OCTOBER
Contents FEATURES 14 INDIAN GAMING REGULATORY ACT OF 1988 Signed 23 years ago this month by Ronald Reagan.
GREAT GAMES 08 TARZAN® LORD OF THE JUNGLE™ Just installed in Bucky’s Casino in Prescott!
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10 SEX AND THE CITY BIG DIAMONDS™ Who says a sequel can’t be as good as the original? 12 SUITE SUCCESS™ Available in a “loose” setting at Desert Diamond.
WINNING WAYS 16 QUICK GAMBLING TIPS The secrets of smart gamblers. 18 SLOT MYTHS That jackpot should have been mine!
FAST FACTS 20 FLASHING LIGHTS Those top lights speak a language of their own!
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22 CASINO BUZZ A new slot is coming this month to Casino Arizona.
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23 GAMING NEWS FairPlayUSA advocates legalization of online poker. 23 GAMING NEWS Gaming’s largest tradeshow, G2E, is this month!
REGULAR RESPINS
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04 EDITOR’S NOTE What’s on our mind 06 PLAYERS TALK What’s on your mind 27 ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Picks 28 FUN & GAMES Sudoku & Riddles to keep your mind sharp
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29 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN Rants, raves & reflections 30 CASINO SPONSOR DIRECTORY Slot machine images courtesy of Colossal Gaming. © Copyright Colossal Gaming. All Rights Reserved. www.colossalgaming.com Slot machine images courtesy of IGT. © Copyright IGT. All Rights Reserved. www.igt.com Slot machine images courtesy of Aristocrat Technologies. © Copyright Aristocrat Technologies. All Rights Reserved. www.aristo cratgaming.com
azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
03
EDITOR’S NOTE
Your Authority On Everything Gaming VOLUME 03 • ISSUE 03 PUBLISHER Chris Hoft chris@azgamingguide.com
IGRA Was Signed 23 Years Ago Several casinos across Arizona have slowly been introducing Class II bingo style slot machines to their floors recently. Given that our local gaming market has consisted primarily of Class III slots, my team and I felt it was important to educate our readers about these new types of games. In our August issue we introduced a veteran Class II slot manufacturer, Rocket Gaming, who has been leaving a positive impression with Arizona casinos because of their top-performing new game titles. In our September issue we expanded on this topic with an article outlining the major differences between Class II and Class III games. As a result, we fully expected to receive the large volume of e-mails we did from curious readers wanting more information about when, why, and how these different Gaming Classes came into existence. Many people don’t know that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) of 1988, signed by Ronald Reagan 23 years ago this month, is what divided Indian Gaming into three Classes. Therefore, we thought it would be a great opportunity to take a closer look at this major act of Congress in this issue! Please visit us at: www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide, become part of our community and share your thoughts and experiences with others who also love the same casino games you do. Don’t forget that you can also find the current and back issues of the Arizona Gaming Guide on our website at www.azgamingguide.com. For your convenience, we have included the QR codes for both web addresses in our directory. Let me know what you think of our October issue and have fun! Cheers! Alexandra Lang
Alexandra Editor-in-Chief editor@azgamingguide.com 04 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
MANAGING DIRECTOR Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexandra Lang editor@azgamingguide.com ART DIRECTOR Melanie Mueller CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mark Novak Alex Stewart Samantha Becker Lana Hartmann Elizabeth Torma ADVERTISING SALES Nina Consiglio nina@azgamingguide.com Alex Stewart alex@azgamingguide.com MAILING INFORMATION Arizona Gaming Guide P.O. Box 20636 Mesa, Arizona 85277 INTERNET INFORMATION www.azgamingguide.com www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide
Copyright © 2011 The Arizona Gaming Guide. All rights reserved. The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and gaming related facts as well as personal opinions and expects the reader to make his or her own decisions. All responses to reader emails and letters are to be considered as advice only. AGG accepts no responsibility and no liability for any actions of our readers based on the articles and advertisements presented within this publication. All pictures, images, logos, trademarks and trade names, etc. are the sole property of their respective owners. You must be 21 or older to gamble. Please play responsibly. Help is available at 1.800.NEXT.STEP or www.problemgambling.az.gov.
PLAYERS TALK
Q&A On Everything Gaming
Q: BEST BET Say you don’t have a lot of money to risk and you want to make the best possible bet at the casino with the little money you have. In your opinion, what would you recommend to someone like me? I like to go to the casino and I’m willing to risk $100, but I can’t afford to bring more than that. I wish I could, but I just can’t. What’s my best bet? Carol Ortiz – Glendale, AZ A: Carol, these are tough times and you’re not the only one who has a limited budget for casino entertainment. If you enjoy playing table games, one of the best bets you can make at a casino is at a blackjack table. Assuming you are willing to learn basic strategy and only play traditional blackjack games that pay 3 to 2 for a blackjack where the dealer stands on a soft 17, you’ll be playing a game with the lowest house advantage of 0.5% to 1.0%. This means you will lose 50¢ to $1 for every $100 wagered in the long run. The low house edge gives you an excellent chance to win some money during any given play session. If you prefer slots over table games, then we always encourage players to learn optimal strategy and play video poker. Even though most casinos in Arizona don’t have the best video poker pay tables, the payback percentages are still better than most video slot games. Playing a nickel or quarter denomination video poker slot game with a $100 investment should give you enough time on the device for a chance at winning some money. However, make sure to choose the denomination you are most comfortable with and play the maximum amount possible. Last, but not least, there is always the option of playing bingo. For just $5 to $10 a pack and several hours of entertainment, you can’t beat that! If you’re willing to risk a little more money you can increase your odds of winning by purchasing more packs. Bingo is a really fun activity you can do on your own or you can bring friends and family along to socialize with between games. Pulling your financial resources together with your loved ones and splitting the wins is also fun to do when you’re on a limited budget. I hope this answer helps and I wish you the best of luck!
Q: FORCED BETS More and more of the penny slot games that are coming out force you to bet a certain amount. I can’t choose how many lines I want to play anymore. The machine just forces you into a minimum bet. Why did they start designing games like that? I’m not happy about this and I know plenty of other people that aren’t either! Jay Wiley – Phoenix, AZ Jay, I can understand why you may feel a little bit frustrated about this change. The casinos wanted to increase their coin-in and that’s all there is to it. Slot directors with influence and buying power from large gambling towns like Las Vegas and Atlantic City were probably the ones who initially approached the major slot manufacturers and told them to start designing games with forced minimum bets to prevent people from being able to play low credit amounts. No slot director wants to see his or her penny machine being occupied by someone who is only willing to play one line for a one penny wager. Not only is a slot occupied by a “low” bettor, but that person’s chances of experiencing any significant wins when playing one line and one credit are essentially nil. Having forced bets also makes the design, development, and testing of slot games simpler and faster. Ultimately, this is an effective way to increase the minimum bets of players, allow manufacturers to save money, and bring new slots to the casinos faster! Q: STOP BUTTON Can I change the outcome of a spin on a slot machine if I stop the reels myself while they’re still spinning? Sometimes I’ll press the “Stop” button and it feels like I stopped it at the exact right moment to catch a bonus symbol or a bunch of wilds. The problem is that the symbols go by way too fast and it seems nearly impossible to stop them. Can I stop the reels and affect what happens on that spin? Hazel Kelvin – Sun City, AZ Hazel, the outcome of every spin on a slot machine is determined as soon as the “Spin” button is pressed. This is when the random number generator (RNG) grabs the winning or losing combination that will be displayed on the screen. Remember
ASK THE EXPERTS and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question! Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts? Write us with your questions and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues. Space is limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive. Please include your name and mailing address with all correspondence. Mail to: Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277 or E-mail to: editor@azgamingguide.com.
06 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
Q&A On Everything Gaming that a video slot is not like a mechanical slot and there are no physical reels that are spinning. What you see after you press the "Spin” button are just animations programmed into the game for your entertainment. Stopping the reels by pressing the “Stop Spin” button has no effect, whatsoever, on the game. Slot manufacturers introduced the “Stop Spin” feature about a decade ago for players who wanted to play faster and not wait for all the animations to finish. Here’s an interesting bit of gaming trivia: Initially, gaming regulators went back and forth about allowing the “Stop Spin” feature to be programmed into the slots because they thought it would be misleading to players. Some regulators felt it implied that skill could be used to affect the outcome of a spin. After much debate, they finally allowed the feature but required that the message “Stop Spin” be displayed somewhere on screen to make it clear to players that they are just ending the reel spin and not changing it. Q: ROYAL FLUSH IN VIDEO POKER What are the chances of getting dealt a Royal Flush in video poker? How do you calculate the math for that and the length of time you have to play to increase your chances of hitting it? Dan Walden – Scottsdale, AZ
PLAYERS TALK
A: Dan, your odds of being dealt a Royal Flush in video poker are 1 in 649,740 hands. Assuming that a game uses a 52 card deck with no wild cards, there are 2,598,960 possible 5-card poker hands that can be created and 4 of those hands are Royal Flushes (one for each suit). Dividing the total possible hands by 4 leaves a 1 in 649,740 chance of being dealt a Royal Flush. This is, literally speaking, where all 5 cards dealt complete the Royal Flush hand and no discards are necessary. I’m not sure whether you intended on using the word “dealt” or if you meant to include the draw. Improving your hand by discarding unwanted cards and replacing them with new ones increases your chances of hitting a Royal Flush significantly. When you include the draw, the probability of getting a Royal Flush is approximately 1 in 40,000 hands using optimal strategy for most video poker games. A much nicer statistic, indeed! Even though 1 in 40,000 hands on the draw sounds much nicer than 1 in 650,000 hands on the deal, you’re still looking at quite a few play sessions. Most recreational video poker players average about 500 hands per hour which translates to 80 hours of play time. Depending on how often you visit the casino and how long your play sessions are, you can do the math and determine (on average) how often you should be seeing a Royal Flush win. Good luck and have fun! $
azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
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GREAT GAMES
New Slots
®
Tarzan Lord of the Jungle™ Just Installed at Bucky ’s Casino in Prescott! By Lana Hartmann
arzan, the King of the Apes, is back and he’s brought some of his jungle friends with him. This new Lord of the Jungle™ game by Australian slot manufacturer, Aristocrat Technologies Inc., has seven unique high frequency hitting bonuses and a four level progressive with a top jackpot base value of $250,000! It’s installed as a penny slot game with a 50 credit minimum wager (30 lines + 20 credit ante wager) and a maximum wager of 150 credits.
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FEATURES 4 Level Progressive—Mini jackpot base value starts at $10, Minor starts at $30, Major starts at $500, and Grand starts at $250,000. Mini, Minor, and Major progressives can be won at any bet level. Progressive Wheel Feature—Is triggered with 3 or more scattered LOGO symbols. Players can win progressive jackpots along with bonuses, credits, or free games. Each spin of the wheel increases the values of the potential wins. When a free games feature is triggered, the players exit the wheel feature into the free games feature.
Crocodile Free Games Feature—Has expanding Reel Power where each scatter expands the reel it occurs on giving players more ways to win during the free games. Gorilla Free Games Feature—Players win free games and all wins are multiplied by 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, or 10 during the free games. Tarzan Bonus Feature—Has sticky wild re-spin with bonus wild reels. Sticky wilds are held and Tarzan spins the other reels. One or more reels turn wild. Fire Bonus Feature—Tribe shoots arrows to set symbol positions on fire. One random symbol is revealed on these positions. Elephant Bonus Feature—All symbols pay scattered. There is also a re-spin with extra bonus symbols. Monkey Bonus Feature—All pays are each way with bonus wilds. All instances of the monkey symbol turn wild. $
Aristocrat Technologies Inc. is a subsidiary of Aristocrat Leisure Limited, a leading global provider of gaming solutions. The company has 50 years of industry experience, is licensed by more than 200 regulators, and its products and services are available in more than 90 countries around the world. Currently, Aristocrat has a staff of over 2,000 employees around the world! This industry leader offers a diverse range of products including electronic gaming machines as well as casino management systems. To learn more about this global company and its great selection of slot game titles, visit the company’s website at www.aristocratgaming.com. 08 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
New Slots
GREAT GAMES
HINT Play the MAX BET of $1.50 for a chance to win a quarter of a million dollars!
Slot machine images courtesy of Aristocrat Technologies Inc. © Copyright Aristocrat Technologies Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tarzan™ is a registered trademark of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and used by Permission. Tarzan Yell™ is a trademark of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and used by Permission. © 2011 Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. All Rights Reserved. azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
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GREAT GAMES
New Slots
IGT Wins Again With Sex And The City Big Diamonds!™ t has been a blockbuster summer for International Game Technology (IGT) with its debut of The Hangover ™ Slots and its latest hit Sex and the City Big Diamonds!™ MLD Reel MultiPLAY game; the sequel to the award-winning Sex and the City™ slot machine.
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It’s hard to imagine a tougher act to follow than the original Sex and the City™ slot, but IGT clearly has created another big winner! Adorned with a diamond-lit cabinet and a very sophisticated presentation, this sequel has even more glamour and glitz than the original. The game comes with all new bonus content and features five progressive pick bonus levels; one for each of the five characters of the popular series. Of course, Mr. Big is back and his winning charm is bigger than ever! He steals players' hearts with a must-see random wilds diamond shower feature in the base game. Carrie's bonus is called ‚The Right to Shoes‛ and in this version players will experience a marvelous new twist using the "accept or reject" bonus feature. Charlotte's bonus is the ‚Glamorous Gifts‛ bonus which awards players a virtual wheel spin. In Miranda's ‚Retail Therapy‛ bonus, players touch the screen to spin the wheel to award shopping bags filled with credits, multipliers and maybe an additional spin! And, in Samantha's ‚Glimmer Ring‛ bonus, players can populate gems in the top box display while a diamond ring moves back and forth highlighting the potential for big wins! Here’s a hint: make sure to check out the help screen for strategy tips on Carrie’s bonus. As with any risk bonus, manufacturers are obligated to disclose the optimal playing strategy. You can play this game at Casino Arizona—Salt River and Casino del Sol in Tucson for now, but more casinos across Arizona will surely be installing this hot slot soon! $ 10 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
GREAT GAMES
New Slots
Suite Success™ is a wildly exciting new game by slot manufacturer Colossal Gaming that features a twist to the free games bonus. When a mystery symbol appears on the middle reel, it can randomly increase the number of free games and the free games multiplier. And, players can earn even more free spins and a higher multiplier the longer they play! In addition, the frequently occurring wilds substitute for all pay symbols including the Bonus symbol! You’ll want to plan a trip to Desert Diamond Casinos in Tucson and try this innovative new slot theme, because we’ve got the inside scoop that this game is set in a very loose 90%+ payback setting! $ 12 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
IGRA 23 Years Ago This Month
President Ronald Reagan signed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act into law on October 17, 1988 By Chris Hoft
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ongress adopted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) in 1988 that established a complex system to authorize and regulate the American Tribal Gaming industry. The primary legislators involved in drafting the Act were Senator John McCain of Arizona, Representative Mo Udall of Arizona, and Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii! The United States Senate passed the bill on September 15, 1988 and the House passed the same bill on September 27 of that year by a landslide 323-84 margin. Then, on October 17, 1988, President Ronald Reagan officially signed IGRA into law—exactly 23 years ago this month! 14 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
IGRA Did Not Create Indian Gaming Contrary to popular belief, Indian Nations have always had the right as sovereign governments to conduct all governmental activities, including gaming. Large-scale tribal gaming operations predated IGRA by about 10 years. Ironically, most states were opposed to IGRA when it was initially introduced. States felt it was already within their rights to assert regulatory control over these operations; tribes disagreed. To protect themselves from the states’ efforts to limit gaming, tribes sought legislative insurance against an unfavorable court ruling. Supreme Court & Congress Uphold Indian Rights and Sovereignty The U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in 1987, that states had no regulatory control over gaming conducted on Indian land (California v. Cabazon). Following that decision, several states, led by Las Vegas gaming interests, reversed their
opposition to IGRA and urged its passage as a way to have some control. Congress consented in 1988 and IGRA, after being amended to give states more regulatory control through Compact negotiations, became law. IGRA recognized the right of tribes to conduct similar gaming on tribal land in states where such gaming is permitted outside the reservation for any other purpose. States And Tribes Must Cooperate Under IGRA, a state is obligated to negotiate Compacts that lay out the conditions, regulations, and limitations for Class III gaming operations. If a state refuses to negotiate or to negotiate in good faith, tribes can sue in Federal Court to force mediation. If a state refuses to implement a mediator’s recommendations, the Secretary of the Interior establishes the procedures for Class III Gaming within the state. States Attack The Law They Lobbied To Pass Faced with mounting losses in lawsuits charging badfaith negotiations, states now want to change IGRA – the same law they pushed so hard to see passed. States want more control to tax, regulate and police gaming operations. Some states claim it’s a violation of their sovereignty for Congress to subject them to the jurisdiction of the federal courts for failing to negotiate a Compact. Some states further contend it’s an unconstitutional intrusion of power to force them to regulate Class III operations that they don’t want operating within their borders. Despite their misgivings, tribes have reluctantly accepted IGRA and have played by the rules in order to protect their most promising key to the future – even though it has meant an unprecedented infringement on their sovereignty. The tribes contend that the states should either play by the rules they helped set or Congress should exclude the states from that process and return to the historical tribal/federal relationship. IGRA Can Benefit Everyone Indian Gaming is a right of Indian Nations, derived from sovereignty recognized by the Supreme Court and Congress. It is the only economic development tool that has ever worked on reservations, bringing increased economic benefits to Indians and Non-Indians. Several Tribes have demonstrated by example that, when given a chance, IGRA can work well to the benefit of all. To read more about IGRA and Indian Gaming please visit the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) at www.nigc.gov, the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) at www.indiangaming.org or the Arizona Indian Gaming Association at www.azindiangaming.org. $
IGRA DIVIDES INDIAN GAMING INTO THREE CLASSES - I, II, & III Class I Gaming Class I Gaming includes social games that are played solely for prizes of minimal value or traditional forms of Indian games in connection with tribal ceremonies or celebrations. The operation and regulation of Class I Gaming activities is not subject to IGRA’s requirements and is left to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Indian Tribes. Class II Gaming Class II Gaming includes bingo games and games that are similar to bingo such as lottery and pull tabs. Other games classified as Class II are card games such as poker or any other games where players bet against each other and not the house. Games that are explicitly excluded from Class II Gaming are card games played against the house such as blackjack, electronic table games, slot machines and any and all other games of chance. According to the IGRA, Indian Tribes are allowed to engage in Class II gaming only if the state in which the tribe is located permits such gaming. Under the Act, Tribes are primarily responsible for regulating their own Class II gaming activities with oversight by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). Class III Gaming Class III Gaming includes all forms of gaming that are not included in Class I and Class II. Popular casino games such as slot machines (including electronic table games, video poker, and video keno), blackjack, and any and all casino-style gaming are included. In order for a Tribe to conduct Class III gaming, three conditions need to be met as outlined in the IGRA. First, the type of Class III Gaming that a Tribe wants to conduct within the State must be permitted where the Tribe is located. Second, a Tribal-State Compact must be negotiated between the Tribe and the State and published by the Secretary in the Federal Register. Third, the Tribe operating the Class III Gaming must submit a gaming ordinance and get it approved by the Chairman of the NIGC. Source: National Indian Gaming Association azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
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WINNING WAYS
Quick Gambling Tips
Game History Recall
