Category Archives: Foxwoods

MGM goes on the attack; Wynn’s new “masterpiece;” Isle out of Louisiana

Posted on August 23, 2016 by David McKee

This story pretty much writes itself. While MGM Resorts International cowboys up and makes it clear who’s sponsoring the ad — not hiding behind some phony-baloney PAC name like “Citizens for a Stronger Connecticut” — but the commercial is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Racinos, Steve Wynn, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Atlantic City boosters gain momentum; Gamblit takes important step forward

Posted on August 18, 2016 by David McKee

New York State gaming forces are taking a more-than-disinterested view of the upcoming referendum on Atlantic City‘s monopoly on casino gambling in New Jersey. For instance, Genting Group, owner of Resorts World New York, is opposing the measure behind stalking … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Atlantic City, Election, Foxwoods, Genting, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, New York, Pennsylvania, Taxes, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off

Election special: New Jersey, New York, Oregon

Posted on August 9, 2016 by David McKee

An MGM Resorts International executive with whom I spoke yesterday told me the New Jersey casino ballot initiative is trailing badly in the polls. We hope he’s right, especially as news of the closure of Trump Taj Mahal (and Glenn … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Charity, Economy, Election, Foxwoods, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Hooters, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, New York, Oregon, Politics, Revel, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Unite-Here | Comments Off

Murren minces few words; Wynn Boston Harbor sets opening date

Posted on August 5, 2016 by David McKee

Commiting truth isn’t as rare in the casino business as in politics but MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren was startlingly candid in yesterday’s earnings call, crediting a surge in Las Vegas summer business to a Zika virus outbreak in Florida, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Carl Icahn, Entertainment, Florida, Foxwoods, International, Internet gambling, LVCVA, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Riviera, Singapore, South Korea, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Unite-Here, Wall Street | Comments Off

Mashpee casino blocked; Wynn: Doing more with less

Posted on August 1, 2016 by David McKee

Carcieri v. Salazar and the Indian Reorganization Act have come back to bite the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe in the hindquarters. U.S. District Judge William G. Young has ruled against a Taunton casino project, siding with the contention of a group … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Charity, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, history, International, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | Comments Off

Casinos invest in Illinois slot routes; More turmoil in Adelsonia; MGM takes proxy war to Capitol Hill

Posted on July 11, 2016 by David McKee

After having spent four years being clobbered by slot routes (the installed slot base has reached 23,406 machines), Illinois casinos have decided they’d rather switch than fight. Investors in Rivers Casino have purchased a stake in lead operator Acel Entertainment … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Foxwoods, Glenn Straub, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, New York, Penn National, Politics, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Vietnam | Comments Off

The meddlesome Adelson; Wynn Palace postponed again

Posted on June 27, 2016 by David McKee

“Essentially, Pechanga and its allies see no reason to compromise, even an inch,” wrote California Online Poker‘s Steve Ruddock of the intractable position of the Pechanga and Agua Caliente tribes, and their anti-PokerStars allies (who include Sheldon Adelson, meddling in … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, California, Churchill Downs, Election, Foxwoods, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Top Golf’s impressive debut; Lucky Dragon’s calculated risk

Posted on May 18, 2016 by David McKee

“My only problem is A.D.D.” read the T-shirt of one of the celebrants at last night’s opening of Top Golf, on the MGM Grand campus. He was certainly in the right place. If you are serious about honing your skills, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Entertainment, Foxwoods, G2E, Geoff Freeman, Illinois, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Lucky Dragon, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Sports, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip | Comments Off

Macao junketeers left holding the bag; Lionel Richie wows the ladies

Posted on April 28, 2016 by David McKee

We could see another shakeout in Macao junket operators. According to Daiwa Securities Group, most of the industry is “struggling just to break even.” Part of that problem is that they’re carrying almost $3,9 billion in bad debt — and you … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Economy, Entertainment, Foxwoods, International, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Dakota, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Perversity in Macao; MGM Springfield gets underway

