Category Archives: Sheldon Adelson

CityCenter’s clearance sale; Ameristar’s secret admirer

Posted on December 27, 2012 by David McKee

After a long, abyssal plunge, Las Vegas‘ real estate market has bottomed out — or so knowledgeable people tell me. Seems that the banks ’round here ignored Mitt Romney‘s (bad) advice to dump the “shadow inventory” en masse into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, CityCenter, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on CityCenter’s clearance sale; Ameristar’s secret admirer

PNK piquing little interest; B.S. walks

Posted on December 26, 2012 by David McKee

‘Twas the day after Christmas and all through the house, shareholders were beginning to cool on the value of Ameristar Casinos stock. It closed ever so slightly down from Pinnacle Entertainment‘s $26.50/share offer price. Perhaps I was wrong and $869 … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Goldman Sachs, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Plaza, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, Wall Street, Warner Gaming | 1 Comment

A Christmas wish list …

Posted on December 24, 2012 by David McKee

For those of us who missed it this year, the best Christmas tradition of which I know. First and most importantly … To you, the reader, who makes this possible, a year of happiness, health and wealth, whether material, intellectual … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dan Gilbert, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Revel, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, TV, Wayne F. Newton | 5 Comments

Pinnacle punks Penn, swipes Ameristar

Posted on December 21, 2012 by David McKee

We’ve learned two important things today. One, that the Mayan calendar is not the most reliable predictor of events. Two, that Ameristar Casinos‘ on-again/off-again talk about putting itself up for sale was back in “on” mode. Before hardly anybody got … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Cordish Co., Current, Dan Lee, Economy, Election, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Drugs? Hookers? In our fair city?; It’s Vegaski, Comrade!

Posted on December 14, 2012 by David McKee

If your casino or club employs CLS Transportation, today would be a good day to call in sick and take the phone off the hook. Seems the limo fleet of CLS was taking Las Vegas visitors for a ride, running … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, International, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Coming, going, gone …

Posted on December 13, 2012 by David McKee

This just in … One weekend of performances of Peepshow was all that Mrs. Ice-T managed to do before fleeing back to New York City, at least temporarily, according to an S&G source. So if you’ve got Peepshow tickets this … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism | 7 Comments

“Soul” too soulless?; The Sunshine Boys

Posted on December 10, 2012 by David McKee

One weekend down, nine to go. Bear that in mind if you simply must see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw play The Venetian. The clock’s a tickin’. Since my knowledge of the McGraw-Hill oeuvre (separately and together) consists of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Plaza, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Springfield: Ameristar pulls the chicken switch

Posted on December 3, 2012 by David McKee

In an even more surprising development than Steve Wynn getting voted out of Foxborough, the seemingly leading contender for a western Massachusetts casino abruptly withdrew from the fray last Friday night. In a stunning abdication, Ameristar Casinos CEO Gordon Kanofsky … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Current, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Springfield: Ameristar pulls the chicken switch

The bigger-than-ever loser; Shania’s rump rocks Vegas

Posted on December 3, 2012 by David McKee

If Sheldon Adelson played the ponies as he does politics, he’d enter a Shetland in the Kentucky Derby and put all his money on it to win. What could be better than knowing the Las Vegas Sands CEO blew $100 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Downtown, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip | 1 Comment

Vegas: Is recovery finally for real?

Posted on December 1, 2012 by David McKee

So says the Brookings Institute, which raised Las Vegas to 194th from 245th in GDP (now at $47K/year) and job growth over the last year, behind such feeder markets as Bakersfield, California and Monterrey, Mexico. That’s the first year of … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Culinary Union, Current, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Iowa, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Lou Lang up to old tricks; Dog-and-pony show at Sahara

Posted on November 20, 2012 by David McKee

For months, state Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), has been threatening to push an enormous gambling expansion through the Illinois Legislature during its lame-duck session. He says he’s “getting very close” but we’ve heard that kind of braying from Lang previously. … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Cosmopolitan, Current, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 4 Comments

A tale of two Penns

Posted on November 16, 2012 by David McKee

Update: Seeking Alpha’s Brad Thomas has run the numbers on the Penn split and doesn’t like the risk/reward scenario. Fifteen years and many consolidations ago, the casino industry was seized by a brain fever. It was set off by the … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Colorado, Cordish Co., Harrah's, history, Indiana, International, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Missouri: Penn vs. Penn; Pinnacle debacle deepens

Posted on November 13, 2012 by David McKee

This just in: It’s another winning strategy from those gaming-industry masterminds at Colony Capital. God forbid you’re playing at the Atlantic Club and work up an appetite. Or did Tom Barrack hear about “Stiff of the Year” and wants to … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Colorado, Dining, Economy, Election, Genting, Harrah's, Illinois, International, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, Missouri, Movies, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Wake up with Loveman; More election aftermath

Posted on November 8, 2012 by David McKee

No sooner were Wall Street analysts uttering serious concerns about a slow post-Sandy recovery for Atlantic City than who should pop up on CBS This Morning but Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman, doing damage control … It’s hard to decide … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dan Gilbert, Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wake up with Loveman; More election aftermath

Election wrap-up: Winners & losers

Posted on November 7, 2012 by David McKee

But first, because it will never, ever get old … Also this, from @daveweigel: “[Florida] exit poll: Obama winning Jewish vote by 40 points. 40 points. Nice work, Sheldon Adelson.” We’ll tap dance on Sheldon’s head some more further down, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Colorado, Cordish Co., Cretins, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Florida, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Maine, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Steve Wynn, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia | 4 Comments

L-O-S-E-R

Posted on November 7, 2012 by David McKee

Sorry, Sheldon Adelson, but American democracy is not for sale to the highest bidder. Now go back to doing what you do best: opening overseas casino markets … far overseas, preferably.

Posted in Current, Election, Sheldon Adelson | 2 Comments

Where’s Sheldo?; Stiffed by Aliante?

Posted on November 6, 2012 by David McKee

That’s the question posed today by Esquire‘s Jason Whited, who tries to find the Blofeld-like mastermind. “Anyplace other than Las Vegas,” seems to be the answer. “Political types here and across the country speak of him in almost hushed tones,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Marketing, North Las Vegas, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn | 6 Comments

You can’t cure stupidity

Posted on October 31, 2012 by David McKee

Although I’m sure Tao Beach had its heart in the right place when it crafted this promotion for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, its brain fell clear out its butt. Not only does this public-disservice message appear to have been dreamed … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Marketing, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | 2 Comments

Hurricane Sandy: “It’s going to take years to recover”; ‘Unsafe sex’ at Sands

Posted on October 30, 2012 by David McKee

A natural disaster on the East Coast is fast becoming an industry-wide problem, its effects felt as far afield as Iowa, I kid you not. In light of the total havoc Hurricane Sandy has wrought upon travel, particularly by air, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Genting, Harrah's, Iowa, New York, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Cosmo: Yes, we have gambling!; Election Special 2: Palm Beach

Posted on October 30, 2012 by David McKee

For the umpteenth time, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has been obliged to go to the media and say, ‘Yes, we not only have gambling but we actually like it, we really do.’ It’s a message that got kicked under … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Economy, Election, Florida, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Cosmo: Yes, we have gambling!; Election Special 2: Palm Beach