Category Archives: Transportation

Building better mousetraps

Posted on March 6, 2014 by David McKee

Were I Steve Wynn, I would be feeling somewhat discouraged by my prospects in Massachusetts. Just look at what happened to Cordish Gaming. Its Leominster slot-parlor proposal got high marks, but was ultimately passed over because Penn National Gaming‘s rival … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Entertainment, Horseracing, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Reno, Steve Wynn, Technology, Transportation, Warner Gaming | Comments Off

More slots for the Sunshine State; Sheldon’s big payday

Posted on March 5, 2014 by David McKee

A 453-page casino-enabling bill in the Florida state Senate just got a bit longer when Sen. Maria Sachs added language that would enable six additional counties (Palm Beach, Gadsden, Washington, Lee, Hamilton and Brevard) to have slots at their parimutuels. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Environment, Florida, International, Isle of Capri, Macau, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

Pinnacle beats The Street; MGM goes electric

Posted on February 12, 2014 by David McKee

Pinnacle Entertainment did a brilliant job of managing Wall Street‘s expectations, its cash flow coming in $5 million above analysts’ consensus, driven by lower operating expenses. J.P. Morgan‘s Joseph Greff called the results “better than feared,” which tells you how … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Environment, Foxwoods, International, Internet gambling, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Ohio, Pinnacle Entertainment, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Through a looking glass, brightly

Posted on February 6, 2014 by David McKee

So much for my crystal ball. Two projects that I openly doubted are now close to fruition and a third is showing fitful signs of life. (Another, Howard Bulloch‘s Ferris wheel, appears to be being dismantled.) Yesterday, SLS Las Vegas … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Cannery Casino Resorts, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off

Genting: We bombed in Miami; Jockeying for position in Massachusetts

Posted on January 10, 2014 by David McKee

It took almost no time at all for Genting Group’s latest Miami proposal to draw heavy political criticism. State Sen. Gwen Margolis (D), who represents the area, thinks a slot parlor is too downscale for the neighborhood. She also points … Continue reading →

Posted in Genting, Harrah's, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Steve Wynn, Transportation | Comments Off

Kentucky: Let’s try this again; The smell of money

Posted on December 26, 2013 by David McKee

There will be yet another push for casino gambling in the Kentucky Legislature, with hopes of getting a constitutional amendment on the 2014 ballot. The move has bipartisan sponsorship. Dan Seum (R) is carrying the ball in the state Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Racinos, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off

X Train dead? Is so! Is not!

Posted on November 15, 2013 by David McKee

“I’ll believe when I see it” has always been a good policy to follow when dealing with the X Train. This, you may recall, was the rail service that was to be underwritten with onboard gambling and was to double … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dining, Downtown, North Las Vegas, Tamares Group, Tourism, Transportation | Comments Off

Falling upward in Nevada; MGM: The Lion meows

Posted on October 31, 2013 by David McKee

Helped by a wee bit of late-August slot revenue, Nevada posted a 7% revenue gain this month, for a $959 haul. The Strip performed spectacularly, up 13%, and Downtown edged 2% higher. Lake Tahoe vaulted 23% but Reno fell off … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, CityCenter, Current, Downtown, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Macau, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off

N.Y. casino expansion in danger; Macao: Full to bursting

Posted on October 3, 2013 by David McKee

A poll on Proposition One, conducted by Parkside Group, shows casino expansion in New York State enjoying a bare majority of 51%. If that doesn’t galvanize Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and other supporters into action, it ought to — especially … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Election, Macau, New York, Politics, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

Another reason to hate Allegiant; Fertitta gets an “F”

Posted on August 21, 2013 by David McKee

That airline that charges you for checking bags, then floated the idea of charging you for not checking bags has found yet another way to screw its customers, as a planeload of them discovered last weekend in Las Vegas. Yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Downtown, Laughlin, Mississippi, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation | 4 Comments

Boston briefs: Caesars gets the vote out, etc.

Posted on August 19, 2013 by David McKee

In the face of iffy local support for its Suffolk Downs project, Caesars Entertainment has surrogates going door to door in East Boston, selling voters on the proposal’s virtues. Given the Latino majority among Easties, that’s where Caesars is targeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, Politics, Tourism, Transportation | 3 Comments

Scramble in Massachusetts; Malaise in Mississippi

Posted on July 23, 2013 by David McKee

Sept. 24 is the day appointed for voters in Leominster to say “aye” or “nay” to a slot parlor proposed by Cordish Gaming. That’s nine days before the deadline for submitting voter-approved HCAs to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Which, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Election, Florida, Foxwoods, Genting, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

Hail, Caesars; Some roads lead to Foxwoods; Bluhm disappoints

Posted on July 18, 2013 by David McKee

It’s not every day that Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman has a good idea. But when he does, it’s a real brainwave. Such has proven to be the case with Caesars’ purchase of social-gaming Web firm Playtika. The latter has … Continue reading →

Posted in Hard Rock International, Harrah's, IGT, Illinois, Internet gambling, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Neil Bluhm, Pansy Ho, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Mob, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off

Gold strike in Maryland; Ghost train; ‘Sell’ order on Sands; Wynn cleared

Posted on July 8, 2013 by David McKee

That elastic band which is American consumers’ gambling budget may have tightened in Illinois and gone slack in Ohio, but it’s expanding nicely in Maryland, now that table games are part of the mix. Sayeth the Maryland Lottery, revenues for … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Cordish Co., Current, Economy, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street | Comments Off

Don’t tell Sheldon!; East Coast misadventures

Posted on June 4, 2013 by David McKee

As EuroVegas appears on the verge of collapse, recent bulletins pile another indignity upon Sheldon Adelson. When Barcelona‘s BCN World wanted to add a casino, it reached 3/4 of the way around the globe to recruit … Melco Crown Entertainment … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Marketing, Massachusetts, Melco Crown Entertainment, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Taxes, Transportation, Tribal | 2 Comments

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

Icahn nixes Trump deal; Steve Wynn’s fugitive friend

Posted on April 23, 2013 by David McKee

If Carl Icahn holds the note on your life, you are in a world of hurt, my friend. Just ask Trump Entertainment Resorts, whose $20 million sale of wretchedly performing Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino suddenly looks very shaky. What’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Internet gambling, Oklahoma, Politics, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Texas, Transportation | 4 Comments

A chilly wind in Atlantic City; They gave a casino and nobody came

Posted on April 11, 2013 by David McKee

One doesn’t really think of going to shore in March, so it’s no surprise that Atlantic City casino revenues were — excluding Revel — down 14% last month. The latter grossed $10 million, pulling it almost dead even with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Harrah's, Oklahoma, Revel, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Texas, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | Comments Off

Case Bets: Magic Mike; Bahamas boo gambling; New moves in Massachusetts, Philly

Posted on January 30, 2013 by David McKee

Sheldon Adelson being too busy trying to dictate American foreign policy, it was left to his Number Two Man, COO Michael Leven (left) to go to Toronto and make the case for a Las Vegas Sands megaresort. Leven soft-pedaled the … Continue reading →

Posted in Current, Dan Gilbert, Florida, Harrah's, International, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 2 Comments

MGM Cotai clears final barrier; devil in the Maryland details

Posted on January 9, 2013 by David McKee

Although the government of Macao enjoys nothing better than to make casino owners wait and fidget for their land leases to be “gazetted,” today is MGM Resorts International‘s lucky day. MGM China received final approval for its Cotai Strip megaresort. … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Melco Crown Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, TV, Wall Street | Comments Off