dubai-dubai-doooooo.

Las Vegas is proving itself to be a model for international gaming ventures. First Macau, now Dubai. From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

Dubai firm sets sights on LV hospitality: Investors aim to grow Light Group's brand

By BENJAMIN SPILLMAN

It's been less than two decades since business leaders in Dubai sought to transform the desert emirate into a leading global tourism destination.

Now an investment firm that grew from the roots of Dubai's transformation wants to reinvent hospitality in Las Vegas, long one of the world's top tourist spots.

"We should be able to do it better," said Mohammed Ali Al Hashimi, head of Zabeel Investments, a financial firm that recently bought a 50 percent stake in the Las Vegas-based Light Group.

Zabeel is a private company with a stake in everything from real estate to aeronautics and a property portfolio with an estimated $5 billion value, according to news reports. Read more.

Dubai is one of those places in the world I'd love to see some day. It's such a rich nation, I bet even the homeless people wear Armani.

labor dispute?

Another labor dispute in Vegas? Hmm....from the Las Vegas Review Journal:

Walkout possible if MGM Mirage, Perini don't address workers' concerns

Union workers "will take action tonight," including a possible walkout, if MGM Mirage and Perini Building Co. do not take action by midnight tonight to address safety concerns at the $9 billion CityCenter construction site, Steve Ross, secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council, said today.

On Saturday, a sixth worker was killed on the CityCenter construction site since work began in early 2007. Read more.

If you haven't seen the CityCenter construction site, it's positively monstrous. It's like they're building a whole new city on The Strip.

nostalgic for old vegas.

My first trip to Las Vegas was in February 1999. The Strip has undergone a magnificent transformation since that time, making my first trip seem like light years ago. What are the differences? How about:
* Paris
* Mandalay Bay (opened in March 1999)
* Wynn Las Vegas
* The Aladdin Planet Hollywood
* The Venetian
* The Palazzo
* The Palms (off Strip)
* The Encore (coming this year)
* The Echelon (coming 2010)
* CityCenter (coming 2010)

More importantly, the corporate culture has changed dramatically (thanks to 9/11 for the nudge). The separate entities began merging a few years ago, creating several mega-corporations. Long story short, Harrah's owns at least seven Strip properties while MGM Mirage owns 10 or 11, including the monstrous CityCenter.

Where am I going with all this? I was reading a bit about the Sands Hotel and Casino and it made me nostalgic for the Las Vegas I never knew personally. If I had a time machine I'd love to go back to Vegas in the 60s and 70s, when corporations of a different sort ran the town.

Don't get me wrong. I truly love what's become of Vegas. In the 10 years we've been dating, I've watched Las Vegas grow into an international entertainment destination. It's not just for gamblers anymore. But there's something magical about the Rat Pack days of Las Vegas that we'll never get back.

These days, we get Paris Hilton.

That just doesn't seem fair at all.

vegas on a shoestring.

Thanks to a flabby US economy, the Strip casinos have to scale back their collective plans to cater strictly to the affluent, upscale travelers. From Sunday's Las Vegas Review Journal:

RELAXING DEALS, FUN DEALS, FOOD AND DRINK DEALS: Vegas on the Cheap
Sour economy could be sweet deal for savvy shoppers

By SONYA PADGETT

If there's anything positive about Las Vegas' struggling economy -- and that's a big if -- it's the return of the good casino deal.

While we're nowhere near the $3.99 all-you-can-eat buffets of yore -- yet -- there are some decent deals to be found, even for those whose budgets are tighter than a Rio cocktail waitress's uniform. Read more.

I observed the struggling economy in action when I was in Vegas last month. I had a chat with a pit boss table games manager at The Mirage who told me, "we're starting to pick back up right now."

She's a veteran of the Strip for many years, I gathered. I was somewhat surprised that the Mirage was feeling the pinch, since it's one of the more lavish destinations.

But that's the problem. When the economy is doing better, middle America has more disposable cash to throw around. And where better to throw money than the desert? But when gas is running twice as much as it was from four years ago...well, you get the point.

The economy will pick back up. And when it does, bye-bye deals.

coming back hard again.

I've been neglecting this blog for far too long now. It's time to come in from the cold...or wherever the hell I've been. There haven't been too many developments over the past few months, but I did make a return engagement to Las Vegas in early May. Most of my time was spent playing video poker at the various Strip casinos, but I did take an opportunity to visit the Fremont Street Experience with a friend and future colleague in the desert.

We ambled in and out of the various casinos, taking in the ambiance, the action at the tables and the overall experience of Fremont Street. Compared to the Strip, you couldn't get any further away. Where the Strip is run by monstrous, lavish hotel/casino/resorts, Fremont Street has a decidedly more intimate, more relaxed flavor.

The Golden Nugget was the best of Fremont Street. It was a well-appointed, top-notch casino. The dealers were smooth and professional and the place was clean (something you can never overlook).

I compare the Nugget's dice dealers to the lumps on a streetside table at O'Shea's on the Strip. Now I love O'Shea's...LOVE it! Among the monolithic resorts on the Strip is this rowdy little joint that feels like a college party every night. Nevertheless, the dice dealers I witnessed at O'Shea's were simply checked out.

The stickman's eyes were everywhere but on the dice. The base dealers were simply going through the motions. And the boxman was giving his mediocre best. The best example is when a player threw in a bet for the dealers. "Hardways for the crew," he said to the stickman, who promptly booked hardway bets for the player.

"No," the player said. "For the crew."

"Huh?" said the confused stickman.

Shaking his head and physically slapping himself, the player looked at me with exasperation.

As a former (and soon to be un-retired) dice dealer, I know what it's like working a game. I know there are days you are mentally checked out. But when a player is betting for you, you give that player your best service. A crew bet is ALWAYS a bet! And for the base dealer and stickman to not book it is positively weak.

I could've tapped in and shown them how it's done.

I'll be back in Vegas in August, when the average temperature should be somewhere around 105° F daily.

I can't wait.

put out the fire.

By now, I'm sure you've seen images of the fire at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. I've only been to the Monte Carlo a time or two, but I like it. It was very surreal seeing flames shooting out of the upper floors. I was at work at the time and someone came to me and said, "the Monte Carlo's on fire." Just like that.

Here's more about it from the Las Vegas Review Journal:

MONTE CARLO FIRE: Thousands return for belongings
Hotel-casino deemed safe and habitable, but not ready to reopen

By JOHN EDWARDS and LAWRENCE MOWER

Patricia Campbell returned Saturday morning to the Monte Carlo hotel room she had hurriedly abandoned about 24 hours earlier.

The 32-year-old Texan had stepped out of the shower Friday morning in her room on the 21st floor, to the sound of sirens. She walked to the window and viewed the massive fire burning unchecked on the hotel's facade, several stories up.

She quickly dressed and descended 21 flights of stairs. Read more.

hmmm....

Yeah, I'm well aware that my blog header is no longer appearing. I'm not sure what the crap is the problem. I re-installed my 'comment' script and all holy hell seems to have broken loose.

Perhaps I'll figure it out soon.

news about wynn.

This is of personal interest to me and others I know...

Rumors about Wynn Las Vegas and Encore

I'll be keeping my eye on this site a bit more closely.

halloween in the desert.

I just pulled this from Las Vegas Review Journal:

Trick of Treat Flight Night
When: 8 to 11 p.m. Oct. 27
Where: Carnaval Court, Harrah's Las Vegas
More info: 702-369-5000
The evening will feature a $5,000 costume contest and drink specials throughout the night. Local rock stations KOMP 92.3 and 97.1 The Point will be on hand to award lucky listeners and their guests with a chance to win "trick" or "treat" flights. Provided by Allegiant Airlines, winnders of the "treat" flights will win a pair of roundtrip tickets anywhere Allegiant flies, while winners of the "trick" flights will be in for a faux flight of some kind.

Looks like my hotel will have a big, damn party going on outside.

But no. I am not taking a costume to Vegas.

imperial palace spared the wrecking ball.

I've always said the Imperial Palace is like a cockroach: no matter how hard you try to kill it, it always comes back. It just doesn't die!!

Looks to be the case for the best bargain on The Strip, according to Inside Gaming over at the Las Vegas Review Journal:

The Imperial Palace has been spared the wrecking ball and is getting an upgrade.

Harrah's Entertainment is spending money and labor to enable the Strip casino's slot machines and amenities to accept the company's Total Rewards customer loyalty card.

The conversion is scheduled to finish by January.

Recent speculation had centered on the Imperial Palace's demise. Observers figured the land would become part of the company's larger Strip master plan.

The IP holds a place near and dear to my heart. It always will, even if I don't stay there any longer. And I think it's good you can still find a super-duper deal among all the lavish, high-end resorts on The Strip.

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.