Category Archives: Pinnacle Entertainment

Caesars Cincinnati? Invaders repulsed at Gettysburg (again)

Posted on August 18, 2010 by David McKee

Here at S&G, we think the Caesars brand is more than worthy of the Queen City. Others don’t share our enthusiasm. Using the Horseshoe hoofprint doesn’t make sense, given that Harrah’s Entertainment rather expensively deployed that just downriver in Evansville. … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, history, Illinois, International, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | 6 Comments

Who needs M most?; Station’s glass jaw

Posted on August 17, 2010 by David McKee

In a shocker of a scoop, The Newspaper That Must Not Be Cited revealed yesterday that a $700 million stake in $1 billion M Resort was being shopped around by the resort’s lead banker. While this probably says more about … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Downtown, Economy, Kansas, M Resort, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Riviera, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 8 Comments

Ameristar up for grabs

Posted on August 11, 2010 by David McKee

Having been in “stay the course” mode ever since the death of company founder Craig H. Neilsen, locals giant Ameristar Casinos is putting itself on the block. According to the New York Post, the company has hired an investment bank … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Atlantic City: Christie’s coup d’etat

Posted on July 21, 2010 by David McKee

Last week, I tried to work up a piece entitled, “Atlantic City, R.I.P.” After all, the Boardwalk had just come off a catastrophic June, impacted by table games in Delaware. Since table games were in process of sweeping Pennsylvania, from … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Taxes, The Mob, Tourism | 6 Comments

Louisiana treads (oily) water

Posted on July 20, 2010 by David McKee

It’s a rare day when one can report that a casino market was down year/year but did better than expected. If you were looking for serious Deepwater Horizon spillover into June’s casino numbers, you’d be surprised. Statewide, casinos were -4.5% … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dining, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Louisiana, M Resort, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Louisiana treads (oily) water

S&G hither & yon

Posted on July 12, 2010 by David McKee

Last weekend’s usual barrage of errands, veterinary appointments, etc., was interrupted long enough for Yr. Humble Blogger to guest-host another edition of The Strip Podcast. In it, I reveal my shameful ignorance of televised poker (something I literally tuned out … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Missouri, North Las Vegas, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Technology, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, TV, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 1 Comment

Around the horn

Posted on July 8, 2010 by David McKee

Iowa‘s casino revenues last month were nearly the textbook definition of “flat”: up a tenth of a percent, the first revenue-positive month since February 2009. (Hey, growth is growth. We’ll take it.) The drag anchor on revs was Harrah’s Entertainment, … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Don Barden, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, International, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 29, 2010 by David McKee

“You say you’re honoring the chips? I say honor the employees.” — unidentified, unemployed President Casino worker, one of several accusing Pinnacle Entertainment of leaving them high and dry. Pinnacle has published a detailed rebuttal of the workers’ accusations.

Posted in Economy, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Back from the North; Requiem for a President

Posted on June 25, 2010 by David McKee

My apologies to S&G readers for the prolonged silence whilst I was on vacation. It seems that wi-fi availability in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is even spottier than I feared (although it makes a good excuse to head down … Continue reading →

Posted in Detroit, Dining, Harrah's, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, WMS Industries | Comments Off on Back from the North; Requiem for a President

Louisiana: the oil hits the fan

Posted on June 15, 2010 by David McKee

Forty days and nights of Deepwater Horizon put a stop to what looked like an incipient recovery in the Louisiana market. After being down 15% in January, revenue declines shallowed during the following three months (-6%, -5%, -1%). Then came … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tourism | 3 Comments

I stand corrected

Posted on June 3, 2010 by David McKee

Kudos to the reader who caught my boo-boo regarding casinos built over interstate highways: Regarding a U.S. casino sitting astride a highway, please note that John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Sparks (outside of Reno) sits astride Interstate 80. He went on … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Marketing, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Missouri, Phil Ruffin, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Reno, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off on I stand corrected

Case Bets: Station, Macao, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, Encore 2x, etc.

Posted on June 1, 2010 by David McKee

$864.5 million: That’s the magic number if you want to put in an opening bid on 11 Station Casinos properties (plus unspecified land and some tribal-casino-management contracts) come Aug. 6. Boyd Gaming‘s already made it clear that it’s good for … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Bally Technologies, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

“Run away! Run away!”

Posted on May 18, 2010 by David McKee

“We know there’s going to be drug sales and prostitution and that you can’t stop all of it,” is the rallying cry of the Nevada Gaming Control Board‘s top enforcer, Jerry Markling, basically running up the white flag even before … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, The Strip | 1 Comment

Mixed signals along the rivers

Posted on May 11, 2010 by David McKee

Last month’s results from Missouri are as might be expected. The opening of Pinnacle Entertainment‘s River City lifted state revenues overall (6%) but at the price of a fair amount of cannibalization — mainly at other Pinnacle properties, although it … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Cordish Co., Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Mixed signals along the rivers

Illinois’ results are good, Sands’ are better

Posted on May 7, 2010 by David McKee

Praise be! Casino revenues in Illinois were actually flat (+0.5%) last month. It’s mainly a consequence of Penn National‘s Empress Joliet being back in the fray, raking in $40 million. (You’ll recall that, a year ago, its pavilion was but … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip | Comments Off on Illinois’ results are good, Sands’ are better

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 30, 2010 by David McKee

“It is certainly time that we openly recognize that when a limited number of gambling licenses are up for bid, the winners will be the applicants who promise the state the most money, in upfront fees, massive construction projects and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 16, 2010 by David McKee

“This is new CEO Anthony Sanfilippo’s first major (at least public) decision and one that, in our opinion, shows strong and rational capital allocation decision-making.” — J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, lauding Pinnacle Entertainment‘s decision to scuttle its Sugarcane Bay … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Case Bets: St. Louis, Florida & antiques

Posted on April 15, 2010 by David McKee

It was the best of times … almost. Pinnacle Entertainment‘s opening of River City not only propelled a 9% increase in casino revenue in the St. Louis market, it gave the area “its busiest month ever.” While River City’s $15.9 … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Betting on Adelson

Posted on April 13, 2010 by David McKee

Analysts at J.P. Morgan are downright bullish on Las Vegas Sands, raising their stock price target by over 25% (to $29/share). Their ebullience is motivated in large part by expectations for Marina Bay Sands, which they estimate will garner 55% … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, CityCenter, Economy, Indiana, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Flat in IN, coming back in IL

Posted on April 8, 2010 by David McKee

Despite being 2.5% below last year’s casino revenues, J.P. Morgan is calling the results in Illinois the best out of the previous 16 months. In other words, the decline was the smallest since November of ’09.  The restoration of Penn … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Don Barden, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Flat in IN, coming back in IL