Opinion
The Latest Thought
In Search of Our Food
Does Las Vegas have a dish of its very own?
May 6th, 2010
For the last 10 years I’ve tried to figure out what food really says “Las Vegas.” I figured there must be an indigenous dish of some sort—a unique creation or even a novel variation of some other place’s creation—that the town could really rally around. An edible identity is just as much (if not more) a source of pride as a sports team is for a city (not that we have that, either), right? Read more »
Green Felt Journal
The changing face of eGaming
April 29th, 2010
Gambling has been evolving since our ancestors started filing down animal bones, eventually ending up with cubical ivory dice. The invention of block printing helped to popularize playing cards. In the 19th century, the telegraph led to the first remote gambling: off-track wagering on horse races. Slot machines have incorporated a variety of technological advances to increase their appeal. Read more »
The Latest Thought
Tour de Conan
Forget television. The comedian’s No. 1 fan is here to tell that you live shows in Vegas are more relevant to the future of entertainment
April 29th, 2010
Conan O’Brien is the new face of entertainment—the new, huge, flat, pale face of entertainment. That is not a revolutionary statement, but Conan has in fact staged a revolution that may, in the long run, redefine what we consider “show business.” Read more »
The Latest Thought
Embrace This
For all of you who are feeling stuck in Vegas because things haven’t quite worked out as planned, James P. Reza has a few suggestions
April 22nd, 2010
Green Felt Journal
Bellagio offers fine example of embracing green, cuisine
April 22nd, 2010
The casino resorts of the Las Vegas Strip do not spring to mind as environmentally sound institutions. From their blazing marquees to their overflowing buffets, they seem to be studies in excess. With the current mindset conflating any sort of personal indulgence with environmental degradation, casinos seem a lost cause. Read more »
The Latest Thought
Our Community Jackpot
With all due respect to video-poker palaces, our neighborhood centers offer some real rec value
April 15th, 2010
Visiting scholar Pascale Nedelec recently presented an excellent paper at UNLV’s Gaming Research Colloquium Series, looking at the rise of that distinctively Las Vegas institution: neighborhood casinos. Most academics start their research with a “literature review,” which is a fancy way to say that they read what other people have written about their topic. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Old-school El Cortez wins by staying relevant
April 15th, 2010
Times have been tough in downtown Las Vegas. In 2009, gaming revenues fell below their 1988 levels. There are five fewer casinos in the city’s core than there were then, and the area—which has traditionally relied on budget-oriented, drive-in customers and locals—has not yet rebounded from the proliferation of California Indian and Las Vegas neighborhood casinos. Read more »
The Latest Thought
An Alien Concept
Enough of our baseball team being the 51s—and of researchers who think they know Vegas
April 8th, 2010
Comparing the longevity of the Las Vegas 51s baseball club to that of any other professional franchise that’s set up shop in this dusty desert is like comparing Steve Wynn’s bank account—even post-divorce—to mine. Whereas most pro sports entities struggle to survive 28 weeks in this town, the 51s this year are celebrating their 28th year of Triple-A baseball. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
March Madness offers peek at leaner Vegas vacation
April 1st, 2010
“Recession? What recession?” That’s the feeling that the first weekend of “March Madness” brought back to the Strip. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which isn’t played anywhere near Las Vegas, nevertheless has developed into a much-needed economic driver for the tourism/gaming complex, and possibly a model for a leaner Vegas vacation. Read more »
