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ANTHONY CURTIS’ LasVegasAdvisor April 2021 • Vol. 38 • Issue 4 $5 VIRGIN OPENS Hard Rock minus the Center Bar … pgs. 1, 4, 5, 9, 14, 16

SHOW-PRICE SURVEY Pandemic pric- ing revealed… pgs. 1, 11

ANOTHER BUFFET OPENS Cosmo brings back the Wicked Spoon… pg. 6

OMEGA MART The show is behind the store… pg. 12

SPORTS BOOKS EVOLVING New operators bring new concepts… pg. 14 Local (702) Toll Free

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COUPONOMY by Anthony Curtis Virgin Opens

After its opening was pushed back twice by the pandemic, Virgin Las Vegas finally opened on March 25. The crowds showed up in droves, just as they always do for an opening, but everyone was also curious to see what Virgin had done to the old Hard Rock. As it turns out, it wasn’t that much. Not that there aren’t substantial changes—after all, $200 million went into the rebranding—but at first glance, it’s the Hard Rock with a different color scheme. It’s not just me; others have made the same obser- vation. The major change is the absence of the infamous Center Bar. The bar that launched a million “relationships” is now a mere memory, transformed into a walkway through the casino. But when you look up, you’ll be trans- ported back by the distinctive domed ceiling that made the Center Bar acoustics something of an audio wonder. The other major change has been to the pool area. According to reports, a healthy portion of that rebranding money went into a new five- acre pool complex that hasn’t been unveiled yet, but includes a complete removal of the famous pool. There’s a good argument to be made that Rehab is what put the Hard Rock on the map, so it’s kinda curious that Virgin thinks it can do better. If it did, that would be cool! Also standing out are the numerous photo ops throughout the resort. Given the power of social media, that’s smart. Be sure your phone is fully charged to get some good photo souvenirs. As always seems to happen, the opening came just ahead of our dead- line, so the coverage in this issue is relatively sparse. We’ll have the com- plete rundown next month. In the meantime, head over and give Virgin a look. One more thing. I’ve written previously that Mohegan Gaming, the casino operator for Virgin, has indicated that they want to put a gambling offer in Member Rewards. There was too much going on to do it prior to opening, but it’s still interested and we’ll try to put it together. n continued on next page Couponomy continued … Resort Fees Under Attack

Another good thing about Virgin is that it opened without resort fees. That’s another smart move and one that’s in line with the ongoing rebellion against the hated add-on. In that vein, Travelers United, a nonprofit travel advocacy group, has sued MGM Resorts in Washington, D.C., for what it alleges are “deceptive” resort fees that violate the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures laws. The group is basing its charges on practices at MGM National Harbor, located a short distance away from D.C. in Mary- land. The lawsuit terms resort fees as “drip pricing”; in other words, part of the daily room rate is hidden. Travelers United is also accusing MGM of reducing or even outright eliminating many of the amenities it claims are covered by the resort fees, but never lowering the price. Finally, the lawsuit claims that charging resort fees on comped rooms is illegal. MGM has had no comment on the suit. n Show-Price Survey

For the 30th consecutive year, we’ve crunched the numbers to deter- mine the average cost of a show ticket in Las Vegas. “Hold on,” you say, “you didn’t do it last year.” But we did. We considered every show ticket that was out there during the shutdown and took the average price. Last April, that added up to 0 shows and $0.00 per ticket. Of course, last year’s result doesn’t count, so the comparisons we make here will be with 2019. We expected an increase in the average ticket price going in, but that’s not what we got. This year’s number is $77.19, a big drop from 2019’s $95.11. How can that be? When you make individual comparisons, the price of almost every ticket has gone up. But the big shows aren’t back yet. There’s no Cirque, no Santana, no revolving stars at Caesars Palace and Planet Hollywood. Take those high prices out of the mix and the aver- age goes down. Or does it? In calculating the average, we use formulas that pinpoint the cost of a single ticket. But that’s not the whole story, as many shows cur- rently have at least a two-ticket minimum. If you want to see the Australian Bee Gees, for example, the average price of a single ticket is $70.59. But with the two-ticket minimum, you can’t get in as a single attendee without paying at least $130.28 total. When we ran the calculations considering all of the imposed minimums, the average was a staggering $132.98. Given

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: ©2021 Hilton 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 • APRIL 2021 this reality, there’s a strong case for using that number as this year’s result, but since most attend shows in pairs anyway, we felt that $77.19 was more representative. The important takeaway is that you definitely have to pay more than ever before to see a show today, which means you might want to start looking for alternatives, including smaller shows at venues like , Notoriety, and The Mosaic on the Strip. You should also be on the lookout for discounts of any kind. For our part, we intend to spend more time look- ing for (or creating) ways to see shows for less. Deals almost surely have to materialize once 100% capacity returns. Get all the details on the 2021 show-price survey in entertainment. n A Radical Delay

Our book Radical Blackjack has been radically delayed. COVID is to blame, right? That’s the easy way out, but it’s not 100% true. What hap- pened with Rad BJ is it was a bit too rad. Author Arnold Snyder pulled back the curtain, not only in divulging details of some high-level advantage plays, but also using the real names of the practitioners. While he did this under the assumption that it would be OK with certain players (perhaps now retired or connected to moves no longer practical), that didn’t turn out to be the case. Many APs are good and longtime friends of ours, as well as Arnold’s, so when some expressed concern, we had to reel the book back in for some rewrites. Don’t worry, aside from the names, the book’s infor- mation remains intact, but it won’t be back from the printer until May. n NEWS

Shutdown—Las Vegas’ capacity limits have been raised from 35% to 50%. The mandate applies to casinos, restaurants, bars, and other busi- nesses where people congregate, including venues with more than 2,500 seats, such as showrooms and arenas (see entertainment). Palazzo, Planet Hollywood, and , all of which have been operating with their completely closed or with partial availability, are now open seven days a week. Encore will join them on April 8. Some casinos and bars are relaxing their safety protocols slightly. For example, there are no longer temperature checks at the D, Westgate, and Boyd properties. Most remain stringent about mask-wearing and it’s still rare to see non-masked patrons in any indoor gathering spot. An interesting news story indicates that more than 200 U.S. casinos are now permanently smoke-free as a result of the pandemic. That includes all casinos in Atlantic City and many tribal casi- nos. However, only four Las Vegas properties with gaming licenses were listed: two Aces and Ales bars, the Sand Dollar Lounge, and Park MGM. A continued on next page

APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3 News continued … negative development has been a noticeable problem in rented transporta- tion. We’ve heard several complaints about difficulty getting Uber and Lyft rides, due to a lack of drivers. The rideshare companies say they’re “trying to adjust to the current landscape.” Rental cars are also selling out, despite high rates. These are staffing and supply issues that will be remedied, but as of now, it’s a good idea to make car-rental reservations well in advance, or plan on taking taxis or buses to get to where you’re going if you don’t drive in. Virgin— Las Vegas opened on March 25 following a $200 million transformation from the Hard Rock and two pandemic-related delays from its planned November 2020 debut. The 1,500 rooms are man- aged by Hilton Hotels under its Collection brand, while the casino is operated by Mohegan Gaming. The hotel rooms have been remodeled, the casino is redesigned, the pool area is being remade, the food and bev- erage offerings are mostly new, and all the rock memorabilia is gone. An official grand opening is planned, but not scheduled. The Pass—The Pass will open on April 1. Formerly the Eldorado, the downtown Henderson casino is advertising “Increased gaming, dining, and entertainment.” There’s no hotel. A shuttle will run between the Pass and Railroad Pass casinos, which are now both owned by DeSimone Gaming. Venetian/Palazzo—Las Vegas Sands Corp. has sold the Venetian and Palazzo casinos, along with the Sands Expo and Convention Center, for $6.25 billion. The complicated deal joins hedge fund Apollo Global Man- agement and real estate company VICI Properties, both of which have ties to Caesars Entertainment, but they won’t be Caesars properties and no major changes at either casino are expected to take place, at least until the sale closes at the end of the year. The sale marks the end of Las Vegas Sands’ presence in Las Vegas. The company will now focus on its resorts in Macau and Singapore. Rio—The Rio will be transformed over a number of phases in a rebranding as a Hyatt Hotel. The announcement by the Rio’s owner, New York-based Dreamscape Companies, didn’t provide details such as how long the upgrades will take, how much the project will cost, and whether or not the name will be changed. It will be Hyatt’s third property in Las Vegas, along with Hyatt Place Las Vegas near the airport and Hyatt Place Silverton Village. AREA15—The entertainment complex located just west of I-15 is creat- ing a concert and festival venue called The Grounds. The four-acre space adjacent to the AREA15 mall is anticipated to accommodate nearly 25,000 people when such gatherings are allowed, though it’s scheduled to be ready by this summer.

4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 TOP 10 VALUES 1. • Off-Strip • 24 hrs. • Free 2. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 Virgin Las Vegas takes this 3. Buffet • South Point • Daily • $9.95-$19.85 month’s #1 spot in the Top Ten 4. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 as is tradition for a new casino. 5. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99 Virgin opened close to this 6. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 issue’s deadline, so much of our 7. Shrimp Cocktail • Fremont • Daily • 99¢ coverage will be pushed to next 8. Prime Rib • Ellis Island • Daily • $16.99/$26.99 month, but there’s plenty to get 9. $1 Blackjack • OYO • Daily • $1.20 you familiarized with Las Vegas’ latest throughout this issue (see 10. Room Rates • El Cortez et al • $49 and up entertainment for a good Virgin parlay). The Ellis Island complete steak dinner drops to the #2 spot for this month. Served 24/7 in the Café, get the $7.99 price by playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your club card inserted, then down- loading the required discount coupon from an EI kiosk. If you don’t want to play, you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the listed price) just by down- loading a coupon from the kiosk that’s available to everyone with a club card. There are now two operating buffets in Las Vegas, with the South Point buffet (#3) the least expensive by far. Breakfast has been brought back and is the best deal (see dining). Show a club card to get the $9.95 price. Budweiser and Michelob Light in the bottle are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#4); a ¼-pound hot dog and a Bud is $3. The steak or ham & eggs at either Arizona Charlie’s (#5) 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 (#6) 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 (#7); it’s served in the Lanai Express snack bar all hours except 7 to 11 am daily. Ellis Island’s potent prime rib tandem (#8) 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. 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 throughout the city and come in at the #10 spot. There are also some amazing bundled deals at the high-end resorts that you can access at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Macau—Phase 1 of the The Londoner Macau debuted in February. Additional phases will be unveiled throughout the year as part of an exten- sive $1.9 billion overhaul of the former Sands Cotai Central.

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APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5 News continued …

Statistics—’s statewide gambling win was down 25.9% in January compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was down 41.6% and the downtown win dropped 7.1%. While most reporting areas in the state were down, South Lake Tahoe bucked the trend with a 15.8% increase. Visitation was down 63.5%, with convention attendance registering 0 for the 10th consecutive month. The hotel occupancy rate remained low at 31.6%, with 48.3% weekends and 22.5% weekdays. Airline traffic was down 63.8%, with 1.5 million travelers passing through McCarran International. After being closed for two months because of low travel volume, the airport’s economy parking lot has reopened. As was inevitable, 2020’s annual numbers were abysmal. The statewide win was $7.87 billion, down 34.6%. Every reporting area showed a decline, with the sustaining the steepest drop at 43.3%. The visitor count came in at 19,031,100, a decline of 55.2%. It was the lowest total since 1989. Convention visitors totaled 1.7 million, down from 6.6 million in 2019. Airline traffic fell to 22.2 million from 55.5 million, a decline of 56.9%. Las Vegas’ leading carrier, Southwest Airlines, flew 7.7 million passengers, down 55.5%. n Scorecard

North Carolina took its first sports bets last month at two Harrah’s Cherokee casinos. By state law, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ casinos are the only venues in North Carolina where sports bets can be placed. Significant action toward legalization has recently taken place in Ohio, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Kansas, and Arizona. Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country and track developments as they occur via our map at LasVegasAdvisor. com. n

DINING Two Buffets

The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has re-reopened the Wicked Spoon Buffet for breakfast and lunch Thursdays through Sundays, making it the second operating buffet in a casino along with South Point. Break- fast (8-11 am) is $38 for adults, $19 children; lunch (11 am-3 pm) is $45

6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 Bucket at Bailiwick adults/$22.50 children. There’s currently no dinner service. Reservations aren’t mandatory, but are highly encouraged. The food is staff-served, same as before it closed. After all the buffets were shelved last year, the Wicked Spoon tried reopening last summer, then closed again early this year. At South Point, breakfast has been added Mon.-Fri. for $13.95, or $9.95 with a club card. This is good news, since you can again use the 2-for-1 Member Rewards Online offer, which applies to break- fast only. The prices of the other meals have been raised by $1-$2 to $16.95/$12.95 (with a club card) for lunch, $22.95/$18.95 for weekend brunch, and $23.95/$19.95 for dinner, except Fridays, which is now sea- food night for $33.95/$29.95. n 8 East Happy Hour (Circa)

Somewhat overlooked in all the celebrity-chef and name restaurants at Circa has been 8 East. The Asian-fu- sion restaurant is tucked into a corner on the third floor and has a happy hour that runs from 3 to 5:30 pm daily. Six food selections on the HH menu are $8 apiece, which is $2-$5 off the regular prices. They’re small plates, so parties of two or more can easily try them all in one sitting. Our favorites were the carpaccio and the salt and Szechwan pepper chicken wings; the vegetarian Tokyo crepe is also interesting. There are several seats at the counter, or you Tokyo Crepe at 8 East can grab a table. n

Reader Leader In 8 East at Circa, the best play (by far) is the curried lollipop lamb chops for $12. I was thinking a little two-bite lamb chop, but we got two healthy chops—I’d say five or six ounces each—and they were delightful and a steal at $12. Those chops are $10 each easy in a foo-foo restaurant. LVA: We don’t want to give short shrift to the man behind 8 East. It’s Dan Coughlin, a well-respected chef who’s best known for his Le Thai in Fremont East. We’ve only done the HH there, but will return for the lamb and some noodles.

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APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7 Dining continued … Bailiwick (Orleans)

About half of the restaurants at are operating and Baili- wick is one of them. Described as a gastropub, Bailiwick has a diverse menu that ranges from craft burgers to broiled crusted salmon. We tried it once for the daily happy hour that runs from 4 to 6 pm and again for the crawfish special. It’s not the greatest happy hour in town, with $2 off drinks and a few bar-food selections, but in tandem with our $30-for-$15 Member Rewards offer, it’s a good deal. Among a list of changing daily specials is a 5-pound crawfish boil for $45 on Sundays. Louisianans might not be impressed, but you don’t usually find a bucket of crawfish and vegies outside of a specialty restau- rant and a party of two won’t go away hungry. Here, too, the $15 MRB dis- count makes it that much better. As mentioned, the menu is diverse, so you’ll find something you like and it’s a fun room, with TVs tuned to sports and pool tables off to the side. n Crawfish bucket at Bailiwick

Pot Roast at Village Pub

Have we mentioned before that the Ellis group does good food? That would be Ellis Island and the affiliated Village Pubs all around town. There’s no better go-to than any of these for the city’s best bargain-priced steak dinner, but sometimes, the daily spe- cial is the draw. On Tuesdays, it’s pot roast at the Village Pubs. It comes with a mound of good old-fashioned pot roast, served with mashed pota- toes & gravy and those good Ellis green beans. What’s not pictured here is the big fresh salad that comes with it (it’s brought out right away and we couldn’t refrain from eating it before Pot roast at Village Pub

8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 taking the photo). Then you get the bill for $8.99 and the how-can-they- do-it? conversation begins. Gary Ellis has legions of loyal customers. Does anyone wonder why? n

Gambler’s Discount at Sammy’s

Here’s a good instacomp. Play video poker at 6500 Tavern, the bar adjacent to Sammy’s Woodfire Pizza on W. Sahara just east of Rainbow Blvd., and everything on the menu is half-price. This is a tremendous deal, given that there’s no specified amount you have to play, no restrictions on what you can order (though you have to eat there), and drinks are also comped. Two of us got a goat-cheese pizza and shrimp Angel hair pasta and the tab was $17. Sign up for the players card and get a play-$20- get-$20 bonus. n

Dining Notes

Price Hikes—The price of our favorite Chicago-style Italian beef sand- wich at Giuseppe’s Bar & Grille has been raised by $2 to $12.99 (the $11.99 Joey’s Burger is also good). Another good dish that now costs more is the poke and avocado at the Sporting Life Bar on Jones, the price of which has been raised by $4 to $13.99. 54¢ Bagels—A good deal that hasn’t gone up in price is the Bagel Day discount at Bagelmania (855 E. Twain). Formerly available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s Tuesdays only now, but a dozen are just $6.50 (54¢ per). If you call the day before (702-369-3322), they’ll take your order and have it ready when you get there. Note that this deal is offered only at the 855 E. Twain location. There’s now a Bagelmania stand at the airport that gets its food from the original, but is run independently. Another Bagelma- nia is planned for the Convention Center. Late Night—Tacos Mexico, which began as a Los Angeles food truck in 1975, is open 24 hours at its three Las Vegas locations, including the one we’ve tried at 3820 W. Sahara. Good combo plates run in the $10 range. Milo’s Lunch Special—After 10 years at the Cosmopolitan, the seafood restaurant Estatorio Milos reopened last month at the Venetian and its famous three-course lunch special is on the menu. It’s served daily from noon to 3 p.m., but the price has been raised from $29 to $36. Virgin Food Restriction—Virgin has indicated that food and drinks from outside sources are not allowed. It sounds like a harsh policy and we won’t know for sure how stringent it is until we get some feedback, but in most cases, rules like this are in place to prevent big parties in the rooms. It may also be directed at outside delivery services that take away from on-prem- continued on next page

APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9 Dining continued … ises buying and sometimes cause disruptions when delivering. It’s unlikely that you’ll be pulled up for bringing in a burger or a bag of chips (especially if you hide them well). Resorts World Food Hall—Resorts World will have a 24,000-square-foot fast-food hall called Famous Foods Street Eats with 16 restaurants serving primarily Asian cuisine, including Chinese dumplings, Hainanese poached chicken, Peking duck burritos, Chinese claypots, Filipino lechon (whole pig), Indian curry, Thai beef, Japanese yakitori and sushi, Taiwanese bub- ble tea, and Singapore sundries. B’Day Breakfast—Get a free breakfast on your birthday at participating Black Bear Diners. Sign up for the email list at blackbeardiner.com to have the coupon and details emailed to you. Restaurant Week— The 14th Las Vegas Restaurant Week will take place this year June 7-18 after being canceled last year. The 12-day event is a fundraiser for local food bank Three Square. Take-out will be available for the first time and some good deals are offered by the participating restau- rants, which will be announced in late May. n

Openings/Closings

Bang Bar, described as a “Momofuku to-go concept,” has opened at the Cosmopolitan. Raiders Tavern and Grill has opened at M Resort. The world’s first Raid- ers-themed restaurant features 45 high-def TVs, two bars, and team mem- orabilia. In addition, while supplies last, a special commemorative Raiders Mychoice players card will be available at M. A Starbucks is opening this month at South Point. Sushi Ichiban has opened in the Fremont East district across the street from El Cortez, with AYCE sushi for lunch ($23.95) and dinner ($27.95). n

ENTERTAINMENT Entertainment Ramping up

A combination of factors has led to the return of numerous Las Vegas shows after nearly a year of dormancy. Paramount has been the steady raising of capacity limits that are currently at 50%. Equally important was last month’s rescinding of the “moat” requirement that mandated a 25-foot distance be kept between entertainers and audience, along with the relax- ing of rules specifying how close stage performers can be to one another.

10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 These changes have prompted a flurry of action that includes the return of 36 shows as of our Show-Price Survey count. Cirque du Soleil productions aren’t among them, but Cirque is targeting a July 4 return. The tentative plan calls for the reopening of O at Bellagio on Independence Day week- end, followed by roughly one new show every month, starting with Mys- tere, then “a still-to-be-determined procession” of LOVE, Michael Jackson One, and Ka. Blue Man Group, also a Cirque-owned show, could open in July, depending on restrictions. It’s not just the showroom productions. Up to 9,000 spectators are now allowed to attend Vegas Golden Knights hockey games at T-Mobile Arena. The Downtown Rocks free concerts will begin in May and run through the summer. The Professional Bull Riders Association Premier Series and Championships are scheduled for November. The city’s largest movie the- ater group, Regal, announced that it will begin reopening its cinemas this month, presumably including those at properties. And in what may be the best sign yet, April 1 marked the return of The Mantis, the 40-foot-long 150-scale replica praying mantis that stands in front of Down- town Container Park. The Mantis has been in a COVID-induced hiberna- tion for a year, but will again be bobbing up and down while breathing fire Thursday through Sunday evenings. n

Show-Price Survey 2021

In our annual show-price survey, we go with the lowest ticket avail- able without using coupons, half-price-booth discounts, or other cut-rate options. The survey includes every ongoing production playing in a casino, including afternoon shows, comedy clubs, and permanent headliners, and this year we’ve included the non-casino showrooms, e.g., Alexis Park, which is currently home to eight shows. In cases (many) where a range of prices is offered, we take the mean of the range. Tax is included. This year’s average comes in at $77.19, a whopping $17.92 below the 2019 total (the shows were all closed last year). It’s only the sixth time in 29 year-over-year comparisons we’ve conducted that the average has declined. However, this won’t be the case as more shows open. This year’s survey had only 36 shows in the sample, as opposed to 103 in 2019, so close to double the current total could potentially still be left to open. As explained in couponomy, an adjusted number that takes into consideration minimum-purchase stipulations raises the per-ticket average to $132.98, far higher than it’s ever been. Supporting the big-show-skewing theory, the most expensive seat we found was $189.87 for Absinthe, which also has a four-ticket minimum, bringing the total price to $759.50 if you want to see it now. This year’s lowest ticket comes from the aforementioned inclusion of non-casino continued on next page

APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11 Entertainment continued … venues, with tickets for SEXXY After Dark at the Hustler gentlemen’s club going for just $10.90. SEXXY is a legitimate casino-quality show that played at (and is likely to return to) the Westgate. Several options for this show ramp up all the way to $150 for the show and dinner, but you can get a no-frills ticket for $10.90. After that, the lowest-priced tickets on a per-person basis with minimum-purchase requirements indicated where applicable are Totally Men- tal at Notoriety $38.15 (min. 2/$76.30), Amazing Magic Starring Tommy Wind at Alexis Park $40.95, Faaabulus! The Show at Notoriety $43.59 (2/$87.18), Gordie Brown at Golden Nugget $47.19 (2/$94.38), “Delirious Comedy Show” at Downtown Grand $49.30, Terry Fator: Who’s the Dummy Now at NY-NY $50.13 (2/$100.26), and Fantasy at Luxor $51.51 (2/$103.02). The results of all the show surveys we’ve conducted for the past 30 years are pre- sented here. n

Omega Mart

We took a stroll through Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart at AREA15. Like everything else about the new-age entertainment complex, it’s strange, but interesting. The Omega Mart is a faux grocery store, with employees acting like it’s real. In fact, it is real, since many of the made-up products on the shelves are souvenir-type items that you can buy. However, the Mart itself is just the front. The sizzle is the maze of rooms behind the store, which are accessible through “portals” (hallways and doors) from the main space. It’s described as “immersive art,” which seems to be a way of saying a whole bunch of strange things are mixed together and it’s up to you to go exploring and make of it what you will. You have to be creative to get the most out of it, which might mean walking through doors that seem off limits or picking up a phone to find out if it delivers a message that leads to something else. If this all sounds a bit confusing, it is. While some will get into the whole convoluted scene, others will be bored and wonder, with reason, what the fuss is all about.

12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 One of the attractions that doesn’t require mind expansion to appreciate is the series of giant twisting tube slides that almost guarantee a fun outing for kids. The problem might be the cost of that outing. General admission is $49, while children ages 5-13, seniors 65+, and military are $45 (Nevada residents are $35/$30). The price seems high, considering the retail component in the store and the Datamosh bar inside that sells $10 drinks. To be fair, we visited on a comped press day and didn’t really have the time to get into it fully. But Omega Mart’s predecessor, The House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, draws 500,000 visitors a year, so someone knows something about creating a compelling experience. n

FSE Rules

As expressed in news, many of the city’s COVID protocols are being relaxed. At the Experience, all ages are now allowed until 9 pm. After 9, you must be 21 or over; even if accompanied by an adult, minors aren’t allowed. No matter what your age, you should carry an ID downtown, as they’re sporadically requested, both in the commons and at some casino doors (always at Circa).

Bars and Happy Hours

Flights in the at Planet Hollywood has a mishmash of daily happy hours highlighted by three drinks for $10 from 9 am to 6 pm, then $2 well shots from 6 pm to close. Hennessey’s downtown has a happy hour Mon.-Fri. from 4 to 7 pm, with $5 drinks and $6 appetizers. The Lodge on St. Rose Pkwy. has happy hours Mon.-Thurs. from 3 to 6 pm and mid.-2 am, with $4 beer, $5 wine, and $6 well drinks. Centerfold’s Cabaret has daily specials for locals only, including an open bar on Wednesdays from 10 pm to midnight. The gentlemen’s club is located across the street from Virgin Las Vegas, so you can make a strong parlay out of your Virgin visit. continued on next page

APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 13 Entertainment continued …

The High Roller observation wheel at the Linq has resumed “Happy Half Hour,” which consists of an open bar in the cabin for the duration of the ride (about 30 minutes). Tickets are $60 per person. Along with the Datamosh bar, Emporium Arcade Bar has opened at AREA15. Rockstar Bar has opened at the Las Vegas Golf Center on Las Vegas Blvd. S., featuring a classic-rock theme and vibe. Silver Stamp bar has opened downtown (222 E. Imperial Ave.), special- izing in obscure craft beers. It’s open Wed.-Sun. from 5 pm to midnight. Sticks Tavern opens this month in Henderson. It’s from the owners of To Be Frank (LVA 1/21), so expect food to be a focus. A second Sporting Life Bar has opened at 4570 W. Sahara. The original Sporting Life on Jones is one of our favorite food bars and the menu is similar at the new location. n Entertainment Notes

Bellagio Display—The spring display at Bellagio Conservatory & Botan- ical Garden features trees, flowers, birds, a pond with live koi, a windmill, a pair of enormous wooden shoes, and a temple fronted by Buddha and Buddhist statuary. The spring display will remain in place through May 22. Cosmo Club Closes—Rose. Rabbit. Lie., the supper club at the Cos- mopolitan will not reopen. The space may be used for another show from Spiegelworld, the producers of Cosmo’s show, Opium. Spiegelworld was the operator of the original incarnation of Rose. Rabbit. Lie. for a year after it opened in 2013, before it reverted to in-house management. Connolly Closes—Also announcing that it won’t return is the show Steve Connolly: Spirit of the King at the Four Queens. n

GAMBLING New Sports Books

One of the more interesting aspects of the Virgin opening is the intro- duction to Las Vegas of a new sports book operator. Virgin’s book will be run by BetFred, a British firm that will launch operations in the U.S. for the first time. The book isn’t yet open, but is expected to debut in May. It will be called Money, Baby! and will be located in the multi-level space that was the Hard Rock’s Vanity Nightclub. It’s part of what’s morphing into a new trend in which sports betting venues are sharing center stage with other entertainment. The concept is already in play to a degree at Park

14 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 MGM and The LINQ, but Virgin will take it a step further by blending sports watching and betting with a bona fide restaurant and bar and a DJ-driven party scene. The area will also feature golf simulators, an oversized shuffle- board game, and a major patio overlooking the pool. Right around the corner from Virgin, Circa Sports has opened its first satellite sports book at Tuscany. It’s the first of two new Circa locations, with the second soon to open at The Pass Casino when it debuts in April. Circa also operates online betting in Colorado and will launch in Iowa later this year. In a related development, DraftKings has purchased the VSiN sports network. It’s another move by DK to increase its clout in the industry and eventually get licensed to operate sports books in Nevada. n

A Humbling Trip to Toutsville

After proudly announcing what the Vegas Golden Knights viewed as a groundbreaking sponsorship agreement with UpickTrade.com, the deal was met with criticism from every corner of the sports betting world. UpickTrade is a picks service out of Mexico that makes some very tout-like claims about unreasonable successes in its advertising. Whoever made the decision for the Vegas Golden Knights was apparently completely unaware of the negative perception of the tout subculture and the resulting unseem- liness of such a partnership. Three days after the agreement with UPick, the VGK brass rescinded the agreement. After that, they responded to the question, “What were you thinking?” with, “The organization will not have additional comments on the matter at this time.” The sports betting waters can be treacherous, putting the naïve and uninitiated in danger of being sucked into bad situations. This also goes for players looking for betting leads. Not all tout services are bad, but it’s tough to put out picks that have consistent value, given that the betting markets are always moving, so situations are in constant flux. When it comes to paying for picks, keep in mind that even if a service has an hon- est winning record, your results will always be inferior to theirs, because you have to factor in the price you pay for the picks. The basic strategy for picks services is to steer clear. n

Youtube How-Tos

Among several videos that we’ve posted on the LVA YouTube channel, three have been gambling-strategy specific and more are in the works. They’re mostly aimed at beginners at this point, but each contains a few ideas that will be valuable for everyone. The subjects already posted are

continued on next page

APRIL 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 15 Gambling continued …

