Category Archives: Atlantic City

Atlantic City: Better than expected

Posted on January 13, 2016 by David McKee

As much as one hates the term “rightsizing” or endorsing the closure of four casinos, with all the job losses those entail, the numbers say that Atlantic City‘s casino market has been reduced to optimal size. December’s revenues were down … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, PokerStars, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Atlantic City: Sweeney wins … or does he?

Posted on January 12, 2016 by David McKee

In the end, New Jersey‘s two houses of the Legislature came together on casino expansion and we have to say that Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D) blinked first, from where we sit. (In the peanut gallery, natch.) But was state … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Fontainebleau, Glenn Straub, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, New York, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 2 Comments

Christie takes sides in casino fight; Healthy month in Missouri

Posted on January 11, 2016 by David McKee

“I can’t say it won’t ever happen, but by 2018, New York will have approved a casino in Staten Island. It needs to be now because we have the opportunity now.” Thus spake New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D), … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Georgia, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Massachusetts, New York, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Unite-Here | Comments Off

Tribal headache for Connecticut; Wynn, Adelson eye New Jersey

Posted on January 8, 2016 by David McKee

Proposed new rules that would make it easier for tribes to gain federal recognition could have a seismic effect on the casino business in Connecticut. Three potentially recognized tribes could vie for as many as four new casinos. One says “four” … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Economy, Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Hope for Atlantic Club; Boffo month for Maryland

Posted on January 6, 2016 by David McKee

Not so fast, says Endeavor AC about yesterday’s report that its purchase of the Atlantic Club was defunct. The would-be purchaser says it has “a very strong and creditable private equity source to finance the acquisition and development of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Glenn Straub, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Japan, Law enforcement, Maryland, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Suffolk Downs fights back; Scrum in New Jersey Lege

Posted on January 5, 2016 by David McKee

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh may well have thrown in the towel in his lawsuit against Wynn Everett (technically against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission) but a quartet of Suffolk Downs workers aren’t letting Judge Janet Sanders‘ dismissal of aforesaid lawsuit go … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Trump’s hocus-pocus; Tribal backlash in New York

Posted on January 4, 2016 by David McKee

If there is one thing that Donald Trump is good at, it is making dealings with creditors that come out in his favor. Perhaps this fuels his current mania that he can make the rest of the civilized world bend to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Internet gambling, New York, Regulation, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

DFS advances in Iowa, regroups in Illinois

Posted on December 31, 2015 by David McKee

Legalization of daily fantasy sports got halfway to the goal line in the 2015 Iowa Legislature. State Rep. Jake Highfill (R) hopes to get into the endzone in 2016 with a revised version of a bill that already cleared the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, MGM Mirage, New York, Regulation, Revel | Comments Off

What’s Sheldon’s game?; Penn struggles at Plainridge

Posted on December 30, 2015 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson‘s apparent use of Las Vegas Review-Journal reporters to get back at Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez is putting him and his purchase of the newspaper under the microscope of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Casino owners aren’t barred from owning … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Horseracing, Kansas, Massachusetts, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | Comments Off

Trump: The art of disaster; Good November for Las Vegas

Posted on December 30, 2015 by David McKee

If Donald Trump proposes to run America the way he ran his casinos, God help us all. He built a Boardwalk empire in Atlantic City with a lot of hocus-pocus, debt financing and sky-high interest rates (14% for Trump Taj … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Laughlin, Mesquite, North Las Vegas, Reno, The Strip, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Uncategorized, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Florida compact decried; Reprieve for Atlantic City?

Posted on December 23, 2015 by David McKee

Despite being at the epicenter of Florida‘s gaming industry, the Miami Herald has come out against Gov. Rick Scott‘s compact with the Seminole Tribe, wringing its hands and seeing a slot machine under every bed. “This is a major expansion … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Election, Florida, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, New York, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | Comments Off

Reid delivers for REITs; Packer calls it quits

Posted on December 22, 2015 by David McKee

Sen. Harry Reid (D) may not see as well as he used to, but he’s still got plenty of ‘juice’ on Capitol Hill. He delivered an early Christmas present for campaign donor (and Caesars Entertainment co-owner) David Bonderman, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Harry Reid, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Politics, Taxes, The Strip | Comments Off

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 21, 2015 by David McKee

“You’re talking about a man who a month ago wasn’t paying for water or sewer, didn’t pay his taxes and couldn’t figure out how to get heat and electricity into his building. He’s resolved all those things, and it’s a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Glenn Straub, Revel | Comments Off

Gaming expansion in Garden State moving fast; Mashpee Wampanoags challenged

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David McKee

New Jersey lawmakers are wasting no time getting a casino-expansion question onto next year’s election ballot. Enabling legislation fairly shot out of committee in both houses of the Lege. The Assembly version would devote 33% of tax revenue from two gambling … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Genting, Indiana, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off

Big online month for Atlantic City

Posted on December 14, 2015 by David McKee

In the casino industry, $13 million may not be a lot of money — but it represented a 51% gain for Atlantic City‘s online casinos and made up for softness at brick-and-mortar gambling houses. Slot revenue was down 3% on … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Casinos progress in Georgia, New Jersey

Posted on December 14, 2015 by David McKee

Almost without overt human effort, the movement toward casino gambling in Georgia appears to be snowballing. Prime mover behind the low-key, but seemingly inevitable process is state Rep. Ron Stephens (R, left), whose bill would not only put two casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Election, Georgia, Greenwood Racing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Tribal | Comments Off

Adelson’s Capitol Hill puppet show

Posted on December 11, 2015 by David McKee

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) held another kangaroo court on Internet gambling and was in his best Sheldon Adelson-like Luddite form, scoffing at geofencing software. “It’s naive at best to think you can put a wall on the Internet,” said the willfully ignorant … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cretins, Delaware, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Iowa, Law enforcement, Macau, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Carolina, Technology | Comments Off

Crisis point in Atlantic City; Alabama casino bill abandoned

Posted on December 7, 2015 by David McKee

Atlantic City‘s immediate future is teetering over whether it can persuade Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts International to parcel a $161 million tax refund over an extended period of time. If not, warns Mayor Don Guardian (R), the city will … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Straub’s plans evolve; Martin Walsh, loser

Posted on December 4, 2015 by David McKee

Remember, you read it here first. Glenn Straub intends to sublicense the casino portion of Revel to an outside operator. It will have to be a company with a high tolerance for risk, as Straub is insisting on a 30-year … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Glenn Straub, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn | Comments Off

‘Net betting in Massachusetts?; Fast track for skill-based slots

Posted on December 3, 2015 by David McKee

Pressure to legalize Internet gambling has emerged from an unexpected quarter — Massachusetts. State Sen. Bruce Tarr (R) has proposed a bill that would allow Web casinos to piggyback onto existing brick-and-mortar ones. True, Wynn Resorts is averse to ‘Net … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Scientific Games, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off