Today’s column was a fun one to write. It started out as a simple look back at the 90th anniversary of Nevada getting gaming back, but turned into an exploration of alternate history. Today marks the anniversary of what might be the most consequential event in American gambling history: the relegalization of commercial gaming in […]
Nevada gaming turns 90 – CDC Gaming Reports Read More »
CDC GamingI’m getting back into short-form writing! Here’s a quick commentary I wrote about the nature of change in the casino business for CDC Gaming Reports: There has been a great deal of change in the news lately for the gaming world. After more than a decade as head of MGM Resorts, Jim Murren is stepping
Why change in the gaming industry should never surprise anyone – CDC Gaming Reports Read More »
CDC GamingMy latest Forbes post examines the significance of Nevada’s third quarter gaming results. Fascinating stuff, to be sure: The September disappointment caps a challenging quarter during which net gaming win decreased by over seven percent. Considering that, in their second quarter conference calls, casino executives were apologetic over a quarter that actually saw a nearly
Las Vegas Casinos Are Worried The Worst Is Yet To Come | Forbes Read More »
forbesIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at the CEO transition at Scientific Games: In a move with big repercussions for the gaming industry, manufacturing giant Scientific Games recently announced that its chief executive officer, Gavin Issacs, is being replaced by former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan. This is a major transition
CEO Shuffle at Scientific Games – Vegas Seven Read More »
Two Way Hard Three
Today I’ve added three excerpts from Roll the Bones to the site to give you a little flavor of the book if you haven’t picked up a copy already. Enjoy!
This is the introductory overview to the book, giving an idea of its scope—and the changes in the Casino Edition.
This excerpt, from chapter 10, “A Place in the Sun,” explains how the Mob carved out influence on the Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s and 1960s, and why it was so dominant.
The opening pages of chapter 12, “America’s Playground…Again” discuss the rebirth and rise to (brief) dominance of Atlantic City’s casinos in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
To learn where you can buy Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling, please visit here.
Three excerpts from Roll the Bones Read More »
atlantic city, author, gambling & culture, life in vegasIn this week’s Las Vegas Business Press, I look back at 2011, trying to see what the big lessons are: Closing the book on 2011 in the Las Vegas casino scene, one word comes to mind: paradox. There wasnt a clear trend leading us either into a more prosperous future or into the muck of
2011 Wrap-Up in the LVBP Read More »
Las Vegas Business PressInteresting 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 gamblingA 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 gamblingHere’s some breaking news: things don’t look so hot for 2010, at least if you’re in the casino business. From the LVRJ: The impact the recession had on the casino industry in 2009 has not been completely accounted for, but by all measures the year will go down as the worst on record. Through October,
Because we can’t wait for the future, everyone wants to know what’s going to happen. Spectrum Gaming has a 21-point list of what to expect, but I’ll give you my own views, focusing mostly on Las Vegas. This is all with the caveat that, as I often say, “my work is not predictive.” That’s just
Room rates, 2009, and the future Read More »
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