While the ink has scarcely dried on the Sahara logo on the Las Vegas Strip, owner Alex Meruelo is already in hot water. The Las 
Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that Meruelo is being sued for unpaid licensing fees. In what might be called Nazarian’s Revenge, SBE Hotel Licensing is after Meruelo $450,000 in fees racked up since last November for the use of SBE brands (which might explain Meruelo’s eagerness to bring back the Sahara moniker). At steak, er, stake are restaurant brands associated with chef and philanthropist José Andres, among other things. The litigation news rather spoils the good cheer associated with Meruelo’s takeover of the Arizona Coyotes hockey team.
* Has Caesars Entertainment been playing footsie with 
Westgate? Customer “Tallsamoan” was double-checking his reservation at Bally’s Las Vegas when his call was forwarded “after a ton of static and an obvious transfer” to a Westgate timeshare pimp who tried to peddle a Florida condo. In return for “only a couple of hours of your time” $200 in free play was dangled. Some might like it but many others will probably be irked. What was CEO Anthony Rodio thinking?
* Thank heaven for Derek Stevens. The mogul is removing a piece of urban blight, namely a hideous vacant lot at Bonanza Road and Main Street. In its place Stevens will erect a mammoth warehouse for his budding casino empire. The plan received (sensible) Las Vegas City Council approval on August 21. There’s even a bit of West Side history involved, as the block was once home to the Nevada Biltmore Hotel. In 2007 it was slated for the Verge condos, vaporware that evaporated in 2010.
Stevens is wasting no time, planning to have the facility completed by April. Some area residents are up in arms while others reckon it’s an improvement on a homeless encampment. He’ll try to blend in with the neighborhood by adorning the warehouse with a mural, vines and cypress trees. We appreciate his effort to be neighborly.
* Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) gets to take a victory lap on the stage of Global Gaming Expo on Oct. 15. Christie has been announced one of G2E’s keynote speakers and his speech will surely draw the most interest. The most impolitic of politicians, Christie ought to mince no words about his multi-year struggle with the major sporting leagues to bring sports betting to the Garden State.
* Resorts World Catskills escapee Kevin Kline has been tapped by Hawthorne Race Course in Illinois to be its CEO of gaming as it moves toward racino status with all deliberate speed. “Our goal is to develop one of the nation’s premiere gaming experiences and an all-star executive team will be crucial. Kevin has a proven track record of successful ground-up developments of new casinos and multi-property management including at race tracks, plus direct experience with gaming in the Chicagoland market,” explained Hawthorne CEO Tim Carey.
Kline’s resume includes pioneering the Ohio market for Caesars Entertainment and redevelopment of Horseshoe Hammond. His platter will be full at Hawthorne, which is planning a $450 million casino facility and diversification into the hotel and live-entertainment business.
* Whiskey Licker Up opens at 3 p.m. Monday at Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel. Mayor Carolyn Goodman cuts the ceremonial ribbon at 2 and the imbibing starts an hour later. Another feather in Terry Caudill‘s cap.
