Category Archives: Archon Corp.

Did you know … ?

Posted on February 25, 2011 by David McKee

… that back in what Sue Lowden would call “the olden days,” the high cost of presenting grand opera was (in some cities) subsidized by the revenues from casino games in the foyer? I do not know if this was … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Entertainment, history, Movies | Comments Off on Did you know … ?

Quote of the Day

Posted on January 20, 2011 by David McKee

“You miss the ‘olden days’ when poultry was considered currency.” — from Las Vegas CityLife‘s list of “Signs You Should Not Run for Public Office.”

Posted in Archon Corp., Election | 1 Comment

Quote of the Day

Posted on December 1, 2010 by David McKee

“Chickens are funny. I didn’t know just how funny they were. People enjoyed that and got a laugh. I will never understand that, how it was interpreted as something funny.” — Archon Corp. Treasurer Sue “Chicken Lady” Lowden, slowly beginning … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Election | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

Posted on November 23, 2010 by David McKee

“We overpaid for it and the previous owners had totally given up on taking care of the property. They stopped replacing lightbulbs, they stopped putting in air-conditioning filters. When a filter was clogged it was just removed and no replacement … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., history, Sahara, The Strip | 10 Comments

Juice job of 2011

Posted on November 8, 2010 by David McKee

Harrah’s Entertainment and the AFL-CIO have collected the requisite 20,000 signatures to place its request for a publicly funded stadium out back of Imperial Palace (currently a vast, dark wasteland) before Nevada solons. CEO Gary Loveman would throw in some … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Economy, Election, Harrah's, Politics, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism | 2 Comments

The Death Ray goes global

Posted on October 4, 2010 by David McKee

One of the most reliably entertaining news sites is Hong Kong-based NMA World Edition, which covers current events in a manner so imaginative and — shall we say — unrestrained by good taste that it makes Fox News look as … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Election, Harry Reid, International, MGM Mirage, TV, Vdara Death Ray | 2 Comments

Western Passage & the new Rat (Rod) Pack

Posted on September 8, 2010 by David McKee

Let’s try this again … Today’s guest blog hails from the keyboard of reader Jeff_in_OKC who recently paid not one, not two but three (brave man!) visits to the Western Hotel, on the fringe of downtown Las Vegas. The Western … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Archon Corp., Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Current, Dining, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Laughlin, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Oscar Goodman, Sahara, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 12 Comments

Chrome Dome

Posted on August 5, 2010 by David McKee

Last weekend, as I ploughed into a pile of analyst reports, court filings, etc., I came across a Clark County Commission planning report on Christopher Milam, Paul & Sue Lowden‘s proposed Silver State Arena. As you can see, it would … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Baseball, Current, Economy, LVCVA, MGM Mirage, Riviera, Sahara, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Transportation, TV | 8 Comments

Gone baby, gone

Posted on August 5, 2010 by David McKee

“[T]he confidence that ­property prices and stock markets would permanently defy gravity” is a phrase that perfectly encapsulates how the casino industry got itself into its present pickle. In what other mindset could an industry convince itself that it could … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Cannery Casino Resorts, CityCenter, Colony Capital, Cosmopolitan, Current, Dining, Economy, Encore, Entertainment, Environment, Fontainebleau, Harrah's, history, Marketing, MGM Mirage, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Margaritaville on the rocks

Posted on July 15, 2010 by David McKee

Long-serving — and long-suffering — Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway has lost patience with Harrah’s Entertainment. He is convinced that the metamorphosis of Grand Casino Biloxi into Margaritaville Casino is kaput and that Harrah’s will tear down what little it has … Continue reading →

Posted in Ameristar, Animals, Archon Corp., Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Charity, Current, Donald Trump, Economy, Encore, Environment, Fontainebleau, George Maloof, Harrah's, Holy Cow, Indiana, International, Louisiana, MGM Mirage, Mississippi, Movies, Pennsylvania, Pets, Phil Ruffin, Planet Hollywood, Plaza, Riviera, Sahara, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Strip, Tourism, TV, Wall Street | 5 Comments

“Project Linq”

Posted on July 1, 2010 by David McKee

I’m not sure anybody but Gary Loveman could come up with such a preposterous handle as “Project Linq” (alas, not “Linc,” as in Clarence Williams III on the Mod Squad, although that would be pretty cool) for Harrah’s Entertainment‘s street … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Election, Harrah's, Marketing, Massachusetts, Politics, Sports, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street, World Series of Poker | 6 Comments

So long, Sue, and thanks for playing

Posted on June 9, 2010 by David McKee

It’s back to her day job for Archon Corp. Secretary-Treasurer Sue Lowden, whose political aspirations experienced an embarrassing meltdown that some would call karmic,  redefining “epic fail.” Now she can focus on repairing a corporate image which The Newspaper That … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, Current, Downtown, Economy, Election, Harry Reid, history, Laughlin, MGM Mirage, Michael Gaughan, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Movies, North Las Vegas, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip, Wall Street | 2 Comments

The Adelson Curse

Posted on June 7, 2010 by David McKee

Eleventh-hour polling in Nevada puts Archon Corp. financial wiz Sue Lowden in an exacta with Danny Tarkanian … for distant-runner-up status in tomorrow’s primary. (Mason-Dixon has her third, Daily Kos places her second.) If this data bears out, rarely will … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Election, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Politics, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, The Mob | Comments Off on The Adelson Curse

Politics, gaming getting hopelessly muddled

Posted on June 2, 2010 by David McKee

Primary day in Nevada is less than a week away and that’s far too long for my taste. If I had a dollar for every robo-call I’ve received and every expensive-looking flier that’s found its way into my mailbox (and … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Election, Labor, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, TV, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Poultry in Motion

Posted on June 1, 2010 by David McKee

PETA is not amused — but you will be as the Best.Casino Promotion.Ever rolls into Pittsburgh. We speak of course of the Tic-tac-toe-playing chicken, Ginger. Given a choice between working the casino circuit, being cooked for dinner or laying eggs … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Archon Corp., Current, Entertainment, Marketing, Neil Bluhm, Pennsylvania | 3 Comments

How big is Deepwater Horizon?; How solvent is Archon?

Posted on May 28, 2010 by David McKee

This weekend, millions are fleeing a disaster of biblical proportions — I speak not of the epochal Deepwater Horizon spill but of Sex and the City 2. However, while we’re on the subject, Gulf Coast casinos can take at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Environment, Laughlin, Louisiana, Mississippi, Movies, Politics, Station Casinos, Technology, The Strip | 4 Comments

Case Bets: Singapore; Reid vs. tribes; Lady Luck, Take 3; Mob war, etc.

Posted on May 26, 2010 by David McKee

Tourism to Singapore jumped 20% last month, surpassing expectations. Resorts World Sentosa and — no surprise — the opening of Marina Bay Sands are credited for the success. Another stumbling block has arisen to the casino market in Massachusetts. A … Continue reading →

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Archon Corp., Downtown, Genting, Harrah's, Harry Reid, Massachusetts, Movies, Oklahoma, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Singapore, Slot routes, Taxes, The Mob, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation, Tribal | 6 Comments

Good grief!

Posted on May 20, 2010 by David McKee

Some day, in the not-so-distant future, MILF-y Archon Corp. underboss Sue Lowden may make a distinguished addition to the U.S. Senate. As the secretary-treasurer of a casino company (one that aspires to build a sports arena on the Strip), she’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Election, Harrah's, Politics, Sports, The Strip, Transportation | 4 Comments

Paging Gary Loveman …

Posted on May 19, 2010 by David McKee

When it comes to bankruptcy, the Fertitta Brothers are pikers compared to magician Steve Wyrick, whose eponymous “entertainment complex” went “Poof!” last Dec. 10. At the time, Wyrick harangued LVA for announcing the closure, saying his return was imminent. We’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Archon Corp., Current, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Macau, Maryland, MGM Mirage, Pennsylvania, Planet Hollywood, Regulation, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, The Mob, The Strip, Wall Street | Comments Off on Paging Gary Loveman …

More political football at CityCenter

Posted on May 18, 2010 by David McKee

Due to the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s bizarre campaign to secede from the Internet, we dare not even link to an excellent Howard Stutz rundown of MGM Mirage‘s attempt to gain the high ground in the fractious “Who screwed up CityCenter” … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Archon Corp., Boyd Gaming, CityCenter, Current, Economy, Election, Harry Reid, Labor, MGM Mirage, Midnight Jim Gibbons, Movies, Politics, Problem gambling, Regulation, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Transportation | 1 Comment