I returned this weekend from a fantastic week in Aruba. If you have never been, I recommend it highly. Hopefully, by the end of this report, you will understand why!

I apologize to Greg for uploading so many pictures, but I wanted this to be as inclusive as possible. I also apologize if the pictures cause some delays, but I thought some would enjoy them.

Although most things in the Aruba chipping world remained the same this year, there were some significant changes, some already alluded to by Brian Cashman. So...let's begin!

I won't bore you with details, but Aruba is a self-governing island country in the Carribean under the control of Holland (they chose to stop their transition to independence not long ago). It is located 20 miles off the coast of Venezuela, near Bonaire and Curacao.

The first casino in the Carribean opened on Aruba in 1959. Until recently, they had 11 casinos on the island. Most of the casinos are located North of the major city, Oranjestad, in an area called Palm Beach. Most are located on a single road, sometimes referred to as the strip.

A fun fact: Aruba is the birthplace of Carribean Stud.

Michael Siskin