From the group that brought you Mon Ami Gabi, Café Ba Ba Reeba!, Eiffel Tower Restaurant, and Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, comes the latest Strip offering: a totally outdoor burger joint. Stripburger offers classic burgers, fries, specialty sandwiches, shakes, and a fully-licensed bar, with nothing on the menu over $10.
The new joint's located in the Fashion Show Mall, next door to Café Ba Ba Reeba! and opposite the Wynn, and is open daily for lunch, dinner, and late-night dining, with happy hours Monday through Friday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-closing.
Stephen Lawrence, co-founder of payment processor NETeller Plc, pleaded guilty today to a conspiracy charge over the handling of billions of dollars in illegal gambling proceeds. He agreed to cooperate with the government during the hearing, which took place in Manhattan.
Lawrence faces a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy charge for his role in the operation of the payment processor. The sentencing date has been set for October 29.
Following last year's recently-revived agreement between governor Arnold Schwarznegger and five tribes, the Californian legislature has agreed to allow an expansion of Indian casino gambling in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to the state, ending a logjam that had pitted labor groups against tribes. The compacts will allow four Southern California tribes to add 17,000 slot machines to their casinos, a 30 percent increase in the number currently operating statewide.
Freddy Deeb has won the second biggest tournament of the World Series of Poker. Deeb beat 147 other players, who all put up the $50,000 entry fee, in the H.O.R.S.E. mixed-games contest. First prize was $2,276,832.
Pure Management Group launches its latest offering to the Vegas nightlife scene tonight at Excalibur, with the grand opening of Dick's Last Resort. Specializing in huge food portions, nightly live entertainment, and famously rude staff, it seems like a natural fit for the Strip, with successful sister properties already established in other party towns, including San Diego, Myrtle Beach, and Boston.
The American Superstars show at the Stratosphere will add Jason Tenner, front man for the Vegas-based Purple Reign Prince tribute band, to its line-up of celebrity tributes for a limited engagement beginning July 9. You can buy tickets here.
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel community, today announced the top 10 attractions in the U.S. according to traveler popularity and TripAdvisor editors, and Las Vegas is the only city to score more than once. According to the survey, the city's Cirque du Soleil shows are the second most popular pull, while the free Bellagio water show came in at number nine, with one traveler commenting, "The fountains are unbelievably high and who knew that water could really dance?"
The top attraction, according to the report, was Orlando, Florida.
If you'd like to purchase tickets for any Cirque show, just click here.
According to his daughter, Hugh Hefner is planning to open a Playboy Mansion, complete with female "bunny" dealers, a villa-style hotel, and several dozen gaming tables, in Macau. The 40,000-square-foot Playboy Mansion Macau is scheduled to open in late 2009.
Zagat, the guide books based entirely on reader feedback, has just launched its 2008 Best of Las Vegas survey and is looking for critics to rate and review the places they visit for an upcoming guide book. Those who cast their votes before July 29 will receive a free copy of the guide when it's published. To take part, either click on the banner ad that you'll find displayed on the internal pages of our site (it's in rotation with our own product ads, so "refresh" the page a few times if it's not showing when you land) or else just click here.
It's just been announced that MTR Gaming Group, which took over Binion’s in 2004, is selling the 55-year-old downtown casino to TLC Casino Enterprises for $32 million in cash. TLC also owns the Four Queens downtown. The deal has to close by the end of the year (though TLC can request a six-month extension).
Collectors of casino memorabilia can look forward to a second public auction, this time at the Nevada Landing, in Jean, on July 17. The sale's being organized by the same company that handled the Stardust auction last year and will be doing the same for the New Frontier at the end of July, as announced in this column yesterday. For further information, visit their Web site at www.greatamerican.com
Three people suffered minor injuries when an elevator made a "hard landing" after descending rapidly from the 26th floor at Fitzgeralds on Sunday afternoon. Apparently, the elevator car was holding nine guests, a full cart of luggage, and a bellman when the incident occurred, and may have been overloaded. The cables didn't snap and emergency brakes prevented it from hitting the bottom of the elevator shaft.
Prop comic Joe Trammel, a.k.a. The TV Guy, was released just after midnight this morning from his self-imposed sentence inside a 10"x4"x7" pink cell at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas. Trammel, known for spoofing pop culture, has served the entire 23-day jail sentence originally given to Paris Hilton as a result of violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.
Hot on the heels of the surf and turf news comes another summer foodie special, this time from OriginIndia, winner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal's 2007 "Best of Indian" category. The Kebab Festival will run from June 29 through July 21, 2007 and feature a variety of distinctive kebabs. Vegetarians can choose from such specialties as crusted lemony coriander-herbed batter mushrooms stuffed with spinach and olives or chunks of Indian paneer (homemade cheese) stuffed with a piquant chutney, marinated and grilled with veggies over charcoal ambers and drizzled with 'chatpata' masala. For the carnivores, there will be a range of gourmet meat kebabs like champ taazdaar, succulent lamb chops marinated overnight, pot-roasted and grilled in the Tandoor or Shahi Seekh Malmali, saffron and coriander-flavored chicken mince skewered and char-grilled to a golden hue.
OriginIndia is located at 4480 Paradise Road, opposite the Hard Rock. For reservations call 702/73-INDIA. Visit www.originindiarestaurant.com for more information.
A public auction sale at the Frontier Hotel has been set for July 31. The auction will be conducted by Great American Group, the same firm that held the 5-day auction at the Stardust last November. The auction will be open to the public. Visit www.greatamerican.com for more information.
Beginning today, Hooters Casino will be offering a limited-duration Surf and Turf special at the Dam restaurant, which is open 24/7. At $16.99, the "Ultimate Surf and Turf Special" comes complete with a charbroiled 10 oz-cut ribeye drizzled with steak butter and topped off with a jumbo onion ring. The "surf" portion of the meal consists of a half-pound of steamed Alaskan king crab legs served with drawn butter and lemon. Each meal comes with the choice of house salad or soup-of-the-day and if you're still hungry after all that lot, you can add another half-pound of king crab legs for $7.
Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced today that The Palazzo Resort-Hotel-Casino, the new mega-resort currently being built adjacent to the Venetian, has begun accepting applications for the resort's 4,000 available jobs. Applications, which are only available online, are being accepted for positions in hotel operations, housekeeping, gaming, food and beverage, property operations, marketing, telecommunications, wedding services, entertainment and administration. The employment office is located at 7180 Pollock Drive, one block west of Warm Springs Road just off Interstate 215.
To learn more about specific jobs and to apply online visit http://www.venetian.jobs/. For additional information, contact the employment center at 702/414-JOBS (5627).
According to a report just released by PricewaterhouseCoopers, global gambling revenue is estimated to hit $144 billion in 2011, after growing at an annually compounded rate of 7.2 percent a year. The forecast increase on last year's figure of $101.6 billion is being driven by new casinos and upgrades of existing properties worldwide. While US revenue is expected to grow at a rate of 6.7 percent annually, in the Asia-Pacific regrion that figure's estimated at 15.7 percent.
The state Senate has voted unanimously to ban smoking on casino gaming floors in Atlantic City, which had previously been exempt from the statewide smoking ban. After the ban passed last year, Atlantic City Council approved legislation which banned smoking on 75 percent of gaming floors and then last month revisited that agreement, passing a resolution that ecourages the state to adopt a complete ban, which now looks likely.
In case you haven't noticed, our free sports-betting message board, FezziksPlace.com has reopened. It closed briefly to sort out the "retirement" of the board's namesake, Fezzik, but has resumed with pretty much the same cast of good posters that have made it one of the top sports boards on the Web.
Check out NBC at noon today and tomorrow to catch the inaugural series of the World Series of Golf®. The event, which combines the skill of golf and the wagering savvy of poker, was filmed in May at Las Vegas' Primm Valley Golf Club and features legends from the worlds of poker and golf competing for a prize pool of $750,000, including a top prize of $250,000. Participants include poker greats Phil Ivey, Phil Gordon, Russ Hamilton, and Kill Phil author Blair Rodman, plus host of CBS' "Ultimate Blackjack Tour" and author of best-seller Comp City, Max Rubin.
The best-selling author will be launching her 26th novel, Drop Dead Beautiful, with a reading and book-signing in the Range Steakhouse at Harrah's from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. today. The event is free and open to the public.
Earn 500 Boarding Pass points ($500-$1000 coin-in) at Santa Fe Station, Texas Station or 500 Amigo Club points at Fiesta Rancho today, Friday, June 22 only, and receive a Sandwich Maker/Griller. The 500 points must be earned all in the same day but are not deducted from the players account. The promo will also be repeated on Friday, June 29.
