Category Archives: Las Vegas Sands

Boyd doing well; What price Vegas?

Boyd Gaming posted net revenues of that were down 18% for 1Q20, reflective of mid-March casino closures. JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff termed the results ones “that reflected relatively strong trends in the first two months of the quarter.” Since … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Economy, Hard Rock International, Health, Horseracing, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Resort fees, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Sacrificial rites in Las Vegas

Without pointing any fingers of blame, the Coronavirus pandemic has laid bare a feeble testing response and an inability to get a vaccine before the public until year’s end at earliest (which we should have been expecting all along). It’s also … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Health, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Phil Ruffin, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Wynn Resorts | 7 Comments

Twin River advances, Maverick retreats; Sands optimistic

Twin River Holdings is now a player in Atlantic City. It must have driven a hard bargain, too, picking up lowly Bally’s for $25 million, mere pocket change. It had Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts over a barrel, as keeping … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Health, history, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Maverick Gaming, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Twin River, Virginia | 1 Comment

Rescue for small casinos; Stitt makes a deal (or two)

If at first you don’t succeed, Bill Miller, try, try again. Persistence for the American Gaming Association prexy paid off with a new set of Small Business Administration rules for Paycheck Protection Program loans that include all business that receive … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Cantor Gaming, Economy, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Mattress Mack, Oklahoma, Pets, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off on Rescue for small casinos; Stitt makes a deal (or two)

Sands shakes off doldrums; MGM sitting pretty

Las Vegas Sands posted a Covid-19 impacted 1Q20. Room rates nudged upward year/year from $263 to $266, at 87% occupancy, resulting in a decline in revenue per available room from $249 to $199. Sands was modestly down at the tables, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Baseball, CityCenter, Economy, Health, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

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

Culinary issues demands; Outlasting Coronavirus

In a Thursday media event, the Culinary Union called for casinos to continue paying their inactivated employees for as long as the Coronavirus crisis lasts. Said Unite-Here President D. Taylor, “The industry, obviously, is a very profitable industry. We don’t understand their … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Architecture, California, Culinary Union, Donald Trump, Economy, Galaxy Entertainment, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Technology, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Culinary issues demands; Outlasting Coronavirus

“Scary” times for casinos; Hotel rates swoon

Donald Trump wants to reopen America for business May 1, come hell or high water. Former Atlantic City casino executive Robert Ambrose acknowledges that “going past 30 days [quarantine] is scary for the entire industry.” According to Ambrose, it ought … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Crown Resorts, Economy, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

What can I see in Las Vegas?

As of this writing, Las Vegas is closed for business. But it could reopen as soon as May 1 and some are optimistic for its future. Among them is James Smith, this week’s guest contributor. His thoughts are as follows … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, CityCenter, history, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, The Strip | 2 Comments

Wynn sitting pretty; Trump Plaza damned, doomed

Wynn Resorts can sit out a Coronavirus crisis lasting 1.4 years. That’s how much cash ($3 billion) it’s sitting upon. First-quarter revenues took a 43% hit and are expected to come in somewhere in the $912 million-$969 million range. The … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Carl Icahn, Genting, Health, James Packer, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Singapore, Tribal, Twin River, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 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

Feds screw small casinos; Coronavirus detritus

Unless there’s a change in the rules in Washington, D.C., the current pandemic could cut like an economic scythe through small gaming operators and slot routes. The Small Business Administration has fallen back on a pettifogging old rule that businesses … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Dining, Economy, George Maloof, Georgia, Health, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Mississippi, Movies, Oscar Goodman, Slot routes, Sports betting, Transportation, TV | Comments Off on Feds screw small casinos; Coronavirus detritus

Maryland craters; Penn takes Trop loss

Free State Gov. Larry Hogan (R) having closed casinos on March 16, revenue results were predictably dire, down 58%. That’s a measly $69 million gross. MGM National Harbor booked $26 million, a 58.5% slide, with slots down 62% and tables … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Detroit, Donald Trump, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Politics, Real Estate, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

MGM: Just say no; NBA to Vegas?

Setting an admirable example, MGM Resorts International will be abstaining from any CARES Act bailout money. It will avail itself of the loan guarantees being extended by the federal government. As the company itself says, it needn’t play poor, not … Continue reading

Posted in Cordish Co., Economy, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip | 2 Comments

Boyd opens its wallet, stringency at Scientific, improvidence at MGM

Boyd Gaming, which had previously been reported to be giving two weeks pay (misreported as one week by the Las Vegas Review-Journal) to employees idled in Las Vegas by the one-month casino shutdown, has gotten “george” and extended the hardship pay … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Economy, Health, Illinois, Japan, Jim Murren, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Case Bets & Mega-Jottings

Former casino operator and regulator Richard Schuetz has some very stern words for his former colleagues and their (slow) response to Coronavirus. Sample: “The point is, in many of our gaming states, there was little concern about the employees of … Continue reading

Posted in California, Charity, Donald Trump, e-sports, Economy, Health, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, Nevada, Penn National, Real Estate, Regulation, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Case Bets & Mega-Jottings

Casinos in survival mode; Sports betting in Cali in peril

After this week’s stimulus vote in the U.S. Congress, the casino industry would seem to have ducked a bullet. But, depending on how much financial aid it can draw down, the question lingers over whether any operators will have to file … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Charity, Colorado, Economy, Election, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Health, Horseracing, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Oklahoma, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Poverty in the suites; Industry ramps up bailout pressure

Sheldon Adelson is worth $28 billion today. Which doesn’t sound so bad until you consider that he was worth $40 billion before the Wall Street crash. That’s the literal price of owning 432,000,000 shares of Las Vegas Sands. Not that … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Caesars Entertainment, California, Carl Icahn, Charity, China, Donald Trump, Economy, Elaine Wynn, FanDuel, GLPI, Health, history, Horseracing, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Movies, New York, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Mob, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Poverty in the suites; Industry ramps up bailout pressure

The cost of not doing business

Saying “This is not the time to look for loopholes,” Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) doubled down on his quarantine order, threatening nonessential business that remain in business in defiance of his directive (and there have been some) to close … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Cirque du Soleil, Dining, Downtown, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Golden Gaming, Health, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Seminole Tribe, Station Casinos, TV, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on The cost of not doing business

Where do we go from here?

In the process of canceling its 2020 earnings guidance, Marriott International gave some oblique insight into how the casino industry is likely to cope with the Coronavirus quarantine. Occupancy, it said, had fallen to 25%, compared to 70% last year. … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Alabama, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Charity, Economy, Health, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Oregon, Penn National, Real Estate, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment