Category Archives: The Strip

House of wax

Posted on July 3, 2009 by David McKee

I call your bluff, comrade. As you may have heard, casinos in Russia can stay open by converting to poker rooms. A tip of the fedora goes to reader mike_ch for pointing out this story, which delineates some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, International, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, TV | Comments Off on House of wax

Tropic(ana) of Confusion

Posted on July 2, 2009 by David McKee

News reports are at sixes and sevens of just how much of the Tropicana Las Vegas is now owned by Onex Corp. For instance, Bloomberg states that Onex's stake represents 60% of the $440 million owed on the property (or … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Marketing, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Tropic(ana) of Confusion

Stormy weather

Posted on July 1, 2009 by David McKee

It may be monsoon season in Las Vegas but there’s a typhoon blowing through Macao‘s casino economy. A series of bulletins from J.P. Morgan outline a worrisome trajectory for China‘s gambling enclave. City of Dreams: a flop June 23: The … Continue reading →

Posted in Australia, Economy, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off on Stormy weather

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 29, 2009 by David McKee

“The opening date never moved. We always threw more money at it. You just have people work overtime to fix problems. We were building, redesigning, tearing stuff out and starting again.” — Fontainebleau engineer, explaining how the project (which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Fontainebleau, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Case Bets: A.C. Trop, 21, Ensign, Boulder City, Jacko, etc.

Posted on June 29, 2009 by David McKee

After conservator Justice Gary Stein turned his trusteeship of the Tropicana Atlantic City into a $7.4 million gravy train, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission is belatedly bolting the barn door. It's going to petition the Lege to limit the … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, Downtown, Politics, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Case Bets: A.C. Trop, 21, Ensign, Boulder City, Jacko, etc.

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 29, 2009 by David McKee

“The opening date never moved. We always threw more money at it. You just have people work overtime to fix problems. We were building, redesigning, tearing stuff out and starting again.” — Fontainebleau engineer, explaining how the project (which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Fontainebleau, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

The Trop heist that wasn't

Posted on June 26, 2009 by David McKee

"An improvident indictment." That's what New Jersey officials are calling a case that was quietly quashed in May. Sacked Borgata veep John Conklin and two other men had been charged with plundering the Tropicana Atlantic City's database when they were … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Donald Trump, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Herbst Gaming, Kansas, Neil Bluhm, North Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on The Trop heist that wasn't

Case Bets: California, Packer pickle, Macao pix, Holy Cow!, Singapore, RoboPoker, etc.

Posted on June 25, 2009 by David McKee

Editor’s note: An item involving Crown Ltd. contained factual errors, which have been corrected (as you’ll see). I apologize for the misinformation. My thanks to the reader who pulled my head out of my @$$. California gamblers stay and play … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, California, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Genting, Harrah's, Holy Cow, International, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Macau, New York, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Case Bets: California, Packer pickle, Macao pix, Holy Cow!, Singapore, RoboPoker, etc.

Seven essential Web sites … and other news

Posted on June 25, 2009 by David McKee

Yes, you too can can be a gaming-industry blogger, with the help of but a few absolutely indispensable Web sites. The ones that I check Monday-Friday without fail (and, as they say on Dancing with the Stars, “in no particular … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Current, Entertainment, G2E, Harrah's, International, Macau, Movies, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, TV, World Series of Poker | Comments Off on Seven essential Web sites … and other news

Not what the doctor ordered

Posted on June 23, 2009 by David McKee

While the Better Half and I managed to quaff at least some of the infamous bacon martini w/o negative ramifications, we were not so fortunate with Sunday night's visit to a certain casino buffet. Suffice it to say that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Current, Dining, Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Not what the doctor ordered

"Peep" slow

Posted on June 22, 2009 by David McKee

Saturday night's 8 p.m. performance of Peepshow played to an audience one might describe as "pitiful." If the auditorium was even half-full, I'll eat my hat. Planet Hollywood has got to be beseeching the heavens that the curiosity/trainwreck factor of … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Entertainment, Planet Hollywood, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on "Peep" slow

A-Yem to the rescue

Posted on June 19, 2009 by David McKee

“No corporate liposuction.” With those words, new Tropicana Las Vegas CEO Alex Yemenidjian not only coined the catchphrase of the year, he implicitly repudiated the policies of forerunner William J. Yung III, whose Columbia Sussex modus operandi was to solve … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Columbia Sussex, Current, Downtown, Election, Entertainment, Labor, Regulation, Tamares Group, The Strip | Comments Off on A-Yem to the rescue

MGM: Deal or no deal?

Posted on June 17, 2009 by David McKee

MGM Mirage CEO Jim Murren is re-mulling asset sales of MGM Grand Detroit, Gold Strike (Tunica, Miss.) and Beau Rivage. But all Strip assets are definitively off the market (yes, even Slots A Fun). Since the Detroit and Tunica casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, Detroit, Downtown, Economy, International, Jack Binion, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on MGM: Deal or no deal?

Scratch one Europoseur

Posted on June 15, 2009 by David McKee

Hot off the wire from Harrah’s Entertainment: “The visionary force behind Club Fuego, ND, has opted to close the nightclub in order to pursue future projects in other formats. The closure is effective today [June 15].” Durr: Friends don’t let … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, Sahara, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Scratch one Europoseur

Train to Nowhere II

Posted on June 15, 2009 by David McKee

Sig Rogich's choo-choo to nowhere won't really be the privately funded enterprise that it's being sold as, the Las Vegas Sun helpfully explains. Bottom line: Rail transportation is inherently unprofitable, so you and I will be ponying up for the … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Harrah's, Politics, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, TV | Comments Off on Train to Nowhere II

Case Bets: Colony Capital, Siegfried & Roy, Obama smacks poker players

Posted on June 15, 2009 by David McKee

“Bats hang over the doorway to the building that housed Mr. Jackson’s private arcade; guano stains the threshold.” That’s how the Wall Street Journal describes Michael Jackson‘s decaying Neverland Ranch. It gets even freakier from there, with the WSJ receiving … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Colony Capital, Entertainment, International, Internet gambling, Movies, Politics, Regulation, Station Casinos, The Strip, TV | Comments Off on Case Bets: Colony Capital, Siegfried & Roy, Obama smacks poker players

Goodman for governor … again?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

It’s been bruited since at least 2002 and it’s happening yet again: Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman is mulling a gubernatorial run for the umpteenth time. “Spoiler!”, cry some. I look at the uninspiring field (Montandon, Heck, Midnight Jim, Buckley, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Carl Icahn, Dining, Economy, Election, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Oscar Goodman, Politics, The Strip | Comments Off on Goodman for governor … again?

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

“We understand the economy has had a severe impact on the gaming industry. The [casino] companies have asked for temporary economic relief. And we’re asking for a variety of things too. Whether the two minds meet, we’ll see. But we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Economy, MGM Mirage, Steve Wynn, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Xanadu: the prequel?

Posted on June 12, 2009 by David McKee

Martin Stern‘s 1975 conceptualization of a Xanadu casino-hotel, as virtually reconstructed by Dr. David G. Schwartz, struck a familiar chord with one S&G reader. They quickly detected a resemblance between Welton Becket‘s 1971 Disney’s Contemporary Resort, built in modular fashion … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Election, Florida, MGM Mirage, Politics, Technology, The Strip, Transportation | Comments Off on Xanadu: the prequel?

F'bleau: another triumph for Packer

Posted on June 10, 2009 by David McKee

James Packer sure knows how to pick ’em, doesn’t he? He’s just written off $250 million invested in (read: “wasted on”) Fontainebleau. His Crown Ltd. also took the opportunity to kick F’bleau while it’s down, stating it felt “no obligation … Continue reading →

Posted in Cannery Casino Resorts, Current, Fontainebleau, James Packer, The Strip | Comments Off on F'bleau: another triumph for Packer