Zorkfest came and left Las Vegas in no time! It was great to see familiar faces and meet new people.
The crowd was great, and it appeared almost evenly split between casino enthusiasts and those visiting to learn about general travel points and miles. Having been with TravelZork since almost day one, it’s great to see the event continue to grow.
I come from the casino world and am always disappointed in myself for not learning more from the general travel presenters. That said, I can always take a few nuggets away from the people who talk about gambling.
Instead of wrapping up my Zorkfest experience, I’m going to share the biggest Vegas News over the past few weeks for those who have been otherwise engaged with ZorkFest and Thanksgiving. Let’s get to it!
Big news for fans of Fontainebleau, the only regular limit video poker bar at The Tavern, no longer closes. It was such a bummer to be told the bar was closing while hanging with friends or playing.
The biggest news for TravelZork readers ovet the past few weeks might be NoMad being rebranded as The Reserve. Most of you know this already This is essentially a name change so the top three floors can become part of the Marriott partnership next year. Read more here.
You may recall that NoMad’s parent company was sold to Hilton last year, so this isn’t much of a surprise. Read more here.
I hope this wasn’t the rebrand MGM execs referenced on an earnings call earlier this year. Vdara still needs a refresh. Read my speculation from May here.
I was at Fontainebleau/The Tavern twice in a week to check out the La Barbeque pop-up. They were out of brisket the first night, so we made a reservation to return, and it was worth it. I don’t think I’ve had better brisket since I moved to Las Vegas. I also learned the brains behind the BBQ was using a hidden ghost kitchen at Fontainebleau to make the good stuff.
While at The Tavern, I considered heading to the pool to check out the Oasis Ice Rink. I decided to skip it since the rest of the crew was bailing. The Chat GPT directions were spot on. Sharing this in case you ever get lost in a casino.
Netflix will have a Las Vegas-based TV show. Read more here.
There are two gambling tax issues next year. First, gaming executives are attempting to resolve the issue of the ridiculous tax deduction set to take effect next year. Read more here.
Second, don’t get too twisted about the W2G threshold changing from $1,200 to $2,000 next year. Literally, nobody knows anything. Whatever conjecture you read on socials is either rage baiting or click farming. Save your time and energy. We’ll get the real deal when the calendar turns to 2026.
The A’s have a new investor. Read more here.
It’s been a while. Here’s a look at the last seven days of construction on the A’s stadium.
Allegiant Stadium is the highest-grossing stadium in the US. Read more here.
A few days before that info was released, I shared some fun data about who visits Allegiant Stadium here.
The LVCVA has some New Year’s Eve happenings if you’re in town. This includes a list of which casinos will have fireworks. Read more here.
Wizrd of Oz at The Sphere has sold more than 1.5 million tickets. Read more here.
Gymkhana is now open at Aria. Read more here.
I checked out some new menu items and venue upgrades at Project BBQ outside Circa. The food was tasty and new things like misters and a cover should give reason to visit.
Circus Circus is opening a Bingo Hall next year. Read more here.
Morimoto at the MGM Grand is open after a remodel. Read more here.
One of the tips I learned during Zorkfest was how to get free tickets for the Disco Show at The Linq from Anthony Curtis at Las Vegas Advisor. Coincidentally, the show was cancelled the first business day after Zorkfest. Read more here.
Eggslut is opening at Rio next week. Read more here.
The president of Virgin got the boot. Nobody is surprised, as he did nothing to attract visitors to the property. Read more here.
Green Valley Ranch completed the renovation of the West Tower rooms. See and read more here.
The GVR poker room is reopening this week. See the tweet here.
Before Project BBQ, we checked out The Night Starts Here at Golden Gate. It’s so damn loud but an absolute blast. Also, they serve free drinks in pairs. I lost my $10 in free play in two spins. The other guy almost won the grand.
I don’t hit all of the news since this is geared to a different audience than the masses, but the LVCVA monthly news roundup does a good job filling any holes I missed. Read it here.
Phish is returning the The Sphere next year. Read more here.
The prices at In and Out at The Linq have increased. Don’t worry, it’s not that bad, and you can still get an ice cream shake for just over $3. See the tweet here.
Genting, owner of Resorts World, reported third-quarter earnings. Not much to see about Las Vegas, but you can see the info here.
Sand Dollar is out at the Plaza, and a Hogs pop-up is in for six months. Read more here.
Penn Entertainment wants to offer cashless gaming at M Resort. Read more here.
This real estate deal might be the most boring article about a Vegas Strip casino in 2025. Read it here.
I love the Westgate holiday-themed suites. Here are pics of the Christmas suite.
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Marc grew up on the mean streets of the South Bronx. He's the rare combination of Yankees and Jets fan which explains his often contrarian point of view. He learned about gambling at a young age working down the street from a bookie who took action on anything from the mainstream sports to the last three digits of the purse for certain horse races. Yeah, that's a thing. Today Marc is a freelance writer and social media consultant which allows him to work anywhere there's a wifi signal. This allows him to work from the sportsbook at Red Rock Resort or the food court at The Venetian where you’ll find fast and free wifi. Writing about steak, booze, gambling and Las Vegas is a tough job but somebody has to do it.