Category Archives: Sheldon Adelson

Ultimate pulls the plug on A.C.

Posted on September 22, 2014 by David McKee

Ultimate Gaming is exiting Atlantic City but don’t take that as a slight on the New Jersey market for Internet gambling. Ultimate lost patience with dubiously solvent Trump Taj Mahal, which it accuses of being two months in arrears and owing … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Election, Harrah's, International, Penn National, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

Inside Sands’ success; Furor in Fresno

Posted on September 19, 2014 by David McKee

The most baccarat tables per casino in the U.S. are to be found at — no kidding — Sands Bethlehem. The casino, which fields 50 baccarat tables grossed $18 million in table game revenue last month, a record amount for … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Election, Greenwood Racing, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Sheldon goes Korean; More casinos for Maine?

Posted on September 3, 2014 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson wants in on any expansion of South Korea‘s casino and he’s not above using a little muscle to do it. According to Managing Director of Global Development George Tanasijevich, his company, Las Vegas Sands would create “a truly iconic … Continue reading →

Posted in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore | Comments Off

Illinois: Adding insult to injury; Sheldon’s nuisance

Posted on August 29, 2014 by David McKee

Casino-based slot machines in Illinois are now outnumbered by ones in convenience stores, bars and truck stops. To make the challenge even worse, the Legislature — which goes out of its way to kneecap the Land of Lincoln’s existing casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Internet gambling, Macau, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, West Virginia | Comments Off

Loveman’s big score; Slots come to Dayton

Posted on August 28, 2014 by David McKee

“You’re in Baltimore, baby, it says so right there, in big gray block letters on a smokestack at the trash plant just past the entrance.” Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman, long celebrated as the wizard of database market, also finds … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Cordish Co., Genting, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Marketing, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Transportation, Vietnam | Comments Off

Party poopers

Posted on August 25, 2014 by David McKee

Those losers at Al-Qaeda are fixating on Las Vegas. In their fanzine, Palestine, they urge their followers to build car bombs and target Sin City. Nightclubs and casino floors are the high-impact targets of opportunity. (Real geniuses, these terrorist folk.) Both … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Florida, Harrah's, International, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Case Bets

Posted on August 21, 2014 by David McKee

Any fears of antitrust litigation in the Scientific Games/Bally Technologies merger were put to rest yesterday when the two companies announced they had cleared the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act waiting period ahead of schedule. This is hardly equal to leaping the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, Genting, Harrah's, Japan, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Ohio, Regulation, Riviera, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, TV | Comments Off

Life after Revel?

Posted on August 19, 2014 by David McKee

Once safely closed — and rid of those pesky employees — Revel could find itself a valuable commodity again. Salaries really are at the crux of the issue. Current ownership is losing $2 million a week and that “black hole” … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Macau, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports, Taxes | 1 Comment

The return of the Strip; Panic over Macao

Posted on August 18, 2014 by David McKee

Las Vegas‘ recovery from the Great Recession is all but official. To be truthful, a number of us — myself in particular — thought we were being played for suckers when Sam Nazarian closed the Sahara and promised to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Carl Icahn, Fontainebleau, Genting, International, James Packer, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street, Westgate LV | 4 Comments

Las Vegas: From China, with money

Posted on August 13, 2014 by David McKee

As China pays closer scrutiny to VIP play — and where the money is coming from — it’s driven down the high-end action in Macao … and redirected it toward Las Vegas. Said Telsey Advisory Group analyst Chris Jones, “One thing … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, International, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off

The majesty of the law

Posted on August 12, 2014 by David McKee

For years New Jersey casino regulators have had to endure legislative backchat that they’re overstepping their authority. This week, lawmakers learned that such regulatory authority doesn’t extend as far as they thought. Even in its most dire straits, the Tropicana … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 1 Comment

No gold rush in California

Posted on August 11, 2014 by David McKee

In a huge setback for Internet gambling, California‘s legislature is calling it a day. State Sen. Lou Correa (D) is not only withdrawing his i-gaming bill from consideration, he’s being termed out at the end of the session, so the cause … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, James Packer, Melco Crown Entertainment, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Slump in Macao; Trump’s latest tantrum

Posted on August 6, 2014 by David McKee

July was unkind to casino operators in Macao, with revenues down 4%. Mass market table win was healthily up, 17%, and slot revenue increased, albeit by 4%. However, VIP revenues were 14% on 13.% less volume of play. This pulled … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, Macau, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Trump Entertainment Resorts | 4 Comments

The Macanese squeeze

Posted on August 5, 2014 by David McKee

“Everyone has got dealers and waitresses and cooks and housekeeping and we all got them from the same place … what do you think is going to happen 18 months from now? Exactly the same thing.” That’s the sound of … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Shakeup at Downtown Grand

Posted on July 31, 2014 by David McKee

I’ll be staying at the Downtown Grand this weekend and it looks like I won’t be the only novitiate. Ownership has installed a new management team, too, casting a wide net. CFO Marie Ramsey comes over from the Tropicana Las … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cordish Co., Current, Delaware, Downtown, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, New York, Racinos, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip | Comments Off

Wynn: Most happy fella

Posted on July 30, 2014 by David McKee

We’ve gotten to inured to headlines that say such-and-such a quarter was “rescued by Macao” that I did a double-take today. The lead item on a newsletter was “Wynn Resorts Q2 results boosted by Las Vegas.” It’s nice that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, IGT, International, Internet gambling, Macau, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Would you let this man rob your casino?

Posted on July 28, 2014 by David McKee

Despite 14 arrests for cheating at a couple dozen Las Vegas casinos, the Nevada Gaming Control Board never saw fit to nominate hall-of-fame cardshap Jubreal Chahine for inclusion in the Black Book, not even after it publicly characterized him as … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Greenwood Racing, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | Comments Off

Penny pinchers; Tribal warfare in New Mexico; Who’s tops in Macao?

Posted on July 24, 2014 by David McKee

Although the hold on penny slots in Illinois casinos is grotesquely higher than that for quarter slots/video poker, the imaginary value of penny machines makes them by far the most popular genre in the state. Punters dropped $41 million into … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Illinois, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tribal | 1 Comment

Adelson goes soft on Communism; Wynn befriends oysters

Posted on July 23, 2014 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson may play the tough guy at home but he’s a pushover in Macao. Rather than anger his Communist overlords, Adelson apologized for a labor march that just so happened to be held outside Venetian Macao. The protest was … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Harrah's, Macau, Massachusetts, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Argosy saved … for now

Posted on July 21, 2014 by David McKee

Not only has the Iowa Supreme Court not ruled on Judge Elizabeth Ovrom‘s ruling to close Argosy Sioux City, it hasn’t decided whether or not to hear the case. However, it still has kept the Penn National Gaming riverboat on life … Continue reading →

Posted in Foxwoods, Greenwood Racing, Iowa, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tribal | Comments Off