Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

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Caesars CEO earns dunce cap; Downtown Grand faces identity crisis

Posted on July 20, 2015 by David McKee

New Caesars Entertainment CEO Mark Frissora scarcely got his chair warm when former employer Hertz Global Holdings pushed him under the bus, blaming him for a managerial style that led to four years’ worth of “material misstatements [and] inappropriate accounting decisions … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Reno, The Strip | Comments Off on Caesars CEO earns dunce cap; Downtown Grand faces identity crisis

Pit bosses think their job is the pits; One-hoss Hsieh

Posted on July 20, 2015 by David McKee

PayScale.com has been researching the most and least meaningful jobs, and some of it reflects unfavorably on our casino industry. Table game supervisors “report that they do not find their jobs meaningful, 20% actually believe their jobs make the world … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Macau, Pets | Comments Off on Pit bosses think their job is the pits; One-hoss Hsieh

SLS: The news just gets worse

Posted on July 17, 2015 by David McKee

Despite SLS Las Vegas having lost $183 million in its first eight months of operation, against pitiful revenues of $88 million, President Scott Kreeger insists that owner Stockbridge Capital is in it for the long haul. It has to be, Sam … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Entertainment, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Politics, Racinos, Revel, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 17, 2015 by David McKee

“Massachusetts has a quaint law that prohibits felons from benefiting from casino development. In Nevada, we usually refer to them as “€’forefathers.’” — John L. Smith on Steve Wynn‘s threat of a defamation lawsuit against Boston Mayor Martin “McCheese” Walsh … Continue reading →

Posted in Massachusetts, Regulation | 1 Comment

“Avenue Q” returns to Vegas

Posted on July 16, 2015 by David McKee

Puppet sex returns to Sin City! This Tony Award-winning musical got a bad rap when it played Wynn Las Vegas but it’s back at Las Vegas Little Theatre and is a smash hit. The first weekend sold out and tickets … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

The lion grumbles; Is Alabama casino-ready?

Posted on July 16, 2015 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International is not going to sit idly by while the State of Connecticut tries to horn in on MGM Springfield‘s business. MGM President William Hornbuckle said the company was “not going to go peacefully” but would not give … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Foxwoods, Iowa, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on The lion grumbles; Is Alabama casino-ready?

Stalemate with Straub; MGM’s new bauble

Posted on July 16, 2015 by David McKee

Glenn Straub is sticking it to Stockton University but good. While the school tries to find a new buyer for the old Showboat, he’s refusing to let the university out of its purchase agreement with his KK Ventures. So far, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 16, 2015 by David McKee

“In keeping with your recent comment about Caesars’ former CEO Gary Loveman‘s penchant for skipping maintenance on existing properties, I had the following experiences at this week’s four-night stay at Planet Hollywood: TV in room didn’t work at all. Bathroom … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Planet Hollywood, The Strip | 1 Comment

Web wagers boost Atlantic City

Posted on July 14, 2015 by David McKee

It was more of the same for Atlantic City last month. Overall gambling revenue slid 9.5%, even as surviving operators experienced individual increases. The headline item is that Internet gaming grew 23%, bringing in almost $12 million. Borgata dominated that … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Mohegan Sun, Revel, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on Web wagers boost Atlantic City

Mirage volcano muzzled; Macao gives the industry hope

Posted on July 14, 2015 by David McKee

One of Vegas’ most iconic attractions is getting minimized. The Mirage volcano will now only erupt twice on weeknights and thrice on weekends. This austerity move is a concession to MGM Resorts International‘s huge debt overhang. It was also supposedly … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Environment, Harrah's, International, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Philippines, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Mirage volcano muzzled; Macao gives the industry hope

Penn has big plans for Trop; It’s not easy being Steve Wynn

Posted on July 14, 2015 by David McKee

Penn National Gaming has been talking up its growth strategy to Wall Street and the Tropicana Las Vegas is central to the plan. At present, the Tropicana is pulling in just $40 million a year in casino revenues, less than … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Environment, Maine, Massachusetts, Penn National, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Penn has big plans for Trop; It’s not easy being Steve Wynn

Wynn: Massachusetts vs. Boston; Crisis and opportunity at Station

Posted on July 13, 2015 by David McKee

Steve Wynn appears to be losing patience with the obstacles being thrown in his way by seemingly vanquished adversaries in his long fight to get a Boston-area casino. He’s filed a defamation suit against the city, after a lawsuit championed … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Georgia, history, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, New York, Politics, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Wynn: Massachusetts vs. Boston; Crisis and opportunity at Station

What do you do …

Posted on July 13, 2015 by David McKee

… if you’re Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson? Naturally, you throw yourself a birthday party atop The Cromwell, with seemingly half the NBA in attendance. Then you file bankruptcy on Monday, before you’ve even had a chance to sober up. (Geez, better book … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on What do you do …

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 13, 2015 by David McKee

“We have a tough time envisioning a scenario where Pinnacle’s board and management could create the same value in the same time frame that GLPI’s deal would, and we don’t see the likelihood of a superior bid from another entity” … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Poor Phil Ruffin

Posted on July 13, 2015 by David McKee

First he gets skunked in his attempt to secure the last Kansas casino license, now’s he being used as a prop in Donald Trump‘s traveling freak show. Ruffin, by the way, is Trump’s designated mandarin of China policy. If the Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, International, Kansas, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off on Poor Phil Ruffin

Bluhm tries, tries again; Caesars sees profits

Posted on July 10, 2015 by David McKee

“Metal panels and precast stone” are the look of Rivers Casino 3.0, as Rush Street Gaming struggles to find a design that sits well with Schenectady city fathers. The casinos is the $330 million linchpin of a $480 million development … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Harrah's, Neil Bluhm, New York, Taxes | Comments Off on Bluhm tries, tries again; Caesars sees profits

White knight for Caesars?; Missing the Blarney Stone

Posted on July 10, 2015 by David McKee

Caesars Entertainment may have to cede more equity in Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. in order to get junior creditors behind a Chapter 11 restructuring. A Paulson & Co. initiative reportedly aims to do exactly that. In tandem with Canyon Partners and … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Sports, Wall Street | Comments Off on White knight for Caesars?; Missing the Blarney Stone

SLS: House of Pain

Posted on July 8, 2015 by David McKee

Former Revel President Scott Kreeger, now running SLS Las Vegas, must feel like he’s gone from the frying pan into the fire. An unusually trenchant Howard Stutz column lays out the problems facing the new casino, a hipster joint sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Carl Icahn, Dining, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Fontainebleau, Genting, Marketing, MGM Mirage, New York, Reno, Riviera, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Around the Midwest

Posted on July 8, 2015 by David McKee

Iowa was as flat as much of its landscape last month. Amidst the prevailing revenue stasis (sign of a perfectly sized market) there were a few significant movers. Isle of Capri Casinos‘ three properties were up a collective 2%, while … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on Around the Midwest

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 8, 2015 by David McKee

“[Donald] Trump sues when he is made to feel small, insufficiently wealthy, threatened or mocked. He sues for sport, he sues to regain a sense of control, and he sues to make a point. He sues as a means of saying … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump | Comments Off on Quote of the Day