OPAP releases impressive Q1 2018 results

European gambling giant OPAP has released its Q1 2018 financial performance report which revealed that the company’s revenues increased by 5

Downtown Cares hosts eighth annual event

Downtown Cares, a day of volunteerism founded in 2012 by Moonridge Group and El Cortez Hotel & Casino, will host its eighth community event on Saturday, 2 June 2018 at Veterans Village.

Port Yankton Project Proponents Seek Gambling Expansion through South Dakota Voters’ Support

The supporters of the proposed gambling and entertainment complex Port Yankton have said they are able to gather the required number of signatures from state voters in order for the issue to be placed on the 2020 ballot. The Yankton Area Progressive Growth group’s campaigners have previously hoped that the necessary constitutional amendment placement on […]

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Tropicana Las Vegas hosts summer cookout

The Summer Cookout featuring Robert Irvine will return to Tropicana Las Vegas for a second year in a row on 14 July.

Japan considers extending Diet session to pass casino bill

In Japan, the government and its coalition partners are reportedly considering extending the current 150-day regular Diet session to either the end of June or early July in an effort to ensure the passage of important bills on labor reform and casinos, including the Integrated Resorts (IR) Implementation Bill, prior to the June 20 deadline. […]

American Gaming Association outlines US sports betting stance

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has set out its priorities for sports betting in the US, issuing an open letter to the US Congress

Free spin weekend at Intertops Poker

With every deposit this weekend, the online casino is giving free spins on popular slots from Betsoft. Featured games include Betsoft's new Ogre Empire slot.

Ocean Resort Casino to Feature William Hill Sportsbook

June 28th will be a major day for Atlantic City, quite possibly the most crucial in its recent history. This is the day that will see the opening of two new major casino resorts: Hard Rock Atlantic City and Ocean Resort Casino. Some news coming from the latter tells us that a sportsbook provided by the world-renowned, UK-based, William Hill is to be included in Ocean Resort's offer from day one.

Ocean Resort Casino is built on the foundations of the former Revel Casino. Their punters, which are expected to come rushing in, in the thousands the minute the new resort opens its doors, will now have the chance to try their sport wagering expertise and knowledge using one of the leading brands in sports betting. The Sportsbook alone will take up to 7,500 square feet of gaming space with suites for up-scale players for placing bets on various events – the most exciting of which will be the 2018 FIFA World Cup that will be well underway when ORC officially opens.

As we have recently reported, the US Supreme Court has passed the legislation allowing New Jersey to legalize sports betting, opening the door for all other US states to proceed as they wish in that regard, effectively launching a full-scale sports betting legalization country-wide.

Property where Ocean Resort Casino was built was sold to Colorado's developer, Bruce Deifik, for $200 million. He then invested another $200 million in renovation of premises. William Hill, on the other hand, is already well-established on the US market, currently managing 115 sportsbook operating in Nevada.

Source:

“Ocean Resort Casino partners with William Hill sports book”, Danzis David, pressofatlanticcity.com, May 24, 2018.

The future of sports betting; Interview with AG Burnett – Pt I

Additional reporting by K. Morrison When New Jersey filed briefs with the Supreme Court on the future of sports betting last August, many legal experts predicted that the conservative court would rule in favor of Gov. Christie and strike down the Bradley Act as unconstitutional. After Gov. Christie left office, the action was renamed for […]

Century Casinos, Inc. opens Century Casino in Bath

On 25 May 2018, over 1,200 guests were welcomed on the red carpet by Century Casino Bath's staff and were invited to explore the newly constructed casino on a 15,000 square foot gaming floor.

Chris Ferguson Issues Short Apology to the Poker Community

Seven years after the Black Friday, an event that shook the poker world with poker's big three (Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, and Ultimate Bet) getting indicted, Chris Ferguson finally re-emerged issuing an apology for his role in it. Despite re-emerging twice at the World Series of Poker as well as winning Player of the Year last year, the former founder of Full Tilt has never really spoken publicly about his involvements in the Black Friday scandal. In April 2011, the Black Friday scandal rev[...]

Pragmatic Play launches with StarCasino in Italy

Slot and casino games developer Pragmatic Play has integrated its entire catalogue of top-performing slots with StarCasino

Bloomberry Considers Bidding for Wakayama Prefecture Casino Resort

This is a very pivotal moment of the Japanese gambling history as casino operators are considering ways in which they could make their way into the future field and doing their best to reserve their spot as the operator of the first integrated resorts in the country once gambling has officially launched. Bloomberry Resort Corp. […]

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NetEnt Player Strikes Whopping €3.7M Jackpot

Leading provider of premium casino content with offices all around the world, NetEnt, has successfully continued its renowned jackpot streak, after a player from Sweden managed to strike a gigantic win, totaling €3,773,845.27 while playing the company’s groundbreaking Mega FortuneTM­ slot at LeoVegas! According to the supplier, the winner had staked only €4.80 before hitting the immense sum, at the beginning of May. By announcing the latest big win, software giants have continued to lead in jackpot games with massive millionaire-making prizes, paying already an astonishing sum of €19,799,183 in 2018 alone!

Chief product officer at the company, Henrik Fagerlund, said that jackpots are an integral component of NetEnt’s business strategy and that seeing players win life-changing amounts always make them happy, as it confirms the groups dedication and good work. Providing exceptional gaming experience, as well as moments like this is the very essence of iGaming, and the company hopes that good luck will follow everyone during the summer.

Mega FortuneTM is definitely among the most popular online slots of all times, as only a few other games have managed to trigger so many jackpots, including Mega Moolah, Hall of Gods and Mega Fortune Dreams. The game’s secret lies within choosing bets and lines but also optional multi-coin line bets. Players can place up to 4 coins on each active line, toggle the 'bet level' and reconfigure the lines manually.

Earlier this year, on January 23rd, another player made his first millions after striking massive €2,553,604.67 on the same game, only a few days after signing-up at the venue SlotsMillion. A UK-based punter, who remained completely anonymous has actually won the first progressive jackpot in 2018, announcing an entire streak of further grand prizes, such as the one from May.

Xiaobo Zhou Becomes Oriental Poker Championship Main Event Champion for HK$1,451,000

Macau is the arena where the challenging poker action is currently taking place as the inaugural edition of the Oriental Poker Championship is in progress at the moment. Over the span of the last several days, players have had the chance to participate in the HK$16,500 Main Event and the skillful winner at the end […]

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Vikings Go To Hell (Yggdrasil Gaming)

The fearless Vikings are back for their biggest battle yet, as they take on the flaming demon hordes of the underworld! The third instalment of Yggdrasil Gaming's legendary Vikings series builds on the previous games to bring even more action to the reels!Where to play this game: LeoVegas - €1600 bonus + 120 Free SpinsCasumo - 200 Free Spins + €1200 bonusVideoslots - 11 Welcome Spins (no deposit required) + deposit bonusComeOn! - 20 Free Spins (no deposit bonus) + deposit bonusIgame[...]

Lincoln and Liberty Slots Casinos Prepare Goodies

June is nigh, and the time is right to step into the first month of summer with some awesome new bonuses and special offers of various kinds. Who better to turn to in such time of need than Lincoln Casino and Liberty Slots, who will be packed with tournaments, new games and extra spins.

Let's begin with Lincoln and check out what's in store for their punters. You can begin your month of June with a 200% bonus up to $200 and get 20 extra spins on Dynasty! You need to use the code, JUNEBUG, and deposit at least $25. Wagering requirements for this are 20x the deposit + bonus and this offer will be valid from May 31st until June 3rd. You can also claim an additional 50 extra spins on the Fat Cat game, using the code, WH265XR. Valid from May 28th until June 4th, this offer comes with a 40x WR.

A tournament so cool they had to repeat the word three times to name it is taking place from June 3rd - 16th. The Cool Cool Cool Tournament is played on the Cool Bananas game and is rewarding $1200 in prizes.

Moving on to Liberty Slots Casino which welcomes the month of June with a 150% up to $300 plus 30 extra spins offer on Dynasty game, valid from June 1st - 3rd. Simply use the promo code, SOAPDISH, deposit the minimum of $25 and wagering 20x of deposit plus the bonus. An additional 40 extra spins can be won on the Dolphin Reef game with the promo code, EU382WT. Wagering requirements on this offer, valid from May 28th to June 4th, are 40x.

The site also has a tournament to brag about – Japan-themed Big Blossoms tourney, in honor of the cherry blossom. That’s exactly what you'll be playing, the Cherry Blossoms game for your chance to win the $1500 prize! The tournament takes place from May 29th to June 10th.

As a final treat, both casinos will be introducing a brand-new game – Goblin's Gold. This is an exciting three-reel slot in which you'll be seeking the Goblin's treasure with the help of Wild X symbols to grant you 3x and 9x multipliers. The game also features nudge bar symbols, bonus games and more. Enter the promo code, GOBLIN50LC, and you will get 50 extra spins – but, make it snappy because this offer expires after May 31st…

New Jersey race track sues NCAA, NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB over $150m in lost revenue

A lawsuit filed Thursday by the operator of Monmouth Park, the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (NJTHA), against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the four major sports leagues alleges that the leagues legal action [Murphy v NCAA] in August 2012 to enjoin New Jersey’s Sports Wagering Act cost the thoroughbred horse racing track […]

Chip Leaders at Oriental Poker Championship Continue towards Day 2

The first edition of the long-anticipated Oriental Poker Championship is well on its way and poker tournaments are already in progress giving many players the chance to increase their live poker winnings. The Main Event which is a shiny diamond for all participants is already at its Day 2 phase of its schedule and witnessing […]

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CoinPoker's 1st Crypto Series of Poker (CSOP) Is Just 2 Days Away

The Crypto Series of Poker (May 27 - June 3), a 10,000,000 CHP added tournament series that is the first of its kind, is set to start this Sunday at 16:00 EEST. New CoinPoker players can join the first event for free, with the an added sum of 250,000 CHP up for grabs. The series includes 17 varied tournament events where a range of 200,000 to 1,000,000 CHP added prize pools can be won. From May 27th to June 2nd, two tournaments will be held daily and build up to a final high stakes main even[...]

NetEnt Appoints Therese Hillman As New CEO

Casino game developer giant, NetEnt, has announced on Tuesday that they've named Therese Hillman as the company's new CEO, effective immediately. The decision was announced by the Board of Directors after they've expressed satisfaction with Hilman's efforts and success as the company's acting CEO since former chief executive, Per Eriksson, was dismissed in March of this year. She served as the company's Chief Financial Officer since January 2017.

Prior to that, she was notable for working in the e-commerce industry for a decade and being a CEO of Gymgrossisten. Hilman, who has an M.Sc in Accounting and Finance from Stockholm School of Economics, was also a member of Unibet's Board.

NetEnt's Chairman of the Board, Fredrik Erbing, comments: ”We are pleased to appoint Therese Hillman as new Group CEO. Therese has a clear business focus and is an appreciated leader with great energy. NetEnt is pioneering the online gaming industry and is taking the next step to be at the forefront of business focus and innovation. With Therese’s abilities, we get the right person to lead the company in the next growth phase.”

Hillman was honored to be appointed as CEO of such a successful company and said: “It is with great enthusiasm, but also humility, that I am taking on the role as Group CEO of NetEnt. I look forward to drive the development of the industry together with our customers and employees and to deliver the best player experiences. This is how we can continue to create value for our customers, shareholders, players and employees.”

Source:

“Therese Hillman appointed new Group CEO of NetEnt”, netent.com, May 22, 2018.

