The playdown from 26 to the final table of 8 at the PokerStars Monte Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final on Day 4 was expected to move at a quicker pace after a marathon session on Day 3. Nine would play for over four hours before someone was finally eliminated, although it took about seven hours to get down to nine of them.

Geert-Jan Potijk, the chip leader at the start of the day did not make it to the end of Day 4, while Bernard Guigon started in second and rode his big stack all the way to the final table chip lead. In the EPT Grand Final, the 64-year-old leads a table filled predominantly by online pros but also featuring the first woman to ever make it this far. Lucille Cailly sits in third place when the final table begins. She is French pro who predominantly plays online but has logged more than $100,000 in lifetime cashes.

Rodrigo Caprioli of Brazil sits in second place. He is Guigon’s nearest competition. Along with Daniel “Garnerus” Gomez of Spain, Caprioli is one of two PokerStars SuperNova Elites at this final table and Caprioli even bought his way into this tournament with Frequent Player Points. Mohsin “chicagocards1? Charania is the most successful tournament pro at the final table by a fair amount.

Charania carries the most experience into this final table with over $3 million in online earnings and over $500,000 in live earnings. He has seen enough of his friends winning major tournaments without having a title himself and he has traveled the tournament circuit for a long time.

The average stack of just fewer than 2.5 million is less than 25 big blinds with the length of play over the last two days. The chip leader, Guigon has 49 big blinds in his stack; therefore, almost every hand will prove to be important. At the final table, Charania is well aware of how the high blinds will affect play.

The two Canadians, Michael Dietrich and Clayton Mozdzen have already made it a successful trip across the pond and they are among the final eight contenders. Sergio Castelluccio of Italy is also guaranteed at least €130,000, the largest cash of his career, although he had a far shorter trek from Italy.

At 2:30 pm local time, the play resumes in the Main Event and will be broadcast with hole cards with a one-hour delay. Here is how they stand heading into the final table of the PokerStars Monte Carlo Casino EPT Grand Final and each of the final eight is playing for the €1,500,000 first place prize:

Berrnard Guigon – 4,900,000; Rodrigo Caprioli – 2,945,000;Lucille Cailly – 2,865,000; Daniel Gomez – 2,665,000; Mohsin Charania – 2,215,000; Michael Dietrich – 1,550,000; Clayton Mozdzen – 1,430,000; Sergio Castelluccio – 1,410,000

The Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) gave the green light for two junket promoters to operate in Singapore and it seems that the gambling business in Singapore looks set to grow to a massive scale.

On Thursday evening, the authority gave out the first casino junket licenses to two Malaysian operators, even as they tightened its junket guidelines to give CRA more forethought in making a decision whether or not to issue a license and also how many it will issue.

This move by Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority of awarding junket licenses to two Malaysian operators will allow casino operators here to extend their international reach. Even as junket rules are tightened, this the first time the CRA has granted the license. The tightening of the junket rules is to ensure the operators do not target permanent and locals residents.

Low Chong Aun and Huang Yu Kiung are the two Malaysian operators who were issued junket licenses after a series of stringent checks that lasted more than a year. These operators have an international client base. Resorts World Sentosa endorses both of them and the licenses issued will be valid for only a year. Marina Bay Sands said it has not yet endorsed any junket operator. The two approved junket promoters can commence operations immediately.

The CRA said it is in the midst of conducting probity checks for these applications and it is currently evaluating a few other applications. In exchange for a commission, junket promoters are third party agents facilitating high rollers’ trips to casinos. To ensure credit arrangements for their clients, it is common for them.

The successful operators had to pass probity checks. These checks will involve both their financial histories and track records examined, and the applicants will have to deal with face-to-face interviews. Twelve other operators were rejected on account of various reasons. Some were rejected on grounds of having funds unaccounted for. The CRA authority refused to say how many have applied, although they disclosed that there are other applicants waiting for their decisions.

The slot machine was once an after thought to casinos in the early days of gambling in Las Vegas. Most older gamblers did not trust the mechanical gambling devices and they flocked to the table games to gamble their money with actual dealers, dice and cards.

Now casinos feature four to five times as many slot machines as they did in the early days of Las Vegas. The trend is more profound on Indian reservations and jurisdictions away from Las Vegas.

Once corporations began to buy gaming companies and become gaming companies, they saw the slot machines as an employee who never needed a break and never talked back. Slot machines don’t try to unionize and they rarely make a mistake.

