Category Archives: Donald Trump

Leper Colony

Posted on April 3, 2009 by David McKee

Or, in lieu of "Atlantic City Death Watch VII," maybe "Colony Death Watch." Scarcely had S&G dubbed Colony Capital's East Coast casino portfolio "Colony Crapital" than came affirmation in the form of the latest set of numbers from the Boardwalk. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn | Comments Off

Death, taxes and Station Casinos

Posted on March 18, 2009 by David McKee

It’s all but certain that the unenviable steeplechase to be the first major gaming company to declare bankruptcy in 2009 will be won by … Station Casinos!* (On Tax Day, no less.) None of the company’s three rescue scenarios does … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Economy, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off

'M' is for 'mobbed'

Posted on March 16, 2009 by David McKee

Local naysayers have been gleefully predicting the swift demise of M Resort for weeks now. And I’ll admit I even entertained a few doubts as we drove out there yesterday morning. I mean, unless you live well south of Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Dining, Donald Trump, Gary Goett, Harrah's, M Resort, Station Casinos | Comments Off

Comp cutbacks in Atlantic City

Posted on March 3, 2009 by David McKee

Last week, the Press of Atlantic City reported a 5% drop in comping along the Boardwalk and Marina District. However, the story played it as merely a reflection of decreased business in Atlantic City. Yesterday, however, The Associated Press weighed … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's | Comments Off

MGM Mirage: Uh-oh; "Off the box"

Posted on February 27, 2009 by David McKee

Following in the footsteps of Station Casinos and Harrah's Entertainment, now MGM Mirage is drawing its revolver, so to speak, to fund operating expenses. This is never a good sign. Earlier this week we learnt that all of Kirk Kerkorian's … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Donald Trump, Economy, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos, Wall Street | Comments Off

Gibbons retreats, sorta

Posted on February 23, 2009 by David McKee

Gov. Jim Gibbons has scuttled away from one of his several proposals to jack up taxes on the only segment of Nevada that's carrying its own weight — the casino bidness. He's retreating from a demand that casinos pay taxes … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, M Resort, Marketing, Mesquite, Movies, Politics, Station Casinos, Taxes, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off

Trump: The end

Posted on February 21, 2009 by David McKee

So Trump Entertainment Resorts has such little worth that it’s facing delisting, having become quite literally a penny stock. In a move described as “petulant,” not only is Donald Trump taking his ball and going home, he wants the name … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Economy, Pennsylvania, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off

Trop's agony soon to end?

Posted on February 18, 2009 by David McKee

The bad news is that the New Jersey Casino Control Commission has voted to grant yet another extension on the interminable sale of the Tropicana Atlantic City. The good news that it’s merely been pushed out another month, not the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Boardwalk bummer

Posted on February 10, 2009 by David McKee

In short, January's Atlantic City revenue numbers are -9% at the tables and -10% in slots. The glass-half-empty spin is that this is the third straight year of decline. The glass-half-full perspective would be, yes, but it's -9% the fifth-highest … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Mixed message from Penn

Posted on February 6, 2009 by David McKee

Having pulled the plug on his latest Atlantic City venture, Penn National CEO Peter Carlino served the city a heaping plate of gloom with a side dish of pessimism. In fact, he pretty much slammed the door on the besieged … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Who are they kidding?

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

Mesquite casino oligopolist Randy Black bought himself some TV ad time during the Super Bowl to tout his latest value proposition (starring one Randy Black). His opening gambit: "Everybody's cutting back." Uh no, not if you're Randy Black and just … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, Mesquite, Phil Ruffin, The Strip, TV | Comments Off

Bargain$ tonight in Vega$

Posted on January 27, 2009 by David McKee

Suppose that you got a sudden urge to visit Vegas on a Tuesday night … tonight, to be specific. You’d find that the customer is king, at least as far as pricing goes. A few minutes spent browsing Travel.Ian.com yielded … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Current, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Atlantic City Death Watch V

Posted on January 26, 2009 by David McKee

Joys, Shakespeare famously wrote, come as solitary spies while griefs arrive by the battalion. So it is with Atlantic City, where the bad news washes up along the Boardwalk in bunches. If you picked Resorts Atlantic City as the Casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Pinnacle Entertainment | Comments Off

Phil Ruffin's big deal

Posted on December 15, 2008 by David McKee

As you've already read umpteen times over by now, MGM Mirage sold Treasure Island over the weekend to Phil Ruffin. The latter's sitting on a massive chunk of change ever since playing El Ad Group to the tune of $1.24 … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, The Strip | Comments Off

Atlantic City Death Watch

Posted on November 21, 2008 by David McKee

New Jersey's Casino Control Commission has come out with a grim set of numbers regarding gross operating profitability in Atlantic City's casinos during 3Q08. And, as bad as these numbers sound, once the cost of operation is subtracted, a $121 … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Station Casinos, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Fire sale at Harrah's, MGM?

Posted on November 17, 2008 by David McKee

That was one of the bombshells dropped this morning at Global Gaming Expo. According to a member of a "state of the industry" panel of G2E's Casino Design track, Harrah's Entertainment has several unprofitable properties that were for sale. "Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Donald Trump, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Winners & Losers

Posted on November 5, 2008 by David McKee

And now the obligatory post-Election, What’s-it-all-about-Alfie roundup … Culinary Union 1, Casino CEOs O: True, the Culinary tripped all over its own feet in the early going, leading to Democratic caucuses that weren’t so much “Barackular” as “debacular.” But D. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Ameristar, Atlantic City, California, Colorado, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Florida, Gary Goett, Harrah's, IGT, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Case Bets: PR, Trump

Posted on September 30, 2008 by David McKee

Press releases are always manna on a slow news day but sometimes you get one (OK, many) that make you want to pull your hair. For instance, I received such a specimen late yesterday from an agency that shall remain … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown, Harrah's, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Mont-blew it; more E-Can; Trump struggling

Posted on September 5, 2008 by David McKee

"Montbleu screwed our pooch." That's the conclusion of Chuck Monster, who chronicles a bait-and-switch at the former Caesars Tahoe. It's now part of the prospering casino fleet that is Columbia Sussex and its "pet friendly" package turned out to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Lake Tahoe, Pets, The Strip | Comments Off

From bad to worse

Posted on August 19, 2008 by David McKee

British Reuters lays out a dire scenario for casino bonds, the second-most-distressed sector of the junk-bond market (only media firms are doing worse). "We believe it probably hasn't hit its bottom," is the grave verdict of Moody's Investors Service analyst … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Morgans Hotel Group, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off