Posted on 02/08/2008 9:43:16 AM PST by NormsRevenge
Southern California gamblers can try their luck this weekend on shiny new slot machines just days after voters approved four Indian gambling expansion plans.
Workers have been busy installing some of the 17,000 slot machines allowed in new deals approved by voters Tuesday for four tribes.
The new deals, known as amended compacts, allow the tribes to expand in exchange for sharing their slot-machine revenue with the state. The first payments, expected to be more than $40 million, are due to the state at the end of the fiscal year June 30, according to the governor's office's lowest estimates. That figure is based on revenue from machines that already are in use and doesn't include the new additions.
The state's general fund currently doesn't receive any slot-machine revenue from these four tribes, who are expected to have an estimated net win of more than $2 billion total on all slot machines in 2008-09, according to calculations using the governor's figures.
The tribes and Gov. Schwarzenegger estimated the slot machines will generate $9 billion for the state through 2030. Critics, who put the agreements before voters as four ballot referendums, argued the state's take could actually be as little as $3.4 billion.
The ballot referendums prompted a bruising $150 billion battle on the state's airwaves. Some tribes criticized the deals as bad for the state and bad for poor tribes and said so in TV ads.
With the four Southern California tribes far outspending their opponents, the two sides aired dueling ads until the close of polls Tuesday, including pricey Super Bowl spots. Voters, however, decided they wanted more slot machines, with 56 percent in favor of the deals and 44 percent against. Support was stronger in the Inland area.
The day after the election, the Morongo Casino, Resort & Spa near Banning already had a large sandwich board on display proclaiming: "Big improvements are coming your way. New slot machines ... More varieties ... More ways to win!"
By today, 400 new machines will be in operation, and more will go in over the next few weeks, said Patrick Dorinson, a public-relations consultant for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
"The sooner the machines come in, the sooner the state will be realizing new revenue," Dorinson said.
Yellow accordion fencing surrounded banks of gleaming machines as tool-wielding technicians knelt beside them this week.
Jason Welt and Vendela Dahl, both 33 and from Oceanside, said they were sorry they didn't get a chance to play the new machines.
"I think the new machines would be more likely to pay out," Welt said, explaining that the casino management would give the machines favorable payout rates as a way to attract customers.
Welt and Dahl said they were in favor of the gaming compacts but did not vote Tuesday.
"I think it's basically a good thing for the Indians to be self-sufficient," Dahl said.
The tribes say they'll be able to continue providing for their members under the new deals and share money with local governments to help with things like law enforcement and roads.
The Pechanga Resort & Casino has 1,500 video-bingo machines that can be switched to the more lucrative Las Vegas-style slot machines, and should have at least 400 of those converted by the weekend, said Jacob Mejia, a public-relations consultant for the tribe.
"All of them aren't going to be changed overnight," Mejia said.
The tribe plans to switch additional machines or install new ones as business needs dictate, he said.
Installers were hard at work already Wednesday at the casino near Temecula, where banks of darkened machines were scattered throughout the casino. Yellow caution tape surrounded the machines as technicians worked nearby on wooden bases for the machines.
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has two casinos in the Coachella Valley and plans to start installing new machines next week at the Agua Caliente Casino near Rancho Mirage. They expect 300 to 350 to be in place by the end of the month, and probably 500 more by mid-April, said Nancy Conrad, press secretary for the tribe.
The tribe's Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs has less open floor space, and it's unclear when the Agua Caliente band will be able to install machines there, she said.
Voters also approved an expansion deal for the Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Indians in San Diego County.
Good on them! Pechanga will be increasing the number of hotel rooms and adding on to the size of the casino. Good for socal business, especially in southwest Riverside County. More options for residents who don’t want to make the run up to Vegas and a reduction of lines at the slots which build up, especially on weekends.
good for them! lol
More jobs and opportunities for illegals too..
You're making a statement about Pechanga tribe which I believe you cannot sustain. However, I would welcome your evidence so that I can complain to the government.
You can take a long hike on the beach for all I care.
What do you know about the tribes of California?
Nice try. You accused them, you back it up..or not. If you have evidence, call the government. If, you don’t what’s your point?
You remind me of someone,, hmmmm.
Nice try.
haaa.
so the gubamint will take care of any irregularities, is that your take?
lol
“Big improvements are coming your way. New slot machines ... More varieties ... More ways to win!”
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Try it, You’ll like it!
It’s obvious you don’t care any more about where revenue comes from than the Gub.. maybe you have a blind trust like he does that is benefitted by gaming machine sales.
No, of course not, your’re just a long time lurker and a gramma to boot,, sweet innocent.. only want the best for your kids and grandkids and california..and its future..
yeah right.
Either you are making false accusations or you are a citizen who has knowledge of a crime and haven't reported it. If you don't have the courage to report it, give me the info and I will do so.
Stop playing cutesy games and back off or fess up.
Your personal attacks are weak attempts to take the spotlight off your dishonest posts.
What many people fail to realize is that there is not a single slot maching that is programed to pay out more than it takes in.
I can see why your hubby was so beloved by the proprietor here.
The state wins any way you cut it, and big losers pay a big chunk back to the gubamint anyway.. what a deal, huh?
We walked through a casino on St. Croiz with a gaming consultant. He told us that most machines are programmed to pay off every 8,000 pulls, except the super jackpots. So if you play a quarter and the jackpot is 1,000 quarters, the house may have made 7,000 quarters profit. Some places advertise 97% pay out.
Your a dishonest poster and are now attacking me based upon the behavior of someone else. Shouldn’t you stop the source of the smell coming from your own pile before you point out others?
Best wishes and keep those unsubstantiated attacks against Pechanga coming. Maybe someday, you'll have the majority of voters behind you.
I hope this exposure about your posting problem has not been too painful. I sure learned a lot about you.
when you resort to reading the profiue of a person you’re arguing with, you can bet you’re losing the battle.
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Oh is that right,, better to leave it blank then, huh?
Where have you been? Where do you think illegal aliens work? (Hint: construction, restaurants, hotels.... )
Are you telling me that you believe Pechanga, who through its sovereignty is under less scrutiny than other California businesses, actually screens out illegal aliens and hires none of them?
I got some beachfront property in Arizona to sell ya!
“......and a reduction of lines at the slots which build up, especially on weekends.”
....lines to play slot machines!!....is that true?...or are you using satire here?....if it’s true, then no wonder in my area (the Carolinas) folks are trying to get themselves recognised as an “Indian tribe”
Your a dishonest poster and are now attacking me based upon the behavior of someone else. Shouldn’t you stop the source of the smell coming from your own pile before you point out others?
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I asked you what you know abut the tribes of California. You avoid that, then lay it on about smell and dishonest..
Who’s smelling it up ?
Nevada's largest slot manufacturers said Wednesday they are ready to fire up the assembly lines after California voters approved a gambling expansion that could add up to 17,000 machines at four of the Golden State's largest Indian casinos.Gaming analysts speculated that between 6,000 and 10,000 of the slot machines could be shipped over the next 12 months. Timing depends on building additions to existing casinos as the four tribes now have the ability to double and triple their slot machine offerings.
The outcome translates into a 27 percent increase in the California slot machine market, thrilling slot makers and Wall Street.
"This is like adding an entire new state into the mix," said Chuck Brooke, senior vice president of government relations for International Game Technology. The California expansion is larger than the 15,000 slot machines being proposed for five casinos in Maryland and the potential of 15,000 slot machines in Kansas.
BUSINESS HOLDINGSBut the report shows the heart of Schwarzenegger's financial empire is Oak Productions, a Santa Monica entertainment concern.
Schwarzenegger, who in his bodybuilding days was styled the "Austrian Oak," set up the firm in 1977, according to state records. It produced "Last Action Hero," the 1993 comedy and one of only a handful of Schwarzenegger films that have bombed. It's also the vehicle through which Schwarzenegger is paid for his movie roles -- from Conan the Barbarian to the cyborg Terminator -- and for video game and comic book spin-offs and licensing arrangements.
Schwarzenegger owns a stake of more than $1 million in the firm: Through it, he draws income from a long list of entertainment concerns, including 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, MGM-United Artists, Walt Disney, DC Comics and video game manufacturer International Game Technology. [For more, see this FR thread]
Thanks for those tidbits.
btw, I think another tribe received approval yesterday, and more are in line..
I don’t mind gambling per se, but the side effects are all too oft over looked.. for some it is an addiction and all consuming, a few casinos are doing more to improve local communities infrastructure but overall, I don’t think the larger scale of operations is worth the costs associated.
better to educate more of the tribes in vocations that benefit society in a less injurious manner. just a thought.
or is that going to be seen as an assault on their sovereignty. it didn’t stop Great White Father not so many years ago from rounding them up and just shutting them in.
oh well. The GUb just cares about the revenue stream and those are his exact words.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20080204-9999-1n4gamble.html
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who negotiated the compacts, disclosed in recent days that he wants to approve a lot more tribal gaming before he leaves office in three years.
“I’m interested in one thing, and one thing only, that . . . the Indian gaming tribes pay their fair share, and . . . that we in California get the money, because we need the money,” Schwarzenegger said last week.
Schwarzenegger said he expects future agreements to more than double the $9 billion the four agreements are projected to pay the state over the next two decades.
“When we are finished with all the negotiations, with all the tribes – because we’re not finished yet – it will be approximately $22 billion that we will get over the next 20 years,” said Schwarzenegger, who provided no further details. “That is more than a billion dollars a year. With that, we can educate a lot of kids and pay a lot of police officers and firefighters.”
...It is unknown where the additional gaming to which the governor alluded may occur. Schwarzenegger did not say and his administration routinely refuses to discuss compact negotiations.
Neither Aaron McLear, the governor’s press secretary, nor the governor’s Department of Finance could identify the source of the $22 billion estimate.
hwa hwa hwa. i just put a feather in my hair. I’m an American Indian. Give me gaming rights damnnit.
fine, Gub, get our “fair share”, but going in whole hog to get even more, not a wise move, imo.
the state has had ample time to do so before and has chosen not too,, until now..
this is not leadership, it is cowardice, pure and simple, expediency at any cost and without thought of the future costs.. typical of his entire administration , the legislature and their actions, for the most part, to date.
What do you want to bet these businesses won’t be subject to California’s greenhouse gas caps or other air-quality regulation?
I’m just guessing—but it sure seems like he is trying to regulate the regular-business-guy out of business while doing everything he can to allow the tribes unfettered expansion.
What next? Solar-panels and windfarms on tribal lands being the primary provider of electricity in the state?
When you apologize for making unsubstantiated accusations, I’ll answer your questions. Until then you’re just blowing smoke.
have fun losing money
IIRC the previous limit in CA was 2,000 slots. I have been to Pechanga on a half dozen weekend eveings. Always lines at the slots. I think that’s whay they wanted more.
Produce the evidence about this employer or stand down.
apologize.. lolol
I already got the answers I was seeking, why bother?
I rarely gamble regardless where I am, be it Vegas, Reno, indian casinos or cruise ship.
if I do it’s video poker at a bar so I can watch a race or game. comp beers aren’t cheap. ;-)
at least in Nevada , you can smoke a cigar if you choose to.
Well, well, Ms. Hoity-Toity!
Why don't you answer the darn question?
Stand down? ROFL!
You are using the anonymity of the internet to post libelous statements. When confronted with that fact you attacked the person who asked you for evidence.
You said you got all the answers you need, yet you continued to ask me questions.
You could have acknowledged what you were doing when you were called on it, but you make fun of it in an attempt to draw the light of truth away from your wrongdoing.
You sir are dishonest.
You are supporting a dishonest poster who libeled an employer. I’ll not answer a damn thing until he apologizes.
OOOoooo.. are you gonna get me sued? geesh.
I could really care less what you think or say.
You seem to give as good as you get.
I advise trying a skin thickener and choosing your battles in a more wise fashion and studying up on the history of the tribes and their interaction in Stinkymento. (ooooo,, did I just libel the Capitol city too? me bad).
You are hiding behind an alias on the web. That doesn’t diminish your dishonesty. Perhaps your parents and friends never told you the truth about your behavior, but it’s time for you to grow up and act responsibly. We all live with the nonsense some of you post here.
The motivation is obvious from your other posts about gambling and casinos.
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What do you know about my motivation?
Enjoy your local vices. That’s OK, we all have ‘em , right?
Some folks just profit a lot more from them than others.
Your neighbors are helping pay for your little pleasures in any number of ways thru the need for additonal resources like law enforcement, code enforcement, etc.. not all of which taht are reimbursed for currently.
I simply disagree with the premise that the state receives that much benefit from it.
I can let it go at that. Can you?
You seem to believe otherwise and are willing to overlook any perceived negatives as so much whining.
Libel? Obviously you are not a student of the law.
Hey lady... if you’re waiting for an apology after your performance here,
I think you’ll be waitin’ a long, long time.
As to the answer to my question, it should be quite obvious to anyone with a brain.
Your unwillingness to answer it is very telling.
Oh , criminy.
now whoo is making it personal..
lolol
go whine someplace else.
BUT Thanks for all the bUMPS!!!!!
Apparently norm's revenge is that he can make up false statements on the internet and get away with it.
"Your neighbors are helping pay for your little pleasures in any number of ways thru the need for additonal resources like law enforcement, code enforcement, etc.. not all of which taht are reimbursed for currently."
Truth is not libel. But watch out... Arnie and his buddies might send out those meany pillow-tossing FR posters to antagonize you! LOL.
I hope you donate to FR.. for all the whining here, it’s the least you could do.
Calling you on your dishonesty is not whining. However, changing the subject and attacking the messenger is moredishonesty.
Patronizing and making more guesses.
It’s OK, the Gub has his sycophants all over the place ..
I asked you for evidence that Pechanga is hiring illegals. Norm could not and you have not. You have a warped sense of truth. In fact you may be nominated for a George Orwell award.
For the record. This thread is an example of how someone can make up lies and make libelous statemnts against people they know nothing about in order to try to support their position. We all are effected by these kind of posters, when others come here to read and sign-up.
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