Remember the XFL? NFL Europe? The USFL? Well here comes the Alliance of American Football, a springtime 
league with teams from Orlando to San Diego. A three-year corporate sponsor will be MGM Resorts International. We don’t often go against CEO Jim Murren but we think he’s putting his money on a three-legged horse. Besides, anything that involves Mike Martz can’t be all good.
* Looks like some Internet gambling sites have been snurching the Wynn Resorts name. Who says the brand lost equity when Steve Wynn couldn’t keep it in his pants? Similar scams have targeted Grand Lisboa casino and Sands China properties.
want to get on the wrong side of City Hall but certain operators seem to be inclined to stretch their luck. Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, usually a slowpoke, was first out of the gate at Ponte 16. It was followed by Studio City. If you don’t get your application in by Sept. 28 then the regulatory guillotine will fall and you can’t qualify for a smoking lounge under the new restrictions, which go into effect Jan. 1. Existing smoking lounges will have to retrofitted with upgraded HVAC equipment. Inspections of smoking lounges are exponentially higher than a year ago. Macao means business and casinos had best wake up to that fact.
major amounts of revenue.) Maryland hopped 6.5% with MGM National Harbor leading the pack at $58 million, a 10% gain. The property’s revenue-per-day continues to grow sequentially, getting tantalizingly close to $2 million/day. On the plus side, it has 40% market share in the Free State. On the downside, the mix of revenue is tilting more and more toward (insanely taxed) slots, which wasn’t in MGM’s plans and I’ll bet even Bill Hornbuckle would tell you that.
the Linq Promenade 
CZR is a pioneer of loyalty marketing, and its Total Rewards program is a significant advantage.” Analyst Cameron McKnight writes that Caesars “is reducing costs across the business, it is cash generative and should continue to deleverage. Valuation is very attractive relative to close peer MGM.” On the downside, “CZR is locked into expensive leases and sale-leasebacks.” He projects cash-flow growth in the next year, partly fueled by efficiency drives within the company. McKnight appends a $13/share price target on Caesars, which currently trades around a mere $9.70.
taking the land into trust for gaming purposes. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young had relied upon Carcieri v. Salazar precedent to block the casino, saying the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act took priority over the tribe’s desire for federal recognition. “The decision by the Trump administration to move forward with denying the Mashpee Wampanoag a right to their ancestral homeland and to keep their reservation is an injustice,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) and Sen. Ed Markey (D) in a response to the Bureau of Indian Affairs‘ abandonment of the Wampanoag.
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.
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.
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.
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.)