Daily Archives: September 18, 2020

Las Vegas official slogan is: What happens here, only happens here.

But when the Saints head to Sin City for a Monday Night Football matchup against the Raiders, all of their activities will be very similar to what happens in New Orleans as the team will mostly be confined to their hotel.

When we travel or when we're at home we go to a hard bubble, Saints coach Sean Payton said. We'll be in a secured area. Period. So, it's not like you can just stroll down the lobby and roll some dice for an hour."

Payton said he didnt have to implement those rules as the NFL put them in place as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

But not being able to hit the tables in Vegas shouldnt be much of a problem for the Saints as players reiterated this trip is to play the Raiders, not blackjack.

Were here to play football, Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said. We know that were of the same mindset. Its a business trip. I dont care if I dont leave the room. Im here to win a football game.

Jordan said on a normal road trip, hed walk to a mall or something along those lines but that wont be the case this weekend for the Pro Bowler or his teammates as they adhere to the safety measures.

Some guys like to go get dinner, some guys meet with their families, people come to the hotel, things like that, Saints running back Alvin Kamara said. With the world were living in, with the climate were in, its just something that we cant do right now.

Kamara said its an adjustment both players and coaches have to make but one he felt his team has done a good job of so far.

Weve got one goal in mind, Kamara said. So to protect that goal, weve got to do what we got to do, following the protocol.

Despite being sequestered, Saints quarterback Drew Brees said this trip will still be unique.

Its absolutely a historic moment, he said. First professional football team in Vegas, the opening of this new stadium, which Im sure is tremendous

Brees like his teammates said the focus is on moving to 2-0.

This is an up and coming team with a lot of talent and its Monday Night Football, Brees said. And, obviously, we want to continue to get better and take the next step as a team.

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Saints not rolling the dice on upcoming Las Vegas road trip - RADIO.COM

Like many corners of Colorado that had high hopes for 2020, the states gambling capital of Gilpin County has absorbed some serious body blows in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The novel coronavirus shut down casinos in Black Hawk, Central City and across the state from March 17 through mid-June. Now Gilpin leaders are trying to reckon with a more than $4.5 million hole in the countys projected tax income, Commissioner Ron Engels said.

There will be absolutely no capital projects in next years budget, said Engels.

The countys unemployment rate, which spiked over 20% in April, still paced the state in July at 12%, according to labor department data.

This past weekend is providing sparks of optimism in Black Hawk and Central City and putting people back to work. Those sparks are coming in the form of dice, cards, roulette wheels and footballs.

Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on Tuesday moved Gilpin County to the Protect our Neighbors phase of coronavirus restrictions, a rollback that allows table games like blackjack, craps, and poker to resume for the first time since spring. It also greatly increases the number of people casinos can allow on the floor at one time, up to 500 from the previous limit of 175. Some Black Hawk establishments, including the Monarch Casino, welcomed players back Friday morning.

Our dealers are really excited to be back at work, Monarch chief operating officer David Farahi said Thursday, shortly after 100 returning workers went through COVID tests ahead of the reopening.

The Monarch does not plan to let 500 people in at a time right away, capping capacity at 25% of fire code, Farahi said. Some of the games will look different, too. In blackjack, only the dealers touch the cards now.

We want to make sure that we have a density that still allows for social distancing in the building, Farahi said.

The other major gambling development this past week is the kickoff of the NFL season.

Sports betting has been legal since May 1 in Colorado, with 20 licensed betting apps handling bettors money while casinos were closed. With all major U.S. sports leagues shut down by the virus, the biggest sport for those dollars over Colorados first month of legal sports betting was table tennis, the Division of Gaming reported at the time.

Since then, pro basketball, hockey and baseball have returned and sports apps have continued to proliferate but NFL football is the main event.

A recent survey from the American Gaming Association found that 33.2 million Americans reported that they planned to bet on NFL games this year, including 11.3 million through online platforms (legal and illegal) and 6.6 million who planned to visit physical sportsbooks.

DraftKings got in on the ground floor of Colorados legal market. In addition to its app, it has a physical presence at the Mardi Gras Casino in Black Hawk. Company co-founder Matt Kalish called Colorado one of our best markets, and expressed high hopes for what the NFL season will mean for action in the state.

The NFL has the biggest national audience following the sport, and I think its also the weekend cadence, Kalish said of footballs dominance when it comes to betting. The NFL has just carved off Sunday. Everybody is just paying attention and dropping what theyre doing to pay attention.

DraftKings is just getting into the retail side of sportsbook operations, but the Monarch, which has a sister casino in Reno, Nev., runs its own book and is used to the physical side of things. Farahi said when he first moved to Colorado, he was surprised at how slow the casino was on Broncos Sundays, noting the NFL used to bring out crowds in Reno.

I am really curious to see what happens on Monday night, and, now that sports betting is legal, if casinos are going to become a hub for watching football games, Farahi said.

The Monarch has a small physical sportsbook now but supplements that with a bar where fans and bettors can watch games. A larger sportsbook is coming as part of the casinos long-in-the-works expansion that will also bring a spa and 516 new hotel rooms to the property, but a projected completion date for that project hasnt been announced.

Because of the way the sports betting law is written in Colorado, even bets made at brick-and-mortar locations dont provide tax revenue directly to Gilpin County, Engels said. But the hope is players will drop some additional coin, be it on food or in a slot machine, if the sportsbooks can draw them in in person.

In Cripple Creek, table games are still not allowed to operate. Teller County Commissioner Marc Dettenrieder said he was filing a variance request with the state health department on Friday to change that and to allow 24-hour alcohol service in casinos.

We feel we are in the right position to put in another variance request for casinos specifically, based on the facts on the ground, Dettenrieder said of the countys efforts to contain the coronavirus after a case spike in late July.

In the meantime, the Wildwood Casino in Cripple Creek is ahead of 2019 when it comes to its slots revenue and only a little behind annual revenue as a whole, director of marketing Andy Jones said. The casino, which is also in the midst of an ambitious expansion plan, including a 102-room hotel, stayed active reaching out to players even during the shutdown, Jones said. Its planning its biggest promotion ever, a nightly drawing giving visitors a shot at $2 million, starting in October.

Instead of trying to starve our way to success, were trying to grow the market right now, he said.

Wildwood does have its own sportsbook with 20 TVs, Jones said, and while the take wasnt fully counted as of Friday morning, he said activity on Thursday nights NFL game was better than expected.

Obviously, Sunday will be the big test followed by the Broncos on Monday, he said.

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NFL betting, return of table games offers glimmer of hope in Colorados COVID-impacted casino towns - The Denver Post

Vincent John Duffy, 70, passed away at his home in Spring Grove, MN Monday September 14, 2020. Vince was born in Waukon November 22, 1949 to William and Norma (Kostman) Duffy.After attending school in Waukon, he soon married Donna Smith and had two sons, Jay and Jayson. Vince later married Linda Bresnahan and the two had a daughter, Lena.Vince initially worked at Northern Engraving in Waukon. In 1977 he started his own company, Duffy Construction. He and his family lived in Waukon until 1987 when they then relocated to Berlin, WI. Here he took a new job at Leach Farms, Inc. as a maintenance mechanic.In 1997 Vince and Linda moved closer to their family and built a home in rural La Crescent, MN where he worked at Torrance Casting until he retired. Vince met his life partner, Barb Mannel, in 2007 and the two made their final move to Spring Grove, MN.Vince was a skilled carpenter and was able to build two of the family homes. Some of his favorite pastimes included competing in archery competitions, playing billiards and many types of card games, especially blackjack at the casino. As an avid outdoorsman, his passion was bear hunting with his bow and spending weekends fishing on Lake Michigan where he loved the water.Time spent with family, especially seeing his grandkids grow, was important to Vince. He liked talking about the outdoors, guns and sharing his political views. He enjoyed watching old westerns, war movies and listening to country western music. Barb and Vince enjoyed traveling in their RV to Maine, Michigan, Alabama and Florida.Vince was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Betty Wagner. Survivors include Barb Mannel (companion); his sons, Jay (Marlene) Duffy and Jayson (Jennifer) Duffy; his daughter, Lena (Gordon) Lehmann; four grandchildren, Quynlan and Anya Duffy (Jayson), and Isaac and Dylan Lehmann (Lena); his brothers, James (Marcia) Duffy and Danny Duffy; and his sister, Maxine (Henry) Acosta. Other survivors include Sara (Amy) Mannel, Hannah Gruen, Lillian and Leeland Roaroff, Amara, Rylee and Isabelle Mannel, Donald Mannel and Stacy (Aaron) Kremmer.

A full obituary will also appear in the September 23 edition of The Standard. You can subscribe to The Standard's print edition or e-edition by clicking here.

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Vincent Duffy | The Standard Newspaper - Waukon Standard

If you are hoping to experience the thrills and the adrenaline of the gambling world, then visiting the capital of Ireland is a great decision.

A large portion of the Irish population choose gambling as their hobby so it makes sense that there are elegant and impressive venues hosting the best gambling you can get in all of the country, that offer a break from the popular online casino sites.

Whether it is casinos that you wish to visit for the roulette board and card games, or rather horse racing tracks for some sport events to put a flutter on, or even bingo halls that you can enjoy your night in, Dublin has it all and you will not leave disappointed.

Technically, casinos are illegal in Ireland. It makes Ireland seem like an odd choice for venues to gamble in if casinos are the most frequent choice for venue and they are illegal.

There is a loophole however in which casinos can still operate. Instead of being casinos, they declare themselves to be casinos and card clubs or something to that effect, which means that they are private clubs with members, and as such gambling is not illegal in such establishments.

The loophole is the fact that they open their membership to everyone above the age of eighteen, and membership happens to be totally free. This means that people just need to sign up for free with their ID and they are free to gamble.

Whilst this may make the law seem pointless, it does allow for more responsible gambling. Needing to sign up means that the decision has to be taken a little bit more seriously, and there is a record of them as well, so it is a win win situation.

