Category Archives: Downtown

Pansy Ho on the campaign trail; Connecticut tribes optimistic

Posted on April 13, 2015 by David McKee

MGM China would probably prefer that its co-chairwoman, Pansy Ho, stay out of the headlines, considering the negative publicity she’s generated over the years. But she opened up to the media this week, specifically the newspaper of which she is … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Hooters, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Palms, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

The Strip: February disappoints

Posted on March 31, 2015 by David McKee

Las Vegas Strip casino revenues fell 4% in February, in a month that was mildly positive on a statewide basis, up 1%. Blame baccarat: Play was down 22%, although players took the house to the cleaners, with casino win down … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Cosmopolitan, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Lake Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Reno, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off

Las Vegas’ robust January; Measles in a casino

Posted on March 2, 2015 by David McKee

January was good for the State of Nevada (+8%) but especially powerful for the Las Vegas Strip, up 15%. The casinos played lucky, with baccarat winnings up 68.5%, despite 13.5% less being wagered. Strip slot revenues were up 4%, even … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Fontainebleau, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, New York, North Las Vegas, Riviera, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Tilman Fertitta’s blockbuster

Posted on February 19, 2015 by David McKee

When looked on Ye Olde Same Store Basis, gaming revenues in Louisiana are good enough, up 4%. Add Tilman Fertitta‘s Golden Nugget Lake Charles to the mix and revs shoot up 17%. No, that’s not a typo. The Nugget is … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Downtown, Entertainment, GLPI, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Indian giver wins big in Atlantic City; Positive quarters for Pinnacle, Boyd

Posted on February 13, 2015 by David McKee

Fourteen gamblers are $1.5 million lighter in the wallet after a New Jersey judge ordered them to pay restitution to the Golden Nugget Atlantic City. At issue was the Nugget’s use of “pre-shuffled” card packs that were nothing of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off

Straub’s time runs short; Smoke gets in Macao’s eyes

Posted on February 10, 2015 by David McKee

Glenn Straub may be $10 million the poorer after yet another deal for Revel has come apart at the seams. Straub wanted to expunge any obligations to Revel tenants. Federal courts would not let him. And, upon that impasse, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Downtown, Economy, Environment, George Maloof, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, history, Macau, Revel, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Wynn faces sore loser in Boston

Posted on January 6, 2015 by David McKee

Steve Wynn was finally able to close a $35 million deal on the site of his Everett, Massachusetts, casino project. That’s good, because Wynn has to deal with new perfidy from Boston Mayor Martin “McCheese” Walsh. The latter’s long silence … Continue reading →

Posted in Derek Stevens, Downtown, Massachusetts, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Technology | 1 Comment

Blast from the past

Posted on December 19, 2014 by David McKee

It’s time to revive the S&G tradition of a Friday film festival. Thanks to Bellagio Director of Productions Frank Coccaro for pointing the way to these nostalgia-inducing clips.

Posted in Architecture, Downtown, history, MGM Mirage | Comments Off

Vegas hits the jackpot & other Case Bets

Posted on December 17, 2014 by David McKee

We don’t know how much they’ve spent yet and how much of a blockbuster year this will be for Las Vegas but we know one thing for certain. We’ve finally broken the 40 million mark in annual visitation, a Holy … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Sports, Tourism | 1 Comment

Dotty’s loses, Genting hesitates, Penn adapts

Posted on December 4, 2014 by David McKee

Look at that picture. Seriously, keep looking. Does that seem like a tavern to you? A casino? Some curious hybrid? For years the Clark County Commission has been grappling with the vexing questions posed by the rapidly growing Dotty’s chain of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cordish Co., Dotty's, Downtown, Genting, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip | 2 Comments

Slots drive Vegas; Big change at Foxwoods

Posted on November 26, 2014 by David McKee

Las Vegas Strip casino revenues fell 6% last month, largely thanks to soft table play. Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli characterized slot play as “encouraging and driven primarily by volume,” as the Strip recorded its sixth consecutive month of increased … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Delaware, Downtown, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Mohegan Sun, North Las Vegas, Racinos, Slot routes, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Big Ease; The Mirage, 25 years later

Posted on November 20, 2014 by David McKee

Even with 19 non-tribal casinos and racinos to support, the Louisiana market continues to rebound. It was up 4% last month, with even 2% growth in the crowded Shreveport/Bossier City marketplace. El Dorado was the second-highest grosser and the percentage leader … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Downtown, GLPI, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, history, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Unhappy Halloween

Posted on November 3, 2014 by David McKee

Right-leaning Stand by Children Arizona, in the course of endorsing six GOP candidates, went a little screwy. Its poster art looks like something out of a cheap Fifties horror film, with zombie-faced Little Johnny’s proverbial one-room schoolhouse about to … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Election, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off

Boyd impresses the Street, MGM disappoints

Posted on October 31, 2014 by David McKee

Boyd Gaming pleased Wall Street with its 3Q14 results, of which Joseph Greff of J.P. Morgan said “margin improvement was notable and impressive.” He noted modest growth in the Las Vegas locals and downtown segments and better-than-expected regional numbers, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Current, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Genting, Hawaii, Macau, MGM Mirage, Reno, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Players take Vegas to the cleaners

Posted on October 28, 2014 by David McKee

Baccarat players stayed home or played smaller last month. The Strip’s most important revenue driver dropped 30% on 12.5% less play. So luck and players’ wallets were both working in the casinos’ disfavor. Despite a 2% increase in coin-in, slot … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Downtown, Economy, Laughlin, Macau, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Technology, The Strip | Comments Off

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 22, 2014 by David McKee

“I think this area south of Charleston [Boulevard] and north of Sahara [Avenue] is up and coming though, and some of that attention Fremont East is getting will turn here. If there were more residential development, something in the middle … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Sam Nazarian, The Strip | Comments Off

JFK returns to Vegas, poker comes to Philly

Posted on October 17, 2014 by David McKee

Tourist attractions just haven’t been clicking for the New Tropicana Las Vegas. But it’s trying again with “The JFK Exhibition,” announced today. Although John F. Kennedy‘s connections to Las Vegas were part of the seamy underside of Camelot, that only … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Downtown, Environment, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Oscar Goodman, Pennsylvania, The Strip | Comments Off

Tying the knot in Vegas and other diversions

Posted on October 16, 2014 by David McKee

Nevada‘s constitutional ban on gay marriage having been deemed unconstitutional, wedding chapels are kicking into high gear to prepare for a wave of same-sex nuptials. How is the casino industry responding to this sudden $50 million (projected) jackpot? Both Caesars … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Japan, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Boyd, Pinnacle speak

Posted on September 29, 2014 by David McKee

Both Boyd Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment met with Wall Street analysts this week, everybody being in town for Global Gaming Expo. Boyd CEO Keith Smith and CFO John Hirsberg said they saw an abatement in negative business trends, now confined … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Louisiana, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

USA Today: Those evil casinos!

Posted on September 26, 2014 by David McKee

With the gaming industry temporarily exhausted from over-expansion and saturation, USA Today has chosen this moment to pounce with an anti-gambling editorial. The graybeards on the USA Today editorial board clearly haven’t been paying close attention — racinos in Delaware, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cretins, Delaware, Downtown, Economy, Geoff Freeman, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Neil Bluhm, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off