The 57th annual World Series of Poker has released its schedule for the summer extravaganza. The dates are May 26-July 15, with the Main Event July 2-9. There will be 100 live bracelet events of all varieties, though with a focus on mixed-game and mid-stakes tournaments, and the final table for the Main Event will be delayed, though for how long will be announced later (could it be a return of the November Nine?). A free livestream on the WSOP YouTube channel will run through the start of the Main Event, providing much more exposure than usual for the players and games. The WSOP-home Horseshoe is hosting a promotion starting March 1 and running until May 24, in which 25 winners earn a seat in the Main Event and another 200 win entries into the smaller events; players can qualify by logging at least 100 hours in live cash games at the Horseshoe.
The annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series half-marathon and 5K races will take place throughout the weekend, which will lead to road closures downtown and on the Strip. The 5K race starts at 5 p.m. Saturday downtown and the 13-mile half-marathon will begins at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, covering from Sunset Road to downtown and back to Flamingo Road. If you're in the vicinity, be prepared to be rerouted along with a lot of other traffic.
The hard-rock and heavy-metal German band Scorpions is returning to Las Vegas for a third residency at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood. The Scorpions played nine shows, all sold out, in Vegas in 2022, then again with nine sold-out shows in 2023. To celebrate the band's 60th anniversary (founded in Hanover, Germany, in 1965), they'll perform seven shows: Sept. 17, 19, 23, 25, 27, and 29 and Oct. 1 and 3. Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday at 10 a.m. PT.
The Eastside Cannery, closed since the pandemic, will be imploded in the wee hours of Thursday March 5. The event, the first implosion of a casino since the Tropicana dropped in October 2024, will take place at 2 a.m. It won't be a public event, with no dedicated viewing area. Boyd Gaming is in the process of selling the land to a residential developer.
Remember the fully operational miniature roulette-wheel wristwatch, the Astronomia Casino, we publicized in this space a few years ago? Only $625,000. Well, compared to that, this fully operational slot machine watch, a Girard-Perregaux 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, is a bargain at $299,000 -- if you could buy it. Problem is, it's sold out. But you can see the sales page here, some great photos here, and a two-minute Vimeo demo here. Not surprisingly, the discovery of this watch, as well as the roulette wheel one, and all the links here are credited with our deepest gratitude to Canada Roy.
The 2026 Lunar New Year (Year of the Horse) will be celebrated around the city starting Tuesday and running through the week. The major event is the 15th Annual Chinese New Year in the Desert, one of the largest Lunar New Year festivals in the U.S., which will take place Thursday through Saturday. In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes speed, freedom, and vitality, all traits that will be represented in several parades, the biggest being downtown and in Downtown Summerlin, featuring traditional lion and dragon dances, fan dancers, stilt walkers, and drummers. Many Strip resorts, notably Resorts World, Aria, and the STRAT, will feature dances, special menus, and elaborate installations. Of course, you can't go wrong by celebrating in Chinatown, with its red-lantern decorations, festive displays, lion dances, and cultural performances, centered around the original Chinatown Plaza.
A report yesterday on 8NewsNow provided an update on the long-planned pedestrian bridge over Sahara Avenue and the Strip. Originally proposed in 2021 at a cost of $40 million, the bridge was supposed to break ground in 2024 and be completed two years later -- i.e., now. But at a City Council meeting earlier this month, plans for the bridge were pushed back until 2030 at the earliest. “Like all capital improvement projects, [the bridge project] can move forward only if and when funding is available,” a spokesperson for the city told the 8NewsNow reporter. Obviously, the projected cost has risen from the $40 million, which apparently the city couldn't afford years ago, and now it's anyone's guess "if and when" even more funding might become available.
In yet another new NBA All-Star format, in which three teams are involved, the World is the +160 favorite to win the tournament. USA Stripes, made up of NBA veterans, is +175, and USA Stars, made up of younger stars, is +200. Each game in the round-robin competition will have its own line.
Right on the heels of the WWE's announcement that it will impose a television blackout within 50 miles of Allegiant Stadium, where Wrestlemania 42 takes place April 18-19, ticket sales for the big weekend are lagging significantly behind last year's pace. Reports peg sales down nearly 20% compared to the same time frame for Wrestlemania 41, which also took place at Allegiant. Though a company meeting was held on Wednesday to address the the underwhelming sales, no price reductions are planned, at least so far. The cheapest seats costing $270, along with a second year in a row in Las Vegas, are being blamed for the slowdown. Meanwhile, a number of local bars are "frustrated," according to the reports, about the blackout after planning watch parties and now having to refund tickets.
