life in vegas

People really like natural disasters–watching them on TV, at least. When one actually strikes and the electricity cuts out, the food supply dwindles, and indoor plumbing becomes a memory, I’m sure there’s not so much enthusiasm. And people really like Vegas. So, despite the fact that Las Vegas hasn’t yet suffered a major natural disaster,

We’ve known for a while that the legendary Gambler’s Book Club is for sale. So why isn’t anyone buying? John L. Smith of the LVRJ wonders about that, too: Picture Woody Allen’s cousin finally selling his business and taking a Caribbean cruise. He books his passage, locates a chaise lounge and applies copious amounts of

If a major casino lobbying group has its say, the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act will go into effect as it was passed. That’s the big news today–that the NRA (note: they don’t care about the 2nd amendment) is on the side of the anti-smokers. From the LVRJ: As they head back into court today,

No big news today, besides the big fire on Tropicana that seems to be under control (my office window has an unobstructed view), so here’s another marathon story from the LV Sun: It was 6:15 a.m. Sunday, and by then the New Las Vegas Marathon, which is actually the semi-new Las Vegas Marathon, considering this

The New Las Vegas Marathon went off yesterday, and it was quite an experience. From the LVRJ: The gang of a couple dozen Elvises hit mile five, and a few of them decided to hydrate — with cold cans of beer that they had gamely pushed along in a stroller. “It’s light beer,” said 57-year-old

It’s November sweeps, so you might have noticed your local TV news ratcheting things up a little. Los Angeles’s CBS2 made the drive up I-15 and gave viewers a very slickly-produced glimpse inside the Las Vegas Hilton’s Sky Villas. These three suites–the Verona, Tusancy, and Conrad–were Hilton’s 1994 reaction to the high-roller wars. I don’t

Since I’m two-thirds of the way through the Global Gaming Expo, I’ve reached capacity on gambling-related news and notes. So, instead of talking about EBITDA or racinos, I’m taking a moment to talk about something decidedly non-gambling. For an all-too-brief weekend, Las Vegas (or at least a very, very small part of it) will be

I’m off to get interviewed on “Face to Face with Jon Ralston” so I’ve got about thirty seconds to get this down. First, I was down at G2E yesterday and it is looking immense as always. Remember, I’m doing the signing in room N110 tomorrow at 1:30, so if you are at the show, stop

As of today, the legendary Stardust is closed. After forty-eight years, the Las Vegas Strip is without one of its most storied names. But how do you close down a casino? The LV Sun tells us: Tony Taeubel, until recently the general manager of the Stardust, can reel off the names of many of the

MGM Mirage and UNLV have had a good relationship for years, so I wasn’t surprised by this news, from Yahoo! Finance: The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the Invent the Future campaign leadership today announced the largest corporate scholarship donation ever received in the institution’s 49-year history. With a $1 million gift from

Remember when I said, in my analysis, that the Internet Gaming “ban” actually legalized Internet and wireless gaming inside Nevada? Well, take a look at the next big thing to hit poker, from Pokernews: A new wave of interactive gaming devices allowing casino patrons to play poker anywhere on a casino’s licensed property is on

For those of you who live outside the Silver State, yes, today is a holiday. It’s Nevada Day. And yes, this is a real holiday. Seriously. Almost no one is working at UNLV today, and most state offices, schools, and even some businesses are closed. The parking lots, which are usually overstuffed (a sore point

I’m happier posting my reviews of other people’s books here (see the previous entry) than linking to reviews of my own work, but Tim Peters’ review of Roll the Bones at Card Player was so on-target that I can’t resist. Here’s a sample: To what seems to be the majority of today’s poker players –

I just got an email press release from MGM Mirage with some new details about Project CityCenter’s residential component. First, there is a “residential gallery” open at Bellagio, which I think has been open for a while now (it was there about a month ago, at least). Second, there are details–and names–for all of the