Category Archives: Environment

Revel … still not open; Cautious hope for Internet gambling in Pennsylvania

Posted on June 20, 2016 by David McKee

Glenn Straub‘s once-bold gambit to reopen Revel has turned into an embarrassing face-plant. Perhaps rushing to market in hopes of beating Bart Blatstein‘s Showboat to the hotel traffic, Straub announced a hasty revival of Revel as a casino-hotel without … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Environment, Glenn Straub, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Slot routes, Sports, Technology | 1 Comment

Atlantic City back on death watch?; Money problems at Moulin Rouge

Posted on June 3, 2016 by David McKee

Things are suddenly looking grim for Atlantic City: A new Monmouth University poll shows voters evenly divided on a referendum to end the Boardwalk’s monopoly on casino gambling, an erosion of public support for the resort city. Assessing the situation … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Downtown, Economy, Election, Environment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Riviera, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

Monte Carlo, meet Park MGM; Wynn, Adelson, Barrack help Trump

Posted on June 3, 2016 by David McKee

In the end, MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren couldn’t decide between “The Park” and “The Park at MGM Grand” as the new name for Monte Carlo, so he dubbed it Park MGM, which sounds like someplace you leave your … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off

Wall Street loves Red Rock; ColSux foiled again

Posted on May 24, 2016 by David McKee

Wall Street analysts are initiating coverage of Red Rock Resorts and they like what they see. JP Morgan‘s Joseph Greff put a $25 price target on the stock, emboldened in part by RRR’s acquisition of the Palms and its growing … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, history, Kentucky, Palms, Reno, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

MGM prevails, Wynn slowed in Massachusetts

Posted on May 13, 2016 by David McKee

Bowing to the inevitable, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission ratified MGM Resorts International‘s redesign of MGM Springfield, on which the casino company is already hard at work. What was the MGC to do? Tell MGM to go back to Square One? … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Environment, International, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off

Straub’s better mousetrap; Sparks Nugget in the clear

Posted on April 22, 2016 by David McKee

By now it is something of an understatement to say that Revel owner Glenn Straub thinks outside the box. Or, as the Philadelphia Inquirer put it, his “plans for the massive property have veered erratically from mud slides to academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Geoff Freeman, Glenn Straub, International, Law enforcement, Macau, Marnell Gaming, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Reno, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Taxes | Comments Off

Save the Riviera!; Soggy March in Louisiana; The blacklist

Posted on April 18, 2016 by David McKee

Local preservationist Kelden Engel is trying to fight the power. He’s seeking 51,000 qualified signatures in a petition drive to halt demolition of the Riviera, currently slated for June. Not only is he racing the clock, he may be fighting … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, GLPI, Harrah's, history, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, LVCVA, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Reno, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | Comments Off

Smoke gets in their eyes; Tax breaks all around

Posted on April 14, 2016 by David McKee

Yesterday morning, it looked like Baton Rouge casinos were going to have to brace themselves for a smoking ban. Today, they’re lighting up celebratory cigars in relief: While proponents of the smoking ban on the city council had six votes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Environment, GLPI, Harrah's, Louisiana, New York, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Reno, Taxes, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Sexcapade case closed; GLPI/Pinnacle deal a certainty

Posted on April 12, 2016 by David McKee

Followers of jurisprudence will be denied one of the more prurient evidentiary hearings in history now that Vegas High Roller sexpot Chloe Scordianos has decided to plead guilty to disorderly conduct rather than face trial for committing sex acts in … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Entertainment, Environment, GLPI, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Law enforcement, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Riviera, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Good year for Atlantic City; Sands slapped with fine

Posted on April 12, 2016 by David McKee

Free market forces did what governmental intervention and flashy marketing campaigns could not: They steadied Atlantic City‘s casino economy. With the dead weight of four casinos — Revel, Showboat, Atlantic Club and Trump Plaza — jettisoned, profits not only steadied, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Dining, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, PokerStars, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

DFS in retreat; Pinnacle fights smoking ban

Posted on March 23, 2016 by David McKee

What Attorney General Eric Schneiderman couldn’t do, gun-shy payment processors have accomplished: Put DraftKings and FanDuel out of business in New York State. The two have said they will refrain from taking wagers from the Empire State through the end … Continue reading →

Posted in Churchill Downs, Environment, GLPI, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Neil Bluhm, New York, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sports, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | Comments Off

Steve Wynn makes new friends; Freeman gets raked

Posted on March 9, 2016 by David McKee

Steve Wynn has found an unlikely ally in his fight against Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone: the Massachusetts environmental community. Activists joined politicians and developers at a media event headlined by Wynn Everett President Robert DeSalvio. Among the activities that have … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Foxwoods, Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tribal | Comments Off

Nevada casinos wrangle with Buffett; Mashpee Wampanoag take the lead

Posted on March 8, 2016 by David McKee

We’ve written about the solar-panel installation atop Mandalay Bay‘s convention center and now the 20-acre array — soon to be the United States‘ largest — is making international headlines. The high priority on solar power at MGM Resorts International puts a … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

DFS’ stormy seas; Glimmer of hope for Macao

Posted on March 4, 2016 by David McKee

By charging blindly into uncharted waters, the daily fantasy sports industry has made a shipload of trouble for itself. Case in point, defunct (or at least comatose) DFS site FantasyUp. The latter pulled the rug out from under its customers, … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Environment, Harry Reid, Internet gambling, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off

Wynn Everett’s uncertain destiny; Buyer for F-blew?

Posted on February 25, 2016 by David McKee

Forget those plans you were making to visit Wynn Everett. The casino resort won’t open until 2019, maybe later. Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone has thrown a monkey wrench into the works with his appeal of Wynn Resorts‘ waterside-construction permit. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Environment, Fontainebleau, Macau, Massachusetts, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

110 in the shade

Posted on February 16, 2016 by David McKee

Who needs trees in MGM Resorts International‘s The Park when you can have 75-foot-tall “shade structures,” which will look particularly spectacular after dark? It’s another only-in-Vegas innovation and you have to give MGM kudos for thinking outside of the forest … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Environment, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Cruel blow to Atlantic City; Sex in the Vegas sky

Posted on February 15, 2016 by David McKee

Winter storm Jonas, which put paid to the Jan. 22-24 weekend, dealt a heavy blow to Atlantic City gaming revenues, which had finally appeared to have stabilized. The market was down 6% and Borgata ($52 million) suffered an uncharacteristic 9% … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Environment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 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

Major policy change strikes Philippines entrepreneurs

Posted on February 4, 2016 by David McKee

Just when Melco Crown Entertainment and other operators have gone heavily into the Manila market, they stand to take a hit from a potential Philippine Amusement & Gaming policy change that would end the Pagor’s monopoly on casino gambling outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Kazuo Okada, Melco Crown Entertainment, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Technology | Comments Off

Macao ends 2015 quietly; Record visitation not good enough for Vegas

Posted on January 4, 2016 by David McKee

That “squish” you heard from across the sea was Macao‘s gaming market reporting a decrease of 21% last month, practically good news when measured against November’s 32% plunge. Mind you, Macanese casinos were averaging $74 million in win per day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Horseracing, LVCVA, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off