Category Archives: Sports betting

Massachusetts gaming a success; Cuomo gains upper hand in NY

A University of Massachusetts Amherst panel led by respected academic Rachel Volberg has been studying casino gambling in Massachusetts and likes most of what it finds. It concluded that Bay State dollars had been significantly repatriated from neighboring states (the … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Barstool Sports, Baseball, California, Cordish Co., Derek Stevens, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Georgia, Health, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Caesars Saints?; Mattress Mack returns

Don’t like the misshapen circles which now represent Caesars Entertainment? Well, get used to them, especially if you’re a New Orleans Saints fan. The casino giant is dickering with the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for naming rights, although Saints and New Orleans … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Colorado, DraftKings, Florida, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Louisiana, Mattress Mack, Politics, Scientific Games, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming | Comments Off on Caesars Saints?; Mattress Mack returns

Circa picketed; Sundry green shoots in Vegas; Sports book busted

If you cruise by Circa, you’re liable to see members of Teamsters Local 986 walking a picket line on behalf of the ‘Circa Seven,’ a group of unfortunate warehouse workers. The seven were employed by Derek Stevens‘ Three Corners company, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Florida, Golden Nugget, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Ocean Resort, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Tennessee, The Strip, TV, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Demand, prices way up on the Strip; Big casino push in Texas

Emboldened by a combination of new, 50% capacity limits in Nevada and $1,400 stimulus checks, visitors poured into Las Vegas and resorts were quick to profiteer, er, monetize the nascent demand. The Strat more than tripled room rates, from $50/night … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, China, Cordish Co., Cosmopolitan, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Golden Gaming, Harry Reid, Health, history, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Macau, Marketing, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Taxes, Tennessee, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Las Vegas: Are happy days here again?; Sands dibs NYC

As we’ve often said, when the American economy gets the flu (literally, in this case), Las Vegas catches pneumonia. During the depths of the Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment in Vegas levitated to 34%. Today it is a still-unhealthy 10.5%. Nonetheless, the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Australia, Bally, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Crown Resorts, Economy, Entertainment, Florida, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Penn National, Spectacle Entertainment, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

A.C.: A month to forget; Trump sticks it to Miami

Casino revenue headed 32% south in Atlantic City last month, to $148 million. Those were augmented with $46 million in sports-betting dollars and $94 million from Internet gambling (+80%), so that probably counts as a silver lining to a dark … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Fontainebleau, FoxBet, Genting, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Trop sale teased; Michigan sports betting explosive

Gaming & Leisure Properties Inc. hosted JP Morgan analysts last week and tried to get them all hot and bothered with talk of a Tropicana Las Vegas sale. It said it felt one would happen sooner, not later, adding that … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, FoxBet, Genting, GLPI, Health, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 6 Comments

Wall Street meets Las Vegas, Part II

Station Casinos dispatched Executive Vice President Rodney Atamian to meet with JP Morgan analysts last week. According to Joseph Greff, he reported, “solid/improving visitation and spend per visit trends.” A possible increase in Nevada casino-capacity limits to 50% should propel … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Downtown, Economy, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Hawaii, Health, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Jersey, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Wall Street meets Las Vegas, Part I

JP Morgan analysts conducted a pilgrimage to Las Vegas to meet with the top brass of Big Gaming. First up was MGM Resorts International, represented by CEO Bill Hornbuckle, CFO Jonathan Halkyard and BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. They see positive … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, California, Conventions, Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Reno, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, TV, William Hill | 2 Comments

Chicago gets serious; Ohio recovering but Missouri swoons

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D), having received 11 expressions of interest in a megaresort (two of them an exacta by MGM Resorts International and MGM Growth Properties) is ready to issue a request for proposals sometime next month. We’ll then … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Florida, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Maryland: More gamblers = more money; Illinois improving

What will prompt recovery in gaming? Stimulus money, yes, but we got a strong indicator of something else out of Maryland last weekend. Overall, casino revenues were down 16.5% but the story is more complicated than that. At facilities restricted … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Australia, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Connecticut, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Golden Gaming, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Problem gambling, Sports, Sports betting, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on Maryland: More gamblers = more money; Illinois improving

Next stop … Richmond?!?; Alabama covets casinos

No fewer than six companies, some of them major, have descended upon Richmond, Virginia, seeking the Dominion State’s last casino license. They are: Bally’s Corp. ($650 million), Cordish Cos. ($600 million), Golden Nugget ($400 million), Pamunkey Indian Tribe ($350 million), … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Bally, Cordish Co., Diversity, Entertainment, Golden Nugget, International, Kansas, MGM Resorts International, Politics, South Korea, Sports betting, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, United Kingdom, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

New Yorkers want more casinos; More death on the Strip

While the last round of casino expansion in New York State was no better than a succes d’estime, Empire Station residents are still behind a planned 2023 enlargement that would bring three new resorts. Given the choice of casinos, higher … Continue reading

Posted in California, DFS, DraftKings, Genting, Georgia, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Politics, Racinos, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, Tennessee, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on New Yorkers want more casinos; More death on the Strip

Roman Empire conquers Venice

In a dramatic, dead-of-night deal, Las Vegas Sands sold The Venetian and Palazzo to a REIT/private-equity combo of Vici Properties and Apollo Management for $6.25 billion. Vici and Apollo obviously have a considerable appetite for risk on the Las Vegas … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Crown Resorts, DraftKings, Internet gambling, James Packer, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, New York, Real Estate, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, William Hill | 2 Comments

Sports bets a hit in Virginia; Vegas recovery an iffy prospect

Online sports betting was quick out of the gate in Virginia—$59 million in handle in 11 days—although books spent so much money acquiring customers that they took a loss on the month. “Debuting ahead of the NFL’s conference championship games … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Health, history, IGT, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, LVCVA, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Resort fees, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Tennessee, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, United Kingdom, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Sports bets a hit in Virginia; Vegas recovery an iffy prospect

Hope in the Roman Empire; DraftKings rules

Although it tried to flash Wall Street some ankle yesterday, Caesars Entertainment’s 4Q20 numbers failed to surprise analysts. In a reverse image of the rest of the industry, better-than-expected cash flow on the Strip (cost-cutting?) was “more than offset” by … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, China, Colorado, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Movies, Real Estate, Sports, Sports betting, Tamares Group, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Hope in the Roman Empire; DraftKings rules

Vegas locals strong, Strip stinks; Economic boom foreseen

Even with $600 extra in their pockets, gamblers could not be lured back to the Las Vegas Strip last month. Strip revenues of $321.5 million represented a 44% implosion from 2020. Statewide, the falloff was 26.5% to $762 million. Once … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Election, Health, history, Horseracing, Illinois, International, Kentucky, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Maryland, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Reno, Security, Sports, Sports betting, Tennessee, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street, Wendover | 3 Comments

Louisiana better than it looks; Covid checkmates brothels

Casinos in the Pelican State were off 10% in January. However, when one adjusts the numbers to account for the permanent closure of Diamond Jacks in Shreveport and the all-but-permanent shutdown of Isle Grand Palais on Lake Charles, gaming revenues … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Brothels, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Economy, Golden Nugget, Health, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, New York, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip | 1 Comment

Mixed signals from Vegas; It’s all good in Atlantic City

Is the new year bringing a Las Vegas comeback? If you set store by anecdotal evidence, things look relatively normal on Fremont Street. God knows Downtown could use a dose of normality, especially after a December devoutly to be forgotten. … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Architecture, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Election, Golden Nugget, Hawaii, Health, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Kansas, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, United Kingdom, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Boyd better than expected; Marching through Georgia

Boyd Gaming leaked January data, what Wall Street calls “offered an encouraging commentary,” to help put an upbeat spin on its 4Q20 numbers. It worked like a charm. JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff moved his price target up $8 to … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cretins, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, Foxwoods, Georgia, Hawaii, Health, Illinois, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Politics, Resort fees, South Carolina, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tony Hsieh, Tourism, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street | 3 Comments