52

Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

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WMS GAMING NEW SLOT FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF PRIZEBALL BY BALLY COMING SOON TO AZ Bally goes back to their pinball roots with this exciting line of slot machines. TRIBAL NEWS RES & AIGA EXPOS Staff writer Lee Allen covers two important local tradeshows for Arizona’s Tribes. DISPELLING COMMON MYTHS IN THE CASINOS Our staff answers questions from a fan that all our readers have asked at least once before. Hints, Tips, And Advice On Your Favorite Casino Games! A Monthly Publication Created By Slot Machine Game Designers. The Arizona Gaming Guide is a free monthly magazine for people who enjoy visiting casinos and playing casino games. The magazine discusses Slot Machines, Video Slots, Reel Slots, Electronic Table Games like: Blackjack, Roulette, and Craps. Packed with in-depth features, advice, hints, tips, secrets, and so much more!

Citation preview

Page 1: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

04 EDITORrsquoS NOTE

06 PLAYERS TALK

08 GREAT GAMES

18 WINNING WAYS

21 GAMING NEWS

25 ARIZONA LOTTERY

26 FEATURE STORY

28 CASINO DINING

30 TRIBAL NEWS

34 LAUGHLIN NEVADA

38 CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

40 CASINO NIGHTLIFE

42 HOT DEALS

44 CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

46 FUN amp GAMES

48 SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

50 CASINO DIRECTORY

DEPARTMENTS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 03

PRIZEBALL BY BALLY

COMING SOON TO AZ

Bally goes back to their pinball roots

with this exciting line of slot ma-

chines

TRIBAL NEWS

RES amp AIGA EXPOS

Staff writer Lee Allen covers two

important local tradeshows for Ari-

zonarsquos Tribes

DISPELLING COMMON

MYTHS IN THE CASINOS

Our staff answers questions from a

fan that all our readers have asked

at least once before

18 30 13

Contents DECEMBER

26 WMS GAMING NEW SLOT

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS DAY OFF

WMS Serves Up A Blast From The Past

WMS continues to deliver great game play with a wide variety of slot machine

titles but their latest game based on the classic 80s movie Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off

not only provides plenty of winning action it also lets you relive your past and all

the hilarious scenes from the film

This issue has the scoop on exciting new slots by WMS Bally Aristocrat and

Aruze coming to casinos near you Plus gaming industry veteran Al Moe gives us

the inside scoop on 3-Card Poker Staff writer Lee Allen provides two articles on

recent conferences for Arizonarsquos Tribes Entertainment writer Ramses Ja inter-

views Talking Stick Resortrsquos newest entertainer DJ Juma And if you are ready for

holiday feasts yoursquoll want to check out the Dining section for the menus available

at the Gila River Casinos As always we also give you the latest scoop on gaming

news hot deals entertainment bingo and so much more

Please visit us at facebook comArizonaGamingGuide become part of our com-

munity and share your thoughts and experiences with others who also love the

same casino games you do You can sign up for our e-newsletter and find current

and back issues of AZ Gaming Guide on our website at azgamingguidecom Let

me know what you think of our December issue and have fun

Cheers

Alexandra Lang

Editor-in-Chief

editorazgamingguidecom

Alexandra

VOLUME 05 bull ISSUE 12

PUBLISHER

Chris Houmlft

chrisazgamingguidecom

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Torma

lizazgamingguidecom

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alexandra Lang

editorazgamingguidecom

ART DIRECTOR

Melanie Mueller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Al Moe

Ramses Ja

Cindy Esquer

Lee Allen

Katie Snyder

Alex Stewart

Samantha Becker

Lana Hartmann

ADVERTISING SALES

Nina Consiglio

ninaazgamingguidecom

Elizabeth Torma

lizazgamingguidecom

MAILING INFORMATION

Arizona Gaming Guide

PO Box 20636

Mesa Arizona 85277

INTERNET INFORMATION

wwwazgamingguidecom

wwwfacebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright copy 2013 The Arizona Gaming Guide

All rights reserved

The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and

gaming related facts as well as personal opinions and expects the

reader to make his or her own decisions All responses to reader

posts e-mails and letters are to be considered as advice only AGG

accepts no responsibility and no liability for any actions of our

readers based on the articles and advertisements presented within

this publication All pictures images logos trademarks and trade

names etc are the sole property of their respective owners

You must be 21 or older to gamble Please play responsibly

Help is available at 1800NEXTSTEP or problemgamblingazgov

EDITORrsquoS NOTE

Your Authority On Everything Gaming

Arizonarsquos State Gaming Regulatory Agency

Arizona Department of Gaming

1110 W Washington Street Suite 450 Phoenix 85007

16027714263 or azgaminggov

Tribal Gaming Funded Problem Gambling Resource

Office of Problem Gambling

1800NEXTSTEP or 18006398783

1110 W Washington Street Suite 450 Phoenix 85007

16025428998 or problemgamblingazgov

04 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook because

we ldquoLikerdquo you too

wwwfacebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

PLAYERS TALK QampA On Everything Gaming

06 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Q I always learn something new while reading the qampa

section so I hope you can help with this one I play all

of the local casinos regularly and always play slots I

find just one major thing to be consistent with all of

them---nearly every time I lower my bet the machine

will suddenly hit something pretty good andor finally

give me that bonus Ive been trying so hard to get Why

is that Thank you for your time

Christine PendergrassmdashMaricopa AZ

A Christine in two words Murphyrsquos Law (ie Anything that

can go wrong will) Hold on to something for a while and you

never need it but the minute you decide to throw it away is

when you wish you didnrsquot Unfortunately you along with the

rest of us gamblers are victims of random behavior The only

way to dispel myths surrounding the situation you refer to is

to play at least 10000 games at min bet and 10000 games at

max bet and record all the outcomes across the games account

for the bet level and then calculate the odds for the bonus or

other big wins Any play sessions of less than 10000 games

that arenrsquot being recorded will have wild fluctuations of bonus

odds values of bonuses frequency of ldquobig winsrdquo and so on

In fact the exact opposite of what you mention is true for all

casino gaming regulations we have ever come across designing

and testing slot machines Essentially they state if a player is

to bet more than the minimum bet on a slot the long run pay-

back percentage (or odds) must remain the same or be better

than when playing the minimum bet In other words increas-

ing (not decreasing) your bet can actually increase your odds of

winning Pay tables can improve with a higher bet (as is the

case with video poker and some mechanical reel steppers) and

the odds of triggering a progressive can be better the higher the

bet (as is the case with most randomly triggered progressives)

just to name a few examples As a result make sure to read a

slotrsquos help screen carefully as it must disclose if betting more

gives better odds for bonuses progressives etc If there is no

such statement then it doesnt matter what bet you play the

odds must be the same

To avoid feeling the way you describe our strategy is to select a

bet level we feel comfortable playing and consistently play that

bet for the entire play session on a slot We donrsquot change the bet

to a lower amount Ever Even if we lose and have some credits

remaining in the slot that are less than our chosen bet we cash

out instead of wagering a lower amount

Q Hi Great magazine Yoursquove covered the RNG for

video slots but I was wondering how things work with

video poker Irsquom guessing therersquos some kind of RNG

that sorts the 52 card deck prior to the first deal Letrsquos

say Irsquom dealt four to a Royal Flush After holding my

four to a Royal is the next card dealt already deter-

mined before I hit the draw button In this case it

wouldnrsquot matter how long I wait until I hit the draw

button since it would be the same card no matter what

Or is the RNG still sorting the rest of the cards in the

deck so that the next card isnrsquot determined until I hit the

button In this case waiting might make a difference

Tracey MangomdashGilbert AZ

A Tracey as IGT has the largest number of (and in almost all

cases the best) video poker games installed in casinos across

Arizona Las Vegas and the world we decided to base our re-

sponse on their approach to drawing cards in video poker

In the video poker software an area is created to store 10 cards

On the deal the first 5 cards are randomly dealt and displayed

to the player In the meantime the remaining cards are con-

stantly being shuffled in the background When a player hits

the draw button 5 more random cards are stored in the remain-

ing last 5 places The cards are then used as needed in sequen-

tial order from the last five cards drawn just as though they

were being dealt off the top of the deck

Therefore to answer your question it does matter when you hit

the button on the draw because thatrsquos when the next 5 cards are

randomly chosen It all happens in a split second but waiting

for the ldquorightrdquo time to push the button can bring you the added

luck yoursquore looking for to complete that Royal

Q Please settle an argument hellip Which casino has more

slot machines Talking Stick or Wild Horse Pass

Mike SandersmdashScottsdale AZ

A Mike Wild Horse Pass has 950 slots and Talking Stick Re-

sort has 744 slots For a complete list of the current slot counts

for all Arizona casinos see our Casino Directory on page 50 $

and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts Write us with your questions

and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues Space is

limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive Please include your name and mailing address with all

correspondence Mail to Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa AZ 85277 or E-mail to editorazgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES Table Gamesmdash3-Card Poker

-Card Poker is one of the most popular table games and is

played in casinos around the world It is played with a

Standard English deck of 52 cards and no jokers or wild cards

are used Each player and the dealer are dealt three cards The

dealerrsquos cards are unseen and the player must decide whether to

risk more money and continue the hand or fold and lose their

Ante wager

Unlike blackjack where the player makes a single wager and

only occasionally doubles down or splits with extra bets 3-Card

Poker offers three bets every hand Because of this the overall

house edge is much more significant itrsquos like betting on three

spots at a blackjack table every round

Betting Just the Ante Wager

If you wish 3-Card Poker can be played by betting only on the

Ante wager To continue playing after obtaining your cards you

must place a second wager of the same amount on the Play or

Raise spot when you think your hand is better than the dealerrsquos

Remember itrsquos really just three-card poker your hand against

the dealerrsquos The Ante wager always pays even money (1 to 1)

when the player wins The Play or Raise bet also pays even-

money but only when the dealer has a hand of Queen-high or

better

The overall house edge of about 4 is built into the Ante bonus

that is paid on a player straight three of a kind and straight

flush Some casinos offer a large Ante bonus for a Mini-Royal

hand of suited Ace-King-Queen This payoff is in addition to

any win or loss on the Ante and Raise bets and is paid regard-

less of whether the player actually wins the hand

The player will win the Ante bet 4491 of the time so payoffs

are common one of the reasons the game is so popular The

ante bonus will win about 373 of the time If you play on a

table with six players someone gets paid on the Ante bonus

about every four rounds

Strategy

The best strategy for when to back an Ante wager with an addi-

tional Play (sometimes marked Raise) wager is based on the fact

that the dealer only ldquoqualifiesrdquo when their hand is at least

Queen-high With this in mind the player should always bet the

Raise wager when they hold at least Queenndash6ndash4 or higher

Pair Plus

The Pair Plus wager is what draws most players to 3-Card Pok-

er because it pays regularly about 25 of the time but most

payoffs will be even-money However the lure of big payoffs as

high as 50-1 is a big attraction As with most bonus-style bets

the house has a higher edge (about 7) than on the regular Ante

wager Playing both the Ante and Pair Plus wagers results in a

house edge just slightly higher than 5 Thatrsquos probably higher

than you encounter at the blackjack table but lower than at

your favorite slot machine In addition the game is dealt in a

relaxed friendly manner and yoursquoll only play half as many

hands as at a blackjack table Your results may vary $

08 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years

He has lived and worked in Las Vegas Reno and Lake Tahoe He

also attended the University of Nevada Reno He is an avid writer

and blogger author of ldquoVegas and the Mobmdashavailable at Amazon

He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls

3

By Al Moe

12 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES New Slots By WMS Gaming In Arizona

Willy Wonka Slot By WMS Now Available For Play In Casinos All Across Arizona

Min bet is 40 credits

Max bet is 400 credits

Life-changing progressive available at

Max bet

Excellent balance between base game

and bonus games

Bright and vibrant graphics make every-

one feel like a kid again

Sounds and music are all straight from

the 1971 motion picture

Math behind the game provides for ex-

tended play sessions

Wide variety of bonuses including the

Oompa Loompa characters that add

Wild symbols and expanding reels

lue Water Resort amp Casino located in

Parker Arizona along the beautiful

Colorado River was the first casino in the

state to offer WMS Gamingrsquos Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory slot machine for

their patrons last month However it didnrsquot

take long for several other Arizona casinos

to realize this exciting new title would be a

popular addition to their slot floor as well

Now slot enthusiasts can enjoy this fun

game at both Lone Butte Casino and Vee

Quiva Casino Willy Wonka is also current-

ly live and ready for play at Mazatzal Hotel

amp Casino Apache Gold Casino Resort and

Talking Stick Resort Stay tuned for more

install locations across Arizona coming

soon

For more information about Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory and other exciting

games by WMS visit wmscom $

B

Bally TechnologiesmdashNew Slots Coming Soon GREAT GAMES

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13

ally Technologies has an extensive history with

the iconic Playboy brand Games they have pro-

duced include Playboy Platinum Playboy Girls of Cana-

da Playboy Hot Zone Playboy Muy Caliente and Playboy

Playmate Party to name a few Joining these popular titles is a

new game that takes the classic Playboy era of the 60s

and 70s and combines it with another piece of Ballyrsquos

heritage ndash pinball

Prizeball Playboy is delivered on Ballyrsquos towering ALPHA 2

Pro Series V2242 cabinet In case you were wondering what

the ldquo2242rdquo stands for itrsquos the size of the screens That

means you get a 22-inch screen for the reels and an

enormous 42-inch screen for the pinball action Yoursquoll

get the look and feel of pinball actionhellipwithout the tilt

Prizeball Playboy comes with several great bonus features

There are of course everyonersquos favorite Free Games

Playboy Key symbols on reels two three and four trigger 10

free spins with a 2X multiplier

The real fun begins when Pinball symbols hit on reels

two three and four (in either free games or base game)

This means yoursquove hit the Prizeball Bonus Yoursquoll get

one to five pinballs depending on your bet with five

being at max bet Launch the pinballs up

into the top screen where theyrsquoll bounce

and spin racking up credits as they go

If Playboy just isnrsquot your thing donrsquot

worry Bally has two additional versions of this game

planned The first is Prizeball Ballyhoo which harkens

back to the first game Ramond T Moloney created

when founding Bally back in 1932 The final edition of

the trio will be Prizeball Dragon which offers a fun and

hopefully lucky Asian-theme to the game Watch for

Prizeball Playboy in the coming months $

By Riley Meredith

B

ldquoPLAYBOYrdquo - copy 2013 Playboy PLAYBOY and Rabbit Head Design and BUNNIES are marks of Playboy and under license by Bally Gaming Inc

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 2: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

WMS Serves Up A Blast From The Past

WMS continues to deliver great game play with a wide variety of slot machine

titles but their latest game based on the classic 80s movie Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off

not only provides plenty of winning action it also lets you relive your past and all

the hilarious scenes from the film

This issue has the scoop on exciting new slots by WMS Bally Aristocrat and

Aruze coming to casinos near you Plus gaming industry veteran Al Moe gives us

the inside scoop on 3-Card Poker Staff writer Lee Allen provides two articles on

recent conferences for Arizonarsquos Tribes Entertainment writer Ramses Ja inter-

views Talking Stick Resortrsquos newest entertainer DJ Juma And if you are ready for

holiday feasts yoursquoll want to check out the Dining section for the menus available

at the Gila River Casinos As always we also give you the latest scoop on gaming

news hot deals entertainment bingo and so much more

Please visit us at facebook comArizonaGamingGuide become part of our com-

munity and share your thoughts and experiences with others who also love the

same casino games you do You can sign up for our e-newsletter and find current

and back issues of AZ Gaming Guide on our website at azgamingguidecom Let

me know what you think of our December issue and have fun

Cheers

Alexandra Lang

Editor-in-Chief

editorazgamingguidecom

Alexandra

VOLUME 05 bull ISSUE 12

PUBLISHER

Chris Houmlft

chrisazgamingguidecom

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Elizabeth Torma

lizazgamingguidecom

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Alexandra Lang

editorazgamingguidecom

ART DIRECTOR

Melanie Mueller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Al Moe

Ramses Ja

Cindy Esquer

Lee Allen

Katie Snyder

Alex Stewart

Samantha Becker

Lana Hartmann

ADVERTISING SALES

Nina Consiglio

ninaazgamingguidecom

Elizabeth Torma

lizazgamingguidecom

MAILING INFORMATION

Arizona Gaming Guide

PO Box 20636

Mesa Arizona 85277

INTERNET INFORMATION

wwwazgamingguidecom

wwwfacebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

Copyright copy 2013 The Arizona Gaming Guide

All rights reserved

The Arizona Gaming Guide (AGG) presents casino industry and

gaming related facts as well as personal opinions and expects the

reader to make his or her own decisions All responses to reader

posts e-mails and letters are to be considered as advice only AGG

accepts no responsibility and no liability for any actions of our

readers based on the articles and advertisements presented within

this publication All pictures images logos trademarks and trade

names etc are the sole property of their respective owners

You must be 21 or older to gamble Please play responsibly

Help is available at 1800NEXTSTEP or problemgamblingazgov

EDITORrsquoS NOTE

Your Authority On Everything Gaming

Arizonarsquos State Gaming Regulatory Agency

Arizona Department of Gaming

1110 W Washington Street Suite 450 Phoenix 85007

16027714263 or azgaminggov

Tribal Gaming Funded Problem Gambling Resource

Office of Problem Gambling

1800NEXTSTEP or 18006398783

1110 W Washington Street Suite 450 Phoenix 85007

16025428998 or problemgamblingazgov

04 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

ldquoLikerdquo us on Facebook because

we ldquoLikerdquo you too

wwwfacebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

PLAYERS TALK QampA On Everything Gaming

06 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Q I always learn something new while reading the qampa

section so I hope you can help with this one I play all

of the local casinos regularly and always play slots I

find just one major thing to be consistent with all of

them---nearly every time I lower my bet the machine

will suddenly hit something pretty good andor finally

give me that bonus Ive been trying so hard to get Why

is that Thank you for your time

Christine PendergrassmdashMaricopa AZ

A Christine in two words Murphyrsquos Law (ie Anything that

can go wrong will) Hold on to something for a while and you

never need it but the minute you decide to throw it away is

when you wish you didnrsquot Unfortunately you along with the

rest of us gamblers are victims of random behavior The only

way to dispel myths surrounding the situation you refer to is

to play at least 10000 games at min bet and 10000 games at

max bet and record all the outcomes across the games account

for the bet level and then calculate the odds for the bonus or

other big wins Any play sessions of less than 10000 games

that arenrsquot being recorded will have wild fluctuations of bonus

odds values of bonuses frequency of ldquobig winsrdquo and so on

In fact the exact opposite of what you mention is true for all

casino gaming regulations we have ever come across designing

and testing slot machines Essentially they state if a player is

to bet more than the minimum bet on a slot the long run pay-

back percentage (or odds) must remain the same or be better

than when playing the minimum bet In other words increas-

ing (not decreasing) your bet can actually increase your odds of

winning Pay tables can improve with a higher bet (as is the

case with video poker and some mechanical reel steppers) and

the odds of triggering a progressive can be better the higher the

bet (as is the case with most randomly triggered progressives)

just to name a few examples As a result make sure to read a

slotrsquos help screen carefully as it must disclose if betting more

gives better odds for bonuses progressives etc If there is no

such statement then it doesnt matter what bet you play the

odds must be the same

To avoid feeling the way you describe our strategy is to select a

bet level we feel comfortable playing and consistently play that

bet for the entire play session on a slot We donrsquot change the bet

to a lower amount Ever Even if we lose and have some credits

remaining in the slot that are less than our chosen bet we cash

out instead of wagering a lower amount

Q Hi Great magazine Yoursquove covered the RNG for

video slots but I was wondering how things work with

video poker Irsquom guessing therersquos some kind of RNG

that sorts the 52 card deck prior to the first deal Letrsquos

say Irsquom dealt four to a Royal Flush After holding my

four to a Royal is the next card dealt already deter-

mined before I hit the draw button In this case it

wouldnrsquot matter how long I wait until I hit the draw

button since it would be the same card no matter what

Or is the RNG still sorting the rest of the cards in the

deck so that the next card isnrsquot determined until I hit the

button In this case waiting might make a difference

Tracey MangomdashGilbert AZ

A Tracey as IGT has the largest number of (and in almost all

cases the best) video poker games installed in casinos across

Arizona Las Vegas and the world we decided to base our re-

sponse on their approach to drawing cards in video poker

In the video poker software an area is created to store 10 cards

On the deal the first 5 cards are randomly dealt and displayed

to the player In the meantime the remaining cards are con-

stantly being shuffled in the background When a player hits

the draw button 5 more random cards are stored in the remain-

ing last 5 places The cards are then used as needed in sequen-

tial order from the last five cards drawn just as though they

were being dealt off the top of the deck

Therefore to answer your question it does matter when you hit

the button on the draw because thatrsquos when the next 5 cards are

randomly chosen It all happens in a split second but waiting

for the ldquorightrdquo time to push the button can bring you the added

luck yoursquore looking for to complete that Royal

Q Please settle an argument hellip Which casino has more

slot machines Talking Stick or Wild Horse Pass

Mike SandersmdashScottsdale AZ

A Mike Wild Horse Pass has 950 slots and Talking Stick Re-

sort has 744 slots For a complete list of the current slot counts

for all Arizona casinos see our Casino Directory on page 50 $

and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts Write us with your questions

and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues Space is

limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive Please include your name and mailing address with all

correspondence Mail to Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa AZ 85277 or E-mail to editorazgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES Table Gamesmdash3-Card Poker

-Card Poker is one of the most popular table games and is

played in casinos around the world It is played with a

Standard English deck of 52 cards and no jokers or wild cards

are used Each player and the dealer are dealt three cards The

dealerrsquos cards are unseen and the player must decide whether to

risk more money and continue the hand or fold and lose their

Ante wager

Unlike blackjack where the player makes a single wager and

only occasionally doubles down or splits with extra bets 3-Card

Poker offers three bets every hand Because of this the overall

house edge is much more significant itrsquos like betting on three

spots at a blackjack table every round

Betting Just the Ante Wager

If you wish 3-Card Poker can be played by betting only on the

Ante wager To continue playing after obtaining your cards you

must place a second wager of the same amount on the Play or

Raise spot when you think your hand is better than the dealerrsquos

Remember itrsquos really just three-card poker your hand against

the dealerrsquos The Ante wager always pays even money (1 to 1)

when the player wins The Play or Raise bet also pays even-

money but only when the dealer has a hand of Queen-high or

better

The overall house edge of about 4 is built into the Ante bonus

that is paid on a player straight three of a kind and straight

flush Some casinos offer a large Ante bonus for a Mini-Royal

hand of suited Ace-King-Queen This payoff is in addition to

any win or loss on the Ante and Raise bets and is paid regard-

less of whether the player actually wins the hand

The player will win the Ante bet 4491 of the time so payoffs

are common one of the reasons the game is so popular The

ante bonus will win about 373 of the time If you play on a

table with six players someone gets paid on the Ante bonus

about every four rounds

Strategy

The best strategy for when to back an Ante wager with an addi-

tional Play (sometimes marked Raise) wager is based on the fact

that the dealer only ldquoqualifiesrdquo when their hand is at least

Queen-high With this in mind the player should always bet the

Raise wager when they hold at least Queenndash6ndash4 or higher

Pair Plus

The Pair Plus wager is what draws most players to 3-Card Pok-

er because it pays regularly about 25 of the time but most

payoffs will be even-money However the lure of big payoffs as

high as 50-1 is a big attraction As with most bonus-style bets

the house has a higher edge (about 7) than on the regular Ante

wager Playing both the Ante and Pair Plus wagers results in a

house edge just slightly higher than 5 Thatrsquos probably higher

than you encounter at the blackjack table but lower than at

your favorite slot machine In addition the game is dealt in a

relaxed friendly manner and yoursquoll only play half as many

hands as at a blackjack table Your results may vary $

08 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years

He has lived and worked in Las Vegas Reno and Lake Tahoe He

also attended the University of Nevada Reno He is an avid writer

and blogger author of ldquoVegas and the Mobmdashavailable at Amazon

He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls

3

By Al Moe

12 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES New Slots By WMS Gaming In Arizona

Willy Wonka Slot By WMS Now Available For Play In Casinos All Across Arizona

Min bet is 40 credits

Max bet is 400 credits

Life-changing progressive available at

Max bet

Excellent balance between base game

and bonus games

Bright and vibrant graphics make every-

one feel like a kid again

Sounds and music are all straight from

the 1971 motion picture

Math behind the game provides for ex-

tended play sessions

Wide variety of bonuses including the

Oompa Loompa characters that add

Wild symbols and expanding reels

lue Water Resort amp Casino located in

Parker Arizona along the beautiful

Colorado River was the first casino in the

state to offer WMS Gamingrsquos Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory slot machine for

their patrons last month However it didnrsquot

take long for several other Arizona casinos

to realize this exciting new title would be a

popular addition to their slot floor as well

Now slot enthusiasts can enjoy this fun

game at both Lone Butte Casino and Vee

Quiva Casino Willy Wonka is also current-

ly live and ready for play at Mazatzal Hotel

amp Casino Apache Gold Casino Resort and

Talking Stick Resort Stay tuned for more

install locations across Arizona coming

soon

For more information about Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory and other exciting

games by WMS visit wmscom $

B

Bally TechnologiesmdashNew Slots Coming Soon GREAT GAMES

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13

ally Technologies has an extensive history with

the iconic Playboy brand Games they have pro-

duced include Playboy Platinum Playboy Girls of Cana-

da Playboy Hot Zone Playboy Muy Caliente and Playboy

Playmate Party to name a few Joining these popular titles is a

new game that takes the classic Playboy era of the 60s

and 70s and combines it with another piece of Ballyrsquos

heritage ndash pinball

Prizeball Playboy is delivered on Ballyrsquos towering ALPHA 2

Pro Series V2242 cabinet In case you were wondering what

the ldquo2242rdquo stands for itrsquos the size of the screens That

means you get a 22-inch screen for the reels and an

enormous 42-inch screen for the pinball action Yoursquoll

get the look and feel of pinball actionhellipwithout the tilt

Prizeball Playboy comes with several great bonus features

There are of course everyonersquos favorite Free Games

Playboy Key symbols on reels two three and four trigger 10

free spins with a 2X multiplier

The real fun begins when Pinball symbols hit on reels

two three and four (in either free games or base game)

This means yoursquove hit the Prizeball Bonus Yoursquoll get

one to five pinballs depending on your bet with five

being at max bet Launch the pinballs up

into the top screen where theyrsquoll bounce

and spin racking up credits as they go

If Playboy just isnrsquot your thing donrsquot

worry Bally has two additional versions of this game

planned The first is Prizeball Ballyhoo which harkens

back to the first game Ramond T Moloney created

when founding Bally back in 1932 The final edition of

the trio will be Prizeball Dragon which offers a fun and

hopefully lucky Asian-theme to the game Watch for

Prizeball Playboy in the coming months $

By Riley Meredith

B

ldquoPLAYBOYrdquo - copy 2013 Playboy PLAYBOY and Rabbit Head Design and BUNNIES are marks of Playboy and under license by Bally Gaming Inc

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

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wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

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You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

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clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 3: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

PLAYERS TALK QampA On Everything Gaming

06 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Q I always learn something new while reading the qampa

section so I hope you can help with this one I play all

of the local casinos regularly and always play slots I

find just one major thing to be consistent with all of

them---nearly every time I lower my bet the machine

will suddenly hit something pretty good andor finally

give me that bonus Ive been trying so hard to get Why

is that Thank you for your time

Christine PendergrassmdashMaricopa AZ

A Christine in two words Murphyrsquos Law (ie Anything that

can go wrong will) Hold on to something for a while and you

never need it but the minute you decide to throw it away is

when you wish you didnrsquot Unfortunately you along with the

rest of us gamblers are victims of random behavior The only

way to dispel myths surrounding the situation you refer to is

to play at least 10000 games at min bet and 10000 games at

max bet and record all the outcomes across the games account

for the bet level and then calculate the odds for the bonus or

other big wins Any play sessions of less than 10000 games

that arenrsquot being recorded will have wild fluctuations of bonus

odds values of bonuses frequency of ldquobig winsrdquo and so on

In fact the exact opposite of what you mention is true for all

casino gaming regulations we have ever come across designing

and testing slot machines Essentially they state if a player is

to bet more than the minimum bet on a slot the long run pay-

back percentage (or odds) must remain the same or be better

than when playing the minimum bet In other words increas-

ing (not decreasing) your bet can actually increase your odds of

winning Pay tables can improve with a higher bet (as is the

case with video poker and some mechanical reel steppers) and

the odds of triggering a progressive can be better the higher the

bet (as is the case with most randomly triggered progressives)

just to name a few examples As a result make sure to read a

slotrsquos help screen carefully as it must disclose if betting more

gives better odds for bonuses progressives etc If there is no

such statement then it doesnt matter what bet you play the

odds must be the same

To avoid feeling the way you describe our strategy is to select a

bet level we feel comfortable playing and consistently play that

bet for the entire play session on a slot We donrsquot change the bet

to a lower amount Ever Even if we lose and have some credits

remaining in the slot that are less than our chosen bet we cash

out instead of wagering a lower amount

Q Hi Great magazine Yoursquove covered the RNG for

video slots but I was wondering how things work with

video poker Irsquom guessing therersquos some kind of RNG

that sorts the 52 card deck prior to the first deal Letrsquos

say Irsquom dealt four to a Royal Flush After holding my

four to a Royal is the next card dealt already deter-

mined before I hit the draw button In this case it

wouldnrsquot matter how long I wait until I hit the draw

button since it would be the same card no matter what

Or is the RNG still sorting the rest of the cards in the

deck so that the next card isnrsquot determined until I hit the

button In this case waiting might make a difference

Tracey MangomdashGilbert AZ

A Tracey as IGT has the largest number of (and in almost all

cases the best) video poker games installed in casinos across

Arizona Las Vegas and the world we decided to base our re-

sponse on their approach to drawing cards in video poker

In the video poker software an area is created to store 10 cards

On the deal the first 5 cards are randomly dealt and displayed

to the player In the meantime the remaining cards are con-

stantly being shuffled in the background When a player hits

the draw button 5 more random cards are stored in the remain-

ing last 5 places The cards are then used as needed in sequen-

tial order from the last five cards drawn just as though they

were being dealt off the top of the deck

Therefore to answer your question it does matter when you hit

the button on the draw because thatrsquos when the next 5 cards are

randomly chosen It all happens in a split second but waiting

for the ldquorightrdquo time to push the button can bring you the added

luck yoursquore looking for to complete that Royal

Q Please settle an argument hellip Which casino has more

slot machines Talking Stick or Wild Horse Pass

Mike SandersmdashScottsdale AZ

A Mike Wild Horse Pass has 950 slots and Talking Stick Re-

sort has 744 slots For a complete list of the current slot counts

for all Arizona casinos see our Casino Directory on page 50 $

and get a $25 gas card if we decide to print your question Do you have a question for our staff of casino gaming industry professionals and slot experts Write us with your questions

and comments in any area of gaming and we will make every attempt to publish a response in upcoming issues Space is

limited so we are unable to print every letter or e-mail we receive Please include your name and mailing address with all

correspondence Mail to Arizona Gaming Guide PO BOX 20636 Mesa AZ 85277 or E-mail to editorazgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES Table Gamesmdash3-Card Poker

-Card Poker is one of the most popular table games and is

played in casinos around the world It is played with a

Standard English deck of 52 cards and no jokers or wild cards

are used Each player and the dealer are dealt three cards The

dealerrsquos cards are unseen and the player must decide whether to

risk more money and continue the hand or fold and lose their

Ante wager

Unlike blackjack where the player makes a single wager and

only occasionally doubles down or splits with extra bets 3-Card

Poker offers three bets every hand Because of this the overall

house edge is much more significant itrsquos like betting on three

spots at a blackjack table every round

Betting Just the Ante Wager

If you wish 3-Card Poker can be played by betting only on the

Ante wager To continue playing after obtaining your cards you

must place a second wager of the same amount on the Play or

Raise spot when you think your hand is better than the dealerrsquos

Remember itrsquos really just three-card poker your hand against

the dealerrsquos The Ante wager always pays even money (1 to 1)

when the player wins The Play or Raise bet also pays even-

money but only when the dealer has a hand of Queen-high or

better

The overall house edge of about 4 is built into the Ante bonus

that is paid on a player straight three of a kind and straight

flush Some casinos offer a large Ante bonus for a Mini-Royal

hand of suited Ace-King-Queen This payoff is in addition to

any win or loss on the Ante and Raise bets and is paid regard-

less of whether the player actually wins the hand

The player will win the Ante bet 4491 of the time so payoffs

are common one of the reasons the game is so popular The

ante bonus will win about 373 of the time If you play on a

table with six players someone gets paid on the Ante bonus

about every four rounds

Strategy

The best strategy for when to back an Ante wager with an addi-

tional Play (sometimes marked Raise) wager is based on the fact

that the dealer only ldquoqualifiesrdquo when their hand is at least

Queen-high With this in mind the player should always bet the

Raise wager when they hold at least Queenndash6ndash4 or higher

Pair Plus

The Pair Plus wager is what draws most players to 3-Card Pok-

er because it pays regularly about 25 of the time but most

payoffs will be even-money However the lure of big payoffs as

high as 50-1 is a big attraction As with most bonus-style bets

the house has a higher edge (about 7) than on the regular Ante

wager Playing both the Ante and Pair Plus wagers results in a

house edge just slightly higher than 5 Thatrsquos probably higher

than you encounter at the blackjack table but lower than at

your favorite slot machine In addition the game is dealt in a

relaxed friendly manner and yoursquoll only play half as many

hands as at a blackjack table Your results may vary $

08 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years

He has lived and worked in Las Vegas Reno and Lake Tahoe He

also attended the University of Nevada Reno He is an avid writer

and blogger author of ldquoVegas and the Mobmdashavailable at Amazon

He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls

3

By Al Moe

12 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES New Slots By WMS Gaming In Arizona

Willy Wonka Slot By WMS Now Available For Play In Casinos All Across Arizona

Min bet is 40 credits

Max bet is 400 credits

Life-changing progressive available at

Max bet

Excellent balance between base game

and bonus games

Bright and vibrant graphics make every-

one feel like a kid again

Sounds and music are all straight from

the 1971 motion picture

Math behind the game provides for ex-

tended play sessions

Wide variety of bonuses including the

Oompa Loompa characters that add

Wild symbols and expanding reels

lue Water Resort amp Casino located in

Parker Arizona along the beautiful

Colorado River was the first casino in the

state to offer WMS Gamingrsquos Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory slot machine for

their patrons last month However it didnrsquot

take long for several other Arizona casinos

to realize this exciting new title would be a

popular addition to their slot floor as well

Now slot enthusiasts can enjoy this fun

game at both Lone Butte Casino and Vee

Quiva Casino Willy Wonka is also current-

ly live and ready for play at Mazatzal Hotel

amp Casino Apache Gold Casino Resort and

Talking Stick Resort Stay tuned for more

install locations across Arizona coming

soon

For more information about Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory and other exciting

games by WMS visit wmscom $

B

Bally TechnologiesmdashNew Slots Coming Soon GREAT GAMES

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13

ally Technologies has an extensive history with

the iconic Playboy brand Games they have pro-

duced include Playboy Platinum Playboy Girls of Cana-

da Playboy Hot Zone Playboy Muy Caliente and Playboy

Playmate Party to name a few Joining these popular titles is a

new game that takes the classic Playboy era of the 60s

and 70s and combines it with another piece of Ballyrsquos

heritage ndash pinball

Prizeball Playboy is delivered on Ballyrsquos towering ALPHA 2

Pro Series V2242 cabinet In case you were wondering what

the ldquo2242rdquo stands for itrsquos the size of the screens That

means you get a 22-inch screen for the reels and an

enormous 42-inch screen for the pinball action Yoursquoll

get the look and feel of pinball actionhellipwithout the tilt

Prizeball Playboy comes with several great bonus features

There are of course everyonersquos favorite Free Games

Playboy Key symbols on reels two three and four trigger 10

free spins with a 2X multiplier

The real fun begins when Pinball symbols hit on reels

two three and four (in either free games or base game)

This means yoursquove hit the Prizeball Bonus Yoursquoll get

one to five pinballs depending on your bet with five

being at max bet Launch the pinballs up

into the top screen where theyrsquoll bounce

and spin racking up credits as they go

If Playboy just isnrsquot your thing donrsquot

worry Bally has two additional versions of this game

planned The first is Prizeball Ballyhoo which harkens

back to the first game Ramond T Moloney created

when founding Bally back in 1932 The final edition of

the trio will be Prizeball Dragon which offers a fun and

hopefully lucky Asian-theme to the game Watch for

Prizeball Playboy in the coming months $

By Riley Meredith

B

ldquoPLAYBOYrdquo - copy 2013 Playboy PLAYBOY and Rabbit Head Design and BUNNIES are marks of Playboy and under license by Bally Gaming Inc

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 4: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

GREAT GAMES Table Gamesmdash3-Card Poker

-Card Poker is one of the most popular table games and is

played in casinos around the world It is played with a

Standard English deck of 52 cards and no jokers or wild cards

are used Each player and the dealer are dealt three cards The

dealerrsquos cards are unseen and the player must decide whether to

risk more money and continue the hand or fold and lose their

Ante wager

Unlike blackjack where the player makes a single wager and

only occasionally doubles down or splits with extra bets 3-Card

Poker offers three bets every hand Because of this the overall

house edge is much more significant itrsquos like betting on three

spots at a blackjack table every round

Betting Just the Ante Wager

If you wish 3-Card Poker can be played by betting only on the

Ante wager To continue playing after obtaining your cards you

must place a second wager of the same amount on the Play or

Raise spot when you think your hand is better than the dealerrsquos

Remember itrsquos really just three-card poker your hand against

the dealerrsquos The Ante wager always pays even money (1 to 1)

when the player wins The Play or Raise bet also pays even-

money but only when the dealer has a hand of Queen-high or

better

The overall house edge of about 4 is built into the Ante bonus

that is paid on a player straight three of a kind and straight

flush Some casinos offer a large Ante bonus for a Mini-Royal

hand of suited Ace-King-Queen This payoff is in addition to

any win or loss on the Ante and Raise bets and is paid regard-

less of whether the player actually wins the hand

The player will win the Ante bet 4491 of the time so payoffs

are common one of the reasons the game is so popular The

ante bonus will win about 373 of the time If you play on a

table with six players someone gets paid on the Ante bonus

about every four rounds

Strategy

The best strategy for when to back an Ante wager with an addi-

tional Play (sometimes marked Raise) wager is based on the fact

that the dealer only ldquoqualifiesrdquo when their hand is at least

Queen-high With this in mind the player should always bet the

Raise wager when they hold at least Queenndash6ndash4 or higher

Pair Plus

The Pair Plus wager is what draws most players to 3-Card Pok-

er because it pays regularly about 25 of the time but most

payoffs will be even-money However the lure of big payoffs as

high as 50-1 is a big attraction As with most bonus-style bets

the house has a higher edge (about 7) than on the regular Ante

wager Playing both the Ante and Pair Plus wagers results in a

house edge just slightly higher than 5 Thatrsquos probably higher

than you encounter at the blackjack table but lower than at

your favorite slot machine In addition the game is dealt in a

relaxed friendly manner and yoursquoll only play half as many

hands as at a blackjack table Your results may vary $

08 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years

He has lived and worked in Las Vegas Reno and Lake Tahoe He

also attended the University of Nevada Reno He is an avid writer

and blogger author of ldquoVegas and the Mobmdashavailable at Amazon

He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls

3

By Al Moe

12 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES New Slots By WMS Gaming In Arizona

Willy Wonka Slot By WMS Now Available For Play In Casinos All Across Arizona

Min bet is 40 credits

Max bet is 400 credits

Life-changing progressive available at

Max bet

Excellent balance between base game

and bonus games

Bright and vibrant graphics make every-

one feel like a kid again

Sounds and music are all straight from

the 1971 motion picture

Math behind the game provides for ex-

tended play sessions

Wide variety of bonuses including the

Oompa Loompa characters that add

Wild symbols and expanding reels

lue Water Resort amp Casino located in

Parker Arizona along the beautiful

Colorado River was the first casino in the

state to offer WMS Gamingrsquos Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory slot machine for

their patrons last month However it didnrsquot

take long for several other Arizona casinos

to realize this exciting new title would be a

popular addition to their slot floor as well

Now slot enthusiasts can enjoy this fun

game at both Lone Butte Casino and Vee

Quiva Casino Willy Wonka is also current-

ly live and ready for play at Mazatzal Hotel

amp Casino Apache Gold Casino Resort and

Talking Stick Resort Stay tuned for more

install locations across Arizona coming

soon

For more information about Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory and other exciting

games by WMS visit wmscom $

B

Bally TechnologiesmdashNew Slots Coming Soon GREAT GAMES

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13

ally Technologies has an extensive history with

the iconic Playboy brand Games they have pro-

duced include Playboy Platinum Playboy Girls of Cana-

da Playboy Hot Zone Playboy Muy Caliente and Playboy

Playmate Party to name a few Joining these popular titles is a

new game that takes the classic Playboy era of the 60s

and 70s and combines it with another piece of Ballyrsquos

heritage ndash pinball

Prizeball Playboy is delivered on Ballyrsquos towering ALPHA 2

Pro Series V2242 cabinet In case you were wondering what

the ldquo2242rdquo stands for itrsquos the size of the screens That

means you get a 22-inch screen for the reels and an

enormous 42-inch screen for the pinball action Yoursquoll

get the look and feel of pinball actionhellipwithout the tilt

Prizeball Playboy comes with several great bonus features

There are of course everyonersquos favorite Free Games

Playboy Key symbols on reels two three and four trigger 10

free spins with a 2X multiplier

The real fun begins when Pinball symbols hit on reels

two three and four (in either free games or base game)

This means yoursquove hit the Prizeball Bonus Yoursquoll get

one to five pinballs depending on your bet with five

being at max bet Launch the pinballs up

into the top screen where theyrsquoll bounce

and spin racking up credits as they go

If Playboy just isnrsquot your thing donrsquot

worry Bally has two additional versions of this game

planned The first is Prizeball Ballyhoo which harkens

back to the first game Ramond T Moloney created

when founding Bally back in 1932 The final edition of

the trio will be Prizeball Dragon which offers a fun and

hopefully lucky Asian-theme to the game Watch for

Prizeball Playboy in the coming months $

By Riley Meredith

B

ldquoPLAYBOYrdquo - copy 2013 Playboy PLAYBOY and Rabbit Head Design and BUNNIES are marks of Playboy and under license by Bally Gaming Inc

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 5: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

12 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GREAT GAMES New Slots By WMS Gaming In Arizona

Willy Wonka Slot By WMS Now Available For Play In Casinos All Across Arizona

Min bet is 40 credits

Max bet is 400 credits

Life-changing progressive available at

Max bet

Excellent balance between base game

and bonus games

Bright and vibrant graphics make every-

one feel like a kid again

Sounds and music are all straight from

the 1971 motion picture

Math behind the game provides for ex-

tended play sessions

Wide variety of bonuses including the

Oompa Loompa characters that add

Wild symbols and expanding reels

lue Water Resort amp Casino located in

Parker Arizona along the beautiful

Colorado River was the first casino in the

state to offer WMS Gamingrsquos Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory slot machine for

their patrons last month However it didnrsquot

take long for several other Arizona casinos

to realize this exciting new title would be a

popular addition to their slot floor as well

Now slot enthusiasts can enjoy this fun

game at both Lone Butte Casino and Vee

Quiva Casino Willy Wonka is also current-

ly live and ready for play at Mazatzal Hotel

amp Casino Apache Gold Casino Resort and

Talking Stick Resort Stay tuned for more

install locations across Arizona coming

soon

For more information about Willy Wonka

and The Chocolate Factory and other exciting

games by WMS visit wmscom $

B

Bally TechnologiesmdashNew Slots Coming Soon GREAT GAMES

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13

ally Technologies has an extensive history with

the iconic Playboy brand Games they have pro-

duced include Playboy Platinum Playboy Girls of Cana-

da Playboy Hot Zone Playboy Muy Caliente and Playboy

Playmate Party to name a few Joining these popular titles is a

new game that takes the classic Playboy era of the 60s

and 70s and combines it with another piece of Ballyrsquos

heritage ndash pinball

Prizeball Playboy is delivered on Ballyrsquos towering ALPHA 2

Pro Series V2242 cabinet In case you were wondering what

the ldquo2242rdquo stands for itrsquos the size of the screens That

means you get a 22-inch screen for the reels and an

enormous 42-inch screen for the pinball action Yoursquoll

get the look and feel of pinball actionhellipwithout the tilt

Prizeball Playboy comes with several great bonus features

There are of course everyonersquos favorite Free Games

Playboy Key symbols on reels two three and four trigger 10

free spins with a 2X multiplier

The real fun begins when Pinball symbols hit on reels

two three and four (in either free games or base game)

This means yoursquove hit the Prizeball Bonus Yoursquoll get

one to five pinballs depending on your bet with five

being at max bet Launch the pinballs up

into the top screen where theyrsquoll bounce

and spin racking up credits as they go

If Playboy just isnrsquot your thing donrsquot

worry Bally has two additional versions of this game

planned The first is Prizeball Ballyhoo which harkens

back to the first game Ramond T Moloney created

when founding Bally back in 1932 The final edition of

the trio will be Prizeball Dragon which offers a fun and

hopefully lucky Asian-theme to the game Watch for

Prizeball Playboy in the coming months $

By Riley Meredith

B

ldquoPLAYBOYrdquo - copy 2013 Playboy PLAYBOY and Rabbit Head Design and BUNNIES are marks of Playboy and under license by Bally Gaming Inc

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 6: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

Bally TechnologiesmdashNew Slots Coming Soon GREAT GAMES

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13

ally Technologies has an extensive history with

the iconic Playboy brand Games they have pro-

duced include Playboy Platinum Playboy Girls of Cana-

da Playboy Hot Zone Playboy Muy Caliente and Playboy

Playmate Party to name a few Joining these popular titles is a

new game that takes the classic Playboy era of the 60s

and 70s and combines it with another piece of Ballyrsquos

heritage ndash pinball

Prizeball Playboy is delivered on Ballyrsquos towering ALPHA 2

Pro Series V2242 cabinet In case you were wondering what

the ldquo2242rdquo stands for itrsquos the size of the screens That

means you get a 22-inch screen for the reels and an

enormous 42-inch screen for the pinball action Yoursquoll

get the look and feel of pinball actionhellipwithout the tilt

Prizeball Playboy comes with several great bonus features

There are of course everyonersquos favorite Free Games

Playboy Key symbols on reels two three and four trigger 10

free spins with a 2X multiplier

The real fun begins when Pinball symbols hit on reels

two three and four (in either free games or base game)

This means yoursquove hit the Prizeball Bonus Yoursquoll get

one to five pinballs depending on your bet with five

being at max bet Launch the pinballs up

into the top screen where theyrsquoll bounce

and spin racking up credits as they go

If Playboy just isnrsquot your thing donrsquot

worry Bally has two additional versions of this game

planned The first is Prizeball Ballyhoo which harkens

back to the first game Ramond T Moloney created

when founding Bally back in 1932 The final edition of

the trio will be Prizeball Dragon which offers a fun and

hopefully lucky Asian-theme to the game Watch for

Prizeball Playboy in the coming months $

By Riley Meredith

B

ldquoPLAYBOYrdquo - copy 2013 Playboy PLAYBOY and Rabbit Head Design and BUNNIES are marks of Playboy and under license by Bally Gaming Inc

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 7: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

14 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

h ldquoWhat a feelingrdquo Thatrsquos what all us

slot players everywhere will soon be

cheering when Aristocratrsquos new Flashdance

slot game dances its way across the casino

floors here in Arizona Flashdance is a new

50-line 5-level progressive video slot game

that is as much fun as the iconic movie itrsquos

based on All our favorite characters from the

movie are in the game along with songs from

the legendary soundtrack Hi-def sound and

a surround sound iChair completely immers-

es you in the game for a fun time that will

have you break dancing in the aisles and

spinning on your backs with excitementmdash

guaranteed

Bonus features include Maniac Free Spins

where players collect Sticky Scatters to in-

crease wins What a Feeling Free Spins where

players collect Scatters to unlock free spin

games in the top box to produce more wilds

and wilds cascade to lower games creating

more wins Dynamic Stacked Symbols where

stacked symbols increase wins the I Love

Rock lsquonrsquo Roll Remix where symbols remix for

a chance to win more credits and the

Flashdance Progressive where players collect rec-

ords to determine their progressive jackpot

prize

O

GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming Soon

Flashdance

By Aristocrat

n the red glittery heels of the suc-

cessful THE WIZARD OF OZ Ruby

Slippers game comes the Ruby Slippers 2 slot

a whole new experience in Land of OZ

The Ruby Slippers 2 theme offers exciting

bonuses that feature both of your favorite

Witches Watch as bubbles land on the

reels in the Glinda the Good Witch fea-

ture adding up to five WILD Reels that

can be multiplied up to 10X The Wicked

Witch feature adds two reels to the array

and Winged Monkey characters fly over

the reels adding more of one symbol for

increased chances at 6 and 7-of-a-kind

pays But thatrsquos not all The Free Spin

Bonus allows you to collect symbols to

travel down the Yellow Brick Road with

Dorothy and her friends as you try to

reach the Wizard of OZ and receive a

prize of up to 125X And with every fea-

ture enhanced by a motion chair yoursquoll

experience immersion into the whimsical

Land of OZ like never before

O

Ruby Slippers 2

By WMS Gaming

ruzersquos prize selection themed game

Platinum Jackpot is the first I-Deluxe

game that offers 2 Jackpot Levels which can

be won at the same time This 5-reel 30-line

stepper will have players sitting on the edge

of their seats When 5 or more Bonus symbols

appear the Platinum Prize Selection is trig-

gered The more Bonus symbols that appear

in triggering the selection the more Platinum

Prize Selections are awarded Each Prize Se-

lection offers a random roulette spin to deter-

mine a credit award And when the random

roulette spin lands on either the Minor or

Platinum Jackpot that Jackpot is won and

your Prize Selection is returned for another

chance If the second Jackpot is won during

the selection you are awarded both Jackpots

and the selection will continue until over

The 7 Free Games then begin with the oppor-

tunity to retrigger

A

Platinum Jackpot

By Aruze Gaming

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 8: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

he Arena Poker Room at Talking Stick Resort in Scotts-

dale Arizona is hosting their 11th annual No Limit Texas

Hold lsquoEm Christmas Toy Drive Poker Tournament on Decem-

ber 21

There is a $12500 guaranteed prize pool and sign-ups begin

Monday December 16th at the main poker cage

As players sign up theyrsquoll donate one new unwrapped toy val-

ued at $10 or more to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian

Community Christmas Toy Drive and pay a $25 tournament

service fee

Entries are limited to the first 400 sign-ups and each player be-

gins with $1500 in chips Paying an extra $10 staff appreciation

gets players an additional $1500 in chips

Each round is 20 minutes long with the first round blinds start-

ing at $25 and $50 The seventh round will have $700 and $1500

blinds All subsequent rounds will have their blinds and limits

doubled until the end of the tournament

The top 40 finalists win at least 8 or $50 of the prize pool with

third place taking home 112 or $1400 second place netting

168 or $2100 and first place bringing in 248 or $3100

More info on the event is available at the Arena Poker Room by

calling 4808507777 or by visiting talkingstickresortcom $

T

GREAT GAMES Table GamesmdashPoker

16 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Texas Hold rsquoEm

X-mas Toy Drive

Poker Tourney

at TSRrsquos Arena

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 9: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

18 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

and how to come to terms with random behavior

WINNING WAYS Hints amp Tips

was visiting a casino recently during a new game install

wearing my Arizona Gaming Guide company shirt when a

slot player named Mary approached me filled with questions

and comments about our magazine As my team and I are al-

ways excited to meet and talk with our fans I was more than

happy to sit down and have a discussion with Mary However

thirty minutes later I had to excuse myself and get back to work

although I would have loved to continue talking with her

Mary had some excellent questions for me conundrums that I

know many slot enthusiasts have pondered Hopefully I was

able to dispel many of her misconceptions about casino gaming

and that the answers I provided her will also clear up any con-

fusion other players may have as well What follows is the con-

versation I had with Mary

Mary My favorite section in your magazine is ldquoPlayers Talkrdquo

What is your background and how do you know the answers

to all the questions

Me My entire team and I have experience working in the casi-

no gaming industry We have all designed developed pro-

grammed and tested slot machines and other casino games

Chris our Publisher created math models for several major slot

machine manufacturers and was also a Game Design Manager

for many years Liz our Managing Director worked as a Math-

ematician in the industry as well as a Compliance Manager and

Software Tester I designed slot games and was eventually pro-

moted to Game Producer Alex one of our contributing writers

was a software programmer of all different types of casino

games Sami worked in Compliance and is familiar with the

rules and regulations governing various gaming jurisdictions

Alexandra our Editor has held several executive positions in

casinos including Slot Director We all love casino games and

are eager to share all the knowledge and experience wersquove ac-

quired over the years with all our readers and fellow casino

enthusiasts

Mary Do my bonus picks matter I always feel like I pick the

smallest amount

Me Sometimes your picks donrsquot matter and if a regulatory

agency feels that a game may be misleading to the players they

will force the manufacturers to include a comment in the help

screen that clearly states whether bonuses are predetermined

One general rule of thumb ndash if values are revealed at the conclu-

sion of a bonus then that bonus is not predetermined If you

picked 100 credits but to the right of your pick is 1000 credits

then you could have won the 1000 credits had you picked that

selection However bonuses that do not reveal whatrsquos behind

I By Lana Hartmann

the other objects are usually predetermined In other words the

random number generator is choosing values for the players

Mary Why do I feel as though I win more often when I pull

out my playerrsquos club card Does using my card affect whether

I win or lose

Me Using a playerrsquos club card does not affect whether you win

or lose because the slotrsquos RNG is not influenced by any other

part of the slot machine This is a gaming regulation around the

world and independent testing laboratories verify that this is

the case on every slot What you are observing is the result of

random behavior

Mary Should I avoid playing on a slot machine that just hit a

big win bonus or jackpot

Me Herersquos an example I like to use in order to answer your

question Imagine a completely fair silver dollar that is the coin

is uniformly weighted and has a heads and a tails When

flipped this coin lands either on heads or tails randomly Now

letrsquos pretend we have three people flipping their own fair silver

dollars lined up like you guessed it slot machines These three

people constantly flip their fair silver dollar We watch them for

a while and notice that the first person has flipped ten heads out

of the last ten flips the second person has flipped five heads

and five tails in the past ten flips and the third person has

flipped ten tails during the last ten flips Which of these three

people would you approach and make a wager with them that

their next coin flip is heads My guess is that yoursquoll answer one

way and the next person who walks by in the casino will an-

swer differently as will the following hundred casino visitors

who happen to pass by Mathematically and logically everyone

knows that the next coin flip by any of the three people will

have the exact same chances of being heads or tails That is the

chances that the first person flips heads is 50 tails is also 50

the second personrsquos coin has the same probabilities and so on

The fair silver dollar doesnt know or care about what happened

in the past The next coin flip is just that a fair and random coin

flip People however especially those who are willing to wager

their hard earned money do care about the past and how it

might influence the future

Mary Why does it take me forever to get a bonus and the per-

son playing next to me sits down and hits one right away

Me Mary all slot machines use a fair random number genera-

tor that has been tested by an independent laboratory for accu-

racy As a result if the slotrsquos mathematics have odds of letrsquos

pretend 1 in 150 of hitting a bonus a player can hit the bonus

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 10: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19

WINNING WAYS

on the first spin then the second then the third and then not at

all for hundreds of spins again On average after hundreds of

thousands of spins on the slot it will have awarded a bonus

roughly once every 150 spins Unfortunately at that moment

your slotrsquos RNG wasnrsquot drawing the bonus out of the bag and

the slotrsquos RNG next to you was If a slotrsquos bonus happens once

every 150 spins you can reasonably expect the bonus to trigger

within three times that number or 450 spins But that doesnt

mean it will or has to happen within those 450 spins Remember

your previous question Maybe we should go over my answer

again By the way the only way of figuring out how often a

slotrsquos bonus hits is to count your total spins and divide that by

the number of bonuses you had and do this repeatedly across

multiple play sessions And make sure to keep reading our

magazine as we divulge these probabilities as well

Mary People talk about loose machines and tight machines

and then people talk about a slotrsquos payback percentage

Whatrsquos the difference

Me ldquoLooserdquo to me means the slotrsquos payback percentage is high

say 96 and the casinorsquos hold percentage is low or 4 making

a total of 100 Most high denomination slots and most video

poker games are ldquolooserdquo ldquoTightrdquo to me means the exact oppo-

site That is the payback percentage is low say 86 and the

casinorsquos hold percentage is high 14 Now the payback per-

centage is an expression of the long run monetary odds of a slot

machine or other casino game So a payback percentage of 86

means that over time the slot takes in more money than it pays

out If a payback percentage were to be 115 the slot would

pay out more money than it takes in over the long run This

kind of slot does not exist Remember that casinos are in busi-

ness to make money and their hold percentage is an expression

of that profit Any casino game you play is one that you are

guaranteed to lose at over time There is no way around the fact

that we are playing a losing game Anyone who says differently

is lying or doesnt logically comprehend how casinos and their

games work ldquoLooserdquo to most players means the slot pays pays

frequently pays big or is paying right now ldquoTightrdquo to most

players means the opposite of ldquolooserdquo but generally both words

have nothing to do with my interpretation of the payback per-

centage As a matter of fact players may describe a machine as

ldquolooserdquo even though it is actually one of the ldquotightestrdquo machines

on the slot floor in terms of payback percentage Remember my

coin flipping example The slotrsquos RNG can produce winner after

winner right in a row but in the long run it all evens out

Ultimately I think I helped Mary resolve some of the issues she

had questions about I know that many of you have the same

questions based on your Facebook comments emails and

letters that we get so I hope I helped you too Remember that

casino games including slots are based on purely random

events that are out of our control There are ways to improve

your odds in blackjack and the slots but ultimately winning is

based on luck timing fate or whatever else you want to call

that next big win bonus or jackpot Have fun $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 11: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 21

GAMING NEWS

rawing Dead is a documentary film about the highs and lows of

online poker from two very different perspectives a profession-

al poker player worth millions and a gambling addict

Michael Korpi Jr had it all Straight As star athlete talented musician

but his weakness for online poker derailed his life Now hersquos walking

across the country with his two dogs Blackjack and Buddy in an effort to

raise awareness for problem gambling Dusty Schmidt was once known

as one of the top amateur golfers in southern California before a heart

attack at age 23 took him off the golf course and put him in front of a

computer screen Four million dollars later he is regarded as one of the

worlds best online poker players

Poker was once a blue collar game played in smoky back rooms over

green felt tables until a chubby accountant from Tennessee shocked the

world by turning a $39 buy in on an online poker site into a $25 million

dollar first prize at the 2003 World Series of Poker Over the next few

years the entire world learned the game of No Limit Texas Hold Em If

you watched the poker boom on TV like the rest of us it seemed like

everyone was getting rich Some were but the fundamental rule of any

game involving chance in order for one to win another must lose The

truth behind the hype is that there is a dark side to this game one that

you wont see on ESPN From the Poker Boom of 2003 to ldquoBlack Fridayrdquo

April 15th 2011 when the US Department of Justice shut down online

poker Drawing Dead follows the lives of two players Michael and

Dusty as they deal with the highs and the lows of Americas future fa-

vorite pastime online poker To find out more about the film point your

browser to drawingdeadpokerdoccom $

D

he Arizona Department of Gaming recently announced that tribal contribu-

tions to the state from gaming revenue will be approximately $239 million

for the quarter that ended September 30 2013 Tribal contributions are within a

thousand dollars when compared to the same quarter last year

The quarterly tribal contributions to the Arizona Benefits Fund will be distribut-

ed as follows

Instructional Improvement FundEducation $11909047

Trauma and Emergency Services Fund $ 5954524

Arizona Department of Gaming operating costs $ 2150510

Arizona Wildlife Conservation Fund $ 1701293

State Tourism Fund $ 1701293

Problem Gambling Education Treatment and Prevention $ 477891

TOTAL tribal contributions for the quarter ended Sept 30 2013 $23894558

The Arizona Department of Gaming in partnership with Arizonarsquos tribes regu-

lates Indian gaming Under the Arizona Tribal-State Gaming Compact tribes

with casinos contribute one to eight percent of their Class III gross gaming reve-

nue to the state cities towns and counties In Arizona Class III gaming includes

slot machines jackpot poker blackjack keno and off-track pari-mutuel

betting There are currently 23 Class III casinos in the state Tribes send contribu-

tions to the state Arizona Benefits Fund every three months For more info about

the Arizona Department of Gaming visit their website at azgaminggov $

T

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

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Page 12: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

22 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

GAMING NEWS

Slot Machines

amp Player Tracking

Saving Lives

Slot machine gaming data will now help detect and prevent

problem gambling according to researchers at the University

of Brescia and other institutions in Italy

Based on data from online gamblers who closed their ac-

counts betting patterns were identified leading up to the clo-

sure What researchers found was that wagers when plotted

on a graph alternated between slow increases to suddenly

dropping to very minimal bets The resulting picture looks like

a sawtooth These gamblers also exhibited the widest variance

in their bets The researchers have come to the conclusion that

this betting behavior on the part of these online gamblers is

not sustainable Prior to gambling information being purely

digital the data available to researchers now was extremely

hard to obtain in the past

Now researchers are beginning to partner with online gam-

bling sites and brick and mortar casinos Based on their paper

published in February in the online journal International Gam-

bling Studies the goal is to prevent gambling addiction and

having players lose too much money

The idea is to generate algorithms that can identify a playerrsquos

betting patterns as risk factors for problem gambling or an

unsustainable pattern

Why would an online gambling site or traditional casino even

be interested in this For one a casino can cater to self-aware

gamblers who want to participate in casino games but not to

the point where they have financial hardships develop an

addiction or potentially stop coming to the casino entirely

These self-aware gamblers could potentially remain as cus-

tomers rather than refrain from gambling Secondly casinos

can conclusively assist patrons with gambling problems rely-

ing on scientific data based on a patronrsquos own play Third

casinos can also use this as a tool to continue to improve their

reputations as socially responsible companies

The slot machine often cursed may become a savior

Celebrate the New Year at the Monsoon Nightclub this Dec 31

2013 by traveling back to the lsquo80s with Checkerrsquod Past Groove

to the best tunes of the 1980s as the clock ticks down to 2014

Therersquos a $10 cover at the door tickets are not required The

doors open at 9pm the music starts shortly thereafter and the

party doesnrsquot stop until well after midnight This is a 21 and

older event

Based in Yuma Checkerrsquod Past brings greetings from the 80s

Herky-jerky new wave new romantics sticky sweet synth-pop

Checkerd Past brings it to you in all its glittery glory All the

one-hit wonders of MTVs golden ageGary Newman Mad-

ness Thomas Dolby Modern English Haircut 100 plus Duran

Duran David Bowie Devo Men at Workthe list is pretty big

Checkerd Past is committed to keeping you entertained with

some of the best music that VH1 doesnt do specials on any-

more

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoPut

your dancing shoes on and come on out to the best New Yearrsquos

Eve party in Southern Arizona where you can relive the best

hits of the 1980s as we say hello to 2014rdquo Additional infor-

mation can be found at ddcazcom or by calling 866DDCWINS

RING IN THE NEW YEAR

80s STYLE

At the Monsoon Nightclub

Casinos were ready for the new $100 long before Oct 8

On pages 21 and 49 of this issue wersquove used images of the new

$100 bill Benjamin and the bill hersquos on sure look different than

what wersquove become accustomed to over the past several years

JCM the casino gaming industryrsquos leading bill validator compa-

ny worked together with the US Treasury Department and the

US Bureau of Engraving and Printing five years ago in order to

prepare for the new bill Only a select few JCM employees were

allowed to sign non-disclosure agreements with the US govern-

ment in order to work on the project Three years ago JCM re-

ceived proposed designs in order to begin updating their soft-

ware Back in February JCM received the new $100 bills minus

their serial numbers (making them invalid) for testing purpos-

es During the summer all of JCMrsquos bill validators in the field

received software upgrades to accept the new bills In some

casinos thatrsquos thousands of devices requiring service Around

the same time casinos trained their employees on the new bills

Now JCM is working on the next $100 due out in five years $

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 13: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23

GAMING NEWS

eading to Maricopa Prepare to fill your bellies with the help of Coolattas

iced lattes and donuts Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino is ready to open the arearsquos

first and only Dunkin Donuts just in time for the New Year The shop will be the Casi-

norsquos fourth dining restaurant and is located near the main entrance next to Total Re-

wards

To prepare for the opening Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino employees have been undergo-

ing training a sure indicator that munchkins and other sugary treats are just around

the corner for casino-goers

ldquoThere is a lot that goes into the opening of a Dunkinrsquo Donutsrdquo says Colin Ribble ex-

ecutive chef ldquoWe spent weeks in training and learned how to make donuts coffee

sandwiches and other tasty treats and also how to operate and maintain the produc-

tion equipmentrdquo

According to Chef Ribble in the final weeks of training employees were expected to be

able to make 140 donuts per hour (enough to fill a shops donut case) Each batch of

donuts is weighed and measured for length and height

ldquoEvery batch must meet the requirements or we canrsquot display the productrdquo he contin-

ued ldquoThe production process has been rigorous but the training is well worth it so we

can deliver a quality product to our customersrdquo

ldquoDunkinrsquo Donuts is one of the Valleyrsquos leading brands and wersquore thrilled to open the

first one in Maricopardquo said Robert Livingston vice president and general manager at

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Dunkinrsquo Donuts will be open from 7am to 7pm daily For

more information on Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino visit harrahsakchincom $

H

Dunkinrsquo Donuts serves up expansion

plans at Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino Casino chef talks munchkins coffee and donuts

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 14: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

of a sudden the Lottery terminal

printed out a vast amount of paper-

work He asked the clerk how much

hersquod won but the clerk couldnrsquot tell

him anything except that it was

more than she could pay She gave

him the paperwork and told him he

would have to go to the Lottery office Vincente signed the back of the

ticket before he left the store went home and waited for his daughter

When his daughter arrived he said ldquoSomething good happened but I

donrsquot know how goodrdquo He then showed her the ticket She went to the

computer to check the numbers The next-to-the-last line had five

matching numbers the last line had two matching numbers and the

Powerball At the time neither knew how much the ticket was worth

At about 445 pm Vincente couldnrsquot wait any longer so he called the

Lottery to ask what five matching Powerball numbers were worth He

then told his daughter ldquoIrsquom the $1000000 winner theyrsquove been wait-

ing forrdquo It was a shock for both of them He didnrsquot tell his other chil-

dren because he wanted to be sure that hersquod really won Once he was

positive everything was in order his daughter took a picture of the

oversized souvenir check to send to the rest of the familyVincente

already knows what hersquos going to do with his winnings After some

house repairs and paying off a few bills the bulk of it is going to be

invested Hersquos not going to splurge hersquos well grounded in reality He

said ldquoMoney pays the bills but doesnrsquot make you happyrdquo $

For more info on the Arizona Lottery visit their website at arizonalotterycom For the

winning numbers call 4808297425 in Phoenix or 5203259141 in Tucson All other

areas in Arizona call 18004993798

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 25

osh Shields of Phoenix likes to

buy Million Dollar Cash Bo-

nanza Scratchers because of the

$1000000 top prize Last Friday

after work he purchased several

Scratchers from a Lottery vending

machine and scratched them in the

car One of the tickets showed that he was a $1000000 winner After

checking the ticket a number of times Josh signed the back of it and

went home He checked online and realized that the Lottery closed at 5

pm he would have to wait the entire weekend before he could redeem

it In the meantime he told his parents and a close friend and had them

check the ticket Then he sat back to wait out the weekend which

seemed to be a lot longer than usual Josh a city government employee

chose the annuity rather than the lump sum Once he saw the actual

check the shock set in He would like to purchase a house and the

annuity will give him a guaranteed income for the next 20 years In

his spare time Josh enjoys spending time with his family and partici-

pating in outdoor activities such as basketball and camping Real peo-

ple do win but Josh is finding it hard to believe that he is one of them

ugust 28 2013 was a day of celebration for Vincente Ruiz of

Phoenix He redeemed his Powerball ticket from the draw of

August 21 2013 for $1000000 Vincente had purchased four lines

for the Powerball using his own numbers consisting of family birth-

days He put the tickets in the console of his truck and temporarily

forgot about them The other day Vincente went to the store to get a

soda and check his Powerball tickets The clerk scanned them and all

J News ARIZONA LOTTERY

By Cindy Esquer

A

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 15: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

26 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

he Ferris Buellerrsquos Day Off slot by WMS embraces the

moviersquos credo that ldquolife moves pretty fast if you donrsquot

stop and look around once in a while you could miss itrdquo With

eight mini bonuses the game takes you through nearly all of the

memorable scenes from the classic 1980s movie

Picking bonuses spinning wheels and taking over the parade

in the Colossal Companion Spins feature will keep life interest-

ing Race to beat Principal Rooney and Ferrisrsquos mean sister Jean-

ie to the Bueller house in one exciting bonus Getting home be-

fore getting caught has never been this potentially lucrative

WMS recently implemented a brand new concept when devel-

oping their big brand name slot machines The basic idea is to

assign those employees in the game design division of the com-

pany who are really passionate about the brand to the game

Essentially the game designers behind this slot are all massive

Ferris Bueller fans Ultimately this approach translates into a

better representation of the movie in the slot

Beyond all the movie clips the custom voiceovers done by Edie

McClurg (Principal Rooneyrsquos secretary Grace) exclusively for

T

Bueller hellip Bueller hellip Bueller

this slot the music all the actorrsquos images there lies a slot filled

with fun and a lot of potential for big wins

The Colossal Companions Spins Feature is a random base game

feature and the main hook for the game Similar to the existing

Colossal Reels games by WMS the slot displays an extra set of reels to

the right of the main reel set Players now have a 35-line 5-reel

4-row reel set and a 75-line 5-reel 10-row reel set Any wins on

the Colossal Reels are doubled Bonus triggers are available on

both reel sets granting access to free spins or the Day Off Board

bonus screen Plus as in Colossal Reels any stacked wild sym-

bols on the main reel set transfer on to the Colossal Reels

Any three or more bonus symbols across both sets of reels trig-

ger the Colossal Free Spins bonus The Colossal Reels are availa-

ble during the free games and all pays on those reels are dou-

bled

The Day Off Board bonus screen is triggered during base game

or free game play by the car on the fifth reel The car then drives

up into the top screen and lands on a section of the board De-

pending on where the car stops indicates the awarded bonus

Players can expect credits or a wheel spin There are four wheels

to play (Ferris Wheel Cameron Wheel Rooney Wheel or

Sloane Wheel) each unlocking one of eight mini-bonuses based

on scenes from the film

They Bought It Pick one of three ways to fake an illness includ-

ing Fake a Stomach Cramp Moan and Wail or Lick Palms and

then receive credits

Bad Hair Day Pick a pencil from Gracersquos hair The longer the

pencil the more credits are awarded to the player

Work of Art Do you remember the museum scene Pick a paint-

ing for credits and a multiplier

Swing Batter Credits rack up while Cameron and Ferris hand

out at the ballpark ldquoSa-wing battardquo

Chez Quis This is a picking game set in the restaurant Players

Bet You Wonrsquot Believe This

Gaming regulators required some movie scenes in the slot to be edited

from PG-13 to PG

For licensing reasons the Red Wings logo on the hockey jersey worn by

Alan Ruck (Cameron) was removed and the Porsche convertible had to

appear as a red convertible with no association to Porsche

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 16: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27

select a sausage and have the ability to advance to pick for additional credits

Lucky Foot Rubbing the rabbit foot pays more and more credits

Car Trouble Fortunately the playerrsquos credit meter is also increasing and not de-

creasing like Ferris and Cameron want with the odometer of the ldquoborrowedrdquo car

On the Run This bonus is the highlight of all eight events Recreating the race

home Ferris Jeannie and Mr Rooney move (or lurch) towards their goal based on

which sneakers the player picks Make sure Ferris is home first to reap the highest

credit awards $

ALL OF THE

MEMORABLE SCENES

FROM THE CLASSIC

80s MOVIE

FERRIS BUELLERrsquoS Day Off TM 2013 Paramount Pictures All Rights Reserved

Insider Info

Penny Slot at 35 lines and a bonus Colossal Reel set with 75 extra lines

High bonus hit frequency WMS specifically wanted to capture the flavor of

the movie and put it into the slotrsquos game play (Lifersquos fastdont miss out)

Overall game hit frequency of 50 (Quite high for todayrsquos slots)

Payback percentages range from around 87 at the low end to 96 at the top

Play it right now at Talking Stick Resort

Plus itrsquos coming to Casino Arizona on Dec 3

Check our website for updates on new locations

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 17: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

CASINO DINING

At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino

Lone Butte Casino and Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino

28 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Christmas Specials At Wild Horse Pass Hotel amp Casino Shularsquos Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 3pm to 8pm

