Category Archives: Downtown

“Less-than-Best Little Whorehouse”

Last night, fledgling SFS Productions rolled out The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the Plaza Las Vegas and, true to its subject matter, it’s a emotionless copulation — to borrow a Pauline Kael line, it’s a practiced hooker with … Continue reading

Posted in Arizona, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Environment, MGM Mirage, Riviera, Tamares Group, Technology, Texas, The Strip, Tourism | 6 Comments

Macao: Crossed fingers at Wynn; Confrontation at Melco

According to the Jornal Tribuna de Macau, by the end of the month, Wynn Resorts and the government of Macao “may sign” the long-awaited land tender upon which the fate of $2.7 billion Wynn Cotai rests. It “could be” a … Continue reading

Posted in Cirque du Soleil, Current, Derek Stevens, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, Hooters, Lawrence Ho, Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment, Regulation, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Crash landing

Over the last two days, while I’ve been at home, supervising having the roof put back on our house (seriously!), some of you have been kind enough to send variations of this story. It will soon be the subject of … Continue reading

Posted in Downtown, Entertainment, history, Movies, Tourism, TV | Comments Off on Crash landing

The Trop and the truth; Crock of Vegas

Black Hawk Down author Mark Bowden has penned a gripping account of how veteran racetrack executive Don Johnson (no, not that one) cleaned the clocks of the Tropicana Atlantic City, Borgata and Caesars Palace Atlantic City, to the tune of … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, Carl Icahn, Columbia Sussex, Donald Trump, Downtown, Election, Entertainment, Harrah's, Horseracing, Internet gambling, Pennsylvania, Sheldon Adelson, Tropicana Entertainment | 3 Comments

Choy challenges Vegas

This is the conclusion of a two-part interview with Riviera boss Andy Choy in which he answers questions submitted by S&G readers. Can the Riv survive if nothing is done with the Sahara, Fontainebleau or Echelon sites for another five … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Culinary Union, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Fontainebleau, LVCVA, Marketing, Plaza, Riviera, Sahara, Taxes, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 3 Comments

Finally …

… a set-in-Vegas commercial that’s really funny (with the Plaza Las Vegas making a cameo appearance). This would make make me want to come here a lot more than that hopelessly twee “Bohemian Rhapsody” spot for The Cosmopolitan that’s making … Continue reading

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Downtown, Marketing, Tamares Group, TV | Comments Off on Finally …

Bad timing; The wrong amount of WTF?; Uncle Sheldon speaks

Surely the worst entertainment coverage in Vegas is Wayne’s World, penned by former Lance Burton flack Wayne Bernath. A copy of his April effort (pictured) is available upon request, as it’s sure to be a collector’s item — along the … Continue reading

Posted in Cosmopolitan, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Marketing, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Technology, The Strip, Wall Street | 4 Comments

Saucer crash; Whither Harmon Crossing?

Yesterday afternoon, a heterogenous smattering of Las Vegas media toured the new Area 51 wing of the National Atomic Testing Museum.”Wing” might be a generous term for this cramped, fetid space. The subtitle of the exhibit is Myth or Reality, … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Architecture, CityCenter, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Saucer crash; Whither Harmon Crossing?

Putting the cart before the racino; Men of eXit

VLTs in Ohio are still being litigated but MTR Gaming is rushing in where major operators fear to tread. It’s already begun conversion of Scioto Downs Casino & Racetrack to a 2,100-machine racino. The nomenclature is a bit premature but … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, Hooters, Isle of Capri, Ohio, Penn National, Racinos, Regulation, Tamares Group, Tropicana Entertainment | Comments Off on Putting the cart before the racino; Men of eXit

Moody’s no longer moody on Vegas; Golden Gate upsizes

Caution, thy name is Moody’s Investors Service. So if Moody’s is bullish on the near-term future of Las Vegas, I guess we can well and truly believe that a recovery is here … well, on the Strip. Away from Las … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, CityCenter, Current, Dennis Gomes, Derek Stevens, Don Barden, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Gary Goett, Marketing, North Las Vegas, Sahara, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism, Tribal, Wall Street | 3 Comments

Faustian pacts at the Plaza

Update: Just minutes ago, John Katsilometes tweeted that Avant Garde has already closed. Wow! That may be an all-time record, unless you count Triumph: It Runs on Steam, which never officially opened at the Las Vegas Hilton, in another Colony … Continue reading

Posted in Colony Capital, Dining, Downtown, Entertainment, Hooters, Tamares Group, The Strip | 1 Comment

Putting the best and worst foot forward

After months of confidentiality agreements and other top-hush nonsense, it’s official: Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel in downtown Las Vegas will become the D. Now, I can’t think that — let alone type it — without recalling the Family Guy episode in … Continue reading

Posted in Alex Yemenidjian, Derek Stevens, Dining, Don Barden, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, Riviera, Sheldon Adelson, Tamares Group, Technology, The Strip, Tourism, TV | 2 Comments

Quote of the Day

“Research suggests that the more [Mitt] Romney tries to not talk about his wealth, the more likely he is to do just that. The human mind is perversely drawn to fixate upon the subjects we most want to avoid, especially … Continue reading

Posted in Baseball, Don Barden, Downtown, Election | 2 Comments

The whales of January; Shrinking Hooters

Baccarat win on the Las Vegas Strip began the year heavy ($194 million) and dramatic, up 199% from 2011. The whales were back in force, dropping 163% more than the previous January, putting $1.6 billion in play. An early Chinese … Continue reading

Posted in Boulder Strip, Boyd Gaming, California, Current, Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, Hooters, Lake Tahoe, Laughlin, Movies, North Las Vegas, Reno, Tribal, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Vegas gets its groove back; “Zarkana” comes to Aria

In terms of quantity, quality and proximity, the Los Angeles Times is the closest thing Las Vegas has to a major metropolitan daily. (Hell, the Sacramento Bee puts the Las Vegas Review-Journal to shame.) Indeed, the LAT treats Sin City … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, Architecture, Arizona, Boyd Gaming, California, Cirque du Soleil, CityCenter, Cosmopolitan, Dining, Donald Trump, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, Phil Ruffin, Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tourism | Comments Off on Vegas gets its groove back; “Zarkana” comes to Aria

Adelson to sign “Mormon”? What is “theD”?

Las Vegas‘ new performing arts palace, The Smith Center, has opened coveted the Broadway hit, The Book of Mormon. However, a heavyweight competitor could snatch Mormon from under Smith CEO Myron Martin‘s nose. Rumor has Las Vegas Sands in the … Continue reading

Posted in Current, Downtown, Entertainment, Harrah's, history, MGM Mirage, Sheldon Adelson, Sports, The Strip | 10 Comments

Biloxi: Isle out, Landry’s in; Grind joints come to Atlantic City

Not even a rocky start in Atlantic City has cooled the ardor of Landry’s Restaurant CEO Tilman Fertitta for new casino acquisitions. Earlier today Landry’s announced that it had bought Isle Casino Hotel, putting Fertitta into the Biloxi market. The … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Boyd Gaming, Colony Capital, Current, Downtown, Isle of Capri, Marketing, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Singapore, Steve Wynn, Tilman Fertitta, Wall Street | 2 Comments

Slave to SmithCoast

Those nice folks at CityLife must think I did all right by that last cover story because they’ve got me taking the lead on their media blitz vis-a-vis the impending (March 12) opening of the Smith Center for the Performing … Continue reading

Posted in Boyd Gaming, Downtown, Entertainment, MGM Mirage, Sahara, Steve Wynn | Comments Off on Slave to SmithCoast

Las Vegas: What’s next?

If I had a crystal ball for Las Vegas’ future, I’d be a wealthier man. Not having one, I consulting some fellows far more perspicacious than myself. In no particular order they include Dennis Conrad, scholars Bill Eadington, Eugene Moehring … Continue reading

Posted in Downtown, Economy, Entertainment, history, Macau, MGM Mirage, Movies, New York, Sheldon Adelson, The Strip, Tribal | 4 Comments

Sands’ new strategy: Blame Genting; Big Gaming backs Romney

First, the good news. Las Vegas Sands is signaling that it is not going to take its ball and come home from Florida, regardless of what lobbyist Nick Iarossi said last week. However, Sands’ emissary to the Sunshine State, Andy … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic City, Carl Icahn, Colony Capital, Current, Donald Trump, Downtown, Economy, Election, Florida, Genting, Goldman Sachs, Harrah's, International, Internet gambling, LVCVA, Politics, Sheldon Adelson, Station Casinos, Steve Wynn, Tamares Group, The Strip, Tropicana Entertainment, Wall Street | 1 Comment