Now slot machines are high-tech and sped up by the player to give faster results and of course make more money for the casino. The slot machines are also used to gather information on a player. How fast does the player play? How much does the player play and do they ever walk away with a win. A “good player” for the casino is one who plays fast, loses all their money and plays for extended period of times.

Slot machines have come a long way from their simple timing reels that would spin randomly. Now they are computer marvels that lure players in with high quality graphics and noises designed to peak their interest. The next time you walk by a slot machine that is compelling to play, you will see first hand how the slot design teams have taken every step to attract you to play their machine.

As the Mississippi River began to go up in April, Casinos along the Mississippi River saw a plunge in revenue. Compared to April 2010, casinos in South Mississippi also were downward for the month.

Winnings at the Coast casinos fell to $87.4 million from $92.5 million in April 2010 and it was reported by the Mississippi Department of Revenue. The 19 casinos along the Mississippi River won $101.9 million from players, while the casinos along the Gulf Coast took in $87.4 million in April.

Indian reservation casinos are not included in the Mississippi figures. These casinos are not required to report their winnings to the public. During the potholed economic recovery, the casino business has had its ups and downs with money for discretionary spending and travel were being tight for individuals and businesses watching dollars spent on conventions.

On a fiscal year, that begins July 1 and end June 30, Mississippi collects the gaming tax. Gaming taxes have brought in $234.2 million for the first 10 months of the fiscal year, including $77.8 million that is transferred to local governments.

Analysts have said that in addition to the plunge in the revenue, high gasoline processes have also weighed in.

Arizona is witnessing a bounce back from the casinos. For the quarter that ended March 31, tribal contributions to the state from gaming revenue totaled $22.6 million. From the same quarter, that is a 6 percent boost in 2010.

Director of the Arizona Department of Gaming, Mark Brnovich said that they have seen an increase in casino revenue for the third quarter in a row. With other indicators, this is consistent that the broader economy is improving. He added that even though it is a small trend, it is a good one.

With the rest spread among five other state programs, half of that state money will go to education funding.

Contributions will be distributed among a trauma and emergency services fund, the Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund, Problem Gambling Education, Treatment and Prevention, an instructional improvement fund, Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs and the State Tourism Fund.

The casinos saw their net win descend for 10 straight quarters, before a 1.1 percent year-over-year increase in the third quarter of 2010. Executive director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association, Sheila Morago said that in tribal services supported by gambling revenue, falling revenue prompted cutbacks in addition to belt-tightening at the casinos and hotels.

For the tribes that have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on new casinos and resort hotels, the turnaround is particularly encouraging that opened in the midst of the worst economic downturn in decades.

A $60 million Lone Butte Casino in Chandler in 2008 was opened by the Gila River Indian Community and they spent $200 million on the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, which opened in 2009 south of Phoenix. Near Scottsdale last year, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community opened Talking Stick Resort, a project valued at $440 million.

An altered plan for raising the state tax on casinos was given by the Governor Terry Branstad to the legislators, but from lawmakers and a key lobbying group, it is getting the same chilly response.

Raising the state tax on all casinos to 36 percent was recommended by Branstad in late January. Now, for the casinos, Branstad advises a “graduated” tax based on profits, in the same way individuals who make more money have higher tax rates.

Raising the casino tax was proposed by Branstad so legislators then would be able to cut the state’s top corporate income tax rate in half.

A casino’s first $25 million would be taxed at 24 percent under the governor’s proposal. At 30 percent, revenue of $50 million or more would be taxed and revenue of $75 million or more would hit the top rate of 36 percent.

Tim Albrecht, Branstad spokesman said that those casinos that had already agreed to this same 36 percent rate last decade would be primarily be impacted by the top rate, when they were able to put slot machines in the horse tracks.

Meanwhile, Branstad said that he believes it was the right thing to hold off on online gaming for at least a year; even though to allow it, Washington, D.C., will likely become the first place in the nation.

On payments for lawyers and other professionals who provide legal services to youthful and impoverished defendants is one of the most contentious issues this session has focused upon. Since mid-February, hundreds have gone unpaid, largely because in this year’s budget the Legislature did not have suitable enough money to pay for the program.

Playtech in a quest to become the exclusive platform provider for the Malta-based company’s Grand Duke Casino, has signed a contract with Integra Gaming. In both download and flash formats, the deal will see the online casino to have room for more than 150 games from Playtech’s stable.

The Grand Duke Club is an ideal example of its over-the-top treatment approach and Grand Duke Casino is planning to take care of its players. In an aptly named “Royal Package,” there are special game limits and a record-breaking €7000 bonus, which are only some of the unbelievable perks the casino will shower on its most valuable players.

From The Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) in Malta, Grand Duke Casino has already obtained permission and players will finally be capable to place their bets this coming April.

Integra Partners, Integra Gaming’s very own affiliate program are the supporters of the Grand Duke Casino brand. Integra Partners is in the business of forming real partnerships and assisting affiliates in taking full advantage of revenues from their player base, backed by solid financial support, and an experienced team of dedicated affiliate managers. Every need and requirement will be met by a personalized & customized solution and every client is assured to be given immaculate service.

A GrandDuke.com statement read that they want players to take it to a whole new level, even though most casinos put their players first. At GrandDuke.com, players will see implausible promotions, uncompromising service and see bigger bonuses. Integra Gaming is determined to take the online casino industry by storm, with a fresh approach that shows both affiliates and players that veracity comes first.

A new series of live high-roller tournaments called the Onyx Cup has been freshly unveiled by Full Tilt. In out of the ordinary locations in the United States, Europe and Asia, the six-tournament series will attribute buy-ins ranging from $100,000 to $300,000.

For the series, tournament organizers are guesstimating an overall prize pool of $30 million, which also feature a leaderboard to determine which player will become the Onyx Cup Series Champion. On the Onyx Cup Series trophy, the champion of the Onyx Cup will have his name carved and he will drive away in a spanking new luxury sports car.

All tournaments will be No Limit Hold’em and the events are open to any players wishing to play who can afford the six-figure buy-in. For the player many consider the world’s best, it is not just about the dollars, although the buy-ins and prizepools are astounding numbers.

For May 11 and 12 in Las Vegas, the first Onyx Cup Series event is scheduled. While the events will most likely be programmed around the same time as other major events in those countries, the complete dates and locations have yet to be declared. On FullTiltPoker.com, qualifying for the events will be offered absolutely, beginning on March 15.

Erik Seidel is the hottest player on the planet right now. He is looking forward to a buy-in level and format that guarantees the best of the best are in play. With a similar focus of bringing the best together, in 2011, this is the second new league/tour created. The first league being the Federated Sports and Gaming league of which Annie Duke is the Commissioner.

Ameristar Casinos, regional gaming operator will get hold of the bulk of the common stock of more than 26.1 million share of the company’s common stock, owned by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation for $457.6 million ($17.50 per share). The common stock at present is possessed by the estate of the company’s founder, who expired in 2006.

The transaction will result in the foundation’s controlling stake in Ameristar to 17 percent, down from 55 percent. The public shareholders, who manage eight casinos in seven markets, will be superior in command of the casino company.

Ameristar Chairman Ray Neilsen, who is Craig Neilsen’s son, said that based on the distinctive financial requirements of the estate and its beneficiaries, the verdict to sell the shares back to the company was made. The beneficiaries include The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation. It was established by his father, which was to support spinal cord injury research and treatment.

Ameristar said that in new debt financing, it also plans to acquire about $2.1 billion and to withdraw approximately $1.5 billion of its existing debt, it will use the proceeds to fund the buyback and for general working capital purposes.

Ameristar Casinos, in its 3-month average volume has already traded 1.714 times and has calculated resistance and support at $17.31 and $16.16 respectively. For price action moves through predefined trading ranges, traders like to use volume as their lie detector.

Ameristar Casinos stock is surpassing the overall market, as on the whole, market index S&P 500 is trading higher by 0.54% from its prior trading close.

On Thursday U.S. casino operator Las Vegas Sands’ founder and CEO Sheldon Adelson said, they are seeking more land to expand their casino complex in Singapore due to strong demand for convention and exhibition space.

In order to keep the company moving forward, Adelson believes that not only Asian expansion is necessary, but also the expansion in other areas of the world. For future Sands expansion Spain has become a target and the plans for Spain are even bigger than in Singapore.

Adelson told reporters ahead of the official opening of the Marina Bay Sands casino complex that, “We are already running out of meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions space and I’ve told the government that we need some more land to expand.” He further added that Las Vegas Sands will bid for whatever additional land the Singapore government puts up for auction.

After MGM’s CityCenter in Las Vegas, the $5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands, which started operations in April last year, is the world’s second most expensive. Las Vegas Sands said its Singapore casino had earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $306 million in the fourth quarter, boosted by above-normal table game winnings, earlier this month.

The casino mogul claims that his Sands Company would like to create a gambling strip in Europe. With gambling as popular as it ever has been, all of the expansion talk is warranted.