Casinotoplists - News

Meet the Latest Beach Life Jackpot Winner

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

While his name hasn't been publicly revealed, other details have emerged about the recent winner of the record Beach Life online progressive jackpot, including the random luck that brought him to play the popular slots game in the first place.

Playing at Betred.com, the fortunate gambler (who is in his 20s and lives in Scotland) was sound asleep when a dog barking outside woke him up for his date with destiny; unable to get back to sleep he decided to try his luck at the online slots, starting out by betting £1 per spin at King Kong slots.

A win of £250 gave him a larger bankroll to work with, which he took to the popular Beach Life progressive slots game. The Beach Life jackpot had swelled into one of the largest online progressive jackpots ever, smashing its previous record of $4.8 million set back in 2007.

Just like progressive games in brick-and-mortar casinos, online jackpots work the same way, pooling money from everyone playing certain games into a larger jackpot that's available at many different online gambling sites.

Players at online casinos using Playtech software -- which also include popular sites like Europa Casino and Swiss Casino -- all share the same games such as Beach Life and others.

The latest big jackpot winner had been playing Beach Life for just six spins before he suddenly found himself $8,211,488 richer -- and all thanks to a barking dog and a sleepless night.

He'll now be flown on a private jet to meet Betfred founder Fred Done to collect his winnings, with Done releasing the following statement:

"As a bookmaker I get a real thrill out of turning somebody into a multi-millionaire at the click of a mouse. The jackpot has been growing for a while now and we were all hoping that it would be a Betfred.com customer that won this life-changing jackpot. It just goes to show that it’s always worth trying your luck!"

Steve Wynn and kazuo Okada No Longer BFFs

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Rumors began to circulate in January that Wynn Resorts could be in hot water over improper payments that it made to pave the way for its lucrative Macau operations -- including a $125 million donation to the University of Macau -- with Wynn and Okada publicly pointing the finger at one another as far as who was responsible for authorizing the payments.

The war of words between the two longtime friends and business partners erupted over the weekend into a full-on battle, with Wynn Resorts taking the unusual move of forcibly buying back the 20% stake Okada owned in the company at a sizable discount.

Okada's shares were worth $2.7 billion based on the last closing price of Wynn Resorts' stock but the company decided it was only going to pay Okada $1.9 billion for the shares (and pay him back over ten years via a promissory note yielding just a 2% annual interest rate).

Wynn Resorts (of which Steve Wynn is CEO and chairman of the board) justified the move by unveiling the results of a year-long investigation of Okada's business activities by independent investigators the company hired, which unearthed more than three dozen instances where Okada engaged in "improper activities for their own benefit in apparent violation of U.S. anti-corruption laws."

Okada has vowed to block the attempts to seize his ownership stake and is askign for independent oversight of Wynn Resorts' board of directors, of which he is still a member after having his vice-chairman title previously stripped.

Okada is credited by many in the industry with saving Steve Wynn's career and personal fortune, bailing him out when Wynn was desperate to unload his Mirage casino to MGM Grand in 2000.

Wynn had gone so far in the past to say: "I love Kazuo Okada as much as any man that I've ever met in my life. He's my partner and my friend. And there is hardly anything that I won't do for him," but that ardor seems to have cooled in the face of cut-throat business practices in the world of gambling.

Okada made his fortune in pachinko games and had announced plans on his own to open a casino in the Philippines, a move that some feel is really behind the feud with Wynn concerned that the rival casino would cut into Wynn Resorts' profits in Macau -- an increasingly important source of revenues as business in Las Vegas and the US continues to lag.

HBO Series Luck Renewed for Second Season

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Luck debuted on January 29 and was immediately picked up by HBO for a second season, with strong ratings and generally favorable reviews from critics. Created by David Marsh (who was also the brains behind other hit television series such as NYPD Blue and Deadwood), the show is centered around the Santa Anita Racetrack in California, with the plot and characters revolving around the common thread of horseracing and gambling.

Hoffman plays Chester "Ace" Bernstein, emerging from a short stint in a federal prison and immediately re-entering the world of high-stakes gambling and power struggles. Ace embarks on a plan to gain control of the racetrack in order to introduce casio gambling -- as well as revealing other plans to get revenge on those responsible for sending him to prison in the first place.

While Ace's world is one of opulence and wealth -- with a nod to past ties to organized crime -- other threads in the plot include characters from all walks of life, including poker junkies, horse trainers, jockeys, and assorted railbirds and hanger-ons that call the racetrack home.

The pilot episode was directed by Michael Mann and showcases a strong cast in addition to Hoffman, with Dennis Farina, Nick Nolte, John Ortiz, Richard Kind, Kevin Dunn, and Ian Hart just a few of the other famous actors taking part in the series.

Gambling themes have played a major role in other films and television series but usually in a more cursory fashion -- think Oceans 11 and The Hangover -- with very few television series or films delving as deeply into the daily life in the world of gambling as Luck does.

The series premier drew just over 1 million veiwers and drew largely positive reviews, with many praising the acting of Hoffman and others and lauding the directing and writing of Mann and Marsh.

Casino Gambling Revenue Increases in US in 2011

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

US casinos may not be seeing the boom times they experienced in the mid 2000s but 2011 saw a small improvement in their financial picture, with the overall market on pace to show a small uptick of 2-3% as compared to 2010.

Nevada is still king of the US states that offer casinos as far as revenue, with gross gaming revenue in 2011 of $10.7 billion -- an increase of 2.8% over 2010. Much of that growth came from Las Vegas casinos, which have weathered the economic storms of late better than other Nevada casinos in Reno and other cities.

Las Vegas casinos have also benefited from increased overall visitor traffic to the city, with conventions picking up again and many casino operators seeing increased profits from their shopping, restaurants, and entertainment offerings.

It was a very different story for Atlantic city casinos, which saw the fifth straight year of declining gambling revenues, with gross revenue in 2011 slipping nearly 7% to $3.3 billion. Atlantic City’s older casinos have seen many patrons choose instead to visit newer casinos in Pennsylvania, with in 2010 expanded its gambling options to include more table games and has increasingly taken gambling dollars away from Atlantic City.

2011 gambling revenues in Pennsylvania came in at a record $3 billion, a whopping 22% increase over 2010. The state is poised to pass Atlantic City in 2012 as the US’ second largest gambling market, with gains fueled by the expansion in table games as well as an increased number of casinos.

Some US states have yet to report their 2011 revenues but as of November 2011 the total was $32.5 billion, up about 2% over 2010. Those figures don’t include Indian tribe casinos around the country, which are estimated to pull in about $26 billion on their own.

Analysts are predicting more of the same in 2012, with small improvements in the overall picture but likely no huge gains for casinos as many US states still grapple with the effects of the recession and stubbornly high unemployment rates.

Super Bowl Betting is Big Business

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Betting on the Super Bowl is always big business for sportsbooks, with Nevada casinos serving as a benchmark for sportsbooks results overall since the state's 184 sportsbooks report their results each year as far as the action and results of the wagers they take in.

Nevada sportsbooks took in a total of $93.9 million in bets, which was the second highest in the history of Super Bowls with only the $94.5 million bet on the Pittsburgh Steelers - Seattle Seahawks matchup in 2006 surpassing it.

52% of people betting picked the underdog Giants to beat the New England Patriots but Nevada sportsbooks still managed to rake in just over $5 million in profits. Much of that profit came from a low-scoring game that saw gamblers betting on the over of 53 points as far as combined scoring, with a relatively low-scoring affair producing big profits for the sportsbooks with heavy betting on the over.

The growing popularity of prop bets and in-game betting options also added to the profits of the sportsbooks, as these bets charge a higher commission and can add up to big profits when bet in volume.

Nevada sportsbooks have profited from betting on the Super Bowl in 20 of the last 22 years, with one of the more notable exceptions the previous meeting of the Patriots and the Giants in the Super Bowl, when the big underdog Giants derailed the Patriot's Super Bowl dreams and sent sportsbooks to their worst loss on the Super Bowl ever.

Analysts predicted that over $10 billion would be wagered on this year's Super Bowl, with much of that action handled by online sportsbooks. Online betting is becoming increasingly popular around the world, especially as a global recession has forced many bettors to forego trips to Vegas or other legal betting areas and place their bets online instead.

Atlantic City to Get a Facelift

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Atlantic City has struggled over the last decade to regain its former glory, with its casinos suffering mightily as competition increased from neighboring states and some of its properties started showing their age.

Atlantic City is still the second-largest gambling area in the US after Las Vegas but revenues have plummeted steadily for nearly five years, with many gamblers and tourists choosing instead to visit newer casinos in Pennsylvania and other states.

The revitalization plan will see some major thoroughfares will such as Atlantic Avenue get a new arts and boutique district is planned, with a new residential area along the water planned for the South Inlet.

Owners of the historic Steel Pier are planning $100 million in improvements sincluding new amusement park rides as well as bringing back some attractions from the days of yore such as diving horses and recreating the Marine Ballroom.

Gambling revenues from the city's casinos will foot part of the renovation bill, with private investments hopefully paying for the bulk of it.

"Our mission is to create a city where there is no off season," said David Sheldon, a planner from The Jerde Partnership. "It is about a city that pulls you back in and makes you want to return again and again."

The state of New Jersey has taken control of Atlantic City's gaming district, with Governor Chris Christie authorizing hundreds of millions of dollars in new debt in a bid to make Atlantic City casinos competitive again in the face of new competition from casinos in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other states.

The city still faces an uphill battle, however, as the lingering recession and high unemployment in the US have led to casinos in many parts of the US struggling to attract as many gambling dollars as they did in past years.

Birdman’s $2 Million Bet Is Clever

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The reactions on our Facebook page and in other social media were instant: “Birdman is an idiot to make this kind of bet. “

But wait a minute.

If you compare this to some of his friends in rap, is it really that weird to bring two million to the bookie?

Flava Flav’s Lost Weekend

According to the site www.popeater.com, Public Enemy legend and father of all hype men Flavor Flav used to spend $2.600 on drugs – every day.

This habit carried on for six years.

After this lost weekend was over Flava Flav had spent over $5.5 million.

…and after that he participated in The Surreal Life.

…and after that he appeared in Celebrity Wife Swap (and swapped with Dee Snider from Twisted Sister.)

Jay-Z and Beyoncé Spoils Blue

Earlier this month, Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles became proud parents of a baby daughter.

The latest addition to the family, Blue Ivy Carter, is not like other kids. She doesn’t have normal toys and doesn’t sleep in a normal bed. But then again, she doesn’t have normal parents either.

When she came home there were a few luxury items waiting for her.

How about a solid-gold rocking horse for $600,000, a chair for $15,000, a magical windmill playhouse for $30,000 and a coach carriage crib for $50,000.

The list goes on…

All in all, Jay-Z and Beyoncé spent over $1 million.

$200k on Beverage Is Nothing for Drake

With a thirsty entourage and a large wallet you’d better be prepared to pay quite a bit when you go out drinking.

Especially if you choose to visit the Las Vegas night club Tryst Wynn and drink Dom Perignon, Vueve Clicquot and Grey Goose.

This is what rapper Drake did.

The bill landed on $200,000

Soulja Boy Pimps Plane for $20 Million

Just buying a regular Gulfstream 5 plane for $35 million might be enough for most people, but not for Soulja Boy.

It simply doesn’t have the right luxurious standards.

According to The New York Post, Soulja Boy spent $20 million in improvements, including custom Italian leather seats, flat-screen TVs, four liquor bars, a special travertine tiled floor and Brazilian hardwood cabinets.

Final bill: $55 million.

We Could Carry On

Spending ludicrously large amounts of money is not that unusual for wealthy rap stars.

On the contrary.

We could add Rick Ross’ 1$ million strip-club party, Puff Daddy’s (or whatever he’s called nowadays) $3 million birthday party or Kanye West’s $180,000 watch featuring his own face.

When you look at Birdman’s bet in this context, a $5 million wager on the Super Bowl seems quite sensible.

He might even win money.

Phil Ivey Back on Top of the Poker World

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

2011 wasn't a stellar year for Ivey, as he spent much of it on the sidelines and out of the spotlight as his divorce was finalized and as he sought to sever ties with embattled online poker site Full Tilt Poker (which he had previously been a very prominent sponsored player for).

Relations between Ivey and Full Tilt hit a very sour note in June 2011, when Ivey announced he was boycotting the World Series of Poker and suing Full Tilt due to damages to his personal reputation and the company's inability to pay money owed to US players. While the lawsuit was eventually dropped Ivey was a no-show for the World Series of Poker and would keep a very low poker profile for much of 2011.

A preliminary deal to sell Full Tilt's assets to Groupe Bernard Tapie was reached in November 2011 and Ivey resurfaced at the tournament poker tables not long after, playing in an international event in Macau, spending plenty of time at the cash games there as well in some of the world's biggest high stakes poker games.

Like much of the poker world, Ivey made the trek to Melbourne this month for the annual Aussie Millions poker festival, with the Crown Casino (one of the most popular Australian casinos) playing host to the action.

Ivey captured most of the headlines in the $10,000 buy-in Main Event, falling just short of the final table when he finished 12th for $100,000, but his exit gave him time to enter the $250,000 buy-in Super High Roller event, which is one of the largest buy-in poker tournaments in the world each year.

That decision proved to be a wise one, with Ivey outlasting a field of 16 players when he defeated Patrik Antonius in heads-up play for the win and largest tournament cash of his poker career of $2 million.

Birdman Plans to Wager $5 Million on the Super Bowl

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Birdman isn't known for being shy or quiet and loves to do everything in a big way, bragging to Forbes magazine in the past that he doesn't leave the house unless he's wearing $1 million worth of jewelery and grills.

His recent Tweet boasted that he was betting $5 million on the Patriots in a show of support for his nephew BenJarvus Green-Ellis, a running back for the Patriots. With an estimated net worth of around $100 million (and about $15 million raked in during 2011 according to Forbes), Birdman is putting his money where his mouth is and risking a sizable chunk of his net worth.

It won't be his first big sports bet, as he claims to have lost $2 million on a Miami Heat bet last year while he won a $1 million bet on the Green Bay Packers in last year's Super Bowl. He also claims that he's ready to bet $10 million on Floyd Mayweather if a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight ever occurs.

According to his official website: "With all of his elaborate possessions - from jewels to cars and homes; his cash money making ventures- from music to videogames to shoes and clothing; Bryan 'Birdman aka Baby' Williams is poised to continue shining in everything he does," which remains to be seen when it comes to making big bets on sports.

The Super Bowl is traditionally the biggest single betting event of the year for Las Vegas sportsbooks and online casinos, with billions in wagers placed every year.

While typically a big money maker for sportsbooks, the Super Bowl isn't always a sure thing for the house. In 2011 Nevada sportsbooks netted their smallest overall profit in a decade of just $724,176 when the Packers won, down from the $6 million the sportsbook profited in 2009 and 2010.

Since 2002 sportsbooks in Nevada booked an overall profit of $70 million on Super Bowl betting, with 2008 the worst year when they lost $2.5 million when the New York Giants upset the Patriots.

Exclusive Slots Tournament at Europa Casino

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Europa Casino is hosting the tournament, which will see players earn points for each spin of the virtual reels at popular online slots games like Beach Life, Bonus Bears, Pink Panther, and Fantastic Four.

Leaderboard standings will be updated to show players their position in the standings, with the following prizes up for grabs:

1st place: €500

2nd place: €200

3rd place - 5th place: €100

Unlike some slots tournaments that charge an entry fee and let you play one game to compete for cash prizes, the Europa tournament rewards you for your regular play at all slot machines on the site. Anything you win from your play you keep, with any extra money won in the slots tournament extra gravy on top for enjoying your favorite slots games.

In the last exclusive tournament held for CasinoTopLists members 153 players took part, so if a similar sized field turns out you'll have roughly a 1 in 30 chance of winning €100 or more.

You can also use the tournament as an excellent chance to take a serious shot at the Beach Life progressive jackpot, which has soared over $7.2 million. Beach Life is at a record high and growing dramatically every day, with more and more players taking a crack at it and trying to become an instant millionaire.

CasinoTopLists members making their first deposit at Europa could also qualify for a new player casino bonus of as much as $2,450, as well as the chance to take part in other exclusive contests, tournaments, and promotions.