Green Felt Journal
Green Felt Journal
Freaks and Felons
June 2nd, 2011
In the past year, a new menace has appeared on the Strip. Costumed “performers” have taken their place beside smut peddlers, nightclub promoters and timeshare hawkers as street-level nuisances that make passers-by yearn for the days when, if you wanted to have an awkward encounter in Las Vegas, you paid good money to chuckle nervously while Don Rickles insulted you. This is a new breed. Dressed as Cookie Monster, Captain Jack Sparrow, Michael Jackson or even the Devil himself, caped and uncaped culprits have been staking a claim to Las Vegas Boulevard, creating a growing hazard. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Underwater? No problem!
May 19th, 2011
On April 12, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas witnessed a deluge. That evening, a cold water main broke and flooded the casino’s just-opened sports book, its ostensibly clandestine pizzeria and Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill. Ironically, the eatery dedicated to serving fish bore the brunt of the downpour. By the time the waters of April had subsided, the damage included the restaurant’s entire hickory-plank floor, big stretches of its walls, its front sushi bar and all of its lighting. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Goin’ mobile
May 5th, 2011
With all of the sound and fury stirred up by the recent “Black Friday” indictments of three online poker operators, some major news that’s bringing Nevada a bit further into the future and a bit closer to the mainstream of sports betting in the rest of the world has gone largely unheralded. Last month, William Hill, a London-based bookmaking giant that claims 25 percent of the competitive market in the British Isles announced plans to acquire both American Wagering—the owner of Leroy’s, a chain of 53 sports books, 19 betting kiosks, and a Lovelock casino—and Club Cal Neva, a betting chain with more than two dozen outlets, primarily in Northern Nevada. This week, William Hill also bought Brandywine Bookmaking, parent of Lucky’s race and sports books. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Behind the reels
April 21st, 2011
To most players, slot machines are only screen deep. The spinning reels are what’s important. But there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that makes the action possible. Without back-end systems to track play and account for payouts, those slot machines would be very expensive ornaments. Through fiber-optic cable and data drops, a series of networks connects slot machines to each other, to master systems, and even to software that lets managers analyze the casino in real time. Though invisible to the players, these systems are absolutely essential. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
What Happens in Vegas Goes in The Vegas Box
April 7th, 2011
Although gaming revenues continue to sag, nongaming spending in Las Vegas is showing a slight rebound. Numbers recently released by the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority show upticks in expenditures on food and drink, transportation, shopping and entertainment for 2010. The proprietors of The Vegas Box, a start-up geared toward frequent Vegas visitors, are hoping that now might be the time to start a business that capitalizes on people’s love for Vegas—and convenience. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Tavern owners ponder life after football
March 24th, 2011
Should the current National Football League lockout stretch into the 2011 season—previously scheduled to begin in early September—there will be an impact on Las Vegas, even though the nearest NFL team is in Arizona. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Lofty expectations? Here’s your man.
March 10th, 2011
Sherman James might not be onstage when he arrives for work at 6 each morning at MGM Grand’s Skylofts, but he’s still the star of the show. He’s been a concierge at the 51-loft hotel within a hotel since it opened in 2005, and he brings a different kind of experience than most employees of the ultra-luxury guest boutique: Long before he was a concierge, the sprightly 62-year-old had a career singing professionally and touring with groups like the Platters, the Coasters and the Imperials. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Leap of Faith
February 24th, 2011
It’s not often that a CEO becomes a hero by jumping off a building, but most CEOs aren’t like Frank Riolo. And most companies don’t operate observation towers attached to a Las Vegas casino. In April, Riolo’s main charge, the Stratosphere, was putting the finishing touches on its new Sky Jump ride. As part of the opening festivities, he opened up the ride for free to all employees who wanted to try. It looked like so much fun, he joined them. Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Suite Designs
February 10th, 2011
When the El Cortez announced the winner of its Design-a-Suite Downtown competition recently, the downtown stalwart did more than decide the look for its suites; it reaffirmed its faith in the neighborhood. “Jackie Gaughan’s always said that’s what’s good for downtown is good for the El Cortez,” executive manager Alexandra Epstein says. “That’s why we’re cultivating friendships with designers and the World Market Center and bringing in as many people as possible. We want to highlight our neighbors.” Read more »
Green Felt Journal
Station’s math: More employees mean more business
February 3rd, 2011
The local employment picture has been a dire one. In the past five years, the unemployment rate has more than tripled. That’s why a local company hiring 1,000 new employees is pretty good news. It’s particularly noteworthy when it’s in the high-profile casino sector, and even more so when it’s a company that specializes in the hard-hit locals market. Add that it’s a company that’s been driven into bankruptcy by the plummeting fortunes of the Las Vegas Valley, and it’s easy to see why Station’s big hiring push was a cause for celebration. Read more »
