That’s what MGM Mirage’s half is expected to bring and it won’t happen until next year, according to J.P. Morgan‘s latest set of estimates. We could debate whether or not MGM should have started shopping the place a year ago, when the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement‘s (un)suitability report on Pansy Ho hit CEO Jim Murren‘s desk. But it’s useful to remember that visions of $1 billion plus for the Tropicana Atlantic City had already crumbled and the New Jersey Casino Control Commission could barely give the place away.
The best window of opportunity for MGM to count its money and run from Atlantic City closed Continue reading
“The environment, the crowd and the merchandise is on par with Florida. In the Singapore context, this service is very good. There are always common complaints in Singapore about lousy, rock-bottom service, but these people make a difference.” — “Vijay,” commenting on Resorts World Sentosa 
It’s been brought to my attention by readers kerr_mudgeon and Jeff in OKC that attempts to post comments to S&G are an exercise in futility. First, I apologize and, secondly, I’ve already alerted IT to the problem. (For whatever reason, pingbacks are working just fine.) However, in the meantime, if you have a copy of your comment or can remember it offhand, e-mail it to me and we’ll do another “From the Mailbag.” It’s not an ideal solution but it’s the best I can think of at the moment.
“[Applied Analysis principal Jeremy] Aguero says the local economy will start recovering as soon as people across the country start spending money like they used to.” Yes, when they start having easy credit like they used to … which will be when precisely?
Poor MGM Mirage; it can’t stay out of the news these days. At the moment, our LVA research staff is trying to get the skinny on the spread of “resort fees” through the company’s Strip properties. (Stock analysts love them because they boost room revenues; customers are less enthusiastic.)
Contrary to the confident prediction of Las Vegas Review-Journal Publisher Sherman Frederick, the ramifications of the report of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement on the relationship between MGM Mirage, Pansy Ho and father Stanley Ho have been as “explosive” as waterlogged dynamite. Both Las Vegas newspapers yawned and figuratively turned the page, while Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander says, in essence, that if they had to do it all over, the NGCB would arrive at the same conclusion. (One might contend that this is what happens when a company gets so large it can take the regulatory process hostage … but I digress.)
“There’s a misperception out there that we bust up companies. Or that I believe that all people on boards are bad. It’s just that, in some cases, the C.E.O.’s are so wrong.” — Tropicana Entertainment owner Carl Icahn, 
There’s a Nobel Prize in Economics (or something) for whomever can figure out how to disentangle gambling from politics. Case in point: Iowa, where Gov. Chet Culver (D, left) has a heavy thumb on the scales of regulation. Culver’s made it amply clear that he wants four new casinos, economics be damned. Since he can sack members of the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission at will, what are the odds he’ll get his wish? In fact, were Culver’s logic — “If communities vote in favor of gaming, then they should be given the opportunity to build one.” — carried to its logical conclusion, Iowa could give Nevada a run for its money in