Opinion
Colbert Arrest Highlights Hypocrisy of Prohibition
October 29th, 2012
Certainly, the arrest of a major figure in a major Nevada sports betting company on a gaming-related charge is a black eye for the industry, but I don’t believe it’s the game-changer that others seem to think it is. Here’s why. Read more »
The Latest Thought
Fifty Shades of Halloween
Somewhere along the way, adults swiped the holiday right out of the kids’ goodie bag
October 25th, 2012
Surely I can’t be the only one who waxes nostalgic for the time when Halloween was mostly about kids taking over neighborhood streets, filling pumpkin buckets and pillowcases with candy until they tore a rotator cuff. I can’t be the only one disturbed by the over-commercialization of yet another holiday. Read more »
Casino Crime Growing Up
October 22nd, 2012
De Rong Shang’s sentencing today to six years in prison for masterminding a credit fraud that took Station Casinos for more than $1 million says a lot about “real” vs. “reel” casino crime. Read more »
The Latest Thought
The Organization Man
Mob nostalgics favor bloodlust and glamor, but Vegas’ real connected guy, Moe Dalitz, was all business
October 18th, 2012
In the CBS version of Las Vegas in the 1960s, it’s pretty easy to know who the bad guy is: Michael Chiklis’ mobbed-up Vegas antihero struts around his casino wearing a black fedora, has federal witnesses bumped off, and tries to charm the new sheriff with free champagne. He’s smooth, cunning and completely in control. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Music to Your Ears
October 18th, 2012
Here’s the funny thing about music in public places: If it’s working the way it should, you don’t even notice it on a conscious level. There’s just an extra spring in your step or, if you’re in a casino, pep in your poke as you hit the “bet again” button on your favorite slot machine. It’s the backbeat to your night out, or day at the spa, pushing you along without getting in your face. And that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. Read more »
Excalibur Layoffs Could Reveal Deeper Truth About Changes in Tourism
October 17th, 2012
Recent news that the Excalibur has trimmed its bell desk and valet workforce is food for thought. On first read, it’s another sign that the economic recovery hasn’t taken root on the Strip, and that it’s not time to unfasten our seatbelts just yet. Read more »
August Numbers Reveal Gaming Industry Mired in Slowdown
October 11th, 2012
The Nevada gaming industry’s summer 2012 was a bit of a bummer. From June through August, overall gaming win increased by less than 2.5 percent over the year before -- not exactly the recovery summer most analysts were hoping for. Read more »
The Latest Thought
Riding With the Entitled
In which our resident bus rider argues that drivers are big-time beneficiaries of a government handout
October 11th, 2012
So let’s not forget that public transit isn’t about “us” and “them,” and it never has been. For all the recent talk of “creating community” in Las Vegas, the truth is that we’ve always had it. We all work in the same hospitality-driven culture; we all avoid doing things on the Strip except when we don’t; and we all travel the same roads to get where we’re going. Only now, we’re taking different ways of getting there—and for our own good, we all have to acknowledge that one way could be as good as another. Read more »
Ohio Gambling Numbers Could Foretell Future of Vegas Resorts
October 9th, 2012
Ohio is an interesting test case for the continued expansion of gambling in the United States. Read more »
Peeve of the Week
Leash-less Dogs
October 4th, 2012
Which sets you back more: a dog leash or someone else's hospital bill on your credit card? Consider that when you meet me this evening on my nightly stroll around my Las Vegas neighborhood. You can't miss me: I'll be the one clutching my chest, grateful I've already purchased my cemetery plot. Read more »
