Category Archives: Illinois

Vegas hears wedding bells; Sahara upscales; Mega-Jottings

All-important Baby Boomer customers are ‘trickling‘ back to Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That’s the latest positive augury for Sin City. Better still, the destination-wedding biz is “bursting,” per Forbes, and what place is more synonymous with … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Dining, Downtown, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Health, Illinois, Japan, Macau, Maryland, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Illinois improves but Ohio sets record; Is Cuomo on crack?

Criticizing Illinois‘ casino performance is usually like tripping a dwarf: much too easy. But the Land of Lincoln posted some surprising results last month. Yes, it out performed March 2020 (+122%) but we’re comparing a full month of business with … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Detroit, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Caesars Saints?; Mattress Mack returns

Don’t like the misshapen circles which now represent Caesars Entertainment? Well, get used to them, especially if you’re a New Orleans Saints fan. The casino giant is dickering with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for naming rights, although Saints and New Orleans … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Colorado, DraftKings, Florida, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Louisiana, Mattress Mack, Politics, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming | Comments Off on Caesars Saints?; Mattress Mack returns

Strip sux but locals steadfast; Virgin LV loses its virginity

Things simply have to get better on the Las Vegas Strip. Not even a Feb. 15 capacity increase saved some casinos from perdition. Let’s hope February represented a bottoming-out of gaming revenues, as tourists starting flocking back this month. Strip … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Dining, Downtown Grand, Economy, Entertainment, Illinois, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Raiders, Laughlin, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Regulation, Reno, Technology, The Strip, Virgin Hotels, Wendover | 1 Comment

Vegas’ Dream is TSA’s nightmare; MGM disses Chicago

Part Two of our survey of analyst reports on Vegas-based casino companies will have to wait a day, given a bevy of breaking news. First up, a major setback for the planned Dream Las Vegas on the south Strip. Airlines … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Dining, Diversity, Economy, Entertainment, Failsinos, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, New York, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Security, Spectacle Entertainment, Station Casinos, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Wall Street meets Las Vegas, Part I

JP Morgan analysts conducted a pilgrimage to Las Vegas to meet with the top brass of Big Gaming. First up was MGM Resorts International, represented by CEO Bill Hornbuckle, CFO Jonathan Halkyard and BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. They see positive … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, California, Conventions, Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Reno, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, TV, William Hill | 2 Comments

Chicago gets serious; Ohio recovering but Missouri swoons

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), having received 11 expressions of interest in a megaresort (two of them an exacta by MGM Resorts International and MGM Growth Properties) is ready to issue a request for proposals sometime next month. We’ll then … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Maryland: More gamblers = more money; Illinois improving

What will prompt recovery in gaming? Stimulus money, yes, but we got a strong indicator of something else out of Maryland last weekend. Overall, casino revenues were down 16.5% but the story is more complicated than that. At facilities restricted … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Australia, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Problem gambling, Sports, Sports betting, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Maryland: More gamblers = more money; Illinois improving

Hope in the Roman Empire; DraftKings rules

Although it tried to flash Wall Street some ankle yesterday, Caesars Entertainment’s 4Q20 numbers failed to surprise analysts. In a reverse image of the rest of the industry, better-than-expected cash flow on the Strip (cost-cutting?) was “more than offset” by … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, China, Colorado, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Movies, Real Estate, Sports, Sports betting, Tamares Group, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Hope in the Roman Empire; DraftKings rules

Vegas locals strong, Strip stinks; Economic boom foreseen

Even with $600 extra in their pockets, gamblers could not be lured back to the Las Vegas Strip last month. Strip revenues of $321.5 million represented a 44% implosion from 2020. Statewide, the falloff was 26.5% to $762 million. Once … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Election, Health, history, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Kentucky, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Maryland, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Reno, Security, Sports, Sports betting, Tennessee, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street, Wendover | 3 Comments

Mixed signals from Vegas; It’s all good in Atlantic City

Is the new year bringing a Las Vegas comeback? If you set store by anecdotal evidence, things look relatively normal on Fremont Street. God knows Downtown could use a dose of normality, especially after a December devoutly to be forgotten. … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Architecture, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Election, Golden Nugget, Hawaii, Health, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Kansas, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, United Kingdom, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Boyd better than expected; Marching through Georgia

Boyd Gaming leaked January data, what Wall Street calls “offered an encouraging commentary,” to help put an upbeat spin on its 4Q20 numbers. It worked like a charm. JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff moved his price target up $8 to … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cretins, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, Foxwoods, Georgia, Hawaii, Health, Illinois, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Politics, Resort fees, South Carolina, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tony Hsieh, Tourism, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street | 3 Comments

F-blue returns from the grave; Caesars socks it to you

The Thing That Wouldn’t Die, aka Fontainebleau, is back again. Former owner Steven Witkoff has sold it to Koch Real Estate Investments for an undisclosed price. Considering that Witkoff bought it from Carl Icahn for $600 million and estimated that … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harry Reid, history, Horseracing, Illinois, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Planet Hollywood, Racinos, Resorts World LV, Steven Witkoff, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street | 5 Comments

MGM revisited; Mixed month for Indiana

Today it was Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken‘s turn to weigh in on MGM Resorts International‘s 4Q20 numbers and he found even more to like than did Joseph Greff yesterday. Leading with Macao, Chaiken saw MGM China capturing more of … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Dan Lee, Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Japan, Jim Murren, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Movies, New York, Penn National, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Normality in Ohio, disaster in Illinois; Planet Ho sale mooted

Maybe the ‘skinny stimulus’ helped Ohio. Gross gaming revenues of $153.5 million were only 8.5% off last year’s pace. The gambling houses are still operating at 50% capacity and under a curfew but the number remains impressive. Hollywood Toledo continues … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Georgia, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, North Carolina, Ohio, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, South Dakota, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Transportation, TV, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Penn survives bad quarter; Summer gaming recover possible

Penn National Gaming reported 4Q20 earnings today and they were down 23% from last year. Many reasons were cited, including lower consumer spending, casino closures in Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and new restrictions in Ohio and Maine. Oh yes, and … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Cretins, Dining, Health, Illinois, Indiana, LVCVA, Maine, Michigan, Movies, New Jersey, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting | 2 Comments

Case Bets

More than 23 million Americans are expected to bet legally or otherwise on the Super Bowl, according to the American Gaming Association, which predicts $4.3 billion in handle. 7.5 million punters will be doing their wagering online, 63% more than … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., DFS, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, history, Illinois, International, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Problem gambling, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 3 Comments

Gaming stocks rejiggered; Smoke blown at AGA

No, we don’t mean the Reddit/GameStop scandal, which has everyone from Sen. Ted Cruz (R) to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) up in arms. Instead, we’re looking at a downgrade of revenue estimates for a slew of projections by JP Morgan … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, Florida, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Horseracing, Illinois, Internet gambling, Marijuana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill | 1 Comment

Profile in cowardice; Sheldon Adelson’s ghost

We were sure this was a story from The Onion or the Babylon Bee but, no, it’s really a thing. Rodney Baker has resigned as CEO of Great Canadian Gaming Corp. after bringing disgrace upon it with a vaccination caper … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cretins, Culinary Union, DraftKings, FanDuel, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Tennessee, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Louisiana doldrums; Philadelphia Live sparkles

Does reporting bad news get tedious? You bet! But it comes with the turf. Louisiana casino winnings declined 23% last month, in keeping with the national average. Penn National Gaming casinos got off easiest, slipping 11%, while Boyd Gaming ones … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Connecticut, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Cretins, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Foxwoods, Golden Nugget, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Jim Murren, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Tennessee, Wall Street, West Virginia, William Hill | 3 Comments