I love this first bit of news in Las Vegas so much that I’m skipping the intro. If you’re not aware, I’ve had a crush on the Cosmopolitan for years. You’ll see in my vacation roundup when it’s posted. Here’s another reason to love the home to my favorite bar on the Vegas Strip.
The Cosmopolitan Cares
A few years ago I met with someone that was looking to create a platform that allowed casino customers to donate their leftover change from slot machine tickets to charity. The idea was that if a player cashed a ticket for $100.92 that they could keep the $100 and donate the $0.92 to a charity.
Later that year at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) I saw that Everi was offering this platform for their voucher/ATM/bill breaker machines you see in many casinos. M Resort Spa Casino was the first casino in Las Vegas to offer this option for guests. Years later another casino in Las Vegas is finally offering this charitable option.
The Cosmopolitan recently launched The Giving Module program powered by EveriCares. The Cosmopolitan is now the first casino on the Vegas Strip to offer this option when cashing out slot machine (video poker, etc.) tickets. They are starting with four charities and will rotate throughout the year.
The first group you can donate to include: Shade Tree, Opportunity Village, Three Square Food Bank, and Team Rubicon. The press release says that 100% of the donations will be given to the charities. You can donate to an individual charity or split between all four. The Cosmopolitan will change the charities a few times during the year.
This is a great option for casino guests. I’d much rather give my 2 cents (pun intended) to charity than just leave it in the machine for another gambler. Another casino corporation was planning on implementing this a couple of years ago but was having issues choosing charities that they support and the idea was forgotten about. I imagine other casino operators will follow the Cosmopolitans lead here and implement the Casino Care or another system soon.
You can learn about Casino Care here. You can see their casino partners around the country here. You can submit an application to be part of the program if you work with a charity.
Circa Construction Moving Quickly
Construction on Circa in downtown Las Vegas is moving much faster than other casino projects that may have broken ground five or 12 years ago. This morning I heard a commercial for Circa Sports with Derek Stevens and it reminded me that Circa shared this video from the construction site about where the massive sports book will be located. Check it out.
Las Vegas Raiders Stadium Update
The Las Vegas Raiders stadium being built on the opposite side of the I 15 from Mandalay Bay is officially beyond the halfway point in construction. Workers are starting to install sections of the roof. The good news is that it’s on pace to be finished in time for kickoff of the 2020 NFL season.
USA Today is reporting that the stadium budget has ballooned from $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion. Financial documents show the budget projected at $1.84 billion. USA Today is pretty liberal with how they round off numbers but that’s another issue. Taxpayers can rest easy since they’re “only” on the hook for $750 million.
A couple of weeks ago we mentioned that AEG will manage the football stadium. There aren’t many musicians that can play huge venues like this by themselves. If you’re curious, Billboard’s Money Makers list should give you an idea of some musicians that might be able to play a venue this size without being part of a festival.
Downtown Grand Upgrades Video Poker
We don’t see this Vegas News very often. Downtown Grand UPGRADED its video poker paytables. According to John Mehaffey, Downtown Grand now offers the following video poker games:
- Full pay Deuces Wild
- 10/6 Double Double
- 10/7 Double Bonus
In total, they have about 50 machines with these games that offer denominations from a quarter to $2. Some have $0.50 3/5 play if you’re looking to lower the variance. Some of the games have above 100% payback. So, what’s the catch? Well, there’s always a catch.
The only way to achieve the 100%+ returns is to play max credits with perfect strategy. This means no mistakes – ever. Each incorrect play reduces the payback. Experienced video poker players usually understand this but I want to make sure everyone does.
Also See: Learn Video Poker | How to Get Started
The real catch with these video poker games is that Downtown Grand Rewards players club no longer gives video poker players points. In addition to the small advantage with perfect play, the players club points are part of what gives these games a positive expected value.
A casino offering this kind of video poker game usually doesn’t last long. Take advantage while you can. The advantage players usually swarm the games and don’t spend any money at the property. The loss leader games just become a financial loss and are quickly downgraded.
Monsoon Season Is Here!
In Vegas News a few weeks ago we warned you about Monsoon season. Well, the local weather people are expecting the first monsoon of the year to hit Las Vegas this week.
The quick blasts of rain are always surprising. Let this serve as a reminder that you could get caught in a severe flash of rain. Also, remember that The Linq is also part of a drainage system for the rain on the Vegas Strip. The garage always floods during monsoons. Here’s a video if you’ve never seen the chaos.
Quick Hits – Vegas News
What a great time to be in Las Vegas. High temperatures have been about 105 for the past week. This is perfect for summer. It’s hot but not disgustingly hot. The dry heat is real and fantastic – as long as you don’t park in the sun for too long. Anyway, here’s a bunch more news happening in and around Las Vegas.
- The El Cortez has a new package deal with the Mob Museum that costs over $2,000. Read more here.
- The cast of Schitt’s Creek will be doing an “Up Close and Personal” event at The Cosmopolitan. Read more here.
- The Chainsmokers have extended their residency at Wynn Las Vegas. Read more here.
- Tropicana is offering free weddings. For details, read more here.
- Tony Bennet is doing a limited engagement at The Venetian in September. Read more here.
- The Steve Miller Band has a limited engagement at Wynn Las Vegas in October. Read more here.
- Area 51 is not in Las Vegas. If you haven’t heard about storming Area 51 you should read this.
- Blanc de Blanc will be opening at The Foundry inside SLS/Sahara on August 16. Read more here.
- Caesars Entertainment has Tesla charging stations. This isn’t exactly news as they’ve been offering electric car charging at various properties for a few years. Read more here. While we’re on the topic, here’s a blog post I wrote two years ago with other electric car charging stations in Las Vegas.
- Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has a managing director. Read more here.
- Jimmy Vaccaro is returning to Las Vegas to run the South Point sports book. Read more here.
- Upgrades are continuing at The Strat. Read more here.
- Did someone say Donut Festival at a beer hall? Yes, they did. Read more here.
- You know I’m stoked for the new Able Baker Tap Room opening in downtown Las Vegas. Well, it looks like Vegas Golden Knights player, Ryan Reaves, will be a part of the fun. Read more here.
- The World Series of Poker is over! Read more if you missed all the shuffle up and deal action from the Main Event here.
- Reno is lit! University of Nevada students could be using Circus Circus casino as a dorm! Read more here.
- MGM Resorts might be selling some Las Vegas casinos to themselves. They mentioned this on their last earnings call, so it’s not exactly new information. You can read more here.
- The new World Team Tennis season is underway! Vegas Rollers matches take place at The Orleans. You can find more info on matches here and more info on the Vegas Rollers here. Lastly, you can bet on World Team Tennis at Boyd Gaming properties!
- Jim Murren from MGM Resorts reiterated that they’d like to see an existing team relocate to Las Vegas and play at T-Mobile Arena. You can watch the interview from NBA TV here.
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