Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - April 2013 - 05:04

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Contents APRIL

DEPARTMENTS 04 EDITOR’S NOTE 06 PLAYERS TALK 09 GREAT GAMES 11 GAMING NEWS 16 ARIZONA LOTTERY 18 FEATURE STORY 24 WINNING WAYS 26 CASINO DINING 28 TRIBAL NEWS 30 TRAVEL—LAUGHLIN 34 CASINO ENTERTAINMENT 36 CASINO NIGHTLIFE 37 FUN FACTS 38 HOT DEALS 40 CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

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42 FUN & GAMES 45 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN 46 CASINO DIRECTORY

EXCITING NEW SLOTS HIT CASINO FLOORS ALL ACROSS ARIZONA!

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CASINOS FOLD ON POKER ROOMS AS TREND WANES

TOTAL REWARDS MAKES CHANGES TO PROGRAM

SAMI’S SMACKDOWN: “WE HOVER BECAUSE…”

Casinos all across the country are increasingly picking slot machines over table games.

New changes to the Total Rewards loyalty program give members a huge advantage!

Hoverers speak out about why they hover and why it shouldn’t bother anyone.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Your Authority On Everything Gaming VOLUME 05 • ISSUE 04 PUBLISHER Chris Höft chris@azgamingguide.com MANAGING DIRECTOR Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com

Tons Of Exciting New Slots Hit Casino Floors! With warmer weather just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to grab a drink, sit by the pool, and read the new issue of the Arizona Gaming Guide! I’m excited to present this month’s feature story focused on all the new slots that have recently arrived, and will be coming soon, to casinos all across Arizona! We’ve also taken a closer look at the Total Rewards loyalty program and found that changes with the rules have given members added advantages! Also, don’t be surprised if one day in the near future you visit your favorite casino and find more room dedicated to the slot floor. More and more casinos are closing their poker rooms. You can read about the reasons why this trend is happening along with information about casino dining, entertainment, and so much more! 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. You can sign up for our e-newsletter and find current and back issues of AZ Gaming Guide on our website at www.azgamingguide.com. Let me know what you think of our April issue and have fun! Cheers!

Alexandra Alexandra Lang

Editor-in-Chief editor@azgamingguide.com

“Like” us on Facebook because

we “Like” you too!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexandra Lang editor@azgamingguide.com ART DIRECTOR Melanie Mueller CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ramses Ja Cindy Esquer Margret Höft Mark Novak Alex Stewart Samantha Becker Lana Hartmann ADVERTISING SALES Nina Consiglio nina@azgamingguide.com Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com MAILING INFORMATION Arizona Gaming Guide P.O. Box 20636 Mesa, Arizona 85277 INTERNET INFORMATION www.azgamingguide.com www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright © 2013 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 posts, e-mails 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 problemgambling.az.gov.

Arizona’s State Gaming Regulatory Agency: Arizona Department of Gaming 1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450, Phoenix, 85007 1.602.771.4263 or azgaming.gov

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Tribal Gaming Funded Problem Gambling Resource: Office of Problem Gambling 1.800.NEXT.STEP or 1.800.639.8783 1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450, Phoenix, 85007 1.602.542.8998 or problemgambling.az.gov



PLAYERS TALK

Q&A On Everything Gaming

Q: I love playing Video Poker and my favorite is Triple Double Bonus Poker since I can win the most money on that game. My question is, how hard is it to get the four Aces with a kicker? It’s probably just as unlikely as the Royal Flush since both wins pay the same amount. I’d appreciate any advice you can give me to help me win more often on that game. Thank you! My wife and I love reading your Gaming Guide. Jerry Melak – Bullhead City, AZ A: Jerry, we really appreciate your support of our publication. Thank you! Triple Double Bonus Poker is one of our favorites because of the bonused four-of-a-kinds! Playing with optimal strategy, the Royal Flush occurs about once in every 45,000 hands. The four Aces with a kicker (a 2, 3, or 4) actually happens much more often—about once every 14,000 hands! This is 3x more often than a Royal Flush for the exact same win of 4,000 credits at a 5-coin max bet! In fact, the 2,000 credit win for a four-of-a-kind with 2s, 3s, or 4s plus a kicker happens quite frequently as well! You can expect this lucrative win about once every 6,000 hands! Here are a few hints to increase your chances for higher returns. You have to be careful when playing this game, because the optimal strategy is slightly different from most other games. For example, when dealt three Aces with a kicker, you always hold a kicker with the three Aces because the bonused payout is so large. For the same reasoning, always make sure to drop a dealt Full House and only hold the Aces (plus a kicker when applicable). Note that optimal strategy also dictates you hold a kicker when dealt three 2s, 3s, or 4s for the bonused win as well. Good luck playing this awesome Video Poker game! Q: First of all, thanks for the great magazine and explanations of all of the little gambling nuances that have always escaped me. I do have a question regarding your answer to some reader who asked whether the casinos control the slot machine output differently when a person uses their comps card. You, of course, said that they cannot do such a manipulation, but in your February 2013 issue wherein you discuss the Zeus II slots, (#2. Easy to trigger a bonus) you state, "This number is cal-

culated by keeping track of the number of spins you play and the number of bonuses you hit over many play sessions." Keeping track over many play sessions would then seem to indicate that the machine determines when it should pay you a bonus based on past history. Isn’t each session a totally independent event? Joe Menosky – Scottsdale, AZ A: Joe, yes each play session on a slot is a totally independent event. Keeping track of how long it takes you to get into a bonus over several play sessions is similar to flipping a coin and keeping track of how often you get heads or tails. Statistically, we know that you will flip either a heads or a tails 50% of the time, on average. In the short run, you may have more of one than the other, but the more flips you do the closer you will come to the “average.” And, each flip of the coin is still a totally independent event. The same goes with playing a slot and counting the number of spins to a bonus. You can come up with a close estimate of the “average” number of spins it takes to trigger a bonus and then use this information to determine the approximate bank roll you’ll need for that particular game. Remember, each slot game is designed with a math model that’s basically comprised of a bunch of statistics for each win, including the bonus. All these stats are “averages,” of what should happen in the long run. Each player can perform their own experiment and come up with a close estimate of an average for the bonus and even most of the pay table wins! Q: I’m curious to know how much money the Indian tribes make from the casinos. Also, how much really does go back to the State of Arizona? Jenna M. Grady – Queen Creek, AZ A: Jenna, the aggregate gross gaming revenue for fiscal year 2012 for the period beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2012 was $1,781,955,493. A substantial amount of this money went back to the State of Arizona. During 2012, tribal contributions deposited in the Arizona Benefits Fund for education, tourism, wildlife and emergency services, amongst others, was $84,936,893. In addition to this amount, another 12,406,538 went towards cities, towns, and counties! The tribes make contributions to the State on a quarterly basis. $

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.

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Q&A On Everything Gaming

PLAYERS TALK

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New Slots

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ow available on casino floors, the My Poker® series by WMS combines playerpopular Video Poker themes and pay tables with optional feature bet games and a whole new level of personalization and comfort for an amazing video poker experience! We sat down with Dion, the designer behind these exciting Video Poker experiences, to learn what makes My Poker games a Royal Flush.

GREAT GAMES

When you say “My Poker, My Personalization,” what exactly do you mean? The neat part about the My Poker series is that we really do want it to be just that, “My Poker” personalized for each player. In order to make this possible, the My Poker series offers an extremely wide variation of personalization options that players can use to customize their poker game and really turn it into a custom experience. Card Art, Card Size, Screen Layout, Draw Speed, Screen Color, Deal Alert, Highlighting Wins, Win Celebrations, Easy Deal, Timers, Brightness, and Volume are just a few of the many options that are available! My Poker has an online play for fun component - what can you tell us about this? The online play for fun component, available on select casino websites as well as Playerslife.com, is truly unique because it allows the player to get familiar with the My Poker games. Here they are able to personalize their account with Card Art, Card Size, Screen Color etc., creating their own My Poker experience. By logging into the online play for fun component, they can

What should players know about the My Poker series that makes the games compelling alternatives to the currently available Video Poker products? The My Poker series offers a slight twist on traditional Video Poker that sets it apart from any other poker product in the industry by offering the familiar pay tables that players know and love and combining them with the comfort of an all-new cabinet and a slew of personalization options that truly live up to its tagline: “My Poker. My Way.” What sets WMS’ My Poker cabinet apart from other video poker cabinets? The extensive market, hardware and player research that went into it. We really wanted to design a cabinet that was built for the player. By combining the view of an upright and the comfort of a slant top cabinet with a custom-built button panel, we were able to create the best of both worlds! How does the My Poker cabinet offer a new level of comfort for the player? The detail of the My Poker cabinet really provides a new level of comfort for the player. A custom-built poker button panel aligns all the buttons closer to the screen, providing better sightlines to maximize visibility. Also, the cabinet features a ergonomic footrest as well as a padded armrest designed to really make players feel comfortable for long periods of time.

save these personalization preferences at home and log back in once they are on their favorite casino floor, resuming their own personalized experience. What is your favorite My Poker feature? My favorite My Poker feature is actually the Winning Streak® feature because of its ability to really maximize wins! During the Winning Streak event, every winning hand moves up a multiplier level and awards a free hand. Pays are then evaluated at the multiplier level at the end of a Winning Streak event. The thing that I really think is exciting about this feature is that players don’t have to have a great hand in order to have a Big Win; instead they just need to keep their Winning Streak event going, and their wins have the potential to be multiplied big! $

For more information about My Poker, Winning Streak or other great slot games by leading slot manufacturer WMS, please visit their website at www.wms.com. To sign up for a Player’s Life account visit www.playerslife.com. Many thanks to WMS for the interview and graphics.

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GAMING NEWS

Casino Arizona Opens New Southwestern Cantina Players Continue to Hit Top Jackpots On Aristocrat Games Players across America have been heating up casino floors with the Aristocrat games. Six lucky players hit the hot, top jackpot on Aristocrat’s Tarzan Lord of the Jungle, Tarzan & Jane Forbidden Temple, JAWS Bounty Hunter, and Loco Loot slot games, all within 10 days of each other! Aristocrat Vice President of Gaming Operations said, “Players everywhere love Aristocrat games, and with frequent top jackpots like these, it’s easy to understand why!”

The beautiful new Arizona Room Patio Grill at Casino Arizona is now open! It marks the completion of an overall renovation project that has been underway since December 2011. The revamped lounge opens with a sizable food and drink menu, new décor and a state-of-the-art media wall. “We are so excited to welcome guests to the Arizona Room Patio Grill and to the refreshed Casino Arizona,” said Ramon Martinez, director of public relations of Casino Arizona. “The renovation was phased so as not to impact our guests too much. Though, they have demonstrated much patience as they waited for everything to be done. We know they will love the finished product as much as we do.”

Every casino in AZ has at least one Aristocrat game with exciting, life-changing jackpots. Make sure to give these great slots a spin while they’re hot! $

For its part of the project, the Arizona Room Patio Grill has been totally overhauled. Starting as an indoor/outdoor piano lounge, the outlet has transformed into a Southwestern cantina, ideal for listening to live music or watching sports entertainment. The grill is outfitted with a stage, where various musical acts will be featured nightly. It also has more than 30 television monitors throughout including a 24-screen media wall showcasing current sporting events. The warm, yet modern, décor of the new restaurant has seating for more than 60, comprised of hi and low-top tables, lounge and patio seating as well as a main and back bar. The room’s hardwood floor will serve as a perfect dance floor complementing its full-size stage. With performance lighting and sound capabilities, the stage will play host to a variety of musical acts and styles. Casino Arizona’s talented chefs have crafted a menu with bold flavors. Guests will delight in the Machaca Beef and Mojo Chicken Street Tacos, Pork Green Chili Stew and Fiery Romesco Burger and Red Chili Chicken Posole. Desserts on the roster include Churros and Sopapillas with desert honey. Moreover, Arizona Room Patio Grill’s bar offers a wide-selection of specialty cocktails from the likes of a Pineapple Margarita to Prairie Fire, a Fireball Whiskey with a dash of Tabasco. Wines and craft beers from local breweries including Four Peaks and San Tan also are available. The Arizona Room Patio Grill is open daily from 11am to 2am. For more information on the eatery and to see a complete menu, visit their website at www.casinoarizona.com. $ azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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GAMING NEWS

Future of Gaming

Casinos Increasingly Pick Slot Machines Over Table Poker As trend wanes, casinos fold on poker rooms

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on’t be surprised if one day, in the near future, you visit your favorite casino and find that the slot floor has grown bigger in size. More and more gaming facilities are switching out their tables for slot machines, because poker rooms can never come close to generating the revenue that slots are able to for the casinos. Poker players exchange money with each other and not the house, which is why poker has never been a high-profit game for casinos. In fact, for some casinos, it’s been a tremendous drain given that poker rooms must employ a dealer for every table as well as shift supervisors and managers. Although all casinos collect portions of what players put down, usually about 5 percent, it’s not nearly enough for most establishments to justify keeping a room open. Even though poker has never been a big moneymaker—even when its popularity soared in the early 2000’s—casinos were still willing to forgo the extra dollars just to get players through the doors. Now, dozens of casinos all across the country, including large gambling halls in towns like Las Vegas, Reno, Laughlin, and Atlantic City, have been clearing out

their green felt tables. Nearly a dozen rooms have folded in Sin City alone in the last couple years. And, a trip to Laughlin or Reno will reveal high limit areas where poker rooms existed before. The trend is also catching on in Indian casinos as well. Entries in the World Series of Poker also seem to have taken a hit. The attendance at the main event in 2000 was 512 and by 2006 there were 8,773 entrants. However, the very next year in 2007 there were already almost 2,000 less entrants! For the past couple of years, the number of entrants hasn’t even been able to reach 7,000. Even though the poker trend may not last much longer and many Arizona casinos are sure to follow suit and close their rooms, one thing is for certain and that’s slot machines will never go out of style! Manufacturers will continue to reinvent the wheel and make games more interesting and enticing for players. The poker players may eventually be forced to play online, but slot enthusiasts will always have the option of whether they want to play their favorite games on their computers at home or in a brick and mortar casino. $

New Jersey Becomes Third State To Legalize Online Gambling

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ew Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, recently signed a bill into law making New Jersey the third state in the United States to legalize internet gambling following Nevada and Delaware. New Jersey plans to take 15% of the revenue generated online by players within their borders. Now, with more states working to legalize internet gambling, Congress is feverishly trying to come up with a federal framework. Recent drafts of the legislation indicate that the federal government may take 5 to 10% of the states’ tax revenue. The American Gaming Association projects $10 billion a year in online betting by 2017! We’d love to hear your opinion. Send us an e-mail with “Online Gambling” in the subject line to editor@azgamingguide.com and tell us what you think! $

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GAMING NEWS

Incredible Technologies Receives AZ License Exciting slot games are coming our way from the newest company on the slot scene!

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ncredible Technologies (IT), a casino gaming manufacturer located in the Chicago suburb of Vernon Hills, Illinois has just been granted a gaming license by the Arizona Department of Gaming to conduct business with all regulated tribes in the state. Approval to do business in Arizona comes at an opportune time for the company whose install base now includes 14 U.S. states, Macau and an iGaming presence in the U.K. “Arizona is an important piece of our strategic growth plan,” said Elaine Hodgson, IT president and CEO. “Over half of our U.S. sales are with partners in tribal gaming. With over 15,000 games in the market and a strong video slot player base, Arizona represents our next best opportunity.”

About Incredible Technologies Incredible Technologies is an emerging Class-III casino gaming manufacturer focused on delivering compelling video slot content to the modern day casino floor. IT is also the largest manufacturer of coin-operated video games in the U.S. with its flagship product, Golden Tee® Golf, recognized as the most successful pay-to-play video game in history. For more information about IT and their games, please visit their website at www.itsgames.com. $

Archie® Slot Machine Debuts At NIGA 2013 At the National Indian Gaming Association Trade Show held March 24-27 at the Phoenix Convention Center, Incredible Technologies debuted their latest licensed game title Archie® in Riverdale Riches™. The Archie Comics line of comic books is one of the most successful, longest running brands in the history of the comic industry. Archie Comics have sold 1.5 billion comics and are published in a dozen different foreign languages and distributed all over the world. In this 40 line slot game, players will experience full character grouped symbol wins of the entire gang along with fun added-wild events. Three comic book scatters trigger one of two bonus games, a fate determined by the flip of a comic book. In the Jughead Free Spin™ bonus things get cookin' with Archie's best bud with up to 18 free spins piled with wilds. The battle for Archie's true love begins a new chapter in the Betty vs. Veronica Pick 'Em™ bonus. Players choose their favorite of Archie's two gal-pals and select random hearts for giant wins, credit multipliers and more!

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ARIZONA LOTTERY

Winners & Jackpots

$50,000 Bingo Boxes Win

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esus Sesma of Phoenix enjoys playing the Arizona Lottery’s Bingo Boxes Scratchers™, and he’s had good luck with it, usually getting a return on his investment. He always buys from two particular stores and plans how much he is going to spend. He recently purchased four Bingo Boxes. He took the tickets home to scratch, and the second ticket made him a top prize winner of $50,000. However, like most people, Jesus checked the ticket about five times to be sure it really did show a $50,000 top prize. When he told his wife the good news, she had a difficult time believing it because she’d always thought those kinds of wins happened to everyone else. Jesus plans to use some of his winnings for some dental work and new glasses. The rest will be put into savings. The winning ticket was purchased from Bashas’ Food City located at 845 W. Southern Ave., Phoenix.

$52,000 Weekly Winnings Win

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arl Epps of Tempe began playing the Arizona Lottery draw game, Weekly Winnings™, because it offered “another opportunity for winning.” He plays three lines of his own numbers and one Quick Pick for each drawing. Once Earl discovered his numbers matched those that had been drawn, he had his wife double check them for accuracy. They discussed their plans, and since they plan to invest their winnings, decided on a lump sum of $52,000 instead of the $1,000 a week for a year. Earl plays all of the draw games and he believes in the Arizona Lottery slogan of “You can’t win if you don’t play,” as long as you play within your means. Retired from the field of education, Earl said, “I’m still going to continue to play, but maybe not buy as many as previously.” The winning ticket was purchased from QuikTrip, 918 E. Baseline Rd., Tempe.

$100,000 Holiday Treasures Win

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For more information on the Arizona Lottery, please visit their website at www.arizonalottery.com. For the winning numbers call (480) 829-7425 in Phoenix or (520) 325-9141 in Tucson. All other areas in Arizona, call 1-800-499-3798.

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arriet Munguia-Lugo of Chandler considers herself a “hit or miss player of Scratchers™,” except during the holiday season. She plays whatever game strikes her fancy, with no particular price point. When she was in the store recently, the Holiday Treasures™ Scratchers caught her eye, so she purchased one. She waited until she was home before she scratched it, then when she saw the winning prize amount of $100,000, checked a few more times just to be sure she hadn’t made a mistake. She then signed the back of the ticket, but did not take it to a store to be scanned. Since it was a busy time of the year for her, she waited until she had time to come to the Phoenix Lottery office to redeem it. Harriet is a licensed optician and owns her own business. She thoroughly enjoys meeting new people and spends most of her time with her business. Although she says, “The business is my life” she also enjoys spending time with her grown children and grandchildren. With regard to her winnings, Harriet will most likely invest it in real estate. The winning ticket was purchased from Albertsons located at 3145 S. Alma School Rd., Chandler. $



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hen members of the Arizona Gaming Guide staff first started designing slot machines for the slot manufacturers well over a decade ago, Arizona’s casinos rarely changed out their slots. Every couple of months, a few new slots would creep out timidly onto the floor and overall most casinos’ slot floors would look the same at the end of the year as they did in the beginning. Fortunately, all of that has changed! For the casino patrons and casino management, the action lies with the slots and clearly Arizona’s casinos continually reinforce that fact with all the new games! WMS’ Life of Luxury Deluxe: This slot features a top award worth 5x the amount of the next highest prize, giving players a chance at a huge local area progressive jackpot. The bonus hits randomly during base game play, giving players 10 free spins on a 5x4 bonus reel set. Each reel in the bonus set has a gem attributed to it. The gems are: opal, ruby, emerald, sapphire or diamond. A gem appearing anywhere on the reel takes players to a pick screen where they try to find that gem’s associated progressive or credit amounts. A player’s odds of finding the progressive increase with bet, with those max betting guaranteed the progressive. Players can win multiple progressives in the bonus!

Wow! Since the beginning of this year the number of new slot machines in casinos around Arizona is simply astounding. Every casino in the state has updated the line of slots they offer their customers. As a result, we decided to accumulate as much info on the new slots as we could get our hands on and deliver the goods all at once. So here we go, around the state, casino by casino!

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Apache Gold Casino in Globe The most current information available to us about their slot floor is that they have new electronic table games, including Roulette, Blackjack, and Three Card Poker. Konami’s Beat the Field Progressive is also a good option along with WMS’ Life of Luxury Deluxe, Aruze’s Paradise Fishing, and IGT’s Big Buck Hunter, all of which are new games. BlueWater Casino in Parker The Slot Director at this casino has been updating the slot floor ever since arriving several years ago. As a result, you’ll find all sorts of popular games and a few true classics as well. The most recent additions will ensure you’ll enjoy a flying carpet ride on WMS’ Aladdin, dance with Michael Jackson on Bally’s King of Pop, and shoot for jackpots with Aristocrat’s Cashman Live (Heart Diamonds and King 7’s). The truly amazing list is the lineup of new IGT games including Elvis the King, Super Triple Play Poker, Ultimate X Poker, Jaguar Princess, Wild Horses, Midnight Eclipse, Tango de Oro, Golden Memories, Fiesta Chihuahua, Keepin’ it Hot Triple Stars, Gold Bar 7’s, Candy Bars, Miss Red, The Lovely Outlaws, Cherry Mischief, Star Wars and Family Guy. Plus, they’ve got (Continued on page 20)

Aristocrat’s Cashman Live: Slot Machine Feature—Cashman tries his luck with a spin on a slot machine and awards a bonus value from 50 to 999 credits multiplied by the bet multiplier. Juggle Feature—Cashman shows off his juggling skills with three moneybags of free spins and three gift boxes of credit values. Select a moneybag! Star Match Feature—Continue selecting stars until 2 matching prizes have been revealed, either free spins or credits. Multiply Magic Feature—Cashman awards a multiplier between 2x and 5x, which applies to all wins during the feature. Hold and Respin Feature— At the end of a game with no wins, Cashman may appear, to give a second chance by holding all reels containing top symbols and re-spinning the remaining reels once. Great play sessions here!



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WMS hits like KISS, Gone with the Wind, Monster Jackpots, and Super Monopoly! Konami’s Beat the Field: This slot features a horse race themed, 4-level linked, community play, and mystery progressive. Each eligible player will receive horses in a race against other players’ horses. At the end of the race, one progressive prize will be awarded for the winning horse and bonus credits for each horse in the race!

Bucky’s and Yavapai Casinos in Prescott Both Bucky’s and Yavapai Casinos are installing WMS’ Aladdin as a penny game with a minimum bet of 40¢ and a max bet of $4. Just recently a bank of new Konami Beat the Field progressive games made their way into Bucky’s Casino with Alchemist’s Garden, Fairy Blossom, Grand Power of Africa, and Full Moon Diamond. Casino Arizona & Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale Available now at Talking Stick Resort and at Casino Arizona is Aruze’s Paradise Fishing, an exciting ‘community’ style slot machine with a distinctive fishing rod handle used during the game’s bonus feature. Dominated by one of the biggest, brightest screens around, you can stand for hours watching schools of fish swim, invoking the feeling of being at a large aquarium. When it is time to go fishing your fisherman begins hauling fish into the boat, the larger the fish the bigger your rewards. Watching people hauling on the fishing rod in a manic frenzy to land the biggest fish possible leaves you wondering when, not if, they are going to break the fishing rod right off of the slot machine! Offered in $0.01 denomination with a max bet of $3.00. IGT’s Candy Bars: Available at both Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort, Candy Bars is a sweet new game theme being released by IGT on their exclusive multi-layer display (MLD) platform. What makes MLD cool is the layered displays allow images to move and expand up through the layers creating dramatic three dimensional affects. And, what makes Candy Bars so sweet? Candy Bars has a three level progressive but unlike other progressives which are usually tied to the denomination of the game and require players to max bet to qualify, Candy Bars allow players to qualify for the progressive with minimum wagers. But as players increase their wager the progressive awards, and their values increase. Offered in $0.02 denomination with a minimum wager of $1.50. Fifty (50) lines with a bonus bet of twenty-five (25) credits; max wager is $4.50. Example: Minimum bet top award = $600.00; Max bet top award = $1,800.00.

Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort will be one of the first casinos in Arizona to have Aruze’s new Innovator Deluxe slots featuring two all new themes, Crystal and The Gold. Both are Deluxe 5 reel 30 line game, featuring Radiant Reels with multiple spin speeds, 240 LEDs and a dynamically lit top box to grab players’ attention. The slots feature Wild symbols that multiply

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wins when they appear. Bonuses include the Crystal/Big Gold Bonus with Crystal/Big Gold Prize Selection and 7 Free Games. Casino Arizona is also adding a bank of Aruze’s stepper Innovator cabinets with several themes: King of Dragons and King of Dragons III with the Dragon’s riches hiding within the magical orbs of the Dragon Bonus, and Seven Rush is a 5 reel 5 line game where players seek out 7’s for big wins. The Seven Rush Free Games is triggered if the bonus symbol appears on reel 3. During Seven Rush Free Games, no credits are won with symbol combinations except the “777” symbol win. WMS’ The Price is Right Plinko: The base game is a 50 line video slot on a fiveby-four screen, with surprise features like "Wild Reels." A minimum bet of 40 cents covers the pay lines. During any base-game spin, a "Plinko chip" can drop to fall into a bucket at the bottom to change from one to four reels wild for a spin. The free-spin bonus awards 10 free games, but the main feature of the game is the Plinko Bonus, triggered by a Plinko symbol on the fifth reel on either a basegame spin or free spin. Launch a Plinko chip into the top-box game board, where it passes through a "Money Zone" for bonus credits until dropping into one of seven buckets, awarding credits, multipliers, a free-spin bonus, one of two progressive jackpots—resetting at $25 (Minor) or $250 (Major)—or the "Showcase Showdown Wheel!”

Cocopah Casino in Yuma This slot has a really excellent mix of hot new slots and older classics that everyone loves but can’t seem to find anymore. As far as we know, this is one of the only casinos in Arizona that offers WMS’ Price is Right Plinko slots! WMS’ Spider-Man: Spider-Man is the second game to feature the Sensory Immersion 2.0 motion system chair, following the successful Aladdin & The Magic Quest theme. Spider-Man is a “dual-array” game providing video slot action across two 5×3 reel sets with each spin, with six random “Spider-Sense” features and exciting bonus rounds that include video and audio clips from the iconic film trilogy. Experience the advanced graphics perfectly synchronized with the motion of their chair in an exciting bonus battle with the Green Goblin. The SpiderMan game also features a first-of-its-kind take on Free Spins. The movement of the motion chair is synchronized with the action of the exciting movie clips playing behind the reels during the spins, and also to have as many as eight reel sets spinning simultaneously on each play in the bonus round. You will find this bonus even more exciting with the possibility of multipliers up to 50x the credits awarded on all reel sets’ line wins!

Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson One of the largest casinos in the entire state, this slot floor keeps packing in the newest and the best games. Many of their new games are firsts in Arizona or Tucson, so be sure to stop by and play them today! You’ll find new games like IGT’s Judge Judy, Aristocrat’s Superman and Bally’s Michael Jackson. And (Continued on page 21)


(Continued from page 20)

they’re even adding more like IGT’s CSI, Family Guy and WMS’ Spiderman. Desert Diamond Casino in Sahuarita Enjoy the electrifying action of spinning for million-dollar jackpots or hit a royal flush on one of their countless video poker machines. Play your favorite games as well as the hottest new games like WMS’ Cheers, Monster Jackpots, Aladdin & Bally’s Grease! Whatever your game, they're sure to have it! Fort McDowell Casino in Fountain Hills This casino has so many new slots, it’s hard to list all of them here. Essentially, every month there’s something new on the floor and we’d expect that trend to continue across the year. New Konami games include Rock Around the Clock Flashy Wheels. The latest Aristocrat slots are The Mummy, Superman the Movie, Cash Express Gold More Hearts & Cash Express More Chilli. This casino also has all the latest and greatest games by IGT like Sex and the City Out on the Town, Judge Judy, Ghostbusters, Elvis, Beverly Hillbillies, and $5 Wheel of Fortune games. An entire bank of slots will be upgraded to IGT’s The Amulet and the Charm, Cherry Mischief, Day of the Dead, Lovely Outlaws, Miss Red, Shadow of the Panther, Red Cliffs, Diamonds of Athens, Diamond Jubilee, Red Hot Respin Double Diamond, 27 Ways to win Dazzling Dollars and West Journey Treasure Hunt. In terms of Bally slots, you’ll find (Continued on page 22)

Bally’s Betty Boop’s Fortune Teller: Two progressive jackpots, “Pudgy’s Predictions” (major), and “Boop-OopA-Doop” (minor), are available to win at any bet level. A top progressive features Bally’s new life-changing Cash Connection wide-area progressive, available at max bet. Dubbed Betty’s Fortunes Jackpot, it is awarded via fiveof-a-kind scatter pay symbol on the base game reel set. Betty Boop’s Fortune Teller offers an unprecedented 15 bonuses at any bet. After hitting three U-Spin symbols, you are awarded with a real-time 3D Fortune Wheel that you can touch, slide, and spin. The Fortune Wheel is full of surprises, such as the Palm reading, where you’ll put your hand on the iDeck so Betty can read your palms. The credit and multiplier values are awarded based on the reading of your life line, heart line, success line, and fate line. The game also includes several free game and multiplier bonuses, from Signs of the Zodiac Free Games and Crystal Ball Free Games, to Pudgy’s Magical Multiplier Free Games, during which Betty randomly intervenes to help players who get only 1x or 2x. “I can change your future!” she declares, giving you a free second try! Is your good fortune right around the corner? Find out with Betty Boop and Pudgy.

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(Continued from page 21)

Blazing Hot Tournament and Betty Boop Fortune Teller. Last, but not least, are the WMS games and there are a lot! Cheers, Super Monopoly Money, Monster Jackpots, Lord of the Rings the Fellowship, and Lord of the Rings Land of Mordor. The list continues with Rapunzel and Gothel. Reel ‘Em In Greatest Catch, Jade Amulet, and Gorilla Chief. Plus there’s Colossal Gaming’s massive slot Hot at the Top in dollars. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa Another casino with a massive slot floor is Harrah’s. The long drive from Phoenix or Tucson is worth it as you have all sorts of options to choose from. WMS slots include Wicked Beauty, Bier Haus (we love this game!), Napoleon & Josephine, Double Money Burst slots (Fire Queen, Neptune’s Quest, and Dean Martin’s Pool Party). IGT’s lineup on their floor includes a lot of new GameKing Multi-games which offer Candy Bars, Jaguar Princess, Shadow of the Panther, Miss Red, The Lovely Outlaws, Mystery Mountain, Midnight Eclipse, and Cherry Mischief. Spielo’s newest Deal or No Deal massive slot is also available here. If you like flashy loud games that pay, try Aruze’s 4 Chinese Beasts or King of Dragons. If you notice several banks of games together, those will be MultiMedia’s TournEvent package that will probably see some special action at casinos around Arizona in the near future. For now, these games offer slots like Carnival in Rio, Hawaiian Luau, Triple Cheeseburger Deluxe (a slot machine game designer’s delight and inside joke all in one!), Stallion Spirit, Chamillion, Wild Leopard, Crown Jewels, Kingdom of Siam, Lucky New Year, Wild Rainforest, and Alakazam. Bally’s slots weigh in with Gaucho’s Gold, Jewel of the Dragon, Texas Dice, and two jumbo slots that let you play Mustang and Quick Hit Wild Jackpot Triple Blazing 7’s (excellent math in these slots—really good games). As if that wasn’t enough, Harrah’s also has new Konami games including Lion Festival, Mayan Chief, Fan-Tastic Gold, Mystical Ruins, Gypsy Eyes, and Fortunes of the Orient. Hon-Dah Casino in Pinetop The slot department at this property has seen a lot of action with their jackpots and their games! You can now play 5 Bats, Buffalo, Jackpot Catcher, More Hearts, Rise of the Incas, Stack of Gold, Thunder King, Thunder Zeus, Timber Wolf, Wild Panda, and Wolf Moon all by Aristocrat. Bee Lucky, China River, and Choco Choco by Bally. You can play Diamonds of Athens and Ultimate X Poker by IGT. Plus this casino is one of the only places in Arizona where you can rock out with KISS by WMS! WMS’ KISS: You wanted the best, you got the best! Players looking for a unique take on multi-array games, original game mechanics and a rockin’ soundtrack need look no further. KISS slots will set your floor to Rock and Roll All Nite and party every day! A new take on multi-array base games can award one, two or three bonus reel sets on any spin, each enhanced with low symbols removed, Wilds or Wild reels. On top of that are three exciting bonuses, including the KISS Alive Bonus for an exciting new take on picking bonuses set to a soundtrack that’s Hotter than Hell. Triggered with 3 Bonus symbols on the Demon reel set. Players pick to uncover 1 of 3 possible bonus rounds: Band Prize—Awards 1 of 4 Top Box prizes at random. Free Spins— Up to 15 free spins at up to 2x. Additional spins can award for 3 Bonus symbols during Free Spins. Players can also select which KISS tunes they hear during base game play!

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

Lone Butte Casino in Chandler Wanna play? Then they’ve got just what you’re looking for with 850 of the newest, most exciting games like IGT’s Ghostbusters, and Spielo’s Deal or No Deal. And, of course, they have your alltime favorite IGT progressives like Wheel of Fortune and Wheel of Fortune Extreme. Some highlights of the slot floor here include IGT’s CSI: Video Slots where it should be a crime to win this much. You can swipe to change to play CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami or CSI: New York featuring award-winning cast members including Catherine Willows, Lieutenant Horatio Caine and Detective Mac Taylor. Three immersive bonus features allow you to interact with scenes from your favorite episodes! The Trace Evidence Bonus reveals extra wilds in the base game for a guaranteed win! In the Crime Scene Pick Bonus— search for evidence while revealing credits and extra picks. If you find three or more pieces of evidence, you’ll trigger Crime Lab Free Games! The Crime Lab Free Games award up to 12 free games with possible retriggers! Plus, spin in search of DNA and increase your multiplier for even bigger wins! Bally’s Pawn Stars video slots are ready for you to make a deal! America's favorite pawn TV series is now an exciting new video slot! Enjoy 11 different wheel bonuses plus free games, wilds, and pick em' features! You can even negotiate with "The Old Man," Chumlee, Corey, and Rick to "sell items" you've collected while playing! The biggest names in Pawn are here to play, and you're invited! Did you know that Spielo makes a Plants vs. Zombies slot and you can play it at Lone Butte? Get ready to soil your plants! Based on the game for your smart phone or tablet, this is a feature-packed game with 3 different wilds events and random plant/zombie scatter awards! Guaranteed wins in the Gargantuar Free Spin Bonus and much more! Plus, they have IGT’s Family Guy too! Family Guy’s multi-level progressive slots feature your favorite characters from the show and exciting interactive bonuses like The Drunken Clam Bonus, Lois' Hot Free Spins, and Brian's Big Dig. With Stewie's World Domination Progressives...Victory shall be yours! Mazatzal Casino in Payson This casino recently installed WMS’ Monster Jackpots and Aladdin. Monster Jackpots is perhaps one of the staff’s recent personal favorites for entertainment gaming. This slot has the ability to provide extended play sessions without digging deep into your bankroll! Plus, by the time this issue is available, the slot department will have two Family Guy and two CSI slots. Both games are by IGT and they were quite a hit at the big slot trade show in Las Vegas last November! Just to top things off, Mazatzal is also offering Cash Express Gold by Aristocrat. This progressive slot bank offers five jackpot levels and multiple game themes. You’ll have the best chance at play time on More Chili and More Hearts. If you want to risk it, play Buffalo or Pompeii. The middle of the road experience can be found on 50 Lions. Also, don’t forget to check out the huge Moo La La slot by Colossal Gaming! $ The Arizona Gaming Guide would like to thank everyone at Arizona’s casinos and all other third parties who were generous enough to assist us in obtaining information for this article. On our behalf, and on behalf of our readers and fans, your patrons, Thank You! Please note we made every effort to include accurate and timely information for this article. However, we cannot be held responsible for missing, outdated or incorrect information regarding available slot machines. Readers may wish to verify information directly with casinos prior to their visit. Write editor@azgamingguide.com if you have any questions.



WINNING WAYS

Players Club Cards

TOTAL REWARDS New changes to loyalty program give members a huge advantage. By Mark Novak

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f you recently received a letter in the mail or an e-mail from Caesars Entertainment regarding some changes to their Total Rewards program, hopefully you carefully read their statement and locked in on several important facts! My team and I always like knowing what we’re up against in terms of participating in Players Club programs at casinos; in particular when a casino makes changes to their program. Since Caesars Entertainment operates or manages so many casino properties all over the United States and the world, it behooves us to investigate the overhaul in close detail so that we can all benefit from any advantage defined in the program. Caesars has always had several “Tiers” built into the Total Rewards program. Currently, the lowest level is called Gold, the next level up is referred to as Platinum, the third Tier is named Diamond, and the most exclusive Tier is identified as Seven Stars. Based on the Total Rewards program rules, there are two important numbers members need to keep track of: Tier Credits and Reward Credits. Tier Credits Tier Credits are credits that are earned based on play at a Total Rewards casino, through purchases at participating restaurants and entertainment venues, and more. These Tier Credits add up to determine your annual Tier Score. The more Tier Credits you earn, the more perks you gain access to. Tier Credits and the annual Tier Score determine your Tier Level (Gold, Diamond, Platinum, or Seven Stars). Players who have their Total Rewards card inserted in their favorite slots while playing will earn one Tier Credit for every $5 they wager on a reel slot (traditional or video) and one Tier Credit for every $10 wagered on a video poker or multi-game video poker/video keno slot.

24 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

Tier Credits are also earned at the tables based on the type of table game (including poker), the average bet and how long you play. Note that the Total Rewards program does not divulge any exact relationship between table game wagers (including poker) and earned Tier Credits on table games. If you spend $5 on hotel accommodations, at restaurants, or shopping, one Tier Credit is earned. If a Total Rewards account accumulates 0 to 4,999 Tier Credits across the calendar year, the Tier assigned to the account is Gold. 5,000 to 14,999 points is valid for the Platinum Tier. The Diamond Tier is reached with 15,000 or more Tier Credits and the Tier Credits needed for Seven Stars status is now 150,000. Therefore, if a player only enjoys playing the slots for example, he or she will have to wager a total of $25,000 in order to obtain the Platinum Tier, $75,000 in order to reach the Diamond Tier and a whopping $750,000 for Seven Stars! Just to be clear, this is a total of all wagers played through the machines. Challenging—yes, impossible—no. Here’s the exciting news: There’s a brand new built-in advantage for Total Rewards members who like to play hard! If a player manages to earn 500 Tier Credits in one “day” (check with each individual Total Rewards casino for exact times—the casino day does not always start at midnight!), they are rewarded with a bonus 125 Tier Credits. That means, in exchange for having wagered $2,500 or more in one day, Total Rewards gives you the extra points as if you had bet an additional $625! Earn 1,000 Tier Credits (wager $5,000) in one day and the bonus is an additional 1,000 Tier Credits (as if you bet an extra $5,000)! If a player manages to earn 2,500 Tier Credits (wager $12,500) in one day and the bonus is an additional 5,000 Tier Credits (as if you bet an extra $25,000)!


Player’s Club Cards

WINNING WAYS

There’s a brand new built-in advantage for Total Rewards members who like to play hard!

Pick your play sessions and bankrolls wisely! Encountering a “hot streak” where the slots are being generous, perhaps even presenting a nice jackpot, is when you need to examine how many Tier Credits have been earned and how many additional Tier Credits are needed to provide a bonus amount! The strategy just might be to play for a little while longer in order to capitalize on the “free” Tier Credits. Taking this strategy to the extreme, a Total Rewards member would need only two days in which they earned 2,500 Tier Credits and they would automatically be at the Diamond Tier (2,500 earned + 5,000 bonus + 2,500 earned + 5,000 bonus = 15,000 tier credits = Diamond Tier status)! Rewards Credits Rewards Credits represent the amount of comp dollars that can be used for dining, hotel stays, at the gift shop, etc. and can be earned in many different ways. Generally players receive at least one Reward Credit for each earned Tier Credit. However, each Total Rewards property offers members who frequent the casino bonus Reward Credits, Reward Credit multipliers and so on. The easiest way to calculate the current comp dollar balance is just to introduce a decimal between the third and second digit (from the right). For example, if a Total Rewards member account has a Rewards Credit score of 23567, place the decimal between the 5 and the 6 in order to determine the comp dollar balance of $235.67. Other NEW additions to Total Rewards: Members enjoy special member pricing at restaurants. Members get exclusive pre-sale access for select shows. Members receive discounts at casino gift shops. 10% for Gold, 15% for Platinum, 20% for Diamond and 25% for Seven Stars. Members can gift up to 5,000 Reward Credits to a friend with a limit of two transfers per year. When choosing to play at any casino, make sure to sign up for the players club program regardless for how long or how often the gaming session is. With the new changes to the Total Rewards program, keep the valuable bonus Tier Credits in mind before and during the next outing to a participating casino. Becoming a players club member at any casino does not affect the outcome of any slot, video poker or table game. As a matter of fact, the long run payback percentage of gambling at a casino is lowered when patrons do not join the players club! So, sign up, no matter where the gaming excursion leads! $ For more information about Caesars Entertainment and their casinos, visit www.caesars.com. For more information about the Total Rewards program, visit www.totalrewards.com. azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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CASINO DINING Agave’s Restaurant Announces New Menu & Blackjack Breakfast Challenge Agave’s Restaurant, located in Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort, has unveiled new menu items for 2013, including the Casino’s newest attraction: The seven-pound Blackjack Breakfast platter. The $21 Blackjack Breakfast consists of one dozen eggs, one pound of cheese, one pound of sausage, one pound of potatoes and a half pound of bacon sandwiched between two 12-inch pancakes and topped with a slab of butter. Anyone who chooses to accept the challenge will have 30 minutes to eat the Blackjack by his or herself. Those who succeed will receive the breakfast platter free of charge and win a commemorative t-shirt. Harrah’s will donate all the proceeds made from Blackjack Breakfast sales to F.O.R. Maricopa, a family resource center and food bank, through Harrah’s HERO program. The HERO program is made up of employee volunteers who make noteworthy, visible contributions to the community by lending their time, skills, expertise and caring to dozens of volunteer projects throughout the community. “We have been re-vamping our menu, and we wanted to include Agave’s in our HERO program,” said Chef Colin Ribble, executive chef at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort. “That’s when we came up with the Blackjack Breakfast. It’s fun for the patrons to participate in and gives us the chance to raise more for the community. Plus, it’s delicious!” Other new menu items being served at the Agave Restaurant include American-style dining options for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast selections include seven types of Eggs Benedict, skillets, omelets, griddle items and house favorites. Lunch options include soup and salad, several burger options and a variety of gourmet sandwiches. $ Agave’s Restaurant is Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort’s breakfast and lunch destination serving up classic American cuisine. Patrons can dine comfortably inside, or lounge on the patio set next to Harrah’s sparkling pool with swim-up bar. For more information about Harrah’s Ac-Chin Casino Resort or the Agave Restaurant, visit www.harrahsakchin.com or call 480.802.5000.

Guests gathered at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort’s Agave Restaurant to watch hungry contestants take on the Blackjack Breakfast Challenge which was unveiled along with their new menu.

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com


CASINO DINING

$7.99 Prime Rib - Tuesdays At The Fort A

fter a long day at work, who wants to cook? Especially when Fort McDowell Casino is offering a scrumptious prime rib dinner at their justifiably famous all-you-can-eat Red Rock Buffet for only $7.99 per person! This fantastic deal is available from 4pm-9pm every Tuesday starting April 2.

Red Rock Buffet

If you’ve never dined at the Red Rock Buffet, or just haven’t been in a while, it’s truly worth a visit. The variety is amazing, the quality is undeniable, and the prices are incredible! The food is never dry or overcooked. And, the seasonings always seem to be just right; as opposed to most other buffets where food tends to be way too salty and greasy. You’ll definitely want to make sure to save room for dessert, because there’s always a large selection of decadent cakes, pies, cookies, and soft-serve ice cream.

Location: 10424 N. Fort McDowell Rd. Fort McDowell, AZ Phone Number: 1.800.843.3678 Buffet Hours: Available for lunch and dinner, call for hours Player’s Club Card Discounts: Yes All-You-Can-Eat: Yes Seafood Specials: Yes Reservations Accepted: No Attire: Casual Alcohol: Full bar Must Be Over 21 To Enter: No Wheelchair Accessible: Yes Delivery: No Take-Out: No

The service is also excellent which always makes any dining experience more pleasurable. The energetic, friendly and courteous staff are very attentive and quick to bring out drink refills and pick up dirty dishes. $

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino and the Red Rock Buffet, visit their website at www.fortmcdowellcasino.com or call 1.800.THE.FORT. azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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TRIBAL NEWS

Road Scholar Program & NAU Volunteering on the Navajo Nation

Photographs by M. Hoft. Š Copyright M. Hoft. All rights reserved.

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ike many public schools in Arizona, The Gray Mountain School (Dzil Libei Elementary School) in Cameron on the Navajo Nation is on a tight budget and functions, for instance, without a full-time librarian and with limited resources for art, music education, and extra curricular activities. Despite challenging financial conditions, the school’s teachers and students accomplish their tasks with great enthusiasm and high spirits. A group of ten Road Scholars recently enlisted in a volunteer service project, organized by the Road Scholar organization and Northern Arizona University, to spend a week in late February in the school to help out where help was useful and to expose the children to experiences beyond their daily routines. Members of the group came from Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Missouri and brought a wide variety of expertise as artists, musicians and retired teachers as well as the skills of a legal expert and a physician into the school environment. Six members of the group were assigned to each of the six grades (K-6) and in addition to assisting the classroom teacher with regular lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic they provided extra activities including a watercolor painting project, a singing lesson, a demonstration on nutrition and foods from other countries, on food safety and on the intricacies of human digestion. Some of the group worked in the library, barcoding and re-shelving books, designing a poster that explained

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com


TRIBAL NEWS after school program exposed the members of the group to the ancient customs as well as the modern life of the Navajo people and the history of the Navajo Nation. The program included a visit to a ceremonial Hogan (pictured on the preceding page), a lecture and a demonstration on the arts and the crafts of the Navajo along with an evening of entertainment with the music of entertainer and songwriter James Bilagody who also introduced his latest film Hozho, The Beauty Way about the Navajo philosophy of life, honoring ancient philosophies and local legends.

The group was housed in the Cameron Inn, part of the historic Cameron Trading Post (pictured above) that was founded in 1916 on the banks of the Little Colorado River. An extensive

Road Scholar—Adventures in Lifelong Learning, the not-forprofit leader in educational travel since 1975, offers 5,500 educational tours in all 50 states and 150 countries. Alongside local and renowned experts, travelers can experience in-depth and behind-the-scenes learning opportunities, from cultural tours and study cruises to walking, biking and more. For more info, visit their website at www.roadscholar.org. For more info about the Cameron Trading Post, visit www.camerontradingpost.com. For more info about Hozho, The Beauty Way, point your browser to www.hozhothemovie.com. Many thanks to Margret Höft for contributing her article & photos. $

Casa Grande Rodeo Grounds Receive $65,700 Grant From Gila River Indian Community

The Arts Prescott Gallery Features “Cowboys & Indians” Art Exhibition

Have you been to the Casa Grande Rodeo Grounds? Even during the hot summer months, you can stay cool under the shaded pavilion that was recently built, thanks to a $65,700 grant from the Gila River Indian Community! Located at 2525 North Pinal Avenue in Casa Grande, just west of the intersection of McCarney Road and the I-10, the grounds are about 3.5 miles North of downtown Casa Grande and about 30 miles South of downtown Chandler. The next event is the Queen Creek JR Rodeo on April 6-7. For more info about the rodeo grounds, call the Parks Department at 520.421.8677 or visit www.casagrande.gov. $

If you're in the Prescott area this month, you won’t want to miss this great exhibit! The Arts Prescott Cooperative Gallery (At 134 S. Montezuma) is running its "Cowboys & Indians" art exhibition now thru April 24 and featured is the celebrated local Hopi artist and filmer Kewanyama and the Choctaw artist Karen Clarkson. Various artists from the Hopi reservation will round out the event as well, including painter Mauricio Josytewa. The pictured painting is by Filmer Kewanyama. Arts Prescott Gallery, a cooperative gallery, was founded in 1994 by a group of Prescott artists. The gallery is located in the heart of Whiskey Row. $

the Dewey Decimal System for organizing library shelves and preparing an upcoming book sale for the Cameron community. The school day for the group began at 8:15 am and ended at 3 pm, interrupted by lunch which was shared with the students in the school gymnasium, allowing for time to bond with the children and listen to their stories, interests and ambitions.

azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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TRAVEL—LAUGHLIN

Casino Directory & Best Bets

Photo courtesy of Las Vegas Convention & Visitor’s Authority. © Copyright Las Vegas Convention & Visitor’s Authority. All Rights Reserved.

Aquarius Casino Resort 1.800.662.LUCK or aquariuscasinoresort.com. 1,250+ Slots, No Smoking Slot Area, High Limit Slots Area, Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Live Keno, and a Race & Sports Book. Best Bet: Ann & Nancy Wilson—Heart—Live! Saturday April 6th at 8pm. Playing their hits: Crazy on You, Barracuda, etc. Avi Resort & Casino (owned by the Fort Mojave Tribe) 1.800.430.0721 or avicasino.com. 1,000+ Slots, Bingo, Blackjack, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Hold'em Fold'em Poker, Three Card Poker, Craps, Roulette, Poker Room, Live Keno, Race & Sports Book, and a KidsQuest. Best Bet: The Fabulous Thunderbirds live in concert April 19th. Colorado Belle Hotel Casino Resort 1.877.460.0777 or coloradobelle.com. 750+ Slots, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, Poker Room, Live Keno, and a Race & Sports Book. Best Bet: April 5-7 are the dates for the 15th Annual Blues and Brews Festival featuring Grammy Award winner Buddy Guy. Don Laughlin’s Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino 1.800.227.3849 or riversideresort.com. 1,000+ Slots, 270+ NonSmoking Slot Area, High Limit Slots Area, Seven Bingo Sessions Daily, Blackjack, Bonus Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Deuces Wild Hold'em Fold'em Poker, Emperor's Challenge Pai Gow Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold'em, Craps, Roulette, Poker Room, Live Keno, and a Race & Sports Book. Best Bet: Foreigner in the Outdoor Amphitheater on June 1st. A local high school choir will join Foreigner to sing “I Want To Know What Love Is” live on stage plus will receive a grant of $500 from the GRAMMY Foundation. Edgewater Hotel Casino 1.800.677.4837 or edgewater-casino.com. 750+ Slots, NonSmoking Slot Area, Blackjack, 3 Card Poker, Let it Ride Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Roulette, Craps, and a Race & Sports Book. Best Bet: The 31st Annual Laughlin River Run on April 24 –28. Featuring a Custom Bike Show, country music “outlaw” Travis Tritt on April 26, Creedence Clearwater Revisited on April 27, Hogs & Heifer’s Bar-tainers and much more!

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

Golden Nugget Laughlin 1.800.237.1739 or goldennugget.com/laughlin. 1,000+ Slots, Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker Room, and a Sports Book. Best Bet: Cruiser Package for the River Run—$449 for a standard room across 3 nights, VIP parking for two, and a welcome reception on the 25th from 1-6pm. Harrah’s Laughlin 1.800.447.8700 or harrahslaughlin.com. 900+ Slots, NonSmoking Slot Area, High Limit Slots Area, Blackjack, Bonus Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride Bonus, Pai Gow Poker, Craps, Roulette, Poker Room, Live Keno, and a Race & Sports Book. Best Bet: April 26, Blood Sweat & Tears with Foghat. April 26, Jerry Lee Lewis. June 15th, Jeff Dunham. Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall 1.800.634.3469 or pioneerlaughlin.com. 500+ Slots, Blackjack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Craps, Roulette, and a Sports Book. Best Bet: April 12 and 13 the Pioneer hosts a Video Poker Tournament for $49! . River Palms Resort Casino 1.877.787.7256 or river-palms.com. Slots, Bingo, Blackjack, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Craps, Roulette, and a Sports Book. Best Bet: Steve Miller Band & Joan Jett—$199 for two concert tickets to the show in the Laughlin Amphitheater and a two night stay on Friday & Saturday, May 17 & 18. Tropicana Laughlin Hotel & Casino 1.800.243.6846 or tropicanax.com. 1,000+ Slots, Bingo, Blackjack, Three Card Poker Progressive, Royal Match 21 Progressive, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Mississippi Stud Progressive Poker, Let it Ride Progressive Poker, Craps, Roulette, and a Sports Book. Best Bet: Brenton Wood performs May 3-4 at the Pavillion Theater during the Cinco de Mayo Weekend Car Show. Plus if you hit four 7’s on select video poker machines, the casino will pay you triple! Sources: Direct inquiries by press time. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. Contact editor@azgamingguide.com to make updates.




Featured News

LAUGHLIN—TRAVEL

Round-Up Player’s Club at the Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall

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embership is fast, easy and free. Receive $5 Free Play just for signing up. You earn valuable bonus points when you play any of their Video Poker, Keno & Reel Machines. Every $2 equals 1 point and every 1,000 points equals $5 Cash Back. All machines pay out points evenly, regardless if you are a Video Poker player or a slot player (now that's a deal!) Redeem your Bonus Points your way: Cash, Free Play, Food or Rooms. Earn free getaway nights every month (you qualify if you have earned 2500 points during your last trip. If you are a brand new member you must have earned at least 1,500 points for your first one and then it becomes 2500 points). All you have to do is call reservations at 1.800.634.3469 to see if you qualify. Receive exclusive room, food and free play offers by providing your email to the Round-Up Player's Club. You’ll also receive invites and special offers through the mail. If you have any further questions, call 1.800.634.3469 and ask for the Round-Up Player's Club!

Laughlin, Nevada’s 31st Annual River Run Edgewater & Colorado Belle Casinos Wed. April 24th to Sun. April 28th Colorado Belle's Center Circle: They've got your blues! Returning to the Laughlin River Run is Las Vegas bluesman John Earl & The BoogieMan Band, Chris Hiatt and his band Cold Shot's tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Lionel Young Band and Shawn Jones. Colorado Belle's Pints Brewpub will feature great microbrewed beer on tap in Center Circle plus plenty of food options. All Center Circle entertainment is free. Custom Bike Show: Colorado Belle's Poker Room will host the annual Custom Bike Show which will be held on Colorado Belle's Riverwalk Deck Saturday from 8am-3pm (registration at 8am). Edgewater's E Center: Country music 'outlaw' and 2-time Grammy Award winning singer and actor Travis Tritt, one of the leading country singers of the early 90’s, performs on April 26th with tickets from $15. Creedence Clearwater Revisited makes an encore performance in the E Center Saturday night, April 27th! The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame rhythm section from the legendary group Creedence Clearwater Revival launched the Creedence Clear-

water Revisited project to perform live Creedence Clearwater Revival hits once again. Well received by multiple generations, they are adding a new chapter to their legacy with vibrant and exhilarating energy. Show is April 27th with tickets from $25. Edgewater's Party Zone: A huge bar sponsored by the Hogs & Heifers Saloon in Las Vegas will dominate Edgewater's Party Zone entertainment area including dancing bartenders with great beverages and entertainment. The annual Bedroom Babes Contest will be held in Party Zone Saturday night. Mexican Cantina, Inferno & Pints: Edgewater's main entrance will feature a Mexican Cantina with bar and food plus a DJ! Colorado Belle's Pints Brewery & Sports Bar is open 24 hours a day and offers excellent microbrews plus breakfast options 24/7.

azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

33


CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

Schedule of Events

Apache Gold Casino—Globe, AZ—800.272.2438 Cabaret Lounge: Live bands every weekend Pavillion: A.B. Quintanilla III presents Kumbia Kings—May 4 BlueWater Casino—Parker, AZ—888.243.3360 Dig Lounge: Variety including live bands, karaoke & DJs—Daily at 5pm BlueWater Showroom: Los Tigres del Norte—Apr. 6. Tickets start at $65 Gabriel Iglesias—Aug. 2. Tickets start at $60 Casino Arizona—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 The Showroom: Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)—Apr. 6-7 at 7:30pm Fan Halen 2013 (Van Halen Tribute)—Apr. 26-27 at 7:30pm Cinco de Mayo Celebrations w/ Mariachi Nuevo Sonido—May 4, 7pm Mötley Crüe’d (Mötley Crüe Tribute)—May 10-11 at 7:30pm L.A.Vation (U2 Tribute)—May 24-25 at 7:30pm The Rising (Bruce Springsteen Tribute)—May 31–Jun. 1 at 7:30pm The Arizona Room: Closed for renovations. Casino del Sol—Tucson, AZ—520.838.6506 AVA Amphitheater: Tejano Shootout—Apr. 6 at 8pm Phoenix—Apr. 9 at 8pm Rodriguez—Apr. 19 at 8pm Cliff Castle Casino—Camp Verde, AZ—800.381.7568 Dragonfly Lounge: Variety including live bands, karaoke & DJs—Ladies Night every Th, Open late on Fr & Sa. Stargazer Pavillion: An evening with War, Malo and Tierra—Apr. 27 Cocopah Resort Casino—Somerton, AZ—800.237.5687 Events: Ky-Mani Marley—Apr. 20 at 7pm "Comedy Night" with the Comedy Machine—Apr. 27 at 7pm River Room: Zumba Fitness—Mo & Tu at 6pm Sunset Lounge: Live Jazz & Free Cocktails—Tu 6pm Karaoke—We-Fr at 8pm La Vida Loca—Fr at 8pm Desert Diamond Casino I—Tucson, AZ—866.332.9467 Monsoon Nightclub: Groovin’ Fridays Noches Caliente—Saturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music! Desert Diamond Casino II—Sahuarita, AZ—866.332.9467 Sports Bar: Friday & Saturday Night Party—Music & dancing at 8pm or after the game featuring Fiesta DJs “Party Nights.”

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

Fort McDowell Casino—Fort McDowell, AZ—800.843.3678 Lucky 7 Saloon: Featuring a variety of live music every weekend. Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino—Maricopa, AZ—480.802.5000 Oasis Lounge: Local favorites We, Fr & Sa, free. 60’s Garage Band—Apr. 3 from 12pm-4pm The Masters—Apr. 5-6 from 8pm-1am both nights The Tops Cats—Apr. 10 from 12pm-4pm Maty Ramirez—Apr. 12-13 from 8pm-1am both nights Ricky Nelson Remembered feat. M. & G. Nelson—Apr. 13 at 9:30pm Time and Time Again—Apr. 17 from 12pm-4pm Checker’d Past—Apr. 19-20 from 8pm-1am both nights The Belmonts—Apr. 24 at 1pm and 3pm Doug Stone—Apr. 26 at 8pm and 10pm Desert Dixie—Apr. 27 at 8pm and 10pm Hon-Dah Casino—Pinetop, AZ—800.929.8744 Conference Center: Marmalade Skies (Beatles Tribute)—Apr. 12 at 7pm, Tickets $10 Timbers Lounge and Showroom: Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday. Lone Butte Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 Cascades Lounge: Phoenix area bands & DJs offer free live entertainment. We—Country, Th—Industry, Fr—Latin, Sa—Top 40/Dance Verona Chophouse: Sunday Jazz Brunch Live—10am to 3pm Mazatzal Casino—Payson, AZ—800.777.7529 Event Center: ABBA FAB (tribute)—Apr. 20 The Highwaymen (tribute)—Aug. 10 Night Groove—New Year’s Eve Paradise Casino—Yuma, AZ—888.777.4946 Sharky’s Bar & Bites: Featuring a variety of live music Thursdays and Fridays. Quechan Casino—Winterhaven, CA—877.783.2426 Sidewinders Bar & Grill: Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends. Talking Stick Resort—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 Orange Sky: Michael Grimm—Two acoustic sets at 7 & 9pm Sunday & Monday Nights Now-Apr.8 The Showroom & Grand Ballroom: The Tubes—Apr. 5 at 8pm Justin Furstenfeld—Apr. 6 at 8pm Dwight Yoakam—Apr. 20 at 8pm Foreigner—Apr. 26 at 8pm Elvis Lives: The Ultimate Elvis Tribute—Apr. 29-30 at 8pm Gabriel Iglesias—May 3 at 8pm Thunder From Down Under Show—May 9-11 at 8pm Robert Cray—May 17 at 8pm


Schedule of Events

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Pick At Talking Stick Resort

Elvis Lives April 29 & 30 at 8pm It’s been more than 30 years since the King has passed, but his legacy as one of the most iconic music artists of all time still remains. In a celebration of Elvis Presley, Scottsdale’s Talking Stick Resort just announced "Elvis Lives," The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Event, is playing the Showroom April 29- 30. “Elvis Lives” is a musical journey through Elvis’ life, performed by top finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises’ annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. Each performer will represent the King during different stages in his career and will be joined by a live band, back-up singers and dancers. The show also features never-before-seen imagery of Elvis, courtesy of the Graceland archives. You won’t want to miss this truly spectacular presentation of timeless rock ‘n’ roll favorites by the man who changed the face of music, selling more than one billion records worldwide. Reserved seating tickets for "Elvis Lives" are on sale now. Visit www.talkingstickresort.com or call 480.850.7777 for more information. Must be 21 or older to attend.

The Alan Parsons Project—Jun. 7 at 8pm Coffee Garden: Dueling Pianos—Th, Fr & Sa from 8-11pm Wild Horse Pass Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 AiRIA Unplugged: Friday & Saturday 4pm-2am. Featuring a variety of live music. Encore Lounge: Featuring a variety of live music nightly. Showroom: Polo Polo—Apr. 6 Merle Haggard—Apr. 12 Sinbad—Apr. 13 World Fighting Federation Event—Apr. 19 Latino Fashion Live—Apr. 20 Little Joe y La Familia—May 3 Yavapai Casino—Prescott, AZ—800.756.8744 Yavapai Cantina: Karaoke with Cruisin’ Susan—Fr at 8pm-12am Big Daddy & the Pop Rocks—Apr. 6 Broken Arrow—Apr. 13 Southern Flight—Apr. 20 MuddGroove—Apr. 27 Taco Tuesday featuring $2 tacos! $

Verify all details & age restrictions for each event. Venues, times, dates, & ticket information are subject to change. Photos/images copyright of the individual artist(s), photographer(s), or venue(s). All Rights Reserved. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information.

azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

35


CASINO NIGHTLIFE

Casino Clubs & Lounges H

ere’s a quick run-down on club and lounge entertainment options offered by casinos in the Valley and in Tucson. There’s something for everyone so make sure to try all of the different options and see if you can pick a favorite. Degree 270 Located on the 14th floor of Talking Stick Resort in North Scottsdale, this room heats up every Friday and Saturday night from 8pm to 2am. Offering an unbeatable mix of live entertainment, great dancing, and picturesque views of the Valley, this club experience has both live bands and live DJs. Regular drink specials along with ample parking, access to multiple food options, a place to crash for the night, and the casino, who can ask for anything more? Cover charge $10—free for women. Monsoon Nightclub Tucson's Desert Diamond Casino is home to a real hot spot, just off the casino floor! Every weekend live DJs, live concerts, and other special events grace the Monsoon Nightclub. Don’t miss out on Groovin’ Fridays, Tucson’s funkiest old school dance party every Friday night. The cover charge is $5 and free for women. Make sure to dress to impress! On Saturdays, the club hosts Noches Caliente. This party features the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music in Tuscon and there is no cover charge! AiRIA Unplugged This special spot can be found on the second floor of Wild Horse Pass Casino in Chandler. Open from 4pm to 2am on Fri-

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

days and Saturdays, there is always great live entertainment, a fine section of wines, along with a wide variety of craft beers, and a delicious array of pub fare. Recent performances include Static, consistently regarded as the Valley’s top dance bands, Platinum Hi-Fi, a five piece party band based out of Scottsdale playing the most current club hits, and Instant Classics, allowing anyone to fulfill their rock star dreams by choosing a song from the band’s extensive library and singing along with them on stage! There is no cover charge. Encore Featuring cocktails and live entertainment just off the casino floor and close to Wild Horse Pass Casino’s main entrance, this lounge is a great place to take a break from all the casino entertainment, have a seat and lounge with spectacular cocktails and live music every Thursday through Saturday starting at 8pm. There is no cover charge. $ Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

•Music Director/On-Air Host (3-7pm) for KNRJ-FM 101.1 The Beat

•Resident DJ/VJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am •Host of R.E.D.Y. Set Radio •Official Bum Squad DJ •DJ Vatican Member •For more information on Ramses Ja, visit his website at: www.ramsesja.com.


FUN FACTS Did you know it is legal to own your own slot machine here in Arizona? But be careful, owning a slot in other states may either be restricted or banned! Over time, casinos replace games that no longer make a lot of money or can no longer be maintained and repaired. These slots are then sold or auctioned off to other casinos, or slot machine dealers who repair, refurbish, and then resell them to the public or other buyers. If you’re interested in buying a used slot, e-mail us (editor@azgamingguide.com) and we’ll find a reputable store near you!

State

Legal Status

Missouri

Machines 30 years or older—legal

Alabama

Class II machines—legal

Montana

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Alaska

All machines legal

Nebraska

All machines prohibited

Arizona

All machines legal

New Hampshire

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Arkansas

All machines legal

New Jersey

Machines before 1941—legal

California

Machines 25 years or older—legal

New Mexico

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Colorado

Machines before 1984—legal

New York

Machines 30 years or older—legal

Connecticut

All machines prohibited

Nevada

All machines legal

Delaware

Machines 25 years or older—legal

North Carolina

Machines 25 years or older—legal

District of Columbia

Machines before 1952—legal

North Dakota

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Florida

Machines 20 years or older—legal

Ohio

All machines legal

Georgia

Machines before 1950—legal

Oklahoma

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Hawaii

All machines prohibited

Oregon

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Idaho

Machines before 1950—legal

Pennsylvania

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Illinois

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Rhode Island

All machines legal

Indiana

Machines 40 years or older—legal

South Carolina

All machines prohibited

Iowa

Machines 25 years or older—legal

South Dakota

Machines before 1941—legal

Kansas

Machines before 1950—legal

Tennessee

All machines prohibited

Kentucky

All machines legal

Texas

All machines legal

Louisiana

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Utah

All machines legal

Maine

All machines legal

Vermont

Machines before 1954—legal

Maryland

All machines legal

Virginia

All machines legal

Massachusetts

Machines 30 years or older—legal

Washington

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Michigan

Machines 25 years or older—legal

West Virginia

All machines legal

Minnesota

All machines legal

Wisconsin

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Mississippi

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Wyoming

Machines 25 years or older—legal

Does the name Charles Fey ring any bells? Absolutely! His name should ring a lot of jackpot bells as he is the inventor of the world’s first slot machine! Born August Fey in Vöhringen Bavaria on September 9, 1862. He was the youngest of 16 children and was working by the time he was 14. At age 15, he worked in France as an instrument maker. By the time he was 23, he immigrated to the United States and eventually settled in San Francisco and worked at the Electric Works company. In 1885 he invented the Liberty Bell slot machine and was immediately able to open a factory the following year due to the high demand generated by the game’s popularity. Now, modern slot machines may work differently, but Fey’s original concept of how a three reel mechanical slot machine functions and plays lives on! $ azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

37


HOT DEALS Indulge In “Spa in Bloom” Specials April 1- May 30 At Talking Stick Resort

foot sugar scrub. Receive a 60-minute treatment for only $119 (Normally $150). The Complexion Essential Facial focuses on repair, prevention, anti-aging and is designed to meet the needs of all skin types. This relaxing treatment also includes a facial peel that will brighten and reveal a beautiful complexion. Receive a 60-minute treatment for only $129 (Normally $190). The Spa’s Brilliant Body Polish will smooth away the harsh winter and will brighten the body’s complexion just in time for the warm Arizona sun. Available in three fabulous flavors! Receive a 60-minute treatment for only $119 (Normally $150).

>>The Spa at Talking Stick Resort is celebrating the coming of spring by offering an array of essential treatments that will reveal your springtime spirit. From April 1 through May 30, The Spa is offering savings on fabulous manicures, pedicures, body polishes, massages and a facial that will restore a vibrant complexion. With majestic views from the 14th floor, guests will reclaim their relaxation and leave feeling well with a touch of glow! The Luxury of Lavender Body Massage is truly an escape for the senses and a remedy for complete relaxation. This full body massage finishes with a warm exfoliating and restoring hand &

The Spring Time 20 is a fun, flirty manicure and pedicure that brightens, softens and relaxes. Your manicure and pedicure finish with the perfect polish! Manicure $42, Pedicure $57. The Spa is located on the 14th floor of Talking Stick Resort. The savings are valid Sunday through Thursday only and cannot be combined with any other offers or promotions. In addition to a variety of soothing massages, body treatments, manicures and pedicures, The Spa also offers a variety of salon services. Guests may enjoy the relaxation lounge and deck, eucalyptus steam room, Jacuzzi and fitness center while waiting for their scheduled treatment. Must be 18 or older to participate. For reservations and more details about The Spa at Talking Stick Resort, call 480.850.4065 or visit www.talkingstickresort.com/spa.aspx.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Book A Shop & Stay Package At Gila River And Receive A VIP Coupon Book For Phoenix Premium

Receive A $25 Gas Card To Help Pay For Your Next Trip To Laughlin, NV

>>Book a Shop & Stay Package at the Gila River Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino and receive a discounted room rate which includes a welcome reusable shopping tote with a VIP coupon book for use at the neighboring Phoenix Premium Outlets. The Phoenix Premium Outlets is packed with discounted treasures such as casual wear at Banana Republic and J.Crew to designer fashions at Elie Tahari and Saks Fifth Ave Off 5th. Valid beginning April 15. Call reservations direct at 520.796.4900.

>>Take advantage of the Laughlin Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall’s Stay & Play promotion featured in the Laughlin Section on page 31 and we’ll give you a $25 gas card once we verify your stay and you complete a survey about your experience! With amazingly low room rates, a ton of free play every day and us taking care of the gas, what are you waiting for? E-mail us at editor@azgamingguide.com for more information.

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com



CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Playing Bingo is healthy!

B

ased on a year long study conducted at the Southampton University in the UK and research at Chicago’s Rush University, playing Bingo can support brain health and a positive social environment. Both brain health and social interaction, along with good physical health, are keys to independence and longevity in older adults. Obviously, Bingo uses fast hand-toeye coordination and also relies on fast reaction times in order to recognize and mark random numbers in order to win money. Researchers followed two groups of individuals. One group had ages of 18 to 40 and the other had ages in the range of 60 to 82. Each group was divided into Bingo and non-Bingo players.

Based on tests conducted during the study, the Bingo players were faster and more alert than non-Bingo players. In addition, the Bingo players frequently scored higher in cognitive and physical tasks over the non-Bingo players. So, if you or someone you know could benefit from the social, physical, and mental aspects of playing Bingo, make sure to play in one of the many Bingo games at Arizona’s Casinos all over the state. Don’t forget to bring plenty of daubers, a winning attitude, and you’ll be guaranteed to have a fantastic time with your friends and family alike. Plus, you’ll be participating in a healthy activity! $

Casino

Sessions

Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic

Apache Gold

Su, We, Th at Noon. Fr & Sa at 7pm. 1st Mo of the month at 7pm

1000

No

No

No

BlueWater

Mo-Th at 4:30pm. Su at 11:30am.

350

Yes

Yes

No

Casino Arizona

Mo-Su at 6:30pm Daily Matinees at 12:30pm

1000

Yes

Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr & Sa Doors at 10pm. Games at midnight

Casino del Sol

Daily at Noon, 1:30, 2:15, 6:30 & 7:15pm

694

Yes

Yes

Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm.

Cocopah

Daily at 1:30 & 6:30pm

350

Yes*

Yes

No

Desert Diamond I

Th-Mo 1:30, 2, 6, 6:30 & 7pm

270

No

Yes

No

Fort McDowell

Sa & Su at 6:45am. We-Mo at 9am. Daily at 12:30 & 6:30pm.

1275

(2 sections: enclosed or in general seating)

Yes

Fr & Sa at 12:10am. Call for Lunar Bingo schedule.

Harrah’s Ak-Chin

We-Su at 11:30am, 2:30, 3:30, and 6:30pm

470

Yes

Yes

No

Lone Butte

Sa & Su at 10am, Noon, 3:45, 5:30 & 6pm. Daily at Noon & 6:30pm.

750

Yes

Yes

B.A.D. Bingo 2 Fr at 11:30pm & B.A.D. Bingo Sa at 11:30pm.

Mazatzal

Mo-Th at Noon. Tu & Th at 6:30pm.

280

Yes

Yes

No

Paradise

Daily at 11:30am, 1:30 & 6pm.

300

Yes

Yes

Call for Kozmic Bingo & Other Late Night

Vee Quiva

Daily at 12:30 & 6:30pm.

366

Yes

Yes

Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm.

Yes

Late Night

Sources: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 03/01/13 & direct inquiries by press time. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. Contact editor@azgamingguide.com to make updates. *Cocopah Resort Casino offers “Smoke-Free Sundays” which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday.

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com



FUN & GAMES

SUDOKU

WORD SEARCH

Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear more than once in each column, row, and 3 x 3 grid. (Solution on page 46)

In honor of Earth Day (Apr. 22), find these words: AIR, ANIMALS, CLEAN, EARTH, ECOSYSTEM, ENDANGERED, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, EXTINCT, HABITAT, OCEANS, PEOPLE, PLANTS, RAINFOREST, RECYCLE, REUSE, SOIL, WATER, WORLD. Words appear in any direction. (Solution on page 46)

8 7

6

7

4

9

2 1 4

8

7 8

4

2

4 1

6 5

8

2

3

9

6 6 9

1

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

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SAMI’S SMACKDOWN

By Sami Becker

We Hover Because...

Ok, I have a counter rant to the hoverer problem you addressed last issue [February 2013]. See, a lot of us aren't 'hovering' per se, we're just waiting for you slow, min bet, time-wasting so and so's to finish playing so we can play the machine we want to play. The reason casinos have the anti-hovering policy in the high limit rooms is because hovering doesn't really HAPPEN there. No one's usually left waiting for a popular slot over there. It's simple. You want us 'hoverers' gone? PLAY FASTER. Here's my rant: jackpot riders. You people drive me nuts. You know that there [are] 3 or 4 people behind you waiting to use a popular slot, and you pad your time every time you hit something! Some do it when they hit 800-1000 coins! They just let the number scroll as if to trick themselves into thinking they actually hit something truly big. Well, I'm here to tell you that it doesn't MATTER if Bally [or another slot] says you got a BIG WIN or a SUPER BIG WIN, 10-30 bucks off a 40 cent bet is negligible. Press the darn button and get your win, there are people waiting, and if you don't want hoverers, I suggest you play the empty 3-reel mechanical 25 cent slots. The rest of us are there to gamble. Eric Gaede Awesome point Eric! We are all here to gamble, so get out of our way! In fact, Eric makes an excellent argument about hovering near popular slots. There’s always a crowd where there’s a lot of action and activity. You’ll easily notice this phenomenon as soon as you step back and observe a casino floor. There are always areas of the floor that are busier than others and many people, including people that are hovering, are just there hoping and waiting to get a machine!

I’m guilty of hovering but I don’t want to bother anybody when I do it. I just want to see how a game works before I sit down to play it. I guess I never really realized that this could bother someone else. Patricia Headly—Scottsdale, AZ … besides why do they care anyway? It’s not like I’m going to ruin their bonus. They just build that up in their heads … James Knight—Anthem, AZ I know I have hovered before. Actually, it happens more often than I’d like, but it’s for a good reason because I have watched some of my favorite slots just keep giving and giving and giving the bonuses with big win after big win after big win. Wow! I really have a hard time believing how great the machine is doing for the person playing. I’m actually happy for the person playing because at least someone is winning at the casino. Sometimes I know my jaw is almost on the floor because the machine is so hot I can’t believe it! Larry Gartenbaum—Flagstaff, AZ Ugggh! I totally agree the hovering is bad and yes I do it too. But I’m not hurting anyone because I always tell people to keep it up and to give ‘em hell! If I’m not winning then better it be them and make sure the casino finally pays out while I’m there! Lisa Villalobos—Tucson, AZ

However, what I find truly fascinating to watch is an area of the slot floor with just a few people on it. If another casino guest notices one of the players doing well on a machine, they are generally watched for a while and more often than not the hoverer makes a decision to play at a game next to or nearby the “hot” slot shortly thereafter! Slowly, that area of the slot floor begins to fill up if more and more people realize one or more people are having positive experiences on the slots. Sometimes, in just a matter of minutes, a bank of eight or ten machines originally occupied by one player can suddenly be almost completely full with players! $

Do YOU have something to rant about? Write me at: sami@azgamingguide.com azgamingguide.com | April 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide

45


Y

Y

Y

Y Y

11300 Resort Drive

Parker

888-243-3360 523

03. Bucky’s Casino

1500 E. Hwy. 69

Prescott

800-756-8744 309

04. Casino Arizona

101 & McKellips

Scottsdale

480-850-7777 919

Y Y

05. Casino del Sol 06. Casino of the Sun

12. Fort McDowell Casino

16. Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Camp Verde

800-381-7568 656

15318 S. Ave. B

Somerton

800-237-5687 509

Y

Y

Y

7350 S. Nogales Hwy.

Tucson

866-332-9467 1,089

Y

Y

Y

Y

I-19, Exit 80

Tucson

866-332-9467 696

Y

Y

Hwy. 86, Milepost 55

Why

866-332-9467

Y

Y Y*

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Maricopa

480-802-5000 1,089

Pinetop

800-929-8744 806

1077 S. Kyrene Rd.

Chandler

800-946-4452 850

Hwy. 87, 1/4 mi. S. of Payson

Payson

800-777-7529 422

Y

450 Quechan Dr.

Yuma

888-777-4946 506

Y

18. Quechan Casino

I-8, Exit 166

Winterhaven, CA 877-783-2426 1,000+

19. Spirit Mountain Casino

8555 Hwy. 95

Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247 Scottsdale

480-850-7777 744

6443 Komatke Ln.

Laveen

800-946-4452 846

5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Chandler

800-946-4452 990

1505 E. Hwy. 69

Prescott

800-756-8744 244

23. Yavapai Casino

Y

Y

777 Hwy. 260

21. Vee Quiva Casino

Y

56

Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 883

101 & Indian Bend

Y

Y

I-17, Exit 289

17. Paradise Casino

22. Wild Horse Pass Casino

Y

855-765-7829 291

15406 N. Maricopa Rd.

20. Talking Stick Resort

Y

Y

855-765-7829 1,089

14. Hon-Dah Casino 15. Lone Butte Casino

Y

Y

Tucson

Hwy. 87 & Ft. McDowell Rd.

13. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino

Y

Tucson

10. Desert Diamond Casino II 11. Desert Diamond Casino-Why

Y

5655 W. Valencia Rd.

08. Cocopah Resort Casino

Y

Y

7406 S. Camino De Oeste

07. Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel 09. Desert Diamond Casino I

Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Sources: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 03/01/13 & direct inquiries by press time. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. Contact editor@azgamingguide.com to make updates. *Cocopah Resort Casino offers “Smoke-Free Sundays” which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

For information on the casinos & much more, scan our QR codes with your smartphone!

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46 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2013 | azgamingguide.com

Smoke-Free Area

02. BlueWater Resort & Casino

Y

Arcade

800-272-2438 594

Spa

Globe

RV Park

Hwy. 70, 5 mi. E. of Globe

Golf

01. Apache Gold Casino Resort

Hotel

Slots

Poker Room

Phone

Table Games

City

Live Keno

Location

Bingo

Casino

High Limit Area

CASINO DIRECTORY

Y Y




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