Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/las-vegas-casinos/ Essential Las Vegas News, Tips, Deals and WTF. Fri, 22 Nov 2024 09:02:53 +0000 en-US hourly 1 //wordpress.org/?v=6.4.5 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/renderings-shared-for-lvxp-project-thats-never-ever-happening/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/renderings-shared-for-lvxp-project-thats-never-ever-happening/#comments Sat, 09 Nov 2024 09:04:07 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=42112 Just when you thought the cavalcade of horseshit was finally over for the former Wet ‘n Wild water park site after All-Net Arena was euthanized, it continues with the release of renderings for yet another Strip resort project that’s never, ever going to happen: LXVP. Yes, that was a lot, but we’re very busy and […]

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Just when you thought the cavalcade of horseshit was finally over for the former Wet ‘n Wild water park site after All-Net Arena was euthanized, it continues with the release of renderings for yet another Strip resort project that’s never, ever going to happen: LXVP.

Yes, that was a lot, but we’re very busy and important, so we don’t have time to dilly and/or dally.

We were pretty much the lone Las Vegas media outlet to call out the All-Net sham for a decade, and we’re proud to do it again for LXVP. Here’s a look at a rendering of this imaginary resort.

Las Vegas has a seemingly endless supply of hogwash, baloney, bunk and, in the words of our fellow youths, cap.

Big thanks to Channel 8 for being the first to dig up these renderings from paperwork submitted to the Winchester Town Board, whatever that might actually be.

When the plan is rubber-stamped by the Winchester Town Board, it will then go to the ever-gullible Clark County Commission for further rubber stamping.

Reminder: Renderings and plans are not financing, and without financing, this project isn’t a reality, nor will it ever be.

The folk who created the renderings, Steelman Partners, are legit, however. Drawings aren’t cheap, but we’re talking thousands of dollars, not billions. That’s a whole different ballgame. Speaking of ballgames, see also the utter lack of funding for the A’s ballpark and Bally’s Corp. resort on the former Tropicana site.

Are we simply a naysayer for the sake of naysaying? No, although, we sometimes say “nay” when it’s clear something is a a wholly ridiculous charade fashioned from smoke, mirrors and beetle dung. It’s not pessimism, it’s common sense. We’ve been pointing out the sheer stupidity of this particular dog and pony show since it was announced in April 2024.

LVXP. If a farce had an illegitimate child with malarkey and it was dropped on its head a lot.

Our local media does what it always does, it just repeats what its told, never questioning whether the information is in any way tethered to reality.

The reality is the folks involved with this project do not have the wherewithal to actually make it happen.

There’s James R. Frasure Jr., CEO of LVXP; Chief of Staff Christine Richards (a professional dancer and choreographer) and Chief Construction Officer Nick Tomasino. Nick Tomasino managed the construction of The Sphere, the venue that went a billion over budget. Bygones!

Paul and Sue Lowden (a former Nevada state senator, but nobody’s perfect), and their Archon Corp., are also involved in the project. The pair have operated a handful of small casinos that generated dozens of dollars in revenue (including Hacienda, Pioneer and Santa Fe Station), along with the aforementioned Wet ‘n Wild.

The Lowden’s son, Chris Lowden, was sued for fraud and racketeering related to the Stoney’s Rockin’ Country company in 2016, a brand Archon owns.

No one involved with LVXP has said where financing will come from, mostly because it’s not coming from anywhere.

Please stop wasting Paul Steelman’s time with this nonsense, thank you.

To rattle off the alleged features of this project would be like naming the anatomical features of a mermaid, so we won’t, except to say they’re lofty and imaginative.

As is required by Nevada state law now, developers enthusiastically claim the resort will have an 18,000-seat sports arena to try and lure an NBA team. As we have shared, this is already happening at the Rio site, so LVXP is unmitigated fiction.

The only thing missing at LVXP is a Stargate. Give them a minute.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Las Vegas Strip, the proposed LVXP site (currently a mosquito breeding ground) is between Fontainebleau and the Sahara casino, owned by noted douchenozzle Alex Meruelo. All due respect to douchenozzles.

The well-meaning but delusional folks at LVXP say they’ll start building this multibillion-dollar resort “in early 2025,” the first of many hallucinatory dates that will come and go for the next several years as the developers scramble to find financing that is never going to materialize.

There are so many exciting projects in Las Vegas, it’s best we not waste time on the outlandish ones that aren’t happening. This, friends, is a metric ass-ton of that.

Update (11/17/24): Oh, look, another rendering of the LVXP project that is never, ever happening.

Never. Not as in “unlikely.” The other kind. Actually, literally never.
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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/renderings-shared-for-lvxp-project-thats-never-ever-happening/feed/ 10 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/heres-whats-new-and-whats-in-the-works-at-caesars-palace/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/heres-whats-new-and-whats-in-the-works-at-caesars-palace/#comments Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:13:00 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=42062 There’s a lot going on at Caesars Palace, the grande dame of the Las Vegas Strip. For our fellow youths who may be unfamiliar with the term “grande dame,” Caesars Palace possesses a fair amount of “gyatt.” Anyway, the old girl still has some vixen in her with a number of venues coming online in […]

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There’s a lot going on at Caesars Palace, the grande dame of the Las Vegas Strip. For our fellow youths who may be unfamiliar with the term “grande dame,” Caesars Palace possesses a fair amount of “gyatt.”

Anyway, the old girl still has some vixen in her with a number of venues coming online in the next month or two, including a high limit slot area, high limit table games area and Caspian’s Lounge, along with Mokbar in the resort’s food hall. A couple of areas have already debuted. Buddy V’s Pizzeria just opened in the food court and a high limit slot area got a beautiful makeover.

Let’s take a look at some of the newness at Caesars Palace, the quintessential Las Vegas resort and a place where we used to work before founding our online media empire. If you thought, ” That ’empire’ should be in quotation marks,” your insolence is duly noted.

Las Vegas never runs out of new.

Let’s start with the things that have already quietly been unveiled at Caesars Palace.

A small high limit slot room just off the casino floor has gotten a serious refresh.

Prior to the renovation, the room was popular but looked like it had been rode hard and put up wet, unbecoming of a high limit room in the flagship resort of Caesars Entertainment.

We texted photos of the abused chairs in the room to higher ups in the company, and we proved once again that whining can have a positive impact on the world. The new chairs are fleek AF.

We love us some high maintenance chairs, which was definitely not the name of our band in high school, probably.

Do you know this blog at all?

This was the last time we ever dressed up.

Also new at Caesars is Buddy V’s Pizzeria in the resort’s food hall, quickly becoming a place where you might actually want to eat voluntarily, despite Bobby’s Burgers.

We haven’t tried this Buddy V’s yet, but we stopped by prior to opening and the food looked tasty. (We like his spots at the Linq and Venetian, Harrah’s not so much.) Buddy V’s Pizzeria replaces the price gougefest that was DiFara Pizza. Yes, there’s cake.

New things are awesome, but we especially enjoy seeing what’s next and not publicly viewable yet. We call these sneak peeks “security breaches” just to make them sound more romantic.

Caesars Palace will soon have two new spaces for its high rollers.

The high limit slots salon is going to be resplendent, or perhaps even another word we actually know the meaning of.

It’s clear no expense is being spared. Other sumptuous high limit rooms have been cropping up on The Strip, and locals casinos (like Station Casinos) have been giving the big boys a run for their money with elegant offerings for their much-coveted high limit gamblers.

Here’s a look behind the construction wall.

August things are afoot. Too esoteric?

The room will feature a very fancy chandelier, among other amenities.

Ironically, this chandelier at Caesars Palace boasts a link promenade.

This new high limit area will have more of a party vibe than the existing Palace Court high limit room at Caesars Palace, intended to capture some of the Omnia foot traffic. Palace Court isn’t going anywhere, this is additive.

Here’s one of the decorative flourishes on display in the future high limit slots room at Caesars.

Do people still call it “bling,” or is it “drip” now? Ice? Frost? Sauce? Please submit all updates in triplicate, a phrase no one has used since 1995.

The high limit slot area is connected to the high limit table games area by a hallway with a sweet cage. Photos of casino cages is strictly forbidden, so here’s a photo of the cage because we do not live by society’s rules.

They have flair at bars, why not have “show cages” in casinos? They could do close-up magic with currency, balance giant bands of cash, make markers vanish into thin air. One can wish.

The high limit table games salon will continue the club-esque vibe.

All hail the enlightened casino executives who understand the big “reveal” isn’t a thing anymore. We crave progress reports, inside skinny and sneak peeks.

There will be a small bar in the table games salon, but no video poker (at opening, anyway).

Despite no immediate plans for video poker, they’re building the cabinets, anyway, because smart people are smart.

The high limit table games room will have roulette and blackjack and the usual suspects, but no craps table to start.

This is either where one of the roulette tables is going or a Tesla Cybertruck crime scene.

The new high limit spaces should be complete by the end of 2024.

Getting a fix on where these high limit rooms are situated isn’t easy, but they’ll be easily accessible from the main casino floor. They’re across from Omnia, sort of next to where the Pussycat Dolls party pit was. Across the way from Stanton Social Prime, that place you haven’t been yet.

The new high limit areas are behind that wall. They’ll probably remove the red arrows when they open.

Also in the works is Caspian’s Lounge. This new lounge, from Clique Hospitality, sits in the former home of Cleopatra’s barge. At this point, it’s an empty box, no trace of the former showroom in sight.

Caspian’s Lounge will have live music, but it’s not being built as an entertainment venue, we said appreciatively.

There’s a bit more to do.

Caspian’s will have a small bar, of course.

They can’t have video poker here because who needs the competition?

Clique Hospitality has a number of Las Vegas venues ranging from terrible (Side Piece at Red Rock) to outstanding (Clique at Cosmo and Tailgate Social at Palace Station), so we have high hopes for Caspian’s Lounge, especially if no cigar smoking is allowed.

Are you maxed out on Caesars Palace news yet? Tough.

Also in the works at the resort’s food court are Mokbar and Tortazo by Rick Bayless.

The name of Mokbar is officially Mokbar, but the signage says “Mok Bar.” This is a smidge confusing. To make matters even more baffling, it’s really Mŏkbar, with a little thing over the “o.” That diacritical mark is called a “breve.” Mokbar translates as “eat bar.” We didn’t think food court tenants could sell liquor (as it could interfere with the landlord’s liquor revenue), so this should be interesting.

Modern and accessible QSR (quick service restaurant) Korean.

Anyway, Mokbar is from the adorable Esther Choi, so we’re looking forward to trying it. The space was previously Tiger Wok & Ramen.

You thought we were just going to show you a curtain? It’s not a security breach if nothing is breached.

As for Tortazo by Rick Bayless, it’s not as far along as the other new concepts in the Forum Food Hall, not to be confused with the food offerings at the Caesars Forum, a convention space nowhere near Caesars Palace. Don’t get us started.

Mexican fast casual and the such.

We’re almost done, but feel compelled to give a little scoop about the Caesars Palace poker room.

The poker room has been shut down as the casino’s high limit areas are rejiggered, but it will be back. It won’t, however, be in the same spot, we’re told. It’s going to the other end of the casino, closer to the parking garage, the entrance to the Forum Shops and by Vanderpump Cocktail Garden. It’s fluid, but it’s coming back, so don’t freak out.

It’s fairly straightforward. Slots make lots of money for casinos, poker rooms don’t.

In perhaps the biggest Caesars Palace news, we’re pretty sure the elevators in the self-park garage are being repaired. Half the elevators were out of order when we left Caesars Entertainment in 2013, and we’re pretty sure they have remained that way until now. Just saying.

All these changes at Caesars Palace follow on the heels of a serious investment in breathing new life into this famed throwback casino, including a beautiful new bar just off the hotel lobby and a new valet entrance.

One last bit of newness! A recent news release we deleted because we are very important and busy said something about a new Omnia Dayclub. This explains some of the tree removal in front of Caesars Palace.

It’s expected this space will be used for F1-related activities prior to the construction of the Omnia Dayclub, but few details have been provided. It’s possible the details were provided during our recent behind-the-scenes tour (sorry, “security breach”), but we don’t take notes, which we’re aware is a serious character flaw, however, you are not our mom.

You know we’ll keep you in the loop about all the new developments at Caesars Palace, so check back hourly for updates.

Update (11/7/24): We told you to check back! The day after our post went live, Caesars Palace announced the aforementioned food hall concepts—Tortazo by Chef Rick Bayless, Mokbar by Chef Esther Choi and Buddy V’s Pizzeria—have all simultaneously opened and Forum Food Hall has been rebranded to Celebrity Food Hall.

 

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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/heres-whats-new-and-whats-in-the-works-at-caesars-palace/feed/ 6 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/ellis-island-expansion-renderings-revealed-via-employee-break-room/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/ellis-island-expansion-renderings-revealed-via-employee-break-room/#comments Wed, 23 Oct 2024 23:07:37 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41834 Ellis Island is in the middle of an expansion and renderings are finally in the wild. Infuriatingly, we didn’t get our hands on the renderings first. The story’s still pretty good, though, so here we go. We love Ellis Island and play there several times a week despite the road rage involved in trying to […]

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Ellis Island is in the middle of an expansion and renderings are finally in the wild.

Infuriatingly, we didn’t get our hands on the renderings first.

The story’s still pretty good, though, so here we go.

This answers the question, “What’s the least Ellis Island thing Ellis Island could do to Ellis Island?”

We love Ellis Island and play there several times a week despite the road rage involved in trying to get there. Thanks, F1.

We know the owners and management, so assumed they’d be passing along the expansion renderings to us first, mostly because we’re the media outlet that cares the most about this expansion, by far.

After months of promises and stonewalling, our friend @LasVegasLocally shared the expansion plans on Twitter.

After we cleaned up our work area from our head exploding, we did some digging and learned the images in question were photos of the renderings on display in the employee break room at Ellis Island. An employee snapped the pics and sent them to Locally, a relatively low tech way of releasing renderings.

Yes, there will occasionally be sports on the screen. Nowhere is perfect.

Anyway, the journalistic geniuses at the Las Vegas Review-Journal saw the renderings on Twitter and reached out to Ellis Island. They then got the “official” renderings and “broke” the story without attribution to Las Vegas Locally, of course. This is actually editorial policy at the Review-Journal, from what we’ve been told. Steal the work of others, confirm the story and don’t mention where the story originated. We have been the victim of this same dipshittery dozens if not hundreds of times. It’s gross.

The wonky way in which the renderings were released has dampened our excitement about the expansion a bit, but here’s another look at what’s to come.

Because nobody at the Review-Journal has ever actually played at Ellis Island, they didn’t mention the expansion is in the former brewery space. The casino closed its on-site brewery in 2022.

This modern interior design might be off-putting to some Ellis Island regulars, which is a good thing. The other night, a vagrant stole a bottle of beer from the casino’s main bar and made a run for it. Just saying.

The Review-Journal did, however, include in its expansion story the fact Ellis Island is suing F1, presumably implying, “How can Ellis Island afford a $35 million renovation if they lost so much money?” This is the kind of imbecilic logic our “paper of record” foists on its dozens of subscribers in the retirement community of Sun City every single day.

This is also the “paper of record” Ellis Island decided was more widely read and influential than a blog with a history of support and free advertising for more than a decade.

Bygones!

There’s going to be an adjustment period.

Along with a new bar (the current center bar is going away, which is awesome, because it smells like sewage sludge from a livestock farm), the expansion includes a rooftop lounge.

This patio will overlook the Battlebots tent, two power poles that serve as a Tupac memorial and drivers giving the finger to F1 construction workers.

The casino expansion will mean more room for slots, and the plan is for Ellis Island to increase its offerings by 250 machines.

Prior to that, would it be too much to ask to fix the “Deal/Draw” button on our favorite video poker machine from 1975?

While we are obligated to give Ellis Island shit for screwing us over on the expansion renderings, we can’t help but love the place. The table minimums are the lowest you’ll find close to The Strip, the staff is friendlier than any other casino on or near The Strip, the BBQ and sandwich places are great and the comps are generous for your play.

Ellis Island is family-owned, so it’s not slick or sophisticated, but it’s real and one’s business feels genuinely appreciated.

We’ve heard rumblings of a steakhouse in the works, which is badly needed, but nothing’s been announced officially, and we’re not sure where it would go.

One final note to casino employees: If you get scoop, please send it to us first. Our gambling pays your salary, for your child’s college education and orthodontia, for your lavish trips to Cabo, your mani/pedis and for casino expansions, from which everyone benefits.

You aren’t violating confidentiality, THEY PUT THE RENDERINGS UP IN THE BREAK ROOM.

Note: That was the first time in more than 3,000 stories we used all caps.

Anyway, exciting things are in the works at Ellis Island. You’d know that if you could get there. Thanks a lot, F1.

Update (10/27/24): Here’s a look at the construction progress at Ellis Island.

Ellis Island projects move at their own pace, but we’re getting there.
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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/ellis-island-expansion-renderings-revealed-via-employee-break-room/feed/ 9 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/ballys-corp-submits-steaming-pile-of-proposed-wtf-for-trop-site/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/ballys-corp-submits-steaming-pile-of-proposed-wtf-for-trop-site/#comments Thu, 17 Oct 2024 22:19:43 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41782 The A’s debacle in Las Vegas is moving full steam backward with the submission of a concept of a plan from Bally’s Corp. for the Tropicana site. Bally’s Corp. and the A’s have yet to provide specifics of how their whimsical projects (a casino resort and MLB ballpark) will be funded, but that’s not stopping […]

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The A’s debacle in Las Vegas is moving full steam backward with the submission of a concept of a plan from Bally’s Corp. for the Tropicana site.

Bally’s Corp. and the A’s have yet to provide specifics of how their whimsical projects (a casino resort and MLB ballpark) will be funded, but that’s not stopping them from cranking out renderings like business cards at CES.

Here’s a look at the imaginary Bally’s Corp. resort along with its imaginary ballpark.

Subject to change, and by that we mean it’s probably going to just be a parking lot.

Plans submitted to Clark County are chockablock with enticing details about the proposed project.

The ballpark alone is expected to cost $1.5 billion, even more if you include branded cocktail napkins.

The ballpark will presumably accommodate 33,000 fans. Projecting that many fans would ever attend an A’s game is similar to the unbridled optimism (and delusion) of guys who buy Magnum condoms.

The A’s hammock simply doesn’t reach both trees. Ditto Bally’s Corp. They’re perfect for each other.

In 2024, the A’s have had lower attendance numbers than 553 U.S. sports teams, including their own AAA affiliate, the Las Vegas Aviators.

But back to the Bally’s Corp. resort!

Plans are to things existing as psychics are to winning lottery numbers.

Among the fun facts entirely untethered from reality: Three hotel towers, built in phases. The 90,000-square-foot casino will have 1,500 slots, 75 table games, a poker room and sportsbook. The resort will also have meeting space, lots of bars and restaurants and a dayclub.

For the record, these are all numbers being pulled out of buttholes. Just for some context.

Anything could happen. Not this, but anything else.

But wait, there’s more!

The plans say there will be 2,500 parking spaces on-site, with another 43,920 within walking distance or accessible by flying cars, which are just as likely to happen by 2028 as a new A’s ballpark and integrated resort on the Tropicana site.

 

Anyway, we’re tired of being perceived as negative about these projects. Local media certainly isn’t showing any sign of skepticism, they’re cheerleading and passing along what they’re told without asking any tough questions. Or any questions, really.

We love the idea of a new casino on the recently-imploded Tropicana site. We just haven’t seen any evidence any of what’s being proposed is actually happening.

This is going to save the Seminoles a ton of money when they build the A’s a stadium in Sacramento. No, really, the A’s filed for the trademarks “Sacramento A’s” and “Sacramento Athletics” back in April 2024.

The entire A’s/Bally’s project has been giving off All-Net Arena vibes since day one.

Show us (Vegas) the money. Any money at all. Plans and hopes and confidence and Gap stock aren’t financing.

The problem with drinking Kool-Aid is eventually it rots your teeth, puts you at a higher risk of kidney stones, along with headaches, indigestion and rashes. And you can’t spell acesulfame potassium without an A. There’s a remote chance we have a point here. Actual results may vary.

Update (10/17/24): On the bright side, all documents related to the alleged financing of the A’s ballpark are confidential.

Update (10/17/24): We can’t recall hearing from Bally’s Corp. before, but following the publication of our story, a Bally’s representative reached out with a statement: “The designs are initial massing diagrams intended to ensure that both our resort program and the A’s stadium program can be successfully accommodated on the site. We anticipate that the designs will evolve as we advance the project.”

So, the project that isn’t happening won’t look anything like the imaginary project depicted in the rendering. Simply glorious and we can’t wait to see how the rest of this saga unfolds.

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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/ballys-corp-submits-steaming-pile-of-proposed-wtf-for-trop-site/feed/ 15 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/silver-sevens-flips-to-hybrid-table-games-rebrand-stalled/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/silver-sevens-flips-to-hybrid-table-games-rebrand-stalled/#comments Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:46:00 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41736 The off-Strip Silver Sevens casino has converted from traditional table games to “hybrid” tables. These tables have live dealers, but no chips, and all wagering is done through terminals. During a recent visit, we not only checked out that intriguing twist, but also heard from several employees the casino’s plans to rebrand to Continental, including […]

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The off-Strip Silver Sevens casino has converted from traditional table games to “hybrid” tables. These tables have live dealers, but no chips, and all wagering is done through terminals.

During a recent visit, we not only checked out that intriguing twist, but also heard from several employees the casino’s plans to rebrand to Continental, including a return of Pink Taco, appear to have been put on indefinite hold.

Silver Sevens is operated by Affinity Gaming, the same company that owns three casinos in Primm—Whiskey Pete’s, Buffalo Bill’s and Primm Valley Resort & Casino. Things are changing at those casinos as well, so gird up.

Casino gambling is evolving. Better or worse? Depends upon whom you ask. Yes, “whom.” Shout-out to our sixth grade English teacher!

To begin, lots of casinos have electronic versions of traditional table games.

So-called “hybrid” games (ones that still have a live dealer) solve a number of challenges for casinos, their main benefit being cost savings on labor. It’s worth mentioning Silver Sevens has not let any dealers go due to the changes in its table games.

The biggest selling point for players? Low table minimums.

The biggest difference overall is these games are chipless. Cue the sad trombone for all the chip collectors out there. (Although, if you already have chips from a casino that moves to chipless, the value of your collection just went up.)

In many cases, hybrid games are a compromise so a casino doesn’t have to shut down its table games pit completely, as has happened at several casinos in recent years.

Casino Royale’s table games have yet to return. Tuscany bailed on table games until they returned recently. Railroad Pass, in Vegas-adjacent Henderson, also dumped its table games.

Our friends at Vegas Advantage have done an excellent job of keeping an eye on these trends. They were the first to share the changes at Silver Sevens and at the casinos in Primm as well.

Find yourself hating hybrid table games despite never having played them? Just saying.

The terminology about what’s happening at these casinos can be confusing. The headline at Vegas Advantage says, “Live Table Games No Longer Dealt in Primm.” All these hybrid games have dealers, though. They’re still live games. Some refer to them as “dealer-assisted” table games.

As most blackjack and roulette tables only have one dealer to begin with, the biggest change is for craps players.

At Silver Sevens, the table games pit now has one Shoot to Win Craps table (one dealer, 10 seats, $5 minimum), four blackjack tables (one dealer, five seats, $5 minimum) and one roulette table (one dealer, two wheels, eight seats).

The cards are real, the wheels are real, the dice are real (and rolled by guests). Live games, just not the way you’re used to playing.

For casinos, the benefits go beyond just cost savings. There’s also something called “game protection.” When chips and cash are used, cheating is more prevalent, along with employee theft and collusion. The folks at Vegas Advantage think the move to chipless games at Primm casinos may have to do with a recent theft we were the first to report, of course. A woman wiggled her way into an unstaffed casino cage and took $652,000 in cash and chips. Chipless tables take chips out of the equation.

Hybrid games also give casinos more access to data, tracking play so they can make adjustments as needed. Enhancing revenue are other key elements of hybrid games, things like shuffle time and increased number of results.

For example, on the roulette table, because of the two roulette wheels, players can bet twice as often because the wheels are always churning out results. Of course, one can sit out any given spin or just bet on one wheel, but what fun is that?

Double up to catch up, as the true believers say.

A big benefit of hybrid games is casinos can hire dealers for personality rather than math skills. See also Circa’s dancing dealers. Just saying. Because games are mostly automated, dealers can focus on customer service.

Players have mixed reactions to hybrid games, despite the fact they’re often very much like the games they know and love.

Beyond the lower minimums, digital games almost completely remove the possibility of dealer error. (This can be a plus or a minus, of course, depending upon if the error is made in the player’s error.)

Are you one of those people who looks at the history board on roulette tables? Hybrid blackjack tracks the dealer’s hand history. More busting requested, thanks.

We appreciate hybrid games (and electronic games for that matter) and often recommend them to new players because it takes the pressure off, especially with the sometimes intimidating game of craps.

Electronic and hybrid games give newbies the chance to play at their own pace, without the stress of betting on every hand or spin or roll. Players can just watch and learn. They can dabble, and when they bet, there isn’t a lot of money on the line.

On The Strip, to get into a typical dice game, you’re in for $200 bucks before you know it.

The minimums at Silver Sevens are $5, but they could theoretically go even lower. (The risk of $1 minimums, of course, is they draw $1 players. Casinos consider this a reasonable trade-off for no players.)

That might be a good idea during this transition, because the dealers are getting brutalized financially. Silver Sevens is sort of a “break-in” house, so dealers were making a fraction of Strip dealers, even before the hybrid games, maybe $100 a shift. Now, even that has evaporated, we’re told. It’s better than having no table games, but still.

There are buttons to tip dealers on the terminals, but one, there aren’t a lot of players, and two, it’s different tipping with virtual money instead of chips. Oh, when we played a hybrid game at Wynn (the last place we ever expected to see a hybrid craps table), we couldn’t tip the dealer cash. We had to insert the tip into the machine and tip via the terminal.

Like we said, hybrid games are everywhere. Get used to them.

While we were at Silver Sevens, just hanging out in the table games area, we witnessed customers expressing their strong feelings about the switch to hybrid games to members of the staff.

One guest grumbled about the change to the blackjack games, then made his way to a fully electronic blackjack game. Gamblers aren’t always driven by logic, they’re often driven by mojo. Superstitions take time to overcome.

Silver Sevens has some awareness-raising to do. Maybe give us some chips to fiddle with? Or bikini dealers? Just brainstorming here!

We did a deep dive into Roll to Win Craps when it made its debut on The Strip in 2021. There have been refinements to this game from Aruze Gaming (now part of Interblock, makers of all the other hybrid games at Silver Sevens), mostly to prevent dice sliding, a method of cheating that caused some of the games to be removed from several Strip casinos.

The switch to hybrid games means all of Silver Sevens traditional games have been shut down and removed from the casino floor.

Except one.

A blackjack table with a $100,000 progressive is tucked into a corner. Why is this worth noting? Because according to gaming regulations, if a progressive can’t be transferred to another game, it has to be given away.

Once this table is removed from the floor, Silver Sevens has 30 days to give away the money. This could be very good news for players, and we’ll keep an eye on how this giveaway is done. We won’t tell you about it until after we win, because we don’t need additional competition, but you can bet the minute it’s over with, you’ll hear all about it!

Once they pull the plug on this table, they have to give away the $100,000 progressive. We are so there.

As for the buzzed-about Silver Sevens rebrand to Continental, we’ve been told by front line staff it’s dead, but executives say it’s “a matter of timing.”

Also in limbo is the return of a popular restaurant brand, Pink Taco. We’re betting that plan isn’t happening.

At first we figured the stalled rebrand was financial, but if you go down the casino rabbit hole, you’ll find Affinity Gaming is part of Z Capital Group.

The official site for Z Capital says, “ZCG is a leading, privately held merchant bank comprised of private markets asset management, business consulting services and technology development and solutions.” Which translates as, “Z Capital could purchase New Zealand.”

The company owns a ton of restaurant brands, any number of which might fit into Silver Sevens’ big picture. We’re rooting for Italian, but ZCG and its Xperience Restaurant Group mainly do Mexican: Acapulco, Chevys Fresh Mex, El Torito, El Torito Grill, Las Brisas, Who Song & Larry’s, Sinigual, SOL Cocina, Solita, Rio Mambo, The RIM Scratch Craft Eats and Cal Mex Cantina.

No, really, they have a restaurant called The Rim. Please, please bring that brand to Las Vegas, Silver Sevens.

The Rim would provide so many jobs.

Food is a key challenge at Silver Sevens. The casino’s City Cafe is fairly well-regarded, but it closes early most nights (9:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday). There was a taco truck parked in the casino’s port cochere the night we visited (following a Flo Rida appearance).

Anyway, there are lots of changes in the works at Silver Sevens, and the casino has a new General Manager, Jack Behrens.

Behrens was General Manager of Oyo for a year and previously held positions at Dreamscape (owners of Rio) and Paragon Gaming. He’s a financial guy, but has his finger on the pulse of casinos and gambling, as he is an avid poker player.

Silver Sevens faces some unique challenges, and by that we mean location.

The casino caters mainly to people who live in the neighborhood. Translation: Grinders. It’s a little like Ellis Island, but Silver Sevens is even farther from The Strip. The address is 4100 Paradise Rd., but it’s really on Flamingo.

We’ve always liked the place and tend to have good luck gambling there. On the night of our visit, we hit a royal flush for $1,077.

The attendant said he enjoys Vital Vegas, so we must make mention of that in this photo caption. It’s the law.

While not a taxable event, it was a handpay, anyway. It wasn’t a progressive, but the $77 is just tacked onto the jackpot as an on-brand perk for playing there (and making it a handpay offers attendants an additional chance for tips).

We’ll hit Silver Sevens more often if they fix the restaurant issue and keep cranking out those royals. Your results may vary.

Update (Oct. 18, 2024): Silver Sevens has confirmed its $100,000 progressive giveaway. The money will be given away in a winner-take-all blackjack tournament. Preliminaries happen Nov. 1-15, 2024 (Thursdays at 7 p.m. and Fridays at 8 p.m. Semi-finals and finals take place Nov. 16, 2024. The casino will draw 36 players each day (Nov. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15), one hour before tournament play starts. Bring a valid I.D. to Player Services on any tournament date to register between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Fill out the entry form, deposit it in the drawing drum. To qualify for the tournament, a player’s card is not mandatory. One entry per person for the duration of the tournament series. Must be present for the seat drawings. Names will be drawn at Player Services on each prelim date. If the guest has a player’s card, they fill their number in on the form to qualify for the 2nd chance drawings to win $100, immediately following each tournament day. (Five winners per day.) On Nov. 16, four names will be drawn to win $500 free play. Must be 21 or older.

Dibs.
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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/silver-sevens-flips-to-hybrid-table-games-rebrand-stalled/feed/ 4 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/heres-our-perfunctory-story-about-the-tropicana-implosion/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/heres-our-perfunctory-story-about-the-tropicana-implosion/#comments Wed, 09 Oct 2024 23:55:40 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41714 Oy, with the implosion show at Trop, already. Yes, we’ve been watching “Nobody Wants This” on Netflix. We’ve trying to figure out a way we can get around doing a story about the Tropicana implosion, but to no avail. If we never hear the half-witted term “Trop Drop” again, it will be too soon. We’ll try […]

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Oy, with the implosion show at Trop, already. Yes, we’ve been watching “Nobody Wants This” on Netflix.

We’ve trying to figure out a way we can get around doing a story about the Tropicana implosion, but to no avail. If we never hear the half-witted term “Trop Drop” again, it will be too soon.

We’ll try and make this quick and painless.

This was the first Las Vegas casino implosion with drones. Happily, nobody put out an eye.

The Tropicana was imploded, with the requisite hoopla, at 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 9, 2024.

Here’s a video with all the speechery and pew-pew.


There was a drone show prior to the implosion and a fantastic fireworks show.

Here’s another look.

The implosion itself lasted about 20 seconds.

Here are some photos of the Trop site after the dust settled. As we shared on Twitter, this is easily the neatest implosion ever in the history of the world.

Everything that can be said about the Tropicana implosion has been said, in a very boring way, by our local media.

Yes, Tropicana had a long history. However, its loss isn’t as dramatic as many would have you believe.

A wildly popular Las Vegas-focused Twitter account said it best.

In recent years, Trop hasn’t been a thing.

It didn’t make much money for its owners, and the plan was always to demolish the place to make way for something new and shiny. It’s Las Vegas, after all.

A lot of the chatter around Trop’s closure and implosion has been around the site presumably being cleared for a new A’s ballpark and casino resort.

The only issue is neither of the entities involved (the A’s and Bally’s Corp.) have shown any evidence of financing for these ambitious and expensive projects. Just a lot of hopes and dreams and prayers and pledges and concepts of plans.

If the A.I. prompt is “Fisher and Kaval,” this is what you get.

This complete lack of financing specifics doesn’t seem to deter the breathless enthusiasm of Las Vegas media outlets from continuing to parrot what they’re told by A’s officials, Bally’s Corp. officials and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) officials.

Or as well call them, the “Trifecta of Delusional Bullshit.” Which was, as you might have guessed, the name of our band in high school.

There’s a graphic on the Internet, it must be true.

We aren’t going to get into the details of why they’ve all lost their collective minds. Now is a time to say goodbye to classic Las Vegas hotel and casino.

Honestly, the demolition of a perfectly good casino to make room for a parking lot is tragic. The same thing happened with Riviera. The former New Frontier is the Strip’s broom closet.

We don’t doubt somebody will build a casino on the Trop site someday, but it won’t be Bally’s Corp. (unless the land owner, GPLI decides it doesn’t like money). A resort on that site would be a particularly terrible idea given the fact nine acres would presumably be devoted to an imaginary ballpark. Our sources say such a resort would not make money due to FAA height restrictions, thus limiting the number of hotel rooms.

Can the ballpark be built on its on at the Trop site? Also, no.

Were the A’s looking at the Rio site as a better alternative? We hear yes, but Oak View Group is now doing soil testing in the Rio parking lot’s 22 acres for a potential NBA arena.

There are a lot of moving parts, but we already told you we aren’t going to talk about those as we are saying goodbye to a classic Las Vegas hotel and casino.

No, MGM Resorts isn’t going to swoop in and buy the site. MGM Resorts doesn’t own anything anymore. They operate casinos.

No, the A’s don’t get taxpayer dollars until they spend $100 million of their own money.

No, we aren’t being negative, we are stating facts and making logical, informed conclusions. If it sounds like a cluster, that’s because it is a cluster. Don’t shoot the messenger.

No, these thoughts are not just filler so we can say we wrote a story about the Tropicana implosion.

Yes, we are done, as we have real things to write about, rather than whimsical nonsense being foisted on the public by well-meaning but misguided journalists who don’t have the sources we do.

The A’s/Bally’s/Trop saga/debacle continues to unfold, and you can bet we’ll be here to origami the living hell out of it because somebody’s got to do it.

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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/heres-our-perfunctory-story-about-the-tropicana-implosion/feed/ 9 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/casinos-are-cracking-down-on-slot-vultures-reasons-may-surprise-you/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/casinos-are-cracking-down-on-slot-vultures-reasons-may-surprise-you/#comments Tue, 08 Oct 2024 22:47:13 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41698 We’ve written 3,049 stories for this blog and we finally, finally get to use a clickbaity headline! Very exciting. Technically, “clickbait” involves enticing readers with a headline but not delivering on the promise of that headline, the content is often dubious or of questionable value. Well, that’s this blog every single day, so this is […]

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We’ve written 3,049 stories for this blog and we finally, finally get to use a clickbaity headline! Very exciting.

Technically, “clickbait” involves enticing readers with a headline but not delivering on the promise of that headline, the content is often dubious or of questionable value. Well, that’s this blog every single day, so this is right in our wheelhouse. This time, however, we’re not only going to deliver on the promise, we’re going to exceed your expectations. Actual results may vary.

But at least we have an excuse to create an A.I. image of a vulture in a casino, so there’s that.

Thanks for reading this far. Feel free to carrion.

All right, we’ve got some ground to cover before we get into the meat of this story.

What is a “slot vulture,” you ask? Basically, slot vultures seek to improve their odds of winning by watching for slot machines with “persistent” bonuses or jackpots. These slot machines show how close you’re getting to a bonus. Vultures wait for others to feed the machine, then they “swoop” in to grab a jackpot.

These slot machines have grown in popularity in recent years, as has the practice of trying to game the system.

A couple of things worth noting: What we’re describing isn’t cheating.

Depending upon who you talk to, some refer to “vultures” as “advantage players.” The reasoning is they’re making smart decisions based upon their knowledge of these games.

It’s like card counting in blackjack. It’s not illegal, per se, it’s just frowned upon and casinos can refuse service to anyone.

Another thing worth mentioning is some machines that appear to have “persistent” bonuses and jackpots actually don’t. Slot makers realize players like the idea of having an edge, so they’re designing games with bowls of coins, pigs that swell and firecrackers that simulate persistent bonuses, but don’t actually do anything. They’re for show.

Here’s a video about “perceived persistence.”


The games that actually do show players how close they’re getting to a win are a problem for casinos, and we actually were surprised by the reason.

We asked a longtime casino manager why casinos would mind vultures if they aren’t cheating. The machines are being played by novices and experts alike, the game holds whatever it holds, what’s the issue?

The issue, it turns out, has a lot do with casinos wanting all their customers to have the opportunity to hit bonuses and jackpots.

Slot vultures aren’t stealing jackpots, they’re stealing fun.

Also, vultures have become more aggressive recently, often hovering over machines primed for a hit, and intimidating regular guests into leaving the machine.

Naturally, there’s a financial element to this disdain for slot vultures. If you combine their style of gambling with loyalty club perks, players can beat the casino.

Ironically, if vultures weren’t greedy, they might be able to get away with their questionable tactics. They often can’t resist using their casino loyalty club card, which means casinos can track their play and see which machines they’re playing and winning on consistently. Anyone playing just persistent bonus games isn’t a typical casino customer.

When casinos detect vulture behavior, they have the option of pulling the plug on that player’s perks.

Which brings us to why this subject has been in the headlines recently. MGM Resorts recently did a crackdown on slot vultures and those in the casino industry say it’s the smartest thing the company has done in some time.

MGM Resorts dove headlong into its player data and informed advantage players (in some cases, “lifetime winners”) they are welcome to play, but the casino company isn’t going to treat them to same way as their typical customers anymore.

No more invites to free play tournaments, no offers or comps based upon slot play. “All events and tournaments you are currently booked for…will be cancelled.” Free rooms, canceled.

No, that’s not a typo. “Canceled” is more common in America, while “cancelled” is more of a British English thing. Who made you like this?

MGM Resorts, it seems, is done with slot vultures’ bullshit.

This isn’t a new issue, however.

Casinos have been trying to warn guests about vultures for some time. This warning started popping up on machines at Cosmopolitan back in early 2023.

This idea of “persistent” jackpots has been around since the early days of slot machines. Old-timey slots would sometimes show coins in jackpot hoppers. This visual was irresistible to gamblers, as it conveyed that the machine was due for a hit.

So, if this is a known problem for casinos, why do slot makers continue to design slot machines this way? Because they’re popular.

CDC Gaming has done a number of great stories about this issue.

CDC Gaming says “the list of the Top 25 most popular machines is dominated by those with progressive meters, perceived persistence bonuses or true persistence features.” The psychology of such slot machines is fascinating.

So, while vultures are within their rights to try and gain an advantage over casinos, casinos have the right to address the issue as they see fit. Casinos are for-profit businesses, after all. Curating the guest experience is a big part of running a casino.

Fun story.

We were chatting with the aforementioned casino manager about vultures and asked for an example of games with persistent jackpot features. He pointed to a bank of machines (pictured below).

He explained on how this machine, Buffalo Ascension (arguably the most popular of the persistent bonus machines), you could see the three middle reels expanding to show the bonus was getting closer to hitting. He also pointed out the specific machine which was most advantageous to players at that moment. During our conversation, a player strolled by the bank of machines and sat a the one he’s pointed out. The casino manager immediately said, “Vulture.”

Can you spot the machine closest to winning, we asked rhetorically, because we can’t hear you through your browser.

If you’re looking for an edge on Buffalo Ascension, look for the prominent protrusions. Which was, predictably, the name of our band in high school.

A.I. caption of the day: Bet with wisdom, not just might, knowledge shields from fortune’s bite. We’re so out of a job.

Slot vultures aren’t just random individual players, by the way. Bonus-chasing (or “pot chasing”) teams have formed and they roam casinos looking for slots ready to pop.

Maybe five minutes after spotting that vulture playing Buffalo, another guy breezed by the bank of slots and snapped a photo. The casino manager said this was a scout for his team. These scouts make dozens of passes through multiple casino a day, capturing the status of the machines with persistent bonuses, so others can jump in to play at just the optimal time. It’s a whole thing.

Are bonuses and jackpots guaranteed? No, but the odds are better and that can add up to consistent wins, especially when combined with free play and other loyalty club perks.

We made acapella cool before it was cool. Which still hasn’t happened, but you know what we mean.

We get it. Some would say these players are just smart. Every gambler wants to get an edge over casinos, especially since casinos have math and time on their side.

Here are some advantage play slots.

Nobody’s getting mad if you’re playing smart. Casinos are mad slot vultures are preying on unsuspecting gamblers, though, and they’re fighting back.

Where do you stand on this topic? Are vultures (sorry, “advantage players”) just using acumen and strategy to improve their chances of winning or are they “stealing” jackpots on the backs of tourists loading up the machines for the folks who treat this as a full-time job rather than recreation?

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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/casinos-are-cracking-down-on-slot-vultures-reasons-may-surprise-you/feed/ 31 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/rumor-downtown-grand-reportedly-under-contract-for-sale/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/rumor-downtown-grand-reportedly-under-contract-for-sale/#comments Thu, 03 Oct 2024 22:53:37 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41643 Our sources say Downtown Grand, located downtown, it’s right there in the name of the place, please keep up, has found a buyer. As with any rumor, things can change, but this one isn’t popping up out of the blue. Let’s see how we got here and why we’re so awesome at sharing Las Vegas […]

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Our sources say Downtown Grand, located downtown, it’s right there in the name of the place, please keep up, has found a buyer.

As with any rumor, things can change, but this one isn’t popping up out of the blue.

Let’s see how we got here and why we’re so awesome at sharing Las Vegas news before it’s officially announced, shan’t we?

Reminder: Sources can’t foretell the future. If rumors aren’t your cup of tea, maybe try a different beverage that doesn’t taste like the bark of a Western white pine tree.

Back in June 2024, we were the first to share the news Downtown Grand was for sale.

In July, we shared Downtown Grand had received several serious offers.

Also in July, the shitheads at the Las Vegas Review-Journal stole our scoop, confirmed it and “broke” the news without attribution. This crap happens pretty much every day. We describe the practice as “sharting on the Adelson family’s legacy.” The Adelson’s own the rag. It reportedly loses $1 million a year.

On Sep. 18, 2024, we shared word Downtown Grand had found a potential buyer.

An announcement is expected in January 2025, according to some random person on Twitter, a source far more reliable than the Las Vegas Review-Journal, by the way.

A lot can happen during the due diligence portion of a casino sale, of course, and many deals have fallen apart when things get granular (inspections, financing, etc.).

The big question, of course, is who’s buying Downtown Grand, and why are they paying so much for it, rumored to be more than $100 million? (Not everyone agrees with that valuation. We’ve heard one bid was for $10 million. No, really.)

Well, Downtown Grand is in pretty good shape, despite the terrible location. That challenging location was presumably improved when the City of Las Vegas sprung (sprang?) for a fancy promenade between Fremont Street Experience and Downtown Grand. (The City paid for it because it improved the sight lines to the Mob Museum, a project championed by former Mayor Oscar Goodman whose wife, wait for it, is the current mayor, the person who sort of holds the purse strings for City projects. Coincidence!)

It was rumored Matt Maddox was eyeing Downtown Grand. At one point, he was going to buy Neonopolis, which sounds like a horrific investment until you realize Maddox thought he might be able to get a gaming license for the site. What might have been.

New ownership would be a shot in the arm for Downtown Grand. It’s currently owned by CIM Group and is managed by Fifth Street Gaming, the company that runs such notable casinos as the closed Silver Nugget and Ojos Locos Sports Cantina y Casino at Hotel Jefe. We are not making this up.

Downtown Grand tends to do well on the hotel side, but its casino has been struggling for years.

Things perked up a bit when Andrew Economon was General Manager, but he was unceremoniously shown the door. Economon had exactly the experience and perspective Downtown Grand needed. He created a number of promotions and offerings tailored to value-seekers. Now, not so much. Although, the $2 hot dog and beer deal is still happening, presumably.

We’ve always liked Downtown Grand, but that block between Fremont Street Experience and the casino might as well be 100 miles.

New ownership could shake things up, and that could be great for guests. Confirmation and more details to come.

Update (10/3/24): Speculation is fun, but hearing things from sources is even better. We’re now hearing the buyer of Downtown Grand could be none other than John Unwin, et. al. Unwin was the original CEO of Cosmopolitan when it opened in 2010. Deutsche Bank helped build Cosmo, and chatter is they’re involved with the Downtown Grand deal. Cosmopolitan had a rough start, but has become one of the best casino resorts on The Strip, which means it’s also one of the best casino resorts in the world. Unwin was involved with The Drew, but that deal went sideways. Most recently, Unwin’s been the Founder & CEO of Corvus Collective. We don’t know what that is, but it sounds like something you should probably get a vaccination against. Unconfirmed, but Unwin could give Downtown Grand a fighting chance at success.

Update (10/4/24): Interesting comment left by Chuck R. on this blog, Oct. 4, 2024: “So when I went down to get my free play at the Downtown Grand last night (I was [previously] told by their kiosk I would be receiving 50 bucks twice a week for the month of October), now there is nothing on the screen where it once showed that amount. I go to the marketing desk/closet next to the cage. I am told that…they have now pulled the free play because of the sale of the property.”

Update (11/16/24): We’ve heard from multiple sources Corvus Collective is the buyer for Downtown Grand. A complicating factor is the Unwin-headed group must come up with $30 million in cash for the deal to happen (the sale price is $150 million, so 20% is $30 million), and that’s not a sure thing. An interesting twist in this saga is the fact Plaza owner Tamares Group made a big on Downtown Grand, but the offer was rejected. Sources say the Corvus offer was $20 million higher than the Plaza bid. Should the Corvus deal fall through, it’s likely Tamares will be the buyer. Our sources say there were really only three viable entities that could purchase and operate Downtown Grand: Derek Stevens (not interested), Boyd Gaming (the company already has three downtown casinos) and Tamares. Each has a strong database of players, a big component of making a go of this location-challenged hotel-casino. There’s an Irv’s at Durango Resort. The reviews are fine, but nothing to write home about. More to come.

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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/rumor-downtown-grand-reportedly-under-contract-for-sale/feed/ 12 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/el-cortez-drops-sexy-casino-renovation-renderings/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/el-cortez-drops-sexy-casino-renovation-renderings/#comments Sat, 14 Sep 2024 22:50:48 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41486 A classic downtown casino, El Cortez, announced back in May 2024 it will pump $20 million into a number of new enhancements. Now, we’re getting a look at these spaces, including a new high limit lounge, two new bars and a new restaurant, Hot Noods. If we sound giddy, it’s because we’re giddy. Renderings are […]

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A classic downtown casino, El Cortez, announced back in May 2024 it will pump $20 million into a number of new enhancements.

Now, we’re getting a look at these spaces, including a new high limit lounge, two new bars and a new restaurant, Hot Noods.

If we sound giddy, it’s because we’re giddy. Renderings are the next best thing to foot rubs and chicken parm. Separately. The Venn diagram of foot rubs and chicken parm should never, ever overlap. On to the renderings!

El Cortez has great deals, a fighting chance in the casino and employees who treat customers like family. You know, 1975.

Construction of the new offerings is already underway, and should be completed in February of 2025.

A good portion of the El Cortez casino floor is walled off, which is disorienting, but no pain no gain.

We spent 15 minutes trying to come up with a different way of saying “no pain, no gain,” but all we got was “no hurt, no dessert” and “no burn, no return” and “no whine, no shine.” Which explains why idioms are idioms and one shouldn’t try and reinvent the wheel.

Ike’s Bar was right behind that construction wall. We are very nervous someone is going to think that bank of slots is the restroom. It’s downtown, all due respect.

Speaking of restrooms, we have never seen this other than at El Cortez.

Let’s move on to something less awkward, shan’t we?

The sexiest El Cortez rendering is for a new roulette-inspired bar. It will replace the reliable, but not particularly sexy, Ike’s Bar. Ike’s Bar has been around since 2017, further evidence we have been doing this Las Vegas blog far too long.

No spin needed, this is hawt.

Dreamy, and we trust there will only be one zero.

Here’s another angle.

El Cortez isn’t having sex reassignment surgery, more like a vaginal rejuvenation. Look, we had to think of something that won’t be in their news releases.

Also impressive is a new bar they’re referring to as “Show Bar.”

Show Bar will have a 20-foot video screen, as well as a stage for live music (despite our best efforts).

Shout-out to any Millenial who knows what a “Casablanca” is. We actually met the writer, Julius Epstein. Weird flex, but true.

A new high limit slot area will have about 50 machines, along with a bar and the perfunctory TV screens for people who can’t be away from sports for five minutes or their head will explode.

The current high limit room at El Cortez doesn’t get a lot of action, except from slot influencers, but that could change.

As mentioned, the casino refresh will also include a new restaurant, Hot Noods by Chinglish.

Chinglish Cantonese Wine Bar and Kosher Chinglish closed in June 2024 in Summerlin, about 10 minutes west of The Strip. Chinglish is family-owned, from Kitty Heck and Ken Heck, and chef Po Fai Lam and Anna Lam (Kitty Lam’s parents). The restaurants were popular, but didn’t pencil out in their Boca Park locations.

A welcome addition to the line-up of restaurants at El Cortez. You know it’s slim pickings when they list Eureka as one of their dining options and it’s across the street.

Large swaths of El Cortez are being given some love.

Don’t freak out. They’re getting 100 additional slot machines as part of the expansion.

The expansion is being led by McCarthy Building Companies, Ike Gaming, Jive Architecture and Kenneth Ussenko Design, an interior design firm.

El Cortez is a throwback to a different era. It’s grittier than most Las Vegas casinos, and they are trying to keep their longtime regulars happy while keeping up with the expectations of younger and potentially higher-end customers. That balance is not easy. Just ask Station Casinos. They tried it at Palms and neither type of customer was particularly happy with the evolution of the resort. The nightclub/dayclub kids hated the olds, and the olds hated them back. It was Kaos. Station Casinos ended up selling Palms to the San Manuel tribe just to make the bleeding stop.

El Cortez seems to understand its existing appeal to loyal customers (many of whom are value-driven grinders who love coin machines from the 1980s), so the trick is to, as an El Cortez news release puts it, “ensure each of the new spaces embraces the iconic elegance of the property while adding a splash of modern details and energy to take the experience into the next generation.” Like a shark, casinos die if they don’t move forward. Which is a ridiculous myth, by the way. Not all idioms get it right, people are just too lazy to come up with better ones.

Anyway, building a bridge between the past and future is no small feat. We were going to say “no mean feat,” but our fellow youths would make a WTF face and stop reading our story to post a dance video on TikTok, so we’re going with “small feat.”

During our most recent visit, the unique mix of old and new customers (as well as tourists and locals) at El Cortez was evident. The casino was absolutely packed (made to feel even more crowded given a third of El Cortez is behind construction walls now), and the energy of new blood was undeniable.

Younger, table games players (many bar-hopping in the Fremont East district) were taking advantage of the low table minimums and beer carts in the table games pit. Seasoned locals were in the video poker room, with a sound, flavor and fragrance all its own.

