Green Felt Journal
Green Felt Journal
The Strip in 2013: Recovery and Retrenchment
January 10th, 2013
The New Year has its restorative elements—the celebrations, the resolutions, the fresh hopes. But, against the background of the Great Recession, it’s also another occasion to fret about what lies ahead for Las Vegas casinos. Read more »
One of Strip's Brightest Culinary Stars Celebrates Career Milestone
January 3rd, 2013
Julian Serrano talks growing up in Madrid, setting up in San Francisco and his courtship by Steve Wynn. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Nightlifeless
December 20th, 2012
For casinos without nightclubs, life not only goes on, but can go on profitably. In such places, you’ll find people doing the kinds of things they came to Las Vegas to do: gambling, drinking and trying to have a good time. And casinos without nightclubs don’t have DJ envy—as a matter of fact, they don’t really miss the action. Read more »
October Non-Surprise
December 7th, 2012
The Nevada Gaming Control Board released the October results for the state this morning, and they are an uninspiring start to the fourth quarter. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
The Year of Hope and Holding Steady
December 6th, 2012
The people who run Las Vegas casinos were expecting a lot in 2012: a return to prosperity on the Strip, a revival downtown and a federal framework for online poker. They didn’t get everything they wanted, but at the end of the year, they’re still in the game, which might be a victory in and of itself. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
The New Road Starts Here
November 22nd, 2012
The best symbol of the slow-but-significant change taking place in Las Vegas isn’t on the 23rd floor of the Ogden on Sixth Street, or even in the SuperNAPs at Switch’s Data Center on South Decatur Boulevard. It’s in an unassuming warehouse in the shadow of Panorama Towers on West Harmon Avenue. That’s where Ultimate Gaming, a subsidiary of Fertitta Interactive, is setting up its new headquarters. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Inside the Trading Room
November 8th, 2012
It’s 8:30 on a Sunday morning in October, but for the crew of bookmakers at William Hill headquarters on Grier Drive, just south of McCarran, the workday is well under way. Their business is overseeing the bets flowing in from sportsbooks from Whiskey Pete’s in Primm to Stockmen’s Casino in Elko, betting kiosks at PT’s Pubs and Buffalo Wild Wings, and phones and mobile devices. And judging from the mood, business is good. Read more »
Sandy's True Impact Yet to be Felt in Atlantic City
November 5th, 2012
I’ve gotten many questions from journalists about how Sandy is going to ultimately impact Atlantic City casinos. I think that the real impact is going to medium-term, and that it’s going to be very difficult to quantify. Read more »
MGM Sings Same Song on Earnings Call
October 31st, 2012
MGM Resorts International released its third quarterly results today, and the relatively soft numbers from Las Vegas show that, despite brave talk otherwise, the Strip is still far from growth mode. Read more »
Colbert Arrest Highlights Hypocrisy of Prohibition
October 29th, 2012
Certainly, the arrest of a major figure in a major Nevada sports betting company on a gaming-related charge is a black eye for the industry, but I don’t believe it’s the game-changer that others seem to think it is. Here’s why. Read more »
