Caesars’ Changing Empire
Two recent moves by Caesars Entertainment say a great deal about where the gambling industry is headed. Read More
Green Felt Journal
What Does Bitcoin’s Downtown Presence Say About Las Vegas—and the Future?
When The D and the Golden Gate became the first casinos to accept Bitcoin (albeit only for non-gaming purchases) it was a sign of the way Downtown Las Vegas, by dint of geography and necessity, is pushing the boundaries of innovation in the casino business. Read More
New Partnership Between MGM Resorts and UFC Rewards Loyalty
One of the memories that people cherish about “Classic Vegas”—at least the one that they remember, whether they were there or not—is that it was the kind of place where everyone didn’t know your name, but they knew something more important: how you liked your whiskey or your steak. While that kind of personal Read More
The Cromwell: A Curiously Puritanical Name for a Luxury Hotel
When Caesars Entertainment announced Friday that the remodeled casino hotel formerly known as Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall will now be known as The Cromwell, I was struck by the contrast between the property’s moniker and its purpose. Read More
Numbers, Transparency, and the Health of Gaming
The gambling industry is built on numbers. Well, it’s built on money, but money is counted using numbers. Casino operators make sense of what’s happening at their tables and slot machines by looking at the numbers. Without them, it would be just about impossible to run a casino. Read More
The American Gaming Association Takes a Smart New Direction
In the past few months, the American Gaming Association has almost completely regenerated itself. Even though the gaming industry’s chief lobbying group has the same name and offices, it has a renewed mission under new President and CEO Geoff Freeman: to promote the overall positive community impact of gaming, urge a streamlined regulatory process and underline the reality that online gaming is not going away. Read More
The Action, for Resorts, Is on the Street
While 2013 was mostly a year of building and transition, Las Vegas should definitively enter the post-recession era in 2014. That won’t mean a return to pre-recession prosperity, but rather a shift in how casinos approach visitors. Read More
Rockhouse, PBR Rock Bar Owner Just a Local Kid on the Strip
Many locals don’t feel quite at home on the Las Vegas Strip; unless accompanying a visitor, they usually stay away, preferring the homier neighborhood and Downtown casinos. Read More
NFR’s Departure Would Leave a Big Hole, But Nature Abhors a Vacuum
If the NFR does leave town after next year’s event, it will leave a steer-size gap in Las Vegas’ tourism calendar. More than 45,000 people travel here for the NFR each year; each of those people needs a place to stay, food to eat and something to do while they’re not at the Thomas & Mack Center. Read More
Real Estate Rebel: How the Late David Atwell Set the Standard for Megadeals on the Strip
When we look at the Strip, the builders get all the headlines. We read about the towering figures who transformed the Strip with Caesars Palace, Bellagio and CityCenter. Read More