Posted on March 29, 2016 by David McKee

In a seemingly perverse move, Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui rejected a lifeline that the Beijing government was trying to throw to his city. The former had announced its intention to “optimize and adjust” the Individual Visit Scheme that brings … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Economy, Florida, Foxwoods, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal | 1 Comment

Ohio leads the Midwest; Boyd a good neighbor in Iowa

Posted on March 28, 2016 by David McKee

With gaming expansion off the table in all Midwestern states (other than a potential tribal casino in Indiana), Ohio has been making out like a bandit, its gaming revenues up 13% from last year, as the state’s industry is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Charity, Economy, Florida, Foxwoods, Idaho, Iowa, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tribal | 1 Comment

Trump: The art of failure, Part II

Posted on March 25, 2016 by David McKee

Donald Trump‘s current ubiquity is causing the spotlight to fall upon his many setbacks in the gaming industry. “If you look at anything that guy has done in this industry, he has a lead thumb — it’s the opposite of a golden touch,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Donald Trump, Foxwoods, Harrah's, history, Indiana, The Mob | 1 Comment

Pinnacle/GLPI deal gets OK; Hard Rock courts Cypriots

Posted on March 16, 2016 by David McKee

Shareholders of Pinnacle Entertainment have voted to approve a deal whereby all but one of the company’s physical assets would be sold to real estate investment trust Gaming & Leisure Properties, while Pinnacle would continue to exist as a casino-management company. … Continue reading →

Posted in Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, GLPI, Hard Rock Hotel, Indiana, International, Lawrence Ho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Penn National, Philippines, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

High-stakes headbutting in Hartford; Pennsylvania grapples with slot routes

Posted on March 11, 2016 by David McKee

All the key players in Connecticut finally butted heads in a showdown in Hartford yesterday. In one corner, you had the casino-ineligible Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. Behind it was its patron, MGM Resorts International, which has a $950 million investment in Springfield, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Florida, Foxwoods, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Seminole Tribe, Slot routes, Taxes, Tribal | 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

Tribal headache for Connecticut; Wynn, Adelson eye New Jersey

Posted on January 8, 2016 by David McKee

Proposed new rules that would make it easier for tribes to gain federal recognition could have a seismic effect on the casino business in Connecticut. Three potentially recognized tribes could vie for as many as four new casinos. One says “four” … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Economy, Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Arc de scandale; New Illinois casino nominee

Posted on January 7, 2016 by David McKee

Macao is still reeling from an embezzlement scandal involving a Wynn Macau junket operator and now $13 million has gone missing from L’Arc, a sublicensee of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau and owned by SJM’s Angela Leong. This immediately raised … Continue reading →

Posted in Foxwoods, Galaxy Entertainment, Illinois, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

MGM’s sudden Connecticut ardor; Labor peace in Detroit

Posted on December 8, 2015 by David McKee

Connecticut‘s government is trying to have an MGM Resorts International lawsuit dismissed, but MGM isn’t going away quietly. It’s targeted the no-bid process whereby a Mohegan Sun–Foxwoods Resort Casino joint venture was juiced into a third, off-reservation casino, location still … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Detroit, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Foxwoods, Genting, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Caesars gets the boot; Impatience in New York

Posted on December 1, 2015 by David McKee

Lawyers for Caesars Entertainment will be burning a little extra midnight oil after they lost a case that will enable the National Retirement Fund to kick Caesars — its largest donor — out of the fund. That makes Caesars liable … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Election, Foxwoods, Harrah's, history, Internet gambling, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, New York, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off

Resolution at Revel; MGM turns up the heat on Connecticut

Posted on November 27, 2015 by David McKee

Our long Revel nightmare is at least partially over, now that Glenn Straub has a deal in place to buy the disputed ACR Energy Partners power plant. While ACR pays $15 million to placate bondholders, Straub gets the plant for … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Glenn Straub, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Revel, Wall Street | 1 Comment