Has Pittsburgh reached the mecca-level of gambling that Las Vegas is at? No, but with the arrival of The Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh is getting one more place for people to lose with class. It's the only casino in the state with a $500 slot machine. But alas, they only have video blackjack since real blackjack is illegal in the state of Pennsylvania. Granted, it is a cool video game that can hold four players.


The casino changes the air every 12 minutes with their 12 ventilation units to keep the smoke out of your eyes -- this sets them apart from neighboring casinos. In additiion, while many casinos are built without windows, Rivers features giant windows that let in enormous amounts of natural light reflecting off the largest white-glass chandelier in the world -- and anything that's the world's largest is classy. Four restaurants including a steakhouse, two lounges, a nightclub and a sports bar will be included in this casino.

So, does this make this the new Vegas? No -- Pittsburgh isn't isolated enough. College towns that are far from large cities have a good college scene. But Las Vegas is alone in the desert. What happens in Pittsburgh doesn't stay there; it spreads to the 'burbs.

iPhone Casino App with More Than One Game
Astraware has made a casino video game into an app for the iPhone called Astraware Casino. Here you can play blackjack, two types of video poker, Texas Hold em, roulette, craps, baccarat , 3-card poker, keno, slots and horse racing. It's 99¢ right now and looks easy to play. In addition, it's only a game. No money is lost. Except your 99¢.

He's a Lucky Man
What is it with professional sports players and gambling problems? First, Antoine Walker and now Denver Broncos running back LaMont Jordan. Jordan has accrued $20,000 in gambling debts. Plus interest. The good thing is that Jordan gets to keep his knees and the Mirage will just sue him.