Even before it opened, we received frequent questions about whether tours of Allegiant Stadium would be available and we understand the curiosity. It’s not every day you get to go behind the scenes of a $2 billion building, let alone one you see on television with 65,000 people in the stands, NFL teams on the field, and celebrity broadcasters in the booth.

The tours depart from the first-level base of the Al Davis Memorial Torch, which rises to the third level of the stadium. Upwards of 20 people were on the tour in front of ours and 25 on ours; they’re definitely popular. Our guide was excellent—full of energy and passion for the building and team, he imparted a steady stream of information about both. After getting your first view of the field, you head to one of the restroom/concession areas and learn that the stadium has 297 restrooms and 1,430 toilets, along with 76 concessions, so people at games and concerts won’t have to miss much while waiting in line for food and bathroom breaks; you also see a video of the “flush test,” in which the plumbing for all 1,500 toilets and urinals was checked.

From there, you go up a level to where the corporate suites and broadcasters’ booth are. The booth is just an empty (carpeted) box; the networks and radio stations have up to 72 hours before games to load in all their sets, electronics, robot cameras, etc. But the view, right at the 50-yard line on the second level, is the best in the stadium. Second-best is from the 127 VIP and corporate suites on two levels that feature luxury box seats and bars and buffets behind them in small rooms; we walked through one of MGM Resorts’ high-roller hangs.

Then you descend to the bowels of the stadium for stops at the Raiderettes exhibit and locker room, post-game press room, and Raiders locker room. Again, they’re pretty much empty, just a few props for the tours, and smaller than you might expect for all the people they accommodate on game days. The players’ locker room, though, is fancy, with black-and-silver décor; you watch a video of Raiders of different eras getting ready for games, then the climax of the tour is a hologram of current coach Jon Gruden giving a rousing pep talk.

From there, it’s right onto the field for your pro-football fantasy. You have five minutes to take a line-of-scrimmage stance, run, do a touchdown victory dance, and/or tackle your husband. It’s interesting to see the Wynn Field Club behind the north goalpost for the highest rollers. As always in Las Vegas, you exit the field right at the logo store. From there, the cheap tickets go through the store and out to the parking lot, while the VIP tickets—tour and a drink—go back up to the main concourse bar.

The tours depart every 20 minutes between 10:40 am and 9 pm, though the number of tours and days is shrinking as the stadium hosts more events. They last 75 minutes and cost $59, or $80 for the drink and view (discounts available for locals and “those who serve”). Make reservations and pay online. Parking is free. Wear walking shoes; you cover a lot of ground. It’ll be fun to watch Raiders’ home games on TV after seeing the stadium from the players’, cheerleaders’, broadcasters’, and high-roller points of view.

Station Casinos announced 2Q21 earnings yesterday and “blows through” previous peaks, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli. Despite expiration of the management contract at Graton Rancheria, Station recorded record levels of net revenue ($426.5 million) and cash flow ($210 million), leaving Wall Street‘s $159 million consensus in the dust. Management is in no hurry to reopen Texas Station or Fiesta Rancho or Fiesta Henderson and why not? It costs only $2 million per quarter to keep them dark and their business is obviously being soaked up elsewhere. Station execs performed a fan dance regarding Durango Station, withholding the budget but announced their intent to break ground in early (pre-April) 2022, with an 18-24 month construction timeline envisioned. When completed, it will have 2,000 slots, 40 tables and four restaurants, along with the inevitable sports book. Santarelli expects Durango Station to be financed out of (abundant) free cash flow, possibly filled out with the sale of some excess land. The $650 million all-cash Palms sale proceeds have also been earmarked to cover construction costs.

Buffets may be gone with the wind but Station expects to reopen its showrooms in the second half of this year, and for group business to return over the next two years. Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas noted “incremental hotel business” improvements congruent with the distribution of the Coronavirus vaccine. “Stimulus payments have also played into recent strength, though management noted sizable savings and discretionary income with their core customer base beyond stimulus.” While acknowledging “uncertainty” around the state mask mandate, Station brass said that business didn’t change markedly when masks came off in June. “This suggests there may not be any meaningfully negative impact with reintroducing masks,” reported Jonas, “Management also notes that they expect any potential impact to be short-lived.”

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