Category Archives: Steve Wynn

Adelson’s troubles mount; Rage at Wynncore

Posted on June 5, 2013 by David McKee

Las Vegas Sands has been losing one court case after another, whether in Macao or at home in Las Vegas. But the sands really hit the fan today with the revelation that Sheldon Adelson‘s company is under the scrutiny by … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Current, International, LVCVA, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

Wall Street visits Vegas: Wynn, Sands & MGM

Posted on June 3, 2013 by David McKee

Like the pig in a ham-and-egg breakfast, Deutsche Bank is committed to Las Vegas, while many of its brethren (like the chicken) merely hold an interest. However, DB’s $4 billion grubstake fortunately does not preclude analyst Carlo Santarelli from dropping … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Entertainment, International, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wall Street visits Vegas: Wynn, Sands & MGM

Bad day for Okada; Good month for Macao

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David McKee

It’s back to the starting point for Kazuo Okada, controversial former business partner of Steve Wynn and CEO of Universal Entertainment Corp. The latter’s attempt to enter the Philippines casino market (left) fell apart along with a deal with Robinsons … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, International, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Bad day for Okada; Good month for Macao

PokerStars blows it; Wynn woos Philadelphia

Posted on May 20, 2013 by David McKee

Score one for Colony Capital: It took Rational Group to the cleaners to  the tune of $11 million and there’s nothing Rational can do about it. A New Jersey court ruled that the PokerStars parent company had no one to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Revel, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment | 2 Comments

Big setback in Toronto; Wynn rebuffed; Cuomo’s winning streak

Posted on May 17, 2013 by David McKee

One of gaming’s biggest new markets went out with a whimper, not a bang, when colorful Toronto Mayor Rob Ford nixed a scheduled vote on whether to put a casino in the lakeside city, hoping to extract a $97 million … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Current, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Economy, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, New York, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Texas, Tribal | 1 Comment

Inside the Adelson verdict; Wackiness in Illinois

Posted on May 15, 2013 by David McKee

Early news reports held that yesterday’s $70 million judicial beat-down of Las Vegas Sands was unanimous. Not so, it turns out. At least one juror felt that Macao schmoozer Richard Suen had neither demonstrated the existence of a contract with … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Illinois, Macau, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes | 2 Comments

Equivocal anniversary for Ohio; In Massachusetts, progress for MGM and Wynn

Posted on May 13, 2013 by David McKee

So, as Ohio marks the first full year of casino play, is the glass half-full or half-empty. Currently, much is being made of Horseshoe Cleveland having brought in less than half of greatly over-ambitious expectations (and 12% less than what … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Dan Gilbert, Dining, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tourism | 3 Comments

Happy days: Here again?; DIY Vdara Death Ray

Posted on May 6, 2013 by David McKee

America‘s casino officially emerged from the doldrums with the release of the American Gaming Association‘s yearly survey, showing a 5% increase in private-sector casino revenue, just $200 million shy of 2007’s record amount. Mind you, we have quite a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Penn National, Politics, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Vdara Death Ray | 1 Comment

Steve Wynn turns into Debbie Downer; Caesars’ screwy priorities

Posted on May 2, 2013 by David McKee

Yes, the recovery in Las Vegas could be said to be a chastened and limping one. The national press will leap at just about anything to restart the “Vegas is back” narrative. And yes, CityCenter ROI improved exponentially … to … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 6 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 2, 2013 by David McKee

“MGM [Resorts International] still has much of its business in on the Strip, unlike its major rivals Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts … Those companies both reported gains for the first three months of the year because of … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Land of the Rising Hope

Posted on April 29, 2013 by David McKee

Every few years, brows are knitted earnestly in discussion of whether this will finally be the year in which Japan legalizes casino gambling. I’ve been hearing versions of this debate regularly since 2005, so you’ll pardon me if I suppress … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Genting, International, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on Land of the Rising Hope

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 29, 2013 by David McKee

“Slot machines and blackjack tables have no power at all. What we are not building is a box of slots. We’re building a beautiful hotel that just happens to have a gaming room in the back.”– Steve Wynn, repositioning himself … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Massachusetts, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Pinnacle/Ameristar: A done deal; Elaine Wynn’s domino effect

Posted on April 29, 2013 by David McKee

All but a very few Ameristar Casinos shareholders voted to approve the company’s takeover by Pinnacle Entertainment, in one of the fastest M&A deals in industry memory. Regulatory approvals are still pending in Nevada and other states but Ameristar always … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, Indiana, Iowa, Macau, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Pinnacle/Ameristar: A done deal; Elaine Wynn’s domino effect

Icahn nixes Trump deal; Steve Wynn’s fugitive friend

Posted on April 23, 2013 by David McKee

If Carl Icahn holds the note on your life, you are in a world of hurt, my friend. Just ask Trump Entertainment Resorts, whose $20 million sale of wretchedly performing Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino suddenly looks very shaky. What’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Internet gambling, Oklahoma, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Texas, Transportation | 4 Comments

Gold Spike: Hsieh, you tricky bastard!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by David McKee

No sooner had I confidently predicted that Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh (whoops, wrong Tony) would not be making any gaming related purchased when the shoe mogul pounced on the financially troubled Gold Spike. Showing the acumen that’s made him the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, Economy, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on April 11, 2013 by David McKee

“But it also must be said that — of all the demands made by organized labor groups in Las Vegas, whether private-sector or public-sector — the demands of the Wynn [Resorts] card dealers is among the most reasonable ever. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Goett with the wind

Posted on April 10, 2013 by David McKee

Since Colliers International hasn’t been able to move Gary Goett‘s 100 gaming-enabled acres on St. Rose Parkway and I-15, at $1.25 million per acre, he’s still got time to rethink his decision not to build his Southern Highlands megaresort (left), … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Gary Goett, M Resort, Michael Gaughan, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Goett with the wind

Goodbye Western, hello SLS … ?

Posted on March 22, 2013 by David McKee

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than right: When Tamares Group made an indiscriminate splurge on downtown Las Vegas real estate in 2004, it was banking on a construction boom that never took place. It also found itself with several … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, M Resort, Marketing, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Before the fall …

Posted on March 20, 2013 by David McKee

Eight years later, Steve Wynn is still firmly ensconced at the top. Gary Loveman is hanging on for dear life and George Maloof is a sad-faced figurehead. And $2.7 billion for a casino resort (Wynn Las Vegas) looks like frugality … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, history, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Somebody Sent Us These II

Posted on March 20, 2013 by David McKee

Continuing a very occasional series, here are some casino-related ephemera that have washed up on the shores of cyberspace. For instance … … only about 25% of the rooms at the newly announced Gansevoort Las Vegas will enjoy this particular … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Australia, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dining, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment