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The Minnesota Vikings are -1 favorites over the Green Bay Packers in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 43.
The 55th annual World Series of Poker will start on May 28 and run through July 17 at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris. The $10,000-buy-in Main Event will take place July 3-17.
In today’s Arizona Bowl, Wyoming is a -5.5 favorite over Toledo. The total is 44.
In today's Orange Bowl, Georgia is a -21.5 favorite over Florida State. The total is 47.5.
In today’s Music City Bowl, Auburn is a -4 favorite over Maryland. The total is 47.5
In today’s Peach Bowl, Penn State is a -6 favorite over Mississippi. The total is 53.
Allegiant Air's twice-weekly flights to and from Reno will end on January 7. The decision "wasn't made lightly," according to the spin, but was made anyway. These ultra-low-cost flights began in 2013 and were very popular with government officials, businesspeople, and students traveling between the northern (especially the capital at Carson City) and southern urban centers of Nevada. We flew them ourselves many times (for fares as low as $25 roundtrip). Allegiant's abandonment leaves Spirit in the ultra-low-cost category and the ubiquitous Southwest as the remaining carriers between Reno and Las Vegas (non-stop).
In today's Cotton Bowl, Ohio State is a -4 favorite over Missouri. The total is 51.
In today’s Liberty Bowl, Iowa State is a -10 favorite over Memphis. The total is 58.5.
The Marvel Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. attraction at Treasure Island has closed. It opened in 2016 and was a precursor to the many interactive exhibits and attractions that have proliferated since.
The venerable Diamond Motel, on the Strip across from Mandalay Bay, will be auctioned off in March. The 48-room motel is among the oldest buildings still standing on the Strip, having opened in 1940 (as the Desert Isle Motel). Its claim to fame has always been the Pink Elephant, which originated in Disneyland sometime in the 1950s. At one time, it emitted a loud trumpet sound, but it caused enough incidents that the county made the owner remove the voice box. Poor Pinkie. The motel, on 1.36 acres, finally closed a few months ago and the property is expected to fetch millions; a 2.2-acre site next door was sold in 2022 for $12.8 million.
In today’s Sun Bowl, Notre Dame is a -5.5 favorite over Oregon State. The total is 40.
In today’s Gator Bowl, Clemson is a -3.5 favorite over Kentucky. The total is 43.5.
According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the number of visitors to Las Vegas in November rose a mere 0.8% over November 2022, an increase of 27,300 arrivals for the month. And even that increase is skewed by the SEMA auto aftermarket trade show earlier in the month that attracted more than 150,000 attendees. Meanwhile, the daily vehicle count at the California-Nevada border was way down. In addition, occupancy rates on the Strip rose by less than two points, from 83.6% in November 2022 to 85.3% last month, while downtown occupancy was 65.6%, a decline of 5.2% year over year. Room rates, on the other hand, set a new record for Las Vegas at $249, an increase of 33.7% year over year, and revenue per available room was a little more than $204, up 34.8% from last year. On the Strip, the average daily room rate was $270, 35% higher than November 2022's $200.
In today’s Alamo Bowl, Arizona is a -2.5 favorite over Oklahoma. The total is 59.5.
The Cleveland Browns are -7 favorites over the New York Jets in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 33.5.
In today’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, Kansas State is a -3 favorite over North Carolina State. The total is 48.5.
It’s almost 2024! NYE fireworks (if the weather permits) will be launched from 9 strip properties: Fontainebleau, STRAT, Resorts World, Treasure Island, Venetian, Caesars Palace, Aria, Planet Hollywood, and MGM Grand.
In today’s Fenway Bowl, SMU is a -13.5 favorite over Boston College. The total is 50.
In today’s Pinstripe Bowl, Rutgers is a -3 favorite over Miami Florida. The total is 41.5.
The Hollywood Reporter has a blurb this morning about the "members-only lifestyle social club" on the 67th floor of the 67-story Fontainebleau, which will open on New Year's Eve for the first time. Called the Poodle Room, it pays homage to the original club at the Miami Fontainebleau, with its "prancing poodle logo on cocktail napkins and swizzle sticks, poodle iconography everywhere, mid-century maximal design, opulent florals, bars serving cocktails in Baccarat glassware, cigar room, and conservatory bathed in natural light." It's also the first we've heard that Josephine the Poodle is the Fontainebleau Las Vegas mascot. Interestingly, an "omakase sushi experience" at the club will be open to the public. No details have been released about the qualifications for Poodle Club membership, though a simple application (name, address, email and phone, and date of birth) is posted at poodleroomlv.com.
We'd say mostly, though not quite stop-you-in-your-tracks overwhelmingly successful. Nevada's eagerly anticipated gross gaming revenue (GGR) numbers for November were released this morning and they indicate that thanks to the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the statewide GGR hit $1.37 billion, an increase of 12.6% over November 2022's GGR, though it was 2.2% short of tying the all-time record for the month, $1.4 billion set last July. However, Strip casinos, where most of the action took place, was up nearly 23% from November 2022's $669.5 million , earning $821 million or 67% of Nevada's total win. Elsewhere, the results weren't so impressive; downtown revenue was down nearly 2% year over year, while the the Boulder Strip declined 2.1%. Locals casinos had a 1% increase and North Las Vegas was basically flat with a half-point increase. Pundits, including us, expect upcoming races to be less impactful (financially and logistically), given that the novelty of the inaugural event is over, ticket and room prices came down substantially off their early optimistic highs, and other races show a dropoff in attendance and profits as years go by.
In today’s Texas Bowl, Oklahoma State is a -4 favorite over Texas A&M. The total is 56.
In today’s Holiday Bowl, Louisville is a -4.5 favorite over USC. The total is 58.
In today’s Mayo Bowl, West Virginia is a -4.5 favorite over North Carolina. The total is 62.
In today’s Military Bowl, Virginia Tech is a -10 favorite over Central Florida. The total is 44.
According to the OAG (Official Airline Guide), Las Vegas-Los Angeles was the busiest domestic flight route at the start of the year, with 3,496,170 scheduled seats on six major and numerous small airlines. At the end of the year, however, that route has dropped to third busiest, with the Atlanta-Orlando route taking second place at 3,515,882 seats. (Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International is the busiest airport in the world.) In first place is Honolulu-Kahului with a whopping 3,612,212 available seats between Oahu and Maui. Third place is certainly notable and Reid International, which turned 75 years old this year, is slated to expand over the next 15 years, according to the Clark County Department of Aviation Airport System Strategic Update, presented a few days ago. The new developments include dividing the terminals into "North" and "South" sections, renaming Terminal 3 as Terminal 2, adding a new terminal, and upgrading Terminal 1. A schedule for Environmental Impact Statements and reviews will be announced soon. Also by 2037, the new Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport out at Jean, 30 miles from the city, will be completed, with the Brightline high-speed train connecting the two airports.
Major League Eating today announced the second-annual Siegel’s Bagelmania World Bagel-Eating Championship on Saturday January 13 starting at 11 a.m. In the inaugural event last year, perennial favorite Joey Chestnut didn't compete; the contest was won by the number-two-ranked competitive eater, Geoff Esper, who consumed 17 and three-quarters bagels with cream cheese in eight minutes. Perennial women's favorite Miki Sudo took first place on the distaff side with 12 and three quarters. This year, Joey Chestnut, along with Geoff and Miki, will compete for the $10,000 in prize money at Siegel's, on Convention Center just in from the Strip. The public is invited to spectate at the deli and will receive a free commemorative T-shirt while supplies last.
In today’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Kansas is a -8 favorite over UNLV. The total is 65.
In today’s First Responder Bowl, Texas State is a -3.5 favorite over Rice. The total is 59.5.
In today’s Quick Lane Bowl, Minnesota is a -2.5 favorite over Bowling Green. The total is 44.
Going into the game an 11-point dog, the Las Vegas Raiders stunned the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, playing at Arrowhead Stadium in KC and winning the game 20-14. Though the offense sputtered, the defense scored two touchdowns within seven seconds of each other, first with a fumble recovery on the Chiefs' eight yard line, then a 33-yeard pick six on the Chiefs' first pass after the kickoff. The Raiders are the first NFL team in 23 years to win without completing a pass after the first quarter and the fifth team to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium without scoring an offensive touchdown. Vegas is now 7-8 and though their playoff odds are slim, they can still get there, but a whole lot of stars need to align for that to happen in the last two weeks of the season.
In today's final Christmas game, the San Francisco 49ers are -6.5 favorites over the Baltimore Ravens. The total is 47.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -14 favorites over the New York Giants in the second of three Christmas games today. The total is 42.
If you saw this week's LVA YouTube Update, you watched as Anthony and Andrew discussed a possible chop among the last 10 contestants in Circa's Survivor winner-take-all football contest. Nine agreed to a partial split, while the 10th, poker pro Sean Perry, refused, claiming he had an edge and was confident he'd scoop the entire $9.3 million prize. So much for hubris: Perry was eliminated yesterday when the hapless New England Patriots (4-11) beat the slightly less hapless Denver Broncos (7-8) with a last-minute field goal. Four players remain after yesterday's results and today's triple header might eliminate one or two more, with one week left in the contest.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -11 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders in the first of three Christmas games today. The total is 40.5.
Merry Christmas from everyone here at Huntington Press and the Las Vegas Advisor. It's crowded in Vegas, though not as busy as it will be next weekend, and everything in the tourist corridor is open and buzzing. Most restaurants are serving what they usually do, though some, such as Siegel's 1941 at El Cortez (three-course turkey dinner for $23.95), are offering more traditional fare. The sports books will be packed all day long with fans watching the NFL triple-header, including the early game with the Raiders at Kansas City. Best of all, Vegas is mostly back to normal, with 90%of the Grand Prix add-ons (grandstands, lighting and cameras, temporary bridges) gone. Careful, though: Metro police and Nevada Highway Patrol troopers are out in force in their annual holiday DUI Blitz.
The Denver Broncos are -7 favorites over the New England Patriots in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 37.5.
We've been getting a lot of questions about the progress of returning the tourist corridor to what it was before all the Formula 1 changes (for the worse). The race took place five weeks ago and things are looking just about the way they were before the changes. The barriers along the entire circuit are gone, as are the scaffolding for the lights and cameras and, believe it or not, all the grandstands and special suite areas except for the last two on Koval Lane. Three of the four temporary bridges have been removed; the one over Koval on Flamingo remains. Finally, even the trees in front of Bellagio have been replanted in their wooden boxes. Lane closures on Harmon Avenue near Koval and in front of Bellagio are still happening, though only late at night, and those are expected to end on Friday in readiness for the next madness of New Year's Eve weekend. All in all, it happened a little faster than expected, though the New Year's Eve crowd did present something of a hard deadline. Lane closures for the Super Bowl will be limited mostly to the front of Bellagio and Allegiant Stadium -- and then we'll wait to see how soon they start again in preparation for the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024.
In this week's LVA YouTube Update, Anthony and Andrew discuss the New Year's Eve fireworks show and the Golden Gate's reopening after a casino refresh. Then they launch into a long discourse about Circa Survivor and the 10 remaining contestants -- out of the original 9,000-plus. Of the 10, nine have agreed to chop the jackpot, splitting up $5 million and setting aside the other $4 million for the winner to take all, while the 10th survivor has so far abstained. In press accounts, the 10th is portrayed as a spoil sport, but Anthony has a different take on it, based on his own pot-chopping shopping. The Jackpot of the Week involves a carnie game, Crazy 4 Poker, that's not often discussed in the vlog, while the Question of the Week corrects a miscalculation on Anthony's part on how much it costs to play an inferior video poker schedule at the Downtown Grand in order to hang out with the good-looking bartenders. Be sure to stick around for the Blooper of the Week at the very end of the video.
In today’s Hawaii Bowl, San Jose State is a -7.5 favorite over Coastal Carolina. The total is 48.
In today’s Las Vegas Bowl, Utah is a -7 favorite over Northwestern. The total is 44.5.
In today’s Ventures Bowl, South Alabama is a -17.5 favorite over Eastern Michigan. The total is 43.
In today’s Armed Forces Bowl, Air Force is a -2.5 favorite over James Madison. The total is 43.
In today’s Potato Bowl, Utah State is a -2.5 favorite over Georgia State. The total is 59.
In today’s Camellia Bowl, Arkansas State is a -2.5 favorite over Illinois State. The total is 53.5.
In today’s Birmingham Bowl, E. Troy is a -6.5 favorite over Duke. The total is 44.
The drawing for the world's richest lottery in terms of the total prize money involved was held in Spain yesterday. Known as El Gordo, or the Fat One, the total prizes were worth 2.6 billion euros (a little less than US$2.9 billion), up 7% from last year's €2.4 billion. Numerous holders of the number for the top prize, 88008, won 400,000 euros or $440,000 (in a slightly complicated structure, the winners of the top ticket win €20,000 for each euro spent on a €20 ticket). In all, 1,600 tickets with the same number are sold at lottery sales points across the country, making it impossible for one person to buy them all. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 100,000 and Spain levies a 20% tax on all prizes over €2,500; thus, the grand-prize winners will take home €325,000 or a little less than $360,000. Spain founded its national lottery as a charity in 1763; the lottery held every Dec. 22 began in 1812.
In today’s Gasparilla Bowl, Central Florida is a -6 favorite over Georgia Tech. The total is 66.5.
Scott “Raja” Richter, a slot influencer with a YouTube channel, on Dec. 17 hit a progressive jackpot on a Dragon Link machine at Palazzo's new high-limit lounge for $1,081,106. A shot of the screen shows a $250 bet, so the jackpot probably got him even. Richter's YouTube channel is called The Big Jackpot and has upwards of 500,000 subscribers.
Clark County Commissioners have passed a resolution that will allow a partnership between the county and Resorts World to build a pedestrian bridge over the Strip. The bridge will span the Strip from the south end of the Resorts World property to Convention Center Drive. No timetable or budget was revealed, but with the approval, the project can now move forward.
The Los Angeles Rams are -4 favorites over the New Orleans Saints in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 45.
In today’s Boca Raton Bowl, Syracuse is a -3 favorite over South Florida. The total is 55.
With Christmas right around the corner, there’s a plentiful list of activities that are open all weekend (12/22-24)
In the first 11 months of 2023, the sports betting handle surpassed $100 billion, a milestone reached in less than six years since it was legalized by the Supreme Court. The November year-to-date total for wagers on sporting events is 7.2% higher than the 2022 handle, which topped out at $93.8 billion. In 2019, the first full year of legalized sports betting, the handle was $13 billion and it's nearly doubled over the past two years, with the handle in 2021 at $57.8 billion. That's how far sports betting has come in a very short time -- and there's no end in sight for its upper limits. Five states entered the sports betting fray in 2023, four of which allow mobile betting from apps.
"America's Party 2024" will climax with a fireworks show launched from nine Strip casinos, one more than in the past, now that Fontainebleau is open and has been included in the display. More than 12,000 individual devices will be used for the eight-minute show, managed by 66 pyrotechnicians. Fireworks will shot off from the roofs of MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Aria, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, Venetian, Resorts World, Fontainebleau, and the Strat. The fireworks will be serenaded by music from Mariah Carey, Banamarama, Bruno Mars, Pitbull, Pink, and more. Downtown, the Plaza will provide the midnight pyrotechnics, while a total of eight musical acts will grace the stages for the $50-admission party. Upwards of 400,000 people are expected to jam the streets and casinos on Sunday night.
Chef Roy Choi and filmmaker-actor Jon Favreau, who collaborated on the hit movie Chef (2014), have opened a food truck at Park MGM, site of Choi's other Vegas restaurant, Best Friend. We haven't seen it yet, but the food truck, named Chef Truck, is located indoors near the casino. The food is inspired by the menu in the movie: grilled cheese, Cubano, chicken, and roast-pork sandwiches, chef's salad, pork bowl, and breakfast burrito ($12-$17), croquettes, chips, and croissants ($4-$7), desserts, and beverages. You might remember Jon Favreau from the 1996 movie Swingers, in which he co-starred with Vince Vaughan. Favreau was the sap who unknowingly sits down at a $100 blackjack table and receives one black chip for his $100 buy-in. Instead of moving tables and breaking the black chip into $5 reds, he plays it and on the first hand is dealt 11. Of course, now he has to double down. After borrowing $100 from his friends, he loses the hand. Now he's out his entire bankroll and owes an equal amount, all in less than a minute. Typical, eh? The Las Vegas exterior scenes were filmed at the Stardust and the interior shots at the Fremont.
Recovered from the transformation of Las Vegas for F1 yet? Good! Because you're just in time to fade more interruptions in preparation for the Super Bowl. Yesterday, the NFL appeared at the County Commission to detail the infrastructure alterations. Due to the global visibility of the event, it's rated a Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) 1, the highest level of security, by the feds. Thus, a 300-foot perimeter wall around Allegiant Stadium will be installed, necessitating lane closures starting January 8, including Polaris, Russell, and the whole Hacienda Bridge. In addition, platforms will be built over the Bellagio Fountains, where a week's worth of TV will be produced. Lanes will be closed on the Strip to facilitate construction, but only on Jan. 3 and 4. After the months of disruptions for the Grand Prix, these are almost a relief.
Multiple people on Vegas forums are reporting that they received an email yesterday confirming that the schedule for converting Cosmopolitan's Identity players club to MGM Rewards has been further delayed until "later in 2024." This process has proved more difficult than originally anticipated and the cyberattack on MGM in October complicated the issue further.
In today’s Frisco Bowl, UTSA is a -6.5 favorite over Marshall. The total is 47.
An article in this morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal quotes a Caesars Entertainment regional president as saying, "I've been working for Caesars in Las Vegas for seventeen years and the demand for Super Bowl is unlike anything we've ever seen before." Three-night minimums are quoted for Caesars properties: Harrah's $1,663, Flamingo $1,697, Horseshoe $1,731, Linq $1,969, Planet Hollywood $2,023, Paris $2,420, and Cromwell $3,089. (Caesars Palace is the official NFL hotel and no rooms were available for any price.) The rates are nonrefundable and don't include resort fees or parking. The Super Bowl typically generates around $500 million in economic activity in Las Vegas; this year with Vegas hosting the Big Game, including all the ancillary events, it's expected to reach $1 billion over the weekend. The room rates will certainly help that cause.
An alternate groundbreaking ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at Area15 for the long-planned 20-acre 110,000-square-foot expansion of the popular new-age mall. According to the press release, the first wall of the expansion will "ascend" at 7 a.m. We're not exactly sure how that will happen, but apparently, it will launch the construction phase of the project. The expansion will encompass "immersive experiences, curated retail, unique entertainment, and adventurous food and beverage destinations." In addition is the Universal horror attraction and work is already underway on a cannabis lounge.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -4.5 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 47.
As it does every year during the holidays, South Point is running its “Pay Less with Your Points” promo, during which almost everything is half-price when you use club points. This includes all restaurants and bars, rooms, shows, bingo, bowling, spa and salon, movies, and the gift shop. Drinks at the bars are $2 ($1 with points). The promo runs through December 23.
In today’s Tostery Bowl, Old Dominion is a -4.5 favorite over Western Kentucky. The total is 48.5.
A story in the Las Vegas Sun reports that the wedding chapels are booked solid for New Year's Eve. It's always one of the busiest nights of the year for the marriage business, with wedding-attired couples joining an already-major party with hordes of celebrants and fireworks. But this year is extra special, given the numerical sequence of the date: 12/31/23 or 1-2-3-1-2-3. The Clark County Marriage License Bureau is predicting that the date might come close to, but probably won't break, the record number of weddings, which was set on July 7, 2007, or 0-7-0-7-0-7; upwards of 4,500 ceremonies took place that day. Second place was Nov. 11, 2011, 1-1-1-1-1-1, with 3,125 ceremonies. as it does most years to handle the thousands of last-minute license seekers, the county will offer a pop-up marriage license bureau Dec. 26-31 at Reid International.
As we reported when it was announced last week, the Golden Gate will be closed today through Friday for a casino-wide refresh. Reopening on Saturday, the GG will hold a party, for which patrons are invited to wear "holiday attire" and join the casino's annual Santa Helper's event, as they enjoy complimentary drinks from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Baltimore Ravens are -4 favorites over the Jacksonville Jaguars in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 42.5.
The R-J's entertainment columnist, John Katsilometes, reports this morning that plans for the Oakland A's new stadium on the grounds of the Tropicana include selections of artwork from team owner John Fisher's family collection, renowned as "among the world’s greatest collections of contemporary art." The more than 1,100 works, most from the '60s and featuring pieces from Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, Richard Serra, and Andy Warhol, among many others, were purchased originally by Fisher's parents, Don and Doris, co-founders of The Gap clothing stores. Kats cites "multiple" unnamed sources who've discussed the plans, of which "developing an art program in Las Vegas" is a part.
An article in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal covers the local chess landscape and notes that Las Vegas has been "a regular part of the United States Chess tournament scene at least back to the 1960s.” This season, like most, of the four largest national tournaments, two will be held in Vegas, including the 33rd annual North American Open Dec. 26-30 and the National Open June 5-9, plus the 32nd annual North American Blitz on Dec. 29. The tournament consists of nine matches, with one point awarded for a win, a half-point for a draw, and none for a loss. Cash prizes are awarded to the top finishers. More than 1,000 players, including grandmasters, international masters, and senior champions from around the country, are expected to participate, up from 664 in 2014 and a record 985 last year. The growth of over the past several years is attributed mostly to the pandemic shutdown and the popularity of the Netflix show "The Queens Gambit."
Leon Edwards is a -155 favorite over Colby Covington in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Alexandre Pantoja is -210 over Brandon Royval.
In today’s Independence Bowl, Texas Tech is a -3.5 favorite over California. The total is 55.
In today’s LA Bowl, UCLA is a -6.5 favorite over Boise State. The total is 47.
In today’s New Mexico Bowl, New Mexico State is a -3 favorite over Fresno State. The total is 52.5.
In today’s Cure Bowl, Appalachian State is a -6 favorite over Miami Ohio. The total is 41.
In today's New Orleans Bowl, Jacksonville State is a -3.5 favorite over UL Lafayette. The total is 58.5.
If you're at all into the latest and greatest in Vegas, this one's not to miss. For the first time in two and a half years, a new casino has opened on the Strip and for the first time in recent memory, two new major casinos, nearly $5 billion worth between them, opened within a week of each other. Anthony and Andrew went to both Durango, nine miles from the Strip, and Fontainebleau, on the north Strip, and spend the whole 20 minutes talking about their impressions. We won't spoil it for you, just enough to say that both are extremely impressive, one is for gamblers while the other isn't, each has a shocking departure from a sacrosanct casino design element, and one features an amazing food hall while the other's is mediocre. Tune in for dozens more details about the new must-sees in town.
In today’s Celebration Bowl, Florida A&M is a -7.5 favorite over Howard. The total is 49.5.
The college football bowl season starts today with the Myrtle Beach Bowl, where Georgia Southern is a -2.5 favorite over Ohio. The total is 48. We’ll be posting lines for most of the bowls in this space.
Bruno Mars can't get enough of Dolby Live, Park MGM, and Las Vegas. The current residency was slated to end in August, but Mars added five shows this month, all sold out, and has now added five Dolby Live dates in February: 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9 (the Friday night before the Super Bowl). Tickets to the public are available now. Bruno and MGM Resorts have also teamed up to open a Mars-fused lounge and jazz bar, the Pinky Ring, at Bellagio, which will open early next year.
The 400,000-square-foot retail-dining-entertainment center going up fast on the location of the former Hawaiian Marketplace was topped off yesterday when the last metal beam was installed on the top (fourth) level. In addition, the first three tenants for the center were announced: Adidas, Puma and H&M. BLVD is on schedule to open sometime in 2025.
A mere four days after losing to the Minnesota Vikings 3-0, the lowest-scoring NFL game in 53 years, the Las Vegas Raiders exploded for 35 points in the first half of last night's contest against the Los Angeles Chargers. The game, which ended with a score of 63-21, set several records for both teams and the NFL. It was the most points scored in the first half by a team that lost its last game by a shutout in league history. The 42-0 score after two quarters is not only the largest lead in Raiders' history, it's also tied for the second-largest halftime lead in the entire history of the NFL. In their last four games, the Raiders have scored a total of 46 points; they surpassed 46 early in the third quarter. They scored nine touchdowns, including two on defense, with one of the most spectacular pick-sixes imaginable and one by the big lumbering nose guard who scooped up a fumble and looked like a sprinter in his mad dash to the end zone. Eight different Raiders scored a touchdown, the most by any team in a game since the Rams in 1950, and three scored their first career touchdown. And it was all on national TV, broadcast on Prime TV's Thursday Night Football; in addition to the thrilling win, it was the greatest commercial for Las Vegas we've ever seen. Even the upcoming Super Bowl will have a hard time competing with it. The Raiders are now 6-8 and great game notwithstanding, their chances of making the playoffs range from 0.3% to 3%, depending on whose power index you're looking at. Meanwhile, the Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights continue their record tear, leading their division, conference, and the entire NHL with a record of 20-5 and 45 points.
Guy Fieri is sponsoring a major tailgate promotion prior to this season's Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Touted as "part food festival, part music festival," the celebrity chef and TV personality is putting on Guy's Flavortown Tailgate next to Caesars Forum and the High Roller observation wheel at the Linq Promenade from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday. The party will provide food and drink, including alcoholic, from more than two dozen pop-up stations, along with performances from country-music singer Dustin Lynch and DJ Diplo. Admission is -- can you believe it? -- free, but if you're older than 13, you'll need a ticket to get in. You can go here to register for one. Tickets for VIP tables are also available, starting at -- can you believe it? -- $7,500.
The Las Vegas Raiders are -3 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 35.
Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
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With the rodeo still in town, there is no shortage of country entertainment this weekend.
If country isn’t your thing, don’t worry! There’s still plenty to do.
As we wrote about in today's Question of the Day, here's an example of our finding something pretty amazing that only you're seeing for now. Unlike all the other high-end properties that ding you for 2-, 3-, and even 4-night minimums over the New Year's long weekend, you you can stay at Fontainebleau for Sunday night only. And for a brand new ultra-high-end resort casino, they're charging way less than we expected for the night: $400. Of course, with the resort fee and all, the total comes to $504. But that's as good as you'll get at this late date for the shiniest and newest property on the Strip, which has been open less than 24 hours. Take advantage if you want and can.
Legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan will do four shows at the Virgin next year, two over Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 9 and 10) and two during March Madness (March 22 and 23). The rap collective of nine members was formed on Staten Island exactly 30 years ago and since then has been widely hailed as the greatest hip-hop group of all time. Their 1993 debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), likewise, is considered at the top hip-hop-album heap. The Virgin press release calls them "the most storied group in hip-hop history." The pre-sale (use the code CREAM) is underway on AXS' website and general-public tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. PST.
The very very VERY long-awaited grand opening of Fontainebleau (originally announced in 2005) takes place this evening with a private party. Then the doors swing wide open to the public at 11:45 p.m. It's rumored (never confirmed) that Justin Timberlake will perform for the invitation-only early crowd. As for parking, the parking garage doesn't open until 1 a.m. Self-parking is included in the resort fee paid by hotel guests, while everyone else is good for four hours free; it's $20 for 4-24 hours. Fontainebleau occupies 25 acres where the Thunderbird opened in 1948; it was renamed Silverbird for a bit, then El Rancho, which closed in 1992. The last piece of El Rancho, the 13-story tower, was imploded in October 2002 at 2:30 a.m. Construction of Fontainebleau began in 2007 and the 67-story tower was topped off in November 2008, 70% completed, but it was literally all downhill from there. Due to the Great Recession, the project went bankrupt in June 2009. A year later, Carl Icahn bought it out of bankruptcy, stripped and sold off everything of value, and resold the place in 2017 to the Witkoff Group, which planned to open it as the Drew in 2022. Unfortunately, COVID intervened, construction was halted in March 2020 right at the shutdown, and the hulk continued to sit unattended and unlamented until the original developer bought it back 16 years after initially owning it. Congratulations to Fontainebleau Development for finally bringing this project to fruition. And good luck! We'll be covering it in detail in the February LVA.
We received some feedback on yesterday's QoD that has brought us up to date on the name "Naked City" for the low-rent district around the Strat. All these years we've believed in what turns out to be a myth, based on a misreading of our source, John L. Smith's No Limit -- The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Tower. In making another point, John L. mentions in passing, "Naked City is said to have received its name as a tribute to showgirls." He's not claiming any veracity, but we missed the nuance and have gone blithely along ever since. In the comments to yesterday's QoD, Henry wrote that this is a myth that has been debunked several times.l That got our attention. Then, Vegas historian extraordinaire and frequent source and correspondent of ours, Jeff of VintageLasVegas.com, wrote to tell us that also fell for the myth at first. "Back in 2022, I published some photos I found of suntanning showgirls and stupidly captioned the photos as being in Naked City, which was just a guess. When I realized the photos were taken elsewhere, I ended up doing a deep dive into that origin story. The earliest case of someone using 'Naked City' for Las Vegas was pretty clear – during a spike in murders in the summer of 1982; the name was adopted by local news. The first time I've found the showgirls story used is by former Councilman Steve Miller in the late '80s when they were trying to improve the image of the area. Many others who lived around here in the '60s-'70s never heard this name." You can see Jeff's piece (and see the sunbathing showgirls if you like) here. We always appreciate hearing from Jeff, clearing up misconceptions about our knowledge of Las Vegas, and being able to officially correct ourselves.
SmartAsset.com, the consumer-focused financial-information and advice site, conducted a survey of the 268 largest U.S. cities to see where Baby Boomers, between the ages of 55 and 74, are moving when they relocate. They examined the data from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey to come up with the list of cities with 100,000 or more population. Cities were ranked by the percentage of the total population represented by Boomers who moved there in 2022. The number-one destination was Clearwater, Florida; nearly four percent of people moving there in 2022, 4,400, were Boomers and they make up 27% of the population. Reno ranked second at 3.1% of people moving there and 23.1% of the population. The other eight in the top ten were Florida's Orlando (#3), Cape Coral (#4), and St. Petersburg (#10); Surprise (#6) and Mesa (#8), Arizona; Billings (#5), Montana; Henderson (#7), Nevada; and High Point ($9), North Carolina.
Corey Levitan, the excellent reporter for Casino.org, has a story today about a 55-year-old Flamingo pylon sign. When it was removed in 1987 to make room for O'Shea's, it was stashed away in storage by Hilton Corporation for 16 years. In 2003, it was donated to the Neon Museum and has been sitting in pieces in the boneyard ever since. Now the sign will be restored and put on proper display by May. You can see several photos and read the entire history on the page.
To unimpede the five-figure views of the F1 race from the Bellagio Fountain Club, the trees closest to the Strip were cut down. Those are gone forever. The trees closest to the lake were contained in large wooden boxes; they were pulled up and moved to the south side of the property across from the Jockey Club for safekeeping. With the Fountain Club and attending grandstands dismantled three weeks after the race, workers were seen yesterday reinstalling those trees in their spots by the lake. In addition, pedestrians can now walk in front of Bellagio and see the fountain shows for the first time since August, rather than being detoured through the casino or having to cross the Strip twice.
A groundbreaking ceremony took place yesterday for the long-planned second hotel tower at M Resort. When completed in "mid-2025" after 18 months of construction, the $200 million 384-room tower will bring the total number of rooms and suites at M Resort to 774. It will also expand meetings space; some amenities will be upgraded.
In the second of tonight's simultaneously played Monday Night Football double-header, the Green Bay Packers are -5.5 favorites over the New York Giants. The total is 37.
In the first of tonight's simultaneously played Monday Night Football double-header, the Miami Dolphins are -13.5 favorites over the Tennessee Titans. The total is 45.
The Las Vegas Raiders lost a squeaker at home yesterday to the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 3-0 on a 36-yard field goal with less than two minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Never mind the pathetic offenses on both sides; we got curious about the lowest-scoring games in NFL history. The Vikings' field goal saved the game from ending at 0-0. A total of 73 pro-football games ended with no score, but the last time that happened was 80 years ago (Giants-Lions 1943). Five games wound up with a score of 2-0, but again, that hasn't occurred since 1938. As for 3-0, yesterday's game was the seventh since 1971 (in the modern "Super Bowl era" since the AFL was absorbed by the NFL) and the first since 2007. The under bettors got the money (joke). The Raiders' record dropped to 5-8, while the Vikings' improved to 7-6. The Raiders have four days off before their next game against the L.A. Chargers at home on Thursday Night Football (viewable nationally on Prime TV), then they travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Christmas Day.
Fontainebleau Las Vegas (pronounced Fountainblue) makes its grand entrance to the north Strip scene on Wednesday; it opens to the public at 11:59 p.m. The 67-story resort-casino, the tallest inhabitable building in Nevada, has 3,644 hotel rooms and suites, a massive 150,000-square-foot casino with 1,300 slots and 128 table games, three dozen dining and drinking outlets, 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, plus theater, night- and dayclubs, pools, spa, and retail and an interior design unified by bowties (honoring the architect of the Miami Fontainebleau, who wore one daily). The players club is called Fontainebleau Rewards and the details were just released this morning; you can see them here. It's paid parking, though we haven't seen any of the fees yet. We'll get there as soon as we can and provide at least a preliminary report in the January LVA.
The Dallas Cowboys are -3.5 favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 52.5.
It comes as no surprise, but as far as we know, the direct emailer from the Plaza yesterday touting its New Year's Eve celebration is the first official word that the downtown hotel-casino will put on its "jaw-dropping live fireworks show" at midnight December 31. The Plaza can be counted on to put up the show every year, the only downtown casino to do one. The viewing party from the second-floor pool deck is the best viewing spot, though it's open only to hotel guests. The big party will be at the Sand Dollar Downtown bar and lounge, with a special dinner at Oscar's Steakhouse. An announcement about the fireworks display on the Strip for America's Party should be coming any day now.
Firecreek Crossing, the first new casino that would have been built in Reno since 1995, has been delayed. Plans were filed with the city in November 2022 for a hotel-casino on a long-vacant lot owned by Station Casinos at one of Reno's busiest intersections (S. Virginia and Kietzke near I-580). The developer, southern California-based real estate company Elevation Entertainment, issued a brief statement citing "the challenging financial market." The rest of the statement sounds like a kiss-off: "If and when the time is right, we would love to bring a first-class product to the market." You can read more about this project in our QoD.
Copa América is the every-four-year soccer championship organized by South America's football ruling body CONMEBOL. The 2024 games, the 48th edition, will be held in the U.S. from June 20 to July 14; it's the second time for the States as host after the debut in 2016. The winner of the tournament will compete (in 2025) in the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions against the UEFA Euro 2024 winner. Three games will take place at Allegiant Stadium: Ecuador vs. Jamaica on June 26 and Paraguay vs. Brazil on June 28, then a semi-finals game on July 6. Tickets will go on sale in mid-January, but the presale sign-up is already in progress on www.CopaAmerica.com.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform for one night in Las Vegas next year, the first time "the Boss" has rocked Sin City in more than 20 years. They'll appear at T-Mobile on Friday March 22 and tickets go on sale to the public on Thursday at AXS.com.
Quarterbacks have won college football’s Heisman Trophy 10 of the last 12 years and that trend figures to continue when the winner is announced tonight. Jayden Daniels (LSU) is the solid favorite at -1400, Michael Penix, Jr. (Washington) is +900, Bo Nix (Oregon) is +2200, and Marvin Harrison, Jr. (Ohio State) is +20000.
In a departure from both the usual LVA Weekly Update and the occasional Beer Fridays, Anthony and Andrew sit down with the inimitable Jean Scott, author of the Frugal Gambler series of Huntington Press books and long-time friend, going back nearly 35 years. This "Egg Nog Thursdays" is a fun 37 minutes, in which you can see the guys' excitement at having Jean on the show. It's a far-ranging interview, starting with the opening of Durango and so much traffic that Anthony and Andrew couldn't get in, plus why people flock to casino opening days. From there, Jean talks about her Diamond Elite comps for this trip, launching her gambling career at the blackjack tables, her favorite video poker games, the favorite of all her books, winning a car in a drawing on camera on "48 Hours," her take on slot influencers, and much more. If you're a Jean Scott fan (and who isn't?), don't miss this one.
The Golden Gate is closing on Monday Dec. 18 for five days in order to replace all the carpeting. It will reopen on Friday Dec. 22, with a\ reopening "open-bar bash" on Saturday the 23rd from 6 to 8 p.m. Hotel rooms are unavailable Thursday the 17th through Wednesday the 27th.
Reid International Airport is one of a dozen Transportation Security Administration “Innovation Sites” for assessing new technology and procedures, a testing airport for screening technology TSA plans to introduce. It offers "a high-volume of unseasoned travelers passing through its terminals every day," according to Homeland Security, proving to be "an ideal working laboratory for enhancing safety and security and refining operational efficiencies." The latest tech being tested, however, has us scratching our heads a bit. The system allows PreCheck passengers to complete the screening process with minimal to no assistance from TSA agents. "Travelers will use carry-on screening systems at individual consoles or screening lanes [by] themselves, reducing the number of pat downs and bag inspections [agents] need to perform and freeing their time to be reallocated to the busier aspects of screening operations." Hm. The devil, of course, is in the details, but the concept eludes us for now. So passengers will be on on the honor system to alert authorities if they find something suspicious in their own carry-on luggage? It reminds us of the controversy early in the enhanced-screening process after 9/11 over checking pilots for guns -- to prevent them from hijacking their own airplanes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are -5.5 favorites over the New England Patriots in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 30.
Flying a little under the radar is the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, the semifinals of which are being played at T-Mobile Arena today. The Milwaukee Bucks play the Indiana Pacers at 2 p.m., then the Los Angeles Lakers play the New Orleans Pelicans at 6 p.m. The winners will meet in the finals at T-Mobile on Saturday. These are the first non-exhibition NBA games played in Las Vegas since 1992.
Jean Scott of Frugal Gambler fame will be at the Downtown Grand today for a meet-and-greet starting at 2 p.m. Jean will answer questions and sign autographs until 5, when she'll play in the Grand's video poker tournament. The LVA crew will be there. Come on down and hang out.
From numerous news sources, it appears that the gunman on the UNLV campus yesterday was a 67-year-old academic "with ties to schools in Georgia and North Carolina," who had applied for a professorship at the university, but wasn't hired. He opened fire at an outdoor gathering of students, killing three people and wounding a fourth. All the victims were faculty and staff; no students were injured. Metro police responded "within minutes," engaging and killing the shooter. One as-yet-unnamed officer is being hailed for his courage under fire. Opening night for NFR, held on the campus and scheduled for tonight, has been canceled; further details about scheduling are expected to be announced this morning.
Four dates have been added to the "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere" residency, which bring the total number of shows since launching in late September to 40. The last dates will be Feb. 23 and 24 and March 1 and 2. The presales are just about over; general-public tickets go on sale tomorrow at 11 a.m. PT. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Sphere Entertainment reported $30.7 million in revenue from 17 U2 performances through November 30, averaging $1.8 million per concert.
After a successful residency at Park MGM in March and April, then again in July and August, three-time Grammy winner Maroon 5 will launch another 16-show run at Dolby Live on May 17. The dates are May 17, 18, 22, 25, 26, 29, and 31; June 1; September 27 and 28; and October 2, 4, 5, 9, 11, and 12. Tickets go on sale on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT. Various presales are also available.
The National Finals Rodeo kicks off tomorrow and will run through Saturday Dec. 16 at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus. It's the 37th out of the past 38 years the Super Bowl of rodeo has been held in Las Vegas (the 2020 event was in Texas to circumvent Nevada's stricter COVID protocols). The prize pool is $11.5 million, $600,000 more than last year's. Tickets for all 10 days are sold out and 175,000 fans are expected to attend. Traffic will be rough on E. Tropicana Avenue for the duration. Cowboy Christmas, the western-themed gift show, runs concurrently at the Convention Center and will be open daily 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The show will occupy both the Central and South halls this year, expanding by 300,000 square feet over last year's event that was held in the South Hall alone. Upwards of 300,000 people are expected to shop the products of more than 450 exhibitors.
The National Hockey League has announced that it will hold its 2024 Draft in the Sphere. The announcement yesterday steals a bit of thunder from the UFC, which is holding a fight there in September in conjunction with Mexican Independence Day and hoped to be the first sporting event in the building, but it helps to show that the new arena can be considered more than just a concert venue and movie theater. It will be the last in-person NHL draft; starting in 2025, the draft will be decentralized, with the teams handling their picks from their home cities.
News outlets are reporting today that Brightline, the long-proposed high-speed rail line between southern California and Las Vegas, is receiving $3 billion in public funding from the $16.4 billion for passenger rail projects as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a signature program of the Biden Administration's economic agenda. The money, released by the federal Department of Transportation, will allow Brightline to break ground on the line, which it's touting in signage surrounding the property on Las Vegas Blvd. across from the Premium Outlets South earmarked for the train station. Brightline has announced that it hopes to complete the rail line by the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will take place in Los Angeles.
The Bellagio Conservatory and Horticultural Garden winter display has been unveiled. The theme is The Nutcracker and features plenty of illuminated conifers, toy soldiers, the Mouse King, a ballerina, an Earth mother and daughter, Sleeping Beauty, a toy train, and the usual profusion of flowers, Christmas packages and ornaments, and ribbons and bows. It runs through January 7, when it will be replaced by a Year of the Dragon display celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Station Casinos' glittering new $780 million Durango Casino and Resort in the southwest valley opens its doors to the public at 10 a.m. this morning. In the pre-opening hubbub, Station executives have positioned the property as "affordable luxury." From what we've seen, it's definitely luxurious, but their definition of affordable is different from ours. Case in point: Rates listed on the website for the 200 rooms in the hotel between now and the end of January range from $399 to $599 a night. In addition, it's been widely reported that the company expects the Durango to become the highest-margin property in its portfolio. (We can't wait to see the prices in the food hall.) The 83,000-square-foot casino has 2,300 slots and 63 table games and Station is touting its high-limit room. Though Station properties average a 75% local customer base, it's clear they're aiming for the cream of that crop and it's not lost on the staff; Station says it received 30,000 applications and conducted 8,000 interviews to hire the 1,400 employees.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are -10 favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 41.
We’ve never seen (or heard of) an $8 casino chip … until now. Downtown Grand is releasing an $8 commemorative chip this week in conjunction with the start of this year’s National Final Rodeo. The “8” signifies the number of seconds a bull rider has to stay on without being bucked off to score points. You can see the promo video for the chip here.
For the 21st straight year, Ellis Island is serving its homemade egg nog (contains alcohol). It took 26,000 eggs and almost 1,000 bottles of premium booze to make this year’s batch. Order the holiday nog at the bar for $10 per glass or $40 per bottle that you can take out.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -5 favorites over the Green Bay Packers in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 43.
The four teams in the College Football National Championship are, in seed order, Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama. In the two semi-final games, Michigan is a -2.5 favorite over Alabama and Texas is -4.5 over Washington. Both games will be played on New Year’s Day.
Arman Tsarukyan is a -300 favorite over Beneil Dariush in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Jalin Turner is -170 over Bobby Green.
This one goes way back, so far into history that we're not going to describe it for you. You just have to see this 3:02 video that introduces "The Ed Sullivan Show" on July 6, 1958. Sullivan was doing four weeks of taping from the Desert Inn and it's pretty amusing to see what the TV host and syndicated gossip columnist was focused on -- and adds his patented brand of hype to -- in the middle of the long hot Vegas summer of 1958. Don't miss these three minutes; they'll make your day. And thanks to LVA correspondent extraordinaire, xy, for the link.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh paid out the largest bad-beat jackpot in U.S. history in August 2022 at $1.2 million. On Thursday, 15 months later, it paid out one that was almost as much: $905,622. Two western Pennsylvania poker players won the top two prizes when one's quad aces were beat by a diamond royal flush. The aces won 40% of the jackpot, for $362,250, while the royal won 30% for $271,686. The other six players at the table each received $45,281. The Rivers poker room also awards a bonus for a royal, but the player couldn’t claim both the bad-beat payout and the royal bonus.
Nevada's revenue bandwagon continued rolling in October, setting a record for the month at $1.31 billion statewide. It was the 32nd month in a row that Silver State casinos have won $1 billion or more. Near-record visitation helped boost the average room rate in Las Vegas, which also set a record at $233.22, an 11.1% increase over October 2022. On the Strip, it was even higher, $251.42.
Reid International set a new all-time record for the number of passengers transiting the airport in a single month in October. The 5.47 million passengers beat the previous record of 5.18 million passengers in October 2022 by 5.7%. Also, four of the five highest passenger counts in a month have been recorded this year, in March, May, July, and of course October; the fifth was October of last year. The numbers keep going up due to a resurgence of visitation, especially from abroad, since the pandemic, more convention attendees, and the continuing population increases, with more residents traveling more. The roughly 300,000 passengers passing through the airport from international flights were the most in a single month since January 2020, just before the pandemic.
Normally, the month of December has a very narrow temperature range. The average highs start out at 59 and spend a few days at 58 and 57 before settling down at 56 through the rest of the month. Similarly, the lows are 41 to 39 through the first 13 days of the month, then stay at 38 through New Year's Eve. The record highs and lows, of course, have a much broader range: from 78 (Dec. 2, 1940) all the way down to 11 (Dec. 23, 1990). Average precipitation is .6 of an inch.