Category Archives: Ohio

Eldorado captures Isle; Adelson thwarted; Perlman dies

Posted on September 19, 2016 by David McKee

Scratch one more casino company from the checkerboard. This morning it was announced that Eldorado Resorts was buying Isle of Capri Casinos (long mooted as a takeover target. Eldorado will pay $1.7 billion for Isle — or $23 a share … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Foxwoods, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, history, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tribal, Vietnam, Wall Street | Comments Off

Freeman’s crusade; Gilbert struggles in Ohio

Posted on September 7, 2016 by David McKee

To describe the new-look American Gaming Association as “activist” would be an understatement of some magnitude. President Geoff Freeman has put the pedal to the metal in his quest for legalized sports betting. Today, Freeman mounted his bully pulpit in … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, Geoff Freeman, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Iowa, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sports, Taxes | 2 Comments

New casinos propel Iowa; Cal Neva goes bankrupt

Posted on August 8, 2016 by David McKee

We don’t report Iowa casino results very much, partly because the market overwhelmingly consists of small casinos with grosses to match. Given their modest grosses, a minor fluctuation can be magnified. Even so, last month’s 5% bounce is worth discussing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Harrah's, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, Scientific Games, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

Tomato King gets squashed; California, the wild, wild west of gambling

Posted on July 25, 2016 by David McKee

So much for Lawrence Downs Casino & Racing Resort. In a unanimous vote, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board decided to drop-kick the casino project, which had already lost the backing of Penn National Gaming, which has racino interests nearby in Ohio. What seems … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Dan Gilbert, Election, Geoff Freeman, Law enforcement, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Tomato King Procacci | Comments Off

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 21, 2016 by David McKee

“It is anything but a victimless crime. Just as we have partnered with law enforcement at every level, including the FBI, state attorneys general, sheriffs and chiefs of police, we look forward to supporting efforts of the Ohio Casino Control Commission … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Ohio, Texas | 1 Comment

Strip still catching up; Nevada taking bets on the Olympics

Posted on July 21, 2016 by David McKee

While gaming companies on the Las Vegas Strip are fairly sanguine about 2016, a new report by Alex Bumazhny of Fitch Ratings takes a somewhat gloomier view. For one, he notes that revenue per available room “growth during the recovery … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Election, Geoff Freeman, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, The Strip, Westgate LV | 2 Comments

The card-room hustle; Sheldon, can you spare $6 million?

Posted on July 15, 2016 by David McKee

“In the 16 years we’ve been down there, I’ve paid the city $80.5 million in tax revenue. We saved the city from bankruptcy. We’ve been paying the city payroll including the Police Department for the last 16 years and I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Election, Internet gambling, Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Tribal, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

What’s the verdict, Jack, er, Dan?; AGA & NIGA join forces

Posted on July 7, 2016 by David McKee

Cleveland Cavaliers playoff games were good for Dan Gilbert‘s casino businesses. His Jack Cleveland casino was up 13%, to $16 million last month. It’s far too soon for a verdict on the “Jack” (as in “up yours, asshole”) brand, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, G2E, Geoff Freeman, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes | Comments Off

Revel … still not open; Cautious hope for Internet gambling in Pennsylvania

Posted on June 20, 2016 by David McKee

Glenn Straub‘s once-bold gambit to reopen Revel has turned into an embarrassing face-plant. Perhaps rushing to market in hopes of beating Bart Blatstein‘s Showboat to the hotel traffic, Straub announced a hasty revival of Revel as a casino-hotel without … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Environment, Glenn Straub, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Slot routes, Sports, Technology | 1 Comment

Sheldon’s big surprise; AGA attacks NFL silliness

Posted on May 25, 2016 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson is feeling bullish on the Las Vegas market these days. Undeterred by the debut of T-Mobile Arena, he is proposing a 17,500-seat concert venue, to be built on underutilized land behind Venelazzo. Adelson has formed a consortium with … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Downtown, Entertainment, Geoff Freeman, history, Hooters, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Texas, The Strip | Comments Off

