Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

Birthday wishes

Posted on May 18, 2011 by David McKee

… are due to the family of Golden Gaming CEO Blake Sartini, whose grandmother, Mildred Juanita Steely Myers, turns 100 tomorrow. The Clements, Calif., native has been behind the wheel long enough that her earliest cars included “a Model T … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Downtown, Golden Gaming, history, Oscar Goodman | Comments Off on Birthday wishes

Trump’d and skunked

Posted on May 18, 2011 by David McKee

Having predicted from Moment One that Donald Trump‘s TV ratings stunt masquerading as a presidential campaign was a traveshamockery and nothing less, please forgive me if I take one more victory lap, courtesy of Lawrence O’Donnell. The MSNBC pundit, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Florida, International, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, TV | 1 Comment

Sahara, 1952-2011

Posted on May 17, 2011 by David McKee

UNLV‘s David G. Schwartz pronounces the last rites for the Sahara, whose darkened hulk is Sam Nazarian‘s bequest to the Strip. Plans to strip the property of furnishings are a gloomy portent and SBE didn’t even wait for the end … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Economy, Entertainment, history, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sahara, The Strip | Comments Off on Sahara, 1952-2011

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 17, 2011 by David McKee

“[Donald] Trump argues that a trade deficit with a country means that American trade with that country is bad for America, that the amount of a trade deficit represents the amount of damage to America. He says that America has … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Economy, Marketing, Wall Street | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

This won’t play in Vegas; Second wind for Sands

Posted on May 17, 2011 by David McKee

Steve Wynn is singing his “we’re a Chinese company” refrain again. This never goes over well on the home front when he does it and his threat to move corporate HQ to Macao was met with a general chorus of, … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Harrah's, International, Macau, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

A tale of three casinos; Explosive night at Monte Carlo

Posted on May 16, 2011 by David McKee

But first … put this in the ‘Told Ya So’ File. The flim-flam man can now resume his fiduciary duties to Trump Entertainment Resorts and doing what he does best: Making delusional claims about his net worth. Three Vegas casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Monte Carlo fire, Morgans Hotel Group, Riviera, Sahara, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 16, 2011 by David McKee

“Pippa [Middleton]—Kate’s sister—yes, she’s attractive, but can the world’s media pump the brakes a little? Half the cocktail waitresses in Las Vegas make her look like she fell off the back of a royal carriage, got run over by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Entertainment, International, Riviera, Steve Wynn, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Kasich’s sneaky “juice job”

Posted on May 13, 2011 by David McKee

This just in (thanks in large part to a timely Tweet from Howard Stutz of the Review-Journal) … One of Ohio Gov. John Kasich‘s costly casino consultants just got caught with its hand in the cookie jar. While Kasich piously … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation | 2 Comments

R.I.P., House of Lords; Boyd’s best asset; Poll party

Posted on May 13, 2011 by David McKee

My missus and I were going to make a farewell visit to the Sahara‘s charming fine-dining spot on Sunday. However, our reservation has been canceled because House of Lords will be closing a day early. The reason? They’re running out … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Downtown, Entertainment, history, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, TV, Vdara Death Ray | 2 Comments

The doctor will see you now

Posted on May 13, 2011 by David McKee

Although stock blogger Frank Curzio seems to be talking out of one of his lower orifices, his musings are too bizarre not to repeat. He floats the notion that Apple is so flush with cash it might entertain some retail … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, International, Lawrence Ho, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on The doctor will see you now

Johnny Casino, thug; Truce at the Trop; The T-Word

Posted on May 13, 2011 by David McKee

Although the Mob may have left Las Vegas, its strong-arm tactics are still in use. Respected casino architect Paul Steelman found that out when he wouldn’t give a job to John Ensign‘s borderline-illiterate former chief of staff, Doug Hampton. Drunk … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Culinary Union, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Penn National, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Riviera goes on nostalgia kick

Posted on May 12, 2011 by David McKee

As the Sahara wheezes towards the grave Sam Nazarian dug for it and the Tropicana Las Vegas goes “South Beach” in a blaze of blinding white, the Riviera is left in sole possession of the “old school” niche on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Marketing, Riviera, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

Goett … Goett … gone

Posted on May 12, 2011 by David McKee

In addition to his core site of 100 acres across from M Resort, would-be Olympia Gaming mogul Gary Goett is also shopping around an additional 260 gaming-enabled acres directly to the north. Goett’s asking price? A cool million an acre, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Downtown, Economy, Gary Goett, Herbst Gaming, International, Marketing, Mesquite, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 2 Comments

Kasich screws casinos; Adelson screws the pooch

Posted on May 12, 2011 by David McKee

Our next-to-worst fears for Ohio have come to pass: Caesars Rock Ohio has temporarily pulled the plug on both its Cincinnati (above) and Cleveland casinos. It’s the latest escalation in a war between developers and state government, which wants to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Hard Rock Hotel, International, Kansas, Macau, Marketing, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 12, 2011 by David McKee

“I like it that [Donald] Trump is filthy rich but nobody told his accent. His whole life is models and gold leaf and marble columns but he still sounds like a know-it-all down at the O.T.B.” — Seth Myers at … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Donald Trump | 3 Comments

Road to Hong Kong

Posted on May 12, 2011 by David McKee

I. Nelson Rose, the cosmos’ leading expert on gaming law (and a real mensch) is taking his facts and hitting the road on a round-the-world tour. The Whittier Law School professor will be speaking at the Global iGaming Summit & … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Oklahoma | Comments Off on Road to Hong Kong

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 11, 2011 by David McKee

“If publishers really hope to expunge the ‘original sin’ of giving away content free online, they may be best positioned to do so not on the computers where they first gave away their wares, but on mobile devices that offer … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Marketing, Technology | 1 Comment

Trump’d

Posted on May 11, 2011 by David McKee

With his sham presidential “campaign” disintegrating faster than a hydrogen-filled zeppelin, inept casino operator Donald Trump‘s much-hyped Sunday announcement turns out to have been a put-on, too. Trump lackey Michael Cohen is still trying to pump air into the deflating … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cretins, Current, Donald Trump, Election, Marketing, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Has Illinois finally bottomed out? Trop shakeup; Big markdown on Trump

Posted on May 6, 2011 by David McKee

Sorry to disappoint, but we won’t have the answer until June–August, three straight months with the same number of weekend days as last year. By that point we’ll know whether April‘s 2% increase was the beginning of a trend. Last … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, George Maloof, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | 3 Comments

California bound; M changes hands and style

Posted on May 6, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, the great state of Illinois and I don’t know who all else have been reporting revenues this week, and Mississippi is under water.. And I’ve not had time to cover any … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Dining, Environment, Illinois, M Resort, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Movies, Penn National, Pets, Steve Wynn, Transportation, Wall Street | 2 Comments