Category Archives: Harrah's

And then there were three; Atlantic City under pressure again

Posted on February 20, 2014 by David McKee

Nevada gaming authorities will have to start reporting the Silver State’s online-gambling revenue now that South Point has entered the lists under its Real Gaming banner. (We won’t get the numbers until late March.) The site ” is offering tournament play … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Michael Gaughan, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on And then there were three; Atlantic City under pressure again

Shilling for Adelson; Saturation comes to Pennsylvania

Posted on February 18, 2014 by David McKee

After the 9/11 attacks, New York State then-Gov. George Pataki (R) was only to push casinos through as a form of economic stimulus. Now he’s a sock puppet for Sheldon Adelson, preaching the evils of Internet casinos. He’s been parroting … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off on Shilling for Adelson; Saturation comes to Pennsylvania

The video poker king of Vegas; Adelson: Whodunit?

Posted on February 17, 2014 by David McKee

On the local video poker scene, it’s an arms race between Golden Gaming and the Dotty’s chain. With twice as many establishments at Dotty’s, Golden can legitimately claim victory. It recently snapped up a couple of Mom-and-Pop slot bars and … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, California, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip | 1 Comment

Hard Rock OK’d; Tribal casinos’ power plays; Caesars’ astute move

Posted on February 17, 2014 by David McKee

Instead of being left to rot, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City will be permitted to resume construction, with a view toward a late-summer opening. That good news was handed down from the Polk County District Court bench. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Regulation, Rhode Island, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 1 Comment

Casinos behaving badly

Posted on February 14, 2014 by David McKee

Reno‘s Peppermill Casino is going to be $1 million lighter in the wallet, after it ‘fessed up to spying on other casinos’ proprietary data. Peppermill analyst Ryan Tors was caught at the Grand Sierra using a tool known as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Dan Gilbert, Harrah's, Ohio, Regulation, Reno, Revel, Technology | Comments Off on Casinos behaving badly

A Ho no-show; Adelson omnipresent; Revel to close?

Posted on February 13, 2014 by David McKee

There was apparently no Stanley Ho sighting at the Cotai Strip groundbreaking of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau‘s $3.9 billion Lisboa Palace. Ho is 92 and well into his dotage, so a public appearance would have come as a surprise. … Continue reading →

Posted in Foxwoods, Genting, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Technology, Vietnam | 1 Comment

Time running for Atlantic City; Adelson’s scurrility

Posted on February 12, 2014 by David McKee

After a quarterly hiatus, it seems time to start covering Atlantic City again. The headline item is a $9.5 million gross from Internet gambling. At that rate, online gambling isn’t going to be a game-changer and, indeed, the Boardwalk was … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 2 Comments

PR Wars: Caesars vs. Caesars

Posted on February 11, 2014 by David McKee

It’s restructuring time again at Caesars Entertainment, but which Caesars? According to a Bloomberg interview with RBC Capital Markets analyst John Kempf, subsidiary Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. would trade second-lien debt for cash (of which Caesars maintains it has plenty) … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Planet Hollywood, Revel, Wall Street | Comments Off on PR Wars: Caesars vs. Caesars

Macao’s incredible jackpot; Execs on the move

Posted on February 11, 2014 by David McKee

If you think the emergence of Macao as the gambling capital of the world has been amazing, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. That’s the essence of a new report from Nomura Securities. It predicts that the Macao market has the … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Colorado, Harrah's, IGT, Internet gambling, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Wall Street | Comments Off on Macao’s incredible jackpot; Execs on the move

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 11, 2014 by David McKee

“They’re not building casinos in Dover or Wellesley.” — Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation Executive Director Les Bernal taking an oblique pot shot at Wellesley resident Gary Loveman.

Posted in Harrah's, Massachusetts | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Churchill Downs gets singed, casino creditors get burnt

Posted on February 10, 2014 by David McKee

Nick Ribis, a contentious figure in the Atlantic City casino scene is at it again. Or so contends a lawsuit by Churchill Downs. The racino company claims it paid Ribis $2.5 million “to develop and operate” Internet gambling on its … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Churchill Downs, Colony Capital, Florida, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Racinos, Revel, Sam Nazarian, Tribal | 1 Comment

The Midwest: First the good news …

Posted on February 10, 2014 by David McKee

Casino revenue in the Buckeye State vaulted 56%, as several new racinos came on line. The not such good news is that Ohio casinos are merrily cannibalizing themselves, down 16% on a year/year basis. Hollywood Columbus, in particular, continues to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Intimidation at Aria; Big sell-off at Wynn

Posted on February 10, 2014 by David McKee

Is Aria getting a little big for its britches? Nevada Gaming Control Board agents say they were harassed at the 4,000-room casino, specifically when trying to monitor the roulette wheel. “The complaint said two state agents who had not identified themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, New York, Regulation, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Intimidation at Aria; Big sell-off at Wynn

Through a looking glass, brightly

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David McKee

So much for my crystal ball. Two projects that I openly doubted are now close to fruition and a third is showing fitful signs of life. (Another, Howard Bulloch‘s Ferris wheel, appears to be being dismantled.) Yesterday, SLS Las Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Cannery Casino Resorts, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on Through a looking glass, brightly

“Million Dollar” hokum

Posted on February 5, 2014 by David McKee

Judging by the sea of happy, AARP-eligible faces behind us (on a Sunday night, too), Harrah’s Las Vegas has a long-term winner in Broadway pickup Million Dollar Quartet. The crowd dug the music, the period outfits, the liberal artistic license … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Harrah's, history | Comments Off on “Million Dollar” hokum

The many faces of Steve Wynn

Posted on February 4, 2014 by David McKee

It’s great sport following the tortuous circumlocutions through which Wynn Resorts is putting itself, trying to square its varying positions on Internet gambling. El Steve declared himself against it in an interview with Jon Ralston, although he game himself a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, Regulation, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Super Blowout

Posted on February 4, 2014 by David McKee

And, no, I don’t mean what happened on the field last Sunday at the Super Bowl. Nevada‘s sports books surpassed last year’s record $99 million handle and it wasn’t even close — $119 million. The nearly $20 million in profit … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Election, Florida, Foxwoods, Harrah's, history, Massachusetts, Regulation, Sports, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Super Blowout

Super Bowl hits Vegas jackpot; Hope for Caesars overseas

Posted on February 3, 2014 by David McKee

“It was embarrassing, humiliating and unbearable,” but when the Super Bowl was over, Nevada sports books had cleaned up … except for that safety on the first play from scrimmage, costly for the Denver Broncos and the books alike. Heavy … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, International, LVCVA, MGM Mirage, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Super Bowl hits Vegas jackpot; Hope for Caesars overseas

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 2, 2014 by David McKee

“[Oliver] Cromwell, who claimed to be acting in God’s interest with the more-or-less indiscriminate slaughter of Catholics, was a puritan. He fervently believed in simple dress, simple speech and an end to the cloying fancies of royalty and monarchs. And he … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, history | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Bounty at Sands, Caesars

Posted on January 30, 2014 by David McKee

Yesterday wasn’t a bad day to be Las Vegas Sands, which reported a 19% increase in net revenues. Sands Cotai Central (up 61%) led the parade, which also prominently showcased Venetian Macao (+36%) and Venelazzo (up 25%, driven by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Current, Harrah's, Macau, Maryland, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Bounty at Sands, Caesars