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The Global Gaming Expo is the biggest gaming event in North America, and it will return to the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas after missing last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

This Week in Gambling will once again be in attendance to film game reviews and interviews with industry executives when G2E opens their doors in October.

Reed Exhibitions runs the Global Gaming Expo, or G2E, and will be working with federal, state and local authorities, along with the Sands Expo and other partners, to make sure safety is a priority.

The announcement that G2E will take place for the first time since 2019 comes as the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Governor’s Office have ended social distancing requirements, mask mandates, and capacity limits.

The American Gaming Association (AGA), with partner Reed Exhibitions, formally announced plans to move forward with Global Gaming Expo (G2E) 2021 as an in-person event with additional virtual components October 4–7, 2021 (Education: October 4-7 | Expo ­­Hall: October 5-7) at the Sands Expo in Las Vegas.

Following a one-year in-person hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, G2E will coordinate with the Sands Expo & Convention Center, federal, state and local authorities, and partners to safely reconvene the global gaming industry for the first time since 2019.

“For over 20 years, G2E has been the leader in uniting the global gaming community and we are beyond thrilled to come together this October for the industry’s hallmark event,” said Korbi Carrison, G2E event director.

Today’s announcement comes as Clark County, home to Las Vegas, has lifted all capacity restrictions, and the gaming industry is enjoying significant momentum. Q1 2021 commercial gaming revenue tied for the highest-grossing quarter ever at $11B, underscoring consumer enthusiasm for the sector which was hard hit by the pandemic.

American Gaming Association Vice President of Global Events, Meredith Pallante, said “We can’t wait to bring the industry back together…”. And we couldn’t agree more! “The industry has shown tremendous resilience throughout the pandemic and being able to gather together again will be another great milestone in our strong recovery.”

Gird your cheeks, Hofbrauhaus is back.

The off-Strip beer hall and restaurant reopened June 1, 2021.

The lively venue has been closed since March 2020. That’s because medical experts agree the leading causes of COVID-19 spread are spankings and Austrian sing-a-longs.

Top tip: When you enter Hofbrauhaus, familiarize yourself with the location of the restrooms.

Hofbrauhaus, of course, is known not only for it brews and schnitzel, but also for the paddling.

Hofbrauhaus guests can receiving a spanking by a “Spankstress” with a shot paddle upon request.

In related news, what in the hell is wrong with people?

Then again, people voluntarily order sauerbraten, so the answer is “a lot.”

Welcome back, you beautiful hangover-maker.

Hofbrauhaus is located just across the street from Virgin Las Vegas, formerly Hard Rock, at Paradise Road and Harmon Avenue.

The popular venue has been in operation for 17 years.

Hofbrauhaus hours of operation are: 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.

While we are not a beer person (we’ve never had one, actually), whenever we visit Hofbrauhaus, people seem to be having an absolute blast.

Honestly, it’s all about the bigass pretzels.

Skip the salt, heavy on the mustard.

Fun fact: It took the owners of Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas two years to negotiate a license with the original Hofbrauhaus in Munich to replicate the iconic tavern.

The return of Hofbrauhaus is another long-awaited symbol of a return to normalcy in Las Vegas.

So, bottoms up. In more ways than one.

Video poker came on the casino scene back in the 70’s and it’s been growing in popularity ever since. As more people find out that it’s a game that can be beaten it will continue to be the choice of winners.

There have been many books that have been written about winning at video poker and even more articles by world renown gamblers. So it’s not a subject that’s up for discussion. It’s a fact: You can beat the game and actually be a consistent winner by learning how to play it correctly.

Not only does video poker often offer the best odds in the casino but it’s a game that allows the player to make decisions that actually affect the outcome of the game. In other words, if you learn how to make the right decisions, you can win more often and, more times than not, come out ahead.

What’s nice about video poker is that even though the profit to the house is low you, the player, still have the opportunity to win sizeable jackpots. And in certain games, the pot keeps growing until somebody wins it. Progressive jackpots can expand to to life-changing amounts.

Video poker can have advantages over live poker for many people. A lot of us like to play poker but are annoyed by snarky dealers and the  psychological pressure they feel from other players. For them, video poker offers anonymity, privacy and a more relaxing experience.

When you play video poker there are no pit bosses, dealers or other players who are examining your decisions or commenting on your playing style.

Even though that’s all fine, well and good, you might be wondering how you can win against a machine. We’ve heard that the house always wins, right? Well that’s not necessarily true with video poker. Frankly, it’s the one game that comes closest to being an exception to the rule.

That’s because mathematicians and professional gamblers have already figured out how to beat the machine. All you have to do is gather some knowledge, study the strategy and practice to win at video poker. It doesn’t matter whether you play Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild, or any other video poker variation, the path to winning has been cleared. All you have to do is decide to take the first steps.

A great place to begin is at the free VideoPoker page. That’s because you can play the most popular variations of real casino games and it never costs you anything play. And if you decide that you want to learn the strategies in more detail, you can upgrade to Gold or go all in for Professional Video Poker Training. There’s no gambling for money but you can enter contests and tournaments to win cash or prizes.

Gambling in a casino can be a lot of fun. But it can be expensive. Why not have fun and keep your money too? If that sounds like a worthy plan, then video poker is the game for you.

The gaming industry  in Pennsylvania is doing quite well. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) has exceeded $400 million for the second time in a two month period. month. 

March GGR totaled $403.1 million. It was, at the time, the state’s highest gaming revenue number ever. The record didn’t last long, however, as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board revealed today that April revenue came in at $404.1 million.

Brick-and-mortar slots led the way, the terminals winning more than $201.3 million from gamblers. Casino tables won $77.8 million. 

Online, interactive slots delivered operators $62.6 million, and iTables $27.6 million. Sportsbooks — both online and in- person — kept $26.3 million of the bets wagered. VGTs won $3.8 million, online poker rake was $2.3 million, and fantasy contests generated revenue of $2 million. 

Land-Based Declines

In April 2019, Pennsylvania’s gaming industry was fully reliant on brick-and-mortar gambling. Online casinos only began to go live in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2019. April of 2019 is a better comparable due to COVID-19 closing all land-based casinos during in that month in 2020,

Despite iGaming and mobile sports betting continuing to see revenues surge, last month marked a strong return to pre-pandemic brick-and-mortar. In fact, overall, the casinos fared even better than they did before the coronavirus ravaged the world.

Casino slot machines and table games in April 2019 won $277.8 million. Last month, they won $279.1 million.

The reinvigorated land-based gaming market, spurred by easing of COVID-19 mitigation measures, coupled with the continued strong showing of play in the online sector, is good news for Pennsylvanians who will benefit from the tax revenues,” Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Communications Director Doug Harbach said. 

However, there is slightly more to the story. In April of 2019, Pennsylvania was home to 12 casinos. Today, there are 15. 

Some casinos that were operating two years ago are winning fewer dollars today from their land-based operations. A few examples:

Casino — April 2021 — April 2019

• Wind Creek — $36.6M — $47M
• Rivers Pittsburgh — $30.1M — $31.3M
• Hollywood Penn National — $19.6M — $20.7M
• Mohegan Sun Pocono — $18.3M — $19.3M

Skill Concerns

Pennsylvania is reopening. Beginning Memorial Day, May 31, Gov. Tom Wolf (D) is lifting all COVID-related restrictions.

That means bars and restaurants can return to operating at full capacity. Many of those establishments are likely to turn back on their controversial skill-based gaming machines that the licensed casinos in the state desperately want eradicated. 

Adrian King, an attorney representing the state casinos, said further distributed gaming is bad “almost as much as COVID.” 

Devin O’Connor

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Las Vegas puts the pedal to the medal as major casinos race to fully open with no virus restrictions on capacity.  Not long ago they were all granted permission by the government to go to 80% capacity. Now several casinos have now been allowed to fully open.

Even the plexiglass dividers have been removed in most casinos including all nine MGM Resorts hotel-­casinos. The Nevada Gaming Control Board announced 100% reopening procedures for Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Park MGM, MGM Grand, Aria, Bellagio and the Mirage join the Cosmopolitan, STRAT and Wynn/Encore. It’s happening at most of the larger properties and others, including bars with video poker machines.

Las Vegas Buffet News

Bally’s Corp. agreed to buy the Tropicana casino in Las Vegas from Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. for $150 million, part of a flurry of deals by the acquisitive Rhode Island-based gambling operator. The company is purchasing the operations of the hotel and casino resort, which is located on the Las Vegas Strip, Bally’s said Tuesday. Gaming & Leisure, a real estate investment trust, will continue to own th property and collect the rent.
Caesars Palace’s Bacchanal Buffet is making it’s big comeback on Thursday, serving only dinner and so far only Thursdays-Mondays. No word on pricing and the rumor is that the staff will be serving the guests with reservations being accepted for the first time in its history. The buffet room underwent a $2.4 million renovation during the shutdown.

Closed for more than a year because of the pandemic, Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace will reopen May 20 with a multimillion-dollar redesign, more than 30 new dishes and the introduction of reservations.

When it opened in 2012, the $17 million Bacchanal Buffet helped set a new standard for buffet service in the city. A team of specialized chefs oversaw the preparation of the global cuisine in nine open kitchens. The public can’t wait for the buffets of Las Vegas to reopen.

Also opening their buffets are South Point and The Cosmopolitan.

Posted on: May 15, 2021, 02:49h. 

Last updated on: May 16, 2021, 04:03h.

