The Electric Daisy Carnival is still going on as planned, for a full week at the end of October (20-26). The festival itself will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway October 22-24; to celebrate the EDC's 10th year in Las Vegas and 25th year in existence, 40 other events will occur the two days before and two days after at the city’s nightlife and daylife venues, Élia Beach Club (Virgin), Zouk and Ayu (Resorts World); Elation Pool (STRAT); Marquee (Cosmopolitan), Encore (Wynn), Wet Republic (MGM Grand), Hakkasan (MGM Grand), OMNIA (Caesars Palace), and many more. Insomniac, producer of EDC, is calling it "a takeover of the Strip."
Photos aired on News3LV.com show the historic Mt. Charleston Lodge, located on Kyle Canyon Road at 7,000 feet in the Spring Mountains roughly 40 miles from the city, engulfed by flames early this morning. The closest of the images was provided by the guests in the cabin next door to the lodge, so it appears, at least initially, that there were no injuries.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman, the 38-year-old founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments and Inspiration4 Mission Commander, made the first sports bet from outer space via BetMGM at MGM Grand. Isaacman teamed up with BetMGM to make two bets via a proxy at MGM Grand’s BetMGM Sportsbook. He got $4,000 down on the over (40.5) for the game between the Washington "We-Still-Don't-Have-a-Real-Name Football Team and the New York Giants; he also made a futures bet for another $4,000 that the Philadelphia Eagles will win the Super Bowl. Any winnings from Isaacman’s bets placed from space will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman made the bets from the Space X Inspiration4 mission, financed by the billionaire (for an undisclosed fee), in which he and three other civilian non-astronauts were shot into orbit on Wednesday night; they'll remain 345 miles above Earth for three days, splashing down near Florida on Saturday. The mission is a way to raise awareness and funding for the Children’s Hospital.
The Washington Football Team is a -4 favorite over the NY Giants in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 41.
Another LVA YouTube update is available for viewing. In the fast-paced 11-minute show, Anthony discusses his tour of Vegas, from Rampart to South Point, to check out Monday Night Football parties, traditionally a huge scene here. Though the parties are far from what they used to be, one offers free parking, $1 beers, hot dogs, and popcorn, and $3 pizza, plus $1,000 in drawing prizes. Which one? You can find out at the four-minute mark. You'll also hear about an interesting development with the Boulder Station buffet, a nearly $2 million overlay in one of the football contests, and the latest on the mask mandate, including a reversal of position by the Vegas Golden Knights at their upcoming home games at T-Mobile.
One of the world's highest-grossing festivals ($17.7 million in 2019), Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival starts tomorrow night. Tens of thousands of people are expected to jam downtown for the three-day affair; downtown room rates for the weekend are averaging in the hundreds of dollars per night. In addition, the iHeart Radio Music Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday at T-Mobile Arena and Area15; it's being touted as one of the biggest music festivals of 2021.
According to the sports-fan website, AwfulAnnouncing.com, quoting Sportico, the National Football League's partners and advertisers ran 90 total ads on games broadcast by CBS, Fox, and NBC in the past week, spending an aggregate of $21.4 million. Most of the ads appeared on nationally televised games. FanDuel ads accounted for nearly half of the total, 42 in all; only Geico, Progressive, and DirecTV ran more ads during the week's football games. In all, 52 ads ran on CBS, 27 on Fox, and 11 on NBC. None of the advertisers ran spots during the Monday Night Football game. Gambling ranked sixth in ad categories during NFL programming; insurance was first, followed by automobiles, streaming services, fast food, and wireless services.
The National Association of Broadcasters postponed its 2021 convention, moving it from its usual dates in April to October. Now, the surge in the delta variant of the coronavirus has prompted the NAB to cancel the 2021 convention altogether. The new dates are set for April 23-27, 2022. If the convention happens then, it will be the first time in three years that the immense NAB trade show, which typically attracts a crowd of 80,000, will meet in person.
Shares in the top casino companies in Macau lost a record $18.4 billion in combined market value yesterday, in reaction to an surprise official announcement about the Chinese government's intention to tighten restrictions on operators. The Bloomberg Intelligence index, which tracks Macau's six biggest casino companies, plunged 23%, setting a record for the largest drop ever. American companies were hit the hardest; Sands China and Wynn Macau Ltd. drowned in a sea or red ink, nose-diving 33%-34%, the steepest declines in their history. Gaming companies also took a huge hit in China's dollar-denominated bond market. Due to their exposure in Asia, Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, and MGM Resorts fell for a second day on the U.S. stock market. The crackdown by the Chinese government, which includes appointing government “supervisors” of the gaming companies and increasing local shareholdings in foreign companies, is part of a sweeping clampdown on social and business behaviors in the 1.4-billion-population country.
