Category Archives: Wisconsin

Bennett returns, Aguilera leaves, Adelsons idolized

Posted on March 2, 2020 by David McKee

The Las Vegas Strip will be blessed for three nights in August, as Tony Bennett returns to The Venetian. He’ll play the 12th, 14th and 15th, with an assist from Antonia Bennett. Tickets start at $50, with a portion of … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Entertainment, Florida, Health, history, IGT, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Maine, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Oregon, Planet Hollywood, Problem gambling, Scientific Games, Scott Butera, Sheldon Adelson, Shuffle Master, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Encore dominates Boston; President Xi visits Macao

Posted on December 16, 2019 by David McKee

Encore Boston Harbor continues to lap the field in Massachusetts with 60% of market share and daily revenue of $1.6 million. Encore is definitely cutting into slot business at Plainridge Park, still impressive at $305/win/slot/day—but down from $357/slot a year … Continue reading →

Posted in California, China, International, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Sports betting, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Encore dominates Boston; President Xi visits Macao

Wynn: Elaine did me dirty; New Jersey rakes it in

Posted on November 12, 2019 by David McKee

On the principle that two wrongs make a right, disgraced casino mogul Steve Wynn is accusing ex-wife Elaine Wynn of stirring up the Wall Street Journal story that ended his career. This comes by way of testimony by one Renée … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Culinary Union, e-sports, Elaine Wynn, Election, Florida, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Politics, Resort fees, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Stanley Ho, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, Tribal, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Wall Street: The Strip is all right; Rivals pile into Waukegan

Posted on September 16, 2019 by David McKee

JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff has just returned from a two-day field trip to Las Vegas. His overall reaction was “incrementally positive.” He said he sensed “a fairly steady trend line in terms of overall spend and net revenue performance.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dan Gilbert, Dan Lee, Detroit, Dining, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Illinois, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Palms, Penn National, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Sahara, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Warner Gaming, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Wall Street: The Strip is all right; Rivals pile into Waukegan

Arkansas casino a ladder out of poverty; Rodio confesses resort-fee addiction

Posted on August 8, 2019 by David McKee

Arkansas‘ evolution into a casino state is coming with surprisingly few growing pains. Which is not to say there isn’t a burden of expectations on the new properties. $350 million Saracen Casino Resort will be expected to alleviate the woes … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Arkansas, Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Florida, Illinois, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Resort fees, The Strip, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Arkansas casino a ladder out of poverty; Rodio confesses resort-fee addiction

Tribe trumps Trump; Rockford pleads for casino

Posted on May 20, 2019 by David McKee

Despite being thrown off the fast-track legislative calendar by a blast of hot air from Donald Trump, a bill to restore land-in-trust status to the Mashpee Wampanoags has sailed through the House of Representatives, 257-146 in a bipartisan win. “Without support … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Caesars Entertainment, Culinary Union, Donald Trump, Genting, Illinois, Indiana, Law enforcement, Marketing, Massachusetts, Nevada, Technology, Tribal, Unite-Here, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

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

Survey says: Las Vegas bad for NFL; Power struggle in Macao

Posted on January 28, 2019 by David McKee

Put me in the one-third of Americans surveyed who wouldn’t give up their annual bonus to see their team win the Super Bowl. That’s one of the findings of a WalletHub study that, incredibly (at least to me) ranks Las … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Caesars Entertainment, California, Entertainment, Indiana, Internet gambling, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Ohio, Pansy Ho, Pennsylvania, Racinos, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, Tourism, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Survey says: Las Vegas bad for NFL; Power struggle in Macao

Station loses again; Starwood data raided

Posted on November 30, 2018 by David McKee

Station Casinos continues to be at cross-purposes with the National Labor Relations Board. Its latest misstep was stonewalling the Culinary Union with regard to labor talks at Green Valley Ranch. NLRB Chairman John Ring ruled, “By failing and refusing since … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Culinary Union, Donald Trump, Economy, Macau, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Election Special: Winners and losers

Posted on November 7, 2018 by David McKee

In a victory for the state of Arkansas, voters approved casinos in four locations across the state, 54% to 46%, a convincing mandate by any measure, and a big win for a variety of pro-casino companies that included Warner Gaming and Delaware North. … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Caesars Entertainment, Culinary Union, DFS, Election, Florida, Georgia, Harry Reid, International, Marijuana, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Sports betting, Virginia, Warner Gaming, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Election Special: Winners and losers

Election special

Posted on August 23, 2018 by David McKee

A constitutional amendment to disempower Florida‘s Legislature from handling gambling expansion and put it solely to matters of popular vote was on the topics debated by Democratic candidates jockeying to replace outgoing Gov. Rick Scott (R). Their Republican counterparts did … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Election, Florida, G2E, Illinois, MGM Resorts International, Politics, Seminole Tribe, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Election special

“A quarter to forget”

Posted on August 21, 2018 by David McKee

That’s what JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff had to say about 2Q18, adding, “The 2Q18 earnings reporting period in late July/early August was one of the worst in recent memory for U.S. Gaming as stocks with strong earnings/outlooks saw modest … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia, Wisconsin | Comments Off on “A quarter to forget”

Wynn Resorts fights back; Rage against the (slot) machine

Posted on July 17, 2018 by David McKee

Not taking charges of promising kickbacks lying down, Wynn Resorts has countersued Anthony Gattineri. The latter has thrown yet another spanner into the Encore Boston Harbor works by suing the company for an $18 million, under-the-table promise he says was … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, history, Internet gambling, Macau, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Penn National, Rhode Island, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, SLS Las Vegas, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

How much for a used Dragon?; Indiana good, Missouri ‘meh’

Posted on May 10, 2018 by David McKee

Believe it or not, there is “a lot of interest in the property at this time” according to Lucky Dragon Casino owner Andrew Fonfa, a contention independently verified by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. That being said, a Lucky Dragon sale is … Continue reading →

Posted in Affinity Gaming, Ameristar, Architecture, Boyd Gaming, Centaur Gaming, Eldorado Resorts, Environment, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Harrah's, Horseracing, IGT, Indiana, Isle of Capri, Lucky Dragon, Majestic Star, Missouri, Penn National, Pinnacle Entertainment, Racinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on How much for a used Dragon?; Indiana good, Missouri ‘meh’

Las Vegas numbers perplex; Macao shatters expectations

Posted on May 4, 2018 by David McKee

While Las Vegas, as mentioned earlier, is slogging through a 10-month visitation slump, you wouldn’t know it from March’s gaming-revenue numbers, which were 9% higher on the Las Vegas Strip ($574 million), although locals casinos took a 5% hit. Deutsche … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Colorado, Delaware, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Florida, Galaxy Entertainment, Harrah's, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, Mesquite, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Penn National, Reno, Rhode Island, Sheldon Adelson, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, The Strip, Wall Street, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Steve Wynn: Time’s up

Posted on January 27, 2018 by David McKee

Yesterday, the penny dropped on Steve Wynn, as multiple reports of sexual predation made the news. According to the Wall Street Journal, we’re not talking about one or two accusers but “dozens,” over a period of decades. Without diminishing the … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, CityCenter, Current, Dennis Gomes, Donald Trump, Election, Harrah's, Japan, Lucky Dragon, Massachusetts, MGM Mirage, Nevada, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Wall Street, Wisconsin | 2 Comments

Case Bets

Posted on December 27, 2017 by David McKee

“The Trump administration seems a lot more aggressive on wanting to get this done,” says Ho-Chunk tribal President Wilfrid Cleveland. “This” is a new casino, plus water park and retail mall in Beloit, Wisconsin. Says Cleveland, “The atmosphere is changing. Even in … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Colorado, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, M Resort, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Case Bets

Caesars bets on Hoosier tracks; Trump precedent revisted

Posted on November 20, 2017 by David McKee

Centaur Gaming, benefactor of Mike Pence (not that it did them any good), is back in the news. Caesars Entertainment already owns the two most lucrative casinos in Indiana, is doubling down on its commitment to the Hoosier State. By … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, CityCenter, Donald Trump, Economy, Harrah's, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, Racinos, Regulation, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Steve Wynn, showman; Caesars, de Laurentiis extend relationship

Posted on October 31, 2017 by David McKee

King Kong isn’t gone from Wynn Paradise Park. He’s been downsized from a massive animatronic to a float on the lake. (Somebody obviously told Steve Wynn the cautionary tale of ‘Disco Yeti‘ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.) He’ll be joined there … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Dining, Entertainment, Harrah's, Maryland, Penn National, Regulation, Security, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tribal, Wisconsin | 1 Comment

Major casino expansion mooted for Pennsylvania; Big wins for Florida, Wisconsin tribes

Posted on October 27, 2017 by David McKee

Gaming expansion is creeping forward in Pennsylvania. The state Senate has passed and sent to the House a bill that would add 10 satellite casinos to the Keystone State. Eldorado Resorts‘ Presque Isle Downs would be juiced in for one … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Seminole Tribe, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tribal, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Major casino expansion mooted for Pennsylvania; Big wins for Florida, Wisconsin tribes