500,000 cost of hiring 25 Class II officers, for a total budget of $38.9 million, the proposed budget shows.

Extra money for legal costs to fight casino tax appeals is included in the budget, Stinson said. Those expenses more than doubled from $385,000 in 2009 to $785,000 in 2011, city legal bills and contracts show.

“It’s not like we’re spending crazy amounts of money on frivolous things. We’re bare-bones as it is,” Councilman Mo Delgado said. “We’ve made requests through the Governor’s Office, and with the CRDA (Casino Reinvestment Development Authority) directly about … paying taxes on their properties.”

The CRDA has historically been forgiven all or part of taxes on its resort properties.

CRDA spokeswoman Kim Butler said Monday that the agency is open to the possibility of starting or increasing existing partial property-tax payments, or other mechanisms, to help support police, fire, trash retrieval and other public services on which casinos and the rest of the Tourism District depend.
Mayor Lorenzo Langford, who did not respond to calls or emails seeking comment, previously suggested the CRDA facilitate a surcharge of some kind on casinos or other businesses to help pay for public safety services in the Tourism District.

Mancuso and other councilmen have lobbied state officials to change New Jersey’s tax laws to negate what they consider an unfair advantage afforded casinos by current regulations.

“They have to offset some services we put out — those are big issues, big tickets for us, especially public safety — not necessarily a surcharge, but through strengthening our ability to defend our assessments,” Mancuso said.

Existing rules let businesses choose how their property values are calculated, basically deciding whether to factor in financial performance or not, he said.

That scenario has forced costly court battles and compromised the ability to plan long-term for both the city government and local casino industry, Stinson said.

“We want to come up with a better method,” Stinson said. “Right now, we have these fluctuations from year to year. We can’t have that, it doesn’t work, and we’re proving that pretty easily right now.”

City officials have worked with the state Treasury Department and Local Finance Board in the Department of Community Affairs to put together the preliminary research needed for tax-assessment legislation, Atlantic City Business Administrator Michael Scott said.

They also have discussed other methods for addressing the issue in the meantime, including doing another citywide revaluation, Stinson said.

“Now is not the right time to do it,” Stinson said. “If we do a complete reval, more of a burden will be shifted to the residents because the casinos are still appealing.”

Atlantic City underwent a revaluation in 2008, and municipalities normally wait longer before doing another, Stinson said.

Still, state Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, said another one may be necessary.

“The last one was done just a few years ago at the top of the market,” said Whelan, a former city mayor who lives in the resort. “Casinos are in a position where they’re appealing and doing assessments. A lot of individual homeowners might not have the resources or the awareness to appeal their property taxes. While it seems some shift from casinos to the rest of us is inevitable, one way of getting that down would be to do a citywide reval. Beyond that, I don’t know … there’s any extra money lying around anywhere to offset what we’re looking at.”

"The way to win money in a casino is to own one"

Can you feel the love? Don't you just want to invite this 'nice guy' into your community to plunder and pillage?

Let's ignore that when his father died, Steve Wynn paid off his Gambling Debts because his Dad was a Gambling Addict, yet those are the ones who enrich the younger Mr. Wynn.

The small town of Palmer, MA appointed the Palmer Casino Study Committee, a group of residents with no pre-conceived notions, that determined the annual cost to host a Slot Barn would be $18 MILLION to $39 MILLION, not including undetermined costs to bring water from the Quabbin.

Those are merely the town's costs, not including the community degradation, the costs of Gambling Addiction, increased crime, family destruction, increased personal bankruptcies, and the Gambling Industry's DIRTY LITTLE SECRET - SUICIDE from Gambling Addiction. [Check out the statistics of Las Vegas.]

As much as 90% of a Slot Barn's profits come from 10% of its patrons.

[You can provide an elegant name, cover it with expensive awnings and lavish furnishings, it's still a Slot Barn whose sole purpose is to suck discretionary income from the local economy, reminiscent of the Wizard.]

Gambling is poor public policy by lazy lawmakers devoid of ideas.

Wynn faces stiff odds
BY RICK FOSTER SUN CHRONICLE STAFFSunday, April 1, 2012
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Vegas casino magnate used to getting his way
Steve Wynn was a mere 10 years old when he first spied the city of his dreams: Las Vegas.

Wynn, the son of an East Coast bingo hall promoter with a love for the craps tables, was fascinated by what he saw beginning to take root in a desert town where sagebrush was about as common as gamblers' dreams of hitting it big.

His father, Michael Wynn, had come to Vegas in 1952 with dreams of putting a bingo parlor in one of the local casinos, but things didn't work out.

On one of his stays, the younger Wynn told an interviewer in 1983, his dad "used to go to bed with me, and then sneak out at night and shoot the dice at the Flamingo and the Sands."

The 70-year-old Wynn, who now proposes to build a $1 billion resort casino in Foxboro on Route 1 land owned by the Kraft Group, inherited all of his father's affection for Vegas and its high rollers, save one: He doesn't like to gamble. "The way to win money in a casino is to own one," Wynn has sometimes been quoted.

He's certainly followed his own advice.

Known today as a tycoon who ranks 491 on Forbes' list of the world's billionaires, the Connecticut-born Wynn took over the family's bingo business following his father's death in the early 1960s.

Over the years, he parlayed his business savvy, friendships and connections, first into a small stake in a foundering Vegas casino, and eventually into a legacy of prosperous hotels and gambling houses stretching from America's East Coast to Macao. Along the way, Wynn garnered much of the credit for re-imagining Las Vegas, and casino gambling, in general - transforming the images of both from guilty pleasures with implied Mob overtones to one of family amusement and outrageous spectacle.

Hotels featuring erupting volcanos or built in the shape of Egyptian pyramids and Venetian palaces in the erstwhile Sin City add to the impression of a slightly naughtier version of Disneyland, whose catchphrase is "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Wynn also helped to shift the focus of the hotel-casino trade from dice to divas by cultivating top stars like Diana Ross and Frank Sinatra for his showrooms. Wynn and Sinatra even appeared together in a series of commercials for his Atlantic City hotel, with Wynn playing the straight man to a clowning Chairman of the Board.

Wynn also knows the finer things.

Although afflicted with retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that is gradually stealing his eyesight, Wynn is a well known art collector who once bumped into a Picasso he owns, putting a hole in the canvas. He's since had the painting restored.

But Wynn's path hasn't always been easy.

In the '60s, Wynn invested in a small stake in Las Vegas' Frontier Hotel, where he became the slot manager. However, some of the existing investors turned out to have reputed connections to the Detroit mob.

Wynn was never accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the affair, but ended up selling out when the hotel was bought by reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes.

Wynn made a complete recovery, investing in and eventually becoming chairman of the historic Golden Nugget. It was just the beginning of a legendary career that continues to unfold.

In December 2011, Wynn's announcement, along with New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, that he planned to develop a resort casino on Kraft land across from Gillette Stadium generated a tidal wave of media attention, followed by loud opposition from many Foxboro residents.

It wouldn't be the first time that Wynn proposals have met a less than inviting response.

In the 1990s, Wynn was among casino developers eyeing expanded gambling possibilities in Connecticut. Wynn broached proposals for luxury casinos first in Hartford and later in Bridgeport. Donald Trump was also among developers who saw potential in Connecticut gambling.

But the Meshantucket Pequot Nation, the tribe that opened Foxwoods, got the nod as the preferred developer, said state Rep. Steve Dargan, D-West Haven.

Ultimately, no urban casino was ever built.

"It was a huge deal here," recalled Hartford Courant columnist Rick Green. "There was intense lobbying on both sides."

According to news reports at the time, casino proponents spent more than $1 million in 1993 promoting expanded gaming in the form of mailings, brochures and broadcast commercials.

It didn't work.

It wasn't so much Wynn or any other single developer, Green said. The idea of expanding gambling into major cities never was fully accepted by the state's politicians, and found determined opposition among some residents.

Wynn fared no better in Philadelphia.

In 2010, Wynn announced an agreement to partner with other investors to develop a large casino on the Philly waterfront. The partnership would have included the Meshantucket Pequots, the original proponents of the project.

Only two months later, Wynn Resorts announced it was pulling out of the project, which would have cost an estimated $600 million and contained 3,000 slot machines.

A brief press release said the deal was not the right fit.

But with rare exception, Steve Wynn's casino and hotel ventures have met with success well beyond the dreams of most entrepreneurs.

Educated at private schools and the University of Pennsylvania, Wynn was well prepared to take on the business community when he arrived in Las Vegas, and was not deterred by competition or temporary setbacks.

After his short tenure at the Frontier, he bounced back with help from Vegas banker E. Parry Thomas, becoming chairman of the Golden Nugget at age 31.

Flush with success, he doubled down by opening a Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, where casino gambling had been newly legalized.

By the late 1980s, Wynn sold out to Bally's for a reported $440 million. But Wynn wasn't about to cash in and retire to the golf course.

Instead, he focused on plans for a new resort of his own invention: Las Vegas' 3,000-room Mirage, which featured an erupting volcano, imported fabrics on the furniture and unparalleled luxury throughout.

It was a huge hit.

Throughout his career, friends and employees say, Wynn has tended to be a detail guy who delves into particulars like the design of one of his hotel restaurants or choosing the imported stone used in a facade.

"He's a very honest guy who's dedicated to quality and mindful of the environment," said Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association and former chairman of the Republican National Committee who has known Wynn for years.

But he can also be forceful to the point of testiness, something for which Wynn has developed something of a reputation.

In the 1980s, Wynn threatened to choke TV reporter Meredith Viera if a certain quote didn't end up in her final story. Then, he walked out of an interview when she brought up the subject of money laundering.

In a recent DVD distributed to 7,000 Foxboro homes, Wynn was solicitous and soft-spoken as he explained the details of his proposed Route 1 casino complex.

"He's a builder," said University of Nevada Las Vegas professor Steve Schwartz of the UNLV Center for Gaming Research. "He has a definite vision of what he wants to do. When people like that find that things don't to their way, they can get frustrated."

But as a businessman and creative visionary, Schwartz said, Wynn combines financial talent with an appreciation for the finer things needed to make his projects work.

"He's equally adept at both the financial aspects and the creative side," Schwartz said.

An employee at one of his hotels recently told a reporter how the billionaire businessman met with with employees directly to discuss how a particular part of the hotel should be rearranged.

Sparing neither details, nor dollars, Wynn has managed to make just about everything he builds sparkle.

In 1998, Wynn opened the spectacular Bellagio, its Italianate walls studded with masterpiece artworks collected by the casino entrepreneur, himself. He also opened a high-end resort casino in Biloxi, Miss.

Wynn ended up selling his Mirage Inc. gaming empire to MGM Grand for $4.4 billion in what has been described as a hostile takeover.

But, determined to remain a power in Las Vegas gambling, he bought the outdated Desert Inn. Wynn replaced the hotel with his signature Wynn Las Vegas, a glittering structure with all the patented Wynn luxury touches.

In 2008, he added the Encore, which matched the Wynn Las Vegas dazzle-for-dazzle.

Wynn Resorts was the awarded the highest rank in Fortune Magazine's 2012 Most Admired Companies list in the hotel, casino, resort category.

But Wynn's biggest gamble - and potentially his biggest payoff - came in recognizing the potential of gaming in Macau, a former Portuguese colony and now a Chinese special administrative region.

It's a place where pleasure, gambling and tourism are heavily promoted.

Wynn opened the Wynn Macau in 2006 while already planning a second casino.

There's no doubt that Wynn is delighted with the way things are going so far.

Even while blasting President Barack Obama's policies as "socialist" in a July 2011 conference call with financial analysts, he bubbled over with praise for his communist hosts.

"We find the political environment, the regulatory environment, the human resource environment that we're in to be absolutely delicious," Wynn said, according to a transcript published by the website Seeking Alpha.

As occurred when he helped to transform Las Vegas in the 1980s, recent events in China have made Wynn seem like something of an oracle.

Gaming hasn't just prospered in Macau, it's exploded.

According published figures, the take increased by a whopping 42 percent in 2011, alone, with the total exceeding $33 billion. That's more than five times the combined revenue of all gaming revenue generated on the Las Vegas Strip.

Macau contributes about three-quarters of Wynn Resorts' revenue, according to the Reuters news service.

Wynn Resorts' fortunes have skyrocketed right along with the expansion of gaming in Asia. According to the company's latest financial report, revenues jumped from $4.1 billion in 2010 to $5.2 million last year. Net income grew nearly fourfold from $160 million to $613 million.

But Wynn's triumphs haven't come without a fight - several of them, in fact.

In 1995, Wynn sued an author and publisher over an unauthorized biography because of a catalog listing for the book that allegedly implied connections with organized crime.

Wynn won a $3.1 million judgment against publisher Lyle Stuart, but the decision was later overturned by the Nevada Supreme Court.

Wynn was also involved in a legal battle with the late Clark County Sheriff John T. Moran during the 1990s, prompted by the sheriff's attempts to bar Wynn associate Charles Myerson from a key Vegas casino employee license.

Wynn sued and Moran eventually backed down, conceding in a news release that no unsuitable connections existed between Mirage Resorts and organized crime, according to Moran's obituary in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The Las Vegas casino king is currently embroiled in even more bitter litigation involving friend and former partner Kazuo Okada.

Wynn and Okada, who owned a 20 percent stake in Wynn's company, went head-to-head after Okada started poking his nose into a $135 million gift from Wynn Resorts Macau to the University of Macau.

Wynn Resorts then forcibly redeemed Okada's shares at a steep discount after commissioning an investigation of Okada's dealings with Philippines gaming officials.

Okada is planning a casino in the Philippines that, once finished, theoretically would be in a position to compete with Wynn Macao for high-rolling Asian gamblers.

Both sides are pressing ahead with lawsuits.

Wynn faces the danger of potential piling on by shareholder suits, like the one filed recently by a Louisiana public employees pension fund charging the company's directors with actions injurious to the company, including the "waste of corporate assets."

That lawsuit also raises the question of a possible violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act because of the University of Macau gift.

A spokeswoman for Wynn Resorts said the company had no comment.

Barron's, the financial newspaper, also dropped Wynn from its list of Top 30 corporate CEOs, citing the casino boss' acrimonious dealings with Okada.

The legal bickering so far hasn't dealt a bad hand to publicly traded Wynn Resorts stock, which has continued to rise, even as lawyers traded piles of legal documents.

While the Wynn empire was built around flashiness, Wynn and his supporters have taken pains to point out that a proposed Foxboro resort casino would be more subdued. Its lodge-style exterior, they say, would be in keeping with the project's New England surroundings.

Wynn said in the DVD to Foxboro residents that only a small portion of the resort would house a casino, and it would be isolated from dining facilities and other amenities.

With all his accomplishments, Wynn could be facing one of his most difficult challenges in trying to locate his destination resort in Foxboro.

Not only must Wynn overcome stiff competition to be awarded one of Massachusetts' three coveted casino licenses, his project would have to win approval from both Foxboro town meeting and a town-wide referendum in a community convulsed by controversy over casino gambling.

But according to the American Gaming Association's Fahrenkopf, one of the words that best describes his friend Wynn is "persistent."

If anyone thinks Steve Wynn is apt to fold his cards and walk away from a business deal he truly believes in, gaming industry observers have only four words of advice:

Don't bet on it.