In addition to my regular Green Felt Journal column this week, I’ve got a “Latest Thought” for your perusal in Vegas Seven: There hasn’t been much written about locals casinos on the scholarly front, so Nedelec, a geographer, shared a conclusion from a chapter in 1999’s The Real Las Vegas: Life Beyond the Strip edited […]
Hitting the jackpot in Clark County Read More »
gambling & culture, life in vegas, writingA week ago today, Planet Hollywood officially became a Total Rewards property. In my latest Vegas Seven column, I talk a little about the behind-the-scenes work that made this possible:P If you didn’t notice anything unusual at Planet Hollywood recently, don’t feel bad: You weren’t supposed to. But behind the scenes, and occasionally in front
Since it’s Thursday, I’ve got a new Green Felt Journal for you to read in Vegas Seven magazine. This week, I talk about March Madness on the Strip: The basketball-mad crowd covers all ages, from cigar-chomping sharp bettors in their 60s to still-in-school rowdies wearing their college colors. It skews young, however, with 20- to
Madder, leaner, Vegas Read More »
news about gambling, Vegas Seven, writingIn addition to the cover story, my regular Green Felt Journal column in Vegas Seven this week tackles one very specific complaint about Aria’s casino, the lighting: But the thing most likely to provoke comment from casino-goers about Aria in its first three months hasn’t been Pelli Clarke Pelli’s spacious design or the cutting-edge technology
Shining a light on Aria Read More »
news about gambling, writingI had such a busy day yesterday that I couldn’t post this. It’s ironic because this article was the culmination of about a month of interviews, analysis, observation, writing, and re-writing. It’s the cover story for the March 25 Vegas Seven, about Aria’s first 100 days: Aria, the centerpiece of the 67-acre mini city, has
New Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven: Baccarat first came to Las Vegas in the 1950s, but didn’t make much headway until the growth of high-end, international play in the 1970s. Caesars Palace and the Hilton led the way, and soon most casinos with any pretension to catering to high-rollers added the game. The game
Baccarat to the future at Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingIt’s Thursday, so that means the latest Vegas Seven is hot off the presses–printing and digital. This week, I’ve got an article about gaming taverns–you know, those bars with slots in them that are ubiquitous in Las Vegas. Here’s the opening: From Irish pubs to Mexican cantinas, it seems that every culture puts its own
Gaming taverns in Vegas 7 Read More »
news about gamblingIt’s Thursday, which means another edition of the Green Felt Journal in Vegas Seven magazine. This week, as whether the “little guy” still has a chance on the Strip:P Last year at around this time, “deconsolidation” was the buzzword along the Strip. MGM Mirage had just announced its sale of Treasure Island to Phil Ruffin,
Giving the little guy a chance on the Strip Read More »
news about gambling, writingIt’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
Split-level in Vegas Seven Read More »
news about gambling, writingFor 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