Category Archives: Economy

If you can’t beat ’em, cheat ’em; Fun & games

No, this isn’t about politics. Or maybe it is. Either way, it’s another chapter in the crony-capitalism, juiced-in deal Washington, D.C.’s puppet government made with Intralot. Along with the Washington D.C. Lottery, Intralot is parent of that malign progeny GamebetDC. … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Cretins, Culinary Union, Dining, Economy, Election, G2E, Hard Rock International, Health, history, International, Jim Murren, MGM Resorts International, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Silverton, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on If you can’t beat ’em, cheat ’em; Fun & games

Pennsylvania soggy; Epic fail in North Carolina

At first blush, Pennsylvania‘s gambling economy looks all right, up 1% from August of 2019 and 2% from last year. But factor in the plethora of new casinos that have entered the fray and the Keystone State is down 14% … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, FoxBet, Greenwood Racing, Horseracing, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, North Carolina, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, Tribal, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Pennsylvania soggy; Epic fail in North Carolina

On and off the radio

During this morning’s stint on KNPR-FM‘s State of Nevada, we were only able to cover a fraction of the scheduled questions. So we had the idea of answering here what was not asked there. Let’s take it away … Why … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, CityCenter, Culinary Union, Dubai, Economy, Fontainebleau, Genting, Golden Gaming, Japan, Jim Murren, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Palms, Phil Ruffin, Real Estate, Resorts World LV, Sahara, Singapore, South Korea, Sports, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Vici Properties, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on On and off the radio

Hot July in Vegas; GLPI’s Illinois big gulp; Mega-Jottings

How impressive was the Las Vegas Strip‘s July performance? Pretty damned impressive, considering that it hit a best-ever record on only 1% higher visitation than last year and 4% less than in the halcyon year of 2019. Hotel occupany ran … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Charity, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Economy, Election, Failsinos, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Health, Illinois, New Hampshire, Palms, Problem gambling, Real Estate, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wisconsin | Comments Off on Hot July in Vegas; GLPI’s Illinois big gulp; Mega-Jottings

Gambling returns to normality; Boyd’s low-cost charity

Gambling revenues have been so overheated since the pandemic that some kind of market correction was overdue. The much-vaunted recession having failed to manifest itself, the gloom-and-doom crowd on Wall Street must content itself with small retreats in casino winnings. … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Cretins, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Florida, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Health, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New York, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Phil Ruffin, Resort fees, Rush Street Gaming, Silverton, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Gambling returns to normality; Boyd’s low-cost charity

Big Apple dream; BetMGM welshes; Dekkers: Mom’s to blame

Developer Larry Silverstein‘s PR peeps released additional renderings of The Avenir over the weekend and they are certainly impressive. Few additional details of the proposed resort have been made available but the striking exterior is the work of veteran casino … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Arizona, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Conventions, Cretins, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, IGT, International, Iowa, Law enforcement, Lotteries, New York, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Big Apple dream; BetMGM welshes; Dekkers: Mom’s to blame

Wall Street: Station soft; DraftKings impresses, Bally’s doesn’t

“If you were surprised you haven’t been paying attention.” So wrote Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli of yesterday’s Station Casinos earnings release. He added, “it should come as no surprise that RRR reported results that were softer than our forecasts,” which were … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Conventions, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Politics, Racinos, Real Estate, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wall Street: Station soft; DraftKings impresses, Bally’s doesn’t

Bears and bulls at MGM; Uwazurike spells “idiot”

J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff was pretty blunt about MGM Resorts International‘s mixed bag of 2Q23 numbers. “Carried by Macau,” he headlined his report, adding that the Las Vegas Strip was in line with expectations but regional casinos came up … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, BetMGM, China, Colorado, Conventions, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Health, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Movies, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Bears and bulls at MGM; Uwazurike spells “idiot”

Ohio cools a bit; On the Boardwalk; Regulatory fist-shaking

Casino revenues are finally cooling off around the country, later than Wall Street expected. Ohio was down 5% last month, reaching $204.5 million—yet still 28% higher than pre-Covid April 2019. So the sky is definitely not falling. Two racinos defied … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Arizona, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Dining, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Hooters, International, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, Trump Entertainment Resorts | Comments Off on Ohio cools a bit; On the Boardwalk; Regulatory fist-shaking

Atlantic City doldrums; Black Tuesday; Culinary wins one

Our man in Atlantic City has posted a flurry of dispatches, mainly concerning his new stomping ground, Harrah’s Resort. What you see above is the indoor pool, which doubles as a nightclub. When last visited, there was a (short) line … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Cretins, Culinary Union, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Fanatics, Hard Rock International, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Palms, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Las Vegas A-Z; Bally’s bumbles; Smoke gets in your face

Last week, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli hit town and gave a rundown of the major players in Sin City. His overall theses can be found at CDC Gaming Reports. Basically, it boiled down to Macao great, Las Vegas Strip … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Conventions, Dining, Diversity, Donald Trump, Economy, Fontainebleau, Health, Indiana, Internet gambling, Kansas, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, New York, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Politics, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Las Vegas A-Z; Bally’s bumbles; Smoke gets in your face

Bally’s bombs twice over; Buffets (bad ones) return

What passes for entertainment at Bally’s Atlantic City continues to go over like a lead balloon with our man on the Boardwalk. Underwhelmed by the big second-quarter, tentpole event—a former Billy Joel backup singer—he notes acidly that nothing else is … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Chicago, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Nugget, Macau, Money laundering, New York, PointsBet, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Caesars satisfies; Knee-Jerlecki response; Press-ed out

Wall Street analysts rolled over and lit a cigarette after hearing Caesars Entertainment‘s first-quarter earnings call. J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff said the results were pretty much as expected “with Las Vegas Strip upside more (way more) than offsetting a … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Conventions, Dining, Economy, Golden Nugget, Health, Indiana, Louisiana, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, Nebraska, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Pahrump, Penn National, Reno, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Virginia, Wall Street, Wendover | 3 Comments

Under Southern skies; Presidential casino players

Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas took a swing through Dixie casinos last month and had quite a bit to report. He hit the New Orleans, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and Biloxi markets, his primary takeaway being that operators are consistent … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Architecture, Aristocrat, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Economy, Election, Golden Nugget, Louisiana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Penn National, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Tilman keeps his cool; New Jersey woes; Mega-Jottings

Don’t hold your breath if you’re waiting for Tilman Fertitta to break ground on what will probably be a Post Oak Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The mogul is keeping his powder dry, or as Truist Securities analyst Barry … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Colony Capital, Colorado, Conventions, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Lake Tahoe, Louisiana, New Jersey, Paragon Gaming, Philippines, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Full House flopping; The bull case for gaming and Vegas

We tweeted after the opening of The Temporary at American Place (yes, that’s its cumbersome nomeclature) that it was “a hit.” We were wrong. According to Full House Resorts CEO Dan Lee and CFO Lewis Fanger, The Temporary eked out … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Colorado, Conventions, Cretins, Culinary Union, Dan Lee, Dining, Diversity, DraftKings, Economy, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Lotteries, Marketing, Massachusetts, Nevada, Penn National, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Wall Street lauds Station, Wynn, MGM

Station Casinos posted impressive 4Q22 numbers—if not as impressive to Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli as Boyd Gaming‘s. Still, net revenues were up 2% and cash flow improved 3.5% (Boyd did 7% and 13%, respectively.) Santarelli liked Station’s improved margins … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Architecture, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, California, Conventions, Cosmopolitan, Economy, Encore, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Palms, Real Estate, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wall Street lauds Station, Wynn, MGM

The tax that ate Las Vegas; Dr. King misremembered

A horrible idea for the taxpayer, the economy and for gaming in particular has been resurrected in Congress. Yes, it’s the “national sales tax,” which would lay a double-digit impost on all goods and services, and which only could be … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Cretins, DraftKings, Economy, history, Marketing, Michael Gaughan, Movies, Nevada, Politics, Station Casinos, Taxes | 2 Comments

New F-blue CEO; Illinois mostly upbeat, Missouri not

Who in the world is Brett Mufson? Well, he’s the new president and CEO of Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Other than that, Jeffrey Soffer‘s company ain’t tellin’ much. We are informed that “Mufson’s instrumental leadership helped steer the company’s re-acquisition of … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Florida, Fontainebleau, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Penn National, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Vici Properties, Wynn Resorts, Wyoming | 1 Comment

NFL bettors sacked; Strip resort folds; Caesars plan panned

Life at S&G HQ is seriously clouded by the critical illness of a beloved fur baby. Nevertheless, we shall endeavor to gather our thoughts, starting with the consequences for bettors of the life-threatening Damar Hamlin injury on Monday Night Football. … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Derek Stevens, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, Failsinos, FanDuel, Florida, Genting, Georgia, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, International, Las Vegas Sands, LVCVA, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, PointsBet, Politics, Racinos, Riviera, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, TV, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment