Category Archives: Current

Hotel Hell

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David McKee

Last weekend, my wife and I were subjected treated to what is undoubtedly — without any question — the worst hotel stay of our lives. So-called Affinity Gaming wanted to show off its $8 million retrofit of Primm Valley Resort … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Herbst Gaming, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David McKee

Mike Tyson, our local cross to bear. (Caution: Extremely offensive language.) You will understand why I refuse to apologize for Oscar Goodman. Tyson (above) is seen signing autographs at Paris-Las Vegas‘ Chateau nightclub. Caesars Entertainment sure knows how to pick … Continue reading →

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

A Stern glance

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David McKee

Posthumous congratulations to Martin Stern Jr. (1917-2001), father of the vertically integrated casino resort. He will be the recipient of the annual Jay Sarno Award at this year’s Global Gaming Expo. The choice of Stern has been such a closely … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, G2E, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sahara | Comments Off on A Stern glance

At long last, Octavius; Power plays at Hilton, Beso

Posted on September 14, 2011 by David McKee

Good news for whales and business travelers: The long-in-abeyance Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace has been finished inside and out, and will open for business on Jan. 2, 2012. The ginormous, high-tech hotel rooms are perfect for the customer with … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Internet gambling, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 1 Comment

See you there!

Posted on September 14, 2011 by David McKee

Tomorrow afternoon, at 12:15 p.m. (just in time for the lunch-hour crowd), UNLV‘s Design, Science & Technology program presents an unusual — for it — lecture. It’s entitled Taming Vice: How Machines and Architecture Changed the Culture of Gambling. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, International, The Strip | 1 Comment

Assume the position

Posted on September 13, 2011 by David McKee

Whatever one thinks of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas‘ business plan, the $4 billion resort seems bound and determined to position itself as a lifestyle-oriented hangout for the upwardly mobile, with casino gambling just one amenity among many others. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Entertainment, Marketing, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Boardwalk brinkmanship

Posted on September 13, 2011 by David McKee

As the hours tick away toward this week’s expiration of labor agreements at nine Atlantic City casinos, managements are all but daring Culinary Union parent Unite Here to strike. Caesars Entertainment had the brass to declare it was continuing “to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Culinary Union, Current, Dennis Gomes, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation | 2 Comments

Rehab in rehab

Posted on September 13, 2011 by David McKee

If it seems that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino‘s infamous Rehab pool party has been keeping a lower profile this year, that’s no illusion. The expulsion of Morgans Hotel Group and its party-hearty executive team has brought a de-empahsis … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Environment, Hard Rock Hotel, Massachusetts, The Strip, Warner Gaming | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 13, 2011 by David McKee

“We accept your apology, Jaws. You’re forgiven, especially because sitting in a booth with Jon Gruden all night could make even the most straitlaced man drop a few curse words.” — Yahoo Sports blogger Chris Chase, on Ron Jaworski‘s S-bomb … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Sports, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 12, 2011 by David McKee

“And so this political deadlock conceals a religious war at its heart. Why after all should one abandon or compromise sacred truths? And for those whose Christianity can only be sustained by denial of modern complexity, of scientific knowledge, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Current | 2 Comments

No trouble in River City; Phasing out Trump

Posted on September 12, 2011 by David McKee

Breaking out of its recent abundance of caution, Pinnacle Entertainment has announced $82 million in upgrades for River City. The expansion will incorporate 1,700 new parking spaces, a hotel tower (200 rooms) and 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Shovels … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Wall Street | 1 Comment

How to get things done in Macao? Bribery!

Posted on September 12, 2011 by David McKee

OK, so it’s called “paying a premium,” but Steve Wynn finally pried 51 acres of Cotai Strip™ landfill real estate loose from Macao by forking over $193 million ($3.8 million an acre), plus annual lease payments. In return. he’s got … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Florida, Genting, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on How to get things done in Macao? Bribery!

This weekend in Vegas

Posted on September 10, 2011 by David McKee

If you crave an evening’s light entertainment at a fraction of casino-show prices, hail a cab to Chinatown, just a couple of minutes off the Strip, and check out Las Vegas Little Theatre‘s new production of No Sex Please, We’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, The Strip | Comments Off on This weekend in Vegas

Gaming is on the march

Posted on September 9, 2011 by David McKee

Add Kentucky to the states that have casino-style gambling, at least temporarily. Owners of Kentucky Downs found a loophole in Bluegrass State law and galloped through it. “Instant Racing” is the sort of VLT game you might find at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Election, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, Isle of Capri, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Warner Gaming | 6 Comments

Irene, you jezebel!

Posted on September 9, 2011 by David McKee

“You come, you stay, you go/It really doesn’t matter/You’ve done it all before/By now they’ll know the pattern.” — ABBA OK, so Benny & Bjorn were writing about a gal named Elaine not a hurricane called Irene. Although the storm … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Macau, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Irene, you jezebel!

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 9, 2011 by David McKee

“I come from the idea that it was a dumb idea from the start.” — incoming MediaNews Group CEO John Paton, giving the sack to cock-clutching dweeb Steve Gibson‘s online “protection” racket, Righthaven, persecutor of penurious bloggers everywhere.

Posted in Current, Technology | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Consolation prize

Posted on September 8, 2011 by David McKee

Congratulations to Caesars Entertainment. Its Canadian flagship, Caesars Windsor, was voted best “Detroit area” casino by readers of Casino Player magazine for the 11th year running, as well as snagging 10 other awards. Now, if only Caesars could monetize that. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, International, Regulation | 5 Comments

After the deluge

Posted on September 6, 2011 by David McKee

Although it cost casino owners a couple of days’ business, the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee inflicted scarcely any damage compared to Hurricane Katrina. (Safety measures taken in post-Katrina years helped.) Since the Louisiana casino market has been in an … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Environment, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Plaza & Riviera: Cheap new wine in old bottles

Posted on September 6, 2011 by David McKee

It’s an index of the desperation of local media to have something — anything — new to cover on the casino front that the slightest murmur from the Plaza was guaranteed to generate coverage. Plaza PR peeps did a masterful … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 7 Comments

What’s there to do in Las Vegas? Plus, Adelson screws the pooch again

Posted on September 2, 2011 by David McKee

Besides gambling? Why, I’m so glad you asked. As I point out in the new issue of Desert Companion (available in Planet Hollywood‘s Desert Passage Miracle Mile shopping mall and other places that host Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf franchises), … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 2 Comments