Category Archives: Downtown

Vegas’ December: Better than it looks?

Posted on February 9, 2012 by David McKee

If today’s numbers from the Nevada Gaming Control Board indicate that December was good for business — especially on the Las Vegas Strip (up 4% … 7% if you take baccarat out of the equation) — January ought to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Current, Downtown, Economy, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Massachusetts, North Las Vegas, Reno, Rhode Island, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Another domino wobbles; Western, R.I.P.; Fighting over pocket change?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by David McKee

Add South Carolina to the list of states that could be suddenly taking a more favorable view of casino gambling. What the United Keetowa Band of Cherokee Indians is pitching have to be compacted with Gov. Nikki Haley (R, right). … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Downtown, history, Internet gambling, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, South Carolina, Tamares Group, Tribal | 2 Comments

Meet Virginia McDowell, Part I

Posted on January 13, 2012 by David McKee

What are your plans for Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, in Pennsylvania? We’re still waiting for the appeal process to wind its way through the courts. The original plan called for to build on an existing facility on the Nemacolin property, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Florida, G2E, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, Texas, Tourism, Tribal | 3 Comments

Belated Christmas presents, Part II

Posted on January 11, 2012 by David McKee

If the good news keeps raining down like this, I might have to start using the R-word … as in “recovery.” In November, Nevada‘s $880 million gross was good for a 7% upsurge. The Las Vegas Strip beat the statewide … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Current, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Goldman Sachs, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Reno, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Hans Klok, come back!

Posted on January 6, 2012 by David McKee

Sometimes one experiences an experience so awful that its sheer awfulness is awfully far beyond the power of words to describe. That’s what happened last night at the premiere of Vegas Magic Theatre at Gold Coast. (How bad was it? … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Florida, Isle of Capri, The Strip | 1 Comment

More treat than trick

Posted on December 9, 2011 by David McKee

October’s revenue figures for Nevada emerged today and it was a good month statewide ($961 million, +8%) and a great one for the Las Vegas Strip ($560.5 million, +13%). Mind you, October 1 was a Saturday, meaning that some Sept. … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Current, Downtown, Economy, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Mesquite, North Las Vegas, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Borgata or bust; ‘LVH,’ Jacko & Sinead

Posted on December 9, 2011 by David McKee

First, the good news: Borgata — accounting for more than one-fifth of the entire market share — continues to vastly outpace the rest of the Atlantic City market. Last month, it raked in $50 million for a 2% gain, driven … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Blast from the Past

Posted on December 7, 2011 by David McKee

This week finds me up to my butt in page proofs of Rick Lax‘s forthcoming book, I Get Paid for This, a Michael Jackson The [sic] Immortal World Tour™ review for WizardOfVegas.com, profiles of developer Brett Torino and Mayor Carolyn … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cirque du Soleil, Columbia Sussex, Downtown, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, history, James Packer, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, Movies, Tamares Group, The Strip | 1 Comment

Who needs “Tower Heist”?

Posted on October 28, 2011 by David McKee

Here at S&G HQ, we try to offer a video goodie every Friday. This week we ask the question, why plunk down 10 hard-earned bucks for cheesebag Brett Ratner‘s Tower Heist when you could hold out for … Stealing Las … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Movies, Tamares Group | Comments Off

Scent of a douchebag

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

Too bad R&R Partners and the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority didn’t think up this ad first. It’s actually captures the spirit of roaming-herd and mating-ritual behaviors seen every weekend on the Las Vegas Strip and now manifesting themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Downtown, Entertainment, LVCVA, Marketing, Morgans Hotel Group, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

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

Coming attractions

Posted on September 22, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, there’s all manner of excitement and intrigue going on in the gaming world — like Las Vegas Sands issuing a dividend to shareholders — but I’ve not had much time for the S&G beat. With everyone at LVA HQ … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

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

You can take the executive out of the casino …

Posted on August 30, 2011 by David McKee

… but you can’t take the casino out of the executive. Case in point, Smith Center for the Performing Arts Chairman Donald Snyder, former prexy of Boyd Gaming. One of the odder components of the $425 million multipurpose venue, known … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Station Casinos, The Strip | Comments Off

Caruso sings, Lerner hallucinates

Posted on August 29, 2011 by David McKee

Since I had one foot out the door en route to Albany when Caesars Entertainment held its Rick Caruso-led media blitz on Project Linq, I’m a bit late to the party. Some of my early reactions can be heard on … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

The lost weekend; Machine Gun Bloom

Posted on August 26, 2011 by David McKee

When casino revenues weren’t as bad as expected, earlier this summer, one Atlantic City property executive called it a light at the end of the tunnel. Elsewhere, S&G reader American Gaming Guru pithily remarked that the light was an oncoming … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, G2E, Genting, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, New York, Oscar Goodman, Slot routes, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 6 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 26, 2011 by David McKee

“Might be worth seeing, even if Anthony Cools is involved.” — early reaction to Swingers, the new dueling pianos/miniature golf nightclub at the Plaza, which opens both Swingers and Waiting for Godot on Sept. 1.

Posted in Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Tamares Group | Comments Off

Spinmeister Santo

Posted on August 8, 2011 by David McKee

Remember how the Union Plaza used to be on track for a “grand soft reopening” (love that phrase!) on August 24? Somewhere along the way, that target date fell by the wayside. Solution? Generate a blizzard of stories like this … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Herbst Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tamares Group, Technology, Tourism | Comments Off

Oscar™

Posted on August 4, 2011 by David McKee

Considering that Sheldon Adelson would try to trademark the rays of the sun, if only he dared, who can blame Oscar Goodman for getting into the franchising game? According to Tamares Group‘s media rep, Amy Maier, the ex-mayor doesn’t own … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Marketing, Oscar Goodman, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group | Comments Off