This Weekend's New England Casino Entertainment

Remember to Check Casino Websites before visiting the casino!

Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino (CT)
Arena
Kenny Chesney
with special guests Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves
Friday, March 22nd - 7:30pm
Saturday, March 23rd - 7:30pm

Wolf Den
Friday, March 22nd - 8:00pm Robert Randolph and The Family Band
Saturday, March 23rd - 8:00pm - Foghat

Cabaret Theater
Saturday March 23rd 9:00
Dom Irrera
with special guest Peter Bales

Foxwoods Resort & Casino (CT)
COMIX at FOXWOODS
JULIAN MCCULLOUGH Friday, March 22nd & Saturday, March 23rd - 7:30pm
COMIX One Night Stand  - March 22, 10:30 PM
NASTY SHOW - March 23, 10:30 PM

Twin River Casino (RI)
Lighthouse Bar
Friday March 22nd - Amish Outlaws - 8:30pm
Saturday March 23rd - Blurred Vision - 8:30pm

Catch A Rising Star
Friday March 22nd - Dan Crohn - 8:00pm & Frank Santos Jr. - Comic Hypnotist 10:15pm
Saturday March 23rd - John Rineman and Dan Crohn @ 8:00 & 10:00

Newport Grand (RI)
Newport Grand Event Center
FREE CONCERT - Tribute to the Rolling Stones - The Glimmer Twins
Saturday March 23, 2013 9:00 PM

Grand Cocktail Lounge
Saturday March 23rd - 9:00 - Damaged Goods

Hollywood Casino (ME)
The Sound Stage Lounge
Friday March 22nd - Rockin Ron- 9:00PM
Saturday March 23rd - Rock Revelation - 9:00PM

That's all For now

Binbin

This Weekend's New England Casino Entertainment

Remember to Check Casino Websites before visiting the casino!

Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino (CT)
Wolf Den
Friday March 15th 8:00 - The Rubix Kubes
Saturday March 16th 8:00 - The Irish Rovers

Cabaret Theater
Saturday March 16th 9:00
Joey Kola featuring Ophira Eisenberg
with special guest Martin Montana

Foxwoods Resort & Casino (CT)
COMIX One Night Stand
Bret Ernst - March 14-16 (3 Shows) - 8:00pm
Friday, March 15th - Isaacs & Baker, 10:30
Saturday, March 16 - Nasty Show, 10:30
Sunday, March 17th - Boston Irish Comix, 8:00

Twin River Casino (RI)
Twin River Event Center - Live Professional Boxing
March 15th - Manfredo II:Unfinished Business 7:00

Lighthouse Bar
Friday March 15th - Santa Mamba - 8:30
Saturday March 16th - D5 and After Fact - 8:30

Catch A Rising Star
Friday March 15th - Otto & George - 8:00 & 10:30
Saturday March 16th - Ron Laney @ 8:00 & 10:00

Newport Grand (RI)
FREE CONCERT - Tribute to the Allman Brothers Band - Live at the Fillmore
Saturday Mar 16, 2013 9:00 PM
Newport Grand Event Center - Newport, RI

Grand Cocktail Lounge
Friday March 15th - 9:00 - Matty B
Saturday March 16th - 9:00 - Summer School

Hollywood Casino (ME)
The Sound Stage Lounge
Friday March 15th - Backlash - 9:00PM
Saturday March 16th - Don Campbell Band - 9:00PM

That's all For now

Binbin

"Where Have All the Gamblers Gone"...and where are they going?

Is New England On It's Way to Localized Gambling or Are We Seeing Signs of Over-saturation By 2020?

Numerous articles and commentaries point to different trends in New England gambling. The landscape of casinos in New England, influenced by the economy and new gaming possibilities, is experiencing a change in clientele. Here are examples of changing times for existing casinos:

1) Maine is experiencing a success with both casinos. Locals are supporting both. Good times continue for Oxford & Hollywood Casino, Raceway & Hotel.

2) The New England Gaming Behavior Survey revealed that gamblers from the Commonwealth made more than five million visits to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casino in 2012. At the same time, Connecticut's casinos have continued to experience big declines in year-to-year slot revenues over the last year due in large part to Massachusetts residents who have significantly scaled back on the number of visits they make to casinos.

3) While neither Rhode Island slot parlor can compete with the Connecticut casinos' range of gaming and non-gaming amenities, Twin River's closer proximity to the population-rich centers of central and eastern Massachusetts, combined with aggressive advertising and marketing campaigns, has made Twin River a favored alternative for convenience gamblers, particularly as gasoline prices have remained high and the Connecticut casinos have tightened up on their player reward programs. The surge in Massachusetts residents visiting Twin River coincided with steep declines in visits to Foxwoods Resort casino and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, which have been forced to lay off thousands of employees as their profits have plummeted over the last five years.

4) A slot machine parlor in Worcester is now a distinct possibility as Massachusetts Gaming & Entertainment, LLC, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, designated the Heart of the Commonwealth as the preferred site for its application with the state's Gaming Commission last week.

5) The report, titled "Bring It On Home, An Overview of Gaming Behavior in New England," finds that residents in the five states surveyed - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island - are generally gambling less and spending their remaining gambling dollars closer to home. Seventeen percent of the respondents indicated they had visited Foxwoods in 2012, down from 22 percent in 2008, while 14 percent had visited Mohegan Sun, down from 19 percent four years earlier.

ENTER MASSACHUSETTS CASINOS: Like it or not, casino gambling is coming to Massachusetts. The UMass-Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis has been studying New England's gaming behavior. Wherever that Western Massachusetts casino ends up, making that trip down to Connecticut may become unnecessary. The report also says, "If the trends in this study continue, the long term success of a casino in Western Massachusetts could depend on if other casinos are built in neighboring states. Any casino built in the Albany region, near Hartford, western New Hampshire or southern Vermont could have a dramatic impact on the success of one in Western Massachusetts."

The only thing that can be considered certain in New England Casinos is....... well, uncertainty. There are some who insist this might be the beginning sign of over-saturation - too many casinos, not enough patrons to feed them all.

I would prefer to cheer the future of gaming in NE.  But to be honest, sometimes I wonder what the future holds.....

That's all for now.

Binbin

St Patrick's Day Specials In New Endland Casinos

Mohegan Sun
St. Patrick’s Day Begins And Ends At The Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House Inside Mohegan Sun
On March 17th, catch the luck of the Irish at Mohegan Sun’s brand-new Irish pub
This March 17th, grab your green and join The Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House inside Mohegan Sun as they host their first-ever St. Patrick’s Day party!
Opening at 11:00am, The Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House will have drink specials, giveaways, authentic Irish dishes and live entertainment throughout the day including Jediah at 4:00pm, bagpipers at 7:00pm and Kenny Mehler Band at 9:00pm.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis so get to Mohegan Sun early to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day like they do on the Emerald Isle.

Foxwoods-MGM
Thursday, Mar 17, 2011 6:00a
Block party at Atrium Lounge featuring Celtic Cross, a New York City based pop/folk band with a strong Celtic traditional influence, and the Guinness Girls will make a special appearance.
Stop by any Dream Rewards location between 6 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, 2011 and receive your entry into the Pot O’ Gold Cash Giveaway. The drawings will be held at 8:00 p.m. at the Atrium Lounge in Rainmaker Square where ten lucky guests will each win $2,500 in CASH!

Twin River
St. Patrick's Day Party
Join them in the clubhouse for a celebration of St. Patrick's Day. There will be tons of food, beverages, and activities for you and your friends. You definitely do not want to miss out! Wear your favorite green outfit and meet us in the clubhouse at 7:00 pm.

Newport Grand
St. Patrick's Day Buffet
Sunday, March 17th
12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Hollywood Casino & Raceway
EXCLUSIVE DRAWINGS FOR OUR 55+ MEMBERS!
Start earning entries at 8am. Drawings every half-hour between 11am-2:30pm. Stop by Player Services on March 3 to obtain your official LIUC pin to use for a special Epic Buffet offer on March 27! Then, come in on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, for BONUS drawings at 3pm & 3:30pm for an additional share of $1,000 Free Slot Play! Visit Player Services for complete details.


Oxford Casino
Food ala carte specials at Oxford Grill
Sunday, March 17th
11:00 am. to 8:00 p.m.



Erin Go Bragh

Binbin

New England Weekend Entertainment

WELCOME TO MY 100th POST!
Not that much happening in CT it seems this weekend!
Check websites for ticket information.
Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino (CT)
The Arena
Friday, March 8th - Matchbox 20 - 7:30pm

Wolf Den
Friday March 8th - 8:00 - Railroad Earth
Saturday March 9th - 8:00 & 10:00 - Herman's Hermits

Cabaret Theater
Saturday, March 9th - Vic DiBitetto featuring Marvin Bell
with special guest Bob DiBuono - 10:00

Foxwoods Resort & Casino (CT)
COMIX One Night Stand
Godfrey - March 7-9 - (3 Shows) - 8:00pm

Twin River Casino (RI)
Twin River Event Center -
Friday March 8th - Regis & Joy Philbin - 8:00

Lighthouse Bar
Friday March 8th - Steve Anthony & Persuasion - 8:30
Saturday March 9th - Great Escape (Journey Tribute) - 8:30

Catch A Rising Star
Friday March 8th - Funniest Comic in New England Contest Winners - 8:00
Friday March 8th - Frank Santos, Comic Hypnotist - 10:30
Saturday March 9th - Josh Rabinowitz - 8:00

Newport Grand (RI)
Grand Cocktail Lounge
Friday March 8th - 9:00 - The Merge
Saturday March 8th - 9:00 - Swerving Cadillacs

Hollywood Casino (ME)
The Sound Stage Lounge
Friday March 8th - Alison Ames Band - 9:00PM
Saturday March 9th - Vinyl Down - 9:00PM

That's all For now

Binbin

Rhode Island Casino News & Information

A State of the Casino in Rhode Island - Where's the News?

Over a year ago, State Rep. Joseph A. Trillo wanted someone to build a "super-casino" in the Quonset Business Park. He said it was a "can't-miss proposition." "Cruise ships could dock at Davisville, bringing visitors from afar to a 7.5-million-square-foot facility that would include such amenities as an indoor amusement park and an aquarium."

Representative Trillo was concerned over the amount of money poured into the site with "zero" revenue out of it. However, "Quonset" has improved it's value in the last year with a business park, events, etc.

But, what if a mega-resort, (that was to be rumored to be connected somehow to the other RI casinos) were built - how would that fit into the New England casino expansion in Massachusetts?

As it is, Twin River continues to coax patrons from CT and MA before the onslaught of the new casinos north with the addition of table games. Their hope is to get a base of loyal patrons that won't go back to CT or go to the new Mass casinos with their loyalty. And then there is Newport Grand, seemingly treading water until 2016 and the "Mass Casino Invasion" into New England.

It's hard for this blogger to find relevant news from the littlest state. I hope this suffices for now:

TWIN RIVER
'Rid the Winter Blues, Win a Norwegian Cruise!
Earn Entries: February 1 - February 28
Cruise Drawing Dates: Every Thursday (2/7, 14, 21, & 28) from 1pm-7pm!
Starting Friday, February 1, all TR Rewards Club members may start earning entries into our "'Rid the Winter Blues, Win a Norwegian Cruise!" promotion. Guests will automatically receive one free entry by simply using their Rewards Club card and will have the opportunity to earn 1 additional entry for every 100 points earned. Grand prize drawings will be every Thursday in February (2/7, 14, 21, & 28) - 2 winners selected every half hour from 1pm-7pm!
Up to 26 winners every week!

NEWPORT GRAND
BLIZZARDS of BUCKS BOOTH
Date: Thursday, February 21st, Saturday, February 23rd & Sunday February 24th, 2013
Hours: 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. each day
Guaranteed Prize of $100 cash & $100 Free Slot Play.

5x Points Tuesdays - February 
Dates: Tuesday, February 19, 26, 2013
Hours: During regular gaming hours (10:00 a.m. - 12:59 a.m.)


Tomorrow is This Weekend's Entertainment Wednesday.  Cya then.


That's all for now.


Binbin

Tuesday Tidbits

Random stuff concerning New England Gambling, US Gambling, and gambling in general.

• In this year’s election news, the biggest election-day casino issue was in Maryland which approved the addition of table games at its casinos, including a sixth resort that will be built near Washington D.C. As we remember in New England, table games were also approved for Rhode Island’s Twin River slot parlor, but were declined for the Newport Grand. And, a measure to escalate a casino presence in Oregon was defeated.

• Ever get "free slot play?" Ever play just the free slot play, then leave? Well, consider this.  Whatever your playing status (card tier) is - low, mid to high roller status - casino management looks at all of your play statistics - time played, denomination, bet amount, games - high or low house advantage - and time away (for example, Mohegan Sun looks at last 6 visits). If your "free slot play" only visit isn't incorporated in your usual amount of play, it may decrease your perks and your tier-status. Something to keep in mind on those days you go to eat and play your free slot play and leave, damaging your player rating!  Not that I would know, I mean, so I've heard.....

• Frank Scoblete, well known gambling author and teacher, gives the following suggestions about protecting your money in a casino - Men should never keep their wallets in their back pockets. Get a shirt with a pocket in front that buttons and keep your money in there. Some savvy craps players even keep a “dummy” wallet in their back pockets.  Women should never put your purse on the floor, or on the drink shelf that surrounds the craps table at thigh level, or between slot machines. Doing so is an invitation to long-armed thieves. Keep your purse wrapped securely around your shoulder, on your lap covered by your arm, or keep it in your hands. The bottom line is to make the thief realize that it is going to take quite an effort to dislodge you from your purse. Both sexes can protect their money by using a secure fanny pack or waist pack.

You can find more of Frank’s teachings at his site http://www.gamblingteachers.com.

• Promotion - Shop & Dine Anywhere at Mohegan Sun w/ a $25 Gift Card and $15 in Free Slot Play for $25 ($40 Value) Limit 1 per person, per Player's Club card. Voucher expires December 31, 2012. From ReferLocal. http://tinyurl.com/b76kqym

• A Doctor Poker Player - A doctor answers his phone and hears the familiar voice of a colleague on the other end of the line. "We need a fourth for poker," said the friend. "I'll be right over," whispered the doctor. As he was putting on his coat, his wife asked, "Is it serious?" "Oh yes, quite serious," said the doctor gravely. "In fact, there are three doctors there already!"

• Finally, a Casino Myth from Frank Scoblete:   Casinos are not interested in low rollers. To get comps, you have to bet big money.   If you play the machines, even for quarters, you aren’t as low a roller as you think you are. Put three quarters in a machine every five seconds and you are putting through $540 per hour. Play four hours and you just gambled $2,160 -- wow! The casinos will be more than happy to recognize such action with free or discounted rooms, meals and other special promotions. If you play table games, you might not want to be a five-dollar bettor looking for comps in a casino where they only rate $25 action. However, there are plenty of casinos that will gladly comp five-dollar players if they play long enough. The bottom line is this: Most casinos want just about all players. Find the places that give your action the most in perks as possible...and then patronize them. 

That's all for now.  A-K-Q-J-10 all diamonds.  Diamonds aren't just a girl's best friend!

Binbin

Saturday New England Casino Smorgasbord

Mashpee Wampanoags still in the Mix
The head of the state gambling board says the race for a casino in southeastern Massachusetts could open up to commercial interests if the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe's efforts to open a casino fall through. State gambling commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said the Wampanoags still face significant hurdles in their efforts to open a casino in Taunton and that the state needs to be ready in case that effort dissolves. The commission members said at the same time they want to respect the tribe's federal rights. Tribal council Chairman Cedric Cromwell said in a letter to the commission that the tribe "continues to make great progress" in its efforts to open a casino.

New Hampshire Update
Granite State gambling advocates are still holding out hope that Rockingham Park could one day be the site of the state's first legalized casino. On Dec. 17, the Salem Board of Selectmen will hold a public discussion on whether to add a nonbinding referendum to the March ballot regarding a potential casino. A positive vote wouldn't be legally binding, but it would give Rockingham Park officials a chance to gauge their neighbors' thoughts on the matter. "We're still in the early stages of this discussion, but the details will be publicly discussed during the upcoming meeting," Town Manager Keith Hickey said on Thursday. Edward Callahan, Rockingham Park president and general manager, said park officials have been attempting to add a casino to the former horse track for many years now. Callahan said initial attempts were made back in 1994, when Lincoln Downs in Rhode Island opened its slot machines, and other racetracks around the nation followed suit.
But since casino gambling has yet to be legalized in New Hampshire, those referendums never progressed further. Callahan noted that fans of casino gambling are now taking their business to places like Maine and Rhode Island, where casinos are legal. "By opening up a casino at Rockingham Park, we'd be adding more jobs to the area. We'd be keeping much of this revenue in New Hampshire," he said.

Twin River Plans To Add Table Games
According to officials at Twin River is hoping to be add table games to its gaming floor as soon as July1, 2013
Twin River can add table games following voters' approval of the facility's proposal to offer the new games to compete with casinos in Massachusetts. While the Massachusetts casinos won't be built for years, Twin River wants to get its table games installed as soon as possible to get a good head start.
"Once Massachusetts starts to build, it's still going to take three or four years before they open," said state Rep. William San Bento, D-Pawtucket, who pushed to get the Twin River casino question on the ballot. "It's major that we are going to be up and running first." But, before they can begin to offer games like blackjack and craps, the casino must make the space for 65 gaming tables and hire 350 new employees. Whether the casino can have table games by July 1 will also depend on how quickly state gambling regulators approve Twin River's plans.


Before the Casinos in Maine.....
Just a reminder, besides the two casinos in Maine, Penobscot High Stakes Bingo was established in 1973, being one of the first Indian Gaming Operations in the country, located on Indian Island, Old Town, Maine. In 1993, Penobscot High Stakes Bingo took on a total facelift which includes a State of the Art Smoke Removal Air Exchange System, totally new interior renovation, Las Vegas Style lighting, etc., which makes Sockalexis Bingo Palace, the Home of Penobscot High Stakes Bingo, one of the premier Indian Bingos in the Northeast. December specials are occuring for the holidays. Check the website at http://penobscotbingo.com/

Foxwoods Friday One Day Early

Ok, so I lied.  I AM posting today, and it's an early Foxwoods entry, because there's a new addition at Foxwoods!

PEQUOT OUTPOST

The new Pequot Outpost is opening today (Thursday) December 6^th from 3-7PM.  Some special offers include:

• Meet Patriots Cheerleaders 3:00pm – 4:30pm

• $5 Burger King coupon to first 200 attendees

• A chance to win $50 gas and/or goods every half hour

• Free Food, prizes, live radio remote

It includes a Mobil Gas Station & Convenience store, and a Burger King.  The Convenience store and gas station are open 24/7.   Pequot Outpost accepts Cash, Credit and Foxwoods Rewards Points.  Be careful when buying gas - Rewards Points gas purchases will be charged 1.5 points per $1 gas.  Everything else is 1 point per dollar. 


HOW MUCH DO YOU REMEMBER?

So, I was thinking about the good old days when Foxwoods first opened.  Here's a fun little quiz I put together for those of you who have been visiting for a while.  See if you can remember the changes that have taken place.  Cheat, cheat, never beat - so look at the answers afterward at the bottom.


1) True or false - before MGM Grand was built, there was nothing but woods in that spot.


2) Where was the original Bingo Hall?


3) Which hotel was built first?


4)  True or false - the High Rollers Bowling alley was the original space for the Cedars Steakhouse.


5)  True or false - Foxwoods / MGM is the largest gaming complex in the western hemisphere.


6) What was the original name of the rewards club?


7)  Who was the presiding performer for the opening of the Fox theater?


8)  True or false - The "Atrium" Lounge was the first lounge with entertainment.


9)  Before the Downstairs Poker Room was a poker room, what was it?


10)  Guess what year the 1,000,000,000th bus passenger arrived at Foxwoods - was it:
                                                    1999,  2003 or 2006?


ANSWERS: 1) False, it was a parking lot.  RV's also parked there   2)  What is now called the Festival Slots Casino.  I even saw a few boxing matches there before the Fox theater was built   3) The Grand Cedars Hotel   4) False - it was originally convention / ballroom space   5)  False!  A few years ago the WinStar World Casino was built in Oklahoma. and is the largest in the western hemisphere.  The largest casino in the world? - The Venetian in Macao, China.   6)  The Wampum Club   7) Old Blue Eyes - Frank Sinatra   8) True   9) It was just another casino area - I believe it was non-smoking for a while 10) 1999




How'd ja do?  I hope it triggered some royal memories of your own.  That's all for now!


Binbin

A tale of two casinos in Rhode Island

The pressure of competition for Connecticut Casinos continues to mount,  as Rhode Island voters were asked to determine whether table games — such as blackjack and poker — should be allowed in the state’s two casinos, the Newport Grand and Twin River Casino, separately approved both in the state and in the municipalities where the facilities are located — Newport and Lincoln, respectively. State support was strong for passage of both measures, but while Lincoln residents overwhelmingly approved the measure for Twin River, Newport residents voted against table games at their local casino by an 8 percent margin.  

Twin River expects to bring in a minimum of $18 million in additional revenue with the introduction of table games, said Patti Doyle, a representative for the casino. The games will be integrated by July 2013, she added with approximately 350 new jobs for Rhode Island, where the unemployment rate remains one of the nation’s highest at more than 10 percent.

Jean Marie Napolitano, a councilwoman from Newport, said “Obviously I was disappointed." “I don’t know what to expect now in terms of the economy.”  Newport businesses rely heavily on tourism, and many local owners were afraid of the effects increased gambling might have on the tourism industry. 

In my opinion, I cannot see how Newport will compete.  Over the next 3 years, Massachusetts will be adding it's new gambling competition with 3 casinos, all with full casino gaming and resort types of amenities.  The old Newport Jai Alai fronton can reinvent itself only so much and still stay in the relevant New England gambling circle without table games. 

I hope for the best in Rhode Island.  The more competition between casinos usually translates for a better experience and better gambling opportunities for the consumer.

That's all for now.  Remember to support our local businesses today on Small Business Saturday.

And as always, may all your flushes be royal.

Binbin

PS - in related News, Check out the special promotions for Rhode Island residents at Mohegan Sun this weekend as they celebrate the Ocean State.