Ahhhh…resort fees. Everyone hates em. You may remember that Caesars Entertainment announced they’ll be increasing resort fees at their Las Vegas properties just last week. Well, it didn’t take long for MGM Resorts International to join them. Las Vegas Jaunt shared information that MGM Resorts International will raise their Vegas resort fees in March.
The resort fee price increases range from $1 to $5 per night depending on the hotel. Here’s a list of how much the resort fees will cost beginning March 2nd 2017.
Aria, Bellagio, Vdara – $39
MGM Grand, Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Delano, The Mirage, New York-New York – $35
Luxor, Excalibur – $30
Circus Circus – $27
The resort fee at Monte Carlo will remain the same. MGM Resorts probably feels bad increasing a fee in a hotel that in under construction and was attacked by dust last week.
Forbes Travel Guide Star Ratings Revealed
Restaurants and hotels all around the world strive to achieve a Five-Star or Four-Star rating in the annual Forbes Travel Guide. These properties are judged on nearly 800 items. There are winners all around the world but all we care about is Las Vegas, right?
The Las Vegas hotels that received a 5-Star or 4-Star rating this year are the same as 2016. If you’re tired of continually increasing resort fees at the finest hotels on the Vegas Strip, you might want to take a look at the award winners.
M Resort Spa Casino was named a 4-Star resort again. This hotel doesn’t charge a resort fee and has some excellent restaurants and a great pool. You might want to look at this property if you want a luxury experience in Las Vegas and don’t need to sleep at a hotel on the Vegas Strip.
The number of Five-Star restaurants in Las Vegas doubled this year with the addition of Le Cirque (Bellagio), Picasso (Bellagio), and Wing Lei (Wynn Las Vegas). Costa Di Mare at Wynn Las Vegas is the only new Four-Star restaurant on the list.
You probably know that there are plenty of spectacular restaurants and hotels in Las Vegas already. The Forbes Travel Guide is an easy reference if you’re looking for somewhere new to eat or stay. You can see all award winners here. You can read the less Vegas-centric press release here.
Esports Venue Opening In Downtown Las Vegas
Millennial eSports Arena will officially open at Neonopolis in Downtown Las Vegas on March 3. The 15,000-square-foot eSports venue will seat 200 people. There will be a Halo event with a $50,000 prize pool that will qualify players for a $1 million tournament. The Millennial eSports Arena will also be home to an EA Sports-sanctioned Madden 17 tournament on March 25-26. You can read more about the Millennial eSports Arena at the Las Vegas Sun.
Reminder: Here’s Why Las Vegas Cares About Esports
Legal Sports Report tore through a 119 page report on eSports report so we don’t have to. Here’s a more brief version of the information. The worldwide viewing audience for eSports will almost double by 2020 (that’s 3 years from now). There were over 300 million eSports viewers in 2016 and that’s expected to be nearly 600 million in 2020. (Also see : Learn What eSports Is And Why It Matters To Las Vegas)
Furthermore, non-gambling revenue for eSports is expected to climb from $325 million in 2016 to $1.488 billion in 2020. According to Legal Sports Report, the amount gambled on eSports around the world should generate at least as much revenue as non-gambling.
Las Vegas businesses may not know how they’re going to get some of that revenue yet but they’re sure trying.
Skill Based Gambling Hits Las Vegas
Skill based gambling and esports are often tied together because they’re said to be more attractive to younger gamblers. However, just because they may appeal to a similar customer, they’re not the same thing.
Last week, Konami Gaming introduced skill-based gambling at an event at Level Up inside MGM Grand. Frogger: Get Hoppin’ is the first game of its kind approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This isn’t a slot machine, but a Frogger video game that’s played to potentially make money.
For a $2 entry wager, the game gives players the chance to win random cash awards and earn true skill-based cash awards. While Frogger: Get Hoppin’ pays based on skill, there’s still a house edge for the casino.
By law anyone who plays the game can win. However, players who score higher move the potential return in their favor. For example, my score of 10,000 points should pay me better than your 2,000 points pays you.
There is still a sense of randomness in the game, but having skill should always pay better. You can read the press release from Konami Gaming here.
Las Vegas Club Construction Begins
One of the first articles I wrote for TravelZork was back in 2015 about the future of the Las Vegas Club casino. Well, that future has been very slow to develop. However, there’s finally some movement at the humongous project on Fremont Street. Vital Vegas has pictures to prove that there’s finally something happening at the casino formerly known as the Las Vegas Club. We’re still a while from serious construction and an opening date but it’s exciting to see the beginning of progress.
Rumor Of The Week: 24 Hour Restaurant Opening At The Cromwell
Vegas Seven is reporting that a 24-hour quick-serve restaurant will be built at The Cromwell Las Vegas. Details are sparse but this would make a lot of sense. It was frustrating to have to walk to the crappy food court next door at the Flamingo for a late-night 4th meal when I stayed at the hotel a couple of years ago. This should be a big moneymaker. People leaving the club would surely spend $5 on a slice of pizza after partying at DRAI’S BEACH CLUB • NIGHTCLUB.
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