Category Archives: Cordish Co.

Bad day for Tomato King and Wynn

While the City of Philadelphia is officially neutral on who should get the last gambling license for the area, it’s not above giving the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board a not-so-gentle-nudge. At a hearing led by Deputy Mayor Alan Greenberger, two … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Cordish Co., Cosmopolitan, International, Macau, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Tomato King Procacci, Tourism | Comments Off on Bad day for Tomato King and Wynn

Massachusetts: Victory in Leominster; Mazer makes waves

Cordish Gaming crushed the opposition in Leominster yesterday, winning approval for a slot parlor with 61% of the vote. The campaign was notable for the personal participation of David Cordish, who went door-to-door to drum up support. The whippet-thin senior … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Cordish Co., Election, Harrah's, IGT, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, New Hampshire, Penn National, Regulation, Rhode Island, Technology, Tilman Fertitta | 1 Comment

N.Y. GOP boss ixnays casinos

“This is not real economic development,” puts New York State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, declaring his opposition to the pro-casino question on the Nov. 5 ballot. He buttressed his anti-casino stance by declaring gambling to be “a bust” in … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Election, Harrah's, Massachusetts, New York, Politics, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on N.Y. GOP boss ixnays casinos

Wynn hearts Atlantic City; A pointless election

Update: Penn National Gaming has been tipped as a potential buyer for disqualified Plainridge Racecourse. The city has already scheduled a Sept. 10 vote on a slot parlor, so Penn would have less than three weeks to negotiate the essential … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Cordish Co., Current, Election, Florida, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn | 2 Comments

Revel’s mixed reviews; All systems ‘go’ in Massachusetts

That controversial “You Can’t Lose” promotion being fielded by Revel Resort is a hit with players even as it’s been panned by pundits. “Whoa, Smarty Jones. Not so fast,” cracked one.) The complexity of the deal is even being credited … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Illinois, International, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes | 2 Comments

Massachusetts: Small problem for Wynn, big trouble for MGM, Plainridge

Boston still has 10 weeks to reach terms with Suffolk Downs on a billion-dollar racino. That may explain Caesars Entertainment‘s apparent lack of urgency in reaching a host-community agreement. Beantown Mayor Thomas Menino‘s administration seems to be expending considerably more … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Cordish Co., Current, Harrah's, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tomato King Procacci, Tribal | Comments Off on Massachusetts: Small problem for Wynn, big trouble for MGM, Plainridge

Massachusetts: First one bites the dust

Turns out the Massachusetts Gaming Commission was damn serious about financial probity being grounds for disqualification. In a ruling on Plainridge Racecourse, it deemed that owner Ourway Realty displayed “a culture of fear and concealment pervasive in the operations,” including former … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Colorado, Cordish Co., Current, Environment, M Resort, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Regulation | 2 Comments

Vegas: Remembrance of revenues past; Making the grade in Massachusetts

“I think we are having a limp-wristed sort of crawl out of a hole, but a recovery is a more robust word,” the one and only Steve Wynn said earlier this week. The numbers bear him out, as tourism continues … Continue reading

Posted in Cordish Co., Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Vegas: Remembrance of revenues past; Making the grade in Massachusetts

Scramble in Massachusetts; Malaise in Mississippi

Sept. 24 is the day appointed for voters in Leominster to say “aye” or “nay” to a slot parlor proposed by Cordish Gaming. That’s nine days before the deadline for submitting voter-approved HCAs to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Which, in … Continue reading

Posted in Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Election, Florida, Foxwoods, Genting, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

Wynn checkmated in Everett?; Cordish sees Penn, raises ante

As we all would agree, Suffolk Downs doesn’t have the capitalization, the track record or the leadership that Wynn Resorts does. However, Richard Fields and Harvard homeboy Gary Loveman have a big something going for them: juice. I expected their … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Current, Dining, Election, Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Massachusetts: Penn’s back in; New market for Adelson?

When the city of Springfield finally stopped fence-sitting and decided against going with Penn National Gaming, I knew it was only a matter of time before Penn emerged somewhere else in Massachusetts. Boy, has it ever. Operating with speed and … Continue reading

Posted in Cordish Co., Current, Environment, Hard Rock International, International, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Massachusetts: Penn’s back in; New market for Adelson?

Massachusetts: Bluhm, Penn pounce; Galaxy gets bounced

From the You Read It Here First file, yes, it’s indeed true that Neil Bluhm‘s Rush Street Gaming is descending upon the town of Millbury as its next prospective site for a slot parlor. Bluhm surrogate Greg Carlin says the … Continue reading

Posted in California, Cordish Co., Current, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, New Hampshire, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Technology, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment

Massachusetts: It’s where the action might be; Where there’s smoke, there’s Sheldon

Update/Correction: I’m reliably informed that dog racing (see below) is illegal in Massachusetts and will remain so, praise be. Also, Neil Bluhm is now wooing Millbury for a slot-parlor site. Except for Raynham Park, all slot-parlor applicants are under the … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Colony Capital, Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Environment, history, International, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, Oklahoma, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | 1 Comment

Indiana: Half-full or half-empty?; ‘Priscilla’ faints

That’s the operative question after a contrariwise June in Indiana. The state’s casinos saw 17% less foot traffic, but those fewer players were spending more (up 6%). Even so, the Hoosier State’s racinos, casinos and riverboats were down 12% for … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Cordish Co., Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Gold strike in Maryland; Ghost train; ‘Sell’ order on Sands; Wynn cleared

That elastic band which is American consumers’ gambling budget may have tightened in Illinois and gone slack in Ohio, but it’s expanding nicely in Maryland, now that table games are part of the mix. Sayeth the Maryland Lottery, revenues for … Continue reading

Posted in California, Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off on Gold strike in Maryland; Ghost train; ‘Sell’ order on Sands; Wynn cleared

History in the making; Mohegan Sun: Go fly a balloon

Soon, the North Fork Rancheria Band of Mono Indians is expected to become not only California‘s 63rd gaming-enabled tribe but the first with an off-reservation casino. The medium-sized (2,000 slots, 200 hotel rooms) facility would be 36 miles off the … Continue reading

Posted in California, Cordish Co., Current, Entertainment, Massachusetts, Mesquite, Station Casinos, Tribal | Comments Off on History in the making; Mohegan Sun: Go fly a balloon

Gaming suffers rare defeat; Big rush in Springfield

It’s a longstanding tradition in Iowa that voters, once they’ve voted to approve a casino in their county, never have second thoughts. Selling non-gaming counties on new casinos, however, is a different story. Take Norwalk County, for instance, where a … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Cordish Co., Current, Election, Iowa, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, New Hampshire, Politics, Tribal, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on Gaming suffers rare defeat; Big rush in Springfield

Indiana: The good, the bad, the ‘meh’; Vegas: What’s that smell?

January casino revenues from Indiana present a conundrum. Although the state is still the most lucrative casino jurisdiction in the Midwest ($192 million last month), it’s hard to tell whether the half-full glass is filling or emptying. Foot traffic was … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Cordish Co., Current, Don Barden, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Laughlin, Mesquite, Minnesota, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Massachusetts … and then there were 11; End of the Colony Capital era?

“[W]ell-connected developer” — but so not well financed — David Nunes (below) just got his casino-application fee across the transom, meaning that there are 11 contestants vying for two casino licenses and a slot parlor in Massachusetts. A couple of … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Pokergeddon, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Hollywood, we have a problem; The Marrandino mystery

Ohio casinos had a below-average December, although the blow was softened by table hold of — YEOW! — 23%. That’s borderline-astronomical compared to Las Vegas averages for 2004-2011 period. It’ll help make up for slot revenues that suggest, with six … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, Maryland, MTR Gaming, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Wall Street | 3 Comments