Category Archives: Politics

Case Bets: Corzine, Penn vs. MTR, Pinnacle, Manilow & strippers

Posted on October 7, 2009 by David McKee

Forbidden by New Jersey law from directly contributing to political campaigns, casino companies are making an end run through Virginia. Harrah’s Entertainment, Boyd Gaming and IGT are among those funneling campaign cash into a reverse version on the Underground Railroad. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, IGT, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, The Strip | Comments Off on Case Bets: Corzine, Penn vs. MTR, Pinnacle, Manilow & strippers

$300 mil for F'bleau?

Posted on October 6, 2009 by David McKee

That’s the latest; namely, that Penn National Gaming will put down less than $300 million as a “stalking horse” bid on Fontainebleau. Penn would also be on the hook for the costs of the project’s bankruptcy proceedings. Potentially getting a … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Economy, Fontainebleau, Harry Reid, James Packer, Macau, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on $300 mil for F'bleau?

Crime doesn't pay; Wyden wimps out

Posted on September 25, 2009 by David McKee

Five dimes worth of damage, $40,000 bail — and all to wrest a measly two grand from some vending machines at Harrah’s Atlantic City. That’s the losing bet made by two security guards. Couple this with the floormen who destroyed … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Technology, Wall Street | Comments Off on Crime doesn't pay; Wyden wimps out

The Apocalypse is nigh!

Posted on September 17, 2009 by David McKee

Las Vegas to Nowhere, all aboard! Oh.My.God. Both Gov. Jim Gibbons (R-NV) and I are in agreement on something: Sig Rogich‘s Choo-Choo to Nowhere blows donkeys and that maglev (aka, “The Sin City Express“) is the way to go. CityLife … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Harry Reid, Louisiana, Politics, Technology | Comments Off on The Apocalypse is nigh!

Can John Ensign disown his dad?

Posted on September 16, 2009 by David McKee

Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) finally has achieved distinction within the Senate — albeit in a manner of which he’s surely never dreamt. Citizens for Ethics & Responsibility in Government* has named Johnny Casino to its Most Corrupt Members of Congress … Continue reading →

Posted in Detroit, Illinois, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, Technology | Comments Off on Can John Ensign disown his dad?

'Peepshow''s little Hitler problem

Posted on September 8, 2009 by David McKee

Congratulations (not!) to the producers of Peepshow, whose rent-a-headliner stratagem has finally blown up in their faces. They're replacing a Jew (Shoshana Bean) with a fan of the leadership abilities of — I kid you not — Adolf Hitler. Oh, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Entertainment, International, Macau, Marketing, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Singapore, Technology | Comments Off on 'Peepshow''s little Hitler problem

Greek Isles sold, few care

Posted on August 18, 2009 by David McKee

Vegas' hardest-luck casino changed hands … again. Short of another irrational spike in off-Strip land valuations, Canpartners Realty Holding Co. IV LLC is never going to see its $67 million again. The Greek Isles is in a dead zone, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Morgans Hotel Group, Politics | Comments Off on Greek Isles sold, few care

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 30, 2009 by David McKee

"Privé. Gibbons. Ensign. Rampant foreclosure. Half-built, hubristic casinos. Record unemployment. UFC. Mob Museum. Maybe Las Vegas 2009 is just Tom Wolfe's next novel." — Las Vegas Weekly Editor Scott Dickensheets, from Facebook.

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Labor, Politics, Sports, Station Casinos, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 23, 2009 by David McKee

Sig Rogich’s choo-choo to nowhere. Some parts of Sig sold separately. “Even with the Victorville-Palmdale link, which is not a dead certainty, a Las Vegas rider who wanted to see the Magic Kingdom would have to travel from Sin City … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Politics, Reno, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Case Bets: Midnight Jim, Sands, "Peepshow", Hard Rock, Reid

Posted on July 16, 2009 by David McKee

Chronic ineptitude by Nevada's governor is endless fodder for comedy (like entrusting your re-election campaign to the former marketing director of a ski resort and political novice.) But it also has perilous consequences. For instance, his thoughtless decision to pack … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Morgans Hotel Group, Oscar Goodman, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Technology | Comments Off on Case Bets: Midnight Jim, Sands, "Peepshow", Hard Rock, Reid

Trop and tribulation

Posted on July 8, 2009 by David McKee

A pair of New Jersey lawmakers are hopping mad about the costly, dubiously competent Tropicana Atlantic City trusteeship of Justice Gary Stein. The solons are particularly het up over the way Stein was feathering his own nest. "It is unacceptable, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Politics, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Trop and tribulation

Harrah's goes to the dogs

Posted on June 30, 2009 by David McKee

Harrah’s Entertainment is poking its snout into the prospect of obtaining a management contract at bankrupt Twin River Casino, a dog track with VLTs in Rhode Island. The paraphrase of the explanation given by Harrah’s senior veep Jan Jones seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Colony Capital, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Politics, Problem gambling, Taxes | Comments Off on Harrah's goes to the dogs

Case Bets: A.C. Trop, 21, Ensign, Boulder City, Jacko, etc.

Posted on June 29, 2009 by David McKee

After conservator Justice Gary Stein turned his trusteeship of the Tropicana Atlantic City into a $7.4 million gravy train, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission is belatedly bolting the barn door. It's going to petition the Lege to limit the … Continue reading →

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The Trop heist that wasn't

Posted on June 26, 2009 by David McKee

"An improvident indictment." That's what New Jersey officials are calling a case that was quietly quashed in May. Sacked Borgata veep John Conklin and two other men had been charged with plundering the Tropicana Atlantic City's database when they were … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Kansas, Neil Bluhm, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on The Trop heist that wasn't

MGM: Deal or no deal?

Posted on June 17, 2009 by David McKee

MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren is re-mulling asset sales of MGM Grand Detroit, Gold Strike (Tunica, Miss.) and Beau Rivage. But all Strip assets are definitively off the market (yes, even Slots A Fun). Since the Detroit and Tunica casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, International, Jack Binion, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on MGM: Deal or no deal?

Train to Nowhere II

Posted on June 15, 2009 by David McKee

Sig Rogich's choo-choo to nowhere won't really be the privately funded enterprise that it's being sold as, the Las Vegas Sun helpfully explains. Bottom line: Rail transportation is inherently unprofitable, so you and I will be ponying up for the … Continue reading →

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Case Bets: Colony Capital, Siegfried & Roy, Obama smacks poker players

Posted on June 15, 2009 by David McKee

“Bats hang over the doorway to the building that housed Mr. Jackson’s private arcade; guano stains the threshold.” That’s how the Wall Street Journal describes Michael Jackson‘s decaying Neverland Ranch. It gets even freakier from there, with the WSJ receiving … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Colony Capital, Entertainment, International, Internet gambling, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Case Bets: Colony Capital, Siegfried & Roy, Obama smacks poker players

Goodman for governor … again?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

It’s been bruited since at least 2002 and it’s happening yet again: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is mulling a gubernatorial run for the umpteenth time. “Spoiler!”, cry some. I look at the uninspiring field (Montandon, Heck, Midnight Jim, Buckley, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Dining, Economy, Election, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Oscar Goodman, Politics, The Strip | Comments Off on Goodman for governor … again?

Xanadu: the prequel?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

Martin Stern‘s 1975 conceptualization of a Xanadu casino-hotel, as virtually reconstructed by Dr. David G. Schwartz, struck a familiar chord with one S&G reader. They quickly detected a resemblance between Welton Becket‘s 1971 Disney’s Contemporary Resort, built in modular fashion … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Election, Florida, MGM Mirage, Politics, Technology, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Xanadu: the prequel?

Reid rewarded, Trop rescued

Posted on June 3, 2009 by David McKee

… Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) efforts on behalf of the casino industry have not gone unrewarded. If you can follow this formatting garble, you'll see that his donors include not only Tim & Tom, late of the Golden Nugget, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off on Reid rewarded, Trop rescued