Category Archives: history

Cosmo woe; MGM lurves Ameristar

Posted on February 15, 2012 by David McKee

As new casino boss Thomas McCartney tries to stabilize the sinking ship that is The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, he’s tossed overboard some human ballast in the form of casino employees. (Thirty full-time dealers are alleged to have been pink-slipped.) … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Colorado, Cosmopolitan, Dan Lee, Dining, Election, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Indiana, International, Iowa, Lake Tahoe, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Movies, Ohio, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 14, 2012 by David McKee

“It’s one of the imperatives of the Las Vegas hype machine that we never allow ourselves to dwell on our mistakes, publicly or privately. How many people remember Avenue Q at Wynn? Hairspray at Luxor? Columbia Sussex at the Tropicana? … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 3 Comments

Adelson does damage control; Caesars IPO Part 2: Boom or bust?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by David McKee

It was “unfortunate” for Sheldon Adelson that he wore the uniform of the United States of America, the country that made him rich? Seriously? Not many of us would use our spouses as human shields. But then again, not many … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Charity, Cordish Co., Don Barden, Economy, Election, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Indiana, International, Macau, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Adelson does damage control; Caesars IPO Part 2: Boom or bust?

Quote of the Day

Posted on January 19, 2012 by David McKee

“Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity.” — legendary animator and really cool dude Chuck Jones (1912-2002). Today, Circus Circus opened The Chuck Jones Experience, an interactive museum devoted to Jones and the veritable cosmos of characters to which his pencil … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Movies, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 1 Comment

Meet Virginia McDowell, Part II: Tales of Trump

Posted on January 18, 2012 by David McKee

In terms of turning around Isle’s financial performance, do you feel the full 180 degrees have been achieved yet? We’ve had a couple off different priorities over the last few years, as far as our strategic initiatives. One was to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Harrah's, history, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Kentucky, Marketing, Missouri, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Another domino wobbles; Western, R.I.P.; Fighting over pocket change?

Posted on January 17, 2012 by David McKee

Add South Carolina to the list of states that could be suddenly taking a more favorable view of casino gambling. What the United Keetowa Band of Cherokee Indians is pitching have to be compacted with Gov. Nikki Haley (R, right). … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Downtown, history, Internet gambling, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, South Carolina, Tamares Group, Tribal | 2 Comments

Living on Vegas time

Posted on January 13, 2012 by David McKee

By way of Ian Sutton‘s Gaming Floor portal comes news that Les Artistes Steakhouse, late of Paris-Las Vegas, is fermé … toujours.  Although the hotel-casino has only been open since September 1999, on Caesars Entertainment‘s in-house blog this constitutes “a … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, history, Sahara, The Strip, Tribal | 5 Comments

It was 10 years ago today …

Posted on January 11, 2012 by David McKee

Martial law, American-style, enters its second hit decade today and our seaside resort on the balmy shores of Cuba‘s scenic Guantanamo Bay (now under new management) still has vacancies, I understand. Due process is such a drag, isn’t it?

Posted in history, International | 1 Comment

Sunshine State sap

Posted on January 10, 2012 by David McKee

Backers of Florida casinos, working under the rubric of Associated Industries of Florida, evidently take voters down there for simpletons. Their ‘See Spot Run’ pitch for casino-based destination resorts describes something that sounds very much like Venelazzo or Wynncore, then … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Florida, history, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off on Sunshine State sap

Birthday wishes and congratulations

Posted on January 9, 2012 by David McKee

OK, so we’re six months early but this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Eldorado, which opened in downtown Henderson on July 1, 1962. Locals casinos wouldn’t become an industry unto themselves for years yet but the Eldorado and … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, history, MGM Mirage, Problem gambling, Station Casinos | 1 Comment

Pride and Pepto-Bismol

Posted on December 28, 2011 by David McKee

Santa Claus was a little over-generous this year, was my waning flu was topped off with a Christmas Night onset of acid reflux, in St. Nick-sized portions. Being almost 40 lbs. overweight, feeling the tightness in my chest, and with … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Current, Dining, history, Illinois, International, Macau, Singapore, The Strip | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 23, 2011 by David McKee

“Nothing optional — from homosexuality to adultery — is ever made punishable unless those who do the prohibiting (and exact the fierce punishment) have a repressed desire to participate.” — just one of the many stinging insights delivered by Christopher … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 15, 2011 by David McKee

“Dismissing the burgeoning number of Americans on the right who are suspicious of interventionism and hawkishness is intellectually suspect and unwise. A majority of Republicans now think that the Iraq War was a mistake. The general non-interventionist impulse on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, history, International | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Blast from the Past

Posted on December 7, 2011 by David McKee

This week finds me up to my butt in page proofs of Rick Lax‘s forthcoming book, I Get Paid for This, a Michael Jackson The [sic] Immortal World Tour™ review for WizardOfVegas.com, profiles of developer Brett Torino and Mayor Carolyn … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cirque du Soleil, Columbia Sussex, Downtown, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, history, James Packer, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, Movies, Tamares Group, The Strip | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 6, 2011 by David McKee

“You had to have a kind of intuitive courage. I’m not well-suited to those kinds of decisions.” — Gary Loveman, to Bloomberg Businessweek, on why he thought $900 million was too high a price for getting then-Harrah’s Entertainment into Macao. … Continue reading →

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

Twin tragedies

Posted on December 5, 2011 by David McKee

That nexus in which the media and Big Gaming interact is conspicuously less populous today. First came the news that Sarah Ralston (1961-2011) had died a fortnight ago, following what is characterized as “a brief illness.” From 1995 until 2000, … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, history, Louisiana, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 6 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 23, 2011 by David McKee

“It was a largely sober, largely tedious evening. This group has clearly seen too much of each other at this point and is now moving into the post-1977 M*A*S*H period.” — Esquire‘s Charles P. Pierce, on what he describes as … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, history | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Jack Abramoff, human sewage; Massachusetts: It’s done

Posted on November 22, 2011 by David McKee

Victor Rocha says it best: “Jack Abramoff is still the scum off the earth.” The unrepentant ripoff artist — to call him a snake in the grass would be a slander upon serpents — claims his only failing was to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, California, Don Barden, Election, Harrah's, history, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Movies, Oklahoma, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, The Mob, Tribal | Comments Off on Jack Abramoff, human sewage; Massachusetts: It’s done

Blast from the past

Posted on November 14, 2011 by David McKee

Today I’m busy on “Question of the Day,” Desert Companion and CityLife fronts simultaneously. As irrational compensation, here’s the one scene from Ocean’s Eleven that, more than any other, must be preserved for posterity. It’s also a nice look at … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., history, Movies, Sahara, The Strip | Comments Off on Blast from the past

Rule or ruin in Illinois; A new deal in Detroit

Posted on November 8, 2011 by David McKee

State Rep. Lou “Death Wish” Lang (D, right) continues to dare, then double-dare Gov. Pat Quinn (D) to veto what’s now a 2.6X expansion of the number of gambling positions in the state of Illinois. Lang has offered a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Dan Lee, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Indiana, International, Iowa, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Reno, Slot routes, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments