Craftily arranged nouns, verbs, and more.
In the latest Green Felt Journal, I talk about the importance of casino infrastructure: It’s not as sexy as a new restaurant opening or a big winner in a sports betting contest, but infrastructure—all the stuff that needs to work for any large building to operate—has been in the news quite a bit lately for […]
Why Las Vegas Casinos Need Better Infrastructure – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn my last Vegas Seven column of 2016, I look ahead to 2017: Having gotten through a year that has seen the first post-recession casino opening and the birth of paid parking on the Strip, 2017 will likely bring even more change. The year ahead will see many shifts in gaming and hospitality in Las
What Will Gaming Look Like in 2017? – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I wrote about the 15th anniversary of Green Valley Ranch: The resort opened with a bang—literally—on December 18, with a gigantic fireworks show at its pool area just before the official 9:30 p.m. unveiling of the casino. Then Station Casinos president Lorenzo Fertitta kicked the gambling off with Rande Gerber,
Where the Grass Is Greener – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenA new casino opened in Las Vegas. It’s only been six years since the last one. I wrote about it in my Green Felt Journal for Vegas Seven: When the Lucky Dragon had its official grand opening earlier this month, there were few surprises. After all, the casino had been open for nearly two weeks.
Lucky Dragon Casino Eyes Its Target in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenHow about those millennials? I’m more interesed in video games than demographics, but that seems to be the hook that is getting casinos interested in a different kind of gaming. You can now find tournaments at the Silver Sevens, as I talk about in the latest Green Felt Journal: Millennials—technically those born between 1980 and
Games Millennials Play – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThe El Cortez turned 75 earlier this month. I was there. I wrote about it for Vegas Seven: You might have missed the El Cortez’s 75th anniversary celebration. It didn’t have the glitz of Caesars Palace’s 50th, in which a summer of events and promotions culminated in a gala featuring stars of yesterday and today.
Links in the El Cortez Chain – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenSlow news day, so it’s a good time to post this week’s Green Felt Journal, a look at a Nevada startup that is hoping to bring fantasy sports betting to Nevada’s regulated environment: Calling itself “next generation Daily Fantasy Sports,” USFantasy Sports uses a pari-mutuel model, which means that players aren’t betting against the house.
The Fantasy Lives On – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week in Vegas Seven, I took a different look at Howard Hughes in Las Vegas. The story has been told plenty of times by lots of other people and even me (I first wrote about Hughes in Las Vegas in my dissertation back in 1999) but with the 50th anniversary of his arrival, I
Howard Hughes: Neon Ozymandias in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I look at the death of my former workplace, the Trump Taj Mahal: Even without the current Republican presidential candidate’s name on the building’s crest, the Taj is as perfect a symbol of Atlantic City’s quick decline as can be imagined. Opened in 1990 as the city’s largest, it
Lessons From the Fall of Atlantic City – Vegas Seven Read More »
atlantic city, Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at the new machines at this year’s just-concluded Global Gaming Expo: Some subtext of the 2016 show (if you haven’t been keeping up on recent gaming developments) is that the streak of expansion that drove the industry from the late 1980s is largely over; there
Casino Industry Makes a Bid for Millennial Attention – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI went full meta in this week’s Green Felt Journal. It was the first issue of a revamped Vegas Seven, so I talked with architect Brad Friedmutter about why Las Vegas hotels are constantly refreshing themselves: With that in mind, while the new look of your favorite casino or weekly magazine might take some getting
Redesign, Rebuild, Reconnect Remains a Must for Casinos – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I look back at the legacy of Parry Thomas, with an assist from Steve Wynn, who knew Thomas better than most: It’s no understatement that without Parry Thomas, Las Vegas would look much different today. Read more: E. Parry Thomas Built This City, One Loan at a Time –
E. Parry Thomas Built This City, One Loan at a Time – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThey blew up the last bits of the Riviera. I thought about it. I was sad. Then I thought about it some more. I was angry. Then I thought about it some more, and it made sense. I share some of that journey in my latest Green Felt Journal: It’s a Vegas tradition, this sacrificing
The Riv’s Quiet End – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI went to two ROH events last weekend. I had something to say about them for Vegas Seven. If you’re not a wrestling fan or don’t follow ROH, this might give you an idea of what you’re missing: And this—the action in the ring—is where ROH really excels. The opening tilt, a four-corners survival match to
My Thoughts on an ROH Weekend in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI had two pieces in Vegas Seven last week connected to Ring of Honor’s Las Vegas events. The first was an overview of Death Before Dishonor and the subsequent TV tapings: A global pro wrestling organization, Ring of Honor focuses more on in-ring action than World Wrestling Entertainment, the established “sports entertainment” kingpin, and its
ROH Overview & Jay Lethal Interview – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at the CEO transition at Scientific Games: In a move with big repercussions for the gaming industry, manufacturing giant Scientific Games recently announced that its chief executive officer, Gavin Issacs, is being replaced by former Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Kevin Sheehan. This is a major transition
CEO Shuffle at Scientific Games – Vegas Seven Read More »
Two Way Hard ThreeIn this week’s Vegas Seven, I’ve got a cover feature on the 50 years of Caesars Palace: Caesars Palace has always been more than the sum of its parts. Yes, it’s just a place where people pay for rooms, eat dinner, watch shows and gamble. But there remains something compelling about the property. It may
A Look Back at Caesars Palace in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Vegas Seven, I take a look at how real a possibility a major casino hack might be, and what cybersecurity problems casinos face: A recent Wendy’s hack exposed the credit card information of many of its customers. Coming on the heels of attacks on data ranging from infidelity dating site Ashley Madison
Hacks Pose Huge Threat to Casinos – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI’m continually impressed by the range of meetings that happen in Las Vegas. Here is my write-up of one that happened last week at Green Valley Ranch: It might be the wand that chooses the wizard, but it’s the Harry Potter enthusiast that chooses where she wants to share her fandom. Henderson’s Green Valley Ranch
Leviosa Con Proves Las Vegas Is Both Muggle- and Wizard-Friendly – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at a lower-profile casino perk, and the local group of entrepreneurs that it benefits: Smaller-time gamblers play for smaller perks: T-shirts, six packs of soda, even meat thermometers. So it’s not surprising to get a Boyd Gaming promotion offering the chance to redeem B Connected
The Artisan Craft Festival Is a Perk for Real People – Vegas Seven Read More »
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