There was a time when my focus covering Las Vegas was on gambling. That’s changed a lot as Las Vegas has changed. I still gamble often but don’t write about it much since the powers that be aren’t looking for as much coverage.

Gambling has been shrinking for decades as a percentage of overall revenue for Vegas Strip casinos. According to the 2023 Nevada Gaming Abstract, just 26% of Vegas Strip revenue for casino-hotels was from gaming (page 44). The percentage is higher in downtown Las Vegas and off-strip properties, but since most tourists never leave the Vegas Strip, there’s less demand for covering those parts of town.

Anyway, I’ve been writing about different casino games in Las Vegas and the topic is on my mind. Today will be a hodgepodge of gambling news and thoughts along with questions for you!

Sound off in the comments or wherever you read this.

Virgin Taking Over Casino Operations

Speaking of a hodgepodge, this might come as a surprise to you. The “Betfred Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Casino inside Virgin Hotels Las Vegas” didn’t work. 

The company that licenses the Virgin brand is taking over casino operations sometime this quarter. Mohegan announced it was leaving Las Vegas last year. Betfred just made a similar announcement.

Virgin will likely use a white-label operator like Paragon Gaming at Oyo. The company used to operate Westgate and Riviera if the name sounds familiar. We should hear about this soon. 

A replacement for Betfred hasn’t been announced yet but expect to hear something before the Super Bowl.

Question: What could Virgin do to get you to gamble at this off-strip casino?

New Sportsbook Operator Probably Coming To Nevada

Having options is great for a sports bettor. Similar to shopping bettors can sometimes find better odds when the look at the different offerings by casinos.

Kambi is a B2B sportsbook company. Everything is white label and branded by the operator so you may have never heard of the company.

The company is behind sportsbooks in 20 states including Bally’s Corp. casinos. Kambi made a presentation to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) this week to get licensed in the state and the committee recommended their approval. The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) will probably approve this at their next meeting.

If approved, Kambi expects to have a field trial running by July for Bally’s Lake Tahoe (formerly Montbleu). Coincidentally, the Betfred was the last new sportsbook operator to enter Nevada. 

Bally’s also owns the rights to a casino on the old Tropicana site. We can deal with that if there’s a reason to. 

Question: Does the sportsbook operator matter when you place a bet?

Golden Gate Is Celebrating Its 119th Birthday

I toured Golden Gate Casino this week. It was fun walking through a casino I’ve been to A LOT over the years. You can read about the tour here and see pics and videos here.

Normally I avoid media tours but Golden Gate has a special place in my heart. I’ve stayed, played, and eaten at this casino.

It’s also home to my favorite craps game in Las Vegas. Between the low ceiling, loud music, quick drink service, and 10x odds I’ve always had fun this game – win or lose.

I have favorite casinos for different games and sometimes they change (probably when I win). Gold Coast is where I learned to play Pai Gow Poker but my favorite casino to play used to be The Cromwell. Chandelier Bar at Cosmopolitan was my favorite video poker bar before MGM took over operations. It’s probably the center bar at Resorts World now.

Question: Do you have a favorite casino for specific games? 

The Venetian Has The Most Baccarat Tables On The Vegas Strip

I was working on a baccarat article that will come out soon and was able to get a table count for Vegas Strip casinos from the NGCB as of their last update in November. The information might be out of date as Caesars Palace has a new high-limit room that could have more tables.

The information wasn’t too surprising. High-end casinos have the most baccarat tables:

• The Venetian – 50
• Caesars Palace – 48
• Wynn – 44
• Bellagio – 31
• Aria – 28
• Fontainebleau – 26
• Cosmopolitan and Resorts World – 23

The baccarat games at Palms and Gold Coast are always packed. They have 16 and 10, respectively.

I don’t track this information so I found it interesting even if it’s not surprising.

Question: Where do you like to play baccarat?