Anyone carrying the newest design of the Nevada driver's license is advised to allow for a little extra time at TSA security checkpoints at airports around the country. Evidently, the new license, which began to be issued in July, has an updated barcode that 's too recent for the TSA’s Credential Authentication Technology system to recognize. The Nevada DMV is reportedly working with the TSA to resolve the issue.
There was a lot going on at Allegiant Stadium last night as the Raiders played their first game with people in seats on Monday Night Football. Thousands of Bay Area fans attended the game and, reportedly, filled hotel rooms over the weekend to the tune of nearly 100% occupancy. "Hundreds" lined up in a tent outside the stadium to receive the vaccination to be allowed to enter. Defensive end Carl Nassib became the first openly gay player to take the field in the four major sports for the Raiders; he forced a fumble that led to the home-team overtime victory in a thrilling seesaw battle, 33-27. And though traffic was heavy around game time, there were no reports of major tie-ups. All in all, an auspicious start to the new era of the Las Vegas Raiders.
A local woman hit a Buffalo Grand progressive jackpot at the Cannery early Sunday morning for $1,024,065. It was the second major Buffalo jackpot at a Boyd Gaming property in the past two months; on July 15, a visitor from Hawaii won nearly $650,000 at the Fremont.
The Baltimore Ravens are -3.5 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 50.5.
The Raiders launch their season at home at 5:15 p.m. on Monday Night Football. That means traffic, normally ferocious on I-15 during rush hour, will be doubly merciless in both directions -- and since it's the first time 65,000 people will be trying to get to Allegiant Stadium during a weekday rush hour, no one knows just how bad it's going to be. The Hacienda Avenue bridge closed to traffic at noon and tailgating in the stadium parking lots opened at 1 p.m., which should mitigate things at least a little. Ticket holders can use alternate routes to get to parking lots (such as the 215 Beltway, Decatur Boulevard, and Valley View Boulevard for the back way), but overall, it's shaping up to be a mess. If you can, avoid the entire area tonight.
VICENews.com reports that the "For God & County Patriot Roundup” conference, originally scheduled to take place, then canceled, at the Caesars Forum Convention Center, has found a new home at the Ahern Hotel and Convention Center. The Roundup claims to be "the country’s biggest QAnon conference." Don Ahern, owner of the hotel, also owns the 68-year-old Las Vegas-based construction-equipment-rental business, Ahern Rentals, and is the finance chairman of the Nevada Republican Party. His non-casino hotel, the former Lucky Dragon on W. Sahara Avenue, was fined last year for hosting two large events in violation of COVID capacity restrictions; his manufacturing facility in Henderson was also cited for an appearance by Donald Trump that attracted 5,500 attendees. The Patriot Roundup will feature Jim and Ron Watkins, who facilitated the rise of QAnon on their website, as well as several elected Republican politicians. It's scheduled to take place October 22 to 25.
This town is slightly mad with Raiders fever, evidenced by a black eye patch embroidered with the team skull-and-bones logo worn currently by the Great Sphinx of Giza replica that fronts Luxor. The Raiders play their first game in front of fans at home, and in front of a national audience, tonight on Monday Night Football.
The Los Angeles Rams are a -9.5 favorite over the Chicago Bears in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 46.
Novak Djokovic is a -250 favorite over Daniil Medvedev in today's U.S. Open tennis men's final. Djokovic is attempting to complete the season Grand Slam, which was last achieved by Rod Laver in 1969. A victory would also make him the all-time leader in Major championships with 21. Medvedev is seeking his first Major title.
Direct from its 23-year Off-Broadway run, the New York musical revue Naked Boys Singing! launches a 12-week residency in Las Vegas on Wednesday. The all-male all-nude show "will remind us that clothes alone don't make the man" at the Erotic Heritage Museum. Where else? The show features no costumes, no underwear, no nothing except ... full-frontal naked boys singing in a traditional musical in the vein of vaudeville and high-camp musical theater. The 60-minute performance goes on Wednesdays at 9 p.m., Thurs.-Sun. at 10; tickets are $75-$150 and available at nakedboyssingingvegas.com.
Pastry chefs at Aria have created life-size chocolate sculptures of the two top Raiders players, quarterback Derek Carr and tight end Darren Waller, along with a four-foot-wide Allegiant Stadium, an Al Davis Memorial torch made of chocolate, and several black-and-silver cakes. The six-foot-three-inch Derek Carr sculpture started with a wooden skeleton, which was covered with cake, 40 pounds of fondant, more than 100 pounds of sugar, and 200 pounds of chocolate. The entire display took a month to create by a team of 10 chefs; it will be unveiled starting tomorrow, to celebrate the Raiders first fan-attended home game on Monday Night Football, at the Patisserie at Aria.
The Olive Garden on the south Strip that has been threatening to open for more than a year finally did. The big 400-seat restaurant occupies the third floor of the Target building next to the Showcase Mall that was once the location of Smith & Wollensky's steakhouse, with a view across the Strip of Park MGM and New York-New York. The hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., though the website seems to indicate that it's open 24 hours on Saturday, listing 11 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Emma Raducanu is a -190 favorite over Leylah Fernandez in today's U.S. Open tennis women's final. Both are seeking their first Grand Slam title. Raducanu is 18 and Fernandez is 19; it’s the first all-teens Women’s Final since 1999 when Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis.
According to gaming analyst Ken Adams, writing in the Adams Revenue Report, in July, total gaming revenues nationwide exceeded $5 billion for the first time. He writes, "It was not only a record, but also nearly 12% over the previous record set in June (July was aided by two extra weekend days). In July 2020, revenues were $3 billion and in 2019, they were $3.8 billion. In July 2021, Nevada alone recorded more than $1.3 billion, an all-time record. For the month, sports and igaming combined for a half-billion, up from $142.6 million in 2020. Year to date, gaming revenues are $29.6 billion, up from $14.9 billion in 2020 and $25.9 billion in 2019." As Anthony Curtis wrote in the September issue of the Las Vegas Advisor, "The casinos — and Wall Street analysts — are positively giddy with their bottom lines."
We've posted a new poll that's getting a lot of votes (2,500+ at the current count) and comments. The question is: Which Las Vegas hotel-casino do you think (or hope) will be imploded next? The choices are organized from the oldest to the youngest casinos and you can vote based on the age of the properties -- the ancient (by Vegas standards) casinos that should bite the dust -- or reverse popularity -- which casinos you'd like, for whatever reasons, to be reduced to rubble. Happy voting!
A million dollars isn't what it used to be. Still, a lot of us dream about having seven figures in the savings account. But where do most people try to find out how to do it? Gambling-news site PlayUSA analyzed Google searches for "how to become a millionaire" to determine which states and major metropolitan areas are the most eager to strike it rich. The only cities with more searches than Las Vegas were Miami, Atlanta, and Tampa, followed by Minneapolis to complete the top five. July is the most popular month for “how to be a millionaire” searches in Las Vegas (an average of 68 searches per 100,000 people). The rest of Nevada is slightly less interested, placing 18 out of 50. The top five states for searches are all in the south: Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.
If you're watching football this season, don't be surprised to see a lot of ads from sports book operators. For the first time ever, the NFL now allows sports betting ads. Not only that, but the league has partnered up with FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, WynnBet, FOX Bet, and PointsBet, each of which will be allowed up to six gambling spots per game. According to one analyst, sports book companies will spend between a half-billion and $1 billion on advertising this football season. And FrontOfficeSports.com quotes a CBS executive who called gambling advertising "the most significant new category in a generation."
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -9 favorites over the Dallas Cowboys in tonight's Thursday Night Football game that opens the 2021 NFL season. The total is 52.5.
Now in its second year, the Las Vegas Concours d'Elegance will bring more than 100 collector cars to the Las Vegas Ballpark in Summerlin October 21-24. The upscale car show is open to the public, with two days of pre-show Concours d'Avant special events. Fifteen classes of cars on display will range from 1903 to the "latest showstoppers." Tickets are available at LasVegasConcours.com, general admission $85 until September 14 and $100 September 15 through October 23, VIP $200.
On Saturday, AEG Presents will unveil the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The grand-opening concert will feature guitarist and singer-songwriter Gary Clark, Jr., whose genre spans rock, hip-hop, blues, punk, and R&B. The newly renovated 4,500-capacity venue features remodeled luxury suites and multiple VIP areas, a state-of-the-art sound system, and enhanced video technology. The second show will be Lady A on September 25, with concerts most weekends going forward. Journey will do a six-show mini-residency Dec.1-Feb. 22.
The World Series of Poker announced yesterday that players in the upcoming WSOP tournament at the Rio will not be required to wear masks at the tables. The WSOP indicated that it was following Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak's directive, issued last week, that allows indoor events with at least 4,000 attendees to forgo a mask mandate if they require that everyone who attends be vaccinated for COVID. The WSOP announced in late August that all tournament participants must be vaccinated; a recent negative test will not be accepted.
In a newly released report, the American Gaming Association is projecting a record 18% of Americans, totaling 45.2 million people, plan to bet on football during the 2021-2022 season that starts tomorrow with a game at Tampa Bay against the Dallas Cowboys. The AGA notes that this is a 36% increase over the 2020 season, which it attributes to the expansion of legal sports betting to 26 states and the District of Columbia from 18 and D.C. last year. The report predicts that 21.7 million American adults will bet on this NFL season casually with friends, up 31% from 2020; 19.5 million will place a bet online (legal and illegal), up 73%; 10.5 million will place a bet at a retail sports book, up 58%; and 6.7 million will place a bet with a bookie, up 13% from 2020.
Legends in Concert returns to the Tropicana tomorrow night with a new line-up: "Direct from London." The longest-running show in Las Vegas pays tribute to some of Britain's biggest stars, including Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and George Michael, performing with guest host Frank Marino, the Strip’s longest-running headliner, starring as Joan Rivers. Legends is also touting the staging: dancers, back-up vocalists, live band, costumes, sets, and special effects. The show will go on Thurs.-Sun. at 7:30 p.m.; tickets range from $115-$225.
The popular Main Street Station reopened this morning at 6 a.m. after being shuttered for nearly 18 months. It marks the final hotel-casino downtown to return from the shutdown. Its two restaurants resume operations with limited hours: Triple 7 brewpub will be open 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Monday and the Garden Court Buffet is serving brunch 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and dinner 4-9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday only.
According to a new national survey conducted on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, American leisure travelers plan to "significantly pare back travel plans amid rising COVID-19 cases." Among the 2,200 adults, of whom nearly 80% are leisure travelers, 69% are planning fewer trips, 55% are planning to postpone existing travel plans, and 42% are likely to cancel existing plans without rescheduling. And 72% are likely to travel to places only within driving distance.
The Plaza will host a “Dirty Comedy Festival” on Oct. 15-16. This is, essentially, a showcase for Gilbert Gottfried, whose stand-up act features an exaggeratedly shrill voice and an emphasis on seriously crude humor. At the Plaza, Gottfried will reprise his dirtiest routines and will share the stage with three of "the most talented 'blue' comics in the business": Bobby Slayton, Thea Vidale, and Patty Rosborough. The shows start both nights at 9 p.m. and tickets are $30 and $45, excluding fees.
A video poker player hit a $1 million jackpot at Cosmopolitan yesterday. He was playing Triple Double Bonus on a $25 Ten Play in the high-limit room when he was dealt four aces with a kicker. Dealt. Easy money, right? Well, he was betting $1,250 a whack (10 times $25 times the 5-unit max bet). The Cosmo says it was the largest local progressive (as opposed to wide-area, typical in big slot jackpots) in the casino's history.
Enchant Christmas, a "whimsical and heartfelt Christmas light maze," will make its Las Vegas debut on November 26 at the Las Vegas Ballpark. Enchant Christmas will "transform the Ballpark into a winter wonderland" full of Christmas magic and cheer. Guests embark on a Great Search to help save Christmas by locating Santa's missing reindeer, journeying through a "radiant forest" illuminated by millions of lights and art installations. Also offered will be the Ice Skating Trail, a Christmas village, and a live Santa Claus. It runs through January 2, 2022, and ticket will go on sale later this month.
Bloomberg reports that the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is for sale again. Its owner, Blackstone, is asking $5 billion this time around, $1 billion more than when it went looking to unload the property in 2019. Bloomberg writes that Apollo Global Management, which is currently in the process of buying the Venetian, and MGM Resorts, are possible suitors, but none has stepped forward as yet.
Here's an interesting entertainment event that's coming to the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in the spring. Canadian-born singer and actor Paul Anka, who wrote "My Way" for Frank Sinatra (along with "She's a Lady" for Tom Jones and three Michael Jackson hits), will bring his "Anka Sings Sinatra" tour to downtown Las Vegas as the 80-year-old singer celebrates the 65th anniversary of his career and the release of a new album, Making Memories. Anka will perform on March 10 at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are on sale now for $49-$249.
Reinforcing the point that things are still a ways away from normal, this Labor Day is mostly devoid of promos. The city was busy for the long weekend, but aside from the crowds and higher room rates, the usual holiday restaurant and casino specials aren't being offered.
Azilo Ultra Pool at the Sahara has debuted. The new area will remain open for the last month of pool season in order to work out the kinks and prepare for a grand opening in the spring. Azilo occupies 35,000 square feet that can accommodate up to 2,000 people, not including 250 in the adjacent indoor Azilo Ultralounge, completing the indoor-outdoor utility. The pool is surrounded on three sides by 10,000 square feet of LED screens that can be programmed for live DJ performances, football games, and custom presentations. Bungalows and cabanas with private pools, three bars, and a large stage area complete the scene, along with Moroccan-type decor (Azilal is a provincial capital in Morocco, though Azilo itself is the name of an antibiotic used to treat various types of bacterial respiratory-tract infections and typhoid fever).
In one of his first official acts as the new mayor of Yokohama, Japan, Takeharu Yamanaka withdrew the city's candidacy to host an integrated resort. Yamanaka campaigned on a platform that opposed the IR; his landslide in the election is evidence that residents of the port city at the mouth of Tokyo Bay are overwhelmingly against a casino there. But Yokohama's ambitions for an IR were also compromised by the withdrawal of interest from several international casino operators and vehement hostility from the head of the port authority. Yokohama's bowing out opens up one of the licenses approved by the federal government to other cities that have expressed an interest in hosting one of three integrated resorts in the country.
On the heels of the sports betting initiative sponsored by California's tribes making it onto the ballot in 2022, along with the state's card rooms threatening to launch its own initiative drive, a third party has inserted itself into the mix. A partnership among Bally's, DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Penn National, Wynn, and Fanatics has announced its intention to spend up to $100 million for yet another initiative, only this one has a social-responsibility aspect. The partners filed the “California Solutions to Homelessness and Mental Health Support Act” with the state attorney general’s office on Tuesday, earmarking a percentage of the tax revenues from sports betting to support homeless and mental-health causes. They say the initiative is "complimentary" to the tribes' proposal, in that they'd be working with the tribes to provide remote sports wagering opportunities. The proposal calls for 85% of tax revenue, based on a 10% tax, to go toward the social funding, with 15% supporting tribal communities.
Darren Till is a -160 favorite over Derek Brunson in today’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Modestas Bukauskas is -170 over Khalil Rountree.
The previously announced name change for the Sands Expo and Convention Center is now official. The new name is The Venetian Expo and workers have completed the sign changeover.
After his appearance in "The Last Dance," the 10-part ESPN documentary focused on the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman will produce a feature film about his infamous hiatus in Vegas during that championship season. As recalled in the documentary, Rodman needed a break from basketball in the middle of the season, so Bulls' coach Phil Jackson gave him some time off. But when Rodman failed to reappear on time, Jackson and Michael Jordan had to fetch him from his Vegas suite, Jordan yanking him out of bed, while his girlfriend, Carmen Electra, was hiding behind the couch. The Lionsgate film is tentatively titled 48 Hours in Vegas; no cast members or release date have been announced.
Though the Las Vegas crowds are nearly as large as before the pandemic (Labor Day weekend is expected to draw a similar number of visitors to 2019), the unemployment rate here remains the highest among U.S. cities with populations of more than one million. Las Vegas' 9.4% rate is nearly 4% higher than the national average. Salt Lake City's is lowest at 2.8%. Las Vegas' rate has been above 9% since the beginning of the year.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace is bringing back its weekend brunch, starting today. Running 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, the brunch features made-to-order eggs and omelets, a pancake and waffle station, and a carving station with bacon, ham, sausage, sausage, tri-tip, brisket, and rotisserie chicken and turkey. The price for the brunch is $54.99. Dinner remains the same at $74.99 daily, open Mon.-Thurs. 4-10 p.m., but doesn't close during the transition from brunch to dinner Fri.-Sunday. Reservations for all meals can be made at Open Table.
Here's a round-up of Labor Day festivities, including dayclub and nightclub parties, music festivals, and dining specials.
You'll find pool parties at the Downtown Grand (Reggae Night, from Sat. 8 p.m. to Sun 1 a.m., tickets $17-$27) and Elia Beach at Virgin (Fri.-Mon. with DJs and free admission for ladies; those who pre-register online receive open bar privileges and drink tickets).
The Exodus EDM festival featuring Loud Luxury, KYGO, Marshmellow, and Carnage takes place at Wet Republic, Encore Beach Club, and XS Nightclub (Thurs.-Mon., $89 women/$189 men); Desert Drip Las Vegas is another multi-venue festival at Hakkasan, Jewel, AYU, and Drai’s (Thurs.-Mon., $89 women/$189 men; featuring Lil Jon, Jack Harlow, Juicy J, and DJ Snake);
Find dining specials at El Segundo Sol at the Fashion Show Mall on Mon. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (happy hour $6.50 margaritas 3:30-6:30 p.m.); Cabo Wabo Cantina at Miracle Mile Shops Fri.-Mon. 8-1 a.m.; Smoke & Fire, 3315 E. Russell Rd., Fri.-Mon. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (barbecue specials); Morton’s Steakhouse, 400 E. Flamingo Rd., Fri.-Mon. (four-course dinner for two plus wine for $99); Bonefish Grill at Town Square and 8701 W. Charleston Blvd., Mon.-Fri. (takeout lobster and shrimp family bundle, serves 5, $45); and Burnt Offerings, 3909 W. Sahara Ave. (Sunday noon to 4 p.m.).
Table-game dealers at the Wynn have overwhelmingly ratified joining the United Autoworkers Gaming Union. According to a member of the negotiating committee, 96% of eligible dealers voted to join the union. Previously, they were represented by the Transportation Workers Union. Interestingly, the new contract doesn't include dealers at Encore. But it does protect Wynn dealers from having to share their tips with pit managers, a huge bone of contention during the Steve Wynn regime. It also mandates a five-day work week and a 20-minute break every hour (most dealers get their break every 80 minutes).
A Mexican national hit a seven-card straight flush (with one joker) at a Face Up Pai Gow Poker table at Planet Hollywood to take down the $920,728 mega progressive jackpot earlier in the week. After he got over his complete disbelief, he said he'd invest wisely, support his family, and splurge on a luxury apartment with the winnings.
Due to the mandate that all Las Vegas Raiders home-game attendees be vaccinated, upwards of 1,800 season tickets have become available (for fully vaccinated fans, of course) for this season, with roughly 250 for future seasons as well. In a tweet, the Raiders said 1,550 season-ticket holders opted to roll over their seats till next year, while around 250 took a full refund. If you're in the market, you can try for the newly available season tickets on the Raiders website.
A new YouTube video on the LVA channel takes you on a 20-minute tour of the Virgin Las Vegas hotel-casino, from the parking garage to Pizza Forte, an Anthony Curtis favorite, and out to a view of the shopping plaza across the street with some of the hottest restaurants in town and a jazz club. You can also clearly see how Virgin renovated and transformed the former Hard Rock to the tune of $200 million, after buying it for $500 million. As a bonus, Anthony and videographer Andrew Hunt do a "talkthrough of the walkthrough," so you get an audio, as well a video, tour. Watch it here.
Proof of vaccination will be required for all attendees, exhibitors, and other participants in the Global Gaming Expo, taking place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on October 4-7. Details on verification of vaccination will be released shortly.
When the Pro Bull Riders World Finals end on November 7 this year, it will be the last time it takes place in Las Vegas for the foreseeable future. Las Vegas has hosted the PBR Finals since year one, 1994, though it was held in Texas last year due to fewer COVID restrictions. Evidently, the Texas sojourn showed the PBR it could make more money from the Finals in the Lone Star State; they'll return to Texas, held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, starting next year with a totally revamped schedule, May 13-22.
It's been a long time coming (nearly 18 months, to be specific), but now that events are returning fast and furious to Las Vegas, our coverage of weekend goings-on is going back in action as well. Watch this space every Wednesday for the homecoming of "Weekend Highlights."
For more details about these and other upcoming events and full listings of all the production shows Las Vegas currently plays home to check out our Entertainment section.
Caesars Entertainment has disinvited the QAnon-themed For God & Country Patriot Double Down conference that was scheduled at Caesars Forum convention center for Oct. 22-25. Caesars issued a terse one-sentence statement confirming that the confab would not occur at a CZR property.
Typically, September temperatures drop from hot to pretty hot, descending from average highs around 99 in the beginning of the month to 88 at the end. The average lows make the nights comfortable enough to eschew air-conditioning at night for all but the hottest-blooded; they start our at 76 and go down to 65. Still, summer remains for three of the four weeks, so the record high is a sweltering 113 (September 1, 1950), with four more days in the triple digits and nine at 108 or 109. But it can also cool way down, with the record low at 43 degrees (September 27, 1948) and 12 other dates in the 40s. Last year, September saw zero precipitation, though normally, nearly a third of an inch falls during the month.