Category Archives: Regulation

Resolution at Revel; MGM turns up the heat on Connecticut

Posted on November 27, 2015 by David McKee

Our long Revel nightmare is at least partially over, now that Glenn Straub has a deal in place to buy the disputed ACR Energy Partners power plant. While ACR pays $15 million to placate bondholders, Straub gets the plant for … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Eldorado Resorts, Foxwoods, Glenn Straub, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Revel, Wall Street | 1 Comment

DFS sued again; Penn disappoints, MGM excels

Posted on November 24, 2015 by David McKee

A Florida attorney seems to have found the soft underbelly of the daily fantasy sports industry: its investors. Ervin Gonzales, representing two Sunshine State punters, has filed a class-action lawsuit that names among its defendants all the major sporting leagues, … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Regulation, Sports | Comments Off on DFS sued again; Penn disappoints, MGM excels

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 24, 2015 by David McKee

“They may have to give up daily games and be limited to real athletic events that take place on at least two days.  And they will certainly be required to be regulated. But there is too much money at stake to … Continue reading →

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

The dark side of DFS; Wynn delay provokes caution

Posted on November 23, 2015 by David McKee

Daily fantasy sports backlash has claimed its first casualty. Relatively minor site TradeSports.com has gone out of business. “Recent negative events in the industry have already increased our costs of operating (and will most likely continue to do so); or perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, Problem gambling, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on The dark side of DFS; Wynn delay provokes caution

Rick Scott screws the Seminoles; Internet gaming advances in Pennsylvania

Posted on November 20, 2015 by David McKee

By the this point in time it’s pretty clear that Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has been negotiating in bad faith with the Seminole Tribe. He’s had five years to come up with a new compact regarding the tribe’s blackjack … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Internet gambling, Macau, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Rick Scott screws the Seminoles; Internet gaming advances in Pennsylvania

Runaway costs in Springfield; Lucky Dragon not so lucky

Posted on November 20, 2015 by David McKee

MGM Springfield is turning into the worst of both worlds. Not only has the ‘wow’ factor been subtracted (“really the least interesting part of our project,” one exec contended), with the result that the casino-hotel looks more like a bank … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Culinary Union, Downtown, Entertainment, Lucky Dragon, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Taxes, Transportation | Comments Off on Runaway costs in Springfield; Lucky Dragon not so lucky

Tribes 1, NLRB 0; DFS on the rampage

Posted on November 18, 2015 by David McKee

In a big setback for Big Labor, the House of Representatives voted to exempt tribal casinos from National Labor Relations Board oversight. This turns back 11 years of precedent, stemming from a 2004 NLRB ruling that San Manuel Indian Bingo … Continue reading →

Posted in California, International, Internet gambling, New York, Regulation | Comments Off on Tribes 1, NLRB 0; DFS on the rampage

DFS: A patchwork of approaches

Posted on November 18, 2015 by David McKee

Although he’s been dissed by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) and the NCAA (because his bill would allow daily fantasy sports to include college athletes), state Sen. James Whelan (D, right) presses on in his attempt to regulate DFS … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Geoff Freeman, Harry Reid, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sports | Comments Off on DFS: A patchwork of approaches

The wacky world of Glenn Straub; New York rescuer for DFS

Posted on November 17, 2015 by David McKee

Instead of hassling Stockton University over ownership of the Showboat (and losing), perhaps Glenn Straub should have been developing a long-range plan for heating Revel through the winter, so that the pipes don’t freeze and burst. His solution? Bring in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, Internet gambling, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Transportation, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Banks gun-shy on DFS; Aquinnah tribe suffers major defeat

Posted on November 16, 2015 by David McKee

Another day, another crisis for daily fantasy sports. This week, banks will be soul-searching, grappling with the question of whether to process DFS transactions or not. Market Watch polled some of the major financial institutions and found them taking a … Continue reading →

Posted in Internet gambling, Massachusetts, New York, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off on Banks gun-shy on DFS; Aquinnah tribe suffers major defeat

Autumn chill in Atlantic City; Christmas present for VictoryLand

Posted on November 13, 2015 by David McKee

For the first time in over a year, there are no casino closings to be factored into Atlantic City‘s gaming revenue, no more same-store comparisons. So how did the Boardwalk fare? Even with an extra weekend day, revenue dipped 3%. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Technology, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Good news in Massachusetts for DFS and tribe

Posted on November 13, 2015 by David McKee

Home team DraftKings (headquartered in Boston) got a vote of confidence from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), who opined that daily fantasy sports is a game of skill, not of chance. Last weekend, Baker tried a little DraftKings wagering himself … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, New York, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off on Good news in Massachusetts for DFS and tribe

Genting feels the heat; DraftKings fights back

Posted on November 13, 2015 by David McKee

All of sudden this week, Genting Group feels compelled to explain itself and declare that, yes, there really has been $50 million worth of construction activity at Resorts World Las Vegas, starting with the parking garage. (Perhaps the visible site preparation … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Genting, Internet gambling, New York, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Technology, The Strip | Comments Off on Genting feels the heat; DraftKings fights back

Tohono O’odham win again; Union tackles REIT craze

Posted on November 12, 2015 by David McKee

Forces opposed to the Tohono O’odham Nation‘s attempts to build a casino (due to open Dec. 20) suffered yet another defeat — the 18th, by the tribe’s count — when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals tossed out a particularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Arizona, GLPI, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off on Tohono O’odham win again; Union tackles REIT craze

Phil Ruffin, International Man of Mystery; Another day, another DFS probe

Posted on November 12, 2015 by David McKee

So now we know where those The Mirage-is-for-sale rumors were coming from. Seems that the place really was not for sale, although Phil Ruffin wished it was, to the tune of $1.3 billion. And, as badly as MGM Resorts International … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, GLPI, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Phil Ruffin, International Man of Mystery; Another day, another DFS probe

Catastrophe for DFS; Strong month for Missouri

Posted on November 11, 2015 by David McKee

Daily fantasy sports’ house of cards continued to topple yesterday when New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ordered FanDuel and DraftKings to cease and desist from taking bets in the Empire State, home to 500,000 DFS players. According to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Regulation | Comments Off on Catastrophe for DFS; Strong month for Missouri

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 10, 2015 by David McKee

“I think if you classify it as gambling and you try to regulate it in the same fashion as online gambling, the industry ceases to exist. The model that exists today cannot exist under the kind of proposals that I’ve seen.” … Continue reading →

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

SLS gets new patron; Mixed quarter at Caesars

Posted on November 10, 2015 by David McKee

Revolving doors continue to spin, metaphorically, at SLS Las Vegas. No sooner had Hilton Worldwide dropped the property from its Curio brand but Starwood Resorts Worldwide picked up part of the property and slapped its W hotel escutcheon on it. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Harrah's, International, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip | 1 Comment

New blows to Adelson, SLS; Seminoles’ air war

Posted on November 6, 2015 by David McKee

Ex-Sands China CEO Steven Jacobs‘ wrongful-termination case will still proceed under the gavel of Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez. The Nevada Supreme Court, in an unpublished opinion, reaffirmed Gonzalez’s standing in the case and also ordered Las Vegas Sands to pony up … Continue reading →

Posted in Florida, Indiana, Internet gambling, Macau, Politics, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Taxes, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on New blows to Adelson, SLS; Seminoles’ air war

Bluhm thinks big in Massachusetts; Cautious optimism in Illinois

Posted on November 6, 2015 by David McKee

Never accuse Neil Bluhm of thinking small. His Mass Gaming & Entertainment has published some eye-popping projections as part of a 200-page casino application to the State of Massachusetts. Despite nearby competition from Plainridge and Rhode Island, Bluhm is projecting … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off on Bluhm thinks big in Massachusetts; Cautious optimism in Illinois