Category Archives: Pennsylvania

Hard Rock: No end of trouble on Paradise

Posted on December 28, 2010 by David McKee

Once again the blogosphere has caught the MSM napping. Report On Vegas informs readers that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is having a rough time meeting its bills (this was the augury of doom for Barrick Gaming‘s short-lived stewardship … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Don Barden, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, Morgans Hotel Group, Pennsylvania, Sports, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tribal, TV | 3 Comments

For sale: One casino license, slightly used

Posted on December 27, 2010 by David McKee

Legislators are pressing for a free-market solution to debacle that was Foxwoods Philadelphia. Typical of Pennsylvania‘s overhasty implementation of casino gambling, nobody bothered to codify A) what to do with licenses that get revoked or B) whether to refund or … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos | 4 Comments

Oh little casino of Bethlehem

Posted on December 24, 2010 by David McKee

There’s a little something extra in the stockings of Pennsylvania casinos … a rather big something extra, actually. Keystone State casinos grossed 22% more than last November. Throw in a $15 million month at SugarHouse (below) and it’s a 31.5% … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, International, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off

‘Twere the Case Bets before Christmas

Posted on December 23, 2010 by David McKee

In the casino industry, everything was stirring, including the mice. Cordish’s revenge. It’s a dish best served by opening Cordish Gaming‘s controversial Arundel Mills gambling hall late next year with a temporary, one-year casino. That means karma comes early for … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Animals, Cordish Co., Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Minnesota, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Singapore, The Mob, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Horseshoe Philadelphia goes into deep freeze

Posted on December 17, 2010 by David McKee

After four interminable years, that on-again/off-again casino project on the Philadelphia waterfront has been put out of its misery. Comcast‘s Ed Snider, his fellow juiced-in investors and putative savior Caesars Entertainment had the rug yanked from beneath them in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Charity, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tribal | Comments Off

D-Day for Philadelphia

Posted on December 13, 2010 by David McKee

Investors in the stymied Foxwoods Philadelphia riverfront casino project have a date with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Thursday. That’s where they’ll make their last-ditch pitch to retain custody of the project. State legislators and other officials have voiced … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Vdara Death Ray | 1 Comment

Atlantic City’s future: “Bleak”

Posted on December 10, 2010 by David McKee

Such is the prognosis from J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff after the November revenues rolled in from the Boardwalk. Basically, the double-edged sword that was table games in Pennsylvania and a casino in Philadelphia has swung, and lopped 12.5% off … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Cretins, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Morgans Hotel Group, Movies, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Sheldon Adelson is so busted

Posted on December 10, 2010 by David McKee

Congratulations, Sheldon Adelson! You’ve just upped your street cred — and become the butt of 1,001 pimp jokes. Is the Las Vegas Sands CEO going to start hangin’ with Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent (or maybe Eliot Spitzer and Hugh … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, G2E, Internet gambling, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

2014 is the new 2007; Good news from Pennsylvania, Detroit

Posted on December 7, 2010 by David McKee

It will take Las Vegas seven years to return to its former prosperity. Or so concludes a new report from consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, which sees casino revenue improving in late 2011 (in line with a Moody’s Investor Service report that … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Plaza, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 5 Comments

Harrah’s: Furtive Friday

Posted on November 21, 2010 by David McKee

Two days after sending CEO Gary Loveman out to change the conversation by hollering at the assembled masses in an inchoate G2E address, Harrah’s Entertainment quietly scuttled that much-talked-about IPO, evidently for fear it would be under-subscribed. Since the stated … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, G2E, Harrah's, Ohio, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

G2E bargain at Station; analysts split on Sands

Posted on November 8, 2010 by David McKee

If you’re looking for an affordable room in Las Vegas during Global Gaming Expo, try Expedia‘s German site (“.de”). A European-based S&G source reports finding rooms at Boulder Station going for €57 and Fiesta Rancho asking €59 — or $79 … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Florida, G2E, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 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

[Your casino here]

Posted on October 28, 2010 by David McKee

As I find myself in frantic catch-up mode, one of the tasks confronting me is about 40 pages of Wall Street analysis on Las Vegas Sands‘ third quarter. (Hint: It was extremely good.) In honor of Sheldon Adelson, here’s the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Marketing, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, TV, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Harrah’s to the rescue; Penn Nat’l bigfoots Maryland dispute

Posted on October 26, 2010 by David McKee

If — as appears to be the case — a deal to have Harrah’s Entertainment take over the stalled Foxwoods casino project in Philadelphia is all but done, hopefully it will render the question moot as to whether the casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Cordish Co., Current, Election, Harrah's, Maryland, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tribal | Comments Off

Singapore: Mission accomplished

Posted on October 25, 2010 by David McKee

A curious item popped up on the Manila Web site MB.com last week. Remember how Macao was “Asia’s Las Vegas”? The new meme is “More Than Just the New Vegas” (emphasis added). The lengthy puff piece rather strenuously posited Macao … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Genting, Harrah's, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Harrah’s on new spending spree

Posted on October 18, 2010 by David McKee

As predicted and dreaded by skeptical bond analysts, proceeds from Harrah’s Entertainment‘s semi-IPO of 17% of the company, it has been officially disclosed, will be rolled into retail therapy for CEO Gary Loveman. An anticipated $575 million will be used … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, The Strip, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Adelson wins twice over

Posted on October 18, 2010 by David McKee

Bowing to reality, Macao‘s government will accede to Las Vegas Sands‘ desire — and rather desperate need — for 5,000 additional guest workers in order to complete long-delayed Venetian Oriental (left). Even with an infusion of Mainland laborers, the megaresort’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Don Barden, Election, Harrah's, Macau, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off

Kerkorian’s mixed message; Winners & Losers

Posted on October 13, 2010 by David McKee

Earlier this week, Hudson Securities analyst Robert LaFleur — something of a maverick in the gaming sector — voiced doubts about MGM Resorts International‘s ability to sustain its debt covenants. With an overhang of $13 million in debt, few properties … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, International, Louisiana, M Resort, Macau, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Vdara Death Ray, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Great moments in casino marketing

Posted on October 13, 2010 by David McKee

We associate Sega with video games but once upon a time, it was in the slot business. Those old machines do look awfully quaint unless … … you juxtapose a Sega one-armed bandit with über-mega-hot European sex goddess Edwige Fenech … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Current, history, Marketing, Movies, Pennsylvania, Technology, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Atlantic City: It could have been worse; Hard Rock changes its tune

Posted on October 12, 2010 by David McKee

OK, so September’s numbers from Atlantic City only represent one month of competition from SugarHouse, in Philadelphia. However, with every other casino in Pennsylvania having enjoyed two full months of table games, a 12% dropoff isn’t as bad as I … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Detroit, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, M Resort, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments