Top News Stories of 2005
Top News Stories of 2005
For better or worse, here are the top news stories from 2005, as chosen by the editors of Casino Journal
10. Las Vegas celebrates 100th anniversary-A year-long party that produced a lot of positive press about Las Vegas and its gambling past.
9. Mega-merger approvals-Although the Harrah's/Caesars and MGM Mirage/Mandalay Bay mergers were announced last year, they were not approved until well into 2005, and the various side sales involving discarded properties made headlines throughout the year.
8. Illinois legislative acts-In past years, the Illinois Legislature has saddled the state's gaming industry with a 70 percent tax rate and a crippled Gaming Board. Now, a measure to ban casinos actually passes the state House of Representatives. If gaming is in trouble in any state, it is here.
7. Hand-held gaming device approval in Nevada-An important first step in allowing land-based casinos to compete in the online and remote gaming markets.
6. Record-breaking World Series of Poker-Experts keep saying the steam eventually has to dissipate from the poker craze, but each year the pastime's largest event keeps growing in both number of participants (29,000 players this year compared to 2,500 in 2004) and pot size (an astonishing $103 million).
5. Protocol agreement between GSA and IGT-Dueling slot protocols now become one, allowing for greater product development and integration for the entire gaming industry.
4. Project CityCenter announcement-The massive $5 billion urban casino resort project will likely dominate the headlines in Las Vegas for years to come.
3. Wynn Las Vegas opening-Was there a press organization in the nation that did not devote coverage to this story in 2005? It was five years since the last megaresort opened in Sin City, but the hype surrounding Wynn Las Vegas more than made up for it.
2. Slot controversy in Florida-Although Broward County voters approved racino legislation twice, the measure is still being held up by recalcitrant state legislature, and no resolution is in sight.
1. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita-The casino and infrastructure damage from these storms, especially Katrina, was massive. The economic ramifications will be felt throughout the gaming industry for years to come.
