It was just about a month ago that Las Vegas saw snow twice in the same week. With Saint Patrick’s Day, the first weekend of March Madness and Spring Break upon us the weather has taken a turn to the mild. We’re beginning my favorite stretch of the year. The temperatures should be in the best range of the year (70’s-90’s) until about June. Windows are already down when I drive. Grabbing dinner and drinks outdoors is once again in play. Ahhhh! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
As Caesars Turns
Before we dive into news that you can use, let’s check out the Caesars soap opera. This week we learned that Uncle Carl Icahn has increased his stake in Caesars Entertainment. He now owns more than 20 percent of the shares of the company.
Meanwhile, Apollo Global Management LLC and TPG Capital both sold about half their shares in Caesars Entertainment. These funds companies have been major shareholders for years. Carl Icahn is still encouraging a sale but it appears that it might be a little more complex than just selling everything to one company. Their properties could be sectioned off and sold to different companies. GGR Asia suggests that only companies with exposure to Macau will be able to purchase Caesars Entertainment.
The Stiffs and Georges blog wonders if MGM Growth Properties (MGP) might be able to buy some properties for MGM Resorts International. This could avoid antitrust concerns from the government. Stay tuned to As Caesars Turns as Carl Icahn continues to turn up the heat…
Free Summer Concerts at the Fremont Street Experience
The Fremont Street Experience announced their free summer concert series – Downtown Rocks. This year’s lineup rocks, pops, and raps.
Check it out:
- May 24 – Good Charlotte
- June 15 – Nelly
- June 29 – Sugar Ray
- July 20 – Fuel, Toadies, and Sponge
- July 27 – Pop 2000 Tour hosted by Lance Bass with O-Town, Aaron Carter, Ryan Cabrera, and Tyler Hilton
- Aug. 17 – Buckcherry
- Aug. 24 – Cheap Trick
- Aug. 30 – The Wallflowers
- Sept. 28 – Smash Mouth
- Oct. 19 – Muddfest featuring Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Trapt, Saving Abel, and Tantric
These concerts are free and general admission. The Fremont Street Experience will be packed on the nights of these shows. This is a sight to see. It’s also to avoid if you don’t like large crowds in small places. There are plenty of open weekends so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a couple more additions to the lineup. Visit vegasexperience.com to keep up to date on the listings and to find which stage will have the concerts.
New Station Casinos?
Once again, Stiffs and Georges is sharing some interesting information from gaming analysts. Now that renovations are complete at Palace Station and mostly complete at Palms Casino Resort, Station Casinos is looking forward to their next projects. The Las Vegas casino chain owns land all over Las Vegas and in even a plot of land in Reno. They could turn their attention to a few new properties moving forward.
“Red Rock Light”
The blog post mentions a new “Red Rock light” casino for the land in Reno. Station Casinos could also build a new casino or two in Las Vegas. The opening of the new Raiders football stadium near Mandalay Bay could spur activity in the area. Station Casinos has two options if they want to expand. They could expand or rebuild the Wild Wild West casino. This property is also minutes away from T-Mobile Arena. It could serve as a pregame home for the Vegas Golden Knights and Las Vegas Raiders.
Other Station Casinos Options
They also could finally build Durango Station (Durango & 215). This project has been on hold for years. Durango Station fits the model of most Station Casinos in Las Vegas. It would be located just off the freeway like many other properties. That section of Las Vegas is growing and the nearby stadium should bring more people to the area. Both options in Las Vegas are interesting developments as tourists continue to look for less expensive options off the Vegas Strip.
MGM Resorts “Truth About Entertainment” Survey
MGM Resorts released a huge survey about entertainment for the second year. “Truth About Entertainment” is a look at how entertainment affects the lives of people around the world. This is not an independent survey. This was commissioned by MGM Resorts so the findings will most likely lean in the direction they want. That said, there are some interesting results that have turned this gaming company into an entertainment company. Here are some of their key findings:
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- 76% say that entertainment has influenced the person they are today.
- 62% say entertainment has influenced their choice of partner.
- Two-thirds of American respondents said they would be willing to get rid of all online entertainment – Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, etc. – to preserve the opportunity to experience live entertainment.
- About 60% in the U.S. said the more time they spent with a screen, the more they craved live entertainment. Even among technology-savvy millennials, there was such a thing as digital overload.
There’s one thing they didn’t highlight that stands out to Las Vegas today. 75 percent of respondents say that entertainment influences their choice of vacation. This is one of the reasons we’re seeing more limited engagement/residencies. While leisure travelers hate fees they also enjoy planning a vacation around specific unique experiences. People are visiting Las Vegas to see their favorite NHL team play the Vegas Golden Knights on the road or special shows like Lady Gaga’s Enigma residency. The survey results support why MGM Resorts continues to book more and more entertainment. You can see the full “Truth About Entertainment” survey here and the easy to digest images with results here.
Quick Hits
As usual, there’s so much news in Las Vegas that you must know about. Unfortunately, not everything needs extra information. Let’s get going with this week’s Quick Hits!
- Someone at Treasure Island had measles. If you were at the casino on March 9th you might want to read this.
- Someone robbed the Bellagio poker room on Friday night. He was shot trying to steal a car on the way out and died on Saturday. Read more here.
- KAOS at Palms Casino Resort released more information about their DJ residencies. Read more here.
- MGM Resorts is pushing to make Empire Casino in Yonkers New York a full-fledged Vegas-style casino. This could make the casino an interesting destination for Mlife Rewards members. Read more here.
- EDC announce the first phase of EDC week at the clubs in Las Vegas. Read more here.
- Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails is open at the Cosmopolitan. The booze lounge looks sweet. The haircuts seem a bit pricey. I haven’t paid for a haircut in years so I’m not the best to comment on prices. Read more here.
- Downtown Grand has improved their internet and plans to offer some new amenities. Read more here.
- Elon Musk received approval to move forward with the people mover we mentioned last week. Read more here.
- Last but not least, Mandalay Bay announced the lineup for Psycho Las Vegas. The heavy metal festival was previously held at the Hard Rock.
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