Category Archives: Pennsylvania

Wynn, loopy attorney in legal feud; Philly goes Live

Steve Wynn is back in the news again. His former attorney, L. Lin Wood, is suing Wynn for alleged defamation, the ex-casino mogul supposedly having told Donald Trump that Wood was several fries short of a Happy Meal. The falling … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Connecticut, Conventions, Cordish Co., Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Health, IGT, International, Marijuana, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn | 2 Comments

Chilly in Atlantic City, deep freeze in Detroit; Siegfried, R.I.P.

Casino revenues in Atlantic City plunged 29% last month. “Results for the month reflect the negative impact of higher new COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, capacity limits and restrictions on F&B offerings, similar to other regional markets,” writes JP Morgan … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Centaur Gaming, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Dining, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Tribute to a bad man

Sheldon Adelson‘s Horatio Alger success story came to an abrupt end today, when the Boston Globe broke the news of his death from lymphoma at age 87. Adelson had a good run in the industry, longer than most, and his … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Alabama, Architecture, Conventions, Culinary Union, Donald Trump, Election, Florida, Galaxy Entertainment, Health, history, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Macau, Marijuana, Movies, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Sports betting impresses in Iowa; Harness racing resumes

Sports betting in Iowa crossed the $100 million threshold in handle last month and that was without some key players like BetMGM, which launched earlier this month. Wagers are expected to vault now that Gov. Kim Reynolds‘ stay on mobile … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, China, Cordish Co., Health, Iowa, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Sports betting, Tribal | 1 Comment

Adelson, Packer canoodle & other news

While America burns, Sheldon Adelson is fiddling in the French Caribbean, aboard his mega-luxury yacht. The vessel was moored next to that of James Packer, who welcomed Adelson as guest for his lavish New Year’s Eve celebration. This meeting of … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, China, Crown Resorts, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Hawaii, Health, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, James Packer, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Dakota, Taxes, Tribal, Virginia | Comments Off on Adelson, Packer canoodle & other news

Culinary vs. Wynn; Illinois sports betting explodes

Is the Culinary Union cutting off its nose to spite its face? The local had a contractual agreement that all Wynncore members would be keep on full health benefits, even if reduced to part-time status. But when Encore semi-closed, the … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, GLPI, Golden Nugget, history, Illinois, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

In case you missed it …

Pennsylvania closed all its casinos Sunday, starting with Rivers Casino Pittsburgh at 12 a.m. The shutdown is to last until Jan 4. The Keystone State joins Michigan (until Dec. 20, probably longer) and Illinois (indefinite). In Nevada, although Covid-19 is … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Connecticut, Conventions, Downtown, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Scientific Games, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Palazzo closes; iGaming here to stay

There’s no room at the inn at Palazzo. Not permanently. But it’s not a good sign for a Las Vegas Strip whose room rates are bumping along the bottom, even during New Year’s Eve weekend. As Las Vegas Sands said, … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, Iowa, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

End of the honeymoon; Virgin Hotel clings to virginity

Gaming revenue dropped last month in Maryland and precipitously so in Ohio, where the good times had really been rolling. Maryland’s $130.5 million gross represented a 7.5% dip, motivating JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff to write that “We note the … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Las Vegas Raiders, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, Sports betting, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Wall Street crowns DraftKings; Hsieh: Grey Goose vs. cold turkey

Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken is initiating coverage of DraftKings but not getting carried away. He’s put a “neutral” rating on the heavily hyped stock, with a $48 price target that mirrors its recent trading range. “We believe there is … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, California, China, Colorado, Culinary Union, DFS, DraftKings, e-sports, FanDuel, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Marketing, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Politics, Prostitution, Tony Hsieh, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill | Comments Off on Wall Street crowns DraftKings; Hsieh: Grey Goose vs. cold turkey

New rules, green shoots on the Strip; Mixed messages in Michigan

Casinos in Nevada will take a gut punch tomorrow when new state restrictions go into effect. They’ll have to reduce players on the floor to 25% of capacity, and the same holds true for bars and restaurants. Citing “wildfire” levels … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Colorado, Cordish Co., Detroit, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Sports betting salvages Pennsylvania

An extra weekend notwithstanding, Pennsylvania casinos were down 16% last month. They grossed $218 million, with $155 million of that coming from the slots (-17%). Table games held their ground better, off 13% for $63 million. Sports betting chipped in … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Health, Internet gambling, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sports betting salvages Pennsylvania

Sports betting boffo in Illinois; Structural shift at Churchill Downs

Illinois gamblers can’t seem to find their way to a casino nowadays—but they love themselves some sports betting. The state has reached $300 million in handle faster than any in U.S. history—$305 million and change during September. “Illinois’ launch in … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, FanDuel, Health, Horseracing, Illinois, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Sports betting boffo in Illinois; Structural shift at Churchill Downs

Cirque sacrifies “Zumanity”; Gaming recovery vs. Covid

Covid-19 has claimed its first Cirque du Soleil casualty. Zumanity has gone permanently dark at New York-New York. We’ll miss the sexually charged show, which logged 7,700 performances in 17 (!) years. “We’re grateful to the cast, crew and team … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Arkansas, California, Cirque du Soleil, Derek Stevens, Economy, Entertainment, Health, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment

MGM “unsurprising”; Penn outperforms

Analysts at JP Morgan were blasé about MGM Resorts International‘s 3Q20 report, setting their price target at $22/share. Wrote Joseph Greff, “We remain Neutral rated as we continue to see a slow recovery on the LV Strip, a market that … Continue reading

Posted in California, Charity, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Conventions, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street | 2 Comments

At long last, Circa; Las Vegas Strip, empty city

Yesterday was Circa Day, the opening of the most-anticipated Las Vegas casino in a long time (yes, even before Aria). Much of that buzz was due to owner Derek Stevens‘ canny mastery of PR but a spiffy new Downtown casino … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Derek Stevens, Donald Trump, Downtown, Downtown Grand, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Health, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports betting, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tourism, Vdara Death Ray, Wall Street | 1 Comment

First Amendment 1, Sahara 0; Pennsylvania sets record

In what must have been an easy call for jurisprudence, a Clark County judge has ash canned the Sahara‘s frivolous lawsuit against Vital Vegas author Scott Roeben. “Ill-considered” was about the nicest thing Judge Trevor Atkin had to say in … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cretins, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sahara, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Twin River | 3 Comments

Maryland returns to normal; Caesars offloads assets

Pandemic? What pandemic? Maryland casino revenues were 1% above last September’s, indicating a resumption of normality, at least where gambling is concerned. The statewide gross was $149.5 million. That’s despite restrictions that include keeping the casino floor at 50% of … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Cordish Co., Cretins, Delaware, Diversity, Economy, Election, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Health, International, Internet gambling, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Reno, Sports betting, Tribal, Virginia, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Maryland returns to normal; Caesars offloads assets

Barstool buy buoys Penn Nat’l; MGM’s ad blitzkrieg

JP Morgan analysts upped their near- and long-term cash flow estimates for Penn National Gaming, based on regional trends and sports betting. “While we recognize PENN’s impressive share price outperformance, and many sell-side firms have thrown in the towel with … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown Grand, DraftKings, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Vegas’ mixed message; China puts the squeeze on Macao

Is the Las Vegas Strip coming back? Yes and no, to judge by hotel rates for the October 18-24 period. They’re 50% 0ff last year’s but with a severe dichotomy between weekdays and weekends. For instance, Las Vegas Sands (even … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, China, Conventions, Economy, Health, Kazuo Okada, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Problem gambling, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment