What Happens in Vegas: Ford Pickup Truck Smashes Through Stratosphere!

No, it didn't rocket into space, it crashed into the lobby of The Stratosphere Hotel & Casino, and thankfully not into the tower itself. Still, it had to be exciting. And though it is good news that nobody was injured, it may not say much about the crowd coming in and out of the place.

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Truck barrels through Stratosphere front entrance
 

Ford tough! Image from source, Las Vegas Sun

In what officials believe is the first such incident at the hotel, a vehicle crashed through the glass doors at the front entrance of the Stratosphere tonight at 8. Witnesses said the vehicle, a silver Ford F-150 pickup, entered the valet facing Las Vegas Boulevard, veered hard to the right and through the entrance, causing a loud crash and taking out two sets of the glass doors (four total) before braking on the marble floor inside the casino. There were no injuries reported. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Sun

What Happens in Vegas: Megaresort to Rise from Echelon Place Ashes

In the waning days of the Bush Era--and just before the economic downturn--Las Vegas was a boom town. "Stratosphere" wasn't just the tower on the strip, it was where everything was headed, and the developers and casinos, everybody just thought it would last forever.* To be fair, Vegas had been on the upward trajectory for a dozen years or more, so it did feel like we'd just keep growing and growing.

Image from Wikipedia

But what do you do, when you've already got a dozen themed resorts, complete with fake cities (New York, Paris, Monte Carlo), a castle, a pyramid and more? Well, you move from resorts to mega-resorts. City centers, with multiple hotel properties on one site, with shopping and galleries and attractions, all within the boundaries of the new property. Many were planned, including Viva! which was never made, City Cener which was, and Echelon Place which. . .landed somewhere in-between.

Another thing we did in those days was implode old properties. We didn't just implode buildings, we erased swaths of Vegas history along with a great deal of brand equity. The Dunes and The Sands, long famed names (and signs!) were destroyed to make way for Bellagio and The Venetian. Those properties worked, and at least The Sands lives on as a brand as a convention center here in Las Vegas, and in properties in other parts of the world. But The Dunes is gone, and so is Stardust, one of the most iconic old hotels, with its (formerly) lightning bolt logo. Stardust was imploded to make way for Echelon Place, a grand city center megaresort, in the shadow of the Stratosphere.

The proposed new Asian-themed Resort World Las Vegas, from VegasInc

I remember when the project was announced. Originally, I don't think there was a "Place" at the end of the project's name, but it didn't matter. What did it mean? And it was dotted with other names that didn't mean much to most people, like Delano and Mondrian. Where older properties had a clear theme, this one seemed rather a conglomeration of stuff, and it didn't seem coherent. But we'll never know if it would have ultimately made sense or not, because in 2008 it just stopped. It just sits there--unfinished--a blight. Well, no more. After more than six years, and countless millions of dollars lost (six plus years of prime real estate earning zero dollars, just for a start), the property has been purchased, and will be developed at last.

And it looks like one of Sheldon Adelson's Malaysian rivals will be setting up right across the street.

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Asian-themed megaresort planned for old Stardust site
An Asian gaming powerhouse is planning a $2 billion Asian-themed mega-resort on the Las Vegas Strip where the old Stardust was imploded and the stalled Echelon was planned. Genting Group plans to build the 3,500-room Chinese-themed resort with a 175,000-square-foot casino. The company calls it the “first phase” of a property to be named Resorts World Las Vegas. . .

Read more at: VegasInc



* Speaking of the economic downturn, and bigwigs not knowing it was coming, I'm still blown away by that. Not just the casinos and developers of Las Vegas, but auto manufacturers, banks, real estate moguls. CEOs get paid ridiculous sums of money for their "high stress" jobs, yet they seem to have no contingency plans. No Plan B, should things go south. No alternatives when people stop buying huge SUVs. Now that we have experienced very nearly another depression, will we be any better at this the next time?

What Happens in Vegas: Caesar's Bust!

Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for once again bringin' the weird!


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Free Vegas Attraction: Caesars Palace Freak-Out



All right, we’ll admit up front we’re using the term “attraction” pretty loosely here, but we think this qualifies as a fun Vegas diversion. . .

Read more at: Pulse of Vegas Blog

Casino Terror Attack in Mexico

Image from source, Huffington Post

Thankfully, this is not one of my usual What Happens in Vegas posts, but that doesn't make it less horrific. Even before September 11, 2001, I wondered about both terrorism and mishaps in the casinos here in Las Vegas. We all know of the big fires at the MGM Grand and Hilton in the 80s, but it's kind of amazing that since then the incidents have been few and far between. Accidents aside, there's no denying that big attractions like casinos (and amusement parks, and national monuments) are big, giant targets for potential mayhem. No matter how stringent they get at the airport (here's my shoes, my belt, my watch, my wallet, my Chapstick you sonovabitch!), what's gonna stop a crazy zealot from walking into a casino with a bazooka? I'm glad it hasn't happened here, but I'm also amazed that it hasn't. [Excerpt] Casino Royale Attack Leaves At Least 40 Dead In Northern Mexico    Two dozen gunmen burst into a casino in northern Mexico on Thursday, doused it with gasoline and started a fire that trapped gamblers inside, killing 40 people and injuring a dozen more, authorities said. . . Read more at: Huffington Post

What Happens in Vegas. . .You Forget You're in Vegas!

I've lived in the Las Vegas Valley for over 16 years, four in Henderson, and twelve in Silverado Ranch (which is a region in Paradise Township). Both jobs that I've had since I've lived here have to do with working directly with casinos and hotels. I've been in more hotel rooms in this town than a high-priced call girl. Putting up signs mostly. But most days, I forget I live in a tourism mecca. It simply doesn't register.

One of many shots I took and blogged of the Monte Carlo fire.

I cross Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip) almost every single day. I see the entire strip from the south end just as often. From my office window--if I stand up--I can see the Palms, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood and City Center.  If I stand on the library stool, I can see more of the strip, as I did the day that the Monte Carlo caught fire (picture here taken after I climbed up on my office roof!). But unless it is for work related reasons, or someone has come from out of town, I simply ignore it all for the most part.



On those occasions that I go gambling (rare these days, thank goodness), I usually hit Silverton Lodge & Casino, a locals joint between work and home.  When I drive to work, the only time I even notice the skyline is if something is different, or if the sun is bouncing off the Luxor into my eyes. If I need to go to the strip, I'll do my best to avoid LV Blvd. north of Tropicana at all costs, and fortunately, there are back ways and side ways to get many places. I can't tell you how often my best laid plans are thwarted though--I'll misremember a turn or traffic light--and end up stuck in crawling traffic. Ugh. Hate it.

And when it comes to the big resorts, I've yet to check out City Center or Cosmopolitan at all. I feel like I've seen it all, literally from the inside out. Nothing wows me. Wynn and Encore? Yawn. But every now and again, I'll look out the window of my car, or--as in this shot--simply look up when I'm on my 4-mile walk, and say, "Hey! I'm in Las Vegas!" Then the moment passes. This time, I had my cell phone camera though, so the moment was captured for posterity.



My usual walk, toward the Wynn and the Stratosphere. We live
about four miles south of McCarran Airport.



What Happens in Vegas: Sahara Hotel & Casino to Close

When a major Las Vegas hotel with decades of history behind it closes down, you expect a phoenix to rise from the ashes. And we probably can here too, eventually. But we're a long way from the "blow it up, and make it bigger" standard operating procedure of the mid 1990s - mid 2000s.  The Sahara--one of the properties that stretches back to the Rat Pack--is going out of business. It's not the last of the oldies, but it's one of the biggest ones that is still there. I'm sure its position at the far north end of the strip didn't help matters, nor did the property's rumpled appearance. It probably was time for it to go, but it is a shame that it isn't being merely improved.

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Image from 8NewsNow

Las Vegas Sahara Hotel to Close After Nearly 60 Years

After nearly 60 years on the Las Vegas Strip, the Sahara Hotel & Casino will close it's doors on May 16. More than 1,000 people will have to find new jobs when the hotel closes. . .

Read more at: 8NewsNow

Thank you to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link

What Happens in Vegas: The Vdara Death Ray

I was going to post something on this story last week, but a certain local newspaper that shall remain nameless was the only original source I could find, and I don't link to them anymore.  I did find a video from The Today Show, though, and it features Steve Friess, one of my favorite local writers (who also wrote the excerpted article in this post).  And hey, how long could I really ignore a story about a local Las Vegas death ray?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What Happens in Vegas: Hard Rock Hotel President Found Dead; Suicide?

Image from source, RightCelebrity

Yeesh. The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino used to be one of my prime sources of entertainment when I moved to Las Vegas. It opened shortly after I got here, so my friends and I would go there or the almost as recent Rio. The place was smaller then, more intimate and "locals" oriented, but it was and is a place to watch beautiful people. Sad to hear this news.

Thanks once again to Stupid Monkey Planet for pointing out the story.

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Andrew Kwasniewski: President of Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel

More saddening news hits the wire today. Andrew Kwasniewski, President of Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel has reportedly committed suicide. Find out more revealing details and see photos and a video here. . .

Read more at: RightCelebrity

What Happens in Vegas: Tropicana Sued by Tropicana?

The venerable (read: old) Tropicana Hotel & Casino is in a copyright dispute with. . .Tropicana. Or, rather, the former parent company that spun them off after a bankruptcy, or some such. So the property that one of the Las Vegas valley's largest and most known streets is named for may now have to either rename itself, or pay a hefty chunk of change for the privilege of going by the name it has always gone by. My suggestion, use the existing letters, and just rearrange them a little! (see photo)

I'm a sign maker, but hey, always happy to offer a cost-cutting suggestion!

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Use of ‘Tropicana’ name at issue in lawsuit

The dispute over use of the "Tropicana" name by the Tropicana hotel-casino in Las Vegas is heating up, with the property's former parent company filing a counterclaim to the Las Vegas hotel's lawsuit. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Sun

Could Las Vegas Get a Gay Hotel and Casino?

Image (of cancelled "City by the Bay") from Vegas Today and Tomorrow

A gay hotel and casino in Las Vegas? Why not? It's a niche audience with disposable income. And Vegas sure could use a boost. It's a pretty nifty idea, even if it is in the early planning stages. Now, if we could do something about the same-sex marriage ban, they'd really be on to something.

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Flower Tower
Vegas could be ready for a gay hotel-casino

So let’s get right to it: The Fonfas want to build a $1.2 billion, 1,000-unit, 45-story hotel-casino catering primarily and openly to gays and lesbians and managed by the Wyndham hotel chain. It would boldly be called the Q, as in “queer.” And it would stand tall and proud by early in the next decade at the northwest corner of Sahara and the Las Vegas Strip as the first of its kind in the world. . .

Read more at: Las Vegas Weekly

Casinos in Canada Sued for $3.5 Billion by Gamblers

Whoa! I'll bet some of the big mucky-mucks here in Las Vegas are watching this case with interest. Yes, it's in Canada, but if the suit is successful, you can bet it would be tried here.

Everybody who gambles with even moderate frequency has on occasion gone too far. Anybody who says they haven't is probably lying to you. And problem gamblers are a more serious case--people who can't stop even though they know that they should. But expecting the casinos to bar them from entering seems a step too far for me.

I may be a liberal, but that is by way of a conservative upbringing. Or rather, what conservatism used to represent. I've always believed that you are accountable for your own actions, even if you have a tendency toward addiction. And companies--movie makers, TV producers, video game manufacturers, alcoholic beverage makers, and yes, casinos--should not have to tailor their product to the problem people. You target your product for the general public. The people with problems need to help themselves. OK, rant over.

