In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I talk about two of Derek Stevens’ latest moves in Downtown Las Vegas. How are they tied to the past? The past few weeks have offered a good perspective on the dance between old Vegas, new Vegas and new old Vegas that characterizes our times. In particular, two incidents […]
Derek Stevens Looks Toward Downtown’s Past to See Its Future – Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThe El Cortez turned 75 earlier this month. I was there. I wrote about it for Vegas Seven: You might have missed the El Cortez’s 75th anniversary celebration. It didn’t have the glitz of Caesars Palace’s 50th, in which a summer of events and promotions culminated in a gala featuring stars of yesterday and today.
Links in the El Cortez Chain – 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
The Revival of Casino History in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenWhen Derek Stevens started accepting Bitcoin at The D and Golden Gate, I became curious: How did he make the decision to do this, and why? The result of my curiosity is this week’s Green Felt Journal: Sometimes a story about newfangled technology doubles as one about old-fashioned neighborhood gumption. When The D and the
What Does Bitcoin’s Downtown Presence Say About Las Vegas—and the Future? | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenLast Thursday, I took part in Frequency, DTLV.com’s interview series. It was a great night, and I’m thrilled that the event was recorded so that you can see it for yourself:
Watch Frequency With David G. Schwartz, William Swaney and Wassa Coulibaly
I’d like to thank my friend and editor Greg Miller for being a great interviewer—wonderful questions and we could have talked for much, much longer.
Watch Grandissimo on Frequency Read More »
interviewLast Thursday, I took part in Frequency, DTLV.com’s interview series. It was a great night, and I’m thrilled that the event was recorded so that you can see it for yourself:
Watch Frequency With David G. Schwartz, William Swaney and Wassa Coulibaly
I’d like to thank my friend and editor Greg Miller for being a great interviewer—wonderful questions and we could have talked for much, much longer.
Watch Grandissimo on Frequency Read More »
interviewI’m thrilled to be taking part in the next Frequency event at The Beat in Downtown Las Vegas. Here’s all the info you need:
Just in case that image didn’t display for you, the event is on February 13 at 7 PM, live in The Beat, 520 Fremont St Las Vegas, NV 89101.
I hope to see you there!
Live Event! Frequency @ The Beat Read More »
eventsIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at the origin of the Fremont Street Experience: Fremont Street and the downtown casinos might be on the verge of a renaissance. Several casinos have reinvented themselves with renovations and expansions that try to blend nostalgia, modern comforts and value. But this isn’t the first
The Experience of Fremont in Vegas Seven Read More »
life in vegas, Vegas Seven, writingI didn’t have a chance to share this yesterday, but this week’s Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven is about the Mob Museum’s impact on its casino neighbors Downtown: The really interesting story in the wake of the Mob Museum’s Feb. 14 debut will be how the museum reacts to its downtown casino neighbors—and how
Mob Neighbors in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas Seven, writingThis week in my Green Felt Journal column I talk a little about the role of food in marketing a casino, the future of Downtown, and how the Plaza’s going to fare by looking at Terence Fong’s Island Sushi. From Vegas Seven: In that light, recruiting chef Terence Fong, owner of Henderson’s Island Sushi and
Island Sushi rundown plus social media talk in Vegas Seven Read More »
Two Way Hard ThreeA while ago I posted that report on Nevada gaming revenue trends from 1984 to 2010. I decided to write an extended opinion piece about one facet of that report for the Las Vegas Business Press (not the Las Vegas Journal-Business Review): In general, the past quarter century has been good for Nevada gaming: revenues
Downtown as an example in the LVBP Read More »
Las Vegas Business PressHere’s a Vegas Seven story I had a lot of fun writing, about Downtown’s analog to the Cosmopolitan’s “hidden” pizzeria: a hidden casino: By now, everyone’s heard about the Cosmopolitan’s secret pizzeria. There’s no sign, and it’s down a hallway decorated with LPs, but they do serve a tasty slice. Apparently, a lot of people
Find DT’s hidden casino in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThe new Vegas Seven is available online now, and I’ve got an interesting piece about some happenings Downtown: The folks running downtown’s Las Vegas Club hotel-casino think the slot players are right. PlayLV, which operates the club for the multinational investment group Tamares, has embarked on an ambitious course of slot-loosening—and a pull-no-punches campaign to
Loosening Up Downtown in Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIt’s Thursday, so I’ve got a Green Felt Journal column in Vegas Seven. This week, I dig a little deeper into the significance of the El Cortez’s Design-a-Suite Downtown competition: When the El Cortez announced the winner of its Design-a-Suite Downtown competition recently, the downtown stalwart did more than decide the look for its suites;
El Cortez suite competition winner in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingVegas Seven is back on its weekly schedule after its end-of-year double issue, which means that today you have a brand new Green Felt Journal to read. It’s about how smaller casinos competing with the New Year’s parties on the Strip: The lion’s share of that haul goes to the big Strip resorts, which host
New Year’s Off-Strip in Vegas Seven Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingThis week’s Green Felt Journal is about the El Cortez: In many ways, the El Cortez is the anti-CityCenter. Built in 1941, it’s the oldest continuously operating hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Its most prominent feature—the “new” neon sign—was installed in 1946. It has only 364 guest rooms, and, for better or worse, it’s in the
Old-school at the eC Read More »
news about gambling, writingIs the law of supply and demand catching up with casino hotels in Las Vegas? Binion’s hotel downtown is closing, which may be a sign of things to come if casinos aren’t able to raise their room rates and/or maintain high occupancy. From the LV Sun: Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel in downtown Las Vegas
An alternative to low room rates? Read More »
news about gamblingThe Las Vegas Sun has a graphical “snapshot” of gaming revenue numbers for the past five years: Gaming win at Clark County casinos – Las Vegas Sun. As far as revenue per game/slot goes, this is an interesting graphic because even if this number remains constant gaming revenues will still decrease, as there has been
Gaming win at Clark County casinos – Las Vegas Sun Read More »
news about gamblingThe gaming industry lost another pioneer this week, Jeanne Hood, who led downtown Las Vegas’ Four Queens for many years. From the LVRJ: Hood took over as president and chief executive officer of the Four Queens upon the death of her husband, David Hood, in 1977. In 1985, she became president and chief executive officer
Another pioneer passes Read More »
news about gamblingI saw this back on Sunday in the LVRJ and thought I’d share it: The Vegas Club has introduced a new low-limit “Fetish Pit” beginning at 7 p.m. every Thursday through Saturday. Dealers are dressed as “naughty nurses,” “sexy school girls,” “risqué female cops” or “leather-clad biker chicks” while pole dancers perform on a raised