According to Bear Stearns, the privatization of Harrah’s Entertainment closed on schedule. HET stock finished trading just three cents shy of the $90/share buyout price.
Voters in Miami-Dade County will be asked whether to allow 6,000 slots, divided between three parimutuel locations. Miami-Dade residents voted this down two years ago but, now that three racinos are running in Broward County and the Seminole Tribe has been approved for Class III gambling, look for Miami-Dade voters to experience a change of heart tomorrow.
Chip skullduggery: Ian Sutton, having survived the ICE expo, is back at work on GamingFloor.com (the best gambling-related Web site … except maybe for ours … but maybe not … but maybe). Nobody but Ian can aggregate stories like this one about casino-chip forgery in Korea. Hey, if they can pull it off in Korea, somebody’s bound to try it here.
God help us: Ever try to imagine what the casino industry would be like under a theocracy? Wonder no longer; just go to Guyana.
If at first you don’t succeed … With typical determination, Las Vegas Sands has returned with a new plan for its proposed Kansas casino. Area residents complained about the scale of the previous Sands proposal but the new one, statistically, appears to be just as grand, if not grander. A pity about the rendering: It makes the Sands project look like an airport terminal, and not in a good way. I know Sands can do better — and has.
Speaking of LV Sands, it looks like Sheldon Adelson has found a way to drive a wedge between local politicians and the Culinary Union. Does this mean will start seeing the Dems holding political events at The Venetian or Palazzo, previously a big no-no?
A lovers’ quarrel results in a $780K jackpot at Borgata. No, really.
Vindicated: Las Vegas Sun columnist Jeff Simpson was the canary in the coal mine regarding Columbia Sussex. Now he’s turning up potential insolvency at the Las Vegas Tropicana. If you think I’m rough on C.S., just read Simpson. (Be sure and also read the lengthy comment regarding the situation down at the C.S.-run River Palms, in Laughlin.)
Hey, how did that Viva Laughlin! show work out? Not so good, eh?
