Category Archives: James Packer

Case Bets: Station Casinos, CityCenter, Pittsburgh, James Packer

Posted on April 3, 2009 by David McKee

Credit-default swaps, some of those financial instruments that have played hob with the U.S. economy, are making a cameo appearance in the tortured saga of Station Casinos. If you insured Station’s debt, that insurance is worth more than the paper … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Don Barden, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Station Casinos, Wall Street | Comments Off

Casino apocalypse

Posted on March 19, 2009 by David McKee

I'm deeply imbedded in other projects today. In the meantime, by way of In Business Las Vegas and GamingFloor.com (source of yesterday's Harrah's Entertainment time warp, too) here's the answer to the question, "How many casino failures can you pack … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Packer gets a discount; solving the I-15 problem

Posted on March 16, 2009 by David McKee

Though it can't seem to settle on a dollar figure for James Packer's renegotiated Cannery Casino Resorts purchase, this story makes one salient point: A $1.7 billion-plus acquisition could be converted into a 25% stake for $370 million-$390 million. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, California, Cannery Casino Resorts, James Packer, Technology | Comments Off

Big bounce in Pennsylvania

Posted on March 5, 2009 by David McKee

Casino revenues in the Keystone State leapt 14% from February of Leap Year to this year, at least at six of the state's seven casinos. (Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is excluded; it wasn't open a year ago.) … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Harrah's, James Packer, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off

Harrah's enjoys bailout

Posted on March 3, 2009 by David McKee

“Critics argue that the tax-law change rewards companies that took on too much leverage during the credit bubble, such as those that were bought by private-equity firms.” Sound like anybody we know? How about Harrah’s Entertainment, which played Russian roulette … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Economy, Harrah's, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off

Cannery sale on ice?

Posted on February 25, 2009 by David McKee

Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander was kind enough to ring up pesky old NGCB detractor S&G today and provide some clarification on why Crown Ltd. and its supremo, James Packer, passed muster in the Silver State but have … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Pennsylvania, Regulation | Comments Off

Another setback for Packer

Posted on February 23, 2009 by David McKee

Several potential owners of Cannery Casino Resorts want to withdraw from the process rather than disclose their identities to Pennsylvania regulators. In addition, Gretel Packer, sister to Crown Ltd. CEO James Packer, has asked to pull back her license application. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Horseracing, James Packer, Pennsylvania, Regulation | Comments Off

Case Bets: James Packer, Isle of Capri

Posted on February 9, 2009 by David McKee

Geez, maybe the Nevada Gaming Control Board shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to green-light James Packer‘s purchase of Cannery Casino Resorts. (In a bow to noblesse oblige, Packer wasn’t even required to put in an appearance at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cannery Casino Resorts, Don Barden, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, International, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Wall Street | Comments Off

Stanley Ho's comeback

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

Citing the Lusa news agency, J.P. Morgan says that Macao casino revenues for January came in higher than expected, at $1.1 billion. The shocker, though, is the revision of market-share figures, which previously had shown Stanley Ho and Sheldon Adelson … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Mob | Comments Off

The prodigal son

Posted on January 19, 2009 by David McKee

Poor Kerry Packer; the late Australian mogul and famous high roller must be doing all his rolling in the grave now. Reputed for being daring at baccarat and cautious in business, the media baron is at least spared the indignity … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Fontainebleau, International, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Pennsylvania, Singapore, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Rogues' gallery

Posted on January 15, 2009 by David McKee

After a fitful start, blogorrhea is sweeping the business desk of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, resulting a veritable flood of news nuggets today … Planet Hollywood prexy Michael Mecca has resigned to pursue the proverbial "other opportunities" at a time … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cannery Casino Resorts, Columbia Sussex, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, James Packer, Marketing, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

MGM CEO sez, "Make me an offer"

Posted on January 8, 2009 by David McKee

“We are certainly not looking to aggressively sell assets, but the point is that we do have assets that are attractive and we are going to be very responsive.” That's MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren's way of saying that he's … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Cannery Casino Resorts, Cirque du Soleil, Economy, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Pinnacle's Bahamas debacle

Posted on December 19, 2008 by David McKee

It wasn’t so long ago that Pinnacle Entertainment was the fair-haired boy of the casino industry, especially after it hit a home run in the Lake Charles, La., market with tony L’Auberge du Lac. Then it nearly followed Columbia Sussex … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Harrah's, International, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Pinnacle Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, TV | Comments Off

Case Bets: Stanley Ho in Vegas?, HRH grows but Morgans shrinks

Posted on December 11, 2008 by David McKee

A local columnist raises the spectre of Stanley Ho getting back-door access into Las Vegas via James Packer‘s acquisition of Cannery Resorts. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this question raised and, call me complacent, but I believe it … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Macau, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Fear of flying

Posted on December 5, 2008 by David McKee

There may have been more to James Packer‘s inability to attend his scheduled Nevada Gaming Control Board appearance than not having a plane ticket (which was more or less the official excuse). Today’s Sydney Morning Herald reports that Packer’s Crown … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, International, James Packer, Macau, Regulation | Comments Off

Packer's reverse Midas Touch

Posted on November 25, 2008 by David McKee

Remember what I wrote yesterday about James Packer being bad luck for everything with which he gets involved? Now Station Casinos is the latest victim of his reverse Midas Touch (and he owns a portion of Harrah's Entertainment, too). Maybe … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Harrah's, James Packer, Station Casinos | Comments Off

G2E scuttlebutt

Posted on November 24, 2008 by David McKee

Could Herbst Gaming President Ferenc Szony be headed to the Cosmopolitan? That was one of the rumors bruited about at G2E last week. It would make sense. Szony, one of S&G's favorite gaming executives, is no stranger to operating in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, G2E, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, James Packer, Reno | Comments Off

E-Can debuts

Posted on August 29, 2008 by David McKee

We got out of the way of the front doors of Eastside Cannery last night just in the nick of time. For all the apprehension about opening new casinos in the current economy (especially when locals' gambling budgets have taken … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, George Maloof, James Packer, Station Casinos | Comments Off

Case Bets: Luxor, Excalibur, Cannery East

Posted on August 8, 2008 by David McKee

MGM Mirage has provided a little more insight into just how much it’s doing in terms of spending on renovations to Luxor and Excalibur. “We are spending around $100M in improvements on each of these properties this year, and we … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, James Packer, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Ameristar: What makes sense?

Posted on August 1, 2008 by David McKee

Perhaps this is what happens when you outsource your business coverage to India, but Reuters had a story yesterday positing MGM Mirage and Harrah's Entertainment as two of the likeliest buyers for Ameristar Casinos. Uhhh, I hate to break this … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Harrah's, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off