Category Archives: Horseracing

Boston: Wynn wins!; Changing horses at Boyd

Posted on September 17, 2014 by David McKee

Although the Massachusetts Gaming Commission put Wynn Resorts through the wringer this past week, when the chips were down Wynn emerged the winner by a 3-1 vote. The positive verdict comes with some conditions, so a second vote will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Election, Horseracing, Macau, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Boston: Wynn wins!; Changing horses at Boyd

Case Bets: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Alabama

Posted on September 15, 2014 by David McKee

Jumping the gun, the Menominee Nation has launched a site for job-seekers at its hoped-for Dairyland Park casino. The landing page promises “Opening Soon Pending Approval.” (Did you notice how they jumped over that pesky construction phase?) The Forest County Potowatomi … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Racinos, Technology, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Case Bets: Wisconsin, Nebraska, Alabama

Wynn battles Boston

Posted on September 12, 2014 by David McKee

Despite leading Mohegan Sun on points, Steve Wynn seems far from a TKO for a Boston casino. (For the full monty on both projects, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission provides heavy detail.) For one thing, Mayor Martin Walsh‘s administration appears to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Horseracing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Rhode Island, Steve Wynn, Transportation | Comments Off on Wynn battles Boston

Argosy Sioux City: 2003-2014

Posted on July 30, 2014 by David McKee

Better get to Argosy Sioux City by 4:59 p.m. if you want to lay down one final bet. The casino will be closing permanently at 5 p.m., in compliance with an Iowa Supreme Court order. The Supremes declined to hear … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Horseracing, Iowa, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Texas, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on Argosy Sioux City: 2003-2014

Has tribal gaming peaked?

Posted on July 24, 2014 by David McKee

That’s the import of remarks by Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn, testifying before a Senate committee. Not only have revenues plateaued in the $26 billion-$28 billion range, they’ve essentially been the same since 2007. Meanwhile, private-sector gambling is … Continue reading →

Posted in Horseracing, Kentucky, Regulation, Technology, Texas, Tribal | Comments Off on Has tribal gaming peaked?

Massachusetts: A call to action

Posted on June 26, 2014 by David McKee

Casino companies in Massachusetts “could” or “may” team up to fight the repeal effort currently underway. How about “must” or “should”? If ever there were an imperative for joint action, this is it. Perhaps even Wynn Resorts and Mohegan Sun could … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Election, Foxwoods, Geoff Freeman, Horseracing, IGT, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Massachusetts: A call to action

The great horse robbery

Posted on June 25, 2014 by David McKee

Pennsylvania‘s horse tracks are on the brink, not from the usual reason — bad business — but due to state malfeasance. According to the State Racing Fund, it’s been sucked dry by the Department of Agriculture, including undocumented personnel costs. … Continue reading →

Posted in Horseracing, Pennsylvania, Regulation | Comments Off on The great horse robbery

Big vote on Boardwalk; Horsey antics in Texas

Posted on June 10, 2014 by David McKee

“It’s going to be a very complicated and difficult negotiation.” So admits Unite-Here President Robert McDevitt of the mid-September scrum when all the casino collective bargaining agreements come up for renewal. McDevitt’s still tasting victory from last week’s vote at … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Horseracing, Kentucky, MGM Mirage, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Technology, Texas | Comments Off on Big vote on Boardwalk; Horsey antics in Texas

Massachusetts casinos in peril

Posted on June 9, 2014 by David McKee

That’s the conclusion of a Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll. It shows support for casinos having fallen to 37%, while opposition has risen to 47% of those surveyed. That’s a dramatic reversal from a February poll by the Herald which showed … Continue reading →

Posted in Detroit, Election, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Massachusetts casinos in peril

Mohegan Sun liberated; Low blows struck in New York

Posted on June 2, 2014 by David McKee

Come year’s end, Mohegan Sun will be free of its management agreement with Trading Cove Associates. Liberty comes at a dear price: $900 million, or 5% of 15 years’ revenue. “If not for the Great Recession’s effect on Mohegan Sun’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Churchill Downs, Foxwoods, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Mohegan Sun, New York, Politics, Tribal | Comments Off on Mohegan Sun liberated; Low blows struck in New York

More states covet Internet lucre; Steeplechase in New York

Posted on May 20, 2014 by David McKee

Pennsylvania is keeping a  close eye on Internet gambling in New Jersey. That much is clear from recent testimony before the House Democratic Policy Committee. “It can be regulated and controlled and … the existing technology can accurately locate players to prevent … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, Churchill Downs, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Neil Bluhm, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Texas, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off on More states covet Internet lucre; Steeplechase in New York

Shamelessness at Suffolk Downs

Posted on May 15, 2014 by David McKee

In a ludicrous reversal, the owners of Suffolk Downs offered to end horseracing at the track if the Massachusetts Gaming Commission would, pretty please with cream on top, give them a casino license. Up to that point, Suffolk Downs has … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, California, Cretins, Horseracing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Vdara Death Ray, World Series of Poker | Comments Off on Shamelessness at Suffolk Downs

MGM blows away Wall Street expectations

Posted on April 29, 2014 by David McKee

Posting more than double Wall Street‘s consensus of earnings per share ($0.21 rather than $0.09), MGM Resorts International had a good quarter, to say the least. Even CityCenter exceeded expectations by 11%. J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff took it all … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, CityCenter, Colorado, Detroit, Downtown, Entertainment, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Iowa, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on MGM blows away Wall Street expectations

Caesars: The day after

Posted on April 23, 2014 by David McKee

New York resort developers may be reeling from the sudden entry of Caesars Entertainment into the picture, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up the fight. After all, Caesars’ move only impacts the Catskills region, not the Capital one nor … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off on Caesars: The day after

Penn tanks in Illinois, Bluhm ascends; The casino transfer that wasn’t

Posted on April 7, 2014 by David McKee

There were two clear winners in Illinois last month and one big loser — Penn National Gaming. Performing worse than expected,  Penn had double-digit declines at all four of its casinos: Empress Joliet (-14%), Hollywood Aurora (-14%), Alton Belle (16%) … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Harrah's, Horseracing, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Regulation, Taxes | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 19, 2014 by David McKee

“It’s not good public policy in the first place to be bailing out failing businesses. We’re not seeing any detail to show that this money is actually going to save jobs or create jobs. Is this just going to go to … Continue reading →

Posted in Horseracing, Politics, Racinos | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Dramatic turnarounds in Massachusetts; Tribe-on-tribe conflict in California

Posted on March 19, 2014 by David McKee

Hopes that the Mashpee Wampanoags have for a casino got a big lift on March 12. That’s when Interior Department Solicitor Hilary Tompkins ruled that tribes not recognized before 1934 weren’t excluded from casino eligibility. In her interpretation of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Culinary Union, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Horseracing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | Comments Off on Dramatic turnarounds in Massachusetts; Tribe-on-tribe conflict in California

Rebottling a genie

Posted on March 19, 2014 by David McKee

One would hate to think how many businesses in Clark County get by on the revenue from slot routes, rather than from their primary purpose. But county commissioners didn’t think to define “incidental” — an understandable oversight — when making … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Carl Icahn, Horseracing, Indiana, Internet gambling, Slot routes, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Itchy trigger fingers in Massachusetts; Boyd besieged

Posted on March 12, 2014 by David McKee

After moving with extreme deliberation on terrestrial casinos, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission suddenly has a fire under its butt to do something about Internet gambling. “The time is now … We can’t wait any longer, even though we’re still in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Hawaii, Horseracing, IGT, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Wall Street | Comments Off on Itchy trigger fingers in Massachusetts; Boyd besieged

Notes from Indian Country; Penn’s fast break

Posted on March 7, 2014 by David McKee

Native American casinos in Maine took a step toward realization when the lower house of the Legislature rescued pro-casino bills from seeming death in the Veterans & Legal Affairs Committee. The legislation “would allow the Passamaquoddy Tribe to build a … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Churchill Downs, Horseracing, Maine, Massachusetts, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Notes from Indian Country; Penn’s fast break