Category Archives: Churchill Downs

Trop’s fate sealed; Massachusetts up, Louisiana down

Now that the fix is in for the Oakland Athletics to get a vanity stadium in Las Vegas, the bosses of the Tropicana Las Vegas are losing no time in getting what’s really important: Imploding the old girl. Of course, … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, Fanatics, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Illinois, Louisiana, LVCVA, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, The Strip, Vici Properties, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Trop’s fate sealed; Massachusetts up, Louisiana down

Maryland droops; Boardwalk bulletin; Barstool blunder

Mr. & Mrs. America’s torrid, post-pandemic love affair with casino gambling is finally cooling. It’s not cause for alarm, as we knew this was coming—in fact, it was expected to happen much sooner. And while players are dropping less at … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Fanatics, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, LVCVA, Marijuana, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Penn National, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, West Virginia | 5 Comments

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

Pennsylvania soaked; Texas, Cubed; Mega-Jottings

That old gaming-industry equation that more = more is getting tested in Pennsylvania. On a sheer, gross-gaming-revenue basis, last month’s $297.5 million haul was down 4% from last year but up 7% from the ‘old normal,’ 2019. However, when looked … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Cretins, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, FoxBet, Greenwood Racing, Health, Internet gambling, Jim Murren, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Mohegan Sun, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Racinos, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Texas, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Vici Properties, Virginia, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Pennsylvania soaked; Texas, Cubed; Mega-Jottings

Massachusetts up, Indiana, Louisiana down; Miller’s folly

Gambling revenues nudged upward a bit in Massachusetts, rising 2% from a year earlier. April’s numbers had Encore Boston Harbor far in the lead with $64 million but flat year/year. MGM Springfield (shown) had quite a good month, up 5% … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, Culinary Union, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Massachusetts up, Indiana, Louisiana down; Miller’s folly

Illinois up, Missouri down; Golden fails to glitter

New product lifted Illinois‘ gambling grosses last month, as same-store revenues slipped 1%. The overall haul was $128 million and much of the propulsion came from The Temporary at American Place in Waukegan and its $7 million take. Hard Rock … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Laughlin, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Portnoy torches Penn; Station “outstanding”; DraftKings improves; Alabama betting brouhaha; Derby gone to the dogs

Penn Entertainment stock collapsed 13% Wednesday afternoon after Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy took to Twitter to rant and rave about the firing of Ben Mintz, a ‘Stool fool who dropped the N-word on air for all the world to … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Animals, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Cretins, DraftKings, Golden Gaming, Horseracing, Illinois, Internet gambling, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Mob, The Strip, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Portnoy torches Penn; Station “outstanding”; DraftKings improves; Alabama betting brouhaha; Derby gone to the dogs

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)

Wynn’s Arabian nights; White Paper no whitewash

Resisting the temptation to call it Aladdin 2.0, executives at Wynn Resorts unveiled designs of their United Arab Emirates casino resort, Wynn Al Marjan Island. Noting that its’ the company’s first oceanfront resort, Wynn is quick to assure us that … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, DraftKings, Full House Resorts, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Money laundering, New Hampshire, New York, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Slot routes, TV, United Kingdom, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Pennsylvania, Lousiana flagging; All eyes on Macao

Casino winnings in Pennsylvania stuttered last month, hitting $311 million, flat with March 2022. Spreading more gaming wealth among a greater number of properties obviously isn’t helping on a same-store basis. Parx Casino maintained its supremacy with $53 million, despite … Continue reading

Posted in Ameristar, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, China, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, FoxBet, Galaxy Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

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

Caesars meets The Street; NYC shuffle; Shreveport switcheroo

Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg and Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance Brian Agnew just sat down with Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli, who came away sufficiently impressed with the Roman Empire to maintain a “Buy” rating on CZR. Santarelli … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Cantor Gaming, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Cordish Co., Donald Trump, Failsinos, Genting, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, International, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New York, Penn National, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, West Virginia, Wynn Resorts | 5 Comments

MGM owns Ohio; NY Lege owns sports books; Texas jolt

Ohio casino tallies jumped 10% last month, hitting $197 million. It was a decisive win for MGM Northfield Park, which outstripped the competition by grossing $25.5 million, an impressive feat for a casino with *no* table games. Jack Cleveland continues … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Jack Entertainment, Macau, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Philippines, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas | Comments Off on MGM owns Ohio; NY Lege owns sports books; Texas jolt

East Coast report; “Best growth story in gaming” is who?

As we rummage through our mailbag, we find a number of dispatches from our East Coast correspondent, who recently helped prop up the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City with a three-night stay. He was drawn by a giveaway at Ocean … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Charity, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Golden Nugget, Horseracing, Illitch Family, Kentucky, Marketing, Nevada, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Slot routes, Technology, Tilman Fertitta | 2 Comments

Pennsylvania up; Arizona blunder; Über-Mega-Jottings

At $277 million, Pennsylvania casinos were 2% higher in February than last year, although a 12% declivity from go-go 2019 is further indication of a slowing recovery in gaming. Then again, after having reached record altitudes last year, how much … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, FanDuel, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Health, Internet gambling, Kansas, Kentucky, Lotteries, LVCVA, M Resort, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Problem gambling, Real Estate, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tribal, Unite-Here, WInd Creek | Comments Off on Pennsylvania up; Arizona blunder; Über-Mega-Jottings

Atlantic City up, Louisiana down; Steve Wynn’s revenge

Gambling revenues inched upward in New Jersey, plus 1% statewide, mainly driven by Internet casinos (+9%). In Atlantic City, slot winnings rose 3.5% to ($159 million) on 4% more coin-in but tables slipped 4.5% to $54 million as wagering dipped … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Columbia Sussex, Conventions, CQ Holdings, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Law enforcement, Louisiana, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Neil Bluhm, New Jersey, Ocean Resort, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, Unite-Here, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Atlantic City up, Louisiana down; Steve Wynn’s revenge

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

Maryland dips; Boardwalk bulletin; Biden/BIA overreach

February was moderately unkind to Maryland casinos, which were down 3.5% from last year to reach $157 million. Top-grosser of course was MGM National Harbor, flat at $65.5 million. Reliable runner-up Maryland Live was close behind at $56 million, but … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, Failsinos, Florida, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Marijuana, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New York, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Security, The Strip, Tribal | 3 Comments

Atlantic City in winter; Ohio rebounds; Lightfoot booted

Given a slow news day, let’s finally catch up with our East Coast bureau and see what’s been happening on the Boardwalk. First off, demerits to Ocean Casino Resort for contributing in its own small way to climate change by … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Jack Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes | 1 Comment

Vegas booming; Churchill Downs “messy”; Mega-Jottings

Nevada gambling winning catapulted 18% last month—yes, almost a 20% increase over post-Covid numbers (although January 2022 was dampened by Omicron). The good times just keep on rolling, to the tune of $1.2 billion. The Las Vegas Strip led the … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Aristocrat, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Baseball, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Downtown, DraftKings, Environment, Fontainebleau, Georgia, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Lotteries, Maverick Gaming, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Las Vegas, Peninsula Pacific, Pennsylvania, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Reno, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports betting, Technology, The Rio, The Strip, Tribal, United Kingdom, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, Washington State, Wendover | 1 Comment