Category Archives: Reno

Nevada: No recovery yet

Posted on May 11, 2010 by David McKee

“We hit the bottom and are slowly climbing out,” contends Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Frank Streshley, trying to put the best spin on a flat March. There were definitely some silver linings. Who’da thunk Laughlin (2.5%), Reno (5%) and … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, California, CityCenter, Current, Downtown, Economy, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, LVCVA, Marketing, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Reno, Sports, The Strip | 10 Comments

Case Bets: St. Louis, Florida & antiques

Posted on April 15, 2010 by David McKee

It was the best of times … almost. Pinnacle Entertainment‘s opening of River City not only propelled a 9% increase in casino revenue in the St. Louis market, it gave the area “its busiest month ever.” While River City’s $15.9 … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Bad PR for gaming

Posted on March 12, 2010 by David McKee

Mike Ensign‘s 96 dimes of hush money to his son’s mistress’ pimp daddy (aka Doug Hampton) and “Casino Jack” Abramoff make cameo appearances in this attack ad (found via @RalstonFlash). Throw in the heavy-handed meddling in casino affairs of Gov. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Iowa, Marketing, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Sahara, TV | Comments Off on Bad PR for gaming

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

Big payoff for Pennsylvania

Posted on January 12, 2010 by David McKee

Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and other state leaders have got to be feeling the love for the Keystone State‘s budding casino industry, which generated over $1 billion in tax revenue last year. That boffo return was achieved without table games … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Economy, Harrah's, IGT, Indiana, Kentucky, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Technology, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 2 Comments

Strip bottoming out

Posted on November 10, 2009 by David McKee

September’s Nevada gaming revenue numbers are in and the good news is that the Strip is only -4% year/year. (Strip revs were down all of ’08 but didn’t fall off the cliff until October, when they tumbled 26%.) This makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, Mesquite, Ohio, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off on Strip bottoming out

Blimps on the radar

Posted on September 10, 2009 by David McKee

Dipping into the dispatch box, S&G finds the following tidbits, courtesy of the nice people at J.P. Morgan: Alex Yemenidjian is serious about revamping the Tropicana Las Vegas. He's just inked a contract with Bally Technologies for a player-tracking system … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Bally Technologies, CityCenter, Detroit, Economy, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Blimps on the radar

Adelson bombing in Pennsylvania; RoboPoker returns; Dissent over Wynn

Posted on August 6, 2009 by David McKee

Both the opening of Sands Bethlehem, and recent expansions of Meadows Racetrack & Casino (+29%) and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs (+21%) drove an 18.5% increase in slot revenue this July. With $19.6 million in gross revenue, Sands was only … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Cannery Casino Resorts, Harrah's, Macau, Pennsylvania, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Adelson bombing in Pennsylvania; RoboPoker returns; Dissent over Wynn

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 23, 2009 by David McKee

Sig Rogich’s choo-choo to nowhere. Some parts of Sig sold separately. “Even with the Victorville-Palmdale link, which is not a dead certainty, a Las Vegas rider who wanted to see the Magic Kingdom would have to travel from Sin City … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Politics, Reno, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Vegas (isn't the only place that) needs Carmen Electra

Posted on July 17, 2009 by David McKee

Occasionally, S&G readers allow me to share their off-list bon mots with the general public. Such is the case with one Pacific Rim-based gentlewoman who’s familiar with the sights and sounds of Macao. Evidently, it’s a place where voluptuousness is … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Movies, Planet Hollywood, Reno, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Vegas (isn't the only place that) needs Carmen Electra

Case Bets: Seminoles, Iverson, Harrah's, PartyGaming, Station's luck, etc.

Posted on April 15, 2009 by David McKee

Down in Florida, the tide may be turning in favor of the Seminole Tribe. Both the Florida Retail Federation and Restaurant Lodging Association have thrown their support behind the status quo, as represented by Gov. Charlie Crist‘s Class III casino … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Detroit, Don Barden, Florida, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Sports, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Case Bets: Seminoles, Iverson, Harrah's, PartyGaming, Station's luck, etc.

Black Tuesday: Station Casinos

Posted on February 4, 2009 by David McKee

Yesterday’s Chapter 11 proposal by Station Casinos was paradoxically both inevitable and premature. From the day Station drew on its revolving line of credit to fund operational expenses, the handwriting was on the wall. However, Station chose to precipitate a … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Economy, Reno, Station Casinos, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off on Black Tuesday: Station Casinos

Rogues' gallery

Posted on January 15, 2009 by David McKee

After a fitful start, blogorrhea is sweeping the business desk of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, resulting a veritable flood of news nuggets today … Planet Hollywood prexy Michael Mecca has resigned to pursue the proverbial "other opportunities" at a time … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cannery Casino Resorts, Columbia Sussex, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, James Packer, Marketing, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Reno, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Rogues' gallery

G2E scuttlebutt

Posted on November 24, 2008 by David McKee

Could Herbst Gaming President Ferenc Szony be headed to the Cosmopolitan? That was one of the rumors bruited about at G2E last week. It would make sense. Szony, one of S&G's favorite gaming executives, is no stranger to operating in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, G2E, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, James Packer, Reno | Comments Off on G2E scuttlebutt

Just say ‘no’

Posted on October 25, 2008 by David McKee

Fall is in the air here and so is election fever. I’m just back from early voting and a honkin’ big Obama rally is gearing up on the other side of town, so the mind is full of matters electoral. … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Election, Reno, Taxes, The Strip | Comments Off on Just say ‘no’