When Station Casinos and Golden Gaming say “jump,” Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak asks, “How high?” At least that’s the case when it comes to Dotty’s, a 102-outlet chain of slot parlors that exist within a gray area of state law and cater to little old ladies. A set of 2011 regulations meant to curb Dotty’s failed to fundamentally alter its format, although the company says it put in kitchens and made other changes pursuant to the law. Dotty’s slot business must be “incidental” to its overall purpose. Unfortunately for Sisolak, he failed to codify “incidental” and now must try to encase it in law. “Unfortunately, some operators chose to ignore the spirit of the law,” laments Sisolak, forgetting that the spirit is subjective and the letter of the law is not.
The new conditions would include running a full kitchen for 16 hours a day, putting all the slots in a bar-top configuration or proving that slot income represents less than 50% of revenue. The punishment for violation would be a downsizing of the restricted gaming license from 15 machines to seven. Dotty’s is balking at the $6.5 million cost of further changes and complaining, as it usually does, that the changes are meant to drive it out of business.
If you’re familiar with Dotty’s, it’s difficult to see it making most of its income out of food sales — potentially a burden many of its locations can’t meet — and the bar-top rearrangement of the slot machines detracts from the “quiet atmosphere with a homey decor meant to cater to women,” as the Las Vegas Sun puts it. But despite lacking table games, Dotty’s is a casino in everything but name. And unless it can make more friends on the Clark County Commission, it can expect to continue being a political target.
* After lying low for months, wannabe casino developer Rotate Black is back with a revised version of its Hemingway Resort & Casino. A terse SEC filing said the “Hemingway branded project, when completed, will now include a 50,000 square foot gaming floor, 300-room hotel, 712-space parking garage, steakhouse, buffet, café, feature lounges and a boutique pool and spa area.” This came as a very much of a surprise to Gulfport Public Information Officer Chris Vignes and Mississippi Gaming Commission Executive Director Allen Godfrey, neither of whom had heard barely a peep from Rotate Black after it missed an April 1 deadline to show that it had the requisite $130 million. The company hasn’t been keeping its SEC filings up to date, which doesn’t instill confidence. But, with the Gulf Coast market up 9% last month, Rotate Black is picking a good time to get back in the game.
* One of Las Vegas‘ most outspoken voices is being muzzled by cheeseparing budget cuts. Jon Ralston and his TV show will be greatly missed. There were few spectacles as entertaining as watching Ralston hold an interview subject’s feet to the fire. Let’s hope he turns up in another venue soon. In the meantime, you can always curl up with his book, The Anointed One.