My piece in the Las Vegas Business Press about the beginning of the end in Atlantic City is out: Historians have taken the date 476 A.D. and the deposition of Romulus Augustus, the last Roman emperor, as the “official” date of the fall of the Roman Empire, even though at the time most Western Europeans […]
Fall of the Boardwalk Empire? Read More »
atlantic city, news about gamblingIn the course of researching an upcoming Vegas Seven story on how casinos use Twitter, I finally broke down and created an account for the Center for Gaming Research. As of today, I am tweeting as… @unlvgaming If you are on Twitter and want to keep up to date on what’s going on, go ahead
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what's newHarrah’s Entertainment plans to go public again, but not for a few years. This isn’t really a surprise, but the timeline is noteworthy, as are the “developments” that the company awaits. From Reuters: Harrah's Entertainment, which was taken private by TPG and Apollo Management in January 2008, could launch an initial public offering five to
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news about gamblingI think that’s me, when my legit first response to this article is, “Boy oh boy! The 2009 Nevada Gaming Abstract’s out at last! It’s gonna be a great week!” Mostly, it’s because now I’ll be able to update Nevada pages over at http://gaming.unlv.edu, but I’ve actually been looking forward to this for months. You
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news about gambling, what's newIan James Corlett. Illustrated by R.A. Holt. E is for Ethics: How to Talk to Kids About Morals, Values, and What Matters Most. New York: Atria Books, 201. 111 pages. Most people would say that ethics aren’t something that parents can teach, that they can only show them by example. That may be true, but
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book reviewsThis is one of those moment of ambivalence that we all face at some time or another. On one hand, I’m pretty happy to be finished working on the 2009 Nevada gaming breakdown (pdf) and the Nevada Gaming Revenue:Long-term trends report (pdf). On the other, the actual data in those reports aren’t really happy fun
A decade of decline? Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingIt’s Thursday, which means another Green Felt Journal column in Vegas Seven. Here’s the crux of what I call the “split-level strategy”: So casinos are pursuing a “split-level” strategy that harks back to the 1970s and earlier—keeping prices low for bargain hunters while pursuing high-end play at the baccarat tables. It’s not the mid-1980s approach
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news about gambling, writingThe centerpiece casino of the Lake Las Vegas development announced today that it will be closing. Following the news that the Ritz Carlton is soon to close, this raises even more questions about the future of the development–and ties into a Nevada gaming trend that pre-dates the recession. From the LV Sun: Casino MonteLago at
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life in vegas, news about gamblingGary Myers. The Catch: One Play, Two Dynasties, and the Game that Changed the NFL. New York:Crown Publishers, 2009. 304 pages. With the Super Bowl behind us, here’s a review of a book about another momentous NFL game. THE CATCH is filled with good reportage, including interviews from many of the key surviving figures of
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book reviewsNo Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven this week because of a production error, but there’s always next week to look forward to, and I’ve got a piece about the promotion of Las Vegas in the Business Press this week: Maybe it isn't. While the ads are amusing and have a fair shot of “going
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life in vegas, writingThe 2009 Nevada gaming numbers are in, and they are not exactly encouraging. From the LVRJ: Gaming revenues in Nevada fell 10.4 percent in 2009, the largest single year decline in state history. Casinos statewide collected almost $10.392 billion from gamblers during the year, the lowest one-year total since 2003 according to figures released this
…at least as far as the LVCVA is concerned. The December and year-end visitor numbers, minus the gaming figures for now, was just released. Here are some highlights from the executive summary: December: Visitor volume up 1.5%, room inventory up 6% compared to December 2008. 2009 (total): Visitor volume down 3%, room inventory up 6%
Checking the headlines in the AC Press as of 2PM Pacific time, I couldn’t find a word about the seemingly-momentous decision of MGM Mirage to sell its stake in Borgata. This is curious, since you would think that having one of the biggest casino companies in the world, which at one point had billions of
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atlantic city, news about gamblingCharlie Huston. Sleepless: A Novel. New York: Ballantine Books, 2010. 368 pages. Charlie Huston’s latest novel is a thought-provoking mix of several strands: noirish mystery, police procedural, hard medical science fiction (think ANDROMEDA STRAIN), dystopian near-future Los Angeles, narco-thriller, zombie horror-fest, and philosophical love story. It’s a credit to the author that all of these
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book reviewsFor a while now, I’ve been dropping hints about an article on resort fees that I’ve been working on. I’ve been a little more mysterious than usual because the magazine I wrote it for hadn’t been published yet. Well, it’s out at last, in the debut issue of Vegas Seven magazine. It’s the first in
Russians no longer have to worry about being without casinos–a new one has opened up in the south of the massive county. From Fox News: Half a year after Russia closed all of it's gambling casinos and slot-machine halls, the first new casino opened Saturday under a plan to limit legalized gambling to four comparatively
According to a WSJ report, MGM Mirage has decided to sell its interest in the Borgata and presumably close the door on any future developments in Atlantic City: For years, New Jersey regulators have raised concerns about the suitability of casino company MGM Mirage's business partner in China. Now, MGM Mirage has an answer: cash
Other shoe about to drop in AC? Read More »
atlantic city, news about gambling…is working the casino circuit, and at Caesars Palace, no less: President Bill Clinton will speak at The Colosseum @CaesarsPalace on Mon., Feb. 22 at 7:30pm. Tickets go on sale Monday! via The Colosseum ColosseumatCP on Twitter. Why do I say “another?” About a year and a half ago, Mikhail Gorbachev played the Seminole Hard
Another former head of state… Read More »
gambling & culture, news about gamblingLinn Mills and Dick Post. Nevada Gardener’s Guide. Revised Edition. Franklin, Tennessee: Cool Springs Press, 2001. 272 pages. Few, if any, people move to Nevada for the gardening, but it is possible to grow a healthy and productive garden in the Silver State. In the NEVADA GARDENER’S GUIDE, authors Linn Mills and Dick Post–respected authorities
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book reviewsThere are a lot of corporate and property newsletters out there, and most of them promote upcoming deals, salute big winners, and generally promote the fun that’s going on. Wynn’s newsletter, though, takes it a step further–you actually learn more about the properties in some of the articles. Instead telling you when you can get
Moments of discovery Read More »
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