32

Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Hints, Tips, And Advice On Your Favorite Casino Games! A Monthly Publication Created By Slot Machine Game Designers. The Arizona Gaming Guide is a free monthly magazine for people who enjoy visiting casinos and playing casino games. The magazine discusses Slot Machines, Video Slots, Reel Slots, Electronic Table Games like: Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps. Packed with in-depth features, advice, hints, tips, secrets, and so much more!

Citation preview

Page 3: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

Contents

22 VALERIE SPICER: AIGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Experienced leader officially appointed.

22 TRIBAL SPOTLIGHT The White Mountain Apache Nation.

24 GAMING NEWS Slot giant IGT buys social site Double Down Casino.

FAST FACTS

08 FORTUNE PAI GOW POKER PROGRESSIVE™ Cliff Castle introduces a new table game.

11 BALLY TECHNOLOGIES IS 80 YEARS YOUNG The company’s history & their new slots.

12 RIBBIT™ BY COLOSSAL GAMING Always in the bonus—always good.

GREAT GAMES

FEBRUARY

azgamingguide.com | February 2012 | Arizona Gaming Guide 03

FEATURE 14 GAMBLING & GOOD HEALTH IN ELDERLY Recent medical research supports the connection.

2020

1414

16 IDENTIFYING “LOOSE” SLOTS Take a look around you and figure out the zone.

18 SLOT MACHINE QUIZ: TRUE OR FALSE? Side-by-side comparison of what’s fact or fiction.

WINNING WAYS

20 FESTA BUFFET AT CASINO DEL SOL IN TUCSON The editor’s picks of Arizona’s casino buffets.

CASINO DINING

26 CLAY WALKER AT DESERT DIAMOND CASINO The editor’s picks of Arizona’s casino entertainment.

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

1616

0808

04 EDITOR’S NOTE What’s on our mind.

06 PLAYERS TALK What’s on your mind.

28 FUN & GAMES Sudoku & Puzzles to keep your mind sharp.

30 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN Rants, raves & reflections.

30 CASINO DIRECTORY

REGULAR RESPINS

Image courtesy of Shufflemaster, Inc. © Copyright Shufflemaster, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.shufflemaster.com

Photo courtesy of Bucky’s Casino. © Copyright Bucky’s Casino. All Rights Reserved. www.buckyscasino.com

Photo courtesy of Casino Del Sol Resort. © Copyright Casino Del Sol Resort. All Rights Reserved. www.casinodelsolresort.com

Page 4: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

VOLUME 04 • ISSUE 02

PUBLISHER Chris Hoft

[email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTOR Elizabeth Torma

[email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexandra Lang

[email protected]

ART DIRECTOR Melanie Mueller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mark Novak Alex Stewart

Samantha Becker Lana Hartmann Elizabeth Torma

ADVERTISING SALES

Nina Consiglio [email protected]

Alex Stewart [email protected]

MAILING INFORMATION

Arizona Gaming Guide P.O. Box 20636

Mesa, Arizona 85277

INTERNET INFORMATION www.azgamingguide.com

www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright © 2012 The Arizona Gaming Guide. All rights reserved.

The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and gaming related facts as well as personal opinions and expects the reader to make his or her own decisions. All responses to reader e-mails and letters are to be considered as advice only. AGG accepts no responsibility and no liability for any actions of our readers based on the articles and advertisements presented within this publication. All pictures, images, logos, trademarks and trade names, etc. are the sole property of their respective owners.

You must be 21 or older to gamble. Please play responsibly. Help is available at 1.800.NEXT.STEP or problemgambling.az.gov.

EDITOR’S NOTE

04 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

Your Authority On Everything Gaming

The year of the Dragon—Time for a change!

On the heels of last month’s letter, I think it’s appropriate to share with you a few interesting facts about a second New Year celebration that just happened. January 23, 2012 marked the first day of the Lunar New Year celebrated around the world and particularly in Asia. According to the Chinese Zodiac, we will officially enter the year of the Black Water Dragon on February 4, 2012. Generally, dragon years are filled with new beginnings and good fortune. Entrepreneurs tend to be successful throughout the year and any new ventures are blessed with the dragon’s inherent luck and success. Those of you planning to get married, start a family, or anything new will have a very good year!

In this month’s issue we focus on an Asian-themed card game now avail-able at Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde along with several new slots including games by Colossal Gaming and Bally. We also summarize some recent research that gambling is linked to good health in the elderly! There’s a lot more packed into this issue along with some insights into “loose” and “tight” slots in Winning Ways and my favorite casino buffets! I chose to highlight the brand new Festa International Buffet at Casino del Sol and the Diamond Buffets at Desert Diamond Casinos.

Please visit us at: www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide, become part of our community and share your thoughts and experiences with others who also love the same casino games you do. You can sign up for our e-newsletter and find the current and back issues of the Arizona Gaming Guide on our website at www.azgamingguide.com. For your conven-ience, we have included the QR codes for both web addresses in our di-rectory. Let me know what you think of our February issue and have fun!

Cheers!

Alexandra Lang Editor-in-Chief

[email protected]

Alexandra 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

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

Page 6: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

PLAYERS TALK Q&A On Everything Gaming

06 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

ASK THE EXPERTS and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question! Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts? Write us with your questions and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues. Space is limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive. Please include your name and mailing address with all correspondence. Mail to: Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277 or E-mail to: [email protected].

Q: LADY LUCK MEET UNCLE SAM Last year I won $2000 from a casino and had to fill out a tax slip. I’d like to reduce my gambling winnings and I’m wondering what records will prove my losses. Would an ATM withdrawal from the casino be proof as a loss?

Anonymous – Kingman, AZ

A: If you itemize your deductions, you can deduct your gam-bling losses for the year up to and including your winnings but no more than that! In order to be able to deduct gambling losses, accurate records of all gambling winnings and losses must be maintained. A log of the following information is usu-ally sufficient enough:

1. The name and address of the gambling establishment 2. The date, time, and type of wager that was made 3. The machine number or table number you were playing 4. The amount of money that was won and the amount lost

Of course, it’s always a good idea to have as much additional documentation as you can that supports your claims. This in-cludes bank withdrawal slips, canceled checks, check-cashing slips, credit records, and the win-loss statements from all the gambling establishments. Most casinos can provide you with end-of-the-year player tracking documentation that contains all that information.

Also, you had mentioned wanting to “reduce” your gambling winnings. Just as a precautionary measure, I wanted to make sure to mention that you can’t reduce your gambling winnings by your gambling losses and report the difference. The full amount of your gambling winnings must be reported sepa-rately from your gambling losses. In other words, you must report the full amount of your winnings as income and claim your losses as an itemized deduction (but only up to the amount of your winnings). Gambling winnings for the year must be reported on Form 1040 and gambling losses can be included in the list of itemized deductions on Schedule A, form 1040. Be careful to note that you cannot use 1040A or 1040EZ. For an in-depth explanation on tax laws and how they relate to gambling, take a look at Publications 505 & 525 from the IRS.

Q: SECURITY PRESENCE AT CASINO ENTRANCES I feel like I’m being judged by the employees who stand at the front door to the casino. What’s their pur-pose anyway? They’re usually not friendly, so I don’t think they’re supposed to be there to greet customers. Honestly, they make me feel uncomfortable.

L. Martin – Chandler, AZ L. Martin, if you’re feeling a little uncomfortable and perhaps intimidated, that’s not necessarily a bad thing! The security officers at the entrances to the casinos are there to keep undesir-able people out. For the safety of all the casino personnel and patrons, they are a criminal deterrence. Their role is to monitor and report any suspicious behavior or indications of unlawful intent by alerting surveillance to possible incoming problems. Furthermore, they’re not just the first line of defense but also the last because they’re in a position to apprehend a thief mak-ing a run for the door. We have an added sense of security here in Arizona that we don’t have in other gaming jurisdictions. Nevada casinos (and most other commercial casinos across the country) do not man-date a physical security presence at the front entrances of the casinos. This leaves the casinos and those inside vulnerable. Remember the Bellagio robbery that happened a year ago? How is it that a person covered head-to-toe wearing a motorcycle helmet, a backpack and a gun was able to walk into the Bellagio casino and steal $1.5 million in chips from the craps table? Q: SERVER-BASED GAMING I want to know if the slot machines can be repro-grammed from a main computer somewhere in a back room at the casino without having to physically open the slot machine? I hear that’s going on in Vegas.

David Shultz—Mesa, AZ David, this is called server-based gaming which we do not cur-rently have here in Arizona, but can be found in some casinos in Las Vegas. This technology allows casinos to change slot game themes, denominations, and payback percentages with just a few keystrokes. First the Arizona Tribal State Compacts would need to be updated before we could use that system here.

Page 7: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

azgamingguide.com | February 2012 | Arizona Gaming Guide 07

Q: ARIZONA HAS TIGHT SLOT MACHINES All the slots are set tight in the Arizona casinos. I look around in the casinos and nobody is winning anymore.

Edward Graham – Florence, AZ

Edward, I’m sorry that’s how you feel because it’s simply not true! My team members and I participate in as many new game installs as we can and have all personally observed the settings. Slot Managers and Slot Techs all across the State of Arizona are actually installing new games at higher than average pay-back percentages; not to mention that our State’s minimum requirements (80% for non-skill games and 83% for skill games like video poker) are already much higher than the returns of-fered in most other jurisdictions! It’s clear from our discussions with casino executives that they understand times are tough and people have less money to spend on entertainment. They know that making machines tighter will only drive players away and hurt their bottom line in the long run.

Also, it’s purely a misconception that “nobody is winning any-more” because nowadays very few casinos set their machines to lock up for small jackpots and non-taxable wins. A decade ago, while hoppers and coins were still prevalent, jackpots could be seen and heard! With the invention of TITO (ticket in-ticket

Q&A On Everything Gaming PLAYERS TALK

out) and coinless slots now we have to listen closely for the “Big Win” sounds incorporated into the games by the manufac-turers. While I’m on that subject, my personal opinion is that the slot manufacturers are the ones we should be frustrated at and not the casinos. The new games that are coming out are more volatile than ever before and players will have a miserable experience if they don’t come prepared with the proper bankroll to wager through the inevitable dry spells. Q: OLDEST SLOT MANUFACTURER I never paid attention to which companies design the slot machines I like to play until I started reading your magazine. What I’ve realized is that almost all my fa-vorite games are made by WMS. They seem to have the most games in the casinos. Have they been around the longest?

Mary Mayfield – Surprise, AZ

Mary, Bally is the oldest slot manufacturer in the world founded in 1932 by Raymond T. Moloney. Before producing slot machines, Bally originally created pinball games and other coin operated amusement devices. In 1936, Bally created its first slot machine and in 1975 became the first gaming com-pany to be publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange! $

Page 8: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

08 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

GREAT GAMES New Table Games

This table game can be easily described as blackjack for poker players! Pai Gow Poker®, as a casino game, contin-ues to regularly evolve and Shufflemaster, Inc. has brought us this exciting new version which is now avail-able for play at Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel in Camp Verde, Arizona. Rachel Jackson, Table Games Manager at Cliff Castle Casino, is extremely excited about this new addi-tion to their offering of games.

Fortune Pai Gow Poker Progressive® is played with a standard deck of 52 cards and one joker. The point of the game is for your two poker hands to beat both of the banker’s hands. You are dealt seven cards each game and have to arrange them into your first five card poker hand (called the back) which must rank higher than the second two card poker hand (the front). The joker card is used as an extra Ace, except when you can use it to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush. You win even money (less a 5% fee in most cases) for beating both of the bank’s hands, your bet back for beating one of the bank’s hands and lose your bet if the bank beats both of your hands. If you play well, you’ll win every 3.5 hands, tie about once every 2.4 hands, and lose roughly every 3.3 hands. Put another way, you’ll lose only 3 out of 10 hands and win or push the rest. As a result, Pai Gow Poker® is a fun, low volatility game that won’t bust your bankroll quickly.

To qualify for any of the Fortune wins, you make an addi-tional wager that your seven cards will combine to make any poker hand of a straight or higher and a few special hands as well (in most casinos). These special hands in-clude Five Aces, a Wild 7 Card Straight Flush, a Royal Flush with two 2’s, and a Natural 7 Card Straight Flush. Since there are several versions of this game around Ari-zona, Las Vegas, and the rest of the country, some of the pays change, but in general, you’ll win from 2 to 8,000 times your Fortune bet about once every five hands. Better still, if another player at the table has a Four-of-a-Kind or better with their seven card hand, you’ll win from 1 to 1,000 times your Fortune bet. This win is the Envy Bonus and hits often with a full table!

To qualify for jackpot wins, you also make an additional Progressive wager that your seven cards will form at least a Full House. The top two hands, a 7 Card Straight Flush and a Royal Flush pay all or a part of the current progres-sive jackpot value. Most of these progressive jackpots start at $1,000 or higher and can climb into the tens of thousands of dollars when they are awarded. In general, you’ll wager $1 and win from $5 to at least $1,000 or the value of the jackpot! Check with any Cliff Castle Casino Table Games employee for more information on the exact pays for each winning hand and remember that the pays may change from one casino to the next. $

Inside Strategy ScoopInside Strategy ScoopInside Strategy Scoop

The casino’s dealer arranges their hands according to a defined set of rules referred to as The House Way which helps to determine the ca-sino’s edge in the game. This strategy minimizes the casino’s losses. Most casinos allow players to request their hands be arranged accord-ing to these same rules. Most tables have House Way buttons available for players to use. In the event you prefer to make your own deci-sions at the table, we have a few general tips and suggestions for you that cover most situations, wagers, and available pay tables.

0 Pair: Highest card to back, the next two highest cards in front. 1 Pair: Pair in back and the next two highest cards in front. 2 Pair: Split unless the pairs are 6s and lower or an Ace for back. 3 Pair: Highest pair in front. 3-of-a-Kind: In back unless you can play 2 Aces in back & 1 in front. Double 3-of-a-Kind: Highest pair in front. Full House: Three of a kind in back and the pair in front. Straights, Flushes & Straight Flushes: Front is the strongest hand Four-of-a-Kind: 2s-6s back. Split 7s-10s unless you can put an Ace with a face card in front. Split Jacks-Kings unless you also have a pair of 10s or better. Split Aces unless you also have a pair of 4s or better. Royal Flush: In back unless you can split 2 pair as well. Split if an Ace, King, or pair make a front and a straight or flush make a back 5 Aces: Split unless a pair of Kings can be played in front

Play it NOW at Cliff Castle CasinoPlay it NOW at Cliff Castle CasinoPlay it NOW at Cliff Castle Casino

Special thanks to Rachel J. at Cliff Castle Casino-Hotel, Ashley R., Stephanie G. & John S. at Shufflemas-ter, and Alicia G. & Phil J. at Mosak for their help. Images courtesy of Shufflemaster, Inc. © Copyright Shufflemaster, Inc. All Rights Reserved. www.shufflemaster.com

By Alex Stewart

Page 11: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

Ballyhoo! What a great game name given to Bally’s (and the world’s) first coin operated pinball machine way back in 1932. Bally eventually transi-tioned into slot machine design, manufacturing, and sales which has also led to a strong focus on providing support systems for casinos and lotteries. In some states, the company even offers million dollar progres-sive jackpots including Millionaire Sevens® and 1,000,000 Degrees®.

Bally Who? For a long time, players didn’t pay a lot of attention to their slots here in Arizona. Well times have changed! Almost every casino in the state has the newest version of Bally’s slots and all indications point to there being more on the way. At this point, the jury is out and we’ll see what the verdict is after you let us know what you think of these new Bally products! Money Vault® & Golden Pharaoh® Both slots feature a Directional Wild bonus where extra wild symbols appear and move out of the bonus symbol. Playboy®—Hot Zone At the end of any spin, one or more wild symbols can land on top of the reels. Your win can go from 0 to a ton of credits in a heartbeat if the entire screen is wild! Betty Boop’s—Love Meter® The classic cartoon returns to let players measure their Love Temperature on the screen in order to win 1 of 9 bonuses! Cash Wizard® Includes a Wizard Wild bonus and a dis-tinctive two wheel Wizard Wheel bonus, among others, along with three progres-sive jackpots! Use [email protected] or our Facebook fan page to tell us what you think of Bally and their new slot games! $

Bally By The NumbersBally By The NumbersBally By The Numbers

Bally is the world’s oldest slot manufacturing business in the world and is celebrating its 80

year anniversary this year. The com-pany, founded in 1932 by Raymond T. Moloney in Chicago during the Great Depression, was originally a manufac-turer of pinball machines!

80

The cost to play the very first Bally pinball machine was only one penny! 1¢

Bally (BYI) became the first gaming company to be publicly traded on the

New York Stock Exchange in 1975 and today is an industry leader in design and innovation.

1975

The Bally corporate head-quarters and a full-service manufacturing facility is

located in Las Vegas and makes up to 200 games per day!

200

Bally employs about 2,500 people and has more than 25 offices

all around the world. More than 600 of those employees are dedicated to re-search and development!

2500

azgamingguide.com | February 2012 | Arizona Gaming Guide 11

By Mark Novak

New Slots GREAT GAMES

Page 12: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

GREAT GAMES New Slots

By Lana Hartmann

12 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

Colossal’s Ribbit® ut your preconceived notions of frogs aside with this slot! They may not turn into princes, but they sure will bring you some big wins if

you’re nice to them! The best part about this game is that the bonuses happen often—every 75 spins, on average! Choose one of the two frogs as your own and watch them chase each other around the board on the giant screen during game play. Once the bonus is trig-gered, you’ll pick between winning multiplied free games (up to 15X) with or without some starting credits, increasing the value of the next bonus, or just taking credits and skipping the free games. Here’s a secret: no casino in Arizona currently has this game installed in a payback percentage that’s less than 88%! That’s not bad for a low denomination game. $

P

Page 14: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

By Lana Hartmann

GAMBLING LINKED TO GAMBLING LINKED TO GOOD HEALTH IN THE ELDERLYGOOD HEALTH IN THE ELDERLYGOOD HEALTH IN THE ELDERLY

any elderly people love visiting casinos and

it’s easy to understand why their engagement

in such a fun leisure activity can elevate their

moods and happiness levels. However, numerous studies

across the years have shown that gambling is not only a

great form of entertainment, but that it can actually be a

therapeutic diversion. With every trip to the casino, eld-

erly gamblers who are 65 years and older may essentially

be increasing their life span!

According to the National Gambling Impact Study Com-

mission and a recent study conducted by researchers at

the Southern Illinois University and published in the

Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis (2010), gambling

has tremendous psychological and physiological effects

on the elderly. The findings indicate older individuals

who gamble recreationally have lower rates of depres-

sion, are in better physical health overall, are more in-

clined to be self-reliant, and have a larger social support

network than their non-gambling peers.

According to a Yale study published in the American

Journal of Psychiatry (2004) casino gambling, regardless

of whether it’s bingo, keno, slots, table games or pari-

M With every trip to the casino,

elderly gamblers may

essentially be increasing

their life span!

Page 15: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

azgamingguide.com | February 2012 | Arizona Gaming Guide 15

mutuel wagering, is tremendously beneficial to the men-

tal health of elderly gamblers. Higher levels of concentra-

tion, improved memory, and increased problem solving

skills were all attributed to the positive side effects of

gambling.

Rani Desai, associate professor of Psychiatry at the School

of Medicine, says it’s not entirely clear why there is a

positive correlation of good health in moderate gamblers

65 years and older. "Although the underlying reasons

remain hypothetical, proposed reasons include the in-

creased activity, socialization and cognitive stimulation

that are related to engaging in gambling," Desai and her

co-authors said. "Such a mechanism would be consistent

with the literature on healthy aging which indicates that

more socially and cognitively active elders are, in general,

healthier."

There are opponents of gambling who argue that the eld-

erly are draining their bank accounts and pensions and

are being taken advantage of by the casinos. However,

according to a gambling behavior study conducted by the

University of Chicago (2007), senior citizens gamble to

socialize and not to win a Jackpot. In fact, the study

shows that elderly gamblers tend to be much more con-

servative and play it safer than the younger, recreational

gamblers who show higher rates of problem gambling.

Most seniors who gamble do so responsibly. Numerous

studies have also shown that most elderly gamblers limit

their casino spending, set a budget for each gambling ex-

cursion, and leave bank cards at home.

There’s no denying that elderly people who lead an active

lifestyle and engage in behavior that promotes both men-

tal and emotional well-being (whether those activities are

of a gambling nature or not) are generally happier. And,

happier people tend to have a more positive attitude. Re-

searchers continue to explore the effects of positive think-

ing and optimism on health. Some theories suggest that

those people with a positive outlook are able to cope with

stress better which, in turn, reduces the harmful health

effects of stress on the body. $

Elderly gamblers limit their

casino spending, set a budget

for each gambling excursion,

and leave bank cards at home.

Page 16: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

WINNING WAYS Spotting “Loose” Slots

n most casinos, in particular larger properties, the placement of slots is carefully thought out

all the way down to the payback percentage. How “loose” or how “tight” a slot is set when first brought onto the floor is not a hap-hazard decision for the Slot Depart-ment executives and GM’s office. As soon as a casino is big enough, say over 750 machines, casino ex-ecutives put significant thought into how their property is laid out. As a result, patrons respond to their de-sign by having high or low traffic volume areas which is frequently based on desirable and undesirable amenities the casino property offers, like restaurants, an entertainment venue, and so on. Casinos always want to maximize revenues out of every slot in the casino at all times. For this reason, slots in high volume traffic areas near an attractive amenity (Zone A), like the buffet, will see a lot of play. Games with a lot of play are a gold-mine for the casino. These games can be set “tight” with high maxi-mum bets and use math models with extreme ups and downs to their game play as they’ll get play regardless of their settings. At the opposite end of the spectrum is an area of the casino where traffic

volume is low and there is nothing attracting players to the surround-ing area (Zone B). For example, a dark corner near a few Blackjack tables where visitors might be both-ered by the rowdy antics of some-one who just watched the dealer draw to 21! Logically, the casino has to approach slots in this area differ-ently than those in Zone A. In order to keep the numbers up in Zone B, the slots have to be lower risk, at lower max bets, and set “looser” in order to keep players in the area, playing longer, and coming back on their next trip. Then there are the middle ground areas. That is, sections of the casino with high foot traffic volume with unappealing attractions (Zone C), or an area with an attractive destina-tion but with low traffic volume (Zone D). Slots in Zone C have a low wager, medium game play and tend to be set “tight” to capture a player’s impulse to play on a whim. Slots in Zone D usually have a low bet, medium game play and are set “loose” to keep players in the area. Next time you visit a casino, be ob-servant of what zone (A, B, C, or D) you might be in. You’ll have to ob-serve the traffic volume and then come to a conclusion about how “loose” or “tight” the slots might be before you sit down and play! $

I

Page 18: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

True or False?True or False? Using a players club card affects whether you win on a slot. False! The Random Number Generator (RNG) in a slot machine is the only factor that determines the outcome of every spin. The card readers, ticket printers, and bill validators are all separate mechanisms that are part of a slot machine designed to perform independent func-tions - one has absolutely nothing to do with the other! Casinos set slots to be tighter or looser whenever they want.False! Once a new slot machine arrives at a casino, it is initialized and the payback percentage is selected for the game. This is all done with a member of the over-seeing gaming agency recording all the settings of the game. Casinos don’t change original settings because it requires permission and oversight by the Tribal and State gaming agencies and additional administrative time. Furthermore, the machines must be turned off (hence, not being played) during this entire process which is something no casino would ever want! You shouldn’t play a slot that just paid out a huge Jackpot. False! Every single spin is independent of the spin be-fore and is determined by the RNG. All gaming regu-lations state, at the very minimum, that every single outcome on a slot machine must be random at all times and that no slot game will adjust the likelihood of an event happening based on the history of the pre-vious games and/or payouts. The casinos plan for and know when a progressive will hit. False! Outcomes at the casino, whether they’re on the slot floor, in the card room or in the bingo hall, are all purely random. This is why casino games are thor-oughly tested and heavily regulated! Stopping the reels can affect a game’s outcome. False! As soon as the “Spin” button on a slot is pressed, the result is determined by the RNG. The lights and animations on a slot are programmed into a game for entertainment purposes. Players can even press the “Stop/Spin” feature if they don’t want to wait for a win presentation to end or their credits to rack up in the machine without affecting the game’s outcome whatsoever. $

You can change the odds of a slot game in your favor. True! 1. When playing video poker, never play less than max bet on the game because the payback percentage at max bet is higher than the payback at the minimum bet.

2. When playing a slot game connected to a randomly triggered progressive, the player wagering the most at the bank has the best chance of being selected by the progressive con-troller. Increase your bet and you will in-

crease you odds of getting the progressive! Or, just make sure you are the biggest bettor at the bank!

3. If your bankroll allows, play 25¢ and $1 slot games or higher. The higher the denomination, the higher the pay-back percentage. Penny games are usually set the tightest.

4. Always use a player’s club card, because you’re auto-matically changing the odds in your favor by earning cash back, comps and other casino offers.

The larger your bankroll, the bet-ter your chances of winning. True! Most bonuses on newer video slot machines happen every 100 to 200 spins, on average. Therefore, realize that having the correct bankroll will influence your ability of experiencing a bonus and ultimately winning on a game.

You can gain an advantage playing the slots. True! In addition to video poker which is a skill-based game, there are other video slot games which have skill based bonuses. The help screens explain the optimal playing strategies for these types of bonuses.

WINNING WAYS Slot Machines

Page 20: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

20 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

CASINO DINING Casino Buffets

Casino Del Sol Resort, Spa and Conference Center is changing southern Arizona’s per-ception of buffet-style dining with the re-cent opening of Festa International Buffet. Festa features everything from international cuisine like dim sum to American comfort food like macaroni and cheese. Unlike other buffets, Festa’s offerings are cooked to or-der for each guest with made-from-scratch food prepared by people who love to cook. Festa International Buffet provides guests with a distinctive, affordable experience. Guests deserve the best and Festa is proud to offer the best dining options out there. Open daily, Festa also hosts specialty meals including Seafood Thursday, Sunday Brunch, and much more! Don’t let the ulti-mate in feasting pass you by; be a guest in their kitchen and let their attentive staff and culinary experts tantalize your taste buds and take you on a world dining tour. Per person pricing varies depending on the meal, with lunch ranging from $14-17, din-

ner ranging from $19-23 and specialty offer-ings—Seafood Buffet, for example—starting at $25. Festa International Buffet is open Sunday 9am to 11pm; Monday through Thursday 11am to 11pm; Friday and Satur-day 11am to 2am. Casino Del Sol is southern Arizona’s pre-mier place to play and win and the Club Sol rewards program is one of the most gener-ous in the industry. Their two casinos offer players over 1,300 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines, 22 tables for Black-jack and Poker and a 600-player bingo hall. Proudly owned and operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson, Arizona, Casino Del Sol and its sister casino, Casino of the Sun, have been in operation for the past 20 years. For more info visit CasinoDelSolResort.comor call 1-855-765-7829. Send us an e-mail to [email protected] and tell us what you think of Festa! $

Special thanks to Taby O., Rachel M. & Lisa G. at Casino Del Sol Resort. Photos courtesy of Casino Del Sol Resort. © Copyright Casino Del Sol Resort. All Rights Reserved. www.casinodelsolresort.com

Casino Del Sol ResortCasino Del Sol ResortCasino Del Sol Resort Spa & Conference Center in Tucson, AZSpa & Conference Center in Tucson, AZSpa & Conference Center in Tucson, AZ

Page 21: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

azgamingguide.com | February 2012 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

Editor’s Picks of Casino Buffets CASINO DINING

Our Favorite Casino Buffets Apache Gold Casino—Globe—928.475.7800 Wickiup Buffet: Taco Tuesday & Seafood Dinner Friday Hours: Lunch 11-2pm, Dinner 5-9pm Sa & Su Brunch 9-2pm, Sa & Su Dinner 5-9pm

BlueWater Casino—Parker—928.669.7777 BlueWater Buffet: Seafood Friday & “Prime Time” Saturday Hours: Breakfast 6:30-11am, Lunch 11-4pm, Dinner 4-10pm

Casino Arizona (Salt River)—Scottsdale—480.850.7777 Eagles Buffet: Steamed Snow Crab Legs We & Th! Hours: Lunch Mo-Fr 11-3pm, Dinner Su-Th 4:30-10pm Sa & Su Brunch 10-3pm, Fr & Sa Dinner 4:30-11pm

Desert Diamond Casinos—Tucson—866.332.9467 Diamond Buffet: Seafood on Mo & Su Champagne Brunch Hours: Lunch Mo-Sa 11-2pm, Dinner Mo-Sa 4-9pm Sunday Champagne Brunch 11-2pm, Sunday Dinner 4-9pm

Fort McDowell Casino—Fort McDowell—800.843.3678 Red Rock Buffet: Fr-Sa Crab Legs also Shrimp & Prime Rib Hours: Lunch Mo-Fr 11-2pm, Dinner Su-We 4-8pm (‘til 9 Th) Sa & Su Brunch 11-2:30pm, Fr & Sa Dinner 4-10pm

Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino—Maricopa—800.427.7247 The Buffet: Fr & Sa Seafood also Sunday Champagne Brunch Hours: Lunch Mo-Sa. 11am-3pm; Dinner Su–Th 4pm-8pm & Fr & Sa 4pm-10pm; Sunday Brunch 9am-3pm

Hon-Dah Casino—Pinetop—800.929.8744 Buffet@Indian Pine Restaurant: Fr Seafood & Sa Prime Rib Hours: Breakfast 7-10:30am, Lunch 11-3:30pm Dinner 4-9:30pm, Sunday Brunch 9-2pm

Mazatzal Casino—Payson—800.777.7529 Buffet@Cedar Ridge Restaurant: Arizona’s Best Fish Fry! Hours: Lunch Mo-Th 11-3pm, Friday 11am-10pm Saturday Buffet 11-3pm, Sunday Buffet 10-3pm

Quechan Casino—Winterhaven, CA—877.783.2426 Ocotillo Buffet: An international culinary adventure! Hours: Breakfast 7-10:30am, Lunch 11-3pm, Dinner Su-Th 4-9pm, Seafood Fr 4-10pm, Prime Rib & Shrimp Sa 4-10pm

Casino del Sol—Tucson—520.838.6506 Festa International Buffet: Dim sum to American fare Hours: Mo-Th 11am-11pm, Fr-Sa 11am-2am, Su 9am-11pm

Talking Stick Resort—Scottsdale—480.850.7777 Wandering Horse Buffet: Expansive international cuisine Hours: Breakfast Mo-Sa 7-10:30am, Lunch Mo-Sa 11-3pm Dinner Su-Th 4:30-9pm Fr-Sa ‘til 10pm, Su Brunch 9-3pm

All buffets are open daily. Please verify all details and any age restrictions with each casino. We are not responsible for incorrect or outdated information.

Treat yourself to a luxurious Champagne Brunch on Sun-days or dive into the Seafood Extravaganza on Monday nights. No matter what you love, the Diamond Buffet has it for you and always at a low price.

Sunday Champagne Brunch: 10am-2pm Dinner: 4-9pm Monday - Saturday Lunch: 11am-2pm Dinner: 4-9pm Dinner Themes feature Seafood Extravaganza on Mon-day nights, Asian on Tuesdays, Every Wednesday it’s a BBQ! And the week finishes with Pasta on Thursdays and Fiesta Fridays! For more info, call (520) 342-1327. $

Special thanks to Stephanie R., Michael G., Brett K. & Carole M. at Desert Diamond Casinos. Photo courtesy of Desert Diamond Casinos. © Copyright Desert Diamond Casi-nos. All Rights Reserved. www.ddcaz.com

The Diamond BuffetThe Diamond Buffet at Desert Diamond Casinos (Tucson & Sahuarita)at Desert Diamond Casinos (Tucson & Sahuarita)

Page 22: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

FAST FACTS Tribal Gaming

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

Valerie Spicer Appointed Executive Director of the AIGA

he Arizona Indian Gaming Association (AIGA) announced on January 20, 2012 that Valerie Spicer has accepted the position of Executive Director of

AIGA. Spicer, who had been serving as Deputy Director, was selected by tribal leaders during a national search. “Indian gaming is about economic opportunities for tribes, their communities and citizens of the State of Ari-zona” said Spicer. “The economic benefit that Indian gaming has afforded both non-tribal and tribal people alike is unparalleled. Witnessing this phenomenon over the course of my career is what truly drives me.”

Spicer brings nearly 28 years of gaming experience to AIGA, having worked in the private and public sectors in gaming and gaming-related fields. Before serving as Dep-uty Director for AIGA, she was CEO of Gaming Strate-gies Group where she promoted business development with Tribal enterprises and governments and consulted to tribal and individually-owned businesses. She has con-sulted to the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, Ca-sino Omaha, Global Gaming Group, Arizona Indian Gaming Association and worked for Dick Clark Signature

T

WHITE MOUNTAIN APACHE TRIBE

Entertainment. She was also Vice President and General Manager for Borrego Springs Bank and business develop-ment and public relations services to Viejas Enterprises. Named in 2004 as one of the “Top 25 People To Watch” by Global Gaming Magazine, Spicer has contributed her time and her talents to Indian gaming. She was co-chair for the landmark, ten-year Harvard/National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) National Census Data Im-pact Study and founder and co-chair of the American In-dian Business Network. She also served as Founding Chair for NIGA Spirit of Sovereignty Scholarship Foun-dation. Spicer said she will work closely with the Tribal leader-ship to further the mission of AIGA. “This organization has an outstanding reputation for working effectively with tribes and with other gaming associations. I am hon-ored to be asked to lead it and continue to have the op-portunity to build upon our relationship with national and regional associations that are so important to this industry.” The AIGA has a membership of 17 tribes representing more than 90% of the Indian people living on reserva-tions in Arizona. AIGA was established November 21, 1994 by Arizona tribal leaders. The Association is com-mitted to advancing the lives of Indian people economi-cally, socially, and politically so that Indian tribes in Ari-zona can achieve their goal of self-reliance. For more in-formation about the AIGA, please visit their website at: www.azindiangaming.org. $

ing, mountain biking, and more! The White Mountains are the ideal vacation destination; a powdery paradise for downhill and cross-country ski enthu-siasts in the winter and an action-packed adventure during the summer with scenic lift rides, July 4th celebrations, great fishing at Sunrise Lake, the Hon-Dah Pow Wow and the White Mountain Apache Tribe Fair and Rodeo. It’s the outdoor splendor that will probably bring you to the region, but you won’t want to miss the non-stop gaming action at Hon-Dah Casino Resort and Conference Center while you’re there. For more information about the White Mountain Apache Tribe please visit www.wmat.us. $

he word “Hon-Dah” in the Apache language means “welcome to my home” and at ease is truly how

you’ll feel when you visit Hon-Dah Resort Casino and Conference Center, Sunrise Park Resort, or any of the other enterprises of the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The reservation, which consists of 15,000 members and 1.67 million acres (over 2,600 square miles) in east-central Arizona, consists of pristine forests, wide savannahs, some of the richest wildlife habitats in the state, 26 spar-kling lakes and 400 miles of breathtakingly beautiful streams. Through the Tribe’s Wildlife and Outdoor Rec-reation Division, many leisure activities are available on the reservation and they are as diverse as the land; skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, camping, raft-

T

Page 24: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

24 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

International Game Technology (IGT), the global leader in design, development and manufacture of slot machines and

systems products, as well as online and mobile gaming solutions for regulated markets, has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Double Down Interactive – a lead-ing online social gaming company and developer of the popular DoubleDown™ Casino found on Facebook. Launched in April 2010, the DoubleDown™ Casino is the world’s largest virtual casino and one of the top four social media games in 2011 as rated by Facebook. Ac-cording to AppData.com, DoubleDown™ Casino cur-rently has 4.7 million monthly active users, up from 3.3 million in October 2011. With a broad and expanding portfolio, Double Down offers blackjack, slots, slot tour-naments, video poker, and roulette to social gamers all around the world. The total consideration includes $250 million in cash, $85 million in retention payments over the next two years and up to $165 million in cash payable over the next three years subject to Double Down meeting certain financial performance targets. IGT expects to fund the transaction from cash on hand. The addition of Double Down provides IGT instant size and scale in the fast growing world of casino-style social gaming and is expected to broaden IGT’s popular gam-ing titles beyond the physical casino to Facebook, the world’s largest social network with over 800 million global users. This powerful distribution model is antici-pated to provide IGT an opportunity to entertain play-ers with consistent, ubiquitous, thrilling gaming experi-ences across multiple platforms. “Double Down and IGT share complementary cultures

FAST FACTS Gaming News

focused on innovation and creativity. Both companies are committed to providing unrivaled quality, service and entertainment to millions of players,” said Greg Enell, CEO of Double Down. “Leveraging IGT’s Research and Development, global reach, and best-in-class content will provide our loyal player base with an even more robust experience and is expected to augment Double Down’s growth trajectory.” “As technological innovations increasingly influence con-sumer behavior, social dynamics are quickly transform-ing entertainment and gaming experiences everywhere,” said Patti Hart, CEO of IGT. “The addition of Double Down launches IGT into a leader-ship position in social gaming, extends our global reach through new mediums, and leverages our unmatched expertise in game de-velopment. We intend to drive meaningful value from this rap-idly growing distribution plat-form that reaches a new, but complementary, demo-graphic of gamers.” About Double Down Interactive Double Down Interactive is the leading casual games developer of "fun to play" casino experiences on the Internet. With veter-ans from top online game companies, the team is committed to providing consumers an online social casino experience that is unrivaled by anything else available. Anyone can play at the DoubleDown™ Casino by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/doubledowncasino/ or www.doubledowncasino.com. Double Down Interactive is based in Seattle, Washington. About IGT International Game Technology (NYSE: IGT) is a global leader in the design, development and manufacture of gaming ma-chines and systems products, as well as online and mobile gam-ing solutions for regulated markets. More information about IGT is available at www.IGT.com. $

Slot Giant IGT Acquires Social Company Double Down Interactive For $500 Million

Page 26: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

ENTERTAINMENT Casino Listings

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

Apache Gold Casino Globe, AZ—800.272.2438 Cabaret Lounge: Neil Russell—Feb. 10 & 11 Wild Ride—Feb. 17 & 18 Jadi Norris—Feb. 24 & 25 BlueWater Casino Parker, AZ—888.243.3360 BlueWater Amphitheater: Dwight Yoakam—Feb. 25 at 4pm Dig Lounge: Local & Regional Live Entertain-ment—Tuesdays & Wednesdays Totally 80’s Night—Thursdays Live DJ—Fridays & Saturdays Bucky's Casino Prescott, AZ—800.756.8744 Yavapai Cantina: Karaoke—Fridays Call for event details* Casino Arizona (Salt River) Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 The Showroom: LoveShack—Feb. 2, 3 &4 Call for event details* The Pima Lounge: Local bands playing rock, pop, funk, old-school and more from the 60's, 70's, 80's 90's & today. The Arizona Room Piano Lounge: Features a variety of music styles includ-ing the sounds of swing and jazz. Casino Arizona (Talking Stick Resort) Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777 The Showroom: Toni Braxton—Feb. 17 at 8pm Frankie Valli—Feb. 18 at 8pm Coffee Garden: Dueling Pianos—Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays from 8-11pm

