Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

Station stirrings

Posted on September 30, 2011 by David McKee

It looks as though Station Casinos and Manhattan-based developer Fisher Bros. are trying to put back together some of the pieces of their Humpty Dumpty megaproject along I-15. As you recall, the duo had acquired a swath of land (assembled … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos, The Strip | 1 Comment

“The Paddy Factor”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

(For film buffs: “The Paddy Factor” was the working title of what became the classic gangster movie, The Long Good Friday … and the rest was history.) A new “Paddy factor” got flung into the Vegas equation this week when … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Movies, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, The Strip | 1 Comment

Scent of a douchebag

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

Too bad R&R Partners and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority didn’t think up this ad first. It’s actually captures the spirit of roaming-herd and mating-ritual behaviors seen every weekend on the Las Vegas Strip and now manifesting themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Downtown, Entertainment, LVCVA, Marketing, Morgans Hotel Group, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Scent of a douchebag

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

“One team wanted it. The other team didn’t know how to get it.” — ESPN analyst John Kruk, on the culmination of an indescribably dramatic final night of the baseball season, as the Boston Red SoxTampa imploded and the Bay … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Current, Florida, Massachusetts, Sports, TV | 1 Comment

The Great Riverboat Robbery revisited; Wynncore Manila?

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

Under fire for the low property valuations it placed on Pinnacle Entertainment‘s River City and Caesars Entertainment‘s Harrah’s Maryland Heights, the St. Louis County Board of Equalization backpedaled … sorta. They accepted County Assessor Jake Zimmerman‘s increased valuation for soon-to-expand … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, International, Marketing, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on The Great Riverboat Robbery revisited; Wynncore Manila?

Bus ride of the damned

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

After hearing horror stories like this one, is it any wonder that would-be Las Vegas tourists choose to claw their way up and down I-15 by car rather than trust themselves to the tender mercies of mass transit? This just … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Dining, Marketing, Pets, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

“I left the toothpaste at home. Every time I’ve tried to put a tube in my bag, alarms go off, and I get body searched, and I have to take everything out of my bag — and then they ask … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism, Transportation | 2 Comments

Tropicana of Cancer; Bucking the system

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

Alex Yemenidjian‘s efforts to reboot the Tropicana Las Vegas are sputtering quite badly these days. First, there’s the much-reported mess that is the Mob Experience, currently on the lam from foreclosure. Then a three-month extension of Gladys Knight‘s A Mic … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Entertainment, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Neil Bluhm, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

G2E 2011: No big deal?

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

I’ve been debating whether or not to give Global Gaming Expo a pass this year and this morning’s dispatch from Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli didn’t exactly quicken my pulse. His prediction? A “quiet” G2E, due to slow growth in the … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, G2E, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on G2E 2011: No big deal?

In case you missed it

Posted on September 24, 2011 by David McKee

Our “Question of the Day” on the Margaritaville Casino, opening early next month within Flamingo Las Vegas ran before we got the design renderings from Caesars Entertainment. So, for those of you for whom the verbal descriptions of the sub-casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, The Strip | 2 Comments

See Sparks and die

Posted on September 24, 2011 by David McKee

A shootout at John Ascuaga’s Nugget has left two people wounded and one dead. Hostility between biker gangs is the probable cause. Perhaps the casino took the appropriate security measures but I suspect otherwise. If biker gangs are known to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Reno | Comments Off on See Sparks and die

Sheldon Adelson, casino opponent

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

You read that right: El Bombastico has developed a sudden concern that adding 9,000 slots to Florida‘s existing inventory of 15,000 “will saturate the market with too many games,” in the words of the Miami Herald. In other words, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Florida, Genting, Regulation, Singapore, Taxes, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Caesars’ big Asian bet; Playing with yourself in Vegas

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

It’s amazing what you can do when you simply punt your debt burden a few years down the road. In the case of Caesars Entertainment, it means you’ve got an extra $470 million lying around to build Caesars Palace Longmu … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Current, Election, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, M Resort, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Taxes, Technology, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on Caesars’ big Asian bet; Playing with yourself in Vegas

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

“Any type of sexual activity has no place in the military.” — ex-Sen. Rick Santorum, last night on Fox News.

Posted in Current | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Coming attractions

Posted on September 22, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, there’s all manner of excitement and intrigue going on in the gaming world — like Las Vegas Sands issuing a dividend to shareholders — but I’ve not had much time for the S&G beat. With everyone at LVA HQ … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Coming attractions

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 22, 2011 by David McKee

“But land-based operators, particularly casinos, have one enormous disadvantage: They have all the expenses connected with massive real estate holdings and tens of thousands of employees. Online casinos are cheaper to set up and cost less to maintain, even including … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Bon appetit!

Posted on September 21, 2011 by David McKee

New to Caesars Palace and just off the Augustus Tower lobby is Central, offering comfort food with a French twist, courtesy of chef Michel Richard. The missus and I tried it out the other night and can recommend the signature … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Harrah's, The Strip | Comments Off on Bon appetit!

The great riverboat robbery; Pusateri’s revenge; Gaming’s top 12

Posted on September 21, 2011 by David McKee

Increased funding for education is always the big selling point whenever gambling laws in Missouri are liberalized. This week, schools are finding out what sort of Indian givers their casino benefactors are. Schools are among the public services that stand … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Current, George Maloof, Harrah's, IGT, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Morgans Hotel Group, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, WMS Industries | 3 Comments

Hotel Hell

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David McKee

Last weekend, my wife and I were subjected treated to what is undoubtedly — without any question — the worst hotel stay of our lives. So-called Affinity Gaming wanted to show off its $8 million retrofit of Primm Valley Resort … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Herbst Gaming, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

We’re Number One!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David McKee

Guess which city tops the misery index, according to BusinessInsider.com? Yup, good old Las Vegas, where real estate values have totally cratered and employment isn’t looking so hot, either. Any talk of recovery on the Strip looks somewhat relative when … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, California, Detroit, Economy, Florida, Louisiana, Reno, The Strip | 1 Comment