Killing spree on Strip; Tilman’s newest erection revealed

Alas, today’s top story is of the “If it bleeds, it leads” variety and is written out of sheer necessity, not desire. A thirty-something Latino man, Yoni Barrios, is in custody after going on a knife-wielding spree in front of Wynncore. It seems that the individual, who was packing a large kitchen knife, didn’t take well to being spurned in his request to have his photo taken with a group of showgirls. The latter, who were employed as Wynn Resorts greeters, were among the eight people who were subsequently stabbed, two fatally. Several tourists also fell victim to this Sin City iteration of Jack the Ripper, who fled the scene only to captured in front of Venelazzo, slashing one person during his attempted getaway. The assailant’s sleeves were coated in blood, so he’ll have a hard time explaining that away in court. We thought we’d seen the last of the Las Vegas Strip as a lawless frontier once tourists starting returning en masse but evidently not. And with that … words fail us.

On the other side of the country, casino revenue in Maryland last month slipped 4% from 2021 for an overall gross of $159 million. Falling 8%, MGM National Harbor took in $64 million and came within striking distance of Maryland Live, flat at $57 million. Horseshoe Baltimore grossed its usual $17 million, down 1.5%, while Ocean Downs was up 1.5% to $9 million. Hollywood Perryville dipped 5.5% to $7 million and Century Casinos‘ new trophy, Rocky Gap Resort, made $5 million for a 4% bounce.

Back in Las Vegas, some miscellaneous urban blight on the Strip will give way to a 43-story hotel tower, along with a spa, wedding chapel—and auto showroom. That’s Tilman Fertitta‘s grand plan anyway. The latter will probably be branded after upscale Post Oak Motors, firming up speculation that Tilman will employ his Post Oak brand on the hotel-casino itself, to differentiate it from his middle-class Golden Nugget chain. Of course there will be restaurants and lots of them, surely all Fertitta-owned brands. Few details are available as yet, although the hotel will hold 2,240 rooms. However, knowing Tilman, he’s not going to be content with a me-too Strip resort. Expect a lot of ‘wow’ factor.

In an increasingly desperate attempt to keep the dubious Seminole Nation sports betting compact alive, the Seminoles and Department of the Interior are advancing a bifurcated argument: namely that the compact only authorized in-person wagering but mobile betting was hunky-dory because, hey, it’s already legal under Florida law. (The latter will come as news to a lot of people, especially the ones who were trying to get mobile wagering onto the November ballot.) Gaming attorney Daniel Wallach, as usual, nailed the new contentions, calling them a “creative re-invention of the compact.” We’ll say. Aside from extending ‘tribal lands’ throughout Sunshine State cyberspace, the compact would have given the Seminoles an unlawful monopoly on sports betting. Let’s see how Interior Secretary Deb Haaland makes this turkey fly.

Jottings: Initiating coverage of Bally’s Corp., analyst Carlo Santarelli of Deutsche Bank offered a mix of caution (predominantly involving online gambling) and enthusiasm. He was particularly keen on Bally’s Tribune, which he projects to generate $745 million in annual revenue, a 12% return on investment after taxes … Unloved Belle of Baton Rouge closed for several days this week for unspecified improvements. The much-dissed hotel is undergoing a revamp, although only a stingy $1 million has been allocated to that purpose … MaximBet, formerly confined to Colorado, has begun operations in Indiana and is flexing its muscles. The company is eying four more states and Ontario. To buy Hoosier customers, MaximBet is offering $250 deposit matches, which is plenty george of them … Forget the NFL season if you’re a Massachusetts sports bettor. Wagers won’t be placed until next year, maybe in time for the Super Bowl and only at brick-and-mortar sports books. They don’t do anything hastily in the Bay State.