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Chow mein

Chow mein ( and, ; Pinyin: chǎomiàn) is a dish of Chinese stir-fried noodles with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu. Over the centuries, variations of chǎomiàn were developed in many regions of China; there are several methods of frying the noodles and a range of toppings can be used. It was introduced in other countries by Chinese immigrants. The dish is popular throughout the Chinese diaspora and appears on the menus of most Chinese restaurants abroad. It is particularly popular in India, Nepal, the UK, and the US.

Etymology
'Chow mein' is the Americanization of the Chinese term chaomian. Its pronunciation comes from the Cantonese pronunciation "chaomin"; the term first appeared in English (US) in 1906. The term 'chow mein' means 'stir-fried noodles', also loosely translated as "fried noodles" in English, chow meaning 'stir-fried' (or "sautéed") and mein  meaning "noodles".

American Chinese cuisine
Chaomian was introduced from China into the United States by Chinese immigrants who came from the Guangdong provinces in the California 1849 Gold Rush era bringing with them their Cantonese style of cooking.

In American Chinese cuisine, it is a stir-fried dish consisting of noodles, meat (chicken being most common but pork, beef, shrimp or tofu sometimes being substituted), onions and celery. It is often served as a specific dish at westernized Chinese restaurants. Vegetarian or vegan chow mein is also common.

In the American market, two types of chow mein include crispy chow mein and steamed chow mein.

The steamed chow mein has a softer texture, while the former is crisper and drier. Crispy chow mein uses fried, flat noodles, while soft chow mein uses long, rounded noodles.

Crispy chow mein either has onions and celery in the finished dish or is served "strained", without any vegetables. Steamed chow mein can have many different kinds of vegetables in the finished dish, most commonly including onions and celery but sometimes carrots, cabbage and mung bean sprouts as well. Crispy chow mein is usually topped with a thick brown sauce, while steamed chow mein is mixed with soy sauce before being served.

There is a regional difference in the US between the East and West Coast use of the term "chow mein". On the East Coast, "chow mein" is always the crispy kind. At some restaurants located in those areas, the crispy chow mein noodles are sometimes deep fried and could be crispy "like the ones in cans" or "fried as crisp as hash browns". At a few East Coast locations, "chow mein" is also served over rice. There, the steamed style using soft noodles is a separate dish called "lo mein". On the West Coast, "chow mein" is always the steamed style, and the term "lo mein" is not widely used.

The crispy version of chow mein can also be served in a hamburger-style bun as a chow mein sandwich.

There are also variations on how either one of the two main types of chow mein can be prepared as a dish. When ordering "chow mein" in some restaurants in Chicago, a diner might receive "chop suey poured over crunchy fried noodles". In Philadelphia, Americanized chow mein tends to be similar to chop suey but has crispy fried noodles on the side and includes much celery and bean sprouts and is sometimes accompanied with fried rice. Jeremy Iggers of the Star Tribune describes "Minnesota-style chow mein" as "a green slurry of celery and ground pork topped with ribbons of gray processed chicken". Bay Area journalist William Wong made a similar comment about what is sold as chow mein in places like Minnesota. A published recipe for Minnesota-style chow mein includes generous portions of celery and bean sprouts. Another Minnesotan variant includes ground beef and cream of mushroom soup. In Louisiana, "Cajun chow mein" is actually a noodle-less rice dish that is a variation of jambalaya.

Food historians and cultural anthropologists have noted that chow mein and other dishes served in Chinese American restaurants located away from areas without any significant Asian American population tend to be very different from what is served in China and are heavily modified to fit the taste preference of the local dominant population. As an example, the chow mein gravy favored in the Fall River area more closely resembles that used in local New England cooking than that used in traditional Chinese cooking. The creator of canned chow mein, who founded the food manufacturer Chun King, admits to using Italian spices to make his product more acceptable to Americans whose ancestors came from Europe.

In 1946, one of the first companies to market "chow mein" in a can was Chun King. The product's creator was Jeno Paulucci, the son of Italian immigrants, who developed a recipe based mostly upon Italian spices that would be better catered to the food preferences of European immigrants and some Americans of similar ethnic origins. To keep cost down, Paulucci replaced expensive water chestnuts with lower-cost celery stalks that were originally destined for cattle feed. Paulucci's company became so successful selling canned chow mein and chop suey that President Gerald Ford quipped, "What could be more American than a business built on a good Italian recipe for chop suey?" when praising Paulucci accomplishments with Chun King. After Paulucci sold Chun King in 1966, the company would be sold several more times more until it was dissolved in 1995.

By 1960, Paulucci described in The New York Times that "At Chun King we have turned out a 'stew-type' chow mein. I'd guess this type has been around for thirty - maybe forty - years.  To make it, all the meat, seasonings and vegetables are dumped into a kettle and stewed for hours - until everything is cooked."

Outside of Chinese restaurants, what is labeled as chow mein is actually a chop suey-like stew that has very little resemblance to actual chow mein. As an example the official U.S. military recipe (which is employed by cooking facilities of all four American military services) does not include noodles and has instructions to serve the dish over steamed rice and can serve 100 persons per batch.

Australian cuisine
Outside of Asian communities, many Australians appear to confuse chow mein with chop suey. The most common Australian version contains mince beef (called ground beef in North America) and curry powder and sometimes served over rice instead of fried noodles. This version has been promoted by the Australian Institute of Sport, on ABC radio, and a popular Australian women's magazine since the mid-1960s and during the 21st century.

Canadian Chinese cuisine
Canadian westernized Chinese restaurants may offer up to three different types of chow mein, none of which is identical to either of the two types of American chow mein. Cantonese style chow mein contains deep-fried crunchy golden egg noodles, green peppers, pea pods, bok choy, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, shrimp, Chinese roast pork (char siu), chicken, and beef, and is served in a thick sauce. Plain chow mein is similar to other Western chow meins but contains far more mung bean sprouts; some regional recipes may substitute bean sprouts for noodles completely. The Japanese Canadian community also have their own version of chow mein that might include dried seaweed and pickle ginger and could be served in a bun.

In Newfoundland, their chow mein does not contain any noodles. In place of noodles, cabbage cut in such a way to resemble noodles are used as a substitute. Although no one knows the reason why this change had occurred, it is believed that the island remoteness in the North Atlantic during its history as an independent self-governing British dominion contributed to the lack of availability of the necessary ingredients from the rest of North America or from Europe.

Caribbean Chinese cuisine
Many West Indian people include chow mein in their cuisine, especially peoples from islands like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica  which include a significant ethnic Chinese population; much of the cooking has infused itself into the population in general. As well, in the South American Caribbean countries Guyana and Suriname (known by its Dutch name "tjauw min" or "tjauwmin"). These chow mein dishes are cooked in a similar manner, with green beans, carrots, peas, onions and sometimes other vegetables. Meat used is mostly chicken but sometimes pork or shrimp. The Surinamese version may use a pork sausage as the meat. The main difference is that local spices are added, and the dish is often served with hot Scotch bonnet peppers or pepper sauce.

In Cuba, aside from the foreign-owned tourist hotels which often serve Western-style Chinese food, local Chinese restaurants can be found in Havana that offer a distinct Cuban style.

Central America
In Panama, chow mein is prepared with a mixture of onions, peppers, celery and carrots with pork or chicken and stir fried with noodles. Another recipe includes canned corn. In El Salvador, chow mein may contain carrots, cabbage or broccoli. In Guatemala, chow mein (or chao mein) is usually prepared with chayote and carrots and served on a corn tostada.

Indian Chinese cuisine
Chow mein is also common in Indian Chinese. In India, it was introduced by the Chinese of Calcutta. It is usually offered Hakka-style, with gravy. Catering to vegetarian diets, there is an Indian variant, vegetable chow mein, which consists of noodles with cabbage, bamboo shoots, pea pods, green peppers, and carrots. In the New Delhi area, chow mein can sometimes include paneer with the mixture of noodles and vegetables. Another non-meat Indian variant includes scrambled egg as a protein source. Kolkata has its own variant that is called Calcutta Chow Mein or Calcutta Chowmin that also includes green chilli, chilli garlic, or hot garlic. The Pakistani version includes carrots, cabbage, peppers, spring onions, chilies, and ginger garlic paste.

Indonesian Chinese cuisine
There are two Indonesian versions of chow mein. One is Mie goreng, which is (sometimes spicy) stir-fried noodle dish with variants of toppings, and the other is a crispy noodle dish topped with sauce that is pretty popular and existed in virtually all Chinese restaurant in Indonesia. It goes popular with the name of I fu mie or Mi Siram, literally means drenched noodle, in Indonesian Chinese cuisine. In Indonesia, i fu mie is usually served with thick egg sauce with cauliflower, broccoli, mushroom, kekkian or prawn cake, and chicken. Several varieties does exists such as vegetarian and seafood that contains squid, prawn and fish instead of kekkian. The dish is often confused with Lo mein.

Mauritian cuisine
In Mauritius, Mauritian chow mein is known as "mine frire", "mine frite", "mine frit" and "minn frir". The term is a combination of Cantonese/Hakka word for noodles "mein" and french word for "fried". It was likely introduced in Mauritius by Chinese immigrants who mostly came from the Southeast part of China (mostly from the Cantonese regions) at the end of the 19th century. It was mainly eaten by the Chinese community who settled in Mauritius and eventually evolved in a distinctively Mauritian dish diverging from the original recipe. It is a classical Sino-Mauritian dish which is eaten by all Mauritians regardless of ethnicity, reflecting the influence of Chinese and Sino-Mauritian community despite being one the smallest community on the island. It is a very common street food and can be found in almost all restaurants on the island.

Mexican Chinese cuisine
Chow mein has gained popularity in Mexico, which received waves of Chinese immigrants in the past, particularly in northwestern Mexico. Mexicali, a city in Baja California, is known for its distinct style of chow mein, which typically use Mexican ingredients as substitutes for traditional Chinese ones, an adaption that was made by Chinese immigrants settling the area.

Nepalese cuisine
Tibetans who settled in Nepal brought chow mein with them. It is a popular fast food in Nepal. The Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley use water buffalo meat and chicken in their cuisine, and chow mein in Nepal is often cooked with onion, vegetables and buff (water buffalo meat).

Peruvian Chinese cuisine
Chinese food (chifa) is very popular in Peru and is now a part of mainstream Peruvian culture. Chow mein is known to Peruvians as tallarín saltado ("sautéed noodles") and may contain peppers, onions, green onions, and tomatoes. Chicken or beef are the preferred meats used in this Peruvian variant.

title: Chow mein


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MGM Resorts International

MGM Resorts International is an American global hospitality and entertainment company operating destination resorts in Las Vegas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, and New Jersey, including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, and Park MGM.

The company began operations in 1987 as MGM Grand, Inc. and became MGM Mirage in 2000, after acquiring Mirage Resorts. In the mid-2000s, growth of its non-gaming (lodging, food, retail) revenue began to outpace gaming receipts and demand for high-rise condominiums was surging, with median property prices in Las Vegas twice the national average. The company shifted its focus from owning and operating resorts and casinos to developing and building real estate in the leisure and gaming industry—launching the massive CityCenter mixed-use project, which was at the time of its construction the world's largest construction site and ranks as one of the most expensive real estate projects in history. City Center's development coincided with the global financial crisis, causing more than $1 billion in writedowns in its valuation.

Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian and his Tracinda Corporation were, until 2009, the majority shareholders of MGM Mirage; Kerkorian was the former owner of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer movie studio, from which MGM Grand derived its name. Following a $1 billion stock offering by MGM Mirage amidst the global credit crunch, Tracinda's shares were diluted from 53.8 percent to 39 percent. On June 15, 2010, shareholders voted for MGM Mirage to change its name to "MGM Resorts International".

In 2015, the company split into two forming MGM Growth Properties, a real estate company, while MGM Resorts shifted to operating properties. Today, MGM Resorts is the largest casino company in the world by revenue, making $13.13 billion USD in revenue in 2022.

Background and early ventures (1969–1988)
The company's background can be traced to 1969, when airline and casino tycoon Kirk Kerkorian bought a controlling stake in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studio. In 1970 and 1971, Kerkorian struggled with debt from his acquisitions of MGM and Western Airlines, and was forced to sell a majority of his casino company, International Leisure, to Hilton Hotels at a steep discount. When the Las Vegas Hilton, the casino he had built, subsequently became the most successful hotel in Las Vegas, Kerkorian was inspired to lead the studio into the gambling industry. It opened the original MGM Grand Hotel and Casino (now Horseshoe Las Vegas) in 1973. The MGM Grand Reno followed in 1978.

By 1979, the two hotel-casinos accounted for most of MGM's income, and the company announced a plan to split itself in two. The next year, the film studio was spun off as a new company, while the original company, renamed as MGM Grand Hotels Inc., retained the two hotel-casinos. Kerkorian held a 47 percent stake in both companies.

In 1985, Kerkorian began seeking a buyer for MGM Grand Hotels, to allow him to concentrate on running United Artists and on developing new properties under the MGM Grand name. A deal was reached for Bally Manufacturing to buy the company; the deal closed in April 1986, and the two casinos were renamed under the Bally's brand. The terms of the sale allowed Kerkorian to retain rights to the MGM Grand name, and plans were announced to offer the stockholders of MGM Grand Hotels shares in a new company that would hold the naming rights.

The company now known as MGM Resorts International was formed in 1986 as Grand Name Co. as a subsidiary of Kerkorian's Tracinda Corporation. It was renamed in 1987 as MGM Grand, Inc.

The company's first venture was MGM Grand Air, a luxury airline offering service between New York and Los Angeles, which launched in September 1987. The company also made an offer to take over financially struggling Pan American World Airways, but this offer was rejected by Pan Am's board in November 1987.

In August 1987, MGM Grand bid $152 million for the bankrupt Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, but was beat out by Japanese billionaire Masao Nangaku. Instead, the company acquired the Desert Inn and Sands casinos in February 1988 from Summa Corporation for $167 million. The Sands was sold to Sheldon Adelson's Interface Group for $110 million in April 1989.

First casino developments (1989–1999)
In September 1989, the company announced plans for a $700-million Hollywood-themed complex, including a 4,000-room hotel and a theme park. The Desert Inn site was initially considered as a location for the project, but within weeks the location was finalized as the Marina Hotel and Casino and the Tropicana Country Club, which MGM Grand acquired for $93 million plus $30 million in stock. The company put the Desert Inn up for sale to focus efforts on the new project, but found no outside bidders, and agreed to sell it to Tracinda for $130 million. Construction on the MGM Grand Las Vegas and the MGM Grand Adventures theme park began in October 1991, and the property opened in December 1993 at a final cost of $1 billion. The park permanently closed in 2002 due to a lack of interest.

The company moved its headquarters from Beverly Hills to Las Vegas in July 1992.

During construction of the MGM Grand, the company acquired an option to buy an 18-acre site across the street from the project. Gary Primm of Primadonna Resorts approached MGM president Bob Maxey in 1994 with an idea for the site: a casino recreating the New York skyline. A joint venture was formed between the two companies, and construction began in March 1995. Completed at a cost of $460 million, the New York-New York Hotel and Casino opened in January 1997.

With New York-New York under development, MGM Grand made moves to expand in several other markets. An exploratory agreement to develop two casinos on the Chinese island of Hainan was announced in August 1994, but came to nothing. In Darwin, Australia, a lucrative market attracting high rollers from Pacific Rim countries, the company considered building a hotel, but instead bought the Diamond Beach Hotel and Casino, renaming it as the MGM Grand Darwin. MGM announced plans for an Atlantic City casino in July 1996. In Michigan, where voters approved casinos in November 1996, MGM made plans for a bid on one of the three available gaming licenses, which would eventually be approved and open in July 1999 as the MGM Grand Detroit.

In South Africa, with casino gambling newly authorized, MGM announced plans in August 1996 to develop 15 properties in conjunction with Tsogo Sun. The first, a temporary casino in Johannesburg's Sundome, opened in October 1998. Three more casinos followed before MGM agreed to sell out its interest in the properties to Tsogo Sun in November 2001.

Since the initiation of New York-New York, analysts had speculated that MGM Grand or Primadonna would buy out the other's interest in the project. Instead of making such a cash-intensive purchase, however, MGM agreed to buy Primadonna outright for $276 million in stock plus $336 million in assumed debt. The merger closed in March 1999, giving MGM ownership of three casinos and two golf courses at the Nevada–California state line, in addition to full control of New York-New York.

Mirage Resorts merger (2000)
In February 2000, MGM Grand made an unsolicited offer of $17 a share to buy Mirage Resorts, which had floundered due to disappointing results at its new Beau Rivage and Bellagio resorts. Analysts expected a protracted battle, with Mirage founder Steve Wynn seen as unwilling to give up control but under pressure from institutional investors. Mirage rejected the offer, but Wynn met with Kerkorian the next day and named a price of $21 a share. The companies agreed on the higher price, for a total of $4.4 billion plus $2 billion in assumed debt. The merger closed in May 2000, giving MGM ownership of the Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio, Boardwalk, and Golden Nugget casinos in Las Vegas, the Golden Nugget in Laughlin, and the Beau Rivage in Mississippi, and a half share of the Monte Carlo. The company changed its name to MGM Mirage in August 2000. Mirage had also owned a half stake in the Borgata, a planned casino in Atlantic City, in a joint venture managed by Boyd Gaming. Work on the Borgata continued apace, and it would open in July 2003.

Stalled developments (2001–2004)
In 2001 and 2002, following the merger with Mirage, the company explored options for its next major development project, including in the Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Chicago, and Macau markets. The 55-acre site of the Boardwalk casino on the Las Vegas Strip was earmarked for a technologically advanced megaresort targeting a Generation X demographic. In Atlantic City, MGM shifted focus from its previously announced boardwalk site to a proposed billion-dollar hotel and casino on a 55-acre tract adjacent to the Borgata, where Wynn had planned to build the Le Jardin casino. In the Chicago market, MGM agreed to pay $600 million to buy the unfinished Emerald Casino in Rosemont, Illinois, whose investors had been accused of ties to organized crime. The deal was rejected, however, by state gaming regulators, and MGM then backed off its effort, saying that Illinois's casino tax was too high. In Macau, where Stanley Ho's 40-year government-granted monopoly on gambling was coming to an end, MGM submitted a bid for one of three available gaming concessions, but it was not selected, losing out to Ho, Las Vegas Sands, and Wynn Resorts.

MGM made moves into the United Kingdom market after a 2001 government report called for loosening of the country's gambling regulations. It opened an online casino, playmgmmirage.com, licensed in the Isle of Man, a British dependency, and it applied for a license to run an online sports betting site in the U.K. It acquired a twenty-five percent stake in a company developing the small Triangle Casino in Bristol, which went on to open its doors in February 2004. It inked deals to build casinos at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London, St James' Park in Newcastle, Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, Sportcity in Manchester, Glasgow Harbour, King's Waterfront in Liverpool, and at a proposed stadium in Salford. The company also signed a $490-million deal to acquire Wembley plc, owner of seven greyhound tracks in Britain and four in the United States.

The British expansion plans ultimately amounted to nothing. MGM closed its online casino after less than two years, citing uncertainty in American regulations and competition from established British brands. The Wembley acquisition turned into a bidding war, with MGM finally losing out to an investors group including Kerzner International. The Triangle Casino was sold off to Stanley Leisure in 2006. The company's other development plans were scuttled as the government scaled down, and eventually abandoned, the plan to allow large "super-casinos".

In 2004, the company disposed of some of its smaller properties, selling the two Golden Nugget casinos (Golden Nugget Las Vegas and Golden Nugget Laughlin) to Poster Financial Group for $215 million, and the MGM Grand Darwin to Skycity Entertainment for $140 million.

Mandalay merger (2004–2005)
MGM entered into quiet merger talks with Mandalay Resort Group in early 2004. The potential acquisition would give MGM control of more than half the hotel rooms on the Las Vegas Strip. Mandalay assets attractive to MGM included low-end casinos like Excalibur and Circus Circus to broaden MGM's "high roller" appeal; the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, which would allow MGM to compete directly with the Sands Expo center in the convention market; and at least two prime developable sites on the Strip. The talks went public in June, when MGM announced an offer worth $7.65 billion. Mandalay rejected that offer because of a clause allowing MGM to back out if antitrust regulators demanded the sale of any properties. Analysts speculated that another bidder such as Harrah's or Boyd might enter, but none did, and MGM and Mandalay soon agreed on a $7.9 billion deal.

MGM executives were confident that antitrust regulators would not require the sale of any of the two companies' properties. Michigan law, however, forbade one company from owning multiple casinos, requiring the sale of either the MGM Grand Detroit or Mandalay's 54 percent stake in the MotorCity Casino. After some vacillation about which property to sell, Mandalay accepted a $525-million offer for its interest in MotorCity from Marian Ilitch, the casino's second largest shareholder. Meanwhile, in Illinois, where MGM needed regulatory approval to take over Mandalay's 50 percent interest in the Grand Victoria Casino, a lack of quorum on the state Gaming Board threatened to delay the merger. MGM considered a sale to the casino's other owner, the Pritzker family, but ultimately gained approval for a plan to place the property under control of a trustee until completion of the licensing process. The FTC approved the merger as predicted, and MGM obtained a $7 billion line of credit to finance it. The sale closed on April 25, 2005 for a total of $7.9 billion, including $3 billion in assumed debt.

The Mandalay acquisition made MGM Mirage the largest gaming company in the world, but it was surpassed just two months later when Harrah's Entertainment acquired Caesars Entertainment in a deal that had been spurred on by news of the MGM-Mandalay merger.

Later developments (2004–2006)
Despite MGM's initial failure to win a gaming concession in Macau, the company had remained interested in the burgeoning gaming market. Rumors of a possible partnership with Stanley Ho were reported in 2003, but Nevada gaming regulators informally vetoed the idea because of the alleged involvement of organized crime triads in his casinos. Another possibility emerged when the government allowed the three gaming concessionaires to each sell a sub-concession. In June 2004, MGM formed a joint venture with Pansy Ho, Stanley's daughter, to develop a casino-hotel under a sub-concession from Stanley. Despite initial concerns about whether Pansy Ho was subject to her father's influence, the Nevada Gaming Commission eventually approved the partnership. Construction of the MGM Grand Macau began in June 2005. The property opened in December 2007, completed at a cost of $1.25 billion.

In 2004, MGM solidified its plans for the Boardwalk site on the Strip, announcing Project CityCenter, an $8-billion high-density project including hotels, condominiums, a casino, and a shopping mall. The Boardwalk was closed in January 2006 to make way for the redevelopment, and CityCenter construction began the following June.

Singapore emerged in 2004 as the next major new Asian gaming market, calling for proposals to build two "integrated resort" casinos at Marina Bay and the island of Sentosa. MGM partnered with CapitaLand in an estimated $3 billion bid for the Marina Bay site. Their bid advanced to the final stage against three competitors, and was seen as the favorite to win. The government awarded the license, however, to Las Vegas Sands, citing its strength in the meetings and conventions sector.

In 2007, MGM Mirage disposed of some outlying properties in Southern Nevada. The two Laughlin casinos (the Colorado Belle and Edgewater) were sold for $200 million, the Primm Valley Resorts were sold for $400 million, and the Nevada Landing Hotel and Casino was closed.

Dubai World investment (2007–2009)
On April 19, 2007 the company announced that it planned to purchase a 7.6 acre site from Concord Wilshire Partners for $130 million and a 25.8 acre site from Gordon Gaming for $444 million. The two parcels give the company complete control of the southwest corner of the Sahara and Las Vegas Boulevard intersection. When combined with underused parts of the Circus Circus site, the company will have a 68 acre site for future development. The Concord site had been the proposed location for the Maxim Casino.

On August 22, 2007, Dubai World said it would buy a 9.5 percent stake in MGM for about $2.4 billion. It would also invest about $2.7 billion to acquire a 50 percent stake in MGM's CityCenter project. Dubai World would pay MGM Mirage an additional $100 million if the project opened on time and on budget. The investment firm would buy 14.2 million shares from MGM Mirage. The firm would also issue a public tender for an additional 14.2 million shares at the same price. On October 29, 2008, MGM Mirage halted a $5 billion Atlantic City project on land next to the Borgata.

At about the same time, New Jersey gambling regulators were evaluating MGM Mirage's suitability to operate casinos in New Jersey, and were unconvinced that MGM Mirage's Macau partner, Pansy Ho, could operate independently from influence of her father, Stanley Ho. The latter was often accused of ties with Chinese organized crime and letting the gangs operate in his casinos' VIP rooms. Faced with not complying with New Jersey gaming regulations, MGM Mirage decided to divest the highly profitable Borgata in order to continue pursuing the even more lucrative Chinese market. MGM Mirage subsequently transferred its 50% share in the Borgata to a divestiture trust through which it received all benefit of the ownership. The trust was responsible for selling MGM's interest within 30 months, although MGM had the right to direct the trustee during the first 18 months.

On December 16, 2008, MGM Mirage announced the sale of its Las Vegas Treasure Island resort and casino to billionaire Phil Ruffin. The sale was completed on March 20, 2009 for $600 million in cash plus a $175 million promissory note.

On March 23, 2009 Dubai World and Infinity World announced that they had filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court seeking to be released from their CityCenter joint venture agreement with MGM Mirage after the company filed its annual report stating that "there is substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern," and "it cannot provide assurance that its business would generate sufficient cash flow from operation."

Starting on April 6, 2009 news reports surfaced that MGM Mirage had hired investment firm Morgan Stanley to assist the company in finding possible buyers for the MGM Grand Detroit and the Beau Rivage.

Name change and recent years (2010–present)
In June 2010, MGM Mirage changed its name to "MGM Resorts International", to emphasize the brand's global scope and increased non-gaming strategy.

In May 2011 an initial public offering was held for the MGM Macau property through a new holding company, MGM China. MGM retained a 51 percent interest in the company, with Pansy Ho holding a 29 percent stake, and 20 percent sold to public investors for $1.5 billion. In January 2013, MGM China received government approval to build its second resort in Macau.

In 2013, MGM won state licenses to build a $1-billion resort in National Harbor, Maryland and a $950-million resort in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts.

In May 2014, the company broke ground on the $375-million T-Mobile Arena located behind New-New York Hotel and Casino, in partnership with AEG Live. The arena opened on April 6, 2016.

MGM sold several properties in 2015, including the Railroad Pass Casino,  the Gold Strike,   and properties in Reno (Circus Circus Reno and a 50 percent stake in the Silver Legacy) were sold to Eldorado Resorts for $72.5 million.

In April 2016, MGM sold The Shops at Crystals, the high-end mall in CityCenter, to Invesco Real Estate and Simon Property Group for $1.1 billion.

In April 2016, MGM held an initial public offering for MGM Growth Properties (MGP), a new real estate investment trust (REIT) with ownership of ten of the company's casinos; the parent company would continue to operate the casinos under a lease agreement. The offering raised $1.05 billion, and left MGM Resorts with 76 percent ownership of the REIT. In June 2016, MGM announced a joint venture with Sydell Group to renovate and rebrand the Monte Carlo as the Park MGM, named after the adjacent dining and entertainment district, The Park, that opened in April 2016. In August 2016, MGM bought out Boyd Gaming's interest in the Borgata for $900 million, and then sold the property to MGP for $1.2 billion and leased it back for $100 million per year.

In 2017, MGM launched two online ventures under the PlayMGM brand: an online sportsbook in Nevada, and an online casino in New Jersey. In October 2017, MGM purchased the San Antonio Stars of the Women's National Basketball Association. The team was moved to Mandalay Bay Events Center and began play as the Las Vegas Aces in 2018. In August 2018, MGM and Hyatt sold the Grand Victoria Casino to Eldorado Resorts for $328 million. In January 2019, MGM bought Yonkers Raceway and Empire City Casino in New York from the Rooney family for $850 million, and then immediately sold the land and buildings to MGP for $625 million, and leased them back for $50 million per year.

In 2019, MGM sold two resorts on the Las Vegas strip: Bellagio and Circus Circus. They sold their real estate assets of Bellagio to Blackstone Group while selling Circus Circus to Phil Ruffin. In 2020, they sold their real estate assets of MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay to a joint venture between Blackstone and MGP.

In 2021, MGM bought 50% of Dubai World’s share of CityCenter and sold the real estate assets of Aria and Vdara to Blackstone and later purchased the operating assets of Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and later sold the Mirage to Hard Rock International. Also in 2021, MGM would sell the Las Vegas Aces to Mark Davis, owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Response to the COVID-19 pandemic
In August 2020, MGM cut 18,000 job positions as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The job cuts represent one fourth of its workforce, which before the start of the pandemic was 68,000.

Attempts to block tribal casino developments
MGM lobbied the Trump administration against giving federal approval for a casino operated by two native tribes in East Windsor, Connecticut. The casino would have provided competition to a MGM casino across the border in Massachusetts.

Marriott partnership
In July 2023, MGM Resorts announced an agreement with Marriott International to bring its 17 properties within Marriott's global reservations system and its Bonvoy loyalty program, creating the MGM Collection With Marriott Bonvoy. The new partnership will see four of MGM's properties fully affiliated with Marriott brands beginning in late 2023. The Bellagio will join The Luxury Collection division of Marriott, the Park MGM will join Marriott's Tribute Portfolio, and the Aria will join Marriott's Autograph Collection, which The Cosmopolitan has been a member of since its opening.

Cybersecurity attack
In September 2023, MGM's hotel and casino operations were disrupted for several days during a cybersecurity attack by the hacking group Scattered Spider. The company refused to pay a ransom to the hackers, and stated that its losses of $100 million would be covered by cyber insurance. As a result of the cyberattack, multiple class action lawsuits were filed against MGM Resorts as well as Caesars Entertainment, which Scattered Spider had hacked into during the same month, with all stating that the failure for both of the casino operators to adequately secure their data constituted breach of contract.

MGM Hospitality
In 2007, MGM Hospitality was established to operate hotels, resorts and residences in key destinations around the globe using the brands of Bellagio, MGM Grand and Skylofts.

In 2009, the company formed Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality, a joint venture with Diaoyutai State Guesthouse of China (the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s venue for VIPs) which develops and operates 5-star hotels and resorts in China.

In April 2013, Hakkasan Las Vegas at the MGM Grand opened its 80,000-square-foot venue on five levels. In 2014, MGM and Hakkasan Group announced the formation of a joint venture named MGM Hakkasan Hospitality, which would develop non-gaming hotels around the world. The partnership was terminated a year later.

BetMGM
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's May 2018 ruling that struck down the PASPA sports betting ban, in July 2018, MGM announced a 50/50 joint venture with UK gambling operator GVC Holdings (now known as Entain) to create a sports betting and online gaming platform targeting the U.S. market in states where such activities are legal. In January 2019, the joint venture was named Roar Digital.

In September 2019, the company announced a partnership with sports bar chain restaurant Buffalo Wild Wings. The partnership will involve Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars across the country showcasing custom sportsbook content on TV screens inside the bars, featuring live odds provided by BetMGM, as well as the establishment of three new Buffalo Wild Wings sports bars within MGM properties or in partnership with BetMGM as additional states come online. At the end of October 2019, the company established a betting partnership with Yahoo Sports to connect its sports betting online platform to the popular sports website.

In late 2018, BetMGM signed official partnerships with several North American professional sports leagues, including the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and Major League Baseball. In July 2020, BetMGM announced a partnership with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. BetMGM would follow this deal with multiple betting partnerships with other NFL teams, including the Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans, and Pittsburgh Steelers. In late 2020 through early 2021, BetMGM continued to develop its partnership library with other teams in other leagues, including the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL, Washington Nationals of MLB, and Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA, as well as with other business ventures like TopGolf to extend the company's brand image to new bettors in operating markets. In May 2021, BetMGM signed a deal with the Baltimore Ravens to become the official gaming partner of the NFL team.

On November 8, 2021, BetMGM, along with 8 other sports gaming operators, were awarded sports betting licenses by the New York State Gaming Commission. New York will be the largest sports gaming market in the United States when operators launch their applications in 2022. Additionally, on the same day, BetMGM agreed to a multi-year marketing partnership with Madison Square Garden Sports and will become an official sports gaming sponsor for both the New York Knicks of the NBA and New York Rangers of the NHL.

On September 14, 2022, BetMGM entered into a naming rights agreement with NJ Transit to becoming the naming sponsor of the Meadowlands Rail Line for $3 million over the next 3 years. The rail line is a special event shuttle train that offers rail service to and from MetLife Stadium only during New York Giants and New York Jets home football games, as well as major concerts and other sporting events.

On January 4, 2024, it was announced that BetMGM would become the new title sponsor of the PDC Premier League Darts for the 2024 season.

On January 26, 2024, BetMGM became a partner for X (formerly Twitter), this partnership would bring gambling features to the platform.

MGM Resorts International properties
All U.S. properties (excluding golf courses and where otherwise indicated) are fully owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM through a long-term triple net lease agreement.

Las Vegas Strip

 * Bellagio (leased from The Blackstone Group)
 * The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (leased from Blackstone, Cherng Family Trust, and Stonepeak Partners)
 * Aria Campus (formerly CityCenter) (leased from Blackstone)
 * Aria Resort & Casino
 * Vdara
 * Park MGM
 * NoMad Las Vegas
 * New York-New York
 * T-Mobile Arena (42.5% ownership of building; land is leased from Vici)
 * MGM Grand Las Vegas
 * MGM Grand Garden Arena
 * Skylofts at MGM Grand
 * The Mansion at MGM Grand
 * The Signature at MGM Grand
 * Excalibur
 * Luxor
 * Mandalay Bay
 * Delano Las Vegas
 * Mandalay Bay Convention Center
 * Michelob Ultra Arena

China

 * Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality – China (joint venture with Diaoyutai State Guesthouse)
 * Bellagio Shanghai – Shanghai
 * Diaoyutai Boutique Hotel Chengdu – Chengdu
 * Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou – Hangzhou
 * MGM Grand Sanya – Sanya
 * MGM China – Macau, China (56% ownership stake)
 * MGM Cotai – Cotai
 * MGM Macau – Sé

Other properties

 * Beau Rivage – Biloxi, Mississippi
 * Borgata – Atlantic City, New Jersey
 * MGM Grand Detroit – Detroit, Michigan (98% ownership stake)
 * MGM National Harbor – National Harbor, Maryland
 * MGM Northfield Park – Northfield, Ohio
 * MGM Springfield – Springfield, Massachusetts
 * Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino – Yonkers, New York

Golf courses

 * Fallen Oak Golf Course – Saucier, Mississippi
 * Primm Valley Golf Club – Nipton, California
 * Shadow Creek Golf Course – Las Vegas, Nevada

Former properties

 * Boardwalk Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada
 * Circus Circus Las Vegas
 * Adventuredome
 * Slots-A-Fun Casino
 * Circus Circus, Reno, Nevada
 * Colorado Belle, Laughlin, Nevada
 * Desert Inn
 * Edgewater, Laughlin, Nevada
 * Gold Strike Tunica – Tunica Resorts, Mississippi
 * Gold Strike Hotel and Gambling Hall, Jean, Nevada
 * Golden Nugget Las Vegas
 * Golden Nugget Laughlin
 * Grand Victoria Casino Elgin – Elgin, Illinois (50% joint venture with Hyatt)
 * Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas
 * MGM Grand Adventures Theme Park
 * MGM Grand Air
 * MGM Grand Darwin – Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
 * MGM Grand at Foxwoods
 * MGM Grand Ho Tram Strip – Xuyen Moc, Vietnam
 * The Mirage
 * Nevada Landing Hotel and Casino – Jean, Nevada
 * Primm Valley Resorts
 * Railroad Pass, Henderson, Nevada
 * Sands Hotel and Casino
 * Silver Legacy, Reno, Nevada (50% owner in partnership with Eldorado Resorts)
 * The Shops at Crystals
 * Treasure Island Hotel and Casino – Las Vegas, Nevada
 * Las Vegas Festival Grounds
 * Las Vegas Village

MGM International Aviation
The MGM Resorts International Aviation fleet comprises five aircraft (as of March 2020):

Staff and management
The company's top executives include: James Murren, chairman and chief executive officer; Bill Hornbuckle, president of global casino marketing; Brian Sandoval, president of global gambling development; Corey I. Sanders, chief operating officer; and John McManus, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary. As of 2015, according to the company, among the company's management ranks, more than 38 percent are minorities and nearly 43 percent are women. The company has received wide recognition for its diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as: 40 Best Companies for Diversity (Black Enterprise Magazine), Top 10 Companies for Latinos (DiversityInc Magazine), Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality (Human Rights Campaign Foundation), Top 10 Regional Companies(DiversityInc) and Top Corporation for Women's Business Enterprises (Women's Business Enterprise National Council). Fortune magazine named MGM Resorts one of the World's Most Admired Companies in 2017.

Controversy
MGM Resorts International received criticism for filing a lawsuit on July 18, 2018, against survivors and relatives of victims slain in the October 1, 2017 Las Vegas shooting. MGM has claimed that, because it utilized the security services of Contemporary Services Corporation, a vendor certified by the Department of Homeland Security at the time of the October 1 shooting, any proceedings should be held in federal court where MGM is shielded from liability by the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act, also known as the Safety Act. MGM said they are insured for $751 million towards the settlement of the lawsuit which MGM believes will be settled in May 2020. Robert Englet, an attorney to some of the survivors, describes the countersuit as an attempt to get a more favorable judge. Brian Claypool, another attorney of the survivors', called the lawsuits a “public relations nightmare”. MGM's controversial action prompted a public outcry from survivors of the shooting, family members of the victims, lawmakers, and media members in New York State urging the New York State Gaming Commission to block MGM from completing its $850 million deal to purchase Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York, which deal had been scheduled to close in January 2019. In October 2019, MGM agreed to pay victims and survivors up to $800 million.

Awards and recognition
The company continues to receive wide recognition for its diversity and inclusion initiatives, such as: 40 Best Companies for Diversity (Black Enterprise Magazine) in 2012, Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality (Human Rights Campaign Foundation) in 2013, Top 10 Regional Companies (DiversityInc) in 2014, Top 10 Companies for Latinos (DiversityInc Magazine), and top 100 Companies for MBA Students (Universum Global) in 2014. Fortune has named MGM Resorts one of the World's Most Admired Companies.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: MGM Resorts International


text:
Sing Pao Daily News

Sing Pao Daily News is one of the oldest Chinese newspapers in Hong Kong, first published on 1 May 1939 by the Sing Pao Newspaper Company Limited  under Ho Man-fat. It was initially published every three days, later becoming a daily.

By the 1950s, Sing Pao accounted for almost half of the market.

In 2003, the paper had a circulation of 100,000, reaching over 220,000 readers, the company says.

Sections
Sing Pao consists of various sections:
 * Local – This section contains Hong Kong headlines, an editorial column, local news and related softnews, as well as a complaints board.
 * International (including PRC and Taiwan) – This section consists of international news, news from China, amusing international softnews, and profiles of international leaders.
 * Economics – In this section, one can find Economic headlines, news on Chinese Business, finance information, investment tips, and information on the property market.
 * Entertainment – In this section, there is wide coverage of local and international entertainment news.
 * Sports – This section focuses on football news, including football-gambling, NBA, and other news.
 * Horse-racing
 * Supplementary sections, including Holiday, Foods and Drinks, Cars, Mobile phones, Computers and Software, Fashion and Beauty, Health, and Education.

Sing Pao especially targets teenagers and it has many school subscriptions. It has an editorial section for students, where young readers can summit their essays. The Teacher and Student Corner covers education in Hong Kong, ranging from kindergarten to tertiary institutions.

The paper includes Weekly International News Highlights and a Corner about the Hong Kong Legislative Council, giving a quick overview of current affairs and offering a space for readers to express their views.

Improvement in technology
Sing Pao's PDA Channel allows download the latest news (including politics, current affairs, international affairs, entertainment, and even horse-racing information) from the official Sing Pao website.

Financial problems and ownership
In 2000, amid declining sales, founder Ho Man-fat sold Sing Pao to Optima Media Holding (the purchaser was also stated as StarEastNet Limited and China Strategic Holdings Limited ) for HK$150 million. In 2004, that company was itself bought and renamed Strategic Media International. At the time of the sale, it was announced that the reporting style would remain the same, but the main focus would shift to entertainment news and advertising. Chief executive officer Ng-Ching is targeting the Chinese market to expand its advertising revenue.

The newspaper was in financial troubles again in early 2006, during which it was unable to pay employee salaries on time. Eventually, in May 2004, twenty-three of its reporters – led by Kwok Yin-Ling (?) (郭燕玲), the assistant chief editor – took sick leave together as a measure/protest against the management. However, no agreement could be reached and the reporters ultimately resigned. Some top-level executives (and board members?) resigned after this incident. As of June 2006, at least 60 employees have left Sing Pao, the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority is suing Sing Pao because of all the MPF Sing Pao has not paid, and the Labour Department is suing Sing Pao because of the unpaid wages.

The Labour Department won and on 3 January 2007, Sing Pao was fined HK$4200. The media and the head of the Labour Department criticised the punishment as being too light. In face of the criticism, the magistrate reopened the case on his own initiative the next day, as authorised by law (Chapter 227, Section 104(5)). With the Magistrates' Courts, there is no functus officio: a magistrate can reopen his own case within 14 days. This led to other people criticising the magistrate's decision to reopen, saying it gives the impression of popular and executive interference in the judiciary.

In April 2015, the paper faced further difficulties, as creditor Korchina Culture filed a 'statutory demand notice' leading Sing Pao to seek a loan of HK$110 million. Amid the troubles, the paper ceased publication for several weeks from 17 July, and on 12 August the High Court ruled that the paper's indebted parent company, Sing Pao Media Enterprises, must be liquidated. With this move, the paper's immediate future was secure and publication continued.

Reliability and criticism
Although Sing Pao has a motto of reporting the truth fairly and objectively, it has faced criticism too. On 4 February 2003, a reader complained to the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) that Sing Pao published the full name, address and picture of a victim in their paper, which violated their personal privacy.

Near the end of the 2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election, Johnny Lau Yui-siu (劉銳紹), a pundit who wrote a critique of both Henry Tang and Leung Chun-ying for the Sing Pao Daily News, complained that the journal of "unfairly editing and distorting his column", turning his article into one favouring Leung. Lau said that his intended piece was entitled "Neither Tang nor Leung is worthy of support". In the piece, he opined that "supporting either party would not be conducive to the situation", but the published version read: "If there is really a need to make a choice, then, let's choose Mr Leung Chun-ying." Lau alleged that his conclusion was similarly distorted: "neither Mr Tang nor Mr Leung is worthy of support. They do not deserve sympathy either" was changed to read: "Mr Tang is not worthy of support. Nor does he deserve sympathy." Ngai Kai-kwong, editor-in-chief of Sing Pao said: "the editing might have been too carelessly done." He denied the paper had exercised censorship, nor that it had come under pressure from the central government's liaison office. Citing format and budget reasons, Sing Pao dropped Lau's column alone in April. However, the HKJA rejected this explanation, and suggested that the cause was Lau's mourning of a deceased Chinese dissident Fang Lizhi in his column, which triggered a blockage of access to Sing Pao's online version in mainland.

title: Sing Pao Daily News