Category Archives: Michigan

Internet gambling hits Jersey high; Hard Rock back to Vegas

Posted on May 14, 2020 by David McKee

April was the worst of months and best of months for New Jersey. Sports books are estimated to have lost out on $450 million in handle while Internet casinos did better than ever, raking in $80 million. “Seeing New Jersey’s retail … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Charity, Dining, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, New Jersey, PokerStars, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Goodman batshit crazy; Detroit puts casinos on ‘hold’

Posted on May 7, 2020 by David McKee

Could we be seeing the last of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman (I), and her ‘every man for himself and devil take the hindmost’ approach to Coronavirus? Poker pro Doug Polk has begun a recall petition drive to try and … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Dining, Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, Health, Michigan, Politics, Sports, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Everybody out of the pool!; Lean times in Indian Country

Posted on May 5, 2020 by David McKee

We were overly optimistic on when Nevada casinos can reopen. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) has postponed that move until phase three or four of his four-step plan … which is also contingent on a two-week decline in new Coronavirus cases. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Entertainment, Galaxy Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, Regulation, Tribal, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Gambling in the time of Coronavirus

Posted on April 20, 2020 by David McKee

Editor’s note: This roundtable was originally conducted for Casino Life magazine. For reasons unrelated to content, it was ‘put in turnaround,’ as they say in Hollywood. Rather than waste a perfectly good exchange between gaming executive Yaniv Sherman and sportswriter … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Conventions, DraftKings, e-sports, FanDuel, Health, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting | Comments Off

Boyd sacks workforce; Political wagering in West Virginia

Posted on April 10, 2020 by David McKee

Job cuts continue at Las Vegas casinos. Boyd Gaming employees are out of jobs starting tomorrow, although health benefits will continue through June 30. For a company that’s sitting on as much cash as Boyd, that’s a strange move. Boyd’s … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Charity, Cirque du Soleil, Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Health, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Rio, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, World Series of Poker | Comments Off

Sanders enters casino fray; MGM execs play the market

Posted on April 2, 2020 by David McKee

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I), perhaps in a move to reinvigorate his comatose presidential campaign, has waded into the dispute between the Trump administration and the Mashpee Wampanoag. The origin of the tribe’s newly dissolved, 321-acre reservation is clouded by tribal recognition during … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Genting, Health, history, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, International, Jim Murren, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, Twin River, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Darkness at noon

Posted on March 17, 2020 by David McKee

Casino dominos continue to topple. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is the latest Las Vegas Strip casino to close thanks to Covid-19, “temporarily.” (Well, none of the closures has been permanent but there are different degrees of temporary-ness, MGM Resorts … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Cosmopolitan, Detroit, Dining, Foxwoods, Health, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, Sports, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Gaming stocks immune to rally; Casinos get serious about coronavirus

Posted on March 11, 2020 by David McKee

Gaming stocks by and large didn’t feel the love on Wall Street yesterday, trending slightly downward, not counting 9% rallies for Station Casinos and Melco Resorts & Entertainment (the latter the only Macao operator to bounce back). The market recouped … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, Current, Detroit, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Health, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Maverick Gaming, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Reno, Rhode Island, Sahara, South Dakota, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Vermont, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

“Empty gesture” in Macao; Big deals for Scientific, Hill

Posted on February 24, 2020 by David McKee

Casinos may have reopened in Macao but coronavirus cannot be so easily wished away. Fears of its spread hit U.S. stock markets hard, with the Dow Jones tumbling 840 points, ceding all 2020 gains. Overseas bourses are taking it hard, too, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Atlantic City, China, Culinary Union, Economy, Election, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Health, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Scientific Games, Singapore, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Indiana flat, Missouri down, Jones up

Posted on January 13, 2020 by David McKee

Indiana gaming revenues were microscopically down last month, to $186 million, not bad when one considers that December 2018 had one more weekend day. It’s too soon to have numbers from table games at the racinos, so January’s will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Diversity, DraftKings, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Indiana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Scott Butera, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Skins game; Major problem-gambling snafu in Britain

Posted on January 8, 2020 by David McKee

Two Internet powerhouses achieved the first accords for offering sports betting in Michigan. Beating The Stars Group to the punch by a day, PointsBet inked a pact with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. Stars Group … Continue reading →

Posted in China, DraftKings, International, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, PokerStars, Problem gambling, Sports betting, Tribal | Comments Off

Georgia solons mull gambling; DraftKings’ big deal

Posted on December 26, 2019 by David McKee

“I do think there’s momentum for something to happen this session,” state Sen. Brandon Beach (R, below) said of legalizing gambling in Georgia, although solons remain undecided on whether to add sports betting to the package they’ll be proposing. “We … Continue reading →

Posted in California, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, Georgia, Horseracing, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Neil Bluhm, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Louisiana stagnant, Michigan a sports-betting go

Posted on December 20, 2019 by David McKee

An extra weekend day didn’t do bupkis for Louisiana, where November gaming revenues ($205 million) were flat with last year’s. The good news is that Baton Rouge, so troubled a market, was incrementally higher than in 2018. Eldorado Resorts‘ Belle … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Detroit, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Indiana, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Michigan, Movies, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

DeSalvio dispatched to Catskills; Stevens thinks big

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Former Encore Boston Harbor prexy Robert DeSalvio didn’t have to cool his heels for long. He’s just (the news broke two hours ago) been named president of Genting New York, ousting Ryan Eller. As his title implies, DeSalvio will be … Continue reading →

Posted in Derek Stevens, Detroit, Downtown, Genting, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Movies, New York, Palms, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

Atlantic City up in November; Sports betting comes to Michigan

Posted on December 13, 2019 by David McKee

Gross gaming revenues of $224 million in Atlantic City last month represented a 7% gain. Table games (+11%) led the way, followed by slot revenues, up 6%. Table win at Borgata rose 14.5% on 7% more wagering, as the house … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DFS, e-sports, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | 1 Comment

Dems court Culinary vote; Scandal in Austria

Posted on December 3, 2019 by David McKee

Democratic presidential candidates are hardly taking the Nevada caucuses for granted. Sen. Kamala Harris (D) has already been once to Las Vegas (in vain) as has Joe Biden. The latter probably endeared himself to Culinary Union members by having a contretemps with … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, China, Culinary Union, Derek Stevens, Election, Foxwoods, International, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Michigan, Movies, New York, Penn National, Politics, Singapore, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off

Sports betting burgeons in Pennsylvania

Posted on November 19, 2019 by David McKee

Pennsylvania sports-betting handle was $241 million last month, which translated into $19 million in revenue (a quarter of which promptly went to the state). Mobile wagering accounted for $199 million or 82% of the wagering, up from 65% last July. “Most encouraging … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Illinois, Law enforcement, Michigan, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, Twin River, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

The Drew makes bold promises; GLPI gleeful

Posted on November 1, 2019 by David McKee

Steven Witkoff buried the lead when announcing that Bobby Baldwin had been called out of retirement to become CEO of The Drew. Witkoff’s PR peeps said that the project was in “final preparations for construction,” which is the first movement … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Caesars Entertainment, California, CityCenter, Detroit, DFS, Dining, Fontainebleau, G2E, GLPI, history, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, Michigan, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Vdara Death Ray, Wall Street | Comments Off

Case Bets

Posted on September 12, 2019 by David McKee

Unlike people across the Pearl River Delta in Hong Kong, casino workers in Macao are relatively easy to please. Their latest set of demands will sound very familiar to Americans: a five-day work week, vacation schedules and a smoke-free environment (we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in DFS, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Rhode Island, Sports betting, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

April unkind to Strip; Expansion scramble in Illinois

Posted on May 29, 2019 by David McKee

Las Vegas Strip revenues were down 3.5% last month but for once baccarat was blameless. Luck was with the casinos in the highly volatile game, which saw the house win 5.5% more on 17% higher wagering. Players avoided other table … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Detroit, Downtown, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off