Yup, the Las Vegas Hilton has just announced that, following their nightly "Cool by the Pool" party on July 4, they'll be putting on a firework display. Good for them. If you go to the party itself, you can enjoy the live music and drink specials; if not, you can still enjoy the display. (The only other casino firework event we know of is a VIP affair at Caesars Palace, but of course everyone will be able to see the fireworks.)
Tonight sees the debut of the new production show at Fitzgeralds casino downtown. Country Superstars Tribute performs Thursday through Monday at 7 p.m. with tickets priced at $34.95. The show's scheduled to perform through September 21. Call 702/525-4272 for more information.
According to a story in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas City Council voted yesterday to approve agreements that could lead the way towards the city becoming a wireless "hot zone," with community-wide wi-fi Internet access. Under the agreement, two companies would be allowed to install equipment on streetlights, traffic signals, and school flasher poles. It's still early days and it may transpire that there's too much interference from cellular and cable providers and from the signals that hotels beam to their guests, but this first step gives the two companies an opportunity to test the viability of the plan.
Century Suncoast (Suncoast Casino) is sponsoring a Summer Movie Clubhouse Fun Films for Kids this summer. Shows start at 10 a.m. You can get 10 shows for $5 if purchased in advance or $1 per show if purchased at the box office.
June 19 Flushed Away PG
June 26 Spongebob Squarepants Movie PG
July 3 Shark Tale PG
July 10 Rugrats in Paris G
July 17 Barnyard PG
July 24 The Curse of the Were-Rabbit G
July 31 Harriet the Spy PG
August 7 Madagascar PG
August 14 Hey Arnold the Movie PG
It's another eclectic mix of music and magic, comedy and fighting. And as if that's not enough, the circus is coming to town.
Arizona Charlie's Decatur and Arizona Charlie's Boulder re-launched the former program that reimburses new slot club members' losses up to $100 on their first day of play when they sign up for a new A.C.E. Rewards card. The "100 Reasons to Join and Play" acquisition program allows new members to receive up to $100 in slot play on their first day. Complete rules and details are available by visiting the A.C.E. Rewards Club Center at either Arizona Charlie's Decatur or Boulder. Arizona Charlie's Decatur is located at 740 South Decatur Boulevard. Arizona Charlie's Boulder is located at 4575 Boulder Highway.
In more news from MGM Mirage, the company also announced today that its majority stockholder Tracinda Corporation, owned by billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, advised the company's Board of Directors yesterday that it had determined not to pursue negotiations regarding a possible acquisition of Bellagio and CityCenter.
MGM Mirage and Kerzner International Holdings Limited announced today that the companies have entered into a letter of intent to form a 50/50 joint venture to develop a multi- billion dollar integrated resort property on the Las Vegas Strip. Kerzner will provide the planning and design element, plus cash equity, while MGM Mirage will contribute the land, consisting of some 40 of the 78 acres of the company's holding at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue. The land's valued at $20 million per acre.
Upon completion of the design phase, which is expected to take about a year, both parties anticipate a three year construction period. The resort remains as-yet unnamed.
The price tag for Echelon Place has been raised by $400 million to $4.8 billion. The increase is being attributed to "design and development updates."
It's been announced that the popular star of comedy series "Taxi" and "Who's the Boss" will be reprising his Broadway role as the down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock in the Las Vegas production of The Producers.
We regret to report that our FezziksPlace message boards are closed. We had a long run with this board, but its host has elected not to continue them. We will report on the status of FezziksPlace.com when plans are firm.
Kelly Clarkson's summer tour, including September 29 concert scheduled for the MGM Grand, has been canceled. Tickets for the tour can be refunded at the point of purchase.
A recent Zagat survey has found that the average drink price in Las Vegas (excluding comped beverages) makes its nightlife the second-most expensive in the country, after L.A. but ahead of New York.
In addition to the Father's Day VP bonuses posted yesterday, the following bonus-points deals are in effect. All Coast casinos are paying 2X players-club points. Boulder Station, Sunset Station, and Fiesta Henderson are paying 5X points (every day until June 30). Sam's Town is paying 6X points.
