E-495: Coming In Hot

 Random Vegas 

There were 137 employees that worked all 34 years and 8 months at the Mirage.  All current employees get $2k per year worked and first dibs on Hard Rock jobs in 2027 (@Vegas_Visual) 

TwitPic of the week 

It’s the best picture I’ve ever seen that really shows off the scope and grandeur of a live performance at the Sphere, shared by @meltzvegas.  The 18k images dwarf the performers while enhancing the music. It’s an experience unlike no other and of course its located in Las Vegas. Even if its only to watch the movie I can’t recommend the Sphere experience enough, unless you get motion sickness.  Then stay away from that shit. 

News

• Neon Museum Expansion

• Hard Rock Las Vegas

E-494: Driverless DUI

 Random Vegas 

YESCO replaced more than six miles of neon lighting with RGB LED strips on Mandalay Bay and Delano (Vital Vegas). 

TwitPic of the week 

I was never a fan of the property, but damn did they have a nice marquee.  The Frontier marquee, born in 1966 and shared by @_GrandPaD with an assist from @summacorp, was designed by Ad Art. It was at one time the tallest super pylon in the world at 184 feet, 4 feet taller than the previous record holder the Dunes.  Originally the “F” at the top of the sign rotated but that functionality was troublesome and eventually abandoned.  Unlike the Dunes I was fortunate enough to have seen her in real life and to be fair, pictures don’t do it justice.  Not like being in its presence.  I’m grateful for that time and for this picture for inspiring not only this monologue but the memories. 

• 360 Vegas Book

• Mirage-TI Tram closes

• E-500 YouTube Livestream

• Cosmopolitan Changes to MGM

• Neon City Festival

E-493: 360VV14

 Random Vegas

Vegas has the 3 largest video screens in the world. Sphere @Venetian at 580,000 square feet (515 long by 367 width), Resorts World at 161,636 square feet (475 long by 340 width), Viva Vision Screen at the Fremont St Experience at 130,000 square feet (1,500 long by 90 width).

TwitPic of the trip

Technically this was before360VV14started but according to the rules I’ve made up in my head, it counts. This was a unique point of view of a common visual of the tallest building in Vegas. Fontainebleau, the property that continues to disappoint is showcased here looming over one as they attempt to enjoy the pool. Fortunately it doesn’t cause a shadow but it does hulk over the strip as a cautionary tale. It isn’t as easy as field of dreams. You need to do more than just build it to get people to come. Regardless, its an attractive building as showcased in this week’s picture.

360VV14 Trip Report

Sunday, June 23

- 6 pm - Meet & Greet @Furnace @Downtown Grand

- 8 pm - Group Gaming @Downtown Grand

 

Monday, June 24

- 1 pm - Flight Club @Palazzo RSVP$ required ($90 per person for 3 hours, includes the cost to play and all you can drink well booze & domestic beer)

-  6 pm - 360 Family Meet and Greet, @Alto @Caesars Palace

    - Pennys4Vegas 

    - Stripwalking

    - Vegas Confessions

    - VegasNearMe

    - You Can Bet On That

 

 

Tuesday, June 25

- 8 am - 360 Vegas Exercise Experience w/@RaisingLasVegas RSVP

- Noon - Cocktails @Flamingo suite RSVP$ required ($70 per person)

- 3 pm - Group Gaming @Flamingo

E-492: Differently Abled

 Random Vegas

Ever wonder why they call them tokes instead of tips?  The reason is many years ago dealers tried to convince the IRS that the cash they received from players was not a tip and therefore did not have to be reported as taxable income. The logic behind this dodge was that a tip was defined by the IRS as a payment in return for special treatment. Since it is illegal for a dealer to provide any sort of favor to a player, the dealers argued that the money they were given was a “token of appreciation” for dealing an honest game, and therefore not a reward for special services. The IRS didn’t buy it, but the term “toke” stuck.” (Super Casino)

 

TwitPic of the week

It’s the best picture of the sultan at the Dunes that I’ve ever seen, perfectly lit up a night.  It was a Porte cochere like no other.  Well, it was actually kind of an uneventful Porte cochere but it has a giant sultan on the roof.  And he had a gem that lights up at night in his turban.  This, looking at this, just makes me smile.  The picture was shared by @VitalVegas with a hat tip to Las Vegas Memories Facebook group.

News

• Vegas is Expensive

• Poolside Gaming

• COVID Gaming Changes

• Casino Smoking

E-491: Just Let Him In

 Random Vegas 

Justin Timberlake was paid $6 million dollars to perform at Fontainebleau opening night.  That night, he stayed at Wynn. (VitalVegas) 

TwitPic of the week 

You’ve heard me talk about it before, the Stardust.  Here we got a picture from @_GrandPaD showing off the entire property, including the old Royal Nevada that they rebranded the Stardust Auditorium.  It also shows the properties first hotel tower that existed between the two properties, connecting them together.  Next you can’t help but look at all those motel units behind the Stardust Frontage.  And lastly, you’re reminded this is in the middle of a desert by the Barron wasteland that stretched beyond the resorts reach. All silhouetted with the beautiful mountains. 

News

• Electric Playhouse

• Fontainebleau expands

• “The Friends’ Experience“

• Tuscany Deal

E-490: No Fucks to Give

 Random Vegas

The five biggest jackpots ever won in Las Vegas history (@VegasIssues)

1.     $39.7 million – Excalibur, Mar 2003

2.     $35 million – Desert Inn, Jan 2000

3.     $27.6 million – Palace Station, Nov 1998

4.     $22.6 million – Bally’s, May 2002

5.     $21.3 million – Caesars Palace, June 1999

TwitPic of the week

I don’t know if its common knowledge but Bellagio has a hell of an ass on her.  You don’t think of her as a tri-tower because that frontage is all anyone remembers but she is in fact a tri-tower, showcased spectacularly by @Maverickheli.  I don’t think this aspect of her is as appreciated as it should be.  I know I didn’t until we moved and I made the drive from the west to the strip via Flamingo Road.  She unveils herself as you come over the freeway.  It’s very distracting and elegant and a beautiful addition to our Twitpic of the week collection.

News

• 360VV14

• RJ Tip Guide

• Frontier Site

E-489: Loopholes

 Random Vegas

The largest American flag every flown was displayed over the Hoover Dam on May 1st, 1996.  Each star on the flag was 17 feet high. (@LasVegaslocally)

TwitPic of the week

My growing affection for this property rivals only Keren’s dislike for it.  The world famous, Caesars Palace, here showcased in 1974 by @summacorp.  Here we can see the properties 3rd hotel tower under construction, the Roman tower expansion.  Something that used to annoy me about Caesars was the piece mail cobbling together of different eras.  Now its what I find charming about it.  How many places can you visit on the strip that are the same structure they were in 66.  It’s remarkable and why I’ve selected to celebrate her evolution with this week’s winner.

News

• J-Lo Vegas Drama

• Resorts World Money Laundering

• Icahn Returns

• Golden Nugget No Resort Fee

• Rio Drone Show

E-488: Mr. Fritada

Random Vegas

It’s been stated that the Mirage changed everything.  Specifically, in the 10 years that followed its opening the city of Las Vegas doubled visitor volume from $17 million to $35 million, room inventory from 61k to 124k, air passengers increased from $16 million to $36 million and gaming revenue from $3 billion of $7.6 billion.  (@OllyLovate)

TwitPic of the week

Simply put, it’s a picture of the Mirage under construction shared by d.  Never has a single property so impacted the Las Vegas market.  It’s somewhat comforting that the building will basically remain the same although with virtually all of the public spaces refreshed.  Odds are we won’t recognize the Mirage once Hard Rock is finished with it, which is a good thing.  Possibly the most disappointing thing is that we are losing another iconic name on the strip.  No longer will we love a place with palaces called Dunes, Sands, Stardust or the Mirage.

News

• LVCVA and Aces

• Mini Disni

• Flamingo Signage Relit

• Virgin Labor Issues

• Gaming Integrity

E-487: Cox Aren't For Everyone

 Random Vegas

When the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign was installed in 1959, the population of Las Vegas was about 70,000 people.  Today, 65 years later, that number is 2.3 million (@lasvegaslocally and research)

TwitPic of the week

It is the way of the world.  The only constant is change and the city of Las Vegas embodies that more than any city in the history of civilization.  The Tropicana is currently being demolished and the Mirage will be rethemed to Hard Rock.  At least we can be grateful that the stain glass ceiling at Tropicana is going to be saved, showcased by @lasvegaslocally.  Here’s a choice for you.  The Mirage Volcano or the Tropicana stain glass ceiling, if you could only save one, which would it be?

News

• Mirage Closing

E-486: From A Distance

 Random Vegas

The original trains used on the Las Vegas Monorail were from Walt Disney World.  When they debuted, they simply connected Bally’s to MGM Grand. (@LasVegasLocally)

TwitPic of the week

The Queen of the Strip, as she was known, basking in the morning glow of a sunrise shared by @_GrandpaD.  The Stardust Super Pylon marquee was remarkable for so many reasons.  The font, the shower of stars and how the pylons were designed to disappear at night.  They were planted blue to do the same thing during the day but that only worked when there was a blue sky behind it…which is like 200+ days of the year.  If you look close this picture also captures the Silver Slipper, Fronter and in the distance, the Mirage.

News

• A’s Financing

• WrestleMania 41

• RoofTop Bars

• 2020 Do-Over

• El Cortez Renovations

• Virgin Shake Up

• High Roller Excuse

2024 Draft: Vegas Movies

 w/ Josh and Tony

This week, we are drafting our favorite Vegas Movies.  The game is simple.  Pick your favorite Vegas movies. The trick is we are all drafting from the same pool of movies and a movie is only available to be selected by one person.  This is NOT a list of the best movies set in Vegas nor is it a game to select the most valuable movies.  There is no score, there are no winners or losers.  This is just a chance for us to talk about some of our favorite Vegas movies for whatever reason we come up with.

E-485: Ouch

Random Vegas

The Fountains of Bellagio are not the first dancing fountains to exist in Las Vegas.  The original debuted in 1955 at the Royal Nevada.  They were simply called the Dancing Water’s and consisted of 4,000 jet streams and lights revolving and swaying in sync with waltz music.  They could accomplish heights has high as 50 foot.  The attraction was universally liked however the Royal Nevada thought they could offer this show instead of headliners.  The property struggled and closed 3 years after it opened. (The Strip: Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream)

TwitPic of the week

What’s so great about this picture by @Summacorp is the collection of properties long gone.  Here we see the Landmark tower to the left and the Thunderbird pretty prominently.  What you don’t realize you're looking at is a bungalow at the original El Rancho in the foreground.  You even get a glimpse of the Riviera to the far right.  None of these properties exist today.  In fact, from this perspective, today the only thing you would see would be Fontainebleau.  The rest is a convention center expansion, a parking lot and a concert festival grounds.  I’m grateful for both the original Thunderbird Neon Bird marquee as well as the revised frontage of the property.  This picture isn’t going to dazzle you but it’s a welcome addition to our collection.

News

• Casino Smoking Ban

• Flight Refunds

E-484: Men's Work

 Random Vegas

In 1968, Las Vegas could lay claim to the 3 tallest electric signs in the world.  The Dunes at 180, the Frontier at 184 and the Stardust at 188 feet tall 

TwitPic of the week

How can you not be proud of that collection of properties?  Specifically, it feels like MGM treats @LuxorLV and Excalibur like unwanted commodities.  Which is funny because they bought Mandalay Resorts, one of the most profitable gaming companies in history, with a portfolio that primarily catered to the middle class.  Since then they’ve sold off Circus Circus and threatened redevelopment to both Luxor and Excalibur.  Instead they should feel psyched that in that string of properties, you make up virtually every demographic you want to attract to Las Vegas.  Not to mention, you are in prime real estate to attract ALL those who attend events at Allegiant and the current wave of sports in Vegas.  Here’s some million dollar advice for free MGM.  Leave Luxor and Excalibur alone.  Sure, update and take care of them inside but leave the architecture alone.  You found this company attractive for a reason.  Stop trying to fix it.

News

• Plaza All-Inclusive Offer

• Brightline Breaks Ground

E-483: LOVE Ends

 Random Vegas

Nick Mazzolo.  You may not know the name but you certainly know his work.  Nick was cast as a table games dealer in 3 blockbuster titles.  Rain Man in 1988, Casino in 1995 and Vegas Vacation in 1997.

TwitPic of the week

In a picture that looks like it was taking on the pool deck of the Plaza years before it existed, this picture, shared by @FSELV definitely captures the best the Las Vegas Club ever looked, years before her transformation into a faux baseball stadium on the roof.  All of Fremont strip was sexy as hell during the 60s, before Golden Nugget absorbed the entire city block they occupy today.  Back when the Lucky Club and California Club shared the space.  But you can’t see any of that here so lets just wrap this up by saying here we also have the Golden Gate with its signage looking as dapper as ever, still sporting the Hotel Sal Sagev signage.

News

• LOVE Ends

• Hard Rock Model

• Spearmint vs Peppermint

• Bait and Switch

• Ellis Island Expansion

• Nevada Opposes Funding Stadium

• Oasis Cinema Club

E-482: The Rat Pack

 Random Vegas

Tropicana’s nickname was the “Tiffany of the Strip” because it was said to be the shape of a necklace when viewed from an arial perspective.

TwitPic of the week

This is another property I have an irrational affinity for.  Like the Fontainebleau today, the Landmark was a project that stalled for almost a decade before it was completed.  Unfortunately, she wasn’t finished by someone who had a passion for her and therefore she struggled.  Once it did open it was no longer the tallest building in the city so the cache of that concept was lost.  But still, something about her casino in the sky that just sounds appealing.  Probably why it still exists for high rollers in properties like Encore.  Regardless, I never got to see the Landmark and therefore she will remain idealized to me, like she is in this picture shared by @summacorp, which is probably better than the actual memories I would have made.

News

• LVCVA 2023 Visitor Profile Study

• New Airport

• Synagogue & Hotel

• Neon Museum Tropicana Lighting

E-481: Thank You

 Random Vegas

Sammy Davis Jr was supposed to be in 3 major movies about Vegas. We all know he was in the original Ocean’s 11 but did you know he was supposed to be cast as Elvis’ sidekick in the movie Viva Las Vegas? But producers thought that much star power would distract from the story so he didn’t get the part. The third was Diamonds are Forever, a movie he actually played himself in but it got cut. It can now be seen as a part of the movie’s deleted scenes.

TwitPic of the week

What’s special about this picture, shared by @travis758, is what its missing…Treasure Island. Right down in front, still a huge parking lot on the strip. The next glaring omission is the strip as we know it south of Caesars today. Here we still see the Dunes and their massive golf course taking up real estate all the way down to where NYNY is today. It’s 1990 so we see Excalibur sitting down there with Hacienda, Tropicana and Marina all alone because it doesn’t yet have the company of the MGM Grand as we know it today. The Marina won’t transform into the MGM Grand for another 3 years away from being built. Speaking of Caesars, it looks quite diminutive next to the Mirage and the Flamingo expansion across the street. It would be another 8 years before they added the Palace Tower to better keep up with the mega resorts, a project that would inspire the retheming of the property to an architectural style more Greco roman. Lastly, you can see the Sands and Holiday Casino across the street from Mirage, showing just what smaller properties were competing against.

News

• Eagles Sphere Residency

• Western For Sale

• Tropicana Update

• Superbowl Impact