Category Archives: Connecticut

MGM paralyzed; DraftKings debacle; Mount Airy wins

In a new kind of September 11 attack, MGM Resorts International was felled by a massive cybersecurity breach. From disabling digital room keys to kneecapping credit card systems (forcing transactions to be made in cash), it sent MGM back to … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, China, Connecticut, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, DraftKings, Dubai, Florida, Hard Rock International, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Portnoy, Penn splitsville; Full House fire sale?

Like bad sex, the connubial bliss between Penn Entertainment and Barstool Sports ended abruptly. Cretinous Dave Portnoy becomes someone else’s problem child following the second-quarter-earnings revelation that Barstool was being sold back to its founder, jilted in favor of much … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Chicago, Colorado, Connecticut, Cretins, Dan Lee, Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Health, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Raiders, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Portnoy, Penn splitsville; Full House fire sale?

Dog & pony show; Snow job in Massachusetts melts

Yesterday’s Hard Rock International road show before the ostensibly investigative Nevada Gaming Control Board played out pretty much as expected. Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen effectively ran out the clock by dwelling on how Hard Rock would make over The … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Connecticut, Dining, Entertainment, Florida, Hard Rock International, Lotteries, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Carolina, Palms, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Seminole Tribe, South Carolina, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Virginia | Comments Off on Dog & pony show; Snow job in Massachusetts melts

Jottings for the weekend

Aside from the launch of sports betting in Kansas—spearheaded by Hollywood Casino and Kansas Star—it’s been a slow news week. Casino gambling is headed the wrong way in Alabama, where employee-owned GreeneTrack Class II casino was forced to shut down, … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Crown Resorts, Detroit, DraftKings, Florida, history, Kansas, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Nebraska, Penn National, Racinos, Seminole Tribe, Singapore, Sports betting, Taxes | 1 Comment

G2E Asia

It’s in full swing at Marina Bay Sands and we’re covering it for CDC Gaming Reports, which means there won’t be much S&G this week. In the meantime, check out this he-said/she-said scandal involving former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke (who … Continue reading

Posted in Connecticut, Foxwoods, G2E, Mohegan Sun | 1 Comment

Illinois slouches; Boyd, Churchill praised; DraftKings assessed

Not even Rivers Casino Des Plaines was spared the impact of Hard Rock Rockford, as the newbie helped take a 4.5% bite out of Rivers’ December casino revenues compared to 2019, for a Des Plaines gross of $43 million, still … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Downtown Grand, DraftKings, Election, Florida, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on Illinois slouches; Boyd, Churchill praised; DraftKings assessed

Seminole compact nixed: Biden, DeSantis, Seminoles all lose

Floridians, we hope you enjoyed sports betting for all of the three weeks in which it was legal in the Sunshine State. Why? Because last night a federal judge struck down the Seminole Tribe‘s new compact with Gov. Ron DeSantis … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Australia, Chicago, Connecticut, Crown Resorts, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Florida, Hard Rock International, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

Biden wades into Florida swamp; New eras at Palms, Ocean

Intentionally or not, President Joe Biden (D) has done Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a solid. He wants the federal judiciary to dismiss litigation that would invalidate DeSantis’ controversial compact with the Seminole Tribe. As amusing as the spectacle of … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Australia, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Economy, Environment, Florida, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Illitch Family, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Ocean Resort, Palms, Regulation, Reno, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Biden wades into Florida swamp; New eras at Palms, Ocean

Business comeback fuels Strip; Massachusetts fumbles sports betting

Las Vegas Strip room rates continue to demonstrate sustained strength through October and, get this, midweek traffic is driving the bus. Overall, weekday prices are up 22% versus 17% on weekends. MGM Resorts International is the pace car, +24% midweek … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Connecticut, Derek Stevens, Economy, Fontainebleau, Health, IGT, International, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Resorts World LV, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Mega-jottings for the weekend

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

Merry month of May in Las Vegas; Beehive of activity in Atlantic City

May’s gaming revenues from Nevada are in and they are blockbuster. When the Strip is 26% higher than 2019 (winning $655.5 million) and locals play is 25% stronger it is fair to say the recovery has been achieved—and far sooner … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Connecticut, Cretins, Diversity, Downtown, Economy, Health, history, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marijuana, Mesquite, Michael Gaughan, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sports betting, The Strip, Wendover | 4 Comments

Indiana, Missouri keep rebounding; Casino boom benefits all

Scratch two casino riverboats in Indiana. The Majestic Star-branded flotilla went out of business—and Hard Rock Gary came in, quite auspiciously. Total Hoosier State gaming revenue for last month grew 18% over 2019 to $185.5 million. Hard Rock Gary opened … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Connecticut, Detroit, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Virginia, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Strip returns to form; Caesars nixes buffets, free play

Last month Nevada raced ahead of 2019 gambling-revenue benchmarks, up 11% to just over $1 billion. Locals-derived winnings ($245 million) jumped 18%, despite operating at 80% capacity. (Locals casinos saw 15% higher slot win 18% greater handle and 35.5% more … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Crown Resorts, DFS, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Election, Foxwoods, G2E, Health, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Mesquite, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Reno, Sports betting, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wendover | 1 Comment

Maryland has best month ever; Rio reopens

Even with capacity restrictions still in place at MGM National Harbor and Horseshoe Baltimore, the Free State enjoyed an epic March with casinos posting an all-time-record $169 million. On March 12, MGM and Horseshoe were bumped up to 50% capacity … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Economy, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Health, International, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Politics, Shuffle Master, Sports betting, The Rio, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland has best month ever; Rio reopens

Packer out, Blackstone in at Crown?

Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas owner Blackstone Group threw a lifeline to troubled Crown Resorts, in the form of a $6.2 billion buyout offer. The rope comes with a substantial string attached—Australian regulators must preserve the (sleazy) Crown casino licenses. Without … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Crown Resorts, Dining, Diversity, Economy, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Indiana, James Packer, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Money laundering, Pennsylvania, Regulation, The Strip, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Packer out, Blackstone in at Crown?

Maryland: More gamblers = more money; Illinois improving

What will prompt recovery in gaming? Stimulus money, yes, but we got a strong indicator of something else out of Maryland last weekend. Overall, casino revenues were down 16.5% but the story is more complicated than that. At facilities restricted … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Australia, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Problem gambling, Sports, Sports betting, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Maryland: More gamblers = more money; Illinois improving

Welcome to Less Vegas

Caesars Entertainment, aka Eldorado Resorts, has become possessed by the evil spirit of spare-every-expense Columbia Sussex. In one of the most odious of recent cutpurse moves, bartenders have been ordered to short-pour liquor: The ‘new normal’ is .75 ounces per … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Columbia Sussex, Connecticut, Conventions, Cretins, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Florida, Health, Kansas, Lotteries, Massachusetts, Maverick Gaming, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Racinos, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Washington State | 1 Comment

Louisiana doldrums; Philadelphia Live sparkles

Does reporting bad news get tedious? You bet! But it comes with the turf. Louisiana casino winnings declined 23% last month, in keeping with the national average. Penn National Gaming casinos got off easiest, slipping 11%, while Boyd Gaming ones … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Connecticut, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Cretins, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Foxwoods, Golden Nugget, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Jim Murren, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Tennessee, Wall Street, West Virginia, William Hill | 3 Comments

Massachusetts hit hard; NFL playoffs a tossup

Between Covid-19 capacity restrictions (33%) and statewide curfews (9:30 p.m., when the night owls are just getting rolling), Massachusetts casinos were between a rock and a hard place last month, with revenues falling 40% to a meager $50 million. If … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Connecticut, Entertainment, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Problem gambling, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street, Westgate LV, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Wynn, loopy attorney in legal feud; Philly goes Live

Steve Wynn is back in the news again. His former attorney, L. Lin Wood, is suing Wynn for alleged defamation, the ex-casino mogul supposedly having told Donald Trump that Wood was several fries short of a Happy Meal. The falling … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Connecticut, Conventions, Cordish Co., Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Health, IGT, International, Marijuana, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn | 2 Comments