Category Archives: Politics

What happens here …

Posted on April 23, 2013 by David McKee

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com. … gets shipped to California. It certainly adds an element of color to your next visit to the Plaza, adjacent to the Las Vegas bus depot.

Posted in California, Current, Downtown, Politics, Tamares Group | 1 Comment

Massachusetts loses patience … as do Archon shareholders

Posted on April 19, 2013 by David McKee

As the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe and Gov. Deval Patrick (D, right) continue to try and convince the federal government that their prepackaged arrangement for the Mashpee Wamps to get a casino in southeast Massachusetts isn’t usurious (17% of gross revenues … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, Economy, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Massachusetts loses patience … as do Archon shareholders

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 18, 2013 by David McKee

“Like the travel industry, gaming is a complex industry.” — newly elected American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman, making the understatement of the year. Only 38 and with 16 years in the travel industry already behind him, Freeman (pictured) is … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Marketing, Politics | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 11, 2013 by David McKee

“But it also must be said that — of all the demands made by organized labor groups in Las Vegas, whether private-sector or public-sector — the demands of the Wynn [Resorts] card dealers is among the most reasonable ever. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Adelson: Yes, we did! Wait, no, we didn’t! Well, OK, sorta … but not really!

Posted on March 5, 2013 by David McKee

“On the U.S. side … we view the State of Nevada as having uninspiring oversight of activities occurring in Macau. For every gap of oversight that exists from the Nevada Gaming Control Board or Nevada Gaming Commission, the U.S. Federal … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, history, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Mob, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Echelon no more: Boyd humiliated yet again; Caesars pulls another plug

Posted on March 4, 2013 by David McKee

If you’ll pardon my vulgarity, shit got real while I was tied up with other projects. Last week’s sale of excess baggage Dania Jai-Alai in Florida was just a tiny prelude to this morning’s blockbuster: Echelon is kaput. Instead, Boyd Gaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Current, Downtown, Economy, Environment, Florida, Fontainebleau, Genting, Harrah's, history, International, Kansas, Mississippi, New York, Plaza, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sahara, Singapore, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | 7 Comments

Pinnacle expands, Boyd loses face

Posted on February 28, 2013 by David McKee

Jeez, I go on sabbatical to attend to other writing commitments and hella history breaks loose: Internet gambling is now the law of Nevada and New Jersey (so much for federal legalization being “just around the corner,” huh?), Caesars Entertainment … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Florida, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, The Strip | 4 Comments

Indiana: The good, the bad, the ‘meh’; Vegas: What’s that smell?

Posted on February 8, 2013 by David McKee

January casino revenues from Indiana present a conundrum. Although the state is still the most lucrative casino jurisdiction in the Midwest ($192 million last month), it’s hard to tell whether the half-full glass is filling or emptying. Foot traffic was … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Cordish Co., Current, Don Barden, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Laughlin, Mesquite, Minnesota, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Christie: Oops, he did it again; Maryland: Take my casino, please

Posted on February 7, 2013 by David McKee

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) loves to veto Internet gambling bills so much that he’s just done it for a second time. There was incremental progress: In punting the ball to the Legislature’s one-yard line, Christie endorsed the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Christie: Oops, he did it again; Maryland: Take my casino, please

All roads lead to Springfield

Posted on February 6, 2013 by David McKee

That idyllic scene above is not Massachusetts but Vermont. However, the Green Mountain State is not only shaped like a funnel, it is one, an untapped market just waiting to be drained by whichever casino lands the coveted western Massachusetts … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Architecture, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on All roads lead to Springfield

Merger of the Nerds; Cosmo picketed

Posted on January 31, 2013 by David McKee

With 2013 shaping up as a good year for slot sales, Scientific Games has chosen this moment to pounce upon WMS Industries, one of the oldest, biggest and most-respected firms in the industry. SGMS shares promptly leapfrogged from $8.93 to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Current, Harry Reid, IGT, Internet gambling, Politics, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street, WMS Industries | 2 Comments

Maryland: Who’s got the last laugh now?; Murren goes North, other companies look South

Posted on January 23, 2013 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International, that’s who. As predicted, a lawsuit filed to overturn last November’s casino expansion was laughed out of court. Judge Ronald A. Silkworth called the litigation “baseless,” which is a nice way of saying, “Thanks for wasting my … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Florida, International, Iowa, MGM Mirage, Nebraska, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Texas, Tribal | Comments Off on Maryland: Who’s got the last laugh now?; Murren goes North, other companies look South

Adelson fleeing Pennsylvania

Posted on January 18, 2013 by David McKee

Back when Las Vegas Sands was waffling over the completion of Sands Bethlehem and rattling its tin cup for joint-venture partners, I suspected that Sheldon Adelson had lost his stomach for the project and would probably sell it. Sands has … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Genting, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | 3 Comments

MGM Cotai clears final barrier; devil in the Maryland details

Posted on January 9, 2013 by David McKee

Although the government of Macao enjoys nothing better than to make casino owners wait and fidget for their land leases to be “gazetted,” today is MGM Resorts International‘s lucky day. MGM China received final approval for its Cotai Strip megaresort. … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off on MGM Cotai clears final barrier; devil in the Maryland details

Exit Fahrenkopf, enter … ?

Posted on January 7, 2013 by David McKee

After a long (17 years) and eventful tenure at the top of the American Gaming Association, President Frank J. Fahrenkopf is calling it a day. On June 30, he hands over the reins to a successor as yet to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Current, Florida, G2E, Internet gambling, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | 2 Comments

Pinnacle punks Penn, swipes Ameristar

Posted on December 21, 2012 by David McKee

We’ve learned two important things today. One, that the Mayan calendar is not the most reliable predictor of events. Two, that Ameristar Casinos‘ on-again/off-again talk about putting itself up for sale was back in “on” mode. Before hardly anybody got … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Lee, Economy, Election, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Wynn comes (back) to Massachusetts; Revel’s rattling tin cup

Posted on December 5, 2012 by David McKee

Despite several months of doom-and-gloom economic predictions from Steve Wynn, the mogul has decided to “buy American” again, not only returning to the site of previous skirmishes (Philadelphia) but also taking a second run at Massachusetts. S&G was no fan … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Election, Environment, Harrah's, Marketing, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wynn comes (back) to Massachusetts; Revel’s rattling tin cup

Capitol Hill and Internet poker: Too little, too late (as usual)

Posted on November 28, 2012 by David McKee

Despite support from an unlikely coalition that includes the American Gaming Association, the National Fraternal Order of Police and the National Association of Convenience Stores, federal legalization of Internet poker seems no closer in the 2012 lame duck session of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Harry Reid, International, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation | 3 Comments

Lou Lang up to old tricks; Dog-and-pony show at Sahara

Posted on November 20, 2012 by David McKee

For months, state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), has been threatening to push an enormous gambling expansion through the Illinois Legislature during its lame-duck session. He says he’s “getting very close” but we’ve heard that kind of braying from Lang previously. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Cosmopolitan, Current, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 4 Comments

Wynn comes to Philadelphia … again; Atlantic City: About as expected

Posted on November 12, 2012 by David McKee

Now we know why Steve Wynn was careful to mend fences with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (below) in 2010 when negotiations to take over the doomed Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia project abruptly feel apart and Wynn skipped town. He’s back with … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Baseball, Colony Capital, Cordish Co., Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Maryland, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wynn comes to Philadelphia … again; Atlantic City: About as expected