Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - April 2015 - 07:04

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Contents

IN EVERY ISSUE 04 EDITOR’S NOTE 06 PLAYERS TALK 10 TABLE GAMES 14 NEW SLOTS 18 ARIZONA LOTTERY 20 DINING 22 WINNING WAYS

24 FEATURE STORY 26 TRIBAL NEWS 28 GAMING NEWS 33 LAUGHLIN, NEVADA 36 CASINO NIGHTLIFE 38 CASINO ENTERTAINMENT 40 CASINO BINGO 42 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN 43 FUN FACTS

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44 FUN & GAMES 46 CASINO DIRECTORY

A LOOK AT ALL THE SLOTS FROM THE NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING EXPO IN SAN DIEGO

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This popular slot is making its way all across the state. Check out why everyone wants to play it.

See what predictions Rodric has for our readers as we all get ready to “Play Ball!”

A reader is bothered by others and isn’t sure what to do next. Sami weighs in with her strategies.

ARISTOCRAT’S BATMAN NOW AT MAZATZAL

2015 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON PREVIEW

SAMI GIVES VIDEO POKER TOURNAMENT ADVICE

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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EDITOR’S NOTE

NEW OPPORTUNITIES Bring In A Fresh Perspective

Your Authority On Everything Gaming VOLUME 07 • ISSUE 04 PUBLISHER Chris Höft chris@azgamingguide.com

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am still charging ahead with my plans to implement change in my life during 2015. This month is no different. I have come off a week long vacation and am recharged and energized to keep going. While I was out of the office I realized I have so many new prospects in front of me.

Furthermore, the staff and I recognize we have plenty of opportunities in front of us with this magazine. Our amazing fans and readers (We love you and send a big “thank you” right back to all of you!) are constantly providing us with new ideas and excellent suggestions. Our advertisers (Thank you for your continued support!) are also always willing to share their ideas and brainstorm new ones together with us for our magazine. So, to capitalize on all of this positive energy, you’ll see a new regular column on page 33 written by the Tropicana Laughlin Marketing Director, Mr. Joe Hagan.

In this issue, you’ll find plenty of reasons to make your next trip to any casino a success. We’ve got the low down on a ton of slots, plenty of tips for you to incorporate into casino visits, and much more! Please visit us at: facebo ok .co m / 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 Gam ing Guid e on our website at AZGam ingGuid e.com . Let me know what you think of this issue and have fun!

Alexandra

Alexandra Lang Editor-in-Chief editor@azgamingguide.com March 2015 Issue Correction—Tribal News Article by Lee Allen: Chef Ron Dimas from Talking Stick Resort took first place and Best In Show Honors at the 2014 Chef’s Challenge. The 2015 competition will take place at Talking Stick Resort at the end of October.

“Like” us on Facebook because

we “Like” you too!

MANAGING DIRECTOR Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexandra Lang editor@azgamingguide.com ART DIRECTOR Melanie Mueller CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Al Moe Lee Allen Ramses Ja Mark Novak Cindy Esquer Amanda Riddle Lana Hartmann Samantha Becker 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 © 2015 The Arizona Gaming Guide.

All rights reserved.

The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and gaming related facts and editorial opinions. AGG accepts no responsibility and no liability for any actions of readers based on articles and/or advertisements presented within. Information contained within is not guaranteed to be correct. All pictures, images, logos, trademarks and trade names, etc. are the sole property of their respective owners. Intended for single use. Sale and/or distribution without written consent is not permitted.

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

www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide 04 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

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: On the Game [King] slots at [my favorite casino] I noticed this huge payoff difference in Keno. On the Cleopatra Keno (where you can get 12 free bonus spins) if you play an 8-spot and hit all 8 the pay off is 1,000 credits. However, if you play an 8-spot on the Multi-Keno game on the same slot the pay off is 10,000 credits. Why is that? Isn't 8 out of 8 the same odds of hitting regardless what keno you play? I paid attention to that the other day. One day, I played Multi-Keno there and I hit an 8 of 8 and got paid $500 from the attendant by only playing 5 cents per game. Then I noticed playing Cleopatra Keno that playing the same 5 cents and hitting 8 of 8 you will get only $50. Please explain if the machines are set different making the Multi-Keno harder to hit on to warrant such a different payoff. Thank You. Marco Santos – Email A: Thank you Marco for such an excellent question about IGT’s video keno games at your favorite casino! You point out a very interesting fact about the mathematics of casino games. As an observant player you have picked up on this major difference between the pay tables on two different versions of video keno.

In order to explain, perhaps we should address your second question first. That is, let’s look at the odds of hitting 8 out of 8 spots. Regardless of whether you play straight up Keno, MultiCard Keno, or any of the other standard video keno games on IGT’s slot which allow you to select 8 spots as part of the game, you will inevitably have the same odds of hitting all 8 spots. The reason why is you are always selecting 8 spots from a total of 80 numbers and the slot machine selects 20 numbers at random and displays them to you on the screen. There is no deviation from this game rule. As a result, the probability of hitting 8 spots out of 8 on the Multi-Card game you are playing on any individual card are 1 in 230,115. That is on average, over the long run, you’ll hit 8 out of 8 about once every 230,000 games.

With Cleopatra Keno, there is one key difference in the game play from Multi-Card Keno. You actually mentioned it in your question. Cleopatra Keno introduces the ability to win 12 free games, at double the pay! As you know, if the last ball drawn by the slot gives you a win, the free games are triggered. This

means you not only have a chance of hitting 8 out of 8 spots during the 20 drawn balls, you also have the ability to hit 8 out of 8 during the free games, if you trigger them! This changes the probability of winning 8 out of 8 spots. The chance of hitting the bonus while playing 8 spots is about 1 in 42, meaning on average, over the long run, you’ll trigger the bonus about once every 42 games. However, during any one of the 12 free games, you can hit 8 out of 8 at twice the pay. This increases the chance of you winning 8 out of 8 to around 1 in 182,670 overall. So, due to the change in the chances and due to the change in pay (doubling) as a result of introducing the free games, the pay must be lowered in Cleopatra Keno from Multi-Card Keno. Otherwise, if the pays remained the same between the games Cleopatra Keno would lose money for the casino in the long run.

The odds of hitting 8 out of 8 do not change on any single draw in Multi-Card Keno, nor have they changed during any single draw of Cleopatra Keno (meaning as the slot draws a set of 20 numbers during the regular game or a free game).

Q: I have seen many celebrity photos on slot machines endorsing the game. Do these celebrities receive a royalty each time these games are sold to a casino or do they receive one lump sum for the use of their photo on a machine? On average, how much money do they receive for the use of their photo?

Thanks for all the great information in your Players Talk section.

David Hough—Phoenix, Arizona A: David, thank you for your excellent question! We will answer this based on our knowledge of licensing deals we are aware of as slot machine game designers. The celebrity does not actually endorse a slot machine. The slot machine manufacturer pays a celebrity a fee to use their likeness, or other asset like a song, as part of the game. Each deal is different, but in general, in order to be able to begin using the licensed image or asset a deal is struck involving a one time lump sum payment. Other deals involve recurring yearly payments in order to retain the license. This can, and has, lead to bidding wars between slot manufacturers for licenses!

Not all celebrities are willing to have licensing deals set up for their images on a slot machine. The most notable is the Top Gun

and get a $25 gift or 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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PLAYERS TALK

slot machine based on the popular movie. With the exception of Tom Cruise, all the actors participated in having their image used in the game as part of the licensing deal. As Tom Cruise did not, his likeness did not appear anywhere on the game.

At this point, licensing deals for movies and slot machines are so detailed that brands involving soft drinks, or clothes, or cars, even if they appeared in the film intentionally, may refuse to participate in the licensing deal. That means the graphic artists at the slot manufacturer may have to erase, blur or otherwise alter the appearance of a pair of sunglasses on a main character because the sunglass maker didn’t approve their inclusion in the license.

If a piece of music is to be licensed, some deals approximate how often the song will be played over the estimated lifetime of the slot machine in casinos around the world, and a figure is arranged based on those numbers. Other song deals just work off a lump sum.

While most deals are on the order of $10,000 to $100,000 per license as a lump sum, there will be exceptions that make money in different ways. Wheel of Fortune is the first major license that comes to mind. That game was the first licensed slot game that really took off on casino floors and the arrangement behind it involves a daily use fee back to the owners of the Wheel of Fortune copyright.

All licensing deals in the casino gaming industry are pretty much kept under wraps, but there is information about other licensing arrangements. The footage to one of Michael Jackson's final concerts was said to be in the $20 million range. In April of 2005 US Weekly paid $500,000 for pictures of Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie. And, the average commercial music licensing deal is estimated to range between $75,000 and $200,000.

Q: On a multi-play slot machine, is there a separate random generator for each game or just one random generator controlling all the games?

Robert Meisenburg—E-mail A: Robert, this question is really great because we know every gambler who plays a multi-game video poker, multi-game video keno, or multi-game video slot asks themselves this all the time! Basically, we all ask ourselves, “Would I have gotten this situation had I played the other game on this slot?”

Slot machines are all designed the same basic way, there is one random number generator built in to the game. The software in the game waits for the bet button to be pressed and starts the process of playing the next spin, or hand, etc. Part of that process is to call up one, or more, random numbers to determine the outcome. The software accesses the only one random num-

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ber generator available to it. So, regardless of which game you play on a multi-game machine there is only one random number generator.

At the moment you pressed the spin or bet button, the slot selected certain random numbers to determine the outcome of the spin, or hand, and that’s what makes a win or a loss in the context of the game you are playing (let’s say getting four Queens in Double Double Bonus Poker). If you were playing a different game (say Deuces Wild), those same numbers generated at the exact same time will produce the win or loss in the context of that other game. Would you have been able to accomplish that feat? Probably not, because you took the time to switch games.

Q: Love your articles because they are very informative. I have been going to Laughlin, Nevada for many years and receiving free rooms, vouchers from between $10 and $30 for food and $10 for free play. I am not a high roller but I do gamble at [several casinos there] for about 5 hours a day. Lately I still get the free rooms but the other comps have been decreasing in value. I have increased my time gambling over the years but I find I am receiving less comps. Is there any reason why this is happening and should I speak to them about this? I love staying at their hotel because the staff is very friendly, the rooms are great. I have no complaints and do recommend this hotel to other people.

Ken Bugay—Cottonwood, Arizona A: Ken, thanks for your question. There are many factors which will make your free play, food vouchers, complimentary rooms and other offers change as you play at one or more casinos. The way to find the answer is to track your play during every visit you make to any of the multiple casinos you visit.

Your play is what you are able to identify and adjust.

What you are unable to control is any changes made in the Player’s Club. That is, if they are no longer going to offer free rooms.

Maybe they decided to change the rate at which free play is given back. Perhaps they’ll no longer invite guests from particular areas for certain types of offers. Essentially, we players can’t control what changes a Player’s Club may implement.

However, if you keep a log of the number of points you earned using your Player’s Club card every time you visit, you’ll have something to refer back to if your free play changes. Ultimately, casinos all look at what is referred to as a player’s average daily theoretical win. This is the amount of money they can expect to earn from your play based on your past history of play. You essentially have a version of this at your fingertips when you begin to track your earned Player’s Club points. I’d suggest you talk to the Player’s Club about your concerns and I suggest you start tracking your points so if you have to talk to them again you’ll be armed with some information. $

TABLE GAMES

By Al Moe

TABLE GAME DISPUTES And How They Are Easily Resolved

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o you are having a great time playing blackjack and then boom, there’s a dispute on your game. Maybe you thought you won the hand but didn’t get paid. What to do? First, don’t worry, it happens. Although there’s been some dispute about this, dealers are human. I know, we checked. In fact, they are just like you and me, and on rare occasions they make mistakes. Maybe two cards got stuck together, maybe they mispaid a bet, or maybe they skipped your hand. What should be done? Firing squad? Fast Food?

If something doesn’t seem right, just ask for help. Don’t jump out of your chair and scream “The dealer just cheated me,” because that’s not what happened. The chances of getting cheated by a dealer in Arizona are really slim. So, instead, don’t make another bet, put your hand out and say “Just a second, what did I have last hand?” or something like that. The dealer won’t get mad, and although they may be flying along and dealing 400 hands an hour, they’ll probably remember exactly what you had on the last hand.

You can expect to hear something like “You hit your 14 with a five for 19, but I made a 20, sorry.” If that doesn’t clear it up, take the next step. Ask for the cards to be backed-up. The dealer will call the Floor Supervisor over and they will take care of the problem.

Dealers pick the cards up in a particular fashion so they can be backed up (replaced on the layout) just as they were played.

The first cards will be the dealer’s hand, then the player’s. Your own hand will be recreated right in front of you.

If that still doesn’t make sense to you it’s alright to tell the Floor Supervisor that it still doesn’t seem right. If it’s questionable to the boss, they can ask surveillance to check on the hand, but really, backing up the cards works almost every time. The boss may decline to do anything more based on the backup of the cards or on their own observation of the original hand, that’s their right, and they probably are right.

However, if you are still uncomfortable, ask to see the Floor Supervisor’s boss for clarification. Note the time and the table number if you aren’t going to play anymore. A Pit Boss is likely to be called so they can talk to you. Don’t be angry or demanding, just explain what you think happened and they will take in all the information and make a decision.

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Often, they will explain specific rules about why something can’t be done, such as changing a hit-card or something similar.

Believe it or not, the games have rules set forth by the state, and some can’t be ignored, even if an error has occurred. On the other hand, the Pit Boss is really hoping to be able to help you, honest!

Still unhappy? The state agency overseeing all gaming is the Arizona Department of Gaming. They have a website, they have phones. Call ‘em up if you want. $ (Editor’s Note: The Arizona Department of Gaming’s phone number is 602.771.4263 and their website is AZGaming.gov.)

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years.

He has lived and worked in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. He also attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an avid writer and blogger, author of “Vegas and the Mob"—available at Amazon.

He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls.

NEW SLOTS

By Lana Hartmann

Batman Wonder Wheels Slots At Mazatzal

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he Batm an classic TV series slot game, powered by Wonder Wheels, is the newest Aristocrat slot game to be installed at Mazatzal hotel & Casino in beautiful Payson, Arizona. Wond er Wheels is a new game category from Aristocrat and features three mechanical wheels that increase player engagement and retention.

The Wond er Wheels slot is larger than other games on the floor, measuring in at 10.5 feet tall, capable of drawing player attention from anywhere on the casino floor. Modular in design for easy and flexible installation, the game also has 55” LCD screens that catch players’ eyes. The experience is completed by Aristocrat’s surround sound iChair.

The first game released in the category is Batm an Classic TV Series Slot Game Powered by Wond er Wheels. The game features still and video imagery from the classic TV series with Adam West, who introduced the game at G2E. Game play is enhanced by stacked wilds, seven themed bonus features, video clips from the TV series, and a highly anticipatory wheel feature trigger. The 30-line game has a 50 credit minimum and a 250 credit maximum bet. $

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! At Mazatzal

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merican Gaming Systems (AGS) and Mazatzal Hotel & Casino proudly present Ripley’s Believe It or Not! a trivia based game with a wheel top box. This exciting game has a 5-level progressive and is the first game in AGS’ It Pays To Know series, a series of games featuring AGS’ knowledge based game mechanic. The truly special feature of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! are the trivia bonus games, Hidden Features in Trivia and Trivia ‘Round the World. A player wins the progressive by answering the questions correctly on the first guess. Players can accumulate features in the base game such as “Re-Do”, “Eliminator” and “Stats” which will improve their chances of winning a progressive in the trivia bonus round.

The Wheel is triggered by landing the Mystery symbol anywhere on the 3rd reel where the player will be awarded a single spin. The Free Spins round will amaze players as they collect and accumulate Jewel Bugs which will run around the reels and morph into wilds for an improved payout! $

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Coming Soon

NEW SLOTS

Extreme Progressive

By Aruze Gaming

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new video linked G-Series family from Aruze Gaming will be upon us soon! Extrem e Progressive is what it is known as; featuring two titles Extreme Dragon and Extreme Phoenix, and it’s going to rock the casino floors. This is a 5-reel, 3-row, 243 ways to win (ALL WAYS) linked series which offers Free Games and a 4-level progressive which has over 15 different jackpot settings. The series will most likely be installed in a penny denomination and has a minimum base game bet of 88¢.

Throughout each of these two titles, 3 or more FEATURE/WILD symbols appearing from left to right trigger the Free Games. During the Free Games, the opportunity for increased WILD symbols is greater. If at any point during the base game or Free Games a COIN symbol is to appear, the Jackpot Challenge is triggered. During the Jackpot Challenge, 14 COINS will be displayed and selected until a 4-of-a-kind is shown. At that point, whichever corresponding 4-of-a-kind is shown, that is the progressive that will be won. This new G-Series family of games will be your next stop for an “extreme” gaming experience!

To learn more about these exciting new titles or any other slot games by Aruze Gaming, please visit their website at go.aruzegaming.com. $

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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NEW SLOTS

Coming Soon

By Lana Hartmann

Romance of Fire and Rain

By Aristocrat

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ristocrat’s E*Series line of games are proven favorites players love with engaging characters and storylines combined with rich graphics and sound. Now the fun is going to the next level with a new progressive jackpot component, adding a new layer of anticipation and excitement to these entertainment-style games. The newest addition to the E*Series line is slot game The Rom ance of Fire and Rain, housed in the technologically advanced Helix cabinet. This fun new title has an original reel layout (2x5x8), new game mechanics, and a five-level progressive. The game combines low-to-medium volatility with high anticipation in the form of frequent transferring wilds that give players a chance for big wins. The Rom ance of Fire and Rain further enhances player enjoyment with Max Stack s, mega symbols and matching wilds, along with entrancing music and sound effects. The game’s topper art showcases Rain’s enchanting eyes that practically make eye contact with players! Features also include 15 Free Games and Progressive Jackpots, including Grand with a $1,000 start value; Major, $250 start value; Maxi, $100 start value; Minor, $30 start value; and Mini, $10 start value. The Rom ance of Fire and Rain is configurable for a payback percentage range from 85.37% to 94.75%! For more information about this game or any of the other exciting E*Series Jackpot titles, visit Aristocrat’s website at aristocrat-us.com. $

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Coming Soon

NEW SLOTS

5 Treasures On Hit Link

By Bally Technologies

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lay the game that is entertaining players in Asia and across the globe! The 5 Treasures video slot joins 88 Fortunes on Bally’s hit Duo Fu Duo Cai progressive link to offer you another chance to test your luck.

This five-reel, 243-way game will entertain you with its gorgeous Asian artwork, free games that can be re-triggered, and enticing progressive jackpots.

Three or more Red Door symbols start the Free Games feature, which awards six free games that can be re-triggered over and over. Before the free games begin, select a Golden Animal symbol to add to the reel set to choose your own volatility. Then let the reels spin as your pursue exciting five-of-a-kind wins!

The adorable Fu Babies will bring you much fortune during the Fu Bat Jackpot feature, which may be triggered when a Fu Bat symbol appears. Pick from among 12 lucky coins until three Fu Baby symbols match. Each Baby symbol corresponds to one of four fantastic jackpot levels.

Discover your treasure in 5 Treasures! Look for this game on casino floors now as part of the Duo Fu Duo Cai link. For more information, visit BallyTech.com. $

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

$100,000 Scratchers

$250,000 Scratchers

$100,000 Scratchers

Nora Saucedo, Phoenix, received an early holiday present from her son. He’d purchased a few $250,000 Crossword instant scratch tickets and gave one to her. He buys crossword and bingo instant scratch games all the time. Nora scratched the ticket, looked at it in disbelief, checked it a few more times, and then called her son to come look at it.

The whole winning ticket scenario began for Cathleen Gore, Mesa, when, after she had a difficult day at work, a co-worker gave her two $5 crossword Scratchers to brighten up her day. Cathleen won $10 with the tickets and went to a store to redeem them.

While standing in front of the counter, Cathleen couldn’t help but notice a $10 crossword Scratchers staring her in the face. When she realized that her left hand was extremely itchy, a sign that money was involved, she purchased two Platinum Crossword Scratchers.

Cathleen scratched the tickets at home and, at first, thought she’d won $30.

However, it didn’t look right. She decided to have the ticket checked at the store.

As it turned out, Cathleen had missed two words; instead of $30, she’d won the top prize of $100,000.

Cathleen works in quality control, and lately has been working so many hours that she hasn’t had much time for herself.

The timing of this win is perfect because Cathleen said she is ready for a vacation.

Nora and her son kept going over the ticket, but kept coming up with the same conclusion; the ticket was a $250,000 top prize winner. Nora immediately signed the back of the ticket and they took it back to the store to have it validated. The store’s personnel know the family and are very happy for Nora. She said, “I wasn’t going to believe it until I saw the check.”

Once Nora had the paperwork she needed to redeem the ticket, she told the rest of the family. Everyone was excited for her.

Nora is a retired teaching assistant. She spent three years caring for her father, who died at the age of 103. She’s just now getting her life back together. Nora spends a lot of time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Her son commented that she also spends a lot of time shopping; Nora agreed with him.

Nora is going to put the money in the bank for investment purposes; she hopes to see it grow.

The ticket was purchased at 4 Sons, 1205 W. Baseline Road, Mesa.

For more information on the Arizona Lottery, visit their website at ArizonaLottery.com. For the winning numbers, call 480.829.7425 in Phoenix or 520.325.9141 in Tucson. Please call 1.800.499.3798 for all other areas in Arizona.

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Tomasita Najera, Glendale, calls herself a sporadic Lottery player. Recently while grocery shopping, she had an urge to buy some Scratchers after seeing some tickets in the Lottery vending machine.

Tomasita purchased a few Jumbo Bucks Scratchers and scratched them at home.

She saw that one of them appeared to be a $100,000 winner, but couldn’t believe it.

She is going to save some of it, earmark some for charity, give some to her parents because they have done a lot for her, and take a vacation with her son.

$100,000 Scratchers Gordon Reierson, Fosston, Minnesota, enjoys our Arizona weather and is a yearly winter visitor to our state. Gordon rarely buys Scratchers back home, but is a frequent player when he comes to Arizona. He recently purchased two Platinum Crossword tickets, not only because he’s had some small wins with the game, but because, “…your payouts are better.”

Well, he certainly can back up that statement because one of his two tickets turned out to be a $100,000 winner! He is thrilled with his win. $

CASINO DINING

By Mark Novak

BUCKY’S & YAVAPAI CASINOS Food & Beverage Director Brian Tolbert Serves Up His Specials

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fter several recent visits to Bucky’s & Yavapai Casinos, we had the opportunity to sample a variety of dishes at Bucky’s Café and at Yavapai Cantina. The sandwiches, salads, and specialty ribs (Wednesdays only!) were out of this world. In tracking down the source of these culinary delights, we met the new Food & Beverage Director, Mr. Brian Tolbert. Fortunately, he was kind enough to grant us an interview which gives insight into the recent changes at the casinos.

Please give us some background information about yourself.

I have worked from a truck stop in the middle of nowhere to Ritz-Carlton and Hilton Hotels. I have worked in New Orleans, owned my own restaurant in La Conner, Washington, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Chicago and in New York City. I graduated from Scottsdale Culinary Institute. I have trained in Europe under a plethora of world chefs in Germany, France and Spain. My favorite country was Spain: the fresh fish from the Atlantic and Mediterranean, the innovations of culinary techniques, the freshness of food and the love of food. The delicious Paella; each region had its own take on this saffron rice dish. My restaurant was called The Dulce Plate where I served Spanish and Mediterranean dishes using fish from the local fisherman and produce from farms nearby. I wrote a cookbook called The Dulce Plate with recipes and my flair for food.

What is new on the menu at Bucky’s Café & Yavapai Cantina?

Every month we have $4.99 Daily Specials to entice our guests.

We also offer a $3.99 Veterans Appreciation Day menu on Mondays and a $1.99 Seniors Day Special Breakfast Menu on Tuesdays. At Bucky’s Café, we have brought back both our specialty rubbed ribs with our own sauce made in house on Wednesday nights and our special seasoned Prime Rib Dinner on Thursday nights.

Did you make any behind the scenes changes that you’d like to share?

We have stepped up our training for both the cooks and the servers. Plate presentations, guest satisfaction, and knife techniques are just a few things we have done. I have also written new training manuals for both front of the houses.

What do you find fun about the casino gaming industry?

I like the change and growth of the casino: new ideas, techniques, growth potential and daily learning. There is always a new growth opportunity every day. Also, I like to learn our guests’ names, greet them and be greeted by them.

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What is your favorite dish to prepare for family & friends?

My favorite dish to prepare is Paella. When in Spain, I was taught the traditional technique of this dish; how the components are cooked at different times and why these ingredients are placed in the order that they are. Also, how and why this dish is similar, yet different, in the different regions of Spain.

Plus this dish truly expresses the chef, cook or mother who makes Paella.

We heard you used to wrestle professionally?

I was a professional wrestler back in the late 70’s and 80’s! I wrestled out in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I loved it! The camaraderie of the squared circle, how we used to travel together, set up the ring, the fans and my fellow brothers of the Cauliflower Alley Club. Yes, I was one of the wrestlers everyone loved to hate, but that was the fun part. Also, I traveled a lot and learned to develop my culinary taste buds from one part of the world to the other. In case you want to know my wrestling name, let’s just say I was the man in black that our fans enjoyed to boo!

Also, the staff mentioned you like to ride motorcycles. Is there a favorite Arizona trip you can share with us?

I ride every day. My new friends at Bucky’s Casino think I am made of iron because no matter the weather, I ride. I enjoy many different riding spots. Arizona has so many and you can ride year round. I ride every year to Sturgis, South Dakota. In Arizona, I like to do charity rides like Toys for Tots, Yuma Prison Run, and just for fun, Poker Runs. I always enjoy riding to Jerome through Mingus Mountain over to Payson mainly because of the beauty of riding through the forest.

For more information on Bucky’s & Yavapai Casinos in Prescott, Arizona, please visit BuckysCasino.com. $

WINNING WAYS

By Rodric J. Hurdle-Bradford

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME A Preview Of The 2015 Major League Baseball Season

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uch like a casino, the 2015 Major League Baseball off season was full of chance, spending money and a couple of lucky teams that hit the jackpot with freeagent signings and trades.

Who will win the World Series in October? Nobody knows, but here’s the 2015 season preview. Don’t be surprised with a final showdown between Show-Me State royalty and the talented team located in our nation’s capital. So, let’s play ball!

American League Eastern Division – Expect another 90-plus win season from the Baltimore Orioles, with the Boston Red Sox finishing second within five games. The Toronto Blue Jays are destined for another average season, while the New York Yankees will spend the season in fourth place hosting the Alex Rodriguez show. Without longtime coach Joe Maddon, the Tampa Bay Rays return to last place. Division Cham pion: Baltim ore Orioles Central Division – The Kansas City Royals will use the best defense in baseball to finish in first place, slightly ahead of the Detroit Tigers. The Chicago White Sox added pitcher Jeff Samardzija and former All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera and are the dark horse pick of this division. The Cleveland Indians will be just good enough not to factor into the playoffs, and the Minnesota Twins may be the worst team in baseball. Division Champion: Kansas City Royals Western Division – the Los Angeles Angels should secure their second division title in a row, even with the troubles of Josh Hamilton. Expect the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners to battle it out for a second-place finish and a wild card spot in the playoffs. The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros will have a season-long Lone Star State battle for last place. Division Champion: Los Angeles Angels National League Eastern Division – it’s World Series or bust for the highlytouted Washington Nationals. The New York Mets are very young but very talented and could still division with good pitching and team speed. With the boatload of money the Miami Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton, their ceiling is limited. The Atlanta Braves look average and there’s no love in the city of brotherly love, where the Philadelphia Phillies will finish in last place again. Division Cham pio n: Washington Nationals

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Central Division – The St. Louis Cardinals will maintain their annual perch on top of the division, but they will be challenged hard by Andrew McCutchen and his Pittsburgh Pirates, as well as the new-look Chicago Cubs. The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds aren’t bad, just not good enough to compete for the division championship. Division Cham pion: St. Louis Cardinals Western Division – Arizonans will be lucky to get a close look at the best division in baseball this season. World Series Champion San Francisco Giants could finish in first place or fourth place, and neither would be a surprise. The Southern California spending spree highlighted the off-season as the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers added multiple All-Stars to their rosters. Our Arizona Diamondbacks seemed destined for fourth place, while the mile-high Colorado Rockies are low in the cellar for last place. Division Cham pion: San Diego Pad res Playoffs American League Championship: Kansas City Royals over the Baltimore Orioles National League Championship: Washington Nationals over San Diego Padres World Series: Washington Nationals over Kansas City Royals $ (Editor’s Note: Sports betting is illegal in Arizona. Place your bets legally at the many sportsbooks in Laughlin or Las Vegas, Nevada.)

WINNING WAYS

By Lana Hartmann

EARNING PLAYER’S CLUB POINTS What To Watch For In Every Casino You Visit

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hen Alexandra, our Editor, forwarded a press release over to me about a recent change to the player’s club point earning rates at a major Las Vegas Strip casino, I was very curious to verify what some of the casinos in Arizona are doing. Between all the different casinos across the state and beyond, it is not easy to keep track of how much coin-in (the amount of money wagered) it takes to earn one point on a particular game at any given casino. Sure, I can remember a few off the top of my head from the last time I visited, and I certainly remember the rates for the casino I frequent regularly, but all of them? And, don’t get me wrong! Just because it costs more or less to earn a point at one casino over another doesn't mean one player’s club is better. There are many factors involved. For example, the number of points needed to move to the next tier will vary and the benefits at different tier levels vary as well (along with free play, comps, offers, etc.).

What you absolutely must be aware of is the rate at which you are earning points at a particular casino while playing your favorite games. In almost all cases, casinos have different rates for earning points while playing slots, video poker/video keno games, table games, and electronic table games! Most player tracking devices, where you insert your card in a game, have a countdown meter telling you how much coin-in earns a point.

But if it doesn’t, march over to the player’s club and ask for a direct answer. Be sure to watch out for any changes they may make to the rates or the rest of the player’s club program as time passes. Then you can calculate how much you have to bet on your favorite game to move up a level at that casino’s player’s club. Just take the rate and multiply it by the points needed.

If $5 of coin-in earns one point and the next level up is at 1,000 points, then that’s $5,000 of wagering to get you to the next level (1,000 x $5 = $5,000). Do the same exercise with your casino! $

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

23

FEATURE STORY

By Lana Hartmann

CELEBRATING INDIAN GAMING 30 Year Anniversary Of NIGA

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elebrating its 30th year, the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Annual Tradeshow and Convention from March 30 through April 2, 2015 at the San Diego Convention Center, is anticipated to be the largest gathering of tribal leaders and casino industry executives in the country. In celebration of this important milestone, NIGA is implementing a number of new initiatives and enhancements, including free tradeshow floor admission opportunities, an improved Conference Program, expanded product resources, new networking events and more.

“The only constant is change so we are celebrating our 30th Anniversary edition with some changes and enhancements that signal the beginning of a brand new era for our show,” explains Ernest L. Stevens, Jr., Chairman, NIGA. “From show floor admission procedures to education and networking opportunities, we’re fine-tuning and enhancing every element of the show to make sure it exceeds the needs of Tribal Gaming community members, as well as the many other businesses that serve and support Indian Gaming. We believe these enhancements will further the one thing that will never change -- NIGA’s mission to promote Tribal sovereignty and Indian self-reliance to advance the lives of Indian people economically, socially and politically.”

But, what we’re all really interested in is the slots baby! Every year all of the slot manufacturers show off a selection of current slots at their booths during the NIGA expo. While it’s no G2E, there are still a ton of games and, of course, we scored a preview for you!

IGT Booth Preview It’s always game time for slot creator IGT! New game themes and product innovations are on the horizon so make sure you visit your favorite casino for the latest variety of slot entertainment and ways to win big jackpots, including a new addition to the most popular theme of all time, Wheel of Fortune .

Most people play for the thrill of winning big, and IGT exceeds that demand with Wheel of Fortune Winning Wed ges. You’ll soon be immersed in a gaming experience featuring wheels and symbols that come to life through the game’s high-resolution touch-screen display. Trigger the Pointer Frenzy feature and you’ll have the opportunity to win various jackpots, and if you’re really lucky, initiate a bet multiplier to increase your big win payout.

24 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

Are you in the mood for an island getaway? Cruise into the tropics with Wheel of Fortune Jackpot Paradise.

A fruit-filled symbol display with kiwis, coconuts and bananas will whet your appetite for the lifechanging jackpots, including the chance to win the top award when you enter the Jackpot Pick Bonus.

Hollywood’s charismatic, and clue-finding characters, Sherlock and Watson unlock fun and mystery in IGT’s new game, Sherlock Holmes Video Slots. In addition to action-filled scenes direct from the movie, you’ll be blown away by its fun Blow-By-Blow Bonus, which allows you to identify boxing moves that award various levels of credit value. Don’t forget to look up at the game’s three wheels, each filled with more awards, credit value and jackpots that include potential to increase based on your initiated bet multiplier.

Soar into sky-high game entertainment with IGT’s Golden Eagle Video Slots. Your excitement will reach new heights when you activate the game’s Nudging Wilds Feature; the more Wild symbols that cover your reels, the larger the win. Gold en Eagle is housed on IGT’s newest game Cabinet, the CrystalDual, which offers a brilliant screen display and riveting sound technology, giving you the ultimate gaming experience.

If you’re a classic spinning reel slot machine enthusiast, you’ve probably seen the bright lights of IGT’s new S3000 cabinet at your favorite local casino. S3000 preserves the content that you have loved for years, with themes such as Double Diam ond , Pink Diamond and Double Gold, while revolutionizing your reel expe-

rience with new themes, modern design and more ways to score that big payout. Spice up your gaming experience with Red Hot Tamales or live on the blazing wild side with Hell on Reels.

WMS Booth Preview Game themes being showcased include Dancing in Rio, Gorilla Chief II and 9 Suns. Also on display is the Cool Jewels theme, which represents the first theme simultaneously launched by WMS and SG Interactive for land-based, social and real money wagering.

The Game Chest HD Multi-Game series, featuring eight topperforming themes that players can choose from on a new, more interactive main menu that displays reel layouts for each theme along with theme-specific features.

With The Flintstones theme, the town of Bedrock is brought to life thanks to a 42-inch horizontal screen over a vertical 32-inch screen with a mechanical wheel on the Gamefield xD cabinet.

Reels stretch up to 10 symbols high as Wild reels and multipliers are potentially added to the reels in The Flintstones mystery feature.

The Austin Powers theme brings “the international man of mystery” to life on the Gamefield xD cabinet. Featuring characters from the Austin Powers movies, players can match symbols for up to a 100x multiplier in the Picture Pay Feature, and wheels may award free spins, wheel spins, credits or even a progressive.

The Life of Luxury Progressive theme brings back a classic WMS game in multi-game format with five games that feature a combination of classic, current and new WMS content. In the Life of Luxury Bonus, each reel is assigned to a GEM symbol which allows players to pick for a chance at the progressive when the symbol appears on the reels.

Bally Booth Preview The Friends video slot reunites players with the beloved characters from Warner Bros. television’s worldwide hit comedy that TV Guide Magazine named one of the 50 greatest shows of all time. Players can experience the laughs and loves in a whole new way with many clips of the show’s hilarious moments and a wheel bonus awarding credits and Free Games.

The Friends game is presented on the Pro Theatre, a new cabinet configuration built on the award-winningPro Wave that is topped by a massive 1080p 55-inch display.

MultiDeluxe on the Pro Series V27/27 is a four-level standalone progressive with an interactive second-screen feature, showcasing five incredible games in one cabinet: Mixteca, Golden Relics, Luxury Dreams, Karnak and Yellow Emperor. MultiDeluxe has been specifically designed for operators who are looking to help maximize their gaming floor returns.

88 Fortunes and 5 Treasures themes on the Duo Fu Duo Cai link, offering players the chance for much luck and wealth, draw players to proven performers. These titles feature All Up, Reel Ways, Free Games that can be retriggered and the exciting Fu Bat Jackpot Feature, which awards players one of four fantastic progressive levels.

The Blob theme, on the striking Pro Series V22/22 with Hammerhead cabinet, will capture players’ attention just like the cult classic movie. This new game has All Up, Reel Ways, a five-level progressive, a U-Choose Free Games Feature, and much more engulfing fun.

With Betty Boop’s Firehouse, America’s cartoon sweetheart is back in a playful new game showcased on the Pro Series V22/32 cabinet featuring a 1080p resolution 32-inch vertical monitor. Betty Boop’s Firehouse will fire up players with a classic ladder bonus, Free Games, Mystery Stacked Reels and Betty’s 5 Alarm Scatter.

Betty and her playful pup Pudgy are ready to heat up the casino floor!

Wonder Woman Wild and Wonder Woman Gold themes, deliver powered-up entertainment and volatility. Both titles feature action scenes and music from the classic 1970’s TV show starring Lynda Carter, along with three progressive jackpots available at any bet level, Free Games and popular play mechanics. $ azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

25

TRIBAL NEWS

By Lee Allen

NAVAJO GAMING GURU LOOKS AHEAD A Conversation With Director Derrick Watchman

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avajo tribal member Derrick Watchman is the right man for the job, which is to stand watch over his nation’s current casinos --- three in New Mexico, one in Arizona --- and possibly more on the drawing board. As director of the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise (NNGE), he oversees the $80 million dollar a year in new winnings that the existing casinos (Gallup [Fire Rock], Farmington [Northern Edge], and Shiprock [Flowing Water], New Mexico, and Flagstaff [Twin Arrows], Arizona) bring in.

It wasn’t until 2004 --- after three attempts --- that the Navajo people finally voted in favor of gaming. “A decade later, we employ a staff of 1,400 and return millions in revenue to the Nation and the states we operate in,” says Watchman. “Not only does the Navajo Nation benefit, we are also a major economic engine for Northern Arizona and New Mexico. We will continue to drive commerce, hospitality, and economic opportunities as we look toward the next ten years and continued growth during that decade.”

Derrick Watchman, Director of the NNGE (photo by Lee Allen)

The most recent step forward came in a newly-negotiated unified gaming compact with New Mexico that would ensure Class 3 gaming operations through 2037. Navajo Nation Council Speaker Pro Tem LoRenzo Bates called the compact “fair for our people,” even though the revenue sharing formula that brings in dollars to the state increased from 9 percent to 10.75 percent over the life of the compact.

plans in place to continue to stabilize and grow that market while encouraging our sister enterprises to develop and locate some of their operations there, things like a gas station and the possibility of the Glittering Mountain shopping center project in the same area. We know there is a bright future for Twin Arrows and an increased commerce connection on the reservation property.”

“The agreement had some pros and cons, but there’s some provisions in it that we think will be very beneficial,” said Watchman. Anticipating future expansion, the NNGE leader points to a strong possibility of a fourth casino on tribal land west of Albuquerque, possibly within the next 5 years. “It’s no secret that location could be a possible site over time,” he admits.

“We’ve had our challenges at Twin, but I was able to report to our new Navajo Council that we broke even in 2014 and are looking optimistically at 2015,” Watchman said. Although the gaming endeavor opened in a depressed economy, things have continued to improve and 1Q15 statistics compared to 1Q14 are positive…”a big improvement,” according to Watchman.

Arizona’s lone tribally-owned facility, Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort, a $200+ million casino with more than a thousand slots, table games, and an eventual 200 room hotel, opened in 2013 after five years in the making, and is proving financially healthy. There is also discussion that Twin Arrows could be joined by another such venture in the future.

The property itself hit a bulls-eye in its attempt to both embody and showcase Navajo land, infusing the property with the art and culture of the Dine people at a site located beneath the sacred San Francisco Peaks Mountain, or Doko’oosliid, meaning “where light shines from within.”

“We’re basically a retail business that provides gaming, now coming up on our second anniversary at Twin, and we have

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

Guests are welcomed with a Ya at eeh greeting as they enter the front door where they stand in awe, transfixed in the hotel lobby rotunda where a shimmering chandelier, made up of thou-

TRIBAL NEWS

100 hotel room expansion at Twin Arrows (photo by Navajo Gaming)

Elvis Sweet pours drinks at the Zenith Bar (photo by Ryan Williams)

sands of pieces of hand-blown glass rings, symbolically depicts the vertical rise of inhabitants of different worlds who came before. The upward movement of ancestors through the Four Worlds is all part of the Navajo Creation and Emergence story.

Inside the front door is a stone vestibule abstraction of the First World, a place filled with mist and sound, attested to by droplets of crystal cascading through multi-colored rings like water streaming from above while the floor below entrances visitors with an infinity circle reflection feature. Truly an awe-inspiring introduction to the 267,000 square foot facility augmented by some 40 original art creations purchased from local Native artists.

er smaller locations as possibilities. “It’s a function of market, market potential, feasibility, and access to capital. We have new Navajo leadership in place and because NNGE is owned by the Navajo Nation, I take my cues from them, they have to be in agreement before everything falls into place.”

The Twin Arrows compact runs until 2022 and the gaming enterprise is already keeping an eye out toward additional sites.

Asked about the possibility of a second property in Arizona, Watchman admitted, “I’m updating our demographic and financial feasibility studies and exploring that concept. We’ve already admitted that an ideal location would be next to a reservation border town like our existing casinos and one of the last border towns available would be Page. It’s obviously a seasonal market, but Page is an area we’re looking at. We’ve been advised by tribal government not to focus on anything internally, like Chinle or Tuba City, but I’m also looking at a couple of oth-

Like the rest of the country’s economy, Indian gaming in the Southwest took a hit during the recession with growth slowly returning. “Based on the spin I get from our customers, gaming continues to be viable. Things are gradually getting better and I believe we’ll improve marginally over the next decade.” In order to do that, however, he says Indian Country gaming needs to continually re-invent itself in order to remain sustainable.

“We need to refine our product offerings and add new amenities – the kind of retooling you’ve seen in Las Vegas. We’re going to have to change as they have over time. Demographics have changed and Indian gaming needs to keep up. “You have to jazz things up and keep your product attractive beyond the simple basic casino with a restaurant idea that got things started.” Watchman admits he doesn’t have the future figured out yet, but acknowledges his mission going forward is to “add pizzazz and increase the draw. Indian casinos need to reprogram themselves to keep up with the changing times and take tribal gaming to the next level.” $

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27

GAMING NEWS Zombie Fan Plays Dead And Wins Big! On February 25, 2015, a slot player at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California scared up a million dollar jackpot Tuesday on The Walk ing Dead Slot Game. Rocio H. from Chino Hills, California won $1,053,775.64 just before 2pm, but without any bloodcurdling screams!

She was visiting the casino with her parents. A fan of the TV show, Rocio chose to play the penny slot, but at first did not play with max bet. A few spins before the jackpot hit, she decided to risk a bit more. She watched the zombie symbols line up across the screen and realized she hit the progressive, million-dollar jackpot. She had only been playing the machine for 10 minutes before she scored the frighteningly awesome windfall.

“We are thrilled to have the wide area progressive hit here at Pechanga Resort & Casino and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer lady,” said Buddy Frank, Vice President of Slot Operations. “The Walking Dead slots have been some of the most popular we’ve seen here and this million-dollar jackpot will create even more zombie buzz for the game!”

“The response to our Walk ing Dead Slot Gam e has been tremendous,” said Dallas Orchard, Vice President of Gaming Operations for Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. “The game gives people some edge-of-your-seat thrills just like the show itself. The winner at Pechanga certainly had that feeling and we are very excited for her!”

The game’s tagline, “it pays to play dead,” came true for Rocio. Released in 2014, the Pechanga Resort & Casino jackpot is the first $1 million payout for the popular slot machine which won "Casino Product of the Year" at last year’s Global Gaming Awards. The last million-dollar jackpot won at Pechanga Resort & Casino was on Thanksgiving Day in November 2014. For more information, visit Pechanga.com.

The Walking Dead Slot Game is based on AMC’s hit TV series. AMC’s leading brand combined with Aristocrat’s superior math and the experience of Aristocrat’s surround sound iChair is attracting a horde of new players in a game that challenges players to win the fight for survival. This engrossing, dynamic game is housed in the VERVEhd cabinet and is packed with clips from the show, features, and an abundance of bonus opportunities.

Bonus features include “Reel Growth,” where reels 2, 3, 4 and 5 will randomly grow to a height of 5, 6 or 7 high; “Wild Attack,” where random positions in Reel Growth are replaced with Wild; “The Horde,” where the horde reveals a winning combination on the reels in Reel Growth. In “Atlanta Wheel Bonus,” players win credits, jackpots, CDC Wheel or Escape from Atlanta Free Games. In “CDC Wheel,” players win credits, multiple prizes with the Grenade or trigger Walker Bonus spins with a multiplier. Players win free games in “Escape From Atlanta Free Games,” and there is a Grand Jackpot that starts at $500,000! The Walk ing Dead Slot Game has a 75 credit minimum bet, and a 300 credit max bet. $

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

GAMING NEWS

Scientific Games Pay Big

$433,476.63 Won At Mazatzal In Payson

Recently, Scientific Games Corporation announced that a very lucky player at The M Resort Spa Casino in Las Vegas won a $890,863.27 jackpot on a WMS Monop oly Luxury Diam ond s slot machine on February 15, 2014. This jackpot marks the significant milestone of more than $200 million dollars won on WMS machines since its first wide-area progressive (WAP) installation in 2004.

One pull of the handle was all it took for one lucky Mazatzal player to take home $433,476.63 on Sunday March 15, 2015.

It was a winning week with three more lucky players winning big on WMS machines at three casinos: Cher-Ae Heights Casino in Trinidad, California, Casino Del Sol Resort in Tucson, Arizona, and FireKeepers Casino Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan. That makes four six-figure jackpots won in 48 hours! Together the four jackpots total over $1.6 million won on WMS games in a week, and the grand total of jackpots awarded by WMS since 2004 grew to over $200 million with 330 jackpots.

Dean Ehrlich, Senior Vice President of Global Gaming Operations, said: “It is thrilling to be a part of so many jackpot wins in such a short period of time. Congratulations to all of the winners! We are also very proud to have reached the momentous landmark of $200 million in jackpot awards and greatly look forward to continuing to add to that number.�

The first jackpot on a WMS wide-area progressive was on October 16, 2004, at the Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The casino patron won $221,503.71 on a WMS Monop oly Sevens game. $

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, "just a feeling" he said, "but we have been coming to Mazatzal every week and just love it here. Everyone is fantastic, the casino is great and you guys have the best slots around." Playing his favorite one dollar IGT Wheel of Fortune machine alongside his wife, the Arizona resident watched as all three reels lined up for the perfect combo of three Wheel of Fortune logos which paid off the Statewide progressive jackpot.

This is the third large progressive jackpot won at the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino. In 2012, Mazatzal had two winners with each win over $1,000,000. Mazatzal Hotel & Casino is located in Payson, Arizona and is proudly owned and operated by the Tonto Apache Tribe.

The winning machine, Wheel of Fortune Triple Cash , is a 3reel, single pay line, wide-area-progressive game. Whenever a Triple Cash symbol lands on the pay line, that symbol acts as a 3X multiplier. This applies to the appearance of more than one Triple Cash symbol on a pay line as well. A high feature-frequency wheel bonus awards players with credit wins and an exciting wheel spin. When 3 Wheel 7s appear on the reels, the reels light up and cycle to award a specific Winning Colors award based off of the ending color arrangement. Players are then awarded a traditional wheel spin. $

GAMING NEWS Harrah’s Ak-Chin & Ak-Chin Indian Community Announcements Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino has announced the promotion of Stacy Walker to casino operations manager. Walker, previously the assistant casino operations manager, will now manage the day-to-day table games operations, including compliance and regulatory requirements, as well as coordinate with various departments in ensuring a positive guest experience.

Stacy Walker Casino Operations Manager “Stacy’s vast experience in the gaming industry continues to prove to be of great significance in our ability to provide exceptional customer service,” said Mike Kintner, director of marketing and operations at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino. “He has exceptional leadership abilities which then allows for each guest to receive a one-of-a-kind experience.” Walker received his Bachelor of Science degree in radio, television and film from University of Southern Mississippi. He also earned his Master of Business Administration degree from Ottawa University. He lives in Maricopa with his wife, Penny.

The Ak-Chin Indian Community is pleased to announce Phoenix resident Keith Franklin as its information systems director. In his role, Franklin is responsible for the overall strategic plan and budget for the information systems (IS) department. In addition he will be responsible for implementation and prioritizing technological improvements to meet the Ak-Chin Indian Community’s mission and goals. Franklin brings nearly two decades of experience including de- Keith Franklin signing, developing and administer- I. S. Director ing IS networks. “Keith has extensive experience leading an IS department and we see his skills as a tremendous asset to our Community,” said Ak-Chin Tribal Chairman Louis J. Manuel, Jr. “We are looking forward to the outstanding work that he will do for our Community.” Franklin received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He has experience as an IT project manager, in developing tribal networks from the ground up, and is knowledgeable in Cisco networks, storage, Microsoft and VMware environments. $

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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GAMING NEWS

West Valley Resort Update

After years of patiently waiting, West Valley residents passing by 95th and Northern Avenues can get a glimpse of the major project taking form at the site of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s West Valley Resort. With the arrival of its multi-million dollar steel order, work on the site has gone vertical as hundreds of workers are raising the framework for the casinoresort’s first permanent structure. The interim gaming facility is scheduled to open during the fourth quarter of 2015.

The Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise (TOGE) has retained 40 separate companies thus far for construction and continues its commitment to hiring locally. 85% of these companies have offices in the Phoenix metro area, including the joint venture of Hunt Construction and Penta Building Group who are leading the team. More than 1,300 workers have been contracted to work on the project so far.

TOGE is committed to developing a first-class casino and resort and has already invested millions into the design and development of the project. In addition to the steel work that has been done, a multimillion dollar grading effort has been completed and concrete efforts are underway. Construction of the first phase facility and related infrastructure upgrades for the site will exceed $200 million in 2015, a major boost to the West Valley economy.

Once completed, more than 500 new, permanent jobs will be created in the community to operate the facility. It will feature 1,089 slots, food court, bar, and rewards center, and will include a 1,100 space surface parking lot. While this facility is operating, construction of the $400 million project will continue, including the permanent gaming facility and all of the resort amenities that go with it.

Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise CEO Andy Asselin said, “It is great to see dozens of companies and more than 1,300 construction workers coming together to get this fantastic new attraction up and running. I appreciate their hard work in keeping us on schedule to open in 2015 so we can bring new economic and entertainment opportunities to the West Valley.” For more information visit WestValleyResort.com $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA

By Joe Hagan Director of Marketing, Tropicana Laughlin

TROPICANA LAUGHLIN What Makes This Casino Different & Why You Should Visit

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often get asked what makes Tropicana Laughlin different from the other casinos in Laughlin. I would say it is not one thing, but several. It all starts when you are first coming into town, especially at night. You can’t miss the Tropicana at night because it is the towering green gem right in the middle of Laughlin.

When you get to the property it has ample self-parking with easy access for RVs and boats, of course you could always just valet your car. Inside the Tropicana the ceilings are high with more than adequate ventilation so smoke is never a problem.

Tropicana Laughlin is one of the largest casinos in Laughlin with almost 1,000 gaming machines. We maintain a mix of older favorite styles like IGT’s classic reel Red , White & Blue, as well as brand new ones like IGT’s Ellen DeGeneres Show , Bally’s Wonder Woman, and GTECH’s Sphinx, along with a large selection of video poker and keno machines. Also, bingo players can pull up a comfortable seat in our new state-ofthe-art bingo hall.

Once you get checked in you will head up to one of over 1,400 refreshed rooms. Over the past several years, Tropicana Laughlin has invested in resort upgrades from hotel rooms to restaurants. During 2015 a number of floors, elevators, and public spaces are being refreshed and refurbished.

Tropicana Laughlin has six main restaurants… you cannot beat the variety and quality. Carnegie’s focuses on American classics featuring a new steak burger menu. Passaggio Italian Garden serves up fresh pizza and pasta dishes made to order. Taqueria Del Rio is quick-order Mexican food, where you can grab great tacos, burritos, tortas, or even a Margarita, for dine in or take out.

Still can’t decide what you want? Taste a little bit of everything at the Roundhouse Buffet offering American comfort food, Asian, Italian, and Mexican cuisine, and a great salad bar. Be

sure to visit on the weekends for the best seafood dinner buffet in town.

Don’t have time for a sit down meal or just need a cup of coffee before you head out?

You are in luck as the Poolside Café has you covered offering freshly baked bagels and breads, hot and iced coffee, frozen yogurt, overstuffed sandwiches, smoothie, and desserts. For that special event you have to try the Steakhouse, where you will find aged-to-perfection steaks, a great selection of wine, decadent desserts, and a salad cart that is the rave of the tri-state area.

Once you are refreshed and have had a bite to eat, it’s time to burn off some energy. Let me recommend our nightly entertainment in the Lounge featuring a wide range of musical genres as we cycle from bands with a classic flair, to country, to quirky and off beat; but no matter who is playing, it will be a high-energy show that will make you want to get up on the dance floor.

In the end, the truth is I can’t possibly list all the many reasons that make us different.

In 2015 we will continue to refresh and rebrand the resort, making the Tropicana Laughlin a place you will just need to experience yourself. For more information about the casino, visit TropLaughlin.com. $

Do you have a question for a Marketing Director? Have you ever wondered how the play on your player’s club card translates into offers? Do you want to find out how it really works?

We know you do and here is your chance to find out!

Send your question in an email with “Ask Joe” in the subject to our address at editor@azgamingguide.com and if Joe selects your question to be answered in an upcoming issue, you’ll get a $25 gift card! (If you prefer to send a letter, you may mail it to the following address.

“Ask Joe” Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277)

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

33

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA

Directory & Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort 800.662.LUCK aquariuscasinoresort.com.

1,250+ slots, no smoking slot area, high limit slots area, blackjack, table games, roulette, craps, keno, race/ sports book.

Avi Resort & Casino (Fort Mojave Tribe) 800.430.0721 avicasino.com.

1,000+ slots, bingo, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, poker room, keno, race/sports book, KidsQuest.

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino 877.460.0777 coloradobelle.com.

750+ slots, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, poker room, keno, race/sports book. Build your own amazing burger at Pint’s Brewery!

Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino 800.227.3849 riversideresort.com.

1,300+ slots, no smoking slot area, high limit slots area, bingo, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, poker room, keno, race/sports book.

Edgewater Hotel Casino 800.677.4837 edgewater-casino.com.

750+ slots, no smoking slot area, high limit slots area, blackjack, table games, roulette, craps, race/sports book. Great all-around casino!

Golden Nugget Laughlin 800.237.1739 goldennugget.com/laughlin 1,000+ slots, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, poker room, sports book. Sign up for the player’s club and spin for free play!

Harrah’s Laughlin 800.447.8700 harrahslaughlin.com 900+ slots, no smoking slot area, high limit slots area, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, poker room, live keno, race/sports book.

Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall 800.634.3469 pioneerlaughlin.com 490 slots, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, sports book. Make sure to check out the video poker & reel slots!

Laughlin’s Gaming Statistics January 2015 Slots

Laughlin River Lodge 800.835.7904 laughlinriverlodge.com 1,000+ guest rooms and suites, over 30,000 square feet of the hottest Vegas-style gaming, four restaurants, fast food options, & more!

Tropicana Laughlin 800.243.6846 troplaughlin.com 1,000+ slots, blackjack, table games, craps, roulette, and a sports book.

Stop in for lunch at Carnegie’s or the Poolside Café and enjoy the food!

We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. To inform us of updates, please email editor@azgamingguide.com. The Nevada Gaming Control Board publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their state’s gaming regulations. The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior. *A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month.

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

Hold % Tables

Hold %

Loose Megabucks

4.14

Craps

13.88

$5

4.52

Blackjack / 21

14.35

$1

4.53

Roulette

21.46

25¢

5.23

Pai Gow Poker

24.96

Multi-Denom 5.41

Other Table Games 27.24

5¢

6.09

Let It Ride

27.60

$25

8.44

Three Card Poker

33.19

11.64

Win Amount

Dollars

Bingo

21.34

Slots

35.2 mil.

Race Books

17.79

Tables

3.2 mil.

24.85

Other

0.9 mil.

Tight 1¢ Other Loose Sports Pools

Tight Live Keno

10.52

Hold %

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA

Laughlin River Run

From April 22 through April 26, 2015, Laughlin will celebrate the 33rd year of Laughlin River Run. The exciting annual event has more than 40,000 motorcycle enthusiasts roar into town for the festivities. This is the largest motorcycle-oriented event on the West Coast. Activities will include stunt shows; motorcycle exhibits; custom bike shows; all types of clothing, leather and motorcycle vendors; the annual Miss Laughlin River Run contest and the always-popular "River Run" to Oatman, Arizona, on historic Route 66. Several Laughlin hotels will feature topname entertainment and specialty acts during this sensational event. Official event passes are available for purchase and they are just $25 per person. The event pass includes an official 2015

souvenir t-shirt, and official 2015 River Run ride pin, admission to the official poker run, and either contestant entry to the custom bike show or the Ms. Laughlin River Run contest. Event registration takes place at the Riverside Resort Star View Room daily. Exhibit hours at the Riverside, the Edgewater, The Colorado Belle, and the Golden Nugget are from 10am to 10pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (Noon to 8pm on Wed.). Concerts include Slaughter at the Riverside on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 9pm, ZZ Top at Harrah’s on Friday at 8pm, Foghat at the Edgewater on Friday at 8pm, and Burton Cummings (former lead singer for The Guess Who) at the Edgewater on Saturday at 8pm.

Plus, the Tropicana Laughlin will give away a 2015 HarleyDavidson® Switchback motorcycle on Saturday at 11pm. Make sure to visit their player’s club for all the details as you can play to win drawing entries on the days leading up to the drawing!

And, the Tropicana Laughlin is the place to check out all the Harley-Davidson® demo rides and their 2015 motorcycle exhibit. In addition, the Tropicana Laughlin will host the American Heroes Charity Poker Run benefitting tri-state veterans. Registration takes place on Friday morning from 8:30 to 10am with the run starting at 10am. Riders pay $15 and passengers are $10.

Contact your favorite Laughlin hotel for event room packages.

For more information, visit LaughlinRiverRun.com. $

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

35

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

TSR & RELENTLESS BEATS EDM Acts Will Play To Thousands At The Resort’s Pool Stage

I

t’s going to be an exciting summer for fans of Electronic Dance Music (EDM). Scottsdale’s Talking Stick Resort has entered into a contract with Relentless Beats, a groundbreaking enterprise that’s booked and promoted EDM acts throughout the Valley for nearly two decades.

By teaming up with Relentless Beats, the resort will be able to bring the hottest names in EDM to the resort’s venues. “We’re really excited about expanding our entertainment offerings,” said Ramon Martinez, director of public relations for Casino Arizona and Talking Stick Resort.

The names of the EDM acts coming to the resort will be released soon. “We are very excited to start bringing world class DJs to Talking Stick Resort this May,” said Ryan Auhl of Relentless Beats. “We look forward to making it one of Arizona's premier EDM destinations.” In a statement from their website, Relentless Beats said: “At Relentless Beats we decided to forever remain true to the electronic dance musical roots that we heard first hand. The Relentless ones… The ones burnt into your memory that makes you physically travel to hear them time and time again. It’s these ongoing hummable tunes and the artists that produced them who at the same time made way to our countryside made us flourish over the last decade.”

“From inception, we decided to steer away from the radio, keep it all about the evolution of dance music and remain true to the underground. Since then, the underground we were raised with has unabashedly become above ground and we have no choice but to grow with it, like everything else in our natural world that begins below the surface. We are proud to have our audience as a branch in this growth moving forward.”

“We have slowly become the number one supplier of the best of the best of our musical taste and EDM in the state of Arizona with shows growing by the day and at the same time the constant heartfelt appreciation of our fans that respect the aforementioned history, and much more, the unlimited future of dance music to come. We are Relentless Beats.”

In addition to Electronic Dance Music shows, the resort will host a variety of musical performers this summer. Pool cabanas and daybeds are available for purchase on a first come, first served basis and can be reserved in advance. For the latest list of acts scheduled to perform visit TalkingStickResort.com. $

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

Listings Casino Del Sol—Tucson, AZ—520.838.6506 Paradiso Bar & Lounge: Featuring a variety of live bands & DJs on weekends Cliff Castle Casino—Camp Verde, AZ—800.381.7568 Stargazer Pavillion: The Band Perry—Apr. 25 Dragonfly Lounge: Featuring a variety of live bands & DJs on weekends Cocopah Resort Casino—Somerton, AZ—800.237.5687 Events: Karaoke with Bling Bling/DJ Sosa—Th & Fr at 8pm Los Cadetes De Linares—May 9

Sir Paul McCartney Tribute Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita June 6, 2015 Live and Let Die – A Symphonic Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney takes the Diamond Center stage Saturday, June 6, 2015. Reserved tickets start at $15 and are on sale now through Star Tickets and at the casino Rewards Center, (10% discount to members). The doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Actor, singer, and recording artist, Tony Kishman is the creator and band leader of Live and Let Die. The Tucson, Arizona native starred for six years in both the national and international tours of Broadway’s smash hit, Beatlemania. Tony, with his long time band mate Jim Owen, performed in the international symphonic Beatles tribute, Classical Mystery Tour. He has been performing his award-winning tribute to the most successful band of all time around the globe for over a decade, bringing the Beatles to a new generation. Treena Parvello, Director of Public Relations and Communications for the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, said “It’s a real treat to bring Tucson’s own Tony Kishman and his award-winning tribute to Sir Paul McCartney to the Diamond Center! Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the songs of this musical icon!”

Apache Gold Casino—Globe, AZ—800.272.2438 Contact the casino for the latest entertainment information BlueWater Casino—Parker, AZ—888.243.3360 Dig Lounge: Featuring a variety of live bands, karaoke & DJs—Daily at 5pm Events: Tutankhamun—Now through Apr. 12 Casino Arizona—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 The Showroom: House Of Pink Floyd (Pink Floyd Tribute)—Apr. 10-11 Wanted (Bon Jovi Tribute)—Apr. 24-25 The Arizona Room: Country Dance Nights (Learn to dance)—Wed. & Thu. at 6pm Daisy Train (Country)—Wednesdays 8pm The Tommy Ash Band (Country, Rock, Americana)—Thursdays 8pm

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

Desert Diamond Casino I—Tucson, AZ—866.332.9467 Monsoon Nightclub: Dance Fusion with DJ Blade—Fridays Noches Caliente—Saturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music!

Desert Diamond Casino II—Sahuarita, AZ—866.332.9467 Sports Bar: Karaoke Night—Wednesdays 7-11pm Live music or DJs—Fridays & Saturdays Diamond Center: Lupita D’Alessio—Apr. 4 Peking Acrobats—Apr. 25 Michael McDonald—Apr. 30 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 The Lounge: The Wa lk ens—3rd, AzTex—4th, Travis Ledoyt (Elvis Tribute)—10th & 11th, Stan & Miguel Trio—17th, Quantum—17th, The Lovin’ Spoonful—18th, Smooth Groove—24th, Bostyx (Boston & STYX Tribute)—25th Wild Wednesdays The XO Band—8th, Thaddeus Rose Band—15th, Bandstand Shows—25th, Silhouette—29th Sundays In The Lounge Every Sunda y fro m 4-8pm enjoy live music in the Lounge from the Stan & Miguel Trio The Lounge Happy Hour Starting April 1st Mondays through Thursdays from 5-8pm. Laura Walsh—Mondays, Jay Allan—Tuesdays, Stan & Miguel— Wednesdays, and He Said She Said—Thursdays.

Poker Run—Harrah’s 5k—April 18 at 9am Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino is hosting the first-ever 5k Poker Run! The race will be timed. Medals will be awarded for top 3 male and top 3 female finishers, and it all goes down at the Pool Party from 9:30am to 2pm! A portion of proceeds will go to The United Way of Pinal County.

Hon-Dah Casino—Pinetop, AZ—800.929.8744 Timbers Lounge and Showroom: Munday Funday—Comedy Show begins at 7pm Featuring a variety of live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Editor’s Pick Lone Butte Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 Cascades Lounge: Phoenix area bands & DJs offer free live entertainment throughout the week featuring the Valley's best local bands & DJs Mazatzal Casino—Payson, AZ—800.777.7529 Apache Spirits Lounge: Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends.

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

Talking Stick Resort Presents:

ZZ Top April 26, 2015

Paradise Casino—Yuma, AZ—888.777.4946 Sharky’s Bar & Bites: Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends 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 The Showroom & Grand Ballroom: Doyle Bramhall II—Apr. 3 Leon Russell—Apr. 4 Al DiMeola & Billy Cobham—Apr. 22 Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers—Apr. 24 ZZ Top—Apr. 26 Gregg Allman—May 2 Thunder From Down Under—May 7—9 Moody Blues—May 8 REO Speedwagon—May 17 Chris Young and Thompson Square—May 29 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino—Flagstaff, AZ—855.946.8946 Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends Vee Quiva Casino—Laveen, AZ—800.946.4452 VQ Live: Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends Event Center: Richard Villa featuring Keith Ellis (Comedy)—Apr. 10 Sheila E.—Apr. 17 Diamond In The Rough (Neil Diamond Tribute)—Apr. 25 Wild Horse Pass Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 AiRIA Unplugged—Live music Fri & Sat 4pm-2am Encore Lounge—Featuring a variety of live music nightly Classics With A Twist—Featuring jazz music & cocktails Thu-Sun Showroom: Morris Day & The Time—Apr. 11 DSB: An American Journey (Journey Tribute)—Apr. 17 Michael Salgado & Albert Zamora—Apr. 18 Turn The Page (Bob Seeger Tribute)—Apr. 19 Kenny Rogers—Apr. 25 Michael McDonald—May 2 Eddie Money—May 15 Starship: Featuring Mickey Thomas—May 22 Verify all details & age restrictions (generally 21 & over) 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.

Talking Stick Resort is proud to announce legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame trio ZZ Top will perform live at the pool on April 26. Since embarking on the music scene in 1969, the group has sold 50 million records, released 13 multi-platinum albums and performed for thousands of soldout crowds. Fans will be in awe the moment the band steps on the pool stage and performs their repertoire of hits including Sharp Dressed Man, Viva Las Vegas and Legs.

While signed to London Records, ZZ Top released a debut album titled, ZZ Top’s First Album, in 1971. The American rock band would go on to cultivate a distinctive sound of their own, infusing new wave, punk, rock, blues and the inclusion of a synthesizer.

The band has reached tremendous heights during their 40plus year career including 11 gold records, 6 number one hits on the Mainstream Rock chart and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. Join the party at the pool and see the trio perform firsthand!

Tickets are on sale now. Please call 480.850.7777 or visit TalkingStickResort.com for more information. $

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

39

CASINO BINGO

By Mark Novak

DESERT DIAMOND BINGO HALL There’s Something For Everyone All Week Long

B

ingo is the game that started it all for Desert Diamond Casinos well over 30 years ago and their bingo now is better than ever with new games and exciting levels to buy into.

Right now at Desert Diamond’s bingo hall, there have never been more ways to win! Players can take home up to $30,000 on their VIPickems do-it-yourself games where players choose their own numbers. Or, guests can take part in the multitude of progressive jackpots available at the hall. With state-of-the-art bingo technology, 300 seats offering both smoking and nonsmoking sections, and free beverages, players are ready to walk in to pure excitement and walk out pure winners. For more information, please visit DDCAZ.com.

Bingo Hours of Operation: Wednesday – Monday Session Hours: Eye Opener at 1:30pm, Matinee at 2pm, Early Bird at 6pm, Warm-up at 6:30pm, Evening at 7pm Matinee Buy-ins: Level 1: $4 with a payout of $150, Level 2: $8 with a payout of $300 Evening Buy-ins: Level 1: $4 with a payout of $250, Level 2: $7 with a payout of $500, Level 3: $14 with a payout of $1000 Progressive Jackpots: Matinee Jubilee starts at $100 grows until won, Matinee G-ball grows $100 per session until won, Matinee Bonanza grows $100 per session until $5,000, Pick 8 grows $100 until $15,000, Super Multi-win Coverall in 48#’s or less wins $50,000. Plus, the Evening sessions have even more progressives! MaxPaks Bingo and Planet Bingo Hand devices are available. For progressive information, call 520.342.1840. $

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

100

No

Yes

No

BlueWater

Mo-We 6:30pm. Su at 1:30pm.

400

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

600

Yes

Yes

Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm.

Cocopah

Daily at 1:30 & 6:30pm

350

Yes*

Yes

No

Desert Diamond I

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

300

Yes

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 11:30pm.

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: 10, Noon, 3:45, 5:30pm.

Daily: Noon & 6:30pm.

750

Yes

Yes

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

Mazatzal

Mo-Th at Noon.

Tu & Th at 6:30pm.

280

Yes

Yes

No

Paradise

Tu-Su at 1:30pm Mo-Fr at 6pm.

300

Yes

Yes

Call for Kozmic Bingo & Other Special Dates

Twin Arrows

Th-Su at 7pm & Su at 3pm.

100

No

Yes

No

Vee Quiva

Daily at Noon & 6:30pm.

366

Yes

Yes

Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm.

Yes

Late Night

Sources: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 03/01/15 & 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 2015 | azgamingguide.com

SAMI’S SMACKDOWN

By Sami Becker

TOUGH VIDEO POKER TOURNAMENT A Reader Rants About One Of Their Recent Experiences

W

hat would you do if your video poker tournament went awry? Do you complain to management? Do you pick strategies to improve your game, focus on what you can control and forget about what you can’t control? I think we should pick the latter. Up your game and focus on what you can control is definitely the right answer Dear Sami, Last week I was at [a casino] playing in [a video poker tournament] and I was really upset by the actions of most of the rest of the players.

They were talking, looking at my screen and making comments, basically making it obvious they didn’t know anything about video poker. I had to ask, why are they even here? Also, I don’t seem to have any luck in these tournaments. Any advice you could give me would be much appreciated.

-Doris Flynn from Tucson, Arizona Doris, I understand your frustration, especially since your comments seem to indicate you were distracted by other players and that probably affected your overall score and chance of placing high enough to take home some prize money or win more money than you did. But don’t worry! I’m going to present you with a few tips so you’ll be more successful next time. I mean, let’s face it, during a video poker tournament, I am always amazed by the number of people who show up inebriated (at 10am already) and proceed to help themselves to more alcohol during the tournament session! The distractions will not go away, but I’ll prepare you for a more successful tournament with the following advice.

1. Speed is key. You must practice your speed. The more hands you can get in, the better your chances at having more winning hands. Practice using one hand to select cards and the other to hit the deal/draw button. Focus on not having to move your hand very far. You’ll save time that way while selecting cards. My hubby can play video poker without moving his hands left or right!

2. Be comfortable. Don’t bring a drink. Put your purse away.

Set yourself up in front of the machine. Get to that Zen place.

Meditate, whatever, just be comfortable.

3. Be positive. Tell yourself you’ll have a great score and a great tournament. Nothing kills a session like negativity.

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

4. You have to practice, practice, practice. You have to get to a level of play where, without any four-of-a-kinds or Royals, you are scoring around 1,100 or 1,200 points per 10 minute session.

5. Wear ear plugs or headphones. That way other people don’t bother you. Don’t let their behavior and comments suck you in.

Don’t look at their screen. It doesn't matter what hands they get or how they play them. Your hands matter!

6. Use a mantra. While you are playing, remain focused. I sit there and tell myself, after 5 minutes I need to be at 600 points (halfway through, I need half of the points I want, i.e. 1,200).

Then I continue to say at 7 minutes and 30 seconds I need a score of 900 points since we’ll be three quarters of the way there.

Above all, accept the fact that people sign up for a video poker tournament thinking it’s a slot tournament or they'll get lucky somehow and win something. Remember, you can win too! $

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about?

Write me at: sami@azgamingguide.com

FUN FACTS

By Mark Novak

THE CASINO GAMING INDUSTRY Bet You Didn’t Know This About Commercial & Tribal Casinos

W

hen I first came across a recent report by the American Gaming Association, I couldn't believe some of the numbers they were listing about the casino gaming industry.

$240 Billion

Reading that there are 734,000 people directly employed by casinos in the United States is a pretty astounding fact. Plus, you also have to consider the additional million people that work for companies providing direct support to the casinos.

That represents the number of total jobs supported by gaming.

With around 470 commercial casinos and about the same number of tribal casinos, you can just imagine how the economics of the casino gaming industry begin to add up! While not everyone understands the importance of gaming, the American Gaming Association is trying to get their “Get To Know Gaming” message out there. For more info visit GetToKnowGaming.org $

64,000 More Jobs

That represents the total economic impact of casino gaming.

1.7 Million $74 Billion That is the employee income of the 1.7 million gaming jobs.

That is the projection of additional jobs in gaming in 10 years.

Over 200 Unique Careers Casino gaming has more than 200 distinct career opportunities.

azgamingguide.com | April 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide

43

FUN & GAMES

WORD SEARCH In honor of Zucchini Bread Day on April 23 or 25th, find: ZUCCHINI, BREAD, LOAVES, FLOUR, SALT, BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, CINNAMON, EGGS, OIL, SUGAR, VANILLA, WALNUTS, GREASE, PREHEAT, OVEN, SIFT, BEAT, STIR, BAKE. Words appear in any direction. (Solution on page 46)

A

C

Y

R

A

I

C

I

V

D

E

K

A

B

G

Q

D

T

D W

E

A

R

U O

L

F

W

B

N

D N N

S

T

U

N

L

A W D

A

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R

B

O

I

F

D

O

B

Z

Q

R

D

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N

A

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P

S

H

S

N M A

O

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A O

Z

E

G

R

G

C

Q

A

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A M

B

D

F

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C W

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L

V

L

A

A N W

T

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B

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N

G

O

I

N

J

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K

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A

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P

Z

C

L

E

F

A

A

F

F

A

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I

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G

E

B

T

L

L

N

T

B

V

T

T

C

U

N

R

J

H O

T

W A N

R

I

T

S

F

I

G

F

G

A

E

T

I

Q

T

S

G

G

E

K

V

V

A

V W A

F

C

B

P

D

X

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F

Z

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Z

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P

G

V

Z

O

B

N

T

Y

S

K

X

A

I

Y

J

O D

SUDOKU 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)

3

8

9

1

6

4

6 9

6

5

4

7

3 5

2

5 4

8 4

3 9 2

1

8 5

9

1

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

101 & McKellips

Scottsdale

480-850-7777 904

Y

Y

05. Casino Del Sol

5655 W. Valencia Rd.

Tucson

855-765-7829 1,073

Y

Y

7406 S. Camino De Oeste

Tucson

855-765-7829 293

07. Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel

I-17, Exit 289

Camp Verde

800-381-7568 628

15318 S. Ave. B

Somerton

800-237-5687 509

7350 S. Nogales Hwy.

Tucson

866-332-9467 1,089

I-19, Exit 80

Tucson

866-332-9467 673

Hwy. 86, Milepost 55

Why

08. Cocopah Resort Casino 09. Desert Diamond Casino I 10. Desert Diamond Casino II 11. Desert Diamond Casino-Why 12. Fort McDowell Casino 13. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino

Hwy. 87 & Ft. McDowell Rd.

480-802-5000 1,089

777 Hwy. 260

Pinetop

800-929-8744 829

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

800-946-4452 786

Y

Y

Payson

800-777-7529 417

Y

Y

Y

Y

450 Quechan Dr.

Yuma

888-777-4946 476

Y Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

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

Y

Y

Chandler

Y

101 & Indian Bend

Scottsdale

480-850-7777 759

Y

I-40, Exit 219

Flagstaff

855-946-8946 1,085

Y

Y

6443 Komatke Ln.

Laveen

800-946-4452 950

Y

Y

5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Chandler

800-946-4452 950

Y

1505 E. Hwy. 69

Prescott

800-756-8744 243

21. Twin Arrows Navajo Casino 22. Vee Quiva Casino 24. Yavapai Casino

Y Y

Y Y* Y

Y

1077 S. Kyrene Rd.

20. Talking Stick Resort

Y

Y

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

17. Paradise Casino

23. Wild Horse Pass Casino

Y

Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 894 Maricopa

15. Lone Butte Casino

Y

Y

58

15406 N. Maricopa Rd.

14. Hon-Dah Casino 16. Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

866-332-9467

Y

Y

Spa

04. Casino Arizona

Golf

800-756-8744 320

RV Park

888-243-3360 526

Prescott

Hotel

Parker

1500 E. Hwy. 69

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 03/01/15 & 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

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Word Search Solution A D O S G N I K A B R S

I N S T I H S N C A E C E L U S B S Z I E F A S T T C I T S G G E K A B

E K A B R U O L F U N L AW D A E R B N R P O V O E R I A M D E V L A NW H T O N O I E A N P L A I E G L L T U N R O A I G G A A V E R S

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46 Arizona Gaming Guide | April 2015 | azgamingguide.com

Smoke-Free Area

Y

11300 Resort Drive

Y

Arcade

Y

02. BlueWater Resort & Casino

Poker Room

Y

800-272-2438 598

Table Games Y

Globe

Live Keno

Y

City

Hwy. 70, 5 mi. E. of Globe

06. Casino of the Sun

Slots

Y

Location

01. Apache Gold Casino Resort 03. Bucky’s Casino

Phone

Bingo

Casino

High Limit Area

CASINO DIRECTORY

Y Y Y