MGM Resorts International gained an infusion of identity (and hipness) for ultra-generic Park MGM by signing Lady Gaga to a 74-concert residency, a real coup for MGM. Her Ladyship tweeted the news herself: “The rumors are true! I will have my own residency at MGM’s Park Theater. Get ready for a brand new show!! It’s been my lifelong dream to be a Las Vegas girl, I’m so overjoyed! Love you little monsters we did it, meet me in Las Vegas!!” Lady Gaga has already played Vegas multiple times, to critical and popular acclaim, so this hardly represents a risky move by MGM. No, the risk would have been to stick with the same old same-old. Judging by the bland advance materials released in re Park MGM, it’s not going to resonate much more powerfully than did Monte Carlo (which was “not much”).
According to Rolling Stone, Lady Gaga will rake in more than $1 million per concert while MGM enjoys the option of extending her run by an unspecified number of dates. Like me, the performance artist (“singer” seems an inadequate description) suffers from fibromyalgia, a debilitating condition that raises the prospect of cancellations. However, given the fervor of her fandom, ticket buyers are surely willing to take the risk. In a more formal announcement, Her Gaga-ness announced she would be “creating a new show unlike anything Vegas has ever seen before,” verbiage that would sound like hype coming from almost anyone but the ever-unpredictable Gaga. In any event, the term “poker face” has just taken on a new Las Vegas meaning.
* On a thoroughly douchier note, Caesars Entertainment announced that The Gossy Scow (aka Cleopatra’s Barge) would be hosting mega-jerks Jose Canseco and Terrell Owens as part of a revolving panel discussion called Renegades, bowing Jan. 25. At least Jim McMahon, who forever endeared himself to us by rebelling against Pete Rozelle, will also participate. “No subject is off-limits as legends recount stories from their playing days to tabloid-making headlines and beyond,” reads the promotional blat. Do we really want to know? Jimmy King of the ethically tainted University of Michigan Wolverines Fab Five will also be on the bill. The promo copy for Canseco is particularly gaseous, as it brags on his steroid use, something about which he should feel no pride. As for the notion of Owens as a “humanitarian,” pardon us while we gag. Tickets start at $75, which also takes some nerve.
* American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman has spent some time pondering new federal tax legislation and concluded that it’s a win-win for the gaming industry and players alike. “The industry emerged with several key victories that supplemented the significant corporate tax rate deduction from 35 percent to 21 percent. 
The final agreement largely preserves itemized gambling deductions; exempts most operators from limitations on interest deductibility; helps ensure favorable rules for a territorial system for taxing overseas earnings; and upholds the tax credit for research and development,” he wrote. His goal for next year? To increase the threshold for reporting slot win, currently at $1,200.
Freeman fumed a bit about being “hamstrung by outdated regulations based on antiquated, discredited stereotype” but didn’t get too far into specifics. We look forward to hearing more on that topic. In the meantime, the Get To Know Gaming road show is just getting started. Next year’s priority is to target federal lawmakers in casino jurisdictions and highlight what gaming means to their constituents. “We received positive feedback on our Cybersecurity, Innovation and Anti-Human Trafficking events,” added Freeman, who laid out a five-pronged strategy for 2018, headlined by “Cultivating champions on Capitol Hill and in state capitals across America by hosting G2KG events, building the Congressional Gaming Caucus and expanding AGA’s political action committee.”
Revisiting the tax topic in a separate e-mail blast, Freeman took a closer look at the issue, noting that the AGA had preserved the ability for customers to net their gaming income, despite efforts in the Senate to eliminate that loophole. Also hailed was the relaxation of limitations on the deductibility of interest income. Professional gamblers will be happy to know that they will once again be able to deduct losses and expenses to the extent of their winnings, restoring a 2011 modus operandi. Freeman cautions consumers that “Casino patrons who itemized previously, however, should consult a tax professional to determine whether they will continue to achieve the greatest tax benefit from itemizing under the new law.” Considering the obscure, oracular manner in which the pre-Freeman AGA operated, we like this newish, open-door regime.
