Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

“Vote for me or I’ll bust a cap …”

Posted on June 1, 2010 by David McKee

Dale Peterson – political ad @ Yahoo! Video It’s primary day in Alabama, the day we find out if any of the candidates who make it to November are more amenable to electronic bingo than is outgoing Gov. Bob Riley … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Election, IGT | 1 Comment

N.Y. casino expansion pimped

Posted on June 1, 2010 by David McKee

Casinos in the Catskills have been touted as an economic panacea for nigh unto a decade. We all know the ensuing score: much hype, little accomplishment. Still, that has not prevented one New York gubernatorial candidate from dusting this idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Election, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on N.Y. casino expansion pimped

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 31, 2010 by David McKee

“So the deuces are all over the place: two and two, with two out, the score tied 2-2 and two pitchers 22 [years old] each.” — Vin Scully, calling Sunday’s Los Angeles Dodgers/Colorado Rockies, demonstrating yet again that when it … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Sports, TV | 2 Comments

“Wynn Agonistes”

Posted on May 28, 2010 by David McKee

Aka Wynn’s Struggle, a melodrama in three acts. In Act I, impervious to irony, Steve Wynn chides Washington, D.C., for overspending, overborrowing and artificial economic stimulation … as though nothing like that happened right along the Las Vegas Strip. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Entertainment, Macau, Marketing, Politics, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 5 Comments

300

Posted on May 28, 2010 by David McKee

“This! Is! Sparta!” Well, no actually. It just means that our Twitter feed, @stiffsgeorges, has finally eked its way to the 300-follower mark. That may not be much to crow about but it’s a gratifying little increment of progress. Speaking … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Pennsylvania, TV | Comments Off on 300

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 28, 2010 by David McKee

“Now to go with chicken on a stick, every new opening in town has the cast of Fantasy and Anthony Cools. Hope Angelica [Bridges] didn’t get a hernia from that bottle, it’s almost bigger than she is.”

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

The bad guys won

Posted on May 28, 2010 by David McKee

Applying yet another tongue bath to the management and bankers who drove Station Casinos into a brick wall at top speed, bankruptcy Judge Gregg Zive has decreed Fertitta Gaming‘s $772 million* stalking-horse bid “an adequate floor” for the auction of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Current, North Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 3 Comments

How big is Deepwater Horizon?; How solvent is Archon?

Posted on May 28, 2010 by David McKee

This weekend, millions are fleeing a disaster of biblical proportions — I speak not of the epochal Deepwater Horizon spill but of Sex and the City 2. However, while we’re on the subject, Gulf Coast casinos can take at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Environment, Laughlin, Louisiana, Mississippi, Movies, Politics, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip | 4 Comments

Harrah’s, Penn & pols play chess in Ohio

Posted on May 27, 2010 by David McKee

Even as Harrah’s Entertainment was closing its purchase of an Thistledown Race Track, lawmakers were moving to foreclose the prospect of racinos in that state. This doesn’t preclude Buckeye State voters for approving as many as seven racinos this fall, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, Horseracing, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes | Comments Off on Harrah’s, Penn & pols play chess in Ohio

Murren snubs Gibbons, goes to Peking

Posted on May 27, 2010 by David McKee

Even Gov. Jim Gibbons has realized the futility of his ill-conceived attempt to play The Great Mediator in the MGM Mirage vs. Perini Building war. As a courtesy, CityCenter CEO Bobby Baldwin met with Midnight Jim, to basically tell him … Continue reading →

Posted in California, CityCenter, Current, Economy, International, Labor, Macau, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, The Strip | Comments Off on Murren snubs Gibbons, goes to Peking

“Wow”

Posted on May 27, 2010 by David McKee

No, that’s not the sound of the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Jennifer Robison going weak in the knees at the sight of CityCenter again. It’s J.P.Morgan‘s analysts getting turned on by early numbers from Marina Bay Sands. So excited were they … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on “Wow”

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 27, 2010 by David McKee

“I grew up on the Nevada Palace breakfast. The house I was raised in is only about a mile away, on Hacienda and Nellis. We used to come up here a lot in high school during the graveyard hours and soak … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Entertainment | 1 Comment

Motley Crew

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

(Editor’s note: Whoever labeled the photo at left misplaced the captions. FF3 is the guy having the good hair day and brother Lorenzo is the one with the handkerchief in his breast pocket.) In my 15 years of following the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Current, Downtown, Economy, George Maloof, Goldman Sachs, James Packer, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Station Casinos, Tourism, Wall Street | 6 Comments

When in doubt, attack

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

With New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie waffling and threatening to sidle over to the horsey set, granting them their long-held wish for racinos, former Atlantic City mayor and current state Sen. James Whelan (below) launched a preemptive strike. He wants … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Horseracing, Macau, Politics, Racinos | 1 Comment

Gary Loveman, pauper

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

Count Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman among the victims of the Great Recession. His total compensation for 2009 plummeted over 85%. The $1.9 million base pay is old news; the ex-prof also had to settle for a mere $3 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Case Bets: Singapore; Reid vs. tribes; Lady Luck, Take 3; Mob war, etc.

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

Tourism to Singapore jumped 20% last month, surpassing expectations. Resorts World Sentosa and — no surprise — the opening of Marina Bay Sands are credited for the success. Another stumbling block has arisen to the casino market in Massachusetts. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Archon Corp., Downtown, Genting, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Massachusetts, Movies, Oklahoma, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Slot routes, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 6 Comments

The Movable Buffet returns!

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

Once listed as one of S&G‘s “Seven Essential Web Sites,” Richard Abowitz‘s blog was briefly — and misguidedly — terminated by the Los Angeles Times. Thankfully, the LAT has had a change of heart. Abowitz returns with a profile of … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Marketing, Planet Hollywood, The Strip | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

“I’m an artist. I’m not like other people.” — lachrymose Dancing with the Stars winner Nicole Scherzinger. You want fries with your ego?

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

Shel & Bill, together again; Coup for HRH

Posted on May 25, 2010 by David McKee

As though yoked by karma, Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson and former sidekick William Weidner — the Jon & Kate Gosselin of the casino industry — seem destined to remain unwillingly chained together through eternity. Most recently, they’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Downtown, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, M Resort, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Morgans Hotel Group, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Texas, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Shel & Bill, together again; Coup for HRH

Monte Carlo: running on empty

Posted on May 25, 2010 by David McKee

Confronted with this rather desperate plea from Monte Carlo, a colleague asks, “One of the stranger press releases in a while — the best they can find to up-sell the MC is to pitch it as a way to get … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dining, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off on Monte Carlo: running on empty