Category Archives: MGM Mirage

Florida dithers; MGM catches a wave

Having once more proven itself constitutionally incapable (pun intended) of passing gaming legislation during the normal course of doing business, the Florida Lege is now talking ‘special session,’ which seems like what it would take to get anything done, if … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, DFS, Economy, Florida, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Florida dithers; MGM catches a wave

Quote of the Day

“Candidly, there’s no better example of how not to please a customer than how MGM and Caesars handle their slot departments. It’s not that we’ve gone through a change; it’s that the rest of the world has changed and we have … Continue reading

Posted in Harrah's, MGM Mirage | 1 Comment

Betrayal

Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino need to watch their backs. A bill to reopen the state’s casino-award process has made it to the floor of the Connecticut House. The word of the state, it seems, is not worth the … Continue reading

Posted in Derek Stevens, Downtown, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Sports, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on Betrayal

Fertitta conquers Lake Charles; Parking fees rise again

Gambling revenue in Louisiana was flat last month, but the bottom-line number doesn’t tell the whole story. For instance, Lake Charles was up 8.5% and trouble-plagued Baton Rouge was 10.5% down. In the former market, Golden Nugget vaulted 21%, to … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Resort fees, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Policy change roils Atlantic City; Stratosphere scheduled for makeover

In what we can expect to be a trend rolled out nationwide, Caesars Entertainment is using its Atlantic City casinos to experiment with cutting back on waitresses. It’s not like we didn’t have fair warning of this: One of the … Continue reading

Posted in ACEP, Atlantic City, Churchill Downs, Dining, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, IGT, International, Internet gambling, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports, Unite-Here, West Virginia | 2 Comments

Vegas soccer no sure thing; Scientific Games wins thrice over

A perspicacious gentleman named Steven R. Brown wrote the following on Facebook in response to my reportage of the apparent shelving of Wynn Paradise Park: “Steve Wynn‘s creativity can be outlandish at times (Like his idea back in the early … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Arizona, California, Charity, Detroit, Downtown, Environment, Florida, International, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Ohio, Scientific Games, Sports, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City slumps; New wrinkle in Lake Tahoe

First the good news: Internet gambling revenue was 17.5% last month, grossing $22 million. Golden Nugget continues to wildly dominate this category, up to 36% of market share. Borgata and Resorts Digital were tied for a distant second with 17% … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bart Blutsten, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Ruthless resort-fee robbery; Minstrel show at NY-NY

What do you do when occupancy declines? Why, raise the resort fees, of course! The odious levies went up 16% in 2016 and 11% last year, for an average of $34/night. Venetian/Palazzo recently upped its impost to $45 and other … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Dining, Entertainment, Law enforcement, MGM Mirage, Resort fees, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sands Bethlehem (finally) sold; Stratosphere battered

Never underestimate the power of electronic bingo. It’s the capital derived therefrom that’s enabling the Poarch Band of Creek Indians to make a $1.3 billion purchase of Sands Bethlehem. The tribe is succeeding where Tropicana Entertainment and MGM Resorts International … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Florida, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, International, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sands Bethlehem (finally) sold; Stratosphere battered

Paradise lost; MGM contemplates CityCenter buyout

Steve Wynn‘s executive chair isn’t even cold yet and already Wynn Resorts is shifting its priorities, evidently. Yesterday Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli wrote that he believes the company “is likely to complete its convention space at Paradise Park and … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Dubai, Florida, Illinois, Japan, Kazuo Okada, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Politics, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Ground broken for Connecticut casino; Big Brother is watching you in Japan

In a damn-the-torpedoes move, Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun leaders moved forward with demolition of the cineplex that will give way to a satellite casino in East Windsor. Although only 100 people showed up for the event, spirits were … Continue reading

Posted in Foxwoods, Japan, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Technology | 1 Comment

Pot comes to casinos, sorta; Terrible February in Illinois

In a deft bit of regulatory jujitsu, the Nevada Gaming Association has ruled that casinos can hold marijuana-related conferences, provided that they refrain from doing business with the marijuana industry (a somewhat vague directive, admittedly) nor directly involve themselves in … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Environment, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Marijuana, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation | Comments Off on Pot comes to casinos, sorta; Terrible February in Illinois

Slots rule in Maryland, retreat in Pennsylvania

MGM National Harbor continued its domination of Maryland last month, with a 39% market share and $53 million gross. Less reassuring for MGM execs, high-tax slots are starting to pull away from low-tax table games, two categories which used to … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Economy, Genting, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Slots rule in Maryland, retreat in Pennsylvania

MGM Cotai plays to mixed reviews; Puzzling Pennsylvania strategies

“Vital in terms of the process of concession renewal,” is how MGM China CEO Grant Bowie described new, $3.4 billion MGM Cotai. The megaresort opened a year behind schedule but MGM undoubtedly hopes Macao authorities overlook that an focus instead … Continue reading

Posted in e-sports, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Taxes, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on MGM Cotai plays to mixed reviews; Puzzling Pennsylvania strategies

Strip weak, locals strong, Reno supercharged; Stanley Ho’s empire crumbles

January got the Las Vegas Strip off to a less-than auspicious start, with revenues dropping 9% from 2017. Locals casinos, meanwhile, were living it up, as revenue rose 8%, thanks in part to New Year’s Eve weekend slot drop being … Continue reading

Posted in Arkansas, Boulder Strip, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Downtown, Economy, Election, Foxwoods, Galaxy Entertainment, Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Lucky Dragon, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Wynn: It gets worse; More changes for Palms

Steve Wynn may have left Wynn Resorts but the collateral damage keeps careening about like a ricocheting bullet. Yesterday The Associated Press got a hold of two police reports filed against the mogul. The more explosive of the two alleges that … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Dining, Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, Illinois, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Palms, Regulation, Reno, Sexual misconduct, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Steven Witkoff, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wynn: It gets worse; More changes for Palms

Hard Rock makes sweeping pledge; Wynn dodges a bullet

Having expanded the old Trump Taj Mahal concert venue by over 25%, Hard Rock International is promising the Boardwalk “more live music than Atlantic City has ever seen.” We’re talking 200 live events in Year One. “When’s the first time someone has … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Dining, Entertainment, Environment, Geoff Freeman, Hard Rock International, International, Japan, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Sexual misconduct, The Strip, Transportation, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Greed in Japan; IGT embraces diversity

“Japan Junks it Up.” That was Global Gaming Business‘ teaser for an article on investment-killing measures that have a strong chance of making it into the Liberal Democratic Party‘s casino-implementation bill. Jim Murren might want to think twice about sinking … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Dining, Eldorado Resorts, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Japan, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Taxes, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

MGM to jack up resort fees; Boyd braces for Four Winds impact

Looking for a bargain in casino stocks? JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff nominates MGM Resorts International, which he says “remains cheap.” He bases this, in part, on strong Las Vegas Strip performance driven by “two jewels” Bellagio and MGM Grand. … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, California, Cannery Casino Resorts, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Resort fees, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on MGM to jack up resort fees; Boyd braces for Four Winds impact

Caesars takes the lead; Fortune Cup comes to Vegas

In the wake of yet another senseless mass shooting, Caesars Entertainment is making guest security a priority (not to imply that it wasn’t earlier). From now on, Caesars security personnel will be empowered to enter guest rooms once every 24 hours, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Culinary Union, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Genting, Harrah's, Law enforcement, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Technology, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments