“We want to make it as easy as possible to transition back into civilian life. They gave us their all. It’s the least we can do as a grateful nation is to say thank you.”
?Dina Titus, Nevada congresswoman, on an initiative by SLS Las Vegas to hire veterans
“Why would take a bus to a casino in Connecticut if you can drive to a casino in Albany”
?Greg DeLorenzo, Wade Tours, who worries his business will suffer when new casinos open in New York
“There is a lot of girl power at the Cromwell.”
?Eileen Moore, on women execs at the Cromwell in Las Vegas. Moore is president, Karie Hall is VP and general manager, and Melissa Fielding is assistant GM and director of hotel operations; the Cromwell also houses Giada De Laurentiis’s first restaurant
“It raises eyebrows and awareness that Las Vegas is back.”
?Charles Moore, broker, CBRE Group, on the sale of the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.
“Las Vegas kind of went through this frozen period. Over the last year we really got the blood pumping now, and things are moving fast.”
?John Matt Stater, Colliers International, on the Vegas revival
“MGM, Genting—all these are companies that could make investment decisions all over the world. This is smart money coming in, or smart money that’s been here, that realizes that there’s future potential for this community.”
?Kevin Orrock, president, Summerlin, the 22,500-acre master-planned community that includes the Downtown Summerlin project, for Dallas-based Hughes Corp.
“We really believe in a Vegas recovery. Las Vegas got hit by the double whammy—tourism, gaming went down, the proliferation of gaming around the country, housing—I mean, it all came to Las Vegas. When we started looking a couple years ago, we were seeing the trend starting to reverse itself. The entertainment infrastructure that exists in Vegas is impossible to replicate” anywhere else.”
?Jonathan Gray, global head of real estate, Blackstone, which recently bought the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas
“People are afraid of traffic, crime, disrupting the beauty of the area, the lack of control, building something without the town’s zoning influence. What is not being discussed is, that’s our land. We see the beauty, too! Why do you think we would do that?”
?Ruth Garby Torres, author, defending the right of the Schaghticoke Indians to develop a casino in Connecticut. The tribe may get a second chance for federal recognition if the guidelines are redrawn
“80 is the new 60.”
—Sheldon Adelson, responding a shareholder’s question about when he was going to retire upon reaching the ripe old age of 80
“A decision to let the ballot question go forward over the attorney general’s objections will unleash a political battle that could dominate this election year, with plenty of TV ads, spin and hand-to-hand combat.”
—Jon Keller, writing for WBZ on the possibility that the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will rule that an initiative that would repeal the Bay State’s casino law will be allowed on the November ballot
“The more that Massachusetts voters learn about casinos, their ethics and practices, the more the voters realize we can do better than casinos for the people and economy of our state.”
—Darek Barcikowski, campaign manager for Repeal the Casino Deal, which wants to qualify a ballot measure to undo the 2011 gaming expansion law in Massachusetts
“We’re not at the end of the road here, but we’re close to the end of the road,” he said. “For those of us who got into this because of racing, not gaming, and for the people who work here, you know, they’re good hard-working people, we’d like to see this continue.”
—Chip Tuttle, chief executive officer of Suffolk Downs racetrack in Revere, Massachusetts, speaking about the need for a casino resort connected to the track to keep it alive
“Unfortunately, the proposed rule’s supplemental provision granting third parties the right to object or consent to any tribal effort to re-petition does not, I believe, comport with the due process and equal protection principles of our Constitution.”
–Schaghticoke Tribal Nation Chief Richard Velky writing to Bureau of Indian Affairs director Kevin Washburn over proposed changes to the method by which tribes are granted federal recognition—a change that would in some cases give a third party a veto of a tribe reapplying for recognition
“Much like we did in New Orleans, we have opportunity to capture everything this great city has to offer. We look at the location and the demographics. By offering great hospitality, we believe we are set up to be very successful.”
—Chad Barnhill, general manager of the Horseshoe Baltimore Casino, slated to open this summer with a business model not unlike sister property Harrah’s New Orleans
“If nothing is done, Delaware’s three existing casinos will survive, but they’ll likely employ less people. We urge the General Assembly to make the decision to support Delaware jobs.”
—Judy Diogo, president of the Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce, in a column for the Delaware News Journal urging state lawmakers to pass a $20 million relief package for the state’s struggling racinos
“What MGM is bringing is not only complementary to what is already here, but it will create a destination attraction that will benefit all of our tenants.”
—Jon Peterson, owner of the National Harbor retail and entertainment development, noting that the tenants of the complex welcome MGM Resorts International’s planned $925 million hotel and casino complex.
