Gaming briefs for Jan. 19, 2004

Monday, Jan. 19, 2004 | 11:15 a.m.

Woodworkers' convention to move to Las Vegas in '05

The Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers will move its AWFS Fair to Las Vegas in 2005, ending a relationship the event has had with Southern California since 1957.

The Commerce, Calif.-based association has scheduled its first Las Vegas show at the Las Vegas Convention Center July 27-30, 2005. The biennial event, which has had an average attendance of 27,500, will be marketed as AWFS Vegas, pronounced "aahfs-Vegas."

Tom Orlando, president of AWFS, said moving the event to Las Vegas is expected to boost attendance and exposure for the show, which has been conducted at the Anaheim Convention Center since 1987 and in Los Angeles prior to that.

While Orlando said Las Vegas' attributes contributed in the decision to move, the Orange County Register reported that AWFS is attempting to retain exhibitors who boycotted the show last year after a power outage at the Anaheim Convention Center at the 2001 convention ruined the opening day of that event.

Embezzlement probe tied to gambling, public official

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An embezzlement investigation in Ottumwa led to a large probe of gambling involving at least one public official.

Wapello County Supervisor Jerry Parker said Friday that his office at the county courthouse and his home in Ottumwa were searched last weekend by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations.

"I think it involves sports betting," Parker, 59, said. "Sad thing is, I officially don't know where this came from, but it's not that big a town."

Parker said nothing was taken from his office, but investigators took 22 items from his home, including an old computer that was not hooked up, telephone bills, his caller ID box, a folder of news articles and a paperback book of card games.

"The (gambling) investigation resulted from a major embezzlement investigation that we were conducting," Steve Bogle, assistant DCI director, said.

Arcade owners receive probation for operating slots

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Five people who owned casinolike adult arcades pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges Friday after a judge ruled their arcade machines illegal.

The operators argued that their digital slot machines were legal because a loophole permits games of skill to pay out small-stakes prizes.

But Circuit Judge R. Michael Hutcheson ruled that the machines don't meet the exemption because they are played with dollar bills and pay out with gift certificates and cash. Machines must use coins and must have payoffs in physical merchandise to be legal, the judge ruled.

The trial was to begin Tuesday. But the arcade owners agreed to the plea deal and were sentenced to six months' probation, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

3-way casino deal announced

PARIS -- Accor SA, the French hotels and leisure group, said today it's merging its casino business with fellow operator Groupe Lucien Barriere and investment fund Colony Capital, creating Europe's biggest casino group with revenue of 900 million euros a year.

The deal marks another step in the restructuring of France's casino industry, after Accor's rival Partouche two years ago bought Compagnie Europeenne de Casinos, trumping Accor's bid.

Accor will pool its casino business with two separate companies owned by the Barriere Desseigne family and Colony Capital, which owns a casino in Atlantic City and is buying the Las Vegas Hilton.