Category Archives: Tribal

Setback for New Jersey; Doom for Mathis; Tribal magic

Posted on September 17, 2013 by David McKee

Federal judges gave the boot to the Garden State’s attempt to enter the mega-lucrative sports betting market. A subset of the Third Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld a reading of the Professional & Amateur Sports Betting Act … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Florida, Internet gambling, Oklahoma, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off

Trouble in paradise; Eight isn’t enough

Posted on September 14, 2013 by David McKee

That rising clamor you hear along the Strip isn’t just from weekend picketers at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. No, the Culinary Union has significantly ratcheted up the rhetoric against Strip operators MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, and against … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off

Motivated in Massachusetts; Naked at Horseshoe

Posted on September 12, 2013 by David McKee

If there’s anything to be learned from this week’s Hard Rock International face-plant in West Springfield, it’s not to take anything for granted. HRI made the mistake of believing its own poll, indeed, venerating it like holy writ, and got a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Foxwoods, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Regulation, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off

I’m shocked, shocked!

Posted on September 4, 2013 by David McKee

If you thought Pennsylvania‘s casino-selection process was more than a bit fishy, you’re not alone. Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. Ralph Periandi (ret.) tried to probe whether then-Gov. Ed Rendell (D) and “members of his administration and others in state … Continue reading →

Posted in Don Barden, Foxwoods, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania, Politics, The Mob, Tribal | Comments Off

“George” deal for Palmer; Resorts World in peril; Walker’s fan dance

Posted on August 30, 2013 by David McKee

Mohegan Sun ran out its host-community agreement with Palmer and it’s pretty clear that no expense will be spared to close the deal, either now or in a couple of months at the ballot box. The Mohegans are promising the … Continue reading →

Posted in Genting, Horseracing, Illinois, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, New York, Racinos, Regulation, Taxes, Tribal, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Loveman, Loveman everywhere

Posted on August 29, 2013 by David McKee

Racetrack owner Richard Fields and Caesars Entertainment are wrapping up their deals with Boston and Revere with dispatch. And the latter are making out like bandits. In their zeal to close deals, Fields and Loveman may be overpaying for the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Entertainment, Foxwoods, G2E, Harrah's, Massachusetts, Racinos, Rhode Island, Steve Wynn, Tribal | Comments Off

Paging King Solomon

Posted on August 28, 2013 by David McKee

In Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker (R) finds himself conducting a tricky balancing act vis-a-vis tribal casino expansion. It’s difficult to decide whether he’s showing restraint or hiding under the mattress. You can make the case for both conclusions. He doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Election, Illinois, New York, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 28, 2013 by David McKee

“There seems to be some state officials who would like to dictate what kind of jobs are good for a particular area,” Cleveland County Chamber President Michael Chrisawn, responding to leading GOP legislators in North Carolina who are threatening to … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Tribal | Comments Off

Case Bets: Seneca scandal; Atlantic City brings on the girls; Still no help for Mashpee

Posted on August 27, 2013 by David McKee

Well, that didn’t take long. Scarcely was the ink dry on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s deal with the state’s gaming-enabled tribes than the Seneca Indian Nation stepped right into a scandal. $5 million of an $8 million development deal … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Entertainment, Foxwoods, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, New York, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off

Wackiest casino promotion ever

Posted on August 22, 2013 by David McKee

This Muscogee Creek Casino spot speaks for itself, although I have to say it’s a lot more fun than the casino commercials that are run in Las Vegas (“Table games! Rewards!” Zzzzzzzzz …)

Posted in Marketing, Oklahoma, Tribal, TV | Comments Off

Case Bets: Walker’s wager; “e” on the QT; Blue no more

Posted on August 20, 2013 by David McKee

One of the nation’s largest tribal casinos, Potowatomi Bingo, in Milwaukee, has been caught by the economic malaise that is dogging so many of the nation’s casinos. Although Potowatomi defied the Great Recession, peaking in 2009 and rebounding after a … Continue reading →

Posted in Boulder Strip, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Downtown, Economy, North Las Vegas, Politics, The Strip, Tribal | 2 Comments

Gather ye dividends while ye may

Posted on August 16, 2013 by David McKee

Bally Technologies almost hit the $1 billion mark in revenue ($997 million) during the last fiscal year, which earns it our congratulations. Good work, folks. “We made enormous progress in many different ways, including continued growth in wide-area progressive units, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally Technologies, California, Illinois, International, Regulation, Shuffle Master, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off

This land is their land; Tight money in Pennsylvania

Posted on August 16, 2013 by David McKee

Tribal casinos aren’t just for reservations anymore and it’s becoming a coast-to-coast phenomenon. California legislators already approved one off-reservation casino, to be managed by Station Casinos. The Enterprise Rancheria of the Estom Yumeka Maidu would like to be second. They … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Current, Economy, Foxwoods, Harrah's, history, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Massachusetts: Small problem for Wynn, big trouble for MGM, Plainridge

Posted on August 12, 2013 by David McKee

Boston still has 10 weeks to reach terms with Suffolk Downs on a billion-dollar racino. That may explain Caesars Entertainment‘s apparent lack of urgency in reaching a host-community agreement. Beantown Mayor Thomas Menino‘s administration seems to be expending considerably more … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, California, Cordish Co., Current, Harrah's, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Neil Bluhm, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Steve Wynn, Tomato King Procacci, Tribal | Comments Off

Four years in three minutes

Posted on July 26, 2013 by David McKee

One of the most convoluted controversies in tribal gaming is boiled down with the aid of a whiteboard. This is one story that I’ve always been tempted to include in S&G but find daunting, due to its Byzantine complexity.

Posted in Arizona, Current, Politics, Regulation, Tribal | Comments Off

Men of La Mancha; Delaware: Taxation without benefit

Posted on July 23, 2013 by David McKee

While the attempted boycott of his Venelazzo poker rooms fizzles, Sheldon Adelson continues to look overseas. However, his EuroVegas will be beaten to the punch, or so it appears. Rival project BCN World has the jump on him, at least … Continue reading →

Posted in CityCenter, Current, Delaware, Dining, Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, James Packer, Lawrence Ho, Melco Crown Entertainment, New York, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, Taxes, Tribal | 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

Wynn checkmated in Everett?; Cordish sees Penn, raises ante

Posted on July 22, 2013 by David McKee

As we all would agree, Suffolk Downs doesn’t have the capitalization, the track record or the leadership that Wynn Resorts does. However, Richard Fields and Harvard homeboy Gary Loveman have a big something going for them: juice. I expected their … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Cordish Co., Current, Dining, Election, Foxwoods, Genting, Harrah's, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Revel, Steve Wynn, Taxes, 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

What’s next, Gavin Isaacs?; Pinnacle’s big borrow

Posted on July 18, 2013 by David McKee

This week’s announcement of a $1.4 billion takeover of Shufflemaster, er, SHFL Entertainment is another reminder of the casino industry’s monkey-see/monkey-do tendencies. Scientific Games gobbled up WMS Industries, so Bally had to do something, right? At least this buyout was … Continue reading →

Posted in Oklahoma, Texas, Tribal | 4 Comments