Category Archives: Economy

Margaritaville on the rocks

Posted on July 15, 2010 by David McKee

Long-serving — and long-suffering — Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway has lost patience with Harrah’s Entertainment. He is convinced that the metamorphosis of Grand Casino Biloxi into Margaritaville Casino is kaput and that Harrah’s will tear down what little it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Animals, Archon Corp., Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Charity, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Encore, Environment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, Holy Cow, Indiana, International, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Movies, Pennsylvania, Pets, Phil Ruffin, Planet Hollywood, Plaza, Riviera, Sahara, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 14, 2010 by David McKee

“Nevada itself would love to be receiving more revenue from casino gaming, but there’s precious little its legislators or governor can do to expand gambling in the state, save thinking good thoughts (although slot route operators would likely settle for … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Politics, Regulation, Slot routes | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 13, 2010 by David McKee

Via Sharron Angle, the gift who keeps on giving. She may be conflating (mangling?) the distressed-debt-buyback provision that Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) whisked through Congress — much to the relief of several big casino companies — with his cold-calling on … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harry Reid, MGM Mirage, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Riviera: Non-story of the year

Posted on July 13, 2010 by David McKee

In what was 2010’s biggest foregone conclusion, Riviera Holdings filed bankruptcy yesterday. This has been coming a long time although the scanty news coverage leaves it unclear whether what’s taking place is the pre-packaged bankruptcy that would see the Riv … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Animals, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Pansy Ho, Politics, Regulation, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Silverton, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 12, 2010 by David McKee

“I suspect we’ll be talking about growth in the next couple of months. I always think tomorrow is going to be better than today.” — Harrah’s Entertainment‘s East Coast chief, Don Marrandino, whistling past the graveyard that is Atlantic City, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Pennsylvania, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

S&G hither & yon

Posted on July 12, 2010 by David McKee

Last weekend’s usual barrage of errands, veterinary appointments, etc., was interrupted long enough for Yr. Humble Blogger to guest-host another edition of The Strip Podcast. In it, I reveal my shameful ignorance of televised poker (something I literally tuned out … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Missouri, North Las Vegas, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Technology, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, TV, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 1 Comment

It’s Sheldon’s world, we just live in it

Posted on July 9, 2010 by David McKee

Oh, how I envy Sheldon Adelson. My own hair grows thinner and grayer while his becomes thicker and darker. (The photo at left, shows Classic Sheldon, circa 1999.) But I digress … Adelson is one of the stars of an … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Florida, International, Macau, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 4 Comments

When her head stops spinning …

Posted on July 9, 2010 by David McKee

… where will Sharron Angle stand vis-a-vis the casino industry? She’s already raised the bogeyman of “undue [casino] pressure” — as opposed to “due pressure”? — in her now-scrubbed original Web site, which keeps coming back from the cyber-grave. The … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Harry Reid, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip | 7 Comments

Sharron Angle, casino analyst

Posted on July 8, 2010 by David McKee

Reckless rhetoric. Last week, S&G called B.S. on senatorial aspirant Sharron Angle‘s faux solicitude for the unfinished casinos along the Strip. Turns out, if she had her way, there’d be at least one more: Aria, plus all the other components … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Donald Trump, Dubai, Economy, Election, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, TV | 6 Comments

Around the horn

Posted on July 8, 2010 by David McKee

Iowa‘s casino revenues last month were nearly the textbook definition of “flat”: up a tenth of a percent, the first revenue-positive month since February 2009. (Hey, growth is growth. We’ll take it.) The drag anchor on revs was Harrah’s Entertainment, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Don Barden, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, International, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 2 Comments

Aqueduct: Penn screws the pooch

Posted on July 7, 2010 by David McKee

Since tout  le monde is fixated upon where LeBron James will play next season (is it OK for me to say I don’t care?), this seems like the moment to observe that Penn National Gaming bricked an easy layup. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation | 1 Comment

Vegas continues to confound

Posted on July 7, 2010 by David McKee

A friend recently posed to me the question of how Nevada‘s casino revenues can be so anemic at a time when casino floors appear so crowded (only 100K fewer visitors in April 2009 than two years earlier). I’m coming around … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Current, Downtown, Economy, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, North Las Vegas, Regulation, The Strip | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 6, 2010 by David McKee

“Clearly, there will be overbuilding and other costly mistakes if the boosterish mania for growth and promotion are not balanced by careful planning in the 1990s.” — historian Eugene Moehring, in his 1989 history of Las Vegas, Resort City in … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, history, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Honey, I forgot the license!

Posted on July 2, 2010 by David McKee

Despite a record of failure, failure and even greater failure, three cronies of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell still have a chance of holding onto the comatose “Wynnwoods” casino project in Philadelphia. Somehow, Wynnwoods (officially known as Philadelphia Entertainment & Development … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Honey, I forgot the license!

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 2, 2010 by David McKee

“Isn’t that what he always says?” — my wife, a fairly staunch Democrat, reacting to a news clip of President Obama saying, “We are headed in the right direction.”

Posted in Current, Economy | 4 Comments

“Project Linq”

Posted on July 1, 2010 by David McKee

I’m not sure anybody but Gary Loveman could come up with such a preposterous handle as “Project Linq” (alas, not “Linc,” as in Clarence Williams III on the Mod Squad, although that would be pretty cool) for Harrah’s Entertainment‘s street … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Marketing, Massachusetts, Politics, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 6 Comments

Cosmo: Blueprint for failure?

Posted on July 1, 2010 by David McKee

Geez, I’ve not been feeling pessimistic about the Dec. 15 debut of the Cosmopolitan … until somebody forwarded me a copy of a Bill Lerner analysis of the property. Now I’m worried. After walking the place, Lerner found it to … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Cosmo sets a date

Posted on June 30, 2010 by David McKee

Dec. 15 is the Cosmopolitan‘s date with destiny. That’s when it begins rolling out its room inventory and casino product. That doesn’t sound very exciting, does it? It’s hard to get worked up about a place so grammatically challenged it … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, International, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Brad Garrett: Enter at your own risk; Bargains & magnanimity

Posted on June 30, 2010 by David McKee

First, the good news. After going null for two with Paul Rodriguez (PR nightmare) and Wayne Newton (artistic disaster), the Tropicana Las Vegas appears to have swatted an 0-2 pitch into the bleachers. Brad Garrett‘s eponymous comedy club is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Current, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, Marketing, Movies, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Wayne F. Newton | 1 Comment

Dick Cheney, casino headliner

Posted on June 29, 2010 by David McKee

It’s no joke. The ex-veep is part of a new entertainment regime at the Atlantic City Hilton. After nearly mismanaging the property into extinction, owner Colony Capital has given President Michael Frawley $20 million, which Frawley’s plowing into a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Marketing, Politics | 5 Comments