Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

Betting on Adelson

Posted on April 13, 2010 by David McKee

Analysts at J.P. Morgan are downright bullish on Las Vegas Sands, raising their stock price target by over 25% (to $29/share). Their ebullience is motivated in large part by expectations for Marina Bay Sands, which they estimate will garner 55% … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, CityCenter, Economy, Indiana, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 13, 2010 by David McKee

“This is a Nevada variation of ‘too big to fail.’ The big growth market is Asia, and if you want to be in the gaming business you need to be in Asia. Therefore, you have to do things the way … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Mob | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Another day at Harrah’s

Posted on April 13, 2010 by David McKee

When you’re $19 billion or so in the hole, what’s another half-billion, right? Such is the case for Harrah’s Entertainment, which intends to issue $500 million in second-priority secured notes (soon upped to $750 million) due 2018. The notes are … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Another day at Harrah’s

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 12, 2010 by David McKee

“Then again, being unable to keep his hands off a lifeless hunk of plastic is just what [Spencer] Pratt does. [Heidi] Montag vowed to recapture his attention by having a Blu-Ray player installed in her left boob.” — Daily Fiasco’s … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cretins, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

A “sudden malady” it was

Posted on April 12, 2010 by David McKee

Last week, when pondering the largely (in the case of the Las Vegas Review-Journal) or completely (in the instance of the Las Vegas Sun) botched coverage of the simultaneous Macao scandals afflicting Las Vegas Sands and MGM Mirage, I puzzled … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Macau, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Technology | 3 Comments

Caveat lector!

Posted on April 9, 2010 by David McKee

It appears that Harrah’s Entertainment‘s big buffet offer, encompassing seven Strip properties, isn’t quite as good as it sounded to us at LVA at first blush. A fellow staffer writes: “I have a feeling that the Harrah’s buffets are keeping … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 8 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 9, 2010 by David McKee

“The late Chic Hecht, a lovely man who also said [Martin Luther King] had ‘not been dead long enough’ to merit holiday, makes Harry Reid look like Cicero.” — Jon Ralston, from his Twitter feed, on Nevada‘s famously malaprop-prone senator, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Entertainment, Harry Reid, Politics, Technology | 1 Comment

Harrah’s ups the ante

Posted on April 9, 2010 by David McKee

Yr. Humble Blogger is a fan of the Las Vegas buffet scene — and owns the waistline to prove it. Starting Monday, Harrah’s Entertainment ratchets up the temptation factor by keeping seven of its Strip buffets open round the clock. … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Dining, George Maloof, Harrah's, M Resort, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, The Strip | 2 Comments

Flat in IN, coming back in IL

Posted on April 8, 2010 by David McKee

Despite being 2.5% below last year’s casino revenues, J.P. Morgan is calling the results in Illinois the best out of the previous 16 months. In other words, the decline was the smallest since November of ’09.  The restoration of Penn … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Don Barden, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Flat in IN, coming back in IL

This just in: Wynn jilts Philadelphia

Posted on April 8, 2010 by David McKee

On Monday, Steve Wynn was making nice with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and vowing to glad-hand every civic leader in sight. He had a full set of renderings for how his Wynn Resorts makeover of the mortally wounded Foxwoods project … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Don Barden, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off on This just in: Wynn jilts Philadelphia

MGM, Sands & the cone of silence

Posted on April 8, 2010 by David McKee

While Las Vegas Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick was fretting about the “troubling egg caper” in Searchlight, Nev., his newspaper wasn’t losing much sleep over a double-barreled casino scandal. Either a sudden malady had wiped out the gaming desk or somebody … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Election, Harry Reid, Illinois, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Pansy Ho, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, The Mob | Comments Off on MGM, Sands & the cone of silence

Condos in Vegas … still? Manilow in Vegas … again

Posted on April 8, 2010 by David McKee

Undeterred by the complete tanking of the high-rise-condo market in Las Vegas, joint-venture partners Station Casinos and Fisher Bros. had still planned a pair of condo towers on or very near where Richfield Village currently stands (above). That’s probably the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, Michael Gaughan, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Flame not!

Posted on April 8, 2010 by David McKee

S&G readers are  a polite and thoughtful bunch of folks, ones from whom I’ve learnt a great deal over the years. They police themselves so well that I’ve almost never, ever had to articulate the unspoken rules of this forum. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current | Comments Off on Flame not!

An arena in every pot

Posted on April 7, 2010 by David McKee

A scrum of casino owners and would-be owners is swarming the Clark County Commission with proposed arenas. The Las Vegas City Council may be able to get into the act, as Cordish Cos. is studying the feasibility of a stadium … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Cordish Co., Current, Downtown, Dubai, Economy, Entertainment, Gary Goett, Harrah's, Michael Gaughan, Oscar Goodman, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Adelson disappoints again, as does Kansas

Posted on April 7, 2010 by David McKee

“I don’t think we’re counting on them carrying the ball like we thought they would,” is the bottom line of a Wall Street Journal story on Las Vegas Sands‘ failure to complete $743 million Sands Bethlehem. Even though he once … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 7, 2010 by David McKee

“My concern is they overspent on the two integrated resorts. Instead of allowing both casinos to open in a more relaxed way during the first few years, the [integrated resorts] are now under tremendous pressure.” — Singapore-based casino consultant Ronald … Continue reading →

Posted in Genting, International, Macau, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tourism | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

From the mailbag: Wynn in Philly

Posted on April 7, 2010 by David McKee

A longtime observer of the industry (and player) has this to say about Steve Wynn‘s revised sales pitch to the City of Philadelphia … “Unlike too many folks, I don’t worship Steve Wynn (in fact, I’ll never forgive him for … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Harrah's, Maryland, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Steve Wynn, West Virginia | 2 Comments

Wynn delivers

Posted on April 6, 2010 by David McKee

Surprising as ever, Steve Wynn showed up in Philadelphia yesterday bearing a sheaf of renderings for his proposed casinos — three weeks ahead of schedule. Wynn’s final design looks a mite grander than the one he let Steve Friess photograph, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Architecture, Bally Technologies, Current, Economy, Isle of Capri, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 1 Comment

Gold Strike Tunica exonerated; “Trek” frittered away

Posted on April 6, 2010 by David McKee

The honor of MGM Mirage‘s Gold Strike Tunica has been restored by reader Sin City Cyn, who writes: “Speaking of resort fees … I promised to report back on the pool fee situation at Tunica’s Gold Strike. I’m happy to … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Station Casinos, Tourism, TV | 5 Comments

From the S&G Twitter feed …

Posted on April 5, 2010 by David McKee

It’s a crazy day here and I’m deeply enmeshed in reportage (hint: it involves Station Casinos) so I’d like to take up some of the blogging slack by once more pimping the S&G Twitter feed (@stiffsgeorges), which can also be … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Archon Corp., Bally Technologies, Current, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Pinnacle Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Technology, Wall Street | Comments Off on From the S&G Twitter feed …