Category Archives: The Strip

SkyVue kaput?; Wowing them in Massachusetts

Posted on July 3, 2013 by David McKee

That’s the unavoidable conclusion, despite the increasingly comical protestations of local developer Howard Bulloch‘s sidekicks. Caesars Entertainment‘s rival Ferris wheel may be in a terrible location, it may be progressing slowly but — but — it is progressing. SkyVue has … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Station 2, Caesars 0; Death in Vegas

Posted on July 2, 2013 by David McKee

My expectation that Caesars Entertainment, leveraging its World Series of Poker brand, would outstrip Station Casinos‘ online-gaming offerings is looking unduly optimistic. Caesars Interactive hasn’t been able to get out of the driveway while Ultimate Gaming has gone virtually coast-to-coast. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cirque du Soleil, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, history, Illinois, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Slot routes, Station Casinos, The Strip | 1 Comment

Case Bets: Crystals, Baltimore, Mohegan Sun, Macao

Posted on June 27, 2013 by David McKee

Somebody’s finally found a good use for Crystals: as a museum. Daniel Liebeskind‘s design of the property would be more conducive to viewing art than to shopping and it never has trouble drawing lookie-lous. (Customers, eh, not so much.) Somebody … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Entertainment, Harrah's, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal | 2 Comments

New bosses at Hooters; Caesars: If it worked for Obama … ?

Posted on June 21, 2013 by David McKee

While nobody wants to buy or even lease the Hooters Hotel, current owners Canyon Capital Realty Advisors at least have found some new gaming expertise for the property. In this case, “new” is a relative term, as the familiar faces … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Delaware, Harrah's, Hooters, Marketing, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on June 18, 2013 by David McKee

“It reminds me of an Applebee’s.” — remark overheard during the media rollout of Pub 1842, newest restaurant at MGM Grand, a Michael Mina “gastropub.“ Whoever’s in charge of the myriad TVs needs to be told that there are other … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 3 Comments

Nazarian’s secret weapon?; Vegas still equals value

Posted on June 17, 2013 by David McKee

It’s Monday, so it must be time for another worshipful Sam Nazarian profile in the Los Angeles Times. Sure enough. If you can endure the usual LAT fawning, one will glean some useful facts and inferences — plus a reminder … Continue reading →

Posted in Colony Capital, Current, Entertainment, Genting, MGM Mirage, New York, Politics, Racinos, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Tourism | 1 Comment

For sale: One mall, slightly used; Sheldon’s big buyback

Posted on June 6, 2013 by David McKee

Buried at the bottom of a J.P. Morgan analyst rep0rt on meetings with MGM Resorts International executives was a real corker: “[W]we would not be surprised to see MGM look to monetize some of CityCenter’s asset base, for example Crystals, … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Economy, Entertainment, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off on For sale: One mall, slightly used; Sheldon’s big buyback

Adelson’s troubles mount; Rage at Wynncore

Posted on June 5, 2013 by David McKee

Las Vegas Sands has been losing one court case after another, whether in Macao or at home in Las Vegas. But the sands really hit the fan today with the revelation that Sheldon Adelson‘s company is under the scrutiny by … Continue reading →

Posted in Cretins, Current, International, LVCVA, Macau, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip | 1 Comment

The rest of the story: Boyd, IGT & Bally

Posted on June 3, 2013 by David McKee

While in Vegas, Deutsche Bank’s Carlo Santarelli dropped in on Boyd Gaming and … well, the news wasn’t as good there as on the Strip. He predicts a “tempered recovery,” adding that “expectations for an inflection in the LV locals … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Current, IGT, Illinois, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Mississippi, Slot routes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on The rest of the story: Boyd, IGT & Bally

Illinois: Not so fast!; Adelson pursues world domination

Posted on May 30, 2013 by David McKee

It really looked like the fix was in, the deal was done and existing casino operators in Illinois were about to thrown to the slaughter by legislators hungry for licensing fees. But the wheels of the grand plan are coming … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Election, Illinois, International, Macau, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Feds balk at Pinnacle/Ameristar deal

Posted on May 29, 2013 by David McKee

Given the supine attitude toward mergers and acquisitions that has prevailed in Washington, D.C., for the past 15 years and the routine, state-by-state approval of Pinnacle Entertainment‘s takeover of Ameristar Casinos, I had erroneously thought it a done deal. Not … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Isle of Capri, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Regulation, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Good news, bad news

Posted on May 22, 2013 by David McKee

Good news for Caesars Entertainment: Macanese gaming magnate Galaxy Entertainment Group wants to buy a golf course. Caesars has a $578 million one it desperately wants to unload. Bad news for Caesars, Galaxy wants a course that’s on nearby Hengqin … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Economy, Harrah's, Macau, The Strip | Comments Off on Good news, bad news

MGM: No time wasted

Posted on May 21, 2013 by David McKee

Say what you like about MGM Resorts International‘s plans for Monte Carlo and New York-York, the company isn’t letting any grass grow under its feet: As of 9 a.m. this morning, the Monte Carlo facade was merely walled off with … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 1 Comment

Clever Quinn; Rearranging the deck chairs; PE firms repulsed

Posted on May 21, 2013 by David McKee

Just when boosters of casino expansion in Illinois thought they had a done deal, Gov. Pat Quinn (D) sprung a carefully concealed snare: No pension reform, no dice. He dismissed Rep. Lou Lang‘s endless, insane casino crusade as a “shiny … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Harrah's, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Penn cloning process proceeds

Posted on May 17, 2013 by David McKee

Penn National Gaming has filed paperwork with the SEC for an IPO that would enable you to buy into 19 Penn casinos, including flop Hollywood Perryville (shown). This Penn stalking horse would go by the incredibly generic name of Gaming … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Harrah's, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Penn cloning process proceeds

Quote of the Day

Posted on May 17, 2013 by David McKee

Found by Vintage Vegas Valley, a Facebook page you really should “like.” As in, right this minute.

Posted in Entertainment, history, The Mob, The Strip | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Cosmo finally learns; Parx’s Maryland play

Posted on May 13, 2013 by David McKee

We don’t know how it managed it but congratulations to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. It finally realized how to market to those hitherto-elusive creatures known as “gamblers.” Casino revenue shot up 33%, winning $41 million from players, partly due … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, The Strip, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Cosmo finally learns; Parx’s Maryland play

So long, Sahara and WMS; Bridge of sighs; Private equity’s newest gamble

Posted on May 10, 2013 by David McKee

Gone and soon to be forgotten is the fugly NASCAR Cafe (site of terrible customer service), one of Bill Bennett‘s dubious ‘enhancements’ to the Sahara during his ownership. Current owner Sam Nazarian is ripping the Sahara apart in earnest, although … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Current, Dan Gilbert, Dining, Harrah's, history, Ohio, Regulation, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Scientific Games, Sports, The Strip, Wall Street, WMS Industries | 1 Comment

Nevada: The recovery continues; Elsewhere: Not so much

Posted on May 10, 2013 by David McKee

After a boffo February, the Silver State also posted extraordinary numbers in March. As Deutsche Bank headlined its report, “Different Month, Same Tune.” Analyst Carlo Santarelli cautioned, “we believe the underlying trends are not as strong as the headline would … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Dan Lee, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Iowa, Isle of Capri, Kansas, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Missouri, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Reno, Revel, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Cirque du Soleil: “One”-plus

Posted on May 7, 2013 by David McKee

Media previews are a double-edged sword. They can be a cheap way of drumming up advance press but can also betray a project in trouble: Surf the Musical was obviously going to be dead on arrival. And it was. Given … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, The Strip | 3 Comments