Category Archives: Politics

Off to the races

Posted on September 10, 2010 by David McKee

Several gubernatorial jousts have serious implications for casino expansion in this great U.S. of A. In Ohio, Gov. Ted Strickland (D and once tipped as a possible vice-president) is trailing former Rep. John Kasich (R), based on poll results aggregated … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Texas, Tribal | 1 Comment

The fiendish plot of Dr. Stanley Ho

Posted on September 7, 2010 by David McKee

Launching a frontal assault on Las Vegas Sands, archrival Sociedade de Jogos de Macau has requested that the Macanese government repatriate Sites 7 & 8 on the Cotai Strip™, and award them to — surprise! — Stanley Ho. There’s no … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Election, Macau, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho | 3 Comments

The Big Lie

Posted on September 6, 2010 by David McKee

As we’ve been taught, if you’re going to tell a lie then make it a whopper. Enter Republican Advocates President Jim Clark. Having called completion of CityCenter “throwing good money after bad”, Clark unloads this doozy: “The project is now … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Economy, Harry Reid, MGM Mirage, Politics, The Strip, Wall Street | 7 Comments

Reid wusses out; Sucker bets, Sheldon & strippers

Posted on August 26, 2010 by David McKee

UIGEA repeal? Forget about it. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) has chickened out again. Pressed on the issue, he said he’d support the legalization of online poker but faintheartedly drew the line there. That still wasn’t good enough for some independent … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, CityCenter, Current, Dubai, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Harry Reid, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 3 Comments

No concord in Massachusetts

Posted on August 21, 2010 by David McKee

There won’t be casinos in Massachusetts this year and a lot of people are hopping mad. It’s understandable, given that state leaders had all the time in the world to get enabling legislation together, only to see it thwarted at … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Massachusetts, Politics, Racinos, Tribal | 2 Comments

Crisis point in Atlantic City

Posted on August 19, 2010 by David McKee

If nothing else gets recalcitrant legislators off their duffs and behind Gov. Chris Christie‘s intervention on behalf of Atlantic City, maybe these numbers will. In the last quarter, only four casinos turned a profit. Harrah’s Entertainment‘s Showboat and Harrah’s Marina … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Penn National, Politics, Sahara, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Crisis point in Atlantic City

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

Suicidal in New Jersey

Posted on August 18, 2010 by David McKee

Atlantic City can just plain go to hell. That’s the message from several prominent — or simply loud — Democratic lawmakers who say Gov. Chris Christie‘s rescue plan for the city is spinach and to heck with it. Noisiest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Marketing, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Singapore, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Lies, damned lies and Control Board statistics

Posted on August 18, 2010 by David McKee

One swallow doesn’t make a spring — unless you write for USA Today. Columnist Kitty Bean Yancey cherry-picked a lone statistic from the most recent set of Nevada Gaming Control Board numbers are proclaimed happy days are here again on … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harry Reid, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Movies, Oklahoma, Politics, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 1 Comment

Massachusetts: On and On and On

Posted on August 12, 2010 by David McKee

Oy vey!

Posted in Current, Economy, Massachusetts, Politics, Taxes | Comments Off on Massachusetts: On and On and On

Atlantic City: It could be worse

Posted on August 10, 2010 by David McKee

Considering that table games were up and running in Delaware and gradually rolling out in Pennsylvania, it comes as a pleasant surprise to see that Atlantic City was only down 5% in July. Frankly, I was expecting much worse, especially … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, New York, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Technology, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Case Bets: New Jersey; A lucky guy; Genting’s good fortune

Posted on August 9, 2010 by David McKee

Garden State Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) may have excluded sports betting as a new revenue source for the state’s besieged casino industry. As expected, state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D, left) tuned the governor out and continues to pursue legalization of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Cordish Co., Current, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, International, Macau, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Singapore, Sports, Tamares Group, Tourism | 1 Comment

Rising Sun; At Harry’s mercy

Posted on August 9, 2010 by David McKee

It’s not news that Japan has been mulling casino gambling for the umpteenth time. What is news is that the Diet — or rather, the General Assembly of International Sightseeing Industry Development Diet Member Association — has gotten very serious … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Harrah's, Harry Reid, International, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Minnesota, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | 3 Comments

East Coast winners, losers; Angle’s strange bedfellows

Posted on August 4, 2010 by David McKee

I’ve become well and truly tired of writing about Massachusetts and its political establishment’s inability to get its act together on casino legalization. Suffice it to say that with Gov. Deval Patrick and House Speaker Robert DeLeo (left) firmly entrenched … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson | 5 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 3, 2010 by David McKee

“You know that if I walked on water, my opponents would complain that I can’ t swim.” — Gov. Deval Patrick (D-MA), who rejected a two-racino/three-casino legislative compromise, taking a hard-line stance. By letting the perfect be the enemy of … Continue reading →

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Concord in Massachusetts; Mixed bag at Melco

Posted on July 30, 2010 by David McKee

It’s been leaked to the Boston Globe that a deal is at hand that would resolve the impasse currently holding casino-enabling legislation at bay. While still probably not to Gov. Deval Patrick‘s liking (he wants one racino, the compromise bill … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Bally Technologies, Current, Detroit, Economy, Election, IGT, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, WMS Industries | Comments Off on Concord in Massachusetts; Mixed bag at Melco

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 25, 2010 by David McKee

“Today we are in a disaster because we didn’t do what Kenny Guinn had spent months researching and tried to pass. I remember he’d go into meetings with his clipboard saying ‘We’re going to have huge deficits if we don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Harrah's, history, Politics | 1 Comment

Adelson fires Sands China CEO; Kenny Guinn, 1936-2010

Posted on July 23, 2010 by David McKee

It’s getting rather slippery on the tiled floors of Venelazzo and its Macao offshoots, what will the frequent bloodbaths that are becoming a hallmark of Sheldon Adelson‘s reign as creator and CEO of Las Vegas Sands. The victim sent over … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, history, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Monte Carlo fire, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Chris Christie, rock star

Posted on July 22, 2010 by David McKee

New Jersey‘s outspoken governor lays down some righteous grooves at Meadowlands, including telling the horsey set what it needs to hear: “I don’t have the money to be subsidizing failure.” Gov. Chris Christie on New Jersey horseracing: this industry has … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Goldman Sachs, Horseracing, Movies, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 22, 2010 by David McKee

“The commission’s vision for revitalizing Atlantic City is encouraging. One thing we know is we can no longer use Band-Aid approaches in an attempt to heal a city suffering with a gaping wound.” — state Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D), … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Encore, Politics, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Quote of the Day