Showing posts with label Circus Circus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Circus Circus. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Are Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch merely fronting for Las Vegas interests in Barstow too?

It has been revealed that MGM Mirage paid D.C. lobbyists $160,000 to lobby on a bill that would give approvals to a Michigan tribe fronting a casino scheme backed by Michael Malik and Marian Ilitch in Port Huron, Michigan.

Malik and Ilitch have a history fronting casino schemes for Las Vegas interests. In 1996 they advanced more than $5 million to a Michigan political committee in order to get approvals to build three commercial casinos in Detroit and where then reimbursed by Mandalay Resorts (Circus Circus).

Is is possible that's what's going on in Barstow, CA?

An Ilitch controlled political committee spent more than $200,000 on local political campaigns in Barstow during 2006 in an effort to retain control of the Barstow gaming franchise; that's more money than was spent on Barstow politics cummulatively over the last 25 years -- perhaps more. But now, more than a year later, the committee has yet to reveal where almost $150,000 of the $200,000 is coming from.

In fact, Ilitch and Malik have yet to reveal who their other partners are in the Barstow scheme. Recently their Barstow affiliate brought suit in Federal court against BarronHaus LTD, a venture capital firm that was likely a partner in the Barstow venture, for breach of contract. Documents obtained from the City of Barstow reveal that in 2004, Barronhaus LTD principals had arranged for meetings with Ilitch/Malik representatives and former California Assembly Speaker Willie Brown seeking Brown's assistance in lobbying for their scheme.

The Barstow site is half-way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas along Interstate-15, a pit-stop today for more than 60 million cars annually. Las Vegas interests certainly don't want to see Barstow become another location like the Primm Resort at "state-line" that syphens off gamblers from Las Vegas; or in the even it does, they certainly want a piece of the action.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Have Detroit casino syndicator Michael Malik and Mrs. Marian Ilitch been fronting again for Las Vegas gambling interests?


Has Detroit's Michael J. Malik, Sr. been fronting again for Las Vegas gambling interests?

And why would the owners of two of Detroit's three large commecial gambling halls be financing plans for another casino less than an hour outside of Detroit in Port Huron when Detroit's Mayor has actively opposed such plans? Or do they really want a casino in Port Huron at all?

Forbes.com has posted an Associated Press story indiciating that MGM Mirage paid a D.C. lobbying firm $160,000 during the first half of 2007 to lobby among other things for congressional approval of a scheme to build an off-reservation Indian casino in Port Huron, Michigan. Official disclosure documents on file with the Secretary of the U.S. Senate confirm these details. The Bay Mills Indian Community only reported lobbying costs of $70,000 for the first half of 2007

Entities controlled by or affiliated with Detroit casino syndicator Michael J. Malik, Sr. and Mrs. Marian Ilitch have previously fronted more than $2 million lobbying for the Bay Mills casino scheme since 2002.

For years now, Michael Malik has been out front promoting the off-reservation casino in Port Huron for the Bay Mills Indian Community. The tribe has two casinos on its Brimley, Michigan reservation more than 300 miles from Port Huron.

Reports are that Marian Ilitch is behind the Bay Mills Port Huron casino too. Among other things, Marian, her husband Mike Ilitch and their children have personally contributed hundreds of thousands to Members of Congress who have backed the Bay Mills casino scheme and raised thousands more from their friends, colleagues, vendors and agents.

Michael Malik, while not an employee of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. has his office on the 10th Floor of the Fox Theater Building in Detroit which is the executive suite for Ilitch Holdings, Inc. Reports are that his office has direct access into Marian Ilitch's personal office.

In 2005, Marian stepped up and helped facilitate MGM Mirage's acquisition of Mandalay Resort Group. Mandalay was majority owner (53%) of MotorCity Casino. Marian owned 25% at the time. MGM Mirage owned the MGM Grand Detroit. Michigan gaming law prohibits one company from owning majority interest in multiple casinos. It was reported that MGM majority owner Kirk Kerkorian agreed to the plan in which Marian managed to quickly put together nearly $1 billion in financing and jumped through other hoops to acquire Mandalay's interests in MotorCity Casino so the merger/acquisition of the powerful Las Vegas company's could sail through smoothly.

In 1996, Marian, Michael Malik and another partner, Tom Celani, were reported to have contributed $5 million toward an 11th hour advertising blitz for Proposal E, the statewide ballot measure that permitted the establishment of three commercial casinos in Detroit. But according to documents filed with the SEC, within months of the election, Mandalay Resorts (Circus Circus) had agreed in writing to reimburse the $5 million plus in last minute political contributions the partners made and become majority interest in Detroit Entertainment LLC, the parent of MotorCity Casino. A subsequent Operating Agreement for Detroit Entertainment LLC filed with the SEC supports this as well.

In 1999, the Michigan Gaming Control Board denied a gaming license to Malik and he was forced to sell any interest in MotorCity Casino to Marian Ilitch. Since then he has worked side-by-side with Marian on various gaming proposals from New York to Hawaii. Malik has never been licensed for gaming but Marian Ilitch has been licensed in Michigan.

Malik and Ilitch had fronted (and reportedly bankrolled) a scheme to legalize gambling in Hawaii and have also pushed Indian Casino schemes in Barstow, CA -- alongside I-15, the road between Los Angeles and Las Vegas; and on Long Island in the posh Hamptons resort area.


You may also want to review these related posts or click on "labels" below for others:

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Detroit Mayor chronicles his selection of three casino development teams, explains preferences statute in Proposal E


This links to the text of remarks by Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer on November 20, 1997. At that time he announced his final three choices to develop and manage Detroit’s three commercial casinos as provided for under the passage of Proposal E in 1996.

The post is a great backgrounder on the Detroit casino chronicles leading up to the selection of MGM, Detroit Entertainment LLC (dba MotorCity Casino) and Greektown to develop and manage Detroit's three Las Vegas-style casinos.

In the 1970s former Mayor Coleman Young had been the first to propose consideration of gaming in Detroit as a catalyst for economic development. In making his announcement Archer chronicled the quest for Detroit casinos beginning in 1994 advisory measure to repeal Detroit’s ban on Gaming. That had been backed by local business people including Herb Strather, Nellie Varner and the group that formed the Greek Town team.

Archer explains how Governor John Engler blocked Detroit’s desire even after a blue ribbon committee and others had approved Gaming in Detroit and then to the eventual passage of statewide Proposal E in 1996 which included preferences for development teams that included local business and community leaders.

Archer detailed how it was he came to pick the three finalists over teams that included Mandalay Resort Group, Don Barden, Trump and Paradise Valley Rio. (later Circus Circus would merge into Mandalay Resort Group and so Mandalay ended up as part of the Detroit Casino scene anyway).

Marian Ilitch was a substantial partner in Atwater Casino Group (ACG) at the time Archer awarded one of three casinos to the partnership known as Detroit Entertainment LLC (DELLC). Circus Circus Michigan (Mandalay Resort Group) controlled majority interest in DELLC. ACG controlled 45% of DELLC most of which was owned by Marian Ilitch and was one of six ACG reps on the Management Committee yet Archer stated:

The Atwater Casino Group recognized that it did not alone have the capital and the knowledge and experience to construct and manage a mega casino complex of the size and sophistication that we are contemplating for Detroit. Although others may not agree with his partnership decision, many analysts and other observers will readily assert that Herb Strather made a shrewd business judgment that married the business assets of both partners and put Atwater Casino Group in the best position to compete successfully in this selection process.

Mayor Dennis Archer
November 1997

Fast forward to 2005, Marian Ilitch acquired outstanding shares of DELLC and is said to have sole control over MotorCity Casino although Ilitch Holdings wasn’t any better off in 2005 then it was in 1997; and the major Casino development phase (and requisite financing) that Archer had anticipated back in 1997 had still not begun as all three casinos were still in their temporary facilities.

The Atwater group including Marian wasn’t substantial enough, in Archer’s eyes to take on a project like MotorCity casino in 1997 but somehow on her own Marian Ilitch is capable of taking on MotorCity Casino and the development of the permanent casino and hotel in 2005? Just one more curious set of circumstances.

Friday, January 05, 2007

The Detroit Gaming Syndicators: Marian Ilitch, Michael Malik and Tom Celani

For almost 15 years, the trio of Detroit business leaders has been entangled in a web of casino syndication companies and affiliates. Together they bankrolled MotorCity Casino, The Little River Casino Resort in Manistee and various urban casino proposals with Harrah's and the Bay Mills Indian Community.

In 1993, Thomas Celani (a Bloomfield Hills, MI businessman; once president of his family's prized Detroit Miller Brewing distributorship; ventured into gaming as a major shareholder in slot machine manufacturer SODAK Gaming Inc.) first partnered with Michael J. Malik, Sr. (a Detroit area developer and self-identified entrepreneur) to form North American Gaming (NAG), a developer and operator of gaming facilities. Concurrently Celani formed TVC Enterprises Development Co. to represent his interests and at the same time Malik formed MJM Enterprises Development Co.

Their first big idea came together in 1994: a Bay Mills Indian casino in the Ilitch dominated Foxtown area of downtown Detroit in partnership with Harrah's; the casino would fund a new adjoining major league baseball park. While that plan made little progress, it was the start of an ongoing relationship between Celani, Malik, the Ilitch Family, the Bay Mills Indian Community and Las Vegas heavy-hitters like Harrah’s, Circus Circus and MGM Mirage.

North American Gaming backed and helped finance the 1994 casino ballot proposals in Detroit. Although approved by local voters, Governor Engler blocked the Detroit casinos from moving forward at that time.

In November 1996, Michigan voters statewide approved Proposal E, the creation of three Detroit casinos, by a 52-48 percent margin out of nearly 3.5 million votes cast. Z.R.X. L.L.C. (ZRX), a partnership that would include Celani, Ilitch and Malik bankrolled the campaign supporting Proposal E by contributing $5 million+ to fund an “11th hour” campaign advertising blitz. In recognition of their role in the success of Proposal E, Atwater Entertainment Associates a partnership of more than 100 Detroit area leaders who had originally contributed at least $25,000 each for membership in the LLC had agreed to form Atwater Casino Group (ACG) with ZRX and awarded Celani, Ilitch and Malik 85% ownership interest in ACG.

Within months of the Proposal E victory, Celani and Malik had brought in Circus Circus Enterprises and together with Atwater Casino Group formed Detroit Entertainment LLC, the company behind MotorCity Casino. Circus Circus agreed to provide the capital funding needed for the planning and development of MotorCity Casino and also reimburse Malik and Celani for the costs of the Proposal E campaign -- reimbursement of political contributions is generally not legal in states with post-Watergate political reform laws. Circus Circus would oversee MotorCity's management once it opened. And on November 20, 1997, Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer announced Detroit Entertainment would be one of two entities invited to negotiate casino development agreements with the City of Detroit.

In 1999, word leaked out of the Michigan Gaming Commission that several casino investors wouldn’t be qualified for gaming licenses. Malik was one of those individuals. Before facing disqualification and a reduction of share price, Malik sold his shares in MotorCity Casino to Marian Ilitch, moved into the offices of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. and then went into partnership with her on other gaming projects. Celani and Ilitch retained their collective 35% interest in MotorCity Casino.

Tom Celani was one of those Marian Ilitch bought-out in 2005 when she acquired 100% ownership of MotorCity Casino; however, not before Celani and other minority shareholders in MotorCity Casino sued Ilitch, seeking damages of more than $50 million, saying she violated the terms of their partnership when she negotiated the deal to buyout Mandalay Resort Group's 53.5% interest in MotorCity.

At the same time the trio pursued gaming opportunities in Detroit and plans to establish MotorCity Casino, their North American Gaming (Celani, Malik & Ilitch) began working with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians on plans for a Manistee, MI, casino resort and the necessary gaming compact required from the State of Michigan. They were instrumental in gaining Compact approvals in 1998.

In July 1999 the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians signed a management services agreement with Celani, Malik, and Manistee Gaming LLC. Celani and Malik were the first in Michigan to be awarded such a contract by an Indian casino. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) permits such outside contracts for tribal casinos for the first five years of operation with payments up to 30% of profits. The tribe opened their temporary Little River Manistee Casino that same month.

1999 served to be a banner year for Tom Celani when he reportedly pocketed more than $30 million upon the sale of Sodak Gaming Inc. of Rapid City, S.D., to the world's biggest slot machine maker, International Game Technology (IGT) of Reno, Nev. Celani was flush with cashand poised to make some new significant investments.

Throughout the better part of the 1990s; Tom Celani, the Ilitch Family and Michael Malik, expended substantial resources pursuing opportunities in Michigan to expand commercial and Indian gaming. With a couple of big success stories under their belts, the trio decided to parlay their experience beyond Michigan but took different paths.

Starting in 2000, Ilitch and Malik pursued casinos in New York; Hawaii; Barstow, California; and with the Bay Mills Indian Community. It's unclear if Celani was also an investor in any of these projects. In fact, it's not known who if anyone else Ilitch and Malik have included in their various ventures.

Celani, working with attorney James D. “Jim” Oegema, headed west and partnered with the Smith River Rancheria (Smith River Gaming LLC); Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians (Luna Gaming –Corning LLC); and Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay Indians (Luna Gaming-San Diego LLC). They acquired ownership in the commercial Red-Dolly Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado. Today Celani has consolidated his numerous business ventures under the “Luna” family of companies’ banners: Luna Gaming, Luna Properties and Luna Entertainment. Luna, among other assignments, will now manage the casino in the Cal Neva Resort at Lake Tahoe once owned by Frank Sinatra.

Thursday, December 28, 2006

In 2006, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgraded credit ratings of Ilitch Holdings, Inc. subsidiary -- MotorCity's parent company

Slipped by unnoticed in 2006: Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgraded the credit rating of the Ilitch Holdings, Inc. gaming subsidiary, CCM Merger Inc. (MotorCity Casino); Moody’s put it on the “Watchlist” earlier in the year and gave it a negative outlook rating.

The downgraded ratings based on S&P ratings definitions suggest:


  • CCM Merger, Inc. (MotorCity Casino) as a corporate credit risk (rated B) is “more vulnerable to nonpayment of its obligations” than other companies; and suggest that
  • Nearly $300 million in junk bonds issued by CCM Merger, Inc. (rated CCC+) to fund the Ilitch acquisition of MotorCity Casino are “currently vulnerable to nonpayment;” and also that
  • “In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.”

Troubled Company Reporter, a service of Internet Bankruptcy Library (IBL), has tracked the concerns of these international credit rating companies over the last 18 months. However, one would have to be looking for CCM Merger, Inc. rather than MotorCity Casino, Detroit Entertainment, or any of the other entities that people recognize publicly as affiliated with MotorCity Casino. "CCM Merger, Inc." is MotorCity Casino in disguise.

Both S&P and Moody’s cited MotorCity Casino’s weaker-than-expected operating performance during the first year of Ilitch ownership, a highly competitive operating environment in the Detroit market, and risky leverage of debt to income that’s also higher than what had been anticipated as reasons for their actions.

CCM Merger, Inc. a unit of Ilitch Holdings, Inc./IH Gaming, Inc. is the survivor of Ilitch’s 2005 merger with Mandalay Resort Group’s Circus Circus Michigan, and the entity that raised $950 million in capitol needed to finance Ilitch's $525 million buyout of MGM Mirage/Mandalay Resort Group’s interests.


S&P
In 2006,
S&P’s corporate credit rating for CCM Merger, Inc. dropped from B+ to B after one year of Ilitch ownership -- five or six levels below "Investment Grade." CCM Merger Inc. has acquired nearly $1 billion in debt on a venture that Crain’s Detroit has estimated to be worth $1 billion. Troubled Company Reporter estimates it would take the Casino eight years to pay off all the debt before owners could recognize any profits. The highest S&P rating is AAA. Anything below BBB is considered below “investment grade.”

“An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.”

S&P downgraded ratings on the $300 million in junk bonds that were issued to fund CCM Merger’s capital needs to a rating of CCC+ -- seven levels below “investment grade.”

“An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.”



Moody’s
Moody’s has assigned a corporate credit rating of B1 and ratings of B3 for the “junk bond” offerings:
“Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk



Moody’s notes:

“CCM Merger is now weakly positioned in its rating category and more vulnerable to a ratings downgrade if future operating results fall short of Moody's expectations.“


The Ilitch organization has a history of risky leverage. Forbes Magazine estimates that the Detroit Tigers have the third worst debt to value ratios in Major League Baseball only two teams leveraged their assets more.

News reports during the 1990s consistently talked about leverage being one of the major factors in the downturn of Little Caesar’s Pizza.

And the amount of unattended or boarded-up real estate in downtown Detroit owned or controlled by the Ilitch Family for more than a decade is another example.

One would have to recognize CCM Merger, Inc. as the parent of MotorCity Casino in order to have caught this earlier in the year. Most people are more familiar with MotorCity Casino, Detroit Entertainment, Ilitch Holdings, etc. and not CCM Merger, Inc. (CCM is a reference to the former Circus Circus Michigan enterprise).


The Standard & Poor's analyst for this matter was:
Michael Scerbo
S&P Analyst
Phone (1) 212-438-7858

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Notice of $625 million MotorCity offering lead by Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch states, Marian Ilitch is co-owner of the Detroit Tigers

A July 11, 2005 announcement of the $625 million offering lead by Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch to raise capital for Ilitch Holdings' subsidiary CCM Merger, Inc. (MotorCity Casino) states the purpose of the offering was:

"... to fund the April 2005 acquisition of 75% interest in MotorCity not controlled by CCM's principal shareholder, Marian Ilitch, co-owner of the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers and Little Caesars Pizza.

(see complete announcement below)



Duo launch MotorCity funds. (Primary Market)

Source: Loan Market Week
Publication Date: 07/11/2005

Deutsche Bank and Merrill Lynch are leading a $625 million credit facility for Detroit-based MotorCity Casino. The credit, launched at a bank meeting July 6, consists of a five-year, $75 million revolver and a seven-year, $550 million term loan. Pricing on both tranches is LIBOR plus 2 1/2%. Motor City is owned and operated by CCM Merger.

A portion of the funds will be used to fund part of CCM's acquisition of MotorCity, while other portions will be used for expansion plans at the Detroit gaming facility, according to Moody's Investors Service. Moody's assigned a B 1 rating to both tranches and a B3 to $200 million of senior notes due 2013 that the company is also issuing.

Proceeds from the senior notes will be used to refinance CCM's $200 million existing second-lien term loan. The second lien, along with $550 million of first-lien bank debt, were used to fund the April 2005 acquisition of 75% interest in MotorCity not controlled by CCM's principal shareholder, Marian Ilitch, co-owner of the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers and Little Caesars Pizza.

The ratings consider CCM's high leverage and single asset profile, Moody's states in its report. Pro forma debt/EBITDA is about 5.2 times, but is expected to increase to almost 7 times over the next 18 months as a result of a $275 million expansion plan that is expected to be funded with $50 million from cash flow and $225 million of additional senior secured revolver borrowings made available under a greenshoe option contained in the credit agreement. Positive ratings consideration is given to the successful operating history of the casino and the size of Detroit's casino market, the report states.

The MotorCity sale has been months in the making after MGM Mirage agreed to buy Mandalay Resort in June 2004 for $4.8 billion and the two companies were required to sell either its MotorCity stake or the MGM Grand Casino in Detroit to comply with Michigan law on casino ownership. Mandalay subsidiary Circus Circus had owned about 53% of MotorCity.


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Internal use only 10 copy limit. No further use w/o permission.




You may also want to review these posts:

The Verifiable Truth: Detroit Tigers owner doubled his net worth gambling on casinos
The Verifiable Truth: Baseball and Casinos Don’t Mix, or Do They?
The Verifiable Truth: New York Times sports writer recognizes conflicts in Ilitch casino ownership

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Standard & Poor's '07 Outlook - Hotel & Gaming sector


12.11.06

Part 2:
What Will '07 Bring for Key Sectors?


S&P Ratings sizes up prospects for industry groups in the coming year. Part 2 includes a look at media & entertainment, oil & gas, and retailers

Hotel & Gaming: Growth Will Moderate
Standard & Poor's expects solid lodging industry performance again in 207, with revenue per available room (RevPAR) in the U.S. likely to grow in the mid-single-digits. S&P does, however, expect a decline in the rate of RevPAR growth from about 8% in each of the last three years. With still-record-high occupancy levels across all price segments, pricing power in the industry remains strong, mitigating any concern about a meaningful slowdown in 2007. Given prospects for continued strength in global lodging markets, Standard & Poor's would expect an upward bias again in 2007 for ratings, in the absence of debt-financed acquisitions, including those that take companies private.

For the U.S. gaming industry, S&P expects revenue growth to moderate further in 2007, reflecting a continued gadual slowing of the U.S. economy. Despite an anticipated modest decline in consumer discretionary spending, industry revenues are still expected to expand overall. From a ratings perspective, S&P does not expect overall credit quality in the sector to materially deteriorate in coming periods despite aggressive expansion plans by many industry participants. However S&P lowered the rating on Harrah's Entertainment (HET) to below investment grade on the news that it received an offer to be acquired by private equity investors.

Still, with most companies in the gaming industry carrying stable or positive outlooks, any weakness in credit quality will most likely be reflected by outlook revisions rather than rating changes. Further debt-funded transactions, however, could prompt more downgrades. (Full Story)

Friday, December 01, 2006

IH Gaming, Inc.- Ilitch Holdings' casino gaming subsidiary?

There's a new subsidiary housed at Ilitch Holdings, Inc. overseeing the Family's growing casino and gambling related ventures -- of course at arms distance from its other leading brands. . . Makes a lot of sense given the likelihood that the various gaming enterprises now represent the largest chunk of annual operating income at Ilitch Holdings, Inc. and are being leveraged to contribute value to some of the other brands (sponsorships, advertising, etc.).


Here's the genesis . . .

For Ilitch to acquire the 53.3% ownership interest in MotorCity Casino controlled by Mandalay Resort Group, a merger occurred in 2005 between two parties:

  1. CCM Merger Sub, Inc. (Ilitch); and

  2. Circus Circus Michigan Inc., a Mandalay subsidiary and managing member of Detroit Entertainment LLC which does business as MotorCity Casino.

Prior to the merger, Ilitch retained 25% interest in Detroit Entertainment LLC (MotorCity Casino) by affiliation with, or control of, various other entities.

Under merger plans on file with the SEC, CCM Merger Sub, Inc. (Ilitch) got 100 shares of Circus Circus Michigan Inc. and Circus Circus Michigan Inc. (Mandalay) received $5,250,000 for each of its 100 shares. Following the merger, the surviving entity would be known as IH Gaming, Inc. and in effect the parent or managing member of Detroit Entertainment LLC.

To fund the merger, another Ilitch entity, CCM Merger, Inc., reportedly borrowed $950 million -- $300 million in junk bonds, yielding 8%, and $650 million in fixed- and variable-rate bank debt. Moody's and Standard & Poor's continue to monitor and offer ratings of these investments.

Marian Ilitch is president, secretary and treasurer of IH Gaming, Inc. and also CCM Merger, Inc.

John Kotlar, a longtime executive with various Ilitch subsidiaries and currently vice president, tax affairs for Ilitch Holdings, Inc., is “agent” for both casino related entities.

IH Gaming, Inc. and CCM Merger, Inc. are both located at the
2211 Woodward Avenue Detroit headquarters of Ilitch Holdings Inc.

Ilitch (IH Gaming, Inc.) also paid $106 million to accquire all other outstanding interests in Detroit Entertainment LLC from various minority shareholder; making Marian Ilitch the sole owner of MotorCity Casino.

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certainly must reads!

Ilitch has backed loosing sports teams and pizza, but casinos in Detroit? Forbes.com 10.09.06 ● Marian Ilitch #1 on "25 Most Powerful People" to Watch 2006” global gaming business o1.oo.o5 ● My Kingdom for a Casino Forbes 05.08.06 ● Big Lagoon’s casino dream awakens north coast journal 07.28.05 ● Shinnecocks launch legal claim to Hamptons land newsday.com 06.16.05 ● Ilitch Plans to Expand Casino Empire RGTonline.com 07.05.05 ● Ilitch outbids partners MichiganDaily.com 04.14.05 ● Ilitch enmeshed in NY casino dispute detnews.com 03.20.05 ● Marian Ilitch, high roller freep.com 03.20.05 ● MGM Mirage to Decide on Offer for Casino in Detroit rgtonline.com 04.16.05 ● Secret deal for MotorCity alleged freep.com 02.15.05 ● Los Coyotes get new developer desertdispatch.com 02.08.05 Detroit casino figure to finance Barstow project LasVegasSun.com 07.07.03 ● Indian Band trying to put casino in Barstow signonSanDiego.com 06.04.03 Pizza matriarch takes on casino roles detnews.com 10.23.02 ● Vanderbilt gets short straw in negotiations for a casino Lansing Journal 10.06.02 ● Indians aim to drive family from tribe in vicious dispute san diego union tribune 04.09.00 ●Malik owns 2000 Michigan Quarter Horse of the Year Michigan.gov 01.01.00 ● Detroit Team to run Michigan’s newest Indian casino detnews.com 05.23.99 Tiger ties tangle Marian Ilitch detnews.com 04.29.99 ● Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests gamblingmagazine.com 04.25.99 ● Partners’ cash revived election; They say money was crucial to Prop-E detnews.com 04.25.99 Investors have troubled histories las vegas review journal 04.27.99 ● Investor served probation for domestic assault on 12 year old boy detnews.com 04.25.99 Can a pair win a jackpot?: local men hope to... crainsdetroit.com 03.17.97

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