Hard times in Niagara Falls - 2004-01-12
Towering above the falls, a collection of high-rise luxury hotels is noticeably changing the small-town landscape of Niagara Falls. An extraordinary string of multi-million dollar projects and major attractions, including a massive $1 billion casino and resort set to open in April, are under way with a primary focus in mind: the American tourist.

But if they build it, will they come?

"Not until things ease up," said 55-year-old Buffalo resident Jim Ferris, who used to frequent Casino Niagara every couple of weeks. Not any more. He hasn't been there in six months.
Read the full story at Toronto Star

BETTING BLUES CRUISE - 2004-01-12
Call it the casino boat cruise from hell: bad food, freezing weather, no TV - and winning gambles being paid off with checks rather than cash.
Scores of gamblers yesterday complained that a scheduled four-hour jaunt Saturday night on the Lady Luck casino boat out of Manhattan turned into seven hours of dissatisfaction as the ship ran out of cash to pay off winners.

"The boat was unlucky," admitted Albert Langano, the Florida lawyer who owns the Lady Luck, which was making its maiden cruise out of New York City on Saturday.

Langano said the boat, which has operated out of Long Island since October, did not expect the volume of wagering - or the amount of big wins - that occurred that night and did not have enough money on board to pay when all the chips were cashed in.
Read the full story at New York Post