Caesars pleads poverty; FBI descends on Vegas

The other is that CEO Tom Reeg is positioning the casino for a sale (at least two of the company’s five Indiana gambling houses have to be shed) and is lightening the ship to make it more attractive to potential buyers. One worker described Eldorado’s, er, Caesars’ manner as “wishy-washy,” while another said, “I understand if these are business decisions, but their delivery of terminating us was pretty matter of fact. It wasn’t a thank you for all time you put in this place, it was this is how it is, you guys should appreciate what the company’s done for you.” And don’t let the doorknob hit you in the ass. The property, incidentally, is just under a year old, attracts strong business and cost a mere $90 million. Yup, we’re going with Door Number Two.

In another bit of poor-mouthing from the Roman Empire, Harrah’s North Kansas City wants its rent to the city rebated by $410K. Evidently Reeg didn’t get the memo that casinos are supposed to yield taxes, not reclaim them. And it’s not like the company can’t afford it. (Or can it?) Perhaps Caesars should hit up landlord Vici Properties, which owns the underlying acreage, while the city holds title to the physical casino. What’s more, the City of North Kansas City can’t afford to give away 410 dimes, so it may work out an extended-payment plan. According to Councilman Richard Stewart, Harrah’s is the only company pleading for such outrageous relief. “We were closed for 75 days. And clearly that was very, very hard for us,” implored General Manager Julie Sola. “During this time due to closure, we did not have any revenues. Yet we still had a significant amount of expense.” Yeah, you and everybody else. Expect more such special pleading now that the coupon-cutting Reeg is in charge.

What fresh Hell is this? Las Vegas Metro is getting an assist with the suddenly violent Las Vegas Strip from the FBI. Arrests for violent crime have risen 16% in the last six weeks. “I think people are coming here and they believe that they are going to be able to do whatever they want, and unfortunately, that’s hurting people,” said an FBI agent. Out-of-state hooligans and gang members of any provenance are fingered for the recent upsurge of gunplay. One latest such incident was a mass assault on the Strip. A man was beaten by multiple suspects early one morning near Venelazzo. Then there was the shooting at Planet Hollywood that provoked Metro to advise visitors to avoid Miracle Mile Shops. Mercifully, there was only one victim. Less fortunate was a homeless man, stabbed to death Downtown, in carnage that saw two other victims sliced up by an unidentified assailant.

A few days prior, Metro responded to a shooting at Oasis Motel. News reports paint a picture of lawlessness or, as Clark County Councilman Lawrence Weekly said, “After the smoke clears we’re left with the carnage”—to say nothing of the bad PR. Wynncore‘s response has been to increase room rates … but also to raise the ante on security by making guests empty their pockets, submit to a body scan, as well as bag and jacket checks. Good moves. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is increasing security during the graveyard shift and on weekends. Ingress will be restricted mainly to hotel guests and people with restaurant reservations, and everyone will be searched upon entry. Las Vegas Sands is checking car trunks at its parking garages and Caesars is performing bag checks at some properties.

That fly (you know which one) was the unquestioned winner of last week’s debate in Salt Lake City. How much so? It’s already got its own bobblehead, courtesy of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame. You may have to wait for yours until January, though. “Social media has been abuzz with talk of the fly at last night’s debate, and when we received several requests for a bobblehead with [Vice President Mike] Pence and the fly, we knew we had to get to work,” said CEO Phil Sklar. “We think this will be another fun bobblehead to put a smile on people’s faces as they look back at 2020.” We definitely need smiles this year, no question about that.

Jottings: We’re feeling a bit overwhelmed today, caught between the prolonged death of our beloved Siamese, Tommy (2000-20) and a tsunami of news over the weekend. The solution? Mega-Jottings! Derek Stevens is rolling out a Golden Gate/The D/Circa-wide loyalty card on Oct. 23, in time for Circa’s grand opening … MGM Resorts International is going to market with a $500 million debt offering. Given its coincidence with like moves by DraftKings and Penn National Gaming, the money is believed to be going to beef up BetMGM … Another setback for Resorts World Las Vegas: Its job fair has been postponed after the founder of the host organization caught Covid-19. No reschedule date has yet been set … In a possible burst of ‘roid rage, Donald Trump threatened to sicc law enforcement on Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D). “We have law enforcement watching him, very strong. U.S. Attorney is watching him, very strongly. The U.S. Marshal is watching,” said the increasingly erratic Trump … Due to the growing prevalence of Coronavirus, it has been announced that the University of Nevada-Las Vegas will go fully online after Thanksgiving. No spring break, either. Sorry, Fort Lauderdale … One bit of good news for Las Vegas: Air travel between London and New York City may be reinstated. Now just hop on over to Sin City, Brits … Canadians have their own casino scandal now. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met not once but twice with a Chinese businessman suspected of illegal gambling. Let us never forget that mobbed-up Stanley Ho owned a mansion in Canada and that British Columbia casinos have been a hotbed of money laundering on Trudeau’s watch.