J.D. Morris

Story Archive

MGM Resorts’ Murren on prospect of charging for parking: ‘Everything’s on the table’
Friday, Oct. 30, 2015
MGM Resorts International’s chief executive does not yet know whether his company will eventually charge drivers to park near its new arena on the Strip. But he has apparently not ruled the option out. The 20,000-seat arena, developed in partnership with Anschutz Entertainment Group, is set to open next year in the area behind ...
Nevada gaming revenue up 1.5 percent in September
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
Led by a strong month in the state’s major casino markets, Nevada gaming revenue rose 1.5 percent in September, the state reported today. The Gaming Control Board said ...
MGM Resorts announces restructuring plan involving 10 properties
Daily operations won't be affected, company says
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2015
In a major corporate restructuring move aimed at strengthening its business and giving it more room to grow, MGM Resorts International today announced plans to move 10 of its properties into a new ...
Plaza to display, sell sports memorabilia from the closed Las Vegas Club
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015
The Plaza plans to open a special gallery next week filled with various sports-related items that previously decorated the shuttered Las Vegas Club. The gallery will make its public debut Tuesday night and will include hundreds of items available for purchase, the Plaza announced today. A spokeswoman for the Plaza said the gallery will be located ...
Sandoval appoints retired judge to fill Mulroy’s seat on Gaming Commission
Monday, Oct. 26, 2015
Gov. Brian Sandoval has named a retired federal judge to fill a recently vacated seat on the Nevada Gaming Commission. Sandoval’s office said he has appointed Philip Pro, a former U.S. District Court judge, to the post that ...
Wynn’s tune has changed on Macau
Monday, Oct. 26, 2015
While discussing his company’s business in Macau this month, Steve Wynn used words such as “preposterous,” “outrageous” and “ridiculous” to describe his feelings about the Chinese gambling city, and more specifically, his uncertainty about the number of table games the government would permit in his new casino. It was a far cry from ...
Penn National reports 14.5 percent revenue growth, will restate financials
Friday, Oct. 23, 2015
Penn National Gaming, the casino company that runs the Tropicana and the M Resort in Henderson, reported ...
Boyd revenue up 3.3 percent; CEO indicates no interest in fantasy sports
Friday, Oct. 23, 2015
Boyd Gaming, the casino company whose Las Vegas-area properties include Sam’s Town, the Orleans and the California, reported ...
Despite ruling, DraftKings allows some customers in Nevada to play
Monday, Oct. 19, 2015
Legal Sports Report publisher Chris Grove wrote during the weekend that, based on tests conducted by his website, Nevada customers could still play with real money on ...
What's next for DraftKings and FanDuel after Nevada gaming board's ruling?
Friday, Oct. 16, 2015
What is less clear is whether the leading fantasy sports companies will eventually find a way to return to the state after suspending operations here ...
Wynn frustrated with Macau; revenue drops 27 percent
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015
Wynn Resorts, the casino company that owns the Wynn and Encore on the Strip as well as property in Macau, reported its third quarter earnings today. CEO Steve Wynn made it clear on a conference call to discuss the quarterly earnings that ...
Nevada regulators ban unlicensed daily fantasy sports sites; FanDuel, DraftKings leave state
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015
Nevada regulators today banned providers of daily fantasy sports, a booming but controversial industry that many argue is akin to gambling, from operating in the state until ...
Author and Clinton ally says Sanders not at same level as Obama in 2008
Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015
“I think it’s a total misreading to say that she’s a Johnny-come-lately to these progressive issues,” David Brock said. “She’s got a whole record — she’s been there all along” ...
8 years after going private, Station Casinos aims to be publicly traded again
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015
The company filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding a proposed initial public offering, but it did not specify the number of shares it will ...
Riviera site to be empty lot by early 2017
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015
By early 2017, the site of the shuttered Riviera needs to be little more than a swath of land fit to host outdoor events. That’s when the area must be ready for a major construction industry trade show, Conexpo-Con/Agg, to ...
Development of skill-based games is altering casinos’ strategies
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015
The casino industry has made a conscious decision to mesh better with another type of gaming — the kind normally found closer to a coffee table than a table game. Exactly how well the industry’s skill-based gamble will pay off remains to be seen ...
Bankrupt Caesars division amends restructuring plan, seeks to extend exclusivity period
Thursday, Oct. 8, 2015
Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s main operating division has adjusted the way it intends to emerge from bankruptcy and wants to prolong its period of exclusive control over its restructuring plan by four months. The division ...
Competitive video gaming could be next step for bettors in Nevada
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015
In Nevada, gamblers can wager on a wide range of sporting events: football, boxing, horse racing and, as of earlier this year, the Olympics, to name a few. What if video games were added to that list someday? E-sports has already ...
Sam Nazarian’s SBE Entertainment will no longer manage SLS
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015
Sam Nazarian, the businessman who led the creation of SLS Las Vegas, is selling his ownership stake in the financially struggling Strip resort and his company will no longer manage the property. San Francisco-based real estate investment firm Stockbridge Capital Partners, which already owns 90 percent of the resort, is buying the 10 percent that Nazarian and ...
Look to the future: Games on display at G2E show transition to skill-based products
Friday, Oct. 2, 2015
Set against the backdrop of Nevada’s recent moves to regulate the development of skill-based slot machines, the conference’s showroom provided a window into ...
Competitive video gaming meets gambling at Global Gaming Expo
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015
An entrepreneur who runs a company that allows people to bet on video games told a casino industry audience today that he has seen firsthand its problem with attracting young gamblers. Rahul Sood, chief executive of ...
New Caesars CEO ‘shocked’ gaming industry doesn’t do more to lure Millennials
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2015
New Caesars Entertainment Corp. CEO Mark Frissora, in his most high-profile appearance since taking the helm of the casino giant, said today that casinos can do more to spur technological advancements that attract younger customers. Frissora’s comments ...
DraftKings CEO says less than 15 percent of his customers place sports bets
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015
The relationship between regulated sports wagering and the booming daily fantasy sports industry, a widely debated subject, was explored but by no means settled at ...
Illegal gambling threatens casinos, association leader says
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015
The persistence of illegal gambling in the United States is a major threat to the casino industry that must be addressed, the head of a major casino lobbying group said today. Geoff Freeman, president of the American Gaming Association ...
Beyond latest products, what to expect from this year’s Global Gaming Expo
Monday, Sept. 28, 2015
The Global Gaming Expo, an annual gathering that brings together professionals from across the industry, starts today at the Sands Expo Center. As always, expect the conference — also known as G2E — to highlight the newest games ...
Coming soon to casinos: Betting on yourself
Monday, Sept. 28, 2015
An attorney representing gaming manufacturers talks about regulating skills-based slot machines ...
Las Vegas would be better off with bigger stadium, tourism committee is told
Friday, Sept. 25, 2015
“There isn’t a city in the world that has the venues, has a system in place to do events like we do events. The only missing component is ...
Las Vegas to host general election presidential debate next year
Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015
Las Vegas will host the general election’s third and final presidential debate on Oct. 19 next year. The Commission on Presidential Debates this morning announced the cities that will host debates, just after ...
Former Nevada Congressman Horsford among two political hires by gaming association
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015
Horsford will be a strategic communications consultant for the gaming association, and his work will include helping the group’s efforts around diversity and workforce development. He was elected to represent Nevada’s 4th Congressional District in 2012 but ...
Gambler who turned $50 into $40 million added to Nevada ‘black book’
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
The famous Nevada “black book,” a list of individuals barred from entering any of the state’s casinos, has received its latest entry. The Nevada Gaming Commission approved placing the well-known gambler ...
Regulators OK $1.5 million fine against Caesars for weak anti-money-laundering procedures
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
FinCen called the resort's private salons a “blind spot” and said that even though they posed a greater risk of being used to mask the movement of illicit funds, Caesars Palace “allowed some of the most lucrative and riskiest financial transactions to go unreported.”
Gaming Commission approves regulations for skill-based slot machines
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
Nevada’s foray into skill-based slot machines took a big step forward today when state regulators gave final approval to the rules that will govern ...
Turnaround for downtown casinos: Gaming revenue up two fiscal years in a row
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015
More than a third of tourists polled in an authority survey last year said they visited downtown, up 6 percent from the year before ...
Affinity Gaming elects new board chairman
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015
Affinity Gaming, a Las Vegas-based casino company with properties in Nevada, Colorado and the Midwest, announced on Tuesday that it has elected a new board chairman. David Reganato has replaced ...
Construction of Lucky Dragon resort advancing on ‘aggressive schedule’
Friday, Sept. 11, 2015
The Lucky Dragon has progressed largely under the radar, but Penta Building Group celebrated the completion of the hotel structure Friday and offered a glimpse inside ...
Slot players hit $1 million-plus jackpots at Fiesta Henderson, Caesars Palace
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
A woman visiting the Fiesta Henderson for the first time last week hit a $1.9 million jackpot on the Zoltan’s Fortune slot machine. The ...
3 reasons why Wynn Las Vegas is a singular choice for first Democratic debate
Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015
The Wynn resort is a unique spot for Democratic presidential candidates to debate each other next month, and not just because it keeps Las Vegas in the spotlight during ...
Union criticizes Palms decision to ‘outsource’ more than 200 jobs
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015
A third party company will take over some of the food and beverage outlets at the Palms resort, a change a Las Vegas union says threatens the jobs of hundreds of people who ...
Wynn Las Vegas to host Oct. 13 Democratic debate
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015
The Wynn will host next month’s Democratic presidential debate, the resort said in a statement today. The Democratic Party had previously announced that it would host ...
Wahlburgers to open in late 2015 on the Strip
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015
The Strip is getting another big celebrity-backed restaurant later this year. Grand Bazaar Shops, the outdoor shopping area in front of Bally’s that opened this year, announced today that a Wahlburgers restaurant will open ...
Caesars Palace to pay $9.5 million in fines for money laundering violations
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2015
The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network today announced Caesars Palace will pay $8 million for “willful and repeated violations” of federal anti-money laundering law. A.G. Burnett, chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said Caesars Palace will pay the state a separate $1.5 million penalty for the same violations ...
Icon of Old Vegas will live on
Monday, Aug. 31, 2015
The Riviera has closed, but it will not be forgotten. Parts of it will remain on display elsewhere, and for now the building is still being put to use ...
Nevada gaming revenue dragged down in July by decrease in Clark County
Friday, Aug. 28, 2015
Nevada gaming revenue dropped slightly last month, led by a more significant year over year decrease in Clark County ...
Will court ruling on N.J. gaming stop spread of legal sports books? Don’t bet on it
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015
Efforts to open legal sports books outside Nevada suffered a major setback Tuesday when a federal appeals court denied New Jersey’s attempt to bring betting on athletics to its ...
Steve Wynn: From ultimate Vegas insider to outsider in Boston
Monday, Aug. 24, 2015
Casino mogul Steve Wynn, who many credit with transforming Las Vegas, has faced pushback in Massachusetts, where he plans to build a new resort. Boston and two nearby cities ...
Gaming regulators give final approval to Penn National’s purchase of Tropicana
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015
The Nevada Gaming Commission unanimously agreed that Penn National can buy the Strip resort for $360 million, which the casino company said it would do in April. The Gaming Control Board gave the sale initial approval about two weeks ago ...
Tighter slot machines might be hurting revenue, industry research suggests
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015
Casino markets in many states have tightened their slot machines over the years, and that could be hurting revenues, according to recent industry-backed research. The Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers ...
Las Vegas Club, one of downtown’s oldest casinos, closes
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015
By the time the Las Vegas Club shut down just after midnight today, there wasn’t much left to which customers and employees could say goodbye. Many parts of the historic casino had already closed ...
SLS Las Vegas reports a loss of $48.7 million in second quarter
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015
SLS opened last August as a reincarnation of the former Sahara hotel-casino, and its first year has been financially difficult to say the least. The most recent SEC filing reaffirms ...
Drugstore plan motivated casino owners to purchase Las Vegas Club
Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015
Last month, Derek Stevens signed on to a strongly worded letter opposing the Las Vegas Club casino’s plan to open a drugstore that would sell packaged liquor. Now, Stevens and his brother are the new owners of the Las Vegas Club. And the casino is not debating ...