Everything about casinos, lotteries, racetracks, and other gambling businesses: news, design, and corporate intrigue.
The Casino Control Commission released the 2010 casino revenue figures today. Here’s the pdf press release if you want to take a look. For the market at large, it was close to an unmitigated disaster, with a 9.0% decline in slot revenue and 10.9% slowdown in table revenue combined to drop total casino revenues by […]
AC casinos 2010: Another bad year Read More »
atlantic city, news about gamblingThe 60 Minutes hit piece on slot machines finally came out. I’ve been hearing about this for a while, and it was actually about what I expected: We Americans spend more money on slots than on movies, baseball and theme parks combined. But with the modern slot machines, there is a greater potential for a
60 Minutes hits slots Read More »
news about gamblingProving that the system can change, as long as it’s a nonsensical change that won’t help anyone already in the market, New Jersey has approved mini-casinos for Atlantic City. From the AC Press: Gov. Chris Christie signed a law Wednesday evening allowing two smaller-size casino hotels to be licensed in Atlantic City. The pilot program,
Mini-Casinos approved in NJ Read More »
atlantic city, news about gamblingVegas Seven is back on its weekly schedule after its end-of-year double issue, which means that today you have a brand new Green Felt Journal to read. It’s about how smaller casinos competing with the New Year’s parties on the Strip: The lion’s share of that haul goes to the big Strip resorts, which host
New Year’s Off-Strip in Vegas Seven Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingInteresting column in The Economist that I don’t necessarily agree with: More important, few residents of Las Vegas would any longer agree that their city is either great or happy. Nevada has America’s highest unemployment rate. In Las Vegas, unemployment has risen more this year even as it has flattened in the rest of the
Is the party really over? Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingThis week in the Las Vegas Business Press, I finally get a chance to discuss the October Nevada gaming numbers: For both the state and the Strip, it was the third consecutive month of positive year-over-year revenue growth — as good a sign as any that, for now at least, the bleeding has stopped. At
October & the future in LVBP Read More »
Las Vegas Business Press, news about gambling, writingI missed this yesterday, but my latest Green Felt Journal column is out in Vegas Seven. It’s about some of the unusual events taking place at the Silverton: Santa is floating inside the 117,000-gallon aquarium at the Silverton Casino and Lodge, his white beard billowing as the parrot fish and stingrays glide by. He’s taking
Silverton goes off-beat in Vegas 7 Read More »
life in vegas, news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingIn my latest Las Vegas Business Press column, I talk about how the Cosmopolitan marks the beginning of an era on the Strip: With the opening of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, some observers believe we’;re seeing the end of an era. Unless the economy improves remarkably, it’;s likely the last new hotel-casino that will
Cosmopolitan will start an era in LVBP Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingI’m thrilled that two-thirds of my Cosmopolitan pre-opening trifecta are out. In today’s Vegas Seven, I’ve got two pieces about the soon-to-open casino. The first is a profile of John Unwin, the Cosmopolitan’s CEO: John Unwin’s not quite moved into his new office—the artwork’s still waiting to be hung and the shelves are mostly bare—but
Cosmopolitan coverage in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingA while back, some folks asked me what I thought the near-future held for Las Vegas gaming and tourism. After mulling over some of the LVCVA data for the past 40 years, I gave them six different scenarios. This might be nice for a wider audience, I thought. But, since I had a lot on
Projecting the future Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingWent looking for my Green Felt Journal column in the Local section of Vegas Seven’s newsroom this morning. I didn’t find it. “Well that’s not a good sign,” I thought. Then I took another look at the mouseover menu for News and saw that the Green Felt Journal now has its own dedicated section. Cool.
Five diamond party in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingFiring open the digital Las Vegas Sun today, I saw a breaking new story: New Years Eve packages for Cosmopolitan will be available for $5,600. Except that I first saw that story on vegastripping.com back on Sunday. It’s another sign to me of how the nature of news is changing: you’re just as likely to
Something for everyone Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingIn this week’s Las Vegas Business Press, I offer a long view of the Global Gaming Expo: The conference panels are finished though they have been recorded for posterity, and the last of the exhibit booths have been disassembled at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It is an appropriate time to consider how the industry
G2E evolves in the Las Vegas Business Press Read More »
Las Vegas Business Press, news about gambling, writingIt may be Thanksgiving, but it’s still Thursday, so a new Vegas Seven has hit the streets with its usual Green Felt Journal adorning the local news section. This week, I look at the mayhem that was the Global Gaming Expo, with a focus on a smaller exhibitor: The exhibitors are a diverse lot, as
Tales from G2E in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingEven though I’m having a phenomenally busy week, I can still post a link to my latest piece for Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven. It’s about the reaction at the M Resort to Penn National’s recent debt acquisition: On a recent Saturday afternoon, there was no sign that any change was imminent on the
M Resort reshuffle in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingThis week in the Las Vegas Business Press, I take a deeper look at the recent employment study I did over at UNLV: By the same token, examining the numbers isn’t just a dry exercise in statistics. It helps us understand what’s going on when people gain and lose jobs in the casino industry. And
Casino employment in LVBP Read More »
news about gambling, writingAnother Thursday, another Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven. This week, I tackle casino debt with the help of Eugene Christiansen: It’s no secret that casino companies are more debt-encumbered now than they’ve ever been. In 1990, the average big Las Vegas Strip casino (those earning more than $72 million a year in gaming revenue),
Talking Vegas debt in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingThe September gaming numbers are out, courtesy of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and I’ve got my analysis of the historical trends up over at gaming.unlv.edu. Here’s the low down: For the second straight month, Nevada gaming revenues posted a year?over?year increase, but there are still several continuing weaknesses in the overall revenue picture, and
Head-scratching September in NV Read More »
news about gamblingAs a former casino employee, smoking used to be one of my major occupational hazards, so smoking in casinos in an issue that I’ve always been interested in. On one hand, governments telling people what they can do with their time and money seems like a manifestation of the nanny state. On the other, I’d
As you might have heard, unemployment’s been on the rise in Nevada. I figured it might be a good idea to take a look at the big trends behind the numbers. So I consulted the Nevada Gaming Abstract, a great source for data. With the help of my student employee, Tracy Liao, I was able
My latest report: Casino employment Read More »
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