VitalVegas beat the mainstream medium to the news that MGM Resorts International is bringing to the Las Vegas Strip something it’s 
been test-driving at MGM National Harbor and MGM Springfield: automated bartenders. As you might guess this is part of “MGM 2020,” CEO Jim Murren‘s big cost-cutting push. The official rationale is that MGM 2020 is a “company-wide, business-optimization initiative aimed to leverage a more centralized organization to maximize profitability and, through key investments in technology, lay the groundwork for the company’s digital transformation to drive revenue growth.” Trouble is, the company is already hand-over-fist profitable and is planning to pour $10 billion into Japan. This is just greed, made manifest in the form of robotic cocktail dispensation. At least it won’t be necessary to measure the amount of liquor in the bottles with a ruler at the end of the night. Less insidiously, MGM is looking into technology that would allow you to pay for your drink at your gaming position, another step toward a cashless economy.
One VV reader made the trenchant comment, Continue reading
the Caesars board of directors. One of the nine remaining board members had better be prepared to fall on his sword if Anthony Rodio 
as the cause. “The notice also says that the tenant allowed lewd activity and disorder, along with disturbances that interfered with the quiet enjoyment of the neighboring tenets,” reported KTNV-TV. Bar owner Roxie Amoroso flew in to deal with Tamares. “I immediately presented my fully-executed lease documents on a lease that I renegotiated with them,” she told KTNV. She’s not going down without a fight against Tamares, “We’re open, we’ve been open, we’re not closing, we’re not closing anytime soon and we intend on staying the Beauty Bar for as long as the Las Vegas community will have us,” Amoroso. Let’s hope the Sin City community has her back.
industry. “Because of the Supreme Court’s decision last year, and because of the direction that we see legalized, regulated sports betting going in this country, and just because of the public perception toward gaming, we’ve made the decision to remove a great deal of the prohibitions on gambling sponsorships in our sport,” explained tour exec Andy Levinson. There’s something in it for the PGA too, as the tour says it can accept event and marketing sponsorships from gaming concerns, provided that their “primary purpose isn’t sports betting.” Commissioner Jay Monahan revealed that 
disclosed that Adelson has been 
groundwork for levying some manner of fine on Wynn Resorts now that Nevada has set a $20 million precedent. However, if CEO Matt Maddox thinks he’s out of the woods he’s reckoned without Attorney General Maura Healey, who’s 
daughters not involved in the gaming biz. Now, i
Vegas. It makes you wonder what J-Mur’s got cooking. Anyway, McKnight deemed Murren’s outlook to be the “right amount of optimism.” He found the company concerned with cost increases but “We’re positive on the outlook, given very good forward indicators in 1H and easy [comparisons] in 3Q … We see $200-300mm in efficiencies over the next 12-24 months as achievable,” McKnight said MGM’s cost-cutting plan, which could be interpreted as pushback against higher labor costs. Nothing was said about Macao but a MGM Growth Properties purchase of Bellagio and/or MGM Grand “may be tricky.” Ironically, given its complex ownership, a sale of CityCenter was deemed “possible.” What does McKnight know that we don’t?
permanent-Green Card provision but have quietly had a change of heart after judging its job-creation aspects … but still we might be more closely aligned to King (an anti-casino pest) than we’d like. Given his history of statements on behalf of white supremacy, he’s probably trying to keep more Chinese out of the country. Kneecapping small casino projects would just be lagniappe for him. EB-5 has been a blessing for gaming both in successful casinos (Maryland Live) and unsuccessful ones (Lucky Dragon), as well as those on which the jury is still out (SLS Las Vegas, 
the hearing, is that all of the truly culpable parties are getting off scot-free, having left or been asked to leave Wynn Resorts. Prime malefactor and 
and I like a lot MGM’s chances.” So said MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren, pushing all of his companies chips onto Osaka, as it seeks a foothold in Japan. Given the amount of heat around Osaka, two competitors, Groupe Barriere and Bloomberry Resorts, have turned their focus to little-spoken-of Wakayama. Meanwhile Yokohama and long-shot Tokyo are the backup choices of Las Vegas Sands, which is also pursuing an Osaka-first strategy. That included Managing Director for Global Development George Tanasijevich dangling the prospect of a joint venture, adding with a squirt of flattery that the company needed what was described as “Japanese business savvy.”
Nugget had a bad month, declining 12% to $22 million. L’Auberge Lake Charles shot past it, grossing $24 million, a 6% increase. Isle Grand Palais was down 10.5% to $7.5 million while Delta Downs cantered 3.5% faster to $14.5 million. The Baton Rouge problem is no mystery: the smoking ban. Gaming & Leisure Properties‘ Casino Rouge seems to have fallen as far as it can: flat at $4.5 million. Belle of Baton Rouge careened 39% down to $2.5 million, raising existential questions about its ability to continue as a going concern, while L’Auberge Baton Rouge plummeted 13% to $10.5 million.
1.5% cost increases, adding “Regionals dragged down by A.C. (not a surprise.” Indeed not. McKnight later elaborated on this bulletin, writing that 4Q18 was “A very good quarter, against reasonably muted expectations.” Certainly an 18% increase in Las Vegas cash flow would come as a pleasant shock. Such trends, he said, were looking good for early 2019. “Regional results were impacted by Atlantic City, where supply growth impacted results more than had been built into guidance.” Analysts will have even less to go on this year, as Caesars is following MGM Resorts International‘s example and withholding 2019 guidance.
legalized. Losers so far are the state’s horse racing industry and the Iowa Lottery. Lawmakers have to sift through