Las Vegas News

Matthews on Poker Scandal:

Gambling in Space blogger -- and poker pro -- David Matthews has a lengthy analysis of the UltimateBet scandal, in which more than $6 million was lost by Internet poker players whose hole cards were being spied upon. Matthews foresees the ultimate downfall of UltimateBet and of Absolute Poker, which was similarly corrupted. He pins most of the blame, though, on the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, which oversees the servers on which the cheating took place.

Reno Fitzgeralds Closing:

Downtown Reno's Fitzgeralds Casino/Hotel will cease operations on Nov. 30, putting 475 employees out of work. The closure will enable the property's owner to convert it into a casino-less boutique hotel, making it an adjunct to the nearby Montage condo development. The gaming space will be replaced with retail, restaurants and a convention center.

'Lion King' Headed for Mandalay:

It's official: The Lion King will take up residence at the Mandalay Bay Theatre on May 2, 2009, for an open-ended run. This will be the seventh resident company of The Lion King and MBay promises that the Tony-winning Julie Taymor production will presented in a "virtually identical" form "with all of the same spectacular music, sets, and costumes that have made it a worldwide phenomenon." Ticket prices and performance schedules are TBA. MGM won't say whether the show will be cut or not, but implies that some snips may take place.

Bally Makes Big Mexican Deal:

Bally Technologies could sell as many as 2,000 slot machines to 36 gambling venues in Mexico as part of a new two-year deal with Pringa, a Mexican gaming provider. The latter is also buying Bally's casino-management software and the agreement opens the door for Bally, through a third party, to enter the Spanish market.

Trop Deal Explained:

If the State of New Jersey is accepting a $700 million cash-and-securities offer for the Atlantic City Tropicana, it's because an all-cash offer would have been far lower. Cordish Co. is only willing to offer up $575 million for the casino-hotel, if required to pay entirely in cash (as opposed to a 450/250 cash/securities split). Last spring, Colony Capital offered $850 million for the Trop, a bid that was rejected.

Another One Bites the Dust:

This time it's the Champagne Brunch at the Steakhouse at Circus Circus, which we've just learned be closing after this Sunday, September 5.

Elvis Resort Leaves the Building:

Robert Sillerman's FX Real Estate & Entertainment has informed the SEC that its proposed, Elvis Presley-themed resort, to be built at Harmon and Las Vegas Blvd., is "unlikely" to be undertaken and it will continue leasing the properties there to their current tenants. For additional details and history, see Stiffs & Georges.

Salaries up in Macao:

Macanese casino workers enjoyed a 7.4% increase in take-home pay this year, ChinaView.com reports. Wages in the industry, which employs over 45,600 people, are still a pittance compared to American ones. Dealers make $1,722 a month on average, while other classes of employees (like cashiers and pit bosses) make $2,350 monthly. Which means that a Macao dealer is making two-thirds of what a break-in dealer in Vegas can hope to earn.

Birthday Bash at Hash House A Go Go:

The popular eatery on W. Sahara, famed for its excellent breakfasts and ginormous portions, is having a third anniversary celebration tonight from 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. with special drink and food promotions, complimentary Bacardi cocktails and Linenkugle beer, a giant pancake birthday cake, and prizes. The restaurant's located at 6800 West Sahara Avenue. For reservations call 702/804-4646.

New Tourney Schedule at Wynn:

Last night, Wynn Las Vegas' poker room launched a new daily tournament schedule. There's a 2 p.m. tourney with a $120 buy-in and blinds starting at 25-50. There's also a new 7 p.m. tournament, with a $160 buy-in and 30-minute rounds. For more information, call 702/770-3090.

Last Day for Lucky Strike Lanes:

Today's the last day of business for the Rio's restaurant/bar/nightclub/bowling alley, which opened in the spring of 2007. The manager we spoke with did not know what was planned for the space.

LBS: A Burger Joint Debuts:

Red Rock's newest dining spot opens for business this evening, offering a menu of eco-friendly "fast-food" dishes that use fresh, organic, hormone-free, artisanal ingredients and recycled biodegradable packaging. You can find more info and a link to the menu in the "American" section in Restaurants. We look forward to trying it out and have added it to our upcoming "Green Vegas" section, which will also be debuting soon. Watch this space...

Palazzo Hosts Eyewear Unveiling:

Barton Perreira will be showing off its new line of eyeglasses at Palazzo's Lamborghini Gallery, Oct. 2-4. The showings, which are by invitation only, coincide with Vision Expo West. A limited-edition collection, in conjunction with Lugano Diamonds, will also be unveiled. For more information, call 949/305-5360.

777 Jackpot -- Not!:

The market was down 777 points today, which is eerily ironic given the positive connotation of that number, especially for gamblers. Purists can take solace in the fact that the actual decline was 777.68, which is 778 rounded up.

Big Discounts for PBR Fans:

If you're planning on heading to Vegas for the Professional Bull Riders Finals this October, we've just discovered that limited-edition $15 tickets are on sale for certain days as part of the 15th anniversary celebrations. To take advantage of this offer while tickets last, click here and type in discount code PRB15. (We discovered the deal while in the process of adding this year's PRB Finals to our new Special Events section, where you'll find details of all the events and parties that punctuate the Las Vegas calendar.)

Wyndham Progress Reported:

Anthony Curtis has until 2010, tops, to enjoy the view from his office window. That's when Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is scheduled to finish the first (of three) towers of its Desert Blue condo complex, at Twain Avenue and I-15. Tower one will be 18 stories tall and contain 281 units. A seven-story parking garage will accompany it.

Angel Fans Diss 'Believe':

Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment correspondent Doug Elfman reports that the early word of mouth on Cirque du Soleil's Criss Angel vehicle, Believe is, shall we say, skeptical. "People streamed out of the theater on Saturday screaming about how poor it was. A group of six women was led by a woman yelling furiously, demanding their money back," Elfman writes of the $85 million show's previews. "It's about a bunch of 'rabbits' dancing around in costume," was about as neutral a comment as Elfman could find.

Beshear's Seizure Blocked:

Not so fast, a Kentucky judge told Gov. Steve Beshear (D-Ky.), who'd hoped to have 141 domain names of Internet gambling sites transferred to the state as early as last Friday. After initially signing a seizure order, Judge Thomas Wingate has apparently had second thoughts, ordering both sides to file briefs in the case and re-postponing a hearing on the matter until Oct. 7, saying that he required more time to unravel the complexities of the issue. Said one attorney represent 'Net casinos, "This is the strangest case I have ever seen in my life."

RoboPoker Spreads to Iowa:

Ameristar Casinos has inked a deal with PokerPro to offer automated poker tables at its Council Bluffs, Ia., casino -- PokerPro's first installation in the Hawkeye State. Automated poker, and PokerPro's products in particular, is currently quite popular in the casino industry, as it increases the number of hands played per hour and the volume of "rake" to the casino.

Poker Players Blast Beshear:

Following the shutdown of www.HighRollersLounge.com and www.LuckyPyramidCasino.com, the Poker Players Alliance blasted back. "We believe this action not only unduly restricts the freedom of Kentucky residents to play games of skill, such as poker, online, but sets a precedent for censorship of the Internet by force," said PPA Executive Director John Pappas, comments echoed by the Internet Commerce Association. Kentucky's justice secretary, J. Michael Brown says it's a bump rap and the sites' closure was "not pursuant to our actions." If Internet casinos refuse to block access to their sites by Kentucky citizens, if the state could block access to the sites worldwide, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

'Textbook Rescue' at Taj:

In what a fire department captain called a "textbook rescue," seven passengers were extracted from a malfunctioning express elevator at Trump Taj Mahal last night. Firefighters rappeled down two floors and extricated the passengers -- including a wheelchair-bound woman -- through an escape hatch two feet square. The entire operation took two hours.

Cutbacks at Playboy:

It was reported on Friday that falling shares prices for PEI are going to prompt "mass sackings" at Playboy's NYC and L.A. offices. Only the top brass has known for a while how bad things have been," said an unnamed Playboy source. There is no indication that the cutbacks will affect the Playboy Club at the Palms.

Harrah's Broadens Total Rewards:

Instead of merely tracking casino play, Harrah's Entertainment is now going to use Total Rewards to keep tabs on what shows and concerts its customers attend, where they eat, what they buy, what they drink, etc. Harrah's received a higher percentage of its revenues strictly from gambling than did its three main Strip competitors, a trend the company hopes to alter. "It's a bit of a departure [for Harrah's] but this is really where the industry is heading," casino historian David Schwartz told The Associated Press.

Doing Dancer Dirty:

The current LVA was released with an error under an article on Quick Quads bylined by Bob Dancer. Mistakes happen, but this one's a bit worse than normal, since it wasn't Dancer's mistake -- the erroneous information was inserted in the edit. The faulty advice has been corrected online, but will appear in the hard copy, so here's the amendment. The mistake read that when you have a hand like 66642 "it doesn't matter whether you keep the 4 or the 2." The example hand should have been 66652, in which case it doesn't matter. With 66642, you have a dealt Quick Quad.

McCain, Casinos' Ally:

Due largely to his former advocacy of a federal ban on sports betting and, to a lesser extent, by his choice of a staunchly anti-gambling running mate, John McCain has been perceived as the presidential nominee less amenable to the casino industry. Not so, says a lengthy New York Times article in which the Arizona senator is hailed as "One of the founding fathers of Indian gaming" and the prime advocate of tax breaks which benefited Vegas-style casinos and tribal ones alike.

Ehrlich Opposes MD Slots:

Former Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R) has come out in opposition to the initiative on November's ballot that would legalize slot machines in Maryland. This is something of a flip-flop for Ehrlich who, when he was governor, attempted to bring slots to Pimlico, the site of the Preakness.

6X Points at Orleans:

All day today, Orleans is awarding 6X points. And if you're at another Coast property, there's not much drop-off due to a daily 5X-points promotion that runs through the end of the month.

Le Rêve Restored, Revealed:

The $139-million Picasso damaged when owner Steve Wynn accidentally poked his elbow through it in 2006 will be shown publicly for the first time since the mishap as part of an exhibit opening Oct. 15 at Acquavella Galleries in New York, reports today's Las Vegas Review-Journal.

New Hot Spot:

T&T, which stands for Tacos & Tequila, has opened at Luxor. It's another restaurant with a club atmosphere and the latest in the Luxor's move to a hipper image.

Hilton Heist Update:

According to a Las Vegas police detective, it was "two people wearing motorcycle helmets and carrying handguns" who robbed the Las Vegas Hilton sports book early Friday, making off with a "significant amount of money."

Air Concerns:

We reported in a prior Today's News item that the August passenger count at McCarran Airport was down 9.9%, the worst such downturn since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. That statistic takes on more significance when coupled with our poll results on travel showing that more than 75% of LasVegasAdvisor.com visitors "always fly" to Las Vegas. Our broad reach and the size of our polls (3,400 votes in this one) make them representative of the broader market, so it's apparent that airline woes have to have an overall negative affect on Las Vegas' overall health. Year-to-date, traffic is down 4.8%. See the "Poll Results" today under "Features."

Vegas Salsa:

The weekend edition of USA Today lists Vida! at MGM Grand as one of the "10 Great Places to Cha-Cha-Cha the Night Away." It's the late-night club at Diego at MGM Grand.

'Donny & Marie' Reviewed:

Our managing editor paid a visit to Donny & Marie at the Flamingo last night and reviews it at Stiffs & Georges. We think he liked it.

Las Vegas Casino Robbery:

Details remain minimal, but according to a report from Channel 13 News, the Las Vegas Hilton's race and sports book was robbed early this morning. We'll bring you more details as and when they're released.

Las Vegas This Weekend:

With summer now officially over, it’s time to catch the final wave of Las Vegas’ ultimate Cool Pool party scene. The beginning of the end will be marked by Ditch Friday’s end-of-summer bash at the Palms Pool, hosted by the cast of Sunset Tan. Rehab Sunday and Relax Monday will celebrate their final hurrahs at the Hard Rock’s Beach Club. Don’t pack away the bikini just yet, though: Wet Republic will continue Daylife celebrations through next weekend and most of the pools will remain open through October, weather permitting. Music: Foo Fighters play two sold out shows at The Joint (9/25-9/26); The Osmond Brothers take to the stage at the Orleans Showroom (9/26-9/28); Atmosphere (9/26) and Queensryche hit the stage at Mandalay Bay (9/28); Soul Express is in concert at Santa Fe Station (9/27); the free Moonlight Concert Series at the Clark County Amphitheater wraps up with Trent Tomlinson and The Lost Trailers (9/27); Bonnie Tyler (9/26) and The Lettermen & the Vogues (9/27) are in concert at The Club at the Cannery; Little Anthony and the Imperials perform at Tropicana (9/27); the Suncoast Showroom presents Bobby Rydell (9/26-9/28); Cecilio & Kapono are at the Canyon Club at Four Queens (9/26); Richard Marx stops by the Ovation Lounge inside Green Valley Ranch (9/26); MonteLago Village closes out its free summer concert series with Stetzen (09/26) and Shapiro Project (9/27); Roger Williams sings at the South Point Showroom (9/26-9/28); The Winchester Cultural Center welcomes the New West Guitar Quartet (9/26) Sports: UNLV’s Running Rebels and UNR’s Wolf Pack wage their annual Battle for the Cannon at Sam Boyd Stadium (9/27); The Las Angeles Kings and the Colorado Avalanche face off on the ice at the MGM Grand Garden Center (9/27) Comedy: Jay Leno makes it two weekends in a row at Mirage (9/26-9/27); Charlie Murphy looks for laughs at the House of Blues (9/27); Louis CK grabs the mic at The Joint (9/27) Poolside Events: The Wine Amplified Festival features the Gin Blossoms at Mandalay Bay Beach (9/27) with after party at Moorea Beach; this season’s final Ditch Friday at the Palms Pool will be hosted by the cast of Sunset Tan; the Hard Rock puts a wrap on Rehab Season 5 (9/28) with after party at Body English; Audrina Patridge hosts a Saturday party at Wet Republic (9/27); Other: Mr. Olympia hopefuls will gather at the Orleans Arena (9/26-9/28) and there’s an after party at Hawaiian Tropic Zone (9/28); The Beauty & Fitness Expo takes place at Cashman Center (9/27-9/28); Moon Nightclub inside the Palms parties with Samantha Ronson joining Paul Oakenfold for this week’s Perfecto (9/27) Hair Wars 3: Punk Rock Edition (9/28); check out the 9th Annual Super Run Classic Car Show at the Henderson Events Plaza (9/25-9/28); The Great American Model & Talent Search at Cashman Center (9/27-9/28); see the Korean Full Gospel School Dancers at the Winchester Cultural Center (9/27); McFadden’s at the Rio will hold a UNLV v UNR pregame party with free game ticket giveaways (9/26); fundraisers this weekend include wine tasting events at Town Square’s "Paint The Square Pink" with after party at Blue Martini (9/27) and MonteLago Village’s "Pour For a Cure" (9/27); The Playboy Club at the Palms will hold a Sunset Tan finale party (9/28); Pure Management Group presents a weekend with Chuck featuring Zachary Levi’s birthday celebration at LAX (9/26) and the Season 2 launch party at Pure hosted by the entire cast (9/27); Hawaiian Tropic Zone will host a Musotica.com bikini fashion show hosted by Bree Andre (9/26) and a Playboy Calendar Release party hosted by Anissa Holmes (9/27) For more details about these and other events, plus full listings of all the permanent shows Las Vegas plays home to, click here to use our "Shows & Event

Korean Air Grounds LV:

Las Vegas is temporarily losing its sole nonstop air link to Asia. Korean Air is suspending its thrice-weekly flights to and from Seoul until mid-December, the Las Vegas Sun reports. The resumption of service will be timed to capitalize on the Consumer Electronics Show. Passenger loads on the Seoul-LV route have been down 6% so far this year. The suspension is part of a larger retrenchment in Korean Air's U.S. service.

NLV Casinos Visited:

Today's Review-Journal has a look-in on several North Las Vegas casinos, namely the Speedway, Opera House and Silver Nugget. The Speedway finds itself rebounding from a near-catastrophic fire last June. As for the Silver Nugget, it's converted all its slots to cashless play, has recarpeted and has redone its bowling alley.

Encore Still Hiring:

Although it has received 65,000 inquiries about jobs at Encore, Wynn Resorts says that it is still looking for candidates to fill the 5,300 projected jobs at the resort, which opens in December. It also says that it is deploying a multilingual job-interview staff, fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and German. Prospective applicants can call 702/770-5627 or apply online.

Casino Pitched for Miami Beach:

Developer Marc Roberts, who's steering Miami's massive Worldcenter downtown redevelopment, has been quietly crafting an amendment to the Florida constitution that would permit a casino at one Miami site -- Worldcenter. The amendment would also allow casino gambling at any 800-room-plus Miami Beach hotel. Only one qualifies: The Fontainebleau. The chairman of Fontainebleau Resorts, "made it clear he sees it as a Vegas outpost in Miami Beach," according to the Miami Herald, and "plans to expand Fontainebleau into a global casino and resort brand." Florida's constitution has already been amended to allow slots at select Florida parimutuels.

325-1 Wager Invalidated:

A British student told his mates the drinks were on him, when a parlay bet at 325-1 odds on a Manchester United/Middlesbrough soccer match apparently came through. Jack Waland probably should have waited until he actually had the cash in hand, because the betting shop subsequently invalidated his slip, ascribing the long odds to employee error. So, instead of £815, he won but £65. "It is a lot of money to me," Waland lamented, "I am a student and it would have helped pay for my accommodation."

Typhoon Hits Macao:

Typhoon Hagupit slammed into the world's leading gambling market yesterday, "causing great damage to the city's infrastructure and rendering local streets waterlogged," according to the Macau Daily Times. Low-lying areas of the city were flooded, power was temporarily knocked out and a South Korean freighter was capsized 35 miles southwest of the city. In other news, Galaxy Entertainment's StarWorld Hotel has been tasked to respond to charges of displacing Macanese workers in favor of ones imported from the mainland -- a sensitive issue in the region.

Carson City Casino OK'd:

Golden Gaming may have narrowly missed out on a casino contract in Kansas, but it got green-lit for a $100 million project in Carson City. The eight-story, 220-room project will surpass the Ormsby House as the capitol city's tallest building, and is projected to be one of the city's three largest employers. No timeline for construction has been set.

Station Has New Concert Format:

Don't want to drive all the way to Green Valley Ranch from North Las Vegas for a Chris Botti concert? Once Aliante Station opens on Nov. 11, you won't necessarily have to. The addition of Access Showroom at Aliante will give Station an additional concert venue and it will begin presenting some touring acts both at Aliante and at GVR. Technological advances -- and the rising cost of gas -- helped prompt this change of format, according to columnist Mike Weatherford. However, "Rock of Love" fans in Henderson will still have to schlep up to Aliante to see Bret Michaels on Nov. 28; he's an Aliante exclusive.

No SEC Penalty for Bally:

Slot manufacturer Bally Technologies has agreed to a settlement with the SEC regarding two years' worth of restated earnings reports. The company was assessed no penalty nor required to make any admission of wrongdoing. Two former Bally execs were not so fortunate. A former CFO and vice president are facing civil action for allegedly having "fraudulently recognized revenues on Bally sales transaction and were responsible for Bally's false financial statements and misleading disclosures," according to the SEC.

Progressive Gaming Sacks CEO:

Russ McMeekin is out as CEO of Progressive Gaming, temporarily replaced by a member of the company's board. The company has advised investors that it's not going to meet its revenue projections and is instituting economy measures.

Customers Take Extreme Measures:

Los Angeles resident Sue Garrett was driven to truly desperate lengths to make her most recent visit to Las Vegas affordable: "We decided to sit through one of those blasted timeshare presentations to get a free hotel room," she told Reuters. Harrah's VP Jan Jones said the company is comping most of its Strip rooms to members of its loyalty programs, while MGM Mirage President Jim Murren dropped a possibly even bigger bombshell, predicting to Reuters that after the current group of construction projects(CityCenter, Echelon, Encore, Fontainebleau) there will probably be no new construction on the Strip for 10 years.

KY Declares War on 'Net Bets:

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is taking on Internet gambling, in a frontal assault launched from a Franklin County courtroom. Beshear obtained a judge's order that transfers ownership of 141 domain names, citing the "tremendous threat" posed to Bluegrass State citizens by Internet betting sites. "It’s an underworld wrought with scams and schemes," Beshear intoned. More to the point, perhaps, Beshear complained that Kentucky was losing millions of dollars per year that might otherwise be spent at Kentucky's horse tracks. The judge's order requires that the Web sites in question block access to their URLs from within Kentucky.

'Mamma Mia!' Out, 'Lion King' In:

That's according to Mike Weatheford, who reports that the showbiz grapevine is buzzing with the rumor that Mandalay Bay has lined up The Lion King to replace Mamma Mia!, when the latter calls it quits on Jan. 4. "If it comes to pass, the title will challenge the perceptions that Las Vegas gave up on the family trade, even though the classy production by offbeat director Julie Taymor has proved its cross-generational appeal," Weatherford writes of The Lion King. A Cirque du Soleil show had been mooted for the MBay theater, but CdS is already committed to Believe at Luxor and an untitled, Elvis Presley-themed show for Aria.

Haney Rates Parlay Cards:

In yesterday's Las Vegas Sun, Jeff Haney evaluated parlay cards from several local casinos. He was inspired by a Boyd Gaming/Coast Casinos claim that their odds are the best "on the planet," a contention that Haney found hyperbolic, to say the least, and "not even the best ... on Fremont Street." Haney found superior odds at nine rival casinos. One a parlay-by-parlay basis, he gave the Golden Nugget and Hard Rock several nods but concluded that the best of the best is "Cal Neva in a landslide."

Plaza to Start in 2010:

That's what an Elad Properties spokesperson told blogger Steve Friess, who's splitting time between covering the O.J. Simpson trial and the Elad vs. Tamares Group litigation that's playing out "one floor below OJville," as Friess puts it. He reports that two of Tamares' complaints against Elad (including a demand for punitive damages) have already been thrown out, leaving only the central question of who has the local rights to the "Plaza" name: Elad or Tamares. "Expect a verdict late next week," Friess writes.

Museum Day Deals:

This Saturday, Sept. 27 is national Museum Day, in celebration of which many museums are offering free entry. In Las Vegas, this applies to the Natural History Museum (normally $8.00 for adults), which is a cool place to take the kids, with live animal and marine exhibits, and the very cool Atomic Testing Museum (usually $12.00), which is a hidden gem and one of our favorite off-the-wall things to do in Vegas (check out the LVA reader reviews and you'll get a good flavor). To take advantage of the offer, which is good for two adults, just click this link and fill in the form.

IGT Stock Suffers:

Shares of International Game Technology bottomed out at a six-year low of $15.22 yesterday, following a Roth Capital Partners report that certain IGT patents may be ruled invalid in litigation between the slot maker and rival Bally Technologies. Analyst Todd Eilers also forecast that Bally's Monte Carlo game would be excluded from the litigation. Shares of IGT subsequently rallied, trading Wednesday afternoon at $16.54 apiece.

Racketeering Lawsuit Tossed:

Compulsive gambler Arelia Margarita Taveras got the heave-ho from U.S. District Court Judge Renée Bumb on Monday. Taveras was suing six casinos, including MGM Grand, for racketeering, contending that they knew she was a pathological gambler but took no action to halt her. The judge disagreed, ruling that gambling was not a "hazardous endeavor" worthy of special protection. Announcing her intent to appeal, Taveras wailed, "Do we have to dump toxic waste on a casino floor to get their attention?"

ECan Tops Market:

According to Majestic Research, which tracks "game usage" (i.e., number of bodies on the games) at Vegas casinos, Eastside Cannery is #1 in the locals market during the third quarter of 2008. While many other casinos moved down a notch in the Majestic top 20, South Point actually improved its standing from ninth to sixth. Casinos losing the most business during ECan's opening days were, surprisingly, not those in the immediate vicinity but northern-suburb properties like Santa Fe Station, Texas Station and Suncoast. Majestic expects ECan to relinquish its #1 spot once the initial "honeymoon period" has passed.

Penn Booted in KS:

Kansas' Racing & Gaming Commission voted unanimously yesterday to void Penn National's casino-management contract for Cherokee County and open the floor to new applications. Penn had announced its intention not to go through with the contract, balking at the level of investment required ($225 million) and the nearby presence of an Oklahoma tribal casino, Downstream Casino, which enjoyed a two-year head start and a lower tax rate.

Last 'Mamma Mia!' Tix on Sale:

After 4,300 renditions of its title song, Mamma Mia! will ring down the curtain at Mandalay Bay on Jan. 4, 2009. Tickets for this final performance will go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, at the Mandalay Bay box office and via Ticketmaster. Listed prices are $110, $82.50 and $49.50.

Trop Goes to Cordish:

It's been a good week for Cordish Co. Not only has it landed the third of four casino contracts with the State of Kansas, it's also been tapped to take ownership of the Atlantic City Tropicana. State-appointed conservator Justice Gary Stein has deemed Cordish the leading bidder (at $700 million) for the Boardwalk property. The bidding process, though, still has three weeks to run and Tropicana Entertainment has announced its intent to oppose Stein's decision.

TI Spa Deals:

In honor of the upcoming Oct. 25 five-year anniversary of the free Sirens of TI show at TI, the property's Wet spa is offering discounted spa packages for hotel guests who "want to get in touch with their inner Siren or Pirate": Sirens Spa Package * Wet Signature Massage (50 min) - $112 (normally $140) * Wet Signature Pedicure (50 min) - $76 (normally $95) Total: $188 total (plus gratuity) Pirates Spa Package * Intensive Therapy Massage (50 min) - $104 (normally $130) * Men's Pedicure (50 min) - $56 (normally $70) $160 total (plus gratuity) Note: This deal is also available to locals, but not in conjunction with the 20%-off local rate deal that's offered Sun. through Thursday.

MNF Betting at PH Details:

Here are the details on the Planet Hollywood Monday Night Football betting deal. The -105 juice is limited to sides only for the game (no halftimes), with a maximum bet of $1,000. We confirmed that it's planned to be offered for the rest of the year.

Mohegan Sun Feeling the Pinch:

The Mohegan Tribal Council has delayed the lion’s share of its nearly billion-dollar expansion plans for at least a year, citing the "challenging economic climate." Its 64,000-square-foot Casino of the Wind, with a 42-table poker room, more than 650 slot machines, and 28 table games, opened a few weeks ago, but a drawing-board 39-story hotel tower, 1,500-seat House of Blues concert venue, 22,000-square-foot spa, and additional restaurants and shops, scheduled to open in fall 2010, have been postponed.

Cheating Bust at Mohegan Sun:

A casino dealer and five players have been charged with attempting to cheat Mohegan Sun by accepting winnings to which they were not entitled. Two 21-year-olds are charged with splitting $16,000 in ill-gotten gains and three other players face larceny charges for taking amounts of less than $250 apiece.

Another Mogul Makes Taiwan Play:

Following Sheldon Adelson's lead, Lawrence Ho -- an Adelson rival in Macao -- has expressed his interested in building casinos in Taiwan, should the nation's parliament legalize casino gambling in the Penghu Archipelago. Ho's proposed amount of investment is between $2.6 billion and $3.8 billion.

McCollum Moves Against Seminoles:

Frustrated by his own inability to shut down the Class III slots and table games operated by Florida's Seminole tribes, state Attorney General Bill McCollum is pleading for help from the National Indian Gaming Commission. "As a former United States Attorney, I know you can understand the frustration of a law enforcement official forced to stand by and watch illegal activities going on with impunity," he wrote to NIGC Chairman Philip Hogen. Under federal law, Florida tribes are entitled to the same Vegas-style slots available elsewhere in the state. However, they must do so under a valid compact and the Seminoles' compact with Florida was ruled unconstitutional on July 3.

KS Picks One Casino, Delays Another:

Kansas' Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board has chosen a joint venture between Cordish Co. and the Kansas Speedway as its casino for the greater Kansas City area. The $680 million, 3,000-slot proposal narrowly bested a rival proposal by Las Vegas-based Golden Gaming, while a Mohegan Sun-backed proposal was shut out. Ironically, Cordish's project will be Hard Rock-branded, while Golden briefly managed the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino's gambling operations in Las Vegas. As for the Ford County casino, the Review Board postponed its vote by a week so that the two bidders would have "the chance to submit more evidence that they can finance their projects," as JP Morgan put it.

McCarran Decline Worst Since 9/11:

August passengers counts at McCarran International Airport was down 10%, the worst such downturn since the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The upside was that international travel was up 3% over August 2007, led by Canadian Westjet Airlines (+30%). Domestically, American Airlines was able to drive higher passenger counts by means of increased capacity into Las Vegas. Other major carriers suffered downturns, with US Airways (-23%) having the worst of it.

'Busty Babes are Casino Bait':

That's how Britain's The Sun reports the partnership between the Rio and the Sapphire topless club, which -- as the paper puts it -- "sees the hotel pool kept stocked up with bare-breasted strippers ... chaps have to pay between $30-$50 to get in. And the agreement is proving a hit with strippers too – as it gives them an opportunity to network with potential customers."

MNF Reduced Juice:

We hear that you can bet the Monday Night Football game at Planet Hollywood for -105 (as opposed to -110). We don't know yet if it's both sides and totals, but have been told that it will be a Monday-night feature all season long.

Rosemary's Too:

Lost in the shuffle of the big Las Vegas bargain story in Friday's USA Today was an accolade for the non-casino restaurant, Rosemary's. The local favorite was named in USA Today's list of "10 Great Places for Solo Diners to Pull Up a Chair." The Rosemary's bar menu is excellent, and the reviewer gets it right, singling out the barbecued shrimp with Maytag blue cheese coleslaw, which is excellent.

Gold Coast Promos this Week:

The off-Strip casino's offering 5X points play September 22-30, plus there's a $3.00-off buffet coupon in the Las Vegas Review-Journal good through Sept. 30, with an extra $1.00 off with your Club Coast card.

Layoffs at Las Vegas TV Station:

With word that the Nevada unemployment rate has hit a 23-year high comes news of multiple layoffs at KLAS-TV (Channel 8 "Eyewitness News") in Las Vegas. KLAS-TV in Las Vegas has laid off 17 staffers and transferred four others, citing a downturn in the economy, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. General Manager Emily Neilson said in a memo to staff that the moves -- "a gut-wrenching experience for all of us," are necessary and "a significant recovery is not expected for at least a few years." The station is owned by Landmark Media Enterprises, and has been up for sale for months.

Sex in the City Exhibit at Wynn:

There will be a Sex in the City: The Movie DVD release party at Outfit in the Wynn Esplanade from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. this evening. Various items of clothing that featured prominently in the movie will be on display, including the Vivienne Westwood wedding gown worn by Sarah Jessica Parker. Admission's free and the party's open to all.

Free Pie:

Downtown's El Cortez hotel-casino will be dishing out free Marie Callender's peach pie in honor of the ASU vs. Georgia college game today. Any Club Cortez member playing table games or slots between noon and 6 p.m. is eligible for the promo.

Black Book #36:

Slot cheat William Cushing had the dubious distinction of becoming the 36th living entrant in the Nevada Gaming Commission's Black Book yesterday. The vote was unanimous. In addition to having done time in the federal pen, Cushing was convicted in Nevada of slot cheating last year.

McHale to Play Mandalay:

Actor/comedian Joel McHale will make a one-night stop at Mandalay Bay, for an evening of stand-up comedy on Oct. 24. Star of the ill-fated sitcom, "The IT Crowd," McHale is best known as the black-humored host of E!'s "The Soup." For his Vegas appearance, MBay promises "amusing scoffs about celebrity bloopers and blunders that didn’t make it onto the 'The Soup.'" Tickets are $49.40 and go on sale today. Call 702/632-7580 or go to www.MandalayBay.com. The show is, we are advised, "for mature audiences."

Rocky Mountain Low:

Colorado casino revenues were off 5% last month. Cripple Creek was relatively flat from 2007, but Black Hawk's business was down 5% and Central City took a -14% spill. Colorado's three casino towns took in $68 million in gambling revenue in August.

Bank Rescue Boosts Casino Stocks:

Shares of gaming-group stocks rose in early trading today, after a temporary ban on short-selling went into place, as did Treasury Dept. guarantees and other measures to prop up failing banks. Leading the gainers were Las Vegas Sands (+10%) and Pinnacle Entertainment (+12%). According to Forbes, "the Treasury said it plans to tap into a Depression-era fund to provide guarantees for the nation's money market mutual funds while the Federal Reserve says it will expand its emergency lending program to help support the $2 trillion in assets of the funds."

Adelson "the biggest loser":

That's what Forbes calls the Las Vegas Sands boss, who just ranked the 400 richest Americans and found that Sheldon Adelson had slipped to 15th place, his wallet lighter by some $13 billion. Kirk Kerkorian, majority owner of MGM Mirage, fared somewhat better, but still lost billions. The biggest winner was NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, thanks to a timely repurchase of stock in his eponymous company, scoring him an additional $8.5 billion.

Anthony Curtis, Tour Guide:

LVA's own Anthony Curtis takes USA Today reporter Kitty Bean Yancey bargain-hunting in today's issue. Yancey stays at the Sahara and pays visits to Binion's, Slots A Fun, the Golden Gate, Hooters, even the Mirage, and -- where else? -- Ellis Island, among others. She also takes in a Bobby Slayton performance. Thanks to Curtis' "tutorial," Yancey reports, "In two days, I spent what I normally would on a nice Strip joint dinner." She has some regrets about her choice of hotel, though.

Prospects Unclear for 'Net Bill:

Although it passed out of the House Financial Services Committee by a 30-19 margin, it's not certain whether an Internet-betting bill will make it to the floor of the House of Representatives prior to adjournment. One obstacle is the opposition of the NFL. "I'm trying to figure out what the difference is between Internet gambling and legal sports books run by all the major casinos in Las Vegas like Caesars, like Tropicana, like all of the others," said bill proponent William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.). The bill, authored by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), would require the Treasury Dept. and Federal Reserve to define "unlawful Internet gambling," which is currently banned but not clearly defined.

Las Vegas This Weekend:

Las Vegas loves a holiday, even if it is made up. Quinn’s at Green Valley Ranch and McFadden’s at the Rio just can’t wait until mid-March so both will celebrate the halfway point to St. Patrick’s Day with Saturday parties featuring the requisite green beer and Irish entertainment. If the blues make you happy you won’t want to miss the Rockin’ Blues Music Festival with an official tribute to Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper at the Henderson Pavilion on Saturday. Music: Kid Rock raises the roof at Pearl at the Palms (9/20); Janet Jackson’s in the house at the Mandalay Bay Events Center (9/19); Foreigner plays Star of the Desert Arena in Primm (9/20); Tony Bennett returns to the Las Vegas Hilton (9/19-9/20); House of Blues features Children of Bodom (9/20) and Common (9/21); Tower of Power is onstage at the Suncoast Showroom (9/19-9/21); Rodrigo Y Gabriela (9/19) and Lindsey Buckingham (9/20) stop by The Joint; Ambrosia performs at Canyon Club inside Four Queens (9/19); Boyz II Men is in concert at the Orleans (9/19-9/21); Michael Lington performs inside the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station (9/19); The South Point Showroom welcomes Paul Williams (9/19-9/21); The Club at the Cannery presents The Fab (9/19, free concert) and (Miley’s dad) Billy Ray Cyrus (9/20); Keiko Matsui performs at Ovation Lounge inside Green Valley Ranch (9/20); Seal sings at Green Valley Ranch (9/20); free concerts at MonteLago Village with Timothy Johnson (9/19) and Genevieve (9/20); Atomic Punks present their tribute to Van Halen at the Chrome Showroom inside Santa Fe Station (9/20); the Moonlight Concert Series continues at the Clark County Amphitheater with Joe Bonomassa (9/20) Sports: check out top rank boxing at Star of the Desert Arena in Primm (9/19); NASCAR’s Truck Series makes its annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas Motor Speedway (9/20) and you can meet the star of the series at an autograph session at the Stratosphere (9/19); the Runnin’ Rebels host Iowa State at Sam Boyd Stadium (9/20) Comedy: Jay Leno takes to the stage at Mirage (9/19-9/20); Planet Hollywood welcomes the Knock Out Kings of Comedy with Bruce Bruce, Sheryl Underwood, and Earthquake (9/20) Poolside Events: Ditch Friday poolside at the Palms (9/19); Dive-In Movies at Mandalay Bay Beach features Anchorman (9/19); party at Rehab by the pool at the Hard Rock (9/21); Tao Beach presents Sunset Sessions (9/21); Other: BalloonaPalooza II will feature nearly 40 hot-air balloons of all shapes and sizes in North Las Vegas at Craig Ranch Regional Park (9/19-9/21); the annual UNLV Wine Affair takes place on the Opium Terrace at Green Valley Ranch (9/19); Quinn’s at Green Valley Ranch and McFadden’s at the Rio will celebrate Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day parties (9/20); celeb hosts include Ashley Tisdale at The Bank (9/19), Dania Ramirez at Jet inside Mirage (9/19), and Heidi Montag at Christian Audigier The Nightclub (9/20); The Orleans Arena hosts the 6th Annual Hoodie Awards presented by Steve Harvey (9/20); the 2nd annual ArtExpo moves into Mandalay Bay (9/19-9/21); McFadden’s at the Rio will celebrate with a Midway Point to St. Patrick’s Day Party (9/20); The Bank at Bellagio is giving away a $10,000 shopping spree at the Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend Party (9/21); sample all things Greek at the Las Vegas Greek Food Festival at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church on S. El Camino Rd. (9/18-9/21); Sushisamba at The Shoppes at The Palazzo will celebrate its grand opening with cast members from Entourage and rapper Mickey Avalon in attendance (9/19) For more details about these and other events, plus full listings of all the permanent shows Las Vegas plays home to, click here to use our "Shows & Events" finder, under "Shows & Nightlife."

Be Keanu for a Night:

"So hideously over the top, you can't stop laughing." That's L.A. Weekly's verdict on Point Break Live!, the deliberately ludicrous stage version of the 1992 action-adventure/bromance that starred Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. To obtain the appropriately arboreal acting quality, the lead role of "Johnny Utah" is played by an audience member who reads his/her lines off cue cards. V Theater at Planet Hollywood is importing the Los Angeles cast of Point Break Live!, starting Oct. 1. It will play at 10 p.m., Wed.-Sat., and tickets can either be bought online or reserved by calling 702/932-1818. Whoa!

Stratta/Wynn Package:

Wynn Las Vegas is partnering with Stratta on a room/meal deal. If you call 866/770-7410 or click through, and use promo code WRHGEDF you can get a room rate of $199/night plus $200 in dining credits at Stratta, "valid on select dates now through Oct. 31."

New Promo at Trop:

Double cash back is being offered at the Las Vegas Tropicana through Oct. 23, provided that you're a member of the casino's Winner's Club. The promotion is good on any and all slot games, has no blackout dates and no cap on winnings. Further details are available at 800/468-9494.

Pinnacle Reopens Casinos:

Belterra, Pinnacle Entertainment's Indiana casino is back on the grid. The property had been operating off generator power for several days. The company also reopened the casino floor and golf course at its L'Auberge du Lac property in Lake Charles, La. Remarkably, L'Auberge's hotel, restaurants and stores had been able to remain open throughout Hurricane Ike.

MS Casinos Defy Storms:

It takes more than a couple of hurricanes to dent Mississippi casino revenues. Gulf Coast casinos had their best August on record, beating last year by almost $12 million, and registering a $5 million increase from July. Overall state revenues, however, were down $6 million, due to poor performance by Mississippi River-based casinos. In other Mississippi news, Blue Water Bay Resort & Casino got the go-ahead to build on the eastern shore of Bay St. Louis.

Verdict in 'Supernotes' Case:

Chen Chiang Liu, who was busted at Caesars Palace in July 2007 for passing counterfeit $100 bill (called "supernotes" because of their ability to fool bill validators) was found guilty on two counts yesterday and could be looking at 25 years in the big house. At the time of his arrest, Liu had almost 400 "supernotes," made in North Korea. He wasn't the smartest crook, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal: "Liu unknowingly assisted in the investigation by using his own Caesars Palace rewards card ... The card showed he had inserted 64 $100 bills into [slot] machines."

Trop Wins Key Ruling:

Contrary to a somewhat garbled news brief in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal, Tropicana Entertainment owns no "Aztar Indian" casino nor any tribal casinos whatsoever. But it does own Casino Aztar, in Indiana, and will get to do so for a while longer, according to a bankruptcy judge. He accepted creditors' contention that previous CEO William Yung left money on the table when he sold Casino Aztar to Reno's Eldorado Resorts and that Tropicana could realize at least $60 million more by selling Casino Aztar at auction.

Biz Flattens in Macao:

Results for only the first half of September are in, but it appears that the dual impact of visa restrictions on residents of Guangdong Province and on visitors from Hong Kong are stunting casino business in Macao. After two months of 40%-plus growth, revenue is expected to flatten in September. Tourism has also been flat during the Moon Festival, a three-day holiday. Wall Street reacted adversely, dropping the stock prices of Wynn Resorts (-4%), MGM Mirage (-6%) and Las Vegas Sands (-13%).

Pinnacle Dumps KS Bid:

With only days remaining before Kansas lottery commissioners chose a casino licensee for Wyandotte County, Pinnacle Entertainment has dropped out of the race. Pinnacle had pitched a $649 million casino proposal, to be developed as an adjunct to Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, a water park in Kansas City, Kan. Pinnacle's explanation was simply, "In view of the current turmoil in the financial markets, the company has decided to focus its resources on its existing projects and development opportunities in Louisiana, Missouri and other jurisdictions." Pinnacle has already drawn criticism for not moving forward with its megaresort in Atlantic City. Mohegan Sun, Cordish and Olympia Gaming remain in the running.

Olympia Turns to Maine:

Gary Goett's Olympia Gaming may have given up on getting a casino in Kansas, but it's spotted an opportunity. Olympia has bought out Evergreen Mountain Enterprises and taken over the push for a casino in Oxford County, Maine. The company says it will spend $100 million on the project, which former Caesars Palace president Dean Harrold, now an Olympia exec, says will bring 800 jobs to the state. No site has been chosen, but Olympia expects to gross $100 million during the first year of operation. The tax rate will be 49%.

Biden's Web-Betting Connection:

Hunter Biden, son of the Democratic vice presidential candidate, has relinquished his role as a registered lobbyist. During the time he acted in that capacity, the younger Biden's clients included Russ DeLeon, founder of Gibraltar-based Party Gaming, an online-betting portal.

'Net Gaming Bill Moves Ahead:

Rep. Barney Frank's Payments System Protection Act has passed out of the House Committee on Financial Services. If enactment, the bill would require the appointment of an administrative law judge to specify which forms of online gambling are currently illegal and which are not. It has the support of the Credit Union National Association and The Financial Services Roundtable. Said an Internet-gambling advocate, "Rather than prohibit an activity millions of Americans enjoy in the privacy of their homes, just as they can do in a casino, Congress should create a framework to regulate Internet gambling as a way to protect consumers and collect billions in much-needed federal revenue."

Layoffs at IGT:

Even the world's dominant slot manufacturer isn't immune to a recession. International Game Technology, based in Reno, announced yesterday that an unspecified number of layoffs will take place in January. Already the company has offered early retirement to 500 employees aged 55 or older. IGT staff learnt the news via a company-wide e-mail.

Penny Slots Bolster Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun:

In 2008, Foxwoods Resort Casino and rival Mohegan Sun increased the number of penny slots on their casino floors by 47%, for a grand total of 3,568 penny machines. Player spending at Foxwoods jumped proportionally and then some -- 51%, with $141.5 million wagered on penny slots in July alone, compared to $94 million in July '07. The increase at Mohegan Sun wasn't quite so dramatic (32%), put player spending rose from $174 million to $230 million.

Detroit Has Strong August:

First, the good news. Even with a newly rebranded Caesars Windsor across the river, Detroit's casinos recorded a 6% revenue increase in August. The bad news is: Growth was driven entirely by MGM Grand Detroit, which jumped 17% by itself, pulling in $50 million. MotorCity was flat, while struggling Greektown was down almost 4%. Greektown execs admit it's been hard to compete with an expanded Caesars or with new MGM and MotorCity facilities. Greektown is expected to lose $16 million this year.

Delta Downs Update:

Boyd Gaming's Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel has just announced that it will be back open for business from 5 p.m. tomorrow, Sept. 17, pending Louisiana State Police approval. The track closed last Thursday as Hurricane Ike approached the Gulf Coast, but suffered only minor damage in the storm and so was able to quickly complete repair and remediation work.

A.C. May Prod Pinnacle:

Civic leaders in Atlantic City, faced with the prospect that Pinnacle Entertainment might not be able to begin construction on the old Sands site until 2010, are considering "hold[ing] their feet to the fire." Under discussion is a redevelopment agreement that would impose certain construction deadlines on Pinnacle. "They had an operating casino running. They buy it, crush it and take all the jobs away. Now they can't build. [Sands] could still be up and operating," Councilman Dennis Mason fumed to The Press of Atlantic City. Pinnacle, which ran over budget on its Lumiere Place casino, in St. Louis, says it doesn't want to repeat those mistakes.

Harrah's Bails on Arena:

The leveraged buyout of Harrah's Entertainment has claimed another victim, in terms of the company's project pipeline. Harrah's has canceled its participation in a 20,000-seat arena, to have been built behind Bally's Las Vegas, according to Sports Business Journal. The company's partners were to have been AEG, which will now re-invest with several major Hollywood executives, as well as with venture capitalist David Bonderman. The consortium still hopes to have an NHL franchise in Las Vegas by 2010. The Las Vegas Sun, citing "inside sources," said Harrah's might either sell the land outright or lease it to AEG. Harrah's recently scrapped projects in Slovenia and the Bahamas, and tried to unload London Clubs.

Rock 'n Roll Wine Promo:

Thanks to the reader who wrote in pointing us to a limited-duration offer from Mandalay Bay, in conjunction with Rock 'n Roll Wine. The deal includes room rates from $199.99 Sept. 26-27, plus 10% off tickets to the 3rd Annual Rock N Roll Wine Festival Tickets (limit 4) on Saturday, September 27th. The festival will feature over 50 wineries representing over 125 unique wines from 50+ wineries, spread across the sands of Mandalay Bay Beach, plus music from the Gin Blossoms and special guest Sherwood. To take advantage of this special offer, click here to book online or call MBay reservations on 877/632-7800 and quote offer code PWINEMB.

Louisiana Weathers Gustav:

Casino revenues were up 2% in August, led by a 16% improvement in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Storm-beleagured Lake Charles' waters were flat, revenue-wise, while the effects of Hurricane Gustav dampened casino winnings in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, were off 7% and 9%, respectively. It was a good month for Boyd Gaming, up 7% at its two casinos, followed by Harrah's Entertainment, which registered a 4% revenue increase.

Ike Damage Report:

Pinnacle Entertainment reports no significant damage to its L'Auberge du Lac resort, in Lake Charles, La. However, a local newspaper observed that several of the gambling vessel's moorings had been sheered off, causing the boat to list. Pinnacle has not set a reopening date. Pinnacle felt Ike's wrath as far north as Vevay, Ind., where Belterra is limping along -- but still open -- under generator power, its connection to the local grid having been severed. Boyd Gaming is also waiting to reopen its Delta Downs racino, in Lousiana, where wind damage knocked over trees and fences, and put some dents in the steakhouse roof.

Wynn's Contract Extended:

If Steve Wynn lives to the ripe old age of 78, he'll still have a job. Wynn Resorts has amended Wynn's employment agreement to protract his reign as CEO and president through Oct. 24, 2020.

Maryland Slots Upheld:

The highest-ranking court in Maryland, the Court of Appeals, has blown off a challenge to ballot language that would permit slot machines in the state. Previously, Circuit Court judges had deemed the initiative's language misleading and had ordered the insertion of a single-word clarification.

Isle Reopens Lake Charles:

Last night, Isle of Capri Casino reopened its Lake Charles casino, which it has closed when Hurricane Ike drew near. The company said "it was still assessing the impact from Hurricane Ike, but that it has not identified any significant damage at its Lake Charles property at this time," according to JP Morgan.

New Game at HRH:

Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino had announced the addition of "21 to the River," a blackjack-plus-poker variant on a couple of casino standards. The single-deck game requires betting on a blackjack hand and optionally on a poker one. The poker hand is dealt starting with the card that busted the player's blackjack hand. If the player didn't bust, then the poker bet becomes a push. For games of more than five players, a six-deck shoe is employed.

One More Buffet Bites the Dust:

The El Cortez closed the Chinese Kitchen Buffet yesterday and from what they told us, have no plans to reopen it or any other buffet. That means the only two remaining eateries at the downtown hotel-casino are Kitty's Café and Roberta's.

Scores is Rick's:

The Scores gentlemen's club has changed hands and is now Rick's Caberet, the Las Vegas representative in the famous Rick's chain. The change erases a great locals drink deal, but new management says it will institute new deals of its own, including $5 domestic beers and well drinks for locals.

Yet Another Angel Delay:

As reported in the Las Vegas Sun, it's been announced that the gala premiere of the Criss Angel/Cirque du Soleil collaboration Believe has now been pushed back from Oct. 10 to Oct. 31. Although no official reason has been given for the delay, the word on the street is that the decision was made by the creative team behind the show, following a presentation to 400 Cirque employees last Friday, and that problems have emerged translating Angel's act to the big stage. So far no further change has been made to preview schedule since it was delayed until Sept. 26 a few weeks back.

Britney New Year's Rumor:

According to a story on casinogamblingweb.com, Britney Spears is rumored to be planning on starting a major comeback with a headlining New Year's performance at the Palms, Las Vegas. Apparently, the plan is for Spears to perform accompanied by a group of burlesque dancers, prior to embarking on a world tour. Watch this space for updates.

New Bellagio Display:

Beginning today, September 14, Bellagio's Conservatory and Botanical Gardens unveils the fall display, which we understand features a 35-foot-tall cider mill, giant carved pumpkins, and a "whimsical animated apple tree that will watch and speak" to passers-by. Whoaa, can't wait to check this one out! The display will show through November 29.

Random Cash at Silverton:

The hard-promoting Silverton is randomly paying $50 in cash every five minutes today to active players. The promotion runs on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from noon to 9 pm until October 5.

Top Parties Today:

After a week of looking around, it appears that the top Sunday NFL party is at the Las Vegas Hilton, where both the theater and the sports book accommodate guests with big screens and deals on food and drinks. The Hard Rock runs a party in the Wasted Space lounge for the 5 pm game.

Another Tommy's:

Las Vegas's second Original Tommy's hamburger outlet has opened at 5808 Boulder Hwy. The first, which was reviewed in the August LVA, is at 3009 St. Rose Pkwy.

ECan Bonus:

The new Eastside Cannery is offering $20 in free slot play for new C.A.N. Club members. It looks like existing members from the original Cannery are not eligible for the free-play, but the ad isn't definitive.

Poker Players Switch to 21:

Ever since the Seminole Hard Rock casino in south Florida began offering blackjack, on June 22, it's been drawing players -- even away from the casino's new poker room. "You used to get 110 players for some of the big tournaments, now you're lucky to get two tables," WSOP bracelet winner Fred Goldberg told the Miami Sun Sentinel. To try and woo poker players back to the table, the Hard Rock is changing some of its poker rules, including permitting bigger starting chip stacks.

Penn Formally Scraps KS Casino:

As expected, Penn National Gaming has ditched its proposal to build a $225 million casino in Cherokee County, Kansas. The company cited several reasons for its decision, including the requirement to hew to the original budget, rather than cut back to something in the neighborhood of $50 million.

Maryland Slots Challenged:

A ballot initiative that would legalize slot parlors in Maryland is being appealed to the state's Court of Appeals. Judges on the Ann Arundel County circuit ruled Wednesday that the initiative's language was misleading and inserted a one-word clarification. Foes of the referendum, however, seek larger changes to the ballot language.

Visitors Heart Atlantic City:

Three thousand Atlantic City visitors surveyed by Spectrum Gaming Group gave the metropolis a thumbs-up, with 99% saying they would recommend to others (although only 92% would visit it again themselves). Over 95% thought Atlantic City was becoming more attractive and, no surprise, 81% identified gambling as their primary motivation for visiting. But, of those players who patronize casinos elsewhere, a plurality (31%) went all the way to Nevada to gamble, as opposed to 20% who took their business to Pennsylvania.

Revision to today's QoD:

There was an error in the answer to today's Question of the Day, which has now been rectified. Please check back for the updated answer.

Cathy Scott Book Signing:

HP author Cathy Scott (The Killing of Tupac Shakur, will be be appearing at the B. Dalton bookstore in Henderson's Galleria Mall. She'll be signing copies of her Pawprints of Katrina, an account of pet rescues conducted in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane that nearly obliterated several Gulf Coast cities.

Aria Previewed:

CityCenter's Aria Hotel & Casino gave a sneak peek to the Los Angeles Times. For guests staying there, it'll be a high-tech experience. Lighting, room temperature, wake-up calls, in-room music and more will be controlled via a joystick that interfaces with each room's 42-inch TV set. Not only that, when you go into your room, "he lights come up and the curtains draping the floor-to-ceiling windows will part. At checkout, the lights are turned off, and the heating or cooling ramps down to a more energy-efficient level."

Wall Street Takes Sides:

Today's Las Vegas Review-Journal offers an in-depth take on a ruling in an IGT vs. Bally Technologies case that left both sides proclaiming victory. Wall Street, however, seems to be siding with Bally: Its stock rose #$1.95 yesterday and has continued trading upward today. A modest gain by IGT yesterday has already been erased in today's trading, which finds the stock down 2%.

Lake Charles Casino Closes for Ike:

Isle of Capri Casinos' has temporarily closed its Lake Charles, Louisiana property due to Hurricane Ike. The Company is encouraging all guests and employees to seek shelter in a safe area.

Terry Fator Reviewed:

Mike Weatherford has a look-in on Terry Fator's Las Vegas Hilton stint. He sums it up as a trial run for Fator's five-year stint at the Mirage, which begins Feb. 9, 2009. For Weatherford, Fator's strongest asset is his sheer audience appeal, though he deems some portions of the act considerably more successful than others (two words: Michael Jackson). The "audio slide show," however, doesn't deliver any actual Fator material: It's just print copy read over a montage of pictures from the show.

UIGEA Clarification Sought:

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has introduced a bill that would obligate the federal government to define for banks and lenders what constitutes "unlawful Internet gambling," which Congress banned in 2006. "Federal officials have told lawmakers they are having trouble carrying out the law because it does not clearly define what constitutes illegal gambling over the Internet," reports Stephens Media's Washington bureau.

Penn Nat'l Sued:

A class action lawsuit has been filed in Maryland, on behalf of individuals who purchased Penn National stock between April 1 and July 3, when a leveraged buyout of Penn was believed to be on track. The suit accuses Penn of trying "to fraudulently bolster its stock price by instilling shareholders of the belief that a merger was still going to take place" when, according to the lawsuit, "Penn was negotiating complicated bilateral agreements for months with the banks, acquiring firms, attorneys and management committees to cancel the proposed merger agreement and negotiating the payment of a termination fee and loans from the banks."

Las Vegas This Weekend:

Sin City is properly re-energized after a relatively slow week and this weekend will be busy, busy, busy with concerts, comedians, pool parties, and more than a few festivals. Venues all over Vegas will celebrate Mexican Independence Day with Latin headliners the likes of funnymen Gabriel Iglesias (Monte Carlo) and Paul Rodriquez (TI) and singers Enrique Iglesias and Alejandro Fernandez, who will hold separate concerts at Mandalay Bay. Or you can take a festival tour around the world without ever leaving the valley. There’s the Mariachi Festival at Planet Hollywood, the Ho’olaule’a Pacific Islands Festival at the Henderson Events Plaza, the Tequila Festival at the Rio, and the San Gennaro Feast at Grand Canyon Shopping Center. Music: Luis Miguel is in concert at The Colosseum (9/12-15); Enrique Iglesias stops by the Mandalay Bay Events Center (9/13); House of Blues is booked solid with Jaguares (9/13), Toadies (9/14, early show) and DJ Flex (9/14, late show); The Joint welcomes Billy Idol (9/12) and The Black Crowes (9/13); Al Green hits the stage at Star of the Desert Arena in Primm (9/13); Mary Wilson sings at the South Point Showroom (9/12-9/14); the free Moonlight Concert Series continues at Clark County Amphitheater with Rockapella (9/13); the Canyon Club at Four Queens finally sees action again with California Transit Authority (9/12); catch the Alan Parsons Live Project at Santa Fe Station (9/13); Michael Grimm (9/12) and Eric Burdon & The Animals (9/13) are in concert at The Club at the Cannery; John Davidson performs at the Suncoast Showroom (9/12-9/14); The Temptations play the Orleans Showroom (9/11-9/14); Planet Hollywood hosts the Mariachi Festival (9/13); Club Madrid at Sunset Station stays busy with Sister Hazel (9/12) and Eve 6 (9/13); Veruca Salt rocks Wasted Space at Hard Rock (9/13); Shawn Barker performs his tribute to Johnny Cash at South Padre at Texas Station (9/12-9/13); the free concert series at MonteLago Village continues with Concrete Hillbilly (9/12) and Tommy Alverado (9/13); classical guitarist Scott Teannant performs at UNLV’s Performing Arts Center (9/12); the inaugural Neon Reverb Music Fest will be held at Beauty Bar, Bunkhouse, Brass Lounge, and Jillian’s (9/11-9/14); The Neville Brothers play an intimate show at Ovation Lounge inside Green Valley Ranch (9/13); The Henderson Symphony Orchestra opens their season with Master Series I at the Henderson Pavilion (9/14); the 2008 Liberace International Piano Competition semifinals will take place at the Liberace Museum (9/13-9/14); Amanda & Diego team up at the Las Vegas Hilton (9/13); and KWNR 95.5 FM presents a Lady Antebellum Listener Appreciation Show at Green Valley Ranch’s Ovation Lounge (9/12) Comedy: Paul Rodriguez headlines the Latin Kings of Comedy at TI (9/12); Gabriel Iglesias takes the mic at Monte Carlo (9/12-9/13); Ray Romano and Brad Garrett share the stage at Mirage (9/12-9/14); Polo Polo entertains at House of Blues (9/12); and Playboy Comedy welcomes Dov Davidoff with a special appearance by Miss October 2008 to the Palms Lounge (9/13) Poolside Events: Ditch at the Palms Pool features the World's Largest Underwear Party and Sexiest Panty Girl competition (9/12); the Dive-In Movie Series at Mandalay Bay Beach continues with Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (9/12); Wet Republic holds a pre-fight party and birthday bash for Playboy model Brittany Fuchs hosted by Mario Lopez (9/13); David Burns celebrates his birthday at Bare Pool Lounge (9/14); and Jesse McCartney stops by Mandalay Bay Beach to perform in concert and host the world premiere of his film Keith(9/13) Other: Joel Casamayor takes on Juan Marquez inside the ring at MGM (9/12); there will be birthday celebrations for Danity Kane’s Dawn at Hawaiian Tropic Zone (9/13) and Playboy model Brittany Fuchs at Studio 54 (9/13); The Bank Nightclub at Bellagio features the Daily Fiasco launch party w

New Neon Museum Tours:

Beginning Sept. 16, tours of "the Boneyard," Las Vegas' repository of noteworthy old signs, will be available twice daily, Tue.-Sat. Tours will be held at noon and 2 p.m., ending Dec. 23. Same-day reservations won't be accepted without an e-mail confirmation, and Neon Museum recommends making reservations well in advance. For more info, call 702-387-6366 (NEON) or go to the museum's Web site.

Dolphin Born at Mirage:

It was revealed today that an as-yet-unnamed dolphin was born last Saturday at Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage, the eighth such birth to occur there. The newcomer, her mother and her grandmother can all be seen at the Habitat.

Boxing Comes to Silver Nugget:

Tomorrow the Silver Nugget will formally announce a series of cards, to be called "Tuesday Fight Nights," the first of which takes place Sept. 30. The bouts will also be carried on TVSBoxing.net.

Gordie Brown to Headline Downtown:

The Golden Nugget's showroom, which has hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, will be renamed The Gordie Brown Showroom as part of a multi-year agreement which will bring the singer/impressionist to the Nugget, beginning in February. Brown is currently touring as the opening act for Celine Dion, a gig that required him to cut short his recent stint at Planet Hollywood's V Theater. Brown's five-night-a-week show will displace the Nugget's current headline attraction, Defending the Caveman.

Foxwoods Picks New Philly Site:

Bowing to criticism of its waterfront design, Foxwoods has proposed relocating its Philadelphia slot parlor to The Gallery at Market, a multi-level shopping mall in downtown Philadelphia that is anchored by a Kmart and a Burlington Coat Factory. Ironically, a city-commissioned study group had faulted Foxwoods' original plan for looking too much like a shopping mall. The Gallery is near Philadelphia's Chinatown and directly adjacent to its convention center.

Win or Loss for IGT?:

Even though IGT was granted a summary judgment against Bally Gaming yesterday, the outcome isn't clear-cut. Judge Edward Reed ruled that Bally's wheel-indicator patent was invalid, "as the well-known use of a wheel in gaming ... rendered the claims obvious." But a JP Morgan research note opined that the ruling was a positive outcome for Bally and a neutral one for IGT, as it may weaken certain patent-infringement claims of IGT's own.

Comedy Club Shuttered:

Fitzgeralds' Comedy After Hours went dark Tuesday. The producers of the show weren't meeting their financial obligations, says the Fitz, The casino has been patching holes in the club's schedule by plugging in guest gigs by the likes of Kevin Burke, star of the Golden Nugget's Defending the Caveman.

No Go on Rodriguez?:

According to The Venetian, comedian Paul Rodriguez will be hosting its audience-participation poker show, "The Real Deal!" But Rodriguez tells the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Mike Weatherford he's got other commitments from which he cannot be extricated. Splitting the difference, a publicist for "The Reel Deal!" says Rodriguez will open the show but maybe not stay on as host.

Star-Studded Cast for Plaza Trial:

History buffs may want to check out the Plaza vs. Plaza trial, which will shortly be unfolding in Clark County District Court. The case pits two overseas companies against one another: Lichtenstein-based Tamares Group, which owns the downtown Plaza hotel-casino, and Israel-based El-Ad, which hopes to build a Strip casino themed after its Plaza Hotel in New York. The witness list includes CSN history professor Michael Green and David Schwarz of UNLV's Center for Gaming Research, ensuring that jurors will be treated to some exceptionally erudite testimony. Jury selection begins today.

Vegas Visitation Down in July:

Not since the start of the Iraq War, over five years ago, have visitation levels to Vegas fallen as low as they did in July, according to numbers released yesterday by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. Room rates were off 10% from July '07, while visitation was down 5%, as hotel occupancy, hovering around 88%. More conventions were held, but conventioneers curtailed their stays.

New Frontier Lawsuit Settled:

Litigation between resort broker David Atwell and El-Ad Group has been settled. Atwell was suing for the 1% fee ($12.4 million) he said El-Ad owed him for playing matchmaker between the Israeli company and New Frontier owner Phil Ruffin. The amount of the settlement paid by El-Ad was not revealed.

New Mirage Volcano Unveiled:

"Ten times bigger than what we had in the past," is how Mirage President Scott Sibella describes his hotel's reinvented volcano attraction, details of which were announced yesterday. Jets of flame will shoot up from underneath the lagoon and the show will be more than doubled in length, to five minutes. All this will be set to a percussive score by Zakir Hussain and the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart. Behind-the-scenes video, a rendering and a nostalgia-inducing clip of the old volcano can be seen at Steve Friess' Web site.

A.C. Up in August:

In Atlantic City, a casino-revenue gain is a gain, no matter how meager. Thus, a seven-tenths-of-1% increase was to be welcomed, especially since August was only the year's third revenue-positive month. While Borgata remains the big dog, bringing in $77 million, Harrah's A.C. is starting to provide serious competition, up 19% last month, for $59 million, putting it thisclose behind Caesars A.C. Harrah's four casinos dominated the market, while Trump Taj Mahal brought in more ($50 million) than the other two Trump properties combined. The A.C. Hilton, Resorts International and Trump Marina were in the rear, falling further and further behind the pack.

Indiana, Missouri Both Up:

Well, it depends on how you define "up." When casinos not open last year are excluded from the equation, Missouri's August casino revenues were flat with last year's and Indiana's were down almost 2%. But the effects of Lumiere Place, in St. Louis, and of two new racinos in Indiana meant that the Hoosier State was up 13% overall, while the Show-Me State posted a 10% increase. Another big contributor in Indiana was Harrah's greatly expanded Horseshoe Hammond, where business was up 24%. No other casino in either state registered such dramatic results, although Majestic Star, in Gary, Ind., and Casino Aztar, in Evansville, Ind., both reported 10% gains.

NV Down -13% in July:

Comparison to a very robust July 2007 gives this year's July casino-revenue numbers a difficult act to follow, resulting in declines that are way above average for the year to date. Measured against last year, the state was -13% overall, with Strip slot revenues, table win and baccarat win -8%, 21% and -26%, respectively. Most Clark County jurisdictions experienced very adverse comparisons, with the Boulder Strip and North Las Vegas having the worst of it. By contrast, Reno was only off 1% and the unpredictable South Tahoe area noted an 11% increase. July's numbers mark seven straight months of decline for Nevada casinos. As far as trends go, table and baccarat drop swing back and forth, but slot handle on the Strip is further and further off last year's pace.

Ellis Island Wins Again:

It was close, but LVA Top Ten laureate Ellis Island eked out victory in Steve Friess' most recent Stripper Poll. Ellis Island beat back strong challenges from O'Shea's and Casino Royale to become the #1 answer to the question, "What's the best inexpensive place in Vegas to go get rip-roaring drunk?" The new poll asks, "What is the most thrilling moment in Vegas?"

New Option Added to Today's Poll:

Apologies to all those who travel to Las Vegas by bus -- it was an oversight on our part and we certainly didn't mean to snub you! We've now added that as an additional voting option, so if that's your preferred mode of transport, then please revisit the poll and cast your vote. Thanks!

Twice the Price:

Players cashing personal checks at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun on Aug. 30 got a rude surprise in their bank statements: Their accounts had been debited not once, but twice. Las Vegas-based Global Cash Access blames one of its subcontractors for the snafu, which involved 12,000 checks and approximately $4 million, according to the Hartford Courant. GCA says it is cooperating with a Connecticut investigation and that "nearly all" of the errors have been rectified.

'No Juice' Extended:

Station Casinos is having an encore of its "No Juice" sports betting day. From 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, Station customers may place college bets of as much as $1K and wager up to $3K on NFL games, and Station will waive the 10% "juice" normally paid to the sports book. First-half and second-half bets, and parlay cards are excluded. Station cited an overwhelming response to its first "no juice" promotion, held at its Fiesta properties, as the impetus for renewing and expanding the offer.

The End of Cheap Travel?:

Globalysis analyst Jonathan Galaviz weighs that question in this CNBC interview. Galaviz says, "The outlook for the airlines is quite bleak," and that this is having a cascading effect on the hotel industry. He foresees a continued high demand for leisure travel, but less of the long-haul variety. Convention and business travel to Las Vegas, he notes, remains "quite robust," as does the economic health of the Asian market.

Penn Exiting KS:

It looks as though Penn National Gaming will announce, as early as today, that it is relinquishing the contract it won to build a casino in Cherokee County, Kansas. Penn held a "courtesy" meeting with county officials, the content of which was not disclosed but can be fairly surmised. Penn has been noncommittal about building in Cherokee County unless it also received the Sumner County concession (near Wichita), which went to Harrah's Entertainment.

Good Town:

We also verified last night that Sam's Town did make good on its promise of a free hot dog and beer for party participants. In fact, you have a choice of a hot dog or a hamburger, and the attendants load 'em up for you with tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and jalapenos if you want. We'll be covering the whole MNF-party scene in the October LVA.

Bad Station:

Despite proclamations from Station Casinos brass that Monday Night Football parties at Green Valley Ranch would include a free hot dog and beer, that's not the case -- hot dogs are $1 and beers are $2 at the party. We listed GVR's party in the Top Ten of the September Las Vegas Advisor based on assurances that this was being done, but we verified in person yesterday that it isn't. Sorry for that.

Asian Casino Expansion Coming:

Addressing a gaming-oriented conference in Singapore, an advisor to Japan's Liberal Democratic Party pegged 2012 or 2013 as the year that will see the opening of the country's first casino. The Japanese parliament has yet to legalize casinos, though. The director of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology says his country is pushing for a late 2008 legalization of casinos, with two or three resorts planned for the island of Penghu, a short flight from Taipei. A Cambodian cabinet official predicted more casinos within his country, too.

More Layoffs at Station:

Cox.net reports additional terminations at Station Casinos, spread across all the company's properties. Station says it is trying to place laid-off workers at Aliante Station, which opens Nov. 11.

Palazzo Wastes No Time:

Conversion of the 40/40 Club into a Palazzo race-and-sports book took place in what could be record time. The club, which closed last Monday, reopened on Thursday as Sportbook Bar & Grill, just in time for the kickoff of NFL season. The former nightclub has been augmented with five betting windows.

Caesars-Related Counterfeiting Trial Starts:

Today is the scheduled opening of the Operation Smoking Dragon trial, involving the passing of so-called "Supernotes" at Caesars Palace. The fake $100 bills were manufactured in North Korea. Bill validators at Strip casinos weren't fooled by the first set of Supernotes, but subsequent iterations not only passed muster but even hoodwinked T-Men, according to John L. Smith. "It's been reported the North Korean government is behind the creation of the Supernotes and has used them to help prop up a foundering economy," Smith writes.

Moulin Rouge Stalled?:

Concerns about liquidity are again plaguing efforts to redevelop the Moulin Rouge, according to Saturday's Las Vegas Review-Journal. The paper reported that the buyout of the Treeline condo complex (directly behind the old casino) has stalled at the 5/6 mark and extension payments have trickled off. Co-developer Urban Republic says interest rates are too steep to borrow any more money, adding, "If we had financing those deals would close. We paid [condo owners] a lot of money in nonrefundable extensions."

Vegas Home Prices Still Down:

At a time when the price of a house in the San Diego and Denver markets is increasingly modestly, Las Vegas asking prices continue to decline. They've gone down 5% in August and almost 9% in the most recent quarter.

Patriots Powerless:

Tom Brady's torn ACL isn't just costing the New England Patriots on the field but in the sports books, too. The team's "power rating" is expected to take a beating, with Lucky's executive Jimmy Vaccaro telling the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "I make them legitimately 50-1 to win [the Super Bowl] without Brady." Lines favoring the Pats by double-digit figures are also expected to be a thing of the past. Vaccaro now expects the Buffalo Bills to win the AFC East.

Riviera Tightens Belt:

Today's Las Vegas Sun features an inside look at how the Riviera is coping with the recession. Not even the executive suite is spared from the economy measures, some of which manifest themselves on the casino floor in form of automated check-in kiosks and shorter restaurant hours. It's also reliant on a pair of Quick Cuisine machines (originally developed by the Pentagon), which supply the casino with everything from tomato sauce to eggs, reconstituted from powder. It's a little more complicated than "add hot water and stir," but not much.

No Boardwalk Project Until '09:

That's the word from Pinnacle Entertainment, which issued a de facto postponement of work on its projected Atlantic City megaresort. Pinnacle has extended the leases of business on the site through September of next year, which would appear to push the start of construction into the last quarter of 2009, if not later. Pinnacle has invested $400 million in acquiring and clearing the former site of the Sands Atlantic City, which it bought from Carl Icahn.

Another Celeb in Gambling Debt Spotlight:

This time, however, it's the star who claims he's owed money. According to England's Daily Mirror newspaper, actor Johnny Depp is looking to collect on a $28,000 poker debt, which he claims to have beaten indie band We Were Scientists for while on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean. The band has not actually denied the accusation, claiming rather that they were starstruck and that the actor used that to his advantage. "Depp is accusing us of owing him $28,000. But we heard Orlando Bloom was $800,000 in debt to Depp," said singer Keith Murray.

Good Feedback on Today's QoD:

Thanks to all the readers who've written in with their local knowledge and personal experiences of various casinos' policies towards admitting minors. Check out the answer for a slew of "updates" that have already come in, and feel free to use the QoD submission email link to send us more.

Sunday-Night Party:

The Hard Rock is advertising a weekly party for Sunday Night Football in its new club, Wasted Space. It kicks off tonight.

Palazzo Sports Bar in Action:

Today's LV Review-Journal reports that just days after closing the 40/40 Club at Palazzo, a complete transformation has taken place and Sportsbook Bar & Grill is up and operating. There are more than 70 flat-screen TVs and five betting windows. Note that the Palazzo otherwise shares the Venetian sports book.

Dancers in the Pit:

What's the most unlikely place you might expect to find go-go dancers in a gambling pit? No more guesses -- it's the Golden Gate. Two dancers were shaking it last night as customers playing blackjack and craps occasionally threw them a dollar or two. Strange site, but the shrimp was still darn good.

Watching the Games:

It's the first Sunday of the NFL season, so the sports books everywhere will be packed. If you want a party, it looks like the Las Vegas Hilton has the most elaborate set-up, with big-screens, prizes, and deals on food and drinks in the Hilton Theater and the sports book. Admission is free.

Contest Freerolls:

Don't forget to get your entries in for the free football contests around town. Coast casinos has a big one with a $30,000 winner-take-all prize (though you'll have lots of competion). You'll need a players card to get three entries. Other free contests are at both Fiestas, Plaza/Terrible's, and (we've heard) at Poker Palace.

HR Free Play:

We've verified that the Hard Rock's free-parlay-card promotion is running again this year. Pick a 4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-spot parlay on the NFL line-up and win up to $395. You must join the players club and pick up your card there. Cards must be submitted before the games begin on Sunday. You can play one per week and the expected return per card is a little over $3.

Matchplay Mats:

The $5 matchplay coupons are back on the paper mats in the Ellis Island restaurant. Tear it off and write your name and players club number where designated, then show your card at the table. It's good for blackjack only. It's a good bonus at what remains one of the best dining plays in Las Vegas.

Topless Bar Denied Slots:

Fremont Street hangout Topless Girls of Glitter Gulch asked the Nevada Gaming Control Board for 15 slot machines. The board has "referred back to staff" Glitter Gulch's application, which is usually the kiss of death. The bar, they reasoned, wasn't suitable for gambling.

Steve Wynn on CNN:

Love him or hate him, Steve Wynn is never uninteresting. CNN's TalkAsia provides an extra-large serving of Wynn, in the form of a 23-minute interview, in three discrete segments. Wynn discusses his success in Macao, the triads, the origin of the Mirage, and his daughter's kidnapping, among other topics. The report is accompanied by a treasure trove of archival footage. Even though it's on the Web, we'll call it "must-see TV."

How to Get a Better Room:

The New York Times offers a how-to guide on the subject and it involves a lot more than slipping an extra $20 to the desk clerk. Complaining about your assigned room is one strategy; another is to ask to be shown other rooms in the same price category. Having a superstition about the numeral '4' or a phobia towards a certain color works, too.

Pinnacle in Boardwalk Row:

Its megaresort project in Atlantic City may be on hold, but that isn't stopping Pinnacle Entertainment from continuing to assemble land -- even if that means resorting to eminent domain. Among the businesses targeted are Steel's Fudge and Kim Son Jewelry, the latter owned by a Vietnamese refugee who lost his bicycle factory back home to the Communists. "This country, I guess they do some of the same things," he told The Press of Atlantic City, while Pinnacle accused another property owner of demanding double the assessed value of its land. Pinnacle's action inspired UNLV's David G. Schwartz to pen a strongly-worded denunciation at his DieIsCast.com Web site.

New Gay-Friendly Deal from Harrah's:

Taking advantage of California's status as a haven for gay weddings, Harrah's Rincon has introduced a "Love Has No Limits" promotion, as well as a "Marry in San Diego, Honeymoon in Vegas" tie-in with Paris-Las Vegas. Ironically, the first couple wed at Rincon as part of the new campaign were two Vegas residents, partners of 10 years. To check our our gay-friendly guide to Vegas, just click here.

Adelson Goes 0-3:

A trio of ballot initiatives sponsored by Las Vegas Sands have been tossed out by the Nevada Supreme Court, which ruled that the petitions lacked the signed affidavits required by Nevada law. Two of the initiatives would have redirected room-tax money from the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors into other areas of the state budget. The LVCVA's competing convention center has been a longstanding thorn in Sands CEO (and Sand Expo Center owner) Sheldon Adelson's side.

More St. Regis Details:

The hoisting of the St. Regis flag atop Las Vegas Sands' in-progress condo tower doesn't mean a change of ownership. According to details released by Sands, the casino operator will still be responsible for building the tower, while St. Regis is being brought in as an operator once the project is done. A third company will run the sales center. Sands and St. Regis are already collaborating in Macao on the Sheraton/St. Regis Cotai, set to open next year.

Magic Shows Reviewed:

In today's Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mike Weatherford weighs in on two new magic acts. He deems Jeff McBride's Magic at the Edge the more theatrical and polished of the duo, saying McBride even "turns the coziness of the Sound Trax club to his advantage." Weatherford is sparing in his praise for Scarlett, Princess of Magic, a "family-friendly" show he deems more apt for Branson than the Strip.

Herbst Sports Books Change Hands:

In exchange for a share of revenue, Herbst Gaming is relinquishing the operation of six of its sports books to Brandywine, aka Lucky's. The change will affect Terrible's in Las Vegas, all three of the Primm Valley casinos and two others in Pahrump. One consequence of the changeover will be the acceptance of larger bets, according to Herbst, which also hopes to have its $1.2 billion corporate debt restructured by October. The Nevada Gaming Commission will vote on the deal on Sept. 18.

2008 Sarno Winner Named:

Architect David Rockwell has been designated as the recipient of the 2008 Sarno Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be handed out Nov. 17, as part of the Global Gaming Expo. Rockwell's most familiar work is the Kodak Theatre in L.A., seen every year on the Academy Awards. A Broadway veteran (set designer on Hairspray and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and Syracuse U. graduate, Rockwell wrought the Casino of the Sky and Casino of the Earth, at Mohegan Sun, in Uncasville, Conn. The Sarno Award is named after Circus Circus creator Jay Sarno.

Las Vegas This Weekend:

Las Vegas takes a bit of a breather after the whirlwind holiday weekend and most eyes will be glued to the big screens at bars and sports books all over town as the NFL season gets underway. If football doesn’t exactly spin your gears there are other options for entertainment including the Friday Night Live Series finale at the Hard Rock Pool with Collective Soul, an outdoor showing of Old School at Mandalay Bay Beach, and Alice Cooper’s Psycho-Drama Tour with three shows at the Orleans Showroom. Read on for more highlights. Music: Actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton brings his bad The Boxmasters to the Joint (9/5); Alt-metal rockers Shinedown perform at House of Blues (9/5); Alice Cooper brings his Psycho-Drama Tour to the Orleans Showroom (9/5-9/7); Killola and The Action Design play Wasted Space at the Hard Rock (9/6); The Club at the Cannery welcomes David Allan Coe (9/5) and Petula Clark (9/6); free music at MonteLago Village features Little Sister (9/5) and Killer Groove Band (9/6); Brian Culbertson jazzes up the Chrome Showroom at Santa Fe Station (9/5); Skid Row rocks Club Madrid at Sunset Station (9/6); Free concert at Henderson Events Plaza features Michele Lundeen (9/5); The Las Vegas Philharmonic opens its Masterworks Series at UNLV’s Artemus Ham Hall (9/6) Sporting Events: Showtime presents "Desert Stars" Boxing at Star of the Desert Arena in Primm (9/5); catch the NHL Rookie Exhibition Game with the Anaheim Ducks vs the San Jose Sharks at the Orleans Arena (9/5); SCORE off-road racers take it to the desert in Primm (9/5-9/7); and the Wildfire Gaming group is holding UFC 88 viewing parties at all four locations (9/6) Poolside Events: Collective Soul’s in concert for the final Friday Night Live Series event of the season (9/5) and Clinton Sparks spins poolside for this week’s edition of Rehab at the Hard Rock (9/7); Young Dubliners stop by the South Point Pool (9/7); kick back and watch Old School at Mandalay Beach’s Dive-In Movie Series (9/5); and Dynasty Rockers celebrate their 35th anniversary with barbeque and performance poolside at the Aruba Hotel (9/6) Other: David Brenner jokes at the Suncoast Showroom (9/5-9/7); the family-friendly free movie series continues at The District at Green Valley Ranch with The Little Mermaid (9/5) and Aladdin (9/6); First Friday celebrations will be held in the Arts District (9/5); Playboy Playmate and DJ Miss Lisa celebrates her CD release at Torrid Nightclub on the patio at Hawaiian Tropic Zone (9/5); Rachel Bilson hosts the evening at The Bank inside Bellagio (9/5); join in Kevin Dillon’s birthday celebration at Body English at Hard Rock (9/7); Sam’s Town will host a coin show (9/5-9/6); The Hills’ Doug Einhardt hosts the evening at Luxor’s LAX (9/5); and a Harvest Festival takes place at Cashman Center (9/5-9/7) For more details about these and other events, plus full listings of all the permanent shows Las Vegas plays home to, click here to use our "Shows & Events" finder, under "Shows & Nightlife."

MLB Game Draws 600:

Even with the Florida Marlins on the outer fringes of a pennant race, only 600 ticketholders could be bothered to show up for a Thursday matinee against the Atlanta Braves. "Official" attendance, however, was announced as 11,211. At least tantrum-prone Braves manager Bobby Cox was able to make an early exit after getting his record-setting 143rd ejection. The Marlins have periodically been proposed as the tenant for a Las Vegas MLB stadium and, more recently, their Triple-A is proposed as a tenant for Cashman Field, should the Los Angeles Dodgers relocate their farm team, as is expected.

Sweden Mulls More Gambling:

Non-Swedish companies may get the opportunity to run sports betting and wagering on harness-track racing, according to Jan Nyrén, chair of a federal commission that's looking into expanding the country's gambling offerings. Slot machines and full-on casinos are out of the question but Swedish-licensed Internet casinos are not. For the latter to be profitable, however, the IP addresses of offshore 'Net casinos would have to be blocked.

Matthews on NFL Contests:

With mere hours to go before the Washington Redskins tee it up against the defending Super Bowl champions, the NY Giants, it's time to get those parlay cards filled out. Our 'Net-gambling guru, David Matthews has a few thoughts on that subject. The pros and cons of pro-football wagering are also weighed in an essay in the newest edition of Las Vegas Advisor, which should be showing up in mailboxes right about now.

Spilotro is Outdone:

Tony "the Ant" Spilotro's burglary ring, known as the "Hole in the Wall" gang, was audacious but it never took down a score like the $7 million haul that burglars snatched from the home of Floyd Mayweather Jr.. "Those were the professionals," author Dennis Griffin told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "and they never even attempted anything in that price range." Griffin ought to know: He tells the inside story of the Hole in the Wall Gang in Cullotta, of which a 55-minute DVD version is now available. As for Mayweather, he may be more circumspect in the future about flashing his cash and bling on MTV Cribs.

Gulf Coast Casinos Reopen:

Except for the Silver Slipper, all of the casinos on Mississippi's Gulf Coast are open for business, according to the Biloxi Sun Herald. (One reader disputes this, saying Hard Rock will not reopen until tomorrow.) Players, although few in number, were already lining up outside casinos as regulators and fire department personnel signed off on each property. On-the-scene video can be found here.

'Believe' Delay Explained:

It's just a question of which explanation you choose to, um, believe. A Cirque du Soleil rep tells Mike Weatherford, "This is the first time we've created a show of illusion, and we underestimated the amount of time we needed." Another source contends that Criss Angel's magic tricks, while effective on TV, aren't translating well into Cirque-scale theatrics. Angel's publicist blames the delay on "a roomful of perfectionists." Rather than further postpone the Oct. 10 opening, "Believe" will only have two weeks of previews.

'Shear Madness' Opens Nov. 14:

That's when press night is scheduled for Las Vegas' newest interactive-theatre "mystery comedy," which will play at Town Square in a custom-built theater. Previews start Nov. 7.

Venetian Condos Named:

They'll be The St. Regis Residences at the Venetian Palazzo. Further development of the 400-unit tower is being farmed out to Starwood Hotels & Resorts.

Cosmo Sold:

For an undisclosed price, Deutsche Bank has sold the bankrupt Cosmopolitan out of foreclosure to a DB offshoot, Nevada Property 1 LLC. The development team now includes Related Cos. and former Circus Circus exec William Richardson. No casino manager has been designated. The Las Vegas Sun has further details of the new arrangement.

From Oil to Gambling:

A former oil depot site in Atlantic City may become Penn National's next casino. The A.C. city council has rezoned the land, near the Venice Park neighborhood (some of whose residents turned out to protest). The Associated Press describes the depot site as "an area currently known best for traffic jams and sewage smells." A Penn National lobbyist pointed to the company's newly flush status, thanks to the massive breakup fee from a failed LBO: "They can build this project with cash. We're talking about spending $2 billion." The city is also considering adding four or more casinos on the site of Bader Field.

China Opens Taiwan Spigot:

What the Chinese government takes away with one hand, it gives back with the other, it seems. While visitation to Macao by mainland Chinese has been restricted, constraints on air travel between Taiwan and China are being eased. A Jefferies Research report predicts that this could translate into more casino customers. Macao's casino revenues for August grew 44% from 2007, but that didn't appease Wall Street. Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts, MGM Mirage and Melco Crown Entertainment all traded downward yesterday.

E-Poker in Hoosier State:

French Lick Resort Casino, in Indiana, is not only introducing a smoke-free poker room but a dealer-free one as well. It's the latest casino to use PokerTek's PokerPro automated tables, which were recently installed at Excalibur and Trump Plaza. French Lick's director of table games, Dale Nachreiner promises a lower rake, adding, "PokerPro has also created opportunities for employees that have previously dealt only poker on a full-time basis to work in an expanded live table area without displacement of any positions."

Rodriguez Hosts Poker Show:

The Real Deal!, the poker-based game show that debuts Oct. 22 at The Venetian, has tapped comedian Paul Rodriguez to be its emcee. Rodriguez, soon to be heard in Beverly Hills Chihuahua, will host the audience-vs.-poker-pros show, which will play at 5 p.m. six days a week, and 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, plus unspecified matinees. Phil Hellmuth, Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Harman, Doyle Brunson, Phil Laak, Daniel Negreanu and Scotty Nguyen are among the players slated to pit their wits against contestants from the audience. Tickets are $75 and previews begin Oct. 14

Gustav's Impact Minimal:

Wall Street breathed a sigh of relief yesterday, as shares for Boyd Gaming, Penn National, Isle of Capri and Pinnacle Entertainment all traded a few cents up in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. Pinnacle Entertainment reported minor damage to its Louisiana properties. Mississippi's Gulf Coast casinos have been given the green light to open today, provided they run a checklist mandated by the state.

M Resort Hiring:

Two thousand employees are needed by M Resort, which has kicked off the hiring process with a mandatory online application. But you'd better be quick: As of yesterday, according to the Las Vegas Sun, 1,600 applications had been taken.

Vegas Steaks Are Tops:

Yes, "steaks," not "stakes." According to Norm!, the September issue of Esquire names StripSteak's butter-poached, bone-in top loin, with truffled macaroni and cheese as the Numero Uno steak in the U.S. Scarcely to be outdone was SW Steakhouse, which placed third for its barbecue-spice-rubbed skirt steak with charred onions and jalapenos. And don't count out Benihana, over at the Las Vegas Hilton, whose teppanyaki steak also cracked the top 20.

New Twist re: Trevi:

There may be more to the abrupt closing of Trevi Architectural, the firm that makes fountains and statuary for Strip casinos, than meets the eye. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that state, local and federal authorities are all "very seriously" probing the company regarding myriad safety-related issues. Trevi had blamed its shutdown on its owner, private equity fund Ampersand Ventures.

Get Happy at Josette's Bistro:

Wed. through Fri. this week, former LVA Locals Corner Josette's Bistro is offering free drinks and appetizers from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. This happiest of happy hours will be followed by free live entertainment nightly.

Cools Gets Heated:

"The only person winning here is the consumer," fumes Anthony Cools in today's Mike Weatherford column, devoted to ticket discounts on the Strip. Cools, whose Ooh La La just went dark, deplores a discounting environment that sees Crazy Girls tix going for as little as $22, saying, "I just wish everybody would quit discounting. People would still go to shows." Weatherford notes that three Cirque shows and Blue Man Group are discounting 20%-30%. As for Cher's critically-razzed revue, it's selling above face value.

More Electronic Poker on Strip?:

KLAS-TV, citing an unnamed Harrah's dealer, reports that the casino company has discussed adding electronic poker tables, like those just introduced at Excalibur, to handle the overflow when its regular poker tables are full. The report can be seen here.

40/40 Club Closed:

According to a press release on the 40/40 Club's Web site, Labor Day was the last day of operation for the controversial club, which Las Vegas Sands intends to convert into a sports book. The Web pages for the club's Palazzo operation remain "live," however.

'Titanic' Opening Pushed Back:

An exhibition of Titanic artifacts, currently at the Tropicana, won't reopen in its new home, Luxor, until the end of the year. When it does, it will feature an item not included in the exhibit's Trop incarnation: a massive fragment of the doomed ocean liner's C deck. Loading the so-called "Big Piece" into Luxor last weekend required reinforcement of part of the hotel-casino's flooring and the assembly of a custom-made rotating dolly. Premier Exhibitions veep Tom Zaller told the Los Angeles Times' Richard Abowitz, "We've moved this piece into ... all sorts of buildings, but never anything like this."

LV Court Convicts Chinese Bankers:

A pair of ex-Bank of China executives and their wives were convicted in Las Vegas on Friday of a variety of fraud and racketeering charges, The Associated Press reports. The quartet were indicted for attempting to launder over $3 million through The Rio, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island and Paris-Las Vegas. A fifth member of this complex scheme pled out and was returned to China in 2004. The remaining four will be sentenced Nov. 24.

More Internet Gambling Strife:

Private-equity funds' involvement in the casino industry took a new turn last week when several Vanguard Group shareholders sued the company for buying stock in online-gambling businesses, firms whose value tanked after U.S. Justice Dept. started a series of aggressive prosecutions. The online sites in question have yet to be named and Vanguard is withholding comment.

Damage to MS Casinos Minimal:

Although at least four, possibly five (reports are ambiguous) of the Gulf Coast's 11 casinos have sustained some form of flooding in the wake of Hurricane Gustav, damage reports are extremely mild by comparison with Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. Beau Rivage's garage and the lobby of the Hard Rock Casino, both in Biloxi, are among the flooded areas. "I do have some concern about the casinos, they've taken a hit here and there. With them able to come onshore and put their facilities to different heights, I think it will be all right," Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway told the Sun Herald. The casinos will remain closed until Mississippi Gaming Commission Executive Director Larry Gregory gives the OK for reopening.

CityCenter Funds Sewn Up:

MGM Mirage President Jim Murren has announced that his company has amassed all but $700 million of the $9.2 billion required to finish CityCenter. Just a month ago it looked like MGM and partner Dubai World were $3 billion short and might have to dip into their own pockets. China Construction Bank was the lead investor among a consortium of banks that kicked an extra half-billion dollars into the project. In a related development, Tishman Construction, idled by the suspension of Echelon, picked up a consolation prize in the form of a contract to finish CityCenter's Harmon Hotel. MGM's Alan Feldman told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the move would allow lead contractor Perini Building to concentrate on other aspects of CityCenter.

Harrah's New Orleans Remains Closed:

Due to the threat of Hurricane Gustav, the both the hotel and casino remain closed as of Saturday, August 30. If you are booked to stay at the property through Thursday, September 4, your reservation has automatically been cancelled. For updates, or to reshedule for a later date, or make a reservation at any other Total Rewards hotel-casino, click here or call 1-800-HARRAHS. Employees please call 888/488-6736 for the latest general updates.

Odds on Palin Shorten:

Bookmakers in the U.K. and Ireland are liking Sarah Palin's chances for staying on the GOP ticket a lot less today. Odds that Palin will have to step down as vice presidential nominee have narrowed to 8-1, down from 20-1. The new lines were posted by Paddy Power and William Hill PLC, while Ladbrokes spokesman David William told Bloomberg, "Ever since he appointed her, people have stopped betting on McCain. He went down like a sack of potatoes as far as the punters are concerned." Current odds on Barack Obama's being the eventual victor are 4-9, compared to McCain's 13-8. According to a University of North Carolina study, betting markets have been wrong in picking the next president only twice in the last 100 years.

Aliante Restaurants Announced:

Station Casinos has released the list of dining options that will be available when the locals casino opens on Nov. 11. The surf-and-turf oriented MRKT Sea & Land heads the list, followed by Pips Cucina & Wine Bar, Camacho's Cantina -- the local debut of a SoCal favorite -- along with The Original Pancake House, a T.G.I. Friday's and, of course, a Feast Buffet. For players in a hurry, a food court will offer a Panda Express, Capriotti's, Dunkin' Donuts, Johnny Rockets, Rubio's Mexican Grill, and a Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen.

Three Days Left on PH Deal:

Today through Thursday, travelers who book their trip to Vegas on Southwest Airlines get $100 off a three-night stay at Planet Hollywood. You must use promo code PH50MORE to get the full $100 markdown.

Believe Delayed:

Believe it. The opening of Criss Angel's new show at Luxor has been delayed from Sept. 12 to Sept. 26. Ticket holders can get refunds or reschedule by calling 800/557-7428. The official opening is still planned for Oct. 10.

Labor Day Points:

Lots of point multipliers are available today. South Coast is awarding 2X points. Silverton, the Stations, and the Fiestas are awarding 5X points (and Fiestas are doing the $25-per-minute giveaway discussed in a Today's News entry yesterday). Coast casinos are awarding 6X points.

Free Beer at the Palms:

The current issue of the free Las Vegas Weekly magazine includes one of the Palms' periodic free beer coupons on the wrap, this time for one bottle of MGD Lite (only 64 calories!) at all casino bars. The offer's valid through 10/12/08, while stocks last.

Farewell to the Klingons:

After an eleven-year residency at the Las Vegas Hilton, Star Trek: The Experience is officially closed. Fans should look out for announcements of a planned public auction of the fixtures and fittings.