State denies dismissal of casino suit
30th December 2006

The state crapped out in its bid to bounce a lawsuit filed by four Chicago-area casinos.

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Annie Duke Returns to Chicago for the Chicago Poker Championships
10th August 2005 - Casino News Wire

Eagle Games announced today that world-class professional poker player Annie Duke will be playing in the DD Poker event of the Chicago Poker Championships, to be held this Friday August 12th. The Chicago Poker Championships run from August 1-14th and are presented by Resorts East Chicago Casino, Q101 and the Loop. Duke will also be present at the Championship event held on Saturday August 13th.

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WMS Gaming and Cyberview Technology Enter into Server-Based Gaming System Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property License Agreements; Agreements Broaden and Accelerate WMS' Server-Based Gaming Initiatives
22nd June 2005 - Casino News Wire

WMS Gaming Inc., a subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc. (WMS), announced today that it has entered into wide ranging technology transfer agreements with Cyberscan Technology Inc. (d/b/a Cyberview Technology). Under the terms of the agreements, WMS has purchased the latest versions of Cyberview's server-based and downloadable gaming systems and related technologies. The non-exclusive agreements also give WMS the right to create derivative versions of these systems and to use, sell, lease, export or distribute the Cyberview technologies in all gaming markets, subject to certain restrictions including time and product restrictions on entry into certain markets.

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Casinos and the Constitution
9th June 2005 - Chicago Tribune

For three years, followers of the fight over Emerald Casino's gambling license have longed for an airing of the evidence: Did Emerald officials, as the Illinois Gaming Board alleged in 2001, tolerate investors with mob ties and repeatedly lie to state investigators?

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FBI: Chicago mob tied to Emerald Casino
3rd June 2005 - Web India

FBI documents claim two investors in Rosemont, Ill.'s Emerald Casino have ties to organized crime.

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Construction set to begin next week on Harrah's project
19th May 2005 - Las Vegas Sun

Construction is expected to begin next week on Harrah's Metropolis Casino's $62 million hotel and entertainment complex, officials said.

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Harrah's leads area casinos in April revenue gains
14th May 2005 - St Louis Business Journal

Harrah's St. Louis Casino and Hotel in Maryland Heights led the way, as all area casinos saw revenue increases in April, according to reports by the Missouri Gaming Commission and Illinois Gaming Board.

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Casino hires big donor to governor
13th May 2005 - Chicago Tribune

Facing disciplinary hearings that could yank its license to operate a riverboat in Illinois, the bankrupt Emerald Casino has hired as its defense counsel high-powered Chicago attorney Robert Clifford, a generous contributor to Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the private attorney for the governor's chief fund-raiser.

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Casino hearing expected to call reputed mobster
6th May 2005 - Newswire

Reputed Chicago Outfit boss John "No Nose" DiFronzo and his brother, Peter DiFronzo, will be among those called to testify at a state hearing on whether to revoke the state gambling license once destined for Rosemont, Illinois Gaming Board sources said Thursday.

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Gaming Board chief seeks independence
28th Apr 2005 - Chicago Tribune

The new head of the Illinois Gaming Board demanded independence for the agency Thursday, urging lawmakers to separate it from the state Department of Revenue and prohibit the governor from merging the board with any other agency.

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Harrah's And Caesars Sell Casinos Prior To Merger
28th Apr 2005 - World Leisure News

Las Vegas-based casino operators Harrah’s Entertainment and Caesars Entertainment have sold four properties to Colony Capital for a total of US$1.24bn (£650m, 955m euros).

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Harrah's, Caesars Complete Sale of Four Casinos to Colony Capital
26th Apr 2005 - Newswire

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) and Caesars Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:CZR) today completed the sale of Harrah's East Chicago, Harrah's Tunica, Atlantic City Hilton and Bally's Tunica to an affiliate of Colony Capital, LLC.

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Harrah's Licenses World Series of Poker Brand to WMS Gaming for Slot Machines
26th Apr 2005 - Newswire

Harrah's License Company, LLC, an affiliate of Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (HET) and WMS Gaming Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of WMS Industries Inc. (WMS), today jointly announced that Harrah's has licensed the popular World Series of Poker(R) brand to WMS Gaming for the development, manufacture and deployment of video poker and slot machine game themes on WMS' Bluebird(R) gaming devices in North American and Caribbean markets.

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MGM MIRAGE Completes $7.9 Billion Acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group
25th Apr 2005 - Newswire

MGM MIRAGE (MGG) today announced that it has completed its $7.9 billion acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group (MBG).

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Illinois Gaming Board Approves the Escrow of Mandalay's Interest in the Grand Victoria
21st Apr 2005 - Newswire

MGM MIRAGE (MGG) and Mandalay Resort Group (MBG) today jointly announced that the Illinois Gaming Board approved by a 4-0 vote the transfer of Mandalay's 50% ownership interest in the Grand Victoria riverboat casino into an escrow account.

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Watchit Media Signs 17 Additional Hotels to Narrowcast NAB; Watchit Media, Inc. Will Narrowcast to over 33,000 Rooms in Las Vegas
18th Apr 2005 - Newswire

Cotelligent, Inc. (OTCBB: CGZT - News) announced today their wholly-owned subsidiary, Watchit Media, Inc. began narrowcasting segments of the NAB 2005 Convention to 33,000 rooms in Las Vegas, last Thursday, April 14th as attendees began coming into town.

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Legislators Turn Eyes To Higher Casino Taxes
17th Apr 2005 - Courier-Journal

INDIANAPOLIS -- As lawmakers seemingly turn away from a plan that would take millions of dollars from riverboat communities to balance the state budget, fiscal leaders are eyeing increased taxes on casinos.

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New gambling panel targets casino license
15th Apr 2005 - Chicago Tribune

The newly revamped Illinois Gaming Board on Thursday began the process of undoing a previous board's decision to put a casino in suburban Rosemont, adding yet another twist to a yearslong melodrama that has cost the state dearly in lost tax revenue.

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Casino Not So Royale
15th Apr 2005 - Chicago Tribune

Nearly eight years ago, the failure of a riverboat casino at East Dubuque, Ill., put one of this state's 10 casino licenses into dry-dock. What followed was one get-rich-quick scheme after another to parlay that license into a new casino somewhere else.

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Penn National Gaming to Acquire Site for Temporary Gaming Facility in Bangor, Maine
14th Apr 2005 - Newswire

Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PENN) announced today that its subsidiary, Bangor Historic Track, Inc. (BHT), has agreed to acquire an off-track betting facility in Bangor, Maine which Penn National intends to use, pending regulatory approval, as a temporary gaming facility for approximately 475 slot machines.

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Tax Increases Create Financial Crunch For Riverboat Gambling
11th Apr 2005 - Northwest Herald

When lawmakers raised the state casino tax in 2003, they raised the stakes for the entire riverboat-gambling industry in Illinois.

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Expand Gambling For Education? Again?
11th Apr 2005 - Quad-City Times

Here’s a good one: Expand gambling to fund education. We hadn’t heard that one in months. But Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is pitching it with a straight face, the same face that grimaced at the prospect of expanded gambling just one campaign ago. It’s the same face that until last month wouldn’t nod approval to fill year-long vacancies on the Illinois gaming board.

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Wells-Gardner Announces the Signing of a Letter of Intent to Acquire the LCD and Monitor Business of Pentranic Group Ltd. of the UK
30th Mar 2005 - Newswire

CHICAGO -- Wells-Gardner Electronics Corporation (Amex: WGA - News) announced that it has signed a nonbinding letter of intent to purchase all of the outstanding stock of Pentranic Group Ltd. of Livingston, Scotland, a manufacturer of CRT monitors and LCDs for sale to the gaming and amusement markets in Europe. The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The transaction is subject to due diligence, negotiation of a definitive agreement and the approval of the Wells-Gardner Board of Directors, as well as to Pentranic Group's disposition or spin-off of its power supply business and real estate assets, which will not be included in the purchase. Assuming satisfaction of these conditions, Wells-Gardner expects the transaction to close within approximately 90 days.

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