Category Archives: Boyd Gaming

All’s well at Penn; Casinos wary of Uncle Sam

Posted on October 24, 2014 by David McKee

Helped by better-than-expected performances at M Resort and Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, beating its own estimates, Penn National Gaming exceeded Wall Street’s consensus for 3Q14. Cannibalization of Charles Town has not been as great as was feared and … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Delaware, Election, Harrah's, M Resort, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Sports, Tilman Fertitta, West Virginia | Comments Off

Working-class hero; Caesars courts Philippines

Posted on October 22, 2014 by David McKee

Having thrown its workforce to the wolves as part of its bankruptcy plan — one that may not ultimately save any jobs — Trump Entertainment Resorts has pissed off the wrong guy: state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D). Chief creditor Carl … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Economy, Genting, International, Kazuo Okada, Louisiana, Melco Crown Entertainment, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Revel, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

A renaissance for Atlantic City?

Posted on October 17, 2014 by David McKee

If Gary Green set out to stir debate with his Casino Journal polemic on Atlantic City, he could hardly have succeeded better. For Green, the glass is considerably more than half-full and the Boardwalk is “healthy, viable and sound.” In … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Revel, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | Comments Off

Atlantic City: Which way is up?; Sheldon Adelson, prophet

Posted on October 16, 2014 by David McKee

Unburdened of four unprofitable casinos, if the revenue in Atlantic City is counted on a “same store” basis (i.e., leaving Revel, Showboat, the Atlantic Club and Trump Plaza out of the picture), the Boardwalk actually saw a 4% increase in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, G2E, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, Maryland, Mohegan Sun, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Life after Revel; Sheldon’s solid quarter

Posted on October 15, 2014 by David McKee

Faced with fewer and fewer casino choices in Atlantic City, players seem to be choosing to stay home. The seaside city saw gaming revenues plummet 17% last month. That’s also the same percentage by which coin-in and slot revenues slipped. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Florida, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Cornrows and casinos

Posted on October 9, 2014 by David McKee

Those who argue that Iowa is saturated with casinos found plentiful ammunition in the latest set of revenue numbers from the state. True, Hard Rock Sioux City is doing far better than its predecessor, Argosy Sioux City. Also, Harrah’s Council … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, G2E, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

Okada going slowly; Mixed news in Indiana

Posted on October 8, 2014 by David McKee

Kazuo Okada is butting heads with the Philippine government again. The latter says Okada has to have Marina Bay Resorts open by March of next year or forfeit a $2 million guarantee. Okada, whose project has been dogged by regulatory … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, Indiana, International, Kazuo Okada, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

KOA gets the boot

Posted on September 30, 2014 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International is obviously planning something — we don’t know what — for the KOA Campground site at Circus Circus. That’s the logical conclusion to be drawn from yesterday’s announcement that KOA is packing up and taking over campsite operations … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Entertainment, G2E, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Boyd, Pinnacle speak

Posted on September 29, 2014 by David McKee

Both Boyd Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment met with Wall Street analysts this week, everybody being in town for Global Gaming Expo. Boyd CEO Keith Smith and CFO John Hirsberg said they saw an abatement in negative business trends, now confined … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Louisiana, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

USA Today: Those evil casinos!

Posted on September 26, 2014 by David McKee

With the gaming industry temporarily exhausted from over-expansion and saturation, USA Today has chosen this moment to pounce with an anti-gambling editorial. The graybeards on the USA Today editorial board clearly haven’t been paying close attention — racinos in Delaware, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cretins, Delaware, Downtown, Economy, Geoff Freeman, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Neil Bluhm, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Ultimate pulls the plug on A.C.

Posted on September 22, 2014 by David McKee

Ultimate Gaming is exiting Atlantic City but don’t take that as a slight on the New Jersey market for Internet gambling. Ultimate lost patience with dubiously solvent Trump Taj Mahal, which it accuses of being two months in arrears and owing … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Election, Harrah's, International, Penn National, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City: The good, the bad and the very ugly

Posted on September 22, 2014 by David McKee

Taking a glass-half-full view of Atlantic City, CEO of MGM Resorts International Jim Murren wanted back in. Why not, when it means having half of by far the dominant joint in town, Borgata? Now that MGM has been vetted and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Japan, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Revel, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

Foxwoods: Woody exits; Eldorado’s big gains

Posted on September 18, 2014 by David McKee

Foxwoods Resorts Casino‘s financial problems could hardly be called “solved,” but CEO Scott “Woody” Butera plans to leave next month anyway for a non-gaming job. He will continue to advise Foxwoods from his new perch, though, even dickering with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MTR Gaming, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Reno, Tropicana Entertainment, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Oh no, not him again!

Posted on September 17, 2014 by David McKee

Donald Trump is posturing as the potential rescuer of Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal, provided he can get them dirt cheap. (Principal creditor Carl Icahn will have a thing or two to say about that.) In true Trump fashion, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Economy, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Revel, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Boston: Wynn wins!; Changing horses at Boyd

Posted on September 17, 2014 by David McKee

Although the Massachusetts Gaming Commission put Wynn Resorts through the wringer this past week, when the chips were down Wynn emerged the winner by a 3-1 vote. The positive verdict comes with some conditions, so a second vote will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Election, Horseracing, Macau, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

Atlantic City: MGM returns, Revel sold

Posted on September 11, 2014 by David McKee

There was a happy ending for MGM Resorts International in its long soap opera with New Jersey gaming regulation. The New Jersey Casino Control Commission voted unanimously to relicense the company, reuniting it with Borgata — and with 86 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Regulation, Revel, Riviera, The Strip, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Dispatches from Iowa and Illinois

Posted on September 8, 2014 by David McKee

August was a good month for Iowa, as casino revenues rose 4%. The big winner was Pinnacle Entertainment‘s Ameristar Council Bluffs, up 7% with a $15 million gross. Caesars Entertainment had mixed results, with Horseshoe Casino ($16 million) down 3% … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, Illinois, Iowa, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

Showboat, 1987-2014; Paris, 1999-????

Posted on September 2, 2014 by David McKee

In the end, the Showboat Atlantic City had a good run of it, lasting almost three decades on the Boardwalk. It succumbed, in part, to wounds inflicted by owner Caesars Entertainment, which cut into its customer base by building Harrah’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Harrah's, New York, Pennsylvania, Revel, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 29, 2014 by David McKee

“As it pertains to Revel, management [of Boyd Gaming] believes that any buyer would have to spend significant time and money to make the asset viable going forward.” — J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, making it clear who won’t be … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Revel | 1 Comment

Revel’s 21 grand goof

Posted on August 21, 2014 by David McKee

Revel‘s high-speed shutdown is descending into farce. Its armored-car contractor, GardaWorld, managed to lose $21,000 of long green. How? They — no kidding — left a cash bag on top of the truck. Security footage shows the cash still precariously … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Harrah's, Mississippi, Racinos, Revel, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | 1 Comment