The Detroit Lions are -1.5 favorites over the Los Angeles Chargers in tonight's preseason Hall of Fame Game that opens the NFL season. The total is 34.
Billionaire Tilman Fertitta has canceled the megaresort he proposed for the six-acre property he bought at the corner of Harmon and the Strip three years ago for $270 million. Feritta is currently the ambassador to Italy; his ex-wife Paige is the director and president of Fertitta Entertainment in his absence. Fertitta also owns 13 million shares of Wynn Resorts stock, valued at $1.4 billion. A Fertitta spokesman issued a statement earlier this week that since Fertitta is Wynn's largest shareholder, building a competing high-end resort, planned to have a 43-story, 2,420-room hotel-casino with a 2,500-seat theater, only a mile or so down the street would be a conflict of interest. So the vacant property will remain a parking lot for the foreseeable future.
The Nevada Gaming Commission has given the green light for the licensing of a new sports book company called Boomer’s that’s being described as the “only independent sports book company in Nevada.” Boomer’s is headed by Joe Asher, former CEO of William Hill, who’s brought in some top bookmaking talent in Nick Bogdanovich from Circa Sports and Dave Grolman from Caesars. The first Boomer’s sports book opens tomorrow at the Commercial Casino in Elko and more books are expected to open early this month at Ellis Island and the Casino Valle Verde slot house in Henderson. Asher says he expects as many as 10 Boomer’s outlets to be operating within a year, which looks like the model used to create the Leroy’s sports book empire.
The fully renovated rooms at the Four Queens are available to book for dates starting on Friday. The $24 million upgrades include a 50-inch TV, mini-fridge, larger bathroom, new furnishings and carpet, and best of all, sound-dampening windows (to drown out the relentless Fremont Street Experience audio). In addition, the Some Like It Hot coffee bar will open just off the lobby, serving coffee and tea, breakfast sandwiches, danish, and donuts. And it bears repeating that the 4Q never charges a resort fee.
Stray Cats, the American rockabilly band with its big hit "Rock This Town," and lesser hits "Runaway Boys" and "Stray Cats Strut," will appear in concert at the Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan on November 19. And Erykah Badu, the American R&B singer and songwriter whose debut album, Baduizm, earned her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul," will perform at Resorts World on October 4.
"Friends Experience” has opened at MGM Grand. It’s an interactive and immersive attraction that allows fans of the show to take selfies on recreated sets. The original Experience opened in New York City (where the show was based, though filmed in Burbank) and has one other location in Boston.
As part of Suncoast's major renovations, a new 9,100-square-foot bingo room will open this weekend. It has 406 seats, a snack bar, glass-enclosed smoking area with its own ventilation system, and bingo-ball chandelier. Introductory promotions will mark the grand opening on Saturday and Sunday. The property-wide renovations have been ongoing for two years and will continue for another nine or so months: a new high-limit room, remodeled hotel rooms, upgraded casino, sports book, and front desk, modernized bowling center, and new steakhouse and food hall.
Sphere Entertainment has signed a licensing agreement with the United Arab Emirates. It looks like a good deal for the financially troubled Sphere, which won't have to build or support anything in the Middle East. The 25-year "franchise" gives the UAE "the exclusive right to build and operate a new Sphere venue and at least 10 years to build additional venues in the Middle East and North Africa." The UAE can also use all of the company's "intellectual property, technology, and ancillary content." In return, Sphere receives a lump-sum "franchise initiation fee," plus royalties based on ticket sales and other revenues.
Finally in today's litany of malignancy is a TastingTable story, "The Worst-Rated Buffet On The Las Vegas Strip." Surprise -- it's found at Circus Circus. This is something of a coincidence, since today's Question of the Day is about the best Las Vegas buffet, in which we wonder if we should run a poll. If we did, there's little doubt that the one at Circus would receive the least votes, if any. The TastingTable piece tries to put a positive spin on the buffet: "People need to lower their expectations or pay at least double elsewhere." Otherwise, according to online reviews, "It certainly seems that this buffet has failed to meet even mediocre standards."
Following up on today's earlier Vegas News item, on the first page of the "Las Vegas news" Google search is a quick piece on VNY (Voice of New York): "Tourism Down in Las Vegas: Hotel Occupancy Plummets." It cites two statistics. First, international visitation to Las Vegas fell 13% in June. Second, so far in July, hotel occupancy has plummeted to 67%. The conclusion is a succinct but accurate summary. "Las Vegas is gradually turning toward a luxury model, focusing on exclusive entertainment and high-end resorts. However, this transformation risks excluding the mid-range clientele that has always been critical to the city’s success. The famed entertainment capital is thus at a crossroads: Without an overhaul of pricing strategies and a renewed effort to engage international audiences and mid-level travelers, the decline in tourism could worsen."
A generic "Las Vegas news" Google search this morning turned up the following headlines on the four top stories: "The real reasons Las Vegas is losing visitors" (Yahoo Finance), "Where Did All the Las Vegas Tippers Go?" (Wall Street Journal), "Las Vegas resorts’ efforts to welcome visitors can’t bring back tourism alone" (Las Vegas Sun), and "Is Las Vegas in Trouble?" (Newsweek). Then there's “'$50 Charge Because I Unplugged a Cord': Paris Las Vegas Hotel’s Tiny Print Fee Sums up Why Visitors Are Fleeing the City" on the travel website ViewFromTheWing (forwarded to us by Vegasphile extraordinaire Canada Roy). This story, about a $50 minibar mishap that involved unplugging one electrical cord and plugging in another, notes that Vegas had the second biggest year-over-year hotel-occupancy drop of any market in the U.S. at 12%. In addition, RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room, a key performance indicator in the hospitality industry), is down 14%, "the largest drop we’ve seen this century outside a crisis,” according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. LVAers know that it's been said many times many ways, but it bears repeating: The party for the casinos is winding down.
According to a note in the LV Review-Journal’s “Neon” supplement, Double Zero Pie & Pub in Chinatown is celebrating its inclusion as one of the 50 best pizzeria’s in the US, as selected by Italian-based “Top 50 Pizza,” with $4.30 pizzas today from 3 to 10 p.m. Double Zero was selected #43, hence the promo price for Margherita, pepperoni, or funghi pizzas that are regularly $20-$23. Nice promo, we’re gonna guess there’ll be a line.
This week's LVA YouTube podcast is our interview format and the guest is the one-of-a-kind Scott Roeben, known far and wide for his VitalVegas blog, podcasts, photographs, connections and sources -- plus honesty, penetrating insights, and entertaining style. It's a good look at how VitalVegas came to be and what's behind Scott's capacity for sharing "rumors" that more often than not turn out to be breaking news. Not to mention sources risking their jobs to turn over privileged information to him. Scott talks about the botheration of accusations of being a shill, about taking risks and expressing strong opinions, about having fun. Get the inside scoop on his kerfuffle with the Sahara and his takes on the A's stadium and Formula 1. All fascinating and all right here with the click of the mouse.
Robert Whittaker is a -160 favorite over Reinier de Ridder in today’s early UFC main event. In the other featured match, Petr Yan is -385 over Marcus McGhee.
Treasure Island has signed a deal with Accor, a French multinational hospitality company that owns, manages, and franchises hotels, resorts, and vacation properties around the world. When TI joins Accor's Handwritten Collection later this year, it will be the largest Accor-affiliate hotel in the world and its first in Las Vegas; TI will benefit from Accor's sales, marketing, and loyalty programs. Accor is the largest hospitality company in Europe and sixth-largest in the world, operating such brands as Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, Swissôtel, Novotel, and Adagio, with more than 100 million loyalty members.
According to SFGate, which confirmed the details "through Washoe County public records and a foreclosure-sale listing service," the historic Tahoe Biltmore Lodge and Casino sold at a foreclosure auction last week in Reno for 153 thousand dollars -- we wrote out the number, so there's no doubt about how low it was. The buyer was the lender who was holding an $82 million loan on the property. You can read the whole story of the Biltmore, located at Crystal Bay in north Lake Tahoe right on the Nevada side of the border with California, in a Question of the Day on its history, which includes Mary the ghost that haunts the building. The sale price was roughly $10,000 an acre in a neighborhood where the median price for a single-family house is around $2 million.
Don’t get too upset or excited about the pending changes in tax laws as they apply to gamblers. The 90% limit on claiming gambling losses seems clear, but many in the industry feel that it will be amended in some way before it goes into effect. As for the raising of the issuance of W-2Gs for slot jackpots, it now appears that the increase from $1,200 to $2,000 might apply only to 1099s that are issued for contest winners, which would leave the current rules for slot jackpots unchanged. The good news is there’s plenty of time for these issues to be clarified, as neither will be in place until 2026, meaning next year’s tax filing won’t be subject to either.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Airlines has been ranked as the best low-cost airline in North America for the second year in a row by Skytrax, an airline and airport review and ranking organization. Allegiant also topped Skytrax's World Airline Awards list as the best low-cost airline in the U.S. and placed number 15 in the worldwide rankings. Southwest, Delta, American, and United have more flights in and out of Reid International than Allegiant, but thanks to the naming rights to the Las Vegas Raiders stadium, Allegiant has the highest name recognition hereabouts.
Eater Vegas reports that Nom Wah, a dim sum and tea restaurant that opened in Manhattan's Chinatown in 1920, is expanding to Las Vegas. Nom Wah Dumplings and Noodles will be one of the outlets at the Rampart's new Neighborhood Food Hall, along with Ai Pazzi Pizza and Pearl's Oyster and Crudo Bar, so far. Nom Wah, which has three locations in New York and one in Philadelphia, is expected to open at the Rampart sometime in September.
Less than a month after closing on Third Street, the Hogs & Heifers bar has found a new home. Remaining downtown, the new location is on Main Street across from the Plaza at the site of the former Little Hotel Rooming House. The reopening date hasn’t been announced.
Our very own Sin City has been ranked the world's best for nightlife by 18,500 readers surveyed by Time Out, the digital travel guide covering more than 300 destinations spanning the globe. Twenty cities were ranked "according to how locals rated the quality and affordability of the nightlife scene, from clubbing to entertainment, coupled with the thoughts of Time Out city editors, and arts and culture writers." Locals and experts cited Las Vegas' EDM DJs, cocktail lounges, tiki bars, breweries, speakeasies, and nightclubs. Madrid placed second, followed by Paris, Shanghai, Berlin, Melbourne, Brighton, Mexico City, Dubai, and Mumbai to round out the top 10.
The Sahara is running a no-resort-fee special through October 31. You must book by August 10. The waived RF saves you $54.95 per night. And self-parking is still free at the Sahara.
The annual report by U-Haul indicates that people who moved into Nevada in 2024 dropped "dramatically" from 2023. Two years ago, Nevada ranked 11th on U-Haul's Growth Index, while last year, it placed 35th. 2024 was also the first year in five that one-way trips out of Nevada surpassed one-way trips in. Based on more than 2.5 million one-way U-Haul truck and trailer rentals in 2024, South Carolina topped the Growth Index, followed by Texas and North Carolina.
The Royal Resort on Convention Center Drive right behind the Gold Key Shops on the Strip will be demolished at the end of August. This lowrise property opened in 1970 as the Royal Las Vegas, changed its name to the Royal Hotel Casino in the early 1990s, and changed again to the Royal Resort in the early 2000s. In 2022, a fire on an upper floor caused by smoking set off the sprinkler system, which wreaked property-wide water damage, shutting down the whole hotel. The insurance company refused to cover the amount necessary to get the Royal back up and running, so the decision was made to liquidate and demo. The liquidation sale is underway, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, there are no current plans for the property after it becomes a vacant lot next month.
The Blue Martini bar and nightclub, known for being the site of a rite of passage for local 21-year-olds, closed on Sunday after 18 years at Town Square. The venue is moving to a $9.3 million three-story space at the Miracle Mile Shops in the former location of Urban Outfitters, though no reopening date has been announced that we know of. Blue Martini has seven other locations around the country.
For the first time in its history, Southwest Airlines will start selling tickets with seat assignments on July 29 for flights starting on January 27. The open-seating policy will be replaced with eight boarding groups. Status and seat selections will determine the boarding order. The most frequent flyers and the most expensive ticket holders will board first, followed by "Choice" and "Basic" ticket holders depending on seat location. Southwest affinity credit-card holders and Rapid Rewards credit card members will board no later than Group 5. Another big change: The free checked bag is mostly going away; top-tier flyers will be exempt.
The Majestic, a non-casino luxury hotel long planned for the six-acre site of the old Paddlewheel, Debbie Reynolds, and Clarion incarnations, is making a bit of a splash again. The developer has released new renderings of the hotel and a new prediction on breaking ground: next March. However, the first phase has been reduced to a two-story retail plaza slated to open in spring 2027, after which the 604-room hotel will be built. The Majestic was first proposed in 2019, four years after the Clarion was imploded. Groundbreakings were scheduled several times over the years, but always canceled, and the building permits eventually expired. The latest plans were delayed by the Federal Aviation Administration, which took almost a year to approve the height of the hotel tower. Clark County approved the plans in May and we'll check back on progress in eight months.
According to a story in Nevada Current, Las Vegas has the highest inventory of unsold houses, condos, and townhomes in the nation. Listings without offers are 77% higher than at this time last year; a hair under 7,000 houses and a tad over 2,500 condos and townhomes were for sale at the end of June. Buyers remain "on the shelf," according a realtor interviewed for the article, due to interest rates and uncertainty, while "retirees fleeing the valley as homes flood the market." At the same time, the median price of residential real estate remains at record highs: $485,000 in June, which ties the record. Analysts are predicting a correction, based on price reductions having increased 95% over last year.
British headbangers Def Leppard return to Las Vegas for 12 shows, all in February. The "Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace" residency will take place on Feb. 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, and 28. The shows are "expected to be filled with classic hits and new surprises." The band, formed in Sheffield, England, in 1977, has two original members, Joe Elliott (vocals) and Rick Savage (bass). It's the third time DL has played Vegas in the past 12 years after sold-out shows in 2013 and 2019. The presale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. PT; general-public tickets will be available on Friday at 10 a.m.
The Athletics have installed a webcam to allow fans (and critics) to follow the construction action on the stadium site. You can choose from photographs snapped in 10-minute increments, livestream video, a timelapse function, and a panorama from OYO all the way over to New York-New York. We have a link to it on our webcams page; scroll down to the seventh in the list.
As it's wont to do every year, the Raiders will host an open practice at Allegiant Stadium on August 2. It starts at 1 p.m. and tickets are $5, with all proceeds going to the Raiders Foundation. The practice is five days before the start of the preseason; the team's first game is on August 7 against the Seahawks in Seattle. New head coach Pete Carroll and presumed new starting quarterback Geno Smith will be on display at the open practice. Get digital-only tickets on the Raiders website.
Going into the final round of golf's Open Championship (British Open), Scottie Scheffler with a 4-stroke lead is the -585 favorite to win. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at +2050, Haotong Li at +2250, and Matthew Fitzpatrick at +2650.
Mario Barrios is a -285 favorite over Manny Pacquiao in tonight's championship boxing match. The total is 10.5 rounds, with under the favorite at -160.
Max Holloway is a -140 favorite over Dustin Poirier in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Roman Kopylov is -220 over Paulo Costa.
According to the Nevada Independent, in May, the three Canadian airlines with direct flights to and from Las Vegas were down substantially from May 2024. The number of passengers on Air Canada declined 22%, WestJet, Reid’s busiest Canadian air carrier, was down 35% percent, and Flair, which flies primarily out of Edmonton, was off a whopping 64%. Canadians constitute the largest segment of international travel to Las Vegas, with an annual average of 1.5 million. Though it's only about 3% of total visitation, the decline is taking a toll.
Three days remain to vote in our current poll on the positive changes in Las Vegas over the past while. So far, we're approaching 4,500 votes, so let's make a good showing great and hit 5,000. Here's your link to the poll page.
It’s "Beer Friday.” Join Anthony, Andrew, and guests 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.
A slot player visiting the Palms for the first time hit a $1,142,108 jackpot while playing a Wheel of Fortune 4D Collector’s Edition machine. The lucky winner made a $4 bet to win the seven-figure amount on Tuesday. He and his wife were in Las Vegas from Washington to attend a food-truck convention; they own a burger truck and plan to purchase a second truck with the winnings.
The Southern country-rock-soul Zac Brown Band will play four shows at Sphere in December to support their new album Love & Fear, which will be released on the same day as the first show. The dates are December 5, 6, 12, and 13 (and we won't be surprised if they extend). The fan presale starts Monday at 10 a.m. PT and general-public tickets go on sale Friday July 25 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The band recently performed the National Anthem at the MLB All Star Game.
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite to win golf's Open Championship (British Open) at +500. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at +700 and John Rahm at +1200. Tiger Woods is not in the field. Note, this line was posted with the first round in progress.
Poker superstar Michael Mizrachi won this year's World Series of Poker yesterday, raking in a cool $10 million, raising his lifetime tournament winnings to $29 million, and earning his eighth WSOP bracelet. He'd already won the WSOP Poker Players Championship this year for the fourth time. Mizrachi was down to three blinds on Day 8, just this close to being eliminated, when he mounted an epic comeback, making the final table with the second highest chip count. On Day 2 of the Final Table, he busted out two of the remaining four players in the first two hands and took down the championship in 24 total hands. Leonore “Leo” Margets, only the second woman to reach the final table in WSOP history, was eliminated in seventh place, winning $1.5 million; she had the fifth highest chip count at the beginning of Day 1.
The 1985 Chicago Bears are considered among the top five greatest teams in NFL history. They won 15 games and lost only one, had one of the best defenses ever, and crushed the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX 46-10. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the team, several alumni will come to Las Vegas for a two-day reunion. These names should be familiar to football fans: Jim McMahon, William "Refrigerator" Perry, Dennis McKinnon, Willie Gault, and Otis Wilson; they'll get together with fans at Amore Taste of Chicago from noon to three on July 26-27. The event will also feature lunch, Q&A session, photo and autograph ops, private meet-and-greets, and a silent auction for charity. The price is $250 per person and tickets are limited. Contact Amore Taste of Chicago at 702-562-9000 for more details and to buy tickets.
A new burger brand that claims to be a viral sensation has opened a popup location at Resorts World, replacing Sun's Out Buns Out. NADC is an initialism for "Not a Damn Chance," implying, or so we're told, that the burger is so good, other burgers don't stand a chance against it. It's a 100% Wagyu beef smashburger with American cheese, secret sauce, grilled onions, pickles, and pickled jalapenos. Call us reverse snobs, but to us, American Wagyu beef is a slab of fat with specks of muscle, an acquired taste. And at a cost of $16 for a popup fast-food burger ($24 for a double) and $5 for fries, it's a mere $37 or so for a double burger, fries, drink, and tax. NADC Burger will be open 24/7 for three months and if it takes up permanent residence, maybe we'll take a look.
Last Wednesday, we reported that in Travel + Leisure's "Worlds Best Awards" for 2025, the Waldorf Astoria at CityCenter was ranked as the number-one hotel, scoring 98 out of a possible 100. The rankings are compiled from surveys filled out by nearly 180,000 readers who cast a total of more than 657,000 votes for a choice of 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.). Here are the numbers 2 through 10 hotels , in Las Vegas, according to reader vote: 2. Four Seasons (reader score 93.14); 3. Wynn (91.6); 4. Fontainebleau (91.52); 5. Crockfords (91.33); 6. Encore (89.66); 7. Red Rock (88.52); 8. Vdara (87.53); 9. Venetian (87.32); and 10. Cosmopolitan (87.10). Perhaps Bellagio, Aria, Caesars Palace, Cromwell, and Casino Royale are passé.
The National League is a -125 favorite over the American League in tonight's Major League Baseball All-Star game. The total is 7.
Not many sports books are posting them, but some offshore books have lines on the World Series of Poker Main Event. This year’s odds don’t mimic the chip counts as closely as usual, but chip leader John Wasnock is the favorite at +180. He’s followed by Michael Mizrachi at +200 in second chip position and Adam Hendrix who’s +250 despite being in 7th chip position. The long shot is Daehyung Lee at +2800. They’ll play down to four players today and the winner will be crowned tomorrow.
Believe it or not, it looks like it's finally happened. And it's the sleeper change of the month. We first saw it a July 9 roundup of gambling-industry news in the Nevada Independent, in which long-time business reporter Howard Stutz wrote that according to the American Gaming Association, "Gaming did get one small victory last week. The tax reporting threshold on slot machine jackpots was increased from $1,200 to $2,000 under the Trump bill." With a little further research, we learned that this provision appears in section 70433 of the Big Beautiful Act. Since we've seen it in only two places, we're a little hesitant to confirm it. But assuming it's true, it's a strange number, as most were lobbying for something in the $5,000-$5,800 range. This limit doesn't change a lot considering the barometer that many use, which is reporting on a video poker royal flush. Depending on where exactly the reporting threshold is -- $2,000 or $2,001 -- it might not even cover the $2K payout on a 50¢ royal.
In today’s Home Run Derby, contested as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, Cal Raleigh is the favorite at +270. He’s followed by Oneil Cruz at +400 and James Wood at +430. The long shot is Jazz Chisholm Jr. at +1600.
The 9-player final table for the World Series of Poker’s Main Event has been determined. The chip leader is John Wosnock with 108.1 million (last year’s chip leader at this point had 143.7 million). The other final-table occupants are Michael Mizrachi (93 million), Braxton Dunaway (91.9 million), Kenny Hallaert (80.5 million), Leonor Margets (53.4 million), Luka Bojovic (51 million), Adam Hendrix (48 million), Daehyung Lee (34.9 million), and Jarod Minghini (23.6 million). Five players are from the U.S., and one each from England, Spain, Austria, and South Korea. There are two big stories involved: Mizrachi also won his fourth Poker Players Championship early this year and Margets is the first woman to make the Main Event final table since 1995. Final-table play begins Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
One of the greatest excursions from Las Vegas is no more: The 88-year-old Grand Canyon Lodge at the North Rim was consumed by a wildfire yesterday. It was the only hotel at the North Rim. In addition, roughly 60 other structures were destroyed, including the visitor center, gas station, wastewater treatment plant, administrative offices, and employee housing. No injuries were reported and all staff and residents made it out of the danger zone. However, deadly chlorine gas was released from the treatment plant, prompting the evacuation of firefighters and hikers from the inner Canyon. The North Rim will remain closed for the rest of the season.
Announced in early October of last year with a "sometime in 2025" closing date, the specific day was first pegged as June 30, but it came and went and the restaurant remained open. The new date for the closing of Bazaar Meat by José Andrés is July 31 after dinner. The restaurant that will replace it will be Maroon, a Caribbean-style steakhouse owned and operated by celebrity chef, James Beard Award winner, author, and "Top Chef" star Kwame Onwuachi. Maroon is slated to open "by the end of this year."
This year's inductees to the American Gaming Association's Gaming Hall of Fame are David Berman, Ann Simmons Nicholson, and Charles Lombardo. The GHoF "“honors the visionaries who’ve shaped today’s gaming industry." Berman is a gaming merger-and-acquisitions specialist with more than 100 M&As under his belt worth more than $125 billion. Nicholson is strategic planning and organizational consultant who, over a 40-year career, has worked with nearly every major gaming company, supporting more than 60 property openings, expansions, and acquisitions. And Lombardo's career spans more than 50 years in slot operations and game innovation; he's held senior leadership roles at Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Paris, and Seminole Gaming.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are pick ’em in today’s Wimbledon men's tennis final. Alcaraz is seeking his 3rd consecutive Wimbledon title and 6th Grand Slam championship. Sinner is playing for his 4th Grand Slam title.
Tallison Teixeira is a -325 favorite over Derrick Lewis in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Gabriel Bonfim is -450 over Stephen Thompson.
We don’t often have an opportunity (or reason) to promote McDonald’s, but today’s opening of a new one at 5047 W. Russell Rd. is an exception. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the grand opening will feature several events and giveaways. But what caught our eye are some interesting deals running this month. They start with $1 Big Macs today and tomorrow. Then it’s free premium roast or iced coffee (no purchase necessary) 7/14-20, 50¢ cheeseburgers 7/21-27, and 50¢ sausage biscuit sandwich 7/28-8/3.
The headline in the SFGate.com story is, "Reviled A's owner bought $29.25M Las Vegas mansion in secret deal." It goes on to report that it's "one of the most expensive home sales in Las Vegas history." The house sits on nearly an acre with 12,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor living space, 10 bathrooms, a three-car garage, movie theater, and a “comprehensive fitness/wellness room.” Located in Summerlin, it's within the gated Summit Club, "which bills itself as the only private residential lifestyle club” in Las Vegas. Membership is a $250,000-$400,000 initiation and an annual fee of $110,000-$120,000. There's an 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse with pool, dining, spa and recreation room, as well as on-site courts for basketball, tennis, and pickleball. "Only two sales have hit or crossed the $30 million mark in Las Vegas history, one sold by Celine Dion for $30 million in 2023 and the other for $35 million in 2024, and both are located right next to each other inside the Summit Club." The article concludes, "Fisher can say at least one of his real estate ventures in Sin City went smoothly."
Iga Swiatek is a -325 favorite over Amanda Anisimova in today’s Wimbledon women's tennis final. Swiatek is seeking her 6th Grand Slam championship, Anisimova her first.
This week's LVA YouTube is our monthly jackpot edition, one of our most popular productions. The first 10 or so minutes of the video are devoted to the current situation that has arisen from the tax-reconciliation bill that became law last weekend. By now, no one who follows gambling hasn't heard that starting next year, players who itemize deductions will be allowed to deduct only 90% of their losses, as opposed to the full 100% in effect forever. Anthony calls it "devastating" and quotes professional gamblers who've told him that it's "an extinction-level event." He gives a few examples, complete with visual aids, of how "brutal" the impact of this rider in the bill will be. Then, with the bad news dispensed with, Anthony and Andrew spotlight a dozen jackpots that go back more than a year. These are always fun and instructive stories and well worth tuning in for.
The Party at the Cosmopolitan premiered last night and EaterVegas was there. Here are some good quotes. "With dinner from neighboring Superfrico, performances by Spiegelworld’s acrobats and artists, and space for just 50 guests a night, it’s designed to celebrate birthdays, weddings, divorces, or anything that calls for a party." It's a dinner theater and "The Party serves a three-course menu from the Superfrico kitchen. As guests dine, the show unfolds: classic circus acts — one acrobat balancing impossibly atop another and a soap-bubble performance" like the one in Opium/OPM, the Spiegelworld show that closed at Cosmo a couple of years ago. "He turns bubble-blowing into a hypnotic spectacle using smoke and straws to create bubble cubes and shimmering orbs." Another act is "the return of the Circus Automaton, a custom-built tableau mécanique featuring two-dimensional circus scenes that glide and rotate across a tabletop stage in precise whimsical choreography." The Party starts at 7 p.m. nightly and costs $150 per person with a two-person minimum; with tax and without tip, the bill comes to around $330.
Paul McCartney, the former Beatle (just in case you don't remember him), will make a stop at Allegiant Stadium on a North American tour kicking off in late September. One date is scheduled (so far) for Las Vegas: October 4, the second performance after the first in the Palm Springs area. Tickets are on sale now and start at $346, rising to around $1,200.
Carbone Riviera has been announced as the replacement for the venerable and beloved Picasso restaurant at Bellagio. Carbone Riviera is described as "a coastal Italian seafood spot," will feature a complete redesign of the room, an expanded terrace, and a dock for a 33-foot "mini yacht" reportedly to be used for special events. The price tag is rumored to be $16 million and no opening date has been announced.
We're getting lots and lots of questions about the provision in the tax-reconciliation bill that limits gamblers who itemize deductions to 90% of their losses. And we've been talking to lots and lots of people about it. This recent wrinkle is so new that most of the details have yet to be worked out; also, the FAIR BET Act has already been introduced to repeal it. So we're withholding judgment for now. However, Richard Munchkin and Bob Dancer are taping a special Gambling With An Edge podcast episode with Russell Fox, a specialist in gambling-tax situations and contributor to our book Tax Help for Gamblers. It should be posted a week from tomorrow, July 17, and we'll let you know when it is.
Travel + Leisure has released its "Worlds Best Awards" for 2025. The rankings are compiled from surveys filled out by nearly 180,000 readers who cast a total of more than 657,000 votes for a choice of 8,700 properties (hotels, cities, cruise lines, etc.). In the hotel category, the criteria were rooms/facilities, location, service, food, and value and our very own Waldorf Astoria at City Center received the most votes to place number one for the year, scoring 98 out of a possible 100. It's described as "one of Sin City’s most sophisticated restful getaways, a serene escape with luxurious touches at every turn." We wouldn't disagree with the ranking or the votes for facilities, location, service, and food, though at a lowest room rate of $264 (and topping out in the $700s and $800s), we might question the value quotient.
The official numbers for the Main Event were released yesterday and show that the 9,735 players who entered the tournament put it at the third largest total in history, but it's the first time in three years that the number is below 10,000. Last year, the number of participants set the record at 10,112, just squeaking by the 2023 total of 10,043 entries. The prize pool for the Main Event is $90,535,500 and the top 1,461 finishers are in the money; the minimum cashout is $15,000 and the last 89 in the field are guaranteed at least $100,000. Yesterday, all four flights were combined for the first time with 3,453 players remaining; at the end of the day, 1,476 were left. The bubble burst quickly this morning on Day 4. The final table is slated to begin next Tuesday.
On the heels of the Plaza's package announced last month ($125 for room, unlimited drinks at two bars, breakfast and lunch, early check in, and no resort fee good through August 30), the Downtown Grand has put up a similar deal. For $99 a night Sunday through Thursday or $125 Friday and Saturday, the "Gamblers Retreat" includes $40 in free play, a $25 dining credit, early check in, room upgrade (if available) and no resort fee.
The Associated Press is reporting that the Transportation Security Administration has issued an internal memo concerning a policy change in the standard screening at U.S. airports. According to the story, travelers will no longer be required to remove their shoes when they pass through the TSA checkpoints. The shoe-removal policy dates back to 2001 after a so-called “shoe bomber” Richard Reid tried unsuccessfully to blow up a flight from Paris to Miami in late 2001. Apparently, the change has already taken place at some airports and will apply to all in the U.S. starting this Sunday.
The Chippendales male revue has landed in its permanant new home at Planet Hollywood. After a 23-year run at the Rio, the show moved to the LINQ on January 17 as a holding place until the new showroom at PH was ready. It opened last Thursday night.
After last week's windstorm and the massive thunderstorm that cooled things off a bit, summer returns with seasonably very hot temperatures. Predictions are for a 108-degree high today, then climbing to 109 tomorrow and Saturday, 110 on Thursday and Sunday, and 112 on Monday. But we're basking in the knowledge that last year at this time, Las Vegas hit its all-time high-temperature record, 120 degrees, on July 7, smashing the previous record of 117. On July 8, the thermometer missed tying the record by one degree, topping out at 119. It was also the third of seven days in a row with the high temperature breaching 115, breaking the old record of four. Even with temperatures of 108-112, this year is balmy compared to last year.
50 Top Pizza, a prestigious Italian-based list of the best pizza places in the world, has again named Pizza Rock and Double Zero Pie & Pub as among the top 50 in the U.S. Pizza Rock came in at nunber 33 and Double Zero at 43. Secret shoppers pay for the pizzas they try and base their evaluations on service and beverages as well. On last year's list, Pizza Rock placed at 28 and Double Zero at 45.
First Chinatown, then Filipino Town. First Restaurant Row, then Wedding Row. Restaurant Row is the designation for a three-block stretch of E. Carson Avenue between Las Vegas Blvd. and Seventh Street in the heart of the Arts District. Wedding Row runs from Sahara Avenue to Fremont Street between the Boulevard and Main Street and hosts 40 chapels, plus the Clark County Marriage License Bureau at 201 E. Clark Avenue. To celebrate the third anniversary of the designation, the city has unfurled a set of banners and you can see one, plus a map of all the chapels on the Row, here.
With World Series of Poker updates on the WSOP.com website puzzlingly scarce this year, we’re cobbling together information from other sources. With two rounds completed, we’ve still not seen an official count of Main Event entries, but it looks as though it will land below last year’s record total of 10,112, perhaps by about 10%. The chip leader is Oleksii Kravchuk with 938K. Notable eliminations that we know about include previous ME champions Chris Moneymaker, Jamie Gold, Joe Cada, Qui Nguyen, Scott Blumstein, and Robert Varkonyi, along with Phil Ivey. We’ll update action here as we get more reports.
Yesterday's edition of the venerable London-based Times has an article titled "Viva Las Vegas? Tourists shun Sin City over ‘ridiculous prices.’" Here are the first three paragraphs: On a sweltering morning as tourists line up for pictures with the famous welcoming sign, one topic of conversation dominates: When did Las Vegas become so expensive? Hannah Warren, a 50-year-old assistant costume designer from Essex, was still reeling from paying $33 for coffee and a bagel at Fontainebleau. Gary Langlois, a 65-year-old retired salesman from Minneapolis, paid $40 for two coffees and a couple of croissants. That is on top of the resort fees, parking charges, and various other costs that have become a fact of life for Las Vegas tourists." The early conclusion: "Now, after a post-pandemic boom, there are signs the Strip has pushed visitors to a tipping point" and then come the numbers we all know and love, the ongoing drop in visitation and gross gaming revenue. Oh, and by the way, the "ridiculous prices" in the headline are a direct quote from Anthony Curtis, who was interviewed for the story.
It started last Tuesday, but we first got word of it this morning. The Rio is matching tiers at any Las Vegas casino for new Rio Rewards members. Existing members can bring in a friend who's eligible for tier matching and receive up to $50 in FrioPlay as a reward for the referral. All the details are at the Rio Rewards counter.
Our report in the July Las Vegas Advisor that downtown’s Hogs & Heifers had gotten a reprieve and would remain open until July 31 was in error. We’re not sure where things reverted to an earlier-announced date, but the iconic bar has closed. The owners say they’re looking for another location, preferably nearby, to reopen
A local developer and a hotel industry veteran have proposed an 18-story 254-room hotel complex on nearly 10 acres of vacant land at the northeast corner of Charleston Boulevard and Grand Central Parkway. The price they paid for the parcel was $16.4 million and the deal closed in May. The development would also include restaurants, a health club, and medical office space. Whether or not it comes to fruition, it's yet another sign that the Las Vegas Arts District is a hot part of town.
Joey "Jaws" Chestnut made a triumphant return to the Nathan's July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest after a year's absence due to a contract dispute. He scarfed 70.5 hot dogs in the allotted 10 minutes in front of a lively crowd at Coney Island and took back the Mustard Belt, plus the $10,000 first-place prize. It was his 17th win in the contest and his 10th in the last 11 years, but he didn't beat his own record of 76 hot dogs in 2021. Patrick Bertoletti, who won last year's competition, was a distant second, downing a mere 46.5 dogs and buns. In the women’s contest, reigning champion Miki Sudo won again by eating 33 dogs, way short of her record 51 last year.
Kelly Clarkson was scheduled to begin her Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace yesterday, the first of 18 shows through November 15. At the last minute, she canceled yesterday and today's shows, due to vocal strain. Next weekend's shows are still on for now.
The budget reconciliation bill passed by Congress yesterday and expected to be signed by the president today contains an amendment that's particularly onerous for gamblers, especially professionals. Starting in 2026, gamblers will be allowed to deduct only 90% of their losses. In other words, gamblers will owe federal income taxes on 10% of losses against wins. The example widely cited is if a gambler wins $100,000 on a trip to Las Vegas, but loses it back over the course of the year, he or she would have to pay taxes on $10,000 of "income," compared to no taxes currently. Several poker players have been outspoken about the amendment, claiming that it could end professional gambling and push players to unregulated markets. The amendment was tacked onto the Senate's version of the bill and passed by the House, so it's a brand new wrinkle and a number of details are yet to be worked out. But as soon as the bill is signed, 90% of losses is the law. As for "no taxes on tips," as of now, it looks like starting with 2025 income taxes, tipped employees can deduct up to $2,500 in cash tip income for four years, until this provision of the bill expires in 2028. Tipped taxpayers don't need to itemize to claim the deduction. Credit-card tips are still taxed and the deduction starts to phase out for high-income tax positions.
After a ferocious wind storm on Tuesday that downed power poles and lines around the valley (hardest hit was W. Tropicana near Jones Blvd.) and left thousands of residents without electricity, a fierce thunderstorm yesterday dumped up to a half-inch of rain on parts of the valley and caused flights to be grounded at Reid or rerouted throughout the afternoon. The storm cell moved through by evening and today will be sunny with a high around 100. The 10-day prediction is sunny and seasonably hot, so the fireworks will go off on schedule tonight and the livin' is easy for a while.
Back after being disallowed from competing last year, Joey Chestnut assumes his traditional spot as the huge favorite at -1800 to win today's Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. The over/under for dogs downed is 71.5. In the women’s contest, Miki Sudo is an even bigger favorite at -2400. Her total is 47.5 dogs. Chestnut is seeking his 16th title, Sudo her 11th.
On the day before the big holiday, Anthony and Andrew talk briefly about what's going in Las Vegas for the Fourth, then launch into another discussion on whether or not we're seeing a pivot point for the casino gouge. That segues into our annual July room-rate survey, which seems to point to the good changes starting to happen in earnest. Anthony also narrates the latest major controversy at the World Series of Poker, talks about some new LVA coupons, and more. Tune in and Happy Fourth of July!
EaterVegas reports that "San Diego’s retro-swanky steakhouse" debuted yesterday, opening in the Uncommons across from Durango casino. Eater describes it "with Rat Pack-inspired swagger, in-house butchered steaks, and wagyu tomahawks served exclusively at the new location." The meats are cooked with live fire Santa Maria-style, "seared over American red oak, then finished low and slow." In San Diego, Rare Society is "known for its dramatic steak boards — 53 ounces of dry-aged cuts arranged on custom-designed lazy Susans and served with bearnaise, horseradish, and buttery bone marrow. Other standout cuts include 40-day dry-aged bone-in New York strips and 'bullseye' ribeyes, the ideal balance of weight and marbling in a rib eye steak." The online menu actually has prices and they're dear: Caesar salad $19, shrimp cocktail $24, seafood towers $182 and $275, boards $136 and $199, and steaks $53 for a 10-ounce tri-tip to $285 for the 42-ounce tomahawk. It's open 5 p.m. to close Wednesday through Sunday.
In another indication of the declining metrics of Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority projects 340,000 visitors for the long holiday weekend, down from 344,000 last year. Sure, it's only 4,000 people, a little more than 1% year over year, but that's the equalivent of every hotel room at New York-New York being empty. Speaking of which, the LVCVA predicts hotel occupancy will be 93.1%, down from last year's 94.4%. And that's with 1,200 fewer rooms.
Following the closure of Battista's Hole in the Wall for a month in order to repair the roof and HVAC, Stage Door is going through the same process and will be closed through the end of July. We haven't confirmed it, but the word is the little casino across from the Horseshoe is already locked up. No reopening date has been announced, but early August is a good bet.
Today is the first day of the World Series of Poker's famed Main Event. Four starting flights run through Saturday. The final table will be played on July 15-16. Based on the record-breaking attendance of last year's Main Event (10,112 entrants) and the upward trend in Main Event attendance, a similarly large field is expected. We'll have official attendance figures sometime this weekend.
4th of July marks one of the biggest weekends of the year for pool parties, but there’s always more to Vegas than that:
Half a year after Whiskey Pete's closed in December, the second of three hotel-casinos in Primm at the California state line on Interstate 15 is shutting down. No date was announced for the closure of Buffalo Bill's, the western-themed 1,200-room resort known for the ferocious Desperado roller coaster and the 6,500-seat Star of the Desert Arena, but the rumors are it will take place on Monday. Owner Affinity Gaming put a nice spin on the announcement by insisting that the closure is an effort "to deliver the best possible experience for today's guest expectations." Actually, it's not quite as ridiculous as it sounds; Affinity has been hinting for a year about a total revamp of its Primm properties and the move will concentrate the experience of guest expectations on Primm Valley hotel-casino, the remaining joint out there. The closure is for an indefinite amount of time thus far and nothing has been said about the fate of Desperado, though the arena will remain open.
No, it’s not Las Vegas. In fact, even considering the entire state, Nevada isn’t close. A report by gambling.com pegs Montana as the easy bingo capital of the U.S. and likely the world, with 28.4 bingo halls per 100,000 residents. Vermont is a distant second at 8.2 bingo halls. Montana has 324; Pennsylvania has the most at 702. Nevada? It ranks 45th in the U.S. with just 24 bingo halls, which is .7 per 100,000 residents. Hawaii and Tennessee have no bingo halls.
Circa is running Slotapalooza on July 19. Billed as “The World’s Largest Slot Party,” the event will feature a free and open-to-the-public slot tournament with a grand prize of a video poker machine or $2,500 and $15,000 in free-play split among the top 50 scores. The tournament runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with contestants playing one two-minute round. The official party begins at 7 p.m. with a T-shirt giveaway for active players, an additional $5,000 in hot-seat free-play drawings, and a two-hour open bar.
EDO Tapas & Wine, considered one of Las Vegas’ best non-casino restaurants, has announced that it's closing in September. Following a physical makeover, it will reopen with the same owner/chef and a new concept that hasn't been divulged.