The Federal Trade Commission has put the proposed acquisition of Horseshoe Casinos LLC--all of the Horseshoe casinos except downtown Las Vegas--by Harrah's on hold because of concerns about potential domination of certain markets.
I'm not usually much for interference by the Feds, but I'm with them on this one. Harrah's already has a presence in Tunica and Shreveport, where the Shoe leads each market, and in Chicagoland. In Tunica, the Shoe is the best casino in town for BJ players, dice shooters and all-around gamblers. Their comps are legendary--if you play, you eat (some would say, "if you breathe, you eat"). Jack Binion learned well how to run a casino from his dad, Benny. On th eother hand, Harrah's tends to think of themselves as the McDonald's of casino gaming, with a presence in almost every major gaming market and many smaller ones.
But think about it--would you want Mickey D's taking over your favorite Ruth's Chris Steak House?
Your comments, please.
