Station Casinos might be making record profits, but the company is on a long losing streak on the legal front. A panel of federal-appeals-court judges on Friday declined to overturn a lower court’s ruling in July that requires Station to bargain with the Culinary Local 226 and Bartenders Local 165 unions. Station can further appeal the ruling, but it's running out of options; its last stops are the full 9th Circuit appeals court and the U.S. Supreme Court. However, given that the panel of judges cited several “bedrock precedents” from both the 9th Circuit and the Supreme Court, it's unlikely the case will go the distance.
According to ESPN staff writer David Purdum, "The American betting public just turned in the worst month of NFL gambling that veteran bookmakers can remember." This month, underdogs have covered the spread in nearly 60% of pro-football games, which is why the public, which prefers favorites, took a beating. In addition, 23 dogs won their games outright. Purdum also notes that "heavily bet prime-time favorites seemed to go down on a weekly basis." One week in November, the public won only one game, in a second, they won two. Sports book directors Purdum interviewed are "shocked" and say that this month could be the best ever for the books.
After months of rumors and speculation, British mega pop star Adele will open a residency in the Colosseum at Caesars beginning Friday January 21. Adele will perform "Weekends with Adele" shows on Friday and Saturday nights for 12 weekends in row through April 15-16. The residency comes on the heels of Adele's recently released fourth studio album, 30. As for the ticket situation, here are the details. Presale tickets will be available through Ticketmaster's Verified Fan system. You must register; registration opened at 6 a.m. PST today and continues until 11:59 p.m. PST on Thursday. The presale itself will begin Tuesday December 7 at 10 a.m. PST. Only fans with the code can buy first-come first- served tickets. If Verified Fan demand exceeds supply, tickets will not be sold to the public.
The Seattle Seahawks are -1.5 favorites over the Washington Football Team in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 46.5.
The Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in B.C. has been granted a six-month extension by the provincial government to file its report on the province's casinos' connection to money laundering and flouting of Know Your Customer regulations. The Cullen Commission's final report was due December 15, but because of delays in hearings and documentation, the new deadline is now May 15. The Commission says it held "138 hearing days, heard from 198 witnesses, and received 1,063 exhibits comprising more than 70,000 pages" since 2019 in investigating reports of "hundreds of millions of dollars" in cash linked to various organized-crime organizations being laundered on casino floors in the province.
Nearly 170,000 rodeo fans are expected to attend the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, which runs December 2-11. It's the first NFR in two years in Las Vegas, after last year's event moved to Texas, with its less-stringent COVID rules, and tickets have been sold out since last March. NFR had intended to move back to Texas after this year's Finals, but came to terms with Las Vegas and will now remain here through 2025. The Cowboy Christmas Western expo will coincide with the rodeo at the Las Vegas Convention Center. South Point, where several competitions will take place, will be cowboy central during the tournament. The prize money in contention is $10 million plus, compared to the $1 million in 1985, NFR's first year in Las Vegas.
The Nevada Highway Patrol started warning of double-digit-mile backups on Interstate 15 southbound as early as Saturday. The first notice reported an 18-mile backup from the state line at Primm on Saturday afternoon, with visitors trying to get a jump on the inevitable post-holiday jam. Sunday morning as early as 7:30 a.m., the NHP reported a 12-mile traffic jam between Primm and Jean; by the afternoon, the backup extended 20 miles, halfway to M Resort. A second snarl was reported Sunday afternoon between Henderson and Railroad Pass, nearly five miles long, that didn't break up till dark.
The Baltimore Ravens are -3 favorites over the Cleveland Browns in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.
With winter only three weeks away, high temperatures will be in the low to mid-70s today through next Sunday, Dec. 5. From a high of 74 today, the thermometer is predicted to peak at 78 degrees on Tuesday, then drop to 76 on Wednesday before settling in at 71-73 the rest of the week. The high temperatures are roughly 10 degrees above normal; the overnight lows, in the upper 40s, will also be higher than typical for the late fall.
New York state has issued the official rules and the regulatory framework in advance of the launch of what's expected to be the largest sports betting market in the U.S. (until California finally gets its act together). Nine sports books, the limit according to the law, have been granted licenses, including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, WynnBet, and Rush Street. They're licensed for 10 years and gross sports betting revenue will be taxed -- hold onto your hats -- at 51%. In addition, the mobile betting servers must be located in the four commercial casinos that will offer in-person sports wagering. The release by the New York Register of the rules and regs bode well for New Yorkers to be able to bet on this season's Super Bowl from the phones and computers. But no official launch date has been announced.
Aria's latest lobby display features holiday creations from the resort's pastry chefs that took 200 hours and used a half-ton of sugar and chocolate. The snow globe is made from 200 sugar panels; the gingerbread man is life-size thanks to 100 pounds of dark chocolate; trees consist of 1,000 French macarons; you'll also see 15-pound sugar bears, donut towers, an giant upside-down ice cream cone, and other holiday confections. The display might inspire you to visit Aria's Patisserie.
Check out the WHO Invasion “A Tribute to the WHO” tonight in Club Madrid at Sunset Station. This is a one-night-only concert and admission is free. Doors open at 7 pm and the 90-minute show starts at 8 pm. Cool tribute band and the price is right!
According to Poker.org, "multiple independent sources" insist that the poker room at the Flamingo has closed permanently. The poker room shut down just before this year's World Series of Poker, so the dealers could work the tournament, and Poker.org writes, "At an all-staff meeting, (Flamingo) dealers and floor personnel were informed that the room would not reopen." Poker.org notes that, assuming the Flamingo poker room is shuttered for good, that leaves the rooms at Caesars and Bally's remaining at Caesars Entertainment properties. In the past six or seven years, the company has closed seven of its nine poker rooms. Curious for an outfit that owns the largest poker tournament in the world.
Master illusionist Lance Burton will return to Las Vegas for the first time in many years to perform a benefit show tonight at and for Opportunity Village and Variety Children’s Charity of Southern Nevada. Burton "and some friends" will appear at the Opportunity Village's Event Center at its Oakey location starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at opportunityvillage.org. Burton last played Las Vegas in 2010 and now lives in Kentucky as a "gentleman farmer." You can read his retirement story at our Question of the Day about it.
This evening is the first night of Hannukah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. Several restaurants are advertising special dinners with traditional holiday foods. At Bagelmania, the Hannukah dinner ($24.95/$224.95 for the family pack) comes with matzo ball soup, latkes, green beans and glazed carrots, and challah rolls. Siegel's 1941 at the El Cortez is serving a similar meal with matzo ball soup, brisket or chicken, and latkes, but also kasha varnishkes and raisin kugel ($26.95). Hearthstone Kitchen at Red Rock is offering a fancy a la carte variation on the theme: challah ($10), brisket ($29), latkes ($15), and bread pudding ($10); $64 for Hannukah is the most expensive we've ever seen. Historically, Station Casinos also served Hannukah food at its buffets, but those are a thing of the past.
On Wednesday night, KA, in our opinion the most spectacular Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas, reopened after being dark since the shutdown. It's the last of Cirque's five shows here to come back from pandemic purgatory.
For the 19th straight year, Ellis Island is serving its homemade alcoholic egg nog. Order the Holiday Nog at the bar for $7 per glass or $35 per bottle that you can take out. But a word of warning is in order: This nog packs a wallop.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the federal district court judge who ruled on Monday that the Seminole Tribe's compact with the state of Florida violates Indian gaming law repudiated the tribe's claims that it would suffer irreparable damage if it's not allowed to keep accepting sports wagers while the appeals process wends its way through court. The tribe was still accepting wagers yesterday, a big day in the NFL with three Thanksgiving games.
In today's final Thanksgiving game, the Buffalo Bills are -6 favorites over the New Orleans Saints. The total is 45.5.
In the second of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Dallas Cowboys are -7 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders. The total is 51.5.
In the first of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Chicago Bears are -3 favorites over the Detroit Lions. The total is 41.5.
Thanksgiving is always a big day in Las Vegas and today has special significance, given the city’s ongoing comeback from the pandemic slowdown. Special Thanksgiving meals are being served in buffets and restaurants all over town, holiday promotions can be found in numerous casinos, and the sports books are crowded with bettors and fans watching three NFL games (check back here for the lines). Note that our office is closed for the four-day weekend and will reopen on Monday.
The sports betting situation in Florida gets curiouser and curiouser. A day after a federal judge instituted a temporary stoppage to the "hub-and-spoke" sports betting system (in which residents can make bets from anywhere, given that they're processed by servers on tribal land), the Seminoles were continuing to accept sports wagers in defiance of the order. The can of worms opened by the ruling is too complex for a Vegas News item (though we'd be willing to address the issues in a Question of the Day); suffice it to say that a legal showdown involving the state, tribe, casino plaintiffs, Department of Justice, and Department of the Interior seems to be imminent.
So a new gentleman's club in Las Vegas, Club Ice, held open auditions at Blume Kitchen and Cocktails in Henderson on Saturday. Simple enough; tryouts for dancer positions have happened hundreds of times in the history of Las Vegas strip clubs. The difference with this one was that not only did a reported 1,000 women show up, but hundreds of, shall we say, interested observers did as well. Inevitably, people at the back started pushing toward the front and people at the front were starting to get crunched. Fearing a replay of the Astroworld Fest tragedy earlier this month, the Henderson Fire Marshall was summoned and quickly closed the event. Blume itself closed permanently afterwards, announcing that it was "accepting an opportunity to move to a new larger location in an area more conducive to nightlife." And try as we might, we couldn't come up with a location for the new Club Ice -- and wonder if the old Ice Meta Club at the corner of Harmon and Koval is it.
On Sunday, Anthony Curtis and Frank B sustained a bad beat when the heavily favored Tennessee Titans (who were 7-3) lost to the Houston Texans (who were 1-8). With that loss, our pair of sports betting pros were eliminated from the Circa Survivor football contest ($6 million grand prize, winner take all). It was a very tough loss in week 11 of the contest, with only a couple hundred players remaining, and you can witness a bit of the emotional impact on the new 5:44 LVA YouTube.
Las Vegas’ 12th buffet has opened at Westgate Las Vegas. Signs in the casino indicate that breakfast is $19.99 and lunch is $22.99 Monday-Friday, and brunch is $26.99 Saturday and Sunday. However, we’ve also been told that dinner is served, but is “not always available.” We’ll try to nail it down more closely, though weekday breakfast and lunch appear reliable.
A Washington, D.C.-based federal judge ruled yesterday that the state of Florida's recent gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, thereby suspending sports betting in the Sunshine State, which launched on November 1. The judge sided with the contention of a Miami casino and a Naples-area poker room that remote sports betting in Florida is not authorized by federal law, even though it's funneled through servers on tribal land. Florida's governor, who signed the 30-year compact with the Seminoles in May, admitted that the unusual sports betting arrangement was "an unsettled legal issue." In the meantime, the federal Justice Department, which represented in court the Interior Department, which oversees IGRA and approved Florida’s compact, is expected to ask that online gambling be allowed to continue until the appeals process has run its course.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -10 favorites over the New York Giants in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 50.5.
The Howard Hughes Corp., developers of the 65,000-acre Summerlin subdivision in the western valley, has made the Oakland A's baseball franchise an offer it might not be able to refuse: a free stadium site. The Hughes Corporation owns Oakland's minor league affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators, who play in an award-winning stadium in Summerlin. The A's could conceivably play at Las Vegas Ballpark while its new stadium is being built (Oakland's current lease in the Bay Area doesn't expire until 2024). A site close to massive Summerlin would also attract more locals than one on or near the Strip. The A's have reportedly made an offer on an undisclosed parcel; details about that deal should be forthcoming by the end of the year, but one thing's for sure: It won't be free.
The good news is that Nevada’s unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a point in October, down to 7.3% from September's 7.5%. The bad news is that it's still 2.7% higher than the national average of 4.6%. And it's still the highest jobless rate in the nation, tied with California for the most people still out of work.
The weather has been lovely throughout the month, with comfortable daytime temperatures in the mid-70s and jacket-worthy in the evenings. The trend will continue today and tomorrow, then drop about 10 degrees on Wednesday and Thanksgiving, with the highs in the low 60s and the lows in the low 40s. But then, the thermometer will start climbing, back into the low 70s for a week, before dipping into more seasonably cool temperatures in early December.
The Los Angeles Chargers are -6 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.5.
Inflation is rearing its ugly head everywhere, but perhaps nowhere so much as the price of gasoline. The average cost of a gallon of gas nationwide is $3.63 and, as always, Las Vegas is around 10% higher than average, hitting $4 a gallon in the past few days. That's also up 10% from the local price a month ago and 22% from the $3.13 of a year ago.
Roy, one of our LVA correspondents extraordinaire, uncovered a 4:26 tape on Twitter, part of a BBC news piece on Las Vegas from 1962. This was right in the middle of a period in Las Vegas history known as the Diatribe, in which the city was characterized by the national -- and, obviously, international -- media as the most immoral, corrupt, and nefarious den of iniquity on Earth. Or, as BBC's reporter Alan Whicker called it, "a brash air-conditioned nightmare." The early '60s footage of Fremont Street is remarkable and the faces (and dress) of the gamblers are arresting, but the palpable distaste of the British view of Las Vegas is momentous. It's definitely worth five minutes to relive this peculiar era at this link.
The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden unveiled its winter/holiday display yesterday. You walk into the space on a kind of covered bridge. To your left is a section with polar bears, arctic foxes, a seal, a penguin, and a stuffed puppy and teddy bear. To the rear is the "tree farm," with lighted evergreens lining the walls, A giant Christmas tree is the centerpiece. Several dollhouses, icicles and snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, Santa's sled, gift-wrapped presents, a snow mountain with a gondola halfway up, and incongruously, four clocks round out the display, which runs through January 1, 2022.
A trade show and exhibition at World Market Center this weekend spotlights the "innovative and luxurious lifestyles" of the rich, though everyone is invited to attend for a mere $10. Among the millionaire-worthy products, gadgets, and collectibles, the flying car is getting a lot of coverage; it's a two-passenger four-wheeled vehicle with retractable wings that's licensed by both the Utah DMV to drive on the street and the Federal Aviation Administration to fly as an experimental aircraft. Other aviation products on display include everything from drones to private jets and gyrocopters, along with numerous high-performance vehicles, such as a quarter-million-dollar motorcycle, million-dollar truck, and high-tech race cars, plus marine conveyances from superyachts to submarines. Digital entertainment and communications, fashion, jewelry and watches, architecture, furniture, art, wellness and pet products, and gifts are among the "luxury life-enhancing products." Big Boy Toys runs through 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Starting this Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, Resorts World will start charging for valet parking at all its porte cocheres. The rate will be $21 per 24-hour period. With business picking up for the holidays, that's not surprising; over the five months RW's been open, we've been waiting for them to start charging for parking. But even more unanticipated is that self-parking will remain free, with no hint as to when the existing paid-parking system will be instituted.
The Oakland Athletics have made an offer on a piece of real estate that would house the billion-dollar stadium it would build if -- or what's looking more like when -- the team moves to Las Vegas. The location of the site wasn't revealed, but A's executives indicated to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that "things are getting more serious on the Southern Nevada stadium front." The A's front office has been visiting Las Vegas fairly frequently and say they'll be back every two weeks starting next month. The stadium site could be announced "at the beginning of 2022."
The Casino at Dania Beach in Florida has announced the date that it will close its jai alai fronton: November 28. Jai alai has been played there for 69 years, so it's the end of a very long run for the Basque sport, considered the fastest in the world. That leaves two frontons hanging by a thread in Miami and one in Fayetteville, West Virginia, as the last three jai alai venues in the U.S.
The Fabulous Flamingo opened the day after Christmas in 1946 and 74 years and 11 months later, the Flamingo is making marketing hay while the anniversary sun shines. Use promo code FL75V and book two nights for $75 in a Flamingo Garden View, City View, or High Roller View room; the code FL75P gets you a mini-suite or premium room for $75 (one night). The winner of a social media contest (#75YearsofFab) gets a two-night stay in a suite, a $300 food and beverage credit, a $250 spa credit, two tickets to a show, and two tickets on the High Roller. There are also spa and wedding specials and employee promos.
FlyOver in Las Vegas, the new flight-ride attraction on the Las Vegas Strip (that we experienced yesterday and will review in an upcoming LVA) has announced a “Kids Ride Free” promotion now through December 31. With the purchase of an adult ticket, a child ages 12 and under can experience FlyOver for free. Booking must be made at the FlyOver Las Vegas ticket office on the Strip next to the Showcase Mall.
The New England Patriots are -6.5 favorites over the Atlanta Falcons in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 47.
Next year's Country Music Awards will be held at Allegiant Stadium on Monday March 7. From the press release: "Honoring and showcasing the biggest names and emerging talent in country music, the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards will feature exciting performances, unprecedented collaborations, surprising moments, and more to be announced in the coming weeks," including information .
regarding tickets.
After seven-figure slot jackpots were hit on Friday at Treasure Island and on Sunday at Circa and Harrah's, a lucky Hawaiian woman kept the streak alive at Main Street Station (natch) on Tuesday when she hit a Wheel of Fortune double Diamond jackpot for $1,025,602. She was here to attend the Raiders-Chief game over the weekend and had been playing the WoF machine for seven minutes when the jackpot symbols lined up.
By 2 p.m. yesterday, the World Series of Poker Main Event's final table had been whittled down the last three players. When 26-year-old Brit Jack Oliver busted out in third place for $3 million, it went to heads-up between the two chip leaders going into the final nine, 31-year-old German poker pro Koray Aldemir and 49-year-old American amateur George Holmes, a bank executive from Atlanta. They went back and forth for six and a half hours, until the final hand, with even chip stacks. When Aldemir checked on the river, Holmes shoved all in with top pair, king-queen on a king-high board. Aldemir had flopped two pair, tens and sevens, and went into the tank for a bit, then called. Holmes took down $4.3 million for second place, while Aldemir won $8 million and the highly coveted Main Event bracelet, made of yellow and white gold bracelet and encrusted with 2,230 rubies and white and black diamonds (worth $10,000).
According to the Clark County Clerk, the county will issue its five millionth marriage license sometime in mid-February. From a high of 121,000 licenses in 2001, the number has been declining ever since, all the way down to 56,000 last year. The County Clerk projects that this year will see the fourth-over-year increase in licenses in the past two decades. The county is currently averaging 6,000 licenses per month, which puts it on a pace to issue the five millionth sometime around Valentine's Day. The Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority has rolled out a new campaign, "Forever Happens Here," to market the Las Vegas wedding industry to the "next generation of couples."
Sixteen percent of MGM Resorts hourly employees remain unvaccinated and, based on national policy concerning companies with more than 100 employees, as of Tuesday November 22, MRI will start to charge those workers half the $76 fee for their bi-weekly onsite COVID tests (the company picks up the other half). In July, MRI stated charging hourly employees $15 per test. Unvaccinated employees can avoid the charges if they get the first of the two-shot vaccinations by November 27 or the single-shot J&J vaccine. In addition, any employee who doesn't comply with the testing requirements will be suspended without pay. As for the 6,000 salaried employees, 98% of them complied with the vaccine mandate by the deadline of October 15.
The World Series of Poker is moving for the third time in its 51-year history. It was played at Binion's for the first 35 years of its existence, before moving to the Rio in 2005. Next year, it will be played jointly at Bally's and Paris. The move was announced in conjunction with the start of the final table of the Main Event yesterday. Actor Vince Vaughan (we loved him in The Wedding Crashers) was on hand for the announcement; he'll be the master of ceremonies for the 2022 tournament.
The 3 millionth visitor walked into the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas yesterday on Kefauver Day, which commemorates the Kefauver Committee's hearings in Las Vegas investigating organized crime; it took place on November 15, 1950, in the courtroom in the original federal building that the museum now occupies. Kefauver Day features free admission for Las Vegans and the lucky visitor, a local man, was awarded a package including a key to the museum, two $250 tickets to an upcoming museum event, a bottle of the museum's house-brand alcohol, and a comped two-night stay at the Golden Nugget. The museum opened in February 2012.
The 10th player remaining at the World Series of Poker Main Event was knocked out at 2:30 this morning, leaving the nine players who will vie for the world championship at the final table. A German poker pro, Koray Aldemir, with more than $12 million in tournament wins, has the chip lead with 140 million, while the player with the second most chips (83.7 million), American George Holmes, has one tournament cash, $51,000 from placing 213th in the 2019 Main Event. The other seven include two Americans, two Brits, an Argentine, and a Turk. The final table will start at 4 p.m. today; it will be streamed at PokerGO.com.
A player from Vancouver, Washington, in town "on business and vacation" hit the Mega Progressive jackpot at Face Up Pai Gow for $1,393,273 at Harrah’s on Sunday. He'd just sat down and when he looked at his first hand, he was a bit, shall we say, surprised to see that he'd been dealt a seven-card straight flush in clubs (with a joker). He said he planned to put the money in the bank. It was the third million-plus jackpot hit in Las Vegas in four days.
The Los Angeles Rams are -3.5 favorites over the San Francisco 49ers in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 50.
According to a report by the technology-news site TechCrunch, which has been closely following the Boring Company's Las Vegas Loop at the Las Vegas Convention Center, for the first six weeks of the underground shuttle's operations, the Loop's highest per-hour rate hit 1,355 passengers. That's a far cry from the 4,400 passengers per hour that the Loop promised to transport. However, over the first month and a half, the Loop carried 75,000 passengers on more than 30,000 rides; that success rate is encouraging to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Center.
Nellie’s Southern Kitchen, a restaurant from the pop-group Jonas Brothers' family, will open at the MGM Grand in early 2022. It will be run by the Jonas parents, in a joint venture with a New York-based investment firm. Nellie's will "celebrate the comfort food, hospitality, and Southern charm of the family’s 1760s roots in North Carolina" (though the three Jonas sons, who've sold upwards of 20 million albums, grew up in New Jersey). It's the second location for the brand; the original is in Belmont, North Carolina, where the Jonas Brothers' great-grandmother lived. The Jonas Brothers have performed many times in Las Vegas, primarily at MGM properties: the Grand Garden Arena, the Park Theater (now Dolby Live), and Mandalay Bay Events Center (now the Michelob Ultra Arena). Along with live entertainment, the menu will consist of such Southern comfort food as chicken & dumplin's, chicken and gravy, chicken and waffles, Southern meat loaf, smoked pulled-pork sandwich, and of course warm biscuits and gravy.
A California woman got lucky yesterday at Circa, hitting a Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot for $1,075,234.28 dollars. In the press release, Circa CEO Derek Stevens was there to congratulate her.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -3 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 53.5.
In November 2020, Nebraskans voted to authorize casino gambling at the state's licensed horse tracks, which will become the Cornhusker State's first non-tribal gambling halls. Casino companies awarded licenses will have to pay $1 million for the privilege, according to the requirements released by the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission on Friday. All the racinos will be completely smoke-free and no one other than law enforcement officers or licensed security guards will be allowed to carry firearms. If the 67 pages of regulations are approved after public comments on Dec. 17, the governor has to give final approval. No timetable has been issued for approval or start-up.
The Consumer Electronics Show, largest convention in Las Vegas these days, is shaping up to be another big one after being run online last year. That's evidenced by United Airlines adding 15 direct flights from San Francisco for CES, including nine in larger aircraft. An additional eight United flights from San Jose are needed to handle the incoming from the Bay Area; United doesn't usually fly out of Mineta San Jose International. And that's not all. Additional flights from Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, Washington-Dulles, and Newark bring the total to 44 extra airplanes flying in to CES nationwide, a nearly 40% increase over United's typical January schedule. Here's hoping CES isn't canceled.
A story on TravelandLeisure.com spotlights Resorts World high-roller accommodations that start at $15,000 per night (though they're presumably comped to the biggest players). The 6,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor two-bedroom villas feature custom art, a massage room, sauna and steam shower, media room, and a pool garden. From there, they go up to three three- and four-bedroom "palaces" with 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor living space, boasting backyards accessible from the living room and all bedrooms, with full-length lap pools and outdoor kitchens. To see the four photos, click here. And thanks to Roy, long-time LVA correspondent extraordinaire, for sending us the link.
Illusionist Criss Angel and theater director Franco Dragone have teamed up to create AMYSTIKA – The Secret Revealed in the Criss Angel Theater at Planet Hollywood. It's described in the breathless press release as "a fantastical, mysterious, interactive spectacle that rewinds time to the days before Angel was the Mindfreak and immerses the audience in euphoric stunning illusions, one-of-a-kind special effects, jaw-dropping stunts, and much more." Italy-born Dragone, who grew up in Belgium and got involved in Cirque du Soleil at its inception, said, "No pre-show gags, no banter, no old-fashioned theatrical ceremonies. Here, you will dive into a world that will take you by storm!” Literally. "This enigmatic world pushes the boundaries of reality like never before, as a real firestorm ignites and engulfs a human body, a tornado rages through the theater, and a blizzard of snow falls so heavy it challenges the audience to see their own hands." Sounds different. AMYSTIKA launches preview performances on Monday Dec. 27; official opening night will be announced soon. The show will go on Wednesday through Sunday at 10 pm. Tickets are on sale now.
A gambler playing a Buffalo Grand Progressive slot machine at Treasure Island yesterday afternoon won $1.09 million. The only detail in the press release was that the player is a TI Players Club member.
Tickets for the NFL's 2022 Pro Bowl, which will be played at Allegiant Stadium on February 6 starting at 12 p.m., will go on sale next Tuesday at 10 a.m. Prices start at $66 and go up to $435 (exclusive of taxes and fees). The Pro Bowl ticket presale kicked off yesterday. Also next year, Las Vegas will host the NFL Draft, which was supposed to be held here in April 2020 and was one of the first casualties of the pandemic shutdown; it will take place Thursday-Saturday April 28-30.
A frequent Ultimate Texas Hold ‘Em player from Pennsylvania, visiting Planet Hollywood with friends for a poker tournament, sat down at a UTH table there and, after about an hour, hit a royal in spades to win the Mega Progressive jackpot for $544,904. The man said he'll pay off his college loan and mortgage and have some "family fun" with the winnings.
A few hours after registration for the World Series of Poker Main Event closed on Wednesday night, the WSOP released the number of this year's entrants. The final count came in at 6,650. It's 23% lower than in 2019, the last time it was played live, when the Main Event attracted 8,569 players. That was 204 entries fewer than the all-time record attendance at the event, which occurred in 2006. The final-table payouts were also determined. The winner will receive $8 million and the runner-up $4,300 million; it drops to $1.1 million in 8th place and $1 million in 9th. The top 1,000 players will be in the money, earning a minimum of $15,000.
The Baltimore Ravens are -8.5 favorites over the Miami Dolphins in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 46.5.
Unlike last year, when the pandemic diminished Veterans Day celebrations throughout the city, several deals are available today. Deals for veterans include $10 in free-play at Four Queens, a free buffet for two at South Point, a 2-for-1 buffet at Rampart, a $7.50 food credit at The Pass, 25% off meals at Locale Italian Kitchen and El Luchdor Mexican Kitchen, a free Garage burger at Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews, and free drinks and car wash at Terrible’s gas stations. In most cases, it’s necessary to show military I.D. to get the offer.
Ride-share giant Lyft and Motional, the joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, the Dublin-based autonomous-vehicle tech company, are rolling out the first fully driverless ride-hail service in Las Vegas. Lyft, Motional, and Aptiv have been operating jointly in Las Vegas, offering "driverless" taxi service (with a backup driver and engineer in the cars) for several years. The soft launch will take place a year from now; Lyft will start charging for rides after the full launch a year after that. Las Vegas will be the first city in which Lyft and Motional will offer fully autonomous vehicles.
Blake Shelton, the country singer, TV personality (he's been a judge on "The Voice" for all 21 seasons), and husband of singer Gwen Stefani is opening an Ole Red country music club at the Grand Bazaar Shops. The 27,000-square-foot four-story hotspot will boast nearly 700 seats, with a rooftop stage overlooking the Strip, and host up-and-coming country acts "right in the middle of everything," according to Shelton. The name "Ole Red" honors a song from Shelton's 2001 debut album; the venue also has three locations in Tennessee (with a fourth on its way), one in Oklahoma, and one in Florida. The Las Vegas venue is planned to open sometime in 2023 and will occupy an entire corner of the Grand Bazaar Shops in Bally's front yard.
The Mirage has announced more than 40 performances for the 2022 Aces of Comedy series, which starts tomorrow, runs through mid-December 2022, and features one of the country’s most comprehensive and diverse lineups and stand-up comedians. Taking the stage at the 1,250-seat Mirage Theater stage will be George Lopez, Daniel Tosh, Bill Maher, Ray Romano and David Spade (appearing together), Wayne Brady, Ron White, Chico Bean, Jess Hilarious, Bob Marley, Jim Jefferies, Kathleen Madigan, and Iliza Shlesinger, and several others. The shows go on at 10 p.m.; tickets start at $41.91.
According to a report on SportsHandle.com, "With only newcomer Arizona yet to provide figures, the total handle from 22 states and the District of Columbia in September totaled $5.19 billion, easily blowing past the previous record of $4.63 billion established in March, thanks in large part to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament." Ten states broke their own records for the monthly handle in September, which "offers a high-volume convergence of the NFL, Major League Baseball, and college football."
The principals were lined up on the stage, all holding brass-plated shovels. There was no official groundbreaking, because the building has been standing, mostly a dark hulking shell, for nearly 15 years. But the new/old owners of the newly renamed Fontainebleau Las Vegas (to distinguish it from the one in Miami Beach) announced that the 67-story resort-casino will open during the fourth quarter of 2023. Fontainebleau Development Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Soffer, the original developer of the project that broke ground in 2007 and went bankrupt two years later during the Great Crash, said (and we quote verbatim with a straight face), "The building is in mint condition." But whatever shape it's really in after being stripped of everything of value by one-time owner Carl Icahn and sitting open to the elements for the better part of the century, Las Vegas-based Richardson Construction, which built Resorts World across the Strip, will finish it, presumably in the next couple of years. Work is ramping up at the site and we do look forward to the grand opening and putting Fontainebleau Las Vegas at number one in the Las Vegas Advisor Top Ten that month.
The World Series of Poker Main Event started on Monday, with the first three of six starting flights. Yesterday was Day 2 for the players who entered on Monday; it was also Day 1 for the fourth through sixth starting flights, whose Day 2 will happen today. Doyle Brunson, 88, is playing and squeaked through yesterday, while Phil Hellmuth made his usual late entrance, starting at the end of the sixth flight dressed in a flowing white robe, sporting a long white wig and beard, and carrying a staff as Gandalf the White from The Lord of the Rings and trailed by 10 bathing beauties. Totally low key. The player count broke 6,400 last night; the official number of entries will be announced in the next couple of days.
When the Virgin Atlantic Airways Boeing 787 arrived at McCarran International yesterday, it was the first time an international flight (other than from Canada and Mexico) had landed here since March 17, 2020. The 250 or so people on the 11-hour flight from London's Heathrow Airport were greeted by airport and local tourism officials, a media circus, a table full of Vegas-themed swag, and of course a couple of showgirls. British Airways flights to and from Heathrow will begin next week, while Edelweiss Airlines (to and from Zurich) are scheduled to return in the spring and flights on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (to and from Amsterdam) and Copa Airlines (to and from Central and South America) are in the works. Airport officials say that the full international roster of airlines won't return until at least the spring, as they book summer travel.
The Bicycle Hotel Casino in Los Angeles has been fined a half-million dollars over lapses in cash reporting in 2016. Over an eight-month period that year, a Chinese whale arrived around 100 times with duffel bags stuffed with dollars and an "assistant," who would conduct the cash-in and cash-out transactions, adding up to more than $100 million, on behalf of the whale. The Club failed to submit suspicious activity paperwork and improperly filed Currency Transaction Reports in the name of the assistant instead of the high roller. Federal authorities raided the Bicycle in 2017 to investigate possible money laundering. Last Friday, federal prosecutors and the Bicycle signed a Non-Prosecution Agreement, encompassing the fine and instructions that the casino improve its anti-money-laundering protocols.
Our own Anthony Curtis finally made his appearance on "CBS Mornings" yesterday in a 5:36 segment on the Vegas buffet scene. He looked and sounded great sitting at South Point's Garden Buffet with CBS' Mark Strassman. You can see him between 1:46 and 2:12, as well as 3:37 and 3:52. But it's worth watching the whole five and a half minutes, which cover the history, the COVID shutdown, and the present scene (Caesars' Bacchanal Buffet is the "priciest pigout in town"), while flashing great archival photos and current footage, along with interviews of Caesars' executive chef and the buffet beef vendor (who insists that the buffets will be back "stronger than ever" -- wishful thinking on national TV) and issuing a strong plug for LVA. Catch the whole video here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are -7 favorites over the Chicago Bears in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 40.
Add six casinos to the growing list of gambling halls that have banned smoking. The president of the vast Navajo Nation, which encompasses 16 million acres in Arizona and New Mexico (slightly larger than West Virginia), has signed legislation to ban indoor smoking in most locations, including the tribe's half-dozen casinos that stretch from Flagstaff to Albuquerque. “It is fundamental to protect our Navajo people’s right to breathe clean air,” Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez said in a statement.
Las Vegas Days (formerly known as Helldorado Days), an annual cowboy-themed event celebrating Las Vegas’ Wild West history, will return to the Core Arena at the Plaza downtown this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 12-13. Sponsored by the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial and the Plaza, the rodeo will feature eight events each day at the arena, the Plaza’s outdoor equestrian center. Fully sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association, the Las Vegas Days Rodeo will feature bull riding, barrel racing, team and tie-down roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, breakaway, and bareback riding, with prize purses totaling $45,000 and custom belt buckles for champions.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, a sports bar with a Louisiana-inspired menu and family-friendly atmosphere, is opening its first location west of New Mexico at Harrah’s in early 2022. Walk-On's founders became fast friends as a pair of walk-ons (unrecruited and unsigned athletes) on the Louisiana State University basketball team in 1997; in 2003, they opened their first restaurant in the shadow of LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
Since then, they've franchised nearly 100 locations in 15 states, all in the South and Southwest. The Las Vegas location will boast 50 TVs and serve such Louisiana classics as crawfish etouffee, duck & andouille gumbo, Krispy Kreme donut bread pudding, burgers, wraps, salads, and other sports-bar fare. It will also be Walk-On's first location to serve breakfast, with shrimp and grits, beignets, and the signature Mad Mary cocktail. Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is a co-owner.
The Los Angeles Rams are -7 favorites over the Tennessee Titans in tonight's Sunday Night Football game. The total is 53.
The El Cortez in downtown Las Vegas opened on November 7, 1941, so today marks its 80th anniversary. The EC is the oldest continuously operating hotel-casino in Las Vegas and the second oldest in the nation (Railroad Pass is the first). It's also the only operating hotel-casino on the National Register of Historic Places. And unlike most casinos half its age, the El Cortez has had only four ownership groups in its entire history: JK Houssels and partners opened the joint; Meyer, Bugsy, Moe, and Gus bought it from Houssels, then sold it back to him when they opened the Flamingo; Houssels sold it to Jackie Gaughan; and Gaughan sold it to the current owners, the Epstein family. Here's hoping that the El Cortez celebrates its 160th anniversary in 2101.
The changing schedule of Anthony Curtis' appearance on "CBS Mornings," which filmed him at the South Point Garden Buffet talking about the current AYCE scene in Vegas, looks like it's been resolved. Hopefully, the fourth time's a charm and the piece, now set to air tomorrow (Monday) morning around 8:30, will do so.
For the fifth consecutive year, the NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2022 and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off a tripleheader of racing action in March. The Xfinity Series will precede the NASCAR Cup Series races on March 5 with the Alsco Uniforms 300 and Oct. 15 with the Alsco Uniforms 302 in 2022. The lone stop in Las Vegas for the trucks will be Friday March 4. The Speedway announced earlier that the Alsco event was moved three weeks, from its late September date to mid-October.
Kamaru Usman is a -130 favorite over Colby Covington in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Weili Zhang is -150 over Rose Namajunas.
Caesars Entertainment and Spiegelworld, the producer of Absinthe, Atomic Cowboy Saloon, and Opium, have signed an agreement to collectively invest $75 million to create three new shows. The first new permanent production, DiscoShow, will debut in the fourth quarter of 2022 at the LINQ. DiscoShow be followed by a show in a brand-new theater at Caesars Atlantic City, opening in the first quarter of 2023, and a third show in a new theater at Caesars New Orleans planned for sometime in 2024.
America’s Got Talent Las Vegas Live has debuted at Luxor, featuring "some of the most incredible and memorable talents" that have appeared on the popular TV program, one of the most successful reality-TV formats, in the past 16 years. The show comprises three AGT winners and multiple finalists, along with runners-up and fan favorites, all assembled into what's being called "the next evolutionary step in Las Vegas' variety-show history." Singers, a comedian, magician, dance troupe, quick-change artist, knife throwers, trapeze artists, ESP performers, and more appear in the 90-minute show Wednesdays through Sundays at 7 and 9:30 p.m. in the Luxor Theater. Tickets start at $49.
A Nevada-based restaurateur who helped develop the Tropical Smoothie Cafe chain on the west coast will launch what's being touted as the "world's first 100%-gluten-free non-GMO fast-food restaurant chain." PowerSoul Cafe will open its flagship eatery, which will also serve as its commercial-kitchen location, at W. Warm Springs and Cimarron Road (Tarkanian Plaza) in the southwest valley next summer; it will be followed by five more cafes in Las Vegas in 2022, then upwards of 150 branches nationwide over the next 10 years or so. According to the news release, "Each PowerSoul Cafe location will operate 24 hours with self-serve smart food lockers, walk-up windows, and drive-thru." The fare will include options for vegans meat lovers, and diners on dairy-free or keto diets, such as smoothies, pizza and pizza pockets, eggplant Parmesan, keto meatloaf.
Every item on the PowerSoul Cafe menu will be certified 100 percent gluten-free and will have
Menu staples will include smoothies made with real fruit, organic veggies, and nutritious supplements. The gluten-free, individual Neapolitan-style pizzas (thin crust, with raised edges that are crispy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside) include classic pepperoni and margherita recipes. The menu also includes vegan pizzas: “Spinach Me,” loaded with organic spinach, sun-dried tomato, and vegan cheese and the ”Funguy in Truffle,” topped with a mouthwatering melody of caramelized mushroom and onion, thyme, mozzarella cheese, house-made white garlic sauce and finished with truffle oil. According to Mitchell, “they’re so good that you’ll wish you ordered two!”
Shorty’s, or gluten-free pizza pocket sandwiches, will burst with flavor whether they’re Boar’s Head™ meat and cheese-filled or loaded with vegetables and spices. Kids will have no problem finding items they love, such as the country fair-style corn dogs and crispy chicken nuggets. Breakfast items will be available 24/7, including the “OMG Breakfast Sandwich,” a fully vegan spicy sausage, egg, cheese and muffin sandwich.
Comfort food items include vegetarian while “Too Many Chocolate Chips” cookies and dark chocolate sprinkle donuts (yes, both still gluten-free and vegan) round out some of the initial menu concepts.
The Venetian has added “plant-based” menus at several of its restaurants. A press release indicates that new vegan offerings are available at Brera Osteria, Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, Bouchon, Majordomo Meat & Fish, Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano, and Truth & Tonic Wellness Cafe.
Construction continues on the massive entertainment arena next to the Venetian. The exterior skin is halfway completed and the 730-ton steel framework for the epic interior video and sound systems is now under way. When it’s finished, it will support a 160,000-square-foot super-high-res LED display that will completely wrap around the audience for the full immersive experience. The $1.7 billion Sphere is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2023. Here’s a link to a great video of the building so far.
The Indianapolis Colts are -10 favorites over the New York Jets in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 45.5.
Cigar enthusiasts will gather at the Mirage this weekend for Cigar Aficionado’s annual Big Smoke Las Vegas event. This weekend-long celebration of cigars includes exciting daytime seminars presented by cigar experts and Cigar Aficionado editors and two evening events. Guests will enjoy premium cigars from a couple of dozen "world-renowned" cigarmakers, along with food and spirits. Proof of COVID vaccination or a negative rapid/PCR/home test within 48 hours of the event is required to attend. But all general admission, VIP, and weekend-package tickets for Big Smoke are completely sold out.
Was it only 10 years ago that National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell exclaimed, "Sports betting threatens to irreparably damage the integrity of, and public confidence in, NFL football.” And was it only six years ago that the NFL compelled Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and other players to cancel their appearances at a fantasy football convention in Vegas? Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Professional football now has three official sports-betting partners, the naming rights to the New Orleans Superdome were sold to Caesars, and there will soon be NFL-themed slot machines on casino floors -- and potentially football stadiums -- nationwide. The NFL and Aristocrat Gaming announced yesterday that they've inked a multiyear licensing agreement for slot machines themed with league logos and customizable around teams. According to the press release, Aristocrat is expected to deliver the slots sometime during the 2023-2024 NFL season.
The casino industry is in the middle of third-quarter earnings calls with investors and reporters and there have been some surprises from the biggies. Caesars Entertainment has long maintained that it's planning to sell a Strip hotel-casino in 2022, but on the earnings call, the CEO announced that the company was moving up the timeline for putting a "center Strip asset" on the market to "the early part of 2022." Candidates would include Harrah's, Flamingo, Cromwell, Bally's (our vote), and Paris. In its own earnings call yesterday, the MGM Resorts' CEO got into the act, announcing that the company is in the "early stages" of selling the operations of the Mirage. No timeline, buyer, or price was specified.
The Professional Bull Riders' World Finals launch today at T-Mobile Arena for their last appearance in Las Vegas, at least for a while. The top 35 riders in the PBR's world standings, according to points earned on the circuit during the year, compete at the Finals, which award upwards of $2.2 million in prize money, including a $1 million bonus to the world champion. The event was held in Arlington, Texas, last year due to pandemic restrictions in Las Vegas and will move back to Ft. Worth next year, costing Las Vegas nearly $30 million in revenue.
In the biggest referendum on brick-and-mortar casino development yesterday, residents in Richmond, Virginia, voted against a proposal for a $565 million resort-casino complex on the city's south side by 51.4%. Richmond is the only municipality in the state to reject a casino; in last year's referenda, new casinos in the towns of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Danville, and Bristol all passed with an average of 68% of the vote.
In the first week of legal sports betting and igaming in Connecticut, the state logged 1.2 million transactions, putting it in the top ten (at #9) in overall online gambling, even ahead of Colorado, which has 2.2 million more residents. Much of the betting is concentrated in southwestern Connecticut, according to GeoComply Solutions, which tracks bettors' location. This seems to indicate that New Yorkers are crossing the state line to place mobile sports bets. New Yorkers will, eventually, be allowed to place bets at home, but for now, judging by the early returns, online gambling in Connecticut, which launched Oct. 19, is knocking it out of the ballpark.
The Houston Astros are -120 favorites over the Atlanta Braves in Game 6 of the MLB World Series. The total is 8.5. The Braves lead the series 3-2.
Florida officially entered the sports betting business yesterday as the Seminole Tribe launch its mobile app, allowing players in the Sunshine State to deposit funds and start betting on sporting events. The launch was so subdued that a tribe's spokesperson declined to comment about it to the media. That's because one of several lawsuits challenging the state's new compact allowing the Seminoles a virtual monopoly on sports betting is about to get under way in federal court. Meanwhile, four commercial casinos in Louisiana -- Harrah’s New Orleans, L’Auberge Casino in Baton Rouge, Horseshoe Casino in Bossier City, and Boomtown Casino in Harvey -- started accepting in-person sports bets on Sunday and yesterday after their licenses were issued by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. One tribal casino in the Bayou State opened its sports book about a month ago, but the Control Board needed more time to license the state-regulated books.
Clark County's COVID-risk designation dropped from "high" to "substantial" yesterday when the Centers for Disease Control released data showing that the seven-day average dropped below 100 new cases for the first time since the mask mandate was announced in late July. The positivity rate was downgraded from "substantial" to "moderate" last week, but to remove the mandate, both metrics have to be "moderate." When new cases drop to a seven-day average of 50 or lower per 100,000 residents two weeks in a row, masks will no longer be required indoors in Las Vegas.
One of Las Vegas' largest and highest-profile conventions, the National Association of Broadcasters, has announced that it will next take place on its regular schedule in late April: the 23rd through 27th. The NAB canceled its April 2020 in conjunction with the shutdown. The April 2021 show was prohibited by state-mandated capacity limitations. Third dates were announced for early October, but that show was canceled a month beforehand due to the surge of the delta variant. The NAB typically attracts upwards of 100,000 attendees.
The Kansas City Chiefs are -10.5 favorites over the New York Giants in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 53.5.
Two of Resorts World most exclusive restaurants will open in December. On December 3, Michelin-award-winning chef Shaun Hergatt will open Caviar Bar, featuring Baerii, Kaluga, Golden Russian Osetra, and Sevruga caviars, along with Hergatt's personal brand, Caspy Caviar. The restaurant will also serve seafood small plates and tartars and wagyu beef, plus exclusive Russian vodkas and French Champagne. Later in the month, Carversteak will open across from Caviar Bar in Resorts World District. The nearly 15,000-square-foot steakhouse will include a bar and lounge, a terrace with an outdoor bar and gardens overlooking the Strip, and a "digital-art program" with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems that change the mood as the night progresses. The menu will feature dry-aged American steaks from artisan beef producers and Japanese-certified Wagyu, with fresh herbs from the restaurant's onsite herb garden.
The Specialty Equipment Market Association auto parts and accessories trade show opens tomorrow and will be jammed with a predicted 100,000 automotive enthusiasts. SEMA, which will occupy every hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, has been held in Las Vegas 43 out of the last 44 years (it was canceled last year); the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo coincides at the Venetian Expo and attendees can enter both on the same pass. RVs, electric cars, and offroad vehicles will be prominent this year and the public is invited to attend (for $90) Friday night's SEMA Ignited, an after-party in the parking lot along the north Strip where hundreds of customized cars and trucks will be displayed.
Traditionally, the month of November puts high temperatures in the 90s in the rear-view mirror; the record high for the month is 87 (November 1, 1988). But it can definitely get down to the chilly side; the record low is 16 (Nov. 13, 1938). The normal high and low temperatures start out at 73 and 52 in the beginning of the month and drop steadily to 60 and 41 at the end. It's typically a dry month, with average rainfall of just under a half-inch over three or four days. Last year, Las Vegas was still in the grip of an epic dry streak, so no rain at all fell the entire month.