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The city is busy for first big holiday since the eased pandemic restrictions. Casino promotions aren’t at their normal holiday level, but Silverton is awarding 10X points on slots and 2X on video poker and the The Pass in Henderson has 9X points.
The Las Vegas Bowl has been scheduled for Thursday December 30 at Allegiant Stadium. The game, which had been played at Sam Boyd Stadium annually for 28 years, was supposed to played at Allegiant last December, but was called off due to COVID. This year's game, between Pac-12 and Big Ten teams, will start at 7:30 p.m. and be televised on ESPN.
On Friday, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak finally rescinded the statewide ban on surge pricing by rideshare companies he imposed early in the pandemic to prevent price gouging. The unintended (we presume) consequence was a severe driver shortage that, according to the Nevada Transportation Authority, caused wait times to increase an average of 225% since March 2021. The press release announcing the end of the prohibition stated that in the future, such a ban will be limited to 30 days, but we could find no information on who made that determination or why.
Mayfair After Dark, the after-hours entertainment that starts when Bellagio's Mayfair Supper Club closes for the evening, has started up again. The nightlife scene launches at 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and consists of live music and other performances, small plates and bottle service, and dancing. Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Stephani Parker is currently headlining the shows.
Scott Dixon is the +400 favorite to win today's Indianapolis 500. He's followed by Colton Herta at +700 and Pato O’Ward at +750.
Starting on Tuesday, the Cosmopolitan will join Caesars and MGM properties in charging for parking. The charges exclude hotel guests, players club members of a certain tier, locals for the first three hours, motorcycles and everyone for the first hour. Otherwise, to self-park, it's $10 for up to four hours and $15 from four to 24 hours. Valet parking is free for hotel guests, $15 for up to four hours, and $20 for four to 24 hours for everyone else.
According to Sportico.com, the owner of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets is bringing a National Lacrosse League team to Las Vegas. Joe Tsai, the billionaire who co-founded the Chinese multinational e-commerce company Alibaba, reached an agreement with the league to launch its 15th franchise in the 2022-2023 season. No name or venue for the team or terms of the deal were announced for the lacrosse team that will play indoors in Vegas, but Sportico reports that the fees are "in line with the recent price for the Saskatchewan Rush," more than $10 million. Tsai played lacrosse at Yale and also owns the NLL's San Diego Seals, another expansion franchise he started in 2017; the Seals played in the NLL's first-ever game in Las Vegas in February 2020.
Almost all of the shows that shut down in March 2020 have returned to the stage, but this one's special. Legends in Concert is Las Vegas' longest-running show, having launched in 1983, and the recent interruption was the longest in those 38 years. The mother of all impersonator shows took the stage on Thursday night with Elvis, Rod Stewart, and Tina Turner impersonators, plus Frank Marino, the Strip's longest-running headliner, as Joan Rivers. Legends runs Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; tickets start at $59.99.
On the heels of the Las Vegas Loop going into operation next week under the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Boring Company is already working on the new station at Resorts World and the tunneling is expected to start soon. The new-generation boring machine, dubbed “Prufrock,” is six times faster than the ones that dug the Convention Center tunnels. It’s also more efficient, launching from the surface, tunneling underground, then re-emerging at the other end of the tunnel, a system known as “porpoising.” This allows Prufrock to begin tunneling within 48 hours of arrival onsite and eliminates the need to excavate expensive pits to launch and retrieve the machine.
Prufrock is designed to tunnel a little more than one mile per week, which is more than enough to bore the tunnels to Resorts World in a couple of days, since Prufrock has only to tunnel under the Strip. When the machine gets fully up to speed, it will move at 1/10th of human walking speed (which is approximately seven miles per day), meaning Prufrock could tunnel three-quarters of a mile in a day.
Despite the fact that Caesars Entertainment invested $2.4 million in a major renovation to reopen the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace earlier this week and early reports of sellout business, Caesars' CEO and senior VP for Finance and Investor Relations told a group of JP Morgan gaming analysts that the company planned to open "only one or two other buffets company-wide." Caesars owns 54 casinos in the U.S., so for all intents and purposes, it's mostly out of the AYCE business. This revelation follows on the heels of Caesars closing six small shows in Las Vegas.
Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, the Las Vegas Monorail went back into operation yesterday morning at 7 a.m. for the first time in more than 14 months. Mask are mandatory and social distancing is encouraged. Operating times are the same as before: Mondays 7 a.m. to midnight, Tuesdays through Thursdays, 7-2 a.m., and Fridays through Sundays 7-3 a.m. Fees are $5 for a one-way ride, $13 for a one-day pass, $23 for a two-day pass, and $29 for a three-day pass.
In the epic back-and-forth struggle over sports betting in California, the initiative sponsored by Native casinos and horse-racing tracks finally qualified to appear on the Golden State's November 2022 ballot. The referendum that would alter the state constitution to allow sports betting pits the tribes against the state's cardrooms, which would be excluded from the multi-billion-dollar market. The political battle is expected to be very expensive; the tribes invested $115 million to win approval of four measures on the state's 2008 ballot to expand gambling. Meanwhile, the cardrooms' “No on the Gambling Power Grab” campaign, which accuses the tribes of engineering a monopoly, raised more than $1 million in cash contributions last year to oppose the initiative. The stakes are high; retail sports books could gross $1 billion per year, which would rise to $3 billion if online betting is allowed. The state could reap up to $500 million in annual taxes.
The demand for Katy Perry's residency at Resorts World has been so strong that eight dates have been added. The originally announced eight shows run from December 29 though January 15; the eight new shows play from March 2 through the 19th. Tickets for all 16 shows are on sale now at AXS.com.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board announced yesterday evening that the remaining restrictions on casinos throughout the state due to the pandemic will end at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday morning June 1. That means social distancing, occupancy limits, and mask mandates will no longer be enforced in casinos. However, all three will continue to be enforced through the long holiday weekend; the crowds are expected to be the largest since the shutdown more than 14 months ago.
Nightmare Toys, a specialty shop that sells horror-movie collectibles at 1309 S. Commerce Street (three blocks south of W. Charleston downtown), which opened a year ago, is expanding. It's opening a horror-themed bar and restaurant, Nightmare Cafe, in the space next door to the store. With indoor-outdoor seating for 60, the cafe will specialize in Southern and bar food; the menu names and the wall decor will be all horror all the time. Natch.
Country superstar Shania Twain has announced the dates for a 14-shor mini-residency at Zappo's Theater at Planet Hollywood late this year and early next. She'll appear on December 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, then return for the remaining nine shows between February 11 and 26, 2022. Tickets start at $59.99 and go on sale Tuesday June 1. The National Finals Rodeo returns to Las Vegas after being held last year in Texas on December 2 and runs through the 11th.
A friend of LVA attended the first full test with passengers of the Las Vegas Loop yesterday and here are some of the system's salient points. Of the 62 Teslas, most are Model 3s and Ys (three passengers), some are Xs (four passengers), but no model S cars. All are standard vehicles and some have Nevada license plates, some California, and some none. The cars are fully controlled by the driver; they don't use the lane-keeping function or any autopilot features. Drivers go through training and have to pass a series of tests, including driving the full length of the tunnel in reverse in case a car ahead stalls; they earn $17 an hour. The maximum speed allowed is 40 mph on the straightaways and 30 in turns; the tunnels are so short, it wouldn't make sense to go faster. The Loop has three passenger stations: two above ground at the South and West Halls, one below ground at the Central Hall (with escalators and an elevator). The distance between Central and the end stations is eight-tenths of a mile. It takes less than 90 seconds to go between Central and end stations, three minutes to go from the West to South stations without stopping at Central. The goal is to unload and load a car in less than 25 seconds. Passengers are asked to leave the door open after exiting the vehicle and fasten their seatbelt during the ride. Finally, the Boring Company is already working on the new station at Resorts World and the tunneling is expected to start soon. No progress yet on the new station at Encore. To see a 74-second video from the shotgun seat of the ride from South Station to Central, click here.
In November, Eater Vegas reported that the Circus Circus buffet would not reopen; instead, it would be replaced by a $2.5 million food court. A week later, Circus repudiated the report, announcing that the food court would "take only a portion of the buffet space" and that the buffet "will reopen if business demands increase and if it is safe to resume operations." Now comes the news that the buffet will reopen this Saturday at 7 a.m. It hasn't been officially announced, but we've seen it reported by three separate sources. If it's true, the Circus buffet will be the fifth to return, along with the buffets at South Point, Cosmopolitan, Caesars, and MGM Grand. Also, we hear that some rides at Adventuredome are being replaced with upgraded thrills. And as we were typing this, a press release came through about the new food court. The cost has skyrocketed to $9 million, the square footage is up to 15,000, and it's set to open "this summer." Outlets will include Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Pick Up Stix, the Strip’s first Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Krispy Kreme, Cinnabon, Hot Dog on a Stick, and more.
The Plaza opened (as the Union Plaza) on July 2, 1971, and as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, it will extend its traditional Fourth of July fireworks display over the two nights leading up to the holiday. Fireworks will be shot from Plaza rooftops and towers on July 2, 3, and 4, fortuitously the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights of the long holiday weekend.
The National Finals Rodeo relocated to Dallas last year after Nevada's COVID protocols made it prohibitive to hold the event here. But counting on the way things are going, NFR organizers just announced that the premier national rodeo event will return to the Thomas and Mack Center starting on December 2nd and running through the 11th. Tickets start at $115 (balcony) and go up to $3,000 (Gold Buckle VIP) and are on sale now at StubHub.com.
A player from Wichita, Kansas, was dealt four aces and a joker late last week to win a Face Up Pai Gow Poker progressive jackpot of $153,696 at Caesars Palace. The joker may be used as any card that completes a straight, flush, or straight flush; otherwise, it can be used only as an ace. Lucky for the player that his 4-of-a-kind was in aces.
Last night in Game 5 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, T-Mobile Arena hosted 12,156 fans, the largest crowd since the shutdown. It was 70% of the arena's capacity (17,500) for hockey games. Masks are still required at T-Mobile, though from the photos we've seen, some fans (maybe 12,000 of them) ignored the policy. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Ballpark, where the Minor League Baseball Las Vegas Aviators play, will go to 100% capacity on June 10 and masks will be optional for fully vaccinated attendees.
We checked out the Bacchanal Buffet for dinner and were amazed that it’s a full self-serve format — same as buffets were before the pandemic. Tongs and spoons are used with no cleaning or switching out between customers. This could be the start of the return of traditional buffet dining. Even at $64.99 per person, the room was jammed. The selection was spectacular. A full review will appear in the June issue of the Las Vegas Advisor.
Last week, Caesars Entertainment canceled a number of small shows (Anthony Cools, Friends: A Parody, Sex Tips for Straight Women, Crazy Girls, X Rocks, and Bronx Wanderers), a definite blow to the shows and the entertainment scene in the Entertainment Capital. Then, Caesars told the shows' producers that they'd have to pay the union charges for loading out from their theaters. Review-Journal entertainment columnist John Katsilometes, who's been following the story, reported that in some cases, the charges added up to thousands of dollars, spare change to the country's largest casino company, but a definite hardship for the shows that have been sidelined for 15 months, not to mention a shove on the way out the door. Well, it appears Caesars has rethought the charges, for which at least three shows are off the hook for a combined $6,200. According to Katsilometes, the others either haven't heard from Caesars or "aren't commenting in what is still a radioactive entertainment climate."
Television writer, director, and producer Bryan Foster ("Roommates," "The Good Wife," "The Americans") is selling his six-year-old home in the exclusive McDonald Highlands subdivision for $18 million, the highest listing price for a single-family house in Las Vegas history. If it fetches more than $17.5 million, it will break the record set by David Copperfield in 2016 for his house in Summerlin. Foster's pad sits on two acres and is 14,000 square feet (a mere $1,285 per), with six bedrooms, seven baths, seven-car garage with dumbwaiter, and two of everything: two offices, guest suites, pools, spas, cabanas, and outdoor kitchens. It also features a 12-seat theater, game room, 360-square-foot concrete wine "cave" that apparently doubles as a fallout shelter, and a private wellness "wing." Take a five-minute tour of the place here.
"Visions of a crumbling Sin City! The casinos overrun by a tribe of flesh-eating undead! A heist to recover $200 million left in an impenetrable safe before Vegas is nuked! A zombie tiger – “That’s goddamn crossing the line,” one of the gang mutters. True, but it’s also mighty impressive. So how on Earth were these special effects created?" That's the question answered by a cool story on Esquire.com that takes you deep behind the scenes of the three-hour zombie epic, Army of the Dead, which takes place in Las Vegas and opened on Friday night. That tiger? Explained. And see a few cool photos of the filming.
A lot that happened this weekend continues to highlight a new post-pandemic world. Two were particularly notable. The first was a walk-in vaccination clinic held at Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club, where 100 people, including dancers, were jabbed before the club opened for business. The second was an EDM concert put on by Deadmau5 and held outdoors at the Downtown Events Center. In order to get in, attendees had to submit proof of vaccination or a negative test taken less than two days prior or provide -- and every one in the jam-packed capacity crowd of 10,000 attendees did just that. A third had nothing to do with the pandemic: Up at Mt. Charleston, it snowed several inches. In late May.
Going into the final round of golf's PGA Championship, Brooks Koepka is the +125 favorite to win. He’s followed by Phil Mickelson at +250 and Louis Oosthuizen at +450.
Rob Font is a -130 favorite over Cody Garbrandt in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Yan Xiaonan is -125 over Carla Esparza.
Typically, due to its supplies coming from California and high taxes, gasoline in Nevada is among the most expensive in the country. But the lastest study by AAA Nevada pegs the price of a gallon of gas purchased in Nevada as the third highest nationwide. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded here is $3.60; it's highest in California ($4.15), followed by Hawaii ($3.80). Lowest is in Mississippi and Louisiana at $2.72. According to AAA, it's Nevada's highest price for gas in the past seven years. The rise has been fast, nearly 6% in the past month. Year over year, it's a whopping 35%, though gas prices plunged during the shutdown. High demand locally and the price of crude are also cited as factors in the increase.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace, the most expensive AYCE spread in Las Vegas before the pandemic, reopened on Thursday for the first time since the shutdown 14 months ago, during which the buffet underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation. The entrance, dining room, and carving, American, and Latin stations have been "enhanced," according to the press release, while an all-new seafood station has been added. In addition, the Bacchanal's already-expansive menu has also been upgraded with nearly 100 new dishes and for the first time since the buffet launched in 2012, reservations can be made through OpenTable.com. New choices include dim sum-style food carts that roam the dining room, a number of plant-based and vegan dishes, and a wider number of Southeast Asian cuisines, including Laotian, Filipino, and Indonesian. The Bacchanal is open for dinner Thursday-Monday 4-10 p.m. and costs $64.99 per person.
Just as homebuyers are facing fierce competition (houses here sell three times faster than the national average), renters looking for houses are having to navigate a tight market and soaring costs. According to local realtors in a story this morning in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, there are currently around 990 single-family rental houses on the market, compared to a "comfortable" number of 5,000 available units. Also, Zillow analytics peg Las Vegas as having the fourth fastest rising rental rates in the country, with an 11% increase year over year. Riverside, California, is first at 15%, then Phoenix (13%) and Memphis (12%); the average rent is just under $1,500.
Yesterday, the American Gaming Association released its annual “State of the States” report for 2020 and the first part of 2021. It reveals that total casino revenue nationwide fell by nearly a third in 2020 when compared to 2019, from $43.6 billion to $29.9 billion. The total for 2020 was the lowest since 2003 and ended a run of five consecutive years of rising revenue from commercial gambling; by comparison, revenue dropped only 5% during the 2008-2009 downturn from the Great Recession. Commercial (non-tribal) casinos were shuttered for approximately 45,600 operating days last year due to the pandemic, a reduction in operations of about 27%. All 25 states with commercial casinos reported revenue drops for their brick-and-mortar play. The good news was that revenues from internet casinos and online sports betting soared in 2020. Igaming rose by 200% over 2019, while sports betting grew by 69%. The best news for the industry was that commercial gambling revenue in the first quarter of 2021 topped $11 billion, about the same as the third quarter of 2019, which was the highest-grossing quarter in commercial gambling history.
After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, the NBA’s Summer League will take place in Las Vegas August 8-17 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. All 30 NBA teams participated in the Las Vegas League in 2019, but it hasn't been announced which teams will play here this year. Fans can attend the games, though again, capacity limits are as yet unknown.
Twenty-nine-year-old Canadian sleight-of-hand artist Shin Lim, winner of “America’s Got Talent” 13th season in 2018, has inked a long-term deal with MGM Resorts for a residency at the Mirage. Lim is known for his dexterity with playing cards, rather than tricking the audience with illusions. His shows will launch on July 1 and he'll appear Thursdays through Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now starting at $59.95, plus fees and taxes.
Live entertainment on Fremont Street starts up again on June 1, the day that the last of the COVID restrictions expire (for the fully vaccinated) in Clark County. Details are scarce so far in terms of bands, DJs, and dates, but the Fremont Street Experience website targets June 1 as the resumption date. We'll post updates and schedules as they appear.
MGM Grand Buffet will reopen next Wednesday, May 26, at 7 a.m. for breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunch. Hours of operation will be Thursday-Monday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday, Thursday, and Friday: $25.99 per person, Saturday and Sunday $29.99 per person.
Children 5 and under are free. The news release doesn't mention the serving format, but it does say that advanced cleaning protocols will be in place, along with signage stating that guests must use a new dish or glass for every refill trip.
Rory McIlroy is the +1100 favorite to win the PGA Championship golf tournament. He’s followed by Jon Rahm at +1500 and Justin Thomas at +1600.
Real estate website Zillow's April market report indicates that single-family houses in the Las Vegas metropolitan area remain on the market for an average of seven days and the median price of around $330,000 is up nearly 10% year over year. One week from listing to contract compares to a national average of 25 days in 2020 and 30 in 2019.
On the heels of a number of small entertainment venues closing at Caesars properties in Las Vegas, it appears that the Laurel Lounges, formerly known as Diamond Lounges and reserved for the casino company's high-tier players club members won't reopen. We first saw this on VitalVegas.com, but we waited for further confirmation and contributor David S. sent in the following. "This is a picture of Harrah's Diamond Lounge entrance. Note the placard in the small boxes is missing. The placard usually listed the hours of operation. It's now gone. I [also] went by Paris Diamond Lounge and the windows are taped off, so you can't see inside." The combination of VitalVegas' "high-level source at Caesars" and David S' eyewitness account is good enough for us to assume that Caesars, which is implementing across-the-board cost-cutting and revenue-raising measures since the merger with Eldorado, is doing away with this loss leader for its best players. The Laurel Lounges closed for the shutdown last year.
An Idaho woman who with her husband was traveling to Texas and made a spur-of-the-moment stop in Las Vegas hit a Wheel of Fortune jackpot at the Westgate for $1.25 million yesterday.
In a unanimous decision Tuesday evening, Clark County Commissioners voted to void the requirement of imposing occupancy limits based on vaccination rates. In other words, all businesses in southern Nevada, including the last remaining ones with restrictions, will be free and clear from capacity limits, physical distancing, and or mask mandates on the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Most Las Vegas-area casinos have been at 100% occupancy for a week or more; as of June 1, all businesses will be. Individual businesses can still impose their own requirements, including face coverings; masks will still be required in hospitals and healthcare facilities and on public transportation.
David McKee, in our Stiffs & Georges blog, reports that JP Morgan analyst Joseph Greff told investors, "Not to worry. Money-losing buffets are not coming back” to Station Casinos. David comments, "We can take this as gospel, since he got it from CEO Frank Fertitta III, Vice Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta and CFO Stephen Cootey." We don't doubt the statement, but we do wonder if Station makes a distinction among buffets that lose or make money. Will Station discontinue buffets at all of its properties or just those that weren't in the black before they closed? Time will tell.
The Academy of Country Music has scheduled its 2022 ACM Awards for Las Vegas. The 57th version of the award ceremony will take place on Sunday April 24, 2022. The ACM Awards have taken place in Las Vegas for many years, but last year's was postponed till the fall and took place in Nashville; this year's also happened in Music City. Next year marks a return to normalcy for the ACM Awards.
According to Las Vegas Review-Journal sports reporter Ron Kantowski, officials of the Oakland Athletics will visit Las Vegas for several days next week to reconnoiter the possibilities for moving the team here. The A's will be represented by the team president and co-owner, along with several other top executives of the organization, and will meet with local movers and shakers. Vegas is the first of six cities that the group will explore, based on the "overwhelmingly positive" reaction of locals to the idea. The group will also be looking for a site for a domed stadium.
The show premiered at the Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood on March 10, 2020, just in time for the year-long shutdown. It opens tomorrow night at Virgin. Impersonators perform the music of six singer-songwriters who died at age 27: Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, and Amy Winehouse, all backed by a live band. You can see a 15-minute clip of the Troubadour show here.
Lionel Richie will return to the Encore Theater for 10 performances September through November. Richie, who has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and four Grammys and has sold 125 million albums over his 40-plus-year solo career, will present Lionel Richie: Back to Las Vegas! at 8 p.m. on Sept. 24 and 25, Oct. 1, 2, 27, 29, and 30, and Nov. 3, 5, and 6. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. starting at $70 plus fees, at the Wynn box office.
Vivid Seats, one of the country's largest online ticket resellers, reports that tickets for Las Vegas Raiders home games are the hottest sellers on the market. Out of the top ten most in-demand NFL games, games at Allegiant Stadium are the most expensive, including four of the top five. The only game in the top five that beats the Raiders' four is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. the New England Patriots, when Tom Brady returns to play for the first time at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough (at a going rate of $1,376). Tickets for the top-four Raiders games are reselling for $654 to $944.
We get a lot of questions about the three free shuttle trams on the Las Vegas Strip. They're all operating again, though with decreased schedules from before the shutdown. The Treasure Island-Mirage tram runs from noon to 9 p.m. Sundays and Thursdays, till midnight Fridays and Saturdays; it's down Mondays through Wednesdays. The Bellagio-Park MGM tram runs 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. The Excalibur-Mandalay Bay trams run only Fridays and Saturdays from 2 to 10 p.m.; they're down Sundays through Thursdays.
Army of the Dead, the zombie flick that takes place in Las Vegas, is due to be released this Friday and you can see the trailer here. If you're wondering whether or not to see it, here's the first paragraph of the review in Variety. "If you go to see just one movie this year, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead might be the ticket — not because it’s the best movie you’ll see in 2021 (or maybe even this week), but because it’s a stylishly grandiose, muscular but conventional, popcorn pageant that’s got something for just about everyone. It’s a zombie movie. It’s a heist thriller. It’s a sentimental father-daughter reconciliation story. It’s set in Las Vegas (albeit it the bombed-out dystopian ruins of Vegas). It’s got a gifted cast of diverse actors playing plucky renegades. It’s got a spectacular climax featuring a dropped nuclear bomb. It’s two hours and 28 minutes of packed-to-the-gills video-game-meets-21st-century-Western-meets-day-of-the-living-dead fun, all staged by Snyder with a jaunty spirit of gung-ho classicism. A viewer might be tempted to ask: What’s not to like?" Well, yes, there's a catch, and the review goes on to describe it, which you can read here.
Two states, Ohio and Kentucky, are involving their lotteries to encourage residents to get the jab. Ohio is going all out, running five weekly drawings worth $1 million each; the names of people eligible for the jackpots will be taken from the "Ohio Secretary of State's publicly available voter registration database." Everyone 18 and older who can show proof of vaccination is eligible for the five prizes. A separate drawing for vaccinated 17-years-old and younger will be held; the winner will receive a full four-year scholarship to an Ohio state university. Kentucky is distributing coupons good for a free $225,000 Cash Ball ticket for 18 and older who get their first or second dose at a participating Kroger or Walmart location.
McCarran's number-one carrier, Southwest Airlines, has announced non-stop flights to Hawaii. The discount airline will fly twice daily to Honolulu and twice daily to Maui starting on June 6. Southwest started flying to Hawaii from Las Vegas in January 2019, but all flights were routed through airports in Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, or San Diego. In three weeks, Southwest will fly direct from McCarran, with outbound flights take six hours and 20 minutes and inbound five hours and 45 minutes. For Honolulu, flights depart at 8:20 a.m. and 6:15 p.m., starting at $159 one way; return flights are at 7:10 a.m. and 3:15 p.m., also $159. Before the end of 2021 and for the first time, Southwest will add three flights a week to the Big Island and four to Kauai. Southwest also flies from island to island.
Charles Oliveira is a -130 favorite over Michael Chandler in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Beneil Dariush is -165 over Tony Ferguson.
The current odds for the Preakness Stakes make Midnight Bourbon the favorite at 5-2, followed by Medina Spirit at 3-1, and Concert Tour at 4-1. The long shot is France Go De Ina at 21-1.
Even while Caesars Entertainment properties are reopening at full capacity, the company has announced further furloughs among its entertainers. The following venues/shows will not reopen: Cleopatra's Barge (Caesars Palace); Anthony Cools Experience, Friends! The Musical Parody, and Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man (Paris), Tenors of Rock, Crazy Girls (Planet Hollywood); X Rocks (Bally's); The Bronx Wanderers and John Caparulo’s Mad Cap Comedy (Harrah's); and Chippendale's (Rio). One show that isn't closing is Big Elvis at Harrah's, about which we get asked frequently. Pete Vallee performs his free show at the Piano Bar at Harrah's at 2, 3:30, and 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays.
If you're keeping score, so far, Wynn Resorts has announced that its employees, 90% of whom have been vaccinated, must show proof before taking off their masks. MGM Resorts' employees, even if vaccinated, must remain masked until further notice. And now, Caesars Entertainment has implemented its policy: Fully vaccinated employees no longer have to wear face coverings at its casinos in Nevada. Note that at all the above properties, fully vaccinated guests can forego face coverings, while unvaccinated guests and employees must continue to mask up. Finally, at the Venetian/Palazzo, vaccinated guests can go maskless "in most areas" of the property, while employees are still required to wear company issued masks.
The Lakeside Hotel-Casino at Stateline, Nevada, which closed for good last year during the coronavirus shutdown, has been sold to Barton Healthcare System, a non-profit hospital and healthcare company that serves the Lake Tahoe basin. Barton paid $13.3 million for the 75-year-old property; the sale closed on May 4. After an environmental remediation, Barton plans to tear down the old building and replace it with a new one to expand its medical facilities in Stateline.
In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control guidance, issued yesterday, that fully vaccinated people can go about their business with their faces uncovered both indoors and out, Governor Steve Sisolak announced last night that, "effectively immediately," the mask requirement has been rescinded throughout Nevada. It's now up to individual businesses to make their own rules about mask wearing. Following the governor's announcement, the Gaming Control Board also weighed in, affirming that individual casinos can now institute their own face-covering policies. The Control Board indicated that its agents would not try to ascertain casino-goers' vaccination status, leaving that up to the casinos as well. The CDC recommends that non-vaccinated people continue to wear face coverings. Wynn Resorts' employees, 90% of whom have been vaccinated, must show proof before taking off their masks, while MGM Resorts' employees, even if vaccinated, will remain masked until further notice.
The specific dates for the previously announced mini-residencies at the 5,000-seat Theater at Resorts World have been announced. There will be 30 shows total by the four artists. Celine Dion will perform 10 shows on Nov. 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, and 20. Carrie Underwood will appear six times: Dec. 1, 3, 4, 8, 10, and 11. Katy Perry's eight shows will take place on Dec. 29 and 31 and Jan. 1, 7, 8, 12, 14, and 15. Finally, Luke Bryan will put on six shows on Feb. 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, and 20. All tickets go on sale Monday May 24, at 10 a.m. PT.
If you're like us, the thing you miss most with the Palms being closed is Side Piece Pizza, the best New York-style pizza in town (in our humble opinion). The good news is that Side Piece will open at Red Rock Resort in the next few days, replacing Villa Italian Kitchen in the food court. Side Piece debuted at the Palms shortly after (and next to) its sister eatery Greene Street Kitchen in March 2019. It served nothing but pizza, but the new counter at Red Rock will reportedly offer a more extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, pasta and meatballs, and gourmet pizza. Can't wait!
Joining MGM Resorts, Wynn/Encore, the STRAT, and Cosmopolitan, Caesars Entertainment casinos are now allowed 100% occupancy on their gambling floors. Caesars issued a statement last night saying that the Gaming Control Board has eliminated social distancing, though masks continue to be required for employees and guests. The GCB also cleared all nine Boyd properties, all six Station Casinos, and Silverton for the 100% level. Beyond the casinos, 80% occupancy and three feet of distancing are in effect; fully vaccinated guests at the pools are exempt from the mask mandate.
When the $396 million Mega Millions jackpot drawing on Tuesday turned up no winner(s), the progressive amount rose to $430 million, the 10th-largest prize in Mega Million history. The next drawing is tomorrow night.
According to a news release, Wynn Resorts "will bring a Wynn Nightlife experience to a premier location within Allegiant Stadium." The 11,000-square-foot Wynn Field Club entertainment venue will be situated across the entire length of the north end zone and feature two DJ booths, bottle service, and a "state-of-the-art audio-visual package" consisting of 42 televisions, a 9' x 35' LED screen, and a 45,000-watt sound system, all adding up to a Las Vegas-style field-level party. The NFL releases its official 2021 schedule today; the Raiders will play nine home games in the upcoming season.
The Las Vegas Monorail will resume service at 7 a.m. on Thursday May 27. The date will give the transportation system 10 days to iron out any kinks that might have crept into the system over the 14-plus months that it was mothballed, as it gets ready to service the 10,000 or so people expected to attend the World of Concrete trade show at the Las Vegas Convention Center starting on June 8. The Monorail will operate on its pre-COVID (and pre-sale to the LVCVA) schedule: Monday 7 a.m. to midnight, Tuesday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Friday to Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. The same prices will also be charged: single ride $5, day pass $13, multi-day passes $23-$56. Masks will be required.
All nine MGM Resorts hotel-casinos have been cleared by the Nevada Gaming Control Board to return to 100% occupancy, meaning social distancing is no longer required. Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Park MGM, MGM Grand, Aria, Bellagio, and the Mirage join the Cosmopolitan, STRAT, and Wynn/Encore at 100%.
Photos of the Vegas pool parties have shown few mask wearers and no social distancing since the pools opened in March and now, the casinos are making it official. Signs at various pools around town indicate that their guidelines meet the latest Centers for Disease Control guidelines for outdoor gatherings: that fully vaccinated people can dispense with mask-wearing when out of doors. As for the question of how the casinos are ensuring that the maskless are fully vaccinated, they're not saying. Pool guests interviewed by FOX5 News "confirmed that proof of vaccination was never asked of them during their time at the pools."
It was inevitable, though it did take nearly seven months for MGM Resorts to follow Caesars lead by charging for self-parking again. The fees will be reintroduced in phases, starting with events this month, then expanding to all casinos by June 1. Valet parking will start up again on May 25. Valet and event parking will be cashless. The first hour is free for everyone; three hours of self-parking will be free for locals; self-parking will also be free for active and veteran military, Pearl or higher status in M life, and holders of the M life Mastercard. Caesars reinstituted paid parking last October, though locals, hotel guests, and Caesars Rewards Platinum and above members park for free.
According to a story in the Las Vegas Sun, Caesars Entertainment won't sell a Strip property, which it has had plans to do since before the merger with Eldorado Resorts, until next year at the earliest. Caesars CEO Tom Reeg told the Sun that the company believes that the longer it waits out the recovery, the higher a price it can attract for a Strip resort. The Sun also reports that the San Manuel tribe looked at buying a Strip resort before picking up the Palms, but wouldn't identify which one.
The Wynn and Encore, along with the Cosmopolitan and STRAT, have been cleared to go to 100% occupancy. All have met the Gaming Control Board requirement that at least 80% of employees receive at least one shot of the COVID vaccine. Kudos to all four for returning to "normal," at least mostly; the mask requirement remains in place.
