This August 15 will mark the 60th anniversary of Benny Binion opening what was then called Binion's Horseshoe and revolutionized the ways in which casinos operated. Not only was Binion legendary for taking any size bet, as long as it was your first, but the Horseshoe was also the first place in Las Vegas to offer free drinks to players, to pick up customers by limousine from the airport, and to offer 10X odds on craps. It was also the first fully air conditioned and first fully carpeted casino, not to mention being home to the first electrically powered elevator. It was also the birthplace, back in 1970, of the World Series of Poker.
In celebration of the big birthday, throughout August Club Binion's members can earn a range of commemorative prizes, including leather jackets and even a full-sized Crosley jukebox. On August 15 itself, the casino will offer guests a Nathan's hot dog and a Miller Lite draft beer for sixty cents each, for six hours, between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. inside Benny’s Bullpen. If you bring a picture of yourself with the original Binion's $1 Million Display, the hot dog and the beer are on the house.
Get some handy tips from NOVE Italiano's Chef Geno Bernado when he hosts a five-course cooking course for $85/person this Saturday, Aug. 12, from noon, at his Palms restaurant. Click the link for the menu.
Flamingo's I Be Thinkin' headliner George Wallace is partnering with P.F. Chang's China Bistro to offer a free ticket to his show on Wednesdays throughout the month of August to anyone who eats at the restaurant during the dinner hours and orders an entrée.
Luxor has three alcoves in the main front desk area that it's opening up to local artists for the 2011 Juried Show, which highlights exceptional works of art in the Southern Nevada region. All 2-dimensional media will be considered, but there must be a theme linking all three pieces of submitted artwork and the judges are particularly looking for imagery and designs that relate to contemporary Egyptian or Moroccan culture and/or the specific site of Luxor itself. All entries must be subitted by September 1, 2011 to be considered. For more information, visit luxor.dom/call_for_artists/"
The Riviera will be the latest hotel-casino to start hosting live boxing with a schedule of fights commencing October 15, to be televised by ESPN. The first card is due to be announced shortly.
The Cosmpolitan's Marquee Nightclub is to host the "Vegas Spin-Off", a DJ talent contest sponsored by the LVCVA and judged by a panel of experts, including LMFAO, DJ VICE, Markus Schulz, and Sol Shafer. Learn more and details about how to enter the competition at www.facebook.com/lasvegas. Entries are being accepted through Thursday, Aug. 18 and the grand prize winner will receive an all-expense paid VIP trip to Las Vegas, the opportunity to open at Encore's Surrender Nightclub, a $10,000 in-home recording studio, $1,500 in PUMA apparel, and a $500 Visa gift card.
Caesars Entertainment's second-quarter loss narrowed from $274 million a year ago to $155.5 million, as rated players made fewer visits in all markets (with the exception of Las Vegas, where visitation was up 0.2%), but spent more per trip.
There was also good news for MGM Resorts International, which experienced better results than expected, based primarily on revenue from Macau, but also on higher spending in the Las Vegas market, including at CityCenter, which narrowed its operating loss, reports Vegas Inc..
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors' Authority has unanimously approved a deal Tuesday that would make former Mayor Oscar Goodman the city's official ambassador, with the title of chair of the "host committee" for Las Vegas, reports "Fox5 News." Apparently,
Goodman would work under a two-year contract worth $60,000 a year; other terms of the "deal" have yet to be specified.
The current Reader Poll is getting a huge -- and really informative -- response, so keep the votes coming, if you haven't already taken part; it closes at midnight tomorrow PST.
The annual Official Star Trek Convention takes place at the Rio from Thursday, Aug. 11 through Sunday, Aug. 14 and is the largest Trek event of the year, featuring special appearances from many of the famous actors from the several incarnations of the sci-fi series, including, Leonard Nimoy.
It's not Lady Gaga who's recruiting, but Circus Circus' annual Halloween Fright Dome attraction at the Adventuredome. There will be more than 300 positions to fill and a succession of job fairs will be held, commencing Saturday, Aug. 27 and Sunday, Aug. 28 from 4-7 p.m. Applicants must be 18+, provide a valid ID and Social Security card, and be scary.
Flamingo headliner
According to a report by the Associated Press, the $35-million overhaul of the Plaza is ahead of schedule, keeping the property on track for its scheduled Sept. 1 reopening.
Flamingo is closed in both directions between Cambridge and Swenson following an earlier fatal accident involving a head-on colision and a drunk driver. It's expected to remain closed for several more hours while Metro Police complete their investigation. (This item posted at 9:23 a.m.)
According to today's LV Review-Journal, the Mirage may bring in operators from the nightclub 1Oak ("one of a kind") in New York City to run the Jet space. The Mirage club could be given the 1Oak name.
Registration is opening for NFL football contests around town. The Hilton's SuperContest is back with its usual $1,500 entry fee, while it looks like Cantor will drop its $100,000 contest to a $10,000 entry fee running out of M, Trop, and Hard Rock. Station Casinos will run its contest under the same arrangement as last year -- submit picks every week and get your entry fee refunded at the end of the year. We'll be listing all the contest information on LVASports.com beginning this week.
Epic Poker's $240 buy-in Charity Poker Tournament, hosted by Brad Garrett, takes place in the Key West Room at the Palms today at 7 p.m. For more details, see "Today's News" 8/5/2011.
First there was the StipperMobile, next came the continuing avalanche of mobile eateries, and now The Cosmopolitan has launched the Cosmo Truck, which rolled out last week. The big purple truck aims to lure locals to the Strip's newest resort-casino by traveling into the 'burbs and handing out deals and giveaways to residents. Also, the owners of the local Haute Chix boutiques have been inspired by their friends at Fukuburger truck to launch a mobile fashion mini-store, with plans to attend community events like First Friday, Vegas StrEATS, and the valley's growing list of farmer's markets, reports the LV Weekly. The truck will also be available for private events, like bachelorette parties.
According to an article in the LV Sun, lots of places are showing the UFC matches tonight. There's a $50 admission charge in the Eastside Lounge at Encore, $40 in Caramel at Bellagio, $20 at Cabo Wabo and Green Valley Ranch, and $10 at Miller's Ale House, PT's Buffalo/215, and many of the Station casinos. Bars charging no admission or small fees that can be used for food and drinks include Murphy's Law, Bonanza Lounge, The Lift, Scooters, and several Buffalo Wild Wings. Rashad Evans is a 4-1 favorite over Tito Ortiz in the main event.
It's been three years since Las Vegas lost the much-mourned Wet 'n Wild water park, and subsequent plans for new aquatic attractions have all come to nothing. Until now, that is. It turns out it's been a busy week for Clark County Commissioners, who first approved the massive Linq project on the Strip, and and have now unanimously voted 'yes' to a new 26-acre water park, to be built near Fort Apache and Warm Springs. Apparently, groundbreaking is only a few months away and the new attraction is slated to open Memorial Day of 2012.
No, not Chippendales in bikinis, but select members of Rio's male revue will be judging a bikini contest at Planet Hollywood's Pleasure Pool today. It's free to enter and registration starts at 2:30 p.m. There are prizes for the top three finishers, with a $500 cash prize going to first place. The winner's chosen by crowd applause. Must be 21+ to enter.
Tickets for the 48-Hours Festival, featuring Avenged, Sevenfold, Korn, Godsmack, and many other acts, go on sale at 10 a.m. today and are likely to sell out fast. The event takes place Oct. 15-16 at the Luxor Festival Grounds and tickets are available at LiveNation.com or by calling 800/745-3000.
We have no idea why it took us so long to get to this one, but HAPPY INTERNATIONAL BEER DAY everyone! Celebrate with Ellis Island, where $10 gets you a 20oz. EI glass & all-you-can-drink beer until 6 p.m. Hurry, there's still two hours left!
Brad Garrett, of "Everybody Loves Raymond" fame, hosts the Epic Poker No-Limit Hold'em Charity Poker tournament this Sunday at the Palms, benefitting Operation USA and the relief efforts in tornado-torn Joplin, MO. It's a $240 buy-in with $100 re-buys for the first four levels and an optional $100 add-on opportunity for double chips at the end of the fourth level. 100% of all prize money will be donated to Operation USA. The top prize is $2,500 cash donated by Zappos, a $1,500 Epic Poker Pro/Am Seat, and a custom-made champion's bracelet, with other prizes through ninth place including $1,500 Epic Poker Pro/Am seats, an iPad 2, jewelry by Lord Griffon, and tickets to Brad Garrett's Comedy Club at the Trop. In addition to the first-place cash prize, Zappos is also donating a $100 gift certificate to each player.
A big thanks to everyone who's responded to today's Question of the Day, offering to help repair the damaged archive. We really appreciate it and plan to open them up for another 24-hour bash prior to the major re-launch, so everyone can dig around and see if they have the answer to one that got eaten. We'll give you a heads-up ahead of time -- not sure when it will be yet. Thanks again.
89-year-old comic legend Marty Allen is returning to the Louie Anderson Theater at Palace Station for a group of weekend performances, beginning Saturday, Sept. 24 and continuing for limited dates through Dec. 11. Tickets start at $49.95, plus tax and fees. Locals and Station Casinos hotel guests receive a $15 discount on all tickets.
Starting today, the Hard Rock Store is hosting a weekly "Friday Frenzy" -- an extreme six-hour shopping extravaganzas featuring limited-time only specials from 5 to 11 p.m. Today's mega-deal is half-off everything in the store, including names like Betsey Johnson, 7 for All Mankind, and Nixon Watches. Next Friday, August 12, will feature buy-one-get-one on all swimwear, including signature brands like Vitamin A, Guess, B Swim, and True Religion.
Hooters casino has announced that as of September 2, its entertainment lineup will feature a new topless revue called Raack N' Roll in the Night Owl Showroom. No other details have been released as yet, but as soon as it debuts we'll be reviewing it for our Topless Vegas guide, which just received some love from USA Today in its feature on how the economy has affected Sin City's strip club scene.
Comedian Pauly Shore's new TV special, "Vegas Is My Oyster", debuts on Showtime tonight at 10 p.m. The show was recorded at the Palms earlier this year and features standup and sketches from a lineup including Andy Dick, Bobby Lee, Tom Green, Maz Jobrani, Charlyne Yi, April Macie, and former porn star Ron Jeremy.
It's the cosmic cowboy comedy weekend in Las Vegas, we came to realize in the course of compiling this, with hippies at the Hilton, country stars at Stations (and Primm), and comics all over the place. Oh, and there's dancing horses and Hasidic reggae too, of course. We dare you to not find something to tickle your fancy in that mix.
House of Blues venues nationwide have undergone a makeover and name change and the Las Vegas venue, located inside Mandalay Bay, is no exception. Now called Crossroads at House of Blues, the menu has been changed to incorporate "contemporary interpretations of classic comfort food," with dishes including shrimp and grits, meatball sliders, hand stretched grilled flatbreads, chile braised short ribs, and street tacos, while retaining old favorites like jambalaya. It's open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Discreet gentlemen's club, formerly Minxx, is the latest casualty on the Las Vegas strip club scene, following in the recent footsteps of Badda Bing! and Rick's Cabaret. It's because of this constant flux in the adult-entertainment landscape that we keep Topless Vegas constantly updated in electronic format. At any point when you purchase the guide, whether in e-Book, full hard copy, or Pocket-Guide format, you can add an Upgrade option for just $5.95, which allows online access to the most recent version at all times, for a full calendar year. We just released v.5.0, featuring the most comprehensive update since Topless Vegas was first published in 2009; expect v.5.1 to follow soon.
More than a year since the project was first announced (see "Today's News" 7/1/2011), it's been announced that construction will commence this month on Caesars Entertaiment's center-Strip "Linq" project, reports today's Las Vegas Sun. Plans for the $500 million development, which include a pedestrianized entertainment and dining district linking the Flamingo and IP and a giant observation wheel with cabins capable of accommodating up to 30 people, were yesterday approved by Clark County commissioners. The mammoth project will employ 3,000 construction workers and create 1,500 new jobs on completion.
The inaugural Digital World Expo will take place at the Mirage Sept. 25-27, featuring global leaders in areas including social media marketing, viral videos, SEO, and online advertising.
The US 95, which was earlier closed in the vicinity of the Harmon overpass, due to the presence of a suicidal man, has now been reopened to traffic.
Following the 2007 debut of Rao's at Caesars Palace, the century-old East Harlem family Italian restaurant famed for being impossible to get a table at, comes word of another iconic Big Apple transplant heading to the Palace. This December, brothers Marc and Greg Sherry will open a Vegas version of the family's landmark Old Homestead steakhouse (the original, located in the Meatpacking District, is the oldest in New York), in the space currently occupied by Nero's, which is scheduled to close September 18. For more on the Las Vegas fine dining scene -- and the best of our casual fare and hole-in-the-wall ethnic joints -- check out Eating Las Vegas.
A suicidal man who is threatening to jump off the overpass has caused the closure of US 95 at Harmon Ave. on the east side of town. We'll keep you posted of developments as/when we hear. (This item posted at 10:50 a.m.)
It's "Mob Week" on AMC, featuring daily airings of classic movies, including The Godfather, Carlito's Way, Scarface, Goodfellas, and others. For anyone interested in mob history, particularly as it pertains to Las Vegas, check out the specialist section at ShopLVA.com, where you'll find numerous best-selling titles, plus other mob-related merchandise, including autographed memorabilia.
For anyone interested in gambling math, an interesting "Update" has been added to today's Question of the Day, which is on the subject of the biggest winning wager in the history of Las Vegas.
LVASports.com moderator and renowned handicapper Steve Fezzik is quoted in today's Wall Street Journal, discussing the pre-season wagering advantages in that expert sports bettors are able to exploit.
After a litany of "worst-of" national listings (see Today's News Archives), Las Vegas has finally scored as third-kinkiest city in the nation (what? only third?), according to AlterNet.com, thanks in no small part to our vibrant gentlemen's club scene.
Keeping with the "green" theme, the Flamingo Las Vegas today hosts the latest leg of the "Big Green Bus" tour, featuring a team of Dartmouth students who are touring the country raising awareness about alternative energy awareness. The bus will be open to visitors until 3 p.m. today; follow @BigGreenBus for more details.
What was formerly a toxic gravel pit in Henderson has won approval to be converted into a 100-acre park featuring a naturally-filled 20-acre pond, reports today's R-J. The $11.3 million project will be funded thanks to the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.
Throughout the month of August, Silverton Rewards Club Members can take advantage of a dining promo, with a buy one, get one free entrée deal at all Silverton restaurants or BOGO buffet. No coupon is necessary, just show your players card. The offer may also be used as 50%-off single entrée if only one person is dining, but it doesn't include booze and can only be used at Silverton-owned locations, so it excludes does Starbucks, Johnny Rockets, and Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen. Must be 21+.
Oscar Goodman has a new venture in the pipeline, reports Chanel 13, with plans for a new steakhouse at the Plaza called, any guesses? Yep, Oscar's. With many of the city's old-school restaurants having succombed to the recession, like former Goodman favorite Fellini's, it makes sense that he'd want a new hangout. We bet it'll serve killer martinis, too. What's being described as a "speakeasy" will be located in the iconic "dome" room, formerly occupied by Firefly, that overlooks the Fremont Street Experience.
Although at the time of the Sahara's closure and liquidation sale, the contents of the NASCAR Cafe were excluded, pending reported hopes of finding a new home for the popular venue, it's just been announced that a liquidation sale will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday and everything must go. In addition to items of clothing, photographs, Cyber Speedway simulators, signage, and fixtures and fittings, including the bar itself, items for sale include Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 car and Carzilla, the largest Pontiac Grand Prix stock car in the world. The sale will continue daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Saturday and Sundays noon to 5 p.m., reports "Fox5 News."
Apparently, the liquidation sale of hotel items is also ongoing, although we're not sure what's left to purchase.
Broward County may be getting a new casino complex, with the corporation poised to take over the ageing Dania Jai-Alai presenting renderings of plans to first introduce a space for slot machines and then later covert the entire 50-acre property into hotel and a deepwater marina, complete with a live-performance venue. Dania already has a poker room.
Football season looms and it's only $25 to enter Leroy's Three 'N Out Contest: Pick one pro game per week; lose three times and you're out. Click here for more details.
It was back in early April, 2010, that "Today's News" reported how the owner of Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas said he had "substantial doubt about [the property's] ability to continue as a going concern" in the face of ongoing operating losses and growing debt. Although back then he explained that Hooters entire credit line had been exhausted, leaving only cash flow to meet expenses, it's taken until now for the property to seek Chapter 11 protection, as reported by today's R-J.
155 East Tropicana LLC, issued a statement Monday that it had filed bankruptcy after negotiations over a pre-negotiated restructuring with its largest bondholder collapsed.
The number of Massachusetts Cash WinFall lottery tickets that any store may sell in a day has now been severely restricted, ending a quirk in the lottery structure that virtually guaranteed a large profit if more than $100,000 worth of tickets were purchased by someone at certain times of the year, when prizes are four to 10 times larger than normal. Apparently, after a drawing last May, 1,105 of the 1,605 Cash WinFall prizes statewide were collected by just three different entities, including a team from MIT. Each followed a strategy that involved buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of the $2 tickets at selected stores over a few days, when secondary prizes escalated to more than 30 times their normal level.
Under the new rules, no store will be allowed to sell more than $5,000 worth of tickets in a single day, making high-volume purchases much more difficult. The Cash WinFall game will be phased out completely next spring.
It's 8.02.11, which makes it Wi-Fi day (if you don't know why, click here ask a friendly geek). In celebration, here's a link to the ever-growing list of Free Wi-Fi hotspots in our Vegas Visitor Guide.
Following a disastrous gig in Dallas last week, when lead singer Caleb Followill left the stage to vomit, Kings of Leon have canceled the entire remainder of their US summer tour, including a scheduled date at Mandalay Bay on September 3. The concerts will not be rescheduled, due to future European touring commitments, so ticket-holders are being asked to seek a refund at the point of purchase, reports Rolling Stone. While the official line is that Caleb is suffering from exhaustion, more candid comments from fellow band members on Twitter admitted that there are deeper issues and, "problems in our band bigger than not drinking enough Gatorade."
It's the World Market expo downtown this week, with 1,500 exhibitors spanning three buildings at the World Market Center, including including vendors of furniture, accessories, gifts, lighting, home textiles, rugs, floor coverings, and more. President Bill Clinton is the speaker. Click here for more information.
Las Vegas to replace 6,600 conventional streelight bulbs with energy-efficient LED fixtures, reports Forbes. The project begins this week and, when completed, will save the city an estimated $400,000/year and annual electricity use by 8 million kilowatt hours. The LEDs also have a lifespan two-and-a-half times that of conventional bulbs.
Click the link for our unique guide to Green Vegas, including listings of the most eco-friendly hotels (you might be surprised...), attractions, and restuarants, and follow us on Twitter at @GreenVegas for events and news updates.
The Railroad Pass 2800 (S. Boulder Highway), which apparently is America's longest-running casino, turns 80 this week and is celebrating with 80¢ shrimp cocktails and hot dogs (served from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.), 80¢ draft beers (24/7), a $19.31 "Conductor's Room Dinner Special," the Dillinger Whiskey Steak Dinner (marinated whiskey steak served with red potatoes and a vegetable, available Thursday through Sunday), and $31.00 room rates. There are also other promotions during the week, including complimentary strawberry shortcake until 4 p.m. today a free video poker tournament on Friday. Click here for a full program of events.
Caesars Entertainment has launched a new Total Rewards site for its Las Vegas properties. The new Total Vegas website is designed to be a one-stop-shop for players card members, concentrating information about all 10 CE Vegas properties in one place.
MRI is giving away 5,000 Tier Credits to members who "Like" them on Facebook. All you need to do is enter your players card account number.