Category Archives: Illinois

Chicago dog-and-pony show; Raiders get punted by Covid

All three developers jockeying for a Chicago casino trotted out their proposals Thursday “replete with soaring promises of economic jolts, job creation and jackpots for the city’s future casino tax revenue coffers, which are earmarked for its depleted police and … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Chicago, Florida, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Raiders, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes | 1 Comment

Slot routes seek legitimacy; FanDuel romps in Michigan

Black-market operators of slot routes in Missouri could achieve legitimacy next year—with the help of two out-of-state providers. Illinois‘ leading slot-route purveyors, J&J Ventures and Accel Entertainment, bitter rivals in the Land of Lincoln have put aside their differences to … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Barstool Sports, DraftKings, FanDuel, Genting, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Slot routes seek legitimacy; FanDuel romps in Michigan

Playing politics with sports betting … and casinos

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) has really put her foot in it this time. Not only are Windy City aldermen balking at five stadium-area sports books in addition to a billion-dollar casino, fearing cannibalization, but Lightfoot threw gasoline on the … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Cordish cashes in; Scare tactics in Atlantic City; Illinois slumps

Succumbing to the siren song of REITmania, Cordish Gaming has sold the real estate of three of its casinos to Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. for a grand total of $1.8 billion. The affected casinos are Philadelphia Live, Pittsburgh Live … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, GLPI, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Chicago reveals all; Rumblings from Macao; Riot in Vegas

The City of Chicago unveiled the applications for its casino license late Friday, effectively burying it at the end of a news cycle, in another triumph for Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) and her administration. The five submissions “are in line … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Bally, Barstool Sports, Chicago, China, Cretins, Entertainment, Genting, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, Illinois, Las Vegas Raiders, Macau, Maryland, Mattress Mack, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, New York, Problem gambling, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Tourism, Transportation | 5 Comments

Encore owns Massachusetts; Online slot players hosed

Massachusetts gaming revenue accelerated to $96 million last month, 23% higher than 2019. Encore Boston Harbor vaulted 37% to $63 million—yes, two-thirds of the statewide gross and well above Deutsche Bank‘s forecast of $55 million. Despite Wynn Resorts‘ dominance, Plainridge … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cretins, Detroit, Economy, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Iowa, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, North Carolina, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, TV, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

New York picks winners, losers; Ohio, even Illinois flex muscles

In hopes of having online sports betting operational in time for the Super Bowl, Empire State gaming regulators announced their picks for the state’s nine OSB license applications late yesterday. Winners were BetMGM (just as Bill Hornbuckle predicted), DraftKings, FanDuel, … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Delaware, DFS, DraftKings, Economy, Environment, Failsinos, FanDuel, FoxBet, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, International, Jack Entertainment, Lake Tahoe, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ohio, Penn National, PointsBet, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Chicago: Then there were five (?); LV Sands huddles with NY Mets

Or is it three? In the end, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) drew one heavyweight contender for the Windy City casino and a pair of middleweights. Two of the applicants made parlay bids, so the city could crow that it … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cretins, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Florida, Genting, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, New Hampshire, New York, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Rockin’ hard; Miller gives anti-smokers hope; Packer’s wrist slapped

Hard Rock International CEO Jim Allen (left) is bullish on the New York City market, if not downright aggressive. In maybe the highlight to come out of the East Coast Gaming Congress, Allen asserted his company’s interest in a New … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Animals, Atlantic City, Australia, Caesars Entertainment, China, Crown Resorts, Election, Genting, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, James Packer, Kentucky, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pahrump, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports betting, Taxes, The Crown 18, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

DraftKings, MGM play chicken, MGM wins; Highway robbery in N.Y.

As we’ve written elsewhere, this was supposed to be The Year of Sports Betting … before the Covid-19 Delta variant reared its ugly head (and that was before Coronavirus knocked us out of Global Gaming Expo). But sports betting could … Continue reading

Posted in Alaska, Bally, DraftKings, Economy, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, New York, Politics, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Ida dampens Louisiana’s day; NFL tackles degenerate gambling

September gaming revenues in Louisiana were expected to be diminished by Hurricane Ida and they certainly were, down 23% on a same-store basis. New Orleans had the worst time of it (-48%), Baton Rouge the easiest (-5%). All comparisons are … Continue reading

Posted in BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Election, Full House Resorts, Golden Nugget, Illinois, International, Louisiana, Marketing, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Problem gambling, Sports betting, Virginia | 4 Comments

Sands: From bad to worse; Musk subway system approved for Vegas

Wall Street analysts were frankly underwhelmed by Las Vegas Sands‘ third quarter. Now that the company is wholly reliant upon the afflicted Macao and Singapore markets that’s hardly surprising. JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff was pretty blunt, calling Macanese cash … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, China, Cordish Co., Downtown, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Singapore, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sands: From bad to worse; Musk subway system approved for Vegas

Biden wades into Florida swamp; New eras at Palms, Ocean

Intentionally or not, President Joe Biden (D) has done Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a solid. He wants the federal judiciary to dismiss litigation that would invalidate DeSantis’ controversial compact with the Seminole Tribe. As amusing as the spectacle of … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Australia, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Economy, Environment, Florida, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Illitch Family, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Ocean Resort, Palms, Regulation, Reno, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Biden wades into Florida swamp; New eras at Palms, Ocean

Massachusetts talks tough; Big improvements seen at Bally’s A.C.

One of the strongest threads running through Global Gaming Expo was the fear of regulatory backlash against over-aggressive gambling marketing (especially with regard to sports betting). Well, Massachusetts doesn’t have sports betting yet but Bay State regulators are already looking … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, G2E, Georgia, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Japan, Laughlin, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, PointsBet, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Dream comes true; Recovery stays strong; DraftKings’ clock cleaned

If they can scrape together $500 million (which shouldn’t be a problem in this investment climate), developers David Daneshforooz and Bill Shopoff have the Clark County Commission‘s blessing to move forward with the Dream casino-hotel. Despite a raft of security … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, G2E, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Illinois, International, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Raiders, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, North Carolina, Ohio, Penn National, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Security, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Mega-jottings for the weekend

It didn’t take Blackstone Group long to start spending the ‘mad money’ it got for selling The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It plunked down $305 million for all 15 hotels owned by Condor Hospitality Trust. Dare we suggest that Blackstone … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cosmopolitan, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Real Estate, Resorts World LV, Société des Bains de Mer, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting | Comments Off on Mega-jottings for the weekend

China kicks sand in Big Gaming’s face; Penn lobbies for special status

You could say that getting into bed with Red China was a devil’s bargain and Satan has come to collect. Or that Beijing has finally decided to show everyone who’s boss. Either way, the central government played Big Gaming for … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Australia, Bally, China, Crown Resorts, G2E, Galaxy Entertainment, Health, Illinois, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Rhode Island, Taxes, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on China kicks sand in Big Gaming’s face; Penn lobbies for special status

Illinois, how could you?; 888 is Caesars’ lucky number

Count on Illinois to disappoint in an otherwise balmy August. True, it grossed a not-shabby $108 million but it was 8.5% down from 2o19, as business slipped 10% from July’s level. (We don’t want to say the gaming recovery is … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cretins, DraftKings, Dubai, FanDuel, Harry Reid, Illinois, International, Lake Tahoe, MGM Resorts International, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, William Hill | 2 Comments

Illinois springs to life while Ohio erupts; Mohegan Sun jilted twice over

Stop the presses! Illinois casinos actually outperformed 2019 last month by 4%. That’s downright miraculous. They grossed $120 million, led by Rivers Casino Des Plaines‘ $47.5 million, a 28% vault. Harrah’s Joliet was a distant second with $14.5 million (-1%), … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Arkansas, Bally, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, G2E, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Japan, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 4 Comments

Maryland goes, goes, goes; Penn flips out; SEC scrutinizing DraftKings

We Americans sure do love us some gambling. Maryland‘s July numbers just came in and it’s 20.5% (!) ahead of 2019. Casinos won $180 million and two extra weekend days obviously helped the tally. MGM National Harbor led with $72 … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, New York, Pahrump, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland goes, goes, goes; Penn flips out; SEC scrutinizing DraftKings