The Denver Broncos are -5.5 favorites over the Washington Commanders in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 43.5.
Another month, another drop in the number of visitors to Las Vegas. The spin is that the 3.41 million visitors in October added up to the second-highest monthly total of the year, a hair under the record 3.42 million who came and went in May. It was a 4.4% decline from October of last year, the smallest monthly slump since January. The 7.6% shortfall in overall visitation for the first 10 months of the year compares to the same period in 2024.
MGM Resorts is promoting a room deal with lower than normal rates, plus a food credit of between $30 and $75. Rooms at Bellagio are as low as $223 (midweek) and come with the max $75 credit; at the other end of the scale, you can stay at Excalibur for $79 with $30 in credit. Of course, the resort fee adds between $45 and $55 per night to the rate, but if you're hankering to stay on the Strip (for some reason), you can click here, walk through the process, and see if any rooms, nights, resorts, and prices tickle your fancy.
For some reason, Spiegelworld's DiscoShow is giving away tickets. We just went through the process and it's a breeze. Just click on this link, enter your vitals, pick a date in the next several months, choose between one and two tickets, and they're yours. No fees, no taxes, just free entry. You need the AXS app to receive them and you'll show the QR code on your phone for admission. Otherwise, it's a $200+ value and is the easiest and greatest show comp in our memory. We saw DiscoShow and liked it, though it's a bit strenuous, as you stand (and dance as much as you like) throughout. But free is free! You can read our review here. And a YUGE shoutout to Canada Roy for finding this deal and bringing it to our immediate attention.
We don't often report news like this, but it's a heart-wrencher. Proving once again that there's no level thieves won't stoop to, the U-Haul truck belonging to a small Las Vegas charity that was featured on a TV news report on Thursday was stolen Thursday night. The GiveBack volunteer group spent months collecting food, clothes, and hygiene items, handing out many of the donations in front of the cameras on Thanksgiving to families in need. That night, the truck, containing another $30,000 worth of supplies, was stolen from the parking lot. "Everything we worked so hard to gather for months disappeared overnight," GiveBack's president told KTVN13, which aired the original report.
VitalVegas reports this morning that the Sand Dollar bar at the Plaza will close on December 14. An experiment to expand the original Sand Dollar that opened nearly 50 years ago on Spring Mountain Road, the downtown venue was launched in May 2022 to a fair amount of fanfare and foofaraw, but it never quite took hold. You can read the whole history and inside story at VitalVegas.
In today’s Black Friday game, the Philadelphia Eagles are -7 favorites over the Chicago Beas. The total is 43.
The OG of the five locations of the venerable New York-style pizzeria Metro Pizza has closed. The beloved Metro first opened in 1980 at 1395 E. Tropicana; it was known back then as Original New York Pizzeria. Since then, Metro has expanded to various parts of the valley, including the one we frequent most at Ellis Island. The business isn't shutting down by any means; co-founder/owner Sam Facchini called it "addition by subtraction," saying that the other four locations were handling the customer base adequately. All the E. Trop employees will be incorporated into the other pizzerias.
Megabucks was hit on Wednesday for $11,143,660 at Resorts World; it was the first time Megabucks has been hit there. The reports say that the player fed $5 into the machine and played off it for 15 minutes before the jackpot arrived. Now that's lucky. The lump sum is estimated at about $6.6 million after taxes. The meter resets to $10 million.
In today's final Thanksgiving game, the Baltimore Ravens are -7.5 favorites over the Cincinnati Bengals. The total is 52.5.
In the second of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Kansas City Chiefs are -3 favorites over the Dallas Cowboys. The total is 53.
In the first of today's three NFL Thanksgiving games, the Detroit Lions are -3 favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The total is 48.
This month's YouTube interview features Al Mancini of the NeonFeast website and app, the best restaurant guide in Las Vegas, and Andrew Morgan, the brains behind HappyHourVegas.com, "the best damn happy-hour guide in Vegas." It was Al's idea to launch our eight-volume Eating Vegas series and he and Anthony go into detail about its (unique and amusing) origins in 2011. Meanwhile, Andrew has been here for six years, saw an opening for a happy hour guide, and jumped on it and trust us, it's not an easy thing to do. Both now have monthly columns on this site. The discussion launches with the politics of being a food critic -- eating gratis and how that world has changed, the Yelp model -- then Andrew tells us how many happy hours he tracks (hint: the over-under is 450), how he does it, and what you'll find on his site (which you should go to; it's classic LVA-style). Then the big deal: The guys provide their recommendations for favorites, steaks, where the casino owners eat, Italian, Chinatown, Thai happy hours, and more. These guys talk fast and get an incredible amount of information into the 30 minutes. Don't miss it.
