Category Archives: New York

Ruffin it; Atlantic City: up in smoke?

Posted on May 31, 2011 by David McKee

“Nightclubs — we just didn’t fare well with them. There are so many nightclubs. Everyone’s got just one or two. Ours were just marginal.” That’s Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin‘s argument for repositioning the pirate place for a mid-market, middle-aged … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, history, Horseracing, Kansas, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Morgans Hotel Group, New York, Pennsylvania, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 1 Comment

Why Trump won’t run

Posted on April 29, 2011 by David McKee

Two words: Mob ties. Yes, Donald “100 Percent Clean” Trump did business — repeatedly — with a man he believed (or, best case, seriously feared) to be the murderer of Jimmy Hoffa. He also employed an individual identified by U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Florida, history, Isle of Capri, New York, Politics, Regulation, Riviera, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 9, 2011 by David McKee

“Trump … sounds very self-assured. This is because before he was a reality-show host, he was in the New York real estate business, a profession in which it is vital to be able to say imaginary things with total certainty.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Donald Trump, New York, TV | 1 Comment

Adelson hits Florida speed bump

Posted on March 22, 2011 by David McKee

Gov. Rick Scott‘s big — and rather sudden — push to bring (more) private-sector casinos to Florida has run into a road block. The governor’s Tea Party base, of all people, is throwing up opposition … and not for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Genting, Horseracing, Isle of Capri, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, Tribal | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 20, 2011 by David McKee

“Paying there [sic] repsects [sic]” — onscreen graphic prefacing a 6 p.m. Saturday KSNV-TV news segment on a memorial service for victims of the fatal bus crash that killed 15 Mohegan Sun patrons. KSNV News Director Bob Stoldal really has … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, New York, Transportation, Tribal, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on March 15, 2011 by David McKee

“Schumer is Stewie.” — former Providence, R.I. mayor, convicted felon and frequent Family Guy reference point Buddy Cianci in re Sen. Charles Schumer (R-NY). Damn! That’s the best endorsement I’ve ever heard, bar none.

Posted in Current, New York, Politics, TV | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Good news from an unexpected source

Posted on March 10, 2011 by David McKee

Atlantic City hit the big 3-0 in February: 30 straight months on revenue declivity, says J.P. Morgan (31, according to Wells Fargo). However, the rate of decline (1.4%) was the smallest since April of last year. With Genting Bhd‘s racino … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Loveman 1, Atlantic City 0

Posted on March 3, 2011 by David McKee

After much Hamlet-like deliberation, Gov. Chris Christie (R) put his ixnay on a bill that would have made Internet gambling legal within New Jersey. Citing constitutional issues, he said legislators ought to put the issue to popular vote … a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Florida, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, New York, Politics | 1 Comment

Plaudits for Navegante; The great Hard Rock caper that wasn’t

Posted on February 15, 2011 by David McKee

A frequent Hard Rock Hotel & Casino player, for one, is happy to know that Navegante Group is waiting in the wings to take the reins should Morgans Hotel Group continue to falter. (The owners of the HRH have until … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Golden Gaming, International, Marketing, Michael Gaughan, New York, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 2 Comments

This just in …

Posted on January 26, 2011 by David McKee

An Illinois court of appeals has struck down a pair of Public Acts pertaining to the state’s gambling industry. One nullifies a deal that would have farmed out the state lottery to Scientific Games (luckily, SGMS stock withstood the bad … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, IGT, Illinois, MGM Mirage, New York, Regulation, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Betting on crime; Anniversary in Indiana

Posted on December 21, 2010 by David McKee

Last week’s big chip heist at Bellagio may have left MGM Resorts International with a smidgen of egg on its face but it’s not as though others in the gambling industry have failed to see the opportunity to make money. … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Horseracing, Indiana, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, New York, Oscar Goodman, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Election 2010: Around the horn

Posted on November 3, 2010 by David McKee

Let’s get to it, with some help from Wells Fargo gaming analyst Carlo Santarelli … Cordish Gaming won big in Maryland, where voters upheld an initiative to ratify the zoning of its Arundel Mills Mall casino project. Penn National Gaming, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, California, Cordish Co., Economy, Election, Harrah's, IGT, International, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia, WMS Industries | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 21, 2010 by David McKee

“At each turn, our state leaders abdicated their public duty, failed to impose ethical restraints and focused on political gain at a cost of millions to New Yorkers. Shamefully, the public’s best interest was a matter of militant indifference to … Continue reading →

Posted in Genting, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 11, 2010 by David McKee

“We are no longer the nation that used to amaze the world with its visionary projects. We have become, instead, a nation whose politicians seem to compete over who can show the least vision, the least concern about the future … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, New York | 2 Comments

Ameristar’s altruism … and so much more

Posted on October 6, 2010 by David McKee

Gaming regulators in Missouri got a little unsolicited advice from Ameristar Casinos as to where to put Casino License #13. Ameristar Vice President of Government Relations & Public Affairs Troy Stremming commissioned a study on the matter. Its shocking conclusion: … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Arizona, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, California, Colony Capital, Cretins, Current, Dennis Gomes, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Missouri, New York, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Tribal, TV, West Virginia | 5 Comments

Live, naked girls

Posted on September 23, 2010 by David McKee

Every few days brings a story pitch from some long-suffering PR professional. Today’s mail finds this plea on behalf of IAM Corp.: Since the beginning of online gaming, every other market has flocked to Live Dealer Casinos, but the US … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Current, Downtown, Dubai, Economy, Election, Genting, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Marketing, New York, Plaza, Politics, Tamares Group, The Strip | 2 Comments

Harrah’s does it again (and again … and again)

Posted on September 9, 2010 by David McKee

Hey, Gary Loveman, don’t let the doorknob hit you in the butt as you skedaddle out of Kansas for the second time.  Ever-fickle, Harrah’s Entertainment turned tail and ran from the Sunflower State on the very date its Wichita-area proposal … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, California, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Kansas, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 6 Comments

Murren vs. Angle

Posted on September 7, 2010 by David McKee

Taking a moment from fluffing Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren finally pointed out the elephant in the middle of the room, Sharron Angle‘s laughably primitive grasp of economics. (Except Murren used a nicer word than … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, New York | 5 Comments

Case Bets: Global Cash’s Access, Cosmo, Riviera, Oscar, Oregon & Banditry

Posted on August 25, 2010 by David McKee

Excessive Access? The casino industry gets closer and closer to the day when it simply hooks up a suction hose to your bank vault. While Global Cash Access doesn’t want to interface bank cards with slot machines — it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Cosmopolitan, Current, Election, Environment, Harrah's, International, Marketing, New York, Oscar Goodman, Problem gambling, Regulation, Riviera, Technology, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV | 8 Comments

Suicidal in New Jersey

Posted on August 18, 2010 by David McKee

Atlantic City can just plain go to hell. That’s the message from several prominent — or simply loud — Democratic lawmakers who say Gov. Chris Christie‘s rescue plan for the city is spinach and to heck with it. Noisiest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Marketing, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Singapore, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments