A clearer picture of the Las Vegas Strip in July is emerging, as visitation was 3.5% lower, dragging room revenue down 7.5% with it. Yes, the house got beaten badly at baccarat, but other 
factors were at work in the Strip’s lackluster showing. Two conventions were rotated to other cities (Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers and IDEA Health & Fitness Association) taking some 28.5 thousand attendees with them. Move World Pet Association forward to June and Black Hat/Tech Web back to August, as happened this year, and the convention market in July looks pretty bleak. Occupancy was down 3.5% while room rates slipped 4% on 91% of hotel rooms filled.
* Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) has elaborated on his call for federal regulation for sports wagering. Schumer would essentially put the inmates in charge of the asylum, making the setting of odds and the types of bets allowed the province of the NCAA and 
major sports leagues, with sports books meekly following their dictates. Enumerated ESPN, “Schumer also puts forth more obvious suggestions, such as making it illegal for anyone under 21 to place a sports bet in any state; requiring entities taking bets to responsibly advertise by not targeting youth and to properly disclose dangers of betting; and reporting suspicious activity and sharing information among sportsbooks, the leagues and state regulators that could help uncover anything that compromises the integrity of games.”
Schumer said “it’s incumbent on the federal government to take a leadership role and provide the necessary guidance to prevent uncertainty and confusion for the leagues, state governments, consumers and fans alike.” However we dare him — no, we double-dare him — to cite an incident of “uncertainty and confusion” in the states were sports betting has been hitherto legal. Major leagues were quick to fall in line behind Schumer’s proposal. To gauge its chances, note that a bid to federally regulate sports betting introduced by Rep. Frank Pallone (D) has been languishing for nine months.
* MGM Springfield is so far a hit with customers, some 150,000 of whom patronized it during its opening weekend. Mind you, it’s too soon to factor weekday traffic into the equation 
and the opening was a special occasion. However, with Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun stuck in the mud in their East Windsor (they haven’t even broken up the cement podium of the demolished cineplex) there’s no reason to believe that MGM Springfield has clear sailing ahead of it, especially if the exceptional and sustained success of Plainridge Park (in a more competitive region) is any indicator.
* Oklahoma‘s newest casino opens this weekend near downtown Tulsa. It’s the $160 million, 141-room Osage Casino Hotel. Said Osage Nation Gaming Enterprise Board Chair Mark Simms, “This property right here probably would make about 49 percent of our tribal income. We’re hoping to raise that percentage, and I think we will.”
* It is unlikely that Golden Nugget Atlantic City‘s Web casino will be challenged for market supremacy anytime. However, to have all its bases covered, it’s adding video poker. Make sure the paytables are friendly and the Nugget will have more cyber-punters surfing a path to its portal.
