Category Archives: Mississippi

End-of-Year Case Bets

Posted on December 30, 2019 by David McKee

In a retrospective mood, the American Gaming Association has chosen the top eight gaming stories of the past year, ranked here in descending order. They are: The Caesars Entertainment takeover by Eldorado Resorts. ‘Nuff said. Allegations that Encore Boston Harbor is … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Harrah's, Japan, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Lucky Dragon, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Money laundering, Oklahoma, Problem gambling, Resort fees, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

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

Churchill Downs fights horseracing reform; Mattress Mack doesn’t regret $13M World Series bet

Posted on November 4, 2019 by David McKee

Churchill Downs‘ third-quarter cash flow results were “softer than expected” according to J.P. Morgan analyst Daniel Politzer, who added the “the impact of this was likely mitigated by the company announcing a slew of updates/capital projects which helped placate investors, … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Baseball, Charity, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Culinary Union, Election, Entertainment, Geoff Freeman, Horseracing, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maine, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Texas, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Churchill Downs in expansive mood; Cannery security faulted

Posted on October 31, 2019 by David McKee

Churchill Downs‘ third-quarter cash flow of $88 million was $7 million shy of Wall Street‘s expectation. The shortfall extended across all segments of CHDN business, although increased casino competition in Maine was one of the contributing factors. In terms of … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Boyd Gaming, California, Churchill Downs, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maine, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Security, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Air guitar; Forgiveness urged for Steve Wynn

Posted on October 28, 2019 by David McKee

The much-anticipated opening of Hard Rock International‘s guitar-shaped hotel-casino in Hollywood, Florida, drew celebrities from Hollywood, California (Johnny Depp), as well as ones who would attend the opening of an eyelid (Kim Kardashian). Hard Rock hopes to recreate the iconic … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Australia, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Florida, Genting, Hard Rock International, Hooters, Illinois, International, Japan, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Scott Butera, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Cosmo does it again; Georgia ponders casinos

Posted on October 24, 2019 by David McKee

It happened again. Smoke billowed over the Las Vegas Strip from an electrical fire at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas last night. No one was injured, thank God, and the damage appears to be minor. But it’s the second fire … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Foxwoods, Georgia, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, IGT, Illinois, International, Lotteries, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Politics, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation | 1 Comment

Boyd, Penn upbeat; DeSalvio leaves Encore Boston

Posted on October 16, 2019 by David McKee

J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff continued his listening tour of Global Gaming Expo, meeting with Boyd Gaming CFO Josh Hirshberg. “We come away positive and highlight BYD’s attractive free cash flow generation and ensuing de-leveraging,” Greff reported. Despite wider concerns … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Dining, G2E, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Big casino bust in Biloxi

Posted on October 8, 2019 by David McKee

In a Mississippi bribery scandal, the crime in question took place—how fittingly—in a lavatory. Four men fessed up to bribing Department of Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps with casino chips in return for such concessions as inmate phone services, unwittingly highlighting … Continue reading →

Posted in Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi | 4 Comments

Caesars: What sauce!; Macao underwhelms

Posted on October 8, 2019 by David McKee

With more than a bit of nerve, Caesars Entertainment is jacking up resort fees again. Caesars Palace and Nobu Hotel will have $51.01 in levies (the highest on the Las Vegas Strip, I think; is this a status thing?), while … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, China, Economy, Macau, Michael Gaughan, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, Politics, Problem gambling, Resort fees, Sports betting, Terry Caudill, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Doldrums, hope in Baton Rouge; AGA inducts three

Posted on October 2, 2019 by David McKee

It’s 25 years ago this month that casino gambling came to Baton Rouge. The mood, however, is far from celebratory as the city’s riverboats remain mired in a two-year slump, thanks to the Baton Rouge smoking ban. Some also blame … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arkansas, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, GLPI, history, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Rio sold; Best casinos named

Posted on September 23, 2019 by David McKee

Despite rumors that Caesars Entertainment has sworn off trying to sell The Rio (again), it turns out that the Roman Empire was still shopping the resort. It’s been tentatively sold to “a principal of Imperial Companies” for $516 million. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Cosmopolitan, Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Genting, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Reno, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, TV, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Slow News Day, The Sequel

Posted on September 18, 2019 by David McKee

Both Kevin Hart and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas are being sued over a sex tape of Hart doing the nasty with actress Monita Sabbag was uploaded onto the Internet. (When in doubt about making a sex tape, don’t.) Hart … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Genting, Iowa, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, Reno, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off

Honeymoon over in Massachusetts; Drive like Elvis

Posted on September 3, 2019 by David McKee

Encore Boston Harbor has been open only two months. MGM Springfield just passed its one-year anniversary. And yet, the Boston Globe is already tossing around the ‘S’ word—saturation. Saying that casino executives might not like hearing it, the paper rejoined, … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Caesars Entertainment, California, Economy, Entertainment, history, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Penn National, Rhode Island, Transportation, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Massachusetts: Isn’t that special?

Posted on August 26, 2019 by David McKee

Although the Boston Globe gets a bit overheated about Tom O’Connell aspirations for a Region C casino they don’t get it wrong when they say O’Connell and associates “want to rewrite the rule book to suit their needs.” That means, … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Hooters, Horseracing, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, New York, Oregon, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off

Wynn tops in U.S. casinos; Crown in hot water again

Posted on July 30, 2019 by David McKee

Steve Wynn got some love from the contributors to TripAdvisor, whose top-three-ranked casinos in America are Wynn Las Vegas, Encore and Beau Rivage, a vindication of Wynn’s spare-no-detail approach. However, Bellagio may be showing its age, clocking in at a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Crown Resorts, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, Indiana, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, M Resort, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, North Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Strip buoys MGM, Sands

Posted on July 26, 2019 by David McKee

According to JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, second-quarter results for MGM Resorts International “were better than (very subdued) investor expectations” on the Strip and in line with anticipation about Macao. Despite weak baccarat volumes in Las Vegas, the company performed “marginally … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Harrah's, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Singapore, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Eldorado’s clearance sale

Posted on July 15, 2019 by David McKee

Eldorado Resorts continues to slim down as it prepares for a takeover of Caesars Entertainment. Assuming the deal as a fait accompli, it is ditching Isle of Capri Kansas City in favor of Harrah’s North Kansas City. It is also … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Eldorado Resorts, International, Japan, Mississippi, Missouri, Sports betting, Technology, Tribal, Twin River, William Hill | Comments Off

Eldorado’s clearance sale; Atlantic City takes the lead

Posted on June 17, 2019 by David McKee

Eldorado Resorts may be getting closer to a Caesars Entertainment acquisition (accounts differ) but it’s already clearing the decks for a big expenditure. It just offloaded three casinos to—irony alert—Caesars’ Vici Properties for $385 million. The trio is Mountaineer Casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Eldorado Resorts, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Marketing, Michael Gaughan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Pets, Regulation, Sports betting, Unite-Here, Wall Street, West Virginia | 2 Comments

Case Bets

Posted on June 14, 2019 by David McKee

* Shares in Australian casino company Star Entertainment tumbled after it disclosed that the U.S./China trade war is impinging on profitability. “The very large VIPs continue to travel but they don’t take as many risks as they have in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Canada, Economy, Genting, International, Law enforcement, Macau, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, New Mexico, New York, Penn National, Philippines, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting | Comments Off

The value of a dollar & other Case Bets

Posted on May 28, 2019 by David McKee

If you’re making up your casino budget, you might want to stay away from Atlantic City or New York State, where a dollar has only the buying power of 87 or 88 cents. By contrast, the same dollar spent in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cosmopolitan, Derek Stevens, Economy, Hawaii, history, Indiana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Sports betting, The Strip, TV, William Hill | Comments Off