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Friday, 25 June 2010 15:16

Written by Bill Toland

Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has yet to choose an operator for his future casinos here and in Cincinnati, but Gilbert's Rock Ventures company is in play to get involved in operating the Thistledown racetrack in North Randall sooner than later.

On Wednesday, the Ohio State Racing Commission approved the $43 million sale of Thistledown racetrack to Harrah's Entertainment, according to the OSRC.

The commission heard from a Harrah's official earlier that day that a deal is already in the works for Rock Ventures to become a part-owner -- or possibly a future full-owner -- of Thistledown, according to the commission.

Thistledown and the other six horse racing tracks in Ohio could become a prime location for the installation of slot machines.

Also on Wednesday, Penn Gaming was approved to buy Beulah Park racetrack, near Columbus, for $37 million, the ORSC said. (WKYC)

... More from Ohio.

Closer to home

Mark Belko has the story on all those high-tech casino chips that will be used at Rivers Casino once the table games are up and running next month:

The chips you'll get in Pennsylvania casinos when table games arrive next month aren't the kind you toss around during penny-ante poker games. To the contrary, they might rival anything you'll find in the U.S. Mint. From ultraviolet images to micro printing, casino chips contain a host of security features designed to deter counterfeiting, just as U.S. currency has similar characteristics embedded within it for the same purpose.

"The ultimate goal of these counter measures is to defeat counterfeiters," said Michael Cruz, director of gaming laboratory operations for the state Gaming Control Board.

... Of course, you don't need counterfeit chips to cheat. You can just do it the old-fashioned way, by betting late:

"Table games at Delaware Park only opened to the public at noon Friday, but that didn't stop one person from trying to cheat the system on Thursday. What he probably didn't count on was that he would be the first person caught. Maurice Thomas, 25, of Philadelphia was arrested at one of the new blackjack tables installed at the Stanton racino. He's accused of placing a wager after the game had started. Surveilance on site observed him doing that four times before he was arrested."

... The Rivers Casino will conduct a test night for table games on July 6, with all the casino's winnings going to the Mario Lemieux Foundation. The eight hours of table play that day will be for invited guests only, but the rest of the casino will remain open.

California dreamin' ...

... of a big jackpot. By welfare recipients:

"California welfare recipients using state-issued debit cards withdrew more than $1.8 million in taxpayer cash on casino floors between October 2009 and last month, state officials said Thursday. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued an executive order requiring welfare recipients to promise they will use cash benefits only to 'meet the basic subsistence needs' of their families. The order also gave the state Department of Social Services seven days to produce a plan to reduce other types of 'waste, fraud and abuse' in the welfare program." (LA Times)

That's one helluva loophole.

Odds and ends

To smoke, or not to smoke, on the casino floor? ... A St. Louis casino is closing ... ever wanted to see the inside of a casino's data center and security room? Is it as sexy as the ones in the movies? Not quite:

During a first visit to the data center of a Las Vegas casino, one might expect to see an Ocean's Eleven-type environment -- corridors lit up with glowing, mysterious lights and hushed, gleaming spaces stuffed with sophisticated sensors capable of detecting an intruder's pulse rate.

Surely there must be a pressurized dual-door system with ultra-high-tech vapor locks and man traps watched over by guys wearing sunglasses and conveying a hint of menace.

But in the case of Las Vegas Sands Corp., visitors get the unexpected perspective of Steve Vollmer. The chief technology officer and vice president of IT at Sands, Vollmer is an affable, engaging guy who is quick to dash down images of movie-inspired Vegas glitz in his IT operation. (Computer World)

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