I'm elated that Derek is buying up Mermaids, Le B & Glitter Gulch! With all that space comes machines/tables/chairs that need bodies. He expands GG (next to Le Bayou) and that means more bodies are needed. Re-open the LVC hotel and that's more beds that need bodies. He's going to have a glut of casino space that needs active players and you get them there with free room offers, free play/dining credits and playable games. When you own Mermaids you only have a tiny footprint that you have to squeeze the maximum per foot income out of to get enough money to pay the bills. You have an enlarged LVC and you need to bring people in that will help keep those lights on! And it's not like it's a zero sum game. To the contrary, he's expanding the size of the pie and it's going to help ensure downtown is a gambler's destination. I actually just got an email from The Linq today asking me to rate my "Casino Sales Executive" (ahem, host) and told them downtown Vegas is eating their lunch with playable video poker and 3:2 $5 blackjack. I don't think for one second anyone is going to read (or care) what I have to say. But hopefully it'll start to sink in if we can go downtown and get better odds, real gamblers won't care about celebrity chefs or shopping/night clubs.
