finally, jenny mccarthy and i have something to talk about!

Look who's going to be dealing at the Palms Casino's Playboy Club?

Actress Jenny McCarthy to Become First-Ever Celebrity Bunny Dealer at the Playboy Club Inside the Palms Casino Resort

LAS VEGAS, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The Palms Casino Resort today announced that actress and New York Times best-selling author Jenny McCarthy will become the first-ever celebrity Bunny Dealer at the new Playboy Club atop the resort's famed Fantasy Tower. On Saturday, August 4, 2007, McCarthy will don the Bunny Dealers' vintage black costume complete with collar, cuffs and cottontail and deal live blackjack from one of the Club's 10 gaming tables. Read more.

This is great news for me when I finally meet Ms. McCarthy. I used to be a dealer. She's a dealer. We have something in common, bay-beeee! :-p

I've yet to venture up to the Playboy Club up there. My friend who works at the Palms has mentioned going next time I'm in town. From the outside, the Playboy Tower is pretty cool looking.

Playboy Club Las Vegas

bye-bye, sphinx: luxor renovation spelling the end of themed casinos?

How do you avoid an Egyptian motif when you have a pyramid of a building? Good question. Either way, changes are abound for the Luxor. From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

LUXOR'S NEW LOOK: FAREWELL TO EGYPT
The pyramid will stay, but changes inside are on the way

By HOWARD STUTZ

Luxor is working to get Egypt out of the pyramid.

Two years after acquiring the 4,500-room hotel-casino as part of its $7.9 billion purchase of the Mandalay Resort Group, MGM Mirage is giving the Luxor a new look.

The casino operator wants to transform the image of Luxor, which is named for a historic Egyptian city.

"We're not a British museum with ancient artifacts, we're a casino-resort," Luxor President and COO Felix Rappaport said. "This was a brilliantly conceived building from the outside. The pyramid always created a sense of wow and wonder, but the inside never delivered on that promise."
Read more.

I have only played at Luxor once, I believe. That was a couple years ago when I got my brains bashed in up one side of the Strip and down the other; except at Luxor. That was the only place where I was able to win a little bit of cash. Otherwise, I was nothing more than a walking ATM for the casinos.

I've always been impressed with the exterior of the Luxor, but paid little attention to the interior. Its location is good if you prefer MGM, Mandalay Bay and NYNY. I guess this renovation project means we can say bye-bye to the Sphinx out front.

As well, here's the Money Quote:

"The brilliance of the Egyptian theme is in the pyramid. Inside, however, it seemed a restaurant or bar was given a trite Egyptian name and the job was done. Las Vegas has moved beyond that overall theming in the last five to 10 years."—Felix Rappaport

Money Quote #2:

"It's the way the city is going. It's much less about these cartoonish-themed properties and more about attracting a younger, hip audience."—David Schwartz, director of UNLV's Center for Gaming Research

Amen! I fully intend to be in that "younger, hip" group for at least another 15 years...please, God, keep me young and hip. :-)

what will vegas be in 2011? bigger, better, more lavish.

While this article in the Las Vegas Review Journal is overtly about Harrah's expansion of Caesars Palace and how the gaming company regards Caesars as the crown jewel of its properties, there's also a tremendous money quote that bears thought:

THE STRIP: Emperor's new clothes
Harrah's unveils plans for addition to Caesars Palace

By ARNOLD M. KNIGHTLY

When Harrah's Entertainment acquired Caesars Palace 25 months ago, employees were worried about the direction the new owners might take the high-profile property, according to general manager John Unwin.

"We were really concerned Harrah's was going to take us out of the high-end business," he said. "It took a year for the staff to really believe it would only be better."

But here's the money quote:

Approximately 28,000 rooms are expected to be added along the Strip by the end of 2011, according to an investors note from Wachovia Capital Markets gaming analyst Brian McGill.

Since the late 1980s, the Las Vegas Strip has been in a constant pattern of bigger, better and more lavish. Old-timers lament the progress as too theme park-ish; a criticism not lost on me, necessarily (even though my first trip to Vegas was 1999). I get it. The Strip is less personal and more corporate. But to the credit of company's such as Harrah's, the idea of customer service is not lost on them in the corporate era. At least that's been my experience.

It's a city whose primary economic driver is tourism. It's something taken to heart by every CEO, pit boss, casino host, restaurant server, cab driver (usually) and hotel employee. But it wasn't alwyas this way. I've noticed the transformation through the years from the more than occasional local who took glee in openly belittling tourists (a behavior that is as unnecessary as it is mean and stupid). It would seem the current trend is anything but biting the hand that feeds.

And that is always a good thing.

elvis is re-entering the building.

Believe it or not, the French are taking over America. They've mapped out a strategy that begins with complete and total domination of one of our most popular vacation spots: Las Vegas. And they're doing it through a bunch of unitard-wearin' contortionists. They've upped the ante by co-opting a Vegas and American icon

From Norm Clarke's column in the June 29 issue of the Las Vegas Review Journal:

NORM: Elvis show ideas falling into place

The first look at Cirque du Soleil's Elvis show at the $7.4 billion CityCenter is weeks away.

A storyboard outline presentation is scheduled for July 22, said Bobby Baldwin, president and CEO of Mirage Resorts.

"We've already broken ground for the showroom," which will be in the 60-story CityCenter hotel and casino near the Monte Carlo pool area, Baldwin said.

The production is a collaboration involving MGM Mirage, Cirque and Elvis Presley Enterprises, which is owned by Robert Sillerman, chairman and CEO of CKX, Inc.

Scenes from Elvis' films and memorabilia probably will be folded into the production, Baldwin said.

Cirque will start assembling the talent about 10 months before rehearsals start in the 1,800-seat theater in June 2009. CityCenter and the Elvis show will open in December 2009. Read more.

I've yet to see any of the Cirque shows on the Strip. I've heard nothing but great things about all of them; especially their latest, Love. It only seems fitting to produce an Elvis-themed show. And, to be perfectly honest, I want to see that show!

comin' up sevens.

Apparently, lots of folks were feeling lucky (in one way or another) this weekend in Vegas. Hmm...I wonder why. From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

7/7/07 adds up to lots of love: Couples, gamblers like their chances

By DAVID McGRATH SCHWARTZ

If there ever was a day made for Vegas, 7/7/07 was it.

Let the rest of the world spend the day worrying about global warming. This is Las Vegas, where two of its signature activities -- gambling and fast weddings -- got a boost on Saturday from triple sevens.

Thousands of couples got hitched, and industry leaders predicted 7/7/07 is likely to shatter records for the number of nuptials.

The gaming tally won't be known for weeks. Likewise for the number of newly betrothed.

But the line of cars waiting at the downtown drive-through A Special Memory Wedding Chapel stretched down the block. Read more.

See, I'm a "retired" dice dealer. In my game, sevens are bad...very bad.

keep your top on.

Those prudes at the Venetian are spoiling all the fun! From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

Keep your shirt on! That's what the operators of Tao Beach at The Venetian are telling women who want to lounge around Strip pools without swimsuit tops.

Despite the growing popularity of European-style sunbathing at hip Strip resort pools, The Venetian no longer allows women to lounge topless.

Tao officials weren't very revealing when it came to discussing the change.

"In the course of our operations at Tao Beach, we have found that the topless aspect was not vital to our success," a Tao representative said in statement.

But for women who prefer to go topless, pools at the Wynn Las Vegas, Stratosphere, Manadalay Bay, The Mirage, the Flamingo and Caesars Palace still offer the European experience.

c'mon ride the train.

Looks like the monorail is starting to do better. From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

LAS VEGAS MONORAIL: Ridership increases; June averages 23,790 per day

By OMAR SOFRADZIJA

More people were riding the Las Vegas Monorail last month than in any time since late 2005, but turnstiles still weren't spinning fast enough for the struggling rapid transit line to pay for itself.

In June, the monorail carried an average of 23,790 riders per day, the highest average since 25,788 people took the monorail each day in November 2005, according to statistics released Friday.

But at the current average of $3.77 in fares collected per passenger, the monorail would need a daily average of 32,625 riders to generate $123,000 in revenue needed to balance the monorail's books, according to an estimate made in 2006 by Fitch Ratings, a New York City-based credit ratings firm. Read more.

I've only taken the monorail twice in my trips to Vegas. It's not for lack of convenience or too high a price that I don't take it more often. It's great if you are trying to, as I was, get to Mandalay Bay in (relatively) quick fashion*. But most Vegas vacationers are more apt to stroll up and down the Strip, dropping in and out of all the casinos.

The monorail is great if you are trying to get from Point A to Point B, but that's not the nature of Vegas travelers, now is it? Having said that, the monorail could become a big money-maker if it connects to McKerran International Airport. That concept has been floated a time or two, but I wonder if that would help.


*—When I say "quick fashion" to get from Harrah's to Mandalay Bay via monorail, you need to consider what it takes:
* Take monorail from Harrah's to MGM Grand
* Exit monorail, make way out to Excalibur (not that easy, really)
* Take tram from Excalibur to Luxor
* Take ANOTHER tram from Luxor to Mandalay Bay

Quick? Hardly. Faster than walking? I suppose. But perhaps a cab would be quicker & cheaper next time.

the casino host: everybody's best friend.

I talk a lot about returning to the gaming industry; too much, some might argue. I used to be a dealer and wouldn't mind doing that again in the desert, obviously. But there are a couple other jobs that interest me in gaming: communications director for a casino, OR casino host.

The last one, casino host, is the one that is most intriguing and sounds the most fun. I say 'fun' because it would be a tremendous challenge. Truth be told, I'd have to look long and hard before attempting that career path. For one, it's not easy. It's beyond being a salesman. You're constantly out there drawing people into your casino to spend loads of cash onsite. And you're only as good as your little black book.

Do I have a little black book? How do I get one?

I think it's the fact that it's all a big unknown for me that makes it so intriguing.

It makes me want to do it.

I sometimes wish I had looked more into it when I worked at Blue Chip. In fact, I still might recognize a familiar face or two there. Perhaps I should put in a phone call or two.

In the interim, here's an article from three years ago in the Las Vegas Review Journal:

LAS VEGAS JOBS: Casino Host

A casino host is like a genie in the bottle to hotel guests & gamblers: He has the power to grant wishes.

Hosts are the people who get to bestow those coveted comps - the free meals, free rooms and special treatment that make up for that busted hand of blackjack or not hitting the Megabucks jackpot after hours of trying. And they take care of special guests, making them feel welcome and pampered.

Who wouldn't want a job that makes you everybody's best friend?

"People think it's a great job, that all you do is shake hands and comp people," said Matt Sacca, director of player development for Green Valley Ranch. Read more.

my new favorite t-shirt.

I so want this t-shirt!!!

wynn to dealers: i changed my mind.

Remember the flap about the toke (tip) sharing policy instituted at Wynn Las Vegas? Apparently all sides are digging in their heels on this one; including Steve Wynn.

From KVBC, Las Vegas' NBC affiliate:

Wynn says tip sharing policy to stay despite unionization vote

A newspaper says casino mogul Steve Wynn will not change a tip-sharing policy that took money from dealers and split it with their supervisors. Anger over the plan implemented in September caused dealers at the Wynn Las Vegas resort to unionize.

Dealers voted 3-to-1 to unionize in May. But Wynn told the Las Vegas Sun all their vote did was give them the right to quit. He says thousands of qualified dealers in Las Vegas, and hundreds of part-time nonunion dealers at the casino would gladly fill the positions of those who walked off the job.

The new tip system implemented in September gives most front-line supervisors called "service team leaders" 40 percent of a full dealer's share, with craps boxmen getting 20 percent of a dealer's share of the tip pool.

The shares given from the tip pool, plus additional salary boosts increased supervisors' salaries from about $60,000 to about $96,000. Dealers' total take-home pay dropped from slightly over $100,000 to about $90,000.

In my opinion, there's plenty of blame to go around on every side of this issue. For starters, the dealers who were un-supervisable as a result of earning more than management should've been fired. Period. You don't respect the chain of command, you go bye-bye now.

Secondly, Wynn was correct when he said he correctly identified the problem and was wrong in his solution. But now, it's turned into a pissing contest between Steve Wynn and the dealers. The dealers won the battle but will lose the war.

I think the dealers were correct in protesting Wynn's decision to skim off their tips. I still feel it's an incorrect solution to the problem. What should've happened is management should've gotten a raise while the bad apples in the dealer pool were canned.

As Wynn himself said, there are plenty of qualified dealers in Vegas (and Indianapolis, I should mention) to fill those spots. There wasn't much need to rake off their tokes other than to be punitive.

The situation is only getting worse. Everybody's digging in. The dealers who voted to unionize are hurting for a new strategy to fix things.