Aristocrat, the leading global games leader that operates in more than 90 countries across the globe, announced that one lucky traveler at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, hit a million-dollar jackpot on Friday night. The company confirmed that the player, who enjoyed Wild Wild Buffalo hit the game’s jackpot, a staggering $1,031,199.36.

Wild Wild Buffalo is one of the fan-favorite games of Aristocrat. The slot game successfully combines the company’s iconic Buffalo brand together with the Wild Wild Cash-on-Reel pays. Moreover, players of Wild Wild Buffalo can expect thrilling experiences thanks to the game’s free spins, progressive multipliers and progressive awards.

Tiny Bets Award Five-Digit Jackpots

Elsewhere around Las Vegas, more lucky gamblers enjoyed a hefty payday. Namely, one visitor of Durango Casino and Resort in Sin City placed a small wager that resulted in a five-digit prize. While playing IGT’s Cats Wild Serengeti on Friday, the visitor placed a $0.80 wager.

Little did they know that this tiny bet would turn into a staggering $10,000 jackpot. Durango Casino and Resort did not disclose further details regarding the lucky visitor. Still, it is certain that they will always remember the recent visit that granted them a $10,000 prize with a bet of less than $1.

But that wasn’t the only jackpot that was won recently with a tiny wager. One visitor of Aliante Casino Hotel Spa located in North Las Vegas, was able to hit another mouth-watering jackpot with a dollar bet. Earlier this month, while playing Imperial Wealth Triple Sparkle, one visitor of the casino hit the $10,000 jackpot after placing a bet of only $1.80.

More recently, another visitor of Aliante Casino also pocketed a five-digit prize by playing video bingo. On January 9, 2024, the casino confirmed that one lucky guest won $10,000 from the game.

On Christmas Day, one Betway player was able to pocket a staggering progressive jackpot. The fortunate player was enjoying Book of Mega Moolah when unexpectedly he hit the game’s progressive jackpot, a staggering €13.5 million ($14.7 million).

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A strike by 3,700 casino workers in Detroit has led to the closure of poker rooms at two high-profile casino properties, MotorCity Casino and MGM Grand Detroit. The strike comprises employees from five different unions and has inadvertently bolstered Canadian gambling tourism, as the nearest fully operational venue is just a short border crossing away.

Protests Are Causing Significant Disruptions

Poker rooms at MotorCity Casino and MGM Grand Detroit have been temporarily closed following the strike. An update on MotorCity Casino’s website informed visitors of the poker room’s closure. Similarly, a sign at MGM Grand Detroit notified guests that the poker room was temporarily unavailable. However, Hollywood Casino in Greektown confirmed that the strike had not affected their offerings.

The protests, affecting crucial positions like dealers, food and beverage staff, and engineers, stem from demands for improved healthcare, higher wages, and a return to pre-pandemic staffing levels. Negotiations between the Detroit Casino Council and the casino operators have been ongoing since September, but the two parties have unfortunately made little progress.

Detroit casino workers need a job that respects our health and our future. We now have to stand up and reset the relationship between us and the companies.

Detroit Casino Council strike flier 

The strike launched when the three-year extension to the original five-year contract, agreed upon during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, expired on Tuesday. Workers argue that revenue has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, especially with the inclusion of iGaming throughout Michigan. Poker enthusiasts and staff will face an uncertain period until the affected parties reach an agreement.

Caesars Windsor Attracts Americans with Comprehensive Casino Offering

While the three casinos affected by the strike will remain open, the protests have caused noticeable disruptions. Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), has offered Detroit bettors an alternative, inviting them to take a short trip across the border to Caesars Windsor, a world-class gaming option free of labor disputes.

Orr emphasized that the Canadian offering provided a quality gaming experience without crossing picket lines, making it a suitable alternative for US casino-goers who wish to avoid the Detroit labor strike. Caesars Windsor manager of PR and communications Susanne Tompkins was also excited to welcome foreign visitors, highlighting the venue’s world-class amenities.

Caesars Windsor is our number one tourist attraction. We’ve got it all… world-class gaming, a 5,000-seat Coliseum with A-List entertainment, gaming, and, of course, restaurants.

Susanne Tompkins, Caesars Windsor manager of PR and communications

While the strike’s future remains uncertain, the impact on Detroit’s poker rooms is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by the casino industry amid calls for better worker conditions and the return to pre-pandemic norms. Unlike Nevada residents, Michiganders have a viable alternative nearby, exacerbating the pressure for casinos to reach an agreement with protesters.

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The Primorye Gambling Area in Russia reported that tourism is experiencing a slight recovery although foreign tourism is yet to fully pick up. Despite that, the visitation figures far outclassed those recorded in 2022, attesting to the region’s post-COVID recovery.

The Gambling Area is located in Russia’s Primorsky Krai, a coastal territory in the Far Eastern Federal District. During the first nine months of the year, the region’s Primorye Gambling Area welcomed some 3.1 million visitors, which represents a 16% year-on-year increase.

The zone’s tourism agency added that an overwhelming majority of these people (2 million) have arrived in the third quarter.

The zone is still to reach the level of international appeal the Primorsky Krai hopes it to as only 56,000 of the tourists were foreigners. While this figure may seem underwhelming at first glance, it should be noted that this number is still 10 times higher than the one recorded during the prior year period.

While foreign visitation is on the rise, experts believe that it will continue to be impeded by the ongoing war in Ukraine and the multiple sanctions and restrictions imposed on Russia.

Primorye Gambling Area on Track to Hitting 2023 Visitation Targets

In any case, the visitation figures are slowly returning to their pre-pandemic state. For reference, the Primorye Gambling Area welcomed 5 million people in 2019 and 4.5 million in 2018.

The visitation figures reported by the tourism agency show that the region is on track to reach its 2023 target of 3.5 million visitors. This would be 500,000 people more than those recorded in 2022.

In the meantime, Russia continues to develop the Primorye Gambling Area, hoping to further bolster its appeal. The zone seeks to capitalize on the thirst for gambling in the region by providing premium casino Gambling.

As of the time of this writing, the location sports two casinos, notably Tigre de Cristal and Shambala. The Primorye Gambling Area is set to have more casinos but the war in Ukraine caused setbacks that led to the suspension of NagaCorp’s casino project in the region. In the meantime, Asia-Invest Group is currently working on another casino property.

The final version of the Gambling Area should have around a dozen casino hotels, shopping centers, exhibition galleries and Gambling centers.

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Last week, the staggering $1.76 billion jackpot from Powerball dropped in California. While the name of the winner is yet to be announced, last week brought fortune to visitors to the Las Vegas Strip too. Over the course of a few days last week, visitors to Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas resorts pocketed more than $800,000.

On Sunday, Ryley Koch from South Carolina, who happened to be a Caesars Rewards member, hit the Mega Progressive jackpot while playing Let It Ride poker. As a result, the lucky visitor was able to take home some $94,613. According to Caesars, Koch’s visit to Sin City was entertainment, primarily gambling and golf. After only 15 minutes of playing at the poker table, they hit a Royal Flush, taking home the mouth-watering jackpot.

Before that, on Saturday, another Caesars Rewards member pocketed a hefty payout. Douglas Zuckermann of San Bruno, California, was playing Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker at O’Sheas Irish Pub located inside The LINQ Hotel+ Experience. Hitting the Mega Progressive jackpot, the lucky visitor won a staggering $372,890. Caesars revealed that Zuckermann was on vacation in Las Vegas and was able to hit the big jackpot on his fourth hand after hitting a Royal Flush. When asked what he would do with the jackpot money, the Californian said that he intends to settle student loans.

Jackpot Spree Continues

Besides the aforementioned jackpots, more lucky visitors went home with six-figure prizes recently. On Friday, October 13, 2023, a lucky visitor of Caesars Palace, who also happened to be a Caesars Rewards member, hit a jackpot while playing video poker, collecting $100,000.

Later on that same day, another visitor hit a $146,358 jackpot from slots at the same venue. Then, on Sunday, a third Caesars Palace guest won a $100,000 jackpot from video poker.

Elsewhere in Las Vegas Valley, another gambler hit a mouth-watering grand prize on Friday the 13th. While generally Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day, this certainly wasn’t the case for one visitor of Station Casinos’ Santa Fe Station. The guest played the Dancing Drums machine and won a progressive jackpot worth $101,023. This lucky guest at Santa Fe Station is undoubtedly going to remember their visit to the casino.

Last week’s jackpot streak coincided with a Super Bingo tournament that took place at Plaza Hotel & Casino. While last year, one visitor of the tournament missed out due to a heart attack, this year, the same woman returned to win a whopping $50,000 prize.

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Niagara Falls Review reported that the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino opened its doors to the media for a tour of the new theatre in order to showcase the venue and its unique features.

All 5,000 Seats Are No More Than 150 Feet Away from the Stage

The 5,000-seat theatre was built on top of the Hilton Hotel parking garage and required 685,000 work hours to complete. It cost CAD 130 million ($96 million) and was built in the period from 2017 to 2020.
The new theatre was delayed by the pandemic, which either canceled or postponed several shows. The delay gave designers the chance to fine-tune the venue to optimize the acoustics. OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti explained that there were operational requirements that needed to be addressed and that fine-tuning was necessary, as is the case with all facilities of this size around the world.

The OLG Stage boasts four levels of seating, and no seat is more than 150 feet away from the stage. The facility further features cutting-edge sound and lighting technologies. Two glass-enclosed walkways connect the venue to Fallsview Casino.

To test the sound system, Toronto band The Beaches played an eight-song set for about 100 media members and social media influencers that was followed by a Q&A session. The media were impressed with the 6,400-foot stage and audio system.

The Beaches also praised the sound quality on stage, with drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel commenting that it was the most notable thing that made an impression on her. Lead singer Jordan Miller said that it felt like being back in high school doing a matinee, while guitarist Kylie Miller suggested that The Beaches were the first all-girl band to play at the new venue. Miller further added she was blown away by the facility, saying that it was new but sounded amazing.

Niagara Casinos President Expects a Visitation Boost Prompted by the New Theatre

According to Niagara Casinos’ President Richard Taylor, the new facility will boost tourism in Niagara, prolong hotel stays, improve customer satisfaction, and attract more visitors to Fallsview Casino.

Senior property asset manager Rob Divencha noted that the new theatre has received positive feedback from the handful of artists who have already played there. The first production to use the new venue was “Canada’s Got Talent,” which rented the OLG Stage for a week in October 2022 to film the show. Since then, the stage has seen concerts by The Lumineers, Don Felder, LIVE, and a few others.

Upcoming shows at the new theatre include Bret Michaels, Rod Stewart, and a grand opening night with Billy Joel. The Fallsview Casino Resort is also home to the 1,500-seat Avalon Theatre, which will remain open despite the new venue opening.

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The much-anticipated event that made a spectacular return on February 7-9 at ExCeL London reunited 40,000 visitors, representatives and pioneers of the gaming industry. 

The best game distributors, developers, retailers, operators, trade associations, innovators, regulators and strategic organizations all showed a massive interest in taking part in the “most comprehensive and ROI-friendly networking, business and learning experience”.

Raising the Bar for the Gaming Industry in 2023

Once again, the main goal of the event was to raise the bar for the international gaming industry in the new year. Accordingly, the three full days of intense networking and educational workshops were attended by a newly established record number of visitors when compared to the last ICE event organized prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020. Then, 36,000 unique attendees were recorded at the ICE event. In April 2022, the scaled-down version of ICE ushered in 24,000 participants who explored their favorite casino and games and sports betting areas. 

Just like last year, this year’s participants were given premier access to the industry’s latest, mesmerizing technology, and professional insights, along with the latest regulatory news. All this information helped attendees come across brand new ideas, expand their network for the benefit of their business, and reposition their brands in fresher and more seasoned markets over the course of the following months leading to December.

Clarion Gaming’s managing director Stuart Hunter explained that while the data should be checked by independent auditors, they remain confident that the event managed to break through the “40,000 high point” and set a new record in terms of visitors. 

79,000 Return Visits at the ICE London 2023

Hunter added that the number of visitor days, which is a measure of attendees’ return visits, reached 79,000. He called both numbers truly significant figures that showcase the magnitude and high value of the ICE experience as it is perceived by visitors. 

Around half of ICE 2023 attendees operated in both brick-and-mortar and online venues, while 50% were exclusively focused on online operations. Some 20,000 of this year’s attendees showed an interest in the Casino and Games booths, while Sports Betting was the main area of operation for 13,000 visitors. 

The ongoing attention given to the Payments sector was also visible through the 5,000 visitors that explained Payments represented their main point of focus and the primary reason why they attended the event in the first place. 

ICE VOX Was a Sold Out Stand-Out 

ICE VOX, which was held between February 5-8 was a stand-out program that managed to sell all its tickets for the first time in history. The signature content program of the international gaming community delivered exclusive content and an overall ICE experience that was a lot easier to understand and match with visitors’ schedules. 

It ran two different world-leading conferences: the World Regulatory Briefing and the International Casino Conference. It also ran four in-depth masterclasses: iGaming Masterclass, Safer Gambling Masterclass, Modernizing Lotteries Masterclass, and New Markets Masterclass. 

This year, ICE helped raise $63,798 for tackling gambling harm and promoting safer gambling. The money will reach four recipients interested in protecting customers from gambling harm in their countries. 

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