Category Archives: Problem gambling

GOP candidates back casino-repeal question

Posted on June 4, 2014 by David McKee

Top-of-the ticket Republican candidates for governor in Massachusetts have lined up behind the proposed repeal of the state’s casino law. Charlie Baker is only in favor of putting it on the ballot but Tea Party candidate Mark Fisher would go … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling | Comments Off

Tug of war in Massachusetts; Lee ousted … again; Gilbert’s Greektown struggle

Posted on May 27, 2014 by David McKee

Each with a casino nearly in the bag, both MGM Resorts International and Wynn Resorts want some legislative concessions from Massachusetts. Mohegan Sun is standing pat. MGM and Wynn want their $85 million licensing fee and a number of related … Continue reading →

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Dan Lee, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Election, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Palms, Problem gambling, Regulation, Steve Wynn | Comments Off

Adelson: I’m nice, really; Casinos go to pot

Posted on May 6, 2014 by David McKee

Three hundred people turned out yesterday at UNLV to hear Sheldon Adelson hold a rap session with the kids about the evils of online gambling. Adelson’s animus, it turns out, was his father’s propensity to gamble his money away at … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, Japan, M Resort, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Belaboring the obvious; Ohio’s growing pains

Posted on April 8, 2014 by David McKee

What is being hailed as a major breakthrough in problem-gambling treatment rests upon some observations that don’t seem to be particularly novel. Disordered gambling is being blamed on the insula area of the brain, crucial to forming emotions. So far, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Dining, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Technology | Comments Off

Okada thwarted again; Granite State stalemate

Posted on March 30, 2014 by David McKee

Kazuo Okada‘s Universal Entertainment Corp. has pulled out of a deal to develop a $2 billion casino megaresort in the Philippines. Universal isn’t talking but jilted partner Century Properties Group is less reticent. Planning to contest the divorce, it says … Continue reading →

Posted in Delaware, Harrah's, International, Japan, New Hampshire, Politics, Problem gambling, The Strip | Comments Off

More hitches in Massachusetts

Posted on March 21, 2014 by David McKee

Efforts by Wynn Resorts and Mohegan Sun to bring casinos to eastern Massachusetts could be in trouble. In another hitch to its elongated selection process, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has agreed to consider whether to consider Boston a host community. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Foxwoods, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Nose candy at Mandalay Bay; Remembering Gaughan

Posted on March 13, 2014 by David McKee

It’s a measure of how lucrative nightclubs are that casino companies are willing to run the attendant risks. (Put another way, by contrast to nightclubs, casinos look as staid as banks.) Case in point, MGM Resorts International‘s half-million-dollar settlement with … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Foxwoods, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Problem gambling, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

Boyd: Japan or bust

Posted on March 6, 2014 by David McKee

Well, they weren’t that dramatic about it. But Boyd Gaming executives surprised Wall Street analysts by announcing their interest in having a Japanese casino. For all the ongoing success of Borgata, we still think of Boyd as a small-casino company, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Iowa, Marketing, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Problem gambling, Racinos, Regulation, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, The Strip | 1 Comment

Sheldon’s boys; Tough questions for the industry

Posted on February 21, 2014 by David McKee

Improbably, Sheldon Adelson has found two U.S. senators to carry water for him on Capitol Hill as he tries to stem the tide of Internet gambling. Both Sen. Dean Heller (R) and Sen. Harry Reid (D) are working to reinstate … Continue reading →

Posted in Culinary Union, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Illinois, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Technology | Comments Off

Shilling for Adelson; Saturation comes to Pennsylvania

Posted on February 18, 2014 by David McKee

After the 9/11 attacks, New York State then-Gov. George Pataki (R) was only to push casinos through as a form of economic stimulus. Now he’s a sock puppet for Sheldon Adelson, preaching the evils of Internet casinos. He’s been parroting … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Keeping up with the Joneses

Posted on February 17, 2014 by David McKee

Long a money pit for the Saulte Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the Greektown Casino in downtown Detroit is now owner Dan Gilbert‘s problem. A smoky warren of gambling spaces, the original layout is a clusterf**k that warrants Greektown’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Problem gambling, Revel, Rhode Island, Sports | Comments Off

Battle of Sands widens

Posted on February 13, 2014 by David McKee

Las Vegas Sands‘ Web sites remain “under maintenance,” as the company reels from a vast and invasive cyber-attack. In addition to the FBI, the Secret Service has taken an interest in the matter. The assault is a boon for third-party … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Politics, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | Comments Off

Foxwoods on the clock; Japan, land of opportunity

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David McKee

Foxwoods Massachusetts has most of what it needs: money, civic support, a name brand. But it doesn’t have a site. Foxwoods and Fall River have given themselves 30 days to remedy that, a tight timespan, further complicated by the likelihood … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Foxwoods, Japan, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling | Comments Off

Penn gets frostbite; Virginia passes up gambling

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David McKee

Caught between harsh weather and a tighter competitive squeeze, Penn National Gaming posted 4Q13 revenues that were 13% down from last year. The $645 million loss drew a surprisingly muted reaction from gaming analysts. The company is already drastically reducing … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Louisiana, Macau, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off

Penn, Parx fold in Maryland; Home rule in N.Y.?

Posted on February 5, 2014 by David McKee

In a rare moment of grace, Penn National Gaming agreed not to sue Prince George’s County over the award of a Maryland casino project to MGM Resorts International. (As expected, Greenwood Racing also signed away its prerogative to litigate.) Perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Cantor Gaming, Economy, Greenwood Racing, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, New Hampshire, New York, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports | Comments Off

Quote of the Day

Posted on January 23, 2014 by David McKee

“After a 2011 survey showed an increasing proportion of low-income gamblers playing with ever-larger sums, [Singapore] decided to prohibit entry by the unemployed, people on welfare and people who have filed for bankruptcy protection.” — the New York Times, carrying … Continue reading →

Posted in Problem gambling, Singapore | Comments Off

Online gambling is …

Posted on January 15, 2014 by David McKee

… a success, according to Seeking Alpha. On the other hand, Telsey Advisor Group projects New Jersey to flop, eventually only grossing $90 million, not the half-billion envisioned by some. Bloomberg Businessweek reports “mildly disappointing” numbers and that Internet wagering … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Revel, Tourism, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

Adelson undeterred; Winners and losers

Posted on December 23, 2013 by David McKee

I’m not sure which part of this story is more alarming: That Affinity Gaming was the victim of a widespread identity-theft scheme for seven months … or that the company didn’t disclose it until late this year. It certainly makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Atlantic City, California, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Environment, Florida, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho | Comments Off

Sheldon covets Florida … again

Posted on November 5, 2013 by David McKee

It wouldn’t be a week in the gaming industry if Sheldon Adelson didn’t manage to bigfoot one issue or another. This time it’s Florida, where the Legislature is in the preliminary throes of grappling with casino expansion once again. Adelson … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Macau, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes | Comments Off

Suffolk Downs postscript

Posted on November 4, 2013 by David McKee

Caesars Entertainment being out of the Suffolk Downs equation, the would-be racino has been dubbed “a headless horseman” by opponents and faces an uncertain fate at the ballot box. One might well question Suffolk owner Richard Fields on why his … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Problem gambling, Regulation, Wall Street | Comments Off