In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider the changes that swept Las Vegas thanks to an arrival over Thanksgiving weekend, 1966. For the weekend, though, it was business as usual. That Friday, 5,000 doctors arrived for an American Medical Association convention. Don Rickles could be seen at the Sahara’s Casbar lounge. And a young
How Howard Hughes Changed Las Vegas Forever – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I introduce you to Bernie Sindler, Meyer Lansky’s one-time protege and a new author. When card games were dealt in clubs and private homes, when the mob ran most American gambling and when Las Vegas was barely an idea, Bernie Sindler was there. Read More Read more: Mob Protégé Bernie
Mob Protégé Bernie Sindler Tells All – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I talk about a truly amazing group that recently visited Las Vegas: The men gathered in this room, however, are extraordinary. They are members of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the United States military. Read
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Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider what I found on the G2E expo floor: It was clear that the big question asked last year at the expo—how to appeal to a new generation of gamblers—has not been fully answered, but we got several tantalizing glimpses of the future. Old-School Is New Again at
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Vegas SevenThe day has arrived: Boardwalk Playground, my latest book, is now available for purchase via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This book started as a series of columns for Casino Connection magazine, and I have edited, updated, and supplemented those original columns to bring the story up to date. Unlike my earlier books, this one isn’t
BOARDWALK PLAYGROUND is now available Read More »
atlantic city, writingIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I talk about the latest inductees into the Gaming Hall of Fame: The American Gaming Association recently announced three new inductees entering the Gaming Hall of Fame this fall: bookmaking pioneer Victor Salerno, tribal gaming advocate Lynn Valbuena and longtime industry executive Larry Woolf. Let’s get to know the
Gaming Hall’s Class of ’15 in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I look at the comeback of history in Downtown Las Vegas: On the heels of the Las Vegas Club’s closing comes news that a revived interest in casino history is spreading on Fremont Street. Read More: The Revival of Casino History – Vegas Seven I like this development–Las Vegas
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Vegas SevenAfter 28 days, my Kickstarter campaign to publish Boardwalk Playground has wrapped up. Thanks to the generosity and support of 58 backers, I raised the funds I needed to cover the production costs of my next book. What’s next? I have had the book proofread, and have laid out the photos. Right now it is
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book, writingIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider the last hours and legacy of the just-closed Las Vegas Club, which is likely destined for better things. It is a name—a generic one, but a name nonetheless—that has been part of Nevada history even before the 1931 relegalization of commercial gaming. In early April of that
Las Vegas Club’s End Marks a New Beginning – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI have launched my latest Kickstarter campaign, Publish Boardwalk Playground. I am seeking funding to help me publish my new book, called Boardwalk Playground: The Making, Unmaking, & Remaking of Atlantic City. It’s the culmination of a long dream for me. You can visit the Kickstarter page to see the project video (mostly me
Boardwalk Playground Kickstarter is live! Read More »
bookIn this week’s Vegas Seven, the Green Felt Journal is about the continuing menace of illegal gambling and why it matters to Las Vegas: With the proliferation of legal casino gaming throughout the country, it’s tempting to think of illegal play as something from a bygone time. But if you’ve been keeping up with the
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Vegas SevenI have some exciting news to share: I have a new book coming out, and you can be a part of it. If you’re familiar with my work, you may have seen my articles about Atlantic City history in Casino Connection magazine. Each month (for about 8 years), I wrote about an aspect of that
New Book Coming & You Can Help! Read More »
atlantic city, what's newIn this week’s Vegas Seven, I have a cover story on the frustrating summer of 1955–a year that has plenty to teach Las Vegas 2015: Lanza’s no-show aside, opening night at the New Frontier was regarded as a success. One of the Strip’s first resorts had reinvented itself for the Atomic Age, bigger and
The Long, Hot Summer of ’55 | Vegas Seven Read More »
life in vegas, Vegas Seven, writingIn my latest Green Felt Journal, I look at the importance of the new Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee: Las Vegas may be breaking tourism records—May was the city’s busiest month ever, with more than 3.7 million visitors—but that doesn’t mean it’s time to get complacent. Governor Brian Sandoval must understand this, since he’s assembled a
How to Keep Las Vegas’ Forward Momentum Rolling – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I look at the resurgence of locals casinos in Las Vegas: Since the recession, the locals casino market has endured some tough times, but the 2015 numbers so far suggest those tough times might be over. In particular, North Las Vegas and Boulder Strip properties, after several rough years,
Locals Casinos Are Back in Business in Vegas Seven Read More »
authorIn this week’s Vegas Seven, I look back at the legacy of Kirk Kerkorian: When Kirk Kerkorian died June 15 at the age of 98, Las Vegas didn’t just lose a visionary whose fingerprints are all over the city’s most recognizable chunk of real estate. It lost a man whose accomplishments will almost certainly never again
Kirk Kerkorian, 1917-2015 | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider the somewhat-unlikely rise of sports betting in Nevada gaming: Why did Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, on the eve of the close to the legislative session, sign bills that will expand the reach of sportsbooks? Why is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie suing the federal government to allow
Sports Betting Hits It Big in the Casino Industry | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Vegas Seven, I consider whether the current good times in Las Vegas are here to stay: Your odds would be much the same without a system, but there’s something to be said for the comfort of a system. You’re not at the mercy of blind fate; you are following a game plan
How Long Will Las Vegas’ Hot Streak Last? | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider the importance of the recent sale of the Tropicana Las Vegas: But lost in the Riviera/Resorts World news cycle was the announcement of another Strip milestone—one that may have more significance for Las Vegas’ short-term future: The Tropicana has a new owner, national casino operator Penn National
A New Era for the Tropicana? | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI have the cover story in this week’s Vegas Seven. It’s a look at the final days of the Riviera: But the Riviera, unlike the Fontainebleau, won’t go down in Las Vegas history as a failure. It was, after all, a Strip hotel that kept its doors open for 60 years. And in Las Vegas, that’s
The Last Days of the Riviera | Vegas Seven Read More »
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