• Posts Tagged ‘Indian’

    Class III Slot Machines Under Fire

    Saturday, October 30th, 2010

    With the growth in slot machine gambling, the market is facing serious issues. If you look at the progression of the issue, it’s clear to see how much it is stirring up in the market. There are serious talks going on to sort through the issues. New York is a state that is heavy in the issue. Right now the Seneca Nation of Indians are the center of an argument. They have been trying to get the attention of the government for some time now. They wanted to discuss issues they were having and overcome them. When they weren’t able to get a seat with legislators, the casino’s tribal leaders began to get agitated. They purposely stopped payments and demanded to be heard. Their tactic didn’t work though—legislators didn’t call them to task like they had hoped. Once they stopped paying though for an extended period of time, legislators changed their minds. They began to get angry and demand that the tribe start to pay. It seemed like an even exchange—talk to the tribe and they keep making payments.

    What is in question for the tribe is their Class III slot machines. The Nation has a good revenue to offer the state, but part of their contract is for exclusivity with the games. The state however changed their minds on that issue and allowed another location to bring slots in. It was Moxie Mania slots that were allowed at privately owned businesses and that is infringing on their revenue. The tribal leaders are trying to hold the government to their former commitment allowing them to be the only slot casino in the state. The legislators are on the other side though—they see how lucrative the games are and believe that allowing other locations to bring them is going to elevate their own revenue stream. Their attitude is, why not take advantage of the possibilities out there? Unfortunately, it goes back on their longstanding agreement with the state. It will have to be sorted out but most likely the state isn’t going to make good on their promise for exclusivity. There is just too much money at stake for them to turn it away.

    Seneca Tribe Fighting for their Slots Revenue

    Monday, October 25th, 2010

    There are some problems happening with the Seneca Tribe and their casino. In New York the tribe has had some issues with slots gambling. Tribal leaders have been going back and forth with the Gaming Board and the state’s legislators for years now. New York has tried to discuss the problem with the tribe, stating that their pact regarding Class III slot machines is in question. The Nation has been holding out in terms of paying the state. Part of the problem is that tribal leaders don’t believe that the state is listening to them. They want to hold a conference with government leaders to discuss their personal issues with gambling in the state. Because they haven’t been given that chance, the nation now is hitting the state where it hurts: their state coffers. This may not work though. By not paying the state on schedule the tribe is in violation of an agreement formed years ago. The rule is that the Seneca Tribe has to reimburse the state for all regulatory spending needed to manage gambling regulations. They also have to contribute a portion of the overall slots revenues that they bring into the tribe. The return favor is that the state agreed to allow the tribe to monopolize the slots market for New York.

    This is where the problems begin. The state was for a long time the only slots provider. Then the state decided to allow slots into various racing arenas and to private businesses for operations. The Seneca Tribe is calling the state in breach of the contract that was formed protecting their sole slots market. The issue is that if slots are offered in other locations in the state that drastically will cut down on the tribe’s income. No longer do people have to come to their casino for slots gambling, but rather have a long list of options to employ. Because the tribal leaders feel the state went back on their agreement, it is denying the state the pay owed until they can clear the issue up. It could be that losing the funds is the only thing that will speak to the state and spur it on to looking at the exclusive rights the tribe has to slots gambling.

    Tribally-Owned Slots Parlors having Problems with Revenue

    Sunday, October 24th, 2010

    For a long time now tribes throughout the US have used slot machine gaming as a means of operating. Tribes have special pacts with the government that allow them to use gambling as a means of maintaining their own budgets. Of course they pay for that privilege but it still has worked out for all parties involved over the past few decades. Tribally-owned casinos are a huge market in the US but now even they are having problems maintaining their former revenue schedules. Tribal leaders are concerned that due to the recession, their numbers are down and are showing no tangible signs of reviving now that the financial crisis is over. In fact, things are getting worse. The Arizona Department of Gaming just announced that revenues from 2005 to 2009 gone from $1.7 billion to $1.68 billion. That decline is telling of how precarious the market is right now and how many problems tribal owners may have when it comes to spurring their own market back to what it was pre-recession.
    The problems tribal leaders are having come down to two different issues. First, people just aren’t gambling like they once did. They are still conservatively returning to the market with no signs that they are going to start wagering like they once did. Though the market is better, there are no guarantees that lenders are going to start opening their doors like they once did. There are also no guarantees that prices are going to come down, or that move jobs are going to enter the market.

    Secondly, tribal leaders are seeing the increase in competition as an added thorn in their sides. Now that the door to legalizing gambling is opening, it is creating more problems for existing players in the market. They now have to contend with newer and flashier slots parlors and casinos in their areas. People have more choices and they are pickier than ever. Also, online gambling is coming into the market and this is throwing everyone into turmoil. That offers convenient gambling that land based casinos just cannot compete with. Tribal leaders are worried, but hopeful. They want to rework their deals with the government to see if they can rally that much quicker. Most are on the verge of expansion too because they believe that this is the way to turn their own markets around for the good.

    Seneca Tribe Fights to be Heard

    Thursday, October 21st, 2010

    There are a lot of problems with gambling and regulating it in the US. The Seneca Nation knows full well the problems gambling provides. The tribe has had a long-standing pact with the government that they would be the only slot machine operators in the state of New York. For a long time the pact worked, but now things are quickly souring. The state government is refusing to meet with the tribe to discuss the issue of slots. Because of a lack of working with them, the Seneca Nation is now holding back slots revenues to the state. These monies equal millions of dollars every month and that could be what it is going to take to turn things around for them or at minimum for the government to agree to meet with them.

    There was a backlash though. The Seneca Tribal leaders started making their own rules in terms of paying out. They decided to make payouts to individual cities, rather than the state government. Once they did this, Governor Paterson stood up and took notice. He realized their intention and immediately stated that it was “unacceptable” that they decide for themselves to operate this way. He maintained that the government has never worked this way and therefore the tribe was not allowed to make payments to anyone but the state government as they have for years now. Of course the Seneca Tribal leaders didn’t lose sleep over the response—rather they maintained that if the government leaders would just meet with them they could discuss the issue among themselves and come to a mutually beneficial outcome. As of right now the government has two ways to manage the issue with the tribe. They can either continue to ignore them or they can shut them down. The tribe however has already maintained strongly that it will not be put aside on the issue of slots gambling. They want to meet with government officials and bring in the right solution for their concerns as gaming giants within the state. Only time will tell whether or not they will get their meeting, or if the issue will continue to be pushed to even greater ends.

    Seneca Nation Negotiating with New York Legislators

    Thursday, October 14th, 2010

    There are still a lot of rules to sort out with slot machine laws throughout the US. In New York, new problems are arising. Now it is the Seneca Nation of Indians that are beginning to fight over casino gaming fees being incurred. The tribe states that they are being charged large fees for gaming but should not be. Their suggestion was to pay out those fees to the local community, rather than paying them directly to the state. The Governor has rejected that suggestion, stating that they have to rather focus on the state pay. Governor Paterson said “This is not how New York State government works.” The Seneca Nation has long had issues with the Buffalo, New York area. They are trying to still come up with a better way to bring gambling to the state. The tribally-owned casino operators know that they are bringing in huge dollars but are taking offense at the amount of money that is considered to be “state regulated fees.” The fees are adding up to a much larger chunk of what was earlier decided upon. The Seneca Nation believes that they are being overcharged for the gambling services.

    Indian-owned casinos are in the battle for their position in the gambling market. now that more and more casinos are opening in areas, the market of casino gambling is no longer solely a tribal issue. There is so much competition now that it is putting Indian-owned casinos at bay. They have to solidify their own positions in the market. Plus with the addition of online gambling companies the market is being pushed to a competition that until now has never been reached. Most Indian-owned casinos make that their only form of revenue and that alone is posing problems for their future financial progressions. Many are coming up with promotions and benefits for gamers in their areas hoping that is enough to sway them into their doors. It is working, but the competition is fierce and showing no signs of a cut back any time soon. Only time will tell how casinos owned by Indian tribes are going to fair in the future of gambling.

