The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Hotel Fees Transparency Act on Monday that requires hotels to display the total price of rooms wherever rates appear, which includes advertising. The total price is the room rate, along with the beloved resort fee, tax, and any other fees, surcharges, or add-ons. It's not a done deal; the bill has to pass the Senate, where it died in committee in last year's session. The Nevada Resort Association, the hotel-casino lobbying arm, praised the initiative with a "Who? Us?" statement: “Our members already clearly and prominently disclose resort fees during the transaction to help guests make informed decisions,” then promptly shifted the focus, saying the legislation "levels the playing field" with those unprincipled and sneaky short-term rentals, online travel agencies, and other online search sites.
Ground was finally broken yesterday on Cello Tower, the $450 million 32-story luxury condo tower in Symphony Park downtown near the Smith Center for the Performing Arts. It's the first of two towers planned for Symphony Park and the first high-rise residential tower to break ground downtown since the Great Recession. Though construction is expected to take 30 months to complete and condos start at $700,000, roughly 50% of the units are under contract with both local and out-of-state buyers. A mixed-use development on the lower floors, Origin, will include an art museum, grocery store, and retail shops.
Bruno Mars has added nine dates to his ongoing residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM. In addition to his seven upcoming shows in May and June, the 15-time Grammy Award winner will play nine more dates: August 22, 23, 26, 27, 30, and 31 and September 3, 5, and 6. The residency dates back to New Year's Eve 2018 and will hit 100 shows on August 22. Mars is so enamored of Las Vegas that he has his own nightclub, Pinky Ring, at Bellagio. The ticket pre-sale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT (code DANCE); the public on-sale kicks off Friday at 10.
In Saturday night's Powerball drawing, one ticket sold in Kentucky hit the $167.3 million jackpot and on Monday, the winner stepped forward to claim the prize. It was the first Powerball jackpot won by a Kentuckian since December 2010 and the largest jackpot ever his in Kentucky, breaking the record of $128.6 million from December 2009. The winners, a mother-son team, will scoop either $99.9 million over 29 years ( the annuity) or $45.6 million via the cash option; they have 60 days to inform the Kentucky Lottery of the choice.
The Las Vegas Strip extended its losing streak in March, with gaming revenue down 4.8% compared to March 2024. It was the eighth out of nine months of declines; since last July, only January reported a year-over-year increase in gross gaming revenue. And it's not a Las Vegas-wide trend either. Downtown and locals casino revenue rose 11.6% and 1.3%, respectively. In addition, visitation to Las Vegas dropped 85 compared to March 2024. Will Strip casinos loosen up a little to attract more money-spending visitors? Not if recent developments, such as MGM Resorts' cutting valet, bell, and concierge staff, are any indication. And even though hotel occupancy on the Strip was 85.8%, down from 88.3% last year, average daily room rates for the month at $184 were 3.1% more expensive than March 2024, with revenue per room of $152 (+0.2% year overyear).
The Westgate has announced a special one-night-only concert event highlighting the casino's year-long celebration of Elvis Presley's 90th birthday. "1969 Live Concert: The King Returns will be performed on July 31, commemorating Elvis' inaugural comeback concert on the same date in 1969 when the Westgate was the International Hotel-Casino. Headlining the "historic performance" will be Travis Powell, one of the world's most authentic Elvis tribute artists, along with nine back-up singers and an eight piece band, replicating the original concert. Following the concert from 9 p.m. to midnight, the Cabaret Theater will host a special free late-night encore by the Elvis tribute show, The King Comes Home. Guests are encouraged to dress in stylish late-1960s fashion. Finally, in the spirit of the evening, tickets start at a throwback $10 and go all the way up to $45 for front-and-center booths; you can purchase them here.
Kansas City Chiefs celebrity tight end Travis Kelce and his brother Jason were spotted in Vegas over the weekend hanging with pop star Justin Timberlake and playing in Timbelake's Golf Invitational at Wynn Golf Club. Kelce's girlfriend, megastar Taylor Swift, however, was nowhere to be seen. The gossip pages and social media are going crazy! Where's Taylor? Why is Travis unchaperoned in Sin City? Is the couple kaput? Is the sky falling? Say it ain't so, Joe! Turns out that Kelce was on a boys weekend in Vegas, much to marvel of the mongers. Who ever hoida such a thing? Meanwhile, Swift is no doubt enjoying some alone time at home. According to Elle, since the Super Bowl and the end of the Eras tour, T&T have been "laying low, able to feel a bit of normalcy for the first time in a long time. Despite their fame, they’re really just like any other couple.” Phew! What a relief. The sky can go back up in the air again.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the Sacramento A's median ticket price is the highest in the league this year at $181. Consider that it's $4 more than the median for the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with Shohei Ohtani and a couple of dozen of the best players in baseball. And the Tampa Bay Rays are third at a mere $146. The curious part of this equation is that thousands of seats are available for every A's home game at the 14,000-seat Sutter Park in Sacramento. In fact, Sports Illustrated reports that attendance topped 11,000 only once, on opening night, when hundreds of comped tickets went to players' and team executives' families. In 14 home games, the A's are averaging around 9,900 tickets, 70% of sellout crowds. And that's in a minor league ballpark, compared to, say, the Oakland Coliseum's 63,000 and 56,000 in Dodger Stadium. Another miscalculation: The team announced that all seasons tickets were sold out, but they limited that number to 6,000. With at least 4,000 empty seats, one would think ... Well, think what you like.
It's been awhile since we've had a post from our bargain blogger Bobby Vegas. He's been dealing with a number of health issues that have laid him low all year, but recently, they've gotten so bad that he's been unable to write/submit. Until now. Feeling a little stronger, Bobby explains where he's been, what the near future holds, some of the deals he's receiving, and news about the Frugal Video Poker Scouting Guide. Check out the new post here and leave a comment wishing him well. He'll really appreciate that.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported yesterday that MGM Resorts is cutting concierge services at six more of its 10 Strip properties. Live concierges will no longer be available at MGM Grand and the Signature, New York-New York, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, and Vdara; Luxor shut down its concierge desk in 2020. Guests wanting to speak to a concierge will be routed to the desks that will remain open at Aria, Bellagio, and Cosmopolitan. The 34 employees will be offered other positions in the company. MGM says, "The cutbacks are to meet evolving guest preferences,” with demand for in-person services declining; thus, the company is simply "responding to industry trends to better serve guests." The guests at Excalibur are much better served after MGM cut the valet and bell staffs there last month.
It's no secret that due to political circumstances, Canadians have soured on traveling to the U.S. over the past few months. And according to a survey conducted by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Las Vegas is the U.S. destinations most affected by the Canadian shift away from U.S. travel between April 1 and June 30. Due to lack of demand, airlines have eliminated 48,728 seats on flights between Canada and Reid International in the second quarter. The next highest seat reduction is Ft. Lauderdale (29,105), with Orlando (17,777) and Miami (13,444) also in the top six. New York lost 24,857 seats to come in at number three, followed by Los Angeles at 24,764.
Ian Machado Garry is a -180 favorite over Carlos Prates in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Zhang Mingyang is -380 over Anthony Smith.
On the American Miles blog, host Josh Colvin "takes listeners on a journey through the world of professional gambling with legendary gambler Anthony Curtis (from the Las Vegas Advisor)." Anthony shares insights on strategies, team dynamics, Las Vegas, and the realities of making a living as a professional gambler. Listen to it here.
Dive In Movies, the first Las Vegas Strip poolside movie experience (copied in flattery by Fontainebleau for a second year), returns every Monday this summer beginning May 19 and running through September 1 at the Cosmopolitan. Guests of all ages are invited to enjoy cult classics and blockbuster hits on the resort’s 65-foot digital marquee. This season for the first time, Dive In Movies is introducing a series of themed nights; select screenings, including Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, Shrek, Elf, and Good Burger, will feature themed drinks, food, and "interactive elements inspired by the evening’s film." Doors open for Dive In Movies at 6:15 p.m., with the films beginning at 8 p.m. The movies are free for hotel guests and MGM Rewards Gold tier members and above (before MGM took over operations, admission was free, like at Fbleau, for anyone with a rewards card.) Las Vegas locals also receive free self-parking for up to three hours with valid ID.
This week's YouTube is an intimate visit with video poker legend Bob Dancer. Talk about a guy who has a lot of gambling stories! You can hear all of them with the click of your mouse on the white arrow in the red circle. It's definitely worth your time, even if you don't play video poker.
Mojave Max, the desert tortoise equivalent of Punxatawney Phil, has yet to emerge from brumation, which unofficially marks the beginning of spring in the Mojave Desert. Today breaks the record for the latest ol' Max has made his first appearance of the year. The earliest day he ever surfaced was February 14 in 2005. He showed up on April 24 two years ago to set the record, which was just broken. Last year, he emerged on April 23. The countdown for this new record begins. According to Max watchers, his burrow is the deepest since the Emergence Contest began in 2000.
For the second summer in a row, the Fontainebleau pool will host Oasis Cinema Club. Starting on Friday May 2 and running most Friday and Sunday evenings at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7) through September 5, the flicks are free for Fontainebleau Rewards members and hotel guests; it's $10 for everyone else, but it's easy enough to join the rewards club, show your card, walk right in, and sit right down in the water. The movies include Barbie, Finding Nemo, two Pirates of the Caribbean, two Top Guns, and a bunch of animated and superhero features. It's an excellent way to check out the Fbleau pool scene for free and take in a movie under the stars.
Pennsylvania is now a member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement for online poker; the governor signed the bill earlier this week. The Keystone State becomes the sixth in which poker players can participate in online games, state regulators can cooperate to provide a secure playing environment, and prize pools will increase without raising buy-in amounts. Pennsylvania joins New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada, West Virginia, and Michigan in the Agreement. All but Nevada also have internet casinos.
Paris will host a live version of the TV game show "Wheel of Fortune" in the Paris Theater over two Fridays and Saturdays (11-12 and 18-19) in July. Random audience members will be selected to compete for prizes and cash up to $10,000; the audience can also audition online to become contestants on the syndicated TV show, now hosted by Ryan Seacrest, along with 43-year "WoF" veteran Vanna White. There'll be two shows each night at 6 and 8 p.m. and tickets go on sale tomorrow. The shows at Paris launch a 60-city tour for "Wheel of Fortune Live" with all dates announced next month. The last show in Paris Theater was Bat out of Hell that ran for 12 weeks and closed on New Year's Day 2023.
Doberman Drawing Room, a "social club for the sharp and curious," will open on April 30. Located at 1025 S. 1st St. in the heart of the Arts District, Doberman is a "richly designed 3,400-square-foot space that evokes the moody elegance of a 19th-century drawing room. It's open to the public, either with reservations or walk-ins, but also offers "exclusive memberships for those seeking a more curated experience. Members receive access to private nights, concierge-style service, and guaranteed seating, with selection based on personality and passion rather than status." Reservations and membership applications are available at dobermandtlv.com.
The March numbers from Reid International were down 4% year over year to 4.8 million from 5 million in March 2024. For the first three months of the year, the total passenger count was down roughly the same percentage (3.7%). In the closely watched Canadian market, Flair Airlines plunged 62%, WestJet fell 14.5%, and Air Canada dropped 5.9% compared to March 2024; only Porter Airlines showed a slight increase, mainly due to an extended market. Aeromexico also took a dump, down nearly 18%. Tariffs and antagonistic policies are being blamed for the decline in international travel, while collapsing consumer sentiment is assumed responsible for the domestic ebb.
A first-time visitor to the Palms from Garland, Texas, hit the progressive jackpot on Face Up Pai Gow Poker last Sunday for $897,586. Almost unbelievably, the hand, a seven-card straight flush, five through jack, didn't even have the joker. The odds of that happening are 1 in 4.8 million.
8NewsNow, the local CBS affiliate, compared tickets for the Kendrick Lamar concerts at Allegiant and SoFi (L.A.) stadiums and found the base ticket price is $7.50 less expensive in Las Vegas, but the total price is around $42 more expensive than at SoFi. In a side-by-side comparison for the same floor seats, 8NewsNow shows that at Allegiant, the ticket price is $372, with a service fee of $101.05, plus a facility charge of $8, an order-processing fee of $13, and the live entertainment tax of $34.20 for a total price of $520.25. All-in pricing at SoFi includes the $379.50 ticket price and $98.80 service fee for a total of $478.30. The difference isn't big enough to drive to L.A. to see Lamar at SoFi with 100,000 other fans as opposed to Allegiant with 72,000, but it does point out the extra fees and taxes visitors pay here. We wonder, what's the difference between a service fee and an order-processing fee? And where does the facility fee go and why? Meanwhile, Allegiant can advertise cheaper tickets, but when you go to buy them, you get your sticker shock, no different than all other hidden fees.
Elaine Wynn's recent death (from heart failure, it was just reported) has unleashed an outpouring of tributes, accolades, and paeans from numerous luminaries far and wide. But we've been waiting to hear from John L. Smith, in our opinion the best writer and most incisive commentator on the Las Vegas scene, not to mention the author of the unauthorized (and critical) biography Running Scared: The Dangerous Life and Treacherous Times of Las Vegas Casino King Steve Wynn. To his credit, John L. makes short shrift of the scandal to emphasize Elaine's leadership of Wynn Resorts in its aftermath. It's an objective and poignant tribute to a remarkable woman and worth the few minutes it takes to read.
We long ago dispensed with reposting surveys from survey-addicted WalletHub, but this one caught our attention. Analyzing data from a dozen different sources (from the American Gaming Association to the National Council on Problem Gambling) and evaluating 20 metrics, WalletHub found that the most addicted gamblers are found in -- drum roll, please -- Nevada. With a total score of nearly 72 out of 100, Nevada has "around 2.7% of adults" with gambling disorders, one of the highest percentages in the country, and is number one in Gamblers Anonymous meetings per capita, casinos per capita, and gaming machines per capita. South Dakota (65.6 out of 100) ranks second, based mostly on casinos and gaming machines per capita, and Montana third (58.6). Vermont (27), Alaska (26.6), and Utah (24.5) have the least number of problem gamblers. If you're interested, you can see the whole survey and peruse the methodology here.
Classic-rock band Foreigner has announced a five-date residency at the Venetian for way out: March 6, 7, 11, 13, and 14. The shows will celebrate the band's 50th anniversary (formed in New York in 1976 with three Brits and three Americans, so at least half the band would be foreigners no matter where they performed) and will be backed by a 20-piece orchestra, so their biggest hit (and our favorite) "I Wanna Know What Love Is" will be authentic. One of the most successful bands in the late '70s and '80s, Foreigner had 16 Top 30 hits, including “Cold As Ice,” “Hot Blooded,” “Feels Like The First Time,” “Urgent,” and “Long Long Way From Home.” If you're into planning obsessively ahead, tickets will be available starting Friday. Meanwhile, rapper-singer-actor Pitbull has extended his two-date appearance at Fontainebleau in May to four more, two in September (12, 13) and two in November (21, 22); tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. PT. Finally, the Latin Grammys will take place on Nov. 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena; it'll be the 26th annual award show and the 15th time it's been held in Las Vegas. It will be broadcast live in Univision.
The lobby of Las Vegas City Hall, 495 S. Main St., is often used to exhibit art and artifacts and the latest display is from Cirque du Soleil. It's the first time Cirque has ever partnered with a museum, in this case the Neon Museum, to give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the company's shows. “Stories from Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas” features some of the iconic costumes from the Las Vegas productions, all annotated with informational signs, plus videos of performers putting on makeup and getting ready to go on stage. Some of the costumes are interactive, so visitors can touch them and get a feel for the textiles, and materials in the wigs, that Cirque uses. The exhibit is free and runs through May 1.
Cafe Landwer, an Israeli-Mediterranean-Middle Eastern eatery, has opened in the space formerly occupied by Chinglish Cantonese Wine Bar, located at 8704 W. Charleston Blvd. just west of S. Durango. The original Cafe Landwer was a coffee roaster and shop in Berlin, Germany, that dates back to 1919, opened by patriarch Moshe Landwer. The Landwers fled the Nazis in the early '30s, resettling in Palestine. Today, according the Las Vegas Review-Journal, there are 80 locations in Israel, with four franchises in Canada, three in the Boston area, and one each in Miami, L.A., and Vegas. The Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with several Benedicts and shakshukas in the $19-$23 range, pita sandwiches like falafel, shawarma, smoked salmon, and schnitzel $14-$17, hummus bowls, pizza, pasta, and dinner entrees (burger, grilled salmon and chicken, and kebabs) $16-$26.
The Chairman and Presidential rooftop villas in the Masquerade Tower at the Rio have been remodeled and are now available for booking. These are 4,500 and 5,100 square feet and come with a private pool, one bedroom and one and a half baths with a jacuzzi, and dining for six to 16; the Chairman has a pool table and arcade games, while the Presidential has a fireplace. To rent one, you have to fill out a form and you'll be quoted a price based on availability. But you can see what they look like, along with all the property's remodeled suites, on the Rio's Suites & Villas web page.
This Friday, the Las Vegas Bighorns play their inaugural-season home opener. Las Vegas' new Ultimate Frisbee Association franchise will take the field at Bonanza High School (corner of Oakey and Torrey Pines) at 7 p.m. against three-time UFA champion New York Empire. Gates open at 6 p.m. and the first pull (the UFA's "kickoff") is at 7. Single-game tickets are $15; entry is free for all 16 and under with a student ID. There'll be a halftime show, food trucks, and more. Go Hornies!
The trailer for Action! Action! has dropped, as the kids say, and Canada Roy, as usual, is all over it with the link. That led us to the short, nearly 15 minutes from the movie, that gives you much more of the tone -- action-comedy -- of the film. Action! Action! was shot entirely on location in Las Vegas at Circa, the Plaza, the Neon Museum, the Mob Museum, and many others and the cast and crew are all locals. The movie follows a team of friends hired to steal Al Capone’s painting from the Mob Museum. But when they’re double-crossed, the race is on to uncover the traitor before it’s too late. "With heart-pounding stunts, jaw-dropping action sequences, comedic heart, and an explosive finale, Action! Action! will deliver an edge-of-your-seat experience," according to the press release. The world premiere is Friday evening at 7:30 at Stadium Swim at Circa; general-admission tickets are $15 and the doors open at 7 p.m.
A study by Lending Tree has determined that Nevadans spend an average of $10,339 per year on groceries, fourth highest of all the states and 27.2% higher than the national average of $8,167. Nevada households spend just under $200 per week on groceries. Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii ranked numbers one, two, and three; Utahans spend $11,844 annually on groceries, 45.4% higher than the national average. In addition, Nevadans spend the second-highest percentage of their income on groceries at 10.1% (based on the median statewide income of $102,911); that percentage is tied for second with Utah. Idahoans spend the highest percentage of their income on groceries at 10.4%.
According to PokerNews.com, the second largest bad-beat jackpot in history was triggered at the Casino du Lac-Leamy in Quebec on Wednesday. The pot was for C$2.5 million (approximately US$1.81 million) and fell just shy of the record jackpot, also hit in Quebec, of C$2.6 million (US$1.87 million), at Playground Casino in August 2023. According to the rules at Lac-Leamy, quad 10s or better must lose the hand, with both the players' down cards involved. The board showed the 9 and 10 of spades and the 10, J, and K of hearts. One player held a pair of 10s for 4-of-a-kind, the other the 9 and Q of hearts for the straight flush. As for the split, 40% of the jackpot (C$1,005,421/US$726,000) went to loser of the hand (quad 10s), 20% (C$502,711, US$363,000) to the winner, 20% (C$84,000/US $60,000) evenly split among the other players at the table, and the remaining 20% (C$13,000/US$9,400) among everyone else seated in a poker game at the time. A total of 46 players at five tables participated in the jackpot and one, who posted a few photos on Reddit, had sat down at his table less than a minute earlier.
The latest attempt to establish a Nevada lottery has gone the way of the many attempts before it, with the proposal being stalled out in the legislature. Nevada remains one of only five states without a lottery; it would require an amendment to the state constitution to be approved. If the gambling capital without a lottery seems non-intuitive, consider that the powerful Nevada gaming industry applauded the result.
Veteran rock singer and songwriter Jackson Browne will do another five-show residency at the Venetian Theatre; he last appeared there for five shows in 2023. Browne is best known for his hits "Running on Empty," "Doctor My Eyes," "Somebody's Baby," "The Pretender," his live version of "Stay (Just a Little Longer)," "Ready or Not" (our favorite), and of course for writing "Take It Easy," the Eagles' breakout hit (that immortalized Winslow, Arizona). Tickets start at $66 and go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday April 18.
Smoke and Mirrors, the cannabis-consumption lounge at Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, the dispensary on Sammy Davis Jr. Drive across from the back of Resorts World, has closed after only 14 months in business. No reason was given for the closure, but it's safe to assume it wasn't paying off. The closure leaves two legal lounges in Las Vegas, Sky High, operated by the Las Vegas Paiute at its Nuwu dispensary, and Dazed at the Planet 13 megadispensary on Desert Inn Road competitively close to Thrive. You can read more about the cannabis lounge situation in a recent Question of the Day on the subject.
A story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal cites research by Climate Central, "a nonpartisan group of climate scientists," finding that Reno's average temperature has increased the most of major U.S. cities since 1970, rising by 7.8 degrees. Las Vegas ranked second at 5.9 degrees. Statewide and nationally, the average temperature has increased 2.8 degrees in the past 55 years.
As they've done every year for the last several years, the Las Vegas (and Reno) drive-in movie theaters are hosting Customer Appreciation Night with free movies to the public. Show up next Thursday April 24 in your car and get in free at the West Wind Drive-In at 4150 W Carey Ave, North Las Vegas, just off N. Rancho Rd. (slightly north of where the Fiesta and Texas Station used to be) to see Paddington in Peru, Wicked, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Sonic 3, The Wild Robot, and Transformers One. Bring a lawn chair and a blanket and enjoy the movies under the stars. There'll also be live music, bounce houses for the kids, and other fun activities prior to the start of the movie. Best value is to arrive with a crowd; admission normally is $8.50 per adult, $2 kids 5-11. Gates open at 6 p.m. and movies start at dusk.
Correcting a misstatement on our “Anthony & Andrew Jackpots” show, Andrew Hunt is not performing tonight at the Wiseguys Comedy Club at Town Square. He’ll be there tomorrow night (4/17) opening for Cat CE. Tickets are $20 and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Should be a party!
Former Fleetwood Mac vocalist and solo performer Stevie Nicks will go on tour later this summer, with a stop at T-Mobile on October 11. The general on-sale for tickets begins Friday at 10 a.m. local time. And the British classic rock band 10cc will embark on their second tour in 30 years with a stop at Westgate on August 30. The band's biggest hit was "I'm Not in Love," with two others being "Rubber Bullets" (our favorite) and "Art for Art's Sake." Tickets go on sale soon.
One of the two offramps from Interstate 15 at Tropicana will reopen Friday. The northbound ramp onto Frank Sinatra Drive and the new Arena Drive has been closed since 2022; its reopening has been pegged to WrestleMania at Allegiant Stadium (which starts on Friday) and the Vegas Golden Knights first home game in the NHL playoffs (Sunday). The I-15 southbound flyover ramp to Tropicana eastbound reopened to traffic late last month. According to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the reopening of the Tropicana on-ramp southbound and the northbound off-ramp to Tropicana east- and westbound will reopen on May 2. The long long three-year disruption of Interstate 15 is coming to an end.
The STRAT’s blackjack mini-tournament runs today from 2 to 6 p.m. It’s an "accumulation" tournament, which means winners are decided by the highest cashout, as opposed to the more common "table-advance" format, which culminates in a final-table playoff (there is no final table here). The entry fee is $25 and you can play up to three times. Our report in the April LVA stating that first prize is $1,000 was incorrect; the prize pool is $1,000 total, with the winner getting $500 and the balance distributed among the next four highest totals. Payouts are in non-negotiable chips, which are worth slightly less than 50% of face value. Hence, the equity in this tournament isn’t good, but it’s fun to play if you’re looking for a Tuesday-afternoon diversion. Our book Casino Tournament Strategy by Stanford Wong covers the accumulation format, along with strategies for several other formats and games.
A player from California hit for $1.5 million on a Whitney Houston Slots game at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The jackpot, which was hit this weekend, coincides with the roll-out of Virgin’s Cherry Rewards players club, which has some good elements that are detailed in the April Las Vegas Advisor.
Casino executive, philanthropist, and ex-wife of Steve Wynn, Elaine Wynn passed away yesterday just short of her 83rd birthday. The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation announced her death this morning, though no further information was disclosed. Elaine Pascal was born in New York City and grew up in Miami Beach, where she met her future husband. They were married at the end of her junior year at George Washington University, where she graduated in 1964. They moved to Las Vegas in 1967 and over the next 40 years built the Wynn empire together. They divorced in 1986, though amicably; Wynn said he never moved out of the house. They remarried in 1991 and went through a second divorce, this one extremely bitter, in 2010. Upon Wynn's insistence, she was ousted from the Wynn Resorts board of directors in 2015, but when he resigned in disgrace a few years later and sold his shares in the company, Elaine became the largest shareholder. With an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, she focused exclusively on her charitable efforts and involvement in arts communities. She's survived by two daughters, Kevyn and Gillian, and seven grandchildren.
The Centerfold gentlemen’s club closed early this month, then reopened less than a week later as Players Strip Club & Sports Bar. Located on Paradise Rd. across from Virgin Las Vegas, Players is attempting to position itself as the premier topless club for sports fans, though most of the clubs in town have TVs tuned to sports on a regular basis.
Should we start calling it Elvis Island? We're not sure how long Ellis Island has offered the Elvis Suite, but Canada Roy saw it on the EI website and sent us the link. No, Elvis didn't sleep here. Instead, it's a shrine to the King and rock 'n' roll, a "fully remodeled retro-themed Elvis Suite." It features Elvis posters and a vinyl-record headboard "crowning" the king-size bed. It's quite cute and starts at a reasonable $175 per night. You can see a nice photo of it here.
This week's YouTube video is our third dedicated to jackpots. These are great lessons in playing video poker, mostly, and all these big hits sure are sweet and neat. Anthony hit a card-of-the-day bonus at a local bar. A jackpot scroll at Red Rock not only seems endless, but lists the hits for just one day. Then there's a $60,000 banger on a $5.25 bet on Triple Play Triple Double Bonus Double Super Times Pay (which also hits the jackpot for the longest video poker game title we've ever typed). Another player was dealt a $1,788 royal on free play and several more stories will hold your interest all the way through. Love these good-news stories!
Beginning tonight, road work at Reid International will reduce traffic to a single lane overnight Sundays through Wednesdays from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Staggered portions of the approaches to and exits from the two terminals will be restricted in order for crews to upgrade roadway lighting with LEDs. No complete road closures are planned, but the work will continue until 4 a.m. Thursday May 22.
Going into today’s final round of the Masters golf tournament, two-stroke leader Rory McIlroy is a -175 favorite to win. Bryson DeChambeau is +215, Corey Connors is +1225, and Ludvig Aberg is +3850.
Alexander Volkanovski is a -160 favorite over Diego Lopes in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Paddy Pimblett is -160 over Michael Chandler.
This year's estimates from the U.S. Census bureau peg the Las Vegas metro area population as growing by nearly 45,000 residents between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. At just under 2.4 million residents, Vegas maintained its position as the 29th largest metro area in the nation, just ahead of Cincinnati and Kansas City and just behind the Pittsburgh and Sacramento. Reno, meanwhile, grew by a little more than 8,000 people, raising the population to 575,100, nearly 18% of all Nevadans. Reno edged past the metro areas of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Portland, Maine, to become the 101st-largest metro area in the United States.
The first heat wave of the year came early and set a new record. Yesterday in mid-afternoon, the official thermometer at Reid International reached 96 degrees. That broke the record, set in 2023, of 93. Today and tomorrow remain in the 90s and today could tie the record. Then temperatures drop a bit into the high 80s through most of next week, six or seven degrees above normal.
A press release answers the lingering question about how much the F1 Drive high-speed kart experience will cost, along with some details about the karts, track, and experience. F1 Drive is one of four attractions at Las Vegas Grand Prix Plaza, the F1 headquarters at Koval and Harmon; it opens on May 2. "Drivers will take on 1,696 feet of track with 31 turns in bespoke F1-inspired karts reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. Equipped with Drag Reduction System (DRS), Energy Recovery System (ERS), LED steering wheel displays, and realistic engine sounds, the experience brings the thrill of racing to life," is the official description. Four different packages, each with two 15-minute track sessions, are available: Mixed Grid at lower speed for ages 12+, starting at $79; Elite Experience at full speed $99; Fastest Lap that competes against the clock, not other drivers, $37 or $30 for locals; and VIP Add-on with photo opps, F1 Sim rides, complimentary beverage, merch discounts, and the like for $150. Tickets are now on sale at GrandPrixPlaza.com.
WWE is bringing "The Grandest Stage of Them All" to Las Vegas next week. WrestleMania 41 will take place Allegiant Stadium April 19-20, the first WrestleMania to take place in Las Vegas since 1993. With nearly 200,000 fans expected, it'll be a very busy Easter weekend here and rooms are essentially sold out at regular rates, as are tickets to the event. But the WrestleMania Superstore will occupy a sizable percentage of the Las Vegas Convention Center starting on Wednesday the 17th and running through Monday the 21st. It'll offer WWE merchandise and memorabilia, giving fans the opportunity to shop exclusive gear, browse historic WWE displays, and take part in themed activities. It's free and open to the public.
Hughes Holdings, master developer of the 22,500-acre Summerlin subdivision in west Las Vegas, has received approval by the Las Vegas Planning Commission to subdivide another 400-plus acres into 13 developer sections. A maximum of 2,900 homes will be added to the community, roughly seven homes per acre. Summerlin already boasts 130,000 residents and the new acreage will add approximately 10,000 more. The development will also encompass a 20-acre site for a middle school, nine acres for a church, and 11 acres of commercial properties. Summerlin still has more than 2,000 acres of residential land and nearly 500 acres of commercial that can and most likely will be sold in the future.
A lot of cool stuff is going on in the "18b" Arts District, the 18-block section of downtown full of art galleries, antique shops, vintage-clothing stores, trendy cafés and bars, and upscale foodie-type restaurants. But parking is definitely at a premium. Currently, there are 1,350 spots on the streets and in lots and they fill up fast, especially at prime times like 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekdays when on-street parking is free. That's why the city has just announced that it's building a 5-1/2-story parking garage at the corner of Casino Center and Utah. Slated for completion next year, the garage will have 500 spaces, 10,000 square feet of retail, and some "local-art vibes with public-art installations."
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at 5-1 to win golf's Masters tournament. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at 6-1 and Collin Morikawa at 14-1. Tiger Woods is not playing this year.
An article in Las Vegas Weekly compiled some "stunning statistics" (and kind of random) about the Strip. Here are the ones we found most interesting. Approximately 245,000 one-pound meatballs have been served at Lavo at Palazzo since the restaurant opened in 2008. The 45-foot-tall bronze lion at MGM Grand weighs 50 tons. But that's a light weight compared to the 2,700 tons of sand spread around the 11-acre Mandalay Bay Beach or the 11,000 tons of stone and marble used to build Palazzo. Nearly 115,000 eggs are served at the Wicked Spoon Buffet brunch in an average month. And our favorite: 100 trees were nurtured on the Stardust property for 15 years between the time that the 'Dust closed and Resorts World opened, including live oaks, mondells, Aleppo pines, mesquites, and Mediterranean fan palms. You can see all the stats here.
Just in time for the National Association of Broadcasters convention with 60,000 attendees expected, a new Las Vegas Loop station has opened, this one at Encore. Only one tunnel is in operation, so traffic is staggered to accommodate travel in both directions; the second tunnel that will allow two-way traffic is underway. This is the third station outside the Convention Center, following those at Resorts World and Westgate. Next up is the station at UNLV on Paradise near the Thomas and Mack Center with a spur over to Virgin. Reports contend that "good progress" is being made on that line, though no timetable has been divulged for the opening.
As part of its 20th anniversary celebration, Wynn Las Vegas honored its employees by issuing them shares in the company. The CEO announced that "eligible full- and part-time employees hired before this year" will receive some stock (amounts not disclosed), which to us seems like a generous move; even first-year workers will get the bonus. The Wynn opened on April 28, 2005.
Today's high temperature is predicted to hit 93, roughly 12 degrees warmer than typical for mid-April. But tomorrow and Friday, the thermometer rises from even higher and Friday's high could reach 97, which would set a record for the day. The weather is so hot, in fact, that Lee Canyon Ski Resort is extending its season "as long as conditions allow" and at least through Easter Sunday (April 20). The temperatures and extended season don't really correlate (we were briefly antipodean), but the resort logged 60 inches of snow over the past month from a series of storms, so the snowpack is solid, even in the face of record highs.
In a rare move in today's Las Vegas, South Point yesterday introduced "50+ Prime Time Mondays," a promotion geared at those 50 years and older. Every Monday, the pre-geezers (c'mon, quinquagenarians are middle-aged, not old) and true geezers get half-point dining (other than at Baja Miguel’s and Primarily Prime Rib, both closed on Mondays) and half-point bingo. In addition, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, South Point's Century 16 movie theater is charging only $4 admission for 50 and up (with Free Club card). Senior promotions used to be common, but they went the way of cathode-ray tubes.
Las Vegas single-family house prices seem to have leveled off at a record median price of $485,000 in March. It's the third month in a row that the median price has remained at its record level. Condos and townhouses, however, continue to rise in price; in March, the median was $306,495, a little more than 1% higher than February. That's the second-highest median price for condos in Las Vegas history, short of the $315,000 set in October 2024. Though high, the median price of single-family homes is stable, good for both sellers who continue to get top dollar. The market is also good for buyers, who have more inventory to choose from and falling mortgage interest rates.
Due to continuing demand, the Eagles have announced another eight shows, being billed as the "final" shows of the current residency that started last September. In all, the band will have performed 44 shows at Sphere, breaking U2's record of 40. The new dates are October 3, 4, 10, 11, and 31 and November 1, 7, and 8. The general on-sale for the new shows starts Friday at 10:00 a.m. PT; tickets are $175 and up.
Florida is a -1 favorite over Houston in the NCAA Basketball Championship game. The total is 140.5.
Announced last year, Mega Millions ticket prices have more than doubled, from $2 to $5, starting with tomorrow night's drawing. It's only the second time the big interstate lottery, available in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands, has raised the ticket price (it doubled in 2017 to $2). The lottery claims that the higher price "will result in larger starting jackpots and faster-growing prizes." Indeed, the lottery projects the average jackpot to be more than $800 million, nearly double the current average of $450 million. In addition, breakeven prices are gone; every winning ticket will be more than $5 ($10-$50), with $500 jackpots rising to $1,000 to $5,000. The game itself is also changing. The gold Mega Ball has been removed, which drops the chances of winning something from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23. And the odds of hitting the six-number jackpot are also better, for what it's worth, going from 1 in 302.6 million, to 1 in 290.5 million.
Lionel Richie, one of the Encore Theater's longest-running and most successful headliners, has added six dates in October to his "Lionel Richie: King of Hearts" residency schedule: October 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25. Richie, who has racked up more than 125 million album sales, an Academy Award for Best Original Song ("Say You, Say Me"), four Grammys, and a Golden Globe, has also performed more than 50 sold-out concerts since launching his residency at Encore in 2019.
Nevada released its "Water Supply Outlook Report," as it does every year on April 1, when the state and the Colorado Basin typically achieve their highest snowpack totals, just before the snowmelt begins. Last Tuesday, the Colorado Basin snowpack sat at 88% of the median as compared to April 1, 2024, when it was 115%. The Spring Mountains, which also supply Lake Mead with water, was at a grim 30% of median. In addition, this year snowmelt started early due to a week of warm temperatures in late March. Both Lake Mead and Lake Powell are at 33% of their capacities and a 10-foot drop in Mead's water level is expected between now and the fall. Northern Nevada fared better, with right around 100% of the median in the Sierra basins.
Connecticut is a -7 favorite over South Carolina in today's NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game. The total is 135.
Lady Gaga has added a third show in Las Vegas to go with the two originally announced for July 16 and 18. The extra date on July 19 is one of 13 more on her "Mayhem Ball" arena tour, with stops all over the U.S., Canada, Europe, and South America this summer and fall. All three Vegas shows are sold out, but resale tickets are readily available starting at $292 and going up to $1,200-plus.
The Rio has announced a new show, The Empire Strips Back. The "one-of-a-kind evening full of comedy, allure, and sci-fi in the world of burlesque is taking the galaxy by storm." This is a parody production based, of course, on the Star Wars franchise and has been around for a while, having opened in Australia in 2011. Here's part of a review from SFGate in 2022. "If you’ve ever fantasized about a captive Princess Leia gyrating in a bikini and swinging her shackles to the filthy rotten snare of Nine Inch Nails’ sultry 1994 hit, 'Closer' or wanted to watch sexy stormtroopers stomp to the relentless 4/4 rhythm of 'Seven Nation Army,' then The Empire Strips Back — a Star Wars parody and traveling burlesque show — is absolutely for you." It starts May 5 and tickets are extremely reasonable at $39-$59.
Duke is a -4.5 favorite over Houston in today's second Final Four game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 137.
Florida is a -2 favorite over Auburn in today's first Final Four game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 158.5.
This week, the LVA YouTube returns to its roots, as Anthony and Andrew provide updates on the evolving city scene, with some bonus info thrown in. First is an explanation of the LVA "shorts" that many of you have been receiving (and asking about); find out what those are all about. The Cromwell is changing its name again and Andrew tells a sad story about trying and failing to get a comp at a video poker bar at Planet Hollywood; Anthony confirms that Caesars properties are tough for drink comps. The main event of the video is the show price survey that we've done annually for 34 years and Anthony reveals the best show deals on the low end. A buffet change, a new blackjack tournament, good new video poker, a great description of Las Vegas' oldest dive bar (and its burger special), and where movies have been filmed here round out the action-packed show. Click and stick!
In its continuing quest to attract the locals market, the Palms is now offering free cabanas at the pool Monday through Thursday to anyone 21 and older with a Nevada ID. You have to fill out the submission form with your name, birth date, and reservation request (good through October 31) and food and beverage, of course, are your responsibility. But this is a great way for locals and their guests to have a normally VIP experience gratis at an excellent pool complex.
Connecticut is a -7 favorite over UCLA in today's second Final Four game of the Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 135.
South Carolina is a -5 favorite over Texas in today's first Final Four game of the Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 124.5.
Rumors have been floating around for a while about a new version of The Wizard of Oz being produced for the giant screen at Sphere and now it's official. Sphere Entertainment has annouced that it will "launch a fully immersive version of the 1939 film that will maintain the integrity of the original, while pushing the boundaries of Sphere’s experiential medium.” In addition, Sphere Studios is developing a new documentary, From the Edge, which will focus on five extreme athletes: surfer, rock climber, BASE jumper, skier, and free diver. From the Edge will debut next year and The Wizard of Oz will premiere in August.
FoodandWine.com has issued a list of the Top 10 Hotel Bars in the U.S., selected by its "panel of drink experts, who've spent plenty of time at the best hotel bars in the country." Fontainebleau's Collins bar, just off the lobby with live piano most nights, was ranked number six. It was the only hotel bar in Las Vegas to make the list. New York had two bars of the 10, including the number-one best, the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel, with one each in Dallas, Nashville, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., New Orelans, Detroit, and Chicago.
It's Wine Wednesday at Vic's Las Vegas, the sophisticated and classy Italian-American restaurant and jazz venue at Symphony Park near the Smith Center. Every Wednesday this month, wine by the glass is $1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The featured wines are Meiomi pinot noir and Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc. This is a great opportunity to check out Symphony Park, Vic's, and its lunch menu, which you can see here.
Some things are as strange as ever out in Pahrump, the funky little desert town 60 miles west of Las Vegas in Nye County. Seven tigers, apparently "rescued" from the "Tiger King" TV series, were seized from a private residence out there yesterday after a controversy that had dragged on for several years. Finally, the cats' owner was being evicted from the property and refused to let the landlord access to inspect his asset; in addition, the tenant had no permit to keep exotic pets and walked the tigers outside their cages without leashes. He was taken into custody for resisting arrest and told News3, "I'm a 100 percent disabled veteran with PTSD. The VA and my doctors have approved the tigers to work as support animals." The tigers were sedated and shipped to various zoos and big-mammal boarding facilities.
Two Las Vegas chefs made the cut to become finalists in the James Beard Foundation Awards: Sarah Thompson (Casa Playa/Encore) and Eleazar Villanueva (Restaurant de Joël Robuchon/MGM Grand) for Best Chef Southwest. Cristie Norman (Delilah/Wynn) is the third finalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. The winners will be announced on June 16 at the awards ceremony in Chicago.
The presale for Nevada residents for Formula 1 tickets starts on April 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets for the Nov. 20-22 race go as low as $50 for the first practice round on Thursday night and locals will have priority access for single-day Flamingo General Admission tickets and all three-day options on Tuesday. General-public tickets will be available at noon on Wednesday April 9.
The 2023 Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, to no one's surprise, have locked up their presence in the NHL post-season. In first place in the Pacific Division, the VGK lost last night to the Edmonton Oilers, snapping their six-game winning streak, but snuck into the playoffs through the back door when the Calgary Flames lost their game to the Utah Hockey Club. Edmonton, which lost in the Finals last year to the Florida Panthers, are in second in the Pacific and could still make the playoffs as a wild card; they're seven points behind Vegas and both teams have eight games left in the regular season.
And now for something completely different. Six cast members from the Hulu reality-TV show "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" will take the stage at the Palazzo Theatre for what looks like one show on June 7. The six women are, reportedly, Mormon influencers based in Utah known as MomTok; the TV series, just entering its second season, revolves around a tepid sex scandal and its aftermath. So what the stage show will consist of is anyone's guess, though the press release mentions "a roundtable-style discussion, interactive games, and other surprises" and "an unforgettable girls’ night out in Vegas." Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
A story on TravelandLeisure.com has some nice photos of the newly remodeled Fairway Villas at the Wynn. These one- and two-bedroom high-roller suites come with "at least two marble bathrooms with large vanities, soaking bathtubs, and massive closets," along with outdoor areas and personal butlers; some have private pools and gyms and all overlook Wynn's golf course. There are 34 "residences" total, with a first phase available now and a second by the end of the year. If you're paying retail, you can rent the one-bedrooms for a low low $4,633 a night; the two-bedrooms are $6,326. And thanks to Canada Roy for the link; he might be hosting a party in one of the suites for invited guests soon.
After closing late last year, Whiskey Pete’s has been given permission to remain closed for up to three years while Affinity Interactive decides what direction it wants to go with its casinos in Primm.