Category Archives: Entertainment

Aliante Station changes hands but little else; Amigo Adelson

Posted on October 21, 2011 by David McKee

Aliante Station is now formally the property of Texas Pacific Group, Standard General and Apollo Management. Two of those funds also own Caesars Entertainment, which might create some interesting “Chinese wall” situations. (Can’t have trade secrets passing back and forth, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colorado, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, International, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes | Comments Off

Florida: Bend over & grab; Slots on the loose in A.C.

Posted on October 17, 2011 by David McKee

Background investigations in Nevada — at least before the budgetary axe starting falling on the Nevada Gaming Control Board — were said to be an indescribably unpleasant experience. As award-winning local columnist Michael Green once pointed out, when Gary Loveman … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Entertainment, Florida, Genting, Harrah's, Marketing, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Station’s next sorta-big thing

Posted on October 4, 2011 by David McKee

Last night, Station Casinos brass met with residents of Richfield Village, regarding the former’s proposed water park, at the nexus of I-15 and Desert Inn Road. Richfielders were told that Station wants to change the zoning on the parcel from … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Station Casinos | Comments Off

Siegfried & Roy’s House of Horrors

Posted on October 3, 2011 by David McKee

Today is the eighth anniversary of that fateful night when a tiger named Montecore went postal on illusionist Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, dropping a permanent curtain to the performing entity known as Siegfried & Roy™. Unwitting premonitions of Horn’s career-ending … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Movies, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 3, 2011 by David McKee

“What is this ‘Million Dollar Piano’? It’s your basic Yamaha grand fancified with 68 LED screens that run the horizontal length of the piano and display images and patterns to compliment the digital screen behind [Elton] John and band. He’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, The Strip | Comments Off

Station stirrings

Posted on September 30, 2011 by David McKee

It looks as though Station Casinos and Manhattan-based developer Fisher Bros. are trying to put back together some of the pieces of their Humpty Dumpty megaproject along I-15. As you recall, the duo had acquired a swath of land (assembled … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos, The Strip | 1 Comment

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

Tropicana of Cancer; Bucking the system

Posted on September 27, 2011 by David McKee

Alex Yemenidjian‘s efforts to reboot the Tropicana Las Vegas are sputtering quite badly these days. First, there’s the much-reported mess that is the Mob Experience, currently on the lam from foreclosure. Then a three-month extension of Gladys Knight‘s A Mic … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Entertainment, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Neil Bluhm, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

In case you missed it

Posted on September 24, 2011 by David McKee

Our “Question of the Day” on the Margaritaville Casino, opening early next month within Flamingo Las Vegas ran before we got the design renderings from Caesars Entertainment. So, for those of you for whom the verbal descriptions of the sub-casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, The Strip | 2 Comments

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

Hotel Hell

Posted on September 19, 2011 by David McKee

Last weekend, my wife and I were subjected treated to what is undoubtedly — without any question — the worst hotel stay of our lives. So-called Affinity Gaming wanted to show off its $8 million retrofit of Primm Valley Resort … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Herbst Gaming, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

Assume the position

Posted on September 13, 2011 by David McKee

Whatever one thinks of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas‘ business plan, the $4 billion resort seems bound and determined to position itself as a lifestyle-oriented hangout for the upwardly mobile, with casino gambling just one amenity among many others. But … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Entertainment, Marketing, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Rehab in rehab

Posted on September 13, 2011 by David McKee

If it seems that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino‘s infamous Rehab pool party has been keeping a lower profile this year, that’s no illusion. The expulsion of Morgans Hotel Group and its party-hearty executive team has brought a de-empahsis … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Environment, Hard Rock Hotel, Massachusetts, The Strip, Warner Gaming | 2 Comments

Wishful Thinking 101

Posted on September 12, 2011 by David McKee

Do you ever have the feeling that CityCenter isn’t getting its message across? Incidentally, leave your cursor on the Harmon wrap for a moment and you’ll get an amusing — but wholly accidental — bit of snark from Cosmopolitan PR’s … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 3 Comments

This weekend in Vegas

Posted on September 10, 2011 by David McKee

If you crave an evening’s light entertainment at a fraction of casino-show prices, hail a cab to Chinatown, just a couple of minutes off the Strip, and check out Las Vegas Little Theatre‘s new production of No Sex Please, We’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, The Strip | 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

I’m shocked, shocked!

Posted on August 30, 2011 by David McKee

… to discover that there is gambling in this establishment. Of 38 video clips on Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas‘ You Tube channel, not one is devoted to the casino floor. Geez, you think this “hide the gaming” marketing approach might … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Entertainment, Marketing, Movies, The Strip, TV | 5 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