Category Archives: Racinos

Indiana: Half-full or half-empty?; ‘Priscilla’ faints

That’s the operative question after a contrariwise June in Indiana. The state’s casinos saw 17% less foot traffic, but those fewer players were spending more (up 6%). Even so, the Hoosier State’s racinos, casinos and riverboats were down 12% for … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Cordish Co., Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

New bosses at Hooters; Caesars: If it worked for Obama … ?

While nobody wants to buy or even lease the Hooters Hotel, current owners Canyon Capital Realty Advisors at least have found some new gaming expertise for the property. In this case, “new” is a relative term, as the familiar faces … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Delaware, Harrah's, Hooters, Marketing, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

“… casino ‘taxes’ are really more accurately described as profit-sharing arrangements, making states in effect business partners in gambling operations, a recipe for crony capitalism, favoritism for politically connected businesses, and, now, to no one’s great surprise, bailout considerations … … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Delaware, Economy, Politics, Racinos, Taxes | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Ohio: A disappointment, not a flop

Editor’s note: On June 20, J.P. Morgan lowered its price-per-share target for Penn National Gaming, citing “the sluggish Ohio ramp,” along with cannibalization of business in neighboring states. On May 22, legislators in Ohio voted to limit payouts from “sweepstakes … Continue reading

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MTR Gaming, New Hampshire, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Rhode Island, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ohio: A disappointment, not a flop

Nazarian’s secret weapon?; Vegas still equals value

It’s Monday, so it must be time for another worshipful Sam Nazarian profile in the Los Angeles Times. Sure enough. If you can endure the usual LAT fawning, one will glean some useful facts and inferences — plus a reminder … Continue reading

Posted in Colony Capital, Current, Entertainment, Genting, MGM Mirage, New York, Politics, Racinos, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Wynn gets serious in Massachusetts; Little racino bests Caesars

Steve Wynn is engaging a multi-pronged effort to clinch the favor of voters in Everett. Of course, if the Massachusetts Gaming Commission takes time off from generating paperwork to stop and be impressed by Wynn’s campaign, so much the better. Wynn’s … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Current, Dan Gilbert, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Penn: Start making sense!; Casinos clean up in Lege

Casinos in Ohio have not been living up to revenue expectations. Given such a fallow market, what has Penn National Gaming decided to do? Break ground on two racinos, of course! One is in the Dayton area, the other — … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, MTR Gaming, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, World Series of Poker | 1 Comment

Big setback in Toronto; Wynn rebuffed; Cuomo’s winning streak

One of gaming’s biggest new markets went out with a whimper, not a bang, when colorful Toronto Mayor Rob Ford nixed a scheduled vote on whether to put a casino in the lakeside city, hoping to extract a $97 million … Continue reading

Posted in Colorado, Current, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, Tribal | 1 Comment

Pennsylvania and Louisiana: It’s what it is

When last seen, Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman was telling his brethren that a stale property is an endangered property. To prove his point, he need look no farther than Philadelphia, where new kid on the block Valley Forge Casino … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Genting, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Big vote in Beantown?; Penn National short-sheets Maryland

That’s what it could come to in Boston, if mayoral candidate — and current Suffolk County D.A. — Daniel Conley gets his wish. Rather than simply letting East Boston vote up or down on Caesars Entertainment‘s proposed conversion of Suffolk … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Current, Election, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Station Casinos | 2 Comments

Equivocal anniversary for Ohio; In Massachusetts, progress for MGM and Wynn

So, as Ohio marks the first full year of casino play, is the glass half-full or half-empty. Currently, much is being made of Horseshoe Cleveland having brought in less than half of greatly over-ambitious expectations (and 12% less than what … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Current, Dan Gilbert, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tourism | 3 Comments

Cleveland: Gilbert appeases skeptics; Scientific Games dissed

Hey, if you had an albatross the size of Caesars Entertainment slung around your neck, you’d be understandably subject to skepticism and perhaps even being called out in public, perhaps to the point of getting tetchy about it. That’s the … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Harrah's, International, Maryland, Ohio, Racinos, Scientific Games, Technology, Wall Street, WMS Industries | Comments Off on Cleveland: Gilbert appeases skeptics; Scientific Games dissed

Illinois: Quinn caves; Money grab in Missouri

That pesky Illinois Legislature writes up a new, gambling-expansion bill as fast as Gov. Pat Quinn (D, left) can veto the last one. Evidently worn down by long combat with lawmakers and facing a $100 million hole in the state’s … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Missouri, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Slot routes | 2 Comments

Steve Wynn turns into Debbie Downer; Caesars’ screwy priorities

Yes, the recovery in Las Vegas could be said to be a chastened and limping one. The national press will leap at just about anything to restart the “Vegas is back” narrative. And yes, CityCenter ROI improved exponentially … to … Continue reading

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 6 Comments

Springfield: MGM bests Penn … for now

Yes, the comedy is finished in Springfield, at least for the moment. In an episode worthy of The Simpsons and after an epic amount of foot-dragging, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno was cajoled and ultimately browbeaten into actually taking a stand … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Dining, Economy, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Ohio: Penn recovers

Decimation of the slot floor at Hollywood Columbus proved to be just what the doctor ordered, “given the initial lackluster start and relatively low investor expectations,” as J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff writes. Minus 515 machines, revenues at H’wood Columbus … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Harrah's, MTR Gaming, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ohio: Penn recovers

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

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

Case Bets: Binion’s redux; Dr. Doom; Everybody goes to Caesars

Today’s top story is the rumor, first aired on LasVegasAdvisor.com that Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel will close in July, lock, stock and million-dollar display. This dovetails with an earlier report that a detailed makeover is in the works. So … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, California, Dan Gilbert, Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oscar Goodman, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Problem gambling, Racinos, Slot routes, Taxes, Technology, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | 3 Comments

SLS/Sahara: Nazarian gets his green (cards); Caesars green-lit for Cincy

Just when Sam Nazarian‘s mooted reinvention of the defunct Sahara as SLS Las Vegas looked dead and gone, The Naz slipped in under the wire with all the offshore money he required and a bit more: Sahara Sam needs $115 … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, International, Maryland, Ohio, Racinos, Regulation, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on SLS/Sahara: Nazarian gets his green (cards); Caesars green-lit for Cincy

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

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