Las Vegas News | Las Vegas Advisor (2024)

• June 16, 2024 11:18 Ivey Gets #11:

Phil Ivey won the $10K Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship Six-Handed event (yes, that’s what it’s called) to give him his 11th World Series of Poker bracelet. It breaks a tie with Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Eric Seidel to put Ivey alone in second place in all-time bracelet wins, still well behind Phil Hellmuth’s 17. It was Ivey’s first WSOP win since 2014. Amazingly, all of Ivey’s wins have been in non-hold ’em events.

• June 16, 2024 03:14 U.S. Open Golf Line:

Going into today's final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament, Bryson DeChambeau with a 3-stroke lead is the -125 favorite to win. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at +325 and Patrick Cantlay at +825.

• June 15, 2024 16:37 Oilers/Panthers Game 4 Line:

The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are pick ’em in tonight's Game 4 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 5.5.

• June 15, 2024 13:11 Hawaiian Hits:

A visitor from Hawaii hit for $1.6 million at the Fremont, when he lined up the jackpot symbols on a Wheel of Fortune machine. In town to celebrate his son’s 21st birthday, he attributed the win to a red envelope he was carrying that symbolizes good luck, prosperity, and happiness. Indeed.

• June 15, 2024 11:30 Railroad Pass Slot House:

We’ve received a report that all table games have been removed at Railroad Pass. The Las Vegas area’s oldest casino is now a slot house. Hard to fathom.

• June 14, 2024 16:53 Celtics/Mavericks Game 4 Line:

The Boston Celtics are -1 favorites over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 211.5.

• June 14, 2024 14:39 Restaurant Week Extended:

Originally scheduled to end tomorrow, Las Vegas Restaurant Week has been extended to June 21. Not all, but many restaurants, are honoring the extension, offering special three- and four-course prix fixe menus ranging in price from $20 to $120 and donating a portion of proceeds to Three Square Food Bank. Go to restaurantweek.org for a list of the participating restaurants.

• June 14, 2024 11:35 Exciting New Boondoggle Announced:

Z Athlete Factory (say it with a French accent and it'll make more sense) is a "ground-breaking technology" employing Motion DNA testing and its proprietary RunRite AI system, "created to help athletes run 20% faster and eliminate the root cause of injuries in less than 10 weeks!" So reads the description for the clinic in Henderson. This little kinesiology operation has announced plans for -- are you sitting down? -- a $1.2billion "sports performance and technology center" to be built on one of two unidentified sites they're working to buy somewhere in the valley that will be announced in the next 30 days (we'll take the over). The "campus" would comprise the world’s largest indoor track and field arena, a 2,600-seat aquatics center, an Olympics-caliber gymnastics center, 1,000 “condotel” units, and more pipe dreams that glitter in words, but if they actually manifest, we'll live in one of the condos. Cross our hearts and hope (not) to buy. You can see the renderings and plea for investorshere.

• June 13, 2024 15:55 Oilers/Panthers Game 3 Line:

The Edmonton Oilers are -140 favorites over the Florida Panthers in tonight's Game 3 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 5.5.

• June 13, 2024 14:56 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Check out one of residency performers like Bruno Mars at Park MGM (6/14-15) or Adele at Caesars (6/15-16)
• Wynn welcomes comedian Russell Peters (6/14-15)
• It’s the 23rd Annual Las Vegas Juneteenth Festival where the festivities will be held at The Expo at World Market Center (6/15)
• And Restaurant Week has been extended! So go out and enjoy a good meal at a good value for a good cause. (6/3-21) (6/3-21)

• June 13, 2024 10:12 Eagles Will Do Sphere:

Long rumored and now confirmed, the Eagles will play a mini-residency at Sphere in September and October. “Eagles — Live In Concert at Sphere” will run for eight shows over four weekends; the dates are: Sept. 20, 21, 27, and 28; and Oct. 11, 12, 18, and 19. Not that they need a bio, but these guys are the biggest-selling American rock band in all of history, 150 million albums and six Grammys to their credit, in their 53 years of existence. Tickets start at $175 and that includes all fees and taxes; all kinds of presales launch next Tuesday at 10 a.m.; so far, the sale of public tickets hasn't been announced.

• June 13, 2024 07:26 U.S. Open Line:

Scottie Scheffler is the +300 favorite to win golf's U.S. Open. He's followed by Xander Schauffele at +1000 and Rory McIlroy at +1200. Tiger Woods is +20000 (200-1).

• June 12, 2024 16:08 Celtics/Mavericks Game 3 Line:

The Dallas Mavericks are -3 favorites over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 214.

• June 12, 2024 13:01 Atomic Golf's Problem Might Be Incurable:

A story in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal is the worst kind of publicity for Atomic Golf: how uncomfortable the place is. We haven't visited yet, but apparently, the driving ranges face west, the air-conditioning is minimal to non-existent in them, the misting system has been broken for nearly two weeks, and it gets to be very very hot where customers are engaging in golf activities. Reviews indicate the technology is faulty, the service is slow, especially after the venue laid off 33% of its workforce, and the place is now closed weekdays until four p.m. (opening at 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays). Most of these issues are probably resolvable with time and we'll be checking out the place in the next month or so, but it's hard to see how a driving range that faces west, so you're looking into the sun the better part of the day with soaring heat for half the year, can be ameliorated.

• June 12, 2024 10:39 We Don't Get It, but Here It Is Anyway:

We fully admit that we don't understand this deal, but we're reporting it as news, even if it's also an oddity. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has approved the sale of a vacant 10-acre parcel next to the new West Hall of the Convention Center for $125 million. This lot, part of the former Riviera site, has been under contract to local developers for over a year, but now, Fontainebleau is involved in the deal. The developers will buy the front five acres along the Strip for $12.5 million, while Fontainebleau will buy the back five acres, contiguous to its existing property, for $112.5 million. As we say, it's a headscratcher: Fbleau is paying $22.5 million per acre for the lesser property, while the developers are paying $2.5 million for the same-sized piece with lots of Strip frontage. Another thing we don't understand is Fbleau's claiming it will expand on the new acreage, after "seeing positive and encouraging results." Perhaps, though from what we've heard, seen, and can tell, the place remains a ghost town.

• June 12, 2024 08:27 Las Vegas Aces: Uh Oh:

The back-to-back WNBA world champion Las Vegas Aces are struggling at the start of this season. Compared to last year when they were 9-1, so far they've lost five and won five this year. They dropped their third straight game last night, losing decisively to the Minnesota Lynx 100-86. It was the first time since the 2020 WNBA Finals that the Aces have lost three in a row and it's the first time since 2019 that they've had a .500 record with eight or more games played. The team's next game is tomorrow night at Phoenix at 7 p.m. and will be televised live on Amazon Prime.

• June 11, 2024 13:18 Casino Chip Convention Starts Thursday:

The Casino Chip and Collectibles Show, the world’s largest casino-collectibles exhibition, will take place this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Exhibit Hall C at South Point. The annual show is mostly open to the public (some events are restricted to members of the Casino Collectibles Association) and more than 50 dealers will display casino memorabilia: gaming chips and tokens of all denominations, dice, playing cards, players club cards, matchbooks, ashtrays, menus, dinnerware, swizzle sticks, photos, postcards, signs, table felt – just about anything a casino could put its name on. In conjunction with the show, every year the CCA hosts four educational seminars related to gaming history, which are offered to the public at no charge. Registration opens Thursday at 10 a.m. and admission is $10; Friday 9 a.m. and $5; Saturday 9 a.m. and free.

• June 11, 2024 10:10 Eight Sushi Places Make Top 100:

Review site Yelp ranked sushi restaurants nationwide based on total volume and ratings of reviews and placed eight Las Vegas sushi restaurants in its recent top 100. The highest ranked was Ari Sushi & Sake, in the southwest on S. Rainbow near Warm Springs, which came in at number six; Ari also has 104 Google reviews with a 4.8 ranking out of 5. The other seven were ITs IZAKAYA (19), Sushi Hiroyoshi (23), TARU (25), Kabuto (39), Kame Omakase (45), Toro Sushi (64), and Smile Shota (77).

• June 11, 2024 07:54 $4.80 Subs at Capriotti's:

To celebrate its 48th anniversary (it opened in Delaware in 1976), all 40Capriotti's Sandwich Shop locations around the valley will be selling small subs on Thursday for $4.80 (normally $9.44 to $13.44). You must be a member of the CAPAddicts loyalty club by the end of tomorrow to get that price. Sign up at Capriottis.com.

• June 10, 2024 16:45 Oilers/Panthers Game 2 Line:

The Florida Panthers are -120 favorites over the Edmonton Oilers in tonight's Game 2 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 5.5.

• June 10, 2024 10:04 Electric Playhouse Opens Next Week at Forum Shops:

We reviewed Play Playhouse, the new dedicated non-digital playground at Luxor, in this month's LVA. The opposite is opening on Saturday June 22 at the Forum Shops at Caesars. Electric Playhouse is a 10,000-square-foot social-gaming destination that "merges the digital and physical worlds into one through dozens of motion-activated games and experiences, where bodies become the controllers, encouraging active play and healthy movement." There's no need for headsets or gadgets, as the walls and floors respond to players' actions in seven different play areas. Unlike Play Playground, kids are welcome at Electric Playhouse. Admission prices are $20 local kids, $25 other kids and local adults, $30 for non-local adults.

• June 10, 2024 08:12 Another Heat Wave Imminent:

After cooling off slightly over the weekend following two days of record-high temperatures late last week, Las Vegas is bracing for another sizzling stretch tomorrow and Wednesday. The thermometer could hit 108 on Tuesday and 111 on Wednesday. So far, counting today's forecast of 101, southern Nevada has experienced consecutive days of temperatures 100 or higher since May 30, 12 days in a row. It's the hottest start to June on record.

• June 09, 2024 16:29 Celtics/Mavericks Game 2 Line:

The Boston Celtics are -7 favorites over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 215.

• June 09, 2024 10:18 iHeartRadio Music Festival Returns:

The annual iHeartRadio Music Festival, scheduled for Sept. 20-21 at T-Mobile, has announced its headliner lineup, including but not limited to Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Keith Urban, New Kids on the Block, The Black Crowes, Hozier, Paramore, Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Thomas Rhett, Victoria Monét, and Shaboozey. Ryan Seacrest hosts, as usual. Tickets will be available to the general public on AXS.com beginning Friday June 14; the presale begins June 12 at 10 a.m. PT.

• June 09, 2024 03:25 Men's French Open Final Line:

Carlos Alcarez is a -300 favorite over Alexander Zverev in today’s French Open men's tennis final. Alcarez is seeking his 3rd Grand Slam championship, Zverev his first.

• June 08, 2024 16:06 UFC Cannonier/Imavov:

Nassourdine Imavov is a -130 favorite over Jared Cannonier in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Dustin Jacoby is -250 over Dominick Reyes.

• June 08, 2024 16:01 Oilers/Panthers Game 1 Line:

The Florida Panthers are -140 favorites over the Edmonton Oilers in tonight's Game 1 of the NHL's Stanley Cup Final. The total is 5.5.

• June 08, 2024 15:09 Belmont Odds:

The current odds for today’s Belmont Stakes make Sierra Leon the favorite at 2-1, followed by Seize the Grey at 9-2, and Mindframe at 5-1. The long shot is Protective at 17-1.

• June 08, 2024 12:22 YouTube: $150 Free Play Just To Sign up:

This week's YouTube starts off hot! Anthony and Andrew launch right into the heat wave gripping Las Vegas over the last couple of days. Then they reveal a fabulous casino pool you can get into just by showing a player's card, discuss the new parking fee at Resorts World, and pinpoint an under-the-radar casino just east of the Strip offering a fantastic sign-up bonus of $150 in free play. Find out where! The WSOP gets a segment, as does stickman jargon at the crap table, and the Jackpot of the Week is a cool $5,000 with four credits left on the meter. Great story!See it all here.

• June 08, 2024 08:40 Second High-Temp Record in a Row:

For the second day in a row, the high temperature here set a new record. The high of 110 degrees yesterday broke the old record of 109 set in 2013. That followed Thursday’s record high of 111. Temperatures are predicted to be five to six degrees cooler today and another few lower on Sunday and Monday.

• June 08, 2024 03:27 Women’s French Open Final Line:

Iga Swiatek is a prohibitive -1425 favorite over Jasmine Paolini in today's French Open women’s tennis final. Swiatek is going for her fifth Grand Slam title and fourth French Open Championship. Paolini is playing in her first Grand Slam final.

• June 07, 2024 12:50 How Busy Is This Football Season Expected To Be?:

If Southwest Airlines is any indication, swamped! According to ThePointsGuy.com, SWA is adding 42 one-off flights over the course of the 17-week regular season. There are four new routes, but most flights will supplement existing connections. Las Vegas gets flights from Cleveland for Week 4, Pittsburgh Week 6, Kansas City Week 8, and Atlanta Week 14 when the Browns, Steelers, Chiefs, and Falcons play the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

• June 07, 2024 10:19 Michelin-Starred Korean Steakhouse, Favorite L.A. Pizza Place, Coming to Venetian:

New York-based Cote Korean Steakhouse, the best steakhouse in the country according to some reports and the only Korean steakhouse ever to earn a Michelin star, will open sometime next year at the Venetian. It's part of the billion-dollar investment the owners are making to upgrade the 25-year-old property. The 10,000-square-foot Vegas location will be the fourth for the brand after New York, Miami, and Singapore. The restaurant's owner attended UNLV and worked in Las Vegas right out of college, so opening here has been a long-held dream. Cote merges Korean BBQ with the American steakhouse; the New York menu offers salads for $22-$24, steak and eggs (filet mignon tartare with caviar) for $62, the Butcher's Feast (soup, salad, souffle, steak, stew, and soft-serve) for $74 per person, and a la carte steaks from $44 (hanger) to $92 (ribeye). The wine list is long: 1,200 bottles. All the grilling will take place at the tables. Also announced for the Venetian later this year is Gjelina, since 2008 serving wood-fired pizzas and pasta dishes in L.A.'s Venice Beach.

• June 07, 2024 07:59 Heat Record Set:

In the midst of a sizzling heat wave across the entire Southwest U.S., Las Vegas' high temperature reached 111 degrees yesterday, setting a record for the day. It tied the previous record of 110 from 2010, then crept up another point to beat it. Thus, it was also the earliest date on which the high surpassed 110 degrees. Death Valley hit 122, beating the previous record set in 1996 by a degree. Today's high is forecast to rise to 108 and temperatures remain in the mid-100s for the next week, when a cooling trend is supposed to arrive.

• June 06, 2024 17:18 Celtics/Mavericks Game 1 Line:

The Boston Celtics are -6.5 favorites over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Championship series. The total is 216.5.

• June 06, 2024 14:14 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Enjoy First Friday Downtown, with free local art, music & food (6/7)
• Catch one of the headliners this weekend either Bruno Mars at Park MGM (6/7-8) or Christina Aguilera at Venetian (6/7-8)
• Don’t miss Taylor Tomlinson at Wynn (6/7-8)
• Zach Bryan is center stage at T-Mobile Arena (6/7-8)

• June 06, 2024 13:29 Two Bars Make Esquire's Top 42:

Esquire magazine's annual list of the top bars in the U.S. includes two in Las Vegas. The magazine lists 42 bars nationwide and one of the two here is the Collins at the Fontainebleau, which it describes as "a bit of Miami-meets-Vegas glam." The other bar is Liquid Diet, located in the Arts District on Commerce Street. Esquire calls it an "impromptu garage party" at, according to the LD owners' description, "a house owned by a group of fun witches."

• June 06, 2024 10:00 Morrissey Plays House of Blues in July :

Steven Patrick Morrissey, known mononymously as just his last name, is a highly acclaimed and controversial English singer, songwriter, and author who earned his fame as the frontman of the indie rock band the Smiths (1982-1987). Since the Smiths, he's had a successful solo career and is considered one of the greatest lyricists in British history. He's appeared in Las Vegas several times over the past few years, including two five-show mini-residencies at the Colosseum at Caesars in 2020 and 2021. The 65-year-old Morrissey had to cancel shows earlier this year as he was treated for exhaustion, but claims he's in tip-top shape to go back on the road. The House of Blues shows at Mandalay Bay will be on July 26 and 27. The pre-sale started at 10 a.m. today (code word CHORD); general-public tickets start tomorrow, also at 10 a.m.

• June 06, 2024 08:08 More A's Evidence to the Contrary:

Will the Oakland Athletics actually move to Las Vegas? Who knows? But we can say this, that was never a question that was asked about the Las Vegas Raiders. Now, news arrives via the Nevada Independent that the team is requesting permission to play up to seven home games per season in locations other than the phantom stadium on the site of the Tropicana. TheIndependent obtained the A's 30-year non-relocation agreement submitted to the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, which contains the request for nearly double the number of home games played elsewhere that Major League Baseball allows. That's 10% of home games and, according to the story, it could threaten their "bonding capacity" (the amount of revenue that can raised through public bond offerings), which is linked to the number of home games. Oh, and the A's are seeking minority investors to raise $500 million toward the cost of the $1.5 billion stadium.

• June 05, 2024 13:19 Interesting Promotion at Golden Gate:

The Golden Gate is holding a “Golden Giveaway: Golden Gate Ticket” promotion for 122 days this summer. Starting yesterday and running through October 4, guests who stay at the GG might find a Golden Gate ticket in their room; if they do, they can spin for prizes redeemable there and at Circa and the D, such as a two-night stay in Golden Gate penthouse, cabanas at Circa’s Stadium Swim, Sunset Packages at Circa’s rooftop Legacy Club, comps at the various restaurants and bars, and a $75 matchplay.

• June 05, 2024 10:51 New Salad Counter Coming to Proper Eats at Aria:

Happy Leaf will open on Monday at the Aria food hall, Proper Eats, in the space formerly occupied by Shalom Y'all. Like the other nine outlets at Aria, Happy Leaf's menu will be limited: four salads from $14 for the classic Caesar to $22 for Asian with salmon. There will also be a salad bar, a first for the new breed of Vegas food halls, though it doesn't look like it's a self-serve A.Y.C.E. option; for $15, diners select one green, six toppings, and one dressing; hard-boiled egg ($3), turkey ($5), and chicken or tuna ($6) can be added.Happy Leaf will be open daily 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

• June 05, 2024 08:15 Record Highs Frequent, Record Lows Rare:

A piece on FoxWeather.com reminds us that the last time Las Vegas experienced a record low temperature was 25 years ago yesterday, June 4, 1999. On that day, the thermometer plunged to 50 degrees, breaking the old record low of 54 degrees set in 1951, a full 48 years earlier. Thus, as the story points out, we haven't broken a record-low-temperature record in this century (or millennium, for that matter), though we've tied the record low twice, once in April 2009 and once in August 2014. "In fact, the low temperature has yet to drop to 50 degrees at any date in meteorological summer (June 1-Aug. 31) since that record was broken and it hasn’t even been close. Since 2000, the coldest night during those dates has been 59 degrees, on June 12, 2017. Every other low has been 60 degrees or warmer," according to FoxWeather. Now, compare that to record highs: "Half of the current daily record-high temperatures throughout the year have been set since 2000." Which brings us to the excessive heat warning in effect for the rest of the week, as temperatures rise to 110 and, perhaps, higher. If the thermometer hits 110 today, it will be the earliest on record; the usual first 110-degree day is July 1.

• June 04, 2024 13:32 Vegas Unemployment Nation's Highest:

A story in yesterday's Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the percentage of unemployed people in Las Vegas is not only the highest in the U.S., but hasn't completely recovered from the pandemic and remains elevated from pre-COVID levels. Out of the 51 largest metropolitan areas, Las Vegas' 5.2% was well more than double the lowest rate, Nashville's 2.2%. Still, Las Vegas had a long way to go to return to normal; during the early-pandemic shutdown, if you recall, nearly one out of three Las Vegans was out of work.

• June 04, 2024 10:00 "Ten Classic Artists Who Changed Vegas Forever":

A post on UltimateClassicRock.com lists its idea of the 10 musical acts that have had the biggest impact on the Vegas entertainment scene. The story gets it right with, "Las Vegas is a city unlike any other and for decades now, playing there has become a rite of passage for musicians. Whether headlining at one of its famed casino venues or paying their dues at one of the town's smaller clubs, virtually every artist has a stop in Las Vegas on their resume." The top 10 is better than what we routinely see from non-Vegas writers and it's worth a click and a three-minute read to peruse the biggest and brightest. But we'll give you a hint. Having the Grateful Dead among the top 10 acts shows that the writer knows what he's talking about and the band (the remnants of which are currently in the middle of a Sphere residency) is a big part of our bookRock Vegas.

• June 04, 2024 08:19 Here Come Da Heat:

We're not talking about the police, but unseasonably hot temperatures. A heat wave is heading this way that might be record breaking. By Thursday or Friday, the temperature is forecast to hit 112 degrees in Las Vegas. If the thermometer rises above 110 degrees on Thursday, it'll be the earliest in June the city has ever gotten that hot. The forecast is for right around 100 today, 106 tomorrow, and we'll see how high on Thursday.

• June 03, 2024 13:14 Buddy V's To Open Pizzeria at Caesars:

Restaurateur Buddy Valastro will open Buddy V’s Pizzeria later this summer at the food hall at Caesars in the space formerly occupied by DiFara Pizza. Along with New York-style pizza, the menu will include breakfast, sandwiches, and desserts. Valastro's Vegas eateries includePizzaCake at Harrah’s, Buddy’s Jersey Eats food truck and the Boss Café at the LINQ, and Buddy V's Ristorante at the Venetian.

• June 03, 2024 10:17 U2 Top-Grossing Tour:

According to Billboard.com, between October and March, U2 ranked as the top-grossing tour in the U.S., bringing in more than $230 million from the band’s residency at Sphere. In addition, Sphere was Billboard's number-one large venue (more than 15,000 capacity) for gross revenue from tours, beating outMadison Square Garden and London’s O2 Arena. U2 was followed by Pink and Madonna, both grossing nearly $200 million during the six-month period. Not included in the calculations was Taylor Swift's Eras Tour; Swift doesn't report numbers to Billboard.

• June 03, 2024 08:04 Panthers Favored in Stanley Cup Finals:

The Florida Panthers are -140 favorites over the Edmonton Oilers to win the NHL's Stanley Cup. Game 1 is Saturday in Miami.

• June 02, 2024 13:49 Strip Traffic Alert:

Get those cones out. According to an article in theLV Review-Journal, starting tonight at 9 pm and running through Thursday at 3 pm, northbound Las Vegas Blvd. from Harmon to Park MGM will be reduced to a single lane. It’s a short distance, but it’s sure to create nasty traffic snarls on the south end of the Strip. Can’t blame F1 for this one, it’s part of the seemingly never-ending Las Vegas Boulevard Improvement Project.

• June 02, 2024 10:23 Brightline One of Time's "100 Most Influential Companies":

Time magazine has issued its list of the "100 Most Influential Companies 2024" and Brightline high-speed-rail company is among them. Time writes, "Against the odds, Brightline is betting that fast trains traveling between Miami and Orlando, and Los Angeles and Las Vegas, can find plenty of passengers" and the magazine seems to believe that it's a winning proposition. It quotes the founder as saying that the all-electric L.A. to L.V. train "marks the beginning of the construction of the first true high-speed train in America,” which could launch the start of a new era of European-like rail travel.

• June 02, 2024 08:47 J. Lo Cancels:

Jennifer Lopez has canceled her summer tour, which was scheduled to kick off later this month and included a stop at T-Mobile in July. In the most original, creative, and fictitious explanation we've ever heard, she claimed she wants to spend more time with her family. That, reportedly, doesn't include her husband Ben Affleck; current gossip is they've separated after less than two years of marriage. It's been widely circulating that tickets for Jenny from the Block's "This Is Me ... Now" tour have been abysmal and, in fact, her announced Las Vegas residency is in jeopardy as well. Ticket purchases will be refunded at the point of sale.

• June 01, 2024 18:11 UFC Poirier/Makhachev:

Islam Makhachev is a -625 favorite over Dustin Poirier in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Sean Strickland is -250 over Paulo Costa.

• June 01, 2024 13:08 LVA YouTube's Up:

This week's video initially focuses on Andrew: a new theme song for the video, "Going to Las Vegas," and appearing at the downtown Wiseguys on Wednesday June 12. Then he and Anthony discuss the end of the only single-deck 3-2 blackjack table in Las Vegas, this year's Circa football contests, dinner at Wing Lei at the Wynn, and where to find a happy hour with 55-cent co*cktails (plus a triple-dip LVA coupon opportunity). The Question of the Week concerns the interesting story of the cover image on our book Flop, Turn, River and the Jackpot of the Week is the ultimate example of beginner's luck -- it's worth the whole price of admission (free!) for this video. Don't miss it.

• June 01, 2024 10:32 Margaritaville Closes at Flamingo:

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant closed at the Flamingo on Thursday. The shutdown was announced in March, now it's gone, and it won't be missed, at least by us. We loved Jimmy and his "Tampico Trauma" is in our top 10 of the best rock 'n' roll songs ever, but the one time we ate at Margaritaville was also memorable and not in a good way; bottom 10 is generous. No word on what will replace it, but the rumor is that another celebrity-licensed eatery is on the way.

• June 01, 2024 08:42 June Is Bustin' out All Over:

Normally in June, high temperatures creep up from 95 on the first to 100 on the 14th and don't go back down to double digits until fall. The record high for the month is 117 (June 20, 2017, and June 30, 2011), with 116 achieved twice and 115 six times. Normal lows range from 71 on the first to 80 on the 30th, with records dropping into the 40s (48 in 1993, 49 in 1955 and 1938). June is the driest month of the year, with a scant eight-hundredths of an inch on average, as southern Nevada awaits the summer monsoons.

• May 31, 2024 13:24 Reid International Not Too Stressful by Comparison:

The self-proclaimed "travel experts" at StressFreeCarRental.com analyzed data to create the 2024 USA Stressful Airport Index, indicating "the worst airports for travelers to pass through." They ranked the busiest 15 U.S. airports based on five stress-inducing factors: passenger numbers, distance from city center, number of flight destinations, car-parking charges, and the overall airport satisfaction score. Chicago's O'Hare was found to be the most stressful, followed by New York's JFK . The most expensive parking charge was Seattle International at $376 for a week; Dallas/Fort Worth has the most flight destinations (258); and Denver is the farthest from the city (16 miles). George Bush International in Houston has the cheapest weekly parking at just $51.20. Finally,Reid International ranked 10th out of the 15 overall: $252 to park for a week, second for closest to the city (bested only by Phoenix), and third lowest for the number of destinations you can fly to (164, compared to 127 from Seattle).

• May 31, 2024 09:54 Las Vegans Paying Highest Income Percentage on Rent:

In the Las Vegas metropolitan area, nearly three in five (58.3%) of renters are paying more than 30% of their income to landlords, according to a study conducted by the Lied Center for Real Estate at UNLV. Economists consider people paying 31% or higher on rent to be "housing-cost burdened" and statewide, nearly half of renters are paying 35% or more, considered "excessively cost burdened." By comparison, only Floridians are higher percentage-wise (50.5%) than Nevadans; even Hawaiians are at only 46.6%. In terms of metro areas, 52.6% of residents in the New York-Newark-Jersey City pay more than 30% and 48.9% in San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley. The study was based on U.S. Census data.

• May 31, 2024 03:34 Celtics Favored in NBA Championship:

The Boston Celtics are -210 favorites over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Championship. Game 1 is Thursday in Boston.

• May 30, 2024 15:30 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• It’s the weekend to rock out with Air Supply at Westgate (5/31-6/1), Avril Lavigne at MGM Grand (6/1), Metal vs Grunge at Sand Dollar Downtown (6/1) and free rock performances at Fremont Street (6/1)
• Or get your country fix with Brothers Osborne: Might As Well Be Us Tour at the Cosmopolitan (6/2)
• And watch the Las Vegas Aviators vs. Sugar Land Space Cowboys at the Las Vegas Ballpark (6/2)

• May 30, 2024 13:09 Designer, Architect Selected for LVXP Arena :

LVXP, the real-estate developer behind an "NBA-ready" arena-hotel-casino project on the old Wet 'n' Wild vacant lot, has announced that it has chosen an architectural and engineering consulting company to help design the arena. It has also selected a Las Vegas-based architect, Steelman Partners, known for designing hotel-casinos. The project, on the site where the doomed All Net Arena was long proposed, seems to be moving forward, while no news has been forthcoming from another NBA-ready arena development announced in 2022 by the Oak View Group for a site near Blue Diamond Road.

• May 30, 2024 08:05 MI, NV, and NJ Online Poker Players Can Now Compete:

Michigan is the third state to sign on to the Multi-State Agreement that includes Nevada and New Jersey on the World Series of Poker's website. In the process, WSOP.com has been consolidated under a new brand: WSOP Online. (WSOP.com is still the URL.) Michigan poker players have been able to compete against New Jerseyans on PokerStars, but only against other Michiganders on WSOP.com. WSOP.com will hold 30 online bracelet events for residents of the three states during the World Series of Poker, underway now through through July 21 in Las Vegas. Online events will also include satellites for in-person WSOP tournaments. Online poker is also legal in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia, though none has approved multistate competitions.

• May 30, 2024 07:42 Allegiant Air Third in Customer Satisfaction:

According to an annual survey by J.D. Power, the 56-year-old data-analytics, software, and consumer-intelligence company, Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air garnered the third-highest rating for a North American airline for customer satisfaction in the economy and basic- economy category. Southwest Airlines is a perennial number one, followed by Delta. Allegiant scored high in flyers' ratings for ease of travel, getting to their destinations on time and safely, value for price paid, and interpersonal interactions; Allegiant's flight crews "are empowered to make things right" for passengers, which includes going above and beyond the normal course of their duties.

• May 29, 2024 13:02 Raiders Playoff Drought Almost the Worst:

A story on AthlonSports.com compares the grim playoff history of the Las Vegas Raiders to other teams that haven't won a playoff game in more than 10 seasons. Tied for fifth worst are the Chicago Bears and New York Jets at 13 seasons, followed by the Washington Commanders (18) and the Las Vegas Raiders (21). The Raiders lost their last appearance in the Super Bowl in 2002, then blew two wild card appearances in 2016 and 2021. The worst team is the Miami Dolphins, who haven't won a playoff game since 2000.

• May 29, 2024 09:55 New Show Debuts at Illuminarium:

Lite-Brite is a "magic-screen" toy created by Hasbro in 1967 that consists of colored plastic pegs that fit into a panel on a light box. Recommended for ages 4-15, Lite-Brite users create art with the pegs; when the images are complete, the box is turned on to light them up. Now, Hasbro has teamed up with the Illuminarium at Area15 to present "Lite-Brite: Worlds of Wonder," which will open on June 5. The 60-minute immersive digital show will feature a larger-than-life magic screen divided into three "worlds": enchanted ocean, forest with dinosaurs, and futuristic city. Tickets start at $35 for adults and $30 for children and seniors.

• May 29, 2024 08:13 Wayne: 65 Years of Singing in Vegas:

Wayne "Mr. Las Vegas" Newton first arrived in Las Vegas at age 17 with his older brother Jerry to do a show at the Fremont in 1959. Thus, this year marks his 65th anniversary of performing here. In a little celebration, a number of casinos got together and presented the crooner with an anniversary cake. Now 82, Wayne is still going strong, doing his "Wayne: Up Close and Personal" show in the eponymous theater at the Flamingo. In the full-circle department, Wayne kicked around showrooms in Las Vegas as an opening act until landing the headliner spot at the Flamingo in 1963. Since then, he's released 165 albums (wow) and performed tens of thousands of shows in Las Vegas and all over the world.

• May 28, 2024 12:46 Dead & Company Add Six Shows:

Due to increased demand, the “Dead Forever – Live at Sphere” residency has added six shows: Aug. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10, bringing the total number to 30. The presale begins Thursday and the general public Friday, both at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets start at $145.

• May 28, 2024 10:32 Bellagio Unveils Summer Display:

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has unveiled its summer display, called "Higher Love" (probably based on Steve Winwood's 1986 hit of the same name) and, according to the press release, "inviting guests to ascend into a realm of timeless beauty and enchantment." For the ascension part are several polychromatic hot-air balloons, a dirigible, and a floating boat. Timeless beauty is represented by butterflies, a flowered mountainside, lots of roses, and a frog (eye of the beholder). The exhibit will remain through August 24.

• May 28, 2024 08:02 Restaurant Week Dates Set:

Now in its 17th year, Las Vegas Restaurant Week will be held from June 3 to 14 (it's actually a 12-day event). It takes place in June every year and encourages Las Vegans and visitors to dine out for a good meal at a good value for a good cause. The city’s finest restaurants offer special three-course prix fixe menus, donating a portion of proceeds to Three Square Food Bank, southern Nevada’s only food bank and its largest hunger-relief organization. Each restaurant selects the donation level of $4, $5 or $6 per meal. Since 2007, millions of meals have been provided for those in need through Restaurant Week. The list of restaurants that participate in the event continues to grow and this year is epic. From Al Solito Posto (in Tivoli Village) to WSKY Stadium (on Polaris Avenue), you can see all 200 restaurants, including the special three-course menus and prices, and make reservations here.

• May 27, 2024 13:32 KÀ Continuing through at Least Late 2026:

Let's put the rumors to rest. Contrary to reports circulating of late, KÀ, the Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM Grand since 2005, isn't going anywhere for at least two and a half years. A statement from Cirque confirmed the show's tenure through November 2026. Still, its days might be numbered after that, so if you haven't seen it yet, we highly recommend it. It is, in our humble opinion, the most remarkable of the Cirque productions in Las Vegas, not the least of which is due to the two hydraulic "decks," one 30 by 30 feet and weighing around 35 tons and the other 50 by 25 feet and weighing 40 tons, that have extraordinary ranges of motion. We've seen the show several times and every time, we can't believe the staging.

• May 27, 2024 09:07 Memorial Day:

The city is busy with an estimated 340,000 people in for the Memorial Day weekend and the sports books will be jumping with NBA and NHL playoff action today. Promos are sparse, but as it does every year, South Point is offering active and veteran military a free buffet for two today. At Fogo de Chao E. Flamingo, military get 50% off a full churrasco dinner and 10% off for others in the party. At Grimaldi’s Pizzerias, military gets 15% off.

• May 27, 2024 08:11 Easy's Waltz Filming Downtown:

Some buzz is being generated by movie star sightings downtown. Easy's Waltz, starring Vince Vaughan, Al Pacino, Michelle Monaghan, and Simon Rex, follows the journey of a down-on-his-luck comedian and singer (Vaughan), who's given a chance at a comeback by an old-school Vegas personality (Pacino), but the crazy schemes of his brother (Rex) and his own penchant for self-sabotage threaten to ruin the deal. Some photos and a short video with Vaughan and Rex filming outside the El Cortez are posted on X. Vaughan also stopped off at the Barbershop Cuts & co*cktails at the The Cosmopolitan, where he took the stage for a singalong with the resident Tomlinson Brown country band on Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition" and Alan Jackson's "Chattahoochee."

• May 26, 2024 09:51 Atomic Golf Lays off Some Staff:

Las Vegas 8NowNews reports that Atomic Golf, which opened barely three months ago and prior to that held a "hiring blitz" to attract an estimated 500 employees, has laid off a "substantial" number of staff. Overhiring isn't uncommon when a venue first opens, but the layoffs might indicate that management was optimistic about the volume of business Atomic Golf would handle in the early days.

• May 26, 2024 09:20 Indy 500 Odds:

Josef Newgarden is the +500 favorite to win today's Indianapolis 500. He's followed by Scott McLaughlin at +550 and Will Power at +575.

• May 26, 2024 08:23 Aces Come Back Strong Against Caitlin Clark's Fever:

After a big 10-point loss last Tuesday against the Phoenix Mercury (without their center Brittney Griner, who's injured), the Las Vegas Aces poured it on in their game last night at home against the Indiana Fever, featuring rookie sensation Caitlin Clark. The Aces held Clark to 2 buckets on eight shots in their commanding 99-80 win to put their record at 3-1 on the season. Las Vegas rookie Kate Martin, who played with Clark at U. Iowa, said it was "weird" to play against her former teammate, but the two visited awhile before and after the game.

• May 25, 2024 13:01 Las Vegas Loop Reaches Virgin:

The Boring Company digging machines have tunneled as far as Virgin hotel-casino on Paradise Road roughly a mile south of the Las Vegas Convention Center. It's expected that the Virgin station, which will connect to Convention Center's Silver Lot station, will be completed around this time next year. Progress continues on the stations at Westgate and Encore, though no completion dates have been announced.

• May 25, 2024 10:15 Beach Boys at Venetian To Celebrate Endless Summer:

The Beach Boys will play three shows at the Venetian Theatre on Sept. 4, 6, and 7 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their greatest hits collection, Endless Summer, released in June 1974. The album featured the band's best songs from 1962 to 1965, spent 155 weeks on Billboard charts, and returned the southern California icons to their earlier popularity. The band these days consists of founding member Mike Love (vocals) and Al Jardine (stringed instruments) who joined in 1965; Brian Wilson no longer tours. Tickets go on sale tomorrow starting at $45 (plus taxes and fees), at VenetianLasVegas.com.

• May 25, 2024 08:08 Free Parking Ends at Resorts World:

Resorts World will start charging for parking on Saturday June 1. Previously, anyone with a Genting Rewards card enjoyed free parking just by inserting the card into the meter on the way out of the garages. Starting a week from today, members in the Elite tier or higher will still get free parking and, according to what Resorts World has told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, everyone will still get up to three free hours. After the free three, the rate will be "$18 per entry." Valet parking will remain the same: $25-$75, depending on the duration. The Elite tier is new, now between Royal (0-2,999 tier credits) and Prime (75,000-249,999). So you have to earn 3,000 credits to achieve Elitehood and get unlimited parking comped. But the three free hours for everyone are plenty for most things you do in a casino if you're not a guest.

• May 24, 2024 12:56 LVA YouTube: Everything You Wanted To Know about the WSOP:

This week's video is a real treat, with two guests and Anthony and Andrew delving deep into the World Series of Poker, which starts on Tuesday. Dave Stann (formerly known as "Hollywood" Dave for those of you who've been around since the early 2000s) and George Antonakos, two long-time poker players, sit in and go at it: the size of the tournament; what games they play and how many tournaments -- and cash games -- they'll enter; how bad F1 construction will be compared to the disaster of last year in terms of accessing Paris and the Horseshoe; whether or not they play the $10,000-buy-in Main Event; back-end deals and sponsorships; dead money; the insane takeouts from the rake; favorite events; and on and on. It's a fast-moving information-packed 37 minutes that you don't want to miss if you have any interest at all in the current poker scene and the greatest poker tournament of them all.

• May 24, 2024 10:16 Potential Bargains at the Trop:

Truckloads of the Tropicana's last leftover crap are going for giveaway prices this weekend. The liquidation of the Trop's furnishings has been going on for a month now, which is why if you show up with a box truck (up to 27 feet), you can fill it for $100, while a pickup is $25. Admission is $20 if you're just going to look, waived if you bring a truck. Items must be removed the same day and all from the casino floor where, reportedly, you can find a baby grand piano, brand new linens, furniture (hotel beds, stack chairs, pool lounges, and the like), wall hangings, signage, and Christmas decorations. The sale runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday. Bring your own water; the casino doesn't have any.

• May 24, 2024 08:02 A Lot More Planes on Their Way:

Las Vegas has always been a magnet for airlines, but lately it's become a neodymium, the strongest magnet known. Ireland's flagship carrier Aer Lingus will start ferrying passengers between Dublin and Reid International on October 25, with thrice-weekly seasonal nonstop flights (Tues., Thurs., and Sat.) through April 29 for escapees from that country's winters. Also in October and for snowbirds, Southwest will add four weekly nonstop flights (Sun., Mon., Thurs.. Fri., starting Oct. 3) between Rochester, NY, and Reid. Southwest has also applied to the FAA to launch daily round-trip service between Vegas and Washington, D.C. Also from the UK, Norse Atlantic Airways, a low-cost long-haul carrier, will offer flights three times a week from and to London's Gatwick Airport beginning Sept. 12. And a small Canadian carrier, Porter Airline, began service between Toronto and Las Vegas in March.

• May 23, 2024 14:00 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias does stand up at the Cosmopolitan (5/24-26)
• Kool & The Gang is in the spotlight at Westgate Las Vegas (5/24-25)
• Babyface is center stage at the Palms (5/25-26)
• Ringo Starr & His All Star Band rocks the stage at Venetian (5/25-26)
• Enjoy the free Downtown Rocks concert where this weekend they’re featuring Seether at Fremont Street (5/25)
• And The Punk Rock Bowling takes place at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (5/25-27)

• May 23, 2024 13:28 See Dead & Company at Sphere:

Being Deadheads from way back, we've viewed at least a dozen posts about the Dead & Company shows at Sphere that started on Saturday night and continue through July 13. But so far, this one is the best we've seen, both for perspective photography and the number of videos of the shows. Check it out here.

• May 23, 2024 10:22 Renderings of Brightline Train Interiors Pretty Nice:

A photospread on RailwayNews.com reveals renderings of the interiors of the Smart (coach) and Premium (first-class) railcars for the Brightline high-speed train between southern California and Las Vegas that broke ground last month and is slated for completion in 2028. The Smart cabins, reportedly, have the legroom of airplane first-class and the Premium cabins are even roomier, with first-class-style service. The party cars look fun -- with enough space for the slots and maybe even table games that have been speculated on hereabouts. You can see all the renderings here. (And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.)

• May 23, 2024 08:22 Circa Million and Survivor Raise the Stakes Again:

Circa Sports has brought back the popular professional football contests, Circa Million VI and Circa Survivor, with their biggest combined payout yet: $16 million and no rake; it's the the largest prize pool ever for contests of this kind. Circa Survivor returns with a $10 million prize guarantee and Circa Million VI with $6 million. Signups launch tomorrow at 9 a.m. in all Circa Circa Sports Nevada locations and are open until September 7 at 2 p.m. during the first week of the pro season.

• May 22, 2024 13:48 F1 Arcade Announced:

The world's largest F1 Arcade will open next year atthe Forum Shops at Caesars. The 21,000-square-foot attraction will become the flagship location; there are three others, in London and Birmingham, UK, and Boston and a fourth is slated to open in Washington, D.C., in the fall. The Arcade gives fans an opportunity to participate in an F1-simulator racing experience. The attached bar offers free admission; races (at the Boston location) cost $20 standard and $25 at peak hours for three, $30/$35 for five. Each race lasts roughly 10 minutes, depending on the racing mode. According to the press release, the Arcade will be next to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, occupy two levels, and have an outside terrace overlooking the Strip and, of course, the actual Grand Prix when it runs in November.

• May 22, 2024 10:48 Lenny Kravitz Announces Mini-Residency:

Lenny Kravitz, who amazingly will turn 60 in a few days (and looks like a 40-year-old) will do five shows at Dolby Live at Park MGM on Dolby Live at Park MGM; the dates are Oct. 18, 19, 23, 25, and 26. The American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor will debut his 12th album, Blue Electric Light, at the mini-residency. Kravitz's music is a fusion that ranges from hard rock to funk, reggae, soul, and R&B. He made history by winning the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance four years in a row (1999-2002), setting the record for most consecutive wins in one category by a male performer; he's also won many other awards over the years and has sold 40 million albums in his 35-year career. Tickets go on sale at 10 p.m. PT Friday via ticketmaster.com.

• May 22, 2024 08:20 Clark County Owes $1.3 Billion on Allegiant Stadium:

LVSportsBiz.com publisher and reporter Alan Snel took a gander at the "the Clark County debt service for the public share of the Raiders stadium construction" and didn't like what he saw. To wit, after promising $750 million in public funds to help build the stadium, Clark County will wind up paying off $1.354 billion, "about $46 million less than the Raiders stadium construction budget of $1.4 billion." How so? The county is on a 30-year bond-repayment plan that will be completed in 2049 and the interest over that period nearly doubles the total amount. Snel also did a calculation that shows the county has "only" $1.178 billion to go. If you'd like to see the numbers, they're all right here. And as a reminder, Clark County has also promised $395 million to go toward the Oakland A's $1.5 billion baseball stadium.

• May 21, 2024 13:02 Hitting Mega Millions: A Cautionary Tale:

The Maine resident who held the winning ticket for the $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot hit on January 13, 2023, is suddenly having family troubles. The situation involves the $400 million lump sum, his father and stepmother, ex-wife, daughter, current girlfriend, security team, non-disclosure agreements that were or weren't signed, lawsuits flying back and forth, and the like. The ugliest part of the picture is the winner himself who, if you believe the story on LotteryPost.com, seems to be talking out of three or four sides of his mouth. But one thing is clear. As many lottery winners have attested over the years, these huge windfalls often have so many negative unanticipated consequences that they wish they'd never won. You can read the gory details here.

• May 21, 2024 10:14 Sunset Station Unveils New Sports Book:

Sunset Station has opened its sparkling new sports book. The amphitheater-style book is huge, 12,000 square feet, and similar to the one at Durango, seating 200, including tiered VIP lounge areas and 34 seats at the video poker bar. The LED screen is 152 feet long and can broadcast up to 30 different feeds simultaneously; another 40 LED TVs are peppered about the place. For race fans, the book features 19 race carrels with individual screens.

• May 21, 2024 08:33 Jose Andres Announces New Restaurants for Vegas:

José Andrés is an award-winning Spain-born American chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian credited with introducing the U.S. to the small-plates concept and renowned for his high-quality restaurants and his non-profit World Central Kitchen that provides food to areas struck by natural disasters. He has four restaurants in Las Vegas, including the iconic Bazaar Meats at Sahara and Jaleo, China Poblano, and é by José Andrés at Cosmopolitan. Now, he's about to open his fifth, Bazaar Mar, a seafood and tapas eatery at the Shops at Crystals at City Center; it will include Bar Centro, "serving coffee and pastries in the morning and co*cktails, caviar, and desserts in the evening." The word is Bazaar Mar will debut sometime this summer. In addition, a sixth restaurant, Zaytinya, serving mezze, the Middle Eastern version of tapas, is opening at the Forum Shops at Caesar, though no timeline has been revealed.

• May 20, 2024 14:57 Oilers/Canucks Game 7 Line:

The Edmonton Oilers are -150 favorites over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of their second-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.5.

• May 20, 2024 13:34 "City of Las Vegas: The Sixties" Premieres:

The new video on Las Vegas history, decade by decade, has just been released by the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial. The City of Las Vegas: The Sixties is the sixth in the series; one is released every year in conjunction with Las Vegas' birthday, May 15. The Sixties covers the decade that focuses on the modernization of Las Vegas, challenges of a fast-growing population, the civil rights movement, and much more. Like the other videos, The Sixties is ameaty 75 minutes. See it here.

• May 20, 2024 10:14 Evel Knievel Museum on Its Way:

The Evel Knievel Museum, which has been located in Topeka since it opened in 2017, has long been rumored to be coming to Las Vegas and it's now a fact. The current museum will close on November 2, at which time all the exhibits will move to Las Vegas. The announcement came as part of the start of construction on the new museum building in the Arts District. The vacant 32,000-square-foot SF Mission Linen facility, located on S. 1st Street just north of Charleston Blvd. near Casino Center Blvd., will house the museum, along with a Mothership Coffee Roaster shop and what's described as "Chuck E. Cheese meets '80s' metal" -- in other words, a heavy-metal-themed pizza place from the proprietor of Evel Pie and Golden Tiki. No budget or timeline was specified.

• May 20, 2024 08:23 F1 Continues To Confound:

First, the chief operating officer for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, a long-time Las Vegas business leader (she spent nine years as Las Vegas' city manager) suddenly resigned; she took the job in January, so she lasted barely five months. Her job included overseeing community relations -- thankless at best. The Nevada Independent reported that her departure "leaves the Grand Prix without a day-to-day local leader" and that the F1 CEO "hinted" that she would fill the position, which doesn't fill us with optimism. One of the reasons is that, second, F1 announced that it was comping two grandstand tickets (a $3,000 value) to Nevada's Teacher of the Year. Now doesn't that make you feel good about their generosity? And third, Ellis Island, which sits right next door to F1 headquarters, is suing the race company for monetary damages caused by the inaugural Grand Prix. The race "impeded access" to the property for months before and after and, in fact, employees were actually prohibited from going to and leaving from work for several hours on the night of the first practice round. Ellis Island joins several businesses, including long-time Italian restaurant Ferraro's, in suing F1 for its disruptions.

• May 19, 2024 15:03 Nuggets/Timberwolves Game 7 Line:

The Denver Nuggets are -4.5 favorites over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 7 of their second-round NBA playoff series. The total is 201.

• May 19, 2024 10:29 Knicks/Pacers Game 7 Line:

The New York Knicks are -3 favorites over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of their second-round NBA playoff series. The total is 209.

• May 19, 2024 08:12 Schauffele Favored in PGA Championship:

Going into the final round of golf's PGA Championship, there’s a logjam at the top, with 15 players at or within five strokes of the lead. Xander Schauffele and Colin Morikawa are co-leaders. with Schauffele the narrow +240 favorite and Morikawa at +265. Viktor Hovland, Sahith Theegala, and Bryson Dechambeau are all +750. It’s gonna be a barnburner.

• May 18, 2024 15:29 Preakness Odds:

The odds for the Preakness Stakes make Kentucky Derby winner, Mystik Dan, the favorite at 3-1, followed by Catching Freedom at 7-2 and Imagination and Tuscan Gold, both at 4-1. The long shot in the field of eight is Mugatu at 16-1. The Triple Crown is still in play, with Mystic Dan favored and the former favorite, Muth, having scratched.

• May 18, 2024 07:55 Triple Digits, Baby -- Already:

Yesterday was the first time in 2024 that the thermometer hit a hundred. The sweaty event took place just after 1 p.m. at the official National Weather Service monitoring station at Reid International. It was three degrees higher than the previous highest temperature of the year, 97, recorded on May 13 and it was a full six and a half weeks earlier than last year's first 100-degree day on June 30, which tied the all-time record for the latest 100-degree day of the year set on June 30, 1965. Remember last year? We also broke the record for the consecutive number of days below 100 at 291. The previous record of 290 days was set in 1964-1965.

• May 17, 2024 13:17 Today is Beer Friday:

It's a "Beer Friday" YouTube episode today. Join Anthony and Andrew for a livestream starting at 4 p.m. PST. Watch the show live, interact, and drink along to start the weekend. Log on at LVA YouTube live channel.

• May 17, 2024 12:30 Wrestlemania Projected to Attract 180,000:

Wrestlemania 41, the WWE's largest event of the year, is expected to attract 180,000 fans when it storms into Las Vegas next year over Easter weekend, April 19-20. In addition to F1 in November, it will be the biggest deal, including conventions, between now and then. Upwards of 145,000 room nights will be occupied and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has approved a $5 million sponsorship for WWE to host the event at Allegiant Stadium.

• May 17, 2024 10:26 Silverton Reopens Pool with $10 Million in Upgrades:

“The Swimmin’ Hole” at Silverton has reopened after being closed for a complete remodel to the tune of $10 million. The pool deck now features cabanas and daybeds, a bar and grill, a 32-foot retractable screen at the bar for special-event broadcasts, fire pits, and new restrooms. It's part of a $50 million makeover at Silverton, including a refresh of the casino and a complete renovation of the property's 300 hotel rooms completed last fall.

• May 17, 2024 08:01 Picasso Closing in August:

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is reporting that Bellagio's acclaimed New French restaurant, Picasso, is closing in mid-August. The reason? Its proprietor, Julian Serrano, is retiring. That wouldn't necessarily be a cause to close for most celebrity-chef eateries, but Serrano, 74, is in the kitchen at least six nights a week and has been since Picasso opened, when Bellagio did, in 1998. He told the R-J that upwards of 70% of his team has been there since the beginning and many are expected to retire with him. Serrano's two other Las Vegas restaurants, Lago at Bellagio and Tapas at Aria, will remain open. What replaces Picasso will be announced in the future.

• May 16, 2024 13:05 MLB Umpire Clinic at Las Vegas Ballpark:

Major League Baseball will be holding an "umpire clinic" at the Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Las Vegas Aviators, the minor league affiliate of the Oakland A's. The one-day camp on Saturday is free for participants, who will "work with MLB's umpires and supervisors to hone the skills necessary to umpire successfully at all levels." At the end of the day, participants might be selected to attend the MLB Umpire Prospect Development Camp at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, for an all-expenses paid four-week program in January, in which invitees compete for paid positions. Register here.

• May 16, 2024 10:17 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Start off the weekend with some laughs with David Spade & Nikki Glaser at the Venetian (5/17-19)
• The Sphere hosts their third band, Dead & Company, for their Las Vegas residency (5/17-18)
• EDC - Electric Daisy Carnival takes over the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (5/17-19)
• Maroon 5 is center stage at Park MGM (5/17-18)
• And country singer Kane Brown takes over the T-Mobile Arena (5/18)

• May 16, 2024 09:59 Mirage Closing:

In a press release yesterday afternoon, Hard Rock International announced that the Mirage will shut down all operations on Wednesday July 17 in order to start preparations for its transformation into the Hard Rock Casino and Guitar Hotel. This follows the announcement last month that Cirque's Beatles LOVE show would go dark permanently on July 7. Room reservations and tickets to other performances as of July 14 will be canceled and refunded. Upwards of 3,300 employees will be laid off; management is offering them jobs at other Hard Rock properties, though that will require location to Florida, Virginia, or northern Indiana. The new Hard Rock Las Vegas is slated to reopen "by spring 2027." Contrary to earlier proclamations, this isn't a phased renovation, but a total three-year transformation.

• May 16, 2024 07:55 PGA Championship Line:

Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at +450 to win the PGA Championship golf tournament. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at +750, Brooks Koepka at +1400, and Xander Schauffele at +1600. Tiger Woods is +15000.

• May 15, 2024 12:36 Last Chance To Vote for Your Favorite Locals Casino:

Our poll on the best locals casinos to frequent for gambling -- the best games, the better players clubs, and the easiest comps -- ends tomorrow. You can vote for your favorites from a list of 40 neighborhood joints, from M Resort in the far south and Red Rock in the far west to Aliante in the far north and Sam's Town in the far east, but only through Thursday. Here's the link to the poll. The results will be posted on Saturday.

• May 15, 2024 10:12 Las Vegas To Host the 2027 College Football Championship:

Las Vegas and the College Football Playoffs have wanted to hold the title game at Allegiant Stadium since the venue opened; in 2021, the CFP tried to arrange for the 2025 championship game at Allegiant, but there was a conflict with CES, both of which take place in early January. Now, it was just announced that Allegiant will host the 2027 CFP championship game. Las Vegas will be the 11th different city to host a CFP title game and it adds to Super Bowl LVIII and the Men's Final Four in 2028.

• May 15, 2024 08:19 Aces Ace Season Opener:

It's been a busy seven days for the WNBA championship team. A week ago, the team was honored in a ceremony at the White House. Last night, they raised their championship banner for last season, right next to the championship banner for the previous season. Then, they went out onto the floor at Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay for the season opener and handily beat the Phoenix Mercury 89-80. Throughout the night, the sellout crowd yelled, "Three-peat!" And it's a distinct possibility; the Aces are a +110 favorite to win this year's title for the third time in a row.

• May 14, 2024 13:21 Lawsuits over A's Stadium and Price Fixing Tossed:

Yesterday, the Nevada Supreme Court rejected a proposed initiative that would have put the Oakland A's stadium to a vote in the November election. The initiative was proposed by a political action committee backed by the Nevada State Education Association, which is opposed to using public funds to build the stadium. The suit was brought by unions in favor of the funding. The PAC intends to rewrite the proposal and put it before voters in 2026. And a federal judge struck down the second version of a lawsuit over price fixing by Las Vegas hotel-casino companies. The judge upheld a lower court's determination that the suit, filed last year against Caesars, MGM, Wynn, and Treasure Island, failed to prove that the companies colluded via a data-sharing company to inflate room rates in violation of antitrust laws.

• May 14, 2024 10:12 Las Vegas Ninth Cheapest Travel Destination for August:

Travel + Leisure surveyed the least expensive places to travel in August based a combined average for round-trip economy airfare and one night in a standard double room from data on Kayak.com to arrive at the 15 cheapest deep-summer destinations. Not surprisingly, eight of the top 10 are in warm-weather locations. Orlando is cheapest at $519, followed by New Orleans ($520), Miami and Ft. Lauderdale ($538/$540), Denver (the anomaly at $553), then Washington, D.C., Myrtle Beach, and Atlanta. Las Vegas came in at number nine ($621). Not too long ago, Vegas would've come in first, but obviously, prices, especially for hotel rooms, have risen since the halcyon dog days of yesteryear.

• May 14, 2024 08:12 $1.9 Million Jackpot Hit at Venetian:

A royal flush was hit on a Three Card Poker game at the Venetian last Friday, triggering the Millionaire Progressive for $1.9 million. The player, identified as from Connecticut, was dealt the royal in spades and had made the $5 side bet, making him eligible for the jackpot. The Millionaire Progressive links Three Card Poker, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, Crazy 4 Poker, and Mississippi Stud; introduced in 2018, it's been hit 14 times since then. And though another jackpot isn't quite up to our seven-figure minimum for reporting, an Ultimate Texas Hold’em player at The LINQ hit the MEGA Progressive for $362,000. What makes it special is that it happened on the Ohio player's 21st birthday. (Good thing it wasn't the day before.) The young man intends to buy a house with his winnings.

• May 13, 2024 13:31 Universal Society of Hinduism Wants Brahma Shrine Moved:

We found this story, for some reason, in the Gilmer Mirror, the oldest newspaper in Upshur County, Texas. A Hindu statesman with a worldwide following is asking Caesars Entertainment to move the shrine to Lord Brahma, situated outside Caesars Palace since 1984, to a more appropriate location. The stateman's statement read, in part, "Lord Brahma is highly revered in Hinduism, meant to be worshipped in temples or home shrines and not to be denigrated like this. It is highly insensitive, disrespectful, and out of line to place the creator god Brahma in front of a gambling establishment, next to Hell’s Kitchen showing devil’s pitchfork whose signature dish is Beef Wellington, a show tent hosting adults-only circus variety show featuring a co*cktail of wild and outlandish acts, and a co*cktail bar. Casinos should not be in the business of trivializing sacred Hindu deities, which is painful to Hindus the world over."

• May 13, 2024 10:14 NFL Releasing Schedule on Wednesday at 5 p.m.:

The National Football League will release the game schedule for the upcoming 2024-2025 season on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT. If you're looking to buy tickets for a Raiders' home game, this is an important day and time. Why? Because Allegiant Stadium is sold out for every Raiders game via season tickets held by Personal Seat License (PSL) owners, so purchasing single-game tickets directly from the Raiders cannot be done. Instead, you must navigate the resale market and the time to do this is one minute after the schedule is announced. Many PSL holders post their tickets for sale immediately and it’s possible to score a bargain while the forces of supply and demand are still calibrating the market price. A blog post by Dapper Dave explains the process, which you should definitely read if you're in the market for tickets to a Raiders home game.

• May 13, 2024 08:36 It's Starting: F1 2024 Road Closures:

So much for disruptions limited to "a couple of months" before the race, as previously announced by race officials. With more than six months to go until the second Las Vegas Grand Prix in mid-November, overnight lane reductions on the Strip have gone into effect (they started last night). Currently and through the end of the week, Harmon Avenue westbound is reduced to one lane between Audrie Street and the Planet Hollywood entrance; so is Sands Avenue eastbound between the Strip and Koval Lane. Tomorrow night, work gets under way on the southbound Strip at Bellagio Drive and at the southwest corner of Harmon Avenue. The official word is "maintenance" on the race course.

• May 12, 2024 10:34 Hear Sphere:

It’s been announced that an audio component is coming to Sphere’s exterior. Whereas it’s been solely a visual experience up till now, soon sound that can be heard outside will be added. Sphere brass believes it will enhance the “exosphere’s” (outside shell) value as an advertising medium.

• May 12, 2024 08:29 Welcome Sign Celebrates 65th with Contest:

Perhaps no image is more iconic, representative of Las Vegas, or seen more around the world than the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. It's located in the median of the south Strip just across from the Pinball Hall of Fame and is perpetually crowded with selfie pilgrims. The sign, at least the concept of it, celebrates its 65th anniversary this month; its design was approved by Clark County and fabrication began in May 1959. To celebrate the occasion, the county is sponsoring a contest for the best wedding pictures taken at the Welcome sign. The best photo (posted on Instagram sometime this month) in the “Your Sign of LoVe” contest will win a 12-inch-tall replica of the Welcome sign created by YESCO itself and personalized with the names of the winning couple (need not be present to win). Get all the details here. And to read about the history of the sign, check out our Question of the Day.

• May 11, 2024 15:17 UFC Lewis/Nascimento:

Derrick Lewis is a -170 favorite over Rodrigo Nascimento in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Joaquin Buckley is -140 over Nursulton Ruziboev.

• May 11, 2024 10:45 Catch This Week's Video Right Here:

The LVA YouTube Weekly Update is live and kicking. Our very own casino influencers, Anthony and Andrew, dive into the details coming out of Virgin: Mohegan Sun is out as the casino manager and the Culinary Union is on strike this weekend. Then they segue to the latest "trailer casino"; find out where it will be and when and what the video poker payouts will probably be like. The Downtown Rocks concert series is starting up in a couple of weeks and Andrew's excited about several of the bands, Anthony's excited about a steak special (16-ounce ribeye dinner for $19.99) at a bar in North Las Vegas that also has a stellar sign-up bonus, and the Question of the Week is how to become an advantage player. And speaking of advantage play, the Jackpot of the Week is a good example, plus it's a sweet story. It's all here with a quick click.

• May 11, 2024 08:05 Holsteins Closing in July:

Confirming a rumor on VitalVegas, Eater Vegas reports that Holsteins, the burger restaurant that opened with Cosmopolitan in 2010, will close on July 9. Employees were notified yesterday of the impending shutdown. A new restaurant is in development, but nothing has been announced -- or rumored -- about it yet.

• May 10, 2024 13:01 Las Vegas Spaceport Permitted:

Last year around this time, we learned that Las Vegas Spaceport, Inc., had quietly acquired 240 acres roughly 50 miles west of the city near Pahrump to build a hotel-casino-astronaut-training-center-spaceport -- words that don't often appear together. The company has a plan to get a jump on space tourism, while locating the spaceport near major military bases and their pilots and technicians, plus rocket scientists. Now, Clark County has just approved construction permits for the Las Vegas Executive Airport, slated to be the "cornerstone" of the complex, which will serve both commercial and private space tourism. The overall plans include a passenger terminal, rooftop deck, restaurant, and hotel; there was no mention of a casino in the recent news reports. Construction is expected to begin in late summer, with an operator selected in four years and space travel "at least five years" away.

• May 10, 2024 10:15 Going to EDC? Prepare To Pay To Get to and from:

EDC 2024 invades Las Vegas next weekend, running May 17-19 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Upwards of 520,000 people are expected to pass through the gates during that time. Costs are rising of course, but transportation will be particularly dear. According to some transportation information sent to us, the official shuttle bus is $279 per person,just under 100% more than the Coachella shuttle at $140. For taxis and rideshares, there will be a $100 surcharge on top of the trip fare ($40 dropoff, $60 pickup). Limited parking starts at $165 per space. And the helicopter ride is $650 one-way.

• May 10, 2024 08:23 El Cortez Investing in Another Upgrade:

Following on the heels of a $30 million capital investment to redo the hotel rooms and casino restrooms, the El Cortez has announced another $20 million upgrade. This one will be an expansion, adding a high-limit lounge, two bars, an Asian restaurant (noodles), and a Starbucks. The project will begin this summer with a completion date of early next year.

• May 09, 2024 13:23 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• San Gennaro Feast kicks off this weekend at M Resort (5/9-12)
• Justin Timberlake is center stage at T-Mobile Arena (5/10-11)
• Don’t miss REO Speedwagon at the Venetian (5/10-11)
• The Cosmopolitan welcomes Toni Braxton and Cedric The Entertainer (5/12)
• Take the family out and enjoy the Helldorado Days Parade at downtown (5/11)
• And The Rolling Stones takes over Allegiant Stadium (5/11)

• May 09, 2024 13:05 Virgin Workers Walking out Tomorrow:

For the first time in over 22 years, the Culinary and Bartenders Union has called for a strike at Virgin Las Vegas beginning tomorrow at 5 a.m. and continuing through Sunday 5 a.m. The strike will involve more than 700 hospitality workers, including room attendants, co*cktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, and kitchen workers, and picket lines will cover all entrances to the property. Negotiations are ongoing, but the next scheduled meeting between management and the union isn't until next Tuesday. Virgin is the only hotel-casino in Las Vegas that remains without a labor contract, which expired on June 1 of last year. For Virgin's part, executives claim thatthey've been making "sincere efforts to meet and negotiate,” but the union "isn't negotiating in good faith"; they've also filed an unfair-labor-practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. The most recent Culinary Union strike was in 2002 at the Golden Gate; it lasted 10 days.

• May 09, 2024 10:55 Happy 25th Anniversary Venetian:

The Venetian opened in early May 1999, making this month its silver anniversary. Perhaps in conjunction with the milestone, Apollo Management (casino operator) and Vici Properties (landowner) just announced a 36-month $1.5 billion (yes, with a "b") capital investment in the property, which includes a major renovation of the Venetian Expo, a remodel of the high-limit room and sports book at Palazzo, a number of new restaurants, the new small Voltaire Theater, and a complete refresh of all 4,000 Venetian suites. You can see some good photos, especially two of what the new suites will look like, on a Travel & Leisure web page. And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.

• May 09, 2024 08:15 F1 Traffic Report Top Secret (So Far):

In a story on LVSportsBiz.com, "What Is Clark County Hiding about Recently Submitted Formula 1 Traffic Report?", local reporter Alan Snell wonders aloud why the county "refuses to allow the public to see the Las Vegas Grand Prix traffic report." Snel has made several requests to county officials to release the report, which was submitted by the Las Vegas Grand Prix on May 1; the county maintains that "the report is a draft and not allowed to be seen by the public." Really? Snel quotes Nevada's open-records law, which says that unless a document is "declared confidential by law," information is "by default" public record. There's a lot more to this story and if you'd like to read it, you'll find it here.

• May 08, 2024 13:22 Trop License Extended, Stadium Location a Mystery:

The Clark County Commission has voted to grant Bally's Corp. a two-year waiver with two possible six-month extensions on license requirements; this allows the company to keep its gaming license for the Tropicana site. Without the extension(s), Bally's license would be suspended, with the possibility of nonrenewal, 30 days after closure. The extension requires the Trop to be completely demolished by April 2025. Meanwhile, the Review-Journal reports this morning that the exact placement of the Oakland A's stadium hasn't been determined, awaiting the overall property design, which will include where and how large a new casino will be, along with non-relocation, development, and lease agreements that the team still needs to submit to the Stadium Authority.

• May 08, 2024 10:19 It's Official: NHL Draft Televised from Sphere:

Teased earlier this year, the National Hockey League made the official announcement yesterday that its 2024 draft will be held at Sphere on June 28-29. The NHL will be the first sports league to sponsor an event at Sphere and the draft will be the first event to be televised live from the arena. In the statement, the league promised "an NHL Draft like no other, introducing the bright future of hockey in an innovative and exhilarating setting.” The first round on Friday will be televised starting at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, SN, and TVAS with rounds 2-7 on Saturday starting at 11:30 ET on ESPN+, NHLN, SN, and SN1. Reportedly, the draft will be open to the public, though no ticket information was included in the announcement. This is expected to be the last centralized draft for the NHL; starting next year, the teams will make their picks from their home markets and only the draft-eligible players will congregate in one place.

• May 08, 2024 08:18 Mohegan Departing Virgin Casino:

Virgin Las Vegas and Mohegan will part ways by the end of this year, both entities announced in a joint statement yesterday afternoon. Following Mohegan's departure as manager of the Virgin casino, Virgin will take over operations, pending regulatory approvals.

• May 07, 2024 13:12 "The Last Showgirl," Starring Pam Anderson:

The Last Showgirl has wrapped production in Las Vegas. The movie's title character is a Vegas dancer in her 50s, "who struggles with what to do next" when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run on the Strip. That character is played by Pamela Anderson, who returns to the big screen after a role as a sheriff in the forgettable 2022 horror film Alone at Night. The Last Showgirl is directed by Gia Coppola, granddaughter of Francis Ford and niece of director Sofia Coppola. It also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song, and Dave Bautista. The film is now in post-production, but no release date has been announced. We'll look for it.

• May 07, 2024 10:08 Condos Set All-Time Median Price Record:

Interest rates? What interest rates? Mortgage rates have been inching up all year, but they aren't having an impact on prices for houses, townhouses, and condos in Las Vegas; in fact, townhomes and condos set an all-time record in April for the median price: $290,000. That's an increase of 7.4% from April 2023 and beats the old record of $287,000 set in August 2022. As for houses, the median price was $469,000, up $4,000 over March and $39,000 from a year ago. Sales were brisk, up 16% for condos and nearly 20% for houses over 2023.

• May 07, 2024 08:51 Keith Urban Moves to Fbleau:

After a long residency last year at Zappo's Theater at Planet Hollywood and one at the Colosseum at Caesars in 2019, country singer, songwriter, and guitarist Keith Urban will play 10 shows at BleauLive Theater; the dates are October 4, 5, 9, 11, and 12 and February 14, 15, 19, 21, and 22. This is the first "residency" at the 3,800-seat BleauLive, which has been defined since opening by single shows; Fontainebleau apparently doesn't like the residency label and is calling the 10 shows an "exclusive engagement." Tickets go on sale to the public Friday at 10 a.m. PT at Ticketmaster.

• May 06, 2024 13:23 "One Piece" Cafe Opening in Chinatown:

Anime is a style of animation that originated in Japan and has become popular worldwide. "One Piece" is a long-running (1997) anime and manga (graphic-novel) series, one of the most popular in Japan. It chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat pirate crew as they search for the ultimate treasure known as One Piece. It combines elements of action, adventure, comedy, drama, and fantasy in various formats, including a TV series, movies, and video games. "One Piece" will open its first U.S. fast-food cafe in Las Vegas on Saturday. The eatery will be located in Chinatown at 5600 Spring Mountain Rd. (north side of Spring Mountain just west of Lindell). You can see the menu, inspired by the series' characters, and the presentation of the food at the website. The cafe will be open daily 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

• May 06, 2024 10:10 WrestleMania XLI Announced for Allegiant Next April:

The last time the WWE held its largest event of the year, WrestleMania, in Las Vegas was in 1993 for WrestleMania 10. Minneapolis was the frontrunner for this year's WrestleMania 41, but it was just announced that it will be held here at Allegiant Stadium over Easter weekend next year, April 19-20. It's not exactly the Super Bowl, but it's of a similar caliber; events around the host city take place for a week with lots of national publicity. Last month, WrestleMania 40 attracted nearly 150,000 attendees over two nights in Philadelphia and is projected to provide more than $200 million in economic impact for Las Vegas. Easter weekend is traditionally a slow time here, so we'll see what WrestleMania can deliver. Allegiant Stadium also hosted the WWE's sold-out SummerSlam in 2021. Ticket information is forthcoming in the next few months, but you can register for the pre-sale at this link.

• May 06, 2024 08:05 VGK: Better Luck Next Year:

The Vegas Golden Knights lost Game 7 in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last night in Dallas by the squeaker score of 2-1. It wasn't a big surprise; the VGK leapt out to a 2-0 lead in the series, then dropped three out of the last five games, and the Stars were the favorite to win at home. In the Knights' seven seasons, they've made the playoffs six times, winning the Stanley Cup last year. They lost in the first round only once before, in their second season (2019) against the San Jose Sharks.

• May 05, 2024 14:35 Stars/Golden Knights Game 7 Line:

The Dallas Stars are -145 favorites over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.5.

• May 05, 2024 09:53 Mob Museum One of Most Popular in the Country:

AirportParkingReservations.com took a look at the most popular museums in America, using search data and the highest positive ratings online. The site's study found that the Mob Museum is by far the most popular in Nevada, with 40,500 posted reviews. That number also ranks it 15th in the nation, just below the Denver Art Museum (48,170) and Meow Wolf in New Mexico (47,835) and way above the 16th-ranked Baltimore Museum of Art (35,525). Perhaps surprisingly, or not, Graceland in Memphis was number one with nearly 1.3 million reviews, followed by New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art (781,558) and the Art Institute of Chicago (219,608).

• May 05, 2024 09:50 Magic/Cavaliers Game 7 Line:

The Cleveland Cavaliers are -3 favorites over the Orlando Magic in Game 7 of their first-round NBA playoff series. The total is 195.5.

• May 05, 2024 08:14 Peyote Closes:

One of our favorite Las Vegas restaurants, Peyote, closed with little notice last weekend. No reason was announced for the sudden move, but the speculation is that its location, Fergusons Downtown, will be sold off by the estate of Tony Hsieh and is emptying out beforehand.Though we hadn't been there for a while, Peyote was a foodie haven, both for dinner and Sunday brunch, especially on the large patio on Fremont Street. The two south-of-the-border chefs who founded Peyote opened a new restaurant downtown, La Mona Rosa (that we didn't like as much).

• May 04, 2024 17:26 UFC Pantoja/Erceg:

Alexandre Pantoja is a -200 favorite over Steve Erceg in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Jonathan Martinez is -150 over Jose Aldo.

• May 04, 2024 16:31 Bruins/Maple Leafs Game 7 Line:

The Boston Bruins are -135 favorites over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round NHL playoff series. The total is 5.

• May 04, 2024 15:30 Kentucky Derby Odds:

The current odds for the Kentucky Derby make Fierceness the favorite at 3-1, followed by Sierra Leone at 9-2 and Forever Young at 6-1. The long shot is Grand Mo the First at 48-1.

• May 04, 2024 09:20 LVA YouTube's No-Update Update:

This week's video starts out with two "no-news" items: Bally's doesn't know what they'll do with the leftover acreage around the Oakland A's stadium and said as much in its recent earnings call; and a Las Vegas real estate company, LVXP, has announced a resort-casino and NBA-ready stadium for the site of the failed resort-arena project All Net. Different group, same idea -- is it news? We'll see. Beyond that, Anthony discusses the pool scene, which is open and in action, including the toptional pools and the ones where you can gamble (and be sure to listen carefully about getting in for free if you do). The Question of the Week covers what seat not to sit in at a blackjack table if you're concerned about what other players think of you and the Jackpot of the Week launches a discourse on Triple Double Ultimate X Bonus Streak. Check it out.

• May 04, 2024 07:39 Friends and Lovers: Never Mind:

The huge one-day Friends and Lovers music festival, featuring some of the biggest acts in pop and R&B, has been canceled. The "heartbreaking decision" was announced little more than 12 hours before the gates to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds were scheduled to open today at noon, due to a high wind warning from the National Weather Service. According to the F&L statement, "Following advice from the National Weather Service and in consultation with local officials, we must make the safest decision for our fans, artists, and staff and cancel the festival." Ticket holders for the sold-out event, almost all of whom are here, will receive a refund within 30 days to the original form of payment.

• May 03, 2024 13:19 Lovers and Friends Festival Set for Tomorrow:

Lovers & Friends returns for its third music festival tomorrow at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The one-day event features a wide variety of artists on five stages starting at noon and running through midnight. Headliners include Janet Jackson, Gwen Stefani, Mary J. Blige, Backstreet Boys, Usher, Alicia Keys, Brandy, 98 Degrees, Nelly Furtado, Nas, and Kelly Rowland; another 50 or so acts will perform. All tickets have long been sold out. You'll definitely want to avoid the Strip at Sahara for the whole day.

• May 03, 2024 10:28 Live Nation Concert Week Starts May 8:

Live Nation's annual Concert Week returns next week. This is a strong promotion in which tickets for concerts and comedy shows are $25, including fees (but not taxes). This is the 10th annual Week, which will run Wednesday May 8 through Tuesday May 14. Buy tickets starting Wednesday at 7 a.m. PT for shows at 14 Las Vegas venues, including Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood, BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau, Brooklyn Bowl, the Colosseum at Caesars, Dolby Live at Park MGM, House of Blues, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Pearl at the Palms, T-Mobile, and more. You can see the whole list here and get the tickets here when the sale starts.

• May 03, 2024 08:06 Cosmo's Identity Club Finally Incorporating into MGM Rewards:

It's been a long time coming and the official word was that merging the two players clubs presented unique challenges that took a couple of years to overcome, but the Cosmopolitans Identity Club will disappear and be replaced by MGM Rewards on July 30. According to the FAQs, members will keep their existing Identity point and free-play balances when MGM Rewards takes over, but (ruh-roh) members will receive a "one-time adjustment" of tier credits in MGM Rewards based on Identity tier points earned over the past year. Those details "will be shared in the coming weeks" and we'll be very pleasantly surprised if the tier points aren't downgraded in some way. You can read all the FAQs here.

• May 02, 2024 13:08 Trailer Casino in Westside:

A “trailer casino” — a temporary gambling space created to preserve a gaming license — is scheduled for May 14 on the site of the former Moulin Rouge. Trailer casinos are so named, because machines are staged in a trailer for eight hours, then taken away. The machines will be open for play starting at 6 am. You might want to check it out to say you have, but we’ve done so in the past and never found anything exciting in the mix—video poker returns on the last one we attended ranged from 93.11% to 95.71%.

• May 02, 2024 10:19 Another Shakeup at the Mirage:

Shin Lim and Colin Cloud, who've performed together at the Mirage Theater since the show opened in May 2019, are going their separate ways. Las Vegas Review-Journal entertainment columnist John "Kats" Katsilometes reports that Cloud's last performance with Lim will be on July 1 and one night later, he'll open at Harrah's in his own show. Lim has extended his show at the Mirage through September 2, though what happens at the theater after that is anyone's guess. We saw Lim's show late last year and were duly impressed with both performers; you can read our review here.

• May 02, 2024 08:19 Downtown Rocks Schedule Announced:

Downtown Rocks, the series of free concerts that run on random Saturday nights from Memorial Day weekend to late October, has announced the bands that will perform. We haven't heard of any of them, but we think some of the names are cool, especially Boys Like Girls, Sublime with Rome, Hoobastank, and our favorite, To Be Announced, which is playing the final two weeks. (Just kidding.) Here's the lineup. May 25 Seether, June 8 Hoobastank with Soul Asylum, June 29 Boys Like Girls, July 6 Chris Janson, July 20 Sebastian Bach, August 31 Common Kings, Sept. 7 Joe Nichols, Sept. 21 Sublime with Rome, Oct. 5 and 26 To Be Announced.

• May 01, 2024 13:21 The Rich Get Richer:

A topic that's covered in the Review-Journal on an annual basis compares the pay of casino-company chief executive officers to that of "typical employees" and the R-J reports this morning that the ratios at several Las Vegas-based companies last year were, shall we say, unsporting. The ratio for Caesars' CEO, for example, was a mere 560-to-1 ($18.6 million to $33,250 for the "median compensated employee"). Almost as much was Las Vegas Sands at 533-to-1 ($21.9 million to $41,185). Penn Entertainment (Tropicana, M Resort) was also close to the top at 405-to-1 ($15.5 million to $38,332), followed by MGM Resorts International at 374-to-1 ($17 million to $45,502). Boyd was 318-to-1 ($11.4 million to $35,904), Wynn 299-to-1 ($16.2 million to $54,100), the STRAT's Golden Entertainment Inc. 151-to-1 ($6.1 million to $40,136), Bally's 103-to-1 ($4.5 million to $43,956), and Station84-to-1 ($3.5 million to $41,584). Interesting to us is the median income of the employees; Wynn was highest at $54,100, then MGM/$45,502 and Bally's/$43,956. Why doesn't it surprise us that Caesars was way down at the bottom at $33,250 and Boyd wasn't much better at $35,904.

• May 01, 2024 10:27 Local Fave Lindo Michoacan Opens at Palace Station:

The first Lindo Michoacan opened in Las Vegas on E. Desert Inn Road nearly 25 years ago in 1990 with 12 tables; since then, its three locations (a second in Summerlin and a third in Henderson) seat more than 300 people and it's one of the most popular and venerable Mexican restaurants in town. The fourth location will open at Palace Station tomorrow at 11 a.m., just in time for Cinco de Mayo weekend. Located in the former Tacos & Tequila space, the new room seats 106 guests and offers the same menu as the other three restaurants.

• May 01, 2024 08:51 May Is the End of Mild:

May starts out moderately hot and winds up summery hot. Average high temperatures range 83 degrees on the first and 94 on the 31st, while average lows go from 61 to 71. Record high temperatures, though are all in the triple digits, from 102 (seven days) to 109 (on the 28th in 2003). The record low of 38 was recorded on the third in 1948; otherwise, all record lows have been in the 40s, with two 50-degree nights (the 26th in 1980 and 28th in 1971). Average rainfall is a quarter-inch, tied with October for the third lowest month of precipitation.

• April 30, 2024 15:41 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Pepe Aguilar is center stage at MGM Grand (5/3)
• Duran Duran takes the stage at the Wynn (5/3-4)
• Comedy-wise we have Matt Rife at the Cosmopolitan (5/3-4) and Mike Epps at the Venetian (5/3-4)
• Looking to get out and enjoy the weather? There's First Friday in the Downtown Arts District (5/3), The Jazz and R&B Festival at the Clark County Government Amphitheater (5/4-5), and The Lovers & Friends Festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds (5/4)
• And if you're celebrating Cinco de Mayo, there will be parties and specials throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Check out Las Vegas Review Journal’s List here.

• April 30, 2024 10:17 Grateful Dead Exhibit Coming to Venetian:

Similar to the one that ran at the Venetian through U2's long residency at Sphere, an exhibit featuring the Grateful Dead will accompany Dead & Company's slightly shorter residency (24 shows compared to U2's 40) from mid-May to July. "The Dead Forever Experience" will occupy the same two-floor space as the U2 exhibit and will, according to the press release, include a "scale recreation of the infamous Wall of Sound, the massive sound system created for Grateful Dead concerts in 1974." There will also be an "immersive art exhibition" from drummer Mickey Hart, more than 100 photographs of the band, and of course a gift shop for merch. The exhibit will be free and open five days a week during the "Dead Forever -- Live at Sphere" residency.

• April 30, 2024 08:39 Vegas Claims Best Mom and Pop Bar in U.S.:

An online group called Entrepreneur has named the Silver Stamp in the Arts District the “Best Mom and Pop Bar in the U.S.” We don’t know exactly what a "mom-and-pop bar" means, but the Silver Stamp is definitely unique, with an incredible beer list and a cool vibe. It’s located at 222 E. Imperial Ave. and if you're going, pay attention to the address; there’s no name on the non-descript building, just “222” above the door. It’s open daily from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.

• April 29, 2024 12:58 Sports Betting: Gateway to Binge Drinking?:

A study conducted by psychologists at UNLV and the University of New Mexico concludes that people who bet sports are "more likely" to binge drink than those who don't bet sports or gamble in other ways. The study surveyed 4,000 people and found that sports bettors average five drinks "per sitting," which we interpret to mean while sweating their bets. Apparently, it makes no difference in terms of drinking if the sports bettor is male or female; they all binge drink. But according to the psychologists, sports betting has a "major cognitive impact" on the 18- to 24-year-old demographic who, because they play and/or follow sports, think they can win. The authors also believe that since "sports fans drink more than non-sports fans and gamblers drink more than non-gamblers, it would make sense that sports gamblers drink more than non-sports gamblers.” The study also speculated that it might be the other way around: Binge drinking leads to sports betting -- and not well-thought-out bets at that.

• April 29, 2024 10:19 Best Brunch in the U.S. Right Here:

With Mother's Day approaching and brunch being a staple of the holiday, Yelp compiled has released its annual list of the 100 top brunch restaurants in the U.S. based on reviews on the site. Though California had the most brunches at 15, followed by Florida (11) and Texas (9), Las Vegas had the number-one-ranked restaurant. Toasted Gastropub, which moved into the top spot after being ranked at #22 last year, has been in business in Las Vegas for five years and has two locations, both out in the western valley near the Beltway (9516 W. Flamingo right at the Beltway and 7345 Arroyo Crossing Parkway just south of the Beltway a bit west of Buffalo), plus three in San Diego. A look at the menu will have your mouth watering for both brunch and dinner. CraftKitchen in Henderson placed #26, Seventh & Carson #34, and Scrambled in Henderson #50.See the whole list here.

• April 29, 2024 07:55 All Net Arena and/or Fontainebleau 2.0: Here We Go Again?:

According to a story in this morning's Review-Journal, three long-time Las Vegas industry professionals have launched LVXP, "a Las Vegas-based real estate development company," to develop the 27-acre former site of the waterpark Wet 'n' Wild. The acreage was slated for an NBA arena and non-casino hotel that was more than a decade in the making, without making even a splash. Now, LVXP has assembled a team of "experts in real estate, finance, marketing, technology, sports, and entertainment," in order to build what's touted as the "city's tallest resort," with 2,500 rooms and "a state-of-the-art NBA-ready arena." The story quotes the CEO as saying, "We're the antithesis of the previous project," meaning, presumably, that LVXP has the financing in place, though the detailed story made no mention of any. It did report that LVXP has acquired the land and cleared all the liens associated with it. The story also listed the facilities, including a casino, convention center, retail, food outlets, and underground parking. "The city’s first seven-star property" is planned to be "an ultraluxury resort" anchored by an 18,000- to 20,000-seat arena, employing sustainable development and green initiatives. Our take so far: All Net Arena failed spectacularly and the next-door Fontainebleau is struggling mightily, so is this a dream of two wrongs making a right? We hope so, and good luck to 'em. LVXP plans to submit permit requests by July and hopes to break ground by the end of this year or early next.

• April 28, 2024 10:31 VGK 2-1 in First Round:

After jumping out with two wins in Dallas against the number-one-seed Stars, the Vegas Golden Knights lost last night at home by a score of 3-2. It was a tough-fought game that the Stars clinched in overtime. Game 5 takes place at T-Mobile tomorrow evening starting at 6:30 p.m.

• April 28, 2024 08:51 The BIG News This Morning Is ...:

Taylor Swift! What? You were expecting a rollback of resort fees maybe? Or that F1 has been canceled? Nope. Ms. Swift and Travis Kelce, the most famous couple in the universe (the known universe, of course, not all universes in the multiverse), flew in to attend a charity golf gala sponsored by Patrick Mahomes' 15 and the Mahomies Foundation. They joined Mahomes and his wife Brittany at the auction, then "snuck" into the Easy co*cktail Lounge, the hidden speakeasy at Aria, for an A-List double date. TMZ described them as "super adorable, down to earth, and kind," summing them up as "super-cool badass human beings." Now you can go back to your Sunday, secure in the knowledge that you're up on all the most important news out of Sin City.

• April 27, 2024 10:55 Win a $1,500 Gift Certificate to Joël Robuchon :

Longtime Las Vegas food reviewer and critic, Al Mancini, is one of the original authors of our Eating Las Vegas series of restaurant guides. He also manages the restaurant website and app Neon Feast,which we've recommended and continue to do so. And he has a foodie podcast on Spotify, Food & Loathing, which Al describes as a "casual passion project" and features weekly round-ups of local restaurants and in-depth interviews with top chefs. His latest venture is NeonNews.Vegas, Al's outlet for covering bigger local food-industry news in long-form articles. All this is the intro to a contest Al has announced. NeonFeast is giving away a tasting menu with wine pairings for two at Joël Robuchon, which he considers "one of the quintessential dining destinations on the Strip"; it's also the only Las Vegas restaurant ever to receive three Michelin stars and the only American outpost of the most decorated chef in Michelin history. To enter the contest, all you have to do is photograph a dish or drink at a participating restaurant or bar, then upload it to NeonFeast. One entry will be randomly selected each month during the contest to receive a $300 gift certificate to the Lip Smacking Foodie Tour. On June 30, one entry will be selected at random to receive a gift certificate for a $1,500 dinner for two at Joël Robuchon (the degustation menu with wine pairing), plus a 20% gratuity and sales tax. Get all the official rules and uploading instructions here.

• April 27, 2024 10:20 Upcoming Concerts: Duran Duran, Blink-182, Howard Jones:

English pop-rock band Duran Duran, founded way back in 1978 and consisting of its original members, usually plays arenas, but will perform two shows at the 1,480-seat Encore Theater on May 3-4. The band, whose big hit is "Hungry Like the Wolf," sold out a mini-residency there in Sept.-Oct. 2022. Nineties' pop-punk band Blink-182 ("All the Small Things") is an arena band that will make a stop on its reunion tour at T-Mobile Arena on July 3. And '80s synth-pop stalwart Howard Jones will certainly play "No One Is To Blame" at his one date at the Theater at Virgin on August 18. Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

• April 27, 2024 08:06 Beware: Skim Scam:

In a press conference yesterday, a Metro Police deputy chief warned the public not to use debit or electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards in card readers, due to "the prevalence of skimming devices in southern Nevada." The event was the culmination of a three-day blitz involving agents from Metro and the Henderson PD, the State Police, the Secret Service, and the Clark County School District, who "engaged with 1,150 businesses to educate them on the problem of skimming and to check for and remove illegal skimming devices." During the visits, officers examined nearly 12,000 card-reading devices, including ATMs, and found 18 skimmers. That might not sound like a lot, but if your bank account information is compromised, it's plenty. The operation was the result of 10 recent arrests in southern California related to the skim, "connected to Eastern European crime networks that also have skimming activities in southern Nevada." In 2023, Metro discovered 41 gas-pump and two ATM skimmers; so far In 2024, six gas-pump, 16 card- reader, and three ATM skimmers have been located. To protect yourself, authorities advise checking card readers, especially at gas pumps, for damage and scratches; using credit cards at readers to minimize the exposure of PINs; if you must enter a PIN, cover the keyboard in case tiny cameras are recording the reader; and if you suspect a skimmer, report it immediately.

• April 26, 2024 13:06 AK Air Adds San Diego-Vegas Route:

Alaska Airlines has announced a significant expansion in southern California. Starting October 1, the carrier will offer round-trip service between San Diego International and Reid International four times a week. Also on Oct. 1, AK Air will resume twice-daily service to Reno-Tahoe International. The SAN to LAS route is already served by Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, and Delta; the addition of Alaska will increase competition and, perhaps, drive down airfares and improve service.

• April 26, 2024 10:02 Speakin' of Blazin': YouTube:

This week's YouTube is full of quick hitters, starting with the three cannabis-consumption lounges now open, finally, in Las Vegas. That's followed by summer fireworks downtown, every Friday night, at the Plaza, Terry Fator moving to the Strat at the odd but intriguing time of 5 p.m., a nice $50 discount off the proxy service at FootballContest.com, and the Question of the Week about Dennis Conrad's $26,000 royal flush featured in last week's Jackpot of the Week. And speaking of the JoW, this one, with an ace held and four threes drawn at 9/5 Triple Double Bonus for $2,000, launches an in-depth discussion of return percentages, expected value, and what Anthony would do. It's a fast 16 minutes and you won't regret the time you invest in it.

• April 26, 2024 08:31 Las Vegas Third Best for Blazin' :

We rarely cover national surveys from commercial sites like Lawnstarter and NerdWallet, but this one caught our attention. LawnStarter ranked 2024's Best Cities to Get Stoned and out of the U.S.'s nearly 300 biggest cities where recreational marijuana use is legal and based on six categories, Las Vegas ranked number three, behind Los Angeles and San Francisco. Las Vegas placed seventh for access to cannabis, three for entertainment while under the influence, and number one for "munchie relief." No surprise, it placed at number 107 for convenience. In the bottom 10, Illinois had five cities and New Jersey had four.

• April 25, 2024 13:49 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Want to have a good laugh this weekend, consider seeing comedian Ali Wong at the Wynn (4/26-27)
• Bring me the Horizon takes the stage at Fontainebleau (4/26)
• Smokey Robinson is in the spotlight at Venetian (4/26-27)
• And the Holo Holo music festival is celebrating island and reggae music,at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (4/26-28)

• April 25, 2024 12:50 Trop Implosion Deadline Set:

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a demolition permit has been issued by the county to Bally’s Corp. to implode the Tropicana's two hotel towers. The permit is for a total implosion cost of $15 million. Bally's applied for the permit on April 11 and it was approved on Saturday, obviously fast tracked. The implosion must be carried out by October 20 or Bally's loses $50,000 in permit fees.

• April 25, 2024 10:34 Mojave Max Emerges from Brumation:

Mojave Max, southern Nevada’s desert-tortoise mascot and answer to Punxsatuwney Phil, crawled out of his den yesterday at 3:09 p.m. to mark the unofficial start of spring in Las Vegas. Max had been brumating, the reptile version of hibernating, since October. Warmer temperatures, more daylight, and the tortoise's own biorhythms combine to get ol' Max moving. His emergence from the burrow at Las Vegas Springs Preserve was two days earlier than last year, which was the latest since records have been kept over more than two decades; yesterday's arrival was the second latest.

• April 25, 2024 08:10 Valley of Fire Getting New Visitor Center:

Valley of Fire, Nevada's oldest and, many believe, most spectacular state park has broken ground on a new visitor center. The new building will be 17,000 square feet, cost $7 million, include a 200-seat outdoor amphitheater for lectures and presentations and a new gift shop, and be completed sometime in fall 2025. Valley of Fire is only a 45-minute drive from Las Vegas and is well worth the trip for a true desert Southwest outing; when the new center is completed, it will be even more worth it.

• April 24, 2024 13:25 Dive-In Movies Return to the Cosmo:

The Cosmopolitan has announced this summer's schedule for its annual "Dive-In Movie" night on Mondays, starting May 20 and running through September 9. This is a great way to check out Cosmo's third-floor pool deck and catch a flick at the same time, especially on a hot summer night in the water. The doors open at 7 p.m., the movie starts at 8, and it's absolutely free if you have an Identity players card; otherwise, it's $15, $10 for locals. You can also reserve cabanas and daybeds, though lounge seating is free and first-come first-served. To make reservations and see the schedule, here's the link. If you're here for Labor Day weekend, seeing The Hangover on September 2 would be appropriate.

• April 24, 2024 10:16 Thinking of Moving to Las Vegas?:

If you're considering retiring to southern Nevada, here's a quick top-10 list of benefits. We agree with all of them, though written by the Real Estate Guy, his take on affordable housing and large inventory is a bit overblown.

• April 24, 2024 08:28 $1.3 Million Jackpot at the Airport:

A slot player hit a jackpot of $1,357,950 playing Monopoly Money Grab at Reid International over the weekend, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported yesterday. No surprise: The winner chose to remain anonymous.

• April 23, 2024 13:08 PopStroke Mini Golf Opens:

PopStroke Mini Golf's 14th location in five states opened this week on Las Vegas Blvd. across the Strip from Town Square just south of Mandalay Bay. The two 18-hole mini-golf courses each take 45-60 minutes to complete, depending on your number of players. The putter and TaylorMade golf balls are included in the day-pass price: $24 kids 3-12, $32 seniors, $40 adults; hours are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The full-service restaurant opens at 11 a.m. and serves a breakfast burrito ($8), tenders ($12), wings ($15), burgers, sandwiches, and wraps ($14-$16), tacos ($16-$18), and salads ($16-$21). There's also an ice cream parlor, kids playground, Jumbotrons, and more.

• April 23, 2024 10:04 Two Vegas Bars Honored in National Survey:

Tales of the co*cktail Foundation, a non-profit platform that "accelerates the growth of the spirits industry through forward-thinking partnerships and mentorship programs," also sponsors a global co*cktail competition and presents annual Spirited Awards, which recognize beverage professionals, products, establishments, and media throughout the world. Among the 11-state U.S. West regional top-10 honorees for 2024 are the Ski Lodge at Superfrico at the Cosmopolitan, winning a nod as one of the Best U.S. Hotel Bars. This is a hidden bar behind one of the many doors you confront as you enter Superfrico; a classic apres-ski-themed establishment, it's about as far away from the center Strip as you can be. Cleaver restaurant at 3900 Paradise Road received a Best U.S. Restaurant Bar award. Serving steak, seafood, and classic co*cktails, Cleaver is a sister restaurant to Herbs & Rye, owned by famed bartender and restaurateur Nectaly Mendoza, that opened in 2022.

• April 23, 2024 08:13 Terry Fator Lands at the Strat:

Dallas-born 58-year-old ventriloquist, impressionist, comedian, puppet master, and singer Terry Fator will headline a new show at the Strat beginning May 23. After winning Season 2 of "America's Got Talent" and headlining shows at the Mirage and New York-New York, Fator has been a fixture on the Strip since 2009. Tickets for "Terry Fator: One Man, a Hundred Voices, a Thousand Laughs!" go on sale Tuesday and will start at $59.

• April 22, 2024 13:22 New Bridge between Laughlin and Bullhead City To Open:

The long-awaited bridge over the Colorado between Laughlin in Nevada and Bullhead City in Arizona will open to traffic on June 7. The $60 million project was originally envisioned in the 1990s and construction began in 2021, but delays held up completion. The 724-foot-long bridge is one lane in each direction with a multi-use non-vehicle lane on the south side of the bridge for bikers, hikers, and runners. The third bridge over the river in the Laughlin area, it's roughly eight miles down river; a three-and-a-half-mile feeder road between the bridge and Needles Highway (near the Avi Casino-Resort) was also constructed, as well as a half-mile extension of Bullhead Parkway on the Arizona side. A somewhat undeveloped area, the bridge is expected to spur economic opportunities south of both towns.

• April 22, 2024 10:02 Entire Tropicana Suites: Yours for a Low Low $1,500:

Casino.org's Cory Levitan has been following the sale of goods and furnishings from the Tropicana by Ohio-based International Content Liquidations and now reports that ICL is selling not only the furniture, televisions, lighting fixtures, and art from the rooms and suites, but "anything you can physically remove from the premises in a 10-day period" for a lump sum between $1,500 and $3,500. Cory explains, "This means carpeting, plumbing fixtures, and pipes. Buyers are advised to bring a carpenter, plumber, and six-person demolition team — as well as a truck that’s at least 24 feet long — to get the most bang for their buck." If you're interested, make an appointment for a showing at 702-933-9540.

• April 22, 2024 08:41 Election Betting: Biden Overtakes Trump:

Eric Raskin, gambling journalist and author of our book The Moneymaker Effect -- The Inside Story of the Tournament that Forever Changed Poker, has a piece on CasinoReports.com about the changing odds on the presidential election on PredictIt.com, an "exchange" that allows you to bet against other gamblers on major world events. Though bookmakers aren't allowed to take wagers on elections, exchange betting on them is permitted in the U.S. Raskin reports that from early February through mid-March, the odds favored Trump over Biden. But as the former president's legal problems accelerated, things began to change. For the second half of March, the two candidates ran about even, until the beginning of April, when the odds switched, with Biden the favorite and Trump the underdog, "by gradually widening margins." As of April 15, Biden was a -112 favorite, while Trump was a +117 dog. In addition, overall, Democrats were favored at -133, while Republicans were down to +122. You can read Eric's report here and if you're interested in following the exchange odds or betting on the election, PredictIt.com is a good place to do it.

• April 21, 2024 12:39 Phish at Sphere:

Phish, the 40-year-old group founded in Burlington, Vermont, opened its four-show mini-res at Sphere on Thursday night. Phish, the second concert series at the arena following U2's 40 shows, is the next best thing to seeing the old Grateful Dead; the jam band with four original members, inspired by the Dead's improvisational style, combines long instrumental breaks in rock, pop, folk, blues, bluegrass, reggae and other genres. The band also has a following as rabid as the Deadheads and has sold nearly 10 million albums. Unlike U2, in which all 40 shows were the same, Phish's four shows are all different; indeed, every show is different, with unique setlists and visuals, but no shows have been like these, backed by the planet's most epic screen. You can read about the creative process, see fabulous photos, and watch an eight-minute video of the band in action here.

• April 21, 2024 10:22 "CSI: Vegas" Canceled:

If you're a fan of "CSI: Vegas," you're out of luck. The first and flagship "CSI" series, which premiered in October 2000, was set in Las Vegas and ran for 335 episodes over 15 seasons. "CSI: Vegas" was ranked among the 10 most-watched shows on television for 11 seasons in a row, spawned several other series ("CSI: Miami," CSI: New York," and "CSI: Cyber") that ran for nearly 800 total episodes, and launched CSI: The Experience, a traveling museum exhibit and interactive attraction at MGM Grand. In fall 2021, CBS revived "CSI: Vegas," which had another successful run of three seasons, but was just canceled. According to Deadline.com, the show was "a solid ratings performer," but "with the entire CBS schedule doing well this season and three new drama series joining in 2024-25, the network was faced with painful decisions, and 'CSI: Vegas' was the least watched CBS drama series this spring in both linear and multi-platform ratings." So it's a second retirement for the crime scene investigators in small-screen Vegas.

• April 21, 2024 10:17 Brightline Breaking Ground:

Brightline West, the high-speed train between southern California and Las Vegas that's been 25 years in the making and no one ever thought would come to fruition, is breaking ground in a major ceremony in south Vegas on Monday. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, among a number of other federal, state, and local dignitaries and the founder and chairman of Brightline, will attend the groundbreaking at the site of the train station, just off Las Vegas Blvd. and Warm Springs. While surveying, soil sampling, and other prep work has been going on all year, this is the first formal event launching the line. Construction is expected to take four years, with a projected completion date of 2028 in time for the L.A. Summer Olympics, and the trip is expected to take two hours on trains traveling at up to 200 mph.

• April 20, 2024 10:36 NHL Championship Odds:

Also starting the playoffs today, the Edmonton Oilers are the +625 favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They’re followed by the Carolina Hurricanes at +650 and the Florida Panthers at +700. The longshots are the NY Islanders and the Washington Capitals, both at +6000. The Vegas Golden Knights are +1275.

• April 20, 2024 09:47 NBA Championship Odds:

With the playoffs starting today, the Boston Celtics are the +140 favorites to win the NBA championship. They’re followed by the Denver Nuggets at +290 and the Dallas Mavericks at +1400. The longshot is the Orlando Magic at +20000.

• April 20, 2024 08:37 NHL Playoffs Begin; VGK Face Dallas:

After an up and down season -- up at the start, down in the middle, and okay at the end -- the Vegas Golden Knights finished fourth in the Pacific Division with a record of 45-29 and 98 points. It's the sixth time in the expansion team's seven seasons that they've made the playoffs, though just by a hair this year; the VGK are the division's wild-card team. In the first round series, they play the Dallas Stars, which led the Central Division (52-21, 113). Game One is on Monday in Dallas. The odds on VGK to win the Stanley Cup will be posted in this space later today.

• April 19, 2024 12:11 Rockin' Tournament Win and Boogie-Woogie Jackpot!:

Wow! What an LVA Weekly YouTube update. Anthony starts out by running down the best bargain and value shows in Las Vegas, based on the Las Vegas Advisor ticket-price survey in this month's issue. Get a free look at what only subscribers can usually see and learn how you can save even more with our coupons. Then Anthony provides an inside view of the process of taping the "60 Minutes" show that he appeared on last Sunday; hint: out of 100 questions, three answers got air time. Then! Anthony won -- that's first place, kids -- the Downtown Grand's first major blackjack tournament, bagging the $2,500 top prize. Learn a tournament-strategy lesson and find out how much he tipped out. The Question of the Week is too cool to even describe; hint: it involves a Las Vegas Advisor 99-cent shrimp co*cktail at a restaurant in Indiana! Finally, the Jackpot of the Week is also a doozy, hit by a long-time friend of LVA, Dennis Conrad, who was playing 20 coins in a dollar machine, held one to the royal, and popped the other four for $26,000! Yowser! And find out how much he tipped. This is one LVA video not to miss!

• April 19, 2024 10:11 Parm Famous Italian Coming to Proper Eats:

A small East Coast chain (five locations in New York City, one in Boston), Parm Famous Italian, will open on May 13 at Aria's food hall, Proper Eats. It will take the space formerly occupied by Shalom Y'all (which we tried and found decent in its concept, but specious in its execution). Touted as "Italian-American soul food," Parm is among the brands of Mario Carbone's Major Food Group, which is also responsible for Carbone at Aria and Sadelle's at Bellagio. As is common at food halls, the menu will be truncated from the ones at the other locations; it's been announced that this location will include meatballs ($8), chicken parm and a five-meat Italian sandwich ($16), and a pasta plate ($18).

• April 19, 2024 08:01 Weekly Summer Fireworks Shows at the Plaza:

The Plaza, known for its New Year's Eve and July 4th fireworks, is upping the ante with a weekly pyrotechnic display that will run through the summer. Citing downtown's party atmosphere and inspired by the long tradition at Disneyland, the "several minutes" worth of fireworks will take place at 9:15 every Friday between May 24 (Memorial Day weekend) and August 30 (Labor Day weekend). Of course, the shows will depend on the weather, but other than a monsoon squall, they should go off regularly without a hitch.

• April 18, 2024 14:13 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• For our whiskey lovers, The Nth Ultimate Whisky Experience’s last day is this friday at the Wynn (4/15-19)
• Don’t miss out on Free April Fridays: The Sugarhill Gang & Team Tag perform on Fremont Street (4/19)
• Phish starts their four night residency at the sphere (4/18-21)
• Bring your sense of humor because Taylor Tomlinson is live at the Wynn (4/19-20)
• And enjoy the first annual 'Margaritaworld' at Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (4/20)

• April 18, 2024 12:40 Ed Thorp Speaketh:

Most of our regular readers know the name Edward O. Thorp. In 1962 when he was 30 years old, he published Beat the Dealer, the book that launched tens of thousands of card-counting careers. It was also four years after he earned his PhD in mathematics from UCLA, then got a job at MIT that allowed him to use the most powerful computer of the day to establish the probabilities of winning at blackjack. While he was a professor of mathematics at New Mexico State and UC Irvine, he used his familiarity with probability and statistics to discover and exploit pricing anomalies in securities markets, set up his first hedge fund, and was on his way to making a fortune. As you can imagine, he's a hero hereabouts and has made a few appearances at the Blackjack Ball, where he's the superstar emeritus. Today, he's 91 and lives in Laguna Beach and in a rare interview on Bloomberg.com, he "shares what he’s learned about exercise, diet, and managing risk in all areas of life." The article is well worth the 10-minute read -- or even just a quick scroll to see photographs of how vital and ageless he is. And thanks, as usual, to Canada Roy for finding it and waiting out the paywall.

• April 18, 2024 10:32 Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Event Is Here:

The 27th annual four-day Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly music festival at the Orleans starts today. It bills itself as the longest-running music festival in Las Vegas and the largest rockabilly event in the world. Upwards of 10,000 revelers from 20 countries are expected to attend, plus another 10,000 people for the Saturday Classic Car show. The weekend features 75 bands, 25 DJs, a burlesque showcase and competition, vintage fashion show, dance lessons and competition, tiki pool parties, vintage swimsuit contests, pin-up contest, tattoo lounge, bowling, record hops till 7 a.m., special meetups, and the enormous classic-car show with 800-1,000 vintage cars, all pre-1964. More than 120 vendors are also expected. Tickets are still available at $60-$195 for the four days or $40 for the car show and $50 for the bowling tournament.

• April 18, 2024 08:41 Banned for Life: Porter Joins Sterling:

The National Basketball Association has banned 24-year-old Toronto Raptors' center Jontay Porter after an investigation determined that he gambled on NBA games, which included betting on the Raptors to lose, disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, and influenced the outcome of a player proposition on himself. The investigation was launched after unnamed "licensed sports betting operators and an organization that monitors legal betting markets" flagged "unusual gambling patterns" based on Porter's play, or lack thereof, in a game on March 20 against the Sacramento Kings. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver called Porter's actions "a cardinal sin" and banned him from the game for life, the second time he's done so in his 10-year stint; the first was in 2014 when he banned L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling for racist remarks.

• April 17, 2024 13:15 World's 50 Best Restaurants Coming:

The list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants has been released every year since 2002, launched by the British magazine Restaurant and based on the opinions of 150 global dining experts. Today, the list is compiled from 1,080 culinary leading lights in a "structured and audited" voting process. The annual awards ceremony was held in London from 2003 to 2015 and 2022; it went on tour in 2016, starting in New York, with stops in Australia, Spain, Singapore, and France. This year, the list will be revealed on June 5 in Las Vegas and 50 Best Signature Sessions dining events will be held June 2-6 at restaurants around town, featuring "many of the greatest chefs on the planet." You can see the whole list and make reservations here. All dinners are open to the public and prices start at $150 (Sparrow & Wolf) and go up to and beyond $2,000 (for the seven-chef dinner at the Wynn's Lakeside).

• April 17, 2024 10:42 Boyz II Men, Sam Hunt Announced:

Winner of four Grammy awards, the 40-year-old R&B group Boyz II Men will play four shows at the Chelsea at Cosmopolitan on Aug. 23, 24, 30, and 31, with singer-songwriter Robin Thicke opening. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. PT. And country singer-songwriter Sam Hunt will appear at Fontainebleau's BleauLive Theater on Oct. 25 and 26; tickets for Hunt will be available on Friday at 10 a.m.

• April 17, 2024 07:54 Horseshoe's Jubilee Tower Officially Paris' Versailles Tower:

We like how TravelMarketReport.com puts it: "In what may be the first instance of a Las Vegas casino-resort tower being transferred between two properties, Horseshoe Las Vegas’ Jubilee Tower has now become the Versailles Tower at Paris Las Vegas -- without actually moving an inch." All 756 rooms in the tower have been remodeled, the palette reflecting the colors of the French flag, while balconies will be added to some rooms and suites on the top floor. Guests can check in at either property; the lobby of the Horseshoe now has a satellite front desk. The pedestrian bridge connecting Horseshoe and Paris is under construction; it will go from the second floor of the tower and enter through Paris' north wall. Exterior decoration of the tower to unify it with the Parisian theme is also in the works. After the $100 million transition, you'll pay extra to stay in the improved Versailles Tower, of course. The Horseshoe now has 2,056 rooms, Paris 3,672.

• April 16, 2024 14:36 $1.2 Million Jackpot at the Mirage:

Last Sunday, a gambler playing Dragon Link at the Mirage hit a jackpot for $1,176,880. That was the extent of the press release.

• April 16, 2024 10:22 I-15 Median Work Is for Brightline:

More evidence that the high-speed train between southern California and Las Vegas is gaining a head of steam was visible last night and will be again tonight between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on a three-mile stretch of Interstate 15's center median near Sloan, just south of the city. Some short-term lane closures are possible, but none, according to published reports, are scheduled for this week. Engineers are doing geophysical testing and monitoring for seismic activity where the track will be laid. Surveying and soil sampling are also being conducted this week in daylight hours along the same stretch.

• April 16, 2024 08:47 Las Vegas Aviators: Head Scratcher:

The Las Vegas Aviators Triple A baseball team has introduced an "alternate name." When the team plays its game this Saturday at Summerlin's Las Vegas Ballpark, they'll be in uniforms and caps with the name "Las Vegas Gamblers." The logo is black and gold with a pair of dice showing snake eyes, supposed to symbolize the year 1911 when Las Vegas was incorporated; the belt buckles and shoes feature elements of the Welcome to Las Vegas sign. What's it all about? In a word, merchandising; the new gear is for sale and is being advertised in all the stories about the one-game promotion. The alternate name isn't new, however. The Aviators are also known as “Reyes de Plata” (Silver Kings), and that merch is sold at Tuesday home games. (Actually, the Gamblers cap is kind of cool and you can see a photo of it here.)

• April 15, 2024 13:07 Californians Fleeing to Nevada:

The in-migration from next door continues unabated. According to Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles statistics based on driver's license surrenders, 158,000 Californians relocated to Nevada over the four-year period between 2020 and 2023. Californians also made up roughly 42% of the nearly 370,000 people who relocated from all states during that period. Millennials accounted for the highest percentage of migrants, which makes sense, since they also account for the highest percentage of the population, though Boomers are still arriving in droves, escaping the high-environment and cashing out their real estate equity to buy much less expensive properties in the Silver State. Long-term projections from the latest annual report by UNLV's Center for Business and Economic Research peg the 2024 influx to Clark County at 33,000, raising the population to 2.4 million. The county is expected to reach three million by 2050 and 3.4 million by 2080.

• April 15, 2024 10:19 Passover Meals Set for Next Week:

Johnathan Wright, the Las Vegas Review-Journal's food writer, has posted a list of four restaurants and a buffet that will serve Passover dishes for the holiday that begins a week from today. As you might expect, Siegel’s Bagelmania has the most complete meal, including matzo, matzo ball soup, brisket, latkes (more of a Hanukkah meal, but still), even tzimmes and harrosis. The others -- Bagel Cafe, Weiss Deli, and Honey Salt, along with the Rampart Market Place Buffet, are serving some combination of matzo ball soup, brisket and chicken, and macaroons. Tzimmes is a root-vegetable dish with prunes, raisins, and dried apricots, while harrosis combines apples, walnuts, and raisins, sweetened with honey and kosher wine. (Warning: Eating too much harrosis can give you harrosis of the liver.)

• April 15, 2024 08:02 Boring Breaks Ground near UNLV:

Boring Company bought a vacant lot in January for $7 million from Budget Rent A Car of Southern California at 4744 Paradise Road, on the east side of Paradise across from the Thomas & Mack Center, and late last week the tunnel firm broke ground for a new Las Vegas Loop station there; it will be the main hub for the university campus. Two tunnels, northbound and south, will run approximately two miles from the Las Vegas Convention Center's Silver parking lot on Paradise north of Desert Inn. Virgin is expected to have a station on that route; it's also anticipated that it will be extended another mile or so to the airport, where talks about a location are ongoing. Two new stations, one at Westgate, the other at Encore, will open "soon"; this tunnel will be the longest on the Loop, launching the full buildout to points all around the city.

• April 14, 2024 12:59 Catch Anthony Curtis Tonight on "60 Minutes":

In the highest-profile television appearance of his career, our own Anthony Curtis will be on "60 Minutes" tonight, commenting on the cyberattacks on MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment last fall. For his take on the experience, read today's Question of the Day.

• April 14, 2024 10:36 Reid International Fifth in Most Delayed Arriving Flights:

According to the federal Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics, one out of five scheduled airline arrivals was delayed in 2023. (A flight is considered delayed if it arrives 15 or more minutes at the gate after the scheduled time.) Nearly seven million flights were scheduled last year, of which 5.4 million were on time (roughly 78%). Of all airports with more than 10,000 scheduled arrivals, Reid International ranked fifth for the most delays. Out of 191,000 arriving flights in 2023, one in four flight (25.5%) was delayed and 1.2% were canceled. Florida had the dubious distinction of six of the top 10 airports with the most delayed arrivals. San Juan, Puerto Rico, topped the list at nearly 33%, while Minneapolis/St. Paul had the least delays at just under 15%.

• April 14, 2024 08:41 Masters Championship Line:

Going into today’s final round of the Masters golf tournament, one-stroke leader Scottie Scheffler is a -120 favorite to win. Collin Morikawa is +350, Max Homa is +800, and Ludvig Aberg is +900.

• April 14, 2024 08:21 Nevada Ninth Highest for Rents in the Nation:

According to Newsweek, citing U.S. Census Bureau statistics, Nevadans pay the ninth-highest rent on average in the U.S. Compared to the national average of $1,300, up from $1,097 pre-pandemic in 2019, Nevadans pay $1,461, below New Yorkers (#8, $1,499) and just above Arizonans (#10, $1,450). The highest rents are paid by Californians at $1,870, then Hawaiins ($1,813 and Colorado ($1,636). The lowest is paid by West Virginians ($795), then North Dakotans ($863), South Dakotans ($866), and Mississippians ($873).

• April 13, 2024 12:16 UFC Pereira/Hall:

Alex Pereira is a -140 favorite over Jamahal Hill in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Weili Zhang is -500 over Xiaonan Yan. The UFC 300 pay-per-view event is packed with 12 current or former champions in action.

• April 13, 2024 09:56 Rockin' YouTube Up and At 'Em:

Anthony and Andrew cover a lot of ground in this week's LVA Weekly YouTube Update, starting with the announced implosion of the Tropicana in October, which launches a discussion on the many implosions that have taken place in Vegas over the decades. Then they talk about the Beatles LOVE closing at the Mirage, Ellis Island expanding again, Anthony on "60 Minutes" tomorrow, and the Downtown Grand's first blackjack major tournament (today). The Jackpot of the Week is amazing; this player's first time at a video poker machine, what she called a "practice session," and she's dealt a royal, a beautiful hand in hearts and a 650,000-to-1 event. That leads to an interlude concerning how much to tip the bartender on a royal, a question we get all the time. Check it out!

• April 13, 2024 08:17 February Sports Betting Was Big:

Thirty (out of 32) states reported sports betting numbers for Super Bowl February. They're up there. The handle was $9.8 billion, $2.3 billion more than February 2023 at $7.5 billion; the win was $770.3 million for a 7.8% hold compared to a $595.5 million win (7.9%) in February 2023 (Arizona and Illinois) take upwards of two months to report). By handle, the top five states were: New York at $1.78 billion, New Jersey $1.4 billion, Nevada $712.6 million, Ohio $666.8 million, and Pennsylvania $661.7 million. By win, the top five were New York $131.3 million, New Jersey $91.8 million, Ohio $66.3 million, Massachusetts $53.8 million, and Pennsylvania $50.4 million. February, thanks to the Super Bowl, Chinese New Year, and leap day (adding a theoretical 3%) was also a big month for Las Vegas: Hotel occupancy was 83.9% compared to 82.2% in 2023, the average daily room rate was $248.35 a night, up a significant $29% over the $176.64 in 2023, and a total of 3,801,100 room nights were occupied compared to 3,492,000 a year ago.

• April 12, 2024 12:58 Mariah Carey Adds Residency Dates:

Due to "extraordinary demand," eight more dates have been added for the "Mariah Carey: The Celebration of Mimi" residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM. On top of the previously announced eight shows in April that kick off tonight, the new dates are: July 26, 27, and 31; and August 2, 3, 7, 9, and 10. Tickets for those shows will go on sale to the public next Friday at Ticketmaster.com.

• April 12, 2024 10:12 Fbleau Oasis Cinema Club Debuts May 5:

Taking a page from the Cosmopolitan's playbook, Fontainebleau will host its inaugural poolside-movie series this spring and summer. Presented weekly on Sunday nights (doors open at 7 p.m., movies start at 8) at the six-acre Oasis Pool Deck on Level 3, admission is free for hotel guests and only $5 for the public. You can also rent daybeds ($75) and cabanas ($150-$300). Some good movies are on the schedule, including Barbie on May 26, Finding Nemo/June 16, Top Gun: Maverick/July 7; Jerry Maguire/July 28, Black Panther/Aug. 4, and Grease/Sept. 1. For the full schedule and reservations, go to Fbleau's page. This has been a fun event for many years at Cosmo and for $5, it's a great way to experience the "lavish" Oasis Pool.

• April 12, 2024 08:29 Ellis Island Expands Again:

Little Ellis Island is getting bigger again. Only five years since opening the major Front Yard addition, the casino will be enlarged by 6,500 square feet that will stretch, like Front Yard, out to the sidewalk, with a sports book and back-of-the-house audiovisual area, a new south service entrance, and rooftop access. Much of the expansion will take the place of the shuttered micro-brewery that was demolished a few weeks ago. The project is expected to be completed early next year.

• April 11, 2024 13:41 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Jerry Seinfeld does stand-up at Caesars Palace (4/12-13)
• Mariah Carey begins her residency at Park MGM (4/12-13)
• The B-52s are center stage at the Venetian (4/12-13)
• UFC 300 takes over the T-Mobile Arena (4/13)
• And if you're looking to get outta town, the Clark County Fair & Rodeo is underway in Logandale (4/11-14) or stay local and head to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals (4/12-14)

• April 11, 2024 13:08 Dead & Co. Shakedown Street at Tuscany:

Fans of the Grateful Dead and purveyors of Dead regalia, paraphernalia, memorabilia, and art will gather, as they have for decades, near the concert venue when Dead & Co. play Sphere for 24 shows in May, June, and July. Known as Shakedown Street after the Grateful Dead song and album of the same name, the bazaar and meetup will take place at Tuscany every show day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuscany is a good choice, barely a mile from the closest entrances to Sphere. For those of you who'd like to take in the scene (and it is one) or avoid it at all costs, here are the concert dates again: May 16, 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, 30, and 31; June 1, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22; and July 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13.

• April 11, 2024 10:12 Majority of Las Vegans Oppose Public Funding for A's Stadium:

To an Emerson College poll conducted last week, 52% of Las Vegans responded in the negative when questioned about public funds going toward the Oakland A's baseball stadium, planned for the Tropicana. Only 32% supported the idea, with 16% opposed. Those results were revealed at a hearing on Tuesday before the Nevada Supreme Court, which is weighing a lawsuit brought by the team against Schools Over Stadiums, a schoolteacher political-action committee that wants to launch a petition to place a referendum on the issue on the ballot in November. The A's and its lobbyists are opposing the petition, which doesn't include the entire Senate Bill 1 approving the $380 million in tax credits and bonds to help finance the stadium. A lower-court judge sided with the team, the PAC appealed, and the matter is now in the hands of the state Supreme Court. Deadlines loom; in order to qualify for the ballot, the PAC must collect 100,000 signatures by June 26.

• April 11, 2024 09:25 LVA Shop Down Update:

Apologies to anyone who experienced any difficulties yesterday when trying to purchase a product from our online store. Our shop was down for maintenance but all is back up and running now.

• April 11, 2024 07:27 Masters Line:

Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at 5-1 to win golf's Masters tournament. He’s followed by Rory McIlroy at 11-1 and Xander Schauffele at 12-1. Tiger Woods is 120-1.

• April 10, 2024 13:13 LVA Shop Down:

If you're trying to buy a book or membership, that portion of the site is currently down for maintenance; we're aware of the issue and are working to restore the shop ASAP, so please bear with us and watch this space for an update once all is back in working order once more.

• April 10, 2024 10:31 Houses Edging Higher, Condos Flat:

The median price of single-family houses in southern Nevada continued its climb in March, increasing by $5,000 over February and heading toward the record. It's now at $465,000, nearly 10% higher than March 2023 and $17,000 less than the record set in May 2022 at $482,000. The median price for condos and townhomes, however, fell $500 to $282,500, up nearly 9% year over year and only $4,500 less than the record of $287,000 set in August 2022. Sales of houses dropped 12% from March 2023 and listings without an offer were down 21%, indicating that buyers are still priced out of the market, both by asking prices and interest rates. In addition, 26% of sales were paid in cash, a sign that investors are scooping up as many houses as they can.

• April 10, 2024 08:42 The Beatles Love To Close at the Mirage:

Cirque du Soleil announced yesterday that its long-running show, The Beatles Love, will close on July 7. The statement said that 11.5 million people have seen the show and that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the two surviving Beatles, have appeared on occasion together over the 18-year run at the Mirage. The show's 26-song soundtrack has earned two Grammy Awards; it was remastered by Giles Martin, son of the Beatles' original producer George Martin, from 130 tracks. Today, the cast includes 11 original members. Upwards of 11,000 costume pieces appear nightly, including 250 pair of shoes and 225 wigs. In the final scene, set to "All You Need Is Love," audiences have been showered with 13-plus tons of confetti. In a side note, you can read our Question of the Day about how long the show would last after Hard Rock took over the Mirage. We predicted it wouldn't be around for too long beyond the announced extension through the end of 2023. Many many people, both publicly and privately, disagreed with us, sometimes vehemently. Just sayin.'Tickets for the final shows in July will go on sale in the coming weeks.

• April 09, 2024 13:14 Earth Wind & Fire Returns to the Venetian:

Earth Wind & Fire likes to play Vegas. The band, which has 23 albums, eight number-one hits (including our favorite, "That's the Way of the World"), and is considered among the most innovative and commercially successful musical acts in history, appeared at the Venetian for six sold-out shows in 2018, another six in 2019, seven in 2022, and nine in 2023. They'll do another seven shows this fall: Oct. 9, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18 and 19. Various presales started today at 10 a.m.; tickets for the general public, starting at $60, go on sale on Friday.

• April 09, 2024 08:23 Missy Elliot Headlines at T-Mobile:

American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer Missy Elliott will headline a tour this summer for the first time in her 30-plus-year career. She started performing as a member of the R&B girl group Sista in the 1990s; since then, she's earned four Grammys, was the first woman rapper to be inducted into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She's also sold 40 million albums, making her the best-selling female rapper. She's famously been averse to touring; her “Out of This World: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour,” which appears to have a sci-fi theme if the costumes are any indication, will begin in Vancouver, B.C., on July 4 and wrap up Aug. 22 in Illinois. Along the way, she'll stop at T-Mobile on Saturday July 13. The tour also features long-term collaborators Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland. Tickets go on sale Friday at AXS.com and are expected to go fast.

• April 09, 2024 07:57 Got TITOs? Check Expirations:

The marathon-gambling folks at VegasAdvantage.com set an unofficial record by visiting 93 casinos in 24 hours and more important, collected TITO vouchers at every one as time-stamped proof. Along the way, they noticed that the vouchers from a few casinos expire in 30 days. Whoa. Most still give you 180 days to collect your cash, but one (Westgate) gives you 120, while three (Downtown Grand, OYO, and Klondike Sunset) expire in 90. A couple of dozen, including Wynn, Strat, Plaza, Ellis Island, and El Cortez, run out in 60, while Treasure Island, Rampart, and Ojos Locos expire in 30. Traditionally, casinos have been flexible with TITO expiration dates, but it's not a given. And speaking of given, given the way things are going around here, we wouldn't be at all surprised to see more TITO termination periods shorten and redemption policies tighten. Just a word to the wise not to allow too much moss to grow on your vouchers. You can see the whole list and check out VegasAdvantage here.

• April 08, 2024 18:00 NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship Line:

Connecticut is a -7 favorite over Purdue in the NCAA Basketball Championship game. The total is 144.

• April 08, 2024 13:08 E-Scooters Come to Town:

Go X, a San Francisco-based "micro-mobility" company, has placed 100 e-scooters at various locations around the county. Via an app, riders can rent the scooters at eight locations and must return them to one of them; if they don't, they can be fined $100. The cost is $1 to unlock the scooter and 88 cents a minute. GoX uses geo-fencing technology in certain areas to reduce speeds from a maximum of 15 mph down to five and to shut off the scooter entirely in restricted areas. The company hopes to increase the fleet to 1,000 scooters by the end of the year. The eight business where you can rent them are: Howard Johnson by Wyndham, Nirvana Hotel, Vegas Slingshot Rentals #1 and #2, Old Havana Cigars Lounge, Lock Down Escape Room, Strip View Café, and XO MINI MART.

• April 08, 2024 10:03 Sooner Than Later: Buy Las Vegas Aces Tickets:

Tickets for Las Vegas Aces home games are going fast. Interest in the back-to-back WNBA champion team is at an all-time high, evidenced by the March sellout of seasons tickets, the first WNBA team to achieve that milestone. Now, the Aces report that single-game tickets for five home games at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay have been sold out as well: May 14, the first home game of the season against Phoenix, along with May 25/Indiana, June 15/New York, July 2/Indiana, and July 4/Washington. The July 2 game is being moved to T-Mobile and those tickets go on sale Wednesday. A second game, so far, has been scheduled for T-Mobile against Chicago on Sept. 3. Go Aces!

• April 08, 2024 08:20 Documentary about the Westside:

Across the Tracks: A Las Vegas Westside Story is a documentary, released in February, that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and the Plaza. It tells the story of Las Vegas' Black community, from the 1940s through to the present. Footage, photos, interviews with old-timers, and a killer soundtrack all combine for an unusual view of an overlooked slice of Las Vegas history. You can see a 10-minute trailer here. It should be available on streaming services soon. And thanks to Canada Roy for the link.

• April 07, 2024 10:37 Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Line:

South Carolina is a -7 favorite over Iowa in today's NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game. The total is 159.5.

• April 07, 2024 10:08 Powerball Hit for $1.33 Billion:

An Oregon lottery player hit the Powerball jackpot in last night's drawing for $1.33 billion, the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot ever and the eighth largest in the U.S. The lump sum is $621 million. The last Powerball jackpot, $842.4 million, was hit on New Year's Day on a single ticket sold in Michigan.

• April 07, 2024 08:22 Eclipse in Vegas:

Unless you've just emerged from Rip Van Winkle Cave, you know that the total eclipse of the sun will take place tomorrow late morning in a narrow swath from central Texas to northern Maine. Here in southern Nevada, we'll get a partial: Exactly half of the sun will be blocked by the moon between 10:12 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with the peak eclipse at 11:20. But save your eclipse glasses for the next one. Las Vegas will be within the path of totality on November 20, 2207, only 183 years away! Or you can head up to Reno, which will experience a total on August 12, 2045.

• April 06, 2024 17:21 Final Four Connecticut/Alabama:

Connecticut is a -10 favorite over Alabama in today's second Final Four game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 160.

• April 06, 2024 14:54 Final Four Purdue/North Carolina State:

Purdue is a -9.5 favorite over North Carolina State in today's first Final Four game of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 147.

• April 06, 2024 13:41 UFC Curtis/Allen:

Brendan Allen is a -230 favorite over Chris Curtis in tonight’s UFC main event. In the other featured match, Alexander Hernandez is -200 over Damon Jackson.

• April 06, 2024 09:13 LVA YouTube: Do You Have What It Takes? :

In this week's YouTube, Anthony and Andrew were at the Tropicana on its last night in existence and describe -- and show -- the scene; A.C. had a unique experience with a Heineken. Then they discuss the LVA's annual show-ticket price survey; find out which Las Vegas show has the highest ($265) and lowest ($22.75) ticket prices. The passing of an old friend of Anthony's, who gave him his first book on card counting, leads into a long segment on the skills necessary to become a professional gambler. The mini blackjack tournaments at Downtown Grand have been canceled and a bigger tournament scheduled, one Las Vegas chef is a finalist for the James Beard Best Chef Southwest award, and the Jackpot of the Week was hit at the DTG by a fan of this show. Way to go!

• April 05, 2024 16:55 Women's Final Four Iowa/Connecticut:

Iowa is a -3.5 favorite over Connecticut in today's second Final Four game of the Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 162.5.

• April 05, 2024 15:54 Women's Final Four South Carolina/North Carolina State:

South Carolina is a -12 favorite over North Carolina State in today's first Final Four game of the Women's NCAA Basketball Tournament. The total is 140.

• April 05, 2024 13:20 Apparently, the Trop Will Be Imploded:

The president of Controlled Demolition, Inc., the company that has imploded many Las Vegas hotel towers over the years, has confirmed that it will be bringing down the Tropicana as well. The prez "confirmed to 8NewsNow.com that CDI has received a written confirmation that we will be imploding the Tropicana structures later this year.” No other details were revealed; he said, “There's a lot of ground to cover before we can provide specific information.” The last hotel CDI imploded was the Riviera over the course of two events in June and August 2016.

• April 05, 2024 10:59 Keep an Eye on the Rio:

As part of its epic $350 million makeover, the Rio has revamped the lighting scheme on the exterior of the three hotel towers. The red and blue horizontals are the same as they've always been, but according to the press release, three miles of LEDs now cover the facade. In addition, they put on an "ever-evolving light show," using the exteriors as a "blank canvas" for the shows, no two of which will ever be the same. We're not sure if there's a regular schedule or if the lights change at random, but we'll certainly know soon; we have a direct view of the Rio from the front windows of our office.

• April 05, 2024 08:08 One James Beard Finalist from Six Semi-Finalists:

The finalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards have been announced and of the six semi-finalists from southern Nevada, only one made the cut: Steve Kestler of Aroma Latin American Cocina in Henderson (N. Green Valley Parkway and Sunset) is the finalist for Best Chef: Southwest. Kestler, who opened the eight-table Aroma in 2021, has worked at Bazaar Meat (Sahara), Edo Gastro Tapas & Wine (Chinatown), and Bouchon Bistro (Venetian). The Aroma menu is limited to a handful of dishes for lunch and dinner: three taco plates ($6), guacamole ($15), breakfast skillet ($22), and empanadas, enchiladas, short ribs, and churrasco ($12-$28). Kestler's competition is from chefs in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, and Santa Fe.

• April 04, 2024 14:14 Las Vegas Weekend Highlights:

• Downtown welcomes April’s First Friday: Joy (4/5)
• Jim Gaffigan continues his comedy residency at the Wynn (4/5-4/6)
• Lewis Brice takes the stage at Santa Fe Station (4/6)
• And grab some friends to enjoy the 12th annual Great Vegas Festival of Beer at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (4/6)

• April 04, 2024 13:16 NoMad To Rebrand:

Hilton has acquired the controlling interest in the Sydell Group, which owns the NoMad brand, among many other "luxury-lifestyle hotels" around the world. It marks Hilton's entry into this ultra-upscale market, but relevant to us is that only one NoMad hotel is excluded from the deal: the one at Park MGM. The press release indicates that the Las Vegas NoMad "will rebrand to a new flag in the coming months."

• April 04, 2024 10:21 Great Vegas Festival of Beer Saturday:

The 12th Great Vegas Festival of Beer will take place 2-7 p.m. on Saturday, sprawling across 200,000 square feet of a “city streets meet green grass” venue at the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center. The event will feature hundreds of craft beers, ciders, and other libations from 60 different breweries, including local favorites Big Dog’s, CraftHaus, Mojave, and Neon Desert, along with dozens of chefs and mixologists and VIP experiences. Tickets are $50-$130.

• April 04, 2024 08:26 A's To Move to Sacramento for Interim Ballpark:

We sure don't, but in case anyone else cares, the Oakland A's have announced that starting next season, the team will move to Sutter Health Park, the Minor League mini stadium in Sacramento, which they'll share with the San Francisco Giants' Triple A team the Rivercats, while awaiting their new home to be built in Las Vegas. Sutter Health has a 10,600-seat capacity, so with average attendance of less than 7,000, the A's are in no danger of filling the place, even assuming the few remaining fans make the 90-mile trek to Sacramento. The Rivercats are owned by a friend of Fisher's, who also owns the NBA's Sacramento Kings; according to Sacramento TV news, the friend's "goal is to bring big league baseball to California's capital city and he sees the A's -- even on a temporary basis -- as a three-year audition for the city to get on the short list for MLB expansion. The other consideration is for Sacramento to position itself as a viable option if the Athletics' deal in Las Vegas falls through." The deal calls for the A's to play at Sutter Health for three seasons.

• April 03, 2024 13:41 Fifty Things To Do Under $50:

Esquire.com has a decent list of the top 50 things to do in Las Vegas that cost less than $50. We especially like numbers 1, the High Roller observation wheel; 9, the Neon Museum; 11, the Eiffel Tower observation deck; 27, the Arte Museum; 30, top of the Strat; 40, the A.Y.C.E. buffet at the Palms (other than the lobster, which is more than $50); 41, the Paradox Museum; 43, Crust & Roux; and 50, a stay at the Golden Gate. We're not in accord with some others, which we'll leave out for now. You can run through the whole list here.

• April 03, 2024 10:41 Adele Postponed Dates Announced:

Adele's shows originally scheduled for March that were postponed due to illness have been rescheduled. The new dates are Oct. 25 and 26, and Nov. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, and 23 (the latter two over F1 weekend). Those holding tickets for the dates that were postponed will receive an email with the new date.

• April 03, 2024 08:37 $1.17 Million Jackpot Hit at the Cal:

A slot player in for Easter weekend from Hawaii making $10 bets hit a Wheel of Fortune jackpot for $1,172,262 at the California (naturally!) last Saturday. The Cal is a home away from home for visitors from the Hawaiian islands.

• April 02, 2024 13:49 Reid International Sets All-Time Record for February:

Harry Reid International set a record for the number of passengers passing through in February at 4.33 million. It was a 3.8% increase over February 2023, which set a record at the time. In addition, for the first two months of 2024, the number of passengers transiting the airport is up 1.4% year over year; 2023 set a whole-year record. The Super Bowl, increasing convention business, and a continuing rebound in international travel were credited for the record number of passengers.

• April 02, 2024 13:04 Free VGK Watch Party at Cosmo Pool Tommorow:

The Cosmopolitan will host the Vegas Golden Knights' "official" (VGK sanctioned in conjunction with MGM Resorts) Game 5 of the first round of the NHL playoffs. The party, which is free and open to the public of all ages on the Cosmo's pool deck, starts at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday for the 4:30 game. The event will also feature a DJ, giveaways, and raffle prizes, including tickets to a future Golden Knights home playoff game. The VGK are tied 2-2 with the Dallas Stars in the series.