Category Archives: Law enforcement

Higher taxes mooted for Atlantic City; Trump into Philippines?

Posted on May 10, 2017 by David McKee

Someone has belatedly noticed that Atlantic City is, in essence, a tax haven for casino operators. They pay 9.25%, compared to Pennsylvania‘s 55% on slots, for instance, or Maryland‘s patchwork of tax rates, which top out at 60%. That’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, GLPI, Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, Law enforcement, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, Missouri, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Taxes, Technology | Comments Off

New crackdown in Macao; Death in Downtown

Posted on May 9, 2017 by David McKee

That chill wind you feel blowing through Macao is the local government’s trepidation about the $1 billion-plus in cash withdrawals that are being made from Macanese ATMs. “The amounts are eye-watering – HK$10 billion-a-month is a conservative estimate. The banks have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Law enforcement, Macau, Marketing, Sports, Uncategorized, Wall Street | Comments Off

Nevada is #1; Atlantic Club plans dashed

Posted on May 2, 2017 by David McKee

Congratulate yourself, Nevadans. Your state has been deemed “most fun” by WalletHub. This is despite only mediocre rankings in movie theaters and amusement parks per capita (27th and 28th, respectively). Nevada was tops in casinos — big surprise, I know … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Nevada, Philippines, Sports, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off

Warm spring in the Midwest; Vegas Vic gets political

Posted on April 10, 2017 by David McKee

Don’t believe anyone who says the economy is bad: Casino takings are up all across the Midwest. The biggest gain was in Ohio, where casino win rose 7%, even though players continue to blow off Jack Cleveland ($18 million, -8%). … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Animals, Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, California, Dan Gilbert, Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, Harrah's, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Law enforcement, Majestic Star, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, PokerStars, Politics, Racinos, Tropicana Entertainment, Wayne F. Newton | Comments Off

Bicycle Casino gets busted; Macao bounces back

Posted on April 5, 2017 by David McKee

For the second time in its history, the Feds have busted the Bicycle Hotel & Casino, in Bell Gardens, California. They’re hot on the trail of laundered money and think Bicycle was providing some drip-dry service. Agents from multilateral task … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Law enforcement, Macau, Sports, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Trump keeps them guessing; Meet your new neighbor, Steve Wynn

Posted on April 4, 2017 by David McKee

Could the president of the United States build a Las Vegas casino? That’s regulatory terra incognito that Nevada regulators will have to explore as Phil Ruffin and Donald Trump continue with their plan to erect a Trump-branded casino next door … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Donald Trump, Economy, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Riviera, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off

Raiders prompt magical thinking; Next stop: Yankton?

Posted on March 29, 2017 by David McKee

Boxing promoter Bob Arum has drunk deeply of the NFL-in-Vegas Kool-Aid, telling the Wall Street Journal, “Say [the Raiders] play the Giants. It’s going to bring 20,000 people coming from New York to watch the game, clutching fistfuls of money … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Florida, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, South Dakota, Sports, Technology, Tourism, Westgate LV | Comments Off

It’s official: Las Vegas Raiders; Crime on the Strip

Posted on March 27, 2017 by David McKee

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell having slammed the door on Oakland, we’re going to have to follow Adam Schefter‘s lead and get used to saying “Las Vegas Raiders.” Needless to say, this is a huge coup for Sin City, all the bigger … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, Law enforcement, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, World Series of Poker | Comments Off

Slim hope for North Dakota casinos; Russians hack U.S. slot machines

Posted on March 22, 2017 by David McKee

North Dakota lawmakers are still averse to the idea of state-owned casinos (which caused a fair number of birthing pains for Kansas) but they split the baby on casino expansion this week. While the House Judiciary Committee still stamped “do … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, International, Law enforcement, Missouri, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Politics, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | Comments Off

Adelson ban bombs with conservatives

Posted on March 13, 2017 by David McKee

If Sheldon Adelson was hoping to be hailed at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference, he got a rude surprise. Attendees blew a raspberry to his pet cause, Protect America’s Wire Act. One dissident, Institute for Liberty President Andrew Langer … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, New York, Penn National, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

Ho taunts Adelson; Turnover at Wynn

Posted on February 23, 2017 by David McKee

Both Sheldon Adelson and Jim Murren have anted up $10 billion for a Japanese megaresort. The fever is catching. Melco Crown International CEO Lawrence Ho went completely off his rocker and vowed to spend any amount whatsoever for a casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, International, Japan, Law enforcement, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Smoke got in their eyes; Curious doings at Mohegan Sun

Posted on February 22, 2017 by David McKee

Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui is denying that his government is abasing itself before casino operators even as his administration rolls out a new policy, proposed but not yet adopted, that would represent a total cave-in on Chui’s drive to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Environment, Idaho, Law enforcement, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off

Cool breeze in Singapore; Pennsylvania gets on the sports-betting bandwagon

Posted on February 17, 2017 by David McKee

It seems more unlikely than ever that Singapore will issue casino concessions after gaming revenues laid an egg in 1Q-3Q/16. For the full year, tourism to Singapore reached record heights, but receipts for “sightseeing, entertainment and gaming” dropped 16% in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Dining, Donald Trump, Foxwoods, Idaho, International, James Packer, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Singapore, South Korea, Sports, The Crown 18, Tribal | Comments Off

MGM lands big fish; Black-market casino busted in Georgia

Posted on February 16, 2017 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International took it on the chops from Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli, who said of 4Q16 results that they “were undoubtedly surprising, in the wrong direction in this instance as property EBITDA fell well short of forecasts, most … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Donald Trump, Dubai, Georgia, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Regulation, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Station, Culinary at it again; Attack of the Russian slot cheats

Posted on February 14, 2017 by David McKee

After reaching a fragile labor peace with Station Casinos, the Culinary Union is heading for another scrum with the company, publishing a petition to “Stations Casino” [sic!], detailing various and sundry workplace complaints, such as “first aid supplies were not … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Culinary Union, Georgia, International, Law enforcement, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Politics, South Carolina, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Ideas plentiful, funding scarce

Posted on January 23, 2017 by David McKee

Maybe the third try will be the charm. Australian entrepreneur Josh Kearney has announced an $800 million, extreme-sports-themed resort, to arise just northeast of Town Square Mall (built on the grave of the troubled Vacation Village Casino). The Edge, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Economy, history, International, James Packer, Law enforcement, Lucky Dragon, Macau, Steve Wynn, The Crown 18, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off

End of a golden tribal era; Vegas Vic gets his due

Posted on November 29, 2016 by David McKee

Already gaming pundits are reading the entrails of the presidential election and predicting that while a Donald Trump administration could be Bad News for Internet gambling it will be Very Bad News Indeed for tribal gaming. Words like “disaster” are … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, history, Indiana, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Regulation, Tribal | 4 Comments

Trump Taj saves Atlantic City; Barrack resurfaces; Visiting Memory Lane

Posted on November 17, 2016 by David McKee

When we rounded up Atlantic City gaming numbers yesterday, we didn’t get into market-adjusted comparisons and thus buried the lead. The Boardwalk’s surviving casinos saw, on average, a 6% increase in gaming revenue, thanks to the Oct. 10 closing of … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, history, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, PokerStars, Regulation, Revel, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, West Virginia, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Japan: Another failure; Reading the Trump tea leaves

Posted on November 15, 2016 by David McKee

According to Morgan Stanley analysts, the chances of pro-casino legislation passing in Japan this year are “quite low.” Yes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has booted the ball yet again. His big push [sic] to bring casinos to the Land of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Delaware, Donald Trump, Florida, Genting, Internet gambling, James Packer, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, South Korea, Station Casinos, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off

Ivey loses a round; Freeman loses it

Posted on November 15, 2016 by David McKee

Emboldened by a federal court ruling that Phil Ivey and an associate violated the New Jersey Casino Control Act by using “edge sorting” to alter the odds of baccarat in their favor, Borgata is upping its demands against the pair, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Economy, Geoff Freeman, Law enforcement, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off