Author Archives: David McKee

About David McKee

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Quote of the Day

“I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge—even wisdom.”—Nobel … Continue reading

Posted in Current | 1 Comment

Maryland just fine; Next stop, Hartford?

Gaming revenues were up 2% last month in Maryland, good for $149 million. $61 million of that was won by MGM National Harbor (+4%). Market share was dominated by MGM (41%) and Maryland Live (33%). The Cordish Gaming property grossed $49 … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Cretins, Crown Resorts, e-sports, Foxwoods, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Sports betting, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland just fine; Next stop, Hartford?

Quote of the Day

“Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean.” — AGS CEO David Lopez, whose game-manufacturing company is an industry leader in diversity.

Posted in Diversity, Technology | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Wynn, Station disappoint Wall Street

JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff took a look at Wynn Resorts‘ second-quarter numbers and deemed them “a mixed bag.” The good news: Cash flow in Las Vegas, expected to be $109 million, manifested itself at $137 million. The sorta-bad news: There … Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Golden Gaming, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Palms, Slot routes, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wynn, Station disappoint Wall Street

Eldorado’s bad quarter; Crown fights back

Eldorado Resorts might want to put its own house in order before engorging Caesars Entertainment. Quarterly results are out and Eldorado came in low in every category except corporate costs. Revenue misses included the West ($128 million) -$18 million, the … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Crown Resorts, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, IGT, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Regulation, Technology, The Mob, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Eldorado’s bad quarter; Crown fights back

Vegas: The good, the mediocre and the Moulin Rouge

First the good news (for the hospitality industry): Las Vegas hotel occupancy is over 89% and ADRs are $135.23. The relatively bad news is that total visitation will yet again fall short of 2016’s record numbers. The Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Richard … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Genting, Illinois, Konami, Las Vegas Raiders, Moulin Rouge, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Vegas: The good, the mediocre and the Moulin Rouge

MGM stymied Down East; Trade war dings Macao

Hopes for MGM Resorts International in Connecticut may be fading now that lawmakers are proposing a tribally owned casino in Bridgeport, part of an omnibus gaming expansion. The bipartisan Connecticut Jobs & Revenue Act would authorize a casino in Bridgeport owned by … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Downtown, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, International, Internet gambling, Lotteries, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Tamares Group, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on MGM stymied Down East; Trade war dings Macao

Hooters out, Oyo in?; Crown in hot water

Hooters Hotel Casino, the brand that should have worked in Las Vegas but didn’t, may finally be on the way out. VitalVegas reports that hotelier Highgate may be rechristening Hooters with its Oyo brand. Highgate already operates hotels in the … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Australia, Crown Resorts, Detroit, Diversity, Environment, Hooters, Illinois, James Packer, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, South Carolina, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

“We are what we repeatedly do, and in this country what we repeatedly do is mow down civilians with .223-caliber semiautomatic rifles. The mass shootings pile on top of each other, occurring so close together this weekend that cable news … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Ohio, Texas | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Caesars nixes Strip project; IGT in New England brawl

Caesars Entertainment has officially spiked the Kind Heaven immersive experience, part Blade Runner and part Jungle Book. VitalVegas author said of the Perry Farrell pipe dream, when it was unveiled last year, that the details ranged “from breathtakingly original to laughably … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Crown Resorts, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, IGT, Illinois, Law enforcement, Politics, Rhode Island, Scientific Games, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Twin River, Wendover, William Hill | Comments Off on Caesars nixes Strip project; IGT in New England brawl

Quote of the Day

“The sentiment to put the casino in a struggling neighborhood, away from downtown, is well-intended. Too many South and West side communities have emptied due to crime and violence, been hurt by anti-business and high-tax policies and suffered a lack … Continue reading

Posted in Illinois | 1 Comment

Sands: Waiting for Japan; I-gaming raids hit Singapore, Vietnam

It’s difficult to imagine investors being impatient with Las Vegas Sands but The Motley Fool‘s Travis Hoium suggests that they are. “Unless a new market like Japan hits, that cash flow machine is all Las Vegas Sands has to offer,” … Continue reading

Posted in Horseracing, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pets, Singapore, Sports betting, Vietnam, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sands: Waiting for Japan; I-gaming raids hit Singapore, Vietnam

Quote of the Day

“I suspected that, if I didn’t make a life in the theater, I wouldn’t have a life—literally.” — Broadway director and impresario Hal Prince (Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular), who died yesterday at age 91.

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

Vegas’ baccarat bonanza; New ‘link’ on Strip

Ever unpredictable, the Las Vegas Strip boomed  last month, as gross gaming revenue shot up 18% (propelled by baccarat) to $616.5 million. Statewide, gambling win leapt 11.5% for a grand total of $1 billion. Perhaps it’s coincidental—but surely not—that McCarran … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Aristocrat, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Golden Gaming, Hawaii, history, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Vegas’ baccarat bonanza; New ‘link’ on Strip

Wynn tops in U.S. casinos; Crown in hot water again

Steve Wynn got some love from the contributors to TripAdvisor, whose top-three-ranked casinos in America are Wynn Las Vegas, Encore and Beau Rivage, a vindication of Wynn’s spare-no-detail approach. However, Bellagio may be showing its age, clocking in at a … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Crown Resorts, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, Indiana, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, M Resort, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, North Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

“The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.”—Frederick Douglass

Posted in history | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Eldorado’s Caesars gamble; Chicago casino not welcomed

For those of you who are beginning to have misgivings about the Eldorado Resorts takeover of Caesars Entertainment, add The Motley Fool‘s Travis Hoium. The latter is almost never wrong, so we pay attention when he writes that “The final … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Genting, Illinois, New York, Politics, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Tribes brush off Stitt; MGM riles Jewish community

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt‘s proposal to levy higher exclusivity fees on the Sooner State’s 134 tribal casinos continues to go over like a lead balloon. The guv finds himself in receipt of a letter from all of the state’s gaming-enabled … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, California, history, International, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Oklahoma, Phil Ruffin, Sports, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, TV | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

“The casino industry is growing like a shark nowadays. The whole gambling business is being shifted online to cop up with the latest technology, cover a large number of people and to suffice the demand the players. Online casino and … Continue reading

Posted in Internet gambling | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Strip buoys MGM, Sands

According to JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, second-quarter results for MGM Resorts International “were better than (very subdued) investor expectations” on the Strip and in line with anticipation about Macao. Despite weak baccarat volumes in Las Vegas, the company performed “marginally … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Harrah's, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Singapore, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment