Category Archives: Entertainment

It’s a new day at the Cosmo; Atlantic City’s fate in Borgata’s hands

Posted on February 8, 2016 by David McKee

“The bottom line is you have a casino. Instead of downplaying that, let’s celebrate it.” That’s Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas CEO Bill McBeath outlining the besetting sin of his predecessors, ignoring the central role of gambling as the Cosmo’s revenue … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment, Illinois, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Slot routes, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Illinois beats the odds; MGM goes au naturel

Posted on February 8, 2016 by David McKee

Well, here’s a novel piece of news out of Illinois, where it always seems that gloom and doom hold sway. Gaming revenues were up 2% last month. That’s even more impressive when you consider that it’s being measured against a … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Culinary Union, Entertainment, Environment, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Nevada, Penn National, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off

Gulfport: Not so fast; DFS winning in Florida

Posted on January 29, 2016 by David McKee

In one day, attorney Robert Lubin‘s plan for a new Gulfport, Mississippi, casino went from being the next big thing to “Yes, but …” Lubin, whose speciality is EB-5 visa financing, envisions a two-pronged project: a $140 million casino plus … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Florida, Internet gambling, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Tribal | Comments Off

Atlantic City under siege; Detroit casinos deliver

Posted on January 14, 2016 by David McKee

New Jersey state Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D) hasn’t been elected governor yet but he’s behaving as though he were the Garden State’s chief executive. He’s the driving force behind a suddenly urgent move to exert state control over Atlantic City. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, Georgia, Hard Rock Hotel, MGM Mirage, Politics, Revel, Taxes | Comments Off

Ground shifts on i-gaming in California; T-Mobile’s new trophy

Posted on January 7, 2016 by David McKee

California took one step forward and one step back in the field of Internet gambling. A bill to legalize online poker was scratched from yesterday’s legislative agenda. If it makes you feel any better, the opposition of six major California … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, PokerStars, Politics, Sam Nazarian, Sports, The Strip | Comments Off

Suffolk Downs fights back; Scrum in New Jersey Lege

Posted on January 5, 2016 by David McKee

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh may well have thrown in the towel in his lawsuit against Wynn Everett (technically against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission) but a quartet of Suffolk Downs workers aren’t letting Judge Janet Sanders‘ dismissal of aforesaid lawsuit go … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

DFS advances in Iowa, regroups in Illinois

Posted on December 31, 2015 by David McKee

Legalization of daily fantasy sports got halfway to the goal line in the 2015 Iowa Legislature. State Rep. Jake Highfill (R) hopes to get into the endzone in 2016 with a revised version of a bill that already cleared the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, MGM Mirage, New York, Regulation, Revel | Comments Off

‘Jubilee’ axed; DFS banned and reprieved

Posted on December 14, 2015 by David McKee

It was probably a mercy to Ffolliott “Fluff” LeCoque that the Las Vegas showbiz legend died two days before Caesars Entertainment buried a dagger in the heart of Jubilee. LeCoque had been part of the original cast and went on to … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Florida, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, history, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment

Happy birthday, Frank Sinatra

Posted on December 12, 2015 by David McKee

Here’s to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Francis Albert Sinatra, the man arguably more synonymous with Las Vegas than any other.

Posted in Entertainment, history, The Strip | 1 Comment

DFS attempts end run; Mississippi’s new showplace

Posted on December 9, 2015 by David McKee

Daily fantasy sports firms DraftKings and FanDuel took their case to New York State lawmakers yesterday, appearing at a hearing convened by a consortium of Assembly committees. The DFS providers said they’d accept regulation but stopped well short of outlining … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Entertainment, Internet gambling, Mississippi, New York, Politics, Regulation | Comments Off

Las Vegas’ latest efforts to combat the online casino revolution

Posted on December 9, 2015 by David McKee

By Walter Allen Although Las Vegas has long enjoyed a reputation as being the world’s premier casino destination, in the 21st century it has faced unprecedented competition. Not only are alternative gambling hotspots such as Macau in their ascendancy, but increasingly … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Internet gambling, Macau, The Strip | Comments Off

Holiday season in Vegas

Posted on December 2, 2015 by David McKee

An extended Thanksgiving Day weekend allowed my wife and I to partake of some random Sin City fare — helped greatly by her superior comp-getting abilities. Last Sunday, we spent the night at the Downtown Grand (not our first stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, TV | Comments Off

Runaway costs in Springfield; Lucky Dragon not so lucky

Posted on November 20, 2015 by David McKee

MGM Springfield is turning into the worst of both worlds. Not only has the ‘wow’ factor been subtracted (“really the least interesting part of our project,” one exec contended), with the result that the casino-hotel looks more like a bank … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Culinary Union, Downtown, Entertainment, Lucky Dragon, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Taxes, Transportation | Comments Off

The wacky world of Glenn Straub; New York rescuer for DFS

Posted on November 17, 2015 by David McKee

Instead of hassling Stockton University over ownership of the Showboat (and losing), perhaps Glenn Straub should have been developing a long-range plan for heating Revel through the winter, so that the pipes don’t freeze and burst. His solution? Bring in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Internet gambling, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Transportation, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Japan: Keep moving, nothing to see here; Crisis at Studio City

Posted on October 26, 2015 by David McKee

Despite much chumming of the waters by Union Gaming Securities Asia‘s Grant Govertson, it’s the same old same-old in Japan, where casino legalization has been delayed yet again and probably should be under a news blackout until substantial progress is achieved. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Japan, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Mississippi, Pets, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Catwalk beauties, oysters and organized crime at G2E

Posted on October 1, 2015 by David McKee

Pulchritude on parade was an important subtheme of this year’s Global Gaming Expo, as was showcasing Las Vegas’ many dining options. Chef Daniel Bouloud, by the way, earns our thanks for initiating “Oyster Hour” at db Brasserie in the Venetian. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Entertainment, G2E, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob | Comments Off

Malaise in Macao; Celebration at G2E

Posted on October 1, 2015 by David McKee

Wall Street analysts having revised their expectations downward well beforehand, Macao‘s 33% decline in gaming revenues hardly came as a surprise. If anything, they expected worse. Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli even noticed some “pre-Golden Week malaise” toward the end … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Harrah's, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, New York, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | 3 Comments

The HOTO has landed

Posted on September 25, 2015 by David McKee

Tatsuo Miyajima‘s Hoto has arrived at Crystals for an open-ended engagement and we have to say it does wonders for that often sterile and forbidding space. The 9/11-inspired sculpture is covered in LED number sequences that are meant to represent … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Entertainment, Japan, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Culinary Union declares war on Deutsche Bank; The NFL’s dirty hands

Posted on September 14, 2015 by David McKee

Deutsche Bank, in its role as 25% shareholder in Station Casinos, continues to draw fire from the Culinary Union. Let’s clear up a couple of things first. Yes, the Culinary still has an axe to grind with Station over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Oklahoma, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Sports, Station Casinos, Tamares Group, Tribal | Comments Off

Bluhm restless in Massachusetts; Adelson’s latest innovation

Posted on September 10, 2015 by David McKee

Few regulatory bodies move as slothfully as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and it’s got one would-be developer, Neil Bluhm, kind of antsy. “I’ve got other things to do,” he told the Boston Globe, adding, “Do I want to be here? Yes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment