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In today’s Cotton Bowl, the first quarter-final game in the college-football National Championship playoffs, Ohio State is a -7.5 favorite over Miami. The total is 40.
In today’s Las Vegas Bowl, Utah is a -14 favorite over Nebraska. The total is 50.5.
In today’s Citrus Bowl, Texas is a -4.5 favorite over Michigan. The total is 49.
In today’s Sun Bowl, Duke is a -3.5 favorite over Arizona State. The total is 49.
Overall, Nevada casinos won more money in November 2025, $1.34 billion, than in November 2024, $1.31 billion, a 2.4% gain. Downtown recorded a solid 10.3% increase to $87.1 million, up from $79 million, while the Boulder Strip rose a full 20% to $79.4 million, up from $66.2 million. Both Laughlin and Mesquite reported 10%-plus gains and North Las Vegas just under 5%. The Strip, meanwhile, declined from $788.7 million to $784.3 million, a little more than a half-percent. Baccarat accounted for most of that; the drop increased by nearly 10%, but the hold fell by nearly 6% (the international high rollers in for the race might've gotten luckier this year than last). The rest of the table-game revenue also fell, down by 7.4%, and the drop was down 4% (the jet setters played less, but won more). And apparently, F1 attendees never ventured off the Strip.
In today’s Reliaquest Bowl, Vanderbilt is a -3 favorite over Iowa. The total is 46.5.
In today’s Alamo Bowl, USC is a -4.5 favorite over TCU. The total is 56.
In today’s Music City Bowl, Tennessee is a -3 favorite over Illinois. The total is 62.5.
In today’s Independence Bowl, Louisiana Tech is a -10 favorite over Coastal Carolina. The total is 49.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
The Regional Transportation Commission will provide free rides on all transit routes on New Year’s Eve, as it does every year to ensure a safe travel option for locals and visitors celebrating the holiday. The free rides are available from 6 p.m. tomorrow night through 9 a.m. Thursday morning. Transit riders can board any RTC bus route without purchasing a pass or ponying up the fare. The RTC transit system will operate on a Saturday schedule all day tomorrow and a Sunday schedule all day Thursday.
After announcing that the number of visitors for the New Year's Eve weekend could set a new record, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority backtracked a bit and said it expects a crowd of 345,000 to converge on the city on New Year’s Eve. This is a slight drop from the 349,000 a year ago and 347,000 in 2023; 2022 saw 336,000 visitors and 2021 hosted 309,000. The LVCVA cited this year's hotel occupancy rate at 95%, down from 96.9% in 2024 and 96.6% in 2022, but up from 94.6% in 2023 and 91.2% in 2021.
It’s almost 2026! NYE fireworks (if the weather permits) will be launched from 10 casino properties: Aria, Caesars Palace, Fontainebleau, MGM Grand, Palms, Planet Hollywood, Resorts World, the STRAT, Treasure Island, and the Venetian.
The Los Angeles Rams are -7 favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 49.
In today’s Birmingham Bowl, Georgia Southern is a -10 favorite over Appalachian State. The total is 58.
The popular local breakfast restaurant, Hash House A Go Go, has closed at the Rio after nearly 20 years. Taking its place is the Kitchen Table, which opens today, serving a breakfast and lunch menu that's greatly slimmed down from Hash House's. Eggs, biscuits and gravy, Benedicts, skillets, pancakes, and toasts run $12-$22; salads, sandwiches, and burgers are $15-$22. Hours are 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. It looks to us like the Rio wanted to replace the Hash House with its own restaurant.
A new law goes into effect on Thursday that imposes tougher penalties on DUI offenses, including driving while under the influence of cannabis. Due to increased traffic fatalities around Nevada in the past few years, Assembly Bill 4 significantly increases prison time for DUI offenses that cause serious injury or death, raising the maximum sentence for a first offense to 25 years, which means a minimum of 10 years in prison, and boosting minimum sentences for repeat offenses. The new law won't apply to most visitors, but its severity is an indicator that the justice system in the Silver State is clamping down on driving while impaired by alcohol and marijuana.
The San Francisco 49ers are -3.5 favorites over the Chicago Bears in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 51.5.
Typically, winds are the X factor in whether or not the fireworks go off at midnight on New Year's Eve. But this year, rain could be the villain. With four days to go, rain is predicted for the morning of New Year's Day. But the "plume of moisture" gathering steam off the coast of Baja California could arrive ahead of schedule. That would certainly dampen spirits on the Strip, though precipitation would have less of an effect of downtown's party.
In today’s Texas Bowl, Houston is a -1.5 favorite over LSU. The total is 41.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
In today’s Gator Bowl, Missouri is a -4 favorite over Virginia. The total is 43.5.
In today’s New Mexico Bowl, North Texas is a -7.5 favorite over San Diego State. The total is 53.5.
In today’s Arizona Bowl, Fresno State is a -5 favorite over Miami Ohio. The total is 41.
In today’s Pop-Tarts Bowl, BYU is a -3.5 favorite over Georgia Tech. The total is 55.5.
In today’s Fenway Bowl, Army is a -8 favorite over Connecticut. The total is 42.
In today’s Pinstripe Bowl, Clemson is a -2.5 favorite over Penn State. The total is 47.5.
In today’s Military Bowl, Pittsburgh is a -13.5 favorite over East Carolina. The total is 52.5.
The CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is predicting a record-breaking crowd for the long New Year's Eve weekend. "“When we’re full, we’re in the 330,000-335,000 range. For New Year’s Eve, we get a little more full," he told the Review-Journal, estimating 340,000 New Year's Eve revelers on the Strip and downtown. (The total room count is down a bit from this time last year to 150,126 from 150,325.) The R-J also conducted a room-rate survey for New Year's Eve, finding that the average cost is $294 on the Strip and $195 downtown. The highest was $1,252 a night at MGM Grand, the lowest $61 at Circus Circus (plus resort fee, of course).
In today’s First Responder Bowl, UTSA is a -7 favorite over Florida International. The total is 62.
In today’s Rate Bowl, Minnesota is a -1.5 favorite over New Mexico. The total is 45.5.
In today’s Sports Bowl, Northwestern is a -12.5 favorite over Central Michigan. The total is 43.5.
The good folks over at VegasChanges.com posted a fun page today: "Celebrity, Unique, and Just Wacky Las Vegas Street Names." Check it out to see nearly 40 streets named after celebrities (including Houdini St. and William Holden Ct.), all the streets with names based on things like Beatles songs, the Vegas Golden Knights, and Pokémon characters, and those that you might not want to live on (Hanky Panky St., anyone? Elvis Alive Drive?). It's well worth the four-minute perusal on this Boxing Day.
This week's LVA YouTube is a roundup of 2025 and a glimpse into what's happening next year. Anthony and Andrew cover the major events in Las Vegas this past year, which weren't much: one major opening, several large renovations, and several closings. Then they get into what to look forward to in 2026, though that seems to be more of the same from this year: minimal. Finally, they talk about the two new tax policies that go into effect on January 1: the $2,000 jackpot reporting threshold and the 90% limit on the deduction for losses (which we're also covering in detail in the QoD on the last day of this year).
The Denver Broncos are -13.5 favorites over the Kansas City Chiefs in today’s final NFL Christmas game. The total is 38.5.
The Detroit Lions are -7 favorites over the Houston Texans in today’s second NFL Christmas game. The total is 44.5.
The Dallas Cowboys are -9 favorites over the Washington Commanders in the first of three NFL Christmas games today. The total is 50.5.
Last night's Powerball drawing produced a single winning ticket for the jackpot of $1.817 billion, purchased by someone somewhere in Arkansas. It was the second-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won, the second Power Ball jackpot to be won by an Arkansan, the second back-to-back $1 billion-plus winning Power Ball jackpots, and the second to be hit on Christmas Eve (it's been won four times on Christmas). The new record is 46 consecutive Power Ball drawings without a winner; last night's was the 47th after the previous win in September. The cash value of the prize is estimated at $835 million.
In today’s Hawaii Bowl, Hawaii and California are pick ’em. The total is 51.5.
The number of passengers passing through Reid International was down nearly 10% in November year over year, from 4.73 million in November 2024 to 4.27 million last month. International travelers declined 21%, from 303,000 to 239,500 (perhaps indicating fewer F1 attendees). Canadians dropped 35% and European numbers were flat. For the year, the total passenger count is down 5.5% from 53.5 million to 50.6 million, a decline of nearly three million passengers.
The dead-in-the-water Dream Las Vegas Hotel-Casino has been put up for sale by the lead contractor, which became the owner several months ago after a settlement over unpaid bills. The listing broker, according to the Review-Journal, has received offers in "the $50 million range" for the nearly five-acre parcel. Dream was supposed to be a 20-story 527-room resort next door to the south of the Pinball Hall of Fame. Upwards of $120 million has reportedly been invested in the property, for which the original developers paid $21 million in 2020. When sold, the new developer will have a major head start on whatever the site turns into.
In today’s Frisco Bowl, UNLV is a -6.5 favorite over Ohio. The total is 65.
In today’s New Orleans Bowl, Southern Mississippi is a -3 favorite over Western Kentucky. The total is 59.5.
In today’s Boca Ratan Bowl, Louisville is a -12 favorite over Toledo. The total is 44.5.
Christmas week is here and there are plenty of holiday activities to enjoy! Here are some of the highlights:
The San Francisco 49ers are -4.5 favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 46.5.
In today’s Potato Bowl, Utah State is a -1.5 favorite over Washington State. The total is 50.5.
At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, it was announced that the fireworks for "America's Party 2026" will be launched from the rooftops of nine Las Vegas Strip casinos: MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, Venetian, Resorts World, Fontainebleau, and the STRAT. A 10th hotel, the Palms, will also host fireworks west of the Strip. Radio station KOMP, 92.3 on your dial, will broadcast the soundtrack to Las Vegas' New Year's Eve party, with 340,000 celebrants expected.
In remarks before the NBA Cup championship game at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday night, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that a decision about the long-awaited expansion team will be made in 2026. "The league is currently gauging interest in bringing a team to Las Vegas," he said, noting that the league is certainly familiar with the city, thanks to the WNBA Aces, 20 years of summer-league games, and the several years of NBA Cup playoff games. “I don’t have any doubt that Las Vegas, despite all the other major league teams that are here now, could support an NBA team,” he said.
The Baltimore Ravens are -3.5 favorites over the New England Patriots in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 48.5.
The average price of a gallon of gas in Las Vegas is $3.49, according to AAA. This is down from just under $4 in November and 11 cents from last week's $3.60. The seasonal (winter) low accounts or the drop in prices, with the national average at $2.90 per gallon. Nevada is now sixth for the highest price per gallon across the country. Hawaii ($4.38), California ($4.33), Washington ($3.97), Alaska ($3.60), and Oregon ($3.57) are the top five.
Tom Brady is growing his brand in Las Vegas. CardVault by Tom Brady, a chain or retail stores and an online platform for sports and trading cards and memorabiliia, will open in the The Shoppes at Mandalay Place at MBay. It's the 10th location of the brand, which Brady is a part-owner in and spokesman for. The pre-opening was Monday night; the 1,500-square-foot store opened yesterday. Brady is also a partner in the Las Vegas Raiders and hosts a memorabilia museum at Fontainebleau.
In today’s final Round 1 game in the College Football National Championship tournament, Oregon is a -20.5 favorite over James Madison. The total is 48.
In the second of today’s three Round 1 games in the College Football National Championship tournament, Mississippi is a -17 favorite over Tulane. The total is 58.
Tonight, the 45th consecutive Powerball drawing will be for an estimated $1.5 billion, the seventh largest drawing for a lottery grand prize in history. That will probably rise in the surge of ticket sales for the drawing. The cash option will be around $686.5 million. The annuity has an initial payment of $22.6 million, then increases every year until the final payment, $92.9 million, in 2054 (the 29th year).
In the first of today’s three Round 1 games in the College Football National Championship tournament, Texas A&M is a -2.5 favorite over Miami. The total is 48.
In the first Round 1 game in the College Football National Championship tournament, Oklahoma is a -2.5 favorite over Alabama. The total is 43.
In today’s Gasparilla Bowl, North Carolina State is a -3 favorite over Memphis. The total is 57.
In the 12-team College Football National Championship, the favorite is Ohio State at +200. They’re followed by Indiana (+330), Georgia (+450), and Oregon (+700). The long shot is James Madison at +55500 (555-1).
In today’s Myrtle Beach Bowl, Western Michigan is a -3.5 favorite over Kennesaw State. The total is 47.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
As it does every year during the holidays, South Point is running its “Pay Less with Your Points” promo, during which almost everything is half-price when you use club points. This includes all restaurants and bars, rooms, shows, bingo, bowling, spa and salon, movies, and the gift shop. Drinks at all bars are $2 ($1 with points). The promo runs through December 24.
In today’s Xbox Bowl, Arkansas State is a -1.5 favorite over Missouri State. The total is 55.
The Seattle Seahawks are -1.5 favorites over the Los Angeles Rams in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 42.
The Internal Revenue Service has finally confirmed that the threshold for gamblers being issued W-2Gs for slot and video poker jackpots will change from $1,200 to $2,000 starting on January 1. It's the first time in nearly 50 years that the threshold for IRS paperwork on machine jackpots has been raised. In addition, the threshold will be adjusted annually for inflation. It's not expected that all slot machines nationwide will be reprogrammed by January 1; many will no doubt continue to lock up at $1,200 for a little while. But no W-2Gs will be issued unless the jackpot is for $2,000 or more. Now, the gambling world is holding its collective breath for clarification of the 90%-of-losses issue.
A fourth new shopping center has been announced for Chinatown. This one, called Jade Promenade, is to be located on a vacant lot on the north side of Spring Mountain Rd. at Wynn Road. Ground is expected to be broken on the $40 million six-building commercial center around this time next year. A second $30 million phase, a 150-unit apartment complex, is also planned. All four projects are slated to begin in 2026.
In today’s Ventures Bowl, UL Lafayette is a -1 favorite over Delaware. The total is 60.
In today’s Cure Bowl, South Florida is a -4 favorite over Old Dominion. The total is 52.5.
With no winner from Monday's drawing, the Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.25 billion, which is sure to grow thanks to the mania surrounding the 11th largest grand prize in lottery history. Tonight's drawing will be the 44th in a row, which will set a new record for consecutives. It's also only the second time in Powerball history with back-to-back billion-dollar jackpots. The cash value is estimated at $572.1 million before taxes.
Flighty.com is a detailed real-time flight tracking app that helps travelers manage flights with advanced alerts, delay predictions, inbound plane tracking, FAA delay info, and airport status; it also provides a personal flight history "passport." The site tracked and compiled "tens of millions" of flights globally to produce its annual year in review. Flighty found that Frontier Airlines, fifth on the list of busiest airlines in and out of Reid International and first among the ultra-low-cost carriers, experienced the most flight delays in 2025, with 28% of Frontier flights delayed nationwide by an average of 14 minutes. Frontier was followed, domestically, by JetBlue and Southwest at 25%, American (24%), and Alaska (23%). Internationally, the average delay was 23 minutes, with Ryan Air and Air France the most (29%), followed by Frontier, then Lufthansa, Qantas, and KLM (26%), and Air Canada (25%).
Starting tomorrow night, the hotels and lodges inside the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will reopen after being closed for nearly two weeks due to multiple breaches in the aging water-supply pipeline. El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, and Delaware North’s Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village will reopen for guest stays on Wednesday, though some water spigots at the campgrounds will remain off and fire restrictions at the South Rim will continue. The $208 million rehabilitation of the pipeline, plus upgrades to the water delivery system, began in 2023 and are expected to be completed in two years.
On Sunday night, a guest staying at Resorts World Las Vegas, in town visiting from California, turned a $105 bet on a $5 Double Super Times Pay video poker machine into $1.2 million win by landing three royal flushes boosted by a 20x multiplier. The jackpot came on the heels of an $11.1 million Megabucks win late last month at Resorts World.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are -3 favorites over the Miami Dolphins in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 43.
This morning's Review-Journal is reporting that the temporary bridge over Koval Lane on Flamingo Road could be a thing of the past. With race and county officials in preliminary talks over extending the Las Vegas Grand Prix contract for another 10 years (through 2037), the Flamingo bridge is an important item on the agenda, according to the R-J. The story quoted the president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority acknowledging that the construction and teardown of the bridge are among the most disruptive race-infrastructure projects and that "options are available that might be better than where that bridge is now." It's a timely intimation, given that Flamingo is closed through Friday night while the bridge is removed, causing major traffic headaches in the area.
No one hit all six numbers in Saturday's Power Ball drawing and the jackpot surged to $1.1 billion. The estimated cashout for tonight's drawing has now surpassed a half-billion dollars ($503 million). It's the sixth largest grand prize in Powerball history and tonight breaks the Powerball record for consecutive drawings without a winner at 43.
The Dallas Cowboys are -4.5 favorites over the Minnesota Vikings in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.5.
Flamingo Road will be closed at Koval Lane starting tonight at 9 p.m. and reopening on Friday night, also at 9 p.m., for the removal of the temporary F1 bridge. According to race officials, access to all properties along the closed portions of Flamingo and Koval will not be blocked. In addition, work will be underway from Monday to Friday nights 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Koval Lane between Westchester Drive and Rochelle Avenue. We highly recommend that you avoid the entire area this week.
Manel Kape is a -280 favorite over Brandon Royval in today’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Kevin Vallejos is -390 over Giga Chikadze.
The college football bowl season starts today with the LA Bowl, where Washington is a -9.5 favorite over Boise State. The total is 55.5. We’ll be posting lines for most of the bowls in this space.
Quarterbacks have won college football’s Heisman Trophy 11 of the last 14 years and that trend figures to continue when the winner is announced tonight. Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) is the solid favorite at -1200, Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) is +700, Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) is +15000, and Julian Sayin (Ohio State) is +50000.
The high temperature yesterday fell two degrees short of setting another record, as we did on Thursday. The thermometer reached 72 at the airport, short of the 74-degree record set in 1958 and double-digits above the normal high for the day of 57. Today, we'll come close to another record; the forecast calls for 70, but could inch up a degree or two to tie or break the record of 71 set in 2017. The week ahead looks like more of the same: clear, dry, and highs in the upper 60s and low 70s.
Tonight's Powerball drawing will be for a grand prize of $1 billion, the seventh largest in Powerball history and the second to reach $1 billion this year. The first, for $1.79 billion, was hit on Sept. 6; it was the last time the jackpot was hit and it was split by two players, one in Missouri and one in Texas. This drawing will be the 42nd in the current jackpot run, which ties the Powerball record for most consecutive drawings in a single jackpot cycle. If it's hit, the estimated cashout value will be $461.3 million.
When the official thermometer at Reid International hit 74 around 3 p.m. yesterday, it broke the record for the high temperature for December 11 by two degrees. The old record had stood for 85 years, having been set in 1939. The high for the month is 78, set on December 2, 1940. It's doubtful we'll surpass that mark, though near-record heat continues today, with a high of 73 predicted. It cools off, though just a bit, for the weekend, then climbs back up to 73 next Friday.
The first International Fireworks Championship Las Vegas will be held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday Feb. 21. This fireworks competition features multiple elaborate displays throughout the evening, as four teams from around the world perform 12- to 15- minute shows, with 15-minute entertainment-filled breaks between them. Described as a "full-on sensory experience," these are "incredibly intense and creative displays, exploding lower to the ground, and they’re all highly choreographed and synchronized to music." Tickets are on sale now, starting at $95 per person for general admission and $144 for reserved seats. Gates open at 2:30 p.m., with the first fireworks show starting around 6 p.m. The program concludes around 8:30 p.m., when a world championship team will be crowned.
Time has selected Las Vegas Aces' center/power forward A'ja Wilson as the magazine's Athlete of the Year. The 29-year-old six-foot-five WNBA superstar's national award was icing on the cake of an astounding year that included her leading the league in scoring and winning her third WNBA championship in four years. She also won her fourth Most Valuable Player (a record), Defensive Player of the Year, and second Finals MVP; she's the only basketball player, women or men, to win all three bests in the same year.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -6 favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 43.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
A hectic holiday schedule necessitated a change in our YouTube schedule. As such, this month’s “Beer Friday” will run today – a week early and on a Thursday. Join Anthony and Andrew for the 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.
Allegiant Stadium is the top-grossing stadium in the United States and the second highest in the world for 2025, according to Billboard Magazine. It's the second consecutive year that Allegiant is number one in the nation. The stadium grossed more than $281 million from live events between October 2024 and September 2025, including concerts by Billy Joel, Sting, and Beyoncé, plus WrestleMania 41, the Canelo vs. Crawford boxing match, the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, Rugby League Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Bowl college football game, and eight Raiders home games. The LVCVA estimates that 62% of Las Vegas visitors come specifically for events at the stadium, resulting in a $1.1 billion economic impact for southern Nevada.
This Sunday, Prince St. Pizza is teaming up with artist Pretty Done for a limited event at Prince's Serene Avenue location that blends art, food, and "a true collector moment." The first 100 people to buy a slice at Prince Street Pizza at 2390 E. Serene Avenue (corner S. Eastern Avenue) will receive a free live-painted pizza box created on site by Pretty Done ("Nothing's ever done. It's pretty done.") Each box is a one-of-a-kind original made exclusively for this event. Guests can stop by, grab a slice, and walk away with a collectible artwork from one of the most recognizable pop street artists in the space. 100 slices. 100 boxes. 100 originals. The event starts at 11 a.m. and runs through 2 p.m. or until all the boxes are gone.
The incomparable Diana Ross, now 81, will play three shows at the Encore Theater over Valentine’s Day weekend. Her show, “Diana in Motion,” will go on Feb. 12, 14, and 15. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday at 10 a.m. and start at $71.
The president of the Athletics baseball team led a tour of the construction site of the stadium going up at the old Tropicana location yesterday. "After six months of heavy construction, the project is between 10 and 15 percent complete," according to the reporter from the Review-Journal. The shape of the lower concourse is visible and work is beginning on the second level of the stadium, including the suites behind home plate. The six concrete buttresses that will support the roof are also rising; one roof panel will be nearly 700 feet long from buttress to buttress. The project is reportedly "on schedule and on budget," which the team credits to the construction manager, which also managed the building of Allegiant Stadium.
Station's Red Rock Casino has completed a major renovation of its 16-screen Regal movie theater. The lobby has been upgraded, the bar expanded (with craft beers and specialty drinks), a spacious lounge has been added for group gatherings before or after movies, and an RPX screen (Regal Cinemas' proprietary premium large format) is now part of the mix, along with IMAX and 4DX. Tickets remain $10-$15, with discounts for Regal loyalty members.
David Byrne, lead singer and prime mover of the influential '80s rock, punk, and funk band Talking Heads, will play one show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 20. Talking Heads formed up in New York in 1977 and issued eight studio albums before disbanding in 1991. They're biggest hits were "Once in a Lifetime," "Burning Down the House," "Life During Wartime," "Psycho Killer," and "Road to Nowhere." In his post-Talking Heads solo career, Byrne has received an Academy Award, a Grammy, a Special Tony, and a Golden Globe and is an inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now 73, we doubt he'll run laps around the stage like he did in his prime (which you can see in this live video of "Life During Wartime") but we're sure he'll put on a fine show. Tickets are on sale now starting at $165.
Las Vegas' topsy-turvy real estate market continues to confound. The median price for a single-family house here hit a new high in November. The $488,995 was $4,000 higher than the previous record of $485,000 set in March. Yes, mortgage interest rates have dropped nearly three-quarters of a point year over year, which tends to raise prices, but inventory is through the roof, fewer houses are selling, and those for sale are sitting on the market for much longer, all of which should drive prices down. More than 7,000 houses were for sale at the end of last month, up nearly 27% since last year, while 1,988 sold, down nearly 7%. Meanwhile, condos/townhomes were basically flat, up barely a point year over year to $303,750, well below the high of $315,000, with 20% fewer sold compared to last November.
DiscoShow, the Spiegelworld production at the LINQ, will close after its performance on Saturday January 3. The writing was on the wall when they started giving away tickets a couple of weeks ago. It's still a fun experience (more of a dance party than a show) if your plans include Vegas this month and the tickets are still free. You can read the whole tale, along with some ideas for what might be next at the custom venue at the LINQ, on VitalVegas.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -1 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 42.
An excellent 19-minute video, "How They Legally Cheated Every Casino For $21 Million, Then Vanished," animates the story of Phil Ivey and Kelly Sun as they milked casinos for tens of millions, "using a technique so clever, so subtle, that even the surveillance cameras didn't catch it." The video shows Kelly turning Ivey onto edge sorting, illustrating the concept complete with a magnifying glass. "How do you get the casinos to rotate the cards?" he asks her. Her answer is surprisingly simple -- and it launched an epic takedown of casinos in London and Atlantic City. The whole story is told in our book Advantage Players, but this is as clear and easy-to-assimilate an explanation as you'll find on YouTube. Thanks as always to Canada Roy, whose Vegas algorithm is the best we've ever seen.
Announced in August, Eggslut, the popular long-time breakfast fast-foot counter at the Cosmopolitan, will open at the Rio on Friday Dec. 19. Esggslut began life as a food truck in L.A. in 2011 and has since gone global, with locations as far flung as the UK, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Kuwait, and of course Las Vegas. The venue at Cosmo serves four breakfast sandwiches ($9-$10.50), cheeseburger ($12.50), tri-tip sandwich ($16.50), the Slut (coddled egg on potato puree, $11.50), truffle hash browns ($6), and coffee ($6). The Rio location will open at 7 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. The Rio also has a Hash House A Go Go, open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., so there're plenty of breakfasts to go around. And parking is free.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -4.5 favorites over the Houston Texans in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 41.
In conjunction with NFR, Cowboy Christmas has taken over the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center once again this year. The massive free-admission western gift show and holiday festival boasts 375 exhibitors selling western wear, custom jewelry, handmade art and crafts and features interactive experiences, celebrity appearances, and daily live entertainment. Cowboy Christmas runs through Saturday (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and is expected to attract 250,000 attendees.
Four years in the making and announced in June, the two-Michelin-star (three is the most) Indian restaurant from the United Kingdom, Gymkhana, has opened at Aria. A "gymkhana" is a one-day racing event for horses or cars and the original restaurant opened in London in 2013, received its first star in 2014, and earned the second last year. The a la carte menu features kebabs ($36-$40), tikkas ($28-$34), classic curries, biryanis, panneer, and vindaloo ($28-$62), vegetable masala, dal, and tandoori ($15), and various desserts ($17). There are also two tasting menus (with meat $165 per person, vegetarian $145) with wine pairings. This is Gymkhana's first U.S. location and the first Indian restaurant on the Strip. So far, it's a tough seat; the restaurant is booked through January and reservations are closed until December 15.
Bargain City is back, at least this month, and our December roundup is a doozy, all deals all the time. Anthony and Andrew (happy 48, Andrew!) delve into detail on our end-of-the-year room-rate survey; tune in to find out how many hotels have base rates of less than $20 (hint: the over-under is 10) and which MRB coupons make the deals even better for subscribers. The drink deals are all over town and have even made it to the Strip. And, of course, they talk about the free tickets to Spiegelworld's DiscoShow. The Circa football contest update and our holiday catalog round out the YouTube -- all at the click of your mouse.
Based on recent Census data, VisualCapitalist produced an interesting chart that compares the ratio of renters to homeowners state by state. The national average is one renter out of three households, "a ratio that has stayed surprisingly steady over the past six decades," though that percentage has edged up a bit in the last few years. Washington, D.C., has the highest number of renters at nearly 60% of households, followed by New York at 46% and California at 44%. Then comes our very own Nevada at 40%, well above the national average. West Virginia, with the most affordable homes to own, ranks 50th at 25%; Delaware, Michigan, Maine, and Vermont are also in the bottom five.
London-based 101 Best Steak Restaurants deploys 21 anonymous inspectors on five continents, each with its own best-of list, to evaluate steakhouses based on nine criteria (quality of meat, selection of cuts, service staff’s beef expertise, wine program, design, etc.). On this year's just-released list, New York City alone has 20 of them, followed by Chicago with five and Los Angeles with four. Las Vegas' lone entry is Delmonico by Emeril Lagasse, the veteran steakhouse that opened with the Venetian in 1999 and helped elevate the Las Vegas steakhouse scene, blending classic steakhouse fare with Lagasse-style Louisiana-inspired dishes.
M Resort has opened its $206 million expansion. The new East Tower nearly doubles the resort’s capacity, adding 375 rooms to bring the the total to 765. The project also includes a 15,000-square-foot ballroom that opened in October and expands the property’s total indoor and outdoor event space to more than 100,000 square feet. The casino pit has been refreshed with new carpet, chairs, and lighting and the high-limit room has been completely refurbished.
Thanks to four sold-out shows last year at Sphere, the popular jam band Phish will return for a new nine-show residency next spring. The dates are April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, and 30 and May 1 and 2. Tickets go on sale Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. PT.
The reimagined version of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere has surpassed another milestone: 1.5 million tickets, generating nearly $200 million in sales. That's an average of $130 or so per ticket. The movie opened on Aug. 28, hit a half-million tickets on Sept. 16 and a million on October 21. Since it opened, The Wizard of Oz has grossed roughly $2 million a day, just in ticket sales.
The Detroit Lions are -3.5 favorites over the Dallas Cowboys in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 55.5.
On the heels of last summer's devastating Dragon Bravo Fire on Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim, which destroyed the Lodge, visitor center, wastewater treatment plant, and more than 100 other buildings, all of the park’s hotels on the South Rim will close to overnight visitors on Saturday. The closures of the El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Yavapai Lodge and Trailer Village are indefinite, while the South Rim's antiquated and failing water-supply system is repaired. Currently, no water is being pumped to the South Rim and a $208 million project to rehabilitate the 60-year-old water pipeline, which began in 2023, is expected to be completed in two years. The park remains open for day trips and overnight camping, though there's no water in the campgrounds, and hotels outside the park in Tusayan are still open with accessible water.
Top of Binion's Steakhouse will close on Monday Dec. 15 and reopen on the Thursday Dec. 26. We hear it's for "economic reasons" and not a holiday dark schedule.
Downtown Hoedown, the official Wrangler NFR kickoff party, takes place this evening on Fremont Street. Let your inner country spirit out for a night of concerts on all three stages, featuring Midland, Corey Kent, Josh Ross, Shane Profit, Mackenzie Carpenter, and more. The shows start at 4:15 and continue past 9:30, when Midland takes the Third Street stage. All concerts are free.
Child actor and adult actress, singer-songwriter, author, and businesswoman Hillary Duff has announced a three-night mini-residency at the Voltaire Theater at the Venetian on Feb. 13, 14, and 15. The three dates have been added to her "Small Rooms, Big Nerves" tour, which begins in January and marks her first concerts in more than a decade; the last time she toured was to support her last studio album, Breathe In, Breathe Out, released in 2015, and promotes her new release, luck ... or something, which will be issued right after the tour. The pre-sale starts this morning at 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. PT; general tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
If you want to do it up like a (casino) boss, you can simply buy out the Golden Gate. In the first deal of this sort that’s been floated since the Artisan rental proposition in 2018, you can rent Golden Gate’s two penthouses and 14 suites for any night Dec. 16-24 for $9,000. The package includes a prix fixe dinner in Andiamo Steakhouse at the D and a cocktail party in the Legacy Club at Circa, both for up to 36 people. For more information, click here.
Get a room at the STRAT for as low as $19 (plus $58 resort fee and taxes) per night on numerous midweek days through October 31. The room comes with free tower admission for two and a daily $30 food and beverage credit. You must book by this Friday and use code BFWEB. Book your room here.
It was a lucky holiday weekend for a Fontainebleau Las Vegas guest who hit a million-dollar slot jackpot. On Thanksgiving Day, a Fontainebleau player bet $25 and won over $1,152,000 on a high-limit Dragon Link slot machine.
Chubby Group, the hospitality company behind the Chubby Cattle restaurant, is partnering with Hashi Market to create Chubby World in Chinatown at the corner of Spring Mountain and Valley View. Plans call for a four-story complex that features a theater for cosplay shows, anime, and cultural events, a Tokyo-style food court, a Hashi Market, and a music venue for concerts and a late-night club. A timetable for the project wasn’t disclosed. It will be the sixth Chubby location, with a reported 30 more on the way around the country. The other five are in California.
The New England Patriots are -7 favorites over the New York Giants in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 47.
Week 13 requires football-contest participants to pick from a four-game lineup on Thanksgiving, then again on Sunday. Sunday mattered only a little, after all four favorites lost on Thursday. The 900-player field in Circa Survivor was slashed to just 49. The equity value of each of those entries is now $382,000. In the $100K-entry Grandissimo, six players remained going into Thanksgiving and all lost, which ended the contest with a six-way tie that awarded $1,150,000 to each. Westgate’s SuperBook Survivor is down to eight players, an equity value of $69,375 per remaining entry.
In April 2024, Hilton acquired the controlling interest in the Sydell Group, which owns the NoMad brand, among many other luxury-lifestyle hotels around the world. It marked Hilton's entry into this ultra-upscale market, but relevant to us was that only one NoMad hotel was excluded from the deal, the hotel-within-a-hotel at Park MGM. At the time, the Las Vegas NoMad was said to be rebranding "in the coming months." Twenty months later, it has: It will become The Reserve at Park MGM on December 17. According to the press release, all NoMad venues will be renamed. NoMad Pool will turn into the Terrace Pool, NoMad Library will be just the Library, and NoMad Bar will become The Reserve Bar. Being an MGM property, it's expected that the new Reserve will be incorporated into Marriott Bonvoy’s Autograph Collection in early 2026. The Reserve used to be the name of the hotel-casino with an African theme that opened in southeast Henderson in 1998; it eventually turned into Fiesta Henderson and is now gone for good.