{"id":28923,"date":"2020-12-14T08:18:50","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T16:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=28923"},"modified":"2020-12-16T07:52:48","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T15:52:48","slug":"in-case-you-missed-it-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/in-case-you-missed-it-3\/","title":{"rendered":"In case you missed it …"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pennsylvania<\/strong> closed all its casinos Sunday, starting with Rivers Casino Pittsburgh<\/strong> at 12 a.m. The shutdown is to last until Jan 4. The Keystone State joins Michigan<\/strong> (until Dec. 20, probably longer) and Illinois<\/strong> (indefinite). In Nevada<\/strong>, although Covid-19<\/strong> is setting records\u2014and not in a good way\u2014Gov. Steve Sisolak<\/strong> (D) continues to stay his hand. Massachusetts<\/strong> Gov. Charlie Baker <\/strong>(R) has so far exempted casinos from reimposed restrictions but a potential Jan. 1 statewide shutdown is looming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boyd Gaming<\/strong> continues to draw down its presence in the Vegas Valley. It has sold the Eldorado<\/strong> in downtown Henderson<\/strong> for an undisclosed amount. The new boss will be DeSimone Gaming<\/strong>. The latter already owns Railroad Pass<\/strong> and should be more likely than Boyd to reopen the property. The parting of the ways between Boyd and the Eldorado is a doleful one: It was the first casino in which the Boyd family invested, way back in 1962. It had opened the previous year as The Wheel<\/strong>. Owned wholly by the Boyds since 1966, the Eldorado’s sale marks the end of an era. With surplus inventory Downtown<\/strong> (Main Street Station<\/strong>) and on the Boulder Strip<\/strong> (Eastside Cannery<\/strong>), one wonders if further BYD divestitures will follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Sports betting in Oklahoma<\/strong>? Don’t put money on it. Several hurdles interpose themselves. For one, Gov. Kevin Stitt<\/strong> (R) has to cure his relationship with the state’s Native American tribes, poisoned by his high-handed attitude toward compact renewal. Stitt also has to patch things up with the Lege, irked by his unilateral attempt to grant sports wagering to a few, small tribes that played ball with him. And, most of all, a constitutional amendment would be required. The Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association<\/strong> says it’s in no hurry<\/a> to resolve the issue. \u201cI guess it could come up next legislative session, but it may not,\u201d shrugged Chairman Matthew Morgan<\/strong>, adding, “It needs to be done correctly. And that\u2019s probably going to take time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stitt’s office is still dangling the sports-betting lure out there, albeit in return for 13% exclusivity fees. We don’t think most of the tribes will bite. State Senate President Greg Treat<\/strong> (R) is also keeping his powder dry, saying loftily, \u201cIf an overall compact agreement is reached that is beneficial to all Oklahomans, I will consider it.\u201d One of the reasons tribal leaders aren’t chomping at the bit is the low margin that sports books enjoy. \u201cI don\u2019t like people talking that \u2018We\u2019re going to get hundreds of million dollars,\u2019\u201d\u00a0remarked Morgan. Oklahoma Lottery<\/strong> boss Jay Finks<\/strong> does<\/em> covet sports betting, telling the Tulsa World<\/em>, \u201cWe have so much gaming here in the state already. It\u2019s kind of logical … it\u2019s the next step.” True that. Admittedly, Finks’ financial projections are rosier than Morgan’s. The latter concluded with a shot across Stitt’s bow: “I think tribal leaders are willing to have that conversation, but it has to benefit everyone. And there has to be respect.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the absence of Consumer Electronics Show<\/strong>, room rates on the Las Vegas Strip<\/strong> are imploding, down 76% to an $88\/night average room rate. (Can you say ‘desperation’?) Weekend rates are off ‘only’ 39% but midweek ones plummeted 81%. MGM Resorts International<\/strong> is -82% weekdays and -28% weekends, Caesars Entertainment<\/strong> is -75%\/-38%, Wynncore<\/strong> is worst off, -89%\/-54%, while constraint of supply appears to be working for Venelazzo<\/strong>, -66% midweek but just -4% on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jottings<\/em><\/strong>: The Red Card is out at Wynn Resorts<\/strong>, replaced by Wynn Rewards. It comes in Red, Platinum and Black tiers. You have to sign up afresh but there are free-play incentives if you do … FanDuel<\/strong> has revamped its West Virginia<\/strong> sports-betting operation, now basing it on Scientific Games<\/strong>‘ OpenBet platform … Harrah’s New Orleans<\/strong> is no more. It’s now Caesars New Orleans<\/strong>. Good call<\/a> by CEO Tom Reeg<\/strong>. The Caesars brand has been vastly underemployed … Tribal Winds<\/strong> has broken wind: Mohegan Sun<\/strong> and Foxwoods Casino<\/strong> are putting the box of slots away, although they say the change of mind is only temporary. Uh-huh … Look out, Mashpee Wampanoags<\/strong>, here comes the Mattakeeset Masachusett Tribe<\/strong>. It’s a newly enrolled band and it’s dibbing the same ancestral turf for which First Light<\/strong> casino-resort had been planned … Shay Segev<\/strong>, CEO of BetMGM<\/strong> parent Entain<\/strong> believes that the sports-betting service is “firmly on track to be the leading sports operator in the U.S.” Well, that makes one<\/a> of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n