Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2016 - 08:02

FEBRUARY

Contents

IN EVERY ISSUE 04 EDITOR’S NOTE 06 PLAYERS TALK 10 TABLE GAMES 14 NEW SLOTS 20 DINING

23 FEATURE STORY 26 TRIBAL NEWS 28 GAMING NEWS 34 LAUGHLIN, NEVADA 38 CASINO ENTERTAINMENT 40 CASINO BINGO 42 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN 43 FUN FACTS 44 FUN & GAMES

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46 CASINO DIRECTORY

HON-DAH RESORT CASINO AND CONFERENCE CENTER INSTALLS 50 BRAND NEW SLOTS

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The IGT Wheel Of Fo rtune Po w er Wedges slot delights players with a free games and a wheel spin bonus.

Indulge yourself and your Valentine with delectable menus at Talking Stick Resort or Casino Arizona.

Check out all the great promotions available at Tropicana Laughlin and Golden Nugget Laughlin.

APACHE GOLD’S WOF POWER WEDGES SLOTS

VALENTINE’S DAY DINING DEALS AT AZ CASINOS

OUR LAUGHLIN, NEVADA SECTION EXPANDS

azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

03

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hon-Dah Resort Casino A Gem Nestled In The White Mountains

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n Arizona, we are very lucky to have so many different options for day, weekend, and vacation destinations. The White Mountains are a popular getaway for many—skiing during the winter season and camping, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, hunting and a myriad of other outdoor adventures during the rest of the year. Next time you are travelling through the area, make sure to include Hon-Dah Resort Casino & Conference Center on your list of places to visit. The surroundings are breathtaking, the property itself is wonderful, and there are so many things to experience that you can easily turn a weekend retreat into a week long vacation. Take a look at this month’s feature story on this amazing property. In addition to offering exciting slot and table games that can’t be found at most other casinos across the state, Hon-Dah Casino just recently installed over 50 more brand new slot games for their visitors to enjoy!

In this issue, you’ll find plenty of reasons to make your next trip to any casino a success. We’ve got the lowdown on a ton of new slots and those coming soon, plenty of tips for you to incorporate into casino visits, and much more! Please visit our Facebook at: facebo ok .co m /ArizonaGam ingGuid e , 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 AZGamingGuid e.com. Let me know what you think of this issue and have fun!

Alexandra Alexandra Lang Editor-in-Chief editor@azgamingguide.com

“Like” us on Facebook because

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Your Authority On Everything Gaming VOLUME 08 • ISSUE 02 PUBLISHER Chris Höft chris@azgamingguide.com 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 Mark Novak Melody Hudson Lana Hartmann Samantha Becker Rodric J. Hurdle-Bradford ADVERTISING SALES Elizabeth Torma liz@azgamingguide.com Nina Consiglio nina@azgamingguide.com MAILING INFORMATION Arizona Gaming Guide P.O. Box 20636 Mesa, Arizona 85277 INTERNET INFORMATION www.azgamingguide.com www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright © 2016 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 | February 2016 | 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: The Powerball is now, apparently, at its record high of $1.5 billion. My wife and I play the Arizona Lottery games regularly but we usually play the scratchers more frequently. This time, however, we were tempted to play the Powerball because of the huge jackpot—and we did. The drawing is coming up on Wednesday [January 13] and I was wondering if you could tell us more information about the odds of winning such a huge jackpot. I know there are some states that don’t participate and I also wanted to know why that is the case.

Thanks for your response and thanks for an enjoyable magazine my wife and I read every month.

Richard Hajduk—Phoenix, AZ A: Richard, the overall odds of winning the Powerball grand prize jackpot (matching all five numbers plus the Powerball) are 1 in 292,201,338. Yes, that’s 1 in over 292 million! Not the best odds, so I’m not surprised you and your wife prefer to stick to the scratcher games which have much better odds. However, hitting all five numbers without the Powerball for the $1 million prize is 1 in 11,688,054. That’s not bad! A match of four numbers plus the Powerball awards a prize of $50,000 and those odds are 1 in 913,129. Hitting four numbers without the Powerball or three numbers plus the Powerball will get you a $100 payout and those odds are 1 in 36,525 and 1 in 14,494 respectively. Other wins include $4 and $7 prizes when zero to three numbers are matched with and without the Powerball. The overall odds of having a winning ticket for any single prize I mentioned above are approximately 1 in 25 games.

The Powerball is played in 44 participating states as well as the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

There are 6 states that have no lotteries of any kind. Nevada has no interest in offering the lottery in that state because casinos don’t want any competition. Mississippi, Alabama, and Utah do not have lotteries because of religious beliefs. Alaska doesn’t have a lottery because they’ve always been concerned that it wouldn’t pay off in such a sparsely populated state. Finally, Hawaiian lawmakers have always kicked around the idea but always seem to be in some disagreement over something or other that’s prevented them from passing it into law. In fact, Hawaii and Utah are the only U.S. states that do not currently allow any legalized form of gambling.

Q: The new casino that opened recently, Desert Diamond West Valley Resort, has all Class II games. Can I notice a difference when I play the slots? Will my chance of winning be the same? Is it just as fair as the Class III gaming? Given a choice, which Class would you prefer?

Theresa Sienko—Phoenix, AZ A: Theresa, this is a great question which many readers have asked us over the past weeks!

Yes, you can notice a difference when you play a Class II slot versus a Class III slot. Somewhere on the main video screen, or elsewhere on the slot’s video screen, a bingo card is displayed.

Each wager on a Class II slot initiates a bingo game with either a winning or losing outcome. That outcome is displayed on the visible bingo card. For the most part, players can’t tell the difference between these two types of devices.

Yes, your overall chances of winning are the same on a Class II slot as they are on a Class III slot. Each bet you place has a randomly determined outcome which is either a win or a loss.

However, since Class II slots are actually run as bingo games, there is a finite number of winning and losing outcomes. Each outcome is randomly selected, but once selected is no longer available until all outcomes have been used up. Once all of the outcomes have been exhausted the entire set of outcomes is made available and the process begins again.

Yes, Class II gaming is just as fair as Class III gaming. Every outcome is randomly determined.

The team at the Arizona Gaming Guid e play both Class II and Class III slots all over the country, but we do prefer Class III slots because each spin is independent of the spin before.

For a more thorough explanation, visit the back issues on our website at AZGamingGuide.com to read the detailed article on Class II versus Class III gaming in our December 2015 issue.

Q: I understand the concept of the random number generator, but how does the payoff percentage of the slot machine enter into the equation of when it will pay off? Doesn’t the payoff Continued on page 8

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.

06 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

PLAYERS TALK

Continued from page 6

percentage affect the outcome of each spin?

Robert Scipione—Payson, AZ A: Robert, the payoff percentage, actually payback percentage, does not determine when or how a slot machine pays. The payback percentage is just a number used by slot machine manufacturers to inform the casino what percentage of money they can reasonably expect to keep based on all of the bets placed during the lifetime of the slot being available for play. This is referred to as the hold percentage. The hold percentage plus the payback percentage always equals 100%. For example, if the payback percentage is 90%, then the hold percentage is 10% (because 10% + 90% = 100%). If the hold percentage is 7%, then the payback percentage is 93% (because 93% + 7% = 100%). What must be stressed is that the payback percentage is only the overall description of all of the winning outcomes available on the slot.

