In today’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at what the more restrained growth of the gaming industry will mean for Las Vegas: The American gaming scene is changing. Call it maturation, or an adaptation to the post-recession, long-recovery economy, but the industry is shifting. For the past generation, expansion has been the rule, […]
The End of Empire-Building? in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingI’ve got a very special Green Felt Journal out in today’s Vegas Seven. No, it’s not like a “very special episode” of Diff’rent Strokes or The Fact of Life that’s going to pontificate on a current social issue. Instead, I’m talking about the usual stuff I talk about in that space–gambling, casinos, and tourism–but in a
My Boardwalk Homecoming in Vegas Seven Read More »
atlantic city, Vegas Seven, writingThis week in the Green Felt Journal I wanted to revisit an issue that continue to be relevant: casino debt loads” It’s the dark matter of the Las Vegas casino business: there, but not readily apparent to the naked eye. You can spy reflections of it in deferred maintenance and longer check-in lines on the
Debt Matters in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingMy next Vegas Seven contribution is a short piece about the strange mixing of the past and present that’s coming to define Downtown Las Vegas: Downtown continues to mine a balanced—and, so far, successful—strategy of mixing Old Vegas nostalgia with modernized amenities. Nowhere is the Janus-faced approach that’s come to define downtown as apparent as
Time Travel on Fremont Street in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingToday’s a big day for me in Vegas Seven. I’ve got four different pieces in the magazine. Let’s start with the cover, which is some VT-inspired musings on Hunter S. Thompson, influence on Vegas literati: July 18 would have been Hunter S. Thompson’s 75th birthday. His name is linked with Las Vegas; more specifically, with
Vegas in the Gonzo Mirror in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingToday, I can offer you a double-shot of prose pieces featuring a game called Double Action Roulette. First, this week’s Green Felt Journal takes a look at the odds against new table games, focusing on Double Action Roulette: Sometimes it seems like there are more people with ideas for new casino games than gamblers. From
Double Double Action in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingToday’s Vegas Seven includes a short piece I wrote about a Las Vegas start-up that’s worth looking at: Walls 360, a local wall-graphics producer, has just announced a partnership with Moshi Monsters, an online virtual pet community think Neopets meets Pokémon with 65 million registered pre-teen users. And the company, which is based just south
Wall-Spocks Are the Future in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingA few weeks ago I got to sit down and talk with a UNLV grad who’s gone pretty far in the Vegas hotel business and is poised to go further. The results of that talk? Today’s Vegas Seven cover story, a profile of Jon Gray: For one, the $550 million shopping and entertainment district between
Jon Gray and Linq in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingYesterday I wrote a blog piece for Vegas Seven about the significance of Fertitta Interactive launching Ultimate Gaming: The story here isn’t so much the debut of a new online gaming platform. It’s the way that Ultimate will be branded and marketed. The Fertittas will align their betting platform with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the
Fertittas, UFC, and Online Gaming in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingYesterday (June 20) was the 65th anniversary of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel’s murder. Vegas Seven editor Greg Blake Miller asked me to write something about it, and I thought it would be a good time to introduce someone I’ve recently met, Bernie Sindler, who actually knew Siegel. I share a little of Sindler’s story and his
Siegel’s Shadow in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn today’s Green Felt Journal, I look at whether tending bar is the new dealing: For decades, becoming a casino dealer was a guaranteed ticket to a middle-class income, even without the benefit of a college education or long vocational training. But because of changes in technology and in the casino business itself, bartending is
Are Bartenders the New Dealers? in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingThis week, there’s no Green Felt Journal column, but I have two stories in Vegas Seven nevertheless. The first is a look at what I consider to be one of the most interesting things about Sunset Station, the Gaudi Bar. Sunset Station has just celebrated its 15th anniversary: As Sunset Station turns 15 this month,
Worst Night Ever and a Prescient Casino Bar in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingIn the Green Felt Journal available in today’s Vegas Seven, I take a look at the real impact of the Electric Daisy Carnival on Las Vegas: Generally speaking, if you want to bring an event to Las Vegas, the town is happy to oblige, provided you do three things: 1. Fill rooms with people who
Electric Daisy Economics in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week in Vegas Seven, I’ve got a short piece about why BMM’s move to the gaming tech corridor is significant: The gaming-testing lab BMM International announced in late May that it was moving its world headquarters from its current Eastern Avenue digs to the south-of-McCarran industrial area that’s become the city’s gaming-tech corridor—an area
The Rise of the Gaming-Tech Corridor in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week in Vegas Seven, I have a Latest Thought that looks back at the life and career of Stuart Mason, as viewed through the lens of something you don’t hear enough about in Las Vegas, at least in the news: community: We’ve all heard the stereotype: Las Vegas is nothing more than a transient
Moving Mountains, Building a City in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingIn today’s Vegas Seven, I have an About Town profile of the work Russell Joyner’s done with Miracle Mile Shops: The International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual REcon event is the Super Bowl for retail real estate professionals. It’s going on right now at the Las Vegas Convention Center, so all eyes in the shopping-mall
Miracle Man & More in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingAs you might know, a month ago, sbe Entertainment Group sent out a press release with some details of the financing of the putative SLS Las Vegas. I was skeptical, as were others. Last week, the company sent out a second press release, which provided more details. I still had questions, so, wearing my Vegas
With Oseland Aboard, SLS Could Be a Winner in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingThis week in the Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven, I take a look at the massive renovation of the MGM Grand: If you’ve been to the MGM Grand in the past few months—or even checked its website—you probably noticed that they’re renovating the place. And that might not seem like such a big deal—casinos
Renovating the Grand and more in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingThis week in Vegas Seven’s Green Felt Journal, I look at someone who’s making some waves Downtown: Although the energy of Tony Hsieh and other non-gamers has helped fuel the transformation of downtown Las Vegas, a cadre of Fremont Street casino owners also deserve credit. Derek Stevens is prominent among them. via The Man Behind
The Man Behind The D in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingThis week in Vegas Seven, I take a look at why the GSA scandal at the M Resort happened in the first place, and why it will probably happen again: Las Vegas is back in the national headlines as a place where responsible people shouldn’t be wasting their money. Last time, it was executives for
Digging into the GSA scandal in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writing