Court Ruling Scuttles Del. Sports Gambling Plans

(NEWSER) - The Delaware State Senate has approved a bill legalizing sports betting and allowing casinos to operate table games like roulette, the News Journal of Wilmington reports. The governor, seeking to close a gaping budget gap, will sign the bill this week. The measure sailed through the senate after a pitched battle in the house that resulted in many changes. The state’s casinos lobbied hard against it. More»

(NEWSER) - The many states hoping gambling will revive their troubled budgets are in for an unpleasant surprise, writes Nate Silver for Esquire. Gambling is supposed to be recession-proof, but that hasn’t been the case this time. "The year 2008 was the first time in history that total casino gaming revenues declined throughout the United States," writes Silver, of FiveThirtyEight.com fame. In Las Vegas, they were down a whopping 12%, and they’ve fallen another 15% this year. More»

Mardi Gras promotion at Gulfstream Casino aims to put big butts in the seats

(NEWSER) - It's Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, and the Gulfstream Park and Racing Casino in Florida is celebrating—what else?—fat people. In a promotion that's sure to make Michelle Obama cringe, the casino is offering players 10 cents in free slot machine credits for every pound they weigh. The casino will even have Krispy Kreme donuts on hand in case patrons want to bulk up a bit before their weigh-in, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. More»

Winning craps player leaves $150K tip

(NEWSER) - The balance sheet of Atlantic City's Tropicana Casino has taken a pounding from a pair of high rollers who won more than $5 million each just 6 weeks apart. A blackjack player beat the casino for $5.8 million in April and a craps player won $5.3 million last week, leaving a $150,000 tip that was shared among dealers on duty that night, AP reports. Officials for the casino, bought out of bankruptcy last year by billionaire investor Carl Icahn, say they're sticking with their new emphasis on high-stakes table games play, despite the huge losses. More»

But only the 'nice-looking' need apply

(AP) - Soon it might be more difficult to concentrate on the cards at one Atlantic City casino. The Tropicana Casino and Resort is creating a new "party pit" near its Rumba Lounge nightclub where female blackjack and roulette dealers will wear bustiers and stockings, reports the AP . The casino is hiring "nice-looking" dealers to work the six blackjack and two roulette tables, which will debut over the July 4th weekend. The racy uniforms come on the heels of some revealing flapper costumes that have already generated two lawsuits for Resorts Casino Hotel. More»