Denny Hamlin is the favorite to win today’s Daytona 500 auto race at +850, followed by Kyle Busch at +900 and Ryan Blaney and Loey Logano, both at +1000. Two-time defending champion William Byron, going for the first-ever Daytona threepeat, is +1500.
Rental rates continue their slow but steady decline in Las Vegas. According to a report on Zumper, an online rental marketplace that connects renters with houses, condos, and apartments, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city last month was $1,195, down from $1,299 in January 2025, a drop of 8%. Two-bedrooms fell from $1,550 to $1,500 year over year and three-bedrooms dropped from $2,025 to $2,000. Why? A surge in new multifamily apartment construction has significantly increased supply and elevated vacancy rates, outpacing demand and forcing landlords to lower prices, offer concessions, and compete for tenants, resulting in Las Vegas having
one of the fastest rent declines in the country.
Comedy club "Laugh Factory" has launched a new 250-seat comedy club at the Horseshoe. It reopened at the Horseshoe after closing in October 2024 at the Tropicana. It takes over the upstairs Imagine Showroom, while Frederick da Silva's paranormal show will continue there in its 4 p.m. time slot.
Southwest Airlines will launch direct daily service between Reid International and Juan Santamaría International Airport in San José, Costa Rica, beginning October 1. It will be the first-ever nonstop flight between the two destinations and Southwest's first-ever international redeye flight. Outbound from Vegas, the flights will leave late at night, arriving in San José early the next morning after approximately seven hours in the air. Return service from Costa Rica will depart around midday, allowing same-day onward connections within the United States.
Join Anthony and Andrew for the livestream starting at 4 p.m. PST. Watch the show live, interact online, and have a drink or two with the guys, while they field questions about all things Las Vegas. Join at LVA YouTube live channel.
Circus Circus has opened a bingo hall, bringing the game back to the Strip for the first time since the Riviera's room closed in 2015 (the second-to-last bingo hall closed at the Frontier in 2007). Circus' room can accommodate 255 players per session and there are five sessions, starting at 3 p.m. Thursday to Sunday. In addition, coin-operated slots have been added to the slot floor, joining Slots A Fun as the only casinos on the Strip to offer the vintage games.
Our newest release, All About Sports Betting by Blair Rodman, is back from the printer and shipping. If you purchased prior to publication, your book has been shipped; new buyers will get immediate delivery. Our pre-pub offer of a 25% discount and free shipping extends through this weekend. AASB is one of the most comprehensive books on sports betting ever written, ranging from how to read the lines and make a bet to a 97-page “book-within-a-book” on sports betting strategy, including substantial contributions from Anthony Curtis and noted sports betting expert Frank B. Order here or from Amazon.
"Because Saturdays are for dancing." So begins the announcement from Spiegelworld about Club Honey, "a Saturday‑night-only situation where the music hits and the crowd actually dances." Starting at 9 p.m. in the Glitterloft, the space that formerly housed DiscoShow at the Linq, Club Honey provides the opportunity to "dance to the music you love until you can’t anymore and when you need a break, grab a drink, find a couch, and have a lounge." This refers to the comfy sofas outside Glitter Loft, the 99 Prince Bar, and Diner Ross in case an appetite has been worked up -- an all-in-one night out. And it's free, but you need to get on the guest list, which you can do here.
The global dance music festival company Insomniac has unveiled its lineup for the milestone 30th anniversary of Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas. Returning to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway May 15-17, the festival will welcome more than 500,000 attendees for three days and nights of music, art, and community. On the multiple stages, the following acts will perform: Kaskade, John Summit, GRiZ b2b Wooli, Martin Garrix, Underworld, San Holo, Seven Lions, San Pacho, MPH, Interplanetary Criminal, MALUGI, Snow Strippers, The Prodigy, Hannah Laing, Chris Stussy, Tiësto, Levity, Lilly Palmer, Beltran, Nico Moreno, KETTAMA, Time Warp, Factory 93 Experience, Joseph Capriati, Eli Brown, Indira Paganotto, Klangkuenstler, Prospa, Peggy Gou, ATLiens, GHENGAR, HOL!, AHEE b2b Liquid Stranger, INFEKT b2b Samplifire, Holy Priest, Restricted, Sub Zero Project, Lil Texas, Kuko b2b Johannes Schuster, GRAVEDGR, Noizu, OMNOM, Wax Motif, BOLO, Luuk van Dijk, Luke Dean, Josh Baker, Gareth Emery, Paul Van Dyk, Darude, Ilan Bluestone, Paul Oakenfold, Tinlicker, Eli & Fur, DJ Tennis b2b Red Axes, MCR-T, Paramida, SALUTE b2b Chloé Caillet, BAUGRUPPE90, Heidi Lawden b2b Masha Mar, and HAAi b2b Luke Alessi. More will be announced as the festival comes closer. All tickets are currently sold-out. To join the waitlist for three-day GA, GA+, and VIP tickets, visit the EDC Las Vegas 2026 website.
As it's been doing since 2013, the downtown Denny's at Neonopolis is marrying couples at its only wedding chapel in the country. But on Valentine's Day, two people with a marriage license can get married there for free, saving the usual $199 ceremony fee. The catch: Parties must sign the company's "toast-nuptial agreement," vowing to stay together through the next morning. The one-day promotion is available from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday with a reservation made on Denny's website. Newlyweds will receive an “Over-Easy Overnight” kit that includes branded “Slammy” pajamas, eye masks, and pillowcases for the morning after; couples who remain together until noon on Sunday, then post a “Just Married” photo on Instagram, Facebook, or X tagging @DennysDiner and using the hashtag #DennysToastNup by 1:59 p.m. PT will receive a $100 Denny’s gift card as a “breakfast-in-bed” reward.
The CEO of Truckee Gaming told the Nevada Gaming Control Board yesterday that the former Poker Palace, which the company bought in October, will reopen no later than mid-April. It will be renamed Club Fortune North, to brand it with Club Fortune (South), a Truckee Gaming property in Henderson. “If Circus Circus and Excalibur had a baby, that was Poker Palace,” said Truckee Gaming's Ferenc Szony. He elaborated that Poker Palace received a "total gut job" and is being rebuilt from the floor up. The Control Board forwarded its recommendation to the Gaming Commission that the company receive its gaming license for the North Las Vegas property, along with approval for a Boomer's sports book to accompany the reopening; Boomer's will also have a race book, but unlike Poker Palace, no table games.
A post on X from Derek Stevens takes us into the beer walk-in refrigerator at Circa. From the looks of it, it's bigger than our the entire downstairs of our office. Derek tells us that for the Super Bowl, Circa, the D, and the Golden Gate have nine parties running simultaneously. He also learns from the reefer crew that they have at least 1,000 kegs of beer and hundreds of pallets of bottled brew to go around. He's told, "There's a zero percent chance that they'll run out of beer." Derek says, "That's the lock of the day." It's worth 30 seconds to click here and take the behind-the-scenes tour -- if only to see Stevens in his hot-pink suit.
Due to "overwhelming demand," the Eagles' long-running residency at Sphere has been extended by two more shows, on Friday April 10 and Saturday April 11. This is the 10th time the band has added dates to the residency that began all the way back in September 2024 and they'll be the 57th and 58th shows, by far the longest-running stint of any act since Sphere opened. The general on-sale for the two new dates begins on Friday at 10 a.m. PT.
Realtor.com reports that wealthy Californians are moving to southern Nevada in droves to escape onerous taxes and capitalize on the disparity in housing prices. In January, Realtor's analysis showed that 23% of listing views for Las Vegas properties came from Los Angeles, with another 8% from San Jose and 4% from Riverside. Meanwhile, the median price for a single-family house in L.A. is $1.03 million and San Jose $1.12 million compared to $465,000 in southern Nevada. In addition, California has proposed a one-time 5% tax on anyone with a net worth of $1 billion or more (estimated to be 200 people), while Nevada has no state income tax at all. It's been basically the same story for many years: Nevada welcomes high-net-worth refugees from California and there are plenty of mansions to go around.
The Four Seasons has been named the number-one Best Hotel in Las Vegas and in Nevada in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Hotels Rankings. U.S. News cited "the city's only non-gaming non-smoking luxury resort" in ranking Four Seasons the best hotel, "offering a refined alternative to the energy of the Strip. With its signature On The Strip, Off the Grid ethos, the hotel delivers a sense of calm and escape, while remaining seamlessly connected to Las Vegas’ most iconic entertainment, dining, and sporting destinations." The Four Seasons PR department couldn't have written it any better and maybe they did, considering that Four Seasons Hualalai and Four Seasons Lanai were the number-one and -two hotels in the nation, while the Las Vegas location ranked #23.
The total sports betting handles for 2025, ranked by states, have been calculated (by Chris Altruda, long-time gambling-revenue reporter). Nevada placed eighth at $8.07 billion, barely a third of the handle of first-place New York at $26.3 billion and half of Illinois at number two and $15.7 billion. New Jersey came in third ($12.2 billion), Ohio fourth ($10.3 billion), and Pennsylvania fifth ($8.9 billion). Even Massachusetts ($8.5 billion) and Arizona ($8.3 billion) bested Nevada. Of note is that all seven states with higher handles than Nevada's allow unfettered remote sports betting via mobile app, unlike Nevada's hybrid model -- mobile betting is available, but only after first appearing in person at a sports book location or partnered casino to complete account registration, ID verification, and often initial funding/deposit.
Last Thursday a slot player from New York was at the Venetian was playing Three Card Poker and was dealt a spade royal flush, activating the mega tier of the resort’s Millionaire Progressive. By making the $5 side bet, the player won $1,661,451. The Millionaire Progressive is available on multiple table games throughout the Venetian and the Palazzo casino floors, including Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Three Card Poker, Crazy 4 Poker, and Mississippi Stud. The New Yorker is the 17th millionaire since the progressive was introduced in 2018.
According to VisualCapitalist, Nevada's population growth between April 2020 to July 2025 ranked 10th in the nation, growing by 5.7% with 176,595 new residents. Idaho placed first at 10.4% and 190,610, followed by Florida (8.9%/1,924,311) and South Carolina (8.8%/452,024). Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee rounded out the South's representation in the top 10, with Utah and Arizona in the west and Delaware the anomaly in the northeast. West Virginia lost the most residents percentage-wise (-1.5%), with New York and California losing the most residents in total (both more than 200,000). Nationwide, the population grew by 3.1% or nearly 10.3 million in the half-decade.
Various media outlets report this morning that the WWE will impose a television blackout within 50 miles of Allegiant Stadium, where Wrestlemania 42 takes place April 18-19. That means local bars, sports bars, and sports books won't be showing the matches, even if they pay a licensing fee. The only option now is to buy tickets to see the event live; one-day entry generally ranges from $271 to $322 for the worst seats in the house, two-day $652–$738. But you won't believe how high tickets go from there. Premium seats are running $9,000 and the most expensive we found are $92,000 for top-tier, front-row, VIP experience packages.
Government Wash is a once-popular and previously unmanaged recreational shore area on the northwestern edge of Lake Mead near where the lake’s water level has receded, exposing more shoreline and opportunities for water access. It historically served as a site for camping, fishing, beach access, and boating. But the National Park Service closed the area in July 2024 to clean it up after years of trash build up, long-term encampments, and off-roading vehicles damaged the land. In the restoration process, crews cleared more than six tons of litter, repaired areas affected by erosion and compaction, defined 51 campsites, and improved infrastructure and access roads that now allow small-boat access to the lake. Hosts oversee the campground, which, even after all that work, remains free. To get there, take Lakeshore Road (NV 167) a mile or so past the junction with E. Lake Mead Blvd., then turn right at the Government Wash sign.
The Seattle Seahawks are -4.5 favorites over the New England Patriots in tonight's Super Bowl. The total is 45.5.
Get your phones ready to time the singing of the Super Bowl's National Anthem. The over/under on how long it will take Charlie Puth to sing it is 1:56. Last year’s time was 2:00, making it 9 of the last 13 years going 2 minutes or more. This bet isn’t offered in any U.S. sports books that we know of, due to legal restrictions, but it's fun to track to start the game.
This month's Update ranges far and wide, starting out with First Friday in the Arts District, then seguing decisively to the latest about the A's stadium and the Bally's announced megaresort. From there, Anthony and Andrew discuss Ellis Island's new rooftop casino (complete with photos), the Super Bowl YouTube show with Frank B and Fezzik, Canadian dollars at par downtown, our Plaza video poker coupon, and the "most luxurious" hotels in Las Vegas (which you won't believe even after you hear them). The bad news is the 100% increase in price for bottled beer at the Stage Door, but everything's relative. Click and spend a few minutes with the guys.
The American Gaming Association has projected a record $1.76 billion in legal wagers on the Big Game today. This represents a nearly 27% increase from last year's estimate and doesn't include prediction market action, which could double the handle. A second source posted a similar estimate; the Sports Betting Alliance (via Legal Sports Report) forecasted around $1.71 billion in legal handle.
The other beer bottle has finally dropped at the Stage Door. After decades of holding the line on its $1 beer in the bottle, the price has been raised. We haven’t confirmed, but we’re told by a reliable source that the lowest price is now $2 for a bottle of Heineken or Dos Equis. Testament to how good the dollar deal was, after a 100% price increase, this is still the best price we know of for beer in the bottle anywhere near the Strip.
Super Bowl viewing parties of varying extravagance will be taking place all over town. Parties with free admission that will be held in big showrooms or ballrooms twill be at Westgate, Rio, and South Point. Absent a defined plan, you can’t go wrong hanging out in any sports book or sports bar.
In its fourth-quarter earnings call yesterday, Boyd Gaming CEO Keith Smith told investors that the company's new casino on Boulder Highway next to Jokers Wild will open in late March, at least three months earlier than originally announced. The non-hotel casino will boast a 10,000 square feet with 450 slot machines and no table games. After it opens, Boyd will raze Jokers Wild and, as previously announced, start considering adding hotel rooms to Cadence.
The median price of a single-family house in Las Vegas was flat in January compared to December at $470,000, but fell 3.1% from January 2025's price. The median price of condominiums and townhomes also declined year over year, down 3.2% to $283,750. The volume of unsold houses continues to increase, up nearly 20% for houses and 25% for condos over January 2025, a five-month inventory. It's definitely a buyers market out there.
It’s the Big Game this Sunday so hit the nearest sports book or local bar where the game will surely be on. Or go to one of the free parties at Rio, Westgate, or South Point.
The Golden Steer has opened its second-ever location in New York. The new restaurant is in the iconic One Fifth Avenue building (1926) that overlooks Greenwich Village's Washington Square in lower Manhattan. The restaurant is co-owned by husband-and-wife team Nick McMillan and Amanda Signorelli; the couple took over operations of the original Golden Steer in 2019, continuing the family legacy passed down from Signorelli’s father Michael, who acquired it in 2001. The menu largely follows the Vegas location and more are on the way; Signorelli told Nation's Restaurant News that additional restaurants will open in the U.S. over the next few years.
Seventeen WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth has bought one of Elaine Wynn's condos in Las Vegas, according to the Review-Journal. The nearly 5,000-square-foot property, with four bedrooms and five bathrooms, is located in Park Towers near the corner of Paradise and East Flamingo. It was on the market for six months at an asking price of $2.95 million and Hellmuth paid $2.8 million, a 5% discount. He and his wife moved into the condo in December. Elaine Wynn's other condo sold for $8.25 million in August.
Barry Manilow recently underwent surgery for stage-one lung cancer. The operation was successful and the Grammy Award winner said, "I’m doing great and recovering very well." But he needs a little more time to recuperate before launching a tour at the end of the month, so he canceled his Feb. 12-21 appearances at Westgate. No replacement dates have been announced; tickets will be refunded at the point of purchase. Manilow returns to the Westgate on March 26, 27, and 28 as part of his national tour.
A story in the Review-Journal reports that the New England Patriots opened as an 80-1 longshot to win the Super Bowl at the Westgate Super Book, while the Seattle Seahawks opened at 75-1 at Circa Sports. One extremely farsighted gambler bet $100 on an exacta (the top two finishers), in which the Patriots beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl at -- are you sitting down? -- 3,100 odds on August 25 at Circa. If the Patriots prevail, this bettor, sweating his exacta throughout the entire season, will win $310,000 on their $100 investment. Circa Sports indicated that if it wins, it will be the longest longshot ever to cash at the sports book.
On the heels of Five Guys' opening a large branch at the Grand Canal Shoppes, complete with a full bar, the burger chain will open another casino outlet at the Plaza this summer. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the 2,200-square-foot restaurant will seat 60 with an outdoor patio and will be Five Guys' 12th location in Nevada.
We're a little behind the curve on this one, but Infinity Museum opened in the Boulevard Mall on S. Maryland Parkway in late August. Even if you enjoy digital immersive attractions, this one looks unlike anything you’ve seen before, with the world’s largest walk-in kaleidoscope and dodecahedron infinity rooms. The website claims, perhaps without too much hyperbole, that "every selfie is a masterpiece." Infinity Museum is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and tickets cost $30 for adults, $20 for children. Get a gander of some of the attractions at the website.
It's all over but the shouting: Klint Kubiak, the Super Bowl-bound offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, will be named the new head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after the Big Game. Kubiak, 38, is the son of former NFL coach Gary Kubiak and played safety for Colorado State. He's been a coach with the Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, San Francisco 49ers, and New Orleans Saints, but this will be his first stint as a head coach.
Calling him "the last of a dying breed in Las Vegas: the independent casino mogul," Forbes.com posted a profile of Derek Stevens in its "Daily Cover" feature. The high concept: Stevens and his younger brother Greg "took a big gamble on remaking downtown Las Vegas. They now have a portfolio of properties worth more than $1 billion." It's worth a read if you have a spare 10 minutes.
The big national entertainment news so far this week is that Sylvester Stallone's production company is adapting the book Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion, the Texas Gangster Who Created Vegas Poker into a television series. The screen treatment of Doug Swanson's book has long been rumored and it now looks official. Cole Hauser, known for his rugged roles, particularly as the fiercely loyal Rip Wheeler in the hit Paramount series "Yellowstone," will star as a young Binion, as he "helps shape modern day Vegas, for better or worse." Deadline wrote, "The upcoming portrayal of Binion will capture his unapologetically bold style, from violently outsmarting rivals to building a family empire and bending the law to his will." No timetable has been released thus far.
Last month came in as the fifth-warmest January in Las Vegas in 89 years, since temperature records began to be kept in 1937. The average temperature was 52.1 degrees, 2.6 degrees warmer than normal. Precipitation totaled only 0.14 of an inch, .42 of an inch below the long-term average. As for February, the normal range of high and low temperatures provides for comfortable outdoor experiences, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s; the averages are 63 and 41 degrees. The record highs and lows, however, can veer wildly in either direction. The record high for the month is a sweltering (for February) 87, set on the 26th in 1986, while the record low is a chilling (even for February) 16, reached on the 7th (1989). February typically sees the most precipitation of any month of the year, .7 of an inch.
Talk about a big move. AREA15 has announced that it will add nine eateries to its roster of a dozen or so, all in the second quarter of this year. The new places will be Alien Pizza Party, The Bowl (with high-tech robots preparing the food), Chilangos Tacos, Cosmic Pretzel, Fuku (from Momofuku's David Chang), Good Company Burgers, Museum of Ice Cream, Nacho Daddy, and Saint Honoré Doughnuts & Beignets.
The Westgate will host the Las Vegas premiere of EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, the new film from Oscar-nominated director Baz Luhrmann. The screening will take place on Tuesday February 10 at 7 p.m. in the International Theater, the very stage where Elvis made entertainment history by selling out 636 performances. And though the showing is sold out, this premiere gives us a chance to report that the film will hit IMAX theaters on Feb. 20 and regular theaters on Feb. 27.
An excellent animated YouTube video tells the 26-minute story of how Tommy Glen Carmichael, a locksmith and TV repairman from Tulsa, Oklahoma, turned himself into the most successful slot machine cheater in history. For 16 years, he engineered a series of homemade devices so powerful they fooled casinos in Las Vegas, Reno, Atlantic City, and cruise ships, earning him more than $16 million — before the FBI finally caught up. It was the longest running (known) casino heist ever. After his arrest, Tommy became a paid consultant, hired by the casinos he once robbed, to help them stop cheaters like him. The documentary breaks down the entire timeline: Tommy's introduction to the cheating world, his invention of the devices, his methods and evasion tactics, the FBI operation, and the final deal that changed the casino industry forever. We highly recommend this well-done video, total edge-of-the-seat stuff. (And thanks once again to Canada Roy for finding and sharing it.)
Scotty's Castle in Death Valley National Park closed in October 2015 following a massive flash flood that severely damaged the infrastructure and roads. Then in 2021, the visitor center caught fire. Earlier this month, the famous castle in the middle of nowhere reopened on a limited basis for "flood-recovery tours" on select Sundays between Jan. 4 to March 29 for $35 per person. But in a sign of how high interest remains in Scotty's, all the $35 flood-recovery tours are sold out. No word on when or whether more will be added, but we expect they will be; all the proceeds are going toward completing the restoration, which will cost around $90 million and take several more years to complete.
Carlos Alcaraz is a -310 favorite over Novak Djokovic in today’s Australian Open men's tennis final. Djokovic is seeking his 11th Australian Open title and a 25th major win. Alcaraz is going for his first Australian Open title, which would give him the career Grand Slam, winning all four majors, and his seventh major title overall. Note, this line was posted with the match in progress.