The Performance of American Casinos

Terri Baloga
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The Performance of American Casinos

Boyd Gaming is a casino operator that is known to act swiftly and decisively when they attained the Pinnacle Entertainment. When Boyd Gaming took over, the popularity of Ameristar Kansas City, Ameristar St. Charles, Belterra Resort in Indiana and Belterra Park racino in Ohio increased. Boyd didn’t stop here. The operator also took over of Valley Forge Resort Casino near Philadelphia. 

In Illinois, where slot routes operated, Boyd added the route operator Laettner Entertainment. In addition, Boyd doesn’t seem to rest. The chosen casinos have very high-quality assets which allowed Boyd to enter on markets where otherwise they wouldn’t be in. Valley Forge is also very exciting because Boyd Gaming was able to expand the slot floor with 250 machines. 

The integration process is also going very well and the operator is happy to see where it is after six/seven months of process. Boyd Gaming was able to get these casinos because Ameristar/Belterra approaches Boyd by asking them if they want to partner with them. Boys Gaming accepted because they are always interested in growing their company so they were very excited to partner up and see what could happen. 

The Performance So Far

In cases like this, where an individual operator gets a license and opens a property, it is hard for them to compete with somebody like Boyd. The operator is known to be big on size and scale and even on their capabilities, they are considered the best. They also have a large staff of marketing experts. The company can consolidate with a lot of house functions that can operate at a more efficient level. For a single operator is very hard to operate at such levels. 

Boyd Gaming is able to take a lot of businesses and on the other hand they are able to bring a higher level of marketing and operating expertise. Boyd Gaming has 29 properties and they have been working for 45 years, so there is also a lot of experience.  

In terms of integration, these five casinos will have the B Connected loyalty program. The program was already introduced on a couple of the properties and it will introduce it at the others in the near future. By gaining these casinos, Boyd Gaming was able to expand their players club and expand the database to all new players, which will allow them to visit Las Vegas and also other properties. 

Last Words

About a year ago, Boyd Gaming got a new slot-route operation in Illinois. So player can enjoy all sorts of new slot games, similar to Book of Ra. The intent was to understand the business and use it as a platform so other states will continue to look at this as a form of gaming. In addition, Pennsylvania just introduced a smaller version of it. The whole goal is to be able to expand that platform into other states.

Boyd’s downtown Las Vegas casinos are also performing very well. There are more and more guests visiting the Downtown area. The area is where the company started, back in 1975. They don’t just know the market very well, it is also very close to their heart, because the company was founded there. 

Boyd Gaming has talked a lot about a balanced approach of the business allocation and it speaks of focusing on reviving the business, like change the existing assets or looking for new places. They also want to continue on slowing down the business a bit and also increase it in some places.

Discovery Place Science to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing

Charlotte Stories
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Discovery Place Science to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of Moon Landing

Discovery Place Science will celebrate the 50th anniversary of man landing on the moon with a series of special events that will take visitors to infinity and beyond.

Events will launch on Tuesday, July 16, when the Museum will Blast Off in honor of the beginning of Apollo 11’s historic flight to the moon. On Saturday, July 20, the Museum will mark the anniversary of the moon landing with a special To the Moon and Beyond event. Visitors can create a pocket solar system, interact with members of the Charlotte Astronomy Club, use a solar viewer to look at the sun, use space math to find out their weight on other planets, test out their astronaut skills with hands-on activities, go inside the Star Lab to get a better view of space, see a real meteorite and other space-related items from our Collections Department and learn about how astronauts are using DNA sequencing in space.

What goes up, must come down and on Wednesday, July 24, Discovery Place Science will welcome our astronauts home with a Back to Earth event. Visitors will participate in egg-drop challenges in which visitors can try to land an egg safely into a pool of water. Plus, at 1 p.m., guests can take part in a virtual chat with a NASA staff member about the initiatives NASA has planned for the future, including the mission to Mars.

For those who can’t make it for these special events, space activities are taking place throughout the month at the Museum in daily programs, including how astronomers use filtered light; the mapping of rising sea levels and NASA’s Jason-3 spacecraft; static electricity and magnetic waves; the expanding universe; the sun; gravity; modular robots; space weight and much more.

The space invasion at Discovery Place Science will continue through September, with new intergalactic adventures taking place each month.

NC Governor Cooper Signs New Law That Allows Drug Dealers To Be Charged With Murder

Charlotte Stories
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NC Governor Cooper Signs New Law That Allows Drug Dealers To Be Charged With Murder

NC Governor Roy Cooper just signed a new bill that will allow drug dealers to be charged with murder.

The new ‘Death by Distribution’ law (HB 474 / SB 375) makes it a felony to illegally distribute drugs that result in death, punishable by 40 years in prison.

According to the new bill, a person can now be found guilty of death by distribution of certain controlled substances if all of the following requirements are met:

  • Person distributed at least one certain controlled substance to the victim
  • Ingestion of the controlled substance caused the death of the user
  • Person’s unlawful distribution of the certain controlled substance or substances was a proximate cause of the victim’s death
  • Person did not act with malice
  • Person has a previous conviction of trafficking or has a prior conviction within 7 years of the date of the offense.

The act specifically includes the following controlled substances; opium, opiate, opioid, synthetic or natural salt, compounds or derivatives of opium, opioid, opiate, cocaine, methamphetamine or any mixture of one or more of the named substances.

Supporters of the new law say that it is a major step in fighting our growing opioid epidemic, but critics say it will stop people from dialing 911 when someone is experiencing an overdose.

The new law does include a ‘good samaritan’ clause, which carves out exceptions for anyone;

  • Issuing a valid prescription for a controlled substance for a legitimate medical
    purpose by an individual practitioner acting in the usual course of professional
    practice.
  • Dispensing, delivering, or administering a controlled substance pursuant to a
    prescription, by a pharmacy permitted under G.S. 90-85.21, a pharmacist, or
    an individual practitioner.

What do you think about the new law? 

Police Asking First Citizens Customers To Check Accounts After ATM Skimmer Found

Steve
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Police Asking First Citizens Customers To Check Accounts After ATM Skimmer Found

This past Sunday afternoon, police discovered a sophisticated ATM skimmer at the Newton First Citizens Bank at the corner of College Avenue and East A Street.

The skimmer included a rare device that clones customer’s debit card numbers and records their PIN using a tiny camera. Police say the device was placed on the ATM at around 8:30am Sunday morning and are asking all customers of the bank to check their bank records to ensure their accounts have not been compromised.

Banks are now warning people to check every ATM they use by pulling on the card reader and the keypad to ensure they have not been tampered with by a skimmer;

Many people are also now investing in data protection strips and RDIF blocking card holders to prevent identity theft and stolen credit card information.

New Amazon Overstock Store Opened Southwest of Charlotte Selling All Items From $1-$5 Each

Steve
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New Amazon Overstock Store Opened Southwest of Charlotte Selling All Items From $1-$5 Each

A new store close to Charlotte is selling overstocked Amazon products for $1-$5 each (and even cheaper during their ‘fill-a-bag’ sales) – many items which have an MSRP of $100+, including YETI thermoses, headphones, drones, high-end makeup, heavy duty dog doors, and more.

Bin Time is located at 129 W. Butler Rd, Mauldin, SC, near Greenville and a little over an hour southwest of Charlotte.

The prices of the items change each day they’re open, Saturday and Sunday, items are $5 each, Monday they’re $2 each, and Tuesday they’re $1 each. Each Saturday morning, they received a new shipment from Amazon and refill all of their bins.

