* IGT, SHUFFLE MASTER INK PACT -- International Game Technology Inc. and Shuffle Master Inc. are on the upswing. Shares of both companies rose Thursday, partly due to the announcement they'd signed a second joint marketing agreement calling for IGT to market new Shuffle Master video gaming software products. IGT stock rose 63 cents, to $25.56, while Shuffle Master climbed 50 cents, to $9.38. IGT stock traded as low as $16 a share less than three months ago, but has jumped nearly 60 percent in value since mid-July. It now has a market capitalization of almost $3.2 billion, trailing only Hilton Hotels Corp., ITT Corp. and Mirage Resorts Inc. in stock value.
* OVERTIME LEGISLATION -- A bill requiring overtime pay for millions of employees in California after eight hours of work a day is expected to get Gov. Pete Wilson's veto, but Democratic supporters say the measure will send a message to the administration. In April, the Wilson-appointed state Industrial Welfare Commission repealed a requirement that most workers receive higher pay for any time worked after the eighth hour in a day. California thus joined 46 other states in which overtime only begins after 40 hours of work in a single week. Business interests, which have long sought to dispose of the daily overtime rule, say the repeal allows workers and employers to enjoy more flexibility and increases California's competitiveness.
* LAS VEGAS GRABS HONORS -- Las Vegas has been honored as the World's Leading Gambling Destination/Resort at the World Travel Awards. This is the fourth year Las Vegas has received the distinction. Las Vegas also was named Top North American Destination and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority was chosen for the fourth time as the World's Leading Tourist and Convention Board at the ceremony in New York City sponsored by the Travel Trade Gazette Worldwide and Tour and Travel News. Nominees and winners were selected by more than 500,000 travel agents and tour operators around the world.
* LUXOR SHOPS OPEN -- The Giza Galleria has opened at the Luxor, raising hopes among Circus Circus Enterprises Inc. executives for a reversal of a business slowdown. The eight shops offering artifacts dating back to 2400 B.C., as well as fashions, jewelry and other gifts, are set in an Egyptian-themed mall featuring fountains, statues and stone walkways. Construction disruptions from the massive renovations at the Luxor, including the now-completed addition of 2,000 rooms, have exacerbated the normal early summer slump that affects the Las Vegas tourist industry.
* CHAMBER EXCEEDS GOAL -- The Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce has a lot to celebrate: more than $500,000 in recent contributions and a new office building to show for it. The chamber's new headquarters, located at 3720 Howard Hughes Parkway, was funded through the efforts of 250 volunteers who raised $650,000, exceeding their goal in the "On Our Way to 500K" campaign. The funds also will contribute to several other chamber projects, including stepped-up government affairs efforts, a new Business Resource Center and new programs for the membership, according to Diane Dickerson Merica, chairwoman of the chamber. To raise the funds, volunteers aggressively marketed virtually every chamber service, including memberships, advertising in chamber publications and sponsorships.
* BRAILLE BILLING OFFERED -- Southwest Gas Corp. is offering two new services designed to assist its visually impaired and blind customers. To receive a gas company bill in Braille, a customer may call the local Las Vegas office at 365-1555 and request the special service. A copy of the standard bill will accompany the Braille bill. The Blind Center of Las Vegas produces and mails the bills after Southwest Gas electronically transfers specific billing information to the center. This month Southwest Gas also began printing certain billing information in large print on all customer bills. The amount due and due date are printed in larger type to assist the visually impaired.
* ALLIANCE GAMING TABS CEO -- Alliance Gaming Corp. announced the appointment of Morris Goldstein as president and CEO. "I am very pleased to be joining Alliance Gaming and look forward to working with the management team to achieve the company's full potential for its shareholders, customers and employees," Goldstein said in a statement today. Prior to joining Alliance Gaming, Goldstein, 52, was CEO of Thomson Technology Initiative, a unit of Thomson Corp., which is a global publisher and provider of information services with aggregate revenue of over $8 billion. In that position, he was responsible for developing enterprise-wide technologies and business strategies to support the electronic information distribution requirements of that company's more than 400 publishing units.
* POLYPHASE BACK TO MARKET -- Stock trading is expected to resume today for a company whose subsidiary plans to build a 100,000-seat domed stadium. Spokesmen for Dallas-based Polyphase Corp. said they have filed annual and quarterly financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission, leading to the re-establishment of trading on the American Stock Exchange. Financial reports for 1996 fiscal year and quarterly reports for periods ending Dec. 31 and March 31 had not been filed with the SEC due to a legal dispute with one of the company's lenders. Two suits have been filed in Dallas District Court to resolve the dispute involving Polyphase's primary businesses, frozen foods, electronics and forestry equipment. The company's Ply Stadium Partners subsidiary is attempting to build a stadium west of downtown.
* TRANSITIONAL HOSPITALS SALE -- Las Vegas-based Transitional Hospitals Corp. said it withdrew from a $565 million agreement to be bought by Medical Corp. in favor of a higher bid from Vencor Inc. Transitional Hospitals in May agreed to be acquired by Pennsylvania-based Select Medical for $14.55 a share, which Vencor topped. Vencor has since boosted its bid to $16 a share, or $639 million. Transitional had the option of terminating the Select Medical agreement with the understanding that Select Medical would have five days to top the Vencor bid. Vencor, with sales of $3 billion, owns and operates a network of hospitals, nursing centers and contract services in 46 states. Transitional, formerly known as Community Psychiatric Centers, operates 16 acute-care hospitals.
