This week’s feature in Vegas Seven is a lot of fun. A bunch of Seven writers contributed brief thoughts on what might have happened in things had turned out a little differently at various points in Las Vegas history. It’s alt-history for Vegas: So, in the interest of preserving our own sanity, we’re taking the […]
Stories Never Told, of a City That Never Was | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week’s Green Felt Journal dissects the reality behind the numbers in the Gaming Abstract: Each year, the Gaming Control Board releases a massive document that charts the performance of the state’s casinos for the previous fiscal year, broken down by geographic area and income. The release of the 2014 Nevada Gaming Abstract crystallizes the
Nongaming Activities Continue to Pay the Bills for Strip Casinos | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week’s Green Felt Journal, partially written in my head while hanging out at the Discovery Children’s Museum last week, is about the tug of war between locals and visitors in Las Vegas: Sometimes, it can seem that life in Southern Nevada is a big zero-sum game. With limited money to spend in both the
The Locals vs. Tourists Balancing Act | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenLike most people, you probably want to start your New Year with a discussion of historic Las Vegas. I can’t think of many better ways to do that than at this talk I’m giving as part of Mob Month on Tuesday, January 6 at 7 PM at the Clark County Library: Mob Month 2015 –
Talk about the Kefauver Committee, Tuesday 1/6 Read More »
what's newIn John L. Smith’s rundown of good Vegas history books, Grandissimo had a positive mention:
Las Vegas has been home to some great characters, and Circus Circus creator Jay Sarno was perhaps the most remarkable. UNLV’s David G. Schwartz tells his story in “Grandissimo: The First Emperor of Las Vegas: How Jay Sarno Won a Casino Empire, Lost It, and Inspired Modern Las Vegas.” Sarno’s life and style were surely a challenge to describe, and Schwartz did an incredible job.
Books on Nevada’s colorful past, cast of characters make great gifts
I’m grateful to John for the kind words. It’s always validating when your work is well received.
Nice mention in the LVRJ Read More »
UncategorizedIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider how strict regulation with room for discretion helped save Nevada gaming in the 1960s: Sawyer’s “hang tough” policy emerged at a crucial time: Bobby Kennedy’s Justice Department would ratchet up pressure on Nevada casinos starting in 1961, and without the good-faith efforts of Sawyer’s appointees to clean
How a Few Regulators Saved the Nevada Gaming Industry | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIt’s really easy for me to notice when NFR is in town because it’s marginally harder for me to park at UNLV. But what does NFR really mean to the rest of the city? I’ve already gone the economic impact route, so this time I started thinking a little less literally: It’s hard not to
National Finals Rodeo Goes Beyond Local Economics | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt , I consider how Las Vegas might just have a few lessons for Macau after all: Once those architects began planning resorts, however, it became apparent that Asia was not Las Vegas, and that what worked so well here for the previous generation—large slot parlors with table-gaming cores—was not at
What Macau Can Learn from Las Vegas | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider the 150-year history of Nevada and gambling, and wonder what the future will hold: The original match wasn’t exactly a marriage of convenience, but it wasn’t a forbidden romance, either. When Nevada joined the Union in 1864, it soberly criminalized the gambling that had been rampant—as it was
Is Nevada Moving Away From Gambling? | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I discuss how Las Vegas faces change: Now let’s broaden that concept and consider how Las Vegas not just the casino industry responds to changes dealt to it externally. For example, earlier this month, gay marriage became legal in Nevada. Almost immediately, the question being asked wasn’t whether Nevada’s
There were many interesting things at this year’s G2E. In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I discuss a few that stood out to me: Among the more important topics addressed at the annual Global Gaming Expo, held earlier this month at the Sands Expo Center, focused on an industry in transition. Even as the number
Game Changers From the Global Gaming Expo | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week, I offer some thoughts on casino saturation in the Green Felt Journal: One-third of Atlantic City’s casinos have closed this year. Simultaneously, new casinos are under construction or on the drawing board in surrounding states. So how many casinos are too many? More pressingly, has the industry reached the saturation point? via For
For the Gaming Industry, How Much Is Too Much? | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week, the 2014 Nevada Press Association awards were announced. I was fortunate to receive two awards From UNLV Special Collections’ blog: Special Collections is excited to announce that our colleague, David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research, recently received two awards in the Nevada Press Association’s 2014 Better Newspaper contest, thanks
2014 NPA Award winner! Read More »
Vegas SevenAs an Atlantic City native and an observer of the casino scene, I’ve gotten asked my opinion on what’s happening there. I’m glad to have the chance to write a column that summarizes how I feel. It’s a bit of a history lesson and a cautionary tale: Atlantic City casinos prospered in those years because
What Atlantic City Needs to Learn From Las Vegas | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenI’m really excited to be a part of this. Tomorrow night I get to present a live commentary track for the movie Casino along with Oscar Goodman: This Wednesday, September 10, at Inspire, DTLV.com and Vegas Seven are bringing some of your favorite Las Vegas films together with some of those deep thinkers. The Seven Essential Vegas
Join Me and Oscar at Inspire to Talk Casino Read More »
life in vegasHere is this week’s Green Felt Journal, on the opening of SLS–and what it means: The Sahara’s closing on May 16, 2011, was significant in more ways than one: It was not only the demise of one of the Strip’s few remaining classic casinos, but it essentially marked the depth of the Great Recession. So
The Strip’s New Monkey Business | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenHere I am posing with the book at the Caesars store in the Forum Shops.
The store is directly off the casino exit to the Forum Shops. Walk out of the casino, turn right, and you can’t miss it.
Grandissimo and the author at the Forum Shops Read More »
UncategorizedJay Sarno revolutionized Las Vegas with Caesars Palace, so it’s only fitting that Grandissimo is now on sale there. There is some symbolism in the fact that it went on sale yesterday, August 5, which was the 48th anniversary of Caesars’ wild opening—a day that Grandissimo talks about in great detail.
Right now, you can get the book in two locations. The first is the Caesars store in the Forum Shops, just to the right as you exit the casino.
Here is a shot of a few books in their natural setting:
if you’re strolling down the Appian Way, you can pick up a copy at Emperor’s Essentials:
The book is just inside the front door.
I’d like to thank Sherell Bartley at Caesars Entertainment retail and the staff of both stores for making the book available.
Buy Grandissimo at Caesars Palace Read More »
UncategorizedFor those waiting to buy Grandissimo as an audiobook, you don’t have to wait any longer. Narrated by Eric Martin, the unabridged version of Grandissimo is now available as an 11.5 hour audiobook.
You can listen to a sample and buy it here:
I’d like to thank Eric for helping me realize my dream of offering Grandissimo as an audiobook, and to all of the friends and readers who have given me encouragement. I hope that you enjoy the audiobook.
Grandissimo Audiobook Now Available Read More »
authorForty-eight years ago today, Caesars Palace opened, and Las Vegas never was the same again.
August 5, 1966, was the start of the three-day celebration that introduced the world to Jay Sarno’s vision of Las Vegas. Though there were plenty of skeptics, the opening was a smash and the property never looked back.
Here’s Jay Sarno, in a photo taken the night Caesars opened.
And here’s Nate Jacobson, Jay’s partner and the president of Caesars Palace, with the guest of honor, Jimmy Hoffa.
If you’d like to learn more about that night (and the day that preceded it, here is an excerpt from Grandissimo detailing Jay’s life on August 5, 1966.
And if you like that, you might want to read a copy of the whole book.
Happy 48th Birthday, Caesars Palace Read More »
author