Category Archives: MGM Mirage

Macao ends 2015 quietly; Record visitation not good enough for Vegas

Posted on January 4, 2016 by David McKee

That “squish” you heard from across the sea was Macao‘s gaming market reporting a decrease of 21% last month, practically good news when measured against November’s 32% plunge. Mind you, Macanese casinos were averaging $74 million in win per day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Horseracing, LVCVA, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Macao ends 2015 quietly; Record visitation not good enough for Vegas

DFS advances in Iowa, regroups in Illinois

Posted on December 31, 2015 by David McKee

Legalization of daily fantasy sports got halfway to the goal line in the 2015 Iowa Legislature. State Rep. Jake Highfill (R) hopes to get into the endzone in 2016 with a revised version of a bill that already cleared the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, MGM Mirage, New York, Regulation, Revel | Comments Off on DFS advances in Iowa, regroups in Illinois

Reid delivers for REITs; Packer calls it quits

Posted on December 22, 2015 by David McKee

Sen. Harry Reid (D) may not see as well as he used to, but he’s still got plenty of ‘juice’ on Capitol Hill. He delivered an early Christmas present for campaign donor (and Caesars Entertainment co-owner) David Bonderman, in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Harry Reid, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Politics, Taxes, The Strip | Comments Off on Reid delivers for REITs; Packer calls it quits

Gaming expansion in Garden State moving fast; Mashpee Wampanoags challenged

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David McKee

New Jersey lawmakers are wasting no time getting a casino-expansion question onto next year’s election ballot. Enabling legislation fairly shot out of committee in both houses of the Lege. The Assembly version would devote 33% of tax revenue from two gambling … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Genting, Indiana, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off on Gaming expansion in Garden State moving fast; Mashpee Wampanoags challenged

All Adelson, all the time; Full House on the move

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David McKee

(Update: The Adelson-influenced meddling has already begun.) Now that Sheldon Adelson owns the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the paper’s prime topic of coverage has become … itself. There’s no shortage of entrail-reading, as pundits try to parse the casino mogul’s intentions. … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Dan Lee, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Macau, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Adelson’s new toy; MGM: ‘Zarkana’ out, architectural innovation in

Posted on December 17, 2015 by David McKee

Las Vegas‘ worst-kept secret is out: Sheldon Adelson is the new owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He’s claiming that the clumsy subterfuge was needed so as not to “distract from the important role Nevada continues to play in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Election, Harrah's, Harry Reid, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Strip | 4 Comments

Boston: Has Wynn finally won?; Massachusetts mulls i-poker

Posted on December 15, 2015 by David McKee

Boston Mayor Martin Walsh seems to have finally put his grandstanding aside and is making conciliatory noises about Wynn Resorts. Has the smackdown of his lawsuit against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission finally brought Walsh to his senses? Or is this … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Donald Trump, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Transportation, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Boston: Has Wynn finally won?; Massachusetts mulls i-poker

Big online month for Atlantic City

Posted on December 14, 2015 by David McKee

In the casino industry, $13 million may not be a lot of money — but it represented a 51% gain for Atlantic City‘s online casinos and made up for softness at brick-and-mortar gambling houses. Slot revenue was down 3% on … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Casinos progress in Georgia, New Jersey

Posted on December 14, 2015 by David McKee

Almost without overt human effort, the movement toward casino gambling in Georgia appears to be snowballing. Prime mover behind the low-key, but seemingly inevitable process is state Rep. Ron Stephens (R, left), whose bill would not only put two casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Election, Georgia, Greenwood Racing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Tribal | Comments Off on Casinos progress in Georgia, New Jersey

Big card room bust in California

Posted on December 11, 2015 by David McKee

Earlier this week, American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman unveiled a stern new set of anti-money laundering guidelines, lest any casinos out there hadn’t gotten the memo that Uncle Sam means business when it comes to enforcing AML rules. As … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Geoff Freeman, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tribal | Comments Off on Big card room bust in California

MGM’s sudden Connecticut ardor; Labor peace in Detroit

Posted on December 8, 2015 by David McKee

Connecticut‘s government is trying to have an MGM Resorts International lawsuit dismissed, but MGM isn’t going away quietly. It’s targeted the no-bid process whereby a Mohegan Sun–Foxwoods Resort Casino joint venture was juiced into a third, off-reservation casino, location still … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Detroit, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Foxwoods, Genting, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on MGM’s sudden Connecticut ardor; Labor peace in Detroit

Crisis point in Atlantic City; Alabama casino bill abandoned

Posted on December 7, 2015 by David McKee

Atlantic City‘s immediate future is teetering over whether it can persuade Boyd Gaming and MGM Resorts International to parcel a $161 million tax refund over an extended period of time. If not, warns Mayor Don Guardian (R), the city will … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Crisis point in Atlantic City; Alabama casino bill abandoned

Ohio: Caesars effects a turnaround; Heightened scrutiny for MGM Springfield

Posted on December 7, 2015 by David McKee

Although it’s got one foot out the door in Ohio, the management half of Rock Gaming Caesars, i.e.,  Caesars Entertainment, is starting to shore up the recent decline of its casinos in the Buckeye State. Horseshoe Cincinnati and Horseshoe Cleveland … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Rhode Island | Comments Off on Ohio: Caesars effects a turnaround; Heightened scrutiny for MGM Springfield

Continued erosion in Illinois

Posted on December 7, 2015 by David McKee

Illinois gamblers visited measurably less (-8%) and spent slightly more (+3%), as casino business in the Land of Lincoln took a 5% dip in November. The calendar had one less weekend day than last year, which surely didn’t help. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Movies, Neil Bluhm, Penn National | 1 Comment

‘Net betting in Massachusetts?; Fast track for skill-based slots

Posted on December 3, 2015 by David McKee

Pressure to legalize Internet gambling has emerged from an unexpected quarter — Massachusetts. State Sen. Bruce Tarr (R) has proposed a bill that would allow Web casinos to piggyback onto existing brick-and-mortar ones. True, Wynn Resorts is averse to ‘Net … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Scientific Games, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on ‘Net betting in Massachusetts?; Fast track for skill-based slots

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

The ubiquitous Packer; The 27% solution

Posted on December 2, 2015 by David McKee

James Packer has already missed his 2015 deadline for breaking ground on Alon and once again he is taking his eye off the Las Vegas ball. He and his Nobu co-investor, Robert DeNiro, have cut a deal with Antigua and … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Full House Resorts, International, James Packer, Kentucky, MGM Mirage, Politics, Racinos, Riviera, The Strip | Comments Off on The ubiquitous Packer; The 27% solution

Holiday season in Vegas

Posted on December 2, 2015 by David McKee

An extended Thanksgiving Day weekend allowed my wife and I to partake of some random Sin City fare — helped greatly by her superior comp-getting abilities. Last Sunday, we spent the night at the Downtown Grand (not our first stay … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, TV | Comments Off on Holiday season in Vegas

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

Resolution at Revel; MGM turns up the heat on Connecticut

Posted on November 27, 2015 by David McKee

Our long Revel nightmare is at least partially over, now that Glenn Straub has a deal in place to buy the disputed ACR Energy Partners power plant. While ACR pays $15 million to placate bondholders, Straub gets the plant for … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Glenn Straub, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Revel, Wall Street | 1 Comment