{"id":31254,"date":"2022-06-06T08:19:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T16:19:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=31254"},"modified":"2023-09-14T14:03:28","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T22:03:28","slug":"smoke-signals-in-atlantic-city-discontent-in-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/blog\/smoke-signals-in-atlantic-city-discontent-in-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"Smoke signals in Atlantic City; Discontent in Las Vegas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Atlantic City<\/strong> gambling halls like Ocean Casino Resort<\/strong> (pictured<\/em>) may get a summer’s reprieve from a smoking ban, as the New Jersey<\/strong> legislative session winds down without resolution<\/a> on the contentious issue. Even if both chambers were to vote by June 30, there’s a good chance that the legislation would contain a grace period to soften the blow. A pre-Labor Day ban seems out of the question. The bill in question is creeping toward majority support with 16 state senators and 35 assemblymen having co-sponsored it. \u201cPassing this legislation is the least we can do for frontline casino employees who worked throughout the pandemic, keeping our already struggling gaming industry open for business during some of the bleakest moments over the last couple of years,\u201d said Assemblyman William Spearman<\/strong> (D), one of the newest signatories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe dangers of secondhand smoke have been well documented for many years and for Atlantic City casino workers, getting rid of smoking in their workplace is a life-or-death fight,\u201d seconded Assemblywoman Carol Murphy<\/strong> (D). \u201cWe cannot continue ignoring the health risks to our state\u2019s casino workers.\u201d Of course, that is exactly what the casinos wish that the Lege would keep ignoring. Even though they’re coming off their most profitable first quarter since 2008, the casinos continue to pretend that they’re paupers. They even bought a Union Gaming Group<\/strong> study that says a smoking ban would result in a 25% plunge in revenues and the loss of 2,500 jobs (funny how those numbers coincide for mnemonic effect, huh). What’s a few dead or disabled casino employees compared to phat executive bonuses and stock options, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Asks the ever-vigilant John L. Smith<\/strong>, “Why did it take Resorts World so long to get wise to the [Tacos<\/strong>] El Cabron<\/strong>\u2019s ownership\u2019s eye-popping proximity to one of the larger illegal gambling and bookmaking cases in California<\/strong> led by longtime wiseguy Dave Stroj<\/strong>?” Good question, especially as Stroj did time for money laundering, some of which happened right in Las Vegas<\/strong>. He’s even admitted to violating his parole by gambling again in Sin City. Smith dismisses as “thin as gazpacho<\/a>” Resorts World Las Vegas<\/strong>‘ defense that Stroj wasn’t involved with the now-infamous taqueria. But confederates Jaime Behar<\/strong> and Jean-Paul Roj<\/strong>o owned the taco stand, and they were implicated in the money-laundering case, as was now-86’d gambler Craig Kolk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever else it did or didn’t do, Resorts World clearly fell down on the job when it came to due diligence. Beyond the appearance of impropriety there is the actuality of dangerous complacency. The question now is whether the unreliable Nevada Gaming Control Board<\/strong> will look into Resorts World’s lax vetting process or focus on matters for salacious, like the drugs-and-orgies charges leveled at resort prexy Scott Sibella<\/strong>. As Genting Group<\/strong> seeks full-casino status in New York State<\/strong>, authorities there may take an interest in the Stroj scenario\u2014as well as Arturo Diaz-Ramirez<\/strong>, Stroj’s arm-twister of preference. It harkens back to the worst days of gambling when you’re associated with people who say things like, \u201cYou don\u2019t owe me anymore. Now you owe Arturo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locked into their collective-bargaining agreement, those Vegas casino workers who still have jobs find themselves caught in a pincer<\/a> between the increased cost of living and artificially depressed staffing levels at their places of employment. True, Nevada<\/strong>‘s unemployment rate (3.5%) is enviably low and the casinos claim they’re having a hard time finding employees. Tourists are free with their money, and cash-flow and profit margins are at record levels. You’d think Big Gaming could loosen up and lay on some extra staff, but no. According to The Guardian<\/em>, “workers are angry about how they were treated during the pandemic and after, and tourists are unhappy with shortages and poor service.