“Basics of Bar Video Poker,” “Basics of Bar Blackjack and Learning the Abbreviated Basic Strategy,” and “The $25 Free-Play Deal at the Crown & Anchor.” Go to youtube.com/c/lasvegasadvisorshow to access. We’ll post notices of new gambling videos as we put them up. You can also monitor the LVA Weekly updates to see them as soon as they come out. If you don’t get the Weekly, you can sign up for free at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n

Gambling Notes

Jackpots—A visitor in town for a friend’s birthday hit a jackpot for $893,000 at the Cosmopolitan. The big win came on a National Lampoon’s Vacation progressive slot machine. A $300K jackpot was hit at McCarran Airport on a Wheel of Fortune machine. It’s not the biggest ever at McCar- ran; an $870K jackpot was hit last year and the airport record is $3.9 million. Poker Contracts—According to an article in the , in Jan- uary, the number of poker tables in Las Vegas was 282, down from 418 in 2019. The pandemic is to blame for that drop, but it’s been a steady decline since poker’s heyday in 2010, when there were more than 1,000 tables in Las Vegas. Betting Madness—The American Gaming Association reports that more than 47 million Americans are expected to bet on this year’s March Madness basketball tournament, more than double that of the last tourna- ment in 2019. South Point dealt -105 on sides, including the championship game. Lottery— A lottery club in Michigan won the Mega Millions jackpot of $1.05 billion hit in January. Four members of the club opted to take the lump sum of $776 million. It was the third largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, after the $1.54 billion Mega Millions jackpot won in 2018 and the $1.59 billion Powerball jackpot in 2016. n

Video Poker Lost and Found

We’re a bit disappointed in the video poker at Virgin. The best game is 9/7/5 Double Bonus returning 99.11%. That’s a decent return, but some- what meager for a big off-Strip casino that figures to be courting the locals market. And it’s available at dollars only. The quarter games are all 97-per- centers, with the best we saw being 9/5 Double Double Bonus (97.87%), both at the bars and on the floor. Bonus Poker is only 6/5 (96.87%) for quarters, which, in a reversal of the bar dynamic, is one of the worst options. We did only a quick canvasing and will confirm this analysis next month.

16 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • APRIL 2021 We’ve been told that the good progressive games in Vue Bar at the D no longer earn club points. Come on! The new Sporting Life Bar (see entertainment) has a play-$100-get-$20 sign-up bonus. The best game there (and at the three bars below) is 6/5 Bonus Poker. There are progressives on some of the other games, but the base returns are so low that the royal needs to be $2,600 to hit breakeven on the best of them, which is 7/5 Double Double Bonus. Remedy on St. Rose Pkwy. has a play-$10-get-$10 sign-up bonus. The Lodge on St. Rose Pkwy. has a play-$20-get-$10 sign-up bonus. Most bonuses tally up automatically, but here you have to ask the bar- tender for it. Mango’s Beach Bar on Vegas Dr. has a daily $20 bonus, but it’s not clearly defined what it takes to redeem. Here, too, you have to ask the bar- tender. If you play and lose $20, you’re almost certain to get the bonus, but you can sometimes get it if you lose less and ask. Use your schmooze. 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 APRIL APRIL Mean 63° Avg. Max. 81° Avg. Min. 45° 11-15 Las Vegas Market - Spring 2021 - 50,000 Daily highs reach into the 80s with regularity. Winds Subside. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Spring wardrobe for days. Bring a warm jacket just in case. MAY JUNE Mean 71° Avg. Max. 90° Avg. Min. 53° 11-13 National Hardware Show 2021 - 30,000 The most pleasant month of the year. Las Vegas at its 25-27 Big Boys Toys 2021 - 10,000 best. summer heat begins at the end of the month. Pools: Currently closed by government order. Attire: Spring wardrobe. JUNE JULY Mean 82° Avg. Max. 102° Avg. Min. 61° 4-7 International Vision Expo West - 30,000 The first of the hot dry months. Welcome to the desert. 4-7 JCK Jewelry Show - 30,000 Pools: Currently closed by government order. 8-10 World of Concrete 2021 - 60,000 Attire: Minimal. 22-24 International Pizza Expo - 12,000 20-21 Int. Esthetics, Cosmetics, & Spa - 25,000 27-29 Cosmoprof North America 2021 - 40,000 28-30 NightClub and Bar Show - 40,000

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