Category Archives: Pinnacle Entertainment

Brand-new Palace; Slide at Sands

Although we’ve been talking about the $192 million Palace Station do-over for months, it’s finally on display and color us dazzled. Based on the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s photo essay, we hardly recognize the old gal, looking frisky after her nine-figure … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, DFS, Dining, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Japan, Marketing, New York, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip | 1 Comment

Penn, Caesars come together; Big bet in smallest state

Penn National Gaming swooped in and bought itself a nice little operating contract in Louisiana, the Margaritaville Casino Resort, for $115 million. Considering that the price translates to 5.5X cash flow, Penn got itself quite a bargain. It’s also a vote … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sports, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on Penn, Caesars come together; Big bet in smallest state

Big day in New Jersey; Atlantic City slips

Sports betting in New Jersey will go off as planned. As I write this, Monmouth Park is 20 minutes away from taking its first wager, presumably placed on the World Cup by Gov. Phil Murphy (D). “I’m thrilled to be doing … Continue reading

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Detroit, DFS, Eldorado Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Midwest torpor; Freeman says goodbye

A wave of prosperity among Midwest casinos has hit the wall, at least for the near term. Indiana and Missouri joined Illinois, Ohio and Iowa in reporting flat year/year gaming revenues for May. In Indiana, gamblers were losing 15.5% more … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Brazil, Centaur Gaming, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Law enforcement, Macau, Majestic Star, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Midwest torpor; Freeman says goodbye

Churchill Downs hearts casinos; Cleveland still not rocking

Churchill Downs is going all-in on sports betting, planning to leverage its (soon-to-be) access to the Pennsylvania and Mississippi markets, plus its relationship with the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City. However, the sky-high tax rate (34%) in Pennsylvania may translate … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Hard Rock International, International, Kentucky, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on Churchill Downs hearts casinos; Cleveland still not rocking

Quote of the Day

“Folks are either spending a little more time or a little more money while they’re on the property. There’s good demand for the nearly 400 new slot machines we’ve put in over the last few months. We’re always working with vendors and … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Economy, Indiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Technology | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Atlantic City: Calm before the storm; Stormy weather in Louisiana

Atlantic City was stable last month, defying an unfavorable calendar (one less weekend day) and grossing $191.5 million, while online gambling had its second-best-ever month, pulling in $23 million (+10.5%). Slot handle was down 3.5%, as was revenue, while a … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Bruce Deifik, Columbia Sussex, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Atlantic City: Calm before the storm; Stormy weather in Louisiana

How much for a used Dragon?; Indiana good, Missouri ‘meh’

Believe it or not, there is “a lot of interest in the property at this time” according to Lucky Dragon Casino owner Andrew Fonfa, a contention independently verified by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That being said, a Lucky Dragon sale is … Continue reading

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Centaur Gaming, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Horseracing, IGT, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Lucky Dragon, Majestic Star, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on How much for a used Dragon?; Indiana good, Missouri ‘meh’

Ohio good, Maryland better; The mystery of Carrot Top

Last month found the State of Maryland in good health when it came to gaming revenue, up 6%. Most of this was driven — one is tempted to say “of course” — by MGM National Harbor, vaulting 15.5% for an … Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Gilbert, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Environment, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation, West Virginia | Comments Off on Ohio good, Maryland better; The mystery of Carrot Top

Boyd weathers challenges; MGM swoons

An alternate headline for Boyd Gaming‘s 1Q18 results might be “better than expected.” Although the company had modeled a $12 million-$15 million cash flow hit at Blue Chip from new, nearby Four Winds Casino, the company’s Midwest revenues came in … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Downtown, Greenwood Racing, Hawaii, Indiana, Japan, Louisiana, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Ohio, Palms, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Resort fees, Sports, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Dubious honor for Nevada; GLPI’s big gulp

Nevada is used to getting WalletHub accolades but here’s one it didn’t want and would probably prefer to see swept under the rug … most gambling-addicted state in the U.S. And why not? There are very few states in the … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Problem gambling, Regulation, South Dakota, Tropicana Entertainment, Unite-Here | Comments Off on Dubious honor for Nevada; GLPI’s big gulp

Japan “better than feared.” Mixed bag in Louisiana

How do evolving casino casino regulations in Japan look? Well, how does ‘not as bad as expected’ sound? Trust me, that’s good news. And don’t take my word: Take that of Morgan Stanley. Taxes will be set at 30%, which … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Galaxy Entertainment, GLPI, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Japan, Louisiana, Marijuana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Penn National, Philippines, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Japan “better than feared.” Mixed bag in Louisiana

Bumpy month for Atlantic City; Stanley Ho has left the building

Winter has not been kind to Atlantic City, with gaming revenues down 3.5% in March ($193 million). At least Internet gaming is a bastion of strength, 17.5% more productive last month, with Golden Nugget dominating that sector with 34% market … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Stanley Ho, The Mob, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Bumpy month for Atlantic City; Stanley Ho has left the building

Study zings MGM; Galaxy resort vetoed

Allowing a fourth casino into Connecticut — and thereby abrogating its gaming compacts — could be extremely costly for the Nutmeg State. That’s the conclusion of a new study by casino pundit Clyde Barrow. He writes that the new casino … Continue reading

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Centaur Gaming, Economy, Environment, Foxwoods, Full House Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Harrah's, Majestic Star, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, New York, Penn National, Philippines, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Taxes, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Study zings MGM; Galaxy resort vetoed

Midwest roundup

Business was booming in Ohio, where the state’s casino industry saw revenues increase 9%. Hollywood Columbus ($22.5 million) was up 8.5% while Hollywood Toledo ($20 million) they gained 8%. Hollywood Dayton (+9%) and Hollywood Mahoning Valley (+13%) were phat, with … Continue reading

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Isle of Capri, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Midwest roundup

MGM owns Maryland; Rumble in Deadwood

MGM National Harbor continues to devour the Maryland market, hitting a record 40% market share last month, along with a best-ever $1.95 million/day in gross gaming record, for an overall gross of $60.5 million. Less pleasing for MGM execs: Slots … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, South Dakota, Sports, Taxes, Tribal, West Virginia | 2 Comments

Shocker: Hard Rock Rocksino sold; New top man at SLS

Despite being the dominant racino operator — hell, gaming operator — in Ohio, it seems that Hard Rock International is throwing in the towel. It’s selling Hard Rock Rocksino to MGM Growth Properties. Early Wall Street speculation is that we’re … Continue reading

Posted in ACEP, Affinity Gaming, Alex Meruelo, Boyd Gaming, Colorado, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, SLS Las Vegas, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Feds scrutinize Pinnacle sale; Diamond Jacks gets prominent supporter

As the big continue to get bigger, Penn National Gaming is two steps closer to becoming a 20-state, 41-casino mammoth. West Virginia and Pennsylvania‘s regulatory bodies have signed off on its absorption of Pinnacle Entertainment. Penn, however, is not counting … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Derek Stevens, Galaxy Entertainment, GLPI, James Packer, Louisiana, Mississippi, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Fertitta conquers Lake Charles; Parking fees rise again

Gambling revenue in Louisiana was flat last month, but the bottom-line number doesn’t tell the whole story. For instance, Lake Charles was up 8.5% and trouble-plagued Baton Rouge was 10.5% down. In the former market, Golden Nugget vaulted 21%, to … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Resort fees, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City slumps; New wrinkle in Lake Tahoe

First the good news: Internet gambling revenue was 17.5% last month, grossing $22 million. Golden Nugget continues to wildly dominate this category, up to 36% of market share. Borgata and Resorts Digital were tied for a distant second with 17% … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bart Blutsten, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment