Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

Then there was Resorts …

Posted on February 19, 2015 by David McKee

By tomorrow afternoon, there will be a new player in New Jersey‘s online-gaming industry: Resorts Atlantic City. The casino’s Internet-play site will go online in a limited fashion, gradually ramping up to full capacity over the ensuing week. Resorts execs … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Dennis Gomes, Florida, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Mohegan Sun, Oklahoma, Regulation, Tribal, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on Then there was Resorts …

The new Siegel in town; The word on the Strip is “Fore!”

Posted on February 19, 2015 by David McKee

Any article that begins by described the late Star Trek: The Experience as “essentially weird” has one strike against it. (I can’t tell you how many former employees told me it was the best job they ever had.) Such is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Colony Capital, Entertainment, Japan, MGM Mirage, New York, Politics, Singapore, Sports, The Strip, Westgate LV | 2 Comments

Tilman Fertitta’s blockbuster

Posted on February 19, 2015 by David McKee

When looked on Ye Olde Same Store Basis, gaming revenues in Louisiana are good enough, up 4%. Add Tilman Fertitta‘s Golden Nugget Lake Charles to the mix and revs shoot up 17%. No, that’s not a typo. The Nugget is … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Downtown, Entertainment, GLPI, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Tilman Fertitta’s blockbuster

That wacky Glenn Straub; Instant racing stumbles; Mongolia or bust

Posted on February 18, 2015 by David McKee

Revel AC has been continuing to negotiate with beady-eyed billionaire Glenn Straub, even after the clock has run out on their purchase agreement. Revel’s incentive is that it wants to avoid Chapter 7 liquidation. Trouble is, Straub is reported to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Glenn Straub, Idaho, International, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Tribal | 2 Comments

Station is back; MGM’s praises sung

Posted on February 18, 2015 by David McKee

When the Great Recession struck, no company was more ill-positioned to weather it than Station Casinos. A few tribal contracts aside, all of Station’s eggs were in the Las Vegas basket. To put it another way, Vegas may have gotten … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Detroit, Economy, Hard Rock International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Riviera, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Station is back; MGM’s praises sung

Why the Riviera deal stinks

Posted on February 18, 2015 by David McKee

Occasional S&G contributor Jeff in OKC shares some blunt sentiment about this week’s biggest story: the planned sale and demolition of the Riviera, the most venerable casino on the Las Vegas Strip: I’m 56. A 100% pure Baby Boomer, born in 1958. … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Derek Stevens, Economy, history, LVCVA, Riviera, Tourism | 8 Comments

Good and bad news for Caesars

Posted on February 17, 2015 by David McKee

Caesars Entertainment‘s last hopes for a Massachusetts casino are slipping through its fingers. A federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and cleared Chairman Stephen Crosby of any charges of untoward conduct. Judge David Souter ruled … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, PokerStars, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | Comments Off on Good and bad news for Caesars

Riviera’s fate sealed

Posted on February 17, 2015 by David McKee

… or soon will be. On Friday, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority is holding a board meeting at which the future of the venerable hotel-casino will be decided. On the table is a $182.5 million purchase, which values … Continue reading →

Posted in Fontainebleau, LVCVA, Movies, Riviera, Technology, The Strip, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Riviera’s fate sealed

Adieu, Riviera?

Posted on February 16, 2015 by David McKee

Is Las Vegas‘ oldest Strip casino facing a date with the wrecking ball? Last week, LVA broke the news that — at least according to one of our sources — the Riviera was being sold to the Las  Vegas Convention … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, LVCVA, New Hampshire, PokerStars, Politics, Riviera, The Strip | 2 Comments

Can New York casinos work miracles?

Posted on February 16, 2015 by David McKee

“Do I believe in it? I believe in it. I think Sullivan County is destined for an absolute true turnaround,” says Monticello restaurateur Bill Sipos, when asked about the potential impact of Empire Resorts‘ Montreign (left) on his area. The project … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Environment, Neil Bluhm, New York, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on Can New York casinos work miracles?

