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Macau Casinos

According to new reports, gambling revenue in Macau has increased 40% from the same time last year. Following the recent dips in gambling throughout the world, it appears as if Macau casinos are back on the up. Not only have Macau’s casinos had the recession to contend with, but also outbreaks of swine flu and visa restrictions on tourists can’t have helped the areas industry as a whole. Revenue in the month of August is reported by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau to have totalled 15.8 billion patacas (almost $2 billion), compared to last August, when the industry turned over just 11.3 billion patacas.

The good news doesn’t stop there for the Macau gambling industry, as August hasn’t even been this year’s most productive month for casinos based in the province. May saw 17.1 billion patacas being turned over and July’s total was not far behind. So with the rest of the world continuing to suffer in terms of revenue, could Macau be about to eclipse more popular gambling havens, such as Las Vegas?

William Hill Casino

William Hill Casino is celebrating the end of summer by offering double comp points on their games of the month: The Blade slot and Golden Games slot. In order to gain these double comp points you must join the exclusive loyalty program, which rewards you with free cash for your online casino play. Gaining enough points will allow you to claim a range of prizes that consist of cash and bonuses. Every £10 wagered will result in the gaining of 1 comp point and the more you play, the better your comp points rate will be. Of course, double comp points can be earned during September when playing Blade and Golden Games.

In addition to the loyalty program and double points giveaway, William Hill are welcoming the new Rocky slot to their casino. The Rocky slot has 5 reels and 25 lines and combines the magic of the Rocky films with plenty of winning opportunities. These opportunities are helped by the many extras that included in the slot such as a wild bonus, scatter bonus, Rocky feature, Knockout bonus round, free spins and a gamble feature.

Baccarat

Security expert Bill Zender has warned that baccarat cheating is on the rise, as the casino card game grows in popularity. Zender said this at one of his casino security seminars, the first to be specifically focused on baccarat. Zender claims that the simple gameplay and the lack of strategy involved in the game makes baccarat an ideal choice for cheaters. This point is illustrated by the fact that the largest ever cheating ring involved baccarat. It is speculated that $15 million were stolen from many casinos all across North America between 2003 and 2007 by the San Diego-based Tran Organisation.

There are various ways of cheating while playing baccarat at casinos and these can involve high tech gadgets to some simple team play. Using equipment to card switch or trading cards with other players are common ways of cheating at baccarat and while distraction techniques and the bribing of casino employees can also occur. Childish behaviour, such as that exhibited by the Caesars Palace player who danced on the table last year is commonly used to distract casino employees from what the player is really doing.

However, Zender has stated that casinos are wising up to these antics and as casinos are looking to save every penny at the moment, they won’t be tolerating cheating of any form.

Flag of the United States

Software providers Playtech have been in discussion with various U.S. gambling operators, as the regulation of online gaming looms larger. Should the American stance on online gambling be altered or removed, then British based company Playtech are in prime position to take advantage by joining forces with major gambling firms such as MGM Resorts International, Penn National Gaming and Harrah’s Entertainment. So far, Playtech have been able to avoid any legal repercussions by leasing out their online casino software to other businesses.

Another positive of Playtech’s bid to move into America is that they’ve already worked in America and continue to do so, with considerable success, in a joint venture with Scientific Games. This partnership targeted government lotteries and was announced in January of this year.

“We have a lot of interest from operators in the U.S.” confirmed Playtech CEO Mor Weizman. This interest certainly looks set to continue in the expectation that online gambling will soon be legal in the U.S.

Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

The under-construction Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel-casino has announced its new partnership with worldwide hotel chain Marriot International. Under the terms of the new agreement, the Cosmopolitan will become part of the Marriot’s Autograph Collection, which was launched last year as a group of independent luxury hotels. The Cosmopolitan will be the first casino to join the collection, which currently contains over ten resorts in the America.

The casino, which is due to be opened in December of this year, has been under construction since October 2005 and has cost $3.9 billion to build. It will contain just under 3,000 hotel rooms, a casino, shops, restaurants, a spa and fitness facility, convention spaces and a 1,800 seat theatre.

The partnership means that The Cosmopolitan will have access to Marriot’s considerable customer database as well as being advertised in other Marriot resorts. Chief executive of Cosmopolitan John Unwin, stated that the deal would broaden its share of customers and drive its growth.

On the other side of the coin, J.W Marriott, Marriot International’s CEO told The Associated Press: “A lot of customer are going to Las Vegas every year and not staying in a Marriott product. Now they can.” The opening of The Cosmopolitan will be keenly watched by all, as it's going to be the last Las Vegas casino to open for the foreseeable future, at least.