Category Archives: history

Quote of the Day

Posted on September 9, 2019 by David McKee

“A government that is strong because it is free, and confident because it is just, has nothing to fear in granting refuge to exiles.”—Alexander von Humboldt

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Honeymoon over in Massachusetts; Drive like Elvis

Posted on September 3, 2019 by David McKee

Encore Boston Harbor has been open only two months. MGM Springfield just passed its one-year anniversary. And yet, the Boston Globe is already tossing around the ‘S’ word—saturation. Saying that casino executives might not like hearing it, the paper rejoined, … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Caesars Entertainment, California, Economy, Entertainment, history, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Penn National, Rhode Island, Transportation, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Honeymoon over in Massachusetts; Drive like Elvis

No Japan for Caesars; Colorado to get bigger Ass

Posted on August 29, 2019 by David McKee

Gary Loveman‘s decision to pass on Macao will be remembered as the worst decision of his tenure at Caesars Entertainment. Will CEO Anthony Rodio‘s withdrawal from contention in Japan be similarly second-guessed? The decision saves Caesars at least $10 billion … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, history, Japan, Macau, Sports betting, Wall Street | Comments Off on No Japan for Caesars; Colorado to get bigger Ass

Cherokee go to D.C. (maybe); Ivey cleaned out

Posted on August 29, 2019 by David McKee

Native American tribes have a hard time being heard in Washington, D.C.  So it was past time that the Cherokee Nation took advantage of a treaty provision two centuries old and nominated a delegate to our nation’s capitol. The actual decision … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Dining, Economy, history, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, William Hill, World Series of Poker | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 29, 2019 by David McKee

“It is impossible to govern a country with 280 kinds of cheese.”—Charles de Gaulle

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Quote of the Day

Posted on August 26, 2019 by David McKee

“Slave labor was no match for canals, railroads, steel mills and shipyards. Slavery — and the parochial rent-seeking culture it promoted — inhibited the growth of capitalism in the South.”—Karl W. Smith on the 400th anniversary of slavery in the … Continue reading →

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Quote of the Day

Posted on August 23, 2019 by David McKee

“I think most humans have dark passions inside us, waiting to be stirred up by a demagogue who is funny and mean, who can convince us that decency is for the weak, that democracy is naïve, and that kindness and … Continue reading →

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Vegas’ baccarat bonanza; New ‘link’ on Strip

Posted on July 31, 2019 by David McKee

Ever unpredictable, the Las Vegas Strip boomed  last month, as gross gaming revenue shot up 18% (propelled by baccarat) to $616.5 million. Statewide, gambling win leapt 11.5% for a grand total of $1 billion. Perhaps it’s coincidental—but surely not—that McCarran … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Aristocrat, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Golden Gaming, Hawaii, history, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Vegas’ baccarat bonanza; New ‘link’ on Strip

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 29, 2019 by David McKee

“The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.”—Frederick Douglass

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Tribes brush off Stitt; MGM riles Jewish community

Posted on July 29, 2019 by David McKee

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt‘s proposal to levy higher exclusivity fees on the Sooner State’s 134 tribal casinos continues to go over like a lead balloon. The guv finds himself in receipt of a letter from all of the state’s gaming-enabled … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, California, history, International, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Oklahoma, Phil Ruffin, Sports, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, TV | 1 Comment

Touring Vegas; Bus to Nowhere; So long, Sammy

Posted on July 5, 2019 by David McKee

Paste Magazine is having one of those love/hate moments with Las Vegas that seem de rigeur for glossy publications. After a few preliminary digs at the Las Vegas Strip, it settles into a survey of the best places to go … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, history, MGM Resorts International, Reno, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Station Casinos, Terry Caudill, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 4, 2019 by David McKee

“The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length … Continue reading →

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Don’t bet against Sheldon; Encore Boston says ‘Take the T’

Posted on June 18, 2019 by David McKee

Don’t ever accuse Las Vegas Sands of not thinking big. It’s going to the banks for a $5.9 billion loan, primarily for expansion of Marina Bay Sands. That shouldn’t be much of a risk for financiers because nobody makes good … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Genting, Greenwood Racing, history, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, South Korea, Sports betting, Technology, Transportation, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Don’t bet against Sheldon; Encore Boston says ‘Take the T’

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 6, 2019 by David McKee

“You are among the very greatest Americans who will ever live. You are the pride of our nation. You are the glory of our republic. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” — Donald Trump, addressing World War … Continue reading →

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Quote of the Day

Posted on May 30, 2019 by David McKee

“Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time.” — German novelist Johann Paul Richter.

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Quote of the Day

Posted on May 29, 2019 by David McKee

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” — John F. Kennedy, born on this date in 1917.

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The value of a dollar & other Case Bets

Posted on May 28, 2019 by David McKee

If you’re making up your casino budget, you might want to stay away from Atlantic City or New York State, where a dollar has only the buying power of 87 or 88 cents. By contrast, the same dollar spent in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cosmopolitan, Derek Stevens, Economy, Hawaii, history, Indiana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Sports betting, The Strip, TV, William Hill | Comments Off on The value of a dollar & other Case Bets

The biggest loser

Posted on May 13, 2019 by David McKee

Donald Trump‘s casino years are back in the news again, thanks to a New York Times exposé of his tax records that described the 1985-94 period as “an era of fevered acquisition and spectacular collapse.” During a two-year period in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Charity, Donald Trump, Entertainment, history, MGM Resorts International, Regulation, Sports, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 3, 2019 by David McKee

“[There] is a deeply wrongheaded habit to project today’s norms, values, ideals backwards in time to find our ancestors inevitably falling short. It betrays a very troubling intolerance of art and the ambiguity of art and the aspirations of art.” — … Continue reading →

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Quote of the Day

Posted on May 1, 2019 by David McKee

“Money, not morality, is the principal commerce of civilized nations.” — Thomas Jefferson

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