Category Archives: Japan

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

Bally’s opens, Chicago yawns; MGM, tree murderers

Chicago‘s first casino opened to “dozens of people” Saturday. Only dozens? That’s not a good sign for Bally’s Corp. It’ll need to stir up a lot more excitement than that if it’s to make back its nut on $1.7 billion … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, DraftKings, Dubai, Environment, FanDuel, Genting, history, Japan, Jim Murren, Las Vegas Raiders, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Ohio up; Golden struggles; Bay State blunders

Continued strength in casinos was shown by Ohio, which posted $193.5 million in gambling revenue in June. That’s 2% higher than already-strong last year and a whopping 20% over 2o19, which was none too shabby either. Hollywood Columbus came out … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, United Kingdom, Wall Street | Comments Off on Ohio up; Golden struggles; Bay State blunders

Walk of Shame; F-blue aflame; More Stitt stupidity

Shame on the District of Columbia. Its embattled leadership has yanked away $200,000 in funding for treatment of disordered gambling. You’d think that would be a priority item for a city whose government is partly funded by sports betting … … Continue reading

Posted in Cretins, Fontainebleau, Health, International, Japan, MGM Resorts International, Oklahoma, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Walk of Shame; F-blue aflame; More Stitt stupidity

Louisiana still sinking; Insult from the Lege; Japan follies

Horseshoe Lake Charles continues to prop up Louisiana casino revenues, which were down 2% last month compared to -6.5% if Horseshoe is subtracted. The statewide gross was $196 million. Visitation overall was up 3% but gamblers clutched their purse strings, … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Golden Nugget, IGT, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Kansas, Lawrence Ho, Louisiana, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip, Tribal | Comments Off on Louisiana still sinking; Insult from the Lege; Japan follies

Macao propels MGM; Ohio sports betting scandal (again)

“Mac-Holy-Cau!” So exclaimed Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas about MGM Resorts International‘s 1Q23 earnings statement. Fueled by better than expected grosses in Macao, MGM beat the Wall Street consensus for first-quarter cash flow by 8%. Cash flow was $1.25 billion … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, DraftKings, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Macao propels MGM; Ohio sports betting scandal (again)

Atlantic City still up; Full House fuels diners; Japan payday?

Casino revenues were outstripped in New Jersey in March by i-gaming ones, $228.5 million to $253 million. But Atlantic City continued to be healthy, up 5.5%. Slot winnings were 1% higher on flat coin-in but table games did 7% better … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Internet gambling, Japan, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ocean Resort, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Shuffle Master, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wall Street, Washington State, William Hill, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Case Bets

Ohio‘s gaming industry continues to experience woes. Former lottery director Pat McDonald claims to have resigned for reasons of health. Gov. Mike DeWine (R) cites “HR irregularities.” Either way, McDonald’s out abruptly. Top members of DeWine’s staff personally escorted him … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, China, DraftKings, FanDuel, Illinois, Japan, Lotteries, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Tourism | Comments Off on Case Bets

Illinois leaps, Indiana falls; Japan awakens; PointsBet blunder

Gambling revenues in Illinois were jolted 10% upward last month, hitting $131 million. This was driven by 15% greater visitation, customer spend being 4.5% lower. Most of the increase was driven by new product. Otherwise, the boost would have been … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Japan, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Control Board buffoonery; Super-Mega-Jottings

Well, it didn’t take Nevada Gaming Control Board member George Assad long to stick his foot in it. No sooner had we prophetically called him a regulatory “doofus” than news surfaced of some most-unbecoming conduct during an NGCB hearing. Specifically, … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Chicago, Cordish Co., Cretins, Detroit, Diversity, Downtown Grand, DraftKings, FanDuel, Genting, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Illinois, Japan, Jim Murren, Kansas, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New York, PointsBet, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, Technology, Texas, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Caesars, MGM impress The Street; Less drag at Golden; Police blotter

After hanging out with CEO Tom Reeg and Senior Vice President of Finance Brian Agnew, analyst Joseph Greff of J.P. Morgan came away “upbeat” about Caesars Entertainment. His optimism centered on three salient points: “Las Vegas strength and momentum”; “a … Continue reading

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, California, Conventions, Cretins, Dining, G2E, Golden Gaming, Internet gambling, Japan, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Politics, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street, Wyoming | Comments Off on Caesars, MGM impress The Street; Less drag at Golden; Police blotter

Sands impresses; Trump’s new Mob pal; Boardwalk blotter; Mega-Jottings

Wall Street was in a sunny mood this week after Las Vegas Sands‘ 4Q22 earnings presentation. As Credit Suisse analyst Ben Chaiken summarized, “two large takeaways in our view were strength in Singapore and what we felt was a positive … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, China, Colorado, Cretins, Derek Stevens, Dining, Donald Trump, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, history, IGT, Indiana, Iowa, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marijuana, Marketing, Massachusetts, Movies, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Politics, Singapore, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Technology, Texas, The Mob, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, TV, Vici Properties, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Christmas wishes

It’s time to reward those who have been nice and offer appropriate gifts to the naughty. So, without further ado, we play Santa Claus to the casino industry …

Posted in AGA, Alabama, Alex Meruelo, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Chicago, China, Crown Resorts, Culinary Union, Dan Lee, Derek Stevens, Downtown, DraftKings, Fontainebleau, Full House Resorts, Genting, Georgia, Hard Rock International, James Packer, Japan, Kazuo Okada, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Missouri, Moulin Rouge, Movies, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Pahrump, Palms, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Resort fees, Resorts World LV, Sahara, Scott Butera, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Rio, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta | Comments Off on Christmas wishes

Illinois, Ohio still firm; Daffy bill in N.Y.; Raiders collapse

November was good for casinos in Ohio and Illinois, both of which posted strong numbers, modestly ahead of last year but—in Ohio’s case—still high heavens above 2019. Fresh off its October dethroning of MGM Northfield Park, rival Hollywood Columbus slipped … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Arkansas, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Horseracing, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Service, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Illinois, Ohio still firm; Daffy bill in N.Y.; Raiders collapse

MGM, Penn disappoint, Golden droops; Tilman’s gambit

Dragged down the golden albatross that is Macao, earnings of MGM Resorts International missed analysts’ projections by a whopping $1.61 per share for a 3Q22 loss of $1.39/share. More’s the pity, as MGM did so many things right. Wall Street … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, China, CityCenter, Conventions, Cosmopolitan, Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, Japan, Laughlin, M Resort, Macau, Maryland, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Singapore, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Bullish for Boyd; Abbott does Texas two-step; D.C. remorse

Bad economy? Not if you’re Boyd Gaming. The regional giant significantly improved third-quarter income, from $843 million in 3Q21 to $877 million this year. Said CEO Keith Smith, “Continuing into October, customer spending has been very consistent with the trends … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Downtown, Economy, Election, Hard Rock International, Hawaii, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Louisiana, Mattress Mack, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sports betting, Texas, Tourism, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Wynn: Make mine Manhattan; Votes for sale; Mega-Jottings

There will be at least one serious push for a casino in the heart of New York City, now that Wynn Resorts has thrown in with Related Cos. on “an exposed and sunken rail yard” that some see as a … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Brothels, California, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, Entertainment, Genting, Georgia, Hawaii, Japan, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, North Las Vegas, Palms, Pennsylvania, Politics, Slot routes, Star Entertainment, Technology, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts, Wyoming | 1 Comment

Sports betting doomed in California?; Much heat, light at G2E

We wouldn’t have believed it but it appears that both California sports-betting ballot initiatives could go down to defeat in November. While we favor sports betting, on principle, we don’t have a dog in this fight. Both Proposition 26 (tribal) … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, California, Century Casinos, Economy, Election, G2E, Georgia, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, International, Japan, Law enforcement, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Singapore, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Vici Properties, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Ohio shows fatigue; Macao seizes hotels; Abe assassinated

Since it has been outperforming the broader U.S. market for some time now, perhaps we should not be unduly concerned that Ohio casino revenues are down for three months in a row. Indeed, compared to go-go 2019, they’re still arguably … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Downtown, Economy, Hard Rock International, Health, Jack Entertainment, Japan, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Sexual misconduct, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia | 1 Comment

Special Edition

So we leave on vacation (I checked into the Westin O’Hare and didn’t leave the building for three and half days) and all hell breaks loose in Big Gaming. The breaking story was MGM Resorts International‘s decision to shuck Gold … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Century Casinos, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Gary Goett, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Japan, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Tribal, Unite-Here | 2 Comments