Category Archives: Boyd Gaming

When executives attack; Sheldon’s new beard; Wall Street loves it some MGM

Posted on January 24, 2012 by David McKee

Few YouTube feeds are more prolific and state of the art than that of Station Casinos (although they really ought to think twice about posting cell-phone footage online; it looks rinky-dink). However, what you will not see is an ad … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Culinary Union, Current, Election, Florida, Macau, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Texas, TV, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Miller Time in Maryland; The sorrows of Marrandino

Posted on January 20, 2012 by David McKee

No question about it, THE gaming-industry story of 2011 was both an economic and political one: How the Great Recession has essentially broken the back of anti-gambling resistance in the corridors of American power. We can see it up and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Lee, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Taxes, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Miller Time in Maryland; The sorrows of Marrandino

Meet Virginia McDowell, Part II: Tales of Trump

Posted on January 18, 2012 by David McKee

In terms of turning around Isle’s financial performance, do you feel the full 180 degrees have been achieved yet? We’ve had a couple off different priorities over the last few years, as far as our strategic initiatives. One was to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Harrah's, history, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Kentucky, Marketing, Missouri, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Belated Christmas presents, Midwest edition

Posted on January 11, 2012 by David McKee

To quote Stephen Sondheim, everything’s coming up roses … or close enough, anyway. Last Friday, strong numbers out of Iowa — of a non-caucus ilk — showed the state’s casinos rebounding to the tune of 16% (on a $121 million) … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Dan Lee, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Kentucky, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Taxes, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Belated Christmas presents

Posted on January 10, 2012 by David McKee

Good news is busting out all over, starting in the unlikeliest place … Atlantic City. Ye Olde Boardwalk was up 4% last month, its first revenue-positive month in 15 quarters. Even a 10% fall in table drop couldn’t put a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Neil Bluhm, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sunshine State sap

Posted on January 10, 2012 by David McKee

Backers of Florida casinos, working under the rubric of Associated Industries of Florida, evidently take voters down there for simpletons. Their ‘See Spot Run’ pitch for casino-based destination resorts describes something that sounds very much like Venelazzo or Wynncore, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Florida, history, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off on Sunshine State sap

Adelson: Whining our future; The online deluge

Posted on January 9, 2012 by David McKee

Apparently there’s no avoiding what has become the story of the day: Sheldon Adelson‘s $5 million dowry to presidential aspirant Newt Gingrich. It’s a gift that comes with a substantial pre-nup; if Gingrich falters in South Carolina, American Crossroads and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Election, Florida, George Maloof, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Hooters, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Carolina, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Birthday wishes and congratulations

Posted on January 9, 2012 by David McKee

OK, so we’re six months early but this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Eldorado, which opened in downtown Henderson on July 1, 1962. Locals casinos wouldn’t become an industry unto themselves for years yet but the Eldorado and … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, history, MGM Mirage, Problem gambling, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

Hans Klok, come back!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by David McKee

Sometimes one experiences an experience so awful that its sheer awfulness is awfully far beyond the power of words to describe. That’s what happened last night at the premiere of Vegas Magic Theatre at Gold Coast. (How bad was it? … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Florida, Isle of Capri, The Strip | 1 Comment

Borgata or bust; ‘LVH,’ Jacko & Sinead

Posted on December 9, 2011 by David McKee

First, the good news: Borgata — accounting for more than one-fifth of the entire market share — continues to vastly outpace the rest of the Atlantic City market. Last month, it raked in $50 million for a 2% gain, driven … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sam’s Town: Sound and flurries

Posted on November 30, 2011 by David McKee

At the same time the cast of Viva Elvis™ was getting pink-slipped across town, Boyd Gaming was busting out its new-and-improved version of Mystic Falls, the amusement park centerpiece of Sam’s Town. (Or, to use the official nomenclature, “Mystic Falls … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Dining, Entertainment, Oscar Goodman, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Sam’s Town: Sound and flurries

Boyd: Trapped in Florida; Sands muzzled in Singapore; Good vibes in Macao

Posted on November 29, 2011 by David McKee

This is a good time to be in Florida, right? Not if you’re Boyd Gaming and have been trying to unload Dania Jai-alai, souvenir of a half-assed venture into the Sunshine State’s racino market. The company has scrapped an $80 … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Boyd: Trapped in Florida; Sands muzzled in Singapore; Good vibes in Macao

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 21, 2011 by David McKee

“Speaking of loudspeakers, we hate messages from them that we really want/need to hear (contest details, drawing names), but that are more garbled than the ones at our fast food drive-throughs.” — Jean Scott, on that bane of customers, casino noise. … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Marketing, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Morgans: They’re baaaaaaack!; Un-win at Cosmo

Posted on November 18, 2011 by David McKee

Just when you thought it was safe to invest in Las Vegas again, the city went to bed last night to the news that masters of disaster Morgans Hotel Group had purchased nightclub operator Light Group. Given Morgans’ propensity for … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Current, Entertainment, Florida, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Sahara, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Rule or ruin in Illinois; A new deal in Detroit

Posted on November 8, 2011 by David McKee

State Rep. Lou “Death Wish” Lang (D, right) continues to dare, then double-dare Gov. Pat Quinn (D) to veto what’s now a 2.6X expansion of the number of gambling positions in the state of Illinois. Lang has offered a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Dan Lee, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Indiana, International, Iowa, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Reno, Slot routes, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Sahara 2.0: Nazarian gets real

Posted on November 2, 2011 by David McKee

Chuck Monster had this right on the money: He called Sahara owner Sam Nazarian‘s bluff over and over and over again on the latter’s luxury-megaresort predictions for the aging, shuttered property. Today, the Clark County Commission took the wraps off … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Current, Economy, Fontainebleau, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Riviera, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Going home again; Hotel Hell: The sequel

Posted on November 1, 2011 by David McKee

Here’s a casino-development story with several personal angles. When I lived in Minneapolis and wrote from the since-defunct Twin Cities Reader, my publisher was R.T. Rybak. Now he’s mayor of the city and is trying to hold onto the perennially … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Isle of Capri, Lyle Berman, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Minnesota, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

Mojito Pointe: Why MGM did it

Posted on October 25, 2011 by David McKee

Maybe they were just charmed by Dan Lee‘s babyish face (left) but leadership at MGM Resorts International can cite of plenty of other reasons for throwing in on Lee’s Mojito Pointe project … which may be rechristened with an MGM … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Dan Lee, Horseracing, International, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, M Resort, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip | 1 Comment

Aliante Station changes hands but little else; Amigo Adelson

Posted on October 21, 2011 by David McKee

Aliante Station is now formally the property of Texas Pacific Group, Standard General and Apollo Management. Two of those funds also own Caesars Entertainment, which might create some interesting “Chinese wall” situations. (Can’t have trade secrets passing back and forth, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colorado, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, International, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes | Comments Off on Aliante Station changes hands but little else; Amigo Adelson

MSM tunes Steve Wynn out

Posted on October 20, 2011 by David McKee

Has Steve Wynn jumped the shark? That is a question I never, ever thought I’d be asking. But an interesting thing happened in the wake of Winn Wynn Resorts‘ most recent conference call. Toward the end, he went on his … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Carl Icahn, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Florida, Harrah's, history, Illinois, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Plaza, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 5 Comments