Category Archives: Churchill Downs

Air guitar; Forgiveness urged for Steve Wynn

The much-anticipated opening of Hard Rock International‘s guitar-shaped hotel-casino in Hollywood, Florida, drew celebrities from Hollywood, California (Johnny Depp), as well as ones who would attend the opening of an eyelid (Kim Kardashian). Hard Rock hopes to recreate the iconic … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Australia, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Florida, Genting, Hard Rock International, Hooters, Illinois, International, Japan, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Scott Butera, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Louisiana gets soaked; Surrender flag waved

Boyd Gaming warned us that Deep South results would be weak, following two hurricanes, and they didn’t exaggerate. Flood-affected Louisiana casino receipts plummeted 11% in September. Boyd casinos got the worst of it, down 10.5%. New Orleans was flat but … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Crown Resorts, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Penn National, Regulation, Resort fees, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Mob, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off on Louisiana gets soaked; Surrender flag waved

Cosmo does it again; Georgia ponders casinos

It happened again. Smoke billowed over the Las Vegas Strip from an electrical fire at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas last night. No one was injured, thank God, and the damage appears to be minor. But it’s the second fire … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Foxwoods, Georgia, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, IGT, Illinois, International, Lotteries, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Politics, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation | 1 Comment

MGM beats Maryland malaise

Maryland officially hit the saturation point last month, as revenues dipped 1%. MGM National Harbor ($58 million) wasn’t hurting, up 6%—with slots and table games gaining equally—and with 40.5% market share. Maryland Live ($48 million) was second with 33.5% but … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Illinois, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, West Virginia | Comments Off on MGM beats Maryland malaise

Adelson power play in Las Vegas, unease in Macao

Sheldon Adelson, it long has been clear, brooks no dissent. He bought the Las Vegas Review-Journal to make it a megaphone for his political views (anybody remember the Marco Rubio presidential campaign, the one the R-J endorsed three times to … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Galaxy Entertainment, history, Horseracing, Illinois, Macau, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 2 Comments

Train shows promise; Culinary sabotages Station

* We’re hearing a bit more on the Virgin Trains USA electric railway to Las Vegas. The first shovels are to go into the ground in 2023 and the route will mainly hew to the I-15 median. Completion is expected … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Dining, Florida, history, Horseracing, Illinois, Kentucky, Marketing, Nevada, Palms, Racinos, Station Casinos, Transportation, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Chicago casino tax damned; Kerkorian epoch ends

That Illinois casino expansion went back to the drawing board—the Illinois Gaming Board, to be exact. The topic of its ire was the 33% “privilege tax” hung around the neck of the Chicago casino (bringing its effective tax rate to … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Foxwoods, history, Illinois, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Rush Street Gaming, Tamares Group, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street, Westgate LV | 1 Comment

Wall Street: The Strip is all right; Rivals pile into Waukegan

JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff has just returned from a two-day field trip to Las Vegas. His overall reaction was “incrementally positive.” He said he sensed “a fairly steady trend line in terms of overall spend and net revenue performance.” … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dan Gilbert, Dan Lee, Detroit, Dining, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Sahara, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Wall Street: The Strip is all right; Rivals pile into Waukegan

Churchill Downs on the rampage

Churchill Downs execs met with Wall Street analysts and laid out their strategy going forward. The look toward their ‘historical racing’ machines at their titular track as a way to increase its cash flow as well as to help support … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Horseracing, Illinois, Kentucky, Macau, Oklahoma, Oregon, Regulation, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Churchill Downs on the rampage

Ohio gallops, Missouri trots

Ohio gambling revenues were up 4% last month, coming in at $164.5 million. Most of that was driven by a particularly good month at the racinos. Hollywood Columbus‘ $19 million represented a 4% gain while Hollywood Toledo hauled in $17 … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, Horseracing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National | 1 Comment

Furor in Illinois; ‘Carmageddon’ in New Jersey

Charles DeGaulle was famous as The Man Who Said No. That nickname may have to be reassigned to Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen. His decision not to seek racino status for Arlington International Racecourse has set the Illinois gaming industry and … Continue reading

Posted in California, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, Politics, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Baccarat hamstrings the Strip

July would have been a good month for the Las Vegas Strip were it not for a wipeout at baccarat: down 26% on 15% less wagering, so luck was definitely not with the house. Overall, Strip revenues were up 1.5% … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Churchill Downs, Downtown, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Raiders, Laughlin, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Racinos, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off on Baccarat hamstrings the Strip

Chicago: Lightfoot’s folly; Penn mulls Trop expansion

Between 72% taxes and 30% operating costs, a Chicago casino is a money-losing proposition, at best one eking out a 3% profit. Union Gaming Group minced few words, reporting, “The [$15 million] reconciliation fee alone would wipe out any profits generated … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Penn National, Politics, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia | 4 Comments

Encore vanquishing competition; Newcomers dominate Atlantic City

Encore Boston Harbor, the best-smelling casino on the East Coast, had a crushing month, its first full one of operation. Its $48.5 million in revenue accounted for 60% of all Massachusetts gaming revenues. That breaks down as almost $1.6 million/day … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

El Paso, Dayton … Las Vegas?

Las Vegas, if you’ll pardon the pun, dodged a bullet when the FBI apprehended a man bent on killing large numbers of Jews and gay people. Conor Climo, the alleged bomber, has been linked to the white-supremacist netherworld and supposedly … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Current, Downtown, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Indiana, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sports, Sports betting, Wall Street | Comments Off on El Paso, Dayton … Las Vegas?

Paging Steve Wynn; Genting mismanages risk

Somebody alert Steve Wynn. The mega-Walgreens at the northwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue is on the market as a “Once in a Generation High Profile Asset.” OK, the footprint is relatively small but the seller is … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, Genting, GLPI, Illinois, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn National, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Maryland just fine; Next stop, Hartford?

Gaming revenues were up 2% last month in Maryland, good for $149 million. $61 million of that was won by MGM National Harbor (+4%). Market share was dominated by MGM (41%) and Maryland Live (33%). The Cordish Gaming property grossed $49 … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Cretins, Crown Resorts, e-sports, Foxwoods, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Sports betting, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland just fine; Next stop, Hartford?

Caesars nixes Strip project; IGT in New England brawl

Caesars Entertainment has officially spiked the Kind Heaven immersive experience, part Blade Runner and part Jungle Book. VitalVegas author said of the Perry Farrell pipe dream, when it was unveiled last year, that the details ranged “from breathtakingly original to laughably … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Crown Resorts, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, IGT, Illinois, Law enforcement, Politics, Rhode Island, Scientific Games, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Twin River, Wendover, William Hill | Comments Off on Caesars nixes Strip project; IGT in New England brawl

Lackluster in Louisiana; OK tribes stiff-arm Stitt

Whatever people in Louisiana were doing last month, gambling wasn’t it. Casino receipts were down 9% and you can’t blame it on the smoking ban in Baton Rouge (-13%), not when Lake Charles—the best market in the state—was nearly 10% … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Louisiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | Comments Off on Lackluster in Louisiana; OK tribes stiff-arm Stitt

Churchill Downs’ bet pays off; Mob up at El Cortez

JP Morgan‘s Daniel Politzer expects Churchill Downs to be a winner thrice over in Illinois: first, a lower tax rate on table games, starting in 2020; second, a potential 800 additional gaming positions at Rivers Casino Des Plaines (which will … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Downtown, El Cortez, Horseracing, Illinois, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, New York, Politics, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Taxes, The Mob, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Churchill Downs’ bet pays off; Mob up at El Cortez