Category Archives: Marketing

Facts are stubborn things

Posted on July 20, 2009 by David McKee

A big thumbs-up to a casino company in Central City, Colo., for making its case to players not with vague claims but quantifiable facts. Famous Bonanza & Easy Street Casinos shared with its patrons Colorado Division of Gaming Statistics data … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Kansas, Marketing, Regulation | Comments Off

Case Bets: M Resort, bad debt, Wall Street's bomb

Posted on July 20, 2009 by David McKee

After fairly flying out of the gate, M Resort has hit the wall. Unfortunately, CEO Anthony Marnell III's response to economic adversity has been to sweat the value propositions. Not only is M fretting about card counters (hands down, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, M Resort, Marketing, Regulation, Sahara, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

Vegas (isn't the only place that) needs Carmen Electra

Posted on July 17, 2009 by David McKee

Occasionally, S&G readers allow me to share their off-list bon mots with the general public. Such is the case with one Pacific Rim-based gentlewoman who’s familiar with the sights and sounds of Macao. Evidently, it’s a place where voluptuousness is … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Planet Hollywood, Reno, The Strip, TV | Comments Off

It’s lonely in the bunker; Luxor gets its groove on

Posted on July 15, 2009 by David McKee

Two resignations made the news today. First, the publicist for Criss F. Angel took a hike. Given the choice between the much-reviled Angel and unlikely rising star (and reportedly much, much nicer person) Holly Madison, Fantasy flack John Flynn left … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation, The Strip | Comments Off

Tropic(ana) of Confusion

Posted on July 2, 2009 by David McKee

News reports are at sixes and sevens of just how much of the Tropicana Las Vegas is now owned by Onex Corp. For instance, Bloomberg states that Onex's stake represents 60% of the $440 million owed on the property (or … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Marketing, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Gambling and hope

Posted on June 4, 2009 by David McKee

Andy Holtmann of Raving Consulting has a splendid essay on this very topic and the fine line that casinos must walk when playing to people's hopes. It carries particular weight as it's authored by someone who's taken a mighty wallop … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Detroit, Economy, Marketing, Transportation | Comments Off

Oscar Goodman, Voice of Reason

Posted on May 21, 2009 by David McKee

Even as MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren and Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin are preparing to stomp out any incipient recovery in Las Vegas by jacking up room rates, words of restraint are coming from the unlikeliest of sources: Mayor … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Economy, Harrah's, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, The Strip | Comments Off

(Slots A) Fun Fact

Posted on May 15, 2009 by David McKee

I've just read that the 2008 cash flow for Slots A Fun, the crown jewel of what used to be Circus Circus Enterprises, was $2.8 million. Which means that current owner MGM Mirage could justify a sale price of $22.5 … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Don Barden, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, The Strip, Transportation, TV | Comments Off

First, some good news

Posted on April 16, 2009 by David McKee

In a refreshing change of pace comes news of a casino that’s on schedule for its opening. OK, so it’s in Dodge City, Kansas, but we’ll take good news wherever we can get it these days. Whoever thought avionics firm … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Herbst Gaming, Kansas, Labor, LVCVA, Marketing, Mesquite, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip | Comments Off

Trop snoozes, loses

Posted on March 26, 2009 by David McKee

Like a hot potato, the Tropicana Las Vegas continues to bounce from Columbia Sussex to Tropicana Entertainment and now maybe into the hands of Alex Yemenidjian. (This management-contract arrangement looks more like laying the groundwork for a sale … if … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Indiana, Marketing, Technology, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

The Unlucky Club & other Case Bets

Posted on March 26, 2009 by David McKee

Did somebody build the inaptly named Lucky Club (above) over an Indian burial ground? A deprivation of access is but the latest indignity suffered by this North Las Vegas grind joint. While it was still the Speedway Casino, it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Lake Las Vegas, Marketing, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Casino commercial of the year

Posted on March 4, 2009 by David McKee

Although Sheldon Adelson‘s taunting of the president may have seemed very clever at the time, the joke might be on the mogul. Check out this inspired TV spot, dreamt up for the grand opening of the permanent racino at Indiana … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Indiana, Marketing, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Harrah's new Atlantic City pitch

Posted on March 4, 2009 by David McKee

Two minutes of Asian American-oriented marketing messages, all of which boil down to, “Atlantic City: It’s not just for gambling anymore.” Lots of Total Rewards pluggery, as you’d expect, but oddly no mention of the new ACES train, of which … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, Marketing | Comments Off

Gibbons retreats, sorta

Posted on February 23, 2009 by David McKee

Gov. Jim Gibbons has scuttled away from one of his several proposals to jack up taxes on the only segment of Nevada that's carrying its own weight — the casino bidness. He's retreating from a demand that casinos pay taxes … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, M Resort, Marketing, Mesquite, Movies, Politics, Station Casinos, Taxes, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off

How desperate is Scott Butera?

Posted on February 19, 2009 by David McKee

Perhaps sensing that the Tropicana Atlantic City is slipping irretrievably from his grasp, Tropicana Entertainment CEO Scott Butera has taken his case to the media — seeking an audience with the editorial board of The Press of Atlantic City, no … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Marketing, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Who are they kidding?

Posted on February 2, 2009 by David McKee

Mesquite casino oligopolist Randy Black bought himself some TV ad time during the Super Bowl to tout his latest value proposition (starring one Randy Black). His opening gambit: "Everybody's cutting back." Uh no, not if you're Randy Black and just … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, Mesquite, Phil Ruffin, The Strip, TV | Comments Off

Bargain$ tonight in Vega$

Posted on January 27, 2009 by David McKee

Suppose that you got a sudden urge to visit Vegas on a Tuesday night … tonight, to be specific. You’d find that the customer is king, at least as far as pricing goes. A few minutes spent browsing Travel.Ian.com yielded … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Current, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Case Bets: CityCenter, Detroit, Boyd in Indiana

Posted on January 19, 2009 by David McKee

CityCenter: Cash cow or calf of gold? It’s received wisdom that, in its worship of the Golden Calf known as CityCenter, half-owner MGM Mirage is prepared to sacrifice some of its high-value properties, including MGM Grand Detroit, even in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, G2E, Indiana, Kansas, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Rogues' gallery

Posted on January 15, 2009 by David McKee

After a fitful start, blogorrhea is sweeping the business desk of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, resulting a veritable flood of news nuggets today … Planet Hollywood prexy Michael Mecca has resigned to pursue the proverbial "other opportunities" at a time … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cannery Casino Resorts, Columbia Sussex, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, James Packer, Marketing, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

From A(ztar) to Z(ilch)

Posted on January 13, 2009 by David McKee

If Tropicana Entertainment management's bankruptcy plan is accepted by the courts (one bond analyst thinks otherwise), former CEO/sole owner William J. Yung III will be left with — what's the technical term? — diddly squat. (So will his unsecured creditors, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Marketing, Mississippi, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off