Tiger Resorts Witnesses Fraudulent Activity Complaints against Kazuo Okada Scrapping

The international gambling industry has seen numerous twists and turns of companies and businesses filing complaints and then arranging things back to normal. In a surprising turn of events, all charges filed in by Tiger Resorts and Entertainment against Japanese gaming tycoon Kazuo Okada were dropped this Thursday laying the feud which started in January […]

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William Hill US to operate sports book at Ocean Resort Casino

The largest sports book in Nevada, William Hill US will reportedly run the sports book at the Ocean Resort Casino slated to open at June’s end this year. The partnership between the London-based sports book and the resort casino at 500 Boardwalk was confirmed on Thursday by Jordan Deifik, principal of Ocean Resort Casino, who […]

Malta Gaming Authority to launch unified self-exclusion system

The MGA is set to embark on another ambitious project which will lead to the implementation of a unified self-exclusion system for all its remote gaming licenses.

Cherry CEO detained for suspected insider trading

Cherry AB has terminated the employment of Anders Holmgren as the company's CEO and President, following his detention by authorities in Sweden on reasonable grounds suspected for severe insider trading

South Africa’s Finest on the Forum

Hey LCB’ers; we all know and love South Africa’s, Springbok Casino, and it may be a surprise to you to learn that it has just now joined our forum with direct casino support. Representative, James, signed on Thursday, May 24th, with a greeting that was both short and sweet: “It’s great to be here on LCB forum! Please feel free to write me here if you need Assistance. I will be happy to help!”

Already have a question or burning matter that needs to be addressed? Head straight for James’ designated user profile and click right on the ‘Message’option to get started.

Catering to South African residents, Springbok also places an emphasis on the nation’s unique wildlife, revolving select promos around the topic throughout the year. Its games are powered by RTG, and users signing up for the first time gain immediate access to a full range of slots, progressive jackpot games, table games, video poker and plenty of options formatted for mobile play.

Its platform is available in an instant play version, so gaming can begin right away. New registrants can look forward to an exclusive welcome offer. Sign up and snag R250 completely free, no strings attached! Newbies will receive goodies across the first three deposits. Use code, SPRINGBOK100 on the first to get a 100% match up to R1500. On the second and third deposits, use SPRINGBOK50, and get 50% up to R5000.

Head to the site’s ‘Promotions’ page for details on a variety of other deals, including cashback opportunities, access to slot tournaments and comp points. As soon as you’re a registered member, you are automatically enrolled in the casino’s comp point system. For each bet made on your favorite games, you’ll rack up your points balance. Each time R10 is wagered, 1 point is awarded. Every 100 points accumulated is equivalent to R1.

Welcome aboard!

BingoBilly Memorial Day Weekend slot tournament

BingoBilly announces its 3-Day My Favorite Slots Tournament featuring $2,250 in prizes. Players rank on the leaderboard just by playing their favorite online slots from 25-27 May.

The Happy Together Tour returns to IP Resort Casino and Spa

The tour features six headline artists with more than 50 Billboard hits among them, and includes The Turtles; The Association; Chuck Negron, formerly of Three Dog Night; Gary Puckett & The Union Gap; The Cowsills; and Mark Lindsay.

Developments in US sports betting

While the race has been on for awhile to regulate sports betting at the state level, the pack broke into a sprint on May 14 when the US Supreme Court declared the federal law banning the practice unconstitutional when they ruled on Murphy v. NCAA. With the demise of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection […]

Aliitzei Consortium agrees Tote acquisition

The Alitzeti consortium and Betfred have entered into a deal worth up to £150m for UK bookmakers the Tote

New front-end platform innovation for LeoVegas.com

Swedish iGaming operator LeoVegas AB has announced that its online casino at LeoVegas.com will now be able to offer a better, faster and more innovative gaming experience following the premiere of an updated front-end platform. Stockholm-based LeoVegas AB described a front-end platform as ‘what the customer meets when entering’ and stated that its newest innovation […]

Playtech receives official consent for Snaitech SpA purchase

In Italy, omni-channel gaming software and services innovator Playtech has reportedly received official approval from the nation’s Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato (AAMS) regulator to purchase a majority stake in prominent local online and retail operator Snaitech SpA. According to a Monday report from the Reuters news service, Playtech agreed a deal early last […]

Crown Casino Melbourne Faces New Allegations on Plastic Picks Violation

Victoria’s gambling regulatory body has been put under even more pressure over the blanking-buttons scheme used at the Crown Resorts’ Melbourne venue. According to allegations which put the international gambling operator under fire, the small plastic picks used on poker machines at the Crown casino in Melbourne led to an “astronomical” increase in losses generated […]

The post Crown Casino Melbourne Faces New Allegations on Plastic Picks Violation appeared first on CasinoGamesPro.com.

The Reel Life: Scratch 'n' sniff edition

The United States Postal Service is hitting us right in the childhood nostalgia.

Las Vegas casinos under threat after union vote authorises strike

Las Vegas casino industry received a blow to its workers dispute after hospitality union members have resoundingly voted in favour of authorizing a citywide strike, according to a press release from the Culinary Workers Union Local 226

Las Vegas Casino Workers Approve Strike That May Close over 30 Resorts from June 1

Thousands of casino and hotel workers in Las Vegas approved of strike action if their contracts are not renewed by the end of the month. In a two-session vote on Tuesday, 99 percent of the workers said they authorize the union to call a strike that may close dozens of resorts and casinos in the […]

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GGA Las Vegas 2018 Self nominations close on May 25

Self-nominations for the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas 2018 will close in just a few days’ time

Malta Gaming Authority Brings Unified Self-Exclusion System to Remote Operators

Malta is Europe’s online gaming hub which seems to be on a constant pursuit of improvement and refinement of its gaming regulations. The latest news brings the spotlight to the new Unified Self-Exclusion System which is going to affect the operation of the operators developing their remote operation under a license issued by Malta Gaming […]

The post Malta Gaming Authority Brings Unified Self-Exclusion System to Remote Operators appeared first on CasinoGamesPro.com.

Poker pro Bradley Ruben charged in Fatal Car Crash, admitted to eating Marijuana Edible

Bradley Ruben, a professional poker player from Florida, has been charged with failure to remain at the scene of a car crash on Interstate 95 in Broward County as well as resisting arrest after allegedly crashing into and eventually killing a man who was assisting his wife who had been involved in a separate accident. On May 16, Wednesday, the 32-year-old poker pro told police that he had eaten a marijuana-laced edible before the crash. He was not charged with DUI even if he admitted that cons[...]

Jetbull Casino Employs Enteractive Support Service

Online casino operator, Jetbull, has signed a new strategic partnership according to which they will go live with tailored retention services provided by Enteractive. Jetbull will, therefore, employ the finest customer service assistance for their operations in German, Austrian, Swiss, Finnish and Swedish markets.

Enteractive is a leading provider of player retention solutions for the iGaming industry, founded in 2008 by their current CEO, Mikael Hansson. Their services help return churned players into action while player support makes sure active users stay with the operators on board while playing the game. Their services are based on chat moderation – they use the contact data operators provided so they can talk to inactive players, after which they apply a unique (re)activation method with personal one-on-one calls. Enteractive also provides support in native languages as well as license reporting that will flag vulnerable users.

With this deal, Jetbull has effectively outsourced their live chat, e-mail and social media support to Enteractive who will provide all of the usual services and more 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This tailored service is meant for improving the relationship between the operator and their active player base.

Hansson comments: “Partnering with Jetbull is a significant agreement for us and we’re thrilled to be working alongside them. By handling all inbound communications with their players throughout the day with quality support, we’ll be able to improve loyalty and the lifetime value of players for the operator. As part of our service, Enteractive support staff have undergone thorough training to understand Jetbull’s brand, culture and demographics, ensuring the operator can focus on other areas of the business.”

Jetbull CEO, Viorel Stan, says: “We’re thrilled to have secured Enteractive’s Customer Support service and have been really impressed with the early results of their engagement with our players. Providing excellent support to our players is a high priority for us and with the help of Enteractive who are highly skilled in this area, we are very confident it will lead to improved loyalty of customers.”

Source:

“Jetbull sharpens customer support with Enteractive deal”, Formosa Carla, enteractive.se, May 16, 2018.

Swedish pros Isildur1 & Lena900 win Big in PokerStars SCOOP Tournaments

Two Swedish poker pros, Viktor 'Isildur1' Blom and Niklas 'Lena900' Astedt, have each earned a SCOOP title just this weekend. This makes the 4th win overall for Blom, and the 2nd one in less than a week for Astedt. Isildur1's victory The Swedish 27-year-old high-stakes poker pro has topped a field of 122 players in the tournament SCOOP-41-H: $2,100 HORSE, $200K GTD, winning a whopping $59,780. The runner-up was MUSTAFABET from England, who took home $41,480. Lena900's victory [...]

GLI laboratories accredited by the A2LA

Gaming Laboratories International's laboratories in Lakewood, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Nevada, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Wheat Ridge, Colorado have earned accreditation for ISO/IEC 17025 technical standards from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation.

Mike Epps comes to The Joint

Stand-up comedian, actor and producer Mike Epps brings his unparalleled humor to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Las Vegas on Friday, 19 October at 9 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, 25 May at 10 a.m.

Jason Koon Wins Triton Poker Super High Roller for €3.5 Million

The last event of the 2018 Triton Super High Roller Series Montenegro, HK$1,000,000 (US$127,000) buy-in Short Deck Ante-Only Event, attracted a field of 103 entries which created a massive prize pool of HKD96,902,400 (~$12,344,397)! 14 long hours after the event started, Jason Koon had all the chips in play after besting stars such as Phil Ivey and Rui Cao on the six-handed final table. Koon received HKD28,102,000 ($3,579,914) for his victory. The first-place prize is his biggest ever live to[...]

NFL not worried about casino investments of Carolina Panther’s new owner

David Tepper is now the new owner of the Carolina Panthers NFL team, after sealing a deal last week to purchase the team for around $2.2 billion. Tepper is not only an investor in the NFL but also the casino industry. Tepper’s Appaloosa Management recently increased their casino investments and the NFL reportedly does not […]

Monsterstack Madness Attracts 508 Players to €100,000 GTD Main Event

The Monstertack Madness Poker Festival is scheduled to see its final day today and participants ready to occupy the throne are completely ready for the battle on the felt. With all starting flights already out of the way only the best participants registered remain and at the moment the overall chip leader among them is […]

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Macau Won't Authorize Crypto Gambling in Near Future

Not the brightest piece of news for crypto enthusiasts in Macau – Paulo Martins Chan, Gaming Inspection and Co-ordination Bureau Director, stated during the G2E Asia Conference on Wednesday that Macau will not be authorizing cryptocurrency-related gambling operations. Not any time soon, in any case.

He said: “There have been no cryptocurrencies accepted in casinos and these products have not been officially introduced in Macau. […] We put a focus on financial security and from our knowledge, the Macao Monetary Authority (AMCM) also does not encourage the use or products in the market, especially in the gaming sector. We haven’t authorised any cryptocurrency related product.”

As of now, cryptocurrency deals are not illegal for private parties but AMCM has recently stated that cryptocurrencies are illegal and has urged the residents of Macau not to invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin.

Last month, one of the residents of Macau was arrested for fraud through promotion of sales of virtual currencies, with SJM gaming operator being the target. Company, Dragon Coin, intends to launch their own junket operations based on cryptocurrencies in Q2 of this year. Their objective was to raise $500 million with the help of local junket partners. Martins Chan has explained that DICJ, “immediately stated in co-operation with AMCM that that company doesn’t belong to any gaming operator in Macau, any junket operator or VIP gaming promotor, so it doesn’t have any relationship with Macau.”

Source:

“Gaming related cryptocurrency projects will not be authorised in Macau anytime soon”, macaubusiness.com, May 16, 2018

Pennsylvania’s 34-pct Sports Betting Revenue Tax Could Cripple Budding Field

When it comes to sports betting everyone is excited to hear the latest happenings around the new budding field and what opportunities it as on offer. The state of Pennsylvania has been preparing for the eventual scrapping of the PASPA and in the process of doing so, the taxes applied to the field were also […]

The post Pennsylvania’s 34-pct Sports Betting Revenue Tax Could Cripple Budding Field appeared first on CasinoGamesPro.com.

Journalism's Ink-Stained Wretches

The year was 1967. I was working as a reporter on a weekly newspaper in Phoenix, AZ. when I received a call from my friend and former editor Dave Molina. He was in Los Angeles working as a copy editor for the Herald-Examiner.

'Want a job on a real newspaper,' were his opening words. 'There's an opening here and if you move fast you can have it.'

He gave me the name of the Herald-Examiner's managing editor. I called him, we had a lengthy conversation, and he hired me over the phone. That was how I went to work as a general assignment reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, home of the ink-stained wretches of the fourth estate.

A week later I entered the antiquated building at 1111 S. Broadway that housed the Hearst newspaper. As I walked up the creaky stairwell to the fourth floor where the editorial offices were located, I passed Walter Winchell, the Her-Ex's syndicated Hollywood columnist. He was talking with another Herald-Examiner reporter James Bacon, who had written a best-selling book, 'Hollywood Is A Four-Letter Town.'

'Wow,' I thought. 'I'm with the big boys.'

It didn't take long for me to discover that nearly all of the Herald-Examiner's editorial staff members were drinkers. City Editor Tom Caton, sports writer Al Stump, rewrite reporter Walt Egger, all of them were proud of their ability to drink. Molina and I tried to fit in with their lifestyle.

Every two weeks we cashed our checks at Corky's Bar and Grill, a favorite hangout of the Her-Ex staff. Stump was a successful freelance magazine writer who had published articles in Esquire and True. He had even written a couple of books on baseball legend Ty Cobb.

When I found out about that, I told Stump my Uncle Ott had watched Cobb play baseball.

'He said Cobb would sit in the dugout and use a file to sharpen the spikes on his shoes,' I told Stump.

He nodded. 'He was a mean S.O.B.,' Stump said.

Cobb, a native of Georgia, was a hard drinker and gambler. He was also notoriously cheap. After he hired Stump to ghostwrite his autobiography, 'My Life In Baseball,' they began meeting at his mansion for the interviews.

There was only one problem. It was winter and the place had no electricity. Cobb was involved in a battle with the power company over a bill and the company had turned the electricity off.

'We sat at the table in overcoats shivering while I conducted the interviews,' he said. 'Cobb was unbelievably stubborn when it came to money.'

Cobb was not doing well physically when Doubleday Publishing Co. advanced him $6,000 to write the book. He split the fee with Stump. After the book was published, he died a short time later at the age of 74.

'He would call me up at all hours of the night and ask me to drive him to a casino,' Stump recalled. 'He loved to drink and gamble. Cobb was a tough guy to deal with but I liked him and I'd haul myself out of bed to take him where he wanted to go.'

He said Cobb was very demanding on what he wanted in the book and maintained a tight editorial control on its contents. Stump added that he didn't feel the book reflected the true nature of the baseball player and after his death he wrote a follow-up book called 'Cobb' which was made into a movie.

The film only did about $1 million at the box office before the distributor took it out of the theaters.

I also became friends with James Bacon, a syndicated writer who covered Hollywood. In his book, 'Hollywood Is A Four-Letter Town,' he devoted a chapter to the night he made love to Marilyn Monroe.

She was staying in a cottage on the property of a well-known film producer. The man was in his 70s and Marilyn was his mistress, according to Stump.

'I went over to the cottage and was interviewing Marilyn for an article,' he said. 'We were drinking Dom Perignon champagne when things got romantic. I'll never forget that night.'

I stayed with the Herald-Examiner from 1967 to 1971, covering some big stories including the Charles Manson 'family' murders and trial; the 1969 Los Angeles earthquake; the return of the USS Pueblo crew; the Pentagon Papers; and many other events. It was the best newspaper I ever worked for and I will always be grateful to Molina for making that phone call.