This room, including the machines and people in it, is a national treasure. We know, because we are they.

If you ever yearned to see why casinos dropped coin-operated slot machines, look no further than El Cortez. Coin machines are a pain in the ass, with bags of 2,000 quarters ($500) weighing 25 pounds, and dollar coin bags ($600) weighing 30 pounds. It’s a non-stop cavalcade of lugging and loading and jamming and mechanical repairs. El Cortez offers these machines because their customers love them, plain and simple.

As we’ve seen at other casinos, El Cortez is not only sprucing the place up, but adding spaces (like the high limit room) for “aspirational” customers, or customers that may not exist for them quite yet in large numbers.

Remember, this is the casino where there are signs on the slot machines that say, “Complimentary beverages available when actively wagering a minimum of 40 cents.” We are not making this up.

Freeloaders gonna freeload.

Grinders are demanding and fickle, too much change and they’ll bolt. As El Cortez unveils these new venues, it will truly be able say it has “something for everyone.”

Well, maybe not everyone. El Cortez is a 21-plus resort now, for which its owner Kenny Epstein and his management team are to be commended.

You can bet we’ll be poking our head into El Cortez as these renovations move forward.

El Cortez is a truly one-of-a-kind holdover from another time and vibe. Anyone who gripes that “old Vegas” is gone hasn’t been to El Cortez. With its expansion, the downtown casino will continue to honor its colorful past (Bugsy Siegel as a co-owner back in the day) while integrating more contemporary panache.

You know, panache. Drip. Rizz. Mod.

Sorry, Mr. Epstein, we have to try and keep up with our fellow youths and their bussin’ argot.

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]]> //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/el-cortez-drops-sexy-casino-renovation-renderings/feed/ 11 Las Vegas Casinos Archives | Vital Vegas //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/first-look-inside-suncoasts-new-sportsbook-plus-renovation-details/ //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/first-look-inside-suncoasts-new-sportsbook-plus-renovation-details/#comments Tue, 03 Sep 2024 22:56:04 +0000 //www.rjvxnlsm.shop/vitalvegas/?p=41348 A local’s favorite, Suncoast, is undergoing a massive overhaul, and the casino’s new sportsbook opens Sep. 4, 2024. We are not a fan of “waiting” until things are “open.” We are more of a “sneak preview” person (along “with” being a “gratuitous quotation mark” person, “obviously”). So, we grabbed some pics of the new Suncoast […]

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A local’s favorite, Suncoast, is undergoing a massive overhaul, and the casino’s new sportsbook opens Sep. 4, 2024.

We are not a fan of “waiting” until things are “open.” We are more of a “sneak preview” person (along “with” being a “gratuitous quotation mark” person, “obviously”). So, we grabbed some pics of the new Suncoast sportsbook while it’s still behind curtains.

We’ve also got the skinny on what else is going on at Suncoast. There’s an ass-ton and there will be a quiz.

We are not a sports person, but we we know a sexy man cave when we see one.

Suncoast is about 10 minutes west of the Las Vegas Strip, in Summerlin. Summerlin is also home to Red Rock Casino, and we’re pretty sure Boyd Gaming is making a substantial investment in Suncoast because Red Rock has set a new bar for locals casinos and Boyd wants a piece of that action.

Sportsbooks aren’t big moneymakers for casinos, but they’re an amenity appreciated by locals.

Suncoast’s new sportsbook will satisfy all your high-fiving and butt-slapping needs.

Suncoast has done its sportsbook right, gleaning winning aspects of other sportsbooks (both its own places and competing casinos), bringing together all those best practices in its new venue.

One of the trends Suncoast follows is making the most of automated kiosks, rather than human bet-takers. The existing Suncoast sportsbook has more than a dozen live betting windows, the new sportsbook has four.

Most bettors are wagering on kiosks and apps now. Please keep up.

Suncoast went all-in on its videos screens and capability. I’m sure they’ll add all the technical specs in their upcoming news release, but we’re pretty sure Suncoast’s video display, at 1,700 square feet, is second only to Circa’s in sheer girth.

Seating is ample, with booths and individual seating, providing a lot of flexibility for groups and reserved tables during big sportsball events.

The bar is beautiful, and there are 26 video poker machines in the sportsbook, with 18 at the bar itself.

The video poker bar outside the showroom did bupkis. This will do boffo. We’ll wait for our fellow youths to Google these terms.

Suncoast’s sportsbook sits where the showroom used to be, one of several moves and renovations in the works.

A new high limit slot room opened in the former buffet space. A new food court is coming to that part of the casino as well. Boyd knocked it out of the park with its food court at Fremont casino, and it would be great to see a similar mix of offerings at Suncoast. The fast food offerings are a smidge on the underwhelming side at this point, Subwaywise.

The existing sportsbook will close up when the new one opens, and that will become a new bingo room (relocated from the second floor, that space will now be used for meetings and conferences).

Here’s the current sportsbook. We figured you might want to say goodbye.

It wasn’t bad, it was just sort of meh.

Bingo doesn’t make much for casinos, either. There’s a reason there are no bingo rooms on The Strip.

Here’s a rendering of what’s coming to the previous sportsbook space.

If you keep your yapper shut, Boyd’s lawyers won’t notice.

Also planned is a glorious, 70-seat center bar. We don’t know what it will be called, but it will be right in the center of the casino (the current casino video poker bar is going away).

Cocktail servers will no longer have to use the casino bar as a service bar. They’ll make the drinks in a new back-of-house space just for them. We asked a server what she thought of making her own cocktails, she said, “Ask us in a month or two.” Will do.

Suncoast’s bowling center is also getting a revamp, along with the front desk and hotel check-in area (rendering below).

Check-in line at Paris, 14 miles long. Check-in line at Suncoast, just those two people.

The excellent and relatively new William B’s Steakhouse at Suncoast should get more love than it does, as it’s a Strip-quality steakhouse, just with better prices. It’s what we call an “aspirational” offering at Suncoast, a venue for a customer it may not exactly have yet. (Ditto the sportsbook and fancy new center bar.)

Boyd Gaming tends to be careful with its financial investments (the company is still experiencing institutional trauma from the closure of Stardust and the failed Echelon project, now the site of Resorts World), but the locals market continue to deliver strong results, and Boyd is doing its revamp thoughtfully and with solid execution to-date.

The company expects all the Suncoast upgrades to be completed in mid-2026.

When it comes to changes at locals casinos, even for the better, you can’t do anything too quickly or dramatically. It’s jarring. Regulars will have freak-outs. This isn’t a happy-go-lucky tourist crowd, they’re unforgiving and aren’t shy about expressing their grievances. Some grinders have still not emotionally recovered from casinos changing from coins to paper vouchers. They like what they like. Locals casinos are extensions of their own homes.

Sometimes, when locals casinos move slot machines around, they post signs telling regulars where their favorite machines went. We are not making this up.

Suncoast’s new sportsbook opens to the public at 11:00 a.m. on Sep. 4, 2024.

Big thanks to Suncoast for not booting us out following our “security breach.”

Update (9/4/24): Here’s more from the aforementioned news release following the opening on the Suncoast sportsbook. “”The stadium-style sports viewing experience includes one of the largest high-resolution, wrap-around LED screens in the Las Vegas Valley, measuring over fifteen-and-a-half feet tall, with a surface area of more than 1,700 square feet. The sportsbook features deco-inspired channel-tufted booths, rows of contemporary lounge seating, a 130-foot-long sports ticker and an 18-seat bar offering commanding views of the impressive video wall.”

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