Category Archives: Station Casinos

Carnage in Pennsylvania; Fortune Cup takes on Sigma Derby

Posted on January 15, 2018 by David McKee

*Slot revenues at Pennsylvania casinos are in and if JP Morgan‘s numbers are correct they were terrible. According to Morgan analysts slot winnings dove 27%, bottoming out at $187.5 million. Worst off was Sands Bethlehem ($25 million), sinking 44%, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Delaware, Detroit, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Greenwood Racing, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Minnesota, Neil Bluhm, Nevada, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off

Case Bets: Maryland, Illinois, New Jersey, The Strip, etc.

Posted on January 8, 2018 by David McKee

MGM National Harbor goes from strength to strength. Last month, it captured 40% of Maryland market share en route to a $56.5 million gross (for a property record of $1.8 million gross gaming revenue per day). Maryland Live, hanging onto … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, Economy, Entertainment, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Illinois, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Sports, Station Casinos, The Strip, West Virginia | Comments Off

Exit the Dragon

Posted on January 5, 2018 by David McKee

In a story broken yesterday by VitalVegas, the Lucky Dragon Casino has abruptly shuttered its casino and restaurants. It will attempt to limp along for six months of ‘reorganization,’ sustained by hotel revenues. Were the Consumer Electronics Show not in … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dining, Economy, Genting, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Lucky Dragon, Marketing, Movies, Penn National, SLS Las Vegas, Station Casinos, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Where’s the outrage?; Religion and slots mix

Posted on January 3, 2018 by David McKee

Donald Trump‘s move to take tips out of workers’ pockets and put them in managements hands has poked an 800-lb. gorilla, in the form of the AFL-CIO. It was wrong when Steve Wynn did it as business policy and it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Charity, Donald Trump, International, Macau, Pennsylvania, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

There’s new life at F-blew; Casinos neglect safety plans

Posted on December 29, 2017 by David McKee

Contrary to some of his early pronouncements about Fontainebleau, new owner Steven Witkoff isn’t sitting on his asset but is pursuing roughly $2 billion of the $3 billion that will be required to finish the eye, er, glittering megaresort. He’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Fontainebleau, Genting, Golden Gaming, Indiana, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Nevada, Palms, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Steven Witkoff, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | Comments Off

Rethinking riverboats in Louisiana; Santa hearts Boyd; High and dry

Posted on December 21, 2017 by David McKee

Baton Rouge is one of the markets that hews to the archaic practice of mandating that godless gambling be conducted over water. H2O has remarkable cleansing properties on filthy casino lucre, it seems. At any rate, even though L’Auberge Baton … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Churchill Downs, Current, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, Macau, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Revel bought? Straub says no; R.I.P., Keely Smith

Posted on December 19, 2017 by David McKee

Revel/Ten may have yet another name soon, now that wannabe buyer Bruce Defik has done what Glenn Straub wouldn’t: apply for a New Jersey gaming license. Straub continues to assert that there is no deal in place but “a court … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, California, Detroit, Dining, Entertainment, Glenn Straub, history, Internet gambling, James Packer, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Revel, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

The Deal of the Year

Posted on December 19, 2017 by David McKee

Ever-ravenous Penn National Gaming gulped down Pinnacle Entertainment over the weekend, paying $2.8 billion for a collection of top-quality gaming assets. Among other benefits, the deal strengthens Penn’s position in its home state, as it gets The Meadows racino, doubling … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Boyd Gaming, Colorado, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, GLPI, International, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | 3 Comments

A taxing topic … but mostly good for gaming

Posted on December 5, 2017 by David McKee

As the Trump administration’s tax bill heads into the reconciliation process, it could spark a new era of fiscal responsibility. That’s if corporations behave as they are predicted to do in this analysis. It forecasts that, with the slashing of … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Palms, Pennsylvania, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Wall Street loves Station; New wine in old bottles

Posted on November 28, 2017 by David McKee

Wall Street has identified one beneficiary of the tax bill currently before Congress: Station Casinos. As how it will affect those sought-after Millennials, well, companies like Station may have to re-do their math. (Pillaging discretionary income for people making less … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, e-sports, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, IGT, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Palms, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Bullish Boyd; Inside Station’s crystal ball

Posted on November 13, 2017 by David McKee

Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli met with Boyd Gaming‘s brain trust and liked what he heard, but I’ll let him tell it in his own words: “Within Las Vegas, management is encouraged by unrated play, particularly in the Downtown segment, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Economy, Florida, IGT, Internet gambling, Marketing, Palms, Reno, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Green Valley Ranch unionizes; Downtown shuttle dinged

Posted on November 10, 2017 by David McKee

Properties in the Station Casinos empire continue to topple like dominoes before Unite-Here. Yesterday Green Valley Ranch became the fourth Station-owned or -managed casino to vote for unionization, with a 78% mandate. “Over the course of organizing, I’ve picketed, protested, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Culinary Union, Downtown, Election, Station Casinos, Technology, Transportation, Unite-Here | Comments Off

MGM: The lion roars; Station doubles down

Posted on November 8, 2017 by David McKee

MGM Resorts International, so long in the headlines due to bad news, made some good news this week. In the third quarter room revenues were up 4% along the Las Vegas Strip and table game hold was substantially higher, both … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Election, IGT, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Mirage, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Pinnacle Entertainment, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Reno’s bright future; All-time high for Vegas sports books

Posted on November 3, 2017 by David McKee

We love Reno. It has a river in the middle of downtown, nearby mountains and all the charm that Las Vegas so desperately lacks. It also had a gambling market that was written off for dead 15 years ago. Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Eldorado Resorts, International, Nevada, Oklahoma, Paragon Gaming, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on October 31, 2017 by David McKee

“We’re not talking about a massive influx of new revenues in the sports book business.” — Station Casinos Vice President of Race & Sports operations Art Manteris, downplaying the impact of federal legalization of sports betting.

Posted in Sports, Station Casinos | Comments Off

Major casino expansion mooted for Pennsylvania; Big wins for Florida, Wisconsin tribes

Posted on October 27, 2017 by David McKee

Gaming expansion is creeping forward in Pennsylvania. The state Senate has passed and sent to the House a bill that would add 10 satellite casinos to the Keystone State. Eldorado Resorts‘ Presque Isle Downs would be juiced in for one … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Seminole Tribe, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off

The future of Caesars; Larry Ellison buys Cal-Neva

Posted on October 25, 2017 by David McKee

Executives from Caesars Entertainment flew to New York to meet with Wall Street analysts and lay out their vision of the company’s post-bankruptcy future. According to Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli, internal research “displays a healthy Millenial participation rate, a long … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boyd Gaming, Economy, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, history, Lake Tahoe, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Scientific Games, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Resorts World a ‘go’; House of Blues a ‘drag’

Posted on October 19, 2017 by David McKee

With a great sigh of relief, we note that Resorts World Las Vegas has gone from being just a logo and some nifty renderings to becoming a living, breathing construction project (video here). Genting Group has hired a construction manager and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Vdara Death Ray, Westgate LV | Comments Off

Strange bedfellows indeed; Massachusetts responds to Vegas massacre

Posted on October 17, 2017 by David McKee

Ex-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence‘s anti-casino past came back to bite him in the keester this week. A lengthy exposé reveals that, even as Pence was publicly posturing about “no expansion of gaming” in Indiana — although Pence never clearly defined … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Centaur Gaming, Charity, Delaware, Donald Trump, e-sports, G2E, Gary Goett, Indiana, Internet gambling, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal | Comments Off

Culinary clashes with Fertittas (again), girds for Caesars labor talks

Posted on October 16, 2017 by David McKee

Always keeping the pressure on Station Casinos, longtime adversary the Culinary Union has rolled out a new Web site, FertittaMoneyWatch.org. Although its principal mission is to keep tabs on a nascent investment fund, Fertitta Capital, the site also promotes the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Culinary Union, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Japan, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Rhode Island, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off