Category Archives: MGM Mirage

It’s lonely in the bunker; Luxor gets its groove on

Posted on July 15, 2009 by David McKee

Two resignations made the news today. First, the publicist for Criss F. Angel took a hike. Given the choice between the much-reviled Angel and unlikely rising star (and reportedly much, much nicer person) Holly Madison, Fantasy flack John Flynn left … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation, The Strip | Comments Off on It’s lonely in the bunker; Luxor gets its groove on

More Midwest notes

Posted on July 14, 2009 by David McKee

Continuing a trend of lower-than-projected returns across the Midwest, Iowa's riverboats were flat last month and racinos saw a 5% decline. All major operators lost ground but something is very wrong at Ameristar Casinos, whose Council Bluffs boat was way … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, Detroit, Economy, IGT, Illinois, Iowa, MGM Mirage, WMS Industries | Comments Off on More Midwest notes

Rough trade

Posted on July 13, 2009 by David McKee

May wasn't great for Las Vegas, to say the least, with hotel occupancy -6%, a figure somewhat amplified by the presence of 3% more hotel rooms. The local ADR of $96.96 would have been regarded as real money back in … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Regulation, Slot routes, The Strip | Comments Off on Rough trade

Case Bets: CityCenter, W, Bernie Goldstein, Roger Thomas

Posted on July 7, 2009 by David McKee

Some rueful condo buyers are probably calling MGM Mirage‘s ultra-mega-super-duper resort “ShittyCenter,” judging by their ire. It’s difficult to know with whom to sympathize in this ongoing dispute. Condo depositors want to renegotiate prices (which range all the way up … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Current, Economy, Encore, Fontainebleau, G2E, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Case Bets: CityCenter, W, Bernie Goldstein, Roger Thomas

Don't do it, Alex!

Posted on June 25, 2009 by David McKee

Noooooooo! That was my reaction upon reading the Mike Weatherford shocker that the Tropicana Las Vegas may be putting many of its future entertainment eggs in the basket of Anthony Cools. The latter produced an ultra-craptacular topless show, Ooh La … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Entertainment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Don't do it, Alex!

Case Bets: Our LVA mascot; Menopause; Mob museum

Posted on June 18, 2009 by David McKee

Woe betide anyone who dares to plunder LVA HQ, for we are under the protection of a fierce — but beautiful — watch iguana. Mojo, as she is named, is at this moment sunning herself on the balcony of my … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Downtown, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Oscar Goodman, Pets, The Mob | Comments Off on Case Bets: Our LVA mascot; Menopause; Mob museum

MGM: Deal or no deal?

Posted on June 17, 2009 by David McKee

MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren is re-mulling asset sales of MGM Grand Detroit, Gold Strike (Tunica, Miss.) and Beau Rivage. But all Strip assets are definitively off the market (yes, even Slots A Fun). Since the Detroit and Tunica casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, International, Jack Binion, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on MGM: Deal or no deal?

Goodman for governor … again?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

It’s been bruited since at least 2002 and it’s happening yet again: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is mulling a gubernatorial run for the umpteenth time. “Spoiler!”, cry some. I look at the uninspiring field (Montandon, Heck, Midnight Jim, Buckley, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Dining, Economy, Election, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Oscar Goodman, Politics, The Strip | Comments Off on Goodman for governor … again?

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

“We understand the economy has had a severe impact on the gaming industry. The [casino] companies have asked for temporary economic relief. And we’re asking for a variety of things too. Whether the two minds meet, we’ll see. But we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Xanadu: the prequel?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

Martin Stern‘s 1975 conceptualization of a Xanadu casino-hotel, as virtually reconstructed by Dr. David G. Schwartz, struck a familiar chord with one S&G reader. They quickly detected a resemblance between Welton Becket‘s 1971 Disney’s Contemporary Resort, built in modular fashion … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Election, Florida, MGM Mirage, Politics, Technology, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Xanadu: the prequel?

Making out like bandits

Posted on June 5, 2009 by David McKee

In Business Las Vegas has crunched the numbers in its annual survey of Sin City's most highly paid executives. Not surprisingly, the list prominently features two companies — Harrah's Entertainment and Station Casinos — whose overpaid leadership has steered them … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos | Comments Off on Making out like bandits

Case Bets: Packer & Ho, Sands Bethlehem, MGM Mirage, Ameristar, Penn, Harrah's, etc.

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

• Smashing guitars — but not over each other’s noggins — James Packer and Lawrence Ho christened City of Dreams. The younger Ho downplayed expectations of foot traffic, saying his $2.4 billion megaresort could get by on far fewer visitors … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Cordish Co., Current, Detroit, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, Iowa, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Wall Street | Comments Off on Case Bets: Packer & Ho, Sands Bethlehem, MGM Mirage, Ameristar, Penn, Harrah's, etc.

Feel better, Las Vegas

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

You could be Phoenix. A reader shared with me a Wall Street Journal article on the cratering hotel market down there. (No link, sorry.) Occupany hit 58% in April, far worse than anything Las Vegas has seen. (J.P. Morgan forecasts … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Economy, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off on Feel better, Las Vegas

Reid rewarded, Trop rescued

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

… Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) efforts on behalf of the casino industry have not gone unrewarded. If you can follow this formatting garble, you'll see that his donors include not only Tim & Tom, late of the Golden Nugget, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Reid rewarded, Trop rescued

Pansy passes the buck

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

An understandably sheepish-looking J. Terrence Lanni toasts the opening of MGM Grand Macau alongside business partner Pansy Ho and, front and center, project co-financier Stanley Ho. MGM Grand Macau co-owner Pansy Ho says it's entirely up to MGM Mirage to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Macau, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Stanley Ho | Comments Off on Pansy passes the buck

Rumble in Macao

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

Although an oft-promised loosening of visa restrictions by Peking stubborny refuses to materialize, an air of cautious hopefulness has crept back into Macao now that City of Dreams has opened on schedule — and it looks dazzling. Aggressive revenue projections … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Genting, George Maloof, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip | Comments Off on Rumble in Macao

Report from the Strat

Posted on June 2, 2009 by David McKee

A reader asked (possibly in jest) how the Hard Rock Hotel was vis-a-vis the Stratosphere. While I don't have the basis for an A:A comparison, I can comfortably say that if you can afford the Hard Rock, it's no contest. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Goldman Sachs, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Report from the Strat

Macao: Genting in, MGM out?

Posted on May 29, 2009 by David McKee

I’ve speculated elsewhere — I believe it was on the TwoWayHardThree forum — that Genting Bhd might be a logical, even inevitable successor, should MGM Mirage bail out of Macao. Seems that while I was laid up, news surfaced that … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Singapore, Stanley Ho | Comments Off on Macao: Genting in, MGM out?

Pansy Ho: time for Plan C

Posted on May 22, 2009 by David McKee

In my usual cart-first, horse-later fashion, I elicited a legal opinion regarding the scenario I postulated the other night: MGM Mirage spinning off either its Atlantic City holdings or MGM Grand Macau into a quasi-autonomous entity, much as Sheldon Adelson … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Taxes | Comments Off on Pansy Ho: time for Plan C

Oscar Goodman, Voice of Reason

Posted on May 21, 2009 by David McKee

Even as MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren and Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin are preparing to stomp out any incipient recovery in Las Vegas by jacking up room rates, words of restraint are coming from the unlikeliest of sources: Mayor … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Economy, Harrah's, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, The Strip | Comments Off on Oscar Goodman, Voice of Reason