Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

Trop's agony soon to end?

Posted on February 18, 2009 by David McKee

The bad news is that the New Jersey Casino Control Commission has voted to grant yet another extension on the interminable sale of the Tropicana Atlantic City. The good news that it’s merely been pushed out another month, not the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Trop's agony soon to end?

Sludge Report

Posted on February 18, 2009 by David McKee

Kudos to the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Howard Stutz for keeping an eye on an especially skanky provision of the economic-stimulus package, a sweetheart provision engineered by Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV). It awards companies — like vocal supporter MGM Mirage — … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Sludge Report

Looking for good news in Vegas

Posted on February 12, 2009 by David McKee

If I wanted to drive myself to strong drink, I could write about depressing, atrocious numbers coming out of Nevada casinos in December. But as that great philosopher, Linus in Peanuts, would remind me, it's better to light a single … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Gary Goett, George Maloof, Harrah's, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Morgans Hotel Group, Station Casinos, Tamares Group, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Looking for good news in Vegas

Bally does something really cool

Posted on February 12, 2009 by David McKee

While I'm not much of one for flagging press releases, here's one that's much too noteworthy not to mention. Bally Technologies is making a dollar-for-dollar match of employee contributions to the Nevada Cancer Institute. In return, Bally staffers get early … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Charity | Comments Off on Bally does something really cool

Missouri: Dough and "D'oh!"

Posted on February 11, 2009 by David McKee

Silly me. I had the Missouri numbers sitting in my "Inbox" all day yesterday and simply overlooked them amidst a typically frenetic day. A big "thank you" though to reader Bob Bradley, who provided the short and long versions (click … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Missouri: Dough and "D'oh!"

Boardwalk bummer

Posted on February 10, 2009 by David McKee

In short, January's Atlantic City revenue numbers are -9% at the tables and -10% in slots. The glass-half-empty spin is that this is the third straight year of decline. The glass-half-full perspective would be, yes, but it's -9% the fifth-highest … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Boardwalk bummer

Case Bets: James Packer, Isle of Capri

Posted on February 9, 2009 by David McKee

Geez, maybe the Nevada Gaming Control Board shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to green-light James Packer‘s purchase of Cannery Casino Resorts. (In a bow to noblesse oblige, Packer wasn’t even required to put in an appearance at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cannery Casino Resorts, Don Barden, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, International, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Wall Street | Comments Off on Case Bets: James Packer, Isle of Capri

False economies

Posted on February 9, 2009 by David McKee

In today's edition of "You Know What Really Grinds My Gears?" … As counterintuitive as it seems, one of the first things to take it in the neck during the present recession is customer service; cleanliness is the other. (Jean … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Election, Station Casinos | Comments Off on False economies

What's the sound of stale?

Posted on February 6, 2009 by David McKee

It'd probably be very much like the dulcet tones of Danny F. Gans (pictured), who reassures prospective attendees to his Encore show not to worry: It'll be the same old same-old. Or, as he rationalizes it, "I'm trying to give … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Encore, Entertainment, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on What's the sound of stale?

Mixed message from Penn

Posted on February 6, 2009 by David McKee

Having pulled the plug on his latest Atlantic City venture, Penn National CEO Peter Carlino served the city a heaping plate of gloom with a side dish of pessimism. In fact, he pretty much slammed the door on the besieged … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Mixed message from Penn

Tamares' good deed

Posted on February 4, 2009 by David McKee

Lichtenstein-based Tamares Group bought a gaggle of downtown Las Vegas casinos from Jackie Gaughan five years ago and hasn't seemed to know what to do with them since. However, one unpublicized kindness by Tamares — brought to our notice by … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Downtown, Tamares Group | Comments Off on Tamares' good deed

Black Tuesday: Station Casinos

Posted on February 4, 2009 by David McKee

Yesterday’s Chapter 11 proposal by Station Casinos was paradoxically both inevitable and premature. From the day Station drew on its revolving line of credit to fund operational expenses, the handwriting was on the wall. However, Station chose to precipitate a … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Economy, Reno, Station Casinos, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off on Black Tuesday: Station Casinos

Case Bets: Seminoles, Tropicana, Shuffle Master, Stanley Ho

Posted on February 3, 2009 by David McKee

Seminoles offer to lay $288 million and 12,000 new jobs on the table, for starters. Sunshine State Republicans blow them a raspberry. Constitutional or not, Gov. Charlie Crist‘s compact put a good deal in place for both sides. (It wasn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Australia, Columbia Sussex, Florida, Politics, Regulation, Shuffle Master, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Case Bets: Seminoles, Tropicana, Shuffle Master, Stanley Ho

Head-scratcher at Shuffle Master

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

Come March 15, Shuffle Master CEO Mark Yoseloff finally gets to leave the company — something he’s wanted to do for a while but which has been stymied by the difficulty of replacing him. Just how difficult was it? So … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Australia, Regulation, Technology, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Head-scratcher at Shuffle Master

Sign of the times II

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

This image, taken Saturday at the Plaza Hotel & Casino downtown, pretty much speaks for itself. Auction holders Real Estate Disposition Corp. were scheduled to hold another auction today. The choice of the down-on-her-luck Plaza as venue is apt … … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Sign of the times II

Stanley Ho's comeback

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

Citing the Lusa news agency, J.P. Morgan says that Macao casino revenues for January came in higher than expected, at $1.1 billion. The shocker, though, is the revision of market-share figures, which previously had shown Stanley Ho and Sheldon Adelson … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Mob | Comments Off on Stanley Ho's comeback

Who are they kidding?

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

Mesquite casino oligopolist Randy Black bought himself some TV ad time during the Super Bowl to tout his latest value proposition (starring one Randy Black). His opening gambit: "Everybody's cutting back." Uh no, not if you're Randy Black and just … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, Mesquite, Phil Ruffin, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Who are they kidding?

Atlantic City: Two strikes, no balls

Posted on January 29, 2009 by David McKee

This was originally going to be “Death Watch VI” but three of those in a week is positively ghoulish. So, on to the latest disheartening developments from Atlantic City, the casino market that just can’t catch a break. Cease the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Harrah's, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Atlantic City: Two strikes, no balls

Bargain$ tonight in Vega$

Posted on January 27, 2009 by David McKee

Suppose that you got a sudden urge to visit Vegas on a Tuesday night … tonight, to be specific. You’d find that the customer is king, at least as far as pricing goes. A few minutes spent browsing Travel.Ian.com yielded … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Current, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Bargain$ tonight in Vega$

Atlantic City Death Watch V

Posted on January 26, 2009 by David McKee

Joys, Shakespeare famously wrote, come as solitary spies while griefs arrive by the battalion. So it is with Atlantic City, where the bad news washes up along the Boardwalk in bunches. If you picked Resorts Atlantic City as the Casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Pinnacle Entertainment | Comments Off on Atlantic City Death Watch V