Now, onto the list which is in no particular order and features some of the most popular venues to gamble in all of the Irish capital.

This first casino claims to offer Dublins premier casino experience and it is clear to see why. The Sports Emporium Casino, right in the heart of Dublin just off Grafton Street is beautifully decorated and it is no understatement to describe it as luxurious.

They offer a decent variety of live games. These include roulette and blackjack as the most common game, but you can also play Brag, Punto Banco, Sic Bo and even poker, which is not always offered in casinos.

If you play, you can enjoy complimentary beverages which is the kind of touch that shows that the casino is valuing the customers enjoyment of the evening as more important to the casino than the money that they would gain from selling the drinks.

It is open every night from six in the evening to six in the morning, which gives you a lot of leeway when you choose to visit. It is also as welcoming to professionals as total novices and beginners and is an overall extremely pleasant experience.

Declaring itself to be Dublins favourite casino and pointing to its reputation as Dublins friendliest club, Fitzwilliam Casino and Card Club is a very decent choice for a venue to gamble at when you are in Dublin.

Another casino, Fitzwilliam Casino and Card Club concentrates a lot more on poker than other casinos whilst still offering blackjack and roulette.

It is located on Lower Fitzwilliam Street and within walking distance of most hotels and major attractions. Like the Sporting Emporium, it is open for twelve hours a day, from 6PM to 6AM.

It offers Poker cash games from 6:30 in the evening and Texas Hold Em tournaments on a daily basis, so it can definitely add Home of Dublins Poker to its long list of credentials.

If any of your group is looking to play poker, then this venue will be within the best choices in all of Dublin.

Playland Casino is Irelands first electronic casino. It is located on Talbot Street near the City Centre and open from 10:00 to 1:00 every night except for Thursdays and Fridays, when it is open for an extra hour.

Playland Casino offers its customers the best electronic experience they could hope to receive in Dublin. It has the latest state of the art machines for video poker, slots and in touch bet roulette.

They continue to regularly receive more games and slots, so there should always be something new to do at the Playland Casino. Drinks and snacks are complimentary, which is always a nice touch, but it is the variety of options at your disposal that sets this casino apart from others.

The customer support is excellent, and even on the floor with the most slots in all of Ireland, you will not be waiting for a member of the help team for long, and usually they should be able to resolve any issues you might have been experiencing.

Overall, Playland Casino is a luxurious casino where you can expect the best electronic games to gamble on in all of Ireland. Make sure you remember to take breaks as it can be difficult to keep track of time, and always remember to gamble carefully.

The first non-casino on the list, Leapordstown is perfect for those who fancy watching and wagering on horse racing. There are various races and events at this venue, and it is always a lovely day out for those attending.

Most of the time, the dress code will be smart, as people like to dress up to go and see horse racing. Bear this in mind and make an effort to have an appropriate outfit and lean into the fun of the races.

If you are visiting Ireland with someone who does not really like gambling, this could be your best chance and even the horse names provide a decent amount of entertainment.

It is located just outside of Dublin and it offers world class racing. A lot of the best jockeys in the world are Irish, and many horses are bred in Ireland as well so the quality of racing on offer can not be questioned.

The first thing you need to know about this venue is that it probably was not founded by a man called Jack Pott. Fortunately, it is a bingo and is usually open from 12:30 to 23:00 most days.

It is on the Star Crumlin Kildare Road, which is within walking distance of most hotels. There are two other sister locations so there will likely be one near to wherever your accommodation is.

It is perfect for those who wish to have a less competitive night of gambling than poker, blackjack or horse racing but still want to have a fun night at a lovely venue. The venues are very open to novices and those who have never played before and the atmosphere is very friendly.

Each venue has its own state of the art amusement room, and apparently there are some world exclusive games at these venues, although this is not confirmed to be true.

4 Kings Casino & Card Club is a recommended venue for your gambling in Dublin. It is based in Swords and set in very comfortable surroundings. It is not perfect for total beginners, but those are used to this sort of venue will feel very at home.

There are plenty of tournaments for players to enter, and whilst it may not have the mystique of some other casinos on this list, it is a very decent choice of place for your gambling desires.

Located only five minutes from Dublin city centre, the D1 Club is a premier Members Club Casino that claims to offer some of the most exciting games and best food in Dublin, while also throwing a healthy number of freebies along the way.

There is an international level of service brought by the help team, and the poker club is equally as developed as the blackjack tables, roulette wheels and video slots. It is a thrilling vibe that you can instantly experience when you walk in, but you can still feel relaxed in the pleasant surroundings.

Macau Casino is situated in the centre of Dublin. It offers card games, roulette and electronic games over three floors. The staff are friendly and will help you out with any of the problems you may encounter at heir facilities. The decoration is pleasant and luxurious, and it is among the best casinos in Dublin.

Further gambling venues that you could want to visit in Dublin and that each have their own charm are Carlton Casino Club, Empire Casino and Funland Casino.

Wherever you may go, you will find that you will be warmly welcomed, as venues in Dublin have all put an emphasis on providing an enjoyable customer service.

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Where to Gamble in Dublin - FFT.ie