Category Archives: Planet Hollywood

Illiterate and accused; Revel: Rewarding failure

Posted on July 31, 2014 by David McKee

People who state their career goal as “trynna get rich” should probably be arrested for crimes against the English language. In the case of Izyiah Plummer (right), though, the charges are much more grave: the July 21 armed robbery of Caesars … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Maryland, Planet Hollywood, Revel, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Caesars charged with default; LVH on the block again

Posted on June 9, 2014 by David McKee

It was bound to happen sooner or later: Holders of second-lien bonds ($3.7 billion worth) have charged Caesars Entertainment with default. They cited the offloading of Caesars New Orleans and other high-value properties, as well as the removal of guarantees … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Hooters, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Gambling: It’s not what it used to be

Posted on April 23, 2014 by David McKee

Nevada‘s casino industry is still in the Great Recession, if profits and losses are anything by which to go. Posting their fifth consecutive year of losses, they were $1.35 billion in the red, on $24 billion in revenues. No surprise, … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Planet Hollywood, Reno, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Big trouble for Little Caesars

Posted on April 4, 2014 by David McKee

A second group of dissident debtors has shown up to spoil Caesars Entertainment‘s spinoff of high-value assets to Caesars Growth Properties (aka Little Caesars). The $2.2 billion purchase, incidentally, means that Little Caesars — which is majority owned by Big … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Maryland, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Saratoga screw-up

Posted on April 2, 2014 by David McKee

In its haste to make a statement on gambling, Saratoga Springs may have cut the legs right out from under Saratoga Casino & Raceway. Rules for application, released yesterday, say that “a prospective casino operator must have a resolution of … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, New York, Planet Hollywood, Racinos, Regulation, The Strip | Comments Off

Sheldon’s boys

Posted on March 20, 2014 by David McKee

At least one Congressman has rallied to Sheldon Adelson‘s banner, in the form of boyish Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT). He’s introducing a bill to reimpose the pre-2011 interpretation of the Wire Act, banning all forms of online gambling. Chaffetz’s spokeswoman … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Internet gambling, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

PR Wars: Caesars vs. Caesars

Posted on February 11, 2014 by David McKee

It’s restructuring time again at Caesars Entertainment, but which Caesars? According to a Bloomberg interview with RBC Capital Markets analyst John Kempf, subsidiary Caesars Entertainment Operating Co. would trade second-lien debt for cash (of which Caesars maintains it has plenty) … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Planet Hollywood, Revel, Wall Street | Comments Off

Through a looking glass, brightly

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David McKee

So much for my crystal ball. Two projects that I openly doubted are now close to fruition and a third is showing fitful signs of life. (Another, Howard Bulloch‘s Ferris wheel, appears to be being dismantled.) Yesterday, SLS Las Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Cannery Casino Resorts, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off

Britney F. Spears & other Case Bets

Posted on January 7, 2014 by David McKee

Strip gyp: What does $25,000 buy you? At Planet Hollywood it will get you one-twentieth of a minute with Britney F. Spears. Either the currency of celebrity has become inflated beyond measure or our 15 minutes of fame have shrunk … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Macau, New York, Planet Hollywood, Racinos, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, The Strip | Comments Off

This won’t help A.C. and other case bets

Posted on January 6, 2014 by David McKee

Handle at Meadowlands Racetrack rose 32% (or $55 million) last year. That’s not what Atlantic City casinos need to hear at a time when they’re just trying to tread water. It’s bad enough that Caesars Entertainment and Tropicana Entertainment are … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Entertainment, Environment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Macau, Maryland, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Changing of the Guard at Bally; Whence Mecca?

Posted on November 25, 2013 by David McKee

Now that the Bally Technologies takeover of Shuffle Entertainment is a done deal, there’s a bit of musical chairs to be played. Senior Vice President for Law & Government Mark Lerner will be eased out, in favor of Shuffle’s general counsel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Downtown, Economy, Macau, Planet Hollywood, Shuffle Master, Tamares Group | Comments Off

How much sin in Sin City is too much?; Woe and Ho

Posted on August 27, 2013 by David McKee

Wearing a strap-on dildo seems to be the outer limit of decency in Las Vegas. Any casino that hosts a nightclub is playing with fire to some extent but Las Vegas Sands well and truly burned its fingers with The … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, International, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, The Strip | 2 Comments

Tilman’s Golden touch; Dotty’s gets respectable

Posted on August 5, 2013 by David McKee

Tilman Fertitta forked over $45 million to purchase Isle of Capri Biloxi. He is currently putting another $100 million into expansions and upgrades. From the look of things, he shouldn’t have any trouble making his money back. (Interestingly, parts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, Current, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Laughlin, Mississippi, Planet Hollywood, Riviera, Tilman Fertitta | 3 Comments

Caesars: You only buy twice; To Russia with Ho; Land in (dis)trust

Posted on July 12, 2013 by David McKee

Do you already own stock in Caesars Entertainment? Congratulations. Thanks to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, you will have an opportunity to pay a second time for some of Caesars’ assets. Although it hopes to raise $1.2 billion from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Florida, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Maryland, Ohio, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

“Peepshow” finally poops out

Posted on July 10, 2013 by David McKee

If you still haven’t seen whatever’s left of Planet Hollywood‘s oft-downsized Peepshow, you’d better hurry: The show is closing September 1. Frankly, I’m impressed that it lasted as long as it did — an impressive four years –considering that customers … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Current, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, Movies, Planet Hollywood | Comments Off

I-cahnned! River Palms sold; PokerStars out of A.C., Langford out to lunch

Posted on May 1, 2013 by David McKee

Subtract one casino from the Tropicana Entertainment portfolio: The River Palms Resort & Casino, in Laughlin, just went for $7 million today. TropEnt CEO Anthony Rodio isn’t pulling out of the Colorado River market altogether. He says the company will … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Colorado, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Station Casinos, Tropicana Entertainment | 3 Comments

The tale of Big and Little Caesars

Posted on April 23, 2013 by David McKee

If you have been waiting for the moment to sell your Caesars Entertainment stock and get out unscathed, even making a tidy profit, that moment is now. Actually, it was March 20 this year, when CZR hit an all-time high … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Florida, Harrah's, history, International, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Caesars: Cui bono?; Loveman woos Britney

Posted on February 6, 2013 by David McKee

Our question for the day is, “Who benefits?” Taking the long view of Caesars Entertainment to bundle a mixed bag of Planet Hollywood, its-casino-to-be in Baltimore and Caesars Interactive, in whose interest is it to purchase minority stakes, since CEO … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dan Gilbert, Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Panic time at Caesars; Penn’s Ohio strategy a botch; Where in the world is Robert Earl?

Posted on February 5, 2013 by David McKee

It may have taken time for Gary Loveman‘s chickens to come home to roost but they’re doing it by the flockful. To raise cash, pronto, Caesars Entertainment — which hasn’t turned a profit in over three years — has piled … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Dining, Economy, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Taxes, The Strip | 1 Comment

Penn’s sucker bet; Lack of Rappaport; Running scared

Posted on December 20, 2012 by David McKee

Although Penn National Gaming‘s scheme to split itself into a REIT and a casino-management company hasn’t received one regulatory approval yet, top brass is already taking a victory lap. Gloated CFO William Clifford, he would “be picking up the phone … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment