Category Archives: MGM Mirage

Dude, who stole my casinos?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by David McKee

Update: In yet another reversal, Stanley Ho says he has sacked his attorney and that the brouhaha over his stock is all a big misunderstanding. Stay tuned for further developments in what’s already a rapidly morphing narrative. Yesterday, aging (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Harrah's, International, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Problem gambling, Regulation, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

The case of the ‘missing’ Moore; Waiting for Macao

Posted on January 20, 2011 by David McKee

Recent photo coverage of the makeover of CityCenter‘s famous/notorious “pocket park” made it appear as though the Henry Moore sculpture (best thing in CityCenter, IMO) had gone missing. Was MGM Resorts International retreating from its commitment to public after a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, history, Lake Tahoe, Macau, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Reno, The Strip | 1 Comment

Play Cosmo, get a car!

Posted on January 13, 2011 by David McKee

Enviro-friendly, too. I want it! (Funny how The Cosmopolitan, of which little was initially expected, looks like the feel-good story of the year, while CityCenter is a continuing disappointment, and Fontainebleau and sundry other projects have fallen on their faces.) … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Fontainebleau, MGM Mirage, Transportation | 1 Comment

Nevada’s November: rough sledding; Sunny Sheldon

Posted on January 11, 2011 by David McKee

If pressed for a prediction, I’d say 2011 will be a good year for the Strip, not so much for the rest of the Silver State. Just when I was feeling a bit queasy about November’s gaming revenues, Dr. David … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Cretins, Current, Downtown, Florida, Horseracing, Laughlin, LVCVA, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Harrah’s to Philly: “We’re back!”; MGM tries something new

Posted on January 11, 2011 by David McKee

Or so Ed Snider‘s Philadelphia Entertainment & Development Partnership claims in a new petition to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control, asking for its license back. Snider’s group says that it now has $275 million in seed money sown up and would … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Dubai, Economy, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Pets, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on January 11, 2011 by David McKee

“The industry we’ve seen these last couple of years isn’t a cash machine that’s impervious to economic changes. All these tax increases are going to be coming off the bottom line, which means less money for reinvestment.” — MGM Resorts … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Taxes | 2 Comments

Case Bets: Philadelphia, Trump; Adelson’s successor

Posted on January 10, 2011 by David McKee

Even outgoing Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has thrown in the towel on a second Philadelphia casino. Now that he no longer has to gratify “george” campaign donors, Rendell says it may be time to look elsewhere in the state. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho | 1 Comment

Desperate housewife

Posted on January 10, 2011 by David McKee

As you’ve probably heard, Beso has become the first known casualty of CityCenter. Its Chapter 11 filing was smuggled out in the waning hours of last week’s news cycle. The Panglossian rhetoric of the initial dispatch tried to paint the … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Dubai, Election, Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Palms: Maloof out, Loveman in?

Posted on January 6, 2011 by David McKee

Now that Las Vegas has fallen about as far as it can, private equity firms are picking over the city like vultures sampling carrion. Don’t get me wrong: It’s a much smarter strategy than those PE bozos who bought in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, George Maloof, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Regulation, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | 9 Comments

Cosmo: Porches and walls

Posted on January 5, 2011 by David McKee

Today’s guest-blogger contribution comes from Dr. Augie Grant, holder of the J. Rion McKissick Professorship of Journalism at the University of South Carolina‘s School of Journalism & Mass Communications. Prof. Grant was in Las Vegas for the opening of The … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 8 Comments

Ruffin on the prowl; Penn’s blown opportunity

Posted on December 28, 2010 by David McKee

So much for the conventional wisdom that Phil Ruffin was just hanging onto Treasure Island for a few years to help MGM Resorts International through a rough patch. Seems he’s subsequently made offers for The Mirage (whose infrastructure is symbiotic … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, International, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 6 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 27, 2010 by David McKee

“Las Vegas has always prospered by reinventing itself every few years, and sometimes we evolve into something that the public doesn’t yet know it wants.” — unnamed MGM Resorts International executive, defending CityCenter to George Knapp. The latter needs no … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, MGM Mirage | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Sheldon’s Chinese box

Posted on December 24, 2010 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson must have been a good boy this year. Santa left an extra present under his tree, in the form of probable approval by the Macau Land, Public Works & Transportation Bureau of apartment sales at 286-unit Four Seasons … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sheldon’s Chinese box

‘Twere the Case Bets before Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2010 by David McKee

In the casino industry, everything was stirring, including the mice. Cordish’s revenge. It’s a dish best served by opening Cordish Gaming‘s controversial Arundel Mills gambling hall late next year with a temporary, one-year casino. That means karma comes early for … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Animals, Cordish Co., Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Minnesota, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Singapore, The Mob, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on ‘Twere the Case Bets before Christmas

Pea soup in Vegas; Robosaurus attacks the wrong target

Posted on December 22, 2010 by David McKee

If you’re thinking of coming to Las Vegas for Christmas, I have one word of advice: Don’t. For the past week, Sin City has been steadily blanketed in rain, with no end in sight. It’s just miserable. (Instead of trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wayne F. Newton | 1 Comment

Betting on crime; Anniversary in Indiana

Posted on December 21, 2010 by David McKee

Last week’s big chip heist at Bellagio may have left MGM Resorts International with a smidgen of egg on its face but it’s not as though others in the gambling industry have failed to see the opportunity to make money. … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Horseracing, Indiana, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, New York, Oscar Goodman, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Cosmo: Let the debate commence!

Posted on December 16, 2010 by David McKee

Leading lights of the blog world were on hand for last night’s Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas coming-out party and had pretty divergent reactions. Steve Friess is keeping his opinion of the property to himself but he’s among those who are … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, G2E, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Cosmo: Let the debate commence!

Cosmo: the morning after; “Sinatra” too sexy?

Posted on December 16, 2010 by David McKee

Although I’m still feeling somewhat the worse for wear from last night’s Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opening-night bacchanalia, a quick observations are in order. Filled with people, Cosmo’s virtues are magnified, its vices minimized (with one glaring exception to which … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Encore, Entertainment, Macau, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Steve Wynn, TV | 5 Comments

Cosmopolitan: Towers of Babel

Posted on December 15, 2010 by David McKee

It’s here and it’s a sensory overload. If the severe CityCenter six-pack is a convent of Carmelite nuns, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a drag queen. It’s unstintingly flamboyant, often fabulous, unremittingly outrageous and campy as all get-out. On … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, IGT, LVCVA, MGM Mirage, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism | 8 Comments

Ameristar: No Sale; Bad news for Caesars

Posted on December 15, 2010 by David McKee

It’s back to business as usual for Ameristar Casinos, whose board decided “a sale is not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at this time.” Which is a nice way of saying there’s no bidding war … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Harrah's, Iowa, Kansas, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ameristar: No Sale; Bad news for Caesars