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Calling this “a very unique time,” analyst Brian Gordon<\/strong> explained, \u201cRight at the time when the recovery is taking hold, global economic factors are taking a hold. Global inflation, supply chain challenges, rising interest rates, all of that is putting downwards pressure on spending.\u201d\u00a0Culinary Union<\/strong> members often find themselves in an on-call limbo that Mandalay Bay<\/strong> food server James Loreto<\/strong> described thusly, \u201cI have to sit by the phone. I can\u2019t do anything. All that time, all those years\u2014blood, sweat, tears\u2014and I\u2019m still struggling to make my hours every week. The casino is packed at the weekend and business is resuming, and yet there are still so many of us struggling to make payments to cover our healthcare.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors, meanwhile, are balking at a lack of service and finally rebelling at Sin City’s ripoff pricing ($7.90 for a bottle of water). \u201cI think there is a certain portion of the population saying work and money is not our priority,\u201d sniffed Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce<\/strong> President Mary Beth Sewald<\/strong>. \u201cI speak to our members and they say we can\u2019t find anyone who will come to work and take these jobs.\u201d Yep, just keep spouting that party line, m’am.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can’t keep a bad man down, especially if he’s tycoon Kazuo Okada<\/strong>. The once-ousted casino kingpin seized control of Okada Manila<\/strong> and had management forcibly removed<\/a> from the property. A convicted felon in his native Japan<\/strong>, Okada was cleared of fraud charges in the Philippines<\/strong>, hence the coup d’etat<\/em> at Tiger Resort Leisure & Entertainment<\/strong>. Okada sent 50 goons and a sheriff to clean house at his namesake casino, and national gaming regulator Pagcor<\/strong> washed its hands of the matter. Okada oversaw the putsch via Zoom<\/strong>, perhaps while caressing his single share of Tiger stock. The ejected board members, attempting to regain their dignity are countersuing. It’s complicated<\/a> but hinges on the contention that Tiger is incorporated in Hong Kong<\/strong> and thus not subject to the jurisdiction of Philippine courts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to such legal subtleties, the lawsuit hinges on Okada’s storm-trooper method of regaining control of Tiger, accusing him of “brute force and intimidation … grave coercion … unjust vexation.” Okada Manila, by the way, is the archipelago’s biggest casino, with 993 hotel rooms, 500 table games and 3,000 slots part of what is diplomatically described as “one of Asia’s most freewheeling gaming industries.” Okada himself could face trouble back home from his former company, Universal Entertainment<\/strong>. It is contemplating a criminal complaint against him for \u201ctrespassing, obstruction of business, unlawful occupation, theft, assault, injury and incitement … There are no administrative or judicial permits, orders, etc. to justify their actions, and these are serious criminal offences committed illegally and violently.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jottings<\/strong>: Just when it looked like MGM Resorts International <\/strong>was home and dry in Osaka<\/strong>, a citizens group wants the proposed megaresort put to a popular vote. It says it has collected enough signatures to get it on the ballot … Ohio<\/strong> will launch legal sports betting on January 1. Expect all hell to break loose as operators try to get their ducks in a row during the holiday period … California<\/strong> tribal casinos caught a break from Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/strong> (D). Going forward, indigenous projects will be exempted from the California Environmental Quality Act<\/strong>. Potential polluters, rejoice! … More bad news for Macao<\/strong>: Gimlet-eyed gaming analyst Frank Fantini<\/strong> is curbing his recovery projections<\/a> for the enclave. He now thinks Macanese casinos will eventually regain pre-Covid strata of business but then level off instead of continuing to grow\u2014with more than a little help from the increasingly repressive Chinese government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Atlantic City gambling halls like Ocean Casino Resort (pictured) may get a summer’s reprieve from a smoking ban, as the New Jersey legislative session winds down without resolution on the contentious issue. Even if both chambers were to vote by June 30, there’s a good chance that the legislation would contain a grace period to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83928,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1728],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31254"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/83928"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31254"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31254\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}