Category Archives: Las Vegas Sands

Punishing month in Atlantic City

Posted on October 15, 2018 by David McKee

Gross-gaming revenues (not counting Internet play) were up 8% in Atlantic City last month, to $232 million. However, the prosperity wasn’t citywide, with same-store revenues down 11%. We’re still a long way from agreeing with Roger Gros‘ doom-and-gloom-and-doom prediction that two … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Bruce Deifik, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Wisdom from G2E; Sisolak lights up

Posted on October 10, 2018 by David McKee

This week’s Global Gaming Expo gives Wall Street analysts plenty of time to sniff around the big gaming operators and manufacturers, trying to suss out trends. Credit Suisse analyst Cameron McKnight, the new kid on the block, says that 3Q18 … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Election, G2E, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Illinois, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Marijuana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, Palms, Penn National, Sports, Station Casinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Mohegan Sun shines

Posted on October 1, 2018 by David McKee

Congratulations to Mohegan Sun on being named ‘Best Hotel’ by readers of USA Today. I’ve never stayed there but would reckon this is quite a coup and shows yet again that tribal casinos don’t yield the palm to private-sector ones … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, CityCenter, Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Foxwoods, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New York, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, Resort fees, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Report from Pennsylvania

Posted on September 27, 2018 by David McKee

Lady Luck Nemacolin continues its losing ways, passing up on Internet gambling licenses. Lady Luckless already balks at paying the fee that would open its casino to non-guests and this latest non-move smacks of the same boneheaded mentality that makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DFS, Eldorado Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Rush Street Gaming | 1 Comment

MGM: Riding out the storm

Posted on September 24, 2018 by David McKee

As Golden Week nears in Macao, hotel rooms are sold out at all Wynn Macau properties. MGM Grand Paradise has one night open while struggling MGM Cotai has three nights of vacancies (and this without its full complement of rooms). … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Downtown, Environment, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Oklahoma, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Boyd captures Valley Forge; An historic first at the Plaza

Posted on September 19, 2018 by David McKee

Boyd Gaming is officially in the Pennsylvania market, having closed its $280.5 million purchase of Valley Forge Casino Resort. The company now gets to grapple for a piece of the crowded Philadelphia market. And don’t think Harrah’s Philadelphia won’t tout … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Dan Gilbert, Downtown, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports betting, Tamares Group, Technology, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

MGM cuts the cheese; Adelson has a heart

Posted on September 14, 2018 by David McKee

Earlier this week MGM Resorts International made a flatulent public-relations move. It offered, in lieu of siccing process servers on some 1,000 Mandalay Bay Massacre victims, that it would donate $500 each to charity. That’s right: A company that made … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Resorts International, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 1 Comment

Atlantic City booms

Posted on September 13, 2018 by David McKee

Casino revenues in Atlantic City were up an astounding 21% in August, with only a 2% decrease in revenue at the incumbent gambling houses. Sports betting was also a hit, grossing $95 million. (Some predict it could surpass Las Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bruce Deifik, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Case Bets

Posted on September 12, 2018 by David McKee

Remember the XFL? NFL Europe? The USFL? Well here comes the Alliance of American Football, a springtime league with teams from Orlando to San Diego. A three-year corporate sponsor will be MGM Resorts International. We don’t often go against CEO … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Steve Wynn, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Titanic exhibit in peril; It’s Greek to them

Posted on September 4, 2018 by David McKee

Luxor‘s display of Titanic relics has hit an iceberg in the form of a bankruptcy court auction against owner Premier Exhibitions. It’s likely the collection will be kept intact, not dispersed to the four winds, although the latter might be … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Downtown, Hard Rock International, history, International, Las Vegas Sands, Marijuana, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Penn National, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off

Japan fever; A Rose by any other computer program

Posted on August 22, 2018 by David McKee

“I want to properly nurture the tourism industry in Osaka as one of its pillars,” says Gov. Ichiro Matsui of the prefecture. To that end, Yumeshima island has been set aside for a prospective casino resort. And Las Vegas and Macao … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Regulation, Technology, The Strip | Comments Off

Playing the Trump card; Manilow renewed

Posted on August 22, 2018 by David McKee

In his latest newsletter, gaming-law expert I. Nelson Rose looks at the impact, real and potential, of retaliatory tariffs on playing cards. Canada and the European Union have imposed 10% import levies on playing cards from the United States, though … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Greenwood Racing, International, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Lucky Dragon, Macau, New Jersey, Ohio, Paragon Gaming, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sports betting, The Crown 18, The Strip, Westgate LV | Comments Off

Infamy on the Strip; Baton Rouge obliterated

Posted on August 20, 2018 by David McKee

“Mandalay Bay” is becoming a two-word synonym for infamy. Hotels’ Daily News Service recently bannered a set of dispatches with “What Security Looks Like in post-Mandalay Bay world.” (Subscription required.) As for what Las Vegas looks like in same, well, Lego … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Isle of Capri, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Resort fees, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Good/bad news for Atlantic City; Pennsylvania just bad

Posted on August 15, 2018 by David McKee

On the face of it, the news from Atlantic City is good: Gambling revenues were up 10% last month. But the same-store comparison (i.e., minus Hard Rock Atlantic City and Ocean Resort) has the city down 9.5%. The haul was … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Bruce Deifik, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Take that, Philippines!; NY casino out-brews rivals

Posted on August 8, 2018 by David McKee

Think you’ve got a casino, Landing International? Guess again. Ground had scarcely been broken on a $1.5 billion megaresort, which had been making headlines across the Pacific Rim, when Philippines despot Rodrigo Duterte unilaterally canceled the project. A flunky said Landing … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Dining, Election, Entertainment, Genting, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas Sands, New York, Penn National, Philippines, Rhode Island, Singapore, Technology, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off

Casino revenues surge (almost) everywhere

Posted on August 8, 2018 by David McKee

Maryland casino business continues to boom, up 5.5% last month. MGM National Harbor led the pack with $58 million. It will, however, be a source of dismay to ownership that play continues to trend toward highly taxed (60%) slots and … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Maryland, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Taxes, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Caesars excels, MGM disappoints; So long, Paradise Park

Posted on August 2, 2018 by David McKee

You know how I thought May’s visitation numbers representing Las Vegas finally finding bottom in a visitation decline? Never mind. June was down 1%, mainly driven (pardon the pun) by fewer drive-in visits from California. Fortuitously for the casinos, luck … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Detroit, Economy, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Maryland, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Wendover, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Penn bullish on Trop; Boyd wows Wall Street

Posted on July 27, 2018 by David McKee

M Resort and Tropicana Las Vegas are no longer the charity cases of Penn National Gaming. The company made a point of lauding them during this week’s earnings call, with JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff characterizing their performance — along … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Geoff Freeman, Illinois, Indiana, International, Las Vegas Sands, M Resort, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sheldon’s sphere; Macao renewal delayed

Posted on July 23, 2018 by David McKee

In a wise move, Las Vegas Sands is investing $75 million in the event sphere being built behind Venelazzo by Madison Square Garden Co. By taking an equity position in the innovative venue, Sands presumably gains the potential to redeploy … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Iowa, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, TV | Comments Off

Big trouble in not-so-little China

Posted on July 19, 2018 by David McKee

In his latest column, gaming-law expert I. Nelson Rose contends that U.S.-owned casinos in Macao are on dangerous ground, caught in the cross-hairs of the U.S./China trade war. He begins by recapitulating China’s highly targeted retaliations, which make red states … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Donald Trump, Genting, International, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off