arizona gaming guide magazine - october 2015 - 07:10
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Hints, Tips, And Advice On Your Favorite Casino Games! A Monthly Publication Created By Slot Machine Game Designers. The Arizona Gaming Guide is a free monthly magazine for people who enjoy visiting casinos and playing casino games. The magazine discusses Slot Machines, Video Slots, Reel Slots, Electronic Table Games like: Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps. Packed with in-depth features, advice, hints, tips, secrets, and so much more! QUECHAN CASINO RESORT FUN AND LEISURE IN DESERT LUXURY—YUMA, AZ SONS OF ANARCHY BY ARISTOCRAT AT PARADISE Rolling in to Paradise Casino in Yuma is a gang of new Aristocrat slots led by Sons of Anarchy. ARIZONA CASINOS OFFER FOOTBALL FUN Football season inspires local casinos to create fun food and drink specials and prize giveaways. NATIVE AMERICAN RECOGNITION DAYS Over six weeks of festivities to enjoy starting on October 2 and running through November 16.TRANSCRIPT
22 QUECHAN CASINO RESORT
FUN AND LEISURE IN DESERT
LUXURY—YUMA, AZ
04 EDITOR’S NOTE
06 PLAYERS TALK
10 TABLE GAMES
14 NEW SLOTS
18 WINNING WAYS
20 DINING
22 FEATURE STORY
26 TRIBAL NEWS
30 GAMING NEWS
34 LAUGHLIN, NEVADA
38 CASINO ENTERTAINMENT
40 CASINO BINGO
41 ARIZONA LOTTERY
42 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN
43 FUN FACTS
44 FUN & GAMES
46 CASINO DIRECTORY
IN EVERY ISSUE
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 03
SONS OF ANARCHY BY
ARISTOCRAT AT PARADISE
Rolling in to Paradise Casino in Yu-
ma is a gang of new Aristocrat slots
led by Sons of Anarchy.
NATIVE AMERICAN
RECOGNITION DAYS
Over six weeks of festivities to enjoy
starting on October 2 and running
through November 16.
26 14
Contents OCTOBER
ARIZONA CASINOS OFFER
FOOTBALL FUN
Football season inspires local casi-
nos to create fun food and drink
specials and prize giveaways.
20
ith October here, I know I’m not the only one who is sick of triple
digit weather! I’ve tried my hardest to get out of the heat by visiting
cooler places at least once a month, starting in May. And I believe I
succeeded in running away from the Arizona heat quite regularly. But, now I can’t
wait to enjoy the cooler weather in store for us! I’m going to use every opportuni-
ty I can to be outdoors this month. During my next set of casino visits around the
state, I’m going to investigate exactly how much outdoor walking I can do at each
property. Maybe that sounds a little off the wall, but I think I’ll have a lot of fun
not only enjoying the cooler weather, but also exploring something different at the
casinos. Every casino across the state is located in its own unique setting offering
an outdoor opportunity that can’t be passed up.
In this issue, you’ll find plenty of reasons to make your next trip to any casino a
success. We’ve got the low down on a ton of new slots and those coming soon,
plenty of tips for you to incorporate into casino visits, and much more! Please visit
our Facebook at: facebook .com/ArizonaGamingGuide , become part of our com-
munity and share your thoughts and experiences with others who also love the
same casino games you do. You can sign up for our e-newsletter and find current
and back issues of AZ Gaming Guide on our website at AZGamingGuide.com . Let
me know what you think of this issue and have fun!
Alexandra Lang
Editor-in-Chief
Alexandra
VOLUME 07 • ISSUE 10
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Torma
PUBLISHER
Chris Höft
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alexandra Lang
ART DIRECTOR
Melanie Mueller
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Al Moe
Lee Allen
Mark Novak
Cindy Esquer
Amanda Riddle
Lana Hartmann
Samantha Becker
Rodric J. Hurdle-Bradford
ADVERTISING SALES
Elizabeth Torma
Nina Consiglio
MAILING INFORMATION
Arizona Gaming Guide
P.O. Box 20636
Mesa, Arizona 85277
INTERNET INFORMATION
www.azgamingguide.com
www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide
Copyright © 2015 The Arizona Gaming Guide.
All rights reserved.
The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and
gaming related facts and editorial opinions. AGG accepts no
responsibility and no liability for any actions of readers based on
articles and/or advertisements presented within. Information
contained within is not guaranteed to be correct. All pictures,
images, logos, trademarks and trade names, etc. are the sole
property of their respective owners. Intended for single use. Sale
and/or distribution without written consent is not permitted.
You must be 21 or older to gamble. Please play responsibly.
Help is available at 1.800.NEXT.STEP or problemgambling.az.gov.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Your Authority On Everything Gaming
Arizona’s State Gaming Regulatory Agency:
Arizona Department of Gaming
1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450, Phoenix, 85007
1.602.771.4263 or azgaming.gov
Tribal Gaming Funded Problem Gambling Resource:
Office of Problem Gambling
1.800.NEXT.STEP or 1.800.639.8783
1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450, Phoenix, 85007
1.602.542.8998 or problemgambling.az.gov
04 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
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IS SUMMER OVER YET? Looking Forward To A Cool Fall
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PLAYERS TALK
06 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
Q: I was wondering how the electronic blackjack machines
that have the dealer on the big screen compare to regular
blackjack tables with real live dealers. Is it better to play one
version over the other? Any advice you have would be greatly
appreciated. Thank you!
Larry Babich—Sun City West, AZ
A: Larry, the one key difference between live blackjack and
electronic blackjack machines is simply what the rules of the
game are. Obviously, a blackjack that pays 3 to 2 is a better
game than if a blackjack pays 6 to 5. In addition, if a dealer is
allowed to hit on a soft 17 it increases the house edge so make
sure to look for games where the dealer stands on a soft 17.
These are the main things to look for when deciding on a live
game or a video game.
Rest assured, neither the table version or the video version is
out to cheat you. Whether you win or lose, it’s just the luck of
the cards. The strict casino gaming regulations surrounding
table games enforce a non-cheating environment. Those same
regulations apply to the design of video blackjack. That is, card
shuffling and dealing is fair using a proven random number
generator. And, an independent third party has tested the video
blackjack game for compliance with casino gaming regulations.
Q: Dear AGG, I am a video poker player and my wife plays
the slots. I usually play a multi-denomination video poker
game that has several games to choose from. My wife also
tends to play the multi-game slot machines that have several
game options to choose from. There’s one game where she can
choose to play up to four different slot games at once. And,
just recently, we played a game in Vegas that has up to eight
different games that can be played at once. Our question is
this: is there one random number generator for each game and
denomination or just one that covers them all? If there’s more
than one random number generator, is there any way to know
if there’s an advantage to playing one over the other?
Paul Servino—Phoenix, AZ
A: Paul, this is a great question! Inside every slot machine is
one method for determining a random number. How this is
actually performed is up to the slot machine manufacturer’s
hardware and software design. However, the random number
and get a $25 gift or gas card if we decide to print your question! Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts? Write us with your questions
and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues. Space is
limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive. Please include your name and mailing address with all
correspondence. Mail to: Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277 or E-mail to: [email protected].
generator on a slot machine (video poker, video keno, video
craps, etc.) must pass a series of mathematical tests which prove
it is capable of providing a continuous stream of random num-
bers for the game’s software to use.
Even if a gambler is playing a multi-game slot or multi-game
video poker machine, the internal software has access to only
one random number generator. So, no matter the game, the de-
nomination, the bet level, or any other factors, the game you are
playing at the moment is using the same random number gener-
ator as any other game which would have been played on that
game at that moment.
There is no advantage to playing one game over another on a
multi-game slot or multi-game video poker machine based on
the random number generator.
Q: I just got home from [the casino] and I’m really frustrated –
more with myself and not the casino. I got up to move from
one machine to another one and I realized that I never cashed
out my ticket from the first machine. Of course, by the time I
walked back to the machine the money was already gone.
When I asked a casino worker, she told me that there was
nothing they could do. Is this really true? Wouldn’t the camer-
as be able to see who sat down after me? Don’t the machines
store data using player card information to see who used the
machine last? I’d like to know what the official rules are con-
cerning money left in a machine. I love your Players Talk sec-
tion because I always learn so much. I don’t believe you’ve
ever talked about this type of situation. Out of $120 and I have
no one to blame but myself!
Marlene Schumaker—Anthem, AZ
A: Marlene, that is a very disheartening story to hear and we
are very sorry for your frustration. Yes, this has happened to
members of our staff as well and one of the only ways we’ve
found to cut down on repeating this unfortunate scenario is to
get into a habit every time you get up from a slot. Make sure to
remember to cash out and double check the credit meter!
Yes, the casino worker is correct. Every casino we have visited
posts their “house rules” conspicuously near an entrance. One
of those rules essentially states that unattended credits (i.e. leav-
ing $120.00 (or $1,200.00) in a slot machine is the responsibility
of the player, not the casino. The rules may also go on to state
that unattended credits are the property of the casino, not of
another patron. Technically, this means removing credits from a
slot machine which are not yours may constitute stealing from
the casino!
Sure, for honest individuals, it should be simple for the casino
to verify if the $120 were yours, or not, and who has them now.
But can you imagine the headache that security would have to
go through in order to adequately monitor every slot machine
from every angle in the entire casino just to see who is cashing
out unattended credits? Plus, security would then need to have
enough computer and labor resources available in order to pro-
cess all of these requests in a timely fashion.
We can presume your $120 went into another slot machine
within a few seconds, but it could have also just as easily been
converted into cash and walked right out the door moments
later. How can casino security be reasonably expected to keep
up with that? After all, casino security is worried about employ-
ee theft, patrons tampering with slot machines, liability issues
(like slip & fall), patron and employee safety, barred patrons,
safeguarding the casino's chips and money, and on and on!
Q: Love your magazine, especially the Players Talk section.
It’s very informative. I’d like to know, can the casino cheat
players on the live keno game? They type all the numbers into
the computer, so doesn’t the computer know which numbers
to pick so that everybody loses?
Doug Pulowski—Queen Creek, AZ
A: Doug, thank you very much for your kind comments about
our magazine and Players Talk. Each tribe holding a gaming
compact with the state may also have live keno as an available
game at their casino. If so, the Arizona Department of Gaming
includes “Appendix D” as part of their gaming compact titled
“Definitions, Operational Standards, Specifications and Regula-
tions Governing Keno.” This document ensures there is no
cheating by anyone (casino or patron) during a game of live
keno. You can find the document online at: Gaming.AZ.gov/
sites/default/files/documents/files/AppendixD.pdf.
Some important excerpts concerning live keno include:
“A computer generated selection of twenty (20) random num-
bers at spaced intervals.”
“The random number generator is linked to the computer sys-
tem and directly relays the numbers selected into the computer
for preparation of a draw ticket without manual input.” $
PLAYERS TALK
08 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
Continued from page 6
TABLE GAMES
10 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years.
He has lived and worked in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. He
also attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an avid writer
and blogger, author of “Vegas and the Mob"—available at Amazon.
He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls.
Three Card Poker has the added incentive of big payouts for
hands like straight flush or three-of-a-kind. When you do catch
one of those, you’ll probably head home with a rush and a flush
and a fist full of cash.
On the other hand, you are more likely to just win a little or lose
a little in an evening of playing blackjack, and a small win or
loss doesn’t have that lasting effect on your gaming-bone. So,
play what you love, just keep in mind that the same average
wager gets you about the same average comp per hour, even if
the house is taking a bigger cut of your entertainment dollar at
certain games! $
By Al Moe
on’t worry, I’m not going to do a mind-meld and turn
you into a slot player, so read on. This is just a com-
parison of casino table games. You probably like the
social interaction, and the frequent cocktail-server visits, and the
occasional free drink you find at the tables. And, you probably
like the fact that your entertainment dollars go pretty far, but
would you feel differently about your favorite game if you
knew the comp rates and the hourly cost? Maybe!
The Most Popular Games in Arizona Casinos
By far the most popular table game in Arizona casinos is black-
jack, but we’ll look at the top five games, specifically Pai Gow
Poker, Three Card Poker, World Poker Tour and Let it Ride.
We’ll consider Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Crazy 4 Poker to be
essentially the same as World Poker Tour, so there you have it,
the best games and the most popular. But what if you like them
all and just want to play the one that fits your style of play best,
with speed, dealer and player interaction counted in too? The
fewer the hands dealt per hour, the more interaction, but does
that lower your cost?
Game Average Bet Hands (ph) Cost (ph) Comp (ph)
Blackjack $25 60 $15 $2.00
World Poker $25 30 $25 $2.50
Three Card $25 30 $39 $2.50
Let it Ride $25 30 $25 $2.50
Pai Gow $25 30 $21 $2.00
(ph) = Per Hour
These numbers are somewhat subjective, based on your ability.
Some casinos give you a straight $1 comp per $1000 in total wa-
gers per hour. Some casinos award a more specific amount per
game tied to the house edge. Regardless, this chart assumes
your bets include both standard wagers and bonus bets (except
for blackjack). That means all of your possible bets per hand.
Other assumptions made here are that you’ll have average luck
and you’ll play the same way all year long. So, we can see your
entertainment dollar cost to play each game per hour. If you are
playing the additional $1 bonus bets at blackjack, you’ll find
that your average hourly cost goes up considerably.
If you are wondering why you remember going home a big
winner after playing Three Card Poker several times, but can’t
say the same about blackjack, there’s a reasonable explanation.
D
COMPARING TABLE GAMES Which Of Your Favorites Is The Best Bet?
14 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
By Lana Hartmann
NEW SLOTS
e know our readers are loving Aruze’s new slots
because they are making their way across Arizona’s
casinos quite rapidly. Recently, Paradise Casino in
Yuma just added some brand new games by Aruze that you
should definitely pay attention to!
Ultra Stack Feature Rose and Ultra Stack Feature Panda are referred
to as “clones” in the casino gaming industry. This means the
mathematics of both slots and the game play are identical. The
only difference between the slots are the graphics. Regardless of
which game you pick, you’ll have the same chances of winning!
Based on our experience playing the games, we’ve noticed that
the bonus hits, on average, every 100 to 120 games. Feature
symbols appearing on 3 or more consecutive reels beginning
with the leftmost reel trigger the Ultra Stack Free Games. Num-
bers (either a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 or 10) appear on the Feature symbol
and the total represents the free games awarded. The Feature
awards up to 200 games. Good luck and check out Paradise
Casino online at Paradise-Casinos.com! $
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Aruze Games Ready For Play At Paradise Casino
Sons Of Anarchy Now Available At Paradise Casino
olling in to Paradise Casino in Yuma is a gang of new slots from Aristocrat led by
Sons of Anarchy! Based on the smash hit TV series from Fox, the immersive iChair and
the Verve cabinet surrounds you with the rumble and rock of the hit show. Aris-
tocrat’s superior math and fan favorite characters like Jax, Gemma and Clay will keep you
rolling back for more. Yes, just like the TV show, this slot is volatile, but you can expect
the bonus regularly and hit progressive jackpots whose start up values are $10, $50, $500,
and $10,000 or $500,000 for the top level. Bonuses include: Cluster Power—A cluster is a
group of matching symbols connected horizontally and/or vertically. The cluster pay is
determined by the number of adjacent reels in the cluster. The cluster win is the cluster
pay multiplied by the number of symbols in the cluster. No Limits Re-Spin Bonus—Win
up to 6 re-spins and up to 10 reels across. The bonus hits when a Big Symbol occurs on the
reel area. The Big Symbol holds and a re-spin is awarded. The playable area grows to ac-
commodate the Big Symbol when landing partially on the reel area. Wheel Bonus—3 or
more Reapers trigger the Wheel Bonus. Win Jackpots and up to 50 free games. All Jack-
pots award another spin except the Grand Jackpot. Max bet required to win the Grand
Jackpot. Free Games Bonus—Won from the Wheel Bonus, it will multiply wild wins up to
x10. 10, 20, 30 or 50 additional Free Games are won with 3, 4, 5 or 6 Reapers respectively.
Check out this exciting game and many more at Paradise Casino now! $
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azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 15
The Big Bang Theory Now At Harrah’s Ak-Chin
ur whole universe was in a hot dense state, then nearly fourteen
days ago Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino installed two brand new The
Big Bang Theory slot machines by Aristocrat and things have never been
the same! The game has a multi-game base game where players can play up
to four reel sets. One of ten mystery bonuses can be triggered within the
base game at any time with any bet. Additionally, three scatters trigger The
Big Bang Theory Bonus Wheel, which awards one of six games: Large Leonard Hof-
stadter Collision Feature, with free Mega symbol spins with player-
selected volatility; Dr. Sheldon Cooper Roommate Agreement Feature, with
eight free Reel Power spins; Penny Friendship Paradigm Feature, with five
free scatter pay spins awarded on 4X4 reel set; Howard Wolowitz Mystic
Warlords Of Ka’a Feature, where the player selects cards to reveal multi-
pliers and credits; Raj Koothrappali Scavenger Vortex Feature, where the
player selects scavenger objects to reveal credits or Win All; The Big Bang
Theory Progressive Feature, where the player selects symbols to win credits
or progressive jackpot prize. Be sure to visit HarrahsAkChin.com for more
information. $
NEW SLOTS
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Buffalo Behemoth Ready For Play At Harrah’s Ak-Chin
e simply can’t wait for our turn to play Aristocrat’s
newest “Big Bertha” slot aptly named Behemoth.
The Behemoth is just what it says, at 10 feet tall with
an 84-inch LCD monitor, it is the largest of the large-format slots
ever to be introduced to casinos. The first game to arrive on the
Behemoth is Buffalo Stampede , one of the most successful
games for Aristocrat. Now you can play this game at Harrah’s
Ak-Chin in Maricopa, AZ. You’ll see it all the way across the
casino floor. Definitely hard to miss!
While you are visiting Harrah’s, make sure to check out all of
their new games including: Lady of the Dead (3 level progres-
sive), Money Rain, and Fire Up (5 level progressive) all penny
games by Incredible Technologies. Popeye (5 level progressive),
Penny Palooza (5 level progressive), and Golden Egg (6 level progres-
sive, all penny slots by Lightning Games. Dual Arc Brittney
Spears by Aristocrat, another very tall game. Konami’s Rapid Re-
volver which has a large bonus game on top. Plus six IGT Crystal
Dual slot machines. For more information about Harrah’s, visit
their website at HarrahsAkChin.com. $
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10 feet tall!
16 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
NEW SLOTS Coming Soon
A Christmas Story By Aristocrat
he best present any slot player will ever receive is Aristocrat’s new A Christmas
Story Slot Game, the first game in Aristocrat’s incredible new Arc Wheel cabinet.
Ralphie, the Old Man, Mom Parker, and the whole town are in A Christmas Story,
a feature-rich, three-level standalone progressive video slot, housed in the sleek new Arc
Wheel cabinet. This slot has upgraded graphics capabilities, 5.1 stereo surround sound, and a me-
chanical wheel topper that keeps engagement high during bonus play. In addition to three
base game features, players may trigger one of several bonus features:
1. Golden Twinkling Wheel of Mechanized Electronic Joy Feature
2. Head Honcho Feature—Bonus Gateway
3. Black Bart’s Bounty
4. The Queen Mother of Dirty Words
5. Sinister Triple Dog Dare
6. Progressive Decoder Wheel
A Christmas Story is a 40-line game with a 50 credit minimum bet and 250 or 500 max bet.
For more information about A Christmas Story , visit Aristocrat.com.au. $
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e played IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Ultra Wheels Video Slots at last year’s
G2E trade show in Las Vegas and were very impressed by it because the
game is not based on traditional video slot reels. This game uses up to four
pointers for four wheels in order to determine a win, bonus, or a jackpot! The more
you wager, the more pointers you activate in order to play up to all for wheels. We
think the idea is fantastic and can’t wait to play the slot with “real money” in a casino
rather than for fun at a trade show!
IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Ultra Wheels Video Slots will have you spinning with excite-
ment. Set on the Company’s leading G23 cabinet, the most successful slot theme of all
time will offer a Winning Combination with Wheel of Fortune ’s iconic wheel spin bonus
paired with Ultra Wheels Video Slots’ unique base-game play. Igniting excitement
during the base game, the MultiPLAY interface features four wheels instead of reels
with a multiplier pointer, boost feature and jackpot wedge. A multiplier pointer ap-
pears with each spin and may point to one of the four wheels and multiply the value
up to 10X. Elevating excitement, progressives are awarded when a jackpot wedge is
displayed on wheels two, three and four. When all three progressive wedges land at
max bet, the highest level progressive is awarded. For big-win potential, bonus wedg-
es in the base game can trigger the player-favorite wheel spin bonus, which awards
credit values that can be multiplied by the game’s boost and multiplier pointer fea-
tures. Watch as this exciting new slot game hits casino floors all across Arizona soon!
For more information on this slot and other IGT video slots, visit IGT.com. $
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Wheel of Fortune Ultra Wheels By IGT
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 17
Dragon Spin By Bally Technologies
our wins will roar to life when you play Dragon Spin on Bally’s
massive Alpha Pro Wave 360°! This slot is a carousel of five slot
machines with a dedicated dragon-themed game. Around the top
of the carousel are five adjacent curved video monitors, on which animation
related to the games travels around, stopping to award credits, wilds, multi-
pliers and free games to individual games on the bank.
In the launch game, called Dragon Spin, an animated dragon travels around
the circular monitor dropping mystery awards to the individual games, and
stopping to display numbers of free spins when they are triggered by indi-
vidual games. This game is packed with features you’ll love like free games,
progressive jackpots at any bet level and stacked symbols on every spin.
But what makes it truly unique are the bonuses that fire up a frenzy of ex-
citement as the dragon chases a magical pearl around and around before
delivering the prize to one lucky player! Watch for this dragon spinning its
way into casinos near you soon! For more information on this exciting new
game and other Bally products, visit BallyTech.com. $
Coming Soon NEW SLOTS
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18 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
WINNING WAYS By Lana Hartmann
ore and more, we are receiving not only questions
on how to read video poker pay tables but also that
they are changing, for the worse, at many Arizona
casinos. What I want to attempt to accomplish with this article is
to give our readers a simple way to determine how good (or
bad) a video poker pay table is at a particular casino. Armed
with this knowledge, readers can then determine where they
will take their video poker bankroll. Of course, I’d like to be
able to write about everybody’s favorite game. Unfortunately
I’d have to start a book, or take up the entire magazine in order
to satisfy everyone! So, what I’ll focus on instead is Jacks Or
Better Video Poker. Don’t despair! Just because I’m focused on
Jacks Or Better doesn't mean you won’t be able to apply my tool
to other games, even the specialty games. I have to stick to Jacks
Or Better because almost every multi-game video poker slot I’ve
ever sat down at has the game on it. And, most every casino on
M
DECODING VIDEO POKER PAY TABLES Your One-Stop Guide To Determine How Good (Or Bad) They Are
the planet has the game somewhere on their floor. So, Jacks Or
Better it is. When you first sit down and select Jacks or Better on
a multi-game video poker slot, examine the pay table directly on
screen or by using the “HELP” menu. Notice all the pays listed
in order form highest to lowest. That’s nine pays including the
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush,
Straight, Three-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, and Jacks or better. The
best possible pay table (available in most casinos) is 4,000, 250,
125, 45, 30, 20, 15, 10, and 5 at max bet. The worst possible pay
table (available in most casinos) is 4,000, 250, 125, 30, 25, 15, 10,
and 5 at max bet. Notice how much the pays changed for the
Full House, Flush, and Straight! This is where players have to
evaluate the “good” and “bad” pay tables. The higher the pays
are for those three wins, the better the pay table the casino
offers! Good luck and stay tuned for more video poker hints,
tips and advice in upcoming issues. $
20 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
CASINO DINING
FOOTBALL FUN AT ARIZONA’S CASINOS Local Casinos Create Fun Food And Drink Specials Plus Prizes
asinos are one of the most popular entertainment desti-
nations in the Valley during college and professional
football season. The season that starts around Labor
Day and ends a week before Valentine’s Day gives you ample
opportunities on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays to catch
food and beverage specials at each one of these casinos, whether
it is with your friends, family, co-workers or significant other.
Even closer to home, there are several Arizona football story
lines we will be following: Will the Cardinals sneak into the
playoffs? Can the Sun Devils make the Pac-12 Championship?
Will the Wildcats take another stop into becoming a top-10 pro-
gram, or will they take a step back into mediocrity?
Before you step out with your fellow football fanatics to your
local casino, check out the best food and beverage specials at
casinos to save money throughout the season!
A Football Frenzy at Talking Stick and Casino Arizona
For those fans who want to do more than just watch the games,
Talking Stick Resort is hosting its Sunday Football Frenzy every
week in the resort’s 650-seat showroom, which has giant high
definition television screens, appetizer specials and designated
areas for big groups.
The interactive part of Sunday Football Frenzy is the weekly
trivia contests that occur during commercial breaks and
halftime. Hosted by Front Row Trivia Live, the trivia topics in-
clude sports, celebrities, history and other subjects. Doors open
one hour prior to kickoff and there is never a cover charge for
guests.
“Combining the excitement of Sunday football with the fun of
trivia makes Talking Stick Resort the place to be on game day,”
says Ramon Martinez, Director of Public Relations for Talking
Stick Resort. “Our sports fans have a great chance of scoring
their own big wins.”
On Monday night, the party moves to Casino Arizona’s show-
room for the football party which can host over 300 fans and
starts every week at 5pm. The Monday night party is highlight-
ed by a low-priced appetizer menu, so none of the casino guests
can feel priced out of the experience.
A Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and fries is only seven dollars,
while a cheeseburger and fries, Nachos Grande and a personal
pizza are all priced at six dollars and below. Desserts and small
snacks such as pretzels, popcorn, fries and chips and salsa are
all priced below three dollars!
A Different Kind of Pass
On Monday nights at Vee Quiva Hotel & Casino there will be
drawings at table games where winners can claim a 50-inch
Smart TV, an Apple iPad Mini or a $100 gift card to Ditka’s Res-
taurant.
Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino has a football-themed promo-
tion on Sundays and Mondays, where thousands of dollars of
promotional chips will be awarded to guests throughout the
season. At Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino the Center Bar is a
popular destination and is open from 10am to 2am on Sundays.
Just in time for the football season, Lone Butte Casino is show-
casing a brand new bar, Lucky’s, an Irish-themed venue with
cocktails, a large beer selection and daily drink specials, espe-
cially on game day Sundays.
“It is the perfect bar to unwind after work, catch a game or just
relax before a show in our brand new event center,” says Melo-
dy Hudson, Public Relations Manager for Gila River Casinos.
Also at Lone Butte Casino is The Big City Blitz promotion held
at Big City every Sunday through December 20, between 2pm
and 8pm. Over $100,000 in promotional chips and prizes will be
distributed.
Prizes include football tickets and promotional fan bags. All day
on Sundays, from 10am to 10pm., football fans can earn raffle
entries at table games for a chance to win the Coach’s Sideline
prize package, which contains items such as a Microsoft Surface
Pro 3, Bose Headphones and promotional chips.
“As a proud sponsor of our local Arizona football team, Gila
River is excited to offer guests the best view to enjoy the big
games while experiencing an all-encompassing entertainment
experience at any of our properties,” says Hudson.
Drinks Up at Dragonfly
Cliff Castle Casino is a popular destination in the fall because of
their cool temperatures, so it makes sense that they would be
hosting football-related promotions. This year Cliff Castle Casi-
no is hosting Monday Football Madness at their Dragonfly
C
By Rodric J. Hurdle-Bradford
nightclub. Prizes include team jerseys, hats and free promotion
play. Each guest will receive a free t-shirt at their first Monday
game, and all guests who attend every Monday night game at
Dragonfly will automatically receive a free VIP entry into the
Super Tailgate party on February 7. Admission to the weekly
event is ten dollars.
“Every Sunday fans can watch their teams battle it out on one of
our 10 large high-definition televisions while playing blackjack
in our NFL party pit, says Tony De Luz, spokesperson for Cliff
Castle Casino Hotel.
Cliff Castle Casino’s two dollar Budweiser draft specials occur
on Thursday and Sunday games, not just Monday night. Their
Monday night football buffet includes Buffalo wings, hot dogs,
cheese and vegetable trays as well as a special home city-
themed menu item.
For the first week of Monday night in San Francisco they paid
homage to the city by the bay’s famous Chinatown with sweet
and sour meet balls, egg rolls and pot stickers. Another option is
Cliff Castle’s 24/7 grab-and-go bistro, Three Sisters, which will
also have a menu available during games.
Football in Paradise
For those who will be on the road between Arizona and Califor-
nia during the football season, Paradise Casino in Winterhaven,
California is a good place to stop and watch the games.
Throughout the entire season, Sharkey’s Bar & Bites is offering
two dollar 16-ounce domestic drafts and two dollar 12-ounce
well drinks. Food specials include five dollar jumbo wings and a
twelve dollar appetizer platter.
“We are also proud to have promotions with Budweiser repre-
sentatives during the season,” says Esther Saldana, Marketing
Coordinator with Paradise Casino.
The Budweiser representatives will be on site at Paradise Casino
on Monday, October 19 for the New York Giants versus Phila-
delphia Eagles game, and two weeks later on November 2 when
the Indianapolis Colts play the Carolina Panthers.
So take your football party to a casino near you and score great
food, fun prizes and free chips all on one trip! $
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21
22 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
By Mark Novak
nown for its historic and tribal attractions, the Yuma
region is also a premier destination for entertainment
and leisure in a unique locale. Sister properties
Quechan Casino Resort (Winterhaven, CA) and Paradise Casino
(Yuma, AZ) offer well-rounded casino gaming excitement
throughout the year.
Gaming
One of the Southwest’s largest gaming centers, Quechan Casino
Resort includes more than 1,000 new and classic slot machines,
Blackjack, Pai Gow Poker and Three Card Poker games, a large
live poker room, and the Yuma region’s only high-limit room.
Players at both casinos can get even more from their play with a
free Players Rewards Club Card. All play with the card earns
points that can be redeemed for comps, cash or rewards play.
Frequency of play can also raise club status for greater player
benefits.
K Accommodations
Quechan Casino Resort offers 166 luxurious guest rooms
(including eight 800 sq. ft. suites) with amenities such as a flat-
screen HDTV, on-demand movies, a Keurig coffee maker and
free Internet service. Those who want some sun can relax out-
side by the resort’s Mediterranean-style swimming pool and
tranquil Lazy River. A fitness center, a gift shop, room service,
onsite truck & RV parking, and free valet parking are among the
resort’s many other conveniences.
Dining & Nightlife
Diverse dining at Quechan Casino Resort includes daily meals
at Sidewinders Bar & Grill, VIP steak-and-wine dining at Iron-
wood Steakhouse, sumptuous global fare at Ocotillo Cafe, quick
and tasty bites at the Food Court, and fresh pastries & Starbucks
coffee at Gila Blend. For stepping out in the evening, Quechan
Casino Resort’s Ocotillo Bar offers creative cocktails as well as
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23
programming on HDTVs. The region’s top local talent performs
at Quechan Casino Resort’s Sidewinders Nightclub on the
weekends. The resort’s Pipa Event Center also hosts perfor-
mances by some of entertainment’s biggest stars as well.
The People Behind The Scenes
During a recent visit, members of the Arizona Gaming Guide
staff had the opportunity to meet with new General Manager
Michael Garrow and ask him a few questions about the proper-
ty. Here’s a quick look at what Mr. Garrow has planned for
Quechan Casino Resort.
Q: What were the stepping stones in your career path that led
you towards becoming the CEO at Quechan Casino Resort and
Paradise Casino?
A: My background in gaming really starts in 1982 when our
tribe, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, was building several Class
II gaming facilities in upstate New York. My Dad was doing the
concrete work for one of the first facilities being built. The con-
cept was a Quoncet hut and the big Mohawk ironworkers were
putting up the large pieces of metal to form the hut and they
were looking around wondering who was going to go up on top
and put the bolts in. That’s when they asked me if I could climb
up there and put the bolts in! I agreed, shimmied up there on a
ladder and put the bolts in. That’s when the Mohawk ironwork-
ers told me I could claim I was one of the first people to build
the casinos!
I also had a career interest in airplanes and airports because, as
a child, I used to love to watch the planes fly over our tribe’s
airspace from Montreal and Ottawa to cities in the US. As a re-
sult, I pursued and received a degree in Airport Management. I
later went back to school and got my MBA in Finance at U.C.
Berkley. While in school I took a course in Entrepreneurship
where my team’s project was developing a business plan on a
casino. I actually did a mock casino business plan for a Class III
gaming facility for my tribe. The chairman of the Saint Regis
Mohawk Tribe at the time asked me about the business plan I
developed during school and told me the tribe wanted to hire
me to produce a business plan for the actual casino. What al-
lowed me to really solidify myself in casino gaming was the
opportunity to turn several casinos around to profitability.
My next calling was Las Vegas. I worked for Caesar’s Entertain-
ment on the Strip on the Operations side; Food & Beverage,
Table Games, Slots, Hotel, and so on. I was also fortunate to
have had opportunities in Real Estate Development, Banking,
Investment Banking, and CEO at the Nez Perce Tribe. In addi-
tion, I’ve also worked at several other tribal casinos including
being GM at Michigan’s Little River Casino Resort, CEO at
Grand Casinos for the Mille Lacs in Minnesota, and I’ve worked
directly for the tribes on strategic planning specifically on their
casinos. That experience allowed me to oversee debt refinanc-
(Continued on page 24)
Quechan Casino Resort
& Paradise Casino CEO
Michael Garrow
Planning For The Future
“We are going to focus on guest
service, improving the customer
experience and the entertainment.
What I tell the team at Quechan is
that we are building our founda-
tion right now.” When asked about his leadership style, Mr. Garrow said: “I
come in on the weekends, I eat in the employee dining room,
as does the rest of my executive staff. The employees here
know they can approach me, even during lunch or dinner,
and talk to me about anything. If I don’t, I won’t be success-
ful. That philosophy comes from being a front line worker
myself at an earlier time in my life. I addressed issues which
were causing problems for the company I was working at
and was met with the attitude that management didn’t really
want to know and wasn’t prepared to do anything about the
issue. That’s unfortunate and leads to more difficulties.“
24 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
ing, new business assessment, analysis on different areas of the
casino, and much more. So I’ve strategically built up a lot of
different skills, operations, MBA in Finance from the Haas
School of Business, casino experience all over the country, in-
cluding training to become a craps dealer at a casino school to
better understand the game! I feel I’ve learned a lot but that I
also have a ton to learn.
Q: Did you have any mentors to help you learn the casino gam-
ing industry?
A: My uncle worked at Turning Stone Casino as their CIO, also
at Mohegan Sun, and several other casinos. He’s on the IT side
but has provided me with a lot of information on understanding
the organizational structure of a casino and he’s increased my
network immensely.
Q: How does Quechan Casino Resort stand out from the rest of
the casino resort properties?
A: There’s a difference between how we do stand out and how
we want to stand out. We are trying to find our sweet spot right
now as far as what guests want to see for entertainment, con-
certs, and more things to do. We are going to focus on guest
service, improving the customer experience and the entertain-
ment. What I tell the team here is that we are building our foun-
dation right now. Plus, we have to be utilizing our existing tech-
nology to its full potential before we move on to new technolo-
gy. Our promotional kiosks are not completely utilized right
now and that has to change. In addition, when we do introduce
new technology in another area of the property, we want to be
fully prepared to use all of its features for a long time.
Q: What do you want your casino visitors to take away from
their experience at Quechan Casino Resort?
A: We are in the process of fully analyzing our slot floor. Due to
the economy, our challenge is capital investment. What we are
looking for right now is a recommendation on what slots need
to be changed out based on popularity with our guests over the
next several years. Then we want to figure out how we can get
newer and more exciting games out to our floor. So, when our
patrons walk through our doors, they know their favorite game
is here.
Plus, I want to tap into our core audience, including travelers
from surrounding areas. We will go through our database of
players and really target our customers, understand where they
are coming from and what will bring them back. Our marketing
and promotions team will get visitors in through our doors and
then we have to provide the great experience gamers are look-
ing for. I’d like to see our volume of visitors increase through
targeted promotions supported by a solid operations team and
that is exactly what we are working on.
When the volume of visitors increases, it lifts the spirits of every
(Continued from page 23)
staff member and it gives us the opportunity to think about how
well we are doing and how proud we are to be working at our
casino. There is a lot of responsibility on my shoulders and our
team to deliver that for the casino and for our guests but I love
being in this position and I’m ready for it. I am results-oriented
no matter how long it takes, and I’m hoping in return by me
leading by example that attitude and work ethic becomes part of
the casino culture here.
Q: What plans does Quechan Casino Resort have for the future?
A: We are in the process of reviewing Sidewinders, the sports
bar/nightclub on property and other food and beverage outlets.
I think there are options there for us, whether it’s a sports bar, a
franchise restaurant, buffet, or something else. However, our
organization wants data to support recommendations, not to
just make a decision and say “Let’s do this!” Whatever happens,
the entire team will be behind it with support because they will
have had input into the process and then we will see it through,
not just turn our eyes on something else. We are also reconnect-
ing to the community in Yuma, in El Centro, in Calexico, Mexi-
cali, Indio and other surrounding cities. As an organization, we
want to be involved in, supportive of, and connected to the
communities we serve. That’s the fun stuff! Being on the floor,
interacting with the community, doing this kind of an interview,
I really like that!
How to Get There
Quechan Casino Resort is 11.5 miles from Yuma International
Airport with connecting round-trip service to Los Angeles Inter-
national Airport (United Airlines, two flights daily) and Phoenix
Sky Harbor International Airport (US Airways Express, four
flights daily). It is also within driving distance from San Diego
(2.5 hours), Phoenix (3 hours) and Tucson (3.5 hours). Discover
more about the many ways you can have fun and relax when
staying in or passing through Yuma. Call Quechan Casino Re-
sort at 877.QUECHAN or visit PlayQCR.com today. $
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25
26 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
TRIBAL NEWS
t was Phyllis Big Pond (Yuchi tribe of Oklahoma), a former
Director of the Phoenix Indian Center, who made the deci-
sion 33 years ago that, “We need to create a way to honor
our leaders.” Her solution was a one-day community dinner
where those leaders were publicly recognized. Although the
community leader walked on in 2009 after 40 years of advocacy
on behalf of Native American families, her legacy continues to
grow.
Historian Wayne Mitchell (Mandan tribe) notes the recognition
concept was well received. “More events were added, the name
was changed to Native American Recognition Week (and later
changed to Recognition Days) and a yearly theme established.”
From that simple banquet beginning, NARD has expanded into
a series of events which have now morphed into more than six
weeks of festivities known as Native American Recognition
Days. This year’s celebrations begin with an October 2nd open-
ing ceremony and Native American Children’s Pageant at Met-
ro Center in Phoenix and culminate with the Arizona American
Indian Excellence in Leadership Awards on November 19 at
Scottsdale Plaza Resort.
Each year’s NARD opening event is hosted by a different group
and this year Native Health gets the honors with their colorful
youth pageant that attracts a crowd of 500 or more. The pageant
has three age groups ranging from birth to age 10 where each
child wears traditional dress and performs a traditional activity
from a lengthy list that includes singing, dancing, drumming,
and storytelling as well as calf roping and fry bread demonstra-
tions.
The younger children are carried or accompanied on stage by
their parents who give information about the family and a de-
scription of their traditional dress. Last year’s pageant drew
young representatives from 12 tribes who were judged by pag-
eant royalty.
While the schedule is packed with a variety of events on a num-
ber of days, Saturday, October 10th will be one of the most ac-
tive. The signature event of NARD is the 2-hour-long Native
American Connections Parade starting at 9am with upwards of
100 entries marching from 3rd Street and Oak, winding their
way north to Steele Indian School Park. “This year we’re march-
ing under the 2015 theme of ‘The Beauty of Native American
Culture’ and it will be interesting to see how the participants
incorporate that theme. There should be some really colorful
floats,” says Davina Haskins, adding: “The Herrera School
Marching Band will be there along with the Senior Steppers
from the Salt River community, Hopi ROTC participants, the
Pima Basket Dancers, and music as it always plays a part in our
parade.”
Once the parade ends at the Indian School, from 10am to 2pm,
the site’s refurbished Music Building will hold an open house.
With the whole NARD event centered on sharing Native Ameri-
can heritage and culture, Phoenix Indian School plays an inte-
gral part in that history.
Established in 1891, it quickly became a prominent part of the
federal government’s policy of cultural assimilation where the
Indian children were tasked with achieving Anglo-conformity
through a detachment from tribal cultural patterns, according to
the Archeological Institute of America. The 160-acre campus
complex, vacant since 1990 when the school closed at the order
of the government, is re-inventing itself last year, Phoenix Indi-
an Center and Native American Connections began renovation
of the band building. “We’re pleased to bring the building back
to life and create an environment where American Indians can
I
Words By Lee Allen
Images By Lee Allen & Native Health
NATIVE AMERICAN RECOGNITION DAYS Now—November, 2015
TRIBAL NEWS
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27
meet and share their culture,” said NAC’s CEO Diana Yazzie
Devine.
Referred to as ”The Phoenix Indian School Legacy Project,” the
band building restoration is considered a key to preserving the
school’s legacy. “Its restoration and cultural programming will
be a gift to Phoenix residents for generations to come,” accord-
ing to Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department Director James
Burke.
Also underway are plans by the Arizona American Indian Tour-
ism Association (AAITA) to further clarify history by develop-
ing the original dining hall into an American Indian Cultural
Center. “Our objective is to develop the 14,000-square-foot din-
ing hall into a cultural cornerstone to promote travel and tour-
ism in Indian Country,” noted AAITA coordinator Raphael Bear
(Yavapai).
Donovan Hanley (Navajo), AAITA president, added: “Such a
Visitor Center to guide visitors to tribal destinations would hon-
or past legacies.”
Other activities on this busiest-of-busy days include another
open house at Native Health organization at 4041 North Central
Avenue. Starting in 1978 as a small community nursing pro-
gram, Native Health has expanded to provide holistic, patient-
centered, culturally-sensitive health and wellness services
throughout the metro Phoenix area. Closing out the day’s activi-
ties, the evening focus turns to the Chandler Center for the Arts
where the spotlight is on education with the Miss Indian Arizo-
na Scholarship Program (6:30-10:30pm).
The reigning Miss Indian Arizona, Shasta Dazen of the White
Mountain Apache tribe, will relinquish her crown to one of 9
contestants (representing 8 Arizona tribes) vying to become the
54th Miss Indian Arizona. Dazen, a 21-year-old from Whiteriver
received a $4,000 scholarship when she won last year’s competi-
tion.
In collaboration with the scholarship festivities, the City of
Chandler will present an Indian Art Market on October 10-11 at
Chandler Park.
Events continue through mid-November and no extended Na-
tive American gathering would be complete without some orga-
nized social gatherings, i.e., pow wows. This year there are two,
the 32nd annual Roy Track Memorial Mesa Pow Wow at Pio-
neer Park from 10/23-10/25 and the 15th annual Veteran’s Day
Weekend Traditional Pow Wow in Glendale at ASU West, No-
vember 7, 11am-10pm.
This year’s extended celebration culminates with the Arizona
American Indian Excellence in Leadership Awards at Scottsdale
Plaza Resort the evening of November 19.
Visit www.AZNARD.org for current listings of events, times,
and locations. $
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29
alt River Fields is proud to announce the ‘World's Best
Sand Sculpting Championship Presented by Talking
Stick Destination,’ a family-friendly two-day beach
themed festival (SRFSandCastleFest.com), Saturday and Sun-
day, December 12 and 13, from noon to 8pm, featuring the first
sand sculpting competition ever hosted in Arizona. Ten world-
class artists will begin to design and build one-of-a-kind sand
sculptures on Saturday and will carve live until 5pm. Sunday,
the general public will be able to cast their vote for the People's
Choice award while the artists apply the finishing touches to
their creations, which will range from 10 to 20 feet in length.
Artists will compete for a $19,000 purse, and the sculptures will
be judged with the winner announced Sunday evening.
“Only in Arizona can you have a beach bash in the middle of
winter,” said Dave Dunne, General Manager, Salt River Fields.
“Where else than in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona can you plan a
family photo with Santa and be awed by amazingly creative
sand sculptures? It can only happen in the middle of the Sonor-
an desert and we’re excited it’s happening here at Talking Stick.
The two-day event will also feature beach-themed live enter-
tainment, food, holiday vendors to top off seasonal shopping
lists, free sandcastle lessons taught by Andy Hancock from
Sandcastle Lessons (SandCastleLessons.com), photos with Santa
Claus as he stops by on his last few days of vacation and much
more. The sand sculpting competition is organized by the re-
nowned multimedia artist Sean Fitzpatrick from Fitzy Snowman
Sculpting (FitzySnowman.com). Tickets for the event are availa-
ble at SaltRiverFields.com with general admission tickets at $12
and children 2 and under are free!
The Talking Stick Destination is Scottsdale’s premier entertain-
ment destination, featuring eight entities that are surrounded by
a rich cultural history and spectacular valley views. The Talking
Stick Destination is home to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick,
Talking Stick Resort, Talking Stick Golf Club, the Pavilions at
Talking Stick, Octane Raceway, Topgolf, Butterfly Wonderland,
Courtyard Scottsdale Salt River and OdySea Aquarium, open-
ing Summer 2016. The Talking Stick Destination is a collabora-
tion marketing initiative lead by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa
Indian Community. In 2014, Talking Stick Destination was vot-
ed Best Tribal Enterprise by the Arizona Indian Chamber of
Commerce. For more info visit TalkingStickArizona.com. $
S
SALT RIVER FIELDS BEACH BASH 1st Ever Arizona Sand Sculpting Competition—December 12 & 13, 2015
TRIBAL NEWS By C. Dunne & A. Moore
30 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
GAMING NEWS
On the afternoon of September 2, 2015, investigators from the
Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) and members of the
Phoenix Police Department served two search warrants at
businesses for illegal gambling. Both businesses named “Wi-Fi
Café” are believed to be owned by the same person and are
located at 4316 W. Thomas Road and 3515 W. Union Hills
Drive.
During the joint operation, 3 people were arrested in connec-
tion to the business and will be facing multiple charges includ-
ing operating an illegal gaming facility and promotion of ille-
gal gambling. Additionally, 11 people who were customers
inside the business were also arrested for various outstanding
warrants and drug offences. This includes one woman who
was wanted in connection to a recent armed robbery.
The ADG takes complaints about illegal gambling businesses
very seriously. These unregulated cash businesses can often
attract violent crimes to area neighborhoods. Over the past
month, investigators have been looking into the businesses
and found they were operating as sweepstakes-based internet
cafés. The illegal gambling operations allowed customers to
buy internet time, but players would actually use it for gam-
bling on casino-style games played on computers inside the
business. The games, while played on desktop computers,
simulate what is often seen on the screens of electronic slot
machines inside regulated casinos.
The recent partnership between ADG and Phoenix Police has
led to seven different search warrants since July. Those opera-
tions have also led to the voluntary closure of at least eight
other known illegal gambling locations and the eviction of
two businesses by their landlords. $
ADG Serves Search Warrants
Everi, a bold new brand name for the casino industry,
launched on August 24, 2015 as senior management and
Board members of Everi Holdings Inc. (NYSE: EVRI) joined
the Company’s larger-than-life mascot, The Money Man, at
the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to ring the NYSE Open-
ing Bell at 9:30am. The new Everi Holdings Inc. (formerly
Multimedia Games and Global Cash Access Holdings Inc.)
“Powers the Casino Floor” as the casino industry’s only sole-
source provider of slot machine gaming entertainment and
secure financial solutions.
Ram V. Chary, President and Chief Executive Officer of Everi,
said, “We’re excited to launch our organization’s rebranding
initiative, including a new corporate name and logo, as we
highlight Everi’s unique position as the gaming industry’s
only company that can offer a diverse floor-wide portfolio of
gaming entertainment, cash access, security and intelligence
solutions that together deliver greater value to our casino cus-
tomers.”
Operators and patrons alike will benefit from Everi’s dedica-
tion to strength, innovation and commitment to constantly
look for ways to improve patron experiences and operator
processes. “With Everi, we are redefining our organization
following our successful transition to a full-service casino
gaming equipment and payments solutions provider,” Mr.
Chary added. “Through our commitment to innovation and
ability to address casino operators’ gaming and payment tech-
nology needs, we are helping customers succeed.” The Com-
pany will continue to support all of its successful current sub-
brands, including TournEvent and TournEvent of Champions
for the Games business and CashClub, CentralCredit, and
Everi Compliance (formerly NEWave) for the Payments busi-
ness. For more info, visit Everi.com. $
Multimedia Games Becomes Everi
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31
After a three-hour battle of wits and skill,
Vance Fitzgerald of Surprise was named the
2015 Arizona State Poker Champion on Au-
gust 18. Hosted in Talking Stick Resort’s
ARENA Poker Room, the 11th Annual Ari-
zona State Poker Championship hosted 1,580
competitors. The poker hopefuls brought
their ‘A game’ to the five-day tournament,
vying for ultimate bragging rights and a
share of the more than $1 million prize pool.
“The 11th Annual Arizona State Poker
Championship was a huge success,” said
Tom Young, the Director of Poker at the
ARENA Poker Room. “We were pleased to
see an increase in interest in the tournament
this year surpassing last year’s competitor
count. And although we had several pros
battling it out for the title, it truly was anyone’s game from beginning to end.”
The No Limit Hold ‘Em tournament kicked off on August 14 and included a semi-
finals round on August 17. Finals took place the following day with the remaining
ten players vying to win the top spot. Four-time World Series of Poker champion,
Tom Schneider, emceed the final table, engaging spectators with his colorful com-
mentary throughout the round.
In the end, Fitzgerald beat his opponents with two pair of queens. In addition to
$253,600, the victor took home a Presidential Rolex watch and a customized trophy.
Second place and third place finishers, Chad Mizner and Jake Balsiger, also earned
trophies as well as payouts of $189,600 and $134,300 respectively. Various poker
professionals also competed in the 2015 tournament including Dennis Phillips, Ka-
rina Jett and Kenna James. For more on the ARENA Poker Room and tournaments
at Talking Stick Resort, visit TalkingStickResort.com or call 480.850.8693. $
The top 10 players in the 11th annual Arizona State Poker Championship:
Vance Fitzgerald $253,600
Chad Mizner $189,600
Jake Balsiger $134,300
Matt Schultz $ 98,750
Gail Getzwiller $ 90,850
Hooman Nikzul $ 75,050
Matt Elsby $ 59,250
A.T. Gruzak $ 43,450
Alex Shelton $ 27,650
Tom Uwanawich $ 19,750
Arizona State Poker Champion Crowned
32 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
GAMING NEWS
Talking Stick Resort’s on-site florist, Christine Price, competed
in the Arizona State Floral Association’s (ASFA) “Designer of
the Year” contest and received the “People’s Choice” award.
Hosted on July 26, the event challenged vendors to showcase
their customized art deco arrangements. In the end, Price’s
Great Gatsby-inspired design won the hearts of her peers and
she was deemed the ultimate winner. “I’m truly grateful for the
award,” said Christine Price, lead florist for Talking Stick Re-
sort. “Creating floral arrangements has always been my pas-
sion and I’m ecstatic my fellow florists appreciated my vision
for a neoclassical art deco design. Being recognized by leaders
in the industry is an honor I’ll always hold dear.”
The “Designer of the Year” competition took place during the
ASFA’s annual Expo 2015. Created in the early 1950s, the ASFA
provides assistance to the floral community, connecting florists
Talking Stick Resort Florist Wins ‘People’s Choice’ Award
statewide and educating the
public about industry achieve-
ments. In addition to earning
top honors, Price also took
home a trophy for all her
efforts. “We’re so excited about
Christine’s latest award,” Steve
Gerken, Senior Director of
Hospitality for Talking Stick
Resort, said. “Her floral ar-
rangements are essential to our
property and add an elegance
and charm to Talking Stick
Resort on a daily basis. She is a
floral innovator and we’re thrilled others are witnessing her
exceptional talent as well.” $
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 33
Terri Robinson never would have imagined that she would be
staring at a stage three breast cancer diagnosis around the same
time she started working at a casino who thinks PINK every
October for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Like many women, when Robinson found a lump on her breast
in February, she didn’t want to face the possibility of what the
lump could mean. She had just been hired as a cashier at Har-
rah’s Ak-Chin Casino and wanted to ignore the signs of some-
thing more serious. In April, after more lumps developed, Rob-
inson saw a doctor and was diagnosed with stage three breast
cancer. “My first challenge after being diagnosed was the
thought of telling my supervisors,” said Robinson. “I knew
there was a possibility of being sick at work or having to miss
work for a treatment and when I work for someone, I give it
my all and it’s very frustrating to have to miss work.” Little did
she know, her co-workers and supervisors at Harrah’s Ak-Chin
Casino would be a constant support system throughout her
journey.
“My co-workers and supervisors have been VERY VERY VERY
supportive. They are there for me when I have a problem or
have to call in sick,” said Robinson. “They always make sure
they are available to talk. I couldn’t ask for better support.”
Because of the chemotherapy treatment Robinson was going
through, she would find herself faced with days where she was
very ill. Other days, there would be moments of fogginess at
work because of a recent treatment. Life while undergoing
treatment meant taking each day one day at a time, and adjust-
ing to a slower paced lifestyle. “I’ve gone through a roller
coaster of emotions,” said Robinson. “On a day-to-day basis, I
have to look at my body and adjust a lot of the things I do.”
Robinson wanted to share her story to encourage women to get
checked as soon as possible and to know that there is a com-
munity out there ready to help you. She’s found that type of
community among other Harrah’s employees who are breast
cancer survivors. This October, Robinson will have finished her
first round of a 12-week chemotherapy treatment, just in time
for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While she knew that Har-
rah’s was highly dedicated to breast cancer awareness, it was-
n’t until she got involved in the breast cancer awareness com-
mittee and with other employees that it really hit home. “I just
appreciate an organization that can give back to the communi-
ty, especially breast cancer awareness,” said Robinson. “I’m
taking next month a little more personal than most.”
The Odds Are On
In the month of October, Harrah’s will turn into a PINK zone
and host a PINK-out to recognize those battling breast cancer:
A PINK drink called the PINK WARRIOR, where a portion of
the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society. In addition,
table games players will get to play on PINK table layouts with deal-
ers who have PINK ribbons on their shirts.
All month long, guests to the casino will have an opportunity to
participate in a social media contest.
On October 16 the Mobile On-site Mammography (M.O.M.) will
be on-site offering mammograms (appointment required). To make an
appointment please contact M.O.M. at 480.967.3767. Please have
your insurance card available. (Non-insured patient cost is $167)
On October 24 at 7pm the 3rd annual PINK POOL PARTY and
Battle of the Bras will be held. This 21+ event will feature PINK
drinks and PINK treats. The highlight of the pool party will be the
Battle of the Bras fashion show. Each casino department has the
chance to design a bra for a male manager or supervisor to model.
In 2014, as a result of all of the efforts during the month of Oc-
tober during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in conjunc-
tion with The Caesars Foundation, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino
presented an $8,000 check to American Cancer Society. The
PINK team at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino hopes to exceed that
amount this year. For more information contact Harrah’s Ak-
Chin at 480.802.5000 or visit HarrahsAkChin.com. $
GAMING NEWS By Caelen Demos
Aquarius Casino Resort
800.662.LUCK
aquariuscasinoresort.com.
1,250+ slots, no smoking slot area,
high limit slots area, blackjack, table
games, roulette, craps, keno, race/
sports book.
Avi Resort & Casino
(Fort Mojave Tribe)
800.430.0721
avicasino.com.
1,000+ slots, bingo, blackjack, table
games, craps, roulette, poker room,
keno, race/sports book, KidsQuest.
Colorado Belle Hotel Casino
877.460.0777
coloradobelle.com.
750+ slots, blackjack, table games,
craps, roulette, poker room, keno,
race/sports book. Build your own
amazing burger at Pint’s Brewery!
Riverside Resort Hotel & Casino
800.227.3849
riversideresort.com.
1,300+ slots, no smoking slot area,
high limit slots area, bingo, black-
jack, table games, craps, roulette,
poker room, keno, race/sports book.
Pioneer Hotel & Gambling Hall
800.634.3469
pioneerlaughlin.com
490 slots, blackjack, table games,
craps, roulette, sports book. Make
sure to check out the video poker &
reel slots!
Harrah’s Laughlin
800.447.8700
harrahslaughlin.com
900+ slots, no smoking slot area,
high limit slots area, blackjack, table
games, craps, roulette, poker room,
live keno, race/sports book.
Golden Nugget Laughlin
800.237.1739
goldennugget.com/laughlin
1,000+ slots, blackjack, table games,
craps, roulette, poker room, sports
book. Sign up for the player’s club
and spin for free play!
Edgewater Hotel Casino
800.677.4837
edgewater-casino.com.
750+ slots, no smoking slot area,
high limit slots area, blackjack, table
games, roulette, craps, race/sports
book. Great all-around casino!
We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information. To inform us of
updates, please email [email protected]. The Nevada Gaming Control Board
publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their state’s gaming
regulations. The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior.
*A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month.
Tropicana Laughlin
800.243.6846
troplaughlin.com
1,000+ slots, blackjack, table games,
craps, roulette, and a sports book.
Stop in for lunch at Carnegie’s or
the Poolside Café and enjoy the food!
Laughlin River Lodge
800.835.7904
laughlinriverlodge.com
1,000+ guest rooms and suites, over
30,000 square feet of the hottest
Vegas-style gaming, four restau-
rants, fast food options, & more!
Slots Hold % Tables Hold %
Loose $5 4.29 Blackjack / 21 17.57
$1 5.12 Roulette 20.15
25¢ 6.02 Craps 20.60
Multi-Denom 6.08 Let It Ride 25.03
$25 6.18 Other Table Games 28.83
5¢ 7.71 Pai Gow Poker 27.85
1¢ 10.80 Three Card Poker 32.07
Tight Megabucks 12.01
Other Hold %
Loose Bingo 1.90 Win Amount Dollars
Sports Pools 2.89 Slots 33.6 mil.
Race Books 15.74 Tables 4.3 mil.
Tight Live Keno 28.05 Other 0.3 mil.
Laughlin’s Gaming Statistics July 2015
LAUGHLIN, NEVADA Directory & Gaming Statistics
34 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
s promised, we are bringing our readers closer to the
action by answering your questions. The mail and e-
mails have been continuing to pile up over the past
few months since the first “Ask Joe” installment. Once again,
our team hand-picked a few questions for Joe Hagan, the Direc-
tor of Marketing at the Tropicana Laughlin, to provide us with
his responses.
If you have a question to “Ask Joe” regarding casino marketing,
or any other related topic, don’t hesitate to write in. If we select
your question, you’ll walk away a winner with a $25 gift card!
All you have to do is follow the instructions in the green box at
the bottom of the page.
For now, let’s enjoy what Joe had to say in response to some of
our reader questions!
Q: I play at casinos in the Valley, in Laughlin, and rarely Las
Vegas. I don’t seem to get much in terms of offers from the
last two, why travel 4 to 6 hours?
Bill Ransom—Phoenix, AZ
A: Bill, there are many reasons to choose Laughlin. Probably
the most obvious is it’s good to get away on occasion. We live
our lives in little boxes where we visit the same places and do
the same things every day; we are creatures of habit, so it is
good to mix it up on occasion. In addition, you have all of the
various promotions and events that we have that may not be
available at local casinos.
Looking at October, on the 3rd we have the Viva Tropicana Car
Show, on the 10th we have the Carrie Underwood concert, on
the 15th through the 18th we have the Laughlin Film Festival,
on the 23rd through the 25th we have the $10K Slot tournament,
and on the 31st we have the Bingo Bash, along with several gift
weekends and food events every weekend.
Bill, as for your offers, I have spoken before that all offers are
based on gaming and when you spread it around it dilutes your
offers. Lots of guests who come to Laughlin play at 3 or 4 casi-
nos and end up getting no offers. Vegas, in general, even if you
don’t spread your play around they expect a higher value guest
before they start handing out offers. If you are looking for offers
and rewards, it is best to pick one casino that fits you as a gamer
and stick with it!
A
By Joe Hagan
Director of Marketing, Tropicana Laughlin
Q: Hi Joe, I’d like to know how I can figure out which casino
is giving me better comps and free play. What should I watch
for in the mail to figure out which casino is better?
Ethel Summers—Sun City, AZ
A: Great question Ethel! However, we need to look at it from a
slightly different angle. Gaming is not just about the comps and
offers you get but also about the entertainment and if you enjoy
yourself. Don’t get me wrong, all of the comp and extras don’t
hurt, but they should not be the prime reason you gamble.
Many casinos work with the concept of reinvestment (RI); it is
the basis of what promotions and offers they send you. The
amount that a casino is willing to reinvest varies greatly from
casino to casino. I have seen everything from 15% to 50% and to
give you an idea of how quickly that gets used up here is an
example:
Adeline loses about $200 per day when she games; this trans-
lates into average daily theoretical between $50 and $150 de-
pending on her luck, gaming style and what games she
plays. (Editor’s note: Average Daily Theoretical means the amount of
money the casino theoretically expects to get from Adeline per day, on
average, over time.) Using the higher theoretical and going off a 20%
RI which is relatively standard across the casino gaming indus-
try the casino would have about $30 per day to use to give her
offers. If the casino offers Adeline complimentary rooms for her
stay that is going to use about $20 per day, leaving $10 for a free
play offer.
Ethel, probably the simplest way is to just add up the value of
all of the offers they give you and compare them. I would use
$20 for a baseline for each event, gift, dinner, room, or invited
promotion. Adjust accordingly if they give nicer things, perhaps
make it $25 per item, if quality is lacking then $15 per item.
Then, add the dollar value of any free play and food credits.
You have to look at this both as a trip, or if you visit frequently
over the course of a month. This should give you a rough idea
of how much they are willing to give you. It is very similar to
how I judge other casino marketing programs when I look at
our competitors.
Q: Joe, I’ve never been to Laughlin and I’m interested in visit-
ing your casino. Do you have any New Member programs?
Maria Escalante—Tucson, AZ
TROPICANA LAUGHLIN The Second Installment of “Ask Joe” Is Here
36 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
LAUGHLIN, NEVADA
LAUGHLIN, NEVADA
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37
A: Maria, a first-time visitor will find plenty to do. Specifically
for a new member, Tropicana Laughlin has the “First $100 On
Us” promotion where we send you an offer for Free Play based
on your first day’s losses (losses must be more than $10). The
Free Play (valued up to $100) is valid on your next visit. In addi-
tion, we have daily promotions and weekend events that any-
one can participate in.
I mentioned a list of upcoming events in my answer to Bill, but
there are several more, including:
Halloween Haunt & Glow Car Show—Oct. 30 through Nov. 1
Veteran’s Weekend Celebration—Nov. 6 through 11
For information about the Tropicana Laughlin, their specials,
and a lot more, visit their website at TropLaughlin.com. $
Do you have a question for a Marketing Director? Have you
ever wondered about the people working behind the scenes?
Do you want to find out how it really works? We know you do
and here is your chance to find out!
Send your question in an email with “Ask Joe” in the subject to our
address at [email protected] and if Joe selects your question
to be answered in an upcoming issue, you’ll get a $25 gift card! (If
you prefer to send a letter, you may mail it to the following address:
“Ask Joe” Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa, AZ 85277)
CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings
38 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
Apache Gold Casino—Globe, AZ—800.272.2438
Events:
Apache Laffs Comedy Show—Oct. 10, 12th Annual Run To The
Rez—Oct. 16 & 17, Los Lobos—Oct. 17, Big & Rich—Nov. 7
BlueWater Casino—Parker, AZ—888.243.3360
Dig Lounge:
Featuring a variety of live bands, karaoke & DJs—Daily at 5pm
Events:
Cage Rage 10—Oct. 17, Grits & Glamour—Oct. 22, Chubby Check-
er—Nov. 21, Williams & Ree—Dec. 18
Casino Arizona—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777
The Showroom:
Evil Waze (Santana Tribute)—Oct. 9-10, Pyromania (Def Leppard
Tribute)—Oct. 23-24, Rock And Roll Over (KISS Tribute)—Oct. 30-
31, Monday Night Showroom Football—Mondays at 5pm
The Arizona Room:
Chad Freeman And Redline (Country)— Mon. 8pm, Arizona Room
Trivia—Tue. 7pm, , Country Dance Nights (Learn to Dance)—Wed.
at 6pm, Daisy Train (Country)—Wed. 8pm, Latin Fire Dance Nights
(Learn to Dance)—Thu. at 6pm.
Casino Del Sol—Tucson, AZ—520.838.6506
Paradiso Bar & Lounge:
Featuring a variety of live bands & DJs on weekends
Cliff Castle Casino—Camp Verde, AZ—800.381.7568
Dragonfly Lounge:
Featuring a variety of live bands & DJs on weekends
Events:
Taste Of The Verde Valley—Oct. 17
Cocopah Resort Casino—Somerton, AZ—800.237.5687
Events:
Karaoke with Bling Bling/DJ Sosa—Th & Fr at 8pm
Joe Nichols & Special Guest Josh Thompson—Oct. 10
Desert Diamond Casino I—Tucson, AZ—866.332.9467
Monsoon Nightclub:
Dance Fusion with DJ Blade—Fridays
Noches Caliente—Saturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music!
Desert Diamond Casino II—Sahuarita, AZ—866.332.9467
Sports Bar:
Karaoke Night—Wednesdays 7-11pm
Live music or DJs—Fridays & Saturdays
Diamond Center:
Brett Eldredge—Oct. 3, Jenny McCarthy & Friends—Oct. 24
Fort McDowell Casino—Fort McDowell, AZ—800.843.3678
Lucky 7 Saloon:
Featuring a variety of live music every weekend
Harrah's Ak-Chin Casino—Maricopa, AZ—480.802.5000
Featured Entertainment: Austin Webb—9th, Skid Row, Great
White, and Autograph at the UltraStar Amphitheater—17th
The Lounge: Checkr’d Past—2nd, Sound Wave—3rd, The
Walkens—9th, New World Order—10th, Cold Shot & The Hurricane
Horns—16th, Mrs. Robinson—17th, Thaddeus Rose—23rd, Neon—
24th, Quantum—30th, The Hamptons—31st Wednesdays In The
Lounge: Enjoy live music from Noon—4pm. Bandstand Shows—
7th, Route 66—14th, The Swingtips—21st, Mancini the Band—28th
The Lounge Happy Hour: Enjoy Happy hour and live music
Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 5 – 8pm. Flavour—6th, Shades Of
Blue—7th, Notes From Neptune—13th, John Eric Duo—14th, Paul
Wells—20th, Walkens Trio—21st, Van & Melanie—27th, XO Duo—
28th Sundays in The Lounge: Enjoy live Football every Sunday.
Hon-Dah Casino—Pinetop, AZ—800.929.8744
Timbers Lounge and Showroom:
Munday Funday—Comedy Show 7pm, Harry Luge (Country)—Oct.
6-10, Chyna (Variety)—Oct. 13-17, Rockhall Doctors (Classic Rock)
Dirty, Sexy, Funny Featuring
Jenny McCarthy & Friends Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita
October 24, 2015
Take a hilarious look at life as a contemporary woman with
Dirty, Sexy, Funny Featuring Jenny McCarthy and Friends,
live in the Diamond Center on Saturday, October 24. Tickets
start at $15 and are on sale now. The show highlights the scan-
dalous comedy of an eclectic cast of female comedians – Tam-
my Pescatelli, Lynne Koplitz, Paula Bel and April Macie. Dirty,
Sexy, Funny is also a radio show, airing weekends on Siri-
usXM. Jenny McCarthy’s honesty, humility and humor have
enabled her to transcend the boundaries of her roles as come-
dian, actress, host, best-selling author and new reality TV star
on A&E’s Donnie Loves Jenny. Jenny McCarthy currently re-
sides in New York, with her son Evan, new husband Donnie
Wahlberg and dad, Macky. Treena Parvello, Director of Public
Relations and Communications for the Tohono O’odham
Gaming Enterprise, said, “The hilarious women of Dirty, Sexy,
Funny are bringing a comedy show like no other to the Dia-
mond Center. Don’t miss out—get your tickets early!”
Editor’s Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39
—Oct. 20-24, The Strip Kings (Variety)—Oct. 27-31
Events:
Haunted Halloween Party—Oct. 31, Listen to the Music (Doobie
Brothers Tribute)—Nov. 20
Lone Butte Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452
Cascades Lounge:
Phoenix area bands & DJs offer free live entertainment throughout the
week featuring the Valley's best local bands & DJs
Cities Bar & Grille:
Sunday Brunch featuring live entertainment from 10am-4pm
Events:
Planet Earth (Duran Duran Tribute)—Oct. 3, Str8Up 25th Anniver-
sary Celebration—Oct. 17, Gloria Gynor—Oct. 24, One of These
Nights (Eagles Tribute)—Oct. 25, Cash’d Out (Johnny Cash Tribute)
—Nov. 14, 49 Laughs (Comedy)—Nov. 21, Yolanda del Rio with
Mariachi Azteca de Oro—Dec. 11
Mazatzal Casino—Payson, AZ—800.777.7529
Apache Spirits Lounge:
Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends.
Events:
Testicle Festival—Oct. 3, Journey Unlimited (Journey Tribute)—Oct.
3, HallowSCREAM Bash—Oct. 31
Paradise Casino—Yuma, AZ—888.777.4946
Sharky’s Bar & Bites:
Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends
Quechan Casino—Winterhaven, CA—877.783.2426
Sidewinders:
Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends
Talking Stick Resort—Scottsdale, AZ—480.850.7777
The Showroom & Grand Ballroom:
Zappa Plays Zappa—Oct. 4, JB Smoove with Hugh Moore—Oct. 24,
Wicked Ball—Oct. 31,
Twin Arrows Navajo Casino—Flagstaff, AZ—855.946.8946
Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends
Vee Quiva Casino—Laveen, AZ—800.946.4452
VQ Live:
Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends
Wild Horse Pass Casino—Chandler, AZ—800.946.4452
Chrome Nightclub—Fri & Sat 9pm-2am, The Lounge—Featuring a
variety of live music nightly, Festival Park—Live music outdoors
Showroom:
Polo Polo—Oct. 2, Lost 80’s Live—Oct. 10, Loverboy 2015—Oct. 17,
Mick Adams & The Stones (Rolling Stones Tribute)—Oct. 18, Slash
feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators—Oct. 20, Ramon Ayala—
Oct. 23, Latin Legends Live—Oct. 24, The Village People—Oct. 30,
ABBA Fab—Oct. 31
Talking Stick Resort Presents:
Wicked Ball Halloween Contest October 31
It’s that time again all you witches, goblins and goons! Talk-
ing Stick Resort is celebrating Halloween with its annual
Wicked Ball event on Oct. 31. Hosted in the property’s Salt
River Grand Ballroom, the event will feature live entertain-
ment, a variety of performers and decked-out characters
vying for top honors in the costume contest. At the end of
the night, the remaining 10 finalists will win a share of
$10,000. But that’s not all -- as the Halloween party will also
showcase EDM, trance and Top 40 hits all night long!
In its second year, the Halloween bash will feature three
rooms complete with cocktail specials and variety acts. Each
room will showcase a different theme, vibe and musical
style so guests will get to experience three parties for the
price of one! Lady La from LIVE 101.5 FM will keep the par-
ty rocking in the main room, serving as the costume con-
test’s emcee. The top 10 costume contest finalists will take
home cash with the first place winner earning $3,500. Ad-
vanced general admission tickets are $50 while VIP tickets
are $90. General admission tickets purchased on the day of
the event are $60. “Day of” VIP tickets are $100 and include
six drinks.
Additionally, guests can purchase a cabana at RELEASE any
Saturday this month and receive 10 VIP Wicked Ball tickets,
which includes six drinks and access to the VIP areas (a
$900 value). To learn more information or purchase tickets
for Wicked Ball at Talking Stick Resort, visit their website
at TalkingStickResort.com or call 480.850.7734. Must be 21
or older to attend.
Prizes for the top 10 finalists will be as follows:
1st place — $3,500
2nd place — $2,500
3rd place — $1,500
4th place — $1,000
5th place — $ 500
6th-10th place — $ 200. Verify all details & age restrictions (generally 21 & over) for each event. Venues, times, dates, & ticket
information are subject to change. Photos/images copyright of the individual artist(s), photographer(s),
or venue(s). All Rights Reserved. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information.
40 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
Sources: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 09/01/15 & direct inquiries by press time. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information.
Contact [email protected] to make updates. *Cocopah Resort Casino offers “Smoke-Free Sundays” which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday.
Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night
Apache Gold Su, We, Th at Noon. Fr & Sa at
7pm. 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 100 No Yes No
BlueWater Mo-We 6:30pm. Su at 1:30pm. 400 Yes Yes No
Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 6:30pm
Daily Matinees at 12:30pm 1000 Yes Yes
L8 Nite Bingo Fr & Sa
Doors at 10pm. Games at midnight
Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon, 1:30, 2:15, 6:30 &
7:15pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm.
Cocopah Th-Su at 6:30pm 350 Yes* Yes No
Desert Diamond I We-Mo 1:30, 2, 6, 6:30 & 7pm 300 Yes Yes No
Fort McDowell Sa & Su at 6:45am. We-Mo at
9am. Daily at 12:30 & 6:30pm. 1275
Yes (2 sections: enclosed or in
general seating)
Yes Fr & Sa at 11:30pm.
Call for Lunar Bingo schedule.
Harrah’s Ak-Chin We-Su at 11:30am, 2:30, 3:30,
and 6:30pm 470 Yes Yes No
Lone Butte Sa & Su: 10, Noon, 3:45, 5:30pm.
Daily: Noon & 6:30pm. 750 Yes Yes B.A.D. Bingo Fr & Sa at 11:30pm.
Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon.
Tu & Th at 6:30pm. 280 Yes Yes No
Paradise Daily at 1:30pm.
Mo-Fr at 6pm. 300 Yes Yes
Call for Kozmic Bingo
& Other Special Dates
Twin Arrows Th-Su at 7pm & Su at 3pm. 100 No Yes No
Vee Quiva Daily at Noon & 6:30pm. 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm.
CASINO BINGO
f you are ready for a hot bingo hall with plenty of winners,
then look no further than Paradise Casino in Yuma. This
October you can cash in on plenty of special games!
Friday, October 19th—Indian Day: Bring in you Tribal ID and
receive a free paper Buy-In or $5 off your Electronic Buy-In at
either their 1:30pm matinee or 6pm evening session.
Saturday, October 31st—Halloween Bingo: The session is at
1:30pm with 10 main games paying $300 and $500 specials plus
a Double Action Coverall at $1,199. There are free Halloween
Daubers while they last. Make sure to bring in your Halloween
Bucks for a chance at $200-$500 and participate in the Hallow-
een Costume Contest: 1st Place—$200 Cash and $100 Bingo
play, 2nd Place—$150 Cash and $75 Bingo play, 3rd Place—$100
Cash and $50 Bingo play! $
PARADISE CASINO BINGO Nellia Cook Won A $2,989.30 Coverall Jackpot!
I
ARIZONA LOTTERY
laying the Arizona Lottery’s Scratcher games has always
been a fun way to place a wager, play a game, and see if
you win or lose. Plus, the Arizona Lottery funds a wide
variety of Arizona’s state programs including Education, Health
& Human Services, the Environment, and more.
And, as the Arizona Lottery is always introducing new games to
their Scratchers collection every month, there are plenty of
games to pick from. While the vast array of choices may make
picking a Scratcher game a little bewildering, we’ve come across
a few of the Arizona Lottery’s latest games that every casino
enthusiast has to play the next time they want to try a Scratcher.
So whether you are a veteran, occasional, or brand new Scratch-
er player, here are a few you can try at a variety of bet levels for
everyone’s bankroll!
Double Cherry
Cost: $1
Game Play: Reveal 3 identical symbols in a spin, win prize for
that spin. Reveal 3 Cherry symbols in a spin to double that
spin’s prize!
Prizes: $2,000, $200, $100, $50, $20, $10, $5, $2, $1
Overall Odds Of Winning: 1 in 4.42
Instant Keno
Cost: $3
Game Play: Match any of your keno numbers to any of the
black circled numbers on the keno board and win the prize
shown in the prize legend. When scratched, the matching keno
board numbers will change to a lighter color, making it easier to
see them. Only the highest winner is paid.
Prizes: $20,000, $1,000, $500, $100, $50, $20, $15, $10, $5, $3
Overall Odds Of Winning: 1 in 3.74
Aces And 8s
Cost: $5
Game Play: Match any of your numbers to any of the winning
numbers, regardless of color, win prize shown for that number.
Reveal a black “8” symbol, win double that prize. Reveal a red
“Ace” symbol, win 5 times that prize!
Prizes: $50,000, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50, $25, $20, $10, $5
Overall Odds Of Winning: 1 in 3.7
Most gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores are
Arizona Lottery retailers and many will carry these games. $
P
BRAND NEW SCRATCHERS The Arizona Lottery Satisfies Slot Players With Casino Themed Games
For more information on the Arizona Lottery, visit their website at
ArizonaLottery.com. For the winning numbers, call 480.829.7425 in
Phoenix or 520.325.9141 in Tucson. Please call 1.800.499.3798 for
all other areas in Arizona. Retailers pay prizes up to $100 and may
pay prizes up to $599. The Arizona Lottery pays all prizes including
prizes $600 and over. Any prize may be claimed by mail. Prizes sub-
ject to prior sales. Tampering with a Lottery ticket is a Class 3 felony
punishable by law. All tickets, transactions and winners are subject
to Lottery Rules and State Law. You must be 21 years or older to
purchase tickets. Not responsible for incorrect or outdated info.
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 41
ing comments like “ooh, that was close” and “aah, what an aw-
ful bonus” are downright infuriating. As if I need my very own
play-by-play commentator! If you’re a hoverer, stop it! Go get
your machine, sit down, play, and have fun. Stop standing
around and join in on the action!
I’m playing my favorite video slot machine, I get into the bonus,
and all of a sudden the lady next to me decides she wants to
strike up a conversation. Not the most opportune time! I consid-
er myself a “people person.” I love meeting new people and I
love socializing. But, when I’m in front of my favorite video slot
machine, or trying to focus on using optimal strategy at the
blackjack table, it’s a little difficult to carry on a tête-à-tête! Im-
agine interrupting a sports fanatic during sudden-death over-
time when their favorite team is in position to score and scoop
up a victory. If you want to talk to the stranger sitting next to
you at the casino, make sure you’re timing is convenient and
appropriate.
Another annoying action people do is leave ashtrays on their
chair or tilt the chair against the machine promising to come
back but never do. Unless you really are just getting up to use
the restroom or getting a drink and are seriously intending on
coming right back, don’t save the machine. Let others play!
I want to be treated with kindness and gratitude by all the em-
ployees at the casino—from the cocktail waitresses to the slot
attendants to the blackjack dealers to the security officers. I have
two dozen casinos to choose from in AZ alone and I chose to
come play at your casino. $
SAMI’S SMACKDOWN
henever I visit a casino, I go prepared to lose. It’s
not to say that I have a bad attitude or that I’m an
eternal pessimist, I just accept that gambling is a
form of entertainment. The amount of money I take with me to
a casino is what I feel I can afford to part with. That way, if I
happen to be lucky then it’s kind of like an unexpected bonus I
can be excited about. And, if I lose—no harm no foul.
I believe that it’s just silly to expect to win at the casino ALL the
time. I have my ups and downs and if one casino visit isn’t the
greatest then I look forward to my next visit in the hopes that
maybe my luck will change for the better. Therefore, not win-
ning at the casino every single time I go is not one of my gripes.
I do, however, have several other complaints which detract
from my overall casino entertainment experience...
For one, sitting next to people at a casino that are whining and
grumbling about losing is completely annoying. The huffing,
the puffing, the protesting, and the criticizing isn’t a whole heck
of a lot of fun. In fact, I’ve found that these kind of party poop-
ers actually carry a contagious negative attitude that spreads
like spilled water. If it’s not going well at a machine, then just
change machines! If it’s not going well in general, leave! The
casino’s not going to close before you have a chance to visit
again.
On the flip side, I can’t stand the overly excited hyper-
freakazoids either. You know, the kind that yell like they’ve just
won a million dollar lottery every time they get a win—even if
it’s just for a couple of dollars. I relish the energy and the excite-
ment of the casino. However, sitting next to this type of person
(or worse yet a group of friends standing around all screaming
in unison) is pure torment! Would you like to have someone
screaming in your ear?
Then, of course, there are the incredibly obnoxious and incon-
siderate smokers who decide that blowing smoke in other peo-
ple’s faces, scattering ash on top of themselves, on top of others
sitting next to them, on the slot machines and all around is okay.
Well, it’s not okay. Be aware of the direction the smoke is travel-
ing and, for Pete's sake, use the ashtrays that are provided.
Okay, I’m on a roll now and I’ve just gotten started … Which
casino visitor isn’t as bothered as I am by those niggling, pesky
hoverers? The quiet lurkers are annoying because you just feel
their presence, but the blustering oglers that interject madden-
Do YOU have something to rant or rave about?
Write me at: [email protected]
42 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
W
MY PERSONAL TOP 7 GRIPES A Quick Review Of What I Experience And What My Readers Tell Me
By Sami Becker
FUN FACTS
id you know that Alectryomancy is the art of fortune-
telling using a rooster?
Roosters were commonly used for predictions in different parts
of the world, and over the ages different methods were used.
The most common and popular form of this fortune-telling
was based on the observation of a rooster eating corn scattered
on letters. This practice was used when the sun or the moon was
in Aries or Leo. A circle of letters was traced on the ground and
laid out with some sort of grain placed on each letter. Next a
rooster, usually a white one, was let to pick at the grains, thus
selecting letters to create a divinatory message or sign. The cho-
sen letters could be either read in order of selection, or rear-
ranged to make an anagram. Sometimes readers got 2 or 3
letters and interpreted them. Additional grains replaced those
taken by the rooster. $
azgamingguide.com | October 2015 | Arizona Gaming Guide 43
ALECTRYOMANCY Letting A Rooster Predict Your Future
D
By Mark Novak
44 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
SUDOKU Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain
all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear more than
once in each column, row, and 3 x 3 grid.
(Solution on page 46)
1 9 2
5
3 6
4
1 5
5
9
1
4 2 6
6
9
2
1
6
2 7
2
9
3
8
2 3
1
WORD SEARCH
To celebrate Halloween, find:
CANDY, CAULDRON, COSTUME, DARK, HAUNTED, MAKEUP,
OCTOBER, PARTY, PUMPKINS, SKULL, TOMBSTONE, TREAT,
TRICK, VAMPIRE, WITCH, ZOMBIE.
Words appear in any direction. (Solution on page 46)
Y H B D Z O I E Y Z W V E M B
V C Y P K K C P X I B F H E Z
P T T U R J T Q L Q B Q L Z M
J I B M A L M P N L C F G N I
D W Y P D D Z Z S B A F A F O
K I Q K K P R Y K V Z N E H X
D E I I N C A R N D X E Z D T
G R F N T W L L K U Y R O I R
B I O S E N T I U A P E O Y R
W P P E V P T G L A V A Y G V
F M C E X I G J B T C T U Y P
Q A W M X I M S T O N E B T O
T V I R E B C S K U L L O O T
G Y G C H H N E D T B A T A U
P A C C O S M U A X H V E T U
FUN & GAMES
CASINO DIRECTORY
46 Arizona Gaming Guide | October 2015 | azgamingguide.com
City Phone Slots Hig
h L
imit
Are
a
Bin
go
Casino Liv
e K
eno
Tab
le G
ames
Po
ker
Ro
om
Ho
tel
Sm
ok
e-F
ree
Are
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Sources: Arizona Department of Gaming—Current Tribal Gaming Status as of 09/01/15 & direct inquiries by press time. We are not responsible for incorrect, missing, or outdated information.
Contact [email protected] to make updates. *Cocopah Resort Casino offers “Smoke-Free Sundays” which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday
RV
Par
k
Go
lf
Location Sp
a
Arc
ade
01. Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy. 70, 5 mi. E. of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 590 Y Y Y Y Y Y
02. BlueWater Resort & Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 525 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
03. Bucky’s Casino 1500 E. Hwy. 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 319 Y Y Y Y
04. Casino Arizona 101 & McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 904 Y Y Y Y
05. Casino Del Sol 5655 W. Valencia Rd. Tucson 855-765-7829 1,070 Y Y Y Y Y Y
06. Casino of the Sun 7406 S. Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 292
07. Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel I-17, Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 655 Y Y Y Y Y
08. Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S. Ave. B Somerton 800-237-5687 509 Y Y Y Y* Y Y Y
09. Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S. Nogales Hwy. Tucson 866-332-9467 1,089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
10. Desert Diamond Casino II I-19, Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 654 Y
11. Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy. 86, Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 58
12. Fort McDowell Casino Hwy. 87 & Ft. McDowell Rd. Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 898 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
13. Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N. Maricopa Rd. Maricopa 480-802-5000 1,089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
14. Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy. 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 825 Y Y Y Y
15. Lone Butte Casino 1077 S. Kyrene Rd. Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y
16. Mazatzal Hotel & Casino Hwy. 87, 1/4 mi. S. of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 420 Y Y Y Y Y Y
17. Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr. Yuma 888-777-4946 486 Y
18. Quechan Casino I-8, Exit 166 Winterhaven, CA 877-783-2426 1,000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y
19. Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy. 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 233
20. Talking Stick Resort 101 & Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 759 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
21. Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40, Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1,082 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
22. Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln. Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y
23. Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd. Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
24. Yavapai Casino 1505 E. Hwy. 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 243 Y
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Sudoku Solution
1 9 2
7 5 3
8 6 4
3 6 7
9 4 8
1 5 2
8 5 4
6 1 2
3 7 9
3 7 9
5 1 8
4 2 6
8 1 6
2 3 4
7 9 5
4 2 5
9 6 7
1 3 8
9 3 5
6 8 1
2 4 7
4 2 1
5 7 9
6 8 3
7 8 6
2 4 3
5 9 1
Word Search Solution
H Z O I E M B
C P K
T U R
I M A M C N
W P D A A O
K K P R K N
E I C A D E D T
R N L U Y R I R
I S T U P E R
P T Y A A
M C T
A M B S T O N E T O
V R E B C O S K U L L O T
H N T E D A U
C O S M E T U