Category Archives: Sports betting

Flamingo sale? Forget it!; Mega-Jottings

Caesars Entertainment formally took the Flamingo off the sale block yesterday, at least for the foreseeable future. CEO Tom Reeg cited ‘market conditions‘ (odd when the Las Vegas Strip keeps breaking records). There is also the complication that Vici Properties … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Conventions, Cretins, Dan Lee, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Indiana, Lake Las Vegas, Louisiana, Maine, Marketing, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, South Carolina, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, William Hill | 4 Comments

Vici foresees blue skies; Ruffin + Athletics?; Phil the Shill

Vici Properties is sanguine about the U.S. economy, at least as it pertains to gambling. It can afford to be. Vici owns the real estate of 11 Las Vegas Strip casinos, which are sitting pretty these days. True, Vici lost … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Colorado, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Economy, Horseracing, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Phil Ruffin, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, The Strip, Tourism, Vici Properties, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Vici foresees blue skies; Ruffin + Athletics?; Phil the Shill

Philly Live shows life; Massachusetts sports betting wins; S.C. scandal

In a truly doleful sign of the times, Philadelphia Live has reinstated metal detectors at its entrance. Also, in a nod to Covid-19, aka The Disease That Couldn’t Be Cured, it is handing out free face masks to patrons. Good … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Cordish Co., Entertainment, Health, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, South Carolina, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Strip sizzles, locals chillier; The Macao trap

Gambling revenues on the Las Vegas Strip last month heated up dramatically, $735 million or +23% from the year previous. Unfortunately for Nevada, the good news pretty much ends there. Locals play continues to decline, with Downtown off 11.5% to … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Canada, China, Cosmopolitan, Downtown, Environment, Golden Nugget, Kazuo Okada, Lake Tahoe, Macau, Massachusetts, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Sports betting, The Strip, Wendover | Comments Off on Strip sizzles, locals chillier; The Macao trap

Boyd outperforms; Vegas airport sets record, joblessness drops

“No gaming consumer slowdown, at least not yet.” That was the headline of JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff‘s appraisal of Boyd Gaming‘s 2Q22 earnings call. Loyalty players and core customers remain steadfast, as Boyd grew revenues 4% “despite a tough … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Boyd Gaming, California, Downtown, Economy, Internet gambling, Kansas, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Reno, Resort fees, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Boyd outperforms; Vegas airport sets record, joblessness drops

Two Atlantic City casinos to be struck; Pennsylvania’s fuzzy math

Unite-Here quickly ran out of patience with the Golden Nugget and Resorts Atlantic City. 97% of affected membership voted to authorize strikes at both the bottom-feeding casinos if a labor deal can’t be reached before August 1. That still gives … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Galaxy Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, WInd Creek | Comments Off on Two Atlantic City casinos to be struck; Pennsylvania’s fuzzy math

Atlantic City strong; Station’s demolition derby; De$anti$ hits jackpot; Mega-Jottings

There’s so much news today we almost don’t know where to begin. But we’ll start with Atlantic City, which reported a 2% increase in casino revenue, to $229 million. Internet gambling and sports betting chipped in another $169 million. One … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, China, Donald Trump, Dotty's, Downtown, DraftKings, FanDuel, Genting, George Maloof, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Mohegan Sun, North Las Vegas, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street, WInd Creek | 1 Comment

Atlantic City notes; MGM Singapore?; Mega-Jottings

Ocean Casino Resort has unveiled its pricey new sports book and our Atlantic City correspondent deems it nothing short of “spectacular! In the center is a circular bar, surrounded by TV screens. There is a set of steps (and elevator) … Continue reading

Posted in Arkansas, Atlantic City, Bally, Detroit, Dining, Entertainment, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illitch Family, Las Vegas Sands, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nebraska, New York, Penn National, Racinos, Real Estate, Singapore, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Unite-Here, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Insolvency in Macao; Sports betting everywhere

Prior to the current Covid-19 lockdown, casinos in Macao were already engaged in a $600 million/month cash burn, thanks to the China‘s zero-tolerance policy on the disease. That will only get worse now that access to customers has been shut … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, China, DraftKings, Economy, Election, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Illinois, Macau, Maryland, Ohio, PointsBet, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Tourism, TV, Westgate LV | 1 Comment

Bally’s Chicago stirs skepticism; Vegas locals cooling

It’s not just us who are leery of Bally’s Corp. and its ability to do something unprecedented in its history—swing a $1.7 billion casino in Chicago. The company’s corner-cutting “improvement” of Bally’s Atlantic City does not inspire confidence. Nor does … Continue reading

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Florida, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Mohegan Sun, New York, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Silverton, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

California Dems rebuff Big Gaming; Icahn irate; Mega-Jottings

California‘s Democratic Party has officially taken sides in the sports-betting ballot race and effectively come down on the side of a tribal/racetrack-driven initiative, going on the record as opposing a rival measure backed by most of the big names in … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, California, Card rooms, Carl Icahn, Election, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, New York, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tribal, Virginia | Comments Off on California Dems rebuff Big Gaming; Icahn irate; Mega-Jottings

Recovery slowing but still going; Singapore soars

Although gambling revenues in Maryland decelerated somewhat from May, they were still 1% higher than last June and 14% more robust than 2019’s, for a total haul of $163 million. It was basically a two-horse race, with MGM National Harbor … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Singapore, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Strip perceives no inflation woe; Union sells out workers health

Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas recently took a tour of Las Vegas‘ C-suites, meeting with executives of seven companies. He concluded that “Despite market sentiment, operators remain generally positive.” Both the Las Vegas Strip and the recently declining locals market … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Chicago, Conventions, Derek Stevens, Economy, G2E, Golden Nugget, Health, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Regulation, Rhode Island, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Unite-Here, United Kingdom, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Atlantic City casinos avert crisis; Congressional absurdity

It was eyeball-to-eyeball and Big Gaming blinked. Faced with probable, heavy losses of business, Borgata—the casino with the most to lose—was first to come to terms with Local 54 of Unite-Here. Terms with most of the majors were reached an … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, California, Carl Icahn, Chicago, Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, GLPI, Hard Rock Hotel, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Politics, Real Estate, Rhode Island, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Unite-Here, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Strip carries Nevada; Atlantic City casinos play chicken

Nevada gambling revenues continued to climb in May, up 6% from last year, hitting $1.3 billion. The results were bifurcated, with tourist-dominated markets up and locals ones somewhat down. The Las Vegas Strip was the most obvious beneficiary, jumping 11.5% … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Downtown, Economy, Georgia, GLPI, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Maryland, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Ocean Resort, Real Estate, Regulation, Reno, Rhode Island, Sports betting, The Strip, Unite-Here, Wendover | Comments Off on Strip carries Nevada; Atlantic City casinos play chicken

Massachusetts upbeat; Station defiant; Atlantic City stalemate

Casinos in the Bay State clocked $91 million in revenue last month, a 5% improvement on last year. Encore Boston Harbor led the tiny pack with $58 million, growing 9.5%. Next up was MGM Springfield, performing surprisingly well. It was … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Derek Stevens, Economy, Election, Galaxy Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, North Carolina, Ocean Resort, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Atlantic City booms on eve of strike; Louisiana not so lucky

Staring down a seemingly inevitable strike on July 1 by Unite-Here, casinos in Atlantic City could at least take solace in a May that saw gaming revenues leapfrog 9% over last year. The total gross was $233 million, as slot … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Crown Resorts, Dining, Downtown, DraftKings, FanDuel, FoxBet, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tamares Group, Texas, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Unite-Here | 1 Comment

Special Edition

So we leave on vacation (I checked into the Westin O’Hare and didn’t leave the building for three and half days) and all hell breaks loose in Big Gaming. The breaking story was MGM Resorts International‘s decision to shuck Gold … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Century Casinos, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Gary Goett, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Tribal, Unite-Here | 2 Comments

Maryland weaker, Illinois stronger; Mickelson in denial

Even as playing levels normalize from last year, gambling revenues continue their upward tread. Maryland, for instance, was 4% higher in May than a year ago (and 17.5% above 2019). Had there not been one fewer weekend day than in … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DFS, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Virginia, Washington State | 1 Comment

Smoke signals in Atlantic City; Discontent in Las Vegas

Atlantic City gambling halls like Ocean Casino Resort (pictured) may get a summer’s reprieve from a smoking ban, as the New Jersey legislative session winds down without resolution on the contentious issue. Even if both chambers were to vote by … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Culinary Union, Economy, Environment, Genting, Health, Japan, Kazuo Okada, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment