Category Archives: Regulation

Tramway to Encore; Pennsylvania pony pennies pinched

A gondola ride from Everett City Hall to Encore Boston Harbor? It could happen. Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria has applied for a $200,000 study grant so that the city can look into the feasibility. He’s picking up the ball from Wynn … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Greenwood Racing, Horseracing, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Movies, Nevada, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Transportation, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Billboards in the eye of the beholder; Betting on Trump

One of the greatest scourges of drivers in Las Vegas is mobile billboards, 79 of which tool up and down the Strip. It’s been a nuisance for years but something might finally be done about it, now that the casino … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, DraftKings, Election, Politics, Regulation, The Strip | 1 Comment

Penn looking good; From the police blotter

Penn National Gaming reported 4Q19 revenues that aligned with Wall Street projections, with cash flow modestly higher than expected “on a combination of better operations and lower than forecast corporate expenses.” JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff said that Penn was … Continue reading

Posted in Century Casinos, Colorado, Cretins, Derek Stevens, Florida, Horseracing, Iowa, Law enforcement, Money laundering, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street | Comments Off on Penn looking good; From the police blotter

Turnaround at Station; Suburban sexcapades

Things are looking up for Station Casinos. The latest dispatch from JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff was optimistic, citing “a market that should experience solid 2% to 3% [gross gaming revenue] growth and possesses the ability to harvest margin growth as … Continue reading

Posted in Diversity, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, International, Kentucky, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Mohegan Sun, Pahrump, Palms, Racinos, Real Estate, Regulation, Reno, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Macao: Worse than expected; New deal on Connecticut table

When China gets coronavirus, Macao develops pneumonia. While Wall Street was expecting gaming revenues to dip 2% in January, they fell 11%. Macanese casinos still grossed $2.75 billion, so it’s not like they were hearing crickets. However, February is shaping … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, China, Connecticut, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Health, IGT, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Tourism, West Virginia | Comments Off on Macao: Worse than expected; New deal on Connecticut table

Penn/Barstool deal a home run; Blatstein lightens Showboat ship

Shares of Penn National Gaming jumped 12% on news of its 36% acquisition of Barstool Sports. Penn plans to unroll a Barstool-branded line of sports books, online applications and mobile-wagering services. Barstool, in turn, will promote Penn until 2060 … … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Fontainebleau, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock Hotel, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Massachusetts, Maverick Gaming, MGM Resorts International, Palms, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steven Witkoff, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Spectrum under the microscope; Super Bowl bets boffo

Expected approval of Spectacle Entertainment‘s casino project in Terre Haute came to a screeching halt after revelations that former state Sen. Brent Waltz received illegal campaign contributions from an executive at Spectacle predecessor Centaur Gaming. The disclosure was enough for … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Centaur Gaming, Indiana, Law enforcement, Movies, Nevada, New Jersey, Politics, Regulation, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports, Sports betting, Westgate LV, William Hill | Comments Off on Spectrum under the microscope; Super Bowl bets boffo

Quote of the Day

“Think about that—the city of Hawaiian Gardens generates over 80 percent of its revenue from this one casino. It is this reality that appears to have made the Gardens Casino not only too big to fail, but apparently too big … Continue reading

Posted in California, Money laundering, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Raiders need elbow room; Casino mega-scandal in Canada

Although the Las Vegas Raiders haven’t officially set up shop in Sin City already they’ve got a problem: parking. The team has had to pony up an additional $50 million to buy land on which fans can park, tailgate, etc. … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Regulation, Sports, The Mob, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Raiders need elbow room; Casino mega-scandal in Canada

Gaming caucus rebooted; Allen sends mixed message to Atlantic City

You’d think a $261 billion/year industry would get some props on Capitol Hill but gaming is the exception to the rule. Thankfully, Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D) are trying to breathe new life into the comatose Congressional Gaming … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, DraftKings, Hard Rock International, International, Movies, New York, Politics, Regulation | 2 Comments

Resort fees look ominously permanent; Goodbye, Hard Rock Hotel

Las Vegas is “a market notorious for some of the highest resort fees anywhere.” So writes Hotelsmag.com’s Juliana Shallcross. Big Gaming needn’t be too worried: The Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019 has gone absolutely nowhere in the supposedly liberal House … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Baseball, California, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Florida, Hard Rock Hotel, history, International, Politics, Regulation, Resort fees, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Virgin Hotels | 1 Comment

Eldorado gets one state closer; Banditry in Arizona

Check Louisiana off the list of states giving the thumbs-up to the Eldorado Resorts takeover of Caesars Entertainment. CEO Tom Reeg had to assure regulators that the company would invest $500 million (there goes that highly touted half-billion cost savings) in … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Australia, Caesars Entertainment, California, Carl Icahn, Cretins, Donald Trump, Eldorado Resorts, Japan, Louisiana, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | 2 Comments

New gambling ban in Britain; Casinos face uncertain Georgia future

Great Britain continues to crack down on gambling. As of April 14, Britons will no longer be able to bet with their credit cards. (Lottery tickets are exempted from the fatwa.) This comes on the heels of a reduction in the … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Boyd Gaming, California, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Diversity, G2E, Georgia, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Taxes, Technology, Tribal | 3 Comments

California scheming; Exploitation in Cambodia

Don’t hold your water but lawmakers in California have gone so far as to hold an actual, living, breathing, preliminary hearing (emphasis on “preliminary”) on the issue of sports betting. The endgame here is not to legalize sports betting via the … Continue reading

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Election, Fontainebleau, International, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Palms, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steven Witkoff, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on California scheming; Exploitation in Cambodia

Indiana flat, Missouri down, Jones up

Indiana gaming revenues were microscopically down last month, to $186 million, not bad when one considers that December 2018 had one more weekend day. It’s too soon to have numbers from table games at the racinos, so January’s will be … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Diversity, DraftKings, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Indiana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Scott Butera, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Stitt robs public purse; Hard Rock blindsided

Oklahoma citizens may find themselves using the term “Indian giver” to describe Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). He’s planning to plunder the state’s rake of tribal gaming revenue to defend against a lawsuit brought by the state’s three biggest tribes. The … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Cirque du Soleil, Culinary Union, Election, Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Japan, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Virginia | 2 Comments

Card-room smackdown; CES not high on weed

What happens when a casino doesn’t have enough cash on hand to cover all the chips on the floor? If you’re California card room Magnolia House Casino, in Rancho Cordova, you get shut down by the state. The card room … Continue reading

Posted in California, Conventions, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Regulation, Scott Butera, Sports betting, Technology, Transportation | Comments Off on Card-room smackdown; CES not high on weed

Sports betting back on in Florida; Genting tipped for Japan

Although Florida voters thought they were cutting the Lege out of gambling legalization, lawmakers may have found a way to weasel their way back in, at least as concerns sports betting. The Sunshine State’s constitution now forbids the Lege from … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, China, FanDuel, Florida, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Japan, Law enforcement, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Movies, New Jersey, New York, Politics, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Sports betting back on in Florida; Genting tipped for Japan

Eyes on Atlantic City; ‘Smart chips’ a health menace?

It’s barely 2020 and already The Press of Atlantic City has identified the Boardwalk’s top five stories of the year. They are: 1) The evolving Eldorado Resorts takeover of Caesars Entertainment. Early indications are that Eldorado will try to keep … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Connecticut, Donald Trump, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Foxwoods, history, Indiana, Internet gambling, Macau, Marketing, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, Tilman Fertitta, Transportation | 2 Comments

Cautious peace in Oklahoma

December 31 came and went without incident in Oklahoma, where tribal gaming compacts theoretically expired—at least if you ask Gov. Kevin Stitt (R). However, having proposed extending the existing compacts to Aug. 31, Stitt could hardly turn around and try … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, International, Internet gambling, Laughlin, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Regulation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Cautious peace in Oklahoma