Category Archives: Tropicana Entertainment

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 16, 2009 by David McKee

“We’re trying to let the community know that we are here and we are here to stay for a while.” — ominous words from Glenn Koehler, Columbia Sussex‘s director of the Horizon casino-hotel in Lake Tahoe. Landlord Park Cattle Co. … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Lake Las Vegas, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Steve Wynn drinks his own bathwater

Posted on November 3, 2009 by David McKee

I’ll confess to having been sufficiently out of touch not to have heard about the “Wynncore” parody site on which blogger Chuck Monster was laboring. Anybody who’s used the sluggish Wynn Resorts Web site will appreciate the home page (“Loading … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Economy, Encore, G2E, Marketing, Mississippi, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Transportation, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 5 Comments

Case Bets: ColSux, Wynn, Agassi, Lake LV, ‘Vega$’

Posted on October 30, 2009 by David McKee

Proverbial “flu-like symptoms” have me feeling light-headed and rather woozy (a delayed reaction to Wayne Newton?), for which the doctor prescribes a dosage of Case Bets … Another ColSux sale: Struggling hotelier Columbia Sussex has, for the not-inconsiderable sum of … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Current, Dining, Downtown, Encore, Iowa, Lake Las Vegas, Louisiana, Oscar Goodman, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 3 Comments

Hope for Boardwalk?

Posted on October 13, 2009 by David McKee

As you know, S&G puts more stock in year/year comparisons than sequential ones, but the most recent set from Atlantic City affords a slender reed of hope. With the help of tighter slots, A.C. held its September decline to 6%, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Marketing, Maryland, Neil Bluhm, New York, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Hope for Boardwalk?

Trop, Sands purges continue

Posted on September 30, 2009 by David McKee

It’s official: “Pit Bull of Comedy” Bobby Slayton has snarled his last at the Tropicana Las Vegas. Thus endeth a brief, inauspicious reign by Anthony Cools over the Trop’s upstairs showroom. A well-placed source advises LVA that Beatles tribute show … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Planet Hollywood, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Trop, Sands purges continue

Big Trop shakeup

Posted on September 24, 2009 by David McKee

During his absent-minded interregnum as Tropicana Las Vegas CEO Scott Butera nearly denuded the casino of on-property entertainment. Only the hasty re-signing of Xtreme Magic left the Trop with a show in the house. Over time, Butera’s people added a … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Current, Entertainment, Horseracing, Maryland, Ohio, Penn National, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Big Trop shakeup

Go ask Alex

Posted on September 23, 2009 by David McKee

Without further ado, we present S&G‘s much-hyped interview with Tropicana Las Vegas CEO Alex Yemenidjian, a trim, nattily attired man of impeccable manners and refreshing directness, as you will see. I led off with questions from the readership … Nelson … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Dining, Entertainment, Illinois, MGM Mirage, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | 1 Comment

Ask Alex!

Posted on September 22, 2009 by David McKee

Tomorrow morning, I have scored some precious face time with Tropicana Las Vegas CEO Alex Yemenidjian. The ostensible topic of the media event is "Special Guest," er, Wayne Newton. But screw that. Let's find out what else is going on … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Columbia Sussex, Entertainment, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, TV | Comments Off on Ask Alex!

Worst Trend Yet

Posted on September 17, 2009 by David McKee

This is the sort of bottom-feeding move you'd expect from Columbia Sussex but not from Hyatt. Suffice it to say that if casino-hotels try this cheapjack number in Atlantic City, Detroit or Las Vegas, there will be holy hell to … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Current, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, Labor, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Worst Trend Yet

Meet the new Trop boss …

Posted on August 26, 2009 by David McKee

 … largely the same as the old boss. Tropicana Entertainment's diligent efforts to get back into the Tropicana Atlantic City have finally paid off. Thus (nearly) ends a prolonged interregnum during which no clearly superior alternativves emerged. Well … there … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Cordish Co., Current, Regulation, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Meet the new Trop boss …

Quote of the Day

Posted on August 22, 2009 by David McKee

“I have been pleasantly surprised by the tremendous reservoir of good will that exists in our work force … Considering how previous administrators have neglected the property, neglected the operations and neglected the employees, it was very refreshing to find … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Columbia Sussex, Labor, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

I was just saying …

Posted on August 12, 2009 by David McKee

… to a colleague that, given Atlantic City‘s dismal July numbers, a plea for governmental assistance had to be just ’round the corner. Well, whaddya know? In at least five instances, Atlantic City’s casinos are run by companies that just … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on I was just saying …

Carl Icahn, comedian?

Posted on August 11, 2009 by David McKee

"As a result of [Tropicana Entertainment's] continued use of the Tropicana marks in interstate commerce, the Tropicana marks have achieved fame and notoriety and are associated in the minds of consumers nationwide with a consistent level of high-quality casino, entertainment … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Carl Icahn, comedian?

New flavor of Tropicana; M is infectious; Penn is persistent

Posted on August 7, 2009 by David McKee

Alex Yemenidjian has busted out a new logo for his Strip casino: Hey, it’s a start. Still no word on a new evening show for the Tiffany Theater (and somehow I don’t think Dirk Arthur is going to cut it … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Election, Entertainment, Penn National, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on New flavor of Tropicana; M is infectious; Penn is persistent

Bare-knuckle Boardwalk brawl

Posted on July 31, 2009 by David McKee

“Leaky windows. Broken air-conditioning. Missing kitchen equipment. A weather-beaten building … It also has missing kitchen equipment and broken air-conditioning units that have left guest rooms hot and unrentable. Further, it is plagued by a leaky roof, windows and skylights … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Silverton, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Bare-knuckle Boardwalk brawl

Aztar deal the worst ever: it's quantifiable

Posted on July 28, 2009 by David McKee

When he acquired Aztar Corp., back in 2006, Columbia Sussex CEO William J. Yung III also became one of the company’s debtors. So what’s his $36 million worth today? According to the Wall Street Journal, 100 grand or less. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Cosmopolitan, Current, Economy, Genting, Harrah's, International, Macau, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Stanley Ho, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Aztar deal the worst ever: it's quantifiable

A Trop by any other name

Posted on July 27, 2009 by David McKee

Icahn Capital, which purchased the Tropicana Atlantic City for $54 million, effectively, is projecting a conservative course for the property. Any sort of expansion is being ruled out for now, due to skepticism about “green shoots” of economic recovery. Speaking … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Harrah's, Illinois, Problem gambling, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on A Trop by any other name

Trop and tribulation

Posted on July 8, 2009 by David McKee

A pair of New Jersey lawmakers are hopping mad about the costly, dubiously competent Tropicana Atlantic City trusteeship of Justice Gary Stein. The solons are particularly het up over the way Stein was feathering his own nest. "It is unacceptable, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Politics, Regulation, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Trop and tribulation

Tropic(ana) of Confusion

Posted on July 2, 2009 by David McKee

News reports are at sixes and sevens of just how much of the Tropicana Las Vegas is now owned by Onex Corp. For instance, Bloomberg states that Onex's stake represents 60% of the $440 million owed on the property (or … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Atlantic City, Columbia Sussex, Marketing, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Tropic(ana) of Confusion

Case Bets: California, Packer pickle, Macao pix, Holy Cow!, Singapore, RoboPoker, etc.

Posted on June 25, 2009 by David McKee

Editor’s note: An item involving Crown Ltd. contained factual errors, which have been corrected (as you’ll see). I apologize for the misinformation. My thanks to the reader who pulled my head out of my @$$. California gamblers stay and play … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, California, Columbia Sussex, Current, Economy, Entertainment, G2E, Genting, Harrah's, Holy Cow, International, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Louisiana, Macau, New York, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Case Bets: California, Packer pickle, Macao pix, Holy Cow!, Singapore, RoboPoker, etc.