This 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 SevenOn Friday, October 28, I’ll be taking part in the Mob Museum’s Nevada Day festivities, signing books in the bookstore (where else) from 3-4 PM. Here is more info about the event: Nevada Day at the Mob Museum. They say it’s a book signing, but in full disclosure I’ll sign just about anything you want
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life in vegasIn 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 SevenI’ve been asked what I think about the Taj closing. If you didn’t know, I worked there for about 3 years (1994/95, 1998, 2000) so this one literally hit close to home for me. I had the chance to write about it for the Washington Post’s Post Everything, so I did: Behind the campaign-related headlines,
Donald Trump, the Taj, & Atlantic City in The Washington Post Read More »
atlantic cityIn 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 »
Vegas SevenI got the opportunity to write a piece about how the NHL’s announcement it is coming to Las Vegas fits in with the history of gambling for the Washington Post. Here is a small sample: In that atmosphere, professional sports — whose legitimacy has at times been tainted by gambling-related scandals from the infamous 1919
Reading the VegasTripping review of the new Julius Tower rooms, I was struck by the art. So I wrote my latest Green Felt Journal about it: Usually, hotel room art at best presents a regional accent; at worst, it says nothing and moves no one. For the creatives at KNA Design, the distinctly Caesars touch
Caesars’ Room Art Gives Guests Something to Gawk At – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI’ve got two pieces in this week’s Vegas Seven about the upcoming Money in the Bank pay per view at T-Mobile Arena. This first is a look at the event itself: Oh, Las Vegas, don’t you dare be sour … come to the T-Mobile Arena and feel the power. For the first time in eight
Money in the Bank & Big E in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at seasonality in Las Vegas: How seasonal are gaming and tourism in Las Vegas? My hometown, Atlantic City, had a well-defined busy season: Memorial Day to just after Labor Day (the Miss America Pageant was created to extend the summer an extra week). Vegas has its
How Seasonal Are Gaming and Tourism? – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week’s Green Felt Journal is a night in the life of an esports lounge in a Las Vegas casino. In other words, exactly what I thought I’d be writing about when I went to graduate school. I love that this is a concept that you might not be able to explain if you time
E-sports Start to Take Hold of Casinos’ Imaginations – Vegas Seven Read More »
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