Category Archives: Churchill Downs

Pennsylvania rebounds; Mega-jottings

Posted on October 20, 2021 by David McKee

After grappling with the effects of gaming saturation for several months, Pennsylvania flexed its muscles in September, up 9% from 2019. The gross was $283 million. On a same-store basis (i.e., discounting the effects of new casinos), the Keystone State … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, DraftKings, Drugs, FanDuel, Florida, FoxBet, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Seminole Tribe, Singapore, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Dream comes true; Recovery stays strong; DraftKings’ clock cleaned

Posted on October 8, 2021 by David McKee

If they can scrape together $500 million (which shouldn’t be a problem in this investment climate), developers David Daneshforooz and Bill Shopoff have the Clark County Commission‘s blessing to move forward with the Dream casino-hotel. Despite a raft of security … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, G2E, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Illinois, International, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Raiders, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, North Carolina, Ohio, Penn National, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Security, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Mega-jottings for the weekend

Posted on October 1, 2021 by David McKee

It didn’t take Blackstone Group long to start spending the ‘mad money’ it got for selling The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It plunked down $305 million for all 15 hotels owned by Condor Hospitality Trust. Dare we suggest that Blackstone … Continue reading →

Posted in Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cosmopolitan, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Real Estate, Resorts World LV, Société des Bains de Mer, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting | Comments Off on Mega-jottings for the weekend

Cosmo finds pigeons; Scientific sheds sports betting

Posted on September 28, 2021 by David McKee

Reflecting the irrational exuberance surrounding the Las Vegas Strip, it’s a done deal at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The $3.9 billion resort’s physical assets sold for $4 billion, albeit to a cloudy “group of buyers that includes a Blackstone … Continue reading →

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Cosmopolitan, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Environment, Florida, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Tennessee, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Cosmo finds pigeons; Scientific sheds sports betting

Atlantic City slumps, as does Pennsylvania; Culinary kabuki theatre

Posted on September 22, 2021 by David McKee

Casinos along the Boardwalk continue to be impervious to the economic recovery that is prevalent in the gaming industry. Atlantic City was down 8% last month compared to 2019, grossing $262.5 million. Sports betting brought in $52 million (+32% from … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Culinary Union, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, FoxBet, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Washington State, Wayne F. Newton, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Illinois, how could you?; 888 is Caesars’ lucky number

Posted on September 9, 2021 by David McKee

Count on Illinois to disappoint in an otherwise balmy August. True, it grossed a not-shabby $108 million but it was 8.5% down from 2o19, as business slipped 10% from July’s level. (We don’t want to say the gaming recovery is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cretins, DraftKings, Dubai, FanDuel, Harry Reid, Illinois, International, Lake Tahoe, MGM Resorts International, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, William Hill | 2 Comments

Maryland, Ohio prosper; Sands scraping bottom in Macao

Posted on September 8, 2021 by David McKee

Regional gaming continues to be a gravy train. Maryland casinos grossed $168.5 million in August, up 9% from 2019. Just think how much better the take would have been had the month not been two weekend days shorter than August … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Ohio, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Ida hits coastal casinos; Case Bets

Posted on August 30, 2021 by David McKee

Gulf Coast casinos are currently weathering Hurricane Ida and can be optimistic—at least in Mississippi—that it will not be a replay of Hurricane Katrina, now that all the coastal casinos are onshore. However, garages are flooding and casino doors are … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Churchill Downs, Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Nugget, James Packer, Japan, Melco Crown Entertainment, Mississippi, Ocean Resort, Oregon, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Westgate LV, William Hill, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Lake Charles leads Louisiana; Caesars welcomes super-spreaders

Posted on August 23, 2021 by David McKee

Louisiana casino revenues continue to march upward, gaining 10% over 2019 in July. The statewide gross was $222 million. Business was especially lively in Baton Rouge, up 32%. That was propelled by L’Auberge Baton Rouge, vaulting 41% to $16 million. … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Economy, FanDuel, Georgia, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Health, Las Vegas Raiders, Louisiana, Penn National, Pennsylvania, South Korea, Tribal, Unite-Here | 2 Comments

Competitive vitality in Pennsylvania; The politics of casinos

Posted on August 19, 2021 by David McKee

Pennsylvania was late to the casino-recovery party but it’s finally arrived, up 1% in July over 2019 for a gross of $310 million, of which $223 million was won at the slots. The good news may be short-lived, in that … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Centaur Gaming, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Derek Stevens, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, FoxBet, Greenwood Racing, Health, Indiana, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Marketing, Michael Gaughan, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tamares Group, Taxes, Texas, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Illinois springs to life while Ohio erupts; Mohegan Sun jilted twice over

Posted on August 12, 2021 by David McKee

Stop the presses! Illinois casinos actually outperformed 2019 last month by 4%. That’s downright miraculous. They grossed $120 million, led by Rivers Casino Des Plaines‘ $47.5 million, a 28% vault. Harrah’s Joliet was a distant second with $14.5 million (-1%), … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Arkansas, Bally, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, G2E, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Japan, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 4 Comments

Maryland goes, goes, goes; Penn flips out; SEC scrutinizing DraftKings

Posted on August 6, 2021 by David McKee

We Americans sure do love us some gambling. Maryland‘s July numbers just came in and it’s 20.5% (!) ahead of 2019. Casinos won $180 million and two extra weekend days obviously helped the tally. MGM National Harbor led with $72 … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, New York, Pahrump, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland goes, goes, goes; Penn flips out; SEC scrutinizing DraftKings

Masks back on, Las Vegas!; All’s right with the REITs

Posted on July 30, 2021 by David McKee

Mincing few words, MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle sent a letter to all employees, urging them to quit dithering and get their Covid-19 vaccinations, if they haven’t already. He pleaded, “In addition to the heart-wrenching thought of more illness … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Delaware, Derek Stevens, Dining, Economy, GLPI, Health, history, Indiana, Kentucky, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Real Estate, Resorts World LV, Singapore, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Las Vegas flirting with disaster; Pennsylvania sickly

Posted on July 20, 2021 by David McKee

With the exception of brave outliers Las Vegas Sands and Westgate Las Vegas, most casinos in Sin City are reacting to the resurgence of Covid-19 by doing … nothing. There’s a ‘been there, done that‘ attitude toward crisis-period measures like … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Singapore, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Westgate LV | 3 Comments

Massachusetts stumbles, Louisiana cruises; Big blunder at Circa

Posted on July 16, 2021 by David McKee

Shazam! Massachusetts casino revenues for June were $84 million, 67% higher than 2019. But wait … as Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli points out, Encore Boston Harbor wasn’t operational two years ago (it debuted on June 23, 2019), so on … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Derek Stevens, DFS, DraftKings, Economy, Golden Gaming, Health, Internet gambling, Laughlin, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting, TV, Westgate LV, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Indiana, Missouri stay strong; Mixed feelings about buffets

Posted on July 14, 2021 by David McKee

Casino winnings in Indiana came up just a few increments short of $200 million last month, a 13% gain on 2019. Hard Rock Gary came out of the blocks fast, grossing $26 million, although Horseshoe Hammond climbed 7% to retain … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Health, Indiana, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Michael Gaughan, Missouri, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Philippines, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Torrid summer in Ohio; Kiddies for sports betting

Posted on July 8, 2021 by David McKee

We’ve been a busy bee of late. You can read our interview with Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment‘s Pacific viceroy, Bobby Soper, see our preview of Resorts World Las Vegas or look back on 2020, the year that wasn’t in gaming. … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Foxwoods, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Law enforcement, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, South Korea, Sports betting, Technology, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Maryland keeps booming; Penn panned

Posted on July 7, 2021 by David McKee

Gaming’s recovery continues unabated in the Free State. Maryland gambling revenues for June were $161.5 million, a 13% gain on 2019. $64 million of that went to MGM National Harbor, up 12% and hoarding 39.5% market share. Maryland Live chugged … Continue reading →

Posted in Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Cretins, DFS, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Health, Internet gambling, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports betting, Wall Street, West Virginia | 3 Comments

Scientific Games goes on a diet; BetMGM stiffs player

Posted on June 29, 2021 by David McKee

This is a head-scratcher. Despite sports betting sweeping our great country, Scientific Games is opting out of the sports-wagering business. And the lottery biz, too, even though that remains a robust market segment. Reported JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, “management … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, BetMGM, Churchill Downs, Cirque du Soleil, CQ Holdings, Dining, Environment, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Lotteries, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Scientific Games goes on a diet; BetMGM stiffs player

Same to you, fella; Mega-Jottings

Posted on June 21, 2021 by David McKee

We were stumped for a lead item until we got this snap from our Atlantic City bureau. One has to puzzle at Borgata‘s cretinous idea of a welcome, particularly its implicit slap at women. Did property President Melonie Johnson sign … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Cretins, Diversity, Foxwoods, Greenwood Racing, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Texas, Tribal, William Hill | Comments Off on Same to you, fella; Mega-Jottings