Category Archives: International

XFL bets taken; Mohegan Sun, Hard Rock clash; Straub arrested

Posted on January 24, 2020 by David McKee

New Jersey has allowed betting on the XFL, the sixth state to do so. But does anybody care? The league hopes that sports betting will spark fan interest in the games. MGM Resorts International already got burned by the Alliance … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Glenn Straub, Hard Rock International, International, James Packer, Law enforcement, Lawrence Ho, Lotteries, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting | Comments Off on XFL bets taken; Mohegan Sun, Hard Rock clash; Straub arrested

Power play in Springfield; Packer faces impeachment

Posted on January 22, 2020 by David McKee

We had a gut feeling this was coming. MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren has given the sack to MGM Springfield President Michael Mathis, replacing him with MGM Northfield Park prexy Chris Kelly. Northfield Park hasn’t missed a step since … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, China, Connecticut, Crown Resorts, International, James Packer, Japan, Law enforcement, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, New Jersey, Ohio, Stanley Ho, The Crown 18, The Mob | Comments Off on Power play in Springfield; Packer faces impeachment

Gaming caucus rebooted; Allen sends mixed message to Atlantic City

Posted on January 21, 2020 by David McKee

You’d think a $261 billion/year industry would get some props on Capitol Hill but gaming is the exception to the rule. Thankfully, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D) are trying to breathe new life into the comatose Congressional Gaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, DraftKings, Hard Rock International, International, Movies, New York, Politics, Regulation | 2 Comments

Resort fees look ominously permanent; Goodbye, Hard Rock Hotel

Posted on January 20, 2020 by David McKee

Las Vegas is “a market notorious for some of the highest resort fees anywhere.” So writes Hotelsmag.com’s Juliana Shallcross. Big Gaming needn’t be too worried: The Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019 has gone absolutely nowhere in the supposedly liberal House … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Baseball, California, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Florida, Hard Rock Hotel, history, International, Politics, Regulation, Resort fees, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Virgin Hotels | 1 Comment

Mohegan Sun in, Hard Rock out; Hoosiers crave sports betting

Posted on January 16, 2020 by David McKee

In a shocking upset, “a source close to the matter” reports that Hard Rock International has been turned down for the Hellenikon megaresort development in Greece. That means the winning bidder is Mohegan Sun. Hard Rock was apparently faulted both … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Hard Rock International, Indiana, International, Iowa, Lake Tahoe, Louisiana, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Pansy Ho, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Transportation, Wall Street | 2 Comments

New gambling ban in Britain; Casinos face uncertain Georgia future

Posted on January 15, 2020 by David McKee

Great Britain continues to crack down on gambling. As of April 14, Britons will no longer be able to bet with their credit cards. (Lottery tickets are exempted from the fatwa.) This comes on the heels of a reduction in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boyd Gaming, California, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Diversity, G2E, Georgia, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Taxes, Technology, Tribal | 3 Comments

California scheming; Exploitation in Cambodia

Posted on January 13, 2020 by David McKee

Don’t hold your water but lawmakers in California have gone so far as to hold an actual, living, breathing, preliminary hearing (emphasis on “preliminary”) on the issue of sports betting. The endgame here is not to legalize sports betting via the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Election, Fontainebleau, International, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Palms, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steven Witkoff, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on California scheming; Exploitation in Cambodia

Skins game; Major problem-gambling snafu in Britain

Posted on January 8, 2020 by David McKee

Two Internet powerhouses achieved the first accords for offering sports betting in Michigan. Beating The Stars Group to the punch by a day, PointsBet inked a pact with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Stars Group … Continue reading →

Posted in China, DraftKings, International, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, PokerStars, Problem gambling, Sports betting, Tribal | Comments Off on Skins game; Major problem-gambling snafu in Britain

Stitt escalates Oklahoma conflict; The new N-word

Posted on January 6, 2020 by David McKee

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt‘s jihad against the state’s gaming tribes has claimed its first casualty. Secretary of Native American Affairs Lisa Billy resigned, writing that the governor was “committed to an unnecessary conflict … [You have] remained intent on breaking faith with them,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Genting, Hooters, International, Las Vegas Raiders, Marketing, Massachusetts, Movies, New York, Oklahoma, Problem gambling, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, TV, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Stitt escalates Oklahoma conflict; The new N-word

Cautious peace in Oklahoma

Posted on January 3, 2020 by David McKee

December 31 came and went without incident in Oklahoma, where tribal gaming compacts theoretically expired—at least if you ask Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). However, having proposed extending the existing compacts to Aug. 31, Stitt could hardly turn around and try … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, International, Internet gambling, Laughlin, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Regulation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Cautious peace in Oklahoma

Greed is good (Not!); Miller looks back on 2019

Posted on December 19, 2019 by David McKee

Most gaming CEOs are wearing hair shirts and taking vows of poverty compared to bet365 CEO Denise Coates, the new poster girl of greed. She awarded herself $422 million in compensation (no, that’s not a typo). In 2015-6 Coates scraped … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, China, Cosmopolitan, Dining, International, Macau, Massachusetts, Money laundering, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resort fees, Sports betting, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Greed is good (Not!); Miller looks back on 2019

Encore dominates Boston; President Xi visits Macao

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Encore Boston Harbor continues to lap the field in Massachusetts with 60% of market share and daily revenue of $1.6 million. Encore is definitely cutting into slot business at Plainridge Park, still impressive at $305/win/slot/day—but down from $357/slot a year … Continue reading →

Posted in California, China, International, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Encore dominates Boston; President Xi visits Macao

DeSalvio dispatched to Catskills; Stevens thinks big

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Former Encore Boston Harbor prexy Robert DeSalvio didn’t have to cool his heels for long. He’s just (the news broke two hours ago) been named president of Genting New York, ousting Ryan Eller. As his title implies, DeSalvio will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Derek Stevens, Detroit, Downtown, Genting, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Movies, New York, Palms, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | Comments Off on DeSalvio dispatched to Catskills; Stevens thinks big

Mega-Jottings

Posted on December 13, 2019 by David McKee

What do you do when the news is too short to justify a paragraph but too big to be ignored? How about a big-ass session of … Jottings: Mike Brooks and Tim Brooks, owners of the Emerald Isle Casino are … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Lee, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, GLPI, International, Japan, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, Penn National, Scientific Games, South Korea, Spectacle Entertainment, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on Mega-Jottings

New angle on sports betting; Slot-route throw down in Missouri

Posted on December 9, 2019 by David McKee

Look out FanDuel and DraftKings: Here comes Tradesports. It’s a new wrinkle on U.S. sports wagering: a betting exchange. Say the New England Patriots are playing against the Kansas City Chiefs and you’ve got money on the Pats. Theoretically, you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Derek Stevens, Downtown, International, Macau, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports betting, Technology, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on New angle on sports betting; Slot-route throw down in Missouri

Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California

Posted on December 9, 2019 by David McKee

This is an effective promotional tool. Why aren’t other companies doing it? (We’re looking at you, Caesars Entertainment.) * Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte is punching out at Philippines offshore gaming operators (POGOs) over delinquent taxes. He asserted that they had paid … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California

Around the gambling world in nine stops

Posted on December 9, 2019 by David McKee

Please welcome new Stiffs & Georges guest contributor Cora Lee, a travel writer whose article on Japan‘s consumer culture was linked to S&G last week. Here is her debut S&G feature. Enjoy! Some places are known for their tropical islands, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Dining, Entertainment, International, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Movies, Singapore, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

Dems court Culinary vote; Scandal in Austria

Posted on December 3, 2019 by David McKee

Democratic presidential candidates are hardly taking the Nevada caucuses for granted. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) has already been once to Las Vegas (in vain) as has Joe Biden. The latter probably endeared himself to Culinary Union members by having a contretemps with … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, China, Culinary Union, Derek Stevens, Election, Foxwoods, International, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Michigan, Movies, New York, Penn National, Politics, Singapore, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off on Dems court Culinary vote; Scandal in Austria

Norment’s Torment; New hope for Cal-Neva

Posted on December 2, 2019 by David McKee

Virginia state Sen. Tommy Norment (R) hasn’t been paying attention to the performance of MGM National Harbor. Placing a resort casino in northern Virginia would be, he says, “complete folly.” Instead, Old Virginny will have to put its hopes on … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Dubai, Economy, history, Horseracing, International, Lake Tahoe, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, New York, Ohio, Politics, Problem gambling, Resort fees, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Transportation, Tribal, Virginia | 1 Comment

Strip soft, locals firm; Big win for DraftKings

Posted on November 26, 2019 by David McKee

At $538 million, last month’s Strip gambling revenue fell 9%. Slot win was 1.5% up on 5.5% more coin-in. However, baccarat win plunged 27% on 20.5% less wagering. Non-baccarat table games were down 19% on 11% less betting. Strip casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Culinary Union, Downtown, DraftKings, International, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, New Hampshire, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Reno, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Washington State | Comments Off on Strip soft, locals firm; Big win for DraftKings