Inside Gaming: Little Testimony in Tests for Merger

2 May 2005

While it took the Federal Trade Commission five months to consider 20 million pieces of paper in MGM Mirage's application to buy out Mandalay Resort Group, only one executive was ever cross-examined.

Kim Cimini, vice president of hotel operations at the MGM Grand, spent a day and a half explaining to commissioners that room rates are set independently by companies, even though MGM Mirage hotels sometimes rough each other up while competing. Ultimately, the vote in favor was unanimous so her deposition must have been convincing.

It doesn't look as if MGM Mirage took as large a hit from Wynn Las Vegas allegedly poaching workers as anticipated. Developer Steve Wynn's human resources chief, Arte Nathan, had estimated he'd hire about 2,000 workers, 20 percent of his work force, from MGM Mirage, Wynn's old stomping ground. But only 1,292 of its workers accepted offers, MGM Mirage said. Some who turned down offers told us they did so because, unless you were part of Wynn's inner circle, employee relations weren't all that great.

While he was designing his new megaresort, Wynn defined his target market.

"(Visitors) aspire to go somewhere and see 'entertain myself' items they haven't seen before that are unique, exciting and captivating. They're looking for nice places that are fun to visit with leisure activities that include swimming, beaching, shopping, eating, going to shows, and in this order, gambling," Wynn said. "A tourist destination is successful to the extent that it satisfies that basic quest." If opening-night reactions from the invited glitterati are the gauge, he hit his mark.

The buzz among performance professionals in Los Angeles about "The Phantom of the Opera" musical headed for The Venetian is that a permanent exploding chandelier will be its only claim to fame. That's not too surprising for a nearly 20-year-old Broadway musical that's never stopped touring, but it might disappoint visitors who are looking for really unique entertainment. On the other hand, produced in space originally designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas, the show promises a lot more than some of the bad circus acts around town.

It seems as if the Vatican just isn't wired, at least if online gaming is any guide. One of the favorite online sites gave Cardinals Lutsiger and Martini 3-to-1 odds, with Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, coming in only third. Still, it might not be the wiring. Serious gamblers said they stayed away because researching the selection of a pope is hard, especially compared with judging the odds on sports, or even elections, in the United States.

The Inside Gaming column is compiled by Gaming Wire Editor Rod Smith. He can be reached by e-mail at rodneysmith1@cox.net or by fax at 387-5243.

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	Inside Gaming: Little Testimony in Tests for Merger 2 May 2005 While it took the Federal Trade Commission five months to consider 20 million pieces of paper in MGM Mirage's application to buy out Mandalay Resort Group, only one executive was ever cross-examined. Kim Cimini, vice president of hotel operations at the MGM Grand, spent a day and a half explaining to commissioners that room rates are set independently by companies, even though MGM Mirage hotels sometimes rough each other up while competing. Ultimately, the vote in favor was unanimous so her deposition must have been convincing. It doesn't look as if MGM Mirage took as large a hit from Wynn Las Vegas allegedly poaching workers as anticipated. Developer Steve Wynn's human resources chief, Arte Nathan, had estimated he'd hire about 2,000 workers, 20 percent of his work force, from MGM Mirage, Wynn's old stomping ground. But only 1,292 of its workers accepted offers, MGM Mirage said. Some who turned down offers told us they did so because, unless you were part of Wynn's inner circle, employee relations weren't all that great. While he was designing his new megaresort, Wynn defined his target market. "(Visitors) aspire to go somewhere and see 'entertain myself' items they haven't seen before that are unique, exciting and captivating. They're looking for nice places that are fun to visit with leisure activities that include swimming, beaching, shopping, eating, going to shows, and in this order, gambling," Wynn said. "A tourist destination is successful to the extent that it satisfies that basic quest." If opening-night reactions from the invited glitterati are the gauge, he hit his mark. The buzz among performance professionals in Los Angeles about "The Phantom of the Opera" musical headed for The Venetian is that a permanent exploding chandelier will be its only claim to fame. That's not too surprising for a nearly 20-year-old Broadway musical that's never stopped touring, but it might disappoint visitors who are looking for really unique entertainment. On the other hand, produced in space originally designed by renowned architect Rem Koolhaas, the show promises a lot more than some of the bad circus acts around town. It seems as if the Vatican just isn't wired, at least if online gaming is any guide. One of the favorite online sites gave Cardinals Lutsiger and Martini 3-to-1 odds, with Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, coming in only third. Still, it might not be the wiring. Serious gamblers said they stayed away because researching the selection of a pope is hard, especially compared with judging the odds on sports, or even elections, in the United States. The Inside Gaming column is compiled by Gaming Wire Editor Rod Smith. He can be reached by e-mail at rodneysmith1@cox.net or by fax at 387-5243. Copyright GamingWire. All rights reserved.