$5

ANTHONY CURTIS’ June 2018 Vol. 35 LasVegasAdvisor Issue 6

PARK MGM Entertainment supplants gambling … pgs. 2, 3

SPORTS BET- TING DECISION SCOTUS comes through, now what? … pg. 1

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS Hockey phenomenon rocks the desert … pg. 2

POKER TIME The WSOP and seven alternative tourneys … pg. 9

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rights. But that won’t fly with the card clubs, the lottery, COUPONOMY or big business. Big business? Heck yeah! Both FanDuel by Anthony Curtis and DraftKings have made their bookmaking intentions known, with the former about to get more powerful after being acquired by Paddy Power/Betfair. William Hill and Sports Betting Goes Global the bookmaking operations of several casinos will take their shots. Even slot manufacturer IGT has declared. And those are only the gambling companies. Sports We knew it was coming and it did. As expected, the betting is fabulously suited to mobile wagering, so it’s Supreme Court of the ruled by a 6-3 vote almost a fait accompli that the big tech companies (think that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Google and ) will get into the game. Then there Act of 1992 (PASPA) is unconstitutional, thus opening are the sports leagues themselves, who, amusingly, are the door for the legal wagering on sports throughout investing more effort trying to find a palatable way to say the country and, by extension, the world. When I say “we want a piece of the action” than they are preparing we knew it was coming, I mean we really knew. I wrote to legitimately maximize the golden opportunity to grow about it in Couponomy back in 2009. It took a little longer their sports that this decision presents. Regardless, it than I anticipated to get to this point, but we’re here will all take time. now. What does it mean? How much time? I’m thinking two to three years be- This might surprise you, but I don’t think it means a fore the markets are settled and we know who’s doing lot right off the bat. Everyone’s running around like their what … and how they’re doing it. It seems another given hair’s on fire trying to figure out what’s next. But there that new technology will come onto the scene to change might not be much of a next for a while. As of now, it the way we bet sports. Here at LVA, we’ve been looking looks like two states are in a position to initiate betting at peer-to-peer concepts for wagering. I’ll tell you more almost immediately—New Jersey, the state we all have about that as things progress. to thank for pushing the issue, and Delaware. Same as For now, our involvement won’t be different than it’s Nevada, you won’t be able to make a bet in either unless always been—keeping you up to date on developments you’re within the state lines, so that won’t change any- and opportunities and educating on how to take advan- thing for most people. If you’re living in Michigan or Illi- tage. With regard to the former, we’re creating features nois or California, you still can’t make a sports bet legally. at LasVegasAdvisor.com to follow the state-by-state Things won’t start to get interesting until we know progress and provide pertinent information on new legal who the next players will be. Candidates include West jurisdictions when they open. And as I’ve mentioned Virginia, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania. West Virginia before, we’re taking the lead in publishing books that and Mississippi won’t move the needle much. Penn- address the game. We currently have nine sports-betting sylvania could, but lawmakers there are falling all over titles in development and they’re coming from both sides themselves to screw it up with a tax structure that might of the counter. First up is Then One Day, written by Chris make it too difficult for sports books to operate and turn Andrews, the sports book director at South Point. One a profit. of the objectives of Then One Day is to teach readers the It won’t get really interesting until one of the big language of sports betting, so starting with this one will states jumps in—New York, California, and maybe get your chops up for the more technical strategy-based Michigan, Illinois, Texas, or the aforementioned Pennsyl- books that follow. Remember, sports betting is a beat- vania. But rumblings in New York notwithstanding, these able game, so there’s a lot to know and learn if you want states figure to join in farther out, due to logistical prob- to improve results. lems and infighting. If you think they’re mucking it up in I realize I’ve painted a slightly pessimistic picture of Pennsylvania, wait till you get a load of California, where the scene in general, but that’s meant only to temper they can’t even figure out who the players will be. The the knee-jerk expectations. If I didn’t think this was big, Indian casinos say their compacts give them exclusive continued on next page

JUNE 2018 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 1 Sports Betting Goes Global continued … market Monte Carlo attracted. The (downsized) casino feels like an afterthought, while the prominent entrance to the Park Theater and the big adjacent box office, along I wouldn’t be investing in it to the degree that I am. On with T-Mobile Arena a short walk away, are anything but. top of the possibility that good players can make money, Similarly, the Palms debuted several components of the nation is about to learn just how much fun sports its redesign (during a big Dom Perignon-infused party for betting can be. There will be a lot of new participants. the media), pretty much all of which are non-gambling It’s gonna be exciting. n oriented. New bars, clubs, and restaurants abound, all designed in a manner that positions the resort to reenter the hip-and-cool space that it occupied for more than a Culinary Strike decade under the Maloof-family stewardship. It seems a clear-cut strategy at both places to switch the focus from gambling to entertainment. It Las Vegas’ Culinary and Bartenders Unions have strikes me as a bit wayward, but that’s OK—there’s al- voted overwhelmingly in favor of sanctioning a walkout ways downtown. n if new five-year labor contracts aren’t in place by June 1. About half of the 50,000 eligible workers participated, with 99% voting to approve a strike. It’s not a certainty Golden Knights that a walkout will be called even if contracts aren’t in place by the deadline, but if one is, it will affect as many as 34 resorts on the Strip and downtown, causing a sig- As improbable as nationwide sports betting seemed nificant disruption in operations. a few years ago, it was almost a lock compared to the Should you be changing your travel plans? I don’t notion that the Vegas Golden Knights would be playing think so for two reasons. in the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. It’s First, I don’t think it will come to a walkout. The last nothing short of a mania here in Las Vegas when the major strike that did was in 1984. That’s 34 years ago Knights are playing, and darned if it hasn’t swept me up. and there’s a reason it hasn’t happened since: It’s too I’m a proud advocate of finance over fancy, meaning expensive for both sides. Accordingly, these deals tend my “favorite team” is always the one I’m betting on. But to get done. in the early minutes of Game 1 against the Washington Second, even if there is a walkout, the casinos Capitals, while sitting on a bet that the score would go won’t shut down. Replacement workers will be brought over 5.5 (a rare over bet for me, but circumstances dic- in to keep key operations running. Some restaurants tated), the Caps had a point-blank shot on the Knights’ and shows might take a hiatus, but you’ll have a room goal and I found myself rooting for a miss! Really? I to sleep in. Where things can become unpleasant is if couldn’t believe my own emotions, but that’s how con- picket lines are set up. Some people won’t want to cross suming the fervor is. The series is tied 1-1 as I write them for ideological reasons, while others just don’t this, so there’s still time to get in on the fun. Watch the want to be yelled at. In that case, you can get relief by remaining games in a sports book, bar, or even at home visiting the many locals casinos that aren’t embroiled in on TV and you’ll see what I mean. n this fight. n Golden Knights—The Book Two Reinvented If you don’t know, we’ve been posting a blog on Two major resorts, Park MGM and the Palms, de- LasVegasAdvisor.com since the Vegas Golden Knights’ buted their new looks in May and it’s striking how the changes at both are so much more about entertainment LAS VEGAS 3665 Procyon Street • Las Vegas, NV 89103 than gambling. (702) 252-0655 • (702) 252-0675 Fax ADVISOR e-mail: [email protected] • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com As explained in News, the Monte Carlo was officially Publisher: Anthony Curtis Customer Service: Nicole Watchus rebranded last month into the Park MGM, with all new Senior Editor: Deke Castleman Shipping & Receiving: Scotch Henderson signage (see the newsletter cover for the current building Accounting: John Leitner Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob Production Manager: Laurie Cabot Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scot Krause, lettering and a rendering of the final product) and casino Web Manager: Tanya Maynard Bradley Peterson, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott, chips, new restaurants, and a redesigned lobby and pool Research Assistant: Brenda Stewart Michael Shackleford Projects Coordinator: Lynne Loomis Cover: Patrick Michael Chin/MGM Resorts area. MGM Resorts has made no bones about the $550 LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian; million transformation being intended for a younger, hip- $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. All information is current at press time. Listed offerings per, and more affluent crowd than the 20-year-old mid- are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press ©2018

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2018 first home game of the first season; Knights on Ice is Las Vegas’ Top Ten Values written by longtime hockey fan and Las Vegan Joe Pane. Currently, it’s at 98 posts and counting—an epic chroni- cle of this amazing phenomenon. When it looked like the 1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 VGK would be in the playoffs, we started thinking that 2. Buffet • Palms • Daily • $10.99-$19.99 if they made a deep run, there might be a book in it and 3. Draft Beer • Flamingo • Daily • 5¢ we had 75,000 words already written. 4. Mac King • Harrah’s • Tues.–Sat. • $14.98 During the first two playoff rounds as the VGK kept 5. Shrimp Cocktail • Fremont • Daily • 99¢ winning, the idea kept growing, till finally, just before 6. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 Game 3 of the Western Conference Championship 7. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 against the Winnipeg Jets, with Vegas leading the series 8. Prime Rib • Klondike Sunset • Daily • $5.55/$12.99 2-1, we announced (to ourselves) that if they won Game 9. $1 Blackjack • Hooters • 24 hours • $1.20 4, we’d pull the trigger on the book. Yes, they won and we started scrambling. 10. Half-Price Dining • Downtown Grand • Daily • $5-$8.50 Tentatively titled Vegas Golden Knights—How the First-Year Expansion Team Conquered the World, we The Ellis Island steak dinner (#1) is served in the plan to send it to the printer right after the Stanley Cup is Café and requires that you print out two coupons from hoisted, no matter which team is doing the hoisting. One an EI kiosk, the second one after playing at least $5 in of the great sports stories of all time is happening in our any slot machine with your club card inserted, to get town and we couldn’t let the opportunity pass us by. I’ll the $7.99 price. A.Y.C.E. at the Palms (#2) is our choice tell you more about it next month. n for Las Vegas’ best buffet considering the combination of quality and price; get the listed prices by showing a Boarding Pass card. The 5¢ beers (#3) at the Flamingo are served in the Margaritaville Casino area’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar from 5 to 6 pm. Get a ticket to the NEWS Mac King Comedy Magic Show and a drink for $14.98 by asking at the players club booth (#4). The shrimp cocktail at the Fremont (#5) is served in the Lanai Ex- Park MGM—Finally, the transition from Monte Carlo press snack bar all hours except 7 to 11 am daily. The to Park MGM is official, if not complete. Press releases hot dogs at South Point (#6) are sold from a cart in the were sent out last month announcing the change in sports book from 10 am until they close down the cart identity for the 22-year old 3,000-room resort, including around 5 pm. Michelob or Michelob Ultra in the bottle is new signage on the building. Work is still in progress, $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east however, on the $550 million upgrade and rebranding of the Strip (#7). Klondike Sunset serves two good prime that includes the 292-room NoMad Hotel Las Vegas rib specials in Sarah’s Kitchen—one for $12.99 begin- hotel-within-a-hotel. ning at 11 am and another for $5.55 beginning at 3 pm 18 Fremont—Documents filed with the Las Vegas (#8). Hooters’ $1-minimum blackjack game (#9) runs Planning Commission have revealed details about Derek 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay even money on bets of $1- Stevens’ 18 Fremont project, the downtown resort that $4. The daily half-price dining deal in Freedom Beat at will occupy the space that formerly housed the Las the Downtown Grand (#10) requires you to swipe your Vegas Club, Girls of Glitter Gulch, and Mermaids. Ac- players club card to get 50% off a choice of several en- cording to the filing, plans call for a 777-room hotel and trees, including a $17 prime rib that was a formerly in the n 118,000-square-foot casino with a sports book. There Top Ten; you can swipe daily. will also be a rooftop lounge, pool and spa, several res- taurants and bars, and a 1,500-spot parking garage built across Main Street with a bridge connector. A name (if a Waldorf Astoria. The sale precipitated the cancellation not 18 Fremont) and construction timetable were not of the Mandarin Oriental management contract, opening revealed. the door for the changeover. A complete rebranding will Palace Station—The last evidence of Palace Sta- be implemented to create Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas. A tion’s long-running railroad theme has been swept away. timetable has not been revealed. The prominent train sign that marked the switch from Bally’s—The resort has completed a $125 million the Bingo Palace to Palace Station in the ’80s has been renovation of its 2,052 rooms in the Resort Tower. It’s removed, leaving the electronic marquee out front that’s part of an ongoing room-renovation initiative for Caesars branded only by the Palace Station name. Entertainment that has resulted in 67% of its 23,000 Waldorf Las Vegas—As a result of the sale of the rooms in Las Vegas being upgraded since 2014. Mandarin Oriental at CityCenter, the hotel will become continued on next page

JUNE 2018 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3 News continued … papaya relish, kimchi, and the like to familiar American dishes. Twenty-five years later, little has changed. The room, the cooks, even the black tablecloths and faux- Rio—The Rio has built a 25,000-square-foot space leather menus are the same as they were on opening called The Wall that’s being described as an ”eat-er- night. tainment esports bar, lounge, and restaurant.” It’s cur- The prices are higher, but still in bargain territory for rently located in the WSOP-play area, but is expected a fancy room. Appetizers start at $14 for mozzarella and to be moved into the Masquerade Village section of the tomatoes and go up to $21 for a unique escargot and casino. scallops combo served on an escargot plate drenched Area 15—A new retail and entertainment devel- in melted butter. Another good starter is the sashimi that opment called Area 15 has been announced. Com- comes with eight thick slices of fish for $15. Steaks are bining restaurants, bars, and events spaces, the priced in the $30s, with chicken, duck, and fish selec- 126,000-square-foot complex will be located just off I-15 tions for $25-$30. This is another throwback restaurant near . It’s scheduled for completion in 2019. where the meals come with salads and sides included, Reno—Eldorado Resorts says it will connect the El- which makes the entrée prices even more attractive. dorado, Silver Legacy, and Circus Circus via sky bridges Second Street has always offered some type of steak to create a single integrated resort called The Row. It’s special and on our visit they had two: a big T-bone with not clear if the individual casinos will drop their names or salad, baked potato, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic retain them, indicating that The Row will refer to the col- green beans for $25 and a filet & lobster tail with a salad, lective. baker, and shrooms for $39. New York—MGM Resorts International has pur- chased the Empire City Casino in New York City for $850 million. The casino has 5,200 electronic games and live horse racing. It’s speculated that MRI made the acquisition, in part, to capitalize on sports betting and other online gambling if it’s approved in New York. Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was up 3.4% in March compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was up 9.1% and downtown was down 14.2%, its first major decline in several months. The total statewide win surpassed the $1 billion mark for the third straight month. Good news for the industry, but still a ways off the record eight consecutive months run- Second Street T-bone special ning from October 2006 to May 2007. Visitation was down .9%, making it 10 straight months of declines. Contributing was a 13.9% drop in It’s not quite like the original porterhouse special convention attendance. Visitation year-to-date is down that was a long-time Top Ten selection at, get this, 1.6%. $8.95, but both of the current specials stack up well in Airline traffic was up 2.2% in March. The data indi- today’s market. Our bill for the two specials, two appe- cates that 91% of passengers were on domestic flights tizers, and a beer came to $110 and there was food to and 7% on international. We’re not sure what the other go. This is an excellent play for a couple wanting a spe- 2% were flying. n cial meal at a good price. The Fremont doesn’t have a parking garage, but valet parking is free (plus tip). The other play is to park in the big red Fremont Street garage, then get your ticket DINING validated at the B Connected players club booth. n Hell’s Kitchen for Lunch Second Street Grill In our April review of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s When Second Street Grill opened at the Fremont Kitchen, we speculated that going for lunch would be in the early ’90s, it introduced to Las Vegas “Hawaiian a good way to beat the crowds. Now, after giving that fusion,” a hybrid cuisine that added pickled ginger, was- strategy a test, we can confirm. We made reservations, abi, sesame oil, oyster and Chinese-mustard sauces, but tables were available had we just walked in. Several

4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2018 dinner items are avail- The Basic Burger Limu Poke ton). The grub at this able for lunch, includ- nondescript strip-mall ing the same prix-fixe eatery is all Hawaiian: menu for $60 that’s $72 pork hash, spam mu- at dinner. There are two subi, mochiko chicken, burgers, the basic for loco moco, and Hawai- $19 and the spiced up ian breakfast plates, all Hells Kitchen burger for for under $11. We had $22. The price tag might a bowl of saimin ($6.99) make you blink, but this and limu poke ($7.99). is as good a burger as We don’t rate either as you’ll get in town and the best we’ve had in it comes with fries. The town, but neither do we ambience isn’t quite the recommend against. Hours are 11 am-7 pm Tues.-Sat. same as it is for dinner, and 10 am-3 pm on Sundays. n but going for lunch still means you’ve done Hell’s Kitchen—without the night- time reservations hassle. n Sen Happy Hour

Bajamar Seafood and Tacos Sen of Japan (8480 W. Desert Inn) has been one of the top sushi joints in Las Vegas for many years (LVA 10/08), but it can get a bit pricey. To sample the fare at The menu at a discount, Sen has a good late-night happy hour Mon.- Bajamar is almost all Sat. from 10:30 pm to 1:30 am. The special HH menu seafood, served in doesn’t include some of Sen’s chart-toppers, but there’s tacos and cocktails a selection of nigiri sushi and select rolls for $4-$4.50. and on tostadas. We had tuna, yellowtail, and salmon sushi, three rolls, a The fish, shrimp, couple of other appetizers, and a hot sake and the bill and octopus tacos came to $45 after tax. Good play in a cool place up on are $4-$5. Best are the west side. n the shrimp, but fish is a good way to go on Mondays and Specialties Tuesdays when the basic Bajamar tacos are only $2.50. We Italian beef—Giuseppe’s Bar & Grill, also on the west rate the tacos as side at 6065 S. Durango, is a restaurant/video-poker-bar decent, not excel- that has a full Italian menu, but the highlight is the bang- lent (a bit heavy on up Italian beef sandwich for $10.99. the chipotle cream Nachos—The Sporting Life Bar serves some of the sauce), but the price is right and there’s something kinda best bar food in town (LVA 1/15). But of all the good cool about this diner set-up located on the Boulevard things we’ve eaten there, the best might be the nachos. between the Strip and downtown (1615 Las Vegas Blvd. The standard nacho plate is $8.99 and you can add S.). There’s also a good dining parlay available. Just a chicken for $3.99, pork for $4.99, or carne asada for few doors down and in the same parking lot is Luv-It $5.99. The pork is the play, making it a $14 plate that Frozen Custard (LVA 7/03), serving Las Vegas’ best soft easily feeds two. These nachos are served without salsa, ice cream. n so you have to move the toppings around for maximum effect (or ask for salsa!). Dollar Oysters—Other Mama, located at 3655 S. Du- Pacific Island Taste rango, initiated a $1 oyster special on Mondays in May, then decided to continue it during Mondays in June. The restaurant opens at 5 pm and the special runs till clos- If tacos and ice cream aren’t your thing, drive an- ing. On other days of the week, dollar oysters are avail- other block north on Las Vegas Blvd. and turn right at able only for about an hour, beginning at 10 pm. n the light to get to Pacific Island Taste (1428 E. Charles- continued on page 8

JUNE 2018 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5 ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS

JUNE 6/16 • Blue October, Kitten JULY 6/8 • Figure and Eh!de w/Space Brooklyn Bowl • $29.50–$49.50 7/1 • Steve Martin & Martin Short Laces • Hard Rock Live • $30 6/16 • Peter White • Aliante • $25–$45 Caesars Palace • $49.50–$185 6/8 • Hannibal Buress 6/16 • Queensrÿche and Skid Row 7/3 • 10th Annual MMA Awards Mirage • $40–$60 Cannery • $25–$50 Palms • $55/$73 6/8 • Impractical Jokers w/the Ten- 6/16 • Sugarland 7/3 • Ho Ngoc Ha derloins • Park MGM • $43–$83 MBay • $31.50–$66.50 Orleans • $54–$109 6/8 • Jo Koy • TI • $64/$81 6/16 • Trixie Mattel • MBay • $33–$53 7/3 • Primus/Mastodon 6/8 • POCO • Golden Nugget 6/16–6/17 • Little Anthony & the Imperials Downtown LV • $32.11–$255 $31.61–$107.91 Orleans • $29–$54 7/3–7/21 • Gwen Stefani 6/8 • T.S.O.L. 6/20–9/12 • Jeff Dunham • Caesars Palace Planet Hollywood • $70–$210 Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$25 $49.50–$89.50 7/5 • Otep • Hard Rock • $18–$29 6/8–6/9 • Frankie Moreno 6/21 • Quinn XCII • Hard Rock • $28 7/5–7/7 • World Series of Darts South Point • $25/$30 6/22 • Dru Hill MBay • $36.70–$175.50 6/8–7/27 • • MBay • $16–$32 Brooklyn Bowl • $35–$50 7/5–7/15 • Mariah Carey 6/9 • Alan Parsons Live Project 6/22 • FireHouse • Golden Nugget • Caesars Palace • $59–$259 Westgate LV • $41–$431 $31.61–$107.91 7/6 • Joe Rogan • Mirage • $60–$80 6/9 • Crawford vs. Horn 6/22 • Kathleen Madigan 7/6 • Kevin Hart MGM Grand • $50–$500 Mirage • $61 MGM Grand • $34–$154 6/9 • George Noory 6/22 • Post Malone 7/6 • Method Man & Redman Silverton • $45–$112.50 Park MGM • $90–$145 Brooklyn Bowl • $37.50–$75 6/9 • Jeff Ross and Dave Attell 6/22 • Slightly Stoopid 7/6 • Sinbad Mirage • $41–$61 Cosmo • $29–$59 Green Valley Ranch • $25–$55 6/9 • José Madero 6/22–6/24 • Winter Dance Party 7/6 • TUF Finale MBay • $35/$100 South Point • $25–$35 Palms • $11.50–$275.50 6/9 • K–Pop at The Chelsea 6/22–9/29 • Alanis Morissette 7/6–7/8 • American Trilogy Cosmo • $48/$68 Palms • $59–$279 South Point • $20–$30 6/9 • Kesha & Macklemore 6/23 • Aaron Neville 7/7 • Great White & Slaughter MBay • $45–$126 Orleans • $45–$65 Cannery • $19–$69 6/9 • Rick Springfield 6/23 • Euge Groove 7/7 • Iliza • Mirage • $40.99/$50.99 Sunset Station • $29–$99 Aliante • $25–$45 7/7 • Miocic vs Cromier Viewing 6/9 • Whittaker vs Romero 2 Viewing 6/23 • Gillian Welch • MBay • $29.50 Party • Hard Rock Live • $35 Party • Hard Rock Live • $25 6/23 • Kool & the Gang 7/7 • Miocic vs Cormier 6/10 • Wanted: Bon Jovi Tribute Cannery • $39.95–$89.95 T-Mobile • $90–$805 Suncoast • $12/$18 6/23 • Ninja Sex Party 7/7 • Thievery Corporation 6/12–6/23 • Rod Stewart Brooklyn Bowl • $30–$69 Brooklyn Bowl • $35–$50 Caesars Palace • $49–$250 6/23 • Trevor Noah 7/7–7/8 • Nitty Gritty Dirt 6/13–6/16 • Nine Inch Nails Park MGM • $53–$295 Orleans • $30–$50 Hard Rock • $73.50–$350 6/24 • Katchafire 7/12 • Buttertones 6/14 • Buckethead Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$27 Hard Rock • $12/$23 Hard Rock • $25–$45 6/26 • Janelle Monáe 7/12 • Cinderella’s Tom Keifer 6/14 • Kings and Queens Palms • $39.95–$84.95 Brooklyn Bowl • $27/$30 Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$25 6/27–6/30 • Gwen Stefani 7/13 • Billy Bob Thornton and the 6/14 • Robert Irvine Planet Hollywood • $70–$210 Boxmasters • Red Rock • $35 Tropicana • $40–$100 6/28 • Dita Von Teese & the Copper 7/13–7/14 • Joey Diaz 6/15 • Box Tops • Golden Nugget • Coupe Burlesque • MBay • South Point • $15–$25 $31.61–$107.91 $50–$100 7/13–12/29 • Jay Leno 6/15 • Creed Bratton 6/28 • Dua Lipa • Cosmo • $39/$49 Mirage • $70.04–$90.04 Hard Rock • $20–$45 6/29 • Dirty Heads 7/14 • Counting Crows 6/15 • Dan Band • MBay • $15–$50 MBay • $43.70–$93.29 Hard Rock • $86–$359 6/15–6/17 • Christopher Titus 6/29 • Vans Warped Tour 7/14 • Local Brews, Local Grooves South Point • $25–$35 Downtown LV • $24–$100 MBay • $40 6/15–10/27 • Bill Maher • Mirage • $65–$87 6/29 • Wanda Sykes 7/14 • Los Tucanes de Tijuana 6/15–11/17 • Ray Romano & David Spade TI • $58.81/$87.15 Buffalo Bill’s • $25–$55 Mirage • $90–$120 6/29–6/30 • Fab Four • Orleans • $29–$49 7/14 • TLC • Red Rock • $45 6/16 • Art Laboe: Latin Legends IV 6/29–7/1 • Norm Macdonald 7/14–9/2 • Wayne Brady Buffalo Bill’s • $35–$70 South Point • $35–$45 Mirage • $50–$70 6/16 • Barenaked Ladies 6/30 • Alicia Villarreal 7/18 • Unknown Mortal Orchestra Red Rock • $56 Buffalo Bill’s • $25–$55 Hard Rock • $25/$45 6/16 • Brantley Gilbert 6/30 • Reik Des/Amor 7/20 • Breeders Green Valley Ranch • $55 MBay • $42–$75 Brooklyn Bowl • $30/$35

6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2018 ADVANCE PLANNER—HEADLINERS AND EVENTS

7/20 • George Thorogood & The 8/10–11/3 • Amy Schumer & Friends SHOW NOTES Destroyers • Sunset Station • Cosmo • $59–$199 $35–$50 8/12 • Charlie Puth • Eddie Griffin has opened at SLS Las 7/20–7/22 • Hermans Hermits: Peter Noone Palms • $59–$155 Vegas; tickets are $81.21-$135.71. South Point • $50–$60 8/12 • Harlem Globetrotters 7/21 • Logic with NF & Kyle T&M • $24–$132 • George Wallace opens at Westgate Las Park MGM • $36.24–$274.31 8/12 • Rebulution w/Stephen Marley, Vegas on June 26; tickets are $65-$95. 7/21 • Quicksand Common Kings, Zion I and DJ • Ticket prices for Aces of Comedy at Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$30 Mackle • Cosmo • $35–$55 have been decreased from 7/21 • Retro Futura 8/15–8/25 • Reba, Brooks & Dunn $77.38–$131.88 to $44.68–$131.88. MBay • $39.50/$68 Caesars Palace • $59.50–$205 7/21 • Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe 8/16 • Yuridia • MBay • $37–$75 • Ticket prices for Thunder From Down Cannery • $29–$99 8/17 • Avenged Sevenfold w/Proph- Under at Excalibur have been decreased 7/22 • Kane Brown • MBay • $42.50 ets of Rage & Three Days from $52.14/$74.54/$89.52/$100.42 to 7/22 • Streetlight Manifesto Grace $52.14/$63.04/$73.94/$89.52. Brooklyn Bowl • $27.50–$40 T-Mobile • $29.50–$79.50 • Ticket prices for for Donny & Marie at 7/25 • Adam Ant Brings Anthems 8/17 • Brett Young the Flamingo have been changed from Palms • $39–$79 MBay • $42.50/$87 $120.80/$139.06/$156.50/$308.65 to 7/25–7/28 • Bruno Mars 8/17 • Dispatch $120.80/$139.06 (no more expensive VIP Park MGM • $91.28–$504.59 Brooklyn Bowl • $39.50–$55 options). 7/27 • Brian McKnight 8/17–8/18 • Gipsy Kings Hard Rock • $39.50–$125 Wynn LV • $75–$125 • Ticket prices for Menopause the Musi- 7/27–7/29 • Tower of Power 8/17–8/19 • Psycho LV 2018 cal at Harrah’s have been changed South Point • $50–$60 Hard Rock • $99–$499 from $74.74/$84.74/$114.74 to 7/28 • Gary Allan 8/17–8/19 • Tony Orlando $84.74/$94.73/$104.74. Buffalo Bill’s • $30–$60 South Point • $50–$60 7/28 • Halsey • Palms • $59–$179 8/18 • Bill Burr 7/28 • Seether • MBay • $29.50–$49 Park MGM • $53–$103 7/28 • Tim Allen 8/18 • Lloyd Mirage • $65.39–$87.19 Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$30 AUGUST 8/18 • Niall Horan 8/1 • Decemberists Palms • $59.50–$149.50 MBay • $36–$56 8/18 • Panic! at the Disco 8/3 • Godsmack/Shinedown • T-Mobile • $30.75–$70.75 Downtown LV • $42–$350 8/22 • Rage Fest Tour 8/3 • Greatest Gen Khan Hard Rock Live • $25 Hard Rock • $20 8/23–8/24 • Jack White 8/3 • Train • Palms • $59–$149 Cosmo • $59–$109 8/3–8/4 • Comedian Dat Phan 8/24 • Gavin DeGraw and Phillip South Point • $15–$25 Phillips • Palms • $45–$149 8/4 • Chris Brown 8/24 • Rodrigo y Gabriela T–Mobile • $59.99–$149.99 Brooklyn Bowl • $34–$65 8/4 • Keith Sweat 8/24–8/25 • James Darren Buffalo Bill’s • $30/$45/$65 South Point • $20–$30 8/4 • Shania Twain • MGM Grand • 8/25 • Chris D’Elia • Mirage • $50/$60 $54.95–$179.95 8/25 • Lita Ford & Vixen 8/4 • Whitesnake Cannery • $19–$59 Red Rock • $35 8/25 • Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson 8/5 • EVO 2018 World Finals • MGM Grand • $45–$79.50 MBay • $48/$97 8/31 • Mariah Carey 8/5 • Kingdom Hearts Orchestra Caesars Palace • $59–$259 Hard Rock • $74/$114 8/31 • REVERENCE • MBay • $32 8/10 • Alice Cooper 8/31–9/1 • George Lopez Palms • $54–$339 Mirage • $65–$87 8/10 • Coheed and Cambria w/Taking Back Sunday • Hard Rock • $59.50–$129.50 8/10–8/11 • Jim Jeffries Mirage • $54.49/$65.39 See inside wrap (pg. 13) for 8/10–8/11 • Four Freshmen “Weather,” “Room Rates,” and South Point • $15–$25 “Key Dates.”

JUNE 2018 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7 Dining Notes Scotch 80 Prime has opened at the Palms in the space that was formerly N9NE. A second Le Thai has opened at 2202 W. Charles- Seafood Dropped—The Rio has quietly discontin- ton. The original is downtown on Fremont Street. ued its Seafood Dinner Buffet after years of being the Another In-N-Out Burger has opened at Sahara and only one of its kind. All dinner and brunch options have Hualapai. That makes 14 Las Vegas locations by our been reduced in price by $3-$6 and it’s now called the count, as they’ve popped up steadily since the opening Carnival World Buffet instead of the Carnival World Buf- of the city’s first, across the street from Wild Wild West, fet & Seafood Buffet. in 1992. Bacchanal Bump—The price of the Bacchanal Buf- Border Grill in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace fet weekend brunch and dinner has spiked by $10 to has closed. $59.99 and $69.99, respectively. These prices are in ef- Chada Thai & Wine has closed. fect at least through Labor Day. Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina has closed. n Line Fee—You can buy a pass for $10 to skip the line at the Cosmopolitan’s Wicked Spoon Buffet. It’s less than the $25 line pass at the buffet at Caesars, but a better strategy (for both) might be to go when it’s not busy. ENTERTAINMENT Burger to Dog—The $7.77 burger & beer at Jackpot Bar & Grill has been replaced with a $5 hot dog & beer. We loved the burger, but the dog’s no slouch—a grilled Ilusión Mental jumbo on a grilled bun. Get one while you play Jackpot’s strong VP bonus (see Gambling). Secret Dinner—In case you were wondering, the Planet Hollywood secret location of last month’s enigmatic Dîner en Blanc Thurs., Sat.-Mon., 5:30 pm pop-up picnic was Wayne Newton’s Casa De Shenan- $66.20/$79.10/$125.16 doah estate, where a reported 1,200 attendees showed up, all dressed in white. Ilusión Mental es el único espectáculo que está Block 16—Previously announced as Blvd. Market, completamente en español en la historia de la Las Vegas the collection of restaurants coming to the Cosmopoli- Strip. tan’s second-level space that used to be the sports How’d you do with that sentence? If you under- book is now called Block 16 Urban Eatery and Bar. The stood, even vaguely, that Ilusión Mental is the only five restaurants in the collection will be Hattie B’s Hot all-Spanish show in Strip history, you at least have a Chicken from Nashville; District: Donuts. Sliders. Brew starting point. Ilusión Mental is a one-man act in a 50- from New Orleans; Lardo and Pok Pok Wing from Port- seat showroom in back of Planet Hollywood’s sprawling land; and Tekka Bar: Handroll & Sake, which is a Las poker space on the mezzanine. The star of the show, Vegas product. They will be joined by Ghost Donkey, 24-year-old Santiago Michel, looks like a Latin soap- a tequila and mescal cocktail bar from New York City. opera star and uses every trick in the book to extract Also, a Chinese restaurant called Red Plate will open and reveal personal information about audience partici- this summer on the third-level in the space that was pants in this mentalist format. Fine at face value, but you D.O.C.G. n don’t have to wait too long for that language thing to intervene. There’s a difference between understanding, and Openings/Closings even speaking, a little Spanish and grasping all the nu- ance and humor in a Spanish-language show like this. Even though Michel translates here and there for the Three high-profile restaurants at Venetian/Palazzo benefit of the non-Spanish speakers, our reviewer, who are closing due to fallout from sexual misconduct alle- lived in South America for a few years and is familiar gations against their owner, celebrity chef Mario Batali. with the language, was a bit bewildered by the rapid- Carnevino, B&B Ristorante, and Otto Enoteca will all fire monologues and the responses of the participants. shutter July 27 by the edict of Sands Corp. Batali’s After all, a mentalist show is mostly about words. And if partner in the restaurants, Joe Bastianich, says he will you don’t understand those, you’ll be lost. It’s a worthy seek to reopen in other resorts. experiment, great for Latinos, and totally different for Spago is scheduled to open at Bellagio early this Vegas, but unless you’re fluent in Spanish or enjoy peo- month. Owner Wolfgang Puck is reportedly lobbying for a ple-watching (or culture shock), this one should probably discount on parking for locals who dine at the restaurant. be a pass. n

8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2018 Hamilton Lottery Orleans HH—Bailiwick at the Orleans has happy hours daily from 4 to 6 pm and 10 pm to close, with $2 off beer, wine and well drinks for $6, and appetizers from The second hottest ticket in town (Stanley Cup seats $7 to $10. are number one) is the musical “Hamilton,” playing at the Rebel Republic HH—Rebel Republic has happy Smith Center through June 24. Tickets aren’t impossible hours daily from 2 to 6 pm and midnight to 4 am, with to get, but you’ll pay a pretty penny on the secondary $3 beer, $4 well drinks, $5 shots, and $6 appetizers. On market. Alternatively, you could try the Hamilton Lottery. Tuesdays from 6 pm to midnight, it’s $2 tacos, $2 Mod- A digital lottery for tickets to all Las Vegas performances elo, and $4 margaritas. has been launched. It’s free to play, with winners al- Nacho Daddy HH—Las Vegas’ three Nacho Daddy lowed to buy up to two tickets at $10 each. The lotteries locations have a happy hour Mon.-Fri. from 3 to 6 pm run for two days prior to each performance and a total of (and all day Sunday at the W. Sahara location), with 40 tickets per show are awarded. Download the Hamil- beer, wine, well drinks, and appetizers for $5. The other ton App at the Apple and Google stores and enter once n locations are downtown and the at per eligible day until the last show date on June 24. Planet Hollywood. Drink Prices— At Echo & Rig, a mojito is $11.58 and a Heineken is $6.39. At G.O.A.T., a Molson Cana- Summer Movies dian is $8. In Furnace Bar at Downtown Grand, a Ketel One is $8, a Tito’s is $7, and a Heineken is $6. At the Golden Steer, a Stella Artois is $7.58. At Bajamar, a draft Two summer movie programs are in progress. Pacifico is $5.41. At Flowing Tide Pub, a Heineken is $5. “Dive-In Movies” runs on Mondays at the Cosmopolitan In Trackside Bar at Palace Station, a Heineken is $4.50. (8 pm). They’re shown at the pool and swimming is al- At Four Kegs, a draft Bud is $3. At Rebel Republic, a lowed. Admission is $5; no charge for hotel guests and draft Bud or Coors Light is $3. children under 5. June movies are Atomic Blonde, Ferris Openings/Closings—At the Palms, Camden Bueller’s Day Off, Zoolander, and The Breakfast Club. Cocktail Lounge has opened in the space that was The The runs the “Sweetest Little Movie Lounge and Apex Social Club has opened in the space Series” on Wednesdays (6 pm). These are all family flicks that was Ghostbar. and admission is free, first-come first-served. June mov- At Hooters, the Underground Lounge has opened in ies are Frozen Sing-a-Long, The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Na- the space that was The Pregame. ture, Despicable Me 3, and Peter Rabbit. n Due & Proper and Whist have closed in The District at Green Valley Ranch. Bellagio’s The Bank nightclub closes June 3. The Crazy Code club has operated since late 2007. Hyde remains open as Bellagio’s premier nightclub. n OK, we’ve seen some dress codes, but we’ve never seen the likes of the one at the new Apex Social Club at the Palms: a total of 52 clothing and accessory items are Entertainment Notes disallowed in the club. Here are some highlights: man buns, blue blazers with gold buttons, shirts or jackets Female Magic—The Magic of Jen Kramer has with elbow pads, fake Gucci or Louis Vuitton belts, fake opened at the Westgate, making its star the only fe- handbags, fake Rolexes, loafers with no socks, white male magician headliner in Las Vegas. Tickets are loafers with white belts, sunglasses, selfie phone cases, $31.87/$42.77. linen pants, ribbed shirts, flannel, bling, Jordans, fake Mariah Returns—Mariah Carey is returning to Las Jordans, and long beards that require wax. If enforced, Vegas and the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. “The But- we’re guessing there may be as many patrons turned terfly Returns” residency will run from July 5 through away as are let through the door. n September. Tickets range from $59 to $259. Wonderful—Stevie Wonder will boogie on for five shows at the Park Theater at Park MGM on August 3, Bars and Happy Hours 4, 8, 10, and 11. Tickets for “The Stevie Wonder Song Party” start at $69. Whiskey & Wings—During “Whiskey & Wings Queen—Queen + Adam Lambert will play the Park Wednesdays” at Ellis Island, get five wings and a shot Theater September 1, 2, 5, 7-8, 14-15, 19, 21-22; tickets of Jack Daniel’s for $5. The deal is offered at the casino start at $79. and lounge bars. continued on next page

JUNE 2018 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9 Entertainment Notes continued … “Millionaire Maker” June 9; the $50,000-buy-in “Poker Players Championship” June 15; the $1,111-buy-in “Little One for One Drop” July 7; and the “Big One for Palms Pool Closed—There’s been very little press One Drop,” with its massive $1 million buy-in, July 15. on it and the Palms website is still listing entrance de- The Main Event starts on July 2 and, same as last year, tails, but the Palms pool is completely closed for the will run straight through (no break for several months summer while the new complex is being built out. That before the final table) with the champion crowned on also means no “Ditch Fridays” pool party. Palms guests July 14. have pool privileges at Palms Place next door. All the tournaments are free to watch and this is Good Line-up at GO—This year, similar to last, an event worth experiencing if you’re in town. Follow the Flamingo is bringing in some big names at GO Pool important day-by-day results by monitoring “Vegas Dayclub. Included in the line-up are Bow Wow (6/23), News” at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n Coolio (7/19), Ja Rule (7/28), and Jesse McCartney (8/25). Admission is $15 or season passes are $100. LV Aces—Las Vegas’ other professional sports Alternative Poker Tourneys team, the WNBA’s , plays its home games at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Tickets start at $17. Every year, several tournaments with significantly Downtown Rocks—Three more bands have lower buy-ins run concurrently with the World Series. been added to the line-up for this year’s free “Down- This year Aria, Wynn, and Orleans join the mix, making town Rocks Summer Concert Series” at the Fremont a total of seven big-format alternatives. Here’s a quick Street Experience. The new acts are Lit and Filter (6/9), overview, ordered by our assessment of smallest to big- Jefferson Starship and Eddie Money (7/21), and Melissa gest action, listing the average range of buy-ins with the Etheridge (8/31). biggest buy-in of the tournament in parentheses. Back Outside—The first large-scale outdoor con- Orleans “Summer Poker Series” through July 1; cert since the October 1 Strip shooting has been an- $125-$150 ($400). nounced for September 22. The big Strip/Sahara corner Golden Nugget “Grand Poker Series” through July 3; grounds will be the site of “Daytime Stage,” part of $110-$250 ($570). the iHeart-Radio Music Festival headquartered at the Binion’s “Dog Days of Summer” (formerly the “Poker T-Mobile Arena. Classic”) through July 1; $125-$365 ($1,000). See the Advance Planner for dates, prices, and addi- Planet Hollywood’s “Phamous Poker Series Goliath” tional show updates. n through July 15; $100-$600 ($15,200). Venetian “Deep Stack” through July 29, $200-$600 ($5,000). Aria “Classic” through July 8; $240-$470 ($52,000). Wynn “Summer Classic” through July 16; $400-$550 GAMBLING ($1,600). Plenty of tournament action will last through the end of the WSOP in almost all the poker rooms around WSOP 2018 town. n

As this issue goes to press, the 49th World Series of Trailer Casino Poker is already in progress, running through mid-July. The interesting question associated with this year’s meet is how the increased opportunities for online qualify- Yet another trailer casino showed up in late May ing will affect participation. The WSOP’s record-setting for an eight-hour stint on the site of the former Moulin fields were produced mostly during the heyday of online Rouge. There was some advance media about the pos- gambling and the liquidity-sharing agreement between sibility of the mobile “casino” going up, but we saw no Nevada and New Jersey that went into effect on May 1 confirmation and absolutely nothing online or in print. is a move back in that direction, albeit a small one by Accordingly, no customers were there when we visited, comparison. though we were told there had been players earlier. Nine new events this year help set a record of 78 Temporary casinos such as this are used to preserve total. The marquee events begin with the $100,000-buy- a location’s gaming license. The license is renewed in “High Roller” on June 1, then follow with the as long as there’s live gambling there for at least eight $565-buy-in “Colossus” June 2; the $1,500-buy-in hours every two years.

10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2018 Talk about a bare-bones presence. The trailer was Big Rebate Down—If you were planning a trip to tucked away behind some fencing with absolutely no northern Nevada to play the powerhouse $1,000 rebate- signage. In fact, we drove right past it on the first try. on-loss deal at the Wa She Shu casino in Gardnerville, cancel those plans. We’ve been informed that the pro- motion has been discontinued. LVA readers had a good shot at this one after we reported it in the October issue. Win Cards Down—The Win Card promotion at Rail- road Pass has been discontinued. Horse Racing—A rainy Kentucky Derby was the wettest ever, but all-sources betting was up 8% over last year for both the race ($149.9 million) and the com- plete Derby Day program ($225.7 million). Justify was the sixth consecutive favorite to win. Comparatively, the all-sources handle for the Preakness was $62 million for the race and $93.7 million for the program, the lat- Inside were ter marking the third-highest total ever. Justify also won 16 machines, all the Preakness as a low-odds favorite and will run for the video poker with Triple Crown at the Belmont. the same sched- World Cup Line—Brazil is a +435 favorite to win ules for quarters soccer’s World Cup, followed by Germany at +450 and only. Two em- Spain and France, both at +635. The long shots are ployees of Cen- Panama, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, all at tury Gaming were +50,000. overseeing the Big Players—Once again, Australians have been trailer—no bar, designated the world’s biggest gamblers. Punters from booze, or cocktail down under lost $18.4 billion last year, which is $920 waitresses here. per adult country-wide. That’s twice the U.S. rate and Some who more than 50% higher than second-place Singapore. feel that any Aussie slot machines, known as “pokies,” have a huge casino opening presence in pubs and hotels and are responsible for the is lucky and think majority of the losses. n there might be an opportunity in playing these pop-ups should think again. The five schedules offered on this occasion ranged in Video Poker Lost and Found return from 93.11% to 95.71% for the best game, 8/5 Double Double Bonus. Maybe there’s some cache in saying you played video poker at the Moulin Rouge, but Bad news for Pick ’Em Poker players. According to we weren’t willing to fade the 5% to claim it. n the online database vpFREE2, Las Vegas’ last good Pick ’Em game at the Fremont has been downgraded. Ac- cording to the report, the previous 99.95%-return game Gambling Notes has been replaced with one returning 97.09%. The Fre- mont continues to offer good games overall, with several schedules returning over 99%, including Triple Bonus Jackpots—Megabucks was hit in May at Paris for Poker Plus paying 9 for a full house (99.80%) from 25¢ $11.2 million. It’s the first Megabucks jackpot since to $5, NSU Deuces (99.73%), and 9/6 Jacks or Better September (Fiesta Henderson). A $1.3 million jackpot (99.54%), both in 25¢ and $1 denoms. was hit at the Cosmopolitan on a Wheel of Fortune The on-again off-again play-$500-get-$50 bonus at machine. Jackpot Bar & Grill is back on. The promotion runs all More Drink Monitoring?—We’ve heard that a new day on Mondays and Thursdays, but after a change in system that monitors machine-play on the casino floor the procedure, you must have your coin-in verified by to determine drink comps is being tested in Laughlin. the bartender, who then manually loads the free-play Similar systems are already in place at some casino bonus onto your machine. bars, but this would expand the monitoring to all ma- G.O.A.T. bar has added the same play-$500-get-$50 chines. No firm plans to bring the new system to Las deal good on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. Vegas have been announced, but it seems only a matter This one is completely automated (as Jackpot’s was of time. continued on next page

JUNE 2018 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11 Video Poker Lost and Found continued … Largest House—In a list of the biggest houses in all 50 states compiled by Familyhandyman.com, Nevada’s entry is located at 1299 Via Tivoli in a gated community previously), but it’s offered during specific hours only: off Eastern Avenue in Henderson. It was built in 2006 midnight-3 am, noon-3 pm, and 6-9 pm. for eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and is reportedly worth O’Aces on Decatur has a play-$20-get-$10 sign-up $33 million. The square footage varies from between bonus. The best game is 6/5 Bonus Poker (96.87%). 48,000 and 77,000 (depending on what’s included), with There are currently no Bob Dancer video poker 33 bedrooms; 25 bathrooms; two gyms; a 35-foot climb- classes scheduled. They are expected to resume in ing wall; endless pool, tennis and racquetball courts; and August. In the interim, be sure to check out Bob’s dining for 10—in the wine cellar. It’s one of the five larg- weekly Tuesday column and the Thursday Gambling est residential compounds in the country. Pierre Omidyar With an Edge podcast, with Bob and Richard Munchkin, is worth an estimated $8.7 billion. n both at GamblingWithAnEdge.com. Sidewalk Stars—The Las Vegas Walk of Stars proj- ect, which honors Las Vegas entertainment personali- ties with stars embedded in Strip walkways similar to the sidewalk stars in Hollywood is getting a new home. FAST TRACK After more than half of the stars were taken out during Strip construction, a deal was made to move them to Promenade. The stars will reside in an area near the Tuscany Twofer—Earn 100 base points ($100 coin- High Roller wheel. in) on Tuesdays at Tuscany and get a 2-for-1 entrée at Strip Narrowed—One northbound lane on the Pub 365 or Tuscany Gardens. Strip in front of the LINQ has been closed to facilitate AZ Chaz Instacomp—Earn 300 base points on construction on the Fly Linq zip line. An adjacent lane Saturdays at Arizona Charlie’s Boulder or Decatur and also closes from 1 to 9 a.m. daily. The lanes will remain get a kiosk swipe for cash, free-play, bonus points, din- closed through September 15. ing credits, or a mystery gift. Strike Alert—As we go to press, it’s being reported WIFI—The longtime WIFI password at the D (LONG- that a contract agreement has been reached between BAR) has been changed to ONECARD. Caesars Entertainment and the Culinary Union. While the Chip Convention—The 26th Annual Convention of agreement is being called “tentative” and details of the the Casino Chip and Gaming Token Collectors Club terms have not been released, it’s a development that (CCGTCC) runs June 21-23 at South Point. Multiple will likely lead to additional agreements and lessen the dealers will be in attendance buying and selling casino chances of a walkout in the interim. n collectibles and vintage gaming memorabilia. Admission is $10 on the 21st, $5 on the 22nd, and free on the 23rd. Get more information at ccgtcc.com. Hawaiian Marketplace— Gambling Conference—The 17th International Where’d it Go? Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking has been an- nounced for May 27-30, 2019 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Generally considered the premier gathering of When it opened years ago, the 80,000-square-foot gambling experts and academics, the conference is held Hawaiian Marketplace, directly in front of the Polo Tow- about every three years (longer in some past intervals) ers in the Strip commercial stretch between Harmon and dating back to 1974. the , was (supposed to be) modeled after Seven Out—Vegas Seven magazine has been dis- the venerable International Marketplace in Waikiki. The continued. It converted from hard copy to an online-only version had island décor, with palms, presence in September, but has now ceased publishing pineapples, and a King Kamehameha statue. When we completely, leaving Las Vegas Weekly as the city’s only walked through recently, however, little was left. A Fat remaining high-profile alternative magazine. Tuesday bar dispenses alcoholic slushies from machines; Housing High—According to the Case Shiller Home T-shirt and eyewear kiosks, a reflexology space, Chili’s, Price Index and the latest Fitch Ratings, Las Vegas is an Irish pub, Chinese and Indian restaurants, and a the most overvalued housing market nationwide. Home small salon surround the “marketplace,” which is gone. prices are 21.3% above fair market value and increasing Curiously, right in the middle is a Zoltar Speaks anima- at nearly twice the countrywide rate (11%). Las Vegas tronic fortune teller in a box (immortalized in the Tom has plenty of company; of the 400 markets Fitch rates, Hanks movie Big); it works ($1), but given the lifeless sur- 72 areas as overvalued, with housing prices more than roundings, we were afraid to hear what it had to say. 10% above what income, population, and rent growth indicate they should be.

12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JUNE 2018 JULY JULY 19–21 Nerium Int’l—20,000 WEEKDAY WEEKEND 29–31 Cosmoprof N. America—35,000 Four Queens • $35 AZ C. Decatur • $80 29–8/1 ASD Las Vegas—44,000 Main Street Station • $38 Wild Wild West • $85 29–8/1 Las Vegas Market—50,000 California • $40 El Cortez • $99 Sam’s Town • $59 Sam’s Town • $112 Rio • $60 Hooters • $117 AUGUST Downtown Grand • $61 Luxor • $119 9–18 America’s Poolplayers Assoc.—15,000 Hard Rock • $102 Mirage • $150 11–14 Off-Price Specialist—11,500 Paris • $112 Hard Rock • $172 13–15 MAGIC Marketplace—85,000 Palms • $115 Paris • $172 AUGUST KEY SEPTEMBER WEEKDAY WEEKEND 14-15 Mr. Olympia 2018—45,000 Four Queens • $35 AZ C. Decatur • $75 24-27 ASIS International—21,000 Wild Wild West • $40 Wild Wild West • $75 27-29 International Vision Expo—23,000 El Cortez • $45 Four Queens • $80 28-30 Las Vegas Fan Fusion—15,000 DATES Circus Circus • $52 Circus Circus • $105 Hooters • $57 Golden Nugget • $111 JUNE Sam’s Town • $59 Sam’s Town • $112 Mean 84° Avg. Max. 99° Avg. Min. 68° Pools: Open Hard Rock • $88 Red Rock Resort • $164 The first of the hot dry months. Welcome to the desert. Palms • $105 Paris • $182 Mirage • $116 Mirage • $186 Attire: Minimal. JULY SEPTEMBER

ROOM WEEKDAY WEEKEND Mean 90° Avg. Max. 105° Avg. Min. 73° Pools : Open Four Queens • $35 AZ C. Decatur • $80 Dry, sauna-like heat. Sun worshipers enjoy 85% sunny days. Wild Wild West • $40 Wild Wild West • $95 Attire: The skimpier the better. If it’s not mandatory, don’t Fremont • $50 California • $100 wear it. Circus Circus • $52 Sam’s Town • $112 Sam’s Town • $62 Circus Circus • $118 AUGUST Westgate LV • $62 Silverton • $118 Mean 88° Avg. Max. 102° Avg. Min. 73° Pools: Open Hard Rock • $82 Hard Rock • $192 A very hot and wet month. Desert electrical storms are Paris • $112 Cosmopolitan • $210 Palms • $135 Palazzo • $224 spectacular but can cause dangerous floods on and around RATES the Strip.

WEATHER Best rates at press time from sample of 54 Las Vegas casinos. Rates NOT guaranteed, subject to Attire: Summer cool, bathing suits. change without notice, and do not include tax. Lower prices may be available online.

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