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Problem gamblers sue casinos for $3.5 bln

Thousands of problem gamblers in have launched a $3.5 billion class action lawsuit in Ontario, saying they were allowed into provincially run casinos despite signing up for a program that should have denied them entry. . .

Read more at: Yahoo! News

Gambler Sues Casinos for $20 Million

Photo from Ocean Pacific Capital

Living in Las Vegas, I know a little bit about gambling addiction. While I don't consider myself an addict, in the 13 years I've lived here, I've surely exhibited addict-like behavior on occasion. Anyone who's gambled more than a little has too. Don't let them tell you different.

But even on my stupidest night, I never thought I deserved my money back. Yes, the casinos are deliberately enticing, with games that are set up to affect your psychology. Just enough of a taste here and there, just enough winners around you to keep you playing. The table games can't be programmed, but their rules are surely set up to mimic the same thing.

Here's the dirty little secret though. Anybody who plays, except for maybe Ma & Pa Hinterland knows all of that. They know the odds are against them. But just like the person who cashes their Social Security check, and uses it all on lottery tickets, they're hoping for the big win--or more accurately the anticipation of the big win.

I have no doubt that this lady has a problem. But she knew it too. As hard as it is to beat addiction, people do it every day. It often takes a "rock bottom" experience to set them on the right path. This lady wants a do-over, and I don't think she deserves one. Just imagine the precedent.

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Woman files $20M long-shot casino suit

Arelia Margarita Taveras says she was even allowed to bring her dog, Sasha, to the blackjack tables, sitting in her purse.

But her gambling spun out of control: She said she would go days at a time at the tables, not eating or sleeping, brushing her teeth with disposable wipes so she didn't have to leave.
She says her losses totaled nearly $1 million. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Hillary Clinton Gets Casino Endorsements

Image from source, Huffington Post

Since I'm blogging from Las Vegas, I suppose this story is very relevant to my blog. Personally, I'm not 100% behind a Hillary Clinton candidacy. I'm still pulling for John Edwards, probably against all odds. But the casinos like Hillary, and unless I'm mistaken, they generally go for the Republicans.

One thing that is wrong with this story is the bit about the number of casinos Harrah's operates. They actually own practically half of the Las Vegas strip, in addition to the casinos they operate nation-wide. I learned long ago, that if you know something about a news story, you can almost always find a flaw in the way it's reported.

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Hillary Racks Up Gambling Lobby Support

On the eve of the crucial Nevada Democratic Presidential Debate, set for Thursday night, candidate Hillary Clinton has racked up the public endorsement of some of the state's most influential gambling industry executives and advocates.

The Clinton campaign has unveiled the formation of the Nevada Business Leadership Council led by Jan Jones, a former Las Vegas Mayor and a current top executive of and lobbyist for national gambling mega-corporation Harrah's Entertainment.

Harrah's operates more than two dozen casinos nationwide, including the landmark Rio in Las Vegas. . .

Read the rest at: Huffington Post

"New" Frontier Imploded in Las Vegas

Photo from source, Las Vegas Now

One of the strange things about the "New" Frontier Hotel and Casino was that it wasn't new at all. In fact, unless I miss my guess, the only thing new about it was the addition of N-E-W to the sign some years ago. After an incredible five-year-long strike of the culinary union back in the 90s, they added the "new," and had a slogan that was something like, "Vegas the way it used to be." I may be off a bit, but they hit the mark with that one. It was nasty.

Still, it's always interesting to hear or see an implosion in Las Vegas, though I only heard a muffled sound of a boom in my half-sleep. It's the unofficial motto of Las Vegas for as long as I've lived here: "Out with the old, in with the new."

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The New Frontier is History

The New Frontier casino-hotel was imploded early Tuesday morning after a booming fireworks display, putting an end to the second property to open on the Las Vegas Strip.

The 16-story hotel tower was felled with over 1,000 pounds of explosives before a group of reporters and bystanders to make way for a multibillion-dollar resort bearing The Plaza brand, which is set to open in 2011. . .

For more, including a slide show and video, go to: Las Vegas Now