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They’re yellow in Atlantic City

Yellow is the color of Holocaust Memorial Day, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, which is commemorated tonight. Yellow is also the color associated with cowardice. This evening, Atlantic City will display two kinds of yellowness. First there is the Shoah-sensitive yellow lighting that will beam from two of the three Caesars Entertainment casinos, and from Resorts Atlantic City, Hard Rock Atlantic City and Ocean Casino Resort. Good on them.

The yellow of cowardice and shame will shine from Borgata, Harrah’s Resort, Bally’s Atlantic City and Golden Nugget. Maybe some cheapskate casino bosses just didn’t want to spend the money. Or maybe executives at the parent companies are running scared from the waves of Holocaust denialism and outright neo-Nazism that lap increasingly at our shores. Either way, there’s no excuse for what they’re doing … or rather, not doing. For that matter, why are we not reading about Holocaust remembrance in Las Vegas? The road of Jewish history in the United States runs right down the Las Vegas Strip and through Downtown. Why not acknowledge and honor that? Big Gaming can do much better.

Last seen shooting dice at Circa with owner Derek Stevens at his elbow, the newly inaugurated president of the U.S. was in Sin City last week to receive dignitaries from Big Gaming. Their wish list for the incoming administration includes three tax concessions: 1) Eliminate the taxation of tipped income; 2) Raise the IRS-reporting threshold on slot jackpots; 3) Remove the federal excise tax on sports betting. If there were other favors requested of POTUS, they were on ‘mute.’ Although American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller was rather circumspect when we interviewed him earlier this month, he was downright fawning on the occasion of the presidential descent upon Circa.

Credit Miller with knowing his audience. There’s nothing like a well-aimed squirt of greasy flattery to lubricate the gears at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Look for gaming’s three-point wish list to become a threefold set of presidential talking points. But Congress has the power of the purse and will prove a tougher sell. None of those policy ideas has gained traction on Capitol Hill, even though the tip-tax cut has bipartisan support that includes such improbable bedfellows as Sens. Ted Cruz (R) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D). Raising the “IRS lockdown” limit has been around even longer, as Rep. Dina TItus (D, above) would be happy to tell you. But this Congress doesn’t appear eager to start handing out tax cuts to John Q. Public without revenue-raising offsets. And is the industry ready to pay more on any front? That’s be a “no.” But thanks for trying. We really do appreciate it.

Culinary solidarity; Diversity in danger

In attempting to tie the average voter’s hands, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) may be lacing his and the Lege’s shoes together, at least as regards any future expansion of gambling in the Sunshine State. You may remember that, in a rebuke to legislative incompetence, the power of private-sector gaming expansion was taken away from them in a statewide ballot question several years back. Now DeSantis wants to make it much harder for state policy to be set at the ballot box. But if the pathway to more gambling in Florida leads straight to the voting booth and not by way of Tallahassee, how does DeSantis propose to enlarge the industry next time?

Or does he? This looks suspiciously like an attempt to carve current policy in stone for all eternity. There’s no way to claw back those legislative gaming powers short of another constitutional amendment, so any future Florida governor or Lege will find themselves between Scylla and Charybdis. Maybe GOP benefactor and Fontainebleau Las Vegas owner Jeffrey Soffer doesn’t get that Miami Beach casino he covets. Too bad for him, it would appear. And don’t take it from us. Just ask Florida gambling expert Daniel Wallach, who says, “This proposal would seal off competition for sports betting and casino gambling in Florida.” For that reason alone, DeSantis should be sent off with a flea in his ear, not least because what he is pitching is death to the citizen-initiative process and an elitist abomination.

Adds attorney John Lockwood, also well-versed in gambling-law matters, “You pass this legislation and you would completely close the door to any new non-tribal competition in Florida.” But the state’s part-time Lege isn’t good for much besides rubber-stamping gubernatorial decisions, so we’re not exactly optimistic. And where is the Seminole Tribe in all of this? Lying very, very low.

Say what you like, 35% off a room night at pricey Resorts World Las Vegas sounds like an expensive option to us, especially if you’re a SoCal refugee from the California wildfires. It’s a perverse sort of ‘charitable’ gesture toward the house-less. Comparable offers are being extended by Treasure Island, Fontainebleau Las Vegas and Virgin Las Vegas. All of the aforementioned except Treasure Island are struggling with financial problems, so it looks an awful lot like they’re trying to fill their rooms on the back of a natural disaster. Also participating is South Point, but at least that casino is associated with affordable rates. Phil Ruffin is offering $79/night to the displaced but probably sounds like a great amount of money to the displaced.

Casinos doing the right thing include Wynncore, which is dispatching $1 million to firefighters and the Red Cross. Considering the amount of business that Las Vegas does and money it makes off of California, we think more casinos could step forward and write seven- and eight-figure checks. C’mon: You’re publicly traded most of you so we know how much scratch you’re pulling into your coffers. Consider this a big-ass marketing opportunity and a chance to earn some priceless goodwill.

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Diner Ross


For the entrance to Diner Ross, read our review of DiscoShow.

You walk up the stairs to the lounge-bar area and in the corner is a faux hot dog cart under an umbrella. That’s the hostess stand.

Inside is a large space full of naugehyde booths and red chairs, stainless-steel legs on the tables, and the walls covered in bygone decorations; a lot of money was spent on posters, photos, and original art. The soundtrack, as well, is from the era: “Mr. Big Stuff,” “Everyday People,” “You’re So Vain,” “Young Americans,” “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” and the like. Other than Diner Ross being LOUD LOUD LOUD, the music, furnishings, and décor are the best things about this restaurant (and the name).

Then there’s the food.

You finally get to see a menu with prices on it (none of the online menus or even the one posted outside the DiscoShow front door bothers with that mundane detail). And once you see the numbers, you’ll know why. Appetizers and salads are in the $20s. Mushroom risotto is $28, trout $32, meatloaf $35, and chicken $39. The burger is $36! Steaks start at $48 (with fries), rise to $69 for the filet mignon (no number of ounces), and top out at $180 for the 42-ounce Tomahawk. If you want steak sauces, add $5. And this is supposed to be an old-fashioned New York-style diner.

We got the shrimp cocktail, five medium and slightly mushy shrimp with a couple of sauces ($24), and the signature Disco fries, a big plate of potatoes with gravy; even though the service was lickety-split and we had our food in 90 seconds flat, the fries were soggy and cold in a matter of minutes. Meanwhile, are you sitting down? With tax and tip, the shrimp cocktail and fries came to $60. And those were, essentially, the cheapest items on the menu.

DiscoShow is worth the $118 ticket. As for Diner Ross, take a stroll through to see the art. But skip eating there.

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Blondies Breakfast Special


Blondies is a popular sports bar at the Miracle Mile Shops, across the floor from the V Theater (follow those signs). Its relevance from our perspective is the breakfast special served 7-11 a.m. daily.

For $5.95, it comes with two big eggs, two slices of bacon, and a mess of honest-to-goodness home fries (not hash browns) with green pepper and purple onions. Even without toast, this is an excellent morning repast anywhere for the price, but on the Strip, it’s unsurpassed. (La Salsa Cantina across the way also has a good special; it’s $6.95 and comes with tortillas.)


On the day we visited, a Wednesday, we walked right in around 7:45. The hostess set up at her stand out front at 8 and it started getting crowded around 9. But if you want to sit at the 16-seat counter up front, you can just walk right in and sit right down; the bartender takes your order and serves you.

Two caveats. First, be careful of the drinks. Coffee alone will double the price. Second, everyone gets an hour of parking for free. You can make it in and out in an hour, but only if you get there early. By the time we left around 9, the wait was already 20 minutes long, as you can see in the photo. There’s no sense in paying $18 (Mon.-Thurs.) or especially $23 (Fri.-Sun.) for a $5.95 meal. Unless you’re hoofing it, with parking and coffee, this $5.95 breakfast is $27 weekdays and $35 weekends!

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A Virgin Victory?; Penn, Boyd buoyed

After 69 days, the Culinary Union’s strike against Virgin Las Vegas is over and both sides are taking victory laps. Who won? It depends on who’s doing the talking. The Culinary is saying it got a contract that’s “in line” with Las Vegas Strip casinos, although “in line” sounds suspiciously like a euphemism for “almost, but not quite.” Virgin, for its part, did eventually cave to the union’s demand for a 32% wage increase. However, it’s to be phased in over five years, with 10% coming immediately.

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Main Street Provisions


In the heart of the Arts District, which is in a lot of ways the heart of Las Vegas, sits Main Street Provisions, which opened in late 2020 and has gotten great reviews ever since, especially after the new chef, who earned his chops (so to speak) at steakhouses on the Strip, took over a couple of years ago.

The cuisine is described as “modern American comfort food reimagined” and we’d add “with an international flare.” A glance at the menu tells you you’ll be getting exactly that: seasonable, sustainable, quality-driven food: short rib with a Korean sauce and cauliflower rice; roast chicken with parsnip purée; Pacific cod poached in soy and ginger; English pea and mushroom risotto ($28-$36); and steaks (from $42 for the six-ounce filet to $92 for the 30-ounce porterhouse). Appetizers include filet tartare, Cajun barbecue shrimp, short rib dumpling, and roasted octopus ($16-$28). Four salads and five sides (all around $15) and five very rich desserts (also $15) round out the menu.

enoki mushrooms
steak tartare


We liked the complimentary sparkling water that comes in a half-carafe, but weren’t big fans of the crab cake ($28). The steak tartare ($23) was different, with more ingredients than we usually see; it was tasty and came with four big leaves of butter lettuce, but we didn’t love it. The enoki mushrooms fried in tempura batter were recommendable.

filet
short rib

However, when we got to the entrées, we hit paydirt. The filet in a Bordelaise sauce with very creamy mashed potatoes was absolutely heavenly. The short rib was anything but short and was one of the best we’ve ever had; the rice cauliflower was the perfect touch.

When we do Main Street Provisions again, which we will, we’ll get an entrée and a vegetable, saving $50 on the appetizers and going with the more expensive steaks.

toffee pudding and vanilla ice cream — at the end of the assault

Our bill, including the appetizers, entrées, $14 glass of wine, and ridiculously rich sticky toffee pudding, came to $202 with tax. Expensive, but well worth the somewhat exotic — for American comfort food — experience.

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You can’t make this s**t up

At the risk of mocking the handicapped, we have to pick on Bally’s Corp. again this week. Our Atlantic City correspondent visited Bally’s Atlantic City and had the valet-area door opened for him by someone who promptly hit him up for money as a “disabled veteran.” The panhandling didn’t stop there: Bally’s is now reduced to hitting up its customer database for potential investors in $1.7 billion Bally’s Chicago. (Remember, just $250 gets you in a share.) There’s a catch: To be an “accredited investor” you need to be female or BIPOC (“In general …”). So that’s going to cut down on the investor pool a teensy bit.

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An Interesting New Year’s Eve Eve Promotion

Bob Dancer

I know I used the word “Eve” twice in the title. It was intentional. New Year’s Eve is December 31. This promotion happened on December 30. 

I go to Reno semi-regularly to play at the ROW, which is actually three connected casinos in the downtown area which all belong to the Caesars Rewards system. Players there learn to check the kiosks before they begin play, as many promotions require you to activate your account before you begin play.

In October, I noticed two icons for Mercedes NYE drawings. One icon gave you one drawing ticket every day you swiped your card. The other icon allowed you to earn entries for the drawing, based on your play — possibly with a multiplier. The multipliers there are often based on your tier level, with Seven Stars players earning bigger multipliers than Diamond players, who in turn earn bigger multipliers than lesser tier levels.

I figured the chances of me being in Reno for New Year’s Eve were pretty small, so I didn’t swipe these icons, nor did I read the exact rules of the promotion. In hindsight, this might have been a mistake. In general, if you’re not 100% sure you’re not going to be at a drawing, it’s probably a good idea to click on the icons daily. This preserves your options, “in case.”

In December, they began posting signs that read:

Drawing December 30, 2024 6 p.m.

Friday, December 27, 2024, 100x drawing tickets

Saturday, December 28, 2024, 75x drawing tickets

Sunday, December 29, 2024, 50x drawing tickets

Earn entries from October 1 to 5:45 p.m. December 30

Although I hadn’t earned any tickets so far, because I hadn’t activated the icons at the kiosk during my days there in October and November, I considered whether the rules made it worthwhile to play for the drawing.

They have $25 NSU Deuces Wild, among other games. What if I played $500,000 through one of those machines on Friday, December 27? Then left Reno and returned in time for the drawing three days later. Would that make any sense?

My calculations on this were made before I saw the exact rules. If I decided to seriously consider pursuing this, I’d read the rules carefully before I started.

Hypothetically, I assumed the car was worth $70,000 and there would be six additional winners for $5,000 each, making it a $100,000 promotion. (Again, this is speculation. I didn’t read the rules.)

The expected loss on $500,000 worth of NSU Deuces Wild is about $1,300 – with significant variance. Plus, there’s the expense of flying back and forth to Reno twice. The question becomes: Would I earn enough equity playing that much to make it worthwhile?

Equity comes in many forms. It includes the drawing itself. Surely that much play on a 100x day gives me a very decent chance at getting one of the prizes. 

I would also earn 50,000 Reward Credits, which is worth $500 worth of meals/room/comps or $250 worth of free play or $500 worth of bets in the sportsbook. Probably the sportsbook is the smartest bet. I’m just a recreational player there, so assuming I’m betting at a 5% disadvantage, that’s worth $475.

I would also earn 50,000 Tier Credits (plus a 10,000 daily bonus for earning 5,000 Reward Credits or more in a day). Since I was already way past the 150,000 Tier Credits required to Seven Stars status for the next year, what becomes important is the Seven Stars Experience Award — which are earned in increments of 250,000 Tier Credits each. There are options on what to do with these, but usually my choice is to convert them into $450 free play in either Las Vegas or Cherokee.

Before December 27, I’d know whether earning an additional 60,000 Tier Credits would push me over the threshold into another one of these awards.  While an extra 60,000 Tier Credits would be about one fourth of the amount needed for the $450 award, I would either cross a threshold or I wouldn’t. Earning 200,000 Tier Credits towards the next award before the end of the year isn’t worth anything.

Finally, monthly mailers at the ROW are based on average daily theoretical, among other things. Playing $500,000 in one day far exceeds my usual play. Surely my mailers would increase for three months or so.

So, adding it all up, does the equity earned exceed the expected loss of $1,300? I’m sure it does. By quite a bit. Now I wish I had clicked on those icons in October and November. While the entries earned would be dwarfed by what I earned on December 27, every little bit helps.

In the end, I decided against this play. There were SO many tickets in the virtual drum. I tend to avoid drawings where there are a lot of free entries given out. Even though it’s just one ticket a day per person who swiped at the kiosk, there were thousands of persons swiping every day. It adds up.

Although it’s a guess, maybe I could have earned 2% equity in the $100,000 drawing using the strategy indicated. While that’s worth $2,000 on average, there’s a ton of variance. By far the most likely result was not being called.

Even though I didn’t pull the trigger this time, thinking it through helps me figure out these things in the future.

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Hockey Knights in Vegas Episode 96: Yes, It’s a Skid. No, It’s Not Time To Panic!

Hockey Knights in Vegas is BACK!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT!

The deadline to win 2 Lower Bowl Tickets, Free Parking, and a Pregame Lunch with Eddie & Chap is Tuesday January 21 at 5 pm! Subscribe, Like, Share, and Comment “VGK” in the comments section to be entered to WIN!

The VGK are struggling, having lost 5 of their last 6 games. What’s going wrong and what will it take to get the VGK out of their skid?

Eddie and Chris dig deep to find the answers and to plead with you, the fans, not to panic.

Eddie introduces the newest fan of the podcast and you’ll be surprised!

Is it too soon to talk about the tradeline, now that the players’ escrow payments have ended and there’s speculation that the salary cap for next season could go as high as $98 million? Nope. It’s not and Eddie and Chris have some opinions on what the VGK could and should do with the extra cap space.

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Bally’s pleads poverty

There is no word for “shameless” in the lexicon of Bally’s Corp. Chairman Soo Kim. That Chicago megaresort that was going to be “eating the lunch” of the competition is now begging for a taxpayer handout. Yes, the very gambling palace that was intended by then-mayor Lori Lightfoot to swell the tax base and rescue the city’s pension funds wants its property tax assessment reduced by 60%. What sauce. We can’t wait to see how other business react to this blatant rattling of Bally’s tin cup.

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