When it hits CBS News, you know the word is getting out. The headline of Friday's story on CBS Evening News is, "Las Vegas may still dazzle, but its sparkle is coming at a steeper price: No longer a bargain vacation." The gist of the story is, "Inflation has brought on higher prices for visitors and has hit Sin City hard." Visitors interviewed claim Vegas is "20% more expensive this year than last" and complain about the traffic caused by all the road construction. Steve Hill, president of the LVCVA, blames "a drop in consumer confidence" (of course); it certainly can't have anything to do with Gouge City. In fact, he states that though occupancy is down from the pre-pandemic peak of 88%, the hotel-casinos are "comfortable in that 85% range at a little higher price." In other words, fewer people are coming, so let's gouge those who do show up even more. Still, the story concludes, "The summer calendar is full of concerts, festivals, and sporting events, and Hill believes the city will be resilient. 'Las Vegas is gonna respond to this,' Hill said. 'We're going to have a great summer.'"
Check out the new blog post by Bobby Vegas, concerning his bargain-seeking ways at home in Raleigh, North Carolina. Just as advantage play applies to all walks of life, as illuminated in our new book Advantage Players, a thrifty lifestyle is germane wherever you are, not just Vegas (of course). In the post, "Living Well Anywhere Anytime," Bobby solicits comments from LVAers on their favorite local deals. Join in the conversation here.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -600 favorites over the Indianapolis Pacers in the NBA Championship. Game 1 is Thursday in Oklahoma City.
Erin Blanchfield is a -250 favorite over Macee Barber in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Mateusz Gamrot is -150 over Ludovit Klein.
And speaking of the Plaza, all-inclusive deals are a rarity in Las Vegas, which is why this deal at the Plaza is interesting to us. This is exactly all-inclusive, such as at resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean (Secrets comes to mind), but it's a good play in Vegas. On June 1, all-inclusive packages starting at $125 per person per night will be available. The package includes room, unlimited drinks at two different bars, two meals a day (breakfast and lunch) at Hash House a Go Go, Fresh Mexican Grill, Pop Up Pizza, and the Coffee Bar, discounted appetizers and drinks at Oscar's Steakhouse, and early check in. Best of all, the resort fee of $44.07 (including tax) is waived. It's a summer deal that must be completed by August 30. Get more information or book the package here, and Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel talks about the deal in our YouTube interview.
The Plaza is one of our favorites. It's in a great location downtown, it has some of the loosest table-game rules and video poker schedules in town, the showroom is admirably old school and the Sand Dollar Lounge is always rocking, the bars are top-rate, including the outdoor video poker bar the Carousel, restaurants are recommendable, and the CEO is Jonathan Jossel, who started running the joint when he was all of 29 years old. It was a trial by ordeal, as Jonathan describes in the video, during the economic downtown after 2008, but he earned his wings, has returned the Plaza to its bargain-friendly downtown roots, and is innovative to boot. The lively and informative interview provides a rare look into the mind and motivations of one of the top casino executives in Las Vegas, which means the whole country, and is well worth watching.
In another sign of some Strip casinos reacting to the downward trend in revenue and visitation, Resorts World is offering free parking starting on Monday and running through August 28, just before Labor Day weekend. We assume this means that the gates will be up in both self-parking garages, which eliminates the $18 fee for everyone. Previously, only locals (up to three hours) and Genting Elite, Monarch, Prime, and Imperial tiers enjoyed the perk (entry-level Royal members had to pay). This is actually a positive sign. Fontainebleau reacted by laying off up to 60 dealers this week and MGM is introducing new fees (for example, on top of the already-exorbitant room-service menu prices, a $25 upcharge for china, silverware, and glass; thankfully, it's only $10 for takeout boxes and plastic).
Two days before the start of meteorological summer (June 1), Las Vegas will blister under the first major heat wave of 2025. High temperatures are expected to hit 104 today, which will fall two degrees short of the record high, and 104 tomorrow, which will tie the record. The extreme heat will pass through fairly quickly, with cooler temps, stronger winds, and a slight chance of showers on Sunday night. Then the weather will be seasonal through next week, with highs back in the low 100s next weekend.
A slot player firing up $250 per hand in the Red Rock's high-limit room on a Dragon Link machine at 10 p.m. last night hit the progressive jackpot of $1,086,315.
The Edmonton Oilers are -120 favorites over the Florida Panthers to win the NHL's Stanley Cup. This is a rematch of last year’s final that went seven games and was won by the Panthers. Game 1 is Wednesday in Edmonton.
Our newest release, Advantage Players by Michael Kaplan, is back from the printer and shipping. Thanks to everyone who ordered for your patience during a longer-than-normal publishing process, as we extended our deadlines to add chapters (the last one about the influencer Vegas Matt) that improved the book. If you purchased prior to publication, your book has been shipped; new buyers will get immediate delivery. Advantage Players, subtitled Inside the Winning World of Casino Virtuosos, Master Strategists, and Mathematical Wizards, profiles several top APs both in and out of the casinos, including many names you’ll recognize — James Grosjean, Max Rubin, Don Johnson, Phil Ivey, Mattress Mack, David Blaine, Larry Flynt, Heidi Fleiss, and even the rock band The Ramones, among many others. It’s a big book, nearly 350 pages, with 22 chapters, plus a Prologue, Epilogue, and Conclusion, and a cool eight-page photo spread (you can actually get a gander at some of these people). Order here or from Amazon, where you can watch a video of Anthony Curtis summarizing the book.
April visitor numbers were down noticeably: 180,000 fewer people came to Las Vegas than in April 2024. That's despite Wrestlemania, which attracted nearly 125,000 people. It was the fourth straight month of visitor declines as compared to the same period last year. It would've been more, but convention attendance was up nearly 14%. Airline passenger counts fell 3.4% in April, driven by less international travel, though vehicle travel across the California border on I-15 rose 7.7%. Year to date, visitation is down 6.5% or about 900,000 people.
Strip hotel-room occupancy was down a half-percent in April, downtown down 2.6%. Are the Strip casinos reacting? You bet: They raised room rates. The average daily rate was $190, an increase of 4.4% over April 2024. Fewer visitors also meant less revenue. The Strip total was down for the ninth month out of the past 10, though downtown and locals casinos were up slightly, the former 1%, the latter 3.2%.
On Friday, a traveler at the D Gates at Reid International made a $5 bet on a Wheel of Fortune Triple Red Hot 7s Gold Spin machine and walked away with $1,816,404. No word on whether the player was arriving or departing, but if the latter, they probably missed their plane. Of course, the newly minted millionaire could well afford the rebooking fee.
LoveExploring.com has a cool slide show of 32 "incredible Las Vegas hotels gone forever." It's a nostalgic scroll down Memory Lane with images and blurbs of the hotels and motels that have closed, been imploded, or changed names over the past 25 or so years.
Rivea, the Mediterranean restaurant atop the W tower at Mandalay Bay, will close on June 22. Rivea was opened as Mix in 2004 by celebrity French chef Alain Ducasse when the W was called THEhotel, then was transformed into Rivea in 2015 when the tower was called Delano. There's no word on what the new name of the restaurant (or the tower) will be, but whatever it is, the view will still be spectacular from the 64th floor of the W (though what the real number of the floor is is anyone's guess).
The Golden Nugget is having a "Santa's Summer Sale" that waives the resort fee, offers free parking, and provides additional "rewards" (such as coupons for the GN's retail shops) for booking directly on the hotel website. The sale is good through July 31 and you can book at the promo rates for multiple stays through June 30, 2026. Rates are as low as $59 (plus taxes) and you can book here. We're seeing more of these kinds of deals as Las Vegas starts to suffer from ... well, how long of a list do you want?
TastingTable.com ranked the 10 hardest-to-get restaurant tables in Las Vegas. They didn't cite any methodology, so we suspect that the list is subjective based on popularity, but just in case you're planning on eating at any of them on your next trip, you'll definitely want to plan as far ahead as possible. Here are the 10: é by José Andrés (Cosmopolitan), Carbone (Aria), Kaiseki Sanga (3650 S. Decatur), Kabuto (5040 W. Spring Mountain), Wing Lei (Wynn), Nobu (Caesars Palace), Sinatra (Encore), Lotus of Siam (620 E. Flamingo), SW Steakhouse (Wynn), and Vanderpump Cocktail Garden (Caesars Palace).
Today is Day One of the 56th annual World Series or Poker, which will take place over the next six weeks at the Horseshoe and Paris. There are 100 bracelet tournaments leading up to the $10,000-buy-in Main Event, which starts on July 2, with the final table taking place July 15-16. Similar to the rules changes at other events since last year's WSOP final table, players are prohibited from using real-time electronic-assistance tools and/or accepting coaching during play. Last year's final table erupted in controversy when the eventual winner took advice from coaches on the rail based on AI and other electronic analytics. None of that will be allowed this year and going forward.
Jennifer Lopez will do 12 shows late this year and in March at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “Jennifer Lopez: Up All Night Live in Las Vegas” opens with four shows on Dec. 30 and 31 and Jan. 2 and 3. The eight other performances are on March 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 27, and 28. This is Lopez's second Las Vegas residency; the first was at Planet Hollywood and ran for 120 shows from 2016 to 2018, grossing more than $100 million. The presale starts next Tuesday at 10 a.m. PT; general-public tickets will be available on Friday June 6 at 10 a.m.
The YouTube channel Not Leaving Las Vegas takes a deep dive into the "2024 Las Vegas Visitor Profile Survey" and reports that this place isn't just going downhill, but that "Vegas is on its last legs." The narrator, Stephen, goes into a little detail about how the survey is conducted, then uses the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's own data as evidence that Vegas is facing, in the euphemistic phrase loved by gaming-industry analysts, headwinds. It's well worth the 12 minutes for the before (2019) and after (2024) comparisons, then another 12 reading more than 1,250 comments, every single one of which agrees with Stephen's conclusions. This is the one we liked the best: "My wife and I went to Vegas for a concert. It felt like we got mugged from the time we got off the airplane till the time we left." See it here -- and thanks to XY, LVA correspondent extraordinaire, for the link.
Chowhound.com has a new page that identifies “The Hands Down Best Burger in Every State.” The Nevada winner: Bar Code Burgers. This is a 10-year-old bar and burger place that occupies the former location of the Elbow Room, a dive bar that opened in 1968 and was, reportedly, the first tavern to serve chicken wings; in fact, they had actual wings, preserved in some way (shellack, most likely in those days), on the wall. About the burgers, Anthony says, "They're decent, but I wouldn't say near the best." If you try them, let us know what you think.
The city is busy with an estimated 345,000 people in for the Memorial Day weekend and the sports books will be jumping with NBA and NHL playoff action today. Promos are sparse, but as it does every year, South Point is offering active and veteran military a free buffet for two today. Must show military ID.
That was fast. The presale for EDC 2026 opened yesterday morning and by midnight, all general admission and VIP tickets were gone. General admission plus tickets were still available this morning, but reportedly going fast, so they too might be sold out by now. This is the first time in EDC's 30-year history that general-public tickets will not be available from Insomniac, the EDC promoter; however, though 2025 was a sellout, tickets were readily available on the resale market up to last weekend's festival. General admission tickets for 2026 are $524.99, VIP $1,398, and as of earlier today, GA+ $698.99. EDC 2026 will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway May 15-17.
An analysis by Clever Real Estate based on data from the U.S. Census and Economic Analysis bureaus ranks Las Vegas as the 27th most affordable city out of 50 major metropolitan areas in the ratio of home prices to income. With the median single-family house price of $449,000, a household needs a yearly income of $113,839 to put down the usual 20% on the house and afford the mortgage. That's roughly 33% more than the median household income of Las Vegans of $75,065. Only Detroit and Pittsburgh were ranked as affordable out of the 50 cities; the other 48 have an income gap between income and home buying.
The beloved pool complex at the Flamingo, which opened in the mid-'90s after the old four-story Oregon Building was demolished, has reopened following a complete overhaul. The adults-only Go Pool added two new pools to bring the total to five, with a "wet deck" (shallow pool where sunbathers can lounge on chaises in the water), a cenote-like cave area with an infinity pool and skylight, plenty of palm trees, a wraparound bar, and a DJ spinning tunes nonstop. Best of all, entrance is free and open to the public; you don't need to be a Flamingo guest to gain entry. But show up early to secure a spot and don't expect a relaxing afternoon. It's more of a pool party than a quiet swim.
Pato O’Ward is the +400 favorite to win today's Indianapolis 500. He's followed by Alex Palou at +435 and Joseph Newgarden at +675.
We continue to pursue coupons for our Member Rewards Online program and the new one's a deal for pizza lovers. Carnegie Pizza in the new food hall, Miracle Eats, at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood is offering a 2-for-1. With the printed coupon, LVA Platinum members ($50 per year) receive either two slices of pizza or two entire pies for the price of one (not good for both). Diamond members ($3 per month) get the BOGO slice. See all the details and print your coupon here.
The Bellagio Conservatory and Horticultural Garden has unveiled its summer display and it's a doozy. "Glam Menagerie: A Surrealist Summer,” the display is more whimsical than usual, featuring a zebra couple, one upright and the other lying on a couch, a dancing tiger in a bonnet and dress, a towering moss-covered giraffe and chess pieces on a black-and-white board, spindly legged pink flamingos and a high-kicking high-heeled owl, a flower-draped angel, 22,000 potted plants, shrubs, and trees, and 125,000 pounds of ivy. The exhibit runs through September 6.
A story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal quotes U.S. Census Bureau statistics that show the growth in southern Nevada continues unabated. As of a year ago, the population in the metropolitan area was 2.4 million, an increase of 123,000 people or 5.4% in four years. That's more than double the national growth rate of 2.6% (to 340 million Americans). North Las Vegas’ population more than doubled the metro growth at 12.6% to 294,000, while Henderson’s population grew by almost 10 percent to about 350,000. The city of Las Vegas' population increased by nearly 5 percent to around 679,000. The growth is attributed to the continued burgeoning of the tourist economy, relatively low housing costs (for the Southwest), attractive climate, lack of state income taxes, and development into the far corners of the Las Vegas Valley.
According to AAA, 45.1 million people will travel at least 50 miles this weekend, the highest number in 20 years. Upwards of 340,000 of them will come to Las Vegas, down from 345,000 last year, predicts the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Total occupancy here is expected to be 93% and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the average room rate across 153 properties is $248.41 a night; downtown, it averages $204.67. AAA ranked Las Vegas among the top five U.S. destinations for the long weekend.
Today is "Beer Friday"! Join Anthony and Andrew for a YouTube livestream starting at 4 p.m. PST. Watch the show live, interact online, and have a drink or two with the guys to start the weekend. Log in to join at LVA YouTube live channel.
According to a story in this morning's Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures is teaming up with a leading developer of entertainment attractions and The STRAT to launch a "fully immersive experience based on its Top Gun franchise, which stars Tom Cruise." The venue, a rendering of which you can see here, will occupy an undeveloped piece of land at the STRAT (perhaps the dirt lot just north of Atomic Golf) and comprise "a combination of rides and storytelling, utilizing advanced technology and, of course, jet simulators." A recreation of the Hard Deck bar from Top Gun: Maverick will be included, with live piano singalongs. Tentatively dubbed Top Gun Las Vegas, the attraction is slated to open sometime in 2028, which to us means at least three years from now and ... we'll see.
Circa Sports has announced another record-breaking year for its football contests. Circa Survivor and Circa Million VII will combine for the highest payout to date, $21 million guaranteed. Additionally, Circa is debuting Circa Grandissimo, "an ultra-luxury survivor-style contest with $1.5 million guaranteed and $100,000 per entry. Woo. Circa Survivor has gone up to $15 million this year, after a total prize pool of $14,266,000 was split by eight winners last year on a $10 million guarantee. Circa Million VII will be $6 million guaranteed, with a $1 million first-place prize. Each contest’s pool is no rake and any additional entries that exceed the guarantee will be added to the prize. Sign-ups are open now through September 6 at 2 p.m. PT at all Circa Sports locations, either in-person or via proxy or the Circa Sports Nevada app. The three contests will run September 4 through January 4.
Celebrity chef, James Beard Award winner, author, and "Top Chef" star Kwame Onwuachi will open Maroon steakhouse in the space occupied by José Andrés’ Bazaar Meat, which is closing on June 30 and moving to Palazzo. This will be Onwuachi's first West Coast restaurant; his Tatiana in New York City, which opened in 2022, was ranked the number-one restaurant in New York City by the New York Times and earned the 2023 "The One to Watch" award from World’s 50 Best; Dōgon, his new restaurant in Washington, D.C., is getting rave reviews. Maroon, named for the Maroons of Jamaica, descendants of Africans who escaped enslavement and created self-sufficient communities in the country's Blue Mountains, will "reimagine the classic American steakhouse through the lens of Caribbean cuisine. There will be jerk rubs and dry-aged cuts, live-fire cooking, scotch bonnet-infused sauces, grilled seafood, and vibrant sides rooted in West African, Jamaican, and Creole traditions," according to Travel & Leisure. Maroon will open by the end of the year and is definitely a coup for the Sahara.
Virgin Las Vegas is advertising a room deal at 35% off the rack rate and no resort fee. You must book before next Tuesday (May 27) and stay there between now and September 30. Rooms are as low as $59 and that rate and the others, which you can see on the Virgin reservations page (click on You Deserve It), include all fees. Not bad for a premium property off the Strip with free parking.
Roughly four years after his last boxing match, Manny Pacquiao will face off against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19. The 46-year-old Pacquiao, from the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, will be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame on June 8. The "Pacman" won 12 titles in a record eight weight classes, has a record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockouts, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. The 30-year-old Barrios retained the WBC welterweight title in a draw against Abel Ramos last November and is 29-2-1 with 18 KOs. Pacquiao said, "Don't worry about it," in response to the 16-year age difference, but he didn't look like a champion in his last few outings before retiring in August 2021.
An image from Las Vegas Locally shows a bottle-service experience available last weekend at EDC called the "Notorious." For $575,000, the package included 125 bottles of Dom Pérignon Brut, 125 bottles of Dom Pérignon Rosé, and 10 bottles of Clase Azul Ultra Tequila. Now that's what we call a party for two people. According to EDM.com, you could also avail yourself of lesser-lights champagne packages, such as "You, Me, & Everyone We Know" for $140,000, "Supernova Pop" for $105,000, and a single six-liter Methuselah of Armand de Brignac Rosé topped for $63,000. Or you could lower yourself to a six-pack of Bud Light for $150. We like Canada Roy's comment: "Yet you still had to 'dispose' of it in a Porta Potty ..."
The temporary wall on the second floor of Fontainebleau since it opened is finally giving way to the Hall of Excellence. The Hall is a partnership between Tom Brady and longtime sportscaster Jim Gray and will display "iconic sports and entertainment memorabilia." According to the press release, Morgan Freeman will narrate a self-guided tour through the Hall, which will display Jackie Robinson's first major league bat, Muhammad Ali's gloves from his fight against George Chuvalo, Michael Jordan's first pair of Air Jordans, Kobe Bryant's jersey from his first nationally televised game, and a golf ball from Tiger Woods' first Masters win in 1997. Other items will commemorate sports stars Joe DiMaggio, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Arnold Palmer, Hank Aaron, Carl Lewis, Magic Johnson, Mike Tyson, and Michael Phelps, along with championship rings from the Las Vegas Aces, the Vegas Golden Knights, and all seven of Brady's Super winning Bowls. The Hall of Excellence opens on June 20 and tickets go on sale on Friday at FontainebleauLasVegas.com for $35, $30 seniors, locals, and military, and $20 for 15 and younger.
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, which has its origins in Florence, Italy, more than 800 years ago, has opened its first Las Vegas store at Fontainebleau. The farmaceutica, though it doesn't sell medicines, is often called "the oldest pharmacy in the world," selling fragrances and skin, body, and hair-care products. Its rose water dates back to 1381 and is still available and some of its perfumes trace their history as far back as the 16th century. The store is on the second floor of Fbleau and is open seven days a week.
As it does most summers, live-music and entertainment-event promoter AEG is having a $50 (plus fees) sale. Some big shows in Vegas qualify for select dates: Janet Jackson at Resorts World; David Blaine, Jim Gaffigan, Tiffany Haddish, and UB40 and English Beat at Encore; and a number of shows at the Theater at Virgin, including Australian Pink Floyd tribute. The sale, depending on the tickets, ends May 29-31 and all tickets must be bought in pairs (some of the $50 prices are for two tickets). Find all the bands, dates, and venues and buy tickets here.
Now in its 18th year, Las Vegas Restaurant Week will be held from June 2 to 13 (it's actually a 12-day event). It takes place in June every year and encourages Las Vegans and visitors to dine out for a good meal at a good value for a good cause. The city’s finest restaurants offer special three-course prix fixe menus, donating a portion of proceeds to Three Square Food Bank, southern Nevada’s only food bank and its largest hunger-relief organization. Each restaurant selects the donation level of $4, $5 or $6 per meal. Since 2007, ten million meals have been provided for those in need through Restaurant Week. The list of restaurants that participate in the event continues to grow and this year is epic. From 1228 Main (in the Arts District downtown) to Zaytinya (Jose Andres' new mezze eatery at the Forum Shops), you can see all 260 Las Vegas restaurants, including the special three-course menus and prices, and make reservations here.
In a social media post yesterday, the director of Reid International called a development by the federal government that moves forward the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport (SNSA) out in Jean a "major milestone." The milestone? The Federal Aviation Administration and the Bureau of Land Management issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. The director wrote, "This important step brings us closer to addressing the increasing demand for air travel in one of the nation’s fastest growing regions.” Call us skeptical, but two federal agencies announcing that they intend to ... do something ... someday, rather than an important step, is another baby step in a process that's been going on for 25 years -- and counting. Still, it's better, we suppose, than the feds not intending to do something.
As if Vegas regulars need more reasons to give Las Vegas a wide berth the weekend of November 21-23, Allegiant Stadium is booked on both Saturday and Sunday. The UNLV Rebels football team plays Hawaii on Saturday and the Raiders play at home against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It's a football-F1 grinder, with the Las Vegas Grand Prix sandwiched between the games at 10 p.m. to midnight on Saturday night. All we can say is, that's triple the trouble, including soldout hotels (at exorbitant room rates), booked up restaurants, ridiculous crowds everywhere, monumental traffic jams, utter madness at the airport, and all-around turmoil, tumult, and trials and tribulations.
The new video in the series that covers Las Vegas history decade by decade has just been released by the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial. The City of Las Vegas: The Seventies is the seventh in the series; one is released every year in conjunction with Las Vegas' birthday, May 15. The Seventies is essentially an intensification of The Sixties, with unrest sweeping the nation and Las Vegas finally dealing with all the problems that had been swept under the rug for the sake of appearances: racism, welfare, union, women's, and tribal issues. It also marked the start of the Mint 400, the World Series of Poker, polyester and disco, Bargain City, and the explosive growth of the population and sprawl, plus the end of the Mob. And this episode contains some unexpected revelations. Like the other City of Las Vegas videos, The Seventies is a meaty 75 minutes and well worth every minute. See it here.
The Florida Panthers are -125 favorites over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.5.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -8 favorites over the Denver Nuggets in Game 7 of their second-round NBA playoff series. The total is 214.
Going into the final round of golf's PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler with a 3-stroke lead is the -400 favorite to win. He’s followed by Bryson DeChambeau at +280 and Jon Rahm at +325.
The odds for the Preakness Stakes make Journalism the favorite at 8-5, followed by Sandman at 4-1 and River Thames at 9-2. The long shot in the field of nine is Pay Billy at 20-1. The Triple Crown isn't in play, as Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty is not in the field.
Michael Morales is a -550 favorite over Gilbert Burns in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Rodolfo Bellato is -425 over Paul Craig.
Anthony had to catch a plane, so this week's YouTube video is a seven-minute quick hitter. Anthony and Andrew spend half of it talking about our big (350 pages with an eight-page photo spread) new book, Advantage Players, which will be available (and shipping) on Monday and is on sale for $18.71 (regularly $24.95). Then Anthony briefly discusses EDC, here this weekend, and announces a cool charity event at a local bar: a tri-tip cookoff and strawberry margarita blendoff. Samples of both from multiple vendors are free, though donations are accepted. Find out when and where by tuning in.
Clark County 215, a.k.a. Bruce Woodbury Beltway, will be closed completely in both directions between the Tropicana Avenue and Flamingo Road exits in the southwest valley this weekend. The closure, starting at 9 p.m. tonight and reopening by 9 p.m. tomorrow, will allow road crews to work on the Peace Way bridge over the freeway. Lane restrictions will be in place farther out in each direction, so be prepared to detour if you're heading that way over the next day or so.
Upwards of 13,000 apartments opened to occupancy between January 2023 and last month, a "historic" number of new units entering the rental market in Las Vegas. The new supply has been absorbed quickly, as evidenced by vacancy rates: 10.5% in 2023 and 9.9% last year and so far this year. Rents are down slightly in Henderson, which has the highest rates in the valley; the average for a one-bedroom is $1,530, down 1.3% since March and a half-point since March 2024. In Las Vegas, a one-bedroom averages $1,230, an increase of 2.5% since March and flat since last year.
The Vegas Golden Knights lost the second round of the NHL playoffs last night. The Edmonton Oilers won Game Five by a score of 1-0 in overtime, eliminating the home team 4- games to 1. The Oilers, who lost the Stanley Cup Finals last year to the Florida Panthers, now move on to the Western Conference championship, facing the winner of the Dallas Stars-Winnipeg Jets series; the Stars are up 3-1. And the NFL schedule for the upcoming season was released last night. The Las Vegas Raiders, with a new head coach, general manager, quarterback, and revolving door of players, are facing an uphill battle, reflected in four predictions from pundits: ESPN 7 wins, 10 losses; Fox 7-10; Sports Illustrated 6-11; A to Z Sports 9-8. As one of the worst teams last year (4-13, third consecutive losing season, and worst record since 2014), even these mediocre projections would be a big improvement.
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at +425 to win the PGA Championship golf tournament. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at +600, Bryson DeChambeau at +700, and Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, both at +1600. Tiger Woods is not in the field.
Tomorrow evening, Downtown Grand is hosting British indie rock band Lime Garden for a night-swim concert at the Citrus Grand Pool Deck. Attendees can enjoy the band’s blend of disco, pop, and surf rock, while "vibing on Downtown Grand’s recently renovated pool deck," according to the press release. The event is open to all ages and tickets are free on Eventbrite. Doors open at 7 pm.
According to the press release (we haven't verified the odds), last Saturday, a pair of guests playing Face Up Pai Gow Poker hit back-to-back 7-card straight flushes to win back-to-back progressive jackpots. "The odds were 1 in 45 billion and it happened at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada," it read. Arlen scored first, collecting $183,496 on the progressive. After decks were changed, on the very next hand, Quinlin held a 7-card straight flush to win $90,002. This wasn’t the first time the Atlantis celebrated a gaming milestone. Two years ago, a slot player at the Atlantis won just over $14 million on Megabucks, which remains the largest slot jackpot in Reno history.
Zaytinya ("olive oil" in Turkish) opened yesterday at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Announced two years ago to major excitement due to the popularity of the brand, with locations in Miami, Manhattan, southern California, and in its 23rd year in Washington, D.C., Zaytinya is the sixth restaurant in Las Vegas from celebrity chef and global philanthropist José Andrés; it's also the title of cookbook released last year by Andrés. The cuisine is eastern Mediterranean -- Greek, Turkish, and Lebanese -- and unlike the D.C. original, which serves only mezze (the eastern Mediterranean form of western Mediterranean tapas), the Las Vegas menu also includes entrees, such as grilled salmon and roast half-chicken ($45), lamb chops ($65), and prime rib ($85). The mezze range from fries ($9) and spanakopita ($16) to lamb-loin kebab ($22) and octopus ($24). There are also speads, salads, flat breads, as well as a family-style option (kebab platter $70, whole sea bass $85, and lamb shoulder $105) and a 13-course Chef's Experience tasting menu ($90 per person). The full bar specializes in Spanish and Greek wines and Las Vegas beers. Zaytinya is open for dinner only: Sun.-Thurs. 5-9, Fri. and Sat. till 10.
... to three people bit by bed bugs at Luxor last year. One of the victims was transported by ambulance to a Las Vegas hospital for an allergic reaction (she felt like she was suffocating), where she was treated in the parking lot, so as not to spread the infestation; all three were treated when they returned home. Apparently dissatisfied with the utmost magnanimity of MGM Resorts' refunding of their resort fees for the night, the couple and a single traveler are suing MRI. A second lawsuit has been filed against Treasure Island for bed bugs. No refund was issued to the victim there, who was given a new room -- where she was bit by more bugs. The three lawsuits, filed by the same law firm, are alleging negligence and seeking $30,000 per person in damages.
According to John Katsilometes, the Review-Journal entertainment columnist, iLuminate, the LED-outlined dance show, will close on May 31 after more than 1,200 performances at the STRAT. It was a long-time Top Ten Value since shortly after it opened in August 2021. VitalVegas reports that Hogs & Heifers, the raucous saloon and restaurant across from Downtown Grand, will close on July 31. Apparently, the lease ran out and won't be renewed. VitalVegas also confirms that Mr Chow, the upscale Chinese restaurant at Caesars Palace, will close after dinner on Saturday. Though it's been open for around 10 years and Mr Chow has venues in Beverly Hills, London, Manhattan, Miami, and a few other major cities, the location on the second floor of Caesars in the old Bacchanal Room was less than ideal. No word on what might replace it.
The somewhat reunited Sex Pistols, one of the original punk-rock bands formed in London in 1975, is undertaking its first tour of the U.S. since 2003. Although the original band managed to stay together for only a couple of years and recorded all of one album, they had an overarching influence on rock. The original lead singer, John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon, isn't part of the current lineup and Sid Vicious, the second bassist and ultimate outcast, died in 1979 at age 21. The reconstituted band will play the Pearl Theater at the Palms on October 17, capping the 18-show tour. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $80.
It's that weekend again. EDC hits the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday and runs through Sunday night. Upwards of 525,000 entrances are expected compared to 500,000 last year and all the tickets have been sold out for months, though you can buy resale tix on lasvegas.electricdaisycarnival.com through Ticketmaster (starting at $663 plus fees). In addition, Insomniac TV is livestreaming the acts from all five stages on five dedicated channels (watch free on the website). Seven days worth of events start today, with several downtown and at the airport, plus various activities at Planet 13, including a food truck festival. Traffic around the Speedway will be insane all weekend, so definitely consult GPS or a map for alternate routes north of the city.
Our fourth jackpots episode of the LVA YouTube vlog is here -- with big hits galore. Anthony and Andrew start out discussing a couple of insightful comments from viewers, then launch into the largest jackpots in history (based on a Question of the Day from last week) and a couple of jackpots hit by two members of the LVA family: George A, who's been on the show several times, and none other than Andrew. George hit his very first royal flush ever and Andrew hit his first single-line royal. Yahoo! From there, a local couple visiting the Eureka casino to use our 2-for-1 MRB coupon at the excellent Fat Choy hit an $18K jackpot, then went to a bar recommended by Anthony and hit a seqential royal. It definitely pays to be an LVA member! The lightning round covers all kinds of good luck sent in by viewers and you can see it all right here with just a twitch of the mouse.
Harlem Nights, a $700 million 60-story hotel-casino on a two-acre site in the Historic Westside district at the once-vibrant corner of Jackson Avenue and F Street, was proposed in spring 2023. Nothing has happened to our knowledge since then, but it seems that the project is still viable, though smaller in scope. A report on 8NewsNow over the weekend stated that Harlem Nights is now a 22-story 211-room hotel-casino, presumably in response to the existing height restriction (of 22 stories) and that the Las Vegas Planning Commission will consider the scaled-down property at its next meeting.
With apologies to Bob Seger and his song "Sunspot Baby," Sara King sure had a real good time -- and now she's paying the piper. The disbarred lawyer, ex-wife of a Saudi prince, and glam queen who, according to one ex-friend, "loved money and had no soul" pled guilty to wire fraud and money laundering a couple of years ago and was sentenced last week to 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution to the tune of the $8.7 million out of which she bilked "investors" to support her lavish spree, which included a stay of six months in one of the Wynn's most exclusive villas. Dubbing herself the "Slot Whisperer" with an "“unbeatable strategy” for high-stakes slots, King ran through the high seven figures playing the machines non-stop, which of course the Wynn was happy to facilitiate -- until she ran out of other people's money. Her scam was offering a 10% return on money invested in the short-term high-interest loans her company made to celebrities, professional athletes, and other high-net-worth people who needed quick cash and were collaterized by their cars, yachts, sports contracts, etc. But all the investment money went into the Wynn's coffers and Ms. King will spend the better part of the next two years behind bars.
The thermometer reached 99 yesterday and 100 is predicted for today. If we hit triple digits, it will be the first time this year. The earliest Las Vegas has ever seen 100 degrees was on May 1, 1947, and the latest first date was June 30, 1965 and 2023. The median is May 24. So 100 degrees today will be fairly early historically. Even if today does breach triple digits, the forecast calls for a high temperature of 77 on Tuesday and the 80s and low 90s -- nowhere near 100 -- for the next two weeks.
Belal Muhammad is a -215 favorite over Jack Della Maddalena in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Manon Fiorot is -135 over Valentina Shevchenko.
Station Casinos is expanding to the Strip, opening a full-scale sports book at Treasure Island. The 3,100-square-foot STN Sportsbook replaces the one previously operated by Treasure Island and features 74 TV screens and a video wall, eight betting windows, and mobile sign-up stations for STN Sports accounts. As for whether or not Station has greater ambitions for the Strip, we're taking the No. The company owns a number of developable parcels in the neighborhoods and will no doubt stick to being a locals casino company.
Seth MacFarlane, creator of the popular animated series "Family Guy" (now in its 23rd season), also has a voice; he plays both Peter (the father) and Stewie (the son) Griffin. In addition, he's an accomplished baritone with eight studio albums and five Grammy nominations. His latest album, Lush Life -- The Lost Sinatra Arrangements, will be released in early June. To support Lush Life, MacFarlane will do three performances at Voltaire at the Venetian: July 3, 4, and 5. He'll be backed by a 29-piece ochestra conducted by composer Joel McNeely. Tickets are on sale now at voltairelv.com.
Las Vegas Metro Police have responded to more than 6,000 vehicle crashes so far this year and based on their locations have issued a list of the most crash-prone intersections in the city. Two out of the 20 worst are inside the tourist corridor; Koval Lane and Tropicana Avenue ranks sixth on the list with 18 crashes and Harmon Avenue and the Strip ranks 10th with 17. The five worst intersections are Flamingo and Rainbow (26 crashes), Eastern and Sahara (24), Charleston Lamb (23), Jones Tropicana (22), and Maryland and Sahara (20). Be careful out there. The life you save might be your own -- or mine.
The Steve Miller Band is touring this summer and will stop at Planet Hollywood for one night on October 25. Singer-songwriter, harmonicist, keyboardist, and guitarist, Miller started his band in 1966, recorded 18 albums, and had two dozen hit songs make the Billboard Top 100, including "The Joker," "Fly like an Eagle," "Space Cowboy," "Living in the USA," "Rock'n Me," "Mercury Blues," "Abracadabra," "Wild Mountain Honey," "Take the Money and Run," and (our favorite) "Going to the Country." Tickets are on sale now. Burton Cummings, legendary frontman and songwriter for Canadian rock band the Guess Who, will play the Pearl Theater at the Palms on August 23 as part of a 23-city tour this summer. The Guess Who had a dozen hits in their life span from 1965 to 1974, the biggest of course "American Woman." They also topped the charts with "Shakin' All Over," "Laughing," "No Time," "No Sugar Tonight," "Tossin' and Turnin,'" and "These Eyes." Cummings, now 77, embarked on a solo career afterwards. Tickets are on sale now.
Clark County’s version of the Punxatawney groundhog, the one named Phil, has finally shown up. Mojave "Rip Van Winkle" Max, a desert tortoise and the mascot for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program, emerged from his brumation burrow at Springs Preserve shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday, May 8. It was a mere 15 days later than the previous record for tardiness of April 23, set in 2023. Apparently, the warming of the earth signals tortoises to wake up, but a cool spring so far hadn't warmed enough for ol' Max to get the news that we're eight weeks into spring. His earliest emergence was February 14 in 2005, so the range from earliest to latest is now 83 days.
The Burlesque Hall of Fame, a nonprofit devoted to the art and history of burlesque performance, is closing on July 20. The museum in the Arts District opened in 2006 and announced the closure in a statement as due to "reduced tourist visitation, recession fears, and the current administration’s cuts to museum funding, which have all made continued operation of the museum space untenable." The statement continued that the museum isn't going out of business; the collection of burlesque memorabilia will be maintained, the BHoF's annual fundraiser will continue, and a capital campaign will accrue funds to reopen the museum "when more stable and political conditions emerge."
With no announcement, the Westgate Fresh Buffet closed on Monday. Too bad; we had a nice coupon there. That leaves 11 operating buffets in Las Vegas: Palms (with a Member Rewards Online coupon), South Point, Circus Circus, Main Street Station, Rampart, MGM Grand, Excalibur, Cosmopolitan, Bellagio, Wynn, and Caesars Palace.
One of the greatest rock bands in history, The Who, will make a stop in Las Vegas on their "farewell" tour, "The Song Is Over," on September 28 at MGM Grand Garden. That show will be the last on the tour, which will visit 12 cities in the U.S. and two in Canada starting on August 16. The band got its start in London in 1964, so it spans more than six decades. Only two members of the original quartet, lead guitarist Pete Townshend, 80, and frontman Roger Daltrey, 81, remain. Bassist John Entwistle died in Room 658 at the Las Vegas Hard Rock in June 2002, one day before the scheduled first show of the Who's 2002 United States tour; he was 57 years old. And wildman drummer Keith Moon, for whom every song was a drum solo, died at age 32 of an overdose of clomethiazole (prescribed as an antidote to alcoholism). Pre-sale tickets start at 10 a.m. local time next Tuesday through Thursday; the general on-sale begins at 10 a.m. local time on Friday May 16.
The Backstreet Boys haven't even begun their residency at Sphere yet (it starts on July 11), but more shows have been added for the third time; the new dates are Aug. 22, 23, and 24. That brings the total number to 21. Pre-sale tickets for the three new dates start on Monday at 10 a.m. PT; the general public can start buying them on Friday May 16, also at 10 a.m. PT. In other Sphere news, anyone with a Nevada ID can take a 20% discount on tickets to the Sphere Experience, which includes the movie Postcard from Earth. We hadn't checked prices for a while, so imagine our surprise when we saw that they now start at $189 per person and go up to -- are you hanging onto your hats? -- $509. When we saw it last year, the price was $100. The $189 ticket includes tax, but with a $53 service fee and $8 electronic transfer fee, you'll pay $250 for the hour-long movie. With the 20% off for locals at the cheapest price point, the ticket goes for $151, so expect to pay around $212 if you live around here.
Yesterday, Las Vegas received 0.61 of an inch of rain, beating the previous record of 0.59 of an inch set in 1969. So far this month, 1.44 inches of precipitation have been recorded, the highest amount for the entire month in history. (May is the second driest month of the year at .11 inches and last year, no measurable rain fell at all.) Today, scattered showers are predicted through the morning, then it dries out, probably until the monsoon season starts late next month. Temperatures also heat up from here. Monday's high was 68, only three degrees higher than the record lowest high temperature for May 5. The thermometer rises all the way to near 100 on Saturday.
A number of surveys are emerging in conjunction with Mother's Day this weekend and Nevada doesn't look so good in most of them. Best representative is one done by Kremp, an online florist company, that ranks Nevada as 48th worst out of the 50 states in which "to be a mom." Metrics studied include women's median earnings, the gender wage gap, and child-care costs; job protection and paid family/parental leave; and health status and education levels. Massachusetts ranked number one with a total score of 720.3, followed by Maryland, New Jersey, and Connecticut, all in the 700s, and Kentucky (693.2). Nevada's score was 613.2 and only West Virginia (602.2) New Mexico (592.9) came in lower. You can see the whole survey here.
THE PARTY at Superfrico will be the latest show in the wacky Spiegelworld's stable, which includes Absinthe, DiscoShow, and Atomic Saloon Show in Las Vegas and The Hook in Atlantic City. THE PARTY will be a dinner show in the new Blue Room, an intimate boutique restaurant-within-a-restaurant, hidden within Superfrico at the Cosmopolitan. It will be hosted by Laurie Hagen, an award-winning actor, dancer, clown, singer-songwriter, and cabaret/burlesque performer who seems to channel Liza Minelli. Only 50 seats per night will be available and the three-course dinner and two-hour variety show will feature a rotating cast of "unusualists." You're invited to THE PARTY, which opens on Thursday July 10. Tables are available at 7 p.m. and tickets are on sale for $150, but there's a two-person minimum. Including $25.13 tax and a $54 autosuck gratuity, the total to see the show is $379.13.
"Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar, in the middle of a residency at Park MGM, will livestream his "Best of All Worlds" concert on May 16 via Veeps.com. Sacramento hair metal band Tesla has announced a mini-residency at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay on October 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25. California veteran rockers Buckcherry will open for the Scorpions' mini-residency at Planet Hollywood August 14, 16, 19, 21, and 23. Also, 22-year-old heartthrob and TikTok sensation Benson Boone, known for his megahit "Beautiful Things," will play T-Mobile on September 26. Beyonce, long rumored for a residency at Sphere, was using an image of the arena in an interlude visual on her current tour. Depicted as 300 feet tall, she's walking in Las Vegas when she stoops to pick up Sphere, taps it with one finger, and walks away with it. Apparently, James Dolan, the lovable chairman and CEO Sphere Entertainment Co., took exception to the "unauthorized" publicity and sent Bey a cease-and-desist letter; the segment was removed from the visuals. Rumors have it that Dolan is pissed off that Beyonce hasn't agreed to a Sphere residency. But she will play Allegiant Stadium July 25 and 26 (she'd have to do upwards of 10 shows at Sphere for that kind of ticket sales). Finally, notable by the absence of Las Vegas on his upcoming tour, David Lee Roth will play 20 dates in secondary markets, but some speculation has it that he'll do a Vegas residency after the tour.
If you're downtown this weekend, you might get caught up in the 2025 Helldorado Days Parade. This annual event celebrates the founding of Las Vegas on May 15, 1905, so this year marks the city's 120th anniversary. The parade began in 1935, so we're now in its 90th year. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Saturday, starting on Gass Avenue, then marching north on 4th Street for eight blocks to end on Stewart Avenue. The procession should end around 11:30.
A report from Zillow indicates that the inventory of residential real estate grew 45% between March 2024 and March 2025. This reflects a nationwide trend of "new listings flooding the country's real estate market" and Zillow said that Las Vegas is "leading the trend." Sellers are listing homes at higher rates than last year, but buyers aren't making as great a dent in the inventory, so houses are sitting on the market longer. At the same time, prices are remaining mostly stable at record highs. Case in point: New-home builders in the valley sold 942 houses in March, down 10% from March 2024, but the median price was $530,000, up 10% and the highest in Las Vegas history. Las Vegas sellers of existing single-family houses reduced the asking prices on 27% percent of listings, up a bit from 20% last year. Zillow said home values continue to increase; month over month, prices in 41 of the nation's 50 biggest metro areas went up and fell in only five of them.
A new non-casino hotel has been proposed for a few blocks from Allegiant Stadium. The plans, which will be considered (and rubber-stamped) by the Clark County Zoning Commission next week, call for an eight-story 220-room hotel, with a sushi bar, outdoor pool, banquet room, and outdoor event area. This is the latest step in the evolution of the four-year-old Stadium District Plan, an effort to locate hotels, restaurants, and other visitor businesses into the mostly industrial area surrounding Allegiant.
The Wynn celebrated its 20th anniversary last Monday and in conjunction with the celebration, an interesting 22-minute video, "Let Me Tell You a Story," delves into the history of the Wynn, as seen through the eyes and words of long-time employees, along with photos and footage. In the interviews, they offer firsthand behind-the-scenes accounts of what it was like on "day one" at the Desert Inn, then working toward the opening of Steve Wynn's masterpiece. The stories and graphics are remarkably compelling and if you're like us, at about minute 2, you won't be able to turn it off. So devote the 20-plus minutes; you won't be sorry. See it here. And thanks as always to Canada Roy for the link. This video hasn't been publicized at all, as evidenced by the less than 1,800 views as of this writing.
The Houston Rockets are -2.5 favorites over the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The total is 206.5.
The Winnipeg Jets are -175 favorites over the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.
According to a story in the Chicago Sun-Times, some dumpsters on the construction site for the $1.7 billion Bally's Chicago has caused the the project to stop dead in its tracks. The dumpsters in question prompted the Illinois Gaming Board to issue a cease-and-desist order "in connection with a pending IGB investigation into the use of undisclosed and unapproved vendors at the construction site." The waste-hauling company was reputed to have ties to the Chicago Mob; its involvement in a casino project in Rosemont, a Chicago suburb, in the early 2000s killed that plan and the casino moved "essentially across the street" to Des Plaines. That casino, Rivers, "has long been the most lucrative casino in Illinois, raking in more than $2.3 billion over the last five years." For its part, Bally's issued a statement. "Today we were informed by IGB that the contractors working on the Bally’s Chicago site were utilizing an unapproved vendor and were issued a stop work notice. We appreciate the diligence and action of IGB. This is the process at work. We look forward to working with the IGB to eliminate the possibility of it happening again."
Cory Sandhagen is a -550 favorite over Deiveson Figueiredo in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Bo Nickal is -400 over Reinier de Ridder.
The Colorado Avalanche are -175 favorites over the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.5.
The Denver Nuggets are -1.5 favorites over the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The total is 207.5.
The current odds for the Kentucky Derby make Journalism the favorite at 7-2, followed by Sandman at 5-1 and Luxor Cafe at 8-1. The long shot is Admire Daytona at 41-1.
Longtime long-haired flamenco sensation, María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, better known as Charo, plays the South Point Showroom May 9, 10, and 11. The 74-year-old (or 84-year-old; her age has long been a topic of debate) was trained in classical guitar from a young age by Andrés Segovia, one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Her flamboyant stage presence, over-the-top costumes, bubbly accent, rapid-fire speech, and trademark catchphrase “Cuchi-Cuchi!” will be on full display next weekend. Tickets are on sale now; every seat in the room is $40 base.
After some delays, Nevada’s first H Mart has opened at 2620 S. Decatur Boulevard. The Las Vegas version of the Korean grocery, with more than 90 stores in the U.S., also has a food hall with names you probably haven’t heard, including Hanmo Tofu, Jopok Topokk, Moonbongri Soondae Express, Paik’s Noodle, Saku Japanese Eatery, Tiger Sugar, and BBQ Chicken (how’d that get in there?).
Downtown Rocks, the every-summer free concert series on the Fremont Street Experience, kicks off May 24 with a triple-header concert on all three FSE stages: Hinder, Drowning Pool, and Saliva. As per the announcement, "Downtown Rocks brings a full-throttle mashup of chart-topping artists and iconic music legends to the famous stages of Fremont Street Experience. From high voltage jams and neon lights to epic crowds and ice-cold drinks — SHOW UP LOUD and let Downtown Rocks turn your summer nights into high gear!" Bigger band names include Buckcherry (June 7), Robin Thicke (June 21), Toad the Wet Sprocket (Aug. 30), and Dishwalla (Aug. 30). Shows start variously at 6, 7, 8, and 9 p.m., but get there early if you don't want to stand at Downtown Grand. You can see the full lineup here.
Just in time for the 2025 World Series of Poker at the Horseshoe and Paris, Caesars is opening poker rooms at Planet Hollywood and Caesars Palace. Planet Hollywood's room closed in 2021 and the new room will occupy the space of the former London Club on the mezzanine level of the casino with 23 tables. The poker room at Caesars, near the sports book, closed last June and was replaced by high-end slots. A temporary room will be located along the Appian Way retail strip and open sometime this month; details on the permanent poker room will be revealed "at a later date."
Caesars has announced that the venerable Harveys Lake Tahoe, which opened in 1944 and celebrated its 80th anniversary last year, will be rebranded Caesars Republic. The new name will take effect in July, in conjunction with a $160 million capital-improvement project at the property. The renovations will "completely re-imagine" the hotel lobby, casino, and one tower of rooms; the existing Hell’s Kitchen restaurant will be expanded and a Lisa Vanderpump eatery, Wolf, will be added. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2026. This will be the second Caesars Republic-branded property. A Hilton Hotel of the same name opened in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2023, but it doesn't have a casino.
May starts out moderately hot and ends up summery hot. Average high temperatures range from 83 degrees on the first and 94 on the 31st, while average lows go from 61 to 71. Record high temperatures, though, are all in the triple digits, from 102 (seven days) to 109 (on the 28th in 2003). The record low of 38 was recorded on the third in 1948; otherwise, all record lows have been in the 40s, with two 50-degree nights (the 26th in 1980 and 28th in 1971). Average rainfall is a quarter-inch, tied with October for the third lowest month of precipitation.
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.
In a study conducted by AlcoholDelivered.com about the cost of a case of beer (24 12-ounce servings) in every state. Nevada ranked number 8 at $22.62. Alaska placed first at $33.62, followed by Wyoming, Hawaii, Montana, and Tennessee ($24.03-$28.78). Cheapest was Illinois at $16.43 a case, with South Carolina, New York, Rhode Island, and Kansas in the bottom five ($16.54-$17.30).
Another sale is reportedly near finalized for the downtown Western, which has been shuttered since 2012. While the prospective buyer hasn’t been disclosed, it’s described as a company with 200 properties in 20 states (not Nevada) that’s known for “renovating properties and bringing them back to their glory days.”
It’s been a poorly kept secret for months that the Downtown Grand is for sale, but there’ve been no apparent takers until now. Nothing appears solid at this point, but it’s been reported that Penske Media, which owns Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines, is in discussions to buy the property, with plans to create a Rolling Stone-branded resort. Of course, a music-centric casino is nothing new, as proved by the previous and pending Hard Rocks.
Dennis Conrad is a name that many LVA readers are familiar with. His career in the casino biz spans five decades, starting as a crap dealer and working his way up to director of marketing. He's also a gambler, author, and fast talker extraordinaire and he hosted two parties for LVA subscribers in the early '90s when he was at Harrah's, which are still legendary. You can get a load of his extensive credentials and limitless stories right here at the white arrow. It's a whirlwind!
Starting today and continuing through April, road closures and lane restrictions will be in effect in various places on Interstate 15 between the Tropicana and Warm Springs exits. For the next few days, only two lanes will be open in both directions along that stretch between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.; that extends to Flamingo Monday-Thursday nights. Additionally, on and off ramps at Harmon, Russsell, and Warm Springs will be closed at different times and Frank Sinatra Drive will have one lane open April 13-18. Be prepared for slowdowns throughout the month or check your GPS for alternate routes.
Brandon Moreno is a -280 favorite over Steve Erceg in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Manuel Torres is -130 over Drew Dober.
Toca Madera in the Shops at Crystals in CityCenter is running an interesting gambling promotion; we can't remember the last time we saw one of those at a restaurant, especially a high-end one. “Roll the Dice” is the promo during brunch, served Fri.-Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Every dining party gets to roll two dice one time and if it comes up 33 (a nod to Noble 33 hospitality group), brunch for the table is free. It’s worth about $5.50 in EV for a $200 check, but the promo covers up to $1,500, which boosts the potential value of this proposition to $42. Noble 33 has come up with a cool Vegas-esque promo, along with its excellent happy hour weekdays.
A “Chipps and Salsa” Sunday brunch is now available at the LINQ, where the Chippendales perform. The "deal," such as it is, is an opportunity to combine a 1 p.m. brunch with the 2:30 p.m. show. The price for the non-buffet brunch at the LINQ's Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar is $70 per person (including tax and tip) and comes with all-you-can-drink mimosas, sangria, and margaritas (one-hour limit) and your choice of three items from the somewhat limited menu (parfait, fruit bowl, pancakes, French toast, guac toast, tacos, and quesadillas). To us, it sounds like a convenient way to get good and intoxicated for the male revue, with some food in your belly so you don't fall down before you get to the Mat Franco Theater.
Two paid-membership clubs are on their way to the Vegas entertainment scene. Doberman is scheduled to open this month in the Arts District. Zero Bond, an established club out of New York City, has been planning to open at the Wynn sometime this year for some time now. Membership fees for Doberman are $750 initiation and $3,000 per year. Announced fees for Zero Bond are $1,000-$50,000 (not a typo) initiation and $2,750-$7,500 per year. Non-members will be allowed to patronize Doberman (that’s the option we’ll be choosing).
Tripadvisor has released its Top 25 Travel Destinations in the U.S. for 2025 and Las Vegas ranks at number three. The list is based on "consistently high ratings and positive traveler reviews over the past year." The review site cited Vegas' Michelin-starred restaurants, extravagant scenery, 24/7 wedding chapels, immersive art experiences, and outdoor recreation. Number one is New York City, followed by Oahu, Hawaii, the Florida Keys at four, then New Orleans, Nashville, San Francisco, Chicago, Charleston (South Carolina), and Washington, D.C., to round out the top 10.
The opening of the Grand Prix Plaza on Harmon that was scheduled for March 29 has been pushed back to May 2. The reason given was to “ensure an excellent guest experience.”
We're a little more than halfway through the current poll on Las Vegas' best players club. Now that the polls are irregularly scheduled, they can be hard to find, so here's a link that takes you right there. We're currently at around 350 votes (you can select only one choice) and we're hoping to hit 400. The poll closes on Tuesday and the results will be posted on Friday.
Today is opening day for Major League Baseball. The New York Yankees are the favorite to win in the American League at +400 and the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to win in the National League at +135. The Dodgers are a short +200 favorite to win the World Series. BetMGM reports that the Dodgers drew the highest-ever percentage of preseason bets to win the World Series at 37%, well above the previous record of 21.7% on the New York Mets in 2022.
The official Las Vegas thermometer at Reid International hit 90 degrees yesterday in the mid-afternoon. it was the first day of the year that broke out of the 80s. It's hardly a record; in 2007, the first 90-degree day was on March 13, a full two weeks earlier. However, it was the fifth earliest date that southern Nevada recorded the milestone in 93 years and Las Vegas has hit 90 in March 12 times all told. And look out, because triple digits here we come.
Superstar singer and actress Lady Gaga will play two dates at T-Mobile Arena on July 16 and 18 as part of her tour, "The MAYHEM Ball," to support her latest album, Mayhem, released earlier this month. It will be her first arena tour in seven years. Tickets go on sale to the public Thursday April 3.
According to the National Weather Service, there's a 75% chance that the high temperature today in Las Vegas will reach 90 degrees for the first time in 2025. Death Valley hit 100 yesterday, Phoenix 99, in this spring heat wave that's expected to be shortlived; temperatures return to normal, in the 70s, by the weekend. But it's shaping up to be another hot one: Las Vegas' first 80-degree day was on Feb. 3 and it was the third-warmest February since official records began in 1937.
The Three Affiliated Tribes, a tribal nation on the Fort Berthold Reservation in North Dakota, is making a bit of a splash here lately. The tribe has been buying up Las Vegas real estate, including 23 acres with Strip frontage across from Luxor, over the past several years. Spokespeople for the tribe have been mum about plans for the properties until recently, when a "pre-review" application was submitted to Clark County, sort of a sneak preview of the eventual full application. According to the Review-Journal, it shows a $2 billion development, including a hotel-casino, convention center, theater, and 15,000-20,000-seat arena. The arena is getting the most attention, rumored that the Vegas Golden Knights might move there from T-Mobile. But that's a long way off, if ever, and the team has indicated that not only doesn't it have plans to move, but it wants to invest $300 million in improving their current home. The Three Affiliated Tribes say the "full vision" for the project will go public after receiving approvals from local governments. Stay tuned.
VitalVegas reported this morning that Eat, the popular downtown breakfast and coffee shop, has closed after 13 years in business. Apparently, the lease was up, the rent was raised, and the restaurant went under. Its owner-operator, local celebrity chef Natalie Young, is now involved in a partnership in a new eatery, Echo Taste and Sound, on Main Street in the Arts District.
Last summer, the Plaza introduced "Welcome to the Weekend Summer Fireworks Shows" every Friday night at 9:15 p.m. This year, the fireworks will start earlier, on May 2, and run later, September 26, than last year, a total of 22 shows (weather permitting). Several downtown properties, along with the Fremont Street Experience and First Friday, will cross-promote the fireworks with "programming and special events to create an unforgettable summertime party in downtown Las Vegas." After the fireworks, a DJ will blast tunes from the Carousel Bar under the Plaza's dome until 11 p.m.
Late Friday night, a slot player identified as James hit the Grand Jackpot on a Dollar Storm machine for $1,016,145. The publicity photo of the screen shows a $2 bet -- and James wearing a Vegas-type shirt emblazoned with heavy metal bands such as Slade, Skid Row, and Led Zeppelin. Rock on!
Veteran R&B group Earth, Wind & Fire will do another residency at the Venetian Theatre in the fall. All nine dates are in October: 10, 11, 12, 15, 17, 18, 22, 24, and 25. The band played the Venetian at the same time last year for seven sold-out dates. Tickets are on sale now.
The classic-rock band Kiss will perform at the Theater at Virgin November 14-16. How many shows does that mean? Details thus far are sparse, though you can sign up at Kiss.Vibee.com "for more information when it becomes available." The low-key "announcement" (via email on a Kiss website) says, "Fans can expect "a special live performance from former Kiss member Bruce Kulick, along with other special guests, activities, exclusive experiences, and more." The "Kiss Storms Vegas" events will mark the band's 50th anniversary and they'll take the stage without the usual fully masked makeup and wigs.
As has become the norm, starting with this week's Sweet 16 games, South Point will deal -105 on all NCAA tournament games through to the championship game. In the past, the discount has applied to bets on pointspreads only. Bets must be made at the sports book (not available on the app). The -105 pricing is also offered at Rampart, along with CasaBlanca and Virgin River in Mesquite, all of which are South Point-affiliated books.
Sixty-four minutes of banter, brews, and brainpower with Anthony, Andrew, and Tanya (off camera) take place on this edition of Beer Friday. These monthly episodes of the LVA YouTube are turning into a nice little free-beer play for LVA, as well as a Q&A as A&A answer questions submitted by viewers in real time. You never know what's going to happen, especially as the ethanol flows and the show gets looser and looser. Tune in and stay to the end!
The changes in the dining line-up at Cosmopolitan are continuing. The space vacated by Holstein's on the second floor is now occupied by Amaya, a trendy Mexican restaurant with prices to match, and Naughty Patty's will open nearby this summer. Patty's will serve a fast-food menu, with signature smash burgers and fries, grilled cheese, chili dogs, and ice cream concretes (frozen custard and toppings). What's Naughty about Patty? She's a pin-up with a stiff middle finger.
The author of an upcoming book from Huntington Press, long-time and highly respected gaming attorney Anthony Cabot, spoke last week at the World Game Protection Conference at the Rio about casino executives around the world facilitating financial crimes for various Chinese Triads, the highly organized and expansive "Mafia of Asia." The book, Casino Redux: Unveiling the Global Network of Chinese Organized Crime does a deep dive into the rise of the Triads and their mastery of the corruption of casinos from Macau to Australia, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to tiny islands in the South Pacific. Cabot is the subject of an article on CDCGaming.com posted this morning, where you can get a good idea of his perspective on this global phenomenon, as well as get a gander at the dynamic cover of the book, which will be released in the next couple of months. Also on CDC is a good story on Anna Konnikova, the writer and poker player, who's working on a book about cheating at poker and other table games, which is growing in scope, sophistication, and severity.
Sean Brady is a -140 favorite over Leon Edwards in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Carlos Ulberg is -380 over Jan Blachowicz.
You might recall that Anthony and Andrew interviewed mega social influencer Vegas Matt on an LVA YouTube last November. The 70-minute segment spotlighted Matt and his nearly million followers (it received 900 comments!) from our readers. On Thursday, the
politics, business, technology, and arts online magazine Slate.com published a nearly book-length profile of Matt (perhaps more than 10,000 words; we didn't count them), all you ever wanted to know about him and casino influencers. The title pretty much says it all, "The Biggest Loser -- He built an empire of men addicted to watching him lose enormous sums of money and In Las Vegas, I figured out why we can’t look away." The gist of the piece is summed up thusly, "All told, in 2024, he reportedly suffered $404,000 in gambling losses. Yet somehow, he has managed to turn losing money into an enviable living—and is one of the only people on Earth to do so." You can read the the long story made even longer here -- and as always, thanks to Canada Roy for being right on top of it.
Yesterday, a slot player made a $75 bet in the high-limit room at Palazzo hit the Grand Jackpot on a Dragon Link machine and took down $1,215,998.
Cashman Center just north of downtown, closed since 2016, has been sold to national homebuilder Lennar, which paid $36.2 million for the 50-acre site. Lennar hasn’t revealed its plans for the acreage, but called it a "special redevelopment area," and the Las Vegas City Council member who represents the area said that that it's being considered for a housing development. The closing date is anticipated in mid-September, but Lennar will discuss its intentions before then to satisfy the city.
It’s all about comedy this weekend so take your pick!
This morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal has a long piece titled, "Nickel and dimed: Are Las Vegas casinos pushing visitors to a tipping point?" After a milquetoast lead, "For the majority of Las Vegas visitors, the experience they want to have is going to cost them. And for the most part, they are OK with that," the piece presents a pretty strong analysis of the dissatisfaction of knowledgeable visitors. "From resort and parking fees to surge pricing in sundry stores to table games with a greater house edge to exorbitant markups on food and drinks, there is growing sentiment that the public is being squeezed when they visit a Las Vegas casino." The reporter contacted the LVCVA and more than 20 casinos. "Most casino operators did not respond and two declined to comment." (Imagine that.) To their credit, the STRAT, Virgin, and Derek Stevens are quoted, though their statements are the usual platitudes. The story ends with a great line from a part-time resident: "We're losing the experience, while the casinos step over a dollar to get to a dime.” Bottom line: For the R-J, supported in large part by casino advertisers, to run a story like this indicates, at least to us, that the drum we've been banging since the pandemic is starting to reverberate in the mainstream. You can read the whole story here.
Hawaiian Airlines will be adding a fourth daily flight between Honolulu International and Reid International starting in the fall. The second afternoon flight, it pushes the first afternoon flight a bit earlier, so it arrives equally earlier in the day. Starting on October 20, the morning flight inbound will remain the same at 8:15, while the first afternoon flight will move from 2 p.m. to 1:15, arriving at 10 p.m. The new afternoon flight will leave HNL at 3:15, arriving just before midnight. The fourth is a redeye (11:15 p.m. and 8 a.m.). All flights will cost $342 one way. Hawaii and the "ninth island" keep getting closer.
"Las Vegas Has Fallen Far from the Golden Days of Sinatra and Elvis" is the headline of a New York Post piece penned by Cindy Adams, the 93-year-old Post gossip columnist and second wife of comedian, vaudevillian, and nightclub performer Joey Adams. Talk about grieving for the good old days. Cindy writes, "Vegas formerly jammed old-timers as high as that elephant’s eye. It still sees the occasional grandma wearing a hairnet and working the $1 slots. Still the stripper or occasional wham! Slam! VIP biggie night." It gets better/worse: "Today, its biggest attractions are prostitution, gambling, and marijuana." It's a funny read, complete with Cindy walking in on Zsa Zsa and a maitre d',
how to turn Jews into Catholics, and alternatives to Vegas (think Coney Island). Here's the link.
The cable has been fixed, everything is back to normal, and you can now call in. Hooray.
Cox, our Internet service provider, has been down area wide since yesterday at 6 p.m. and still is, with no startup time in sight. This means our phones, Internet, and TV are dead in the ether, so if you're trying to call in, "the number you have dialed is not in service," at least for now. If you want to contact us, email is the only way; we can access that on our phones via data. As soon as things are back to normal, we'll post a notice here. Thanks for your patience.
Singer, songwriter, actress, and billionaire Beyoncé has added a second date to her previously announced tour stop at Allegiant Stadium. "Tour stop" is both literal and figurative: The two dates close out the 31 stadium shows that stretch from L.A. to London and Paris between late April and late July. Beyoncé will perform "The Cowboy Carter Tour," named for her latest album, which is named for her last name, at Allegiant on July 25, with the new show just announced on July 26. The first of two presales starts today at noon local time; general-public tickets for all shows go on sale noon PT.
Choosing St. Patrick's Day, a holiday associated with good fortune, to identify the winner of the $1.27 billion Mega Millions jackpot drawn on December 27, California lottery officials named her, but revealed no other details; she didn't attend the press conference. The ticket was sold at the Sunshine Food and Gas station in Cottonwood, a town of 4,000 right on I-5 in northern California between Red Bluff and Redding. The owners of the store were present at the media event and received a check for $1 million. The winner chose the lump-sum cash option of $572 million. After federal taxes (California doesn't tax lottery jackpots), she takes home $360 million.
Four powerhouse veteran vocalists -- Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, and Stephanie Mills -- are teaming up on "The Queens Tour" of 10 arenas in the U.S. and kicking it all off at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay on May 9. Talk about hits: Knight, of course, has "Midnight Train to Georgia," Khan "I Feel for You," LaBelle "Lady Marmalade," and Mills "Never Knew Love Like This Before." Among them, they have 18 Grammys. The presale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT (use code "BPC"); general on-sale starts on Friday at 10 a.m. ET.
According to a study by VisualCapitalist.com, 61.2% of Nevada households were owned by their occupants in 2023, ranking 48th out of 50 states. Only California (55.8%) and New York (53.3%) had fewer. Nationwide, nearly two-thirds (65.7%) of U.S. households owned their homes; the rest were rented. West Virginia had the highest percentage (77%), followed by Delaware (75.7%), Mississippi (75.5%), Maine (75.5%), and Wyoming (74.5%). For the whole list and explanations of the rankings, click here. And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.
Due to "overwhelming demand," the Eagles have announced four shows at Sphere in September, bringing the total number to 36 since their residency launched last September. The dates are Sept. 5, 6, 12 and 13. The presale is open and general-public tickets go on sale March 28. If you can't see the band live, reports are circulating that an Eagles at Sphere movie is in the works. No details have been announced, but U2 did it and the Eagles are approaching U2's total of 44 performances, so it seems likely.
Having launched his residency in 2012, Sir Rod Stewart performed his 200th show at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace last weekend to launch a new 12-date performance schedule. Stewart's "final" shows have been announced time and again and his latest run, through July, was also supposed to be it. But now comes word that six more shows have been added in the fall: September 24, 26, and 27 and October 1, 3, and 4. Tickets for the new shows go on sale on Friday.
March 18, 2020, was the first full day of the COVID pandemic shutdown in Las Vegas. The casinos closed at midnight on the 17th, the first-time ever that Las Vegas went dark completely; it didn't light up again until June 4, 78 long, empty, and quiet -- in a word, ghostly -- days later. The first death attributed to COVID in southern Nevada was on March 15; another nearly 3,000 people here succumbed to the virus in 2020, with more than 4,000 in 2021 and 2,000 in 2022. In all, just under 10,000 southern Nevadans lost their lives to the disease. It seems like an eternity ago, yet the memories are still so fresh and raw that it could've happened yesterday. COVID changed the world in countless ways, yet it's also the same muddled place it always was -- and will be.
The Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights are first in the Pacific Division with 86 points, four points ahead of the second-place Edmonton Oilers. With 13 games remaining in the regular season, a VGK appearance in the playoffs is essentially locked in. Our podcast partner, Hockey Knights in Vegas, covers the VGK scene in detail and Big Episode 100 is a special one: VGK Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who in his first season last year led Vegas to win the Stanley Cup, is interviewed by Eddie Rivkin and Chris Chapman. If you like hockey, are a fan of the Vegas team, or just want to see something special on our website, click the white arrow; Coach comes on at minute 14 for a 16-minute interview.
The American Gaming Association estimates that $3.1 billion will be bet legally on this year's men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. It's a 12% increase over last year's $2.7 billion and more than twice as much as the AGA estimated was bet legally on the Super Bowl. Of course, March Madness comprises 134 games in total, so it's anything but an apples-to-apples comparison. Still, that's a lot of spondulicks laid down on two tournaments. Brackets will be released on Sunday. Duke and Florida are currently the favorites to win the men’s championship. South Carolina and UConn are the women's favorites.
Duke is the favorite to win the NCAA Basketball Championship at +290, followed by Florida (+345) and Auburn (+450). The longshot is Alabama State at +400000 (4,000-1). The tournament begins with Tuesday’s two First Four play-in games.
MGM Resorts floated a number of trial balloons about introducing new fees over the past couple of quarterly earnings calls and one has, according to VitalVegas, now surfaced. VV reports that MGM has laid off valets, doormen, and bellmen at Excalibur and the few baggage handlers who remain won't deliver luggage to rooms. (No word on what they will do.) Luggage carts will be available to guests for -- you guessed it -- a fee. (No word on how much, but we're setting the over/under at $10.) "A source at MGM Resorts says these front-line staff reductions are limited to Excalibur," VV writes, "related to that specific customer demographic" -- in other words, lower tier. VV asks, "Could the elimination of bell-desk personnel at Excalibur be a bellwether of things to come?" The answer, in so many words, is yes.
Stubborn Seed, the Las Vegas outpost of the Michelin-starred Miami Beach restaurant owned and operated by "Top Chef" (season 13) winner Jeremy Ford, has opened at Resorts World. The menu is unusual in that all the dinners are ordered from two tasting options, the regular dinner ($135) and the Elevated Experience ($175). A wine pairing is available for $70. The dinner comes with eight courses, from olive ciabatta and truffle ricotta to Australian wagyu striploin and spiced barramundi and olive-oil cake for dessert. The Elevated dinner adds caviar, foie gras, and wagyu tartare. Stubborn Seed is open nightly at 6, till 10 weekdays, 11 weekends.
A story on CDCGaming.com this morning covers the vote taken at the end of the annual World Game Protection Conference. The 500 or so attendees, most of them casino surveillance and security professionals, select the top eight cheating scams of the past year. The number-one scam in 2024 was a baccarat ploy that involves a colluding dealer having the cheating player cut the cards, scraping a fingernail across the corners to reveal the index numbers of a sequence to a hidden camera, then leaving the table to review the sequence and returning to bet on the inside knowledge. Other hidden-camera scams ranked number two and counterfeit chips number three. You can read the whole story here; there are also links to the top scams of 2023 and 2022.
These LVA YouTube jackpot videos are exciting for everyone, including us. In this second edition of the jackpot format, Anthony and Andrew discuss three in detail -- the beer-delivery $4K royal, the slow-cocktail-waitress $11K slot grand jackpot, and the $57K anti-jackpot. Then they catch up to a bunch of archived jackpots sent in over the past few years in the "lightning round." Fun fun fun to see the jackpots and hear the stories of gamblers winning big in the casinos for a change.
If you're on the prowl for the hot dog deal at Downtown Grand -- your choice of a PBR in the can or a Lone Star beer in the bottle and the dog for $3 -- just look for the new sign on a support column next to the counter near the casino entrance that says "Since 2024," with the picture of a hot dog in a bun below it and below that "Lucky's." The sign went up a few days ago, so now the deal is official. Also, chicken tacos are available for $2 each and they have two kinds of salsa, red and a cilantro-onion mix, plus sour cream, at the condiment bar. It’s all available from 11 a.m. till about 10 p.m.
Virgin, under new casino management, is advertising juice-free bets on same-day pre-match pointspreads during NCAA tournament basketball games on March 20 and 21. The maximum is $3,000 and a Cherry Rewards card is required.
Rod Stewart is back for the final run of his long Las Vegas residency, with 12 concerts in March, May, and June at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. By now, the 80-year-old crooner's is among the longest-running residencies in Vegas history -- and one of the most lucrative. According to the Daily Mail, Stewart's 2011 contract specified $50 million for the original 18 shows, around $2.7 million per. And that was more than 13 years ago, so we assume the contract extensions have included pay raises. Still, since he's now approaching his 200th performance, even at "just" $2.7 million per, that's a cool $540 million over the life of the run.
“Two bags fly free,” a registered trademark of Southwest Airlines, will soon be obsolete. The airline has just annouced that for the first time in its history, it will start charging passengers to check bags. Tickets purchased on or after May 28 will include the charge, which hasn't been announced yet, though it's assumed to be in the $25-$35 range. The top-tier fare class and A-List Preferred will still get the two free bags, while A-Listers and people with SWA credit cards will get one free. According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines earned more than $5 billion from bag fees in 2024.
Renowned illusionist and endurance artist David Blaine has announced nine new shows at Encore, extending his three-show residency in April to 12. Due to popular demand, "David Blaine: Live in Las Vegas" will be performed on July 23, 25, and 26, September 17, 19, and 20, and November 12, 14, and 15. Tickets are on sale now and start at $69.95. Blaine is the subject of a long chapter in our new book Advantage Players by Michael Kaplan.
Tickets for two of the three year-round attractions at Grand Prix Plaza, the F1 headquarters, are now available for dates on March 29 and beyond. F1 HUB, the racing simulator, cost $39 and tickets for F1 X, where participants design their own race cars and test them on virtual tracks, are $79. Tickets for F1 DRIVE, the actual racing experience in karts on part of the Grand Prix circuit, aren't on sale yet and the prices haven't been announced. We took a little poll on the over/under and the $99 votes are betting the over, while the $124.50s are taking the under. Grand Prix Plaza, located at the corner of Harmon and Koval, will be open 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., till midnight Friday and Saturday.