A variety of factors, from rising commodity and labor costs to changes in design, have impacted the total-cost estimate for the 17,000-seat MSG Sphere entertainment complex. Though the 10% rise in the total cost of the project wasn't unexpected, it jumped from $1.66 billion in February to the current $1.83 billion. The Sphere's roof trusses, which weigh 100 tons apiece, have been installed and the ultimate shape of the dome is now discernible. The project is on track to be completed sometime in 2023.
In an annual survey compiled by Penske Truck Rentals based on an analysis of inquiries made via the company's website and call center and one-way consumer truck rentals, Las Vegas ranked number one for incoming new residents. Interestingly, Las Vegas didn't appear in 2019's top ten, then zoomed to the top of the list in 2020. Phoenix, number one in 2019, continues its run, placing second last year, followed by Denver, Austin, and Atlanta. Texas garnered four places (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas) and Florida two (Orlando and Tampa) to round out the top ten.
The popular Hogs & Heifers Saloon, and its landlord, the Downtown Grand, go to court today to determine the future of the cowboy-themed watering hole. It's a long saga of a dysfunctional landlord-tenant relationship, suits and countersuits, eviction notices, and delays in settling the issues in court due to the pandemic. Read a good story about it in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Major League Baseball’s hits leader, Pete Rose, has signed on to make sports picks for UpickTrade. If that company sounds familiar, it’s because it's the same tout service out of Mexico that briefly got in bed with the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year. Answering criticism, Rose commented: “I’m trying to make a living like everybody else. ... I’m not betting on ’em. I’m picking ’em. I’m not making a bet on the baseball game. I’m picking a baseball game." Fair enough. But basic strategy is, don't pay for picks from anyone, even the great Charlie Hustle.
It’s still not a traditional Las Vegas Mother’s Day, but several restaurants are serving special meals today. Capacity levels are still at only 80%, so be sure to make reservations. We haven’t seen any casino promos, but keep your eyes open for unadvertised opportunities that tend pop up.
Saul Alvarez is a -650 favorite over Billy Joe Saunders in tonight's championship fight. The total is 10.5 rounds, with over the favorite at -160.
Marina Rodriguez is a -200 favorite over Michelle Waterson in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Donald Cerrone is -180 over Alex Morono.
Nevada gaming regulators will meet this week to discuss the possibility of allowing full online casino gambling. Currently, only poker can be played online. Removing the requirement that sports book accounts be opened and funded in person is also being considered. The new rules would have to be approved by both the Gaming Commission and the Gaming Control Board before they could go into effect.
Vegas Golden Knights goalie Mark Andre Fleury moved into third place on the NHL’s all-time wins list with a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild this week. Fleury tallied win number 490 to pass Roberto Luongo. Only Patrick Roy (551) and Martin Brodeur (691) remain in front of him. Stay up on the VGKs season with Joe Pane's “Knights on Ice” blog. The story of the VGK's amazing inaugural season is told in our book Vegas Golden Knights -- How a First Year Expansion Team Healed Las Vegas and Shocked the Hockey World, by Joe Pane and Deke Castleman.
A second bridge is being built over the Colorado River, connecting Laughlin to Bullhead City, Arizona. The $52.4 million project includes a 724-foot-long bridge and new approach roadways on both sides of the river. Construction will begin this year and take about two years to complete. The original bridge, built in 1987, has been crossed by more than 600 million people.
It was only a matter of time. Caesars Palace’s Bacchanal Buffet is scheduled to return May 20, serving dinner only, Thursday-Monday; pricing hasn’t been announced. Also unknown is the format, though we expect it will be staff-served and reservations will be accepted for the first time. The buffet room underwent a $2.4 million renovation during the shutdown.
Phil Hellmuth made it two for two, beating Daniel Negreanu again in their second heads-up poker match. Hellmuth won $50,000 in the first match and $100,000 in the second. A rematch provision allows the option for a third meeting, in which the two will play for $200,000. Negreanu says he will exercise the option.
Ellis Island is transforming part of its Front Yard venue into a tiki bar. Beginning June 3, the second floor will become The Island at Ellis, serving tropical themed food and drinks. The tiki format will run daily, but only through July 4.
Some additional details regarding the sale of the Palms have been disclosed, including that the Palms Place condo tower was part of the deal. Red Rock Resorts is precluded from reopening the resort, so it will remain shuttered for several more months until the sale closes. San Manuel has indicated that it has no plans to change the name.
After losing a $50,000 heads-up poker match to Phil Hellmuth last month, Daniel Negreanu is exercising his right to a $100,000 rematch that will be played today. At one point in the first match, Negreanu led $95K-$5K, but Hellmuth turned it around to win. It was the second loss in two tries for Negreanu, who was defeated by Doug Polk in a previous challenge.
After the forced 2020 siesta, Cinco de Mayo celebrations are back. You’ll probably run into them without trying, but you can also check out a list of Cinco de Mayo happenings in our "Vegas With An Edge" blog.
The dates have been set for the NFL draft 2022 that will be held in Las Vegas. The event will be held April 28-30, coming on the heels of the Pro Bowl being played at Allegiant Stadium February 6. The draft is expected to be a huge event that will draw similarly to New Year’s Eve and Super Bowl weekend. It was scheduled to be in Las Vegas in 2020, but was canceled due to the pandemic.
Wynn/Encore and the Cosmopolitan have been cleared to go to 100% occupancy. Wynn says that 88% of its employees have been vaccinated and both Wynn Las Vegas and Encore will now move to 100%. Additionally, plexiglass dividers have been removed from slots and table games. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas issued a press release indicating that 80% of its workforce has been vaccinated, resulting in approval to allow 100% capacity. The release indicated that Cosmo would make good on its pledge to split $1 million among its complying employees. Masks will continue to be required at all three casinos.
Previously only rumored, Red Rock Resorts’ sale of the Palms to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has been confirmed. San Manuel paid $650 million for the Palms, less than the $690 million spent by Red Rock on a recent comprehensive renovation of the resort. The Palms has not reopened since the shutdown and there have been no disclosures about a reopening timetable or if there will be a name change. In addressing the potential sale, Anthony Curtis extolled the virtues of the San Manuel business model (player friendly) in the May Las Vegas Advisor.
The total amount wagered on the entire card of Saturday's Kentucky Derby was $233 million, the second highest ever, behind 2019’s $250.9 million. The Derby race generated $155.4 million in wagers. A reported crowd of 51,838 attended the event. It was the largest recorded crowd count since the pandemic began, but still small compared to the 150,000 that attended in 2019.
An annual survey by the Las Vegas Review-Journal has found that "the pay ratio between chief executives and median employees increased at four of the six largest public Nevada-based casino operators during the pandemic. CEOs’ total compensation came in anywhere from 66 to 591 times that of a median employee in the company in 2020, according to some calculations." This is despite, or perhaps due to, the fact that the pandemic forced a shutdown and furloughs or layoffs tens of thousands of workers. MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle earned more than $14 million in total compensation in 2020, up 6.5% from the $13.1 million of the previous CEO who left just before the pandemic, while the median wage for an MGM employee was $35,526, down 8.9% from $38,954 in 2019. That's a ratio of 394-to-1 in 2020, compared to 337-to-1 in 2019. The ratio for Caesars' CEO Tom Reeg ($13.7 million) and company employees ($24,653, down 21% from $31,173 in 2019) was 555-to-1. And at Wynn Resorts, the ratio was 591-to-1, with CEO Matt Maddox's $24.6 million compared to the median employee wage of $41.551, down 9% year over year.
The “Bar Rescue” TV show will feature several Las Vegas bars this season, beginning with Capo’s (W. Sahara) on May 5. Others that have been announced are Paradise Cantina (across from Virgin) and Cork & Thorn (downtown).
For the fourth time in a week, a slot player has hit a jackpot of more than $1 million. This time, an anonymous gambler at the D downtown won $1.2 million on a Buffalo Jackpot Feature game early Friday morning.
FlyOver Las Vegas is making a little more noise, 14 months after the initial announcement. In March 2019, FlyOver announced that its motion-simulation attraction would be opening in Las Vegas in early 2021. But that was before the pandemic disrupted everything, including FlyOver's launch schedule. Now comes word that FlyOver Las is back on track and will, if all goes according to plan, open in the fall. The location of the two theaters, plus pre-show entertainment areas and a full-service bar, will be next to the Hard Rock Cafe across from Park MGM on the Strip. The theaters will provide "riders" with a simulated flight experience over many of the natural wonders in 10 states of the American Southwest, such as the Grand Canyon, Zion and Arches National Parks, and Lake Tahoe. The FlyOver Las Vegas flight ride will feature a platform with six degrees of motion, a 52-foot spherical screen, and special effects including wind, mist, and scents. It will be the world's third FlyOver attraction; FlyOver Canada opened in Vancouver in 2013, while FlyOver Iceland launched in Reykjavik in September 2019.
Jiri Prochazka is a -125 favorite over Dominick Reyes in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Giga Chikadze is -180 over Cub Swanson.
The current odds for the Kentucky Derby make Essential Quality the favorite at 5-2, followed by Rock Your World and Hot Rod Charlie, both at 5-1. The long shot is Like the King at 44-1. Watch the CBS broadcast and look for Mattress Mack, who’s expected to make the biggest bet ever on the race.
Normally bad traffic on the Strip will definitely be worse most of this week when the stretch between Spring Mountain Road and Resorts World Drive shrinks to one lane, starting tomorrow at 9 p.m. and running through Friday at 10 a.m. The lane restrictions will allow road crews to pave the stretch, among the final touches of the Strip project that began in December 2019 and is scheduled to be completed sometime in July.
Los Angeles' Dirt Dog, which bills itself as L.A.'s official hot dog, will open its third location at Neonopolis downtown on May 3. The other two locations are in the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally's and S. Rainbow Avenue a few blocks north of Blue Diamond Road. Meanwhile, Brew Dog has reportedly signed a lease to open a rooftop brewery at the top of the Showcase Mall. The 14-year-old brand, founded and based in Scotland, has more than 50 similar bars around the world and had a TV show on Esquire Network for three seasons (2013-2015). The company produces various types of ales and lagers.
May is definitely on the warm side of the temperature range, but it's not yet hot, with an average high of 87 and an average low of 63. The typical highs start at 84 and rise 10 degrees to end the month around 94 degrees. The lows show a similar increase, from 61 to 70. The record highs are, to be sure, can get hot, with one day at 109 (May 28, 2003), seven days registering a high of 108 historically, and another six at 106 and 107. The lows, meanwhile, are hardly extreme, with a record low temperature for May of 38 and all the rest in the 40s, except for a couple days at 50 even. Average rainfall is a quarter-inch; last year, there was zero.