Chicago Sun-Times: Casino news & notes

Argosy's Empress Casino & Hotel in Joliet has introduced a new three-tiered Sapphire, Gold and Platinum Preferred players' club. You can trade in your old Empress Preferred card or a player's card from any casino in the Chicago area any day this month for a chance to win $1,000 in a nightly drawing at 9 p.m. or $100 in instant cash, plus an entry into a drawing for a trip for two to the 2005 World Series.

Also at Argosy's Empress, the grand opening of the new Oasis Gold Lounge for Gold and Platinum Club members is being celebrated. The completely remodeled private club features value-price beverages and complimentary snacks.

*New members who sign up for the R Card players' club at Resorts East Chicago through Sept. 30 receive a free scratch card good for cash prizes, gifts or play multipliers. Also, Resorts will randomly select new R Card members to become one of their "Players of the Day" and receive $100 cash and a 10-times-point multiplier for their play.

*According to Therrin Protze, senior director of operations at the Majestic Star Casino in Gary, the newly introduced table game Texas Hold 'em Bonus Poker has proven to be so popular that the casino just added a second table.

*The first two months of operations at the new Wynn Las Vegas reveal that gamblers go there to play table games in a big way. As reported by David Stratton in the weekly Las Vegas-based publication Gaming Today, 64.4 percent of casino revenue was generated by table game win as opposed to 35.6 percent by slot win, reversing a national casino trend. This translated into Wynn Las Vegas dealers making about $373 a day in "tokes," double the tips earned by dealers in many other casinos on the Strip.