Category Archives: Arizona

Firebugs in Macao; New slots at Harrah’s

Posted on September 27, 2017 by David McKee

Already slowed by construction fatalities, jinx-prone Grand Lisboa Palace has now been ravaged by fire. The best that CEO Angela Leong could say about the casino’s late-2018 opening date was that it was now uncertain. Sociedade de Jogos de Macau … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, California, Economy, GameCO, Harrah's, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off on Firebugs in Macao; New slots at Harrah’s

Japan sets casinos up for failure; Renegade card room in California closed

Posted on August 18, 2017 by David McKee

About the nicest thing Jim Murren had to say about Japan‘s casino market is that it’s “unclear at the moment.” Casino developers are bracing themselves for delivery of a 130-page report from the Expert Committee, laying out proposed regulations for megaresorts. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, California, Cretins, Donald Trump, Election, history, Internet gambling, Japan, Maine, MGM Mirage, Pets, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Virginia | Comments Off on Japan sets casinos up for failure; Renegade card room in California closed

MGM changes Macao strategy; Protest at the Hard Rock

Posted on August 17, 2017 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International isn’t counting on the whales to make ends meet at its Cotai Strip™ casino. “Our business model is not predicated on the VIP business. Our strategic plan is built on catering to this tremendously emerging more-affluent Chinese customer, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Arizona, Culinary Union, George Maloof, Hard Rock Hotel, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, Marketing, Marnell Gaming, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal | 3 Comments

Legal weed a casino buzzkill; Caesars’ Australian pact nixed

Posted on August 7, 2017 by David McKee

In the casino biz, “pot” is now something other than what you put your poker bets into. It’s a source of money that’s not welcome at Ye Olde Casino (and you thought gambling moguls didn’t care where you got your … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Australia, Economy, Environment, Florida, Geoff Freeman, Glenn Straub, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Law enforcement, Regulation, Revel, Seminole Tribe, Tribal | Comments Off on Legal weed a casino buzzkill; Caesars’ Australian pact nixed

Mohegan Sun rules; Conflict over e-sports

Posted on July 25, 2017 by David McKee

Executives at Mohegan Gaming Entertainment can take a victory lap this morning. Readers of USA Today voted Mohegan Sun the finest casino in America, edging out Caesars Palace for the top spot. Bracketing Caesars was another tribal casino, Pechanga Resort … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, California, Downtown, e-sports, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Iowa, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments

Arizona tribe moves ahead; The king and Adelson

Posted on July 3, 2017 by David McKee

Having beaten the system and Gov. Doug Ducey (R), the Tohono O’odham tribe in Arizona is moving ahead with construction of its permanent, Class III casino, with an eye toward completion by spring of 2019. The tribe has been getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Arizona, International, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Arizona tribe moves ahead; The king and Adelson

Solution in search of a problem; Trump causes Macao jitters

Posted on May 18, 2017 by David McKee

As it its civic duty, Plainridge Park racino pays into the local Community Mitigation Fund. Now it’s being ill-repaid by Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey, who wants 75 dimes of CMF money to investigate crimes his office says are “stemming directly” … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Donald Trump, Law enforcement, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Solution in search of a problem; Trump causes Macao jitters

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 27, 2017 by David McKee

“I don’t like to say that we’re a ‘gaming tribe. We’re a farming tribe that happens to have a casino … Gaming may not be here forever. So we have to be able to look back and say that we … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Economy, Harrah's, Tribal | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Freeman: All I want for Christmas …

Posted on December 27, 2016 by David McKee

Mid-December is a time when children compose their Christmas letters to Santa Claus. In much the same spirit, American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman was framing a missive to Donald Trump. After pointing out that the industry was on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Arizona, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, Nevada, Regulation, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments

Racinos lap casinos in Ohio; “Golden Knights” kiboshed

Posted on December 9, 2016 by David McKee

Ohio‘s four main casinos performed weakly last month, with Dan Gilbert‘s Jack Cleveland ($16 million, -4%) and Jack Cincinnati ($15 million, -7%) still not validating their new brand. Ironically, the once-superfluous Thistledown Racino is saving Jack’s bacon, up 13% to … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Japan, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Taxes | Comments Off on Racinos lap casinos in Ohio; “Golden Knights” kiboshed

New stumbling block for Caesars; ‘Net betting powers New Jersey

Posted on November 23, 2016 by David McKee

Just when it looked like Caesars Entertainment was out of the woods in its bankruptcy reorganization the federal trustee intervened with an objection. At issue are the releases from litigation that Caesars wrested from creditors as part of the price … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on New stumbling block for Caesars; ‘Net betting powers New Jersey

Ducey: Let’s make a deal; Trump = legal sports betting?

Posted on November 22, 2016 by David McKee

It looks like the State of Arizona may be ready to throw in the towel in its losing fight against the Tohono O’odham Nation over its Desert Diamond casino. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has inked a new compact with 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Arizona, Boulder Strip, Donald Trump, Geoff Freeman, IGT, Lucky Dragon, Marketing, Politics, Regulation, SLS Las Vegas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off on Ducey: Let’s make a deal; Trump = legal sports betting?

Trump Taj saves Atlantic City; Barrack resurfaces; Visiting Memory Lane

Posted on November 17, 2016 by David McKee

When we rounded up Atlantic City gaming numbers yesterday, we didn’t get into market-adjusted comparisons and thus buried the lead. The Boardwalk’s surviving casinos saw, on average, a 6% increase in gaming revenue, thanks to the Oct. 10 closing of … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, history, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, PokerStars, Regulation, Revel, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, West Virginia, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Riviera: Now they tell us!; Paddy Power’s bad electoral bet

Posted on November 10, 2016 by David McKee

Turns out there was more contaminated soil at the Riviera site than originally estimated … 23 times more. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, what was originally estimated to be 430 tons of toxic dirt turned out to be 9,980. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Donald Trump, Election, Florida, Internet gambling, LVCVA, Movies, Racinos, Riviera, Seminole Tribe, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Riviera: Now they tell us!; Paddy Power’s bad electoral bet

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 3, 2016 by David McKee

“Courage is not the absence of fear but our capacity for action despite fear.” — Sen. John McCain (R)

Posted in Arizona | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 19, 2016 by David McKee

“If this was the old days Gov. Doug Ducey would have sent a telegram to Sen. McCain in Washington, D.C., and asked him to get the government to send in the cavalry to run off the tribe occupying a patch … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Politics, Tribal | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Tribal opponents caught in the act; Freeman gets ratings boost

Posted on September 16, 2016 by David McKee

Opponents of the Tohono O’odham casino in Glendale may have really stepped in it. According to the Arizona Republic, “lawyers and lobbyists representing the state and two rival Indian communities held confidential meetings about ways to stop it, according to depositions … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Tribal, TV | Comments Off on Tribal opponents caught in the act; Freeman gets ratings boost

Galaxy cautious on Macao; No smoking in Mesquite?

Posted on September 7, 2016 by David McKee

One swallow doesn’t make a spring and, if you’re Galaxy Entertainment CEO Lui Che-Woo, one month of 1% growth in gambling revenue doesn’t constitute a recovery in Macao: “Give me two more years to see if there’s a recovery here.” Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, California, Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Galaxy Entertainment, Illinois, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob, Tribal | Comments Off on Galaxy cautious on Macao; No smoking in Mesquite?

Strip still catching up; Nevada taking bets on the Olympics

Posted on July 21, 2016 by David McKee

While gaming companies on the Las Vegas Strip are fairly sanguine about 2016, a new report by Alex Bumazhny of Fitch Ratings takes a somewhat gloomier view. For one, he notes that revenue per available room “growth during the recovery … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Election, Geoff Freeman, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, The Strip, Westgate LV | 2 Comments

Station goes to Reno; Tohono O’odham trip themselves up

Posted on July 15, 2016 by David McKee

Continuing its sudden flurry of activity, Station Casinos is reviving its dormant Reno-area aspirations. The company is acting on its eight-acre parcel opposite the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, a strategic location if ever there were one. The $50 million-$70 million project … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Reno, Sports, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Station goes to Reno; Tohono O’odham trip themselves up