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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!
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Contents
04 EDITOR’S NOTE What’s on our mind
06 PLAYERS TALK What’s on your mind
27 ENTERTAINMENT Editor’s Picks
28 FUN & GAMES Sudoku & Riddles to keep your mind sharp
29 SAMI’S SMACKDOWN Rants, raves & reflections
30 CASINO SPONSOR DIRECTORY
REGULAR RESPINS
20 GAMING PROFITS Helping Indian Nations recover economically.
22 CASINO BUZZ New IGT slots hit casino floors this month.
23 ARIZONA GAMING TRIVIA By the numbers.
24 GAMING NEWS Crackdown on illegal gambling continues.
FAST FACTS
09 MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE™ BY ARISTOCRAT Aristocrat invites players to accept a mission.
11 BETTY BOOP’S FORTUNE TELLER™ BY BALLY Betty Boop and Pudgy act as fortune telling guides.
12 GREASE™ BY BALLY Features 8 bonus events and exciting movie tunes.
14 BIG BUCK HUNTER™ BY IGT Players use an arcade-style gun to fire at the screen.
17 SUPER TEAM™ BY WMS Players can create their own characters.
19 MONOPOLY™ PARTY TRAIN™ BY WMS Players are taken on a train ride around the board.
GREAT GAMES
NOVEMBER
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 03 Slot machine images courtesy of WMS Gaming. © Copyright WMS Gaming. All Rights Reserved. www.wms.com
FEATURES
08 GLOBAL GAMING EXPO 2011 REVIEW Great new slot games coming soon!
Slot machine images courtesy of IGT. © Copyright IGT. All Rights Reserved. www.igt.com
Slot machine images courtesy of Bally Technologies. © Copyright Bally Technologies. All Rights Reserved. www.ballytech.com
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VOLUME 03 • ISSUE 04
PUBLISHER
Chris Hoft
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Elizabeth Torma
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alexandra Lang
ART DIRECTOR
Melanie Mueller
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Mark Novak
Alex Stewart
Samantha Becker
Lana Hartmann
Elizabeth Torma
ADVERTISING SALES
Nina Consiglio
Alex Stewart
MAILING INFORMATION
Arizona Gaming Guide
P.O. Box 20636
Mesa, Arizona 85277
INTERNET INFORMATION
www.azgamingguide.com
www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide
Copyright © 2011 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 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 1.800.NEXT.STEP or www.problemgambling.az.gov.
EDITOR’S NOTE
04 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
Your Authority On Everything Gaming
Hot New Games Coming In 2012
The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) of 2011 was held at the Sands Expo
and Convention Center last month and every member of the Arizona
Gaming Guide team made the trip to Las Vegas to experience the new
casino games! G2E is the largest tradeshow in the gaming industry and
an exciting opportunity for casino game manufacturers to showcase
their products. More than 440 leading gaming industry vendors, in-
cluding more than 80 international exhibitors from 24 different coun-
tries, registered for over 250,000 square feet of exhibit hall space this
year to display their merchandise and services to key casino decision
makers! This year’s glimpse into the gambling world revealed an
abundance of licensed and themed titles, community games, multi-
play and multi-layered displays, and a plethora of innovative concepts
and ideas like video arcade style slot games. My team and I have cho-
sen our favorites and are convinced that most (if not all) the games in
this issue will be available for us to play in the very near future. We
really hope you enjoy reading about the games we decided to discuss
and are as excited as we are to play them in 2012!
Please visit us at: www.facebook.com/ArizonaGamingGuide, become
part of our community and share your thoughts and experiences with
others who also love the same casino games you do. Don’t forget that
you can also find the current and back issues of the Arizona Gaming
Guide on our website at www.azgamingguide.com. For your conven-
ience, we have included the QR codes for both web addresses in our
directory. Let me know what you think of our November issue and
have fun!
Cheers!
Alexandra Lang
Editor-in-Chief
Alexandra
PLAYERS TALK Q&A On Everything Gaming
06 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
ASK THE EXPERTS 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: [email protected].
Q: SLOT MAINTENANCE
I think the casinos need to stop being cheap and take
care of their slots better. They make all this money, but
they can’t spend a little bit of it to make sure that the
buttons are all working. It’s called maintenance! If the
slot is old or parts are not working they need to fix it or
get rid of it.
Benny Moody – Phoenix, AZ
A: Benny, I believe that casinos do their best to maintain all of
their equipment. Unless a patron notifies an employee and
makes them aware of an issue, the casino may not even be
aware of a problem. Please consider that slot machines go
through a great deal of wear-and-tear as they are on and being
played 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The resilience of slots
based on the constant use (and sometimes abuse) they get from
players is truly remarkable and a testament to the high quality
in both design and testing.
In our discussions with Slot Technicians and Slot Managers,
we’ve come to find out that sometimes casinos hold on to
“older” games because they are popular with their patrons.
However, in many cases the parts on these games are obsolete
because the slot manufacturers have upgraded the cabinets and
the system. In these situations, the casinos have a difficult time
replacing defective parts and they just have to make do with
what they have. In other cases, if a slot is leased or out on par-
ticipation (a profit sharing arrangement between the casino and
the slot manufacturer) then the maintenance may be the re-
sponsibility of the manufacturer and not the casino. The appro-
priate people need to be contacted, parts need to be ordered,
technicians need to be scheduled, and the maintenance needs to
be performed—all this takes time!
Q: LOOSER MACHINES DURING HOLIDAYS
Does the casino make their machines pay people more
during holiday weekends? I went to a casino during the
4th of July weekend and Labor Day weekend and eve-
ryone I was with had better luck than usual.
Carol Crestfield – Glendale, AZ
Carol, yes the casino can change the payback percentages for a
holiday weekend if they really wanted to but this is not very
likely to happen. Representatives from the casino’s Tribal Gam-
ing Office (TGO) and the Arizona Department of Gaming
(ADG) need to be present to verify and document any and all
changes that happen to a slot’s settings. Furthermore, the ADG
needs to be notified at least 30 days in advance for scheduling
purposes. Both the TGO and the ADG are simply too busy and
preoccupied with other matters to be visiting casinos all across
Arizona verifying payback percentage changes! Anyway, if a
casino was to increase or decrease the payback percentage of a
game for a few hours or even a few days it wouldn’t have a tre-
mendous implication for the casino or the player in the short
run. Theoretical payback percentages of slot games affect the
performance of a game over the long run. When a new slot is
installed in a casino, that’s when the payback is determined and
it’s not likely to be adjusted after that.
Q: CASINO REGULATION
Which casinos are more regulated—the Indian casinos
or the commercial casinos?
Phil Geller – Yuma, AZ
Phil, both commercial and tribal casinos are heavily regulated
and closely monitored by several state and national agencies. If
you are to pin me down and demand that I choose which one is
more regulated than the other I would have to say the tribal
casinos. Indian gaming is subject to more stringent regulations
and security controls than any other type of gaming in the
United States.
There are actually three distinct regulatory levels for all tribal
gaming operations. First, tribal governments regulate gaming
on their reservations with their own commissions. Second,
tribes that have compacts with the state (like Arizona does) are
regulated by state government agencies. Finally, the National
Indian Gaming Commission and Federal Government agencies
such as the U.S. Justice Department, the U.S. Treasury De-
partment, and the Department of the Interior also play signifi-
cant roles in the oversight of tribal gaming. Then, of course,
there are agencies like the FBI, IRS, the U.S. Attorneys, U.S.
Marshalls, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs all of whom have
some level of regulatory involvement. How’s that for oversight?
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 07
Q: BINGO AND LIVE KENO
I play Bingo and my husband likes to either play black-
jack or keno (the live kind not the ones on the slots).
Where do you recommend that we go play?
Val M. – Scottsdale, AZ
A: Fort McDowell Casino has the largest and one of the nicest
bingo halls in all of Arizona. Their recently remodeled live keno
section includes televisions, video poker, and video keno slots!
They also have 15 blackjack tables for your husband to enjoy as
well. Another great option is Mazatzal Hotel & Casino in Pay-
son. They have all three casino games there as well! In fact, it’s
very rare to be able to find both live keno and bingo available at
the same casino. Since these casinos are close to the Scottsdale
area where you live, you should try them both and see where
you feel the most comfortable. Let us know how it goes!
Q: ENSURING COMPLIANCE
How often does the Department of Gaming come out to
check the slot machines at the casinos and what do they
do exactly while there?
Jackie Reed – Chandler
The Arizona Department of Gaming’s (ADG) Machine Com-
pliance Technicians randomly inspect gaming devices at all of
Arizona’s casinos on a regular basis. Their visits are unan-
nounced and they are usually able to do spot checks at 8 to 10
casinos every month! The ADG technicians announce their
visit to the Tribal Gaming Office first and then a Tribal Gam-
ing Agent, a Casino Slot Technician, and a Casino Security
Officer accompany the Machine Compliance Technicians
around the casino during the inspection. A typical spot check
usually consists of 50 different slot games!
The ADG technicians open the slots, enter the setup menus and
verify the percentages, the software, and make sure the seal
tapes are still in place. Then, they perform communication tests
with the accounting system and run bills and tickets through
the acceptors. They also make sure to check that all the account-
ing meters (credits in, credits out, credits played, etc.) are
working correctly.
Q: MECHANICAL SLOTS
My wife and I only like playing the old-fashioned slots
with the mechanical reels. Which casino do you think
has the best games?
Frank Henderson – Chandler
The hands down winner, in our opinion, is Desert Diamond
Casinos in Tucson, Arizona! They have the largest selection of
mechanical reel steppers we’ve seen in all of Arizona set to the
best payback percentages. Good luck and have fun! $
Q&A On Everything Gaming PLAYERS TALK
08 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming in 2012
or one week during the year, everyone remotely
connected to the gaming industry travels to Las Ve-
gas for an amazing experience known as ‚The
Show.‛ The Global Gaming Expo, simply referred to as
G2E, provides attendees a glimpse into the future of ca-
sino gaming. This year, G2E was held during the first
week in October at the Sands Expo and Convention Cen-
ter and featured more than 250,000 square feet of exhibit
space.
Every year the products that get center stage and are the
most closely watched by casino executives and decision
makers are the slot machines. Slot manufacturers from all
over the world parade their latest and greatest inventions
in front of interested buyers in the hopes their allocated
budgets for new purchases will be used on their games.
Continuing with our annual tradition, we’re excited to
give our readers a sneak peek at what’s in store for all us
slot players in the coming year. The Arizona Gaming Guide
team has chosen our favorites and we’re convinced that
most (if not all) the games in this issue will be available
for us to play in the very near future. Look for more
sneak peeks in upcoming issues as well. We really hope
you enjoy reading about the games we decided to discuss
and are as excited as we are to play them in 2012! Send
us an e-mail to [email protected] with ‚New
Games 2012‛ in the subject and tell us your favorites.
F
HOT NEW GAMESHOT NEW GAMES
COMING IN 2012
New Slots Coming 2012 GREAT GAMES
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 09
ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIESARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES
Aristocrat invites players to accept a mission on
their newest exciting video slot, Mission: Im-
possible™, which features a wide area progres-
sive with a $250,000 top award and with three
local area progressive jackpots and six pulse-
pounding bonus features. This video slot game
has recently been released in the Southern Cali-
fornia market and will be working its way into
casinos all across Arizona soon! Mission: Impos-
sible’s grand jackpot is linked to Aristocrat’s
extremely popular Tarzan® Lord of the Jungle™
slot, meaning there is a greater potential for
more frequent grand jackpot hits. This game is
every bit as fun and entertaining as the film that
inspired it.
Aristocrat’s exciting line-up of themed titles at
the G2E show also included the triumphant re-
turn of Zorro™! Players everywhere have loved
Aristocrat’s Zorro game and now the hero is
back in Zorro: The Legend Returns™. This is
the first game in Aristocrat’s amazing new game
category called the VIRIDIAN Hybrid™ with
Active Reel Technology™. This new line of
games has the potential to feature a 5-reel step-
per base game, a full screen video, and a 3-reel
stepper bonus—all in the same game! Zorro: The
Legend Returns™ has three standalone progres-
sive jackpots, a symbol triggered progressive
jackpot feature, and four additional random bo-
nus features!
Tarzan® Lord of the Jungle™ is hands-down one
of the most popular slots in North America
which is why several casinos across Arizona
have installed this great game including Bucky’s
Casino in Prescott and Mazatzal Casino in Pay-
son. Now, the journey continues with Tarzan®:
The Adventures Return™, with incredible, all-
new features but still the same high-hitting top
progressive as the original! The ‚Ghost Who
Walks‛ will soon be leaving his legendary Good
Mark in Arizona’s casinos as well, because Aris-
tocrat is bringing the myth of The Phantom® to
life in a new video slot game that’s as fun and
exciting as the comic strip itself. This slot has
been on casino floors in Australia for a few
months now and it’s making its U.S. debut soon!
Watch for more and more Aristocrat titles to
start creeping up in casinos all across Arizona!
16 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
WINNING WAYS Quick Gambling Tips
BALLY TECHNOLOGIESBALLY TECHNOLOGIES
Curious about your destiny? Wondering which way
things will go? Give Betty Boop your hand and let her
read your palm. Following your success line to your fate
line, she sees … a future with her new game! Coming
soon, Betty Boop’s Fortune Teller™ will win over even
the staunchest of psychic skeptics with its mind-boggling
number of dazzling features. It is the new companion
game to Bally Technologies’ hit Betty Boop’s Love Me-
ter™. Featured on the unique Pro Upright Hammer-
head™ cabinet, it is based on the iconic cartoon character
and her playful dog Pudgy. Betty and Pudgy act as for-
tune-telling guides in this game’s fully-rendered 3D envi-
ronment. Betty reads players’ palms, celebrates their
wins, and even offers them a little help along the way.
Bally innovations such as the iDeck™, U-Spin™ Wheel,
and U-Choose™ bonuses totally immerse players in the
action, keeping the séance intriguing and fun.
Betty Boop’s Fortune Teller™ offers an unprecedented 15
bonuses at any bet. After hitting three U-Spin symbols,
players are awarded with a real-time 3D Fortune Wheel
that they can touch, slide, and spin. The Fortune Wheel is
full of surprises, such as the Palm reading where a player
puts his hand on the iDeck so Betty can read his palm.
Credit and multiplier values are awarded based on the
reading of the player’s life line, heart line, success line,
and fate line. The game also includes several free game
and multiplier bonuses, from Signs of the Zodiac Free
Games and Crystal Ball Free Games, to Pudgy’s Magical
Multiplier Free Games, during which Betty randomly
intervenes to help players who get only 1x or 2x. ‚I can
change your future!‛ or ‚I can help you with that!‛ she
declares, giving them a free second try. The U-Choose
Bonus gives control to the players, letting them pick their
preferred bonus. In the Spin ’Til You Win bonus, for in-
stance, the player decides whether to ‚Take Win‛ or
‚Spin Again.‛ If a player chooses the latter, he keeps go-
ing until he wins.
Two progressive jackpots – ‚Pudgy’s Predictions‛ (major)
and ‚Boop-Oop-A-Doop‛ (minor) – are available to win
at any bet level. A top progressive features Bally’s new
life-changing Cash Connection™ wide area progressive,
available at max bet. Dubbed Betty’s Fortunes Jackpot, it
is awarded with a five-of-a-kind scatter pay symbol on
the base game reel set. Is your good fortune right around
the corner? Find out with Betty Boop and Pudgy soon.
Betty Boop’s Fortune Teller from Bally Technologies is
expected to hit Arizona casino floors in the summer of
2012.
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 11
12 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
BALLY TECHNOLOGIESBALLY TECHNOLOGIES
Fans of Grease will soon be singing along to their
favorite tunes as they enjoy themselves on casino
floors. Bally Technologies’ new Grease™ slot game
reunites the characters from the iconic 1978 Ameri-
can film and incorporates the insanely catchy music
that reminds audiences the world over of their
friends (and enemies) from high school.
Inspired by the story of two love-struck 1950s-era
teens, this new, bonus-rich game is Bally’s first dou-
ble-play game featuring two, 25-line games enabling
players to play two games at once. Grease™ is also
one of the first games on Bally’s Cash Connection™
wide-area progressive link. The game takes full ad-
vantage of Bally’s iDeck™ touch-screen button deck
to deliver the world of Rydell High to players.
Grease™ features eight bonus events, including T-
Bird Mystery Wilds, a U-Spin™ Yearbook Bonus,
two pick-em features, two styles of free games, and
four any-bet progressives. Grease™ also offers four
exciting bonus levels: Pink Lady, Rydell High Pick
‘Em, Too Pure to be Pink, and The One That I Want.
Players can use the base game or iDeck on selected
bonuses, with certain picks sending them to the next
level and offering a chance at higher rewards.
The Dance Off Free Games feature invites players to
‚dance‛ on the iDeck to win additional free games
or credits. How Cool Are You? gives players the
chance to select from one of four cars on the iDeck,
moving the car up the ladder. The winning character
indicates the player’s ‚coolness‛ factor and awards
one of the four progressive jackpots or a credit
value.
The One That I Want Free Games
T-Bird Mystery Wilds
Dance Off Free Games
Rydell High Pick ‘Em
How Cool Are You?
Pink Lady Pick ‘Em
Too Pure To Be Pink
Grease Yearbook
From Broadway to big screen to slot ma-
chine, this classic has finally made its
way to the fun of the casino floor. Catchy
bonus games, a super-HD experience,
and a multi-area progressive, together
with featured movie clips and music will
have players reliving the upbeat story of
the 1950s-inspired movie.
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 13
The Grease™ slot comes
with Bally’s Pro Series™
custom professional
sound chair so that play-
ers can experience the fa-
miliar songs from the
blockbuster American
musical while they are
enjoying the game’s
many bonus features! >
GREAT GAMES New Slots Coming 2012
14 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
IGTIGT
With millions of fans, billions of records sold and a last-
ing legacy, IGT celebrates Elvis' 55th anniversary of his
first number one record with the release of Elvis The
King® Multi-Level Progressives. Featuring a classic juke-
box design, this entertaining slot includes base games,
bonuses and progressives that connect familiar Elvis
Presley songs to winning. Five hip-shaking bonus options
will keep players dancing in their seats: Heartbreak Ho-
tel, Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog and the Viva Las Vegas
bonus. The biggest chart topper of them all is the Jukebox
Hits bonus in which players select records for big out-
comes in this rockin' game!
Big Buck Hunter® Pro Slots debuts an entirely new in-
teractive casino gaming experience on IGT's new Center
Stage Duo™. This dynamic, cutting-edge game takes
players into the great outdoors with state-of-the-art
graphics and innovative mechanical gun hardware. Yes,
you read that right! Target practice is taken to a whole
new level with exciting shooting bonuses where players
use the game's arcade-style gun hardware to fire at the
shared 55-inch Center Stage™ screen and score credits.
For 15-years players worldwide have been spinning and
winning on the all-time player-favorite and top-
performing Wheel of Fortune®. This classic theme is now
redefined with even more spinning action, more suspense
and more entertainment. This year at G2E, Wheel of For-
tune® Triple Extreme Spin™, Wheel of Fortune® Wild
Getaway™ and a new Wheel of Fortune® Multi-Level
Progressive expand the award-winning portfolio adding
even more action and more jackpots to casino floors eve-
rywhere.
Only months after rolling out top-of-the-chart entertain-
ment with licensed movie titles like Dark Knight™ and
Ghostbusters™, IGT debuted even more pop culture titles
at G2E with Sex and The City™ Fabulous, Breakfast at
Tiffany's™, The Joker's Heist™ and The Twilight Zone®
in 3D. Some say that IGT has lost their touch and may be
slipping from the ranks and we say—sure doesn’t look
that way to us!
New Slots Coming 2012 GREAT GAMES
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 17
WMS GAMING, INC.WMS GAMING, INC.
WMS understands what players want and
they deliver. At this year’s G2E, WMS fired
on all cylinders to produce games with
something for everyone! Battleship™, the
classic Hasbro game, was brought to life by
WMS in their exciting new community bo-
nus game. Teams compete to sink ships in
three unique overhead bonuses. Randomly
triggered communal bonuses play out on
three overhead screens, pitting two Navies
against each other in one of three commu-
nal battles for additional bonus rewards.
