Category Archives: The Rio

Half-a-loaf Cuomo; Ohio implosion

Posted on January 8, 2021 by David McKee

Cuomo giveth, Cuomo taketh away. After dropping hints of expansive sports betting in New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) unveiled a proposal that was considerably less than ‘george.’ There will be one ‘skin’ and it will be answerable to … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dan Gilbert, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, Hard Rock International, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Circa debut boosts Downtown; Lots of moving, shaking predicted for ’21

Posted on December 29, 2020 by David McKee

Although casinos across the nation have been swooning in November, results in Nevada—which we feared would take it worse than average—were in line with national trends, a victory of sorts. Statewide, gaming win fell 18% and the Las Vegas Strip, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Derek Stevens, Dotty's, Downtown, Economy, Failsinos, Fontainebleau, GLPI, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Palms, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Reno, Resorts World LV, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Rio, The Strip, Virgin Hotels, Wendover, William Hill | 2 Comments

Palazzo closes; iGaming here to stay

Posted on December 9, 2020 by David McKee

There’s no room at the inn at Palazzo. Not permanently. But it’s not a good sign for a Las Vegas Strip whose room rates are bumping along the bottom, even during New Year’s Eve weekend. As Las Vegas Sands said, … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, Iowa, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, South Dakota, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

Vegas recovery a Mirage; Illinois closes … again

Posted on November 21, 2020 by David McKee

More from the Too Much, Too Soon? file: MGM Resorts International, despite its long pause in reopening The Mirage has evidently decided it jumped the gun. Hotel rooms there and at Mandalay Bay will be closed Mondays-Thursdays through December at … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cretins, Culinary Union, Dining, Economy, Environment, Health, history, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Technology, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

Wynn winning; Flyover Country keeps Caesars aloft

Posted on November 6, 2020 by David McKee

Wynn Resorts reported 3Q20 results yesterday and the headline item was Macao, where operating results were “soft” but “encouraging,” despite “negative to apathetic investor sentiment,” according to JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff. Mass-market wagering was up 40% and credit issued … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Conventions, Culinary Union, Dining, Diversity, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Macau, Majestic Star, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Reno, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Derby Day a dud; Bank cools on Resorts World LV

Posted on September 8, 2020 by David McKee

Seems that Churchill Downs was blowing smoke up Wall Street‘s keister about how well a delayed, spectator-less Kentucky Derby would perform. Last weekend’s Run for the Roses saw betting handle of $79.5 million, down 49% from last year. All races … Continue reading →

Posted in Churchill Downs, Dining, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Economy, Election, FanDuel, G2E, Genting, Hard Rock International, Health, Horseracing, Kentucky, Las Vegas Raiders, LVCVA, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Security, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Cuomo abandons N.Y. casinos; Legal brawls in Atlantic City

Posted on September 2, 2020 by David McKee

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has turned his back on the casino industry in no uncertain terms. The Empire State lags the entire nation in casino reopenings and Cuomo shows no inclination to soften his hard line. As for … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Dining, Health, Horseracing, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Scientific Games, Sports betting, The Mob, The Rio, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Shopping the Trop; Nobu no-no

Posted on July 26, 2020 by David McKee

An unnamed hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip is being quietly advertised on private-equity forums. It’s listed as a “brand name” property that’s been in operation for over 30 years. The age would seem to suggest The Mirage (born 1989) … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, CityCenter, Connecticut, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Downtown, Election, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Health, Hooters, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maverick Gaming, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Real Estate, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Station Casinos, The Rio, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Twin River, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Shopping the Trop; Nobu no-no

Caesars: Meet the new bosses; Graham grandstands

Posted on July 23, 2020 by David McKee

VitalVegas got its hands on Caesars Entertainment internal document bearing the grinning visage of COO Anthony Carano. It outlined a restructuring of the company’s top executive ranks into nine divisions headed by an overwhelmingly WASP-y, male cohort. (Soon to become … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Caesars Entertainment, Diversity, Eldorado Resorts, Internet gambling, Marketing, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Problem gambling, Resort fees, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, Twin River | 2 Comments

MGM changes mind on Aria; No appetite for deals?

Posted on June 8, 2020 by David McKee

Having told its entire Aria staff to look for new jobs, MGM Resorts International finds itself in the position of saying, “Never mind.” In an interview last weekend, CEO Bill Hornbuckle floated the possibility of reopening Aria by July 4, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, CityCenter, Conventions, Current, Derek Stevens, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Hawaii, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, LVCVA, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Resort fees, Sahara, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Terry Caudill, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Station reopens bullishly; Who was that masked man, anyway?

Posted on June 4, 2020 by David McKee

On the eve of today’s reopening, Station Casinos hosted a conference call with JP Morgan analysts and was pretty darn confident that its base of Baby Boomers and retirees would flock back. So confident is that Station “has not been … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Caesars Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Crown Resorts, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Entertainment, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Palms, Planet Hollywood, Real Estate, Resort fees, Station Casinos, Steven Witkoff, Tamares Group, Terry Caudill, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Nevada casinos to reopen; Ruffin stiffs workforce

Posted on May 26, 2020 by David McKee

Pending a decline in Coronavirus cases over this past weekend, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) is expected to announce a reopening of Silver State casinos, effective June 4, which should give them time to get their paperwork filed with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Culinary Union, Downtown, Economy, Hawaii, Health, history, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Phil Ruffin, Resort fees, Sahara, The Rio, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Westgate LV, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Case Bets

Posted on April 21, 2020 by David McKee

For decades, Pagcor has dabbled in both regulating and running casinos (imagine Caesars Entertainment having disciplinary oversight of the rest of the U.S. casino industry). In recent years it has made intermittent noises about selling off its 47 casinos and … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Health, Internet gambling, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Rio, Virgin Hotels, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Case Bets

Boyd sacks workforce; Political wagering in West Virginia

Posted on April 10, 2020 by David McKee

Job cuts continue at Las Vegas casinos. Boyd Gaming employees are out of jobs starting tomorrow, although health benefits will continue through June 30. For a company that’s sitting on as much cash as Boyd, that’s a strange move. Boyd’s … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Charity, Cirque du Soleil, Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Health, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Rio, Tourism, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, World Series of Poker | Comments Off on Boyd sacks workforce; Political wagering in West Virginia

Sports betting kneecapped; What Sauce!

Posted on March 16, 2020 by David McKee

We’re far from knowing the full ramifications of widespread sports cancellations and postponements upon the gaming industry. However, the impact upon sports betting looks to be deep and dire. Last March, Nevada casinos saw $499 million in handle and $39.5 … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Charity, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Philippines, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Resort fees, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sports betting kneecapped; What Sauce!

Reeg savages Caesars; Catskills rescue plan

Posted on February 24, 2020 by David McKee

Having rashly committed $500 million in reinvestments to the Louisiana market (he’ll have to build whole new casinos to spend that much), Eldorado Resorts CEO Tom Reeg has to make those forfeited savings back somewhere. Potential sales of Caesars Entertainment‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Animals, Caesars Entertainment, Conventions, Donald Trump, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Genting, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Lotteries, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Planet Hollywood, Resorts World LV, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip | 1 Comment

Tribal gambling rampant in Oklahoma?; Penn National gets swindled

Posted on December 18, 2019 by David McKee

Could “casinos and smoke shops soon begin popping up on every corner of downtown Tulsa?” So wondered Indian Country Today about a Supreme Court case that could dramatically alter the complexion of tribal gaming in Oklahoma. (Serves Kevin Stitt right.) The … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Eldorado Resorts, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Regulation, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, Tribal, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Tribal gambling rampant in Oklahoma?; Penn National gets swindled

Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California

Posted on December 9, 2019 by David McKee

This is an effective promotional tool. Why aren’t other companies doing it? (We’re looking at you, Caesars Entertainment.) * Philippine strongman Rodrigo Duterte is punching out at Philippines offshore gaming operators (POGOs) over delinquent taxes. He asserted that they had paid … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Duterte socks it to casinos; Sports betting battle in California