In order to keep the peace and sanity among passionate deal seekers, the Amazon certification strictly enforces the following rules:

1. No book bags or large purses permitted.

2. Children under 16 years of age must be accompanied at all times and are not permitted in the bins. Zero exceptions.

3. Large bags will be provided. No personal bags, carts, or baskets will be permitted.

4. Only one bag of goods per person. You may check out and return to the sale as many times as you like.

5. No stockpiling or sorting items on the floor or anywhere else in the building. This is a safety issue and will be strictly enforced. Only take goods that you intend to purchase.

6. No merchandise is permitted in restrooms.

7. No pushing, running, yelling, grabbing or unruly behavior will be tolerated.

8. Opening boxes or any other packaging is not permitted. Please see an associate if you need assistance with identifying an item.

9. No line jumping or holding spots for someone else.

10. Cash and Credit Cards are accepted.

11. NO RETURNS – EXCHANGES – REFUNDS

Some days (like today) they offer what’s called a ‘fill-a-bag’ sale, where shoppers can fill an entire bag and buy everything inside for just $10.

You can find out more and watch for special ‘fill-a-bag’ deal days on their Facebook page here.

You can also browse what Amazon has in overstock before they send it to Bin Time on their overstock page here.

Famed Comedian Anjelah Johnson Coming to Charlotte

Charlotte Stories
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Famed Comedian Anjelah Johnson Coming to Charlotte
Ovens Auditorium will host Anjelah Johnson for her “Technically Not Stalking Tour” on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019, at 7 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com by phone at 800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster outlets or at the Bojangles’ Coliseum Box Office located at 2700 E. Independence Blvd. General admission tickets start at $39.75 (plus applicable service charges) and are subject to change. A direct link to purchase tickets can be found here. Johnson, who has been lauded as “one of the funniest and freshest voices in comedy right now” and whose live performances were described as “filled with almost non-stop laughter” by Time Out Chicago, will embark on her highly-anticipated tour playing to diehard fans with stops in cities from coast to coast. “I’m excited for you to come out and see me on my Technically Not Stalking Tour! But not if I see you first. Muahaha,” said Johnson. Mexican and Native American comedian and actress Anjelah Johnson-Reyes has become a favorite with both audiences and critics alike. Her comedy reaches across platforms from the stage to online to TV to film, with The Las Vegas Review Journal gushing about her last tour “Johnson is an energized presence, an exclamation point incarnate.” After a stint as a professional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, she became an internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon” which led to her joining the cast of FOX’s hit comedy series MadTV. Her spot as a series regular spawned another internet sensation, “Bon Qui Qui.” This original character, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been enjoyed, viewed and replicated by over 65 million people worldwide. Additionally, she has been featured in such comedy fan-favorite TV shows as ABC’s “Ugly Betty”, HBO’s :”Curb Your Enthusiasm” and NBC’s “Superstore.” She is also a familiar face on the talk show circuit, with multiple appearances on CBS’s “The Talk,” ABC’s “The View,” and NUVO’s “Mario Lopez: One on One.” Anjelah’s fourth hour standup special “Mahalo & Goodnight,” filmed in Honolulu, Hawaii, premiered on Epix in 2017 with Maxim Magazine declaring “her comedy (is) uproariously funny and, in a time of great racial and political strife, oddly healing.” The special is currently streaming on Hulu. Her third hour special “Not Fancy,” which is a Netflix original, is currently available for streaming on the platform along with her second hour “The Homecoming Show.” Her first hour special “That’s How We Do It” premiered on Comedy Central in 2009.

CMPD Asking For Help in Finding Missing Woman

Charlotte Stories
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CMPD Asking For Help in Finding Missing Woman

The CMPD has just released a missing person alert for 69-year-old Charlotte resident Sandra Adams.

According to the alert, Sandra was last seen in her apartment off Midland Avenue on the 3rd of July.

Her family reported her missing on the 5th of July when they went to check on her and discovered she wasn’t there.

She normally walks to stores near her apartment, but always returns home, according to her family.

Sandra may be wearing a beige or white shirt with beige pants and white shoes.

If you have any information about her whereabouts, please call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.  

NC Ranked Among Top 7 Best Up-And-Coming Wine Regions in North America

Steve
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NC Ranked Among Top 7 Best Up-And-Coming Wine Regions in North America

Treehouse Vineyards in Monroe

The Tar Heel State was just ranked among North America’s top 7 up and coming wine regions in a new report by Traveler Magazine.

The report notes that:

“North Carolina has proclaimed itself the only place in the world where every major type of wine grape grows well—and has done so for several centuries. At the Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery, for example, located within a two-hour drive of Asheville, Charlotte and the Research Triangle, winemaking has been in the family for generations.

The vineyard’s Vermentino, which yields a medium-bodied white wine, was the first of its kind to be planted on the East Coast of the U.S.”

The Charlotte region has also been putting its mark on the wine world with the growth of Treehouse Vineyards, Rocky River Vineyards, and Daveste Vineyards.

According to Traveler Magazine, the top 7 up and coming wine regions include; North Carolina, Washington, D.C., Seattle, The Twin Cities, Pittsburg, Texas Hill Country, and Toronto.

What do you think about the growing wine industry in our state? 

 

 

Stallings Native Now Serving Aboard America’s Newest Aircraft Carrier

Charlotte Stories
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Stallings Native Now Serving Aboard America’s Newest Aircraft Carrier

A Stallings, NC, native and UNCC graduate is now serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the service’s newest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

Lt. Tyler “Shipwreck” Dunn is an operations administration officer aboard the carrier homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.

As a Navy operations administration officer, Dunn is responsible for supporting the administration side of the operations department and is a bridge watchstander by being the commanding officer’s direct representative on the bridge in charge of safe navigation and operations of the ship.

Dunn credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned growing up in Stallings.

“I learned to be resourceful,” said Dunn. “Being able to work through mission accomplishment with a limited set of tools at your disposal.”

Commissioned in 2017, Ford, or ‘Warship 78’ as she is known by the crew, is 1,106 feet long; longer than three football fields. The ship, a true floating city, weighs more than 100,000 tons and has a flight deck that is 256 feet wide.

Powerful catapults slingshot the aircraft off the bow of the ship. The planes land aboard the carrier by snagging a steel cable with an arresting hook that protrudes from the rear of the aircraft.

Ford is the first of a class of aircraft carriers that offer significant performance improvements over the previous Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. The ship is equipped with the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) to launch aircraft, rather than steam catapults currently used aboard other aircraft carriers, eliminating the requirement to generate and store steam for catapults, which frees up space. EMALS and other new systems and operating concepts will allow the Ford to accomplish 25 percent more aircraft launches per day than its predecessor while requiring 25 percent fewer crewmembers, resulting in an estimated savings of $4 billion in operating costs over a 50-year life span.

NC Ranked 4th in The Nation For The Highest Levels of Arsenic In Our Well Water

Charlotte Stories
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NC Ranked 4th in The Nation For The Highest Levels of Arsenic In Our Well Water

If you live in a rural part of North Carolina, you may want to get your water tested, especially if you live in the Central Piedmont, between Charlotte and Raleigh.

Our state has just ranked 4th in the nation for the number of people likely to have arsenic in their drinking water, according to a recent report by the American Chemical Society.

The results from the study show that over 119,000 people in North Carolina are currently drinking well water with potentially toxic levels of arsenic in it.

According to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, “the central part of the North Carolina Piedmont, underlain by ancient volcanic rocks, have the greatest number of groundwater wells with detectable and elevated arsenic.”

When the NC Public Health Department sampled wells in Union County, they found that 19.7% of wells had unhealthy levels of arsenic.

If your home uses well water, you can test for arsenic using a home testing kit – especially if you drink a significant amount of water at home.

If you find a high level of arsenic in your water, the best solution is to install a reverse osmosis filter on any faucet you get drinking water from.

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