Category Archives: California

Caesars steals Riv’s thunder; Trouble in Adelsonia

Posted on March 24, 2011 by David McKee

Obviously, the headline from today will be approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission of a partnership between Caesars Entertainment and Israeli-owned, Gibraltar-based 888 Holdings. Since it is simultaneously getting permission to shack up with Internet casino operator 888 and opposing … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Downtown, Election, Florida, Harry Reid, Hawaii, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Oscar Goodman, Politics, Regulation, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Tamares Group, Wall Street | Comments Off on Caesars steals Riv’s thunder; Trouble in Adelsonia

From the mailbag

Posted on March 24, 2011 by David McKee

Today’s “Question of the Day” about the future of the Sahara Hotel & Casino‘s monorail stop (and, by extension, the future of the Las Vegas Monorail itself) provoked a long and thoughtful response from an S&G reader. (By the way, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Arizona, California, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Downtown, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on From the mailbag

What makes Sammy run?

Posted on March 14, 2011 by David McKee

Scarcely was the ink dry on Sahara owner Sammy “The Naz” Nazarian‘s announcement of the property’s May 16 closure than rumors began to fly about his endgame for the old gal. At S&G, we’re pretty certain that “The Naz” (™ … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Boyd Gaming, California, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Fontainebleau, Herbst Gaming, M Resort, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Regulation, Riviera, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, TV, Wall Street | 9 Comments

Trains to nowhere?

Posted on March 14, 2011 by David McKee

Spurning of federal high-speed-rail money by governors like Rick Scott (R-FL), John Kasich (R-OH) and Scott Walker (R-WI) might mean some of the multibillion-dollar largesse would be rechanneled toward Sig Rogich‘s and Sen. Harry Reid‘s Desert Xpress, bound for Victorville, … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Florida, Harry Reid, Ohio, Transportation | 1 Comment

Idiocy Express

Posted on March 4, 2011 by David McKee

George F. Will is an @$$. I say this because he claims to intuit that my desire to travel to and from Las Vegas by rail is motivated by a desire to make my fellow Americans “more amenable to collectivism.” … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cretins, Current, Louisiana, The Strip, Transportation | 6 Comments

Loveman 1, Atlantic City 0

Posted on March 3, 2011 by David McKee

After much Hamlet-like deliberation, Gov. Chris Christie (R) put his ixnay on a bill that would have made Internet gambling legal within New Jersey. Citing constitutional issues, he said legislators ought to put the issue to popular vote … a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, New York, Politics | 1 Comment

Case Bets: Ferris wheel fetishists; Rail fail; “Aerotropolis” now?

Posted on March 2, 2011 by David McKee

Caesars Entertainment better get a move on with that Ferris wheel it wants to build out back of O’Shea’s. A rival project, slated for problematic (and fairly blighted) land opposite Mandalay Bay received approval from Clark County. Then again, getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Dubai, Entertainment, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, history, International, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Silverton, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 5 Comments

Hard Rock: End of a (bad) era

Posted on February 25, 2011 by David McKee

Scheetz’s Folly, otherwise known as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, will soon be in new hands. After several addled years under Morgans Hotel Group, whose bright ideas included “building a hotel suite with an S&M theme and a human … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Morgans Hotel Group, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 2 Comments

A new “eye in the sky”?

Posted on February 4, 2011 by David McKee

Editor’s note: While I’m occupied on other fronts, guest blogger Alan Saway of software firm Quova takes up the slack, examining some of the infrastructural problems associated with Internet casinos. The Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 prohibited online … Continue reading →

Posted in California, International, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, Technology, Tribal | 3 Comments

Nevada’s November: rough sledding; Sunny Sheldon

Posted on January 11, 2011 by David McKee

If pressed for a prediction, I’d say 2011 will be a good year for the Strip, not so much for the rest of the Silver State. Just when I was feeling a bit queasy about November’s gaming revenues, Dr. David … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Cretins, Current, Downtown, Florida, Horseracing, Laughlin, LVCVA, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Happy New Year?

Posted on December 30, 2010 by David McKee

Since Las Vegas is looking at a 3.5% increase in visitation from New Year’s Eve 2009 and 98% occupancy, the answer is “Yes.” Thank God, because it hopefully means that an equivocal recovery on the Strip is finally gaining traction, … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Charity, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 30, 2010 by David McKee

“I am not allowed to mail a lottery ticket from my home in Encino to a friend in Las Vegas, because federal law does not want the good people of Nevada hearing about the evils of California‘s legal gambling.” — … Continue reading →

Posted in California, history, Louisiana, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

From the mailbag

Posted on December 28, 2010 by David McKee

It’s but 9:07 a.m. and two big pieces of news have fallen over the cyber-transom. An S&G reader informs me that leaderless Greektown Casino will have new — and good — management soon, in the form of a GM who’s … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Detroit, Harrah's, Marketing, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Betting on crime; Anniversary in Indiana

Posted on December 21, 2010 by David McKee

Last week’s big chip heist at Bellagio may have left MGM Resorts International with a smidgen of egg on its face but it’s not as though others in the gambling industry have failed to see the opportunity to make money. … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Horseracing, Indiana, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, New York, Oscar Goodman, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Good news, bad news in Atlantic City; Feinstein: “Stay on the rez!”; Buffalo Bill’s rides again

Posted on December 2, 2010 by David McKee

For once, however, it’s mostly good. Almost entirely good, in fact. The headline item is that Dennis Gomes‘ purchase of Resorts Atlantic City has cleared licensing, sweeping out the disastrous Colony Capital era. Gomes and financier Morris Bailey say $31.5 … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, California, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Harry Reid, Herbst Gaming, M Resort, Marketing, Mississippi, Morgans Hotel Group, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, TV | 4 Comments

Winners, we have winners!

Posted on November 24, 2010 by David McKee

No, I didn’t forget about our 10 Largest Tribal Casinos guessing game. The Top 10 are, in descending order: 1. Potowatomi Bingo Casino; Milwaukee, Wis.: 780,000 sq. ft. (pictured) 2. San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino; Highland, Calif.: 480,000 sq. … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tribal | 1 Comment

‘Net betting: Wait til 2013 … or 2015 … or 2017 … or …

Posted on November 15, 2010 by David McKee

That was the consensus of a G2E panel that featured former California legislator Lloyd Levine, CNIGA Director of Government Affairs Jerome Encinas and Harrah’s Entertainment‘s top lobbyist, Jan Jones. With HR 2267 still several steps shy of passage and its … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Election, Florida, G2E, Harrah's, Harry Reid, International, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | 3 Comments

Steve Wynn & the Half-Blood Princes; Harrah’s thinks ahead; rough road for Revel

Posted on November 9, 2010 by David McKee

Count Wynn Las Vegas President Andrew Pascal among the casualties of Steve Wynn‘s divorce from ex-wife Elaine Wynn. As of Monday, former nephew-in-law Pascal joined the ranks of Nevada‘s unemployed, ceding authority to Marilyn Winn. Pun opportunities aside, Winn’s sudden … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, George Maloof, Harrah's, Indiana, Macau, Missouri, Movies, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Election 2010: Around the horn

Posted on November 3, 2010 by David McKee

Let’s get to it, with some help from Wells Fargo gaming analyst Carlo Santarelli … Cordish Gaming won big in Maryland, where voters upheld an initiative to ratify the zoning of its Arundel Mills Mall casino project. Penn National Gaming, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, California, Cordish Co., Economy, Election, Harrah's, IGT, International, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia, WMS Industries | 3 Comments

Last-minute election tidbits: Ohio & California

Posted on November 2, 2010 by David McKee

Prospects for expansion of VLT gambling to the Buckeye State’s racetracks are looking slightly better now that Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has inched his way back into contention with GOP rival Jon Kasich (left). The personable Kasich is a difficult … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Economy, Election, Environment, Harrah's, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sports, Station Casinos, Texas, Tribal | 6 Comments