Wishing you a horn of plenty full of blessings and a heart full of gratitude this Thanksgiving Day. It's a very busy four-day weekend all over the city, with 302,000 travelers here for the time off. Though that's slightly down from year's past, it's still a huge crowd and only four days of dismantling of the F1 infrastructure, traffic is even more of a headache than it would otherwise be. Most restaurants are serving full Turkey Day dinners. The sports books will be packed all day long with fans watching the NFL triple-header and the Vegas Golden Knights playing home games tomorrow and Saturday nights at T-Mobile Arena. Metro police are out in force throughout the holiday weekend in their annual DUI Blitz, so drink responsibly and drive defensively.
We haven't had much occasion or inclination to write about the Las Vegas Raiders this season. After winning their first game of the season, they've lost nine of the last 10 amid the usual amount of controversy, including Sunday's firing of the highest-paid offensive coordinator in the league after 11 games. And we kind of don't like to dwell on the obvious or negative, but we can't help but note that the Athletic, the New York Times' sports site, yesterday ranked the Raiders 31 out of the 32 teams in the NFL. Only the Tennessee Titans, at 1-10, are lower on the list than Las Vegas. Even the lowly Cleveland Browns, ranked #27 at 3-8 for the season, beat the Raiders on Sunday 24-10. Oh well. Maybe next year.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was a rousing success in terms of soldout stands, corporate profits, an exciting race, and celebrities galore. The final ticket sales haven't been tabulated, but 300,000 admissions were counted for the three nights of events, with every seat sold out all three nights. The celebrities who got the most ink and photos were JayZ and Beyonce; others at the events included the three Sofia actresses (Vergara, Carson, and Elizabeth), actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish, rappers Travis Scott and Flavor Flav, actor Jon Hamm, model Naomi Campbell, and reality-star Kendall Jenner. Moët & Chandon made a dramatic appearance on the after-race podium, being guzzled straight from the bottle by winner Max Verstappen and a crew from Red Bull, then sprayed with the Champagne by drivers Lando Norris and George Russell. And or course, Mickey and Minnie Mouse led the pit-lane parade, performed with the Disneyland Band playing the national anthem on race day, and were featured in a special nighttime show at the Bellagio Fountains.
With the Las Vegas Grand Prix clean-up underway, it’s best to avoid the race route, where workers are taking down and packing up grandstands, barriers, lights, etc., which reduces lanes and slows traffic. Credit goes to the planners, who’ve created alternate routes that make things tolerable, but basic strategy is to avoid those areas, especially Spring Mountain to Harmon on the Strip, completely.
Thanksgiving in Las Vegas will see mild temperatures, dry skies, and more than 300,000 visitors (out of the 82 million Americans planning to travel more than 50 miles from home this weekend). Highs will be in the upper 60s and lows in the mid-40s through Friday, with light winds and plenty of sunshine. Clouds begin to show up Thursday afternoon, presaging a cool front and some showers due late Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures dropping into the mid-50s on Sunday and remaining through Tuesday.
The San Francisco 49ers are -7 favorites over the Carolina Panthers in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 49.
Right on the heels of F1, the National Finals Rodeo rolls into town next week and runs from the 4th through the 13th. The 10 major events are expected to draw sellout crowds of 17,000 every day to Thomas and Mack Center; last year, 170,050 tickets were sold. The UNLV area east of the Strip around Tropicana will be jampacked, but at least the crowds aren't on the Strip. Brad Paisley, Gary Allan, Riley Green, The Red Clay Strays, Sam Barber, Dylan Gossett, Gavin Adcock, Zach Top and Hudson Westbrook will perform over the 10 days at the Theater at Virgin, Encore Theater, Resorts World Theatre, and MGM Grand Garden Arena; all tickets on sale now. For an interesting look at the "cultural resurgence" of rodeo, in conjunction with the "antiquated" development of rodeo athletes, read a Guardian article here. And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.
Guns N' Roses have announced a new world tour, which includes a stop at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday Aug. 22. Guns N' Roses were the first rockers to play Allegiant Stadium for one show in August 2021. They're one of the most popular rock bands of all time and their 1987 debut album, Appetite For Destruction, is the best-selling U.S. debut album ever. The band's hits are "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City," "November Rain," and (our favorite) "Sweet Child o' Mine." Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday Dec. 5.
The Los Angeles Rams are -7 favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 49.5.
The Big Deal for One Drop charity poker tournament also happened yesterday (as a distant afterthought in the overpowering barrage of the F1 steamrolling juggernaut). The $5,300-buy-in event took place on the 66th floor of Resorts World in the Allē Lounge and was hosted by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté and emceed by 17-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth. The final table included such poker celebrities as Shaun Deeb, Steven Jones, Antonio Esfandiari, and Derek Adamian. Steven Jones, 2023 WSOP runner up, came in first. The event raised money for Laliberté's charity One Drop, which works to provide access to safe water and sanitation in vulnerable communities worldwide.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix was run last night. The weather was cloudy, but dry, and temperatures dropped only as low as 50, good weather for the race. Max Verstappen came in first place, narrowing the gap between him and F1 frontrunner Lando Norris in Verstappen's quest for a fifth Formula 1 drivers' title. Verstappen also won the inaugural race two years ago, so he's the first repeat victor in Las Vegas. Now, the drivers, crews, media, international fans, and beefed-up security 86 themselves, while we wait for the teardown to be completed by Christmas Eve, just in time for the madness of the holidays, then the crowds at CES, then a bit of relief from four months of extreme congestion.
Lando Norris is the -115 favorite in tonight’s Las Vegas Grand Prix. He’s followed by Max Verstappen (+115), George Russell (+800), and Oscar Piastri (+2060). The long shot is Gabriel Bortoleto at +37000.
Arman Tsarukyan is a -775 favorite over Dan Hooker in today’s early UFC main event. In the other featured match, Ian Machado Garry is -275 over Belal Muhammad.
"It's good to walk in here and smell the cooking," Randy Markin, owner of Battista's Hole in the Italian restaurant, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal yesterday. Battista's reopened on Wednesday after a more than five-month closure "to replace the bones" of the building, which is more than 60 years old. Reportedly, you won't see any of the changes, which took place on the roof (new roofing and air-conditioner units) and behind the walls (plumbing and electrical), but the infrastructure problems have been solved. All but two of the 60 employees, who were paid during the shutdown, returned to their jobs at the venerable Battista's. The connected Stage Door and liquor store, also owned by Markin, reopened last Friday.
Just in time for the Las Vegas Grand Prix (whose headquarters is at the back door), the new William Hill sports book at Virgin opened yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The press release, inevitably, predicted that the newly renovated space "is set to elevate the guest experience, offering a premier destination for sports fans and bettors alike." Not much else to say about it, other than it has eight self-service betting kiosks, available 24/7. Virgin had been without a sports book since the previous operator, Betfred, fled in January.
On the morning of Nov. 21, 1980, a fire started in a wall near the deli just off the casino floor at the old MGM Grand, which became Bally's and now the Horseshoe. By the time the smoke cleared, 70 people had lost their loves and 700 more wound up in the hospital. It was the second worst hotel fire in U.S. history. If you want to read more about this tragic incident, you can click this link to our Question of the Day about it, posted on this day five years ago, the 40th anniversary.
Upwards of a quarter-inch of rain is predicted for today in Las Vegas. Mostly in the morning, the precipitation isn't expected to impact the qualifying round tonight. The cold conditions might, however; the high temperature during the day will barely reach 55 and the low tonight will be in the upper 40s. Tomorrow should be dry for the race, but cold at night. Meanwhile, nearly two inches of rain in the valley this week amounted to more than two feet of snow on Mount Charleston. Which is good news for the Lee Canyon Resort, skiers, and snowboarders. Lee Canyon's ski season opens today and the resort reports that more than 80% of trails will be open.
The Buffalo Bills are -5 favorites over the Houston Texans in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 44.5.
Saturday Night Live alumnus, comedian, and actor Jim Brueur will play Palazzo Theater on March 7; the general on-sale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. The Goo Goo Dolls will appear for five shows at the Venetian Theater on May 15, 16, 20, 22 and 23; tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Cheap Trick will do two special performances at the Venetian Theater on April 17 and 18; the band is celebrating its 50th anniversary and will play the entire 1978 live album, Cheap Trick at Budokan (with the number-one hit, "I Want You To Want Me"). Tickets Friday 10 a.m. And Weird Al Yankovic will play the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sept. 18; tickets -- you guessed it -- Friday 10 a.m.
The third seven-figure jackpot this month was hit at the Venetian. A slot player won $1,140,529 on a $1 Million Dragon Link in the high-limit lounge on Tuesday morning. The lucky spin was off a $125 bet. It's not quite two weeks since a $1 million jackpot was won at the Venetian at a Face Up Pai Gow table. And that was only a few days after another player won $3.8 million from the Venetian's Millionaire Progressive.
This weekend is all about the Formula 1 Heineken Las Vegas Grand Prix (11/21-23) Avoid all the traffic and look at some other things to do:
Top500Bars.com "aggregated data from more than 2,000 sources on the web in more than 20 languages: opinions of experts, journalists, and influencers and rankings and reviews on platforms, social media, and search engines." Top500 claims it availed itself of "the wisdom of crowds, because in the end, every opinion counts." Well, our opinion is they might've missed one or two here. Las Vegas has one lonely entry way down at number 403: Velveteen Rabbit, the standalone craft-cocktail and beer bar on Main Street in the heart of the Arts District. (What? Not the Ghost Bar at the Palms or 108 Drinks at the top of the Stratosphere? Not the NoMad bar, Herbs & Rye, or even the Golden Tiki? Not the Pinky Ring at Bellagio, Chandelier at Cosmo? Hm ...)
WorldsBestCities.com has issued its 2026 list of the top 100 cities for global influence and economic ascendance in which to live, visit, and invest. Las Vegas is ranked at number 55 worldwide, but number six in the U.S. Only New York (2), Los Angeles (12), Miami (26), San Francisco (28), and Chicago (35) placed higher. If you include Toronto (17) and Montreal (46), Vegas is eighth in North America. The top 10 includes London at number one, followed by Paris (3), Tokyo, Madrid, Singapore, Rome, Dubai, Berlin, and Barcelona. This is a fascinating look at the most spectacular urbanscapes on Earth and you can see all 100 here. VisualCapitalist ranked the most religious states in the U.S. and Nevada placed at number 46, the fifth least religious out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Mississippi is the most religious state with 50% of adults classified as highly religious, followed by South Carolina (46%) and South Dakota and Louisiana (tied at 45%). The least religious states are Vermont (13%), New Hampshire (15%), Maine (17%), D.C. (18%), then Nevada at 19%. Thanks as usual to Canada Roy for sending in both links.
Bob N. writes that he booked a smokin' deal at Westgate for Golden Week, the one between NFR and Christmas, traditionally the best six- or seven-day period of the year to visit Las Vegas for value. Bob tells us, "Just booked a room at the Westgate for Dec 14-19. All in for room, taxes, and resort fee, it's $395 or $79 per night. The rate also includes a $75-per-day dining credit, so if you count that at full value, it's $4 per night. Discount that however you like, it's still a great rate!" Indeed it is. Some might prefer to "pay" for the room, but even $79 at Westgate, including the RF, is good enough for us, especially when at least a meal or two is "free." The process, according to Bob, is go to the Westgate reservations page and enter the dates for December; they show up as a Black Friday deal. The best of those prices are for WOW loyalty-program members, but they say they auto-sign you up if you aren’t already. Ignore the rates they're claiming per night because I have no idea what they're actually counting. Click on one and look at the final total, which you can expand to see room rate, resort fees, taxes, etc. Oh, and if you read through the fine print on the confirmation email, the dining credit isn't cumulative, so it's use it or lose it every day. But that's not too tough, with Sid's Cafe, Benihana, the Edge Steakhouse, plus Italian, Mexican, Asian, and sushi to choose from. Thank you, Bob! Still great deals in Vegas if you look and are flexible.
The Mega Millions winning ticket for the jackpot of $980 million was sold at a Publix supermarket in Newnan, Georgia, about 40 miles southwest of Atlanta. The cash option is valued at $452.2 million. The Powerball jackpot climbed to $570 million after no one hit it on Saturday night's drawing.
If you do, you can spend a few minutes perusing the ticket "deals," parties and galas, events and promotions (Louis Vuitton Bespoke Trophy Trunk Reveal, anyone?) at the Hollywood Reporter's bespoke F1 page. That's all. Carry on.
The Dallas Cowboys are -3.5 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 48.5.
... And that means traffic traffic traffic on and around the Strip. It's been rough for several weeks, with lane restrictions and ongoing construction, but the end is in sight, though only after a week of "warm" and "hot" tracks. Warm means that the Strip, Koval Lane, and Harmon and Sands avenues are open to vehicles, though additional barriers and restrictions are in place for quick closure when the track is needed for race purposes. These thoroughfares are warm all day today and tomorrow. Then they go between warm and hot starting on Wednesday at 12:01 a.m. and running through Sunday at 2 a.m. after the race, when hot is over and warm gradually begins to cool. Everything is expected to be back to normal -- just in time for the Christmas and New Year's holiday madness and traffic traffic traffic. What a town!
Las Vegas Locally posted on X early yesterday afternoon that the Stage Door, the mighty little bargain casino behind the Cromwell, has reopened after being closed for five months. LVL was there and commented, "Not much, if anything, has changed inside," and published a few photos to support the conclusion. Battista's Hole in the Wall Italian restaurant next door is still closed and has been since May.
The Philadelphia Eagles are -2.5 favorites over the Detroit Lions in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.
Only two weeks after the initial announcement of a pair of shows in early March in which rock veteran Alice Cooper and Vegas illusionist Criss Angel are teaming up, four more dates have been added: April 3 and 4 and May 22 and 23. Alice usually fills arenas and amphitheaters and this is not only a good occasion to see him perform in a relatively small theater, but with the added attraction of a first-rate Vegas stage show thrown in. We expect more shows to be announced in the coming weeks and months.
Several reports indicate that the annual ice-skating atop the Boulevard Pool on the fourth floor of the Cosmopolitan is over, done with, kaput. Casino.org writes, "The rink, furniture, and skates are scheduled to hit the block at biddergy.com. Also included in the auction are the rink walls, a full temporary plumbing grid for the antifreeze that helps make the ice, even the Zamboni! (According to biddergy.com, it 'drives, but needs maintenance.') The listing states that the system, stored in a Las Vegas warehouse, will need 'approximately five semi trailers to move.'” We were wondering what happened up there; the announcement of the year's ice-skating dates have always been by early November at the latest. That leaves Fontainebleau as the only ice-skating opportunity on the Strip.
Islam Makhachev is a -300 favorite over Jack Della Maddalena in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Valentina Shevchenko is -150 over Weili Zhang.
The Lexi Las Vegas, which tried to make a go of a 64-room boutique non-casino hotel on Sahara next to I-15 as a cannabis-friendly and topless-pool party hotel, has gone into foreclosure, according to VitalVegas. We're not surprised; an article in the Review-Journal in July listed contractor liens, past-due property and room taxes, and the big one, a default on the mortgage, totaling in the millions. That main lender, owed $11.6 million, reclaimed the hotel and is putting it up for sale at an auction next month. Prior to opening as the Lexi in June 2023, it was called the Artisan, which also went bankrupt in 2008; it opened originally in 1978 as the Las Vegas Inn and Casino, which went bankrupt in 1984. It was taken over by Ramada, then became a Travelodge, then the Artisan. If anyone is optimistic enough to take it on again, they'll buy a non-casino hotel that's been remodeled to the tune of $10 million over the past 20 or so years and will need about that much more in marketing to make it successful.
The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden unveiled its winter display, "All Aboard for Holiday Bells and Whistles" yesterday. As they always do, the good folks at VegasChanges were there and snapped a bunch of fine photos. You can see them, with all the toy soldiers and elves, holiday train, larger-than-life gingerbread house, musical instruments, and more, at VegasChanges' page.
Our monthly roundup of jackpots submitted to us for the vlog is live and accessible by a simple click on the white arrow in the red box below. First, Anthony re-reviews the keno progressive at PT's taverns around town; he talked about it last week, but it bears repeating. Then, there's a cool story about Jules P., who "scraped the ceiling of video poker heaven." The lightning round consists of all kinds of amazing jackpots that you have to see and hear about to believe. This one's a 20-minute video you won't soon forget.
Tickets are on sale now for the New Year's Eve party on Fremont Street. Countdown under the Canopy features live concerts on the three Fremont Street stages, plus the coordinated countdown and light show on the Canopy. The headliners are Robin Thicke, CeeLo Green, Common Kings, Chingy, Pertinence, and Sammy Johnson. Tickets are $60, 21+ only, valid ID required, gates open at 7 p.m., and the performances start at 9.
Driving in for Thanksgiving? According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in Nevada yesterday was $3.92, down six cents from last week. Last year at this time, the price was $3.77. In Vegas, the average price was $4.01; last year, it was $3.89. The prices are expected to remain stable through the end of the month. Nationwide, the average price yesterday was $3.08.
The New England Patriots are -13 favorites over the New York Jets in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 42.5.
CasinoReports.com does a weekly gambling-business podcast called "Low Rollers!" Its host, Eric Raskin, is also a Huntington Press author; he wrote our book The Moneymaker Effect, about Chris Moneymaker, the amateur who won the 2003 World Series of Poker. In this week's podcast, Eric "churns through the overabundance of gambling news overwhelming the industry in recent days" and if you want to hear the greatest shortest roundup of the ridiculous amount of headlines in the industry over the past week, this is place. (Eric should do standup.) He then interviews, in his words, "the one and only" Anthony Curtis, whom he mentions in the same breath as Elvis. Anthony discusses the gouge, if the sky is falling for Vegas, if the city still stands out, whether the A's stadium and the new Bally's will ever happen, what this year's Blackjack Ball (on Halloween) was like, and tells some stories even we've never heard before, including what he might've done with his life if he'd never discovered card counting. You can listen to it here.
Tomorrow's Mega Millions drawing will be the 40th in a row without a grand prize winner, which breaks the previous record of 37 drawings. The last time Mega Millions was hit was on June 27 and the jackpot at the moment is $965 million, the eighth-largest in Mega Millions history (23 years). But with people nationwide flocking to buy tickets, including the usual beeline of Las Vegans to the Primm Lotto Store, it's sure to near $1 billion. Meanwhile, the Powerball jackpot currently stands at $512 million.
Everything's down. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority budget for the first quarter of its fiscal year (the third quarter of the calendar year) was down $11.7 million, due to reduced room taxes collected between July 1 and September 30. Those were $73.9 million, down $12.3 million (14%) year over year. The last time the LVCVA's FY first quarter was that low was in 2021, when the city was still in the throes of the pandemic, with $67.1 million in room taxes collected. In the summer quarter, the average daily room rate declined nearly 7% over 2024, down to $137.85 compared to $142.48 a year ago. In addition, room occupancy fell 7% to 76.1%, with 122,044 rooms filled on average, a decline of more than 8% from the 130,820 average in 2024. Meanwhile, according to the new LVCVA budget, some costs are rising. Due to the downturn in visitation, the agency doubled its marketing expenses to $52.5 million. When the LVCVA, one of the best-funded tourism agencies in the nation, starts crying poor, the slump is really starting to hit home.
The aurora borealis ("northern dawn") moved quite a bit south last night and was seen over the valley, mostly in the darker regions (and much of the northern U.S.). The northern lights are caused by the solar wind, which blows charged particles into Earth's magnetic fields near the poles; there, they collide with gases in the atmosphere, creating light. (The phenomenon shares the shame fundamental physical principle with neon light.) The sun is at maximum activity for coronal mass ejections, a.k.a. solar storms, the peak of an 11-year cycle, so the light displays are more common and widespread and, according to the National Weather Service, they'll be frequent for the next several weeks. You can check the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app to see when and where. And you can see a photo of the aurora over Lake Mead here and a few more over the north valley here.
The Eagles have announced four more shows at Sphere, the ninth time the residency has been extended. The shows, on March 20, 21, 27, and 28, are their 53rd through 56th appearances since launching the residency in September 2024, by far the longest-running stint of any act since Sphere opened. Presale begin next Wednesday Nov. 19 at 10 a.m. PT. General on-sale follows on Friday, also at 10 a.m. Tickets start at $175, which includes fees and taxes. To date, the Eagles have sold more than 700,000 tickets with 12 shows to go on the schedule; the March dates have been announced as the final shows in 2026.
The pedestrian bridges over the Strip have been enclosed, blocking views of next week's Formula 1 race and preventing projectiles; the last bridge to be blocked, at the Venetian, will be completed tomorrow. Room rates, according to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, are higher at MGM hotels than last year and lower at Caesars' resorts. At MGM, the lowest average room rate at all hotels for the three nights of the race is $1,624, up 24% over last year's $1,314. The highest is at Bellagio ($2,846) and the lowest at Excalibur ($525). At Caesars, the lowest average rate is $785 compared to $987 last year. The highest is at Caesars ($1,324), the lowest at the LINQ ($689). Only nine more days to go till all the fun begins. And only 12 till the teardown is underway.
Two media outlets report that Siegel's 1941 at the El Cortez will be closing. The more recent one writes that will happen in April, the older one says sometime in the second quarter of 2026. The kitchen will definitely be remodeled, the dining room possibly. The new restaurant will probably be a steakhouse.
Hot on the heels of a whopping $3.8 million Millionaire Progressive jackpot hit at the Venetian Las Vegas last Wednesday for a dealt royal at Ultimate Texas Hold’em, the largest table-game jackpot ever paid out at the Venetian, another lucky table-game player hit a seven-figure jackpot. A gambler from Illinois was playing Face Up Pai Gow on Friday morning when he was dealt a seven-card straight flush. The $5 side bet triggered the resort’s pai gow progressive for $1,501,338.
The Green Bay Packers are -1 favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 45.
Tickets for the first six shows by No Doubt, Gwen Stefani's original band, at Sphere sold out so fast that another six shows were added. Demand for those shows prompted another six shows to be scheduled: June 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, and 13. The Venetian's website calls the June dates "the final shows for 2026." We'll see. You can sign up for the June dates here; tickets go on sale on Wednesday. Hotel and concert packages are still available for the May dates.
Last year, Bobby Vegas posted an extensive list of deals for active-duty and veteran members of the military. Of course, they're not up to date for 2025, but the post provides a good look at what was available out there last year and what might be repeated this year. You can see the whole list here.
The Los Angeles Chargers are -3 favorites over the Pittsburgh Steelers in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 45.5.
Though it was rumored that the "new" poker room at Caesars Palace might open in its temporary location, that didn't happen. The poker room, which closed in July 2024 to make room for high-limit slots as that area was renovated, has reopened in the old location, near the sportsbook, with a few improvements: ergonomic chairs, screens playing sporting events, and framed photos of famous sports moments. Otherwise, it looks pretty much like it did before the "renovation." Cash games earn players $3 an hour in comps.
Here's a great tip from LVAer Anthony M. "A free exhibit currently running at the Clark County Government Center from now until January 29, the Nevada Holocaust Museum, is a wonderful collection of artifacts and narratives around the atrocities of WW II. I spent an hour just reading through all the tales of terror and heroism that are retold in stunning detail. Docent-led tours are also available, plus virtual reality films. The exhibit is open Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Again, it's free -- and there's free parking. The address is 500 S. Grand Central Parkway, opposite the Premium Outlet Shops."
The monthly update video is live and well and covers a lot of territory. Anthony and Andrew start out discussing what everyone wants to know: the slowdown at the airport. Anthony makes the point that delayed and canceled flights, to say nothing of the perceived hassle of travel during the government shutdown, certainly won't help the declining visitation numbers. They then talk about the casino honchos finally acknowledging the gouge and promising to mend their wayward ways -- and you can hear what Anthony has to say about that. Which leads into deals at Station casinos, the impending demolition of the Eastside Cannery, the Blackjack Ball and winners of the skills contests, and the football contests halfway through the regular season. Keep watching till the end for an excellent happy hour at one of the best restaurants in the country.
Home prices in Las Vegas went down a bit in October. The median price of single-family homes was $474,370, down .2% from October 2024. Condo and townhome values decreased as well, dropping 9.5% to $285,000. The price declines went hand in hand with rising inventory, with 30% more houses than October 2024 on the market without an offer at the end of last month; 50% more condos/townhomes were on the market without an offer year over year.
A very lucky Ultimate Texas Hold’em was dealt a royal flush in spades on Wednesday and had a $5 side bet on the Millionaire Progressive, which aggregates a number of table games at the Venetian and Palazzo. The royal was good for a cool $3,845,727, the largest table-game jackpot ever paid out at the Venetian.
It's a truism in Las Vegas that locals avoid the Strip. The neighborhood casinos are convenient and, if you know where to look, have the best deals. We only venture onto the Boulevard when visitors stay there or want to go there and then it's with some reluctance; at least parking is free for a few hours. For proof of concept, New3LV is running a poll: "Are you still dining on the Las Vegas Strip despite the high prices?" The question makes it sound like we used to dine on the Strip and though that's a stretch, the current survey results speak for themselves. When we voted a few days ago, the No votes tallied 91% against the 9% for the Yes. Today, it's 90% and 10%. If you want to vote, you can do so here. Makes you wonder why the Strip casinos bother, as they have been lately, to offer the locals any deals at all.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports this morning that the Mayfair Supper Club, Bellagio's uber-upscale steak and seafood restaurant that turns into a late-night performance venue after dinner hours, is closing next month; the last day will be Dec. 12. The decision, according to John Katsilometes, the R-J's entertanment columnist, was made by MGM. The Supper Club opened in 2019 just in time for the pandemic in the space formerly occupied by Hyde nightclub. "A new creative team is said to be moving in to continue a multi-level entertainment experience," Kats reports.
The Denver Broncos are -9 favorites over the Las Vegas Raiders in tonight's Thursday Night Football game. The total is 42.5.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced yesterday that 40 U.S. airports will be enduring up to 10% flight reductions starting tomorrow morning, due to the shortage of air traffic controllers who aren't getting paid during the federal government shutdown. The details are supposedly forthcoming later today, but we know two things: 1) Reid International is one of the 40 (no surprise) and 2) reductions will kick in gradually, then hit the 109% target next week. Media outlets are reporting that more than 150 flights a day will be eliminated from Reid's arrival and departure schedules. Airlines are starting to notify flyers of cancelations and rebookings.
Colin Jones, author of our book The 21st-Century Card Counter and founder of the blackjack training website BlackjackApprenticeship.com, was this year’s inductee into the Blackjack Hall of Fame at the annual Blackjack Ball. A player who went by the name “eevee” (as in EV for “expected value”) won the skills contest. Darryl Purpose won the card-counting competition, correctly counting down a deck in the championship round in a scorching 11.3 seconds.
This one is of particular interest to us, being so close to our office that we can see it from here. Pacifica Vegas is a planned three-story retail, dining, and entertainment project on 3.2 vacant acres on Spring Mountain Road between Polaris and Procyon. The $70 million development will be 116,000 square feet and include a parking garage. Construction is expected to begin by next summer and be completed by the end of 2027. The Chicago-based developer, Windfall Group, specializes in Asian-themed complexes and its founder-owner told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that empty commercial storefronts in Chinatown are leased immediately at high rents, so Pacifica Vegas should sell out quickly.
A slot player at Park MGM bete $10 and won $1,174,483 last week on a Wheel of Fortune Cash Link Reels Double Diamond machine.
Latin singer and Jennifer Lopez ex Marc Anthony is scheduled for a 10-show residency at BleauLive Theater at F'bleau next year. "Vegas ... My Way!" will be Anthony's first Las Vegas residency and he'll perform both English- and Spanish-language hits from his career, which spans 30 years, 14 studio albums, and 12 million albums sold. He's also won four Grammys and eight Latin Grammys and has logged more than 100 number-one songs on the charts worldwide. The shows will be on Feb. 13, 14, 15, 20, July 24, 25, 29, and 31, and Aug. 1. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. PT Thursday, with presales beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Fontainebleau is the first to announce that it will offer ice-skating during the holidays. It’s bringing back the Oasis Ice Rink, this year with complimentary admission, operating November 24 through January 4. We expect Cosmo to do the same and will report its dates when announced.
A new docuseries, "No Limit," kicks off today at 2 p.m. PT on YouTube. It follows a number of poker pros -- Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, Kristen Foxen, Jesse Lonis, Scott Seiver, Alan Keating, Maria Ho, Liv Boeree, Alexander "Wolfgang" Seibt, and more -- through the 2024 WSOP Bahamas Super Main Event, with its record-breaking $50 million guarantee in prize money. It also, according to the advance notices, takes a peek behind the scenes at "the stories beyond the felt." You can read more about it and watch the trailer here.
Excalibur is dealing $5 blackjack, though all the tables pay 6-5 on naturals. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it's the only $5 live game on the Strip. Just off the Strip, Tuscany's $5 blackjack pays 3-2 on naturals, though it comes with continuous shuffling machines.
The Dallas Cowboys are -3 favorites over the Arizona Cardinals in tonight’s Monday Night Football game. The total is 53.5.
Bobby Vegas' new post contains a perspective we particularly appreciate, especially at the start of Thanksgiving month. Say what you want about the gouge on the Strip, but as Bobby writes, "Without the casinos, there are no games, no fabulous meals, no outlandish and unforgettable shows, no wild nights, no parties till dawn. I don’t hate to say it; in fact, I admit it readily: We need you." The post is an impassioned plea for bringing back at least some value and renewing the deal with casinos that we used to enjoy, which is right and proper. We recommend this four-minute read for a fresh take on the current relationship.
After reaching the "playoffs" in the sixth season of "The Voice" in 2014 when he was 21, Morgan Wallen cut his first studio album, If I Know Me, in 2018; it spent 114 weeks on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, including a few as number one. His second release a year later, a double album, then two more albums debuted at number one on the chart and spent months in that position. Despite a few legal troubles stemming from drinking, Wallen is a big enough star now to command two nights at Allegiant Stadium, where he'll appear on May 1 and 2. The presale starts on Wednesday and the public onsale on Friday.
The Seattle Seahawks are -3 favorites over the Washington Commenders in tonight’s Sunday Night Football game. The total is 47.5.
A two-year expansion project of the interchange at the 215 and Airport Connector kicks off tomorrow. The work will consist of widening the roadway, realigning the lanes, bridge structural improvements, and new paving and striping and will take place Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Through 2027, avoid the area if you can; it's always best to take surface streets (Tropicana, Harmon, Paradise) to the airport anyway.
Don’t forget to move your clocks back an hour for the end of daylight saving time. That’s an extra hour today to ponder your football bets.
In tonight’s deciding Game 7 of the MLB World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are -130 favorites over the Toronto Blue Jays. The total is 8.
Shock-rock superstar Alice Cooper and illusionist Criss Angel are teaming up for two shows at Planet Hollywood. Called "Welcome to Our Nightmare," a play on the title of Alice's 1975 album Welcome to My Nightmare, the show is described in the press release as “a theatrical visual feast that will destroy your MIND!” If it's hard to conceive of a 90-minute Alice concert combined with a Criss magic show, you can see the trailer here. Alice at 77 is one of the longest-running and hardest-working rock 'n' rollers, having released the Alice Cooper Band's first album, Pretties for You, in 1969, then hitting big with Love It To Death (our personal favorite of all time, except maybe for the followup, Killer), in 1971. Alice's 30 studio albums, 12 live albums, 21 compilation albums, and 69 singles have sold more than 50 million worldwide with six certified million-plus platinums. The two shows will be on March 6 and 7 in the Criss Angel Theater; the presale starts Tuesday and public tickets on Thursday.
Gaming & Leisure Properties, the real estate investment trust that owns the 35 acres the A's stadium and the new Bally's will, perhaps, occupy one day, told Wall Street analysts in its earnings call yesterday that it would not fund Bally's entire integrated resort on the south Strip. GLPI is already funding Bally's Chicago permanent casino to the tune of $2.1 billion, so it apparently doesn't have an appetite to spread itself too thin with the underfunded gaming company. GLPI said it's "open" to investing in "certain profit-making elements" of the Strip resort, but Bally's will have to look elsewhere for the billions it needs to build the new property. The company certainly can't finance it itself and the clock is ticking; it plans to break ground in April.
Traditionally, the month of November puts high temperatures in the 90s in the rear-view mirror; the record high for the month is 87 (November 1, 1988). But it can definitely get down to the chilly side; the record low is 16 (Nov. 13, 1938). The normal high/low temperatures start out at 73/52 in the beginning of the month and drop steadily to 60/41 at the end. It's typically a dry month, with average rainfall of just under a half-inch over three or four days.