“Donald Trump is the most uninformed president the U.S. has ever had. This is not an opinion. It is based on the realities of how human beings communicate: He does not read. 
‘[Trump] said in a series of interviews that he does not need to read extensively because he reaches the right decisions ‘with very little knowledge other than the knowledge I [already] had, plus the words ‘common sense,’ because I have a lot of common sense and I have a lot of business ability.'” So writes gaming-law expert I. Nelson Rose in a stemwinder on how Trump’s policies toward China — and his propensity for diplomacy via Twitter — could ricochet and wreak havoc on Las Vegas. Rose explains the tortuous history of relations between the U,S. and Communist China, the importance of nuance in diplomacy, the primacy of saving face in Chinese culture — and how Trump’s bull-in-a-China shop tendencies could backfire. (In case you think Rose is an ivory-tower academic, he teaches annually at the University of Macao, putting him in closer contact with the Chinese people than Trump.
Among the many actions that Trump’s anti-China fixation has inspired was the statement of a rear admiral who said, “If Trump and the American government dare to take actions to challenge the bottom line of China’s policy and core interests, we must drop any expectations about him and give him a bloody nose.” What form might that bloody niose take? Rose 
hypothesizes that it might begin with a cancellation of airplane contracts with Boeing, followed by a ban on imported U.S. electronic goods. And then this is where Las Vegas comes into the picture. Paradoxically, the strength and the weakness of the Las Vegas Strip is baccarat. In 2013, Strip casinos grossed $1,597,443,000 from only 302 tables, more than from blackjack, although the latter employed 2,704 tables. And where is the most sought-after source for baccarat players? China. “7,000-strong tour group breaks record in US trip,” read a China Daily headline. Cut off baccarat play at the source and the Great Recession will look like a mild dip. (There’s already pressure to keep VIP play closer to home.) So all China has to do to bring Las Vegas to its knees is to severely restrict tourism policy. For that matter, new visa restrictions to Macao could put Trump supporters Sheldon Adelson and Steve Wynn in a world of hurt, especially if their Macanese casinos are nationalized. (It could happen.)
Rose concludes, “even without a trade war, China can devastate the economy of Las Vegas.” That’s the bed Wynn and Adelson have made. Now they must lie in it.
* Neonopolis has found a new purpose in life, as entrepreneurs are converting the failed shopping mall into an e-sports arena — minus wagering, “We want to host events that are wagered on, but we don’t have any intention at this point to undergo licensing. “That said, 
if there is an ability to work with someone like the Downtown Grand or William Hill, for example, with kiosks then by all means we would be open to it,” remarked Millennial eSports CEO Alex Ingleman. (Downtown Grand CEO Seth Schorr sits on the Millennial board.) The e-sports player is an attractive tranche: twenty something with disposable income and he already visits casinos. He also gambles online and on DFS — not so helpful, but is part of a $3 billion e-sports industry and would be willing to pay $99 or more to patronize an e-sports event.
The Downtown Grand is still something of an outlier when it comes to e-sports, offering them ’round the clock and providing a lounge for players. Other companies are taking a more cautious approach. Level Up at MGM Grand (the former Rainforest Cafe) offers free versions of table games. In Atlantic City, both Caesars Entertainment and Tropicana Entertainment have gingerly embraced e-sports, but as another casino-floor offering. There’s money to be made here but casinos risk being late to the party.
* From the graveyard shift to the penthouse. That’s the trajectory taken by Scarlet Pearl Casino CEO LuAnn Pappas, a role model for female executives in the gaming industry. The glass ceiling is still far from broken but Pappas shows it can be done.
* With company founder David Baazov having abandoned his takeover bid, buyout rumors circulating and a possible securities investigation underway, Amaya circled the wagons at its shareholder meeting. Market gadfly Jason Ader had the understatement of the day when he said, “It’s an interesting time for this company. It’s at a crossroads. Great assets. Controversy. Lot of value.” Lots of obfuscation, too.
* Affinity Gaming should become a vassal of Z Capital Group in a matter of days. Z Capital long wooed Affinity and the two companies are now before the Nevada Gaming Control Board for penultimate approval of their union. We see no hitch on the way to the altar.
