Category Archives: Maryland

Mixed readings on Vegas recovery; Trump vs. Titus

How bad is it in Las Vegas? Well, the latest edict from MGM Resorts International is that The Mirage will be closed from Monday at noon to Thursday at noon, INCLUDING the casino. (We felt that news needed a bit … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Australia, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, CQ Holdings, Crown Resorts, Derek Stevens, Donald Trump, Downtown, DraftKings, Economy, GLPI, Health, Horseracing, International, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Nebraska, Nevada, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Goodbye, Trump Plaza; Vaccine news boosts Big Gaming

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small (D) has found a nifty way to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City: Auction off the right to push the button that implodes Trump Plaza on Jan. 29. Small hopes … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Charity, Conventions, Cretins, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Health, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

End of the honeymoon; Virgin Hotel clings to virginity

Gaming revenue dropped last month in Maryland and precipitously so in Ohio, where the good times had really been rolling. Maryland’s $130.5 million gross represented a 7.5% dip, motivating JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff to write that “We note the … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Las Vegas Raiders, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Gaming slows across Midwest … except in Ohio

Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg must have dropped some extra-potent LSD before his last investor call. His comments were summarized by one auditor as, “When we get into a Post-COVID world Pent-Up demand you’re going to see for Gaming And … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Las Vegas Raiders, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports, Sports betting, Twin River, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Gaming slows across Midwest … except in Ohio

Wynn winning; Flyover Country keeps Caesars aloft

Wynn Resorts reported 3Q20 results yesterday and the headline item was Macao, where operating results were “soft” but “encouraging,” despite “negative to apathetic investor sentiment,” according to JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff. Mass-market wagering was up 40% and credit issued … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Conventions, Culinary Union, Dining, Diversity, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Majestic Star, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Reno, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Not all that is Golden glitters; Scientific’s cause for concern

Golden Gaming reported earnings today and there was sufficient good news to be upbeat about the stock—except in Nevada. Casino revenue fell 15% in 3Q20 to $115 million. Slot routes, which ought to be trending upwards, tumbled 31% to $48 … Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Golden Gaming, Health, Internet gambling, Lotteries, Maryland, Nevada, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports betting, Wall Street | Comments Off on Not all that is Golden glitters; Scientific’s cause for concern

Park MGM re-closes; Gaming’s 2020 mandate

No, it’s got nothing to do with the smoking ban. Well, maybe. MGM Resorts International, as we mentioned yesterday, has decided it has too much hotel-room inventory going to waste on the Las Vegas Strip. As part of an austerity … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Dining, Economy, Election, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Buy, sell, lease, buy, sell, lease …; Election: What’s at stake

In an elaborate transaction, Caesars Entertainment sold Tropicana Evansville to Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. for $340 million, after which the lease on the casino will revert to Twin River Holdings, which will pay $28 million a year for the … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Cretins, Delaware, Donald Trump, Downtown, Election, GLPI, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Racinos, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Twin River, Virginia | 2 Comments

Maryland returns to normal; Caesars offloads assets

Pandemic? What pandemic? Maryland casino revenues were 1% above last September’s, indicating a resumption of normality, at least where gambling is concerned. The statewide gross was $149.5 million. That’s despite restrictions that include keeping the casino floor at 50% of … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Cordish Co., Cretins, Delaware, Diversity, Economy, Election, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Health, International, Internet gambling, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Reno, Sports betting, Tribal, Virginia, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Maryland returns to normal; Caesars offloads assets

Caesars here, Caesars there, Caesars everywhere

Caesars Entertainment got a vote of confidence from JP Morgan analyst Daniel Politzer today, largely on the strength of its regional portfolio, as well as its potency in the sports-betting sphere. Regional trends were described as “better than expected,” and … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Entertainment, history, International, Internet gambling, Laughlin, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Reno, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, William Hill | 1 Comment

Cosmo is number one … and not in a good way

Wanna catch Covid-19? Head for the Cosmo. “The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas topped reported locations of possible COVID-19 exposures in June, July and August in Southern Nevada, according to state disease investigation analyses,” reported the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The renegade … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, Derek Stevens, Diversity, G2E, Genting, Health, history, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Moulin Rouge, Nevada, New York, Resorts World LV, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Cosmo is number one … and not in a good way

Hot water in Singapore; Pennsylvania sports books triumph

Faced with evidence of money laundering at Marina Bay Sands, CEO Sheldon Adelson is being proactive and hiring a local firm to investigate $1 billion in fund transfers from high rollers to third parties. It’s frankly in Adelson’s interest to … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Dining, Downtown, DraftKings, Election, Environment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Hooters, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Maryland, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Terry Caudill, TV, William Hill | 1 Comment

Ohio strong, Maryland stable, Illinois stinks

Buckeye State casinos continued their impressive run last month, up 5% to gross $172 million. This is Ohio‘s best-ever August, even with an unfavorable calendar (one less weekend day). Star performer was Hollywood Toledo, up 33% to $23 million. MGM … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Derek Stevens, DraftKings, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Storm warnings

Our beloved Postal Service has advised people (quietly) that it may not be able to continue as a going concern: “However, the Postal Service remains concerned that this measure will be insufficient to enable the Postal Service to withstand the … Continue reading

Posted in California, Colorado, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Health, Maryland, Sports betting, The Mob, Transportation, TV | 3 Comments

Maryland rebounds; Penn wows Wall Street; Trump to play Lucky Dragon

In a near-miraculous development, Maryland gambling revenues were only 6% off the pace last month. Between cabin fever and the belated delivery of those $1,200 stimulus checks, we’re not entirely surprised that Free State punters had both the desire and … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Donald Trump, Election, Florida, Georgia, Golden Gaming, Health, Internet gambling, Lotteries, Lucky Dragon, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia | 2 Comments

Case Bets

Rather than have a Vegas-only policy, MGM Resorts International has chosen to make face masks mandatory for customers at all its properties nationwide. It might cost them a little bit of business but it’s the right thing to do. This … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Dining, Health, International, Las Vegas Sands, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Palms, Steve Wynn, Steven Witkoff | 2 Comments

“Crisis” greed spreads; All that glitters is Golden

When we first heard about a Las Vegas Strip restaurant tacking an “optional” Covid-19 fee onto its diners’ checks we knew that A) this was the beginning of a bad thing and B) it would spread like a virus. So … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Dining, Economy, Golden Gaming, Health, Indiana, Las Vegas Raiders, Laughlin, Maryland, Resort fees, Slot routes, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on “Crisis” greed spreads; All that glitters is Golden

Boyd comes clean; Penn Nat’l “upbeat”

“Boyd Clean” has been unveiled by eponymous Boyd Gaming and while nothing in it will come as a shock, it shows the company has been closely following what other companies are doing in terms of safety precautions. You’ll receive a … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Economy, FanDuel, Health, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maine, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resort fees, Sports betting, Wall Street | Comments Off on Boyd comes clean; Penn Nat’l “upbeat”

Vegas casinos can reopen, sorta; Hard Rock returns

Want to go back to a Las Vegas casino? Now you can. In a well-meant directive that seems to be sowing a certain amount of confusion, the Nevada Gaming Control Board stated that during the current Phase I, casinos could … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Dining, Economy, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Lotteries, Maryland, Massachusetts, Movies, Oregon, Penn National, Real Estate, Sahara, Steven Witkoff, The Strip, Virgin Hotels | 2 Comments

New York state of mind; Moody blues for Las Vegas

Like Massachusetts casinos, those in New York are not expected to reopen until July. Lago Resort & Casino General Manager Lance Young told journalist James Rutherford he’s monitoring reopening protocols as far away as Macao but has received no concrete … Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Health, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Lotteries, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Penn National, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on New York state of mind; Moody blues for Las Vegas