Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

Bio

China’s credit bubble; Ocean Resort’s secret formula

Posted on December 26, 2019 by David McKee

China gamblers may be playing today at the expense of tomorrow. Bloomberg reports that Generation Z is borrowing heavily in high-interest debt to fuel its consumerism, a phenomenon that should be of concern in Macao. “Household debt hit levels of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, China, Culinary Union, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New Hampshire, Ocean Resort, Oklahoma, Regulation, Scott Butera, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 26, 2019 by David McKee

“Quentin Tarantino wants to live in a movie, and he knows we wish we could live in one, too. He even knows everyone in Hollywood felt the same way until the Manson murders broke the town’s soul in 1969. So … Continue reading →

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Merry Christmas!

Posted on December 25, 2019 by David McKee

From our house to your house ….

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Happy Hannukah!

Posted on December 23, 2019 by David McKee

“Chanukah reminds us that a little light can defeat an empire of darkness; human goodness can defy terror and brute force; and life and spiritual vitality can overcome destruction.”—Rabbi Harlig.

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Quote of the Day

Posted on December 23, 2019 by David McKee

“If we have an education problem in this state, why would we legalize marijuana?”—Rhode Island Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D), whose state’s school system has been under a microscope and not in a good way. We’re taking a brief … Continue reading →

Posted in Marijuana, Rhode Island | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

S&G theme music

Posted on December 22, 2019 by David McKee

When I write these pages I’m usually listening to opera. And very often it is Piotr Illych Tchaikovsky‘s The Queen of Spades, which—in one sense—can be viewed as a cautionary tale of what happens when one takes their gambling obsession … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment | Comments Off on S&G theme music

Fourth Massachusetts casino mulled; Hard Rock making hard sell in Japan

Posted on December 20, 2019 by David McKee

While the Boston Globe may call it a “baby step,” the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is doing the right thing by means-testing the market before awarding a full-scale casino license in the southeastern part of the Bay State, which looks pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Hard Rock International, Japan, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Tribal, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Fourth Massachusetts casino mulled; Hard Rock making hard sell in Japan

Louisiana stagnant, Michigan a sports-betting go

Posted on December 20, 2019 by David McKee

An extra weekend day didn’t do bupkis for Louisiana, where November gaming revenues ($205 million) were flat with last year’s. The good news is that Baton Rouge, so troubled a market, was incrementally higher than in 2018. Eldorado Resorts‘ Belle … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Detroit, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Indiana, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Michigan, Movies, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Louisiana stagnant, Michigan a sports-betting go

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 20, 2019 by David McKee

“You can fool some of the people some of the time—and that’s enough to make a decent living.”—W.C. Fields

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Twin River has scandal of its own; Musical chairs in Oklahoma

Posted on December 19, 2019 by David McKee

Twin River Casino can forget about prying the Rhode Island Lottery contract away from International Game Technology. Twin River exec Michael Barlow and a vendor have been hit with a staggering 30 counts of bribery, obtaining property under false pretenses and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, IGT, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Tribal, Twin River, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Twin River has scandal of its own; Musical chairs in Oklahoma

Greed is good (Not!); Miller looks back on 2019

Posted on December 19, 2019 by David McKee

Most gaming CEOs are wearing hair shirts and taking vows of poverty compared to bet365 CEO Denise Coates, the new poster girl of greed. She awarded herself $422 million in compensation (no, that’s not a typo). In 2015-6 Coates scraped … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, China, Cosmopolitan, Dining, International, Macau, Massachusetts, Money laundering, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resort fees, Sports betting, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Greed is good (Not!); Miller looks back on 2019

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 19, 2019 by David McKee

“There are moments in CATS I would gladly pay to unsee, including baby mice with the faces of human girls and a chorus line of cockroach Rockettes. Anyone who takes small children to this movie is setting them up for … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Movies | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Tribal gambling rampant in Oklahoma?; Penn National gets swindled

Posted on December 18, 2019 by David McKee

Could “casinos and smoke shops soon begin popping up on every corner of downtown Tulsa?” So wondered Indian Country Today about a Supreme Court case that could dramatically alter the complexion of tribal gaming in Oklahoma. (Serves Kevin Stitt right.) The … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Eldorado Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, Tribal, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Tribal gambling rampant in Oklahoma?; Penn National gets swindled

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 18, 2019 by David McKee

“Don’t try and reinvent the wheel, ask the experts out in Vegas how to run a sportsbook. I’ve been waiting my whole life to make wagers LOCALLY instead of wiring my money to some organized crime family in Central America.”—anonymous comment … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Regulation, Sports betting | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 17, 2019 by David McKee

“You go to the other places to get your bachelor’s, but Las Vegas is where you go for the graduate degree in fun. You warmed up over there. That’s the bullpen. Come here to get in the game.”—University of Nevada-Las Vegas … Continue reading →

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Sports wagering booms in Pennsylvania; Casino crime wave in Philippines

Posted on December 17, 2019 by David McKee

Spurred by mobile wagering, the Pennsylvania sports-betting market exceeded $300 million in handle last month. Said PlayPennsylvania.com analyst Dustin Gouker, “Plagued with relatively high gaming taxes and early hurdles to its online launch, Pennsylvania’s future as a legal sports betting jurisdiction … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tourism | 1 Comment

Station faces the music; Atlantic City dissed

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Imagine how much of a world of hurt Station Casinos would be in if DJs Marshmello and Skrillex hadn’t quit instead of having their high-priced sinecures ($60 million in Mr. Marshmello’s case) terminated, as happened to Ryan Raddon, aka Kaskade. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Japan, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Oklahoma, Palms, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | 1 Comment

Encore dominates Boston; President Xi visits Macao

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Encore Boston Harbor continues to lap the field in Massachusetts with 60% of market share and daily revenue of $1.6 million. Encore is definitely cutting into slot business at Plainridge Park, still impressive at $305/win/slot/day—but down from $357/slot a year … Continue reading →

Posted in California, China, International, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Encore dominates Boston; President Xi visits Macao

DeSalvio dispatched to Catskills; Stevens thinks big

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Former Encore Boston Harbor prexy Robert DeSalvio didn’t have to cool his heels for long. He’s just (the news broke two hours ago) been named president of Genting New York, ousting Ryan Eller. As his title implies, DeSalvio will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Derek Stevens, Detroit, Downtown, Genting, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Movies, New York, Palms, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on DeSalvio dispatched to Catskills; Stevens thinks big

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

“Families are built on love—no matter what they look like. Being ‘family friendly’ means honoring love, not censoring difference. This truth will be more important than ever as we rebuild our nation into a place defined by belonging, not by … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing | Comments Off on Quote of the Day