Station Casinos is firing up the marketing machine for the rollout of its $620 million re-do of the Palms. The new ad campaign is branded “From Dust to Gold” and is heavy on the smashing of glitzy objects. Whether gleeful destruction is a theme that resonates with today’s consumer remains to be seen but the campaign is a refreshing break with the usual Vegas clichés. It’s also clever in the subliminal ways it disses the George Maloof era at the Palms: the drowning “P” from the old marquee, the toppling bunny statuette — a dig at the failed Playboy liaison. The concept behind the campaign is described as “the dualities of both destruction and progress.”
As for the tripartite tiger shark at the end, that’s a sculpture called “The Unknown (Explored, Explained, Exploded)” by Damien Hirst. You can see it at the Palms as part of what Station is calling the country’s first “interactive bar concept.” I thought bars were the quintessence of interactivity but, OK, I’ll wait and see how the public reacts. Good or bad, frivolous or fierce, Station’s new campaign is not one to which you can remain indifferent.
* Culinary Union members vote today on whether or not to authorize a strike, should negotiations with their employers bog down. While observers find the election more symbolic than substantive, should the Culinary reach an impasse in its quest for higher wages and greater worker protections, it wields immense clout this time around. According 
to Vegas Inc., three times as many Culinary workers could walk out this time around, as a “potential strike would extend beyond casinos to other businesses in the resort corridor, like restaurants and bars, as well as golf courses, taxi services, ride-sharing companies and the Las Vegas Convention Center.”
There hasn’t been a full-scale Culinary strike in 34 years and, with business being good, will either side want to upset the applecart now. Thirty-four, incidentally, is also the number of casinos that would be affected by a work stoppage. Negotiations do not seem to be going well, with Culinary spokeswoman Bethany Khan telling Vegas Inc. that recent complexities, like the demand for an end to tolerance of sexual harassment by customers, have set back the talks. On the other side of the table, representatives for MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment reiterated their belief that a “mutually beneficial” outcome could be reached in time.
Pundits predict an overwhelming (95%+) pro-strike vote but no actual walkout, even if talks aren’t wrapped up by June 1. They think the 
current contract will be extended three to 12 months, while the two sides hammer out their differences. A good economy could paradoxically make it hard on companies if an actual strike occurs, as low unemployment means a small pool of potential scabs. Says UNLV College of Hospitality Associate Professor Bill Werner, “Considering they started [talking] in February, it’d be very surprising if they’re able to figure everything out by June 1.” Surprising indeed. But the casinos are in a terrible position — by their own statements — to plead hardship, so we’d say momentum is on the side of the union.
* Speaking of strong economic conditions, casinos on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi just reported their best April ever, nipping 2007’s results with a $108.5 million gross, 9% better than last year. Mississippi River casinos were flat with 2017. However, this is obviously a good 
time to be investing along the coast. On another front, it could be only a matter of a few months before the state formalizes regulations that allow sports betting to spring into action. Casino owners have been preparing for just that eventuality, even if the Legislature appears to have partly missed the boat by not permitting wagering on mobile devices. Mississippi’s early and ardent appetite for sports betting appears to have been prompted — wouldn’t you know — by a budget crisis. A revenue shortfall concentrates lawmakers’ minds wonderfully where gambling is concerned.
