Category Archives: Election

Macao: “This is decent”; Massachusetts slams door behind Adelson

Posted on June 1, 2012 by David McKee

Macao casino revenue grew ‘only’ 7% last month, which is bad … if you were thinking monthly, large double-digit increases (21% over the past five months) were a sustainable norm. “This is decent,” J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff said of … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, International, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Macao: “This is decent”; Massachusetts slams door behind Adelson

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 30, 2012 by David McKee

“[Donald] Trump is a small man who has big thoughts about himself, a vulgar attentionophile who cares not what damage he causes or whom he might hurt so long as he is in the spotlight … his hardly veiled racism … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Donald Trump, Election, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 4 Comments

Holy Toledo!; D-Day in Massachusetts

Posted on May 29, 2012 by David McKee

Citizens of Toledo put on their best wife-beater and queued up for opening day at Penn National Gaming‘s brand-new Hollywood Casino Toledo. Sure, Revel had Beyoncé but H’wood Toledo had … Jamie Farr (plus ABBA impersonators). So there, Atlantic City! … Continue reading →

Posted in ABBA, Architecture, Current, Dan Gilbert, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation, Tribal | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 27, 2012 by David McKee

“The cost of appearing with this bloviating ignoramus is obvious it seems to me. Donald Trump is redundant evidence that if your net worth is high enough, your IQ can be very low and you can still intrude into American politics.” — … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Donald Trump, Election | 1 Comment

Dump that Trump!; Caesars takes big British bath; F-blew claims another victim

Posted on May 21, 2012 by David McKee

What took them so long? That has to be the operative question now that Trump Entertainment Resorts owner Marc Lasry and CEO Robert Griffin have belatedly put Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino on the market, at an undisclosed price. (Probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Election, Fontainebleau, International, Internet gambling, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Dump that Trump!; Caesars takes big British bath; F-blew claims another victim

Tropicana Toronto? CityCentre? Horseshoe Etobicoke?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by David McKee

There’s a dark horse in the race for a Toronto megaresort … very dark. It’s Onex Corp., known to you and me as the owner of the Tropicana Las Vegas. Onex subsidiary Casino ABS owns four of the largest casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Kansas, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Tropicana Toronto? CityCentre? Horseshoe Etobicoke?

Jersey voters jeer ‘Net bets; A friend in high places

Posted on May 14, 2012 by David McKee

“We’ve never been this close to Internet gaming. We’ve talked about it for 10 years. And we’re closer than ever to sports betting. It certainly takes New Jersey outside traditional gaming and puts us at the forefront of the initiatives … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Election, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Politics, Racinos, Revel, Tourism | 2 Comments

Beaten in Beantown: Steve Wynn calls it quits

Posted on May 8, 2012 by David McKee

Just like that, another Las Vegas casino heavyweight has hit the canvas in Massachusetts. Election results in Foxborough spelled doom for Steve Wynn‘s proposed resort (below) and neither he nor New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft wasted any time throwing … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Sports, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 3 Comments

St. Louis: Penn in, Harrah’s out

Posted on May 8, 2012 by David McKee

A ways back, the news broke that Caesars Entertainment — being well and truly on its uppers — was trying to shop as many as 10 Southern and Midwest casinos. The goal was to raise at least $500 million to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Current, Election, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, International, Iowa, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Steve Wynn’s better half

Posted on May 7, 2012 by David McKee

In the unlikely event that Steve Wynn is abducted by aliens and thrown into a Chinese political prison, Wynn Resorts need look no farther than ex-wife Elaine Wynn for continuity of vision. (And, make no mistake, there isn’t a discernible … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Election, Encore, Fontainebleau, history, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 3 Comments

U.S.S. Adelson lost at sea

Posted on May 2, 2012 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson‘s presidential campaign officially sank today. It was preceded to Davey Jones’ Locker by $21.5 million in Adelson family money (or $10.75 million per primary victory). It’s been a brief voyage but one revelatory of Sheldon’s inner workings. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Internet gambling, Macau, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, TV | 5 Comments

New York State of mind; Atlantic City peace of mind; O’Shea’s, a piece of …

Posted on April 30, 2012 by David McKee

If the question of casino expansion were put to Empire State voters this November, the outcome would probably be adverse. That’s the conclusion of a Benenson Group survey. If the fact that Benenson is President Barack Obama‘s pollster of preference … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on New York State of mind; Atlantic City peace of mind; O’Shea’s, a piece of …

The continuing adventures of Sheldon Adelson, Harry Reid and the GSA

Posted on April 14, 2012 by David McKee

First, the good news. Business is off and running at brand-new Sands Cotai Central, whose Himalaya casino (372 tables, 600 slots) opened last Wednesday. In total square footage, it overtakes Venetian Macao for status as the world’s largest casino (30% … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Economy, Election, Florida, Genting, Harrah's, Harry Reid, history, International, Macau, Massachusetts, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Stanley Ho, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, TV, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Sheldon Adelson, super villain

Posted on April 13, 2012 by David McKee

“Where’s the white cat,” asked an S&G reader when photos from the grand opening of Sands Cotai Central showed Sheldon Adelson doing a superb impersonation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, “crumpets” in attendance. You can just imagine him sitting there, brainstorming … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, Movies, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 7 Comments

The Trop and the truth; Crock of Vegas

Posted on April 5, 2012 by David McKee

Black Hawk Down author Mark Bowden has penned a gripping account of how veteran racetrack executive Don Johnson (no, not that one) cleaned the clocks of the Tropicana Atlantic City, Borgata and Caesars Palace Atlantic City, to the tune of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Downtown, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Tropicana Entertainment | 3 Comments

Like I said …

Posted on March 28, 2012 by David McKee

That MGM Resorts International casino project in Massachusetts looked like a long shot to me — and so it was. After a high-profile launch, complete with a personal appearance by CEO Jim Murren, a dedicated Web site and a promised … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Election, Goldman Sachs, Indiana, International, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Transportation, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Investor Week: The slot makers speak; More Ohio expansion

Posted on March 21, 2012 by David McKee

Themes! Themes! Themes! That was the promise made by WMS Industries, which plans to introduce no fewer than 55 of them between now and year’s end. I’d thought we were past the era in which slot manufacturers indiscriminately licensed every … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Slot routes, Technology, Wall Street, WMS Industries | 1 Comment

Gambling makes strange bedfellows; Two kinds of Trop trouble

Posted on March 9, 2012 by David McKee

Earlier today, we witnessed the strange spectacle of a capitalist decrying the effect of market forces upon his business. It’s an indirect reminder that casinos are that rare issue which brings together the old maids of the far left and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Laughlin, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 9, 2012 by David McKee

“Research suggests that the more [Mitt] Romney tries to not talk about his wealth, the more likely he is to do just that. The human mind is perversely drawn to fixate upon the subjects we most want to avoid, especially … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Don Barden, Downtown, Election | 2 Comments

R.I.P., Dennis Gomes; Casino avalanche in Michigan; Life after UIGEA

Posted on March 8, 2012 by David McKee

There are few real characters in the casino industry anymore. Dennis Gomes (1944-2012) was one of them. His recent death put a premature “full stop” on one of the most colorful and wide-ranging careers gaming has seen. After all, how … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Dennis Gomes, Detroit, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Harrah's, history, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Ohio, Penn National, Pokergeddon, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on R.I.P., Dennis Gomes; Casino avalanche in Michigan; Life after UIGEA