I’m going to be on Face to Face with Jon Ralston tonight, talking about the effects of the economic slowdown on outlying casino markets like Mesquite, Jean, and Primm. If you’re in the Las Vegas area, you can watch on Las Vegas One (channel 19) at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 10:30 p.m. and […]
I caught this wide-eyed Vegas puff piece on an Australian news website, and I had to laugh. I’ll spare you the article, but here are the tips. I’ll let my readers deconstruct them at will. From NEWS.com.au: # Stay on The Strip. All the action is there and everywhere else is a bust. Try to
Vegas tips from Oz Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingA reporter for that well-known bastion of literary tradition, the LV Sun, has weighed in on the reading habits of Las Vegas library-goers: Las Vegas, the old truism and sometime political talking point says, is at the bottom of every good list and at the top of every bad one. But what about the lists
Popular Vegas books Read More »
life in vegasSomeone had to do it, so why not me? I’ve eaten at each of them. Here goes, in bottom-to-top order: 4. Burger Bar, Mandalay Place If you’re in that part of town and in need of a gourmet burger, you can’t do much better. There’s nothing at all wrong with the place–in fact I recommend
Strip burger joints ranked Read More »
life in vegasAn earthquake moderately shook up LA and, supposedly Las Vegas this morning: A strong earthquake shook Southern California on Tuesday, causing buildings to sway and triggering some precautionary evacuations. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The jolt was felt from Los Angeles to San Diego, and slightly in Las Vegas. The 11:42
Here’s another reasons not to move to Las Vegas: the cicadas. They’ve been buzzing pretty loudly for about a month now, and we’ve got another month to go. If you’re not familiar with the critters, the LV Sun has some great info: Cicadas are perfectly harmless. This may be hard to accept when walnut-sized insects
Another LV annoyance Read More »
life in vegasWhile shopping at a local outlet mall, I noticed this wonderful chapeau offered for sale: I’ve got a few problems with this. The chief one is that only a fool would advertise that they were part of a continuing criminal enterprise. The whole point of the mafia is that it’s supposed to be a shadowy
My latest Business Press column is out, in which I turn an offhand comment by an LA Times movie reviewer into grist for 550 words about Fake Vegas. From the LVBP: Casinos, certainly, have taken their place as legitimate businesses, and a former Harvard business professor runs the world’s biggest gaming company. So it’s not
Fake Vegas explored Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingThis is certainly one of the more unusual conversations I’ve had in a while. The setting? The world-famous Peppermill coffee shop on the Strip, about 8 this morning, as I had breakfast with Sheldon Smith of the Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club in preparation for my epic address to the CCGTCC convention tomorrow.
Accent on weirdness Read More »
life in vegasWhat makes Las Vegas…Las Vegas? John Pryzbys (it’s pronounced like “frisbee” but with a “b,” if you’re curious) has an article that asks that question in today’s RJ. And I’m one of the ones who offered some answers. From, naturally, the LVRJ: What is Las Vegas? A place. An idea. A stereotype. And, for those
Why is Vegas Vegas? Read More »
life in vegasIt’s hard to believe, but one of the oldest gambling con games is alive and well in the shadow of the Las Vegas Strip. I snapped some pictures of a shell game in action on Monday between the Tropicana and Hooters. Technically that’s not the Strip, but it’s in the Strip tourist corridor, so the
Maybe someday I’ll write a children’s story with that title. It doesn’t have the fanciful longing of My Father’s Dragon, but maybe it’s appropriate for today’s lowered horizons. I just thought I’d fool around with WordPress’s photo uploading and provide some commentary on life in Vegas. You’ve really got to see this–a sociologist could spin
My neighbor’s beanbag Read More »
life in vegasWith much, but not all of the site work done, I’m taking a bold leap back into the gaming news blogosphere today. I haven’t heard much about this possible bidder for the Columbia Sussex casino empire, but that might just be because I’ve spent more time poring over css style sheets than reading the news.
New bidder for Trop? Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingRe-reading after seven years, I’m struck by two things: I’m not entirely comfortable reviewing books that I don’t like, and the general quality of writing about Las Vegas has not much improved. Let me explain: as a writer, I absolutely hate saying negative things about other writers. I know how hard it is to find
Book review: Super Casino Read More »
book reviews, life in vegas, news about gamblingAnd that’s a good thing! At least the Brookings Institution says so…and DC thinktanks are never wrong. From the LV Sun: Las Vegas’ success in becoming a nexus of entertainment and gambling is a model that American cities would do well to emulate in other businesses, a new Brookings Institution report concludes. The local “cluster”
Vegas is a total cluster Read More »
life in vegasHere’s a little unvarnished peek into the soul of Las Vegas: an answer to the question, “If you gave Las Vegans $600, how would they spend it?. Only the LVRJ is brave enough to ask the public directly. Here’s a few of my favorites: Vacation to California to help forget about the high gas and
How Vegans are spending their tax rebates Read More »
life in vegasDateline, the Target at Flamingo and Maryland. I had a genuine “what? what? WHAT?” experience. I was doing some necessary domestic shopping, and had a few items and a bag with some items that I needed to get (in other words, I didn’t think I’d be able to get the right thing without having a
Your cart doesn’t stay in Vegas Read More »
life in vegasMost people think of Las Vegas as the home of folksy, friendly service and Atlantic City service workers as rude, inconsiderate, and uncaring, but most people evidently don’t participate in Market Metrix, which just rated AC above Vegas in a recent index of hospitality destinations. From the AC Press: Atlantic City has won a stunning
A few months ago I listed the myriad things that you need to disclose when applying for a non-restricted casino license. Apparently Chet and Karla Cox aren’t regular readers, because they applied for a license without getting an attorney, and hit a few roadblocks. From the LV Sun: Although Silver State would handle the filling,
Unrestricted not so easy Read More »
life in vegas, news about gamblingThat’s an awful name for a band, but it would be appropriate for a Police cover band that worked casinos. I wonder if Scrantonicity II will get any gigs when Sands Bethworks opens up? Oh yeah, here’s a story about how intransigent players who don’t pay off their markers hear from the Clark County bad