Vegas News | Circa Gets Boring, Planet Hollywood Dumps Poker Again, and Bally’s Has A “Plan”
Did you know that Derek Stevens is a billionaire? I never thought about it, but that’s something I learned last week. The article doesn’t have much new information, but it is a good overview for anyone not familiar with the downtown Las Vegas casino operator. Read the Forbes article here. I had a few minutes […]
Vegas News | Aria and Cosmopolitan Renovations, Durango Expansion and Remembering Lion’s Share Slots
If you’ve been reading Vegas News regularly, you know that I listen to earnings calls to A) find out official news about what’s being planned for casinos and B) try to understand the mindset of a casino corporation. Casino earnings season started last week, but the most telling quote came earlier this week when MGM’s […]
Vegas News | Bally’s Has A Plan For Vegas, $5 Booze At New York-New York and What’s Up With MGM?
No idea how the TravelZork podcast fellas found this to be a slow news period for Las Vegas and casinos, but that’s why I’m here, as Movestro said. Let’s get to it, starting with MGM Resorts news around the country. Nine Fine Irishmen at New York-New York updated its outdoor space and has $5 booze […]
Vegas News | Summer Deals, Fireworks, And Downtown Butts
The first order of business is the July Fourth weekend. One night celebrating 🇺🇸Three epic fireworks shows 🎇July 4, 2025 – live viewing from our pools🧨 @GVRcasino 🧨 @redrockcasino 🧨@durangoresortlv https://t.co/rI6IFgdKJm pic.twitter.com/nEYtJwF9u6 — Station Casinos (@stationcasinos) June 2, 2025 Seven casinos are shooting July Fourth fireworks this year: You can watch for free or pay […]
Vegas News | New Poker Rooms, Free Concerts Downtown and More!
We skipped most of the Vegas News last week to give a heads up about reserving M Resort hotel rooms for Zorkfest before the NFL announced whether or not the Raiders would be playing a home game on the same weekend. The good news is that rates haven’t changed much, if at all, even though […]
Vegas News: Book ZorkFest Rooms ASAP and a Roundup Of Casino Operator Earnings
In case you missed the announcement, ZorkFest 2025 is taking place December 5-7, 2025, at M Resort. This is TravelZork’s annual conference to discuss travel and casino loyalty. The event offers expert-led sessions focused on maximizing travel rewards (miles and points) and casino comps. The dates are more important than usual this year, and reserving […]
MGM Resorts Plans More Vegas Upgrades and Hints at New Marriott-Branded Hotel
MGM Resorts reported earnings this week. You can see details about the financials here. I listen to earnings calls for news beyond the numbers. When executives speak, they add context and insights that aren’t included in the press release, which is focused solely on financial performance. During the call, the company shared updates about additional […]
Evolving With Las Vegas
This week, I was sitting in a panel at Duck Duck Shed, reflecting on Las Vegas—its past and where it’s headed—and I couldn’t help but think about how I’ve personally evolved here. It’s kind of come full circle since I first started visiting just after I turned 21. When I began visiting Las Vegas, I […]
Vegas News | Durango Has Poolside Blackjack, MGM Has A New Credit Card, And There’s A New Poker Room Coming To Planet Hollywood
This will be a somewhat brief edition of Vegas News, with the short week for the long holiday weekend, I learned about at 8 a.m. on Friday. Before I get started, I want to remind everyone that you’ll need a Real ID to fly to Las Vegas soon. I finally gathered my info and need […]
Vegas News | Goodbye Cromwell, People Rarely Get Comp Hotel Rooms, And Rio Made Jeopardy!
I hate to start the Vegas News on a sour note but longtime Las Vegas writer Norm Clarke passed away this week. He was a great writer with legitimate connections and insight. From what I’m told he was an even better person. Read more here. On another somewhat sour note, the new spring display at […]
You Can Buy Las Vegas Casino Resort Beds (And More)
I’m going to start with a personal story and go into detail about how you can sleep at home in your favorite casino resort bed, just like the one you enjoyed in Las Vegas. How I Got The Same Mattress I Slept On At The Cosmopolitan After years of searching for a mattress, I ended […]
Vegas News | The Venetian Goes Hyatt, Manilow For Life, And Plenty Of New Restaurants
Welcome to the first Vegas News of 2025! Growing up in New York City I was led to believe that Times Square is the best and only place to party on New Year’s Eve. I did it once and learned that it’s just not for me. I visited the Vegas Strip once for New Year’s […]
Vegas News | New Restaurants, New Year’s Eve Fireworks, We Explored The World Of Swingers
Happy end of days! (for 2024) Las Vegas doesn’t stop and neither does the news. The Vegas Strip seems to be busier than ever for the holiday season. I tend to keep my distance while the tourists gawk and walk slower than usual around the most touristy parts of town. The burbs are also busy, […]
Las Vegas Rewards Roundup: Venetian/Hyatt, W/Marriott And Treasure(y) Island
This was a busy week for the Las Vegas rewards community. There’s a new casino rewards program and two new Las Vegas tie-ups with worldwide hotel loyalty programs. We’ll take a quick look at The Venetian’s selection of Hyatt as its new hotel partner and share some words about TheHotelDelanoW’s addition to the MGM Rewards […]
Vegas News | It’s the Holiday Season, F1 Wrapup, Plenty Of Dining And Show Info
Hope you and yours had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Hopefully, this edition of Vegas News will give you some entertainment while dealing with Black Friday sales, Small Business Saturday, or whatever you’re up to. Holiday weeks are typically a little slow on news but that’s ok, we have two weeks of news for ya! On top […]
Vegas News | Rooftop Ice And Roller Skating, Changes At The Venetian And New Games Coming To Casinos
Last week was the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) and I think I’m finally caught up. Well, not caught up but back to a normal schedule. There’s still plenty to do. Here are a few pieces I’ve already written. DJ Cornsquealius! #G2E2024 pic.twitter.com/e2bEDjSvpE — Marc (@MeltzVegas) October 9, 2024 Marble Run is real and fantastic. There […]
Vegas News | Tropicana About To Go Boom, Chia Pet Slots And A Macallan Tasting At Aria
I was about to file this but news about a Macallan tasting at Aria got in the way. This news is so fresh that there’s no information beyond the press release I just shared here. The bridge connecting Paris Las Vegas and the new Versailles Tower (formerly Bally’s/Horseshoe Jubilee Tower) is finally open. Bienvenue à […]
Vegas News | Riviera Site Plans, Tropicana Implosion Party And A Boring Update
Holidays are good for the soul but they’re bad for news announcements. Businesses tend to lay low with good news heading into long holiday weekends because the news can get lost while people are enjoying time off. We’re coming off the end of summer Labor Day Weekend celebrations so news is limited. Having said that, […]
Saying Goodbye To The Cosmopolitan As It Becomes An MGM Rewards Property
The Cosmopolitan is finally under the MGM Rewards umbrella. It only took a couple of years since MGM Resorts purchased the casino for this transition. So far I’ve seen mixed reviews from Cosmopolitan Identity Rewards members checking their MGM accounts. Some are seeing much better offers. Others, like me, have no offers, less free play, […]
Vegas News | The Mirage Closing Next Week, Trop Readies The Boom And Great Happy Hour At Palms
I visited The Mirage for the last time this week, before the Mirage Closing next week. I’ve had so many great memories at The Mirage but those ended before Hard Rock International purchased the casino from MGM Resorts. The property has felt dark and dingy for the past few years. The Mirage needs some TLC […]
Vegas Hits And Misses
Las Vegas is always changing. Some ideas work and some don’t. That’s one of the reasons why visiting Las Vegas regularly is appealing to so many people. There’s always something new to see or do. At the same time, many visitors find the things they like and continue to enjoy them. Chain restaurants and bars […]
Vegas News | MGM + Marriott Details, Caesars Drops Rewards For Some, And Circus Circus Elevators Look Fun!
Much of this edition of Vegas News will come from casino corporation earnings reports and calls. These calls focus on a business’s financial health for investors. They’re also a good source of news from the past few months and some things the company might be planning. Financials do nothing for the average person so I […]
First Impressions: MGM Resorts With Marriott Bonvoy
The new partnership of MGM Resorts with Marriott Bonvoy is live. Some MGM Resorts properties can be booked through Marriott. All aspects of the partnership should be live before the end of March. Nothing has changed since MGM Resorts released information about the program in January. You can read the official info from MGM Resorts […]
Vegas News | Slow Start To The Year But We Have Visitor And Gaming Data, Super Bowl Info And More on Fontainebleau
Since our last Vegas News, I was finally able to spend substantial time at Fontainebleau. My thoughts on the property are mixed, but I had a great time. Even though it has been a rather slow start to the year, we’ll begin with some “chatter” about Fontainebleau and Super Bowl Info.
Vegas News | F1 Leads To Record-Breaking Weekend For MGM Resorts, Something Is Phishy At The Sphere And A Look Inside Fontainebleau
Here’s a preview of Fontainebleau. The casino floor looks great, and I can’t wait to check it out. Jonathan Halkyard, MGM Resorts CFO, recently spoke at the Leveraged Finance Conference. He mostly discussed how the Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend went from one of the slowest of the year to the “highest-grossing weekend in hotel revenue in the history of the company.”
Vegas News | Casino Earnings, F1, And A New Cigar Bar
MGM Resorts released earnings last week. I listen to the (casino earnings) calls because they usually offer some context to the financials in the reports.
Vegas News | Fontainebleau And Durango Opening Soon, More U2, And Free F1 Attractions
I couldn’t make it to Zorkfest this year, but by all accounts, it sounds like the conference was a success. If you’re a super early planner, you can plan for Zorkfest 2024 to take place from Nov. 1- Nov. 3.
Since we skipped Vegas News last week, there’s a ton of information to get to from the past few weeks. Let’s get right to it.
Are You Cancelling Or Rescheduling Trips To Las Vegas?
Here’s a dramatic statement that may or may not be true. The current disruptions are a sign of things to come in Las Vegas. Are You Cancelling Or Rescheduling Trips To Las Vegas?
What Do You Want In A Las Vegas Hotel Room?
Last week we shared previews of new Las Vegas hotel rooms at Fontainebleau, MGM Grand, and Rio. Soon we’ll see the rooms that will be available when Station Casinos’ Durango Resort opens in November.
Vegas News | NFL Slot Machines Hitting Casinos, New Rio Coming Sooner Than Later And Long Live Bubble Craps
Aristocrat has been very secretive about the development of its NFL slot machines. Well, they finally released a preview of the game and it looks like an Aristocrat slot machine. See the preview below and read about the different versions of the game here.
Vegas News | Rio Plans Develop, Fontainebleau Will Have Poolside Gaming And A Naked Man At Harrah’s
We’re changing Vegas News a little. Instead of posting weekly, we’re going to share the Vegas News every other week. This will make the news rundowns more concise with less fluff and easier to navigate. This will also give us a chance to dive deeper into specific newsy topics.
Vegas News | Fontainebleau Room Preview, Plaza Carousel Bar Opens And Spice Girls Tribute Is Coming To Excalibur
I like to change the format of Vegas News every now and again. This week will be all Quick Hits-style with a bunch of embedded tweets with pictures for visual interest. Also, pay close attention to the Fontainebleau Room Preview, which is making this new casino resort seem “more real.”
Vegas News | Cosmo Dumps Britney Slots, A New Casino Might Replace Tropicana And Live In A Four Seasons Residence
I’m fresh off my monthly overnight visit at The Cosmopolitan… Four Seasons is opening private residencies in Henderson + all the news and ‘scoop!
Vegas News | Fontainebleau Plans December Opening, Wynn Announces The Match And Stranger Things On The Vegas Strip
The casino earnings season is over. All of the corporations had a great first quarter financially. You can see the earnings report press releases below if you care about the numbers…
Up To Four Free Nights At Aria, Bellagio Or Delano Las Vegas With The Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card
We’re big fans of the free stuff around here. Free air? Free hotel? Free money? All of the above? Absolutely. But because of a new promotion, we’re going back to one of our old favorites; the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card (For business owners, the Chase Ink Unlimited is still a great choice.).
Vegas News | MGM Drops New F1 Package, The Strat Is Renovating Rooms And You Can Buy Siegfried And Roy’s Old House
MGM was in the news for a few reasons last week. You already know about the MGM Rewards tier accelerator we slid into Vegas News before posting last week. This week? MGM New F1 Package.
Vegas News | MLB at Rio? Plaza Saves A Dog! And Forbes Does Vegas
MLB at Rio? Evidently, Dreamscape has been in super duper top-secret discussions with the Oakland A’s for a few years about building a new stadium on vacant land and we’re just hearing about it now. Sounds legit.
Vegas News | Casino Earnings, New Places To Gamble And MSG Sphere Touts Opening + U2 Shows
The casino biz was abuzz with casino earnings last week, with MGM Resorts, Red Rock, and Wynn reporting. As expected, all had very good financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year in 2022.
Vegas News | MGM Tier Match Downgrades, Two New Casinos And Casino Earnings Season Gets Underway
Two new Las Vegas casinos are opening or have opened this week depending on when you read this. Chances are few tourists will take the trip to visit more than one but new casinos are always fun so let’s take a look. Of course, don’t miss the news below about MGM Tier Match downgrades, which is a huge topic of conversation in the casino and travel loyalty world.
Vegas News | New Comp Drink Policy At Cosmo, Bellagio Is Ready For Lunar New Year and Adele Reminds Us About Cheap Show Tickets
I enjoyed a couple of comp nights at the Cosmopolitan. This is my monthly work/play casino trip and my first for 2023. New Comp Drink Policy At Cosmo…
Vegas News | New Cosmo Promo, F1 Schedules Races And Another Show Closes
It’s a new year, and I’m stoked to finally get back to enjoying Las Vegas. New Cosmo Promo – The Cosmopolitan has an interesting offer match available.
Vegas News | Mirage Unity, Trying Proper Eats And Randy’s Donuts Is Coming To Resorts World
I visited the new Proper Eats food hall at Aria last week. The fancy food court occupies space old buffet space on the second floor of the casino.
Hyatt To Buy Dream Hotel Group. How Will This Affect The MGM Partnership?
Hyatt Corporation has just purchased the Dream Hotel Group. Does this acquisition give them some ammunition for MGM on the south end of the Strip?
Vegas News | Bellagio Grandstands And New Red Rock Location For Lotus Of Siam
The initial excitement for the launch of the Las Vegas Grand Prix (LVGP) next year is coming to an end. The first batches of tickets for the event are sold out but some more will be released early next year.
Vegas News | Vegas F1 Room Rates Are Through The Roof And MGM + Caesars Post Earnings
This was a fun news week in Las Vegas. Between the Las Vegas Grand Prix and casino earnings, there was a lot happening. Add that to the mix of a normal week of Vegas News and you have a busy week.
Vegas News | Bally’s Approved For Trop Takeover, New Food Hall At Aria Will Have Seoul and Caesars Palace Renovations Are Complete!
Caesars Palace just finished renovations that include a new lobby bar… The Nevada Gaming Commission approved the Tropicana sale to Bally’s this week…
Vegas News | MGM Rewards At Cosmo, FanDuel At Fremont And Time For LDW!
I made two visits to the Cosmopolitan in the past week. The first visit was to grab a cup of coffee with someone stopping by for a quick visit. Who am I to say no to 8 am coffee?!
Vegas News | MGM Operating Cosmopolitan Sportsbook, Robotaxis Launch And New York-New York Gets New Rooms
It is very real that we are seeing MGM taking small steps at Cosmopolitan. Last week we mentioned Silk Sonic performing at the Barbershop inside the Cosmopolitan as the first marker that MGM Resorts is taking over operations at the property. Typically performers at Park MGM make aftershow appearances at the same property. This was a change of pace to have an aftershow at a different MGM Resorts property.
Vegas News | Las Vegas Earnings Season: Caesars Not Selling A Casino And MGM Giddy About F1 Revenue Next Year
We’re going to start the Vegas News by looking at casino earnings. Both Caesars and MGM Resorts released their information last week.
Vegas News | Vegas Quick Hits and Summer Fun
My annual Summer Break was fun as always. We split a week on the Vegas Strip between Park MGM and The Cosmopolitan. More in-depth coverage in the future, but for now lots of Vegas Quick Hits.
Vegas News | Circus Circus Renovating Now, Hard Rock Debut May Be Delayed Until 2025
Last week I mentioned that I’ve been hearing more grumblings that the transformation of The Mirage to the Hard Rock might take longer than expected. Well, the same source of last week’s information has some specifics from a stock analyst that pretty much confirms this. Not really related, but you might have noticed our headline: Circus Circus Renovating Now? Yes, it looks like they will be renovating Circus Circus.
Vegas News | MGM Closes Deal To Operate Cosmopolitan And Lots Of Sports News
We set up the latest big Vegas News story a week ago with our first Monday Vegas News. MGM Resorts is now operating The Cosmopolitan. Ta-Da!
Vegas News | BTS Invades Las Vegas And Botox Comps At A Casino?
We’re going to open today with a short tale of a low-mid roller (me) enjoying the casino fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The past year of comps reminds me of getting the most out of the last great recession in the late 2000s.
Vegas News | Formula One Coming To Las Vegas Next Year While Visitation And Hotel Room Prices Continue To Rise
The big news in Las Vegas this week was the confirmation that Formula One will start a three-race deal next year.
Vegas News | The Most Vegas News Ever… Masks Now Optional, And Dice Are Loose At Wynn
This week will be a very different edition of Vegas News. We originally started wishing you a Happy Super Bowl Sunday and are finally posting just before March.
The big news in Las Vegas since the beginning of February is that masks are no longer mandated in public places and casinos. Wearing a mask in both locations is still optional for anyone that would like to wear one.
Vegas News | Imploding The Tropicana And Mirage (Volcano), Adele Bails On Vegas, And A Virgin Resort Fee
Vegas 2022 – This year has gotten off to a strange start. Las Vegas is trying to get back to normal but it’s not quite there yet. Yes, this is annoying but the things we love about Las Vegas are still there – mostly.
Vegas News | Las Vegas Has Little News And Fewer People This Week
I’m going to share some thoughts from the Vegas Strip this week since there’s not too much news to share. This is traditionally one of the slowest weeks in Las Vegas. This week was even slower than usual.
Vegas News | CES Happens Amid Covid-19 Spike, MGM Rewards Details And Maybe A Luxor Implosion?
Before we get to the big loyalty news and MGM Rewards Details, we are happy to report that The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) went off as planned this week. CES says that more than 40,000 people attended the convention this year.
Vegas News | Covid Still Here, Katy Perry Residency Is Fun And Another “Secret” Bar
Happy New Year! We hope you, your family, and your friends are all in good health. It looks like we’re going to start off the new year with the same annoying news as last year. (You’ll have to wait a bit until we get to some cool details about the Katy Perry Residency.)
Vegas News | Double Wide Holiday Edition Featuring Hard Rock Imploding The Mirage and Palms Opening Soon
It finally happened! Last week was the first time we missed posting a Sunday Vegas News column. Thanks to people visiting Las Vegas and another fantastic ZorkFest we got a little behind schedule.
Vegas News | Imploding The Trop? Adele Residency Finally Announced And Weird Al In Vegas!
Imploding The Trop? – Did I Get Your Attention? This was a big weekend in Las Vegas. The headliner is that the NFR (National Final Rodeo) is underway in Las Vegas! In addition to a slew of country music concerts, there was a Foo Fighters show, Raiders game versus the Washington Football Team, and a lot more.
Vegas News | The Holiday Season In Las Vegas Continues With A Rodeo!
the holiday season in Las Vegas. The mid-week rooms were cheap, and nothing was ever never busy. We could get in any restaurant, club, etc., or gambling with ample room.
Vegas News | WSOP Moving To The Vegas Strip And More Parking Fees
We just finished a relatively slow news week in Las Vegas, except for news about WSOP moving to the Vegas Strip. News tends to slow down in Las Vegas after the final earnings reports heading into the holidays. Day-to-day marketing mostly evolves around holiday events and sales. Side note – check your favorite property for current deals. There are plenty available.
Vegas News | The Mirage Finally On The Market And Lots Of News From Casino Earnings
The day is finally here! MGM Resorts is finally selling The Mirage. + lots of casino earnings news and scoop!
Vegas News | Vegas Hotel Rates On The Rise and The Mirage May Finally Get Sold
Vegas Hotel Rates On The Rise, Spun Out Of Control, Mirage May Finally Get Sold, and all the Vegas News and Scoop for your week.
Vegas News | Details on New Palms, Riviera, And Bad Rumors
Earnings season is upon us and casino corporations are dropping news on a regular basis. Bad rumors about Circa. Plus all the Vegas News and casino scoop for the week!
Vegas News | G2E (Global Gaming Expo) Gems, Durango & Dream Casinos Approved and Adele Finally Maybe Probably
The Vegas News for me this week started mostly with the Global Gaming Expo (G2E). As expected it was smaller than usual with fewer small and international gaming operators. There was also a lack of food and beverage providers, entertainers and other random non-gaming companies showing off their goods and services for casinos to buy.
Vegas News | Cosmopolitan Sold, Superfrico Opens and LAS Was Busy Last Weekend
Let’s start the news with a quick Covid-19 update in Las Vegas before we get to the big news: “Cosmopolitan Sold!” It appears as though the Clark County Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are getting lower. If this trend continues there could be a change in public mask-wearing policy sooner than later.
Vegas News | Las Vegas Is All About Raiders, Pirates and Fluorescent Baby Polar Bears
Wowsers, for the first time in about a while there’s hardly any COVID-19 news in Las Vegas. There have been no changes in policies so everything remains the same as the past few weeks. Having said that, this will be a relatively shorter Vegas News.
Vegas News | Cosmo On The Market, And Lady Gaga and Las Vegas Raiders Have Packages For You
Only a small COVID-19 update for Las Vegas during this long holiday weekend. There are no major changes to COVID-19 protocols when you visit a casino. You still have to wear a mask inside of casinos unless you’re eating, drinking, or smoking. The larger scoop of the week is that Cosmo Vegas is for sale.
Vegas News | Big Biz Quarter For Casinos, Kiss Residency And Andiamo Is Better Than Ever
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.
Vegas News | COVID, Rumors, Bootlegger Bistro, And Backstreet Boys
“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.
Vegas News | More Resorts World, MGM Is Selling and Hagar Goes To The Strat
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!
Vegas News | The Great Vegas Comeback Is Underway!
I’m fresh off my first Vegas Vacation since 2019 and feel amazingly refreshed. This was four whole days eating, drinking, and gambling and not working in casinos. This is slightly different from my typical casino visits, which are usually for some kind of work. The Great Vegas Comeback has arrived!
Vegas News | Vegas Masks Optional, Caesars Dumps Lots Of Shows And Party With The Raiders
Boy, the Covid-related news escalated quickly. Last week, a few Las Vegas casinos were approved to increase capacity to 100% and remove plexiglass. Early this week Caesars, MGM Resorts, and more joined the “100% Club”. That was just the beginning. On Thursday, the CDC updated its mask guidelines. Nevada followed suit allowing businesses to change their policy. Next, Nevada Gaming Control announced that it’s allowing casinos to update their policy.
Vegas News | Palms sold, A buffet opens, Plexiglass comes down!
The Great Vegas Reopening (TM) is in full swing. Capacity limits and plexiglass are gone at Wynn and Cosmopolitan. Most are quite relieved and happy with the news that plexiglass in Vegas comes down! There should be more casinos to follow. I’m hoping the worst of the coronavirus is behind us. That would mean life for everyone is getting back to normal.
Vegas News | Hold On Tight, There’s A Lot Going On!
Brace yourself. This will be one of the longest Vegas News articles in a few years. I even dumped a few items to keep this somewhat manageable. Still, this will be a quick read since the majority of info comes via quick hits.
Vegas News | Starting To See The Light
I see the light! The end of the coronavirus may not be here yet, but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel in Las Vegas. (Also, Vegas is busy!) My monthly visit to Cosmopolitan was fun as usual. Unfortunately, I’ll be surprised if the offers keep rolling in despite my gambling losses and spend on dining and booze.
Vegas News | More Casino Openings, Higher Capacity Limits and Vegas Is Starting To Look Like Vegas Again
Before we start to celebrate and discuss Vegas higher capacity limits, you may have noticed that I’ve been taking advantage of monthly offers to enjoy a couple of complimentary nights at the Cosmopolitan. My visits have remained mostly the same. I’ve been spending most of the time inside the room.
Vegas News | Venetian Sold, Resorts World Takes Shape, And Vegas Loves Sports
Let’s start the weekly Vegas News roundup with a short story about a big deal. This week Las Vegas Sands (LVS) sold all of its properties (aka “Venetian Sold”) in Sin City. The company is now just “Sands” since it has no more businesses in Las Vegas. The deal happened early in the week so I’m not going to get too deep.
Vegas News | Things Are Looking Up As Vegas Pool Season Arrives!
Casino earnings season came to an end with a bang this week. Caesars reported fourth-quarter and full-year earnings for 2020. We all know last year was bad for casinos. You can see that in the release. On the good news side, Vegas Pool Season arrives.
Vegas News | Hamilton May Do Vegas And More Casinos and Entertainment Returning To Operation
Before we share a huge amount of Vegas Quick Hits and the rumor about Hamilton in Vegas….. We’re going to start Vegas News off a bit differently this week. I received a rare Saturday morning marketing email from a gaming company that I have to share.
Vegas News | Covid Restrictions Loosen and Casinos Opening and Changing Hands
This week’s big news in Las Vegas is that there’s a plan to loosen restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Nevada. I’ll just cut to the chase with some bottom-line info on the details regarding the fact that covid restrictions will loosen soon.
Vegas News | Short Pouring Just Before Pool Season
This week Vital Vegas tipped us off to The Linq short pouring mixed drinks. This is useful to prep for future casino visits. A few years ago I wrote about the unintended consequences of drink monitoring systems at casino bars in Las Vegas. I don’t mind the practice because I usually play fast enough to not worry about getting complimentary drinks.
Vegas News | Changes and more changes? Rio, Venetian, and nightclubs
This week seems to be a week of Vegas changes and more changes, potentially. We will have to wait and see how several rumors “play out.” There are just a few days remaining in Nevada’s statewide “pause.” This week Governor Steve Sisolak will announce if the same 25% capacity “pause” restrictions will continue.
🎉 2021 | Las Vegas Predictions
It’s a new year, and there’s a lot to look forward to in Las Vegas. There will be a lot of moving and shaking behind the scenes in 2021. On the front lines, the general population will continue to deal with the daily effects of coronavirus. Businesses, however, will be looking to the future. This brings us to our Las Vegas Predictions for 2021.
Vegas News | The Pause Continues!
We’re entering what’s typically a slow news period while everyone gets into holiday and vacation mode. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing happening, but there’s less than usual (and “The Pause”). Funk that! We got the goods right here!
Vegas News | Virgin Pushed Back Again, Plaza Redeveloping, And More
This week is mostly “quick hits” format, with some really awesome news about Plaza Redeveloping. We weren’t surprised when Virgin Hotels Las Vegas pushed its opening date back to January.
Vegas News | MGM Opens And Closes
Pushing Forward Back by Temple of the Dog is a song I think about often. I don’t know what the actual lyrics are other than the chorus, but these words often come to mind when I think of doing business. It’s also a good entry point to discuss our main theme this week: MGM Opens and Closes.
Vegas News | Casino Earnings Remind Us Of The Changes Happening
The big news in Las Vegas was obviously the opening of Circa. But, casino earnings and their impact are a constant reminder of Vegas in 2020.
Vegas News | MGM and Boyd Streamlining Companies While Circa Announces Bars
This week’s COVID-19 update from Las Vegas will be super short. There’s a lot of related news from Boyd and MGM earnings reports that center around the impact of COVID in Las Vegas.
Vegas News | Imploding The Mirage, New Caesars Takes Another Step and Another Vegas COVID Update
It looks like COVID-19 ain’t going away quickly so we’ll start the Vegas News once again with a brief update. According to White House data, Nevada is a hot zone and Las Vegas is in particularly bad shape. You can read about the recommendations here and as always see the current data here.
Vegas News | Circa And Resorts World Renderings Drop While Las Vegas Continues To Reopen
This Vegas News column is not your one-stop shop for information on the virus. We’re not going to avoid discussing COVID-19 but will focus more on what you can do today and tomorrow when visiting Las Vegas.
Vegas News | Getting Closer To Las Vegas Casinos Opening…Maybe
Heyo! Las Vegas is 115! I’m old enough to remember when the TV show “Las Vegas” celebrated Las Vegas turning 100 (originally and last week). This week’s big “maybe” revolves a lot around whether we are getting closer to Las Vegas Casinos opening.
Vegas News | Looking Forward To New Vegas
Las Vegas casinos remain closed for the month but there are signs that things are starting to get back to a new normal, “New Vegas.” This week local TV news started actually reporting on news besides providing COVID-19 updates.
Vegas News | Casino Players Club Updates and Casino News
The local Las Vegas news is usually a waste of time for me. They typically have 3-5 minutes of local news before going to national news, weather and human interest stories. I don’t watch the local news often because 95% isn’t interesting to me. Don’t get me wrong – I love that I live in a sleepy town like Las Vegas. (Unbelievably, we still have a number of weekly items to share, including details today about the casino players club updates.)
Vegas News | Mostly CoronaVegas
Coronavirus is now a national emergency. As you’d imagine, the travel and live entertainment industries are getting crushed since people are trying to stay away from each other. Las Vegas is a vacation and entertainment town and there’s a lot happening…and not happening.
Vegas News | New Caesars Slimming Down, MGM Breached, Vegas Gets A Dream Hotel and Resorts World Has Hilton Brands
This was a somewhat surprisingly busy week for Vegas News. Looking at the calendar, we knew there was a lot happening. This just isn’t a week when Las Vegas traditionally busy.
Remembering Jimbo’s (CEO Jim Murren) Days At MGM Resorts
By now you should know that MGM Resorts chairman and CEO, Jim Murren, informed the company’s board of directors that he will step down from his positions before his contract expires.
Vegas News | Jimbo Out, Bet MGM Soon and another Look at Vegas Rumors
This week in Las Vegas was dominated by one story. No, it wasn’t MGM Resorts announcing new sustainable sourcing goals for eggs and chickens. Just prior to reporting earnings, MGM Resorts sent out a press release that Jim Murren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, informed the Company’s Board of Directors that he will step down from his positions before his contract expires.
Vegas News | Quick Hitting All Over Las Vegas
There’s always something new to enjoy in Las Vegas. There’s so much to do that even old things can be new in Las Vegas. On Friday I made my first trip close to the top of The Strat. GASP!
Overview Vegas Strip | Las Vegas Resort Fees + Las Vegas Parking Fees
Booking a hotel room in Las Vegas isn’t as simple as it used to be. Actually, just visiting the Vegas Strip isn’t as simple as it used to be either. The addition of resorts fees to advertised hotel room prices in Las Vegas over the years mean that your hotel room price isn’t what you’re being told it will be. But wait, there’s more! There is another fee if you plan on using a car in Las Vegas. Many casino operators on the Vegas Strip are now charging an hourly and daily parking fee for self-parking and valet. These parking fees are applicable to anyone with a car visiting or staying at the property.
Vegas News | The Calm Before The Storm
Let’s call this week the calm before the storm. It was a relatively quiet week in Las Vegas aside from the Palms Casino Resort drama (details on that shortly). The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is in just over a week. Casino operators and gaming manufacturers will have lots of news for us around the gaming conference.
Park MGM Las Vegas | First Visit to the Fully Renovated Property
I finally visited the completely renovated Park MGM Las Vegas. I saw construction at the former Monte Carlo monthly over the past two-plus years. Finally, there was no more construction at Park MGM.
Vegas News | Circus Circus Rumor, Airbnb and More Changes at Plaza
It’s race day in Las Vegas! Beastmode – Marshawn Lynch – will be driving the pace car at the South Point 400 today. This is the second NASCAR race in Las Vegas this year and the first race of the NASCAR playoffs. Enjoy! Let’s start off the Vegas news of the week with a rumor […]
Vegas News | So Long SLS and Goodbye Hooters Casino
Summer is almost over! Have no fear, it’s always sunny in Las Vegas. The 100+ degree temperatures aren’t going anywhere for a few weeks and there’s one more big weekend to party.
Vegas News | Vegas Looking Back and Forward
Resorts World is here to save the day! (“Vegas Looking Back”) We don’t have more news but my twitter had info that people enjoyed + all the Vegas News…..
Vegas News | Virgin Rooms, Circa Sports, and MGM is New Vegas
We’re going to flip this week’s Vegas News around. The big insidery news from MGM Resorts will be at the end of the post. (Hint: New Vegas)
Vegas News | MGM, Wynn, Caesars, and so much more
MGM, Wynn, Caesars — The news from Las Vegas and casinos never seems to stop. On Friday afternoon I headed out to Cleaver for a delicious half-price steak for Happy Hour and news was still developing. It wasn’t until I returned home that I really caught up.
Vegas News | MGM 2020, Majestic, and A Million Dollar Football Contest
Lots of Vegas News — including: MGM 2020, Majestic, A Million Dollar Football Contest, Quick Hits, Rumors and all the Vegas Scoop!
Vegas News | MGM Getting Dynamic, Ruffin Might Buy Caesars and A Lot More
This is been a whirlwind Vegas News week. There was at least one different casino operator reporting quarterly earnings every day + MGM Getting Dynamic, Ruffin Might Buy Caesars and A Lot More…..
Looking All Around Las Vegas For The Finest Vegas News
The Finest Vegas News | Sometimes we have an action-packed week of news. I like slower news weeks. The lack of “must cover” news allows me to look at some of the Las Vegas news and rumors that you may not have seen all week long.
Vegas News | Cosmopolitan On The Market, Caesars May Be and A Drew Delayed
When I was thinking of a fun way to summarize the Vegas News this week a lyric from the band Thursday came to mind. “It starts and stops and starts and stops again” is basically how the casino industry has been operating for the past few weeks…actually years. Have a look.
The Enigma of MGM Springfield – Past, Present and Future
It has been almost seven months since the first full casino opened in Massachusetts as part of the Massachusetts Expanded Gaming Act signed into law in 2012. MGM Springfield Resort Casino has had its share of growing pains while giving the city of Springfield hope and confidence in its future, something the city has not had for decades. For myself, it has been an enjoyable past time to watch the second Massachusetts casino since it opened in August of 2018. I consider it a bewildering property on New England’s casino landscape. Let’s look at how they got here.
Vegas News | Madness, Fees, More Caesars Rumors and Maybe a New Vegas Casino
Vegas News | Madness, Fees, More Caesars Rumors and Maybe a New Vegas Casino and all the Vegas Scoop + Quick Hits, those Vegas nuggets if you can’t get enough Vegas News.
Vegas News | As Caesars Turns, More Station Casinos and an Entertainment Survey
With Saint Patrick’s Day, the first weekend of March Madness and Spring Break upon us we are beginning my favorite stretch of the year… Vegas News | As Caesars Turns, More Station Casinos and an Entertainment Survey
Vegas News | MGM Automation, NashVegas and Soho House May Buy Rio
MGM 2020 Brings Automation, Rio Sales Rumors Never Die, and NashVegas Closer To Reality + all the Vegas News, Quick Hits and scoop.
Vegas News | Come For The Casino Drama, Leave With The News
Sometimes corporate drama can be fun. Then there are times when there’s so much casino drama that it overshadows what’s actually happening on the ground. With that in mind, I’m going to start with some corporate drama because it’s interesting and move on to things that might actually impact how you spend time in Las […]
Vegas News | Caesars Drama Continues and More
This is a different kind of earnings season for the casino corporations. It’s both boring and intriguing. (Hint: Caesars Drama) + All the Vegas News scoop!
Vegas News | Caesars Sale Rumors (Again), MGM Earnings and More
It’s earnings season and we’re in the middle of a bunch of corporate news (MGM Earnings) from and about casinos in Las Vegas + Vegas News Scoop…….
Vegas News | Binion’s Expands, Golden Nugget Might Be On The Market and more
It almost seems as if Las Vegas is reinventing itself seemingly more than ever. Since then the economy has improved and prices have been slowly creeping back to normal. Las Vegas is back on the upswing.
Vegas News | It is KAOS and Pigs Are Everywhere + Almost Super Bowl
This is the last Vegas News before the Super Bowl so let’s start with a MASSIVE list of Big Game parties. This almost Super Bowl information should be useful for anyone visiting Las Vegas for the Super Bowl
Vegas News | MGM Grand Blowout, Super Bowl Parties and more
News often happens for a reason. Sure there’s news in Las Vegas all year long but there are a few times a year we hear official announcements from large casino companies. MGM Grand Blowout, Super Bowl Parties and all the Vegas scoop!
Vegas News | 18 Fremont Becomes Circa, Airbnb Growing, Downtown Grand Expanding
18 Fremont Becomes Circa – You may have heard that the official name of 18 Fremont is Circa. The new casino being built on the land once occupied by Las Vegas Club, Mermaids, and the unforgettable Glitter Gulch is scheduled to open in December 2020. Lots of Vegas News, Downtown Grand Expanding and all the Vegas scoop!
Vegas News | CES Room Rates are Bananas and Lady Gaga Flies into Park MGM
The holidays always make life interesting. Whether the time is spent celebrating with friends and family or working there’s always something out of the norm. I’ll share some of the interesting information I found shortly. Let’s get to the Vegas news.
Vegas News | Caesars and MGM Dive Into New Vegas
This is going to be a different look at the news from Las Vegas. We’re going to focus mainly on earnings from MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment before diving into a few quick hits. The earnings reports didn’t have much top-line news but they both touched on leisure travelers similarly, and that was interesting. (And, also a look at New Vegas….)
Vegas News | Caesars Merger Rumors, Britney’s Back and Learning about Red Plate
This week there was some news about a potential shakeup with the national casino operator from a typically reliable resource + all the Las Vegas scoop!
Vegas News | Fremont Expanding, Park MGM Singing and Vegas LOL-ing
Boyd Gaming has been doing great business in Las Vegas over the past couple of years. The locals casinos and downtown casinos have been attracting locals and tourists alike. Their earnings call and report for the second quarter was further proof of that.
Vegas News | Vegas Dining Prices and New Identity at Cosmopolitan
There’s so much talk about fees being out of control in Las Vegas but only one financial issue. There are plenty of price increases happening in Las Vegas beyond the fees.
Vegas News | Exploring, Building and Loose Slots
One of the many benefits of living in Las Vegas is the ability to explore the different casinos whenever the mood strikes. Visiting and exploring casinos isn’t the same thing.
Vegas News | Where It Can Be Sunny, Cloudy and Rainy At The Same Time
Vegas in the summer is fun. On Friday it was simultaneously cloudy, sunny and raining above Red Rock Casino. Having said that, once you walk into the casino that’s all forgotten. Guess where I am today! Let’s get to the Vegas News.
Vegas News | Hold On To Your Hat, Vegas Is About To Get Extreme!
There’s not much better than a week in Las Vegas without work. My summer Vegas vacation was really without a major flaw. Even gambling on the Vegas Strip wasn’t as awful as it’s been in the past. I’ll share some observations about Las Vegas over the next few weeks but today is for the Vegas News.
Vegas News | 4th of July in Las Vegas Holiday Edition
By the time you read this, I’ll be enjoying my summer vacation on the Vegas Strip. I’ll be staying in a casino and will be as immersed in Vegas for a week. It’s always fun to be a tourist in Las Vegas instead of someone on a mission to do X, Y, Z before going home.
Vegas News | Park MGM Updates And Maybe A Delayed Virgin (Hotel)
Restaurant Week in Las Vegas is fantastic so I want to start with a reminder that it continues through at least June 29. Comp Drinks At Park MGM, Sounds Like There Might Be A Virgin Delay, Comp Drinks At Park MGM and much more Vegas scoop!
Vegas News | Wynn Parking, MGM Sniffing and Golden Knights Losing
Vegas News | Wynn Parking, MGM Sniffing and Golden Knights Losing — All good things eventually come to an end. The Vegas Golden Knights had a miraculous season but lost to the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final. There will be movies and/books to detail how inconceivable this season was. In the meantime…
Vegas News | A Little From Vegas, Outside Of Vegas And ZorkFest
Whew! ZorkFest, 360 Vegas Vacation, and Memorial Day Weekend are gone and life is almost back to normal! The combination of learning, partying, and a day off for a holiday weekend was something else. This weekend was more than just a hang or conference. There’s really a great supportive community that loves casinos in Las Vegas and beyond.
Vegas News | MGM Resorts News and Three Renovations
We’re a week removed from the Kentucky Derby and Cinco De Mayo weekend in Las Vegas. I didn’t think I’d feel this way but Derby Day felt incomplete without a big fight. I haven’t been a boxing fan for a few years but the excitement a big fight brings to Las Vegas is unmatched. Boxing also brings in the biggest customers according to MGM Resorts.
Vegas News | Wynn & MGM Have Delays While El Cortez Has CSM’s
All the Vegas scoop! Wynn & MGM Have Delays While El Cortez Has CSM’s – Peppermill Sign Going To The Neon Museum – Wynn Resorts Earnings – $20 Concert and Show Tickets – El Cortez Brings In Continuous Shuffle Machines – Podcasters After Dark
[Jimbo needs a hug] MGM Resorts Earnings and Park MGM Delays
There’s no way to sugar coat MGM Resorts first quarter earnings. I opened the quarterly MGM Resorts earnings presentation as soon as I woke up and saw a slew of red down arrows. After a cup of coffee and actually spending time reading the why there were red arrows it’s easy to see that MGM Resorts just had a bad quarter.
Vegas Fees Gone Wild | MEGARESORT™©® NEEDS MORE MONEY!
Vegas Fees Gone Wild | It seems that we are living in an age of travel “fees gone wild.” Is ancillary revenue becoming the cornerstone of financial success for hotel operations in Las Vegas?
Vegas News | More Vegas Fee Increases And Palms Renovation Plans Expand
When I first started visiting Las Vegas I couldn’t afford much beyond a hotel room and low limits gambling. I was 21’ish and didn’t have much money to my name…. Being nickeled and dimed by Las Vegas hotels every few months is obnoxious.
Vegas News | Bulls Roaming, Security Checks, The Drew And More
The big news is that the Big Blue Monstrosity on the north end of the Vegas Strip has an opening date. Let’s start there because I have even more information today than when the announcement was first made.
MGM Resorts | Mlife Rewards MasterCard
I received a pre-approved offer for the Mlife Rewards MasterCard and pulled the trigger after ZorkFest. This is not an overly generous offer, but with no yearly fee and no foreign transaction fees this is an opportunity to build a relationship with Mlife and earn some perks before even stepping into a property.
Vegas News | Parking, Slot Machines and Horses Oh My!
Happy Super Bowl Sunday! We haven’t missed a Sunday news post since starting. I’ve taken time out from vacation to write news while sitting at a bar drinking coffee. The streak will continue albeit a bit more brief than usual. Unfortunately, it appears as though the sick bug has caught me. Let’s get to it because this past week in Las Vegas was sort of all over the place.
Vegas News | Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
Wynn Resorts announced that they will be reporting earnings on Monday morning. Hard Rock May Finally Be Sold. While the deal isn’t confirmed there’s too much smoke not to see a fire. + more news and scoop
Vegas News | Looking Back At 2017 And Ahead To 2018
Looking back I think it’s safe to say that 2017 was an interesting year Las Vegas. There was plenty of news and I’m happy to say that we’ve never missed a week sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of what’s happening in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas | Park MGM Is Coming Together Nicely
It’s been over a year since the announcement but you can finally start to see the vision MGM Resorts International has for the conversion of Monte Carlo to Park MGM. This is really just the beginning of the future.
Unintended Consequences | Casino Drink Monitoring
My feelings on the casino drink monitoring systems at the Cosmopolitan, Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International casino bars are mixed. I generally don’t mind the systems, especially at the Cosmopolitan, but I’m not entirely happy they have to exist.
Vegas News | Fortune Cup Coming To Casinos And More Park MGM News
Vegas News | Fortune Cup Coming Casinos and more Park MGM News. All the Vegas News and scoop every week at TravelZork.
