It didn’t take Blackstone Group long to start spending the ‘mad money’ it got for selling The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It plunked down $305 million for all 15 hotels owned by Condor Hospitality Trust. Dare we suggest that Blackstone got more bang for the buck than did the buyers of the Cosmo? … We’ll have to wait until Nov. 17 to find out who gets the Terre Haute casino license but the early renderings are intriguing. Full House Resorts shows by far the most architectural imagination and flair while low-roller Premier Gaming Group brings up the rear, in more ways than one. All the contenders bring more credibility to the table than did Spectacle Entertainment or shiftless Lucy Luck Gaming … Churchill Downs is getting pretty in-your-face with its Derby City casino (in all but name) in downtown Louisville. Located in a former US Bank (above), it will feature a wraparound video marquee and a plethora of “historical racing” machines. Funding will come at least in part from the $197 million sale of an Illinois racetrack to the Chicago Bears … Awana Spa at Resorts World Las Vegas tops Business Insider‘s list of the 10 best hotel spas in the U.S. and is the only casino-based spa to make the grade. It definitely offers something different: “The spa showcases a theater-inspired heated room with aromatherapy, choreographed music, lighting, and dancing towels, and it’s as avant garde as it is relaxing.” You can keep the avant-garde, we just want the relaxation … Casino de Monte Carlo is back as a must-see spot thanks to upcoming James Bond vehicle No Time to Die. Expressions of interest in the venerable casino are up 910%, although we think 007 would prefer someplace less trammeled … Sports betting went live at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino a week sooner than anticipated. Retail betting is a ‘go’ but OSB is still a ways off. The Connecticut Lottery will participate via 10 Sportech OTBs and five other locations to be announced.
Quote of the Day: “The time is always ripe to do right.”—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.