Opinion
Green Felt Journal
The British Are Coming!
The United Kingdom has developed into a major Vegas feeder market
April 3rd, 2013
The two biggest demographics in Las Vegas these days seem to be nightclubbers and international visitors. As a bit of anecdotal evidence of the trend, the casinos in development that have stoked the imagination plan to cater either to the former (SLS, Gansevoort) or the latter (Resorts World). So when you get the two together—international visitors who like to party—you know you’re talking gold mine. Read more »
At the Ballpark, Live for Today
The beautiful uselessness of baseball in the present tense
March 27th, 2013
To invoke the romance of baseball, in the fashion of George Will or Ken Burns, is hopelessly unfashionable. This I will not blame on sabermetrics—the applied science of baseball statistics that Michael Lewis’ 2004 book Moneyball cast as the brainy yin to the blockheaded yang of baseball traditionalism. As any baseball fan knows, the numbers are an indispensable part of the romance. Read more »
It's All Our Fault
March 26th, 2013
It’s popular to blame the Legislature for Nevada’s problems, or—and here I’m comfortably onboard the bandwagon—to blame the dilettante, term-limited, every-other-year nature of our Legislature. But when you stop to think about it, most of what we dislike about the institution can be traced straight back to ourselves. Here’s a starter list. Read more »
Vegas Looks Good Next to Atlantic City
March 22nd, 2013
Here in Vegas, we think we’ve got it bad. Total gaming win is still off its 2007 high, spending per visitor is down, and, with many companies overburdened with debt, the future is uncertain. But compared to Atlantic City, we are Macau. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
With Resorts World, Macau Comes to Vegas
March 19th, 2013
When Resorts World Las Vegas rises from the abandoned husk of Echelon Place on the north Strip, it will be very different from what Echelon would have been. And the differences tell us a lot about where Las Vegas has gone in the six years since the property’s 2007 groundbreaking. Read more »
Big News Week Shows Shifting Media Landscape
February 22nd, 2013
The way the story developed around the Caesars Entertainment resort fees says as much about the nature of modern news as it does about the state of the hospitality industry. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
A Game-Changing Scholar
February 21st, 2013
Bill Eadington, quite possibly the formative figure in the academic study of gambling, died on February 11 at age 67. Even if you weren’t one of his students, never read one of his books or never heard him speak, you’ve benefited from his work. Read more »
Comrade Grumpy’s Peeve of the Week
Feh to Pharmaceutical Ads
February 21st, 2013
My leg is restless. I am suffering from gastric distress. Since 3 a.m. last Tuesday, dizziness has been an issue. I have joint pain and slight inflammation of the nostrils and eyelids. My hair is falling out. Last Tuesday, at 2:38 a.m., I woke up without any particular maladies. I had a lot on my mind, though, and I wanted to have less on my mind, so I turned on the television. Read more »
The Latest Thought
The Long Shadows of Vegas Hubris
Even if the Fontainebleau and Harmon are imploded, we should always remember them
February 14th, 2013
There’s been a lot of talk over the past year about what should be done with the Harmon and Fontainebleau. The former, the subject of litigation, has been decried as a public-safety hazard that should be demolished. The latter, since its purchase by Carl Ichan in February 2010, has been rumored to be slated for disassembly and implosion. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
How the Brits Gamble
February 7th, 2013
While the British casino industry may be tiny by American standards, sports betting is alive and well. Read more »
