One of Las Vegas‘ mainstays and signature stocks in trade, its wedding industry, is down 42% (yes, 42%) from its 2004 peak. Mind you, it’s still a $2.5 billion business. But the quickie-wedding trade may be hurting and that wouldn’t be a bad thing. Not only does it demean the institution of marriage, it gives Vegas a bad name. (Not for nothing did my wife and I go out of state to tie the knot.) Says County Clerk Lynn Goya, “We can’t afford to take our number-one status for granted.” Reports the Boston Globe, “it’s no secret that marriage rates in the United States have dwindled significantly in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and that shifting social values coupled with the burdens of student debt have made tying the knot for millennials unfeasible or unappealing, and sometimes both.”
Las Vegas is responding to the challenge by promoting the spiritual opposite of the quickie wedding: the vow-renewal ceremony. Says Viva Las Vegas officiant-in-chief Ron Decar, “People want to do something fun the second time around … when you’re renewing, the pressure’s off. It’s all about fun.” It’s not, however, about the boost that gay marriage was expected to have given Sin City. That ship would appear to have sailed.
* Details are emerging on what Terry Caudill has planned atop Backstage Bar & Billiards. A 40-story tower would contain 200 “live-work spaces” and 200 hotel suites. The project, which has many more facets, would be called The Central and encompass a 50,000-square-foot convention center, giving Downtown a potent new draw.
* Speaking of attractions, Golden Nugget continues to expand, adding a food court. That’s not all. Showing his confidence in 
the appeal well-cooked beef, Tilman Fertitta is bringing one of his many Saltgrass Steakhouses to the Nugget, providing a wallet-friendly alternative to Vic & Anthony’s. He’s also reaching out to madly popular Chik-fil-A, in place of Claim Jumper. How Tilman will accommodate Chik-fil-A’s drive-up-based business model remains to be seen but we’re sure he’ll think of something. He always does.
* Kentucky‘s gubernatorial race is turning into a proxy fight over gambling. Attorney General Andy Beshear (D) takes an expansive view, favoring i-poker, sports betting and even casinos. Incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin (R) is a stick in the mud, favoring only sports betting—maybe—and only at racetracks.
* How do you get away with price increases? If you’re Wynncore you stop posting minibar prices and wait for the subsequent sticker shock to sink in, according to Vegas Message Board. Take two aspirin and call Marilyn (Winn) Spiegel in the morning.
* Speaking of price-gouging, we now know whom to blame for the confiscation of slot change for charity: Everi (formerly Shuffle Master). It developed the so-called Everi Cares Giving Module. It “has generated more than $700,000 in donations while also providing our operators the benefit of less coin on the floor, saving our 32 participating casinos from having to handle more than 19 million coins to date,” said CEO Michael Rumbolz, cutting to the chase. Asks Frank Legato, “Does that player really want three quarters jangling in the pockets?” Why yes, maybe they do!
* Cirque du Soleil canceled shows that were scheduled for the Bellagio fountain last weekend. Life as we know it somehow managed to continue.
