Vegas News May 26, 2023

“Two-Year Saga”

The two-year saga about the Oakland A’s possibly moving to Las Vegas might finally be coming to the finish line. Also, in other sports news, be sure to check out NBA Con!

The Las Vegas option appears to be down to the Tropicana property owned by GLPI and Bally’s. Bally’s is already informing Tropicana employees that the end is near. 

For what it’s worth, the end could be near regardless if the A’s build or don’t build a baseball stadium on the land. That’s a story for another day but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some major changes at the Tropicana regardless.

The option for the A’s to build a new stadium and keep playing in Oakland is still on the table. Surprise! 

It’s almost as though the A’s ownership has been using Las Vegas as a bargaining tool for two years. 

Now the A’s have a tentative deal with Nevada politicians to move to Las Vegas.

By the time you read this, a deal could be done. Let’s move on to the rest of the news in and around Las Vegas.

Plaza Carousel Bar Is Open

Plaza's new Carousel Bar opens in a few minutes. Here are some pictures. We'll have some videos on our YouTube channel later today: https://t.co/n5U7I4OcJe pic.twitter.com/GYIMIGYFrF

— Vegas Advantage (@Vegas_Advantage) May 20, 2023

The Carousel Bar outside of the Plaza is open!

Carousel Bar – Soft Opening

This is the soft opening period as the property works out the kinks ahead of the grand opening on June 8. The bar is currently open from noon to midnight daily. 

After some consideration, the Plaza will comp well drinks and beer for video poker, slot, and keno players at the outside bar. The signature cocktails look great but will not be available as complimentary drinks. 

The cocktail menu at Carousel Bar has a significant number of local Las Vegas beers. The beers are $10-$14 and signature cocktails are $14-$20. The prices are fair but not the amazing value some expect at downtown Las Vegas casinos. 

John Mehaffy made it down to the opening day and scoped out the video poker paytables. The return to player for these games is unsurprisingly in the 97% range. You can see specifics here. 

One surprise is that smoking is not allowed at the outdoor bar. No complaints here.

I was asked about the lights above the bar so I reached out to PR for some intel. Here’s some information you may or may not know straight from the horse’s mouth: 

“Plaza lights Light bulbs along Main Street were replaced with LED lights in 2017. The lights that connect to that awning and go in front of Pinkbox and the doorway to the Plaza are also LED lights. The bulbs right above the Carousel Bar under the dome are cold cathode bulbs. Many bulbs throughout the space are being cleaned and fixed as part of this project.” 

I’m looking forward to checking out the bar. If all goes well, I’ll be visiting before you read this.

Let’s get to the rest of the news in and around Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Quick Hits

The World’s Highest basketball shop took place at The Strat last week. 

The World’s Highest Basketball Shot. 🏀 pic.twitter.com/cPUc6YfKl7

— Dude Perfect (@DudePerfect) May 20, 2023

• Brasserie B by Bobby Flay is replacing Old Homestead at Caesars Palace Las Vegas later this year. Read more about the French Restaurant here.
• Don’t get too twisted if you’re looking for steak at Caesars Palace. Peter Luger should open around the time Old Homestead closes. If you’re looking for a steakhouse at the property, you can head to Joe’s Prime in the The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. It’s a popular option if you don’t mind eating at a chain restaurant in a mall. Read more here.  
• Great news for Peppermill fans. The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays once again. Read more here.
• This is wild. The MSG Sphere has obstructed view seats! In 2023! Read more here.
• More fallout from the over-budget MSG Sphere is that the company could be selling the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. You may remember the company recently sold TAO. Read more here.  
• Remember when Caesars Entertainment said rebranding Bally’s as Horseshoe would bring good gambling back to the Vegas Strip? We all chuckled because we knew that wouldn’t be the case…and we were right! Read more here.
• Paris Las Vegas restauranteur Martha Stewart is one of four cover models for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Read and see more here.   

NBA Con – NBA Summer League

• NBA fans might be into this. NBA Con will take place at Mandalay Bay during NBA Summer League. This could be a fun way to see some pro basketball players, try new tech, buy limited edition merch, and more. Read (a lot) more here.  
• NBA Summer League is a great value for the price. Each general admission ticket gives ticket holders access to multiple games in two venues. This is an inexpensive way for basketball fans of all ages to spend a few hours in Las Vegas. Tickets aren’t on sale right now, but you can read more here.  
• Soccer fans – AC Milan is playing FC Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium on Aug. 1. Read more here.  
• The Las Vegas Raiders schedule has been announced. Prices for hotels during home games at Allegiant Stadium during the second half of the schedule aren’t as high as I expected. You can see the list of home and away games here.
• Lexi, the cannabis-friendly hotel replacing Artisan, opens in June. Read more here.  
• Three new casino-less Hooters are opening around Las Vegas. Read more here.
• Sometimes I find some very surprising news scouring my Las Vegas feed. This week I learned that there’s a White Castle Hall Of Fame. There’s a small Las Vegas connection. Read more here.
• Poker legend Doyle Brunson recently passed away. Read more here.