According to the LVRJ, ‘Life goes on’ in Las Vegas after the London terrorist attack. Events like that show how trivial much of the “news” is, particularly the sort of thing covered on this site. Still, if you are interested in the world of gambling as seen from Las Vegas, there are several stories out there.
An unpopular Kansas scratch-off game claims to be the first interactive lottery, but I remember reading about New Jersey doing this at least a year ago, and with better results.
In one high school, smoking and drinking have declined while gambling rates are up–nearly a quarter of all students gamble at least once a week. Does this means that teens are being taught to channel their impulses in a more socially useful way, i.e., participating in an activity that is heavily taxed by state governments? It would be ironic if “education lotteries” contributed to the growth of teen gambling.
A conference at Mandalay Bay proved that Internet poker is getting bigger and bigger.
But, in order to build, you must destroy and, with little fanfare, the demolition of a historic casino is beginning this week.
From the LV Sun:
Station Casinos Inc. began demolition work inside the Castaways hotel and casino this morning and will eventually tear down all of the buildings on the site.
The company hasn’t yet decided what to develop on the site but has determined that the existing structures are “no longer suitable for use.”The parking garage, the first structure to meet the wrecking ball, is so outdated that more modern vehicles such as SUVs can’t easily navigate, Station Casinos spokeswoman Lori Nelson said.
The company will use a wrecking ball to demolish all of the buildings save for the hotel tower, which is expected to be imploded in or near February, she said.
Casino implosions were once big public celebrations, but since 9/11 they have mostly been below the radar–the “new normal” at work, I guess.
The Castaways was originally the Showboat, one of the first off-Strip casino resorts in Las Vegas, and for years a dynamic casino that expanded to Australia and Atlantic City. The Atlantic City branch, now owned by Harrah’s is still going strong, while the original awaits the wrecking ball.
Come to think of it, the same can be said for the Sands. The Vegas version is now the Venetian, while Al Martino is playing AC. Truth to be told, I’ve never seen a casino website with customer testamonials.