ANTHONY CURTIS’ LasVegasAdvisor March 2021 • Vol. 38 • Issue 2 $5

OMEGA MART Newest addition to the ‘out there’ Area15 … pg. 13

THE TWO BIG- GIES Saving money on rooms and travel … pg. 1, 4

VIRGIN OPEN- ING Without paid parking and resort fees! … pg. 4

ENTER- TAINMENT RETURNING Shows, concerts, even day clubs coming back … pg. 12

MACK ATTACK Mattress Mack scores big on Super Bowl … pg. 15 Local (702) Toll Free

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COUPONOMY by Anthony Curtis The Two Biggies

When visiting Las Vegas, or anyplace away from where you live, there are two primary and necessary expenses: travel and lodging. First, you have to get there and get back. Next, you have to stay somewhere. You can watch the volcano and the fountains instead of seeing a show. You can eat $1.25 hot dogs at South Point instead of going to Michael’s. But you can’t avoid the two biggies. It’s one of the reasons we endeavor to find ways to save money on at least one of them—lodging. While I’ll have something to say about travel next, lodging is the logical first target, thanks to the competition among resorts to get people in their guest rooms. Not only do they make the room revenue, but customers are overwhelmingly likely to spend most of their vacation time and money where they’re staying. If you’re a long-time LVA reader, you know we’ve tried again and again to crack this code, often with some success, but always coming up a bit short. Pre-internet, we wrote about bundled packages advertised in places like the L.A. Times “Travel” section. Or we analyzed and recommended the best ways to play the mini-junket-like “sprees” or even ’s “Free Las Vegas Vacation” at . After that, there was promise in an early rate-comparison program we found called Travelaxe. Then it was discounts from codes, which worked fairly well until the codes slowly melted down into one big “discounted” price that you didn’t really need a code to get. We really thought we had something when we introduced the Travel Portal around this time last year. It looked good and the results were impressive, but the Portal got creamed by COVID and it doesn’t look like it’s coming back. What next? I just can’t stop thinking that there has to be a method for saving substantially on lodging, so the plan is to keep trying. Of course, I wouldn’t be bringing this up if something wasn’t in the works. Actually, two somethings. I’ve hinted at the first: our move to online distribution of Member continued on next page Couponomy continued …

Rewards offers. One method that worked well for some was including negotiated room deals in the Member Rewards Book. We did that for a few years, then stopped because of logistical issues. But we get lots of requests to bring them back. One thing we learned while working on Mem- ber Rewards this year is that the casinos are open to room discounting. As we’ve been pointing out in recent issues, the pandemic has caused prices for most things to go up. But with 150,000 rooms to fill, being inelastic on rate pricing isn’t a good strategy. The casinos know this and we’ve already made some deals that we expect to become available this month. We’ll see how that works out, but the second something is already being implemented and it’s pretty cool, as it harks back to the first exam- ple I cited—the bundled deals we used to find and analyze. It’s based on the following concept: If a room costs $100, but comes with $75 worth of benefits that you’ll use, then it’s really only a $25 room. Paramount among these benefits are food and drink credits. You have to eat, right? Some don’t agree with this reasoning, but I’ve always subscribed to it, especially in the context of vacation expenditures. Hence, a good bundled deal acts as a room-cost reducer. The nature of these types of deals is such that the best of them apply to higher-end properties (they have more to bundle), so what I’ll explain here will be of most value to those who like to stay in the better places. Through what we’re calling LVA Luxury Travel, we’ve partnered with TravelEdge, the largest luxury-focused travel agent in North America. They specialize in getting great rates at top properties and bundling them with complimentary amenities. Sometimes the value of the amenities can exceed what you pay for the room! The standard Las Vegas offer that we like best is:

• A one-time benefit, usually a $100 credit toward F&B, spa, etc. • Breakfast for two every day, usually a $30-per-person credit.

So we’re looking at a minimum of $160 in perks for two people. Addi- tional amenities are based on availability, including room upgrades, early check-in, and late check-out. Bottom line, booking these deals can save you money over making straight-up reservations almost any way you do it, but if you’re flexible and get creative, it can get really good. The following example comes from Michael Friedman, one of our “Travel Game” experts.

Publisher: Anthony Curtis Researcher: Brenda Stewart Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob LAS Senior Editor: Deke Castleman Customer Service: Paula Machado Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scot Krause, VEGAS Accounting: John Leitner Shipping/Receiving: Matt Wondolleck Bradley Peterson, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott ADVISOR Web Manager: Tanya Maynard Production: Alexie Olivares Cover: Area15 LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian; $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. Phone: (702) 252-0655 • Fax: (702) 252-0675 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. e-mail: [email protected] • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com. All information is current at press time. Listed offerings are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press©2021

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021

Let’s look at the program in action. I’ve decided that I want six nights in Las Vegas at the beginning of April and I want to stay only at top-tier prop- erties. But I also like variety (which also creates a better deal), so I won’t stay at the same property all six nights. I’ll hit each end of the Strip, with three nights at Delano and three at Wynn. Delano (April 4-7): The best thing about staying at Delano is that you’re guaranteed to be in a suite. In fact, it’s an incredible 725-square-foot suite at the high end. There aren’t a lot of all-suite hotels on the Strip, particularly at luxury properties, so Delano is always a special opportunity. The guaran- teed benefits include a $100 F&B credit (can use at any MGM participating restaurant), as well as $60 per day for breakfast for me and my wife. Here’s what I get.

Total price, including all taxes and fees: $362.60 Value of amenities: $280 Net cost for three nights at Delano: $82.60 ($27.53 per night)

Wynn (April 7-10): I’ll finish my trip with what I rate the top property in town. Wynn is perhaps the best hotel in the city and it’s offering a fan- tastic 640-square-foot room with a sitting area. It traditionally prices at a significant premium to the rest of the Strip, but LVA has a “third-night- free” promo. The stay comes with the standard amenity, which includes a $100 spa credit (which could potentially convert to an F&B credit, depending on the state of COVID-19—please ask us when you reserve) and breakfast for two every morning. You get a valuable $60 daily break- fast credit that can be used at a number of fantastic venues.

Total price, including all taxes and fees: $447.05 Value of amenities: $280 Net cost for three nights at Wynn: $167.05 ($55.68 per night)

So I’m $810 out of pocket for six nights, but effectively paying only $250, or less than $42 per day, for the rooms. Through this program, you can get some great deals available at properties that you might other- wise overlook because of the higher rates. And it’s not just for Las Vegas. Through this program, we have offers available at top properties in every major city in the world. Just ask.

By the way, these per-night rates include all resort fees. Wicked! Here are a few more clarifications. As you may have gathered, at least to start, we’re handling reservations internally at LVA. We had to think long and hard about that, but we’ve used third parties in the past and their ser-

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MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3 News continued … vice levels haven’t met our standards. This is a positive, as we’ll be able to make requests on your behalf for things like smoking/non-smoking rooms, high floors, specific views, etc. Not all requests will be granted, but in most cases, they’re more likely to be than if you were working with many of the discounters out there. It’s also important to note the total absence of crazy cancellation pol- icies and “gotchas.” Almost all of these offers are cancellable and we include the cancellation policies with your quote. And as we did in the example, the resort fees will always be included in the price. The process is straightforward. You can learn all about it by going to lasvegasadvisor.com/deals/hotel-booking/luxury, or by accessing the offers from “The Travel Game” section at LasVegasAdvisor.com. We’ll be highlighting what we consider to be the most valuable, but the program is vast, so you might find appropriate deals for your situation that we haven’t highlighted. There’s nothing wrong with that. Yes, here we go with another room-cost-saving experiment. Call me crazy, but I have high hopes once again. n Good Gas

We don’t have as defined a plan for saving on travel, but we do have some ideas there, too. For now, here’s a quickie. Your best bet to get the lowest gas price in town is the Wild Wild West Truck Plaza at 4830 Pro- cyon Street. Heading west on Tropicana from the Strip, Procyon is a block past the Wild Wild West casino, where you make a right. Prior to being bought and renamed by Station Casinos, the casino was known as the King 8 truck stop and the adjacent filling station is still there to serve truck- ers, but the public is also welcome. It’s not always the lowest-priced and it might not beat membership programs like Costco and Sam’s Club, but it’s right there with them, often 40¢ to 50¢ per gallon below the going street price. The station is open 6:15 am-10 pm weekdays and 7:15 am-9 pm week- ends. It’s the same price for cash or credit, but the pumps don’t take credit cards, so you have to go inside. The gas is 87 octane only and there’s diesel. You can get a look at the Plaza in our YouTube video at youtube. com/c/lasvegasadvisorshow. n Virgin Opening

Virgin Hotels Las Vegas debuts March 25. The opening of a new casino is always exciting, but this one has me particularly jazzed. A press release issued by Virgin states that the resort will open with free parking, free wifi, and no resort fees. Now that’s the way to come out of the box! Finally,

4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 TOP 10 VALUES 1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 2. Buffet • South Point • Daily • $11.95-$18.95 The Ellis Island steak dinner 3. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 holds the top spot in the Top 4. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99 Ten. It’s served 24/7 in the Café; 5. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 get the $7.99 price by playing 6. Shrimp Cocktail • Fremont • Daily • 99¢ at least $5 in any slot machine 7. Prime Rib • Ellis Island • Daily • $16.99/$26.99 with your club card inserted, 8. Lunch • Planet Hollywood • Daily • $4.99 then downloading the required 9. $1 Blackjack • OYO • Daily • $1.20 discount coupon from an EI kiosk. If you don’t want to play, 10. Room Rates • El Cortez et al • $49 and up you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the listed price) just by downloading a coupon from the kiosk that’s available to everyone with a club card. The South Point buffet (#2) remains the only operating casino buffet in a town that used to have more than 40 of them, and there’s no sign of that changing in the near future. Show a club card to get the $11.95 price for lunch. Budweiser and Michelob Light in the bottle are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#3); a ¼-pound hot dog and a Bud is $3. The steak or ham & eggs at either Arizona Charlie’s (#4) is served in the Sourdough Cafés for $5.99 when you show your club card, available 24 hours at Decatur and 6 am-mid. weekdays and 24 hours weekends at Boulder. The hot dogs at South Point (#5) are sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until they close down the cart around 5 pm. The Fremont’s shrimp cocktail is the last of the easy-to-get 99-centers (#6); it’s served in the Lanai Express snack bar all hours except 7 to 11 am daily (get the latest on the Circa shrimp cocktail deal in dining). Ellis Island’s potent prime rib tandem (#7) is available 24/7. You won’t get a better prime deal for the price anywhere in town and the humungous double cut stands up to anything you’ll find at twice the price. Everything on the lunch menu is $4.99 at Ocean One (#9) in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood; lunch hours are 11:30 am to 5 pm daily. Oyo’s $1-minimum blackjack game (#9) runs 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay even money on bets of $1-$4. The $1.20 listed cost is your expected loss for one hour of play at these stakes. Room rates continue to be low enough to put them in the #10 spot on the list. See couponomy for some favorable developments there. someone is paying attention to what the public wants. On top of that, there will be a Member Rewards offer in our online program. If the video poker is decent, this could be my new favorite place—and I can assure you I won’t be alone. n

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MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5 NEWS

Shutdown—As hoped for and expected, ’s COVID-related restrictions were loosened a bit last month as part of a phased approach. The key change is the raising of the capacity limitations at casinos, restau- rants, and bars from 25% to 35%. The 35% number seems odd—who will really be able to discern a difference between 25% and 35%?—but it’s a step in the right direction, and the plan calls for 50% capacity to be allowed as of March 15. At restaurants, these numbers apply indoors only; there are no restrictions on outdoor dining. The 35% edict also applies to gyms, churches, bowling alleys, and arcades. Also of consequence, reservations are no longer mandatory to eat at restaurants and the maximum number of guests allowed at one table has been raised from four to six. The restrictions on gatherings have also been relaxed, with the 35% rule in place there, too, up to a maximum of 100 people in most venues. As of May 1, these numbers will increase to 50% or 250 people. Large venues are allowed to admit 20% of “fixed seated capacity.” As an example, up to 16,000 fans will be allowed into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR race March 5-7. This adjustment also clears the way for more shows and possibly small concerts (see entertainment). As a result of these changes, Virgin Las Vegas has announced its opening date (see below) and Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, and , all of which had cut back operations in some way mid-week, will be open full-time beginning March 3. In general, tourism-re- lated businesses are running with what the government will give them, hop- ing for more latitude as soon as they can get it. COVID numbers continue to show improvement, adding to the optimism. Still closed with no reopening date in sight are Palms, Texas Station, Fiesta Rancho, Fiesta Henderson, Main Street Station, Eastside Cannery, and The Pass (formerly Eldorado). Still disallowed from opening are the so-called “high-risk activities,” including strip clubs, nightclubs, and brothels. Virgin—Following directly on the heels of the loosening of restrictions, Virgin Las Vegas announced that it will open on March 25. Virgin was orig- inally scheduled to open last November, but the debut was pushed back several times due to the pandemic. The 1,500 rooms will be managed by Hilton Hotels under its Curio Collection brand, while the casino will be operated by Mohegan Gaming. The Drew—The hulking Drew, formerly Fontainebleau, has been sold. Koch Real Estate has announced that it’s buying a 75% stake in the 27-acre property and its long-stalled 60-story unfinished building. Koch is partnering with none other than Fontainebleau Development, the same company that originally developed the project. The financial terms of the sale weren’t disclosed. Neither is there information about plans for a name change or an opening timetable, but the timing is good for a resurrection of the project with soon to open across the street. 6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 Plaza—The Plaza is celebrating its 50th anniversary with specials and promotions throughout 2021, including the use of special commemorative anniversary casino chips on all table games and limited-edition T-shirts, pins, and keychains for guests. Also at the Plaza, after nearly 50 years in operation at the same location, the downtown Greyhound Bus station has closed to facilitate the Plaza’s renovation of the space. The bus station has moved to the RTC South Strip transfer station on Gilespie St. off Sunset Ave. near . Downtown—The estate of Zappo’s founder Tony Hsieh, who died last year under mysterious circumstances and without a will, has disclosed plans to sell much of his extensive downtown real estate holdings, which include Container Park and the Fergusons complex. There’s a long way to go in the process, but it opens the door for lots of change in the downtown sector. Atlantic City—Trump Plaza was finally imploded last month, ending a long saga for the Trump name and properties in Atlantic City. When it opened in 1984 at the center of the boardwalk as the city’s 10th casino, Trump Plaza quickly became its most successful and remained so until it was eclipsed by Trump Taj Mahal in 1990. Donald Trump cut ties with the Plaza in 2009 and the casino closed in 2014. Pennsylvania—Philadelphia’s second casino has finally opened 16 years after it was authorized. The $700 million Live! Casino & Hotel Phila- delphia has a 208-room hotel, restaurants, bars, and a casino with 2,100 slots, 120 table games, and a poker room. Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was down 35.4% in December compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was down 50.7%, and the downtown win dropped 27.9%. Visitation was down 45.7%, with convention attendance registering 0 for the ninth consecutive month. The hotel occupancy rate fell again, drop- ping to just 30.9%, with 45.4% weekends and a dismal 25% weekdays. Airline traffic was down 60.7%, with 1.7 million travelers passing through McCarran International last month. By comparison, monthly pre-pandemic counts were routinely well above 4 million. Collectively, U.S. casinos won $30 billion in 2020, down 31%. It was the first time since 2014 that the total contracted. The magnitude of the decline is put in perspective when compared to the drop in win during the reces- sion, which was just 8.4% from 2007 to 2009. n

Sports Betting Scorecard

End-of-year numbers made it clear that New Jersey is the country’s new sports betting king. Even in the midst of the pandemic, New Jersey’s sports betting handle for 2020 was $6 billion, surpassing Nevada’s high- continued on next page

MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7 News continued … est-ever handle of $5.3 billion in 2019. Nevada’s 2020 handle was $4.3 billion, Pennsylvania booked $3.5 billion, Indiana $1.8 billion, and Colorado $1.2 billion. While the jockeying to be the next state to legalize continues, they might all be beaten by Puerto Rico, which is aiming for an April launch. Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country and track developments as they occur via our map at LasVegasAdvisor. com. n

DINING Barry’s Downtown Prime at Circa

Does anyone miss N9NE at the Palms? We do. Some didn’t like it, because it was loud and hectic, but that was the vibe they were going for there. We didn’t mind the noise and judged it primarily for the food, which was outstanding. N9NE was usually our first choice when asked to name our favorite steakhouse and we were big fans of the chef, Barry Dakake. Now he’s the head man in Barry’s Prime at Circa. And guess what? We have a new fave. Going in, we’d heard that it was crazy expensive, which wouldn’t be a shock, given some of the tough price points at Circa. But we were (mildly) pleasantly surprised when we saw stickers pretty much in line with the high-end steakhouses in town. Steaks are priced mostly in the $60s, but that’s what big steaks go for these days. The least expensive steak on the menu is an 8-ounce filet for $56, salmon is $38, and chicken is $36. The steak tartare appetizer was $26. Sides were $12-$15 … except for the most expensive side dish we’ve ever ordered (see next). Baked Alaska for dessert was $22. It wasn’t the best tartare we’ve ever had, but everything else was superb. The star of the show was the kick-ass-awesome 24-ounce rib eye, cooked to absolute perfection. For three of us, with a $70 Russian River Pinot, the tab came to $395, including tax, and there were to-go boxes aplenty. Exclude the wine (you can play video poker in the casino, tip the bartender $5, and walk in with a pretty good outside pour) and it comes to about $100 per person before tip. That’s not brutal for the quality of this meal. Remember, also, this is the only place in Circa where kids are allowed. Circling back to the ambience, it’s not as chaotic as N9NE, but it is loud—and according to Eating Las Vegas author John Curtas, “very ’70s.” True to Circa’s theme, the TVs are tuned to sports—not something you

8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 typically see in a gourmet steakhouse, but perfectly appropriate here. Plus, we had a bet, so it was darned appreciated! You want romantic? Hugo’s is right across the street at the Four Queens. n

The $48 Side Dish (and Corkage)

Lobster mac & cheese. Forty-eight dollars. Listed as a “side dish.” How could we review Barry’s without ordering the most expensive side dish we’d ever seen? Our question to the waiter: “How much lobster”? “Six or seven ounces.” “Really? Don’t believe you, but bring it.” Wow. Served in a hollowed-out lobster shell, it seemed like there was more lobster than macaroni. It justified the price and there was enough for three to share. No buyer’s remorse here. But don’t take our word for it. John Curtas again: “That lobster is great!!!” Now about the wine. The markup on our wine, a 2017 Siduri Pinot Noir, was about 100%. Still, it’s better to order it in the restaurant than fade Barry’s $50 corkage (the second half-a-Benjamin corkage tariff we’ve encountered in as many months). But there’s a pivot point. In order to even be allowed to invoke corkage, you have to bring in a bottle that’s not on Barry’s wine list. So here’s your rule: Switch to paying the corkage fee when the wine you bring costs at Lobster mac & cheese at Barry’s least $55 retail. n

Breakfast at Circa (and the Shrimp Cocktail)

We like Saginaw’s, as expressed in our review in December. We got some push-back for the fact that they don’t use rye bread and a couple other things, but this deli is from Michigan, not New York. Along with the sandwiches, Saginaw’s also has a big breakfast selection available 24/7. We’re less impressed with breakfast, especially a $20 salmon platter that was noticeably light on the lox. Better was the hash & eggs, also $20, though we’d prefer Hennessey’s down the block for about half the price. The best deal might be the silver-dollar pancakes for $6. We also got to the bottom of the 99¢ shrimp cocktail promo, which runs from 3 to 5 am daily (it’s $11 other times). When Saginaw’s opened, you continued on next page

MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9 Dining continued … could get the 99-center without having to make an additional purchase, but you now have to buy a sandwich, which takes a lot of the luster off that deal unless you’re there at 3 am and hungry. n

Steak Special at Mr. D’s

Returning to our pay grade, last month we wrote about the $1 taco special at Mr. D’s (1810 S. Rainbow). It’s a good one that runs on Mon- days and Tuesdays. But even better is the steak special on Thursdays and Sundays. Served from 5 to 11 pm, it’s a big rib eye that comes with a baked potato and vege- Steak special at Mr. D’s tables for $13.99. They don’t advertise the size of the steak, but it’s 12 ounces minimum and you’ll probably be taking some home. While we don’t rate this one above the steak special at the Village Pubs, it’s next best. n

Burger at Rum Runner

With the price of everything rising, it’s getting tough to find a good ham- burger for under $10. Here’s one. The Rum Runner at 1801 E. Tropicana still serves a build-your-own version that starts at $5.99. For that price, you get a half-pounder with lettuce, onions (grilled if you like), and pick- les. From there you can add on for an additional 50¢ to $1.25 per item, including cheese, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, guacamole, bacon, bleu-cheese crumbles, even a fried egg. A checklist gives you all the options and provides a spot to spec- The basic burger at Rum Runner

10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 ify exactly how you want the burger cooked. It’s available 24/7. There’s a slight catch in that you have to purchase a beverage, but that’s waived if you’re gambling. Go on a Wednesday and there’s a play-$100-get-$20 deal. There are several other choices on the menu from its restaurant, the Badger Café (for the University of Wisconsin). The bar features several pool tables and one of the few good foosball tables in town. n Reader Leader On Mondays, ALL restaurants at the South Point are half-price if you pay with your club points. That makes the lunch buffet about $6. LVA: That’s a good move, and you can earn those points playing South Point’s excellent video poker selection (see GAMBLING).

Dining Notes

Late Night—With more restaurants opening up, late-night dining is also starting to come back and we’ll be listing good options as they turn up. One location with two choices is at Spring Mountain and Decatur, where both the Crown & Anchor and Honey Pig (Korean) are serving 24/7. The Crown & Anchor on Tropicana also has a 24-hour kitchen. New Names—Station Casinos has changed the names of its cafés. The Grand Cafés at Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch are now Lucky Penny Cafes (which debuted at the Palms before the pandemic), while the Grand Cafés at Boulder, Sunset, and Santa Fe Stations are now Brass Fork Cafés (which debuted at Palace Station). These are all 24-hour restaurants, something that’s not as common in the casinos as they used to be. New Celeb Chefs—Las Vegas has its share of celebrity chefs and new ones in the making. Eduardo Perez is the subject of one of the Modelo Especial “Fighting Spirit” commercials that often feature UFC stars. The commercial doesn’t identify where he works or even that it’s in Vegas, but Perez is the head chef at Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano at the Venetian. Also, Jamie Tran of The Black Sheep contemporary Vietnamese-American restaurant on S. Durango will be one of 15 competing chefs on the upcom- ing 18th season of the hit Bravo show “Top Chef.” n

Openings/Closings

Sushi Ichiban has opened on Fremont Street across from El Cortez, with AYCE dinner for $27.95 and lunch for $23.95. Randy’s Donuts from Los Angeles is coming to Las Vegas with plans to open at least two outlets this year. n

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MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11 ENTERTAINMENT Entertainment Returning

The increase in capacity limits and the belief that they’ll soon be raised again has prompted a flurry of action on the entertainment scene. This includes the return of all major MGM Resorts shows and most from Cae- sars Entertainment by the end of March. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s smooth sailing to Ticketville. On the contrary, there’s a lot of vagueness in the marketplace about who’s doing what and when. And even when it’s not vague, many of the shows are reportedly sold out of their vastly reduced seating inventories. When we get solid information on a show opening, we add it to our listings at LasVegasAdvisor.com, so check there, then call for reservations as far in advance as possible. One thing you need to be aware of is that prices are up everywhere, which isn’t surprising, with producers trying to counter the still-crippling capacity limitations. How much higher are they? It varies quite a bit. For example, tickets for Absinthe are now $189 per, which is a whopping $60 increase pre-pandemic. However, tickets for Australian Bee Gees are “only” $12 higher ($65). Still, that’s $24 more than before for two, which is almost always the minimum number you can purchase. Other entertainment options are also returning. The Electric Daisy Car- nival is scheduled for May 21-23 and the Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival is on for Sept. 24-26, along with other concerts being resched- uled (see “Entertainment Notes”). Even Céline Dion has gotten into the act, announcing that her touring schedule is being pushed back, which likely means that she won’t be able to begin a presumptive engagement at Resorts World Las Vegas until sometime in 2022 at the earliest. Addition- ally, Hakkasan Group says it will open three of its clubs this month: OMNIA at Caesars Palace, Wet Republic at MGM, and Liquid Pool Lounge at Aria. Also opening in March are Pool Marquee at Cosmo and Encore Beach Club. It’s not clear what form these will take, given the clampdown on clubs in general, but they’ll be operating in some capacity within the frame- work of COVID health regulations. Finally, the March Madness college basketball tournament begins March 18. No one expects it to be the three-week party that it’s been in the past, but if the Super Bowl was any indication, the sports books will be jumping throughout the tournament. n Bars and Happy Hours

This isn’t official, but we hear that the happy hour in Fresco’s at West- gate Las Vegas is coming back. This one is so good that it was in the top ten in October before being abruptly discontinued. Watch “Vegas News” at

12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 LasVegasAdvisor.com for the announcement and we’ll provide details next month if it happens. Kopper Keg Rainbow has happy hours Mon.-Sat. from 2 to 6 pm and 10 pm to 2 am, with $3 beer and well drinks, $4 wine, and $5-$6 appetiz- ers. Bogey’s on E. Sunset Rd. has happy hours daily from 4 to 7 pm and midnight to 4 am, with $3.50 beer, wine, and well drinks, $5 martinis, $10 pitchers, and $6 appetizers. Blue Hawk Tavern on S. Las Vegas Blvd. has happy hours Mon.-Fri. at noon to 2 pm, 4 to 6 pm, and midnight to 2 am, with $1 off beer, $3 well drinks, and $5 wine. Jing in Downtown Summerlin has wine tastings on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 pm during which you can mix and match three wines by the glass and two pairing selections for $12 each. The Caesars Palace Forum Food Court will host a new sports bar called Stadia, which will open this spring. Facing Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, Stadia Bar will be big, 2,200 square feet with 120 seats; the bar’s design, architectural details, and artwork will give it the appearance of a sports arena. The two Irene’s Cocktail Lounges on Spring Mountain and Tropicana have been sold and are closing this month. n

Entertainment Notes

Cosmic Shopping—Omega Mart from Meow Wolf, an immersive enter- tainment experience that takes place in a supermarket setting, has opened at the Area15 arts complex (see this issue’s cover). It sounds kind of like a Halloween haunted house, in that a bunch of things are happening inside a closed structure, only those things include a multi-level playground, a maze, an escape room, and other random diversions that artists with wild imaginations make up. Tickets for the experience are $45 for general admission and $35 for Nevada residents (discounts for children, seniors, and military). From what we can tell, Omega Mart is considered the anchor component of the out-there Area15. Downtown Comedy—A non-casino night spot called Wise Guys Com- edy Club is rumored to be headed for the downtown arts district. Concerts Delayed—Perhaps the third time is the charm. The Garth Brooks show that was originally scheduled to christen Allegiant Stadium as a concert venue in August of last year and was rescheduled for February has now been re-rescheduled for July 10. Similarly, Sting’s 16-show “My Songs” residency in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace has been moved again. Originally scheduled to begin last year, the debut is now planned for May 7. n

MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 13 GAMBLING Super Bowl

After opening with the Kansas City Chiefs -3.5 favorites over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the line moved quickly to -3, then bounced back and forth between those numbers right up till game time, when it closed -3. The total opened 57.5 and was bet down to 56.5 and 56 before a late drop to close at 55.5. When Tampa Bay won 31-9, Bucs and under bettors got the money. Nevada Handle—Nevada sports books took in $136.1 million in wagers, a 12% decrease from last year. The decline was blamed on significantly fewer visitors coming to Las Vegas due to COVID concerns (as opposed to competition from other states). No one’s crying for the books, though. While it was the lowest total since 2016, it was still the fifth highest ever and the books won $12.5 million, a healthy 9.2% of the money wagered. Nickel Line—There was some foreshadowing that betting was down when the day before the game, the Westgate began offering -105 “for a limited time” (it lasted until kickoff). It was the only reduced-juice line in town and was applicable for bets on the side only (winner of the game against the pointspread). Books Crash—Sports books around the country had problems with systems going down due to heavy betting volume—outages were reported at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, and Barstool sports books. That wasn’t a big surprise in that 21 states took Super Bowl bets this year, compared to 14 last year, so there were several first-timers in the game. But it also happened in Vegas, where all of the BetMGM books went down in the first half of the game, making it impossible for customers to make halftime bets. Worse, players with winning tickets couldn’t cash after the game and police had to be called in to calm angry customers. Big Mack­—Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, the Houston furniture salesman, was back and credited for making this year’s biggest bet and one of the biggest in Super Bowl history. Mack bet $3.46 million on the Buccaneers +3.5 at DraftKings and won $2.72 million … kinda (see below). Also reported was a $2.3 million bet on Tampa Bay +3.5 at BetMGM that paid $2 million. Props—The sports books didn’t let COVID affect their output of propo- sition bets (though there was a big drop-off in attendance at the Westgate the night they went up on the board). Both Westgate and William Hill were prolific again, with well over 1,000 propositions each (WH was listed at 1,218). Others around the country added to the variety of wagers, though the enforcement agencies in the new jurisdictions kept a lid on things, mostly disallowing the crazy offshore-style props. Bettors backing Rob

14 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 Gronkowski to score the first TD cashed at 16-1, and fellow former-Patriot, Tom Brady, won MVP at +250. No overtime (-1400) and no safety (-1100) both cashed. Anyone who saw only 9 points for the Chiefs coming cashed at 100-1. In cross-sports bets, a big beat came in Phoenix Suns points vs. Chiefs rushing yards, when the Suns opened -.5 and the line moved all the way to Suns -26. That means everyone was betting the basketball points and when Kansas City rushed for 107 yards and Phoenix scored 100 (9 points below their season average), the books got away with a badly calibrated opening line. LeBron James wasn’t playing this year, so neither were the usual ubiquitous props involving him, but there were plenty of other betting options. For example, the Vegas Golden Knights scored 4 goals to beat Mike Evans’ 1 reception, Kawhi Leonard’s 20 points crushed the Chiefs’ total points -4.5, and though the L.A. Kings scored only 2 goals, it was enough to beat Patrick Mahomes’ TD passes + interceptions -.5 (0 TDs/2 INTs). In the offshore props, Bruce Arians’ nostrils were seen before Andy Reid’s (-200); in the interview with the president; Joe Biden men- tioned the Chiefs before the Buccaneers (-120); once again, there were no wardrobe malfunctions; and the Gatorade poured over Arians was blue, cashing at +400. Streaker—Controversy surfaced over the offshore prop, “Will there be a streaker?” If you watched the game, you saw him briefly, and someone claimed to have bet the Yes for $50,000 at +750 to win $375,000. That’s highly unlikely, given that books don’t take big action on a bet that can be manipulated. Everyone learned why that’s so when it came out that the bettors had orchestrated the streak. Some books paid, others didn’t. Leaker—More controversy came with this year’s National Anthem prop, which opened at 1:59. But after a recording of a rehearsal was leaked, the time was bet steadily up and closed at 2:16. Eric Church and Jazmine Sul- livan’s rendition came in at 2:17. Several books took the bet down after the leak, but in most places, the over betters got paid, even after the adjust- ment. Next Year—The futures line for next year’s Super Bowl has the Chiefs favored at 5.5-1, followed by the Buccaneers and Packers at 9-1. The long shots are the Lions, Jets, and Texans, all at 100-1. n

Mack’s Bet

Here’s an inside peek at the big Mattress Mack Super Bowl win. As he’s done in the past, Mack was working with Anthony Curtis and Frank B to hedge a promotion he ran for his Gallery Furniture customers in Houston. Without getting into the details of the promo, Mack had to hedge a Tampa Bay win that would result in his refunding a large amount of furniture pay- ments. Yes, he won the bet and accomplished the hedge, but the wager continued on next page

MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 15 Gambling continued … was met with a lot of criticism on Twitter and from other sources. The reason is, after he made the bet, the ticket was made public and the amounts displayed worked out to a line of -127. Why would Mack lay 127 when the market line at the time was -115? Actually, he didn’t. Although the numbers on the published ticket indicated a -127 price, that wasn’t the bottom line. What wasn’t evident is that Mack had negotiated a number of bonuses, something that big bettors can do, that effectively priced the bet at -105, significantly better than the market offered. As Frank put it, “Mack made the biggest bet at the best price.” Anthony went on the sports betting network VSiN to clear up the misconceptions and the criticism stopped. At that point, it was mission accomplished—Mack’s hedge was in and his position secured. But an additional component of the play has been overlooked: the possibility of the “scoop.” This wager afforded a best-re- sult scenario of a Chiefs victory by 1, 2, or 3 points. Had that happened, Mack would have kept the furniture money and won the bet. The Chiefs scored first with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. We all know what happened from there, but for a brief few minutes, Anthony and Frank got to dream. In the end, Mack got to make his customers happy and won back the refunds on the wager. n

Gambling Notes

EI Jackpot—A Las Vegas man hit a $900,000 jackpot at Ellis Island playing a progressive Buffalo slot machine. It was the second big Buffalo hit for the casino after popping a $750,000 jackpot in 2017. Sahara Multiplier—The Sahara is awarding 21X points on reel slots on the 21st of every month in 2021. High Limit—New high-limit rooms have opened at El Cortez and The STRAT. Poker Feud Conclusion—Doug Polk defeated Daniel Negreanu in their heads-up grudge match. After 25,000 hands, Polk came out ahead, win- ning $1.2 million. Polk indicated that he may move away from poker to pursue other endeavors. Negreanu said he wants to play next, after Hellmuth criticized his play during the Polk match. That’s what those guys do. n

Video Poker Lost and Found

South Point continues to be an excellent video poker house. According to the online database vpFREE2 (and ads on the “Gambling With an Edge” podcast), SP offers hundreds of games with 99%+ returns, including NSU

16 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021 Deuces Wild (99.73%), 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%), and 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%). Kopper Keg Rainbow has an interesting Card of the Day progressive that goes up $5 every time a non-COD quad is hit. On 6/5 Bonus Poker, you’re at breakeven if the bonus reaches $220, and that’s with negligible changes in strategy—break a FH to hold 3 CODs and hold a lone COD of any rank rather than draw 5. We haven’t seen the progressive hit $220, but we’ve seen it high enough to move the game up to the 99% range. Crown & Anchor Spring Mountain has a Pick-a-Pair game that returns 96.2%. Nothing special about that except this game at most bars returns 95.74%. The difference is C&A’s game pays 120 for 4-of-a-kind instead of 100. Crown & Anchor Spring Mtn. has a Pick-a-Pair game that returns 96.2%. Nothing special, except this game at most bars returns 95.74%. The difference is C&A’s game pays 120 for 4-of-a-kind instead of 100. The Village Pub at 2301 E. Sunset Rd. deals 7/5 Bonus Poker. Blue Hawk Tavern at 11997 S. Las Vegas Blvd. has a play-$50-get-$20 sign-up bonus. Bob Dancer’s free video poker classes are expected to resume at South Point this summer. Until then, be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tuesday blog and the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast, with Bob and Richard Munchkin, both at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n

WEATHER KEY dates JANUARY APRIL Mean 43° Avg. Max. 59° Avg. Min. 28° 11-15 Las Vegas Market - Spring 2021 - 50,000 Cool and dry. Days are crsip, but pleasant. Cold evenings. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Sweater and jacket—desert winters are cold. FEBRUARY JUNE Mean 49° Avg. Max. 66° Avg. Min. 33° 11-13 National Hardware Show 2021 - 30,000 Days begin to wram, evenings still cool. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Light jacket for day, something warm for evenings. MARCH JULY Mean 55° Avg. Max. 72° Avg. Min. 39° 4-7 JCK Jewelry Show - 30,000 A fickle month for weather. Occasional rain and high 4-7 International Vision Expo West 2021 - 30,000 winds, warm days. 22-24 International Pizza Expo 2021 - 12,000 Pools: Currently closed by government order. 25-27 Big Boys Toys 2021 - 10,000+ Attire: Light jacket or sweater for evenings. 8-10 World of Concrete 2021 - 60,000 27-29 Cosmoprof North America 2021 - 40,000 28-30 NightClub and Bar Show - 40,000

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