PCP - 360 Vintage Vegas: The Great Consolidation of Las Vegas

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Since the creation of modern day Las Vegas, there have always been people lamenting the good ole days, whatever that means to that individual at the time. Determining what is considered “good” is about as subjective as subjective can be.  Most people today will point to the time before the strip was primarily owned by 2 companies, MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment.  While the benefits of consolidation are obvious, potentially the best thing about it is the story of how it all happened.  To do that, we are going to have to trace back to how these assets exchanged hands before finally ending up in the corporate portfolio that are currently a part of.  To keep the story clean and the timeline defined, we are only going to focus on the majority owners and only their moves in Las Vegas.  We’re calling this, the Great Consolidation of Las Vegas 

PCP - 360 Vintage Vegas: Kirk Kerkorian and MGM Resorts

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Intensely private, Kerkorian’s legacy may not be as well known as Steve Wynn’s but is unarguably one of the most important in Vegas history.  Some will criticize MGM as the shinning example of the faceless corporate machine that has taken over the city but without the corporate evolution of the market, the expansion of gaming around the United States, and the world for that matter, would have never been possible.  Corporations removed the negative stigmatism the gambling industry had for eons and made it a viable, bordering on respectable business model, now regarded as just another form of entertainment.

E-326: Bluff Financing

Random Vegas

The paddle, as its known, protects the slot where the money goes given in exchange for chips at a table game.  A cooler move, as in they are trying to bring bad luck to the table, is when the dealer takes out the paddle, rotate it 180 degrees before replacing it.  Also known as “Spin the paddle” (@GetARoll with an assist from @VitalVegas)

Twitpic of the week

I can’t be the only one looking at this picture of the Frontier marquee being dismantled and thinking, “Isn’t this what that sign always looked like”?  This marquee could easily be the marquee for any abandon drive-in movie theater.  That isn’t to say it wasn’t cool, it just fit the identity of this property; the Kmart of the strip to Circus Circus’ dollar store.  

Also, am I the only one thinking Palazzo is standing behind the Frontier in this picture, mocking it like a posh little cunt?  Maybe its just me and I have some unresolved issues to address...I still say Vegas Vic looks like he would be that grandfather that throws around the N word like it harkens back to the good ole days.  I’m gonna go ahead and stop typing and schedule an appointment with a therapist.  This @_GrandPaD may have uncovered a repressed memory.

News 

Maid Sets Fire 

MGM Resorts Hack

Zappo’s Gate Project

PCP - 360 Vintage Vegas: Steve Wynn

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Steve Wynn is probably the biggest name in modern gaming.  He’s definitely one of the biggest in gaming history.  Like Walt Disney before him, Steve Wynn saw the way things were and dreamed of how they could be better, then brought them to life.  He’s a visionary with a gift for promotion, a legacy of world renowned landmarks and a charm that can make him instantly likable.  This is the story of an icon.

For more information, check out

Running Scared

Winner Takes All

E-317: One of those two statements is correct

Random Vegas

The signs you see in the center of Fremont East, the martini glass, Las Vegas Oldsmobile logo and the Silver Slipper are NOT restored signs.  That are all “inspired” by Vegas signs of yesteryear…and Silver Slipper is just a rip off of the restored sign out front of the Neon Museum.  They are originals created for Fremont East, installed in 2007 (vital Vegas)

Twitpic of the week

There is something to be said about signage so large, like the 65 Thunderbird frontage shared by @_GrandPaD, it reminds one just how small we all are in the grand scheme of things.  Typically, massive signage is displayed at elevated heights, but when hotel casinos were really motel casinos, resorts simply weren’t as tall as they are today.  Taking inspiration from its neighbor across the street, the Stardust.  in May of 1965, the Thunderbird began renovating its exterior frontage into a 700-foot-long sign, the biggest sign in Vegas history at the time, 3 feet longer Stardust and featuring 12-foot-high letters.  However, the new signage came at the expense of the room views in the south wing because the sign was placed directly in front of the guest room windows; replacing a view of the strip with one of circuit boards, 20 miles of electric wire and the buzz of 15,000 volts per tube.  To address complaints, management installed blackout curtains.

