Category Archives: Illinois

California bound; M changes hands and style

Posted on May 6, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, the great state of Illinois and I don’t know who all else have been reporting revenues this week, and Mississippi is under water.. And I’ve not had time to cover any … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Dining, Environment, Illinois, M Resort, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Movies, Penn National, Pets, Steve Wynn, Transportation, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Caught between a skank and a Hard Rock; Kasich vs. casinos

Posted on April 11, 2011 by David McKee

Morgans Hotel Group may have skedaddled out of Las Vegas, tail firmly between legs, but it’s not free of trouble linked to its calamitous Sin City sojourn. During Morgans stewardship of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, it offered $300,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Economy, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Salvation for Illinois? “Golden Boys” strike again

Posted on March 31, 2011 by David McKee

According to lobbyists for MGM Resorts International‘s Grand Victoria riverboat, the smoking ban in Illinois has stove in casino revenues by 33%. Statewide, the average is -28% since 2008 — costing the state no small amount of tax monies — … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, TV | Comments Off

Terry the Casino Slayer

Posted on March 24, 2011 by David McKee

When Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) was campaigning to reclaim his old office from Chet Culver (D), he argued against Culver’s casino-expansion plan, arguing that it was economically inadvisable. With the Iowa casino market not so much saturated as waterlogged, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Penn National, Politics, Stanley Ho, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off

More fun with geography; Langford & The Man; Caesars’ rough week

Posted on March 18, 2011 by David McKee

What’s in a mile? A lot more than you might think, especially if you’re a Maine legislator. Confronted with a pesky requirement that gambling venues in the Pine Tree State must have 100-mile exclusivity zones, some would redefine a “mile” … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Don Barden, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, Macau, Maine, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Loveman 1, Atlantic City 0

Posted on March 3, 2011 by David McKee

After much Hamlet-like deliberation, Gov. Chris Christie (R) put his ixnay on a bill that would have made Internet gambling legal within New Jersey. Citing constitutional issues, he said legislators ought to put the issue to popular vote … a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, New York, Politics | 1 Comment

Back from Chicago

Posted on February 24, 2011 by David McKee

My apologies to everyone who got tired of looking at Stanley Ho‘s wizened mug. S&G was on a brief, unannounced hiatus, as yours truly ventured to the cold but wondrous place that is Chicago, home to the greatest architecture in … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Illinois, Michael Gaughan, Penn National, Politics, Steve Wynn | 6 Comments

This just in …

Posted on January 26, 2011 by David McKee

An Illinois court of appeals has struck down a pair of Public Acts pertaining to the state’s gambling industry. One nullifies a deal that would have farmed out the state lottery to Scientific Games (luckily, SGMS stock withstood the bad … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, IGT, Illinois, MGM Mirage, New York, Regulation, Wall Street | 5 Comments

East Coast escalation; A modest reprieve

Posted on January 18, 2011 by David McKee

While I’ve been sorting through the sordid life of Allen R. Glick, things have been heating up back east with regard to casino expansion. A Tuesday-morning dispatch from the analysts at J.P. Morgan ran down the salient developments. First, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Environment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off

Saved!

Posted on January 12, 2011 by David McKee

Illinois‘ casino industry just dodged a bullet the size of a 747 when the lower house failed to bring a gaming-expansion bill to a vote last night. A new Legislature is sworn in today, sending this colossally bad and ill-timed … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 4 Comments

Upsizing Illinois

Posted on January 7, 2011 by David McKee

Or would “capsizing” be the right word? Late Thursday, Wells Fargo released a study of the effects on Illinois‘ casino market if a massive expansion backed by state Democrats goes through. They’re under the gun, since the whole issue gets … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Current, Don Barden, Economy, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Wall Street, WMS Industries | 6 Comments

For sale: One casino license, slightly used

Posted on December 27, 2010 by David McKee

Legislators are pressing for a free-market solution to debacle that was Foxwoods Philadelphia. Typical of Pennsylvania‘s overhasty implementation of casino gambling, nobody bothered to codify A) what to do with licenses that get revoked or B) whether to refund or … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 9, 2010 by David McKee

“The pie is finite. Gaming is subject to the same laws of economics as every other industry and I think legislators have a hard time understanding that.” — Bill Eadington, director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling & … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Illinois | Comments Off

Case Bets: Adelson vs. China; Cirque du Avatar? Indiana wallops Illinois

Posted on December 8, 2010 by David McKee

In a lengthy Asia Times dispatch, the reliable Muhammad Cohen runs through various scenarios about why the government of Macao would pull back two Cotai Strip™ sites from a ‘george’ investor like Las Vegas Sands. Since the acreage will probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 3 Comments

Illinois: No end in sight; Boyd gets some love

Posted on December 7, 2010 by David McKee

“So much for a [gross gaming revenue] stabilization,” sighed analyst Joseph Greff in a J.P. Morgan investor note, after Illinois‘ casino revenues dropped 7% in November. Whenever you think the Land of Lincoln’s casinos have hit bottom, they sink lower … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Current, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Taxes | 3 Comments

Gaming’s big election night; Coming attractions

Posted on November 9, 2010 by David McKee

This just in: Fuming over a 5,000-vote-plus margin of defeat, opponents of a casino in western Maine are demanding a recount. Casino developer Black Bear Entertainment calls this “a needlessly divisive exercise.” Do I sense the subtle touch of Penn … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Downtown, Economy, Election, Environment, history, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Penn National, Racinos, Sahara | 3 Comments

Iowa is flat

Posted on November 4, 2010 by David McKee

Actually it’s not, if you’ve lived there (as I did for four wonderful years). However, Iowa‘s casino industry is, down one-tenth of a percent from October 2009. Actually, nine of the 17 non-tribal casinos recorded revenue increases, particularly the small … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Colorado, Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Laughlin, Maryland, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Caesars Cincinnati? Invaders repulsed at Gettysburg (again)

Posted on August 18, 2010 by David McKee

Here at S&G, we think the Caesars brand is more than worthy of the Queen City. Others don’t share our enthusiasm. Using the Horseshoe hoofprint doesn’t make sense, given that Harrah’s Entertainment rather expensively deployed that just downriver in Evansville. … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, history, Illinois, International, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | 6 Comments

Ameristar up for grabs

Posted on August 11, 2010 by David McKee

Having been in “stay the course” mode ever since the death of company founder Craig H. Neilsen, locals giant Ameristar Casinos is putting itself on the block. According to the New York Post, the company has hired an investment bank … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Around the horn

Posted on July 8, 2010 by David McKee

Iowa‘s casino revenues last month were nearly the textbook definition of “flat”: up a tenth of a percent, the first revenue-positive month since February 2009. (Hey, growth is growth. We’ll take it.) The drag anchor on revs was Harrah’s Entertainment, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Don Barden, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, International, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 2 Comments