Vegas News March 9, 2024

Vegas Reminders!

Before we get to the Spherical Armadillo, We are going to start this edition of Vegas News with a couple of reminders. First, the Tropicana is closing for good on April 2 at 3 a.m. 

Last Chance to Visit Tropicana Las Vegas

The last day most people will visit the Tropicana is April Fools Day, 4/1. I’m 90% sure Bally’s is technically closing the casino on 4/2 to avoid the mockery of closing an iconic casino and having no plan for the future on April Fools Day.

That’s just speculation. You can read about Bally’s plans for closing the Tropicana and the future of the land here. Hint, you won’t find much useful news here. 

Grazie Rewards => Venetian Rewards

Here’s another reminder: Grazie Rewards is out and Venetian Rewards is in. Read about the new rewards program at The Venetian here.  

Enough reminders. Let’s get to the Vegas News from the past couple of weeks.

Las Vegas Quick Hits

All hail the “Spherical Armadillo!”

The biggest news/non-news in Las Vegas might be the release of renderings for a potential baseball stadium if the Oakland A’s move. All hail the “Spherical Armadillo!”

Together with @BIG_Architects and @HNTBCorp, we have unveiled the design for our new ballpark project in Las Vegas on the Tropicana site. BIG will serve as the design lead and HNTB as the sports/hospitality designer and architect of record.

Images by Negativ pic.twitter.com/mvpiCBXD54

— Oakland A's (@Athletics) March 5, 2024

You can read about the stadium here and here. I recommend the first if you’re a serious person and the second if you prefer old-school snark.

• The Venetian is moving the poker room from the casino to the second floor of the Grand Canal Shoppes mall. A cynic would ask where The Venetian will move the poker room next. Good thing I’m not a cynic this morning. Read more here. 
• Wynn has a few Food & Beverage events coming up. Read about the culinary festival here and get more info on tickets here.
• My favorite tongue twister since Bruno’s Bellagio Bar is the upcoming Wynn Wine event. Say it with me. WYNN WINE WYNN WINE WYNN WINE WYNN WINE WYNN WINE! Read more here.  
• The MGM/Marriott partnership is officially 100% active. Read more here.  
• Speaking of casino and hotel partnerships. The Rio/Hyatt deal is also active. Read more here.  

• Las Vegas Grand Prix tickets go on sale to the public on 3/25. Amex and Nevada residents can get tickets sooner. Read more here. I broke down the info in a slightly easier-to-read format here. 
• The pool deck at Fontainebleau is mostly open for hotel guests. Read more here.  
• The gaming area at the Fontainebleau pool will open later this month and will have bartop games. They haven’t lined up the specific table games but expect a few blackjack tables. I’ll share the info on TwitterX when I have it.
• The Fremont Street Experience announced the free shows for April. Looks like a bunch of the same.

❗New FREE Concert Series❗

Every Friday in April, we'll have a new FREE performance by iconic artists spanning multiple genres.

Learn more at the link in our bio. pic.twitter.com/a8ETteQKM6

— Fremont Street Exp (@FSELV) March 6, 2024

• Slots A Fun is rebranding as Slot A Fun and Vegas Advantage has all the details here.  
• The secondary pool at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas is officially “The Pool at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.” Read more here.
• Some of you know I grew up in New York City. I hated everything touristy that wasn’t part of my everyday life. I never visited places like the Statue Of Liberty or the Empire State Building. This is a lot of words to say I never visited the legendary Juniors in Brooklyn. However, I might visit Juniors which just celebrated its grand opening (even though it was already open) at Resorts World because it’s a place I visit. Read more here.
• Resorts World put together a nice page of what’s happening in March. Check it out here.
• Rick Bayless is opening a quick-serve Mexican spot in the Caesars Palace Las Vegas food court. Read more here.
• Have at least $12.5 million lying around and want to buy some land across from Mandalay Bay? Read more here.
• I normally skip stories like this but a Scorpion stinging a dude in the junk at The Venetian is too funny not to pass on. Read about it here.
• I saw this tweet from Bellagio and thought it was a cute story. Read about the rare bird in the Bellagio fountains here.
• There’s a self-check security system at LAS. Las Vegas is the first airport to test this system. Read more here.
• This isn’t specific to Las Vegas — I have friends who like to be off the grid as much as possible, and when I read that a company has slot technology that “identifies each player’s individual budget and spending habits” I thought it needed to be shared. It’s beyond estimating theoretical value – it’s specific to the dollar. Read about the new tool from Acres here.