Category Archives: Maryland

Maryland sags; Dustup at Red Rock; Sands’ big NY play; The dangers of Fanatic-ism

Whilst 2022 may have come in like a lion for casinos, it’s going out like a lamb, despite an extra weekend day last month. Revenues in Maryland dipped 4.5% to $165 million statewide in December, still 11% better than the … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, Churchill Downs, Culinary Union, Dining, Diversity, DraftKings, Genting, Golden Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Problem gambling, Regulation, Sports betting, Station Casinos, Transportation | 2 Comments

Penn problems; Maryland sports bets boffo; Oscar pix

Regulators in Massachusetts struck an unsatisfactory compromise with Penn Entertainment. The latter’s Plainridge Park was granted a sports book license, conditional upon a suitability investigation of Barstool Sports founder—and the new face of Penn—Dave Portnoy. “We are very comfortable with … Continue reading

Posted in Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, Indiana, Kansas, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Movies, New Jersey, Ohio, Penn National, Regulation, Sports betting, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Penn problems; Maryland sports bets boffo; Oscar pix

MGM carries Maryland; Steve Wynn, racketeer?

Casino revenues in Maryland continue to trend just a bit favorably, with a 2% increase in November—mostly on the back of one casino—reaching $163.5 million overall. Cordish Cos.’ Maryland Live ceded 2% for a $57 million tally. MGM National Harbor … Continue reading

Posted in Apollo Management, Australia, Barstool Sports, Caesars Entertainment, Cordish Co., Cretins, Golden Gaming, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, North Las Vegas, Oklahoma, Penn National, Problem gambling, Real Estate, Regulation, Resorts World LV, Sexual misconduct, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Technology, Texas, The Strip, Tribal, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on MGM carries Maryland; Steve Wynn, racketeer?

MGM: Change partners and dance; 888 TKO’d

It’s Blackstone Group out, Vici Properties in at MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, as Vici exercised its option over the half (OK, 49.9%) that it didn’t already own. Blackstone is $2.8 billion richer as a result, including $700 million in … Continue reading

Posted in Alabama, Arizona, Atlantic City, Bally, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Conventions, DraftKings, Economy, Election, FanDuel, Florida, Genting, Golden Nugget, Internet gambling, Iowa, Las Vegas Raiders, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michael Gaughan, Nebraska, Politics, Puerto Rico, Racinos, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports betting, Taxes, Texas, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tourism, Tribal, Vici Properties, Virginia, Wall Street, WInd Creek | Comments Off on MGM: Change partners and dance; 888 TKO’d

Strip flattens, LV locals rebound; Hyatt’s Vegas Dream

That great Las Vegas recovery on the Strip suddenly flattened in October but new signs of vitality were evident in the local-gambler sphere. Las Vegas Strip casinos grossed $706 million, almost dead-even with the year before. Locals-derived win, meanwhile, surged … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boulder Strip, California, Chicago, Downtown, Gary Goett, International, Internet gambling, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, LVCVA, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mesquite, North Las Vegas, Resorts World LV, Sports betting, The Strip, Transportation, Warner Gaming, Wendover | Comments Off on Strip flattens, LV locals rebound; Hyatt’s Vegas Dream

Report from Chicago; Gray Lady in high dudgeon

If you have a bridge in Brooklyn or perhaps some swamp land in Florida, then Oak Street Real Estate Capital would like to hear from you. It just paid $200 million for the site of Bally’s Chicago and $300 million … Continue reading

Posted in AGA, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, California, Chicago, Diversity, DraftKings, FanDuel, GLPI, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Las Vegas Sands, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Las Vegas, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Real Estate, Regulation, Rhode Island, Sports betting, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Bread and circuses

Inflation or no, there is one quantifiable, incontestable fact about the American consumer. He or she is spending more—way more—on gambling than before Covid-19 and more than last year, when they had stimulus money to burn. So if there are … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Dan Lee, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Entertainment, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Greenwood Racing, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Jack Entertainment, Kentucky, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia | 2 Comments

MGM, Penn disappoint, Golden droops; Tilman’s gambit

Dragged down the golden albatross that is Macao, earnings of MGM Resorts International missed analysts’ projections by a whopping $1.61 per share for a 3Q22 loss of $1.39/share. More’s the pity, as MGM did so many things right. Wall Street … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Baseball, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, China, CityCenter, Conventions, Cosmopolitan, Detroit, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Full House Resorts, GLPI, Golden Gaming, Health, Illinois, Internet gambling, Iowa, Japan, Laughlin, M Resort, Macau, Maryland, Mattress Mack, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, Rush Street Gaming, Singapore, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Rio, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Caesars bares all; Midwest flattens; Adelson pledges neutrality

Landing a meeting with Caesars Entertainment CEO Tom Reeg, as well as several top execs, J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Greff didn’t hear so much as a peep about the mooted Las Vegas Strip asset sale, which he assumes is on … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Derek Stevens, DraftKings, Economy, Election, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Illinois, Indiana, Jack Entertainment, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Penn National, Sports, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Killing spree on Strip; Tilman’s newest erection revealed

Alas, today’s top story is of the “If it bleeds, it leads” variety and is written out of sheer necessity, not desire. A thirty-something Latino man, Yoni Barrios, is in custody after going on a knife-wielding spree in front of … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., CQ Holdings, Florida, Golden Gaming, Indiana, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Penn National, Sports betting, The Strip, Tilman Fertitta, Tribal, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 9 Comments

Voyage to Vegas, Part Two

Today we conclude our review of Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli‘s recent field trip to Las Vegas. We resume with Station Casinos, which seems to be accelerating its development timetable. Once it gets Durango Station up and running, it will … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Bally, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, California, Canada, Economy, Golden Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, Laughlin, Macau, Maryland, Maverick Gaming, Melco Resorts & Entertainment, MGM Resorts International, Money laundering, Nevada, Phil Ruffin, Scientific Games, Slot routes, Sports betting, Station Casinos, The Strip, TV, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments

Gaming levels off at high altitude; More Chicago shenanigans

Casino receipts are in for a quartet of states and they tell a similar tale: That gamblers are reining in their 2022 spending … but are still wagering (and losing) way more than three years ago. Hardly a picture of … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Baseball, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, DraftKings, Full House Resorts, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Iowa, Jack Entertainment, Kansas, Louisiana, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, North Las Vegas, Ohio, Penn National, Politics, Sports betting, Station Casinos, TV | 4 Comments

Sports betting doomed in California?; Much heat, light at G2E

We wouldn’t have believed it but it appears that both California sports-betting ballot initiatives could go down to defeat in November. While we favor sports betting, on principle, we don’t have a dog in this fight. Both Proposition 26 (tribal) … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Australia, Bally, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, California, Century Casinos, Economy, Election, G2E, Georgia, Golden Gaming, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, International, Japan, Law enforcement, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Politics, Regulation, Reno, Singapore, Slot routes, South Korea, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Vici Properties, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Cosmic quarter at MGM; New name, same old Penn

“No Recession yet, just all time records,” reported Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas of MGM Resorts International‘s 2Q22 earnings call. Better-than-ever Las Vegas Strip and regional revenues beat the pants off Wall Street‘s expectations, outweighing “weakness” in Macao, where gaming … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Chicago, China, Churchill Downs, Conventions, Cordish Co., Cosmopolitan, DraftKings, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Hard Rock International, history, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Law enforcement, M Resort, Macau, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Penn National, Pennsylvania, PointsBet, Scott Butera, Slot routes, Sports, Sports betting, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wyoming | 1 Comment

Vici foresees blue skies; Ruffin + Athletics?; Phil the Shill

Vici Properties is sanguine about the U.S. economy, at least as it pertains to gambling. It can afford to be. Vici owns the real estate of 11 Las Vegas Strip casinos, which are sitting pretty these days. True, Vici lost … Continue reading

