Category Archives: Maryland

Showdown on the Boardwalk; Lies, damned lies and poll numbers

Posted on March 24, 2016 by David McKee

It’s war to the knife and knife to the hilt between Carl Icahn and Unite-Here Local 54 President Robert McDevitt over the labor situation at Trump Taj Mahal. (For the record, Donald Trump is now affiliated with the casino in … Continue reading →

Posted in ACEP, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Election, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Laughlin, LVCVA, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Unite-Here | Comments Off

Hang up for MGM National Harbor; Dances with insolvency

Posted on March 11, 2016 by David McKee

If a July opening of MGM National Harbor, in Maryland, sounded too good to be true, it was. The company says “things got more and more real” and the Washington Post reports that MGM executives told it the target “was … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Philippines, Regulation, South Dakota, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Painful progress for Seminole compact; Casinos dead in Georgia

Posted on March 1, 2016 by David McKee

It will be back to the negotiating table for Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), if a state House of Representatives version of the compact with Seminole Tribe is accepted in the state Senate. The compromise version of the compact adds slots … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Georgia, GLPI, Horseracing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Rhode Island, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, Unite-Here | 2 Comments

High art comes to MGM National Harbor

Posted on February 26, 2016 by David McKee

Posted in Entertainment, Maryland, MGM Mirage | Comments Off

Does Gilbert know Jack?; Caesars’ big finish

Posted on February 24, 2016 by David McKee

Will a Horseshoe by any other name earn as much? We’re going to find out because Rock Gaming owner Dan Gilbert is going to rebrand his casinos under the Jack Entertainment banner, presumably a tip of the hat to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colorado, Dan Gilbert, Florida, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Case Bets

Posted on February 2, 2016 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson once called it “a mistake” but Sands Bethlehem is proving to be a bright spot on the Las Vegas Sands balance sheet. Last year, its profitability rose 9%, adding $108 million to Adelson’s coffers. As the CEO would … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Macau, Maine, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | Comments Off

Meet the candidates; Even when Adelson loses, he wins

Posted on January 28, 2016 by David McKee

One of the many first-ever things that Geoff Freeman has done to remake the American Gaming Association in his image is compile a voting guide for industry workers, walking them through the primary and caucus processes in their states, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Election, Geoff Freeman, Macau, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Hope for Atlantic Club; Boffo month for Maryland

Posted on January 6, 2016 by David McKee

Not so fast, says Endeavor AC about yesterday’s report that its purchase of the Atlantic Club was defunct. The would-be purchaser says it has “a very strong and creditable private equity source to finance the acquisition and development of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Glenn Straub, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Japan, Law enforcement, Maryland, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

GLPI gets a racino; Reckless casino rhetoric

Posted on December 16, 2015 by David McKee

After over a year of litigation, Gaming & Leisure Properties has come to terms with Cannery Casino Resorts over the sale of Meadows Racetrack, near Pittsburgh. (Next step for GLPI, find an operator. Penn National Gaming? Pinnacle Entertainment?) Considering that … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Dining, Election, GLPI, Harrah's, Maryland, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Penn charms Wall Street

Posted on December 3, 2015 by David McKee

JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff recently sat down with Penn National Gaming COO Jay Snowden and, of course, the big topic of conversation was Plainridge Park. Penn doesn’t see Wynn Everett — when it opens in 2018 — as a … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Economy, Illinois, M Resort, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Rhode Island, Slot routes, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, West Virginia | 1 Comment

No Great Pumpkin for Las Vegas; Further woe for Macao

Posted on December 1, 2015 by David McKee

It was Las Vegas Strip casinos’ bad luck to have Oct. 31 fall on a Saturday, meaning that revenues (particularly from slots) from that weekend won’t be reported until the end of November. Consequently, Strip revenues fell 5% in October, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Galaxy Entertainment, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Macau, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 1 Comment

SLS gets new patron; Mixed quarter at Caesars

Posted on November 10, 2015 by David McKee

Revolving doors continue to spin, metaphorically, at SLS Las Vegas. No sooner had Hilton Worldwide dropped the property from its Curio brand but Starwood Resorts Worldwide picked up part of the property and slapped its W hotel escutcheon on it. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, International, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip | 1 Comment

Big month for Maryland; Much ado about Dotty’s

Posted on November 9, 2015 by David McKee

Developers of MGM National Harbor have to like what they saw when Maryland busted out its October revenue numbers: 9% growth (to $95 million), with all five casinos in the plus column. Horseshoe Baltimore General Manager Chad Barnhill is defecting … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Dotty's, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, TV | 1 Comment

Caesars loses Ohio; Parking fees on the Strip?

Posted on November 2, 2015 by David McKee

In a lose-lose scenario, Caesars Entertainment is losing its management contracts at Horseshoe Cincinnati, Horseshoe Cleveland and Thistledown Racino. Even with the valuable Horseshoe brand, all three had been losing business in recent months. Caesars had long ago sold its … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dan Gilbert, Harrah's, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Transportation | 1 Comment

MGM: The Murren roars

Posted on October 29, 2015 by David McKee

In one of the year’s least surprising surprises, MGM Resorts International announced that it is spinning 10 of its casinos off into a REIT and is in a hurry to do so, expecting the transaction to close in the first … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Illinois, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Bad week for DFS

Posted on October 26, 2015 by David McKee

“What it’s doing is calling fantasy sports what it is. Do you pay money to get into the contest, and do you get money back when you win? And if so, that’s gambling.” So says South Point attorney Barry Leibermann of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Internet gambling, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michael Gaughan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Politics, Technology | Comments Off

Adelson crashes MGM’s party; More trouble for DFS

Posted on October 22, 2015 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson has a genius for sucking the air out of whatever room he enters. After MGM Resorts International laid the groundwork for a casino debate in Georgia, offering to invest $1 billion in an Atlanta pleasure palace, Adelson has … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Florida, Georgia, International, Internet gambling, Kansas, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip | Comments Off

Doubling down on Philadelphia; Baltimore throws a Horseshoe

Posted on October 7, 2015 by David McKee

Cordish Gaming got the go-ahead to start building its Packer Avenue casino in Philadelphia. The news came on the same as a bulletin that should give Cordish pause, with SugarHouse casino reporting a 4% drop in slot revenues. Given the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Foxwoods, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Maryland, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Tribal | Comments Off

Wrist-slaps in New Jersey; China tries to sever chains

Posted on September 25, 2015 by David McKee

First, the good news. New Jersey‘s geolocation and age-verification technology is catching underage gamblers. The bad news is that wannabe adolescent Phil Iveys are getting onto casino Internet sites and wagering. So are self-excluded players. The New Jersey Division of Gaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boyd Gaming, International, Internet gambling, Maryland, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Philippines, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Georgia on their minds; How to kill a casino

Posted on September 14, 2015 by David McKee

MGM National Harbor President Lorenzo Creighton dangles some shiny objects and big numbers before Georgia newspaper readers, promising even bigger things for Atlanta, as MGM Resorts International tries to counter lawmakers’ congenital opposition to gambling with suasion and seductive dollar … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Culinary Union, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Georgia, Horseracing, International, James Packer, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes | Comments Off