Promoting Father’s Day, the Eldorado, Joker's Wild and El Cortez casinos will all pay a 100 coin bonus on four-of-a-kind kings (max coin; no wild cards) on Sunday, June 17. Hitting four kings at the Fiesta Rancho on Sunday will earn double pay. Check the rules before playing; some machines may be excluded. At Jerry's Nugget, every $50-plus jackpot Sunday will receive a flashlight with case, and all players earning 200 points ($800 coin-in; no point redemption required) from 4 a.m.-midnight will receive a $10 Lowes or Circuit City gift card; limit one gift card per player.
The Poker Dome, which operated in downtown's Neonopolis shopping mall, is closing. It had been used to host and air poker tournaments on FOX Sports Net. However, the shows will not be continued, likely due to the negative effect of the Internet gambling bill on sponsor Masion Poker.
By a vote of 20-2, the Illinois House has torpedoed a bill that would have allowed for four new casinos in the Chicago area, as well as expanded gaming at existing boats. Opponents to the bill cited perceived threats to the horse racing industry, as well as concerns about increasing the number of gambling addicts.
Under a proposed new deal to share revenue from provincial lotteries and casinos, Ontario's aboriginal communities could reap over $2.5 billion over the next 20 years. The deal would also give First Nations representation on the board of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. The deal is due to go before Ontario chiefs for ratification June 18.
Classic Cigar Art launches its debut show today at the JW Marriott Conference Center in Summerlin, from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Over 100 original, antique lithographs and collections will be on display and available for purchase. An interesting option for Father's Day, perhaps. For more information visit www.ClassicCigarArt.com
It's a huge one for music, with plenty of options for entertaining dad (yup, don't forget it's father's day, and he'd probably much rather see Roger Waters than get yet another tie). Here are some of the highlights.
Asia Nightlife Dining, the new Euro-Asian venue in the space formerly occupied by Prana Restaurant, opens tonight in the Miracle Mile Shops. Tuesday through Saturday it's a restaurant open from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Three nights a week -- Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday -- from 11 p.m. - 5 a.m. it will transform into a nightclub, featuring established national DJs and new local talent. The grand opening for the nightclub will be tomorrow, with admission free to local ladies and $20 for everyone else.
It's now official that the New Frontier will close at midnight on July 15. An account in today's LV Review-Journal indicates that the budget for the new Plaza project on the land may be as high as $4 billion, more than neighboring Echelon Place.
In honor of Father’s Day, get a dozen free Krispy Kreme glazed donuts when you bring in your ugliest tie to any store in Las Vegas including those located inside the casinos at Excalibur, Circus Circus and the Fitz. Now thru Sunday, June 17. You will also be entered into a contest to win donuts for a year.
It's just been announced that one of the bottlenose dolphins at the Mirage gave birth to a calf last Friday night. Although the first few months are somewhat perilous for baby dolphins, so far both mother and baby boy are doing fine and are being monitored 24/7. For the time being they'll remain in the Mirage research and birthing pool, which is the most familiar and comfortable environment for them and is open to the public.
Phil Hellmuth, Jr. has done it again. Hellmuth won the $1,500 no-limit hold 'em event with a field of 2,628 to win his record 11th World Series of Poker bracelet. Hellmuth now stands alone with 11. Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan have 10 each.
According to an article in today's USA Today, Atlantic City's casinos are fighting declining revenues by increasing their level of comps. While profits have been hit by competition from Pennsylvania's newly legalized slot parlors, plus other factors including the new smoking ban, comps were up 2.1% over the first quarter of 2007, with seven of the the city's casinos deliberately using them to woo loyal customers and attract new ones.
According to thestrippodcast.com, the New Frontier will close July 15 and be imploded "sometime in September." We have no confirming information, but Steve Friess, who runs the site, tends to be on the mark with these announcements.
A story in today's Wall Street Journal titled "Bad Odds" argues that states that add casino gambling late (such as Kansas, which is preparing to do so) experience a negative effect. The article makes some interesting points and offers a few valuable statistics, such as a listing of the biggest markets in order. In the top 20, Las Vegas has the Strip (1), the Boulder Strip (9), and downtown (16). The top five behind the LV Strip, in order, are Atlantic City, Chicagoland, Connecticut, Detroit, and Tunica.
Silverton is offering either $40 in free slot play for a $20 buy-in or a $20 matchplay for new members to its Discovery players club. It's not clear if members of the old Silverton club who join the new one are eligible (likely not). If you join, the $40-for-$20 deal is the stronger of the two.
An article in today's LV Review-Journal estimates that an 18-acre land purchase at the Strip and Harmon works out, after the assumption of debt, to almost $37 million per acre, a figure that exceeds that of the recent $35 million-per-acre deal at the New Frontier. The buy includes the land on which the Harley Davidson Cafe currently stands, and is being talked about in connection with a possible Elvis-themed resort.
The new Mexican restaurant, Cabo, has opened at Palace Station. The new restaurant and bar replaces Guadalajara.
A $2.5 billion non-casino condo project has been announced for Paradise Rd., east of the Strip. The Las Palmas Hotel and Residences are planned by a Florida real-estate investor for the 13-acre parcel that now holds the apartment complex of the same name. The first of four 55-story glass towers would open in 2009.
BODIES ... The Exhibition is hosting a summertime blood drive at the Tropicana from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. today. All donors will receive one free ticket to the exhibition and to Folies Bergere, plus entry into a drawing for other prizes.
There was some kind of technical problem with QoD, which threw the line-up out of whack. It's now been fixed, so if you tuned in early only to find yesterday's question in place, check back now to read today's. Sorry about that.
The World Series of Poker is well underway (check our home page for regular updates) and there's a bunch of blackjack tournaments, to boot. Plus the usual cornucopia of music, comedy, and other interesting happenings. Read on.
In commemoration of the 15th annual World Ocean Day, Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay will be holding three days of celebrations from June 8 through 10 from noon to 6 p.m. Local guests aged 13 or under will receive a complimentary behind-the-scenes tour today or tomorrow with purchase of a general admission ticket. A portion of all ticket sales will go to the Ocean Project.
Las Vegas' newest cultural attraction, a $250 million 180-acre facility that includes museums, botanical gardens, galleries, trails, and entertainment venues, is set to open today. The Springs Preserve has been almost a decade in development and is located off the Strip at 333 S. Valley View. It will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For further information call 702/822-8344 or visit www.springspreserve.org
Florida congressman Robert Wexler is expected to introduce legislation today exempting poker and some other games from the Internet gambling ban passed by Congress last year.
The bill would carve out "skill games" such as online poker, bridge, chess and mahjong from the online gambling prohibition that was signed into law in October.
It's been reported in Forbes magazine that former gaming executive and regulator Dennis Gomes has entered into a confidentiality agreement with Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., indicating he's making a bid for the company's Atlantic City casinos. This comes about three weeks after Trump announced they'd received indications of interests for an acquisition.
Gomes has prior experience of Trump, having run the company's Taj Mahal property in the 1990s. Among other positions within the gaming industry, he was also an investigator with the Nevada State Gaming Control Board and headed the investigation that the Martin Scorsese movie Casino is based upon.
The permanent Motor City Casino opens today in Detroit (it has operated up till now in a temporary facility). It's the first phase of the $275 million project.
Yup, the 9th annual CineVegas Film Festival kicks off tonight at the Palms' Brenden Theaters with a screening of Ocean's 13, and all the stars -- George, Brad, Don, Matt, Ellen, and Andy -- are expected to be in attendance, so it's a good red carpet opportunity for all you star-gazers out there. Tonight's event begins at 6 p.m. and the festival runs through June 16.
Frank Cullotta, who spent 30 years as a hit man, burglar, and all-round bad guy for the mob, will be appearing tonight at the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society (700 Twin Lakes Drive) for a book signing with former New York investigator Dennis Griffin, the co-author of his memoir, Cullotta: The Life of a Chicago Criminal, Las Vegas Mobster and Government Witness". Cullotta was lifelong friends with the infamous Tony "the Ant" Spilotro and was both a consultant to and actor in the 1995 movie Casino.
If you'd like to hear first hand about Vegas' mob past and get a signed copy of the book, Cullotta, Griffin, and retired FBI agent Dennis Arnoldy, who also contributed to the book, will be appearing on a panel from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and the event is open to all.
Tomorrow's Alejandro Sanz show The Pearl venue at the Palms has been postponed, along with additional US tour dates. The new performance date will be November 20, 2007. Note that tickets for the June 6 show will not be honored at the November 20 show. Charges for tickets purchased with a credit card via telephone or through the internet have been automatically refunded. For refunds on purchases made at a Ticketmaster outlet or The Palms box office, please return to the original point of purchase to obtain a refund.
Additionally, ticket holders will be notified via email or telephone regarding details of a pre-sale on Saturday, July 28 allowing them to order tickets for the November 20 performance prior to the public on-sale date of Saturday, August 4 at 10 a.m.
Illusionist Criss Angel will host the third season premiere of his "Mindfreak" series tonight from 9:30 p.m. inside the Luxor Theatre Lobby. Although it's a press event, it might be worth hanging out if you're a fan after an autograph.
The 8th Annual Latin GRAMMY® Awards will be held Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It will be the first time that Las Vegas has hosted this event. Nominations will be announced Wednesday, August 29.
University Theatre, the relatively new live-music venue downtown, has closed due to zoning and licensing issues. Shows will resume on Thursday, June 7 at Jillian's downtown. For more information call 702/759-0450 or visit www.myspace.com/smashmagazine
The Orleans pays 2X points today, and every Tuesday in June. The base rate is .3%, which means that the 9/5 JoB progressives at the front bar go positive with a royal flush of $1,450 for quarters and $5,800 for dollars.
The take from gambling at Indian-owned casinos jumped 11% in 2006 to reach $25.1 billion. The numbers were compiled from 387 gambling facilities in 28 states (some of the total 415 facilities from 200 tribes have not yet been counted). The tribal revenue has doubled in five years, and is nearly twice that of Nevada, which won $12.6 billion last year.
As part of the ongoing 10th anniversary celebrations, Mi Casa Cantina Grill at the Silverton has introduced a special menu offering 10 items for under $10. Featured dishes include tortilla soup ($5.99), quesadillas ($7.99), and enchiladas, burritos, and fajitas ($9.99).
Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd (PBL,), the media empire founded by Australian tycoon Kerry packer and now run by his son, has entered into an agreement to form a joint venture to develop, construct, and operate a new casino in Las Vegas.
The new casino will be named Crown Las Vegas and will be situated immediately next door to the Fontainebleau Casino and Resort, in which PBL recently acquired a 20 per cent stake. The company has not yet applied for a Nevada Gaming License and if it does, will face close scrutiny regarding its involvement in Macau with Lawrence Ho, son of controversial casino operator Stanley Ho. (In a similar situation, MGM Mirage was recently cleared to work with Lawrence's sister Pansy.)
Prompted by player dissatisfaction over a new style of cards introduced for this year's World Series of Poker, tournament officials brought in traditional cards after a few hours play on the first day. However, the new cards were back for the second event, apparently because there were too many entrants to secure enough "real" decks. The new cards have strangely designed faces that are hard to see and make "reading the board" difficult. Several players reportedly misread their hands on the first day. For more, see Blair Rodman's reports in our "2007 WSOP Daily Updates," accessible from the home page.
The lines of players waiting to register for the World Series of Poker at the Rio have been enormous. Indications are that counts may surpass last year's record totals. Read our daily WSOP updates for the latest news.
MGM Mirage announced today that it has completed its previously announced sale of the Colorado Belle and Edgewater hotel-casinos located in Laughlin, Nevada, to a group led by Anthony Marnell III for $200 million.
A launch party for our latest publication, Beneath the Neon: Life and Death in the Tunnels of Las Vegas, will be held from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. June 1 at the Arts Factory (107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 202) as part of the First Friday arts festival. Author Matt O'Brien, News Editor of City Life, will be there to sign copies of his book in the suite, and hors d'oeuvres from Paymon's Mediterranean Cafe and refreshments will be served in a neighboring common area.
Beneath the Neon chronicles Matt's adventures in the Las Vegas storm drains, which he has explored for five years with a flashlight, tape recorder, and baton for protection. The book includes more than 30 black-and-white photos of the people, art, architecture, wildlife, and other weird things he discovered down there. For more info on the book and the launch party, visit www.beneaththeneon.com.
Vegas has a "Disney Character Warehouse Outlet" and it gets a review on the "Best Deals" TV Show in Los Angeles this weekend. If you're in California, tune in to KCAL Channel 9 Saturday morning at 1:30 a.m. or Sunday at noon. Also featured is a Las Vegas townhouse project that targets Southern Californians as second home buyers.
For the second year running, USA Today has published a big World Series of Poker supplement, similar to those it runs for major sporting events. Today's issue carries a 10-page section heralding the start of the event that will run into July.