Casino News Today

Donate blood Saturday and receive a voucher for a ticket to see “The Scintas Show” at the Las Vegas Hilton plus some other gifts.

United Blood Services in teaming up with Hash House A Go Go in a blood drive in the restaurant’s parking lot from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Other gifts to donors include a voucher for two tickets to the “Mega Bubble Show” in the Steve Wyrick Theater at Planet Hollywood, a certificate for a pancake breakfast at the restaurant, a restaurant T-shirt and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Donors are encouraged to schedule an appointment by calling 702-228-8400, ext. 241 or online at www.bloodhero.com. Walk-ups will also be welcomed. The location is 6800 W. Sahara Ave., near Rainbow.

Drawings of Note

Terrible’s Hotel & Casino is continuing its Wednesday evening drawings through June with 25 weekly winners of cash and free slot play. All winners for the month are eligible for a month-end drawing for a new Dodge Nitro. Slot Club members receive a free entry for every 250 points earned at slot and table play with a maximum of 100 entries per week per person.

The Gold Coast will hold its final drawing in its EZ Tax Giveaway on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Ten winners will be selected from entries earned for play at the slots and table games while using the casino’s slot club card. One winner will receive the grand prize of $10,400 while the remaining nine will receive $1,040. For those who didn’t notice the tax form number they filed, we hope by midnight April 15, it’s Form 1040.

The last drawings in the $40,000 Spring Cash Bonanza promotion at Arizona Charlie’s two casinos will be at 6:15 p.m. today. Each casino will reward 10 winners with cash prizes from $500 to $5,000. Slot club members each an entry for every 50 points earned at slots and table games.

Show Changes

The Society of Seven ended its run at the Las Vegas Flamingo last week. The group is going on tour through August.

A medical problem has caused a shutdown of the Toni Braxton show at the Las Vegas Flamingo. We hope the problem can be resolved and she will be able to continue her show.

Kentucky Derby

The biggest horse race of the year should help keep the Sports Books of the casinos busy for the next few days. The Derby will be run May 3 and there is no clear favorite at present.

In an interview with three former top jockeys who won the famed race a total of six times, sports columnist Ed Golden got them to peg their three favorites and they all went for the same three horses. Eddie Delahoussaye, Laffit Pincay Jr. and Gary Stevens all picked Big Brown, Pyro, and Colonel John as the favorites.

Colonel John won the Santa Anita Derby on April 5, but that race was on turf rather than a dirt track, which awaits the horse in Kentucky. According to the three jockeys, Colonel John has never run on dirt. Big Brown won the Florida Derby on March 29 and Pyro won the Louisiana Derby on March 8.

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Pennsylvania senators are still bickering over the details of an indoor smoking ban. Legislators have argued this issue for years. Meanwhile, many other states have banned smoking in bars and restaurants, protecting the health of non-smoking citizens, whether they are employees or customers. The Morning Call has consistently supported a smoking ban in public places statewide and expressed concern last month that lawmakers would become ”deadlocked over the details.”

Exactly this is happening now. Legislators must quit arguing and reach a reasonable compromise.

Some senators fear that a blanket smoking ban would hurt business at Pennsylvania casinos. But that area of concern is changing. On Wednesday night, the city council in Atlantic City voted unanimously to ban smoking from casino floors. The council members took that action after casino employees, citing threats to their own health, persuaded them that it was the right thing to do. The ban will take effect in October.

Once that happens, Pennsylvania legislators and casino owners will no longer be able cite economic damage from smoking customers being drawn to New Jersey casinos as a reason not to have stronger regulations here.

In fact, Atlantic City’s action helps Pennsylvania to draft a better indoor clean-air law. The more broadly such a law is applied, the more acceptable it is. A law that applies to everyone and everywhere does not create winners and losers on opposite sides of a municipal boundary. Imagined economic woes should not be valued over the proven effects of second-hand smoke on restaurant works, dealers, bartenders and other patrons. At the very least, businesses must section-off smoking areas so those who choose not to smoke aren’t forced to do so.

A complete smoking ban in nearly all public places would be ideal, but a partial ban is certainly better than nothing. Legislators who favor a stringent ban and those who believe certain places should be exempt must compromise. Instead of continuing to debate about whether all or no part of casinos should be smoke free, for example, legislators should require casino owners to allow smoking on 25 percent of the floor.

Pennsylvania needs to ban smoking in at least a portion of most public places. Paying customers have the right to patronize the businesses of their choice and are entitled to clean air while eating or gambling. Lawmakers worried about losing gamblers — and revenue — to Atlantic City if they banned smoking in casinos no longer have that worry … or excuse not to legislate. To break the deadlock, allowing these casinos to create areas for smoking is an option. Regardless, this issue can’t wait anymore. State legislators must take action to protect the health of non-smokers, as other states have.

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PITTSBURGH — Construction continues on Don Barden’s Majestic Star Casino. But some question his financial stability. One issue is Barden asking the gaming board to withdraw his $3 million commitment to Hill District redevelopment. Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato said Barden is not backing out on the investment, just the location since development rights now belong to the Penguins in the new arena deal. Onorato said, “That $3 million will be spent somewhere. We’ve got to figure out where and announce it publicly what exactly we are doing with it, what he is doing with it, the contingency with it, and people won’t be guessing what’s going on.” Onorato has been in contact with Barden’s office and a meeting is planned possibly later this week, something City Council President Doug Shields welcomes. Shields said, “We need to hear his rationale and we need to have a consensus on what’s best to do and the $3 million is committed to or is still on the table.” Also at issue is Barden’s ability to continue to finance the project since his other casinos are losing money. Onorato said the uniqueness of the Pittsburgh casino license assures its financing. Onorato said, “It’s a stand alone license and entity. There are backers willing to come in because of the value of that license. It’s the only one in Pittsburgh and it’s very valuable because of that monopoly.”

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Massachusetts - The Bay State’s refusal to legalize expanded gambling has stacked the odds against Suffolk Downs, even as the storied East Boston racetrack struggles to make a comeback, its new lead investor said yesterday.

In his first public remarks since Gov. Deval Patrick’s resort casino plan was defeated last month on Beacon Hill, Suffolk’s lead owner Richard Fields said yesterday he was “very disappointed” with the outcome.

Suffolk had been a top contender for one of three resort casino licenses the governor proposed selling.

Fields, the horse racing enthusiast and casino developer who bought a controlling stake in Suffolk last year, said renovations and more aggressive marketing are starting to pay off at the racetrack.

But despite a big jump in the number of fans in the stands, Suffolk still finds itself fighting an uphill battle as it competes with other racing venues subsidized by slot machines.

Fields said racetracks up and down the East Coast now have some form of expanded gambling, usually slot machines.

“There is not an even playing field between Suffolk Downs and all the other tracks on the Eastern seaboard,” he said.

Fields’ remarks came at a luncheon at the Boston Harbor Hotel where he outlined plans for new promotions and marketing efforts for the coming racing season at Suffolk.

The track unveiled a revamped racing schedule aimed at luring more fans, as well as beefed-up purses for winning horses. Suffolk is also teaming up with the Massachusetts State Lottery by putting its brand on an existing Keno game, the Daily Race Game.

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