Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

What a difference four years makes; Lowden follies

Posted on November 13, 2009 by David McKee

In the course of correcting the record about former North Las Vegas mayor — and current gubernatorial aspirant — Michael Montandon (R) on a different Web site, I had to cause to dust off an old press clipping. Back when … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, Economy, Election, Gary Goett, North Las Vegas, Politics, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

Privé in the privvy

Posted on November 12, 2009 by David McKee

It’s business as usual at Planet Hollywood‘s troubled Privé nightclub. Once week, a license revocation, today a bankruptcy filing. Do you think maybe Planet Ho will be happy to see the last of the Miami-based owners of the club? (Photo: … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Sahara, Station Casinos, Tamares Group, The Strip | 5 Comments

Station vs. Richfield; Operation Showgirl; The Wayner, etc.

Posted on November 12, 2009 by David McKee

What made 130+ houses (and a clutch of apartment buildings) behind Palace Station so important that Station Casinos — currently busy sweating video poker play — was paying three and four times market value during a period when the Las … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Marketing, Politics, Station Casinos, TV | 8 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 12, 2009 by David McKee

“There’s a sort of desperate, delusional Sunset Boulevard quality to this vanity project. At times it feels like we’ve all been cornered by ol’ Uncle Wayne and forced to watch home movies and the History Channel in his rec room … Continue reading →

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

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 11, 2009 by David McKee

“You’re going to get people who will come and sit here all day.” — Robin Leach, during a media tour of the new Crystals retail mall (above). Sit? All day? In Las Vegas? Unless they’re playing in slot or poker … Continue reading →

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

Case Bets: Strippers, Tomlin & no water in Macao

Posted on November 11, 2009 by David McKee

Being still deeply enmeshed in CityCenter-related materials (Kirvin Doak must be getting paid by the word, judging from the plethora of press releases it’s generated), I have to be a hit-and-run blogger today. Can’t go to the strip club? No … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, TV | Comments Off on Case Bets: Strippers, Tomlin & no water in Macao

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 10, 2009 by David McKee

“It was intriguing to me that you can have a valley of 2 million people spread around the suburbs without the logical counterpoint that you would typically find in large metropolitan markets, having a large urban core.” — MGM Mirage … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 4 Comments

Strip bottoming out

Posted on November 10, 2009 by David McKee

September’s Nevada gaming revenue numbers are in and the good news is that the Strip is only -4% year/year. (Strip revs were down all of ’08 but didn’t fall off the cliff until October, when they tumbled 26%.) This makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, Mesquite, Ohio, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off on Strip bottoming out

Shows! Shows! Shows!

Posted on November 9, 2009 by David McKee

Another clutch of reviews by Yr. Humble Blogger has appeared on TheWizardOfVegas.com, though my notes on the current Wayne Newton fiasco at the Tropicana Las Vegas are of such dubious legibility that they may never see the light of day. … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, George Maloof, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 6 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 9, 2009 by David McKee

“Turns out Newton isn’t the only Wayne in town with shot vocal cords.” — DailyFiasco.com, reporting on Wayne Brady‘s cancellation of all remaining 2009 performances of Making %@it Up at the Venetian. We can’t imagine an under-the-weather Brady sounding worse … Continue reading →

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

Trouble in River City

Posted on November 9, 2009 by David McKee

In a shocking development that’s bound to set tongues a-wagging, Pinnacle Entertainment CEO Dan Lee has “resigned to pursue other business interests” (industry-speak for “Don’t let the doorknob hit you in the butt”). The buzz is that Pinnacle’s strategy was … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Louisiana, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos | 8 Comments

Use found for The Harmon

Posted on November 8, 2009 by David McKee

Yes, “Dubai’s Diminuendo,” the “Harmonini,” Baldwin’s Bump, whatever you want to call it, has been given a purpose in life. Strip hotel guests awoke in the wee hours of Saturday morning to behold the following: If nothing else, the truncated … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 6, 2009 by David McKee

“If not exactly humbled by the show’s critical drubbing and lackluster sales, [Criss] Angel, now the butt of jokes by most other Strip comics and magicians, seems less hubristic than he did a year ago. There’s less swagger and no … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Cretins, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Best idea of the week … or year

Posted on November 6, 2009 by David McKee

From our Today’s News feed: “Until now, MGM Mirage exercised a policy of having each property in the group compete with the others, as if they were totally independent competing entities. It was a strategy designed to keep salespeople ‘on … Continue reading →

Posted in California, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Plaza, Steve Wynn | 2 Comments

Greek Isles, buy a clue

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

If anybody’s holding a vote on Las Vegas’ dullest casino Web site, surely the runaway winner will be that for the Greek Isles. It’s so boring, so unimaginative, so Midwest riverboat casino of 12 years ago that it practically yawns … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Technology, The Strip | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

“It appears the U.S. gaming pie is not getting bigger, and the slices continue to get smaller.” — Moody’s analyst Keith Foley on the impact of Ohio casinos on an already-shrinking revenue base. Southern Indiana looks to get hit especially … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Indiana, Ohio, Wall Street | 1 Comment

The evils of bingo; Wynn’s Aqueduct exit

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

America’s sixth-largest casino is in rural Alabama and it commands hotel prices comparable to CityCenter. Its 6,400 Class II devices mean that VictoryLand (above) is one gargantuan e-bingo hall. Due to the state’s patchwork set of laws, e-bingo is legal … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Cretins, Current, Economy, Harrah's, International, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, New York, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes | 1 Comment

Wynncore: the best revenge

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

If Wynn Resorts legal beagle Kevin Tourek didn’t make a complete fool of himself with his self-aggrandizing cease-and-desist letter to VegasTripping.com, then VT.com owner Chuck Monster finishes the job with a lengthy and subtly humorous rebuttal. In a lightly ironic … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Encore, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Much ado about something?

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

Vive le Roi! After much coy hugger-mugger, Cirque du Soleil has just announced the name of its Aria show is … wait for it, people … Viva Elvis. (I cannot decide if the uninspired logo, which looks like a Ronco … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

“It’s a bargain hunter’s paradise”

Posted on November 4, 2009 by David McKee

So sayeth our own Anthony Curtis, toward the end of a superb MSNBC analysis of the impending impact of CityCenter. Other industry moguls, including Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn, take a cautious but hopeful view. Even the normally optimistic Bill … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cordish Co., Economy, Kansas, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 2 Comments