Todd Shriber

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NeoGames (NASDAQ:NGMS) stock soared Friday after the provider of internet lottery services reported first-quarter revenue that topped Wall Street forecasts while upping its full-year sales outlook.

Yesterday, shares of the gaming firm surged almost 10 percent on above-average volume. That’s after the Israeli company reported net revenue of $21.6 million for the January through March period, beating the consensus estimate of $15.6 million.

Adding to the ebullience for the stock, NeoGames raised 2021 revenue guidance for the second time this year. The company now expects sales of $73 million to $77 million, up from a prior estimate of $65 million to $69 million.

We think there’s some degree of conservatism relating to stimulus and stay-at-home tailwinds tapering as the vaccine rollout progresses,” said Stifel analyst Steven Wieczynski in a note to clients Friday.

He rates NeoGames a “buy,” with a $54 price target, up from $53. That new projection implies upside of 17.3 percent from the May 14 close.

NeoGames Stock Overlooked Gaming Idea

Relative to operators in the online casinos and sports wagering arenas, NeoGames leads a nearly anonymous existence, because iLotteries aren’t yet generating buzz on par with those segments.

Like operators in the internet casinos and sports betting spaces, NeoGames is a play on broadening legalization of its underlying business model — something that’s happening, though without much fanfare. The company is live in Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Virginia and the Canadian province of Alberta, among other international markets.

“In addition to the broad market strength we’ve highlighted, management called out accelerating top-line growth rates in Virginia, with jackpot-related DBG demand converting over into instants play and accelerating the ongoing ramp trajectory,” said Wieczynski. “Management also highlighted their recently launched Alberta offering, which continues to outpace their expectations with further opportunities to broaden the product offering (e.g. draw games).”

Growth Ahead for NeoGames

NeoGames’ roster of states currently allowing iLottery is nearly equivalent to the number permitting online casinos, indicating there’s growth to be had as states continue examining new revenue sources.

Reflecting that opportunity set, investors bid NeoGames stock higher by more than 24 percent over the past month, while iGaming and sportsbook stocks are being drubbed over the same period.

Some of the expected top line growth at NeoGames should happen soon, as Stifel’s Wieczynski boosted his 2021 through 2023 revenue estimates by 12 percent, three percent, and one percent, respectively.

The winning ticket for a $26 million lottery drawing in California appears to have gone down the drain. Literally.

When midnight struck Thursday night on the Pacific Coast, the deadline passed for someone to claim the SuperLotto Plus prize from the California Lottery. The ticket was purchased for the Nov. 14 drawing, and under lottery regulations, players have 180 days to claim their prize.

The winning numbers were 12, 13, 23, 31, 36, and the Mega Number was 10.

It is possible – extremely unlikely, but possible – that the ticket holder completed a signed claim form and sent it along with the winning ticket to the Lottery’s Sacramento office. 

In the week leading up to the deadline, the California Lottery issued a press release and went on social media in search for the one winning ticket.

California Lottery Ticket Reportedly Left in Laundry

The ticket was sold at an ARCO AM/PM convenience store in Los Angeles County.

According to KCBS, store workers said a woman came to the store in Norwalk and said the ticket was ruined when it was inadvertently with laundry.

While the store had surveillance video showing the woman buying a ticket, a lottery spokesperson told CNN the footage would not be enough to verify that it’s the winning ticket.

There, they can either set up an appointment for in-person service, or they can use the contactless drop-off option.

Before claiming a prize, the lottery recommends that people take a picture of both sides of the winning ticket and retain a copy of the claim form. That would serve as evidence of possession.

Not the Biggest Unclaimed Prize

If, as it appears likely to happen, the jackpot went unclaimed, the lottery would turn the abandoned prize, a cash value of $19.7 million, over to the California public schools system. Since it began offering games 35 years ago, the lottery has given more than $1 billion in unclaimed prizes to the schools.

Someone missing out on claiming a life-changing sum is a rare occurrence. But there have been bigger prizes that were left unclaimed, according to TheLotter.com.

There was even a bigger jackpot in California abandoned more than five years ago. Two men each tried to claim a $63 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot that was drawn in August 2015. But neither claim was validated.

Not everyone, though, loses out. While the schools get the $19.7 million, the ARCO AM/PM store that sold the winning ticket still gets to keep the $130,000 bonus.

Steve Bittenbender

I’ve been around some really hard-core gamblers who wanted to get every penny of their profits under any circumstances. For the most part, these were poker players, but the thing I couldn’t help but notice about many of them is that they really HATED giving a tip.

One world-famous and very successful gambler, Bob Dancer, once told a story of a situation where tipping in the casino actually added to his profit.

That’s why I’m going to relate that situation and give some analysis as to why tipping can be profitable in the casino.

Playing With An Advantage In The Casino

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