It’s that time of the year when we give thanks to those in and around the casino industry who make our job that much more gratifying. So, in no particular order …
Las Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Aces: A Stanley Cup and a (second) WNBA championship. ‘Nuff said.
Culinary Union and United Auto Workers: For bringing better standards of living to the Las Vegas Strip and to Detroit.
Bally’s Corp.: For setting the bar of expectations low and consistently undershooting it.
Caesars Entertainment: For proving that having everything is never enough.
Formula One: For being over (for now).
Las Vegas Raiders: For nothing.
Steve Wynn: For being out of the industry.
Phil Ruffin: For doing it his way.
Churchill Downs: For proving that $135/vote can’t buy you a casino.
DraftKings and FanDuel: For demonstrating that there really is money to be made in sports betting.
Florida: For playing hard to get.
New York City: For playing impossible to get.
Seminole Tribe: For those who bet on the hare rather than the tortoise.
Aristocrat: For NFL-themed slots.
Barstool Sports: For giving us a posterior to kick.
Cirque du Soleil: For defying the odds.
Crown Resorts and Star Entertainment: For proving that Big Gaming really isn’t above the law.
Dan Lee/Full House Resorts: For the best investor calls in gaming, by a country mile.
Derek Stevens: For not treating sports bettors like chumps.
ESPN Bet: For shaking things up.
Fontainebleau: For demonstrating that there are second acts in Las Vegas, and third acts, and fourth …
Parx Casino: For standing alone against smoking in Pennsylvania.
James Packer: For getting out of gaming.
Kazuo Okada: See Packer, James.
Kentucky: For legalizing sports betting. Now let’s have some casinos.
Las Vegas Sands: For a nice try in Nassau County. Too bad it didn’t work out.
Laughlin: Just for being you.
Steve “the Shill” Hill/Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority: For showing that there truly is no shame in Sin City.
Massachusetts and New Jersey: For being the gold and silver standards of regulation. Sorry, Nevada.
MGM Resorts International: For being George with customers after the Sept. 10 meltdown.
Ocean Resort/Hard Rock Atlantic City: For keeping things interesting on the Boardwalk.
Jonathan Jossel/Plaza Hotel: For being one of the most inspiring comeback sagas in gaming.
Park MGM: For giving Vegas visitors someplace smokeless to stay.
Reno: For being nicer than Vegas.
Resorts World Las Vegas: For all the tawdry headlines. Keep ’em coming.
Dana Gentry: For being first and best on the Scott Sibella scandal and so much more.
Richard Schuetz: For having the best column in the industry.
Scott Roeben/Vital Vegas: For being first with the most (scoops).
Anthony Curtis: For keeping us gainfully employed and off the breadline.
Kate Beckinsale: For making life worth living.
That’s it. See you next year. Let’s have some turkey!