By Greg Jones   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

This year’s holiday festivities may not be as extravagant as those in the past, but despite hard times, Americans will likely do what they love best: shop. After all, there’s nothing like the seasonal bustle of consumers carefully examining stores for the lowest prices on the hottest items, set to a “Winter Wonderland” soundtrack. With the economy freefalling, shoppers may buy less this Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa), which is why we have compiled a thorough selection of affordable ideas for the annual Casino Connection gift guide. And so it begins.

Seasonal Scents

Cologne and other strongly scented gifts are a popular choice over the holidays. We don’t necessarily know why—they’re better than socks, footie pajamas and neckties, at least—but we aren’t going to buck tradition…much.

Sure, you can go to Walgreens to buy a last minute collection of Stetson, Polo or Brut, but they are about as original as the smells of Old Spice or Gillette. Why not look for something different? It may be a little more expensive, but being different isn’t always cheap.

Burberry’s latest men’s fragrance, the Beat for Men, was well received when it was introduced earlier this year, including praise by a number of magazines, such as Esquire. The scent is described as fresh and woody, a mixture of leatherwood, cedrat, black pepper, bourbon and violet. It is youthful and energetic, but at the same time modern and refined. At $65, you can’t go wrong.

If you want to pay a little more, Prada’s Infusion d’Homme is the hot item this year. The $100 fragrance combines cedarwood, vetiver and smoky incense. It is also not as overpowering as many of the colognes on the market, so it may be a good gift for the person who doesn’t know how much is too much.

For the tree-hugger, Pangea Organics Harmony Gift Box (pangeaorganics.com) is a definite winner. The $35 package contains organic bar soap, shower gel, hand and body lotion and a spruce tree. That’s correct, a spruce tree. The box contains the seeds of a spruce tree. Take the box out back, plant it in the ground and a spruce tree will grow.

You can’t use any of Lush’s products to cultivate your lawn, but the handmade cosmetics company does produce earth-friendly and mostly vegan toiletries for men and women. You can purchase individual products like bath bombs and soaps, or you can buy one of the company’s pre-wrapped gift sets, such as the Christmas Parcel Holiday Gift Set ($29.95) or the 8 Crazy Nights Holiday Gift Set ($59.95), which include a variety of products and can be given to friends or loved ones of either sex.

For ladies who love perfumed products but can’t seem to settle on a signature scent, the goddesses at Sephora have created Scent Sampler Best Sellers For Her, an $80 set that includes samples of the store’s 10 best-selling perfumes (such as Vera Wang’s Princess and Stella McCartney’s Stella), along with a gift voucher that can be redeemed for a full-sized bottle of the recipient’s favorite sample at any Sephora location.

Bits and Baubles

Every holiday season, there are new toys and gadgets galore, ready to be bestowed upon those who love new and interesting inventions. But if you’re attracted to more traditional gifts, then there are several mainstays that could provide inspiration.

Clothing is a classic gift choice—after all, who doesn’t remember receiving knitted scarves from Grandma or a warm winter coat from Mom and Dad? Of course, these days, gifts of clothing don’t have to be frumpy or tacky (so forget purchasing that reindeer-emblazoned sweater, even if it supposed to be ironic).

If you don’t have Grandma’s crafting skills, check out Madewell, located at the Fashion Show Mall, for chic, warm scarves ($68). H&M in Town Square and Planet Hollywood’s Miracle Mile Shops is a source of great winter clothing for low prices, so look there for your loved one’s coat. Target’s designer collaborations are also trendy without breaking the bank, so look to Thakoon’s collection this December for brightly colored pieces that all ladies will love.

For someone who’s been extra good this year, the gift of jewelry is a great option. Department stores like Dillard’s and Macy’s have an excellent selection of quality necklaces and earrings, though if you haven’t been slammed by the recession this year, you may want to invest in a piece from Tiffany & Co. (located at Caesars Palace’s Forum Shops and the Bellagio). Many items at Tiffany are extremely affordable (not to mention beautiful): The sterling silver Two Hearts pendant ($175) is a flawless way to show you care, as is Paloma’s Crown of Hearts ring ($135).

And for the makeup aficionado in your circle of friends and family members, MAC Cosmetics has released their annual holiday collection, which includes four eye palettes at $38 each and three lip palettes at $22.50. The bejeweled compacts are perfect for the glamour girl on the go.

Buzz Worthy

Let’s be honest: There is a recession, and we’re just not going to go around buying all of our friends iPods and digital cameras. But we can still include them in the gift of giving with something more affordable, but no less enjoyable.

For example, the Belvedere Vodka Gift Set (for that matter, any of the alcohol gift sets from the top manufacturers come with pretty decent glassware or barware) rings in at a modest $65 for a 750-milliliter bottle and two Riedel martini glasses. Why they include martini glasses with vodka (martinis are made with gin and only with gin) is up for debate, but the glasses are nice, and Belvedere is one of the better vodkas available today. And if you bring it to a friend’s house, they would have to be a real knob to not let you partake in the joy.

For the wine snob (or just the wine aficionado), you can purchase a wine club membership. We would like to suggest Bottlenotes.com. Unlike traditional wine clubs that send a random bottle every month, Bottlenotes has a taste profile you fill out before signing up, and they try to send a bottle that fits your preference.

Great Gadgets

The advances we’re seeing in technology these days are pretty impressive. Cell phones now include cameras and MP3 players as part of the package. Some of them can also access the internet and play video. To keep up, manufacturers of MP3 players are forced to trick out their products and, not surprisingly, Apple continues to lead the pack in this category.

Apple was the industry leader with portable music devices dating back to the introduction of the first generation iPod. The company continues its position with new offerings, including the fourth generation Nano and the new iPod Touch.

Apple iPod Nano | Starting $139

The Nano is one of the smallest MP3 players, and thanks to an aggressive marketing campaign, it is certainly the trendiest. These devices are available with 8 gigabytes and 16 GB of non-volatile flash storage, enough to hold 2,000 songs and eight hours of video or 4,000 songs and 16 hours of video. It is so small you have to see it to believe it.

Apple iPod Touch | Starting $219.94

The Touch is a little bit larger, but that extra size packs in a huge amount of additional features. The touch-screen allows easy navigation through audio and video files, and it also allows the Touch to function as a portable gaming device. With sizes ranging from 8 GB to 32 GB, and with WiFi capabilities, the continuing evolution of the iPod guarantees there is something for everyone.

T-Mobile G1 with Google $179 with two-year contract; $399 without contract

Finally, something to knock Apple and its iPhone off of its high horse. The G1 is actually the most anticipated new phone, not the iPhone 3G. The G1 is customizable, features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and DRM-free downloads from Amazon. Best yet, it uses open source code, so there will be endless options for third party software, games, applications, skins and support. The G1 is immensely more coveted than the iPhone because it is new, so for the person who has to be on the bleeding edge of cellular technology, it is a no-brainer.

Audio Accoutrements

Portable MP3 players come with earphones, yes, but they tend to be of a very low quality. Most people don’t notice any problems, until they listen to the device with a set of legitimately good earphones. And while it used to be that if you wanted studio sound you needed studio cans, these days, there are earbuds that sound just as good as over-the-ear headphones.

Klipsch Image Headphones | $224.24

For the typical consumer, this is money wasted; for a real audiophile, this could be the greatest gift ever. These tiny earbuds block out outside noise, and they deliver the sound quality you would expect out of an expensive home stereo system—although you can’t feel the bass in your chest. The sound separation is also superior, making the listener feel they could identify the position of the bass player, guitar, drummer and singer.

Radius Atomic Bass Earphones | $39

These aren’t the best earphones by any stretch, but they’re better than stock earbuds and considerably cheaper than the high-end equipment. They deliver a great overall sound with plenty of bass, and come in a variety of colors designed to match those of various iPods. Additionally, for $10 more, you can get a version that includes a microphone for use with the iPhone.

Koss PortaPro Headphones |$39

This is the traditional style of headphones. You don’t have to stick anything in your ear to use these. They are extremely comfortable, and they sound amazing. They are not the newest technology by any stretch—they were first introduced more than 20 years ago—but there is a reason they continue to sell. The PortaPro delivers a crisp high-end, clean mid and good amount of bass for something so small. If the earbuds aren’t your style, these are definitely worth looking into.

Cool Cameras

Prices of digital cameras have fallen as fast as the technology supporting digital imaging has improved. The smaller point and shoot cameras take pictures suitable for 5 x 7 prints while the current generation digital SLRs take images that will print at 8 x 10 or better. The professional photographer’s lament is your gain. There are a number of excellent cameras available for anywhere from $100 to $500, depending on the needs of the shutterbug in your life.

While there is no way to beat the SLR in terms of image quality, low light performance and available lenses, these cameras tend to be large, and a camera is useless if it is sitting at home when that perfect photo opportunity presents itself. Digital SLRs also tend to be the most expensive digital cameras.

When buying a digital camera, take note of the type of media it writes to. Cameras usually come with a memory card that is laughably small. You can buy a 1 GB card for less than $20 these days, so throw that in, too.

Lastly, don’t buy into the mega pixel hype. You need to double the number of mega pixels to notice and difference in image quality. The difference between 8 MP, 10 MP and 12 MP is imperceptible and shouldn’t be taken into consideration.

Olympus Stylus 1030 W ($278.95 at Adorama.com)

This is the one camera you have no excuse to leave at home, no matter where you are going. It can survive a 6-foot fall and withstand 220 pounds of pressure, it works in temperatures as low as 14 degrees and can take pictures underwater up to 33 feet deep. The reviews say image quality isn’t perfect, but for web sharing and smaller 4x6 prints, this 10 MP camera is perfectly acceptable.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 ($389.95 at bhphotovideo.com)

This is the camera for a somewhat more serious photographer. More important than the 10 MP sensor is the full manual controls and the wide angle, 24-millimeter lens (84-degree diagonal field of view) with a fast 2.0 maximum aperture. This makes the camera a prime contender for low-light shooters and street photographers. There is a tradeoff, however, as the maximum zoom length is to 60 mm, which doesn’t really reach the typical telephoto category. Image quality is superb, and a number of film emulation modes make this camera a load of fun.

Sony Cybershot DSC-T700 ($364.95 at bhphotovideo.com)

This is the quintessential point and shoot camera perfect for the casual shooter. The 10 MP sensor is more than enough to make great prints, and the 3.5 inch LCD rear display is amazing. The camera features image stabilization, scene recognition and, perhaps most importantly, face detection and a smile shutter (if enabled, the camera will wait until it detects a smile before releasing the shutter and taking the picture). It has 4 GB of built-in memory, so you won’t need to buy a memory card with this one.

Canon Powershot SD790/SD880 ($189.95/ $260.95 at bhphotovideo.com)

What is the difference between these two cameras that justifies the $70 price differential? It comes down to a longer zoom and new exterior styling. Both are 10 MP cameras, both have the same LCD display, optical image stabilizing and face detection technology. The SD790 has a 3x zoom (35mm to 105mm equivalent) while the SD880 has a 5x zoom (37mm to 187mm equivalent).

Nikon D40 kit ($649.95 Adorama.com)

The Nikon D40 is an entry-level digital SLR. Its image sensor has only 6.1 MP, but its image quality is far superior to anything a point and shoot can produce. That is because the sensor itself is about the size of a frame of film while the point and shoot sensor is about the size of a fingernail. It also uses significantly better lenses. The D40 kit at Adorama comes with both an 18-55mm VR (vibration reduction) and a 55-200mm VR lens. It is all the starting kit a budding photographer would ever need.

Now that you’re prepared with a comprehensive guide to the season’s greatest gifts, perhaps your holiday shopping expedition will be a little less stressful. Go forth and be merry.

By Greg Jones   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

We’ve collected the submissions and tallied up the responses and now present to you the results of the second annual Casino Connection Choice Awards.

This year we saw even more people writing in with their favorite restaurants, bars, spas and more. We can’t say there are any surprises on this year’s list—although to see a number of people actually had a favorite hospital made us wonder what some of you people do with your free time—with people nominating the tried-and-true favorites from the locals properties like the Cannery, Boyd and Station, to the Strip megaresorts to some—shall we say—interesting “clubs” like the Red Rooster.

While there were really no surprises, if there is any clear winner this year it is Town Square. Everyone seems to love the place, as well as the stores, restaurants and clubs and the movie theater. So without further ado, we present the 2009 Casino Connection Choice Award Winners.

RESTAURANT

Yard House

Town Square

We couldn’t really agree more on this one. Any place that has a multi-page beer menu is top-notch in our book. But the Yard House is more than just a gin joint, and their food is definitely a step up from the traditional beer and a burger kind of fare most brew houses tend to specialize in. It doesn’t hurt that they have outdoor seating, play some great music and have some great people-watching opportunities, too.

CASINO RESTAURANT

Big Sur Oyster Bar

South Point

The oyster bar is quite commonplace in locals casinos—try getting a seat during the lunch or dinner rush—which is somewhat surprising. Typically, people gravitate toward seafood in locations that aren’t 300 miles away from the ocean. But supplied by fresh seafood brought in daily, the Big Sur Oyster Bar is impressive enough to elicit the largest number of votes in this category. It is great for a quick meal before heading back to the casino floor for some more action.

SLOT MACHINE

Wheel of Fortune

This machine is our first back-to-back winner. The community games are gaining in popularity throughout the country, and this one is a winner at casinos all over the United States. It really shouldn’t be surprising that it holds on to the first place position again this year. We were hoping to receive more than one vote each for the I Dream of Jeannie and Dean Martin’s Wild Party machines, but it just didn’t happen. Maybe next year.

PLACE TO GAMBLE

Silverton

3333 Blue Diamond Rd.

Can’t argue this one. The Silverton is comfortable, it’s easy to get to and laid back once you’re there. The lodge feel certainly adds to the relaxing atmosphere, as do the clientele who frequent the property. This isn’t the kind of crowd who spends too much time worrying about their hair or makeup. Instead, these are the laid-back, down-to-earth kinds of people who enjoy sipping beers, making foolish calls in the poker room, checking out the guns at the Bass Pro Shops and maybe sneaking in a game or two of bowling. Obviously a number of you see the enjoyment in a number of those activities.

DOCTOR/HOSPITAL

Desert Springs

2075 E. Flamingo

This isn’t the newest hospital in the Valley, but it is one of your favorites. First opened in 1971, Desert Springs has a less acute ER area (minor emergencies), as well as an outstanding reputation for dealing with cardiac care, bariatric surgery and diabetes-related issues.

With almost 250 beds, there is plenty of room available, although we certainly hope you’ll never need it.

BAR/LOUNGE

The Griffin

511 Fremont St.

In a city filled to the brim with gamblers and tourists, it isn’t surprising that locals picked the off-Strip, gaming-free bar the Griffin as the best in town. Tucked away on East Fremont Street, the Griffin is a gothic wonderland focused on two weekend essentials: drinks and dancing. From their signature Griffin martini to the DJ spinning old-school tunes in the back room, the Griffin has Vegas nights on lockdown for locals looking for a side of glamour with their neon.

NIGHTCLUB

JET

The Mirage

Partygoers pick Jet, the nightclub at the Mirage, as their favorite weekend hot spot, and it’s no surprise. Jet features three rooms, each of which bumps different beats. Top 40 songs and popular club rhythms dominate the main room, while a DJ spins house music in an adjacent room. The last room is the pick of choice for ’80s and rock music fans. With three great genres to choose from and four full-service bars, there’s no need to dance anywhere else.

SINGLE’S SPOT

Blue Martini

Town Square

Las Vegas’ newest mall is the also the site of the city’s most popular new place to meet and greet cute locals. Maybe it’s the fantastic happy hour (half-priced drinks and appetizers Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.), the delicious entrees or the beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the mall’s grassy courtyard. Whatever the reason, singles flock to Blue Martini to chat with friends and strangers alike, making this locals’ lounge the No. 1 place to see and be seen in Las Vegas.

CLOTHING STORE

H&M

Town Square and Planet Hollywood’s

Miracle Mile Shops

We love European boutique H&M’s two Las Vegas locations, and you do, too. The recent transplant delighted our overseas friends with its celebration of inexpensive high fashion for men and women and frequent collaborations with top designers like Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney. H&M is now wooing Americans with its runway pieces at department store prices, and our readers are among those seduced by the stylish European stores.

SHOE STORE

DSW

2100 N. Rainbow Blvd.

You picked the Designer Shoe Warehouse as Las Vegas’ best shoe store, and we know the reason: DSW is the place to go for low-cost designer shoes. From Coach to Steve Madden, DSW supplies this season’s hottest styles for a fraction of an upscale boutique’s prices. No matter what you’re looking for, DSW has it: Athletic shoes, comfortable shoes for work, boots, high heels, flats, loafers, the list goes on. The store also has a permanent sale section that can’t be beat.

SALON/SPA

Canyon Ranch SpaClub

The Venetian

For high-end spa treatments and hair stylists, you chose the Venetian’s Canyon Ranch SpaClub. The 134,000-square-foot spa is a world unto itself, with a health and wellness center, massage, skin care and treatment rooms, a European thermal treatment suite and a three-story rock-climbing wall. Spa-goers can also take nutrition classes and prepare for weddings at this luxury destination. Canyon Ranch’s emphasis on healthy extravagance makes it the No. 1 reader pick this year.

WEEKEND GETAWAY

Laughlin

When the weekend rolls around, Casino Connection readers hop in their cars and drive 90 minutes to Sin City’s little sister, Laughlin. It’s to be expected, as Laughlin offers the great gaming and fun bar atmosphere that Las Vegas provides, but the small-town vibe and Colorado River make it a relaxing way to laze away the days. You enjoy taking advantage of Laughlin’s inexpensive hotel rooms, good gambling and amazing beach on the weekends, and we don’t blame you. We’re booking our rooms as we type.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The state of Nevada has fostered an environment (both political and economic) that has been hospitable to the growth of gaming since its legalization during the Great Depression. Casinos have prospered here, raking in billions of dollars in revenue, and gaming operators have recognized the importance of community that supports them. As such, companies such as Boyd Gaming, Las Vegas Sands, MGM Mirage and American Casino and Entertainment Properties have chosen to give back to the causes that are important to their employees and neighbors, always acknowledging that without the people of Nevada, their prosperity would be an impossible dream.

The aforementioned companies have established philanthropic branches or foundations that devote time, resources and manpower to helping the Las Vegas community’s countless charitable organizations. Without the gaming industry, many non-profits would likely suffer more than they already are in a declining economy that is leaving many donors without extra funds to give.

Cause and Effect

Gaming companies typically donate funds to dozens of charitable organizations, often categorized according to issue. Each company’s philanthropy is centered on three or four areas of focus, ranging from education to healthcare—issues that are important to the wellbeing of a successful community.

Boyd Gaming’s emphasis on education can be traced back to Sam Boyd, the legendary gaming operator who also brought the United Way of Southern Nevada and the Boys and Girls Club to Las Vegas. For Boyd Gaming employees, continuing Boyd’s philanthropy is an important aspect of maintaining the company he founded.

“Boyd Gaming has had such a stellar reputation in the community. My task is to ensure that stellar reputation continues,” said Gina Polovina, vice president of community and government affairs for Boyd Gaming. “We’re very active in all the jurisdictions in which we operate. That’s Sam’s legacy. That culture has been handed down and is still very much apart of our operations. Giving back to the communities in which we operate is part of our mission statement. It’s part of our culture.”

Education is also an area of importance for the Las Vegas Sands, the company behind the Venetian and Palazzo resorts. The company’s philanthropic commitment is sourced from the corporation, owner Sheldon Adelson’s family and the Venetian Foundation, all three of which focus on the issues of youth, health and education. Andy Abboud, vice president of government relations and community development for the Las Vegas Sands, said the company seeks to devote resources to underserved organizations in areas in which both the company and the Adelson family decided to specialize.

“We felt that there’s a wide range of groups that have needs, and as we’re looking at the needs of our community, we wanted to look at those groups that probably had the least amount of resources, those that were most vulnerable,” Abboud said. “Youth are the future of our community, education is a top issue always here in Southern Nevada and health is important due to the Adelson family’s commitment to curing incurable diseases. It was really driven by and captured the spirit of the Adelsons and what the Adelsons’ causes were.”

Like Boyd Gaming, the Las Vegas Sands follows in the footsteps of its founder in giving back to the Las Vegas community.

“We wanted to give back to the community that’s helped us,” Abboud said. “We’re part of this community, and we wanted to give back to the community. It really comes from the spirit of philanthropy demonstrated by the Adelsons. We didn’t feel any pressure to do so—it was a natural response.”

Children Are the Future

The gaming industry takes a hands-on approach to helping Southern Nevada’s youth; employees often volunteer to help at-risk schools that are in need of funding and supplies.

MGM Mirage’s focus on education has led the company to commit to empowerment schools like Culley Elementary School, which was in dire need of help when MGM Mirage adopted it in 2006. The company donates $50,000 per year to the school, in addition to providing school supplies and job assistance for parents.

MGM Mirage has also supplied backpacks and shoes for children in need, and even allowed students to tour the Bellagio Conservatory to learn more than a simple textbook analysis of horticulture.

Merlinda Gallegos, vice president of philanthropy for MGM Mirage, said the company’s charitable giving is founded in a desire to “invest in those communities where our own employees work.” Culley Elementary School is now one of six high-achieving elementary schools in the Clark County School District, proving that partnering with a powerful gaming operator can enrich Las Vegas neighborhoods.

The overarching theme of Boyd Gaming’s charitable contributions is early childhood education, an area that Polovina said is necessary for creating the building blocks of a well-rounded society.

“You make a difference on the front end of the child’s life,” Polovina said. “You invest in that young life because then those young people can be successful, prosperous members of our community by the time they graduate high school or receive some post-secondary diploma.

“If you don’t take that step, you face high dropout rates, teen pregnancies, gangs—all those other deviations. Oftentimes they end up in the juvenile justice system. (Many) individuals that are currently incarcerated haven’t graduated from high school. We’re tying to provide our young people with the tools to be successful.”

Boyd Gaming supports United Way of Southern Nevada’s Success by Six program, which provides comprehensive early education for children and parents, including teaching colors, numbers, rhythms and other important information to children before they enter the first grade.

American Casino and Entertainment Properties is another gaming operating company invested in the education of Nevada’s youth. Former mayor Ron Lurie, executive vice president and general manager of Arizona Charlie’s Decatur and chairman of ACEP’s Community Connection program, said the company encourages its employees to be active in the school system that educates many of their own children, often by volunteering or mentoring young students.

“We make sure we meet with the principal and find out what their needs are,” Lurie said. “We have a back-to-school event at each property where we give backpacks and school supplies, as well as clothing, socks and jackets for kids who come to school and don’t have those kinds of clothes…we want to be hands on instead of just writing a check to an organization.”

Getting Involved

Employees are an integral part of helping gaming companies provide resources for Nevada’s schools, as well as many other charitable organizations. Casino employees are encouraged to donate time and energy to philanthropic events, and some companies even provide tangible incentives to further emphasize the importance of charitable giving.

MGM Mirage is one such company that actively supports employees who volunteer; the company instituted a program called Dollars for Doers, which provides grants to an agency chosen by an employee who has volunteered for a certain number of hours at a specific non-profit organization. The company also has an employee-driven charitable arm, the MGM Mirage Voice Foundation, through which workers can choose to have a specified amount taken out of each paycheck and donated directly to a non-profit agency. The corporation underwrites all administrative fees for any donations made through the Voice Foundation.

“Here at MGM Mirage we know that our employees are our best assets,” Gallegos said. “We have a responsibility to make sure that there’s a strong community where employees can take their families to enjoy their downtime. If a neighbor is in need, there will be an agency to give them a hand up. We are part of this community. We have an obligation, and it’s both a privilege and a responsibility to support our employees.”

The Las Vegas Sands pushes employee volunteerism through verbal encouragement, though Abboud said Sands workers have never needed incentives to become involved in their communities.

“We’ve never needed to offer incentives,” Abboud said. “Volunteers always come forward and say, ‘How can we help?’ It’s a natural inclination of our team members to give back. We encourage it from the beginning, from their first day, and we always encourage community involvement. Whether it be walking for cancer relief or participating in telethons or marathons, we’ve never had an issue trying to get people involved.”

Sometimes colleagues bring their own philanthropic ideas to the table, as was the case for ACEP’s Ron Lurie. A Community Connection executive who was on the board for the American Lung Association engineered a partnership between ACEP and ALA that resulted in plans for a February 2009 stair climb that will raise money for the ALA. Four hundred participants will compete for 50 slots in a final race against the clock on the stairs of the Stratosphere. Lurie hopes the stair climb will become an annual event.

The Holiday Spirit

Of course, the holiday season would be incomplete without the gift of giving, which is why gaming companies organize contributions to those in need during the season. Las Vegas Sands plans to adopt families who are in need of meals and presents for children while also giving to local food banks. MGM Mirage also plans to adopt families, though with the economic crisis hitting close to home, the families will be those of employees rather than strangers. Boyd Gaming is contributing employee assistance to the Opportunity Village Magical Forest in order to “get the holiday spirit flowing through (the) organization,” Polovina said.

ACEP organizes toy drives for Christmas, some of which go to schools. Principals recommend families in need to receive assistance from ACEP. Lurie said contributing to the community, especially during the holiday season, is a responsibility for conscientious businesses like gaming companies.

“I think we all feel it’s important to give back to the community, especially local businesses,” Lurie said. “We’re a local casino, and we have a lot of local customers. It’s important that we give back. Not just, ‘Come in and we want you to spend your dollars here,’ but we think it’s important to show community support.”

By Greg Jones   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

What to do on New Year’s Eve?

Stay at home and watch the celebrations in various cities on the television? Sure, it’s safe, and you avoid the antics of what many have come to call amateur night (fighting, puking and drunken belligerence), but it’s not a whole lot of fun.

Fortunately, in the entertainment capital of the world, there are a whole host of things to do, from partying with celebrities to bumping shoulders with tourists on the Strip. There are also parties along Fremont Street and, of course, at your neighborhood bar.

For those fortunate enough to have the night off—and better still the following day, too—there are no shortage of things to do to celebrate the New Year. We’ve put together a number of suggestions below to help you out if you’re finding it difficult to plan your celebration.

The Party Outside

The street scene in Las Vegas is a big draw on New Year’s Eve, whether it’s standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the Strip or on Fremont Street. Both streets become giant block parties attracting thousands of people looking for a good time.

In Downtown Las Vegas, America’s Party, billed as the largest private New Year’s Eve party in Las Vegas, gets things started at 6 p.m., when the first of an extended number of cover bands takes the stage. Bands being covered include David Bowie, Kiss, the Eagles, Billy Joel, Aerosmith, U2, Queen and the Rolling Stones.

The party runs all night and peaks with fireworks at midnight.

Tickets are $20, but Nevada residents with a valid ID can pick tickets up for free starting at 10 a.m. on December 31. The Fremont Street Experience will have a booth set up next to the Walgreens to give out tickets. You might also be able to charm some from your very favorite Downtown casino host.

There will be fireworks on the Strip, too, but being in the center of the action isn’t really the best vantage point.

Instead, the party on the Strip is pure alcohol-induced revelry. There is no admission fee, per se, but you won’t be stopping by for a little bit. Parking can be tricky, and there is no easy way out. If you’re doing the Strip thing, you’re in it for the long haul. Every club on the Strip is having some sort of party (detailed on the following pages), so this shouldn’t be too big of a problem.

One thing to look for on the Strip is at Paris Las Vegas. Daredevil Rhys Millen will try to do a back flip of an off-road truck, and Robbie Maddison will try to jump a bike to the top of the Arc de Triomphe replica and then jump down. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN, but if you’re on the Strip anyway, it might be worth checking out.

The Inside Track

If standing around outside on what can sometimes be a chilly and windy night doesn’t appeal to you, name a club and they’ll probably have something special going on. It might be a celebrity host, it might be an open bar or it might be something as simple as a champagne toast at midnight. If you know what you want, you’ll be able to find it.

The club scene gets crazy on normal party nights like Thursday, Friday and Saturday; New Year’s Eve goes a step further. It even surpasses Halloween in terms of crowd sizes and excitement.

Basically, this means you better plan ahead. Your club connections might work, but don’t count on anything. Unless you have a great inside guy, you are going to be better off buying your tickets like everyone else. Otherwise, you’ll ring in the New Year standing behind a velvet rope waiting to get in, and that probably won’t happen until at least 2 a.m.

Of course, you aren’t limited to clubs. Many casinos will be hosting a number of different parties throughout the property. For the most part, we found plans are still being finalized. But if you have a favorite place, it couldn’t hurt to call and ask.

If you don’t know what is happening, the list below should help.

Las Vegas Clubs

It should go without saying (but there is always someone who forgets) that proper club attire will be required to get into these parties, regardless of how much you pay for a ticket. If you are in doubt about what you can wear (some places allow tennis shoes, some don’t, for example), please call first.

Prive Vegas at Planet Hollywood

Tickets: $200

Description: It’s more than a New Year’s party, it is also a one-year anniversary celebration. While the $200 ticket price may seem cheap, it includes a champagne toast, party favors and, best of all, an open bar.

hours: 10:30 p.m. to 4 a.m.

info: 702-523-6002

LAX Nightclub at Luxor

Tickets: $200

Description:  LAX has quickly become one of the hottest nightclubs, in part because of Pure Management Group’s willingness to bring in celebrities to party with the regular folks. The New Year’s Eve celebration is no different, with Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian coming to the party.

hours: 8 p.m. to 4 a.m.

info: 702-262-4529

Rain at the Palms

Tickets: $150; VIP $300.

Description:  Legendary club DJ Paul Oakenfold spins in the New Year at Rain, and you have two price points to get into the party. Tickets start at $150, but the $300 VIP tickets bring access to a VIP room and a hosted bar featuring Ketel One vodka and Perrier Jouet champagne.

hours: 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

info: 702-492-3960

Playboy Club at the Palms

Tickets: $200

Description:  Party with Kid Rock, enjoy one of the best vantage points for watching the fireworks and celebrate the New Year with a bevy of beautiful Playboy bunnies. Your $200 not only gets you in, but it also gets you access to the open bar. (FYI: You won’t be able to go up to Moon until 1 a.m. or later, because there is also a $175 ticket party there).

hours: 10 p.m. and beyond

info: 702-942-6832

GhostBar at the Palms

Tickets: $225

Description:  Right there with Moon and Playboy Club in terms of the view, if not better, Ghost Bar is a strong draw on New Year’s Eve. Party on the 55th floor of the Palms, enjoy the fireworks as well as the open bar, champagne toast and appetizers.

hours: 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

info: 702-938-2666

Hawaiian Tropic Zone at Planet Hollywood

Tickets: $50 admission; $125 open bar

Description:  The Hawaiian Tropic Zone party with Jeremy Cornwell and DJ Fuzz Bubble is one of the cheapest tickets in town, but there is a catch: the $125 open bar only runs from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Regardless, it should be a pretty good place to watch the fireworks.

hours: 8 p.m. and beyond

info:  702-731-4858

Pure at Caesars Palace

Tickets: $200

Description:  This party is so hot that there isn’t even information available on what is going on. That shouldn’t matter, because you should already know what Pure is.

hours: 9 p.m. and beyond

info: 702-731-7110

V Bar at the Venetian

Tickets: $50

Description:  The best value in New Year’s Eve options at only $50. No open bar, but rather than try to pass off a cheap paper hat, noise maker and glass of champagne as having a $200 value, they set a more appropriate price.

hours: 9 p.m. and beyond

info: 702-740-6341

Tao at the Venetian

Tickets: Starting at $210

Description:  Not a lot of information at this point, but you get VIP entry, access to two hours worth of open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails. A celebrity guest might also be there, but no one has been named yet.

info: 702-388-8588

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The Aliante neighborhood of North Las Vegas was full of excitement as Station Casinos prepared to unveil its newest property. On opening night, as workers readied themselves for the impending rush of guests looking to try their luck at Aliante Station, Carl Vetter was clearly excited, too. A retired Air National Guard veteran, Vetter had been working part-time at the Sahara for four years and was thrilled to get the full-time dealing position at Aliante. He lives in the area, but his excitement was more about finding a job in the current economy and landing one with a company like Station Casinos. “I’m really lucky to be working here,” he said. “It’s a great casino and a great company.” Vetter embodies the qualities any casino would want in its dealers. He is outgoing and engaging, and he is excited about his job. That excitement carries over to the other side of the table, and the customers can feel it and feed off of it. He has the personality Station Casinos works so hard to cultivate in its team members, and is the perfect person to be opening the company’s newest casino.

By Greg Jones   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Jay Clark is the embodiment of the image Las Vegas likes to present to the rest of the country and the world. It’s not that you can get rich quick here, or party like a rock star until the sun comes up—although those images are certainly major parts of the marketing campaign—it’s that Las Vegas is the place to be if you want to work in the hospitality industry.

Clark grew up in the Midwest. He went to school in Nashville, Tennessee and made his first foray into hospitality at Opryland there. He then migrated to Oklahoma before he learned JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa was looking for an event manager.

Not only did Clark have hospitality experience from Opryland, he also had five years of experience as a meeting planner in the oil and gas industry.

“My wife and I had come out here for her brother’s wedding 12 or 13 years ago and it was our first visit to Las Vegas,” he said. “We both thought that this would be a cool place to live at some point, and when this opportunity came up, we decided to make the move.

“And what better place to work in the hotel business than in Las Vegas?”

The quirks of the industry that sometimes catch people off-guard—working nights, weekends and holidays—were nothing new for Clark. In the smaller markets, filling shifts around those times was more difficult because of the smaller work force.

The major drawback is missing school activities and other family events because of work. But his daughters, Mariah, 13, Morgan, 10, son Max, 6, and wife Suzanne understand it comes with the territory.

“You try to find a balance,” he said. “My kids have grown up with me working in the hotels, so they certainly understand.”

One noticeable difference Clark has noticed in Las Vegas is that there are more unusual requests clients have made of him and his staff. While booking performers like Sheryl Crow, Cheap Trick, Jay Leno and Martin Short might take some work, they aren’t as challenging as say, bringing an elephant to the banquet room.

“We found a ranch in California where a gentleman had several elephants, so he trucked her in and we parked her out back and brought her in through the back doors,” he explained. “The elephant was taller than the door, so she had to get down on her knees and kind of crawl in.”

Clark is quick to point out that it takes a team effort to accomplish such tasks. While he has the title of event manager, it takes the whole events staff as well as staff members from other departments to deliver the experience customers demand.

“It’s never an individual effort,” he said. “It is always a team effort.”

Working in the team environment and facing new and unique challenges on a regular basis are the best part of the job, Clark said. Nothing is ever routine, and even returning clients want to see things done differently than they did on their previous visit.

“We might do some of the same things, but we never do them the same way twice,” he explained.

Event planning constitutes a major part of the non-gaming revenue for resorts in Las Vegas. With Jay Clark heading up the department at the JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort and Spa, the property knows its valuable operation is safe.

By Joe Legato   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Now here’s a scary post-election season game. Bethesda Softworks presents a frightening view of the planet if it became completely engulfed in war in Fallout 3. Specifically, the game takes place in Washington, D.C., about 200 years after it’s destroyed by nuclear wars.

The game is a first- or third-person role-playing game, and you begin as a child living in one of society’s safe havens, called “Vault 101.” You first customize your character by choosing skills through the “S.P.E.C.I.A.L.” system and by obtaining attributes in Vault 101. The plot begins when your father mysteriously disappears and ventures outside into the deadly wasteland of D.C.

You must now go to find your father in a world abandoned by civilization and destroyed by nuclear radiation. You must also learn the reason for his escape from Vault 101.

Some cool features of Fallout 3 include an array of settings, monsters and of course, weapons. One particularly helpful feature is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S.). This system allows gamers to stop time and target specific parts of monsters, inflicting various degrees of damage based upon where they’re hit. The game also lets gamers choose their own path, and it comes with multiple endings depending on what they decided to do to get by throughout the game.

Fallout 3 utilizes many of today’s consoles’ best abilities. For one, the environment seems infinite, as you can spend most of your time wandering the map and exploring a world that’s been ruined by nuclear war. The scenes are so realistic that the game has already stirred up both acclaim and controversy.

Additionally, characters are very interactive, and your ability to choose how you treat others makes Fallout 3 seem eerily real. In any case, it’s definitely a cool game and worth a try. If the game gets too scary, just remember that none of it could ever really happen…right?

By Robert Rossiello   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

She cut her first demo at age 10, landed a record contract at 15 and, at age 16, her 2006 self-titled album went triple-platinum, selling more than three million copies. And all this before graduating high school! Country darling Taylor Swift has defied convention. Unlike her fellow pop stars, this wholesome girl from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania has gone from the Nashville charts to crossover sensation—avoiding rehab or posing nude or any of the other pitfalls that plague a teen phenomenon.

Now, at 18, Swift has just released her much anticipated follow-up, Fearless. She co-produced the album and wrote or co-wrote all 13 tracks. Swift has a knack for crafting catchy pop songs. Except for her slight drawl and a sprinkling of banjo and fiddle, the album is decidedly mainstream, with some mid-tempo rockers and sweet ballads. Swift’s seductive voice floats like a butterfly over the restrained production.    

Like her previous album, Fearless explores the emotional landscape of a young girl. Swift has boys on the brain, and most of her songs have a narrative line that delve into the ups and downs of relationships. Songs such as “Love Story,” “Breathe” and “Forever & Always” tackle the topics of teenage heartbreak. On the track “Fifteen,” Swift sings “When you’re 15 and someone tells you they love you / You’re gonna believe them.” This kind of high school confession could be off-putting to a more mature audience, but Swift’s delivery is so musical that it can easily be forgiven.

Swift writes about what she knows. She’s true to her own experience, and that’s a rare gift in an industry desperate to manufacture hits. One hopes that as she matures as an artist, her subjects will broaden and her compositions will grow more complex. To that end, Fearless is a step in the right direction.

By Marjorie Preston   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

In the waning days of World War II, two ingénues from small-town Story City, Iowa, got off the train in New York, looking for glamour, excitement and romance in the big city.

Though they lived on the proverbial shoestring, Marjorie Jacobson and Marty Garrett had everything they needed: white gloves, sunny dispositions, a tiny walkup apartment and summer jobs as pages at the world’s premier jeweler, Tiffany & Co.

Sixty years later, Jacobson (now Marjorie Hart) recalls those halcyon days in a memoir that will make you nostalgic for America’s Age of Innocence, even if you didn’t live through it.

The 1940s were a turning point in the liberation of America’s women. Because the menfolk were at war, they held jobs previously denied them; Marjorie and Marty were the first female employees to work the Tiffany sales floor.

For them, Manhattan was like Emerald City, and everything was a thrill, from eating at the Automat to jitterbugging at Jack Dempsey’s Bar, from visiting Tiffany’s exclusive third floor to watching newlyweds Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland shop for baubles. Both girls found love at a midshipmen’s ball, and Hart’s account of her summer romance with a sailor on leave is wistfully sweet.

The girls also witnessed historic events: a tickertape parade to honor General Eisenhower, the arrival in New York Harbor of 14,000 returning servicemen and the 24-hour V-J Day party in Times Square.

As she recounts that dangerous-yet-idyllic time—which also included moments of heartbreak, as boys from home lost their lives at war—Hart is funny and touching, but never saccharine.

This little book will delight anyone who yearns for a return to old-fashioned virtues, and reminds us that women, too, were part of the Greatest Generation.

By Robert Rossiello   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Hollywood has been recycling old TV shows for the big screen for more than a decade now. Whether the studios have run out of ideas or just want to cash in on our collective nostalgia (probably both), the results have been mixed. Some movies, like The Fugitive, are actually better than the original, while cinamatic takes on Bewitched and the Beverly Hillbillies should never have been attempted in the first place.

Luckily, for those who enjoyed the Get Smart television series, which ran from 1965 to 1970 (with countless reruns), the movie version is just as entertaining. Steve Carell takes over the roll of Maxwell Smart, an analyst for the government spy agency CONTROL.

Don Adams invented the bumbling Agent 86, a fast-talking doofus who always wound up on top. Carell retains the spirit of the original character, who’s eager to leave his desk and get out into the field, like his idol, superspy Agent 23 (an amusing Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock).

He gets his chance when the evil syndicate KAOS resurfaces, threatening the balance of power in the world. Max teams up with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), a field veteran who doesn’t want to be saddled with the inexperienced Smart.

It’s the chemisty and snappy banter between the two leads that makes this spy-spoof work. Hathaway and Carell have a fun time trying to outdo one another. Check out their improvisations on the DVD extra and you’ll see how two talented comedic actors can elevate even the silliest material. Agent 99, always a little smarter than Max, is jaded by her job, and it’s up to Smart to soften her heart.

Wisely, the filmmakers have retained some original gags from the show (the descending telephone booth, the cone of silence—even the shoe-phone makes a brief appearance), while adding some funny inventions of their own.

Updated, fast-paced and brimming with big and small laughs, this movie is enough for anyone to Get Smart.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Before Timbaland and T.I. became the reigning stars of hip-hop, the genre’s most prolific (and most talented) artists were those involved in the Wu-Tang Clan.

In 1993, nine MCs decided they wanted to create more than just a musical group—they wanted to build an empire. RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon the Chef, Ghostface Killah, U-God, Inspectah Deck and Masta Killa united as the Wu-Tang Clan, releasing one of hip-hop’s greatest albums, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and changing the way rap artists worked.

The group’s members recorded together for one label, but were free to sign solo contracts and collaborate with artists for other labels. For the greater part of the 1990s, the Wu-Tang Clan dominated the hip-hop scene, with group albums as well as solo records and collaborations taking up the charts. Wu-Tang’s members became superstars.

As time passed and hip-hop evolved, new rap artists picked up Wu-Tang’s sound and the group faded from the limelight. With musical geniuses RZA and GZA crafting new music, the Wu-Tang Clan re-emerged with 8 Diagrams in 2007, and will hopefully reclaim their throne as hip-hop’s most innovative artists.

Wu-Tang Clan appear at the House of Blues December 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $37, $45 and $55.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The novelty of watching celebrities do silly things is not a distinctly 21st century or American phenomenon, yet the trend has reach its peak this decade with reality television and tabloid magazines revealing stars to be “just like us.”

Dancing With the Stars has catapulted to the forefront of the reality TV craze, featuring C-list celebrities pairing with professional dancers to test their hoofing skills. Americans vote for their favorite twosome, and voila! A smash hit.

For the winter 2008 tour, celebrities Lance Bass, Toni Braxton, Maurice Greene and Marlee Matlin will team up with dancers Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Mark Ballas, Derek Hough, Kym Johnson, Lacey Schwimmer, Edyta Sliwinska, Karina Smirnoff and Fabien Sanchez for a recreation of the show’s performances.

The shows will also feature rehearsal footage and interviews with the celebrities and their dancing partners for a behind-the-scenes look for die-hard fans and audience members.

Dancing With the Stars: The Tour hits the Orleans Arena December 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $52.50, $68, $98, $128 and $225.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Singer Tony Orlando is no stranger to the venues of Las Vegas, having performed here regularly in the 1970s and ’80s during the height of his fame.

Paired with Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent, Tony Orlando and Dawn (as the trio was known) took America by storm in the ’70s with hit singles like “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” and “Knock Three Times,” as well as a genre-defying television show, Tony Orlando and Dawn Rainbow Hour.

These days, Orlando is a pop culture legend, name-dropped everywhere from a Yo La Tengo song to an episode of The Simpsons. The singer is ringing in the new year in a city he knows well, and audience members will finally be able to celebrate with the legend live and in person. Admission to Tony Orlando’s New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner and Show includes dinner, an open bar, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight.

Tony Orlando appears at the South Point Hotel & Casino December 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $150.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Though the Gallagher brothers of Oasis and alt-country singer Ryan Adams seem to have little in common musically, they share the personal upheaval that so many musical geniuses seem to experience.

Noel and Liam Gallagher made headlines for their brilliant Beatles-esque pop songs, such as the instant classic “Wonderwall,” but they were also notoriously combative. The pair couldn’t speak with the press together; joint interviews would devolve into brotherly brawls.

In the meantime, Adams recorded with the critically acclaimed band Whiskeytown before making a break for it in 2000 with his haunting, folksy solo material. He released 10 albums in eight years, running himself ragged and struggling with sobriety all the while.

Both the Gallaghers and Adams have cleaned up to release their best records in awhile this year (Oasis with Dig Out Your Soul and Ryan Adams and the Cardinals with Cardinology). Therefore, it’s only fitting that the tortured legends would team up this fall for a tour of rock ‘n’ roll proportions.

Oasis plays with Ryan Adams and the Cardinals at the Palms December 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $88, $99 and $153.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

If you’re looking for a hot club to party at this New Year’s Eve, the answer could be the House of Blues. Known more for its rock ‘n’ roll revivals than dance parties, the venue is hosting superstar Akon as he helps partygoers ring in 2009.

The singer is known for his distinctively high-pitched voice as well as his hooks on hit songs (like Gwen Stefani’s “The Sweet Escape” and Kardinal Offishall’s “Dangerous”). He has also produced his own smash records, Trouble (featuring “Lonely” and “Belly Dancer (Bananza)”), Konvicted (which spawned the chart-toppers “Smack That” and “I Wanna Love You”) and his latest album, Freedom, which is already making waves with its lead single, “Right Now (Na Na Na).”

With these songs to his credit, it’s fitting that Akon’s club-ready tunes make up the soundtrack for the House of Blues’ New Year’s extravaganza.

Akon performs at the House of Blues December 31 at 10 p.m. Tickets are $125, $155 and $175.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

If you haven’t hummed along to a Brooks & Dunn song sometime in the last 17 years, chances are you’ve been living under a rock. The near-ubiquitous “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” and “Neon Moon” elevated country music to rock ‘n’ roll levels of popularity, and turned line-dancing into a craze that swept the nation in the early 1990s.

Those two songs from the duo’s 1991 debut, Brand New Man, in addition to countless other hits, propelled Kix Brooks (the showman/guitarist) and Ronnie Dunn (the lead vocalist) up the crossover charts, where they’ve resided ever since.

Success stories like Brooks & Dunn’s typically begin humbly, as is the case with this country pair. The two musicians were strangers prior to 1990, making meager livings playing local bars and ski resorts until a record executive heard songs from both Brooks and Dunn and suggested they link up to record an album together. The rest is history.

After Brand New Man was released and people around the world embraced country music, the pair set out to record and release hit after hit. “Rock My World (Little Country Girl),” “She’s Not the Cheatin’ Kind,” “My Maria” and “Red Dirt Road” are just a few of the smash singles that have made Brooks & Dunn the second most successful duo in the history of music (after Simon & Garfunkel, of course). Maybe one day, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn will surpass the folk legends—only time will tell.

Brooks & Dunn perform at the Las Vegas Hilton December 5, 6 and 7. Tickets are $126.50 and $148.50.

By Greg Jones   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Magic remains largely a man’s game. The prototypical magic show features a man as the headlining illusionist accompanied by a number of beautiful women who serve as his assistants. Scarlett flips that around.

She started as an assistant but quickly picked up the secrets to performing the illusions. Her lifelong love of the stage, as well as singing, acting and dancing, provided perfect training for her to go off and start her own show. She came to Las Vegas about a year ago, and soon found herself performing at the V Variety Theater at Planet Hollywood.

Scarlett brings a different style of show to the Strip. It is family friendly, involves audience participation and, lastly, it features the beautiful woman as the headliner, not the assistant.

Scarlett: Princess of Magic plays the V Variety Theater at Planet Hollywood 1 p.m. Friday through Monday, 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and again at 5:30 on Thursdays.

When did you realize that this is what you wanted to do? When did you know magic was a passion for you?

Scarlett: I realized that magic was going to lead my career about three to four years ago. I was a professional dancer and dance teacher. I got a phone call from a magician in Reno looking for an assistant. I went to the interview and got the job. I became his assistant for about a year, and I picked up the magic really fast.

I took a liking to it immediately. From there, basically we decided to pursue a magic act of my own, a magic show. The magician who hired me, John Lewis, saw the potential and we decided to come to Vegas and produce a magic show.

Magic is typically a male-dominated industry. Has that caused any troubles for you in getting your career started?

I wouldn’t say troubles, but there is definitely a barrier. It’s a male-dominated industry. When people think magician they think man. So capturing your audience isn’t as easy as it might be if you were a guy getting up there.

But once they see you, they think, “Wow, this is different.” They just kind of have to come in with an open mind and know that they’re going to have a good time, and I’ve got nothing but compliments and people are so excited to see a female magician.

It’s a nice change because I’m not a girl doing man’s magic, I’m a girl doing magic in a way only a girl could do magic…or a drag queen.

What does it mean to you to be performing on the Strip? For performers, Las Vegas in general and the Strip specifically are the places to be.

It is a dream come true. I came down here just over a year ago and my goal was to be on the Strip within one year. It happened. And again, it sounds crazy, but it is a dream come true.

It is a challenge. I know I’m just starting out. I’m no Lance Burton, or anyone like that, but for a magician to be in Las Vegas, they say now that Las Vegas is every magician’s dream. For some people, for acting, it would be New York. For magic, Las Vegas is the place that every magician dreams to come. Hans Klok, a big magician in Europe, came to Las Vegas and played here at Planet Hollywood for a few months so he could say he played Vegas. It’s kind of like a status symbol. For me, I feel so fortunate and so lucky to be here with my own show in such a short period of time.

How would you describe the show to someone who hasn’t seen it?

I would describe it as not your typical magic show. It’s more like a variety magic show. Like I said before, I’m not a man doing woman’s magic; it has a lot of variety, dancing, little bit of acting. You’ll see different characters and different themes throughout the show, so there is something in there for everyone.

Audience participation is a big part of your show. How does that work having people come up on stage?

It is fun because every day is different.

For example, I got a couple up there once and they were so flat. They just had this big fight, and it was funny because it played really well to the audience even though they were pissed. They were up there stiff as a board, but it played really well with the audience. Other people are a lot of fun. They get enthusiastic, start kibitzing with you and stuff. It is a challenge and it’s fun because every day you don’t know what’s coming.

When you’re performing every day, you repeat a lot of the same illusions and do a lot of the same things. How do you keep that exciting for yourself up there so the audience can be excited, too?

Even though a lot of it is the same every day, for me, it’s a little bit different even though it is the same effect. I might perform it a little different depending on my mood, how the audience is responding and stuff like that. It always feels different. It’s always fresh. Even though you’re reliving it every day, it feels new. We also do change the show. We’re constantly evolving it, putting new things in, taking things out, switching things around and seeing what works better.

By Dave Bontempo   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Jim Plunkett had the Heisman Trophy and the two Super Bowl rings with the Raiders. Phil Satre, his teammate on the defensive side of the ball on two straight Stanford Rose Bowl champion teams, fired a different type of long touchdown pass. His encompassed 25 years on the gambling gridiron.

Team Harrah’s subsequently became a powerhouse. Satre, a member of the gaming Hall of Fame, sparked Harrah’s rise through this multi-billion dollar industry. His stints in Reno, Las Vegas and Atlantic City spanned gaming’s monstrous growth. Serving Harrah’s as CFO and Chairman of the Board, he quarterbacked a small organization into a gaming giant.

When he retired three years ago to a life of philanthropy, consultation and management, Satre owned some impressive numbers. He’d helped Harrah’s grow from two properties to about 40 and counting.

“I feel fortunate to have been in the industry when it expanded well beyond the borders of Nevada and Atlantic City,” said Satre, who now lives in Reno. “We were confident enough to go to new markets and expand with the Harrah’s brand. It was exciting for me and the people in the company to be acquiring new properties and seeing our customer base grow. We had the tools to make it happen.”

Satre now heads Sierra Pacific Resources, the Nevada-based company serving 1.2 million electric customers and 145,000 natural-gas customers. And Satre’s name has been mentioned as a possible gubernatorial nominee in Nevada.

His influence encompassed a remarkable era. The Wall Street Journal once named him the best executive of the casino and hotel industries. His legacy began when, as general counsel for the late Bill Harrah, Satre was sent to Atlantic City in the 1980s. Gaming’s No. 2 heavyweight sported an immense drive-in market. Harrah’s offered a marina niche, less congestion, infinitely more parking and a sense of exclusivity than its mid-town competition. Little did anyone realize the company would eventually have four Atlantic City properties.

“We took the Harrah’s model from our roots in Reno and Lake Tahoe and moved it to Atlantic City during the early days of gaming there,” he recalled. “It was gratifying to take the concept Bill Harrah had crafted for 40 years and bring it across the country.

“Ultimately the success of Harrah’s in Atlantic City was really the success that powered the company. We were able to move into different markets, provide the cash flow and become prominent. These moves provided the strongest cash flows for the company.”

Each market presented a unique challenge. New Orleans, for example, initially struggled. Riverboats, by contrast, fared better. In many jurisdictions, particularly Atlantic City, Harrah’s positioned itself to exploit an emerging trend.  In Las Vegas, it grew to eight properties.

Harrah’s pooled its collective muscle. It thought big and scored equally well, massing a nationwide array of customers. A total (rewards) revolution ensued.

“We spent around $100 million to develop our patron data base,” Satre said. “Before that, we had been looking at rewards problems. We had a silo of rewards programs. You had one program in Atlantic City just for Atlantic City. You had one in Reno, you had one in Tahoe. The breakthrough occurred when we took the position of cross marketing and cross promotion for all the Harrah’s properties nationwide.

“It was the foundation for developing Total Rewards. Through the systems, when we started seeing the revenues hit in the neighborhood of $1 billion to $3 billion, we knew something was working.”

The company also knew what not to emphasize. The bells, whistles, glitz and glamour of spanking new properties did not define Harrah’s.

“The image of the company was based upon the experience the customer has with employees,” Satre said. “If you think about other brands, some were based upon a value, like Circus Circus. Some emphasized the physical attributes of the property. We expanded our brand in a way that we were not labeled as upscale or midscale. We had the flexibility not to be confined by the physical attributes of the company.

“You need to do that. In small properties like Indiana, for example, we would not have been able to expand if our brand was that Harrah’s stands for big hotels with lots of restaurants, retail and highly-themed casinos. I heard the word “saturate” a lot, but I was never worried, because every market is different. We leveraged the collective base of our customers and the great work of our employees.”

Ah, the big ingredient. Employees. Custodians of the realm. Maintaining harmony with them benefits every company. Satre did not want Harrahs’ growth to blur the lines of communication.

“We tried to make the employees believe that our success would be theirs,” he said. “Just like we have customer loyalty, we have the 401-k plans and try to be very accessible.

“I enjoy knowing the employees by name. As we grew to 40,000 of them, I knew I couldn’t get around to doing it, so we set up a way for them to reach out. It was 1-800-Call Phil. That went right to my office. Everything else for me was put aside. On that day, I took phone calls. People could call anonymously or give their names, it didn’t matter. I just wanted their ideas, insights, anything that was on their mind. The message was that employees are not just a number out there, they all have input with the CEO.”

The numbers of employees alone produces an excellent pool of ideas. It’s another strong use of leverage. With customers and employees, Satre demonstrated that people numbers lead to profit numbers. So does a sense of perspective.

“I learned early about what happens when you have big customers,” he said. “One night, we had signature customers from Hong Kong who came to play. The first time we won $4 million. The next time we lost $6 million. I learned that Hong Kong giveth and Hong Kong taketh away.”

And that a good system will endure the hit.

By Dave Bontempo   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

What a way to cap Las Vegas’ stellar boxing campaign: Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao collide December 6 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, in a curious matchup of superstars.

Curious, because they arrive at the 147-pound weight limit by different routes. De La Hoya, a champion from junior lightweight to the middleweight division, an area spanning 130 to 160 pounds, forces himself down in weight. Pacquiao, a titleholder from flyweight to lightweight, a distance from 112 to 135 pounds, now jumps two more weight classes up to 147. He barely even stopped at the 135-pound lightweight division on his way up here. How many weight classes can he climb and still be effective?

“How does anyone really know what’s going to happen?” asked 35-year-old De La Hoya, the early 2-1 favorite in what should be an excellent betting fight. “That’s what makes this exciting. He is a southpaw with amazing speed. He is also young (29) and powerful. We both have terrific followings. We are on a world stage and everybody wants to know how it will come up.”

Normally, the fighter coming up in weight holds a disadvantage. Kelly Pavlik showed that when he moved from 160 to 171 pounds and was bludgeoned by Bernard Hopkins in October. Don’t tell that to Freddie Roach, one of the common threads running between the two fighters. He trained De La Hoya last year, when the Golden Boy lost a close decision to Floyd Mayweather, boxing’s pound-for-pound king. De La Hoya led the fight before fading. That’s an important consideration now for Roach, because he trains Pacquiao.

“If Oscar tires late in the fight, as he has is others, Manny will take him out,” Roach contended. “Sure, I think Oscar will go into the ring weighing 160 and Manny will be 150. I’m not worried about that because power is not going to win this fight for Manny. He will win the fight with speed. Manny’s not a one-punch knockout guy anyway.”

De La Hoya, 39-5 with 30 knockouts, owns one of boxing’s most lethal left hooks. He digs the body and quickly fires it up to the head. The quick combinations have enabled him to seize control of many fights. What De La Hoya does not have, in Roach’s view, is a formidable right hand. That weapon will become paramount in this fight, because Pacquiao is a left-hander. How De La Hoya fares with his right hand will dramatically affect the bout.

“Oscar has a terrific left hand and Manny has to find a way to get past that,” Roach said. “If he does, he’ll be in good position. Oscar does not use his right hand all that much.”

That makes this the ideal time to unveil it. De La Hoya is cagey, not only in style, but with his matchups. He finds the weakness of an opponent, often one coming up in weight, and utilizes it. De La Hoya has found a way to beat 18 current or former champions. This will be among his most significant advantages in weight and power.

Besides Roach, cultural adulation becomes a common theme for De La Hoya and Pacquiao. Both fighters are icons to large segments of the population. De La Hoya is a hero to Latino fans and a draw for Madison Avenue. For the last 16 years, he has woven a storybook tale.

America’s lone gold medalist in the 1992 Olympics stole his way into people’s hearts by winning the Olympic gold right after his mother died of breast cancer. Victories over the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez (twice), Ike Quartey, Fernando Vargas and Hector Camacho have cemented his ring legacy. Most fighters between 147 and 160 pounds hope for a lucrative bout against De La Hoya, who boxes only when he pleases and is guaranteed the media spotlight when he does. De La Hoya’s early May battle against unheralded Steve Forbes in California was the talk of boxing.

De La Hoya improved on the concept by becoming one of the game’s cutting edge promoters.

By promoting fellow boxers, De La Hoya enjoyed successful events while providing career-high paydays for the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley and others. He became a natural entrepreneur and has caused boxing sellouts in markets where the sport typically fails, like Houston.

On a different scale, Pacquiao is adored. He is the brand name for 76 million Filipinos. His picture marks billboards in Manila, currency in the Philippines and the perception of power in government. The Pac Man was convinced to run, unsuccessfully, for office a couple years back.

Pacquiao’s best moments are reserved for boxing. He rose to prominence by putting a tremendous beating upon Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003. While Pacquiao continues boxing successfully, his appearances, like De La Hoya’s, have become less frequent. That ranks as one of the intangibles in this bout. Pacquiao stands 47-3 with 35 knockouts.

De La Hoya-Pacquioa caps an exceptional year in Las Vegas boxing. The desert has hosted top events like Kelly Pavlik-Jermain Taylor II and Antonio Margarito-Miguel Cotto, a strong fight-of-the-year candidate.

Full Slate

Las Vegas unfurls a tremendous December sports schedule, outside of boxing and mixed martial arts. It is an enviable lineup, one that would be hard to find in any other city.

Start with the Las Vegas Marathon.

How do you really measure the success of a promotion? When organizers cap its participation.

The fourth annual Las Vegas Marathon unfolds December 7 with stipulations. Only the first 10,000 runners can be part of it. The 26-plus mile jaunt begins at 6:07 a.m., with expected temperatures of 50 degrees.

This is the only marathon run though the Strip and the Fremont Street experience. It begins and ends in front of Mandalay Bay, has a special prize category for Clark County residents and will, as always, be a spectacle.

The lineup continues with the National Finals Rodeo. It brings an entire industry to the Thomas and Mack Center for sessions running December 4-13. National champions are crowned, prize money is earned and network television covers the event.

Then there’s hockey. The Wranglers launch their longest homestand of the season, eight games, starting December 15. Just barely. The game begins at 11:59 p.m. It’s the Wranglers’ fabled midnight promotion. That’s always a popular draw with casino workers at the Orleans Arena. Patrons have been known to show up at the game in pajamas for this unique promotion.

The Wranglers play December 19, 20, 26-28 and then two straight in the beginning of January.

Boxing, rodeo, hockey, the marathon. Don’t forget the drive to the NFL playoffs and college football. Vegas is packed. What a time to be here.

Casino Connection sports editor Dave Bontempo, an award-winning writer and commentator, will broadcast Pacquiao-De La Hoya to a worldwide audience of several million people.

By Caitlin McGarry   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Everyone knows that times are tough. Though gas prices are finally affordable, many families are struggling to make ends meet due to adjustable rate mortgages and job losses. With the holidays coming up, many are asking themselves if purchasing gifts and hosting large family dinners is even possible this year.

Winter festivities are still manageable on a limited budget—in fact, the extra time and care that goes into frugal planning can often make the season even more enjoyable for everyone involved. Here are five steps to making this winter one to remember.

1. Get in the spirit. Buying up lights and baubles to string up on your porch or put on your lawn may not be an option this season, as the funds you might use for these items could be used for necessities (bills, groceries, etc.).

Instead of going crazy with the decorations, get friends and family members together and organize a fun game around other people’s holiday lighting themes. Pick a neighborhood, park your car and walk around looking at the glow of icicle lights and blinking Santas. See which of you can find a full reindeer and sleigh set-up, or how many houses have those tacky, multi-colored strands of lights draped all over the yard.

With a thermos of hot chocolate and a few impromptu caroling sessions, exploring the city will be more fun than ever. Plus, you can go to multiple neighborhoods, making this an exciting repeatable activity you can enjoy with loved ones.

It never quite feels like winter without snow, which we lack in Southern Nevada. However, Mt. Charleston is usually covered in powder this time of year, so for the full winter experience, plan a day trip up to the peaks, where you’ll find sleigh rides and snowball fights galore.

2. Decorate on a dime. If you’re one of those people who can’t get in the spirit without lights and holiday-themed music, then your motto should be “reuse and recycle.”

Find your old boxes of decorations and breathe new life into them with a feather duster and some polish. If purchasing new things is absolutely necessary, then be creative. Buy plain ornaments in bulk and have a painting party with friends and family. This gives you the chance to save money and personalize your home. The best ornaments can be handed down to children and grandchildren, or given away to charitable organizations.

Another way to add pizzazz to your home is by making a holiday-themed wreath. Simple instructions for a multitude of wreaths can be found by doing a quick search on Google, and you can usually find plastic flowers and other materials at arts and crafts stores on sale.

Some families celebrate the holidays with stockings filled with small gifts and treats. If you’re crafty, find a stocking pattern on the internet and whip up a few for family members. If sewing is not your forte, buy a few at a neighborhood store and bedazzle them with paint and glitter. It’s all about having fun.

3. Downsize. Many people have dozens of traditions they celebrate during the holiday season, but when you’re on a budget, something’s got to give.

A family that celebrates the season with a giant tree may have to consider buying a plastic tree to cut costs (and save the environment). Or you can scout tree lots for the smallest, saddest-looking tree you can find, a la Charlie Brown. With a lot of love and a string of popcorn, the tree will come to life, becoming a beautiful symbol of the affection you have for those near and dear to you.

4. Be creative. A lot of families are worried about having to cut back on presents this season due to the impending recession, but being able to afford an iPod for your significant other should be the least of your worries. If money is tight in your house, think of an affordable alternative to the high-priced gadgets on your loved one’s list. Or, better yet, get crafty. Use your talents (whether it be painting, writing or even accounting) to give someone a memorable gift.

Those with artistic abilities have it easy, but for people who are better at math than drawing, think of a way to turn your gift into a present. For instance, arithmetically inclined givers can offer their services during tax season. Or, if you love kids, watch your niece and nephew on New Year’s so your sister and her husband can paint the town.

Show people you care with gifts that are meaningful to both them and you. And if you have your holiday gift fund ready to spend, check out Casino Connection’s extensive gift guide.

5. Come together. The legendary Beatles song can be more than just the soundtrack to your weekend road trips; the tune can be your holiday motto. If your holidays are usually spent traveling to your family’s home in another state, consider canceling your trip and staying home.

You can save hundreds of dollars and gather friends, neighbors and co-workers together for a makeshift holiday potluck. Or you can spend a quiet holiday alone with your significant other, watching themed movies and pretending like it’s actually cold outside. Either way, you can plan to have a fun, anxiety-free holiday season without having to break the bank.

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Remember when a converted condo sold for upwards of $150,000 and a two-bedroom house was worth $250,000? If you bought at that time and you’re looking to sell now, you certainly do.

If you’re in that unfortunate position of having to sell a house in today’s troubled market, you probably already know how daunting the competition is. Home builders are in dire straits, and the price of a new home can be significantly less than what you’re hoping to get, even if you didn’t buy at the height of the housing bubble.

But all is not lost. There are a number of projects that you can undertake that will make your home look nicer, making it more comfortable for you to live in and more attractive to prospective buyers.

Given the troubled housing market, it is important to focus on smaller projects that cost less. A major renovation like adding a bathroom or ripping out carpeting and installing hardwood floors might look nice, but it is unlikely to improve the value of your house enough to cover your expenses.

Instead, you need to look to smaller projects that are quick and relatively cheap. Your focus is on holding or improving the value of your home, so you need to ensure a good return on investment.

The first thing a prospective homebuyer notices about a house is its appearance. Take this to heart. A fresh coat of paint does wonders. So, too, do minor changes like new fixtures in the bathroom, new fixtures on cabinetry or even something as simple as a new mailbox.

Painting is the one project that routinely generates a return on investment in excess of 100 percent, and if you do it yourself—and you do a good job—it can generate a return closer to 300 percent.

In the bathroom and kitchen, simple projects like putting new handles on the cabinets and drawers or sanding and painting or staining the cabinetry are quick, inexpensive and greatly enhance the appearance of a room. You can go further, if you want, and look at installing things like a new sink or toilet in the bathroom, or new appliances in the kitchen. Be warned that a potential buyer may loathe the sink you love.

Also, be careful about putting in new appliances. Tastes change quickly, and today’s preference for brushed stainless steel and white appliances could give way quickly to something else (remember when key lime green and harvest yellow were all the rage?).

The same warning goes for flooring. If it is in tatters, you’ll need to do something about it, but tastes in flooring change rapidly, too (shag carpeting, anyone?). A classic hardwood floor is a safer bet, but it is still a risk.

For flooring and appliances, the general consensus is that if an upgrade isn’t necessary and you’re planning to sell soon, don’t waste the time and money because you won’t increase the value of the home.

Other things you can do are spend the weekend outside trimming shrubs and cleaning up your yard. If you don’t want to—or can’t do a good job yourself—hire a professional landscaping company to do it for you. These services won’t break the bank, but it just might be the difference between an offer close to your asking price and no offer at all.

The very least you can do is to go around and replace burned out light bulbs and maybe buy some plants or flowers to bring new life into the house.

These quick projects might take a day or two on the weekend, but they are well worth the investment of time and money. If you’re trying to sell right now, you need all the help you can get, but don’t over think things and make the situation worse.

Look at how much a project will cost and then calculate an expected return on investment. If you won’t at least break even, skip it.

Next month, we’ll have a number of suggestions for improvements you can make if you’re thinking long-term.

By Greg Jones   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The Draft House is home away from home for people from Wisconsin, but it is also an opportunity for those not fortunate enough to hail from Packerland to embrace the cholesterol-laden and booze-battered lifestyle for which the state is known.

The outside of the building is styled after a typical Wisconsin dairy barn, while the bar and main dining area has a rustic, Northern lodge kind of feel. There is also a more family-friendly dining area tucked into the back of the Draft House. It’s brighter, has more booth seating and is smoke-free. Because of its unrestricted gaming license, smoking is permitted in the other dining areas surrounding the bar, but again, that’s part of the Wisconsin lifestyle: beer, brats and cigarettes.

Because beer is one of the food groups in Wisconsin, it is an important component of any restaurant review. In this category, the Draft House doesn’t disappoint. There are eight regularly available styles ranging from a light American pilsner style to wheat beer, stout, red ale and the high-octane Dirty Dog IPA (imperial pale ale). There are also a number of brewmaster specials that vary with the season. Of course, all the major labels are available in bottles, and there is a full selection of spirits behind the bar.

While the handcrafted beers are certainly a nice touch, the Wisconsin experience wouldn’t be complete without something being either fried or smothered in cheese. In this category, the appetizers exceed all expectations. The potato skins add the glory of bacon and sour cream to the cheese-covered goodness ,while the cheese curds combine the power of cheese with the joys of deep fat frying (take a cheese curd, soak it in beer batter, deep fry it and cover with more cheese). The chicken wings are larger than those available at most places, and constitute a meal by themselves. Likewise, the nachos are as much a meal for two or even three as they are an appetizer.

Those who for some strange reason are looking for more health-conscious fare are still in luck, with the Draft House serving up a highly recommended artichoke dip. Along those same lines, there are a number of salads and a pesto chicken wrap on the menu, but that is more California cuisine than a true artery-clogging Midwestern meal.

For that you have to try something like the meatloaf sandwich, the pot roast melt or some of the more unique brat creations. For those unfamiliar, brat is not an annoying child, but the food of the gods. Delicious in its own right, the folks at the Draft House have taken this sausage to new heights by putting them on top of chicken and steak sandwiches, burgers, or even putting a Klement’s and a Johnsonville on the same bun and topping it with bleu cheese. Best yet, the Draft House uses bonafide brat buns as the delivery vessel, and brat buns are not easy to find west of the Mississippi.

For the even heartier appetite there are a number of entrees (served with soup or salad and choice of two sides) available from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Entrée items range from walleye (pan fried or broiled) and pot roast to pot pie and lamb chops. There are also a number of steak and chicken dishes, as well meatloaf and a chicken and ribs barbecue platter.

The Draft House also offers a number pizzas, including a vegetarian pie with artichoke, zucchini, bell peppers and roma tomatoes, and the Big Ten, with salami, Italian sausage, pepperoni, mortadella, olives, onions, sweet peppers, garlic and mozzarella and Fontana cheeses.

There are a number of televisions spread throughout, and there always is some kind of sporting event on. The Draft House throws parties throughout the college football bowl season and also during the college basketball tournament.

A word to the wise: unless you’re a fan of the Green Bay Packers, you’ll want to stay away on game day. The Draft House has been a Packer bar for 21 years, and people are known to get there hours before kickoff just to get a good seat.

It is also where a number of people congregate to watch University of Wisconsin athletics (mainly football, basketball and hockey), although the Badger backers don’t come in the same numbers as Packer fans so it doesn’t turn into as big of a mess. The athletics are only a draw for a couple of hours each week; the rest of the time the draw is the Midwestern take on comfort food and the handcrafted beers.

4543 N. Rancho Dr.

Hours: 24/7

702-368-3715

By David Schwartz   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Since the founding of Las Vegas in 1905, Fremont Street has been the town’s true center. Until the late 1960s, the Union Pacific rail terminal at Fremont and Main delivered passengers to the city’s main business district each day.

As can be seen in this undated photograph, Fremont Street was more than casinos and T-shirt shops in the 1940s and 1950s: The gambling halls are side-by-side with a dentist’s office, lunch counters and drug stores.  We are looking east from the middle of Fremont and First sometime before Vegas Vic became the iconic sign of the casino center.

It’s been more than a decade since this section of Fremont Street was closed to pedestrian traffic, and the thought of driving up to the front door of the Golden Nugget might strike some people today as strange. But when this photograph was taken, you could do just that.

There are some interesting historical notes, as well: The Las Vegas Club seen here on the south side of the street was the predecessor of today’s casino, which is on the north side.  The Monte Carlo Club is the site of the small slot casino La Bayou and, back in 1931, was the Northern Club, one of the original four gambling halls of Las Vegas.

It’s just another reminder that no matter how much things change, they often remain the same.

SOURCE: Manos Collection, UNLV Special Collection

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Amidst fears that a slumping economy would cause falling attendance and lower sales, the gaming industry’s most important trade show, Global Gaming Expo (G2E) was held last month in Las Vegas.

To the relief of show organizers and exhibitors alike, attendance was down only slightly—just 7 percent, according to show co-owner the American Gaming Association—while the quality of the attendees was at least as good as last year.

Most exhibitors were happy to the see the important decision-makers strolling the show floor. While some were struggling with shrunken or empty budgets, their appearance at the show helped to give vendors confidence that the industry would rebound once the economy gets straightened out.

Still, the message delivered by virtually every operator was dismal.

“All of our companies, if you talk to their CEOs, they will tell you, they are tightening their belts,” said Frank Fahrenkopf, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association.

During G2E’s annual “State of the Industry” panel, Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman told the audience that the industry was spending money like “drunken sailors” before the economic downturn hit.

He expressed confidence that the industry would recover, but only after “a significant sea change in the way in which the balance sheets of these businesses are structured.”

MGM Mirage CFO Dan D’Ariggo said he didn’t expect to see any new casino construction on the Las Vegas Strip for at least five years.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom at this year’s G2E. A massive after-show party at the Orleans Arena, featuring a performance by singer Kenny Loggins, drew thousands of guests lured by invitations from members of the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM). The event replaced the individual parties that each member once staged.

The 9th annual conference of the National Center for Responsible Gaming presented some groundbreaking treatment options for problem gambling. Attendance at the meeting, held in conjunction with G2E, was level with last year.

And for the first time, Casino Design, a conference dedicated to the design and construction of casino resorts, was held the day before G2E. Attendance was up over last year, when it was held in New Orleans in the spring.     The highlight of the Casino Design conference was the presentation of the AGA Casino Design Awards. MGM Grand Detroit was named the top new casino, and designer David Rockwell accepted the Jay Sarno Lifetime Achievement Award.

As always, the Global Gaming Expo provides the launch point for new slots from all the major manufacturers. The world’s top slot manufacturers responded to the challenge of the global economic slump with some of the most innovative products seen in years.

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Konami Gaming made a statement at last month’s G2E. Previously a secondary slot machine manufacturer, Konami has rocked the gaming industry with new slot machines, streamlined (and affordable) systems and a new outlook on its future. The Japanese-based company is part of a much larger entertainment company that develops pachinko machines for Japan, video games, arcade machines and more. Steve Sutherland heads up the company’s U.S. gaming operations from its Las Vegas offices. He explained the new direction of Konami to Casino Connection Publisher Roger Gros and Editor Frank Legato in September. To hear a complete version of the interview, including comments from Konami Gaming Chairman and CEO Satoshi Sakamoto, go to www.ggbmagazine.com and click on GGB Podcasts.

Casino Connection: You’re head of the U.S. division. How important is the U.S. division to the overall health of Konami?

Sutherland: When you take a look at the Konami Gaming unit within the Konami Corporation, it’s of very strategic importance to the parent company. It’s a major growth market and they’re looking to definitely make a major play in the marketplace. Right now, I think within the industry we’re considered very much a tertiary player today, however, with some outstanding products.

I guess the best way to take a look at it—we’re just coming off the Olympics, so we want to be on the podium. We want to be No. 1, No. 2 or No. 3. We are following a strategic plan to achieve that. We can see it in our most recent product introductions here over the past few years, through our game development area and also in our systems arena. We are executing a strategy to achieve that.     

Do you think R&D is key to this effort? Between the various teams that Konami has around the world now, how are they going to interrelate?

When we take a look at the business we’re in today as a manufacturer, it’s engineering first, followed by all the other services. Engineering is first and foremost in our mind in the utilization of those worldwide resources is key to our long-term success.     

Approximately three years ago, on the game side, we had invested in a very high-level executive from the technology industry. He knew nothing about the gaming industry whatsoever. He was a proven engineering manager in the high-tech industry. We knew he could learn this industry, and we were looking for him to build an organization to put the processes in place to ensure that we could get the timely delivery of product in the marketplace.

But more importantly, as we take a look at manufacturers in our industry, too many of them have historically looked at game design as more of an art. We look at it as more of a science. We were originally in that art form; we’re now into the scientific component of that that is very analytical and very scientific. So it’s no longer just leaving it up to the game designer. There are some proven principles out there. We apply those to the game, tweak them, but more importantly, once they get on the casino floors, make sure that we fully analyze those.

We secured test sites with key casino operators. We requested specific data back, more than we normally get. Why does the patron like that game? What are the various components of those pay tables that really drive the players? Getting more feedback on the graphics, the arts, the colors, etc. So we’re using that information day in and day out.

For the first four to five years we were—and I hate to say this—throwing games up on the wall to see what stuck with patrons. If we took a look at our game performance graphs at that point in time, maybe 25 percent to 30 percent of our games had a level of legs. Over the past three years what we’ve seen is a switch in that, where 30 percent of the games going out don’t have any level of legs, they’re dogs. But 70 percent of them we’re starting to see are over house average. And out of that we’re starting to determine what the “legs” are. So we’re going to continue to refine that process, more of an analytical, very objective process, take the subjectivity out of it and move forward as a company. And we apply that same process on the systems side also.

One systems customer of yours that we talked to said he liked the Konami system because it started with engineering and then it put the marketing on top of the engineering, where the other ones start with the marketing and then tried to engineer according to the marketing.

My background is in the high-tech industry. We’ve had the opportunity here at Konami to build a system upon the right infrastructure. I believe there’s been a number of very major mistakes by our competitors on the hardware and network infrastructure upon which they’ve built their system. I believe that any implementation should be built upon the right hardware and network infrastructure.

If we take a look at the volume of transactions in the casino industry and you want to draw an analogy to other industries, you have to go to the banking industry. The banking industry’s the only other type of industry above and beyond the internet that has the volume of transactions that our industry experiences day in and day out. So based on that, another decision was made that on the back end it had to have a very large-scale database; something like Oracle, which we ultimately went with. Why Oracle, or a very large-scale database? It’s because of the robustness, the reliability of that database in a number of things that they do automatically that reduces the necessity to have key people on your IT staff, because something like Oracle does it automatically.     

So in effect what I’m saying is we adopted a Fortune 100 company architecture and that was key to our decision-making process. We are authorized by our parent company to acquire any systems company. We reviewed every systems company out there; none had the architecture specifics that we require. Once you have the proper architecture, we felt we could build the appropriate applications.

Tell us about your new system that addresses the integration of non-gaming spend.

We know that in a number of casino properties that casino revenues are down to maybe 50 percent of the overall revenues. The balance of the revenues are being driven through the property’s hotel, the restaurants, the shows, the golf courses, the retail, etc. So the determination was we really had to identify what is true patron value.

The gaming industry has transitioned over the past decade, where you have a number of patrons that come to casinos that don’t gamble. I happen to know of certain patrons that will gamble very significantly at their home casino, but when they come here to Las Vegas and they’re staying at some of these major properties, they are bringing five to 10 other people along with them. Those people may be gambling, but many of these people are not on the casino floor here, they’re in the retail shopping centers, they’re in the restaurants or they’re on the golf courses.     

What is their value for bringing those other 10 people who they’re paying for? How do you tie in the value of those patrons or their friends who are down on the floor gambling? How do you tie in the value of those dinners where they’re paying for those 10 other people? Or the shopping experiences?

In this economic downturn, how are you going to convince casinos that it’s to their benefit to buy some of these new products that you’re offering?

Being in these recessionary times, it’s a two-edged sword. It’s somewhat of a curse to Konami, because we have great product today that if we weren’t in a recession, may take Konami to the podium today. Timing is everything. But on the other side, the positive side, if we didn’t have these winning products, I think the company would be on very hard times at this point.     

Last year, year-over-year growth was outstanding. And it looks like we’re up over this year as well. So from Konami’s standpoint, we’re benefiting from this strong game design in an industry that’s in a downturn mode. Konami’s just getting a greater share than some of our competitors. We’re taking away from others. So we’re growing in that manner.

What does it mean to you to be finally on the verge of becoming one of the major players?

I know executive management is very proud of where we are today. Over the past two years, we’ve had outstanding returns, and we’ve been able to give back to our employees, which is very key to me. We have bonus programs for our employees. The past two years, to me, when you have that ability to hand out those bonus checks to those employees, to see those smiles on the employees’ faces, and for those employees to come up and thank us. In turn, I’m really thanking them, because all we’re doing from an executive management standpoint is setting direction. So there’s a lot of pride in where we are today.

The one thing that I constantly remind a number of people in the company: We are not on the podium today, and when we are on the podium, we cannot become arrogant or complacent. I’ve seen a lot of that in the industry. But when I leave here, I want to see a company that has attained one of the top three positions in the industry. The core components are here. I hope those players who take on this job long-term will carry forward and not adopt the complacency or the arrogance that we’ve seen some people in our industry adopt. We need to stay away from that for this company to be successful for the long-term.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Trilliant Gaming Incorporated offered Illinois $435 million last month to use the state’s last available gaming license for a casino in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont. The offer was nearly twice as much as the next highest of six made by bidders teamed with host communities.

Los Angeles-based Trilliant is headed by former MGM Grand President Alex Yemenidjian. He is in a joint venture with Onex Corporation, a Canadian private-equity firm headquartered in Toronto.

Trilliant’s offer surprised observers who expected the dormant Emerald Gaming license to fetch little more than $300 million at most because of current market and credit conditions. Those conditions may have been reflected in the other bids, which ranged from $225 million down to $60 million.

In an aborted 2004 auction, Isle of Capri Casinos put up $518 million for the 10th Illinois casino license. Isle also planned to build in Rosemont, seen as a lucrative location because it’s between downtown Chicago and the city’s busy airport, O’Hare International.

Last month’s applications launched a selection process the Illinois Gaming Board expects to finish by year’s end. After public presentations from all contenders, the board will choose three finalists by considering points such as incentives for host communities, minority employment plans, even cannibalization of nine existing Illinois casinos’ revenue.

Other communities vying for the license are all close-in Chicago suburbs except for Waukegan near the Wisconsin border north of the city. Their offers and partners:

Waukegan: $225 million bid by Waukegan Gaming LLC. Principals: SL BDK Waukegan LLC (Richard Stein, Alan Ludwig, Charles Bidwell, Edward Duffy, Jeffrey Krol); Clairvest Group Inc. Gaming Investment Fund LLC; Michael Pizzuto.

Harvey: $175 million bid by South Side Casino LLC. Principals: Empire Resorts CEO David Handlon, James Griffin, Salish Gabhawala, William Krug, Jonathan Harris, John Argianis, William Tsourapas.

Stickney: location of the Hawthorne Racetrack, $150 million bid by Hawthorne Gaming LLC. Principals: Joe Canfora, who was once an investor in two Empress casinos in Illinois; Estate of Thomas Carey, whose family owns the track.

Calumet City: $150 million bid by Calumet Gaming LLC. Principals: also Joe Canfora, Gary Grasso.

Des Plaines: $100 million bid by Midwest Gaming & Entertainment LLC. Principals: High Plains Gaming, Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm, Andrew Bluhm, Leslie Bluhm, Meredith Bluhm-Wolf, Greg Carlin, four Bluhm family trusts.

Country Club Hills: $60 million bid by CCH Gaming Partners LLC.  Principals: Lafayette Gatling, Marguerite Gatling and developers Michael Reschke, Steven Craig.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

It was an historic election in the United States last month. Voters elected the first African-American president, the Democrats gained an even tighter grip on Congress and gaming celebrated its most positive results in years.

Barack Obama’s election to the presidency was not only historic, but it could be transformative. While the impact of an Obama administration and an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress is uncertain on gaming, online gaming is more enthusiastic because the role of champion Rep. Barney Frank has been front-and-center in the economic bailout.

But it was in state referendums where the gaming industry made the most gains. The following results were mostly good news for the gaming business:

Colorado adds craps and more

Sixty percent of Colorado voters favored Amendment 50, which allows the state’s three gambling towns to let casinos raise maximum bets to $100 from $5, add craps and roulette and stay open 24 hours every day. The changes could take effect by mid-2009.

Cripple Creek’s mayor said the local vote will be held as soon as possible. Black Hawk and Central City were expected to follow suit soon.

New taxes from increased gaming revenue will go mostly to Colorado’s community college system. “The state estimates the revisions would bring in an additional $300 million over the next five years,” one  report said.

Maryland: Yes on slots

Maryland voters approved a constitutional amendment that legalizes a total of 15,000 slot machines to be placed at five locations in the state. The amendment, crafted and promoted by Governor Martin O’Malley, passed with a comfortable 59 percent margin.

The referendum authorizes slots at one facility in each of three counties—Anne Arundel, Cecil and Worcester—plus one in the city of Baltimore and another on state-owned land Rocky Gap State Park in western Maryland. The specific locations sited provide that slots may be added to two racetracks, Laurel Park in Anne Arundel County and Ocean Downs in Worcester County. While the language of the referendum does not require slots to be added to those specific sites, it has been presumed that those tracks will become racinos.

The amendment provides for the creation of a gambling commission that would be empowered to alter the number of slots permitted in any one location according to market conditions, though none will be permitted to have more than 4,750.

Maine casino rejected

Hollywood Slots casino in Bangor will remain the only slots in Maine with the decisive defeat November 4 of Question 2, a measure that would have authorized a $184 million casino and hotel in Oxford County.

The vote was 54 percent versus 46 percent against Las Vegas-based Olympia Gaming’s proposal that it jumped into weeks before the election after the original sponsor dropped out.

Not now in Ohio

Ohio’s Issue 6 casino proposal went down in a 2-1 margin defeat last week with about 3.28 million voting against it and 1.95 million for, yet the proponents, MyOhioNow, say they will return again next year with a more finely-tuned proposal, this one with casinos in multiple locations, instead of just one.

Missouri ends loss limits

The voters in Missouri last week ended the state’s unique $500 gambling loss limit put in place in 1992 that casino owners felt had hobbled the gaming industry and made it less competitive against casinos in other states.

The vote on Proposition A was lopsided, 56 percent in favor and 44 percent against.

To balance out the removal of the loss limit, gaming taxes will go from 20 percent to 21 percent, giving education an estimated additional $110 million a year, and put a lid on new casinos in the state at 13, something that existing casino owners are happy about, because it means that the market won’t become saturated.

The limit was immediately lifted.

West Virginia resort goes to tables

A referendum authorizing table games at the Greenbrier Resort passed by 366 of 13,000 votes cast in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The vote prompted the resort to start seeking “a third-party adviser to comprehensively evaluate gaming’s potential impacts,” Greenbrier President Andrew Fogarty wrote to employees the day after the election.

Other issues

In Massachusetts, voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum that puts an end to greyhound racing before January 1, 2010. The results means that the Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park in Raynham and the Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere will be forced to close, throwing more than 1,000 people out of work. It’s unclear what this means to the tracks’ pursuit of slots, which has been put aside until next year.

Arkansans voted 63 percent to 37 percent to legalize a lottery, which the state constitution has banned for 172 years.

In Delaware, Jack Markell was elected governor. Markell is open to the expansion of gaming, which was not true of the current governor, Ruth Ann Minner. Delaware is likely to add sports betting and table games within the next two years to combat the threat of slot machines from Maryland.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

An international gaming company best known for its work with mobile devices acquired the largest oddsmaking company in the world last month.

Cantor Gaming, an affiliate of Cantor Fitzgerald, acquired the Las Vegas Sports Consultants firm for an undisclosed amount of money. LVSC provides odds and point spreads to sports books throughout Nevada, and its consensus line is a touted commodity for sports gaming worldwide.

The move gives Cantor additional gaming opportunities while allowing LVSC the ability to distribute a broader range of services on a real-time basis. A new platform of products related to sports wagers is pending regulatory approval and is expected to be announced shortly.

“LVSC is the most respected and trusted odds maker in the business, with a long and impressive track record of making lines on all major sporting events,” said Lee Amaitis, president of Cantor Gaming. “LVSC’s strict ethical guidelines and sophisticated use of technology reflect Cantor’s own values of trust and innovation. We’re delighted to combine the expertise of both companies, to offer customers a comprehensive range of sports gaming services.”

Kenny White, COO of LVSC, said the deal creates new opportunities for his company.

“We see huge synergies between the two businesses and are delighted to be working with a company that is raising the bar for sports gaming worldwide,” White said.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Wynn Resorts is now accepting reservations for its Encore hotel rooms. The resort opens December 22, but has to wait for Clark County to issue certificates of occupancy before booking rooms in December. The hotel is currently accepting reservations beginning January 12. The resort’s average hotel room rate is $229.  Encore is located next to Wynn Las Vegas.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Adult entertainment publishing company Penthouse is looking to buy a casino on the Las Vegas Strip, according to a report by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The company is particularly interested in making a move because of the depressed economy and a number of casino companies indicating a potential desire to sell.

Penthouse CEO Marc Bell said the company would not rebrand any casino it purchases, but would invest capital to clean it up and add some Penthouse components like a pool and themed casino area.

Bell envisions using girls from the magazines as dealers and having strippers perform inside the casino.

“I would to imagine at some point we would be able to, as entertainment gets more risque on the Strip, as Vegas gets more back to its roots,” Bell said.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Developers are in talks to purchase the Carson Nugget from the Adams family in a bid to give downtown Carson City a makeover.

If the unnamed developer should buy the Carson Nugget, it will be part of an overall redevelopment project that would include a hotel, convention center, retail spaces and a parking garage.

Carson Nugget officials have declined to release details regarding the developer’s specific plans or any price negotiations that have taken place, but the Adams family has detailed a dream to turn the Carson Nugget into a non-profit organization. Carson Nugget Chief Financial Officer Star Anderson told the Nevada Appeal that if the family’s wishes are granted, the casino will benefit Carson City’s charities.

A new owner would help to improve the Carson Nugget’s economic outlook. The casino laid off 22 workers last month.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The company involved in the redevelopment of the Lady Luck casino in Downtown Las Vegas is asking for a rebate on sales tax revenue it generates with a completed project.

CIM Group is looking at a mixed-use project at the site that will include 100,000 to 200,000 square feet of retail shops. The city of Las Vegas has agreed to sell land surrounding the property to CIM for $92 million, provided the developer invests at least $100 million into the renovation of the casino.

Lady Luck has been closed since February 2006. At the time, the Henry Brent Co. said the remodeling would take 12 months. Since then, the property has changed hands and is now controlled by CIM Group.

The company is applying to have the development classified as a tourism improvement district, allowing it to issue sales tax anticipation revenue bonds to fund construction. CIM estimates it would generate $50 million in new taxes over the next 23 years, but the amount of money it would be rebated has not been determined.

The Nevada legislature set a deadline of October 1 for the completion of projects designated as tourism improvement districts, but the city has put in a request to extend the deadline.

A number of bodies, including the city council, Clark County Commission and School District and the Nevada Commission on Tourism must sign off on the improvement district tax break.

Steve Van Gorp, deputy director for the Las Vegas office of business development, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he believes tax rebates are necessary for the project.

“It’s a new project that is creating tax dollars. It’s not a project with existing tax dollars,” Van Gorp said. “If the project doesn’t get built, there are no tax dollars.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Depending on how you view the numbers in a new list of the safest U.S. cities, crime in Las Vegas can be bad or worse.

CQ Press ranked 338 metropolitan areas on per capita crime statistics reported last year. The report clearly suggests New Orleans is the most dangerous place in the country, with the city ranking No. 1 on the cities list and the metro area coming in No. 3 on the list of metropolitan areas.

Las Vegas was ranked No. 58 on the city list, but it was No. 4 on the list of metro areas.

Of course, there are critics of such rankings, including the FBI, which cautions that city-by-city comparisons are difficult because different law enforcement agencies compile information differently.

So while you can take the numbers with a grain of salt, just to be safe, remember to close your windows and lock your doors.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Clark County commissioners recently gave the go-ahead to two developers seeking to build casinos in the area just west of the Las Vegas Strip.

Tropicana Grand LLC received approval from the commission for its planned casino project across the street from the Orleans. The company is set to incorporate 1,388 hotel rooms, 192 condos, a 100-square-foot casino, convention center and spa as part of its 15-acre property.

Architect Joel Bergman of Bergman, Walls and Associates told the Las Vegas Sun that the project has no specific deadline, because the need for flexibility in the current economic climate is of the utmost importance.

“We’re going to take our time and plan this right,” Bergman told the newspaper.

Desert Inn Procyon LLC also received approval from Clark County commissioners, though in this case the company was granted a two-year extension in its plans to build a casino on 6.5 acres on the corner of Spring Mountain and Valley View.

The Chinatown property will also have a 1,195-room hotel, a 60,000-square-foot casino, retail areas and convention space.

Though the two projects may take longer than usual to complete due to the current credit crisis, the plans and approvals for new projects are a sign that Las Vegas gaming operators remain hopeful that the city will rebound sooner rather than later.

The new properties will also provide hundreds of jobs to a state that is suffering under the weight of increasing unemployment rates.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The Palms Casino Resort began accepting wagers on NBA basketball games at the end of October. The Maloof family owns both the Palms and NBA team the Sacramento Kings, and the NBA Board of Governors voted to allow betting on all games except those played by the Kings. Harrah’s Entertainment has a similar deal with the NBA, allowing wagers on all NBA teams except the Boston Celtics. Harrah’s CEO Gary Loveman owns a stake in the Celtics.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Back when Binion’s Gambling Hall was Binion’s Horseshoe, world-renowned poker players would flock to the casino for the epic World Series of Poker.

The Fremont Street staple went through some hard times and the World Series relocated to the Rio, but new owner TLC Casino Enterprises is investing in Binion’s history and hoping to bring back the glory days of “good food, good whiskey, good gamble.”

One renovation sure to win over hardcore gamblers is Binion’s new poker room, complete with 10 tables, tableside food service and, of course, flowing whiskey. Two full-service bars border the room, and the walls are covered with photos of Binion’s past (as well as plasma televisions for a contemporary vibe).

“There’s a certain prestige associated with Binion’s poker, but the main reason poker players stay loyal to Binion’s is that we’re always moving forward with their wants in mind,” Glenn Casale, director of casino operations for Binion’s Gambling Hall & Hotel, told Gaming Today.

Located across from the $1 million display, the poker room draws action every hour of every day, with $2 comps per hour of live poker play and a $3 maximum rake on live games. Poker players can expect some of the best deals in town, including special room rates. Just like the old days.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Las Vegas-based casino operating company Herbst Gaming may wind up in bankruptcy court if executives are unable to resolve the company’s debt by December 3. Herbst must pay its bondholders more than $846.8 million or outline a debt-restructuring plan before the December deadline.

Earlier this year, Herbst’s bondholders had put the company into default. Lenders are now requiring the company to pay the principal on the loans or come up with a plan to restructure the debt.

Wachovia gaming analyst Dennis Farrell Jr. told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that bankruptcy seems inevitable for Herbst at this point.

“From a lender’s perspective, there has been tremendous decline in the valuations (of the bonds) and there is a continued weakness in the locals gaming market,” Farrell told the newspaper. “The question is what kind of equity value is in the Terrible’s brand and the name.”

The company recently stopped taking midweek hotel room reservations for its Terrible’s-branded Buffalo Bill’s hotel and casino.

Guests can stay at Buffalo Bill’s, which is one of three Terrible’s properties in Primm Valley, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During the week, Terrible’s patrons can stay at Whiskey Pete’s or Primm Valley, which are also owned by Herbst Gaming.

The casino floor and restaurants at Buffalo Bill’s will remain open during the week.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The question has floated around for a long time, but never seriously, until now: Regulators are discussing the possibility of lowering Nevada’s minimum gambling age from 21 to 18 in order to increase gaming revenues.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board and Nevada Gaming Commission neither support nor oppose the suggestion, though Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander did tell an audience of industry lawyers at a recent conference that he would propose the idea to state Senator Steven Horsford, the Democratic majority leader, and Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley. Both Horsford and Buckley said they do not support the idea, with Buckley adding that is isn’t a priority for the next term.

Thomas Smock, a lawyer for Aristocrat Technologies Inc., suggested the possibility of lowering the minimum gambling age this go-round, though he told the Las Vegas Sun he made the suggestion as a private citizen, not as a gaming representative. Smock noted that 18-year-olds can vote and serve in the military, and even gamble at certain Californian tribal casinos.

“I personally feel that this is a way that additional revenue could be generated, and if that means keeping our teachers employed and not cutting the state budget any further, I think it should at least be discussed,” Smock told the newspaper.

Nevada’s current minimum gambling age is enshrined in state law, and so must be amended by legislation and then signed off on by the governor in order to lower the age to 18.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Both Station Casinos and Boyd Gaming have added new restaurants to their properties, tapping into venerable national chains.

Station Casinos added LBS: A Burger Joint at Red Rock. LBS focuses on a more gourmet burger experience using all-natural meat—hormone-free Hereford beef and organic turkey—and offering a number of domestic, imported and micro-brew beers.

“LBS is a new take on the traditional burger joint, with gourmet burgers without gourmet attitude,” said Las Vegas restaurateur Billy Richardson, creator and operator of LBS. “Our goal is to serve up the perfect hamburger in a casual restaurant that is accessible and guest-centric.”

The company also opened Aliante Station with a TGI Friday’s.

Boyd Gaming has also been expanding its national offerings, adding Dunkin Donuts to both the Fremont Casino and Sam’s Town. Most recently, the company announced openings of TGI Friday’s at Gold Coast, Suncoast and Sam’s Town. The company already had one TGI Friday’s at the Orleans.

“The TGI Friday’s at the Orleans has been tremendously successful and our guests immediately responded to the familiar TGI Friday’s brand,” said Paul Chakmak, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Boyd Gaming. “We are excited to expand the TGI Friday’s brand into all Coast Casino properties.”

Boyd is also opening a Fudruckers and Subway at the Orleans as part of the new food court at the property. The food court opens December 9 and will also include a Sbarro and Baskin Robbins.

Suncoast is also opening a new steakhouse called SC Prime in November.

By Casino Connection Staff   Thu, Dec 04, 2008

The Poker Lounge at the Hard Rock played host to a new poker tournament that involves team play. Called Dream Team Poker, the tournament awards an overall winner as well as winning teams.

Three players make up a team, and the team score is derived from the position in which players are bounced out. It brings a new kind of excitement to the game, with players sticking around even after they have busted to see how their teammates are doing, and to offer advice in situations where it is allowed.

The biggest selling point for the tournament is that it is a valuable player development tool. While the big tournaments attract professional and semi-professional players almost exclusively, the team aspect makes the game more approachable to the average player. It also keeps them sticking around after they are knocked out because they want to see how their team performs.

“Singularly, when you play in a tournament—call the pilot and get me the next plane out of this place,” said Ed Fishman, a tournament co-founder. “Now, I’ve still got a shot so I’m going to hand around longer. It’s party time.”

The tournament attracted a number of celebrities and professionals, including 2006 WSOP Main Event winner Jamie Gold, professional Jean Robert Bellande, “Poker Babe” Erica Schoenberg, Mekhi Phifer, Roger Cross from 24 and Holly Montag of The Hills.

(Full disclosure: Casino Connection Managing Editor Greg Jones participated in the tournament as part of the Media Maniacs team, along with Jason Feinberg of Fox 5 and Basil Nestor of Casino Player. The team finished ninth overall, with Feinberg going out in 28th position, Jones going out in 26th and Nestor going out 16th. The winning team was comprised of three staffers at Bluff magazine. Go figure.)

Thu, Dec 04, 2008

Not sure about you, but I’m just getting over the hangover from last month’s elections. The long run-up to election day was agonizing, and now that it’s over, we can reflect on the “changes” that have indeed arrived.

Nevada has undergone a huge change as a result of the election. A previously “safe” Republican state, Nevada had become a “battleground” state in the past two presidential election cycles, but today Nevada, like many other once-red states, has turned a solid blue.

Once again, our viewpoint at Casino Connection is totally shaped by concern about the gaming industry, so the change from red to blue really doesn’t make much of a difference.

The election of Barack Obama as president is a historic moment for the country. We hope it means that race is no longer a major issue in the United States. The wide range of support for Obama demonstrates that Americans truly weigh candidates by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin.

Obama’s election should not impact the gaming industry. For one thing, he’s got many more pressing issues to consider before worrying about gaming. And even though gaming has more employees nationwide than the auto industry, we’re not expecting a bailout.

The federal government usually (and correctly) considers gaming a states’ rights issue. The only bump in the road was the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, which began under the Clinton administration. This was a federal study group designed to find wrongdoing in the gaming industry, but actually affirmed much of the good things we knew existed.

The only impact we can see right away is a possible loosening of the prohibition on internet gambling. Several bills that would legalize online poker are expected to advance, which puts the “camel’s nose under the tent.” Once government realizes how much tax revenue could be gained by an online gambling industry, all bets may be off.

The loss of Rep. Jon Porter was damaging for the gaming industry. Porter was a champion of the industry in Washington. While the victor, Dina Titus, is from Las Vegas, she has yet to demonstrate that she truly understands our business, so there is a nervousness about her term. Hopefully, Congresswoman Shelley Berkeley, gaming’s best friend on the Hill, will take Titus under her wing and explain the facts of life to her.

On a state level, Democrats now control both houses of the legislature. Fortunately, most legislators of both parties in Nevada understand the importance of the gaming industry to the state, so we’re hopeful that the “tax-and-spend” reputation of national Democrats will not translate to our state representatives.

But we do need more revenue to fix some of the major problems facing our still-growing state. If there is a tax increase, we will favor a broad-based increase that places the burden on everyone, not just one segment—the gaming industry.

On a local level in Las Vegas, there is no longer any party difference on the Clark County Commission. Democrats now fill all seven seats. But, as Chairman Rory Reid says, the decisions made by the commission are mostly non-partisan, so party affiliation should not matter here. At least we hope so.

A non-election related change we recently witnessed is last month’s resignation by Terry Lanni as the chairman and CEO of MGM Mirage. Since MGM Mirage is largely focused in Nevada, so was Lanni’s interest. His understanding of the needs of the state was demonstrated this year by his support of a broad-based tax increase to benefit education that would impact all businesses, not just the gaming industry. His reasoning was that all Nevadans use the schools and all Nevada businesses benefit from an educated workforce. Makes perfect sense to me.

Lanni was a great representative for the gaming industry. He was a member of the aforementioned federal gambling commission and helped to steer the research to objective, competent agencies rather than biased anti-gamers, thereby providing impartial results that have bolstered the industry.

While Lanni will be missed, Jim Murren, Lanni’s replacement, is already an involved and committed Nevada citizen, so we’re sure MGM Mirage and the state won’t miss a beat.

So, changes are coming. We’ll see if they are all positive, but for those who want to live in exciting times, your wish has been granted.