I’ve been my own boss since I was in my mid-20’s. My life revolves around my work. If I don’t stay on task then I don’t get paid. If I don’t get paid then I don’t have access to the fun things in life. The holidays throw a wrench in my regular schedule and that makes me a bit crazy. Thankfully, we’re back to normal this week!
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas!
The happy news for many is that hundreds of thousands of people will be visiting this week for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Lots of new tech toys will make their debut in Las Vegas. If you’re in town you can even see robot strippers (google for yourself, perv). Unfortunately, there’s bad news too. A casino closed last week. Let’s get to the Vegas news!
Lucky Dragon Closes Casinos And Restaurants
Lucky Dragon closing its casino and restaurants was sudden but not entirely surprising. However, they’re keeping the hotel and Cha Garden open (for now). There have been rumors about how poorly the business was doing for months. The buzz picked up as the year was coming to a close (see Vegas News December 17). The Stiffs & Georges blog theorizes that the entire property might be closed if rooms weren’t sold for CES. That makes sense as room rates for this week are as high, or higher than New Year’s Eve.
The Las Vegas Sun has a statement from Lucky Dragon that partially reads “While this is a difficult decision, this reorganization paves the way for Lucky Dragon to establish new partnerships that will enhance the property’s long-term positioning and provide a better guest experience.”
I was so excited for Lucky Dragon when it opened in 2016 and snagged a preview room the week before opening. I spent an entire day and night exploring the hotel and liked what I saw. Here are some blog posts from that visit:
- First 10 Impressions Of Luck Dragon Las Vegas
- Everything You Want To Know About The Casino At Lucky Dragon Las Vegas
- An American Casually Dining at Lucky Dragon Las Vegas
- Hotel Review | Lucky Dragon Las Vegas
The property is unique and it was clear that I wasn’t the target customer. Since opening night, I’ve only been to Lucky Dragon once to record a podcast with Chris from Faces and Aces. The property was still nice but it wasn’t busy at all. I’m curious to see if the new phase is more inclusive.
Rumor Of The Week: Lucky Dragon Closing Brings SLS Sale Back
Vital Vegas hears that the closure of Lucky Dragon has made Stockbridge, owner of SLS Las Vegas, motivated to offload the casino. The stalled deal with the Meruelo Group appears to be on once again as Stockbridge seems more likely to sell for a reduced price just to get out of the investment that has turned into a tax write off.
Vital Vegas has been pretty accurate with the rumors lately, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear this deal go through. Then again, the growth of the north Vegas Strip might be a bit exaggerated. Why bother investing in a location-challenged area surrounded by dirt and blight. Then again, MGM Resorts is planning two events across the street.
Las Vegas Raiders News
The Raiders are making news in Las Vegas in a few ways. The ground in Las Vegas shook a little as construction on the future home of the Las Vegas Raiders started this week. Here’s a report on the beginning of stadium construction from the local Fox affiliate.
Henderson, NV has agreed to sell the Raiders land for their headquarters and practice facility at a major discount. This should be exciting for the area as it appears that all major team announcements will be made from the facility near South Point and M Resort. You can read more about the land deal here.
This week the Oakland Raiders are set to introduce John Gruden as their new coach. He should be the first coach of the Las Vegas Raiders as the deal is rumored to be an insane 10 years and $100 million. Earlier this week I joked that it’s amazing what you can do when someone donates $750 million towards a stadium that you own. ESPN has more information on the Gruden deal here.
Sports Betting News
There were a total of seven new or upgraded sportsbooks in Las Vegas last year. This might be useful if you’re planning on watching the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Read more here.
The Westgate Football SuperContest winner took home over $1.3 million dollars this year. This was the largest grand prize ever given out for the $1,500 football contest. Not too shabby.
Quick Hits
There was a lot of news in Las Vegas this week. If I add commentary to everything, you’ll be reading this for at least an hour. Here are quick hits of Las Vegas news to peruse at your leisure.
- It’s the Year of the Dog. Celebrate at The Venetian and The Palazzo. I like the display at The Palazzo and will be sure to check it out. Read more here.
- #NewVegas brings a 2 story T-Mobile store to the Vegas Strip. Read more here.
- It only took 3 months to learn how often the Mandalay Bay staff interacted with the October 1 shooter. Read more here.
- Something about Paris Hilton and The Palms sign. That’s hot. Read more here.
- OJ threatens to sue at Cosmopolitan. I threaten to visit the casino and play The Big Lebowski slot machine today. Which is more likely? Read more about OJ here.
- There’s a mirror mirage in the lobby at MGM Grand. See what that means here.
- Wynn announces their 2018 nightlife residencies. Read more here.
- Blackstone is refinancing part of their Cosmopolitan debt. Read more here.
- More bollards on the Vegas Strip? Read more here. They probably have to pay for existing bollards first. Read more here.
- Fizz is out at Caesars Palace. Cocktail Lounge is in.
- The “What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas” campaign is back! Yay? Read more here.
- The Westin has finished renovations that include the removal of the casino that nobody cared about. Read more here.
- Matt Goss is back. See show dates at 1OAK here.
- Here’s the full schedule of Viva Vision Light Shows at the Fremont Street Experience:
6 p.m. – The Who
7 p.m. – Heart
8 p.m. – Green Day
9 p.m. – Imagine Dragons
10 p.m. – The Killers
11 p.m. – Linkin Park
Midnight – Tiësto
1 a.m. – Above & Beyond
- Last but not least, the Fremont Street Experience is looking to upgrade those screens and more. Read more here.
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