A few months ago, Las Vegas' beloved Pinball Hall of Fame was forced to launch a GoFundMe page in an effort to raise $200,000 in order to complete its new building on the Strip. Construction was 96% complete, but its revenue was decimated by the shutdown and collapse of tourist trade. The fundraising campaign had stalled a bit at $130,000, but then an anonymous donor stepped up with a $79,000 check to achieve the goal. The PHoF has to vacate its current building on E. Tropicana by May 6 and could open the brand new building, with the machines socially distanced, near the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign a few weeks before then.
Las Vegas Review-Journal John Katsilometes reports this morning that if all goes according to "plandemic," Cirque du Soleil could have its five Las Vegas shows up and running by the end of this year. Cirque hopes that the first to return, O, will be ready by July 4th weekend. After that, one show roughly every month would open, starting with Mystere, then "a still-to-be-determined procession" of Love, Michael Jackson One, and Ka. Company officials say that Cirque can open at 50% and still make a (bit of a) profit. Blue Man Group, also a Cirque-owned show, could also open in July, depending on restrictions.
In last night's 3-2 Vegas Golden Knights win over the Anaheim Ducks, Vegas' superstar goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury sucked the air out of his opponents. It was Fleury's 100th win as a VGK (100-53-14). His .941 save percentage and 1.59 GAA for the season are the best in the league among goaltenders with at least 10 games played. He’s allowed the opposition 2 goals or less in 9 of his 12 starts. He’s faced 324 shots and stopped 305 and has recorded 3 shutouts. For a 30-second look at Fleury's focus, concentration, and unbelievable litheness in the clutch overtime period, click here. And you can read about the game in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice post.
A three-night stay at the Wynn for $42 per night, including the resort fees? We found it. Over/under on the National Anthem, which coach’s nostrils were seen first, and what color was the Gatorade bath? Find out who got the money and how creative those Super Bowl props were this year. Plus, get the scoop on the current pandemic restrictions, Vegas’ most expensive side dish, downtown AYCE sushi, another monster bet by Mattress Mack, the return of production shows, a potent card-of-the-day play—even a bargain rib eye in a bikini bar. All that and more is in the March issue of the Las Vegas Advisor.
A story in this morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal reveals a number of new details about the upcoming name change from McCarran International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport. The initial $2 million cost -- a "very old estimate," according to an airport spokesperson, has ballooned to the $5 million to $7 million range. A redesign of the logo alone could cost $1.5 million, which was how much Dallas-Fort Worth Airport paid when it was rebranded. (Our graphics department would do the job for a mere million.) No public funds will be used to finance the change and it won't occur until all the funds have been raised privately. In addition, it will take the Federal Aviation Administration up to six months to complete its process.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas debuts March 25. The opening of a new casino is always exciting, but this one is a little different. A press release issued by Virgin states that the resort will open with free parking, free wifi, and no resort fees. Now that’s the way to come out of the box! Finally, someone is paying attention to what the public wants. And for LVA subscribers, there'll be a Member Rewards offer in our online program. If the video poker is decent, this could be our new favorite place — and we won’t be alone.
In a conference call with investors yesterday, Caesars CEO Thomas Reeg laid to rest rumors that Planet Hollywood is on the market -- at least until next year. He said that the sale of one of the company's eight hotel-casinos on the Strip "would happen" in early 2022. He also said that February was Caesars best month since the casinos reopened last June and that trade shows and group travel could return to Caesars' convention centers as early as July.
Yesterday morning, two locals got lucky at Palace Station. At around 3 a.m., a keno player made a 20-cent bet on a 10 spot and hit all 10 numbers, winning $102,000. Wow. Then, at 10:30 a.m., a video poker player on a $1 Bonus Poker progressive hit a royal for $88,000.
You think the pandemic is bad? A new Netflix movie, Army of the Dead, takes place in Las Vegas and from the nanosecond snippets in the trailer, the place looks post-apocalyptic. In the midst of the zombie takeover, a group of mercenaries attempts to heist a casino. The movie airs on May 21 and you can see the trailer here.
Though Allegiant Stadium "opened" last July, no spectators, seasons-ticket holders, or anyone else from the public have been allowed in. But that's about to change, as the first tours of the stadium are now available to people who own PSLs (personal seat licenses). According to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, an email sent to PSL holders announced that tickets for the 75-minute tour are on sale at a 20% discount (regular prices $59/walk-through and $80/tour and drink). The first wave of stadium visitors won't be allowed to visit their seats; open houses are planned for that purpose when COVID capacity restrictions are further relaxed.
The Wynn has invested $3.5 million in Blue Wire, a podcasting network that hosts nearly 150 different shows "hyper-focused" on sports. The deal includes building a Blue Wire studio in the Wynn's lobby intended to attract fans and gamblers who want to see podcast personalities and pro-athlete guests and will work in tandem with the WynnBet sports book brand. The studio is scheduled to open this summer, but Blue Wire will be in action for March Madness and other major sporting events between now and then.
January is typically a huge month for the airport, with conventions accounting for upwards of a half-million arrivals and departures. So it's no surprise that the month's passenger count was down and by a lot: 64% fewer than January 2020. A total of 1.5 million people passed through McCarran on their way in and out of Las Vegas last month, down from 2.35 million year over year. International travel is still nearly non-existent; a total of 21,500 travelers from and to foreign destinations (mostly Mexico) passed through McCarran in January.
Fry's Electronics, the 36-year-old San Francisco-based retailer with 31 stores nationwide, closed suddenly yesterday. The Las Vegas Fry's store was a mainstay at Town Square on the south Strip throughout this century. The company confirmed that it was yet another victim of the COVID, but for a long time, it had been in the midst of being squeezed out by Amazon and Best Buy.
A commentary by Howard Stutz, executive editor of CDC Gaming Reports, sums up the current state of the skill-based slot machine rollout over the past several years. "With operating restrictions and other capacity limitations, reopened casinos turned off their underperforming slot machines in favor of the more popular products. Skill-based slot machines may not have made the cut." Stutz cites the Nevada Gaming Commission's denial of a gaming license for the CEO of skill-based slot machine developer GameCo, the recent resignation by the CEO of skill-based slot developer Synergy Blue (without giving a reason for abandoning the company he founded), and skill-based developer Gamblit Gaming closing in March 2020 to make the case that these high-tech gambling devices might have blazed a trail into oblivion.
After nearly 50 years in operation at the same location, yesterday was the last day that the downtown Greyhound Bus terminal was conveniently located downtown on Main Street, enveloped by the Plaza. The Plaza has taken over the 48,500-square-foot building with plans to incorporate it into the hotel as a dining and/or retail venue. The terminal has moved way on down south to the RTC South Strip transfer station on Gilespie Street off Sunset Avenue near Las Vegas Boulevard.
A 170-ton 100-foot-diameter steel compression ring was lifted into place near the top of the MSG Sphere yesterday. It's the heaviest component in the construction process of the arena and allows crews to erect the dome-shaped roof. It took three weeks to assemble the ring, which was lifted into place by one of the world's largest crawler cranes. When finished, MSG Sphere's roof will be nearly 40 stories high, while the Sphere will be 516 feet at its widest. The 17,500 arena is expected to be completed sometime in 2023.
The 26-six-year-old Colombian singer, songwriter, and actor known as Maluma (his real name is Juan Luis Londoño Arias), whose four albums have sold more than 20 million units worldwide, making him one of Latin music's bestselling artists, will stop at Mandalay Bay's Michelob Ultra Arena on Saturday Sept. 4 for one show at 8 p.m. in support of his latest release, Papa Juancho. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Last year, EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival), the ginormous electronic music festival that takes place every year at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was one of the last major events to throw in the towel to the pandemic, not rescheduling for a new weekend in October until a month before the original dates. It was finally canceled in August and tickets for the 2021 festival immediately went on sale. Currently, EDC is still scheduled to take place the weekend of May 21-23, according to a communique on Instagram yesterday. Is it possible? Restrictions imposed by the state are on track to be lifted on May 1, at which time the counties will be the determining agencies, and it'll be very interesting to see what kind of capacity limitations Clark County will enforce. Whatever they are, however, it's difficult for us to imagine that upwards of 100,000 partiers will be allowed to congregate three weeks later. The Instagram thread said that backup dates for EDC 2021 are in place.
For the first time since November 3, the 14-day positivity rate of new coronavirus cases has fallen below 10% statewide. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services reported the encouraging statistic, 9.9%, yesterday. More good news: The 301 new cases were well below the 14-day moving average of 377 per day; best of all, "only" four deaths were reported, compared to the 13 averaged daily over the past 14 days.
If you see high-tech looking cars and vans with the "Motional" logo on them making their way around Las Vegas, they're Level 4 autonomous vehicles, which means fully driverless, and they're undergoing testing on the city's public roads. Unlike Aptiv vehicles, no safety driver is behind the wheel, though a Motional employee riding shotgun can stop the car. So far, however, no interventions have been necessary. Motional is a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, whose self-driving vehicles have completed more than 100,000 rideshare trips in Las Vegas over the past several years. So far, the Motional vehicles are sticking to residential areas, though they're allowed anywhere and could soon be seen on higher-traffic thoroughfares.
The two Irene’s Cocktail Lounges on Spring Mountain and Tropicana have been sold and are closing this month. The buyer reportedly owns the Winchell’s and Gin Mill bars in Las Vegas, along with Jackpot Joanie’s. It’s unknown which, if any, of these brands will take over those locations. Preferable would be one of the traditional bars, as Las Vegas is already up to its ears in Joanie’s, Lola’s, Dotty’s, and the like.
Up to 16,000 fans will be allowed to attend the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway the weekend of March 5-7. The number equals 20% of the Speedway's current spectator capacity. Tickets are available now. It will be the first time spectators are permitted at the Speedway since the NHRA finals in October; the last surge in COVID-19 put an end to that trend.
Yesterday's outdoor game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche at Lake Tahoe was delayed for nine hours due the intensity of the sun turning the rink's ice surface into mush. The game resumed at 9 p.m. and though the VGK lost by a score of 3-2, forward Alex Tuch scored a goal that will undoubtedly make highlight reels for years to come. Check it out here. And you can read all about the goal, the game, and the venue in Joe Pane's Knights on Ice blog post.
Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev are pick ’em in tomorrow's Australian Open men's tennis final. Djokovic is going for a 9th Australian Open Championship and his 18th Grand Slam title, while Medvedev is seeking his first Grand Slam. The match starts early, at 3:30 am EST.
Curtis Blaydes is a -465 favorite over Derrick Lewis in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Ketlen Vieira is -335 over Yana Kunitskaya.
In a National Hockey League tradition that started at an outdoor rink at Caesars Palace in September 1991 for an exhibition game between the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings and has continued for two games per season ever since, the Vegas Golden Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche today for the third of their four games in a row on a makeshift rink built atop the 18th fairway at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, a slap shot away from south Lake Tahoe. It starts at noon Pacific Time and will be nationally televised on NBC. The players, all of whom grew up skating on frozen lakes, ponds, and puddles in the Great Outdoors, are calling it the best outdoor rink they've ever seen.
A story in yesterday's Hollywood Reporter reports that filming will begin in the spring for The Legitimate Wise Guy, which will tell the "true story" of Tony Spilotro. If you don't know the name, you might want to read our books Cullotta, Of Rats and Men, or Battle for Las Vegas, or watch the movie Casino (in which Joe Pesci plays Tony) or google it. We're not sure about the "true" part, since the plot description has Spilotro "meeting a young man dreaming of becoming a Hollywood actor, then seeing an opportunity to expand his operation, he begins to mentor and lure the aspiring actor in his criminal web." This we've never heard of. Anyway, we first saw the movie mentioned in the VitalVegas blog, which relates that The Legitimate Wise Guy will be shot in the Biloxi area.
The 14th Las Vegas Restaurant Week will take place this year on June 7-18 after being canceled last year. The 12-day event is a fundraiser for local food bank Three Square. Take-out will be available for the first time and Four Square is reducing its usual $4-$6 cut of each meal served to $1 to help drive business to participating restaurants, which will be announced in late May.
Naomi Osaka is a -525 favorite over Jennifer Brady in tomorrow's Australian Open women's tennis final. Osaka is seeking her fourth Grand Slam title and Brady her first. The match starts early, at 3:30 am EST.
Omega Mart, an immersive art experience created by Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf, has opened at the Area15 arts complex. It's described as "a one-of-a-kind installation that turns an unassuming supermarket into a psychedelic experience." The Mart has several dozen environments, including a multi-level playground, a maze, video projected artwork, a bar that serves real drinks, and of course a big-box supermarket, featuring products you won't find at Walmart. Meow Wolf collaborated with more than 50 musicians, artists, and designers to create Omega Mart. Tickets for the experience are $45 for general admission ($40 for children, seniors, and military; $35/$30 NV residents); hours are Mon.-Thurs. 3-9 p.m., Friday 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 10 a.m.-midnight, Sunday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Reservations are required to adhere to COVID protocols.
The Clark County Marriage License Bureau reports that 1,416 marriage licenses were issued on Valentine's Day, a 27% increase over last year's pre-pandemic holiday. The total fell short of the 1,599 licenses issued on 10/10/2020. This year has a number of auspicious dates for getting married. The most popular will probably be the "Countdown Date" of 4/3/21. Also, 2021 is one of two years in this entire century with the most palindrome dates (2011 was the other), with 22 total. Eleven happened in January, including a seven-digit palindrome on 1/20/2021; another 11 are upcoming in December, including an eight-digit palindrome on 12/02/2021. The most popular wedding during the pandemic has been the "minimony," which has less than 10 guests, though the elopement outdoor packages for two are a close second.
Raiders Tavern and Grill will open at M Resort in the "coming weeks." The world's first Raiders-themed restaurant, Raiders Tavern will feature 45 high-def TVs, two bars, and team memorabilia; merch will also be for sale. In addition, while supplies last, a special commemorative Raiders mychoice players card will be available. The news release had all the details except the food, which we assume will be typical sports bar fare.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the estate of Tony Hsieh, who died last year without a will, "filed more than 90 notices Wednesday in Clark County District Court, disclosing plans to sell dozens of his properties." The filings show the extent of Hsieh's holdings, mostly downtown, including Zappos’ headquarters, Container Park and Fergusons. The estate will accept cash only for the properties, subject to approval by the probate judge. You can see a map with pins designating the slew of properties downtown here.
The casino industry suffered a 31.3% overall decline in revenue in 2020, caused primarily by the sanctioned shutdowns nationwide that continued in some places for several months. In total, the nation's casinos were closed one out of every four days in the year of the pandemic. The $30 billion in aggregate revenue was the lowest since 2014 and a sharp drop from the record of $43.7 billion set in 2019. The overview of 2020 released by the American Gaming Association yesterday did show some signs of life. Sports betting increased by just under 70% to $1.53 billion for the year, while igaming soared nearly 200% to $1.55 billion. The shutdown of and capacity restrictions for brick-and-mortar casinos have obviously accelerated the acceptance and popularity of both forms of gambling, along with cashless payment systems, such as digital wallets.
A number of encouraging signs are emerging from the dark year that we could be starting to leave behind. In the first place, Las Vegas is getting a little more crowded, which is noticeable to visitors and locals. Second, with the capacity restrictions easing up over the next month, more shows are announcing reopenings. Third, the new Virgin is debuting on March 25; this is a very good sign, considering its been holding off since the original grand-opening date last November. And yesterday, MGM Resorts announced that Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, and the Mirage will resume regular operating hours starting on March 3. The three have been shut down midweek since the end of last year. Now, if only the Palms would reopen; that would be the best sign of all.
Al Mancini, one of the Las Vegas Review-Journal's food writers, reports that Station Casinos has changed the names of its 24-hour cafes. As of today, the Grand Cafes at Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch will be transformed into Lucky Penny Cafes (which debuted at the Palms before the pandemic), while the Grand Cafes at at Boulder, Sunset, and Santa Fe Stations will change to Brass Fork Cafes (which debuted at Palace Station) sometime in April. The rooms themselves will remain the same, though the menus will be altered slightly.
In a vote at yesterday's meeting, the Clark County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a name change for the Las Vegas airport, from McCarran International to Harry Reid International. The Board now submits a request for approval of the name change to the Federal Aviation Administration; if approved, the LAS designation will remain the same. The rebranding process will cost an estimated $2 million, but those funds will reportedly be raised privately.
Trump Plaza Hotel-Casino was imploded at 9 a.m. Eastern time this morning, ending a long saga for the Trump name and properties in Atlantic City. When it opened in 1984 at the center of the Boardwalk, Trump Plaza quickly became the most successful casino in Atlantic City and remained so for half a decade; it was eclipsed by Trump Taj Mahal, which opened in 1990. Trump cut ties with the Plaza in 2009 in conjunction with the third of his four bankruptcies in Atlantic City, though he received a 10% fee for the use of his name. The Plaza closed in 2014 and had been an eyesore ever since, casting a long shadow, literally and figuratively, on that part of the city. In addition, debris from the building fell off in strong winds and severe weather. Here's a photo retrospective of the Plaza in its heyday; here's a video of the implosion.
Hakkasan Group will open three of its dayclubs next month: OMNIA at Caesars Palace and Wet Republic at MGM on March 5 and Liquid Pool Lounge at ARIA on March 12. The three will adhere to all COVID health regulations, including mandatory masks and capacity limits.
The National Indian Gaming Association has announced that its annual trade show will be held at Caesars Forum Convention Center July 19 through 23. The 2020 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention, scheduled to take place on March 24–27, was canceled and the 2021 show, originally taking place in April in San Diego, has been rescheduled to July and moved to Las Vegas in order "to conduct a full-access tradeshow." Though that goal is unlikely in southern California, even looking ahead five months, it might be questionable even in Vegas, especially if there's another summer surge like last year. However, NIGA is optimistic that the additional three months will allow time for more people to be vaccinated, with a concomitant decline in the COVID-19 risk of spreading via large groups.
That latest video on the Las Vegas Advisor's YouTube channel is live. In the slightly more than four and a half minutes, Anthony Curtis covers a number of developments on the Vegas scene. First, he explains point by point the loosening of the restrictions on venue capacities, including the new percentages, the reservations situation, and upcoming dates for further lessening of limits. Then he talks about Virgin opening, the Drew being sold, and the meager visitor-volume number for 2020. Spend a few minutes and see/hear it all here.
Boyd Gaming is rolling out a digital wallet that allows users to play and cash out from slot machines, link to the players club, and pay for meals, show tickets, and hotel rooms, all through electronic devices. BoydPay, created via an association with Aristocrat Technologies, is being introduced in a field trial in Las Vegas at Aliante; it's also live at Blue Chip Casino in Indiana and Belterra Park in Cincinnati. If successful, which it appears to be, all Boyd's casinos in Las Vegas could join the program by this summer. A "digital wallet" contains a digital version of most or all of a consumer's financial accounts, which are made easily accessible via computer, cell phone, or smart device. Ultimately, it eliminates the need to carry an analog wallet. They're becoming more and more popular for their convenience, enhanced security, and a reduction of touch points during the pandemic.
The Hustler Club in south Las Vegas is hosting a "celebration of life" for Larry Flynt, who died last week at the age of 78 from what's believed to be heart failure. On Friday February 19 starting at 7:30 p.m., the $50 package includes dinner, a live performance by female burlesque troupe Sexxy After Dark, and a memorial presentation. Social-distancing policies will be strictly enforced. for all parties. Flynt was a Vegas high roller who was hosted for years by Steve Cyr, subject of our book Whale Hunt in the Desert.
A flash thunderstorm over the weekend delivered winds of up to 75 miles per hour that knocked down trees and power poles, tore off roofs, and cut electricity to tens of thousands of residents. Though it's a beautiful morning currently, a Winter Weather Advisory runs through tomorrow morning; up to five inches of snow in the mountains and a half-inch of rain are possible. Meanwhile, a fire on the 51st floor of the Cosmopolitan summoned the Fire Department's high-rise response team, which found hallway smoke and a fire on an outside balcony. Though the fire was put out quickly, "multiple" people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The hulking Drew, formerly Fontainebleau, has been sold. Koch Real Estate, the property arm of the Kansas-based Koch Industries conglomerate, has announced that it's buying a 75% stake in the 27-acre property, with its long-stalled -- and some observers say cursed -- 60-story unfinished building. Koch is partnering with none other than Fontainebleau Development, the same company that originally developed the property before the project went bankrupt in 2009 at the depths of the recession. The property was picked up by Carl Icahn for $150 million; he stripped it of everything of value, then sold it for $600 million in 2017 to Witkoff Group, which renamed it the Drew, but defaulted on debts over the past year. No financial terms or development plans were revealed in the announcement.
Boeing's 737 MAX jets were grounded worldwide after two crashes, one in Indonesia (October 2018) and the other in Ethiopia (March 2019), killed 346 people. Flights resumed last month after a complete overhaul of the jet's safety systems and the first MAX 737s landed at McCarran last Thursday evening. Three United flights, two from Houston and one from Denver, arrived. Southwest, McCarran's largest carrier, plans to resume MAX flights on March 11, including aircraft scheduled to fly in and out of Las Vegas.
It's the once every six years that Valentine's Day falls on a Sunday, so anything you do today, from sleeping late and going out for breakfast to a champagne-and-roses prix fixe dinner and a gondola ride at the Grand Canal Shoppes, is a celebration of love. Check out the holiday dinners and activities in our V Day blog post at Vegas With an Edge.
Kamaru Usman is a -280 favorite over Gilbert Burns in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Maycee Barber and Alexa Grasso are pick ’em.
The El Cortez has opened the first high-limit room in its 80-year existence. The space, carved out of the casino floor near the cage, hosts two $2,000-max-bet blackjack tables (available Fridays and Saturdays) and three $2.50-$500 slot machines (24/7). The room is part of EC's $25 million remodel, in which the carpeting, ceilings, hallways, and 200 rooms have also been completely renovated.
Five credit-card skimmers, which hijack credit- and debit-card information from point-of-sale machines and ATMs, were discovered around Las Vegas and disabled by Metro Police's Financial Crimes section late last week. Last August, five Las Vegas men were arrested and accused of installing skimmers at gas pumps throughout Nevada and southern California; within a two-year period, the gang allegedly stole information from 2,500 credit and debit cards, recorded the data onto counterfeit cards, and made multiple ATM withdrawals and purchases. The police haven't said whether the skimmers found last week were related to the gang.
Scenic Las Vegas Weddings, a local wedding destination and photography business, says that Valley of Fire State Park was the most popular outdoor-wedding destination for 2020 and is quickly becoming one of the "hottest destination-wedding locations in the world." Roughly 50 miles from downtown Las Vegas Strip, the deep-red sandstone and monumental landscape provide a stunning backdrop for wedding-ceremony photographs and videos. According to Scenic, couples are looking for "epic locations" in the great outdoors, combining COVID protocols with dazzling surroundings. Sunset is the best time, as the diffused rays light up the rocks like they're on fire.
We've posted a new video on our YouTube channel, in which Andrew and Anthony go out "in the wild" again to examine the Double Up function on many video poker machines. Anthony explains why the Double Up option is one of the best bets you can make, especially on negative-expectation paytables. When they're in the bar, the audio is a little hard to hear, but don't worry; they go back to the studio where Anthony goes over all the details of the side bet. Check it out!
Following directly on the heels of the loosening of capacity restrictions announced yesterday by the governor, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, formerly the Hard Rock, announced that it will open on Thursday March 25, after limits are raised to 50% of capacity. Virgin was originally scheduled to open last November, but the debut was pushed back several times due to the pandemic. The 1,500 rooms will be managed by Hilton Hotels under its Curio Collection brand, while the casino will be operated by Mohegan Gaming.
In a news conference late yesterday afternoon, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak loosened the "pause" imposed on state businesses in November, which was extended twice until February 15. Under the new guidelines starting on deadline day, Monday February 15, public gatherings that were limited to 50 people can go to 100 or 35% of fire-code capacity. On March 15, assuming COVID conditions remain steady or reduced, the limits will rise to 250 people or 50% of fire-code capacity. Finally, on May 1, county and city governments will set their own capacity limits. Nevada's COVID numbers have dropped noticeably over the past month, with new daily cases at 650, down from nearly 3,000 in December. The positivity rate is down from a high of 21.7% a month ago to 14.3% yesterday.
Frank Fertitta, CEO of Station Casinos, said on yesterday's fourth-quarter earnings conference call that the Palms, along with Texas Station and the two Fiestas, probably will not reopen in the foreseeable future. Citing current restrictions that are even tighter than when Station's other casinos reopened in June, Fetitta commented, "The Palms is unlikely to reopen until the tourist market returns.” Governor Steve Sisolak is holding a press conference in a few hours in which he might loosen restrictions (25% of capacity) set to expire on Monday.
The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon will return to Las Vegas in 2022 after skipping two calendar years due to the pandemic. The 2020 event, typically scheduled for November, was canceled; the 2021 event has been moved to February 26-27, 2022, "to guarantee the race dates," according to organizers. November weekends are almost sure to conflict with Raiders and Golden Knights home games, which puts a crimp in the route that has traditionally started at Mandalay Bay and continued up the Strip. The actual 26-mile marathon will not be held; it was shelved after organizers couldn't find a suitable course. Instead, a half-marathon, plus 10K and 5K races, will take its place.
For the first time in its 22-year-old history, the Mandalay Bay Events Center has sold its naming rights: Effective immediately, the name is now Michelob Ultra Arena. Except that it's a multiyear rights deal, no other terms were revealed. The arena is home to the WNBA Aces, recently purchased from MGM Resorts by Las Vegas Raiders' owner Marc Davis, and is a 12,000-seat concert venue.
A new hybrid electronic and dealer-managed crap game has been rolled out on Harrah's casino floor. The game uses the same footprint as a traditional table, but the layout is enhanced with bright LED panels, while individual player stations, separated by glass partitions, accept cash and provide tickets, so no physical chips are needed. Players place their bets on the screens, then see their virtual chips displayed on the electronic table. Game stages, such as a come-out roll, are announced on the table and player stations. An Easy Help feature allows players to select any bet and instantly see key information about it, such as the odds, when the bet can be placed, and how it wins, so it's designed to help new players become comfortable with the game. A first for Las Vegas, Roll To Win's game manufacturer, Aruze Gaming America, has nine tables at Harrah's properties around the country. For a thorough examination of Roll To Win Craps, go to VitalVegas.com, where Scott Roeben has a long post, including 11 photos and a video, of the game.
Tom Brady came up with an ingenious plan to beat the sports books out of nearly $2 million by betting on himself. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback coach revealed that in the final quarterback meeting before the Super Bowl, Brady suggested getting together a million dollars and betting the over on how many rushing yards he'd wind up with for the game. The over/under was a half-yard. Brady mentioned that he would need to rush for at least six yards to account for taking a knee at the end of the game to run out the clock. The over was paying as much as +180, so the $1 million would have paid off at $1.8 million. Of course, it was all tongue in cheek; NFL players are forbidden from gambling on pro football games and no sports book would take a million on a prop bet. But it shows that players aren't unaware of odds on their performances. Over bettors on the prop lost; Brady wound up with -2 years rushing in four carries, three of which came on QB kneels to end the game.
A former New South Wales Supreme Court judge has issued a long-awaited report, 751 pages worth, finding that Australian casino giant Crown Resorts is "unsuitable" to hold a gaming license attached to its $2 billion Aus ($1.6 billion US) Crown Sydney Hotel Resort. The judge found that the allegations that Crown "facilitated money laundering, exposed staff to the risk of detention in a foreign jurisdiction, and pursued commercial relationships with individuals connected to Triads and organized crime groups" rendered Crown Resorts "quite unsuitable" to hold a casino license in the province. The Crown Sydney’s restaurants, bars, and guest rooms opened in December, though the centerpiece casino has remained closed while the investigation into wrong-doing by the corporation was completed. Crown has not only denied the allegations, but called them "unbalanced and sensationalized." The report recommended "a forensic probe to make sure all money laundering in Crown accounts has been uncovered and a restructuring of Crown’s board of directors." Trading on Crown's stock in the Australian market was halted before the report was made public.
Eater Las Vegas reports that Jamie Tran, a local celebrity chef and co-owner of The Black Sheep contemporary Vietnamese-American restaurant on S. Durango near W. Warm Springs in the southwest valley, appears as one of 15 competing chefs on the upcoming 18th season of the hit Bravo show "Top Chef." The season was filmed at various locations around Portland, Oregon, between early September and late October, during which the cast and crew of 150 lived in a bubble at a Portland hotel with testing every other day. The show premieres on Thursday April 1 at 8 p.m.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board has released the Super Bowl numbers and they're not bad (for the books and the state), all things considered. The books netted $12.6 million on a $136.1 million handle for a hold of 9.2%. The total wagered was the lowest total since 2016, a lackluster game between Denver and Carolina. But the handle was still the fifth highest since 1991, the first year Super Bowl totals were announced. New Jersey's 10 retail sportsbooks and 19 sports wagering mobile applications, on the other hand, doubled its handle from last year, with $117.4 million bet on the game and $11.3 million held by the books (9.6%). It was a 116% increase over the 2020 Super Bowl handle of $54.3 million.
LawnStarter.com, a home-landscape improvement website, conducted a survey for National Pizza Day, which is today. By weighting several metrics (total pizza businesses per 100,000 population, average cost of pizza, pizza searches, Instagram popularity of pizza businesses, etc.), LawnStarter ranked the Top 100 Cities for Pizza Addicts. Las Vegas came in seventh overall, with a total score of 41.82; it placed third for Instagram popularity. Number 1 was no surprise: New York City (58.92); it was the home of the first pizzeria, opened in 1905. The Big Pizza Apple was followed by Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Tampa, and St. Louis. Interestingly, California cities ranked far down the list; highest ranked was San Diego at #27 and six of the 10 lowest-ranked cities were all in California, mostly due to price; Stockton was the most expensive city for pizza and Fremont ranked #100 (5.68). Philadelphia, where the Pizza Brain museum is located (the world's largest collection of pizza memorabilia) ranked #38. LawnStarter reports that Americans eat about three billion pizzas a year and on any given day, 13% of all U.S. residents are eating pizza.
It’s been kept relatively quiet, but sports books around the country had problems with systems going down due to heavy betting volume for the Super Bowl. In Las Vegas, all of the BetMGM books went down in the first half, making it impossible for customers to make halftime bets. Worse, customers with winning tickets couldn’t cash after the game and police had to be called in to calm angry customers. Outages were also reported around the country at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, and Barstool sports books.
A story out of the United Kingdom reports on a study conducted by University of Oxford's Department of Social Policy and Intervention on the potential financial consequences and societal risks of problem gambling. The esteemed researchers at the prestigious university were granted unprecedented access to the bank records of 6.5 million people over a period of seven years (aggregated and anonymously presented). The researchers found that "the top 1% of gamblers surveyed spent 58% of their income gambling, whilst high levels of gambling are associated with a 37% increase in mortality." In addition, "High-to-medium levels of gambling carried negative outcomes on individuals, such as financial risks, crime, unemployment and social isolation." The results garnered the expected headlines in the press, but most stories didn't bother to mention one detail: Namely, the researchers "failed to draw a distinction between transactions and losses." In other words, they took into consideration only the money that came out of bank accounts for deposits at online casinos, but not the money that went back into the accounts for winnings. One analysis of the report concluded, "The result is that the actual amount of money spent on gambling is likely to have been overstated by as much as 400%."
A mountain lion was caught by a Ring doorbell camera prowling a west Las Vegas house near Hualapai Way and Desert Inn Road last night. Coyotes aren't uncommon in high-density suburban areas such as Las Vegas neighborhoods, but mountain lions, also known as pumas, cougars, and panthers, are pretty rare. This mountain lion was spotted in the area several times over the weekend. Generally, they hunt late at night, but this one has been seen earlier in the evening.
With the public betting more heavily on the Kansas City Chiefs and the over, including a $2.5 million wager at BetMGM and a $1.16 million at William Hill, when the game went Tampa Bay and under, the Nevada sports books cleaned up. It was the 29th time in the 31 years that the Gaming Control Board has tracked Super Bowl play that the result put the sports books in the black for the day. Staying under the total of 55½ was key. And despite predictions that the Nevada brick-and-mortar handle would be diminished due to COVID, the consensus is that it will probably be even higher than last year's. Jim "Mattress Mack" McInvale, who made a $3.46 million bet on the Buccaneers, cashed $3.16 million when Tampa Bay won.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -3 favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in tonight's Super Bowl. The total is 55.5.
Friend of LVA and New York Post reporter Michael Kaplan has a story in today's Post about the origins of the Chippendale's male strip show, "which lives on via tours and in Las Vegas, where — pre-pandemic — some 250,000 people saw the show annually. It holds an interesting legacy, despite a dark past." Michael explores the history of Chippendale's, which launched in 1979 at a Los Angeles bar, turned into a global phenomenon in the 1980s, and by the 1990s was "plagued by a murder, a suicide, arson attempts, and an FBI investigation." It's a four-minute read and you can do that here.
Get your phones ready to time the singing of the Super Bowl's National Anthem. The over/under on how long it will take Eric Church and Jasmine Sullivan to sing it is 1:59. This bet is available only at offshore books, with several time variations at different odds. Get more details on this bet on our YouTube Super Bowl video.
"Whether it’s on Tampa Bay or Kansas City, a little action on the game can put some spice in life’s bean dip." So writes our own John L. Smith, columnist extraordinaire and author of three Huntington Press books, in a commentary for CDC Gaming Reports that's well worth the three minutes it takes to read it. John L. suggests a "pandemic referee" for Super Bowl parties: "Make it playful, but put on the zebra stripes and throw flags for encroachment (six-foot-separation violation), face-masking (seems like a natural, all things considered), and of course illegal use of the unwashed hands." And he ends with "something to be wished: May we all be getting together in person this time next year." Read it here.
Alexander Volkov is a -200 favorite over Alistair Overeem in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Cory Sandhagen is -400 over Frankie Edgar.
The debut of Sting's 16-show “My Songs” residency at the Colosseum at Caesars has been postponed again. Originally scheduled to run in May, June, August, and September of last year, the start of the residency was rescheduled for Jan. 29-Feb. 13 of this year. Those shows, of course, were also rescheduled a second time; it was just announced that they'll run Oct. 29-Nov. 13. Tickets for the old dates will be transferred to the new dates or refunded. The residency is now scheduled to debut this May 7-22. Good luck to Sting and his fans for the May premiere.
Westgate tweeted today that its dealing -105 on the Super Bowl “for a limited time.” It appears to be on the side only, and according to the tweet they’re currently dealing Chiefs -3/-110 and Buccaneers +3/EV.
So what does Super Bowl weekend look like hereabouts? In a normal year, it looks like New Year's Eve, with 300,000 people congregating to bet on the Big Game, attend parties, and generally spend money, upwards of a half-billion dollars over the three or four days. This year, according to local economist Jeremy Aguero of Applied Analysis, an expected 70%- to 80%-of-normal crowd will cost the city $100 million-$150 million in lost revenue. Hotel rooms are mostly booked at higher rates, of course, and the many Super Bowl parties are all filled, due to the 25% capacity limits; no reservations are available at Super Bowl parties, at least according to a call-around we did this week.
While Las Vegas' unemployment rate of 10.4% in December was the highest in the nation among 51 metropolitan areas with more than a million in population, contractors and homebuilders are experiencing severe shortages of labor, both skilled and unskilled. Fox5Vegas.com reports that upwards of 11,000 single-family houses are planned to be built this year in Las Vegas, but "76% of builders are having trouble finding workers willing to report to construction sites." Pay for skilled labor averages $25 an hour, but no experience is necessary; the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association "will bring applicants up to speed using an in-house training program called SNHBA Learn. The program is online and free."
The Caesars Palace Forum Food Court will host a new sports bar, called Stadia, which will open sometime this spring. Facing Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, Stadia Bar will be big, 2,200 square feet with 120 seats; the bar's design, architectural details, and artwork will give Stadia the appearance of a sports arena.
Southern Nevada law-enforcement agencies have launched a "blitz" for drivers under the influence. It goes into effect today and continues through Saturday February 13. The augmented resources are aimed at nabbing the increase in impaired drivers that occurs around the Super Bowl in Las Vegas, It's also meant to increase public awareness of the dangers of DUI (just yesterday, two people were killed and one was arrested in two wrong-way crashes due to drunk driving). The courts cooperate fully with these campaigns, so a word to the wise.
Our new YouTube video is up and it's a lively one. In a little more than five minutes, Anthony Curtis discusses two of the best Super Bowl proposition bets. The first is the over/under on how long it takes to sing the National Anthem. He gives you the average length, longest and shortest ever, and how long it took the last duet to finish, comparing to this year's singing duo (country and hip hop). The second is the funnest bet you can make on the Super Bowl, at least in the opinion of Anthony, who has long and deep experience with such things. Why is it the most fun? Because it doesn't end until the game is over, so you've got action for the whole 60 minutes. Watch the video to find out what it is. And for a bonus, Anthony talks about what's probably the biggest bet on this year's Super Bowl by none other than ... Mattress Mack. Like Mack's hedge on the World Series a couple years ago, he's at it again and has put down around $3.5 million on the Buccaneers. Anthony and friend of LVA Frank B are involved again and you'll get a little inside look at the ballsy play. It's all right here on the LVA YouTube Channel.
Las Vegas’ unemployment rate in December was the highest of all 51 U.S. metropolitan areas with more than one million in population. Las Vegas' 10.4% jobless workers beat second-place Detroit (10.1%). Nearly one in three Las Vegans in the labor force work in the hospitality market, which has been decimated by the pandemic. In Reno, by contrast, which is much more heavily diversified than Las Vegas, 15% work in hospitality; Reno's unemployment rate in December was 5%. Birmingham and Salt Lake City had the lowest rate at 3.5%.
For this year's Super Bowl, the first time Illinois residents can place a legal wager on the Big Game, they'll have to be content betting on the football action. The Illinois Gaming Board is prohibiting proposition bets, allowing wagers only on “activity directly within the control or jurisdiction of the NFL and/or individuals subject to the NFL integrity policy.” Board members acknowledge that novelty bets are good for the handle, but state that it's “imperative that sports wagering be conducted with the highest standards of integrity and without any appearance or possibility of potential impropriety.” We're not sure how prop bets might appear to be improper, but apparently Illinois gaming officials are.
Super Bowl half-time performer The Weeknd has just announced that he'll make a stop on his After Hours Tour at T-Mobile on Saturday April 23, 2022. Doing anything that weekend? If not, you can buy tickets starting Monday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. The Weeknd is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer who got his start in 2010 by uploading a few songs to YouTube. Since then, he's sold more than 75 million records sold, won three Grammys, five American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and nine Juno Awards, and has been nominated for an Academy Award (for Best Original Song; he wrote "Earned It" for the soundtrack of Fifty Shades of Grey.)
The Clark County Commission is about to tackle an issue that was sure to rear its head sooner than later -- and just did. The commissioners are considering stripping longtime U.S. Senator Patrick McCarran's name from the Las Vegas' airport in favor of longtime U.S. Senator Harry Reid's. The airport was named for McCarran in 1968, who was a strong advocate of commercial aviation and died in 1954. McCarran also held a number of views that didn't "represent the diversity of our community,” according to one of the commissioners. The change was proposed at yesterday's Commission meeting and will be discussed at its meeting on February 16.
You've booked a Vegas room with a confirmation number in hand. That means you’re good, right? Don’t be too sure. The casinos are playing fast and loose with their bookings these days, so you have to be careful. Read a real-life case study that's sure to have you shaking your head. Also, get the scoop on more than a dozen Vegas shows you can currently see, what it’s like to eat a buffet today, a Wheel of Fortune Slots Zone, a dedicated jazz bar on the horizon, a non-casino bar with a constant 99%+ game and bikinied bartenders, the new poker World Champion, a Super Bowl preview, a reliable late-night dining play, two casinos adding Full Pay Deuces Wild, a half-price-sushi happy hour, results of the major football contests, even a bar with axe throwing — all in the February issue of the Las Vegas Advisor.
There’s been no official announcement, but the smart money says that Virgin Las Vegas is now targeting April for its opening. Originally scheduled to debut in December, the date was moved back to January, then delayed again with no new date specified. However, work on the transition from the Hard Rock to Virgin is completed and the resort is ready to go when it decides the time is right.
A little more information has surfaced about the big Buffalo Stampede jackpot hit at one of our favorite locals casinos, Ellis Island. The winner was a longtime players club member who said he was "in shock" over hitting the jackpot. “It’s not every Tuesday that you walk into your favorite local spot and leave with almost a million dollars,” he said. The casino shared in the surprise; the last time Ellis Island saw a win this large was in 2017, when a player hit the $747k jackpot on another Buffalo Grand machine.
We have it on good authority that the Buffalo wide-area progressive was hit today for $900,000 at Ellis Island. Other than the fact that it was hit by a local player, we don’t have any additional info on this, but that’ll buy a lot of steak specials.
Since Resorts World Las Vegas began accepting applications roughly 10 weeks ago in mid-November, more than 85,000 have been submitted for 6,000 jobs. According to a story in today's Las Vegas Sun, 400 employees have been hired and a dozen or so "talent liaisons," i.e., HR staff, are reviewing applications day and night. Approximately 1,500 people have applied for dealing jobs and auditions for dealers started yesterday. It's no surprise that so many people are looking for work; Las Vegas has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation; statewide, it's hovering around 10%. Resorts World isn't expected to open until at least the end of June, though no date has been announced yet.
Brick-and-mortar sports books might see less action on the Big Game this year due to the pandemic, but nationwide and including mobile wagering, this year's Super Bowl is expected to generate "the largest single-event legal handle in American sports betting history." That's the finding from a survey conducted on behalf of the American Gaming Association, which released the results this morning. The AGA found that 23.2 million Americans plan to bet a total of $4.3 billion on this year’s matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, of whom a record 7.6 million will bet with online sports books this year, up 63% from last year. Meanwhile, only 1.4 million Americans plan to bet in person at a sports book, down 61% from 2020. And 56% of bettors plan to bet on the Chiefs, while the other 44% of bettors like the Buccaneers better.
Nevada sports books set a record for the Super Bowl handle in 2018, with $158.6 million in wagers on the game in which the Philadelphia Eagles upset New England by a score of 41-33. The books also set records in 2017 and 2016, while in 2019, the state’s 200 sports books took in $145.9 million in wagers when the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams by 13-3, the lowest-scoring game in Super Bowl history. Last year just before the pandemic struck, in Kansas City’s 31-20 comeback win over San Francisco, the books fell a little short of the record with $154.7 million in wagers. This year? There seems to be a difference of opinion, but most sports book directors aren't expecting any records to be broken, due to smaller crowds in the casinos, especially at their parties, and fewer out of towners showing up to party and bet, which they can now do in nearly half the other states. Also, early betting seems a little slow.
Let's hope the third time is the charm. Garth Brooks was originally scheduled to christen Allegiant Stadium as a concert venue on August 22 of last year, but that didn't happen. The show was rescheduled for February 27 of this year and that, it was just announced, isn't happening either. Instead, the show has been re-rescheduled for July 10. All 65,000 tickets, which sold out in a little more than an hour, will be honored at the show this summer, if it happens.
In 2019, more than 51.5 million travelers passed through Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport, setting a record for the total annual number. In the first two months of 2020, traffic was up nearly 7% year over year, on track to break the 55 million mark. But then: the shutdown. In April 2020, slightly more than 150,000 people flew in and out, a huge drop from the record-setting pace. For the year, McCarran hosted 22.2 million, a decline of 57% and an end to the three-year string of record-breaking totals. International travel, as can be imagined, was hit even harder, plunging 80% from 3.8 million in 2019 to 781,000 in 2020.
The normal range of high and low temperatures throughout February in Las Vegas provides for comfortable outdoor experiences, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s; the averages are 63 and 41 degrees. The record highs and lows, however, can veer wildly in either direction. The record high for the month is a sweltering (for February) 87, set on the 26th in 1986, while the record low is a chilling (even for February) 16, achieved on the 7th (1989). February typically sees the most precipitation of any month of the year, .7 of an inch. Last year, however, there was zero.