    Aztecs Treasure Slots Review

    Thursday, September 30th, 2010

    Aztecs Treasure is a slots game that has been around for a while but has maintained its popularity in the market. That means that it is a game that is able to grow with gamers. If you want a great game, then test it out. It has five reels and twenty paylines. That is standard in the market because it gives you gaming fun and a great chance at making combinations to win. There is also a free practice mode with this game. If you want to sit back and test it out before you start wagering, then this is the perfect game to start with. It has a jackpot of 5,000 coins and the coin values range from one penny on up to $5. Having a good range of wager requirements is a great advantage because any player should be able to take advantage of them. If you love Aztec princesses, beads, and the culture you are going to love the visuals on this game. It also comes with a great visual appeal to it because the symbols are all catchy and vividly colored. This is a Real Time gaming development, so expect the best gaming possible from it!

    If you love the Aztec or Mexican culture then you are going to love this game. It comes along with a jaguar and warrior to help you make wins. There is a random progressive jackpot to be won too. You can get to this at the end of any reel spin regardless of what reel combination you get or how big or small your wager was. The bonus here is that if you do get to the random progressive jackpot, you are going to add that amount to whatever you have already won. It is a great way to increase your win substantially. There is a wild symbol here and a scatter. Both help you to make winning combinations. You also can get a free spin feature. Overall this is a game that is riddled with bonus upon bonus. If you want to maximize your game time then text out Aztecs Treasure. There is a reason this game has stood the test of time and remained one of the most popular games out there.

    California Tribal Leaders Increase Gambling

    Monday, April 12th, 2010

    The San Manuel Tribe in California has been instrumental in bringing gambling to the state. It all began back in 2007 when the Tribe made a push for gaming by coming up with an agreement between them and the state. Their goal was to operate thousands of slot machines throughout their casinos and benefit financially from the revenue. Jerry Paresa, executive director of the tribe, said that though the tribe worked hard to come up with a viable plan, there is let a legislator to jump on board with the proposal.
    Now that the topic of gambling is even more prevalent in the US, California tribes are hoping that legislators are ready to revisit the issue. The landscape of debate has changed. Back in 2007 the nation was pre-recession and though the added millions of dollars from gambling tax-dollar revenues would have been nice, it wasn’t a necessity. Now that the recession is over, the state needs some way of bringing in money. California is under a huge deficit right now—it was huge before the recession and now it is enormous. Without some viable option of handling the issue the state could experience a total financial collapse. That is why legislators are being pushed to revisit legalizing gambling and using the money to shore up the huge deficit. Without it, there are few options for bringing in millions of much-needed dollars.
    The San Manuel Indian Tribe leaders manage the Indian Bingo and Casino in San Bernardino. It has formerly been a very successful gambling center and brings in a lot of money to the tribe. The proposal to bring more slots gambling to the casino and then in turn, bring more money into the state is an attractive one. The tribe would have to pay the state of California $45 million annually. That is not a small sum of money and could considerably change the huge deficit legislators are struggling with. If legislators make moves to overcome the budget problems, most likely gambling and slots gaming will be an integral part of the changes. Only time will tell how dependent the state allows itself to become on gambling, but as a first step out of the recession, the change is needed.

    Tribal-owned Casinos Argue they Need More Slots

    Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

    California has seen difficult times since the recession. The state is looking for revenue and having a difficult time coming up with new options. Tribes that own casinos in the state are having the same financial troubles. Tribes are complaining that their numbers are down and their taxes to the state are to hefty to manage as a result. They say that since the recession their numbers have dropped significantly and have yet to return to anywhere near where they were before the economic meltdown. For this reason, most are projecting that their revenue will continue to struggle until the economy returns to its normal state.

    Experts are predicting it will take months, even years, for the economy to return to its pre-recessionary condition. Although analysts project that there should be visible signs of improvement by mid-2010, that doesn’t mean that industries of real estate and lending will return to normal any time soon. In fact, they are projected to continue being depressed until well into 2011. Expert Judy Duden, of Economy.com said, “The unemployment rate needs to level off before any major changes will be seen in the banking, lending or real estate industries.”

    Tribal leaders in California also are requesting for an expansion of their slot machines. They believe the added revenue is the only thing that will reinvigorate their own revenues. State administrators however have other plans. They argue that more slot machines would lead to traffic congestion and a spike in crime, and they said that with the numbers down they can’t handle more expenses. The tribes eventually took the issue to court and the administration lost. That means that more slot machines will be brought into the state.

    Critics of the move are citing the tribe’s past problems. If people weren’t coming in to gamble on the slots they have now, will a new fleet of the machines bring people in? No one knows for sure whether or not the move will work. On one hand, people may continue to steer clear of gambling until their own paychecks are stable. Or, people may be intrigued by the advertising of new games and take a chance. No one knows for sure, but the huge upfront cost of the added expansion needs to be well pondered before implemented.

     

    Indian Gaming Regulatory Act Classifies Slot Machines

    Saturday, January 23rd, 2010

    The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act divided slot machines into two classes; Class II slot machines and Class III slot machines.  There isn’t a Class 1 slot machine to discuss regarding the general public because the Class system has less to do directly with slot machines than how types of gambling games are split up. The Class 1 slot machines are only the traditional tribal or social gaming played for very low stakes and minimal prizes.  Slot machines are not typically associated with this type of gaming.

    When it comes to the Class II games, this is a true slot machine classification. Bingo and pull tabs are types of game of chance that fall into this category. A Class II slot machine is a lot like a bingo game and the CPU of the machine worked on a random number system. The machine automatically covers certain reels on the electronic bingo

    Then we come to Class II gaming, the first Class that involves slot machines.  Bingo and pull tab are the sorts of games of chance that are considered Class II games.  A Class II slot machine operates very similar to a game of bingo.  The central processing unit of the machine draws bingo numbers at random.  The machine then covers the appropriate spots on an electronic bingo card as it applies to the drawn number.  The result of the spin on Class II slot machines depends on the outcome of the card.  Although these games are similar to bingo games, tribal-owned casinos prefer to offer slot machines because they have always generated more revenue than bingo. Traditionally bingo is a low-pay game whereas some slot machines are highly lucrative.

    Regarding the most popular machines, that would be the Class III slot games. These are the ones that are found in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. They run solely on a RNG, or random number generator. They are purely games of chance and that makes them some of the most popular games in the casino industry. The classification system is making it more difficult for unauthorized operators to start using slot machines to generate funds. This way, each location has a certain classification of slots they pay to use and benefit from.

     

    Seminole Tribe Continues to Fight For Slots

    Saturday, January 9th, 2010

    The problem began years ago when the Seminole Indians tried bringing slot machines to the state of Florida. Then-Governor Jeb Bush petitioned hard to keep slots out of the state. It was a pretty simple issue at the time because slots were not allowed. To bring them in would have involved heavy changes in legislation and the chances of the fight beginning back then, just wasn’t that probable. Now, however things are different.

    Since the recession many legislators have changed their minds regarding slots and the reason is primarily financial. The recession ravaged most state coffers and finding money is a difficult task. Deficits are huge and the way many legislators are trying to overcome the problem is through legalizing slots gambling. Historically, slots parlors are highly lucrative. Las Vegas is a city where gambling has varied throughout the year, but almost inevitably the slots parlors are packed. Legislators know this and are working hard to bring legislation into states that would allow gambling tax revenues to benefit the state’s finances.

    Part of the reason the issue is being pushed is because Miami Dade and Broward Counties voted to allow slot machines in their counties so the state now had to comply and them to bring them in. Had Florida jumped on the slot machine bandwagon sooner, it would have been able to write the rules in terms of how slots revenue would be portioned out. Because it didn’t, it now has to be careful to watch now the two counties wrote their legislative code regarding slots gambling. They could have cut themselves a good chunk of revenue first, and then portioned it out to the counties and cities that wanted to move into gambling.

    The Seminold Indian Tribe is hurting for cash and so is the state. It seems like the two are coming to an agreement regarding slots and hoping to both benefit from the revenues available. Now the the recession is over, economists are hoping that people start putting more money into the economy.That includes gambling– if people start gambling again, the Seminole Indian Tribe will be able to save their businesses and the state of Florida will be able to work down its huge deficit.