Category Archives: Atlantic City

Pat Quinn finally gets it

After four months of vacillation, Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL) has gotten off the fence and announced his opposition to multiple racinos within Illinois (and to slot routes at airports). Noting that the state already subsidizes the sport of kings, he … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Horseracing, Illinois, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sports | Comments Off on Pat Quinn finally gets it

Quote of the Day

“You can’t legislate everything in life. People [from Massachusetts] are gaming in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Las Vegas and Atlantic City.” — state Rep. Paul K. Frost (R-Auburn), speaking in support of Massachusetts’ nascent casino industry.

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Massachusetts, Politics, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Shakedown at G2E; Riviera quits Colorado, Trump quits humanity

Our beloved casino industry runneth over with individuals, companies and even sovereign nations that have a vested interest in the legalization of Internet poker … and more. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX, left) knows this, which is why he’s coming to … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Colorado, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, G2E, Internet gambling, Marketing, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Shakedown at G2E; Riviera quits Colorado, Trump quits humanity

Tropicana of Cancer; Bucking the system

Alex Yemenidjian‘s efforts to reboot the Tropicana Las Vegas are sputtering quite badly these days. First, there’s the much-reported mess that is the Mob Experience, currently on the lam from foreclosure. Then a three-month extension of Gladys Knight‘s A Mic … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Entertainment, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Neil Bluhm, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

Sheldon Adelson, casino opponent

You read that right: El Bombastico has developed a sudden concern that adding 9,000 slots to Florida‘s existing inventory of 15,000 “will saturate the market with too many games,” in the words of the Miami Herald. In other words, there … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Florida, Genting, Regulation, Singapore, Taxes, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

At long last, Octavius; Power plays at Hilton, Beso

Good news for whales and business travelers: The long-in-abeyance Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace has been finished inside and out, and will open for business on Jan. 2, 2012. The ginormous, high-tech hotel rooms are perfect for the customer with … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, California, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Internet gambling, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 1 Comment

Boardwalk brinkmanship

As the hours tick away toward this week’s expiration of labor agreements at nine Atlantic City casinos, managements are all but daring Culinary Union parent Unite Here to strike. Caesars Entertainment had the brass to declare it was continuing “to … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Culinary Union, Current, Dennis Gomes, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation | 2 Comments

No trouble in River City; Phasing out Trump

Breaking out of its recent abundance of caution, Pinnacle Entertainment has announced $82 million in upgrades for River City. The expansion will incorporate 1,700 new parking spaces, a hotel tower (200 rooms) and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Shovels … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Irene, you jezebel!

“You come, you stay, you go/It really doesn’t matter/You’ve done it all before/By now they’ll know the pattern.” — ABBA OK, so Benny & Bjorn were writing about a gal named Elaine not a hurricane called Irene. Although the storm … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Macau, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Irene, you jezebel!

Atlantic City: The morning after

Damage from Hurricane Irene wasn’t as bad as feared in Atlantic City, although it ripped up beach facilities pretty good. Casinos were even able to maintain power through the wee hours of Sunday morning. Borgata‘s Water Club tower sustained some … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Environment, Tilman Fertitta, Transportation | Comments Off on Atlantic City: The morning after

The lost weekend; Machine Gun Bloom

When casino revenues weren’t as bad as expected, earlier this summer, one Atlantic City property executive called it a light at the end of the tunnel. Elsewhere, S&G reader American Gaming Guru pithily remarked that the light was an oncoming … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, G2E, Genting, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, New York, Oscar Goodman, Slot routes, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 6 Comments

Thaw in Massachusetts? Hilton has left the building

After screwing the pooch in the previous legislature, it looks as though Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA) and state lawmakers are finally on the same page regarding casino expansion in the Bay State. Analyst Joseph Greff rates the solons’ chances of … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Genting, Horseracing, IGT, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Singapore, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, WMS Industries | 2 Comments

Taking back (Harrah’s) America

Ever-vigilant in his watch over “The Borg” (aka Caesars Entertainment), Vegas Tripping author Chuck Monster has been keeping a gimlet eye on the revival of Project Linq. Granted access to internal Caesars documents, Mr. Monster reveals that the much-needed makeover … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Harrah's, International, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Wall Street | 8 Comments

Pain in the ACH

In the shrinking Atlantic City market, where most of the casinos are operating in the red, it was inevitable that one or two of the so-called “parasitic” ones would bite the dust. While the ex-Atlantic City Hilton (preposterously rebranded as … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Harrah's, history, Marketing, Mississippi, Penn National, Regulation, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | 3 Comments

Hilton: worse than it looks

In the cold light of day (i.e., Chris Sieroty‘s Review-Journal coverage), the situation at the Las Vegas Hilton appears still more dire … if such a thing is possible. Remember that roughly a third of the LVH is owned by … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Economy, Goldman Sachs, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 2 Comments

For sale: One casino, slightly used; Golden showers in LV

Pity MGM Resorts International. It owns half of the top-grossing casino in Atlantic City and can’t give it away. Yup, as many feared, investor Leonard Green has slinked off into the tall grass, leaving MGM with 50% of Borgata it … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cordish Co., Current, Entertainment, Environment, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 2 Comments

ACH-ooo!; The Admiral’s last voyage

For the second time in a week, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has stripped its name from a Colony Capital casino-hotel. First to go was the Las Vegas Hilton, to be known next year as [your logo here]. Today comes news … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Dennis Gomes, Economy, Harrah's, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

St. Regis … still stumped; Quid pro Qua

Last autumn, Las Vegas Sands COO Michael Leven floated the idea of capping its St. Regis failsino at its current five-story height, admitting that the skeleton was an “eyesore” along the Strip. The “Stump Regis” was the subject of a … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, California, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, Indiana, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Coming (not so) soon: Wynn Singapore?!?!

Steve Wynn‘s next big project won’t be in Japan … or Philadelphia … or Boston. According to the tycoon, his “next goal in life” will be to open a Singapore megaresort. Yeah, the same Singapore out of which Wynn bailed … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, California, Genting, George Maloof, Harrah's, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Frosty spring on the Boardwalk; Tortoises vs. hares in Pennsylvania

Dennis Gomes‘ comeback trail at Resorts Atlantic City (left) finally hit a wall in May. The recovering casino was 4% off last year’s pace, although that’s above-average performance in market that took another thwack last month, down 9%. The feeble … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, George Maloof, Harrah's, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Frosty spring on the Boardwalk; Tortoises vs. hares in Pennsylvania