Category Archives: Politics

Big month for Strip; Miller’s rapid response; Titus time

Gambling grosses were ultra-boffo on the Las Vegas Strip last month, up 19% over the year previous and leaving 2019 in the dust, +25%. Locals casinos didn’t fare too badly, either if not as spectacularly as their Strip brethren: up … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Bally, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Charity, Downtown, Election, Jack Binion, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Lotteries, Marketing, Mesquite, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Reno, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, United Kingdom, William Hill | Comments Off on Big month for Strip; Miller’s rapid response; Titus time

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

A Dream deferred; Lost Virginity; Tennessee tax trouble

Don’t look now, Las Vegas but we may have another failsino on our hands. Construction has ground to a total halt on Dream, the south-Strip resort project that looked like a sure thing not so long ago. Developer Bill Shopoff … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, Detroit, DraftKings, Failsinos, FanDuel, FoxBet, Hard Rock International, Health, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nevada, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Tennessee, The Strip, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on A Dream deferred; Lost Virginity; Tennessee tax trouble

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

Massachusetts soars; The Strip meets The Street

Gambling win in Massachusetts shot up 14.5% in February, reaching $98 million. Market leader, of course, was Encore Boston Harbor with $63 million (+14.5%). MGM Springfield leapt 17% to $23 million and Plainridge Park climbed 10% to $12 million. Wynn … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Downtown, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hawaii, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Politics, Singapore, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Rio, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Gambling revenues still looking up; Mega-Jottings

Maryland aside, gambling revenues continue to trend upward. Even in Iowa, where they nudged only 1% higher from last year (undoubtedly due to new competition from Nebraska) but were high heavens (+38%) over 2019, aka the good old days. Indiana’s … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Cretins, DFS, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Genting, Georgia, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Indiana, Iowa, Marketing, Massachusetts, Missouri, Movies, New York, Penn National, Politics, Reno, Sports betting, Tribal, United Kingdom, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Gambling revenues still looking up; Mega-Jottings

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

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

Caesars hedges on NYC; Buyer’s remorse in Ohio

Although he currently has the frontrunner for a Manhattan casino, Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg is waffling a bit. Potentially ceding momentum to deep-pocketed rivals like Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands, Reeg said Caesars wouldn’t get into an “arms … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Detroit, DraftKings, FanDuel, Illitch Family, Indiana, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Racinos, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Caesars hedges on NYC; Buyer’s remorse in Ohio

How the mighty have fallen; Pennsylvania saturated

Pity poor fellow Kelsey Grammer. The superb actor (Boss) and Shakespearean leading man has been reduced to tending bar at an Atlantic City casino. And not some prestigious Boardwalk gambling hall but last-place Golden Nugget. As our East Coast correspondent, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Internet gambling, Iowa, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, United Kingdom, Virginia, WInd Creek | 1 Comment

Sports betting bungle; Smoke gets in their ears

Good going, MGM Springfield. It has become the third Massachusetts casino to ‘fess up to taking illegal wagers in the opening days of lawful sports betting. Did the Bay State go live too soon? It’s looking that way, as regulators … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Health, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New Jersey, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Sports betting, Unite-Here, Wynn Resorts | 5 Comments

Massachusetts booms; Know your enemy

January was very, very good for Massachusetts casinos, which raked in $97 million, pretty darn good for a state with only three gambling halls and a 17.5% leap over last year. The biggest overachiever was Plainridge Park, vaulting 24% to … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Cosmopolitan, Culinary Union, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resort fees, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Big Bally’s shakeup; Smoking swatted; Mega-Jottings

Back on Jan. 25, we wrote that Bally’s Corp. CEO Lee Fenton was “possibly laying the groundwork for his own exit,” when he said, The pandemic boosted our business and we continued to hire at full pelt. I now can … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Cretins, DFS, Dining, Donald Trump, DraftKings, FanDuel, Genting, Health, Horseracing, International, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Minnesota, Mohegan Sun, New Jersey, New York, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, TV, United Kingdom, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Big Bally’s shakeup; Smoking swatted; Mega-Jottings

Sports betting backlash; Indiana, Missouri rebound

When we were penning the editor’s note for the February issue of Casino Life, we predicted that overkill in sports betting marketing was ripe to bring a backlash. But it happened sooner than we ever expected. Now we don’t know … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, DraftKings, FanDuel, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Marketing, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, The Strip | Comments Off on Sports betting backlash; Indiana, Missouri rebound

And the Oscar goes to …

Top Gun: Maverick. OK, we’re kidding. But not entirely. Due to the Motion Picture Academy‘s byzantine, ranked-choice voting for Best Picture, the $1.5 billion-grossing Tom Cruise spectacle (+1000 on DraftKings) could rack up enough second- and third-place votes to nab … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Diversity, DraftKings, Indiana, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mohegan Sun, Movies, New York, Politics, Regulation, Sports, Tribal, Wall Street | 1 Comment

A peek at Penn; DraftKings retreats, Aruze tumbles

Wall Street analysts got an early look at Penn Entertainment‘s 4Q22 earnings, which were mildly adverse and poorer than The Street expected, and which point to a flat trajectory going forward through the early summer. Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Baseball, Chicago, DraftKings, FanDuel, Hawaii, Illinois, International, Kazuo Okada, Marketing, Mattress Mack, New York, Penn National, Politics, Sports betting, Taxes, Wall Street | Comments Off on A peek at Penn; DraftKings retreats, Aruze tumbles

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

‘Fight’ club; New Horseshoe powers Louisiana

Having experienced buyer’s remorse on DFS site Monkey Knife Fight, and now trying to re-sell it, Bally’s Corp. finds itself with a ton of Monkey Knife Fight-branded merchandise that it must unload. After all, if it finds a pigeon, er, … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Churchill Downs, CQ Holdings, DFS, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Marketing, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Penn National, PointsBet, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Security, Silverton, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on ‘Fight’ club; New Horseshoe powers Louisiana