Caesars to rebuff Fertitta; No surprise, Culinary endorses Rosen

This just in: Credit Suisse analyst Brian McKnight reports that the Caesars Entertainment board is going to reject Tilman Fertitta‘s reverse-merger offer. However, now that Caesars is in play, McKnight doesn’t think this is the end of the story, mentioning activist shareholders, presumably ones who don’t feel like scoffing at $13/share offers while CZR is trading at $9.77. Global Gaming Business adds that “Fertitta is a cousin to Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who own and operate Red Rock Resorts (formerly Station Casinos), based in Las Vegas. The relationship between the cousins has reportedly been tense for years.” That’s putting it nicely.

* In other news, the Culinary Union has made its endorsements, too many to list. It’s definitely got an uphill battle in some races. Rep. Jacky Rosen (D) fumbled away a small lead over Sen. Dean Heller (R) and was last seen running seven points behind, although NBC has them in “dead heat” territory again. At least Rosen has the Harry Reid machine behind her, in addition to the Culinary. In another key race, Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak (D) has to be considered an underdog to Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R), which may explain why buttoned-down Sisolak is currently courting the stoner vote.

* Massachusetts horse tracks are approaching the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for the go-ahead to hold live meets. Penn National Gaming is gung-ho about the whole thing, proposing 108 days of racing at Plainridge Park. Those slot machines are spinning so much money that it should translate into fat purses for the horsemen. As for Suffolk Downs, let’s not get too excited. It wants “at least four days of live racing,” according to the Boston Globe, but isn’t exactly jumping in with both hooves.

* Football fans in Las Vegas have got to be hope that this season is what’s euphemistically called a “rebuilding year” in sports, which means that your team — the Oakland Raiders — gets its brains continually beat in, with the hope of better, stronger things to come next season and (when the Raiders move to Vegas), the year after that. Celebrity coach Jon Gruden claims otherwise, “I hear the hatred out there, some of the rumors that we are tanking it to get a first-round pick or a higher pick. We are not getting up at four in the morning to tank it. Ain’t nobody tanking it.”

Poor grammar aside, he’s got a lot of people thinking otherwise. Faced with a superannuated roster, Gruden has been forced to rely on his youngest players to get it done. Pressed on the issue, he bristled, “I’ve been accused my whole life of hating rookies and liking old players, and now I’m playing 10 rookies. What do you say to that, America?” Of course, leaning heavily on the newbie is one of the dead giveaways that you’re in rebuilding mode, salting them with experience and playing for better results somewhere way down the line. With $100 million and a ten-year deal invested in Gruden, you have to think owner Mark Davis is playing the long game. Good for Vegas, maybe, not so hot for Oakland.

* After deciding to pick the best celebrity chef in each state, USDirect found its flummoxed by Nevada. Thanks to the proliferation of trophy chefs on the Las Vegas Strip, USDirect went with five. Surprisingly, Giada de Laurentiis didn’t make the list, although newcomer Robert Irvine did. Other selections ran from the sublime (Irvine, Bobby Flay) to the ridiculous (Guy Fieri, Wolfgang Puck) to those somewhere in between (Gordon Ramsay). At least GdL has New Jersey all to herself — are you listening, Caesars?

* Say a fond farewell to Pinnacle Entertainment. Penn National’s and Boyd Gaming‘s acquisitions of Pinnacle assets closed last week. Now Penn moves on to its purchase of Margaritaville in Shreveport and Boyd prepares to deploy the potent Ameristar name as part of its branding arsenal. They could afford to put it on a few of their unbranded casinos. Ameristar Kansas has a nice ring to it, no?