http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping Global Gaming Casino Gambling Global Expansion and Development Blog en-us Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:03:24 -0700 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:03:22 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=78&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=78&src=rss Live in PA? Hate slots? Hate driving to Atlantic City? Do something about it... contact your local state representative and tell them that you want table games in Pennsylvania casinos. Why? Governor Ed Rendell said he'd consider the idea should the state legislature sent him a bill authorizing it, stepping away from his long professed opposition to table games. Seriously though... slots, blackjack, roulette, video poker, essentially it's all the same, so why not just do it? More from... Fri, 12 Jun 2009 02:47:51 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=77&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=77&src=rss Having tried almost all the major southern California casinos, I found myself coming back again and again to Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage about 20 minutes east of Palm Springs. There are several reasons why I like Agua Caliente over other properties despite it being further from me than most local casinos: the drive is easy and scenic, the service is good, the casino rocks, and the hotel itself can rival most of the better options in... Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:14:42 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=76&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=76&src=rss A few months before the grand opening of Sands Bethlehem, FJ reader extraordinaire Tom M climbed over hill, dale, bridge and construction fence to get the most comprehensive photos of the entire Sands Bethworks development ever assembled. After seeing the photos, the biggest question on most of our minds was 'how the hell are they gonna get this done in time?' Get it done, they did and opened to rousing business over its first week of operation. In addition to the... Tue, 26 May 2009 05:18:03 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=75&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=75&src=rss Sands Bethlehem has room to grow.... Sun, 24 May 2009 17:14:37 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=74&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=74&src=rss FJ reader Tom (aka bat55w sent in a Sands Bethlehem trip report to accompany the photos in the previous posts. Here goes: Some thoughts on Sands Bethlehem... I didn't want to get up early and go stand in line. This isn't Vegas and lets face it, its a soft opening so there wasn't going to be alot of hoopla anyway since the official opening is on June 9th. There will be celebrities and Sheldon and alot of... Fri, 22 May 2009 17:15:46 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=73&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=73&src=rss More Sands Bethlehem photos... this time covering dining and bars that surround the casino - Molten Lounge, Cobalt Cafe, The Market and St. James Gate. Tom had this to say about the restaurants and his dining experience at St. James Gate: All the open restaurants were busy, I ate at the Irish Pub. Bangers and Mash and a Guinness were pretty good but not exceptional. Service was slow but that is to be expected on the first day. ... Fri, 22 May 2009 17:08:50 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=72&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=72&src=rss Chef Emeril Lagasse was in the kitchen at Emeril's Chop House today, cooking for all the guests. Bam! ... Fri, 22 May 2009 17:02:30 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=71&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=71&src=rss Sands Bethlehem opened this morning, and FJ contributor Tom M stopped by to scope the joint out and bring back some pics. He's sent us about 100MB worth of photos which were going to break into a coupla chunks and post throughout the evening. Big huge thanks to Tom for stopping by and taking all these great pix despite being harangued by security to not take photos. You truly rule TM! And here's the pics: ... Wed, 20 May 2009 00:12:46 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=70&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=70&src=rss Sands Bethlehem has fired up their slot machines for charity in advance of their opening this weekend. Here's a video of the shenanigans courtesy of WFMZ TV69 News. DayPortPlayer.newPlayer({articleID:"963778",playerInstanceID:"EFA19993-F994-B453-A311-48BD7BAA3550",domain:"wfmz.dayport.com"}); In related news, FeltJungle reader Tom M - the man responsible for the excellent photo tour of the property we posted a month ago - will be at Sands Bethlehem this Friday night covering the opening night festivities for us. He'll be filing a report - presumably with pics - late Friday night... Fri, 22 May 2009 21:21:49 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=69&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=69&src=rss Last Friday, Miss Mo and I took a day trip down Route 66 to the "Inland Empire" - San Bernardino to be exact - with the two tasks in mind, paying the speeding ticket she got last time we came back from Vegas (95mph!!!) and doin' a little gamblin' at San Manuel Bingo & Casino Resort. San Manuel bills itself as the closest Vegas-style casino to Los Angeles. There are tons of casinos in Los Angeles, but the name casino... Tue, 19 May 2009 10:21:11 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=68&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=68&src=rss With less than a week to go before it opens, the Sands Bethlehem has launched its website at www.pasands.com. In terms of information, it's pretty scant... but there is some new dining options listed... St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery, Market Gourmet Express, Cobalt Cafe and the aforementioned Emeril's Chop House. Big thanks to reader Andrew for the tip off.... Thu, 14 May 2009 15:53:14 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=67&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=67&src=rss The bill which would've legalized gambling in the great state of Texas has been postponed indefinitely. The measure's sponsor, Representative Edmund Kuempel, suffered a heart attack in Texas state capitol on the day it was to be discussed. He is currently in a medically induced coma. Yikes. For the time being, file the drooling possibility of seeing a Wynn Waco, Flamingo Amarillo, Sam's Town Houston, Venetian Texarkana, Rio Rio Grande, Paris, Paris, Texas, MGM Grand Galveston or Encore El... Mon, 11 May 2009 18:20:00 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=66&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=66&src=rss Meanwhile, in the great state of Kansas, Sumner County officials have narrowed down the field of potential casino operators to three : Foxwoods Development Corp., South Central Gaming Partners L.C., and Lakes Entertainment. All three have submitted proposals to open casinos near Mulvane, Kansas, at the intersection of the Kansas Turnpike (I-35) and Highway 53. A fourth proposal was submitted by Lakes Entertainment for a casino further south on the Turnpike, just east of the city of Wellington at the... Sat, 09 May 2009 02:05:11 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=65&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=65&src=rss A batch of renderings of the Marina Bay Sands project opening in Singapore (Dec 2009) has surfaced on the website of design firm Moshe Safdie and Associates. Included in the batch are many of the renderings already published by Las Vegas Sands Corp, plus a slew of slick interior designs and a handful of rustic watercolors. The interiors of the bay front promenade look remarkably similar to some of the City Center promotional materials. One of the more amusing artist renderings... Fri, 08 May 2009 01:16:48 -0700 http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=64&src=rss http://www.feltjungle.com/globetripping/post.php?p=64&src=rss The partnership between Harrah's and Jimmy Buffet to build a Margaritaville themed casino in Biloxi - not to be confused with the similarly named joint coming to former Trump Marina in Atlantic City - has been temporarily hosed. The original plan to open in 2010 was pushed back and pushed back until construction on the joint has essentially stopped. When pegged with the question about when Margaritaville will begin construction again, Harrah's division honcho John Payne told local TV...