In a TV interview, Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby tipped his hand, indicating that approval of MGM Springfield is far more likely than not. However, the MGC might be making some demands of its own, above and beyond what has been negotiated with Springfield and its surrounding communities. A decision on MGM Springfield will be made on May 31 at the latest, although that feels like an eternity. For once, I think I know how an MGM executive feels.
Demolition has commenced on one of Gary Loveman‘s lesser follies, the $700 million Biloxi megaresort that was to have been branded “Margaritaville.” Caesars Entertainment couldn’t afford to finish it, Jimmy Buffett took his brand elsewhere and all that remained was a skeleton of a casino. The remnants will be torn up and dumped offshore to bolster the man-made Katrina Key that shelters the shoreline and fishing grounds. Instead of a new megaresort, an overdue makeover of Grand Casino Biloxi (soon to be Harrah’s Gulf Coast) will take place. The land meant for Margaritaville instead will become a greensward for outdoor events.
Rose. Rabbit. Lie. It almost defies description but the new dinner show/nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas gives new meaning to “extravagance.” And that’s on the Vegas Strip, home to umpteen Cirque du Soleil shows. Seriously, this sounds like something you have to see for yourself.
Someone who’s already gone down the rabbit hole is New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s booking revenue from new casinos into his budget for next year. As Ken Adams notes, “is the governor being really aggressive, naively eager or just plain foolish? Or is he simply ill informed?” I’ll put my money on the latter.
Today is D-Day for the launch of bitcoin at the Golden Gate and The D. Owner Derek Stevens admits that, although he’s been studying the idea for a year and a half, he doesn’t know what to expect. He characterizes the addition of betcoin as a response to customer demand. (There’s an unspoken irony in the city’s oldest hotel being the first to implement this new technology.) Says Stevens, “We’re located in the growing high-tech sector of downtown Las Vegas, and like all things downtown, we’re quickly adaptive to new technology.” It remains to be seen whether bitcoin has mainstream popularity or is, as soon maintain, a bauble for wingnuts who fear a New World Order.
