Back when it was still Echelon, the axiom about the skeleton on the North Strip was that no one 
would start building anything nearby until Boyd Gaming resumed work. Perhaps the industry got tired of waiting. SLS Las Vegas, which seemed for so long a sham, is increasingly a reality way up at the north end of the Strip. Caesars Entertainment has a whole beehive of projects — Quad, Linq, the Vegas High Roller, The Cromwell going at mid-Strip. And now Genting Group is getting in on the action with Resorts World Las Vegas, which could cost anywhere from $2 billion to $7 billion. Was Genting inspired by recent consumer trends or by SLS owner Sam Nazarian‘s risk-taking, go-it-alone attitude?
Either way, Genting was able to get no less a personage than Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) to vouch for its intentions. “It’s been a busy year, and we’re trying to be thoughtful about the development,” said Stefan Friedman, spokesman for Genting, by way of explaining the stately pace of the project. More to the point, Genting isn’t going to put a shovel into the ground until it is found suitable by the Nevada Gaming Commission. The Nevada Gaming Control Board says Genting may be the largest company it’s ever investigated, so a suitability finding might not be possible until summertime. So keep your shirt on: Genting’s big show with Sandoval is just so much shadow puppetry.
Wait ’til next year. That’s what Ohio casinos are saying after falling dramatically short of revenue projections for Year One. Campaign promises of $1.9 billion are turning into a reality closer to $900 million. Job-creation numbers have also disappointed. “The ramp-up has been a little slower than what some had anticipated,” conceded Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati GM Kevin Kline. He promises that 2014 will be a “building year,” a dire phrase when used in major-league sports but hopefully a harbinger of better things to come in this context.
