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The Cincinnati Bengals are -7.5 favorites over the Jacksonville Jaguars in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 46.
Nevada revenue from casino gambling broke the $1 billion mark again in August. It was the sixth straight month the state has surpassed a billion and represents the second-longest revenue streak in state history. The record of eight months was recorded from November 2006 to May 2007 at the height of the pre-Great Recession boom period. The state's casinos registered a total win of $1.16 billion for August, with few signs of a slowing trend.
Sports betting begins today at Foxwoods via a partnership between the Mashantucket Pequots and DraftKings. It was a fairly quick turn; Connecticut's governor signed legislation in May allowing sports betting and igaming. The Pequots, Mohegans, and state lottery were awarded licenses. The federal Department of the Interior approved the new tribal gaming compacts on Sept. 9. And the state Department of Consumer Protection approved licenses for Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun for on-reservation sports betting on Tuesday. DraftKings is opening a temporary sports book at Foxwoods; bettors can also use kiosks around the casino. The lottery is licensed for up to 15 sports betting locations. Sportech, which operates the state’s off-tracking betting, will run 10 of them. Three are expected to launch at kiosks next week; the rest will become available throughout the month.
The 2021 World Series of Poker starts at at 11 a.m. this morning at the Rio. The size of the field remains in question, given that all players must provide proof of being fully vaccinated in order to registration; this includes all WSOP bracelet events, side events, satellites, and live action or cash games. Players may play without masks, but due to the state mask mandate, must wear face coverings everywhere else indoors. All told, 88 bracelet events are scheduled, some of them online only. The Main Event will begin on Thursday Nov. 4 and end on Wednesday Nov. 17, with four starting flights. CBS Sports Network will broadcast 15 hours of the Main Event and 18 other tournaments; the subscription video service PokerGO will produce the content. The poker rooms at Bally’s and the Flamingo have closed through November 23; those dealers are working the WSOP.
As expected by everyone, since it was the only candidate, the giant Japanese port city and commercial center, Osaka, has selected MGM Resorts to build a $10 billion integrated resort on Yumeshima, a nearly 1,000-acre artificial island created by landfill that will host a World's Fair in 2025. The MGM resort-casino was originally planned to be ready by then, but the pandemic intervened. Now MGM says the IR will be completed sometime around 2028. MGM's plans include 2,500 hotel rooms, a 3,500-seat theater, 730,000 square feet of meeting and exhibition space, 20 million annual visitors, and 15,000 employees.
Mulberry Street Pizzeria, opened in Beverly Hills in 1992 by a transplant from New York who essentially introduced New York-style pizza to the west coast, has opened an outlet at Resorts World. With four locations in southern California, this is the first Mulberry Street outside of the Golden State. Being at Resorts World, cheese slices are dear at $5.50 and toppings are $1 each; 20-inch pies start at $27.95, with toppings at $2.50 each (turkey pepperoni is $5). According to our calculations, a turkey pepperoni, mushroom, black olive, and pineapple pie costs $40 and change. Woo. Meanwhile, Martorano's Italian Restaurant closed a couple days ago at Paris. Cafe Martorano at the Rio is still in operation.
According to a national monthly housing index, the median price of an existing single-family house in Las Vegas in July leaped 22.4% compared to July 2020. It was nearly 3% higher than the national average and placed fourth on the list of the 20 major metropolitan areas measured by the index. Phoenix was first at an astounding 32.4%, followed by Seattle (25.5%) and Dallas (23.7%). Chicago, last on the list, increased by 13.3%, meaning all 20 markets were in double digits. Continuing record-low mortgage rates, Millennials rushing into the market, investor speculation, and shrinking supply are all cited for the dramatic acceleration in home-price growth.
Former Van Halen acrobatic frontman, solo artist, and one of the wilder rock-'n'-roll personalities, David Lee Roth, is bringing his act back to Vegas for five shows, including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. The other three dates are Jan. 5, 7, and 8. Roth played the House of Blues last year for three of the nine scheduled shows, starting in January, before postponing the rest due to the pandemic. Tickets start at $63.50 and go on sale 10 a.m. on Saturday; several VIP packages are available now for $450-$700.
The replica Manneken Pis statue that has stood for years at the valet entrance of the D downtown was damaged by some revelers Monday night September 20. Mannekin Pis means "Little Pissing Man"; the statue is a replica of one that dates back to 1618 and stood in Brussels for centuries; the original is now in the Brussels City Museum and the one currently on public display in Brussels is also a replica (from 1965). According to Scott Roeben on VitalVegas.com, someone jumped onto the pedestal, knocking over the statue. Though it was an accident, the statue and the fountain the little boy was peeing into were seriously damaged. For the whole story and a video released by the D, check the VitalVegas post.
The five 2021 inductees into the Sports Betting Hall of Fame have been announced: Yolanda Acuña, former Director of Administration, MGM Resorts; Joe Asher, former CEO, William Hill U.S.; Johnny Avello, Director of Race & Sports book Operations, DraftKings; Joe Brennan, Jr., former Chairman, IMEGA; and Jimmy Vaccaro, Sports Marketing Director South Point (and legendary Las Vegas bookmaker). The five will be inducted in a ceremony at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on December 1, 2021, during the SBC Summit North America conference and trade show. The Sports Betting Hall of Fame recognizes the outstanding contributions that the industry’s pioneers have made during their careers.
The Dallas Cowboys are -3.5 favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 51.5.
In another overtime nail-biter yesterday against the Miami Dolphins, the Raiders scored two defensive points in a play that's never before happened in the NFL. It was the first time a completed pass, not a fumble, snap miscue, or penalty resulted in a safety. The Miami quarterback, in the shotgun formation in his own end zone, completed a screen pass to a rookie receiver, also in the end zone. A Raiders cornerback tackled him immediately for the safety. The Raiders kicked two field goals to the Dolphin's one in OT, winning the game 31-28 to remain undefeated, 3-0.
On and off the market over the years, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has been sold. In a deal that's emblematic of casino turnover these days, New York-based Blackstone, Inc., the global investment business, is selling the operations of Cosmo to MGM Resorts for $1.73 billion and the building to a partnership among a Blackstone real-estate investment trust and two other investment groups for $4 billion, for a total of $5.65 billion, a half-billion or so over the latest asking price. MGM will lease the building for 30 years, with three 10-year options to renew, and pay $200 million in annual rent with 2%-3% annual rent raises. Blackstone picked up the Cosmo from Deutsche Bank in 2014 for $1.8 billion and invested a few hundred million in upgrades; according to the Wall Street Journal, it's "the most profitable single asset in Blackstone's history." For its part, MGM will now control the operations of the five casinos on the west side of the Strip between Flamingo Road and Tropicana Avenue.
Steve Wynn, with his wife Andrea Hissom at his side, lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch before the Las Vegas Raiders home game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium yesterday. Wynn was being honored by the Raiders organization for helping them make the move to Las Vegas. It was Wynn's first public appearance in Las Vegas since he was forced from Wynn Resorts three years ago amid allegations of wrongdoing. Wynn insisted that he was simply back in Las Vegas to light the torch, watch the game, and enjoy himself with his wife. He continues to insist, as he has for a while, that he's now a "private citizen" and doesn't do interviews. Wynn owns and operates Wynn Fine Art Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida, where he lives.
The San Francisco 49ers are -3 favorites over the Green Bay Packers in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 50.5.
A member of the Casino Collectibles Association, with 2, 222 chips, each from a different casino, is currently vying for the new record for the largest collection of casino chips in the world. The collection will be on display tomorrow through Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Spinetti's, 810 S. Commerce Street. The display is part of the process for certification by Guinness for the world's record. It will also be shown at the Casino Collectibles Association's annual conference, scheduled for June 16-18 at South Point.
Alexader Volkanovski is a -215 favorite over Brian Ortega in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Valentina Shevchenko is -1500 over Lauren Murphy.
If this sounds familiar, it should be. "Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience" appeared at Area15 between April and July. Now, the competing "Immersive Van Gogh" has opened on the third floor of Crystals Mall at CityCenter. This is the original immersive exhibit featuring the art of Vincent Van Gogh via 60,000 frames of video, 90 million pixels, and 500,000 cubic feet of projections produced by an Italian "master of digital art who merges state-of-the-art technology, theatrical storytelling, and world-class animation." The exhibit will run through November 28; hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily and tickets start at $64 (tickets for the other Van Gogh experience started at $35).
An Ultimate Texas Hold ’em player at the Venetian won more than $1 million on Tuesday when he was dealt a royal flush in spades. The player made the $5 side bet that qualified him for the top tier of the progressive jackpot.
Fifty-year-old Marc Lore, founder of Jet.com, which was bought out by Walmart for $3.3 billion, then served as the president of Walmart for a few years, envisions a $400 billion 150,000-acre five-million-population city of the future to be built somewhere in the Southwest. Dubbed Telosa (from the Greek telos, meaning "higher purpose"), the shining city in the desert sounds to us like the BleuTech boondoggle on steroids. The difference is, Lore has billions to back his ambitions and has already hired the architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group, which specializes in the future of urban living. The mission statement for Telosa is to create an "equitable and sustainable future" that can "become a blueprint of future generations," employing eco-friendly architecture, sustainable energy, a drought-resistant water system, and "Georgist" principles (anyone can build and own structures, but the city retains land ownership). The plan is to start with a $25 billion investment to support 50,000 residents by 2030; the total build-out would be completed by 2050.
Motional, the driverless-vehicle company that was formerly a division of Aptiv, is scaling up ahead of a planned 2023 deployment of commercial robotaxis. Motional is tripling the size of its Las Vegas closed-course testing facility, doubling the size of its operations center, and adding more than 100 new employees; the expansion represents Motional's largest operations investment in the Las Vegas area to date. When completed, the testing facility will handle four times the existing capacity and test autonomous vehicles in "high-stress" situations, such as high speeds, in complex urban settings, at night, and in light to heavy rain. Boston-based Motional is a joint
venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, whose driverless vehicles have made well over 100,000 ride-sharing trips in the past four years on the streets of Las Vegas.
A survey by 888Poker.com has found Las Vegas to be the number-one party city in the whole wide world. The criteria, admittedly somewhat skewed by what seems to be a stoner gambling website, include marijuana laws and nightlife venues, casinos, and budget hotels per 100,000 population. Out of a possible 10, Vegas earned an 8.75. The second top party city, New Orleans, came in at a distant 6.12. Who knew Prague, in the Czech Republic, was party central for Europe (#3, 6.02)? The top three are followed by San Francisco, Amsterdam, Seattle, Boston, Cancun, Barcelona, and Montreal. L.A. placed #13, NYC #14, Miami #16, Bangkok #31, Paris #46, Sydney #48, Tokyo #49, and Hong Kong dead last at #53 with a dismal 1.1 rating. Rio isn't even on the list, nor are Tel Aviv or Cape Town.
The longest-lived (going on 100 years) and most beloved farm in the Las Vegas Valley, Gilcrease Orchards, will open it's annual u-pick pumpkin patch tomorrow at 7 a.m. It will be open till 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Halloween day.
You can also pick apples, peaches, pears, and numerous vegetables on the farm's 60 acres, which are watered by an artesian well. Gilcrease is located way up in the north valley at the corner of N. Tenaya Way and W. Grand Teton Drive, a little southeast of Floyd Lamb State Park. It's a great activity destination during the beautiful days of early autumn.
The Carolina Panthers are -8 favorites over the Houston Texans in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 43.
According to Mumbai-based LuxuryLaunches.com, India’s self-proclaimed "foremost website featuring premium and luxury lifestyles," Michael R. Henderson has resurrected his plan for a moon-based hotel-casino in Las Vegas. You might recall that Henderson, a developer from British Columbia, floated a similar proposal way back in 2002, then again in 2014 (and for those of you who don't remember it, you can read about in a QoD we posted in 2016). Now it looks like Moon has been resuscitated for a third time. Interestingly, the price tag hasn't changed over the past 20 years; it was $5 billion in 2002 and LuxuryLaunches reports that it's $5 billion today. Henderson plans four Moon resorts; the one in Las Vegas, according to a rendering, is across the Strip from the Wynn, apparently on land owned by Wynn Corp. As always, we wish Michael Henderson the best on his quest to bring his long-held dream to fruition, which the website says may be "soon." But given its track record, we'll bet on the over. You can get all the details and see the renderings on the website.
How big of a sports town has Las Vegas become? Here's this weekend's lineup of games. Minor League Baseball's Las Vegas Aviators kick off a five-game home stand at Las Vegas Ballpark this evening that continues through Monday. Also today, the Fall NASCAR weekend starts at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, culminating in the South Point 400 on Sunday. On Saturday, UFC 266 takes place at T-Mobile and the Las Vegas Lights soccer team plays at Cashman Field. Sunday, the Raiders take on the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium and the Vegas Golden Knights will hit the ice for a pre-season game against the San Jose Sharks. (Evander Kane will not play; though he was absolved by the NHL of betting on and trying to throw games, the league is still investigating additional allegations of physical and sexual abuse by his estranged wife.) Upwards of 200,000 tickets for all the sporting events combined have been estimated to have been sold and even the sky-high prices for seats at the Raiders' game have come back down to Earth due to the fierce competition.
Here's a news flash for you: Nevada ranks dead last when it comes to making waves in the fishing world. The site LawnLove.com did a survey, taking into account high levels of community interest in the sport, an abundance of water sources, easy access to gear, and affordable fishing licenses, among other factors. It found that Nevada placed 50th out of all 50 states for fishing, even though the state is tied for 43rd place (with Nebraska) for the lowest percentage of states covered by water (New Mexico is last, Michigan is first). Arizona (49) and New Mexico (48) followed Nevada for worst overall, while Alaska (1) was followed by Michigan and Maine. Nevada also ranked 44th for affordability of fishing licenses, tags, permits, and stamps per license holder, 47th for fishing licenses issued per capita, 48th for marinas per 100,000 residents, and 49th for bait and tackle shops per 100,000 residents. It wasn't part of the survey, but Nevada probably ranks first for the number of fish at poker tables.
Nobu, the super-upscale sushi restaurant brand, is opening a third location in Las Vegas at Paris. The first Nobu here opened at the Hard Rock in 1999; an upgraded version reopened with Virgin last March. A second Nobu followed at Caesars Palace in 2013 when a Nobu hotel-within-the-hotel also opened. The Paris location is scheduled to debut "early next year."
No, we're not talking about Sir Isaac Newton, the scientist, who died 394 years ago. Here, we're referring to Wayne Newton, the singer, who has announced a residency at the Flamingo. The new show, "Wayne: Up Close and Personal," will launch in the newly named Wayne Newton Theater, a venue within the venue of Bugsy's Cabaret. The show will "present the entertainer in an intimate setting where he will interact with the audience, perform some favorite songs and share personal career highlights through songs, film clips, anecdotes and audience Q&A." It premieres on October 23 and runs for three more dates in October, 13 in November, eight in December, and one (New Year's Day) in January. Tickets go on sale Friday and start at $79, plus fees and taxes.
No, not Hagar the Horrible, the comic-strip Viking. We're talking Sammy Hagar here. In a distinctly Las Vegas kind of event, rock singer Sammy Hagar will perform a concert tonight from Beer Park at Paris. That’s not so odd in itself, but Beer Park is an open-air venue, so the music will be heard loud and clear on the Strip sidewalk below and from other outside areas of the resort. No word on whether there will be crowd-control precautions, but the Red Rocker, who fronted Van Halen for a while, is scheduled to go on at 6:30 p.m. and perform for at least 30 minutes.
Stringent restrictions for international travelers wishing to enter the U.S. will be eased starting in "early November," according to a White House spokesperson. Inbound international air passengers will need to show proof of full vaccination, plus a negative COVID test taken no more than three days before departure. The six- to seven-week launch time will give airlines and authorities time to prepare for what's expected to be a surge of foreign visitors wanting to see their families for the first time in more than a year and a half, plus travelers with plans to see the country. Las Vegas is, typically, a major destination, with six million international visitors in 2019, nearly 15% of all out-of-towners. International travelers have been long considered a key piece of Las Vegas' recovery from the pandemic.
South Point is kicking off its South Point 400 race week with a visit by the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. The event is free and will start at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the pool area; Budweiser will be providing free beer and children are welcome to attend. The South Point 400 is a NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; it's the fourth race of the Cup Series playoffs and the first race in the Round of 12.
According to an annual poll released yesterday by the American Gaming Association, 87% percent of Americans consider gambling an acceptable form of entertainment, not only for themselves, but also for others. The AGA's survey of Americans' attitudes toward gambling also determined that 64% believe gambling is a source of high-quality jobs (up from 53% in 2019); 65 percent think gambling provides a benefit to the U.S. economy; and 73% support legalized sports betting in their state. Two polling companies, one in the U.S., the other in the UK, surveyed 4,033 American voters in late June and mid-August.
The Green Bay Packers are -11 favorites over the Detroit Lions in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 49.
This is your last chance to weigh in on which Las Vegas hotel-casino you think (or hope) will be imploded next. The choices are organized from the oldest to the youngest casinos and you can vote based on the age of the properties, i.e., the ancient (by Vegas standards) casinos that should bite the dust, or reverse popularity -- which casinos you'd like, for whatever reasons, to be reduced to rubble. The poll ends tomorrow. Here's the link.
Trumpeter, conductor, composer, and longtime Las Vegas lounge performer David Perrico is leading the Las Vegas Raiders’ house band. The 19-piece ensemble, composed of all-star Vegas musicians including full horn and string sections, debuted at the Raiders first home game in front of fans at Allegiant Stadium last Monday night with a 30-minute pre-show at the Al Davis Memorial Torch and song snippets throughout the game. They'll do the same at the Raiders next game at home, this Sunday afternoon, against the Miami Dolphins. The Raiders have jumped out to a 2-0 record this season.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a -3.5 favorite over the Baltimore Ravens in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 54.
The display at the Bellagio Conservatory changed yesterday to the Harvest theme and colors. The display, dubbed "Deeper into the Woods," is designed "to give guests the familiar warm and cozy autumn feeling” and features gingko trees, a treehouse accessed by a wooden spiral staircase, the familiar families of red foxes and black bears, along with hedgehogs, prairie dogs, squirrels, and ladybugs, two dozen multi-colored mushrooms, tiny winged fairies, illuminated acorns, and of course pumpkins (the largest 838 pounds), yellow-leafed trees, and a couple of reflective ponds. The fall display runs through November 13.
Here's a wild one for you. Local football powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School, which is ranked seventh in the nation by USA Today and has sent four graduates to the NFL in the past four years, took on 24th-ranked Hamilton High from Chandler, Arizona, on Friday night. Gorman was leading 24-7 with 1:07 left in the game when Hamilton kicked a field goal: 24-10. Hamilton recovered an onside kick, then scored a touchdown and an extra point: 24-17. Hamilton recovered a second onside kick and scored another touchdown: 24-23. With eight seconds left, Hamilton's quarterback ran into the end zone for the two-point conversion: Hamilton won it 25-24, having scored 18 points in the last minute of play. We say: That's some kicker! To see a video of the last minute, click here.
Long-time Las Vegans and the local mountain community are mourning the loss of the historic Mt. Charleston Lodge, which was completely gutted by a fire early yesterday morning. But no one was injured in the blaze, it was contained before it spread to the surrounding forest, and the owners, the Ellis family of Ellis Island, promise to rebuild a bigger and better lodge.
After seven hours of deliberation yesterday, Robert Durst, whose family owns billions in New York real estate, was finally found guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of Susan Berman in December 2000. There are a lot of Las Vegas connections to this story. Susan was the daughter of Davie Berman, Minneapolis mobster and front man for the eastern Mob, who moved to Las Vegas right after WW II and assumed control of the Flamingo following Ben Siegel's untimely death. She grew up in Vegas until she was 12, when Davie died during surgery in 1957 and her mother died shortly thereafter from an overdose of barbiturates. She slowly put together the pieces of her parents' past and wrote about it in Easy Street, published in 1981; the book reclaimed her father from mob mythology and imbued the difficult transition made by the illegal gamblers to Las Vegas legitimacy with humanity and sensitivity. Susan was estranged from Vegas until the mid-1990s, when she produced an A&E documentary on the city, accompanied by the book Lady Las Vegas, with help from Deke Castleman, who became her friend in the process and was working with her on a dramatic Showtime series, tentatively titled "Sin City," when she was murdered. The book Murder of a Mafia Daughter: The Life and Tragic Death of Susan Berman was written by Cathy Scott, author of our book The Killing of Tupac Shakur. Now you can rest in peace, Susan.
The Electric Daisy Carnival is still going on as planned, for a full week at the end of October (20-26). The festival itself will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 22-24; to celebrate the EDC's 10th year in Las Vegas and 25th year in existence, 40 other events will occur the two days before and two days after at the city’s nightlife and daylife venues, Élia Beach Club (Virgin), Zouk and Ayu (Resorts World); Elation Pool (STRAT); Marquee (Cosmopolitan), Encore (Wynn), Wet Republic (MGM Grand), Hakkasan (MGM Grand), OMNIA (Caesars Palace), and many more. Insomniac, producer of EDC, is calling it "a takeover of the Strip."
Photos aired on News3LV.com show the historic Mt. Charleston Lodge, located on Kyle Canyon Road at 7,000 feet in the Spring Mountains roughly 40 miles from the city, engulfed by flames early this morning. The closest of the images was provided by the guests in the cabin next door to the lodge, so it appears, at least initially, that there were no injuries.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and Inspiration4 Mission Commander, made the first sports bet from outer space via BetMGM at MGM Grand. Isaacman teamed up with BetMGM to make two bets via a proxy at MGM Grand’s BetMGM Sportsbook. He got $4,000 down on the over (40.5) for the game between the Washington "We-Still-Don't-Have-a-Real-Name Football Team and the New York Giants; he also made a futures bet for another $4,000 that the Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl. Any winnings from Isaacman’s bets placed from space will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman made the bets from the Space X Inspiration4 mission, financed by the billionaire (for an undisclosed fee), in which he and three other civilian non-astronauts were shot into orbit on Wednesday night; they'll remain 345 miles above Earth for three days, splashing down near Florida on Saturday. The mission is a way to raise awareness and funding for the Children’s Hospital.
The Washington Football Team is a -4 favorite over the NY Giants in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 41.
Another LVA YouTube update is available for viewing. In the fast-paced 11-minute show, Anthony discusses his tour of Vegas, from Rampart to South Point, to check out Monday Night Football parties, traditionally a huge scene here. Though the parties are far from what they used to be, one offers free parking, $1 beers, hot dogs, and popcorn, and $3 pizza, plus $1,000 in drawing prizes. Which one? You can find out at the four-minute mark. You'll also hear about an interesting development with the Boulder Station buffet, a nearly $2 million overlay in one of the football contests, and the latest on the mask mandate, including a reversal of position by the Vegas Golden Knights at their upcoming home games at T-Mobile.
One of the world's highest-grossing festivals ($17.7 million in 2019), Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival starts tomorrow night. Tens of thousands of people are expected to jam downtown for the three-day affair; downtown room rates for the weekend are averaging in the hundreds of dollars per night. In addition, the iHeart Radio Music Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at T-Mobile Arena and Area15; it's being touted as one of the biggest music festivals of 2021.
According to the sports-fan website, AwfulAnnouncing.com, quoting Sportico, the National Football League's partners and advertisers ran 90 total ads on games broadcast by CBS, Fox, and NBC in the past week, spending an aggregate of $21.4 million. Most of the ads appeared on nationally televised games. FanDuel ads accounted for nearly half of the total, 42 in all; only Geico, Progressive, and DirecTV ran more ads during the week's football games. In all, 52 ads ran on CBS, 27 on Fox, and 11 on NBC. None of the advertisers ran spots during the Monday Night Football game. Gambling ranked sixth in ad categories during NFL programming; insurance was first, followed by automobiles, streaming services, fast food, and wireless services.
The National Association of Broadcasters postponed its 2021 convention, moving it from its usual dates in April to October. Now, the surge in the delta variant of the coronavirus has prompted the NAB to cancel the 2021 convention altogether. The new dates are set for April 23-27, 2022. If the convention happens then, it will be the first time in three years that the immense NAB trade show, which typically attracts a crowd of 80,000, will meet in person.
Shares in the top casino companies in Macau lost a record $18.4 billion in combined market value yesterday, in reaction to an surprise official announcement about the Chinese government's intention to tighten restrictions on operators. The Bloomberg Intelligence index, which tracks Macau's six biggest casino companies, plunged 23%, setting a record for the largest drop ever. American companies were hit the hardest; Sands China and Wynn Macau Ltd. drowned in a sea or red ink, nose-diving 33%-34%, the steepest declines in their history. Gaming companies also took a huge hit in China's dollar-denominated bond market. Due to their exposure in Asia, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, and MGM Resorts fell for a second day on the U.S. stock market. The crackdown by the Chinese government, which includes appointing government “supervisors” of the gaming companies and increasing local shareholdings in foreign companies, is part of a sweeping clampdown on social and business behaviors in the 1.4-billion-population country.
There was a lot going on at Allegiant Stadium last night as the Raiders played their first game with people in seats on Monday Night Football. Thousands of Bay Area fans attended the game and, reportedly, filled hotel rooms over the weekend to the tune of nearly 100% occupancy. "Hundreds" lined up in a tent outside the stadium to receive the vaccination to be allowed to enter. Defensive end Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player to take the field in the four major sports for the Raiders; he forced a fumble that led to the home-team overtime victory in a thrilling seesaw battle, 33-27. And though traffic was heavy around game time, there were no reports of major tie-ups. All in all, an auspicious start to the new era of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Anyone carrying the newest design of the Nevada driver's license is advised to allow for a little extra time at TSA security checkpoints at airports around the country. Evidently, the new license, which began to be issued in July, has an updated barcode that 's too recent for the TSA’s Credential Authentication Technology system to recognize. The Nevada DMV is reportedly working with the TSA to resolve the issue.
A local woman hit a Buffalo Grand progressive jackpot at the Cannery early Sunday morning for $1,024,065. It was the second major Buffalo jackpot at a Boyd Gaming property in the past two months; on July 15, a visitor from Hawaii won nearly $650,000 at the Fremont.
The Baltimore Ravens are -3.5 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 50.5.
The Raiders launch their season at home at 5:15 p.m. on Monday Night Football. That means traffic, normally ferocious on I-15 during rush hour, will be doubly merciless in both directions -- and since it's the first time 65,000 people will be trying to get to Allegiant Stadium during a weekday rush hour, no one knows just how bad it's going to be. The Hacienda Avenue bridge closed to traffic at noon and tailgating in the stadium parking lots opened at 1 p.m., which should mitigate things at least a little. Ticket holders can use alternate routes to get to parking lots (such as the 215 Beltway, Decatur Boulevard, and Valley View Boulevard for the back way), but overall, it's shaping up to be a mess. If you can, avoid the entire area tonight.
VICENews.com reports that the "For God & County Patriot Roundup” conference, originally scheduled to take place, then canceled, at the Caesars Forum Convention Center, has found a new home at the Ahern Hotel and Convention Center. The Roundup claims to be "the country’s biggest QAnon conference." Don Ahern, owner of the hotel, also owns the 68-year-old Las Vegas-based construction-equipment-rental business, Ahern Rentals, and is the finance chairman of the Nevada Republican Party. His non-casino hotel, the former Lucky Dragon on W. Sahara Avenue, was fined last year for hosting two large events in violation of COVID capacity restrictions; his manufacturing facility in Henderson was also cited for an appearance by Donald Trump that attracted 5,500 attendees. The Patriot Roundup will feature Jim and Ron Watkins, who facilitated the rise of QAnon on their website, as well as several elected Republican politicians. It's scheduled to take place October 22 to 25.
This town is slightly mad with Raiders fever, evidenced by a black eye patch embroidered with the team skull-and-bones logo worn currently by the Great Sphinx of Giza replica that fronts Luxor. The Raiders play their first game in front of fans at home, and in front of a national audience, tonight on Monday Night Football.
The Los Angeles Rams are a -9.5 favorite over the Chicago Bears in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 46.
Novak Djokovic is a -250 favorite over Daniil Medvedev in today's U.S. Open tennis men's final. Djokovic is attempting to complete the season Grand Slam, which was last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969. A victory would also make him the all-time leader in Major championships with 21. Medvedev is seeking his first Major title.
Direct from its 23-year Off-Broadway run, the New York musical revue Naked Boys Singing! launches a 12-week residency in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The all-male all-nude show "will remind us that clothes alone don't make the man" at the Erotic Heritage Museum. Where else? The show features no costumes, no underwear, no nothing except ... full-frontal naked boys singing in a traditional musical in the vein of vaudeville and high-camp musical theater. The 60-minute performance goes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m., Thurs.-Sun. at 10; tickets are $75-$150 and available at nakedboyssingingvegas.com.
Pastry chefs at Aria have created life-size chocolate sculptures of the two top Raiders players, quarterback Derek Carr and tight end Darren Waller, along with a four-foot-wide Allegiant Stadium, an Al Davis Memorial torch made of chocolate, and several black-and-silver cakes. The six-foot-three-inch Derek Carr sculpture started with a wooden skeleton, which was covered with cake, 40 pounds of fondant, more than 100 pounds of sugar, and 200 pounds of chocolate. The entire display took a month to create by a team of 10 chefs; it will be unveiled starting tomorrow, to celebrate the Raiders first fan-attended home game on Monday Night Football, at the Patisserie at Aria.
Emma Raducanu is a -190 favorite over Leylah Fernandez in today's U.S. Open tennis women's final. Both are seeking their first Grand Slam title. Raducanu is 18 and Fernandez is 19; it’s the first all-teens Women’s Final since 1999 when Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis.
The Olive Garden on the south Strip that has been threatening to open for more than a year finally did. The big 400-seat restaurant occupies the third floor of the Target building next to the Showcase Mall that was once the location of Smith & Wollensky's steakhouse, with a view across the Strip of Park MGM and New York-New York. The hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., though the website seems to indicate that it's open 24 hours on Saturday, listing 11 a.m. to 11 a.m.
According to gaming analyst Ken Adams, writing in the Adams Revenue Report, in July, total gaming revenues nationwide exceeded $5 billion for the first time. He writes, "It was not only a record, but also nearly 12% over the previous record set in June (July was aided by two extra weekend days). In July 2020, revenues were $3 billion and in 2019, they were $3.8 billion. In July 2021, Nevada alone recorded more than $1.3 billion, an all-time record. For the month, sports and igaming combined for a half-billion, up from $142.6 million in 2020. Year to date, gaming revenues are $29.6 billion, up from $14.9 billion in 2020 and $25.9 billion in 2019." As Anthony Curtis wrote in the September issue of the Las Vegas Advisor, "The casinos — and Wall Street analysts — are positively giddy with their bottom lines."
If you're watching football this season, don't be surprised to see a lot of ads from sports book operators. For the first time ever, the NFL now allows sports betting ads. Not only that, but the league has partnered up with FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, WynnBet, FOX Bet, and PointsBet, each of which will be allowed up to six gambling spots per game. According to one analyst, sports book companies will spend between a half-billion and $1 billion on advertising this football season. And FrontOfficeSports.com quotes a CBS executive who called gambling advertising "the most significant new category in a generation."
A million dollars isn't what it used to be. Still, a lot of us dream about having seven figures in the savings account. But where do most people try to find out how to do it? Gambling-news site PlayUSA analyzed Google searches for "how to become a millionaire" to determine which states and major metropolitan areas are the most eager to strike it rich. The only cities with more searches than Las Vegas were Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa, followed by Minneapolis to complete the top five. July is the most popular month for “how to be a millionaire” searches in Las Vegas (an average of 68 searches per 100,000 people). The rest of Nevada is slightly less interested, placing 18 out of 50. The top five states for searches are all in the south: Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.
We've posted a new poll that's getting a lot of votes (2,500+ at the current count) and comments. The question is: Which Las Vegas hotel-casino do you think (or hope) will be imploded next? The choices are organized from the oldest to the youngest casinos and you can vote based on the age of the properties -- the ancient (by Vegas standards) casinos that should bite the dust -- or reverse popularity -- which casinos you'd like, for whatever reasons, to be reduced to rubble. Happy voting!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -9 favorites over the Dallas Cowboys in tonight's Thursday Night Football game that opens the 2021 NFL season. The total is 52.5.
Now in its second year, the Las Vegas Concours d'Elegance will bring more than 100 collector cars to the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin October 21-24. The upscale car show is open to the public, with two days of pre-show Concours d'Avant special events. Fifteen classes of cars on display will range from 1903 to the "latest showstoppers." Tickets are available at LasVegasConcours.com, general admission $85 until September 14 and $100 September 15 through October 23, VIP $200.
The World Series of Poker announced yesterday that players in the upcoming WSOP tournament at the Rio will not be required to wear masks at the tables. The WSOP indicated that it was following Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak's directive, issued last week, that allows indoor events with at least 4,000 attendees to forgo a mask mandate if they require that everyone who attends be vaccinated for COVID. The WSOP announced in late August that all tournament participants must be vaccinated; a recent negative test will not be accepted.
On Saturday, AEG Presents will unveil the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The grand-opening concert will feature guitarist and singer-songwriter Gary Clark, Jr., whose genre spans rock, hip-hop, blues, punk, and R&B. The newly renovated 4,500-capacity venue features remodeled luxury suites and multiple VIP areas, a state-of-the-art sound system, and enhanced video technology. The second show will be Lady A on September 25, with concerts most weekends going forward. Journey will do a six-show mini-residency Dec.1-Feb. 22.
The popular Main Street Station reopened this morning at 6 a.m. after being shuttered for nearly 18 months. It marks the final hotel-casino downtown to return from the shutdown. Its two restaurants resume operations with limited hours: Triple 7 brewpub will be open 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Monday and the Garden Court Buffet is serving brunch 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and dinner 4-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday only.
In a newly released report, the American Gaming Association is projecting a record 18% of Americans, totaling 45.2 million people, plan to bet on football during the 2021-2022 season that starts tomorrow with a game at Tampa Bay against the Dallas Cowboys. The AGA notes that this is a 36% increase over the 2020 season, which it attributes to the expansion of legal sports betting to 26 states and the District of Columbia from 18 and D.C. last year. The report predicts that 21.7 million American adults will bet on this NFL season casually with friends, up 31% from 2020; 19.5 million will place a bet online (legal and illegal), up 73%; 10.5 million will place a bet at a retail sports book, up 58%; and 6.7 million will place a bet with a bookie, up 13% from 2020.
Legends in Concert returns to the Tropicana tomorrow night with a new line-up: "Direct from London." The longest-running show in Las Vegas pays tribute to some of Britain's biggest stars, including Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and George Michael, performing with guest host Frank Marino, the Strip’s longest-running headliner, starring as Joan Rivers. Legends is also touting the staging: dancers, back-up vocalists, live band, costumes, sets, and special effects. The show will go on Thurs.-Sun. at 7:30 p.m.; tickets range from $115-$225.
According to a new national survey conducted on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, American leisure travelers plan to "significantly pare back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases." Among the 2,200 adults, of whom nearly 80% are leisure travelers, 69% are planning fewer trips, 55% are planning to postpone existing travel plans, and 42% are likely to cancel existing plans without rescheduling. And 72% are likely to travel to places only within driving distance.
A video poker player hit a $1 million jackpot at Cosmopolitan yesterday. He was playing Triple Double Bonus on a $25 Ten Play in the high-limit room when he was dealt four aces with a kicker. Dealt. Easy money, right? Well, he was betting $1,250 a whack (10 times $25 times the 5-unit max bet). The Cosmo says it was the largest local progressive (as opposed to wide-area, typical in big slot jackpots) in the casino's history.
The Plaza will host a “Dirty Comedy Festival” on Oct. 15-16. This is, essentially, a showcase for Gilbert Gottfried, whose stand-up act features an exaggeratedly shrill voice and an emphasis on seriously crude humor. At the Plaza, Gottfried will reprise his dirtiest routines and will share the stage with three of "the most talented 'blue' comics in the business": Bobby Slayton, Thea Vidale, and Patty Rosborough. The shows start both nights at 9 p.m. and tickets are $30 and $45, excluding fees.
Reinforcing the point that things are still a ways away from normal, this Labor Day is mostly devoid of promos. The city was busy for the long weekend, but aside from the crowds and higher room rates, the usual holiday restaurant and casino specials aren't being offered.
Enchant Christmas, a "whimsical and heartfelt Christmas light maze," will make its Las Vegas debut on November 26 at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Enchant Christmas will "transform the Ballpark into a winter wonderland" full of Christmas magic and cheer. Guests embark on a Great Search to help save Christmas by locating Santa's missing reindeer, journeying through a "radiant forest" illuminated by millions of lights and art installations. Also offered will be the Ice Skating Trail, a Christmas village, and a live Santa Claus. It runs through January 2, 2022, and ticket will go on sale later this month.
Bloomberg reports that the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is for sale again. Its owner, Blackstone, is asking $5 billion this time around, $1 billion more than when it went looking to unload the property in 2019. Bloomberg writes that Apollo Global Management, which is currently in the process of buying the Venetian, and MGM Resorts, are possible suitors, but none has stepped forward as yet.
Here's an interesting entertainment event that's coming to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in the spring. Canadian-born singer and actor Paul Anka, who wrote "My Way" for Frank Sinatra (along with "She's a Lady" for Tom Jones and three Michael Jackson hits), will bring his "Anka Sings Sinatra" tour to downtown Las Vegas as the 80-year-old singer celebrates the 65th anniversary of his career and the release of a new album, Making Memories. Anka will perform on March 10 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are on sale now for $49-$249.
Azilo Ultra Pool at the Sahara has debuted. The new area will remain open for the last month of pool season in order to work out the kinks and prepare for a grand opening in the spring. Azilo occupies 35,000 square feet that can accommodate up to 2,000 people, not including 250 in the adjacent indoor Azilo Ultralounge, completing the indoor-outdoor utility. The pool is surrounded on three sides by 10,000 square feet of LED screens that can be programmed for live DJ performances, football games, and custom presentations. Bungalows and cabanas with private pools, three bars, and a large stage area complete the scene, along with Moroccan-type decor (Azilal is a provincial capital in Morocco, though Azilo itself is the name of an antibiotic used to treat various types of bacterial respiratory-tract infections and typhoid fever).
On the heels of the sports betting initiative sponsored by California's tribes making it onto the ballot in 2022, along with the state's card rooms threatening to launch its own initiative drive, a third party has inserted itself into the mix. A partnership among Bally's, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Penn National, Wynn, and Fanatics has announced its intention to spend up to $100 million for yet another initiative, only this one has a social-responsibility aspect. The partners filed the “California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Act” with the state attorney general’s office on Tuesday, earmarking a percentage of the tax revenues from sports betting to support homeless and mental-health causes. They say the initiative is "complimentary" to the tribes' proposal, in that they'd be working with the tribes to provide remote sports wagering opportunities. The proposal calls for 85% of tax revenue, based on a 10% tax, to go toward the social funding, with 15% supporting tribal communities.
In one of his first official acts as the new mayor of Yokohama, Japan, Takeharu Yamanaka withdrew the city's candidacy to host an integrated resort. Yamanaka campaigned on a platform that opposed the IR; his landslide in the election is evidence that residents of the port city at the mouth of Tokyo Bay are overwhelmingly against a casino there. But Yokohama's ambitions for an IR were also compromised by the withdrawal of interest from several international casino operators and vehement hostility from the head of the port authority. Yokohama's bowing out opens up one of the licenses approved by the federal government to other cities that have expressed an interest in hosting one of three integrated resorts in the country.
Darren Till is a -160 favorite over Derek Brunson in today’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Modestas Bukauskas is -170 over Khalil Rountree.
The previously announced name change for the Sands Expo and Convention Center is now official. The new name is The Venetian Expo and workers have completed the sign changeover.
Though the Las Vegas crowds are nearly as large as before the pandemic (Labor Day weekend is expected to draw a similar number of visitors to 2019), the unemployment rate here remains the highest among U.S. cities with populations of more than one million. Las Vegas' 9.4% rate is nearly 4% higher than the national average. Salt Lake City's is lowest at 2.8%. Las Vegas' rate has been above 9% since the beginning of the year.
After his appearance in "The Last Dance," the 10-part ESPN documentary focused on the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman will produce a feature film about his infamous hiatus in Vegas during that championship season. As recalled in the documentary, Rodman needed a break from basketball in the middle of the season, so Bulls' coach Phil Jackson gave him some time off. But when Rodman failed to reappear on time, Jackson and Michael Jordan had to fetch him from his Vegas suite, Jordan yanking him out of bed, while his girlfriend, Carmen Electra, was hiding behind the couch. The Lionsgate film is tentatively titled 48 Hours in Vegas; no cast members or release date have been announced.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace is bringing back its weekend brunch, starting today. Running 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the brunch features made-to-order eggs and omelets, a pancake and waffle station, and a carving station with bacon, ham, sausage, sausage, tri-tip, brisket, and rotisserie chicken and turkey. The price for the brunch is $54.99. Dinner remains the same at $74.99 daily, open Mon.-Thurs. 4-10 p.m., but doesn't close during the transition from brunch to dinner Fri.-Sunday. Reservations for all meals can be made at Open Table.
Here's a round-up of Labor Day festivities, including dayclub and nightclub parties, music festivals, and dining specials.
You'll find pool parties at the Downtown Grand (Reggae Night, from Sat. 8 p.m. to Sun 1 a.m., tickets $17-$27) and Elia Beach at Virgin (Fri.-Mon. with DJs and free admission for ladies; those who pre-register online receive open bar privileges and drink tickets).
The Exodus EDM festival featuring Loud Luxury, KYGO, Marshmellow, and Carnage takes place at Wet Republic, Encore Beach Club, and XS Nightclub (Thurs.-Mon., $89 women/$189 men); Desert Drip Las Vegas is another multi-venue festival at Hakkasan, Jewel, AYU, and Drai’s (Thurs.-Mon., $89 women/$189 men; featuring Lil Jon, Jack Harlow, Juicy J, and DJ Snake);
Find dining specials at El Segundo Sol at the Fashion Show Mall on Mon. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (happy hour $6.50 margaritas 3:30-6:30 p.m.); Cabo Wabo Cantina at Miracle Mile Shops Fri.-Mon. 8-1 a.m.; Smoke & Fire, 3315 E. Russell Rd., Fri.-Mon. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (barbecue specials); Morton’s Steakhouse, 400 E. Flamingo Rd., Fri.-Mon. (four-course dinner for two plus wine for $99); Bonefish Grill at Town Square and 8701 W. Charleston Blvd., Mon.-Fri. (takeout lobster and shrimp family bundle, serves 5, $45); and Burnt Offerings, 3909 W. Sahara Ave. (Sunday noon to 4 p.m.).
Table-game dealers at the Wynn have overwhelmingly ratified joining the United Autoworkers Gaming Union. According to a member of the negotiating committee, 96% of eligible dealers voted to join the union. Previously, they were represented by the Transportation Workers Union. Interestingly, the new contract doesn't include dealers at Encore. But it does protect Wynn dealers from having to share their tips with pit managers, a huge bone of contention during the Steve Wynn regime. It also mandates a five-day work week and a 20-minute break every hour (most dealers get their break every 80 minutes).
A Mexican national hit a seven-card straight flush (with one joker) at a Face Up Pai Gow Poker table at Planet Hollywood to take down the $920,728 mega progressive jackpot earlier in the week. After he got over his complete disbelief, he said he'd invest wisely, support his family, and splurge on a luxury apartment with the winnings.
Due to the mandate that all Las Vegas Raiders home-game attendees be vaccinated, upwards of 1,800 season tickets have become available (for fully vaccinated fans, of course) for this season, with roughly 250 for future seasons as well. In a tweet, the Raiders said 1,550 season-ticket holders opted to roll over their seats till next year, while around 250 took a full refund. If you're in the market, you can try for the newly available season tickets on the Raiders website.
Proof of vaccination will be required for all attendees, exhibitors, and other participants in the Global Gaming Expo, taking place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on October 4-7. Details on verification of vaccination will be released shortly.
A new YouTube video on the LVA channel takes you on a 20-minute tour of the Virgin Las Vegas hotel-casino, from the parking garage to Pizza Forte, an Anthony Curtis favorite, and out to a view of the shopping plaza across the street with some of the hottest restaurants in town and a jazz club. You can also clearly see how Virgin renovated and transformed the former Hard Rock to the tune of $200 million, after buying it for $500 million. As a bonus, Anthony and videographer Andrew Hunt do a "talkthrough of the walkthrough," so you get an audio, as well a video, tour. Watch it here.
It's been a long time coming (nearly 18 months, to be specific), but now that events are returning fast and furious to Las Vegas, our coverage of weekend goings-on is going back in action as well. Watch this space every Wednesday for the homecoming of "Weekend Highlights."
For more details about these and other upcoming events and full listings of all the production shows Las Vegas currently plays home to check out our Entertainment section.
Caesars Entertainment has disinvited the QAnon-themed For God & Country Patriot Double Down conference that was scheduled at Caesars Forum convention center for Oct. 22-25. Caesars issued a terse one-sentence statement confirming that the confab would not occur at a CZR property.
When the Pro Bull Riders World Finals end on November 7 this year, it will be the last time it takes place in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future. Las Vegas has hosted the PBR Finals since year one, 1994, though it was held in Texas last year due to fewer COVID restrictions. Evidently, the Texas sojourn showed the PBR it could make more money from the Finals in the Lone Star State; they'll return to Texas, held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, starting next year with a totally revamped schedule, May 13-22.
Typically, September temperatures drop from hot to pretty hot, descending from average highs around 99 in the beginning of the month to 88 at the end. The average lows make the nights comfortable enough to eschew air-conditioning at night for all but the hottest-blooded; they start our at 76 and go down to 65. Still, summer remains for three of the four weeks, so the record high is a sweltering 113 (September 1, 1950), with four more days in the triple digits and nine at 108 or 109. But it can also cool way down, with the record low at 43 degrees (September 27, 1948) and 12 other dates in the 40s. Last year, September saw zero precipitation, though normally, nearly a third of an inch falls during the month.