Category Archives: Paragon Gaming

Crime and punishment

Posted on March 31, 2023 by David McKee

Former casino overlord Donald Trump is monopolizing the headlines today but let’s not let him have all the fun. There’s plenty of other gaming-related news today. First and foremost, in the same week that Nashville has seen the latest in … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Australia, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Colorado, Cretins, Crown Resorts, Dining, DraftKings, Dubai, FanDuel, Foxwoods, Hooters, Law enforcement, Mandalay Bay Massacre, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Paragon Gaming, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

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

Posted on March 27, 2023 by David McKee

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

Illinois, how could you?; 888 is Caesars’ lucky number

Posted on September 9, 2021 by David McKee

Count on Illinois to disappoint in an otherwise balmy August. True, it grossed a not-shabby $108 million but it was 8.5% down from 2o19, as business slipped 10% from July’s level. (We don’t want to say the gaming recovery is … Continue reading →

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, CityCenter, Cretins, DraftKings, Dubai, FanDuel, Harry Reid, Illinois, International, Lake Tahoe, MGM Resorts International, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, William Hill | 2 Comments

FanDuel gets up all up in your grille; Tahoe casinos: Fire? What fire?

Posted on September 1, 2021 by David McKee

What will sports-betting advertising be like once football season starts? Our prediction is for overkill, followed by backlash. As though to prove our point, FanDuel is unleashing a national ad blitz with a minute-long TV spot called “Anthem.” It’s so … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, DraftKings, Election, FanDuel, Florida, G2E, Health, International, Lake Tahoe, Marketing, Mississippi, North Carolina, Paragon Gaming, PointsBet, Politics, Seminole Tribe, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Tribal, TV, William Hill | 1 Comment

Optimism for MGM, Churchill Downs; Cheap rooms = riff-raff

Posted on October 13, 2020 by David McKee

Although they remain relatively pessimistic on Macao, analysts at JP Morgan like MGM Resorts International sufficiently to raise their price target on its stock to $24/share. The primary reason was “better than expected trends” at MGM’s regional U.S. casinos, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Current, Entertainment, Horseracing, Illinois, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Paragon Gaming, The Strip, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Casinos unleash Culinary’s wrath

Posted on July 20, 2020 by David McKee

Las Vegas‘ casino industry seems to be behaving counterintuitively, reopening casinos and hotels (Vdara is the latest) at a time when visitor demand is softening. JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff reports today that, for the July 11-18 period, Clark County … Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Caesars Entertainment, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Economy, Eldorado Resorts, Florida, Health, Hooters, International, Iowa, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Paragon Gaming, Politics, Sports, Station Casinos, Wall Street, Westgate LV | 2 Comments

Hooters out, Ruffin in, Sands up

Posted on September 24, 2019 by David McKee

Keeping its signature Os, Hooters Hotel Casino becomes an OYO Hotel property this week, with a full transformation expected by year’s end. (Gotta be ready for New Year’s Eve.) The changes are subtle at first. Hotel management goes over to Highgate … Continue reading →

Posted in Connecticut, Foxwoods, Hooters, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Paragon Gaming, Phil Ruffin, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Hooters out, Ruffin in, Sands up

Massachusetts: Isn’t that special?

Posted on August 26, 2019 by David McKee

Although the Boston Globe gets a bit overheated about Tom O’Connell aspirations for a Region C casino they don’t get it wrong when they say O’Connell and associates “want to rewrite the rule book to suit their needs.” That means, … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Hooters, Horseracing, Macau, Massachusetts, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Neil Bluhm, New York, Oregon, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Technology, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Massachusetts: Isn’t that special?

Hooters out, Oyo in?; Crown in hot water

Posted on August 5, 2019 by David McKee

Hooters Hotel Casino, the brand that should have worked in Las Vegas but didn’t, may finally be on the way out. VitalVegas reports that hotelier Highgate may be rechristening Hooters with its Oyo brand. Highgate already operates hotels in the … Continue reading →

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Australia, Crown Resorts, Detroit, Diversity, Environment, Hooters, Illinois, James Packer, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, South Carolina, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip | 2 Comments

Super Bowl hits and misses; Sigma Derby rides again

Posted on February 4, 2019 by David McKee

Super Bowl LIII is over and viewers are left to ponder such existential questions as “Is Julian Edelman a Hall of Famer?” and “Why are all NFL kickers bald?” The New England Patriots did the most important thing, i.e. covering the … Continue reading →

Posted in Derek Stevens, Downtown, Entertainment, history, International, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Paragon Gaming, Sigma Derby, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, TV | Comments Off on Super Bowl hits and misses; Sigma Derby rides again

Playing the Trump card; Manilow renewed

Posted on August 22, 2018 by David McKee

In his latest newsletter, gaming-law expert I. Nelson Rose looks at the impact, real and potential, of retaliatory tariffs on playing cards. Canada and the European Union have imposed 10% import levies on playing cards from the United States, though … Continue reading →

Posted in Donald Trump, Economy, Entertainment, Greenwood Racing, International, Kentucky, Las Vegas Sands, Lucky Dragon, Macau, New Jersey, Ohio, Paragon Gaming, Pennsylvania, Politics, Sports betting, The Crown 18, The Strip, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Playing the Trump card; Manilow renewed

Reno’s bright future; All-time high for Vegas sports books

Posted on November 3, 2017 by David McKee

We love Reno. It has a river in the middle of downtown, nearby mountains and all the charm that Las Vegas so desperately lacks. It also had a gambling market that was written off for dead 15 years ago. Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Eldorado Resorts, International, Nevada, Oklahoma, Paragon Gaming, Pennsylvania, Politics, Reno, Sports, Station Casinos, Taxes, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

Atlantic Club sold … again; Jackpot Blitz deemed a winner

Posted on October 12, 2017 by David McKee

Late last month, the porte cochere of the Atlantic Club collapsed. As metaphors for the long-suffering property go, you can’t get much better than that. Despite this recent debacle, owner TPM Properties has actually found a buyer for the bounced-around … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic City, Colony Capital, Entertainment, G2E, GameCO, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Mandalay Bay Massacre, Paragon Gaming, Technology, The Strip, Westgate LV | 1 Comment

Hall of Fame game

Posted on September 21, 2017 by David McKee

Inductees to the American Gaming Association‘s Gaming Hall of Fame have sometimes been questionable (mobbed-up Clifford Perlman, for one) but this year’s foursome are unlikely to stir controversy. In a family affair, Paragon Gaming CEO Diana Bennett joins her late father … Continue reading →

Posted in Aristocrat, Entertainment, Geoff Freeman, history, Hooters, International, Lake Tahoe, MGM Mirage, North Las Vegas, Paragon Gaming, Riviera, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Steve Wynn, Technology, The Mob, The Strip, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Hall of Fame game

Light at end of Atlantic City tunnel; Madonna gets played

Posted on September 14, 2017 by David McKee

There’s one reason to look forward to November in Atlantic City: Revenue comparisons will no longer have to include the dead weight of Trump Taj Mahal. Gaming revenues were up 3.5% on the Boardwalk last month but add the Taj … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Aristocrat, Atlantic City, Cosmopolitan, Dan Gilbert, Detroit, Entertainment, Harrah's, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Mohegan Sun, Paragon Gaming, Scientific Games, Sports, Technology, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tropicana Entertainment, Trump Entertainment Resorts, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Light at end of Atlantic City tunnel; Madonna gets played

Galaxy dominates Macao; Costner’s casino flops

Posted on September 1, 2017 by David McKee

For a company that entered Macao with zero casino experience, Galaxy Entertainment is taking the veterans to school. In 2Q17, its cash flow grew 45%, to $420 million, a figure not seen since 2012. Galaxy is also leading the pack in terms … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Galaxy Entertainment, Iowa, Macau, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Movies, Paragon Gaming, Sahara, Sam Nazarian, Sheldon Adelson, SLS Las Vegas, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, South Dakota, Steve Wynn, Wall Street | Comments Off on Galaxy dominates Macao; Costner’s casino flops

Paris goes dark; A Bennett returns

Posted on November 4, 2016 by David McKee

In the first major Strip power outage in 12 years — the last was at Bellagio in 2004 — players at Paris-Las Vegas saw the entire casino resort go dark before their very eyes. Not even the auxiliary power kicked … Continue reading →

Posted in Columbia Sussex, Harrah's, Hooters, International, Lake Tahoe, Paragon Gaming, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Regulation, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Westgate LV | Comments Off on Paris goes dark; A Bennett returns