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An unidentified gambler won a little more than $1 million Sunday night playing Three Card Poker at the Venetian. The player, who had $5 on the Millionaire Progressive side bet, hit a royal flush in spades. The new millionaire is the sixth to hit the progressive jackpot since the side bet was introduced last year at the Venetian.
A mere year after opening its 215,000-square-foot indoor farm in a refurbished industrial building near S. Sandhill and E. Sunset roads in southeast Las Vegas, Oasis Biotech has started selling eight-ounce bags of baby-leaf spring mix and romaine mix to consumers under its Evercress brand name. Oasis biotech, one of the largest and most technologically advanced indoor farms in the U.S., employs state-of-the-art LED technology and precise hydroponic growing methods to produce lettuces, microgreens, herbs, and more. It opened last July, mainly to supply high-end Strip restaurants with locally grown, pesticide-free, non-GMO, leafy greens and intentions to grow a million pounds of produce per year. Consumers can buy bags of Evercress lettuce at Oasis Biotech's facility at 6225 Annie Oakley Drive; any produce not sold by its expiration date will be donated to charities.
According to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority counts, the number of Las Vegas visitors in June totaled 3,607,400, up 1.2% over June 2018, when 3,565,000 people came to town. The total number of visitors for the first half of 2019 came to 21,139,500, up from 2018's 21,017,800 (+0.58 %). Vegas is on pace to record 42,279,000 visitors for the year, up 0.4% from last year. The record number of visitors stands at 42,900,000, set in 2016. Meanwhile, June’s statewide gaming revenue total was $1.04 billion, up 11.6% from a year ago and setting a record for the month, thanks to the highest hold percentage at baccarat in 15 years. June was also the first year-over-year increase in 2019, though the half-year total is still down 0.2% from 2018.
To the 14 most expensive restaurant meals in Las Vegas (see our Vegas News item from July 27), we can now add the new number one: a $1,000 filet mignon covered with gold leaf and served with caviar and Krug Grande Cuvee Brut Champagne, according to Eater Las Vegas. It's available, with 48 hours notice, at Mr Chow on the second floor of Caesars Palace, with a view of the pool area. The author of our Eating Las Vegas guidebook, John Curtas, calls the food "as authentic as a fortune cookie," but lists Mr Chow in his "Essential 52" Las Vegas restaurants since, he adds, that the dining experience "is none the worse for it."
The rock band Journey was scheduled to play nine dates in October at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, but sales were so strong that they've added four more dates in December: 27, 28, 30, and 31. Tickets for the four new shows go on sale Friday.
It's been a long time coming (originally announced for February), but Chosun Hwaro and Nara Teppan will open tomorrow in the space previously occupied by Todai Japanese Sushi and Seafood Buffet, accessed from the Harmon Avenue entrance to the Miracle Miles Shops. The "grandiose" 13,000-square-foot 485-seat restaurant is the latest in a chain of more than 150 eateries in Korea and 50 more throughout Asia; this one is its first U.S. location. The Chosun Hwaro side serves galbi, various steak and pork dishes, ox tongue, beef gut and belly, hot pots and soups, stews, and noodle dishes, along with sushi, sashimi, and rolls, at 30 Korean BBQ tables. On the Nara Teppan side at 12 seven-seat cooking tables, staff juggle cutlery and prepare and serve typical teppanyaki dishes, including the $58 filet mignon, chicken, and lobster special. When it opens tomorrow, the hours for Chosun Hwaro and Nara Teppan will be 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
The answer is ... nothing. We've been getting a lot of questions about the apocalyptic invasion of Las Vegas by pallid-winged grasshoppers that's been going on for the past several days. This mass migration of millions of flying bugs is due to the wet winter and spring: So many grasshoppers hatched that they've overrun their typical habitats in Arizona and far southern Nevada and are moving northward in "clouds" so large that they're showing up on radar. What could be done? We just have to wait it out. Authorities say the plague should dissipate in the next week or so.
The Nevada State Museum, 309 S. Valley View Blvd. (on the campus of the Springs Preserve), has a new exhibit that honors and elucidates the history of the iconic Vegas Vic. “In those days, Las Vegas was still promoting itself as Old West,” our old friend Dennis McBride, director of the museum, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "You think of Las Vegas as a concept, of this great gambling mecca, this oasis in the desert, but people need to associate that with some thing, some physical object." And a New York advertising agency came up with "the Smiling Cowboy" in 1945 to fulfill that role. The image was used in print ads and brochures, on billboards, and finally as a neon sign in 1948, when he was also named. In 1995, to make room for the Fremont Street canopy, Vegas Vic's hat had to be shrunk. “I always found it fascinating that rather than simply taking him down and trashing him, they saved him,” McBride said. “He’s still a potent symbol, now of a lost era, but still associated with the town.” The exhibit runs through the end of the year; general admission for out-of-staters is $18.95, with discounts for seniors, students, children, and military.
The SkyFire Estate of local home builder Jim Rhodes has sold for $16 million, the second highest price ever paid for a house in Las Vegas. The eight-bedroom 10-bathroom house sits on two acres in Spanish Hills, a guarded community off W. Tropicana near the 215 Beltway. It comes with a 19,798-square-foot main house, casita, and pool house, a wine cellar, a dog shower in the laundry room, a two-level 1,100-square-foot closet, an outdoor kitchen with a pizza oven, and a 15-car garage. The house was initially listed in January for $30 million, then reduced to $25 million in May. The buyers are remaining anonymous. Las Vegas' most expensive house was bought, not surprisingly, by billionaire David Copperfield in 2016; the 31,000-square-foot home has eight bedrooms and nine baths, sits on 1.58 acres, and went for $17.55 million.
Legal sports betting has been approved for North Carolina’s two Indian casinos – Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. Both are located in sparsely populated areas on the east side of the state and mobile betting is not allowed, so it’s questionable how big the market will be. However, a more expansive bill is being considered.
In their game on Friday night against the Chihuahuas in El Paso, the Las Vegas Aviators hit 11 home runs. The total set a new record in the Pacific Coast minor league; the previous record of 10 home runs in a game was first set in 1974, then equaled this year by the Reno Aces. One Aviator had three homers, three players had two each, and two players had one. The Aviators won the game 20-11, scoring the last 16 runs in a game that they trailed 7-1 in the second inning. The PCL adopted the livelier MLB baseball this year and El Paso's ballpark is a hitter's paradise; the Aviators lost 15-9 on Thursday, then won 11-2 on Saturday. All told, the Aviators scored 46 runs in the three games against 22 for the Chihuahuas. Vegas and El Paso have quite a rivalry going; the Aviators are two games behind the Chuhuahuas in second place in the PCL's Southern Division.
For only the fifth time in the past 30 years, grasshopper swarms of biblical proportions have invaded Las Vegas Valley. These are pallid-winged grasshoppers and they've arrived in the past few days in the millions, due to the prime hopper-hatching conditions of a wetter-than-usual winter and spring. When the populations get too big in Laughlin or northern Arizona, the swarms move north and can cover a couple hundred miles during their life cycles. They're not harmful to humans, but they're plant feeders, so they can decimate gardens and vegetation. They're attracted to ultra-violet light, so gas stations and parking lots have been the worst hit. And the Strip has certainly seen its share. The state entomologist predicts they'll last another couple of weeks.
They're all happening in Las Vegas tomorrow and Tuesday. The 81-room boutique Apache Hotel at Binion's welcomes its first guests tomorrow night. The rooms feature vintage '30s' furnishings, hardwood floors, and stained-glass windows; a new front desk is in the old lobby to check in guests. Also tomorrow, the World TeamTennis' Las Vegas Rollers take on the Washington Kastles at the Orleans Arena. The Kastles won five straight WTT titles from 2011 to 2015 and went undefeated in 2011 and 2012; this year, Venus Williams is playing for them. And on Tuesday, Las Vegas' original Denny's unveils an extensive renovation. The 55-year-old location at 1822 Las Vegas Blvd. S. opened in 1963 and has been completely rebuilt.
Max Holloway is a -350 favorite over Frankie Edgar in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Cris Justiino is -500 over Felicia Spencer.
Bastille on 3rd has closed. The downtown bar that opened as Snick’s in 1976 was said to be the longest running LGBT bar in Las Vegas.
Though no timetable or financing plan were announced, Las Vegas Moulin Rouge LLC has revealed an ambitious proposal to build out the site of the original and enduring Moulin Rouge Casino near downtown on the Westside. The plan is divided into three phases: Phase 1 would include a 400-room hotel, 25,000-square-foot casino, restaurant and buffet, 1,200-seat showroom, 200-seat jazz center, convention space, nightclub, pool, spa, and retail. Phase 2 would include an expansion of all the facilities, including a 1,000-room hotel tower. Phase III would debut mixed-use residential and office space and a 12,000-seat arena. Total cost: $1.6 billion. The original Moulin Rouge was built for $3.5 million.
According to a story by CDC Gaming Reports, Boyd Gaming casinos are the first locations to host the slot machines based on Madonna and FarmVille themes. The Madonna slots will be rolled out at all 29 Boyd casinos in 10 states, while FarmVille, the 10-year-old agriculture-simulation social-network game, will be limited at first to Nevada. The Madonna slots will feature single-site progressives with a reset at $5,000 and a linked progressive with a reset at $250,000, while FarmVille's jackpots will go up to $5,000. You can read our Questions of the Day about themed slots: how these slot-licensing deals work (Madonna reportedly received $10 million); why these licensed slots are leased from the manufacturers, rather than owned by the casinos; and the impact that the licensing fees have on the return percentages of the machines.
SFGate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle's website, has a slideshow of the "craziest fanciest high-rollers-only meals" in Las Vegas, featuring a number of the most expensive meals at 14 restaurants. Highest priced are the 12-ounce A5 Kobe steak at Prime Steakhouse at Bellagio ($720), the seven-course Japanese A5 Wagyu dinner at Red Plate at the Cosmo ($688 per person), the Krug's Chef's Table dinner at Restaurant Guy Savoy ($650 per person), the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Soup (Japanese abalone, sea cucumber, and other very expensive ingredients, $498) at Red Plate, and the degustation menu at Joel Robuchon ($445 per person). The list also highlights Zuma at the Cosmopolitan (premium omakase for $168), SW Steahouse at the Wynn (tomahawk chop for $130), NoMad Restaurant at Park MGM (32-ounce 80-day dry-aged rib eye, $150), Mott 32 at the Venetian (Japanese A5 Kobe beef, $148), Jean George Steakhouse at Aria (42-ounce Wagyu tomahawk, $265), Bazaar Meat at the Sahara (caviar flight, $350), Morimoto Las Vegas at MGM Grand (54-ounce tomahawk ribeye, $170), Bavette's at Park MGM (seafood tower, $210), and the comparatively wimpy 24-ounce bone-in rib eye for two, $110) at Aureole at Mandalay Bay. We'll be trying and reviewing all these meals when the Fountains at Bellagio freeze over.
Little Miss Nasty, the adult revue that closed last month at Hooters, reopens tonight at the Rio. The show will on Fridays and Saturdays at 9 p.m. in the 290-seat 172 live-music venue. Tickets start at $38. And the Plaza has announced that The Comedy Works will bring stand-up comedians to its showroom starting Sept. 12. "The Comedy Works at the Plaza" will put on shows Thursdays at 8 p.m., Fridays at 9 p.m., and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., with ticket prices starting at $20.
Southwest Airlines is discontinuing its McCarran International-to-Newark Liberty International Airport service as of November 3 of this year. It will consolidate its operations in the New York metropolitan area at La Guardia. United operates six daily round-trip flights between Las Vegas and Newark and Spirit Airlines flies one.
Treasure Island is joining Minnetonka-Minnesota-based Radisson Hotel Group's system before the end of 2019 and Radisson Rewards members will earn and be able to redeem points at TI starting in 2020. The TI brand will remain. It's Radisson's first property on the Las Vegas Strip. Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups, with more than 1,400 hotels under eight brands in operation and under development around the world.
The Women's National Basketball Association's All-Star Game will be played at 12:30 on Saturday at Mandalay Bay Events Center, home to the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, who lead the league with a record of 13-6 and have three players on the All-Star team. Tickets start at $30 and are available at axs.com.
Here they come? The attorney general of Nebraska has sued Hilton Hotels Corporation, accusing the company of disguising the real price of hotel rooms from consumers. If successful, the suit would compel Hilton to advertise the bottom-line price, pay civil penalties, and rebate some fees to Nebraska consumers. The lawsuit is the second of its kind in two weeks; the attorney general of Washington D.C. is also suing Marriott Corporation. Attorneys general from all 50 states and the capital district took part in the investigation that led to the two suits. Could more be on the way?
The new LVA.com poll is up and running and gives you a chance to weigh in on which Las Vegas property or properties the new merged Eldorado-Caesars Entertainment should sell (as announced by the CEO of Eldorado Resorts). Click to go to the poll, vote, and give us the reasons for your votes in the comment boxes.
Due to monsoon conditions causing thunderstorms and downpours, it's wet here today -- so wet that a flash-flood warning has been issued for eastern Clark County until about 3:15 p.m. and a flash flood watch is in place for the entire Las Vegas Valley until 11 p.m. Up to a half-inch of rain inundated the city and county and the storms will continue into tomorrow.
The Pac-12 has announced that it's relocating its football championship game to Las Vegas in 2020 and 2021. The title game has been played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, home to the San Francisco 49ers since it opened in 2014, but attendance has fallen short since then; last year's game between the Washington Huskies and Utah Utes attracted an announced crowd of a little more than 35,000, half the stadium's capacity, and many observers claimed it was a padded number. The Pac-12 men's basketball tournament has been played in Las Vegas since 2013 and conference officials have credited the move with boosting attendance.
An elaborate new sand sculpture, "Summer of Mandalay Bay," is now on display in the lobby. The 22-ton eight-foot-tall sculpture showcases a few of the attractions at the hotel-casino, including sharks and fish that represent Shark Reef Aquarium; cabanas, palms, and two kids tubing in the Lazy River; and a woman at the top who looks like she's dancing at a club or cheering at a concert. The sculpture was handcrafted by a team of San Diego artists who put 250 hours into the project and it's held together by nothing more than water -- no adhesives, glue, or supports. "Summer of Mandalay Bay" replaces a similar sand sculpture, "Michael Jackson One," that had been on display since May 2014.
Van Morrison will play five shows at the Colosseum at Caesars early next year, January 31 and February 1, 5, 7, and 8. Tickets, which go on sale Friday at 10 a.m., start at $109 and go up to $945.
Three major conventions are on the schedule for early next week, in case you're flying in over the weekend and wondering why it's so crazy. Las Vegas Market, the summer furniture, home furnishings, and gift show at the Market complex downtown, will host more than 50,000 vendors and attendees. ASD Market Week, the U.S.' largest trade show for retail merchandise, is expecting 45,000 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. And Cosmoprof, North America's leading B2B cosmetics, personal-care, and professional-beauty convention, will convene 35,000 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. All three run through Wednesday July 31.
Looking for the best destination for hitting the road in the next hour and a half (or day or two)? According to a new survey from the discount travel website Hotwire, Las Vegas is the best major metropolitan area for a "quick getaway." Hotwire considered more than 10,000 data points across 250 cities to identify the most budget-friendly, easy to get to, and fun. It's no surprise that Sin City topped the list. Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York City rounded out the top four.
The cost of the temporarily named Las Vegas Stadium (until a name sponsor is announced) has risen to $1.9 billion. The $40 million approved by the Stadium Authority for 20 new suites, a 26,000-square-foot field-level club area, upgraded information technology and operations systems, and additional restrooms has brought the price tag to within striking distance of $2 billion. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that nearly $1 billion has been spent so far, marking the halfway point in money invested. The last three of 26 steel canopy trusses are currently being installed, then the steel cables that will support the translucent roof will be put into place. The stadium is on schedule to open on July 31, 2020.
The Vegas Golden Knights have received a big vote of confidence from the oddsmakers at at least one sports book. The Westgate has posted totals and playoff odds for the 2019-2020 season and the VGK came in with the highest point total in the Western Conference (103½) and second highest in the NHL, behind the Tampa Bay Lightning (108½). At Will Hill, the VGK are at 101½.
The world's only guitar-shaped building is testing the light show it will emit at night when it opens in October and knocking the eyes out of observers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The 450-foot hotel tower, part of a $1.5 billion expansion of the Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, is designed to resemble back-to-back guitars, with faces, necks, and brightly lit guitar strings; the exterior is already bathed in vivid reds, blues, purples, greens, and yellows and there's more to come: The whole skin is a screen that will project images and lasers from the roof can shoot 20,000 feet into the night sky. The tower has 638 rooms, including swim-up suites and villas partially submerged in water, which include butler service and private pools; a 12,000-square-foot bar is on the rooftop. Fronting the tower are 13 acres hosting 14 restaurants, retail, a comedy club, a 7,000-seat Hard Rock Live theater, a 41,000-square-foot spa, a convention center, and a 10-acre water park with a lagoon-style pool and lazy river. The hotel-casino is set to open on October 24 and will begin accepting reservations on July 24.
Ike's Love & Sandwiches, which opened at the Fashion Show Mall a couple weeks ago, is selling three very expensive sandwiches from a "high-roller" menu unique to the 70-store chain. The big boy is the Howard Hughes: a total of two pounds of American wagyu roast beef from Idaho-based Snake River Farms, brisket, prime rib, and duck bacon, all topped with a truffle sauce; it's advertised to feed two, but we're sure three people could fill up on it. The Queen of Hollywood's Royal Cheesesteak is a smaller version of the Hughes and adds mushrooms, while the Bugsy Siegel subtracts some of the expensive meats in favor of salami, ham, and turkey. Both sell for $69.
The Oakland Raiders are the featured team for this season’s Hard Knocks series. The hit show that follows one NFL team through training camp each year tends to focus on drama and dysfunction, which seems to make the Raiders the perfect choice. While the team won’t yet have moved, Las Vegas figures to get plenty of attention in front of the big HBO audience. The first episode airs August 6.
One of Las Vegas’ most renowned bookmakers, Jimmy Vaccaro, left Las Vegas in April to return to his native Pittsburgh and work at Rivers Casino, the first Steel City venue to allow sports betting. He lasted less than three months before returning to Sin City to resume his position at South Point's sports book; he's also stepping back into his role at the Vegas Stats and Information Network (VSiN). Vaccaro, who's credited with innumerable sports-betting innovations over his 44-year career, is prominent in our new book, Then One Day.
The Italian restaurant at MGM Grand, Fiamma, closed on March 24 after nearly 15 years in business. Its replacement has been announced as Ambra Italian Kitchen & Bar. The menu, according to MGM Grand, will demonstrate "how sleek and sexy Italian cuisine can be," which to us means fancy food and even fancier prices. Another hidden room will be attached: Privata is touted as a speakeasy that will serve high-end alcohol. Ambra, which means "amber" in Italian, will seat nearly 400 when it opens later next month.
Boasting one of the largest and most eclectic lineups of the year, Psycho Las Vegas is set for the weekend of August 15-18 at Mandalay Bay. Also known as America's Rock 'n' Roll Bacchanal, this festival features more than 70 acts in a mind-bending number of genres, from hard rock to post-rock, from black metal to electronica, from world music to grit and grime. Headliners are Megadeth, Clutch, High on Fire, Electric Wizards, Beach House, and Opeth, and other artists include The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, Perturbator, Bad Religion, Fu Manchu, Cold Cave, Yob, En Minor, Goatwhore, Nothing, Glassjaw, Devil Master, Ilsa, Hangman's Chair, Electric Citizen, Spindrift, LA Witch, and Royal Thunder. The festival completely takes over Mandalay Bay, with performances at the Events Center, House Of Blues, Mandalay Bay Beach, and the Rhythm & Riffs Lounge. Tickets are $109 to $249.
Going into tomorrow's final round of golf's Open Championship (British Open) Shane Lowry is the -200 favorite. He’s followed by Tommy Fleetwood at +390 and Brooks Koepka at +1030. The round begins early tomorrow morning.
Manny Pacquiao is a -170 favorite over Keith Thurman in tonight's championship boxing match. The total is 11.5 rounds, with over the favorite at -330.
Leon Edwards is a -130 favorite over Rafael Dos Anjos in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Greg Hardy is -120 over Juan Adams.
Tesla has launched its latest V3 Supercharging Station just off the Strip near the High Roller Observation Wheel. The station consists of 39 electrical "pumps" capable of charging 1,500 Teslas daily using the company's proprietary solar panels and Powerpack batteries; 24 "pumps" feature V3 chargers, each of which is capable of adding the equivalent of 180 miles of range in just 15 minutes of charge time. Caesars Entertainment is involved in the project as part of its initiative to reduce its carbon footprint by 30% in the next five years.
The extensive remodel of the Stratosphere Tower's indoor-outdoor observation deck on the 108th and 109th floors has been completed and the new 108 Eats by (local celebrity chef) James Trees has opened. 108 Eats serves gourmet snacks, such as paninis and other sandwiches, artisan cookies, popcorn, chips, ice cream and sorbet, and coffee. 108 Drinks is the new bar, offering "elevated" craft cocktails. Also new on the 108th floor are a box office for the thrill rides and Exhilarate 108, a souvenir store.
Cat's Meow, a 25-year-old karaoke bar located in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter, has expanded for the first time to downtown Las Vegas. The second incarnation of the famous Bourbon Street bar, which bills itself as "the world's number-one karaoke nightclub," has opened in a 10,000-square-foot space on the second floor of Neonopolis. It features a concert-quality sound system, an MC/singer to help out on stage and get the crowd involved if necessary, and a collection of 40,000 songs in its karaoke library, though the main list consists of 600 of the most popular and high-energy tunes. It's open from 2 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily (so far) and has a two-drink minimum.
The online restaurant-reservation platform OpenTable has released a list of the nation's 100 most scenic restaurants, based on reviews collected on the site from diners. We can (kinda) agree with two of the four: the Eiffel Tower Restaurant, which occupies the 11th floor of the tower overlooking the Bellagio Fountains and Giada at the Cromwell, which sits on the second floor diagonally across from the Fountains, but Mon Ami Gabi? Sure, the patio is a great people-watching venue (though noisy and smoky), but scenic? And Hell's Kitchen at Caesars? Sure, it has an outdoor patio, but c'mon; most of the views in the restaurant are of oversized likenesses of Gordon Ramsey. No Top of the World at Stratosphere? No Top of Binion's Steakhouse? No Vetri Cucina (56th floor of the Palms) of Voodoo Cafe (50th floor, Rio)? No Spago (with a patio 10 feet from the Fountains)? No Rivea (64th floor of the Delano)? No Twist by Pierre Gagnaire (23rd floor of the Waldorf Astoria)? Maybe we'll conduct our own poll.
MGM Resorts International has taken over six smaller venues that were previously managed by Hakkasan Group—Stack at the Mirage, Fix, Yellowtail, and Lily Lounge at Bellagio, and Alibi Ultra Lounge and Herringbone at Aria. Hakkasan continues to manage the big party venues, including the Hakkasan Nightclub and Restaurant at MGM Grand.
Major League Soccer and Liga MX will bring the first final game between the two top soccer leagues in North America to Sam Boyd Stadium on Wednesday September 18. The new Leagues Cup competition will begin with four clubs from each league playing in single-elimination games. The quarterfinals will be played on July 23 and 24 at the stadiums of the MLS clubs. The semifinals will be on August 20 at venues to be determined based on the quarterfinal results. Las Vegas will host the Leagues Cup championship game. Liga MX is the top tier of the Mexican football-league system and Sam Boyd Stadium has hosted the U.S. Tour matches of the Mexican National Team, as well as several other international soccer events, in its history.
Another professional sports team has rolled into Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Rollers is the latest franchise in World TeamTennis, the six-team league that competes every year for three weeks between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, a time period that allows some top players to participate; the season consists of 14 matches per team in 20 days. The Rollers, who play tonight at San Diego against the Aviators, will make their debut home appearance at the Orleans Arena tomorrow against the Springfield Lasers. WTT teams are co-ed; the Rollers feature Bob and Mike Bryan, identical twins who've won the most doubles matches in history; 2016 Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig, 2017 Wimbledon semifinalist Sam Querrey, 28-year-old Asia Muhammed, and 22-year-old Brit Harriet Dart. Three of the six teams advance to the playoffs, which will be held at the Orleans on August 2 and 3.
Occupying the space near the main entrance to the Forum Shops at Caesars that Spago abandoned in January 2018 on its way to Bellagio, southern California-based Water Grill opened yesterday. The restaurant spent millions upgrading the space, with an expanded patio on the mall promenade, the open-kitchen main room, and an upstairs room for private events. The decor is "olde wooden ship," with plank floors, heavy beams, antique fishing rods, copper bartop, and a chandelier that consists of 14,000 oyster shells. The menu specializes in oysters (16 varieties), along with fresh seafood delivered twice daily, including live lobster and crab, from fish and chips to halibut cheeks, whole wild fish by the pound (New Zealand pink bream, Dover sole, black sea bass, $33-$48 per pound), a few steaks and a chicken dish, and sides. There are four Water Grills in southern California and one in Dallas; the first opened in 1989 on Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. It's one of six seafood-restaurant groups owned by King's Seafood Company, among which is King's Fish House, which has a location at the District at Green Valley Ranch.
The 50th anniversary of the World Series of Poker set several records. The "Big 50" event that launched this year's tournament fielded the largest number of participants in live-tournament-poker history: 28,371. The 89 separate tournaments were the most ever. A total of 8,569 players bought into the Main Event, falling just short of the record of 8,773 set in 2006, the year Jamie Gold won the championship. The total number of entries in the WSOP overall was 187,298, the most ever. And the total prize money of $293.2 million was 10% more than in 2018, breaking the record set last year. A couple of additional notes. This year, Jim Bechtel, who won the 1993 Main Event, won the $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw for his first bracelet since his Main Event win; the 26 years between bracelet wins is the longest in WSOP history. And Loren Klein won the $2,500 Mixed Big Bet, becoming the first player since Doyle Brunson (1976-79) and the third overall to win bracelets in four straight years.
Rory McIlroy is the +800 favorite to win the Open Championship golf tournament (British Open). He’s followed by Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, both at +1000; Jon Rahm at +1600; and Tiger Woods at +1800.
Chris Moneymaker and David Oppenheim were inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame on Monday in conjunction with ESPN's TV coverage of the WSOP Main Event. They're the 57th and 58th players to be voted into the Hall by existing members. In his first live poker tournament, Moneymaker won the Main Event in 2003 after winning a seat in an online satellite; it was the first year that ESPN televised the Main Event and it's widely credited as the spark that ignited the 21st-century poker boom. The amazing story is covered in our book The Moneymaker Effect. Forty-six-year-old David Oppenheim is a 25-year poker pro who has final-tabled several major tournaments; he's also a world-class cash-game player who plays for the world's highest stakes.
In a unanimous vote, the Henderson City Council has approved the operation of short-term vacation rentals in residential areas, changing the existing law that allowed them only in areas zoned for visitors. Rental homeowners have to pay an annual $820 registration fee and the new law mandates a two-night minimum; owners will have to take a class, carry special insurance, and guarantee that the rental doesn't violate HOA rules. Events, such as weddings and parties, are prohibited. Henderson is now the most Airbnb-friendly jurisdiction in the valley.
Hossein Ensan, the 55-year-old Iranian-born poker player from Meunster, Germany, closed out the final table of the 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event to win $10 million and a bracelet. Alex Livingston went out in third ($4 million), leaving Italian poker pro Dario Sammartino to play heads-up against his long-time friend. At one point, Sammartino took the lead, but Ensan battled back and stayed ahead for the last few hours. Around 1:30 a.m., on the 301st hand of the final table and 100th hand heads-up, Ensan won it with pocket kings to knock out Sammartino, who held a flush draw and inside-straight draw, but blanked on the river. Sammartino won $6 million. Ensan is the oldest player to win the Main Event since 1999, when Ireland's Noel Furlong won at age 61; he's also the second German (Pius Heinz, 2011) and third Iranian-born (Mansour Matloubi, 1990, and Hamid Dastmalchi 1992) Main Event winner.
The "social-gaming experiment" that Park MGM conducted with its sports book has been deemed a failure. The space, more of a bar than a book, was dinky compared to most others on the Strip, didn't accept horse-racing wagers, was closed mid-week, featured local bands on the weekends, offered billiards and mini-bowling, and had a restaurant attached, the Side Betty Grill. The book and grill, which lasted little more than a year, have been closed off and gutted.
Rivers Casino and Resort in Schenectady in upstate New York opened its sports book this morning, becoming the first of several books in the Empire State expected to open in time for football season. The book at Tioga Downs Casino near Elmira, also upstate, is expected to open on Friday. New York gaming officials and casino operators are on a mission to catch up to New Jersey, with its handle of more than $3 billion in the first full year of its sports books.
Tony Bennett is 92 years old and not only going strong, but lookin' mighty good for being is his tenth decade. He also sounds fantastic after singing his heart out professionally since 1945, having survived a stint as an infantryman in WW II. The 19-time Grammy Award winner, who's performed with everyone from Count Basie to Lady Gaga, Ringo Starr to Diana Krall, will headline for three nights in the Venetian Theater September 25, 27, and 28 at 8 p.m.; tickets go on sale this Friday and start at $49.95. His daughter Antonia, who has been opening for or accompanying Tony for 15 or so years, will open her dad's “I Left My Heart in Las Vegas" shows.
Yesterday, Hossein Ensan added more than 50% worth of chips to his already monster stack to take a commanding lead with 326,800,000; Ensan eliminated Kevin Maahs in fifth place with pocket 9s against ace-10 suited. Alex Livingston brings 120,400,000 into the last day of the tournament, having gone from the second shortest stack starting the day to second largest; Livingston knocked out local favorite Garry Gates in fourth place with pocket queens against pocket sixes. Dario Sammartino hangs on in third place with 67,600,000, or 33 big blinds, compared to Livingston's 60 and Ensan's whopping 163. TV coverage begins at 6 p.m. PST on ESPN.
The Australian Bee Gees show has inked a three-year contract extension with MGM Resorts and will remain at the Excalibur in the renovated and expanded Thunderland showroom. The show, as well, has been revamped after eight years at Excal with new songs from the Bee Gees' extensive discography and will open on July 29; tickets start at $60.
Garry Gates knocked out Milos Skrbic in 9th place ($1 million) on the sixth hand and Hossen Ensan knocked out Timothy Su (8th place, $1.25 million) and Nicholas Marchington (7th, $1.525 million) during the first day of the WSOP Main Event's final table yesterday. Zhen Cai was eliminated on the last hand of the day (6th, $1.85 million) to leave the final five. Hossen Ensan is still in the lead with 207,700,000, roughly 40% of the chips in play, while Garry Gates remains in second with 171,700,000; Gates is the local favorite, a Henderson resident who survived the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting and is the senior manager of player relations and events for PokerStars.com. Kevin Maahs has 66,500,000 in chips, Alex Livingston has 45,800,000, and Dario Sammartino is hanging on with 23,100,000.
Beer Park, the 9,000-square-foot second-level rooftop bar and grill at Paris that sits under a retractable canopy offering both daytime shade and unrestricted views of the stars, has opened a 10,000-square-foot expansion, most of which is indoors. Oversize garage doors lead into the new area, which features dozens of high-def TVs, arcade games like Skee-Ball, foosball, darts, billiards, and karaoke; stadium food and 100 varieties of beer, including 36 on tap, are available inside as well as out.
Yesterday, the thermometer registered 110 degrees at 3 p.m. at McCarran Airport to make it the hottest day of 2019. It was the first time the temperature rose that high since August 7 of last year, 340 days ago. The forecast calls for highs around 110 through Tuesday, then cooling slightly to 105 or so for a week.
In an article in Science magazine published on Thursday as the final table at the WSOP took shape, a poker-playing computer dubbed Pluribus recently beat a table of five "elite professional" poker players in a game of no-limit Texas Hold 'em. After tweaking the program through a series of multiplayer games, the developers "trained" Pluribus for eight days on a typical computer by playing trillions of hands against itself, then analyzing the results in a process they call “counterfactual regret minimization,” which poker players use all the time when they ask one another how they might've played particular hands differently. The entire game was conducted online, so Pluribus wasn't looking for tells, but the computer did know "when to bluff, when to call someone else’s bluff, and when to vary its behavior so other players couldn’t pinpoint its strategy." Computers had beaten single players at poker previously, but had never bested a multiplayer format. The conclusion: "The success of Pluribus showed that poker can be boiled down to nothing but math." One of the players, Darren Elias, a four-time World Poker Tour champion, said, “Pure numbers and percentages. It's solving the game itself.”
Not only has the NBA embraced sports betting, now it wants to allow it even when there’s no game being played. The league says that it’s creating “NBA Last 90,” a game that splices random highlights from real NBA games to produce a virtual outcome that can be bet on. This is more of a slot machine than it is sports betting, but it’s legal.
Novak Djokovic is a -200 favorite over Roger Federer in tomorrow’s Wimbledon men's tennis final. Federer is seeking his 21st major title, Djokovic his 16th. The match starts early, at 3 a.m. EST.
The final table for the World Series of Poker Main Event is set, with nine left from the starting 8,569. Here are the players and their chip counts.
Hossein Ensan 177,000,000
Garry Gates 99,300,000
Zhen Cai 60,600,000
Kevin Maahs 43,000,000
Alex Livingston 37,800,000
Dario Sammartino 33,400,000
Milos Skribic 23,400,000
Nick Marchington 20,100,000
Ensan’s chip count is by far the highest ever for the start of a final table, easily eclipsing last year’s record 112,775,000. Only four of the nine finalists are from the U.S., with the other representatives from Canada, Serbia, Germany, Italy, and the U.K. Final-table play begins on Sunday.
The colorful and cute Ugly Duckling neon sign, which advertised the Ugly Duckling used-car lot on E. Fremont Street in the '90s, has been restored and is now all lit up near the entrance to the Neon Museum. The sign sat at the museum's boneyard for seven years before undergoing more than 100 hours of restoration work to return it to its former glory.
New Hampshire is the latest state to legalize sports betting and the ninth since the Supreme Court decision a year ago. The governor, commenting that he's looking forward to placing the first bet, signed into law the bill that allows betting on professional sports and most Division I college sports (except games involving schools in the Granite State). Up to 15 licenses (five brick-and-mortar and 10 online) will be available to bidders, the state lottery will absorb the new Division of Sports Wagering, and the legal betting age will be 18. Sports betting joins the lottery as the only legal gambling in New Hampshire, but it's unclear how long it will be before the first bet is booked.
Serena Williams is a -200 favorite over Simona Halep in tomorrow's Wimbledon woman's tennis final. The match starts early, at 3 a.m. EST.
An, um, interesting concept in show-going will be introduced to Vegas audiences when the international production Blanc de Blanc debuts at the Sahara on August 16. The Australian-produced show will take place at the Foundry, the Sahara's showroom, which has been completely remodeled to accommodate hot tubs for which VIP tickets will be sold; guests will drink Champagne (Blanc de Blanc?) while watching acrobats, aerialists, circus acts, and dancers perform (bring your own swimwear). Blanc de Blanc, long rumored to be coming to Las Vegas, has performed in 32 countries since opening in 2016. The show will go on at 7 p.m. Thursday-Monday and 9:30 Saturday. Tickets start at $49.
The World Series of Poker Main Event is down to 35 players. The chip leader is Nicholas Marchington with 39.8 million, followed by Hossein Ensan with 34.5 million and Timothy Su with 34.4 million. Antonio Esfandiari was eliminated yesterday, leaving the field without a marquee name. Television coverage begins at 6 p.m. PST on ESPN and will run till the nine final-table players have been determined.
A date for the reopening of the Wynn Golf Club has been revealed: October 11. The 130-acre golf course closed in December 2017 to make way for Paradise Park, a Steve Wynn plan including a large lake and hotel tower that was canceled; the revised plan revived the golf course, the only one connected to a Strip resort; before it closed, it was ranked number nine on Golfweek's Best Casino Courses. The entire course was redesigned by architect Tom Fazio and his son Logan. Golfers can reserve a tee time 90 days in advance starting on Saturday if they have a room reservation at the Wynn or Encore. The greens fees haven't been announced, but they cost up to $500 a round before the course closed.
According to Gambling Compliance, a gambling-industry research and consulting firm, in addition to the eight states that have approved and launched live sports betting since the Supreme Court's decision overturning PASPA in May 2018, another four states have legislation pending that could authorize sports betting by the end of the year and another 35 states will either consider sports betting legislation or activate existing laws; roughly 50% of Americans live in states that will probably have some form of sports betting by the end of 2020. Within five years, up to 40 states could allow sports gambling.
With 106 players remaining, Timothy Su is the chip leader with 19.2 million. He's followed by Sam Greenwood with 12 million and Duey Duong with 11.8 million. Daniel Hachem, son of Main Event champion Joe Hachem, is 25th with 6.9 million and Antonio Esfandiari is 28th with 6.6 million. This year’s “Last Woman Standing” is Jill Bryant, who was eliminated yesterday in 116th place (women made up only 4% of the field).
Fresh from its debut of the $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor, Wynn Resorts has announced a $2 billion expansion of its Wynn Palace in Macau. The Crystal Pavilion complex will be next to the Palace, Wynn's property on the Cotai Peninsula, and will include two hotel towers with 1,300 rooms, an Asian food district, a museum, a sculpture garden, and an immersive theater designed to look like a water lily by architect Robert A.M. Stern. Bloomberg commented, "Licenses for Macau casinos are expected to come up for renewal over the next few years, with Wynn’s due in 2022, giving the company an incentive to underscore its commitment." If all goes according to plan between now and then, construction will begin in 2021 with a grand opening in 2024. Wynn Resorts is also in the process of upgrading its Wynn Macau to the tune of $125 million; that project will be completed by the end of this year.
Freshii, a Canadian-based healthy-fast-food chain, has opened its first Las Vegas location at the Palms food court. The chain was founded in Toronto in 2005 and has since expanded to nearly 450 locations in North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. The menu consists of breakfast, salads and wraps, bowls, burritos, soups, juice and smoothies, froyo, and "coffii." Freshii is open 24 hours and joins McDonald's, Panda Express, Earl of Sandwich, the Coffee Bean, and Chronic Tacos at the Palms' Eatery.
Hello Kitty Cafe, the retail division of the Japanese cartoon character, will open a pop-up container eatery tomorrow at 11 a.m. in its location at the Park outside T-Mobile Arena. Hello Kitty was created in 1975 and has a product line that includes clothing, toys, school supplies, manga comics, anime, a TV series, even two theme parks. The cafe, described as a "pink oasis," features a "supercute" menu of freshly baked and highly themed cookies, cakes, donuts, seasonal specials (such as lemon tart and strawberry cake), along with lemonade, iced tea, espresso, smoothies, and hot chocolate, plus the most popular products from the line. According to Wiki, Hello Kitty is the second highest-grossing franchise in history, taking in $80 billion in retail sales over the past 45 years. The first 50 customers will get “a small gift.”
The attorney general of Washington, D.C., has singled out Marriott Corporation in a "Complaint for Violations of the Consumer Protection Procedures Act." The lawsuit accuses Marriott of deliberately hiding the bottom-line price of hotel rooms from consumers. The first line of the Introduction to the Complaint is, "This is a straight-forward price deception case." The AG argues that Marriott should be forced to advertise the total price of rooms up front, like the airlines have to do for tickets; he's also asking Marriott to provide refunds to D.C. guests who "have been harmed by this policy." Why Marriott? Perhaps because it's the largest hotel chain in the world, with 30 brands, 7,003 properties in 131 countries, and more than 1.3 million hotel rooms and that it's headquartered in Bethesda, MD, a suburb of Washington.
An unidentified Three Card Poker player at Caesars Palace put together a royal flush to win a $1.46 million linked progressive jackpot on a $5 bet on Monday. The jackpot is a progressive that adds up from play at around 275 blackjack, Pai Gow Poker, and poker-derivative tables at 13 Caesars Entertainment properties in Nevada; it's the largest linked table network in the nation. According to a tweet from Caesars, the player "was in shock."
With just 354 players remaining in the World Series of Poker Main Event, Dean Marrone is the new chip leader, with 5 million. He’s followed by Lars Bonding (4 million) and Michael Messick (3.9 million). Notables still in the field include Antonio Esfandiari (2.6 million), Jeff Madsen (1.4 million), Todd Brunson (1.2 million), Mike Matusow (726,000), and 2013 ME runner-up Jay Farber (436,000). There are no former ME champions remaining. Play begins today at noon. Television coverage begins at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
The bill that has created the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) contained an amendment that prohibits local governments from licensing businesses to allow the consumption of marijuana products on the premises. In consideration of the new law, the City of Las Vegas has postponed the opening of pot lounges, which it had legalized in a recent ordinance. The five members of the CCB will be appointed by next July 1 by the governor; the CCB will study the consumption-lounge issue and present recommendations to the legislature in its next session, which runs from January to June 2021.
The American League is a -115 favorite over the National League in tonight's Major League Baseball All-Star game. The run line is 9.
Everyone still playing in the World Series of Poker’s Main Event is getting a payday. The winner will get $10 million and all nine final-table players will get at least $1 million. A record 1,286 players will be in the money, with a minimum payout of $15,000. This year's bubble boy -- the player finishing 1,287th -- was Ryan Pochedly, who was awarded the traditional $10K entry into next year's Main Event.
The Day 4 chip leader is Preben Stokkan, with 2,184,000. Stokkan was down to his last 5K yesterday before going on a run to take the chip lead. Defending champion John Cynn was eliminated, leaving three former Main Event champions still in the tournament: Chris Moneymaker (681,000), Qui Nguyen (669,000), and two-time winner Johnny Chan (498,000). The 1,286 remaining players reconvene today at noon. Television coverage begins at 4 p.m. PST. on ESPN.
Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air's twice-weekly seasonal Boeing 787 flights between McCarran and London's Gatwick Airport ended in March on schedule, but won't start back up in the fall as it has in the past. But passengers won't be without options; combined, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly nonstops between Las Vegas and London Heathrow and Gatwick up to 20 times a week.
A story in today's Reno Gazette-Journal goes behind the scenes at the Bellagio Fountains and reveals some wet and wild details about the show. A crew of 29 mechanics and divers work 10-hour shifts to maintain the 22-million-gallon lake and 208 oarsmen (that control the dancing waters) and the more than 1,000 mini-, super, and extreme shooters (that propel the water up to 450 feet high). The water temperature drops as low as 50 degrees in the winter and rises as high as 85 degrees in the summer. Routine sweeps of the bottom yield cell phones, car keys, room keys, wedding rings, clothing, two tons of coins that the flltration system catches every year (donated to charities), even a catfish that was snuck in one time. The Fountain has put on 225,000 performances since they started in 1998.
The relatively cool temperatures of the past week or so will be ending shortly. Yesterday, the high temperature didn't top 100, while today's is predicted to be around 102. On Thursday, the thermometer is expected to close in on 110. If it rises past 107, it'll be the hottest day of the year. The monsoon season throughout the Southwest has been delayed due to cooler temperatures and other atmospheric factors, but the heat wave could signal its onset.
Arkansas became the 9th U.S. state to offer live sports betting when the Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in Hot Springs began accepting bets last week. Betting is allowed in person only at betting windows and kiosks inside approved venues. Jack Andrews’ blog points out some mistakes that have been made by states that have recently opened sports books and the status of sports betting legislation throughout the country is tracked on our sports betting map.
Julian Milliard is the chip leader with 947,900 going into Day 3 of the WSOP Main Event. Close behind is Vlastimil Pustina with 930,700. Last year’s winner, John Cynn, along with seven other former champions are in the field of 2,880 remaining players. Television coverage begins at 7 p.m. PST on ESPN2.
The Las Vegas Aces Women's National Basketball Association team crushed the New York Liberty on the road last night by a score of 90-58. It was the Aces' seventh win in the past nine games and its third win in a row. Vegas' team leads the WNBA's Western Conference with a record of 9-5, 6-2 at home and 3-3 away.
A recent study by US News and World Report ranked Nevada's transportation infrastructure number one in the nation. The state's bridge quality placed number two overall and road reliability came in at number 16. That's not the only good news about the potential impact of earthquakes in Las Vegas and beyond; many of the Silver States roads and bridges are relatively new, so they've been built from scratch to withstand seismic events, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation. The DOT inspects Nevada's 1,900 bridges every two years at a minimum and as soon as possible for those within a 50-mile radius of an earthquake of 5.0 or more.
Ike's Love & Sandwiches, a 12-year-old chain launched in San Francisco's Castro District in 2007 that now boasts more than 40 locations in California and Arizona, plus one in Reno, has opened at the Fashion Show Mall. Ike's is known for its signature Dirty Secret Sauce, a garlicky aioli baked into the bread, and another sauce called the Godfather, a mild creamy horseradish and Dijon mayo. Cleverly named sandwiches, such as Name of the Girl I'm Dating and Hella Fat Bastard, cost $9.50 to $12. The official grand opening takes place on Thursday; the first 50 customers through the doors will get a free sandwich.
The main pool at the Venetian, which closed last September for a major overhaul, has reopened. We'll get there as soon as we can to take a look at what the new venue looks like -- after renovations that took nine months, required two large cranes, and cost millions of dollars.
The USA is a -450 favorite over the Netherlands in today’s women’s soccer World Cup final. The total is 2.5.
The Minus5° Ice Experience is expanding to the LINQ, taking over the corner storefront that housed Sprinkles Cupcakes, which closed yesterday. This will be the third location in Las Vegas, including Icebars at Mandalay Bay and the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. The whole bar is made of ice -- walls, chandeliers, seats (brrr), glasses, and rotating ice sculptures. The basic $17 admission charge comes with gloves and a parka; for $45, you get a faux fur coat and one cocktail. For kids 12-16, admission is $13. The anticipated opening date is sometime in November.
Today is the last of several “Day 1” and “Day 2” sessions in the World Series of Poker’s Main Event. There were 8,569 entrants, an 8.8% increase over last year’s 7,874 and the second largest ME field in history. The chip leader is James Henson, with 316,100. The first known name on the leader list is Tom Cannuli, a former ME final-table participant, who's in 10th with 275,000. The remaining players will all play together for the first time tomorrow.
Jon Jones is a -735 favorite over Thiago Santos in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Amanda Nunes is -430 over Holly Holm.
"A paperwork error on the part of the vendor" forced the last-minute cancellation of the Red Rock Resorts fireworks show on Thursday night. Fireworks by Grucci failed to file for the necessary permit to ensure the event was inspected by the Clark County Department of Building Fire Prevention, so no inspection could or did take place and Station Casinos postponed the show till tonight. Grucci accepted full responsibility and is promising "an unforgettable performance" to make up for the cancellation.
Yesterday evening's 6.9-7.1 earthquake in southern California in the vicinity of the one on July 4th was again felt in Las Vegas. A number of sporting events, including two NBA Summer League games at Thomas & Mack and Cox Pavilion, the Las Vegas Aces game at Mandalay Bay Events Center, and the World Series of Poker at the Rio were called off in progress. Neither damage nor injuries were reported in or around Las Vegas, through power for several thousand customers went out in Pahrump, 60 miles closer to the epicenter. For the whole story of Las Vegas and earthquakes, see our Question of the Day on the subject.
Present your Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, or U.S. Trust credit or debit card and a photo ID on the first full weekend of every month to receive one free general admission to participating museums and institutions in 36 states and the District of Columbia. In Las Vegas, Bank of America's "Museums on Us" free admission for the cardholder is good at Discovery Childrens' Museum, Las Vegas Natural History Museum, and Springs Preserve. (In Reno: Nevada Museum of Art and Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum.) Show your card and get in free all day today and tomorrow.
The $10,000-buy-in World Series of Poker Main Event started Wednesday with the first of three sets of flights that run through the end of today. The number of players is shaping up to be larger than last year's 7,874, the second-largest field and longest Main Event in WSOP history, but the final tally won't be announced till Sunday. John Cynn is the defending champion; he won $8.8 million, the last man sitting after 44 levels, 88 hours of actual play. On July 16, a week from Tuesday, the winner should be crowned. Daily coverage will be on ESPN or ESPN2.
The two defending champs won again: Joey "Jaws" Chestnut and our very own Miki Sudo took home $10,000 first-place prizes for eating the most hot dogs in Nathan's annual Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest at Coney Island in Brooklyn. Sudo downed 31 hot dogs in the 10-minute time limit, easily beating runner-up Michelle Lesco (26); the number is six shy of her total last year and 10 less than her personal record of 41. She's won the contest every year since 2014. Chestnut ate 71 hot dogs and buns for his 12th title, but fell three dogs short of the record he set last year. He easily beat 17 other male contestants, including Darron Breeden (second with 50) and Geoffrey Esper (third with 47).
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake centered about 60 miles northwest of Barstow, California, and 150 miles west of Las Vegas was felt as a strong shake in Sin City around 10:30 yesterday morning. The epicenter of the temblor is an area in the Mojave with many little faults, but no long fault, like the San Andreas closer to the coast. This morning's news reports quote visitors who described the feeling of being on a ride or boat. There were no reports of any injuries or significant damage.
Joey Chestnut is the -1700 favorite to win today's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, with Matt Stonie the second favorite at +1000. Top dog Chestnut is seeking his 12th title; underdog Stonie his second. The over/under for dogs downed is 74.
The 15th annual National Basketball Association Summer League games being tomorrow at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, the multi-purpose indoor arena connected to the T&M where the UNLV women's basketball and volleyball teams plays. The Summer League is an off-season competition organized by the NBA to showcase rookie, sophomore, unsigned free agents, and affiliate-player rosters; the largest of the various summer leagues (Orlando, Utah, California Classic), Las Vegas' league has been taking place since 2004 and continues through July 15.
Happy Independence Day, everyone. It's pretty crowded around town, with hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoying bearable temperatures (the high will be right around 100, rising to 104 tomorrow and Saturday) and lots of celebrations and fireworks today and through the weekend. South Point is paying 10X points on penny slots, 5X on other slots, and 2X on video poker. El Cortez has free White Castle hamburgers for players from noon to 6 p.m. For a long list of events to consider if you're here, go to our coverage on VegasWithAnEdge.
Elvis Presley, backed by his own band, two vocal groups, and a full orchestra debuted at the International Hotel (now the Westgate) on July 31, 1969, then proceeded to sell out 57 shows in 29 nights in the 2,000-seat showroom. A new 11-CD box set, Live 1969, will commemorate 11 of those shows in their entirety, four of which have never been aired in public; a 52-page booklet will accompany the disks with rare photos, notes, and interviews. The set will go on sale August 9.
Legal recreational marijuana went into effect in Nevada two years ago on July 1 and sales and taxes are way up. Nevada’s cannabis industry provided $81.2 million in tax revenue for the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, compared to $69.7 million generated during the first full fiscal year of legalized sales. In addition, Nevada recently became the first state to pass a bill that prohibits most employers from conducting pre-employment drug tests for marijuana, which will go into effect in December.
La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway at the Wynn has completed a million-plus-dollar expansion, doubling in size, enhancing its garden lounge, and adding new small plates and 100 wines to its already-extensive list. The garden, which overlooks the Wynn pool area, has been partially enclosed and an entire "living wall" of succulent foliage has been added. More than 350 bottles of wine are now available, up from 250, along with 50 selections by the glass. The Morton Group opened La Cave in 2010; it serves lunch Mon. to Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., dinner Sun. to Thursday 4-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. till 11, and brunch Sat.-Sun. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Self-parking is absolutely free.
A $10.5 million five-mile upgrade of East Tropicana Avenue between Maryland Parkway and Boulder Highway has been announced. New pavement will be laid and the median islands will be reconfigured in the project, which will commence in mid-August and be completed in August 2020. Construction will take place Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
USA is a -285 favorite over England to advance in today's Women’s World Cup semi-final soccer match. The goal line is 2.5.
Due to July 4th falling on a Thursday this year, Las Vegas visitation is expected to reach 330,000 as the hordes enjoy the four-day weekend. Upwards of 60% of the total are expected to drive in and the worst traffic will be tomorrow afternoon, as the additional 200,000 vehicles mingle with 100,000 commuters, and Sunday heading back to southern California on I-15. AAA has ranked Las Vegas as this year's fourth most popular July 4th destination (behind Orlando, Honolulu, and Seattle) and 12.1 million passengers will transit McCarran Airport between tomorrow and Sunday.
According to a blurb in the Las Vegas Review-Journal under the headline "Passenger Must Have Pulse," a hearse driver was cited for driving in the HOV lane on I-15 near Sahara Avenue. He told the Nevada Highway Patrol officer who pulled him over that he thought the corpse he was transporting met the carpool requirement.
The Westgate Las Vegas celebrates its 50th anniversary today, having opened as the International Hotel on July 2, 1969. At the time, it had the most hotel rooms (1,500) and largest casino (30,000 square feet) and was the tallest building (30 floors) in Nevada. All $60 million in construction costs were borne by developer Kirk Kerkorian. Barbra Streisand opened the 2,000-seat theater and Peggy Lee opened the lounge. Benihana of Tokyo hibachi restaurant made its Las Vegas debut with the hotel-casino and also celebrates its 50th anniversary today. Hilton acquired the megaresort in 1971 and added 1,500 rooms in 1973 and another 390 rooms were tacked on in 1981, making the Las Vegas Hilton the largest hotel in the world (with 3,174); it was the largest in Las Vegas for 16 years, until the Flamingo Hilton surpassed it with 3,500. This month also marks the fifth anniversary of the Westgate, which acquired the hotel-casino on June 30, 2014.
Illinois has become the 17th state (including the District of Columbia) to legalize sports betting. Both in-person and mobile betting will be allowed, the latter after registering and depositing at a bricks and mortar location. The sports betting measure is part of a larger gambling expansion bill that also authorizes five new casinos in the state, including one in Chicago. The bill allows casinos and racetracks to add gaming machines and approves them for airports and truck stops.
This Wednesday evening, the Downtown Grand will open its first entertainment venue, The Spare Room, in a 100-seat venue near the Art Bar in the space previously occupied by the Mob Bar. Don Barnhart’s Hypnomania (7 p.m.) and "Delirious Stand-up Comedy" (9 p.m.) will take place Wednesdays through Sundays. Tickets are $29.99 for each at downtowngrand.com/shows.
Gamblers throughout the nation are wondering about the impact that combining Eldorado Resorts and Caesars Entertainment will have on their casinos and one the biggest questions is about the future of the Las Vegas Strip, where eight properties are about to get new management (from Reno, no less). In this month's Las Vegas Advisor, Anthony Curtis offers up his impressions of the merger and what it might mean for the local scene. The new July issue also identifies 60 casinos with base rates of $50 or less in our big summer room-rate survey, reviews an all-you-can-eat-lobster buffet, analyzes James Holzhauer’s final “Jeopardy!” bet, and covers a new video poker bar bonus, dollar oysters, the Strip’s best breakfast deal, an Argentinian steak sandwich, and much more.
Thanks to the success Dionne Warwick's 12-show mini-residency at Bally's Jubilee Theater in April, the 78-year-old singer, actress, and global ambassador will perform at Cleopatra's Barge at Caesars Palace between September 5 and May 1, alternating dates with Wayne Newton. Warwick's shows will go on at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays in the 165-seat venue, with tickets starting at $125. In other entertainment news, Little Miss Nasty, which closed at Hooter's last month, will reopen late this month at the Rio in the 290-seat 172 live-music venue. Tickets start at $38 for the shows, which will take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 p.m.