“There isn’t a player in the United States of America that doesn’t know our company and isn’t dying to come and visit a new Wynn resort if we build one.”
—Steve Wynn, making a presentation on his proposed casino in Everett to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission
“If you want big players from across the country, we’ve got them in our database. They’re our customers. That’s how you’re the highest-grossing casino in the Western Hemisphere.”
—Mitchell Etess, chief executive officer of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, making a pitch to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission about his company’s proposed casino resort in Revere
“If the project fails, taxpayers cover the difference. We just shovel the money in until we can no longer pay our employees.”
?Bob Beers, Las Vegas City Councilman, on the city’s planned subsidies of a Cordish arena at Symphony Park
“Why do cities insist on taxpayers paying for sports arenas? The developers have deep pockets, and God knows the team owners have deep pockets, but the taxpayers pockets? Not so much.”
?Rick Krause, commenting on a Las Vegas Review-Journal story about a proposed city tax to fund a sports arena in the city’s Downtown
“Who elected anyone with Cordish Companies to right tax code for Clark County? These city officials delegating their responsibilities to a an outside company should be immediately removed from office for dereliction of duty.”
?Commenter, on a Las Vegas Review-Journal report about the city’s interest in funding a Cordish Company arena development
“We are just out in the country with a little hayseed in our teeth.”
?Bob Coffin, Las Vegas City Councilman, on how he thinks Baltimore’s Cordish Companies view Las Vegas officials
“Evaluation is ongoing. No timeline has been set. No details will be shared.”
?Michael Mack, Las Vegas Events, on ongoing negotiations to keep the National Finals Rodeo in Sin City beyond 2014
“Daily fantasy in a casino has a lot of appeal. Fantasy sports offers opportunities to drive people into the door.”
—Matthew Holt, vice president of business development for CT Technology, during a speech at the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Winter Conference on the possibilities of adding fantasy sports to Las Vegas sports books
“We’re giving the voter an opportunity to make the decision. I don’t think this is a hard vote for anybody, politically, because you’re just saying, ‘Hey, up or down? Is this a revenue source you want to enhance?’”
—Kentucky state Rep. Dennis Keene, on a measure in the state House to create an up-or-down referendum vote on expanding gaming in the state to include casino games
“In Massachusetts, local residents can vote to reject a casino development in their community. New York State law offers no community veto. Having no real say in the matter is simply unfair to the communities that are often saddled with the downsides of these gambling operations.”
?New York Times, in an editorial supporting the right of Saratoga Springs residents to block a casino in their town. A majority of Saratogians voted against the November casino referendum
“Wynn is a philanthropist formerly married to what’s-his-name.”
?Jane Ann Morrison, Las Vegas Review-Journal, on an upcoming appearance by Elaine Wynn at Sin City’s Mob Museum
“Intolerable, hostile and abusive towards subordinates.”
?Joe Asher, former executive at Cantor Gaming, describing his former boss, Cantor CEO Lee Amaitis, in a lawsuit
“You can stand with one foot in East Boston and one foot in Revere. They’re really trying to draw some kind of line on paper to separate people’s perceptions that a Revere casino would not impact East Boston. That’s clearly a fallacy.”
—Celeste Myers of No Eastie Casino, which opposes a casino resort in Revere, Massachusetts
“I had to defend poker a lot. At my old job, I never took heat. I was saving rich people money from their estate taxes, but I was a lawyer, so I was respected.”
—Jamie Kerstetter, online poker pro to Philly.com for a feature story on her move back to the U.S. and Brigantine NJ now that online poker is legal in New Jersey
“The sophistication of the game and the design of the website—both in play style and graphics—are excellent examples of the interactive lottery products developed for player engagement by our MDI group. This 500th website created for a lottery customer speaks to our depth of innovation and experience, and to the level of trust we have established with our 42 internet customers since we created our first lottery microsite for the New Jersey Lottery in 2001.”
—Jim Kennedy, executive vice president and group chief executive of lottery at Scientific Games on the launch of its subsidiary MDI Entertainment’s 500th lottery-based website for the Arizona Lottery
