Category Archives: Movies

A sensible proposal

Posted on November 22, 2017 by David McKee

Under the right circumstances, driving down the Las Vegas Strip (preferably by night) can be a hedonistic experience. Too often, however, it is a bumper-to-bumper nightmare. Something needs to be done and Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani (D) has stepped … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Indiana, Internet gambling, Iowa, Louisiana, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Transportation, Tropicana Entertainment | 3 Comments

Wynn: Set the date; High-tech potties at Caesars

Posted on October 27, 2017 by David McKee

It’s official: Wynn Resorts will start tearing up its Las Vegas Strip golf course on Jan. 3, 2018. Not much is known about what will replace it, as the budget hasn’t been set, and plans for the Wynn Paradise Park … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Charity, Downtown, Harrah's, Macau, Movies, North Las Vegas, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

So long, Moulin Rouge; Golden merger green-lit

Posted on October 6, 2017 by David McKee

It just got a lot cheaper to buy the Moulin Rouge. The last vestiges of the original complex were pulled down yesterday after yet another suspicious fire ravaged through what once upon a time was Las Vegas‘ first integrated casino. … Continue reading →

Posted in ACEP, Fontainebleau, Genting, Golden Gaming, history, Moulin Rouge, Movies, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, The Strip | Comments Off

Case Bets

Posted on September 28, 2017 by David McKee

Rock in Rio having been one-and-done for MGM Resorts International, word is that the latter is pursuing the Kaaboo music festival for its mostly vacant outdoor-concert space up on Sahara Avenue. For the moment, Kaboo says it has “no plans” to … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Entertainment, Foxwoods, MGM Mirage, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Technology, The Strip | 1 Comment

Freeman takes on SCOTUS; Golden Gate expands

Posted on September 6, 2017 by David McKee

No big surprise, the American Gaming Association has submitted an amicus brief in Christie v. NCAA et. al. The brief makes some normative arguments that are unlikely to sway the Supreme Court, which will undoubtedly take a narrow view in … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Downtown Grand, Geoff Freeman, history, International, Louisiana, Movies, Sports, Tribal | Comments Off

Galaxy dominates Macao; Costner’s casino flops

Posted on September 1, 2017 by David McKee

For a company that entered Macao with zero casino experience, Galaxy Entertainment is taking the veterans to school. In 2Q17, its cash flow grew 45%, to $420 million, a figure not seen since 2012. Galaxy is also leading the pack in terms … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Galaxy Entertainment, Iowa, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Movies, Paragon Gaming, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, South Dakota, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

Macao resurgence continues; Skill-based slots get second wind

Posted on June 2, 2017 by David McKee

As Galaxy Entertainment CEO Lui-Che Woo is fond of pointing out, it will take two years of positive results before Macao can be said to have recovered from its revenue collapse. That being said, May’s results — 24% up — … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Foxwoods, Galaxy Entertainment, GameCO, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Technology, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street, Wayne F. Newton | Comments Off

Trump keeps them guessing; Meet your new neighbor, Steve Wynn

Posted on April 4, 2017 by David McKee

Could the president of the United States build a Las Vegas casino? That’s regulatory terra incognito that Nevada regulators will have to explore as Phil Ruffin and Donald Trump continue with their plan to erect a Trump-branded casino next door … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Donald Trump, Economy, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Riviera, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off

What’s in a name?

Posted on April 3, 2017 by David McKee

Quite a lot, if you happen to be the late Sen. Pat McCarran (D). Not only is Nevada‘s largest airport named after you (not inaptly — the anti-New Deal, pro-fascist McCarran’s signature achievements included splitting off the Air Force as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Donald Trump, Harry Reid, history, International, Movies, Politics, Sports, Steve Wynn, Transportation | Comments Off

MGM tipped as Sands Bethlehem buyer

Posted on March 5, 2017 by David McKee

It’s definite: Las Vegas Sands is shopping Sands Bethlehem, no matter what Ron Reese tells you. Company executives visited Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Commissioner Richard G. Jewell with the news, which he confirmed to the Allentown Morning Call. Corroboration came … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Georgia, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Caesars: No free ride; Straub sues New Jersey

Posted on December 1, 2016 by David McKee

In an utterly predictable move, Caesars Entertainment will begin charging for parking at its Las Vegas Strip casinos in late December, at the same when MGM Resorts International‘s paid-parking regime is expected to go wide, encompassing locals. (December 29 is … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Japan, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Riviera: Now they tell us!; Paddy Power’s bad electoral bet

Posted on November 10, 2016 by David McKee

Turns out there was more contaminated soil at the Riviera site than originally estimated … 23 times more. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, what was originally estimated to be 430 tons of toxic dirt turned out to be 9,980. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Donald Trump, Election, Florida, Internet gambling, LVCVA, Movies, Racinos, Riviera, Seminole Tribe, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Parisian debuts, Adelson still thinking big

Posted on September 14, 2016 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson™ has refrained from pre-hyping his Parisian Macao, preferring to let the product speak for itself. It opened last night to the customary fireworks display, as well as a dazzling light show on the megaresort’s half-size Eiffel Tower. Additional … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Cirque du Soleil, Entertainment, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn | Comments Off

“Baz” in my bonnet; Moulin Rouge back in play

Posted on July 14, 2016 by David McKee

Palazzo is currently hosting the second coming of Baz: Star-Crossed Love, a song-and-dance mishmash of iconic moments from such Baz Luhrmann epics as Gatsby, Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet. (What, nothing from Australia? Awwwww.) There’s even a passing nod … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Moulin Rouge, Movies, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | Comments Off

Hang up for MGM National Harbor; Dances with insolvency

Posted on March 11, 2016 by David McKee

If a July opening of MGM National Harbor, in Maryland, sounded too good to be true, it was. The company says “things got more and more real” and the Washington Post reports that MGM executives told it the target “was … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Philippines, Regulation, South Dakota, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

GLPI gets a racino; Reckless casino rhetoric

Posted on December 16, 2015 by David McKee

After over a year of litigation, Gaming & Leisure Properties has come to terms with Cannery Casino Resorts over the sale of Meadows Racetrack, near Pittsburgh. (Next step for GLPI, find an operator. Penn National Gaming? Pinnacle Entertainment?) Considering that … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Dining, Election, GLPI, Harrah's, Maryland, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Continued erosion in Illinois

Posted on December 7, 2015 by David McKee

Illinois gamblers visited measurably less (-8%) and spent slightly more (+3%), as casino business in the Land of Lincoln took a 5% dip in November. The calendar had one less weekend day than last year, which surely didn’t help. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Movies, Neil Bluhm, Penn National | 1 Comment

Thought for the day

Posted on August 6, 2015 by David McKee

Many question Donald Trump‘s qualifications for the presidency of the United States. I do not. Why? What other past or present occupant of the Oval Office (or Republican candidate for president, for that matter) appeared in the 1989 Bo Derek … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Election, Movies | Comments Off

Kirk Kerkorian, 1917-2015

Posted on June 17, 2015 by David McKee

Here in Las Vegas, the impact of Kirk Kerkorian‘s death is still sinking in. A man known for self-effacing personal habits left the world as discreetly as he passed through it in his Ford Taurus, leaving accomplishments that far exceeded … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Downtown, Harry Reid, history, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Neil Bluhm, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Pansy Ho on the campaign trail; Connecticut tribes optimistic

Posted on April 13, 2015 by David McKee

MGM China would probably prefer that its co-chairwoman, Pansy Ho, stay out of the headlines, considering the negative publicity she’s generated over the years. But she opened up to the media this week, specifically the newspaper of which she is … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Hooters, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Palms, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off