A beautiful invention, the credit card. You can, for example, beging building a casino before you even have the money to pay for it:

"Pittsburgh casino builder Don Barden still can't say when he'll complete the $780 million refinancing for his Majestic Star casino, but says construction is on schedule and the slots parlor will open on the North Shore in mid to late May 2009. Mr. Barden appeared today before the state Gaming Control Board for an update on the project refinancing that's being handled by Credit Suisse. When it is complete, he must again appear before the board for its approval of the loan. The board would like that to happen as soon as possible. Mr. Barden said today that his financial advisors, lawyers and accountants are working hard on 'thousands and thousands of pages of documents' but isn't sure yet if he'll be back at the board's next meeting in July for the necessary approval. He said that several hundred construction workers are working feverishly on the project, for which about 70 percent of the structural steel is complete."

On Monday, he was ordered to appear before the state Gaming Control Board to answer questions about his casino financing.

... The final version (if Gov. Rendell signs it) of Pennsylvania's brand shiny new smoking ban would allow smoking in casinos -- "up to 25 percent of a casino floor, unless an owner can show an economic hardship (meaning the nonsmoking slots sections are underused), and then the owner can increase the smoking area up to 50 percent."

But Allegheny County may still be able to enact its own, more stringent smoking ban, if the state Legislature approves future legislation to that effect.

... A year after its soft opening, The Meadows in Washington County is thriving:

"Not even the temporary shell building that lacks most casino amenities, nor ongoing construction that creates parking headaches, nor the addition of table games by West Virginia competitors, nor an economic slowdown accompanied by soaring gasoline prices has discouraged a mostly middle-aged and elderly crowd from flocking to the location 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. By the time the one-year anniversary is marked Wednesday with giveaways to patrons, slots players will have lost about $230 million -- the less positive way of describing the casino's gross pre-tax revenue -- in the 1,800-plus machines of The Meadows' prefabricated structure. They didn't want to wait until April 2009 for the nicer, permanent casino, which is expected to include 2,000 more machines, multiple restaurants, a racetrack betting operation, bowling alley and attached parking garage."

On Thursday, The Meadows will host a "beam-raising" ceremony to celebrate the completion of the casino's steel skeleton.

Dispatches from the east

More delays at Philadelphia's SugarHouse casino, this time for archaeological reasons:

"During an interactive demonstration and lecture at the University of Pennsylvania, the McNeil Center for Early American Studies presented several local historians who explained the significance innumerable Native American artifacts as well as the remnants of Revolutionary War British Fort discovered on the SugarHouse casino site ... SugarHouse archaeology consultants already unearthed more than 200 Native American artifacts from the [riverfront] site - one of them being an arrowhead dating back to 1500 B.C. [There] are most likely thousands more beneath the soil."

... Pennsylvania Lottery sales went up last year, but not everywhere:

"A new legislative analysis says it appears slot-machine gambling is hurting the sales of Pennsylvania Lottery tickets the most in areas near the casinos. While the lottery reported a slight statewide sales increase from 2006 to 2007, the analysis pointed out that sales dropped in five of six counties that are homes to casinos."

... Maybe the high gas prices are keeping New Jersey gamblers closer to home:

"Revenue figures released today by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission showed that the 11 Atlantic City gambling halls took in $415.3 million last month, 1.6 percent more than they did in May 2007. It was only the second time this year that the casinos reported a monthly increase, thanks primarily to the strength of table games."

Odds and ends

At Pimlico racetrack (home of the annual Preakness thoroughbred race), wagering has dropped 16.5 percent this spring over last year ... Will Maryland get slots this year? ... Pennsylvania's harness racing association has launched a new informational site, www.paharnessweek.com ... Detroit's Greektown Casino won't be forced into a sale, but Michigan's gaming commission wants the casino to enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy ... Ominous: Gambling addicts have filed a $3.5 billion class-action suit against the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for its lax security when it comes to preventing problem gamblers from entering the casinos.

I know of several people who have met significant others over the Internet, but buyer beware:

"A homeless man accused of duping 13 women by posing as a millionaire on an Internet dating service was arraigned Wednesday in this Philadelphia suburb. Paul Krueger, 50, used a laptop computer to meet the women on Millionairematch.com, prosecutors said. He is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the women after convincing them he was a Grammy-nominated record mogul who needed investors for a new business venture that manufactured DVDs, CDs and other videos. He showed one victim false stock reports detailing the success of his nonexistent new business, according to court papers. Authorities say Krueger used the money to fuel his gambling addiction. He was arrested last week at a casino in Atlantic City, N.J., and [was extradited] to Pennsylvania."

Serves the gold-diggers right. We shouldn't have to say this, but anytime a millionaire tells you he wants you to send him some money over the Internet, dude probably isn't a millionaire.