Country superstar Tim McGraw has been announced to perform at its grand opening on July 7. Arena officials plan to announce another act Wednesday to open the arena a week earlier, on June 29.

That’s just the start, they said.

“You’ll get a good sampling over the next six months of what we’re going to do,” said Tim Lanier, arena director.

For awhile, it will try anything that will work in a building that can seat 2,000 to 6,000 people, in order to gauge market demand – circuses, rodeos, motor sports, boxing, trade shows and more, said Lanier and casino general manager Scott Cooper.

Eventually the arena will focus equestrian events while continuing to book other acts, they said.

The building, which served as the Kansas Star’s temporary casino initially, has been remodeled since the permanent casino opened in December 2012. Walls were torn down, restrooms added and office space was converted into “green rooms” for performers.

The arena, with a 150-foot by 300-foot floor, will have 3,400 fixed seats along the sides, with retractable risers and extra seating that can increase capacity to 6,000 for concerts.

The stage, 40 feet deep and 60 feet wide, will be added at the south end of the arena, while a private room called the “Fire Club” – with a capacity for 200 people and patio seating for about 130 – will overlook the arena on the third floor of the north end.

Four suites for business partners and sponsors of the Kansas Star will serve about 20 people each above the seats on the east side.

“When we opened the casino, the idea always was we want to be a regional destination,” Cooper said. “The opening of this arena delivers on that promise to become a regional attraction, and we’re really excited about it.”

Lanier has spent 20 years working in arenas and oversaw construction of three of them, including two in Las Vegas for the Kansas Star’s management company, Boyd Gaming. He said the Kansas Star Arena will work with other Boyd casinos, as well as Boyd’s corporate entertainment director, to book acts.

“We do talk daily,” he said. “If it makes sense as far as routing goes, we might book an act in Vegas, and book it here. It helps us all if we keep that open line of communication. What works well for us here in Kansas and serves our guests well, we’ll book that in Las Vegas, as well. “

He’ll also seek acts independently. He expects some early acts may not work out well as he learns the market

Most acts won’t be as costly as Tim McGraw, he said. The arena exists to drive business to the casino and serve the community, Lanier said.

Tickets for McGraw start at $77 and will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at www.kansasstararena.com.

Article source: http://www.kansas.com/2013/05/20/2811107/kansas-star-casinos-arena-books.html

It’s been grappling with falling revenue and significant debt at its eastern Connecticut site and now must face down organized local opposition and strong competition in Massachusetts as it tries to expand in southern New England.

The operators of the biggest casino in North America are proposing a $1 billion, 300,000-square foot resort off I-495 in Milford, Mass., about 40 miles southwest of Boston. Plans call for about 4,725 slot machines, 125 table games, 350 hotel rooms, restaurants and other attractions.

Foxwoods can expect a barrage of questions from Milford officials and residents who are skeptical about its finances and the huge impact it would have on traffic, water and sewer systems and police and fire services.

Like Mohegan Sun, its Connecticut neighbor that also wants to branch out in Massachusetts, Foxwoods is pressed by stiff competition in the Northeast and is seeking new markets and more revenue.

«That’s exactly what we’re trying to do,» Foxwoods Chief Executive Scott Butera said. «We have a strong customer base in that area.»

Revenue at Foxwoods, run by the Mashantucket Pequot Indian tribe, was $6.57 billion from May 2012 to April 2013, down 12 percent for the year. Revenue fell each month.

«Connecticut is losing gaming revenue at a pretty rapid pace,» said Keith Foley, an analyst at Moody’s Investor Service. «The Connecticut trends have not been so good for the Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods.»

Foxwoods also is wrapping up a deal with creditors that Foley said will reduce its debt from $2.27 billion to $1.74 billion. That’s still high relative to Foxwoods’ earnings before interest, taxes and other costs, he said.

And tribal payments to the casino’s owners, the Mashantucket Pequots, have stopped, a food pantry has opened and counselors are giving tribal members job-hunting advice.

Foxwoods must overcome organized local opposition and win voter approval, and would then compete against Everett and the Suffolk Downs thoroughbred racetrack in East Boston for a state license for eastern Massachusetts. Everett is far ahead in the process, announcing in April a local host agreement with Las Vegas casino operator Steve Wynn. A referendum is scheduled for June 22. And Suffolk Downs has high-profile political backing from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.

Foxwoods has little choice but to jump into the Massachusetts market because many customers at the two Connecticut casinos are from Massachusetts, Foley said. By adding a Massachusetts casino, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun also would avoid ceding business to competitors.

«Like a lot of companies, you want to participate, you want to at least hedge what your losses might be,» Foley said.

Mary Johnson, president of the United Auto Workers local that represents workers at Foxwoods, said the union and Foxwoods are locked in a contract dispute over wages and other issue, with Foxwoods «crying poverty.» She said she was surprised the casino is seeking to expand.

«It just didn’t make sense, with layoffs at work,» she said.

Foxwoods cut 50 table-game dealers in severance packages this year and said other jobs will be cut.

Still, Johnson said she understands why Foxwoods is looking to broaden its base in southern New England. «It was just a little shocking,» she said.

Valerie Red-Horse, an investment banker and financial adviser familiar with Indian casinos, said Foxwoods could benefit from the improving economy that has loosened credit leading to a rise in construction and fattened investment in strengthening stock markets.

«Everything has leveled off and rebalanced,» she said.

Beyond a casino backer’s balance sheet and investment partners, Red-Horse said states and municipalities need to look at how experienced prospective casino operators are.

«Management is No. 1,» she said.

Butera said that’s Foxwoods’ strength.

«We have a very good business in all of New England,» he said. «This is our way of bringing our brand to an area we know very well.»

William Buckley, chairman of Milford’s Board of Selectmen, said town and state officials will scrutinize Foxwoods’ finances when the casino is expected to present details June 3.

«We need to know who we’re dealing with. We need to know if they have the financial wherewithal,» he said.

The town and an organized opposition have a long list of questions and concerns: Whether a project of such size would overburden Milford’s water and sewer systems, public schools and housing, if the casino would bring crime that would tax the town’s police force, if home values would fall and if new casino businesses would undermine local stores.

«It would be a net negative for the town of Milford, not that there wouldn’t be positives,» said John Seaver, a leader of Casino-Free Milford, an opposition group.

The one benefit of a casino would be more jobs, he said, though most would be low-wage.

Butera said Foxwoods is on sound financial footing to take on the huge undertaking of building a destination resort.

«We wouldn’t be doing this unless we thought it was a good opportunity for our brand and our company,» he said.

Article source: http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Foxwoods-seeks-a-financial-win-with-Mass-casino-4532600.php

The fundraiser to benefit Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, and the Latino Caucus Leadership PAC involves about eight Sacramento lobbyists who are flying to Las Vegas to attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship match Saturday and stay overnight at the swanky Red Rock Hotel.

Station Casinos, which owns the Red Rock, and its sister company Zuffa, which owns the mixed-martial-arts fighting league, have donated the hotel rooms, food for a reception and tickets to the fight – a gift of about $5,000, said Dan Weitzman, a political fundraiser who organized the event.

The Las Vegas-based casino company is lobbying hard to get the Legislature to approve a compact allowing the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to open a casino along Highway 99 in Madera, more than 35 miles from the mountainous hamlet where tribal members live.

The deal calls for Station Casinos to operate the 2,000-slot machine facility for the first seven years and take 30 percent of its profits, according to a Station Casinos report to investors.

The state Assembly approved the compact earlier this month, passing it by a single vote. Lara and the rest of the California Senate could vote on it as soon as Friday.

While it is common practice for interest groups to make campaign contributions to politicians deciding the fate of their business deals, the timing of this fundraiser – and the high stakes of this decision – are raising criticism of California’s campaign finance laws.

«You can’t blame Ricardo Lara for playing by the rules as they exist. The problem is that the rules allow any legislator of either party to raise huge amounts of money in direct proximity to a vote on the donor’s favored bill,» said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California.

Schnur was in Sacramento recently advocating for a ban on political fundraising while the Legislature is in session.

«This is a perfect example of why the rules need to be changed,» he said, «so voters can at least have confidence that legislation is being decided on its merits, and not as a result of a large check.»

Interest groups are paying $3,000 each to send representatives to Las Vegas to spend the weekend with Lara, who sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Each donation includes receptions before and after the fight, tickets to the fight between Cain Velasquez and Antonio «Bigfoot» Silva, and one night of «Five Star Accommodations,» the invitation says.

Lara did not respond to The Bee’s requests for comment and was not on the Senate floor during its session Monday.

His fundraiser, Weitzman, said that the Las Vegas event has been nearly a year in the making and that the timing so close to the North Fork vote is a coincidence.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg dismissed the idea that Lara’s vote on the compact could be influenced by the casino’s contribution to his campaign.

«I have full confidence in Senator Lara and any colleague’s ability to differentiate between who they raise money from and how they weigh in on important public policy decisions,» Steinberg said.

The Sacramento Democrat said his caucus will gather today to discuss the North Fork compact.

«The key frame is understanding the connection between the land where the casino is sought to be built and the history of the tribe,» Steinberg said.

The Senate’s vote on the North Fork Rancheria’s compact is a crucial one in an approval process that has been under way for several years. The tribe is going through a rarely used process reserved for Indian groups that have land but want to operate casinos somewhere else.

Critics say the North Fork compact amounts to «off-reservation» gambling and will set a precedent allowing other California tribes to do the same. Supporters say the casino would be located on land to which the tribe has historic ties, and that few other tribes are in similar circumstances.

The federal government approved North Fork’s arrangement in 2011. Gov. Jerry Brown gave it his blessing last year, saying it would provide economic development to an impoverished tribe, and negotiated the details in a compact. If both houses of the Legislature vote in favor of the compact, it goes back to the federal government for final approval.

Both sides of the debate have poured money into the California Capitol, giving campaign cash and lobbying legislators.

In the last year and a half, Station Casinos has spent roughly $250,000 on lobbying in the state, mostly on compacts for the North Fork and Graton tribes.

In 2012, Station Casinos gave more than $72,000 in political contributions, including $50,000 to the state Democratic Party, $6,500 to Steinberg’s lieutenant governor campaign committee and $5,951 worth of Las Vegas hotel rooms for a fundraiser for Sen. Kevin de León’s ballot measure committee.

The company is owned by brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who also own the Ultimate Fighting Championship company known as Zuffa. It, too, is a big player in California politics.

Since Zuffa hired Sacramento lobbyist Darius Anderson last April, it has spent more than $172,000 on lobbying. That includes $5,500 worth of tickets for lawmakers to attend a fight in February.

In 2012, Zuffa gave $120,000 in campaign contributions to support Proposition 30, the Democratic Party and various legislative candidates. It beat back a bill last year that sought to create more oversight when fighters sign contracts with companies like Zuffa.

Call Laurel Rosenhall, Bee Capitol Bureau, (916) 321-1083. Follow her on Twitter @LaurelRosenhall.

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Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/20/5435172/las-vegas-casino-hosts-fundraiser.html

The lawsuit is the second to raise environmental concerns about development of the Horseshoe casino on Russell Street. It contends that the city’s deal with CBAC Gaming, a coalition led by Caeser’s Entertainment, exposes city taxpayers to having to pay for cleaning up contamination from the site.

The suit was brought on behalf of Michael J. Finck, who lives across the Middle Branch less than a mile away from the casino site, and Mark E. Richardson, who lives farther away in Federal Hill. Their lawyer, G. Macy Nelson, said his clients are not members of any environmental organization, but care about the river.

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«We don’t want money from the city, we want the site cleaned up,» said Nelson, a Towson attorney who often represents plaintiffs in environmental cases.

Finck and Richardson, joined by two others, also have warned the city formally that they intend to file another suit in federal court for allegedly allowing toxic chemicals to get into the Middle Branch via storm drains that empty into the river from the site, where a chemical factory and other industries once operated.

George Nilson, the city solicitor, said he had not seen the new lawsuit, but likened the flurry of litigation over the casino project to «a plague of locusts.»

«I continue to wonder what the real motivation in all of this is,» Nilson said. «I’m sure it’s not clean air and clean water.»

He added that he suspected the real purpose had to do with gambling rather than the environment and suggested the residents’ distance from the site may undermine their legal claims.

A group of Westport residents backed by a foundation filed suit in February contending that the city, state and casino developer colluded to skirt state and federal requirements for cleaning up the site. A city circuit judge refused to block casino construction, but the lawsuit financed by the Inner Harbor Stewardship Foundation remains pending.

William B. Canfield III, counsel for the Washington-based foundation, said he had spoken with Richardson earlier this year because he’d heard the Federal Hill resident was concerned about the casino’s impact on the river. But Canfield said the foundation was not behind the new lawsuit.

Richardson said by email Monday that he was too busy to discuss the case. Finck, who keeps a boat at a Middle Branch marina, said he joined the lawsuit after hearing about the site’s contamination.

Nelson said that Finck and the two suburban residents he is representing in the matter «spend a lot of time on the river» and want to stop the pollution fouling it.

«Our grievance is with the city, not with the casino,» Nelson said.

In their suit, Finck and Richardson contend that the city is violating state law because arsenic, trichloroethylene and other toxic pollutants in the soil on the former chemical factory site are getting into the ground water, which then seeps into the river. They argue that «the city has undertaken no meaningful effort» to clean up the site or to keep pollution out of the ground water or the Patapsco.

The city and CBAC Gaming have pointed out that the Maryland Department of the Environment approved the developer’s plan to cover the contaminated ground at the site with new buildings, pavement and clean soil. The state also ordered the developer to take precautions to prevent toxic vapors from entering or building up inside the casino.

But Nelson said the state-approved plan to cap the site «does not address the soil contamination, and it does not address ground-water contamination.»

The lawsuit contends that the casino developer’s deal with the city leaves taxpayers exposed, because it says CBAC Gaming can walk away from the project if environmental costs exceed $2 million, or else it could reduce its lease payments to the city by up to $1 million.

tim.wheeler@baltsun.com

Article source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/blog/bs-gr-casino-cleanup-lawsuit-20130520,0,6215607.story

Article source: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/05/20/toronto_councillors_hope_to_bury_essentially_dead_casino_at_vote_tuesday.html

The chairman of the Senate committee that oversees the gambling industry earlier this year re-introduced 2012 legislation that would legalize online games.

And a group of prominent tribes with casinos has circulated its own proposal recently to license Internet poker.

The draft language, which has not emerged as legislation, was crafted by leaders of eight tribes, including the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley, as well as members of a group called the California Tribal Business Alliance.

“Conversations are being had with key members of the Legislature,” said David Quintana, a lobbyist for the tribal business alliance Monday.

Other proposals could surface. The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians near San Bernardino, and possibly others, have worked on a plan that could emerge as early as this week.

A few years ago, it seemed as if California would be the first state in the country to license intrastate poker and take advantage of a provision in the federal law that otherwise bans online gaming. Many of the state’s residents already play on illegal sites based offshore in the Isle of Mann and elsewhere.

But disagreements among the state’s gambling interests have repeatedly stymied the issue. No hearings have been scheduled on it this year.

Meanwhile, three states — Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey — have legalized online poker and the first legal game debuted a few weeks ago in Nevada.

The 51-page bill by state Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, who leads the Senate Governmental Organization Committee, would require $30 million fees for each license, plus 10 percent payments of gross revenue that would be applied to the license payment.

His measure would allow any entity already engaged in legal gambling operations in California to get a license to offer Internet poker.

“What you want to have is robust competition,” Wright said at an online gaming conference earlier this month sponsored by Capitol Weekly, a publication that covers state government.

