Category Archives: Caesars Entertainment

Boardwalk bulletin

Our East Coast correspondent paid a midweek visit to Borgata and saw relatively few slot players (despite a very attractive slot floor, above) but three busloads of conventioneers. Seems that a conclave of prosecutors was being held at the MGM … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Conventions, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 2 Comments

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

Steve Wynn, Commie stooge?; Resorts World LV jumps shark

If there’s one thing Steve Wynn loves almost as much as money (and women to whom he is not married) it’s the Red Chinese. He’s been warbling sweet nothings about them ever since he got a gig in Macao as … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Donald Trump, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, Failsinos, FanDuel, Florida, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, history, Internet gambling, Macau, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Real Estate, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Strip, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

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

George of the Year; Kansas ayes sports betting, Missouri not

It’s only May but we have to give the nod to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Outgoing owner Blackstone Group graced all employees with $5,000 bonuses, an incredibly generous gesture. Blackstone certainly didn’t have to do it but they did … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Bally, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Cosmopolitan, Crown Resorts, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kansas, Kazuo Okada, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Philippines, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Security, Slot routes, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Virginia | Comments Off on George of the Year; Kansas ayes sports betting, Missouri not

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

Wynn treads water, IGT overachieves, Ohio and Missouri flatten

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain (Xi Jinping). That was the message of Wynn Resorts‘ first-quarter earnings call. Some analysts weren’t having it, with Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli opining that Macao was “the real story.” That being … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, Economy, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Lotteries, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn National, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

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

Sex, drugs and Resorts World LV; Massachusetts gets serious about sports betting; Caesars wins two Freddies

Both the reputations of Resorts World Las Vegas and its president, Scott Sibella, could be besmirched by a Nevada Gaming Control Board investigation. The tentative probe stems from charges made by gambler Brandon Sattler as part of a huge bankruptcy … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Caesars Entertainment, California, Detroit, Economy, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sam Nazarian, Singapore, Sports betting, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Playing politics with gaming

Although the Indian Gaming Association trade show in sunny Anaheim is sucking all the wind out of casino news this week, there’s still movement happening, mostly in the state houses. Take the weird, hybrid sports-betting bill that just passed out … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, Japan, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, Tribal | Comments Off on Playing politics with gaming

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

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

Casinos in clover nationwide; Mega-Jottings for a Monday

Masters Week has come and gone, and Augusta now sinks back into an 11-month torpor. Which also helps us return to standard-edition S&G. (Seen on the marquee of the church closest to Augusta National: “This is Amen Corner.”) Where to … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Conventions, CQ Holdings, Current, Derek Stevens, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, G2E, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sahara, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Optimism in Las Vegas; Bluhm bombs in Chicago

On his way home from Black Hawk, Colorado, gaming analyst Barry Jonas of Truist Securities popped into Las Vegas. He met with various and sundry publicly traded companies, even MGM Resorts International, for which he feels little love. He also … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, DraftKings, Economy, Everi, FanDuel, Florida, G2E, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, Palms, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street | Comments Off on Optimism in Las Vegas; Bluhm bombs in Chicago

Philadelphia Dead

Cordish Gaming, we have a problem. Not only does it turn out to have been a bad idea to site a casino in Philadelphia‘s stadium district, it was an even worse mistake by state regulators to saturate the greater City … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Marketing, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming | 1 Comment

Chicago tips its hand; Wynn loses; Thunder Down Under

Would somebody clue in Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) that Neil Bluhm‘s Rush Street Gaming is no longer the majority owner of Rivers Casino Des Plaines? That honor goes to Churchill Downs. But Lightfoot is using Des Plaines as a … Continue reading

Posted in ABBA, Animals, Architecture, Australia, Bally, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, Crown Resorts, Entertainment, Environment, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Money laundering, Neil Bluhm, New York, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Baccarat constrains Strip; Sports betting tsunami ahead

Withered baccarat numbers meant that the Las Vegas Strip had a muted February, only a percentage point above 2019. Players dropped $599 million (-44.5%) of which the house won just $62 million (-52%). That offset a bonny month at the … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Colorado, Downtown, DraftKings, FanDuel, Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Mesquite, North Carolina, Palms, Reno, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wendover | Comments Off on Baccarat constrains Strip; Sports betting tsunami ahead