In today's Alamo Bowl, Utah is a -7 favorite over Texas. The total is 56.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
In a press conference yesterday, Las Vegas' top two law-enforcement officials issued a stern warning to drinkers for tonight: “Hear it now and hear it clear: If you drive after drinking, you will go to jail,” said the Las Vegas District Attorney. “If you drive after drinking and you injure or kill someone, you will go to prison.” The Sheriff announced that police will "saturate" the valley and actively arrest drunken drivers. Last year, in the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, 143 crashes took place in Las Vegas, nearly one an hour; the LVMPD and Highway Patrol are hoping to bring that number way down. We hope so too.
The NFL's Raiders played their last game as an Oakland team on Sunday, losing to the Denver Broncos by one tragic point and ending their 2019 season at 7-9 (which was a lot better than their 4-12 in 2018 and 6-1 in 2017). Now, word comes from the team that will be the Las Vegas Raiders starting in the 2020 season that they won't make the move until mid- to late August, following the off-season. Head Coach Jon Gruden announced in his season-ending press conference that the Raider training camp will be held in Napa as usual and said, "After we break training camp, we will formally move to Las Vegas."
In today's Sun Bowl, Arizona State is a -3 favorite over Florida State. The total is 53.5.
In today's Belk Bowl, Virginia Tech is a -2 favorite over Kentucky. The total is 46.5.
Temperatures start to increase in January in Las Vegas, as the normal high on the first is 56 and the normal low 38, while on the 31st they're 60 and 41. The record high for January was set in 1937 at 77 degrees, the record low at 8 degrees was also set in 1937 and 1963. Las Vegas sees an average of an inch of precipitation in January over six rainy days, though the city saw exactly no rain in January 2019.
In today's Orange Bowl, Florida is a -16 favorite over Virginia. The total is 56.5.
Bleu Tech, the $7.5 billion "smart city" announced in August by a real estate investment trust called Bleutech Park Properties, is being sued by a long-time Las Vegas communication consultant and casino public-relations director for breach of contract and lack of payment. If built, the mixed-use development would showcase the entire (fanciful) range of smart-city technology, but it seems to make news only for the trouble it's in. To wit, one of the principals is accused of establishing a fake engineering firm and a submitting a falsified résumé to try to dupe a south Florida city into awarding her firm a $33 million construction contract. She was also charged with wage theft after failing to pay dozens of employees hundreds of thousands of dollars. And now this.
In today's Music City Bowl, Mississippi St. is a -4.5 favorite over Louisville. The total is 63.5.
In today's Redbox Bowl, California is a -6 favorite over Illinois. The total is 47.
A video poker player at Boulder Station hit a lovely sequential royal in hearts over the weekend on a $1 progressive 7/5 Bonus Poker machine. The player was dealt the A, K, Q, and J of hearts with the sequential-royal meter at $180,278.50 in that order, then popped the thrilling 10 of hearts on the draw. The machine locked up, the "Please Call an Attendant" message appeared on the bottom of the screen, and the player's New Year's celebration started early.
In today's First Responder Bowl, Western Kentucky is a -3 favorite over Western Michigan. The total is 56.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has issued its annual warning about banned items on the Strip for America's Party tomorrow night. Security is tight with hundreds of thousands of people in the street, so the following items are not allowed: metal and glass containers; purses larger than 12” x 6” x 12”; briefcases, backpacks, cinch bags, and luggage of any kind; computer and camera bags; and strollers and carts of any kind (other than wheelchairs). Plastic cups and containers are okay. Marijuana isn't. Minors (under 18) aren't allowed on the Strip (or downtown) and risk a $300 fine and detainment. The temperature, by the way, are expected to be around 40 degrees at midnight, with no wind to speak of; last year, the wind chill dropped to the low 20s.
The San Francisco 49ers are -3.5 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.
The line for the College Football National Championship opened with LSU a -3.5 favorite over Clemson and is now -6. The total is 70.
This is The Year, 2020. All the big projects are opening, right? Not exactly. The script got rewritten in a few spots, but 2020 is still gonna be big. The lowdown and timetables on all the upcoming projects are gathered in one place, our annual “Report Card and Progress Report” in the January issue of the Las Vegas Advisor. Plus, get the scoop on the new Mayfair supper club, a (negative) video poker about-face, a (positive) video poker about-face, fast Greek on the Strip, a big ham & eggs served 24/7, a $10K cocktail, and a review of the new show that delivers the thigh-slappingest, rib-ticklingest, and foot-stompingest fun you can currently have in a Las Vegas showroom. All in the latest issue of the LVA.
Richard Velotta, long-time business writer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, reports that 12,000 new rooms will come onto the Las Vegas market in the next three years, though his number seems a little high to us. Maybe we're missing 3,000 rooms somewhere, but here's our count: Circa 512 (of an eventual 777), Downtown Grand 495 (in a new tower), Skyline 41, Delta 284 (non-casino hotel going up next to the Palms), Resorts World 3,500, Drew 3,179, Majestic 720 (non-casino on Convention Center Dr.), and Astra 620 (speculative hotel-casino on south Strip. That adds up to 9,351. Still, that's good enough for us; it would put the number of Las Vegas hotel rooms close to 160,000, nearly 40,000 more than the next highest total in Orlando.
In today's Fiesta Bowl, the second of two semi-final games in the college-football National Championship playoffs, Clemson is a -2.5 favorite over Ohio State. The total is 63.
The list of coupons in the 2020 Las Vegas Advisor's Member Rewards Book has been posted and it's as strong as ever, with 24 discounts for buffets, 39 non-buffet dining deals, 41 gambling offers including $65 in free-play and $565 in value overall (up $5 from last year), plus a good mix of show, spa, and tour deals. As always, using just a few of the best-value coupons pays for your entire subscription price and more. Anyone visiting Las Vegas without our MRB has failed an intelligence test.
In today's Peach Bowl, the first of two semi-final games in the college-football National Championship playoffs, LSU is a -12.5 favorite over Oklahoma. The total is 75.5.
The Golden Gate is hosting a promotion called "Original Ten," marking the first 10 rooms to open in the first hotel in Las Vegas in 1906. When the Hotel Nevada opened at 1 Fremont Street a few months after the founding of the railroad town, it offered its rooms for $1 per night. Though the hotel grew to 100 rooms (and changed its name twice, to the Sal Sagev and finally Golden Gate), the first 10 rooms remain intact (albeit upgraded). The Original Ten are the same price as the other 90 rooms at the Golden Gate, but leave it to owners Derek and Greg Stevens to celebrate downtown's history while simultaneously building downtown's first megaresort right across the street.
In today's Cotton Bowl, Penn State is a -7 favorite over Memphis. The total is 60. Note that this line was posted with the game in progress.
In today's Camping World Bowl, Notre Dame is a -3.5 favorite over Iowa State. The total is 54.5. Note that this line was posted with the game in progress.
The National Weather Service has declared 2019 the ninth wettest year on record (since 1931) in Las Vegas. The three-hundredths of an inch of rain that fell yesterday raised the year’s total rainfall at McCarran Airport to 6.87 inches, which put it into the top ten. Las Vegas’ annual rainfall record was set in 1941 at 10.72 inches.
In today's Holiday Bowl, USC is a -1 favorite over Iowa. The total is 54.
In today's Texas Bowl, Texas A&M is a -5 favorite over Oklahoma State. The total is 56.
According to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Nevada Highway Patrol issued 2,542 moving violations for misuse of the high-occupancy-vehicle lanes that opened in June, including 611 for crossing the double-white line that separates the HOV lane from the rest of the freeway. But many of those issued within the city and sent to Las Vegas Municipal Court have been dismissed. "Between May 1 and Dec. 11," the RJ reports, "the Municipal Court received 643 HOV citations and dismissed 27% of them (173). Another 54% of motorists (345) pleaded guilty and 19% of the cases do not yet have a disposition. Particularly onerous to drivers are the double-white lines; with few entry-exit places, once you're in an HOV lane, it's hard to get out legally.
The northbound and southbound offramps on I-15 will be closed at 5 p.m. on Tuesday Dec. 31 at Spring Mountain, Flamingo, and Tropicana; traffic will enter and exit the interstate only at Sahara and Russell. Meanwhile, traffic will be rerouted from surface streets with access to the Strip starting at 5:45 p.m., so that the Strip will be open to pedestrians only at 6:45. The I-15 ramps will reopen to vehicles at 3:30 a.m. Jan. 1. Downtown, Fourth Street and Casino Center Boulevard between Carson and Ogden avenues will close early, at 9 a.m. Dec. 31, and reopen at 4 a.m. Jan. 1. Main Street will be completely closed for 15 minutes at midnight for the fireworks at the Plaza.
In today's Pinstripe Bowl, Michigan State is a -4 favorite over Wake Forest. The total is 51.5.
In today's Military Bowl, North Carolina is a -6 favorite over Temple. The total is 56.5.
Interstate 15 between Primm and Baker reopened at around 6 a.m. this morning after being closed most of yesterday and overnight in both directions due to snow and icy driving conditions on Mountain Pass in California. Farther into California, Cajon Pass also closed, with an accumulation of up to three feet of snow at the peak. The forecast calls for dry but chilly weekend, with the possibility of another storm system moving through on Monday evening.
In today's Quick Lane Bowl, Pittsburgh is a -13 favorite over Eastern Michigan. The total is 50.
In today's Independence Bowl, Miami is a -7 favorite over Louisiana Tech. The total is 48.5.
The 2020 edition of Eating Las Vegas -- The 52 Essential Restaurants is in-house and shipping. We're extending the pre-publication sale of our preeminent guide to dining in Las Vegas and for a limited time, it's only $12.99 (including shipping to U.S. addresses). It's also available from most booksellers, including Amazon.
Heartbreak Hotel, the jukebox musical at Harrah's that concentrates on Elvis Presley in the 1950s and '60s, will close on Monday night. A fine show that we reviewed in the June Advisor, this move comes as something of surprise; Ticketmaster lists dates through February 28, now all with a big red "Canceled" in the "Buy Now" spot.
The Regional Transportation Commission's Trip to the Strip ride-share program from McCarran Airport to various destinations in the tourist corridor will be terminated at the end of the six-month pilot period on Monday December 30. Introduced as an alternative to Uber and Lyft, the service transported more than 60,000 passengers and generated $300,000, but cost $3 million to operate. A spokesperson for the RTC said that the size of the loss precluded the Transportation Commission from continuing the program for the standard three-year period for a new public-transit service to reach peak ridership.
24/7WallSt.com, the influential financial news and opinion website, has assembled a list of the one can't-miss restaurant in all 50 states by consulting reviews on Yelp, Trip Advisor, and Zagat, as well as a range of media including Food & Wine, Eater, Thrillist, the Travel Channel, and the Daily Meal; the editors also studied menus and historical information on restaurant websites. Their selection for the Silver State is José Andrés' Bazaar Meat at the Sahara. "Las Vegas has no shortage of spectacular restaurants run by culinary celebrities," 24/7 writes, "but this extravagant, almost surrealistic ultra-steakhouse from the famed Spanish chef and international humanitarian is perhaps the most spectacular of all." The listing cites the meat: "from bison carpaccio and great Spanish ham to a host of steaks (including A5 Kobe ribeye for $50 an ounce) and, by pre-order, a whole roast suckling pig ($540). You’ll know you’re in Vegas."
In today’s marquee Christmas NBA match-up, the Los Angeles Lakers are -2 favorites over the Los Angeles Clippers. The total is 222.5.
An unidentified San Francisco man went 15 for 15 on a 15-pick parlay card over the weekend to win $100,000 on a $5 bet at the William Hill sports book at Casino Royale. He correctly bet 13 games against the spread and two over/unders at 20,000-1 odds.
William Hill is running the "20/20 College Bowl Challenge." It's a winner-take-all format with a $20 entry fee and a $20,000 prize that goes to the contestant picking the most winners against the spread from a 20-game roster. There's a $100,000 bonus for going perfect. After $20,000 in entry fees are collected, 70% of the additional fees go into the pool. There's no limit on how many times you can enter and the deadline is 1 pm on December 28.
Our holiday greeting is found in today's QoD, so here, we'll just say that traditional Christmas dinners are being served in many of the buffets and restaurants around the city. We recommend you get to the buffets early (or late) and try to make reservations at the restaurants; everything here is crowded. Except, perhaps, for the sports books, which will be somewhat quiet today, as no NFL, NHL, or college football games are being played (the NFL generally schedules games on Christmas Day if it falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday and the NHL generally doesn't schedule games on major holidays); five NBA games run throughout the day.
In today's Hawaii Bowl, BYU is a -2.5 favorite over Hawaii. The total is 65.5.
It's always important to drive defensively, but it's especially true around this time of year -- and definitely in Nevada. According to a study by CarInsuranceComparison.com, Nevada placed 40th out of the 50 states for bad drivers. It was the sixth time since the website's first annual study was released in 2011 that Nevada motorists were ranked among the top 10 worst drivers in America. The study found that Nevada has some of the highest rates of bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities in the nation. The good (and surprising news, considering all the free alcohol floating around the state): This is the third time since 2011 that Nevada motorists received their “best” ranking for drunk driving, placing 47th in 2011, 19th in 2017, 29th in 2018, and 33rd this year.
It went down to the wire on the Wire Act appeal: 47 minutes before last Friday’s deadline, the Department of Justice filed its opening brief with First Circuit Court of Appeals. Last summer, a New Hampshire district court judge reversed an opinion issued by the Justice Department in January 2019, which broadened the scope of the Wire Act to prohibit online casino gambling, online Powerball ticket sales, wide-area progressive slot networks, and mobile sports wagering. Justice is obviously intent on continuing this fight and though some observers doubt the appeals court will overturn the district court judge's decision, others predict that the case will wind up being decided by the Supreme Court.
Just in time for Christmas, the new pedestrian bridge over the Las Vegas Strip has finally opened. Located between Park MGM (and T-Mobile) and the Showcase Mall, it's the 17th pedestrian bridge to be built over the Strip since 1995 (when the first two were built at the corner of Tropicana) and the first since the Harmon Avenue overpass opened in 2012. The bridge required 14 months to complete and was held up for the last three by issues with the escalators and elevators. More than 10,000 people cross the Strip at this intersection every day.
The Minnesota Vikings are -4.5 favorites over the Green Bay Packers in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 47. Note that this line was posted with the game in progress.
Through the end of the year, buy a $25 gift card at Lucky’s Lounge that will be donated to a children’s charity and get a large cheese pizza and a pitcher of beer or two cocktails. There are two locations, both on the west side (7345 S. Jones Boulevard and 8025 Farm Road).
The drawing for the world's richest lottery in terms of the total prize money involved was held in Spain yesterday. Known as El Gordo, or the Fat One, the total prizes were worth 2.24 billion euros or 2.43 billion US dollars. Numerous holders of the number for the top prize, 26590, won 400,000 euros or $436,000 (in a slightly complicated structure, the winners of the top ticket win 20,000 euros for each euro spent on a 20-euro ticket). Spain levies a 20% tax on all prizes over €2,500; thus, the grand prize winners will take home €320,050 or a little less than $355,000.
For the first time in their 19 years in Las Vegas, Penn Gillette is performing in a ticketed show without his silent sidekick Teller, who underwent spinal-fusion surgery a couple weeks ago. Filling in for Teller are Mac King, Piff the Magic Dragon, and Matt Donnelly, through early January. Then the show goes dark until Teller returns on February 4. Penn and Teller have been performing together since 1975.
Cirque du Soleil's water-themed spectacular at Bellagio, O, is now performing seven nights a week, having added two shows to its previous five nights per. A few months ago, just after performing its 10,000th show in 21 years, Cirque announced that the schedule change would begin in January, but moved up the timetable in time for the Christmas crowds. The cast has been increased from 77 to 117 to accommodate the extra nights. O now goes on at 7 and 9:30 p.m. nightly.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -7 favorites over the Chicago Bears in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 45.5.
The beginning of Hanukkah will be commemorated today with a Grand Menorah lighting at the Fremont Street Experience. The ceremony will take place at 4:30 p.m. and the 20-foot-tall menorah will stay in place throughout the holiday.
For the 17th straight year, Ellis Island is serving its homemade egg nog (contains alcohol). Get it at the bar: $7 per glass and $35 per bottle. Ellis Island also has a shot of Jack Daniels and a beer for $6 beginning two hours before all Vegas Golden Knights home games. Wear a VGK shirt and get your first beer for $1.
On Friday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill that legalizes sports betting, online gambling, and fantasy sports in Michigan. The Michigan Gaming Control Board must now set rules and regulations for the new laws, which could happen by March Madness. Michigan becomes the 14th state to legalize sports betting since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA in May 2018.
It's not in Las Vegas, but the San Manuel Casino in San Bernardino, CA, is now serving one drink for $10,000. What's in it? First,
a shot of A. H. Hirsch 16 Year Old whisky, then a 100-point 1996 Château Lafite-Rothschild Bordeaux, and a bit of ultra-rare Hardy cognac.
The cocktail is served in a Lalique crystal glass with a cocktail pick made from 14-karat gold and a small diamond tip (you get to keep the glass and pick). Has San Manuel sold any? They're not saying.
According to AAA, Las Vegas is the fifth-most most popular destination in the U.S. for the year-end holidays, based on advance bookings through the auto club. Disney places first (Orlando) and second (Anaheim), followed by two locations in Hawaii (Honolulu and Kahului, Maui). Florida ranked sixth (Lauderdale), eighth (Miami), and ninth (Tampa), with New York coming in at seventh and Phoenix tenth. AAA says 116 million people, an astounding one out of every three Americans, are traveling between yesterday and January 2, a new record, more than 104 million of them by car. We were took a walk on the center Strip last night and we can tell you that this place is already packed solid.
Fixed fares between McCarran and the tourist corridor were launched yesterday, two weeks earlier than planned. The taxi companies requested that the six-month pilot program start early in order to smooth out any potential bumps in the road before the massive influx of taxi riders for Christmas and New Year's. The fixed-fare zones include Zone 1, Sunset Road north to Tropicana Avenue, $19; Zone 2, Tropicana north to Flamingo Road, $23; and Zone 3, Flamingo north to the Stratosphere, $27. The zones also cover including the Orleans, the Hard Rock, and the Palms/Gold Coast/Rio.
The first games in the vast college football bowl schedule were played yesterday and several will be played today. We'll be putting up lines on the biggest games in this space through the National Championship game. In today's Las Vegas Bowl, Washington is a -3.5 favorite over Boise State. The total is 48.5.
As it does every year, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is waiving rider fees on all its routes on New Year’s Eve. From December 31 at 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. on January 1, passengers can board any bus on the RTC’s 39 fixed routes without paying or showing a pass. Celebrants can park free at RTC's park-and-ride lots, then hop a bus; services will be beefed up with extra buses, especially on the Strip and the Downtown Express route.
The Expo at World Market Center downtown, a $76 million 315,000-square-foot convention facility scheduled to open in time for the five-day 50,000-attendee 2020 Summer World Market in July, was topped off yesterday. The Expo is going up next to the World Market Center complex; it's being built in conjunction with a Marriott hotel that will round out Symphony Park with the the Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
In an unusual hearing, the five-member Nevada Gaming Commission voted unanimously yesterday to deny a motion submitted by Steve Wynn's lawyers claiming that, since Wynn is no longer involved in the Nevada gambling business, state gaming regulators have no jurisdiction over him. Wynn's attorney argued that since his client resigned from Wynn Resorts, sold all his stock, moved out of his villa on the property, has no intention of re-entering gaming in Nevada (or anywhere in the world), and was merely listed as a key employee on the Wynn's gaming license, the regulators had no "administrative hold" over him. All five commissioners ruled against, worried that allowing Wynn to skate free set a bad example. The issue is expected to be settled by the Nevada Supreme Court.
Passengers on an Allegiant flight from San Antonio to Las Vegas were notified before deplaning at McCarran that one of them would be the record-breaking 50 millionth passenger to pass through the airport this year. The lucky flyer, Hilda Black from San Antonio, received a prize package with Las Vegas-themed merchandise amidst a party with music, dancers, and VGK cheerleaders. It's the third straight year that McCarran has set passenger records (49.7 million in 2018 and 48.5 million in 2017) and the first that more than 50 million will arrive and depart within the year. McCarran is on pace to hit 50.6 million passengers in 2019.
Last September, when the Flamingo closed its Center Cut steakhouse, along with adjacent Cafe To Go and Laurel Lounge, it announced that the trio would be replaced by a new restaurant dubbed Steaks & Alibis after a $5.5 million renovation. Now we learn that the renovation will cost a total of $10 million and the name has been changed to Bugsy and Meyer's Steakhouse, referring to Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and Meyer Lansky, who opened the joint in 1946. According to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, "The Lansky family is involved in the project and will assist in creating some of its merchandise." In addition, "Furthering the speakeasy furor that’s overtaken Las Vegas, it will be entered 'the back way,' through a faux bakery, with guests passing the kitchen and a cooler showing off the restaurant’s extensive selection of dry-aged meat"; the speakeasy will be called The Count Room. Bugsy and Meyer's will open early next year.
It's Christmas Weekend and there are plenty of holiday activities to enjoy! Here are some highlights:
Major League Soccer's 30th expansion team will play in Charlotte, North Carolina, and not Las Vegas, which was on the short list for the team. One of the drawbacks of a Vegas major league soccer team was the lack of a suitable stadium. The city is considering a proposal that would reconfigure the Cashman Center into a mixed-used development with a new stadium specifically built for Major League Soccer. That proposal remains on the table; the company submitting the plan has until February to present it, along with its funding, to the City Council. However, it might be moot; though the MLS commissioner has said that he "would not rule out" expanding the league to 32 teams, at yesterday's press conference announcing the selection of Charlotte, he declared that the new North Carolina team is "likely the last expansion team in Major League Soccer."
Today from noon to 6 p.m., the Budweiser Clydesdales will be on hand at South Point for photo opportunities. Santa will make an appearance and a photo booth will enable guests to take home a commemorative snapshot. Hot chocolate, candy canes, and draft Budweiser will be available. This event takes place in the Priefert Pavilion and is free and open to the public.
We’re doing a promo with local radio stations KJUL 104.7 FM and KOOL 102.3 FM/1280 AM through which you can win a comped LVA membership. Listen during the morning shows tomorrow and Friday and call in to win.
“The Big 20” New Year's Eve fireworks extravaganza during "America's Party" will be produced by Fireworks by Grucci, as usual, and involve 80,000 fireworks launched from MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, the Venetian, and the STRAT. Sixty pyrotechnicians will have worked more than 3,000 man hours to put on the eight-minute Strip spectacular. Downtown will have live entertainment on four stages, plus the new Viva Vision screen will go into operation that night. The Strip will be closed to vehicular traffic (free for the hundreds of thousands of people expected), while tickets for the Fremont Street party start at $35.
A slot player at Caesars won a $1.15 million jackpot last week on a Wheel of Fortune machine. It was the second time a WoF jackpot for more than a million dollars was hit in a month; one for $2.2 million was hit at the Mirage in November.
As it does every year during the holidays, South Point is running its “Pay Less With Your Points” promotion, during which almost everything is half price when you use club points. This includes all restaurants and bars, rooms, shows, bingo, bowling, movies, and the gift shop. Additionally, all drinks are just $2 at the bars and $1 when you pay with points. The promo runs through December 24.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitor Authority has announced its predicted confluence of crowds for the holidays. More than 260,000 visitors are expected for December 23 and 24, while 333,000 will clog the arteries on New Year's Eve. That multitude is 1.5% higher than last year, due to increased room supply. For a look at the road closures, scene leading up to midnight, fireworks celebration, and clean up, check out our NYE FAQ.
Capitalizing on its sold-out shows this year, ZZ TOP is coming back for another round in March. Formed in 1969 in Houston, the band is by far the longest-running rock act with its original personnel intact (rhythm guitarist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard joined founder and lead guitarist Billy Gibbons in 1970). They'll play five shows at the Venetian Theatre on March 20, 21, 25, 27, and 28. Tickets start at $49.95 and go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. Vegas time.
For the first time in seven years, Hawaiian Airlines is offering four weekly flights between Maui's Kahulau Airport and McCarran on 189-seat Airbus A321neo aircraft; Hawaiian Air flew the same route from 2010 to 2012. Hawaiian also has three non-stop flights to Honolulu every day and, according to the press release, transported 470,000 passengers between Honolulu and the "Ninth Island" last year.
The Sports Betting Hall of Fame has, since 2016, honored and preserved the names and accomplishments of individuals who have brought lasting fame to the sports betting sector. The five 2019 inductees include legendary Las Vegas oddsmaker Roxy Roxborough and Vic Salerno, president of USBookmaking and US Fantasy Sports, both of whom you can read about in detail in our book Then One Day ... Forty Years of Bookmaking in Nevada by long-time sports book director Chris Andrews. The other three inductees are Jay Rood, who spent 25 years at MGM and is now chief operations officer at Bet.Works; Raymond Lesniak, former state senator from New Jersey and driving force behind New Jersey's challenge to the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) overturned by the Supreme Court last year; and Sara Slane, former "face of sports betting" as the American Gaming Association vice president of public affairs. The five join 11 existing members of the Hall of Fame.
The New Orleans Saints are -9 favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 49.5.
In case you haven't heard, Jean and Brad Scott are leaving Las Vegas. After more than 30 years of being the Queen, first of her Kingdom of Ku Pon, then as the official Queen of Comps, Jean is for all intents and purposes relinquishing her crown and moving to Georgia to be close to her family. It's impossible to put into words how much she and Brad have meant to us all these decades, and how much we'll miss them, so we won't even try. But we can point you to the next best thing: gambling reporter Mark Gruetze's outstanding tribute to the Scotts for CDC Gaming Reports. It's definitely worth five minutes of your time; then go to Jean's blog, Frugal Vegas, and add to the good wishes piling up there in the comments of her two most recent posts.
For quick guides to what's happening here next week for Christmas and Hanukkah, we have blog posts at VegasWithAnEdge that cover both. Here's the link for Christmas and here's the one for Hannukah. Watch this space for updates as more events and specials are announced.
Aria debuted on this day 10 years ago, the hotel-casino part of the $9 billion City Center project, generally considered the most expensive commercial development in U.S. history. Aria opened only nine months after MGM Mirage (now MGM Resorts Inc.) avoided bankruptcy by making a $200 million payment to its partner in the project, Dubai World. Construction had begun in 2006 at the height of the real estate boom, then nearly drove MGM Mirage under when the Great Recession struck. But Aria recovered, albeit slowly and with a number of changes in strategy and amenities, and has been going strong for years, posting a $138 million profit last year.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are -1 favorites over the Buffalo Bills in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 37.
The Michigan House of Representatives has given its final approval to a bill that allows sports betting and online gambling. Detroit’s three casinos and the state’s tribal casinos will soon be able to apply for sports betting and online-gambling licenses at a cost of $100,000 each. Michigan will be the 19th state to legalize sports gambling since the Supreme Court opened the door in May 2018. Michigan's governor is expected to sign the bill into law; sports books could open by March Madness.
Las Vegas' so-called Golden Week, the slowest time of the year, occurs between the end of the National Finals Rodeo and the day before Christmas Eve. The rodeo leaves town today, so the official start of the eight-day week is tomorrow, when visitation dwindles and room rates hit their lowest levels. Golden Week runs through December 23.
Kamaro Usman is a -200 favorite over Colby Covington in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Amanda Nunes is -400 over Germaine De Randamie.
Get ready for the Strip to be even slower than it already is. This is the last weekend for a long long time that traffic won't be disrupted by lane closures between Spring Mountain Road and Sahara Avenue. Starting Monday night from 12:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on weekdays, one or even two lanes of the Strip will be closed in each direction during road construction, while at least one lane will be closed during non-construction hours (except Dec. 24-26, and Dec. 31 to Jan. 3). It's the first phase of a nearly $50 million project from Spring Mountain to Sahara Avenue that will run through early 2021. The entire road project will ultimately comprise seven phases along Las Vegas Blvd. between Sahara Avenue and the 215 Beltway, which will take more than five years to complete.
There’s not much drama leading up to the announcement of the Heisman Trophy winner tonight, at least according to the oddsmakers, as LSU’s Joe Burrow is the prohibitive -30000 favorite (bet $30,000 to win $100). It marks the second time in three years that there’s been such an overwhelming favorite -- Baker Mayfield, was -50000 in 2017. Jalen Hurts is +2500, and Chase Young and Justin Fields are both +3300.
A new music festival, Reggae Rise Up Vegas, will debut in Las Vegas at the Downtown Events Center over the weekend of April 18-19, with two stages featuring reggae-rock headliners Slightly Stoopid and Dirty Heads, and 40 food, merchandise, art, and activity vendors. Other bands performing will be SOJA, J. Boog, Matisyahu, Common Kings, Hirie, Collie Buddz, Fortunate Youth, The Movement, Iya Terra, Mike Love, Jessie Royal, and Nattali Rize. One-day tickets are $50, two-day $90, at dlvec.com.
Lee Canyon, the downhill ski resort located less than an hour from downtown Las Vegas, opens today, with lifts operating 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nearly four feet of snow has fallen so far this season, with a base depth of nearly two feet. Skiing and snowboarding, tubing and sledding, snowshoeing, kids programs, and lessons are all on tap throughout the winter. The brand new two-story chalet, the Hillside Lodge, located near the main lodge, will open on January 10; it features a heated terrace and patio dining, a grill, and a ski-in ski-out bar.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has has opened the Las Vegas VA Residential Recovery and Renewal Center (LVR3) on E.Cheyenne Ave. in North Las Vegas (right on the edge of the airport). LVR3 is the second VA facility of its kind in the country, treating gambling addiction and substance abuse, in 30- and 45-day programs for 20 inpatients at a time; a separate wing has five beds for women veterans. LVR3 is only the second facility of its kind in the country to open in the past nearly 50 years; the first, a trailblazing treatment facility that was the first of its kind in the country for addressing compulsive gambling, opened at the Brecksville, Ohio, VA Medical Center in 1972.
Caesars Entertainment has announced the dates for the 2020 World Series of Poker: May 26 through July 15. It will be held at the Rio as usual, with more than 500 tables spread all over the 200,000 square feet of convention space. But now that Caesars no longer owns the Rio, the 2021 location is in question; Caesars is leasing the Rio through 2022, but Eldorado Resorts might move the event after it takes over Caesars sometime next year. Plenty of new convention space will be available, including the Caesars Forum with 375,000 square feet that opens in March.
In a study by ApartmentGuide.com, Las Vegas placed number one for the most taco shops per capita in cities with more than 100,000 populations. Las Vegas boasts 454 taco restaurants, or 70.4 per 100,000 residents, followed by Salt Lake City (52.8), Orlando (51.1), Bakersfield (47.9), and Miami (46.3). Houston had the most taco shops overall with 963 (41.4 per capita), followed by L.A. (720/18 per capita) and San Antonio (684/44.6); Las Vegas placed seventh with 454 taco shops. ApartmentGuide also counted the total number of restaurants in the top 50 cities: New York 7,088; Houston 5,667; Chicago 5,359; Los Angeles 4,960; and Las Vegas at number five with 3,307, beating out such big cities as San Francisco 2,971; San Diego 2,823; Dallas 2,806; Miami 2,459; Atlanta 2,426; and Orlando, way down at 1,926.
The Baltimore Ravens are -17 favorites over the New York Jets in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 43.5.
Announced last July, Radisson Rewards members can now redeem points in exchange for rooms at Treasure Island. Starting January 1, members will earn points for stays at TI, which is Radisson's first property on the Las Vegas Strip.
Oracle, the Silicon Valley-based B2B tech giant, is abandoning nearby San Francisco to hold is major OpenWorld trade show in Las Vegas starting next year and continuing at least through 2022. San Francisco, Oracle claims is too expensive and rough around its Convention Center. The trade show attracts more than 60,000 attendees with 64,000 hotel-room nights and a $100-million-plus economic impact. Reportedly, the show will be held at the new Caesars Forum next September.
For more Holiday activities, be sure to check our Christmas roundup on Vegas With An Edge.
MGM Resorts International has introduced a list of canine courtesies at all of its Las Vegas properties. The program includes complimentary treats at check-in, a map of relief areas on property, canine concierge services, dog bowls and mats, and dog-walking. All this for a low low $50-$175 extra per night, depending on the property (limited to two dogs per room with a maximum combined weight of less than 100 pounds; dogs can't be left unattended in rooms unless in a kennel or carrier and must be fully house-trained).
Marijuana Business Daily's eighth annual MJBizCon starts today at the Las Vegas Convention Center, bringing in 35,000 attendees from 75 countries to swell the hordes already here for NFR, which runs through Sunday. More than 1,300 exhibitors are occupying 250,000 square feet of expo-hall floor space, up from 175,000 square feet last year. MJBizCon ranked as the fastest-growing trade show in the U.S. for the fourth year in a row in 2018, according to Trade Show Executive magazine, and looks to be on pace for a fifth this year.
A feature story in The New York Times about New York-based Gindi Capital shines a light on the new trend of "retailers clamoring for storefront space along the Strip," rather than in the casinos. Gindi Capital owns the Showcase Mall and nearby properties, the old Hawaiian Marketplace, and some parcels north of it -- in total, nearly a half-mile of Strip frontage between Tropicana and Harmon avenues, and is filling its mall and storefronts with national brands that 1) consider rents a bargain ($250-$300 per square foot, compared to $1,500-$1,800 for Times Square, for example); 2) serve a population that changes every few days; and 3) appeal to younger generations who are eschewing casino gambling for other forms of experience-based entertainment. Gindi Capital will develop a new 300,000-square-foot shopping, dining, and entertainment project on the nearly 10-acre parcel it purchased this year around the defunct Hawaiian Marketplace.
Elton John collects vinyl: 45s and LPs. His favorite record store? Wax Trax, a small shop in a converted stucco house at 2909 S. Decatur Boulevard. A feature story in the Reno Gazette-Journal describes that in 1991, John sold his entire original collection of 50,000 records, including "every single released in England since around 1959," to fund his AIDS charity and has been replacing them ever since.
He says he's "spent a fortune" at Wax Trax, where he's purchased 11,000 records and counting, since 2015. The owner, 77-year-old Brooklynite Rich Rosen, has been buying and selling records since he was 13; Elton says the shop is "like walking into Aladdin's cave." If you're into vinyl, you probably can't do better than Sir Elton John's favorite Las Vegas haunt.
Circa, downtown's first hotel-casino to be built downtown from the ground up since 1980, has reached the halfway mark in its 22-month gestation and is on track for a December 2020 opening. Six hundred construction workers have added one floor to the 44-story tower every seven days for the past ten weeks and that pace will continue till the building is topped off next summer. When Circa opens, its six-tier fifth-floor rooftop pool complex will be open year-round, due to "superheated" pool water.
Trekkie alert! The 19th annual "official" Star Trek Convention is set for August 5-9, 2020, returning to the Rio. Up to 15,000 fans from around the galaxy are expected to make the journey for a week of non-stop Star Trek events. More than 100 Star Trek celebrities and luminaries will appear in person; panel discussions, science seminars, a huge vendors room, museum exhibits, auctions, contests, Quark’s Bar, set recreations and photo-op areas and the Nevada Pops Orchestra round out the festivities. Watch this space for ticket prices and availability.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -9 favorites over the New York Giants in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 45.
When it opens in early February in a long-vacant space next to SushiSamba at the Grand Canal Shoppes, KAMU Ultra Karaoke will be the first high-end karaoke club on the Strip. The lounge and restaurant will be open to all ages from noon to 8 p.m. daily, then change to adults-only from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Few details have been released, other than L.A. celebrity chef Chris Oh will oversee the menu and 40 private luxury suites and six VIP suites will be available.
Shania Twain opened her second Las Vegas residency last night in conjunction with NFR. She'll perform “Shania Twain Let’s Go!" over 23 shows at Planet Hollywood. Twain invited people up on stage, performed a Prince song, and encouraged the crowd to dance throughout the show. Five-time Grammy winner CeeLo Green has announced a 16-show residency at the Flamingo starting March 24 and continuing in April and August. It appears that Beyoncé, on the other hand, won't be gracing a Las Vegas stage in the near future. Rumors surfaced over the weekend that she'd be announcing a Las Vegas residency this year and become the highest paid performer on the Strip, but a Beyoncé spokesperson denied them vociferously.
The Los Angeles Rams are -1 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 48.
The college football playoff teams have been announced with Louisiana State the number-one seed, followed by Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma. The lines opened Louisiana State -10 over Oklahoma and Ohio State and Clemson pick ’em.
Of the superstar entertainers who haven't done a series of shows in Las Vegas, Beyoncé is probably the biggest. That's why, according to "Multimedia Maven" B. Scott, she'll become the "highest paid entertainer on the Las Vegas Strip" when her residency is announced sometime "during the first half of the year." PopCrush.com picked up the rumor and wrote, "Fans were skeptical at the news that Beyoncé will not be touring, in favor of performing at the same venue nightly. Other people did agree that performing in the same city nightly could be beneficial to her family, which includes her three children, 7-year-old Blue Ivy and 2-year-old twins, Sir and Rumi."
Bellagio's Conservatory & Botanical Garden display changed yesterday to its holiday display. It features a highly decorated 40-foot-tall Christmas tree, along with oversized horses, polar bears, toy soldiers, gift boxes, puppy, and goblet, plus a stately queen and her castle. The Conservatory celebrates four seasons and Chinese New Year; the winter display will run through January 4.
Details are emerging about the show part of the dinner show at the Mayfair Club, debuting on New Year's Eve at Bellagio in the space previously occupied by Hyde ultra-lounge. The restaurant-club is throwback to an earlier era in Las Vegas; the multi-act production will "embrace the glamorous entertainment of the 1920s and 1930s with a modern, sultry, and sexy edge." The producer is No Ceilings Entertainment, which has worked on television and live shows including "America’s Got Talent" and "The X-Factor," and includes one of Beyonce’s choreographers. A 360-degree stage that raises and lowers, showcasing performances from all angles, will host music (nightly DJ, jazz trio, and two vocalists), a dance ensemble, comedy, and interactive elements. The show will vary night to night and will be completely made over every three months. The late-night menu (taking reservations till 3 midnight) should attract performers from other Strip shows. All in all, the Mayfair promises to be quite the scene.
In an interview on Nevada Public Radio, the chef and co-owner of Lotus of Siam, the James Beard award-winning and locally revered Thai restaurant, announced a dining-bill surcharge that will go toward paying the employees' contribution to their health-insurance premiums. Management pays 60% of the insurance, while employees pick up the other 40%. Reportedly, this practice has started in California, though Lotus is the first in Nevada to try it. We should note that the 3% surcharge is optional.
Dandelion Chocolate, a small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate maker from San Francisco, opens a "chocolate cafe" today at the Venetian. The unusual "salon," which includes a retail shop, is located just off the lobby and has a chocolate-based menu, featuring a variety of hot chocolates, mochas, and teas, horchata, cacao fruit smoothie, iced chocolate chai, and juice ($4-$8); vegetable quiche with a cacao vinaigrette, chocolate porridge, chocolate cake and pastries, and vegetable hash (no chocolate) for breakfast ($8-$18); and cake, ice cream, and cookies and milk the rest of the day and evening ($9-$18). This is Dandelion Chocolate's first permanent cafe outside San Francisco; it also has pop-up shops in L.A. and Taipei and retail locations in Japan. It's open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is serving free hot chocolate today while supplies last.
The rare boarded-up hotel in Las Vegas, the former Atrium that's been sitting vacant and behind cyclone fencing for eight years, has been approved by the Clark County Commission to become a Siegel Suites flexible-stay property. A victim of the 2008 recession, the six-story building next door to the Hard Rock Hotel-Casino will be razed early next year, then replaced by a five-story 480-unit Siegel Suites that's scheduled to open in early fall 2020.
According to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Primm Fashion Outlets, 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas on the state line on I-15, is in the midst of an upgrade and rebrand and is starting to show signs of life. A year after the lender foreclosed on the property, more than $2 million has been spent in an attempt to revitalize the moribund mall, including murals and street art (in an attempt to make it "the largest street art and mural location in the country"). The name is being changed to Prizm Outlets; Step Right Up, a carnival-themed attraction by the founders of HeadzUP at Boulevard Mall, has signed a 10-year lease on a 25,000-square-foot space; and the mall is reportedly 66% occupied, with retailers such as H&M, William Sonoma, Gap, Tommy Bahama, Kate Spade, Coach, and Levi still out there.
The $516.3 million sale and leaseback of the Rio by Caesars Entertainment to New York-based Dreamscapes Companies has been finalized. Caesars will lease the Rio for $45 million per year, during which it will manage the property; Dreamscapes has an option for a third year under the same terms, but according to an article by Howard Stutz of CDC Gaming Reports, it's unlikely they'll exercise it. Stutz interviewed Eric Birnbaum, owner of Dreamscapes, which "acquires, repositions, and/or develops hospitality, residential, retail, gaming and entertainment assets," who said that he's considering the future of the Rio, which won't include tearing it down and building a baseball stadium. The only other detail he gave up was that Dreamscapes will "reimagine" the Rio.
The Dallas Cowboys are -3 favorites over the Chicago Bears in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 43.
Coinciding with the National Finals Rodeo, a 2,000-square-foot exhibit on John Wayne, "Spirit of the West," opened today at South Point. Most of the memorabilia has never been seen before, including many of Wayne's costumes and props, personal photographs, and correspondence that take viewers through the movie star's life from Iowa in 1907 to his last film, The Shootist, filmed in 1976 (Wayne died in 1979 at age 72 from cancer). A 1,000-square-foot retail space sells apparel, books, leather goods, and Western accessories. "John Wayne: Spirit of the West" is free and open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through the end of NFR, December 14.
The Cowboys are back!
The Who, a band that needs no modifiers, will appear at the Colosseum at Caesars for a six-show mini-residency, "Moving On," in May. The dates are: May 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, and 16. The two original members, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltry will be backed by nine musicians and singers, including Pete's younger brother Simon Townshend and Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey. Tickets start at $69 and go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday Dec. 13.
Billionaire Phil Ruffin, who owns Treasure Island and is buying Circus Circus from MGM Resorts, appeared at a licensing hearing at the Gaming Control Board yesterday and revealed more plans for the property. As expected, the 10-acre RV park will be the first to go, replaced by a pool complex modeled after Mandalay Bay's Beach. Adventuredome, which he stated gets an annual 2.5 million admissions and makes $30 million in profits, will stay. Slots A Fun will be completely remodeled; the casino will be upgraded in stages, with William Hill taking over the sports book. An $11 million 2,000-seat theater will be built at the front of the property to house a new Cirque du Soleil production show, The Illusionists, now appearing in New York. The family-friendly price point of the rooms will remain the same and as for paid parking, Ruffin told the Board, "I think it's a stupid idea." He didn't mention plans for the 37-acre Las Vegas Festival Grounds that comes with the deal, other than saying a number of developers want to buy it, but it's not for sale (yet). The Control Board unanimously approved the license, on which the Gaming Commission will vote in two weeks. Ruffin hopes to close the purchase by the end of the month.
A lottery ticket for a statewide game called the Pick in Arizona matched all six numbers (at 7-plus-million-to-1 odds) on June 2 for $14.6 million. The buyer had six months to claim the money, but never did; the ticket expired on Monday. It was the largest jackpot in Pick history, beating the previous record of $13.5 million sold -- and collected -- in 2007. It was also the largest unclaimed jackpot in Arizona lottery history, beating the previous record of $4 million set in 1999.
The National Finals Rodeo starts tomorrow at the Thomas and Mack Center; it's the 35th year in a row that the NFR has played out in Las Vegas. If last year's NFR is any indication, 175,000 people are expected to attend 10 sold-out rodeo performances, of whom upwards of 70,000 will come from out of town (so try not to get caught up in the ferocious traffic around the arena). As recently as 10 years ago, only five hotel-casinos had nightly viewing parties; this year, 23 hotels will be broadcasting live video feeds of the action.
The Gold Coast, Orleans, Sam’s Town, Hard Rock, the D, Golden Nugget, South Point, TI, and Silverton, among others, typically host country & western acts in their lounges and showrooms and run special parties and promotions. NFR ends on Saturday the 14th.
After a rocky start to the season, the Vegas Golden Knights seem to have turned a corner. Last night, they beat the New Jersey Devils by a score of 4-1 on three consecutive goals by top forward Jonathan Marchessault, with a fourth from Chandler Stephenson, playing in his first game for the VGK, having been traded on Monday by the Washington Capitals. Joe Pane is covering the road trip and you can read his post, plus view videos that include Marchessault and the new guy Stephenson, at our blog Knights on Ice.
Announced in July 2017, the Front Yard at Ellis Island has finally opened. The official grand opening is on December 6, but the two-story indoor-outdoor beer garden and restaurant started serving the public a few days ago. The big addition to Ellis Island fills the entire “front yard” of the casino; it’s temperature-controlled, with big picture windows overlooking the Strip from the upper level (retractable shades block the sun and heat when necessary); a bar with video poker and another just for drinking; numerous TV screens, including one that’s 18 feet wide; and a display of constantly changing exterior colors. It has its own kitchen for sports bar food and the beer will be served direct from Ellis Island’s microbrewery. We'll have a detailed review in the January LVA.
The historic Cal Neva Hotel in Crystal Bay, Nevada, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe "will eventually reopen under the Nobu Hospitality Group brand," according to a story in the Hollywood Reporter. The Cal Neva closed in 2013 and was bought in 2018 by billionaire Larry Ellison, co-founder and CTO of Oracle Corporation (who also owns a nearby lakeside mansion). Nobu has 12 hotels internationally, with one a boutique hotel-within-a-hotel at Caesars Palace. It's co-owned by actor Robert DeNiro and celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. No date for the completion of the Cal Neva's complete renovation or reopening has been announced.
According to a report by ESPN.com's David Purdum, Josh Shaw, the Arizona Cardinals cornerback who was suspended for gambling, made one bet at Caesars Palace on November 10, a three-team second-half parlay that included a Cardinals game (the bet lost). "Nevada gaming regulations require sports books to 'take reasonable steps' to avoid accepting or paying any wagers made by or on behalf of an official, owner, coach, or participant or team in the event involved with the bet. The regulation has been in place since 2007," Purdum writes. "According to gaming-industry sources, Caesars contacted the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Nov. 10 and subsequently the NFL, shortly after discovering Shaw had placed the wager. Shaw was open about his line of work when filling out his application for a betting account with Caesars, even listing 'professional football player' as his occupation, the sources said."
The Seattle Seahawks are -3 favorites over the Minnesota Vikings in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 48.5.
Magical Forest at Opportunity Village, a 30-year fundraising tradition in Las Vegas, is now open. The two-acre park features hundreds of trees decorated with more than a million holiday lights, gingerbread houses, nightly entertainment, and of course visits from Santa. The Forest Express passenger mini-train traverses the grounds; a carousel, mini golf, midway games, and Elf the Musical add to the attractions. Tickets start at $15 and go up to $24, including the rides and show, and every dollar goes toward programs and services for adults with disabilities at Opportunity Village, which has been serving the Las Vegas disabled community since 1954. Magical Forest is located at 6300 West Oakey Blvd., at the corner of S. Torrey Pines.
Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn have announced 24 more performances of their “Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas” show at the Colosseum. The new dates begin in April and include shows in June, October, and December. The 2020 shows mark the sixth year of the residency, making the trio the longest-running country-music show in Las Vegas. Tickets for the new shows go on sale December 6th.
As expected, another traffic jam to end all traffic jams stretched more than 20 miles yesterday, from Primm on the state line halfway back to Vegas after the holiday weekend. Even getting an early start didn't work: The 20-mile backup was reported starting around 8:30 a.m. and was reduced to "only" 15 miles by 5 p.m. Drivers who attempted to bypass crawling traffic by driving on the shoulder were issued $200 fines. If you were in a car in the middle of the mess, feel free to check out our Question of the Day on alternative routes.
The New England Patriots are -3 favorites over the Houston Texans in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.
Amazon Web Services' (AWS) re:Invent 2019 convention starts tomorrow and runs through Friday at the Sands Convention Center & Expo; more than 65,000 attendees are expected. Along with keynote speakers, 2,500 breakout sessions, and bootcamps, re:Invent sponsors events at restaurants and nightclubs all over town, a 4k/8k run, ping-pong tournament, and concert at Las Vegas Festival Grounds (December 5, 8 p.m.-midnight). The National Finals Rodeo starts on Thursday with up to 75,000 out-of-towners rolling in; AWS and NFR will run concurrently for two days.
An Arizona Cardinals cornerback has been suspended through the end of the 2020 season or longer for betting on NFL games. Josh Shaw, a 27-year-old who played for UCLA and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2015, has a one-year contract with the Cardinals, but hasn't suited up this year, due to a pre-season injury. Still, anyone working within the National Football League in any capacity is prohibited from betting on league games. Only a few NFL players have ever been disciplined for gambling: Green Bay Packer star Paul Hornung and Detroit Lion star Alex Karras were suspended in 1963, then reinstated a year later; most recently, Baltimore Colt quarterback Art Schlichter was suspended 35 years ago, in 1983, and reinstated in 1984. Shaw has three days to appeal the suspension and can petition for reinstatement on Feb. 15, 2021.
Historically, December is a mild and dry month in Las Vegas, though it can certainly get unseasonably warm and cold on occasion. The record high temperature of 78 degrees was set on December 2, 1940, with a record low of 11 degrees set on the 23rd in 1955. Normal temperatures range from 59 on the 1st to 56 on the 31st, with lows from 41 to 38. Typically, Las Vegas receives zero precipitation in December, the driest month of the year; the valley saw up to a half-inch of rain during the Thanksgiving Day storm, with up to 18 inches of snow in the mountains outside the city as of four this morning.