Category Archives: Politics

The tax that ate Las Vegas; Dr. King misremembered

A horrible idea for the taxpayer, the economy and for gaming in particular has been resurrected in Congress. Yes, it’s the “national sales tax,” which would lay a double-digit impost on all goods and services, and which only could be … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Cretins, DraftKings, Economy, history, Marketing, Michael Gaughan, Movies, Nevada, Politics, Station Casinos, Taxes | 2 Comments

Indiana dims; Sands: Make mine Nassau; Mega-Jottings

Gaming revenues dipped last month in Indiana, achieving $204 million, a 3.5% year/year decline. Hard Rock Northern Indiana ($34 million, +4%) continues to ransack its competitors. Horseshoe Hammond was closest, grossing $26 million but down 13.5%, while Ameristar East Chicago … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Fontainebleau, Full House Resorts, Genting, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Texas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Station scores; New York OSB boffo … for state, that is; Kosar sacked; Renegade slots reconsidered

Station Casinos is $62 million richer after unloading $56.5 acres of land near South Point to HCA Healthcare, a hospital chain. Don’t worry about Station’s plans to challenge Michael Gaughan for sub-Strip supremacy: It’s still harboring 126 acres of scrubland … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Diversity, DraftKings, FanDuel, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Michael Gaughan, Missouri, Movies, New York, Ohio, PointsBet, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Transportation, TV, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

NFL bettors sacked; Strip resort folds; Caesars plan panned

Life at S&G HQ is seriously clouded by the critical illness of a beloved fur baby. Nevertheless, we shall endeavor to gather our thoughts, starting with the consequences for bettors of the life-threatening Damar Hamlin injury on Monday Night Football. … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Derek Stevens, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, Failsinos, FanDuel, Florida, Genting, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, International, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, PointsBet, Politics, Racinos, Riviera, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Christmas wishes

It’s time to reward those who have been nice and offer appropriate gifts to the naughty. So, without further ado, we play Santa Claus to the casino industry …

Posted in AGA, Alabama, Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Chicago, China, Crown Resorts, Culinary Union, Dan Lee, Derek Stevens, Downtown, DraftKings, Fontainebleau, Full House Resorts, Genting, Georgia, Hard Rock International, James Packer, Japan, Kazuo Okada, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Missouri, Moulin Rouge, Movies, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pahrump, Palms, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Resort fees, Resorts World LV, Sahara, Scott Butera, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Rio, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on Christmas wishes

Christmas on the Boardwalk; Miller smacks Gray Lady

We begin today with kudos to a non-casino entrepreneur, Bart Blatstein, who has erected a 150-foot Christmas tree in front of the Showboat. It’s said to be the first large-scale tree in Boardwalk history. Thank you, sir. And to get … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Dining, Golden Nugget, Indiana, Politics, Problem gambling, West Virginia | 3 Comments

Pennsylvania, Michigan cool; Cuban covets Texas casino

Heaven be praised for the coming of 2023, not because 2022 was bad (quite the contrary) but because Wall Street is addicted to measuring this year against 2019, not 2021 … which can be quite crazy-making. By that yardstick, Pennsylvania … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Greenwood Racing, Idaho, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City hops; NV regulators take a dive; Vagina monologue

November was a metaphorically warm month for Atlantic City, whose casino revenues grew 4% from last year, reaching $214.5 million. Spoiler alert, Borgata was way out front with $55 million, leaping 14%. Hard Rock Atlantic City dimmed 5% to a … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Brazil, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Puerto Rico, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Westgate LV, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Illinois, Ohio still firm; Daffy bill in N.Y.; Raiders collapse

November was good for casinos in Ohio and Illinois, both of which posted strong numbers, modestly ahead of last year but—in Ohio’s case—still high heavens above 2019. Fresh off its October dethroning of MGM Northfield Park, rival Hollywood Columbus slipped … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Arkansas, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Horseracing, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Service, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Illinois, Ohio still firm; Daffy bill in N.Y.; Raiders collapse

MGM: Change partners and dance; 888 TKO’d

It’s Blackstone Group out, Vici Properties in at MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, as Vici exercised its option over the half (OK, 49.9%) that it didn’t already own. Blackstone is $2.8 billion richer as a result, including $700 million in … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, Election, FanDuel, Florida, Genting, Golden Nugget, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Nebraska, Politics, Puerto Rico, Racinos, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, WInd Creek | Comments Off on MGM: Change partners and dance; 888 TKO’d

Texas casinos pitched; Gaming snubs economy

We’ll shortly see if newly reelected Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) was sincere about being willing to “take a look” at casino gambling in the Lone Star State or if he was stringing Dr. Miriam Adelson along for her money. … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Economy, Health, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Politics, Racinos, Taxes, Texas, Virginia | 1 Comment

Wynn cools Massachusetts; China: “Dance, monkey, dance!”

Casinos in Massachusetts mostly did well last month, especially by pre-pandemic standards (+24%). Unfortunately, none of that lift came from Encore Boston Harbor, which had a disappointing October, down 1% and grossing $62 million. By contrast, MGM Springfield (above) impressed … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, California, China, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Indiana, what’s up?; Shuberts take on Caesars in NYC

Gaming revenue in Indiana cooled somewhat last month, as casinos banked $207.5 million, a 3% drop from last year, albeit still 16% higher than 2019. (No elaborate 2019 comparisons will be drawn because that year saw two Majestic Star boats … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Politics, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Caesars Strip-tease; Slot flea swatted; Biden targets resort fees

In the end, all that talk of Caesars Entertainment selling a Las Vegas Strip asset was just a sham. The company probably couldn’t find any takers for the Flamingo at CEO Tom Reeg‘s preposterous asking price (ditto his equally preposterous … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Cordish Co., Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Real Estate, Resort fees, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Washington State | 4 Comments

Strip still booming, locals flat; Gambling with democracy

Nevada scored yet another $1 billion-plus month in September, up 8% from 2021. As you might expect, the Las Vegas Strip drove the big gain, booking $693 million in win, up 8%. Strip slot revenue was $409.5 million, a 17.5% … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Downtown, Election, Failsinos, Gary Goett, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Mesquite, Moulin Rouge, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Politics, Reno, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street, Wendover, William Hill | 3 Comments

Bullish for Boyd; Abbott does Texas two-step; D.C. remorse

Bad economy? Not if you’re Boyd Gaming. The regional giant significantly improved third-quarter income, from $843 million in 3Q21 to $877 million this year. Said CEO Keith Smith, “Continuing into October, customer spending has been very consistent with the trends … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Downtown, Economy, Election, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Louisiana, Mattress Mack, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sports betting, Texas, Tourism, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Report from the shore; Cretins win in Alabama

While Bally’s Corp. may not be the laughingstock of the casino industry, it isn’t for want of trying. You would think that Bally’s Atlantic City (above) would want to pimp nearby Bally’s Dover Downs to its customers. Instead it sent … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Alex Meruelo, Arizona, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Churchill Downs, Delaware, DraftKings, Economy, Hard Rock International, Health, Kentucky, Las Vegas Raiders, Marketing, Mississippi, New York, Politics, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Taxes, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Washington State, WInd Creek | 1 Comment

Voyage to Vegas, Part One

Not us. We’re in Vermont, vacationing. But Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli trekked to Sin City and met with representatives of eight companies. We’ll start with MGM Resorts International, which waxed pretty darn upbeat. In Las Vegas, MGM’s strength lies … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Election, Fontainebleau, Genting, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Politics, Singapore, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Wynn: Make mine Manhattan; Votes for sale; Mega-Jottings

There will be at least one serious push for a casino in the heart of New York City, now that Wynn Resorts has thrown in with Related Cos. on “an exposed and sunken rail yard” that some see as a … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Brothels, California, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, Entertainment, Genting, Georgia, Hawaii, Japan, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Palms, Pennsylvania, Politics, Slot routes, Star Entertainment, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts, Wyoming | 1 Comment

George of Georges; Bally’s crumbling; Indiana dips

Before we go any further, bravo, bravo, arcibravo to Hard Rock International to laying some serious bread on its salaried workers. As of now, the base salary for non-tipped employees at Hard Rock casinos goes from $18/hour to $21. Hard … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, United Kingdom, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on George of Georges; Bally’s crumbling; Indiana dips