Author Archives: David McKee

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MGM “roaring back”; LV recovery accelerates

That’s what Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken had to say about MGM Resorts International, citing strength in regional casinos, Las Vegas and sports betting (in that order). First-quarter cash flow exceeded 2019 levels, aided in part by “strong demand reaching … Continue reading

Posted in BetMGM, Charity, Colorado, Conventions, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Health, history, Macau, Marijuana, Marketing, Maryland, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Nevada, Resorts World LV, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 2 Comments

Nevada recovery skips Strip; Boyd buoyant

Silver State casinos grossed $1 billion last month, with the Las Vegas Strip down 9% from 2019 to $501.5 million but locals-derived win vaulting 23%, leading to a 4% statewide increase on pre-Coronavirus numbers. The silver lining for the Strip … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cordish Co., Downtown, Hawaii, Health, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Reno, Resorts World LV, Riviera, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Vietnam, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Nevada recovery skips Strip; Boyd buoyant

MGM hits paydirt; Palms sold?; Atlantic City underwhelms

Remember the Harmon Hotel? That Sir Norman Foster-designed tower that had to be amputated at half the intended height in 2008 because of incompetent construction? The only Las Vegas resort ever to be dismantled without having hosted a single guest? … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Card rooms, Carl Icahn, Charity, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, CQ Holdings, Detroit, Dining, Diversity, DraftKings, Entertainment, Florida, Full House Resorts, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Louisiana, LVCVA, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, Ocean Resort, Palms, Penn National, Real Estate, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Washington State | 1 Comment

Big win for Seminoles?; Parx the deadliest track of all

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) succeeded where predecessor Rick Scott failed, inking a pact with the Seminole Tribe that would unlock the $35o million a year that the Seminoles have been holding in escrow. In return, the tribe gets a … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cirque du Soleil, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, Downtown, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, Greenwood Racing, Hawaii, Horseracing, Internet gambling, James Packer, Las Vegas Sands, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Taxes, Tennessee, The Strip, Transportation, Virginia, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Big win for Seminoles?; Parx the deadliest track of all

Sands blitzes Texas; Las Vegas “swarming” with tourists; Oscars suck

Starting last week, Las Vegas Sands has been blanketing the Texas airwaves with a barrage of pro-casino ads. Faced with a loss of traction in the Lege, Sands is turning to the court of public opinion. Going in drag as … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Brothels, Caesars Entertainment, China, Cosmopolitan, Derek Stevens, Diversity, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Hawaii, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Movies, Nevada, New York, Ocean Resort, Oklahoma, Pahrump, Politics, Singapore, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments

BetMGM “very credible”; Recovery at Sands “gradual”

That’s how JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff described an evidently persuasive virtual meeting with BetMGM covering the latter’s recent results and strategic objectives. “To us, this was a credible presentation (particularly with its customer acquisition and retention objectives and operating … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Bally, California, Canada, China, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Dotty's, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ocean Resort, Politics, Regulation, Singapore, Slot routes, Texas, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on BetMGM “very credible”; Recovery at Sands “gradual”

Michigan sports betting, i-gaming surge; AGA chases renegade slots

Say what you like about Michigan, it’s giving New Jersey and Pennsylvania a literal run for their money in Internet gambling. Win/day is just over $3 million, close behind the Keystone State’s $3.15 million and challenging the Garden State’s $3.65 … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Florida, FoxBet, Hawaii, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kansas, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Problem gambling, Regulation, Reno, Resorts World LV, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City disappoints, Internet gambling doesn’t

We’re going to have revise our prediction that Atlantic City would recover from Covid-19 faster than Las Vegas. Not at the rate things are going. March casino win was down 17% from 2019, coming in at $185 million. The Caesars … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, China, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Internet gambling, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Pennsylvania booms and busts, Massachusetts lags

Casino revenues were $270.5 million last month in Pennsylvania, down 22% from March 2019, another exception to the wave of recovery sweeping the country. Slots accounted for $199 million, tables for $71.5 million. Casinos were held to 50% of capacity, … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Colony Capital, Conventions, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, FoxBet, Greenwood Racing, Health, history, Illinois, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Pennsylvania booms and busts, Massachusetts lags

Vegas: green shoots galore; Seminoles saluted

Against all odds, it appears that Las Vegas‘ recovery is taking place faster than anticipated (save by a very few). A CNN feature is vaguely euphoric but it does cite several new must-see attractions. For the all-important convention business, which … Continue reading

Posted in Colorado, Derek Stevens, Economy, Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Louisiana, LVCVA, Marijuana, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Seminole Tribe, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Virgin Hotels | 5 Comments

Missouri booms; Trop sale a steal of a deal

After a hiccup in Indiana, gaming revenues continued to march (pun unintended) upward from 2019 levels, which were pretty darn robust. Missouri gained 6% for a gross of $176.5 million, “one of the best months ever” according to JP Morgan … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, DraftKings, FanDuel, GLPI, Health, Iowa, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Penn National, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wisconsin | 3 Comments

Trop flipped; Arizona, Maryland join sports-betting club

The Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. regime at Tropicana Las Vegas was (as planned) a short-lived one. GLPI just announced that it has flipped the Trop to Bally’s Corp., which evidently couldn’t wait one minute longer to get onto the … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Colorado, Delaware, Downtown, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Foxwoods, GLPI, Golden Nugget, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill | 1 Comment

It’s DraftKings’ world, we just live in it; Musk tunnel panned

While Coronavirus and the ensuing shut-ins were very good for DraftKings by virtually every metric, CEO Jason Robins says the fun is just beginning. He told the Boston Globe that the pandemic has ratified his business model, which presumed the … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Architecture, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., DFS, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Japan, Lotteries, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Racinos, Security, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off on It’s DraftKings’ world, we just live in it; Musk tunnel panned

Vegas hears wedding bells; Sahara upscales; Mega-Jottings

All-important Baby Boomer customers are ‘trickling‘ back to Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That’s the latest positive augury for Sin City. Better still, the destination-wedding biz is “bursting,” per Forbes, and what place is more synonymous with … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Dining, Downtown, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Health, Illinois, Japan, Macau, Maryland, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Illinois improves but Ohio sets record; Is Cuomo on crack?

Criticizing Illinois‘ casino performance is usually like tripping a dwarf: much too easy. But the Land of Lincoln posted some surprising results last month. Yes, it out performed March 2020 (+122%) but we’re comparing a full month of business with … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Detroit, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

“In a word, messy”

That’s how JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff described the online sports-betting bill enacted by the New York State Lege. The latter essentially caved to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), giving control of OSB to the state lottery. Instead of the one-operator … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Detroit, DraftKings, Environment, Genting, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ocean Resort, Palms, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on “In a word, messy”

Maryland has best month ever; Rio reopens

Even with capacity restrictions still in place at MGM National Harbor and Horseshoe Baltimore, the Free State enjoyed an epic March with casinos posting an all-time-record $169 million. On March 12, MGM and Horseshoe were bumped up to 50% capacity … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Economy, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Health, International, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Politics, Shuffle Master, Sports betting, The Rio, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland has best month ever; Rio reopens

Caesars looking good; Amtrak covets Vegas; Bally’s underwhelms

Joseph Greff and his fellow JP Morgan analysts looked at recent trends in Las Vegas and any place not named Atlantic City, and liked what they saw, raising their price target on the stock five bucks to $101/share. Positive factors … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, California, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Economy, Golden Nugget, Harry Reid, Health, Indiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, Oklahoma, Regulation, Reno, Station Casinos, Technology, Texas, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Virginia sports betting debuts large; ‘CSI’ back in Vegas

Virginia has now had two full months of sports betting and February handle was an impressive $266 million—not quite the explosion that Michigan was but still noteworthy as the second-biggest debut in U.S. history. Reacted PlayUSA analyst Dustin Gouker, “The … Continue reading

Posted in Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Health, Indiana, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, North Carolina, Philippines, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, TV, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Massachusetts gaming a success; Cuomo gains upper hand in NY

A University of Massachusetts Amherst panel led by respected academic Rachel Volberg has been studying casino gambling in Massachusetts and likes most of what it finds. It concluded that Bay State dollars had been significantly repatriated from neighboring states (the … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Barstool Sports, Baseball, California, Cordish Co., Derek Stevens, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Georgia, Health, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments