Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

Get 'em while they're young

Posted on August 6, 2009 by David McKee

One of the Atlantic City Hilton‘s most valued players was a 19-year-old from Brooklyn. This baby whale was sufficiently lucrative to the Colony C(r)apital property that he received a comped stay and qualified as a “rated player.” Better still, A.C. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Entertainment, International, Regulation, Riviera, Station Casinos, The Strip | Comments Off on Get 'em while they're young

Boyd, Ameristar stable; CityCenter schedule revised

Posted on August 5, 2009 by David McKee

Second-quarter results from Boyd Gaming and Ameristar Casinos gave continued reason to be sanguine about each company. Both reported profits (12 cents per share at Boyd, double that at Ameristar) and both missed their revenue targets by an aggregate of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colorado, Current, Downtown, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Boyd, Ameristar stable; CityCenter schedule revised

Donald Trump, comedian

Posted on August 4, 2009 by David McKee

This is a joke, right? Three Atlantic City casinos for a slim $100 million? Then again, if Trump Entertainment Resorts financial advisor Lazard only values unloved Trump Marina at $24 million, maybe exiled chairman Donald Trump isn’t so far out … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Pennsylvania, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off on Donald Trump, comedian

McKee vs. Lerner

Posted on August 3, 2009 by David McKee

Actually, the headline misstates what was a very collegial — if occasionally dissenting — exchange of views between Union Gaming Group's Bill Lerner and Yr. Humble Blogger on Jon Ralston's Face to Face show. It was only my second-ever gig … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, International, Kansas, Labor, M Resort, Macau, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Station Casinos, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off on McKee vs. Lerner

Bare-knuckle Boardwalk brawl

Posted on July 31, 2009 by David McKee

“Leaky windows. Broken air-conditioning. Missing kitchen equipment. A weather-beaten building … It also has missing kitchen equipment and broken air-conditioning units that have left guest rooms hot and unrentable. Further, it is plagued by a leaky roof, windows and skylights … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Silverton, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Bare-knuckle Boardwalk brawl

To Charo or not?

Posted on July 31, 2009 by David McKee

Are you wondering whether it's worth forking over 50 or more of your increasingly hard-earned dollars to see Charo in Concert: A Musical Sensation at the Riviera? This video (or "bideo" in Charo's Castillian lisp) is sufficiently representative that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Entertainment, Riviera, The Strip | Comments Off on To Charo or not?

Fasolt

Posted on July 30, 2009 by David McKee

As I write this, LVA mascot Mojo is sunning herself on my office balcony (and doing #2, I fear), turning my mind to the animal kingdom. S&G readers are sometimes so kind as to ask after the health of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Pets, TV | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 30, 2009 by David McKee

"Privé. Gibbons. Ensign. Rampant foreclosure. Half-built, hubristic casinos. Record unemployment. UFC. Mob Museum. Maybe Las Vegas 2009 is just Tom Wolfe's next novel." — Las Vegas Weekly Editor Scott Dickensheets, from Facebook.

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Labor, Politics, Sports, Station Casinos, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Case Bets: Hard Rock, Puck, Station, Greek Isles

Posted on July 29, 2009 by David McKee

Morgans Hotel Group has never seemed able to make up its mind about what to do with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (one of the stranger acquisitions of recent years). Then-CEO Ed Scheetz came in talking big about classing … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Morgans Hotel Group, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Case Bets: Hard Rock, Puck, Station, Greek Isles

Strange happenings at Penn Nat'l, Harrah's

Posted on July 29, 2009 by David McKee

While everybody's been focusing on the implosion of Station Casinos, the analysts at J.P. Morgan snuck out one of the more unusual (and entertaining) reports I've ever come across. They pored over Penn's 2Q09 filing and had some tales to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Station Casinos, Wall Street | Comments Off on Strange happenings at Penn Nat'l, Harrah's

Aztar deal the worst ever: it's quantifiable

Posted on July 28, 2009 by David McKee

When he acquired Aztar Corp., back in 2006, Columbia Sussex CEO William J. Yung III also became one of the company’s debtors. So what’s his $36 million worth today? According to the Wall Street Journal, 100 grand or less. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, International, Macau, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Aztar deal the worst ever: it's quantifiable

'Show Me' no stinkin' IDs

Posted on July 27, 2009 by David McKee

"We don't want them in there," huffs Ameristar Casinos' Troy Stremming (left) with regard to pathological gamblers. Stremming's high dudgeon rings a mite hollow now that the Missouri ballot initiative he crafted and shepherded to victory last fall is providing … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Missouri, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Taxes | Comments Off on 'Show Me' no stinkin' IDs

A Trop by any other name

Posted on July 27, 2009 by David McKee

Icahn Capital, which purchased the Tropicana Atlantic City for $54 million, effectively, is projecting a conservative course for the property. Any sort of expansion is being ruled out for now, due to skepticism about “green shoots” of economic recovery. Speaking … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Problem gambling, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on A Trop by any other name

'Show Me' no stinkin' IDs

Posted on July 27, 2009 by David McKee

"We don't want them in there," huffs Ameristar Casinos' Troy Stremming (left) with regard to pathological gamblers. Stremming's high dudgeon rings a mite hollow now that the Missouri ballot initiative he crafted and shepherded to victory last fall is providing … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Missouri, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Taxes | Comments Off on 'Show Me' no stinkin' IDs

God, save the Queen!

Posted on July 27, 2009 by David McKee

Another victim of the Comment-Eating Server, Jeff in OKC, writes: Isn't the Queen of Hearts property part of what is to become the new City Hall? I know the Nevada Hotel and Casino isn't pretty, but it is the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Oscar Goodman, Tamares Group | Comments Off on God, save the Queen!

Packer steps in it again

Posted on July 24, 2009 by David McKee

After frequent demurrals, the Victoria government has ‘fessed up that it was on the receiving end of ham-fisted lobbying by Crown Casino owner James Packer. A delicate quid pro quo (higher taxes in return for more table games) was being … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Economy, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off on Packer steps in it again

Double-whammy for Planet Ho

Posted on July 23, 2009 by David McKee

True, Planet Hollywood is feeling some pain in the wallet after the Nevada Gaming Commission approved a $500,000 fine. But it's Clark County Department of Business License which fired the shot across the bow that will really get the casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Downtown, Economy, Labor, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on Double-whammy for Planet Ho

Longoria meets CityCenter

Posted on July 23, 2009 by David McKee

A power outage really f-ed up our computers here and destroyed a finished S&G entry ("Save," my ass!). So, to lighten the atmosphere, here's actress Eva Longoria, who stars in a TV show I cannot stand, trying to look excited … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Dining, MGM Mirage, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Longoria meets CityCenter

Tamares' crown jewels

Posted on July 23, 2009 by David McKee

Ian Sutton posted this today at GamingFloor.com and I couldn't resist snurching it. Sandwiched between footage of the Lady Luck and other Downtown detritus is a long, loving look at those two fine Tamares Group dereli … er, acquisitions: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Downtown, Economy, Oscar Goodman, Tamares Group, TV | Comments Off on Tamares' crown jewels

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 23, 2009 by David McKee

Sig Rogich’s choo-choo to nowhere. Some parts of Sig sold separately. “Even with the Victorville-Palmdale link, which is not a dead certainty, a Las Vegas rider who wanted to see the Magic Kingdom would have to travel from Sin City … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Politics, Reno, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day