Category Archives: Movies

Quote of the Day

Posted on January 28, 2019 by David McKee

“Cuarón’s whiteness begets a colonial gaze; Cleo lacks the discursive inner life of a fleshed-out character; Mexican critics love it; Mexican critics do not love it; Indigenous representation is an accomplishment; rich men should not make movies about their former … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Movies | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Super Bowl generates heavy action; Hard Rock marquee finds retirement home

Posted on January 28, 2019 by David McKee

$325 million. That’s the legal handle that PlayUSA.com is predicting will be wagered on Super Bowl LIII. Nevada will have the plurality of bets, some $160 million, with New Jersey seeing $100 million in action, including online wagers. The nascent … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arizona, CityCenter, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, history, International, Internet gambling, Mississippi, Movies, New Jersey, New Mexico, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Sports, Sports betting, Tourism, West Virginia | Comments Off on Super Bowl generates heavy action; Hard Rock marquee finds retirement home

Frissora postpones departure; Oscar forecast

Posted on January 7, 2019 by David McKee

That game of musical chairs known as industry consolidation has left a lot of fine ladies and gentlemen standing when the melody stopped, included Anthony Sanfilippo, a favorite of ours. However, Caesars Entertainment apparently hasn’t heard of any of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Bally Technologies, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Eldorado Resorts, Illinois, Movies, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Shuffle Master, Sports betting, Technology | Comments Off on Frissora postpones departure; Oscar forecast

Case Bets

Posted on December 27, 2018 by David McKee

Station Casinos is bringing two name-brand chefs to the upgraded Palms. Between high-in-the-sky Vetri Cucina and Michael Symon‘s Mabel’s BBQ, I wouldn’t know which to choose. (My mouth is watering as I type this.) Fortunately, Las Vegans riding a burgeoning … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, Movies, Palms, Philippines, PokerStars, South Korea, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Vietnam | Comments Off on Case Bets

SJM: Aren’t we special?

Posted on December 11, 2018 by David McKee

Sociedade de Jogos de Macau must think it’s pretty special. While its straggling Grand Lisboa Palace will stock some table games via the ‘cap-and-trade’ formula used by other operators, it has loftily informed the press that it expects the Macao … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Galaxy Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Tourism, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on SJM: Aren’t we special?

Scratch one casino; Adios, Megabus

Posted on November 29, 2018 by David McKee

Tunica continues to hemorrhage casinos. The latest casualty is Tunica Roadhouse. Owner Caesars Entertainment is terminating gambling at the property, although the 135-room hotel will be kept operational. This makes Horseshoe Tunica Caesars’ only remaining casino in the market. The move … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Arkansas, Caesars Entertainment, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Hard Rock International, International, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Regulation, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Transportation, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 3, 2018 by David McKee

“Being human is a condition which requires a certain amount of anesthetic.” — Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) in Bryan Singer‘s new film, Bohemian Rhapsody.

Posted in Entertainment, Movies | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 13, 2018 by David McKee

“What goes on in Las Vegas?” “Everything, doctor. It’s an education.” Exchange between two movie-studio flunkies in Sullivan’s Travels (1942) by Preston Sturges.

Posted in history, Movies | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Illinois stumbles; Kimmel returns to Vegas roots

Posted on October 5, 2018 by David McKee

It would take more than an extra weekend day to account for a 7% slippage in Illinois gaming revenues, which were positive year/year in 2017. Nobody had a revenue-positive month, not even Rivers Casino, down 5% despite a state-leading $34 … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Delaware, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Galaxy Entertainment, GLPI, Greenwood Racing, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Illinois stumbles; Kimmel returns to Vegas roots

Congress: Listen to the ladies (it’s not what you think)

Posted on October 1, 2018 by David McKee

We predicted a kangaroo court for sports betting on Capitol Hill last week and our fears were confirmed when influential Rep. James Sensenbrenner opined that “We’re going to be in for huge amounts of trouble in the future.” Nothing like stacking … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Economy, G2E, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Congress: Listen to the ladies (it’s not what you think)

Big Brother gets caught

Posted on September 20, 2018 by David McKee

In what might be the improbable casino scandal ever, Rivers Casino stands accused of using the eye in the sky to capture personal information from the cellphone screens of two patrons. Why? Supposedly to pass the data on to a … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Internet gambling, Japan, Kazuo Okada, Movies, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Rush Street Gaming, Security, Technology | Comments Off on Big Brother gets caught

Project First Light dims; Once and future Horseshoe?

