Category Archives: Macau

China is the watchword; Atlantic City rebounds

Posted on September 16, 2015 by David McKee

Builders of $135 million Lucky Dragon Casino, across Sahara Avenue from the former Circus Circus RV park, are fast-tracking the project for a mid-2016 opening. Financed with EB-5 visa contributions, Lucky Dragon hopes to be a one-stop shop for Chinese players … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Culinary Union, Dining, Election, Lucky Dragon, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Tribe outfoxes Arizona; Macao is glutted

Posted on September 11, 2015 by David McKee

Rather than continue waiting for Arizona casino czar Daniel Bergin to reverse himself and give them permission to open a Class III casino, the Tohono O’odham Nation has done an end run. It will open with 1,089 Class II electronic … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Culinary Union, Galaxy Entertainment, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Palms, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Uncategorized, Wall Street | Comments Off

Indiana stumbles; “Green shoots” in Macao

Posted on September 9, 2015 by David McKee

Foot traffic was down 15% in Indiana casinos last month and even though players spent 10%, it wasn’t quite enough to stave off a 7% decline. (The numbers are worse if you don’t count free play as revenue, which Indiana … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, Full House Resorts, Genting, GLPI, Harrah's, Indiana, Internet gambling, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Singapore | Comments Off

Reality check at Sands; Bonanza in Baltimore

Posted on September 4, 2015 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson risks making himself look in denial with his continuing insistence that the economic troubles in Macao are cyclical. This is B.S.: There has never been a ‘cycle’ in Macao of such depth or duration. Adelson’s Pollyanna attitude contrasts … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, Japan, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Bidding war in cyberspace; Adelson flexes Macao muscles

Posted on September 2, 2015 by David McKee

Having been outbid by GVC Holdings and jilted by Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment, Israeli-based 888 Holdings is upping the ante again in what is shaping up as the bidding war of the year. Meanwhile, Internet gamblers can look forward to a new … Continue reading →

Posted in Galaxy Entertainment, International, Macau, Neil Bluhm, New York, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho | Comments Off

Wynn gets one step closer; Those insidious resort fees

Posted on September 1, 2015 by David McKee

“At moments like this, there is certainly a feeling of gratification and forward movement. It lifts our spirits and energizes us.” Thus spake Steve Wynn after Wynn Everett cleared another hurdle on its way to completion. A 27-page memo from Massachusetts … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Macau, Massachusetts, New York, Regulation, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

New Jersey loses again; From Russia with casinos

Posted on August 26, 2015 by David McKee

New Jersey‘s quest for sports betting came to a bitter, penultimate roadblock before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which deemed the Garden State’s repeal of its sports-betting ban to be a violation of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, International, Japan, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Politics, South Korea, Taxes | Comments Off

The Penn National effect strikes again

Posted on August 21, 2015 by David McKee

Penn National Gaming is “making it rain” in Plainview, where it has spent $1.5 million with local vendors since opening. The workforce at Plainridge Park has gone from 100 to 533, with a $14 million payroll. And the state has … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, Macau, Massachusetts, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, Tourism | Comments Off

Optimism at MGM; SLS: The Unhappy Blob

Posted on August 20, 2015 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International sent CFO Dan D’Arrigo to meet with J.P. Morgan analysts, who found MGM execs in an upbeat mood. “We’d characterize the tone of the meetings as positive and investor interest as high,” wrote analyst Joseph Greff. That’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Eldorado Resorts, Georgia, Harrah's, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 2 Comments

It’s Galaxy’s turn to take a hit; Tohono O’odham file suit

Posted on August 20, 2015 by David McKee

Add Galaxy Entertainment to the companies taking on the chin in the Macao economy. The casino firm just posted a 46% drop in cash flow for 2Q15. Leading by example, Chairman Lui Che Woo announced a freeze in executive salaries … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Economy, Galaxy Entertainment, Harrah's, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Philippines, Regulation, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 17, 2015 by David McKee

“I joked with people a year ago no one wanted to be in regional gaming and everyone wanted to be in Macao. And a year later, it has really flipped.” — Penn National Gaming CEO Tim Wilmott, whose company’s stock price … Continue reading →

Posted in Macau, Penn National, Wall Street | Comments Off

Poker outlawed in Wisconsin; A new game in New York

Posted on August 17, 2015 by David McKee

Score one against private poker games and score one for tribal casinos, which are now the only places in Wisconsin where one can legally play poker. As Poker News put it, ” the fact remains even playing poker for pennies … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Genting, Macau, New York, Regulation, Technology, Tribal, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Vegas Club rescued; Straight talk from Steve Wynn

Posted on August 14, 2015 by David McKee

Good news for fans of the Las Vegas Club (and you know who you are): Its long Tamares Group nightmare will soon be over. Tamares has sold the Vegas Club to the D owner Derek Stevens and his brother for … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Derek Stevens, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Golden Gaming, Macau, Penn National, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Studio City in trouble; Tribal clash in Massachusetts

Posted on August 13, 2015 by David McKee

Melco Crown Entertainment is in Eeyore mood these days, darkly muttering about a “contingency plan” for Studio City if the Macao government doesn’t give it 400 table games. As far back as its 2014 annual report, the company was making … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Election, Galaxy Entertainment, Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Packer plays musical chairs; Atlantic City … the rest of the story

Posted on August 13, 2015 by David McKee

A 41% dive in Crown Resorts prompted James Packer to resign his chairmanship of the company, handing his portfolio to Deutsche Bank veteran Robert Rankin. The change appears to be more cosmetic than substantive, seeing as the brawling billionaire will … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Cannery Casino Resorts, Harrah's, Internet gambling, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, Mohegan Sun, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Business heats up in Detroit, cools in Manila

Posted on August 12, 2015 by David McKee

Ohio? What’s Ohio? Casinos in Detroit may as well ask that as they continue to recover from the dent in their business made by the Buckeye State. July revenues were up 3% and, for the year to date, casino revenues … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Dan Lee, Detroit, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Macau, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Philippines, South Korea, Taxes | 2 Comments

Bluhm presses case in Massachusetts; Lawrence Ho tells it like it is

Posted on August 10, 2015 by David McKee

Despite having to wait at least until early next year to start building, a potential Brockton casino could be “up and running by 2018,” sometime in the second quarter, according to Neil Bluhm. “We are shovel-ready to go.” Unfortunately for … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Illinois, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Tribal | 1 Comment

What’s up, Macao?; Strange plan from Full House

Posted on August 6, 2015 by David McKee

Lawrence Ho minces few words in an interview with Bloomberg News about the autumn opening of Studio City, the $3.2 billion rescue project of Melco Crown Entertainment. It’s difficult to decide what’s strangest about the project. Is it having Batman, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Lee, Galaxy Entertainment, Indiana, Kentucky, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Ohio, Regulation, Transportation | Comments Off

Macao: “Less bad”; MGM beats estimates

Posted on August 4, 2015 by David McKee

That’s how J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff spun the latest numbers out of Macao, where gaming revenues plunged 34%, less than the year-to-date average of 37%. Mass table game winnings were up 11% from June, “more positive than we otherwise … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Detroit, Economy, Illinois, Macau, Mississippi, Scientific Games, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

McCain, NIGC butt heads; Paper Tiger

Posted on August 3, 2015 by David McKee

U.S. senators put the squeeze on the National Indian Gaming Commission and allies like the National Indian Gaming Association at a recent hearing. Sen. John Barrasso (R) put the gripes in a nutshell when he said, “The commission is not effectively … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Genting, Kazuo Okada, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | Comments Off