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OK, not so fast. It’s just been announced that construction on the MSG Sphere is being suspended due to coronavirus fears. No information regarding how this might affect the building timetable has been released.
Despite the hard line taken by the state in other areas of the economy, no restrictions have been placed on the major construction projects on the Strip and downtown. Along with the Las Vegas Convention Center expansion we wrote about yesterday in News, work continues on Allegiant Stadium, the Sphere, Resorts World Las Vegas, and Circa, with all indications pointing to these projects remaining on track to meet their completion schedules (even though one worker tested positive for the virus at Allegiant Stadium and another at Resorts World). As of now, only the Drew has suspended construction.
Vegas is closed. That's a fact. But one positive development from the coronavirus crisis is a crop of online feeds to top Vegas talent performing makeshift shows for free; log on and get your fill of music, magic, even Cirque. In addition, a number of restaurants are serving through the shutdown and there's an advantage play with gift cards, while some hotels are still booking rooms for tonight. Are you with us? All this -- and the changing odds on the presidential election, a place to play gambling games for free while you wait out the storm, even a report on what it’s like to eat at a buffet when you can’t touch the serving spoons -- is available now in the April issue of the Las Vegas Advisor.
The $1 billion expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center hasn't been halted by the pandemic, with nearly 1,100 construction workers remaining on the job. The task starting this week is a big one: pouring cement for the floor of the new 600,000-square-foot west wing. Upwards of 75 million pounds of mud will be dumped by cement-mixer trucks making a total of 1,800 trips over the next four to five months. The second tunnel of the underground people-mover system is also being excavated, with work continuing through the shutdown.
Yesterday's one minute of footage was, it turns out, just a warm-up for today's eight-and-a-half-minute ride from the Welcome to Las Vegas sign up the Strip to downtown and partway back, spanning day and night with some footage literally on foot. Filmed on March 26 and titled “CoronaVegas," the video was produced by local filmmaker and composer, Michael Tushaus, who's won five Emmys (from 17 nominations). The soundtrack, tunes called "Tension" by Romull and "Mysterious" by CommercialMusic, gives the film an incomparably haunting quality. (Well, perhaps not quite incomparable, if you've ever seen the 1959 movie On the Beach, with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, the post-apocalyptic science-fiction drama depicting the aftermath of an all-out global nuclear war). See it here.
City officials have responded in the affirmative to restaurant requests to allow the sale of alcohol in takeout and delivery orders. Restaurants that have a liquor license, along with those that get a temporary license for this purpose, can now sell sealed bottles of beer, wine, and liquor to customers who place an accompanying food order.
Here's a two-and-a-half-minute video, the last minute of which takes a look at Las Vegas during the shutdown. (Warning: It will leave you feeling very strange.)
Looking for something to do tonight? Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee from Harrah’s will perform a 75-minute live show tonight on his Facebook page. The free show starts at 6 p.m. PST. If you miss it, the show will probably be archived.
"Cash burn" is the rate at which a company loses money (has to burn cash, or has a negative cash flow) to sustain itself during periods of non-profitability. Casino companies have been issuing burn rates, mostly to reassure shareholders that they'll survive the shutdown -- and the slowdown projected for after they reopen their properties. According to various media reports, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands have 15-20 months of liquidity; there's a fair amount of variance, since both companies have some cash flow via their casinos in Asia. Closer to home, MGM Resorts is burning through $14.4 million per day, which gives the company nine months of cash burn. Station Casinos says it can last nearly 14 months, using up $1.7 million a day, while Boyd Gaming has 9.4 months of cash at a rate of $3.2 million a day. Caesars might last eight months (no cash figure available), Golden Entertainment (Strat, AZ Charlie's, casinos in Laughlin and Pahrump, and bars around Nevada) can go 10 months at a $1 million per day, and Penn National, which just sold the Tropicana for $337 million, can go five months at $6.4 million per day. These are all worst-case scenarios, of course; if the casino companies run out of cash, we're all in an even bigger world of trouble than we already are.
A first on the Strip: "Light Up Las Vegas” is a 300-car parade involving tourism and hospitality workers, who'll drive together from Town Square to Las Vegas Blvd. and Fremont Street downtown "to show the world that Las Vegas’ tourism industry industry will recover." The parade begins at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday April 1, with lights flashing and "Viva Las Vegas" blasting over the speakers. The parade will comply with recommended social distancing guidelines; participants will not exit their vehicles when they arrive at the parade’s starting point. (Nothing was mentioned in the press release or reports about spectators.)
Penn National is selling the Tropicana's real estate, along with and an under-construction mini-casino in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, to Gaming and Leisure Properties for $337.5 million in a leaseback transaction in which Penn will continue to operate the hotel-casino. Penn will pay a "nominal rent," while GLPI "explores all options"; if the Tropicana is resold within 24 months, Penn will receive a percentage of the net. Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust whose portfolio consists 44 gaming and related facilities in 16 states. Its real estate in Nevada includes Cactus Pete's and the Horseshu (in Jackpot), M Resort, and Tropicana Laughlin.
According to a report from the American Gaming Association, all 465 commercial casinos in the U.S. have now been closed. The last holdouts were the casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota. There are still a few Native American operations that remain open; however, 97% of the country’s 524 tribal properties have also closed.
Bruno Mars, the American singer, dancer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and headliner/residency artist at MGM Resorts' entertainment venues, has donated $1 million to the MRI's Emergency Relief Fund, which provides employees and their immediate families with short-term relief in making payments or to meet obligations during unexpected hardships and emergencies. Mars' contribution matches the $1 million deposited by MRI; another $2 million has been donated by Kirk Kerkorian's estate.
In response to diminished ticket sales, the Powerball multi-state lottery has announced that following the next grand-prize win, the starting jackpot will reset to $20 million, down from $40 million. In addition, the minimum increase in the jackpot after drawings without a winner will be reduced to $2 million, down 80% from $10 million. Tomorrow night's drawing will be for a jackpot of $160 million (lump sum $120.8 million).