$6599 per person includes Baby Spinach Salad with Pears Candied Walnuts

Bleu Cheese Crumbles Red Radish with Balsamic or Lobster Bisque 8oz

Shula Cut Filet Wild Mushroom Demi-Glaze Smoked Gouda Mashed Pota-

toes or Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Rice and Blood Orange Burre

Blanc and Chocolate Cake With Espresso Mint Sauce

Cafeacute 247 Christmas Day Special

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1795 per person includes Mixed Green Salad Grilled Pork Chop with Fruit

Chutney and Warm Bread Pudding

Christmas Specials At Lone Butte Casino Christmas Day Brunch At Verona Chophouse

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 6pm

$2999 per person includes Made-to-order Omelet Station Artisan Cured

Meats amp Cheeses Cocktail Shrimp Chilled Crab Claws Roasted Whole Turkey

with Traditional Gravy Salt Crusted Prime Rib Slow Cooked Tangerine

Glazed Ham Butter Whipped Potatoes Chocolate Covered Strawberries and

much more

Christmas Day Special At Cafeacute 247

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1299 per person includes Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Walnut and

Balsamic Vinaigrette Deep Fried Turkey or Citrus and Pineapple Glazed Ham

Creamed Corn Southern Mac rsquonrsquo Cheese Green Bean Casserole Roll and

Butter and Fresh Baked Slice of Apple Pecan or Pumpkin Pie with Whipped

Cream or a la mode

Christmas Specials At Vee Quiva Hotel amp Casino Ditkarsquos Christmas Day Menu

Wednesday December 25th Noon to 8pm

For only $3995 per person come and celebrate the Christmas Holiday with us

Enjoy the Freshest Ingredients and Finest Selection of USDA Prime Cuts

Your Choice of Caesar Salad Topped with Shredded Parmesan Cheese and

Garlic Croutons Mikersquos Salad Tossed with Pecans Goat Cheese Apples Cran-

berries with Fresh Balsamic Vinaigrette or the Wedge Salad Iceburg Lettuce

Topped With Apple Smoked Bacon Grape Tomatoes With Sliced Cucumber

and Topped with Danish Blue Cheese Dressing Sprinkled With Crumbled

Danish Blue Cheese or Enjoy Crab Bisque or Onion soup The Main course is

your choice of Grilled Lamb Chops with Mint Demi Glaze or 12oz of our Linz

Heritage Angus Prime Rib Slowly Roasted and Served with au jus Burgundy

Mushrooms and Creamy Horseradish Sauce Both Entreacutees Come with a Choice

of Creamed Spinach Creamed Corn Sauteacuteed Spinach and Mushrooms Fresh

Asparagus Sweet Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Red Skin Potatoes Finally

Indulge in Your Choice of Fresh Cregraveme Brule Peanut Butter Pie or Raspberry

Cheesecake

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Eve

Tuesday December 24th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressings or

Cup of Broccoli Cheddar Soup Hand-Carved Roasted Pit Ham with Bourbon

Glaze served with Sweet Potato Mashed Roasted Butternut Squash served with

slice of Pecan Pie a la mode

Coffee Shop 247 Christmas Day

Wednesday December 25th 11am to 8pm

$1295 per person includes Fresh Garden Salad with Choice of Dressing or

Creamy Chicken with Wild Rice Soup 8oz Roasted Prime Rib of Beef served to

your liking with au jus and Horseradish Sauce and Choice of Baked Potato or

Mashed Potatoes Fresh Medley of Vegetables and an Apple Crumb Tart

with Chantilly Cream for Dessert $

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 18: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

azgamingguidecom | November 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 19: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

30 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

ndian gaming is an economic powerhouse a recognized $27

billion industry within 237 Indian tribal casinos country-

wide that employ more than 650000 workers

What is not generally recognized is the paucity of Native Amer-

ican-owned business that supply goods and services to those

casinos --- an infinitely small number of Native-owned and op-

erated businesses that work with and profit from the estab-

lished gaming entities

In Arizona the Indian gaming industry amounts to some $17

billion Native gambling facilities are one of the top three indus-

tries in the entire state creating more than 15000 direct jobs and

in constant need of vendor assistance to keep them running

smoothly

Itrsquos big business a well-oiled machine in need of constant sup-

plies and services opportunities for small or start-up Native

business owners to position their fledgling efforts to be a part of

the action But if yoursquore an entrepreneur on the outside looking

in how do you get to become a player in the gaming game To

I

By Lee Allen

help answer that question a 4-member panel convened at the

recent Reservation Economic Summit conference at Wild Horse

Pass Hotel amp Casino in Chandler to conduct a Native 2 Native

seminar on the mysteries of gaming procurement and how

smaller players can also take a bite out of that industryrsquos eco-

nomic apple

While the gaming process is pretty similar from site to site pro-

curement processes may be unique from tribe to tribe and one

size may not fit all Creativity and flexibility may be required to

get recognized

rdquoThere are four culprits that impede Native American entrepre-

neursrdquo according to John James CEO of Gila River Gaming

Enterprises responsible for three tribally-owned gaming facili-

ties

ldquoNot enough economic infrastructure or start-up capitol is one

pitfall Inadequate strategic partnerships is another begging the

question --- why go it alone when therersquos strength in unity Be-

ginning businesses often lack specifics about important things

Left to right Debra GriffinmdashPresident of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises Board of Directors Derrick WatchmanmdashNavajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and

Chairman of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enterprise Development John JamesmdashCEO of Gila River Gaming Enterprises

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 20: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

TRIBAL NEWS

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 31

like product pricing placement and promotion Therersquos an

admitted lack of expertise in a fledgling small business but you

donrsquot have to be an expert you just need the right channels to

find the necessary resources Overcome these problem areas and

you can live the dream of your imaginationrdquo

ldquoAlthough individual tribal casinos across the country frequent-

ly operate in unique fashion with dissimilar protocols they all

represent the established well-capitalized licensed provider

that understands the gaming industryrdquo said Derrick Watch-

man Navajo National Gaming Enterprises CEO and Chairman

of the Board of the National Council on American Indian Enter-

prise Development

But the big guys need the little guys to make things work ldquoWe

use businesses to operate our businessrdquo is how Judy Ferreira

Deputy Director of the Arizona Indian Gaming Association put

it

For instance says Watchman ldquoMost of us go with the big gen-

eral contractors but in order to get construction underway you

need support services --- things like trucking and trade input

that could be done by Native sub-contractors Operationally

furnishings and equipment or cleaning services could be pur-

chased from Native-owned businessesrdquo

Moderator Kenneth Manuel noted that Gila River Gaming En-

terprise is trying to bridge the ldquowe need you can providerdquo gap

with their program created to assist would-be entrepreneurs

ldquoThe program is designed to help community members looking

to start their own businesses to help supply our needs and itrsquos a

model that seems to be paying off as a number of Gila River

vendors are already on boardrdquo

In addition to site-specific training for enterprising Native busi-

nessmen and women the panel offered nuggets of good advice

All panelists nodded in agreement when the subject of network-

ing came up ldquoA lot of times people donrsquot know about existing

tribal businessesrdquo said Ferreira

ldquoCasinos require a lot of product but wersquore a competitive busi-

ness because revenue generation goes back to the triberdquo said

Debra Griffin President of the Gila River Gaming Enterprises

Board of Directors ldquoWe need competitive pricing for what we

buy in order to guarantee that tribal returnrdquo

The ability to respond is another prerequisite ldquoCasinos arenrsquot

an 8-to-5 businessrdquo said Watchman ldquoWersquore a 247365 opera-

tion If we need something on a Saturday night at midnight our

vendors need to make sure they can provide itrdquo

In assessing the keys to success for Native start-ups James

summed it up ldquoAt the end of the day if yoursquove got the right

product in the right market priced and promoted correctly all

the engines will be whistling the same happy tunerdquo For more

info on the event and the organization visit ncaiedorg $

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 21: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

32 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

TRIBAL NEWS

istorians have immortalized Horace Greeleyrsquos words

ldquoGo West young man go Westrdquo Today his advice

would probably include the admonition ldquoLook to

south-of-the-border business folks look Southrdquo

This view toward Mexico was the theme for Business Beyond

Borders the recent Arizona Indian Gaming Associationrsquos annu-

al conference and EXPO held in Tucson Representing 17 of the

22 federally-recognized tribes in the state (that encompass more

than 90 of Indian people living on Arizona reservations) the

AIGA is a major player in Grand Canyon state gaming

ldquoMexico is important to Arizona in general --- and Indian casi-

nos in particular --- because Mexican visitors represent an excel-

lent target market for Southern Arizonarsquos gaming industry

most especially the Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort and

Casino and Casino of the Sun as well as the three area Tohono

Orsquoodham properties --- their hotel and casino in Tucson another

casino in Sahuarita and a smaller casino in Whyrdquo says AIGA

Executive Director Valerie Spicer

ldquoItrsquos only been 10 years since Arizonarsquos gaming compact with

tribes was signed and the Arizona Benefits Fund was estab-

lished and wersquore already approaching the billion dollar mark in

contributions back to the state and its citizensrdquo Spicer said

Similar success stories are being reported nationwide among the

420 gaming facilities owned by 240 tribes in 28 states an eco-

nomic development effort that has resulted in the creation of

700000 jobs nationally (with 15000 of them in Arizona)

The three-day gathering in the Old Pueblo was held just 60

miles from the USMexico border --- billed as The Southwestrsquos

Foremost Gaming and Business Summit and Trade Show ---

that drew together some 300 tribal leaders casino executives

and business leaders from across the country to conceptualize a

gaming industryrsquos approach to cross-cultural marketing in or-

der to do business with Mexico

ldquoTherersquos no other conference like this in Indian Country focus-

ing on gaming and businessrdquo according to Spicer ldquoTribes want

to spur more economic development and businesses want to

learn how to partner with tribes This forum connects tribal en-

terprises with potential business partners for the benefit of allrdquo

Economic developer and international trade expert Felipe Gar-

cia of Visit Tucson was the keynote speaker ldquoNewly-released

statistics show 22 million people cross into Arizona from Mexi-

co every year --- thatrsquos 50000 travelers per day every day ---

and the World Tourism Organization is predicting the number

of people who cross international borders will double by 2030rdquo

he told conference attendees

ldquoThese are real people with real discretionary income That im-

pact in Southern Arizona is huge In Pima County alone it rep-

resents $1 billion dollars added to the local economy every year

mostly from shoppingrdquo

Citing a Mexican Visitors to Arizona study done by the Eller

College of Management at the University of Arizona Garcia

noted that 64 of all Mexican visitors to Arizona come here for

a leisure-time vacation and to shop

ldquoFrom a gaming industry standpoint casinos are missing a

good bet if they donrsquot focus more frequently on that South-of-

the-Border opportunity These visitors range from high-end

travelers who fly here on private airplanes to middle-class folks

with visas who have cash in their pockets and no aversion to

spending it

Terry Rambler who chairs the AIGA the Inter-Tribal Council of

Arizona and the San Carlos Apache Tribe noted ldquoThese are

tribes working together as a family to make the future better

This is how things are done working together to build a model

of cooperation that can be used in other economic venturesrdquo

For more info on the AIGA visit azindiangamingorg $

AIGA EXPO Luncheon Speaker Notah Begay III

(Navajo) is a pro golfer with 4 PGA tournament

wins and current entrepreneur of Kiva Sun Foods

H By Lee Allen

Left to Right Valerie SpicermdashDirector of the AIGA

Peter YucupiciomdashChairman of the Pascua Yaqui

Tribe Notah Begay IIImdashPGA golfer

Terry RamblermdashChairman of the AIGA Chairman

of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona and Chair-

man of the San Carlos Apache Tribe

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 22: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

34 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

LAUGHLIN NEVADA Directory amp Gaming Statistics

Aquarius Casino Resort

800662LUCK

aquariuscasinoresortcom

1250+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps keno race

sports book

Avi Resort amp Casino

(Fort Mojave Tribe)

8004300721

avicasinocom

1000+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

keno racesports book KidsQuest

Colorado Belle Hotel Casino

8774600777

coloradobellecom

750+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room keno

racesports book Build your own

amazing burger at Pintrsquos Brewery

Riverside Resort Hotel amp Casino

8002273849

riversideresortcom

1300+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area bingo black-

jack table games craps roulette

poker room keno racesports book

Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall

8006343469

pioneerlaughlincom

490 slots blackjack table games

craps roulette sports book Make

sure to check out the video poker amp

reel slots

Harrahrsquos Laughlin

8004478700

harrahslaughlincom

900+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games craps roulette poker room

live keno racesports book

Golden Nugget Laughlin

8002371739

goldennuggetcomlaughlin

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette poker room sports

book Sign up for the playerrsquos club

and spin for free play

Edgewater Hotel Casino

8006774837

edgewater-casinocom

750+ slots no smoking slot area

high limit slots area blackjack table

games roulette craps racesports

book Great all-around casino

We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information To inform us of

updates please email editorazgamingguidecom The Nevada Gaming Control Board

publishes statistics on casino gaming activity in Nevada according to their statersquos gaming

regulations The most current data for Laughlin at press time is from three months prior

A negative hold percentage indicates that game overpaid during the stated month

Tropicana Laughlin

8002436846

tropicanaxcom

1000+ slots blackjack table games

craps roulette and a sports book

Stop in for lunch at Carnegiersquos or

the Poolside Cafeacute and enjoy the food

River Palms Resort Casino

8777877256

river-palmscom

550+ slots bingo blackjack table

games craps roulette sports book

Donrsquot miss the view of the river from

Dennyrsquos

Slots Hold Tables Hold

Loose $1 409 Craps 1371

25cent 481 Blackjack 21 1583

$5 527 Roulette 1900

Multi-Denom 565 Other Table Games 2456

5cent 609 Pai Gow Poker 2470

1cent 1049 Let It Ride 2549

Megabucks 1123 Three Card Poker 3390

Tight $25 1507

Other Hold Revenue Dollars

Loose Sports Pools 1489 Slots 291 mil

Race Books 1521 Tables 30 mil

Tight Live Keno 2835 Other 07 mil

Laughlinrsquos Gaming Statistics September 2013

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 23: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

36 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

All-You-Can-Eat Baby Back Ribs Only $1295

During your next trip to Laughlin make sure to stop in at The Pioneer Hotel amp Gambling Hall for delicious All-You-Can-Eat

Baby Back Ribs for $1295 at the Boarding House Restaurant served from 4-9pm every Saturday Other specials include Steak amp

Lobster meal for only $1595 on Thursdays Prime Rib or Shrimp Scampi for $1595 on Fridays and their award-winning

Champagne Brunch for $1195 every Sunday from 8am-1pm For more information call 18555252125

LAUGHLIN NEVADA News

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 24: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

News LAUGHLIN NEVADA

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 37

Laughlin Event Center Presents

Fourteen-time nominated and five-time Latin Grammy Award

winners Los Tigres Del Norte will perform live in concert Satur-

day May 3 2014 in the all new Laughlin Event Center Paquita

la del Barrio will open for Los Tigres Tickets from $30 will be

available at edgewater-casinocom soon Los Tigres del Nortersquos

ldquoNortentildeordquo music with its polka roots is blended with stories of

social injustice and news They have recorded more than 55

albums that have earned Gold and Platinum Records in the

United States and Mexico and have sold more than 32 million

records The San Jose California based band tours international-

ly and has a recording repertoire of over 500 songs and corridos

(ballads)

Grammy-nominated Paquita la del Barrio is a popular Mexican

singer of rancheras and other Mexican styles and is most fa-

mous for her advocacy against Mexicos machismo culture

which has made her popular especially with female audiences

She is known for her common song themes of women empow-

erment and man bashing Her signature phrase with which she

often teases male spectators in her shows is iquestMe estaacutes oyendo

inuacutetil (Are you listening good-for-nothing)

Aquarius Announces Second Annual

ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo Program Benefiting Local Families

ace|PLAY Members Can Contribute

Points Instead of Cash

For the second year in a row Aquarius Casino Resort presents

the ldquoFeed a Familyrdquo program that allows players to contribute

their ace|PLAY club points to help put a holiday meal on the

table of a tri-state family in need Players can contribute points

through Friday December 20 2013 ldquoLast year thanks to the

overwhelming generosity of our players we were able to help

more than 900 families through this groundbreaking programrdquo

said Aquarius Casino Resort General Manager Sean Ham-

mond ldquoGiving back to the community is an important part of

our culture at Aquarius and our players have embraced our

effortsrdquo said Kathy Hilderhof Vice President of Marketing and

Player Development at Aquarius For more info visit aquarius-

casinoresortcom and click on ace|PLAY $

Lo

s T

igre

s D

el N

ort

e P

aq

uit

a L

a D

el B

arr

io

Debbie ReynoldsmdashDec 4-7mdashRiverside

GlorianamdashDec 6mdashEdgewater

Holiday Dreams A Cirque SpectacularmdashDec 7mdashEdgewater

The Nutcracker Anaheim BalletmdashDec 12mdashRiverside

Charlie Daniels Band amp Montgomery GentrymdashDec 13mdashEdge

The DiamondsmdashDec 17-22mdashRiverside

Dirk ArthurmdashDec 27-30mdashHarrahrsquos

Mickey GilleymdashDec 27-31mdashRiverside

Frank Sinatra Jr Sinatra Sings SinatramdashDec 28mdashEdgewater

New Year FireworksmdashDec 31mdashRiverwalk by Colorado Belle

The Golden Boys starring Frankie Avalon Bobby Rydell and

Fabian FortemdashJan 4mdashEdgewater

Happy Birthday to The KingmdashJan 7mdashRiverside

Temptations Review with Dennis EdwardsmdashJan 11mdashEdge

Kingston TriomdashJan 14-19mdashRiverside

The FlamingosmdashJan 21-26mdashRiverside

Mickey GilleymdashFeb 3-8mdashRiverside

Oak Ridge BoysmdashFeb 10-16mdashRiverside

Paul AnkamdashFeb 15mdashEdgewater

Vicki Lawrence and MamamdashFeb 18-23mdashRiverside

Crystal GaylemdashFeb 27-Mar 2mdashRiverside

Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin BrothersmdashMar 4-9mdashRiverside

Eddie MoneymdashApr 11-14mdashRiverside

Vince GillmdashApr 19mdashRiverside

Great WhitemdashApr 25-27mdashRiverside

Los Lobos and Los Lonely BoysmdashApr 26mdashHarrahrsquos

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 25: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT Listings

38 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Apache Gold CasinomdashGlobe AZmdash8002722438

Cabaret Lounge

Live bands every weekend

BlueWater CasinomdashParker AZmdash8882433360

Dig Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashDaily at 5pm

BlueWater Showroom

Wynona amp Big NoisemdashJan 25 2014

Kenny RogersmdashMar 22 2014

Casino ArizonamdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom

Monday Night Showroom FootballmdashMondays during football season

Showstoppers Live Holiday SpectacularmdashNov 28-Dec21

The Whip-itsmdashDec 31

Strange Days (Doors Tribute)mdashJan 3-4

Pyromania (Def Leppard Tribute)mdashJan 10-11

Motley Cruersquod (Motley Crue Tribute)mdashJan 24-25

Queen Nation (Queen Tribute)mdashJan 31-Feb 1

The Arizona Room

Latin Fire Dance Nights (Learn to dance)mdashMon Tue from 6-8pm

Throwback ThursdaymdashThu from 9pm to 1am

Casino Del SolmdashTucson AZmdash5208386506

AVA Amphitheater

Tamal FestivalmdashDec 7

Cliff Castle CasinomdashCamp Verde AZmdash8003817568

Dragonfly Lounge

Variety including live bands karaoke amp DJsmdashLadies Night every Th

Open late on Fr amp Sa

Cocopah Resort CasinomdashSomerton AZmdash8002375687

Events

Los ApsonmdashDec 6-7

Karaoke with Bling BlingmdashWe-Fr at 8pm

La Vida Loca (Latin Music)mdashFr at 9pm

Variety of live music every Saturday night on the casino floor

Desert Diamond Casino ImdashTucson AZmdash8663329467

Monsoon Nightclub

Groovinrsquo FridaysmdashTucsons Funkiest Old School Dance Party

Noches CalientemdashSaturdays the hottest Tex Mex and Tejano music

Desert Diamond Casino IImdashSahuarita AZmdash8663329467

Sports Bar

Karaoke Night in the Sports BarmdashWednesdays 7-11pm

Live music or DJsmdashFridays amp Saturdays

Diamond Center

Sylvia Browne (Author amp Psychic)mdashDec 14

Stayinrsquo Alive (Bee Gees Tribute)mdashDec 28

STYXmdashJan 17 2014

Chris YoungmdashJan 18 2014

Fort McDowell CasinomdashFort McDowell AZmdash8008433678

Lucky 7 Saloon

Featuring a variety of live music every weekend

Events

New Yearrsquos Eve PartymdashDec 31

Harrahs Ak-Chin CasinomdashMaricopa AZmdash4808025000

The Lounge

Checkerrsquod PastmdashDec 6-7

The HamptonsmdashDec 13

Smooth GroovemdashDec 14

JJrsquosmdashDec 20-21

Chris JansonmdashDec 27

The DriftersmdashDec 28

Wild Wednesdays from Noon to 4pm fea tures Route 66 with

Danny DavismdashDec 4 Come Back BuddymdashDec 11 Band Stand

Shows 50rsquosmdashDec 18 Route 66mdashDec 29

Hot Latin Nights from 8pm to midnight on Thursdays fea tures

AzTexmdashDec 5 amp 19

New Yearrsquos CelebrationmdashDec 31 features The Rat Pack Returns at 6

Grammy-nominated Country singer and songwriter Chris

Young is returning to the Diamond Center on Saturday Janu-

ary 18 2014 for a special concert sponsored by KIIM 995 FM

Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now through Star Tickets

and at the casino Rewards Center Doors open at 7pm and the

show starts at 8pm

Drawn to the thrill of entertaining from an early age Chris

Young got his start in 2006 when he was declared the winner

of the TV talent show Nashville Star Hersquos topped the country

charts with hits like the Grammy-nominated Gettingrsquo You

Home Voices The Man I Want To Be and his platinum selling

single Tomorrow Young released his latest album AM in

September and has been touring with country superstar Brad

Paisley Chris Young last performed in the Diamond Center to

a sold out crowd in October of 2011

Treena Parvello Director of Public Relations and Communica-

tions for the Tohono Orsquoodham Gaming Enterprise said ldquoWersquore

thrilled to have Chris Young back in the Diamond Center to

share his unique Country sound Tickets sold out fast the last

time Chris played here so be sure to get yours earlyrdquo

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 26: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

Talking Stick Resort Presents

Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers December 27-28 2013

Hometown favorites Roger Clyne amp The Peacemakers

are headed back to Arizona and to Talking Stick Resort

The rock-n-roll quartet will command the Showroom

stage on Dec 27-28 and perform such favorites

as Americano Green amp Dumb and Loco to Stay Sane For-

merly members of The Refreshments singer Roger

Clyne and drummer Paul PH Naffon created Roger

Clyne amp The Peacemakers in 1998 The Tempe-based

band would go on to release 10 albums and tour with

the likes of Johnny Cash Kid Rock and John Fogerty

Their latest album Unida Cantinardquo climbed to the num-

ber two spot on the Billboard Heatseekers charts and

peaked at number four on the 2011 iTunes Rock Al-

bums list Fans are in store for two nights of pure ener-

getic rock-n-roll as the band always delivers remarkable

performances Tickets for the concert are on sale now

Call 4808507777 and ask for the box office or visit their

website at talkingstickresortcom for more information

Editorrsquos Pick CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 39

amp 8pm plus 56-Elvis Tribute at 10pm amp Midnight

Hon-Dah CasinomdashPinetop AZmdash8009298744

Timbers Lounge and Showroom

Munday FundaymdashComedy Show begins at 7pm

Live local talent Tuesday through Saturday

Lone Butte CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

Cascades Lounge

Phoenix area bands amp DJs offer free live entertainment

WemdashCountry Thmdash70rsquos Disco Funk FrmdashLatin SamdashTop 40Dance

Verona Chophouse

Talia Livemdash Saturdays 5-9pm

Sunday Jazz Brunch Livemdash10am-3pm

Mazatzal CasinomdashPayson AZmdash8007777529

Event Center

New Yearrsquos Eve Party with Night GroovemdashDec 31

New Yearrsquos Eve Lounge with Torres and HendrixmdashDec 31

Paradise CasinomdashYuma AZmdash8887774946

Sharkyrsquos Bar amp Bites

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Quechan CasinomdashWinterhaven CAmdash8777832426

Sidewinders Bar amp Grill

Featuring a variety of live music on the weekends

Pipa Event Center

Paul Rodriguez Williams amp Lee Bobby LeemdashDec 13

Talking Stick ResortmdashScottsdale AZmdash4808507777

The Showroom amp Grand Ballroom

Aaron LewismdashDec 6

Vincente Fernandez JrmdashDec 7

Roger Clyne amp The PeacemakersmdashDec 27

STYXmdashJan 18 2014

Hot Tuna and Leon RussellmdashJan 24 2014

Twin Arrows Navajo CasinomdashFlagstaff AZmdash8559468946

Cover bands local regional amp headlining acts Call for info

Wild Horse Pass CasinomdashChandler AZmdash8009464452

AiRIA UnpluggedmdashLive music Fri amp Sat 4pm-2am

Encore LoungemdashFeaturing a variety of live music nightly

Classics With A TwistmdashFeaturing jazz music amp cocktails Thu-Sun

Showroom

DaughtrymdashDec 6

Eddie MoneymdashDec 7

Ana Barbara amp The Mariachi Sol de Mexico Jose FernandezmdashDec 13

Big Bad Voodoo DaddymdashDec 27

Chris Simpson and Adam Gropman (Comedy)mdashDec 28

PwerdrivemdashDec 31

AbbaFab (ABBA Tribute)mdashJan 4 2014

Yavapai CasinomdashPrescott AZmdash8007568744

Yavapai Cantina

Karaoke with Cruisinrsquo SusanmdashFr at 8pm-12am

Variety of live bands on Saturdays from 7 to 10pm Verify all details amp age restrictions (generally 21 amp over) for each event Venues times dates amp ticket

information are subject to change Photosimages copyright of the individual artist(s) photographer(s)

or venue(s) All Rights Reserved We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 27: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

40 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

CASINO NIGHTLIFE

By Ramses Ja

manda Martinez aka DJ Juma is the newest jewel in Talk-

ing Stickrsquos crown Her mixes in the TSR Lounge have cap-

tivated partygoers for the past few months As a newer face I

felt I should introduce her to the readers of this column but

know that this goes way beyond a pretty face Juma is a skilled

DJ who has graced decks from coast to coast Now that she has

a new residency I thought Irsquod run a few questions by her

RJ How long have you been DJing

Irsquove been DJing since 2009 but Irsquove been messing around with it since

grade school I used to dress as Spinderella on Halloween I used to

make beats with my friends who were local artists thatrsquos what got me

started in music From there DJing just felt like a natural evolution of

my craft I have always felt very musically inclined so I am happy that

this is what I do for a living

RJ Tell me about your musical background

I started in radio way back in 2005 at 951 FM Latino Vibe Manic

Hispanic was the one who pulled me under his wing and showed me

how things worked I landed at Power 983 in 2008 and stayed there

until I made the move to 1015 JamZ In the mean time I started mak-

ing beats like I said and I guess being surrounded by so many talent-

ed DJs I started getting my equipment together and practicing

RJ What is your favorite type of music to spin

Irsquom the type to spin anything that people like to spin what makes peo-

ple move But my go-to music is usually 80s or 90s and of course

Spanish music because of my Latin background I guess that doesnrsquot

really answer the question but I guess my favorite music changes with

the crowd or the venue maybe even the time of year It just depends

Right now Irsquom spinning a lot of Top 40 and EDM because itrsquos really

working for my crowds

RJ Tell me about a typical night at the TSR Lounge at Talking

Stick

Im usually just paying attention to my mixes and the crowd Im

learning Im paying attention to my choices and selections Thats my

main focus I do it fearlessly because I never underestimate the audi-

ences ability to feel Music is the sixth element it brings nostalgia it

brings healing and it moves us I canrsquot feel anything but the music

A everything around me is a blur except the sound Its therapy for me

DJing has allowed me the chance to be free with no expectations espe-

cially from myself Its just about having fun at the party and I like

having fun at the party I see the audience make note of the atmos-

phere sometimes I listen to what the DJs did before me and I just basi-

cally remember that its about having fun and I free myself enough to

begin

RJ Any advice for anyone wanting to follow in your footsteps

A good DJ feels his or her groove and eventually gets a flow and begins

to connect with the music which connects to the audience In my case

Im a selector As Juma I select what I like People who come to groove

either love it or they learn it Theres a big difference between being a

DJ and being a selector I dont really even know if I consider myself a

DJ because DJing is a skill and an art form that is highly technical

Theres scratching involved theres blending involved theres accura-

cy and syncopation involved Those things Ive learned over time but

as a selector youre just narrating the emotions of the crowd I am

becoming a good DJ I am a great selector $

Talking Stick Resortrsquos TSR Lounge is located just downstairs

from the main casino floor in the Atrium The TSR Lounge fea-

tures a live DJ drink specials and a plush ambiance to enjoy

your weekends out Enjoy the party at the TSR Lounge every

weekend on Fridays from 8pm to 2am and Saturdays from 5pm

to 2am For more information visit talkingstickresortcom or

call 4808507777

Ramses Ja Rudi King-Taylor II

bullMusic DirectorOn-Air Host (3-7pm) for

KNRJ-FM 1011 The Beat

bullResident DJVJ for KTVK-3TV Friday 10am

bullHost of REDY Set Radio

bullOfficial Bum Squad DJ

bullDJ Vatican Member

bullFor more information on Ramses Ja visit his

website at wwwramsesjacom

Amanda Martinez DJ JUMA TSR

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 28: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

HOT DEALS

42 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Check out these great promotions we found for our read-

ers and fans No matter where you live in Arizona our

readers can take advantage of at least one of the items

listed below Put some cash in your pocket

Desert Diamond Casino Football Pickrsquoem Be one of 20 winners to predict the winning teams for

each Sunday and Monday NFL regular season games and

win $100-$500 in free play Then if you correctly predict

the winning teams in 197 or more 2013 NFL regular sea-

son games out of the 239 you could win $1000000

Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Second Serving Tuesday Between 1pm and 5pm each Tuesday from now through

December 17 play at least $50 cash and receive $50 in

Bonus Maz Cash free play or play at least $100 cash and

receive $100 in Maz Cash free play Earn one reward each

week

Paradise Casino Toy amp Food Drive Now through December 15 bring in a new toy or food

item(s) with the original store receipt valued at $10 or

more (excluding tax) and receive up to $40 in Rewards

Play for your donation

Pick The Pros Be one of twenty weekly prize winners to pick the most

correct winning teams of the weekly NFL lineup includ-

ing a tie-breaker and win up to $100 in Rewards Play

Quechan Casino Resort Sunday Funday Sundays in December a lucky winner will be drawn eve-

ry 30 minutes from 12pm ndash 630pm for $100 in Rewards

Play And at 7pm one lucky winner will win $1000

Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort Holiday Room Special Now through December 27 players can enjoy a resort

room for only $59 plus tax per night from Sunday

through Thursday and $99 plus tax on Friday and Satur-

day When visiting on Tuesdays and Thursdays win up

to $2000 cash during the drawings held every half hour

from 7pm to 10pm $ For complete rules regulations and restrictions visit each casinorsquos players

club for more details Players must be 21 or older and donrsquot forget that casino

management reserves all rights with the promotions listed on this page

Apache Gold Casino Resort decides to

through the end of 2013

Did you get an offer for free play from a casino Through

December Apache Gold Casino Resort will double it

Buckyrsquos Casino In Prescott Presents

This exciting extension to 3-Card Poker gives players the

ability to use their cards and the dealerrsquos cards to make a

5-card poker hand with pays for 3-of-a-kind or better

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 29: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

44 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

Casino Sessions Seats Smoke-Free Area Electronic Late Night

Apache Gold Su We Th at Noon Fr amp Sa at

7pm 1st Mo of the month at 7pm 200 No No No

BlueWater Mo-We 430pm Su at 1130am 400 Yes Yes No

Casino Arizona Mo-Su at 630pm

Daily Matinees at 1230pm 1000 Yes Yes

L8 Nite Bingo Fr amp Sa

Doors at 10pm Games at midnight

Casino Del Sol Daily at Noon 130 215 630 amp

715pm 600 Yes Yes Cosmic Bingo Sa at 11pm

Cocopah Daily at 130 amp 630pm 350 Yes Yes No

Desert Diamond I Th-Mo 130 2 6 630 amp 7pm 270 No Yes No

Fort McDowell Sa amp Su at 645am We-Mo at

9am Daily at 1230 amp 630pm 1275

Yes (2 sections enclosed or in

general seating)

Yes Fr amp Sa at 1210am

Call for Lunar Bingo schedule

Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin We-Su at 1130am 230 330

and 630pm 470 Yes Yes No

Lone Butte

Sa amp Su at 10am Noon 345

530pm Daily at Noon amp

630pm

750 Yes Yes BAD Bingo 2 Fr at 1130pm amp

BAD Bingo Sa at 1130pm

Mazatzal Mo-Th at Noon Tu amp Th at

630pm 280 Yes Yes No

Paradise Daily at 130 amp 6pm 300 Yes Yes Call for Kozmic Bingo

amp Other Special Dates

Vee Quiva Daily at Noon amp 630pm 366 Yes Yes Bingo Eclipse Sa at 11pm

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4am Sunday to 4am Monday

CASINO BINGO DIRECTORY

Green MPBingo Jackpot won for $27038 at Fort McDowell Casinorsquos Bingo Hall

Cheryl L won the $2703800 Green MPBingo progressive jackpot while playing at Fort

McDowell Casino in Phoenix AZ Playing on the PhD tablet from Planet Bingo Cheryl

won the big one for $2703800 against the 1 Vertical amp 1 Horizontal line pattern Fort

McDowell Casino has been awarding some of the largest MPBingo jackpots for almost 10

years Thousands of players have won millions of dollars

For more information about Fort McDowell Casino session times specials and events

phone 1-800-THE-FORT or visit fortmcdowellcasinocom $

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 30: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

46 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

SUDOKU Each of the columns rows and nine 3 x 3 grids must contain

all of the digits 1 - 9 None of the digits may appear more than

once in each column row and 3 x 3 grid

(Solution on page 50)

8

6 1

1

9

7 8

6

3 5

4 9

3

7 6

8 3

6

7

2

5

9

5

3

3

7 2

WORD SEARCH

In honor of National Fruit Cake Day find

WATER ZEST RAISINS MILK SUGAR NUTS YEAST FLOUR

BUTTER SALT RUM EGGS VANILLA DRIED FRUITS

GERMAN DRESDEN STOLLEN MARZIPAN

Words appear in any direction (Solution on page 50)

B Q S U X B R I S I N S A V

X O R H W O C S T U N Q K I

N U S T I U R F D E I R D J

M C R U O L E U O W H O F F

T S E Z T B R T T U B D E S

K R N B N A I Z R A M W R P

H A E V N N Q C W U B E F J

N G L W A T R G G E G S S E

A U L U E P N S G J Q D P M

M S O D D H I T A J M E T E

R N T P P T B I L L P N L Y

E A S M X N M K C Z T Z K P

G A L L I N V C Z J D E Z A

I V I C O L A E A S T Z Y U

FUN amp GAMES

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 31: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

Do YOU have something to rant or rave about

Write me at samiazgamingguidecom

SAMIrsquoS SMACKDOWN

48 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

By Sami Becker

Dear Sami I called [a casino] today to ask a couple questions

about a promotion and any new player sign-up perks they

have I couldnrsquot believe how uncouth the operator was She

was curt and acted as if I was bothering her My wife and I

decided not to take the long drive out there because obvious-

ly [this casino] doesnrsquot know how to train their employees

about customer service and they donrsquot care for our business

We both love your magazine and hold on to every issue we

can get our hands on We particularly enjoy reading your can-

did remarks in your column Thank you for listening Irsquod ap-

preciate your comments on this matter

Scott DavismdashMesa AZ

Scott after reading your e-mail I decided to pick up the phone and call

all the casinos in Arizona and Laughlin for myself Unfortunately I

must admit I was quite frustrated with several of the conversations

On the other hand there were a few operators who were extremely

friendly enthusiastic and eager to assist me in any way they could

What follows is an overview of the callsmdashthe good the bad and the

ugly Since many casino executives read our magazine and have a

genuine interest in leaving a good impression with their patrons Irsquom

confident that this article will provoke some further discussions about

phone etiquette and initiate a positive change for the better

1 Professionalism amp A Friendly Voice Go A Long Way

Only five of the phone calls made to all Arizona and Laughlin casinos

resulted in a professional and friendly sounding voice picking up at

the other end of the line The remaining phone calls were answered by

individuals who sounded frantic upset completely bored were not

speaking clearly or a combination thereof On a positive note the pro-

fessional and friendly sounding individuals had excellent customer

service skills and were able to handle my requests directly or trans-

ferred my call to other employees who assisted me

2 Always Answer Your Phone

Four of the calls I placed to casinos went unanswered The general

public cant help but feel unimportant when they arenrsquot able to speak

to someone at the casino Thatrsquos just really bad business Id like to

highlight the fact that one casinos main line actually remained busy

or just rang continually when I called them repeatedly For an estab-

lishment thats open for business 24-7-365 thats puzzling

Operator hellip Hello

3 Dont Have The Main Line Transfer Into Random Departments

On one call I ended up speaking to an individual who claimed to be

with the Casino Security Department at a security desk Needless to

say this was not a positive customer service experience on the phone

They had no information to offer me about the casino in general and

they couldnrsquot provide me directions on how to get to the property

When asked to speak to someone at the Playerrsquos Club I was told that

no one was available at the moment and that I should call back later

4 Always provide accurate and up-to-date information

On one call the operator gave me inaccurate information Answering

a question with ldquoI think sordquo ldquoIrsquom pretty surerdquo or ldquoprobablyrdquo does not

instill much confidence If a patron is taking the time to call with a

question then the answer is important to them and it should be defini-

tive Providing vague responses or worse yet misinformation is not

only poor customer service but itrsquos a surefire recipe for disaster Driv-

ing all the way out to a casino because an operator confirmed (under

false pretenses) that there was a dinner special or a certain game was

available that wasnrsquot the case would leave anyone feeling frustrated

and disappointed Even though it could have been an innocent mistake

it seems deceptive and could leave a bad taste in a personrsquos mouth to

the point of not wanting to visit that casino ever again

5 Take A Message

Therersquos absolutely nothing wrong if an operator says ldquoIrsquom not sure

but if you give me your name and phone number Irsquoll call you back with

the information as soon as I canrdquo Thatrsquos what one friendly operator

did when she couldnrsquot immediately answer a question I had about their

upcoming slot tournament Even though she was unfamiliar with the

promotion I was very appreciative for her willingness to assist me and

get back to me with detailed information $

Like Us For Your Chance To

First if you havenrsquot already done so like our Facebook

page at facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide Then make

sure to register for the Break Away From The Big City

Giveaway on our website (azgamingguidecom) for your

chance to win a Stay amp Play package at Apache Gold Ca-

sino Resort just outside of Globe Arizona

To date our magazine has given away well over $10000

in prizes via our Facebook page and our website And

wersquore not going to stop now Past prizes have included

cash gift cards gas cards free play concert tickets hotel

stays and more

You could be our next winner By joining our Facebook

and registering for this giveaway yoursquoll get access to ex-

clusive info from Arizonarsquos only comprehensive gaming

magazine published by slot machine and casino experts

This year the winners of the Break Away From The Big

City Giveaway so far include

Sava S (Mesa)

Kimberly D (Chino Valley)

Sara H (Gilbert)

Patrick P (Clifton)

azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 32: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

Like Us For Your Chance To

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azgamingguidecom | December 2013 | Arizona Gaming Guide 49

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 33: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12

CASINO DIRECTORY

50 Arizona Gaming Guide | December 2013 | azgamingguidecom

City Phone Slots Hig

h L

imit

Are

a

Bin

go

Casino Liv

e K

eno

Tab

le G

ames

Po

ker

Ro

om

Ho

tel

Sm

ok

e-F

ree

Are

a

Sources Arizona Department of GamingmdashCurrent Tribal Gaming Status as of 110113 amp direct inquiries by press time We are not responsible for incorrect missing or outdated information

Contact editorazgamingguidecom to make updates Cocopah Resort Casino offers ldquoSmoke-Free Sundaysrdquo which is a casino-wide non-smoking experience every week from 4AM Sunday to 4AM Monday

RV

Par

k

Go

lf

Location Sp

a

Arc

ade

01 Apache Gold Casino Resort Hwy 70 5 mi E of Globe Globe 800-272-2438 619 Y Y Y Y Y Y

02 BlueWater Resort amp Casino 11300 Resort Drive Parker 888-243-3360 523 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

03 Buckyrsquos Casino 1500 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 309 Y Y Y

04 Casino Arizona 101 amp McKellips Scottsdale 480-850-7777 919 Y Y Y

05 Casino Del Sol 5655 W Valencia Rd Tucson 855-765-7829 1082 Y Y Y Y Y Y

06 Casino of the Sun 7406 S Camino De Oeste Tucson 855-765-7829 293

07 Cliff Castle Casino amp Hotel I-17 Exit 289 Camp Verde 800-381-7568 656 Y Y Y Y Y

08 Cocopah Resort Casino 15318 S Ave B Somerton 800-237-5687 504 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

09 Desert Diamond Casino I 7350 S Nogales Hwy Tucson 866-332-9467 1088 Y Y Y Y Y Y

10 Desert Diamond Casino II I-19 Exit 80 Tucson 866-332-9467 699 Y

11 Desert Diamond Casino-Why Hwy 86 Milepost 55 Why 866-332-9467 56

12 Fort McDowell Casino Hwy 87 amp Ft McDowell Rd Fort McDowell 800-843-3678 906 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

13 Harrahrsquos Ak-Chin Casino 15406 N Maricopa Rd Maricopa 480-802-5000 1089 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

14 Hon-Dah Casino 777 Hwy 260 Pinetop 800-929-8744 806 Y Y Y Y Y

15 Lone Butte Casino 1077 S Kyrene Rd Chandler 800-946-4452 786 Y Y Y Y

16 Mazatzal Hotel amp Casino Hwy 87 14 mi S of Payson Payson 800-777-7529 425 Y Y Y Y Y Y

17 Paradise Casino 450 Quechan Dr Yuma 888-777-4946 506 Y

18 Quechan Casino I-8 Exit 166 Winterhaven CA 877-783-2426 1000+ Y Y Y Y Y Y

19 Spirit Mountain Casino 8555 Hwy 95 Mohave Valley 928-346-2000 247

20 Talking Stick Resort 101 amp Indian Bend Scottsdale 480-850-7777 744 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

21 Twin Arrows Navajo Casino I-40 Exit 219 Flagstaff 855-946-8946 1089 Y Y Y Y Y

22 Vee Quiva Casino 6443 Komatke Ln Laveen 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y

23 Wild Horse Pass Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd Chandler 800-946-4452 950 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

24 Yavapai Casino 1505 E Hwy 69 Prescott 800-756-8744 244 Y

azgamingguidecom facebookcomArizonaGamingGuide

For information on the casinos amp much more

scan our QR codes with your smartphone

Sudoku Solution

9 4 5

3 8 7

2 6 1

3 1 6

5 9 2

7 4 8

2 8 7

6 1 4

3 9 5

4 2 9

8 5 3

7 1 6

8 3 7

2 6 1

9 5 4

5 6 1

7 4 9

8 2 3

6 3 2

1 7 8

5 9 4

1 7 9

4 2 5

6 8 3

4 5 8

9 3 6

1 7 2

Word Search Solution

R A I S I N S

R S T U N

U S T I U R F D E I R D

M R U O L F

T S E Z R E T T U B D

R N N A I Z R A M R P

A E E

N G L W A T R S G G E S E

A U L S D M

M S O I A E

R T L L N

E S K T

G A L L I N V A

Y E A S T

Page 34: Arizona Gaming Guide Magazine - December 2013 - 05:12