A really good method to gain a deeper understanding of payback percentage is to imagine you are the game designer for a simple single die game. You have six outcomes on the simple single die. They are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The game costs $1 to play and you, the designer, get to decide which outcomes are winners and losers. However, the winning outcomes are limited to a total of $5. Why? Well game designers for the casino industry have to design losing games. The casino has to make money in the long run. In order to have a losing game, a game designer must have a lower total of wins than total outcomes. So, if we only have a total of $5 in wins, yet each roll costs $1, then across the six outcomes, a player can never make more than the $6 it costs to arrive at all six outcomes. This makes the value of the game we are designing an 83.33% payback game (5 / 6 = 0.8333 = 83.33%).

You, the game designer, can decide how to spread out the $5 in wins available to you. You could place a $1 win on all of the numbers except one. That is, outcomes 1-5 all win $1, but the outcome 6 loses. You could place $2 on two outcomes, $1 on one outcome, and losers on the rest. That is, 1 and 2 are winners of $2, 3 wins $1, but 4 through 6 are losers. You could also have one $3 outcome, one $2 outcome, and the rest losers. So 1 wins $3, 2 wins $2, and 3 through 6 lose. Or in the extreme, you could have the outcome of 5 pay $5 and the outcomes of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 are all losers. There are obviously many combinations you could design for this simple die game, but ultimately, over time, players win $5 when they wager $6 and the casino keeps the $1.

Since all of the versions described above have the same payback percentage outcomes, only the random number generator (the single die) and the pay table you (the game designer) came up with determines which winning and which losing outcomes happen for the player during their session! The payback percentage just informs you about the long run. The payback percentage does not tell you when the game pays or the outcome. $

08 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

TABLE GAMES

By Al Moe

MISSISSIPPI STUD KEEPS ON ROLLING You Don’t Play Against The Dealer Or The Other Players!

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ississippi Stud is a five-card stud game dealt like upside down Let-it-Ride. You don’t play against the dealer or the other players; you simply try to make at least a pair of 6’s or better to get paid according to the Payout Table.

To begin, players make a single wager on the Ante circle. Keep in mind that you’ll be making up to three additional wagers from 1 to 3 times your original Ante wager.

Your First Two Cards After all players make an Ante wager, the dealer will deliver two cards face down to each betting circle and then three community cards face down on the layout. Players may look at their own two cards and fold, losing their Ante wager, or raise 1 to 3 times their Ante wager.

There are a lot of decisions to make at Mississippi Stud, but none more important than your first: what two cards to play or fold. Since you need a pair of 6’s or better to win, throw away your little cards and play the big ones!

If you hold a face card or two cards between 6 and 10, you’ll want to raise 1x your Ante bet. If you are dealt a pair of 2’s, 3’s, 4’s or 5’s, you’ll raise at least 1x. With a pair of 6’s through Aces you have a guaranteed payback, so raise 3x.

Community Cards The three community cards are exposed one at a time, with a betting round after the first and second. If you still have big cards, you’ll want to stay in the game. Likewise if you can make a straight or a flush, otherwise it’s time to fold.

You’ll likely want to raise 1x your Ante wager if you hold any three suited cards or a small pair of 2’s through 5’s. You’ll also want to raise 1x if you have at least two face cards, any three cards 6-10, or any three cards that could make a straight or flush. Consider raising 3x your Ante wager with any straight flush draw and of course with a guaranteed payoff hand of a pair of 6’s or higher.

After the second community card is exposed, raise 1x your Ante with a small pair (2’s through 5’s), any two face cards, and any

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hand where you bet 3x your Ante wager after the first community card. With a gut-shot straight draw raise 1x. Get the big bucks out and raise 3x your Ante wager if you hold any pair of 6’s or higher, any four suited cards, or four consecutive cards you can make a straight with, like 6-7-8-9. Fold the rest of your hands.

Payout Table

         

Royal Flush 500 to 1 Straight Flush 100 to 1 Four-of-a-Kind 40 to 1 Full House 10 to 1 Flush 6 to 1 Straight 4 to 1 Three-of-a-Kind 3 to 1 Two Pairs 2 to 1 Pair of Jacks or Better 1 to 1 Pair of 6’s thru 10’s Push

Send us an e-mail to editor@azgamingguide.com with the subject line Mississippi Stud and let us know how it goes! $

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

WOF Power Wedges By IGT Now Available For Play At Apache Gold Casino

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he IGT Wheel of Fortune Po w er Wed ges video slots introduce a new slice of high-denominational gameplay that combines the most popular game theme of all time with an all-new hardware solution, the CrystalWheel cabinet. The sophisticated cabinet is designed for Wheel of Fortune content, merging elements from IGT’s leading hardware solution, the CrystalDual cabinet and topped with the iconic, spinning Wheel of Fortune wheel.

To reel in excitement, two or more free games bonus symbols displayed in the center reel trigger the free spins bonus. To further increase anticipation, if a player bets a hundred credits or more and achieves three scattered bonus symbols, the wheel spin bonus will be triggered. To propel the fan-favorite slot experience, the wheel spin bonus can award the Pointer Frenzy bonus, the Jackpot Wedges bonus and credit value bonus.

Look for other IGT Wheel of Fortune themed games on Apache Gold’s slot floor that are being installed the middle of this month, including Winning Wed ges, Super Diamond, Triple Red Hot 7’s, and Pink Diamond. For more information on these IGT video slots, visit IGT.com. $

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NEW SLOTS

Wonder 4 By Aristocrat Now Available For Play At Desert Diamond West Valley

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our of Aristocrat’s best titles come together to bring you endless possibilities in Wonder 4, a Class II gaming device now available at the new Desert Diamond Casino – West Valley at 9431 W. Northern Avenue.

Wonder 4 brings a whole new set of games with four incredibly successful titles that players love including Buffalo, Firelight, Pompeii, and Wild Splash.

In Buff alo, be a part of the stampede as you go for the Jackpot! While playing Pom peii, big wins equal big adventure in a game featuring chariots, Roman helmets, gold coins and erupting volcanoes. Your winning feeling will rise up and take flight in the ancient civilization of Firelight where magic and the powers of nature rule the world! In Wild Splash, experience a torrent of aquatic gaming adventure as you cast your lines in search of a big landing.

This powerfully performing, revolutionary multi-play Class II device is now enhanced with allnew drag-and-drop functionality, which gives players the flexibility to play their favorite titles on four screens or mix and match. For more information about this game and other exciting, new Aristocrat products, visit their website at Aristocrat.com.au. $

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Coming Soon

NEW SLOTS

Quartermania

By IGT

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he Q is back to ignite more excitement! Based on the fan-favorite IGT legacy Quarterm ania theme, the new Quartermania S3000 slot is set on the Company’s awardwinning S3000 spinning reel cabinet and introduces a variety of base games including Super Tim es Pay Free Games, Triple Hot 7s Free Games, and Wild Red Sevens Free Games. Developed for both wide-area and stand-alone progressives in select jurisdictions, the 3 reel, 5 pay line game can offer players thrilling progressive wins.

Quartermania is the party bank that utilizes a synchronized base game and integrated signage that delivers a light and music show featuring the game’s fun-loving, quarter-stacked, “Q” icon. With a six credit max bet, players can win one of three Mini-Mania progressives as well as the top Quarterm ania progressive. All base games feature a Free Games Bonus where Mini-Mania progressives are awarded with any Scatter Mini-Mania symbols, and the Quarterm ania jackpot is triggered when three Quartermania symbols appear on a played line. For more information about IGT’s progressive game themes, visit IGT.com. $

Ted

By Aristocrat

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he highest-grossing original comedy of all time, Ted , is now a slot game? Holy @#&%! Yes, everyone’s favorite foulmouthed, drinking, smoking, fist-fighting teddy bear, Ted , is now part of Aristocrat’s player-favorite Wond er Wheels collection.

Ted the slot game perfectly captures the movie and is filled with quotes, characters, animations, and just a touch of raunchy humor to take the gaming fun to the next level. Ted keeps players chasing a fivelevel progressive, including a $250,000 progressive grand jackpot and a $10,000 static jackpot. Plus, one of six bonuses can be triggered within the base game at any time with any bet. Additionally, three scatters trigger the Thunder Buddies Wheel Feature which awards one of nine bonus features that are hilariously themed to the movie.

Ted has a 60 credit minimum bet and 300 credit max bet. The game has an extremely low volatility and the feature frequency is high. So grab your thunder buddy and make the big play with Ted ! $ azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

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NEW SLOTS

Coming Soon

TwinStar

By Scientific Games

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cientific Games’ latest slot offering is the new Tw inStar cabinet featuring dual, vivid, 24 inch full HD displays and debuts the new ArgOS state-of-the-art operating platform that combines the best technology from both Bally and WMS. This cabinet supports the best performing Bally- and WMS- branded content, giving casino operators and players more game content at their disposal. Scientific Games' innovators have also developed exclusive, never-beforeseen new game titles for Tw inStar to take advantage of the processing power of this trailblazing new platform. Game themes include player-favorite Bally and WMS brands such as Gold Fish, Quick Hit, and Zeus, along with exciting new games Steam Dream, and Hot Blooded.

TwinStar also builds on the award-winning iDeck button deck by offering a 40-percent larger area for player interaction. Tw inStar's 22 inch full HD digital topper will be offered in two distinctive styles. Both versions include chrome details, improved booming, multi-channel custom sound, and edge lighting, adding beauty and excitement to casino floors. The dual 24 inch monitors are high brightness and 1080p, showing off the vivid graphics and enhancing the excitement for players.

“This is a very exciting new platform,” says Senior Vice President & Chief Design Officer Allon Englman. “This will really give casinos a great deal of flexibility in content!” As a result, players will have a variety of options to choose from.

The Tw inStar cabinet delivers the best of both worlds: an array of choices from both Bally and WMS in a powerful, state-of-the-art cabinet. For more information about the Tw inStar cabinet and all the game options available, visit ScientificGames.com. $

Caddyshack

By Scientific Games

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ake a swing at big money with the all-new Cad d yshack video slot from Scientific Games’ WMS brand. The exciting game inspired by the iconic comedy is on the striking Blade cabinet and includes plenty of hot action! Players will tee off for big jackpots, engaging game play, and hilarious bonuses like Cinderella Outta Nowhere, Improve Your Lie, Gopher’s Wilds, and Zingers.

Three scattered Bonus symbols trigger the Cinderella Outta Nowhere Bonus. Players play until they get a winning spin! At the end of the feature, a multiplier ranging anywhere from 2x to 50x is awarded.

Players are awarded two to five credit awards ranging from 20 to 500 credits each in the Zinger Bonus! Instead of the last credit award, a 2x multiplier may be awarded.

The gopher is still up to his shenanigans too! For more information, visit now.wms.com. $

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CASINO DINING

By Satara Williams & Lyra Manning

VALENTINE’S DAY DINING DEALS TSR And Casino Arizona Offer Delicious Dishes For As Low As $7.95

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ovebirds are in luck this year! Talking Stick Resort and Casino Arizona are celebrating Valentine’s Day with tasty sweets, treats and holiday menu items all day long on February 14. Here’s just a sample of the mouthwatering fare: Ocean Trail at Talking Stick Resort Sweethearts can visit the casino and enjoy a Cajun-style seafood meal! Start the dining experience with a spicy coconut shrimp bisque followed by the Maine lobster and blackened salmon. In addition to the delicious lobster, the main entree will feature a garlic-shallot butter sauce, red wine risotto and roasted mirliton.

The dining special will be available from 11am—10pm and will also include chocolate decadence squares. $47 Orange Sky at Talking Stick Resort In addition to its regular menu, the resort’s culinary jewel will offer a nightly dinner and dessert from 5pm—10pm.

Blue Coyote Café at Talking Stick Resort From 5—11pm, foodies can savor a surf and turf dish. The main entrée will include a crisp pork belly with mashed potatoes, New England-style crab cake with broccolini and spicy grained mustard aioli. A French silk chocolate pie with fresh raspberries and cream will serve as dessert. $17.95 ARENA Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort Head to The ARENA Poker Room, from 11am—11pm, and enjoy the soup of the day, an herb crusted pork loin and a red velvet cupcake. $14 Blue Coyote Cantina at Talking Stick Resort Travel to the Blue Coyote Cantina from 4pm to close. A seared pork porterhouse will serve as the main entrée. The dish will include grilled zucchini, squash, poblano and a cherry demi glace. A strawberry napoleon will also be included. $12 Wandering Horse Buffet at Talking Stick Resort Sample the Valentine’s Day Brunch menu on Saturday, February 13th! Kicking off at 9am, the special fare will be offered until 3pm. It features grilled lamb sirloin steaks, Shiso marinated prime rib, roasted garlic and Chile dusted pork ribs, lobster claws and a honey smoked glazed ham. Adults $33.95; children ages 5-12 years old $16.95 Guests can also savor the special Saturday dinner menu from

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4:30pm—10pm and will include seared lamb sirloin kabobs, Atlantic grilled shrimp, a garlic parmesan seafood lasagna and roasted garlic and slow-roasted New York strip loin, honey basil salmon, spinach gorgonzola raviolis, bacon wrapped beef tenderloin and so much more. Buffet includes a champagne toast. Adults $44.95; children ages 5-12 years old $19.95 On February 14th, the international buffet will feature a special menu from 9am—9pm. It will include lobster claws, seared duck breast, beef tenderloin tournedos, mustard and herb crusted rack of lamb, a smoked seafood platter and an assortment of Chef Peggy’s pastries. A champagne toast will also be included.

Adults $47.95; children ages 5-12 years old $19.95 Cholla Prime Steakhouse & Lounge at Casino Arizona Satiate your hunger with a trip to Cholla Prime Steakhouse & Lounge from 5-10pm. The restaurant will wow attendees with its dinner for two fare, offering grilled stuffed mushrooms and salad as appetizers, and a Chateaubriand for two as the main entrée. The main dish will include a 16-ounce filet mignon, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes. A chocolate strawberry cake will serve as dessert. Prix fixe $75 Bingo Hall at Casino Arizona The Bingo Hall is offering a special menu from 11am—9pm. It will include a chicken Caesar dinner with a seafood bisque and a chocolate raspberry tart. $7.95 Salt River Café at Casino Arizona Satisfy your cravings from 11am—9pm with a well-seasoned shrimp bacon wrap. The tasty meal will include French fries, a raspberry chocolate tart and a fountain drink. $8.95

CASINO DINING

Eagles Buffet at Casino Arizona Appease your appetite with a wide-ranging selection at Eagles Buffet. From 10am—3pm, the eatery will host a champagne brunch complete with corn beef hash, sausage links, breakfast breads, honey smoked bacon and a pancake and French toast station.

center stage as the main course. The dish will include a jalapeno bacon wrapped filet topped with lump crabmeat, black cherry mole and glazed baby carrots.

