My summer vacation on the Vegas Strip is right around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. I get to spend five days in Las Vegas like a tourist on vacation. Besides some social media posts, there won’t be any work happening. My goal for this week is to never open my laptop. I just want to eat, drink, gamble, nap, repeat.
Vegas News never takes a break. This year, my vacation takes place from Sunday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. You’ll never miss a beat! That’s enough about me. Let’s dive into this week’s news with everyone’s favorite Las Vegas soap opera…
As Caesars Turns: “Caesars board at odds with billionaire Carl Icahn over sale price”
According to the New York Post, Carl Icahn is ready to sell Caesars Entertainment to Eldorado Resorts now. Unfortunately for him, nobody else wants to sell at the price they’re offering. Negotiations are continuing and this week Eldorado sold three casinos possibly in preparation for the sale or merger. Coincidentally (or not) the three properties were sold to VICI. That’s Caesars Entertainment’s Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).
Here’s a look at what Eldorado might do if the Caesars deal falls through. Expect another episode of “As Caesars Turns” in the near future.
Important Update: June 24, 2019 6am ET
ELDORADO TO COMBINE WITH CAESARS CREATING THE LARGEST OWNER AND OPERATOR OF U.S. GAMING ASSETS – PRESS RELEASE
New Vue and Sportsbook At The D
The renovations of the Vue Bar at The D are complete. Yes, it looks similar to the old Vue Bar with more TV’s and lower seating away from the bar. Thankfully, they kept the same good video poker paytables at the bar. The new TV’s and good gambling will keep this as my favorite video poker bar in downtown Las Vegas.
The new Circa Sportsbook is around the corner from Vue Bar. The sportsbook offers the same odds that you’ll also find at the Golden Gate. I haven’t been to The D since both the bar and sports book have opened but I’ll be there this afternoon. Check twitter and instagram stories for more pictures during the week.
You can read the press release for the renovations at The D here.
Exclusive Announcement at SLS Las Vegas On June 27
SLS Las Vegas is having a special “exclusive announcement” on Thursday, June 27. The only hint in the special media invite is that “The Strip Starts Here.” The company recently started using this tagline. It’s possible that this press conference can be because the owner of SLS Las Vegas Alex Meruelo purchased the Arizona Coyotes NHL team.
SLS Name Change “Tie In”
However, I think that this announcement will tie in with the name change that has been rumored since Meruelo purchased the casino. As I’ve been saying for awhile, I expect a name change when renovations are complete. Well, except for a few possible restaurant swaps, the majority of the work on the casino is complete. We’ll have more for you again next week.
Quick Hits
The Las Vegas news roundup is never complete without highlighting some of the smaller pieces of news to come across our desks.
- The NBA released the schedule for the 2019 Summer League that will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Arena. Tickets for the games are a great deal and will be the first time you can see Zion Williamson in a Pelicans uniform. Read more here.
- Palms now operates Apex Lounge (former Ghostbar). You probably won’t notice a difference. Read more here.
- The Vegas Golden Knights will play their first home game of the 2019-2020 season on October 2 against the San Jose Shark. The rest of the Golden Knights’ schedule will be announced on Tuesday. Read more here.
- Here’s a good read on bar top gaming from CDC Gaming Reports. Expect to see new slots and other games in the future. Read about Buffalooooooooo bartop games here.
- MGM Resorts International bounced checks totaling under $1,000 to a sports bettor that won a few games during March Madness. This sounds like a simple accounting flub but it’s still sloppy and a good excuse to make some kind of MGM 2020 joke. Read more here.
- Able Baker Taproom is closer to opening in downtown Las Vegas. They make my favorite local beer (Atomic Duck) so I’m probably a bit too excited. Read more here.
- Shania Twain has a new residency at the Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood starting in December. Read more here.
- Nevada is getting older. Read more about the increase in population here.
- Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq is offering free parking for people that buy tickets to their shows. Read more here.
- Speaking of parking, Encore Boston Harbor is charging $22 and $42 to park. I thought I’d share since so many of you love reading about parking. Read more here.
- A dude turned a $400 bet on the St. Louis Blues to win the Stanley Cup at Paris Las Vegas into $100,000. Read more here.
- Marriott Bonvoy people might be interested to know that a Residence Inn just opened in Henderson. Read more here.
- Dotty’s might buy the land that was once home to Moulin Rouge. Hopefully, they build a new Bourbon Street if they do purchase the land. Read more here.
- Metarama Gaming and Music Fest announced the lineup for this year’s inaugural event on October 19-20. See more here.
- Best Friend at Park MGM now has an All You Can Eat deal on Monday’s. Read more here.
- Travel Fanboy updated his list of downtown Las Vegas Happy Hour deals. Read more here.
- The City of Las Vegas has a new reality show. Read more here.
- The Plaza will host dirt racing on November 14-16. Read more here.
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