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The price tag of the 17,500-seat MSG Sphere entertainment complex being built behind the Venetian has gone up again and now stands at $2.18 billion. The $350 million increase from the previously quoted number is being blamed on inflation and supply-chain issues. The opening date is now designated as the “second half of 2023.”
The new Wildfire being built in the spot where the old Castaways (originally the Showboat) stood will open in February. Station Casinos wasted no time in building the 21,000-square-foot casino that was announced in July without a specified completion date. Station states that a more “elevated experience” will be provided at the latest in the Wildfire brand.
The B-52s, the long established new-wave group out of Athens, Georgia, will follow up three sold-out nights last month at the Venetian with 10 shows next year, also at the Venetian. The band formed in 1976 with two male and two female singers and musicians, combining pop, rock, a heavy party vibe, and strangeness (best exemplified, perhaps, by their biggest hit, "Love Shack"), and has been going strong for 45 years. The October shows at the Venetian were part of the band's farewell tour, but with the residency, they won't have to travel. The dates are: May 5, 6, 10, 12, and 13; August 25, 26, and 30; and September 2 and 3. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. PT and start at $50.
Though Las Vegas casinos continue to celebrate record business, local homebuilders continue to feel the crunch of high mortgage-interest rates and economic uncertainty. The Las Vegas Review-Journal's real-estate reporter Eli Segal writes this morning that 350 new homes sold in October, down nearly 60% year over year, while the 545 permits issued last month were down 55% from October 2021. Perhaps more significant, builders didn't buy any land at all, while the contract-cancelation rate for new homes was 36%, the highest since December 2008 at the worst of the last recession.
Nevada casinos' $1.28 billion win in October was the 20th month in a row of more than $1 billion in revenue statewide and Las Vegas' downtown casinos set a monthly revenue record of $90.4 million, surpassing the previous $86.4 million set in March 2022. Statewide, casinos earned $59 million (4.8%) more than in October 2021 and for the first 10 months of the calendar year, revenue was up 12.3% year over year. In October, Las Vegas Strip revenue was essentially flat year over year, just a half-point higher than October 2021, though every other market in the state except North Lake Tahoe registered an increase in win.
Southern California-based Elevation Entertainment, which owns and operates Stones Gambling Hall near Sacramento and Seven Mile Casino near San Diego, has filed plans with the city of Reno to build a hotel-casino on a long-vacant lot owned by Station Casinos. The eight-acre parcel, on one of Reno's busiest intersections (S. Virginia and Kietzke near I-580), proved too small for Station to develop, after its proposal for a big casino and no hotel rooms was rejected years ago. Though Elevation hasn't closed on that land, it's under contract to purchase it; it is also buying the adjacent 12-acre lot, also vacant, so it can add a 201-room 48-suite tower to go along with the casino, restaurants, food court, bars, and beer garden. Tentatively dubbed Firecreek Crossing Resort-Casino, it will be the first major hotel-casino to be built in Reno since Silver Legacy opened in 1995, but it faces some hurdles. Case in point: It took Olympia Gaming 15 years to complete Legends Bay Casino in Sparks. No budget or timeline has been discussed.
Frontier Airlines has announced that it no longer provides telephone access to live customer-service agents. Instead, airline passengers must now contact Frontier via "social-media channels" and WhatsApp; in addition, the airline's chatbot answers FAQs. Customers can also interact with live agents 24/7, but only via the live-chat function on the website. Frontier is historically Reid International's third busiest airline, behind Southwest, with 40% of flights in and out of Las Vegas, and Spirit with 15%. Frontier accounts for 10%. Interestingly, Allegiant, Las Vegas' "hometown" airline, is seventh at 4%, behind Delta, American, and United, all in the 6% range.
The Indianapolis Colts are -2 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 39.5.
After a disappointing 2-7 start to a season that was supposed to put the Las Vegas Raiders deep into playoff contention (which is why we haven't covered them much in News), our home team beat the Seahawks in Seattle for the first time in 24 years in overtime, 40-34. Fourth-year running back Josh Jacobs, who's having a career year, set team records with a total of 303 scrimmage yards (rushing and receiving) and 229 rushing alone; it was also his first NFL game with 200 or more rushing yards. On the last play of the game, Jacobs took a handoff from Derek Carr at the Raiders' 14-yard-line, ran straight up the middle, and went 86 yards to hand Las Vegas the win. What's more, he was playing on an injured ankle and was questionable even to appear in the game. The rest of the team encouraged him to sit down at the end of regulation, but he assured them that he could still give his all. The Raiders are now 11-0 in games in which Jacobs has scored two or more rushing touchdowns. It was the Raiders' second straight OT victory.
Andrea Bocelli is a special guy. The 64-year-old Italian tenor and multi-instrumentalist was born with congenital glaucoma, then went completely blind at 12 in a soccer mishap. He's been a best-selling artist for 30 years, selling 75 million albums worldwide and spanning genres from opera and classical to pop and holiday songs; his Sacred Arias is the biggest-selling classical album by a solo artist in history. He has three children, two sons from his first marriage and a daughter from his second. Together with 25-year-old Matteo and 10-year-old Virginia, Andrea will perform at MGM Garden Arena this Saturday evening. According to the press release, "The passion Bocelli’s children will draw out of him with their presence promises an unforgettable experience for the Bocelli faithful." Tickets start at $113.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -6.5 favorites over the Green Bay Packers tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 46.5.
This story is sketchy at best, but the British tabloids are reporting that 54-year-old Aussie singer, songwriter, and actress Kylie Minogue is in talks with Caesars to do a 12-week residency at Planet Hollywood for $17 million. Apparently, Minogue visited Las Vegas over the summer, toured several venues, and is "hugely" excited about the opportunity to perform again for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Reports say that record label Sony BMG is "alleged" to be offering potential spin-off deals. Minogue isn't particularly well known stateside, but she's the highest-selling Australian female artist of all time, with more than 80 million records sold worldwide, and has an Adele-like following in the UK and Australia. We'll keep an eye on this one.
Ending years of suspense and speculation, especially after Genting recently made a surprise bid, the Macanese government has renewed the concessions of all six incumbent casino operators, which include Wynn Resorts Macau, Venetian Macau, and MGM Grand Paradise Limited; the six companies operate a total of 41 casinos. Genting was vying to oust one of the existing casino companies. The renewed licenses go into effect on January 1 and expire on December 31, 2033. This is good news for the casino companies in the long term, but perhaps not for their stock prices in the short term. The Chinese have imposed a hefty requirement that the casinos invest in non-gambling attractions, such as amusement parks and music and sports venues; in addition, ongoing COVID mitigation efforts keep Macau revenues at a fraction of what they once were, seriously depressing profits and impacting share value.
Based on data from a new study conducted by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in conjunction with credit-reporting company Experian, at the end of last year, Nevada had the highest number of credit-card delinquencies in the U.S. The national average for credit cards that are 90 days or more overdue was 8.22%, while Nevada's was 12%. And it's probably higher this year, with inflation and the state's unemployment rate ticking upwards. Arkansas and Florida were the other two states with a delinquency rate of 10% or higher. Nevada also had the seventh highest credit-card debt (average $3,350) as a percentage of non-mortgage debt (20.9%) and the 12th lowest average credit score (701). The state with the lowest delinquency rate was Wisconsin (5.34%); the lowest credit card debt as a percentage of debt was in Mississippi (5.3%); and the highest average credit score was in Minnesota (742).
Fox5 Vegas reported yesterday that the Clark County Zoning Department has approved plans for a five-story 84,000-square-foot 118-room non-casino Element Hotel on the northwest corner (on West Sunset Rd. near the movie theater) of Town Square, the 100-acre open-air shopping, dining, office, and entertainment center on Las Vegas Blvd. S. about a mile south of Mandalay Bay. The hotel, reportedly, will offer "many" rooms with kitchenettes and have a pool area. Building permits will be pulled "in a matter of months"; Element has until October 2024 to start construction.
This one has a lot of good and different info -- and you can tell that Anthony and Andrew are getting into the party-time spirit. As Anthony says, "It's less about Thanksgiving as it is about the four-day weekend." Then they turn their attention to the LVA holiday catalog, with two books from two authors, either one of whom could be the G.O.A.T. -- the greatest gambler of all time. You won't want to miss that discussion. Then Anthony regales viewers about the World Cup and why betting soccer is SO. MUCH. FUN, especially if you watch the games at a British pub, and he recommends one where you'll probably see him if a game is on. Circa Survivor has 74 entries remaining, but this week will separate the men from the boys, since they have to bet twice: once on the three games yesterday and once on the weekend games. Finally, the Jackpot of the Week is tailor-made for the YouTube weekly update. Catch it all with a simple click on the arrow.
FinanceBuzz.com surveyed the prices of "regular servings of domestic macrobrews" (such as Bud, Coors, and Miller) at the 50 busiest airports in the U.S. Only one airport, Portland International (Oregon), came in below $5 on average, placing cheapest at $4.33. Salt Lake City International placed second at exactly $5, while the prices at airports in Cincinnati, Charlotte (North Carolina), San Antonio, and Nashville were less than $6. The average at the 50 airports was $7.42. New York's LaGuardia's beer price was highest at $12.33, followed by Detroit Metro ($9.36), Newark Liberty ($9.31), and none other than our very own Reid International ($8.86). The study concluded that the busiest airports have the highest prices; of the 10 lowest-priced airports, only one (Tampa) ranked below 25th for passenger volume.
An identity-theft story has been developing for the past week. At first, it seemed to be contained, but more news is emerging that indicates it's larger than originally believed. A number of poker pros have had accounts at BetMGM opened in their names in order to withdraw funds from their bank accounts. So far, we know of at least five players whose accounts have been compromised and it looks like more will be showing up. BetMGM has the situation "under investigation," though it hasn't issued any updates for several days, and Las Vegas-based Global Payments Gaming Solutions, a payment processor for MGM, has denied, and rather vociferously, that its servers are the culprit. However, one of the players issued a detailed review of the theft from his account, which he blamed on "vulnerable security procedures" at Global Payments. It appears that high-stakes poker players are being targeted and until the source of the breach is definitively identified, we expect more (bad) news in this situation.
The "Garth Brooks//Plus ONE" residency that will take place at the Colosseum at Caesars throughout next year sold out during the Ticketmaster Verified Fan presale on Monday. The Colosseum seats 4,100, so it was a total of nearly 111,000 tickets, roughly the same as two shows at Allegiant Stadium. Brooks addressed the 60,000 fans who wanted tickets, but were too late, by saying that they'd be "first in line" for a 2024 residency if that comes to fruition; it's hard to imagine it won't. Meanwhile, the punk-rock band Misfits canceled its New Year's Eve concert, which was scheduled to take place at the Michelob Ultra Arena at MBay. The band cited "an unexpected personal matter" in explanation. Refunds will be handled at the point of sale.
In today's final Thanksgiving game, the Minnesota Vikings are -2.5 favorites over the New England Patriots. The total is 42.
In the second of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Dallas Cowboys are -10 favorites over the New York Giants. The total is 45.
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Huntington Press and the Las Vegas Advisor. It's a very busy weekend all over the city, with a record number of travelers moving around the country (as indicated by AAA and completely full parking lots at Reid International as Las Vegans leave town to visit family and go on holiday). Most restaurants are serving full Turkey Day dinners and the sports books will be packed all day long with fans watching the NFL triple-header; the Vegas Golden Knights play at home tomorrow evening and Saturday night, while the Las Vegas Raiders are in Seattle on Sunday. Metro Police are out in force throughout the weekend in their annual DUI Blitz. Have fun out there, but be careful.
In the first of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Buffalo Bills are -9.5 favorites over the Detroit Lions. The total is 55.
Following the third dolphin death in less than six months at Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage over the summer, the attraction closed, at the time stated as "temporarily." But Hard Rock International, taking over the property next month, announced yesterday that the habitat will not reopen. The Dolphin Habitat was a popular attraction for 30 years, but also within that time, 16 of the Mirage’s total 23 dolphins (70%) died, many well before reaching 20 years of age, when in the wild they live for an average of 30. The closure is part of the Mirage's transformation into Hard Rock Las Vegas; the remaining animals will be permanently relocated in new homes.
After three years of study, review, and legislation, residents of Maryland will be able to make sports bets from mobile devices as of this morning at 9 a.m. Ten licenses were granted by the state last week; of the 10 seven will start taking bets this morning.
The NCAA this morning announced the locations for the March Madness Final Four locations for the last four years of this decade. The men's basketball championship series will take place in Detroit in 2027, then Las Vegas in 2028, followed by Indianapolis and Dallas. It's not F1 or the Super Bowl, but the Final Four generates up to $150 million for the host city and this being Las Vegas, it should bring in more. The series will be held at Allegiant Stadium, which seats 65,000. The games will take place on April 1 and 3, 2028, and it's the first time Vegas will host the Final Four.
The New York Times has published a four-part series of investigative journalism into the sports betting industry and surprise! It doesn't like it. The series, "A Risky Wager -- How Online Sports Betting Took America by Storm," is broken down into "Cigars, Booze, and Money: How a Lobbying Blitz Made Sports Betting Ubiquitous"; "Desperate for Growth, Aging Casino Company Embraced 'Degenerate Gambler'"; "Why States Were Unprepared for Sports Betting Onslaught"; and "How Colleges and Sports Betting Companies 'Caesarized' Campus Life." You can read the synopsis and if you haven't reached your limit of free articles and bumped into the paywall, you can link to the four stories. Then you can find one scathing rebuttal here; we're sure there are others.
The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has transformed into a winter wonderland. The “Gingerbread Dreams” display comes complete with a holiday village, including a snowy gingerbread house and smoking chimney, a church tower, toy store, plenty of elves, 15-foot-tall toy soldiers, larger-than-life holiday ornaments, playful polar bears, and the centerpiece 42-foot-tall Christmas tree, decorated with thousands of ornaments and lights. The display runs through January 1. And for the first time, you can buy assorted gingerbread cookies, chocolates, popcorn, pastries, and beverages ($6.25-$20) in the Conservatory alcove, located behind the South Bed, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Adele will perform two additional shows during her "Weekends with Adele" residency at the Colosseum at Caesars. She'll appear on Friday December 30 and on New Year's Eve Saturday. For tickets, you must register at Ticketmaster Verified Fan, open through midnight tonight. Upon registration, you receive a code that you'll need when the presale begins at 10 a.m. PT on Wednesday. At that time, you'll have the chance to buy tickets on a first-come first-served basis (so be prepared to wait and wait and wait). Prices haven't been announced, but be prepared to pay and pay and pay. Meanwhile, the UK tabloids are blowing up this morning over Adele's alleged refusal to stay in a Palazzo Suite at the Rio, opting instead for a Fairway Villa at the Wynn. No reasons are offered, but the speculation is that a) she expected to stay in a suite in the Augustus Tower at Caesars; and b) the Fairway Villas are much more private (and have vastly better views, overlooking the Wynn's lush golf course), as they're accessed via a private drive. According to The Daily Mail, "a convoy of cars used by the singer were seen heading from Caesars Palace to the Wynn on Saturday after the concert." The Mail posted some excellent photos of the villas.
After taking a hiatus in 2021 due to the pandemic, RestaurantBusiness.com has resumed its Top 100 ranking of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in the U.S., which served 272 million meals last year and generated $1.8 billion in sales. For comparison purposes, the number-one restaurant on the list is Miami's swanky Komodo, a Southeast Asian fusion eatery with 340 seats that served 285,000 meals and grossed $41 million; the number 100 is Santa Monica's exclusive 14-seat Melisse, which served 11,000 meals and grossed $11.05 million. Las Vegas has 10 restaurants in the top 100. The highest grossing is Top of the World, which also has the most seats. But the most meals served is at Mon Ami Gabi, which makes it the busiest restaurant in the city: 296,324, an average of 812 meals per day.
#7 Top of the World (STRAT), $25.7 million, 516 seats, 218,586 meals served, $133 average check
#25 Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops), $20.5 million/384/242,632/$99
#29 Bazaar Meat (Sahara), $20 million/335/160,528/$139
#32 SW Steakhouse (Wynn), $19.3 million/155/110,000/$153
#47 Hell’s Kitchen (Caesars Palace), $16.9 million/300/120,000/$135
#49 Lavo (Palazzo), $16.5 million/382/110,231/$111
#50 Prime Steakhouse (Bellagio) $16.4 million/210,101,145/$195
#52 Mon Ami Gabi (Paris) $16.3 million/400/296,324/$96
#69 Delmonico Steakhouse (Venetian) $14.5 million/260/112,453/$14.5 million
#80 Beauty & Essex (Cosmopolitan) $12.7 million/346/124,321/$124
The Kansas City Chiefs are -5.5 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 52.5.
Formula 1 and the Wynn are offering five-day race-room-and-food package for six people for one million dollars. It's not as dear as it sounds, since it's for six people, so that's only $166,666 per person or $333,333 per couple. The package consists of all-access passes to all the public F1 events, as well as some "bespoke experiences." Those are unspecified, but since they're bespoke, you know they'll be ... something. The room part of the deal is a 5,500-square-foot suite at Encore, a three-bedroom three bath with powder rooms, a billiard room, gym, and butler. "On arrival, the lucky guests will be greeted by a glass of Dom Pérignon." (Apparently, refills are extra.) There's also a meal at Delilah, among "some other arranged meals." But hurry. Only a limited number of these Formula 1 Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix Million Dollar All-Access Experiences is available.
Brazil is a +300 favorite to win soccer’s World Cup, followed by Argentina at +450 and France at +800. The long shot is Saudi Arabia at +120000. USA is +13500. Pool play begins today.
Season tickets for the XFL's Vegas Vipers went on sale Thursday morning, with packages starting at $100 for five home games. But where "home" is has yet to be determined. With the opening game set for exactly three months from yesterday, the team still doesn't have a venue. Sam Boyd Stadium is out; it's permanently shut down, according to a spokesman for UNLV, which owns it. And Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Aviators Minor League baseball team, "cannot accommodate" the Vipers, according to the team president. The co-owners of the XFL, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and his long-time business partner and ex-wife Dany Garcia, are saying that they're talking to several possible home-field venues and "will have an announcement soon."
Expressing her appreciation to the 4,100 superfans who held precious tickets to the first of 32 "Weekends with Adele" shows at the Colosseum at Caesars, a visibly nervous Adele announced during the standing ovation that greeted her, "Thank you so much for coming back to me." She also described canceling the originally scheduled first show that many of the same fans had spent a lot of money on being here to see as "the worst feeling I've ever had, but the best decision I've ever made." The show started with just Adele and the pianist, but over the 20-song playlist swelled to involve three backup singers, a six-piece band, a 24-piece string section for the show-stopping "Skyfall," a stage-length waterfall licked by flames to "Set the Rain on Fire," and Adele disappearing in a cloud of fairy dust at the end of the grand-finale "Love Is a Game." Welcome, Adele! Break a leg for the remaining shows.
Following the SMS (short message service) trend of abbreviating language with acronyms and initialisms for facilitating "textspeak" that has been developing over the past 25 years or so, the long-running Spiegelworld show at the Cosmopolitan, Opium, has been renamed OPM.
For the 20th straight year, Ellis Island is serving its homemade alcoholic egg nog. Order the holiday nog at the bar for $8 per glass, or $38 per bottle that you can take out. EI has used more than 13,000 bottles of alcohol and upwards of 130,000 eggs over the two decades to produce the nog from a family recipe. But a word of warning is in order: Made with rum, bourbon, and brandy, this nog packs a wallop.
The man who took a taxi to rob the Resorts World cage last week, then left in the same cab, has been apprehended. It turns out he was the same guy who robbed the Venetian cage of $15,000 in 2020. In that case, he drove his own car to the robbery and parked in the Venetian garage. He said he was seeking asylum in the U.S, had recently been terminated from his job, and was a "struggling poker player"; he was given three-years' probation. For violating his probation in the Resorts World robbery, he's being held without bail. Another casino robbery, this one at the Gold Coast on Wednesday, is unrelated; the RW robber was already in custody. That thief hasn't been caught yet.
The Fremont will open a new food hall next month in 13,150 square feet of expansion space adjacent to what used to be the buffet. The six food outlets will be Steak ‘n Shake, Huey Magoo’s (chicken tenders), Roli Roti (gourmet rotisserie), CRAFTkitchen (an outlet of the cafe and bakery in Henderson), Tomo Noodles (new location for the noodle/dumpling eatery on W. Sahara and Ft. Apache that closed), and DUNKIN’. The soft opening will be in mid-December, with the grand opening scheduled for January 12. The extinct buffet will expand the casino floor (for slots) and the new FanDuel sports book. Lanai Express, Dunkin', and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory will remain the same.
The Green Bay Packers are -3 favorites over the Tennessee Titans in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 40.5.
For the second month in a row, the state of New York set an all-time national record for sports-betting revenue. October's $145.7 million beat September's record $145 million by a smidge more than 1%, even though the handle increased 23% month on month to $1.55 billion in bets. The hold of 9.4% was down from 11.5% in September. The state collected its $74.3 million in taxes for the month, thereby surpassing the $500 million mark for the first 10 months of sports betting, a sizzling pace that's unmatched in the U.S. since PASPA was overturned four years ago.
Click on the arrow to see and hear Anthony and Andrew discuss how when the casinos are flush, it's not great for the customers, which is what's happening now. They also cover the soaring construction cost of the MSG Sphere, a tempest in a teapot over the Bellagio grandstand for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Mattress Mack's "brilliant' (in Anthony's word) insurance play via his futures bets, the fast descending number of remaining players in the Circa Survivor football contest, and a $4,000 jackpot off a 50-cent bet at, of all things, video keno. Finally, a new nightly comedy show and a great all-you-can-drink deal at OYO involve our very own Andrew, who gives you all the details. What are you waiting for? Tune in!
American blues singer and guitarist Bonnie Raitt will play the Venetian Theater on March 15, 17, and 18. The 73-year-old artist is known for her much-loved eponymous first album (1971), Give It Up (1972), and her multi-platinum Nick of Time (1989). She's won 10 Grammy awards, plus a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and was ranked #50 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time"; she also was one the magazines "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." Tickets are on sale now and start at $174 and rise quickly through the $300s, $400s, and $500s, topping out at $1,400.
The Bronx Wanderers show has closed at Westgate, immediately announcing its relocation to the South Point Showroom. So far, it's being called a "monthly residency," with the Wanderers appearing on select dates, starting February 28, March through June. It's full circle for the show, which debuted at South Point in 2011, then lived up to its name by wandering to Bally's, the LINQ, and Westgate before returning to South Point. We reviewed the show in the August 2019 Las Vegas Advisor. "After being downsized out of his job when Sony bought out Columbia, 61-year-old Vinny Adinolfi, a longtime producer for Columbia Records whose dream had always been to be a bandleader on the Las Vegas Strip, started a band with musicians from his Italian-American Bronx neighborhood. Over the years, they were replaced by Vinny’s two sons, drummer Nicky and singer and multi-instrumentalist Vin A., along with three of their friends from high school. As classic-rock cover bands go, it’s hard to imagine a tighter or more polished and entertaining sextet."
Lotus of Siam opened its third location at Red Rock hotel-casino in the western valley on Saturday. It's now open Sunday-Thursday 4-11 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m-3 p.m., then 4 p.m. till midnight. Meanwhile, EatThisNotThat.com has posted a list of the best Thai restaurants in every U.S. state and no surprise, Lotus of Siam took Nevada's top honors. The listing quoted a Yelp review: "I'd literally move to Vegas to live on this menu."
The Review-Journal's John Katsilometes reports this morning that Charlotte Richards, long known as the "Wedding Queen of Las Vegas," has sold her iconic Little White Chapel for an undisclosed price to the owner of Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel. Little White opened in 1961 and Richards says that it has performed a million weddings in the past 60 years, with Richards presiding over the vast majority of them (she conducted nearly 200 weddings on Friday, 11/11/22.) Celebrity couples from Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow (1966; the marriage lasted two years) to Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez (July 2022) have been married there. Richards will continue to perform ceremonies a the chapel, located on a full acre of land at at 1301 Las Vegas Blvd. South on occasion in her "retirement."
Big League Weekend, in which two MLB teams play two games at Las Vegas Ballpark during spring training, is returning to Las Vegas on March 4 and 5. The Oakland A's, the major-league affiliate of the Las Vegas Aviators, will take on the Cincinnati Reds at the Aviators' home park. It will be the first Big League Weekend in four years; the 2020, 2021, and 2022 events were canceled due to the pandemic. Tickets start at $20 and so far can only be purchased by phone from the Aviators box office, 702-943-7200.
The Mob Museum will celebrate Kefauver Day, commemorating the Kefauver Committee's hearings that occurred in the museum building exactly 71 years ago today, by offering free admission for Nevada residents. Everyone will also receive 10% off food and beverage at The Underground speakeasy and museum concessions. Senator Estes Kefauver (Dem., Tennessee) was in the midst of conducting more than two dozen hearings in 14 cities as part of his campaign against organized crime. The Mob Museum is located at 300 Stewart Avenue downtown in the old post office and federal courthouse building.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -11 favorites over the Washington Commanders in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 43.
As expected, Garth Brooks this morning announced a Las Vegas residency for 2023: “Garth Brooks/Plus ONE.” The "plus one" refers to performing with his wife Trisha Yearwood at the Colosseum at Caesars. Verified Fan ticket registration is open now through 8 a.m. PT Thursday and you must register to qualify to buy tickets, which go on sale Monday Nov. 21. No general tickets will be sold to the public. The dates are: May 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, and 28; June 1, 3, and 4; July 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, and 23; November 29; and December 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, and 16.
The inaugural draft for the XFL spring football league will take place Tuesday through Thursday at the UFC APEX event and production venue in the southwest valley (215 and South Jones). The first selection will be for quarterbacks and that will be televised lived on XFL.com. That will be followed by day-one selections of four position groupings (offensive skill/line, defensive back/front seven), with 11 rounds for each; day two will select specialists (kicker, punter, long snapper), then open rounds for all available positions. A supplemental draft for players currently under contract with the "other professional football league" will occur in early 2023. The Vegas Vipers are one of eight teams in the league, whose season begins on Saturday February 18, the weekend following the Super Bowl.
We've been getting lots of questions about how and where to book room-ticket packages for the Grand Prix next year. The Venetian is a good example of what's available and for how much. Three-night packages include two tickets to the race (three-day passes to the grandstands near the MSG Sphere), including food and non-alcoholic beverages all three days, plus a selection of suites. The standard packages start at $2,952 at Venetian and $3,252 at Palazzo and go up by $100 for upgraded suites. Be sure about your plans to attend, though; these packages are fully prepaid, non-cancellable, and non-refundable. Reserve here. You can also book at Caesars properties (the tickets are for the East Harmon Zone only) with the same all-inclusive food and beverage and final prepaid terms at the Rio ($2,168), Bally's ($2,401), Harrah's ($2,443), Flamingo ($2,501), Paris ($2,578), Planet Hollywood ($2,801), and Caesars ($3,151). Book here.
The San Francisco 49ers -8 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 45.
Chuck Lorre, the long-time, prolific, and highly successful American film and television director, writer, and producer (from "Roseanne" to "The Big Bang Theory," from "Two and a Half Men" to "The Kominsky Method") is now working on a new project for HBO Max, "How To Be a Bookie." The show is about a veteran illegal bookmaker who "struggles to survive the impending legalization of sports gambling; increasingly unstable clients, family, and co-workers; and a lifestyle that bounces him around every corner of Los Angeles, high and low." It stars stand-up comedian and actor Sebastian Maniscalco as the bookie, Omar J. Dorsey as his ex-NFL player partner, Andrea Anders as his ex-Vegas cocktail waitress wife, and Vanessa Ferlito as his office manager and habitual criminal. The first season will be eight episodes, though no release date has been announced. It sounds like fun and 70-year-old Lorre is at his prime; up until the last few episodes, "The Kominsky Method" was a Baby Boomer boon.
The Valuable 500, a "global collective of 500 CEOS and their companies that uses the power of business to drive lasting change for the 1.3 billion people around the world living with a disability," polled 3,500 disabled travelers from the U.S., Europe, Australia, Japan, and China; they rated cities for their accessibility, based on “transport links; proximity of accommodation to attractions, shops, and restaurants; and the availability of information about accessibility.” Las Vegas was one of three cities in the U.S. that appeared in the top 10, along with New York (scoring highest for information) and Orlando (measures for avoiding lines and accessible accommodations). Vegas was cited for its “sheer number of accessible hotel rooms across all price brackets and room types." The other seven cities were Singapore, Shanghai, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris, London, and Sydney.
Sick New World is the latest sick new music festival to be announced for the Las Vegas Festival Grounds to take place next May 13. The festival is a gathering of nu-metal groups; nu-metal is a favored stepchild of heavy, thrash, groove, funk, and industrial metal, with elements of hip hop, grunge, and alternative rock. As such, we've heard of maybe one or two of the more than 50 bands that will appear: Korn and Papa Roach. But for all you nu-metal fans, other acts include System Of A Down, Deftones, Incubus, Evanescence, Turnstile, Chevelle, Sisters Of Mercy, Death Grips, Mr. Bungle, Placebo, Ministry, She Wants Revenge, 100 Gecs, Skinny Puppy, Coal Chamber, KMFDM, Killing Joke, Spiritbox, Soulfly, Hoobastank, London After Midnight, and the never-to-be-overlooked Alien Ant Farm. (Yes, we're snarky geezers, including Canada Roy, who commented, "Impressive amount of different fonts in the poster.") Tickets start at $19.99 and went on sale on Friday.
Israel Adesanya is a -250 favorite over Alex Pereira in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Weili Zhang is -370 over Carla Esparza.
Local news media are reporting that Resorts World was robbed on Wednesday morning around 2 a.m. The robber arrived in a taxi and handed a note to a cage cashier, who handed back an undisclosed amount of cash in a bag. The man walked out, hopped back in the cab, and took off. The police later located the cab driver, who (of course) claimed that he knew nothing about the robbery.
Pop superstar Taylor Swift is hot, at least ticket-wise. "Due to unprecedented demand,: Taylor Swift has added 17 new dates to her "Eras" tour, including a second night at Allegiant Stadium. The first, March 25, sold out in minutes; the second will be March 24 and tickets go on sale on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
You can sit in a sizable grandstand erected over the lake at Bellagio for next year's Formula 1 Grand Prix race. But you have to purchase an MGM race-and-stay package consisting of a room for three nights and two tickets; food and beverages (non-alcoholic) for the grandstand seats are included. The rendering shows around 10 rows of seats in the four wing sections and another several rows in the four or five center sections, above which are the luxury boxes, with the fountains erupting right behind the whole affair that stretches from one end of the lake to the other. Sitting on the water, it could feel a little colder than out on the street, but they're certainly ringside seats to the spectacle.
There are lots of Veterans Day deals running today, including a free buffet for two at South Point, 50%-off today through Sunday in STK at Cosmo, 25%-off at Grimaldi’s, a free breakfast at The Stove NV, a free drink at Sticks Tavern, and a free T-shirt at both Arizona Charlie’s. In most cases, it’s necessary to show military I.D. to get the offer.
The annual Veterans Day Parade starts at 10 a.m. at 4th Street and Gass Avenue, a block from Las Vegas Boulevard (at the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop), then heads up 4th, crossing Fremont Street and ending a block from there at Stewart Avenue. Fourth Street is, of course, closed and has been since 6 a.m.; it reopens at 2 p.m. The Veterans Action Group, which sponsors the parade, claims that it's the largest Veterans Day parade held west of the Mississippi River.
Golf World has posted its annual list of the top 100 golf courses in the U.S. of A. Nearly 100 panelists are polled on their picks of nearly 500 courses and they selected Pine Valley in New Jersey as their number one. New York state had the most courses in the top 100 with 15, followed by California (12), Ohio (7), New Jersey (6), Massachusetts (6), and Oregon, South Carolina, and Florida with 5 each -- eight states with the top 61 courses. Panelists selected one course in Nevada; Shadow Creek came in at number 76 in the entirely subjective process.
Country superstar (and 16-year husband of actress Nicole Kidman) Keith Urban's newest residency will run from early March to the first of July next year at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood. Urban performed at the Colosseum at Caesars on and off from 2019 to earlier this year; when he moves over to PH, the show will be completely original with a new setlist and a custom-designed stage. Urban will do 16 shows: March 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 15, 17, and 18; June 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28, and 30, and July 1. Pre-sale tickets are available now; tickets go on sale to the on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT.
The Atlanta Falcons are -2.5 favorites over the Carolina Panthers in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 41.5.
According to the American Gaming Association, commercial casinos won $15.17 billion in July, August, and September of this year. The total was the most in any quarter in American casino-gambling history, surpassing the previous record set in April, May, and June of this year by 2%. The AGA also stated that the commercial (non-tribal) gaming industry is on pace to have another record year. Every day we get questions about when the casinos will start to feel the pain of gamblers and visitors voting with their feet in response to higher prices everywhere for everything and, specifically, traveling to and staying, eating, show-going, and shopping at casinos. Well, folks, the party's not over yet. And don't hold your breath for it to end.
In this week's LVA YouTube, Anthony and Andrew cover a lot of ground, discussing the new developments at the Mirage, soon to be taken over by Hard Rock International; both sports betting propositions on the California ballot getting trounced; also in California, the one winner of the largest lottery jackpot in history and the only strategy for playing the lottery; how to get a free T-shirt at Binion's or the Four Queens; Anthony's take on the new show at the Wynn, Awakening, plus what he calls "the greatest pre-show cocktail party of all time"; the latest numbers going into Week 10 of the Circa Survivor football contest; and the jackpots (in the plural) of the week at El Cortez. Click the arrow and soak up the latest from Vegas.
Celebrity chef, TV personality, and Michelin-star-heavy Gordon Ramsay opens Ramsay's Kitchen at Harrah's this evening. It's his sixth partnership with Caesars; the other five are Gordon Ramsay Steak (Paris), Gordon Ramsay Fish and Chips (LINQ), Gordon Ramsay Burger (Planet Hollywood), and Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill and Hell’s Kitchen (Caesars Palace). The 244-seat restaurant includes a seven-seat seafood bar and will "take guests on culinary journey inspired by Ramsay's travels around the world," according to the press release. The menu looks eclectic, with Ramsay's signature beef Wellington and sticky pudding, as well as Japanese scallops and Indonesian rentang (beef and coconut stew). The Kitchen will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
From its record high of $482,000 in May, the median price of a single-family house in southern Nevada has dropped nearly 9%, down to $440,000 in October. It was down 2.2% from September's and August's $450,000, after dropping in June and July. The median price is still up 7.3% year over year, but sales are way down and inventory is way up: 15% fewer houses sold in October than September and nearly 8,000 houses were on the market without offers on the last day of October, an increase of 141% over October 2021.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's entertainment columnist John Katsilometes reports this morning that according to "sources," of whom he has many, the global-superstar band U2 will open MSG Sphere with two shows next September 29-30. Kats writes, "U2 is reportedly setting up 12 shows, all Fridays and Saturdays, over non-consecutive weekends." Kats also reports that tickets for the Garth Brooks residency, which will begin in late March at the Colosseum at Caesars following on Adele's heels, will go on sale this Monday. No word about what time or how much, but Garth has stated that he'd like to perform with his wife Trisha Yearwood.
The initial phase of tickets for the Las Vegas Grand Prix next year has been sold out, as expected. Tickets to stand along the raceway went for $500, while a seat in the grandstand (for all three days of events) cost $2,000-$2,500. According to F1, higher-priced packages will be made available "in the coming months"; one that's being advertised currently is four days of VIP hospitality for $10,000. You can also pick up a hotel-race package; Caesars is advertising a selection that starts at $8,000 and rises to $12,000 per night. Even without the tickets, the cost of a Caesars hotel room over race weekend starts at $566 per night at the Rio and tops out at $1,519 at Caesars Palace. At MGM properties, the least expensive rooms are at Luxor for $650, while the most expensive are at Bellagio for $1,733.
Running bad in your football contests? You have one more shot with Westgate’s “SuperContest Reboot.” The contest starts fresh, running from Week 10 through the end of the year. The entry fee is $500 with three entries max. The sign-up deadline is Saturday November 12 at 3 p.m.
When the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies to win baseball’s World Series, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale made sports betting history. By wagering with multiple sports books at varying odds over the summer, Mack had a total of $10 million bet on the Astros to win $72.6 million. It was, by far, the biggest sports betting win of all time. Anthony Curtis commented, “It’s a great result on lots of levels, but one aspect is especially gratifying. Mack’s an incredibly astute businessman and he knows what he’s doing. While he didn’t need this to validate his financial strategies, it goes a long way toward muzzling the public naysayers who pop off without having a clue as to what those strategies are and how they work.” Get some insight into what A.C.’s referring to by reading the blog “Mattress Mack and the Astros Hedge.” Congrats, Mack!
ESPN reports that a UFC featherweight fight on Saturday night in Las Vegas is being investigated by U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas-based company that monitors the sports betting market, for unusual betting leading up to the fight. Apparently, a few hours before the match, "money poured in on the favorite to win by knockout in the first round, prompting some sports books to take the fight off the board." Those that kept booking bets on the fight moved the odds significantly, but the "relentless betting on the worse odds increased suspicions among some bookmakers and U.S. Integrity." The favorite did knock out the underdog in the first round (at the 1:07 mark). Though no one is talking on the record, unofficially, it appears that the underdog was injured and probably shouldn't have been fighting at all, and word got out.
The Baltimore Ravens are -1.5 favorites over the New Orleans Saints in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 46.
For an overview of the gambling initiatives and potential progress and setbacks in state legislatures in tomorrow's elections and near future, check out the national coverage in an article by Las Vegas-based business and gaming reporter Buck Wargo on CDCGamingReports.com, "Gaming Industry Closely Watching Tuesdays Elections."
Binion’s and Four Queens merge their players clubs today; the new club is called All Access. All points on the previous cards will be retained. Get an All Access T-shirt when you exchange for your new card before the end of the year. Cardholders 55 and older used to get 20% off dining at Four Queens, while those at Binion’s didn't get any discount. Now, 55+ cardholders get 10% off at both.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -14 favorites over the Tennessee Titans tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 45.
Don't forget to move your clocks back one hour for the end of daylight savings time. NFL bettors have an extra hour before the games start today.
In this morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal, entertainment columnist John Katsimoletes reports that late last month, a Las Vegas psychic, medium, energy, and shamanic practitioner was invited to the Paris Theater by the co-producer of the just-opened Bat out of Hell musical to conduct a healing ceremony with the cast and crew. Kats recounts the seemingly bad juju that has "cursed" the theater since it opened in 1999: “Hunchback of Notre Dame, the theater’s original production, had its bell rung after seven months, Inferno flamed out in six months, and Marilyn was toe-tagged after five weeks." The producer had a personal interest in chasing away the demons; he'd performed in Marilyn for all of its 23 shows and Jersey Boys, which lasted a couple of years in the theater.
In last night's drawing for the multistate Powerball lottery at the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee, no one matched the six numbers to win $1.6 billion, the world's largest lotto prize in history. It was the 40th drawing in a row without a jackpot, which also sets a new record for multistate drawings. Tomorrow night's jackpot is estimated at $1.9 billion, a full $314 million more than the previous record of $1.586 billion, shared by three winners in January 2016. The lump-sum payment will be $929.1 million before taxes; the annuity will be $63 million a year for 30 years before taxes. Southern Nevadans have to drive 40 miles out to Primm to buy lottery tickets; according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, 9,000 people bought tickets for last night's drawing, with the line queuing up at 5 a.m. Upwards of 18,000 people have bought tickets at the Lotto Store at Primm in the past week.
The previously announced new hotel tower at M Resort will break ground by this time next year and be completed sometime in 2025, according to Penn Entertainment executives on a third-quarter earnings call late last week. The $206 million 384-room tower will bring the room count to 774 rooms; it will also include a 15,000-square-foot ballroom for an expansion of the M's group-business capacity. Now if they'd only reopen the buffet.
The Houston Astros are -145 favorites over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the MLB World Series. The total is 7.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal's transportation reporter Mick Akers reports that a transition lane that affords motorists two miles to merge from three lanes down to two at the California state line on southbound Interstate 15 is now operational. Work was previously completed for one mile on the California side; paving, rumble strips, and final lane striping are now in place for one mile on the Nevada side. The second phase of the traffic-amelioration project, which will cost $5 million, includes upgrading the next five miles on the California side southbound to the California Department of Food and Agricultural Station, but those plans haven't been finalized.
Howard Hughes Corp. broke ground earlier this week on a 37,000-acre master-planned community that's 60% larger than 22,500-acre Summerlin. It's not in southern Nevada, though; it's located 25 miles west of Phoenix along Interstate 10. Hughes Corp. purchased the scrubland, known as Douglas Ranch and renamed Teravalis, last year for roughly $600 million and will build it out, to the tune of 100,000 houses, 300,000 residents, and 55 million square feet of commercial development, over the next 50-plus years. The grand opening will be toward the end of 2024. Granted, it's not Las Vegas news, but it does concern Las Vegas' largest developer, will out-Summerlin Summerlin, and be a fast four-hour drive once Interstate 11 is completed and Teravalis, with some help from Arizona, builds a feeder highway.
Another tenant has been announced for 63 Las Vegas, which appears to be the official name of the four-story retail complex opening soon between the Cosmopolitan and Shops at Crystals. The Museum of Illusions has announced plans to open a 15,000-square-foot space in the center "in early spring," according to the news release. The Museum of Illusions was launched in Croatia in 2015 and has expanded to 37 cities around the globe; it presents "interactive, immersive, and fun experiences, an unusual and exciting place for all generations. Amusing and awesome tricks will teach you about vision, perception, the human brain, and science, so it will be easier to perceive why your eyes see things that your brain cannot understand." You can check out some photos of the illusions and experiences at the website: museumofillusions.com. The Museum of Illusions is the second tenant (that we're aware of) for 63; the first is Ocean Prime, which will occupy a 14,500-square-foot space will be on the top level, with a 2,500-square-foot rooftop terrace.
The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix Fan Fest runs tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in front of Caesars Palace and both vehicle and foot traffic on the Strip will be severely impacted. Lane closures between the Mirage and Planet Hollywood are in effect now through 5 p.m. Sunday, while the entire Strip will be shut down between Spring Mountain and Harmon Avenue tomorrow 3:30-8 p.m. No traffic will be allowed across the Strip on Spring Mountain, Flamingo, or Harmon and the Flamingo eastbound exits off Interstate 15 will also be closed during that time. Hordes of F1 fans are expected to congregate at Caesars for the free all-day event. Steer clear if you're not attending and don't need to get somewhere within the restricted space and time; if you do, find your way in and out via the back roads.
In its third-quarter earnings call, Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, told analysts and investors that the company won't sell a Strip hotel-casino after all. As the deal in which Reno-based Eldorado Resorts was acquiring Caesars Entertainment for $17.3 billion, much of it debt, was closing, Reeg announced that CZR had enough hotel rooms on the Strip and would be unloading a property to help pay down the debt. Speculation has run rampant ever since on which property would be sold off, finally settling on the Flamingo. But in yesterday's call, Reeg made it official that the sale has been suspended, citing increasing cash flow of the (still unnamed) property, combined with the tighter credit market for the potential buyers (the price was rumored to be $2.5 billion), making it "a very easy decision" to keep the asset.
Ethel M's outdoor garden, Nevada’s largest botanical cactus garden, is decorated with more than a million Christmas lights and holiday decor for the 29th year in a row. It opens tonight to the pubic at 7 p.m. (after a private party) and will remain open from 5 to 10 p.m. through January 1. A family-friendly attraction, visitors can take photos with Santa, enjoy hot chocolate, and grab a quick bite from the food truck. This year, Ethel M is charging a $1 entrance fee per person that will be donated to Help of Southern Nevada and Three Square Food Bank; the display is also collecting toys and non-perishable food items for the charities. The Garden is located at 2 Cactus Garden Drive in Henderson, just east of Sunset Road off S. Mountain Vista.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -14 favorites over the Houston Texans in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 45.
The Houston Astros are -150 favorites over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the MLB World Series. The total is 7.5.
In this week's LVA YouTube Update, Anthony and Andrew return from a week off (it's always hectic at LVA this time of year) to regale you with news about the new million-dollar photo display at Bally's, which is bringing back the free long-time photo op from Binion's as Bally's rebrands as the Horseshoe. You can see Anthony in much younger days with an old flame in photos taken downtown a long time ago. The guys also discuss the evolving Formula 1 ticket and room-rate situation, which is getting out of control with more than a year to go till the race, and Anthony provides an inside look at the Mattress Mack situation, which is also full of big numbers. Find out where you can still play Caribbean Stud in Vegas (hint: nowhere), how many players are left in Circa Survivor, and which casinos have the best quarter and dollar video poker. It's all yours with a click on the arrow.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club has reopened at the LINQ Promenade. The two-story club, located across from Brooklyn Bowl, has been closed since the shutdown in March 2020. Shows will go on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday at 8 and 10, with a midnight show on Saturday.
The long-delayed North American tour by the British Invasion band The Who, "The Who Hits Back!," Tour, concludes in Las Vegas with two shows tomorrow and Saturday nights at Dolby Live at Park MGM. Both surviving original members, Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend, will be joined onstage by The Who's "touring orchestra," consisting of drummer Zak Starkey (Ringo's son), guitarist-vocalist Simon Townshend (Pete’s brother), and a bass and two keyboards, plus backup signers, strings, and even a conductor. The band will play its classic hits and tickets are still available, starting at $97 and rising quickly to $1,448.
The Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies are pick ’em in Game 4 of the MLB World Series. The total is 7.
Over the weekend, a Face Up Pai Gow poker player at the Venetian looked down to see a seven-card straight flush, the 2 through 8 of diamonds (with a joker for the 7) to score the $1,009,601 progressive. Luckily, he or she had made the $5 side bet that qualified the hand for the jackpot.
Las Vegas has rolled out a new pair of advertisements that "encourage" parents to leave their kids at home, so they can take advantage of the adult wonderland without the underagers cramping their style. The spots are 30 and 45 seconds. To us, the first clip, "Grounded," misses the mark by a million miles, demonstrating exactly how not to raise your kids; the longer one, "Storytime," is cuter, making it the child's "choice" not to go to Vegas, albeit by poisoning the poor kid's mind. The ad creators will gauge the response and, if positive, will develop similar spots after the holidays. If you haven't caught the ads on TV (they're playing only in key Vegas cities in California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and New York), see for yourself here.
In support of her blockbuster album Midnights, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 best-selling albums, pop idol Taylor Swift will make a one-night stop at Allegiant Stadium, the second appearance on her "Eras" tour that runs from March into August. She'll play Allegiant on March 25 and tickets will go on sale to the public Nov. 18 at 10 a.m. Prices haven't been disclosed yet. Midnights, which was released on Oct. 21, is already the year’s top-selling album by overall sales and Swift is now the only artist to have five albums debut with more than a million units sold in their first week. She's also won 11 Grammy Awards, including three Albums of the Year; 34 American Music Awards, the most ever; 29 Billboard Music Awards, the most for a woman; and an Emmy for Outstanding Creative Achievement In Interactive Media. It's a good night to avoid the Strip; on that Saturday, March 25, Swift plays to a certain sold-out stadium, Adele appears at the Colosseum at Caesars, and March Madness Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games will be played at T-Mobile Arena.
The Houston Astros are -120 favorites over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of the MLB World Series. The total is 7.5.
The XFL, the pro-football league that meets in the spring, will resume play, after it was suspended in 2020 due to the pandemic, on February 18, one week after the Super Bowl. The official names for the league's eight teams were announced yesterday and the Vegas team will be known as the Vipers. Ron Woodson, an NFL Hall of Famer, Las Vegas resident, and former Oakland Raider, will be the head coach. Woodson won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 and spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Raiders from 2015 to 2017. The team's home venue has yet to be announced.
Price4Limo.com gathered data from Air Travel Consumer Reports and other sources to determine how often luggage is lost and which airlines and airports are the worst offenders. Among airports, the website found that Chicago O'Hare had the most lost luggage, followed by our very own Reid International, then San Diego International, Austin-Bergstrom (TX), and Hatfield-Jackson (Atlanta). The survey didn't post comparative numbers for the airports, but it did for the airlines. Republic (which operates service as American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Express) was the worst, losing 930 bags per 100,000, followed by American (850), Envoy (730), JetBlue (670), PSA (660), Alaska (640), United (620), and Delta (540). Reid's largest carrier, Southwest, placed 14th out of the 17 worst airlines listed, while Allegiant Air ranked 17th. You can read a discussion about delayed bags in our recent Question of the Day on the subject.
Traditionally, the month of November puts high temperatures in the 90s in the rear-view mirror; the record high for the month is 87 (November 1, 1988). But it can definitely get down to the chilly side; the record low is 16 (Nov. 13, 1938). The normal high/low temperatures start out at 73/52 in the beginning of the month and drop steadily to 60/41 at the end. It's typically a dry month, with average rainfall of just under a half-inch over three or four days.