Category Archives: Technology

Case Bets: Mohegan Sun, Alabama, Weidner, Dubai & a big bet on MGM Mirage

Posted on January 4, 2010 by David McKee

Could default or bankruptcy be in the offing for Mohegan Sun? The tribal supercasino’s attempts to get out from under an onerous fee arrangement with Sol Kerzner and Len Wolman are not only facing heavy weather, Mohegan Sun is also … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama, Carl Icahn, Charity, CityCenter, Current, Dubai, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Riviera, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

‘Tis the season

Posted on December 23, 2009 by David McKee

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson cuts the ribbon on Boot Hill Casino. The gentleman at the rear in the red tie is the Kansas Lottery’s Ed Van Petten, taking time out from carrying water for Mike Ensign. Having been on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Carl Icahn, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Don Barden, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Environment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Internet gambling, Isle of Capri, Jack Binion, James Packer, Kansas, M Resort, Macau, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Oscar Goodman, Penn National, Pets, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 8 Comments

CityCenter: succes d’estime

Posted on December 18, 2009 by David McKee

Enough procrastination! Such is the immensity and information overload that is CityCenter, that it may be some time before this spectator can fully wrap his brain around what is — for better or worse — the Strip’s equivalent to that … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Dining, Encore, IGT, International, MGM Mirage, Movies, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 7 Comments

CityCenter giblets

Posted on December 17, 2009 by David McKee

While I’m gathering my thoughts — and notes — from yesterday’s Orgy o’CityCenter (and trying to maintain a Cone of Deafness, as far as other commentators), here are a few stray tidbits: Even MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren can’t hide … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Donald Trump, Dubai, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, TV | 3 Comments

A Privé by any other name …

Posted on December 15, 2009 by David McKee

Rose, the new nightclub in Mandalay Bay, hasn’t even opened yet and it’s racked up its first scandal. MBay is trying to rework Rose’s lease on more favorable terms, given that the club’s owners are some of the, er, colorful … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Technology, The Strip | Comments Off on A Privé by any other name …

Rumpus @ The Rio, Vdara & other Case Bets

Posted on December 10, 2009 by David McKee

It’s shaping up to be a news-intensive day — and I have off-site commitments that will keep me away from the keyboard, but let’s see what we can cram in … “The kiss that rocked The Rio”: The steamy scene … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, CityCenter, Current, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Harrah's, IGT, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV | 6 Comments

Join the 104!

Posted on December 9, 2009 by David McKee

Just a quick programming note: If you’re not among the 104 — count ’em — Twitter followers of S&G, I’d recommend it for the following reason. There’s many a news story (like Stanley Ho‘s mysterious surgeries) that doesn’t even rise … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Stanley Ho, Technology | 2 Comments

Best Casino Commercial Ever

Posted on December 3, 2009 by David McKee

It seems like if you’ve seen one casino commercial, you’ve seen them all. Recent efforts by M Resort and Green Valley Ranch were state-of-the-art examples of the same old same-old. However, it was impossible not to be stopped in one’s … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, TV | 4 Comments

Now *this* is a scandal

Posted on November 24, 2009 by David McKee

During the early years of tribal gaming expansion, Native Americans had to go to Malaysia and South Africa for their startup capital — and it came at a hefty cost. Now Mohegan Sun is reeling from the delayed effects of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Economy, Harrah's, International, Isle of Capri, MGM Mirage, New York, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 3 Comments

Case Bets: Aria, IGT, Maryland & Detroit

Posted on November 20, 2009 by David McKee

There was a small setback for Bally Technologies when it had to pull its iView DM systems software out of Aria. Seems MGM Mirage gave Bally a scant five days to get iView DM up, running and certified. Expect to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, CityCenter, Current, Detroit, Economy, IGT, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Technology, Tribal | 2 Comments

Greek Isles, buy a clue

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

If anybody’s holding a vote on Las Vegas’ dullest casino Web site, surely the runaway winner will be that for the Greek Isles. It’s so boring, so unimaginative, so Midwest riverboat casino of 12 years ago that it practically yawns … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Technology, The Strip | 3 Comments

Wynncore: the best revenge

Posted on November 5, 2009 by David McKee

If Wynn Resorts legal beagle Kevin Tourek didn’t make a complete fool of himself with his self-aggrandizing cease-and-desist letter to VegasTripping.com, then VT.com owner Chuck Monster finishes the job with a lengthy and subtly humorous rebuttal. In a lightly ironic … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Encore, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Take us on the road

Posted on November 4, 2009 by David McKee

Not only can you subscribe to the RSS feeds for our blogs, we also have mobile applications that can be accessed at jscott.lvablog.mobi or dmckee.lvablog.mobi. Just scan the 2-D barcode to your upper right and you ought to be on … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Technology | 2 Comments

Steve Wynn drinks his own bathwater

Posted on November 3, 2009 by David McKee

I’ll confess to having been sufficiently out of touch not to have heard about the “Wynncore” parody site on which blogger Chuck Monster was laboring. Anybody who’s used the sluggish Wynn Resorts Web site will appreciate the home page (“Loading … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Encore, G2E, Marketing, Mississippi, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 5 Comments

The Dollar Bills strike again; caution at IGT

Posted on November 2, 2009 by David McKee

Those masters of quality on a budget, Millennium Gaming CEOs William Paulos and William Wortman have found a new target of opportunity: New Hampshire. Using the Rockingham Park horse track as their base of operations, the Dollar Bills are helping … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Economy, Harrah's, IGT, Massachusetts, Racinos, Technology, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Programming notes

Posted on October 23, 2009 by David McKee

The time has come, the walrus said, to switch over to WordPress, so regularly scheduled S&G mirth and merriment will be temporarily suspended whilst we learn the new setup. My apologies for the temporary lack of service. Secondly, thanks to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Technology | Comments Off on Programming notes

Comrade Spam strikes again

Posted on October 21, 2009 by David McKee

I'm buried deep in other projects this week but I wanted to surface long enough to apologize for the recent barrage of spam in our "Comments" threads and e-mail alerts. Judging by some of the URLs involved, it looks like … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Technology | Comments Off on Comrade Spam strikes again

Case Bets: Reid, Goodman, Madison (Holly) & a kegger

Posted on October 12, 2009 by David McKee

As they say on Dancing with the Stars, in no particular order … Eight against Harry: For a speedy primer on the myriad challengers to Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), you can't go wrong with Jon Ralston's droll and speedy primer. … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Environment, Harry Reid, Oscar Goodman, Politics, Steve Wynn, Technology, TV | Comments Off on Case Bets: Reid, Goodman, Madison (Holly) & a kegger

Case Bets: Reid, Goodman, Madison (Holly) & a kegger

Posted on October 12, 2009 by David McKee

As they say on Dancing with the Stars, in no particular order … Eight against Harry: For a speedy primer on the myriad challengers to Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), you can't go wrong with Jon Ralston's droll and speedy primer. … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Environment, Harry Reid, Oscar Goodman, Politics, Steve Wynn, Technology, TV | Comments Off on Case Bets: Reid, Goodman, Madison (Holly) & a kegger

Story of the Year

Posted on October 8, 2009 by David McKee

I want the movie rights to this. 'Nuff said. We're #1! For an overdue change, Nevada leads the nation in a good category (first item). And, if you scroll waaaaaaaaaaaay to the bottom, there's an interesting bit about and airfare-and-room … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, International, Marketing, Pets, Steve Wynn, Technology, Transportation | Comments Off on Story of the Year