Category Archives: Sports betting

Make theirs Manhattan: Hochul plays hardball

Representatives of New York City‘s ritziest borough have made it abundantly clear that they don’t want a casino in Manhattan. But it appears that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is going to impose one on them, public appetite be damned. Perhaps … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Genting, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off on Make theirs Manhattan: Hochul plays hardball

Baccarat constrains Strip; Sports betting tsunami ahead

Withered baccarat numbers meant that the Las Vegas Strip had a muted February, only a percentage point above 2019. Players dropped $599 million (-44.5%) of which the house won just $62 million (-52%). That offset a bonny month at the … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Colorado, Downtown, DraftKings, FanDuel, Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Mesquite, North Carolina, Palms, Reno, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wendover | Comments Off on Baccarat constrains Strip; Sports betting tsunami ahead

Barley’s leaves a bad taste; Woe is Star; Mega-Jottings

When a casino is named Barley’s Brewing Co. you’d expect to get a decent glass of suds there. Not so. Las Vegan Lon Enwright is $8 million richer—but physically damaged beyond price—after being served cleaning fluids instead of beer (the … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Charity, China, Conventions, Crown Resorts, Derek Stevens, history, Japan, Kentucky, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Money laundering, Movies, New Jersey, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Barley’s leaves a bad taste; Woe is Star; Mega-Jottings

Mulligan in Virginia; Caesars makes peace; Labor strife in Vegas

Richmond Mayor LeVar Stoney (D) is going to get his dearest wish: an electoral do-over for the Urban One casino proposal, which voters narrowly nixed at the ballot box last November. A year later, the electorate will get a chance … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Culinary Union, Dining, El Cortez, Election, Entertainment, Environment, Health, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nevada, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, South Carolina, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, TV, Unite-Here, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Mulligan in Virginia; Caesars makes peace; Labor strife in Vegas

Penn’s Portnoy problem; Unexpected winners, losers in Pennsylvania; Mega-Jottings

That ongoing bromance between Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden is prompting regulatory scrutiny in Indiana and even Nevada, especially as Penn girds its loins for a full Barstool buyout. That would bring the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Horseracing, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New York, Ocean Resort, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, WInd Creek | 2 Comments

Atlantic City, Massachusetts make big gains; Hotel misery

Casino executives in Atlantic City continue to plead poverty (to a dwindling amen corner) when it comes to poisoning their employees with secondhand smoke. In the meantime, they’re pocketing business hand over fist. Last month saw a 43% catapult over … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Sports betting, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Unite-Here, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Empire State greed; Brady betting brouhaha

Wow, inflation really is spiraling. When last we checked (i.e., yesterday), a New York City casino license was going for $500 million. However, if some state senators get their way, that not-inconsiderable price tag will rocket to $1 billion. According … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Downtown, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, New York, Ocean Resort, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tony Hsieh, Transportation, West Virginia, Westgate LV, Wynn Resorts, Wyoming | 1 Comment

New York $tate of mind; DraftKings gets rabies

OK, so New York State sports betting “slowed slightly” last month. Big deal. After all, there weren’t five weekends of NFL action, for starters. What’s more newsworthy is the $1.5 billion in handle that Empire State online sports betting whipped … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, New York, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Decline of the Golden Nugget?; Bluhm gets Chicago boost

On March 7, our Atlantic City correspondent wrote to us, “Who took the slot machines since yesterday? They even got rid of two of the four “vanity’ Tilman Fertitta dollar Billionaire Buyer machines. (I never saw anyone at those machines). … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Detroit, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illitch Family, Indiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Bounty in Missouri, penury in Macao

Customer bucks continued flowing big-time in Missouri casinos last month, up 19% over 2021. The total gross was $146 million as customers spent 2.5% more per visit and came in 16% greater numbers. Almost casinos were revenue-positive (some spectacularly so) … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, China, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Health, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Ohio, Illinois ebullient; MGM expects good things; Scandal in NFL

Ohio casino revenues were up 13% from 2021, yielding $179 million in player losses. Slots-only MGM Northfield Park posted a $22.5 million haul, up 17%, while Jack Cleveland vastly expanded its table game inventory and saw table play rise 24.5%. … Continue reading

Posted in Arkansas, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Virginia | 1 Comment

Almost everyone prospers in Maryland; Broader revival continues

There’s no sign of “normalization” of gaming revenues in Maryland, where February yielded $163 million, a 19% gain over 2019. Horseshoe Baltimore continued to be somewhat sickly, down 14% to $18 million while everyone else climbed. The silver lining was … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Downtown Grand, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Golden Gaming, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Scientific Games, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

DraftKings flexes its biceps; New names, same players

Probably in reaction to a precipitous plunge in DKNG shares, DraftKings hosted an investor day in which it told Wall Street analysts that everything is coming up roses. Its lead point was that its ‘total addressable market’ (translation: potential bettors) … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, Canada, Cordish Co., DraftKings, GLPI, Golden Nugget, Internet gambling, Maryland, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Wall Street | Comments Off on DraftKings flexes its biceps; New names, same players

Boardwalk bulletin; George gesture from Apollo

Pressure to end smoking in New Jersey casinos continues to ramp up on legislators. Said former governor Richard Codey (now a state senator), “When I was governor, we passed smoke-free legislation that covered almost all of our state. Restaurants complained … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Conventions, Dan Lee, Dining, Donald Trump, Genting, Golden Nugget, Health, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Virginia | 1 Comment

IGT: Biz as usual; Borgata ups the ante; Mega-Jottings

Wall Street analysts were rather ho-hum about International Game Technology‘s 4Q21 earnings announcement. The company’s cash flow from lotteries were almost exactly as predicted ($335.5 million, revenue of $687 million) while gaming brought in $66 million (on revenues of $321 … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Chicago, Cretins, Crown Resorts, Entertainment, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, New York, Ocean Resort, Philippines, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Twin Spires collapse; The Great Buffet Battle

Online sports betting has claimed its second victim. First it was Wynn Interactive. Now it’s Churchill Downs subsidiary Twin Spires. Too much competition and too little profitability were the reasons cited by CEO Bill Carstanjen. CHDN will also cease its … Continue reading

Posted in Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Cretins, Florida, history, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Movies, New York, Peninsula Pacific, Pennsylvania, Seminole Tribe, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Mega-January on the Strip; Much ado about Caesars

January’s Nevada gambling-revenue numbers are out and the Silver State topped $1 billion yet again, a 41.5% boost over last year. However, some jurisdictions manifested slight declines, a sign that casino activity may be “normalizing” after a heated 2021. To … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dining, Downtown, Genting, Health, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Marketing, Mesquite, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Las Vegas, Peninsula Pacific, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Reno, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wendover, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Louisiana levels off, DraftKings sucks wind, Golden gilded

Gaming analysts have been cautioning us to expect “difficult comparisons” between 2022 and previous high-water years late 2019 and 2021. Indeed, Louisiana‘s January was flat with 2019, if up 8% from last year. Sports betting was weak: $49 million in … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, G2E, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Regulation, Resort fees, Slot routes, Sports betting, Tourism, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Louisiana levels off, DraftKings sucks wind, Golden gilded

Wynn steals its own thunder; Atlantic City hits a downer

Leave it to Wynn Resorts to squelch news of a bad 4Q21—losing $256.5 million—with an, oh by the way, announcement that it was selling Encore Boston Harbor for $1.7 billion (essentially breaking even on construction costs) and leasing it back. … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Crown Resorts, Dining, DraftKings, Dubai, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, James Packer, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tennessee, Texas, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wynn steals its own thunder; Atlantic City hits a downer

MGM boffo; Establishment freaks out over sports betting

“Viva Las Vegas” was the headline on Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken‘s recap of 4Q21 earnings from MGM Resorts International. Wall Street expected $2.8 billion in revenue and $705 million in cash flow. MGM delivered $3.1 billion and $821 million, … Continue reading

Posted in BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Conventions, Cosmopolitan, DFS, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Election, Entertainment, Florida, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Health, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Macau, Marketing, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Problem gambling, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments