Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

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Feel better, Las Vegas

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

You could be Phoenix. A reader shared with me a Wall Street Journal article on the cratering hotel market down there. (No link, sorry.) Occupany hit 58% in April, far worse than anything Las Vegas has seen. (J.P. Morgan forecasts … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Economy, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off on Feel better, Las Vegas

Reid rewarded, Trop rescued

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

… Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) efforts on behalf of the casino industry have not gone unrewarded. If you can follow this formatting garble, you'll see that his donors include not only Tim & Tom, late of the Golden Nugget, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Reid rewarded, Trop rescued

Station 1, Boyd 0

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

In a North Las Vegas proxy war, Station Casinos handed defeat to Boyd Gaming when its preferred candidate, Councilwoman Shari Buck, trounced a colleague, to become the city's next mayor. Both Boyd and Station contributed to both candidates but slight … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Election, Gary Goett, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Station 1, Boyd 0

Pansy passes the buck

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

An understandably sheepish-looking J. Terrence Lanni toasts the opening of MGM Grand Macau alongside business partner Pansy Ho and, front and center, project co-financier Stanley Ho. MGM Grand Macau co-owner Pansy Ho says it's entirely up to MGM Mirage to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Macau, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Stanley Ho | Comments Off on Pansy passes the buck

Rumble in Macao

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

Although an oft-promised loosening of visa restrictions by Peking stubborny refuses to materialize, an air of cautious hopefulness has crept back into Macao now that City of Dreams has opened on schedule — and it looks dazzling. Aggressive revenue projections … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Genting, George Maloof, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip | Comments Off on Rumble in Macao

Margaritaville wastes away

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

In an utterly (not) shocking development, the interminably protracted sale of Trump Marina has given up the ghost. This deal was on life support for months, so today’s bulletin merely ratifies the inevitable. The would-be reinvention of the Marina as … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Silverton, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Margaritaville wastes away

Planet Ho Towers peep show

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

As for Nov. 1, PH Towers — the Westgate condo component of Planet Hollywood — will be open for business. Time constraints preclude creating an entire photo gallery, so I’ll just direct you here. (Be warned that there’s some damned … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, The Strip | Comments Off on Planet Ho Towers peep show

Report from the Strat

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

A reader asked (possibly in jest) how the Hard Rock Hotel was vis-a-vis the Stratosphere. While I don't have the basis for an A:A comparison, I can comfortably say that if you can afford the Hard Rock, it's no contest. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Goldman Sachs, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Report from the Strat

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

“The surroundings and clientele here are just too rough. (Ironic, but true: The first two letters on the Western marquee are burned out, so it simply reads, ‘STERN.’ It’s an apt description.” — description of an aborted fact-finding mission to … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Tamares Group | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

By request …

Posted on June 1, 2009 by David McKee

A reader from the heartland of this great country wanted to know whether LVA HQ provided a good vantage point for a United Way car wash at The Rio last Friday. Since I have but an obstructed view of The … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Charity, Harrah's, Labor, The Strip | Comments Off on By request …

Super-screwed at Santana

Posted on June 1, 2009 by David McKee

Morgans' gradual obliteration of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino continues apace, in this February photo. Actually, this was one of the few flattering angles to be found. Ever since Morgans Hotel Group plunged into the Las Vegas market, first … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Entertainment, George Maloof, Morgans Hotel Group, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Super-screwed at Santana

Macao: Genting in, MGM out?

Posted on May 29, 2009 by David McKee

I’ve speculated elsewhere — I believe it was on the TwoWayHardThree forum — that Genting Bhd might be a logical, even inevitable successor, should MGM Mirage bail out of Macao. Seems that while I was laid up, news surfaced that … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Singapore, Stanley Ho | Comments Off on Macao: Genting in, MGM out?

Station: Unleash the hounds!

Posted on May 28, 2009 by David McKee

So Station Casinos is kicking the tires of dog-racing tracks in Massachusetts (as is Boyd Gaming)? Greyhound races will soon — but not soon enough — be illegal in Massachusetts, although the Bay State Lege just gave them a two-year … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, Massachusetts, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Station: Unleash the hounds!

Pansy Ho: time for Plan C

Posted on May 22, 2009 by David McKee

In my usual cart-first, horse-later fashion, I elicited a legal opinion regarding the scenario I postulated the other night: MGM Mirage spinning off either its Atlantic City holdings or MGM Grand Macau into a quasi-autonomous entity, much as Sheldon Adelson … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Taxes | Comments Off on Pansy Ho: time for Plan C

Under Attack II

Posted on May 22, 2009 by David McKee

Aside from being the title of ABBA's final single (and lamest music video), it's also the status of our Web site. Which means precious little blogorrhea, I fear. In the interim, experience an absolutely mind-boggling interview with Harrah's Entertainment CEO … Continue reading →

Posted in ABBA, Entertainment, Harrah's, Technology | Comments Off on Under Attack II

Slots A Fun defeats Donald Trump

Posted on May 22, 2009 by David McKee

I'm not sure if you can see the "unique page views" counter on this blog or not but, as of Friday afternoon, people prefer to read about Slots A Fun than about the bizarre reasoning patterns of one Donald J. … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Downtown, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on Slots A Fun defeats Donald Trump

Oscar Goodman, Voice of Reason

Posted on May 21, 2009 by David McKee

Even as MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren and Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin are preparing to stomp out any incipient recovery in Las Vegas by jacking up room rates, words of restraint are coming from the unlikeliest of sources: Mayor … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Economy, Harrah's, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, The Strip | Comments Off on Oscar Goodman, Voice of Reason

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 21, 2009 by David McKee

A certain casino. "The old timers will remember the time, and not that long ago, when casinos just looked at your action and rewarded you accordingly. They figured everyone wins at least part of the time, and they knew that if … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, Morgans Hotel Group, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

"Fixations"

Posted on May 21, 2009 by David McKee

No, Guy Laliberté is not prancing around our offices in cap and bells, reducing staffers to helpless laughter with declarations of, "Criss Angel is not a magician … he is an artist!" Instead, cyber-gremblins have rendered our Web operations FUBAR … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Macau, MGM Mirage, Technology | Comments Off on "Fixations"

Surrender in Atlantic City?

Posted on May 20, 2009 by David McKee

Yesterday, I mis-reported New Jersey state Sen. James Whelan's proposal for downsizing the state's regulatory apparatus. He didn't call for elimination of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission in favor of the Division of Gaming Enforcement, merely an unspecified removal … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Surrender in Atlantic City?