Analysts have long speculated about the coexistence of online poker and live casino poker rooms in Nevada. The recent World Series of Poker at the Rio showed the marriage might last. In June, Nevada’s three online poker websites — WSOP.com,… [continue reading]

With six months on the books, the investment community have a clear picture of the casino industry in 2014. Las Vegas is on an upswing. Gaming revenues have jumped more than 5 percent over the last three months and the… [continue reading]

The $6.4 billion acquisition of slot machine manufacturer International Game Technology by lottery provider GTECH shouldn’t have surprised anyone in gaming. A deal between the two industry giants almost happened 14 years ago, albeit with different corporate players and under… [continue reading]

The 160,000-square-foot North Las Vegas warehouse and headquarters of Nevada Restaurant Services — parent company of the Dotty’s chain of taverns — is a cross between Costco, Home Depot, a slot machine manufacturing plant and a direct-mail house. Everything making… [continue reading]

A hedge fund that owns 4.5 percent of Pinnacle Entertainment reiterated its call that the regional casino operator split the company to include a real estate investment trust. Orange Capital, LLC, a New York-based investment firm, believes Pinnacle’s share price… [continue reading]

Our industry puts tremendous resources behind educating patrons and employees about responsible gaming and recognizing the signs of a gambling disorder. This year, we’ve integrated Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW) into our broader “Get to Know Gaming” public affairs campaign… [continue reading]

A regulatory mandate that Nevada gaming license holders stay away from the state’s neophyte medical marijuana business could be challenged again Thursday at the Nevada Gaming Commission. But the outcome is inevitable. The Gaming Control Board’s May 6 industry notice… [continue reading]

One of the most recognized gamblers in popular American history died Saturday, and the keepers of the Strip didn’t even bother to dim the lights. Although he never won a World Series of Poker bracelet or a $1 million jackpot,… [continue reading]

The idea of a full-scale smoking ban in Nevada casinos seems out of place. The “No Smoking” concept doesn’t fit the Strip’s “do anything” reputation. Of the 23 states with commercial casinos, 18 outlaw smoking in casinos. In Nevada, a… [continue reading]

Living in Nevada, it’s sometimes easy to forget how large a role the gambling industry plays in civic affairs. After all, we’re used to casinos running the show. In fact, during the last session of the Legislature, one lobbyist allowed… [continue reading]

“Head north to find the action” may soon be the new creed of Las Vegas tourism, but does the north end of the strip actually have the potential to become the new south? Considering the explosion of new projects and… [continue reading]

In the three U.S. states where it’s legal, there’s been no bonanza yet—and no big scandal either.

Baseball, which evolved in the U.S. Northeast around the same time poker was emerging along the lower Mississippi, is now played in dozens of countries, and most of its best players are from Latin America. Basketball, our other 19th-century sport,… [continue reading]

The damage to Atlantic City associated with Superstorm Sandy in 2012 amounted to a few broken windows compared to the economic tornado tearing through the Boardwalk this year. Four casinos could be closed by fall, displacing more than 8,000 workers… [continue reading]

As he had early on, Zach Jiganti, an up-and-coming poker savant, dominated his table pretty much from noon to midnight on Day Three and most of Day Four of the World Series of Poker’s Main Event. In one hand, he… [continue reading]

Over the past several decades, casinos have proven to be powerful economic engines in communities from coast to coast. Because of our many contributions, Americans today view gaming more favorably than ever before. But like most businesses, casinos operate in… [continue reading]

Isle of Capri Casinos may have answered questions of whether or not the regional casino operator was for sale. On Thursday the St. Louis-based company announced a management shake-up at the corporate level, eliminating the executive chairman role with the… [continue reading]

Writers worry about transitions all the time. We want to find the most seamless — or arrestingly abrupt — move from Point A to Point B, from a summary of the myriad events at a massive poker tournament, say, to… [continue reading]

As this summer’s final World Series of Poker event heads into Day Three, there have been more than a few remarkable developments. The 65 tournaments drew a record 82,360 entries, generating the largest total prize pool in history: $225,584,873. At… [continue reading]

International Game Technology is the most prominent gaming company with a “For Sale” sign planted in the front yard. But the slot machine giant is not alone. For the first time since the recession dried up credit markets and brought… [continue reading]

On June 1st, Harrah’s Casino Tunica closed its doors for good. Harrah’s shocked the Mississippi Gaming Commission and many others with the announcement it would close its Harrah’s Tunica. The company said there are too many casinos in Tunica for… [continue reading]

Pity the parents of Xiao Cai, a young woman from Wuxi, China, who lost the equivalent of $161 betting on World Cup matches. When her folks refused to cover the losses, she fled to Shanghai and — pretending to be… [continue reading]

The Graton Resort near Santa Rosa, Calif., has not yet celebrated its first anniversary. But one analyst hinted recently the Indian casino — which was built by Station Casinos and is being operated by the locals gaming giant — is… [continue reading]

Don’t say “sayonara” to casinos in Japan quite yet. Japanese lawmakers are just taking a summer break. The country’s prime minister even said he’ll push for casino legalization when the Diet, Japan’s national legislature, returns for a special session in… [continue reading]

By around 7:20 Tuesday night, only two remained of the 42 players who entered the Big One for One Drop — the three-day, $42 million charitable poker tournament that requires a $1 million buy-in. Dan Colman, a quiet 23-year-old online… [continue reading]

I recently visited a number of casinos in Asia, where I had the opportunity to learn more about the cash-incentives they give to their baccarat high-rollers. Many casinos use some variation of a “rolling chip” program. These programs rebate a… [continue reading]

At this summer’s World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, players can test their skills in 16 modern variants of our 200-year-old national card game. These include badugi, badeucy, seven-card stud, deuce-to-seven triple draw, pot-limit Omaha high-low-split eight-or-better, and even… [continue reading]

As he was exiting the Sawyer Building’s second-floor hearing room following a Nevada Gaming Commission monthly meeting, Chairman Peter Bernhard was complimented by a state gaming enforcement agent on his handling of individuals and companies seeking licensing approval. Whether it… [continue reading]

A small and relatively insignificant news item caught my eye recently. In the report, the Golden Nugget Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana is postponing its opening for nearly six months. I don’t really understand the reason, but in part it… [continue reading]

The pool season is well underway, and day club pool parties are experiencing record throngs – thongs from younger residents and tourists alike. Pools were always considered a resort amenity but now are viewed as a significant daytime entertainment attraction,… [continue reading]

Its 4:00 a.m. in the morning – Cleveland time. I’m in my middle of my morning CDC newsroom editing chores (albeit a little early, but I am on a new training regimen that has thrown my sleep schedule way off.)… [continue reading]

More than 40 people have paid $1 million apiece to play in an unusual poker tournament this weekend. Its buy-in is 100 times that of the World Series of Poker’s Main Event. Its first prize could approach $20 million. And… [continue reading]

As investors place bets on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s program for economic growth, the success of Japan’s revival plans may rest, oddly enough, on casinos. For more than a decade now, Las Vegas Sands chief Sheldon Adelson and his counterparts… [continue reading]

The last time Macau’s casino industry experienced a monthly gaming revenue decline, the Los Angeles Lakers won their 16th National Basketball Association championship and the Los Angeles Kings were National Hockey League doormats. Fortunes can change quickly in both sports… [continue reading]

Casino gaming is a mature industry, long past its youth. The last members of its pioneering generation are disappearing all too quickly. In the last few weeks, six people who were part of the foundation of casino gaming died. Four… [continue reading]

The relationship between medical marijuana and the gaming industry just won’t go up in smoke. Consider these recent events: ■ Three of the 18 medical marijuana dispensary permits awarded in Clark County are tied to someone in gaming despite admonishments from… [continue reading]

Howard Simpson, my best friend at Babson College, was one-year ahead of me, several years older (he did a tour in Vietnam before starting college), and from a different social background. He approached me after he had been elected student… [continue reading]

In the good ol’ days, casinos rewarded players mostly with comps, but sometimes with hard cash. We loved cash rewards, which we could put in our pocket and walk out of the casino with. No matter how much we had… [continue reading]

TUNICA RESORTS, Miss. (AP) – As Tunica grapples with the Harrah’s closure, the state of Mississippi hasn’t acted to support the industry. But there are proposals under discussion that might bolster the remaining casinos and the tax revenue they produce…. [continue reading]

California is known for having high-priced beachfront real estate. But even $4.9 billion might not be enough of a payment to let a Canadian gaming company settle into the neighborhood. Montreal-based Amaya Gaming Group Inc.’s agreement last week to acquire… [continue reading]

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has found MGM suitable to operate a casino in Springfield. The chairman of the commission, Stephen Crosby declared the MGM proposal to be a “genuinely ambitious and unusual effort.” It has only taken three years for… [continue reading]

It’s a good thing John Vandemore spent several years as the chief financial officer for Imagineering, the theme park development arm for the Walt Disney Co. His tenure as CFO of International Game Technology has been one roller coaster ride… [continue reading]

Lawmakers spent all of 15 seconds discussing technology at the final three-hour session of the Committee to Conduct an Interim Study Concerning the Impact of Technology Upon Gaming. The panel’s focus over four meetings seemed to be a renewed effort… [continue reading]

PokerStars’ decision, this week, to sell itself to Amaya Gaming, a nondescript Canadian company, for $4.9 billion, shows that the firm accepted the reality that it was widely viewed by U.S. regulators as damaged goods, and that it faced an… [continue reading]

BALTIMORE — If General Manager Chad Barnhill needs a case study to follow when the $442 million Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opens this summer, he can look a few states to the west. In the past two years, Caesars Entertainment Corp.,… [continue reading]

The high-end gamblers who frequent Macau’s ultraritzy private gaming rooms are more interested in whether Cristiano Ronaldo can lead Portugal into the World Cup finals than knowing the next card to come out of the dealing shoe. Maybe it has… [continue reading]

Michigan vs Bay Mills Indian Community is a lawsuit by the state of Michigan to close an off-reservation Indian casino. On May 27, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Tribe. This is a win for the… [continue reading]

Dear Gaming Colleagues, Voters across the political spectrum view casino gaming more favorably than ever before, and the vast majority recognizes that casinos create jobs, strengthen communities and support local businesses, according to the results of a national survey that… [continue reading]

For the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, it’s all about the research. It’s something that President and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter has driven into the culture of the organization that markets and promotes Southern Nevada to the world. Should Las… [continue reading]

It is an old cliché that change is the only constant and that is definitely true in business. Fads come and go; customers’ ages, interests, preferences and habits are always in flux and businesses must adapt. In my mind, no… [continue reading]

The nearly empty poker room tells the story. Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is feeling the brunt of neighboring Maryland’s gaming expansion, even though the state’s two newest casinos have yet to open. In summer 2013,… [continue reading]

Casino management and marketers know the value of offering free entertainment, either as an attraction or a perk. Free entertainment can be exterior – augmenting a venue’s theme for potential customers, or interior – sustaining customer interest and increasing onsite… [continue reading]

There was never going to be a strike by downtown Las Vegas hotel workers. Despite the headlines and saber rattling, the leadership of Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 wasn’t going to force union members to walk-off their jobs… [continue reading]

Sports Betting in the U.S. Part 2: Public Policy Issues Note: Part 1, Legality, was published previously. The legislative history of the Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) shows the law’s three basic goals: (1) to stop the… [continue reading]

Legalizing online gaming is one of the major issues of the gaming industry. Over the last few years there have been wide swings in the fortunes of online gambling in the U. S. When the feds jumped on the online… [continue reading]

One question about the big Carl Icahn golf insider-trading investigation is, who leaked it to the press, and why? My initial assumption was that the government leaked it, to try to shake loose some information after coming to a series… [continue reading]

On May 19th, New Jersey state senator Ray Lesniak announced that he was preparing a bill to allow sports betting at the state’s racetracks and casinos, in spite of the fact that it is not technically legal and could not… [continue reading]

Come October, Macau’s casinos won’t smell the same. The special administrative region government last month told its resort operators that smoking will be banned on mass-market gaming floors starting Oct. 6. Here’s the surprise: Macau’s six casino operators — including… [continue reading]

More than 40 AGA member professionals from government affairs, communications, public affairs and compliance joined us in Washington yesterday for an effective and productive Government Affairs Fly-In event. This effort aligns with the AGA’s Strategic Plan, particularly the priority to connect… [continue reading]

MGM Resorts International supports the legalization of online wagering in the U.S. The casino giant holds an interactive gaming license in Nevada. But the company’s Internet presence is devoted to a free-to-play casino site that allows customers of its M… [continue reading]

Over the past several weeks, most regional gaming companies have reported their first quarter results. The following quote could have been pulled from any number of releases: “Our first quarter 2014 performance was impacted by unusually extreme weather conditions across… [continue reading]

Save for a few small companies, Wall Street has thrown in the towel on slot machine manufacturers for 2014. Without new hotel-casino openings (other than The Cromwell and SLS Las Vegas) and a slot machine replacement market that analysts term… [continue reading]

Last Wednesday the following story appeared in the Wall Street Journal: Online Gambling Suffers Setback – American Gaming Association Withdraws Support, Citing Differences of Opinion. During a WSJ interview (at G2E Asia) Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the AGA,… [continue reading]

There has not been much good news for the casino industry lately and sometimes even the good news is not really good. For example, two jurisdictions reported an increase in gaming revenues in April. Atlantic City reported an increase in… [continue reading]

Chad Barnhill carefully maneuvered visitors through an active construction site Monday that is quickly becoming the $442 million Horseshoe Casino Baltimore. He paused in front of floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor. In clear view was M&T Bank Stadium, home… [continue reading]

Just as the recession began to grip Las Vegas in 2008, gaming executive Terry Lanni made a prediction. During an interview at his offices in the Bellagio, Lanni said a Las Vegas market recovery was not going to be like… [continue reading]

AGA’s upcoming event G2E Asia, held in partnership with Reed Exhibitions, has grown rapidly in just the past few years, mirroring the growth of the Asian gaming market. AGA is proud of the value that this show provides to gaming… [continue reading]

The Beatles broke up in 1970. Only two of the original band members are still living, and occasionally recording and touring. The band is considered to be a 1960’s phenomenon, yet its music and personalities enjoy widespread, loyal fan support… [continue reading]

Anytime the investment community gets downwind of a potential hiccup in the Macau gaming market, a slash-and-burn mentality sets in. The victims are often MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. The Las Vegas-based companies have… [continue reading]

A week or two ago, it seemed as if Massachusetts had settled down and the casino licensing process was becoming something close to normal. But last week, the Massachusetts process erupted into a circus-like atmosphere. A circus is probably a… [continue reading]

When MGM Resorts International announced plans in 2013 to rebrand The Hotel into Delano Las Vegas, company officials said the 11-year-old property would be given a new look from top to bottom. Details of the $80 million renovation were announced… [continue reading]

Where exactly is the line between sports gambling and fantasy sports contests? While it must exist, no one seems to be able to pin it down. Last week, Intrade, a popular but controversial website that formerly offered wagering on everything… [continue reading]

The investment community long has expressed concern over the growing debt that weighs down many casino companies, most notably the $21 billion anchor around the neck of Caesars Entertainment Corp. Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Andrew Zarnett in April told investors… [continue reading]

Blackjack, as a casino game, is an endangered species to my way of thinking. Not everyone will agree with me, but they will agree that blackjack has had a bad week. On April 29, a very high profile Hollywood actor… [continue reading]

The next phase of Las Vegas starts today in, of all places, the Sawyer Building. Nearly a dozen representatives and executives from Genting Berhad, the Malaysia-based company that acquired the unfinished Echelon project on the Strip for $350 million 14… [continue reading]

Should an economic collapse ever ruin the U.S. dollar, you could still shop for your cataclysmic needs at the Zombie Apocalypse Store. Behind the door protected by wrought-iron bars and near a couple of machetes, black and orange signs read:… [continue reading]

Remember the photo from the 2012 Summer Olympics of U.S. gymnast McKayla Maroney, standing on the medal podium after taking silver in the vault finals, arms crossed, lips pursed to the side, with a look of disappointment? The image became… [continue reading]

Somehow, “What happens in Crimea, stays in Crimea,” doesn’t seem like an appropriate catchphrase. In April, a month after Russia forcibly annexed the Black Sea peninsula away from Ukraine, President Valdimir Putin said he wants to turn the territory into… [continue reading]

Neighborhood gambling giant Station Casinos hasn’t been shy about criticizing the Dotty’s chain. According to Station, Dotty’s doesn’t follow the law, blurs the lines between regular casinos and taverns and preys on legitimate gambling businesses. So it might come as… [continue reading]

Last week I had dinner with CDC Publisher Jeffrey Compton at the flagship restaurant at the El Cortez called Flame. (Note – Jeff has had a long-time professional relationship with the El Cortez.) I had never been to the El… [continue reading]

Everything is constantly changing. Business, like all aspects of society, is dynamic and in a constant state of flux. The problem is not to understand change, but to anticipate the nature of the change. It is no secret that I… [continue reading]

There is a reason analysts spent about 40 minutes questioning Las Vegas Sands Corp. officials last week about the company’s over-the-top results in Macau. It has to do with Confucius. During a conference call to discuss Las Vegas Sands’ first-quarter… [continue reading]

In every gaming jurisdiction experiencing a long-term decline in revenues, casinos are being forced to cut expenses and restructure. The way a casino approaches the problem differs according to the management, location and conditions that created the problem, but there… [continue reading]

About two weeks ago a news tornado blew through the casinosphere, when the Borgata Casino filed a federal suit against Phil Ivey, seeking to recoup $9.6 million that Ivey won playing baccarat in 2012. In case you don’t know the… [continue reading]

  By now, everyone has read the stories of gaming communities struggling under the weight of the Great Recession and increased competition. The economy is improving, so gaming’s struggles must be related to competition, right? Economic downturns affect every business,… [continue reading]

Apparently, the only folks making money from the U.S.’s fledgling Internet gaming market are lobbyists. That won’t change anytime soon. Bills for and against Internet gaming continue to surface in statehouses and Congress, which means more billable hours for the… [continue reading]

Haggling over legislation to bring a casino to Chicago has become a springtime ritual. This time around, state Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, has dealt out two new amendments that just might get the job done. To our way of… [continue reading]

Like much of Nevada, the casino industry is grappling with issues surrounding medical marijuana. So much so that gaming companies and regulators have had little to say publicly about doctor-prescribed pot. Medical marijuana has been legal in Nevada since 2000,… [continue reading]

In Chicago, Illinois on April 16th, the state gaming commission held a hearing on two proposed casino expansion bills. One would allow for an additional casino in Chicago with up to 10,000 gaming positions; the other bill proposal would authorize… [continue reading]

Gaming industry set to create thousands of jobs, help small businesses and support public services in the Commonwealth. Washington — American Gaming Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement after Massachusetts Attorney General candidate Maura Healey announced her… [continue reading]

“Big Luther,” Alabama’s hyper-ambitious Attorney General Luther Strange, had been warned more than once. This page warned him. Other commentators warned him. If he had bothered to ask, members of the Alabama Bar Association most assuredly would have warned him,… [continue reading]

While the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down limits on individual political donors captured the headlines last Wednesday, a new law signed by President Obama on the next day will also increase the political system’s reliance on wealthy donors. Known… [continue reading]

Winter’s long grip on the Midwest and other parts of the U.S. is finally subsiding. But even as the snow melts, regional gaming operators might have to wait for their bottom lines to warm up. Weather issues kept casino patrons… [continue reading]

Word that the U.S. Treasury Department may soon require the casino industry to report the source of gambling funds used by their big spending high-rollers sent a few shock waves through corporate offices. It wasn’t so much a rumble as… [continue reading]

In early 2011, Don Johnson won more than $15 million playing blackjack at Atlantic City. Before he began, he negotiated a number of perks that moved the edge squarely to his side. The most valuable was a 20% rebate on… [continue reading]

The next big thing is coming, Las Vegas. At least, that’s what nightlife guru Jon Taffer said while getting ready for his annual Nightclub & Bar Show to open in late March. During an interview with the Las Vegas Business… [continue reading]

Gambling in England is not like it is in the United States. American gaming is governed by individual states and not by federal regulation, while gambling in England is regulated by the national government. And because of the difference, gambling… [continue reading]

The Salt River-Pima Indian Community has a real estate footprint in this city, 20 minutes east of downtown Phoenix, that makes the 67-acre CityCenter look like a strip mall. The tribe has built a “cultural and entertainment destination.” There is… [continue reading]

While working on the Flash last Tuesday morning, I came upon the opinion piece “Las Vegas made a big, bad bet on casinos” – one of the nastiest anti-Las Vegas (and anti-gaming) commentaries I have read in a very long… [continue reading]

Over the course of my career, I have watched the casino industry fight and lose more than one battle with the federal government. The first battle I remember was over silver dollars; it hardly seems believable today, but at one… [continue reading]

Las Vegas is getting smaller. That is, if you call 1,600-room and 1,100-room Strip hotels “boutique” properties. By the end of the year, Las Vegas will have about a half-dozen hotel-casinos that operators classify as “boutique,” “luxury” or “lifestyle” in… [continue reading]

The 29th Annual Nightclub and Bar Convention and Trade Show poured it on in style at the Las Vegas Convention Center. There was something for every interest and beyond. Jon Taffer, Executive Producer and Star of Spike TV’s popular show… [continue reading]

ou have to hand it to online gaming giant PokerStars. Despite setback after setback, the Europe-based company won’t give up on its quixotic quest to break into the fledgling U.S. Internet gaming market. After failing in Nevada and New Jersey,… [continue reading]

Over the past month I have been reading negative articles about Ohio casinos, specifically about the distribution of casino tax dollars to local school systems. Counting on casino revenue? Local governments told it’s risky Casinos fall short of vows to… [continue reading]

Massachusetts came late to the gambling game. Actually, Massachusetts is not quite there yet; it is still in the process of getting into the game. The fact that Massachusetts is so late entering into casino gaming might lead one to… [continue reading]

There is a target on the back of slot machine manufacturer International Game Technology. Despite first-quarter results that were well received by investors, at least two analysts raised concerns in recent weeks that IGT could be bleeding away slot machine… [continue reading]

Back in 1995, the news crew of 48 Hours followed Brad and me around Las Vegas, filming as we played video poker and reaped comps. On the air, Dan Rather dubbed me the “Queen of Comps”. By then I had… [continue reading]

Million-dollar fines for violating Nevada gaming law used to be rare. But in the past 15 months, state casino regulators have accepted three separate seven-figure payments from gaming companies to settle Gaming Control Board disciplinary complaints. That’s the same number… [continue reading]

Last week I ended my column on senior gaming with “I do admit to being concerned that nearly half the casino visitors in 2012 are over age 50. I’m not concerned for the visitors, but for the casinos and the… [continue reading]

It is never easy to understand a complicated issue and the gaming industry in the 21st century has certainly become complicated and confusing, at least for me.  To help myself understand gaming and other things I put Adams Daily Report… [continue reading]

It’s been eight years since Macau surpassed the Strip in annual gaming revenue. So it makes sense that the region — the only location in China with casinos — is creating more gaming industry billionaires than Las Vegas. The recently… [continue reading]

New visitors to the El Cortez some years ago would have been forgiven for failing to spot the owner of the downtown casino. He wasn’t a fresh-faced CEO or a consummate corporate type with an MBA. On the contrary. He… [continue reading]

A New York-based hedge fund acquired a 5 percent ownership stake in Boyd Gaming Corp. last week and immediately fueled rampant speculation in the investment community. Scenarios ranged from a corporate takeover to moving the company’s casinos into a real… [continue reading]

Earlier this week the Concord Monitor ran a column by Paul Davis, an anti-gaming advocate at the Institute for American Values, entitled “My turn: Casinos prey on elderly residents”. The column discussed an elderly New Hampshire widow who moved to… [continue reading]

Holders of music, film and television copyrights are on the verge of becoming victims of US prohibitions on online play. After a decade-long trade dispute over remote online gaming, the small Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is now planning… [continue reading]

Since their public opening at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino early last January I had been reading and hearing a variety of reviews about Jeff Beacher’s Madhouse so I finally decided to purchase my general admission ticket online and… [continue reading]

Nothing is simple when it comes to Caesars Entertainment Corp. Take last week’s announcement that the company is selling four casinos to its Caesars Growth Partners subsidiary for $2.2 billion. Some analysts worried the deal would diminish the parent company’s… [continue reading]

Indian gaming is twenty-six years old and for all of that time, its existence has been contentious. That is not surprising as the entire history of Indian tribes with the federal and state governments has been contentious. Popular myth tells… [continue reading]

In 1994, one evening and late into the night during the annual gaming show, I was walking the floor of the MGM Grand.  I was tired and wanted to go to bed, but could not resist exploring just one more… [continue reading]

MGM Resorts International is showing investors what a 51 percent ownership stake in its publicly traded Chinese subsidiary means financially to the casino operator’s business back home. At least $320 million this month alone. The figure is MGM Resorts’ share… [continue reading]

Florida is back in play, but no one really seems to care. Last month, legislation was unveiled that could bring Las Vegas-style casinos to South Florida — one each for Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Local voters in both communities would… [continue reading]

On February 25th, voters in Revere approved Mohegan Sun’s plan to build a $1.3 billion resort at Suffolk Downs.  Voter approval is one of the most important steps in the Massachusetts casino license process and this vote is particularly important. … [continue reading]

(Bloomberg) — The first thing to point out about the meltdown of the Mt. Gox Bitcoin exchange is that this is hardly the first time that massive amounts of currency have been stolen, or that a financial firm has shut… [continue reading]

The run-up to the Kentucky Derby 2014, which is on the 4th of May this year, began on Saturday the 2nd of February with the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans and the Fountain of Youth Stakes… [continue reading]

The nation faces a dangerously seductive form of gambling, as cross-border, high tech telecommunications networks threaten to siphon money out of homes across the country. The problem is getting worse, and the states, with the constitutional mandate to regulate gambling… [continue reading]

Lost in the heated rhetoric over the expansion of Internet gaming is a harsh reality. Legal online wagering has not been the financial windfall many analysts predicted. Initial returns from the three states that enacted Internet gambling laws are not… [continue reading]

In his recent commentary Is the Internet Ready for Casino Gambling?, my colleague Ken Adams discussed the recent history of Internet Gaming. He also discussed recent incidents of Internet hacking, primarily to the Las Vegas Sands website but also to… [continue reading]

The internet gambling story gets more interesting by the day.  For the last few years, internet gambling has been mostly a side story.  It was important, but not a dynamic story; not much happened from day to day or even… [continue reading]

As I write this column the Las Vegas Sands website has been down for six days. Over those days a plethora of ideas has gone through my head – plus some decisions about emergency planning for my very small business…. [continue reading]

If there’s one thing we learned from last week’s telephone press conference by the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling it’s that all five speakers “were honored” to be on the 45-minute call. They said so, several times. That, and Internet… [continue reading]

It has been a really cold winter this year and the weather is affecting gaming revenues all over the country.  Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri, New York and Indiana all reported lower year-over-year gaming revenues in January and each blamed the cold… [continue reading]

Patricia Becker holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve on the Nevada Gaming Control Board. She’s actually the only woman to ever hold a seat on the regulatory panel. Twenty years have passed since then-Gov. Richard Bryan… [continue reading]

The gaming debate is back on in Florida; it debate took a two year hiatus.  It is about time it came back, we need something exciting to follow.  For far too long, Massachusetts has dominated the expansion narrative in the… [continue reading]

Monday was the busiest day in the history of the CDC Gaming Reports website. Fueled by interest in the Super Bowl over 1,400 people visited the site – with over 2,300 page views. However it was two other stories that… [continue reading]

MACAU (AP) – In a scene from the James Bond movie “Skyfall,” the British superspy arrives in Macau aboard a small raft that glides under an arched bridge, past hundreds of floating paper lanterns and through an illuminated dragon head… [continue reading]

Did you seriously think Las Vegas was going to lose the National Finals Rodeo to Orlando, Fla., or Dallas? After six weeks of back-and-forth rhetoric, a new 10-year agreement was announced Jan. 24 to keep the NFR in Las Vegas… [continue reading]

The European Casino Association (ECA) represents the interests of approximately 800 companies operating in 23 EU countries, with more than 55,000 employees. In November 2013, ECA issued its first comprehensive report on the casino industry in Europe, using information provided… [continue reading]

In the 21st century, poker has become big business.  It is played online, in casinos and in free standing poker rooms.  Poker has been played in this country for a very long time. Poker has had a checkered past; it… [continue reading]

Impact is one of my favorite typefaces – because it delivers on its promise – it has an instant impact on the reader.  But Impact is fast becoming much more than a typeface for me.  Impact is becoming the dominant… [continue reading]

New casino development in Las Vegas is on lockdown. Gaming expansion into states beyond recently approved markets is virtually nonexistent. Those are two reasons regional casino giant and M Resort owner Penn National Gaming struck a deal with a San… [continue reading]

In recent months CDC Gaming Reports has run several news stories and one commentary expressing the fear that a casino expansion could hurt a region’s performing arts. Since I have a personal and professional interest in both gaming and the… [continue reading]

It’s game on, Japan. Word leaked out this past week that two Nevada casino companies have made inroads with Japanese officials to build a nearly $5 billion hotel-casino in Osaka. Now other gaming operators have their corporate jets pointed toward… [continue reading]

There are undoubtedly cities in New York that can benefit from a casino.  Saratoga Springs, however, is not one of them. In 2013, the State of New York decided that a quick way to fill its fiscal coffers was to… [continue reading]

It is budget time in New York and gaming is in the budget.  Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposal anticipates casinos opening by January of 2015.  There is no time to waste, the state needs the tax money those casinos will… [continue reading]

I am 59 years old today – and could not be more thrilled. And in six months I expect to be telling folks that I am “going on 60” because I like the sound of that. I have never been… [continue reading]

There is a reason officials from CG Technology (formerly Cantor Gaming) said they were “glad to have reached a resolution” with Nevada gaming regulators and will pay the largest fine ever leveled against a casino or affiliated company. The Las… [continue reading]

It is being reported that HBO has decided to stop producing Boardwalk Empire after its fifth season.  The HBO series was based the book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson.  It is… [continue reading]

The collegiality developed within the gaming industry as casino companies weathered the economic downturn has evaporated. Opposing opinions are healthy to any debate, especially when the topics include casino expansion into new markets and the potential state-by-state rollout of Internet… [continue reading]

How cold was it? It was cold enough for two casinos to close; that is the good news.  The bad news is worse; casino revenues in December dropped faster than the temperatures in January.  As everyone in the world knows,… [continue reading]

In a recent research note, J.P. Morgan gaming analyst Joe Greff said MGM Resorts International offers “fresh ideas” for stock investors exploring their options in the new year. And that was before the casino company cleared several giant hurdles in… [continue reading]

Sheldon Adelson is not the most popular person in the industry.  He is said to be a very harsh manager, a very demanding negotiator and very critical of his competitors – but with his very high profile he is difficult… [continue reading]

Both personally and professionally, I am happy to look back on 2013 as a very good year, and look forward to a better one in 2014. This year CDC Gaming Reports increased our website traffic by 325%, continued our collaboration… [continue reading]

Last week, in a widely anticipated decision, Maryland authorities awarded MGM Resorts the state’s sixth and final casino license. MGM will use that to build a massive Vegas-style facility at National Harbor, just south of Washington, DC. While the decision… [continue reading]

In the last twenty-five years, many states have discovered that when properly managed legalized gambling can be a golden egg laying goose.  The states have had many options from which to choose: lotteries, casinos, slot machines, poker, sports betting, bingo,… [continue reading]

Rather than having only International Game Technology executives tout the company’s products to the investment community, the company put its customers on the hot seat. The move could have backfired. But it didn’t. Several analysts attending IGT’s annual Investor Day… [continue reading]

If you haven’t heard some version of this as a joke, you probably will:  “How sad, I will not get a billion dollars for Christmas this year or even half a billion.  I had my hopes; I owned 50 percent… [continue reading]

One of the ways we measure the health of the casino industry and track its trends is with the monthly casino/gaming revenue; each state with casinos releases the monthly revenue numbers separately and in different formats.  The state reports paint… [continue reading]

I ‘ve always received straight A’s in history, but for some reason could barely pass Geography – it has never been my topic. In last Thursday’s Flash when writing about their $28 Million expansion I accidentally moved the Oneida Casino… [continue reading]

Anyone trying decipher subliminal messages from the early November policy address by Macau’s top government official would have an easier time determining whether the Beatles were secretly telling us Paul was dead through the “Abbey Road” album cover. Both ideas… [continue reading]

In September 2013, the City Council of Venice agreed to privatize the operation of the city’s two gaming sites. The company which will run the world’s oldest casino is to selected by the end of this year, by a public… [continue reading]

It is no secret; the cat is out of the bag. Online casino gaming has officially arrived.  New Jersey’s entry into online gaming kicked off a new era for the gaming industry.  Granted, Nevada and Delaware both began online gaming… [continue reading]

It has been two years since the enabling casino gaming legislation passed in Massachusetts and nothing has happened.  That is not exactly accurate as lots has happened, but no casinos have been built. In fact none have been licensed.  The… [continue reading]

I was eight years old, in the third grade – and about to begin a rare Friday afternoon off from school, because there was teacher conferences at Adrian Elementary that day. I was playing with a friend on the third… [continue reading]