Casino del Sol Tucson, AZ—520.838.6506 AVA Amphitheater: Gabriel Iglesias—May 12th at 8pm Paradiso Bar & Lounge: Call for event details*

Casino of the Sun Tucson, AZ—520.879.5450 Call for event details* Cliff Castle Casino Camp Verde, AZ—800.381.7568 Stargazer Pavillion: Call for event details* Dragonfly Lounge: Enjoy live music including Rock, Coun-try, R&B, and Latin. Cocopah Resort Casino Somerton, AZ—800.237.5687 The Park: Call for event details* River Room: Zumba—Mondays & Tuesdays Karaoke—Wednesdays & Thursdays La Vida Loca—Fridays (featuring Norteña dance bands) Desert Diamond Casino I Tucson, AZ—866.332.9467 Desert Diamond Sports Bar: Call for event details* Monsoon Nightclub: Call for event details* Desert Diamond Casino II Sahuarita, AZ—866.332.9467 Sports Bar: Friday Night Party—Music, dancing & more Diamond Center: Clay Walker—Feb. 25 at 8pm Foreigner—Mar. 1 at 7pm Willie Nelson—Mar. 6 at 7pm George Thorogood & The Destroyers—Mar. 11 at 7pm Hotel California—Apr. 15 at 7pm Desert Diamond Casino (Why) Why, AZ—866.332.9467 Call for event details* Fort McDowell Casino Fort McDowell, AZ—800.843.3678 Event Center: Slow Jams featuring Keith Sweat with special guest Force MD’s & Surface—Feb. 24 at 8pm Lucky 7 Saloon: Call for event details* Lunar Bingo: The one, the only, the original—Feb. 11 Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino Maricopa, AZ—800.427.7247 Oasis Lounge: The Righteous Brothers’ Bill Medley Feb. 14 at 8pm The Platters Feb. 29 at 1 & 3pm

Jadi Norris Apache Gold Casino February 24th & 25th

Dwight Yoakam BlueWater Casino

February 25th

Toni Braxton Talking Stick Resort

February 17

Frankie Valli Talking Stick Resort

February 17

Willie Nelson Desert Diamond Casino

March 6th

George Thorogood Desert Diamond Casino

March 11th

Foreigner Desert Diamond Casino

March 1st

Keith Sweat Quechan Casino Feb 10th

Ft. McDowell Casino Feb 24th

Page 27: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

Editor’s Pick ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguide.com | February 2012 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

CLAY WALKER Diamond Center

Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita February 25th—8PM

Tickets start at $20—520.294.7777 Certain artists just seem to have an innate sense of what it takes to please an audience. Clay Walker is one of those artists. Whether on stage or in the recording studio, Walker never gives less than a hundred percent, and it's that kind of dedi-cated work ethic combined with God-given talent that have made him one of the most successful country acts of the past decade. He first topped the Billboard country singles chart in 1993 with "What's It to You" and followed with his second consecutive No. 1 hit, "Live Until I Die." Since then he's placed 31 titles on Billboard's singles chart including such additional chart top-pers as "Dreaming with my Eyes Open," "If I Could Make Living," "This Woman and This Man," and "Rumor Has It." (The latter two songs each spent two weeks at the summit.) He's enjoyed his share of success at the cash registers and has consistently been one of the busiest artists on the road. He's scored four platinum-selling albums, signifying sales of a mil-lion units, and two gold albums, discs that sold over 500,0000 units. $

Hon-Dah Casino Pinetop, AZ—800.929.8744 Timbers Lounge and Showroom: Munday Funday—Comedy Show Doo-Wah Riders—Country/Western Show Band—Feb. 7-11 Groove City—R&B Variety—Feb. 14-18 Creagles—CCR/Eagles Tribute—Feb. 21-25 Skid Rodeo—Variety—Feb. 28-Mar. 3 Midnight Riders—Rock Variety—Mar. 6-10 Lone Butte Casino Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 Cascades Lounge: Bands & DJs—Weekly Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Verona Chophouse from 10-3pm Mazatzal Casino Payson, AZ—800.777.7529 Event Center: Bobby Collins—Mar. 30 Surfin’ Safari—Jul. 28 Hotel California—Sep. 21 Paradise Casino Yuma, AZ—888.777.4946 Sharky’s Bar & Bites: Live entertainment—Fridays & Saturdays, call for event details* Quechan Casino Winterhaven, CA—877.783.2426 Pipa Event Center: Keith Sweat—Feb. 10 at 8pm Air Supply—Feb. 24 at 8pm Sidewinders Bar & Grill: Live entertainment—Fridays & Saturdays Mirage—Soul and R&B—Feb. 10-11 Checker’d Past—80’s—Feb. 24-25 Spirit Mountain Casino Mohave Valley, AZ—888.837.4030 Call for event details* Vee Quiva Casino Laveen, AZ—800.946.4452 Club VQ: DJ Bronz—Fridays 11pm-2am Wild Horse Pass Casino Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452 Showroom: Rob Schneider—Feb. 25 Kansas—Ap. 14 E. Humperdinck—Apr. 22 Roberta Flack—Apr. 27 Keith Sweat—May 12 Yavapai Casino Prescott, AZ—800.756.8744 Yavapai Cantina: Karaoke—Fridays & call for event details*

Please verify all details and any age restrictions with each venue. Venues, times, dates, and ticket informa-tion may be subject to change. Photos/images are copyright of the individual artist(s). All Rights Re-served. Not responsible for incorrect or outdated info. *More info from casino not available by press time.

Bobby Collins Mazatzal Casino

March 30th

Air Supply Quechan Casino

February 24th

Page 28: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

SUDOKU Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3x3 grids must con-tain all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear

more than once in each column, row, and 3x3 grid. (Solution on page 30)

5

2 9

4

3

2

6 8

4

6 5

3 8 7

7 2

3

3

9

6 1

9

5 2

5

2 4 1

6 8

CASINO 101

How well do you pay attention to details? Regardless of your casino game of preference, are you able to answer some basic questions about games offered at the casino? #1 How many numbers are there on a standard casino keno board? #2 How many seats are there at a blackjack table? #3 How many numbers on a standard bingo card? #4 What’s the disclaimer statement written on every slot machine? #5 How many lights on a slot machine’s candle?

(Solutions on page 30)

FUN & GAMES

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

Page 30: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - February 2012 - 04:02

SAMI’S SMACKDOWN

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | February 2012 | azgamingguide.com

azgamingguide.com facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide

Scan our QR Codes with your smartphone!

By Sami Becker

I get a lot of complaints about really poor customer service in my e-mail. And, no, not all of them are purely a result of someone having a bad session at the casino! In some of these situations, casino em-ployees are being rude and inconsiderate. I’m start-ing to wonder if employees are even interested in resolving customer service issues amicably. As a matter of fact I, myself, was recently involved in an extremely negative customer service situation over the holidays at a casino in another state. The entire exchange played out in front of a supervisor who did nothing to step in and address my con-cerns! Needless to say, I will not be visiting that casino ever again! I read somewhere recently that a casino received over 30,000 job applications in one year! You would think that after removing applicants who can’t get a gaming license and don’t have the proper qualifica-tions, there would be a remaining pool of talented and motivated candidates; especially in this econ-omy and job market! In my opinion, there needs to be more attention directed towards the hiring proc-ess, area-specific training sessions with focused content and managers who have more empathy towards their workforce and their patrons. In today’s world everyone is stressed out, including casino employees who interact with the public all day long. However, it’s the job of the managers to be on top of their front line staff because employees need to be led, motivated, rewarded and given positive reinforcement. When managers don’t per-form their jobs well, nobody should be surprised when the employees they supervise don’t either. If you have a customer service issue, try to resolve it. I always make an effort to do so when it happens to me. Ultimately, you can always take your busi-ness to a different casino with better service. $

Sudoku Solution Casino 101 Solutions

#1 80

#2 5-7 (depends on the casino)

#3 24 (plus the free space)

#4 Malfunction voids all pays and plays.

#5 2 (white at the very top with a color below)

5 1 8

6 3 4

2 9 7

2 6 4

8 7 9

1 3 5

9 3 7

1 2 5

6 8 4

4 8 3

1 2 9

7 6 5

9 5 6

3 8 7

4 2 1

7 1 2

4 5 6

8 9 3

8 4 2

3 5 6

9 7 1

6 1 3

7 9 8

5 4 2

5 7 9

2 4 1

3 6 8

Apache Gold Casino Resort 5 miles East of Globe on Highway 70 1-800-272-2438 or apachegoldcasinoresort.com 699 Class III Slots, 1,000 Seat Bingo Hall, 6 Blackjack Tables BlueWater Resort & Casino 11300 Resort Drive, Parker 1-888-243-3360 or bluewaterfun.com 471 Class III Slots, 350 Seat Bingo Hall, 6 Poker Tables, 7 Blackjack Tables Bucky's Casino Highway 69 and Heather Heights, Prescott 1-800-756-8744 or buckyscasino.com 301 Class III Slots, 7 Poker Tables, 10 Blackjack Tables Casino Arizona—Salt River 524 N. 92nd St, Scottsdale 1-480-850-7777 or casinoaz.com 800+ Class III Slots, Live Keno, 54 Table Games Casino Arizona—Talking Stick Resort 9700 E. Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale 1-480-850-7777 or talkingstickresort.com 800+ Class III Slots, Live Keno, 47 Poker Tables, 54 Table Games Casino del Sol 5655 W. Valencia Rd, Tucson 1-855-765-7829 or casinodelsol.com 956 Class III Slots, 694 Seat Bingo Hall, 16 Poker Tables, 22 Blackjack Tables Casino of the Sun 7406 S. Camino de Oeste, Tucson 1-855-765-7829 or casinodelsol.com 360 Class III Slots, 12 Class II Slots Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel 555 Middle Verde Rd, Camp Verde 1-800-381-7568 or cliffcastlecasinohotel.com 656 Class III Slots, 8 Poker & 10 Blackjack Tables Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S. Avenue B, Somerton 1-800-237-5687 or cocopahresort.com 506 Class III Slots, 350 Seat Bingo Hall, 8 Blackjack Tables Desert Diamond Casino I —Tucson 7350 S. Nogales Highway, Tucson 1-520-294-7777 or desertdiamondcasino.com 1,089 Class III Slots, Live Keno, 270 Seat Bingo Hall, 17 Poker Tables, 19 Blackjack Tables Desert Diamond Casino II —Sahuarita 1100 W. Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita 1-866-332-9467 or desertdiamondcasino.com 821 Class III Slots, 2 Poker & 8 Blackjack Tables

Desert Diamond Casino—Why Highway 86, Why 1-866-332-9467 or desertdiamondcasino.com 76 Class III Slots Fort McDowell Casino Beeline Highway 87 and Fort McDowell Rd 1-800-843-3678 or fortmcdowellcasino.com 843 Class III Slots, 37 Class II Slots, Keno, 1,700 Seat Bingo Hall, 15 Poker & 13 Blackjack Tables Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa 1-800-427-7247 or harrahsakchin.com 1,089 Class III Slots, Keno, 250 Seat Bingo Hall, 6 Poker Tables, 19 Blackjack & Table Games Hon-Dah Casino, Resort & Conference Center777 Highway 260, Pinetop 1-800-929-8744 or hon-dah.com 802 Class III Slots, 3 Poker & 4 Blackjack Tables Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd, Chandler 1-800-946-4452 or wingilariver.com 850 Class III Slots, 1,500 Seat Bingo Hall, 22 Blackjack Tables Mazatzal Hotel & Casino Highway 87, Payson 1-800-777-7529 or 777play.com 413 Class III Slots, 6 Class II Slots, Keno, 280 Seat Bingo Hall, 3 Poker & 5 Blackjack Tables Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Drive, Yuma 1-888-777-4946 or paradise-casino.com492 Class III Slots, 300 Seat Bingo Hall Quechan Casino 525 Algodones Road, Winterhaven, CA 1-877-783-2426 or playqcr.com 1,000+ Class III Slots featuring a High Limit Slot Room, 10 Poker Tables, 15 Table Games Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Highway 95, Mohave Valley 1-928-346-2000 with 243 Class III Slots Vee Quiva Casino 6443 N. Komatke Lane, Laveen 1-800-946-4452 or wingilariver.com 846 Class III Slots, 500 Seat Bingo Hall & Tables Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd, Chandler 1-800-946-4452 or wingilariver.com 990 Class III Slots, 25Poker&40Blackjack Tables Yavapai Casino 1500 E. Highway 69, Prescott 1-800-756-8744 or buckyscasino.com 235 Class III Slots

Casino Gaming Directory

Source: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 12/01/2011 & when we went to press

Do YOU have something to rant about? Write me at: [email protected]

Hello! Customer Service

Anyone?