Gaming briefs for Oct. 28, 2003

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003 | 11:13 a.m.

Man guilty of taking illegal bets

A 55-year-old Las Vegas man pleaded guilty in Federal Court on Monday to operating an illegal sports betting business in Las Vegas.

Man Kit Yau pleaded guilty to criminal information that from May 2001 through April 2003 he received bets from people in Nevada as well as out of state wagerers.

Yau also pleaded guilty to a criminal forfeiture count that requires him to turn over $50,817 in cash and $14,175 in money orders that he admitted were profits from illegal gambling.

Except for regulated licensees, Nevada law prohibits persons or their agents from knowingly placing, sending, accepting, or receiving wagers through any medium of communication to or from other persons in or outside Nevada, officials with the U.S. Attorney's office said.

Yau was released on bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for Jan. 19. He is facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Carrier adds Philadelphia

Southwest Airlines, the No. 1 carrier of tourists and gamblers to Las Vegas, today said it will add Philadelphia International Airport to its route map.

Dallas-based Southwest, the busiest commercial passenger carrier serving McCarran International Airport with an average 175 flights a day, will begin service to Philadelphia in May.

A spokeswoman for the company said today the company would announce a schedule and fares later this year. The company would not immediately say if there would be nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Philadelphia.

Currently, the market is dominated by US Airways, which has five nonstop flights a day to and from Philadelphia. America West Airlines also has two nonstop flights a day.

Casino profit holds steady

The owner of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas said third-quarter profit was flat at $1.9 million compared to the same quarter the previous year. Hard Rock Hotel Inc. also reported a 10 percent increase in revenue to $37.2 million. Cash flow jumped 24 percent to $9.8 million.

The company's cash flow was the second-highest of any quarter in company history, Hard Rock Chief Executive Peter Morton said.

"The company has never been in a better position both financially and operationally," he said.

Casino revenue stayed flat at around $15.2 million. Lodging revenue rose 17.3 percent to $8 million. Food and beverage revenue rose 21.5 percent to $12.4 million.