Form of Government-Sanctioned Gambling | Page 26

A look at “The Profit Optimization suite” software used by casinos to squeeze the maximum amount of money out of customers

Investigative Journalism, Predatory Business Practices, Regional Casinos

This article provides a window into how casinos like Caesars squeeze the maximum revenue out of customers. The software described here has increased Caesars revenue by $50 million per month (even while room occupancy rate actually declines.) The article concludes: “Filthy, you say? Maybe so. But Rainmaker has more than two dozen customers in the casino business so it’s not out of the question that the company has helped customers to the tune of billions of dollars.”

A look at “The Profit Optimization suite” software used by casinos to squeeze the maximum profits

Three in four casino patrons say they go to casinos to win money, not for entertainment

Predatory Business Practices, Regional Casinos, Studies

Despite claims from casino operators that people go to casinos to have fun and for entertainment, this study proves winning money is the most important reason why people say they visit a casino. Three in four casino patrons say they go primarily to win “a really large amount of money,” according to a Roper survey referenced in the article below, yet it is a mathematical certainty that players will ultimately lose to the casino.

3 in 4 Say They Go to Casinos to Win Money

Slot Users Are Lured in by ‘Free Play’

Investigative Journalism, Predatory Business Practices, Public Health, Regional Casinos, Slot Machines

Free play offers are luring in millions of citizens into Pennsylvania casinos with the promise of free games. It’s a predatory practice used to get people hooked on the machines and to keep playing, and ultimately losing, their own money.

Slot Fans Drawn in by ‘Free Play’

Payday Lenders and Indian Tribes Evading Laws Draw Scrutiny

Investigative Journalism, Native American Casinos, Regional Casinos

Due to sovereign immunity, the legal doctrine that restricts state interference in tribal affairs, many partnerships between Native American Tribes and federal regulators are being put under the microscope. These partnerships are drawing a lot of scrutiny given their allowance of predatory lending and finding loopholes in federal laws.

Payday Lenders and Indian Tribes Evading Laws Draw Scrutiny

Problem gambling is now considerably more common than alcohol dependence in the U.S

Lotteries, Online Gambling, Public Health, Regional Casinos, Sports Betting, Studies, Youth

Living within 10 miles of a casino doubles your risk of problem gambling. This is just one of the compelling statistics in the third “Expert Summary” issued by the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addictions. Another incredible statistic found was that problem gambling is considerably more common than alcohol dependence in the U.S. The prevalence of problem gambling in the U.S is properly highlighted in this article.

New-Expert-Summary-Highlights-the-Prevalence-of-Problem-Gambling-in-the-U.S.

Slots and Safety at New Mexico Tracks

Investigative Journalism, Regional Casinos, Slot Machines

One of the first states to approve slot machine gambling at horse tracks, New Mexico now has been tagged with the worst safety record in racing. Nationwide, the newspaper found the industry “still mired in a culture of drugs and lax regulation and a fatal breakdown rate that remains far worse than in most of the world.” In addition, slots are now the tail that wag the horse, accounting for most of the revenue at tracks and turning racing into a side business, and perhaps the biggest reason for safety plummeting.

Slots and Safety at New Mexico Horse Tracks

Political leader challenges government-sanctioned gambling machines

Fraud, Investigative Journalism, Predatory Business Practices, Regional Casinos, Slot Machines

MLA Ken Allred took aim at video lottery terminals (VLTs) , questioning whether the crown corporation that runs them is being upfront with the public about how the machines work, how the finances are reported and what the true cost is to the province.

Allred Sounds Alarm on VLTs

Atlantic City Undercover: Analyzing Casino Crime

Crime, Investigative Journalism, Lowering the Standard of Living for Ordinary Citizens, Regional Casinos, Uncategorized

After a carjacking in the Taj Majal casino parking garage, the Atlantic City mayor demands an increase in private security. Security issues have been a major problem in Atlantic City over the years due to the increase in the gambling presence.

Atlantic City Undercover: Analyzing Casino Crime

Lottery’s new ad team launches campaign

Fraud, Investigative Journalism, Lotteries, Online Gambling, Predatory Business Practices

The Illinois Lottery announced a new marketing campaign ad that focuses around “optimism.” The $3.5 million campaign sloganing ‘Anything is possible’ will run across major networks, billboards, and newspapers alike throughout the state, luring citizens to blow their savings on lottery games literally mathematically rigged for them to lose.

Lottery’s new ad team launches campaign

Consumer Bureau ‘Zoning In’ on Tribal Payday Lending Firms

Investigative Journalism, Native American Casinos, Predatory Business Practices, Regional Casinos

The U.S Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is cracking down on players hiding behind Native American sovereign immunity. These players are abusing the power to run casinos in states where gambling is otherwise illegal, and also distributing payday loans in illegal areas.

Consumer Bureau ‘Zoning In’ on Tribal Payday Firms