Vegas Strip Adjacent Prices On The Strip

Forum Shops at Caesars Palace

As a New Yorker, I’ve always looked at the Vegas Strip as Times Square, while the rest of Las Vegas is the boroughs surrounding the tourist trap. Now that I’m older, I realize there are expensive tourist traps around the country.  Since prices in Las Vegas have become an issue, we’ve been exploring some of […]

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 […]

Let’s Talk About Gambling!

Gambling

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 […]

New Las Vegas Hotels Opening Soon And A Look At More Construction Plans

Las Vegas Hotels

New Las Vegas Hotels are a good thing, for some, casinos attached to those are hotels are even better. With that said, the 2025 construction calendar doesn’t look fun for someone who loves new casinos like me. While there’s plenty of new building on the books there’s not much that excites me.  I love visiting […]

Vegas News | All-Net 2.0 Moves Forward And Jimbo’s Back!

Vegas News Update - TravelZork Vegas News

We’re well into the holiday season in Las Vegas. I hope to check out the Fontainebleau ice rink above next week. You can get a rundown of New Year’s Eve fireworks, shows, and parties from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority here. Pro-tip: The Vegas Strip is a blast on New Year’s Eve but […]

ZorkFest Is Almost Here!

ZorkFest

ZorkFest is just almost here. The event takes place Nov. 1-3 at Horseshoe Las Vegas (formerly Bally’s). A few tickets are still available for anyone interested in attending.  Over the past couple of months, I’ve shared why conferences like ZorkFest are useful. The most important feature of this event for me is the educational seminars. […]

Vegas News | Riviera Site Plans, Tropicana Implosion Party And A Boring Update

Vegas News Update - TravelZork Vegas News

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, […]

Vegas News | New Slots, MGM’s Big 3 And Rod Stewart Gets A Haircut!

Vegas News Update - TravelZork Vegas News

It’s your bi-monthly edition of Vegas News! We’re going to change things up in my weekly column for the next couple of months. The news will still be delivered every other week. In the weeks I don’t share what’s happening in Las Vegas, we’re going to explore what you’ll experience at ZorkFest in November. There […]

Let’s Check Out Some Las Vegas Casino Implosions

Tropicana Las Vegas is set to be imploded in late 2024. Mark Loizeaux, president of Controlled Demolition, Inc who has handled many Las Vegas implosions previously, confirmed to a local Vegas news channel on Thursday. This will be the 15th major Las Vegas casino implosion property demolition since 1993, while others were simply torn down. […]

Vegas NEWs | New MGM Grand Rooms, New Buffalo Slot And New Construction Update

Vegas NEWs | New MGM Grand Rooms, New Buffalo Slot And New Construction Update

This week we will get to a new construction update as well as some current renovations. We mentioned that MGM Resorts planned on renovating a portion of the rooms at MGM Grand after the company’s recent earnings call. Some of the rooms in the newly named Studio Tower (former West Wing) will be available in late October. The rest should be completed before the end of the year.

Vegas News | Head Off-Strip To Enjoy The Durango Casino And More

Vegas News | Head Off-Strip To Enjoy The Durango Casino And More

Earlier this week I received an email from Aristocrat for a slot machine I found last month at Cosmopolitan. I receive lots of press emails but this one hit me because it was for a game I randomly discovered just wandering around The Cosmpolitan one afternoon.

Vegas News | Covid Update And KISS, Journey, and Chippendales Are Returning To Las Vegas

Vegas News August 22 2021 | Covid Update And KISS, Journey, and Chippendales Are Returning To Las Vegas

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 | Mask Up Vegas and Get Down!

Vegas News August 1 2021 | Mask Up Vegas and Get Down!

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 | COVID, Rumors, Bootlegger Bistro, And Backstreet Boys

Vegas News July 18 2001 |  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 | Vegas Masks Optional, Caesars Dumps Lots Of Shows And Party With The Raiders

Vegas Masks Optional - Vegas News May 16 2021 | Vegas News | 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 | Hold On Tight, There’s A Lot Going On!

a lot going on in Vegas - Vegas News May 2 2021 | 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

Vegas News April 11 2021 | Starting To See The Light - Vegas is busy

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 | Vegas Visitation Jumping and Virgin Opening

Vegas News March 28 2021 | Vegas Visitation Jumping and Virgin Opening

It is pretty fair to say that Vegas Visitation is jumping. It’s been a while since there’s been a supply and demand problem for visitors in Las Vegas, but here we are. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Association Executive Summary, visitation in February was up almost 19% from January. That should increase even more when March figures are released.

Vegas News | Venetian Sold, Resorts World Takes Shape, And Vegas Loves Sports

Vegas News March 7 2021 |  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 | Short Pouring Just Before Pool Season

Vegas News February 7 2021 | Vegas Short Pouring Drinks 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

Vegas News January 10 2021 | 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.

Vegas News | Non-Smoking Casino Park MGM Opening, Caesars Packed + COVID Update

Vegas News September 20 2020 | Non-Smoking Casino Park MGM Opening, Caesars Packed and Another COVID Update

Two weeks without Vegas news on Sunday is wild! This was the first year I’ve taken a break from my weekend duty with TravelZork. Relaxing an extra day was nice, but I’m a creature of habit and was fidgety while trying to relax. Happy to be back sharing the ‘scoop and also the announcement of the first completely non-smoking casino on the Vegas Strip.

Vegas News | The Mirage Gets Ready To Open, T-Mobile Selling Tickets Again, Maybe Park MGM Opens For Halloween and More

Vegas News August 16 2020 | Mirage Ready To Open, T-Mobile Selling Tickets Again, Maybe Park MGM Opens For Halloween and More

No major Vegas COVID-19 update again this week. It hasn’t gone anywhere, and casinos remain under the same protocol. Read this if you’re curious about the local bar situation. Layoffs seem like they’re about to hit some non-gaming hotels too. You can always visit the Nevada Independent for Nevada COVID data. Perhaps, our most significant news is that Mirage is ready to open.

Vegas News | Open Now, Closed Tomorrow? New Caesars Coming Soon.

Vegas News July 5 2020 | Open Now, Closed Tomorrow? New Caesars Coming Soon

Phase 2 of Nevada’s roadmap to recovery has been extended until the end of July. The State, like much of the country, appears to be going in the wrong direction regarding COVID-19 cases. As a reminder, the Nevada Independent has the raw data if you want to see up to date information. There is also a big question? “Vegas Open Now, Closed Tomorrow?”

Vegas News | Reopening Continues

Vegas News June 14 2020 | Reopening Continues

Vegas News June 14, 2020Vegas Reopening Continues Vegas Reopening Continues – The Sunday (TravelZork) Vegas News has required a lot of preamble over the past month or so to make sure that we’re sharing all of the information correctly. Hopefully, we accomplished that. I think we’re finally at the point where there’s plenty of news […]

Vegas News | G2E Preview + This Week Was a Blur

Vegas News | G2E Preview + This Week Was a Blur

The Las Vegas PR machines might be slow right now but this week was a blur and I expect more of the same next week. A friend was in town for a conference and that gave me an excuse to enjoy Las Vegas like a tourist for a few days. Let’s get to all the Vegas scoop, and also my Vegas News G2E Preview.

Vegas News | Casino Earnings, Cat Cafe and Lots Of Beer!

Vegas News 11 August 2019 | Casino Earnings, Cat Cafe and Lots Of Beer!

This week in Vegas news was dominated by casino operators reporting earnings. Sometimes these calls offer insight into future plans for the businesses. Other times these casino earnings calls offer financial information that helps explain the Vegas experience. This earnings period has a combination of both without any major breaking news.

Vegas News | Grasshoppers Invade!

The big news in Las Vegas this week seems to be the grasshopper invasion! I live about 20 minutes west of the Vegas Strip towards Red Rock Casino and I’ve only seen one grasshopper. He or she was outside of my apartment four times I went in and out on Friday. I named my new […]

Vegas News | Take Cover! – Vegas Earthquake

Vegas News 7 July 2019 | Take Cover! - Vegas Earthquake

My week of vacation on the Vegas Strip was a great time and personally enlightening. I’ll just touch on a couple of newsy items today and will dive deeper with some kind of trip report. Coincidentally, there wasn’t much news while I was taking a break. (Well, except for a Vegas Earthquake!) This will be […]

Vegas News | MGM, Wynn, Caesars, and so much more

Vegas News 19 May 2019 | 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 | Come For The Casino Drama, Leave With The News

Vegas News 3 March 2019 | 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 […]

This Local Loves Dining at the Venetian Vegas

Venetian Las Vegas

Dining Venetian Vegas | The casinos on the Vegas Strip with my favorite restaurants are Aria and the Cosmopolitan. However, I head north on the Vegas Strip when I’m not exactly sure what to eat.

Vegas News | MGM Grand Blowout, Super Bowl Parties and more

Vegas News 20 January 2019 | 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 | 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 | Wynn Parking, MGM Sniffing and Golden Knights Losing

Las Vegas News 10 June 2018 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 | Signs, Sphere’s, Sports Betting And More

TravelZork Las Vegas News 20 May 2018 Vegas News | Signs, Sphere's, Sports Betting And More

We’re going to go behind the scenes a little this week. Following Las Vegas closely can be exciting. We hear about news before it’s news and everyone else knows what’s happening. However, there’s a downside being first to know everything.

Vegas News | Full Steam Ahead

TravelZork Las Vegas News 11 February 2018 Vegas News | Vegas News | Full Steam Ahead

I’m always looking forward in life and in Las Vegas. Dealing with the current moment and what’s ahead makes life easier to handle than wallowing in the past.

Vegas News | Parking, Slot Machines and Horses Oh My!

TravelZork Las Vegas News 4 February 2018 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 | Las Vegas Travel Is Changing

TravelZork Las Vegas News 28 January 2018 Vegas News | Las Vegas Travel Is Changing

Wow, what a week in Las Vegas. Sometimes it’s true, where there’s smoke there’s fire. I thought there would be a big announcement coming from Wynn Resorts and there most certainly was a big announcement.

Vegas News | The Las Vegas Holiday Season Begins

TravelZork Las Vegas News 19 November 2017 Vegas News | The Las Vegas Holiday Season Begins

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The Las Vegas Holiday Season is upon us. This week everyone will be eating turkey and in a couple of weeks we’ll all be breaking out our winter clothes and celebrating whatever holiday works for you.

Las Vegas | Fortune Cup Lands At The Venetian

Las Vegas | Fortune Cup Lands At The Venetian

Fortune Cup by Konami Gaming in finally in casinos. You may be familiar with this horse racing game from its tour around the world in 2016. Last year, Konami took thus massive game to just about every gaming conference to gauge interest.

My Favorite Las Vegas Sports Books

Red Rock Casino Sports Book

In my eyes, there’s no such thing as a bad Las Vegas sports book. There are only degrees of how good a sports book is. You won’t find the same kind of environment where anyone can watch and legally wager on sports anywhere else in the United States.

Vegas News | More Drink Monitoring, Wynn Expansion Shrinks And More

TravelZork Las Vegas News 14 May 2017 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

Casino Earnings Reports Casino Financial

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.

Tasting The Newest Restaurant At The Venetian, Mercato della Pescheria – Vegas

Tasting The Newest Restaurant At The Venetian, Mercato della Pescheria - Vegas

I recently visited the newest restaurant in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, Mercato della Pescheria. The restaurant is located in St. Mark’s square replacing upscale Italian restaurant Postrio. The layout of Mercato della Pescheria is similar to Postrio with an indoor and “outdoor” table configuration. The outdoor seats are inside the casino under the painted sky ceiling.

Vegas News | Happy Vegas Super Bowl Day!

Vegas News | Happy Vegas Super Bowl Day!

Happy Vegas Super Bowl Sunday! If the new president really wants to make an impact on America, he’ll make Super Bowl Monday a holiday. Anyway, Las Vegas has been packed all weekend with football fans getting ready to watch and wager on The Big Game. The sports book this morning at Red Rock Casino was already buzzing.

Vegas News | From Luxury On The Vegas Strip To Fried Chicken In The Suburbs

TravelZork Las Vegas News 29 January 2017 Vegas News | From Luxury On The Vegas Strip To Fried Chicken In The Suburbs

Casino-resorts are what stir the drink for just about everything in Las Vegas. On the Vegas Strip and around town, these properties not only offer hotel rooms to sleep in but casinos for gambling, malls for shopping, bars for drinking, restaurants for eating and so forth. Everything else you can find in Las Vegas is just a bonus.

Vegas News | Raiders Are One Step Closer To Las Vegas, $19 Hot Dogs, Magic Mike and More

TravelZork Las Vegas News 22 January 2017 Vegas News | Raiders Are One Step Closer To Las Vegas, $19 Hot Dogs, Magic Mike and More

You know it’s a slow week in Las Vegas when the biggest news was discussing a business possibly filing paperwork. Early last week it was reported that the Oakland Raiders would file paperwork to potentially move to Las Vegas. By the end of the week, that report was confirmed by the NFL Network. The Raiders still have one step before everyone in Las Vegas can lose their mind.

Las Vegas – Gaming | Three Quarterly Casino Earnings Reports To Watch

Gaming | Casino Earnings

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 | Start In The Casino And End Up At Happy Hour

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.

Sunday News | Adele, 000 Roulette, NASCAR Warning And More

TravelZork Las Vegas Sunday | Adele, 000 Roulette, NASCAR Warning And More

As I mentioned last week in Sunday News, we’re in a slow news period in Las Vegas. I expect things to heat up in a week or so but there isn’t anything too serious happening. This might be a little shorter than you’re used to. In The Casino Slot machines When the news in Las […]

Sunday News | Vegas News From Shows To Casinos

Vegas News From Shows To Casinos

In all my years visiting and living in Las Vegas, I’ve only seen a handful of shows. When I think of Las Vegas it’s usually eating, drinking or gambling. Shows don’t fit into that equation. That’s just me, there are plenty of people who come to Las Vegas specifically for the shows. My preference is probably […]

Sunday News | Lots Of Sports News + Station Casinos Turns 40

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 – […]

Las Vegas | Sunday News | MGM Reorganizes and The Venetian Might Expand

Vegas Lucky Dragon Flamingo Linq

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 | Alon May Not Have Money But They Have Plans

Alon

Once financing is secure Alon Las Vegas will be built on the land once occupied by the New Frontier across the street from Wynn Las Vegas and next to the Fashion Show Mall. Alon is being developed by James Packer and Andrew Pascal who most recently helped open SLS Las Vegas. Pascal knows the luxury […]