Category Archives: Entertainment

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 13, 2012 by David McKee

“Whether it’s Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian or whoever, stupidity is certainly celebrated. Being a fucking idiot is a valuable commodity in this culture because you’re rewarded significantly.” — Jon Hamm, star of Mad Men (returns March 25!) on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Entertainment, TV | 3 Comments

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

The whales of January; Shrinking Hooters

Posted on March 8, 2012 by David McKee

Baccarat win on the Las Vegas Strip began the year heavy ($194 million) and dramatic, up 199% from 2011. The whales were back in force, dropping 163% more than the previous January, putting $1.6 billion in play. An early Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Hooters, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Movies, North Las Vegas, Reno, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Vegas gets its groove back; “Zarkana” comes to Aria

Posted on March 7, 2012 by David McKee

In terms of quantity, quality and proximity, the Los Angeles Times is the closest thing Las Vegas has to a major metropolitan daily. (Hell, the Sacramento Bee puts the Las Vegas Review-Journal to shame.) Indeed, the LAT treats Sin City … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Arizona, Boyd Gaming, California, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Vegas gets its groove back; “Zarkana” comes to Aria

Gaughan expands empire … and sundry other Case Bets

Posted on March 7, 2012 by David McKee

Having already taken charge of the hotel operations of the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa (for historical purposes, best known as The Resort at Summerlin) last summer, Michael Gaughan Jr. will now extend his operational control to its … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Entertainment, Georgia, Harrah's, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Tourism | Comments Off on Gaughan expands empire … and sundry other Case Bets

Adelson to sign “Mormon”? What is “theD”?

Posted on March 7, 2012 by David McKee

Las Vegas‘ new performing arts palace, The Smith Center, has opened coveted the Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon. However, a heavyweight competitor could snatch Mormon from under Smith CEO Myron Martin‘s nose. Rumor has Las Vegas Sands in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip | 10 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 24, 2012 by David McKee

“We said to Kevin [Antunes], ‘Listen, we don’t want to hear any accordions in ‘Beat It.’ … It’s gotta be Michael Jackson.’ We said to Jamie [King], ‘We don’t want any — and I don’t want to insult anybody — … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment, Sports | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Slave to SmithCoast

Posted on February 23, 2012 by David McKee

Those nice folks at CityLife must think I did all right by that last cover story because they’ve got me taking the lead on their media blitz vis-a-vis the impending (March 12) opening of the Smith Center for the Performing … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Slave to SmithCoast

Wynn vs. Okada: The appraisal; Mob Experience returns … like you cared

Posted on February 22, 2012 by David McKee

Wall Street analysts are weighing in on Wynn Resorts‘ preemptive strike against Kazuo Okada last weekend. Surprisingly, J.P. Morgan‘s Joseph Greff rates it as a positive in re Steve Wynn‘s ambitions for expansion into Japan and says it doesn’t hurt … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Cosmopolitan, Current, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Macau, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wynn vs. Okada: The appraisal; Mob Experience returns … like you cared

Las Vegas: What’s next?

Posted on February 16, 2012 by David McKee

If I had a crystal ball for Las Vegas’ future, I’d be a wealthier man. Not having one, I consulting some fellows far more perspicacious than myself. In no particular order they include Dennis Conrad, scholars Bill Eadington, Eugene Moehring … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tribal | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 14, 2012 by David McKee

“It’s one of the imperatives of the Las Vegas hype machine that we never allow ourselves to dwell on our mistakes, publicly or privately. How many people remember Avenue Q at Wynn? Hairspray at Luxor? Columbia Sussex at the Tropicana? … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 3 Comments

Crack is whack, Gary; Footing the CityCenter bill

Posted on February 13, 2012 by David McKee

It will be some time before we know what drugs were in Whitney Houston‘s system when she perished last weekend. More to our S&G purpose is the question of what pharmacological experiments Caesars Entertainment executives were conducting  when they entered … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Crack is whack, Gary; Footing the CityCenter bill

Idle worship in Vegas

Posted on February 12, 2012 by David McKee

Making a pilgrimage to Lourdes is so 20th century, especially when you can go to Planet Hollywood and worship at the feet of a Jersey Shore cast member. No word on whether last weekend’s manifestation of the inexplicable cultural artifact … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Harrah's, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, TV | 2 Comments

Lee, Nazarian go to market; IGT goes Disney

Posted on February 10, 2012 by David McKee

An S&G source says Creative Casinos CEO Dan Lee has arranged mezzanine financing and may soon go to the bond market to raise capital, presumably for Mojito Pointe for potentially for ventures elsewhere. The Lake Charles market draws heavy play … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dan Lee, Entertainment, Goldman Sachs, IGT, International, Louisiana, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

China to Cirque: “Pas encore!”

Posted on February 9, 2012 by David McKee

Cirque du Soleil® has laid another oeuf — or Las Vegas Sands has claimed yet another showbiz victim. Its resident show at Venetian Macao, Zaia™, is closing after a 42-month run. Either the touchy-feely, eco-friendly whimsies of Zaia™ were too … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Economy, Entertainment, Horseracing, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on China to Cirque: “Pas encore!”

One dynasty meets another

Posted on January 23, 2012 by David McKee

File this under ‘When camp icons collide.’ Yes, that’s Joan Collins, O.B.E. with showgirls from Jubilee! Between the show’s tenure and that of Ms. Collins, those are two careers characterized by unusually long legs — metaphorical and otherwise. Unfortunately, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off on One dynasty meets another

Miller Time in Maryland; The sorrows of Marrandino

Posted on January 20, 2012 by David McKee

No question about it, THE gaming-industry story of 2011 was both an economic and political one: How the Great Recession has essentially broken the back of anti-gambling resistance in the corridors of American power. We can see it up and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Lee, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Taxes, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Miller Time in Maryland; The sorrows of Marrandino

Quote of the Day

Posted on January 19, 2012 by David McKee

“Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity.” — legendary animator and really cool dude Chuck Jones (1912-2002). Today, Circus Circus opened The Chuck Jones Experience, an interactive museum devoted to Jones and the veritable cosmos of characters to which his pencil … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Movies, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 1 Comment

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

Living on Vegas time

Posted on January 13, 2012 by David McKee

By way of Ian Sutton‘s Gaming Floor portal comes news that Les Artistes Steakhouse, late of Paris-Las Vegas, is fermé … toujours.  Although the hotel-casino has only been open since September 1999, on Caesars Entertainment‘s in-house blog this constitutes “a … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, history, Sahara, The Strip, Tribal | 5 Comments