Most mergers are driven by the notion, sometimes wildly mistaken, that the combination will bring both a competitive advantage. Some pairs of companies, however, seem so intuitively right for one another, no bottom-line considerations should be allowed to interfere with their matrimony. Like a presidential candidate and a lobbyist's pocket, these two belong together.
I read recently that the average Las Vegas visitor leaves behind around $200 in gambling losses. However, in my flights back from Vegas I've noticed that many passengers still have their diamond rings, fine luggage and iPods, which tells me they haven't been wrung completely dry.
For companies such as Harrah's Entertainments (NYSE: HET), that's just opportunity lost, so I have a suggestion for how Harrah's could improve its take. Simply merge with EZCorp (NASDAQ: EZPW), operator of a chain of 82 EZPAWN pawn shops, which offer short-term credit to needy individuals based on personal property collateral, as well as 334 EZMoney stores offering pay advances.
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