More information has been released about the expansion of downtown's Mob Museum. Plans call for the addition of a speakeasy and distillery in the basement that will have an educational bent, documenting how the "moonshining" business was run during Prohibition.
It's been officially announced that the former Trump Taj Mahal will become Hard Rock Hotel Atlantic City. Following a $375 million renovation and rebranding, the new resort will open on the Boardwalk in the summer of 2018.
For the first time, Nevada sports books will allow betting on the NFL draft after an unidentified book petitioned the Gaming Control Board for permission. The Board approved the request, but only on props such as the number of players drafted from a given conference or the number of quarterbacks drafted in a given round. Bets on the draft position of specfic players are not allowed.
Among all the regional chain restaurants coming to Las Vegas recently, here's one you might not recognize. Pollo Campero has opened in North Las Vegas. It's a chicken restaurant similar to Chick-fil-A that began in Guatamala and is well-known to the Hispanic community. It's the first of four Pollo Campero locations in Las Vegas scheduled to open over two years.
A reader reports that M Resort, one lf the last hold outs, has added a $19.99 daily resort fee. It includes gym use, which formerly carried a charge, but nothing else that hadn't been previously availble for free.
Registration is now open for our Sunday Funday 39 poker tournament. Play begins at noon PST/3 p.m. EST today. Along with $100 for first, prizes include LVA membership with the 2017 Member Rewards Book, copies of our just-released The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide and Blackjack for Blood, and several new prizes. Prizes will again be awarded to the first 14 finishers. See the entire prize pool and register to play at the LVA Casino (once signed in, click on "Poker Tournaments" and register for Tourney ID 12499). This tournament is completely free to play. There will also be other tourneys running all day for gift cards and play chips. Come have some fun! See you at noon.
Going into today's final round of the Masters golf tournament, with six players within two strokes of one another, Justin Rose is a +280 favorite to win. Jordan Spieth is +350, Sergio Garcia is +430, Ricky Fowler is +450, and Adam Scott and Ryan Moore are both +1360.
Anthony Johnson is a -130 favorite over Anthony Johnson in today's UFC main event. In the other featured match, Gegard Mousasi is -120 over Chris Weidman.
Reserve some time tomorrow to play in our 39th Sunday Funday online poker tournament. First place gets $100, and prizes will be awarded to the top 14 places. Prizes include LVA membership with the Member Rewards Book, copies of our just-released The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide and Blackjack for Blood, and several new prizes. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. EST/noon PST. It's completely free to play, with registration beginning two hours before the tournament at the LVA Casino.
Tonight's UFC card is on Pay-Per-View, so you can't watch it in a sports book, but there are viewing options around town with admission charges in the $10-$50 range. The best deal is at the topless club Deja Vu Showgirls. Entry fee is $10 for locals and $20 for out-of-state (if you drive yourself), but that includes free domestic beers, wine, and well drinks from 6 to 10 p.m., plus there's often free pizza. It's a good atmosphere with the dancers leaving the customers alone to watch till the fights are over. We got this tip from ToplessVegasOnline and you can get additional information there (NOTE: ToplessVegasOnline is fully illustrated throughout and contains adult language and imagery. NSFW!).
According to John Katsilometes' column in today's LV Review-Journal, Britney Spears' last show at Planet Hollywood will be on December 31. Spears' agent has confirmed that the show will close at the conclusion of Britney's current contract, but left the door open for her to sign with another casino and possibly even another in the CET group.
Famous gambler Billy Walters has been found guilty of insider trading, highlighted by a securities deal that involved professional golfer Phil Mickelson. After coming out on top in previous legal battles with the Feds, Walters now faces several years in prison. He expressed surprise at the outcome, stating, "I just did lose the biggest bet of my life. Frankly, I'm in shock." Walters' attorney promises that the verdict will be appealed.
You can't make president-related prop bets in Las Vegas, but it's big business at foreign and offshore sports books. So big, in fact, that Irish bookmaker Paddy Power is seeking to fill a position designated as "Head of Trump Betting." Paddy Power released a statement that read in part, "After a disastrous year of political cock-ups -- two words for you: Brexit and Trump -- we are determined not to make the same mistakes again in 2017." Resumes are being accepted now. Read more about the Trump betting market in today's Question of the Day.
First Friday has been moved to the second Friday. Today's scheduled First Friday celebration has been moved to next week due to weather reports indicating the possibility of another wind storm today. Mark your calendars and head downtown next Friday as if it were today. Got all that?
Don Rickles, the legendary comedian who headlined Vegas for decades, died today in Los Angeles of kidney failure at the age of 90. Rickles made his first appearance in Las Vegas in 1959, championed by Frank Sinatra, "my hero and benefactor," as Rickles always referred to him. Mike Weatherford, in this book Cult Vegas, called Rickles "the balding Jewish pitball of a comedian" and "one big prune-faced ball of piss-off." In his early years, he was known as "the Insultin' Sultan," but his famous nickname was "The Mouth that Roared." People lined up for 50 years to take offense at Rickles' brand of humor. He also appeared in countless TV shows, including his own, plus numerous movies, including Toy Story 1, 2, and 3 (as Mr. Potato Head), a cameo as casino boss Billy Sherbert in Casino, and perhaps his best performance, as Staff Sergeant Crapgame in Kelly's Heroes. He and his wife Barbara had just celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary.
From country to comedy to punk rock, there's a little something for everyone this weekend. Here are the highlights:
• Downtown celebrates "Revival" as the theme for First Friday (4/7)
• Comedy-wise we have Steve Martin & Martin Short at Caesars Palace (4/9); Tim Allen at the Mirage (4/7); and D.L. Hughley is performing at the Orleans (4/7-8) • Green Day is in the spotlight at the MGM Garden Arena (4/7) • T-Mobile Arena welcomes country music legend George Straight (4/7-8) • You can catch Ricky Martin at The Park at Monte Carlo (4/7-8) • Hard Rock features Bring Me The Horizon at The Joint (4/8) • The LINQ brings you Phil Vassar (4/8) • 38 Special is center stage at the Orleans (4/8) • And The Great Vegas Festival of Beer returns to Las Vegas (4/7-8) featuring over 100 breweries, cideries, and meaderies, as well as over 500 craft and specialty brews.How advanced are your blackjack skills? Are you a seat-of-the-pants player? Do you know basic strategy? Count cards? Do you use advanced advantage-play techniques? Let us know where you fit in by participating in our new Reader Poll that's up now.
After a last-minute injury report concerning former favorite Dustin Johnson, there's been a shake-up in the odds for golf's Masters, which begins tomorrow morning. The favorite is Rory McIlroy at +625, followed by Johnson at +645 and Jordan Spieth at +765.
The next restaurant to close at Monte Carlo as part of its transformation to Park MGM will be Yusho. Considered one of the best Asian restaurants in town and a former "Essential 50" choice in Eating Las Vegas, it will close, apparently for good, on June 5.
In this week's blog post, Bob Dancer uses an example from his personal life to explain what it takes for a gambling partnership to work. Check it out at GamblingWithAnEdge.com.
The Bicycle Hotel and Casino in Bell Gardens California was shut down in a government raid yesterday. The reason for the raid hasn't been specified, but participants included the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the IRS, which suggests it was money-laundering connected. The casino was reopened as of early this morning.
Jean Scott provides information on April casino promotions on her Frugal Vegas blog. Also check out a more recent post that provides information about a new promotion called "Moonlight Multipliers" at the Palms.
MGM Resorts International has amended its parking-fee structure. The key changes are a lesser $5-$7 fee (depending on location) for 1-2 hour self-parking and a $2 increase in overnight fees for both valet and self. The changes will go into effect on April 12. For full details, visit our parking-fee page.
We flubbed one in the current Las Vegas Advisor. We reported that three new machines in the sports book bar at the Gold Coast are dealing 9/6 Jacks or Better for quarters. That's correct, but we didn't notice that the royal flush pays 2500 coins instead of the standard 4000 coins, which drops the return from 99.54% to 98.88%. Sorry for that miss, but it's also a good reminder that you have to check all of the payout numbers on a video poker schedule, especially when you think you see something good.
North Carolina is a -1 favorite over Gonzaga in the NCAA Basketball Championship game. The total is 155.5.
After a decade of headlining downtown, impressionist Gordie Brown is returning to the Strip. Gordie Brown Live opens May 9 at Planet Hollywood, the site of his last Strip gig before leaving for a residency at the Golden Nugget, with tickets starting at $59.95 base.
Mondays through Thursdays in April, earn 300 same-day points ($300 coin-in) at South Point and get a comped lunch buffet. Earn 600 points and get dinner.
Prompting comparisons with Celine Dion, Britney Spears has become a box office powerhouse at Planet Hollywood. Her shows in the Axis Theater have earned more than $100 million through ticket sales of more than 700,000. No slouch herself, Jennifer Lopez earned $36 million from sales of 170,000 tickets in 2016 alone.
Moving in the opposite direction of current worldwide trends, Australia has passed laws prohibiting previously allowed online poker and in-game sports betting. The sports-betting restrictions were prompted by concerns over increased incidences of match fixing.
North Carolina opened as a -2 favorite over Gonzaga for Monday's final of the NCAA basketball tournament and the line has dropped to -1.5. The total opened at 152.5 and moved up to its current 154.5
Final Four North Carolina/Oregon
North Carolina is a -4.5 favorite over Oregon in today's second Final Four game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 153.
Gonzaga is a -7 favorite over South Carolina in today's first Final Four game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 138.
A third Minus5 Ice Experience will open this summer in the Grand Canal Shops at the Venetian. Guests are outfitted with parkas and gloves before entering the 23-degree environment, which is -5 degrees celsius.
The upcoming movie Blade Runner 2049 will have a scene set in Las Vegas, but it wasn't shot here. The future Caesars Palace depicted was filmed in Hungary. The movie starring Ryan Gosling is set for release in October.