Category Archives: Harrah's

Santa Claus smiles upon Borgata; No reprieve for Suffolk

Posted on October 22, 2013 by David McKee

Christmas came early for Boyd Gaming and Kris Kringle wore the judicial robes of the Tax Court of New Jersey. “A silver lining to Atlantic City‘s fall from grace for casino operators: the tax bills are lighter when the going gets … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Taxes, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Caesars: Fiasco in Boston

Posted on October 21, 2013 by David McKee

Suffolk Downs will be moving forward … without Caesars Entertainment. The track dropped Caesars like a bad habit over the weekend. Caesars tried to make it sound like the decision was its own. Spokesman Stephen Cohen threw a hissy fit, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Problem gambling, Regulation, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Tragedy on the Strip

Posted on October 21, 2013 by David McKee

Proving that there is no grudge too trivial to be settled by gunplay, a would-be patron of Drai’s allegedly shot two Bally’s Las Vegas security guards and killed a club patron after “demanding a refund because the club wasn’t full.” … Continue reading →

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

Breakthrough in Wisconsin; Second chance in Biloxi

Posted on October 20, 2013 by David McKee

Approval of a Dairyland casino for the Menominee Tribe is still the longest of long shots, but there were faint cracks in the ice after a summit meeting earlier this week. Contrary to earlier reports, participants did a little bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Harrah's, history, Mississippi, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Sheldon hits paydirt; Culinary Union talks trash

Posted on October 18, 2013 by David McKee

It’s good to be Sheldon Adelson, especially when your company is notching one record-setting month after another. Revenue for 3Q13 rose 32% and net profit shot 79% upwards. Next year, shareholders can look forward to a 60 cent bump in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Culinary Union, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Harrah's, Macau, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 3 Comments

The bill that wouldn’t die; Taking a wrecking ball to “Jubilee!”

Posted on October 17, 2013 by David McKee

Illinois legislators continue to butt their heads against Gov. Pat Quinn‘s opposition to casino expansion (and a terrible gambling economy). Impervious to reality, state Rep. Robert Rita (D) is introducing yet another bill for five casinos and airport slot routes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Illinois, Macau, Mississippi, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Stanley Ho, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off

Atlantic City ‘Net betting gathers speed; Render unto Loveman

Posted on October 17, 2013 by David McKee

Three more casinos have been green-lit to take Internet wagers along the Boardwalk. As you know, Borgata had already been approved. The second license went to the Golden Nugget, which is running its own site, with assistance from Bally Technologies. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Harrah's, IGT, Internet gambling, Revel, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Air Loveman; Wiggle room in Macao

Posted on October 16, 2013 by David McKee

Anyone who meets Caesars Entertainment Chairman/President/CEO Gary Loveman is likely to be overcome by a strong whiff of self-importance. It’s not just palpable, it’s quantifiable. This week we learned that Caesars had spent lugging Loveman hither and yon, at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Macau, Taxes | Comments Off

Singin’ the blues in Pennsylvania, Louisiana

Posted on October 16, 2013 by David McKee

Even slight improvements in consumer spending weren’t enough to help Pennsylvania. Gross gambling revenue fell 6%. Thanks to strong table play, Sands Bethlehem was able to buck the trend, staying flat for September. By contrast, Harrah’s Philadelphia — in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Meet Tim Wilmott; Go big or go home

Posted on October 15, 2013 by David McKee

Penn National Gaming‘s COO lays out his company’s operating philosophy in potted form. Going up. One city will get more casino than expected and another one might. In Tulsa, the tribally owned River Spirit Casino will add four hotel floors … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Harrah's, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Penn National, Tribal | 1 Comment

Yard sale at Caesars; Disney vs. Genting; New boss at Revel

Posted on October 11, 2013 by David McKee

“It’s a lot of crap.” That’s the verdict of one auctioneer, sussing out the surplus merchandise on view at The Rio, site of a big surplus-inventory sale by Caesars Entertainment. One doesn’t even have to be there to bid. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Florida, Genting, Harrah's, Macau, Politics, Revel, Station Casinos, Tribal | Comments Off

Atlantic City: It’s that time again

Posted on October 10, 2013 by David McKee

Since the next two months of 2013 involve comparisons to Hurricane Sandy, they won’t really count as measurements of Atlantic City‘s financial health. So here’s a last look-in for a while now. The market as a whole dropped 13% with … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Harrah's, Mohegan Sun, Revel, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Casino explosion in the Far East

Posted on October 10, 2013 by David McKee

Now that they’ve seen what Macao and Singapore can do with casino resorts, practically everyone else in the Pacific Rim wants in. Gaming is already big business in the Philippines, but Lawrence Ho and others like him are convinced they … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Genting, Harrah's, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore | Comments Off

Indiana: Worse than expected?

Posted on October 9, 2013 by David McKee

Despite per-patron spending that was up 7% last month, a 16% falloff in admissions more than negated it. Depending on whether one counts tax-deductible free play or not, Indiana was anywhere from 9.5% to 11% down last month. Tight consumer … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, Harrah's, Indiana, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Freeman flunks; Casino insecurity; Between a Hard Rock and a good deed

Posted on October 8, 2013 by David McKee

It’s a good thing that American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman hightailed it to Barcelona this week to give a speech. During Global Gaming Expo, his signature achievement was to stake the AGA’s credibility on a Justin Timberlake movie. Freeman … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Charity, Delaware, Economy, Election, G2E, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Indiana, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Penn National, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Illinois’ blues; G2E revisited; Ohio, one year later

Posted on October 7, 2013 by David McKee

Illinois‘ casinos got kicked in the pants last month, as revenues and foot traffic were down 9% each. The lone bright spot was Caesars Entertainment, which beat expectations, up 1%. True, Harrah’s Metropolis was off 22% but strong numbers at … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Penn National | Comments Off

How Caesars does it

Posted on October 7, 2013 by David McKee

While we think the idea of a bake sale to reduce Caesars Entertainment‘s $23.5 billion debt is satirical, you never know. It wouldn’t be the most cockamamie idea ever to emerge from Gary Loveman‘s office. We asked one of our … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Harrah's, Missouri, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Learning to love the Boardwalk again

Posted on October 4, 2013 by David McKee

In a surprising — but not unwelcome — turn of events two Philadelphia casino investors are looking at getting into Atlantic City. It’s amazing the effect legalized Internet betting can have. Business partners George Miller and Kevin Flynn own 0.5% … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Donald Trump, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | 2 Comments

Strike two for Foxwoods, shadow play at Suffolk

Posted on October 4, 2013 by David McKee

In a development that caught the eye of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, former Mashantucket Pequot tribal treasurer Steven Thomas has pleaded out on theft charges one day after resigning from the tribal council. His brother, Michael Thomas, has already been … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Macau, Massachusetts, Regulation | Comments Off

D-Day for Mohegans, Penn; MGM restructures

Posted on October 2, 2013 by David McKee

In Massachusetts, initial approval will be granted or denied to Mohegan Sun and to Penn National Gaming as prospective operators. In both cases, it seems unlikely that the Massachusetts Gaming Commission with unearth any dead bodies. The focus will be … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dubai, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off