Category Archives: Current

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 7, 2011 by David McKee

“Tourists come here and think Vegas is fantasy land; they don’t think of us as a working-class city, but we are. They just think we’re here to clean up their vomit after they leave.” — Sannette Gutierrez to a reporter … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, The Strip, Tourism | 4 Comments

Monopoly over Miami

Posted on October 4, 2011 by David McKee

A recent visitor to Las Vegas from the Pacific Rim told me that Sheldon Adelson has worn out his welcome in Macao (which is on pace to eclipse all other gaming markets combined) and is fast doing so in Singapore. … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Florida, Genting, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Laughlin, Macau, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on Monopoly over Miami

G2E’s main man speaks

Posted on October 4, 2011 by David McKee

No Global Gaming Expo would be complete without the American Gaming Association‘s prexy making a pilgrimage to Jon Ralston‘s TV studio. So, whilst Yr. Humble Blogger digests a whole mess o’ analyst reports, enjoy the soothing sounds of Frank J. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, G2E, Politics, TV | Comments Off on G2E’s main man speaks

Station’s next sorta-big thing

Posted on October 4, 2011 by David McKee

Last night, Station Casinos brass met with residents of Richfield Village, regarding the former’s proposed water park, at the nexus of I-15 and Desert Inn Road. Richfielders were told that Station wants to change the zoning on the parcel from … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Station’s next sorta-big thing

Welcome to G2E

Posted on October 3, 2011 by David McKee

Gaming’s biggest show starts today, so S&G would like to welcome conventioneers with this public service announcement from ABBA and vidder frapistat.

Posted in ABBA, Current, G2E, The Strip | Comments Off on Welcome to G2E

Siegfried & Roy’s House of Horrors

Posted on October 3, 2011 by David McKee

Today is the eighth anniversary of that fateful night when a tiger named Montecore went postal on illusionist Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, dropping a permanent curtain to the performing entity known as Siegfried & Roy™. Unwitting premonitions of Horn’s career-ending … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Movies, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 3, 2011 by David McKee

“What is this ‘Million Dollar Piano’? It’s your basic Yamaha grand fancified with 68 LED screens that run the horizontal length of the piano and display images and patterns to compliment the digital screen behind [Elton] John and band. He’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Shakedown at G2E; Riviera quits Colorado, Trump quits humanity

Posted on September 30, 2011 by David McKee

Our beloved casino industry runneth over with individuals, companies and even sovereign nations that have a vested interest in the legalization of Internet poker … and more. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX, left) knows this, which is why he’s coming to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colorado, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, G2E, Internet gambling, Marketing, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Shakedown at G2E; Riviera quits Colorado, Trump quits humanity

Station stirrings

Posted on September 30, 2011 by David McKee

It looks as though Station Casinos and Manhattan-based developer Fisher Bros. are trying to put back together some of the pieces of their Humpty Dumpty megaproject along I-15. As you recall, the duo had acquired a swath of land (assembled … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos, The Strip | 1 Comment

“The Paddy Factor”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

(For film buffs: “The Paddy Factor” was the working title of what became the classic gangster movie, The Long Good Friday … and the rest was history.) A new “Paddy factor” got flung into the Vegas equation this week when … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Movies, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

“One team wanted it. The other team didn’t know how to get it.” — ESPN analyst John Kruk, on the culmination of an indescribably dramatic final night of the baseball season, as the Boston Red SoxTampa imploded and the Bay … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Current, Florida, Massachusetts, Sports, TV | 1 Comment

The Great Riverboat Robbery revisited; Wynncore Manila?

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

Under fire for the low property valuations it placed on Pinnacle Entertainment‘s River City and Caesars Entertainment‘s Harrah’s Maryland Heights, the St. Louis County Board of Equalization backpedaled … sorta. They accepted County Assessor Jake Zimmerman‘s increased valuation for soon-to-expand … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, International, Marketing, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on The Great Riverboat Robbery revisited; Wynncore Manila?

Bus ride of the damned

Posted on September 28, 2011 by David McKee

After hearing horror stories like this one, is it any wonder that would-be Las Vegas tourists choose to claw their way up and down I-15 by car rather than trust themselves to the tender mercies of mass transit? This just … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Dining, Marketing, Pets, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Tropicana of Cancer; Bucking the system

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

Alex Yemenidjian‘s efforts to reboot the Tropicana Las Vegas are sputtering quite badly these days. First, there’s the much-reported mess that is the Mob Experience, currently on the lam from foreclosure. Then a three-month extension of Gladys Knight‘s A Mic … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Entertainment, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Neil Bluhm, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

G2E 2011: No big deal?

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

I’ve been debating whether or not to give Global Gaming Expo a pass this year and this morning’s dispatch from Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli didn’t exactly quicken my pulse. His prediction? A “quiet” G2E, due to slow growth in the … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, G2E, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on G2E 2011: No big deal?

See Sparks and die

Posted on September 24, 2011 by David McKee

A shootout at John Ascuaga’s Nugget has left two people wounded and one dead. Hostility between biker gangs is the probable cause. Perhaps the casino took the appropriate security measures but I suspect otherwise. If biker gangs are known to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Reno | Comments Off on See Sparks and die

Sheldon Adelson, casino opponent

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

You read that right: El Bombastico has developed a sudden concern that adding 9,000 slots to Florida‘s existing inventory of 15,000 “will saturate the market with too many games,” in the words of the Miami Herald. In other words, there … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Florida, Genting, Regulation, Singapore, Taxes, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Caesars’ big Asian bet; Playing with yourself in Vegas

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

It’s amazing what you can do when you simply punt your debt burden a few years down the road. In the case of Caesars Entertainment, it means you’ve got an extra $470 million lying around to build Caesars Palace Longmu … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Current, Election, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, M Resort, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Taxes, Technology, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on Caesars’ big Asian bet; Playing with yourself in Vegas

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

“Any type of sexual activity has no place in the military.” — ex-Sen. Rick Santorum, last night on Fox News.

Posted in Current | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

The great riverboat robbery; Pusateri’s revenge; Gaming’s top 12

Posted on September 21, 2011 by David McKee

Increased funding for education is always the big selling point whenever gambling laws in Missouri are liberalized. This week, schools are finding out what sort of Indian givers their casino benefactors are. Schools are among the public services that stand … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Current, George Maloof, Harrah's, IGT, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Morgans Hotel Group, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, WMS Industries | 3 Comments