Craftily arranged nouns, verbs, and more.
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 […]
Las Vegas Casinos Hope Sports Betting Will Change Their Luck Read More »
forbesMy 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
The Robot Invasion Of Las Vegas Might Be Horrifying (Or No Big Deal) | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy 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
Casinos Are Getting Nervous As Las Vegas Revenues Drop And Their Stocks Slump Read More »
forbesMy latest for Forbes looks at how one of my favorite places, the Natural History Museum, is getting the word out: Las Vegas is famous for its casinos, of course, and its nightlife, restaurants, and Cirque shows. But Jeff Civillico, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum’s new celebrity ambassador, would like you to think of
Las Vegas Strip Comedian Brings Celebrity Touch To Museum Outreach | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy latest (and most viewed to date) for Forbes reveals what Wynn’s parking validation plan means for the future of paid parking: To say that visitors were outraged is putting it lightly. Prices in Las Vegas, especially on the Strip, are as high as they’ve ever been, and adding another charge on top of resort
Wynn’s Reversal On Paid Parking A Sign Of Las Vegas Future | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy latest for Forbes considers possible downsides of changes to blackjack: For about two hundred years, blackjack was the casino equivalent of a benchwarmer. Into the 1950s, the most popular casino game in Las Vegas was craps, a rollicking, social game that was seen at its most colorful in Guys and Dolls. When the dice
Blackjack’s Rise And Fall Shows What Drives Customers Away | Forbes Read More »
forbesOne thing I liked about writing for Vegas Seven was being able to write about pro wrestlers, who are consistently the best interviews for me. When I saw a video of a Vegas-based wrestler and tribute artist had gone viral, I knew had a springboard for my first, and hopefully not last, wrestling column for
What You Don’t Know About The Man Behind That Moonwalk DDT | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy latest for Forbes looks at what it takes to go far in the World Series of Poker’s Main Event: It doesn’t seem like hard work when you first think about it. Pay a few hundred dollars to buy into a satellite tournament. Get a few lucky cards, win your seat in the World Series
How To Get To The World Series Of Poker Final Table | Forbes Read More »
forbesWith the World Series of poker underway, I decided to look first at the history of the game: The World Series of Poker, whose Main Event got underway last Monday, is today a global phenomenon, with thousands of players hoping to bluff and raise their way towards the millions of dollars at stake. Its first
The Surprisingly Humble, Forgotten Roots Of Poker’s Biggest Game | Forbes Read More »
forbesI wrote a little something to commemorate the Stardust’s 60th birthday for the Mob Museum: The Stardust opened in a blaze of fireworks on July 2, 1958. With its 1,000 guest rooms, it was bigger than any hotel previously opened in Las Vegas. Size, rather than style, was the hotel’s most prominent feature. Its 16,000-square-foot
The Stardust Hotel debuted 60 years ago | The Mob Museum Read More »
Vegas SevenMy latest for Forbes.com is a look into the revival of bingo in Las Vegas: Bingo’s not the newest game in town, but in the hyper-competitive Downtown Las Vegas market, one casino is using it to appeal to both traditional and younger players. While casinos often lose money at the game itself, its passionate players
Why Bingo Is A Secret Casino Jackpot | Forbes Read More »
forbesAs a teacher, one of the most gratifying things is seeing your students go out and make their own success. So writing this story for Forbes about one of my former students was a delight: Since last December, Michel, billed as “El Mentalista Meixcano” (the Mexican Mentalist) has starred in Ilusión Mental, a mind-reading show
The Mentalist Behind The Las Vegas Strip’s First All-Spanish Show | Forbes Read More »
forbesLast week for Forbes (how time flies!) I wrote about the ultimate impact the Vegas Golden Knights have had on Las Vegas: Speaking of on-ice accomplishments, it would be hard to script a better first season for the team. Even a Stanley Cup win would have been a worse outcome. To use a gambling analogy:
How The Vegas Golden Knights Made Ice Hockey #Vegasborn | Forbes Read More »
forbesI got interested in slot YouTubers a while back. Last week, two of them had their channels suspended, which made it newsworthy. This Forbes piece talks about the controversy: On June 3rd at 7:28 in the morning, Brian Christopher got an email from “The YouTube Team” telling him that his video, “Smokin’ Hot Gems, BIG
YouTube Slot Controversy Shows The Perils Of Your Side Hustle | Forbes Read More »
forbesIt’s been a few days, but last week I wrote something for Forbes about Joe Asher and Delaware’s first single-game sports bet: In the wake of PASPA’s repeal, many states have made their intentions to start taking legal bets clear. But Delaware was the first to act on its intentions. But it’s been a long
How It Felt To Book Delaware’s First Sports Bet | Forbes Read More »
forbesMy second piece for Forbes.com is a look at what the math of slot machines means for the casino and the player: Slot machines remain the most important money-making part of casinos in the United States. In many states, casinos make between 65 and 80 percent of their gambling income from slots. In Las Vegas,
How Casinos Use Math To Make Money When You Play The Slots | Forbes Read More »
forbes, writingMy first piece as a Forbes.com contributor takes a look at the April Nevada gaming numbers, and what they mean: The Gaming Revenue Report features numbers for all casinos in the state, broken down into 25 reporting areas, which sometimes overlap. For example, Clark County is a reporting area, but so is the Las Vegas
Why Las Vegas Casinos Had A Good April And What It Means | Forbes Read More »
forbes, writingAs I mentioned in my last post, Vegas Seven magazine has shut down. Again, I had an incredible run there, from the first issue to the final week, and couldn’t have asked to work with a better set of creative professionals. That being said, I have found a new home for my regular writing about
It took some time to see the light of day, but I hope this lengthy consideration of Hard Rock, Virgin, and Las Vegas is a worthy read: Richard Branson made a splash on March 30 when he announced that he and a group of investors had bought the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, with plans
What Richard Branson Means for Las Vegas and the Next Generation | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenMy latest for Vegas Seven is about “fake” history in a real community: There’s a lot of talk about how quick Las Vegas is to throw out its history. (“Las Vegas” being used as shorthand for the resort operators who make many important decisions about the region’s most prominently built environments.) What’s missing is how
Replicated History in the Community – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven