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In a study conducted by AlcoholDelivered.com about the cost of a case of beer (24 12-ounce servings) in every state. Nevada ranked number 8 at $22.62. Alaska placed first at $33.62, followed by Wyoming, Hawaii, Montana, and Tennessee ($24.03-$28.78). Cheapest was Illinois at $16.43 a case, with South Carolina, New York, Rhode Island, and Kansas in the bottom five ($16.54-$17.30).
Another sale is reportedly near finalized for the downtown Western, which has been shuttered since 2012. While the prospective buyer hasn’t been disclosed, it’s described as a company with 200 properties in 20 states (not Nevada) that’s known for “renovating properties and bringing them back to their glory days.”
It’s been a poorly kept secret for months that the Downtown Grand is for sale, but there’ve been no apparent takers until now. Nothing appears solid at this point, but it’s been reported that Penske Media, which owns Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines, is in discussions to buy the property, with plans to create a Rolling Stone-branded resort. Of course, a music-centric casino is nothing new, as proved by the previous and pending Hard Rocks.
Starting today and continuing through April, road closures and lane restrictions will be in effect in various places on Interstate 15 between the Tropicana and Warm Springs exits. For the next few days, only two lanes will be open in both directions along that stretch between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.; that extends to Flamingo Monday-Thursday nights. Additionally, on and off ramps at Harmon, Russsell, and Warm Springs will be closed at different times and Frank Sinatra Drive will have one lane open April 13-18. Be prepared for slowdowns throughout the month or check your GPS for alternate routes.
Dennis Conrad is a name that many LVA readers are familiar with. His career in the casino biz spans five decades, starting as a crap dealer and working his way up to director of marketing. He's also a gambler, author, and fast talker extraordinaire and he hosted two parties for LVA subscribers in the early '90s when he was at Harrah's, which are still legendary. You can get a load of his extensive credentials and limitless stories right here at the white arrow. It's a whirlwind!
Brandon Moreno is a -280 favorite over Steve Erceg in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Manuel Torres is -130 over Drew Dober.
Toca Madera in the Shops at Crystals in CityCenter is running an interesting gambling promotion; we can't remember the last time we saw one of those at a restaurant, especially a high-end one. “Roll the Dice” is the promo during brunch, served Fri.-Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Every dining party gets to roll two dice one time and if it comes up 33 (a nod to Noble 33 hospitality group), brunch for the table is free. It’s worth about $5.50 in EV for a $200 check, but the promo covers up to $1,500, which boosts the potential value of this proposition to $42. Noble 33 has come up with a cool Vegas-esque promo, along with its excellent happy hour weekdays.
A “Chipps and Salsa” Sunday brunch is now available at the LINQ, where the Chippendales perform. The "deal," such as it is, is an opportunity to combine a 1 p.m. brunch with the 2:30 p.m. show. The price for the non-buffet brunch at the LINQ's Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar is $70 per person (including tax and tip) and comes with all-you-can-drink mimosas, sangria, and margaritas (one-hour limit) and your choice of three items from the somewhat limited menu (parfait, fruit bowl, pancakes, French toast, guac toast, tacos, and quesadillas). To us, it sounds like a convenient way to get good and intoxicated for the male revue, with some food in your belly so you don't fall down before you get to the Mat Franco Theater.
Two paid-membership clubs are on their way to the Vegas entertainment scene. Doberman is scheduled to open this month in the Arts District. Zero Bond, an established club out of New York City, has been planning to open at the Wynn sometime this year for some time now. Membership fees for Doberman are $750 initiation and $3,000 per year. Announced fees for Zero Bond are $1,000-$50,000 (not a typo) initiation and $2,750-$7,500 per year. Non-members will be allowed to patronize Doberman (that’s the option we’ll be choosing).
Tripadvisor has released its Top 25 Travel Destinations in the U.S. for 2025 and Las Vegas ranks at number three. The list is based on "consistently high ratings and positive traveler reviews over the past year." The review site cited Vegas' Michelin-starred restaurants, extravagant scenery, 24/7 wedding chapels, immersive art experiences, and outdoor recreation. Number one is New York City, followed by Oahu, Hawaii, the Florida Keys at four, then New Orleans, Nashville, San Francisco, Chicago, Charleston (South Carolina), and Washington, D.C., to round out the top 10.
The opening of the Grand Prix Plaza on Harmon that was scheduled for March 29 has been pushed back to May 2. The reason given was to “ensure an excellent guest experience.”
Today is opening day for Major League Baseball. The New York Yankees are the favorite to win in the American League at +400 and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to win in the National League at +135. The Dodgers are a short +200 favorite to win the World Series. BetMGM reports that the Dodgers drew the highest-ever percentage of preseason bets to win the World Series at 37%, well above the previous record of 21.7% on the New York Mets in 2022.
We're a little more than halfway through the current poll on Las Vegas' best players club. Now that the polls are irregularly scheduled, they can be hard to find, so here's a link that takes you right there. We're currently at around 350 votes (you can select only one choice) and we're hoping to hit 400. The poll closes on Tuesday and the results will be posted on Friday.
The official Las Vegas thermometer at Reid International hit 90 degrees yesterday in the mid-afternoon. it was the first day of the year that broke out of the 80s. It's hardly a record; in 2007, the first 90-degree day was on March 13, a full two weeks earlier. However, it was the fifth earliest date that southern Nevada recorded the milestone in 93 years and Las Vegas has hit 90 in March 12 times all told. And look out, because triple digits here we come.
Superstar singer and actress Lady Gaga will play two dates at T-Mobile Arena on July 16 and 18 as part of her tour, "The MAYHEM Ball," to support her latest album, Mayhem, released earlier this month. It will be her first arena tour in seven years. Tickets go on sale to the public Thursday April 3.
According to the National Weather Service, there's a 75% chance that the high temperature today in Las Vegas will reach 90 degrees for the first time in 2025. Death Valley hit 100 yesterday, Phoenix 99, in this spring heat wave that's expected to be shortlived; temperatures return to normal, in the 70s, by the weekend. But it's shaping up to be another hot one: Las Vegas' first 80-degree day was on Feb. 3 and it was the third-warmest February since official records began in 1937.
The Three Affiliated Tribes, a tribal nation on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, is making a bit of a splash here lately. The tribe has been buying up Las Vegas real estate, including 23 acres with Strip frontage across from Luxor, over the past several years. Spokespeople for the tribe have been mum about plans for the properties until recently, when a "pre-review" application was submitted to Clark County, sort of a sneak preview of the eventual full application. According to the Review-Journal, it shows a $2 billion development, including a hotel-casino, convention center, theater, and 15,000-20,000-seat arena. The arena is getting the most attention, rumored that the Vegas Golden Knights might move there from T-Mobile. But that's a long way off, if ever, and the team has indicated that not only doesn't it have plans to move, but it wants to invest $300 million in improving their current home. The Three Affiliated Tribes say the "full vision" for the project will go public after receiving approvals from local governments. Stay tuned.
Last summer, the Plaza introduced "Welcome to the Weekend Summer Fireworks Shows" every Friday night at 9:15 p.m. This year, the fireworks will start earlier, on May 2, and run later, September 26, than last year, a total of 22 shows (weather permitting). Several downtown properties, along with the Fremont Street Experience and First Friday, will cross-promote the fireworks with "programming and special events to create an unforgettable summertime party in downtown Las Vegas." After the fireworks, a DJ will blast tunes from the Carousel Bar under the Plaza's dome until 11 p.m.
VitalVegas reported this morning that Eat, the popular downtown breakfast and coffee shop, has closed after 13 years in business. Apparently, the lease was up, the rent was raised, and the restaurant went under. Its owner-operator, local celebrity chef Natalie Young, is now involved in a partnership in a new eatery, Echo Taste and Sound, on Main Street in the Arts District.
Late Friday night, a slot player identified as James hit the Grand Jackpot on a Dollar Storm machine for $1,016,145. The publicity photo of the screen shows a $2 bet -- and James wearing a Vegas-type shirt emblazoned with heavy metal bands such as Slade, Skid Row, and Led Zeppelin. Rock on!
Veteran R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire will do another residency at the Venetian Theatre in the fall. All nine dates are in October: 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25. The band played the Venetian at the same time last year for seven sold-out dates. Tickets are on sale now.
The classic-rock band Kiss will perform at the Theater at Virgin November 14-16. How many shows does that mean? Details thus far are sparse, though you can sign up at Kiss.Vibee.com "for more information when it becomes available." The low-key "announcement" (via email on a Kiss website) says, "Fans can expect "a special live performance from former Kiss member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences, and more." The "Kiss Storms Vegas" events will mark the band's 50th anniversary and they'll take the stage without the usual fully masked makeup and wigs.
As has become the norm, starting with this week's Sweet 16 games, South Point will deal -105 on all NCAA tournament games through to the championship game. In the past, the discount has applied to bets on pointspreads only. Bets must be made at the sports book (not available on the app). The -105 pricing is also offered at Rampart, along with CasaBlanca and Virgin River in Mesquite, all of which are South Point-affiliated books.
The changes in the dining line-up at Cosmopolitan are continuing. The space vacated by Holstein's on the second floor is now occupied by Amaya, a trendy Mexican restaurant with prices to match, and Naughty Patty's will open nearby this summer. Patty's will serve a fast-food menu, with signature smash burgers and fries, grilled cheese, chili dogs, and ice cream concretes (frozen custard and toppings). What's Naughty about Patty? She's a pin-up with a stiff middle finger.
Sixty-four minutes of banter, brews, and brainpower with Anthony, Andrew, and Tanya (off camera) take place on this edition of Beer Friday. These monthly episodes of the LVA YouTube are turning into a nice little free-beer play for LVA, as well as a Q&A as A&A answer questions submitted by viewers in real time. You never know what's going to happen, especially as the ethanol flows and the show gets looser and looser. Tune in and stay to the end!
The author of an upcoming book from Huntington Press, long-time and highly respected gaming attorney Anthony Cabot, spoke last week at the World Game Protection Conference at the Rio about casino executives around the world facilitating financial crimes for various Chinese Triads, the highly organized and expansive "Mafia of Asia." The book, Casino Redux: Unveiling the Global Network of Chinese Organized Crime does a deep dive into the rise of the Triads and their mastery of the corruption of casinos from Macau to Australia, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to tiny islands in the South Pacific. Cabot is the subject of an article on CDCGaming.com posted this morning, where you can get a good idea of his perspective on this global phenomenon, as well as get a gander at the dynamic cover of the book, which will be released in the next couple of months. Also on CDC is a good story on Anna Konnikova, the writer and poker player, who's working on a book about cheating at poker and other table games, which is growing in scope, sophistication, and severity.
Sean Brady is a -140 favorite over Leon Edwards in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Carlos Ulberg is -380 over Jan Blachowicz.
You might recall that Anthony and Andrew interviewed mega social influencer Vegas Matt on an LVA YouTube last November. The 70-minute segment spotlighted Matt and his nearly million followers (it received 900 comments!) from our readers. On Thursday, the
politics, business, technology, and arts online magazine Slate.com published a nearly book-length profile of Matt (perhaps more than 10,000 words; we didn't count them), all you ever wanted to know about him and casino influencers. The title pretty much says it all, "The Biggest Loser -- He built an empire of men addicted to watching him lose enormous sums of money and In Las Vegas, I figured out why we can’t look away." The gist of the piece is summed up thusly, "All told, in 2024, he reportedly suffered $404,000 in gambling losses. Yet somehow, he has managed to turn losing money into an enviable living—and is one of the only people on Earth to do so." You can read the the long story made even longer here -- and as always, thanks to Canada Roy for being right on top of it.
Yesterday, a slot player made a $75 bet in the high-limit room at Palazzo hit the Grand Jackpot on a Dragon Link machine and took down $1,215,998.
It’s all about comedy this weekend so take your pick!
This morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal has a long piece titled, "Nickel and dimed: Are Las Vegas casinos pushing visitors to a tipping point?" After a milquetoast lead, "For the majority of Las Vegas visitors, the experience they want to have is going to cost them. And for the most part, they are OK with that," the piece presents a pretty strong analysis of the dissatisfaction of knowledgeable visitors. "From resort and parking fees to surge pricing in sundry stores to table games with a greater house edge to exorbitant markups on food and drinks, there is growing sentiment that the public is being squeezed when they visit a Las Vegas casino." The reporter contacted the LVCVA and more than 20 casinos. "Most casino operators did not respond and two declined to comment." (Imagine that.) To their credit, the STRAT, Virgin, and Derek Stevens are quoted, though their statements are the usual platitudes. The story ends with a great line from a part-time resident: "We're losing the experience, while the casinos step over a dollar to get to a dime.” Bottom line: For the R-J, supported in large part by casino advertisers, to run a story like this indicates, at least to us, that the drum we've been banging since the pandemic is starting to reverberate in the mainstream. You can read the whole story here.
Cashman Center just north of downtown, closed since 2016, has been sold to national homebuilder Lennar, which paid $36.2 million for the 50-acre site. Lennar hasn’t revealed its plans for the acreage, but called it a "special redevelopment area," and the Las Vegas City Council member who represents the area said that that it's being considered for a housing development. The closing date is anticipated in mid-September, but Lennar will discuss its intentions before then to satisfy the city.
Hawaiian Airlines will be adding a fourth daily flight between Honolulu International and Reid International starting in the fall. The second afternoon flight, it pushes the first afternoon flight a bit earlier, so it arrives equally earlier in the day. Starting on October 20, the morning flight inbound will remain the same at 8:15, while the first afternoon flight will move from 2 p.m. to 1:15, arriving at 10 p.m. The new afternoon flight will leave HNL at 3:15, arriving just before midnight. The fourth is a redeye (11:15 p.m. and 8 a.m.). All flights will cost $342 one way. Hawaii and the "ninth island" keep getting closer.
The cable has been fixed, everything is back to normal, and you can now call in. Hooray.
Cox, our Internet service provider, has been down area wide since yesterday at 6 p.m. and still is, with no startup time in sight. This means our phones, Internet, and TV are dead in the ether, so if you're trying to call in, "the number you have dialed is not in service," at least for now. If you want to contact us, email is the only way; we can access that on our phones via data. As soon as things are back to normal, we'll post a notice here. Thanks for your patience.
"Las Vegas Has Fallen Far from the Golden Days of Sinatra and Elvis" is the headline of a New York Post piece penned by Cindy Adams, the 93-year-old Post gossip columnist and second wife of comedian, vaudevillian, and nightclub performer Joey Adams. Talk about grieving for the good old days. Cindy writes, "Vegas formerly jammed old-timers as high as that elephant’s eye. It still sees the occasional grandma wearing a hairnet and working the $1 slots. Still the stripper or occasional wham! Slam! VIP biggie night." It gets better/worse: "Today, its biggest attractions are prostitution, gambling, and marijuana." It's a funny read, complete with Cindy walking in on Zsa Zsa and a maitre d',
how to turn Jews into Catholics, and alternatives to Vegas (think Coney Island). Here's the link.
Singer, songwriter, actress, and billionaire Beyoncé has added a second date to her previously announced tour stop at Allegiant Stadium. "Tour stop" is both literal and figurative: The two dates close out the 31 stadium shows that stretch from L.A. to London and Paris between late April and late July. Beyoncé will perform "The Cowboy Carter Tour," named for her latest album, which is named for her last name, at Allegiant on July 25, with the new show just announced on July 26. The first of two presales starts today at noon local time; general-public tickets for all shows go on sale noon PT.
Choosing St. Patrick's Day, a holiday associated with good fortune, to identify the winner of the $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawn on December 27, California lottery officials named her, but revealed no other details; she didn't attend the press conference. The ticket was sold at the Sunshine Food and Gas station in Cottonwood, a town of 4,000 right on I-5 in northern California between Red Bluff and Redding. The owners of the store were present at the media event and received a check for $1 million. The winner chose the lump-sum cash option of $572 million. After federal taxes (California doesn't tax lottery jackpots), she takes home $360 million.
Four powerhouse veteran vocalists -- Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Stephanie Mills -- are teaming up on "The Queens Tour" of 10 arenas in the U.S. and kicking it all off at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on May 9. Talk about hits: Knight, of course, has "Midnight Train to Georgia," Khan "I Feel for You," LaBelle "Lady Marmalade," and Mills "Never Knew Love Like This Before." Among them, they have 18 Grammys. The presale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT (use code "BPC"); general on-sale starts on Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
According to a study by VisualCapitalist.com, 61.2% of Nevada households were owned by their occupants in 2023, ranking 48th out of 50 states. Only California (55.8%) and New York (53.3%) had fewer. Nationwide, nearly two-thirds (65.7%) of U.S. households owned their homes; the rest were rented. West Virginia had the highest percentage (77%), followed by Delaware (75.7%), Mississippi (75.5%), Maine (75.5%), and Wyoming (74.5%). For the whole list and explanations of the rankings, click here. And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.
March 18, 2020, was the first full day of the COVID pandemic shutdown in Las Vegas. The casinos closed at midnight on the 17th, the first-time ever that Las Vegas went dark completely; it didn't light up again until June 4, 78 long, empty, and quiet -- in a word, ghostly -- days later. The first death attributed to COVID in southern Nevada was on March 15; another nearly 3,000 people here succumbed to the virus in 2020, with more than 4,000 in 2021 and 2,000 in 2022. In all, just under 10,000 southern Nevadans lost their lives to the disease. It seems like an eternity ago, yet the memories are still so fresh and raw that it could've happened yesterday. COVID changed the world in countless ways, yet it's also the same muddled place it always was -- and will be.
Due to "overwhelming demand," the Eagles have announced four shows at Sphere in September, bringing the total number to 36 since their residency launched last September. The dates are Sept. 5, 6, 12 and 13. The presale is open and general-public tickets go on sale March 28. If you can't see the band live, reports are circulating that an Eagles at Sphere movie is in the works. No details have been announced, but U2 did it and the Eagles are approaching U2's total of 44 performances, so it seems likely.
Having launched his residency in 2012, Sir Rod Stewart performed his 200th show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace last weekend to launch a new 12-date performance schedule. Stewart's "final" shows have been announced time and again and his latest run, through July, was also supposed to be it. But now comes word that six more shows have been added in the fall: September 24, 26, and 27 and October 1, 3, and 4. Tickets for the new shows go on sale on Friday.
The Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights are first in the Pacific Division with 86 points, four points ahead of the second-place Edmonton Oilers. With 13 games remaining in the regular season, a VGK appearance in the playoffs is essentially locked in. Our podcast partner, Hockey Knights in Vegas, covers the VGK scene in detail and Big Episode 100 is a special one: VGK Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who in his first season last year led Vegas to win the Stanley Cup, is interviewed by Eddie Rivkin and Chris Chapman. If you like hockey, are a fan of the Vegas team, or just want to see something special on our website, click the white arrow; Coach comes on at minute 14 for a 16-minute interview.
Duke is the favorite to win the NCAA Basketball Championship at +290, followed by Florida (+345) and Auburn (+450). The longshot is Alabama State at +400000 (4,000-1). The tournament begins with Tuesday’s two First Four play-in games.
The American Gaming Association estimates that $3.1 billion will be bet legally on this year's men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. It's a 12% increase over last year's $2.7 billion and more than twice as much as the AGA estimated was bet legally on the Super Bowl. Of course, March Madness comprises 134 games in total, so it's anything but an apples-to-apples comparison. Still, that's a lot of spondulicks laid down on two tournaments. Brackets will be released on Sunday. Duke and Florida are currently the favorites to win the men’s championship. South Carolina and UConn are the women's favorites.
MGM Resorts floated a number of trial balloons about introducing new fees over the past couple of quarterly earnings calls and one has, according to VitalVegas, now surfaced. VV reports that MGM has laid off valets, doormen, and bellmen at Excalibur and the few baggage handlers who remain won't deliver luggage to rooms. (No word on what they will do.) Luggage carts will be available to guests for -- you guessed it -- a fee. (No word on how much, but we're setting the over/under at $10.) "A source at MGM Resorts says these front-line staff reductions are limited to Excalibur," VV writes, "related to that specific customer demographic" -- in other words, lower tier. VV asks, "Could the elimination of bell-desk personnel at Excalibur be a bellwether of things to come?" The answer, in so many words, is yes.
Stubborn Seed, the Las Vegas outpost of the Michelin-starred Miami Beach restaurant owned and operated by "Top Chef" (season 13) winner Jeremy Ford, has opened at Resorts World. The menu is unusual in that all the dinners are ordered from two tasting options, the regular dinner ($135) and the Elevated Experience ($175). A wine pairing is available for $70. The dinner comes with eight courses, from olive ciabatta and truffle ricotta to Australian wagyu striploin and spiced barramundi and olive-oil cake for dessert. The Elevated dinner adds caviar, foie gras, and wagyu tartare. Stubborn Seed is open nightly at 6, till 10 weekdays, 11 weekends.
A story on CDCGaming.com this morning covers the vote taken at the end of the annual World Game Protection Conference. The 500 or so attendees, most of them casino surveillance and security professionals, select the top eight cheating scams of the past year. The number-one scam in 2024 was a baccarat ploy that involves a colluding dealer having the cheating player cut the cards, scraping a fingernail across the corners to reveal the index numbers of a sequence to a hidden camera, then leaving the table to review the sequence and returning to bet on the inside knowledge. Other hidden-camera scams ranked number two and counterfeit chips number three. You can read the whole story here; there are also links to the top scams of 2023 and 2022.
These LVA YouTube jackpot videos are exciting for everyone, including us. In this second edition of the jackpot format, Anthony and Andrew discuss three in detail -- the beer-delivery $4K royal, the slow-cocktail-waitress $11K slot grand jackpot, and the $57K anti-jackpot. Then they catch up to a bunch of archived jackpots sent in over the past few years in the "lightning round." Fun fun fun to see the jackpots and hear the stories of gamblers winning big in the casinos for a change.
If you're on the prowl for the hot dog deal at Downtown Grand -- your choice of a PBR in the can or a Lone Star beer in the bottle and the dog for $3 -- just look for the new sign on a support column next to the counter near the casino entrance that says "Since 2024," with the picture of a hot dog in a bun below it and below that "Lucky's." The sign went up a few days ago, so now the deal is official. Also, chicken tacos are available for $2 each and they have two kinds of salsa, red and a cilantro-onion mix, plus sour cream, at the condiment bar. It’s all available from 11 a.m. till about 10 p.m.
Virgin, under new casino management, is advertising juice-free bets on same-day pre-match pointspreads during NCAA tournament basketball games on March 20 and 21. The maximum is $3,000 and a Cherry Rewards card is required.
Renowned illusionist and endurance artist David Blaine has announced nine new shows at Encore, extending his three-show residency in April to 12. Due to popular demand, "David Blaine: Live in Las Vegas" will be performed on July 23, 25, and 26, September 17, 19, and 20, and November 12, 14, and 15. Tickets are on sale now and start at $69.95. Blaine is the subject of a long chapter in our new book Advantage Players by Michael Kaplan.
Rod Stewart is back for the final run of his long Las Vegas residency, with 12 concerts in March, May, and June at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. By now, the 80-year-old crooner's is among the longest-running residencies in Vegas history -- and one of the most lucrative. According to the Daily Mail, Stewart's 2011 contract specified $50 million for the original 18 shows, around $2.7 million per. And that was more than 13 years ago, so we assume the contract extensions have included pay raises. Still, since he's now approaching his 200th performance, even at "just" $2.7 million per, that's a cool $540 million over the life of the run.
“Two bags fly free,” a registered trademark of Southwest Airlines, will soon be obsolete. The airline has just annouced that for the first time in its history, it will start charging passengers to check bags. Tickets purchased on or after May 28 will include the charge, which hasn't been announced yet, though it's assumed to be in the $25-$35 range. The top-tier fare class and A-List Preferred will still get the two free bags, while A-Listers and people with SWA credit cards will get one free. According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines earned more than $5 billion from bag fees in 2024.
Casino.org reporter Corey Levitan broke the news yesterday that the Buffet at Luxor is closing on March 30. Casino.org reporter Scott Roeben "confirmed the closure through official sources, so it’s a done deal." We reviewed this buffet, in the basement of the pyramid, recently (January 2024). We walked right in on a Wednesday and liked the brunch well enough for the price ($31 weekdays, $34 weekends), but had to park there, which added $15 to the tab. We concluded, "Unless you’re walking in, you’ll be paying a mere $1 less for this buffet and parking than you would for the superlative seafood spread at South Point ($45.95 with a club card and free parking). Sorry, but for us, that simply doesn’t compute." That said, MGM's closing of the (unlucky?) 13th buffet in Las Vegas is a blow and we wonder what the plans are for its three others at Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, and Excalibur.
Tickets for two of the three year-round attractions at Grand Prix Plaza, the F1 headquarters, are now available for dates on March 29 and beyond. F1 HUB, the racing simulator, cost $39 and tickets for F1 X, where participants design their own race cars and test them on virtual tracks, are $79. Tickets for F1 DRIVE, the actual racing experience in karts on part of the Grand Prix circuit, aren't on sale yet and the prices haven't been announced. We took a little poll on the over/under and the $99 votes are betting the over, while the $124.50s are taking the under. Grand Prix Plaza, located at the corner of Harmon and Koval, will be open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., till midnight Friday and Saturday.
Caesars Entertainment has announced that the Cromwell will be transformed into the Vanderpump Hotel with a complete renovation and transition that will be completed by early next year. The hotel will be the first foray into accommodations for the British entrepeneur, reality-TV star, and author, Lisa Vanderpump, whose restaurants and bars include Vanderpump Cocktail Garden at Caesars Palace, Vanderpump à Paris at Paris Las Vegas, WOLF by Vanderpump at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, and most recently, Pinky’s by Vanderpump at Flamingo Las Vegas. The Vanderpump will be on the short list of Las Vegas hotels that have had four names: Barbary Coast, Bill's Gambling Saloon, the Cromwell, and Vanderpump. You can see the others in a recent Question of the Day.
The John Wick Experience has opened at Area15. Based on the billion-dollar franchise of four movies starring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman drawn back into the criminal underworld, the Experience features more than a dozen rooms sporting various themes from the films, live interactions, and interactive game play. Groups of guests complete a mission, each one unique, consisting of the "characters, mythology, and iconography inspired by the feature film universe." The 12,000-square-foot attraction also has two themed bars and, of course, a retail shop. Tickets are $49.99 for general admission, $69.99 VIP, and $99.99 Ultimate VIP. It opens at 2 p.m. and the last admissions are at 10:40 p.m.
NASCAR invades Las Vegas this weekend with its three annual races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race takes place on Friday evening at 6, the Xfinity Series Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and the big Pennzoil 400 Cup Series stock car race on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. The 400 is one of two NASCAR Cup races held here; the other is the South Point 400 that's run the last weekend of September. All races still have a few tickets left, but with 100,000 race fans attending the events throughout the weekend, traffic in North Las Vegas will be ferocious from Friday afternoon to Sunday night.
Every March, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority releases its annual “Visitor Profile Survey” for the prior year. In this year's survey conducted in 2024, visitors reported earning more money than ever: 64% grossed at least $100,000 compared to 48% in 2023 and 28% in 2019. In addition, the age of visitors continues to drop; though the average age of 43.6 years was the same as in 2023, it was three years younger than in 2019. More relevant to us were the 65-year-olds and older: Last year, only 6% of visitors were in that age group compared to 19% in 2019 pre-pandemic. The 30-to-49 age group more than took the place of the Medicare masses. Fully 78% of visitors gambled during their stay, with an average bankroll of $820.15, similar to last year, while spending on food and drink hit an all-time high of $615.07, nearly 10% over 2023.
Ticket prices and presale hoopla have been announced for this year's Las Vegas Grand Prix, taking place November 20-22. Prices continue to drop and single-day tickets are now as low as $50 (for the Thursday practice round), while three-day general admission for the Flamingo zone is $400 (for Caesars Rewards members). The first presale is for AMEX card holders on April 2 at 10 a.m. PT. Nevadans will have 24 hours to be the first to buy single- and three-day Flamingo zone tickets starting April at 10 a.m. Prices rise quickly: $725-$800 for three-day standing room, $875-$1,750 for grandstand seating, and $2,500-$25,000 for clubhouse, skybox, and luxury experiences.
America First Center, home of the Silver Knights American Hockey League team, is offering free skating on 12 dates through the end of the year. You can bring your own skates or rent at the Center. The dates are March 19, April 27 and 28, May 29, June 6 and 21, July 1 and 12, August 3, September 5, October 18, and December 4. You can register three weeks ahead of the free dates at HendersonHappenings.com.
New3LV reports that a study conducted by Rutgers and Northwestern universities has found that $2.4 billion in wages has been stolen from 40,000 Nevada workers over the past 20 years by employers illegally paying them below the minimum wage. Each worker lost $3,000 per year (nearly 20% of their correct income), adding up to $122 million per year. The most susceptible workers to minimum-wage theft were found to be women, people of color, non-citizens, individuals with less education, and those aged 18 to 24.
Bellagio's Conservatory and Botanical Gardens' spring display has arrived. The new showcase is anchored by an 18-foot-tall beehive, complete with bees, and features lots of birds and a birdhouse, an epic caterpillar, Easter eggs, a profusion of flowers, and what appears to be the top half of Persephone, goddess of spring. You can see a lot of great photos at VegasChanges.com, which is always first to post the new displays.
The Westgate SuperBook is running a March Madness basketball contest that’s similar to the contests it runs during the NFL season. The entry fee is $100 and the deadline to enter is March 19. Westgate will also deal -109 on tournament lines, meaning you have to bet only $109 to win $100, as opposed to the standard $110/$100 arrangement.
The official hype video for "Horror Unleashed," the Universal Studio's massive new attraction that's opening at Area15 in October, has dropped (as the kids say) on our heads (as we say). You can see it here, but caution: No one with a heart condition need apply. And if you'd like a job scaring people half to death, Universal Destinations & Experiences has now posted audition opportunities for the attraction, which you can read about and apply for here.
Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead by one hour for Daylight Savings Time, which began at 2 a.m. this morning. Making the change is especially important if you want to bet today’s early games.
In the never-ending series of curiosities surrounding the ex-Oakland, now Sacramento, and maybe soon Las Vegas A's MLB baseball team, A's players will wear a Las Vegas patch on their uniforms. According to the Associated Press, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is "sponsoring" the patch, meaning that the LVCVA is paying the A's to promote the city that's also subsidizing them to build a stadium, if the team can attract enough outside money to pay for the rest of the construction. Another detail that caught our eye: The AP wrote, "The Athletics will play in Northern California for at least the next three seasons." At least? And here we thought the stadium will be finished in time for the fourth season. Not according to the AP, which noted that the groundbreaking is scheduled for this spring, "provided the remaining legal agreements are finalized."
The ultra-high-end Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace has eliminated its weekday brunch. Instead, the former weekday brunch and crab brunch are now combined into the crab brunch on Saturday and Sunday only, served 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The dinner buffet remains the same, daily from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Numerous calls about the price of the new brunch, and whether the dinner price has changed, got us nowhere. We'll keep trying.
In its fourth-quarter earnings call yesterday, executives at Liberty Media, which owns Formula 1, indicated that they're less than gratified by the revenue metrics from the first two Las Vegas Grand Prix races. Liberty's stock price fell 5% in the quarter, which the CEO and CFO called "Vegas-related." They pointed to slow ticket sales for last year's race, along with "softness in certain hospitality offerings." They didn't admit that the sky-high ticket prices, highest of all the F1 races, might have had anything to do with the softness, or the lack of enthusiasm for the event by every casino except MGM and Wynn. But they did allow that they've "already enacted changes that will benefit 2025 and support a financially successful race" -- without, of course, going into details. We'll see; disruptions hereabouts for this year's race are only seven months away. The economic impact on Las Vegas, on the other hand, makes F1 the largest annual event of the year in southern Nevada, at least according to the race's biggest cheerleader, local economic consulting firm Applied Analysis. In a study paid for by the race company, Applied measured the "overall economic impact" of the 2024 race at $934 million, with visitor spending of $556 million and $378 million spent on operations. Those numbers are, how do we say this politely, suspect, as an upcoming Question of the Day will reveal.
With a new head coach and general manager, the Raiders have made a statement about the player they value the most. At a still-young 27, star defensive end Maxx Crosby has been signed to a new three-year $106.5 million contract. The $35.5 million-per-year average makes him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Crosby is, without a doubt, the face (and tattoos) of the team, a four-time Pro Bowler with 59½ sacks, tied for the fifth-most in the NFL since he was drafted by the Raiders in the fourth round in 2019. After five head coaches, four general managers, and only one winning season since then, Crosby might've asked to be traded, but beyond the money, signing the extension indicates he's committed to helping turn the Raiders around. We hope he does.
Boyd Gaming is closing the Venue theater space at the Orleans in the next couple of weeks, leaving four shows homeless. We're not surprised: It was an odd space in an odd corner of the Orleans, sort of an afterthought. The shows, on the other hand, were anything but. We reviewed Adam London's Laughternoon in the April 2022 LVA and really liked it; the other soon-to-be-defunct shows are The Conjurors, Late Night Magic, and Marriage Can Be Murder, which has moved around, but has been going strong here for 26 years. Adam London, in his farewell Facebook post, said that the space will be converted into a "high-stakes poker room." We hope the shows find new homes, but we're not holding our breath; the Vegas live-performance scene continues, as our grandmother used to say, "down de hill."
Frontier Airlines has announced that starting in June, it will fly out of Paine Field Airport in Everett, Washington, roughly 45 miles north of Seattle's Sea-Tac International. Paine was originally constructed in 1936 as a Depression-era Works Progress project, but wasn't further developed until World War II. It served as an Air Force base throughout that and the Korean wars, then was mostly idle until 1966, when Boeing took it over for operations around the introduction of the giant 747. Opened to commercial airlines in 2019, Paine Field is currently served only by Alaska Airlines for a few flights. Frontier will fly from Paine to Las Vegas, Denver, and Phoenix, which is good news for Canada Roy and other British Columbians, who'll save an hour and a half each way by avoiding the drive right through Seattle to Sea-Tac. There will be three round trips a week to all three destinations. The introductory price to and from Las Vegas is $29, Denver $39.
The median price of existing single-family homes sold in February matched the record high of $485,000 set in January. Condos and townhomes remained well below the record of $315,000, set last October, at a median price of $303,000 in February, though it's $10,000 more than last month. Interestingly, supply, and days on market are elevated, while the number of sales is down, so buyers have more choices. Even so, they're paying top dollar for houses, though with mortgage-interest rates down slightly over the past couple of weeks, prices are remaining at record highs. According to Las Vegas Realtors, the southern Nevada housing market is becoming more "balanced" after the long run as a sellers market.
RuPaul’s Drag Race Live will celebrate its 1,000th show with a live broadcast from the Flamingo. The special "millennium" anniversary will be streamed on the show's WOW Presents Plus platform at 9:30 p.m. PT on Saturday March 15. The show is in its fifth year, having premiered at the Flamingo in 2020, and features a rotating cast of past competitors from the “Drag Race” franchise. The residency’s current cast members include Asia O’Hara, Ginger Minj, Jaida Essence Hall, Kylie Sonique Love, Morphine Love Dion, and Plane Jane; surprise guests will also make appearances.
The Las Vegas Mint 400 will parade down the Strip today starting at 3 p.m. The parade will go all the way from Circus Circus to Mandalay Bay, featuring around 125 desert race cars. The Mint 400 dates back to 1968, was immortalized in Hunter S. Thompson's classic book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and is considered the most venerable, prestigious, and challenging off-road race in the nation. You can read all about it in our Question of the Day.
Mötley Crüe, the American heavy-metal band formed 45 years ago, has postponed its planned 11-show residency announced last fall for Dolby Live. The shows were supposed to start on March 28, but due to a "a required medical procedure" advised by lead man Vince Neil’s doctors, the residency has been moved to eight dates in September and two in October. All tickets will be honored for the new show dates.
An entirely homegrown film, Action! Action!, will make its debut at Stadium Swim at Circa Resort & Casino on Friday April 25. The movie was shot entirely on location in Las Vegas at Circa, the Plaza, the Neon Museum, the Mob Museum, and many others and the cast and crew are all locals. Action! Action! follows a team of friends hired to steal Al Capone’s painting from the Mob Museum. But when they’re double-crossed, the race is on to uncover the traitor before it’s too late. "With heart-pounding stunts, jaw-dropping action sequences, comedic heart, and an explosive finale, Action! Action! will deliver an edge-of-your-seat experience," according to the press release. General-admission tickets for the premiere are $15; doors open at 7 p.m., with the movie scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Ringo Starr, who needs no introduction, and His All Starr Band will do a six-show residency at the Venetian Theater with performances on Sept. 17, 19, 20, 24, 26, and 27. The All Starrs have been touring since 1989 with many iterations of musicians; they first played Vegas in August of that year at the Aladdin Theater for the Performing Arts. Most recently, they did a three-night stint at the Venetian last May. Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday PT.
Looking to buy seasons tickets to the A's MLB team? The former Oakland A's are now called just the "A's" as they open their season in Sacramento. They'll be the Las Vegas A's when they (presumably) start playing here in 2028. And now, you too can pay $19.01 to join the waitlist to be among the first season-ticket buyers for three seasons hence. The $19.01 price tag is believed to be a tribute to the year the A's were founded in Philadelphia. The waitlist opens on Friday; waitlisted buyers, along with Las Vegas Aviators and current A's season-ticket holders, will get early access.
In a rare reversal of direction, a classic Las Vegas steakhouse is opening a second location in New York City. The Golden Steer, 67 years old and counting, will open at 1 Fifth Avenue and West Eighth Street in Manhattan, according to Eater New York. The second-generation owners of Golden Steer told Eater that they hope to open the new location "in the fall" and "the majority of the menu will be similar to the Vegas location, but we will be doing a handful of NYC-specific dishes, along with working with our team to ensure that our purveyors are localized to the region.” Why New York? When the owners did the analytics, they found that of all the "patrons who frequent the Golden Steer today, New Yorkers stood out as one of our most engaged audiences." Best of luck to the iconic Steer! We believe the restaurant will do Las Vegas proud.
Could it be a sign of things to come? Whether it is or isn't, the new 24/7 burger deal at Station Casinos is the surprise Top Tenner of the decade. Our review was just posted and it's definitely worth reading, both for the pointer to this superlative deal and the commentary on the possible change of heart for the locals casino giant.
At the Academy Awards last night, the film Anora won five, including Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. Shot mostly in New York, the film did come to Las Vegas for several scenes, all highly recognizable. The unlikely couple at the center of the movie gets married at the Little White Chapel (and head minister Diana Moran plays herself as the wedding officiate). They also visit the Fremont Street Experience and the casino scenes take place at the Palms. Which goes to show, nothing says quickie wedding and brief honeymoon like Sin City.
Seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and podcaster Alanis Morissette will do eight performances at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace this fall. The 50-year-old Morisette regularly sells out arenas all around the world, so these tickets will go fast and in what's becoming a tradition for Vegas residencies, more shows are likely to be added. The dates are October 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25 and November 1 and 2. The fan club presale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT; the presale for Caesars, Live Nation, and Ticketmaster customers starts Wednesday at 10 a.m. General tickets go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m.
In tonight's Academy Awards, Anora is the -700 favorite for Best Picture at -5800, with Conclave the second favorite at +400. Adrien Brody is -270 to win Best Actor for The Brutalist, and Demi Moore is -300 to win Best Actress for The Substance. So far tonight, the favorites have run true, with Kieran Culkin at -3500 winning Best Supporting Actor for A Real Pain and Zoe Saldana at -2500 winning Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Perez.
One of Las Vegas' most popular pool complexes has been completely transformed to the tune of $20 million. The tropical-themed lagoons, caves, and waterfalls of the Flamingo's Go Pool have been replaced by a contemporary beach-resort feel. The centerpiece of the total redesign, described as "constructed from the ground up," is the multi-pool area for adults, complete with a 30-seat swim-up bar. Like the old complex, five separate temperature-controlled pools occupy several levels. A 50-foot-wide rain-curtain waterfall and grotto pool pour into the main pool; 33 cabanas feature in-water couches and daybeds. The original Family Pool, for guests of all ages, remains adjacent to the Go Pool. According to reports, if you're over 21, you don't need to be a hotel guest to get into the Go Pool; general admission is complimentary on a first-come first-served basis. When the pool opens later this month, hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
The big news this morning is the "blockbuster" at Allegiant Stadium -- the four-game National Rugby League season-opener matchups with between teams from Australia, New Zealand, and Great Britain taking the field. The press coverage is breathless, especially coming out of Australia, calling the response "unprecented," "thrilling," and "entertaining." The crowd count at Allegiant varies from between 45,000 and 50,000 depending on the reporting outlet, but it's agreed that upwards of 15,000 fans were Americans, validating the NRL's efforts to expose the sport to American audiences and ultimately globalize rugby.
Manel Kape is a -225 favorite over Asu Almabaev in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez are pick ’em.
In what's being hailed as "the first celebrity-branded table game," Penn & Teller Casino Monte will be launched at the Rio in an event on Monday. We couldn't find any description of Casino Monte, other than it was developed by Adventura Gaming, uses three cards based on "the three-card-game shenanigans in Run DMC’s Tricky music video," and has images of the illusionist duo on the layout. We'll take a stroll over to the Rio soon to check it out.
Average Las Vegas temperatures in March start out a bit cool and rise steadily, but not too high. From an average high of 66 degrees on the 1st, temps top out at 74 on the 31st. The lows go from 47 to 52. The record temperatures can, of course, be much more extreme: 92 is the highest (set on the 21st in 2004) and 19 the lowest (set on the 2nd in 1939). March historically has the second highest rainfall during the year at .59 inches.