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Access Vegas Insider Vibe January 1, 2014

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AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

Need to contact us? Send feedback to
AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com

Missed an issue? Click to Read Back Issues Online.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows

accessvegas google+Check out Access Vegas on Google+

O’Sheas Is Open Again!

O’Sheas Casino Officially Returns To The Las Vegas Strip
The Fan Favorite Reopens Its Doors

O’Sheas Casino, a Las Vegas Strip classic, re-opened its doors on December 28, 2013 at the much anticipated new location inside The Quad Resort & Casino. Bally’s Las Vegas Jubilee! Showgirls, The Quad’s headliner, Jeff Civillico, and Mr. Lucky himself, Brian Thomas, were all there to help welcome the venue’s first guests.

The opening featured an official ribbon cutting by Eileen Moore, Regional President and General Manager of The Quad Resort & Casino. An eager crowd full of O’Sheas’ faithful, old and new, packed the bar to commemorate the special day.

Caesars Entertainment Introduces Purple Zebra to the Las Vegas Strip – The atmosphere and spirit of O’Sheas returned to the Las Vegas Strip in a new space with a nod to the legendary casino on December 27, 2013. The brand new Purple Zebra, a whimsical candy and slush bar, also opened across the way at Flamingo Las Vegas. Photo Credit: Dezmotif Studios and MOSER Architecture

Las Vegas Shows, Concerts, And Headliners

VegasÆ Best Party Rock Of Ages Celebrates First Anniversary At The Venetian – On December 18, 2013 the high-octane musical Rock Of Ages celebrated its first anniversary in Las Vegas at The Venetian. Following the conclusion of the performance, cast member Mark Shunock (ôLonnyö) addressed the full house to thank them for their support of Rock Of Ages and then he led the cast in a celebratory shot to mark the occasion. After the performance, the company hosted a æ80s themed after party at Insert Coin(s) in Downtown Las Vegas. Photo: Gabe Ginsberg

Drinking And Dining In Las Vegas

Commonwealth Downtown Las Vegas Lays It On The Line With JanuaryÆs Cocktail Of The Month

Downtown drinkers will win big with CommonwealthÆs January featured cocktail, the ôYou Bet Giraffes.ö The seasonal selection will be offered all month, priced at $10.

The lucky libation, created by the Downtown cocktail barÆs Boozeologist, Dan Marohnic, mixes Damarak Gin, CrÞme de Cocoa liqueur, Cocchi Americano and lemon juice. Partygoers will gamble on the cool concoction while mingling in the prohibition era inspired cocktail bar.

Gambling And Gaming

Las Vegas Real Estate

Las Vegas Attractions

More Las Vegas News

Valley of Fire Buggy Driving Experience TourValley of Fire Buggy Driving Experience Tour – A perfect experience waits for novice and expert dune buggy drivers on this Valley of Fire tour package. All buggies are custom built for the rugged Nevada terrain, and come equipped with roll cages, seatbelts, goggles and helmets for your safety. The buggies are similar to your regular car with a steering wheel, brake pedal, and gas pedal. This dramatic red landscape of the Valley of Fire creates a backdrop for an amazing sun buggy ride.

Click To Book Your Valley of Fire Buggy Driving Experience Tour Now!

Upcoming Las Vegas Events And Holidays

Latest Las Vegas Concerts Added This Week!

There is no better place to see your favorite acts then in Las Vegas! You’re relaxed, can enjoy a fine meal, have some cocktails without the worry of driving, and no alarm is going to jar you awake all too early the next morning.

Top Tickets For All United States Events

Did you know that we not only sell premium concert and event tickets for Las Vegas, but also for the entire United States as well? If you can’t make it to Vegas, treat yourself to some great seats for something near you:

NFL Tickets Billy Joel Tickets
– Seattle Seahawks Tickets Britney Spears Tickets
– Denver Broncos Tickets Cher Tickets
– Philadelphia Eagles Tickets Elton John Tickets
– Green Bay Packers Tickets George Strait Tickets
NHL Tickets Jay Z Tickets
– Chicago Blackhawks Tickets Justin Timberlake Tickets
– Pittsburgh Penguins Tickets Lady Gaga Tickets
– New Jersey Devils Tickets Lorde Tickets
NBA Tickets Luke Bryan Tickets
– Golden State Warriors Tickets Miley Cyrus Tickets
– Los Angeles Lakers Tickets One Direction Tickets
– Miami HEAT Tickets Paul Simon Tickets
– Boston Celtics Tickets Pink Tickets
College Bowl Game Tickets The Eagles Tickets

Newkirk’s Notes: The Boss Speaks…

Newkirk’s Notes are comments and insight from AccessVegas.Com publisher and 20+ year Las Vegas resident Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – Happy New Year to all, wherever you are in the world (and we have readers in many, many countries). Whether 2013 was a good year for you or had its bumps (which was my case), I wish you all a great 2014.

Two TV specials streamed our festivities live, and we did alert our Access Vegas Twitter followers (Twitter.com/AccessVegas) as well as our Access Vegas Facebook followers (VegasFacebook.com).

Some confusion existed as Fox TV did their countdown show live from Las Vegas, but didn’t show our spectacular fireworks. Here’s the scoop: Fox did their show from Mandalay Bay starting at 8 PM our time, as to be live to the east coast. They celebrated “midnight” at 9 PM our time. We don’t shoot fireworks off at midnight Eastern time. We do it at midnight Pacific time. Hence, Fox showed that boring ball drop* from New York.

THEN… the special was tape-delayed to the rest of the nation. Even people in our own time zone watched the old footage, sans any Vegas fireworks.

* Let’s do a comparison: It was around 25 degrees at midnight in New York City as people braved the weather for 60 seconds of “excitement” (if that is what you want to call it). At midnight here? 45 degrees and we had nearly 9 minutes worth of fireworks shot off from the tops of 7 resorts across a 3 mile party zone.

And I mean party: Unlike the Big Apple, people on the Las Vegas Strip were allowed to drink and mingle and move around. The Strip was closed from 6 PM to 2 AM, allowing revelers to walk the length of the famed street at will, cocktails in hand.

For those of you who missed it, we have video story links and a couple versions of the full fireworks show in this special news section:

New Year’s Eve Video, Fireworks, Stories

Thousands pack Fremont Street Experience for New Year’s Eve (with video)

Las Vegas Rings in 2014 (full fireworks video)

Las Vegas fireworks show rings in New Year better than ever before (full fireworks video)

Las Vegas Strip produces high energy party to kick off New Year (with video)

2014 Look Ahead: Numerous attractions coming to Las Vegas (with video)

Cleanup crews work overnight after Vegas New Year’s Eve Party (with video)

Welcome Back, O’Sheas! – I know that we’re making a really big deal of it this issue, but we’re super happy to have O’Sheas reopened. If if it isn’t quite the old dive-bar version right there on The Strip that many of us knew and loved for the college-party atmosphere (even if college was a few decades ago for some of us).

It is part of the partially-opened Linq project and we’ll have lots more pictures next week. (Part of the mall and the High Roller Ferris wheel do not open for a couple more months. We’ll report exact dates as they become available).

O'Sheas exterior

Patrons playing video poker at O'Sheas bar

Patrons playing beer pong at O'Sheas

View of O'sheas and Linq area from Chayo restaurant

Linq sign of coming attractions

Programming Note – As 2013 ended, we ended our long-time affiliation with i4Vegas hotel booking. I’ve always been transparent about what we do and why we do it:

* Over the years, we promoted i4Vegas heavily and we do appreciate those of you who supported us by booking with them. The problem was that if you went direct to their site (after hearing about them from us) instead of using the booking box on AccessVegas.com or the box we always had here in the newsletter, they didn’t know you were a reader and thus we were not getting credit for sending you.

They only wanted to pay for the impact that they could measure (who came directly from our site or newsletter) and we could no longer afford to give away what was basically free advertising. We wish them well, but if you were loyal to them because of us, understand that we no longer see any benefit.

* Our deal with them was exclusive, which prevented us from passing along the (seemingly) zillions of Las Vegas specials popping up all the time. This hotel market is very, very competitive and one hotel is always trying to out-do the deals that the next one offers!

We’ve just recently sealed agreements to pass along great specials and savings to you from the Caesars Entertainment hotels, Venetian/Palazzo, and The Palms. We’re working on adding other properties, and also look forward to the ability to offer some very special deals to our readers.

So, hang tight for all of that as we ramp all of that up over the next few weeks. 

Hope you are enjoying this issue!

Associate Editor / News Researcher: Rick Ziegler

Concerts and Headliners: Amy Rayner-Cooley

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Wynn Las Vegas Carousel Floral Art Installation – A behind-the-scenes look at how premier event designer Preston Bailey’s vision became a reality at Wynn Las Vegas.

  • Three Sheets Las Vegas Part 1 – Join Zane Lamprey as he makes his way across the globe seeking out adventure and alcohol in exotic brew-halls, bars and other alcoholic beverage-selling establishments and the locals that frequent them. Part 1 features the Voodoo Lounge flair bartenders, a look inside the Napolian Suite at Paris Las Vegas, and a find out what makes up a $777 hamburger.

  • Three Sheets Las Vegas Part 2 – The show continues with a wine tasting in front of the Bellagio fountains with a master sommelier, a visit to Blush nightclub for infused vodka shots, and poker (and cocktails) at the Hard Rock.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

Read your recent article about the changing face of Vegas.

So true, my first experience was in the late 80’s and it left a great impression on me. But it was another 20 odd years for my second visit, again it was great, a lot of buzz, Hummer giveaways at every corner, loose slots, huge and varied buffets and generally everybody was laughing and having a great time.

Now over the last ten years have been back every second year and there is no comparison of 10 years. Have stayed at the Luxor when it was a Egyptian themed casino and it was great, now well it doesn’t know what it wants to be… terrible. Yes accommodation is cheaper, but a lot of the glitz and spirit has left town.

Now I stay at a varied accommodations throughout Vegas and one is Circus Circus: Nostalgia and value. I went to slots a fun…..my god has it changed. It used to be full of people playing the table games now it is automated, hardly anybody in there, dead and boring. The buffets have shrunk, food is still good and I suppose the price is still good.

Shows are great, no doubt about that……. Coming from Australia, there is no comparison on the quality.

Last but not least, it is hard to win or even break even and no what. People say a huge reason people travel from all over the world is to say they have gambled and had a great time in Vegas.

Will be coming over next year, but with more of an emphasis on sightseeing, more shows and less gambling, comps aren’t really worth it, but definitely not shopping. I can do that here, LOL.

Cheers,

Manny

Ted Responds:

Thanks for the note, and no doubt you are preaching to the choir here! I do miss the “feel” that The Strip had in the 90’s and on into the 2000’s. Car giveaways, tons of promotions, ever-present claims of loose slots… the casinos would do just about anything to get you in the door and you could play for a while on $20.

Neon and cheap booze abounded. Tacky? Perhaps. But it sure was fun!

Sometimes, I wish that I could take some of the upper management making all of these decisions and put them in a time machine and let them take a walk down The Strip of that era.

I’m at a complete loss what the casino properties are going to do when this shopping thing doesn’t go as well as predicted. Don’t get me wrong: Forum Shops, Grand Canal, Fashion Show and similar will always do well. Upscale shopping has been a hallmark of Las Vegas for a long time. But this new saturation of more mid-range shopping will be interesting to watch.

Fortunately, you are hard-pressed to beat our caliber and variety of entertainment and very few vacation destinations are a hop, skip, and a jump (a quick one by plane or helicopter tour) from the breathtaking site known as the Grand Canyon.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 18, 2013

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AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

Need to contact us? Send feedback to
AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com

Missed an issue? Click to Read Back Issues Online.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows

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Celebrating Christmas And The Winter Season

Bellagio’s Conservatory And Botanical Gardens Presents A Merry Winter Wonderland – Las Vegas’ Largest Indoor Tree, Topiary Polar Bears and Life-Size Chocolate House Add a Dash of Holiday Spirit This Season.

The magic of the holiday season has taken over Bellagio as the Las Vegas resort’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens unveils a glistening winter wonderland. Featuring The Strip’s largest indoor holiday tree, moss-embellished reindeers, a life-size chocolate house, live seasonal music and a family of topiary polar bears, the dazzling display transports guests through a holiday dream through January 5.

La Cave Wine And Food Hideaway Inside Wynn Las Vegas Introduces Winter Selections – La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas has welcomed the cooler weather with new seasonal menu items for fall and winter created by Executive Chef William “Billy” DeMarco, as well as holiday infused cocktails.

Along with the cooler weather comes a new crop of fresh ingredients, which DeMarco has integrated into hearty winter selections such as the airline chicken breast covered with squash puree and tomato apricot chutney.

New Year’s Eve And New Year’s Day

Park On Fremont Starts The New Year Right With Hangover Brunch – Whether hungover partygoers are sporting last night’s outfit or pajamas, Park on Fremont’s New Year’s Day brunch will cure whatever ails them on Wednesday, January 1, 2014.

The Downtown eatery will serve delicious options including the Ranch Skillet, served with a bed of red potatoes, sausage, onions, peppers and cheese, topped with eggs over-easy and salsa; the French Toast, vanilla bean soaked brioche topped with drunk mixed berries, syrup and powdered sugar; and the Breakfast Waffle, homemade waffles covered with yogurt, bananas, strawberries, caramel sauce and powdered sugar.

SHe By Morton’s Rings In 2014 With Festive Las Vegas New Year’s Eve Feasts – SHe by Morton’s, located at The Shops at Crystals, just steps away from the main entrance of Aria, will offer two separate prix-fixe menus Tuesday, Dec. 31. Celebratory menus will be offered at 7pm and 9:30pm seatings.

Las Vegas Shows, Headliners, And Concerts

Las Vegas Shopping And Attractions

Final Cabin Attached To The Las Vegas High Roller – The Las Vegas High Roller hit another construction milestone December 3, 2013 as the observation wheel’s final passenger cabin was attached to the wheel’s rim. The addition of the 28th cabin is another major accomplishment in the construction and engineering of the world’s tallest observation wheel which is a now a distinct feature in the Las Vegas skyline. The 550-foot tall wheel will be the focal point of The LINQ, Caesars Entertainment’s $550 million outdoor retail, dining and entertainment district. Photo Credit: Denise Truscello

The Cosmopolitan Opens The Chelsea – A Sophisticated And Intimate Venue – The Chelsea, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’ new 40,000-square foot performance and event space, will debut over New Year’s Eve with a performance by Grammy Award-winning recording artist Bruno Mars, bringing a more intimate and memorable guest experience to entertainment and meetings in Las Vegas.

Grand Bazaar Shops Transforms Busiest Corner Of The Las Vegas Strip Into An Outdoor Retail Experience – Las Vegas is all about experiences. And what the Vegas Strip has long needed is a major retail destination which truly redefines the shopping experience. Grand Bazaar Shops™ is an innovative, uniquely merchandised venue that will give Las Vegas its first truly urban shopping scene.

More Las Vegas News

Fabulous Meets Sophistication With The New Flamingo Las Vegas Garden Chapel – Flamingo Las Vegas now offers guests a fresh new wedding experience with its beautifully redesigned Garden Chapel and all-new wedding packages.

The renovation was completed in September by Westar Architects and encompasses the chapel, lobby, reception, hallways, bridal room and restroom.

Navagator Plus Helicopter Combo TourNavagator Plus Helicopter Combo Tour – Get an authentic taste of the Southwest during scenic Grand Canyon air tours with VegasDaze. Learn about the Hualapai Native Americans – a historic tribe dating back to as early as 600 A.D. During your Grand Canyon aerial experience you’ll understand why the name “Hualapai” means, “people of the tall pine.” This special Grand Canyon West Rim tour is experienced by both plane and helicopter.

Click To Book Your Navagator Plus
Helicopter Combo Tour Now!

Upcoming Las Vegas Events And Holidays

Latest Las Vegas Concerts Added This Week!

There is no better place to see your favorite acts then in Las Vegas! You’re relaxed, can enjoy a fine meal, have some cocktails without the worry of driving, and no alarm is going to jar you awake all too early the next morning.

Top Tickets For All United States Events

Did you know that we not only sell premium concert and event tickets for Las Vegas, but also for the entire United States as well? If you can’t make it to Vegas, treat yourself to some great seats for something near you:

NFL Tickets Beyonce Tickets
– Dallas Cowboys Tickets Billy Joel Tickets
– Seattle Seahawks Tickets Cher Tickets
– San Francisco 49ers Tickets Eagles Tickets
– Houston Texans Tickets Elton John Tickets
NHL Tickets George Strait Tickets
– Chicago Blackhawks Tickets Jason Aldean Tickets
– Pittsburgh Penguins Tickets Jay Z Tickets
– San Jose Sharks Tickets Justin Timberlake Tickets
– New Jersey Devils Tickets Kanye West Tickets
NBA Tickets Lady Gaga Tickets
– Los Angeles Lakers Tickets Miley Cyrus Tickets
– Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets One Direction Tickets
-Brooklyn Nets Tickets Pink Tickets
College Football Tickets Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tickets

Newkirk’s Notes: The Boss Speaks…

Newkirk’s Notes are comments and insight from AccessVegas.Com publisher and 20+ year Las Vegas resident Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – No white Christmas for us (although just outside of town, Mt. Charleston had plenty of snow a couple weeks ago). We’re coming in a very seasonal 60 F (give or take a couple) everyday now through Christmas, with plenty of sunshine in the forecast.

Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even A Mouse – This is generally a quiet time of year for news and the newsletter before Christmas has usually consisted essentially of an online Christmas card. Not so much this year, as you’ve seen from what you’ve already read. Just a few quick news bits that we may go into more detail in the future:

* Barbary Coast (Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall) project finally appears to have a new name: The Cromwell. Caesars Entertainment has yet to confirm it, but local news sources seem pretty confident about it. No, we’re not fond of the name either. And yes… it sounds like the name of some preppy character from one of those 80’s movies.

* Harmon’s Slow Demise – The ill-fated Harmon Hotel (just to the south of Cosmopolitan) looks like it is coming down piece-by-piece. It simply sits too close to surrounding properties to make for a safe implosion. Many of our readers were not only hoping for an implosion, but that some extra dynamite would take out CityCenter while they were at it!

* No More NFR – Just a week or two ago, we told you all about the National Final’s Rodeo and how being in town for it — even if you don’t have tickets — is a must for any country fan. Ooops. The NFR is packing up and leaving after next year, after a 29 year run in Las Vegas. Orlando (Actually Kissimmee) tossed a few million more dollars at them to cover increased prize money and promised a new 24,000 seat arena.

Las Vegas still may counter with moving the event to the (soon to be constructed) 20,000 seat MGM arena behind New York, New York. But… the money is still an issue.

If we lose it, we’re simply going to start a competing event. People have been coming to enjoy top rodeo in Las Vegas for nearly three decades and local organizers are counting on the fact that it is the Vegas experience and tradition that will draw visitors to the new event.

Hope you are enjoying this issue and we want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Associate Editor / News Researcher: Rick Ziegler

Concerts and Headliners: Amy Rayner-Cooley

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Caesars Christmas Greetings – Enjoy a fun (and funny) greeting from cast members of various Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas shows including Donny and Marie, Chippendales, Tony ‘N Tina’s Wedding, Jubilee!, Legends In Concert, Jeff Civillico, Mac King, Frank Marino’s Diva’s, George Wallace, X Burlesque, Anthony Cools, Absinthe, Recycled Percussion, Taylor Hicks, Matt Goss, Big Elvis, Vinnie Favorito, Million Dollar Quartet, Jersey Boys, and Veronic.

  • Bellagio Conservatory And Botanical Gardens Holiday Tree Arrival and Time Lapse – Follow the Bellagio Christmas Tree from its origins in the forest to the installation at the resort.

  • Glenn Diamond: The Cowboy’s Christmas – Our gaming writer Vegas Vic wants to wish you a Merry Christmas by sharing his alter-ego’s song about the story of a lonely cowboy from long ago, who one night on the prairie saw the star of Bethlehem shining in the sky, on a bright moonlit night. It filled his soul, and that’s why from then on, those of us in the American West, call this day the Cowboy’s Christmas.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I’ll be spending the weekend with a buddy at a non-gaming facility on the north end of The Strip, and I’m looking for ideas of where to go to watch the game (and possibly bet on the game, too, though I can get my bets down anyplace before the game). Are you planning to write up something about where to go, what it takes to gain admission (some are invitation only, I gather), that sort of thing?

Thanks!

Scott Pohl

 

Ted Responds:

Ever since the NFL cracked down on charging admission for an event you show their games at, the landscape has really changed. There are still some watching parties and events, but not like it used to be where you paid $100 to watch it on a zillion big screens set up in a ballroom with a betting station and unlimited food and drink included.

We start to get Super Bowl event listings right after the new year, and will post them without delay when we do. These days, some special venues are still set up with free admission and food and drink specials, just about bar (or bar and grill) is doing something, and the game is shown on every TV in every property.

But, we suggest getting where you are going to go well before kick-off (like 2-3 hours before) and parking yourself there so you have your seats and making a day of it. Oh… and don’t even try to get a seat in any of the sports books. People set their alarms for dawn to stake those out.

Per betting in general, the #1 rule is “don’t wait”. You don’t want to be in the long lines on Saturday and ESPECIALLY Sunday morning. All the bets will be available all week long. Make getting your bets down the first thing you do when you hit town.

For those driving in or renting a car and staying at a non-gaming property (or renting out a house), hit a locals casino (Palace Station, which is 4 minutes from The Sahara and Rivera comes to mind, Gold Coast if you are center Strip, Orleans if you are South Strip) where you’ll find lots more parking and not have to navigate a mammoth Strip casino. Just remember that you have to return to cash your tickets OR mail your tickets in for redemption (info is often on the back of the ticket on how to do so).

Near downtown? Pull up to the valet at Plaza, tell the guy you are running in to make a sports bet, and hand him $5 to keep the car close. Or use their free parking garage and when the attendant asks if you are a guest of the hotel, simply state that you are there to make sports bets at their sports book. Their sports book is pretty much next to both the valet entrance and the parking garage elevators.

Obviously for those of you staying at a casino, they all have sports books on-site. But still… bet early! You really don’t want to be in that weekend line.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 11, 2013

Posted on by

AccessVegas.com Insider Vibe

Serving Las Vegas Visitors and Residents Since 1999

Welcome to the Insider Vibe! This is the official newsletter of AccessVegas.Com. We talk about the Las Vegas activities you really care about.

Need to contact us? Send feedback to
AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com

Missed an issue? Click to Read Back Issues Online.

AccessVegas.com Quick Info Menu:

Las Vegas Essentials
Featured Shows

accessvegas google+Check out Access Vegas on Google+

Winter In Las Vegas

More Than 11,000 Kris Kringle Lookalikes Join Shania Twain At Las Vegas Great Santa Run – On Saturday, December 7, Opportunity Village made history as 11,221 participants dressed like Kris Kringle for the ninth annual Las Vegas Great Santa Run in Downtown Las Vegas. Led by Grand Marshal Shania Twain, the iconic event beat its personal record and defeated Liverpool rivals for the “World Santa Challenge” championship.

“We were blown away by the outpouring of support from the Las Vegas community,” said Linda Smith, Associate Executive Director of Opportunity Village. “This was truly one of our best events yet, and we look forward to keeping the momentum going into the run’s 10th year.”

Shania Twain, who currently headlines SHANIA: STILL THE ONE at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace looked glamorous in a white Santa hat and chic black and white cape. Photo Credit: Denise Truscello

Rhumbar at Mirage Heats Up Winter With Hot New Cocktails (With Recipes) – ‘Tis the season for hot drinks and holiday festivities at RHUMBAR at The Mirage Hotel & Casino. The Strip-side getaway will introduce four seasonal cocktails to heat up the winter season.

Available through the end of February, cocktail aficionados will stay warm this winter with the Hot Berry Bomber, the Cinn City, the Mexican Ginger Cookie and the Naughty Girl Scout, each priced at $12. For those who want a taste of the season at home, each delicious RHUMBAR cocktail is easy to recreate with the below recipes:

Downtown Las Vegas

Las Vegas Attractions

Las Vegas Shows, Headliners, And Concerts

Bruno Mars Attends Jersey Boys In Las Vegas – Grammy Award-winning recording artist Bruno Mars attended Jersey Boys at Paris Las Vegas. Following the performance, he went backstage to meet and take photos with cast members from the smash-hit production.

Jersey Boys is the #1 Rated Show in Las Vegas and the “Must see show of the year!” according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The musical phenomenon Jersey Boys, the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons at Paris Las Vegas is the runaway hit that has taken Las Vegas by storm.

Las Vegas Dining

Las Vegas Real Estate

Celebrating Christmas In Las Vegas

La Cave Wine And Food Hideaway To Spread Christmas Joy With Holiday Dishes And Cocktails – La Cave Wine and Food Hideaway at Wynn Las Vegas will celebrate Christmas with festive dishes and cocktails on Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Wednesday, Dec. 25. Prepared by Executive Chef William “Billy” DeMarco, the restaurant will offer grilled black bass topped with tomato vinaigrette and accompanied with baby artichoke ravioli and broccoli rabe, priced at $24.

Feel At Home For The Holidays With Trevi Italian Restaurant Inside Caesars Palace – Trevi inside The Forum Shops at Caesars will join in the holiday spirit by offering a variety of seasonal specials.

For December, Trevi introduces the Happy Hollytini, a candy cane martini made from an irresistible blend of vanilla vodka, Peppermint schnapps and Bailey’s. The cocktail, priced at $9, is swirled with a red stripe made of white chocolate and rimmed with crushed peppermint candy. Pastry Chef Hank Sbraccia will celebrate by offering his unique eggnog gelato, prepared with bourbon, dark rum and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg, for $4.50 per scoop.

Central Michel Richard Celebrates Christmas With Holiday Prix Fixe Menu – Central Michel Richard at Caesars Palace will celebrate Christmas with an elaborate four-course Christmas prix fixe meal on Wednesday, Dec. 25. The main course will feature three entrÚe choices for the holiday: prime rib with au jus; red snapper with roasted root vegetables complete with red pepper sauce; or roasted duck with cinnamon sauce.

Las Vegas Economy

Las Vegas Hotels

Gambling And Gaming

More Las Vegas News

Rim Dancer Helicopter TourRim Dancer Helicopter Tour – Enjoy a Grand Canyon helicopter tour from South Rim and begin your adventures in the sky. As you soar above the plethora of towering Ponderosa Pines that characterize the Kaibab National Forest, you’ll witness the North Rim rise into view as the South Rim slowly fades away. A flight aboard an ECO-Star helicopter creates an up-close and personal experience with Grand Canyon nature.

