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Tickets for the Paul McCartney concert at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night are going for as low as $44 on StubHub. Those, of course, are in the highest and farthest back sections, though according to the seating chart, which you can see here, standing room on the floor is available for $155, some closer seats are going for $80, and one seat in a private suite is only $17,748. If you're around, opt for the cheapest seats, and bring your binoculars, you can probably see Sir Paul as big as your thumb and the huge video screens will give you a fine view from anywhere. You'll also get to hear 60 years of Beatles' and solo hits live from one of the biggest names ever in music. The 83-year-old McCartney's 19-city "Got Back" tour launched last night in Palm Springs and Allegiant is the second stop; the set list includes 35 hits, such as “Help!” (the first song and the first time McCartney has played it all the way through on tour since 1965), “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Getting Better All the Time,” “Drive My Car,” “Maybe I’m Amazed, “I’ve Just Seen a Face,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Let It Be,” "Hey Jude," “Band on the Run,” "Get Back," even "Love Me Do" and many many more. At these prices, you might see us there.
Dolly Parton has postponed her Las Vegas residency, citing health challenges that the 79-year-old country music icon is facing. Honest and self-effacing as always, Dolly said in the announcement, "My doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000 check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!” Scheduled to perform in Las Vegas for the first time in 32 years this December as part of the NFR concert lineup, Parton will now take the stage on Sept. 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, and 26. Existing tickets are valid for the new dates or will be refunded. Ticketholders will be emailed further instructions.
Another interesting graphic on VisualCapitalist.com ranks all 50 states for the amount of household credit-card debt their residents carried in the second quarter of this year. Nevada is the fifth highest, with an average of $12,832 owed on personal credit cards. The top four are Hawaii ($15,052), California ($13,847), Alaska ($13,630), and New Jersey ($12,873). The lowest is Wisconsin ($8,424). All told, the total credit-card debt in the U.S. is a staggering $1.3 trillion.
In the second of tonight's simultaneously played Monday Night Football double-header, the Denver Broncos are -7.5 favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals. The total is 44.5.
In the first of tonight's simultaneously played Monday Night Football double-header, the Miami Dolphins are -3 favorites over the New York Jets. The total is 44.
This week's YouTube is an interview with Bill Krackomberger, better known as "Krackman," one of the sports betting business' most successful, respected, and highly opinionated voices. You'll immediately get that Krackman is a fast-talking nonstop storyteller who barely pauses to take a breath during this 35-minute podcast. Bill discusses growing up in a gambling town on the Jersey shore, a chance encounter with an advantage player in Atlantic City that changed his life, the early days of sports betting on the east coast, sports modeling, video poker, and so much more. Fasten your seat belts and hang on for dear life as the Krackman takes over your life for a half-hour.
Remember BOA Steakhouse? It operated in the Forum Shops at Caesars for seven years between 2005 and 2012. Now, the restaurant that originally opened in L.A. in 2001 is reopening at the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian. BOA, an acronym that doesn't stand for anything, also has locations in Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, and Austin, Texas. The menu changes seasonally; the latest we could find with prices shows a tableside Caesar for $21, king crab ceviche $32, spaghetti and Waguy meatballs $42, chicken parm $44, smoked steak tartare $45, sea bass $56, and steaks from $59 for a 12-ounce NY strip to $76 for a 15-day-aged bone-in ribeye, along with Japanese Wagyu all the up to a trio of cuts for $450. The Venetian location will open on October 17.
The Green Bay Packers are -6.5 favorites over the Dallas Cowboys in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 46.5.
Bally’s Corp. has revealed big plans for the hotel-casino development that will completely surround the A's stadium in the future. If the ambitious comes fully to fruition, it will encompass a two-tower 3,000-room hotel, 105,000-square-foot casino, rooftop pool, 2,500-seat theater, a half-million-square-foot dining, entertainment, and retail district, 2,500-space eight-level parking garage, and eventually a Vegas Loop station. The whole complex will be incorporated into the stadium footprint via a nine-acre plaza; access to the stadium will be on the ground level, access to the megaresort on elevators and escalators to the "podium," connecting with the pedestrian walkways over Tropicana and the Strip. To be built in stages, Phase One will include the plaza, garage, a portion of the district, and a utility plant for both the resort and stadium. Phase Two will involve the 1,800-room tower, casino, theater, and more retail. Phase Three will complete the plan, but that's projected to be down the road a bit, as its space will be used as a staging area for all the other construction. No budget or timeline was mentioned in the reveal, but county entitlements are expected to be filed by mid-October, with work beginning by the end of June. You can see the rendering here.
Carlos Ulberg is a -250 favorite over Dominick Reyes in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Jimmy Crute is -250 over Ivan Erslan.
After winning Game 2 in their best-of-five series with the Indiana Fever to tie up the series score 1-1, the Las Vegas Aces hit the road to Indiana and won a closely contested game last night to climb one game closer to the Finals. The Aces play the Kaitlyn Clark-less Fever tomorrow at noon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena in Indianapolis; the winner will face either the Phoenix Mercury or Minnesota Lynx. The Mercury lead 2-1 and will play in Phoenix tomorrow at 5 p.m.
Bar Code Burgers, a locals favorite at 1590 E. Flamingo, has closed. It opened in 2016 and earned several best of notices, including a spot in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Top 100 Restaurants, several years' worth of Las Vegas Weekly’s Best of Vegas Awards, and the Nevada selection for “The Hands Down Best Burger in Every State” by Chowhound.com only a few months ago. No reason was given for the closure, but it has been confirmed that it's permanent.
The second-annual Neon City Festival, downtown's alternative to Formula 1, will be held November 21-23. Last year's event was a hit, with with food trucks and pop-up restaurants, fireworks at 9:45 p.m. all three nights, and free multi-genre concerts. This year's headliners were announced yesterday: Good Charlotte, Deadmau5, and Breaking Benjamin. A slew of other acts will also perform, including Bowling for Soup, 12 Volt Sex, The Far Worst, Hoity Toity, Fitz and the Tantrums, Skeez, Knuckle Puck, The Out There, Diva Bleach, and others whose names are hopefully not proof that their branding is better than their banding.
Last month, the passenger count at Reid International was down again, dropping from 4.85 million in August 2024 to 4.56 million, a 6% drop. It was the seventh month in a row that Reid handled fewer passengers year over year; year to date, the decline is 4.5%. Total visitation was down 6.7% year over year and down 7.8% year to date, from 28 million to 25.8 million. August was the eighth consecutive month of total visitation declines. Fewer visitors, but more profits. Revenue wise, the Las Vegas Strip posted a 5.5% increase, based mostly on a substantial 51% rise in baccarat revenue. The hold was 18.5% hold, up from 10.5% last year. Strip slot revenue was basically flat, while table games, excluding baccarat, rose nearly 5% year over year.
In a Yelp survey of the top 100 coffee shops in the nation, Las Vegas' own Yaw Farm Coffee Roaster earned the number-one spot. The rankings are based on total reviews, review ratings, and health scores as of July 8. Yaw Farm earned a 4.9-star rating from 772 reviews, with 95 five-star ratings. Yaw is located on Charleston just west of Rainbow. Las Vegas had two other coffee shops in the Top 100: Convo Coffee House (ranked 46, 4.9-star rating from 194 reviews) and Dig It Coffee (68, 4.8-star rating from 324 reviews).
Following restriping between Twain Avenue and Silverado Ranch Blvd. on Interstate 15, the high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) restrictions have returned to their previous configuration. The HOV lane regulations are now in effect between 6 and 8 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Some signs incorrectly list the hours as 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week, but those are being taken down.
Ventroliquist, impressionist, comedian, and singer Terry Fator announced the closing of his show at the STRAT on Tuesday afternoon, saying his last performance would be Tuesday night. Apparently, his 16-plus-year Las Vegas residency is at an end. Fator started playing Vegas in 2007, shortly after he won "America's Got Talent." He launched his residency at the Mirage in early 2009; it ran through 2020 and the theater was named after him. He reopened at the STRAT in May 2024 and performed 200 shows there, first in the 5 p.m. slot, then 7 p.m. after iLuminate closed. All told, he performed more than 3,500 shows in Las Vegas. Fator said he'll be bringing his show to symphony stages, launching new television projects, and expanding his touring schedule.
The Seattle Seahawks are -1 favorites over the Arizona Cardinals in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 43.5.
According to Lottery Post, the winner from Missouri who split the $1.8 billion lottery jackpot from earlier this month has come forward. The winner, who chose to remain anonymous, took only two and a half weeks to show up and opted for the lump-sum payment of $410.3 million. The winner called himself "a homebody" who complained good-naturedly that his wife "is going to drag me out of town now." He said he didn't have any plans to buy luxury goods, partake in extravagant getaways, or make any major investments. "I'm just going to do me for a year," he told Missouri lottery officials and said, "I'm a multi-millionaire, but I still did laundry last night." He experienced some sleepless nights after realizing he won a lot of money, but admitted, "It's the best problem I've ever had." The other winner is from Texas and hasn't been heard from yet.
A "yacht experience" is coming to Bellagio. A a 33-foot limited-edition Riva yacht will be transported down the Strip on October 3 and hoisted by crane into the lake. It's a "new and exclusive" experience connected to the new and exclusive seafood-focused Carbone Riviera, replacing Picasso, which closed over the summer, and is expected to open before the end of the year. When the yacht is operational, it will be the first time since Bellagio opened in 1998 that a boat experience will be available for guests -- and on a vessel handcrafted in Italy that's one of only 18 in the world. Word is that the Riva will be reserved for people who dine at Carbone Riviera. And we doubt that the ride will be complimentary, except to comped guests.
Hooray! And deep sigh of relief. The nearly $400 million three-year-long construction quagmire at the interchange of Tropicana Avenue and Interstate 15 is in the rear-view mirror. It officially opened yesterday. What was affectionately (not) known as "Dropicana," the new interchange is impressive and you should see it soon -- at 75 miles per hour and smooth sailing. The interchange handles an average of 60,000 vehicles daily and up to 300,000 on busy weekends; it's the main route to the city's most popular destinations for sports, concerts, and conventions. And just in time for all the disruptions of F1.
Long-time Bay Area LVA subscriber John S. tells us that his job entails leading the fundraising for Playworks, a national nonprofit founded in Oakland that supports access to safe and healthy play for all kids (click here if you'd like to donate). Playworks, John writes, "receives significant grant funds from the Giants, Dodgers, and Warriors, as well as signed items for giveaways and fundraisers." However, when he submitted a request to the ex-Oakland Athletics last week, he received the following response. "Unfortunately, as much as our organization would like to help you in your efforts, we have very limited resources at our disposal and thus are unable to grant your request at this time." Hmm ... Is this the same team that's assuring everyone within earshot that it has more than enough resources to fund the $2 billion Las Vegas stadium? John comments, "Limited resources? Simply saying, 'Sorry, but we are unable to match your request at this time' would have worked. But not even a signed ball or leftover T-shirt? All this to say, I'm happy to share the screenshot below if you'd like to highlight the hard times of poor John Fisher," which he did and there it was, "limited resources" in stark black and white. We can't wait to donate to the Destitute MLB Owners GoFundMe page.
In the first two weeks of Circa Survivor, less than 2,000 total entries were eliminated. During Week 3, 3,154 entries fell, mostly due to losses by Green Bay to Cleveland and Atlanta (30-0) against Carolina. Out of the starting 18,718 entries, 13,811 now remain. Thanks to Seattle crushing New Orleans, 6,655 advanced, as did 3,362 when Buffalo beat Miami. Another 2,033 sweated Tampa Bay, which beat Houston with a last-minute field goal. No other losing teams knocked out more than 49 entries. Going into Week 4, 73.8% of the original field remain, competing for the $18,718,000 in the prize pool. In Grandissimo, 10 entries lost, eight due to Green Bay and two to Atlanta. That leaves 58 of the original 69 entrants still in the running for the $6.9 million prize.
Emmitt's Steakhouse, a licensing venture from Dallas Cowboys running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, has reportedly suffered a forced shutdown. We have a report that a sign on the door reads something like, "The locks have been changed because they're delinquent on over $407,000 in rent." It's not the first time the locks were rekeyed; early in the restaurant's checkered past, the original chef and his restaurant group were locked out, which prompted them to sue for $67 million. We tried and reviewed Emmitt's when it first opened in early 2024 and found it to have good food, and an excellent happy hour, and no customers, mainly due to its horrible location. It was in an obscure wing of the Fashion Show Mall, hard to get to from inside (we had to ask directions twice) and little to no foot traffic outside; it replaced Sugar Factory, which also didn't last long. We're surprised Emmitt's survived as long as it did.
An infographic from VisualCapitalist pegs the gambling capital of Asia, Macau, as the most densely populated enclave on Earth. Macau's 710,000 people are stuffed into 33 square kilometers (just under 13 square miles), giving it a density of 23,200 people per square kilometer. (The smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island, is a little more than 1,000 square miles, so it's 77 times larger than Macau). The second highest density is Monaco with 16,000 people per square kilometer (38,000 people at 2.1 square kilometers). Coincidence that the two most densely populated locales on the planet are gambling capitals? Monaco is followed by Singapore (8,476) and Hong Kong (6,809). Of the top 30 highest-density locales, nine are in Asia, seven in Europe, four in North America (all Caribbean islands) and the Middle East, three in Africa, and three in Oceania; none are in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, or Central and South America.
Carlos Santana has unveiled the dates for his 2026 version of "An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Santana's residency at HoB started in 2011 and is still going strong, with the guitarist in his 78th year. The dates are: January 21, 22, 24, 25, 28, 29, and 31; February 1; and May 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, and 24. These are in addition to the 2025 dates, whose tickets are on sale now: Sept. 24, 25, 27, and 28 and Nov. 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, and 16. Presales for the 2026 shows start tomorrow and general tickets go on sale on Friday.
Last week, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced a first-ever all Las Vegas sales event, the Fabulous 5-Day Sale, with details arriving on Monday. They're here. Today through Friday, you can access and book from more than 100 special deals -- rooms, dining, attractions, and weddings -- in what's being touted as "the biggest sale in Vegas history." And honestly, we can't remember anything even remotely similar to this destination-wide promotion. Most offers are at the high-end properties, such as up to 25% off room rates and $100 in daily dining credits at Bellagio, Cosmopolitan, Aria, and Vdara (we went through the process at Cosmo and could've booked a room for $215, a $45 discount, plus the $100 dining credit), but most downtown and locals casinos are also participating. Main Street Station, California, and Fremont are offering two nights all inclusive and $50 in dining credit for $150 total. Gold Coast is two nights and $75 food credit for $175. Palace Station is two nights and $175 food credit for $299. A few seem like afterthoughts: South Point's 10% room discount, reduced resort fee, and $20 in free play and Ellis Island's 20% off rooms and free coffee and croissant. But if you're booking a trip at some point through the end of the year, it's worth spending 20 minutes studying this promotion to see what kind of discounts and credits you might score. The main page is here.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -3 favorites over the New York Giants in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 45.
CDC Gaming, the gambling industry's largest and most prolific news organization, interviews our own Anthony Curtis, who discusses "fees, friction, and fixing the Vegas experience" with the host, casino marketing consultant and expert Hillary McAfee. This one's a little different, being focused completely on the "correction," due to economic uncertainty, weak exchange rates, and the gouge, warning that the casinos are ignoring the middle-market guests who sustain long-term revenue. But of course, Anthony being the Advisor, he emphasizes that deals are still available; casinos just need to promote them and win back skeptical consumers. It's a fast-paced 15-minute interview and you can watch it here.
Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has opened its fall display, “Autumn Majesty: A Glamorous Harvest.” It features a 37-foot tree around a moss-covered treehouse, a mushroom forest complete with mushroom lanterns and royal frog family with the orange-and-black queen on her stone throne, 23-foot pumpkin palace and pumpkin fountains, 16-by-16-foot pumpkin house hosting owls, and hundreds of pumpkins and gourds. The fall display is on view through November 8.
In August, the median asking rent in Las Vegas dropped nearly 14% from August 2024, the highest year-over-year decline out of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country. The median rent of $1,443 is down a full $228 per month from the record high of $1,671 in June 2022. The decline is attributed by experts to a glut of rentals and slowing population growth.
On Thursday, Las Vegas received a quarter-inch of rain. It was the first measurable precipitation since July 3, ending the fourth-driest monsoon season on record at 0.26 inches and settling in at the 18th driest. Scattered thunderstorms hit the valley yesterday, but not enough to make any difference. The end-of-summer weekend will be back to normal, with high temperatures in the low 90s as we head into fall; the equinox is on Monday at 11:19 a.m.
The Las Vegas Aces' win streak ended at 17 on Tuesday night, when they lost to the Seattle Storm in Game 2 of the WNBA playoffs. That tied up the best-of-three series 1-1. It all came down to Thursday night's game -- win or go home. It was a seesaw battle for four quarters, the Aces down by five at the end of the first, then holding onto a lead into the fourth, when the Storm launched a furious comeback, falling short by one point for a final score of 74-73. The Aces now face the Indiana Fever, without their superstar Caitlyn Clark, who's out for the season with injuries. It's another three-game series that starts tomorrow at home.
High Steaks, the restaurant that's replacing Voodoo Steakhouse at the top of the Rio's Masquerade Tower, is now taking reservations starting October 14. A creation of local celebrity chef James Trees (Esther's Kitchen, Al Solito Posto, and Ada's Food & Wine), High Steaks will feature "unique beef ranch partnerships, game meats, fish and vegetables, seafood towers, and a craft cocktail program." Of course, the views are non-pareil and we expect the prices to be in the same league. It will be open 5-11 p.m. nightly.
Get your drinks ready, it’s "Beer Friday.” Join Anthony and Andrew for a YouTube livestream starting at 4 p.m. PST. Watch the show live, interact online, and have a drink or two with the guys to start your weekend. Join at LVA YouTube live channel.
Zoox robotaxis are taking Las Vegas by storm. Zoox is a subsidiary of Amazon and its autonomous electric vehicles, called “pods,” operate without steering wheels and pedals. The test phase began in June 2023 after several years of rigorous testing and Amazon has started rolling out its fleet by offering free rides to and from Resorts World, Topgolf, New York-New York, Luxor, and Area15. Like Uber and Lyft, you order up your ride on the Zoox app, on which you can track your pod and match the license plate. To get in, you press a button that opens sliding glass doors. Up to four passengers can fit; two sets of riders face each other. Without the steering wheel and pedals, the entire interior is devoted to passenger space and reportedly there’s plenty of leg room for everyone. The average wait time for a pod is currently 15 minutes.
Harry Reid International Airport ranked as the fifth-best major airport in North America in an annual survey on customer satisfaction conducted by J.D. Power, the data analytics, software, and consumer-intelligence company. Power based its findings on 30,500 completed surveys from U.S. and Canadian citizens who traveled through at least one of their country's airports during the past 30 days. Minneapolis-St. Paul International ranked number one, followed by Detroit Metropolitan, Phoenix Sky Harbor, and Dallas-Fort Worth International, all with satisfaction results well above the national average. Reid rose in the rankings based on improved food offerings. Reid is also undergoing an expasion project that will bump up the number of gates from 39 to 65, add baggage carousels, replace escalators, and open new lounges.
Sammy Hagar and his all-star band will play an 11-show residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM next year. The dates are March 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, and 21 and September 18, 19, 23, 25, and 26. He'll be backed by Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony, guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, drummer Kenny Aronoff, and multi-instrumentalist Rai Thistlethwayte. The presale is underway and general tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT.
The Buffalo Bills are -11 favorites over the Miami Dolphins in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 50.5.
Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman is again ranked #1 among high school football teams in the U.S. by USA Today. That ranking will be tested Friday night when Gorman hosts Mater Dei (CA), last year’s unofficial national champion and currently ranked #9. Gorman is seeking its fifth national title since 2014. The game starts at 7 p.m. PST and will air on the NFHS Network and the MaxPreps website and YouTube channel.
Contestants are surviving Circa Survivor and almost perfect in Circa's mammoth Grandissimo football contests. Survivor lost a mere 1,180 entrants in Week 2, leaving 16,965 (a little more than 90%) still in the the running for the $18 million winner(s)-take-all payout. The top five selections all won their matchups. Baltimore, Los Angeles Chargers, and Detroit all won with relative ease, while Arizona and Dallas made those who picked them sweat. Dallas beat New York in overtime; it looked like the game might end in a tie, which would have eliminated contestants who picked either team, but the Cowboys eked out the win. Pittsburgh, the sixth most-picked selection, lost to Seattle, eliminating 491 entries. Losing teams with more than 100 entries included Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Miami, and Houston. This is the highest percentage of contestants to reach Week 3 in Circa Survivor history. The previous high was in 2021, where 73.2% of the field remained. Last year, just 27.2% of the then-record-setting field made it to Week 3. In the Grandissimo, the first entrant was eliminated, losing on Pittsburgh. The 68 remaining contestants are in contention for the $6.9 million prize.
Two southbound lanes of the Strip and the sidewalk in front of Bellagio are closed to vehicle and foot traffic again and will be through December for Formula 1's high-end grandstand work. The trees, all in planters, are being removed and will be replaced just before New Year's Eve. Lane reductions on Harmon, Koval, and Audrie will be in effect between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on a staggered basis for the next several weeks. Best to give the whole F1 circuit as wide a berth as you can through the end of the year.
“Mariah Carey’s Christmastime in Vegas” will play for 10 nights at Dolby Live at Park MGM: November 28 and 29 and December 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, and 13. These dates are in addition to the previously announced extension of her summer "Celebration of Mimi" residency at Dolby Live, with one show at the end of January and seven in February. Presale tickets for the holiday shows are on sale through Thursday, then general public tickets go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. PT.
Sphere Entertainment issued a tweet yesterday celebrating the sale of 500,000 tickets to The Wizard of Oz, which debuted at the arena on August 28, barely three weeks ago. At an average ticket price of $220, that's $110 million gross, 10% more than the reported cost of the remake of $100 million. Tickets are on sale through April and presumably, the pace will cool off a bit, but WoZ is definitely a winner for the unique venue, which continues to ramp up as it closes out its second year.
It's not a buffet, but it is all you can eat. Saturdays and Sundays at Proper Eats, the food hall at Aria, pay $59 and partake in the "Ultimate Football Tailgate" extravaganza. The details are scant -- no mention of how long you can stay, how many times you can order, whom you pay the $59 to, etc. We do know you have to reserve a spot, which you can do here, all eight of the food outlets are involved (though we're hearing about an upcharge for sushi from Temaki Bar), ordering is exclusively digital from the app or at one of two kiosks, and Proper Eats reminds us of a sports bar with all the TV screens in the room, so you'll have a view of the football. However, unless you can walk into Aria, you'll pay for parking at City Center, which adds another $25 or so to the AYCE deal. Still, the ads say, "watch all the games," so if you're allowed to stay all day and keep ordering, it might be worth it.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Fogerty, founder and lead singer/guitarist for Credence Clearwater Revival, will play a six-show mini-residency at PH Live at Planet Hollywood this winter. The dates are New Year's Eve, then Jan. 2 and 3 and March 18, 20, and 21. Tickets are on sale now.
In the second of tonight's Monday Night Football double-header, the Los Angeles Chargers are -3.5 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders. The total is 47.
In the first of tonight's Monday Night Football double-header, the Houston Texans are -2,5 favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The total is 42.5.
The Las Vegas Raiders will play on national TV tonight on Monday Night Football. The Raiders are 1-0 after beating the New England Patriots on the road. They face off against the Los Angeles Chargers, also 1-0 after beating the Kansas City Chiefs (yes, that team) last week. To make the night more special, the U.S. Little League Baseball World Series champion Summerlin South team will light the Al Davis Memorial Torch prior to kickoff. The World Champ youngsters have been making a number of appearances around town and this is an appropriate one: The torch embodies the team's vision, "the fire that burns the brightest in the Raiders' organization is the will to win," which is the enduring legacy of Al Davis, long-time owner of the Raiders and father of current owner Mark Davis.
Yes, but according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in a graphic on VisualCapitalist, the Silver State has the fourth fewest in the nation. Only Rhode Island, Delaware, and Alaska have fewer and you could fit 44 Delawares and 72 Rhode Islands within Nevada's boundaries, though you could fit six Nevadas in Alaska. Nevada has 3,100 farms, almost entirely in the northern part of the state. Compare that to Texas, which has the most at 231,000, Iowa at number two at 86,700, and California at number 10 at 62,500. Overall, the U.S. has 1.88 million farms, so Nevada's constitute barely one-fifth of one percent of them.
A new reimagined rideshare pickup area at Reid International opened on Friday just outside Terminal 1. Dubbed "Fabulous Pickups," it's a joint project between the airport and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to put lipstick on a pig (or, depending on your perspective, as part of the tourism agency’s campaign to coax visitors back to Vegas). The pickup area features a Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, new seating and lighting, and a custom neon selfie wall. On select dates, showgirls and a DJ will also help get the party started.
The Minnesota Vikings are -3 favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 44.5.
After a summer promotion that waived the parking fee, Resorts World has returned to charging most guests a flat $21 per day. Genting Rewards (Elite, Prime, Monarch, and Imperial, essentially all but the entry-level Royal) members and Nevada residents (with a NV license plate) can still park for free. The charge returns in conjunction with RW's new Metropolis Parking system, an electronic license-plate reader that eliminates paper tickets and gates. It sounds to us like the ones at OYO and the Fertitta property on the Strip, where you register at Metropolis' app and pay on the honor system. But we'll check it out soon.
Carín León will play three shows at Sphere a year from now, marking the first time a Latin music concert will headline the arena. León is a Mexican singer, songwriter, and guitarist who specializes in regional Mexican music and has had several hits in Mexico and the U.S. His album Boca Chueca, Vol. 1 (Crooked Mouth) won this year's Grammy Award for Best Música Mexicana Album. His shows will take place Sept. 11, 12, and 13, the weekend before Mexican Independence Day. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday Sept. 26.
Saul Alvarez is a -170 favorite over Terence Crawford in tonight's championship fight. The total is 10.5 rounds, with over the favorite at -400.
Jean Silva is a -250 favorite over Diego Lopes in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Rob Font is -115 over David Martinez.
Every year for the past seven, Forbes has published a list of the best companies in the country to work for. Forbes works with a market research firm to survey more than 160,000 people who work for companies with 500 or more employees. They evaluate their workplaces based on "wage parity, work culture, paths to professional advancement, whether the employer takes action on serious issues, such as sexual harassment, and whether they'd recommend their employer to prospective employees." In Nevada, 35 employers made this year's cut, though less than half are based here: UPS ranked #2, Bank of America #3, Microsoft #4, etc. Of the Nevada-based employers, Allegiant Airlines was number one, 14 on the total list. Of the hotel-casinos, Reno's Peppermill ranked fifth and 22, followed by Caesars (6/23), Station Casinos (9/27), Wynn Resorts (10/28), MGM (11/31), and Venetian (12/32).
This week's YouTube is the popular roundup of recent and not-so-recent jackpots. It starts out with a non-gaming "jackpot" at Golden Gate, then touches on the putative new tax-reporting threshold for slot jackpots. The first bona fide jackpot is for a nickels for $1,400. Wow! Find out how that happened. Next up is a jackpot that Andrew hit for $3K+ and he personally relates the story. A $20,000 royal, a $10,000 slot jackpot on a cruise, the video of an $8,000 pop, a few more slot jackpots, one from our very own Canada Roy, one on Shockwave video poker, one at South Point with an update on the downgraded players club points, and on and on and on and on. Great to see all the jackpot winners -- and that Anthony and Andrew can archive them all the way back to 2022, keep them all straight, and make a great show once a month out of them.
The original "What's My Line?," the game show in which a panel of celebrities questioned contestants to determine their occupations, ran from 1950 to 1967 and most of the episodes were preserved using the technology of the day. One of them, from October 4, 1956, features a woman blackjack dealer from Reno. It's a great peek into gambling at the time and one exchange between the dealer and the inimitable David Niven, who appeared with the three regular panelists, is a classic. The dealer is the second of the three contestants, starts around 10:30 into the video, and is well worth the eight minutes that it runs. You can see it here. And many thanks to LVA correspondent XY for sending the link.
It turns out that the Poker Palace, which opened in 1974 and has been under the same ownership for 50 years, has been acquired by Truckee Gaming and after a renovation will reopen, though probably with a new name. Truckee Gaming is based in Reno and owns nine small neighborhood casinos in northern Nevada, including Rail City in Sparks, along with Club Fortune in Henderson. The Poker Palace property will be renovated, with a new exterior, new walls, floor coverings, and ceilings, a refreshed and expanded casino, new restrooms and back-of-the-house space, and an expanded kitchen for an additional 32 seats in the restaurant. No budget has been revealed, but the reopening is slated for the end of the first quarter or sometime in the second quarter of 2026.
The Las Vegas Aces' record win streak has ended and not by losing. Our team ran away with the last game of the regular season, soundly beating the Sparks in Los Angeles 103-75. The 16 games in a row fell short of the league record of 18 set in 2014, but it was the longest to end the regular season in league history. They also secured the number-two seed in the playoffs, which start Sunday; the Aces play the number-seven Seattle Storm at home. Aces superstar and three-time MVP A'ja Wilson looks unstoppable, putting up 23 points (9-17 from the field), 19 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and four blocks.
The last little sign that remains from the Dunes will be illuminated at the Neon Museum on September 26. And we do mean little, especially compared to the 181-foot-tall pylon sign that flashed DUNES for nearly 30 years; when it was installed and lit up in November 1964, it was the tallest freestanding sign in the world and won that year's coveted General Electric neon-sign award. The one the Neon Museum has restored is a 10-foot sign that graced the entrance over the driveway up to the porte cochere and has been sitting in the museum's Boneyard for more than 20 years. It was lifted by crane and brought to the workshop, then "the original animation pattern was recreated with historically accurate bulbs and a large crack on the sign's face was repaired." Nice that the Neon Museum has commemorated the iconic hotel-casino that was imploded in October 1993 in conjunction with the opening of Treasure Island.
The inventory of Las Vegas homes for sale continues to rise. At the end of August, 7,200 single-family houses were for sale, up 37% from August 2024, plus 2,560 condos and townhomes, an increase of 54% year over year. Meanwhile, sales of houses declined 14.2% in August from 2024 and condos/townhomes are down 15.4%. But the median prices remain close to record highs: $480,000 for houses set in March, $5,000 off the record, and condo/townhomes $298,000, up $8,000 from July, though down from the record of $315,000 set last October.
The Green Bay Packers are -3 favorites over the Washington Commanders in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 48.5.
The total guaranteed prize money for the three Circa Sports football contests this year is $31.6 million. All we can say is, yowzuh! Last year, we thought the total of $20.2 million paid out to contestants was amazing. Circa Million came up short of the $6 million guarantee with 5,685 entries for a $315,000 overlay. But Survivor decimated the $15 million guarantee with 18,718 entries, $18.7 million in prize money and by far the highest payout for a football contest in history. And the new Grandissimo utterly destroyed the guaranteed $1.5 million, attracting 69 entires at $100,000 each for $6.9 million. So far in Survivor, 518 entries were eliminated through Sunday; 24 threw their $1,000 entry fee out the window by failing to submit a pick. Go figure. And 269 players were knocked out by our own Raiders, while 25 advanced after picking them to win on Sunday. Go Vegas. All 69 Grandissimo entrants survived Week One.
The Las Vegas Aces' loss to the Minnesota Lynx at home by a score of 111-58 lon August 2 had a profound impact on the team -- namely, they haven't lost a game since. By crushing the Chicago Sky last night at home 92-61, the Aces have now won 15 consecutive games and tied the 1998 Houston Comets for the third-longest winning streak in WNBA history. The team has one more game in the regular season, tomorrow night in Los Angeles against the Sparks (21-22). The Aces will get the number-two seed with either a win against the Sparks or an Atlanta Dream loss to the Connecticut Sun tonight.
Business media and analysts are weighing in on the The Wizard of Oz and they're all making positive noises. Bloomberg reports that Sphere is hosting upwards of 10,000 movie-goers a day and they're paying an average of nearly $200 apiece. Add it up and Sphere is bringing in $2 million daily on ticket sales alone, plus much more for food, beverage, and merchandise. Bloomberg also reported, "Executives at Sphere estimate the film will gross hundreds of millions of dollars over the next year and could top $1 billion before concluding its run." An analyst for Wolfe Research, one of the largest "sell-side" (product creators) analyst firms in the U.S., said Sphere "may be the world’s most profitable venue”; he speculated that "the stunning success of The Wizard of Oz will likely kickstart a years-long process to adapt far more titles to the venue’s 160,000-square-foot screen." It's known that Sphere executives have held "preliminary discussions" about Harry Potter and Star Wars.
Spirit Airlines is cutting the number of its Las Vegas flights starting next month by more than half. As of October 2, Spirit will eliminate service to eight cities from Reid International: Albuquerque, Boise, Portland, Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Oakland, San Diego, and San Jose. The reduction is part of the ultra-low-cost airline's second Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the past year as it tries to restructure its debt and stabilize its finances. Las Vegas is the most affected airport of Spirit's flight cutbacks. To fill some of the gaps, United Airlines is expanding its Vegas schedule, adding routes from Chicago and Houston starting January 6.
Golden Gate's co-owner Derek Stevens has announced that starting Friday September 19, the GG's Center Bar will serve complimentary drinks between 6 and 7 p.m. The promotion is part of a new marketing campaign launched to ease the transition from live tables and dancing dealers, which are gone, to electronic table games; it's called "The Night Starts Here" and keys in on the Golden Gate's status as the original address (1 Fremont Street) and phone number (1) in Las Vegas. In addition, the Golden Gate will be giving out "lots of free play" over the coming weeks. And speaking of the end of the live dealer era at the Golden Gate, LVA correspondent Michael B sent in two photos, the first before the dealers and tables were removed and the second after. They're a pretty graphic depiction of the transformation of the casino that's currently underway and you can see them in full glory here.
West Wind Drive-In will host its bi-annual Free Movie Night on Thursday September 18 at the Las Vegas and Reno/Sparks drive-Ins. Gates open at 6 p.m.; movies begin at 8 p.m. The lineup includes How to Train Your Dragon, Superman, Lilo & Stitch, The Fantastic Four: First Steps (all 2025 flicks), plus Jurassic World: Rebirth and The Minecraft Movie. Families can enjoy music, bounce houses, and kid-friendly activities ahead of showtime and the snack bar will serve $2 nachos alongside the full menu. To ensure timely entry and concession service, guests are encouraged to arrive at least one hour before showtime. Parking is first-come first-served; capacity is limited.
The Mob Museum has announced a new outdoor lounge and entertainment venue. Dubbed Starlight Plaza, the 7,700-square-foot space will be seasonal (presumably closed during the coldest and hottest weather) and will host live music, public programs, and private events and serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks; no word about food. Starlight Plaza is slated to open "this fall."
The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are pick ’em in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 43.
Saturday's Powerball drawing, the second largest in lottery history, yielded two winners who'll share the $1.79 billion jackpot, one in Texas, the other Missouri. They'll split the $893.5 million annuity or the $410.3 million lump sum. In Texas, you have to select the lump sum to remain anonymous; Missouri has strong regulations in place to protect winners. Both winners have 180 days to claim their jackpots. The winners don't have to agree on a payout method; each indicates either the lump sum or the annuity option as the payout.
The rock band Eagles have announced four more shows at Sphere due to “overwhelming demand.” The shows, on Jan. 23, 24, 30, and 31, are their 45th-through-48th shows since launching the residency in September 2024. They continued through mid-April and will recommence for several weekends in October and November. The presale starts Wednesday Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. PT, general sales the following Friday.
Ellis Island has opened up the first phase of its $35 million expansion and renovation. The project nearly doubles the size of the casino and includes a new bar and high-limit pit. There's also a new facade out front with 1,200 square feet of LEDs, a renovated portico, and new landscaping. The bar has 25 seats and a 50- by 11-foot LED screen for sporting events. The second phase is getting started and when completed, the total project will have added 35,000 square feet to the property, including a rooftop bar (that'll provide a great view of F1).
The Baltimore Ravens are -1.5 favorites over the Buffalo Bills in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 51.
To support a new private bond offering, Brightline West, the high-speed train under construction between So. Cal. and Las Vegas, posted 1,200 pages of documents that shed some light on the current state of affairs of the project. Brightline is looking for an additional $2.5 billion in financing to add to the $6 billion secured so far (a $3 billion federal grant and approximately $3 billion in private bonds issued by California and Nevada). If the $2.5 billion is funded, $3.5 billion more will needed for the estimated final cost of $12 billion. According to the documents, Brightline is projecting 5.8 million passengers and $844 million in its first full year of operation, which is expected to be 2029, though that remains to be seen; also indicated in all those pages is that the project is running behind its previously announced schedule and won't be ready by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. When/if it's completed, Brightline anticipates 8.6 million passengers and $1.4 billion by 2031 -- 68% from southern California, 21% from Clark County, and 11% from elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad.
Jannik Sinner is a -130 favorite over Carlos Alcarez in today's U.S. Open tennis men's final. Alcarez is seeking his sixth Grand Slam title, Sinner his fifth.
Caio Borralho is a -130 favorite over Nassourdine Imavov in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Mauricio Ruffy is -160 over Benoit Saint-Denis.
Aryna Sabalenka is a -190 favorite over Amanda Anisimova in today's U.S. Open tennis women's final. Sabalenka is seeking her fourth Grand Slam title, Anisimova her first.
This evening's Powerball jackpot will be the second-largest in lottery history, closing in on the world-record $2.04 billion, also a Powerball jackpot, won in California on Nov. 7, 2022. As of this writing, it's worth $1.8 billion, having risen $100 million overnight, and has an estimated cash value of $826.4 million. If no one hits all six numbers, a one-in-292.2-million shot, Monday's drawing will almost certainly breach the $2 billion mark and most likely set a new record. No one has hit the jackpot since May 31; tonight's will be the 42nd consecutive drawing without a grand winner. Powerball has hit four times this year, on January 18 in Oregon for $328.5 million, on March 29 in California for $526.5 million, April 26 in Kentucky for $167.3 million, and on May 31 in California for $204.5 million.
The final day for Golden Gate’s dancing dealers will be tomorrow, as all the live table games are being replaced with electronic versions. The “Last Dance, Last Deal” sendoff party will take place tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm.
A Face Up Pai Gow player named Billy R. at the LINQ on Sunday drew a seven-card straight flush to hit the mega jackpot for $937,040. It's not seven figures, our usual minimum for reporting jackpots, but a seven-card straight flush is such a beautiful sight that we're forgiving the other $62,960.
The Las Vegas Aces continue their streamrolling juggernaut over the WNBA with a win at home last night, their 13th in a row. The Aces beat the Minnesota Lynx by a score of 97-87. The win was especially gratifying, as the Lynx are the only team in the league with single-digit losses (32-9), they're number one in the Western Conference and the Aces are number two (27-14), and the Lynx walloped the Aces earlier this season, beating them by 53 points. Three games remain on the Aces' schedule; the next is against the Chicago Sky (10-30), also at home, on Sunday.
This week's video is our monthly update on the Vegas scene. Anthony and Andrew cover a lot of ground, starting with the latest on the baseball stadium and some A's team announcements, then moving on to recent openings (Andrew visited the newly expanded Ellis Island) and closings (including Poker Palace). Anthony gives the lowdown (and we do mean low) on the new quadruple-zero roulette at Palazzo, the end of table games at Golden Gate, two great drink deals ($1.99 margaritas and $7.50 Bloody Marys), and our new monster book, Casino Redux, which tells the whole story behind the Chinese Triad cartels taking over the global casino business. It's another not-to-be-missed discussion between our inimitable vlog hosts.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -8 favorites over the Dallas Cowboys in tonight's Thursday Night Football game that opens the 2025 NFL season. The total is 48.5. If you want to hang with the locals, Torrey Pines Pub is an Eagles bar and Mr. D’s is a Cowboys bar.
As of yesterday, the Circa Million football contest had 4,570 entries at $1,000 each. With $6 million in guaranteed prize money, that's a shortfall/overlay of $1,430 with the deadline to enter Saturday at 2 p.m. Circa Survivor reached 15,000 entries yesterday to cover the purse; any additional signups will increase the prize pool. And the Grandissimo, with a $100,000 buy-in and $1.5 million prize pool, stands as of Wednesday at 49 entries, $3.4 million above the guarantee.
The second hotel tower at M Resort will open on Monday December 1. The $206 million project is "months ahead of the original construction timeline," according to the press release. In addition, Penn Entertainment, which owns M, has partnered with the Emeril Group to bring in Meril, an Emeril Lagasse favorite in New Orleans that features contemporary American with a bit of Latin, Asian, and Italian thrown in; prices on the New Orleans menu look reasonable (only a few dishes are more than $20). The new hotel tower nearly doubles M's capacity for a new total of 765 rooms and suites.
Perhaps the last vestige of the defunct Hooters casino is no more, with the closing of the Hooters restaurant at OYO. No replacement has been announced, leaving only Steak & Shake as a 24-hour dining option there. It’s also the end of any Hooters presence in Las Vegas where there used to be multiple restaurants, including one at Sunset Station.
China Mama, one of Chinatown's best Asian restaurants, has started serving breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. daily. Dishes include scallion pancakes, pork buns, congee (rice porridge), crispy crullers, pan-fried dumplings, pot stickers, fried dough sticks (Chinese donuts), and soy milk. The new menu items and hours were launched on Monday, so we haven't had a chance to run over there to check prices or try a Chinese breakfast, but we will soon.
Caesars Entertainment is offering a deal at the Flamingo, Harrah's, or the LINQ. Pay $300, with "no hidden fees or surprise taxes," and get a two-night stay at one of the three, plus $200 in food credits, good at "Caesars Rewards-owned outlets citywide." We're not sure what that means, though four-walled celebrity-chef restaurants are probably excluded; best to ask before you eat. The $200 won't take you very far in two and a half days on the Strip for two, but with no resort or parking fees, it's a fixed $50 a night for a room on the center Strip. Use code CZ300 and (try to) book here.
Just in time for football season, Virgin has announced that it will partner with William Hill to take over the sports book that was vacated by Betfred last January during its exit from the U.S. market. No opening date was cited, though the press release indicated that Hill will "significantly increase" the viewing experience, betting kiosks, and sports wagering menu.
The dual-branded non-casino AC Hotel by Marriott and Element by Westin have opened at Symphony Park, Marriott’s largest AC/Element project in the U.S. The five-story 441-room double hotel comprises 322 rooms in the AC Hotel and 119 rooms in the Element, which is designed for longer stays. It's located next to Vic's, the Italian-American restaurant that has regular live jazz performances, and within walking distance of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
It now takes $2 (formerly $1) to earn a point in the South Point players club. This drops the players club return to a modest .15%.
July's visitor numbers were the lowest since 2002 (excluding 2020 during the height of the pandemic), according to a gaming analyst for J.P Morgan. Though convention attendance increased 11% year over year in July, the total of 3.1 million visitors dropped 12% from July 2024. It was the seventh consecutive month with a decline in visitation -- in other words, every month this year so far. Between January and July, visitation was down 8%: January dropped 1.1%, February 12% (on the tough comparison to the Las Vegas Super Bowl in February 2024), March 7.8%, April 5.1%, May 6.5%, June 11.3%, and July 12%. Preliminary August numbers also show a decline in visitors.
John Katsilometes of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Drai’s Beachclub and Nightclub will close its rooftop location on the 11th floor of the Cromwell on October 31 and move back to the basement where it first opened in 1997. Drai's has occupied the indoor-outdoor rooftop, complete with pool, since 2014 and will reopen in its original location on November 2. But Caesars is assuming management of the space and will open the pool to hotel guests, while offering the roof for corporate and private parties.
The AI-enhanced remake of The Wizard of Oz debuted at Sphere last Thursday night and all the reviews we've seen and heard so far are laudatory. Several singled out the tornado in Kansas as the star of the spectacle: "quite the thrill ride," according to one account. Apparently, this sequence has been exceptionally "reimagined." The haptics are also a highlight: "lighting effects, wind, light indoor precipitation, falling objects, even some surprise physical additions." The one negative seems to be the run time. At 75 minutes, the new version is nearly a half-hour shorter than the original, so plenty of favorite moments are lost and lamented. But overall, our impression is that the experience is worth the price of admission, which starts at $104. We'll see it soon and offer up our own review.
So a guy says to his wife, he says, "What would you do if I hit the lottery?" She responds, "Hell, you know exactly what I'd do. I'd take half and leave you." He smiles. "Good. I just won fifty bucks. Here's your twenty-five. Keep in touch." This hypothetical couple might have it easier than one that hits the Powerball jackpot, which now stands at $1.1 billion and will be the fifth largest in lottery history for tonight's drawing. It's the first billion-dollar-plus jackpot of the year; the last one was a Mega Millions prize of $1.22 billion, won on December 27, 2024, with the winning ticket sold in Cottonwood, California. As for the joke, a third of all lottery grand-prize winners declare bankruptcy within five years of winning, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute.