In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at what changes might be afoot on casino floors across the country: Since the recession, however, slot machines have lost ground to tables. Last year, tables statewide earned 35 percent of total gaming win. That doesn’t sound like a big shift—5 percentage points over just […]
The Coming Social Gaming Revolution | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I propose a possible solution to the current schism between pro- and anti-online gaming forces in Congress (and the gaming industry): With both sides ratcheting up their lobbying, though, it seems that Congress is painting itself into a corner without a way forward or compromise that will satisfy everyone.
The Online Gaming Debate: Not So Fast, Congress | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at FinCEN, the federal bureau that, I think is going to make a big impact on Las Vegas in the near future: Would-be high-rollers, take note: If you ever have a transaction of more than $10,000 at a casino, the staff there will gather information
Needs of High Rollers, Government Leave Casinos in a Bind | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenHere is my latest in Vegas Seven, about two Caesars transactions that, I think, augur the future: It’s no secret that both online and social gaming are growing; millions of people play “for free” each day, and at least 10 states—including California and Texas—are mulling the legalization of straight-up online gambling. The two transactions show
Caesars’ Changing Empire | 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 SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at the resurgent American Gaming Association and what it means for Las Vegas: In the past few months, the American Gaming Association has almost completely regenerated itself. Even though the gaming industry’s chief lobbying group has the same name and offices, it has a renewed
The American Gaming Association Takes a Smart New Direction | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a look at one of the entrepreneurs who is shaking things up on the Strip: Jonathan Fine is a case in point. Fine—who operates some of the Strip’s hottest midmarket nightspots—comes from one of the most illustrious families in Las Vegas: His grandfather, Hank Greenspun, founder of
Rockhouse, PBR Rock Bar Owner Just a Local Kid on the Strip | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Vegas Seven, I have a feature article considering the ways that the spirit of 1993 is still with us: In the fall of 1993, the wrapping came off three new resorts that promised to change the way people visited Las Vegas. The opening of The Mirage four years earlier is rightfully credited
From the Emerald City to Pharaoh’s Tomb | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week’s Green Felt Journal was a difficult one for me to write. A few months back, I struck up a friendship with a long-time Las Vegan, David Atwell, who I learned was involved with some of the biggest real estate deals in the city’s history. We had conversation after conversation about the development of
It’s kind of meta that, in the big holiday rush last week, I didn’t share my latest in Vegas Seven, a look at the maybe fantasy called Wonderland: In Las Vegas, you’re never quite sure what’s real, what’s fantasy and what’s just wishful speculation. And it’s never possible to tell which is which, until it’s
Fantasy Land | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThis week’s Green Felt Journal considers how mobile devices, slots, and the Bible converge: Yes, there really are Bible-themed virtual slots available on your mobile device. App-maker Top Free Games—whose library is split between gambling games like video poker and blackjack and public-domain works like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the Kama Sutra and the
Bible-Themed Slot Machines, Flood Not Included | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I talked to security experts about how to make Las Vegas casinos and nightclubs safer: The recent tragic shooting at Drai’s after-hours club in Bally’s casino hotel has raised questions about just how much security both casinos and nightclubs in Las Vegas should provide. Not surprisingly, there is no
Keeping the Clubs Safe | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I consider the real significance of this year’s Global Gaming Expo: The casino industry isn’t known for being introspective; the focus is usually strictly on the bottom line and the here and now. But the annual Global Gaming Expo, held late last month at the Sands Expo Center, is
Forward to the Future at G2E | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIf you have heard the most recent Vegas Gang podcast, you heard my thoughts on Monte Carlo. In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I elaborate: If you were born in a gambling city back when that meant you were a little different from everyone else, you grew up vaguely holding Monte Carlo as the platonic
In Monte Carlo, Back to the Past | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I take a closer look at how one of Linq’s new tenants fits in: That’s where Linq comes in. As with most Caesars decisions, each element of the development has been meticulously analyzed. The observation wheel, for example, was chosen over other attractions because, in survey and focus groups,
For Linq’s Future, Image Is Everything | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenThere is no Green Felt Journal in this week’s Vegas Seven. But I did write the cover story, a historical dissection of the notorious Green Felt Jungle: When Trident Press released The Green Felt Jungle on December 13, 1963, it promised to tell the real story of Las Vegas. Most residents winced; this could only be bad
The Book That Tried to End Las Vegas | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn today’s Green Felt Journal, I take on a subject that some in the industry don’t like discussing–whether high-profile crimes mean the Strip is less safe than it should be: When tragedy strikes, police and tourism officials are usually quick to stress that these are random events in an otherwise safe city. They point to
Crime and Perception | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn today’s Green Felt Journal, I look at the growth of Las Vegas as a family reunion destination. It all really fits: Family-friendly Las Vegas never went away—it just doesn’t get the same press as nightclub Las Vegas or tech-startup Las Vegas. For proof, look no further than the burgeoning business the city does in
The Other Convention Business | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn today’s Green Felt Journal, I look at a few of the personalities behind Ultimate Poker: Online poker seems so … unearthly. Hands are dealt on a glowing screen. Cards are made out of pixels, not pasteboard. And yet it’s here, and it’s very real. For now, there’s one company that offers online poker in
Poker Pioneers | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn this week’s Green Felt Journal, I tackle the issue of smoking in casinos on the Las Vegas Strip: The implicit question raised in those cheeky billboards is this: Smoking is banned in restaurants, movie theaters and indoor arenas. Why is it still permitted in Nevada casinos? The short answer: because casinos were exempted from
Smokeless on the Strip? | Vegas Seven Read More »
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