Balmy spring for Ohio, Missouri; Pinnacle beats estimates

Posted on May 10, 2016 by David McKee

Ohio had a particularly good April, with gaming revenue up 9%. Coin-in rose 8% at the slots while table game revenue was up 5% despite 3% less wagering. Penn National Gaming, Caesars Entertainment and Pinnacle Entertainment all posted revenue-positive months, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Penn talks turkey; Celebrity brawl at Aria

Posted on April 11, 2016 by David McKee

Next week Penn National Gaming turns on the Marquee Rewards spigot at the Tropicana Las Vegas. Given some of management’s recent disclosures, it won’t come a day too soon: 85% of Penn’s customer base comes to Sin City but stays … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cordish Co., Full House Resorts, Harrah's, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Majestic Star, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Penn trumps Caesars in Ohio

Posted on April 7, 2016 by David McKee

Hard Rock Rocksino regained its top spot in Ohio last month, grossing just over $20 million (+9%). Just imagine what it could do if it had table games. The Caesars Entertainment/Dan Gilbert trifecta continued to underperform, with a flat month … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Ohio leads the Midwest; Boyd a good neighbor in Iowa

Posted on March 28, 2016 by David McKee

With gaming expansion off the table in all Midwestern states (other than a potential tribal casino in Indiana), Ohio has been making out like a bandit, its gaming revenues up 13% from last year, as the state’s industry is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Charity, Economy, Florida, Foxwoods, Idaho, Iowa, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tribal | 1 Comment

Kasich, gambling opponents clash; Boffo month for Pennsylvania

Posted on March 25, 2016 by David McKee

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) went 1-1 in legal challenges to his decision to widen the Buckeye State’s casino industry, including his permission of VLTs at the state’s racinos, a move that broke the Caesars Entertainment/Penn National Gaming duopoly on … Continue reading →

Posted in GLPI, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Pinnacle/GLPI deal gets OK; Hard Rock courts Cypriots

Posted on March 16, 2016 by David McKee

Shareholders of Pinnacle Entertainment have voted to approve a deal whereby all but one of the company’s physical assets would be sold to real estate investment trust Gaming & Leisure Properties, while Pinnacle would continue to exist as a casino-management company. … Continue reading →

Posted in Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, GLPI, Hard Rock Hotel, Indiana, International, Lawrence Ho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Penn National, Philippines, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Sex in the sky; Great month for Indiana

Posted on March 9, 2016 by David McKee

Gary Loveman‘s beloved Vegas High Roller has become Las Vegas‘ favorite place to expose oneself, with eight known instances to date. Let’s not pretend to be surprised by this. Anyway, proving that what happens here often leads to a misdemeanor … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Full House Resorts, Harrah's, Indiana, Law enforcement, Majestic Star, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Big month for Penn in Ohio

Posted on March 7, 2016 by David McKee

With one glaring exception, February was an outstanding month for Ohio casinos and racinos. The underachiever was Horseshoe Cleveland, which fell 9% on revenues of $18 million. Even struggling Thistledown Racino managed a 3% uptick, grossing $9 million. Horseshoe Cincinnati … Continue reading →

Posted in Eldorado Resorts, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Trump: The art of failure; Tribal gaming flexes its muscle

Posted on March 4, 2016 by David McKee

During a period (1995-2005) in which the Dow Jones Average Casino Index posted a 160% return on investment, Trump Hotels & Casinos ate dirt to the tune of a negative 89% ROI. By contrast, Boyd Gaming — unloved on Wall … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Donald Trump, Economy, Marketing, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, New York, Ohio, Regulation, Scientific Games, Tribal, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | Comments Off

Does Gilbert know Jack?; Caesars’ big finish

Posted on February 24, 2016 by David McKee

Will a Horseshoe by any other name earn as much? We’re going to find out because Rock Gaming owner Dan Gilbert is going to rebrand his casinos under the Jack Entertainment banner, presumably a tip of the hat to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colorado, Dan Gilbert, Florida, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off