“Mandalay Bay” is becoming a two-word synonym for infamy. Hotels’ Daily News Service recently bannered a set of dispatches with “What Security Looks Like in post-Mandalay Bay world.” 
(Subscription required.) As for what Las Vegas looks like in same, well, Lego has banished Mandalay Bay from its Las Vegas Strip model. Stratosphere is still there, as is Wynn Las Vegas and an out-of-position Luxor but Bellagio takes MBay’s space on the model. There’s even a mini-Fremont Street Experience. Reports VitalVegas, “The Las Vegas Lego set is expected to sell for about $40, with nearly 500 pieces … You can bet there was a heated debate at Lego about whether to replace Wynn Las Vegas following revelations about its former CEO, Steve Wynn. Making toys is a lot more complicated than you’d think.”
* It looks like this will be a year to forget in Las Vegas. JP Morgan‘s Daniel Politzer reports that room revenue from free and independent travelers (read: tourists) is tracking flat at Caesars Entertainment, 4% down at MGM Resorts International‘s Strip properties and 2% down weekdays, 8% down (ouch!) weekends at Wynncore. Over at Venelazzo it’s tracking even worse: 10% down midweek, 9% off on weekends. Could it be more than coincidence that Las Vegas Sands is seeing the biggest decline and charges the highest resort fees in town?
* Louisiana gaming revenues were still depressed last month, down 5.5% overall. “Baton Rouge was the weakest market as the recently implemented smoking ban combined with a difficult 
comparison resulted in the market falling 26.7% y/y,” wrote Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli. Of the major operators, Golden Nugget, grossing $29.5 million, got off the lightest, being flat with 2017, which had one more weekend day (the clear implication that, were we comparing apples to apples, Golden Nugget would have had a revenue-positive month).
In the Lake Charles market, L’Auberge du Lac ($30.5 million) was almost flat, Delta Downs ($16.5 million) was down 3% and Isle Grand Palais ($9 million) took a 14.5% hit. Churchill Downs and Boyd Gaming both had good fortune in the New Orleans 
area, with Fair Grounds racino and Amelia Belle both up 8% (grossing $3.5 million and $4 million respectively). Harrah’s New Orleans shrugged off a 2% decline to gross $23,5 million, while Boomtown New Orleans ($10 million) was off 5% and Treasure Chest ($9 million) was down 3.5%.
In the catastrophic revenue situation in Baton Rouge, Casino Rouge tumbled 18% to gross $5 million. L’Auberge Baton Rouge skydove 27% to $27 million and Belle of Baton Rouge had a life-threatening 36.5% decline to $3.5 million. Up in Shreveport/Bossier City, only Margaritaville was revenue-positive, up 9% to $15 million. It continued to close the gap on Horseshoe Bossier City, which yielded 9% less to gross $16 million. Other operators of note were Boomtown Bossier (-10%, $5 million), Eldorado Shreveport (-3.5%, $11 million) and Sam’s Town (-11%, $6 million).
