Category Archives: South Korea

Where do we go from here?

Posted on March 19, 2020 by David McKee

In the process of canceling its 2020 earnings guidance, Marriott International gave some oblique insight into how the casino industry is likely to cope with the Coronavirus quarantine. Occupancy, it said, had fallen to 25%, compared to 70% last year. … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Alabama, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Charity, Economy, Health, Illinois, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Movies, Oregon, Penn National, Real Estate, Regulation, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Las Vegas slides toward crisis as market tanks

Posted on March 12, 2020 by David McKee

Coronavirus having been officially been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, it was only a matter of time before the impact hit Las Vegas. Not much time, either. Late yesterday, the National Association of Broadcasters pulled the plug … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Conventions, DFS, Donald Trump, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Health, International, Las Vegas Sands, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, New York, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Twin River, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Gaming exempt from Wall Street love; Harry-come-lately

Posted on March 3, 2020 by David McKee

Gaming stocks responded indifferently to yesterday’s Wall Street rally. Wynn Resorts was up and down but ultimately flat, MGM Resorts International ticked up 2%, Las Vegas Sands was flat and Melco Resorts & Entertainment slipped a percentage point. So much … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Dining, Donald Trump, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Election, Entertainment, Harry Reid, Health, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Oregon, South Korea, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Gaming exempt from Wall Street love; Harry-come-lately

The new China syndrome

Posted on February 11, 2020 by David McKee

Junket operators and gaming companies in Macao are donating $22.5 million to help find a coronavirus cure. Good on them. Would that we could say half that about the government of China, which has bungled a localized virus into a … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, China, CityCenter, Election, Entertainment, Health, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Nevada, Oklahoma, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on The new China syndrome

Quote of the Day

Posted on February 10, 2020 by David McKee
Posted in Movies, South Korea | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Weak quarter at Wynn, worse to come

Posted on February 7, 2020 by David McKee

Wynn Resorts remains our top story today. It missed fourth-quarter cash-flow projections by 4%, partly due to mediocre high-end play in Macao, although the mass-market trade was better (up 4% but lagging the Macanese industry’s 8% gain). Wynn Palace underperformed … Continue reading →

Posted in China, DraftKings, Health, Law enforcement, Macau, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Weak quarter at Wynn, worse to come

Mega-Jottings

Posted on December 13, 2019 by David McKee

What do you do when the news is too short to justify a paragraph but too big to be ignored? How about a big-ass session of … Jottings: Mike Brooks and Tim Brooks, owners of the Emerald Isle Casino are … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Caesars Entertainment, Dan Lee, Eldorado Resorts, Full House Resorts, GLPI, International, Japan, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, Penn National, Scientific Games, South Korea, Spectacle Entertainment, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on Mega-Jottings

Looking for love in Macao; Resorts World LV’s big bet

Posted on December 12, 2019 by David McKee

“All of the juice has been squeezed out of the orange. Macao is starting to resemble more mature competitive markets such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City.” Ouch! That was Bloomberg Intelligence contributing analyst David Bonnet, taking an exceptionally gloomy view … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Century Casinos, Economy, Genting, Hard Rock International, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Missouri, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Philippines, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Vietnam | 2 Comments

Next stop, Hempfield!

Posted on November 19, 2019 by David McKee

Cordish Gaming has broken ground on its Hempfield Township satellite casino in Pennsylvania. The $150 million property will have 750 slots and 30 table games, as well as a 445-seat sports book. The casino will fill the space left by … Continue reading →

Posted in Arkansas, Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Dining, Downtown, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, Golden Gaming, history, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Pennsylvania, Regulation, South Korea, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Wynn misses estimates; Sports betting wins in Colorado

Posted on November 7, 2019 by David McKee

Wynn Resorts reported 3Q19 earnings and the headline was Macao. As J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff wrote, “For the first time in a while, we feel that the tough Macau VIP segment is stabilizing/not getting worse, and mass growth there … Continue reading →

Posted in China, Colorado, Dining, Election, Full House Resorts, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, South Korea, Sports betting, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Wynn misses estimates; Sports betting wins in Colorado

MGM Nat’l Harbor takes a hit; Venetian revises restaurant row

Posted on November 6, 2019 by David McKee

Just when MGM National Harbor looked impervious to market forces it hit an October speed bump. Gaming revenues tumbled 18.5% to $60 million. The Free State was down 9% as a whole. MGM got hammered at the tables, plunging 36%, … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Cosmopolitan, Dining, Genting, Golden Gaming, International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Penn National, South Korea, Sports, The Strip, West Virginia, William Hill | Comments Off on MGM Nat’l Harbor takes a hit; Venetian revises restaurant row

Fan loses $506K shirt; Adelson cautions Trump

Posted on September 25, 2019 by David McKee

One incautious Cleveland Browns fan made the wrong kind of headline with a $506,000 bet on the team against the Los Angeles Rams. (The Browns lost, 20-13.) The wager was for the Browns to cover the spread, the most meaningful … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Caesars Entertainment, China, Donald Trump, e-sports, Eldorado Resorts, Hard Rock International, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, Tourism | Comments Off on Fan loses $506K shirt; Adelson cautions Trump

Quote of the Day

Posted on July 11, 2019 by David McKee

“And when you go back home, you’ll see it tonight on television. You’ll see it wherever you see it. Today, there’s so many forms of looking at things, it’s hard to believe. As soon as you pick one, another one … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, South Korea | Comments Off on Quote of the Day

Don’t bet against Sheldon; Encore Boston says ‘Take the T’

Posted on June 18, 2019 by David McKee

Don’t ever accuse Las Vegas Sands of not thinking big. It’s going to the banks for a $5.9 billion loan, primarily for expansion of Marina Bay Sands. That shouldn’t be much of a risk for financiers because nobody makes good … Continue reading →

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Genting, Greenwood Racing, history, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Massachusetts, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, South Korea, Sports betting, Technology, Transportation, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Don’t bet against Sheldon; Encore Boston says ‘Take the T’

Nevada: Strip weak, locals strong; Busing it to Macao

Posted on April 25, 2019 by David McKee

Las Vegas Strip gambling revenues were down 4% last month to $552 million. Some of that is attributable to an impossible baccarat comparison. In March 2018, baccarat win was up 118%. Last month it was down 56% on 43% less … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Arkansas, Australia, Boulder Strip, Downtown, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Lotteries, Macau, Mesquite, Nevada, New Mexico, North Las Vegas, Reno, South Korea, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 1 Comment

Gaming speaks: Wynn, Sands, Scientific

Posted on March 15, 2019 by David McKee

Wynn Resorts exuded overconfidence in a meeting with JP Morgan analysts. It’s already booking revenue from Encore Boston Harbor without knowing it’s going to hang onto the license. It also expects new revenue to be driven by the debut of … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Illinois, International, Japan, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Scientific Games, Singapore, South Korea, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Gaming speaks: Wynn, Sands, Scientific

King on the rag; Macao mobbed; Sheldon goes green

Posted on February 27, 2019 by David McKee

Better hurry and line up that Circa funding, Derek Stevens: Rep. Steve King (R) is coming after your EB-5 investors. King has introduced a bill, currently little more than a placeholder, to terminate the EB-5 program. In the past we’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Cirque du Soleil, Cretins, Delaware, Derek Stevens, Downtown Grand, Entertainment, Environment, Genting, Hard Rock International, International, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Mohegan Sun, Politics, Racinos, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Sports betting, Terry Caudill, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 1 Comment

Caesars: The Icahn factor; Troubled Tilman; Brownout

Posted on February 18, 2019 by David McKee

If you’re a company that wants to prove that its stock is undervalued, you’ve got a definitive case when Carl Icahn buys into your company. And if you’re Caesars Entertainment and Icahn suddenly holds 10% of your stock, you’re officially … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Carl Icahn, Don Barden, Eldorado Resorts, International, Japan, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Regulation, Security, Sheldon Adelson, South Korea, Taxes, Texas, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | Comments Off on Caesars: The Icahn factor; Troubled Tilman; Brownout

Case Bets

Posted on December 27, 2018 by David McKee

Station Casinos is bringing two name-brand chefs to the upgraded Palms. Between high-in-the-sky Vetri Cucina and Michael Symon‘s Mabel’s BBQ, I wouldn’t know which to choose. (My mouth is watering as I type this.) Fortunately, Las Vegans riding a burgeoning … Continue reading →

Posted in Dining, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, Movies, Palms, Philippines, PokerStars, South Korea, Station Casinos, Tourism, Transportation, Vietnam | Comments Off on Case Bets

Churchill Downs makes a run for the roses

Posted on November 5, 2018 by David McKee

JP Morgan commentator Daniel Politzer got the red-carpet treatment at Churchill Downs, in Louisville. He came away impressed. Churchill Downs is expanding on several fronts. Its Illinois purchase of a majority stake in Rivers Casino will cost CHDN a pretty … Continue reading →

Posted in Churchill Downs, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Japan, Kentucky, Marketing, Racinos, South Korea, Sports betting, Wall Street | Comments Off on Churchill Downs makes a run for the roses