Category Archives: Kansas

East Coast escalation; A modest reprieve

Posted on January 18, 2011 by David McKee

While I’ve been sorting through the sordid life of Allen R. Glick, things have been heating up back east with regard to casino expansion. A Tuesday-morning dispatch from the analysts at J.P. Morgan ran down the salient developments. First, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Environment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on East Coast escalation; A modest reprieve

Ruffin on the prowl; Penn’s blown opportunity

Posted on December 28, 2010 by David McKee

So much for the conventional wisdom that Phil Ruffin was just hanging onto Treasure Island for a few years to help MGM Resorts International through a rough patch. Seems he’s subsequently made offers for The Mirage (whose infrastructure is symbiotic … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, International, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 6 Comments

NLRB deals Wynn a rebuke; The twilight of Stanley Ho

Posted on December 17, 2010 by David McKee

Steve Wynn has enjoyed so many victories in his long-running battle with his casino dealers that he was perhaps overdue for a loss. It came yesterday when the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Wynn Resorts had engaged in retaliation … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Current, Election, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Macau, Movies, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 1 Comment

Ameristar: No Sale; Bad news for Caesars

Posted on December 15, 2010 by David McKee

It’s back to business as usual for Ameristar Casinos, whose board decided “a sale is not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at this time.” Which is a nice way of saying there’s no bidding war … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Harrah's, Iowa, Kansas, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ameristar: No Sale; Bad news for Caesars

The whales of August

Posted on October 8, 2010 by David McKee

Nevada had another big casino bounce — $944.5 million, its largest since February’s $947 million. However, some of the positive auguries are real and some are misleading. To get the big one out of the way, Strip slot revenues were … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Kansas, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Vdara Death Ray, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Musical chairs at Trump (again)

Posted on September 29, 2010 by David McKee

High-ranking executive jobs at Trump Entertainment Resorts aren’t for “lifers.” Having steered Trump through yet another bankruptcy, CEO Mark Juliano is exiting stage right, “leaving to pursue other opportunities” — the latest executive to be purged. Nobody stays long atop … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Harrah's, International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 2 Comments

Harrah’s does it again (and again … and again)

Posted on September 9, 2010 by David McKee

Hey, Gary Loveman, don’t let the doorknob hit you in the butt as you skedaddle out of Kansas for the second time.  Ever-fickle, Harrah’s Entertainment turned tail and ran from the Sunflower State on the very date its Wichita-area proposal … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, California, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 6 Comments

Labor Day Massacre in Atlantic City

Posted on September 6, 2010 by David McKee

Heading into the weekend, Trump Entertainment Resorts continued its reorganization by sacking six top executives. They were preceded by Trump Plaza General Manager Jim Rigot, who wasn’t pushed but gave his notice a fortnight ago. One of the Trump Six, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Kansas, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Caesars Cincinnati? Invaders repulsed at Gettysburg (again)

Posted on August 18, 2010 by David McKee

Here at S&G, we think the Caesars brand is more than worthy of the Queen City. Others don’t share our enthusiasm. Using the Horseshoe hoofprint doesn’t make sense, given that Harrah’s Entertainment rather expensively deployed that just downriver in Evansville. … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, history, Illinois, International, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | 6 Comments

Who needs M most?; Station’s glass jaw

Posted on August 17, 2010 by David McKee

In a shocker of a scoop, The Newspaper That Must Not Be Cited revealed yesterday that a $700 million stake in $1 billion M Resort was being shopped around by the resort’s lead banker. While this probably says more about … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Downtown, Economy, Kansas, M Resort, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Riviera, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 8 Comments

The Summer of Love(man)

Posted on August 12, 2010 by David McKee

It may be hard to believe in retrospect, but at the time of Harrah’s Entertainment‘s LBO, some analysts thought it would be partly amortized by selling off the company’s regional properties. That prompted me to write something to the effect … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Current, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Horseracing, Kansas, Marketing, Ohio, Racinos, Regulation, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Cool breeze from Macao; Harrah’s panty raid stymied

Posted on June 11, 2010 by David McKee

One of Stanley Ho‘s lieutenants has scanned the 2010 horizon and doesn’t like what he sees. Sociedade de Jogos de Macau division president Frank McFadden believes VIP play will soften in 3Q-4Q10, as stock-market losses take their toll (a viewed … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Harry Reid, James Packer, Kansas, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn | 6 Comments

Betting on Adelson

Posted on April 13, 2010 by David McKee

Analysts at J.P. Morgan are downright bullish on Las Vegas Sands, raising their stock price target by over 25% (to $29/share). Their ebullience is motivated in large part by expectations for Marina Bay Sands, which they estimate will garner 55% … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, CityCenter, Economy, Indiana, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Adelson disappoints again, as does Kansas

Posted on April 7, 2010 by David McKee

“I don’t think we’re counting on them carrying the ball like we thought they would,” is the bottom line of a Wall Street Journal story on Las Vegas Sands‘ failure to complete $743 million Sands Bethlehem. Even though he once … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism | 2 Comments

Case Bets: Maryland, Foxwoods, problem gambling

Posted on March 23, 2010 by David McKee

It’s not even been 18 months since Maryland voters gave their assent to slot houses — a time in which the state has to erect a regulatory apparatus, vet applicants, and then wait for the latter to get up and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Case Bets: Boyd speaks, Kansas stalls & problem gamblers get the shaft

Posted on February 23, 2010 by David McKee

Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith weighs in on the subject of emerging markets. Significant by its omission: Florida. Boyd got its fingers burnt down there and knows better than some in the industry that it’s not the Land of Opportunity … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Detroit, Economy, Florida, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Tribal | Comments Off on Case Bets: Boyd speaks, Kansas stalls & problem gamblers get the shaft

Skin(less) City

Posted on February 19, 2010 by David McKee

Before we get into the good (?) stuff, I should mention that S&G has been nominated as part of Las Vegas CityLife‘s “Best of the Valley” poll. I probably should have pimped this a week ago, when the poll went … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Problem gambling, Regulation, Technology, The Strip | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 10, 2010 by David McKee

“If there was this kind of trepidation in Las Vegas, there’d be no Las Vegas.” — a reader’s reaction to the one-step-forward/two-steps-backward dysfunction that is ongoing in Kansas. Then again, it could soon be moot.

Posted in Kansas, Lyle Berman, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

From the S&G Twitter feed …

Posted on January 14, 2010 by David McKee

• Fertittas sell 10% of UFC to Abu Dhabi, new LV sugar daddy, presumably to stave off [Boyd Gaming] takeover of [Station Casinos]. http://tinyurl.com/yzhbmv2 • [Penn National Gaming] gets deadline extension in [Kansas]. http://tinyurl.com/yawfuqk • Aria room rates continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Florida, International, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, TV | 5 Comments

From the S&G Twitter feed …

Posted on January 12, 2010 by David McKee

For those of you who aren’t following it, here’s what you’ve been missing: • Station [Casinos] shuts Cherry @ Red Rock [Resort], ends flirtation w. Strip-ish nightlife. In Summerlin? Right casino, wrong place. http://tinyurl.com/ye36uqm • @IOC_Brand Jim Perry, Virginia McDowell … Continue reading →

Posted in California, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, IGT, International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Mississippi, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos, Technology, TV | Comments Off on From the S&G Twitter feed …