In today’s Peach Bowl, the second of two semi-final games in the college-football National Championship playoffs, Georgia is a -4.5 favorite over Ohio State. The total is 61.5.
In today’s Fiesta Bowl, the first of two semi-final games in the college-football National Championship playoffs, Michigan is a -7.5 favorite over TCU. The total is 56.
MGM Resorts International has sold the site of the October 1, 2017, mass shooting. Las Vegas Village, the 15-acre parcel that hosted the Route 91 Harvest Festival across the Strip from Luxor, has been essentially unchanged since that terrible night, except for a two-acre corner that MGM donated to the county for a memorial to the massacre. The land was sold for an as-yet undisclosed amount to the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in central North Dakota. The tribe hasn't said anything about the purchase or its plans for the land.
In today’s Sugar Bowl, Alabama is a -7.5 favorite over Kansas State. The total is 57.5.
A Colorado man working as a clown at the National Finals Rodeo hit a royal flush in hearts (dealt the jack, queen, and king and the community cards turned up ace and 10) to win the Mega Jackpot side bet at Three Card Poker for $499,763 at the newly rebranded Horseshoe on his last day in Vegas on Thursday. He told casino personnel that he plans to "hang up his boots" and retire with his winnings.
In today’s Music City Bowl, Iowa is a -3 favorite over Kentucky. The total is 31.5.
In today's Orange Bowl, Clemson is a -3.5 favorite over Tennessee. The total is 61.
In today’s Arizona Bowl, Ohio is a -3 favorite over Wyoming. The total is 42.5.
In today’s Gator Bowl, Notre Dame is a -5.5 favorite over South Carolina. The total is 50.
In today’s Sun Bowl, UCLA is a -9 favorite over Pittsburgh. The total is 55.
As usual, the Strip will start shutting down on Saturday evening to make room for the vast majority of an anticipated 400,000 people who'll gather in Las Vegas to ring in the new year. The ramps to and from I-15 at Flamingo will close at 5 p.m.; Spring Mountain Road and Tropicana will remain open to traffic in both directions, as will the freeway on- and off-ramps. The Strip will begin closing between Tropicana Avenue and Spring Mountain Road, with roads in and out of the casinos blocked, at 6:30 p.m. The entire Strip will be off-limits to all traffic between 8 p.m. and the gradual reopening at 2 a.m. Some sections of Las Vegas Boulevard will open in a staggered fashion as crews deal with the tons of trash left from the celebration. Typically, normal traffic patterns resume by 6 a.m. New Year's Day.
In today’s Mayo Bowl, North Carolina State is a -2.5 favorite over Maryland. The total is 45.5.
Through the month of November, Nevada casinos already set a record for the state's highest annual win in history. With December's win remaining, the 459 casinos statewide registered a year-to-date win of $13.5 billion, up 1.2% over the 12-month win of $13.4 billion last year. With $1.3 billion in earnings, November was the 21st consecutive month of more than $1 billion, but other than Sparks, South Lake Tahoe, and Wendover, all jurisdictions reported a decline in revenue from November 2021. Most analysts are optimistic about the casinos' prospects in 2023, though year-over-year comparisons with this record-setting year will be difficult.
In today’s Alamo Bowl, Texas is a -3 favorite over Washington. The total is 67.
The Dallas Cowboys are -13.5 favorites over the Tennessee Titans in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 40.5.
In today’s Cheez-It Bowl, Florida State is a -10.5 favorite over Oklahoma. The total is 66.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
It’s almost 2023! NYE fireworks (if the weather permits) will be launched from 8 strip properties: MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Treasure Island, Resorts World, ARIA, Caesars Palace, Venetian, and The STRAT.
In today’s Pinstripe Bowl, Minnesota is a -10.5 favorite over Syracuse. The total is 45.
Fox5 News posted a story yesterday that will be of interest to anyone who flies Southwest Airlines, Reid International's largest and busiest carrier. In response to a question about the unprecedented disaster of flight cancellations over the Christmas weekend, the vice president of Southwest Airlines' pilot association responded, “The storm that hit last week was the catalyst, but the infrastructure for our scheduling software is vastly outdated. It can’t handle the number of pilots and flight attendants in the system with our complex route network.” He explained that the system "has a meltdown at least once a year," which results in the software's inability to track where planes, pilots, and flight attendants are located. It got so bad in the midst of this latest "flightmare" that not even the airline's flight crews could get through to scheduling and, like hundreds of thousands of passengers, had to find their own hotel accommodations when they were left stranded. A cautionary tale when it comes to flying during the busiest travel season of the year -- especially in the winter.
In today’s Texas Bowl, Mississippi is a -3.5 favorite over Texas Tech. The total is 71.5.
In today’s Holiday Bowl, Oregon is a -13 favorite over North Carolina. The total is 75.5.
In today’s Liberty Bowl, Arkansas is a -2.5 favorite over Kansas. The total is 70.
The Associated Press this morning reported that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority expects more than 400,000 visitors to participate in "America's Party 2023" on Saturday night. Apparently, the LVCVA expects all the travel problems of the past week to be over by then. However, the weather forecast might put a damper on the festivities. As of Tuesday according to the AP, there was an 80% chance of rain with winds gusting up to 35 miles per hour. But today, the chance of rain has been downgraded to 25% with winds up to 15 mph. Rain doesn't generally cancel fireworks shows, but wind does; anything stronger than 15-20 mph will threaten the pyrotechnics. But as of now, it looks like the show will go on.
Though we haven't seen any official announcement, it looks like the show Extravaganza Las Vegas, appearing in the Jubilee Theater at the Horseshoe, will be gone as of January 8. Tonight's 5 p.m. show, along with the 9 p.m. shows tomorrow night through January 5, plus the 7 p.m. show on Jan. 1, then all shows after 7 p.m. on January 7, have been canceled. Extravaganza opened on March 14, 2020, and closed the same night when the pandemic shut down the Strip. It was among the first to reopen in November, playing to the limit of 50 people, then 100 in February 2021, 250 in March, and finally to as many people as bought tickets. We reviewed the show in the September 2021 issue of LVA and liked it well enough. But with Bat out of Hell, Legends in Concert, and Extravaganza all closing in the space of a few days, it makes us wonder if this might be a sign of the Las Vegas profit juggernaut starting to show signs of cracking.
In today’s Military Bowl, Duke is a -3 favorite over Central Florida. The total is 62.5.
After more than 700 shows at the Tropicana's Legends in Concert Theater over the past four years, Legends in Concert's final performance there will be on Friday night, when its first-ever Elvis-themed production, “Back in the Building,” concludes its two-month-long engagement. Since its debut in 1983, upwards of five million show-goers have attended more than 10,000 Legends in Concert performances in various Las Vegas venues. The press release states that Legends "will soon announce plans for 2023" in Las Vegas.
In today’s Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Wisconsin is a -5.5 favorite over Oklahoma State. The total is 44.5.
In today’s Birmingham Bowl, E. Carolina is a -7 favorite over Coastal Carolina. The total is 67.
In today’s First Responder Bowl, Memphis is a -8 favorite over Utah State. The total is 57. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
In contrast to the flying situation, the price of gasoline is more good news for locals and near-range travelers. The average price of a gallon of gasoline in southern Nevada continued its slide last week and now sits at $3.81 per, 12 cents less than last week. That's 80 cents lower month over month and only three cents higher than last year at this time. Still, it pays to shop around; GasBuddy.com found that the highest-priced gas is $5.19, while the lowest is $3.34. In other relatively good news, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol, traffic returning to southern California yesterday was backed up only 12 miles from the California agricultural checkpoint at its worst. That's roughly half the distance of the jam after Christmas 2021 and six miles shorter than after this past Thanksgiving.
As of this time, 85% of the nearly 3,000 flights canceled across the nation are on Southwest Airlines. All Southwest flights out of southern California airports and Reid International have been canceled and the SWA website shows most flights as "unavailable" for reservations. In fact, Reid had the second-most canceled flights of all airports yesterday, just behind Denver International. In a statement, Southwest blamed "widespread disruption" for forcing it to "rebalance the airline and reposition our crews and fleet.” The crowds continue to grow at Reid and luggage is piled up everywhere, as the domino effect of wicked weather and airline woes take its toll. Worse, ticketed passengers on canceled flights are, in many cases, being informed that the next available flights aren't until the weekend, though flights on other airlines are bookable, but for whole new inflated-price tickets. That's if there's any information at all. What a Christmas for travelers.
The Los Angeles Chargers are -3.5 favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 44.5.
Delayed and canceled flights due to the unprecedented storm gripping half the nation continued to stack up yesterday at Reid International. More than 300 flights were canceled on Christmas and hundreds more were delayed, as the "bomb cyclone" takes its terrible toll on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year. With Las Vegas essentially sold out, people trying to get out have been hunkered down in the airport with nowhere else to go, though at least it's warm there; dozens of people have frozen to death across the country, with 60% of Americans affected in one way or another by the weather. Upwards of 5,000 flights nationwide were canceled yesterday.
One of the final Nevada casinos that remained closed since the pandemic shutdown has reopened. Primm Valley Casinos announced that Buffalo Bill’s reopened on Friday. A new restaurant, Wagon Wheel Grill, has also debuted and the announcement promised "more upgrades" in the coming year. Primm Valley, Buffalo Bill's, and Whiskey Pete's, the three casinos huddled around the state line at Primm, are owned by Affinity (formerly Herbst) Gaming, which also owns Silver Sevens in Las Vegas and Rail City in Sparks.
In today's final Christmas game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -7.5 favorites over the Arizona Cardinals. The total is 41.
The Denver Broncos are -3 favorites over the Los Angeles Rams in the second of three Christmas games today. The total is 35.5.
An article in Thursday's Livingstone Daily, a newspaper that covers Livingstone County, Michigan, reports that a local resident, Dave "King" Falzetti, has applied to the Guinness Book of World Records for the title of "Longest Career as an Elvis Impersonator." Falzetti claims that he started his impersonation career in 1974, more than four years before Elvis died, when he performed Elvis songs for a talent show at a high school where he was an art teacher. He never stopped. According to his calculations, an Elvis show he'll perform this February will set the record at 49 years. The current record is held by an impersonator from Belgium, Victor Beasley, who began his Elvis career in 1955 and continued until 2002, shortly before he passed away, for a total of 48 years. (And many thanks to Canada Roy for sending the link to the story.)
The Miami Dolphins are -3.5 favorites over the Green Bay Packers in the first of three Christmas games today. The total is 49.5.
Merry Christmas and Happy (last two nights of) Hanukkah from everyone here at Huntington Press and the Las Vegas Advisor. It's crowded in Vegas, though not as busy as it will be next weekend, and everything in the tourist corridor is open and buzzing. Most restaurants are serving what they usually do, though some, such as Siegel's 1941 at El Cortez, are offering more traditional fare, such as roast turkey and glazed ham. The sports books will be packed all day long with fans watching the NFL triple-header; the storm won't interfere, since the games are in Miami, Arizona, and L.A. Please don't drink and drive. Metro Police and Nevada Highway Patrol troopers are out in force in their annual holiday DUI Blitz. and you don't want your vacation ruined by a bust.
In today’s Hawaii Bowl, San Diego State is a -7 favorite over Middle Tennessee State. The total is 46.5.
The long-planned $300 million upgrade of the interchange of I-15 at Tropicana Avenue is about to get serious. According to Mick Akers, the Review-Journal's traffic reporter, "Dubbed 'Dropicana' by the Nevada Department of Transportation, a slew of work starting in early January will create traffic havoc around the area for months." In a nutshell, the flyover off the southbound interstate onto Tropicana and the eastbound Tropicana overpass will both be torn down and rebuilt. All this gets under way in earnest on Tuesday January 17, with the ramps closed for 9-18 months, depending on the direction, and Tropicana and all lanes of I-15 in both directions closed for a few days here and there (we'll let you know when). The project, which will continue into 2025, is widening lanes to add more capacity for the vastly increased traffic caused by events at T-Mobile and Allegiant Stadium.
The beloved Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge on the Strip just north of Convention Center Drive turns celebrates its gold anniversary on Monday, having opened on Dec. 26, 1972. It's a pilgrimage site for visiting old-timers who remember when it was one of the in places on the Boulevard, with its 12-page menu, five of which are for breakfast (10 omelets alone), and the portions are almost as big. Several items remain from the offerings on opening day, such as the fabulous fresh fruit salad (that comes with ice cream, house-baked banana-nut bread, and marshmallow sauce), the sinful French toast ambrosia, and of course the half-pound Peppermill burger. Prices have crept up over the years, of course, but as far as we can tell from the last time we ate there, but shrinkflation hasn't come anywhere near the place; you'll either take half your meal back to your hotel room or finish for your one splurge of the day. Of course, the Fireside Lounge is as cozy as it gets and that 64-ounce Scorpion starts or ends your Vegas party with a sting. Given its iconic status, we weren't surprised that the Peppermill earned the top spot in our recent poll on the restaurants not to be missed by first-timer Vegas visitors, garnering nearly 15% of the total vote. The Peppermill is hosting a party on Monday starting at 9:30 a.m. with food and drink specials, a cake, and what promises to be a parade of special guests. Everyone's invited.
In today’s Gasparilla Bowl, Wake Forest is a -2.5 favorite over Missouri. The total is 58.5.
Fontainebleau Development and its partner Koch Real Estate Investments have secured a $2.2 billion loan to finance the remaining construction and opening costs on the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. The financing ensures that the 67-story hotel-casino will remain on track to open sometime between October and December of next year.
In today’s Independence Bowl, Houston is a -6.5 favorite over UL Lafayette. The total is 56.
Move over Wynn Resorts at your mere million-dollar Formula 1 package. Caesars Entertainment has rolled out one for five times that measly amount. For their $5 million, up to a dozen guests will get five whole nights in the Nobu Sky Villa at Caesars Palace, a private dinner for 12 curated by chef Nobu Matsuhisa, 12 tickets to the Paddock Club with access to the Pit Lane walk, 24/7 butler service, Rolls Royce and personal driver, spa service in the villa's private treatment room (but only for six guests; the other six have to pay, apparently), and perhaps most valuable of all, tickets to Adele. The line for signing up for the package starts to the left.
Darn! We really liked the Jim Steinman-Meat Loaf-inspired musical Bat out of Hell that opened a couple of months ago at the Paris Theater. We had a review all queued up for the entertainment pages of LVA and, in fact, we were hoping to see it again; the performances, production, and music were all that strong. As we wrote in the review, "The two dozen cast members sing their lungs out and dance their hearts out, while the monster musicians backstage play their heads off." Unfortunately, on the night we went, the theater was, at best, 25% full and according to John Katsilometes of the Review-Journal, "Financial woes [took] the flight out of Bat." Oh well. We still have the album trilogy. The show closes after the performance on January 1; tickets for performances after that date will refunded at the point of purchase.
The New York Jets are -2.5 favorites over the Jacksonville Jaguars in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 36.5.
In today’s Armed Forces Bowl, Baylor is a -3.5 favorite over Air Force. The total is 43.
Anthony and Andrew take the stage again with the last word for a while on Hard Rock assuming official control of the Mirage's operations from MGM Resorts (and find out what Anthony thinks about that); the details on the New Year's Eve fireworks show; a gift idea for the gambler in your life that you haven't solved yet; a four-course lunch at one of the best steakhouses in town for -- get this -- $20; a mere 14 survivors in the Circa football contest; and perhaps the coolest Jackpot of the Week ever. Don't miss this one!
The Las Vegas Raiders, like most NFL teams, are nothing if not community minded. We don't cover all their donations to Las Vegas charities and events put on for locals; there are too many of them. But yesterday they hosted a holiday party for hundreds of disadvantaged kids from community centers, Family Services, and Child Haven that was too heartwarming not to describe. The county fire and police departments had trucks, ambulances, and K9 units in the parking lot, where the children hopped a mini train into the stadium. There, they participated in on-field activities, including rock climbing, ice skating, and arts and crafts, then toured the stadium and were surprised by a locker room full of presents. A dozen team members, along with several Raiderettes and front-office personnel, plus Santa and Mrs. Santa, were on hand. We're sure it's an event that every one of those youngsters will never forget.
GeoComply, the geolocation, compliance, and anti-fraud company for online sports books, reports that the World Cup Final was "the second most wagered-on sporting event of 2022." Only the Super Bowl recorded more geolocated transactions for a single event. Upwards of 7.9 million individual bets were made on the Final at U.S. sports books, well more than on the NBA Finals (5.1 million), March Madness Finals (4.8 million), and the NHL Stanley Cup Final (1.9 million). The 1.7 million unique user accounts from which wagers were placed on the World Cup Final were also second only to the Super Bowl's 3.1 million.
In today's New Orleans Bowl, South Alabama is a -3.5 favorite over Western Kentucky. The total is 58.
The Proper Eats Food Hall opened yesterday at Aria in the 24,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by the Aria Buffet (which was a good one). Outlets include: Soul Bird for Korean fried chicken, its first location outside London; Wexler’s (Jewish) Deli, its first location outside of southern California; Egghead from Tao Group for breakfasts; Temaki for sustainably caught seafood and made-to-order sushi; Shalom Y’all out of Portland for shawarma and pita; Pizzaoki from DJ Steve Aoki has Pizzaoki; Laughing Buddha for noodles and ramen bowls; Lola’s Burgers for guess what; and Easy Donuts for guess again; and Easy Cocktail Lounge. Food halls are apparently the new buffets; Proper Eats is the fourth on the Strip, along with Block 16 at Cosmo, Eataly at Park MGM, and Famous Food Street Eats at Resorts World.
A detailed article on MansionGlobal.com reports that Steve Wynn is continuing to liquidate personal residences, described as a "huge swath of real estate," around the country for a total of more than $300 million. Wynn sold his Las Vegas mansion, which he bought for $13 million in 2018 after he was asked to leave his villa on the Wynn Resort golf course, for $17.5 million last June; he dropped the asking price from $25 million after it sat on the market awhile. The 11-bedroom home he bought in Beverly Hills in 2015 for $48 million remains listed after a year for $100 million, a $25 million reduction from the original price. Now, according to the article, Wynn is selling two adjacent properties in Sun Valley, Idaho, for $27 million, as well as the next in a string of bought-and-sold residences in Palm Beach, where he lives, for $78.5 million, and a New York City penthouse for $90 million. Wynn, true to form, didn't respond to requests for comment; the speculation is that the 80-year-old ex-casino mogul is simplifying his portfolio.
It’s officially Christmas weekend! The following activities are open all weekend (12/23-26)
Today at 2:47 p.m. in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole will reach its maximum tilt away from the sun, marking the start of winter and what most people say is the shortest day of the year. But in Las Vegas, with its LED marquees and signs up and down the Strip, the 1,500-foot-long Fremont Street Experience screen downtown, the super-powerful beam shooting from the top of Luxor, and commercial and residential bulbs twinkling as far as the eye can see, we celebrate the longest night of the year. Sin City has been illuminating the desert for nearly 100 years and though Paris is the official City of Light, it can't hold a candle to Las Vegas.
In today’s Boca Raton Bowl, Toledo is a -3.5 favorite over Liberty. The total is 51.
In today’s Potato Bowl, San Jose State is a -4 favorite over Eastern Michigan. The total is 54.
The last time the average price of a gallon of gas in southern Nevada was less than $4 was late last February. It finally dropped to $3.98 on Saturday and $3.96 yesterday, according to AAA information tracked by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The price has fallen nearly $1 in the last four weeks, thanks to California refineries resuming full production after shutdowns and slowdowns over the year. The price is still 14 cents higher than the national average of $3.84 and the statewide average of $4, making Nevada the third highest state for gas prices, behind Hawaii ($5.11) and California ($4.37). Analysts expect the price to continue its downward trend, closer to the national average.
After being shuttered for the past eight years and sustaining at least two major fires recently, the long-time and infamous Crazy Horse Too has been razed and the now-vacant lot is being surrounded by cyclone fencing. The business, on Industrial Road right at Sahara Avenue, opened in the '70s as Billy Joe's and was soon bought by a known Mob associate and renamed Billy Joe's Crazy Horse Too; he also owned the Crazy Horse Saloon in Vegas. The third owner was rough; violence at the club wasn't uncommon, numerous law-enforcement agencies, including the FBI, investigated it (for tax and liquor violations, plus organized-crime connections, among others), and the federal government actually seized and closed the property in 2006. It couldn't sell the place, so it was finally auctioned it off in 2011, but it's days were numbered; it closed for good in 2014 and the license was revoked in 2019. The fires were allegedly set by squatters and vandals and the city finally demolished the place. Good riddance.
The Green Bay Packers are -7.5 favorites over the Los Angeles Rams in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 40.
In today’s Myrtle Beach Bowl, Marshall is a -13 favorite over Connecticut. The total is 41.
At 6 a.m. this morning, according to the news release, Hard Rock International, a subsidiary of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, officially assumed control of the operations of the Mirage (the land and buildings are owned by Vici Properties). Hard Rock, which paid $1.075 billion in cash for the purchase, now represents the first Native American tribe to operate a hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip. However, the transformation to a Hard Rock hotel-casino will be gradual and the property will remain the Mirage until then, projected at between 18 and 40 or so months.
On the last play of the Las Vegas Raiders game against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium yesterday, the score was tied at 24-24 with the Patriots running the ball as time ran out. Patriot running back Rhamondre Stevenson lateraled to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who tossed the ball backwards in the direction of quarterback Mac Jones. Meyers' aim was slightly off and the ball wound up in the arms of Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones, who stiff-armed Jones to the ground and returned the ball into the end zone for the win, 30-24. That was the best thing that ever happened to a sports bettor from Illinois, who watched the Raiders blow yet another 14 point lead in a disastrous second half, when he needed an outright Raider win to cash a five-team parlay with DraftKings for a cool $2.8 million. The football gods were with him -- and the home team -- yesterday. DraftKings confirmed the parlay. Meanwhile, the Raiders covered the 2½-point spread and the game went over; the favorite and over took the money, which usually means that the sports books got slaughtered And they did, to the tune of multiple seven-figure losses. Our author and South Point sports book director, Chris Andrews, said, "It killed us. We needed the Patriots pretty big. That’s the dumbest play I’ve ever seen.”
The Washington Commanders are -4 favorites over the New York Giants in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 40.5.
A story in this morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Formula 1 Las Vegas raised $743,000 for local charitable causes from the 96,000 people who signed up for the ticket priority list. The cost of securing a spot on the first-chance list was a $7.77 donation that F1 is donating to two food banks and a school-garden and community-market program. "We’re here to stay,” the CEO of Las Vegas Grand Prix said, “and we want to become a part of the fiber of the community."
A major interview with our fearless leader was posted today on CDCGamingReports.com. In it, you'll learn some things about A.C. that you probably don't know. Well known, of course, are his successful gambling career and tournament winnings, his take on the art of the act of blackjack and his induction into the Blackjack Hall of Fame, and his general advice on gambling. Not so well known are the moment he fell in love with gambling, his involvement in the development of gambling movies (we didn't even know about Rain Man!), the number of copies of Jean Scott's Frugal books we've sold, and how he really feels about Mattress Mack. Well worth the 10-minute read.
Argentina is a -120 favorite over France in today's World Cup championship match. The goal line is 2.
In today’s Frisco Bowl, Boise State is a -12.5 favorite over North Texas. The total is 64.
In today’s New Mexico Bowl, SMU is a -4.5 favorite over BYU. The total is 65.5.
In today’s Lending Tree Bowl, Southern Miss is a -6.5 favorite over Rice. The total is 45.5.
In today’s LA Bowl, Fresno State is a -5.5 favorite over Washington State. The total is 53.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
In today’s Las Vegas Bowl, Oregon State is a -7.5 favorite over Florida. The total is 52.
We've been receiving questions about the parade of several dozen speed boats on trailers pulled by pickup trucks that drove slowly north on the Las Vegas Strip from Tropicana Avenue around 4 p.m. These boat owners were protesting proposed changes to Lake Mead's boat-launch operations that could, if implemented, effectively ban motorized vessels from the lake. According to a recent newsletter sent out by the National Park Service managers of Lake Mead, they're apparently conducting "an environmental assessment for Lake Mead National Recreation Area to provide strategic direction for the future of motorized boat launching and related commercial services and infrastructure needs" at the lake's five boat launches. In other words, due to the extremely low (and falling) water level, the Park Service is seriously considering abandoning the boat-launch ramps on the lake, which would leave their operation to local businesses, leading to significantly rising launch costs -- if they're allowed to remain open at all. At least one of the boats in the Strip parade had a sign urging Nevada's congressional delegation to "Save Lake Mead Boating." The parade coincided with a meeting of hundreds of Colorado River water users and managers gathered at Caesars Palace to discuss the worsening water situation in the Southwest.
Casinos continue, month after month, to set records for profits, while Nevada's unemployment remains the highest in the U.S. In October, unemployment rose a third of a point, tying Oregon for the highest increase, but the Silver State owns the highest rate at 4.9%. The national average is 3.7%. Officials explained the dubious distinction as "people entering the labor force — more people who were previously not actively looking for work began looking for work in November." Okay, but obviously, they haven't found it. And meanwhile, lines for service in the casinos get longer and longer.
In today’s Cure Bowl, UTSA is a -3 favorite over Troy. The total is 56.5.
In this week's LVA weekly YouTube update, Anthony talks about the completion of the transformation of Bally's into the Horseshoe. It's the third identity for the building, which started out as the original MGM Grand, and though the inside has been rebranded, the exterior signage is still in the works and you won't find the kind of deals that made the original Binion's Horseshoe famous -- except for one. Tune in to find out which. Then the guys state that yes, they read the comments that you post about these videos every week, which provide excellent feedback, and they discuss several recent ones. Next, Anthony reveals two great holiday deals you'll want to take advantage of if you're here and the Circa Survivor slaughter that reduced the remaining players by more than half last week. And be sure to stick around for the Jackpot of the Week, which proves that it's good to be lucky!
Las Vegas' annual New Year's Eve party is back in force and officials from the city and county revealed the details at a press conference at the Fashion Show Mall yesterday. The midnight display will be handled again by Fireworks by Grucci; it will be an eight-minute show launched from eight Strip rooftops with more than 11,000 individual devices managed by "dozens of pyrotechnicians." The show will feature "crisscrossing comets to a soundtrack of hits like Miley Cyrus’ 'Party in the U.S.A.,' 'Larger Than Life' by the Backstreet Boys and many more." A separate show will be launched from the rooftop of the Plaza downtown, also at midnight.
The college football bowl season starts today with the Bahamas Bowl, where UAB is a -10.5 favorite over Miami Ohio. The total is 46. We’ll be posting lines for most of the bowls in this space.
The San Francisco 49ers are -3 favorites over the Seattle Seahawks in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 42.5.
Hanukkah starts on Sunday at sundown, which means a handful of restaurants around town will serve special meals for the Jewish Holiday of Lights. The iconic one is available at Siegel’s 1941 in El Cortez, consisting of chopped liver, matzo-ball soup, and tossed green salad to start, then braised brisket or apricot chicken with a latke, kasha varnishkes, and steamed broccoli for the entree, and raisin kugel or ice cream for dessert. The price is $23.95 with a players card, $28.95 without, and it'll be served 5-10 p.m. Dec. 18-26. Other Hanukkah meals around town will be available in Summerlin at the Bagel Cafe, Honey Salt, and Hearthstone Kitchen (Red Rock), in Henderson at 138 Degrees, and of course at Siegel's Bagelmania near the Convention Center.
The National Lacrosse League's Las Vegas Desert Dogs, the newest professional sports team here, will play their first home game at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay tomorrow evening starting at 7:30 p.m. They take on the Ft. Worth Panther City, the second game in the inaugural series; they lost in Ft. Worth on December 9 13-11. The Dogs have sold a reported 2,000 season tickets, nearly 20% of the 12,000 available seats at the arena. You can watch the game on ESPN2, ESPN+, and TSN.ca.
The city of Henderson has approved a plan to buy the 35-acre Fiesta Henderson site from Station Casinos for $32 million. The city plans to build an indoor multi-use community sports facility and Henderson officials will engage residents to determine what kind of amenities the facility will offer. The casino and hotel have been demolished, but the garage remains and will provide parking when the center opens. The plans will be finalized sometime next year.
“America’s Party″ returns in force to Las Vegas to ring in 2023, with another fireworks spectacular launching from the roofs of eight Strip casinos: Strat, Resorts World, Treasure Island, Venetian, Caesars Palace, Aria, Planet Hollywood, and MGM Grand. More details will be forthcoming from a news conference held tomorrow at the Convention Center.
Starting Jan. 1, the price for passenger vehicles to enter Red Rock Canyon will go from $15 to $20. For bicyclists, the price will be $8, up from $5. The fees for motorcyclists ($10) and pedestrians ($5) will remain the same. The BLM says the price hike is necessary to help defray the costs incurred from the growing number of visitors to the park: more rangers, trash pickup, maintenance (particularly removing graffiti), and upgraded signage. Red Rock visitation has exploded over the past 10 years: one million for the first time in 2012 up to 3.7 million so far this year.
Announced last January, Bally's will be officially rebranded Horseshoe Las Vegas tomorrow. Over the course of the year, Caesars Entertainment opened Jack Binion's Steak, replaced the sports book with the Arcade, moved the World Series of Poker there from the Rio, changed all the signs, carpeting, wallpaper, and paint, peppered the place with gold horseshoes, and expanded the casino. This will be the 10th Horseshoe-branded hotel-casino nationwide. The ninth held its grand opening in Lake Charles, Louisiana, two days ago, replacing the Isle of Capri; Mattress Mack christened the sports book with a million-dollar cash bet on the Houston Cougars to win the men's Final Four at 8-to-1 odds.
Station Casinos has filed plans with the city of Henderson to build a 600-room hotel-casino on a 45-acre parcel it has owned for 15 years in the sprawling Inspirada subdivision in south Henderson. It will be a major locals property, with an 80,000-square-foot casino, a number of restaurants and bars, a bowling alley and movie theater, and 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The plans indicate that the property will be completed in three phases, with a construction start date of January 2024.
In a panel discussion at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States in Las Vegas late last week, a senior-policy attorney for the Administration Division of the Nevada Gaming Control Board shared information about cyberattacks on Las Vegas casinos, some of which has never before been publicly disclosed. MGM Resorts, Binion's and the Four Queens, the Dotty's chain, BetMGM, and Las Vegas Sands have all been hit, and hit hard, by "hacktivists" since 2019. The details are revealed in coverage of the conference on CDCGamingReports.com.
The 54th annual World Series of Poker will start on May 30 and run through July 18, according to yesterday's announcement. Like last year, it will be hosted by Paris and the (by-then) Horseshoe. The Main Event will take place July 3-17 and might break the all-time attendance record; last year's $10,000-buy-in World Championship attracted 8,663 players, second largest field in the tournament's history. The other big events -- Mystery Millions (May 31), Monster Stack, Millionaire Maker, Colossus, Seniors Event, and Ladies Championship -- will return as expected, while two new events will be introduced: Ultra Stack and Gladiators of Poker. The entire schedule will be released in the coming months.
The New England Patriots are -2 favorites over the Arizona Cardinals in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 44.
As it does every year during the holidays, South Point is running its “Pay Less with Your Points” promo, during which almost everything is half-price when you use club points. This includes all restaurants and bars, rooms, shows, bingo, bowling, spa and salon, movies, and the gift shop. Drinks at the bars are $2 ($1 with points). The promo runs through December 24.
The official attendance numbers for the National Final Rodeo have been released and they're up from last year. The 10 nights at Thomas and Mack Center hosted 173,350 paying spectators, up 2.2% from last year's 169,539. For Saturday's final, 17,788 spectators filled the arena to capacity, the largest single-day crowd at Thomas and Mack since 2014, when a renovation reduced the number of seats. Cowboy Christmas, the shopping event that coincides with NFR, also set a single-day record when 40,894 shoppers attended on Saturday December 3; a total of 279,465 took in Cowboy Christmas, up 13.6% year over year. Yesterday, Las Vegas' Golden Week began, traditionally the slowest time of year, from the end of NFR to the beginning of the end-of-the-year holiday week.
Fox 5 News reports that according to GasBuddy.com, a gallon of gasoline in Las Vegas costs 23 cents less this week than last. The average price of a gallon now stands at $4.14, GasBuddy found after surveying 649 stations around the valley. That's 83 cents lower than a month ago, but still 32 cents higher than a year ago. It's also 11 cents lower than the average statewide, but 93 cents higher than the national average of $3.21. The price around town ranges from $3.77 to $5.19 per gallon.
The Miami Dolphins are -3 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 54.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
Every year, the restaurant-reservations service Open Table analyzes reviews on its site (13 million this year) to rank the top 100 eateries nationwide that "continuously serve up creative dishes, unparalleled hospitality, and one-of-a-kind dining experiences for all occasions and leave a lasting impression." Only Chicago, with 12, garnered more listings than Las Vegas' 10. They're not ranked numerically, simply in alpha order: Amalfi (Caesars Palace), Beauty & Essex (Cosmopolitan) ,Delominco Steakhouse (Venetian), Eiffel Tower (Paris), Golden Steer (W. Sahara), Hell’s Kitchen (Caesars Palace), Javier’s (Aria), Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (Forum Shops), Nobu (Caesars Palace), and TAO Asian Bistro (Venetian).
If you don't have to be out and about, today's a good day to stay put. Eight to 16 inches of snow are predicted for the mountains surrounding Las Vegas and winds of up to 60 mph and lashing rain are probable in the city through this evening. Then it clears up, but turns cold: high temperatures of 52 tomorrow and 48 on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Wednesday, the low could go down to 32 at the airport, with freezing temps here and there around the valley.
Magomed Ankalaev is a -370 favorite over Jan Blachowicz in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Paddy Pimblett is -240 over Jared Gordon.
Quarterbacks have won college football’s Heisman Trophy 9 of the last 11 years and that trend is certain to continue when the winner is announced tonight, with all four nominees playing the position. Caleb Williams (USC) is the solid favorite at -1600, Max Duggan (TCU) is +1400, Stetson Bennett (Georgia) is +4000, and C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) is +5000.
In this week's LVA YouTube update, Anthony and Andrew discuss details revealed this week about the transformation of the MIrage into the Hard Rock over the next few years, New Year's Eve room rates ($200-$2,000), an obscure but excellent restaurant with a $5.99 steak and eggs breakfast special and one of Vegas' best bargain burgers, our line of books about the Mob in Vegas, and a sweet Jackpot of the Week that launches Anthony into a discourse on the evolution of video poker and players clubs. Click and groove with the guys.
A marketing emailer from the Plaza includes the announcement that the fireworks the casino traditionally launches from the roof of its hotel tower at midnight on New Year's Eve will go off as planned again this year. No plans for the Strip's America's Party 2023 fireworks have been announced by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority yet, but eight casinos participated last year (after the pandemic hiatus): Strat, Resorts World, Treasure Island, Venetian, Caesars Palace, Aria, Planet Hollywood, and MGM Grand. We expect at least seven again this year. We'll post the news here as soon as it's verified.
Hilton has announced that its Waldorf Astoria brand will replace the vintage Tahoe Biltmore in Crystal Bay on the north shore of Lake Tahoe. The 76-year-old Biltmore closed last April and is scheduled to be demolished in the spring. The Waldorf Astoria will be built on the 15-acre property, with 76 guest rooms and 61 branded residences. It will feature an "upscale" casino, according to the announcement, as well as several food and beverage outlets, including a poolside restaurant and a lounge, Peacock Alley, named for the one at the original Waldorf Astoria in New York City. There will also be a "community grove" with shopping and more restaurants, a spa and fitness facility, and access to a three-acre lakefront beach club. The property is expected to open sometime in 2027.
We're currently running a poll related to the recent all-time-record $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot, whose winning ticket was sold in Altadena, California, on November 8. The single winner now has to make the choice between, In round numbers, taking the lump sum of nearly $1 billion ($630 or so million after taxes) or the annuity payments of $63 million ($42 or so million after taxes) for 30 years. If that choice were yours, which way would you go? Let us know by casting your vote and adding your comment here!
Wayne "Mr. Las Vegas" Newton wraps up his 2022 schedule in the Wayne Newton Theater in Bugsy's Cabaret at the Flamingo at the end of this month. He'll then launch into 70 more "Up Close and Personal" shows, starting January 16 and running through June 28, appearing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. The 80-year-old Newton appeared at the Flamingo as a 21-year-old and hadn't returned till he began his residency early this year. Tickets start at $69.
The four teams in the College Football National Championship are, in seed order, Georgia, Michigan, TCU, and Ohio State. In the two semi-final games, Georgia is a -6.5 favorite over Ohio State and Michigan is -7.5 over TCU. Both games will be played on New Year’s Eve.
The Las Vegas Raiders are -6 favorites over the Los Angeles Rams in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 43.5. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
All 7,000 employees, full-time and flex, regardless of seniority or job description, received a $1,500 bonus yesterday from Apollo Global Management, which acquired the property from Las Vegas Sands earlier this year. The $11 million total was part of a $620 million distribution reflecting "higher-than-expected financial results in the hotel, casino, food and beverage, and meetings and convention business" since Apollo took over operations. The distribution was approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission (necessary because Apollo is privately held and regulators wanted assurances that the distribution wouldn't impact performance) and announced at yesterday's company town hall meeting that included entertainment and dinner from the property's restaurants. Apollo plans to invest $1 billion in upgrading the suites and casino floors at both the Venetian and Palazzo in the next few years.
If you missed KNPR yesterday, Anthony Curtis will be a guest on "Pushing the Limits with Brian Shapiro" today, along with professional sports bettor and radio personality, Bill Krackomberger. A.C. and “Krackman” should make for some interesting discussion. The show airs at noon on 1400 AM.
We have a Member Rewards Online coupon for the Million Dollar McGraw show at the Orleans. The show, a tribute to country superstar Tim McGraw performed by Nashville recording artist and Las Vegas entertainer Adam "Vegas McGraw" Tucker, is playing in the Venue at the Orleans today through Sunday at 3 p.m. for $19.95/$29.95. Our $5-off coupon is open to all and you can use it with the redemption code LVA when buying tickets at the Venue's booking site.
In a four-hour meeting with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Hard Rock International Chairman of the Board and CEO of Seminole Gaming Jim Allen presented a preview of what the new Hard Rock Las Vegas will look like. The Control Board voted to approve the transfer of ownership from MGM Resorts for $1.075 billion in cash; the Gaming Commission is expected to rubber-stamp that at its December meeting, after which the deal can close. The property will stay open for at least 18 months, but closing it beyond that remains an option; it will be called the Mirage until the transformation to Hard Rock is complete in 2025 at the earliest. That plan involves gutting and redeveloping the existing Mirage hotel towers, plus building an all-suites guitar-shaped tower for a total for a total of 3,640 rooms. The casino, restaurants, and public areas will, likewise, be completely stripped and rebuilt from scratch. The casino will nearly double in size, from 94,000 square feet to 174,000, with the number of slots going from 850 slots to 2,000 and table games increasing from 51 to 212; BetMGM will remain the sports book operator. There will be a minimum of 21 restaurants, most (if not all) of them new. Another 83,000 square feet of convention space will be added, with a new ballroom for high-end events. The pool area will be completely rebuilt, with a “pool experience” in front of the guitar tower. In perhaps the biggest news, the theater will nearly double in size, from 3,278 to 6,265 seats (which doesn’t bode well for Beatles' LOVE beyond the current extension into 2024). There will also be a music museum and high-tech show out front. The transition to Hard Rock ownership is expected to take place on December 19.
With the rodeo still in town, there is no shortage of country entertainment this weekend.
If country isn’t your thing, don’t worry! There’s still plenty to do.
Anthony Curtis will be a guest on KNPR's "State of Nevada" show today as part of a discussion on the crowds of visitors here in Vegas and gaming in the past year. Tune in at 9 a.m.
The median price for a single-family home in the Las Vegas metro area dipped again in November, this time down to $430,990, according to the monthly report from Las Vegas Realtors. That's a decrease of 2% from October's $440,000 and 10.6% from the record median price of $482,000 set in May. It's still up from November 2021's $420,000 (2.6%). Sales are way down, 53% year over year for houses and 46% for condos. And inventory is way way up, with 161% more houses and 223% more condos on the market compared to November of last year.
Oregon State will play the University of Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday December 17 at 4:30 p.m. local time. The OSU Beavers will be making their first Las Vegas Bowl appearance since 2009 when they lost to Brigham Young 44-20; they defeated New Mexico 55-14 in the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl. The Florida Gators finished the season 6-6 after losing their final two games of the season, while the Beavers went 9-3 with wins in their final three games. It will be the first bowl game between Oregon State and Florida and the second time an SEC team has played in the Las Vegas Bowl. ABC will broadcast the game, the 31st in Las Vegas. Tickets are on sale, with plenty available, from $150 to $150.
Two Spanish tennis stars, one veteran and one youngster, will meet each other for the third time at MGM Grand Garden Arena to continue what's being called "a rivalry for the ages." Rafael Nadal needs no introduction (but we'll give him one anyway); the 36-year-old Spaniard hold's a men’s-record 22 Grand Slam titles, including two in 2022, the first at the Australian Open in January, the second at the French Open in June. His 19-year-old countryman Carlos Alcaraz won his first major trophy at the U.S. Open in September. In addition, the duo finished number one (Alcaraz) and number two (Nadal) in this year's Association of Tennis Professionals rankings and Alcaraz is the youngest-ever number one, while Nadal is the oldest-ever number two. It's the first time two countrymen have led the ATP rankings since 1996 (Americans Pete Sampras and Michael Chang). The exhibition match between the two will take place on March 5 and tickets go on sale on Friday.
A 21-year-old Phoenix resident hit a jackpot worth $1,100,075 while playing blackjack at Gila River Lone Butte in Chandler. It was the largest table-game jackpot in Arizona history. The new King of Cards table-game progressive links 75 table games at all three Gila River casinos. Resetting at $1 million, it's the largest table-game progressive jackpot in the state. The player was down to his last hand when he bet $15, plus $5 on the progressive. He plans to buy his parents a new house, along with a new car for himself and other in his family. The winning hand wasn't reported.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -3.5 favorites over the New Orleans Saints in tonight's Monday Night Football game. The total is 40.5.
Every year, American music and entertainment magazine Billboard posts its Year-End Boxscore, listing the highest-grossing artists, tours, and venues between Nov. 1 and Oct. 31. In this year's Boxscore, Allegiant took top honors in the Stadium category, with $182.5 million in ticket sales, more than a million attendees, and 24 music (and soccer) events. SoFi Stadium in L.A. came in second, but wasn't even close, at $107.8 million in tickets, 546,000 fans, and only 11 events. In the 5,000-seats-or-fewer category, Resorts World Theatre came in at number one: $55.2 million, 362,510 attendees, and 87 events; and in the 5,001-10,000 category, Dolby Live at Park MGM also placed first: $114.4 million, 477,737 attendees, and 98 events. The Colosseum at Caesars placed third in that category, while T-Mobile came in fourth for 15,001-or-more seats. The six venues hosted nearly three million music fans in the time period.
Thanks to a foot of snow falling on the upper reaches of the Spring Mountains in the past month, plus enough snowmaking to open the main trails, Lee Canyon’s 2022-2023 ski season will launch on Wednesday. Two of the three lifts, along with the Bighorn Grill, Bristlecone Bar, and Brewin’ Burro Coffee House, will open at 9 a.m., closing at 4 p.m. The season's accessibility of the third lift and snow play areas will depend on further snowfall.
International beer brand Brewdog opened its bar, restaurant, and microbrewery on Friday at the top of the Showcase Mall. It's a two-story 30,000-square-foot pub; the fourth-floor level is a patio with a 360-degree view. The 14-year-old brand, founded and based in Scotland, owns and operates more than 50 similar bars around the world and had a TV show on Esquire Network for three seasons (2013-2015). The company produces various types of ales and lagers and the pub has nearly 100 beers on tap, including its own and "a rotating line-up of top American guest breweries." This venue is the company's largest and features a 4,000-square-foot LED cube on the rooftop with a custom 30-foot sign, which you can't miss if you're looking up on the south Strip. There are three menus -- third floor, rooftop, and oak-fired -- but it's mostly typical sports-bar fare: burgers, sandwiches, wings, tacos, and salads in the $7 (tacos) to $35 (lobster chip boxty) range; there's also a burger topped with haggis, the Scottish national dish ($22). The rooftop menu is a little fancier, with more lobster dishes and steaks. BrewDog is open Sun.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-1 a.m., Fri.-Sat. till 2.
The Dallas Cowboys are -11 favorites over the Indianapolis Colts in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 44.
George Thorogood will commemorate his 50th anniversary as a touring rocker with the 22-date "Bad All Over the World – 50 Years of Rock" tour that, in the 72-year-old wild-man's tradition, will play 20 of the dates in two months. Thorogood and the other original Destroyers band member, drummer Jeff Simon, will appear at the Palms on March 25. With a string of hits, including "Bad to the Bone," "I Drink Alone," "You Talk to Much," "Move It on Over," "Who Do You Love?", and especially "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," Thorogood has sold 20 million albums since the band first started performing on December 1, 1973. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $51 and topping out at $524.
When country star Carrie Underwood wraps up her "Denim and Rhinestones" tour in the spring, she'll return to Resorts World Theater to reprise her sold-out residency here for 18 new shows called "Reflection Las Vegas." The first residency, which launched around a year ago, was extended once into last spring; it ended as the singer was preparing for her "Denim" tour to support her album of the same name. The new dates are: June 21, 23, 24, 28, and 30; July 1; Sept. 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30; and Nov. 29. Tickets go on sale on Friday December 9 at 10 a.m.
This week's YouTube LVA update is a couple of days later than usual, but it's definitely worth the wait. Anthony and Andrew are feeling no pain, indulging on camera in some Ellis Island egg nog, which packs a wicked wallop. Anthony tells a personal story about his family and waxes nostalgic as he discusses the December Las Vegas Advisor, which is the last issue of the nearly 500 (40 years' worth) of the printed newsletter; it will be online only from now on. From there, the guys launch into the December room rate survey and the second year in a row that it's the worst ever; the best way to avoid the hours-long wait to get into the super-popular Palms Wednesday lobster buffet; the latest on Circa Survivor; why professional Brian Zembic got breast implants 30 years ago (and still has them) and became The Man with the $100,000 Breasts; and a Jackpot of the Week that Anthony personally stumbled across on his way to Hugo's Cellar at the Four Queens, which he extols. Turn on and tune in.
Kevin Holland is a -185 favorite over Stephen Thompson in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Rafael Dos Anjos is -425 over Bryan Barberena.
The Budweiser Clydesdale team of horses will make an appearance in Downtown Summerlin in its annual holiday parade starting at 6 p.m. today. Guests can meet the Clydesdales and take photos with them before the parade, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., at the public viewing area in the northwest parking lot of the shopping center on a first-come first-served basis.
The first Nevada location of Jet’s Pizza has opened at 1321 W. Sunset Road. Detroiters know about the ongoing debate about which has the best Detroit-style pizza: Jet’s or Buddy’s. But one thing's for sure. Jet's is in the top two.
The Downtown Events Center will once again host what it's touting as the "biggest football party of the year" on Super Bowl Sunday. As in the past, admission will be free, though you can reserve a table or mancave at a beverage minimum. Watch the game on the stadium screen with booming sound and live odds (Circa Sports), while indulging in food, drink, and beer pong. The party starts early on Super Bowl Sunday February 12 and lasts late into the evening.
The Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board yesterday issued 40 provisional licenses for marijuana consumption lounges around the state, though a full 36 of them will be in southern Nevada, 15 in Las Vegas and 21 in unincorporated Clark County. So the consumption lounges will open soon? Let's see. The Compliance Board now has to issue instructions, scheduled for the "coming weeks." Then the selected businesses will have four months to provide the information required for the suitability investigations, for which there's no timetable. Then the applicants will need approval from the city of Las Vegas and Clark County, neither of which have finalized their regulations. Then inspections of the lounges will have to be conducted. Though it's been announced that the lounges are expected to open in "the first half of 2023," that seems optimistic to us. The 40 licensees were selected in a lottery out of 79 applicants; 20 will be standalone lounges not connected to a dispensary and 10 of those were "social-equity" applicants who could prove that they were negatively affected by marijuana laws before legalization.
A report issued by the American Gaming Association on Wednesday estimates that illegal gambling is a $511 billion business in the U.S., costing legal operators $44.2 billion in the 36 states where casino gambling is legal and states $13.3 billion in taxes collected. The study was based on a poll of nearly 5,300 U.S. adults concerning their gambling habits in the past year, both legal and illegal. Sports betting was a major piece of the illegal pie, accounting for nearly $64 billion, compared to the $100 billion in legal sports bets that will be placed this year. As for online-casino gambling, the survey estimated that illegal igaming operators win $13.5 billion, almost three times the estimated legal $5 billion annually. Almost one out of two adult Americans, according to the report, has played slots or table games at illegal igaming sites, which we find a bit hard to believe. But we can believe the survey's estimate that there are nearly 600,000 illicit slot machines throughout the nation, compared to 870,000 machines in regulated casinos and on slot routes.
The average daily room rate (ADR) for a Las Vegas hotel room in October was a smidge below $210, highest in history. The previous record was set in September at a smidge more than $187; October's new record was 10% higher than September's old record. It was also 20% more than October 2021's ADR and a full 50% higher than October 2019 pre-pandemic. Not surprisingly, the Strip's ADR was $225.69, 6.7% higher than citywide, while downtown's was almost half of that at $117.51. Given that October also set a record for airport traffic, it's clear that demand remains through the roof and the casinos are taking full advantage of it. People are coming in droves and paying in spades and why wouldn't they? They are, after all, visiting casinos.
The Buffalo Bills are -3.5 favorites over the New England Patriots in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 44.
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo starts today at Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV. The rodeo takes place for the next 10 nights at the arena to standing-room-only crowds of nearly 17,000, as contestants compete for a prize pool of $11 million (it was $1 million when NFR was first held in Las Vegas in 1985). The Cowboy Christmas western expo and shopping event takes place throughout the tournament at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Casinos host country & western acts in their lounges and showrooms, along with other rodeo-centric events. Good targets for rodeo fans are the D, Plaza, Virgin, South Point, and Orleans.
December Fools! Reid International set an all-time record for the number of flyers passing through the airport in October: 5.17 million. It was the first time in airport history that it handled more than five million passengers and it was an increase of almost 25% compared to October 2021. And if you think international travelers made the difference, think again. Domestic visitors at 4.8 million nearly broke the record by itself; the previous record total of 4.86 million was set just two months earlier in July and the 286,000 travelers from abroad made up a roughly half-percent of the total. And another nearly 100,000 people came in via private planes and helicopters.
Normally, the month of December has a very narrow temperature range. The average highs start out at 59 and spend a few days at 58 and 57 before settling down at 56 through the rest of the month. Similarly, the lows are 41 to 39 through the first 13 days of the month, then stay at 38 through New Year's Eve. The record highs and lows, of course, have a much broader range: from 78 (Dec. 2, 1940) all the way down to 11 (Dec. 23, 1990). Average precipitation is .6 of an inch.