Craftily arranged nouns, verbs, and more.
This week I’ve got three separate pieces in Vegas Seven. The first is a short news item comparing and contrasting two Strip casinos with similar origins and dissimilar fates: The Tropicana and the Sahara are a study in contrasts despite some shared history; at opposite ends of the Strip, both holdovers from the 1950s managed […]
Sahara Vs. Trop in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingI’ve got a new column in the Las Vegas Business Press, in which I consider the meaning of the Sahara’s impending closure. Even in flush times, running a Las Vegas casino was never a license to print money. Casinos have changed hands, declared bankruptcy and even closed their doors. But the recently announced closing of
Sahara signals Strip woes in LVBP Read More »
Las Vegas Business Press, writingI’ve got another post up on Two Way Hard Three, breaking down AB 258, which would legalize online poker in Nevada: A bill currently on the floor of the Nevada legislature’s getting a lot of attention. AB 258 would legalize online poker in the state of Nevada and, with the consent of partner states, outside
Summary & thoughts about AB 258 on TWHT Read More »
Two Way Hard Three, writingMy first post at Two Way Hard Three is up–it’s a few thoughts where Nevada gaming’s headed right now (as opposed to six months ago): Last week, one of the local dailies ran a story reporting on the latest trend: baccarat and penny slots are big revenue producers for casinos, particularly on the Las Vegas
Bacc and penny thoughts on TWHT Read More »
Two Way Hard Three, writingThe new Vegas Seven is available online now, and I’ve got an interesting piece about some happenings Downtown: The folks running downtown’s Las Vegas Club hotel-casino think the slot players are right. PlayLV, which operates the club for the multinational investment group Tamares, has embarked on an ambitious course of slot-loosening—and a pull-no-punches campaign to
Loosening Up Downtown in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIt’s pretty rare for a Strip casino to get knocked out. Sure, more than a few have taken the standing eight count of bankruptcy, but usually, no matter how far in debt a casino gets, it produces enough cash flow that the lenders would rather see it open than closed. The Sahara’s scheduled May closure,
Requiem for (a Vegas) Methuselah Read More »
writingThis is in today’s Vegas Seven. Again, since it’s a short piece, there’s no online link, but here’s the text: Last spring, Harrah’s Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment) rolled out an offer that, for those who like to stretch their waistband without stretching their dollars, sounded almost too good to be true: the Buffet of Buffets,
Buffet of Buffets price hike Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingAbout 2 weeks ago, I interviewed Marilyn Spiegel for a profile piece in Vegas Seven. There are always space constraints, so I thought it would be a good idea to record the interview and post at at UNLV Gaming Podcasts, mostly so she can share her story in her own words. I”m having some issues
Marilyn Spiegel interview Read More »
news about gambling, writingPage 18 of Vegas Seven has a brief profile of our last Gaming Research Fellow, Dr. Darryl A. Smith. Don’t tell Darryl A. Smith that Las Vegas isn’t a thought-provoking town. The Bonanza High School graduate has long been fascinated by the tensions just underneath the city’s surface. He channeled his wanderlust into academics, pursuing
Short piece about Darryl A. Smith in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingFinally, another Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven. And this is a good one, too: It’s not often that a CEO becomes a hero by jumping off a building, but most CEOs aren’t like Frank Riolo. And most companies don’t operate observation towers attached to a Las Vegas casino. Since May 2008—just about the start
Frank Riolo’s leap of faith in Vegas 7 Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingIt’s Thursday, so I’ve got a Green Felt Journal column in Vegas Seven. This week, I dig a little deeper into the significance of the El Cortez’s Design-a-Suite Downtown competition: When the El Cortez announced the winner of its Design-a-Suite Downtown competition recently, the downtown stalwart did more than decide the look for its suites;
El Cortez suite competition winner in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingMy latest column in the Las Vegas Business Press is now available. In it, I consider Governor Sandoval’s recent call for modernization in Nevada’s gaming regulations: In his State of the State address, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval briefly noted the necessity of updating the state’s gaming regulations to reflect the new realities of 21st century
Sandoval’s message to gaming in the Las Vegas Business Press Read More »
Las Vegas Business Press, news about gambling, writingIt’s Thursday, which means another Green Felt Journal is available for your reading pleasure in Vegas Seven. This one is a look behind Station Casino’s recent hiring push: The local employment picture has been a dire one. In the past five years, the unemployment rate has more than tripled. That’s why a local company hiring
Station hiring in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingThis Thursday, there’s no local news section in Vegas Seven since it’s a special People issue. Instead, I wrote a brief profile of Kyle Markman, who’s been doing some very interesting things at Station Casinos: Kyle Markman knows how to throw a party. In June 2008, it was his job to set up a celebration
Kyle Markman profile in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingThe latest Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven is out. In it, I profile long-time Gaming Control Board inspector Patrick Wynn: Many Nevadans have transitioned into new jobs and even careers. Patrick Wynn is one of them. The former Nevada Gaming Control Board deputy chief of investigations, who recently retired after more than 31 years
Gaming insider talks in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingThis week in Vegas Seven‘s Green Felt Journal, I take look at an interesting letter Randall Sayre sent last month that, I think, we’d all do well to read: According to the letter from then-Gaming Control Board member Randall Sayre on Dec. 15, the board has investigated “numerous incidents” where databases containing personal and/or financial
Casino cyber security in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingThis month, I have a milestone Atlantic City history column in Casino Connection that celebrates one of the real personalities of Atlantic City, Tony “Mr. Wonderful” Grant: Today, most of the entertainment in Atlantic City comes courtesy of seasoned veterans and nationally known recording artists. Once, however, the city was a mecca for amateur performers
Tony Grant, Star Maker in Casino Connection AC Read More »
atlantic city, writingThis week in the Las Vegas Business Press, I finally get a chance to discuss the October Nevada gaming numbers: For both the state and the Strip, it was the third consecutive month of positive year-over-year revenue growth — as good a sign as any that, for now at least, the bleeding has stopped. At
October & the future in LVBP Read More »
Las Vegas Business Press, news about gambling, writingI missed this yesterday, but my latest Green Felt Journal column is out in Vegas Seven. It’s about some of the unusual events taking place at the Silverton: Santa is floating inside the 117,000-gallon aquarium at the Silverton Casino and Lodge, his white beard billowing as the parrot fish and stingrays glide by. He’s taking
Silverton goes off-beat in Vegas 7 Read More »
life in vegas, news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingIn my latest Las Vegas Business Press column, I talk about how the Cosmopolitan marks the beginning of an era on the Strip: With the opening of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, some observers believe we’;re seeing the end of an era. Unless the economy improves remarkably, it’;s likely the last new hotel-casino that will
Cosmopolitan will start an era in LVBP Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writing