Category Archives: Sports

Packer in a pickle?; Adelson speaks, R-J listens; Big casino sale in Philippines

Posted on August 29, 2016 by David McKee

We haven’t been able to confirm for certain whether or not James Packer‘s latest attempt to conquer Las Vegas, the casino-resort Alon, is definitely kaput. It definitely hasn’t evolved beyond some exquisitely vague, bare-bones documents filed with Clark County. However, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Environment, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, James Packer, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Philippines, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal | Comments Off

New ally for Mashpee; Adelson: My way or the highway

Posted on August 26, 2016 by David McKee

In the latest twist of the Project First Light saga, the Justice Department has interceded on behalf of the Mashpee Wampanoag. It has asked a federal judge to revisit his ruling that the Mashpee lacked standing and that the Interior … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Downtown, Environment, Galaxy Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Oklahoma, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off

Caesars crashes, burns in Louisiana; DFS takes two steps forward, one back

Posted on August 25, 2016 by David McKee

Despite having an extra weekend day, Louisiana casinos saw revenue fall 7% in July. (JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff blames flooding for the waterlogged numbers.) Pinnacle Entertainment did the best among major operators, up 4%, while Caesars Entertainment went into the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Problem gambling, Sports, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Stratosphere bucks consumer trend; New way to bet coming to Nevada

Posted on August 12, 2016 by David McKee

Better slot play, stronger restaurant business and greater hotel occupancy (which drove up rates) conspired to improve American Casino & Entertainment Properties‘ revenue and profitability in 2Q16. Net revenue — i.e., not profit — is on a 10-month upward roll, … Continue reading →

Posted in ACEP, Animals, Boulder Strip, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Technology, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off

Case Bets: Wynn Boston Harbor, sports betting, cockfighting and a fire

Posted on August 11, 2016 by David McKee

There’s big money to be made at Wynn Boston Harbor. Primary contractor Suffolk Construction is hoping to entice subcontractors with a bundle of bids valued at $1 billion for services and supplies. That’s almost half the construction budget for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, CityCenter, Geoff Freeman, Law enforcement, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Missouri is doing just fine, thanks; Cautious hope for Moulin Rouge

Posted on August 10, 2016 by David McKee

Pinnacle Entertainment did a masterful job of managing expectations in its quarterly earnings call, citing disruptive road work around Ameristar St. Charles as a potential setback from the property. Today, Missouri released its July gaming results and — surprise — … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Downtown, Environment, G2E, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Isle of Capri, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Moulin Rouge, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Sports, Steve Wynn, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Station tries to shed excess baggage; Steve Wynn’s big ape

Posted on August 8, 2016 by David McKee

Back in 2004, when euphoria ran high in the casino industry, Station Casinos got carried away and spent nearly $34 million on the dilapidated Castaways, at the north end of the Boulder Strip. Despite commissioning a design from Ed Vance for … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Entertainment, history, Illinois, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Slot routes, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Wynn Boston Harbor breaks ground; MGM modestly beats expectations

Posted on August 4, 2016 by David McKee

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone has apparently thrown in the towel in his opposition to Wynn Boston Harbor, with the consequence that construction will have begun by this time tomorrow. The $2.1 billion project’s endurance is a tribute to Bostonian Steve Wynn‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Environment, Geoff Freeman, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, South Korea, Sports, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off

Tomato King gets squashed; California, the wild, wild west of gambling

Posted on July 25, 2016 by David McKee

So much for Lawrence Downs Casino & Racing Resort. In a unanimous vote, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board decided to drop-kick the casino project, which had already lost the backing of Penn National Gaming, which has racino interests nearby in Ohio. What seems … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Dan Gilbert, Election, Geoff Freeman, Law enforcement, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Tomato King Procacci | Comments Off

Straub’s empty bluster; Cantor gets smacked

Posted on July 22, 2016 by David McKee

Some people either put up or shut up. Glenn Straub can’t put up and won’t shut up. His latest brush with the news pages is his welshing on a bet with Bart Blatstein that the latter couldn’t open the Showboat … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cantor Gaming, Donald Trump, Glenn Straub, Regulation, Revel, Sports | Comments Off

Strip still catching up; Nevada taking bets on the Olympics

Posted on July 21, 2016 by David McKee

While gaming companies on the Las Vegas Strip are fairly sanguine about 2016, a new report by Alex Bumazhny of Fitch Ratings takes a somewhat gloomier view. For one, he notes that revenue per available room “growth during the recovery … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Election, Geoff Freeman, Macau, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sports, The Strip, Westgate LV | 2 Comments

Station goes to Reno; Tohono O’odham trip themselves up

Posted on July 15, 2016 by David McKee

Continuing its sudden flurry of activity, Station Casinos is reviving its dormant Reno-area aspirations. The company is acting on its eight-acre parcel opposite the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, a strategic location if ever there were one. The $50 million-$70 million project … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Reno, Sports, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Happy ending for casino site; DFS not out of the woods in New York

Posted on July 11, 2016 by David McKee

There’s a happy ending to the saga of Bavarian Brewery, which had been purchased by Columbia Sussex a decade back in hopes that it would be Kentucky‘s first casino. The building has lain fallow ever since and ColSux has gone … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Columbia Sussex, Geoff Freeman, GLPI, Harrah's, Illinois, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, New York, Penn National, Sports | Comments Off

Station trumps stadium selection

Posted on July 8, 2016 by David McKee

Station Casinos has vaulted to the forefront of the parties vying to host an NFL-size stadium on their property. While Station’s vast real estate bank has long been viewed as the ace up its sleeve, the company has had difficulty … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Lucky Dragon, MGM Mirage, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Sports, Station Casinos, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off

Riviera site to become a stadium?; Cordish, MGM face off in Maryland

Posted on June 28, 2016 by David McKee

It’s anything but certain that the [your city here] Raiders are coming to Las Vegas, but our civic leaders are moving ahead as though it were a done deal. The preferred site for a Las Vegas Sands-backed stadium, on Tropicana … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cordish Co., Entertainment, Harrah's, International, Louisiana, LVCVA, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip, Tribal | 1 Comment

Tipping point in Pennsylvania near; Cirque du NFL

Posted on June 23, 2016 by David McKee

“I think gaming expansion money in one form or another is necessary for this budget process to be complete,” spoke Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R). With Gov. Tom Wolf (D, right) having given way on sales-tax and income-tax … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Economy, International, Internet gambling, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

NHL makes it official; Isle opens new casino

Posted on June 23, 2016 by David McKee

Fortunately, it looks like we won’t have to worry about our NHL-franchise-to-be playing under a cliched name like “Las Vegas Gamblers.” Says majority owner Bill Foley, speaking of the league, “They’d prefer we don’t go in that direction.” Also, Foley seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Election, Entertainment, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Maryland, MGM Mirage, New York, Rhode Island, Sports, The Mob, The Strip, Westgate LV | Comments Off

Revel … still not open; Cautious hope for Internet gambling in Pennsylvania

Posted on June 20, 2016 by David McKee

Glenn Straub‘s once-bold gambit to reopen Revel has turned into an embarrassing face-plant. Perhaps rushing to market in hopes of beating Bart Blatstein‘s Showboat to the hotel traffic, Straub announced a hasty revival of Revel as a casino-hotel without … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Environment, Glenn Straub, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Slot routes, Sports, Technology | 1 Comment

Louisiana gets hammered; Three states legalize DFS

Posted on June 20, 2016 by David McKee

As we’ve noted before, May was hard on Midwest casino operators, nowhere more so than in Louisiana, where gambling revenue was down 13%. This marks seven months of same-store decline for the Pelican State, an exceptional slump, with the usually … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Sports, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Little relief for Caesars; Atlantic City braces for labor strife

Posted on June 17, 2016 by David McKee

It’s out of the frying pan and straight into the fire for Caesars Entertainment. Federal bankruptcy court has put a temporary halt on litigation against the casino giant, giving it until Aug. 29 to cut a new deal with bondholders. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Donald Trump, Eldorado Resorts, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Slot routes, Sports, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Unite-Here | Comments Off