From 10am—9pm, the restaurant will offer slow roasted prime rib, bacon wrapped ham, lemon pepper chicken, fresh salmon, fruits, a chocolate fountain and ice cream sundae bar. Adults $26.50; children $13.50

Willows Restaurant at Casino Arizona The restaurant will offer a special breakfast menu from 6am— 11am. The raspberry pancake breakfast will include two eggs and a choice of bacon, sausage or ham. $8.95

Arizona Room Patio Grill at Casino Arizona In addition to its regular menu, Arizona Room Patio Grill is offering a special Valentine’s Day dinner special. Grilled shrimp will serve as the flavorful appetizer while a beef filet will take

The dinner specials will be available from 11am—9pm. It will include a New York strip dinner for $18.95, oil poached salmon for $17.95, a potato and leek soup for $3.25 and a raspberry tart for an additional $3.75. $

The dinner special, featuring a vanilla bean mousse with cherry gelee, will be available from 11am—9pm. $26.95

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he word “Hon-Dah” in the Apache language means “welcome to my home.” Guests from every corner in Arizona, and the globe, are welcome at Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center in the heart of Arizona’s White Mountains.

Whether you visit for business or pleasure, you will find state-of-the-art convenience dressed in the charm of the Southwest.

(Continued on page 24)

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(Continued from page 23)

Owned and operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center stands at the pristine forests, wide savannahs, and mountains of the Fort Apache Reservation, which is home to a variety of wildlife including world record trophy elk, black bear, cougar, javalina, and turkey. Twenty-six sparkling lakes and 400 miles of trout streams beckon to fishermen. Outdoor recreation is as diverse as the land, ranging from downhill and cross-country skiing in winter, to hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, and rafting in the summer.

At Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center you can stay in touch or get away from it all. It’s your choice! Relax in one of Hon-Dah Resort’s 128 oversized rooms. Each comes complete with a wet bar, refrigerator, satellite TV, and luxurious appointments. Banish stress with a visit to the hot tub, sauna, or heated all-season pool. The kids, and others who are young at heart, can sharpen their skills in the video game arcade. But the real action is with Lady Luck in the casino!

Hon-Dah Casino features over 800 slots and a live-action poker room. Fifty of those 800 slots are brand new games just waiting to payout to the next lucky player! You won’t miss out on any winning opportunity, so make sure to plan a trip to Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center right away.

For fine dining at casino prices, try breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Indian Pines restaurant. Indian Pines features daily buffets every day of the week. If you are in the mood to make a night of it, then enjoy the adjacent Timbers Lounge where nationally known entertainers provide plenty of action six nights a week including the Funday Monday Club.

After a day spent in the sun or the excitement of the casino, the fresh mountain air and country quiet will almost guarantee you a good night’s rest.

Even business can be enjoyable and stress-free when you let Hon-Dah’s professional staff help you find the perfect meeting room for your special needs. The 9,000 square foot conference center can accommodate a diversity of meetings and events.

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Across the highway from the casino and hotel is Hon-Dah RV Park. This 258-space RV Park offers 24-hour security, an on-site manager, full power, satellite TV connections, phone hook-ups, laundry room, and shower facilities.

Before you go exploring, gas up at Hon-Dah’s Convenience Store where you will find the most affordable gas prices around.

The Hon-Dah Convenience Store also offers beer, soft drinks, groceries, and reservation permits for fishing, camping, and hunting.

And, while in town, make sure to visit Hon-Dah Ski and Outdoor Sports—a store that provides all types of fishing, hunting, and other outdoor supplies. During the winter season you will agree this is the best place for all of your skiing equipment, rentals, sales, and tune-ups.

Of course, all of that aside, Hon-Dah Casino has everyone’s favorite new slots. Recently having installed 50 new titles from a combination of slot manufacturers such as Scientific Games (formerly Bally Technologies and WMS), IGT, Aristocrat, and Konami, there are more than enough new games and old favorites to try during the next trip up.

Hon-Dah Casino’s Slot Director Armando Rodriguez said, “We are thrilled to have brought in such a diverse group of brand new games. Every year my team and I look at what we can do to complement all of the player favorites we already offer and I strongly believe we have selected excellent slot themes for our customers to enjoy in 2016.”

Among the newly installed games are themes from Scientific Games like Dragons Over Nanjing, Hot Hot 8, Fu Dao Le, Wonder Woman Wild, and Wonder Woman Gold. For those fans of classic stepper games, the new S3000 cabinets from IGT at Hon-Dah Casino offer games like I Heart Triple Diam ond Free Gam es, Triple Double Diamond, Red Hot Tamales, Triple Double Diamond, Spitfire Triple Red Hot 7’s, Sizzling 7’s, Hot Pink 7’s, Gold Bar 7’s, and Hell On Wheels.

The new slots also include titles from Aristocrat like Panda Paradise, Hong Kong Fortunes, Wild Lepre’Coins, Silver Wolf, Golden

Princess, and Golden Festival. New slots from Konami are Fortune Stacks, Dragon’s Law Twin Fever, Chili Chili Fire, Radiant Queen, Dragon Celebration, China Shores Double Winning, Bull Mystery, Lucky Honeycomb, and Volcanic Rock Fire.

Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center is located just South of Pinetop-Lakeside at the intersection of AZ 260 and AZ 73. For more information call 1.800.WAY.UP.HI (1.800.929.8744) or visit their website at Hon-Dah.com. $ azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

25

TRIBAL NEWS Words By Lee Allen Photos Courtesy Of Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

CELEBRATING NATIVE CULTURE Visitors Can Enjoy Native Trails Presentations Now Through March 31

T

he best way to discover Indian Country is to allow some time to make a personal visit and Arizona has 22 federally-recognized tribes that welcome tourists to their communities. But for those who can’t make such a trip, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts are again bringing that culture into town.

Native Trails presentations, part of the City of Scottsdale’s Culture Quest Scottsdale tourism initiative, are scheduled most Thursdays and Saturdays through March 31 in free noontime performances. Last year’s events were enjoyed by upwards of 10,000 visitors who craved the experience of American Indian culture.

“Native Trails is a truly unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience where residents and visitors alike can enjoy learning about native tribal cultures by partaking in the shows and exhibits,” says Ruben Balderas, President of the sponsoring Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

Even as the world has evolved and brought new environmental challenges, Native Americans have, for centuries, lived off the land with tribal elders showing younger generations traditional ways of leading healthy lives while respecting and working in harmony with nature. This year, Native Trails is sharing that message of stewardship through the songs and dances of tribes like the Hopi, Dine (Navajo), Akimel O’odham, and the San Carlos Apache.

Derrick Suwaima Davis (Hopi/Choctaw) is a seven-time world hoop dance champion and artistic director for Native Trails.

“Some of my fondest memories are from when I was a child, spending time with my grandparents. There was no running water, no electricity, yet we worked with the environment in order to live. As Native people, we were inspired by nature and given the responsibility of stewardship. Through our songs, dances, food, architecture and being in harmony with nature, working with the seasons, the sun, the moon, we desired prosperity for all beings with everyone reaching their full potential.

Today I believe in doing the best I can with what I have, incorporating the traditional ways I was taught while encouraging healthy behavior and a prosperous life for future generations… all part of the Circle of Life.”

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

Davis is the perfect spokesman for the Native Trails project as his image has been used on everything from highway advertising billboards to Arizona Office of Tourism ads. A firm believer in tradition, he began participating in pow wows as a hoop dancer at the age of 3 and serves as choreographer for the annual Native Song and Dance production at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. He is part of The Living Traditions Dance Troupe made up of various championship artists who present their own cultural values expressed through dance movements. Another feather in his professional headdress includes that of Head Man dancer at the Inaugural Pow Wow at Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. “Our cast is made up of individuals from various tribes in the Southwest and while Indian cultures around the world have some culture in common, when we perform, the audience gets to hear a bit of the language, the instruments, songs, and dances of the rich heritage of the Southwest. Individually, our cast is involved in their own tribal cultural practices and while we can’t bring actual ceremonies to the stage, we can present those teachings and values in our shows.”

“This year’s environmental theme is a unique way of relating through song and dance the common theme of being a steward of the earth as we celebrate life’s spiritual journey. While we all

TRIBAL NEWS

live on the same planet and under the same sun, in our unique portion of the world we are shaped by our local resources and Native Trails performances are a good way for visitors and new residents alike to understand the importance of our environment and taking a moment to appreciate it,” said Davis.

Emphasizing that there is something for everyone in each presentation, whether it be the lightness of the female dancers, the power behind the warrior’s dances, or the animation of the animal dances, Davis says his favorite part of the show is the conclusion, the round dance, where the audience joins the cast.

“We start our program with the diversity of the individual tribes represented by the performers, but we end it with the unity circle, the friendship or community dance in which the audience gets a chance to participate in this older, simpler style of dancing. Each one joins hands and dances in a circle representing a lack of dominance that depends on the gifts of others.

By dancing together and shaking the earth in unison, we rely on each other’s strengths, special gifts and talents we each have to help others reach their full potential. We encourage each other to be strong and healthy through diversity, cooperation, and collaboration.”

Because he is the artistic director for the presentations, you’d expect Davis to speak positively about what the shows bring to

an audience, and he does: “There’s something here for everyone and our hour-long show is an excellent interpretation of our culture. We have some of the best singers and dancers available and audiences enjoy the information we present between the dances to help them understand what they are seeing. Native Trails represents living tradition expressed in song and dance.”

The long-held indigenous culture message concerning the importance of preserving and conserving the land and its resources is the theme of the 2016 presentations, making this Year #14 of delving into Indian culture while visiting vendors and artisans who have set up shop to offer hand-made jewelry, baskets, pottery, and paintings for sale.

Subject to change, performances are scheduled at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East 2nd Street, on most Thursdays and Saturdays during the months of February and March. At the time of print, the current confirmed dates for both February and March were the following: February 11-18-20-2527 and March 3-24-26-31.

For more information on the Native Trails presentations, please visit their website at ScottsdaleNativeTrails.com or contact the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau at 480.421.1004. $

azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

27

GAMING NEWS

By Melody Hudson

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino Guest Wins $558,800 Jackpot

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino guest, Michael P., won $558,800 to start off the New Year while playing the Wheel of Fortune slot machine by IGT at the valley casino. The prize was triggered when Michael hit the progressive jackpot on the popular slot machine and the Arizona resident could not have been happier. “I am so excited to have won, this will be life changing,” said Michael. “I love to come to Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, and now I have even more of a reason to love it!” The Wheel of Fortune progressive slot machines are some of the most popular on the floor at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino and their progressive jackpots routinely hit in the six figures. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is home to many of the most popular titles in slot machines including the Sphinx 3D, Dragons Temple 3D, Monopoly – Luxury and Diamonds, 5 Treasures, and Willy Wonka Pure Imagination slots. In addition to all the latest slots, Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino also hosts 75 table games, a high limit area

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

and a range of restaurant and live entertainment options. Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino is conveniently located in Chandler off the I-10 freeway and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visit WinGilaRiver.com for more information. $

GAMING NEWS

IGT Crowns Even More Millionaires

MonopolyCasino.com Launches

In a groundbreaking advancement of its commercial relationship with Gibraltar-based Gamesys, one of the world’s largest interactive gaming companies, Scientific Games Corporation recently announced it will sublicense selected Hasbro brand rights, allowing Gamesys to launch MonopolyCasino.com.

MonopolyCasino.com is a MONOPOLY branded online casino powered by a variety of SG Interactive MONOPOLY themed casino games plus Gamesys’ innovations around the Hasbro library. In addition, both parties have enhanced their commercial real money gaming supply relationship, and Scientific Games has licensed selected game patents to Gamesys.

International Game Technology (IGT) enriched its jackpot legacy and awarded four lucky players just recently with lifechanging jackpots totaling nearly 5 million in combined payouts! These slots have been hitting frequently and they’re hot!

A lucky winner at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada hit a jackpot for $1,681,553 on IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Double Diamond slots. Just one week before that, a lucky player at the Lac Courte Oreilles Casino in Hayward, Wisconsin walked away with a $1,163,821 payout after playing the Wheel of Fortune Triple Extreme Spin slots.

Two winners hit big just days apart from each other; one at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Wheel of Fortune Double Diamond slots for $1,079,546 and the other on the Megabuck s Wild Sapphires slots at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida.

You can find various IGT Wheel of Fortune progressive slots and Megabuck s slots in casinos all across Arizona. Try your luck on one of these games next time you come across them in the casino. You never know … you could be IGT’s next big millionaire from Arizona! $

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

Simon Mizzi, Marketing Director of Gamesys said, “These transactions enhance our already strong relationship with SG Interactive, offering us the opportunity to engage our players with exclusive content, key third party brands and enhanced access to Scientific Games’ extensive portfolio. We are especially excited to have launched the MONOPOLY branded online casino, powered by SG Interactive’s library of slots and table games as well as our own innovations. We believe these agreements support our vision of crafting experiences that deliver the best entertainment for interactive casino players.”

Jordan Levin, President, Interactive at Scientific Games said, “The agreements with Gamesys are a tangible result of a combined force: The out-of-the-box thinking we pride ourselves on at Scientific Games, and Gamesys’ unwavering dedication to their mission of becoming the world’s most entertaining interactive gaming company. We are thrilled with the creative collaboration and look forward to the opportunities ahead for both companies.” $

GAMING NEWS

Cliff Castle Casino Hotel Announces Hotel Expansion

Cliff Castle Casino Hotel recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for their six-story hotel expansion project which is anticipated to be completed by late December 2016. The hotel will be developed by DreamCatcher Hotels, a specialty hotel brand development company in Memphis, Tennessee, and feature 122 luxury suites, king rooms, double-queen rooms, a pool, multi-purpose conference rooms, coffee shop, retail outlet and 300 space parking garage.

Thomas Beauty, the Yavapai Apache Nation Chairman stated, “This project is monumental for our Nation as well as Northern Arizona.

We’re excited to offer this chance to experience our unique area with an all-new hotel, create jobs in our local economy, and bring visitors from near and far to our beautiful homelands.”

For more information about Cliff Castle Casino Hotel, visit their website at CliffCastleCasinoHotel.com. $

azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | 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 November 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 | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

Hold % Tables

Hold %

Loose $5

1.24

Blackjack / 21

15.79

$1

4.38

Pai Gow Poker

18.08

$25

5.13

Roulette

21.68

25¢

5.31

Craps

22.28

5¢

5.53

Other Table Games 29.12

Multi-Denom 5.70

Let It Ride

29.98

1¢

10.98

Three Card Poker

35.93

Tight Megabucks

13.08

12.69

Win Amount

Dollars

Race Books

13.60

Slots

38.0 mil.

Bingo

19.14

Tables

3.3 mil.

31.61

Other

1.0 mil.

Other Loose Sports Pools

Tight Live Keno

Hold %

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA

By Mark Novak

TROPICANA LAUGHLIN PROMOTIONS The Most Incredible Monthly Promotions On The River

T

ropicana Laughlin is your green light to have more fun because there’s always something going on at the Trop!

Voted number one for their outstanding promotions, a stop in during your next visit to Laughlin or an overnight stay at the Tropicana is a must. Check out these incredible promotions going on during the month of February: $20,000 Cupid’s Cash Slot Tournament February 26 & February 27 $50 Buy-in (includes 1 entry and 1 buffet) Registration is Friday 12noon—4pm Bonus Round Friday 4:30—6:30pm Round 1 Saturday 10am—1pm Round 2 Saturday 1:30pm—4:30pm To pre-register, call 1.800.343.4533 and mention Promo 5023 $15,000 Love Of The Game Blackjack Tournament February 12—14 $50 Buy-in (includes 1 entry, 1 mulligan, 1 wild card drawing) Registration is Friday 6pm—9pm Tournament Play Saturday & Sunday Final Table Sunday To pre-register, call 1.800.343.4533 and mention Promo 5008 River Fund $2,500 Free Play Slot Tournament 2nd Sunday of each month (Benefitting the River Fund program which provides food to those in need in the local area) Entry is $5 or 5 non-perishable food items worth $1 each Tournament Play 10am—4pm (each entrant plays 1 round) All awards in Free Play. 1st place $1,000 Free Play; 2nd place $500 Free Play; 3rd place $250 Free Play; 4th to 7th place $100 Free Play, 8th-14th place $50 Free Play.

Trop Gift Days Earn 1,000 base points on the Trop Advantage Card on gift day Dirt Devil Stick Vac – Saturday, February 13 Proctor Silex Electric Kettle – Friday, February 19 Chef Selection Stand Mixer – Saturday, February 20 After earning 1,000 base points, swipe your card at any casino kiosk for a redemption voucher (no later than 9:30pm) Redeem at Special Event Registration from 8am—2pm or from 6pm—10pm Up To 20X Points On Wednesdays A swipe at a kiosk randomly awards up to 20X point multiplier

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

Veterans Card Free Buffet 4th Wednesday Of Every Month Veteran plus 1 guest receive a free buffet (breakfast or dinner) For guests with a special Trop Advantage Veterans Club Card (free sign-up upon verification of a valid Veteran’s ID) Club 50 Food & Beverage Deals Valid every Monday with the exception of major holidays Must be 50 or older and have a Trop Advantage Card 1 free cup of coffee from Poolside Café (no earning required) Earn 25 base points get a 99¢ bagel from Poolside Café Earn 50 base points get a $1.99 buffet Earn 100 base points to spin the wheel to win from $5 to $50 in Free Play (see Trop Advantage Club) Cash Sweepstakes Mondays/Free Play Thursdays Guests earn 1 electronic drawing ticket for every 25 base points earned on Mondays Random electronic drawings held every hour from 3pm—7pm 5 winners drawn each hour to receive $100 cash (Same promotion on Thursdays for Free Play) Loyal Locals Special Bonus Locals will receive up to 20X points on Thursdays For guests flagged in the Trop Advantage system as a local $4.99 Buffet (dinner or breakfast) $

Do you have a question for a Marketing Director? Have you ever wondered about the people working behind the scenes?

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)

LAUGHLIN, NEVADA

GOLDEN NUGGET LAUGHLIN Players Get A One-Of-A-Kind Deal On Their Status At Other Casinos

T

he Golden Nugget Laughlin is offering new patrons an incredible deal! We, at the Arizona Gaming Guid e, have not seen this kind of promotion before and have always wondered which casino would be the first to take advantage of the idea. Players who are new to the 24K Select Club, the Players Club Program at Golden Nugget Laughlin, are eligible for a Tier Upgrade Bonus!

Here is how the Tier Upgrade Bonus works: 1. Bring in a competitor’s tiered card (must be current) 2. Golden Nugget Laughlin instantly matches the tier level 3. Plus, receive a one tier upgrade bonus The Golden Nugget Laughlin has four tiers in their 24K Select Club: 24 Karat, Premier, Chairman, and Elite. If, for example, you have a card from a competitor’s casino which is the lowest

level, when you bring that card in to the Golden Nugget Laughlin, you’ll be matched at their lowest level, 24 Karat, and then be upgraded one tier to Premier! Among many additional privileges, Premier tier 24 Karat Select Club members immediately begin earning tier credits at a rate of 1.5 times faster than members at the 24 Karat tier.

Plus, earned comps and tier status can be used at any Golden Nugget Casino and Landry’s Inc. locations in AZ, NV & CA! Readers should reasonably expect some restrictions to apply to this promotion. New patrons wishing to participate in the Tier Upgrade Bonus should inquire at the Golden Nugget Laughlin 24K Select Club to receive all of the details. $

azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

37

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

Listings ute)—Feb. 26-27 The Arizona Room: Cha d Freema n And Redline (Co untry)— Mon. 8pm, Arizona Room Trivia—Tue. 7pm, Country Dance Instruction (Learn to Dance)—Wed. 6pm, Daisy Train (Country)—Wed. 8pm, Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to Dance)—Thu. 6pm, Rhythm Of The Sun—Thu. 8pm, Superhero Band—Fri. 8:30pm, Enjoy a variety of rotating live performances and special events on Saturday nights. Bands include: NEON, Shining Star, ZGF and The JJ’s Band.

Str8 Up—Sun. 8pm

Tracy Lawrence Desert Diamond Casino—February 27 Country star Tracy Lawrence is putting on a special Tucson Rodeo performance at the Diamond Center on Saturday, February 27, 2016. Tickets start at $35 and are on sale through Star Tickets and also available at the Desert Diamond Rewards Center. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm. Prior to the Tracy Lawrence concert, “Pork Chop” from KIIM-FM will provide free entertainment in the casino courtyard from 5 pm to 7pm. Guests can enjoy food and drink specials, including a cash bar for those 21 and over.

With more than 13 million albums sold in his career, Tracy Lawrence is one of the most recognizable voices in Country music. He’s had 22 songs on the Billboard top ten charts, including 18 number-one singles, such as Tim e Marches On, Alibis, and Find Out Who Your Friends Are. Tracy Lawrence has been named CMT’s Most Played Video Artist of the Year and in 2014 was Music Row Breakout Awards Independent Artist of the Year. Treena Parvello, Director of Public Relations and Communications for the Tohono O’odham Gaming Enterprise, said, “Southern Arizona loves the rodeo and country music.

We’re bringing the two together with a special performance by Tracy Lawrence. If you like country music and you like dancing, this is the show for you!”

Apache Gold Casino—Globe, AZ—800.272.2438 Events: Hea rt Brea k ers Ba ll 3 Ma le Revue—Feb. 13, Show Me The Benjamins Roping—Feb. 12-15, Apache Gold Pow Wow—Mar. 12-13 BlueWater Casino—Parker, AZ—888.243.3360 Dig Lounge: Fea turing a va riety o f live music.

Events: Lee Greenw o o d—Feb. 27 Casino Arizona—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 The Showroom: Do n’t Look Back (Boston Tribute)—Feb. 5-6, the Big Game Football Viewing Party—Feb. 7, The Ultimate Stones (Rolling Stones Tribute)—Feb. 19-20, Double Vision (Foreigner Trib-

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

Casino Del Sol—Tucson, AZ—520.838.6506 Paradiso Bar & Lounge: Thursda y Tributes: Ea gles Tribute— Feb. 4, The Killers Tribute—Feb. 11, Tom Petty Tribute—Feb. 18.

Reba McEntire Tribute—Feb. 25, Friday Nights: Blue Monsoon— Feb. 5, Billy Templeton—Feb. 19, Buckboard—Feb. 26. Saturday Nights: Angel Norteno—Feb. 6, Conjunto Elegante—Feb. 13, Angel de Oro—Feb. 20, Myzterio—Feb. 27 Conference Center: Lew is Bla ck —Feb. 6 Cliff Castle Casino—Camp Verde, AZ—800.381.7568 Dragonfly Lounge: The Mo ds—Feb. 5-6, Super Tailgate Party— Feb. 7, Sammy Davis—Feb. 12-13, Signo 12—Feb. 19-20, Apache Spirit—Feb. 26-27 Cocopah Resort Casino—Somerton, AZ—800.237.5687 Events: Ka ra o k e w ith Bling Bling—Th & Fr at 8pm Desert Diamond Casino I—Tucson, AZ—866.332.9467 Monsoon Nightclub: Gro o ve Live w ith DJ Bla de—Fridays, Old School Mix! Noches Caliente—Saturdays, The hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music!

Desert Diamond Casino II—Sahuarita, AZ—866.332.9467 Sports Bar: Live music o r DJs—Fr & Sa Diamond Center: Ro n White—Feb. 6, Frank Sinatra Jr.—Feb. 12, Tracy Lawrence—Feb. 27 Fort McDowell Casino—Fort McDowell, AZ—800.843.3678 Lucky 7 Saloon: Featuring a variety of live music.

Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino—Maricopa, AZ—480.802.5000 Featured Entertainment: The Co mpa ny Men—Feb. 13, Salt N Pepa—Feb. 20 (at the UltraStar Amphitheater) Valentine’s Day Entertainment: Guy Penna chio —The Lounge, Apperson Duo—The Range & The Buffet The Lounge: Fea turing live music a ll mo nth lo ng. Do o Wa h Riders—5th, Crawdaddio—6th, Cold Shott & The Hurricane Horns— 12th, Quantum—19th, Checkr’d Past—20th, Nashville Gold—26th, Thaddeus Rose—27th Wednesdays In The Lounge: Enjoy live music from Noon—4pm. Bandstand Shows—3rd, Thaddeus Rose—10th, Reba McEntire Tribute—17th, Chance Tinder—24th, He Said She Said—14th, Stanley Serano Trio—21st, Flavour—28th The Lounge Happy Hour: Enjo y Ha ppy ho ur a nd live music Tuesda ys & Wednesdays from 5 – 8pm. Stan Serano Trio—1st, Uncorked Trio— 2nd, Van & Melanie—3rd, Flavour—4th, John Eric Duo—8th, XO Band—9th, Western Fusion Trio—10th, Scott Helmer—11th, Chuck

Editor’s Pick E Baby—15th, John Eric Duo—16th, Walkens Trio—17th, Flavour— 18th, Chuck E Baby—22nd, Karen & Co—23rd, Walkens Trio—24th, Scott Helmer—25th Karen & Marcus—29th Hon-Dah Casino—Pinetop, AZ—800.929.8744 Timbers Lounge and Showroom: Munda y Funda y—Comedy Show 7pm, Warren G Band (Variety)—Feb. 2-6, James Presley Band (Country & Classic Rock)—Feb. 9-13, In-A-Fect (R&B Variety)— Feb. 16-20, Smokehouse (Country & Variety)—Feb. 23-27 Conference Center: Ho n-Dah’s Big Bowl Bash—Feb. 7, Rod Stewart Tribute—Feb. 14, ABBA Fab—Mar. 25 Lone Butte Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 Cascades Lounge: Pho enix a rea ba nds & DJs o ffer free live entertainment throughout the week featuring the Valley's best local bands & DJs Cities Bar & Grille: Sunda y Brunch fea turing live enterta inment from 10am-4pm Events: The Pettybrea k ers (To m Petty Tribute)—Feb. 6, Matt Hodek & The Dakota Dutchmen—Feb. 11, Paperback Writer (Beatles Tribute)—Feb. 13, Sam’s Band—Feb. 18 Mazatzal Casino—Payson, AZ—800.777.7529 Apache Spirits Lounge: Fea turing a va riety o f live music.

Paradise Casino—Yuma, AZ—888.777.4946 Sharky’s Bar & Bites: Fea turing a va riety o f live music.

Quechan Casino—Winterhaven, CA—877.783.2426 Sidewinders: Fea turing a va riety o f live music.

Talking Stick Resort—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 The Showroom & Grand Ballroom: Tra ce Adk ins—Feb. 12, Frank Caliendo—Feb. 13, The Tubes—Feb. 20, The Mavericks—Feb. 27, Joe Satriani—Mar. 5, BoDeans—Mar. 12, Legends In Concert— Mar. 16-20, TESLA—Mar. 25, An Evening With David Crosby— Mar. 26, Steve Hackett—Apr. 2, Kathleen Madigan—Apr. 9, Tracy Morgan—May 14, Aaron Lewis—May 15, Blue October—Jun. 3 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino—Flagstaff, AZ—855.946.8946 Featuring a variety of live music.

Vee Quiva Casino—Laveen, AZ—800.946.4452 Event Center: Little Jo e y La Fa milia —Feb. 13 & 14, Diamond In The Rough (Neil Diamond Tribute)—Feb. 27 Wild Horse Pass Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 Chrome Nightclub—Fri & Sat 9pm-2am, The Lounge—Featuring a variety of live music nightly, Festival Park—Live music outdoors Showroom: Engelbert Humperdinck —Feb. 5, December 63 Tribute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons—Feb. 12, Smokey Robinson— Feb. 13 & 14, Roseanne Barr—Feb. 19, Oak Ridge Boys—Feb. 20, Tribute to Barbra Streisand—Feb. 21, Corrie Sachs Tribute to Reba McEntire—Feb. 28, Gordon Lightfoot—Mar. 4

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT THE TUBES Talking Stick Resort February 20

The Tubes will return to Talking Stick Resort and perform live on the Showroom stage on Saturday, February 20th.

Back by popular demand, the hometown favorites have maintained a thriving and prosperous career spanning more than 30 years. The rock band will captivate audiences with their collection of greatest hits including such songs as What Do You Want From Life, Talk to Ya Later and TV is King.

Since releasing their debut album in 1975, the band has opened for iconic group Led Zeppelin, shared the stage with Dolly Parton and was featured in the 1980 film, Xanadu.

They catapulted to fame in 1983 courtesy of their topcharting single, She’s a Beauty. Fans can spend the Saturday evening with the San Francisco-based band and experience their live show firsthand.

Tickets for The Tubes are currently available and can be purchased by calling the Talking Stick Resort Box Office at 480.850.7734. To learn more information, visit their website at TalkingStickResort.com/The-Tubes.aspx. Must be 21 or older to attend.

Talking Stick Resort is a AAA Four Diamond Rated Resort and a central landmark within the emerging Talking Stick Cultural and Entertainment Destination (TSCED). Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, just east of the Loop 101 on Talking Stick Way, TSR is locally owned and caringly operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

Talking Stick Resort offers culturally rich experiences and luxury accommodations throughout its 496 deluxe rooms, nearly 300,000 sq. ft. casino, 11 restaurants and lounges, world-class spa, 650-seat showroom, 25,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom, thriving cultural center and more than 113,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space. $

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.

azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

39

CASINO BINGO

BINGO ACTION IS HOT AT LONE BUTTE Lucky Winner Walks Away With $162,227 Grand Prize

A

t Lone Butte Casino, the bingo action is hot for players on the east side of Phoenix. Joanne Undeberg walked away as the winner of $162,227 when she hit the grand prize on the Lucky 7 Jackpot bingo game. Ms. Undeberg was ecstatic as she covered that final number and shouted, “Bingo!” for all to hear. By the time she collected her prize money, she already knew how she was going to use it. “I am so excited to have won, I love playing bingo at Lone Butte Casino,” said Lone Butte’s newest winner.

For bingo players on the east side of Phoenix, there is no better place to dab the dauber than Lone Butte Casino. With exciting promotions, Lone Butte Casino has proven to be the best bingo the east valley has to offer. For more information about their bingo, visit their website at WinGilaRiver.com. $

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

200

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

Th-Su at 6:30pm

350

No

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.

1700

(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

Daily 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 01/01/15 & direct inquiries by press time.

We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. Contact editor@azgamingguide.com to make updates.

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

SAMI’S SMACKDOWN

By Sami Becker

THE POINT OF PLAYERS CLUB TIERS Your Loyalty Counts, But So Does Everyone Else's

R

ecently, I was at a casino in Arizona waiting in line for a promotion to begin when an employee of the casino came over for an announcement. There were multiple lines of people separated by tier level. The employee informed us that patrons with the highest tier level would be allowed to participate exclusively for the first hour, then the next highest level, followed by the lower tiers. Milliseconds after the employee left, a casino patron in the second highest tier line began venting her frustration toward everyone in the highest tier level line. There were insults about how much money it must take to play up to the highest tier level, negative comments about how much time it must take to play for that long, and a holier-thanthou condescending attitude about how she barely managed to play up to the second highest tier level and how that was good enough for her. However, her tirade was only a setup to her final, rather foolish, comment about how unfair the casino poli-

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

cy was that the highest level tier was allowed to participate first, and exclusively, in the promotion prior to everyone else. I guess some people won’t ever understand that the different players club tiers are designed to reward a patron’s loyalty. So, no matter which casino (or casinos) you prefer, always use your players card! Your loyalty will be rewarded based on the tier status you attain. And, obviously, other patrons will have higher and lower status than you! $

Do YOU have something to RANT

OR RAVE about that you feel is worth a $25 gift card?

If so, write me at: sami@azgamingguide.com or by mail at: “Sami” Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277. If I pick your topic for publication in a future issue, you’ll get a $25 gift card!

FUN FACTS

By Lana Hartmann

FEBRUARY 29 - LEAP DAY TRADITIONS Ladies, Get Prepared To Propose To Your Man If He Hasn’t Already

W

e are in a leap year and that means this year will contain 366 days instead of the usual 365 by extending February to 29 days rather than the common 28.

This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure, because the Earth doesn’t orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days.

Leap day, on February 29, has been a day of traditions, folklore and superstitions ever since Leap Years were first invented by Julius Caesar over 2000 years ago. According to an old Irish tradition, St. Bridget struck a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose to men every four years! And, men, you won’t be let off the hook so easily if you turn down the proposal! Traditionally a man was expected to pay a penalty, usually in the form of money, if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on leap day!

The practice of women proposing in a leap year is different all across the world. For example, the proposal in Denmark is on February 24 and not February 29. If a Danish man refuses to marry, he must give 12 pairs of gloves to the woman (one pair for each month to hide the fact that her hand does not contain a ring). In Finland, the man must provide the heartbroken woman fabric for a skirt. Several other countries in Europe, particularly in Greece, and across the world, believe it to be truly unlucky to wed during a leap year.

A proposal can be made and accepted but the wedding should be postponed until after the leap year is over! $

azgamingguide.com | February 2016 | Arizona Gaming Guide

43

FUN & GAMES

WORD SEARCH To celebrate Leap Year, find: ALIGNMENT, BIRTHDAYS, CAESAR, DAY, DIVISIBLE, EARTH, EVEN, EXTRA, FEBRUARY, FOLKLORE, FOUR, INTERCALARY, INTERCALATED, JULIAN, LEAP, REVOLUTIONS, ROMAN, SEASONS, YEAR. Words appear in any direction. (Solution on page 46)

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B

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I

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. Level: Medium.

(Solution on page 46)

1 5 6 6 8

6

2

1

7

5

4

7

5

9 4

5

4 9

1

9

2

3 7

5

8

2 5

3 7

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

101 & McKellips

Scottsdale

480-850-7777 898

Y

Y

05. Casino Del Sol

5655 W. Valencia Rd.

Tucson

855-765-7829 1,059

Y

Y

7406 S. Camino De Oeste

Tucson

855-765-7829 283

07. Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel

I-17, Exit 289

Camp Verde

800-381-7568 656

15318 S. Ave. B

Somerton

800-237-5687 512

7350 S. Nogales Hwy.

Tucson

866-332-9467 1,016

I-19, Exit 80

Tucson

866-332-9467 563

101 & Northern Ave.

Glendale

866-332-9467 1,089

08. Cocopah Resort Casino 09. Desert Diamond Casino I 10. Desert Diamond Casino II 11. Desert Diamond Casino-W.V. 12. Desert Diamond Casino-Why 13. Fort McDowell Casino

Hwy. 86, Milepost 55

Why

Hwy. 87 & Ft. McDowell Rd.

14. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino

17. Mazatzal Hotel & Casino

Maricopa

480-802-5000 1,089

777 Hwy. 260

Pinetop

800-929-8744 806

Chandler

800-946-4452 786

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

Payson

800-777-7529 420

Yuma

888-777-4946 485

18. Paradise Casino

450 Quechan Dr.

19. Quechan Casino

I-8, Exit 166

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

8555 Hwy. 95

Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 235

20. Spirit Mountain Casino 21. Talking Stick Resort 22. Twin Arrows Navajo Casino 23. Vee Quiva Casino 24. Wild Horse Pass Casino

Y

Y

Y

J U L I A N

T A L A C D E D I R A V O Y I L P S K A I L E B O L L F E

R E T N S E A S O E N S O S A U R R Y

R A L A C R T N E H T R E V O L U T I O

I

A R T C X A E F R A E N A M N E V E O E T N I R MN G I L A R A E N S

800-946-4452 950

Y

800-946-4452 950

Y

1505 E. Hwy. 69

Prescott

800-756-8744 243

1

9

5

6

2

6

2

7

1

8

6

1

2

8

7

5

3

4

9

4

6

9

7

5

1

2

8

3

8

5

1

2

9

3

4

7

6

2

3

7

6

8

4

1

9

5

7

2

4

9

3

8

6

5

1

5

9

6

1

2

7

8

3

4

1

8

3

5

4

6

9

2

7

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2016 | azgamingguide.com

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Laveen

3

Y

Y Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Chandler

4

Y

Y

Y

Y

5

Y

Y

Y

8

Y

Y

Y

4

Y

Y

855-946-8946 1,082

7

Y

Y

480-850-7777 765

9

Y

Y

Flagstaff

3

Y

Y

Scottsdale

Sudoku Solution

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

6443 Komatke Ln.

Word Search Solution D E B I R F T E H B D R A U Y A S R Y Y

Y

Y

I-40, Exit 219

facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Y

Y

Sources: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 01/01/16 & direct inquiries by press time.

We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. Contact editor@azgamingguide.com to make updates.

azgamingguide.com

Y

Y

Y

101 & Indian Bend

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

Y

Y

Y

5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

25. Yavapai Casino

Y

Y

58

1077 S. Kyrene Rd.

16. Lone Butte Casino

Y

Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 857

15406 N. Maricopa Rd.

15. Hon-Dah Casino

866-332-9467

Y

Y

Spa

04. Casino Arizona

Golf

800-756-8744 323

RV Park

888-243-3360 526

Prescott

Hotel

Parker

1500 E. Hwy. 69

Y

Smoke-Free Area

Y

11300 Resort Drive

Y

Arcade

Y

02. BlueWater Resort & Casino

Poker Room

Y

800-272-2438 577

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

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y Y

Y

Y

Y Y Y