Hard Rock Hotel signs agreement with American Indian tribe

LAS VEGAS, Nevada -- The owners of the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas have signed a licensing agreement with an American Indian tribe to brand a hotel-casino near Tulsa, Okla.

The agreement with Nation Enterprises will rebrand the current Cherokee Casino Resort as the Hard Rock Casino Tulsa, pending National Indian Gaming Commission approval.

The new name will be unveiled as part of a $155 million expansion that includes a new casino floor opening in December, and a 19-story, 350-room hotel tower opening next spring.

Terms of the deal were unavailable.

Tropicana owners aim to regain casino license

The former owners of the Tropicana Casino and Resort are rolling the dice with the New Jersey Supreme Court in their long-shot bid to regain their casino license.

But if questions Monday from the seven justices were any indication, the ex-owners may be looking at snake eyes.

Several of the justices asked a Tropicana lawyer why the company failed to have an independent audit committee for six months as required by law. The judges also wanted to know whether concerns about filthy hotel rooms and bathrooms weren't serious enough to consider.

The state Casino Control Commission stripped the casino's license last December, determining its owners were incapable of running the kind of "first-class facility" required by state law. A state-appointed trustee is searching for a buyer, and the casino has remained open.

Shuffle Master names chairman of the board

Gambling equipment provider Shuffle Master said Monday that Phil Peckman has been elected chairman of its board of directors, replacing Mark Yoseloff, who retained his duties as chief executive officer.

Peckman, a member of the Las Vegas-based company's board since June 2007, is CEO of an outdoor media company and former CEO of The Greenspun Corp.

Shuffle Master also named three long-time employees as executive vice presidents to aid senior managers.

Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved.