Category Archives: Fontainebleau

Packer on the move in Vegas; Impending strike in Detroit?

Posted on November 4, 2015 by David McKee

Formally speaking, Alon hasn’t broken ground but that hasn’t stopped James Packer‘s bulldozers and backhoes from moving earth around at the site of the planned megaresort, as well as leveling some of the landscaping Steve Wynn paid for to conceal … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Fontainebleau, Genting, James Packer, MGM Mirage, SLS Las Vegas, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Station goes public; Florida compact near?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by David McKee

Having tried and failed to grow the company through an LBO, Station Casinos is returning to the public markets again, citing “favorable economic and market fundamentals” in support of an IPO. An executive shakeup that included the promotion of Rich Haskins … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Florida, Fontainebleau, Horseracing, Internet gambling, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

SLS: House of Pain

Posted on July 8, 2015 by David McKee

Former Revel President Scott Kreeger, now running SLS Las Vegas, must feel like he’s gone from the frying pan into the fire. An unusually trenchant Howard Stutz column lays out the problems facing the new casino, a hipster joint sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Carl Icahn, Dining, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Fontainebleau, Genting, Marketing, MGM Mirage, New York, Reno, Riviera, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Penn nabs the Trop; Smog City

Posted on April 29, 2015 by David McKee

After years of hinting, feinting and fanning the flames of speculation, Penn National Gaming went out and bought its long-desired Strip casino: Tropicana Resort & Casino. The old gal has had difficulties keeping up with the times but Union Gaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Carl Icahn, Environment, Fontainebleau, GLPI, M Resort, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Saving souls on Capitol Hill

Posted on March 26, 2015 by David McKee

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R) finally got to hold his dog-and-pony show on the eeeeeeevils of Internet gambling, after a previous date had been snowed out. As expected, the proceedings “broke little new ground” on the issue. Afterward, Chaffetz condescended to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Internet gambling, New York, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Technology, Tribal, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

War of words at Wynn; Resorts World a ‘go’

Posted on March 25, 2015 by David McKee

Efforts by the local press to cover the Wynn vs. Wynn scrum were pretty well obliterated this week by a one-two punch from the New York Times. Behind the “no girls allowed” treehouse mentality of the Wynn Resorts board lurks … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Fontainebleau, Genting, James Packer, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Las Vegas’ robust January; Measles in a casino

Posted on March 2, 2015 by David McKee

January was good for the State of Nevada (+8%) but especially powerful for the Las Vegas Strip, up 15%. The casinos played lucky, with baccarat winnings up 68.5%, despite 13.5% less being wagered. Strip slot revenues were up 4%, even … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Fontainebleau, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, New York, North Las Vegas, Riviera, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Riviera’s fate sealed

Posted on February 17, 2015 by David McKee

… or soon will be. On Friday, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority is holding a board meeting at which the future of the venerable hotel-casino will be decided. On the table is a $182.5 million purchase, which values … Continue reading →

Posted in Fontainebleau, LVCVA, Movies, Riviera, Technology, The Strip, Westgate LV | Comments Off

Caesars on the defensive

Posted on January 27, 2015 by David McKee

It’s Chicken Little time at Caesars Entertainment, where the company is sketching gloom-and-doom scenarios unless the court system goes along with its preferred timeline for a prepackaged bankruptcy. “If you go to the earlier filing day, you likely jettison the [restructuring support agreement],” … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Delaware, Environment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Illinois, Louisiana, Wall Street | Comments Off

Chronicle of a bankruptcy, foretold

Posted on December 3, 2014 by David McKee

Dipping into Shakespeare, Howard Stutz endeavors to do justice to the Elizabethan complexity of the Caesars Entertainment bankruptcy. The fault is not in the stars but in Gary Loveman, architect of the disaster. When it was rolled out, back in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Fontainebleau, Genting, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, International, Macau, New York, Pennsylvania, Singapore, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

All Wynn, all the time

Posted on October 1, 2014 by David McKee

Posted in Carl Icahn, Economy, Fontainebleau, G2E, Internet gambling, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Taxes | Comments Off

The return of the Strip; Panic over Macao

Posted on August 18, 2014 by David McKee

Las Vegas‘ recovery from the Great Recession is all but official. To be truthful, a number of us — myself in particular — thought we were being played for suckers when Sam Nazarian closed the Sahara and promised to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Fontainebleau, Genting, International, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street, Westgate LV | 4 Comments

Packer’s second chance

Posted on August 5, 2014 by David McKee

“You can’t be in the gaming industry and not have a special reverence for Las Vegas — that’s where it all began. While we fell short in past attempts to enter that market, we now have the ideal opportunity.” So said … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Cannery Casino Resorts, Donald Trump, Election, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sam Nazarian, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Packer returns

Posted on August 4, 2014 by David McKee

James Packer is back. Undoubtedly encouraged by the recent groundswell of development on the Las Vegas Strip, he’s bought the New Frontier site for a casino development that will be underwritten by the Oaktree Capital Management hedge fund. Construction is to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Cosmopolitan, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, International, James Packer, Japan, Macau, Revel, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | Comments Off

Revel to close, barring a miracle; Gaughan memorialized

Posted on June 19, 2014 by David McKee

That’s the message coming from top Revel Resort brass, who sent a letter to casino employees cautioning them that — unless the property can be sold by Aug. 18 — they all may be out of jobs: “If Revel is unable … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Downtown, Economy, Fontainebleau, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, history, Massachusetts, Tribal | 1 Comment

Good news from Atlantic City; F-blew: This is the end

Posted on May 14, 2014 by David McKee

OK, so the Boardwalk was down 2% last month but, on a same-store basis (i.e., minus Atlantic Club), business was up 3%, given a shove over the top by $11 million in online-casino revenue, which is looking like a difference maker, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Churchill Downs, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Mohegan Sun, New York, Pennsylvania, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | 2 Comments

The right amount of wrong ideas

Posted on April 22, 2014 by David McKee

When it comes to the U.S. gaming market, there’s nothing that can stand between James Packer and a bad investment, it seems, common sense least of all. According to Australian media reports, Deutsche Bank wants $1.5 billion-$2 billion for The … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Dining, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, IGT, International, James Packer, Japan, Macau, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Genting, Steve Wynn & so much more

Posted on December 17, 2013 by David McKee

Genting Group has narrowed its price target for finishing Resorts World Vegas. It will spend between $3 billion and $4 billion to complete the project (for which it has already paid $350 million for land). For a post-recession Vegas that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Colorado, Current, Dubai, Economy, Florida, Fontainebleau, Foxwoods, Genting, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, New York, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 2 Comments

Making the grade

Posted on September 17, 2013 by David McKee

Congratulations to the following casino industry figures for making it onto the Forbes 400 … #11: Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson. He’s richer than you are. #18: Fontainebleau owner Carl Icahn #27: Scientific Games lead owner Ron Perelman #36: … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Fontainebleau, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off

Vegas: Bullishness is back; Getting high at the Trop

Posted on June 18, 2013 by David McKee

While we’re still a few years from seeing Resorts World Las Vegas come to fruition, in the meantime, Genting Group would like to tease our interest. It’s asking Clark County for permission to build a couple of “preview centers” on … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Colorado, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Genting, Harrah's, International, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism | 1 Comment