Wynn expresses interest in potential for Miami Beach hotel-casino
A story in the Miami Herald this week on Steve Wynn’s interest in a possible casino development in South Florida had some interesting observations.
Wynn, chairman of Wynn Resorts Ltd., told the newspaper he liked a Miami Beach Convention Center site for a potential hotel-casino.
Florida lawmakers are considering potential gaming expansion in the state, centered mainly on the Miami and Fort Lauderdale markets in the southern region.
Opposition has surfaced from the Seminole Indian tribe, which operates the Hard Rock casino in the Tampa area, and Orlando theme park operator Disney.
Wynn’s interest rivals similar comments from Las Vegas Sands Corp., MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment Corp. and others.
The article stated Wynn had lunch with Miami Beach Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and City Manager Jorge Gonzalez at Joe’s Stone Crab, “one of the state’s most popular destinations for high-powered meals.”
The article went on to say “After a plate of the South Beach establishment’s famed crab claws (sans bib), Wynn stopped for interviews with the Herald and NBC Miami, which were tipped to the mogul’s presence. From there, Wynn and his wife boarded a black Cadillac Escalade for a trip to the New World Symphony and its rooftop garden.”
The Wynn entourage surveyed the roughly eight blocks of city-owned land comprising the convention center and surrounding facilities. From the ground, the Herald reported, Wynn and the group were seen snapping photos and pointing across 17th Street to the location.
As a teenager, Wynn spent several years living in Miami Beach.
My favorite observation from the article:
“In the casino industry, only Donald Trump eclipses Wynn’s fame and media coverage.”
