Category Archives: Dan Lee

Mega-Jottings

Posted on December 13, 2019 by David McKee

What do you do when the news is too short to justify a paragraph but too big to be ignored? How about a big-ass session of … Jottings: Mike Brooks and Tim Brooks, owners of the Emerald Isle Casino are … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Lee, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, GLPI, International, Japan, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, Penn National, Scientific Games, South Korea, Spectacle Entertainment, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off

Oklahoma, tribes ready to talk; Don’t geofence me in

Posted on October 22, 2019 by David McKee

Oct. 28 is the date appointed for Oklahoma gaming tribes to meet with Attorney General Mike Hunter and find out just what Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) wants from them. As one chief put it, “We’re anxiously awaiting what their proposal is.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Dan Lee, DFS, Election, Full House Resorts, G2E, Genting, history, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Oregon, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Singapore, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Wall Street: The Strip is all right; Rivals pile into Waukegan

Posted on September 16, 2019 by David McKee

JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff has just returned from a two-day field trip to Las Vegas. His overall reaction was “incrementally positive.” He said he sensed “a fairly steady trend line in terms of overall spend and net revenue performance.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dan Gilbert, Dan Lee, Detroit, Dining, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Sahara, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Cosmo in play; Wynn looking robust

Posted on July 11, 2019 by David McKee

Always a step ahead of the mainstream media, VitalVegas reports that The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has been sold. No details are available and the story hasn’t made the wire services, but that’s not going to stop us from speculating. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Dan Lee, Dining, Eldorado Resorts, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Resort fees, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Arkansas casino nixed; Casino industry picks political winners, losers

Posted on June 17, 2019 by David McKee

Moving rapidly, the Arkansas Racing Commission unanimously granted a license to the Quapaw Tribe to build a casino in Jefferson County. (The tribe responded that it would be equally prompt in building $350 million Saracen Casino Resort. In the meantime slots … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Culinary Union, Dan Lee, Full House Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Palms, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Oh, what a tangled web we weave …

Posted on January 21, 2019 by David McKee

… when we call our new casino Circa. An S&G source has done some research on the matter and found that “Circa” is trademarked to Michigan company NMH Acquisition. The Patent Office gave Circa “trademark serial number of 87960443.” NMH … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, CityCenter, Dan Lee, Derek Stevens, Downtown, International, MGM Resorts International, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting | Comments Off

Steve Wynn makes out like a bandit; Smoke ’em while you’ve got ’em

Posted on November 9, 2018 by David McKee

Steve Wynn‘s liquidation of his stake in Wynn Resorts may have seemed like an act of petulance but — in light of subsequent movement in the stock market — it appears highly astute. Since El Steve’s big sale WYNN has … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Dan Lee, Economy, Elaine Wynn, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Georgia, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Z covets Full House; Caesars: Fertitta out, MGM in?

Posted on October 29, 2018 by David McKee

Having recently subsumed Affinity Gaming, the eyes of Z Capital Partners have turned toward Full House Resorts. However, Z’s opening bid is so low that it looks like a typo: $1.79/share. That’s $132.5 million for five casinos. CEO Dan Lee … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Current, Dan Lee, Full House Resorts, G2E, International, Law enforcement, Marketing, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Philippines, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off

Placidity in Indiana; Irma inconveniences card sharps

Posted on September 11, 2017 by David McKee

It was a flat August in the Hoosier State, as casino executives look toward Four Winds Casino in South Bend with trepidation. Perhaps it is the vampiric rise of slot routes in Illinois, but the northern tier of Indiana casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Lee, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Florida, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Seminole Tribe, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | Comments Off

Station’s “weakness” a strength; Ohio bucks the odds

Posted on August 9, 2017 by David McKee

Looking back at Station Casinos’ 2Q17 results, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli noted that the picture was clouded by construction activity at Palace Station and the Palms. But, while short-term investors would likely have their patience tested, he wrote, “we think long … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Dan Lee, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Indiana, Majestic Star, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Station Casinos, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Good news across the Midwest; Pennsylvania blows it (again)

Posted on July 10, 2017 by David McKee

An extra weekend day may have made all the difference for Illinois, where gross gaming revenues rose 2% last month. The good news was spread pretty evenly throughout the market, except at Jumer’s Casino Rock Island, which slipped 6%, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Dan Lee, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Majestic Star, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Next stop, Terre Haute

Posted on February 3, 2017 by David McKee

Now that ex-Gov. Mike Pence (R) has moved on to bigger and better things, casino expansion is back on the table in Indiana. The question seems to be more one of “where” than “if.” Lawmakers are warming to Dan Lee‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Lee, Economy, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Indiana, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Politics, Racinos, Slot routes, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off

Lukewarm Christmas in Louisiana; New casino for Indiana?

Posted on January 20, 2017 by David McKee

Despite an extra weekend in December, Louisiana gaming revenues were only modestly up, +4%, although gambling fever sure gripped Baton Rouge, where casinos won 14% more than last year. New Orleans has fallen to a distant third ($47 million) as … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, Florida, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Seminole Tribe, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off

Dan Lee raises Hoosier hackles; Sioux City mess not done yet

Posted on June 2, 2016 by David McKee

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) has made it pretty clear that there aren’t going to be any new casinos on his watch, just riverboats converted to onshore facilities. Try telling that to Full House Resorts CEO Dan Lee, however. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Dan Lee, Full House Resorts, Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, Penn National, Politics, Racinos | Comments Off

Illinois down, Indiana up

Posted on January 8, 2016 by David McKee

While surrounding states prosper at their casinos, Illinois‘ continue to suffer, especially now that they must compete with slot routes. Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli crunched the numbers and found that even though bettors were wagering 2% more, there was … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Lee, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

All Adelson, all the time; Full House on the move

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David McKee

(Update: The Adelson-influenced meddling has already begun.) Now that Sheldon Adelson owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the paper’s prime topic of coverage has become … itself. There’s no shortage of entrail-reading, as pundits try to parse the casino mogul’s intentions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Dan Lee, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Macau, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Dan Lee’s Colorado lode; The Caranos take Reno

Posted on October 5, 2015 by David McKee

Since overthrowing the leadership of Full House Resorts, new CEO Dan Lee has been chock-full of initiatives. His latest is to drop $30 million to acquire Bronco Billy’s Casino & Hotel, in Cripple Creek, Colorado. The move comes as Colorado … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colorado, Dan Lee, Delaware, Dining, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, MGM Mirage, PokerStars, Reno, Scientific Games | Comments Off

Business heats up in Detroit, cools in Manila

Posted on August 12, 2015 by David McKee

Ohio? What’s Ohio? Casinos in Detroit may as well ask that as they continue to recover from the dent in their business made by the Buckeye State. July revenues were up 3% and, for the year to date, casino revenues … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Dan Lee, Detroit, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Macau, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Philippines, South Korea, Taxes | 2 Comments

Isle abandons ship; Borgata crushes Atlantic City; Radical move from Full House

Posted on August 12, 2015 by David McKee

Faced with a casino that had been generating negative return on investment for the past two years, Isle of Capri Casinos announced it was closing its 15-year-old Natchez riverboat and selling the accompanying hotel to Magnolia Bluffs Casino for $11.5 million. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dan Lee, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Majestic Star, Mississippi, Ohio, Politics, Racinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

What’s up, Macao?; Strange plan from Full House

Posted on August 6, 2015 by David McKee

Lawrence Ho minces few words in an interview with Bloomberg News about the autumn opening of Studio City, the $3.2 billion rescue project of Melco Crown Entertainment. It’s difficult to decide what’s strangest about the project. Is it having Batman, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Lee, Galaxy Entertainment, Indiana, Kentucky, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Ohio, Regulation, Transportation | Comments Off