Delaware leads the way; Las Vegas tourism rebounds

A Delaware sports book took 36 bets in its first 20 minutes of operation yesterday, making it the first state outside Nevada to capitalize on the Supreme Court‘s recent legitimization of sports wagering. “In New York, we would go right to the corner store, to the bodega, and bet. That’s not legal, but, you know, everybody was doing it. But now it’s legal so it’s great,” Dover denizen Karriem Keys told a reporter. The first bet placed was a $10 wager by Delaware Gov. John Carney (D), who bet on the Philadelphia Phillies to beat the Chicago Cubs. Delaware’s going to have the field to itself at least until this weekend, presuming that New Jersey‘s Legislature can get sports-betting regulations passed by then. Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D) administered a smackdown to representatives of the major leagues who had their hands out for “fraud-fighting measures.” “The tool you’re looking for is money. That’s not going to happen,” an angry Caputo told them. “You guys are in it to make money. This is hypocrisy to the fullest extent.” The leagues were also frustrated in their demands for real-time data from sports books and the evidence of game fixing be shared by regulators with them.

Further back is Mississippi, where books won’t be in operation until Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Culinary Union, Delaware, Florida, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Reno, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Delaware leads the way; Las Vegas tourism rebounds

Quote of the Day

“In gaming, everyone plays blackjack the same way, they all have the same odds, everyone has a roulette wheel. The difference is what’s around it.” — Cordish Cos. Chairman David S. Cordish, stating an obvious but too often unremarked fact about casinos. Cordish is opening a 17-story, $200 million hotel, and working on a spa and 4,000-seat event center.

Posted in Architecture, Cordish Co., Maryland | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Sports betting: Winners and losers; MGM mulls more Strip buys

According to gaming-law expert I. Nelson Rose, the Supreme Court‘s ruling on sports betting goes far, far beyond gambling: “For the first time in American history, the U.S. Supreme Court expressly held that the federal government cannot order states, or state officials, to do anything.” Yes, that means that Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions cannot make the states crack down on legal marijuana just because it happens to be outlawed at the federal level. As Justice Samuel Alito wrote, “conspicuously absent from the list of powers given to Congress is the power to issue direct orders to the governments of the States.” Adds Rose, “Attorney General Sessions cannot order state officials to do anything about marijuana, and Pres. Trump cannot order state law enforcement to help round up illegal aliens.”

Rose describes the case as the clash of two ridiculous laws, the Bradley Act and New Jersey‘s decriminalization of sports betting. “Accepting wagers on sports events is now Continue reading

Posted in Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cordish Co., DFS, Dubai, Fontainebleau, Genting, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Harrah's, Law enforcement, Marijuana, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Ohio, Penn National, Sports, West Virginia | 1 Comment

Next stop, East Windsor

It appears that a clear path has opened for Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casino Resort to develop a satellite casino. The Hartford Courant reports that “The U.S. Department of the Interior is expected to publish a much-delayed notice Friday that satisfies concerns in Connecticut that the Mohegan tribe’s revenue-sharing agreement with the state won’t be jeopardized if they partner with the Mashantucket Pequots, who operate Foxwoods.” So far, the Trump administration is not making any comment but this, if true, would be a huge win for the tribes in question and enormous setback to MGM Resorts International, which has been trying to delay the East Windsor satellite casino, already under site clearance.

“I never thought this outcome was in question, but I’m glad Continue reading

Posted in Foxwoods, Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Regulation, Sports | 1 Comment

Boyd downsizes on Boulder Strip; Freeman leaves AGA

Some of you may have wondered what Boyd Gaming was doing by owning two side-by-side casinos on the Boulder Strip — adding Eastside Cannery to Sam’s Town. The marketplace may have had some confusion, too. After all, locals do not ‘graze’ from casino to casino the way tourists on the Las Vegas Strip do. Anyway, Boyd has eliminated certain redundancies (or created what Wall Street calls ‘synergies’) at the two rival siblings. Sam’s Town has shuttered its bingo room — Eastside Cannery’s is much nicer anyway — as well as Big Mess BBQ. Cannery loses The Deli and its Carve buffet. Also, the race book has been closed, although Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, Culinary Union, Dining, Geoff Freeman, Internet gambling, MGM Mirage, Resort fees, Sports | 4 Comments

Mohegans sue for Wynn casino

Steve Wynn‘s failure to disclose a $7.5 million paternity settlement may have been the best thing that happened to Mohegan Sun‘s hopes in Massachusetts. The tribal megaresort is suing the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for failing to conduct ‘extreme vetting’ of Wynn Resorts. Mohegan Sun’s court filing reads, in part, “There were multiple sources–including books, reported lawsuits, and documents stemming from those lawsuits–available to the Commission during the suitability determination, licensing proceeding, and after the license award which discussed and disclosed Mr. Wynn’s sexual misconduct and mistreatment of employees. Despite this poorly-kept secret, nowhere in the IEB’s report on Wynn’s suitability is there any indication that the issue of sexual harassment was investigated, even superficially.” The bottom line is that Mohegan Sun wants Wynn Resorts stripped of its license, after which it could presumably buy Encore Boston Harbor dirt cheap.

The lawsuit furthermore accuses the MGC of being “irrevocably biased in favor of the Wynn application.” The body was certainly Continue reading

Posted in Dan Gilbert, Delaware, Economy, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Mohegans sue for Wynn casino

Caesars, MGM strikes averted

Yesterday the Culinary Union announced that a tentative pact had been reached with Caesars Entertainment, in the wee hours of Friday morning, the first such in the current round of labor talks on the Las Vegas Strip. “The historic new agreement includes groundbreaking language on worker security regarding sexual harassment, workload, technology, and immigration,” enthused Culinary spokeswoman Bethany Khan. As for pay increases, the actual amount was withheld (no doubt to keep the pressure on at other companies) but Secretary-Treasurer Geoconda Argüello-Kline characterized them as “the highest wage increases that workers have ever had.”

The Culinary promises more detail on what it has received once workers have voted to ratify the contract. Late on Saturday the largest employer, Continue reading

Posted in Culinary Union, e-sports, Harrah's, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Mirage, New York, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, SLS Las Vegas, Sports, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, World Series of Poker, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Caesars, MGM strikes averted

Macao disappoints Wall Street; Tribal troubles

Wall Street was expecting 18.5% gaming-revenue growth out of Macao last month. It got ‘only’ 12%, the Street not having taken an abbreviated Golden Week into account. Furthermore, the enclave had a hard act to follow, its revenue having vaulted 24% in May 2017. Galaxy Entertainment Chairman Lui-Che Woo famously said he wanted to see two solid years of improvement before he’d believe a recovery had taken place and we’re well on our way to Mr. Woo’s goalpost but not quite there yet. Still, the upward movement of the gambling market has augured well for Macao’s gross domestic product. It raked in $3.2 billion of gambling revenue last month, not as hot as April but pretty Continue reading

Posted in California, Dining, Economy, Foxwoods, Galaxy Entertainment, Genting, Iowa, Japan, Macau, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Nebraska, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Strike deadline passes; Delaware first to take sports bets

As of last midnight, 34 Las Vegas casinos are operating without a Culinary Union contract. Negotiations are evidently going well enough for the strike deadline to pass without any picketing. However, just to show that it means business, the Culinary has opened a “Strike HQ” next to its offices, printed up placards and invited the media to stop on by. In the Culinary’s latest explanation of its position, wage increases have fallen to the bottom the list, below protection from sexual harassment, outsourcing of jobs, loss of jobs due to technological upgrades and protection for immigrant workers. (ICE is reported to be rampaging through entire neighborhoods, albeit not in Vegas … yet.)

“We have not set a strike date yet,” the Culinary’s Bethany Khan told a reporter, another sign that Continue reading

Posted in Culinary Union, Delaware, Harrah's, Law enforcement, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Mirage, Racinos, Scientific Games, Sexual misconduct, Sports, Technology | 2 Comments

April is the kindest month

Gaming grosses were up 5% on the Las Vegas Strip last month and locals casinos did spectacularly well, seeing a 14% increase. The statistics are even more impressive when you take into account one less weekend day than in 2017 and a 17.5% slide in baccarat win on 9% less wagering. Also, April ended on a Sunday, meaning that the last weekend’s slot revenue hasn’t yet been tallied but will be rolled into May’s results. This month will be more difficult, as last May saw 3% Strip growth and a 12% jump in baccarat win. (Of course, it’s only “win” if you’re the casino; for everybody else it’s called Continue reading

Posted in Bally Technologies, Boulder Strip, Downtown, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Mesquite, North Las Vegas, Regulation, Reno, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on April is the kindest month

Culinary confronts Caesars

If Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli is any indicator, Wall Street is sanguine almost to the point of complacency about contract talks in Las Vegas. He calls the chances of a strike “low” although he thinks negotiations could drag on for several months past the June 1 deadline: “Recall, in 2013, the Culinary Union remained in negotiations with some Strip operators for several months post the June, 2013 contract expiration, ultimately agreeing to a new deal in November, 2013.” Of the publicly held companies, Wynn Resorts, Station Casinos and Las Vegas Sands (naturally) will be unaffected. Good for them. Penn National Gaming and Boyd Gaming, with three unionized casinos between them, have limited exposure. The brunt of a strike would fall on MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment, part of the price of consolidation.

MGM would be particularly affected by a strike, which would cover 65% of its workforce. Santarelli is modeling a 2.5% wage increase into his financial projections, even though Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Charity, Culinary Union, Harrah's, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Taxes, Texas, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Culinary confronts Caesars

Quote of the Day

“What we are seeing with the gaming industry in Ohio is a microcosm of how our economy looks when it is working as it’s designed to function. Private investment creates employment opportunities for local workers, including those with disabilities, which leads to economic growth, and higher tax revenues. Higher revenues, in turn, help to support more robust local services. Simply put, everyone benefits.” — Rep. Steve Chabot (R), during an American Gaming Association roadshow at Miami Valley Gaming.

Posted in Economy, Ohio | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

MGM optimistic on Japan; Culinary blasts casino owners

Japan is one big step closer to casino legalization now that its House of Representatives passed a bill putting problem-gambling countermeasures into place. This was a necessary step before the actual casino-implementation law could go before the Diet. “The pace of implementation has started to accelerate,” said an understandably eager MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren, who was on hand for the vote. He added that three megaresorts would “generate billions of dollars, making the market vastly larger than Singapore.” Murren probably chose Singapore as his analogy since Japanese politicians have been fixated on that country both in terms of its casino industry and how it handles gambling by its citizens. The Diet has until June 20 to pass casino legislation. If not, it goes into a holding pattern, while scandal-plagued Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tries to cling to power.

We don’t know how Sheldon Adelson would cotton to having to Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Culinary Union, Economy, Golden Gaming, Harrah's, Japan, Macau, MGM Mirage, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Singapore, Taxes, Tourism, Transportation, Unite-Here, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on MGM optimistic on Japan; Culinary blasts casino owners

Las Vegas thrives; Palms ad backfires

Yesterday, we spotlit the Debbie Downer view of Las Vegas of one online columnist. And while a lengthy slide in visitation numbers remains a concern, dark and anecdotal snapshots of Sin City are contradicted by the numbers. The latter are across-the-board better, in cases significantly so, than a year ago. (To be honest, these numbers also reflect Macao‘s recovery, particularly in the case of Las Vegas Sands.) Richard Velottta has a lengthy laundry list of the reasons why Vegas companies are doing better. As Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox told investors, “The future is better than the past, no matter what the media likes to say.”

Companies not doing better are few but Boyd Gaming is one of them. It blames I-15 construction for poorer business in Downtown and bad weather for weakness at its regional casinos in the first quarter. Station Casinos is coming off a $620 million revamp of the Palms but doesn’t Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Cosmopolitan, Eldorado Resorts, George Maloof, Harrah's, Horseracing, Illinois, Indiana, Laughlin, Macau, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Palms, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, Station Casinos, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

“The studies we saw told us our players were spending significant time at their local bars or restaurants playing VGTs. If that’s the case, we want to be where our customers are.” — Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith, explaining why the company diversified into Illinois slot routes.

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Illinois, Slot routes | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

MGM: They’ll take Yonkers; Vegas gets flunked

MGM Resorts International‘s pursuit of a casino in Bridgeport has been revealed as the sham that it is. How? Because MGM and MGM Growth Properties just plunked down $850 million for Empire City Casino in Yonkers, putting them squarely in the much-coveted New York City market, 15 miles from Times Square. (Genting Group‘s Resorts World Catskills is officially toast.) Of the total purchase price, $625 million will be paid from MGM to MGP in the form of rent. An additional $50 million will be paid to Empire City’s current owners if MGM can get table games by Dec. 31, 2024. On top of $245 million in debt, MGM will chip in $260 million in new equity to Empire City. “It is noteworthy to us that the seller preferred to take MGM equity versus the high-dividend-yielding MGP,” wrote JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff.  Empire City is projected to generate $230 million in revenue and $70 million in cash flow this year. MGM paid an exceptional 12X cash flow for the racino, but this drops to 7.5X when redundancies are eliminated and is hoped to fall still farther, to 6X, after MGM makes its planned enhancements to the property. (Understandably, MGM prefers the latter number.)

“Overall, if MGM is able to execute on targeted costs and revenue enhancements, we view this as an attractive, geographically diversifying, not-bet-the-ranch type of Continue reading

Posted in Economy, Genting, LVCVA, MGM Mirage, New York, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Paddy Power takes on U.S.; Decision time for Freeman

In a story that, frankly, I just didn’t feel like covering last week, Paddy Power Betfair has hitched its wagon to the hitherto-unprofitable DFS star. It has purchased FanDuel, taking a 61% share of the company. The catalyst, obviously, is the Supreme Court ruling that legalized sports betting in our great country. As befits its name, Paddy Power is a puissant force in U.K. betting and — combined with FanDuel’s knowledge of U.S. sports — should be ready to hit the ground running in any jurisdiction in which it is licensed, with seven million customers already enrolled. Said Paddy Power CEO Peter Jackson, “Together with our substantial financial firepower, we believe we are now exceptionally well placed to target the prospective U.S. sport betting opportunity.” Indeed.

Paddy Power Betfair will retired FanDuel’s debt, estimated at $76 million, and capitalized the company to the tune of Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bruce Deifik, Charity, DFS, Geoff Freeman, Harrah's, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, PokerStars, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Vietnam | Comments Off on Paddy Power takes on U.S.; Decision time for Freeman

The lost generation; Wynn shareholders rebel

Casinos’ fascination with Millennials appears to be a one-way street. A new survey by YouGov found that 47% of respondents ages 18-34 found casinos “depressing.” (I think I know what they mean.) As a matter of fact, older age brackets didn’t find the casino experience so hot: 41% of those aged 35-64 also got a downer vibe from the casino floor. The 65-plus demographic was most supportive of the casino experience. Young people prefer online gambling, with 50% of the Millennials favoring its legalization, and the 35-49 demographic 52% supportive. Of more concern to us is the revelation that Millennials are experiencing anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation than has been the case in generations previous. There’s not much the casino industry can do about that, but it should be of concern to decision makers in state houses everywhere when Continue reading

Posted in Internet gambling, LVCVA, Macau, Marketing, Michael Gaughan, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Stanley Ho, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on The lost generation; Wynn shareholders rebel

Strip land values skyrocket; Second chance for Margaritaville

In a deal not seen since the giddiness of 2007, someone is expected $34 million an acre for Strip land, for a grand total of $540 million. The property in question is a collection of parcels wedged between Planet Hollywood to the north and Showcase Mall to the south. This is the area in which Robert F.X. Sillerman had hoped to establish a high-end, Elvis Presley-themed resort in the wayback. Spectrum Group Management tried to redevelop the area four years ago as “Project Jackpot.” Spectrum didn’t like to talk about the development but title has now reverted to NPB Luxury, which could score a ginormous profit since the acreage had been written down to $220 million 10 years ago. “I believe we’re going to set records for values paid for land on the Las Vegas Strip,” said CBRE Senior Vice President Michael Parks. Be careful what you wish for: The last time somebody paid such big bucks for Strip frontage, it was Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Foxwoods, history, IGT, Mississippi, Planet Hollywood, Technology, The Strip, Transportation | 3 Comments

Bringing back sexy; They did a bad, bad thing

In search of a novel angle to market Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority has come up with a new campaign. And. It. Is. Hawt. Because lesbians. Although, if you’re a mushy romantic at heart, this mini-movie is sure to make you blub. It’s got a well-crafted narrative, visuals that show Sin City at its best (proving once again that the Bellagio fountains will never be surpassed as the Las Vegas Strip‘s #1 icon) and the women are gorgeous. Would the LVCVA enact the same scenario with two men? I don’t think we’ve come (out) that far yet. While the girl/girl action will be the most attention-getting spot, the LVCVA has several other arrows in its quiver. According to the Las Vegas Sun, these include “a single mother enjoying a break; a married couple trying to rekindle their romance; and a businessman who pretends to be a high roller to gain the attraction of a woman.” (see below)

Eventually these spots will be boiled down to Continue reading

Posted in Foxwoods, Internet gambling, LVCVA, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Reno, Sports, The Strip | 2 Comments