Category Archives: Churchill Downs

How the mighty have fallen; Pennsylvania saturated

Pity poor fellow Kelsey Grammer. The superb actor (Boss) and Shakespearean leading man has been reduced to tending bar at an Atlantic City casino. And not some prestigious Boardwalk gambling hall but last-place Golden Nugget. As our East Coast correspondent, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Iowa, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, United Kingdom, Virginia, WInd Creek | 1 Comment

Atlantic City leaps; DraftKings beats The Street

Gambling revenues in Atlantic City defied the cold last month, surging 15% to $212 million. Borgata, naturally, led the market with $58.5 million, a 20.5% vault. Next up was Hard Rock Atlantic City with $36 million, a 3.5% nudge, followed … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Penn National, Wall Street | Comments Off on Atlantic City leaps; DraftKings beats The Street

Maryland, Illinois leap; Mega-Jottings

So where’s that recession? January revenues from Maryland casinos are in and the $167 million gross is a 9% improvement on 2022. None of the six gambling halls were revenue-negative. MGM National Harbor led the pack with $72 million, an … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, DraftKings, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, Penn National, Real Estate, Resort fees, Station Casinos, The Strip, Vici Properties | Comments Off on Maryland, Illinois leap; Mega-Jottings

Boyd buoyed; Penn damned with faint praise; Mega-Jottings

It was a good day yesterday for Boyd Gaming as it trotted out its 4Q22 numbers. Cash flow healthily overshot Wall Street expectations and was powered by, among other things, better-than-2019 visitation by that Boyd mainstay, players from Hawaii. Wrote … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cretins, Dining, Downtown, DraftKings, Election, Failsinos, FanDuel, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, M Resort, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Boyd buoyed; Penn damned with faint praise; Mega-Jottings

Ohio dips; Bally’s unplugged; Macao booms

Here’s one for those of you who believe gambling is facing a recession: Revenue in Ohio fell 2% last month (yes, it took the Buckeye State until February to report December’s numbers). The haul was $193 million, which was still … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DFS, Hard Rock International, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Sports betting, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ohio dips; Bally’s unplugged; Macao booms

‘Fight’ club; New Horseshoe powers Louisiana

Having experienced buyer’s remorse on DFS site Monkey Knife Fight, and now trying to re-sell it, Bally’s Corp. finds itself with a ton of Monkey Knife Fight-branded merchandise that it must unload. After all, if it finds a pigeon, er, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DFS, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Security, Silverton, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on ‘Fight’ club; New Horseshoe powers Louisiana

Pennsylvania soft; Gray Lady panics; Smooth criminal

Gambling revenues in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania slipped just a bit last month, as 2022 continued to go out mostly quietly. The $298 million haul was 1% off December 2021’s pace. While there was some softening of the market, we … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, FanDuel, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Marketing, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, WInd Creek | 2 Comments

Indiana dims; Sands: Make mine Nassau; Mega-Jottings

Gaming revenues dipped last month in Indiana, achieving $204 million, a 3.5% year/year decline. Hard Rock Northern Indiana ($34 million, +4%) continues to ransack its competitors. Horseshoe Hammond was closest, grossing $26 million but down 13.5%, while Ameristar East Chicago … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Fontainebleau, Full House Resorts, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Texas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

New F-blue CEO; Illinois mostly upbeat, Missouri not

Who in the world is Brett Mufson? Well, he’s the new president and CEO of Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Other than that, Jeffrey Soffer‘s company ain’t tellin’ much. We are informed that “Mufson’s instrumental leadership helped steer the company’s re-acquisition of … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Florida, Fontainebleau, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Penn National, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Vici Properties, Wynn Resorts, Wyoming | 1 Comment

Maryland sags; Dustup at Red Rock; Sands’ big NY play; The dangers of Fanatic-ism

Whilst 2022 may have come in like a lion for casinos, it’s going out like a lamb, despite an extra weekend day last month. Revenues in Maryland dipped 4.5% to $165 million statewide in December, still 11% better than the … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Dining, Diversity, DraftKings, Genting, Golden Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Transportation | 2 Comments

A Boardwalk Christmas; Mega-Jottings

Most people wouldn’t spend Christmas Day in a casino or two but our East Coast correspondent did. He reports, “At the Golden Nugget on Christmas, Chart House, Lillie’s Asian, the Grotto (Italian), Michael Patrick’s coffee shop, Bean & Bread for … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, Dining, DraftKings, Fontainebleau, Full House Resorts, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, International, Kentucky, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ohio, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Pennsylvania, Michigan cool; Cuban covets Texas casino

Heaven be praised for the coming of 2023, not because 2022 was bad (quite the contrary) but because Wall Street is addicted to measuring this year against 2019, not 2021 … which can be quite crazy-making. By that yardstick, Pennsylvania … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Greenwood Racing, Idaho, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City hops; NV regulators take a dive; Vagina monologue

November was a metaphorically warm month for Atlantic City, whose casino revenues grew 4% from last year, reaching $214.5 million. Spoiler alert, Borgata was way out front with $55 million, leaping 14%. Hard Rock Atlantic City dimmed 5% to a … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Brazil, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Puerto Rico, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Westgate LV, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Illinois, Ohio still firm; Daffy bill in N.Y.; Raiders collapse

November was good for casinos in Ohio and Illinois, both of which posted strong numbers, modestly ahead of last year but—in Ohio’s case—still high heavens above 2019. Fresh off its October dethroning of MGM Northfield Park, rival Hollywood Columbus slipped … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Arkansas, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Horseracing, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Service, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Illinois, Ohio still firm; Daffy bill in N.Y.; Raiders collapse

Atlantic City slumps; Adele hell

Dateline: O’Hare International Airport, land of crappy wi-fi. We’re not back at the office yet but there’s so much news it just can’t wait. Let’s start in Atlantic City, where casino revenues slumped 7% to $220.5 million last month. Everybody … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Illitch Family, International, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Rio, The Strip, United Kingdom, Virginia, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 7 Comments

Bread and circuses

Inflation or no, there is one quantifiable, incontestable fact about the American consumer. He or she is spending more—way more—on gambling than before Covid-19 and more than last year, when they had stimulus money to burn. So if there are … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Lee, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Kentucky, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia | 2 Comments

Caesars Strip-tease; Slot flea swatted; Biden targets resort fees

In the end, all that talk of Caesars Entertainment selling a Las Vegas Strip asset was just a sham. The company probably couldn’t find any takers for the Flamingo at CEO Tom Reeg‘s preposterous asking price (ditto his equally preposterous … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Cordish Co., Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Real Estate, Resort fees, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Washington State | 4 Comments

Upsurge in Louisiana; Stitt stiffed; Fubo Sportsbook folds

In a major reversal of fortune, Louisiana casino revenue vaulted 18.5% over September 2021. Foot traffic rose 41.5%, which more than made up for thriftier gamblers: On average they lost 16% less per player. It helped the year/year comparison that … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, Palms, Penn National, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Scott Butera, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Saturation in Pennsylvania; Makeover for Venelazzo

Adding more and more casinos isn’t ‘growing the pie’ in Pennsylvania. Instead, the bottom fell out of September’s numbers, which were 8% below 2019 ones (i.e., the good old days). Against last year, they were 1% lower, for a tally … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, Environment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Wall Street, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Caesars bares all; Midwest flattens; Adelson pledges neutrality

Landing a meeting with Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg, as well as several top execs, J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff didn’t hear so much as a peep about the mooted Las Vegas Strip asset sale, which he assumes is on … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Derek Stevens, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Jack Entertainment, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments