the color of dinero.

The Las Vegas Business Press has an interesting article about the new hot demographic for the gaming industry: Latinos.

Gaming execs to discuss burgeoning Latino market

BY DAVID MCKEE

They have seen the future and it speaks Spanish. That is the contention of many in the braintrust that has been assembled for the inaugural Hispanic Gaming Summit tomorrow, a one-day prequel to the annual Casino Marketing Conference, presented by Ascend Media Gaming Group and Raving Consulting Co. Still, with the casino business doing bigger numbers year after year, why worry about this particular subset of America?

"Long story short, that's where the young people are," stated Charles Anderer, Ascend's director of trade events, who added that the casino industry needs to "wean itself off a dwindling number of older players. They need to develop new market segments. (Latinos are) a young segment but will be maturing over the next decade."

We're in the learning curve. I include myself," said Charles Harrison of Harrison & Montoya, co-sponsors of the event. "We cannot just rely on caricatures of Speedy Gonzales and mariachis."

Harrison has been a casino general manager in Latin America. Read more.

That last quote is the money-quote. I can tell you first hand that people do NOT understand the Lation market....well, white people.

fly-fishin' w/ wayne.

From the Review Journal:

Nothing says Nevada like ...
Iconic Strip entertainers sell state's outdoor offerings in ads

By CHRIS JONES

It's been 29 years since Elvis Presley last left the building, but state leaders are betting $1.25 million that the King still rules when selling Nevada.

Wayne Newton and some feather-clad showgirls have also chipped in on the Nevada Commission on Tourism's latest marketing campaign, which rides the coattails of some familiar Strip favorites when touting the state's outdoor recreation industry.

"The more we do in-house research and test these ads ... the more we realize that there are certain icons in Nevada that will always be recognizable," commission Director Bruce Bommarito said Tuesday.

"We'll try to use those icons to introduce the adventure side of Nevada," he added.

The first new print ad shows a tuxedo-clad Newton fly-fishing in Pyramid Lake. The caption reads, "Without him we didn't think you'd believe it was Nevada." Read more.

don't do it! i'm warning you! i mean it! don't do it!

From the Review Journal:

LV council OKs homeless ordinance

The Las Vegas City Council this morning unanimously passed an ordinance that bans the feeding of homeless people at public parks. The law bans giving or selling food for a "nominal fee" to "a person whom a reasonable ordinary person would believe to be entitled to apply for or receive assistance" under state law. Councilman Steve Wolfson, who raised concerns that this would prohibit someone from giving a sandwich to a homeless person, said he felt comfortable with how the bill would be enforced after talking with City Attorney Brad Jerbic.

"The marshals will get specialized training on enforcement," he said. "If you bought a couple of burgers and wanted to give them out, you technically would be in violation but you wouldn't be cited."

So let me get this straight: you can't do it. It's against the law, but if you break that law, nothing's going to happen to you. Yeah, that's worth the time.

how much for the one on the right?

Well, there you go, then. From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

Talkin' Dirty
Sex industry is topic at convention

By DAVID KIHARA

Wearing a T-shirt with the words "Will Work For Sex" on the front, Robin Head stood outside Palace Station and proudly said that she worked in the sex industry.

Head, who said she was the former owner of an escort service in Houston, was among 150 sex workers, business owners, academics and social workers who gathered in Las Vegas this week for a convention that brought prostitutes, pimps and professors together to talk about the sex industry. Read more.

double-down in the heartland.

Some casino news closer to home. From the Indianapolis Star:

Casino school opens in French Lick

FRENCH LICK, Ind. -- The first round of training for future poker dealers at the new Orange County casino begins next week.

The French Lick Resort & Casino is scheduled to open in November, and officials have already offered jobs to about 350 people. Training for people who will run craps, roulette and poker tables begins Monday and will last for 10 to 12 weeks, while training for blackjack dealers begins in August.

The dealers were hired after a job fair in June, and another job fair was scheduled for August 18-19 to find about 600 more people to work at the facility.

"We couldn't be happier with the turnout we had for our June job fair," said Scott Spurlock, general manager of the French Lick Springs Resort. "With the additional job fair in August, we fully expect to have all positions filled before the resort and casino opening in November."

Hourly wages at the French Lick Springs Resort start at $8 an hour for housekeepers, but officials have said casino dealers may earn up to $50,000.

The French Lick Resort & Casino is a $382 million restoration and casino development project that includes the French Lick Springs Resort and the new French Lick Casino -- both scheduled to open in November -- and the West Baden Springs Hotel, which is slated to open in June 2007.

The resort and casino will include more than 650 guest rooms and suites, an 84,000-square-foot casino, 45 holes of golf and two full-service spas.

i am on the wrong side of the dice table.

Reading the following article from the Las Vegas Business Press might make me re-think this whole gambling-as-a-hobby thing:

May gaming win is another monster

By DAVID MCKEE

Gamblers in Nevada lost over $1.1 billion in May, giving the Silver State its fourth consecutive month of billion-plus of casino revenues. In Nevada, only January 2006 was more lucrative. Despite healthy competition from other domestic and international gambling jurisdictions, Nevada casinos also registered yet another month of revenue growth, up 9 percent from May 2005.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, casinos' gambling win is up more than 12 percent. Read more.

on your own.

I'm sure something of note can be said about Las Vegas...I'm just too tired to look it up.

Talk amongst yourselves for a little while.

from humble beginnings.

Carlos Diaz works for Extra and has a Vegas blog? Wha??? I remember him 12 years ago when he was a local DJ here in Indy, moonlighting as a PA announcer at Indianpolis Ice hockey games. He then went on to ESPN and that's the last I ever recall. And now he's doing the Vegas thing. Huh.

I guess I don't watch much TV these days; well, celebrity gossip TV, that is.

capt. jack will creep you out tonight.

I have to admit, this wax figure stuff kinda creeps me out. From Brett's Vegas View at the Las Vegas Leisure Guide:

Madame Tussauds at The Venetian has introduced a wax figure of movie star Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow from Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." to coincide with the international release of the new motion picture premiering this month.

chinese market "would fill every single hotel room for years."

The Las Vegas Business Press has a pretty interesting story about the Vegas gaming industry and the one market everybody wants a piece of....China!

Dancing with dragons
Nevada courting Chinese tourists

BY ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY

One of the keys to a successful business is the ability to lure customers back while seeking out new ones. In Nevada, the business is tourism, and the ultimate prospective customer base is the growing middle- and upper-class of China.

According to a recent report by the World Tourism Organization, China is projected to have 50 million international travelers by the end of the decade, climbing to 100 million international travelers by 2020. Needless to say, Las Vegas desperately wants a cut of that market.

"This market is so huge for us," Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt said. "If only a small segment of that population would come to visit Las Vegas it would fill every single hotel room for years."

Sixty percent of visitors to Macau are Chinese, and Las Vegas officials are hoping to entice them to experience the Strip, not watching dragon boat races.

One of the great hurdles for tourism to the United States from China is that the U.S. does not have an "approved destination" status agreement with the Chinese government. That agreement would simplify visa and passport issues and the marketing process.

According to the World Travel Organization, the Chinese made 31 million international trips last year, but 91 percent were to Asian destinations. They tend to travel independently instead of in large groups. One of the places they visit in great numbers is the growing Asian gaming hub of Macau.

"What Macau is going to be doing in our hotel-casinos there is, basically, getting us a new audience," Hunt said. "Everyone wants to come to the real world, the mecca, and Las Vegas is the Mecca of gaming." Read more.

I swear, every major American industry can hardly contain itself over the prospects of gaining the Chinese market.

vegas.com and the vegas minute.

After watching Vegas.com's Vegas Minute, I'm thinking I want to check out The Palms.

I wonder if my friend Heather can get me into ghostbar. Hmm....

mgm mirage appoints hr point-people.

From the MGM Mirage Web site:

MGM MIRAGE Appoints Richard Vosburgh and Promotes Miriam Hammond as Senior Vice Presidents of Human Resources

LAS VEGAS, July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MGM MIRAGE has announced the appointment of Richard Vosburgh as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Mirage Resorts. Vosburgh will oversee human resources at all Mirage Resorts properties including Project CityCenter, a $7 billion development project currently underway in Las Vegas. He will report to Bobby Baldwin, Mirage Resorts President and Chief Executive Officer.

According to Baldwin, Vosburgh's expertise will be a tremendous asset in helping the company address its current and future human resources needs. Project CityCenter will create 12,000 permanent positions when it opens in 2009.

“Richard's extensive background in recruitment, talent assessment, training, succession planning and organizational effectiveness will be essential in building a strong workforce that will provide first-class service to our guests,” Baldwin said. Read more.

Hmm...I wonder if Mr. Richard Vosburgh will Google his name and find my site...regard me as a witty, smart, forward-thinking and dashing young man who's worthy of a high-level communications position with MGM Mirage. Is it too early to start the sniveling?

oh yeah, boyd too.

My former employer, Boyd Gaming, scheduled its conference call too:

Boyd Gaming to Report Second Quarter 2006 Results and Host Conference Call and Webcast on July 25

LAS VEGAS, July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Boyd Gaming Corporation (NYSE: BYD) announced today that the Company's second quarter 2006 conference call to review the Company's results will take place on Tuesday, July 25 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. The conference call number is 800.237.9752 and the reservation number is 89335850. Please call up to 15 minutes in advance to ensure you are connected prior to the call's initiation. The Company will report its results on the same day at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern.

The conference call will also be available live right here.

Following the call's completion, a replay will be available by dialing 888.286.8010 on Tuesday, July 25, beginning two hours after the completion of the call and continuing through Tuesday, August 1. The passcode for the replay will be 53493631. The replay will also be available on the Internet at www.boydgaming.com.

harrah's second-quarter conference call coming soon.

Note to self....from Harrah's corporate Web site:

Harrah's Entertainment Sets Conference Call To Discuss Second-Quarter Results

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2006--Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) will host a conference call Thursday, July 27, 2006, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to discuss its 2006 second-quarter results.

Those interested in participating in the call should dial 1-888-399-2695, or 1-706-679-7646 for international callers, approximately 10 minutes before the call start time. A taped replay of the conference call can be accessed at 1-800-642-1687, or 1-706-645-9291 for international callers, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT on Thursday, July 27. The replay will be available through 11:59 p.m. EDT on Thursday, August 3. The passcode number for the replay is 2629464.

Interested parties wanting to listen to the conference call may do so on the company's Web site - www.harrahs.com - in the Investor relations section.

Hey, they're the biggest gaming corporation in the world. I think I want to listen in; especially since I'm considering purchasing some stock. You heard me.

need a pr flack, mr. kennedy, sir?

Las Vegas Sands is calling in a heavy-hitter. From its corporate Web site:

Las Vegas Sands Corp. Adds One of Las Vegas' Top Executives to Management Team
Kevin Kelley Named Senior Vice President

LAS VEGAS, July 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) today announced that Kevin Kelley has joined the organization as senior vice president.

Bringing to Las Vegas Sands Corp. nearly 20 years of hotel and resort experience, Kelley was most recently president and chief operating officer for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino where in his 3 1/2 year tenure they achieved record revenues. Prior to this, he served with Station Casinos for over nine years where he held many positions including president of West Las Vegas operations overseeing all aspects of five properties.

"Kevin is truly a unique individual with experience in all aspects of hotel and casino management, and we are delighted to have him join the organization," said Bradley H. Stone, executive vice president of Las Vegas Sands Corp. "Our company is growing, especially overseas and Kevin's extensive knowledge will help the team execute our vision for the future."

Mr. Stone said the company's growth plans include, The Venetian Macao, which is currently under construction on the Cotai Strip(TM), as well as the development of other hotels in Asia's Las Vegas(TM), including a Four Seasons, Sheraton, St. Regis, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont and Raffles hotels. Additional projects include the recently announced Marina Bay Sands(TM) in Singapore and the $1.8 billion Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino, adjacent to The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. Read more.

To me, and this is a no-brainer really, the money-graph is that last one more so than the Kennedy hiring. All the big gaming companies are taking aim at the Pacific Rim. Nevertheless, the Palazzo shows they know where their bread gets buttered.

Either way, Mr. Kennedy, sir...need a PR flack? You can pay me 100 orange cheques per year. Is that asking so much?

g-rated vegas? gambling is next to godliness?

Thank God Harrah's understands. From the Las Vegas Sun:

LOOKING IN ON: GAMING
Finding a family niche in an adult city

By Liz Benston

It's the thick of summer in Las Vegas, which means pool parties amid bikini-clad servers, afternoon boozing at extended happy hours and ¦ free kiddie movies and video games at the Four Seasons?

Bucking the Sin City image, the upscale, nongaming hotel has entered its fourth year of a family promotion that includes reduced rates for kids staying in a separate room and a package of perks to keep the young 'uns happy while Mom and Dad gamble.

Other Strip operators say they're not interested in luring families and won't be offering similar deals anytime soon.

"We are operating an entertainment business that is oriented toward adults," Harrah's Entertainment spokesman David Strow said. "We're pretty adamant about that."

I know, I know. Parents need to have fun too. I'm all for it. But it seems Vegas would be the last place I'd go if I had young children. From what I can see, there isn't much for little kids to do in Vegas. But I could be wrong.

Also from LOOKING IN ON: GAMING

The results from Harrah's annual survey of casino gamblers are in, and they suggest that, by some measure, gamblers are a bit more sophisticated - and less religious - than nongamblers...The survey, one of two major industry-funded gambler profiles, is intended to dispel myths about gamblers and has been a longstanding irritant to casino foes nationwide.

This year's survey says gamblers are more likely to have tasted various ethnic foods, used new technology, redecorated their homes and taken long trips, among other consumer-friendly activities.

Gamblers aren't much more heathen or hedonistic than the rest of the population, Harrah's contends.

Forty-four percent of gamblers said being a good parent coincided with their personal expression of success, compared to 40 percent of nongamblers.

Both gamblers and nongamblers volunteered time for social causes at the same rate, though a greater percentage of gamblers said they donated money to a social good. Read more.

what's next? a bridge tournament on tv?

Well, they'll make a tournament out of anything these days, won't they! From PR Newswire:

PartyGammon.com to Stage First Ever $1 Million Backgammon Tournament
The First PartyGammon.com Million Will Draw 128 Competitors to The Bahamas, Half Qualifying Online-Event to be Filmed for Worldwide Television

GIBRALTAR, July 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Offering the largest guaranteed prize pool in the history of backgammon, PartyGammon.com today announced that it will stage the PartyGammon.com Million at the famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in The Bahamas, on January 21st-25th, 2007. Half of the field of 128 players will be filled by online qualifiers
and the other half from players who directly buy-in to the tournament.

The location will be familiar to long-time backgammon enthusiasts because it was the venue where the World Championships of Backgammon was at its pinnacle of popularity between 1975 and 1978, when the legendary Paul Magriel reigned as the leading champion. That event has now moved to Monte Carlo, but the $500,000 guaranteed first prize of the PartyGammon.com Million is estimated to exceed this year's World Championship top prize five times over! Read more.

I haven't played backgammon in ages. I used to love this game! However, a TV show? Isn't it bad enough that we have 10,000 poker TV shows? Then again, those poker players are such lookers for TV! Ugh!

boyd needs a third-quarter rally.

Looks like my old employer had a rough quarter. From the Las Vegas Business Press:

Report: Boyd's revenue will be worse than Street

BY DAVID MCKEE

Second-quarter revenue at Boyd Gaming will fall short of even Wall Street's lowest-end projections, predicts a Majestic Research report that shows play continuing to decline at South Coast Hotel & Casino and Boyd losing market share downtown, once its traditional stronghold. Wall Street's consensus on Boyd net revenue for April-June ranges from $614 million to $655 million, said Majestic Research, which foresees numbers 5 percent to 9 percent lower, falling somewhere between $585 million and $599 million...

Another riverboat facility, Blue Chip Casino & Hotel, Michigan, Ind., unveiled a $163 million expansion last January, prompting 38 percent revenue growth over early 2005. The novelty of an augmented Blue Chip may be wearing off, as revenue growth has slowed, albeit to a still-robust 24 percent in April and May.

Boyd declined to comment on the Majestic Research forecast, citing prohibitions against intra-quarter revenue commentary. In 10 of the past 14 quarters, Boyd has come in slightly above Majestic Research's profit projections.

The news was better for Harrah's Entertainment, with tracking data showing it on pace for $2.3 billion in net revenues for the second quarter. Highlighting that performance was the one-two punch thrown by Harrah's Las Vegas and the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, overperforming to the tune of 56 percent above average for the market. Read more.

Back when I worked at Blue Chip, we were Boyd's most profitable property. That always struck an odd chord with me, since we were a small riverboat in NW Indiana and Boyd has such deep Vegas roots. I think they represent "old" Vegas and are still trying to re-define themselves in an age where their end of the Strip is getting pummeled by the north end, where Harrah's owns nearly everything of consequence.

dream job, revisited.

This is why R&R Partners is my dream job. From PR Week:

Harrah's taps R&R for branding mission

LAS VEGAS: In an effort to redefine and differentiate its recently merged roster of hotel properties, Harrah's Entertainment Las Vegas has teamed with R&R Partners to craft a series of brand-building PR initiatives.

There's no more news to go to, unless you're a subscriber to PRWeek. I read about this merger a couple weeks ago. What I wouldn't give to work for them on these accounts.

dream a little dream.

My Dream Company

I love them already and want them to hire me!

reach for the sky...no, really.

The "Manhattanization" of Las Vegas? From the Las Vegas Sun:

Sky is still the limit on Las Vegas Boulevard South

By Dan Kulin

The death of a proposal to impose height limitations on a small stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South is an important victory for those who want to see the burgeoning vertical development of downtown continue.

For both downtown developers and supporters of the Manhattanization of Las Vegas, the battle was over much more than the regulations for a half-mile stretch of one side of the boulevard. Rather, it was a fight to stop what some saw as precedent-setting restrictions on the one street they say should be the most protected from restrictions.

"If they would put height restrictions on Las Vegas Boulevard, then all the other stuff in the city and the county is up for grabs," local Carpenters Union boss Marc Furman said.

"If you can take a piece of Las Vegas Boulevard out of the picture, that sends a terrible message," Furman said. "It wasn't just about the three blocks. It was about Las Vegas Boulevard." Read more.

the maloofs confound me.

The Maloof Brothers confound me. They seem to be an iconoclast to everything that's happening in Vegas. Harrah's, Wynn, Las Vegas Sands, and so on; all of the major gaming operations on the Strip are corporate and publicly traded. But not the Maloofs.

As you probably know, they own The Palms Casino in Vegas. Did you know it only has 600 rooms? Me neither. That seems awfully small when you consider the fact that my lovely Imperial Palace has over 2,000 rooms.

And The Palms is a pretty hip, trendy place. The Maloofs score big with the younger crowd, mainly because they've positioned themselves well to capture them. The Real World, Celebrity Poker Showdown, ghostbar, and so on. They found their niche and are hitting it.

Perhaps it's the fact that they're so successful with this casino while showing very little interestin self-promotion. In a town where egos drive the bus (read: Steve Wynn), the Maloofs don't seem to focus that much attention on themselves. I had to dig around to find a definitive bio about them (I found it at the ARCO Arena site, of all places).

Here's a little bit of what it said:

In addition to their gaming business, the Maloofs have exclusive proprietorship rights to the distribution of Coors Beer throughout New Mexico. The Maloof Companies also is the largest single shareholder in Wells Fargo Bank, which operates banks and branches in 23 states throughout the Western United States with over $200 billion in assets and 15 million customers.

And, of course, they also own the Sacramento Kings and Monarchs.

They hired a new PR director in February of this year, Larry Fink, who came from television production. Perhaps I'm being a jealous snob, but that seems odd. Then again, I'm sure the Maloofs' idea of PR is vastly different than mine. And I'm sure they know what they're doing.

So what's at the root of my befuddlement? I guess I wasn't expecting the Palms Press Room to be so lacking of tangible information, you know? After reading so many other gaming pages that have releases, contact info, investor information, etc, that the Maloofs' down-home approach shocked me.

I can't wait to hear from my friend Heather about dealing there. I'm waiting to hear what celebs she meets. Mostly, I can't wait to hear how brutal the action is!

the people's republic of wynn?

According to INSIDE GAMING at the Las Vegas Review Journal:

INSIDE GAMING: Macau opening excites Wynn

Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn, enjoying the final stages of getting Wynn Macau ready to open, says: "For me, it's fun. I've never opened a (hotel-casino) this small before. The anticipation is keen." His newest property, and his first overseas, is a 600-room, fully integrated resort in the former Portuguese colony of Macau off the coast of China. It opens Sept. 5 with a VIP party; the doors open to the public just past midnight.

Read more INSIDE GAMING here.

closing bell, friday, 7 july 06.

Stock prices, as of Friday's close:
Boyd Gaming $38.52 DOWN $1.19
Harrah's: $66.70 DOWN $2.90
Las Vegas Sands: $73.81 DOWN $2.67
MGM Mirage: $38.74 DOWN $1.74
Riviera: $19.44 DOWN $.78
Wynn: $70.43 DOWN $1.68

vegas: it's not just for gamblers anymore.

Could these results be signaling a new sort of Vegas experience? Perhaps (but I don't think it's going to move the needles too much, honestly). From Las Vegas Business Press:

Half of U.S. Adults Say They Are Unlikely to Visit a Casino in the Next Year
Among Those Who Have Gone to a Casino in the Past Year, Half Have Traveled Over 100 Miles

ROCHESTER, N.Y., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- As casinos continue to invest money into their facilities, a new survey shows that in the past 12 months, over half (59%) of U.S. adults say they have not visited a casino, while half (51%) say they are not at all likely to visit a casino in the next 12 months. Perhaps this is because people say they look for an entertainment experience, and not just gambling.

Among those who say they are at least somewhat likely to visit a casino in the next 12 months (49%), three-quarters of them are planning on going to their restaurants, 40 percent are planning on attending an entertainment activity/show and 35 percent are planning on shopping, compared to 69 percent who are planning to play slot machines (including video poker), 27 percent who are planning to play table games and 13 percent who are planning to participate in other gaming activities.

Further evidence that people are looking more for an entertainment experience is found in the low level of participation in Loyalty/Players Club card programs. While four in 10 (41%) adults have been to a casino in the past 12 months, only one in four (24%) adults participates in Loyalty/Players Club Card program.

These are the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,172 U.S. adults surveyed online by Harris Interactive(R) between June 7 and 13, 2006. Read more.

I'm not saying I challenge the accuracy of the poll, but I don't think casino gaming will ever be rendered obsolete. But what's happening is the same thing in other entertainment circles: the consumer needs more than one hook to stay on the line. I certainly don't think that's a bad thing. That's why so many mega-casino/resort operations are thriving.

My first trip to Vegas was in 1999. I believe the only big non-Vegas show was Blue Man Group. (I'm not counting Wayne Newton, Danny Gans or Cirque, all who made their bones on the Strip.) Now, you're seeing more and more Broadway shows, less burlesque revues (sort of), more clubbing, finer dining, less buffets, and so on.

Given what we already know about the dwindling bargain rooms on the Strip, it's clear the future of Vegas is the affluent, young professional. They like to gamble, but they also like to be entertained, shop, and eat in style.

That's what I'm getting here.

bursting bubble?

Is the bubble bursting in Vegas? Hard to say. But I hope the median sales prices start falling so I can afford something once I get there. Here's a companion piece to the condo article I cited yesterday, from the Las Vegas Business Press:

Homes sales slide in June

By TONY ILLIA

The Las Vegas Valley housing market continued its year long slide in June with sluggish sales and increased listings. There were 2,527 homes sold last month, a 1.1 percent dip from May and 23.8 percent less than a year ago, reports the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors (GLVAR).

Home listings, meanwhile, jumped to 6,060 units in June, which is 11.8 percent more than in 2005. The valley's available housing inventory grew to 20,026 units in June, or nearly 32 percent more than a year ago, also suggesting a market softening.

Median sale prices, however, climbed to $315,000 in June, which is five percent higher than in 2005, GLVAR reports. Yet it's now taking longer to sell homes. Only 40 percent of June home sales occurred within 30 days or less. A year ago, by contrast, nearly 52 percent of all home sales happened in less than 30 days.

The condo/townhome market saw similar June results as sales dropped to 595 units or 22.2 percent less than last year. Median condo/townhome prices, however, rose to $205,000 last month, which is 5.1 percent more than in 2005. But it is also taking longer to move condo/townhome units.

About 45 percent of all sales took place within 30 days in June, whereas, a year ago, almost 60 percent of sales occurred in under a month, reports GLVAR.

There were $973.8 million worth of total home sales in June, a 17.7 percent drop from last year's record pace. Condo/townhome sales accounted for $141.9 million in revenue last month, which is 14.3 percent less than in 2005.

back to work in a.c.?

From the AP:

N.J. Casinos Await Word to Reopen

By JOHN CURRAN

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Slot machines could be ringing and dealers could be shuffling again in New Jersey's casinos as soon as Friday evening after lawmakers and Gov. John S. Corzine reached a state budget deal that could end a six-day government shutdown.

Committees in the Senate and Assembly were set to consider the legislation Friday, clearing the way for a budget vote. Corzine would have to sign an executive order to formally end the shutdown, which also closed state agencies, parks, lottery sales and threw more than 80,000 people out of work.

The compromise, announced Thursday by Corzine, increases New Jersey's sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent. Half the $1.1 billion that it will raise will ease property taxes, which are among the nation's highest. Corzine had wanted all the money to go toward helping close a $4.5 billion budget deficit. Read more.

I'm still surprised it got to this point in the first place. Either the NJ gubment is too bullheaded or too stupid for its own good if it'll shut down a cash cow like the gaming industry. Talk about tripping over dollars to pick up pennies. Sadly, employees lost wages on the unintended vacation. Good thing the "lock-out" ended rather quickly.

Now don't ever let it happen again.

harrah's and world domination.

I may be wrong, but I think Starbucks is getting some pretty stiff competition these days in the world domination game. From Harrah's.com:

Harrah's Announces Schedule For 2006-07 World Series of Poker Circuit; Events Now Linked With WSOP Main Event

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 2006--Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:HET) said the third season of the popular World Series of Poker Circuit(R) will include 11 tournament stops that will bring high-stakes poker action and excitement to players at nine Harrah's-operated casinos around the country.

"For the first time, our Circuit events are tied to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas," said Jeffrey Pollack, Commissioner of the WSOP(TM). "If you win the $5,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em Circuit championship at one of our properties, you're headed to Las Vegas to play in our Main Event."

The 2006-07 World Series of Poker Circuit begins September 7 at Harrah's Lake Tahoe and includes events at Harrah's casinos in venues such as Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New Orleans, and Tunica, Mississippi.

Each World Series of Poker Circuit stop will offer several tournaments with buy-ins ranging from a few hundred dollars to $5,000 for the No-Limit Texas Hold'em Circuit Championship. The winner of each Circuit $5,000 buy-in finale will receive cash as well as a seat in the $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold'Em World Championship at the 2007 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

The schedule for the WSOP Circuit follows:

Sep. 7-17, 2006 Harrah's Tahoe
Sep. 25-Oct. 4, 2006 Grand Tunica
Oct. 19-Nov. 2, 2006 Caesars Indiana
Dec. 9-19, 2006 Harrah's Atlantic City
Jan. 8-17, 2007 Grand Tunica
Jan. 29-Feb. 7, 2007 Horseshoe Council Bluffs
Feb. 11-21, 2007 Harrah's Rincon
Mar. 5-14, 2007 Caesars Atlantic City
Mar. 26-Apr. 4, 2007 Caesars Indiana
Apr. 23-May 2, 2007 Caesars Las Vegas
May 14-23, 2007 Harrah's New Orleans

Circuit schedules are subject to change. Information on individual Circuit events can be found at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. Read more.

lasvegas 2k6.2: trip #9 is booked.

*CLICK!*

There. It's official. Exactly 105 days from today -- 15 weeks from this moment -- I shall be standing on terra firm in Las Vegas again.

Because I figured esacalating fuel costs would push airlines to start jacking up their fares, I avoided the Christmas rush and booked my next trip to Vegas today.

What: lasvegas2k6.2
When: Thursday, 19 Oct 06 - Monday, 23 Oct 06 (my birthday)
Where: Hotel TBD (although odds are pretty high it'll be the Imperial Palace

Between now and then I hope to have more traffic to this blog.

In the meantime, please feel free to start your own countdowns.

As you were.

have a latte with the mayor.

From the office of the Honorable Oscar B. Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas:

Have A Cup Of Coffee With The Mayor

Residents looking to meet and converse with Mayor Oscar B. Goodman in a casual setting will have the opportunity from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Friday, July 14, at Starbucks, located at 751 N. Rancho Drive.

This month’s Coffee With The Mayor is taking place in Ward 5, and Councilman Lawrence Weekly is scheduled to attend. Residents who have issues to discuss or would simply like to meet the mayor and councilman are invited to Starbucks, located on Rancho Drive near Bonanza Road.

Following the meeting at Starbucks, Mayor Goodman will be available to speak with constituents from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. during his Open Door Meeting in council chambers, located at 400 Stewart Ave.

For more information call the mayor’s office at 229-6241.

looking for a deee-luxe apartment in the sky?

The condo market ain't all that, apparently. From the Las Vegas Business Press:

Condo market cools in second quarter

By TONY ILLIA

Las Vegas' overheated luxury condominium market cooled in the second quarter as a result of project cancellations and suspended sales. There were 135 projects proposed totaling 91,934 units at the end of June, yet only 14.6 percent of those units were actually under construction, reports Applied Analysis, a Las Vegas-based business advisory firm.

An estimated 6,900 units had suspended sales, while another 1,900 units had officially called it quits.

"It would be impracticable to believe the market could absorb the entire potential inventory in the market today," said Jeremy Aguero, principal of Applied Analysis. "Several projects have witnessed a material decline in the number of investor purchasers."

Speculative plans made-up 55 percent of the market in the second quarter. Only 2,300 units were already pre-existing, including Turnberry Place, Metropolis and Park Towers at Hughes Center. Pre-sales, meanwhile, accounted for 17.7 percent of market at the end of last month. Read more.

shooting on the strip.

I can't even tell you how many times I've been at this intersection. From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

Strip shooting stuns tourists
Police detail officer-involved fatality

By FRANCIS MCCABE

Traffic was stopped on Las Vegas Boulevard at Flamingo Road after an officer-involved shooting Tuesday night.

Under the bright lights of the Strip, crowds of Fourth of July revelers watched what several said they thought was the filming of the latest television episode of CSI.

But the gunshot fired by a Las Vegas police officer was real, and so was the blood on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Tarance Deshon Hall, 31, of Las Vegas was pronounced dead at a hospital about 30 minutes after he was shot by an officer under the blinking orange and yellow lights of the Barbary Coast hotel and casino. Read more.

vegas...then, now, and tomorrow.

Jeff Simpson of the Las Vegas Sun hits the nail on the head in this article:

Jeff Simpson on the mother of all resort booms that's heading to a Strip near you

The money graph for me?

The city's three biggest casino operators are breaking out mammoth mixed-use projects: MGM Mirage's Project CityCenter, between its Monte Carlo and Bellagio; Boyd Gaming Corp.'s Echelon Place, on its Stardust site; and Harrah's Entertainment's soon-to-be-announced redevelopment of its prized center-Strip turf.

What does that mean? That means the end is near for my beloved Imperial Palace.

Sure, I know it's imminent. But I still get slightly misty over the thought.

Simpson's column gives a pretty good account of what's done, what's happening, and what's to come.

If you haven't been to Vegas in a few years, you may not recognize some of it.

"down on the boardwalk they're gettin' ready for a helluva fight."

This did not escape me. I honestly never thought it would happen. From the AP:

New Jersey Casinos Close for First Time

By JOHN CURRAN

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - The dice stopped rolling, dealers quit shuffling and slot machines fell silent Wednesday as New Jersey's casinos closed for the first time, the latest victims of a five-day state government shutdown that showed no signs of ending soon.

In the first mass closure in the 28-year history of Atlantic City's legalized gambling trade, all 12 casinos went dark. With no state budget, New Jersey cannot pay its state employees, including casino inspectors who keep tabs on the money.

"I never thought this would happen," said Ruth Dodies, 77, of Philadelphia, standing at a closed entrance to Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. "It doesn't make sense. It really doesn't."

The shutdown could cost the 12 casinos more than $16 million that they would normally collect from gamblers each day, not to mention the $1.3 million in taxes taken in by the state. Read more.

I wonder how many days this will go on. Hmmm....

yeah, now i'm confused.

Well, sure. This makes perfect sense! From the Las Vegas Sun:

Strip clubs begin to see other benefits of women

By Abigail Goldman

Of their 3 a.m. strip-club sojourn, the sanguine tourists would later explain, the lap dances were not for the grind, but for the conversation and company.

The visitors - two women from California - each picked a private dancer from the lingerie armada at Seamless Gentlemen's Club and, well, chatted with entertainers at the going rate: $20 a dance, tip not included.

"It's sort of a bonding thing," said Ana Monje, 28, of her Saturday morning lap dance with Raven, a black-maned Seamless stripper in a white bustier. "It was kind of like a break from the guys. We talked about moisturizer."

Women, once only welcome through a stage door in heels, are being embraced as customers by a growing group of strip club owners who see in the softer sex big potential for hard cash. By recasting the strip club as an equal opportunity adult destination, some club executives say they have created a new level of legitimacy and reached a fresh crowd: wives and girlfriends, women everywhere, eager to size up the champagne room.

Not all local strip club owners think it is such a good idea.

For many clubs, the first step will require breaking an unwritten industry rule: no unescorted women allowed.

"There used to be a sense of proprietorship - the idea that this is a man's world once you come through those doors," says Stephen McWilliams, director of operations for The Men's Club, a Texas-based topless-club chain, and an August panelist. "There were hundreds of stories about women causing problems." Read more.

You know, I'm not really one to go to strip clubs. It's just not my thing. But far be it from me to judge what others do for entertainment. Having said that, I must say I'm not really sure if it's such a good idea to cater gentlemen's clubs to a female clientele.

I think there is an expectation for men who go to a strip club that it's not going to turn into a Lifetime Network gossip session.

I'm not at all against female bonding; just confused as to why it's got to be at a strip club.

Seriously.

too many poker dealers?

I always get a warm feeling in my heart whenever I read a story about my former profession as a casino dealer. Here's an interesting piece in the Las Vegas Business Press about the up-tick of poker rooms in Vegas, and the over-supply of poker room dealers on the Strip:

Poker rooms inundated with dealers
BY ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY

...The city that was built on exploiting society's dark shadows has embraced the game driven by increased public demand. And with the demand for more tables also comes a demand for more dealers.

"A year and a half ago there was a dealer shortage in town," admitted Green, who said that the MGM Grand even ran its own dealer school for a while to help fill the growing need. "Now there's plenty of them. What happened is everybody wants to get in on the action so now there are more and more schools that have opened up. Actually, the job market for dealers in Las Vegas, right now, isn't near what it was."

But even with the proliferation of new tables, the market is now oversupplied with dealers looking for work. New dealer schools have opened to take advantage of the influx of people wanting to learn how to deal poker, further adding to the worker pool.

"There are a lot of unemployed poker dealers out there looking for work," a spokesman for the Dealer's Employment Agency said. Read more.

About five years ago, before I was hired by Indiana University, I was a dice dealer at Blue Chip Casino -- a Boyd Gaming property in Michigan City, Indiana. I loved being a dealer. While in the running for the IU job, I told myself that it was my last effort, my last shot at getting back into my chosen profession of PR/communications. Had I not gotten it, I would've circled back and gone forth for a career as a casino man. Dice dealer, box man, pit boss, and so on. But IU came through and I effectively "retired" as a dealer in May, 2k1.

I still love the gaming industry and try to keep something of a more educatetd, watchful eye over developments in Vegas than your average player. I guess that's why this blog exists, no?

Anyway, had I stuck with it, my intent was to move to Vegas and be a dealer. I had a few colleagues who did it and knew, given my caliber as a dealer (I was pretty solid on a dice table), that I could hold my own on the Strip. I should point out that I noticed a big difference in attitudes of dealers in Vegas compared to my riverboat brethren: less macho BS and more professionalism seemed to prevail on the Strip. Back on the riverboat, it was something of a sport to "run over" new dealers and make them look bad (to say nothing of running overly speedy games). I never understood the high school mentality there, but that could be due to several factors I that don't matter just now.

The point I'm getting at is, back five years ago, the Strip was hungry for dealers. Now, as my friend Heather learned, it's not so easy getting a gig. And she's one of the most competent dealers I know! And now, this story shows that supply is out-pacing demand for poker dealers. I guess that sort of surprises me.

I still have a warm place in my heart for my dealing days and -- as you'll here me say time and again -- I often miss it. But I am looking to chart a different path for myself in Vegas. I want to bridge my two professional worlds. I'm a PR practitioner with a dealer's heart, wit and skill. I'm sure that combination is a dime a dozen out there, but I'm pretty sure I can distinguish myself from the pack.

Just you watch.

take that, california and phillie!

Well, well. It looks like Vegas is still quite a bargain for doing business in the U.S. From the Las Vegas Business Press:

Las Vegas is still the best business city

Las Vegas has ranked as the least expensive major city in a new survey on the cost of doing business. The Kosmont-Rose Institute 2006 Cost of Doing Business Survey ranked Cheyenne, Wy. as the cheapest city of all and Philadelphia, Penn. as the most expensive.

The survey ranks each city according to the cost of six taxes -- on business itself, on telephones, on sales, on property, electric and utility taxes and corporate income taxes. It then comes up with a Rate Comparison, which allows cities to be compared. All cities are then ranked into one of five categories from most expensive to least expensive.

The most expensive business locales included Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Other large cities that were rated least expensive included Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas and Denver.

The survey found that the fundamentals of doing business in Southern California are unlikely to change, despite the reforms of the business tax regime in 2005. Read more.

More about the survey here: Kosmont-Rove Survey

leno finding a permanent home on the strip?

According to the Las Vegas Logue, The Tonight Show's Jay Leno is making his temporary gig at the Mirage a permanent one:

In July, Leno has two weekends of appearances scheduled and in August, only one. Must be too hot for him that month to make the trip twice. His shows are all ages, but some of his material may be a little risque.
*****
When: July 7 - 8 and 21 - 22, 2006; August 11 - 12, 2006
Where: Danny Gans Theater
Time: 10:30 p.m.
Cost: $90

Read the rest here.

a little vegas gossip.

Admittedly, I'm not very good at culling the papers for gossip, but here's what I found in Norm Clarke's Las Vegas Confidential column in the Review Journal:

Wayne Newton has met with Anthony Michael Hall and has agreed to do his film, "Life and Death in Las Vegas," said Newton's publicist, Trish McCrone. She added, for clarification, that Newton "will not be playing himself; he will be a fictional character who screws people out of their inheritance."...

"Phew....I was worried!"

"All we are saying is give peace ... ."

A truce has been called in the heated nightclub war between local giants Pure and Tao.

"We've made peace," said Rich Wolf, one of the owners of New York-based Tao, which opened at The Venetian last September. Wolf and business partner Jason Strauss met with Pure Management Group's Robert Frey and Steve Davidovici last week.

"It's like a 'Godfather' movie," Wolf said. "It's bad business to be at war and good business to be friends."

i read the news today, oh boy.

Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal offers his review of Cirque du Soleil's highly anticipated show at the Mirage, Love.

SHOW REVIEW: 'Love' >
Cirque's 'Love' doesn't just let it be: Show goes much deeper than acrobatic performances set to classic Beatles songs

By MIKE WEATHERFORD

"Now, you did understand the exploding Volkswagen symbolizes the band breaking up?" Gilles Ste-Croix asks after Tuesday's performance of the new Beatles-themed opus "Love."

Uhm, well, sure. Of course.

Truth be told, I had still been chewing on other aspects of the climactic number, "A Day in the Life."

The epic song is a must for any stage spectacle based on the music of the Beatles. The big question was how it would be used. Cirque du Soleil's answer is one even John Lennon might not have consciously connected when he wrote the lyrics after the auto-accident death of a friend, Tara Browne. Read more.>

I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I'm ready for a Cirque re-telling of Beatles music. It's worth noting George Harrison was collaborating with Cirque folks on this concept before his all-too-soon death. (sidebar: George was my favorite Beatle.)

At any rate, Cirque is as ubiquitous on the Strip as slot machines and immigrants flicking hooker trading-cards at tourists.

(photo from: The Movable Buffet)

i'm gonna need a pretty good realtor.

According to the City of Las Vegas Web site, the average home in Vegas is just a shade over $200,000. Doh!

How the hell am I going to afford that???? Hello, kind employers of Las Vegas...please hire me and give me lots of money.

More census data about Las Vegas can be found here.