News

MGM Sells Bellagio

NGC Seeks to Ban Steve Wynn

Friends Vegas

Battle Born Sam's Town

E-315: FUAWK KEEYAW

Random Vegas

John C Fremont, the man who created Las Vegas, ran as the Republican candidate for president of the United States in 1856, losing to James Buchanan.

Twitpic of the week

Truly an idealized version of the Luxor frontage.  The photo, shared by @classiclasvegas, shows us what it must feel like to see a mirage of an oasis in the desert.  In the early 90s, everyone was still making the effort to offer signature free attractions.  Luxor’s contribution to that end utilized this water feature to put on a laser light show. Holograms would project from the Sphinxes eyes onto the water element located in front of it, right on the strip.  Today the water feature has been turned into a parking lot.

News

MGM Settles

Atomic Saloon Success

Wynn Round 2

360 Vintage Vegas: Luxor

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Luxor changed my life.  It can be credited as the property that brought me to Vegas for the first time with a theme that made me say "I have to go see that". The inspiration for this show, my love for just about all things involving the city including becoming a student of it's history can all be traced back to this property.  While it’s true, over the years, I’ve not spent a lot of time at Luxor.  In fact, I haven’t stayed at the property since my first trip.  I can still say with no exaggeration that I love Luxor.  This is the story of the 1st pyramid built in the desert in over 6,000 years.

For more information on Luxor, Bill Bennett and Mandalay Resorts, check out

Bill Bennett: Forgotten Man

Super Casino

Winner Takes All

E-300: FSE Dimmer Switch

Random Vegas 

The NYNY skyline is a collage of 12 NY skyscrapers approximately one-third the size of the originals with a 150-foot-tall Statue of Liberty (super casino) 

Twitpic of the week 

It’s fascinating to me that @Cosmopolitan_LV does more with 4.4 acres of land than City Center is able to do with 19 time that real estate.  Don’t get me wrong, the City Center campus is attractive.  It’s just, who really wants to vacation in an office park on the strip.  I know that sounds like a knock but it isn’t intended to be in this case.  It’s more a testament to how special the minds who think up such concepts are.  As critical as I can be towards some of the decisions made by the people running the casinos I love, I always try to keep in mind before voicing that opinion, especially a negative opinion, is could I do any better.  And the answer is no.  Then again, that’s not my job.  I’ve never claimed to know how to build a better resort.  I make a point to stay in my lane and share insight I feel I can offer educated commentary on.  Speaking of, let me give a little insight into what’s going on today in Vegas.  Vegas has historically been recession proof, or at least virtually.  After feeling the impact of the Great Recession, everything, including long standing established protocol, is under scrutiny by industry leadership.  History shows us that Vegas may be the first company to follow the software development philosophy known as Agile.  A practice that gives businesses the ability to try out new concepts while still giving them the freedom to pivot from the original plan when market feedback does not respond favorably.  Today, we are at that juncture.  Just like the patience one needs to exhibit when telling a child not to do something for the millionth time, now is the time to stay resolute because the hardest thing for a company to explain to shareholders is eliminating a source of revenue for the betterment of the company.  Keep complaining about resort fees, paid parking and CNF charges.  Reward companies like Wynn and TI who are beginning to eliminating such fees with your patronage.  Support them for pioneering the change back to a Vegas that can be experienced by all income demographics.  

News

4DX Movies at Red Rock  

Ruffin Wants a Piece of Caesars

MGM Takes Over Hakkasan Restaurant/Lounges

Arcade City Planned for Fashion Show Mall

LOOK @Stratosphere

Mandalay Bay LED Wall

E-299: Lesidency

Random Vegas

The La Concha Motel lobby was designed in 1961 by Paul Revere Williams, the first African American elected Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.  To this day it is considered one of the best preserved examples of 1950s googie architecture, a style featuring upswept roofs, curvaceous geometric shapes and its use of neon. The La Concha lobby is now the Neon Museum's visitors' center (Neon Museum & Research) 

Twitpic of the week

It’s quite simply one of the best marquees that has existed in Vegas history.  A truly mesmerizing sign whose presence was not only grand but glorious.  Shared this week by @summacorp aka vintageLasVegas on instagram, this whole style of architecture resonates with me in an unexplainable way.  I find the swooping curves breathtaking, get lost in the sparkle of the lettering and could spend hours watching the lights cascade back and forth.  It’s a special thing when signage becomes iconic.  While I like that owners of the small dive casino bar west of Lucky Dragon have resurrected the name and installed a smaller version of this marquee, make no mistake, the Mint has not returned.  That being said, here’s hoping that this is the start of a new era in Vegas where unforgettable brands return to the landscape. 

News

Battle Born Vegas Pins
MGM Sundries Surge Pricing
Cirque's R.U.N. coming to Luxor
Light Rail Transit System Defeated
The Massachusetts Manze
Wynn Resorts Eliminates Parking Fees
Paula Abdul Vegas Residency
Weed Lounges Approved

E-284: The Password is...

Random Vegas

It's a popular myth that the scene in the movie Casino where Joe Pesci's character stabbed a guy in the neck after saying something smart ass to Robert De Niro's character was not only filmed at Atomic Liquors, that's where it actually happened.  Neither happened at Atomic Liquors (My eyes and the Atomic Liquor bartender) 

Twitpic of the week

It's a feeling of euphoria and concern.  A dreamlike state brought to you by @arivetinglifewhere one can't help but think, "Life doesn't get any better than moments like this."  Interrupted by a moment of realization that very soon you'll not recall what's happening around you so you should probably get back to your room. Just before it occurs to you that you're not exactly sure how you got here in the first place.  Polished off with acceptance that if this is the way you die, you'd be okay with that but this better not be a dream where you're living out scenes from the movie Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  No one should be forced to endure the movie equivalent of waterboarding let alone a subconscious version you can't simply walk away from.

News

Wynn's Paradise Park Scraped

Palms Progress

Plans for Paris Revealed

Lyft's Art Park

E-276: Delicious Irony

Random Vegas

In 1984, Circus Circus co-owner Bill Pennington was in a boating accident that almost killed him.  He remained under water for over 5 minutes until an 18 year old dove in to retrieve and eventually revive him.  It’s believed the only reason he survived is because of how cold the water in Lake Tahoe was that day.  After waking from a coma, he thanked the young man by buying him a Porsche 930 turbo.  A week later, that young man died in that vehicle from a car crash. (the book - Forgotten Man. The story of Bill Bennett)

Twitpic of the week

It's a stunning metaphor for the experience so many enjoy while visiting the city of lights.  Only in Vegas can so many partake in an unforgettable adventure even if the details of it are a bit unclear.  An ever changing and modern city that simultaneously retains an iconic & classic feel to it. An oasis in the desert, paradise on earth, @vegasphotographcaptures the emotion evoked when the opportunities that lie just past this sign are contemplated.

News

360VV7
360 Vegas FHE
MGM Resorts Social Experience
The New Fremont St Experience

E-275: Downtowny

Random Vegas

The "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign cost $4,000 to build in 1959.  Today, that equates to $34,000 (@vitalVegas)

Twitpic of the week

Oh, you don't also have a black pyramid with the brightest light in the world perched atop it.  Hmm, I suppose next you're going to tell me you don't have a volcano that erupts on a regular schedule and instead of running from it, it draws people towards it. Honestly, I'll never understand why people choose to live in less than acceptable standards or how they survive it. Hell even the homeless here get it. There is a better option people and it's called Las Vegas.  But, umm, unfortunately, not by where we live.  Yeah, they are...umm...sold out.  Yep, sold out of places to live.  I hear Hendertucky is nice.  You should check that out.  Then maybe you too can have a skyline with views like this one, shared by @JediLightowlerof Luxor fronting a lightening storm. Again, I felt out move to Vegas was a big deal but had no idea it would create apocalyptic weather conditions.

News

MGM Sues Victims
Kind Heaven Progress Report
T-Mobile Arena Tours
Pinball Hall of Fame Relocation
Grand Sahara Resort
MGM/NBA Announce Partnership
Criss Angel Announces Planet Hollywood Residency
New Downtown Signage Approved
Batalli Leaving Las Vegas

E-264: Savory Yogurt

Random Vegas

In 1995, a monorail was built to connect the MGM Grand to, fittingly enough, the former MGM Grand, now known as Bally's.  It would later be incorporated into the Las Vegas Monorail, making MGM Grand one of its anchor bookend properties

Twitpic of the week

Neon, signage and history are just a few of my favorite things about Las Vegas.  The concept that is Brilliant! at the Neon Museum takes the "dream come true" metaphor to another level.  If Nightmare on Elm St has taught us anything, it's that a person can be aware that they are in a dream, while in a dream.  I'm pretty sure other movies have said that as well but I'm going with Nightmare on Elm St.  Write your own fuckin monolog.  One of the ways one can help the subconscious recognize that they are in a dream is by identifying the things that are just slightly out of place from the way they are in reality.  Take the Stardust sign, shared here by @RaisingLasVegas and brought back to life by the Brilliant! light show @Neon Museum and such an experience can be described as a "dream come true" to some. But take a step back on the "come true" part and look closer at what you're seeing.  Yep, there it is.  Those are two different fonts being used.  The A is from the original font used at the property known as Electra Jag. The rest is the Futura Typeface font that replaced it in 1991 (some argue Helvetica, whatever).  And that's when you realize it; this isn't real, this must be a dream because these two fonts never existed together in reality.  Hold on, don't freak out, this a cool thing. You're aware you're in a dream. Try doing something cool like flying or something without consequences like playing triple zero roulette. Write a random sentence, and read it during the show, in a cadence that sounds like, your wrapping up this monolog.

News

Zorkfest Individual Events Announced
Promocode - Zork360Insane
MGM Explores Wynn Acquisition
Yogurteria Coming to Palazzo
 Aria Esports
Park MGM Pool Price Points
Kind Heaven Coming to LINQ
Chocolate Chair Coming to Grand Bazaar
Knights Vow

E-250: Kevin Spacey's Little Darlings

Random Vegas
While in the developmental stage, the Dunes project was originally named the Araby

Twitpic of the week

Westward Ho is a property that I never had the opportunity to experience.  According to our parallel timelines, the property was open in 2004 when I first basked in the glory that is the strip.  However this is one of the few times I question the validity of documented facts.  During that initial trip, I made a concerted effort to visit every casino on the entire Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding area, going so far as to walk all the way down to the Hard Rock and back.  I find it highly unlikely that I would have somehow accidentally walked right past it on my way to Slots O Fun and Circus Circus after checking out the Stardust.  Regardless, intelligence won't let me truly believe that facts are wrong so I'm forced to come to another logical conclusion, the property must have been in such a state of disrepair that it didn't appear to be open. If that is truly the case, then I celebrate the fact that it lives in my mind in the idealic state I imagine it to be in, as glorious as those exterior umbrella lights, elegantly showcased this week by @NeonMuseum

News

M Resort Robbery
Palms Face Lift 
Golden Nugget Hippy Bar
Bonnano’s Expands Ability to Disappoint
Las Vegas Stadium Breaks Ground
LVCVA Real Estate mismanagement 2.0
Moulin Rouge Resurrection...part 17
MGM Resorts Vegas Reinvestment
Neonopolis Announces Big Plans