Joaquin Buckley is a -240 favorite over Kamaru Usman in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Rose Namajunas is -235 over Miranda Maverick.
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are pick ’em in tonight's Game 5 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 6.5.
Steve and Matt Bourie are known as "The Jackpot Gents" on YouTube and Steve was the force behind The American Casino Guide for decades. On their channel, they demonstrate the long-term potential of strategic video poker play and as of June 9, the father-son duo are ahead just under $20K for the year. Their average bet is $25 and they run through approximately $2 million annually. Steve says, "When you're wagering approximately $2 million per year at $25 per hand, even small percentage advantages compound significantly over time. Our multi-year results prove that skilled video poker play can overcome the house edge." They came out ahead by just over $1,000 in 2023, then lost $7,770 in 2024. When analyzed against their total action, their loss rate for 2023 and 2024 combined was less than 1% and including their 2025 results, the Jackpot Gents are net winners after almost three years of daily video poker play. You can access the video that covers these results and check out the rest of the channel here.
"A master thief must pull off a dangerous casino heist when his nemesis kidnaps his lover. Caught between rival criminals and FBI pursuit, he risks all to save her and score big." That's the high concept of the plot of High Rollers, a new movie starring John Travolta, Gina Gershon, and Lukas Haas. It didn't look particularly promising when we first heard about it preceding a limited release in March and then a review came out with this intro paragraph: "High Rollers is a heart-slowing work of staggering stupidity and charmlessness, ineptly made and quite frankly dull, except when its flaws become so egregious you can’t help but guffaw." It gets worse: "The air of tawdry cost-cutting pervades every level of the film, from the casting and costumes to the paste jewelry that’s supposed to stand in for posh gemstones. There are tons of holes in the plot, but those are too tedious to parse." The locations don't come near Las Vegas; thankfully, the casino that has to be heisted is in New Orleans. If you want to check it out, High Rollers will be streamed starting Monday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -6 favorites over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 227.
Stoney’s Rockin’ Country has announced that it'll close its current location at Town Square just south of the Strip and move to Sunset Station. Stoney's will remain open through the end of the year, then reopen in a new 19,000-square-foot venue in Henderson in early 2026.
Another day, another expensive New York restaurant showing up here. Sartiano's Italian Steakhouse, a reportedly popular restaurant on Prince Street in the SoHo district of Lower Manhattan, will open this winter at the Wynn. It will be adjacent to another expensive New York-based venue, the social club Zero Bond, which is also slated to open this winter, both in a space overlooking the Wynn Golf Course. According to the New York menu, salads (Caesar, chicory) are $21-$23, appetizers (baked clams, octopus, meatballs) are $22-$28, pastas start at $28, steaks are $64-$235, and sides (beans, carrots, potatoes) are $14 each. So plan on $250 for two and more if you partake in the high-priced alcohol. Unless someone shows up with a comp and twists our arm, we won't be reviewing Sartiano's.
The Florida Panthers are -145 favorites over the Edmonton Oilers in tonight's Game 4 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 6.
The premiere of the Wizard of Oz, remastered for the giant screen in Sphere, will take place on August 28. Showtimes are 5 and 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2, 5, and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are on sale now and start at $114, rising to $349, including fees, but not taxes. Seats in only the middle third of the arena are available. You can read about the process of transforming the 1939 classic for Sphere's unique requirements in our Question of the Day on the subject.
Scottie Scheffler is the +300 favorite to win golf's U.S. Open. He's followed by Bryson DeChambeau at +750 and Jon Rahm at +1350. Tiger Woods is not in the field.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -5 favorites over the Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 226.5.
The latest food hall to open on the Strip kicked off Monday on the Grand Colonnade at the Venetian. The Via Via, which as far as we can tell is more about the sound of the words than their meaning, features seven high-end fast fooderies: All’Antico Vinaio, the second location in Las Vegas of this famed sandwich shop; B.S. Taqueria, from the chef of ¡Viva! at Resorts World; Howlin’ Ray’s for Nashville hot (hot HOT) chicken); Ivan Ramen, with locations in Japan, Manhattan, and the UK; Scarr’s Pizza out of New York City; Turkey and the Wolf, an award-winning "luxe fast-food counter" out of New Orleans; and the bar Close Company.
Last year, according to the number of driver's licenses surrendered by incoming residents, just under 39,000 Californians moved to Nevada. That's up from 36,500 in 2023, but down from the highest recent total of 47,400 in 2021 at the height of the pandemic. Storage Cafe, a nationwide storage-space marketplace, analyzed Census Bureau statistics to find that Millennials constituted the highest percentage of migrants (27%), while Boomers came in second at 20%. Twenty-two percent of all Californians moving to Nevada came from L.A. County, followed by Orange and San Bernardino counties, and moved to Clark County. Apparently, Henderson absorbed more than its fair share of newcomers. Las Vegas' neighbor was the third fastest growing city in the U.S. (per capita) over the past decade. The population grew by 22% through 2023; only Irvine, California (34%) and Orlando (25%) grew by a higher percentage.
Readers of Question of the Day know Kevin Lewis for his intelligent observations, acerbic wit, and clever wordplay. His quip in today's QoD might be the best combination of the three we've ever seen. We're running a two-part series on the tiny town of Nipton, about an hour south of Las Vegas just across the California state line that Spiegelworld bought as a retreat for its performers and management. Kevin's comment: "It's inevitable. In ten years, there will be a casino out there. It will, of course, be called Nipton Nipton." Get it? Hahahahahaha!
The Sacramento/Las Vegas Athletics will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for its stadium on the former site of the Tropicana at 8 a.m. on June 23. The Las Vegas Review-Journal explains, "Crews began early work on the stadium site in late April, so this is more of an event for the A’s and state and local politicians to celebrate the work they put into the project leading up to construction beginning." The story also mentions that financing for the project is far from complete. So far, we know about $350 million in bonds issued by Clark County and the state and a $300 million construction loan from U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs, leaving a mere $1.1 million (at last count; the $1.75 billion price tag hasn't been updated for at least a year, so it's no doubt higher by now) yet to come. "The A’s would [italics added] be responsible for the remainder of the project’s cost," writes the R-J. "The team is also actively looking to bring in investors into the ballpark project for minority shares in the MLB club." Same old song and dance, 8 a.m. groundbreaking notwithstanding. We saw an interesting comment that made sense: "The MLB wants the team in Vegas and baseball fans do travel, so Vegas wants it too. I'm guessing that in the end, MLB will find someone else to run or actually buy the team. Part of me thinks that there have been no offers, because anyone thinking of participating is being politely told to bug off."
The Florida Panthers are -140 favorites over the Edmonton Oilers in tonight's Game 3 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 6.5.
The Destination Jackpot YouTube channel's Shannon sat down with our very own Anthony Curtis the other day for an hour-long interview. This channel "turns spins into suites, points into perks, and credit into cash, sharing casino play and comps, credit card hacks, travel gems, and how to fly for free." Natch, Anthony is a catch -- and talks about maximizing comps, blackjack strategy, what it's like knowing and working with Jean Scott and Bob Dancer, and much much more. Check it out at Destination Jackpot.
Another very hot summer is predicted for Las Vegas and the question is, will we set a new high-temperature record? If we do, the thermometer will have to hit 121 degrees to surpass last year's record-setting 120 on July 7, three degrees hotter than the previous record of 117. In order to help combat the rising temps, Clark County recently gave away several hundred young trees to eligible residents, who scooped up the saplings in less than an hour. Eligibility was based on living in an urban heat island, caused by the lack of shade from trees. This year's legislature passed a bill requiring the state's largest cities and counties to "create heat mitigation plans" by next summer and in southern Nevada, one of the goals is to plant 60,000 trees in the next 25 years, right around 2,000 trees every year. Every little bit helps.
Yesterday's high temperature was 105, today's is predicted to be 107, and tomorrow could tie the record of 109 set in 2022. Wednesday cools off all the way back down to 107. It's the second major heat wave of the season and official summer doesn't start for nearly two weeks. Drink plenty of water!
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -11.5 favorites over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 228.5.
Sir Rod Stewart has canceled six shows at the Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace and one at Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic at Lake Tahoe due to the flu. He didn't appear on June 1, 5, and 7 at the Colosseum, and won't tonight and Tuesday, nor will he at Stateline on June 14. The 80-year-old crooner apologized profusely, but it's hard enough to travel with the flu, let alone sing. The dates will be rescheduled and tickets will be honored.
The rumors and speculation have been circulating for several weeks, but now it's official: Wrestlemania 42 will return to Las Vegas. It'll be the second year in a row that the massive event will be held at Allegiant Stadium and the third time it will be hosted here (Wrestlemania 9 was here in 1993) and only the second time in 42 years that it will be held in the same venue in consecutive years (the first was in Atlantic City in 1988-1989). It was originally scheduled for New Orleans a week earlier in 2026 and this is the first time that the WWE has changed venues in mid-stream. The reason given was money; this year's event at Allegiant was the most successful in Wrestlemania history and the WWE wants to repeat the feat.
Jannik Sinner is a -120 favorite over Carlos Alcarez in today’s French Open men's tennis final. Alcarez is seeking his 5th Grand Slam championship, Sinner his fourth.
Merab Dvalishvili is a -260 favorite over Sean O’Malley in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Kayla Harrison is -635 over Julianna Pena.
The current odds for today’s Belmont Stakes make Journalism the favorite at 2-1, followed by Sovereignty at 5-2, and Baeza at 7-2. The long shot is Heart of Honor at 19-1. Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby, Journalism won the Preakness. Intriguing duel coming.
This week's LVA YouTube returns to its roots, the once-a-month update on what's going on in fabulous Las Vegas. And the question on everyone's mind around here these days is, has the Gouge run its course? Anthony thinks it might, since the reaction to high prices and table minimums, fee after fee after fee, and reduced service seems to have arrived. But! Anthony says, "When things get bad for the casinos, they get good for the customers." And as LVAers know, we're all over the great deals that Vegas offers all the time, but especially in times like these, and Anthony mentions a few. He and Andrew also discuss the closure of a casino buffet and some other restaurants and bars, new rules and the increasing rake at this year's World Series of Poker, the giant guarantees for the Circa football contests, and more. Tune in for an informative and entertaining 25 minutes.
Gaming revenue and visitor totals are down noticeably year over year, dealers are getting laid off (Fontainebleau and Resorts World so far), and the real estate market is "stabilizing." The median price of a single-family house in May was unchanged from April at $480,000, down from the record high of $485,000 in January, February, and March. The median price of condos and townhomes was $307,000, down from the record of $315,000 set in October. More than 6,600 houses were for sale without an offer, up 71% compared to a year ago, and the 2,500 condos were up 90%. Sales are down 13% for houses and 19% for condos since May 2024. Home buyers are starting to enjoy a bit of an upper hand for the first time since 2018.
Aryna Sabalenka is a -250 favorite over Coco Gauff in today's French Open women’s tennis final. Sabalenka is seeking her fourth Grand Slam title. Gauff her second.
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are pick 'em in tonight's Game 2 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 6.
A magnitude 3.3 earthquake occurred yesterday morning around 7 a.m. roughly 25 miles northeast of Las Vegas in the Apex area. There were no reports of injuries or damage, but the quake was felt by residents and commuters in North Las Vegas. And in what so far is an unusually wet June, Las Vegas has emerged from a couple of days of rain that caused flash flooding in some areas and delays at Reid International. Up to a half-inch fell over parts of the metro area, surpassing the historical total for the entire month of 0.08 of an inch.
The STRAT is promoting an "All-In Summer Stay" deal. Rooms are $49 (Sun.-Thurs.) and that includes both resort fee and taxes, plus a $25 food credit. The weekend rate is $99. You also get complimentary tower admission for two and parking is free for hotel guests. Travel must be completed by August 27. Down the Strip, we're hearing reports that MGM Resorts is now charging for connecting rooms (two rooms with an interior door between them). We've seen one mention that the fee is $25 per room, $50 total. This is unconfirmed, but MRI announced months ago that it planned to raise existing fees and add new ones (such as the previously reported $25 charge for room service plates and silverware), so we wouldn't be surprised by this add-on.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are -10 favorites over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 230.
The Casino Chip and Collectibles Show, the world's largest exhibition of casino collectibles, returns to South Point next week, June 12-14.
Go and you'll see the most casino memorabilia ever assembled in one location: chips and tokens, dice, slot cards, matchbooks, swizzle sticks, playing cards, and much more. Admission is $10 on Thursday and $5 Friday before noon, but free the rest of the time (the early birds pay). You can get more details and register here.
The biennial six-month session of the Nevada Legislature ended on Tuesday. A bill was introduced for the umpteenth time (the 11th in a row, we believe) that would have ended the statewide ban on automated traffic cameras. These cameras monitor intersections and are used for traffic enforcement; run a red light, the camera snaps a photo of your license plate and you shortly receive a duplicate of the photo, along with a hefty fine, in the mail. For the umpteenth time, the bill failed to make its way to the floor of the lege for a vote. Back in February, we were asked to predict the outcome, which we did in a QoD. We were right.
The Edmonton Oilers are -120 favorites over the Florida Panthers in tonight's Game 1 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 6.5.
We finally took a look at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's "2024 Las Vegas Visitor Profile Study." On the Strip, we see fewer and fewer Boomers, those of us who remember the good old days before, well, everything. So we went to the Profile Study to compare the average age of visitors over the past five years (since the pandemic). Not surprisingly, younger folks are present in abundance, while elders are staying away in droves. Since the 2019 survey, the 60-and-older crowd has dropped precipitously, from 24% of visitors to 9%, while the 21-49 demographic has gone from 59% to 71%. (The 50-59ers make up the other 20%). Nearly half of visitors these days are Millennials (29-44) and GenZ (13-28). This is the latest reinvention of Vegas: residencies and concerts aimed at the pipsqueaks, sporting events (average age of football fans attending games 35-44 and hockey 18-35), and nightlife experiences. Just another example of the difference between the devil-may-care whippersnappers and the wisdom of old age (ahem).
Conde Nast Travelers has an informative and entertaining piece called "15 Unwritten Rules of Visiting Las Vegas," penned by a 10-year local. In the brief intro, she writes, "Las Vegas is a collection of contradictions. An oasis of hospitality; a labyrinthian casino. A poolside cabana; heatstroke on a sidewalk. A jackpot; an empty bank account. It’s the greatest night of your life; it’s the worst mistake you’ve ever made. Still, most people come here in search of the same thing: a good time." She then goes on to recommend "how to navigate the secrets and myriad hustles of this strange and beautiful city." Here are the 15 tips in order: respect the tipping culture; hydrate; don’t underestimate the walkability of the Strip; what happens here doesn't necessarily stay here ("Cameras, security, and police are everywhere and in the harsh light of day, consequences"); get into nature; have a meal in Chinatown; get into the Arts District; don’t expect pool weather year round; the locals will correct you if you pronounce Nevada incorrectly; avoid mobile check-in; not everything is 24 hours; avoid fake cannabis dispensaries; use a nightclub promoter; for hard-to-get reservations, talk to a concierge; and you don’t have to do Vegas like a local—at least not the entire time. You can see the whole article here if it's not paywalled for you. It was for us and thanks, as always, to Canada Roy for the link and the copy/paste job.
It’s not a buffet, but Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Sports Kitchen at the Horseshoe has a $19.99 all-you-can-eat brunch Mon.-Thurs. from 8 am to 2 pm. You mix and match off the menu and keep eating until you bust. The items include French and avocado toasts, chicken and waffles, bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, Caesar and house salads, chili, club sandwich, and brisket mac n’ cheese. Add $10 for steak and eggs and $29.99 for bottomless mimosas, Marys, and margaritas.
Battista's Hole in the Wall, across Flamingo from the Horseshoe, closed Sunday night without any forewarning. VitalVegas reports that the iconic 50-year-old Italian restaurant posted on social media it's "closing for a short remodel. We’ll be back better than ever.” An unconfirmed report states it will reopen on June 23. Also closed recently is the Eatwell fast-food counter at the Cromwell and closing later this month the Yacht Club at Treasure Island, to be replaced by a wok concept. Too bad: We ate at the Yacht Club and liked it.
With the property somewhat torn up during its remodel, Ellis Island is running a “Pardon Our Dust” special, with 50%-off anything on the menus at all restaurants, Mon.-Thurs. from 4 to 7 pm. This is a Top Ten-worthy special, if not for the short hours; expect crowds. Note that the steak special is not on the menu, so doesn’t get the discount. On the same days from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., get pancakes for $4.99, a burger for $6.99, or steak & eggs for $8.99.
When it hits the Las Vegas Review-Journal, you know word is not only getting out and around, but also superceding big casino-advertising bucks. A story this morning reports on a social-media post on X with a receipt that shows a charge of $60 plus tax for early check-in at the Flamingo. The receipt was reposted by Las Vegas Locally and VitalVegas, whence it went viral. Caesars didn't respond to the R-J's requests for a comment, but the story cites the common option for early check-in at a charge of $20-$50 offered during the online reservation process, "although the fee is frequently waived upon arrival," it claims. But the $60 fee at the mid-tier Flamingo approaches what the Wynn/Encore charge, $75, and seems to have created a social-media uproar -- "for a room that’s just sitting empty anyway." The Review-Journal concludes, "The 'nickel-and-diming' of Las Vegas visitors appears to have reached a tipping point."
ActionNetwork.com put together a number of interesting odds records to put the NBA Championship series into historical context. When the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference championship series, they became the team with the worst odds to make the Finals in the last 40 years at 66-1. Six teams have played in the Finals after being 30-1 or higher and all six have lost the series. In fact, if the Pacers beat the Oklahoma Thunder, they'll pay off at more than double the odds of the next closest team (in 2014-15, the Golden State Warriors won the Finals after being 28-1 at the beginning of the season). Even more amazing, the Pacers entered the playoffs an 80-1 dog to take the title, the third worst odds of any team to make the final series since 1977. All five other teams to make the Finals at 20-1 odds or higher have lost in six games or less. Par for this course, the Pacers are huge dogs at +500, with the Thunder at -700. In the past 40 years, 33 teams have entered the Finals at -400 or higher and have been upset only three times. At -700, the Thunder are the 11th team at -600 or higher in the NBA Finals over the last 50 years, with only one upset. So the Pacers definitely have their work cut out for them when the series starts on Thursday at 5:30 PT.
If you have large quantities of coins, you can change them for free at the Silver Sevens cage. This is the best news we've heard about cashing in coins since Gold Coast, the old standby, discontinued the service around a year ago and installed a coin machine with a 10% takeout.
According to Billboard, "Thanks to its massive video screen, its booking of superstar acts, and its aggressively high ticket prices," Sphere is the top-grossing entertainment venue in the world for the second half-year in a row (Oct. 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025). It grossed $165.3 million, more than Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City, the world's highest-grossing stadium. What's more, Sports Business Journal calendar year. Sphere's average ticket price is $238, nearly twice that of Madison Square Garden ($133). Yet Sphere reported an operating loss in the first quarter of 2025 of $143 million, with a debt load of $1.5 billion. That's a predicament: Sphere's ticket prices are already the world's highest by a long shot, superstar acts are dwindling (a recent dustup with Beyonce is evidence), and some analysts have stated that bankruptcy is Sphere's only alternative. We'll see.
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.