We can’t talk about Las Vegas without starting with a COVID-19 update. (Ya know, before we get to the big news like Chippendales are returning to Vegas!) For the most part, things remain the same for casino guests. You’ll still have to wear a mask while gambling inside a casino unless you’re drinking or smoking. You can still remove the mask while eating too. 

Vegas News August 15, 2021 Vegas COVID-19 Update Let’s start with the number one topic I'm asked about every week.

This week Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Wynn Resorts reported earnings. This provides a lot of insight into Vegas Casino Earnings for 2021. Much like Station Casinos and Boyd Gaming earnings last week, there was a similar theme with the earnings calls. Casino corporations have learned how to effectively operate with a smaller staff and fewer amenities for guests.

All the ‘scoop for Atlantic City August 2021 | Atlantic City News Promotions Events | AC Dining and Drinking

As expected a couple of weeks ago, you once again have to wear a mask (“Mask Up Vegas”) when indoors in Las Vegas. This mandate is for everyone – vaccinated and unvaccinated people. There’s no timeframe on how long this will last. I’d rather spend my time talking about a new casino, earnings, new slot machines so I’m going to move on.

Vegas News is going to be a bit different this week. I spent most of the past five days on the Vegas Strip. My stay was for fun and work so I visited multiple casinos. When visiting Caesars properties I saw a lot of transformation (“New Caesars”) we’ve been discussing over the past year or so. When going through my weekly news blurbs it looks like I’m not the only one to see what’s happening.

Your theoretical loss to the casino (your casino theo or average daily theoretical – ADT) is the way the casino calculates what you are worth to them. It’s not a theoretical win because every game that the casino offers has a house advantage and the payoff for a bet is always less than the odds of winning that bet.

“It’s deja vu all over again,” said one of my favorite baseball players. I never actually saw Yogi Berra play a game but some of his ridiculous and amazing Yogi-isms will always stay with me. Maybe Huey Lewis & The News is more relevant (closer but not really) to 2021. This may be entirely relevant, but we’re going back in time! Don’t worry; after we “go back in time,” we will explore the fabulous Bootlegger Bistro.

The Great Vegas Comeback (™) continued this weekend with action up and down the Vegas Strip. COVID Isn’t Over — COVID-19 rates, hospitalizations, etc. have spiked to the same level as February. I spent a couple of days at the Cosmopolitan this week and it was crazy busy. Even though the casino was busier it seemed like there was a similar proportion of guests wearing masks as the last time I stayed there in May. Once again, masked and unmasked all seemed comfortable and respectful with each other.

Wynn Rewards is the loyalty program for Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Boston Harbor. All prior members (Wynn Red Card Members) and Wynn Insiders are part of Wynn Rewards. The program is a tier-based system with three tier levels. The three-tier levels are Red, Platinum, and Black.

New Jersey’s ban on smoking in Atlantic City casinos ended Sunday, July 4. However, Gov. Phil Murphy indicated he would look favorably on a measure lawmakers are considering to permanently end smoking in New Jersey’s casinos. Casinos are exempted from a state law banning most indoor smoking, while an Atlantic City law limits smoking to no more than 25 percent of the casino floor.

The big news in Las Vegas is still the opening of Resorts World Las Vegas. The soft opening was last week and the grand opening will take place on July 4th. I visited Resorts World in between despite the soft opening issues I was warned about. Thankfully, they’re being addressed and very slowly fixed. So, we are going to be sharing More Resorts World for you to enjoy!