Category Archives: Regulation

Case Bets: Wynn in Philly, topless in Vegas, Pegasus crashes

Posted on February 22, 2010 by David McKee

It’s a slow news day in the industry, though not without its amusing elements. For instance, the Philadelphia Inquirer devoted a significant amount of ink to the weighty question of whether half-dozen casinos in the greater Philly area might be … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment

Skin(less) City

Posted on February 19, 2010 by David McKee

Before we get into the good (?) stuff, I should mention that S&G has been nominated as part of Las Vegas CityLife‘s “Best of the Valley” poll. I probably should have pimped this a week ago, when the poll went … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Problem gambling, Regulation, Technology, The Strip | 5 Comments

Sheldon Adelson, TV star

Posted on February 19, 2010 by David McKee

There I was, wrapping up a two-day “staycation” with dinner at Metro Pizza when I looked up and … let’s say I’m lucky I didn’t choke to death from shock at what I saw. There was Las Vegas Sands potentate … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Entertainment, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, Wayne F. Newton | 1 Comment

Sands & MGM previewed

Posted on February 16, 2010 by David McKee

Weighing in ahead of Las Vegas Sands and MGM Mirage conference calls, J.P. Morgan analysts have some early projections. They remain bullish on Marina Bay Sands, although it may now open in late May. (Incredibly, Morgan says this one-month discrepancy … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 6 Comments

The Flying Dutchman of the Strip

Posted on February 16, 2010 by David McKee

Pity poor Rockstar: The Tribute. It briefly played Planet Hollywood‘s Wyrick Entertainment Complex last June, then got the boot. An announced revival at the Harmon Theater never materialized. A late-2009 move to the Riviera was ballyhooed. Guess what? Rockstar never … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 2 Comments

President-ial politics

Posted on February 12, 2010 by David McKee

You know January was bad in St. Louis when the lowly President‘s $2 million take was the only revenue increase in the area. While the Harrah’s Entertainment/Ameristar Casinos pair of Maryland Heights riverboats continues to dominate the market with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Harrah's, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Taxes | Comments Off on President-ial politics

IGT quits Japan; Vdara goes bargain-friendly; Singapore opens

Posted on February 11, 2010 by David McKee

After losing $21 million in Japan last year, IGT is saying a not-so-fond farewell to the Land of the Rising Sun. Its sales of pachislot machines had been in decline and were nowhere near the volume needed to reach break-even. … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Genting, IGT, International, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Macao even more profitable than previously thought

Posted on February 10, 2010 by David McKee

If the Chinese government isn’t handing free money to casino operators in Macao, they’re getting the next best thing: free land. Due to the exceptionally slow-moving nature of Macanese governmental paperwork, casino developers have been able to build on their … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes | 4 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 10, 2010 by David McKee

“If there was this kind of trepidation in Las Vegas, there’d be no Las Vegas.” — a reader’s reaction to the one-step-forward/two-steps-backward dysfunction that is ongoing in Kansas. Then again, it could soon be moot.

Posted in Kansas, Lyle Berman, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Kudos for Loveman

Posted on February 9, 2010 by David McKee

Harrah’s Entertainment is no longer going to the dogs — or won’t be, if it gets its way in Iowa. It’s offered to pay the Hawkeye State a tidy $70 million in exchange for being released from its greyhound-racing requirement … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Harrah's, Iowa, Racinos, Regulation, Sports | 1 Comment

Aren’t we glad?

Posted on February 9, 2010 by David McKee

When given lemons, make lemonade. When hit with a throat infection, lay low and scrounge around for S&G fodder. So it is today — and I didn’t have to scrounge very far. While Las Vegas didn’t dodge too many bullets … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, Carl Icahn, Dubai, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, Indiana, James Packer, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street, WMS Industries | 3 Comments

Case Bets: Laughlin postmortem, Newton grounded, Gibbons robs problem gamblers

Posted on February 4, 2010 by David McKee

It’s an S&G Special Austerity Edition (i.e., no pictures) … Three grand. That’s the value of a human life in Nevada. The Washingtonian who crashed his car into Laughlin‘s Edgewater casino, killing two and injuring seven, is out on $6,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Current, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, IGT, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Movies, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Reno, Transportation, TV, Wall Street, Wayne F. Newton | Comments Off on Case Bets: Laughlin postmortem, Newton grounded, Gibbons robs problem gamblers

Enter Loveman, exit jobs; Tamares’ legacy

Posted on February 3, 2010 by David McKee

Just this morning I was thinking that the first thing Planet Hollywood employees could expect when Harrah’s Entertainment took over was large-scale job losses and so it will be. This is one of those occasions I really hate being proven … Continue reading →

Posted in ABBA, Ameristar, Columbia Sussex, Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Tamares Group, Wall Street | 6 Comments

Case Bets: Net Bets, Harrah’s money grab & why China matters

Posted on January 20, 2010 by David McKee

Mark Juliano, CEO of Trump Entertainment Resorts, has been all over the papers lately. First, he came out in support of a massive taxpayer subsidy (backed by two unions) that would forgive Revel 75% of its room and sales taxes … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Macau, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip | 3 Comments

From the S&G Twitter feed …

Posted on January 14, 2010 by David McKee

• Fertittas sell 10% of UFC to Abu Dhabi, new LV sugar daddy, presumably to stave off [Boyd Gaming] takeover of [Station Casinos]. http://tinyurl.com/yzhbmv2 • [Penn National Gaming] gets deadline extension in [Kansas]. http://tinyurl.com/yawfuqk • Aria room rates continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Florida, International, Kansas, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, TV | 5 Comments

From the S&G Twitter feed …

Posted on January 12, 2010 by David McKee

For those of you who aren’t following it, here’s what you’ve been missing: • Station [Casinos] shuts Cherry @ Red Rock [Resort], ends flirtation w. Strip-ish nightlife. In Summerlin? Right casino, wrong place. http://tinyurl.com/ye36uqm • @IOC_Brand Jim Perry, Virginia McDowell … Continue reading →

Posted in California, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Harrah's, IGT, International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Lyle Berman, Mississippi, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos, Technology, TV | Comments Off on From the S&G Twitter feed …

Sheldon the Barbarian & other news

Posted on January 11, 2010 by David McKee

Amid reports of vastly improved attendance at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show comes news of a typical overreaction by Las Vegas Sands. I know of one company that was doing off-site demos and fortunately wasn’t among the vendors turfed out … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Carl Icahn, Colorado, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Indiana, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 5 Comments

It could be worse … couldn’t it?

Posted on January 8, 2010 by David McKee

That’s what passes for optimism these days when confronted by ledgers like those posted by casinos in Illinois and Indiana for December. While the former’s 5% decline hardly looks like cause for celebration, it at least suggests the Land of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Don Barden, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Hard time for Carruthers

Posted on January 8, 2010 by David McKee

Former Betonsports PLC CEO David Carruthers drew 33 months in the slammer for racketeering. The law under which he was convicted, Slick Billy Frist‘s odious UIGEA, is ludicrous and overdue for repeal, but the recklessnss of Carruthers and company founder … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Internet gambling, Regulation, Texas | Comments Off on Hard time for Carruthers

Damsel in distress

Posted on January 4, 2010 by David McKee

Until 2005, when Harrah’s Entertainment devoured Park Place Entertainment, its flagship property in Las Vegas was The Rio. Since then the lady has fallen upon hard times. During the period 2007-09, while Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman blew hundreds of millions … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Penn National, Regulation, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 4 Comments