Category Archives: Tourism

Last weekend at The Mirage; “Jersey Boys” rumble

Posted on July 9, 2012 by David McKee

It was bound to happen: Not one, not two, but four douchebags trying to get tables at The Mirage‘s Carnegie Deli wearing nothing more than swimming trunks and flip-flops. That’s taking “casual” just a mite far. What’s the over/under on … Continue reading →

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Dining, Entertainment, George Maloof, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tourism | 3 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 9, 2012 by David McKee

“Jenny! That lady is dancing in her bra and panties. That’s disgusting!” — my 13-year-old niece, Sydney, getting her first glimpse of a go-go dancer Revolution Lounge at The Mirage. I do not think Sin City is her millieu.

Posted in Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Tourism | 2 Comments

Hot “chics” at Cosmo

Posted on June 22, 2012 by David McKee

If you want to be considered ‘with it,’ it wouldn’t hurt to display a modicum of literacy, as yet another painfully clueless Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas promotional short demonstrates. Don’t you just love the unwitting (Unwin-ing?) implication that the “hot … Continue reading →

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Marketing, The Strip, Tourism | 3 Comments

Shocking preliminary finding

Posted on June 21, 2012 by David McKee

Although I’m still swotting on USA Today copy, the finish line is within sight and the Las Vegas Strip property with the most name-checks to date is — surprise of surprises — Paris-Las Vegas, singled out in multiple categories. Who’da … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Donald Trump, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 5 Comments

“He’s just a stooge”

Posted on June 20, 2012 by David McKee

While I’m still on semi-hiatus, working on travel guides for USA Today (the Downtown one got submitted last night), here’s a reminder that when Caesars Entertainment persuades — “coerces” might be more like it — its lenders into writing off … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball, California, Economy, Harrah's, history, Internet gambling, Ohio, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Yanqui, go home!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by David McKee

Spain‘s banking system has joined a series of toppling dominoes that will likely prompt multiple, TARP-like measures and have the European Union mulling methods of preventing a run on the banks. Into this atmosphere of imminent catastrophe and 24% unemployment … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Economy, Environment, Florida, International, Macau, New York, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Tourism | 1 Comment

Toronto: Move over, Jim and Gary, here comes Sheldon

Posted on June 8, 2012 by David McKee

No disrespect to Steve Wynn, but the human starter gun for any serious casino race is now Sheldon Adelson. Except for China, he’s not been in any casino-expansion movement for the long haul since he lost Mirage Resorts. And with … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Economy, Florida, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Macau, MGM Mirage, New York, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Texas, Tourism | 3 Comments

Loveman heir abdicates; VLTs hit Ohio tomorrow; Wayne’s World II

Posted on May 31, 2012 by David McKee

Shares of Caesars Entertainment sank today on the news that CFO Jonathan Halkyard has quit, taking an equivalent position at NV Energy. Although the latter’s financial outlook is far rosier, with scant long-term debt, its revenue base ($611 million last … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Dan Gilbert, Economy, Harrah's, history, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Ohio, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Politics, Racinos, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wayne F. Newton | Comments Off

Another quiet evening on the Strip; Big noise in Atlantic City

Posted on May 31, 2012 by David McKee

You might call it “UFC Smackdown”: Police were summoned to Wynncore in the pre-dawn hours of last Saturday to break up the proverbial “domestic disturbance.” Former Playboy model and current UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste (née Arianna Lopez) and boyfriend … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Current, Dennis Gomes, Economy, Entertainment, Revel, Sports, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

“Smurf The Musical”

Posted on May 30, 2012 by David McKee

That’s the LVA office nickname for jukebox tuner Surf The Musical, currently in rehearsal at Planet Hollywood. As many as 35 Beach Boys songs have been laid end-to-end to create a midget version of a Broadway musical. The show’s creators … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Harrah's, Movies, Planet Hollywood, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 1 Comment

Beyoncé 1, Revel 0.5; Meet Harrah’s Philadelphia; Riviera realities

Posted on May 29, 2012 by David McKee

So the big, official, grand, this-time-we-really-mean-it opening of Revel Resort & Casino came and went … and all the media has been talking about is Beyoncé and how bootylicious she looks so soon after giving birth. (Seven-plus pages of YouTube … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, Marketing, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Revel, Riviera, Sahara, The Strip, Tourism | 5 Comments

SLS Las Vegas: Pretty pictures and propaganda

Posted on May 18, 2012 by David McKee

To celebrate the first anniversary of his cold-blooded, premeditated murder of the Sahara, nightclub owner Sam Nazarian trotted out freshly hired casino boss Rob Oseland, along with some models (no, not of the runway ilk) and even a rendering that … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, California, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Encore, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Morgans Hotel Group, Plaza, Sahara, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 4 Comments

Trouble in Wayne’s World

Posted on May 18, 2012 by David McKee

Dedicated to Mr. Charles Monster: Wow, I totally didn’t see this coming … not! See our May 1 “Question of the Day” on Casa de Shenandoah for some ominous foreshadowing of The Wayner’s latest financial pickle. Wayne Newton‘s contractor “claims … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Tourism, Wayne F. Newton | Comments Off

Tropicana Toronto? CityCentre? Horseshoe Etobicoke?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by David McKee

There’s a dark horse in the race for a Toronto megaresort … very dark. It’s Onex Corp., known to you and me as the owner of the Tropicana Las Vegas. Onex subsidiary Casino ABS owns four of the largest casinos … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Kansas, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tourism, Wall Street | Comments Off

Casinos in Ohio: We have liftoff

Posted on May 15, 2012 by David McKee

How’s that for flair? Vegas casino openings are going to have raise their — pardon the pun — game. Last night, Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened with a hella big splash, packing all the nearby hotels and generating heavy media coverage. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Harrah's, Ohio, Tourism | 1 Comment

Jersey voters jeer ‘Net bets; A friend in high places

Posted on May 14, 2012 by David McKee

“We’ve never been this close to Internet gaming. We’ve talked about it for 10 years. And we’re closer than ever to sports betting. It certainly takes New Jersey outside traditional gaming and puts us at the forefront of the initiatives … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Election, Internet gambling, Massachusetts, Politics, Racinos, Revel, Tourism | 2 Comments

Revel: Can’t drive 55?; Another setback in Massachusetts

Posted on May 10, 2012 by David McKee

Revel, the new, $2.4 billion casino on the Boardwalk has been conducting a sort of “stealth opening,” conducting a two-month-plus dry run. Along with the stealth opening come what you might call “stealth revenues”: $13 million-plus in its first full … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Florida, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Massachusetts, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Technology, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment | 1 Comment

Sahara: Devils in the details; Does your mother know?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by David McKee

Barbara De Lollis had better re-cork the champagne. Wall Street Journal coverage of Sam Nazarian‘s much-hyped, $300 million Sahara loan raises grave doubts about the viability of the project, budgeted at $415 million. According to Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Alexandra Berzon, … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Georgia, Harrah's, Harry Reid, International, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Planet Hollywood, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 2 Comments

People’s Republic of Steve; Sahara Sam’s big score

Posted on May 3, 2012 by David McKee

Although I was only joking when I suggested that Steve Wynn‘s long-sought Cotai Strip land grant would come in on May Day, some Communist Party bureaucrat wasn’t. After many false alarms, the 51 acres were finally ‘gazetted’ on May 1. … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Dining, Economy, Encore, Fontainebleau, Harry Reid, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

New York State of mind; Atlantic City peace of mind; O’Shea’s, a piece of …

Posted on April 30, 2012 by David McKee

If the question of casino expansion were put to Empire State voters this November, the outcome would probably be adverse. That’s the conclusion of a Benenson Group survey. If the fact that Benenson is President Barack Obama‘s pollster of preference … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Entertainment, Genting, Harrah's, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off