“The ability to have an online gaming platform is an asset that belongs to the people of the state of California,” he said. “It is not an asset that belongs to anyone else.”

Many potential licensees view the $30 million license fee in Wright’s bill as prohibitively expensive. The proposal from the tribal group that includes the Pechanga and Agua Caliente bands requires a $5 million fee. The plan calls for contributing an unspecified percentage of gross revenue to the general fund.

In addition, the group said it makes sense to limit the license eligibility to just tribes with casinos and the state’s 88 card rooms because they already offer poker.

Another difference is that, under the draft language from the tribal group, online poker licenses would be good for 10 years. That is double the five years in the Wright bill.

Quintana said the group of tribes commissioned an in-depth analysis of California’s online poker market potential. Goals of getting $200 million from legal online poker games are not realistic, he said.

“That looks rosy for the state but it doesn’t pencil out for anyone who wants to get involved in the industry,” Quintana said.

There have been other groups of tribes that have worked together on proposals to license online gaming. The Riverside-based California Online Poker Association included the San Manuel band and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Banning, as well as smaller tribes and some card clubs. It disbanded last fall.

Supporters say the latest tribal proposal is different because it emerged from talks involving tribal leaders. Consultants and lawyers were not in the room, they said.

“It is not unusual for tribal leaders to work together on issues of great importance — and let us be clear, this is an issue of great importance to us,” Leslie Loche, chairwoman of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, said in a statement Monday. Loche and Wright had several testy exchanges during a forum at the Capitol Weekly event.

State Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, also has introduced a bill to legalize online poker, but that measure remains just a placeholder for now.

There is an expectation in the Capitol that the bill will become a vehicle for a proposal from the San Manuel or Morongo tribes, or both.

Representatives of those tribes were unavailable for comment Monday.

Article source: http://www.pe.com/local-news/politics/jim-miller-headlines/20130520-internet-gaming-online-poker-bill-still-no-sure-bet.ece

Entrants in the sixth annual Poker Ride start at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas and get one card each at five stops along a 100-mile trek. Prizes are given based on the best hand at the end of the ride, with the winner taking home $500.

The cost is $30 per rider and $10 per passenger. All proceeds go to the foundation. 

Founded in 2009, the Xtreme Couture G.I. Foundation aims to raise money and awareness for wounded soldiers and their families. It hosts several events per year, including an annual poker tournament in Las Vegas.

Couture, who rides a Harley-Davidson Road King, said previous poker rides have attracted as many as 300 bikers. He said this year’s notable participants include country singer Mike Austin, who appeared on «The Voice,» as well as musician Ben Carey.

«The ride has gotten significantly bigger since we started,» Couture said. 

Having recently wrapped filming for Bellator MMA’s Spike TV reality series «Fight Master,» which debuts in June, Couture is slated to reprise his role as Toll Road in «The Expendables 3.» The action franchise’s third installment films this summer in Bulgaria and possibly Thailand. In July, he also begins filming on another Spike reality show, «MMA Rescue,» in which he aims to revitalize struggling MMA gyms.

(Pictured: Randy Couture)

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Article source: http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/05/randy-coutures-g-i-foundation-hosts-sixth-annual-poker-ride-in-las-vegas

So much for a poker face.

Tiger Woods clearly couldn’t disguise his enjoyment over the weekend while participating in a poker tournament that bares his name, Tiger’s Poker Night, an annual event presented by the World Poker Tour benefiting the Tiger Woods Foundation.

And who can blame him? After all, lovely girlfriend Lindsey Vonn, decked out in a beautiful blue dress, was on hand for support.

In fact, a source tells E! News that Vonn was never far from her man’s side. Not to mention, Vonn’s equally attractive sister Karin also attended.

NEWS: Tiger Woods goes shirtless while Lindsey Vonn breaks out the bikini in Florida

At one point, while talking Woods up to reporters, Vonn was asked if the golfer would prove victorious.

Courtesy of Joe Giron for World Poker Tour

«He wins everything,» she said.

Unfortunately, Woods wound up being the first to lose.

The $10,000 buy-in tournament took place at Moorea Beach Club Beachside Casino at Mandaly Bay in Las Vegas.

In addition to Woods, other famous faces who took part included Mekhi Phifer, Mark Cuban, Kid Rock and L.A. Clippers star Chris Paul.

PHOTOS: 12 most stylish sports stars

Article source: http://www.eonline.com/news/420742/lindsey-vonn-supports-tiger-woods-at-poker-tournament-in-las-vegas

FLINSTONE, Md. (WJZ)—A fourth casino will open in Maryland this week.

The Rocky Gap Casino Resort sits right in the middle of Rocky Gap State Park in western Maryland.

Leaders hope the casino will transform the struggling lakeside lodge and golf course.

It will have 558 slot machines, 10 table games, and is expected to add 250 jobs.

The official opening is scheduled for Wednesday, as long as the casino passes Monday’s run through for the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.

Pat Warren will bring you more on this story at 5 6 p.m.

Article source: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2013/05/20/md-s-fourth-casino-hopes-to-revive-struggling-western-town/

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PITTSBURGH, May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Survivorman’s next big adventure will bring him to the ‘Burgh – more specifically, Rivers Casino. Les Stroud , best known for his work as the award-winning producer and star of Discovery Channel’s hit series «Survivorman,» will host an exclusive performance and player event at Rivers Casino on Saturday, June 8, at 7 p.m. This is Stroud’s first trip to Pittsburgh.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130520/NE17238)

Stroud’s adventures take him through climates that range from one extreme to another – from stiflingly humid jungles in Costa Rica to the bitter cold of the Arctic, and from the arid conditions of the Sonoran Desert to the saturated swamplands of Georgia. He is the only producer in the history of television to produce an internationally broadcast series entirely written, videotaped and hosted alone.

At the Rivers event, Stroud and his band will give a live performance of his unique art-folk rock and exceptional blues harmonica skills. Guests will be treated to a question-and-answer session with Stroud, who will share some of his favorite stories from his many adventures. All attendees will also have the chance to get up close and personal during a meet and greet with Survivorman himself. 

Approximately 300 guests will attend the June 8 event, and only Rivers Casino Rush Reward members are eligible to win tickets. The event will take place in Rivers Casino’s riverfront ballroom, which features the city of Pittsburgh as its brilliant backdrop.  

Survivormania: How to Win

Every day from now through May 28, Rush Reward members are invited to swipe their cards at Rivers’ kiosk for a chance to win in the $100,000 Survivormania Grand Finale. Win tickets to the Survivorman show on June 8 (tickets will not be sold to the public), Free Slot Play and much more. The grand prize drawing will occur May 29 at 8 p.m., when 10 finale winners will compete for a top prize of $10,000 or the trip of a lifetime – an exotic excursion.

Players can swipe their card one time per promotional day any time between 8 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. For interested guests who are not already members, Rush Rewards is free to join, and enrollment is available at the Players Club window.

«Survivormania gives players the chance to win the trip of a lifetime and be a part of a one-of-a-kind performance by Les Stroud ,» said Craig Clark , general manager of Rivers Casino.

For complete promotion rules and more information about events at Rivers Casino, please visit www.riverscasino.com.  

ABOUT RIVERS CASINO
Opened in 2009, Rivers Casino has been named «Best Overall Gaming Resort» in Pennsylvania by Casino Player magazine, «Best Overall Casino» in Pennsylvania by Strictly Slots magazine and «Best Casino» by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The casino features more than 2,900 slots, 116 table games, nine distinctive restaurants and bars, a riverside amphitheater, a multipurpose event space, live music performances, free parking, and multiple promotions and giveaways daily. Already, more than $300 million in jackpots have been awarded to players at Rivers Casino. For more information, visit www.riverscasino.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Emily Watts
For Rivers Casino
267-932-8760, ext. 308
emily@hornercom.com

SOURCE Rivers Casino

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Article source: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rivers-casino-announces-survivorman-performance-event-208156851.html