Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

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Kansas, Round 2: It's Cordish!

OK, I was wrong. Incredibly wrong. As you’ll hear on the next Vegas Gang podcast, I stuck by my prediction that Kansas‘ largest casino contract, the one for the greater Kansas City area, would go to Mohegan Sun. Why? Biggest … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Current, Golden Gaming, Kansas, Mississippi, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Kansas, Round 2: It's Cordish!

A "character" responds

You may recall that, some time back, in an item entitled "Blasts from the Past," I discussed an anomaly in the transfer of the El Cortez from Jackie Gaughan to an ownership group that included various longtime associates — and … Continue reading

Posted in Downtown, Regulation | Comments Off on A "character" responds

Letter from Colorado

Every so often, it's my pleasure to turn over this space to readers who offer informed takes on the issues or insight into subjects with which we (I, certainly) might be unfamiliar. Today's letter comes from a Colorado player who … Continue reading

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More Trop tomfoolery

Justice Gary Stein's trusteeship of the Atlantic City Tropicana continues its slide toward disaster. The UAW has filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Stein of a lack of good-faith bargaining. Stein has said in the past … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Labor, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on More Trop tomfoolery

Penn impresses analysts

Penn National threw open its doors to Wall Street and JP Morgan, for one, came away impressed by what it heard. Basically, management is charting a fiscally conservative course, even though it could eventually reap $1.2 billion from its busted … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colorado, Election, Harrah's, Penn National, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on Penn impresses analysts

Headless owner in topless bar

“It is amazing how people get religion once they want a gaming license,” said then-Nevada Gaming Control Board member Brian Harris, back in December ’98, in one of the all-time-great casino-related quotes. Harris’ statement came in connection with the license-application … Continue reading

Posted in Downtown, Election, Regulation, The Strip | Comments Off on Headless owner in topless bar

Telemundo rescues Neonopolis

OK, so they’re now calling it “Fremont Square,” but it’s still like a fugly fortress-like concrete cube that was somebody’s perverse notion of a shopping center. However, the local Telemundo affiliate wants to move its broadcast and studio operations into … Continue reading

Posted in Downtown, Harrah's | Comments Off on Telemundo rescues Neonopolis

Mont-blew it; more E-Can; Trump struggling

"Montbleu screwed our pooch." That's the conclusion of Chuck Monster, who chronicles a bait-and-switch at the former Caesars Tahoe. It's now part of the prospering casino fleet that is Columbia Sussex and its "pet friendly" package turned out to be … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Lake Tahoe, Pets, The Strip | Comments Off on Mont-blew it; more E-Can; Trump struggling

Alaska nixes gambling; Politics here, Harrah's there

With Alaska and its governor all over the news of late, I got to wondering what had become of that ballot initiative, backed by bar owners, to expand gambling in Alaska. As it happens, the initiative was voted down, the … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska, Detroit, Election, Internet gambling, Kansas, Politics, Tribal | Comments Off on Alaska nixes gambling; Politics here, Harrah's there

Case Bets: South Point, Gustav, Monte Carlo, Gold Spike, Excalibur, etc.

Why does a holiday weekend suck? Because it means that instead of having to dig through three days' worth of the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday (a depressing task under the best of circumstances), a Tuesday start means at least … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Current, Downtown, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Mississippi, Monte Carlo fire, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Case Bets: South Point, Gustav, Monte Carlo, Gold Spike, Excalibur, etc.

E-Can debuts

We got out of the way of the front doors of Eastside Cannery last night just in the nick of time. For all the apprehension about opening new casinos in the current economy (especially when locals' gambling budgets have taken … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, George Maloof, James Packer, Station Casinos | Comments Off on E-Can debuts

Eastside Cannery update

Yesterday, I asked how William Paulos and William Wortman were able to bring in Eastside Cannery (which opens tonight) for 250 million clams — $425 million less than Station Casinos is splurging on Aliante Station. In today’s Sun, Liz Benston … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Harrah's, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Eastside Cannery update

Durango Station, slightly downsized

Station Casinos has filed its latest set of plans for Durango Station and it looks like they’ve pulled back a bit, although you can judge for yourself. Hotel inventory has been reduced from 1,040 rooms, then 1,000, to 726; the … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

“The real story here is the workers, who put up with the worst working conditions, having the fortitude and tenacity to say we’re not going to be run out of here by someone who has come in from Kentucky to … Continue reading

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Kentucky, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Just as I suspected …

… and tried to imply the other day, we have two conflicting agendas in the ixnayed Casino Aztar sale. One is that of the creditors, who think the boat can fetch a higher price than the $220 million for which … Continue reading

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Indiana | Comments Off on Just as I suspected …

On the other hand …

… if Illinois casinos are sucking wind (which they are), why hasn't this redounded more to the benefit of neighboring states? For instance, it looks like Indiana had a good July, but once you back out two new racinos, a … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Don Barden, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment | Comments Off on On the other hand …

Trop to Eldorado: "Never mind"

In the strongest sign to date that company owner William J. Yung III has been banished to the doghouse, Tropicana Entertainment formally reneged on its sale of Casino Aztar to Reno-based Eldorado Resorts. The latter could walk away with as … Continue reading

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Harrah's, Indiana, Kansas, Regulation | Comments Off on Trop to Eldorado: "Never mind"

Kansas, Round 1: It's Harrah's, Penn

Score one victory each for Harrah’s Entertainment and Penn National Gaming in the first round of casino concessions awarded in Kansas today (with Round 2 to follow in a month). But there’s really only one winner … …. and it’s … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Harrah's, Kansas, Movies, Penn National | Comments Off on Kansas, Round 1: It's Harrah's, Penn

Quote of the Day

"You can't save your way to success." — Tropicana Entertainment CEO Scott Butera, commenting on the new collective-bargaining agreement at the  Las Vegas Tropicana. Funny, but that's almost a word-for-word reprise of Dennis Gomes' analysis of parent company Columbia Sussex's … Continue reading

Posted in Columbia Sussex, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Stupid Ameristar tricks

So your lucrative, big-ass casino company is costing headaches — and money — for a Chicago tax preparer because of a single-digit difference between your toll-free number and his. Which means he has to waste time fielding calls from thick-fingered … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar | Comments Off on Stupid Ameristar tricks