On August 11, the latest in a series of monsoons wiped out the primary and backup generators at Talking Stick Resort. The casino was expected to reopen later last month but hasn’t, leaving some asking questions. Talking Stick Resort Public Relations Director Ramon Martinez told a local Fox News 
affiliate that the casino would be closed indefinitely after being flooded. Fortunately, he said, all hotel guests were accommodated elsewhere. Five tournaments, including the Arizona State Poker Championship, which some players had paid $2,200 to enter, fell victim to the closure, which was expected to last at least until August 19.
Talking Stick guests like honeymooner William Malone, meanwhile, are confirming bad memories that will last a lifetime. “They left us on the sidewalk for over three hours. We had to beg to go back inside to use the restroom,” he told AZFamily.com. “No buses; no nothing. Pouring down rain, wind blowing.” Poker player Angela Jordison added, “I was on the fence on if I was coming this year, and then I decided last minute, I paid an over-inflated flight, and then this all happened.” We have a feeling that Talking Stick will have to invest in a good PR agency or maybe a lot of comps (or possibly both) after this fiasco.
The new party line is that repairs will last through the end of December, leading the Arizona Republic to ask “What’s taking so long?” After all, power supplier Salt River Project suffered no storm damage. “SRP’s primary-metering equipment is ready to serve the resort as soon as it repairs the damage and is ready to safely receive electric service again,” wrote spokesman Jeff Lane. In Talking Stick’s defense (Talking Stick itself keeping mum), attorney William Delong said, “The type of equipment that they would probably have down there is something you don’t pull off the shelf … The issues that they’re facing are probably pretty horrendous. I would think they would be making every effort they could to get everything up and running,” including extensive governmental inspections.
In the meantime, Talking Stick is keeping its employees on the payroll and making revisions to the property that have been on hold since 2010. In the meantime, 13 events, including performances by Terry Fator and Daughtry, have been canceled. Talking Stick’s vow of silence isn’t helping its PR image but at least it’s doing right by its employees.
* Kazuo Okada has pounced on Tiger Resorts Leisure & Entertainment on the verge of the latter’s going public. He seeks reinstatement as CEO, shareholder and member of the board. 
Tiger is looking for more money to finish Okada Manila — a task surely made harder by new litigation. Of charges that he used the company for his personal enrichment, Okada rails, “These trumped-up charges were merely meant to harass me and justify my illegal ouster. Far from being valid cases, their baseless accusations only serve to demonstrate the grand conspiracy perpetrated by my detractors who betrayed my trust.” If he’s going to be surrounded by enemies it’s difficult to see why Okada would want back in but so be it. However, even his own children have turned against him in the fight. This much is clear: Kazuo Okada will not go gently into that good night.
* In, out and then back in again. That’s Caesars Entertainment‘s relationship with the Ohio market, according to Global Gaming Business, which tips the company as a potential buyer for Jack Entertainment. What this means for Jack Greektown, in Detroit, is unclear, since the company runs Caesars Windsor for the Ontario government and there could be antitrust issues.