Posted in Australia, Baseball, Caesars Entertainment, Canada, Colorado, Donald Trump, DraftKings, Economy, Horseracing, Marketing, Maryland, Massachusetts, Phil Ruffin, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, Star Entertainment, The Strip, Tourism, Vici Properties, Wynn Resorts | Comments Off on Vici foresees blue skies; Ruffin + Athletics?; Phil the Shill

Insolvency in Macao; Sports betting everywhere

Prior to the current Covid-19 lockdown, casinos in Macao were already engaged in a $600 million/month cash burn, thanks to the China‘s zero-tolerance policy on the disease. That will only get worse now that access to customers has been shut … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, California, China, DraftKings, Economy, Election, FanDuel, Hard Rock International, Health, history, Illinois, Macau, Maryland, Ohio, PointsBet, Regulation, Rush Street Gaming, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, Sports betting, Tourism, TV, Westgate LV | 1 Comment

Recovery slowing but still going; Singapore soars

Although gambling revenues in Maryland decelerated somewhat from May, they were still 1% higher than last June and 14% more robust than 2019’s, for a total haul of $163 million. It was basically a two-horse race, with MGM National Harbor … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Barstool Sports, BetMGM, Caesars Entertainment, China, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., Crown Resorts, DraftKings, Entertainment, FanDuel, Golden Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, Law enforcement, Macau, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Michigan, Mississippi, Penn National, Rush Street Gaming, Singapore, Sports betting, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street, Washington State, Wynn Resorts | 1 Comment

Strip carries Nevada; Atlantic City casinos play chicken

Nevada gambling revenues continued to climb in May, up 6% from last year, hitting $1.3 billion. The results were bifurcated, with tourist-dominated markets up and locals ones somewhat down. The Las Vegas Strip was the most obvious beneficiary, jumping 11.5% … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Bally, Boulder Strip, Caesars Entertainment, California, Card rooms, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Downtown, Economy, Georgia, GLPI, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Horseracing, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Law enforcement, Maryland, Mesquite, MGM Resorts International, Mississippi, Mohegan Sun, Money laundering, Nevada, North Las Vegas, Ocean Resort, Real Estate, Regulation, Reno, Rhode Island, Sports betting, The Strip, Unite-Here, Wendover | Comments Off on Strip carries Nevada; Atlantic City casinos play chicken

Maryland weaker, Illinois stronger; Mickelson in denial

Even as playing levels normalize from last year, gambling revenues continue their upward tread. Maryland, for instance, was 4% higher in May than a year ago (and 17.5% above 2019). Had there not been one fewer weekend day than in … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture, Atlantic City, Bally, Barstool Sports, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, California, Chicago, Churchill Downs, Cordish Co., DFS, DraftKings, Economy, FanDuel, Genting, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock International, Health, Illinois, Maryland, MGM Resorts International, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Penn National, Phil Ruffin, Politics, Problem gambling, Racinos, Sports, Sports betting, Taxes, Tribal, Virginia, Washington State | 1 Comment

Wynn treads water, IGT overachieves, Ohio and Missouri flatten

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain (Xi Jinping). That was the message of Wynn Resorts‘ first-quarter earnings call. Some analysts weren’t having it, with Deutsche Bank‘s Carlo Santarelli opining that Macao was “the real story.” That being … Continue reading

Posted in Bally, Boyd Gaming, Caesars Entertainment, Century Casinos, Churchill Downs, Dan Lee, Economy, Full House Resorts, Hard Rock International, Health, IGT, Illinois, International, Internet gambling, Jack Entertainment, Lotteries, Macau, Maryland, Massachusetts, MGM Resorts International, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Penn National, Real Estate, Regulation, Sports, Sports betting, The Strip, Tribal, Virginia, Wall Street, Wynn Resorts | 3 Comments