Category Archives: MGM Mirage

MGM’s inspiring, new vision

Posted on April 28, 2014 by David McKee

I’m digging the architecture but what’s with the softcore-porn music? MGM Resorts International has released a new tranche of details on The Park, its mega-project (and substitute for extending CityCenter) that seems to progress in almost imperceptible steps. While CEO … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, Iowa, MGM Mirage, Racinos, The Strip | 2 Comments

Well, that’s the end of that; A win for Wynn

Posted on April 28, 2014 by David McKee

Caving to opposition forces, the government of Sri Lanka has reversed course and nixed casinos from three planned resorts. The most prominent was a $550 million Crown Resorts project. Now James Packer has to decide whether it’s worth the investment … Continue reading →

Posted in Dennis Gomes, Entertainment, International, James Packer, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Riviera, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off

Curtains for Caesars Windsor?; Churchill Downs wants to be a player

Posted on April 25, 2014 by David McKee

Karl Henkel of the Detroit News makes a close analysis of the market situation in Detroit and sees portents of what has been happening in Atlantic City and Tunica. His analysis doesn’t just focus on gross revenues but, for instance, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

It’s good to be Sheldon Adelson

Posted on April 25, 2014 by David McKee

Posting a 21% increase in revenue, Las Vegas Sands reported 97 cents/share in earnings (Wall Street had expected $0.94). No surprise, Macao was the primary driver. Analysts were also pleased by a $810 million buyback of Sands shares, bolstering the … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Harrah's, Iowa, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Caesars: The day after

Posted on April 23, 2014 by David McKee

New York resort developers may be reeling from the sudden entry of Caesars Entertainment into the picture, but that doesn’t mean they’ve given up the fight. After all, Caesars’ move only impacts the Catskills region, not the Capital one nor … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Smurf this!

Posted on April 22, 2014 by David McKee

Casinos in Ohio are already becoming a veritable laundromat of money laundering. The practice, called “smurfing,” calls for one person — or a group of conspirators — to buy casino chips, then redeem them, “washing” their cash by those means. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment, Internet gambling, Iowa, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Sports, The Strip | 1 Comment

Much ado about Massachusetts

Posted on April 18, 2014 by David McKee

Stephen Crosby, phlegmatic chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, makes a very unlikely looking lightning rod. But such he has become. He’s already drawn the wrath of Gary Loveman and now Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh wants Crosby to recuse … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, New York, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off

MGM’s sudden change of heart

Posted on April 17, 2014 by David McKee

Well that’s torn it. MGM Resorts International has gone from being a shoo-in for a Massachusetts casino license to asking the state to delay its decision. That means Massachusetts is short some $200 million (including an $85 million licensing fee). … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics | Comments Off

Cosmo: The right amount of money; MGM learns Arabic

Posted on April 16, 2014 by David McKee

A camel is a horse designed by a committee, the saying goes, and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resembles nothing so much as a camel — and Deutsche Bank executives are accused of dabbling in its design. If Bloomberg News‘ … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Harrah's, International, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

… and it’s Pinnacle; The allure of slot routes

Posted on April 10, 2014 by David McKee

E23, the Albany-area casino proposal, has lifted the curtain on its managing partner and it’s Pinnacle Entertainment. Not to belittle the project but the presence of Pinnacle gives E23 real heft. Community organizer Marlon Anderson called it “a game changer … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Illinois, MGM Mirage, New York, Pinnacle Entertainment, Slot routes | 1 Comment

East Coast Case Bets

Posted on April 8, 2014 by David McKee

Although talks have been conducted in deep secrecy, a few details of Seminole Tribe compact negotiations have been vouchsafed the public. The tribe is telling the state “don’t push us on this,” reminding it that the Bureau of Indian Affairs … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Harrah's, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Taxes, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Requiem for megaresorts?; Deferred deadline in Massachusetts

Posted on April 3, 2014 by David McKee

Is the megaresort era over? It had a pretty good run, from 1989 until the Great Recession. That’s a solid two decades. There are still one or two megaresort projects still out there, notably Genting Group‘s Resorts World Las Vegas. … Continue reading →

Posted in Foxwoods, Genting, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, IGT, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Neil Bluhm, Regulation | Comments Off

Adelson: Crassness and classiness; Could online poker flop?

Posted on April 3, 2014 by David McKee

Last weekend’s GOP kaffeeklatsch, hosted by Sheldon Adelson, was such a self-abasing lap dance by the celebrity attendees that this Andy Borowitz satire doesn’t feel like much of a stretch. That being said, Adelson is making his presence felt in … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Internet gambling, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off

Monkey wrench for MGM; Klondike on the brink; Cheater’s justice

Posted on April 1, 2014 by David McKee

Remember that fast track that MGM National Harbor was on? Yes, forget about it. Politicians in Prince George’s County want to codify it into legislation that MGM Resorts International meet certain benchmarks of local hiring and minority contracting. (The company’s excellent … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Boulder Strip, Maryland, MGM Mirage, New York, Singapore | Comments Off

O little metropolis of Bethlehem; MGM on the move

Posted on March 31, 2014 by David McKee

Indiscriminate dissemination by Sands Bethlehem of $45 free-play slot cards is having some interesting effects on Bethlehem itself. It’s brought about an influx of largely Chinese-American players but not all are there to play. Some pay $15 for a round-trip … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Transportation | Comments Off

Murren on Japan; Blatstein’s big buy

Posted on March 31, 2014 by David McKee

It’s still a long haul until casinos are legalized in Japan, let alone built, but MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren is waxing confident. He notes that Japan’s tourism is expected to grow 100% by 2020 and another 50% by … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Japan, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, The Mob, Tourism | Comments Off

Save the whales; Boffo contract in Wisconsin

Posted on March 28, 2014 by David McKee

824 grand. That’s how much online poker revenue Nevada generated in February, the first month in which it has reported such numbers. (Sheldon Adelson‘s fear of Internet poker is like an elephant cowering before a mouse.) Since online play went … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Downtown, Economy, Foxwoods, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Revel limps forward; Sheldon Adelson’s would-be buddies

Posted on March 28, 2014 by David McKee

President Scott Kreeger is insisting all is well at embattled Revel Resort. On one flank he’s got employees on whose behalf Unite-Here has been pressing for union representation. On the other he has the task of trying to make the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Texas, Wall Street | Comments Off

Jim Murren’s white flag; More slots in New England

Posted on March 21, 2014 by David McKee

In a moment of weakness upon which Sheldon Adelson is certain to pounce, MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren called for a cease-fire in the intra-industry war over Internet gambling. In addition to his day job, Murren is chairman of … Continue reading →

Posted in Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes | 1 Comment

More hitches in Massachusetts

Posted on March 21, 2014 by David McKee

Efforts by Wynn Resorts and Mohegan Sun to bring casinos to eastern Massachusetts could be in trouble. In another hitch to its elongated selection process, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has agreed to consider whether to consider Boston a host community. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Foxwoods, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment