Category Archives: Stanley Ho

The decline and fall of Stanley Ho

As predictable as the sunrise, today’s headlines brought yet another reversal in the Stanley Ho vs. His Wives & Kids saga, “an ugly and Byzantine family squabble” that is also driving down the value of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau … Continue reading

Posted in Current, International, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Stanley Ho | 2 Comments

Stanley Ho abdicates

So this is how Stanley Ho‘s world ends: Not with a bang but with the ancient casino vizier giving a televised address in which he laboriously delivered lines from a cue card and ceded control of his Sociedade de Turismo … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Current, G2E, history, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn | 1 Comment

Dude, who stole my casinos?

Update: In yet another reversal, Stanley Ho says he has sacked his attorney and that the brouhaha over his stock is all a big misunderstanding. Stay tuned for further developments in what’s already a rapidly morphing narrative. Yesterday, aging (and … Continue reading

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Harrah's, International, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Problem gambling, Regulation, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Wynn makes friends abroad, enemies at home

Steve Wynn has long prided himself on his good relations with the Culinary Union. However, those could soon be a thing of the past if he and front man Jesse Waits continue to extend Wynncore‘s tip-confiscation policies to Culinary-repped workers. … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, Macau, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Nevada’s November: rough sledding; Sunny Sheldon

If pressed for a prediction, I’d say 2011 will be a good year for the Strip, not so much for the rest of the Silver State. Just when I was feeling a bit queasy about November’s gaming revenues, Dr. David … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Cretins, Current, Downtown, Florida, Horseracing, Laughlin, LVCVA, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Case Bets: Philadelphia, Trump; Adelson’s successor

Even outgoing Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has thrown in the towel on a second Philadelphia casino. Now that he no longer has to gratify “george” campaign donors, Rendell says it may be time to look elsewhere in the state. … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho | 1 Comment

Sheldon’s Chinese box

Sheldon Adelson must have been a good boy this year. Santa left an extra present under his tree, in the form of probable approval by the Macau Land, Public Works & Transportation Bureau of apartment sales at 286-unit Four Seasons … Continue reading

Posted in Current, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sheldon’s Chinese box

NLRB deals Wynn a rebuke; The twilight of Stanley Ho

Steve Wynn has enjoyed so many victories in his long-running battle with his casino dealers that he was perhaps overdue for a loss. It came yesterday when the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Wynn Resorts had engaged in retaliation … Continue reading

Posted in Charity, Current, Election, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Macau, Movies, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 1 Comment

Ameristar: No Sale; Bad news for Caesars

It’s back to business as usual for Ameristar Casinos, whose board decided “a sale is not in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders at this time.” Which is a nice way of saying there’s no bidding war … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Harrah's, Iowa, Kansas, Macau, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ameristar: No Sale; Bad news for Caesars

Sheldon Adelson is so busted

Congratulations, Sheldon Adelson! You’ve just upped your street cred — and become the butt of 1,001 pimp jokes. Is the Las Vegas Sands CEO going to start hangin’ with Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent (or maybe Eliot Spitzer and Hugh … Continue reading

Posted in Entertainment, G2E, Internet gambling, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Case Bets: Adelson vs. China; Cirque du Avatar? Indiana wallops Illinois

In a lengthy Asia Times dispatch, the reliable Muhammad Cohen runs through various scenarios about why the government of Macao would pull back two Cotai Strip™ sites from a ‘george’ investor like Las Vegas Sands. Since the acreage will probably … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Cirque du Soleil, Colony Capital, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tribal | 3 Comments

Macao smacks down Adelson

So the Chinese government was just bluffing, huh? Talk about taking land back was merely political posturing, was it? Once again, Wall Street and hubristic casino barons alike have been given a sharp reminder just who’s calling the shots over … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Economy, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Steelman: Small is profitable

Before he got elbowed aside in favor of ‘starchitects,’ Paul Steelman was one of the go-to designers on the Las Vegas Strip. He’s also one of the very few people who can say they’ve worked — without repercussion — for … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, IGT, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 5 Comments

G2E bargain at Station; analysts split on Sands

If you’re looking for an affordable room in Las Vegas during Global Gaming Expo, try Expedia‘s German site (“.de”). A European-based S&G source reports finding rooms at Boulder Station going for €57 and Fiesta Rancho asking €59 — or $79 … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Economy, Florida, G2E, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Twilight of the gods?

It’s been obvious since jump street that MGM Resorts International bit off more than it could chew when it upsized its ambitions for the old Boardwalk site into a civic citadel, a Valhalla on the Strip. Behind CEO Jim Murren‘s … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Current, Dining, Dubai, Entertainment, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

Galaxy Cotai postponed; MGM stages a comeback

It’s not official but, seeing as two top executives at the Macao megaresort (including its COO) just got the chop, it appears pretty likely. A project that was expected to open in late March of next year now looks as … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Harry Reid, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Tropicana Entertainment, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Macao: The fine art of spin

No wonder Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson love it in China. Where else are you going to find such a compliant media, able to extract a silver lining from the darkest of clouds. For instance, “cost overruns” are something that … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Macao: The fine art of spin

The fiendish plot of Dr. Stanley Ho

Launching a frontal assault on Las Vegas Sands, archrival Sociedade de Jogos de Macau has requested that the Macanese government repatriate Sites 7 & 8 on the Cotai Strip™, and award them to — surprise! — Stanley Ho. There’s no … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Economy, Election, Macau, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho | 3 Comments

Venetian Oriental delayed again; Wynn & Drai divorce

Worker-recruitment problems in Macao are worse than Las Vegas Sands has been letting on. The company has now re-postponed its $4 billion, 6,000-room Venetian Oriental into late 2011, with its second phase debuting in mid-2012. The company’s verbiage, however, raises … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Encore, Entertainment, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Business is booming … overseas

At some point, Peking may decide that Macao is overheated but for the moment it’s simply red-hot. Revenues vaulted 70% last month, to the tune of $2 billion U.S. dollars (or $25,435,856,924 Zimbabwean), the second-best number in Macanese history. Wynn … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Current, Economy, Genting, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Marketing, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Movies, Pansy Ho, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 1 Comment