Category Archives: Tribal

Back to the beach; Churchill Downs comes under scrutiny

Golden Nugget Atlantic City was packing them in with a ‘george’ promotion. Let our East Coast correspondent tell the tale: “It was extremely busy Sunday afternoon in their atrium for the BMW X-5 giveaway. They called six names and three … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, California, Churchill Downs, Diversity, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Marketing, New Hampshire, New York, Ocean Resort, Problem gambling, Regulation, Revel, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 5 Comments

Casinos in clover nationwide; Mega-Jottings for a Monday

Masters Week has come and gone, and Augusta now sinks back into an 11-month torpor. Which also helps us return to standard-edition S&G. (Seen on the marquee of the church closest to Augusta National: “This is Amen Corner.”) Where to … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Conventions, CQ Holdings, Current, Derek Stevens, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, G2E, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Jack Entertainment, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Sahara, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal | 1 Comment

Optimism in Las Vegas; Bluhm bombs in Chicago

On his way home from Black Hawk, Colorado, gaming analyst Barry Jonas of Truist Securities popped into Las Vegas. He met with various and sundry publicly traded companies, even MGM Resorts International, for which he feels little love. He also … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, DraftKings, Economy, Everi, FanDuel, Florida, G2E, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, Palms, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street | Comments Off on Optimism in Las Vegas; Bluhm bombs in Chicago

Chicago tips its hand; Wynn loses; Thunder Down Under

Would somebody clue in Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) that Neil Bluhm‘s Rush Street Gaming is no longer the majority owner of Rivers Casino Des Plaines? That honor goes to Churchill Downs. But Lightfoot is using Des Plaines as a … Continue reading

Posted in ABBA, Animals, Architecture, Australia, Bally, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, Crown Resorts, Entertainment, Environment, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Macau, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Money laundering, Neil Bluhm, New York, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Make theirs Manhattan: Hochul plays hardball

Representatives of New York City‘s ritziest borough have made it abundantly clear that they don’t want a casino in Manhattan. But it appears that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is going to impose one on them, public appetite be damned. Perhaps … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Genting, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Nevada, New York, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal | Comments Off on Make theirs Manhattan: Hochul plays hardball

Baccarat constrains Strip; Sports betting tsunami ahead

Withered baccarat numbers meant that the Las Vegas Strip had a muted February, only a percentage point above 2019. Players dropped $599 million (-44.5%) of which the house won just $62 million (-52%). That offset a bonny month at the … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Colorado, Downtown, DraftKings, FanDuel, Indiana, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Marketing, Mesquite, North Carolina, Palms, Reno, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wendover | Comments Off on Baccarat constrains Strip; Sports betting tsunami ahead

Barley’s leaves a bad taste; Woe is Star; Mega-Jottings

When a casino is named Barley’s Brewing Co. you’d expect to get a decent glass of suds there. Not so. Las Vegan Lon Enwright is $8 million richer—but physically damaged beyond price—after being served cleaning fluids instead of beer (the … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Charity, China, Conventions, Crown Resorts, Derek Stevens, history, Japan, Kentucky, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Money laundering, Movies, New Jersey, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Barley’s leaves a bad taste; Woe is Star; Mega-Jottings

Penn’s Portnoy problem; Unexpected winners, losers in Pennsylvania; Mega-Jottings

That ongoing bromance between Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and Penn National Gaming CEO Jay Snowden is prompting regulatory scrutiny in Indiana and even Nevada, especially as Penn girds its loins for a full Barstool buyout. That would bring the … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Horseracing, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New York, Ocean Resort, Oklahoma, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, WInd Creek | 2 Comments

New York $tate of mind; DraftKings gets rabies

OK, so New York State sports betting “slowed slightly” last month. Big deal. After all, there weren’t five weekends of NFL action, for starters. What’s more newsworthy is the $1.5 billion in handle that Empire State online sports betting whipped … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, New York, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Decline of the Golden Nugget?; Bluhm gets Chicago boost

On March 7, our Atlantic City correspondent wrote to us, “Who took the slot machines since yesterday? They even got rid of two of the four “vanity’ Tilman Fertitta dollar Billionaire Buyer machines. (I never saw anyone at those machines). … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Detroit, DraftKings, Environment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illitch Family, Indiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports betting, Taxes, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Ohio, Illinois ebullient; MGM expects good things; Scandal in NFL

Ohio casino revenues were up 13% from 2021, yielding $179 million in player losses. Slots-only MGM Northfield Park posted a $22.5 million haul, up 17%, while Jack Cleveland vastly expanded its table game inventory and saw table play rise 24.5%. … Continue reading

Posted in Arkansas, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Virginia | 1 Comment

Mega-January on the Strip; Much ado about Caesars

January’s Nevada gambling-revenue numbers are out and the Silver State topped $1 billion yet again, a 41.5% boost over last year. However, some jurisdictions manifested slight declines, a sign that casino activity may be “normalizing” after a heated 2021. To … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dining, Downtown, Genting, Health, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Marketing, Mesquite, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Las Vegas, Peninsula Pacific, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Reno, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wendover, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Casinos continue to thrive; Crooks, liars and losers

There’s no “supply chain” issue when it comes to dollars flowing into American casinos. Take Missouri, for instance. Casino revenue sprang 15.5% over 2019 last month, for a statewide take of $145.5 million. Actual visitation was down 2o% but per-visitor … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Bally, Bally Technologies, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Cretins, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Maryland, Mattress Mack, MGM Mirage, Missouri, Nevada, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Regulation, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Tribal, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Atlantic City revisited; Oscars: Year of The Dog

Bally’s Atlantic City and Golden Nugget traditionally jockey for last place in Atlantic City monthly gaming grosses. Indeed, a midweek visit to Bally’s by our East Coast correspondent found the place practically deserted (and in need of more capex $$). … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, DraftKings, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Ocean Resort, Rush Street Gaming, Tribal | 1 Comment

Everybody wins; ‘Adele’ debuts; Ohio and Maryland prosper

Let’s start the day with a rare, feel-good story about an invalidated jackpot. Normally, these things go the way of the house. But not this time. On January 8, at Treasure Island, a player named Robert Taylor was playing the … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Aristocrat, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Fontainebleau, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Everybody wins; ‘Adele’ debuts; Ohio and Maryland prosper

Station sets revenue records, Penn less fortunate

Having quietly broken ground on $750 million Durango Station, proud papa Station Casinos announced that despite “some headwinds,” the company had achieved record-level cash flow in 4Q21. “The government’s mask mandate across the state of Nevada remained in place and … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Conventions, Derek Stevens, Downtown, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Hawaii, Health, history, Internet gambling, Louisiana, Marketing, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

New boss at F-blue; Station: Five white guys; Atlantic City blitzed

Yes, Tom Brady has retired but there’s actually other news happening today. For starters, Fontainebleau has a new president. And not just any prexy but “a visionary leader for our next-generation luxury resort.” He’s Cliff Atkinson, late of Luxor. If … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, CityCenter, Colorado, Culinary Union, Dining, Diversity, Fontainebleau, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | 2 Comments

Bally’s we hardly knew ye; IGT bets big on lotteries

Shares of Bally’s Corp. sprang to $36.76 apiece yesterday on the news that the company’s largest stockholder wants to take Bally’s private for $2 billion. Hedge fund Standard General—founded by Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim—is offering $38/share for the mini-major and … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Arkansas, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, IGT, International, Japan, Lotteries, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Ocean Resort, Regulation, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Warm breeze in Atlantic City; Indiana heats up

December brought an acceleration in most forms of New Jersey gambling revenue. Atlantic City casinos managed a 1.5% increase over the end of 2019 but sports betting revenue dropped 11% year/year, blamed on low hold. Sticking close to home, Internet … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Ocean Resort, Peninsula Pacific, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Weekend jottings

Late last week, MGM Resorts International unveiled its plans for a BetMGM-branded sports book at State Farm Stadium in Arizona. No budget was announced for the facility but, given the infinitesimal amount of retail wagering in the Phoenix area, it’s … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, BetMGM, Las Vegas Raiders, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Weekend jottings