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very slot manufacturer is required, by gaming law, to incorporate what’s called ‚Last Game Recall‛ into the software program. In the event that a patron has a question or a dispute, the floor attendant is able to bring up the audit menu on the screen and review its prior history. Information such as the credits bet, credits won, credits in the machine, and winning or losing combinations must be available for at least the last 10 games played. Bonus rounds must be stored in their entirety as well and those that contain free spins may be required to store up to 50 free games during game recall. Therefore, it’s extremely important for players to notify casino personnel immediately if there are any signs of a machine malfunction. Stop playing and call someone over right away! There is very little a casino employee can do if notified of a problem after the game is no longer stored in ‚Last Game Recall.‛ $
Know When It's Time To f you’re angry, frustrated, or just not having fun anymore then it’s time to quit! Never chase after your losses by taking out more money than originally planned or increase your wager in the hopes of winning something big. This NEVER works. Next time you’re at a casino, take a good look and notice who is actually winning; chances are it’s not the annoyed slot player who’s smacking the buttons or the bitter looking blackjack player. The players who are the luckiest are actually the ones who are happy and having a good time. Be a responsible gambler and set a budget and a time limit, don’t play when upset or depressed, and know when to call it quits. If you’re not enjoying the experience who says you even have to spend you’re entire budget? Stop playing and try your luck on another day. $
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Be careful when purchasing lottery tickets with your credit card
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ome credit card companies consider lottery ticket purchases as cash advances. This means that you may be subject to a ‚cash advance fee‛ that usually has a higher interest rate! Make sure to contact your credit card company or issuing bank and ask whether lottery tickets are considered a standard purchase or a cash advance. $
IF YOU WANT TO WIN, THEN YOU HAVE TO PLAY ike Matt Damon’s character said in the movie Rounders, ‚You can’t lose what you don’t put in the middle, but you can’t win much either!‛ Don’t go to a casino with $10 or $20 and expect to win much. Ten years ago you may have been able to play all day with $20 and even walk away ahead, but casino games aren’t designed that way anymore. They’re much more volatile and you need the proper bankroll to survive the dry spells. If you’re one of those people that puts $5 into a slot and complains about the outcome, you need to be more realistic! $
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16 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
WINNING WAYS
Slot Myths
That Jackpot Should Have Been Mine! By Lana Hartmann ay you play a slot machine for a while and don’t win much, so you get up and move over to another machine. Then, sure enough, somebody else sits down at the slot you were playing and gets a bonus, a large win, or (worse yet) a jackpot on ‚your‛ machine! Question is: Would you have gotten the win if you continued playing? Answer is: No, absolutely not! Here is the reason why - Every slot machine has a random number generator (RNG) whose function is to arbitrarily pick
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18 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
what symbols will appear in what order to form winning or losing combinations. The RNG is constantly shuffling through all possible combinations and is perpetually doing so even when the slot machine is not being played. The RNG stops on a combination only when the player presses the spin button. To say that both you and the other person would have pressed the button at the exact same millisecond is highly unlikely. Just consider the fact that the RNG can go through 100,000 or more combinations in just one second! So, next time you witness something happen on a machine you just got done playing, don’t feel bad, because you didn’t ‚miss out‛ or ‚make a bad decision‛ to leave a machine.!‛
Quick Tips > Never look back at a machine you’ve walked away from. It’s not worth the frustration. You decided to leave and play somewhere else, so move on! > You are NEVER obligated to share a jackpot with someone who was playing on the machine before you. We have received e-mails from casino patrons that have been pressured to split their winnings. Call a casino employee over immediately if you are ever in this situation! $
FAST FACTS
Gaming Trivia
FLASHING LIGHTS Bet you didn’t know … Those top lights speak a language of their own! By Lana Hartmann
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hose cylindrical lights on the top of slot machines, usually referred to as ‚tower lights‛ or ‚candles‛ in the casino industry, speak a secret language of their own. The top and bottom lights blinking slowly in unison is the signal every casino visitor wants to see on the machine they’re playing, because that means they’ve just hit a jackpot! And, when the ‚service‛ button on a slot machine is pressed the top white light will turn on and remain on until a casino employee comes by and provides assistance. Most players are familiar with these two scenarios. What many people don’t realize is that the color of the bottom light has a meaning of its own and actually indicates the default minimum setting of the machine
(usually white for 1¢, pink/red for 2¢ or 5¢, yellow for 25¢, and blue for $1). This is very convenient if you’re a player trying to locate certain denomination machines— penny slots, for example. A blinking bottom light indicates that the machine door has been recently opened for any number of reasons (bill jam, paper refill, a drop has occurred where full bill acceptors are replaced with empty ones, or routine maintenance). The light stops blinking as soon as the machine is played again. The top white light flashing indicates a machine is in ‚tilt‛ mode meaning there is a problem (not very common nowadays). Other combinations of blinking have different administrative meanings. Next time you’re at the casino, see if you can crack this secret language. $
ADULT SEWING LESSONS!!!
This is the "YOU CAN MAKE IT" series of lessons! NEW THIS SUMMER, WE WILL BE OFFERING WEEKLY ADULT SEWING LESSONS!
*EXP. 11/1/2011
20 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
FAST FACTS
Casino Buzz
Coming This Month!
Wheel of Fortune Triple Spin ®
™
Casino Arizona—McKellips
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e love finding out a casino secret and sharing it with all of you! Word is that Casino Arizona—at Salt River McKellips will be the first casino in the state to install IGT’s Wheel of Fortune ® Triple Spin™ MultiPLAY video slots this month. When this issue went to print, the install date was scheduled for October 19, so mark your calendars and get ready to spin that wheel! FEATURES The Triple Spin™ Bonus initiates frequently when all three games are played and wins are much higher because players are spinning three wheels.
22 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
The three-way MultiPLAY interface has 256 winning combinations yielding higher wins. The Wild Rollover™ is a unique game play feature that rolls over Bonus initiating symbols to subsequent games awarding more wheels in the Bonus. In a recent poll, we asked our Facebook fans the question: Which signature slot that has stood the test of time stands out from all the rest? IGT’s Wheel of Fortune® got 60% of the votes and was the hands-down winner! Join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide and join the discussion group! $
Gaming News
FAST FACTS
FairPlayUSA
Rolls Out The Big Guns In Fight To Legalize Online Poker By Alex Stewart
airPlayUSA is an industry-funded coalition that advocates legalizing online poker. The alliance was originally launched this summer with startup funding from Caesars Entertainment Inc., MGM Resorts International, and other casino corporations who support a regulatory system that will enforce lawful internet poker. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh and former Homeland Security Secretary and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge have joined the Advisory Board of FairPlayUSA to help tackle the ineffective laws on illegal internet gambling. The mission of FairPlayUSA is to ‚educate policymakers and the public about the current ambiguous laws in the U.S. that have led to a $6 billion a year illegal gambling market led by rogue offshore operators.‛
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‚Current federal laws fail to provide U.S. law enforcement vital tools to address illegal internet gambling, enabling a ‘wild-west’ atmosphere,‛ said Freeh. ‚I am joining FairPlayUSA to improve this environment by
clarifying these laws, better empowering law enforcement agencies to crack down on violators and using licensing and regulation to ensure safe and legal online poker.‛ ‚The fact is there are millions and millions of people playing the game today,‛ Ridge said at a media event in the U.S. Capitol. ‚Prohibition hasn’t worked and criminalization doesn’t make a lot of sense.‛ Ridge added. FairPlayUSA promotes federal law enforcement legislation that will ‚strengthen the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006‛ and ‚give states and tribes the authority to accept or prohibit online poker.‛ Their campaign also encourages strict gaming regulations and law enforcement against illegal operators, technological safeguards preventing underage play, and state revenue sharing. To read more about FairPlayUSA and their position please visit www.fairplayusa.com. Tell us what you think! Send us an e-mail to editor@azgamingguide.com. $
Hidden Safe Found During Casino Renovation Could Crack Unsolved Murder
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huge hidden safe has recently been found at Bill’s Lake Tahoe Casino located in South Lake Tahoe, California. Apparently, the contents of the safe will remain a secret until it’s opened on a television show airing on the Oprah Winfrey Network in a few weeks. The exact date of the show has not been announced yet. The current building’s owner, Mike Laub, has speculated that the contents of the safe may have connections to Richard L. Chartrand, the one-time owner of Barney’s Casino which occupied the building between 1960 and 1987. Chartrand was killed by a car bomb just outside his home in 1968, but his killers were never caught. $ azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
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FAST FACTS
Gaming News
Rocket’s Gold Series Hits For Over
$1 Million! The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) will take place October 4—6, 2011 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the biggest and most important tradeshow for all the slot manufacturers around the world, because this is their time to ‘wow’ the casino executives with their latest and greatest games. Rumor has it that Aristocrat Technologies Inc. will be introducing new game titles to their licensed products Zorro™, Jaws™, Tarzan™, The Phantom® and Mission: Impossible™. WMS Gaming, who always has something new and exciting up their sleeves, will be debuting Colossal Reels™ - a 5x4 and 5x12 configuration with transferring wilds and another fun addition to their Monopoly ® Series! IGT will be presenting more MegaJackpots® titles that have resonated with players worldwide such as Ghostbusters™ Who Ya Gonna Call, Elvis The King® Multi-Level Progressives, Big Buck Hunter® Pro, Breakfast at Tiffany's™, The Twilight Zone®, Sex and The City™ Fabulous and The Joker's Heist™. And, all you Wolf Run® fanatics, the secret’s out of the bag that there’s a sequel coming - Wolf Run 2 Into The Wild™! These are just a few of the many awesome new titles that will be coming our way soon! Our team will be at G2E so we can give you a glimpse of what slots will be hitting the casino floors in 2012 and beyond. Watch for all the sneak peeks in our November issue! $
Rocket Gaming Systems ® has been providing linked interactive electronic gaming systems and player stations for more than 15 years. Rocket was among the first, and remains a leading, Class II manufacturer with the technology to offer wide area progressive prizes and is considered to operate the most technologically advanced Class II system in the market. $ 24 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
Rocket Gaming Systems® recently announced that its popular Gold Series® line of Class II games has awarded yet another million dollar winner. On September 4th, a lucky player was awarded a Gold Series® top progressive prize of $1,031,668.98 while playing Rocket’s Golden Sunrise® video slot game. The win occurred at the Little Creek Casino in Shelton, Washington. This marks the 6th Gold Series® top progressive prize awarded in 2011 and the 12th overall since the game was introduced in 2009. The Gold Series ® line has now awarded more than half a billion dollars in prizes! The Gold Series® currently consists of nine video titles and seven stepper titles, with new titles being released frequently. Providing players with unique and entertaining themes along with a wide range of bonus round displays, the Gold Series® has become one of the most popular Class II product lines in the industry. Six top progressive hits in nine months—WOW! Gold Series® slots are obviously on a hot streak and we strongly recommend that you give these great games a try. Play them at Mazatzal Casino or Fort McDowell Casino and let us know how it goes! Send us an e-mail to editor@azgamingguide.com and put ‚Class II‛ in the subject field. Good luck! $
Editor’s Picks
ENTERTAINMENT
BAD BOY BOXING
CHRIS YOUNG
Event Center Fort McDowell Casino October 21st—Doors at 5PM Tickets start at $25—800.THE.FORT
Diamond Center Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita October 29th—Doors at 7PM Tickets start at $20—520.294.7777
Bad Boy Fight Night is the first event that brings together Boxing & MMA for an action-packed night of fights. Local fighters compete in specific weight classes for prize money and championship belts.
Young’s all-around accomplishments as an entertainer has earned him his first ever Grammy nomination for Best Male Country Vocal Performer for the song “Getting You Home.”
RON WOOD JR.
ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?
Event Center Mazatzal Hotel & Casino—Payson November 4th—Show at 6:30PM Tickets start at $15—800.777.PLAY
AVA Amphitheater Sol Casinos—Tucson 520.838.6700 GODSMACK: Friday, Oct. 14th 8PM $28+ “Hard as nails & cranked to 11!” says Rolling Stone EVANESCENCE: Saturday, Oct. 15th 8PM $20+ Two time Grammy winner & new album Oct. 11th! JUDAS PRIEST: Tuesday, Oct. 18th 8PM $35+ 40 years of influential metal & their final world tour.
Laugh all night long with comedian Ron Wood Jr. who’s performed on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, The Late Show with David Letterman, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, E!’s Chelsea Lately, and many more!
Venues, times, dates, and ticket information may be subject to change. Please verify all details and any age restrictions with each venue as the event approaches. Photo copyrights belong to the artist. All rights reserved.
azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
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FUN & GAMES
SUDOKU
WHO SAID THAT?
Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3x3 grids must contain all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear more than once in each column, row, and 3x3 grid.
Each of the famous quotes below comes from a gambling movie. Can you guess the name of the movie and the actor who said the quote?
(Solution on page 30)
(Solution on page 30)
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1. “You
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don’t know when to quit, do ya Griswold?
Here’s an idea: Why don’t you give me half the money you were gonna bet then we’ll go out back, I’ll kick you in the nuts, and we’ll call it a day.”
2. “Listen, here’s the thing. If you can’t spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.”
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3. “Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.” 4. “In the casino, the cardinal rule is to keep them playing and keep them coming back.”
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5. “You
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world isn’t the high—it’s the moment just before you take it. The dice are dancing on the table. Between now and the time they stop, that’s the greatest high in the world.”
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28 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2011 | azgamingguide.com
know the best part of the best drug in the
SAMI’S SMACKDOWN
NOW THAT’S A SMOKIN’ ASS By Sami Becker
T
he first thing I do every morning is sit down at my computer and read all my e-mails (after I’ve made my ’Cup of Joe’ of course). This is such an exciting way for me to start my day, because I cherish each and every correspondence from my readers. Whether it’s a quick gripe written in a few short sentences from someone who just wanted to get something off their chests or it’s a long, thought out composition that I have to print out, sit back in my recliner and schedule time to read—I love them all! Over the years, some have been serious, some trivial, and some just downright HILARIOUS! I though it would be fun to share excerpts from a few that made me laugh out loud! Enjoy <
“I’m looking to sell some things I’m not using, so I can have more spending money at the casino. I have a set of encyclopedias and a snow blower that have never been used. I’m thinking I should be able to get $500 for the books and $200 for the snow blower.”
“I sat down on an ashtray today at the casino. It was left by some idiot who wanted his machine saved. I didn’t see it and I just sat my ass right down, white shorts and all, on a full ashtray! Sometimes people leave them on chairs and don’t even come back, but I didn’t wait to find out. I started walking across the casino to find another machine and a young fellow tapped me on the shoulder and told me there was something on the back of my shorts. I went to the bathroom and sure enough there was crap on my ass—gum stuck to my ass and a cigarette butt stuck to the gum! Gross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m pissed! You should tell people to not leave full ashtrays on the chairs. What the *heck+ is wrong with people??????????”
I say, two thumbs up to granny. Go granny!
This gives a different meaning to the phrase Smokin’ Ass! By the way, the exclamation marks and question marks were counted and are accurately depicted, but the word ‚heck‛ was a different word we won’t mention here. “My husband brings me bad luck at the casino and that’s an absolute fact … I’ll either have to divorce him or tell him to stay the hell away from me while I’m playing!” I guess there’s good and bad luck charms. Her husband is bad luck and it’s not just a fact, it’s an ‚absolute fact.‛
Did this lady think she was on Craigslist? By the way, snow blower in Arizona? That will be a tough one. “A granny sitting next to me at the casino tonight just went to town with my glass of beer. The first time she took a big gulp I didn’t say anything figuring she just accidentally grabbed my drink because it was between our two machines. The second time she got her filthy paws on it I knew it was no accident.”
“I won big at the casino tonight! I made $640 with only $20 on that penguin game. I can’t remember the name but you know which one I’m talking about—the one where the penguins, I mean ducks, are dressed up and they dance around like they’re tipsy. I can’t remember the name, but I had so much fun! I can’t wait to play again.” Hmm, tipsy dancing ducks that look like penguins? Okay first I thought maybe she was the one that was tipsy, but then I remembered there is a game with a dancing pig that looks like Elvis after all. And, the typos are always so much fun too < > ‚I don’t go to the casinos as often as I used to because they’re so smoky and I can’t breed well!” > “I couldn’t go to the casino yesterday because I had to take my aunt to the doctor’s to get shot.” > ‚When you put honey in the slot machine and it spits it back out does that mean anything?” > “How much money should you put into a slut before you get up and leave if it’s not doing anything?” $
Do YOU have something to rant about? Write me at: sami@azgamingguide.com azgamingguide.com | October 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide
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Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Casino Arizona—Salt River 524 N. 92nd St, Scottsdale E of Loop 101 at McKellips Rd and 92nd St 1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com Over 900 Class III Slots, Live Keno, 54 Table Games
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Tohono O'odham Nation Desert Diamond Casino 7350 S. Nogales Highway, Tucson 1 mile S of Valencia Rd on Nogales Highway 1-520-294-7777 desertdiamondcasino.com 1089 Class III Slots, Live Keno, 270 Seat Bingo Hall 17 Poker Tables, 19 Blackjack Tables Desert Diamond Casino 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita S of Tucson at I-19 and Exit 80 (Pima Mine Rd) 1-866-332-9467 desertdiamondcasino.com 890 Class III Slots, 2 Poker Tables, 8 Blackjack Tables Desert Diamond Casino Highway 86, Why 1½ miles E of Why, AZ on Highway 86 1-866-332-9467 desertdiamondcasino.com 76 Class III Slots Tonto Apache Tribe Mazatzal Hotel & Casino Highway 87, Payson S of Payson on Beeline Highway(SR 87) 1-800-777-7529 777play.com 413 Class III Slots, 6 Class II Slots, Live Keno, 280 Seat Bingo Hall, 3 Poker Tables, 5 Blackjack Tables White Mountain Apache Tribe Hon-Dah Casino, Resort & Conference Center 777 Highway 260, Pinetop 3 miles outside Pinetop at Highways 260 & 73 1-800-929-8744 hon-dah.com 802 Class III Slots, 3 Poker Tables, 4 Blackjack Tables Yavapai-Apache Nation Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel 555 Middle Verde Rd, Camp Verde 1 mile E of I-17 on Middle Verde Rd 1-800-381-7568 cliffcastlecasino.net 656 Class III Slots, 8 Poker Tables, 10 Blackjack Tables Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe Bucky's Casino Highway 69 and Heather Heights, Prescott N at top of hill next to the Prescott Resort 1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com 301 Class III Slots, 7 Poker Tables, 10 Blackjack Tables Yavapai Casino 1500 E. Highway 69, Prescott Hwy. 69 at Heather Heights on S side of SR 69 1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com 235 Class III Slots Arizona Department of Gaming 1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 1-602-771-4263 azgaming.gov Office of Problem Gambling (1-800-NEXT STEP or 1-800-639-8783 ) 1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450 Phoenix, Arizona 85007 1-602-542-8998 problemgambling.az.gov Source: Arizona Department of Gaming-Tribal Gaming Status-07/01/11
30 Arizona Gaming Guide | September 2011 | azgamingguide.com
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Solutions to “Who Said That?” 1. Marty the Blackjack Dealer (Wallace Shawn) - Vegas Vacation 2. Mike McDermott (Matt Damon) - Rounders 3. ‚Fast‛ Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) - The Color of Money 4. Ace Rothstein (Robert de Niro) - Casino 5. Walter Abrams (Al Pacino) - Two for the Money
Solution to the Sudoku
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