Congratulations, Scott Roeben. Analyst Cameron McKnight of Credit Suisse is a Vital Vegas reader and cites it in his latest investor note. He also mentions a publication with which I’m not familiar, LV Locally, when writing “that several Las Vegas 
executives are ‘aggressively pushing for a big reduction in resort fees and parking fees.'” Noting that resort fees aren’t fully reflected in room rates and RevPAR (revenue per available room) it’s unclear how much higher room rates might go if resort fees were wound back. As for the Las Vegas Strip economy, although the summer has been unkind, air traffic is tracking 2% higher than projections. Also, if conventions have been a huge disappointment in 3Q18, attendance is expected to surge 26% in 4Q18, hopefully soon enough to pull Big Gaming’s chestnuts from the fire.
McKnight also touches upon the Wynn Resorts investigation, with both Continue reading
hotel tower (left) may be a blessing in disguise. Having MGM there makes it very attractive to me and the Hilton,” said developer Louis Masaschi. The Springfield Historical Commission has raised no objections to demolishing the ancient warehouse that will make way for Home2 Suites. Heck, it had been empty for four decades. MGM Springfield has also spurred the construction of a new Holiday Inn Express (MGM has only 250 hotel rooms) and Masaschi says 
sexual harassment. Ms. Campbell, who also will try her case before the National Labor Relations Board, asserts that she was fired from The D on May 14 because she wouldn’t put out. Her story is as follows: A manager at The D started hitting on her practically as soon as she was hired. “The height of the harassment occurred during my probationary period and I felt vulnerable and that if I spoke up, I could lose my job.”
dispersed to the four winds, although the latter might be the more lucrative course to steer. Bidders include filmmaker James Cameron, who is presently being topped by would-be owner Daoping Bao, a Chinese fund that already owns $2 million of Premier’s debt. Premier promises to keep the collection in one piece, although that may be out of its hands. (One imagines that Cameron, given his Titanic fixation, would do the same.) The Bao consortium includes Apollo Management, the private-equity fund that has created so much mischief in Las Vegas.
“What we don’t want to do is anything that diminishes the customer experience, because then they won’t be coming back.” — MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren 
factors were at work in the Strip’s lackluster showing. Two conventions were rotated to other cities (Association of Woodworking & Furnishings Suppliers and IDEA Health & Fitness Association) taking some 28.5 thousand attendees with them. Move World Pet Association forward to June and Black Hat/Tech Web back to August, as happened this year, and the convention market in July looks pretty bleak. Occupancy was down 3.5% while room rates slipped 4% on 91% of hotel rooms filled.
didn’t foresee an almost 6% miss, coming at $533 million. You could blame it on baccarat — a disastrous 18% down — but that wouldn’t be fair. Table games ($156 million) slid 10.5%. At least a 5% slippage in coin-in didn’t hurt slot winnings, up 3% to $277.5 million. Since there was some Saturday revenue from June mixed in with the other numbers, July was even worse than it looks.
Resorts World Las Vegas. Commenting on that news and the ongoing trough in Vegas visitation, Credit Suisse analyst Cameron McKnight wrote, “Generalist investors are perplexed at the seeming disconnect between a strong US consumer and macro environment, and weak pricing trends in Las Vegas. Investors are digging into whether weak 3Q guidance does reflect an aberration in comps and event calendars, or whether it reflects ‘something else’ … we think stocks are likely in the penalty box until there’s clarity on Q4 rates.”
initiative, it appears, will be to push for federal regulation of sports betting. His concern is not founded on a desire for one-size-fits-all regulation as much as it by anti-gambling prudery. “Sports betting, like other addictive behaviors, has ruined many lives,” he sniffed. “And it’s threat to the integrity of the games shows why the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act passed the Senate 88-5.” He conceded that attempting to reinstate 
the U.S. that fuse small-town charm with the allure of big-city culture. With a 375-year legacy as a major crossroads of New England, Springfield is poised to join the likes of such hidden gems with the development of MGM Springfield leading a fresh wave of rediscovery in The City of Firsts.” (In the official press release, gambling only gets two lines, compared to six for dining and seven for art.)
boxing patron (the man who coined the phrase “human cockfighting” to describe the UFC), he was also the co-author of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This was a piece of Reagan-era legislation whose ramifications are still being felt very powerfully today. It sowed the seeds for what would grow into a $30 billion-plus industry, with no end of gaming-fueled prosperity in sight. McCain came down on the wrong side of tribal rights once or twice: One thinks of the Keep the Promise Act, aimed at preventing Arizona‘s Tohono O’odham Tribe from opening a casino in Scottsdale, but IGRA outdoes the accomplishments of, say, William Harrah, Sam Boyd and Howard Hughes all rolled together. Gaming and tribal rights have lost a great friend an American, leaving a void that will not soon be filled. Such men come along but rarely.
failing and refusing to bargain collectively and in good faith with the exclusive collective-bargaining representative of its employees …” Mind you, these aren’t bleeding-heart liberals left over from the Obama administration but Donald Trump appointees, who drop-kicked one Station appeal, saying only it “raises no substantial issues warranting review.”
counterparts did not qualify for profiles in courage: “The GOP candidates declined to comment at all.” Frontrunner Ron DeSantis (R) 
American Gaming Association. Motivating factors were described as “strong macroeconomic trends, job growth and stable operating conditions.” The rising tide