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The Golden State Warriors are -13 favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 217.
The 49th World Series of Poker began yesterday with the traditional Casino Employees tournament and a new event called No-Limit Hold 'em Super Turbo Bounty. This year's meet will have a record 78 bracelet tournaments, culminating with the 10K buy-in Main Event that will run July 2-14. Watch this space for results on the big events throughout the tournament.
The Vegas Golden Knights lost last night at T-Mobile in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final by a score of 3-2. Braden Holtby made a spectacular save with two minutes left in the game to preserve the win. It was the first loss in a Stanley Cup Final for the VGK; it was also the first Stanley Cup Final win for the Washington Capitals; in their only other appearance in the Final in 1998, the Caps were swept 4-0 by the Detroit Red Wings. Game 3 is on Saturday, 5 p.m. Pacific Time, in Washington. Read the exciting highlights in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog.
One northbound lane on the Strip in front of the LINQ has been closed to facilitate construction on the Fly Linq zip line. An adjacent lane also closes from 1 to 9 a.m. daily. The lanes will remain closed through September 15.
The Vegas Golden Knights are -150 favorites over the Washington Capitals in tonight's Game 2 of the NHL's Stanley Cup finals. The goal line is 5.5.
The Rio has quietly discontinued its Seafood Dinner Buffet after years of being the only one of its kind. All dinner and brunch options have been reduced in price by $3-$6 and it’s now called the Carnival World Buffet instead of the Carnival World Buffet & Seafood Buffet.
Marijuana sales set a record in March, raking in $41 million, the most since it was legalized last July. A little more than $7 million of the total for the month went to taxes. For the nine months since legalization, sales have totaled $385.99 million, with tax revenues of nearly $50 million. Bud accounts for 50% of sales, concentrates 25%, edibles 13%, pre-rolled joints 10%, and the rest “other.”
You have about an hour to visit the latest trailer casino, operating at the site of the former Moulin Rouge (900 W. Bonanza). A trailer with 16 video poker machines opened at 6 a.m. today and will close at 2 p.m. Live gambling is offered at the temporary “casino” to preserve the gaming license for the location. Watch for a more detailed description in the Vegas With an Edge blog.
The Golden State Warriors are huge -1100 favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Championship. It’s the largest price we’ve seen in an NBA finals, surpassing lines in the -750 range for the Lakers against the Pistons and Nets in the early 2000s. Game 1 is Thursday at Golden State.
The Vegas (glorious) Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals last night at T-Mobile 6-4 to take a 1-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. The VGK's fourth line scored three of their six goals (Tomas Nosek two, Ryan Reaves one). Enough said here; read all the thrilling details in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog.
The Golden State Warriors are -6 favorites over the Houston Rockets in tonight's deciding Game 7 of the NBA's Western Conference Finals. The total is 209.
The Vegas Golden Knights are -165 favorites over the Washington Capitals in tonight's Game 1 of the NHL's Stanley Cup finals. The goal line is 5.5.
A digital lottery for tickets to the Las Vegas performances of the musical “Hamilton” has been launched. The lottery is free to play and winners can buy up to two tickets at $10 each. Lottteries will run for two days prior to each performance and a total of 40 tickets per will be awarded. The current lottery runs till the end of today for the May 27 performance. Download the Hamilton App at the Apple and Google stores and enter once per eligible day until the last show date on June 24. Get complete details at hamiltonmusical.com.
An estimated 320,000 visitors came to town for the Memorial Day weekend and several specials are running today. In addition to the big list in our Vegas With an Edge blog, El Cortez is giving out free White Castle hamburgers to players until 6 p.m. South Point is running $32,000 free-play giveaway in the casino, with random $100 winners till midnight. Boyd casinos are offering 11X on slots and 6X on video poker. The Palms has 3.3X points on slots and 2X on video poker (through May 31). Earn 50 points at Rampart and get a candy bar, 100 of which contain $50 in free-play.
Familyhandyman.com compiled a list of the biggest houses in all 50 states. Nevada's entry is located at 1299 Via Tivoli in a gated community near the corner of Grand Hills Drive and Eastern Avenue in Henderson. It was built in 2006 for eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and according to Zillow is worth $33 million. The square footage varies from between 48,000 and 77,000 (depending on what's included), with 33 bedrooms, 25 bathrooms, two gyms, 35-foot climbing wall, endless pool, tennis and racquetball courts, and dining for 10 -- in the wine cellar. It's one of the five largest residential compounds in the country. Pierre Omidyar is worth an estimated $8.7 billion.
The Boston Celtics are -2.5 favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers in tonight's deciding Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals. The total is 197.5.
Las Vegas’ other professional sports team, the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces, plays its first home game today at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tip off is 5:30 p.m. and tickets start at $17.
Bellagio’s The Bank nightclub will close June 3. The club has operated since late 2007. Hyde remains open as the premier nightclub at the resort. No information on what will replace the Bank has been disclosed.
Alexander Rossi is the +670 favorite to win today's Indianapolis 500. He's followed by Helio Castroneves (+750), Josef Newgarden (+1000), and Will Power (+1100).
Three high-profile restaurants at Venetian/Palazzo will close due to fallout from sexual misconduct allegations against their owner, celebrity chef Mario Batali. Carnevino, B&B Ristorante, and Otto Enoteca will all shutter July 27 by the edict of Sands Corp. Batali’s partner in the restaurants, Joe Bastianich, says he will seek to reopen in other resorts.
Tonight's Jazz in the Park program features vocalist/pianist Diane Schuur. The free concert (with free parking) at the Clark County Government Center Amphitheater on Grand Central Pkwy. begins at 6:30 p.m.
Tonight is the monthly “Last Friday” event, held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Water St. in Henderson. The gathering that features music, arts & crafts, and food and drink from local vendors, is patterned after the Arts District’s First Fridays celebration.
If you were planning a trip to Northern Nevada to play the powerhouse $1,000 rebate-on-loss deal at the Wa She Shu casino in Gardnerville, cancel those plans. We’ve been informed that the promotion has been discontinued. Las Vegas Advisor readers had a good shot at this one after we reported it in the October issue.
Once again, Australians have been designated the world’s biggest gamblers. Punters from down under lost $18.4 billion last year, which is $920 per adult country-wide. That’s twice the U.S. rate and more than 50% higher than second-place Singapore. The Aussie version of slot machines, known as “pokies,” have a huge presence in pubs and hotels and are responsible for the majority of the losses.
The last evidence of Palace Station’s long-running railroad theme has been swept away. The prominent train sign that marked the switch from the Bingo Palace to Palace Station in the ‘80s has been removed, leaving only the electronic marquee out front that’s branded only by the Palace Station name.
The Vegas Golden Knights are -140 favorites over the Washington Capitals to win the NHL's Stanley Cup. Game 1 is Monday in Las Vegas.
It's another busy busy weekend here in Vegas! Here's a quick roundup of events and keep an eye out for our Memorial Day Weekend blog post later today at VegasWithanEdge.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a -135 favorite over the Washington Capitals in tonight’s Game 7 of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals, with the winner advancing to play the Vegas Golden Knights for the Stanley Cup. The goal total is 5.5.
Today is "Whiskey & Wings Wednesday" in the casino and lounge bars at Ellis Island. Get five wings and choice of shot of Jack Daniel's Black, Tennessee Honey, or Tennessee Fire for $5. Also, earn 150 base points to receive a choice of an as-seen-on-TV Pill Genie, Grill Mat, or Veggetti.
As expected, the Culinary and Bartenders Unions have voted overwhelmingly in favor of sanctioning a walkout if new five-year labor contracts aren't in place by June 1. About half of the 50,000 eligible workers participated, with 99% voting "Yes" to approve a strike. It's not a certainty that a strike will be called even if contracts aren't in place during the deadline, but if it is it would affect as many as 34 resorts on the Strip and downtown, causing a significant disruption in operations.
There’s one day left in the current CET Flash Sale, which includes base rates of $30 for rooms at the Rio and Harrah’s, $33 at Flamingo, and $56 at Paris and Planet Hollywood. Even though resort fees will increase rates by $32-$37, these are still good prices for casinos on and around the Strip. Use the code “LVA05” to get an extra 5% off.
Even though the Vegas Golden Knights’ opponent hasn’t been determined, the game schedule for the Stanley Cup Finals has been released, with Game 1 set for May 28. It’s expected that the Tampa Bay Lightning will be favored if they advance and that the VGK will be favored if the Washington Capitals advance in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals tomorrow.
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars project, which honors Las Vegas entertainment personalities with stars embedded in Strip walkways similar to the sidewalk stars in Hollywood is getting a new home. After more than half of the stars were taken out during Strip construction, a deal was made to move them to the Linq Promenade. The stars will reside in an area near the High Roller wheel.
Juniper Cocktail Lounge has opened at Park MGM. Juniper is a featured new bar at the rebranded resort and claims to have the “largest gin collection in Las Vegas.”
After dominating in the boxing ring, the prospects are reversed for Floyd Mayweather if he wants to take on Connor McGregor in the octagon. The Westgate opened with McGregor a -1000 favorite over Mayweather should the two meet in an fight with MMA rules. You can get +650 on Mayweather. The fight is only speculation at the moment and bets will be returned if it doesn’t take place by September 2019.
The first serve-yourself cocktail kiosk on the Strip has closed after less than a year in operation. The Hop kiosk was located among the restaurants shops at the Harmon Corner and offered beer and wine dispensed directly to customers.
The Vegas Golden Knights are advancing to the NHL's Stanley Cup Finals after today's 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets gave them a 4-1 series victory. They'll face either the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Washington Capitals, with the Lightning holding a 3-2 lead in that series. The VGK story is an amazing one that's grabbed the full attention of a city that isn't impressed by much. Get the blow-by-blow on today's game tomorrow morning, along with reports after every game during the finals, from our "Knights on Ice" blog. And check out the blog archives for detailed accounts of every game this season that you'll find no place else.
The Winnipeg Jets are -160 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 6.
Thousands of culinary workers will vote on May 22 to decide if they will go on strike if a June 1 deadline to sign a new five-year contract expires. The workers from 34 resorts include bartenders, cocktail and food servers, housekeepers, porters, bellmen, and cooks.
The current odds for the Preakness Stakes make Justify the favorite at 1-2, followed by Good Magic at 5-1 and Quip at 9-1. The long shot is Tenfold at 21-1.
Late in the third period, Reilly Smith stole the puck from Dustin Byfuglien, skated into his offensive zone, and blasted a perfect shot over Connor Hellebuyck’s right shoulder to score the goal that won Game 4 for the Golden Knights by a score of 3-2. Vegas is now up 3-1 in the Western Conference championship series; one more win sends them to the Stanley Cup Finals. Only one team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in a Conference series (the New Jersey Devils in 2000). Read Joe Pane's impassioned post about the game, "Team Resiliency," and all the doubters here.
The Vegas Golden Knights are -120 favorites over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 5.5.
Prepare for traffic snarls near the Las Vegas Motor Speedway tonight through Sunday, as up to 400,000 festival-goers are expected over the 3-day Electric Daisy Carnival. The biggest problems will be on I-15 north of downtown. This year’s festival is being held a month earlier than usual to avoid the excessive summer heat.
Station Casinos’ Palms debuted several components of its redesign yesterday during a big, Dom Perignon-infused, party for the media. The center bar is now called The Unknown, The Lounge is Camden, Ghostbar is Apex Social Club, and N9NE is Scotch 80 Prime. All have been redesigned in a manner that positions the resort to reenter the hip-and-cool space that it occupied for more than a decade under the Maloof-family stewardship.
It’s bad news for Pick ’Em Poker players. According to the online database vpFREE2, Las Vegas’ last good game at the Fremont has been downgraded. According to the report, the previous 99.95%-return game has been changed to a schedule returning 97.09%.
As a result of the sale of the Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter, the hotel will become a Waldorf Astoria. The sale precipitated the cancellation of the Mandarin Oriental management contract, opening the door for the changeover. A complete rebranding will be implemented to create Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. A timetable has not been revealed.
Yup, folks, it's Electric Daisy Carnival time once again and with up to 400,000 festival-goers expected to descend on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 3-day festival you'll want to avoid I-15 north of downtown beginning today and running through Monday morning.
If the psychedelic-EDM scene ain't your thang, there's plenty of other cool stuff to choose from. Here are some highlights:
The Vegas Golden Knights continued their march toward the Stanley Cup with last night's win at T-Mobile over the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 4-2. Marc-Andre Fleury was, as usual, spectacular, and Jonathan Marchessault became the only player in the entire history of the National Hockey League to score in the first minute and the last minute of a playoff game. Vegas now has a 2-1 lead in the series; the next game is tomorrow night, again at home. Get the blow-by-blow on this amazing game in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog post.
The Vegas Golden Knights are -140 favorites over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 5.5.
According to Jeremy Aguero, Las Vegas' top economic analyst, Nevada's population growth was nearly three times the national average and Las Vegas' was the second fastest in all 50 states in the past year. Aguero estimates that an average of just under five people every hour have moved to Las Vegas in the previous 12 months, of whom 34% are from California. The Las Vegas metropolitan area has a population of nearly 2.3 million.
Stevie Wonder will boogie on for five shows at the Park Theater at Park MGM on August 3, 4, 8, 10, and 11 at 8 p.m. Tickets for "The Stevie Wonder Song Party" go on sale to the public Monday May 21 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster, starting at $69. American Express card holders are eligible for advance sales starting today at 10 a.m.; Mlife card holders can buy tickets starting tomorrow.
Single-game tickets for the Las Vegas Aces of the 12-team Women's National Basketball Association are available for purchase through AXS Digital Ticketing. Tickets start at $17, good seats are $50 and up. The first home game of the Aces' first season, against the Seattle Storm, takes place on Sunday May 27 at Mandalay Bay Events Center at 5:30 p.m. Their first game of the season is on Sunday May 20 against the Connecticut Sun.
Earn 100 same-day club points (100 coin-in) at Fremont and get a comped breakfast or lunch buffet Mon.-Fri., except for Wednesdays, through the end of May. Earn 200 points for a comped weekend brunch. These are good instacomps considering Fremont’s good video poker schedules.
The Vegas Golden Knights won last night in Winnipeg against the Jets by a score of 3-1. Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals in the game, becoming the 10th player in NHL history to collect at least 15 points in his team's first trip to the playoffs. The win ties the Western Conference championship series 1-1. Three of the remaining four possible games will be played at T-Mobile, with Game 3 scheduled for tomorrow night at 6 p.m. Read all about it here.
Anthony Curtis will appear on CNN's "Across America" news show today as part of a roundtable discussion on the Supreme Court's sports-betting decision. His segment airs on the affiliated HLN station at 9:30 a.m. PST.
The Winnipeg Jets are -150 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 6.
Watch parties for tonight’s Game 2 of the Vegas Golden Knights/Winnipeg Jets series will be held all over town, including the official VGK party at the Red Rock pool and the D’s big outdoor party in the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. Both are free to attend. For a pre-game tune-up, Ellis Island will serve $1 microbrews starting at 3 p.m. The game starts at 5 p.m.
The on-again off-again play-$500-get-$50 bonus at Jackpot Bar & Grill (4360 S. Decatur) is back on. The promotion runs all day on Mondays and Thursdays, but there’s been a change in the procedure and you now have to have your coin-in verified by the bartender who will then load the free-play bonus onto your machine.
The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) is unconstitutional. The 6-3 ruling opens the door for the legalization of sports betting in all 50 states. Stay tuned for more details.
Online retailer Fanatics, which operates Internet merchandising for all 31 National Hockey League teams, says that Vegas Golden Knights' apparel has outsold the merchandise of all the other Stanley Cup contenders combined since the playoffs began. Fanatics has also sold more Knights' merchandise since the start of the playoffs than the previous two months combined.
According to the Case Shiller Home Price Index and the latest Fitch Ratings, Las Vegas is the most overvalued housing market nationwide. Home prices are 21.30% above fair market value and increasing at nearly twice the countrywide rate (11%). Las Vegas has plenty of company; of the 400 markets Fitch rates, 72 (17%) areas overvalued, with housing prices more than 10% above what income, population, and rent growth indicate they should be.
The New York Street Dogs stand is no longer located in front of the Mob Museum after its contract to operate there was not renewed. It’s currently open only during First Fridays events at 1016 S. 1st St., though it’s seeking another full-time presence downtown. The Member Rewards Book 2-for-1 offer will continue to be accepted.
It’s getting close to the deadline for the Supreme Court to deliver its opinion on sports betting legalization. The court releases its decisions on a set schedule and Monday is the next possible announcement day for the sports-betting case. We'll report as soon as the information is out.
If you're in town today, check out the Vegas With an Edge blog for several Mother's Day options. Boyd casinos are paying 11X points on slots and 6X on video poker and Silverton has 8X points on reels.
In a second MMA card tonight, Ryan Bader is a -345 favorite over Muhammed Lawal in the main event. In the other featured match, Jon Fitch is -175 over Paul Daley.
Amanda Nunes is a -835 favorite over Raquel Pennington in tonight's UFC main event. In the other featured match, Ronaldo Souza and Kelvin Gastelum are pick' em.
The Winnipeg Jets are -150 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 6.
A creative offshoot of the Vegas Uncork’d food festival is tonight’s "Vegas Unstripped," running from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in an alley in the Arts District -- a gathering of several chefs from some of the city’s top off-Strip restaurants, including Esther’s Kitchen (where the event is being held), Other Mama, Flock & Fowl, Sparrow + Wolf, and District One. The event has reportedly sold out, but there will be an after-party at the nearby Jammyland Cocktail Bar & Reggae Kitchen (1121 S. Main). The party is open to the public with no admission fee. This should be a good one.
Anthony Curtis has been busy on the podcast circuit, recently appearing on “Vegas Talk Radio with Charlie Bass." This one’s a bit different, with A.C. discussing how gambling publishing works and his relationship with the casinos after starting in an adversarial position.
The first large-scale outdoor concert since the October 1 Strip shooting has been announced for September 22. The big Strip/Sahara corner grounds will be the site of “Daytime Stage,” part of the iHeart-Radio Music Festival headquartered at the T-Mobile Arena.
The Winnipeg Jets are -140 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Final of the NHL playoffs. The first game is Saturday in Winnipeg. Follow the action on Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog.
This year, similar to last, the Flamingo is bringing in some big names at GO Pool Dayclub. Included in the line-up are Nick Cannon this Saturday, Tone Loc on May 17, Amber Rose on May 26, Bow Wow on June 23, Coolio on July 19, Ja Rule on July 28, and Jesse McCartney on Aug. 25. Admission is $15 or season passes are $100.
According to Census estimates, Clark County trailed only Maricopa County (Arizona) in population increase in 2017. Clark added 47,355 residents (+2.2%) to bring its total to just above 2.2 million. A growing workforce for current and pending Las Vegas projects was cited as a primary reason for the influx.
Previously announced as Blvd. Market, the collection of restaurants coming to the Cosmopolitan’s second-level space that used to be the sports book is now called Block 16 Urban Eatery and Bar. The five restaurants in the collection will be Hattie B’s Hot Chicken from Nashville, District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew. from New Orleans, Lardo and Pok Pok Wing from Portland, and Tekka Bar: Handroll & Sake, which is a Las Vegas creation. They will be joined by Ghost Donkey, a tequila and mescal cocktail bar from New York City. Also, a Chinese restaurant called Red Plate will open this summer on the third-level space that used to be D.O.C.G.
It's also Mother's Day weekend with deals and events throughout the Las Vegas Valley. We'll be posting our round-up soon, so stay tuned.
The Mount Charleston Lodge has been purchased by the owners of Ellis Island. It’s anyone’s guess what the tie-in will be, but EI says it will upgrade portions of the resort that includes a restaurant and a bar. There are also cabins for lodging that are not part of the deal.
Yesterday was the first 100-degree day of the year, with the temperature topping out at an even 100. It’s a bit early, as the average first day to hit triple digits is May 24, but last year’s first 100 degrees was May 5, with 85 more to follow.
Finally, the transition from Monte Carlo to Park MGM is official. Press releases were sent out today announcing the change in identity for the 22-year old 3,000-room resort, including new signage on the building. Work is ongoing, however, on the $550 million upgrade and rebranding that includes a 292-room hotel-within-a-hotel. NoMad Hotel Las Vegas and two more high-end restaurants are scheduled to open later this year.
Around 1,000 tickets for the Golden Knights three home games in the Western Conference championship series will go on public sale at the VGK's website and StubHub tomorrow at noon. The prices, ranging from $125 (standing room) to $800, are up 50% from the previous playoff ticket costs. More tickets will become available as the NHL and NBC release their blocks. The first game is scheduled for this Saturday at either Winnipeg or Nashville; the first home game will be played on Wednesday May 16.
Saturday’s rainy Kentucky Derby was the wettest ever, but all-sources betting was up 8% over last year for both the race ($149.9 million) and the complete Derby Day program ($225.7 million). Justify was the sixth consecutive favorite to win. A Texas woman won $1.2 million on an $18 Pick 5 winner that included Justify, but also a 40-1 horse in an earlier race. The biggest reported win in a Las Vegas race book was at the Wynn, where a player won $150,000 after betting $500 on Justify in February at 300-1.
Uh oh! We’ve heard that a new system that monitors machine-play on the casino floor to determine drink comps is being tested in Laughlin. Similar systems are already in place at some casino bars, but this would expand the monitoring to all machines. No firm plans to bring the new system to Las Vegas have been announced, but it seems only a matter of time.
Megabucks was hit last weekend at Paris for $11.2 million by a gambler who did not want to be identified. The last Megabucks jackpot was hit in September at Fiesta Henderson.
The Orleans is holding “Lucky Table” drawings today at 7, 8, 9, and 10 p.m. Two active table-game players will be chosen in each of the first three drawings and four in the fourth to win $500 in chips. No minimum bet to be eligible is stipulated, but be sure to have a players card in case it’s required.
Other Mama, located on the west side at 3655 S. Durango, is serving oysters on the half shell for $1 apiece on Mondays in May. The restaurant opens at 5 p.m. and the special runs till closing. On other days of the week, dollar oysters are available only for about an hour, beginning at 10 p.m. Other Mama is considered one of the top non-casino restaurants in town, and it's our favorite play for sashimi.
With its 3-0 win last night over the San Jose Sharks, the Vegas Golden Knights advance to the Western Conference finals in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's only the third time (though really the second) that a first-year expansion team has made it to Round 3 of the NHL playoffs. The VGK will face the winner of the series between the Winnipeg Jets and the Nashville Predators; the Jets lead the Predators 3-2. As always, read about the game, plus other relevant elements, in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog.
Anthony Curtis will be a guest Monday morning on the gambling show "Follow the Money" from the Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN). The show begins at 4 a.m. PST and A.C. will be on during the 6:30 segment. Listen on SirusXM 204 or watch live at VSiN.com. You can also stream the video through the VSiN app for iOS and Android. The show replays at 9 a.m.
The San Jose Sharks are -150 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinal series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 5.5.
Born and Raised bar at 7260 S. Cimarron Rd. hosts the Bartender BAR-B-Que Battle today from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event brings together teams from 14 local bars in a big ribs and chicken cook-off along with other competitions.
Las Vegas taxi companies reported drops in rides (-14%) and revenue (-15%) for the first quarter of 2018. It extends a string of declines that began in 2015 when ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft came on the scene.
The current odds for the Kentucky Derby make Justify the favorite at 3-1, followed by My Boy Jack at 5-1 and Mendelssohn and Audible, both at 6-1. The long shot is Instilled Regard at 99-1.
The casinos deliver a double-dose of partying today, with special events running all over town for Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby. There’s a big list of Cinco de Mayo happenings in our "Vegas With An Edge" blog. Many race and sports books will have Derby specials today, with the biggest formal party running all day in the South Point Grand Ballroom; admission is free. Get a free logoed T-shirt with a $20 bet at any Station or Fiesta race book.
The Vegas Golden Knights took a 3-2 lead in their series with the San Jose Sharks in last night's 5-3 win at T-Mobile in Las Vegas. The Knights' comfortable 4-0 lead was threatened in the third period with three quick goals by the desperate Sharks, but Vegas held on. Teams that win Game 5 and go up 3 games to 2 in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs have a 78.9% success rate in winning the series. We'll see if that statistic holds true in Game 6 on Sunday at 4:30 at home. Read about the game and interesting factoids at Joe Pane's blog, Knights on Ice.
The Vegas Golden Knights are -165 favorites over the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 5.5. Tonight’s national anthem will be performed by Carnell Johnson, who is a singing gondolier at the Venetian.
There hasn’t been any press on it and the Palms website is still listing entrance details, but the Palms pool is completely closed for the summer while the new complex is built out. That also means no “Ditch Fridays” pool party. We’re told that Palms guests have pool privileges at Palms Place.
According to a report from Eater Las Vegas, a White Castle is planned for Jean, the Nevada city located 30 miles west of Las Vegas on I-15 to Los Angeles. It will be located in an as-yet-to-be-built travel center near the Gold Strike casino. A timetable for building has not been announced.
It’s expected that both the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and the Ocean Resort Casino will open on June 28. Hard Rock, opening in the former Taj Mahal, has verified the date; Ocean Resort, opening in the former Revel, has not.
MGM Resorts International is joining the move to e-sports with the opening of a 10,000-square-foot studio this month. The studio will also be used for poker tournaments, with space for nine tables and 120 observers in the stands.
Documents filed with the Las Vegas Planning Commission have revealed some details about Derek Stevens’ 18 Fremont project, the downtown resort that will occupy the space that formerly housed the Las Vegas Club, Girls of Glitter Gulch, and Mermaids. According to the filing, plans call for a 777-room hotel and 118,000-square-foot casino with a sports book. There will also be a rooftop lounge, pool and spa, several restaurants and bars, and a 1,500-spot parking garage built across Main Street with a bridge connector. A name (if not 18 Fremont) and building timetable were not revealed.
It's also Cinco de Mayo this weekend with parties throughout the Las Vegas Valley and we'll be posting our party-and-promo round-up soon, so stay tuned.
The San Jose Sharks are -135 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series of the NHL playoffs. The goal total is 5.5.
Monday’s watch party was so successful that the D will hold them for all Vegas Golden Knights away playoff games, including tonight’s. The party is outside in the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. and the game starting at 7.
MGM Resorts International has announced that its Springfield, MA casino will open August 24. It’s a slight acceleration of the schedule, as the resort’s opening was previously expected to be in September.
The award-winning Japanese restaurant, Raku, will soon offer patio dining. An outdoor dining area is expected to be completed in May, which is good news if only for the additional seating at this always-busy restaurant.
Mariah Carey is returning to Las Vegas and the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. "The Butterfly Returns" residency will run from July 5 through September. Tickets range from $59 to $259; advance tickets go on sale today through various outlets; they open to the public Friday May 4 at 10 am. The Colosseum hosted Carey's previous Vegas residency, "Mariah #1 to Infinity," which ran from 2015 to 2017.
In the second overtime game in a row and the third in the Vegas Golden Knights playoffs, the VGK beat the San Jose Sharks by a score of 4-3 to take the lead in the Round 2 series 2-1. The third goalie-interference review in two games went against Vegas last night, but they won eight minutes into OT on a blistering slap shot by William Karlsson. Read the whole story in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog post.