Category Archives: The Strip

New blogs on the block

Posted on December 4, 2008 by David McKee

A couple of new bloggers just rode into town, meaning I’m going to have raise my game a bit. Actually, they’ve been in town for quite a long time and know where many of the bodies are buried, but are … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Downtown, MGM Mirage, Movies, The Strip | Comments Off

Vegas electoral oddity

Posted on November 24, 2008 by David McKee

Today's Las Vegas Sun has a precinct-by-precinct breakdown of how President-elect Barack Obama won the Las Vegas metro area. In colorful map form, it shows Obama winning Downtown (handily) and most of the Strip … save for MGM Mirage's string … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Election, Lake Las Vegas, MGM Mirage, The Strip | Comments Off

Atlantic City Death Watch II; Banquo's Ghost

Posted on November 22, 2008 by David McKee

Wow, I never thought we’d have our second installment so hard upon the first. But no sooner had S&G ticketed Resorts Atlantic City for a visit to Intensive Care comes word that it’s going to miss a $10 million loan … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Columbia Sussex, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

Fire sale at Harrah's, MGM?

Posted on November 17, 2008 by David McKee

That was one of the bombshells dropped this morning at Global Gaming Expo. According to a member of a "state of the industry" panel of G2E's Casino Design track, Harrah's Entertainment has several unprofitable properties that were for sale. "Now … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, California, Donald Trump, Economy, G2E, Harrah's, International, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

Sanguine in Singapore

Posted on November 7, 2008 by David McKee

Marina Bay Sands: proceeding on schedule. Las Vegas Sands executives huddled with Singapore officials yesterday earlier this week to, as JP Morgan puts it, “discuss topics … including the pace of construction.” In other words, they were bracing Singaporean leaders … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip | Comments Off

Five years ago today …

Posted on November 6, 2008 by David McKee

… Columbia Sussex came to town. Considering that CEO William J. Yung III purchased a dead, disreputable hotel-casino and put $90 million into reworking it into an attractive property (people whose judgment I trust swear by the comfiness of its … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Economy, Election, Macau, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip | Comments Off

Winners & Losers

Posted on November 5, 2008 by David McKee

And now the obligatory post-Election, What’s-it-all-about-Alfie roundup … Culinary Union 1, Casino CEOs O: True, the Culinary tripped all over its own feet in the early going, leading to Democratic caucuses that weren’t so much “Barackular” as “debacular.” But D. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Ameristar, Atlantic City, California, Colorado, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Election, Florida, Gary Goett, Harrah's, IGT, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Missouri, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Wisdom from Wall Street

Posted on October 30, 2008 by David McKee

"Any gaming operator that postpones spending and preserves capital in this environment should be rewarded, in our view." — Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst Steven Wieczynski, reacting to news that MGM Mirage had put its Atlantic City and north-Strip projects … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, MGM Mirage, Movies, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Boyd Takes Sanity Pill

Posted on October 29, 2008 by David McKee

After insisting right up to the bitter end, and then some, on going full-tilt with Echelon, now on hiatus for 7-12 months, Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith is modulating his tone. According to Reuters, "He emphasized that Boyd remains 'committed … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, Morgans Hotel Group, The Strip | Comments Off

Reader recommendations

Posted on October 28, 2008 by David McKee

Last week, I solicited recommendations for affordable hotel rooms, on behalf of a reader. For those of you who don't monitor the "Comments" threads, here's what some readers had to offer … • Why not the Main Street Station; it's … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Harrah's, The Strip | Comments Off

Just say ‘no’

Posted on October 25, 2008 by David McKee

Fall is in the air here and so is election fever. I’m just back from early voting and a honkin’ big Obama rally is gearing up on the other side of town, so the mind is full of matters electoral. … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Election, Reno, Taxes, The Strip | Comments Off

Case Bets: Sands bankruptcy?; California spite, Ted Binion still dead, etc.

Posted on October 24, 2008 by David McKee

The ‘B’ word. Yup, somebody finally said it. Stifel Nicolaus & Co. analyst Steven Wieczynski blames The Big Sands Sell-off on fears that “Las Vegas Sands is in jeopardy of running out of cash and going bankrupt.” Sands stock closed … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, California, Election, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off

Is Peter Carlino crazy?

Posted on October 24, 2008 by David McKee

Now I know that Penn National is all a-flush with cash these days and CEO Peter Carlino is probably feeling bullish. Still, in a recent visit to Vegas to assess possible casino acquisitions, he's alleged to have acted like he … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Downtown, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Riviera, Sahara, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off

A reader asks …

Posted on October 23, 2008 by David McKee

… for good hotel-room suggestions, for an upcoming trip — preferably something that's maybe a little underrated and/or off the beaten path. Since you guys (and gals) stay in Vegas hotels more than I do, it seemed best to throw … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, The Strip | Comments Off

Sunday at The Palazzo with Sheldon

Posted on October 22, 2008 by David McKee

OK, so the big fella wasn't actually there, to the best of my knowledge, but let's not allow pedanticism to get in the way of a Stephen Sondheim reference. The Better Half and I partook of a $119/night room special … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off

Plaza (the other one) & Gold Spike dispatches

Posted on October 21, 2008 by David McKee

According to the grapevine, El-Ad Properties' Plaza megaresort is not only a "go," but Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs are likely financiers. That is, if El-Ad and partner Nochi Dankner kick in more equity (I'm hearing $150 million), having exuberantly … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Downtown, Tamares Group, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off

Up in smoke

Posted on October 14, 2008 by David McKee

Few issues involving the casino industry cause such a conflict between intellect and emotion as that of second-hand smoke. Personally, I think even manure is less offensive to the nostrils than cigarette smoke — and it has fewer carcinogenic side … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colorado, Environment, Harrah's, Illinois, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip | Comments Off

Buddy, can you spare six billion?

Posted on October 7, 2008 by David McKee

Chuck Monster of VegasTripping.com is a man of few words, but he doesn't miss much (and his Dodgers are four wins shy of the World Series). He's run the numbers on Dubai World's purchase of MGM Mirage stock and found … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Fontainebleau, International, MGM Mirage, Tamares Group, The Strip | Comments Off

One city, two Plazas

Posted on October 7, 2008 by David McKee

It's game, set and match to El-Ad Properties, after a Clark County jury ashcanned the remnants of Tamares Group's attempt to block El-Ad from building an oversized version of the New York Plaza on the Strip. (Parts of Tamares' … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, The Strip | Comments Off

Tamares mines comedic gold

Posted on October 3, 2008 by David McKee

Nothing says "quality" quite like a Tamares joint. As the trial dubbed "Plaza Versus Plaza" winds down, Tamares Group — owners of the downtown Plaza — came up with a good one. The Lichtenstein-based company would have jurors believe "that … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, Tamares Group, The Strip | 1 Comment