Category Archives: Movies

Jack Abramoff, human sewage; Massachusetts: It’s done

Posted on November 22, 2011 by David McKee

Victor Rocha says it best: “Jack Abramoff is still the scum off the earth.” The unrepentant ripoff artist — to call him a snake in the grass would be a slander upon serpents — claims his only failing was to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, California, Don Barden, Election, Harrah's, history, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Movies, Oklahoma, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, The Mob, Tribal | Comments Off

Ameristar goes East; Colony’s secret formula revealed

Posted on November 17, 2011 by David McKee

Yesterday morning, Wall Street was advised by Ameristar Casinos that the latter had forked over $16 million for land in Springfield, Massachusetts. Given that Ameristar has been in extreme-caution mode since the death of founder Craig H. Neilsen and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Current, Detroit, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | 3 Comments

Blast from the past

Posted on November 14, 2011 by David McKee

Today I’m busy on “Question of the Day,” Desert Companion and CityLife fronts simultaneously. As irrational compensation, here’s the one scene from Ocean’s Eleven that, more than any other, must be preserved for posterity. It’s also a nice look at … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., history, Movies, Sahara, The Strip | Comments Off

Who needs “Tower Heist”?

Posted on October 28, 2011 by David McKee

Here at S&G HQ, we try to offer a video goodie every Friday. This week we ask the question, why plunk down 10 hard-earned bucks for cheesebag Brett Ratner‘s Tower Heist when you could hold out for … Stealing Las … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Movies, Tamares Group | Comments Off

Station: We love ourselves

Posted on October 27, 2011 by David McKee

If you live in the Las Vegas area, you’ve been exposed to the months-long “We Love Locals” ad blitz with which Station Casinos has been attempting to shore up its image. The company’s heedless expansionism, exorbitant executive salaries, its LBO … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Current, Economy, Marketing, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, TV | 2 Comments

Breakthrough in Massachusetts

Posted on October 13, 2011 by David McKee

This just in … the Massachusetts state Senate voted 24-14 to send casino legalization on to a conference committee, where the House’s version — passed with a crushing majority — already reposes. Differences between the two versions, obviously, will have … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Current, Economy, Florida, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, IGT, Internet gambling, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street, WMS Industries | Comments Off

Siegfried & Roy’s House of Horrors

Posted on October 3, 2011 by David McKee

Today is the eighth anniversary of that fateful night when a tiger named Montecore went postal on illusionist Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn, dropping a permanent curtain to the performing entity known as Siegfried & Roy™. Unwitting premonitions of Horn’s career-ending … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, history, MGM Mirage, Movies, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

“The Paddy Factor”

Posted on September 29, 2011 by David McKee

(For film buffs: “The Paddy Factor” was the working title of what became the classic gangster movie, The Long Good Friday … and the rest was history.) A new “Paddy factor” got flung into the Vegas equation this week when … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Movies, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, The Strip | 1 Comment

Caesars’ big Asian bet; Playing with yourself in Vegas

Posted on September 23, 2011 by David McKee

It’s amazing what you can do when you simply punt your debt burden a few years down the road. In the case of Caesars Entertainment, it means you’ve got an extra $470 million lying around to build Caesars Palace Longmu … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Current, Election, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, M Resort, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Taxes, Technology, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

I’m shocked, shocked!

Posted on August 30, 2011 by David McKee

… to discover that there is gambling in this establishment. Of 38 video clips on Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas‘ You Tube channel, not one is devoted to the casino floor. Geez, you think this “hide the gaming” marketing approach might … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Entertainment, Marketing, Movies, The Strip, TV | 5 Comments

Dog Days

Posted on July 18, 2011 by David McKee

Heading into August, hotel rates along the Strip appear to be in the doldrums, judging by figures published today by J.P. Morgan analysts. Weekday rates continue to recover, typified by Caesars Entertainment properties, and weekend ones continue to decline. So … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Encore, Environment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Movies, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Down Memory Lane

Posted on June 24, 2011 by David McKee

Thanks to reader Greg Askins for passing along this link to a witty BBC Four documentary, The Joy of Easy Listening. In this segment, the faux-mariachi sounds of Herb Alpert pave the highway to Las Vegas, where Sixties headliner Engelbert … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, history, Movies, Riviera, The Strip, TV | 1 Comment

F-blew, Sahara solved

Posted on June 9, 2011 by David McKee

Hey, Carl Icahn and Sam Nazarian! Got an old casino — or maybe a new failsino — that needs demolition? Why settle for the few seconds’ thrill of an implosion? Bring Robosaurus to town, set up some bleachers, charge admission … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Cloverfield monster, Entertainment, Florida, Fontainebleau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Sahara, The Strip | 2 Comments

The ‘hot’ list that’s not; Grumpy old Fulton; A threat from Quinn

Posted on June 3, 2011 by David McKee

A sudden barrage of commissions has been getting between me and S&G. At the very least, I can get a few quick hits in before the weekend. For instance … Earth to Vegas.com … while I realize that Las Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Movies, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV | 3 Comments

The wild bunch

Posted on May 23, 2011 by David McKee

There’s no one more depraved than a politician looking to close a revenue shortfall. So we’ve learned from the drive-by shootings hailing from the amoral outlaw band otherwise known as the Nevada Legislature. As sage political pundit Obi-Wan Kenobi observed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cantor Gaming, Colorado, Economy, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Movies, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Taxes | 2 Comments

California bound; M changes hands and style

Posted on May 6, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, the great state of Illinois and I don’t know who all else have been reporting revenues this week, and Mississippi is under water.. And I’ve not had time to cover any … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Dining, Environment, Illinois, M Resort, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Movies, Penn National, Pets, Steve Wynn, Transportation, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Trump™: asset or liability?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by David McKee

If you’d like to wager on Donald Trump‘s sham presidential “campaign” and you like long odds Paddy Power is the place for you. It’s taking action on the 2012 presidential race and Trump is now a 33-to-1 shot, along with … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Current, Entertainment, history, International, Marketing, Movies, Sports, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, TV, Wall Street | 9 Comments

Vegas’ highest-paid Elvis impersonator

Posted on May 2, 2011 by David McKee

Yes, it’s Steve Wynn. Although Wynn Las Vegas is claiming this video went viral over the weekend, I have a strong certainty that a certain F-bomb barrage across the street at Treasure Island racked up more views. Also, given some … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Movies, Pokergeddon, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Big Brother is watching you … at Cosmo; Trump vs. Trump

Posted on April 28, 2011 by David McKee

So much for that “right amount of wrong.” The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas put itself on the map with a batch of pervy-looking TV spots touting itself as the Ground Zero of decadence in Sin City. So how much wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Donald Trump, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 3 Comments

New era at the Riv

Posted on April 25, 2011 by David McKee

It sure looks at lot like the old one, especially with Robert Vannucci still calling the shots over there, according to the grapevine: “Experience action-packed wrestling as Lil Macho Man, Tiny Terminator, Lil Rampage, Nasty Boy, Baby Chucky, Lil Devil … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Marketing, Movies, Pets, Riviera, Sahara, Sports, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 12 Comments