According to Entertainmentwise (not my first choice for breaking casino news, to be sure), George Clooney’s Las Ramblas project has been “scrapped.” What does that mean? You be the judge:
George Clooney’s plans to build a casino in Las Vegas have been totally scrapped.
The actor had planned on teaming up with Brad Pitt and Rande Gerber (Cindy Crawford’s man) to spend £3billion on creating the uber flash casino complex.
However, the trio have failed to obtain planning permission and other buildings are now being built in the area.
Clooney had planned on opening a smart establishment after he was inspired by his involvement in the Las Vegas based film ‘Oceans 11’.
He said: “When I was filming ‘Ocean’s 11’ in Las Vegas, I met with Rande, who owns all these great bars, and we started talking about building a casino and how we would want to do it, which is to dress it up a bit – no shorts and tank tops after 6pm.”
“I grew up watching my aunt sing in Vegas and everyone used to put on a jacket to go to the casino. There was sort of a European flavour – I always felt like I missed out on that.”
Well, he will just have to think of another way to make loadsa money.
I’ve got three questions:
1. Is this a legit story? I never have full faith in a project until the doors open, but there are Las Ramblas (the resort in question) billboards all around town. I don’t see any other “buildings now being built” on the site, although it does look like there is some pre-construction grading, etc.
2. Does this mean that only Clooney is out, and the project is continuing, or that the entire resort is finished?
3. If the answer to either (1) or (2) is yes, why hasn’t anyone else reported this? Nothing in Review-Journal, Sun, AP, or Wall Street Journal. I find it hard to believe that a project of this magnitude could tank without a peep. Ivana made the local news just because her condo tower, which no one really expected to be built, is apparently not happening. This was a MAJOR development, so I find it hard to believe that its passing wouldn’t be newsworthy.
On the surface of it, I’m skeptical of the story. It doesn’t quote anything new (Clooney’s quote is a few months old), and speaks rather vaugely of “permissions,” like the guy is asking for a hall pass or doesn’t get to go on a field trip because his mom didn’t sign a release.
So, on one hand, maybe every journalist in Las Vegas did get scooped by EntertainmentWise–stranger things have happened.
This article is probably further proof that the instantaneous information of the Internet is on balance a good thing, but you definitely need to be skeptical.
Anyone have a clue about this?