Category Archives: MGM Mirage

More gems from Ruffin

Posted on December 29, 2008 by David McKee

During his days at the helm of the New Frontier, owner Phil Ruffin was pretty shy with media access. So when he talks, it behooves one to pay attention. To wit: • He says his deal with MGM Mirage has … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Economy, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Deep Red: Encore

Posted on December 22, 2008 by David McKee

As much as casino-watchers have been vexed by the total media clampdown on all but the smallest scintillae of revelation about Steve Wynn‘s Encore, it was worth the wait. Or, to put it differently, Aria and Fontainebleau have just been … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cirque du Soleil, Cloverfield monster, Current, Dining, Economy, Encore, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

Right from the beginning

Posted on December 17, 2008 by David McKee

Time Magazine, no less, has designated the LBO of Harrah’s Entertainment by Texas Pacific Group and Apollo (Mis)Management the third-worst business deal of 2008. Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman sought out this deal — and these particular buyers — out at … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Harrah's, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Wall Street | Comments Off

When all is said and done

Posted on December 16, 2008 by David McKee

The way old friends do. Last Sunday, I received an early Christmas present in the form of tickets to Mamma Mia!, entering its antepenultimate week on the Strip (where it's still the best entertainment value around). Happily, the cast was … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, The Strip | Comments Off

Scary clown at Echelon!

Posted on December 16, 2008 by David McKee

Let me say at the outset, I do not like Ronald McDonald. He gave me creeps as a child and still does. (The thought of him wanting to buddy up to you … it's just disturbing.) The Ronald McDonald Houses, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Charity, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Phil Ruffin's big deal

Posted on December 15, 2008 by David McKee

As you've already read umpteen times over by now, MGM Mirage sold Treasure Island over the weekend to Phil Ruffin. The latter's sitting on a massive chunk of change ever since playing El Ad Group to the tune of $1.24 … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, The Strip | Comments Off

Case Bets: Stanley Ho in Vegas?, HRH grows but Morgans shrinks

Posted on December 11, 2008 by David McKee

A local columnist raises the spectre of Stanley Ho getting back-door access into Las Vegas via James Packer‘s acquisition of Cannery Resorts. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this question raised and, call me complacent, but I believe it … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Macau, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Harrah's honored

Posted on December 11, 2008 by David McKee

Harrah's Entertainment can use any business leverage it can get these days and it just received the endorsement of Stand Out for Equality, an opposition movement spurred by the passage of Proposition 8 in California (where Harrah's Rincon has been … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Politics, The Strip | Comments Off

What'$ in a name?

Posted on December 10, 2008 by David McKee

A reader recently enquired as to what became of the plan to re-name Harrah's Entertainment as Caesars Entertainment. When I asked Harrah's as to whether that was still on, no response was forthcoming. My questioner wanted to know, "Do you … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Indiana, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | Comments Off

Collapse in Kansas; Herbst is toast

Posted on December 5, 2008 by David McKee

And then there was one. A Cordish Co./Kansas Speedway joint venture has pulled the chicken switch on a $400 million casino project. This leaves avionics firm Butler National Service Corp., with its Dodge City concession, as the only company with … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Horseracing, International, Kansas, Macau, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation | Comments Off

New blogs on the block

Posted on December 4, 2008 by David McKee

A couple of new bloggers just rode into town, meaning I’m going to have raise my game a bit. Actually, they’ve been in town for quite a long time and know where many of the bodies are buried, but are … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, MGM Mirage, Movies, The Strip | Comments Off

Vegas electoral oddity

Posted on November 24, 2008 by David McKee

Today's Las Vegas Sun has a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of how President-elect Barack Obama won the Las Vegas metro area. In colorful map form, it shows Obama winning Downtown (handily) and most of the Strip … save for MGM Mirage's string … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Election, Lake Las Vegas, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Atlantic City Death Watch II; Banquo's Ghost

Posted on November 22, 2008 by David McKee

Wow, I never thought we’d have our second installment so hard upon the first. But no sooner had S&G ticketed Resorts Atlantic City for a visit to Intensive Care comes word that it’s going to miss a $10 million loan … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Where do we go from here?

Posted on November 18, 2008 by David McKee

Let's say, for purposes of argument, that the casino industry has supped full on meta-megaresort development and needs several years to digest the feast. What then? The answer, to judge by yesterday's G2E panel of design, construction and development experts, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Wall Street | Comments Off

Case Bets: Ho Tram, Shuffle(d) Master, Ameristar

Posted on November 18, 2008 by David McKee

Tout le monde may be at G2E (albeit 10% less le monde than last year, I’m told) but the big news is happening elsewhere. MGM Mirage has emerged as the “angel” for the Ho Tram Strip in Vietnam. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Economy, Harrah's, International, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Shuffle Master | Comments Off

Fire sale at Harrah's, MGM?

Posted on November 17, 2008 by David McKee

That was one of the bombshells dropped this morning at Global Gaming Expo. According to a member of a "state of the industry" panel of G2E's Casino Design track, Harrah's Entertainment has several unprofitable properties that were for sale. "Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Donald Trump, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Shut up yourself

Posted on November 10, 2008 by David McKee

New York-New York‘s obnoxious new ad campaign, “comes right out of an honest voice,” says ad exec David Angelo. “Stop your whining and have a great time.” It’s “an honest voice,” all right: That of Phil Gramm, who famously called … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Gaming bosses step up

Posted on November 7, 2008 by David McKee

While some casino companies we won’t name (coughBoyd Gamingcough) are responding this week to the bad economy with downsizing their workforce, others are setting a nobler example. Executives at both Isle of Capri Casinos and Trump Entertainment Resorts are literally … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, TV | Comments Off

Winners & Losers

Posted on November 5, 2008 by David McKee

And now the obligatory post-Election, What’s-it-all-about-Alfie roundup … Culinary Union 1, Casino CEOs O: True, the Culinary tripped all over its own feet in the early going, leading to Democratic caucuses that weren’t so much “Barackular” as “debacular.” But D. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Ameristar, Atlantic City, California, Colorado, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Florida, Gary Goett, Harrah's, IGT, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Wisdom from Wall Street

Posted on October 30, 2008 by David McKee

"Any gaming operator that postpones spending and preserves capital in this environment should be rewarded, in our view." — Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst Steven Wieczynski, reacting to news that MGM Mirage had put its Atlantic City and north-Strip projects … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, MGM Mirage, Movies, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off