We’re Number One; Adelson goes Disney

Posted on February 13, 2015 by David McKee

Las Vegas is officially the epicenter of the nightclub universe. Seven of the 10 top-grossing clubs in Nightclub & Bar‘s 2014 survey are on the Las Vegas Strip. The honor roll is topped by XS Nightclub, followed by Hakkasan, Marquee … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Palms, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Technology | Comments Off on We’re Number One; Adelson goes Disney

Pence’s and Markell’s tunnel vision

Posted on February 13, 2015 by David McKee

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) may be swimming against the tide when he opposes casino reforms that he slimes as gambling expansions. For instance, for safety reasons alone, moving riverboat casinos ashore is an idea that was overdue 10 years … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Lee, Delaware, Indiana, Marketing, Ohio, Racinos, Taxes | Comments Off on Pence’s and Markell’s tunnel vision

Indian giver wins big in Atlantic City; Positive quarters for Pinnacle, Boyd

Posted on February 13, 2015 by David McKee

Fourteen gamblers are $1.5 million lighter in the wallet after a New Jersey judge ordered them to pay restitution to the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. At issue was the Nugget’s use of “pre-shuffled” card packs that were nothing of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off on Indian giver wins big in Atlantic City; Positive quarters for Pinnacle, Boyd

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 12, 2015 by David McKee

“PokerStars is one of the only gaming companies that has been actively committed to pursuing a position in the Atlantic City market. Everybody else is running away. So, why would we rebuff a company that wants to make a major investment … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Internet gambling, PokerStars, Politics, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Whither Bally’s?; Boffo January for Atlantic City

Posted on February 12, 2015 by David McKee

From publicly mulling a Horseshoe rebranding to talk of a new hotel tower, Caesars Entertainment has never seemed to know quite what to do with Bally’s Las Vegas, white elephant of its parade of Strip casinos. The Las Vegas Weekly‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on Whither Bally’s?; Boffo January for Atlantic City

Fisticuffs in Idaho; Wynn woos Bostonians

Posted on February 12, 2015 by David McKee

Idaho‘s Coeur d’Alene tribe got a taste of its own medicine when four lawmakers penned a letter to Gov. C.L. Butch Otter and to the U.S. Attorney’s office charging the tribe with being out of compliance with its compact. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Horseracing, Idaho, Massachusetts, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Technology, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off on Fisticuffs in Idaho; Wynn woos Bostonians

More trouble for Taj; Revel sale hangs by a thread

Posted on February 12, 2015 by David McKee

It seems that Trump Taj Mahal has been rather cavalier about reporting large transactions and suspicious financial activities to FinCEN. For instance, when customers’ names and Social Security numbers didn’t square, Taj management still didn’t pursue the discrepancies. The Taj ‘fessed … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Regulation, Revel, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on More trouble for Taj; Revel sale hangs by a thread

Where to dump Trump?; Straub stumped

Posted on February 11, 2015 by David McKee

Although he’s buried millions of dollars in New Jersey, having been party to four casino bankruptcies, Donald Trump doesn’t want his carcass interred there. Instead, when he goes to that big sand trap in the sky, he wants to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Florida, Glenn Straub, Golden Gaming, Horseracing, Illinois, Louisiana, Lyle Berman, Maryland, Revel, Slot routes | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 11, 2015 by David McKee

“We were told this was about saving the horse racing industry. I find it somewhat ironic that two of the three racetracks that have instant racing have never been live horse-racing tracks. This is not about live racing. This is about casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Horseracing, Politics, Racinos, Tribal | 1 Comment

Hoosier State comeback; Surprise contenders in Ohio

Posted on February 10, 2015 by David McKee

In light of all the gaming growth being experienced in Ohio, results in Indiana are not quite as roseate as in Illinois or Missouri, say. But they’re beating analyst expectations by impressive margins. Crunching the numbers, Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Kansas, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment