Category Archives: Atlantic City

Chicago casino doesn’t compute; Diller dinged; Boardwalk brouhaha

Sometime today, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) is expected to ramrod her choice of Bally’s Corp. through the City Council. Why the unseemly haste? Lightfoot desperately covets Bally’s $40 million in upfront money to prop up the Windy City’s tottering … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Ocean Resort, Politics, Regulation, Security, Slot routes, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Atlantic City surges; Barstool’s Portnoy problem resurfaces

Casino revenue leapt 24% in Atlantic City from last April 2021, pulling in $253 million. Slot revenue rose 21% on 18% more coin-in, easily offsetting a 3% decline in table revenue on flat wagering. Borgata lapped the field, catapulting 60% … Continue reading

Posted in Arkansas, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Colorado, CQ Holdings, Cretins, DraftKings, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Letter from Atlantic City

Our East Coast correspondent writes, “As of [May 4], everyone in New Jersey has to bring their own bags when they purchase almost everything. Single-use plastic and paper bags are gone, except for stores less than 2,500 square feet in … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Current, Environment, Law enforcement, New Jersey, Politics, Sports, Unite-Here | 1 Comment

Meet Lori Leadfoot; Flamingo shopped

A comedy of errors is playing out in Chicago. After Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) was reported by the Chicago Sun-Times to have gift-wrapped the winning bid for Bally’s Corp., Her Honor immediately backpedaled, saying, “We have a very specific process, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Neil Bluhm, Ocean Resort, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | 1 Comment

Caesars, Station fulfill expectations; Flamingo to be sold; Chicago: It’s Bally’s

Analysts on Wall Street are going to be ratcheting up their forecasts for Caesars Entertainment for the remainder of 2022. Or so says Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Sanatarelli. The Roman Empire’s 1Q22 cash flow of $296 million exceeded The Street’s … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Conventions, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Palms, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, The Rio, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Chicago blew it; Times Square, anyone? Monday Mega-Jottings

Even as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) blunders forward with her megaresort campaign, more voices are being raised in criticism of how the Second City is going about the process. A Crain’s Business analysis determined that “Each location appears to … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, China, Crown Resorts, Derek Stevens, Election, Entertainment, Environment, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, International, Kansas, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Virginia | 1 Comment

Sands, NY Mets in cahoots; Raiders set to clobber Vegas bookies

Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain. There’s nothing wrong with the idea of a casino megaresort in the Willets Point area, near Citi Field. It’s far preferable to some of the other New York City sites that … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Golden Nugget, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, New York, North Carolina, Ocean Resort, Palms, Philippines, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Westgate LV, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Atlantic City continues to rebound; Chicago casinos lose momentum; Mega-Jottings

Atlantic City casinos leapt 17% from March 2021, grossing $216.5 million. Except for Tropicana Atlantic City, which was flat at $19 million, almost everyone posted relatively impressive gains. Borgata‘s $55 million (+18%) predictably topped the market, while Hard Rock Atlantic … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Charity, Chicago, Derek Stevens, Gary Goett, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Neil Bluhm, Ocean Resort, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Problem gambling, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Technology, West Virginia | Comments Off on Atlantic City continues to rebound; Chicago casinos lose momentum; Mega-Jottings

Parx dethroned; Shreveport sleaze; Maine’s latest bet

Move over, Parx Casino, there’s a new leader in the Pennsylvania gaming market. That’d be Penn National‘s eponymous racino near Harrisburg. For the second month in a row it was tops in the Keystone State, banking $64 million, up 11.5% … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Health, Internet gambling, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Macau, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Transportation, Tribal, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Parx dethroned; Shreveport sleaze; Maine’s latest bet

Back to the beach; Churchill Downs comes under scrutiny

Golden Nugget Atlantic City was packing them in with a ‘george’ promotion. Let our East Coast correspondent tell the tale: “It was extremely busy Sunday afternoon in their atrium for the BMW X-5 giveaway. They called six names and three … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, California, Churchill Downs, Diversity, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Marketing, New Hampshire, New York, Ocean Resort, Problem gambling, Regulation, Revel, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 5 Comments

Politics as unusual in Chicago; Caesars: Rock the casbah

It never seems to get easier for Chicago casino applicants, who are facing stony opposition from many of their would-be neighbors (and customers) and who also find themselves pawns in a convoluted political process. At stake is something called “aldermanic … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Culinary Union, Detroit, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Illitch Family, Indiana, International, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Station Casinos, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Up and down the Boardwalk

Since we’re heavily engaged bringing the next issue of Casino Life Magazine into safely harbor, we’re reaching out to our East Coast bureau for another Atlantic City photo essay. Above, business looks pretty good at Hard Rock Atlantic City. Note … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Marketing, MGM Resorts International | Comments Off on Up and down the Boardwalk

Atlantic City, Massachusetts make big gains; Hotel misery

Casino executives in Atlantic City continue to plead poverty (to a dwindling amen corner) when it comes to poisoning their employees with secondhand smoke. In the meantime, they’re pocketing business hand over fist. Last month saw a 43% catapult over … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Sports betting, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Unite-Here, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Decline of the Golden Nugget?; Bluhm gets Chicago boost

On March 7, our Atlantic City correspondent wrote to us, “Who took the slot machines since yesterday? They even got rid of two of the four “vanity’ Tilman Fertitta dollar Billionaire Buyer machines. (I never saw anyone at those machines). … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Detroit, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illitch Family, Indiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Boardwalk bulletin; George gesture from Apollo

Pressure to end smoking in New Jersey casinos continues to ramp up on legislators. Said former governor Richard Codey (now a state senator), “When I was governor, we passed smoke-free legislation that covered almost all of our state. Restaurants complained … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Conventions, Dan Lee, Dining, Donald Trump, Genting, Golden Nugget, Health, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Virginia | 1 Comment

IGT: Biz as usual; Borgata ups the ante; Mega-Jottings

Wall Street analysts were rather ho-hum about International Game Technology‘s 4Q21 earnings announcement. The company’s cash flow from lotteries were almost exactly as predicted ($335.5 million, revenue of $687 million) while gaming brought in $66 million (on revenues of $321 … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Chicago, Cretins, Crown Resorts, Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, New York, Ocean Resort, Philippines, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Mega-January on the Strip; Much ado about Caesars

January’s Nevada gambling-revenue numbers are out and the Silver State topped $1 billion yet again, a 41.5% boost over last year. However, some jurisdictions manifested slight declines, a sign that casino activity may be “normalizing” after a heated 2021. To … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dining, Downtown, Genting, Health, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Marketing, Mesquite, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Las Vegas, Peninsula Pacific, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Reno, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wendover, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

By the seaside

We’re just back (and exhausted) from dealing with a harrowing family emergency. Fortunately, our East Coast correspondent has been busy during our absence and files the following photo essay … Ocean Resort: “I asked for a small piece” at the … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Cordish Co., Dining, Golden Nugget, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania | 3 Comments

Louisiana levels off, DraftKings sucks wind, Golden gilded

Gaming analysts have been cautioning us to expect “difficult comparisons” between 2022 and previous high-water years late 2019 and 2021. Indeed, Louisiana‘s January was flat with 2019, if up 8% from last year. Sports betting was weak: $49 million in … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, G2E, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Regulation, Resort fees, Slot routes, Sports betting, Tourism, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Louisiana levels off, DraftKings sucks wind, Golden gilded

Wynn steals its own thunder; Atlantic City hits a downer

Leave it to Wynn Resorts to squelch news of a bad 4Q21—losing $256.5 million—with an, oh by the way, announcement that it was selling Encore Boston Harbor for $1.7 billion (essentially breaking even on construction costs) and leasing it back. … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Crown Resorts, Dining, DraftKings, Dubai, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tennessee, Texas, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wynn steals its own thunder; Atlantic City hits a downer