Category Archives: MGM Mirage

Wall Street comes to the Strip, meets the big boys

Posted on September 24, 2013 by David McKee

Investment firms like J.P. Morgan and Deutsche Bank have been sending emissaries to Las Vegas this week, to meet with all the major gaming firms during Global Gaming Expo. Since the latter is being held at Sands Expo Center, perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, G2E, Isle of Capri, Japan, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Japan’s in; Chaperoned at Caesars; D.C. gridlock strikes again

Posted on September 19, 2013 by David McKee

A pro-casino group of lawmakers plans to introduce gambling-enabling legislation in the upcoming session of the Japanese Diet. Steve Wynn was quick to plunk $4 billion-plus on the table, while MGM Resorts International promises unspecified “billions.” It’s like a gold … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Japan, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tribal | Comments Off

Making the grade

Posted on September 17, 2013 by David McKee

Congratulations to the following casino industry figures for making it onto the Forbes 400 … #11: Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson. He’s richer than you are. #18: Fontainebleau owner Carl Icahn #27: Scientific Games lead owner Ron Perelman #36: … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Fontainebleau, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off

Dangerous complacency in New York

Posted on September 16, 2013 by David McKee

Casino advocates and New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) are making a risky wager regarding November’s ballot question that would dramatically expand gambling in upstate New York. They’re playing it cool, keeping most of their chips off the table. … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Election, Foxwoods, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Better times are here

Posted on September 16, 2013 by David McKee

Las Vegas remains lumbered with journalistic dinosaur Sherman Frederick, a grumbling, blogging old fussbudget who predicts doom and gloom as he tucks into his stewed prunes every morning. I’ve never run across anybody who rooted against their home town so … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Phil Ruffin, The Mob, The Strip | 1 Comment

Trouble in paradise; Eight isn’t enough

Posted on September 14, 2013 by David McKee

That rising clamor you hear along the Strip isn’t just from weekend picketers at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. No, the Culinary Union has significantly ratcheted up the rhetoric against Strip operators MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, and against … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Massachusetts: One win, one loss, one surrender

Posted on September 11, 2013 by David McKee

In a real shocker, residents of West Springfield rejected Hard Rock International — and $18 million a year. Local media obligingly regurgitated over and over again Hard Rock-sourced poll numbers that showed the casino eking out a narrow win. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Hard Rock International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Regulation | Comments Off

Revel resurgent; MGM, Sands to Japan

Posted on September 10, 2013 by David McKee

For all the flack that it’s taken for its misleading “refund” on losses promotion, Revel Resort continues to woo customers back. Its revenues rose 2% in August, pushing the megaresort ahead of Showboat and into the middle tier of Atlantic … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Donald Trump, Harrah's, International, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Tropicana Entertainment | 3 Comments

Upturn in Illinois, blindsided in Indiana

Posted on September 10, 2013 by David McKee

Could we finally be seeing “green shoots” in Illinois, up 5% last month? Maybe, although such recovery as there was consisted of the force that is Rivers Casino, up 36%. Penn National Gaming‘s three casinos posted a feeble $29 million, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Slot routes, Wall Street | Comments Off

Foxwoods: Mo’ money; Hard Rock brings it on; Wishful thinking at Cosmo

Posted on September 3, 2013 by David McKee

Caved, shaken down, outfoxed: Take your choice of term as Foxwoods Massachusetts has seemingly capitulated to Milford selectmen and raised its downpayment from $18 million to $34 million. All it took was a few grumblings from the aforementioned selectmen and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Hard Rock International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | Comments Off

“George” deal for Palmer; Resorts World in peril; Walker’s fan dance

Posted on August 30, 2013 by David McKee

Mohegan Sun ran out its host-community agreement with Palmer and it’s pretty clear that no expense will be spared to close the deal, either now or in a couple of months at the ballot box. The Mohegans are promising the … Continue reading →

Posted in Genting, Horseracing, Illinois, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, New York, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 24, 2013 by David McKee

“Hollywood has a way of glamorizing everything up to and including vampires. This is a movie that highlights a part of the Internet that has real downside unless governments act.” — MGM Resorts International spokesman Alan Feldman on the new … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Movies | Comments Off

Penn loses yet again; Weirdest story of the year

Posted on August 21, 2013 by David McKee

In a stunning setback, voters in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, have decided they don’t want any part of a Penn National Gaming slot parlor. By a very wide margin, they nixed the project, thereby reducing the field of competitors to three: Raynham … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Current, Election, Foxwoods, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Penn National, Politics | 1 Comment

Pinnacle’s done deal; Collateral damage from Ho Tram

Posted on August 14, 2013 by David McKee

Federal Trade Commission approval removed the last obstacle to Pinnacle Entertainment‘s takeover of Ameristar Casinos. The acquisition closed straightaway. Pinnacle informed investors that it expects to have a Lumiere Place sale done by autumn, meeting the last of the FTC covenants … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Election, International, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Murren disses Adelson; Caesars bows out of Macao; Clerical choler

Posted on August 12, 2013 by David McKee

“Maybe because he’s rich he thinks people care about what he has to say. It’s obvious we know Las Vegas better than he does.” With those wordsMGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren laid a surprisingly blunt smackdown on Las Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Florida, Harrah's, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Cosmo plunges again; Nevada signals surrender

Posted on August 5, 2013 by David McKee

Would somebody please sack the so-called casino management and marketing staff at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Everything at the Cosmo is improving except the gambling floor, which took a 20% nosedive in 2Q13, to $31 million. Losses were 25% … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip | 5 Comments

Vegas: Remembrance of revenues past; Making the grade in Massachusetts

Posted on August 1, 2013 by David McKee

“I think we are having a limp-wristed sort of crawl out of a hole, but a recovery is a more robust word,” the one and only Steve Wynn said earlier this week. The numbers bear him out, as tourism continues … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Early reckoning in Macao; Big Gaming’s growing pains

Posted on July 30, 2013 by David McKee

One shouldn’t read too much into anything the Macao government says about casino operators. It likes to keep them guessing — especially U.S. ones. Still, it’s worth noting that Secretary for Economy & Finance Francis Tam Pak Yuen has floated … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Delaware, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

A tale of two cities …

Posted on July 30, 2013 by David McKee

… and both of them are Las Vegas. Last week, Sheldon Adelson pitched a fit about how he thought MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment were driving down his room rates (as though it were the job of Jim Murren … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

One Angry Man; MGM expansion bodes well

Posted on July 25, 2013 by David McKee

Y’know, if I was reporting a 120% profit increase in 2Q13, I might stop and enjoy the moment. I certainly wouldn’t choose that moment to be a dick. Obviously, I am not Sheldon Adelson. Proffering evidence that his second infancy … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, International, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment