We're halfway through till the end date of the Advisor poll on what you would bring back from Las Vegas bygone days. We're currently at more than 5,000 votes for 70 or so selections and the results will be receiving some attention from other Las Vegas media. Let's give them an even bigger showing! If you haven't voted already, here's the link. And thank you for your support.
VitalVegas reports this morning that the 68-day-old Culinary Union strike against Virgin Las Vegas will end with a vote of the rank and file today at noon. "A communication sent to union members (see below) says there will be a vote at noon on Jan. 22, 2025, to ratify a new contract"; the communication looks like a text message. VitalVegas says that the terms of the contract are confidential, so the members will be voting to ratify the new contract without knowing the details. We haven't seen this story reported anywhere else as of this moment, nor have we received a press release from the union (we're on the media list and get them several times a day), but Vital Vegas' sources are deep and if the communication posted on the VV website isn't a deep fake from somewhere, the strike could be ending very soon.
This year's semi-finalists for the James Beard Foundation Awards were announced this morning and Las Vegas garnered five nominations. In the Best Chef Southwest category (Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma), the nominations are DJ Flores of Milpa, Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa, Michael Vakneen of Double Zero Pie & Pub, and Eleazar Villanueva of Restaurant de Joël Robuchon. DJ Flores was also a nominee for a 2024 award. In a new category, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, Cristie Norman of Delilah at the Wynn was named. Finalists will be announced April 2 and the winners will be feted at a ceremony on June 16 in Chicago.
All the rooms in the MGM Grand's main tower will be remodeled at a cost of $300 million, according to an announcement by MGM Resorts on Friday. The rooms, which opened with the megaresort in 1993, are being upgraded "as MGM Grand positions itself for the exciting developments set for the south end of The Strip,” per the press release. MRI is obviously making a big bet that the A's stadium will actually come to fruition. The first renovated rooms will be available on March 1 and they'll all be completed by the end of this year. In addition, 111 suites will be added, Netflix Bites will open featuring food from hit Netflix shows, Palm Tree Beach Club will replace Wet Republic, and room rates will almost certainly be raised, if not resort fees, to enhance the guest experience.
The Black Eyed Peas have canceled their upcoming residency at Planet Hollywood due to "current circumstances." The residency encompassed 15 dates between February 15 and May 31 at PH Live. Ticket providers are issuing full refunds automatically.
The Westgate station for the Las Vegas Loop opened on Saturday. It's the second to come online since the station at Resorts World opened in 2022 and the station that serves the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, known as the Riviera station, opened last year. Unlike the others, the Westgate station is aboveground, located between valet and the self-parking garage.
In the college-football National Championship, Ohio State is a -8 favorite over Notre Dame. The total is 46.
In an interview on Forbes.com, Phil Ruffin said he wants to sell Circus Circus and its 102 acres and 2,000 feet of north Strip frontage. Ruffin picked up Circus only six years ago for $825 million, claims its worth $5 billion today, and told Forbes that there's plenty of interest from buyers. Ruffin cited his purchase of the Frontier in 1998, ending the long bitter strike there. He paid $167 million, then sold it in 2007 for $1.2 billion. “Why do you think I bought Circus Circus? For the 102 acres,” he told the magazine. “That’s the land play. Remember what I did at the Frontier, how the value of the land went crazy? [With Circus], it’s going crazier.” Ruffin bought Treasure Island for $775 million and told Forbes he's looking to acquire another Strip property after unloading the Clown show; he's also open to properties outside of Nevada.
The 2025 Member Rewards Books are in. They're available at our office today beginning at 9 a.m. PST and envelopes are being loaded for mailing.
In today's AFC playoff game, the Baltimore Ravens are -1 favorites over the Buffalo Bills. The total is 52.
In today's NFC playoff game, the Philadelphia Eagles are -7 favorites over the Los Angeles Rams. The total is 51.5.
Electronic music artist Kygo will host Palm Tree Beach Club at MGM Grand when it opens in May in the space formerly occupied by Wet Republic. Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll, known professionally as Kygo, is a 33-year-old Norwegian DJ and music producer and has been on the scene for 10 years, the past eight as a resident artist at the Wynn. The 60,000-square-foot Palm Tree Beach Club will feature a ground-level stage, salt-water pool, 12 bungalows, 10 cabanas, and daybeds and chaise lounges, with space to accommodate 3,000 guests. All the tech has been upgraded from Wet Republic, with a new sound system, LED screens, and pyrotechnics set, according to the press release, "within a theme that is Beverly Hills meets Palm Springs with a youthful Country Club touch." See you there!
In the midst of record cold in most parts of the country, Las Vegas is experiencing low temperatures not seen here for several years. There's disagreement on how low it'll go, but some models show temperatures dropping into the 20s tonight and Monday night. The last time the official reading at the airport was below 30 degrees was on Jan. 2, 2022, when it hit 28. Some predictions are for a low below that in the Tuesday wee hours. Highs won't get much higher than the mid-50s and only for an hour or two mid-afternoon, then drop into the 40s before dark. Wherever you are, bundle up.
Islam Makhachev is a -1575 favorite over Renato Moicano in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Umar Nurmagomedov is -280 over Merab Dvalishvili.
In today's NFC playoff game, the Detroit Lions are -8 favorites over the Washington Commanders. The total is 55.
In today's AFC playoff game, the Kansas City Chiefs are -9.5 favorites over the Houston Texans. The total is 41.5.
The German hard-rock band Scorpions have postponed their 2025 Las Vegas residency, due to the drummer's bout with sepsis. Mikkey Dee has been the band's drummer for the past 10 years. The Scorpions were scheduled to launch their "Coming Home to Las Vegas 60th Anniversary" residency on Feb. 27 at PH Live at Planet Hollywood, with dates extending into March. The residency will now run Aug. 14-23 and tickets will be reissued by the point-of-sales vendors.
VooDoo Steak, which occupies the 51st and 52nd floors of the Rio, has been open for some time, though VooDoo Lounge, the associated ultra lounge, "permanently" closed during the pandemic. Well, apparently, permanently meant five years or so, because VooDoo Lounge reopens tonight at 9 p.m. at the Rio. According to the Rio's website, "The wait is over — VooDoo Lounge has returned. Perched high above the city, this ultra lounge is your gateway to unforgettable evenings. From bold cocktails to panoramic views and a live DJ setting the vibe, every moment invites you to play, explore, and savor the good life." There's no cover, but "upscale attire" is required and beers are $9-$10, cocktails $17, bottle service $200-$850, and VIP seating packages $250-$1,500. Welcome back.
Today is "Beer Friday"! Join Anthony and Andrew for a YouTube livestream starting at 4 p.m. PST. A major topic of discussion will be the 2025 Member Rewards Book. Watch the show live, interact online, and drink along with the guys to start the weekend. Log in to join at LVA YouTube live channel.
The Southern Nevada Home Builders Association told Fox5News that home builders throughout southern Nevada will lobby the 2025 Nevada Legislative Session, scheduled to begin on February 3 and end on June 2. They'll urge state lawmakers to "solve the Las Vegas Valley’s land shortage before a looming scenario that will worsen the housing crisis: no more land for new homes by 2032." The builders are also lobbying Congress to "release more land for housing development." More than 86% of land in Clark County, which encompasses most of southern Nevada, is owned and/or managed by the federal government and unless a percentage of it is handed over for development, the valley will be saturated with housing in the next seven years. It's estimated that the Las Vegas metropolitan area's population will grow from 2.3 million today to 3.03 million in 2040 -- and the added 700,000 or so residents won't have anywhere to live if the current housing trend continues.
An anonymous slot player at Encore last Thursday won $1,183,314 on a Wheel of Diamond Spins 2x Wilds machine, the first jackpot to hit on the machine in 2025, according to IGT.
According to UHaul's annual Growth Index of people moving to and from each state, analyzing how many customers used one-way equipment (2.5 million rentals), Nevada had one of the biggest shifts in 2024 from 2023. Two years ago, it was number 11 out of 50 on the list; last year, it dropped all the way down to number 35. Nevada's rankings have been all over the map (so to speak) over the past 10 years, from number 8 in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to number 43 in 2016, with 26 the average ranking. The top five states for im-migration in 2024 were all south of the Mason Dixon line: South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. Arizona came in sixth. The bottom five, all with a net out-migration, were California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Kenny Chesney has announced a 12-date residency at Sphere, the first country act to appear in the dome. The 56-year-old Chesney, who has a rabid following known as “No Shoes Nation,” released his first album in 1994 and his 20th album, Born, came out last March. He's sold 30 million units over the course of his 30-year career, spawning 27 singles that have made it to the the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, and headlined 18 arena tours. He's been awarded 12 Country Music Association awards, including Entertainer of the Year four times, 11 Academy of Country Music awards, including Entertainer of the Year (2005 to 2008), and has been nominated for six Grammy awards. The shows will be on: May 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 31 and June 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, and 14 (so far; we won't be surprised if he extends beyond that). The fan club pre-sale is available for registration, with sales beginning on Tuesday; general tickets go live on Friday 1/31.
A little more than a year after opening, Fontainebleau has ratcheted down its free-parking policy. The original four hours free for everyone has been reduced to one hour free for out of towners and three hours for locals. Beyond that, it's $20 to park for up to 24 hours. Hotel guests and silver-tier and above Fontainebleau Rewards members still park for free. As for valet, the validation process has been extended to anyone dining in a restaurant, drinking at a bar, getting a treatment in the spa, or spending a certain amount in the shops.
Bellagio’s Conservatory and Botanical Gardens' "Year of the Snake" is now on display. The Conservatory is celebrating the Lunar New Year, which begins January 29, with money trees, cherry blossoms, a tea ceremony, oversized umbrellas, a pagoda, dragons, panda, bridge over pond, and a profusion of flowers and greenery. It's open 24 hours a day and will remain in place through March 1.
Janet Jackson has extended her residency at Resorts World through May. She debuted with two shows over New Year's weekend and will perform six previously announced shows in February. The new shows will extend the residency with another six: May 21, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 31. Tickets for the May performances go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. PT on the AXS website. The shows are getting uniformly rave reviews.
VitalVegas has a eulogy this morning for Cook E. Jarr, the quintessential Vegas lounge lizard who had a decades-long career here and a hugely devoted fan following. The report is that Cook E., a.k.a. Tony Pettine, died yesterday "at 83 after a lengthy hospitalization." Another legend passes and though Cook hadn't performed in some time, he is and will be well remembered by anyone who caught his act, including us. You can read his bio, and see his plaque on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars, in a Question of the Day we ran in July.
In its annual rankings of entertainment venues, Billboard magazine has named Allegiant Stadium the number-one U.S. destination for 2024. Allegiant attracted more than 657,000 fans to 15 major touring acts last year, including the Rolling Stones, Pink, Billy Joel and Sting, Morgan Wallen, and George Strait. Overall, the shows sold $118 million worth of tickets, first out of all U.S. stadiums. Only Estadio GNP Seguros Mexico City sold more tickets than Allegiant, with $135.3 million in revenue from 1.5 million attendees, which placed Allegiant at number two worldwide. And that's just concerts, which didn't include Super Bowl 58, three international soccer matches, the 2024 Las Vegas Bowl, and the first National Rugby League (NRL) regular season matches to take place in a U.S. venue.
The first LVA YouTube Weekly Update has a lot of information for Las Vegas value seekers. It starts out with a word on the evolving vlog format, exemplified by a fortune that Steve Cyr, subject of our book Whale Hunt in the Desert, received in a dessert cookie at a Chinese restaurant. What are the odds of that happening? Anthony provides the final update for the Circa Survivor contest, then launches into the details of the 2025 Las Vegas Advisor Member Rewards Book of 70 coupons this year (same as last), enumerating the gambling bonuses, master coupons, dining and drinking discounts, resort-fee waivers, big-ticket experiences (including the Mile High Club experience), and the rest. If you've been waiting for this news, it's here for the taking. The Jackpot of the Week involves a blackjack hand in which the player split tens six times, much to the consternation of the other players at the table and the amusement of Anthony and Andrew.
In today’s final NFL Wild Card Playoff game, the Minessota Vikings are -2 favorites over the Los Angeles Rams. The total is 48.
Wynn Resorts has announced a deal to buy Crown London, a members-only casino in the city's posh Mayfair neighborhood, for an undisclosed price. Wynn will use Crown as a "conduit" to introduce wealthy British and European gamblers to its $5 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates, slated to open in 2027. Wynn will have two years to fine-tune its European marketing at Crown, located in a 17th-century building, which caters to an international crowd of high rollers with 20 table games and a restaurant-bar that specializes in European, Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisines.
We received a photo over the weekend that shows gates at the entrance to the Sahara parking garage. We can confirm that the photo is, actually, of the Sahara. Even though the gates are down in the photo, they certainly go up to allow passage in and out without payment, at least according to the sign. We'll run over there to check out the situation soon, but for now, it looks as if the Sahara is ready and able to make a change in its free-parking policy, if not yet willing.
In today’s third NFL Wild Card Playoff game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are -3 favorites over the Washington Commanders. The total is 51.5.
In the second of three NFL Wild Card Playoff games today, the Philadelphia Eagles are -5.5 favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The total is 46.
In the first of three NFL Wild Card Playoff games today, the Buffalo Bills are -7.5 favorites over the Denver Broncos. The total is 48.5.
Amanda Ribas is a -200 favorite over Mackenzie Dern in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Santiago Ponzinibbio is -145 over Carlston Harris.
In today’s second NFL Wild Card Playoff game, the Baltimore Ravens are -9 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The total is 44.5.
In the first of two NFL Wild Card Playoff games today, the Los Angeles Chargers are -3 favorites over the Houston Texans. The total is 42.
Ohio State opened as a -9.5 favorite over Notre Dame for the College Football National Championship. The total is 45.
On the 58th day of Culinary Union’s longest strike in over two decades, hundreds of strikers will march from the Las Vegas Strip to Virgin. At 5:30, upwards of 700 strikers will march from Paris down to Harmon Avenue, then over to Virgin. Traffic will be briefly disrupted along the route. The strike has garnered some attention nationally and a fair amount of support locally, with county commissioners and state and federal elected officials joining the picket line, artists canceling shows, and even the Adult Performers Artists Guild standing in solidarity with the union.
In today’s Cotton Bowl, the second semi-final game in the college-football National Championship playoffs, Ohio State is a -5.5 favorite over Texas. The total is 51.5.
BLVD, the massive four-story 400,000-square-foot retail, dining, and entertainment project, has completed construction. Across from Aria (with a great view of it from the second-floor patio at Whataburger), BLVD opened to the public during F1, when the The two-story Puma store unlocked its doors. The rest of the announced retailers will open "in early 2025," which is right around now, though no dates have been announced. Initial retailers include Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, British sportswear retailer JD Sports, Danish jeweler Pandora, mini department store H&M, and Adidas. In N Out has announced a major outlet, but that isn't opening for another year or so. Parking is behind BLVD with 450 spaces and no, it's not free. But the Overlook, an outside seating area at the top of BLVD, is open to all at no charge.
An abundance of caution due to the wildfires raging in southern California forced the shutdown of two pipelines that deliver gasoline and other types of fuels from refineries in California to Las Vegas. The pipelines stopped service on Wednesday and gas stations quickly became "busy" with panic buyers. A statement yesterday from the Clark County Office of Emergency Management read in part, "We have assessed fuel reserves for emergency response vehicles and are confident we will continue to provide emergency services for the duration of this event. Residents should reconsider heavy driving while the pipeline is potentially disrupted." Last night, it was announced that the pipelines would reopen in "12-24 hours." Which means anytime now and if it happens, the disruption would be brief. But the fires remain out of control amid windy conditions, so Las Vegas isn't out of the woods yet.
In today’s Orange Bowl, the first semi-final game in the college-football National Championship playoffs, Notre Dame and Penn State are pick 'em. The total is 46.5.
A long feature on the Las Vegas Loop on ProPublica.com, an investigative journalism website, unveils problems with the Boring Company's massive subterranean public-transportation system Here's the gist: "The head of the Convention Authority has called the project the only viable way to ease traffic on the Las Vegas Strip and in the surrounding area — a claim that was never publicly debated, as the Clark County Commission and Las Vegas City Council granted Boring permission to build and operate the system beneath city streets. The approvals allow the company to build and operate close to homes and businesses without the checks and balances that typically apply to major public-transit projects. Meanwhile, Boring has skirted building, environmental, and labor regulations, according to records obtained by ProPublica under public records laws." For the whole litany, including the evidence, of what ProPublica claims as Boring's flawed business and construction practices, here's your link to the story.
According to VegasNews.com, In the Game, a 7,000-square-foot arcade featuring classic, video, and virtual-reality games, is opening in the historic El Portal Theater at 310 Fremont Street. Owner-operator Family Entertainment Group has nine other locations around the country, including Reno. The description cites “the best and most innovative video, instant win, and redemption games. Every prize counter is designed with merchandising visual appeal in mind, presenting a wide variety of quality prizes. Various locations also feature cutting-edge virtual reality attractions, mini-bowling, escape rooms, motion theater experiences, ropes courses, and bumper cars.” A sports-bar type restaurant will serve the likes of burgers, pizza, wings, and salads. In the Game will be open 10-2 a.m. daily.
International Smoke, owned by celebrity chef Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry, the Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry's wife, will close on Sunday January 19 after five years at MGM Grand. As the name implied, this was as different a "barbecue" restaurant as you'd find in the U.S., mostly steaks, ribs, and fish cooked with an international flare atop a wood fire. The prices also had a flare: appetizers in the $20s, entrees $42-$85, prix fixe Egyptian Feast $95 per person. We await word on what new expensive restaurant will replace International Smoke.
DraftKings has launched a new subscription service called DraftKings Sportsbook+. It was rolled out earlier this week in New York and is expected to expand to other states in the coming months. In return for an auto payment of $20 per month, members receive "stepped-up boosts" on all parlay bets in which the individual legs are -500 or narrower. For parlays with two legs, the payout is increased by 10%; the boost gets bigger as the number of legs do. For 11 or more legs, the boost doubles, for a 100% increase. According to the press release, membership is initially limited to "select eligible customers” in New York, without specifying the criteria. Parlays, of course, are high-hold propositions for the sports book, so for the member fee, bettors can lose even more money on large-payout long shots. Boosts are often offered when a sports book enters a new market as a come-on promotion; DraftKings Sportsbook+ will allow "an unlimited number of boosts," which is rare in the U.S.
Lenny Kravitz, who refuses to age (though he's turning 61 this year), did a five-show sold-out residency last fall at Dolby Live at Park MGM and will do five more this August. Kravitz's music is a fusion that ranges from hard rock to funk, reggae, soul, and R&B. He made history by winning the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four years in a row (1999-2002), setting the record for most consecutive wins in one category by a male performer; he's also won many other awards over the years and has sold more than 40 million albums in his 36-year career. The new dates are August 1, 2, 6, 8, and 9. Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT.
Single-family houses fetched a median price of $475,000 in December, a decline of $5,000 from the median price in November. But for all of 2024, the median was up 5.6% from $449,900 to close 2023. Condos also declined, dropping $25,000 since setting an all-time record in October at $315,000. For the year condos and townhomes increased 7.4% over last year's median price of $270,000.
The Clark County commissioners voted yesterday to buy Sam Boyd Stadium from UNLV for $5 million, basically reimbursement money for the university's maintenance of the facility since it closed permanently in 2020 after the college football team moved to Allegiant Stadium. No plans for the property have been announced, but now the county can do with it what it wishes, which could include tearing it down, reopening it for special events, or reselling it.
"The largest prize pot in history," according to the Circa press release, totaling $14,266,000, will be awarded to eight winners of Circa Survivor. All eight wound up with a 20-0 record in the regular NFL regular season. Each winning entry will take home $1,783,250. Going into Sunday, week 18, there were 18 entries. Five of the winning entries had the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, trailing the New Orleans Saints 19-13 going into the fourth quarter, then scoring two touchdowns to win the game. Two entries had the Indianapolis Colts, tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars at the end of the game and winning in overtime. Seven nail biters for a $1.7 million payday! The only entry to breeze by the final week of the contest without a sweat can thank the Arizona Cardinals for their win dominant win over the San Francisco 49ers. On the negative side, eight had the Atlanta Falcon that lost to the Carolina Panthers in overtime after a back-and-forth game. The final two contestants were praying for the Green Bay Packers who lost to Chicago on a field goal as time expired in regulation. This was the first time in Circa Survivor history where multiple entries have lost in the final week of the season.
In today’s FCS Championship, Montana State is a -3.5 favorite over North Dakota State. The total is 58.
Marinelli's, the red-tablecloth fine Italian restaurant with big picture windows at M Resort, has started serving breakfast. The prices are reasonable, with three eggs and bacon/sausage at $14, French toast, pancakes, and waffles $12, bagel and lox platter $16, smoothies $9, and seasonal berries $8. Marinelli's also serves classic ($15) and filet mignon ($26) Benedicts, huevos ($14) and breakfast burrito ($12), and steak and eggs ($26). Mimosas are $9 and Bloody Marys $14. Hours are 7-11 a.m. Mon.-Fri., till noon Sat. and Sunday. Looks good.
The big movie buzz hereabouts is The Last Showgirl starring Pam Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis and directed by Gia Coppola, Francis Ford's granddaughter. The film is based on Jubilee!, the showgirl spectacular at Bally's (now Horseshoe) that ran from 1981 to early 2016. Anderson plays a "veteran Las Vegas showgirl forced to confront her future as her long-running revue comes to an end." Her performance has earned her critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination, her first, for best actress. The Last Showgirl opens Wednesday in theaters. We'll see how the early box office shapes up; it hasn't been announced for any streaming services as yet.
The Detroit Lions are -3 favorites over the Minnesota Vikngs in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 57.
The only metric that was a year-over-year plus for November 2024 and the Las Vegas Grand Prix was visitor volume, which increased by a half-percentage point. That, however, was mostly due to the 160,000 attendees at SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show that took place earlier in the month, 10,000 more than in 2023. Otherwise, hotel room rates dropped 20% to $198.72, the passenger count at Reid International fell 2.1%, and average daily traffic on I-15 crossing the border into Nevada was down 2%. Following the gambling money, the Strip generated $820.9 million in revenue, essentially flat (no gain or loss over 2023), though downtown and the Boulder Strip were down nearly 2%.
The inaugural tournament of the World Mahjong Tour will be held at Luxor’s HyperX Arena on February 2. There’s a combined prize pool of $100,000 and entry fees range from $50 to $300, depending on skill level. Note that our book, Riichi Mahjong—The Only Way to Play, addresses the Japanese version of mahjong, which is different from the Chinese version being played here. But this event shows that the popularity of mahjong of all varieties is growing by leaps and bounds.
Freehold Raceway, roughly 60 miles northeast of Philadelphia in Freehold, New Jersey, closed on December 29 after 170 years in operation. It was the oldest horse raceway in the country, having opened in 1854 and hosted half-mile harness racing ever since. Proprietor Penn Entertainment, which also owns M Resort in Las Vegas and 41 other U.S. casinos, racinos, and racetracks, stated that dwindling attendance and soaring land values prompted the decision to close Freehold.
In today’s Bahamas Bowl, Buffalo is a -3.5 favorite over Liberty. The total is 51. Note, this line was posted with the game in progress.
Less than a week after cleaning up from America's New Year's party, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) invades Las Vegas with the kickoff event Monday night and the convention itself running Tuesday through Friday. The year's largest Las Vegas convention, predictions are for higher attendance than last year, which saw 139,000 attendees, 56,500 from 161 different countries, 69,294 senior executives, 4,312 exhibitors, and 5,355 media members. Attendance could reach 150,000, with 4,300 exhibitors spread out over exhibit halls at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Venetian Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, and Aria. Also, one of the eight keynote addresses will be held at Sphere. Airlines have added nearly 10,000 extra seats each way during the show. Heavy Strip traffic will be compounded by Vegas Golden Knights games on Thursday.
In today’s Mayo Bowl, Minnesota is a -9.5 favorite over Virginia Tech. The total is 43.5.
In today’s First Responder Bowl, Texas State is a -14 favorite over North Texas. The total is 65.5.
Based on the first 11 months of the year and projections for December, it looks like sports betting in 33 states will have generated $150 billion in handle when all the numbers are in for 2024. For a comparison, that's $10 billion less than what the pizza industry grossed in 2023 around the world. The net is expected to come in at around $14.2 billion, for a hold percentage of 9.5%, which generated taxes of $2.9 billion to state and local governments and $375 million in the federal excise tax. According to LegalSportsReport.com, 28 of the 33 states set new records for handle last year and all of them earned record revenue; the hold percentage also set a new record. Interestingly, Nevada's hold was the smallest at 6.4%, while more than half the states reported double-digit holds. New York led the pack in handle ($22.5 billion) and state taxes ($1 billion at a "draconian" 51% rate); New York sports books earned $2.1 billion (up 24% over 2023). Illinois came in second with $13.9 billion in handle (+20%) and $1.2 billion in revenue (+19%). New Jersey followed: $12.8 billion in handle (+7.3%) and $1.15 billion in revenue (+14%). Only the top three states generated more than $10 million in handle and earned more than $1 billion in revenue.
Julian Serrano Tapas at Aria will close permanently on Saturday February 1. The restaurant, which serves classic Spanish cuisine (Serrano is from Madrid) opened in December 2009, so it's been a fixture at Aria for 15 years. No reason has been proffered for its closing, but it's apparent that Serrano, who turns 75 this year and closed his other Strip restaurant, Picasso, in August, is completing his retirement. The replacement for Tapas will, reportedly, be announced in the coming months and open by the end of this year.
In today’s Gator Bowl, Mississippi is a -18.5 favorite over Duke. The total is 50.5.
Clark County has been buying up pieces of the historic Commercial Center, Las Vegas' first major shopping center (1963), for several years and has announced big plans to redevelop the aging property. The county, which owns the parking lot and the two oldest buildings, is making a $10 million investment to renovate one building, tear down the other, and buy more of the property. The overall plan is to convert Commercial Center into a 21st-century town square from the current 20th-century main street. In the coverage of the plans, a county commissioner was quoted as saying that Lotus of Siam, once the flagship of the center, will reopen "in the next couple of months." It's been closed since 2017 when the roof collapsed during a big rainstorm and was supposed to reopen by the end of last year.
In the final quarterfinal game of the College Football Championship, Georgia and Notre Dame are pick 'em. The total is 45.5. This game was postponed yesterday, due to safety concerns related to the possible terrorist threat in New Orleans.
In an end-of-the-year roundup, a Deutsche Bank gaming analyst recapped MGM Resorts' raising resort fees $3 to $8 in early December. Deutsche Bank estimates that resort fees will be up 13% in 2025, equaling $70 million for the company's bottom line. The analyst didn't calculate the total raise in parking fees, but he did mention that MGM is "contemplating new revenue-generation strategies," which means uh-oh for us, given that they'll likely come with "low start-up investment costs." In other words, more price and fee hikes. The example in the report was tiered seating in restaurants, "where customers pay a fee for a specific seating area or table, much like an airline seating up charge." Premium-seating charges aren't new in Vegas; for Top of the World at STRAT, window seats cost $25 extra and inner seats that revolve are $15. We'll keep an eye out for similar charges introduced at MGM eateries, such as those overlooking the lake at Bellagio, and we won't be surprised to see add-ons as high as Top of the World's.
A Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International yesterday morning around 8:40 a.m. The person who'd rented the Cybertruck in Colorado was an active-duty U.S. Army serviceman on leave in Las Vegas; it's assumed he was the one person killed in the blast, though at this time, he hasn't been positively identified. Seven other people were injured, none seriously. Police called the explosion an "isolated incident," but because they found gasoline, camping-fuel canisters, and large firework mortars in the back of the vehicle after the explosion, it's being investigated as a terrorist attack. Security has been heightened on the Strip.
In the second of today’s three quarterfinal games of the College Football Championship, Ohio State is a -2.5 favorite over Oregon. The total is 55.5.
The normal range of high and low temperatures over the first month of the year is narrow, with average highs starting out at 56 degrees and rising to 60 and lows at 38, then going up to 41. But the record highs and lows tell a different tale. The record high for the month is 77 (1/26/1975), while the record low is 8 (1/13/1963 and 1/25/1937). Average January precipitation is a bit more than a half-inch.
In the first of today’s three quarterfinal games of the College Football Championship, Texas is a -13.5 favorite over Arizona State. The total is 52.5.
"America's Party 2025" went off without a hitch. The fireworks show, launched from the tops of nine hotel-casinos, was by all accounts a spectacular success. Upwards of 1,000 police kept the peace and reported no major incidents (DUI and arrest stats will be released later today). As soon as the fireworks ended, the officers began moving people off the Strip, so 12 tons of trash could be collected by 20 street sweepers and 60 sanitation workers in order to reopen the Boulevard to cars, which happened at around three this morning. Today, traffic will be returning mostly to normal, as a record crowd estimated at 400,000 clears out and I-15 to southern California becomes its usual parking lot. Otherwise, everything is open and cooking with gas at the casinos, so plan on long waits if you don't have reservations for dining.