N.Y. claims first casualty: Steve Wynn; Walker’s waiting game

For the second time, Steve Wynn is pulling out of contention for the one remaining Philadelphia casino license. In a prepared statement, Wynn Resorts said its board had recently met, conducted a feasibility study and “decided that the best course for the company is to pursue business opportunities elsewhere. The board took a host of factors into consideration, including the Philadelphia market performance over the past year and the competition which will result from the recent approval of gaming in the State of New York.” (You’ll notice that Wynn is still in the hunt for the Boston market, at least for now.)

As unexpected as it might be, it’s a very sensible decision, although Wynn Philadelphia had been one of the leading contenders. There’s already rampant cannibalization among Philadelphia’s casinos, so much that you wonder how a billion-dollar-plus facility could flourish in that shark frenzy. Given the number of casinos a New Yorker would have to drive past to get to Philly, I can see why the possible loss of that market is articulated only as a secondary concern, not a primary one. This is good news for Bart Blatstein, whose Isle of Capri Casinos-affiliated proposal now becomes unquestionably the biggest dog in the fight. Heck, everybody moves up a step in the food chain, including our fave, Joseph “Tomato King” Procacci, who can now brag that he outlasted Steve Wynn. Penn National Gaming may hurt its chances, though, with its REIT split. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, operator “Penn National itself will collect management and licensing fees of $278 million over the first 15 years, towering over the $115 million for the nonprofit benefiting the schools and city pension,” as promised by Penn, pre-REIT.

Massachusetts miracle? Despite long odds, KG Urban Enterprises plugs steadily onward with its quest to turn a former electronic-power plant into a casino. KG is citing its previous experience in transforming what used to be Bethlehem Steel into Sands Bethlehem. The former had aesthetic appeal. The New Bedford plant is … well, it’s just there: not especially appealing but visually unavoidable, sitting in the center of town. Despite a lack of support from Mayor John Mitchell, one hopes that KG gets a chance to work some transformative miracle on the property.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) continues to send mixed signals in the Dairyland Greyhound Park dispute. If his goal was to keep everyone guessing, he’ succeeding brilliantly. Or he could take advantage of a generous Bureau of Indian Affairs timeline for a decision and simply dump the whole shebang in the lap of his successor, come February 15. With his constant switchbacks, Walker is doing a brilliant job of keeping us pundits off the trail of what he really intends to do.