Category Archives: Regulation

Damp November in Nevada; Dirty dealings in Illinois

Posted on December 27, 2019 by David McKee

Could the good times be coming to an end for Las Vegas? The Strip was down 3% last month but, worse still, locals revenue was off by 4%. The prior-year comparison was difficult (+6.5%) but not impossible, while December looks … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Downtown, Hard Rock Hotel, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marijuana, Movies, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Reno, Slot routes, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Transportation | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 27, 2019 by David McKee

“It’s not an issue of jobs. It’s an issue of the law. It’s like saying, ‘Yes, meth is a terrible drug, but think of all the jobs that are created in the emergency rooms, and if we stop it, those … Continue reading →

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

Georgia solons mull gambling; DraftKings’ big deal

Posted on December 26, 2019 by David McKee

“I do think there’s momentum for something to happen this session,” state Sen. Brandon Beach (R, below) said of legalizing gambling in Georgia, although solons remain undecided on whether to add sports betting to the package they’ll be proposing. “We … Continue reading →

Posted in California, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, Georgia, Horseracing, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Neil Bluhm, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Georgia solons mull gambling; DraftKings’ big deal

China’s credit bubble; Ocean Resort’s secret formula

Posted on December 26, 2019 by David McKee

China gamblers may be playing today at the expense of tomorrow. Bloomberg reports that Generation Z is borrowing heavily in high-interest debt to fuel its consumerism, a phenomenon that should be of concern in Macao. “Household debt hit levels of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, China, Culinary Union, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New Hampshire, Ocean Resort, Oklahoma, Regulation, Scott Butera, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Fourth Massachusetts casino mulled; Hard Rock making hard sell in Japan

Posted on December 20, 2019 by David McKee

While the Boston Globe may call it a “baby step,” the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is doing the right thing by means-testing the market before awarding a full-scale casino license in the southeastern part of the Bay State, which looks pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Hard Rock International, Japan, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Tribal, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Fourth Massachusetts casino mulled; Hard Rock making hard sell in Japan

Greed is good (Not!); Miller looks back on 2019

Posted on December 19, 2019 by David McKee

Most gaming CEOs are wearing hair shirts and taking vows of poverty compared to bet365 CEO Denise Coates, the new poster girl of greed. She awarded herself $422 million in compensation (no, that’s not a typo). In 2015-6 Coates scraped … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, China, Cosmopolitan, Dining, International, Macau, Massachusetts, Money laundering, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resort fees, Sports betting, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Greed is good (Not!); Miller looks back on 2019

Tribal gambling rampant in Oklahoma?; Penn National gets swindled

Posted on December 18, 2019 by David McKee

Could “casinos and smoke shops soon begin popping up on every corner of downtown Tulsa?” So wondered Indian Country Today about a Supreme Court case that could dramatically alter the complexion of tribal gaming in Oklahoma. (Serves Kevin Stitt right.) The … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Eldorado Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, Tribal, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Tribal gambling rampant in Oklahoma?; Penn National gets swindled

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 18, 2019 by David McKee

“Don’t try and reinvent the wheel, ask the experts out in Vegas how to run a sportsbook. I’ve been waiting my whole life to make wagers LOCALLY instead of wiring my money to some organized crime family in Central America.”—anonymous comment … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Regulation, Sports betting | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Stitt, tribes going to the wire; California card rooms slammed

Posted on December 11, 2019 by David McKee

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) is escalating his rhetoric in his war with the Sooner State’s casino tribes. He says they’ll be operating gambling “illegally” starting on New Year’s Day. But his verbal volley wasn’t aimed at tribes so much as … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Downtown, Japan, Law enforcement, Maryland, Money laundering, Oklahoma, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off on Stitt, tribes going to the wire; California card rooms slammed

Penn a solid bet; New Year’s Eve in Vegas could be better

Posted on December 11, 2019 by David McKee

Penn National Gaming got a rave review from J.P. Morgan gaming analyst Joseph Greff, who wrote that ” we continue to believe PENN offers a favorable risk/reward with an attractive valuation.” Strong fundamentals in the regional-gaming sphere were cited, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Japan, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

New angle on sports betting; Slot-route throw down in Missouri

Posted on December 9, 2019 by David McKee

Look out FanDuel and DraftKings: Here comes Tradesports. It’s a new wrinkle on U.S. sports wagering: a betting exchange. Say the New England Patriots are playing against the Kansas City Chiefs and you’ve got money on the Pats. Theoretically, you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Derek Stevens, Downtown, International, Macau, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports betting, Technology, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on New angle on sports betting; Slot-route throw down in Missouri

Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California

Posted on December 9, 2019 by David McKee

This is an effective promotional tool. Why aren’t other companies doing it? (We’re looking at you, Caesars Entertainment.) * Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte is punching out at Philippines offshore gaming operators (POGOs) over delinquent taxes. He asserted that they had paid … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California

Florida gets tough on black market; Nugget tops Atlantic City

Posted on November 27, 2019 by David McKee

Florida‘s black market slot-parlor industry is coming under renewed scrutiny as it offers not only unlimited soda but an invitingly soft target for armed robbers looking for high concentrations of cash. In a 15-month period, Jacksonville police have logged 500 … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Dining, Donald Trump, Florida, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, New Jersey, Regulation, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Florida gets tough on black market; Nugget tops Atlantic City

Strip soft, locals firm; Big win for DraftKings

Posted on November 26, 2019 by David McKee

At $538 million, last month’s Strip gambling revenue fell 9%. Slot win was 1.5% up on 5.5% more coin-in. However, baccarat win plunged 27% on 20.5% less wagering. Non-baccarat table games were down 19% on 11% less betting. Strip casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Culinary Union, Downtown, DraftKings, International, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, New Hampshire, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Reno, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Washington State | Comments Off on Strip soft, locals firm; Big win for DraftKings

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 26, 2019 by David McKee

“Compliance is often seen as taking all the fun out of the industry but the problem with this industry is that it’s had fun, at the players’ expense, for too long now. This does mean that some regulatory bodies have … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, Regulation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Scientific fluent in Chinese; William Hill seeks new horizons

Posted on November 25, 2019 by David McKee

It’s not just for China anymore. Scientific Games is reporting success with its Chinese-themed slots, including in North America. Yes, games with titles like Jin Ji Bao Xi, which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue but is gaining traction with slot players worldwide. “If … Continue reading →

Posted in Cantor Gaming, China, Economy, Environment, Florida, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Philippines, Regulation, Scientific Games, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Scientific fluent in Chinese; William Hill seeks new horizons

Wynn Resorts chastened; Living the high life at the Cosmo

Posted on November 25, 2019 by David McKee

Boston is quite a different animal from Las Vegas and Macao—or so Wynn Resorts has learned. Despite healthy table games revenues it is lowering the minimum-bet limits from $50 to $15 at Encore Boston Harbor. In a remarkable mea culpa before … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, China, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Downtown, Election, Environment, Hard Rock Hotel, Hard Rock International, Las Vegas Raiders, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Maine, Marijuana, Marketing, Massachusetts, Palms, Penn National, Regulation, Resort fees, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wynn Resorts chastened; Living the high life at the Cosmo

New life for Harmon Strip; Wynn Resorts vindicated, mostly

Posted on November 21, 2019 by David McKee

Could the Harmon Strip, mooted since the late Nineties, actually come to pass? The area has been a graveyard for resort projects, leaving the Hard Rock Hotel standing in splendid isolation. However … one Jeffrey Williams is applying for permission to … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Cantor Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Georgia, Hard Rock Hotel, history, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Silverton, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Next stop, Hempfield!

Posted on November 19, 2019 by David McKee

Cordish Gaming has broken ground on its Hempfield Township satellite casino in Pennsylvania. The $150 million property will have 750 slots and 30 table games, as well as a 445-seat sports book. The casino will fill the space left by … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Dining, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, history, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Regulation, South Korea, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Sports betting burgeons in Pennsylvania

Posted on November 19, 2019 by David McKee

Pennsylvania sports-betting handle was $241 million last month, which translated into $19 million in revenue (a quarter of which promptly went to the state). Mobile wagering accounted for $199 million or 82% of the wagering, up from 65% last July. “Most encouraging … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Illinois, Law enforcement, Michigan, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, Twin River, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Sports betting burgeons in Pennsylvania