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Free Seatsby Anthony Curtis

February 2017 $5

Papering. You’ve probably never heard of it, but it’s a prominent strategy in the entertainment business. When venues book acts, they expect to sell tickets, and they usually do. Some-times, however, they don’t sell as many as they’d like and on occasion, sales fall way short. No one likes empty seats. The performers are uncomfortable and the audience members don’t feel particularly good about their purchase. Hence, the managers of theaters, halls, showrooms, arenas, and other enter-tainment and sporting venues will do what it takes to fill their seats. That’s where papering companies come in.

These companies supply custom-ers to under-sold shows. It’s called “papering the house.” For a fee, people join “clubs” that put them on the list to see the shows for free. See two or three shows in a year and the membership fee is easily recouped.

A few papering companies already operate in Las Vegas, but we don’t discuss them much, because the fee usually can’t be justified for anyone who isn’t a local. But what if there were no fee? Then it would be a good deal for everyone.

Last year, we were approached by a company out of New York called Theater Extras that was contemplat-ing a move into Las Vegas. Any new company in this space faces a chicken-and-egg dilemma: It needs customers before it can sign up shows and it needs shows to get customers.

That’s where LVA comes in. By folding Theater Extras membership

into the LVA benefits, TE gets an instant customer base while LVA gets another great perk that our members can use when it works for them.

What’s the catch? There isn’t one, except that it’s not absolutely free. If you go to a show, you pay a $4.50-per-ticket box-office fee, which is standard with these programs.

The only other negative is that there are no shows on the Las Vegas roster at this time. We expect that to change quickly, but here’s a bonus. TE is well-established in New York City and Los Angeles and as a member, you also get access to the deals in those cities. The offers change all the time, but I’ve seen tickets for Brook-lyn Nets basketball and NY Islanders hockey on the list, along with lots of Broadway-style productions.

Here are the details. All LVA mem-bers in good standing are now charter “Marquis” members of Theater Extras. However, you have to enroll at the TE website to activate your account. When you do, pay attention to the list of rules. The important one is you can’t sign up to see a show, then not attend. No-shows throw a monkey wrench into the process, so there are penalties for that. Otherwise, it’s an absolute free roll that might turn out to be a lot of fun.

To activate your free membership, log on to theaterextras.com. Click on “Click Here to Join Now” at the top of the page. Click on “Marquis” membership if it isn’t already chosen

CasinosResorts World—There’s

finally been some activity at the Resorts World Las Vegas site. Last month a platform was erected to inspect scaffolding and structures already in place from the Echelon project. Word is that serious work will begin in March.

Paradise Park—Steve Wynn says that he expects to begin construction on his Paradise Park project before the end of this year. Wynn emphasized that Wynn Re-sorts’ future lies in “nongaming at-tractions”; however, no additional details were disclosed about the $1.5 billion “lake resort” that will be built behind Wynn Las Vegas and Encore.

Westin—We reported in June that the Max Casino and William Hill sports book at the Westin were closing to make room for a new restaurant, but that never happened. The decision was re-considered and both continue to operate daily.

Rumor—The 150-room bou-tique hotel across from the Hard Rock has been sold for $18 million to a group based in Hong Kong. Formerly Rumor, the name has already been changed to Serene Vegas, though no other details regarding future plans have been divulged.

The Edge—Plans have been announced for an “extreme sports” park and hotel on 130 acres just south of the Strip at Sunset Road. The $800 million complex called The Edge would offer dirt bike

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A N T H O N Y C U R T I S ’

LasVegasAdvisor


COUPONOMY NEWS

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • FEBRUARY 2017

(it will say $99, but don’t worry about that, you won’t be charged). Fill out the information, including your credit card information (for the box office fee that will be charged if you see a show) and enter code TELV1234. You’ll receive a welcome email from TE, then we’ll verify on our end that you’re an LVA member and you’re enrolled. Now just wait for us to do our job and sign up some cool Las Vegas shows for you to see for free.

The Frugal Gambler Returns

It’s been a decade, but the Frugal Gambler is back!

Jean Scott’s new book, The Fru-gal Gambler Casino Guide, has been a couple years in the making, but we haven’t had anything new from Jean (outside of her blog) in a decade, so we’re pretty jazzed about this one.

The original plan was for Jean to update her first two books, The Frugal Gambler and More Frugal Gambling. However, we found that this involved repeating too much material from one to the other, plus things have simply changed too much. Hence, a brand new book was in order. It took a little cajoling, but deep down she really wanted to do it and the result is a mas-terpiece. The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide is new, fresh, timeless, and the absolute best book for recreational gamblers ever written.

Although there’s plenty of valuable information for knowledgeable, and even expert, players, Jean’s main focus in The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide is recreational gamblers, with strategies that will stretch their bankrolls. For most gamblers, losing less is a more realistic goal than winning consistently, but certainly if you follow the strate-gies and methods in this book, the latter is achievable. Of course, video poker is focal, but all of the games are addressed. This book is bigger and better than anything Jean Scott has done before, her ultimate statement on gambling based on more than 30

LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian; $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. All information is current at press time. Listed offerings are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press ©2017

3665 Procyon St. • Las Vegas, NV 89103 • (702) 252-0655 • (702) 252-0675 Faxe-mail: [email protected] • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com

Publisher: Anthony CurtisSenior Editor: Deke CastlemanAccounting: John LeitnerProduction Manager: Laurie CabotLead Researcher: Tanya Maynard

Research Assistant: Brenda StewartCustomer Service: Audrey JohnsonShipping & Receiving: Gustavo Escalante Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scotch

Henderson, Scot Krause, Bradley Peter-son, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott, Michael ShacklefordCover Image: Ethan Miller, Getty for SLS Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS ADVISOR

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years in the frugal trenches. The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide

is at the printer and is expected back by the end of February. We’re offer-ing a pre-publication price of $8.98, the lowest price you’ll find on this book anywhere, until the book comes through the door. See more details on the wrap. n

racing, wakeboarding, surfing, bun-gee jumping, and indoor sky diving, among other activities, and include a 15 story 640-room hotel. This one sounds highly speculative, with no firm details on funding disclosed, but the developer says he wants to start construction this spring.

Rio—Guests at the Rio were evacuated on consecutive days at the end of December because of two related incidents. It started with a small fire in a service elevator that caused a 400-room evacuation of the Masquer-ade tower. Sprinklers quickly put out that fire; however, water subsequently seeped onto an electrical conduit caus-ing smoke to filter into the tower, which necessitated a 900-room evacuation. Guests were relocated to the Ipanema tower and other Caesars properties.

Raiders—The Oakland Raiders have filed official paperwork with the NFL to relocate to Las Vegas. Assum-ing the league owners vote in March to support the move, the way will be clear for the deal to get done. There are still lots of loose ends to be tied up, but most consider this a confirmation that the Raiders will be playing in Las Vegas when they have a new stadium to play in. The stadium is a whole other matter, however, as financial maneuvering is in full swing to determine where it will be built, as well as the source of its

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funding. As an aside, there’s also a feeling that this development will help speed the move toward sports betting legalization nationwide.

Monorail—Plans to begin work on an extension of the Las Vegas Monorail by the second quarter of this year appear to be off the table. The proposed route between MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay is blocked by a major water pipeline to the Strip and a new construction plan needs to be formulated. A revised timetable has not been disclosed.

Revenues—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was down 1.5% in No-vember compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was off 3.5% and downtown declined 5.3%. The win was also down in North Las Vegas (-9.2%), but up on the Boulder Strip (+3.3%) and in the Balance of County (+2.3%). Other areas of Nevada show-ing increases were Laughlin (+2.1%), Mesquite (+3.5%), and South Lake Tahoe (+8.3%).

Visitor volume was up .4% in November and preliminary counts put 2016 visitation at 42.9 million. That’s another annual record, up 1.4% from last year’s 42.3 million. Projections for 2017 predict another increase, with visitation in the area of 43.2 million.

Airline traffic was up 3.6% to make it 24 straight months of year-over-year increases. The total through November is 4.8% ahead of last year and on pace to break 2007’s single-year record of 47.8 million.

Gambling in the U.S. and Beyond

Atlantic City—The seven Atlantic City casinos won $2.6 billion in 2016, a 1.5% increase over 2015 and the first annual uptick in 10 years.

New York—The second and third

FEBRUARY 2017 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3

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The complete steak dinner, available 24 hours a day at Ellis Island for $7.99, is back in the #1 spot after a month at #2 due to the opening of the Lucky Dragon. We tried it again last month and quality was as high as it’s always been for this best of Las Vegas’ many steak dinner specials. To get the $7.99 price you have to print out two coupons from an EI kiosk, the second after playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your club card inserted.

With a price increase on the wieners at competitor Gold Coast (see dining), the $1.25 hot dogs at South Point become an even better deal (#7). The dogs are sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until 5 pm. They come with onions, kraut, and relish at no additional charge and there’s a three-per-person limit.

Arizona Charlie’s is back on the list with its trio of spe-cials in the Sourdough Cafés at both Decatur and Boulder (#8). Get steak & eggs, ham & eggs, or a hamburger & fries for $4.99 when you show your club card. All three deals are offered 24/7, except mid.-6 am Mon.-Fri. at Boulder.

Also returning is the lunch comp at Crown & Anchor (#9). Play $20 through a machine and get anything on the menu comped. Hours are 8 am-2:30 pm at the east location (Tropicana/Maryland Pkwy.) and 11 am-3 pm at the west (Spring Mtn./Decatur). If you miss lunch, the offer is extended for appetizers until 6 pm on the east and 7 pm on the west.

Of almost a dozen restaurants serving $1 oysters at some time during the month, Andiron Steak & Sea in Down-town Summerlin is the best of them (#10). The fresh-shucked oysters are dished daily from 5 to 7 pm in the bar and until closing on Tuesdays. See dining for details on Las Vegas’ other dollar-oyster options.

Notes: The shrimp cocktail at Skyline (#2) is served at the main bar. Michelob in the bottle is $1 and draft Coors Light is 75¢ at Casino Royale (#3). The $1.49 bacon or sausage & eggs breakfast at Klondike Sunset (#4) is served every day from 7 to 11 am. The 5¢ beers (#5) at the Flamingo are served in the Margaritaville Casino area’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Bar from 5 to 6 pm. Get a ticket to Mac King Comedy Magic Show and a drink for $14.98 by asking at the Harrah’s Total Rewards booth (#6).

Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99

Shrimp Cocktail • Skyline • 24 hours • $1.49

Beer • Casino Royale • 24 hours • $1

Breakfast • Klondike Sunset • Daily • $1.49

Draft Beer • Flamingo • Daily • 5¢

Mac King • Harrah’s • Tues.–Sat. • $14.98

Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25

Breakfast/Burger • Arizona Charlie’s • 24 hours • $4.99

Lunch Comp • Crown & Anchor • Daily • $20 buy-in

Oysters • Andiron • 5-7 pm • $1

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of four casinos approved for upstate New York are scheduled to open this month. On Feb. 2, the $440 million del Lago Casino opens in Tyree with 2,000 slots, 77 table games, and a 12-table poker room. On Feb. 8, the $330 million Rivers Casino opens in Schenectady with 1,150 slots, 67 table games, and a 15-table poker room. Both resorts have hotels scheduled to open this summer.

Oklahoma—Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the band KISS are teaming with the Kaw Nation to build a rock ‘n’ roll-themed casino in Braman, near the Kansas border. A groundbreaking was held in January.

Macau—MGM Resorts Interna-tional has announced that it will delay

the opening of its $3.1 billion MGM Cotai resort for a third time. The new timeframe moves the opening from Q2 to the second half of this year. “Complexity of the project design” was cited as the reason for the delay. Mean-while, Macau’s annual gambling win dropped for the third consecutive year in 2016, down 3.3% to $28 billion. The December win was up 8%, however, leading some analysts to project that the declines will be reversed in 2017.

Philippines—The $2.4 billion Okada Manila has opened as the third resort in the Philippines’ Entertain-ment City casino district. The casino features 3,000 machines and 500 live table games. A hotel with 993 rooms hasn’t yet opened.

Russia—Sochi Casino and Resort is the first casino to open in the “gam-

bling zone” created around the host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics. The resort includes a casino, restaurants, and a theater.

Online—Some of the credit for Atlantic City’s gambling-win increase in 2016 was given to online gambling. Annual online revenue was $197 mil-lion, up 32%. In daily fantasy sports, player buy-ins of $3.26 billion in 2016 represents growth of about 4%. Sounds good, except that growth was 222% in 2015. FanDuel sustained an estimated loss of $44 million and DraftKings lost an estimated $61 mil-lion last year.

Gambling in the MediaThe Dec. 26 issue of Bloomberg

Businessweek contains an article titled


DINING$1 Oysters

We thought it might be the begin-ning of the end of bargain oysters when db Brasserie closed, taking with it its daily $1 bivalve happy hour. But that wasn’t the case. In fact, there are more options for bargain-priced oysters in Las Vegas right now than ever before. If you’re an oyster connoisseur, then quality trumps availability and price. But for most, there’s not much differ-ence between varieties, and knowing when and where to go for the best deal is the top priority. To that end, we’ve concentrated here on availability. Following is a rundown of $1 oyster deals in Las Vegas, ordered from least to most available (where times aren’t listed, the deal runs during dinner hours till closing).

Once a month—If you want to bother checking, Brigg’s Oyster Com-pany at Suncoast runs a dollar day once every month (they didn’t know when February’s day would be).

Once a week—One-day-a-week dollar-oyster nights run in Botaglia Cucina & Enoteca at Green Valley Ranch (Tues.), Hearthstone at Red Rock (Wed.), and McCormick and Schmick’s (Wed.). If you visit any of these from 5 to 7, you’ll also hit their happy hours, with discounted small plates and drinks. Note that we’ve run into multiple private events at Hearth-stone that close the restaurant to the public, so call ahead.

Four days a week—The new Rock-in’ Crawfish at 4031 S. Maryland Pkwy. serves $1 oysters Mon.-Thurs. 4-6 pm

and all day on Tuesdays. The oyster deal coincides with a good happy hour (see entertainment). And through the first three weeks of February, as part of a one-month opening special, you get 20% off your entire bill, which makes these oysters the least expensive on the list at 80¢ apiece.

Five days a week—South Point’s Big Sur Oyster Bar serves ’em on the half-shell for half-price Sun.-Thurs. from noon to 4 pm. They’re regularly $24 per dozen, so that’s $1 apiece on the special. The noon start time is the earliest on the list.

Seven days a week—Other Mama on S. Durango serves $1 oysters 5-6 pm, Andiron Steak & Sea in Downtown Summerlin 5-7 pm (and all day on Tues-days), Le Pho Vietnamese Kitchen in the Juhl condo tower 4-7 pm, and Crab Corner on S. Rainbow 2-6 pm. Andiron is our top pick overall when considering quality and atmosphere (which is why it’s in the top ten). And Crab Corner takes top honors for availability, with an impressive 28 hours every week.

Hot Dog Price HikeThe price of the hot dogs served

from a cart in the Gold Coast sports book has gone up 50¢. Regular dogs are now $2 and chili dogs are $3. The first price increase in almost five years doesn’t do the servers any favors, since they no longer get the somewhat automatic 50¢ toke left over from the old price of $1.50. The dogs still come with kraut, onions, and relish at no extra charge.

Bacchanal Brunch Crunch

There’s been another price in-crease for Caesars Palace’s Baccha-nal Buffet. This one is kind of tricky, as it eliminates breakfast and lunch, replacing them with a more expensive daily brunch. Breakfast was $30.99 and lunch was $38.90, while the new weekday brunch is $39.99 and week-end brunch remains $49.99. Weekday and weekend dinners also remain unchanged, at $54.99 and $57.99, respectively. LVA members can use the Member Rewards Book discount for $10 off the brunch on weekdays.

In other buffet news, Gold Coast and Orleans have raised the price of their all-day passes from $28 and $31 on Fridays to $30/$36. Monte Carlo has raised its all-day pass from $38 and $46 Fri.-Sun. to $42/$50. Prices have gone up $1 for all meals at the Cosmo’s Wicked Spoon. It’s among the most expensive in town at $28 for breakfast, $36 for lunch, and $42 for dinner, but it’s only half that with the twofer in this year’s Member Rewards Book.

ReviewsWestgate Brunch—One of the

new buffet twofers in this year’s Mem-ber Rewards Book is the Fresh Buffet at Westgate. Breakfast is $17, dinner is $27, and the weekend brunch is $26. We checked out the brunch. It’s not big or particularly fancy, but bagels & lox, cold snow crab legs, and a decent fruit selection lend to the brunchiness.

“Japan’s Big Bet” that assesses the prospects for legalized casino gam-bling in Japan.

The February Maxim magazine contains a feature on Ed Thorp and his new book, A Man for All Markets. Thorp is quoted extensively.

The gambling feature in the Jan./Feb. issue of Cigar Aficionado easily provides the most information to date about the Phil Ivey baccarat case via a profile of his female partner, Cheng Yin Sun (a.k.a., Kelly). The article, titled “The Baccarat Machine,” traces Sun’s evolution from a losing gambler to a finely tuned advantage player who’s won millions.

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A newly released movie, Sleep-less, starring Jamie Foxx, is set in Las Vegas, but takes place in a fictional ca-sino called the Luxus that was staged in Atlanta. According to reviews, only a few exterior scenes were shot here.

Another new movie called Gold, starring Matthew McConaughey, is a true story about a prospector from Reno. n


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This may be the only buffet we’ve ever seen without a traditional lettuce salad, but several good side salads include macaroni, beet, and artichoke. Neither is there an omelet station. In its place is a constant stream of fresh eggs Benedict brought out on individual warmed plates, plus prime rib, turkey, ham, and a baked salmon that was the star of the show. The rest is the usual mix of breakfast and lunch items, including scrambled eggs, pancakes, waffles, lasagna, assorted vegetables, and good fried chicken. The buffet was busy, but there were no lines to enter at 9 am on a Sunday morning, which is a bonus. It’s not a monster, but at $13 per person after the MRB discount, it’s a good play.

Longhorn—If you drive down Boulder Hwy., you’re sure to see ads for the three steak and prime rib spe-cials in the Chuckwagon Restaurant at the Longhorn—steak and lobster for $12.99, prime rib for $11.99, and the long-running 24-hour steak dinner for $6.99. We put together an eclectic group of gamblers to try all three: horse racing expert and author of Blackjack Autumn Barry Meadow, sports betting expert Frank B, and LVA’s Anthony Curtis. Frank took the worst of it. His 8-ounce prime rib was overcooked and unimpressive. Barry’s steak & lobster was much better, with the lobster tail coming in a little bigger than the ad-vertised four ounces. Anthony’s was easily the best of the three. This steak special has been at the Longhorn for years, starting at $4.99 when we first discovered it in 2008, going to $5.99 in 2011, then to its current $6.99 in 2014. All meals come with vegetables, choice of potato, and rolls, and soup or salad with the prime rib. With two side salads ($1.99), the bill was $41 after tax. The Chuckwagon is one of the few classic bargain restaurants still around in Las Vegas. More steak selections are priced up to $17.99 for a 20-ounce porterhouse, plus fried chicken for $8.99, liver & onions for $9.99, a one-pound “Monster Burger”

for $10.99, huevos rancheros for $5.99, and they still serve cream (chipped) beef on toast from midnight to noon for $3.99, just 20¢ more than it was in 2008.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle—The non-casino Del Frisco’s has the classic vibe of a New York City steakhouse—kind of dark with lots of wood, TVs over the bar, and a bowl of jellybeans at the front. The steaks are pretty good, too, mostly in the $50s and $60s, with the least expensive an 8-ounce filet for $42.50. Chicken is $33, salmon $35.50, and side dishes in the teens. It’s all a la carte, so you have to be willing to spend some dough. Assuming you are, the crab-cake appetizer for $21 is all crab and was the highlight of our meal. The bill came in at $192 (before tax) for two, with only one glass of wine.

Monzo—Out of L.A., Marugame Monzo is another Japanese soup shop, only rather than using the thin ramen noodles that are everywhere now, it uses the much thicker, almost tube-like, udon noodles. It’s udon-mania here, with more than a dozen versions

starting with the basic kake udon for $6.95 and ramping up to miso carbon-ara udon, mentai squid butter udon, and sea urchin udon ($16.95). There’s hot or cold udon and add-on toppings like shrimp, octopus, and seaweed. Since we had no clue, we went off the top of the list with the kake udon. The soup is delicate with lots of flavors that you can spice further with chili flakes (free) or hot oil (25¢). Good stuff. We also liked the fried-chicken appetizer ($5.50). And if you’re in the mood, there’s a selection of beer, sake, and shochu (sweet potato, barley, and rice).

Roberto’s (Dollar Tacos)—On Wednesdays, tacos are $1 at all the Roberto’s Taco Shops (LVA 7/10). They’re hard-shell chicken tacos only, but they stack up with the best in town. Or go for one of the awesome chicken burritos for just $3.80.

King Crab Cocktail—McCormick & Schmick’s has a new king crab cock-tail special on Thursdays only. It’s two cracked pieces for $2.50 or four for $5. It’s decent, but there’s not much to it.

Local Corner—Tasty Grill4140 S. Durango Dr., 702-476-5556

We monitor all the national “best-of” dining lists to see if a Las Vegas restaurant or meal makes the cut, or to learn more about a place we might have overlooked. It’s rare that we run into an out-and-out surprise, but that happened when we ran across a list of “Where to Find a Good Cheap Burger in All 50 States” on the website Cheapism.com. The Nevada selection was Tasty Grill, a place we’d never heard of, so we went and found it.

Tasty Grill is a restaurant built into a west side bar called Spectators. We tried the burger straight off and Cheapism was on the mark. Made from scratch and served with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles for $6.99, it easily ranks with the best in town at this price point. Cheese or an order of fries is a buck more and onion rings are an extra $2. It’s an excellent find, but there’s a whole lot more here than hamburgers. Tasty Grill actually bills itself as a Mediterranean restaurant and has a full roster of kabobs, shawarma, and gyros, all for under $15 and most under $10. The hot wings are big and juicy for 75¢-$1, depending on quantity, and Tasty makes a tasty cheesesteak (with Cheez Whiz) for $9.99. A one-topping 16” pizza is just $7.99. There’s even homemade lemonade for $1.99. Good food, affordable prices, and your first order is 10% off.

Tasty Grill is located on the corner of Flamingo and Durango about 10 miles west of the Strip. It’s pretty much a mom & pop operation that does things right. Come early and have a drink in the bar while you wait for your order to eat in or take out. It’s open 11 am to midnight daily and till 2 am on weekends.


A D V A N C E P L A N N E R

FEBRUARY2/1–2/4 • Santana • MBay • $89.50–$3502/2 • Ace Frehley Brooklyn Bowl • $35–$602/3 • Jon Lovitz & Dana Carvey SLS LV • $49–$892/3–2/4 • Jim Breuer • South Point • $35/$452/3 • Us the Duo • Red Rock • $292/3 • Lion Fight 34 Tropicana • $55–$1502/3–2/4 • Willie Nelson & Family Venetian • $54.59–$183.492/3–2/4 • Sinbad • Orleans • $39–$692/3–2/4 • Daniel Tosh • Mirage • $80/$1062/3 • I Love The ’90s Tour Hard Rock • $45–$2002/3 • Ali Wong MGM Grand • $49.04–$87.192/3 • Tommy James & The Shondells GN • $31.61–$140.612/4 • Keith Sweat Flamingo LV • $59–$2252/4 • Ariana Grande MGM Grand • $29.95–$199.952/4 • Richard Cheese & LATM Red Rock • $35–$602/4 • Frankie Moreno Suncoast • $19.95–$39.952/9 • Harlem Globetrotters T– Mobile • $18–$3572/9 • Tom Segura • MBay • $48.652/9 • Max & Iggor Cavalera Hard Rock • $25/$452/10 • Iration Lost & Found Hard Rock • $39.50–$1252/10 • Blue Oyster Cult GN • $42.51–$162.412/10–2/11 • Ron White Mirage • $70.04–$922/10–2/11 • Essential Diana Ross Venetian • $60.50–$2262/10 • Chris Lane • Sunset Station • $292/10 • Lisa Lampanelli TI • $47.91/$76.252/10–2/11 • Cher • Monte Carlo • $60–$4752/10 • Adam Ant Brooklyn Bowl • $29.50–$1302/10–2/12 • Rick Thomas South Point • $25–$352/11 • WFC • E.Cannery • $25–$502/11–2/12 • Sha Na Na Suncoast • $19.95–$39.952/11 • Love Affair Concert Orleans • $27.53–$72.482/11–2/12 • Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. Orleans • $34.95–$54.95

2/13 • WWE Monday Night Raw T– Mobile • $20–$752/14 • Galactic • Brooklyn Bowl • $22/$252/15–2/19 • Dreamhack Masters MGM Grand • $63.95/$167.502/16 • Arthur Brown Hard Rock • $25/$302/16 • Alter Bridge Brooklyn Bowl • $27.50–$602/17–2/18 • George Strait T– Mobile • $75–$2002/17–2/19 • Ween Brooklyn Bowl • $54.50–$1802/17 • Bonnie Raitt • Palms • $46–$912/17–2/19 • Earl Turner South Point • $30–$402/17–2/18 • Louie Anderson Red Rock • $492/17 • David Cassidy GN • $31.61–$216.912/17 • R. Kelly Hard Rock • $49.95–$2502/17 • Adal Ramones Texas Station • $20–$502/17–2/18 • Sebastian Maniscalco Mirage • $70–$2602/18 • Amaranthe • Hard Rock • $22/$392/18 • AFI • Hard Rock • $27.99–$1282/18 • Great White, Slaughter E.Cannery • $14.95–$27.952/18 • Paul McCartney M Resort • $26–$462/18 • Russ Freeman/The Rippingtons Aliante • $39.50–$59.502/18 • Frankie Valli & The Four Season Palms • $62.45–$168.862/21 • Dark Star Orchestra MBay • $252/22–3/4 • Reba, Brooks & Dunn Caesars Palace • $59.50–$2052/24–2/26 • Michael Cavanaugh South Point • $35–$452/24 • Jefferson Starship GN • $20.71–$118.182/24–2/25 • Ray Romano & David Spade Mirage • $90–$1202/25–2/26 • Engelbert Humperdinck Orleans • $54.95–$74.952/25 • “Uncorked!” w/Better than Ezra Hard Rock • $45–$1502/25 • Bon Jovi T– Mobile • $19.75–$552.752/25 • Circa Survive Brooklyn Bowl • $23–$302/25 • Benji Brown Aliante • $30.50–$40.50

2/27–2/17 • Travelin’ McCourys & Jeff Austin Band • Brooklyn Bowl • $252/28 • Railroad Earth Brooklyn Bowl • $20/$25MARCH3/3–3/4 • John Fogerty Wynn LV • $59.50–$2503/3–3/5 • Tower of Power South Point • $55–$653/3–3/4 • Dierks Bentley • Cosmo • $493/3 • Joe Rogan MGM Grand • $32.69–$58.863/3–3/4 • Social Distortion • MBay • $373/3 • BJ Thomas GN • $20.71–$118.813/3 • Isaiah Rashad Hard Rock • $15/$393/3–3/4 • Gary Owen Orleans • $39.95–$59.953/3 • Jo Koy • TI • $43.55/$71.893/3 • Jay Leno Mirage • $70.04–$90.043/4 • Tim Allen Mirage • $65.39–$87.193/4 • Colin Cane Hard Rock • $20–$353/4 • Blake Shelton MGM Grand • $49.50–$903/4 • Gov’t Mule Brooklyn Bowl • $32.50/$353/4 • Woodley vs. Thompson T– Mobile • $80–$6053/5 • William Singe Brooklyn Bowl • $25–$1253/8 • Jeff Dunham Caesars Palace • $49.50–$79.503/10–3/11 • John Fogerty Wynn LV • $59.50–$2503/10–3/12 • Neil Diamond Tribute South Point • $25–$353/10 • Charlie Wilson MGM Grand • $50–$1303/10–3/11 • Billy Idol MBay • $79.50–$149.503/10 • Marshall Tucker Band GN • $31.61–$107.913/10–3/11 • Bill Maher • Mirage • $70–$903/10 • Bill Engvall • TI • $52.27/$81.703/10–3/11 • Kenney Wayne Sheperd Orleans • $29.95–$54.953/11–3/12 • Bruno Mars Monte Carlo • $160.55–$1518.493/11 • George Thorogood & The Destroyers • Palms • $26–$863/12 • Tribal Seeds Brooklyn Bowl • $25–$35

HEADLINERS AND EVENTS


Best rates at press time from sample of 54 Las Vegas casinos. Rates NOT guaranteed, subject to change without notice, and do not include tax. Lower prices may be available online.

RO

OM

RATES

WEEKENDAZ C. Decatur • $81El Cortez • $107Wild Wild West • $120

Palace Station • $127Hooters • $128Circus Circus • $133

Hard Rock • $198Paris • $211 Palms • $224

WEEKENDGold Coast • $61AZ C. Decatur • $72Fremont • $110

Stratosphere • $101Circus Circus • $113Palace Station • $117

Mirage • $151Palms • $194Red Rock Resort • $200

WEEKDAYEl Cortez • $38Four Queens • $39AZ C. Decatur • $45

Palace Station • $45Circus Circus • $48Hooters • $52

Hard Rock • $88Palms • $94Mirage • $115

WEEKENDAZ. C. Decatur • $50California • $100Fremont • $100

Stratosphere • $92Palace Station • $97Circus Circus • $113

Hard Rock • $198Green Valley Ranch • $199Red Rock Resort • $200

WEEKDAYFour Queens • $39California • $40Fremont • $40

Palace Station • $45Circus Circus • $48Downtown Grand • $55

Hard Rock • $84Palms • $104 Green Valley Ranch • $144

WEEKDAYAZ C. Decatur • $45El Cortez • $46Four Queens • $49

Palace Station • $45Circus Circus • $63Downtown Grand • $64

Hard Rock • $114Palms • $114 Paris • $141

SHO

W N

OTE

SW

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ER

Mean 50° Avg. Max. 62° Avg. Min. 37° Pools: ClosedDays begin to warm, evenings still cool.

Attire: Light jacket for the day, something warm for evenings.

Mean 56° Avg. Max. 69° Avg. Min. 42° Pools: ClosedA fickle month for weather. Occasional rain and high winds, warm days.

Attire: Light jacket or sweater for evenings.

Mean 64° Avg. Max. 78° Avg. Min. 50° Pools: OpenDaily highs reach into the 80s with regularity. Winds subside.

Attire: Spring wardrobe for days. Bring a warm jacket just in case.

A D V A N C E P L A N N E R

DATESK

EY

APRIL

MAY

MARCH

FEBRUARY

APRIL

MARCH

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

7-11 Con-Expo–Con/Agg—129,000 19-22 ASD Las Vegas—46,000 28-29 Nightclub & Bar Show—39,000 28-30 Globalshop 2017—14,000 28-30 Nat’l Association of Pizzeria Operations—12,000 29-30 Int’l Wireless Conference—10,000

4-7 Int’l Security Conference—29,000 20-22 Int’l Sign Association Expo—19,500 24-27 Nat’l Association of Broadcasters—103,000 24-28 Interlop Las Vegas Expo—10,000

3-5 Hospitality Design Expo & Conference—17,500 9-11 National Hardware Show—30,000 22-24 RECon 2017—37,000 23-25 Licensing Int’l Expo—24,000 25-31 Valley Nat’l 8-Ball World Pool Championship—10,000

• Comedy & Dolls has opened at Planet Holly-wood; tickets are $43.40/$52.75/$63.75

• Tape Face opens at the Flamingo on Feb. 22; tickets are $85.64/$135.79.

• Ticket prices for Solid Gold Soul at Bally’s have been decreased from $92.27/$115.86 to $83.75/$99.79.

• Pin Up will close at Stratosphere on March 4.

• Between the Lines has closed at Palazzo.



ReviewJon Lovitz & Dana Carvey—Reunited

SLS Las VegasPeriodic, 8:30 pm

$49-$89

“It’s not a competition,” they sing at the start of the show, but it kind of is. Jon Lovitz and Dana Carvey, two of “Saturday Night Live’s” most iconic alumnae, start and finish the performance together, but their re-spective solo turns make up most of this nearly two-hour show. And talk about a couple of pros. This is the type of show where you just sit back and watch it unfold. There are plenty of nos-talgic references that you’ll recognize from the long careers of both—e.g., “The Liar” (Lovitz) and “Church Lady” (Carvey)—but fewer than you might expect, as the show is mostly new and timely stand-up, especially from Carvey, who kills it with his Donald Trump impersonations. Both are also musicians, resulting in a dose of music thrown in, plus a lot of improvisation.

The only negative (for some) will be the bluish component in Lovitz’ act. Second to take the stage on the night we went, he had some trouble maintaining the momentum Carvey

generated. Maybe it’s not a competi-tion, but it felt like it was at one point, as Lovitz stabbed at a heightened raunch level that felt out of place. So be it. You’ve been warned. Overall, it’s a good performance from both and a show worth seeing.

The engagement in the Foundry at SLS is usually only a couple of days each month, currently scheduled for Feb. 3-4; March 17-18; March 31-April 1; June 31; July 1-4; Sept. 1-2; Oct. 6-7, and Oct. 27-28. Showtimes are 8:30, so you can plan your night to include dinner at one of SLS’ good restaurants.

Bars and Happy Hours(Note: These types of deals can

change quickly. Call to verify.)Pub 365 at Tuscany has daily

happy hours from 3 to 6 pm and 11 pm to 2 am, with 50¢ wings, $2 tacos and sliders, and $3.65 beer and wine.

Tilted Kilt in the LINQ Promenade has $7 Moscow Mules on Mondays, $5 margaritas on Tuesdays, $5 whisky & Cokes on Wednesdays, and $3 beer on Thursdays.

Khoury’s Mediterranean Restau-rant has a happy hour Mon.-Fri. from 3 to 6 pm, with $2 beer, $5 wine and

ENTERTAINMENT

Dining continued

The cocktail is available during happy hour from 4 to 7 pm, so it mixes in with other good specials there.

Dining Notes Aureole at Mandalay Bay has re-

opened after a major renovation and change of focus toward small plates, described as a “tasting table experi-ence.” What hasn’t changed is the restaurant’s excellent wine selection, with bottles retrieved by the famous (flying) “wine angels.”

Momofuku, Milk Bar, and Zuma have all opened at the Cosmopolitan.

sangria, and $4-$7 appetizers (includ-ing any kabob for $5).

Rockin Crawfish has a happy hour Mon.-Thurs. from 4-6 pm, with half-price appetizers and draft beer.

SG Bar from the PT’s group has a late-night happy hour, with tapas and drinks for $5.

Redneck Riviera, the country-music bar created by John Rich of the band Big & Rich, has opened in the Grand Bazaar Shops at Bally’s. It’s only the second location of the bar, following the original in Nashville, and features some interesting decor, including bathrooms with sinks made from tires and urinals from beer kegs.

A new sports bar called Hatari has opened at the Boulevard Mall on Maryland Parkway and advertises a 99¢ beer special. The Boulevard has been the location of several bars going back 40 years.

Distill Centennial Hills, the latest in the Remedy’s, Elixir, and Distill bar group, opens Feb. 3.

Golden Entertainment, operators of the PTs, Sean Patrick’s, Sierra Gold, and SG Bar brands, says it will add seven new taverns in the Las Vegas area this year. Most will be on the west

New York’s Blue Ribbon Brasserie is due this spring.

The Copper Whisk has opened at the Orleans, replacing the Courtyard Café as the 24-hour coffee shop.

The 24 Seven Café at the Palms will close this month for a renovation. In its absence, N9NE will reportedly serve a breakfast menu and there may be a new graveyard buffet. If there is, it will be Las Vegas’ first late-night buffet in several years.

Las Vegas’ first two Chick-fil-A restaurants opened to lines of wait-ing customers, many of whom had camped out all night. Both locations are in Henderson, but several more are planned throughout the valley.

The first In-N-Out Burger on the Strip has opened in the LINQ Prom-enade. Hours are 10 am to 1 am Sun.-Thurs. and till 1:30 on weekends.

Las Vegas’ second Steak ‘n Shake has opened at the University of Nevada Las Vegas student union. It’s open to non-students.

A second Mint Indian Bistro (LVA 5/13) has opened on the west side at Flamingo and Durango.

Serendipity 3 has closed at Cae-sars Palace. The new restaurant in the space on the corner of Flamingo and the Strip is called Stripside Café & Bar, but there’s talk that it may be tempo-rary and that another Gordon Ramsay restaurant may be in the works. n


Notes• Alto Bar at Caesars Palace has added a virtual-reality component and is

advertising a “complimentary demo with purchase” (of a drink, we sup-pose).

• Additional shows have been added for Elton John—The Million Dollar Piano at Caesars Palace. The new dates are April 25-26, 28-29; May 1, 3-5. Tickets start at $55 base.

• Additional shows have been added for An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live at the House of Blues. The new dates are May 17, 19-21, 24, 26-28; Sept. 13, 15-17, 20, 22-24; Nov. 1, 3-5, 8, 10-12. Tickets start at $99.50 base.

• Comedian Ralphie May has begun an extended run at Harrah’s, with shows this year through Nov. 4. Tickets start at $35 base.

• Blues Traveler will play at Caesars Palace Feb. 22-23; March 1-2, 8-9. Tickets start at $79 base.

• Steely Dan will play a mini-residency at the Venetian over nine dates from April 12 to 29. Tickets start at $63.30 base.

See the advance planner for dates, prices, and additional show updates.

Entertainment continued

side and will bring the total number of Golden bars to 60.

Shifty’s, the long-time dive bar at Sahara and Valley View, has closed. We’re told it’s moving to the location of the former Fast Break Lounge on S. Decatur, though an opening date hasn’t been announced.

The long-running LGBT bar Good-times has closed, while a new LGBT bar called Flair has opened on E. Flamingo where SRO used to be.

BLVD Cocktail Company has closed at the LINQ Promenade.

Itsy Bitsy Ramen & Whiskey has closed downtown.

At District One, a draft Stella Artois is $7.57 and a draft Asahi is $5.41. At McCormick & Schmick’s a Heineken or a draft Stella is $7.03 and a Bud is $5.95. At Lobby Lounge in the Westin, a Bud is $6.49. In Botigglia at GVR, a draft Peroni is $6.49. In the sports book bar at Westgate, a Bud Light is $5.41.

In Umami Burger at SLS, a draft Rolling Rock is $5.41. At Rockin Crawfish, a Stella is $5.41. At Tommy Rockers, a draft Stella is $5 (down $1 from our last check). In Omaha Bar at the Plaza, a

Rebate ShuffleAs of the first of this year, the

Plaza’s “$500 on Us” rebate-on-loss offer was discontinued, with nothing noteworthy taking its place. But one week after it was stopped, a new rebate showed up at Cannery and Eastside Cannery.

The Cannerys have run rebate deals before, always with restrictive rules, but this time it’s more straight-forward. The offer of up to $200 in gambling losses reimbursed is for new members only and both out-of-state and local players are eligible. Either slots or video poker can be played on the front end and the rebate can be played on designated free-play machines.

The distribution of the rebate is where it gets a little sticky. It comes in two bounce-back offers sent via email—50% the first week after you

play and the rest two weeks after. Both have a seven-day window for redemption. The time between re-demptions makes the promotion highly targeted toward locals, as most visitors don’t figure to be in town for 14 days or more.

There’s a rule that you must have a minimum loss of $20 to qualify for the rebate, but that shouldn’t bother anyone, given that the value of this deal is in playing until you hit the maximum loss allowed. In other words, play until you either walk away with a big win or lose the whole amount. The optimal route for accomplishing this is to play at the highest denomina-tion possible until you hit or bust. If you want more time at the machine, playing for 50¢ or $1 will accomplish that. If you lose and get the rebate, run the free-play through at your normal playing level.

GAMBLING


Trop TooLost in the shuffle of other rebate-

on-loss programs over the years has been the long-running $200 offer at the Tropicana. A lot has changed there since the Trop was sold to Penn National and not much for the better, but this is one good deal that’s been left alone. It’s something of the oppo-site of the Cannery deal, in that only those with out-of-state ID are eligible and the redemption process is com-pleted much more quickly over three consecutive days.

Mardi Gras Free-PlayThere’s been some confusion

concerning one of the LVA Member Rewards Book offers at the Mardi Gras. The same thing happened last year.

The offer for $10 in free-play was

draft Modelo is $5. In the sports bar at the Plaza, a draft Fosters is $5. At O’Aces S. Decatur, a draft Stella is $5 and a Bud is $4. At Longhorn, a Heineken is $2.25. n



negotiated to include both new and existing members of the players club. However, the Mardi Gras’ player track-ing system allows for automatic credits to be added only to the accounts of new sign-ups, necessitating that all other awards be added manually. This usually takes 24 hours. Hence, a workaround was implemented.

When you present your MRB voucher, you’ll be given a separate sheet with coupons for up to $40 in additional free-play dispersed over multiple return visits, including one for $10 on your next trip. This means that the LVA free-play will be available on the following day (in addition to the extra offers that the Mardi Gras added as a bonus). Whether new or existing, you should present your LVA voucher on your first visit, as you’ll be required to play $10 at that time to get the bonus on the return trip. New members get the $10 sign-up bonus that day, while also qualifying for the bounce-back (from the sheet), so it’s a good deal even if you don’t make it back subsequently.

Bad Month for the BooksIt was a tough January for the

sports books, beginning with Clem-son’s win over Alabama in the col-lege National Championship, which reportedly cost William Hill alone more than $1 million. Will Hill’s sports book director said, “It was definitely our worst college football game ever, and I’m pretty sure it was our biggest loss in a single game.” It only got worse during the NFL playoffs, where the results were favorites and overs (a bad combination for the books) in almost every game, despite a near-record-setting -17 spread favoring the Patriots against the Texans, and a 61.5 total, the highest in NFL history, for Falcons/Packers. After a second loss of more than $1 million, Will Hill tweeted that it was “the biggest day ever” for its cus-tomers, and Westgate’s Jay Kornegay tweeted that the books “may have to start charging for golf pencils.”

Gambling continued Super Bowl BettingThis year’s Super Bowl line opened

with the New England Patriots -3 favor-ites over the Atlanta Falcons and has remained there. The total opened at 57.5 and moved up quickly to as high as 59.5, making it the highest total in Super Bowl history. We’ll provide a complete post-Super Bowl round-up in the March LVA.

Anthony Curtis wrote a primer on Super Bowl betting for Seven maga-zine. We’re relating some of the key points here, even though we know that the game will be over by the time some members read this. Those who read the issue online will have time to take advantage; the advice also remains solid for future big games in several sports.

Shopping—Understand up front that the underlying theme behind everything that follows is “shopping,” which means not settling for the first number you see. Check several books from different operators, either by walking from place to place or signing up for mobile apps, the latter enabling lines comparison and betting without having to physically go to the casino (plus the apps allow you to avoid the monster lines at the betting windows).

UNDER and NO—Basic strategy in sports betting is to bet UNDER and NO when confronted with those options. That’s probably the exact opposite of how you like to bet, and that’s why it’s good. Remember that sports lines are determined by market pressure, and when the oddsmakers know there will be demand on certain sides, they raise the price to bet them. Hence, the prices for the public’s beloved OVER and YES propositions tend to be inflated. We’re seeing this on full display with the total for this year’s game. Not only does the public love to bet over, but the overs won at a 70% clip during the playoffs, creating a bandwagon effect that’s led to the highest total ever for a Super Bowl. The UNDER/NO strategy applies especially for the propositions. Here, too, leaning under on props such as QB passing yards, and no on bets like “will there be a defensive TD,” is typically the way

to go. The classic winner here is no overtime, which has won 50 years in a row, but the 10-to-1 or so you have to lay on that prop makes it a tough one to pull the trigger on.

Parlay Cards—Mirroring the props are the special parlay cards. These can yield good opportunities for experts, but they take a big bite out of the aver-age bettor. Limit your play on them to small amounts for entertainment value and stay away from “ties-lose” cards, which are particularly deadly.

Side—Of course, you’ll probably want something on a team to win. The number is solidly Pats -3 everywhere, making it fairly safe that 3s will be available up till game time, whichever way you want to bet. So hold tight looking for a -2.5 to pop up if you want a position on the Pats or +3.5 if you like the Falcons. If the line never hits those points, then shop for a 3 with “reduced juice,” i.e., laying -105 or getting even money, because the other side is “plus juice” at -115 or -120 (one place to find -105 pricing right now is at CasaBlanca/Virgin River in Mesquite).

Money Line—Consider also that betting the money line on the favorite has historically been a bargain in big games, as the public likes to take a shot at plus money with the dog. The effect is more pronounced on bigger favorites, but finding something like -140 on the Patriots with a spread of 3 is achievable and constitutes a better-than-average wager.

Add-Ons—Finally, look for add-ons. For example, some books will give you a logo hat or T-shirt for mak-ing a bet. That’s pure value added. Jerry’s Nugget and Arizona Charlie’s have done this in recent years. The same concept applies if you buy into a squares pool. First, make sure that 100% of what’s collected is being given back in prizes, then look for more. For example, for the second year in a row, Dealer’s Choice Lounge on Spring Mountain is selling $50 squares with all the money returned, and the buy-in comes with a better-than-munchies buffet. Your expectation is to break


Klondike Sunset has removed all of its $5 games. The highest denom is now $2, available at 8/5 Bonus Poker (99.17%). There are better games at 25¢-$1, including NSU Deuces Wild (99.73%) and 9/6 Jacks or Better (99.54%).

Strangely, if you play video poker at the bar in Pub 365 at Tuscany, they often won’t comp your drinks. When they do, they’ll only comp one. It’s related to who’s behind the bar, but it’s happened to us on more than one occasion and 100% of the time when also ordering food. There’s a good 25¢ 9/7/5 Double Bonus progressive that goes positive at $1,440, but ask before you play if you want a drink.

Brooksy’s Bar on W. Flamingo deals 7/5 Bonus Poker (98.01%), and from 2 to 5 pm and 4 to 7 am daily, quad 5-Ks spins the bonus wheel, taking the return above 99%. Plus there’s a players club with $10 monthly free-play at lowest levels and point accumulation.

Add Loose Caboose on W. Fla-mingo to the list of bars dealing 7/5 BP.

Eldorado Resorts has launched a new players club called One Club. It doesn’t affect any Las Vegas casinos, but allows crossover use of points at Eldorado, Silver Legacy, and Circus Circus in Reno.

Bob Dancer’s free video poker classes run on Wednesdays in the Silverado Lounge at South Point—be-ginner classes at noon and intermedi-ate at 2 pm except where otherwise noted. Must be 21. Topics are 9/7 Double Bonus, beginner class only at noon, and 9/6 Double Double Bonus, beginner class only at 2 pm (on 2/1); 9/7 Double Bonus Quick Quads, one class only at noon (2/8); 9/6 Jacks or Better Multi Strike, one class only at noon (2/15); 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (2/22). Be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tuesday column and the Thursday Gambling with an Edge pod-cast, with Bob and Richard Munchkin, both at GamblingWithAnEdge.com.

Video Poker Lost and Found

he beat the Atlantic City casinos for upwards of $5 million and has since been the subject of numerous print and TV stories detailing his methods and high-rolling lifestyle.

The skills competition was won by Anthony Curtis. After several final-table appearances and multiple runners-up finishes in prior years, Anthony finally closed the deal and finished on top of the podium. Anthony was awarded the unique Grosjean Cup (named for the first three-time winner, James Gros-jean), an engraved Nebuchadnezzar of Luc Belaire Champagne (the equivalent of 20 regular bottles).

Gambling NotesCraps—The Downtown Grand no

longer offers no-commission buy bets on its crap games.

Bingo—Big Bingo Weekend with $600,000 in prize money runs at sev-eral Station Casinos properties, Feb. 11-14. Buy-ins are $99-$250 and include meals. Call 866-961-3361 for information and reservations.

IRS—The IRS has backed off threats to enact more stringent gambling-reporting rules. Most signifi-cantly, the W2-G reporting threshold will remain at $1,200; there had been a discussion about dropping it to $600.

NJ Sports Betting—New Jersey’s bid to legalize sports betting was among 100 cases considered last month by the U.S. Supreme Court to be heard on its 2017 docket. It was thought to be a long shot that the court would accept the case, and it didn’t. But it didn’t reject it, either; instead, the justices asked for input from the U.S. Solicitor General. The result keeps the effort alive and appears to be yet another sign that opinions on sports betting are changing.

GN App—The Golden Nugget mobile sports betting app was sched-uled to be released in January, but was delayed till Feb. 1 because of a software glitch. Assuming it makes that deadline, it will be a good addi-tion of another independent book to the mobile line-up. n

Gambling continued

even on the squares, making the buffet theoretically free.

Contest WinnersWhereas past years have seen

sports-betting professionals and quants winning the Westgate Super-Contest, this season was one for the amateurs. Damon Graham, a Star-bucks barista from Las Vegas who played under the name “Pops2008,” went 5-0 on the final weekend to claim the win and a $895,482 first prize. He also won an additional $10,000 for tying in the end-of-season mini contest, plus $2,217 on a second entry for a record total win of $907,699. The 32-year-old Graham’s record of 54-28-3 was a 65.9% win rate, the lowest since 2010. Second place went to a farmer from Illinois, who said he formulated his picks listening to sports radio while harvesting his crops.

Chris Kozak won the Golden Nugget’s Friday Football Showdown, beating Michael Wright in the final heads-up match for a $101,000 first prize. LVA’s Anthony Curtis and Frank Betti tied for third.

In William Hill’s inaugural College Pick ’em Contest, the winner was Entry #5238, which went 44-26 (62.9%) to win $56,700. The Curtis/Betti team tied for second, one game out.

Blackjack BallThis year’s Blackjack Ball was

the 21st annual gathering of many of the world’s best and most successful blackjack players. The significance of the year—the 21st for the game of 21—coupled with the release of Edward O. Thorp’s new book (see news) made the Ball one of the social events of the year for the game’s elite. Thorp was in attendance and addressed the 130 or so in the room, then signed copies of his book afterward.

Part of the business at the Ball is to elect one new member to the Blackjack Hall of Fame. This year’s inductee was Don Johnson, who made headlines a few years back when


Adelson Bolts Stadium Team

Sheldon Adelson has pulled out of his affiliation with the new stadium proposed for the Strip and intended to be the home of the current Oakland Raiders NFL team. The move leaves the project without a huge chunk of its funding, as LV Sands Corp. was expected to invest $650 million. The reason appears to be excessive demands from the Raiders organization. A new funding source will be sought.

Sports-Gambling Network

A new sports and gambling-information network will soon debut. VSiN, the Vegas Stats & Information Network, will broadcast out of South Point and feature sports-broad-casting legend Brent Musburger, boxing announcer Al Bernstein, and several noted Las Vegas bookmak-ers, including Vinny Magliulo, Chris Andrews, and Jimmy Vaccaro. The show will air on SiriusXM.

Wynn Joins Trump Team

Steve Wynn will reportedly accept an invitation from Donald Trump to become finance chair-man of the Republican National Committee. The RNC is essentially a promoting, fund-raising, and plan-ning arm of the party, and is tasked with organizing the Republican National Convention. The ultra-detail-oriented Wynn sounds like the perfect man for the job.

Super Bowl PartiesAs always, just dropping into

any sports book is a solid plan for catching the Big Game if you’re in town, but there will be many other options. We’re putting them up all week prior to the game at Gambling WithAnEdge.com.

LAST SECONDFLASH

DealsFood and drinks are discounted

50% on Mondays when you pay with club points at Cannery and Eastside Cannery.

Earn 300 points ($600 coin-in) on Thursdays at Arizona Charlie’s Decatur or Boulder and swipe at a kiosk to win prizes that include cash, free-play, and $15 dining credits.

Earn 200 points ($200 coin-in) on Tuesdays at Tuscany and get a 2-for-1 entrée in Marilyn’s Café or Pub 365.

Get $10 free play for 700 points ($700 coin-in) on Tuesdays at Emerald Island, max $20 in FP.

MiscellaneousDespite thousands of revelers

jamming the Strip and downtown for New Year’s Eve, no major problems materialized. Only 20 arrests were reported, all for minor infractions.

As one of his last official acts, President Obama designated the 300,000-acre Gold Butte area as a National Monument. The scenic and ecologically fragile area outside Las Vegas includes rock art, artifacts, rare fossils and recently discovered dinosaur tracks.

Bellagio’s Conservatory & Bo-tanical Gardens is celebrating the Year of the Rooster, with a 16-foot moon gate, silk-lantern chandeliers, and 20,000 flowers. There’s also a model of the Bellagio by MGM Shang-hai resort, due to open in 2017. The display is free to view 24/7 and runs through March 4.

Taxi ridership in Southern Nevada declined 16% and revenue was down 13% in 2016, due in most part to loss of business to Uber and Lyft. The Taxicab Authority says that it won’t raise fares or other charges while it

FAST TRACK

Sunday Funday 37This month’s Sunday Funday online poker tournament will run February 19. The prize pool includes $100 for the winner, plus LVA memberships and our new books. There’s no charge to play. See you at noon PST/3pm EST on the 19th at Play.LasVegasAdvisor.com.

considers other moves to regain its market share.

The recently named Elvis Presley Way has been changed to Elvis Pre-sley Boulevard. The street borders the Riviera and runs from the Strip to Paradise Rd., extending past the intersection into Westgate’s valet.

The two vintage train cars located downtown between Main Street Station and the Plaza have been removed. The cars were acquired by Derek and Greg Stevens from Boyd Gaming as part of a recent land deal and they’ve reportedly been sold to a recycling company in the northern Nevada city of Ely.

Another piece of Las Vegas history is gone with the demolition of the red and green neon fish that stood for decades at Davy’s Locker bar on E. Desert Inn. New owners are chang-ing the theme and plan to reopen as Bert’s Bar in February. Doesn’t quite have the same flair.

Four experimental street lights that draw energy from people walking on sensors implanted in the ground have been installed in the downtown Arts District. They work on solar and kinetic energy, the latter of which is generated by foot traffic in the area. The lights also power environmental moni-tors, support video surveillance, have USB ports, and are Wi-Fi hot spots.

Nevada was the second-fastest-growing state by population behind Utah according to 2016 Census data. Nevada grew by 56,300 residents to 2.94 million and is on track to surpass 3 million this year.

The nation’s first self-driving shuttle bus was tested on E. Fremont St. in January. The bus was curbed after the test period, but driverless busses may go into full operation this summer. n

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