Category Archives: Atlantic City

Take us on the road

Posted on March 30, 2023 by David McKee

Yes, they even read S&G in Atlantic City … Thanks to everyone who keeps us in business. Hey, it’s a slow news day.

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Atlantic City dispatches; Sports betting meltdown?

Posted on March 29, 2023 by David McKee

Our East Coast correspondent had a good experience at Ocean Casino Resort last weekend. It started with no line at the “Prime” players-club check-in … although it was a quite a different (and worse) story if you fell into a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Dining, Entertainment, Law enforcement, Marketing, Missouri, Ocean Resort, Reno, Sports betting | 3 Comments

Tilman keeps his cool; New Jersey woes; Mega-Jottings

Posted on March 27, 2023 by David McKee

Don’t hold your breath if you’re waiting for Tilman Fertitta to break ground on what will probably be a Post Oak Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The mogul is keeping his powder dry, or as Truist Securities analyst Barry … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Colony Capital, Colorado, Conventions, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Louisiana, New Jersey, Paragon Gaming, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street | 2 Comments

East Coast report; “Best growth story in gaming” is who?

Posted on March 22, 2023 by David McKee

As we rummage through our mailbag, we find a number of dispatches from our East Coast correspondent, who recently helped prop up the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City with a three-night stay. He was drawn by a giveaway at Ocean … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Charity, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Golden Nugget, Horseracing, Illitch Family, Kentucky, Marketing, Nevada, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Slot routes, Technology, Tilman Fertitta | 2 Comments

Pennsylvania up; Arizona blunder; Über-Mega-Jottings

Posted on March 20, 2023 by David McKee

At $277 million, Pennsylvania casinos were 2% higher in February than last year, although a 12% declivity from go-go 2019 is further indication of a slowing recovery in gaming. Then again, after having reached record altitudes last year, how much … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Internet gambling, Kansas, Kentucky, Lotteries, LVCVA, M Resort, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Unite-Here, WInd Creek | Comments Off on Pennsylvania up; Arizona blunder; Über-Mega-Jottings

Atlantic City up, Louisiana down; Steve Wynn’s revenge

Posted on March 17, 2023 by David McKee

Gambling revenues inched upward in New Jersey, plus 1% statewide, mainly driven by Internet casinos (+9%). In Atlantic City, slot winnings rose 3.5% to ($159 million) on 4% more coin-in but tables slipped 4.5% to $54 million as wagering dipped … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Columbia Sussex, Conventions, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Law enforcement, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, Ocean Resort, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Atlantic City up, Louisiana down; Steve Wynn’s revenge

Gambling revenues still looking up; Mega-Jottings

Posted on March 14, 2023 by David McKee

Maryland aside, gambling revenues continue to trend upward. Even in Iowa, where they nudged only 1% higher from last year (undoubtedly due to new competition from Nebraska) but were high heavens (+38%) over 2019, aka the good old days. Indiana’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Cretins, DFS, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Georgia, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Iowa, Marketing, Massachusetts, Missouri, Movies, New York, Penn National, Politics, Reno, Sports betting, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Gambling revenues still looking up; Mega-Jottings

Maryland dips; Boardwalk bulletin; Biden/BIA overreach

Posted on March 7, 2023 by David McKee

February was moderately unkind to Maryland casinos, which were down 3.5% from last year to reach $157 million. Top-grosser of course was MGM National Harbor, flat at $65.5 million. Reliable runner-up Maryland Live was close behind at $56 million, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, Failsinos, Florida, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Marijuana, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New York, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Security, The Strip, Tribal | 3 Comments

Atlantic City in winter; Ohio rebounds; Lightfoot booted

Posted on March 1, 2023 by David McKee

Given a slow news day, let’s finally catch up with our East Coast bureau and see what’s been happening on the Boardwalk. First off, demerits to Ocean Casino Resort for contributing in its own small way to climate change by … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Jack Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes | 1 Comment

Vegas booming; Churchill Downs “messy”; Mega-Jottings

Posted on February 28, 2023 by David McKee

Nevada gambling winning catapulted 18% last month—yes, almost a 20% increase over post-Covid numbers (although January 2022 was dampened by Omicron). The good times just keep on rolling, to the tune of $1.2 billion. The Las Vegas Strip led the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Aristocrat, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Downtown, DraftKings, Environment, Fontainebleau, Georgia, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Lotteries, Maverick Gaming, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Las Vegas, Peninsula Pacific, Pennsylvania, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Reno, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports betting, Technology, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, Washington State, Wendover | 1 Comment

How the mighty have fallen; Pennsylvania saturated

Posted on February 20, 2023 by David McKee

Pity poor fellow Kelsey Grammer. The superb actor (Boss) and Shakespearean leading man has been reduced to tending bar at an Atlantic City casino. And not some prestigious Boardwalk gambling hall but last-place Golden Nugget. As our East Coast correspondent, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Iowa, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, United Kingdom, Virginia, WInd Creek | 1 Comment

Atlantic City leaps; DraftKings beats The Street

Posted on February 17, 2023 by David McKee

Gambling revenues in Atlantic City defied the cold last month, surging 15% to $212 million. Borgata, naturally, led the market with $58.5 million, a 20.5% vault. Next up was Hard Rock Atlantic City with $36 million, a 3.5% nudge, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Penn National, Wall Street | Comments Off on Atlantic City leaps; DraftKings beats The Street

Sports betting bungle; Smoke gets in their ears

Posted on February 15, 2023 by David McKee

Good going, MGM Springfield. It has become the third Massachusetts casino to ‘fess up to taking illegal wagers in the opening days of lawful sports betting. Did the Bay State go live too soon? It’s looking that way, as regulators … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Health, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Unite-Here, Wynn Resorts | 5 Comments

Massachusetts booms; Know your enemy

Posted on February 14, 2023 by David McKee

January was very, very good for Massachusetts casinos, which raked in $97 million, pretty darn good for a state with only three gambling halls and a 17.5% leap over last year. The biggest overachiever was Plainridge Park, vaulting 24% to … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resort fees, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Big Bally’s shakeup; Smoking swatted; Mega-Jottings

Posted on February 13, 2023 by David McKee

Back on Jan. 25, we wrote that Bally’s Corp. CEO Lee Fenton was “possibly laying the groundwork for his own exit,” when he said, The pandemic boosted our business and we continued to hire at full pelt. I now can … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Cretins, DFS, Dining, Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Genting, Health, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Minnesota, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, United Kingdom, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Big Bally’s shakeup; Smoking swatted; Mega-Jottings

Maryland, Illinois leap; Mega-Jottings

Posted on February 7, 2023 by David McKee

So where’s that recession? January revenues from Maryland casinos are in and the $167 million gross is a 9% improvement on 2022. None of the six gambling halls were revenue-negative. MGM National Harbor led the pack with $72 million, an … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, DraftKings, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, Penn National, Real Estate, Resort fees, Station Casinos, The Strip, Vici Properties | Comments Off on Maryland, Illinois leap; Mega-Jottings

Nevada closes 2022 roaring; Lombardo’s big blunder

Posted on January 31, 2023 by David McKee

Gambling grosses for last month have been tallied and it’s an understatement to say they’re boffo. Nevada casinos raked in $1.3 billion, a 14% leap over 2021. You can see why we think that—as it pertains to gaming—a recession is … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, CQ Holdings, Downtown, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Iowa, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Macau, Maryland, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Palms, Penn National, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wendover, William Hill, Wisconsin | 3 Comments

Case Bets

Posted on January 30, 2023 by David McKee

What do you do when there’s no really big story of the day? Bust out an order of Case Bets, what else. Let the fun begin … Rivers Portsmouth has already had a come-to-Jesus moment after its pro-smoking stance revolted … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, International, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Rush Street Gaming, Virginia | 1 Comment

Sands impresses; Trump’s new Mob pal; Boardwalk blotter; Mega-Jottings

Posted on January 27, 2023 by David McKee

Wall Street was in a sunny mood this week after Las Vegas Sands‘ 4Q22 earnings presentation. As Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken summarized, “two large takeaways in our view were strength in Singapore and what we felt was a positive … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, China, Colorado, Cretins, Derek Stevens, Dining, Donald Trump, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, history, IGT, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marijuana, Marketing, Massachusetts, Movies, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Singapore, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Texas, The Mob, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, TV, Vici Properties, Wall Street | 4 Comments

‘Fight’ club; New Horseshoe powers Louisiana

Posted on January 20, 2023 by David McKee

Having experienced buyer’s remorse on DFS site Monkey Knife Fight, and now trying to re-sell it, Bally’s Corp. finds itself with a ton of Monkey Knife Fight-branded merchandise that it must unload. After all, if it finds a pigeon, er, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DFS, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Security, Silverton, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on ‘Fight’ club; New Horseshoe powers Louisiana