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My Next Chapter

When I write a book, one of my greatest satisfactions is finishing a chapter. It brings a remarkable feeling of accomplishment. A few days or weeks ago, I started writing with a vague outline of what I wanted to say, and now, my words are on paper and I’ve told the story I want to […]

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The Casino Pioneer Poised For A Comeback In Las Vegas And Beyond

My latest Forbes post looks at why the influence of Bill Harrah might be making a comeback: William Fisk Harrah came into the gambling business in 1933. Having left UCLA before completing an engineering degree, he bought a bingo operation his father had been running in Venice Beach. Harrah the younger already had firm ideas

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In Las Vegas, One Of The Mob’s Biggest Money Earners Tells All | Forbes

This Forbes piece looks at one of the most unique shows in Las Vegas: A stage musical of mob history? Surely, you think, this is just another piece of inauthentic Vegas kitsch, a knockoff of a knockoff of the real thing. It’s got to be the mafia equivalent of what Zombie Burlesque is to post-apocalyptic

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Why Billion-Dollar Buyer Tilman Fertitta Is Betting Big on Las Vegas

My most recent Forbes post examines why Tilman Fertitta is interested in expanding his Las Vegas footprint. The pending departure of Caesars CEO Mark Frissora makes this only more intriguing. It’s no secret that Las Vegas has had its challenges this year. So when, earlier this month, billion dollar buyer Fertitta proposed a merger with casino

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Las Vegas Casinos Are Worried The Worst Is Yet To Come | Forbes

My latest Forbes post examines the significance of Nevada’s third quarter gaming results. Fascinating stuff, to be sure: The September disappointment caps a challenging quarter during which net gaming win decreased by over seven percent. Considering that, in their second quarter conference calls, casino executives were apologetic over a quarter that actually saw a nearly

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Did New Jersey Fumble Sports Betting In September? | Forbes

My most recent Forbes post looks at how New Jersey has done with sports betting: So how did New Jersey do? Despite a few well-publicized gaffes, the rollout of sports betting in the Garden State has been relatively smooth. Football season is well underway, and eight physical sports books are up and running, with seven

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The Clown That Saved Las Vegas Hits A Major Milestone | Forbes

My latest Forbes post is a look back at Circus Circus, which just turned 50: It’s ironic but fitting that Circus Circus, for years the top low-end casino on the Strip, shares a parent with Caesars Palace, which until the 1989 opening of The Mirage was undisputed in its reign atop the high-end. Jay Sarno was

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The Las Vegas Insider Meetup Where Casinos Find The Future | Forbes

In Forbes, I just tried to explain the phenomenon that is G2E: “The show,” as the true insiders call it, is divided into two parts. “Education” is a 12-track series of panels, seminars, and keynotes on topics ranging from gaming leadership and career development to non-gaming growth opportunities in esports (one of several new 2018

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The Hidden Kindness Of Las Vegas Entertainers | Forbes

In my latest piece for Forbes, I explore how a local non-profit is connecting performers with kids in need: From its Las Vegas roots, the organization has expanded from coast to coast, with programs in several cities, including Orlando, Orange County, and, soon, New York City. It may not have the financial impact of major

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Rediscovering The Equation That Made Las Vegas Famous | Forbes

My latest for Forbes tries to crack the Vegas equation: There were many factors that put Las Vegas on the map as an international destination and have kept it there, but essentially the Las Vegas equation for success comes down to the balance of two forces: novelty and access. This was true in 1950, 1990,

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Inside The Las Vegas Strip’s Overnight Ultra-Luxe Changeover | Forbes

My latest for Forbes.com describes a very hectic night in Las Vegas: The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas opened in December 2009, bringing a different kind of non-gaming luxury to the Strip. When it was sold earlier this year to Andrew and Peggy Cherng and Tiffany Lam, the property’s management shifted to Hilton, owners of the

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Look Beyond Las Vegas To See Casino Gaming’s Large Local Impact | Forbes

My latest for Forbes.com considers the ultimate impact of casino gaming: Even though Nevada lost its monopoly on casino gaming in 1976, many Americans still think of the national casino gaming industry as being mostly in—and benefiting—Las Vegas. But most of the $72 billion or so tribal and commercial casinos make each year comes from

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Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor Could Be Las Vegas Turning Point For Wrestling | Forbes

My latest for Forbes.com consider the return of Ring of Honor to Las Vegas: Part sport, part theater, pro wrestling has evolved along with other forms of entertainment. While World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) has been for many years the dominant promotion in the United States, there are an increasing number of alternatives for wrestling fans.

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How Las Vegas Casinos Are Getting More With Fewer Employees | Forbes

My latest from Forbes.com looks at trends in casino employment: Las Vegas casinos, like any hospitality business, owe everything to their employees. After all, they are the ones that provide the hospitality that guests are paying for, the link between the product and the people who buy it. And those employees are more valuable than

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The Story Behind The Most Famous Missing Apostrophe in Las Vegas

My latest from Forbes.com looks at a Vegas not-so-insider tip: It’s one of those insider Vegas tricks that’s actually right in front of your face in big letters: If you’re talking about the hotel casino that Evel Knievel made famous and The Hangover reminded us of, you never use an apostrophe. It’s Caesars, not Caesar’s

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Getting Ready For The Las Vegas Raiders, The North Strip Gets A Multibillion-Dollar Makeover | Forbes

My latest for Forbes looks at how the landscape of the North Strip is about to change: The three operators looking to turn the North Strip from afterthought to epicenter are fighting against history, but they have the potential to disrupt Las Vegas. Read it here: Getting Ready For The Las Vegas Raiders, The North

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Las Vegas Casinos Hope Sports Betting Will Change Their Luck

My latest for Forbes.com looks at where sports betting fits into the modern casino industry: With rising displeasure at added fees and charges, as well as more competition from casinos around the world, Las Vegas-based gaming operators need a new way to stay profitable. Some believe that sports betting is the solution, and a new

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The Robot Invasion Of Las Vegas Might Be Horrifying (Or No Big Deal) | Forbes

My latest for Forbes looks at what impact robots will have on the Las Vegas hospitality experience–and what it means for those who work there: Robots are taking an increasing role in all aspects of the Las Vegas visitor experience, with some resort operators banking on automation and artificial intelligence to reduce labor costs and

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Casinos Are Getting Nervous As Las Vegas Revenues Drop And Their Stocks Slump

My latest for Forbes puts the recent Wall Street jitters into historical context: Las Vegas casino operators seemed to be cruising earlier this year, but the summer has turned into a bit of a bummer for them. Whether this is a temporary decline or the start of a bigger reshaping remains to be seen, but

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