Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

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Quote of the Day

Posted on April 10, 2013 by David McKee

“Good writing is economical. I try to keep it as simple, witty and civilized as possible.” — Sir Dirk Bogarde, actor, author and journalist.

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Revel: It was all downhill from here

Posted on April 8, 2013 by David McKee

Yeah, Beyoncé is a hard act to follow but who knew that Revel would fall so far, so fast? So enjoy this brief moment when things looked so very promising* …  in the meantime, I’m running down leads on some … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Gary Goett, history, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Revel, Station Casinos, Tamares Group | 6 Comments

Ohio: Penn recovers

Posted on April 8, 2013 by David McKee

Decimation of the slot floor at Hollywood Columbus proved to be just what the doctor ordered, “given the initial lackluster start and relatively low investor expectations,” as J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff writes. Minus 515 machines, revenues at H’wood Columbus … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Harrah's, MTR Gaming, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ohio: Penn recovers

Illinois: Recovering or grasping a branch?

Posted on April 6, 2013 by David McKee

We’re at a point where we can finally say that Illinois‘ colossal slide in casino revenues has ended … at least until people get into the habit of playing video poker in bars. Reckless legislators like Rep. Lou Lang (D), … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Slot routes | 1 Comment

Revel: What’s -$2 billion among friends?

Posted on March 22, 2013 by David McKee

Stephen Sweeney (D, right), president of the New Jersey state senate, has the honor of having been the first to call for ex-Revel CEO Kevin DeSanctis‘ head on a platter. Garden State regulators moved quickly to put Mohegan Sun veteran … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Revel, Technology, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Goodbye Western, hello SLS … ?

Posted on March 22, 2013 by David McKee

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than right: When Tamares Group made an indiscriminate splurge on downtown Las Vegas real estate in 2004, it was banking on a construction boom that never took place. It also found itself with several … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, M Resort, Marketing, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Before the fall …

Posted on March 20, 2013 by David McKee

Eight years later, Steve Wynn is still firmly ensconced at the top. Gary Loveman is hanging on for dear life and George Maloof is a sad-faced figurehead. And $2.7 billion for a casino resort (Wynn Las Vegas) looks like frugality … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, history, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Somebody Sent Us These II

Posted on March 20, 2013 by David McKee

Continuing a very occasional series, here are some casino-related ephemera that have washed up on the shores of cyberspace. For instance … … only about 25% of the rooms at the newly announced Gansevoort Las Vegas will enjoy this particular … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dining, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Trump: No longer WARN’d

Posted on March 19, 2013 by David McKee

So it was Trump Plaza, denials to the contrary, that issued last week’s inflammatory layoff notice to 1,434 workers. Trump Entertainment Resorts had posted a WARN Act notice, informing all workers at the Plaza that, as of May 10, they … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Economy | 4 Comments

Exit Drai’s, enter Gansevoort

Posted on March 19, 2013 by David McKee

Although East Coast-based Gansevoort Hotel Group isn’t a household name around Las Vegas, it soon could be, if a planned collaboration with Caesars Entertainment comes to fruition. The latter had briefly planned to re-do Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon as … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Marketing, Michael Gaughan | 1 Comment

Now it can be told …

Posted on March 19, 2013 by David McKee

One of the things keeping me away from the S&G desk of late has been a trifle called Betrayal by Harold Pinter, which I’ve been staging for Las Vegas Little Theatre Studio and which opened last Friday (it runs through … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, history, The Strip | Comments Off on Now it can be told …

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 19, 2013 by David McKee

… week, month, year! We don’t have Stew Man Group here in Las Vegas — but we should!

Posted in Entertainment, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Revel: Don’t cry for him, Argentina; Are Twinkies the new Caesars?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by David McKee

Revel Atlantic City‘s day of deliverance is at hand: CEO Kevin DeSanctis has been ousted, along with Chief Investment Officer Michael Garrity. But there’s no need to shed tears over their fate. They will continue “developing amenity projects” for Revel … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Dennis Gomes, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Movies, Station Casinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 2 Comments

“Someone needs to burn this place to the ground”

Posted on March 8, 2013 by David McKee

It seems potentially very funny … but isn’t Bradley Cooper getting rather dark and tragic for this sort of thing? He looks like a Quentin Tarantino protagonist who’s been parachuted into a Disney picture.

Posted in Marketing, Movies, The Strip | Comments Off on “Someone needs to burn this place to the ground”

North Strip: SLS yes, F-blew no, Riviera maybe

Posted on March 7, 2013 by David McKee

S&G contributor JeffInOKC returns from a too-long absence with some thoughts on one of our favorite topics, the North Strip … It is common for us to hear the term “Too Big to Fail,” but I think the true story … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Fontainebleau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Riviera, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

No surprise: MGM abandons Ho Tram Strip

Posted on March 7, 2013 by David McKee

As of June 3, MGM Resorts International‘s involvement in Vietnam‘s long-troubled Ho Tram Strip will be a closed chapter in the company’s history. This morning, Pinnacle Entertainment announced yet another delay — shocking! — in MGM Grand Ho Tram Beach, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, International, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sahara Sam’s SLS surrealism

Posted on March 6, 2013 by David McKee

Kudos to Chuck Monster for finding this fanciful rendering of SLS Las Vegas, presumably designed to mislead would-be EB-5 Visa investors from China and points East. Shazam! The former Sahara has miraculously floated down the Strip and over to Koval … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 2 Comments

Adelson: Yes, we did! Wait, no, we didn’t! Well, OK, sorta … but not really!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by David McKee

“On the U.S. side … we view the State of Nevada as having uninspiring oversight of activities occurring in Macau. For every gap of oversight that exists from the Nevada Gaming Control Board or Nevada Gaming Commission, the U.S. Federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, history, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Mob, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Ader vs. IGT: Hart wins, Adelson loses

Posted on March 5, 2013 by David McKee

This just in … the long-awaited showdown at the International Game Technology shareholder meeting has taken place and seven of the eight incumbents were re-elected, including two heavyweight allies of beleaguered CEO Patti Hart: former Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Phil Satre … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, IGT, Internet gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Technology, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ader vs. IGT: Hart wins, Adelson loses

Resorts World LV: Look familiar?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by David McKee

A reader in Arizona asks the question that was on my mind yesterday and probably yours, too: “Is it just me … or does this look like just a copper/gold-colored version of CityCenter?” Agreed! (With a large helping of Mandalay … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Genting, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 3 Comments