The governor of Washington, Jay Inslee, yesterday signed into law the sports gambling bill that passed both houses of the state legislature by large margins. The bill allows betting on pro and college sports, except for college teams based in Washington, and only at tribal casinos throughout the state. Las Vegas-based Maverick Gaming, which acquired 19 of the state’s 44 commercial card-room casinos over the past year, objected in vain to the sports betting monopoly granted the tribes.
A number of media outlets are reporting on hotels advertising "quarantine packages." Several hotels in Asia, one in Australia (the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach), and Le Bijou Resort in Zurich, Switzerland, are offering reduced rates for 14-day stays, room service delivered with "special handling" (hazmat-suited waiters?), and transportation to local hospitals if necessary. Le Bijou, in particular, is gaining some notoriety. Before the outbreak, the resort on Lake Lucerne catered to high-end guests who could pay $800 to $2,000 per night. Its coronavirus package starts at a mere $12,000 per day; you can also purchase health-care add-ons, such as coronavirus test ($500), twice-daily health checks from a nurse ($1,800), and 24/7 nurse care ($4,800). They also offer doctor visits, but the price isn't listed (perhaps for fear that potential customers would have a heart attack). A very different message is being sent by Enjoy Casino-Hotels in and near Punta del Este, Uruguay, which have been made available to health authorities in the event they're needed as sanitaria for those affected by the coronavirus.
Las Vegas hotel-casino and retail employees, along with tens of thousands of other workers at businesses on the list of non-essential closures during the mandated 30-day state shutdown (which is now in Day 9), are flocking to pawn shops, which remain open. At least one that we know of, Max Pawn, is offering zero-interest loans when unemployed workers trade items of value for cash. In other words, they can buy back the items within a specified time for exactly what the shop pawned them for. Pawn shops elsewhere have been deemed non-essential and shut down by municipal governments, forcing unemployed workers to make longer trips to neighboring jurisdictions.
McCarran Airport's air traffic controllers are back on the job after being barred from the tower for a week when a controller tested positive for the coronavirus. Flight schedules should return to "normal" (reduced due to the pandemic) in the next day or two as tower staffing levels ramp up.
Access an excellent list of Las Vegas dining deals at ExclusivelyVegas.com. The list identifies dozens of restaurants offering discounts and free delivery. Several deals are for Exclusively Vegas members only, but the normal $50 membership fee is being waived and you can take advantage simply by providing your valid email. You can trust this one – we’ve entered into a partnership with Exclusively Vegas which will add new benefits for LVA members. The details will be announced when the Las Vegas casinos reopen.
Following a nationwide trend, Nevada cannabis dispensaries have been deemed essential, businesses, allowing medical-marijuana patients access to their medicine, including those in recreational states who use the weed for therapeutic purposes, but didn't jump through the bureaucratic hoops to become certified as patients. However, due to social distancing, many dispensaries are offering curbside and delivery services only. Planet 13, for example, now has eight delivery vehicles running 24/7 and is planning to deploy another half-dozen in the next few days; Thrive Marketplace, with locations in Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, is also delivering day and night. Man, how times have changed.
A story in today's Los Angeles Times took us a little by surprise. "If the chips fall the right way, the $4.8 billion project should have full funding for a 170-mile line along Interstate 15 and start construction later this year with trains running by 2023." The story reports that a couple of weeks ago, the federal Department of Transportation approved $1 billion in tax-free private bonds to be issued by XPress West, the privately held company planning the high-speed electric train. California is reportedly working on $2.4 billion in bonds, Nevada on $800 million, which would leave $600 million for XPress West to raise privately. XPress West's $1 billion in bonds would need to be issued by September 30.
According to Bloomberg, a consortium of bankers is stuck with nearly $2 billion in debt from the transaction in which MGM Resorts sold Bellagio and Mandalay Bay to Blackstone REIT for more than $6 billion. Due to the coronavirus-caused downturn, the banks, which offered $1.9 billion of their funding as commercial mortgage-backed securities, find themselves with no buyers and now have to retain the loans on their balance sheets. Bloomberg also reports that banks involved in Eldorado's acquisition of Caesars Entertainment are facing "an uphill struggle offloading associated debt to investors amid concerns about the pandemic's long-term impact."
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police are now citing owners of non-essential businesses that remain open in defiance of the Nevada governor's 30-day mandate to close (which expires on April 16, but could be extended if deemed necessary). The Las Vegas City Attorney's office will pursue the charges under the public-nuisance statute, which can result in civil or criminal charges. Clark County Commissioners have also approved a similar emergency ordinance. Civil charges can result in fines and/or the revocation of business licenses, while misdemeanor charges carry penalties of fines of up to $1,000 a day) and up to a year in jail. According to the Review-Journal, plainclothes police have visited 113 businesses, issued 36 warning letters, seven suspensions, and four citations since Friday.
After five days of drastically reduced arrivals and departures, the air traffic control tower is still closed at McCarran International. The cleaning and disinfecting have been completed and the FAA is now evaluating employees for contagion after one among their ranks contracted the coronavirus. However, the FAA hasn't yet announced a timetable for reopening the tower and the air traffic backup system remains in control, clearing a dozen arrivals per hour, compared to the usual 30 to 55. A TSA worker at Terminal 3 has also tested positive.
Based on current occupancy estimates, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) says four million hotel-industry jobs have been eliminated already or are on the verge of being lost in the next few weeks. The AHLA issued a list of jobs, and jobs lost, in each state and the numbers are instructive. The top state for hotel jobs, as can be imagined, is California, with 285,000 direct hotel-operations jobs, followed by Florida (201,000), Nevada (193,000), Texas (146,000), and New York (113,000). Hawaii is 13th, with 43,000. The biggest job losses are being sustained in the same order: California 125,000, Florida 89,000, Nevada 85,000, Texas 64,000, and New York 50,000.
We've been fielding a few requests for photos of Las Vegas during the shutdown. You can access webcams of the Strip, Fremont Street, and more on this site at this link. Also, in our research, we see a few current photos here and there, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal has now posted a one-minute video spliced together from images taken by its photographers that's worth a look. Here's the link.
A good boots-on-the-ground story on Forbes.com, "Pandemic-Wary Gamblers Are Offered Cash Cards To Show up," covers the scene in the first casino-recovery zone: "In 2019 there were over 108,000 visitors to Macau per day and now only 50,000 per week, many from Hong Kong. Casinos are also operating 50% fewer tables than usual." Some precautions remain in place: "The local Health Bureau conducts mandatory tests for each visitor entering a casino -- personal declarations about their health and body-temperature checks. Everyone is required to wear face masks on the gaming floor. Gamblers are not allowed to stand or congregate, and at the baccarat tables, which usually seats seven people, only four players are allowed at a time." And local gamblers have at least one incentive to return: "Macau has offered permanent residents pre-loaded spending cards in the amount of $327 each to help generate business in the casinos and local businesses."
After the suspension of almost all sporting events, the sports books are looking for outside betting options, including the presidential election. The Westgate’s Jay Kornegay told the LV Review-Journal, “We’ve talked to people around the world; the books that offer it say it outhandles the Super Bowl ten times over.” Hard to believe, but politics is powerful. Up to now, the books have been unsuccessful in getting clearance for election betting, but it’s prevalent in the U.K. and at offshore books, and recent developments may open a path.
According to the American Gaming Association, 910 casinos are closed in the U.S., which accounts for 92% of the total. Of the 8% that remain open, most are Native American-affiliated, with the only remaining commercial casinos located in Deadwood, South Dakota and Florida. The total includes 440 casinos in Nevada, along with 1,977 slots-only operations in establishments that include bars, convenience stores, and supermarkets.
Entry to Red Rock Canyon was shut off yesterday twice, but not due to the pandemic. The number of vehicles in the park exceeded capacity at 11:15 a.m. and reopened at 1 p.m., but had to be closed again at 4 p.m. People everywhere want to get outside and are ignoring or defying orders to stay inside. The Red Rock Visitor Center is closed indefinitely.
Remember when Japan thought it might open its first casino in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics? That didn’t last long and 2024 became the next target. Now, we're hearing references to 2026 as the earliest opening date and these came before the coronavirus crisis. Who knows now.
McCarran International Airport's air traffic control tower remains closed after a tower employee tested presumed positive for COVID-19 and flights in are being delayed at their departure airports. In a statement yesterday afternoon, the Federal Aviation Administration said, “The normal hourly arrival rate at McCarran is 30 to 56 aircraft. The current hourly arrival rate is 10 aircraft.” No timetable has been announced for the resumption of normal operations.
The Nevada Resort Association has released a report that estimates the impact of the coronavirus shutdown on the southern Nevada economy. More than $2 billion has already been lost due to cancellations in March and April, while 320,000 employees are "at immediate risk" of losing $1.3 billion in wages. In a letter to Nevada's congressional delegation, the Resort Association writes that "Las Vegas is more dependent on tourism than Detroit is on auto manufacturing, Seattle is on aerospace, Nashville is on music and entertainment, Alaska is on oil, Wyoming is on coal mining, or New York City is on the financial sectors."
Nevada governor Steve Sisolak pushed restrictions a notch further today, issuing a statement (via Facebook) by which he ordered a shutdown of all non-essential businesses in the state. He'd stipulated the same in his previous press conference, but it was couched more as a request. Now he's calling it an order and says that non-complying businesses will be subject to penalties.
In the good-news department, Tony Bennett has announced three shows for the Venetian Theatre. Bennett's “I Left My Heart in Las Vegas" concerts, with his daughter Antonia opening for him, will (we hope with all our hearts) take place August 12, 14, and 15. Tickets start at $49.95 and are on sale now. Bennett will turn 93 on August 3.
As always, our friend Scott Roeben over at VitalVegas.com has published an amusing (and, we don't mind saying, instructive) post on Las Vegas-related activities that you can do at home during the long hours and days of this thing which can also now be frutiful. We like the suggestions on Lego skylines, stripper poles, and of course books. You can see the rest at VitalVegas.com/.
Colin Jones, author of our book The 21st-Century Card Counter, is featured in the March/April edition of Cigar Aficionado. Much like the book, the article by Michael Kaplan focuses on the way the new breed of blackjack professional approaches the casino/player cat-and-mouse game to maximize profits.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed the air traffic control tower at McCarran after a controller was tested positive for coronavirus. According to flight-tracking website flightradar24.com, 500 flights were canceled as of 10 this morning, though many airlines are still flying. The tower at McCarran is currently being disinfected, while it's determined how many controllers need to self-isolate; the tower won't open until tomorrow at the earliest. Call to check if you're traveling tonight.
With the Powerball jackpot reaching $140 million when a winning number wasn't drawn last night and MegaMillions nearing $100 million, multi-state and in-state lotteries are among the few gambling options that remain accessible in the U.S. However, collecting is another story. A number of state lottery claim centers have closed across the country and large prizes that can only be redeemed in person must either be mailed in or delayed until the centers reopen. The only lottery that has been completely shut down is Puerto Rico's; all sales have been suspended and all drawings have been postponed. Otherwise, sales continue, but we highly recommend not putting that $100 million winning lottery ticket in the mail.
If you're looking for in-depth news and photos of Las Vegas during the coronavirus crisis, you can now go to LasVegasSun.com, which has removed its subscriber paywall and opened access to its daily news coverage. At this writing, the Las Vegas Review-Journal is still paywalled.
Given yesterday's announcement of the closing of all non-essential business by Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, the Las Vegas Monorail Company will temporarily suspend operations until further notice at noon today. In addition, the Fountains at Bellagio Fountains have been retired for the duration of the closures.
Prior to closing today, downtown’s Evel Pie is giving away pizzas starting at 11 a.m. The pizza shop named for Evel Knievel apparently doesn’t plan to stay open through the shut-down period by offering delivery or take-out service and is exhausting its inventory by giving away one cheese pizza per person until they’re gone. The pizzas will be handed out (and there’s sure to be a line) at the walk-up window.
Caesars Entertainment, one of the last holdouts in the casino world, in addition to the forced closure in Nevada, will temporarily shut down all its properties in North America, consistent with directives from various government bodies. The press release indicates that "Caesars is working to ensure a smooth closing process throughout its network and looks forward to welcoming back team members and guests as soon as appropriate."
Nevada governor Steve Sisolak has ordered all non-essential businesses in Nevada to close for 30 days within the next 24 hours. As we understand it, this includes all casinos, bars, restaurants, hotels, health clubs, beauty salons, malls, gas stations, etc. All gaming machines in the entire state will be turned off as of midnight tonight. As a result, for the first time ever, Las Vegas will shut down. Restaurants will be allowed to offer delivery and some take-out service. Essential businesses -- including grocery stores, pharmacies, home stores, medical facilities, transportation services, and banks -- will continue to operate. Construction on the major projects in progress will be allowed to continue. At Huntington Press, we will continue to work to post information via LasVegasAdvisor.com and will have limited phone service, along with monitoring messages and email.
The Venetian and Palazzo have begun the process of closing and won't reopen until April 1 at the earliest. Both megaresorts are expected to be shuttered by this time tomorrow.
Two of the remaining major sports have gone down to suspensions. For the first time since World War II, the Kentucky Derby will not be held on the first Saturday in May. The venerable race, now in its 146th year, has been moved from May 2 to September 5. The last time the Derby was postponed was in 1945, due to a temporary war-related ban on horse-racing; the ban was lifted on May 8 (Victory-Europe Day) and held on June 9. The UFC has postponed three upcoming events (after some defiant statements that it wouldn't). However, the big Pay-Per-View Nurmagomedov/Ferguson fight remains scheduled for April 18. What's left? Ping pong?
The Cosmopolitan is in the process of closing and will shut its doors tomorrow at 6 p.m. with a tentative opening date of no earlier than March 31. Employees will continue receiving full pay and benefits. The announcement came on the heels of the first death in Clark County attributed to the coronavirus.
According to a letter sent to employees acquired by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Station Casinos is thus far planning to keep the doors open at its 11 major casinos and several minor ones. However, slot machines will be disinfected every two hours, if not sooner; at table games, only three players will be allowed at a time; bingo and keno will be reduced to half the seating, as will restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues. Some amenities, such as spas and salons, will have their hours cut.
The rumor is now reality. The NFL draft in Las Vegas has been officially canceled. It's not known how it will be rescheduled, but it won't be held in Las Vegas this year.
All nine Atlantic City casinos, all 20 casinos in Louisiana, and all six Maryland casinos have been ordered closed, New Jersey's by 8 p.m., Louisiana's and Maryland's by midnight tonight. The three states join Illinois, Indiana, and Massachusetts in shuttering all their casino-resorts. In addition, some casinos in Rhode Island, Michigan, Alabama, New Mexico, Nevada, and California have closed voluntarily. For an excellent graphic depiction of closures across the country, check out the compilation at CDC Gaming Reports.
Wynn Resorts will close the Wynn and Encore tomorrow starting at 6 p.m. for an estimated two weeks, after which the situation will be reevaluated. Meanwhile, MGM Resorts will close all its Las Vegas Strip resort-casinos and plus the non-gaming Vdara and T-Mobile Arena, today, and its hotel operations on Tuesday. MGM's time frame is in abeyance; the announcement indicated that the suspension would remain "until further notice" and no reservations will be taken between now and May 1.
A rumor that we tracked down to NFL insider Herb "Hub" Arkush has it that "Las Vegas is already canceled — it just hasn’t been announced yet." Also, "The league will announce that the Draft is being postponed until late May at least." Arkush says that the Draft hinges on the NFL Player Association's decision on the new collective bargaining agreement. We emphasize: rumor only at this point, but it follows the seemingly unalterable direction of large-event cancellations in Las Vegas.
Wynn Las Vegas and MGM Resorts International have both announced that they're shutting down all operations of their Las Vegas casinos this week. We assume that includes hotel accommodations. We're not certain about details, but will report first thing tomorrow.
Add the shows at Caesars Entertainment properties to the list of entertainment suspensions. Here’s the just-released announcement: “All ticketed live entertainment held in Caesars Entertainment venues company-wide will suspend performances beginning this evening, Sunday, March 15, through March 31, 2020. Refunds and exchanges for affected dates are available at the point of purchase.”
The Plaza has put two Silver Strike slot machines on its floor. Similar to Sigma Derby, the Silver Strikes are almost extinct, but have a loyal following of players who collect the $10 silver coins they dispense.
In addition to all the casinos in Illinois closing, Indiana's 13 casinos closed last night for a week and Massachusetts' three casinos will all close tomorrow morning for two. Two casinos in Rhode Island closed last night, joining six in Pennsylvania, six in Ohio, and one in New York that were already closed. In Nevada, where the majority of the state's General Fund is derived from casino-resort taxes, the Gaming Commission is leaving it up to individual operators "to continue to review and utilize its best efforts in complying with the 'Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19,'" which was published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Along with all Cirque du Soleil productions, Penn & Teller, David Copperfield, Opium, Gordie Brown, George Wallace, Terry Bradshaw, Sex Tips for Straight Women, X Rocks, Daniel Tosh, and Soul of Motown have also been suspended until further notice. Also, the Mayfair Supper Club at Bellagio, which combines dinner and an after-hours lounge with live entertainment, will close indefinitely tomorrow night.
In the podcast Drop Box, hosts Willy, an ex-surveillance agent, and Andrew, a floor supervisor and former card counter, give their take on the day-to-day running of casinos and zoom in on practices that can make or break the house. In the 57-minute Episode 5, Willy and Andrew interview our own Anthony Curtis, who has a lot to say about casino customer service, including the gouging and lots of other aspects. It's a good interview with a more casual feel than many podcasts and a lot of inside advantage-player talk, with Willy's game-protection expertise and Andrew's background on both sides of the table.
At least for now. Cirque du Soleil is the latest to announce a suspension of performances. Here’s the release that was just issued: “… Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group announces today the temporary suspension of the resident shows in Las Vegas including Mystère, “O”, Zumanity, KÀ, The Beatles LOVE, Michael Jackson ONE, and Blue Man Group, effective March 15.”
Surprise, here’s a sports line. Kevin Lee is a -250 favorite over Charles Oliveira in today’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Gilbert Burns is -170 over Demian Maia.
Wynn Las Vegas will close its poker room and sports book on Sunday. While it wasn’t specified, we assume this includes the satellite book at Encore. The closures are being termed “temporary.” Wynn has also shut down its nightclubs, shows, and buffet.
Four more Pennsylvania casinos will close temporarily, making five of the state's 12 being shuttered for a couple of weeks or more. Similarly, five of Ohio's 11 casinos are closing. MGM Resorts' Empire City in Yonkers, New York, has closed (after a 69-year-old trainer at Yonkers died of the virus, the first death from the coronavirus in New Jersey). It's believed that this is part of the first wave of casino closures, with more to follow.
Just as shows (and restaurants and whole resorts) are closing en masse due to the virus, Sarah Brightman, the world's best-selling soprano and classical crossover singer, songwriter, actress, and musician, has announced three appearances at the Venetian Theater October 7, 9, and 10. Brightman originated the role of Christine Daaé in Phantom of the Opera (and later married/divorced Andrew Lloyd Webber); the album of that show sold 40 million copies, making it the biggest-selling cast album in history. Tickets to "Hymn: Sarah Brightman in Concert" are on sale now and start at $49.95.
The Illinois Gaming Board has ordered the state’s 10 riverboat casinos to close on Monday for 14 days. Though the Valley Forge Casino outside Philadelphia was ordered closed on Friday, Illinois is the first state to suspend all gambling operations due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Just in time to provide a calming presence for Las Vegas, the iconic and beatific Blue Angel statue has been installed at the corner of E. Charleston Blvd. and Fremont Street. The location is near where she stood for 61 years as part of the signage for the Blue Angel Motel. The 16-foot-tall blonde in a blue evening dress with white wings and a halo was designed by Betty Willis, who also created the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. The original plan was to install the sign at the intersection around this time in 2018. We figure an angel appear now is appropriate.
Valley Forge Casino Resort near Philadelphia will be shuttered for two weeks in response to a directive from the Pennsylvania governor, who ordered the closure of all public schools, entertainment venues, and community centers in the populous county due to local cases of coronavirus. Boyd Gaming, which owns Valley Forge, said it was a “precautionary measure,” since no cases of the virus have been reported there. As of this writing, Valley Forge will remain closed until Friday March 27. Interestingly, Boyd will pay its temporarily laid-off workers during the closure.
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), as of today anyway, will take place as planned May 15-17 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The huge festival will, however, have to implement new and as-yet unspecified health and safety protocols, which will be revealed as the event gets closer. Another Insomniac festival, Beyond Wonderland SoCal, which was scheduled for March 20 and 21, has been postponed till June.
They're starting to pile up. Wynn Resorts just announced that it's temporarily closing all "large entertainment gatherings," which includes nightclubs, shows, and the buffet. We also received a report that as a result of today's suspension of most major sports, the Palace Station sports book is closed, with the race book remaining open to handle whatever bets are still available to make. We haven't gotten reports on other books around town, but will post as we get information. These reports are coming quickly and we're updating the list of cancellations, along with other developments, in our blog, "Vegas and the Virus."
International celebrity chef Todd English will make a Vegas comeback, opening a new restaurant at Virgin Las Vegas when it debuts later this year. English's Olives opened with Bellagio in 1998, then closed in 2018 (it was taken over by Wolfgang Puck's Spago); his Todd English P.U.B. at Aria closed in late 2017. The new restaurant at Virgin will reportedly be modeled after Olives; it will occupy the space vacated by AJ’s Steakhouse.
The billion-dollar expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center, which will front the Las Vegas Strip on the property reclaimed from the old Riviera, just got $10 million more expensive, as a proposed solar panel system was approved by the LVCVA Board of Directors. The system will occupy nearly 400,000 square feet of roof space on top of what will be the West Hall when it's completed early next year; it's expected to generate approximately eight million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, somewhere between 10% and 20% of the convention center's annual power consumption. And the translucent plastic roof panels that will enclose Allegiant Stadium, allowing for climate control, but give it an outdoor feel with natural daylight, are now starting to be put into place. The task is expected to be completed sometime in May, when the stadium will be fully enclosed.
President Trump was supposed to land at McCarran in a few hours to appear at a campaign fundraiser this evening at the home of Sheldon Adelson and to make a speech at the Venetian on Saturday. But right after a rare address from the Oval Office directly to the American public in which he announced travel restrictions from Europe, the White House announced that the Vegas trip was off. Traffic will not be disrupted after all by the presidential motorcades.
The National Association of Broadcasters has canceled its annual convention, which was scheduled for April 6-11 in Las Vegas. The NAB conference usually attracts upwards of 90,000 attendees from more than 150 countries. Show organizers cited "health and safety concerns"; they're "currently considering a number of potential alternatives."
In what could be the final condition in the merger between Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts, the latter is selling the 400-room Montbleu Resort at South Lake Tahoe to Las Vegas-based Maverick Gaming. Eldorado will own Harrah's and Harvey's at South Lake when its deal with Caesars closes; Maverick adds to its northern Nevada portfolio, which includes three casinos in Elko and two in Wendover. A sales price wasn't disclosed. The Caesars-Eldorado merger is expected to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission in time for the transaction to be funded by the end of this month and to close sometime in April.
Michigan will become the 16th state to launch sports betting today, as Greektown and MGM Grand Detroit are expected to accept their first sports wagers and MotorCity will in the next few days. Though Michigan has also legalized online sports betting, placing sports bet remotely via apps appears unlikely to happen before 2021; until that happens, Michigan won't come close to becoming what's expected to be one of the nation's largest sports betting markets, expected to generate a $7 billion to $8 billion annual handle and produce $500 million in annual gross operator revenue. More than 85% of all sports bets in New Jersey, the nation's largest sports betting market, are made online. In Indiana, 77.9% of sports wagers were made online in February.
MGM Resorts International has announced that it will close its buffets, due to concerns over the coronavirus. Effective March 15, the buffets at Aria, Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Mirage, Luxor, and Excalibur will close “temporarily,” with the situation evaluated on a weekly basis. It's the first such mass closing that we've ever seen in Las Vegas.
Friends! The Musical Parody!, which closed at the D earlier this year when the showroom made way for an expansion of the sports book, reopened last night at Paris. The show will go on Friday through Wednesday in the Anthony Cools Showroom at 7 p.m., with 3 p.m. matinees on Saturdays. Tickets start at $59.57 for the matinee, $65.02 for the evening performance.
After two years of consideration and maneuvering, the Virginia General Assembly has voted to pass Bill HB 4, which legalizes casinos in five cities: Richmond, Norfolk, Danville, Portsmouth, and Bristol. The House approved the bill by a vote of 60-35, the Senate 27-12. The bill requires each eligible host city to hold a referendum on the question in the November 2020 general election; the bill also needs the signature of the governor to move forward. The General Assembly also passed two sports betting bills that would allow for state-wide mobile sports betting and a limited number of physical sports books, set the tax rate at 15% on gross revenue, require the use of “official league data,” and prohibit betting on Virginia collegiate sports and prop bets on any individual collegiate athlete.
The first entertainment option that we've seen to react to the coronavirus situation is Raiding the Rock Vault at the Rio. The announcement reads, "Due to the sudden decrease in the visitors to Las Vegas, the RTRV producer and cast have moved to a 3-day week until further notice (Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday). For cancelled shows, tickets may be refunded or exchanged. Contact your ticket seller." This is also the first we've seen that there's been a sudden decrease the number of visitors to Las Vegas.
Just in time for March Madness, Illinois today became the 15th state in the union to launch sports betting. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines opened the state's first sports book with a $100 bet by the announcer of Chicago Blackhawks games on the White Sox to win the American League pennant (a distinct longshot at 16-1). The bet capped an eight-month scramble by state regulators to get sports betting off the ground; Rivers, the state’s most profitable casino by nearly double its closest competitor, has had its sports book ready to open since last December. Argosy Casino Alton near St. Louis will be the next Illinois casino to open a sports book on March 16, right under the wire for Illinois sports bettors to get in on March Madness, which begins the next day.
Nevada earned the dubious distinction of placing first in the U.S. for per-capital consumer complaints about being defrauded in 2019. According to a study by the Federal Trade Communication, Nevada sustained a reported 905 fraud reports per 100,000 residents; Florida ranked number two with 835. Las Vegas placed second for metro areas (Reno ranked in eighth place). Of the more than 27,000 reports of fraud, nearly 7,800 (28.8%) were over identity theft, with 25% of those involving credits cards, while imposter scams (people posing as police, the IRS, the utility companies, needy relatives, etc.) accounted for another 25%. Nevada also ranked second in the nation in the median dollar loss from fraud: $395. Hawaii placed first at $399.
Once a Las Vegas Top Ten Value, the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood continues its downward slide into possible oblivion. The buffet no longer serves breakfast or lunch, only dinner (featuring prime rib, ho hum) nightly 4-10 p.m., $30.99. Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $25.99. This buffet first changed for the worse after sustaining a flood in summer 2017; the size of the room, along with the variety of food, was cut in half. The price, however, never reflected the reductions.
After a hype-filled opening two years ago, the Peruvian restaurant Once has closed at the Venetian. A dissolved business partnership is being blamed; the owner says he’ll seek another Las Vegas location.
Steven Patrick Morrissey, known mononymously as just his last name, is a highly acclaimed and controversial English singer, songwriter, and author, who earned his fame as the frontman of the indie rock band the Smiths (1982-1987). Since the Smiths, he's had a successful solo career and is considered one of the greatest lyricists in British history. His "Viva Moz Vegas" residency will comprise five shows at the Colosseum at Caesars: June 26 and 27, July 1, 3, and 4. The Vegas residency, his latest stateside shows after tour dates with alt-rockers Interpol last fall, comes on the heels of the announcement of Morrissey’s 13th solo album and third studio album, I Am Not A Dog on a Chain, which will be released on March 20. Tickets are available now and start at $118.
Last Friday night, the adults-only circus variety show Absinthe delivered its 5,000th performance at Caesars Palace. Absinthe opened on April 1, 2011, so it celebrates its ninth anniversary on the first of the month. Absinthe's production company, Spiegelworld, also puts on the popular Opium at Cosmopolitan and Atomic Saloon Show at Encore.
Don't forget to turn your clocks ahead an hour for Daylight Saving Time (unless you're in Arizona and Hawaii, which don't play this Spring Forward/Fall Back game). Sunrise and sunset will be an hour later through Sunday November 1. Today in Las Vegas, sunrise will be a few minutes before 7 a.m., sunset at 6:43 p.m.; on the longest day of the year on June 21, the sun will rise at 5:27 and set at 8:01. Check out our Question of the Day on DST and a poll we ran on the subject.
Israel Adesanya is a -270 favorite over Yoel Romero in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Zhang Weili is -235 over Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
MGM Resorts has launched a new sports betting brand, BetMGM. The new brand features the renaming of MGM sports books, the installation of more than 100 kiosks in Las Vegas, and a new mobile betting app in Nevada, an upgrade of the old app, PlayMGM, first introduced in 2017. Park MGM has already renamed its sports book: What was the Moneyline Sports Bar & Book is now BetMGM Sportsbook & Bar; it's the first of sports book rebrandings at Bellagio, Aria, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, the Mirage, New York-New York, Luxor, and Excalibur in the next few weeks. According to the press release, the new app and kiosks offer all the betting opportunities available at the sports book counters and interface with MGM's M life players club, so bettors earn points. BetMGM is also live in New Jersey, West Virginia, and Indiana and will debut next week at MGM Grand Detroit, followed by mobile betting across Michigan, when sports betting begins at the Grand, MotorCity, and Greektown casinos on Wednesday in time for March Madness.
The noise of military aircraft over the valley for the next two weeks will be the Air Force's Red Flag 20-2 exercises, which will be conducted through March 20. Dozens of F-15 and F-16 tactical fighter aircraft will take off from Nellis Air Force Base twice daily and sporadically at night. The exercises are centered on the Nevada Test and Training Range, but some jet-engine decibels will reach the city. The Red Flag exercises, which have been held periodically at Nellis since 1975, simulate highly realistic aerial warfare, affording U.S., NATO, and allied pilots, along with ground personnel, the opportunity to hone their skills for actual combat.
The previous record for the median price of a single-family home Las Vegas was set in June 2006 at $315,000. That was eclipsed last month, when the median price reached an all-time high of $316,000. However, according to Eli Segall, the real estate reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the 13 years it took for the Vegas market to recover was much longer than in most areas of the U.S.: "Las Vegas’ housing market is more volatile than most. It has flippers and other investors, a transient population, a workforce that largely doesn’t earn hefty paychecks, a regular influx of newcomers and an economy dominated by hotel-casinos." In addition, when adjusted for inflation over those 13 years, the previous record would stand at $400,000 today, upwards of $85,000 above the "new" record. Still, the market continues to grow; February 2019 home prices increased by 6.7% over February 2018 and sales were up more than 25% year over year.
Packages for the 85th NFL Draft, taking place in Las Vegas April 23-25, are now on sale. The less expensive deal is going for $550 and gets you access to Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, with admittance to an elevated tailgate party (open beer-wine bar), an appearance by the NFL Legend group (ex-players who do community outreach), good seats at the post-Draft concert, and a gift of unspecified NFL Draft merch. The $1,000 ticket is for Rounds 2-3 on Friday, which includes all the benefits of the $550 deal, as well as a pre-Draft behind-the-scenes tour of the stage, Green Room, NFL operations, and a photo opp at the podium. Buy tickets now at tickets.nflonlocation.com/.
Late yesterday, southern Nevada health officials confirmed the first "presumptive" case of coronavirus, based on local lab results. The official results, which come from the Centers for Disease Control, won't be available for another couple of days, though the local lab's test is considered 95% accurate. The man, in his 50s, had recently returned from a trip to Washington state, the epicenter of the virus in the U.S.; a second case was reported a few hours later in Reno.
A lucky slot player hit a million-dollar jackpot while playing on Wednesday night at the Venetian. The player won $1,264,574 with a $5 bet on a Wheel of Fortune Wild Red Seven machine.
ESPN.com reports that FanDuel has announced that it will livestream National Hockey League games on its mobile wagering app. Two games per day will be livestreamed through the end of the regular season, available to all customers who have a funded sports book account or place a bet on the game. FanDuel betting apps are accessible in four states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and West Virginia, but the sports book will abide by blackout restrictions, so the home or nearby teams in those areas won't be broadcast. FanDuel has been livestreaming and offering in-match wagering on the Australian Tennis Open for two years.
Garth Brooks will be the first performer at Allegiant Stadium on August 22, just a week before the first football game is played there: UNLV’s season opener on Aug. 29. Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday March 13; they're priced at $94.95, which includes all fees and taxes.
Several Strip dayclubs kick off pool season this weekend. Encore Beach Club, which actually opened last Sunday, is hosting three parties this weekend. Daylight at Mandalay Bay opens today. Marquee Dayclub at Cosmopolitan is having a soft opening tomorrow; its grand opening is Friday March 20. And JEMAA, the exclusive pool party at NoMad, opens for its second season on Saturday. The weather will be somewhat cooperative: high temperatures in the low 70s, windy though warmer on Saturday, partly cloudy and cooler on Sunday.
So far, the coronavirus outbreak has had only two major impacts on Las Vegas. The first, announced a few days ago, is the cancellation of Adobe's Summit 2020, scheduled for March 29 to April 2 at the Venetian. Organizers, who expected 20,000 attendees, opted to hold the Summit online. The second is the suspension of Korean Air flights between Las Vegas and Seoul, starting March 9 and continuing at least until April 25. The CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show, scheduled for next week and expected to attract 130,000 attendees, will proceed as planned.
According to a story on ComputerBusinessReview.com, the incident in which the slot machines (and websites) of the Four Queens and Binion's were out of action for nearly a week "have all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack." TLC Enterprises, which owns both casinos, has been continuously silent, as has the Gaming Control Board, which will only admit to "actively monitoring the situation." The story cited a tweet that said, "Slot machines, player loyalty programs, credit card processing, hotel reservations, and ATMs were all affected." It also quoted a security researcher, who said, “If you want to hack a casino, it’s surprising how easily you can you get into their networks. If you are inside their networks and they don’t segregate them properly, you’ll be able to interact with all kinds of machines, from the slot machines to the card shufflers and camera systems." "MGM Grand is currently facing court action over a security breach during the summer that exposed the personal details of a reported 10.6 million guests," the story continued, "while casino vendor Golden Entertainment has also admitted falling victim to a phishing campaign."
An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Concert will begin an extended residency at the Flamingo on April 14. The show recently completed a 24-city tour through Europe and will make its U.S. debut in Vegas. The show features a hologram of Houston, backed by a five-piece band and singers and dancers (live), along with digitally remastered audio of the stars biggest hits. Strange? Probably. The show will share the Flamingo Showroom with splitting dates with Ru Paul Drag Race Live! and Derek Hough, starting June 2. Tickets go on sale Friday and range from $39 to $99.
A big banner outside the Fashion Show Mall right next to Benihana is announcing the Brazilian steakhouse Galpão Gaucho, "opening soon" in the big space formerly occupied by Kona Grill. Galpão Gaucho opened in Cupertino, CA, in 2014 and has expanded to two more locations in California, plus one each in San Antonio and Charleston, South Carolina. Prices at the other Galpãos (which means "sheds" in Portuguese) run around $60 for dinner.
Christina Aguilera's The Experience residency, which opened last May, will end this fall. The final dates have been announced: November
11, 13, 14, 18, 20, and 21. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday at 10 a.m. and start at $40.
Work begins in two weeks on an 80-foot-tall crisscrossing-arch assembly over Las Vegas Blvd. near the front entrance of the STRAT. The pair of arches will be illuminated and a sign will hang from the center: City of Las Vegas, with special vintage typography. This city "gateway" arch will cost $6.5 million and take six months to complete; the boulevard will close from time to time during construction.
An interesting feature story in the Toronto Globe and Mail lays out the somewhat strange sports-betting situation in Canada. Sports betting as it's known in the U.S. and other places around the world is sort of illegal in Canada: Companies licensed by the provinces can accept only parlay bets (usually including between three and six sporting events). It's the same old story; the leagues claim to fear corruption and game-fixing on single-game and proposition bets. A new bill, the third in a decade, has been introduced in Parliament to adopt U.S.-style sports betting and this one might get through the Senate; a previous bill was passed by the House of Commons, but remained bogged down in the Senate for years. Meanwhile, it's estimated that Canadians bet $4 billion a year on sports via offshore books, which isn't strictly legal, but "isn't likely to be prosecuted by the federal government." Upwards of $10 billion is bet annually through illegal bookies. Here's the URL if you'd like to read the full piece https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/article-sports-betting-in-canada-is-still-not-completely-legal-that-might/
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reports that upwards of 3.5 million visitors and conventioneers came to Las Vegas in January, a total that's up just under 4% over January 2019. The 717,000 business travelers attending conventions and meetings here also registered a significant gain over last year, just under 5%. The return of the Homebuilders Show, which drew 68,000 attendees, and the Kitchen and Bath Industry show, with its 33,000 attendees, was credited primarily for the month's good showing.
Today is the fourth annual National Blackjack Day. It's March 2, or 3/2, which is the obvious date to celebrate the world's most popular casino table game -- and to bring attention to the traditional, though disappearing, payout for a natural blackjack. According to tweets by the website vegasadvantage.com, in 2011, out of 984 blackjack tables on the Strip, 785 of them paid 3-2 for naturals; last December, out of 925 tables, only 357 of them did (and many of those had minimum bets of $25 or more). Downtown in 2011, out of 181 tables, 155 paid 3-2; three months ago, of 172 tables, 126 paid 3-2. Obviously, downtown is the place to play blackjack, on National Blackjack Day and the 364 of the year.
Golden Entertainment's new players club called True Rewards is now in place at The STRAT, both Arizona Charlie’s, and the PT’s Taverns, along with other casinos and grocery stores that use the Golden Entertainment system. Points already accrued on your card from the previous system will transfer.
According to Christopher Lawrence of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a bumper crop of Las Vegas-related movies and television shows is on the drawing board. The Card Counter is a “revenge tale starring Oscar Isaac, Willem Dafoe, Tiffany Haddish, and Tye Sheridan that culminates at a World Series of Poker event"; it’s being produced by Martin Scorsese. The Baccarat Machine is a planned movie based on the exploits of Cheung Yin Sun, also known as Kelly, and Phil Ivey as they relieve a casino in Atlantic City and one in London of tens of millions in their baccarat edge-sorting play; the story was told in Cigar Aficionado by friend of LVA Michael Kaplan. HBO is producing “Vegas High,” the story of a teenager in the 1990s who’s torn between Sin City’s wild side and her strong Mormon faith; a biopic of Sammy Davis, Jr., is also in the works; and in a movie about the relationship between Mike Tyson and his trainer Cus D’Amato, D'Amato will be played by Anthony Hopkins.
Want the scoop on a midnight big-band blowout, the best lamb chops in town, a new 24-hour sports book, a buffet with TVs, the 2020 Blackjack Ball, a $20 birthday promo, a free NFL Draft viewing party, a $10 brunch, and a million-dollar football contest? How about the money line on the presidential election? Robot baccarat dealers? The STRAT's new show in a tent, Celestia? A round-up of the most creative Super Bowl props and their results? Our new members-only hotel booking engine that beats most of the prices available to the public on the online travel agencies? For these and more, all you have to do is read the March issue of the Las Vegas Advisor.
NoMad, the luxury hotel-within-a-hotel that occupies the top four floors of Park MGM, has introduced a new dog program featuring amenities from high-end dog brand CANINI by Baguette. Complimentary to all NoMad guests traveling with dogs, the program includes such pooch perks as CANINI dog beds, bowls, and toys. Note that the NoMad dog program is limited to two dogs per room. They can be of any size, but they can't be left unattended in rooms at any time, unless placed in a kennel or carrier, and must be fully house-trained. Outside of the rooms, dogs must always be kept on a leash. The dog relief area is located near NoMad's own valet entrance.