Archive for April, 2009
Alabama Casinos
Alabama is a southern state located in “the Heart of Dixie”, with a rich history dating back to the Civil War. It is known for its Magnolia trees, lush gardens, grand old historic homes, and southern hospitality. Alabama, with a population of over 4,500,000, is adjacent to Georgia, Mississippi, and Florida. The capital of Alabama is Montgomery, which was the first capital of the Confederacy.
Alabama casinos are for the most part bingo casinos, which are run by Native Americans. Casinos can only be run on Native American land, since there is no legalized gambling as such in the state of Alabama. The revenue from the Alabama casinos, as a result, is not taxed by the state of Alabama, since Native American tribes own them. The majority of gambling in Alabama can be found at the horse racing tracks and dog races, in addition to a few slot machines, video gambling machines, and pull-tab cards at these locations.
There are three Alabama casinos, all located within 20 minutes from the capital of Montgomery, that do a thriving business. The Creek Entertainment Center in Atmore is open for gambling Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 12 Midnight, and Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. There are 1,000 bingo seats for live games, 200 electronic bingo machines, a number of pull-tab card selections, and one restaurant at the Creek Entertainment Center. The largest of the three Alabama casinos is the Tallapoosa Entertainment Center in Montgomery. The Tallapoosa is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for casino gambling. There are 480 electronic bingo seats in 21,000 square feet of gaming space, with a full bar and grill for added convenience. The list of Alabama casinos also includes the Riverside Entertainment Center, located in Wetumpka, which is run by Native Americans as well. The Riverside casino is open 24 hours a day, Monday through Saturday, from 12:00 Noon to closing time, and Sunday, from 1:00 p.m. to closing time. This Alabama casino has 16,000 square feet of gambling area, a large selection of over 530 slot machines, and an onsite restaurant.
Alabama could profit enormously from having casinos located along the Gulf Coast, both onshore and on riverboats. This would encourage competition between Alabama and its neighboring state, Mississippi. The revenue to be gained from legalizing Alabama casinos and the boost it would provide to the economy may hopefully spur the state government to open Alabama to legalized gambling in the near future.
Famous Gamblers Past and Present
One of the first famous gamblers in the world was John Montagu, the Earl of Sandwich. He led a scandalous private life and was addicted to gambling. In 1762, he sat for over 24 hours at a gaming table in his home, refusing to attend meals. In desperation, a servant offered the Earl a piece of salted beef as food; the Earl suggested that the beef be encased between two slices of bread so that he could eat it in his hand at the table. This is where the sandwich got its name.
One of the West’s most famous gamblers was “Doc” Holliday, who maintained a fierce reputation as a hard drinker, tough fighter and ruthless killer. He is chiefly remembered for fighting alongside Wyatt Earp at the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
“Wild Bill” Hickok was another American legend, renowned throughout the world for the tall tales surrounding his violent life. He’s chiefly remembered for taming two of the most lawless towns in Kansas. Unfortunately, Hickok made many enemies and his day of judgment came at a poker table. He was shot in the back of the head by an assassin and died clutching a pair of aces and a pair of eights; ever since, this particular hand has been known as the ‘Dead Man’s’ hand for obvious reasons!
Benny Binion was born in 1904 and lived his life as a bootlegger and conman. At the age of 43, he gave up his life of crime and moved to Las Vegas, where he later opened his own casino. Binion was the gambler’s gambler, and in the 1970s he bought and marketed the World Series of Poker tournament, which has grown over time to be the biggest in the world.
Magazine owner Kerry Packer made his name through his family’s media empire, which owns 60% of all magazines in Australia. Packer became known as a high-stakes gambler when he won $26 million playing blackjack at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. However, Packer has not always been successful; he lost $16.5 million at the Crockfords casino in London, although this barely dented his $8 billion fortune.
The World Series of Poker tournament has created many famous gamblers of today. One such example is Johnny Chan, nicknamed “The Great Wall of China” after his amazing success winning the World Championships in 1987 and 1988 consecutively. He’s played in all the major games of the last two decades and is also known as a genuinely nice guy.