Although not a true community game,
players’ decisions can affect other players
in Clue™, another new slot based on the
popular board game. In a bonus event
played on big screens overhead, players
choose which room to play in and take a
guess at solving the murder mystery.
Wrong guesses are eliminated which nar-
rows down the possibilities for the next
player who enters the bonus. The truly ex-
citing aspect of this game is that the next
player to enter the bonus has better odds at
solving the mystery!
Super Team™ is a unique, original slot
theme in a new series of ‚Adaptive Gam-
ing‛ slots featuring 15 heroes that travel
through 3 different bonus features to
unlock additional bonuses and hero cus-
tomization opportunities. The hero editor
functionality allows players to create their
own characters and personalize their slot
experience. Players will unlock each hero’s
bonus through continued play in the Adap-
tive Gaming system.
New Slots Coming 2012 GREAT GAMES
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 19
WMS GAMING, INC.WMS GAMING, INC.
WMS has launched Monopoly™ Party Train™, the latest in
its Monopoly branded slot series. Monopoly™ Party Train™,
is an exciting 5-reel, 27-line video slot packed with immersive
bonus features, fun animations, and catchy sounds. Players
are taken on a train ride around the Monopoly board for
chances to enter numerous bonus features, win free spins, get
wild reels, or collect credits!
Free Spin Bonus
Triggered by 3 or more BONUS symbols, players start their
free spin bonus at GO, Just Visiting or Free Parking (for 3, 4
or 5 triggering BONUS symbols.) Players start with 2 dice
rolls that take them around the board to determine the num-
ber of free spins they receive, and each bonus is enhanced in
one of the following ways (depending on where players are
on the board when the bonus triggers):
Reading Railroad: Higher board values
Pennsylvania Railroad: 2 WILD Reels available on every spin
B&O Railroad: up to 20X multiplier available on every spin
Short Line Railroad: a 3rd dice roll to start the bonus
Move Feature
At coin-in, players begin at GO. The Move Feature randomly
occurs after any base game spin and takes players around the
Monopoly board for credit awards, free spin enhancements,
bonus triggers, mini bonuses, and more! Landing on Water
Works, Electric Company, Chance, Community Chest, Go,
Just Visiting, Go To Jail, Free Parking, Park Place or Board-
walk during the Move Feature triggers special mini-bonuses
or features full of rewarding possibilities for players. $
FAST FACTS Indian Gaming
ith only 237 tribes conducting gaming opera-
tions out of 565 federally recognized tribes,
most are still struggling to lift themselves out
of a centuries-long cycle of poverty. Indian Nations are
utilizing the gaming profits to build self-sufficiency and
government infrastructure on Indian reservations. Just
like the State Governments use their taxes, Tribal Govern-
ments use their gaming profits for the purposes of pro-
viding for the general welfare of all of their people.
As detailed in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA),
gaming profits can only be used for law enforcement,
education, economic development, tribal courts and in-
frastructure improvements. Tribes are also using these
profits to fund social service programs, scholarships,
health care clinics, new roads, new sewer and water sys-
tems, adequate housing, chemical dependency treatment
programs and dialysis clinics, among other things.
Gaming Provides Hope For Reducing Indian Poverty
Indians, the people indigenous to this land and the first
Americans, comprise only approximately 1% of the entire
population of the United States; the smallest minority
W
20 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
group. Those Indians living on reservations are still at the
bottom of virtually every economic category. Unemploy-
ment rates often reach ten times the national average on
reservations; many of which are located on remote lands
with little or no tax base. In fact, 70% of all Indian reser-
vations are rural. The life expectancy of the American
Indian is 47 years, contrasted with the American average
of 78!
A recent United States Census revealed that 30.9% of the
country’s Indians live in poverty. Their poverty rate is the
highest of any ethnic group in America. The census de-
fines poverty as an individual earning less than $6,300 a
year, or a family of four earning less than $12,674. The
poverty rate for the entire United States population was
much lower, 13.1%.
The unemployment rates for all Indians living on reserva-
tion is at an all time high. Some tribes have unemploy-
ment rates as high as 80%. An unemployment rate of
more than 6% in a community in Mainstream America is
considered a recession and a rate of 9% is a depression.
Of the Indians who do have jobs, only 28% earn more
than $7,000 a year according to the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs. Since the first immigrant set foot on their land, gam-
ing has been the only economic development tool that has
worked for the Indian Nations.
Many thanks to the National Indian Gaming Association
(NIGA) for their assistance with this article. To read more
about NIGA, please visit www.indiangaming.org. $
Indian Nations are at the
bottom of the economic
and social ladder
Like State Governments use their taxes, Tribal Governments
use their gaming profits for the purposes of providing
for the general welfare of all of their people
AMING PROFITS AMING PROFITS
GG Helping Indian Nations Recover Both Economically And Socially
Dark Knight™ by IGT If you live in Tucson or have visited recently, chances are
you’ve already played the exciting new community game
by slot manufacturer IGT, Dark Knight™. Now, Batman
and Joker will continue to battle it out on casino floors all
across the Phoenix Valley! Fort McDowell Casino just
installed this slot at the end of last month and Casino Ari-
zona’s installation is scheduled for the middle of this
month.
Appropriately named, the game’s must-see Battle for
Gotham community bonus plays out on the big screen
and is a high speed car chase between Batman and Joker
and players choose which character they want to be. Two
very unique pick-style bonuses, Agents of Chaos and the
Sonar bonus, incorporate familiar scenes from the film
with multiple winning outcomes. And, in the Sleight of
Hand bonus, swiping your hand across the screen flips
over Joker’s cards to reveal many worthwhile surprises.
During base game play, three random events can trigger
fate's hand. For example, Joker intermittently drives on
screen and launches a rocket to create an explosion of
credits. Batman may chase after him and shoot the inter-
face to increase credit awards. Look for the popular bat
signal to make an appearance as well as Two Face's coin
flip. $
FAST FACTS Casino Buzz
22 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
New Slots Hit Casino Floors This Month!
Ghostbusters™ by IGT Ghost tracking, psycho-kinetic energy meters will be go-
ing crazy when the frighteningly fun Ghostbusters™ slots
make their way into all the Arizona casinos! The game
features the mischievous and lovable character Slimer
teasing, mocking and awarding players with antics, mul-
tipliers and credits as he leads them through the game. A
vivid 55-inch overhead LCD screen and chest-pumping
MEGAfx Surround Chairs will send players' adrenaline
racing during spectacular bonus rounds including:
Ballroom Busters Pick Bonus: Holdin! Smokin!
Ready! Players are awarded five proton shots to blow up
the ballroom to find ghosts.
Stay Puft Free Games Feature: Marshmallows fall
from the sky, stick to symbols and turn them wild during
this sweet feature.
Are You Psychic? Bonus: Guess the correct card to
win credits and advance to the next round!
Paranormal Pick Bonus: Five levels of Paranormal
Pick Bonuses allow players to select from phantasm
clouds for a chance to win the progressive jackpot.
This game is coming to Casino Arizona this month! ‚Who
you gonna call‛ when you win big money on this slot? $
20
3
29
9
Arizona Gaming Trivia FAST FACTS
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 23
20
03
T
he
yea
r th
e cu
rren
t T
rib
al-S
tate
Gam
ing
Co
mp
act
wen
t in
to e
ffec
t. I
t re
pla
ced
Co
m-
pac
ts t
hat
wer
e in
eff
ect
fro
m 1
993
to 2
003.
Th
e cu
rren
t C
om
pac
t la
sts
for
10 y
ears
an
d
can
b
e re
new
ed
for
ano
ther
d
ecad
e an
d
on
e ad
dit
ion
al t
erm
of
thre
e y
ears
.
BY THE NUMBERS
1,301 The maximum number of slot ma-
chines allowed in any one casino
in the state of Arizona. And, there
is a wager limit of $29 per play for
most tribes.
14,508 The total number of slot machines (including both Class III and
Class II games) in Arizona as of October 1, 2011!
39
T
he
nu
mb
er o
f C
lass
II
gam
ing
dev
ices
in
A
rizo
na.
C
urr
entl
y,
on
ly M
azat
zal,
Fo
rt M
cDo
wel
l,
and
Cas
ino
Del
So
l h
ave
Cla
ss
II s
lots
on
th
eir
flo
ors
!.
22 The current number of casinos
in Arizona.
The
nu
mbe
r of
pok
er t
able
s in
all
the
casi
nos
in
Ari
zon
a.
The
nu
mbe
r of
bla
ckja
ck t
able
s in
all
the
casi
nos
in
Ari
zon
a.
0 The number of live
Roulette and Craps
games in Arizona.
The current Tribal-
State Gaming Com-
pact does not allow
for these games in
Arizona! There are
also no Off-Track
betting locations at
any of the casinos
across the state of
Arizona.
1,700 The total number of allowed seats in the bingo
hall at Fort McDowell Casino which is cur-
rently the largest bingo hall in all of Arizona!
83% The minimum payback per-
centage for video slot games
requiring skill, for example
video poker. For games re-
quiring no skill, the minimum
payback percentage is 80%
and 75% for video keno
games. These are absolute
minimums and are outlined in
Arizona’s Tribal-State Gam-
ing Compact.
FIFTY Million The maximum number of plays the highest single advertised award on
each gaming device shall occur statistically.
FAST FACTS Gaming News
24 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL GAMBLING CONTINUES
On October 13, 2011, Richard Victory pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of
Arizona to Attempted Promotion of Gambling, a Class 6 felony. This was the
latest development in a case that began in August of 2010, when agents from
the Arizona Department of Gaming and the Department of Liquor Licenses
and Control seized eight pay-for-play video machines operating in four liquor-
licensed establishments in Phoenix and Tempe. Five additional machines were
seized at a storage facility in Mesa. A warrant was served at each business be-
lieved to be operating in violation of their liquor license, and Mr. Victory was
alleged to be providing these machines in exchange for a percentage of the
profits. Officials estimated Victory to have collected thousands of dollars in
undeclared income each month.
‚Investigating illegal gambling activity and taking the appropriate action con-
tinues to be a priority for our office,‛ said Mark Brnovich, Director of the Ari-
zona Department of Gaming. "This agency will continue to provide strict en-
forcement of liquor and gaming laws at liquor-licensed establishments
throughout the state," added Director Alan Everett of the Department of Liq-
uor. Richard Victory is now scheduled to appear for sentencing in the Superior
Court of Arizona on November 15, 2011.
Over the past year, the Arizona Department of Gaming has worked in coop-
eration with various licensing, law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies to
seize more than 100 illegal gambling devices across the state. $
GAMING REVENUE UP
Quarterly contributions to the state
of Arizona from gaming revenue
have been continuing to increase
since last year. ‚While a full eco-
nomic recovery will take some time,
the trend line is moving in a posi-
tive direction,‛ said Mark Brnovich,
Director of the Arizona Department
of Gaming.
Under the Arizona Tribal-State
Gaming Compact that went into
effect in 2003, tribes with casinos
contribute one to eight percent of
their Class III gross gaming revenue
to the state, cities, towns, and coun-
ties. In Arizona, Class III gaming
includes slots, jackpot poker, black-
jack, and keno. There are currently
22 Class III casinos in the state.
Tribes send contributions to the
State’s Arizona Benefits Fund every
three months. $
Editor’s Picks ENTERTAINMENT
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 27
Venues, times, dates, and ticket information may be subject to change. Please verify all details and any age restrictions with each venue as the event approaches. Photo copyrights belong to the artist. All rights reserved.
TIM MCGRAW AVA Amphitheater
Sol Casinos—Tucson
November 12th—Show at 8PM
Tickets start at $50—520.838.6700
Tim McGraw has sold over 40 million units and
dominated the charts with 32 #1 singles, including
his latest, “Felt Good On My Lips,” a bonus track
from his latest double CD, Number One Hits.
MARIACHI DIVAS Diamond Center
Desert Diamond Casino—Sahuarita
December 10th—Doors at 7PM
Tickets start at $15—520.294.7777
Directed and founded by trumpet player Cindy Shea
in 1999, this unique, multi-cultural, all-female en-
semble, is the true flavor of Los Angeles. They are
also the official mariachis of Disney in Anaheim!
THE REFLECTION OF MICHAEL Showroom
Talking Stick Resort—Casino Arizona
December 29th & 30th—Doors at 8PM
Tickets start at $27—480.850.7734
Inspired by the biggest star to ever live, this incredi-
ble show promises to invigorate the crowd with the
live vocals, a live band, singers, dancers, and the
amazing Michael Firestone!
NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION Event Center
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino—Payson
December 31st—Doors at 5:30PM
Tickets start at $65—800.777.PLAY
Enjoy dinner, piano by Paul Penner, classic Las Ve-
gas Rat Pack music by The Dean-O-Holics, a cham-
pagne toast, and a party to ring in 2012! The menu
includes Prime Rib & Lobster Tail.
SUDOKU Each of the columns, rows, and nine 3x3 grids must con-
tain all of the digits 1 - 9. None of the digits may appear
more than once in each column, row, and 3x3 grid. (Solution on page 30)
7 8
9
6 5
9
3
1 8
1
8
7
5 9
8 4
2
9
5 9
8 4
1
3 9 7
5
2
9 6
7
9 4
ODDS QUIZ
Gambling is mathematics, pure and simple. All games of
chance involve probability, so if you like to gamble you
should know some basics of probability. (Solution on page 30)
1. If you are rolling a six-sided die, what is the prob-
ability of rolling a six? What is the probability of not
rolling a six?
2. What are the chances of drawing an Ace from a 52
card deck? What are the chances of drawing the Ace of
Spades?
3. Your favorite basketball team is down by one point.
Time has run out in the fourth quarter and there’s a
player at the foul line with two shots. You know this
player has made 75% of the foul shots he has taken this
season. What’s the probability your team will win?
4. You and a friend are flipping a two-sided coin.
Your friend just flipped 4 tails in a row. Are the odds
in favor of her flipping another tails? What is the prob-
ability of getting a heads on the 5th toss?
FUN & GAMES
28 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
azgamingguide.com | November 2011 | Arizona Gaming Guide 29
SAMI’S SMACKDOWN
Do YOU have something to rant about?
Write me at: [email protected]
By Sami Becker
The truth is … Your chances of getting two great
bonuses back-to-back are unlikely.
I love playing the slots but sometimes I get so frus-
trated. I wait forever for a bonus to happen and when
it finally does it’s maddening if it doesn’t pay much!
Sometimes I’ll have an amazing bonus and I’ll think
maybe the machine is hot and I’m going to do well so
I keep playing. By the time the next bonus comes
around I’ve practically spent everything I won during
my first bonus and what’s worse is the second bonus
ends up not paying me much at all. It seems like I
have so many more bad bonuses than I do good ones!
Do you know what the odds are on that? Thanks for
letting me rant.
Bernice Sheridan—Queen Creek
Bernice, I understand where you’re coming from and I
commiserate with you! Since the average number of
spins it takes to get into a bonus keeps increasing
nowadays it takes more coin-in until it’s triggered. We
all want (and need) the bonus outcome to be lucrative
so, at the very least, we can keep playing.
What determines how a bonus is going to payout is
entirely based on the game’s math model and the ran-
dom number generator (RNG). The mathematician sets
up the probabilities of certain events occurring and the
RNG randomly picks combinations based on these
probabilities. Generally speaking, low bonus wins tend
to be programmed with odds of 50%, the medium wins
have odds of 40%, and the high wins have odds of 10%.
Your chances of winning high amounts in two consecu-
tive bonus games are only 1% (10% x 10%)! That’s just
reality. Your chances are much higher of winning two
low bonus amounts consecutively—25% (50% x 50%).
The good news is that you are the most likely to get low
and medium wins in successive bonus games. The
probability of this happening is a whopping 81% (90%
x 90%). A much better statistic, indeed! $
*EXP. 12/1/2011
ADULT SEWING LESSONS!!!
This is the "YOU CAN
MAKE IT" series of les-
sons! NEW THIS SUM-
MER, WE WILL BE OF-
FERING WEEKLY ADULT
SEWING LESSONS!
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
Fort McDowell Gaming Center
Beeline Hwy (SR 87) and Fort McDowell Rd North of Fountain Hills
1-800-843-3678 fortmcdowellcasino.com
843 Class III Slots, 9 Class II Slots, Live Keno, 1,700 Seat Bingo Hall,
24 Poker Tables, 15 Blackjack Tables
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
Casino Arizona—Salt River
524 N. 92nd St, Scottsdale E of Loop 101 at McKellips Rd and 92nd St
1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com
Over 900 Class III Slots, Live Keno,
54 Table Games
Casino Arizona—Talking Stick Resort
9700 E. Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale 1 mile E of Loop 101 on Indian Bend Rd
1-480-850-7777 casinoaz.com
Over 800 Class III Slots, Live Keno,
47 Poker Tables, 54 Table Games
Tohono O'odham Nation
Desert Diamond Casino
7350 S. Nogales Highway, Tucson 1 mile S of Valencia Rd on Nogales Highway
1-520-294-7777 desertdiamondcasino.com
1089 Class III Slots, Live Keno, 270 Seat Bingo Hall
17 Poker Tables, 19 Blackjack Tables
Desert Diamond Casino
1100 W. Pima Mine Rd, Sahuarita S of Tucson at I-19 and Exit 80 (Pima Mine Rd)
1-866-332-9467 desertdiamondcasino.com
890 Class III Slots,
2 Poker Tables, 8 Blackjack Tables
Desert Diamond Casino
Highway 86, Why 1½ miles E of Why, AZ on Highway 86
1-866-332-9467 desertdiamondcasino.com
76 Class III Slots
Tonto Apache Tribe
Mazatzal Hotel & Casino
Highway 87, Payson S of Payson on Beeline Highway(SR 87) 1-800-777-7529 777play.com
413 Class III Slots, 6 Class II Slots, Live Keno, 280 Seat Bingo Hall,
3 Poker Tables, 5 Blackjack Tables
White Mountain Apache Tribe
Hon-Dah Casino, Resort & Conference Center
777 Highway 260, Pinetop 3 miles outside Pinetop at Highways 260 & 73
1-800-929-8744 hon-dah.com
802 Class III Slots,
3 Poker Tables, 4 Blackjack Tables
Yavapai-Apache Nation
Cliff Castle Casino & Hotel
555 Middle Verde Rd, Camp Verde 1 mile E of I-17 on Middle Verde Rd
1-800-381-7568 cliffcastlecasino.net
656 Class III Slots,
8 Poker Tables, 10 Blackjack Tables
Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe
Bucky's Casino
Highway 69 and Heather Heights, Prescott N at top of hill next to the Prescott Resort
1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com
301 Class III Slots,
7 Poker Tables, 10 Blackjack Tables
Yavapai Casino
1500 E. Highway 69, Prescott Hwy. 69 at Heather Heights on S side of SR 69
1-800-756-8744 buckyscasino.com
235 Class III Slots
Arizona Department of Gaming
1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
1-602-771-4263 azgaming.gov
Office of Problem Gambling (1-800-NEXT STEP or 1-800-639-8783 )
1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 450
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
1-602-542-8998 problemgambling.az.gov Source: Arizona Department of Gaming-Tribal Gaming Status-10/01/11
4 7 8
9 1 2
6 5 3
6 2 9
5 3 7
1 4 8
1 5 3
4 8 6
7 9 2
7 3 1
5 6 9
2 8 4
2 8 4
3 7 1
9 6 5
5 6 9
8 2 4
3 7 1
3 9 7
1 4 5
8 2 6
4 5 2
8 9 6
7 1 3
6 1 8
2 3 7
9 4 5
Solution to the Sudoku
Solutions to “Odds Quiz”
1. Probability of rolling a 6 is 1/6. Not rolling a 6 is 5/6.
2. Probability of drawing one of 4 Aces is 4/52 = 1/13.
Drawing the only Ace of Spades in the deck has a prob-
ability of 1/52.
3. Since the player must make both free throws, the
events are dependent. As a result, we multiply the prob-
ability of making each shot together. So, we have a 3/4 x
3/4 = 9/16 = 56.25% chance of winning the game.
4. No, the odds of heads or tails never change. The prob-
ability of a heads on any flip of a coin is 1/2 or 50%.
DIRECTORY OF CASINO SPONSORS
30 Arizona Gaming Guide | November 2011 | azgamingguide.com
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