Category Archives: Harrah's

Would you trust Gary Loveman with your Social Security?

Posted on January 17, 2013 by David McKee

In addition to presiding over the most grotesquely indebted company — by far — in the casino industry, Caesars Entertainment CEO/President/Chairman/Pontifex Maximus/Generalissimo Gary Loveman also wants to dictate the manner in which we eke out our “golden years.” Amazingly, somebody … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Election, Harrah's, history, International, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Problem gambling, TV, Wall Street | 14 Comments

SkyFail

Posted on January 17, 2013 by David McKee

It’s time we reluctantly stuck a fork in Howard Bulloch‘s South Strip Ferris wheel, Skyvue. It’s besieged by liens and unpaid bills, which Bulloch is going to cover by — wait for it — borrowing still more money. The developer … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

Massachusetts … and then there were 11; End of the Colony Capital era?

Posted on January 16, 2013 by David McKee

“[W]ell-connected developer” — but so not well financed — David Nunes (below) just got his casino-application fee across the transom, meaning that there are 11 contestants vying for two casino licenses and a slot parlor in Massachusetts. A couple of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Pokergeddon, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

What manner of idiot …

Posted on January 15, 2013 by David McKee

… keeps fountains running during a hard freeze? A Caesars Entertainment executive, who else? Never mind that pipes have been bursting all over the valley (including one at LVA HQ) and that Lake Tahoe casinos have experienced “severe water and … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Cretins, Current, Environment, Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Hollywood, we have a problem; The Marrandino mystery

Posted on January 11, 2013 by David McKee

Ohio casinos had a below-average December, although the blow was softened by table hold of — YEOW! — 23%. That’s borderline-astronomical compared to Las Vegas averages for 2004-2011 period. It’ll help make up for slot revenues that suggest, with six … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, Maryland, MTR Gaming, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

November in Vegas: The house lost; Players jilt Caesars in A.C.

Posted on January 10, 2013 by David McKee

There’s no other way of saying it (although many are trying). Strip casinos got their clocks cleaned in November as Lady Luck favored the punters, not the house. A 13% dropoff on the Strip was driven by a perfect storm … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, North Las Vegas, Revel, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Blood on the Boardwalk: Marrandino out

Posted on January 6, 2013 by David McKee

You can practically hear the wind whistling through the corridors of power as top execs continue to jump — or are flung — from the sinking Caesars Entertainment ship. First, CFO Jonathan Halkyard up and quits, in favor of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Florida, Harrah's, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Revel, The Strip | 7 Comments

CityCenter’s clearance sale; Ameristar’s secret admirer

Posted on December 27, 2012 by David McKee

After a long, abyssal plunge, Las Vegas‘ real estate market has bottomed out — or so knowledgeable people tell me. Seems that the banks ’round here ignored Mitt Romney‘s (bad) advice to dump the “shadow inventory” en masse into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, CityCenter, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

PNK piquing little interest; B.S. walks

Posted on December 26, 2012 by David McKee

‘Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house, shareholders were beginning to cool on the value of Ameristar Casinos stock. It closed ever so slightly down from Pinnacle Entertainment‘s $26.50/share offer price. Perhaps I was wrong and $869 … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Goldman Sachs, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Plaza, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 1 Comment

A Christmas wish list …

Posted on December 24, 2012 by David McKee

For those of us who missed it this year, the best Christmas tradition of which I know. First and most importantly … To you, the reader, who makes this possible, a year of happiness, health and wealth, whether material, intellectual … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dan Gilbert, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Revel, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, TV, Wayne F. Newton | 5 Comments

Pinnacle punks Penn, swipes Ameristar

Posted on December 21, 2012 by David McKee

We’ve learned two important things today. One, that the Mayan calendar is not the most reliable predictor of events. Two, that Ameristar Casinos‘ on-again/off-again talk about putting itself up for sale was back in “on” mode. Before hardly anybody got … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Lee, Economy, Election, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

If you can’t beat ’em … move to Ohio

Posted on December 21, 2012 by David McKee

Faced with an intractable Kentucky Legislature and ineffectual advocacy by Gov. Steve Beshear (D-KY), one parimutuel powerhouse from the Bluegrass State is setting up shop in Ohio. Today, Churchill Downs Inc. (in tandem with Delaware North Cos.) closed on its … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, Horseracing, Kentucky, Ohio, Racinos | Comments Off

Penn’s sucker bet; Lack of Rappaport; Running scared

Posted on December 20, 2012 by David McKee

Although Penn National Gaming‘s scheme to split itself into a REIT and a casino-management company hasn’t received one regulatory approval yet, top brass is already taking a victory lap. Gloated CFO William Clifford, he would “be picking up the phone … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sorry, Ralph Lamb; Twain spoofed at IP

Posted on December 18, 2012 by David McKee

Las Vegas‘ most famous sheriff (mythologized weekly by Dennis Quaid on Vegas) was the victim of this, er, unfortunate Los Angeles Times gaffe … … which The Atlantic has selected as one of the best typos of 2012. I’ve had … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Marketing, The Strip, TV | Comments Off

Twain: Not the One

Posted on December 14, 2012 by David McKee

If I’d spent the last 20 years under a rock and didn’t know who Shania Twain is, I’d have spent Wednesday evening wondering who this person was, why she was headlining a Caesars Palace show … and couldn’t they have … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 3 Comments

Drugs? Hookers? In our fair city?; It’s Vegaski, Comrade!

Posted on December 14, 2012 by David McKee

If your casino or club employs CLS Transportation, today would be a good day to call in sick and take the phone off the hook. Seems the limo fleet of CLS was taking Las Vegas visitors for a ride, running … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, International, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Coming, going, gone …

Posted on December 13, 2012 by David McKee

This just in … One weekend of performances of Peepshow was all that Mrs. Ice-T managed to do before fleeing back to New York City, at least temporarily, according to an S&G source. So if you’ve got Peepshow tickets this … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 7 Comments

Wynn comes (back) to Massachusetts; Revel’s rattling tin cup

Posted on December 5, 2012 by David McKee

Despite several months of doom-and-gloom economic predictions from Steve Wynn, the mogul has decided to “buy American” again, not only returning to the site of previous skirmishes (Philadelphia) but also taking a second run at Massachusetts. S&G was no fan … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Election, Environment, Harrah's, Marketing, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

The bigger-than-ever loser; Shania’s rump rocks Vegas

Posted on December 3, 2012 by David McKee

If Sheldon Adelson played the ponies as he does politics, he’d enter a Shetland in the Kentucky Derby and put all his money on it to win. What could be better than knowing the Las Vegas Sands CEO blew $100 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Downtown, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip | 1 Comment

Vegas: Is recovery finally for real?

Posted on December 1, 2012 by David McKee

So says the Brookings Institute, which raised Las Vegas to 194th from 245th in GDP (now at $47K/year) and job growth over the last year, behind such feeder markets as Bakersfield, California and Monterrey, Mexico. That’s the first year of … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Culinary Union, Current, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Iowa, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 1 Comment