Category Archives: Penn National

PokerStars blows it; Wynn woos Philadelphia

Posted on May 20, 2013 by David McKee

Score one for Colony Capital: It took Rational Group to the cleaners to the tune of $11 million and there’s nothing Rational can do about it. A New Jersey court ruled that the PokerStars parent company had no one to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Revel, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Penn cloning process proceeds

Posted on May 17, 2013 by David McKee

Penn National Gaming has filed paperwork with the SEC for an IPO that would enable you to buy into 19 Penn casinos, including flop Hollywood Perryville (shown). This Penn stalking horse would go by the incredibly generic name of Gaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Harrah's, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Big setback in Toronto; Wynn rebuffed; Cuomo’s winning streak

Posted on May 17, 2013 by David McKee

One of gaming’s biggest new markets went out with a whimper, not a bang, when colorful Toronto Mayor Rob Ford nixed a scheduled vote on whether to put a casino in the lakeside city, hoping to extract a $97 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, Tribal | 1 Comment

Pennsylvania and Louisiana: It’s what it is

Posted on May 16, 2013 by David McKee

When last seen, Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman was telling his brethren that a stale property is an endangered property. To prove his point, he need look no farther than Philadelphia, where new kid on the block Valley Forge Casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Genting, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Big vote in Beantown?; Penn National short-sheets Maryland

Posted on May 14, 2013 by David McKee

That’s what it could come to in Boston, if mayoral candidate — and current Suffolk County D.A. — Daniel Conley gets his wish. Rather than simply letting East Boston vote up or down on Caesars Entertainment‘s proposed conversion of Suffolk … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Election, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Station Casinos | 2 Comments

Equivocal anniversary for Ohio; In Massachusetts, progress for MGM and Wynn

Posted on May 13, 2013 by David McKee

So, as Ohio marks the first full year of casino play, is the glass half-full or half-empty. Currently, much is being made of Horseshoe Cleveland having brought in less than half of greatly over-ambitious expectations (and 12% less than what … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Dan Gilbert, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tourism | 3 Comments

Cosmo finally learns; Parx’s Maryland play

Posted on May 13, 2013 by David McKee

We don’t know how it managed it but congratulations to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It finally realized how to market to those hitherto-elusive creatures known as “gamblers.” Casino revenue shot up 33%, winning $41 million from players, partly due … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, The Strip, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off

Nevada: The recovery continues; Elsewhere: Not so much

Posted on May 10, 2013 by David McKee

After a boffo February, the Silver State also posted extraordinary numbers in March. As Deutsche Bank headlined its report, “Different Month, Same Tune.” Analyst Carlo Santarelli cautioned, “we believe the underlying trends are not as strong as the headline would … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Dan Lee, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Missouri, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, Revel, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Illinois: Quinn caves; Money grab in Missouri

Posted on May 7, 2013 by David McKee

That pesky Illinois Legislature writes up a new, gambling-expansion bill as fast as Gov. Pat Quinn (D, left) can veto the last one. Evidently worn down by long combat with lawmakers and facing a $100 million hole in the state’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Slot routes | 2 Comments

Happy days: Here again?; DIY Vdara Death Ray

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David McKee

America‘s casino officially emerged from the doldrums with the release of the American Gaming Association‘s yearly survey, showing a 5% increase in private-sector casino revenue, just $200 million shy of 2007’s record amount. Mind you, we have quite a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Penn National, Politics, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Vdara Death Ray | 1 Comment

Revel: Christie catches a break; Illinois remains suicidal; Online poker debuts in Nevada

Posted on May 2, 2013 by David McKee

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is one lucky fellow. Bankrupt Revel threatened to become an albatross around his neck, thanks to a $261 million tax break that Christie helped push through Trenton. Last week, it turned out that Revel … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Current, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology | 1 Comment

Springfield: MGM bests Penn … for now

Posted on May 1, 2013 by David McKee

Yes, the comedy is finished in Springfield, at least for the moment. In an episode worthy of The Simpsons and after an epic amount of foot-dragging, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno was cajoled and ultimately browbeaten into actually taking a stand … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Economy, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Pinnacle/Ameristar: A done deal; Elaine Wynn’s domino effect

Posted on April 29, 2013 by David McKee

All but a very few Ameristar Casinos shareholders voted to approve the company’s takeover by Pinnacle Entertainment, in one of the fastest M&A deals in industry memory. Regulatory approvals are still pending in Nevada and other states but Ameristar always … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, Indiana, Iowa, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off

Massachusetts loses patience … as do Archon shareholders

Posted on April 19, 2013 by David McKee

As the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and Gov. Deval Patrick (D, right) continue to try and convince the federal government that their prepackaged arrangement for the Mashpee Wamps to get a casino in southeast Massachusetts isn’t usurious (17% of gross revenues … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, Economy, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Goett with the wind

Posted on April 10, 2013 by David McKee

Since Colliers International hasn’t been able to move Gary Goett‘s 100 gaming-enabled acres on St. Rose Parkway and I-15, at $1.25 million per acre, he’s still got time to rethink his decision not to build his Southern Highlands megaresort (left), … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Gary Goett, M Resort, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn | Comments Off

Illinois: Recovering or grasping a branch?

Posted on April 6, 2013 by David McKee

We’re at a point where we can finally say that Illinois‘ colossal slide in casino revenues has ended … at least until people get into the habit of playing video poker in bars. Reckless legislators like Rep. Lou Lang (D), … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Slot routes | 1 Comment

Goodbye Western, hello SLS … ?

Posted on March 22, 2013 by David McKee

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than right: When Tamares Group made an indiscriminate splurge on downtown Las Vegas real estate in 2004, it was banking on a construction boom that never took place. It also found itself with several … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, M Resort, Marketing, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Your move, Steve Wynn

Posted on February 18, 2013 by David McKee

Philadelphia casino-applicant frontrunner Bart Blatstein has a new sidekick. He’s ditched Hard Rock International in favor of … Isle of Capri Casinos. It’s a big win for Isle and a very embarrassing public setback for the Seminole Tribe, which Blatstein … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 2 Comments

Case Bets: Binion’s redux; Dr. Doom; Everybody goes to Caesars

Posted on February 15, 2013 by David McKee

Today’s top story is the rumor, first aired on LasVegasAdvisor.com that Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel will close in July, lock, stock and million-dollar display. This dovetails with an earlier report that a detailed makeover is in the works. So … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, California, Dan Gilbert, Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oscar Goodman, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Racinos, Slot routes, Taxes, Technology, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | 3 Comments

An indispensable man; MGM’s two-front campaign

Posted on February 14, 2013 by David McKee

French statesman Georges Clemenceau once dryly remarked that the cemeteries are full of indispensable men. Clemenceau’s quip obtained fresh sting this week when the gaming world lost Dr. William Eadington. The industry scholar has been struggling with cancer for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, history, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Revel, Stanley Ho, Technology | Comments Off