Vegas News | Park MGM Reveals Itself, EDC Moves, Palms Closures And More
Vegas News | Park MGM Reveals Itself, EDC Moves, Palms Closures and more. All the Vegas News and scoop every week at TravelZork.
eSports in Vegas
To be clear, eSports isn’t new to Las Vegas.There has been a lot of buzz around the eSports for the past couple of years. The buzz comes with good reason. Marketing firm NewZoo projects that eSports revenue will reach $696 million by the end of 2017.
Vegas News | Park MGM, Boyd Gaming Crushing, Free Show By The Killers And More
Park MGM, Boyd Gaming Crushing, Free Show By The Killers + much much more. Count on TravelZork every week for all the Vegas News!
Las Vegas | Park MGM Renderings Are Here, Say Goodbye To Monte Carlo
Construction work at Monte Carlo is more of a burden on the company than they expected. The place was a wreck when I visited a few weeks ago. There are curtains and construction work being done everywhere. Monte Carlo is dragging down overall performance of the company. That said, it’s onward and upward.
Caesars Looks Outside Of Casinos For Revenue
Most casino operators in Las Vegas prefer to have a revenue split close to MGM than Caesars. In fact, Caesars wants to have a revenue split closer to MGM Resorts. The two casino operators have different approaches to their companies. MGM Resorts is expanding with new casinos and a massive profit growth plan. Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment is looking elsewhere to generate revenue.
Legionnaires’ At Rio, Bollards On The Vegas Strip And A LOT More News in Las Vegas
There was so much news in Las Vegas last week that I really don’t know where to start. There weren’t any bombshells but there was a lot of interesting tidbits. I’ll try to keep the analysis somewhat brief so I can get to most of the news.
Vegas News | SLS Las Vegas Sold, Bellagio Losing Fountains….Someday and More
This will be an abbreviated version of news this week for the holiday. Marc needs to party too! Let’s get to it. The big news this week is that SLS Las Vegas was sold by Stockbridge to the Meruelo Group. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the deal should become official by the third quarter.
Vegas News | More Drink Monitoring, Wynn Expansion Shrinks And More
Drink monitoring systems may not affect you if you’re visiting a video poker bar in a casino specifically to play video poker. It’s a different story if you’re passively playing video poker expecting complimentary drinks. The systems aren’t ubiquitous…yet.
First Quarter Was Great For Las Vegas Casino Operators
First quarter earnings were great for the largest Las Vegas casino operators. New Year’s Eve bled into the first quarter. The extra day of revenue was helpful for casino operators. The year always starts with a bang. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the largest convention and expo of the year with well over 100,000 attendees.
Vegas News | Visitor Data, Renovations, Gambling And More
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) released their annual Las Vegas Visitor Profile last week. This is a snapshot of the average visitor to Las Vegas + Renovations, Gambling and more.
Get Free Vegas Parking At Caesars And MGM Hotels
There’s no topic in Las Vegas from the past year that’s drawn more ire than paid parking on the Vegas Strip. According to the most recent visitor profile, from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority, 57% of the people visiting Las Vegas arrive by car.
Las Vegas – Gaming | Three Quarterly Casino Earnings Reports To Watch
It’s quarterly earnings season where corporations share information on their previous quarter. Hopefully, some of the luxury and large casino operators will also spend some time looking forward informing up what they have in store for Las Vegas. Here are the reporting dates for Las Vegas casino operators that I’m looking forward to.
Vegas News | Big Rooster, New Restaurants, Las Vegas Business and More
It’s the Year of the Rooster! The Palazzo decked out their atrium to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This big guy is huge and quite a sight. I prefer the display from the previous Year of the Rooster display.
Vegas News | Lots Happening And Not Happening On The North Vegas Strip
I’ve just started noticing Christmas music in casinos so I guess it’s officially the holiday season. Las Vegas is usually quite festive for the holidays but the big news last week from the north end of the Vegas Strip doesn’t fit the bill.
Vegas News | Vegas Strip Parking, New Hotels Opening, Rick Rolling And More
Just another day in Las Vegas yesterday (Friday) started at El Cortez around noon and ended a Bally’s around 14 hours later. Spending days and nights with people who don’t live in Las Vegas is a blast. Everything seems so new and fresh. It’s great to see Las Vegas through the eyes of people who visit only a couple of times a year.
What MGM Resorts 3rd Quarter Earnings Means To You
Earnings calls are boring AF. Earnings calls for casino operators aren’t entirely boring, they’re just boring. No AF. I just need to vent before diving into the MGM Resorts 3rd Quarter Earnings call this week.
These calls are intended provide information for financial investors in corporations and not for the public. I’m closer to the latter. I’m not an investor and I write for normal people that may not understand or care about the financial jargon. For the most part, I listen to these calls to see if there’s any news that mainstream news outlets don’t report or care about.
Vegas News | Gambling On The President And More
You might have heard that there was a presidential election this week. There will be a new President next year and some people are happy while others are sad. I’m less concerned with the politics than the gambling. Go figure. This was a record-breaking year for a US presidential election around the world – but not in the country where the election was actually held. Sports books outside of the US saw record amounts of money wagered on who would become the next President. Some gamblers won bigly as Donald Trump was a long shot for much of the time.
The Cosmopolitan Has The Best Video Poker Bars On The Vegas Strip
For my money, there’s really one drink monitoring system that is customer friendly. It should come as no surprise that the only luxury property with a drink monitoring system, the Cosmopolitan, offers the overall best system for the customers. Below is information on how I ended up with this decision.
Vegas News | Start In The Casino And End Up At Happy Hour
I usually start the news of the week with something from the business side of Las Vegas. Today I want to begin with news in the casino. This has been the catalyst for many of us to fall in love with Las Vegas. It’s what keeps many of us visiting Las Vegas. Sure the restaurants, bars, and shows are great but the epicenter of the action has long been the casino.
Las Vegas | Exploring Cosmopolitan Comp Drink Monitoring At The Chandelier Bar
It’s amazing how life works sometimes. I’ve been meaning to visit the Cosmopolitan to a) check out the renovated Chandelier Bar and b) see how their comp drink monitoring system worked. Unfortunately, my travels haven’t taken me to the Cosmopolitan. I’ve tested the Caesars Entertainment drink system and the MGM Resorts drink system so I felt compelled to give it a run. It turns out I had a meeting at my favorite bar on the Vegas Strip (Chandelier Bar) this week. This gave me a chance to knock two things out at once. Boom!
Las Vegas | Free Drinks Were Flowing At The Mirage Lobby Bar
You may know the Mirage Lobby Bar as one of the first bars in Las Vegas to install a free drinks ticket system for their video poker/slot machines.
Sunday News | Casino And Gambling News With A Side Of Sake
Ahhhh…The summer is unofficially over. Labor Day weekend is the beginning of the end of summer for tourist season. The day clubs will slowly wind down, then some pools will begin to close and summer concert season will come to an end. There should be a couple of quiet weeks of news in Las Vegas […]
Sunday News | Holiday Edition With Mostly Vegas Hotel News
There was a lot of hotel news last week but not all of it is relevant to your visits to Las Vegas. With that in mind, let’s start with the hotel news that actually matters in the near future. When the Blackstone Group purchased the Cosmopolitan in 2014, they detailed very specific plans to turn around the casino which didn’t have a profitable quarter since opening.
3 Great Ways To Save On Meals In Las Vegas
Saving money in Las Vegas is as much of an art as it is a skill. Restaurant bills in this tourist town can add up quickly. Here’s how to save on meals!
“EXCITING” Borgata Atlantic City Changes Are Coming
But with MGM’s complete acquisition of Borgata Atlantic City from Boyd we here at TZ were left pondering what exactly would happen when it came to Mlife..
Sunday News | Dismantling Monte Carlo Las Vegas Set To Begin In October And Much More
Earlier this year we reported that the Monte Carlo would be renovated to become Park MGM with a boutique hotel named NoMad Las Vegas. The transformation into Park MGM is scheduled to be completed sometime in 2018.
Sunday News | From MGM Resorts To Red Rock Resorts
Last week various casino operators shared the stage. Quarterly earnings reports can often contain interesting news.
MGM Buys Out Boyd, Becomes Majority Owner Of Borgata
Despite not having a major presence in Atlantic City, MGM has always owned a stake in the Borgata, a collaborative operation with Boyd Gaming which is still the highest-grossing casino resort in the Atlantic City area. As of Monday however, MGM shook things up just a bit. MGM Buys Out Boyd In a deal completed […]
Las Vegas | MGM Resorts International easyPLAY® Pushes Gaming Forward
MGM Resorts’ EasyPlay takes mobile wagering another step forward and is one of the ways traditional casino gaming is evolving.
Sunday News | From The UFC Sale To Mobile Gambling From MGM Resorts
The interesting news in Las Vegas this week was all over the place. Surprisingly, the first piece of big news in Las Vegas wasn’t casino related. After a couple of months in the rumor mill, the Las Vegas-based UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) was finally purchased.
Sunday News | Lots Of Sports News + Station Casinos Turns 40
I’ve been on vacation all week but I love Las Vegas and always keep track of the news. I won’t be going too deep on the news items this week but I will share some highlights. Here’s a quick look at what happened in Las Vegas over the past week. The Beat is closing – […]
There’s No End In Sight For MGM Resorts’ Growth
MGM Resorts International is having a big year. They recently opened T-Mobile Arena and The Park next to and behind New York-New York in Las Vegas and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Sunday News | From A New M Life To Another Arena And More Poker
The news last week in Las Vegas was all over the place. We’re going from M life to Taco Bell and take a look at the start of the World Series Of Poker.
Sunday News | MGM Parking Fees, Palms Sold, Hyperloop Tested and More
This week MGM Resorts rolled out their plan and fees when parking at their Las Vegas hotels. The social media outrage was as loud as I’ve ever heard…
Sunday News | Everything In Las Vegas From Wall Street To Weddings And Mini-Golf
Topics are everywhere from Wall Street related news to weddings and mini-golf inside of a casino. I guess that’s why we love Las Vegas so much.
Sunday News | Big Casino Developments For Boyd And Stevens Highlight The Week
News weeks like this in Las Vegas are what give me goosebumps. The future of Las Vegas has always been interesting to me. I love Las Vegas today as much as I did when I started visiting the city just after turning 21. Las Vegas isn’t the same as it used to be and that’s […]
Sunday News | Happenings From Downtown Las Vegas To Summerlin
Whew! It feels as though it’s been a crazy few weeks in Las Vegas. Thankfully the openings and announcements slowed down a little this week. In fact, there weren’t any major happenings this week. Personally, I’m thankful for the slowdown since my mother made an extended pit stop in Las Vegas this week while touring […]
Las Vegas | The New T-Mobile Arena
A Closer Look At The Newest Entertainment Venue On The Vegas Strip: The T-Mobile Arena Last week MGM Resorts and AEG opened the newest entertainment venue in Las Vegas, T-Mobile Arena. The new arena is located behind New York-New York and at the end of The Park which is open to the public on the […]
Sunday News | It’s All About The Park, T-Mobile Arena And Wynn Paradise Park
No matter where you live there’s news and then there’s meaningful news. This column isn’t a news rundown of what happened in Las Vegas over the past week. It’s meant to look at the more important news events and explore what they might mean today and in the future. The big news this week really […]
Sunday News | In-N-Out Is Coming To The Las Vegas Strip, The Riviera Gets 2 Implosions And 4 Free Concerts On Fremont Street Revealed
There really isn’t a need for a deep introduction to this week’s Sunday News. There was only one piece of news out of Las Vegas that matters. Well, at least, it seems that way. First, Ikea announces that Las Vegas will be getting its first store, then it’s announced that Las Vegas is getting 2 Cracker […]
Las Vegas | Sunday News | MGM Reorganizes and The Venetian Might Expand
I started writing this week’s edition of “Sunday News” with the thought that the news didn’t tie together. When it was finished I realized that most of this week’s news in Vegas actually does work together. In fact, there’s more MGM Resorts news than you might expect for a slower news week. Last week we […]
Las Vegas | Sunday News | The Strip North End’s Possible Developments
Welcome to the first week of a new Sunday column at TravelZork. This will be a synopsis and analysis of recent news, rumors, openings and closings in Las Vegas. This column won’t cover everything in Las Vegas but will analyze and speculate about some of the bigger bits of news we see or hear about. North […]
Hotel Review | MGM SKYLOFTS Las Vegas 2.0
The MGM Skylofts are one of my favorite places to stay. Here’s an update of our last review : There are four types of rooms. The single bedrooms, the slightly larger single bedrooms near the front desk, two bedrooms with either a pool table or a foosball table, and the Barbara Streisand suite with two bedrooms, a […]
Las Vegas | MGM Resorts Announces Self Park and Valet Parking Fees Beginning in April 2016
First the bad news: MGM Resorts International announced that they will be the first Las Vegas hotel operator to charge for parking. Now the good news: Most of you will never pay for parking. MGM Resorts International has announced that they will begin charging visitors and hotel guests for parking beginning April. Exact fees haven’t […]
Las Vegas | How Casinos Are Reacting To Revenue Trends
How Casinos Are Reacting To Revenue Trends The UNLV Center For Gaming Research recently released a report looking at historical departmental revenue in Nevada casinos. The report shows annual revenue trends in casino-resorts from gaming, hotel rooms, food, beverage and other (shows, retail, etc.) from 1984 through 2015 by dollar and percentage of revenue. The report […]
Earn Or Use Mlife Rewards While Watching Football
As I wrote recently Fantasy Football Has Changed Watching The Games In Las Vegas. That can be either good or bad depending on your point of view. There are more options than ever to watch football in a casino and that’s a wonderful thing. Even better than having more choices on where to watch the […]
Fantasy Football Has Changed Watching The Games In Las Vegas
Fantasy football has changed how people consume and wager on football. When people visit Las Vegas to watch football they’re not necessarily heading to the sports book to place a wager.
Las Vegas | Aria’s Continuing Transformation
Aria, MGM’s self-chosen jewel property despite those loyal to Bellagio, is continuing to improve what is broken in all the right ways. Since the property opened, many issues and problems have been continually fixed, with underperforming restaurants swapped out, and boutiques replaced with pressed juicerys and bar names changed. One of the more recent changes […]
Hotel Review | MGM SKYLOFTS Las Vegas
This is a guest review by my good friend Mike from frequentflyermiles101.com, a site for those just learning the points game. One of the smartest miles+points people that I know, Mike is also obsessed with getting amazing value on luxury experiences. Also, be aware that we also have a Review Version 2.0, that covers a few additional […]
The Mirage Cabanas | A Summer Retreat
Summer At The Mirage Cabanas There’s nothing quite like Las Vegas in the summertime. The oppressive heat causes people to stream inside the casinos getting off the 110°F (43°C) pavement for respites at the blackjack tables, shopping or to one of the many differing resort pools located throughout the city. Each one has its own […]