Posted on September 11, 2018 by David McKee

After much hemming and hawing, the Trump administration finally came down off the fence on the Mashpee Wampanoag‘s Project First Light casino, saying it couldn’t see a way forward to taking the land into trust for gaming purposes. U.S. District Court … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, DFS, Dining, Eldorado Resorts, Genting, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Movies, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Project First Light dims; Once and future Horseshoe?

Titanic exhibit in peril; It’s Greek to them

Posted on September 4, 2018 by David McKee

Luxor‘s display of Titanic relics has hit an iceberg in the form of a bankruptcy court auction against owner Premier Exhibitions. It’s likely the collection will be kept intact, not dispersed to the four winds, although the latter might be … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Downtown, Hard Rock International, history, International, Las Vegas Sands, Marijuana, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Penn National, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Titanic exhibit in peril; It’s Greek to them

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 3, 2018 by David McKee

“I don’t remember being cheery.” — Las Vegas Strip stalwart Brad Garrett, predestined to be the voice of Eeyore in Christopher Robin. The movie opens today.

Posted in Entertainment, Movies, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

The name of the game; New look at Palms

Posted on July 5, 2018 by David McKee

We don’t cover lotteries much but Pennsylvania‘s has fought the state’s casino industry to a draw. The latter would like to see iLottery (powered by Scientific Games) immobilized, viewing it as a threat to online casino gambling. The Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Dining, Internet gambling, Marketing, Movies, Palms, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Station Casinos | Comments Off on The name of the game; New look at Palms

MGM Connecticut hopes fading … for now

Posted on April 12, 2018 by David McKee

MGM Bridgeport will have to wait a bit. According to Connecticut Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz (D), the best chance of passage of any gaming-related legislation is narrow. Expressing misgivings about the consequences of further diluting the Nutmeg State’s gambling … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Foxwoods, Genting, Indiana, Japan, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Politics, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off on MGM Connecticut hopes fading … for now

Steve Wynn makes his case; Gambling stalemate in Florida

Posted on February 5, 2018 by David McKee

It’s no longer enough for employees of Wynn Resorts to reflect well upon the company. No, now Steve Wynn wants their gratitude. His confidential pep rallies have had all the watertight integrity of a colander. By reminding workers that the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Detroit, DFS, Dining, Donald Trump, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sexual misconduct, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Hypocrisy, thy name is Penn; Gilbert doesn’t know Jack

Posted on January 12, 2018 by David McKee

Despite making a bunch of hifalutin’ noises about the unconstitutionality of mini-casinos in Pennsylvania, who else but Penn National Gaming won the first license. It did so by virtue of insane overkill, bidding $50 million and change for a license … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Harrah's, Law enforcement, Marketing, Maryland, Movies, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | Comments Off on Hypocrisy, thy name is Penn; Gilbert doesn’t know Jack

Exit the Dragon

Posted on January 5, 2018 by David McKee

In a story broken yesterday by VitalVegas, the Lucky Dragon Casino has abruptly shuttered its casino and restaurants. It will attempt to limp along for six months of ‘reorganization,’ sustained by hotel revenues. Were the Consumer Electronics Show not in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Economy, Genting, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Lucky Dragon, Marketing, Movies, Penn National, SLS Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Atlantic City: There’s life after Trump; Bluhm dominates in Pennsylvania

Posted on December 14, 2017 by David McKee

Finally liberated from year/year comparisons that included the dying Trump Taj Mahal, casinos in Atlantic City experienced 3% revenue growth last month. Internet gambling did even better, leaping 20%. For the lifetime of ‘Net betting in New Jersey, this brings … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Delaware, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Neil Bluhm, Nevada, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on Atlantic City: There’s life after Trump; Bluhm dominates in Pennsylvania