Category Archives: The Strip

The curse of Columbia Sussex

Posted on May 30, 2008 by David McKee

Unsecured Tropicana Entertainment creditors are opposing Columbia Sussex's effort to borrow $67 million in operating capital (which would push existing creditors even further toward the back of the queue). The Wilmington, Del., bankruptcy court has yet to rule. Whoops. By … Continue reading →

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Bargains? Shhhhhhhhhhhh!

Posted on May 28, 2008 by David McKee

Liz Benston takes a look today at the newest message from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority and finds the LVCVA “thinks it’s bad form to make references to ‘affordable’ and ‘cheap.’” Oh yes, God forbid anybody should think … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Downtown, Harrah's, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, The Strip | Comments Off on Bargains? Shhhhhhhhhhhh!

The promo from Hell

Posted on May 28, 2008 by David McKee

In a radical departure from hallowed Columbia Sussex tradition, the Las Vegas Tropicana has discovered the concept of the promotional allowance. Presumably Tropicana Entertainment co-prexy Scott Butera gets credit for talking boss William J. Yung III into doing some risky, … Continue reading →

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Harrah's: Digging to China

Posted on May 23, 2008 by David McKee

Given the recent freeze-out on new casino operators in Macao, executives at Harrah’s Entertainment might as well be sporting T-shirts that read, “I spent $577.7 million in Macao and all I got was this lousy golf course.” And, in light … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Harrah's, Macau, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Harrah's: Digging to China

R-J to Vegas: "We're Podunk"

Posted on May 23, 2008 by David McKee

Warning: The following blog post contains ridicule of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and a Republican senator with good hair. No actual copies of the R-J were harmed in the writing of this post. ***** There I was, thinking that I … Continue reading →

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Columbia Sussex quickies

Posted on May 7, 2008 by David McKee

Tropicana Entertainment Co-President Scott Butera has really been working the phones — a salutary, welcome change from the truculence and stonewalling reporters came to expect from Columbia Sussex. (Apparently Las Vegas Tropicana execs were among those left in the dark about … Continue reading →

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Earth to NYT, Earth to NYT …

Posted on May 7, 2008 by David McKee

They don't call the New York Times "the gray lady" for nothing. Today, she seems a little more hard of hearing and out of touch than usual. Four of the six "New Titans" pictured in this story haven't been in … Continue reading →

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From A(BBA) to Z

Posted on May 7, 2008 by David McKee

Too much blogohrrea and too little hydration have left me spent, drained, kaput-ski. (Mind you, some would say I’ve been running on empty for a long time.) And when our cranky blogging software devoured another hour’s worth of work — … Continue reading →

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Tahoe: Scratch one casino

Posted on May 6, 2008 by David McKee

Part of the ongoing fallout from the Tropicana Entertainment bankruptcy is an even more dire forecast for the Lake Tahoe market. How bad is it? Well, even though Columbia Sussex has an option to renew its lease on the Horizon, … Continue reading →

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Quote of the Day; More MGM and Trop news

Posted on May 6, 2008 by David McKee

Cher: “[a] well-preserved diva-saur.” — The New York Post (Props to Jessica Roe for spotting this gem.) MGM Mirage 2.0? Two separate companies, one in hotels and one in gaming? Makes sense, especially with so much non-casino expansion into Dubai … Continue reading →

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Still more updates!

Posted on May 6, 2008 by David McKee

Another day, another default. Tucked snugly at the bottom of Tropicana Entertainment‘s notice of default is another news nugget. Seems that the City of Evansville has informed the Columbia Sussex subsidiary that it’s defaulted on certain terms of its lease … Continue reading →

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More updates (or, Trouble with Trolls)

Posted on May 6, 2008 by David McKee

First, a correction: The Tropicana Casinos & Resorts Web site is here, finally up and running after languishing in a half-finished state for an entire year. I don’t know why Columbia Sussex has left the Tropicana Entertainment domain name sitting … Continue reading →

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Wynn tells Wall Street where to go

Posted on May 2, 2008 by David McKee

Not so long ago, Steve Wynn stated an obvious truth: The our deepening recession would impact Las Vegas sooner or later. Wall Street promptly punished him by selling down Wynn Resorts stock. Fast-forward a few months and now it’s the conventional wisdom … Continue reading →

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Same as it ever was?

Posted on May 2, 2008 by David McKee

Nothing lasts. I’m finding that out the hard way as the acid in the paper labels in my CD collection eat through the discs, gradually rendering them unplayable and sending me into a race between preservation and catastrophe. (When last … Continue reading →

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A call to action

Posted on May 1, 2008 by David McKee

Remember that editorial about construction safety (or the obvious lack thereof) that I said the Las Vegas Sun ought to be writing — as opposed to printing a jeremiad about the Miley Cyrus photo flap? Well, it’s been written … … Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown, International, The Strip | Comments Off on A call to action

Safety scandals still fester

Posted on April 25, 2008 by David McKee

No harm, no foul. That's more or less the company line coming out of One Harrah's Court, after Clark County reluctantly released a document detailing 34 fly-by-night remodeling jobs during the 2000-07 period. But following procedures codified in law apparently … Continue reading →

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Did he or didn't he?

Posted on April 22, 2008 by David McKee

While I'm somewhat skeptical of the claims of Richard Suen, vis-a-vis his relationship with Las Vegas Sands, if he wins his lawsuit in Clark County District Court, he'll probably have Sands executives to thank for it. They've been tripping over … Continue reading →

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‘Luxoricana’?; When unions attack (each other)

Posted on April 22, 2008 by David McKee

Labor unions aren’t very popular these days but sometimes even the mere threat of one is enough to effect improvements. Such seems to be the case at Luxor, where the International Union of Security, Police & Fire Professionals of America … Continue reading →

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A reader's suggestion

Posted on April 21, 2008 by David McKee

… and, no, it isn’t that I perform anatomical impossibilities on myself. Rather, one of LVA‘s faithful “Question of the Day” readers suggests we run a poll or forum topic (or maybe both) on niggling little subtractions from Vegas casino … Continue reading →

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MGM Mirage: What's it all about?

Posted on April 16, 2008 by David McKee

By now it’s old news that MGM Mirage took a paring knife to its personnel roster and gave 440 staffers the sack on Monday. Admittedly, saving $75 million seems like trimming a fingernail off a company whose 2007 profit was … Continue reading →

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