Southern Gaming and Destinations - March 2018 Slot Guide

2018 SLOT GUIDE MARCH/APRIL 2018 VOL. 20, ISSUE 2 GAMINGANDDESTINATIONS.COM

SUBSCRIBE TODAY &

WIN BIG! PAGE 9

PLACES TO PLAY:

SLOT FLOORS OF THE SOUTH PAGE 20

PLUS: TIPS ON BLACKJACK • CRAPS • HORSERACING • VIDEO POKER & MORE! Covering Mississippi, Louisiana, Indiana, Florida, Alabama and the entire South!!

IT’S TIME TO SHIFT INTO SPRING. MARCH 1– 31 DRAWING DAY

MARCH 31

AUDI S5

VISIT BEAURIVAGE.COM FOR DETAILS See M life® Rewards desk for details. Color, make and model may vary. ©2018 MGM Resorts International.®All rights reserved. Gambling problem? Call 1.888.777.9696.

AR E O R SH

F

S E Z I P R CAR S

N I TS 0 SPOR 0 N A 0 $ 4LU1DI5NG,TWO GERM 28, 2018

WI N

YOU

I NC

IL R P A DAY R U T CH 1– A

M O O O O O R V E G E K A MA UR GAR O Y IN MAR

IN W A R D

RY S E V E GS

B:11.125” T:10.875” S:10.375”

See M life® Rewards desk for details. Color, make and model may vary. ©2018 MGM Resorts International.® All rights reserved. Gambling problem? Call 1.888.777.9696.

LETTER

from the Publisher

UP FRONT with G. DOUGLAS

PUBLISHER

Gaming Media Group Inc. PRESIDENT

G. Douglas Dreisbach

The Voice, Wonder Women and more. Also, don’t miss an onslaught of skill based games including Frogger, where players get to navigate across roads and rivers to try to make it to their lily pad homes without being squashed by vehicles or eaten by alligators. The skill based gamed are going to be huge and there is a lot of great innovation that we can’t wait to explore!

We recently concluded the voting for this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards and are excited to report that over 30,000 gaming enthusiasts participated in the voting. One of the questions on the ballot was ‘What games do you play when you visit a casino?’ While we knew slot machines have always topped the list for game play for gamers around the world, results in this year’s awards showed that 93% indicated they play slot machines, and reassured that our annual Slot Guide is popular among the readers of Gaming and Destinations.

This issue is dedicated to the slot aficionados and the companies that produce the games we play at our favorite casinos. On page 6, we have once again highlighted our favorite games of 2018, and the popularity of themed machines continues.

Topping the list is Buffy the Vampire Slayer game from Everi that seems to be one of the biggest hits of the year. In the game, players enjoy sounds and scenes from the popular hit movie and series and also have the opportunity to cash in with 32,768 ways to win. Everi continues to produce great games in addition to their popular TournEvent slot tournaments that culminate in a $1 million champions event held in Las Vegas in the fall.

Be sure to check out our full list of great games and give them a try on your next casino visit.

Other exciting themes you will see on casino floors this year include Willie Nelson, Seinfeld, 2

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

In this issue, on page 12, we also highlight some of the leading game manufacturers, their biggest accomplishments to date, and what they are expected to release this year. There are a lot of great games coming our way and we felt it was important to highlight who was bringing them to us! The art of producing a slot machine is quite the process starting from the broad concepts like game design and graphics to the internal workings of algorithms that determine everything from bonus’s to multipliers there are so many steps and processes before it gets to the casino floor and it is all really intriguing. Like any technology in today’s world, we have seen advancements in recent years that have led to providing an entirely different slot experience than those just five or ten years ago. On page 16, we take a look back over the years on the evolution of the slot machine dating back to the original slot machine, the Liberty Bell, in 1895 all the way up to the current latest and greatest games. The evolution is fascinating and we feel the future is bright for much more to come!

We hope you enjoy this issue and get a chance to try out some of the great game recommendations we have provided.

Thank you for your suppor t of Gaming and Destinations!

If you can’t be good…be lucky!

FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Larry Bisig LAYOUT AND DESIGN

Hill Harcourt CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS

Linda Boyd John Grochowski Phil Hellmuth, Jr. Frank Scoblete Henry Tamburin Jordan Mackenzie Wells GAMING AND DESTINATIONS

640 South Fourth Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202 (502) 212-5177 e-mail: editor@gaminganddestinations.com The goal of this publication is to help drive awareness of the ever-growing popularity of the gaming industry and to assist gamers in enjoying their gaming experience to the fullest.

Gaming and Destinations is published for those who seek the best in gaming and in life, and is produced bimonthly

by Gaming Media Group Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky. Copyright 2017

by Gaming Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved. This publication is printed by LSC Printing in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Postage is paid in Lebanon Junction, Kentucky.

Opinions of columnists are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor does Gaming and Destinations assume liability for claims of advertisers.

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes

to Gaming and Destinations, 640 South Fourth Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202.

Cover photo courtesy of Everi Holdings.

G. Douglas Dreisbach Publisher

Buffy the Vampire Slayer TM & © 2018 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved

CONTENTS ON THE COVER

6

Top Slots of 2018:

The Latest and Greatest

FEATURE ARTICLES

12 Slot Manufacturers:

Inventors of Innovation

16 The Evolution of Slot Machines:

Then and Now

WINNING TIPS AND STRATEGIES

HIGHLIGHTS & HOT SPOTS:

24 Blackjack:

20 Slot Floors of the South:

Be a Better Player

25 Craps:

The Sublime Systems of Hedging

26 Casino Court:

Wrongful Jackpots and Phil Ivey

Smart Play on the Flop

32 Sports Wagering:

CAS I NO

SLOT

22 Casino Golf Guide:

Top Casino Courses of the South

28 Property Profile:

27 Poker:

Top Places to Play

Wind Creek Casinos: Atmore, Montgomery & Wetumpka

30 Casino Directory:

Preferred Properties and Destinations

Future odds on major sporting events

28

GUIDE 2018

16 12

Find us on Facebook

@SouthernGaming G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

3

FACTS & FUN STUFF

DID YOU KNOW

SIPS WITH GAMING & DESTINATIONS

1

?

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ENSURE A WINNING SPIN ON A SLOT MACHINE?

A. 1907

B 1895

C. 1927

C. Nothing, the final spin cannot be manipulated

D. 1917

WHAT HOLES AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF COURSE REPRESENT ‘AMEN CORNER’?

WHICH IS THE OLDEST CASINO GAME?

A. 9-10-11

A. Poker

B. 10-11-12

B. Roulette

C. 8-9-10

C. Keno

D. 11-12-13

D Slots

3

WHAT IS THE ONLY GAME THAT HAS OPAQUE ODDS?

4. B 5. D

• 1 ½ oz. vodka

2

1. C 2. B 3. A

Ingredients:

5

D. Find the slot machine using the ‘zig-zag’ approach

This refreshingly light and bubbly cocktail is the perfect welcome to spring. It is easy and quick to make and enjoyed by all. Last year we featured a variation of this using Kentucky bourbon instead of vodka, which is also fantastic. We hope you enjoy this cocktail suggestion as much as we do!

WHEN WAS THE FIRST SLOT MACHINE, THE LIBERTY BELL, INVENTED?

A. Wear your lucky shirt, superstition works

B. Be sure to play the slot machine that’s ‘hot’

MOSCOW MULE

4

A. Slot Machines B. Blackjack

C. Poker

D. Roulette

• ½ cup of ginger beer • ½ oz. lime juice • 1 lime wedge for garnish • 1 sprig of mint for garnish • Ice cubes • Copper cup/mug Method:

Number of states where slot machines are legal

41

50

1. Pour vodka and lime juice into the copper mug.

2. Add ice and ginger beer, stir to combine.

3. Add lime wedge and mint sprig for garnish.

85% Number of adults who have gambled at least once in their life.

4

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

1,1 49 61

Number of consecutive Masters golf tournaments played

by Arnold Palmer from 1955-2004.

Height in feet of the Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas

Number of Magnolia trees that line Magnolia Lane at Augusta National golf course.

HOT SLOTS SLOT of 2018 CAS I NO

THE LATEST AND GREATEST

GUIDE 2018

N

ew games, new themes and new ways to play are the life’s blood for the slot machine industry.

when you play all three at once, it opens up multiple wins as the wild Fu Bat symbol transfers across reel sets. Fire Fortunes has a five-tier symbol driven progressive jackpot

Every year, hundreds of new games are released, all designed to satisfy player demands for new gaming experiences.

and frequent Mystery Wilds to create large wins. Sheng She Gui Fei has free spins and a progressive pick feature, and during the free

It’s no different in 2018. Game makers have come up with ways to play that are sure to catch your eye and make you want to give them a try. Here are some of the best you’ll see in the coming year from a variety of manufacturers -- IGT, Scientific Games, Konami, Everi and Incredible Technologies.

spins the featured Dynasty Queen symbol has a special stacked version than can nudge up or down, provide an additional spin and create large wins and retriggers at the same time. And Bai Shou Fen Xiang, also with free spins and a progressive pick, lets you pick a special animal symbol during free spins that replaces low-paying symbols to

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, EVERI In case you didn’t notice the front cover, this one tops our list for hot slots this year.

Heroine of the hit TV series and slayer of vampires and demons, Buffy Summers comes to casinos on a five-reel video slot machine with 1,024 ways to win!

It’s an action-packed penny slot, filled with sounds and images from the popular series. Buffy is chock full of bonus features, including a pick’em bonus, the Primeval Progressive Wheel for jackpots, expanding reels on the base game and two free-spin bonuses, one with a Hellmouth theme -that’s the gateway to the realm of demons that sits under Sunnydale High School -- and the other themed on lead characters Buffy and Angel.

Why you’ll love it: When the expanding reels grow and add additional symbols, 6

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

create big win potential.

Why you’ll love them : The attractive themes and symbols are backed up with variety in game play -- pick your theme for

your chances explode to 32,768 ways to win. Not only that, the game’s math model adds volatility to enable huge wins, and all players are eligible for progressives regardless of bet size.

ASIAN THEMES, EVERI There’s a whole family of games coming from Everi with sights and sounds of the East. All are five-reel video, perfect for pennies, each with its own pay configurations: Fu Xuan (75 lines), Fire Fortunes (50 lines), Sheng She Gui Fei (243 ways to win) and Bai Shou Fen Xiang (243 ways to win).

