Category Archives: Entertainment

MGM limping back; Atlantic City follies; Wall Street Jottings

Hobbling back onto the Web today, MGM Resorts International offered a limited version of its normal Internet service. You can do research for your next MGM stay but you can’t book it directly or access MGM Rewards, as of 10 … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Culinary Union, DraftKings, Entertainment, ESPN Bet, Fanatics, FanDuel, Fontainebleau, Hawaii, IGT, Law enforcement, Macau, Marketing, Massachusetts, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, New Hampshire, Ocean Resort, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, The Mob, The Strip, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Are you ready?; Lombardo’s lunacy; The wrath of Wynn

For some football, that is. NFL season literally kicks off tonight with the much-hyped Detroit Lions visiting the champion Kansas City Chiefs. But the on-field action threatens to be overshadowed by the off-field brouhaha surrounding sports betting. (Nor is it … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Culinary Union, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Iowa, Law enforcement, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nevada, Penn National, Regulation, Sam Nazarian, Sexual misconduct, SLS Las Vegas, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Are you ready?; Lombardo’s lunacy; The wrath of Wynn

Maryland down, Illinois up; NFL hypocrisy; Bally’s biz

Gaming industry bears are going to latch onto a 4% drop in Maryland gambling earnings as evidence of an impending recession. Thankfully, J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff puts it in context by pointing out that the $174 million haul is … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Election, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Politics, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Virginia, Wall Street, West Virginia | Comments Off on Maryland down, Illinois up; NFL hypocrisy; Bally’s biz

Wall Street: Station soft; DraftKings impresses, Bally’s doesn’t

“If you were surprised you haven’t been paying attention.” So wrote Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli of yesterday’s Station Casinos earnings release. He added, “it should come as no surprise that RRR reported results that were softer than our forecasts,” which were … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Conventions, Cordish Co., DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Galaxy Entertainment, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Kentucky, Macau, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Politics, Racinos, Real Estate, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Taxes, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Wall Street: Station soft; DraftKings impresses, Bally’s doesn’t

Bears and bulls at MGM; Uwazurike spells “idiot”

J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff was pretty blunt about MGM Resorts International‘s mixed bag of 2Q23 numbers. “Carried by Macau,” he headlined his report, adding that the Las Vegas Strip was in line with expectations but regional casinos came up … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, BetMGM, China, Colorado, Conventions, Derek Stevens, Detroit, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Health, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Raiders, Law enforcement, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Movies, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Bears and bulls at MGM; Uwazurike spells “idiot”

Strip flattens, locals fade; Analysts mixed on Boyd

While not as bad as Deutsche Bank expected (-8%), June revenues on the Las Vegas Strip of $727 million were a disappointment, down 1%. And May’s brief flurry of hope from Las Vegas locals players faded fast as their losses … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Aristocrat, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Downtown, Entertainment, FanDuel, Illinois, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Mesquite, Movies, North Las Vegas, Reno, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wendover | Comments Off on Strip flattens, locals fade; Analysts mixed on Boyd

F-blue, Rio approved; Indiana down again; Biden smoked

Fontainebleau owner Jeffrey Soffer and top exec Brett Mufson are certain to be approved after their audition for the Nevada Gaming Control Board. And why not? Aside from an ancient tax issue involving the Town Square mall, there’s nothing untoward … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, DraftKings, Entertainment, Environment, FanDuel, Fontainebleau, Genting, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Indiana, International, Internet gambling, Kazuo Okada, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Movies, New York, North Carolina, Ocean Resort, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Seminole Tribe, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, The Rio, Tribal, Virgin Hotels, Virginia, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 4 Comments

Bellagio bargain?; Shame on Maine; Trump seen slumming

Yup, it’s true. Blackstone Group is shopping the real estate assets of Bellagio as it draws down its Las Vegas Strip exposure. At least one Wall Street analyst thinks this would send a signal to the REIT industry that Strip … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Conventions, Cosmopolitan, Cretins, Donald Trump, Entertainment, history, Law enforcement, Maine, MGM Resorts International, Real Estate, Regulation, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Rio, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Bellagio bargain?; Shame on Maine; Trump seen slumming

A big win for DeSantis; Churchill Downs fired; Mega-Jottings

Private-sector gambling operators got some very bad news from the District of Columbia Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. The latter, in a very broad construal of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, ruled that the Seminole Tribe—and by implication, … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Meruelo, Arizona, Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Charity, Churchill Downs, Dining, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Eldorado Resorts, Entertainment, FanDuel, Florida, Fontainebleau, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Politics, Real Estate, Regulation, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Seminole Tribe, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tribal, TV, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

New player in NYC; Big splash in Atlantic City

Look out Manhattan casino aspirants: There is a new player in the game. It’s Larry Silverstein, the real estate mogul behind the redevelopment of the World Trade Center area post-9/11. He’s proposing Avenir, a mega-budget project that would erect two … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Entertainment, Greenwood Racing, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania | 1 Comment

All Atlantic City, all the time; Gone to the dogs; Mega-Jottings

Although terrestrial casino revenue dipped 2.5% last month, New Jersey casinos made out like bandits online, with i-gambling up 19% and sports betting leapt 33.5%. In Atlantic City the gross was $227 million at traditional casinos, as a sharp decline … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, DraftKings, El Cortez, Election, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts International, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ocean Resort, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Politics, Reno, Rhode Island, Rush Street Gaming, Slot routes, Sports betting, The Strip, Transportation, Tribal, Vermont, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, West Virginia, WInd Creek, Wynn Resorts | 3 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

Atlantic City doldrums; Black Tuesday; Culinary wins one

Our man in Atlantic City has posted a flurry of dispatches, mainly concerning his new stomping ground, Harrah’s Resort. What you see above is the indoor pool, which doubles as a nightclub. When last visited, there was a (short) line … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Cretins, Culinary Union, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Fanatics, Hard Rock International, Health, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Palms, PointsBet, Politics, Regulation, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Virginia, Wall Street | 1 Comment

All Atlantic City, all the time; Bally’s blunder

Casino winnings in Atlantic City dipped a bit last month, down 1.5% to $231.5 million. Slot revenues led the way, down 3% on flat coin-in. Table games actually did better, up 3% despite flat wagering but A.C. is a slot … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Detroit, Dining, DraftKings, Entertainment, Environment, FanDuel, FoxBet, Golden Nugget, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Illitch Family, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mohegan Sun, Ocean Resort, Penn National, PointsBet, Rush Street Gaming, The Strip, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

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

Bally’s bombs twice over; Buffets (bad ones) return

What passes for entertainment at Bally’s Atlantic City continues to go over like a lead balloon with our man on the Boardwalk. Underwhelmed by the big second-quarter, tentpole event—a former Billy Joel backup singer—he notes acidly that nothing else is … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Chicago, Dining, DraftKings, Economy, Entertainment, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Nugget, Macau, Money laundering, New York, PointsBet, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sports betting, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 2 Comments

Blame it on baccarat; Crime at Hard Rock; Dixie-dumb

The Great American Gambling Craze isn’t abating, although Las Vegas Strip revenues slipped 3% in March, down to $724.5 million. This was paradoxical, as it came in a month in which airline passenger loads into and out of Las Vegas … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Colony Capital, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Macau, Mesquite, Mohegan Sun, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Las Vegas, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Rush Street Gaming, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tennessee, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wendover, WInd Creek | 1 Comment

Mob merriment; Golden Nugget woes

What the hell were you thinking, Bally’s Corp.? The company’s struggling Atlantic City casino recently hosted a meet-and-greet featuring mobster Gianni Russo. Our Boardwalk correspondent, who was there, says Russo is “a lifelong member of the Mafia, who was in … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Boyd Gaming, Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, Louisiana, Marijuana, Mohegan Sun, Movies, Regulation, The Mob | 6 Comments

Sands hailed; A’s to Vegas; Coney casino razzed; Mega-Jottings

First-quarter numbers for Las Vegas Sands were “nicely ahead” per J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff, who said Sands’ Macao casinos were firing on all cylinders (mass-market play, VIP action, slots, retail and lodging). He expected Macanese cash flow of $304 … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Bally, Baseball, California, China, CityCenter, Cordish Co., Cosmopolitan, Entertainment, Failsinos, Florida, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Louisiana, Macau, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Phil Ruffin, Problem gambling, Racinos, Real Estate, Regulation, Reno, Singapore, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal, Wall Street | Comments Off on Sands hailed; A’s to Vegas; Coney casino razzed; Mega-Jottings

Atlantic City blues

Atlantic City‘s first casino, Resorts Atlantic City, celebrated the 45th anniversary of legalized gambling on the Boardwalk in rather limp fashion. Highlights included a beachball drop and an appearance by Mayor Marty Small (D). Well, we suppose he’s got to … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Caesars Entertainment, China, Dining, Entertainment, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Law enforcement, Macau, Marijuana, Marketing, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, The Strip, West Virginia | Comments Off on Atlantic City blues