Category Archives: Virgin Hotels

MGM “unsurprising”; Penn outperforms

Posted on October 30, 2020 by David McKee

Analysts at JP Morgan were blasé about MGM Resorts International‘s 3Q20 report, setting their price target at $22/share. Wrote Joseph Greff, “We remain Neutral rated as we continue to see a slow recovery on the LV Strip, a market that … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Charity, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Conventions, Detroit, Dining, Economy, Illinois, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Vegas’ mixed message; China puts the squeeze on Macao

Posted on September 29, 2020 by David McKee

Is the Las Vegas Strip coming back? Yes and no, to judge by hotel rates for the October 18-24 period. They’re 50% 0ff last year’s but with a severe dichotomy between weekdays and weekends. For instance, Las Vegas Sands (even … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, China, Conventions, Economy, Health, Kazuo Okada, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Problem gambling, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Fear and loathing at the Cosmo

Posted on August 25, 2020 by David McKee

Once again The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is being portrayed as the bad boy of Las Vegas Strip resorts when it comes to taking Covid-19 seriously. A headline in today’s Daily Beast reads, “Maskless gamblers. Verbal abuse. Infected colleagues. Workers … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Derek Stevens, Dining, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Politics, Regulation, The Strip, Virgin Hotels, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Mega-Jottings for a Monday

Posted on August 24, 2020 by David McKee

Churchill Downs got its second-worst-case scenario for the Kentucky Derby: The September 5 race will have to be held without spectators, a major economic blow to the Louisville area. At least the race will be run and undoubtedly garner much … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Churchill Downs, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Environment, GLPI, Health, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Louisiana, Macau, MGM Resorts International, New Mexico, Penn National, Reno, Sigma Derby, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virgin Hotels | 1 Comment

Shopping the Trop; Nobu no-no

Posted on July 26, 2020 by David McKee

An unnamed hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip is being quietly advertised on private-equity forums. It’s listed as a “brand name” property that’s been in operation for over 30 years. The age would seem to suggest The Mirage (born 1989) … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, CityCenter, Connecticut, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Downtown, Election, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Health, Hooters, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maverick Gaming, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Planet Hollywood, Politics, Real Estate, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Station Casinos, The Rio, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Twin River, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Shopping the Trop; Nobu no-no

Case Bets

Posted on July 24, 2020 by David McKee

Something good came out of Washington, D.C. today. (How often can one type that sentence?) Reps. Dina Titus (D) and Guy Reschenthaler (R) introduced bipartisan legislation to repeal the excise taxes and head taxes (a $50 annual levy on every … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Caesars Entertainment, China, Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, GLPI, Golden Nugget, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Michael Gaughan, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Terry Caudill, TV, Virgin Hotels | Comments Off on Case Bets

Vegas casinos can reopen, sorta; Hard Rock returns

Posted on May 15, 2020 by David McKee

Want to go back to a Las Vegas casino? Now you can. In a well-meant directive that seems to be sowing a certain amount of confusion, the Nevada Gaming Control Board stated that during the current Phase I, casinos could … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Dining, Economy, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Lotteries, Maryland, Massachusetts, Movies, Oregon, Penn National, Real Estate, Sahara, Steven Witkoff, The Strip, Virgin Hotels | 2 Comments

Goodman vs. Sisolak, III; Good news for Virgin Hotel

Posted on April 23, 2020 by David McKee

It’s a good thing that stupidity is not contagious or the mayor of Las Vegas would be Patient Zero. Has Carolyn Goodman (I) been sneaking sips of her husband’s martinis? A seemingly inebriated

Posted in Culinary Union, Entertainment, Health, MGM Resorts International, Phil Ruffin, Politics, The Strip, Virgin Hotels, Wynn Resorts | 4 Comments

Hornbuckle, Sternlicht send conflicting messages; Virgin is ailing

Posted on April 22, 2020 by David McKee

Add MGM Resorts International to the short list of Las Vegas hoteliers announcing reopening strategies. In a five-minute video presentation, CEO William Hornbuckle summarized many of the company’s charitable efforts during the crisis (bolstered by a $500,000 contribution from Dubai … Continue reading →

Posted in Charity, Downtown, Dubai, Economy, Georgia, Health, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Station Casinos, The Strip, Transportation, Virgin Hotels, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Case Bets

Posted on April 21, 2020 by David McKee

For decades, Pagcor has dabbled in both regulating and running casinos (imagine Caesars Entertainment having disciplinary oversight of the rest of the U.S. casino industry). In recent years it has made intermittent noises about selling off its 47 casinos and … Continue reading →

Posted in Entertainment, Hard Rock Hotel, Health, Internet gambling, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Rio, Virgin Hotels, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Case Bets

Hiccup in Virginia; Sheldon’s retail therapy

Posted on April 21, 2020 by David McKee

Just when it seemed like casinos in Virginia were a done deal, some last-minute tinkering by Gov. Ralph “Blackface” Northam (D) could scupper the whole deal. Northam unilaterally amended the enabling legislation to redirect two-thirds of the tax collections from … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cretins, Economy, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, PokerStars, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Sports betting, Taxes, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wall Street | Comments Off on Hiccup in Virginia; Sheldon’s retail therapy

Ghost in the (slot) machine; The “evil genius” of resort fees

Posted on March 3, 2020 by David McKee

Electrical troubles are bedeviling Downtown casinos. All the slot machines at the Four Queens and Binion’s Gambling Hall were idled by a mechanical snafu last week. Table games remained operational, as did selected video-poker machines. Terry Caudill clammed up when … Continue reading →

Posted in Conventions, Crown Resorts, Derek Stevens, Downtown, IGT, International, Law enforcement, Macau, Massachusetts, Maverick Gaming, Regulation, Resort fees, Technology, Terry Caudill, Virgin Hotels, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Crime pays; Dream-ing big

Posted on February 19, 2020 by David McKee

Donald Trump granted executive clemency to four convicted criminals, three of whom had—surprise!—casino connections. Steve Wynn‘s money man Michael Milken benefited from the support not of the tainted Wynn but of Sheldon Adelson. (Mirage Resorts was financed with junk bonds, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska, Architecture, Caesars Entertainment, Dining, Downtown, Health, International, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Lotteries, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, North Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Virgin Hotels | 1 Comment

Case Bets

Posted on February 4, 2020 by David McKee

My head feels more disorganized than the Iowa Democratic caucuses (and that’s going some), so take a few Case Bets and call me in the morning … * Our salient recollection of Valentine’s Day in Las Vegas involves taking the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conventions, Dining, Election, Entertainment, FanDuel, history, International, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Scientific Games, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, TV, Virgin Hotels | 2 Comments

Resort fees look ominously permanent; Goodbye, Hard Rock Hotel

Posted on January 20, 2020 by David McKee

Las Vegas is “a market notorious for some of the highest resort fees anywhere.” So writes Hotelsmag.com’s Juliana Shallcross. Big Gaming needn’t be too worried: The Hotel Advertising Transparency Act of 2019 has gone absolutely nowhere in the supposedly liberal House … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Baseball, California, Columbia Sussex, Economy, Florida, Hard Rock Hotel, history, International, Politics, Regulation, Resort fees, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Virgin Hotels | 1 Comment

Sands gets spanked; Palms (almost) loses its name

Posted on April 22, 2019 by David McKee

Las Vegas Sands is on its way out of Pennsylvania but not before receiving two swift kicks in the posterior from Keystone State regulators. The casino was fined $120,000 for allowing underage gaming and $110,000 for offenses related to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Greenwood Racing, history, Horseracing, Indiana, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Sands gets spanked; Palms (almost) loses its name