Casino Enterprise Management

The votes are in and still being counted or recounted in some cases. Some races are still too close to tell, but here is a look at what we do know at this time. Below are the unofficial voting results taken from government and daily news outlet websites on November 3. Here’s just a quick look at the gaming-related races. For more insight and analysis, watch for my full article in the December issues of Casino Enterprise Management. Also, tune in to live radio shows throughout November. For more information on upcoming shows, go to www.blogtalkradio/cemaudioedge.

Referendums

Iowa
Voters in 17 counties in Iowa approved referendums to keep or allow casinos. This is a vote that is held every eight years in the state. The following counties approved casino gaming: Black Hawk, Clarke, Clayton, Clinton, Des Moines, Dubuque, Franklin, Jackson, Lyon, Palo Alto, Polk, Pottawattamie, Scott, Tama, Wapello, Washington, Webster, Woodbury and Worth.

Below are some details.
Clarke - YES: 2951 NO: 694
Clinton - YES: 12,456 at 76.66% NO: 3,793 at 23.34%
Des Moines - Yes: 10676 at 73.80% No: 3790 at 26.20%

Maine
Voters in two counties, Oxford and Biddeford, in Maine voted on casino referendums.

Black Bear Entertainment put forth a casino proposal in Oxford County. This one Is still too close to call at this time.
Ballot wording:
"Do you want to allow a casino with table games and slot machines at a single site in Oxford County, subject to local approval, with part of the profits going to specific state, local and tribal programs?”
Results:
Yes 262,573 50
No 258,089 50
Precincts Reporting - 93%

In Biddeford, residents approved the concept of a racino slot parlor, allowing the owners of Scarborough Downs to move to the county and open a slot parlor. Keep in mind, statewide approval is still needed for this to actually take place.
Yes 4,636 59
No 3,244 41
Precincts Reporting - 100%

Maryland
It’s been quite the saga in Maryland as David Cordish has fought to build a 4,750-machine slot parlor in Anne Arundel County, which is popular residential area.
Here’s what voters saw on the ballot:
“Video Lottery Facilities are not permitted anywhere in Anne Arundel County under current zoning law. Bill No. 82-09 is a zoning bill and was enacted for the purpose of allowing a Video Lottery Facility as a conditional use in a W-1 Industrial Park zoning district or at a Regional Commercial Complex. Vote "For Bill 82-09" if you want Bill 82-09 to take effect. Vote "Against Bill 82-09" if you do not want bill 82-09 to take effect.”
The results:
For Bill 82-09: 103263 at 55.74%
Against Bill 82-09: 82008 at 44.26%
Precincts Reporting 194 of 197 at 98.5 %

Missouri
An advisory vote in Missouri is giving the Gaming Commission there the people’s opinion on whether or not to allow an Isle of Capri casino in Cape Girardeau. This is one site being considered by the state for the final casino license there.
Ballot wording:
“Shall the City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, allow the licensing of excursion gambling boats or floating facilities as now or hereafter provided by Missouri gaming law in the City?”
YES: 7635 at 61.15%
NO: 4850 at 38.85%
100% of precincts reporting

Oregon
It’s a no go for a privately owned casino outside of Portland in Oregon.
Ballot wording:
“Authorizes Multnomah County casino;casino to contribute monthly revenue % to the state”
Results:
Yes: 46,698 votes at 31.85%
No: 99,924 votes at 68.15%

South Dakota
It's a future of no smoking in South Dakota’s casinos as voters chose to extend the smoking ban to bars, casinos and video lottery establishments.
Ballot wording:
“An act to prohibit smoking tobacco or carrying lighted tobacco products in certain places and to require certain persons to inform violators of the prohibition.”
The results:
Yes: 204,047 at 64.36%
No: 112,975 at 35.64%

Politicians elected

Alabama Governor:
Republican Robert Bentley beats Democrat Ron Sparks.
Dem. Ron Sparks: 555,740 votes at 41.53%
Rep. Robert Bentley: 782,492 votes at 58.47%
52 of 67 Counties Reporting

Alabama's U.S. House Race in District 6
Republican Spencer Bachus was uncontested and keeps his seat as the Ranking Minority Member of the House Financial Services Committee. He is a vocal opponent of regulating i-gaming. As Republicans take control of the house in 2011, Rep. Bachus could repalce Rep. Frank as Chairman of this committee.

California Governor: Jerry Brown is back.
Jerry Brown (Dem): 3,942,019 votes at 53.8%
Meg Whitman (Rep): 3,015,066 votes at 41.2%
With 96.9% of precincts reporting

Florida Governor
Rep. Rick Scott: 2,588,417 votes at 48.94%
Dem. Alex Sink: 2,520,141 votes at 47.65%

Florida’s U.S. Senate race:
Rep. Marco Rubio: 2,613,880 votes at 48.96%
Dem. Kendrick B. Meek: 1,074,412 votes at 20.12%
Charlie Crist: 1,586,563 votes at 29.72%

Massachusetts’ U.S. Senate Race in District 4
Rep. Barney Frank stays.
Dem. Barney Frank: 125,823 votes at 54%
Rep. Sean Bielat: 101,315 votes at 43%

Massachusetts state leaders
Governor Patrick and Rep. DeLeo keep their jobs.
Dem. Patrick: 49%
Rep. Baker: 42%
98% reporting

Minnesota Governor
We’re ready for a recount in Minnesota, again.
Republican TOM EMMER: 906351 votes at 43.20%
DFL MARK DAYTON: 915513 votes at 43.64%

Nevada U.S. Senate:
100% of precincts reporting
Sen. Harry Reid’s win is all over the national news today, as news anchors and reporters work to make as many boxing puns as they can think of. Pro-gaming Reid has said this really was one of the toughest fights of his life.
ANGLE, SHARRON: votes: 320,996 at 44.59%
REID, HARRY (Incumbent): votes: 361,655 at 50.24%

Nevada Governor:
The younger Reid didn’t do as well in his bid for governor.
REID, RORY: votes: 298,170 at 41.61%
SANDOVAL, BRIAN: votes 382,350 at 53.36%

Nevada US House D1:
Democrat Shelley Berkley, a supporter of regulating i-gaming, keeps her seat.
BERKLEY, SHELLEY (Incumbent): 102,870 votes at 61.7%
WEGNER, KENNETH: 58,920 votes at 35.34%

Nevada US House D3:
HECK, JOE: votes: 128,703 at 48.16%
TITUS, DINA (Incumbent): votes: 126,781 at 47.44%

Nevada Attorney General:
BARRICK, TRAVIS: 251,269 votes at 35.67%
CORTEZ MASTO, CATHERINE: 372,010 votes at 52.82%

Nevada Secretary of State:

LAUER, ROB: 262,222 votes at 37.27%
MILLER, ROSS: 374,085 votes at 53.17%

Ohio Governor:
Rep. Kasich, John: 1,849,842 votes at 49.33%
Dem. Strickland, Ted (Incumbent): 1,752,790 votes at 46.74%
100% reporting

South Dakota Governor:
The candidate that wanted to make building a casino in Sioux Falls, has lost.
Dougaard: 195,015 at 61.52%
Heidepriem: 122,002 at 38.48%
100% reporting

In CEM's November 2010 issue, we ran a story on mobile apps and basically everything you need to know about them. To read that article, click here. Below are links and information on the development companies mentioned in that article:

MacroView Labs
www.macroviewlabs.com
Aron Ezra, CEO
sales@MacroViewLabs.com

Casino Data Imaging
www.casinodataimaging.com
George Levine, Director, Sales & Marketing
glevine@casinodataimaging.com

Symon LV
www.symon.com
Frank Manzullo, Gaming Sales Manager
FManzullo@SYMON.com

A Clever Twist
www.aclevertwist.com
Jen Gordon, Owner
jen@aclevertwist.com

Link to HI-TEC's Mobile App

Caesar's Palace iPhone App at the Apple Store

Mandalay Bay Mobile Apps

Other Resources on Understanding Apps

Wikipedia on Mobile Application Development

The Official Google Mobile Blog

An Example of HTML5 Mobile Apps

TagsMe Mobile Development Platform

The Flurry Mobile Apps Blog

Does your current website "render" on mobile devices? If so, which ones? A Mobile Emulator can be used to find out. Here's a list of them. If not, before you even think of developing an app, go immediately and fix this.

MobileMarketer Blog

Other App Devlopers

Skyward Interactive (Atlanta based)
www.skywardinteractive.com

Intridea Inc. (Washington, D.C. based)
www.intridea.com

BluMedialab Mobile App Developers
www.blumedialab.com

Liquid Joe App Developers
www.liquidjoe.biz


Six Questions to Ask Your App Developer:

1) Who are your clients?
Getting a look at a developer's client list is not only a good way to gauge both the depth of experience and quality of work. (If the "list" is one name long, be wary.) It is also a great way to plunder other's good ideas. If you see a neat feature the developer has added to another client's pa, you can ask for it specifically.

2) Is the site well-optimized for mobile search?
Mobile search overlaps with "standard" web search but there are differences. Issues exist with page size, image overuse, and document types, amongst others. One research group predicts mobile search will grow more than 130 percent by 2013.

3) Can customers provide comments and submit pictures about, for instance, new product ideas?
You may not need or want this function, but it's good to know it's possible.

4) What is your current workload or bandwidth to take on new work?
Jen Gordon, from a Clever Twist, cautions, "Sometimes developers can get their pipeline of work backlogged which can push the delivery date of your project behind schedule. Make sure you're working with a developer that has a good handle on how much work they can handle and are meticulous about meeting deadlines."

5) How easy is it for me to update information?
A we noted, a key to making your app desirable is stocking it with current information. And a key to keeping it stock with current information is ease of use. Can you update most of the info yourself? If not, see Number 4 above.

6) How much do updates cost? How is maintenance billed?
This is the bottom line, isn't it? Even the best-constructed mobile apps will need servicing so it's best you know what you're in for, cost wise, before the first line of code is even written.

Again, be sure you read the companion article to this blog post for even more info. Just click here.

A few months ago I contacted various political campaign offices looking for information regarding their candidate’s take on gaming-related issues. Casino Enterprise Management will be focusing on government and gaming in December. Here is a look at statements I received from a couple campaigns.

Republican Dennis Daugaard, running for Governor in South Dakota, is currently the Lt. Governor of the state. His opponent, Democrat Scott Heidepriem, says South Dakota needs to tackle what he sees as the drain of state dollars into the Larchwood, Iowa casino being built just a few miles from Sioux Falls, SD. Heidepriem has said that as governor-elect, he would convene a task force to study options such as building a casino in Sioux Falls.

Lt. Gov. Daugaard sent me a letter, outlining his stance on gaming-related issues. He began with his take on building a casino in Sioux Falls.  

“I am extremely reluctant to support building a casino in Sioux Falls. There is little support in the state for a casino there and I do not believe it should be a high priority. But I am always willing to listen to ideas. In any case, hasty action is a mistake. We must monitor the effect of the Iowa casino closely. Much of the impact could very well be positive in terms of employment for Sioux Falls residents and additional commerce in the area. “

Daugaard also addressed the casino industry in Deadwood, which is surrounded by the Black Hills National Forest and is on the western side of the state, opposite of Sioux Falls.

“I’ve always been supportive of casino gaming in Deadwood. I believe gaming there has revitalized the city and transformed it into a destination. If elected governor, I would continue to be a strong supporter of Deadwood casino gaming.

Though I am supportive of our current gaming options, there is not a whole lot of room for expansion of the industry in South Dakota. With gaming in Deadwood, tribal gaming, video lottery, and the state lottery, I do not see a great need for expansion.”

Daugaard also addressed his opposition to i-gaming.

“I believe the federal government should get serious and crack down on interstate internet gaming. Internet gaming is extremely addictive and it is always available. This makes it extremely dangerous to families. So far, the federal government has done a poor job of stopping internet gaming. With some commitment, the federal government can and should do better.”

Representative Dina Titus (D) is running for reelection in Nevada for the District 3 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Titus is running against Republican Joe Heck who is a physician, Iraq War veteran and former state senator.

Rep. Titus’s campaign sent the following responses to my questions for her.

Q: What do gaming industry leaders need to know about your campaign?

A: As a resident of Southern Nevada for more than 30 years, I understand the vital role that the gaming industry plays in our community, providing jobs and economic opportunity for Nevadans.  In my state, the gaming industry employed more than 177,000 people and gaming tax revenue totaled more than $830 million in 2009.  I am committed to strengthening the gaming industry and helping it weather these tough economic times.

Q: What gaming-related votes, decisions or career moves have you made in the past that you would like to highlight for our readers?

A: I have been working in Congress to impress upon my colleagues that gaming is an important industry that creates jobs and provides tax revenue to many states across the country.  Unfortunately, the economic recession has led to a significant decrease in gaming revenue - and gaming jobs - across the country. With less discretionary income, Americans are traveling less and spending less.  In order to help the gaming industry, it is critical that we get our economy back on the right track.  That is why I supported the Recovery Act, which gave 95 percent of working Americans a tax cut, and why I will continue to support efforts to jumpstart our national economy.  I also was proud to support the Travel Promotion Act to bring millions of additional travelers to the United States at no cost to the taxpayers.  By creating a public-private partnership to promote our nation as a leading international travel destination, it will encourage travelers to visit Las Vegas and our world-class casinos.  Additionally, I joined with my Nevada colleagues to vote against a Republican procedural motion that unfairly singled out casinos.  The gaming industry is important to my state and to the nation, and it is time we stop making it the whipping boy for all that is wrong in Washington.

Q: How might keeping you in office impact the gaming industry?

A: You will find no stronger advocate for gaming interests in Congress.  If reelected, I will continue fighting to ensure the gaming industry is treated fairly and equitably.  Additionally, I will not rest until our economy has recovered and Americans once again have the discretionary income necessary to travel and enjoy a night out at one of Las Vegas' world famous casinos.

Q: Do you think the federal government should approve and regulate interstate internet gambling? Why?

A: Yes, I do.  I am a cosponsor of legislation pending in Congress to legalize and regulate Internet gaming.  Not only do I believe that a legal and well-regulated Internet gaming industry will prove beneficial to our brick-and-mortar casinos, it will also provide additional, much-needed tax revenue for our states.