Monthly Archives: April 2022

Windy City shakedown; Strip explodes, Palms reborn

Posted on April 28, 2022 by David McKee

$75 million or else. That’s extortionate Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot‘s latest demand of casino applicants. If you win the bid, fork over the cash. Her Dishonor might settle for ‘only’ $40 million on the barrelhead, followed up by a $2 … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Chicago, China, Downtown, Florida, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Macau, Mesquite, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Palms, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Singapore, Station Casinos, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Wendover | 1 Comment

FSE gets new look; Tilman’s big bet; Boyd beats The Street

Posted on April 27, 2022 by David McKee

Fremont Street Experience will now be ‘branded content’ or, to put it less politely, a big-ass billboard for slot companies. Well, one slot company: Aristocrat Gaming. It’s inked a pact with FSE to present “an action-packed new video … The … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boyd Gaming, Charity, Chicago, CityCenter, Downtown, Economy, Elaine Wynn, Entertainment, Hawaii, Internet gambling, Marketing, Movies, Neil Bluhm, Politics, Real Estate, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Sex, drugs and Resorts World LV; Massachusetts gets serious about sports betting; Caesars wins two Freddies

Posted on April 25, 2022 by David McKee

Both the reputations of Resorts World Las Vegas and its president, Scott Sibella, could be besmirched by a Nevada Gaming Control Board investigation. The tentative probe stems from charges made by gambler Brandon Sattler as part of a huge bankruptcy … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Caesars Entertainment, California, Detroit, Economy, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sam Nazarian, Singapore, Sports betting, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Sands, NY Mets in cahoots; Raiders set to clobber Vegas bookies

Posted on April 22, 2022 by David McKee

Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain. There’s nothing wrong with the idea of a casino megaresort in the Willets Point area, near Citi Field. It’s far preferable to some of the other New York City sites that … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Golden Nugget, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, New York, North Carolina, Ocean Resort, Palms, Philippines, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Westgate LV, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Playing politics with gaming

Posted on April 21, 2022 by David McKee

Although the Indian Gaming Association trade show in sunny Anaheim is sucking all the wind out of casino news this week, there’s still movement happening, mostly in the state houses. Take the weird, hybrid sports-betting bill that just passed out … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, Japan, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, Tribal | Comments Off on Playing politics with gaming

Atlantic City continues to rebound; Chicago casinos lose momentum; Mega-Jottings

Posted on April 19, 2022 by David McKee

Atlantic City casinos leapt 17% from March 2021, grossing $216.5 million. Except for Tropicana Atlantic City, which was flat at $19 million, almost everyone posted relatively impressive gains. Borgata‘s $55 million (+18%) predictably topped the market, while Hard Rock Atlantic … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Charity, Chicago, Derek Stevens, Gary Goett, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Neil Bluhm, Ocean Resort, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Problem gambling, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Technology, West Virginia | Comments Off on Atlantic City continues to rebound; Chicago casinos lose momentum; Mega-Jottings

Parx dethroned; Shreveport sleaze; Maine’s latest bet

Posted on April 18, 2022 by David McKee

Move over, Parx Casino, there’s a new leader in the Pennsylvania gaming market. That’d be Penn National‘s eponymous racino near Harrisburg. For the second month in a row it was tops in the Keystone State, banking $64 million, up 11.5% … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Health, Internet gambling, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Macau, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Transportation, Tribal, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Parx dethroned; Shreveport sleaze; Maine’s latest bet

Back to the beach; Churchill Downs comes under scrutiny

Posted on April 15, 2022 by David McKee

Golden Nugget Atlantic City was packing them in with a ‘george’ promotion. Let our East Coast correspondent tell the tale: “It was extremely busy Sunday afternoon in their atrium for the BMW X-5 giveaway. They called six names and three … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, California, Churchill Downs, Diversity, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Marketing, New Hampshire, New York, Ocean Resort, Problem gambling, Regulation, Revel, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 5 Comments

Politics as unusual in Chicago; Caesars: Rock the casbah

Posted on April 14, 2022 by David McKee

It never seems to get easier for Chicago casino applicants, who are facing stony opposition from many of their would-be neighbors (and customers) and who also find themselves pawns in a convoluted political process. At stake is something called “aldermanic … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Culinary Union, Detroit, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Illitch Family, Indiana, International, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Station Casinos, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Siegel’s Strip scheme; Tilman’s Rocky Mountain high

Posted on April 12, 2022 by David McKee

Siegel Group got a steal of a deal on the north Las Vegas Strip: 10 acres for $75 million. The vacant land used to be occupied, in part, by the La Concha Motel (pictured). It was also once destined for … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Dan Lee, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Health, history, Illinois, Indiana, Japan, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Spectacle Entertainment, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | 2 Comments

Casinos in clover nationwide; Mega-Jottings for a Monday

Posted on April 11, 2022 by David McKee

Masters Week has come and gone, and Augusta now sinks back into an 11-month torpor. Which also helps us return to standard-edition S&G. (Seen on the marquee of the church closest to Augusta National: “This is Amen Corner.”) Where to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Conventions, CQ Holdings, Current, Derek Stevens, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, G2E, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sahara, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Programming note

Posted on April 7, 2022 by David McKee

It’s Masters Week here in Augusta and the azaleas are in full bloom. Unfortunately, an encounter with a rescue cat has left my hands covered in bandages, hampering my ability to type. So I’m going to have to punt coverage … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Georgia | Comments Off on Programming note

Optimism in Las Vegas; Bluhm bombs in Chicago

Posted on April 5, 2022 by David McKee

On his way home from Black Hawk, Colorado, gaming analyst Barry Jonas of Truist Securities popped into Las Vegas. He met with various and sundry publicly traded companies, even MGM Resorts International, for which he feels little love. He also … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, DraftKings, Economy, Everi, FanDuel, Florida, G2E, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, Palms, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street | Comments Off on Optimism in Las Vegas; Bluhm bombs in Chicago

Philadelphia Dead

Posted on April 2, 2022 by David McKee

Cordish Gaming, we have a problem. Not only does it turn out to have been a bad idea to site a casino in Philadelphia‘s stadium district, it was an even worse mistake by state regulators to saturate the greater City … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Marketing, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming | 1 Comment

Chicago tips its hand; Wynn loses; Thunder Down Under

Posted on April 1, 2022 by David McKee

Would somebody clue in Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) that Neil Bluhm‘s Rush Street Gaming is no longer the majority owner of Rivers Casino Des Plaines? That honor goes to Churchill Downs. But Lightfoot is using Des Plaines as a … Continue reading →

Posted in ABBA, Animals, Architecture, Australia, Bally, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, Crown Resorts, Entertainment, Environment, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Money laundering, Neil Bluhm, New York, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment