Category Archives: International

Wynn reinvents the buffet; Cash out, digital in?

We seem to have been overfearful in predicting the demise of the Las Vegas buffet. Wynncore‘s reopens on Thursday, making it the first to do so. But it won’t be the same old same-old. Yes, there will be 90 selections and, … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Delaware, Dining, Entertainment, Genting, Health, Horseracing, International, Louisiana, Money laundering, Movies, Nevada, Oklahoma, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, South Dakota, Technology, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

‘Net bets carry Atlantic City; Clubs face crisis

Internet casinos are in New Jersey to stay. They grossed $86 million last month, their highest amount ever. That’s 135% more than a year ago. Golden Nugget was tops with $29 million, followed by Resorts Digital ($18 million) and Borgata … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Downtown, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, Florida, Golden Nugget, Health, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Morris Bailey, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Resorts World LV, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

‘Net casinos boom; Indiana sports books struggle

Here is the kind of story American Gaming Association President Bill Miller doesn’t want us to write. Costa Rica-based PayPerHead software provider is quantifying the upsurge in Internet gambling that took off with Covid-19. Not only did online casinos benefit … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on ‘Net casinos boom; Indiana sports books struggle

MGM revving up on Strip; The Skull returns

Allowing for the context that one’s hotels fill up faster when only 25%-50% of the rooms are being rented, MGM Resorts International seems to be enjoying a honeymoon with its customer base. Its Las Vegas Strip resorts are reopening, in … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Colony Capital, Dining, Downtown, Dubai, Economy, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, International, MGM Resorts International, Minnesota, New Jersey, Resorts World LV, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off on MGM revving up on Strip; The Skull returns

Casino recovery still mild; Recession: The Sequel

Casinos that have reopened in Las Vegas, Louisiana and Mississippi are seeing fewer customers—but higher value ones. That’s the bottom line of a new report from JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, who cites data tracked by Visitdata.org. Foot traffic is … Continue reading

Posted in Brothels, Economy, Health, International, Louisiana, Mesquite, Michael Gaughan, Mississippi, Nevada, Resort fees, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City gets good news; Stanley Ho canonized

July 4 could spell independence for Atlantic City casinos, judging by recent statements from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D). In a radio interview he said, “It’s probably still too early to give you a very specific answer but there’s a … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Derek Stevens, Health, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Problem gambling, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Twin River, Wall Street | 1 Comment

California Lege mulls sports betting; Mega-Jottings

Gaming analysts may be getting a little ahead of themselves but they’re estimating that California could generate $30 billion a year in sports-betting handle, $2 billion in revenue and $300 million in taxes. That’d be pretty good news for a … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, International, Lotteries, New Jersey, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Twin River | 2 Comments

Internet gambling hits Jersey high; Hard Rock back to Vegas

April was the worst of months and best of months for New Jersey. Sports books are estimated to have lost out on $450 million in handle while Internet casinos did better than ever, raking in $80 million. “Seeing New Jersey’s retail … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Charity, Dining, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, New Jersey, PokerStars, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 1 Comment

MGM’s seven steps; Culinary throws tantrum

Add MGM Resorts International to the roster of Las Vegas companies announcing reopening protocols. (Earth to Caesars Entertainment, come in Caesars … ) The company calls it a “comprehensive, multi-layered approach resulting from months of consultations and guidance from public … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Conventions, Culinary Union, Dining, Donald Trump, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Japan, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Sports, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment

Roy Horn, R.I.P.; Tourism on life support

Now every John Q. Public in America knows someone who has died of Covid-19. That someone is erstwhile magician Roy Horn, who died at age 75 of Coronavirus complications. Horn had been involuntarily retired from show business since 2003 when … Continue reading

Posted in Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Health, International, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on Roy Horn, R.I.P.; Tourism on life support

Everybody out of the pool!; Lean times in Indian Country

We were overly optimistic on when Nevada casinos can reopen. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has postponed that move until phase three or four of his four-step plan … which is also contingent on a two-week decline in new Coronavirus cases. … Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Entertainment, Galaxy Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, Regulation, Tribal, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Everybody out of the pool!; Lean times in Indian Country

Fauci on sports; Churchill Downs “on track”

Bad news, sports bettors. Given the absence of widespread testing for Coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci is backpedaling on his projections that professional sports could resume this year. (As Fauci has said elsewhere, a model is just a model; when you … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Baseball, Churchill Downs, Crown Resorts, Economy, GameCO, Health, International, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Lawrence Ho, Lotteries, Marijuana, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Scientific Games, Sports, Technology, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Vegas: Welcome to the new normal

Phil Ruffin may have jumped the gun with that May 15 reopening date for Treasure Island. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), without specifying a quarantine-lifting date, has extended a modified version of the Nevada lockdown into May. “We just have not reached … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, California, Downtown, Downtown Grand, Health, International, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Technology, Tribal, TV, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

MGM: Survey says …; Odds favor Harris for VP

MGM Resorts International wants your opinion … well, some of you anyway. In a survey obtained by Scott Roeben of VitalVegas, Leo the Lion poses an array of questions to Platinum- and Noir-tier customers. As Roeben says, it reveals more than … Continue reading

Posted in Century Casinos, Colorado, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Derek Stevens, Donald Trump, FanDuel, Health, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, New York, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Wall Street | 3 Comments

More woes for Penn; “A slog” for Encore Boston

Covid-19 has claimed another casino casualty in the form of Resorts Casino Tunica. Ironically, the Penn National Gaming closure comes after an abortive March which promised to exceed the 2019 in Mississippi. Overall gaming revenues were at $110 million when … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, California, Crown Resorts, Economy, GLPI, history, International, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Penn National, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on More woes for Penn; “A slog” for Encore Boston

Hiccup in Virginia; Sheldon’s retail therapy

Just when it seemed like casinos in Virginia were a done deal, some last-minute tinkering by Gov. Ralph “Blackface” Northam (D) could scupper the whole deal. Northam unilaterally amended the enabling legislation to redirect two-thirds of the tax collections from … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cretins, Economy, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wall Street | Comments Off on Hiccup in Virginia; Sheldon’s retail therapy

Gambling in the time of Coronavirus

Editor’s note: This roundtable was originally conducted for Casino Life magazine. For reasons unrelated to content, it was ‘put in turnaround,’ as they say in Hollywood. Rather than waste a perfectly good exchange between gaming executive Yaniv Sherman and sportswriter … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Conventions, DraftKings, e-sports, FanDuel, Health, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting | Comments Off on Gambling in the time of Coronavirus

Northam covets slot tax; CEO suddenly out at Foxwoods

In Gov. Ralph Northam‘s Virginia there are two inevitabilities: death from Coronavirus and taxation of black-market slot routes. Northam wants to legitimize the devices (their unsanitary properties notwithstanding) in order to collect taxes off them. He rationalizes the move by … Continue reading

Posted in e-sports, Economy, Foxwoods, Health, International, Internet gambling, Politics, Problem gambling, Resorts World LV, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Northam covets slot tax; CEO suddenly out at Foxwoods

MGM: The Lion purrs; Tilman in trouble

JP Morgan analysts parlayed with MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle and CFO Corey Sanders yesterday. Reports Joseph Greff, “We come away with a favorable view and a strong appreciation for Mr. Hornbuckle’s background in casino operations (former MGM COO … Continue reading

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Economy, Foxwoods, Hooters, International, Iowa, Lotteries, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Real Estate, Regulation, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Macao bad, worse to come; No casinos for Brazil

“With the government keeping limitations on individual and group visas into the market and transportation options remaining impaired we believe the Macau market could take five to seven months to start stabilizing and showing improvement,” Stifel Financial analyst Steven Wieczynski … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, China, Connecticut, Dining, Economy, Foxwoods, Galaxy Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Health, history, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Politics, Scientific Games, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment