Category Archives: Regulation

Japan: Hold your horses!

Posted on December 6, 2016 by David McKee

Contrary to a press report over the weekend — and too credulously picked up by S&G — casino gambling is far from out of the woods in the Japanese Diet. True, it was voted out of committee in the lower … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Japan, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Japan: The impossible happens

Posted on December 5, 2016 by David McKee

Just when even Wall Street analysts were giving up hope — and ahead of schedule — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe got a casino-legalization bill through the Diet. This isn’t the end of the process, although casinos are now legal, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Donald Trump, Economy, Geoff Freeman, Hard Rock International, Japan, Kazuo Okada, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Technology, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off

Caesars: No free ride; Straub sues New Jersey

Posted on December 1, 2016 by David McKee

In an utterly predictable move, Caesars Entertainment will begin charging for parking at its Las Vegas Strip casinos in late December, at the same when MGM Resorts International‘s paid-parking regime is expected to go wide, encompassing locals. (December 29 is … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, Japan, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

End of a golden tribal era; Vegas Vic gets his due

Posted on November 29, 2016 by David McKee

Already gaming pundits are reading the entrails of the presidential election and predicting that while a Donald Trump administration could be Bad News for Internet gambling it will be Very Bad News Indeed for tribal gaming. Words like “disaster” are … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, history, Indiana, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Regulation, Tribal | 4 Comments

All right in Atlantic City; Trump: The Asia connection

Posted on November 28, 2016 by David McKee

Columnist Steve Ruddock recently took a deep dive into Atlantic City and found the water to be just fine, thank you. He didn’t just mean his hotel room at Resorts Atlantic City, which he deemed cleaner and better-maintained than many … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Glenn Straub, Harrah's, International, Iowa, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Regulation, Revel, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Vietnam | 1 Comment

New stumbling block for Caesars; ‘Net betting powers New Jersey

Posted on November 23, 2016 by David McKee

Just when it looked like Caesars Entertainment was out of the woods in its bankruptcy reorganization the federal trustee intervened with an objection. At issue are the releases from litigation that Caesars wrested from creditors as part of the price … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Ducey: Let’s make a deal; Trump = legal sports betting?

Posted on November 22, 2016 by David McKee

It looks like the State of Arizona may be ready to throw in the towel in its losing fight against the Tohono O’odham Nation over its Desert Diamond casino. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has inked a new compact with 10 … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Arizona, Boulder Strip, Donald Trump, Geoff Freeman, IGT, Lucky Dragon, Marketing, Politics, Regulation, SLS Las Vegas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | Comments Off

(Pot) Smoke gets in their eyes; Enter the Lucky Dragon

Posted on November 21, 2016 by David McKee

Just say “No.” That’s what Nevada gaming regulators are advising casinos who might be tempted to take advantage of the new legality of recreational marijuana in the Silver State. Bowing to federal law, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Cordish Co., Downtown, Environment, Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, Lucky Dragon, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Regulation, Sports, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Trump Taj saves Atlantic City; Barrack resurfaces; Visiting Memory Lane

Posted on November 17, 2016 by David McKee

When we rounded up Atlantic City gaming numbers yesterday, we didn’t get into market-adjusted comparisons and thus buried the lead. The Boardwalk’s surviving casinos saw, on average, a 6% increase in gaming revenue, thanks to the Oct. 10 closing of … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, history, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, Mississippi, Ohio, PokerStars, Regulation, Revel, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, West Virginia, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Straub makes some odd choices; Tiverton still up for grabs

Posted on November 10, 2016 by David McKee

Glenn Straub won one round, lost another in his quest to revive Revel as Ten. On Oct. 18, he received a certificate of occupancy, paving the way for him to reopen the property. (Last spring’s effort was a Chinese fire … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Atlantic City, Election, Glenn Straub, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Revel, Rhode Island, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

The day after

Posted on November 9, 2016 by David McKee

This morning’s biggest winners are not politicians or pundits (certainly not the pollsters) but the punters who laid their money on a Donald Trump victory when sites like Betfair had him as a one-in-five underdog or worse. Their wallets are … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Election, Florida, Harry Reid, Horseracing, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Election Special; Station Reno project approved

Posted on November 7, 2016 by David McKee

Preoccupied with stumping for legalized sports betting, the American Gaming Association fell down on the job and failed to deliver a promised (yes, they literally promised us) election roundup. By this shortcoming, the AGA flunked one of its mandates, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Atlantic City, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Scientific Games, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, Wall Street | Comments Off

Paris goes dark; A Bennett returns

Posted on November 4, 2016 by David McKee

In the first major Strip power outage in 12 years — the last was at Bellagio in 2004 — players at Paris-Las Vegas saw the entire casino resort go dark before their very eyes. Not even the auxiliary power kicked … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Harrah's, Hooters, International, Lake Tahoe, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Westgate LV | Comments Off

Atlantic City rescue rejected; Klondike lives!

Posted on November 3, 2016 by David McKee

A New Jersey takeover of Atlantic City seems all but inevitable. Although Mayor Don Guardian (R) is vowing to “fight this until we cannot fight any longer,” the state has tentatively rejected his bailout plan for the city. The kibosh … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, International, Marketing, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson | Comments Off

Trump’s Mob buddy; Cubs win!

Posted on November 3, 2016 by David McKee

As we mentioned yesterday, despite no longer being in existence, Donald Trump‘s fallen casino empire continues to make news. Today it’s his relationship with Robert LiButti, a figure so mobbed up that he was barred from New Jersey casinos in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Baseball, Donald Trump, Election, New York, Regulation, The Mob, TV | 1 Comment

Boyd: The big squish; Trump’s double-dip

Posted on November 2, 2016 by David McKee

“Squishy.” That was how JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff described Boyd Gaming‘s third quarter. The soggy verbiage was probably inspired by flooding that has vexed Boyd in Louisiana. The company is also facing stiff, new competition for IP Biloxi on … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Culinary Union, Donald Trump, Economy, Geoff Freeman, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Regulation, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Wall Street | Comments Off

Pennsylvania lawmakers screw the pooch; Adelson’s way or the highway

Posted on October 28, 2016 by David McKee

Pennsylvania communities are scrambling to reach voluntary revenue-sharing accords with the casinos they host after the Legislature left the issue in limbo. Rather than address the host-community fee on its own, the House of Representatives tacked on approval of Internet … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Environment, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology | Comments Off

They messed with Texas; Strip hotels have boom month

Posted on October 28, 2016 by David McKee

Tribal casinos are normally pretty tight-lipped about their financial performance. Not so the Alabama Coushatta Tribe of Texas. “It’s a quaint little spot and we’re pretty proud of it,” a tribal member told Houstonia magazine, speaking of Naskila Gaming, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, California, Economy, G2E, history, IGT, Marketing, Penn National, Regulation, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Five-point solution for Atlantic City; The Crown 18

Posted on October 27, 2016 by David McKee

Will Atlantic City be the master of its domain or will Gov. Chris Christie (R) insist upon a state takeover? That’s the question after Mayor Don Guardian (R) steered a five-point rescue plan through a heavily divided city council. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Environment, Hard Rock International, James Packer, Law enforcement, Macau, Politics, Regulation, Taxes, Technology | Comments Off

Adelson in trouble again; Trop buoys Penn National numbers

Posted on October 27, 2016 by David McKee

Las Vegas Sands is under the regulatory magnifying glass again. It’s been alleged that the company tried to make an end run around anti-money-laundering laws by permitting Chinese whales to use front men to place bets on their behalf. Lawyers … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Marketing, Mississippi, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off