Among the many features in this game family: Fu Xuan and multiple reel sets, and

your favorite features. And all have big win

potential.

FATE OF THE 8 POWER WHEEL, Incredible Technologies Asian themes grow in popularity year by year, and Fate of the 8 Power Wheel

In the Hot Shot spins, the regular reels include spinning reel symbols. When three of them land on the reels, you get spins on the mini-reels for extra spins.

combines Asian beauty, the lucky number

There’s also a single-level wide area

“8” and the Power Wheel for bonusing.

progressive jackpot on top of three smaller

On the 30-line video base game, your credits

near-area progressives.

build with the Instant Stack scatter. Any

And, of course there’s the famous Monopoly

vertical stack of three like symbols awards

board bonus that is launched when three

credits instantly.

Scottie dogs land on the reels. As you roll

When three Power Wheel symbols land

the dice in a trip around the board, there

on the reels, you unlock the huge wheel

are extras such as multipliers when you land

overhead. Your spin of the Power Wheel

on a railroad, a credit refund when you land

could win credits, one of six progressive

on a utility or tax spaces, a pick’em feature

jackpots or take you to the Koi Catch bonus

when you land on Chance, Community

game. If the wheel lands on a credit award,

Chest or Free Parking, even a giant payoff

you also get to spin a secondary wheel for

for landing on Go.

chance to multiply winnings up to four times.

Why you’ll love it: What’s not to love?

In the Koi Catch bonus, the inner wheel

Players have f locked to Hot Shot and

awards you a number of picks, Koi fish then

Monopoly games for most of two decades,

swim up and down a crystal stream across

and now you get your chance to get both in

your screen. You tap on fish to collect credits

the same game.

and extra picks.

MAMMOTH POWER, Konami Gaming

Why you’ll love it: Incredible Technologies has a way with coming up with attractive themes and innovative game play, and the

Konami takes its popular five-reel

Power Wheel is a real eye-catcher. The

Xtra Reward format to the ice age in

Instant Stacks for quick wins and the variety

a game that gives operators plenty of

of bonuses through the wheel will keep you

options to offer to players of different

engaged for sure.

bankrolls. Mammoth Power is available

MONOPOLY HOT SHOT,

as a 10, 20, 30 or 40 line payline game in denominations from 1 cent to $5.

Stacked wild cave symbols can boost wins during regular play, and three or more arrow symbols trigger up to 30 free spins. You’ll also see Konami’s Action Stacked Symbols

Bally/Scientific Games When Scientific Game acquired both Bally and WMS Gaming, both brought terrific properties to the table. Those included WMS’ Monopoly series through its license with Hasbro and Bally’s Hot

for multi-payline wins throughout play.

Shot line.

Why you’ll love it: On the free spins, those

They’re combined the two in Monopoly Hot

wild cave symbols carry 2x or 3x multipliers,

Shot, a three-reel, nine-payline game on the

and you can win additional free games during

new TwinStar V75 cabinet which features

the feature. Those multipliers and plenty of

a 75-inch curved, ultra-high-definition, 4K

free spins can bring some Mammoth wins!

resolution display

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

7

RAYS OF EGYPT, Incredible Technologies: The sun shines bright through the sun god Ra with an Egyptian theme in Incredible Technology’s GoldLink game family.

A 40-line video slot, Rays of Egypt features beautiful high-definition graphics and stacked symbols that come to life on the vertical 55-inch touchscreen monitor in Incredible’s new Infinity V55 platform.

elements from The Voice including the stage, coaches’ chairs and red button.

Why you’ll love it: IGT takes all those show elements and transforms them into wagering fun, highlighted by The Voice Bonus. The bonus serves as the gateway to the Audition Free Spins, Performer Bonus, coach progressives or The Voice Jackpot.

With so many bonus options, there are as many surprises as in the TV competition.

On the immersive Gamescape cabinet, the Seinfeld base game consists of four 5-reel, 15-line mini-games, each starring one of the four main characters – Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George.

During the base game, the Seinfeld Feature can be randomly triggered by a character appearing on the reels adding a new element, such as Jerry’s Added Wilds, Kramer’s Wild Reels, George’s Multiplier, or Elaine’s Giant Reels.

During regular play, any Sun Scatters that land on reels open the Eye of Ra at the top

Other game features include a Free Spins

of the screen, and the Eye adds shimmering

Bonus where players can pick which

stacked gold wilds to the reels.

characters’ games they want to play. In the

Three scarab beetles unlock the GoldLink

“No Soup for You!” Bonus, players pick

Progressive Bonus. Select a beetle to reveal

soups for credit prizes and wheel spins. In

a number of spins on bonus reels where all

the “Festivus” Bonus, players can actually

the symbols are Egyptian coins. Look for

shake the Festivus pole for credit prizes using

four different colored halos around the coins

the Gamescape’s gesture control element,

-- they not only award additional free spins

or choose to spin a wheel for credit prizes.

but lock onto the screen for remaining free

And in an Episode Bonus that is randomly

spins Collect halos to unlock one of five

triggered in the base game, elements from

progressive wheels. The final award of any

one of six fan favorite episodes are featured.

progressive wins plus credits from the coin

Why you’ll love it: The Seinfeld slot is

scatters can create huge payoffs.

jam-packed with video from the show.

Why you’ll love it: The stacks and wilds

The bonuses incorporate show elements so

keep you going in regular play, and the

seamlessly you’ll be having as much fun as

progressives plus payoffs on scattered coins

Jerry and the gang can bring.

make bonus time an event to savor. Here comes the sun --- and it’s more than all right.

THE VOICE, IGT For 13 seasons, “The Voice” on NBC has been one of America’s favorite reality TV shows. Now IGT is bringing the concept, complete with coaches lending their aid to up and coming singers, to the CrystalCurve Ultra cabinet with a five-reel, 40-payline video slot.

SEINFELD, Scientific Games

The Voice delivers an immersive experience with popular songs and video footage from

Highly anticipated ever since demonstrated

the show, and features celebrity coaches

at Global Gaming Expo 2016, Seinfeld is

Adam Levine, Blake Shelton, Ricky Martin

ready for casino floors under license from

and Rita Ora. The game highlights iconic 8

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

Castle Rock Entertainment.

STAR WATCH FIRE AND STAR WATCH MAGMA,

At free spin time, prize symbols nudge to

Konami Gaming

bonuses and/or progressives -- get those

This pair of five-reel, 25-line video slots with progressive jackpots is on its way in a multdenomination format for 1, 2, 5 and

fill the entire reel with individual prizes, prize symbols at the right time, and your credit meter soars like a shooting star.

WILLIE NELSON, Everi

10-cent play.

If dollar reel-spinning players come for

The Star Watch games have a galaxy’s

Willie’s sweet country music, they’ll also

worth of features, instant-win credit prize

stay for exciting game play in two game

symbols, a wheel spin feature, free games,

themes. Everi is releasing Willie Nelson

full-reel nudging prize symbols, two fixed

Shotgun Willie and Willie Nelson

bonus awards, and two progressive jackpots.

Whiskey River.

Both games showcase Konami’s new Strike

Both are 9-line games with three mechanical

Zone feature, allowing you to activate special

reels, and they share a wide-area progressive

areas of the reel frame for extra bonus events

jackpot. Each has its own bonus events,

at different extra bet amounts. Depending

multipliers and plenty of Willie.

on your bet, you can cover reels from left to right, up to the entire screen. Every star prize symbol that lands in the Strike Zone awards a random credit prize, jackpot, or wheel spin bonus with guaranteed mini, major, mega, or maxi jackpot.

Why you’ll love it: The Strike Zone is cool in itself, but you’ll really love it when you’ve activated the Strike Zone and get free spins.

On Shotgun Willie, lining up three Shotgun Willie symbols on an active ninth line awards the wide-area progressive. There are 2x, 3x, 4x and 5x multipliers on some bar and 7 symbols, and two or more multipliers on the same line multiply each other, so the wins can add up fast.

Whiskey River awards the progressive the same way - three Whisky Rivers on payline 9. Whiskey River symbols are wild and multiply your winnings. In winning 7s or bars combos, one Whiskey River multiplies by 2 and two Whiskey Rivers multiply by 4.

Why you’ll love it: Those who love mechanical reels don’t see as much new product as reel slot players. With this pair of games, Everi is giving them a terrific theme, great sights and sounds and a chance at a progressive jackpot, too.

WONDER WOMAN GOLDEN LASSO AND BULLETS & BRACELETS, Scientific Games: Under license from DC Comics, TV’s

Both are five-reel, 40-line games with three-level progressive jackpots, along with action-packed game features.

The Power Wheel Bonus which awards one spin of the U-Spin wheel. Players can win credit prizes; the Minor, Major or Mega Jackpots; Knockout Wilds Free Games; or Transforming Wilds Free Games.

The Knockout Wilds’ Free Games bonus awards eight free spins, during which the reels will grow to eight rows, and each wild symbol that lands on the reels will lock into place for the remainder of the bonus.

Wonder Woman Lynda Carter returns in

The Transforming Wilds Free Games

two new game themes.

bonus also awards eight free spins with reels G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

9

immediately expanding to eight row. Wild symbols may appear on the reels and lock in place. Randomly Diana Prince will appear and transform into Wonder Woman causing the Wild symbols to unlock and group together for one spin, increasing the chance for a big win.

WRECKING BALL, IGT Teardown time can raise your credit meter on this creative new video slot on IGT’s Crystal Curve cabinet.

The base game features a unique 5x4x7x6 reel interface and offers players 840 ways to win. During the base game, crane symbols

Why you’ll love it: The Wonder Woman

that land at the bottom of a reel trigger the

theme has resonated with players for the

Wrecking Ball feature. This feature includes

last couple of years. There’s a great nostalgia

an exciting crane animation that swings

factor, but the game itself is packed with

through the reels, crushing symbols and

up-to-date features to make it a blast to play.

imploding buildings, leaving behind a trail of wild symbols that offer opportunities for big wins.

The Smash Bonus feature is triggered when a bonus symbol lands on reel one and reel four. Players interact with a virtual crane by moving the digital joystick left and right to target and select a building to smash revealing a prize.

Why you’ll love it: Graphics are sharp and all those extra ways to win created by the reel configuration will have you anticipating every spin. And at bonus time, you feel like you’re in control as you operate the crane.

SPHINX 4D, IGT A spectacular game that drew raves a year ago in demo versions, Sphinx 4D is ready for casinos in a five-reel, 27-payline video slot with a 400-credit max bet.

It’s a multi-sensory gaming experience unlike any other. With glasses-free TRUE

10

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

During the base game, players can customize their experience by using special gestures, such as a circle, to switch the game’s background between day and night. Players can also unlock the Magic Butterfly Bonus by drawing a crown symbol and change the look of the game by drawing a heart in the air.

3D™ graphics, and mid-air haptic and

Why you’ll love it: The dimensional imaging

gesture recognition technologies, Sphinx 4D

is truly spectacular. When coin images fly

keeps players engaged. Gesture recognition

off the screen after a big win, you’ll want to

technology enables players to use hand

reach out and grab them. The addition of

movements to move and manipulate the

the touch element has taken Sphinx 4D a

game’s graphics in both the base game and

quantum leap beyond the already amazing

during its seven interactive bonuses.

Sphinx 3D.

A slot experience so immersive you can feel it.

Experience the power of TRUE 4D™ gameplay on the new SPHINX® 4D Video Slots by IGT. Innovative touch-free technology allows you to interact with 3D symbols in mid-air, uncover hidden game features, and discover secret bonuses for a chance to win monumental jackpots like never before.

Play at your favorite casino today!

©2018 IGT All other trademarks used herein are owned by IGT or its affiliates, may not be used without permission, and where indicated with a ®, are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Artwork, descriptions, game play, photographs, videos, and other product details depicted are subject to change.

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

11

hottest slot tournament in the world.

Everi’s $1 million TournEvent of Champions is the hottest slot tournament in the world.

T OP S L O T M A K E R S :

I N V E N T OR S OF I N NOVAT ION by

C

ompetition can drive innovation, and we see both in the slot machine industry year in and year out.

Competitive pressure contributed to the rise of video slots, the adoption of pop culture themes on slot games and the diversity of bonusing with wheel spins, pick’em events, free spins and more.

Many manufacturers contribute to a creative, innovative atmosphere simply by trying to produce games that will attract players and earn space on slot floors. Let’s take a look at the slot giants, the leading gamemakers with a big presence on U.S. slot floors and the companies that are the inventors of the innovations putting the magic into the machines.

12

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

JOHN GROCHOWSKI

Everi has produced several innovative concepts and popular themes including the following:

rolling with continued fine tuning and updating.

Casino operators can instantly turn a bank of networked slot games into tournament games at the touch of a pad.

During tournaments, standings can be displayed in real time, and cameras in the machines enable streaming video of the contestants in action. Each year, TournEvent winners from casinos across the nation gather for the TournEvent of Champions traditionally held in Las Vegas, to compete for a $1 million prize. It’s great fun for players, and great exposure for Everi. Be sure to check out qualifying events at casinos near you at TournEventofChampions.com

TOURNEVENT: Multimedia transformed slot tournaments with TournEvent, and since the merger Everi has kept the ball

JACKPOT INFERNO: Everi has a number of jackpot systems, with Jackpot Jump probably the best-known.

EVERI:

A merger of Multimedia Games and Global Cash Access, Everi offers casino operators both creative games and advanced cash handling solutions.

On its own, Multimedia games was a major force in international bingo and lottery circles as well as Class II slot-like games in Native American casinos. It also had a smaller presence in commercial casinos and Class III slots in Native American casinos -- the same random number generator games found on commercial slot floors.

I enjoyed Jackpot Inferno, where any time you win a progressive jackpot, you launch a pick’em bonus. There the prizes include a chance to jump a jackpot level.

With a five-symbol tier jackpot, you have a chance in the pick’em to jump all the way to the No. 9 tier. If you start at No. 8, you can jump all the way to the top. A small, frequent-hit jackpot can turn into a mid-tier prize, and a mid-tier prize can morph into the big one, making for an exciting game.

KO N A M I G A M I N G :

A subsidiary of Japan’s Konami Holdings, Konami Gaming is able to draw on an enormous line of games that have been hits in arcades and home video game systems for years. Not all elements lend themselves to wagering games, but it puts Konami in a strong position to attract players who grew up on video games. Konami has long had a willingness to stray from traditional grids for video slot symbols, sometimes arranging symbols in hexagons or different-length rows. On reel-spinning games, it went an eye-popping route with its Advantage 5 games that featured larger-than-life symbols – making it no problem reading these up-close or for passers-by in the aisles.

In recent years, Konami has started taking advantage of that video game library. Here are a couple that have already moved into casinos for you to look out for.

NEO-CONTRA: This wasn’t a test of skill like the Contra game that has been so popular in arcades and on home game systems, but it nicely adapts features from the original into a wagering game.

The guns, missiles and helicopters of the original are all here, as well as the Contra code, a feature that home gamers used to use to pick up free lives.

In the slot game, a video controller sometimes appears on screen and keys in the code give you extra chances in a pick’em bonus. There is also a lock-on feature, used to target missiles in the original, locks onto and eliminates lowpaying A-K-Q-J symbols in free spins, clearing the way for more high-paying combinations. That left a nice crossover from non-wagering to wagering formats.

FROGGER: The wave of skill-based gaming is perfect for Konami, as it has shown in Frogger. The adaptation of the arcade/home gaming hit includes a four-level progressive jackpot, but the most anticipated element is the skillbased Frogger bonus. Just as in the original, Frogger slot players have to navigate roads and rivers to reach their lily pad homes. To get there, you need to avoid getting squashed by a moving vehicle or snapped up by alligators.

INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY: The world’s

largest manufacturer of slot games is IGT, an international giant. IGT already was the largest American gamemaker before its 2015 merger with GTech. GTech itself was the product of a number of mergers including European gamemakers Atronic and Spielo before it was acquired by lottery and systems leader Lottomatica.

In the U.S., IGT was a company founded on video poker, but today it is practically one-stop shopping for the casino industry.

With its collection of video slots, reel slots, Megajackpot progressives, video poker, video table games and casino management systems, IGT can help casino managers fill any niche on their floors or back shop.

IGT’s roots trace to the mid-1970s when Si Redd, working for Bally Gaming, had an idea. What if you took five-card draw poker on a video screen, and instead of having the player compete against another hand, pay it according to a paytable instead? Bally didn’t want the game, and

allowed Redd to keep the patent. He then partnered with Fortune Coin to form Sircoma to sell video poker machines.

When Redd took the company public, it was christened International Game Technology.

At first, IGT focused on Redd’s innovation, leading the charge into a video poker future. When it branched into three-reel slot machines, with games including Double Jackpot, Wild Cherry, Red, White and Blue and Double Diamond, IGT was a fast success, becoming the world’s biggest slot manufacturer.

Here are some of the most popular games IGT has given us over the years: WHEEL OF FORTUNE: With sights set, sounds and graphics of the longrunning, mega popular TV game show and the bonus wheel licensed from Anchor Gaming’s Wheel of Gold, Wheel of Fortune ranks as the most popular slot game of all time. The original is a threereel slot, but we’ve seen video versions, versions with extra bonuses, multi-player community-style versions with a huge wheel at the center and versions in which you get to pick letters to solve a puzzle.

DOUBLE DIAMOND: This classic three-reel game where diamond symbols double winning combinations has led to a family of successor games on three-reel and video formats. The success of Double Diamond encouraged IGT to move into Triple Diamond, Five Times Pay and Ten Times pay, extending the multiplier feature.

SPHINX 3D AND SPHINX 4D: In the merger with GTech, IGT gained the Sphinx line of games that had originated with Atronic Gaming. One of the last major games GTech developed before the merger was Sphinx 3D, which took you inside the Sphinx with incredible threedimensional effects. After the merger, IGT took it a step further with Sphinx 4D, adding a dimension of touch. Both games are show-stoppers and very popular among slot players.

All of these innovations just scratch the surface capabilities at IGT. If you can imagine any type of game a casino operator might want to offer, IGT has it, or will have it soon!

SCIE NTIFIC G AME S : Until a few years ago, Scientific Games was known mainly as a developer of casino management, accounting and analytics systems. It dabbled in games, but management software was its bread and butter.

The analytics are still there, but now Scientific is a major force in slot games, too. That’s because it acquired Bally Technologies and W MS Gaming, which had been IGT’s main American competitors. Both Bally and WMS have rich histories as slot innovators, and both have roots in pinball.

Bally Manufacturing was born in pinball at the beginning of the 1930s with the invention of the Ballyhoo pinball game. It added three-reel slot games a short time later. Eventually, the slot manufacturing portion of the business spun off as Bally Gaming, which then became Bally Technologies.

Bally had its own thriving business in casino management systems and was a leader in establishing networked slot floors. To focus on games, here are a few that have resonated with players in Bally’s long history.

PONG AND BREAKOUT: These

weren’t major hits, but notable today as the beginnings of true skill in bonus events. Pong was first, but both had bonuses in which you could either play a game of the old arcade favorites or have the random number generator play it for you. They developed niche followings, but were a decade or so too early for today’s renewed focus on skill.

WMS took a different route through the Bally line. The pinball and arcade games side of the Bally Manufacturing evolved into Midway Games, maker of Mortal

14

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

Kombat, Spy Hunter, NBA Jam and other arcade and home gaming favorites. From Midway Games, WMS Gaming spun off into a creative force in slot machines.

It made an entry into slots through threereel games with orange Dotmation screens for bonuses, but really took off through video slots.

Among the classic hits from WMS are: JACKPOT PARTY: The initial version was a three-reel Dotmation game.

Party noisemakers on the reels would

launch a bonus event on the Dotmation screen. A grid of rectangles appeared, an indicator would scroll across the

lines and you’d hit the button on the

console to pick a box for either a prize and the opportunity for more, or for a Party Pooper ending the round.

MONOPOLY: Some of players’

fondest memories come from playing

Monopoly slots, winning a trip around

the game board fixed atop the machines, and landing on Boardwalk for a big bonus. There have been dozens of

versions of Monopoly in the last 20

years, and players continue to love it.

Between them, Bally and WMS give Scientific Games twin forces in slot

machines with the innovation and variety to go toe-to-toe with IGT.

ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES: Several years before video slots became big hits in the United States, they already were popular favorites on the Pacific Rim, thanks to Australia’s Aristocrat Technologies. It was Aristocrat’s success overseas that encouraged W MS to move forward with its line of video slots, with IGT and Bally ultimately following. Aristocrat was founded in 1953 by Lee Ainsworth, who later started another slotmaker, Ainsworth Gaming Technology. Reel slots were an initial focus of Aristocrat, but it introduced games with a difference. Well before there were five-reel video slots in the United States, Aristocrat had games with five mechanical reels overseas. This feature opened up possibilities for the math of the games, with exponentially more possibilities for spins creating flexibility in payoffs.

Later, Aristocrat moved into video and created its most influential product, the Hyperlink with four-level progressive jackpots.

CASH EXPRESS: It was through

the railroad-themed Cash Express that Aristocrat introduced the Hyperlink to the United States. Cash Express

and other Hyperlink games have four

progressive levels: Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. The mini progressive is for just a few dollars, designed to extend

your playing time and to give everyone

the experience of a progressive jackpot.

The Grand jackpot on Cash Express started building at $1,000, as well

as a Gold Class with a fifth jackpot level, initially resetting at $9,500.

IGT, Scientific Games and Aristocrat make a formidable Big Three among

slot makers, but innovations such as Everi’s TournEvent and arcade-to-casino

transformations such as Konami’s Frogger

keeps them hopping and keeps the innovations coming.

TournEvent of Champions® is back in 2018 and bringing unprecedented competition and intensity to casinos across the U.S. − and beyond. Want to get in the game? Contact your Everi Promotions Specialist, or visit www.TOURNEVENT.com for more information on how your casino can take part in The Million Dollar Event®*.

Powers the casino floor.™

everi.com

*Payable in periodic payments over 20 years or in a lump sum, present-day cash value payment.

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

15

THE EVOLUTION OF SLOT MACHINES: THEN AND NOW by

I

nnovation is a fact of life in today’s slot machine industr y. It ’s a competitive business, and a game maker who didn’t constantly search for new ways to engage players would languish behind the ever-changing bonus play, sound effects, graphics, jackpot triggers and sometimes even skill-based gameplay offered by others.

Slot innovations started with San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell in 1895 and have never stopped.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important slot machines that have led us to the modern era.

The Liberty Bell, 1895: The first three-reel slot machine set a tone for slot play that endures to this day. The game featured three mechanical reels and a single payline. You’d put your money in a slot, pull a handle and win if three identical symbols lined up.

Fey, the inventor, had a varied background by the time he went to work for San Francisco’s Electric Works, an engineering and manufacturing firm where he gained familiarity with the equipment and skills that went into that first slot. He’d worked

16

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

JOHN GROCHOWSKI

for a farm tool manufacturer in his native land, the Bavaria region of Germany, then after three years in France, he worked for a nautical equipment manufacturer in the United Kingdom before migrating to the U.S. He knew how to build things to last, and the influence of the Liberty Bell has lasted for more than a century.

merchants. Trade stimulators did not make payoffs directly to players, and some of the types paid off in sticks of gum, golf balls or other products. Some merchants paid in cash, away from averted eyes of law enforcement, opening an extra revenue stream.

Operator Bell, 1907: One of the most important early game makers was Herbert Mills in Chicago, who collaborated with Fey to produce the Mills version of threereel slots.

The slot machine division eventually became Bally Gaming, then Bally Technologies, which today is part of Scientific Games. The pinball industry morphed into Midway Games, which eventually spun off WMS Gaming, which also now is part of Scientific Games.

Early Mills slots such as the Operator Bell introduced the fruit symbols such as oranges, cherries and lemons that were slot mainstays for decades and still can be found on machines today.

At the beginning of a timeline that includes both Bally Technologies and WMS Gaming, those early Bally trade stimulators had a profound ripple effect on the games we play today.

Bally Baby, 1936 : Chicago-based Bally Manufacturing, famous for its pinball games, added slot machines to its repertoire in the early 1930s.

They were three-reel slots, with the pintsized Bally Baby being an early example.

It was designed to fit on store countertops and was used as a trade stimulator by

Money Honey, 1963: Another Bally innovation, Money Honey is famous both for the first electromechanical slot and the first slot machine with a coin hopper.

Electromechanicals lit up the slot floor.

They were the first machines that had to be plugged in, and the reels were driven by electric motors instead mechanical, clockwork-like devices.

The coin hopper circulated coins for payouts from a pool that could hold many times the change earlier coin tubes could hold. That meant machines could pay out more money between needing to be filled, and payouts could rise.

series games in the early 1980s. Combined with the stepper motor, developed by slot manufacturer Universal, the modern three-reel format was in place.

makes the Game Maker one of the most important stops on any trek through innovative slots.

Starting in the late 1970s with a patent issued in 1984, Inge Telnaus developed the virtual reel, which enables programmers to make a reel behave as if it has more symbols than it really does. A number from the RNG is mapped onto the virtual reel, with more numbers assigned to losing or low-paying symbols and fewer number to the high-payers.

IGT acquired the patent to the virtual reel, which enabled odds against a slot jackpot hitting to be set high enough to enable life-changing payoffs such as on Megabucks and IGTs successor games in its Megajackpots line, both on three-reel and video slots.

Double Diamond, 1989: Another result of IGT’s use of the virtual reel/ RNG/stepper motor engine was the development of slots using multiplier formats.

Blazing 7s, 1978: With its distinctive look that includes 7, 77, and 777 symbols bursting with flames, Blazing 7s has been an enduring favorite for Bally. It’s only in the last decade that it’s started to disappear from casino floors, and the fiery look has often been used in later Bally games.

Blazing 7s was designed as a rapidhit progressive for dollar players, with lower denomination games added later.

The jackpot for three Blazing 7s began building at $1,000, and a percentage of each bet was added to the pot.

Odds of the game were worked out so that more often than not, it would hit before the jackpot reached $1,200 -- the point at which players are required to sign a tax form before being paid.

Megabucks, 1986: In the first slot machine with a multimillion-dollar jackpot, International Game Technology relied on a number of innovations that had been incorporated into the games in preceding years.

Results on the spinning reel were determined by the combination of a random number generator and a virtual reel, first used together in Bally E2000

Double Diamond wasn’t the first. The earlier Double Jackpot had a similar format. But Double Diamond has a classic, elegant look, and remains one of the mostplayed reel slots today.

The game gets its spice from the Double Diamond symbol that doubles winning combinations. Get a Double Diamond symbol and two single bars, for example, and you get twice the payoff of three single bars. Make it two Double Diamonds and a single bar, and you double the payoff twice — you get four times the payoff for three bars. And three Double Diamonds, well, that’s good for the machine’s top jackpot.

Every time a Double Diamond lands on the payline, players start crossing their fingers.

Bally G ame Maker, 19 9 2 : A cor nerstone for t he slot machine industry, the Game Maker was the first machine to bring multiple games and a touch screen to a single unit.

Players could switch from game to game, sampl ing the slots, and p l a y i n g d i f f e r e nt p o k e r g a m e s .

That ability to choose among multiple games, and play by touching a screen,

Wheel of Gold, 1995: It was in the mid-1990s that the bonus play on today’s slot machines really began to take shape.

Wheel of Gold used the Bally slant-top slots as base games, and affixed a tower with a segmented wheel on top. When the wheel spin symbol landed on the reels, a tone would sound and the player would push a button to start a spin. The player would win as bonus credits with the amount marked in the space that stopped at the top of the wheel.

It was an immediate, huge hit. Other players would stop in their tracks to watch a wheel spin.

IGT recognized a great thing when it saw it, licensed Wheel of Gold and later acquired Anchor Gaming. After proper licensing, IGT then turned Wheel of Gold into Wheel of Fortune, and one of the most popular, timeless games in casino history was born.

Piggy Bankin’, 1995: Another early bonusing game, Piggy Bankin’, was developed by upstart WMS Gaming for its entry into the casino industry.

Games had a “Dotmation” screen -a black screen with orange dots for animation. Depicted was a piggy bank with a rising credit total. When you hit a break the bank symbol, Dotmation of a hammer would break the bank, and you’d G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

17

win bonus credits -- placing Piggy Bankin’ among the earliest bonusing games.

WMS also used the Dotmation format in the original, three-reel version of Jackpot Party, which became a megahit as WMS moved into video slots a short time later.

The four-level jackpot system is called Hyperlink, and Aristocrat has had dozens of follow-up Hyperlink games. The competition has followed, with IGT, WMS, Bally and other manufacturers all bringing out their own multilevel progressives.

Top Gun, 2005: The mid-2000s brought another era of slot innovations. Several manufacturers, especially WMS and IGT, experimented with community-style slots, in which players could win together. Bally gave an early tryout to skill-based slots such as Pong, in which skilled players could bet bigger bonuses.

Reel ‘Em In, 1997: Video slots had already gained a strong foothold overseas, and WMS Gaming saw them as a way to challenge leading slotmakers IGT and Bally.

The first megahit video slot game was Reel ‘Em In, with a fishing theme. Instead of three video reels, there were five, and instead of one payline, there were five -one across each row of symbols as well as a V and a chevron.

When you scattered three fishing lures of the same type across the reels, the reels would fade out and a scene of fishermen on a pond would fade in. You’d touch the screen to choose a fisherman to reel in a fish. The bigger the fish, the bigger the bonus.

Reel ‘Em In was enormously popular, and proved players would accept multiple paylines and bonuses.

Cash Express, 2000 : Any walk through a modern casino will find dozens of machines with multi-tiered jackpots, with names such as Mini, Minor, Major and Grand. The company that showed us how it’s done is Aristocrat Technologies, and the game they chose to introduce the concept to America was Cash Express.

We reach this milestone by train, in the railroad-themed Cash Express.

A stationmaster’s whistle takes the player to a bonus event, and the credits accumulated in the bonus determine which progressive level the player wins.

18

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

In another innovation, Top Gun kicked off WMS’ much-copied Sensory Immersion line. A special chair was used for sound and motion effects. Speakers were fitted in the chair back and the chair itself leaned, swerved and rocked.

That was perfect for the bonus round in Top Gun, which put you in the pilot’s seat as you zeroed in to shoot down bonus credits.

Immersion games are niche products, but there’s enough interest that several manufacturers have picked up on the idea for games that involve sight, sound and motion.

Sphinx 3D, 2013 /Sphinx 4D, 2016: There have been several attempts by game manufacturers -- notably IGT -- to use three-dimensional imaging to really draw players into the game’s world.

But when Atronic/Spielo came out with Sphinx 3D, it really took the imaging

into a new ... er ... dimension. The main bonus event would take you right into the Sphinx, and when you won, virtual

coins would come flying off the screen and look so real, players tried to reach out and grab them.

When Spielo merged with IGT, IGT

ran with the concept to bring out Sphinx 4D, which adds a dimension of touch.

Reaching out to the screen in launching a bonus not only draws 3D imaging of an electrical discharge to you, you can feel the tingle as the winning power builds.

Charles Fey could never have imagined

the possibilities in the days of the Liberty Bell, but even Sphinx 4D is recognizably a descendent of Fey’s brainchild. Where do the slots go from here? Imagination seems the only limit.

SHOOT FOR THE STARS Play for Sky-High Spins & Symbol Wins

Boost your betting power with a new progressive series that puts you in control of serious symbol-driven wins.

The Strike Zone™ lets you set the map for instant star symbol awards spanning credit prizes, big progressive bonuses, and jackpot wheel spins. Fire it up in the free games with nudging star symbols and launch even greater possibilities with bet multipliers and multi-denom options. Your lucky star is just a spin away with Star Watch Fire™ and Star Watch Magma™. www.gaming.konami.com G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

19

SLOT FLOORS SLOT of The South CAS I NO

GUIDE 2018

OU R TOP P ICK S:

W

ith slot play at an all-time high, casinos are raising the bar when it comes to insuring their guests are comfortable and feeling lucky. If you ask a slot player what makes a great slot floor, they will likely suggest features such as wide aisles between machines, upbeat background music, high ceilings and good ventilation so they don’t have to play in a smoke filled box. They also like great cocktail service and convenient restaurants located near the floor.

This year’s Top Slot Floors consists of properties that portray many of these features and should be on every slot players list to visit.

RISING STAR CASINO RESORT RISING SUN, IND. 1-800-472-6311 - RisingStarCasino.com Casino square footage: 40,000 Number of slot machines: 952 Why slot players like Rising Star: While on the four-level paddlewheel riverboat, Rising Star slot f loor gives its gamers a comforting atmosphere with more than enough room for winning. The Victorian décor gives Rising Star a dreamy environment to its guests. Keeping it on our favorites list every year, this casino offers both slot and table gamers the most up to date and popular machines to play along the Ohio River.

Rising Star Casino Resort Rising Sun, Ind.

Number of slot machines: 3,600 Why slot players like Harrah’s Cherokee: While enjoying your stay in the luxurious Smoky Mountains, Harrah ’s offers traditional table games where you can f ind some of the world’s friendliest dealers around. Along with over 3,600 slot machines and a casino floor that is both spacious and comforting. The slot player friendly Total Rewards Players Club allows you to connect to Caesars-owned properties world-wide, as well the Casino Credit, giving you the ability to obtain funds from your line of credit so you don’t have to carry large amounts of cash.

GOLD STRIKE CASINO RESORT TUNICA, MISS. 1-888-245-7829 - GoldStrike.com Casino square footage: 50,000 Number of slot machines: 1,224 Why slot players like Gold Strike: With a 4.5 out of 5 satisfaction rating, come find out why guests just can’t get enough of Gold Strike Casino. They assure guests that there is no shortage of energy or excitement and is voted first place for several G&D Readers’ Choice Awards year after year. There is a vast majority of more than 1,200 video poker, reel, video

HARRAH’S CHEROKEE CASINO – CHEROKEE, N.C. 1-828-497-7777 Caesars.com/Harrahs-cherokee Casino square footage: 176,000 20

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

Gold Strike Casino Resort Tunica, Miss.

opened a brand new high limit slot area featuring over 100 of your favorite slots so be sure to check it out!

BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO BILOXI, MISS.

Hollywood Casino Tunica – Tunica, Miss.

and progressive machines surrounding the center aisle of table games, as well as a second level that provides a nice change of atmosphere. The casino is also the only smoke-free gaming area in the Delta region.

HOLLYWOOD CASINO TUNICA TUNICA, MISS. 1-800-871-0711 HollywoodCasinoTunica.com Casino square footage: 55,000 Number of slot machines: 1,066 Why slot players like Hollywood Casino Tunica: While enjoying the large layout of tall ceilings and wide walkways, guests can enjoy gaming while keeping the smoke to a minimum. Experience is key at Hollywood Casino, with over 1,200 machines and some of the newest and most exciting slots this market has to offer. From slot tournaments to free music on Fridays and Saturdays, you’ll hit a Hollywood jackpot here with winnings and movie memorabilia scattered throughout the property. Be sure to visit this hot spot where “where the red carpet meets the felt.”

MARGARITAVILLE RESORT CASINO – BOSSIER CITY, LA. 1-855-346-2489 MargaritavilleBossierCity.com Casino square footage: 30,000 Number of slot machines: 1,225 Why slot players like Margaritaville: Step foot into Jimmy Buffet’s world here at Margaritaville Resort Casino, where this 30,000 square foot single-level gaming floor will leave you in awe. While staying at Margaritaville Resort Casino guests can enjoy a top-of-line air filtration system that gives its guest a smoke-free gaming experience. Margaritaville also recently

1-888-750-7111 BeauRivage.com C a s i no s q u a r e fo ot a g e : 8 5 , 0 0 0 Number of slot machines: 1,900 (126 in high limit area; 270 in non-smoking area) Why slot players like Beau Rivage: Welcome to paradise! Where guests can enjoy the scenic view of the oceanfront at Beau Rivage while also having a 1,800+ selection of the newest slot games. The lively and exciting environment will give guests an exhilarating stay. For the smoke free guests, there are two spacious Smoke Free parlors with an open aired environment that provide over 250 machines. The large variety of games to choose from will “guarantee that you’ll never utter the word “bored.”’

WIND CREEK CASINO & HOTEL PROPERTIES OF ALABAMA 1-866-946-3360 WindCreekAtmore.com Casino squa re footage : 50 , 0 0 0 Number of slot machines:1,600 WindCreekMontgomery.com: Casino squa re footage : 6 5, 0 0 0 Number of slot machines: 2,200 WindCreekWetumpka.com: Casino square footage: 85,000 Number of games: 2,500 W hy slot players like Wind Creek properties: The Wind Creek family of properties in Alabama always offers the best in everything, and their gaming floors are no exception. Whether you are visiting the Atmore, Montgomery or Wetumpka property, you are sure to find excitement on the casino floor. All three properties offer an upbeat environment with contemporary décor and a flowing layout. The Atmore casino floor features 50,000-square-feet of non-stop winning loaded with 1,600 games, Montgomery is home to a 65,000 square-foot floor with 2,200 machines and the biggest of them all is Wetumpka boasting 85,000 square-feet and 2,500 machines.

LUMIERE PLACE ST. LOUIS, MO. Beau Rivage Resort & Casino Biloxi, Miss.

IP CASINO RESORT SPA BILOXI, MISS. 1-888-946-2847 IPBiloxi.com Casino square footage: 70,000 Number of slot machines: Over 1,650 Why slot players like IP Casino: Prepare for an unforgettable experience here at IP Casino Resort Spa where guests walk into a 70,000 square foot gamers ultimate getaway. With over 1,600 slots, 60 table games and a spacious 13 table non-smoking room, guests are sure to find their fix. IP’s dedication to great customer service provides their guests with a memorable experience. Their High-Limit gaming area offers guests with a first-class menu and private bar to accompany their gaming.

1-877-450-7711 Lumiereplace.com/casino Casino square footage: 75,000 Number of slot machines: 1,600 Why slot players like Lumiere Place: One word that might best describe Lumiere Place Casino is Electrifying. Voted #1 Casino in Missouri in our 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards, this property continues to please guests With a 75,000 square foot casino f loor. The dazzling lights create an ambiance here unlike any other.

The exciting atmosphere of more than 1,600 slot, video poker and multi-game machines leave you coming back for more.

Offering traditional reels to the latest state-of-the-art video machines to hit the market, you will find games to play that make you want to stay. The casino floor also features fifty five table games as well as a thirteen table poker room, making Lumiere Place “The Pulse of St. Louis.”

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

21

1

7

4

5

3

Course

City

Phone Number

Website

Length

Slope/Rating

Cost to Play

1-877-805-4657

FallenOak.com

7487

142/76.5

$200

Biloxi, MS

1-228-539-7806

GolfBrandBear.com

7204

143/75.5

$99-$109

Cherokee, NC

1-828-497-3000

SequoyahNational.com

6602

139/71/3

$55-$85

4 The Country Club of The Golden Nugget Lake Charles, LA 1-377-508-4653

GoldenNugget.com/LakeCharles 7000

130/73/4

$129

5 The Links @ Rising Star Casino & Resort Rising Sun, IN 1-800-472-6311

RisingStarCasino.com/Golf

6406

125/70.3

$55-$62

French Lick, IN 1-888-936-9360

FrenchLick.com

8102

148/80

$559

Vevay, IN

BelterraCasino.com

6910

136/73/3

$95-$110

1 Fallen Oak @ Beau Rivge Casino Resort Biloxi, MS Grand Bear @ Harrah’s Gulf Coast

3 Sequoyah Golf Club Harrah’s Cherokee

Pete Dye Course @ French Lick Resort

7 Tom Fazio Course @ Belterra Casino 22

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

1-800-427-7738

EXPERIENCE THE CARIBBEAN WITH WIND CREEK REWARDS

T

he most generous loyalty program in the Southeast just got better!

Now you can play your way to our destinations in the Caribbean, the Renaissance Aruba and the Renaissance Curacao Resorts & Casinos.

Join Wind Creek Rewards and we’ll rebate your first day’s play up to $1,000 in FREE Play, plus we’ll give you $10 in FREE Food on the spot.

So start earning your Rewards today, and Find Your Winning Moment!

WindCreekAtmore.com • 303 Poarch Rd., Atmore, AL WindCreekMontgomery.com • 1801 Eddie L. Tullis Rd., Montgomery, AL WindCreekWetumpka.com • 100 River Oaks Dr., Wetumpka, AL

Present this ad to PLAYER SERVICES and receive:

10 $ 10 $

FREE PLAY

MENTION CODE: HSGD$10FP

FOOD CREDIT

Offer expires 5/31/2018. Limit one FREE Play redemption per new Rewards account. May not be combined with other coupons.

©2018 Wind Creek Hospitality. A minimum of $75 loss is required for FREE Play rebate. FREE Play will be added 7-10 days after initial visit. Must be 21 or older.

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M | 23 Offer valid for new Rewards Members only. See PLAYER SERVICES for details.

PLAYER STRATEGY by

H E N R Y TA M B U R I N

BLACKJACK: Be a Better Player

I

f you are a recreational blackjack player, you don’t need a Ph.D. to become a better blackjack player. You just need to know which games to play, and how to play them. Here is a roadmap to help you to become a better player.

Game Selection

Henry Tamburin, Ph.D. is the author of the Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide (http://www.888casino. com/blog/blackjackstrategy-guide/), editor of the Blackjack Insider e-Newsletter (www. bjinsider.com), lead instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack course, and host of smartgaming. com.

“THERE ARE SOME VERY SIMPLE CARD COUNTING SYSTEMS FOR RECREATIONAL PLAYERS.”

Nowadays, sitting at the first empty seat you spot at a blackjack table isn’t a smart thing to do. The reason is that not all blackjack games are the same anymore. Here are a few guidelines to help you pick the best game.

1. Do NOT play at any table where a blackjack is paid at 6-5 (or worse, even money). You should only play a game where a blackjack is paid at 3-2.

2. Do NOT play on any table that uses a continuous shuffling machine (known as CSM).

You’ll know if the automatic shuffling device is a CSM if the dealer places the discards from every round back into the CSM (another hint is the table usually doesn’t have a discard tray).

3. All else being equal, a blackjack game that uses a single deck or two decks of cards is better than one that uses six or eight decks. However, that is not always the case. You must check the mix of playing rules. Player-favorable rules include: dealer standing on soft 17, double on any two cards and after pair splitting, surrender, resplit aces, and, of course, getting paid 3-2 for a blackjack. Rules that increase the house edge include using multiple decks of cards, dealer hitting soft 17, restrictions on what hands you can double down, and paying only 6-5 or even money for a blackjack. The house edge should be about 0.5% or lower for any game that you play.

If you are unsure what the house edge is, use the Blackjack House Edge Calculator located on the blackjack page at www.wizardofodds.com to compute the house edge for any game.

Playing Strategy The basic playing strategy tells you the correct way to play all of the 550 different possible hands that will arise when you play. You must memorize the basic strategy and be able to make the correct play with speed and accuracy. The basic playing strategy will vary slightly based on the rules and the number of decks of cards. (You can find accurate basic strategy tables for any set of rules and number of decks of cards in Chapter 3 of my Ultimate Blackjack Strategy Guide.

24

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

Go to www.888casino.com/blog and click on the cover of the book.) Chapter 5 in the Guide gives you tips on how to learn the basic strategy.

Additionally, to ensure that you always make the correct playing decision, bring a hand-held strategy card with you when you play (they are casino legal).

When to Bet More Many players use progressive betting systems when they play blackjack. However, these betting systems won’t reduce the house edge against you, and, therefore, they won’t make you a better player. To accomplish the latter, you have to discipline yourself to increase your bets only when you have the edge on the next hand (rather than increase your bets based on whether you won or lost the previous hand).

Here are some ways to do this.

1. Learn to scan the cards You can use this technique in single- and doubledeck games. After a shuffle, there is a balance (or equal number) of small cards (2s though 6s) and large cards (10s, picture cards, and aces) in the deck(s) of cards. This balance can change depending upon the mix of cards dealt from one round to the next. By scanning all the cards that have been played on each round, you will be able to get some idea whether there were a greater number of small cards compared to high cards played in previous rounds. If your scanning indicates that more small cards have been dealt out compared to high cards, then the remaining unplayed cards must be richer in high cards (inverse relationship). When the latter occurs, the edge shifts to the player and you should bet more. Scanning is not an exact science and it takes a little practice; however, if you only increase your bets when the unplayed cards are richer in high cards, you will be taking a big step towards becoming a better player.

2. Use a simple card counting system There are some very simple card counting systems for recreational players that are easy to learn and use, and allow a basic strategy player to play a break-even game or have a slight edge over the house. (I explain several of these simple entrylevel systems in Chapter 10.9 my Guide.)

I hope you will discipline yourself to incorporate some, or all, of these tips the next time you play.

PLAYER STRATEGY

CRAPS: The Sublime Systems of Hedging

S

ome gaming experts who write books and articles are convinced there is a mathematical way to overcome the house edge at craps.

They believe by hedging this bet with that bet they can overcome the edge on both bets and beat the game.

We usually see this with “right” bettors as they place a Pass Line bet and an Any Craps bet in order to “protect” their Pass Line bet from the 2, 3 or 12 being rolled, all losers on the Come-Out part of the game for a right bettor. Are the bets really protected?

Have the hedgers found a magical way to beat the math of the game in doing this? Not exactly. On the contrary, they lose more!

If we look at a $25 Pass Line bettor who “protects” his bet by hedging it with a $5 Any Craps, here is what happens. On the Come-Out roll, the 7 or 11 will win the $25 Pass Line player $25, but he will lose $5 on the Any Craps. How often will he win on the Pass Line? On average, Eight times in 36 rolls for a win of $200 minus $40 for the losses on Any Craps. Now, he is up $160.

However, what if he hits the Any Craps? He wins seven times his $5 bet for a win of $35! He will do this about four times for every 36 Come-Out rolls for a total of $140. But he lost $25 on each of those four rolls, so his net profit was only $40. Still, he is ahead of the game at this point because he won $160 on the Come-Out 7’s and 11’s, and he won $40 on the Any Craps. So he is ahead an impressive $200.

What if he had not protected his bet? He would have won $200 but lost $100 when the 2, 3, and 12 rolled. He would have only been up $100. But by hedging, he is up $200, not $100. Great! If the game stopped there, it would be great indeed.

But craps doesn’t stop there. You see, every time the shooter establishes his point, the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, our hedger loses his $5. The shooter will establish his point on average 24 times. That is a loss of $120 for the point numbers. Our player who hedges on the Come-Out roll, where he has a twoto-one edge over the house, and where he would be up $100 after the 36 Come-Out rolls on average, is now up only $80. And that is $20 less than he would have won had he not “protected” his Pass Line bet and just let it stand out there alone.

by

FRANK SCOBLETE

along with all possible hedges at craps. You will actually lose more by trying to protect otherwise good bets with otherwise bad bets.

The Any Craps is a bad bet because it has a house edge of 11.11 percent, whereas the Pass Line bet only faces a small 1.41 percent house edge. A bad bet cannot protect a good bet.

The Exception As most people know, there are exceptions to most rules. In craps, the only exception to the above rules, is an area of craps play I have been exploring for years now. This area has nothing to do with “betting or hedging systems” overcoming the math, but it does have to do with shooters who are changing the nature of the game due to some physical control of the dice. These shooters are dubbed “rhythmic rollers” (also known as dice controllers) since they seem to have a set pattern to their rolls consisting of a careful setting of the dice and a consistent, soft delivery that allows the dice to die when they reach and “touch” the back wall.

To be sure, most players who set the dice are emphatically not rhythmic rollers. I have seen players who take extraordinary care setting their numbers just so, before winging the dice down the table where they bang the back wall and bounce all over the place. That kind of throw is strictly random and cannot affect the house edge one bit.

I have covered the ins and outs, pros and cons, of such “advantage-play” craps in my book Forever Craps: The Five-Step Advantage Play Method! I also teach dice control in my Golden Touch Craps dice control classes (www.goldentouchcraps.com).

It is a tough skill to learn and takes a lot of practice, something most craps players are not interested in.

Most craps players are looking for magic bullets and quick fixes; dice control is just too much work for them. After all, dice control is a skill, not a system.

Still, for just about every player in just about any craps game, the tried (Pass/Come with odds) is the true. It is the high fence and the apple a day that can keep that horrible house edge at bay. If you have been playing the wrong way all these years, switch right now because better late than never!

Visit Frank’s web site at www.frankscoblete.com.

Frank Scoblete’s newest books are I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps!, I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of AdvantagePlay Blackjack! and Confessions of a Wayward Catholic. Frank’s books are available on Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and at bookstores.

“EVERY TIME THE SHOOTER ESTABLISHES HIS POINT, THE NUMBERS 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, OUR HEDGER LOSES HIS $5.”

So hedging on the “Do” side of the board is a don’t, G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

25

PLAYER STRATEGY by

LI N DA B OY D

VIDEO POKER: Casino Court - Part I

R

ecently I was yakking with a friend about a lost $100K jackpot at a Florida casino when I realized it could have happened to any of us.

That’s when it dawned on me that either the casino or the court often makes seemingly illogical and unfair decisions regarding who gets the jackpot cash. While researching this topic, I discovered a few interesting cases of interest I look forward to highlighting in this two-part series for Gaming and Destinations.

Linda Boyd, a long-time table game player before turning to video poker, writes for “Gaming and Destinations”, “Arizona Player” and several other leading gaming publications. You can see her videos on YouTube or view them on American Casino Guide’s web site and her radio interviews are on iTunes. Boyd’s book, “The Video Poker Edge”, includes free removable pay schedules and her free strategy cards for the most popular games. The latest edition is available from amazon.com, Square One Publishers and book stores.

Kindle edition now available.

“THEY RULED THAT HE WAS EDGE-SORTING, AND THAT HE WAS CHEATING”

Lost Slot Jackpot (JP): It happened at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Fort Lauderdale; patron Jan Flato was playing and paying $50 a spin on a slot machine and asking his “friend” to hit the button for luck. He scored a $100,000 jackpot but the casino gave the friend the money. The Seminole spokesman said the person who pushes the button wins the jackpot regardless of who inserts the money.

Analysis: I think this was an incorrect ruling for a number of reasons, the first being their inconsistency. In a different situation, a casino employee watched a machine while a player was called for a drawing. Her friend started playing the machine and won a jackpot. There wasn’t even a discussion or argument about who got the cash, it was the person who inserted the money. In the Seminole Florida case nobody even argued about who inserted the money, both the player (it was even his slot club card in the device) and the girl who floated away with his cash, agreed he was the player.

Take-Away: If this happened to me and the JP was, say $1,200, it’s not worth litigating. But, if it was $100,000, like this case, I’d be suing the casino. The best action, of course, is to hit the button yourself so you don’t have to worry about it.

But, I do wonder about what would happen if the player was handicapped and required another to hit the buttons.

Phil Ivey Loses in UK Court: On October 25, the British Supreme Court ruled that Crockfords Casino, London did not have to pay professional gambler Phil Ivey the 7.7 million pounds (around $10 million dollars) that he won playing Punto Banco (baccarat) in 2012. They ruled that he was edge-sorting, and that he was cheating, even though Ivey never touched the cards. To Ivey it was advantage play, but to the judge it was “cheating for the purpose of civil law”. Strangely, the judge said dishonesty did not have to be a factor for it to be cheating. (Say what?)

26

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

What Happened? Ivey saw a defect in the pattern of cards manufactured by Gemaco (actually it was Cheung Yin Sun who noticed) used in a baccarat game called Punto Banco. He and a friend convinced the croupier into arranging the cards in a certain way that was advantageous to him. Ivey never touched the cards or marked them himself but took advantage of a gullible dealer.

Analysis: Several years ago, I was playing blackjack in a Laughlin, Nevada casino when I noticed a freshly opened deck of cards had minuscule scratches on the 10-pointers (one scratch) and aces (two tiny marks). This was a practice done by cheaters, some actually had a tell-tale long pinky nail for this purpose, but in this case the cards came marked from the manufacturer. So, of course I used this information and made money. I believe that the fault was with the card manufacturer both in my BJ advantage and in Ivey’s case. This has also come up in at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City who may sue Gemaco, the company that manufactured the purple-backed defective Punta Banco cards, where Ivey also won millions in 2011 by edgesorting.

Significance: Some lawyers are calling the decision made in the October against Ivey case one of the most significant in a generation.

That’s because the ruling is a departure from past decisions. In fact, the court of appeals (preceding his UK Supreme Court loss) actually ruled unanimously that being knowingly dishonest was not a necessary element of “cheating”. This definitely has important implications for video poker and other casino games.

Final Thoughts: It is important to keep up with the latest casino and court decisions regarding who gets the jackpot cash because some jurisdictions have a casino bias and will side with the house. You need to look no further than the Phil Ivey case where he never touched the cards and was denied his winnings by the courts. The Ivey case was predictable to those who assume corporations are allowed a heavy hand on the scales of justice and expected the U.K. court to side with Crockfords, owned by Genting Casinos.

Although some issues have nothing to do with casino clout or profits and still have an illogical outcome.

In the May Issue of G&D, Part II of this 2-part series, I’ll explore a surprising Video Poker case that cost the player big bucks.

PLAYER STRATEGY

POKER: Smart Play on the Flop PLAYING A-X SUITED: BAD FLOP

S

uppose that a jackal has raised the flop, and you have called his raise with Ad- 5d, and then the big blind calls as well. If the flop comes down Js-Qh-3d and the big blind checks and the jackal bets, fold your hand.

You have missed the flop (you don’t have a pair, a straight draw, or a flush draw); you have only two bets in the pot at this point; and you were the caller before the flop, not the raiser. There is no warrant for getting further involved in this hand.

Suppose now that a jackal has called one bet before the flop, and you’ve raised it with your Ad-5d.

Then the big blind and the jackal both call and the flop comes down Js-Qh-3d. If they both check to you on the flop, then go ahead and bet once on the flop. They may both fold at this point. If one of them does bet into you, just fold your hand.

Other than taking one shot at the pot on the flop when you were the pre-flop raiser with A-x suited, what you really want to do when you miss the flop is fold your hand.

PLAYING A-X SUITED: OK FLOP Suppose you’ve called an elephant’s early-position raise with Ac-6c on the button. The big blind calls the raise as well, and the flop comes down Jh-Jd-6h. Now the big blind bets out and the jackal raises. What do you do? Read, read, and re-read your opponents. If it were my hand and I didn’t have a read on my opponents, I would re-raise (making it three bets) to find out where I am, especially given that the raiser was a jackal.

Your opponents need to have an over pair or three jacks to have your two pair beaten at this point in the hand. They may have the three jacks, or they may have 6-7 or K-6 or a smaller pair or a flush draw. Raise it in this spot, unless you have a strong feeling that you’re beaten, in which case, fold.

Now, suppose you’ve called an elephant’s earlyposition raise with As-10s and then three other players call, including the big blind. The flop comes down Jd-10h-8c, and the big blind bets out and the elephant calls. What do you think, and what do you do? I wouldn’t raise, because I figure that there is an excellent chance that the big blind has me beaten, and with five players in the pot, what are the chances that I have the best hand? But calling and folding are reasonable

by

options. I would lean toward calling, but with two other people behind you and the big blind leading out, I could also make a pretty reasonable case for folding your hand right there. What did the elephant, the original raiser, call the one bet with on this flop? It seems pretty likely that he has A-Q , A-K or K-Q , all of which would give him a straight draw. The reasons why I would lean toward calling a bet on the flop in this situation are these: 1. You may have the best hand.

2. There are already six big bets in this pot.

3. Calling will cost only one more small bet, and perhaps both opponents behind you will fold their hands.

4. You may hit an ace or a ten on fourth street and wind up winning this pot because you called that one bet on the flop.

5. It’s possible that everyone will check the rest of the way (no one will bet on fourth street or the river) and that you win the pot because you called one small bet on the flop. (Don’t hold your breath hoping for this to happen!)

PHIL HELLMUTH JR.

Phil Hellmuth Jr. is a 13time World Series of Poker Champion, leading all other poker players in the world.

He is the author of two New York Times best sellers, and his latest book, “Deal Me In” is also widely popular. Visit PhilHellmuth.com to check out his latest blog, clothing line and exclusive poker tips and stories. This tip column is an excerpt from his Best Selling book “Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold’em” found on Amazon and in bookstores around the world.

PLAYING A-X SUITED: STRONG FLOPS, SLOW PLAY When you hit a really strong flop for your A-x suited hand, you have to decide how to collect the maximum number of bets. Usually, you can win the maximum by jamming the pot (putting in as many bets and raises as you can) after the flop. But sometimes, in order to give the impressions that you’re weak, you need to slow-play your handput no bets or raises in on the flop. If you’ve just flopped a “monster” (a huge hand) and someone bets out into you on the flop, you might want to just call one bet in order to draw your other opponents into the pot. Why raise everyone out of the pot when you flop a big hand? If your table image is weak or wild, you can raise on the flop because no one thinks you have anything anyways.

If your table image is strong or tight, you’re better off letting someone else bet your hand for you, even at the cost of missing some bets on the flop, in order to increase the chance that you can collect lots of bets on the last two rounds, when the limits are doubles.

“FORTUNES HAVE BEEN WON AND LOST WITH A-X! ”

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

27

Wind Creek Casino & Hotel - Atmore, Alabama

PROPE R T Y PROF I L E :

W I N D C R E E K C A S I NO & HO T E L T H R E E OF K I N D PROPER T I E S I N A L A B A M A

T

The family of properties under the Wind Creek umbrella includes a variety of amenities and offerings for gaming enthusiasts across the board.

Their slogan, “There’s always something extra to do here” certainly fits the bill with three premier properties scattered throughout Alabama. Whether you enjoy their delicious variety of cuisine, amenities to guarantee your comfort satisfaction or the hot action in the casino, you are sure to find your “winning moment” at these winning properties.

by

JORDAN MACKENZIE WE LLS

a convenient getaway for Gulf Coast gamers. Walk into the 57,000-square-foot gamers bliss and you’ll find over 1,600 games to choose from including some of the most popular and favorite games on the market. The property offers a ‘New Player Promise’ offering new players to the Wind Creek Rewards Club a $10 food credit and a rebate of up to $1,000 on your first day of play, as well as a variety of promotional offerings for returning

WIND CREEK ATMORE WINDCREEKATMORE.COM 1-866-946-3360 Located less than an hour from the Pensacola, the Atmore property provides 28

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

FIRE Steakhouse

players to get in on some exciting action.

When it’s time to eat, Wind Creek Atmore has you covered with a wide-ranging buffet that includes food from everywhere around the world, and FIRE Steakhouse a “top-rated steakhouse in Alabama.” The buffet will cure your cravings for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and FIRE Steakhouse offers an abundant variety of steaks and seafood accompanied with a vast wine selection and great service in a romantic atmosphere. If a buffet experience is more your style, you can’t go wrong at TASTE Buffet, featuring food from Asian station, Italian pasta and pizza, American favorites and a great salad bar. If you are into cooking, the property also offers a hands-on culinary class making “their kitchen your kitchen,”

teaching techniques that will have you making your own tasty treats in no time.

Get comfortable and stay a while in the “AAA Four-Diamond-rated luxury hotel,” where you can choose from a diversity of suites designed to fit your personal tastes.

Priced right, the property guarantees you the best rate and if you happen to find a lower rate, Wind Creek Atmore will match the offer and discount it by 25%.

Popular amenities at Atmore include an infinity pool, fitness studio, shopping boutique, luxurious spa and more.

“Our stage never loses its rhythm, as the mellow twang of the old guitars and the swing of the big brass bands take you on a rollercoaster ride of sound.” Commented a property representative. So, get ready to boogie with this awesome experience of the Blue’s and entertainment that will give you an experience of a lifetime.

Be sure to check out BB King’s Blues Club where you can enjoy casual cuisine day or night while listening to live music. If you’re looking for a little bit of southern comfort food then head over to Itta Bena, where you’ll find variety of crab and shrimp, potatoes and shrimp, and other Southern favorites. For a quick casual bite to eat check out Lucille’s Eatery for a variety of burgers, chicken wings, and some of the best bar-b-que around.

The hotel at Wind Creek Montgomery offers a full selection of luxurious hotel rooms and suites that will make you never want to leave. Other amenities include a 24-hour fitness center equipped with a full gym and a place to cool off with a relaxing pool area.

sandwiches, salads, burgers, hibachi and more.

If you stay overnight, relax in one of their 283 rooms or suites and you will feel right

at home with spacious and comforting fingertips. Also, if the temperature is right, don’t miss the Oasis pool that includes a

pool bar and cabanas with a staff to pamper you with anything you could desire. The

cabanas offer a comfortable and luxurious poolside retreat, where you have your

own space and private TV. There is also

a Fitness Center at Wetumpka offering state-of-the-art LifeFitness Equipment

to ensure you get the most out of your workout. If you can spare a few minutes,

WIND CREEK MONTGOMERY 1-866-946-3360 Your stay at Wind Creek Montgomery offers 65,000-square-feet and more than 2,200 games where it seems like the “floor never stops spinning” making it a great place to find a variety of games, new and old.

Enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner with

layouts and in-room amenities at your

Be sure to check out the extensive entertainment that is offered including live music and entertainment every weekend.

Guests can also kick back and relax with the eight-screen, state-of-the-art digital movie theatre that offers a premium movie experience, or take a break from the casino at the sixteen lane bowling alley.

WINDCREEKMONTGOMERY.COM

meal in 30 minutes or less or it’s free!

The Spa at Wind Creek

be sure to stop in Essentials, where you can get just about everything from gifts

WIND CREEK WETUMPKA

to essentials you might have left at home!

WINDCREEKWETUMPKA.COM

Entertainment at Wetumpka will leave

1-866-946-3360 The largest of the three Wind Creek prop er t ie s , Wet u mpk a of fer s a n 85,000-square-foot heaven for all gamers

featuring over 2,500 different games where you are sure to find just about any game you are looking for. As with all

you with a memorable experience with top touring acts including past performances

by Sara Evans, Randy Houser, Kenny

Rogers, Willie Nelson and many more!

Check out their upcoming concerts to plan an exciting weekend at Wetumpka.

of the Wind Creek locations, there are

In addition to the Alabama Wind Creek

of offering chances to win big.

has players excited to earn rewards

always exciting promotions to take part

properties, a recent expansion to Aruba

Wetumpka also offers a first-class dining

for an even more exotic getaway. The

you won’t leave hungry. Guests enjoy a

in Aruba is now part of the Wind Creek

seafood and wine list in a comfortable and

players to play their way to paradise. To

experience with FIRE Steakhouse where

Renaissance Curacao Resort and Casino

vast menu selection of prime steaks and

family offering a luxurious property for

relaxed setting for an exceptional dining

find out more information about this new

experience by Chef Stephen Allen.

and exclusive gamers destination check

For casual quick eats, check out Grill,

out, www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/

where they ensure you will receive your

casino/

home of the “30-minute guarantee”

curbr-renaissance-curacao-resort-andG A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

29

SOU THERN

CASINO DIRECTORY

Below is a list of our preferred properties of the South showcasing some of the great things that each property has.

WEBSITE

PHONE NUMBER

*CC PARTNER

TABLES

MACHINES

BELTERRA CASINO RESORT

belterracasino.com

812-427-7777

•

55

1,473

RISING STAR CASINO RESORT

risingstarcasino.com

800-472-6311

•

29

1,000

TROPICANA EVANSVILLE

tropevansville.com

812-433-4000

•

40

905

FITZ CASINO & HOTEL

fitzgeraldstunica.com

662-363-5825

•

24

1,268

GOLD STRIKE CASINO RESORT

goldstrike.com

662-357-1111

53

1,400

HOLLYWOOD CASINO TUNICA

hollywoodcasinotunica.com

662-357-7700

•

28

1,079

RESORT’S CASINO

ResortsTunica.com

866-706-7070

•

13

1,052

41

1,563

34

1,275

54

1,200

57

1,800

INDIANA

TUNICA

MID-SOUTH: INCLUDES LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA AMERISTAR CASINO VICKSBURG

ameristar.com/vicksburg

601-638-1000

CYPRESS BAYOU CASINO HOTEL

cypressbayou.com

337-923-7284

MARGARITAVILLE RESORT CASINO

margaritavillebossiercity.com

318-698-7177

PARAGON CASINO RESORT

paragoncasinoresort.com

318-253-1946

PEARL RIVER RESORT

pearlriverresort.com

866-447-3276

79

2,350

WIND CREEK ATMORE

WindCreekAtmore.com

866-946-3360

N/A

1,600+

WIND CREEK MONTGOMERY

WindCreekMontgomery.com

866-946-3360

N/A

2,200+

WIND CREEK WETUMPKA

WindCreekWetumpka.com

866-946-3360

N/A

2,500+

BEAU RIVAGE RESORT & CASINO

beaurivage.com

228-386-7111

96

2,100

IP CASINO RESORT & SPA

ipbiloxi.com

228-436-3000

•

60

1,900

SCARLET PEARL CASINO RESORT

scarletpearlcasino.com

888-266-5772

•

45

1,350

SILVER SLIPPER CASINO HOTEL

silverslipper-ms.com

228-469-2777

•

25

965

CALDER CASINO & RACE COURSE

caldercasino.com

305-625-1311

•

RACING

1,200

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK & CASINO TAMPA

seminolehardrocktampa.com

813-627-7625

171

5,000

SEMINOLE HARD ROCK & CASINO HOLLY

seminolehardrockhollywood.com

866-502-7529

130

2,200

LUMIERE.COM

314-881-777

73

2,000

Caesars.com/harrahs-cherokee

828-497-7777

100

3,280

• •

GULF COAST

FLORIDA

MISSOURI LUMIERE PLACE CASINO AND HOTELS NORTH CAROLINA HARRAH’S CHEROKEE CASINO RESORT

30

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

* CC Partner means the property provides coupons and special offers to members of The Comps Club. For more information, visit Thecompsclub.com

# OF ROOMS

ENT. VENUE

GOLF

SPA

POOL

608

•

•

•

OUTDOOR

294

•

•

INDOOR

349

INDOOR

506 1,131

•

494

•

201

•

•

•

INDOOR

•

INDOOR

•

INDOOR

•

OUTDOOR INDOOR

150

•

102

•

395

•

531

•

1,071

•

236

OUTDOOR •

OUTDOOR

•

•

BOTH

•

•

BOTH

•

•

OUTDOOR

123

•

•

OUTDOOR

283

•

1,740

•

•

•

OUTDOOR

1,088

•

•

•

OUTDOOR

OUTDOOR

300

OUTDOOR

129

250

•

•

OUTDOOR

481

•

•

OUTDOOR

294

•

•

•

1,108

•

•

IN & OUT

• •

G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M |

31

FUTURE ODDS FIND YOUR EDGE … PLACE YOUR BET!

Check out the latest odds for major sporting events. For the latest up-to-the-minute odds, visit GamingandDestinations.com

MASTERS - AUGUST 5-8, 2018

NBA FINALS - JUNE 15, 2018

AUGUSTA NATIONAL - AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

Player Dustin Johnson

March 17/2

January 7/1

Rory McIlroy

12/1

10/1

Jason Day

14/1

Jordan Spieth Ricky Fowler Jon Rahm

17/2

14/1

16/1

17/1

18/1

18/1

20/1

25/1

14/1

Justin Thomas

18/1

Justin Rose

20/1

Tiger Woods

Hideki Matsuyama

7/1

Phil Mickelson 35/1 *All others are higher than 35/1.

KENTUCKY DERBY - MAY 5, 2018 CHURCHILL DOWNS - LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

14/1

Team Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets

March January 10/17 2/3 5/1

13/2

Boston Celtics

12/1

10/1

Oklahoma City Thunder

25/1

Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors

San Antonio Spurs

5/1

12/1 25/1

16/1

Minnesota Timberwolves

18/1

*All other teams are higher than 40/1 odds.

N/A

Milwaukee Bucks

33/1

40/1

9/2

N/A

20/1 14/1

25/1

40/1

MLB WORLD SERIES -NOVEMBER 1, 2018 Team New York Yankees

Los Angeles Dodgers

March 5/1 6/1

Houston Astros 6/1 Horse Future Pool 2 Future Pool 1 Cleveland Indians 8/1 Bolt d’Oro 8/1 7/1 Washington Nationals 8/1 Good Magic 8/1 11/1 Chicago Cubs 10/1 Audible 9/1 N/A Boston Red Sox 12/1 McKinzie 9/1 12/1 Catholic Boy 16/1 N/A Los Angeles Angels 20/1 Instilled Regard 30/1 N/A New York Mets 20/1 Solomini 19/1 N/A St. Louis Cardinals 20/1 Mask 22/1 N/A Arizona Diamondbacks 25/1 Avery Island 27/1 N/A *All other teams are higher odds than 25/1 odds.

Principe Guilherme 30/1 27/1 Mourinho 31/1 N/A Sporting Chance 33/1 N/A Free Drop Billy 36/1 N/A Mutuel Field (All others) 5/2 6/5

January 9/2 5/1

13/2 7/1

10/1 8/1

14/1

16/1

N/A

20/1 N/A

*All others odds are higher than 36/1.

For the latest sports odds, updated every 5 minutes, visit GamingandDestinations.com 32

| G A M I N G A N D D E S T I N AT I O N S . C O M

WSOP® CIRCUIT EVENT OVER 3 MILLION IN GUARANTEES! 12 epic days of poker April 12-23 Visit WSOP.com for additional event details. @harrahscherokee

Subject to change or cancellation. Must be 21 or older to enter casino floor and to gamble, and must present a valid state or federal photo ID upon request. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem?

Call 1-800-522-4700. An Enterprise of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. ©2018, Caesars License Company, LLC.

YOUR NEW CARD. YOUR NEXT WIN. New Members Win Up To $1,000 FREE SlotPlay ®!

Hurry in and sign up for a new Marquee Rewards® card! Not only is this the card that makes every play a winner, it also rewards you handsomely with comps, room upgrades, trips, discounts and more.

And now, new members who sign up can play the NEW MEMBER KIOSK GAME for a guaranteed win of up to $1,000 FREE SlotPlay ®.

Swipe your new card within 48 hours of sign-up. One kiosk game per new member player account.

ResortsTunica.com

HollywoodCasinoTunica.com

1stjackpot.com

© 2018 Hollywood Casino Tunica, Resorts Casino Tunica and 1ST Jackpot Casino Tunica. All prizes paid in Free SlotPlay ®. Promotions valid only at Hollywood Casino Tunica, Resorts Casino Tunica and 1ST Jackpot Casino Tunica. See Player Services for complete details. Must be 21 years or older. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-777-9696.