Click To Book Your Rim Dancer Helicopter Tour Now!

Upcoming Las Vegas Events And Holidays

Latest Las Vegas Concerts Added This Week!

There is no better place to see your favorite acts then in Las Vegas! You’re relaxed, can enjoy a fine meal, have some cocktails without the worry of driving, and no alarm is going to jar you awake all too early the next morning.

Top Tickets For All United States Events

Did you know that we not only sell premium concert and event tickets for Las Vegas, but also for the entire United States as well? If you can’t make it to Vegas, treat yourself to some great seats for something near you:

Most Popular Sports Tickets Most Popular Concert Tickets
NFL Tickets Beyonce Tickets
– Dallas Cowboys Tickets Billy Joel Tickets
– Seattle Seahawks Tickets Cher Tickets
– San Francisco 49ers Tickets Eagles Tickets
– Houston Texans Tickets Elton John Tickets
NHL Tickets George Strait Tickets
– Chicago Blackhawks Tickets Jason Aldean Tickets
– Pittsburgh Penguins Tickets Jay Z Tickets
– San Jose Sharks Tickets Justin Timberlake Tickets
– New Jersey Devils Tickets Kanye West Tickets
NBA Tickets Lady Gaga Tickets
– Los Angeles Lakers Tickets Miley Cyrus Tickets
– Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets One Direction Tickets
-Brooklyn Nets Tickets Pink Tickets
College Football Tickets Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tickets

Newkirk’s Notes: The Boss Speaks…

Newkirk’s Notes are comments and insight from AccessVegas.Com publisher and 20+ year Las Vegas resident Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – Well, we survived our week of winter! Although cold to us with highs only around 40 F and lows in the upper 20’s, we were still warmer than most of the U.S. (All you readers in South Florida can put a sock in it right now. Yes, we did notice that you were in the 70’s while we all froze to death). However, I’m happy to report that our 10 day forecast is showing seasonable highs near 60 and lows that don’t dip into freezing territory.

The Shopification Of Las Vegas – It is unfortunately official: Treasure Island has permanently closed down the pirate show to make way for all the retail they are going to finish destroying their facade with put on their northwest corner. Given that they’ve already scarred the building with the horrendous red tones of Senor Frogs, they might as well finish destroying one of Las Vegas’ iconic all-time themes.

The Tropicana is getting ready to take all of that unused space on the corner of Tropicana and Las Vegas Blvd. and build out a shopping and dining complex. Fortunately, the renderings look very tasteful (Treasure Island, take notes) and should prove a nice addition to that corner. However, we’ll repeat what we’ve said in past issues: I don’t see how Las Vegas can absorb this much new shopping. Dining… maybe. But for the roughly 50% of you who arrive by plane, you can only get so much stuff home! And, there is the simple matter of carting it all back to your room.

Note: Both Flamingo and Riviera have UPS stores in them. You can always ship all of your goodies home. But, you have to get them to the store and shipping probably won’t be cheap. Our advice? If you start to get carried away on cool Vegas stuff you want to get home, ask each store if they offer shipping and how much. Let them deal with it and you get to unwrap it back at home!

For those interested in renderings and more information about The Tropicana’s new plans, click on over to Tropicana chief sees new retailers at property transforming south Strip

Where To Live In Las Vegas – Down the road, we’re thinking of doing a series on the pros and cons of living in various areas. I like to live centrally located, close to The Strip and Downtown. However, that does usually mean living in an old house, which some don’t like. My “new” 1964-era mid-century required thousands in electrical upgrades so I could run all my computers, TV’s, gadgets and similar without fear that I’ll burn the place down!

I’ve never suggested a specific development before, but if living on the edge of town in an area with a KILLER view of both The Strip and Downtown sounds like it may interest you, I’d get over and check out the Daybreak development on the east side of town at the very eastern end of Sahara Ave.

I used to live in that general area in the 90’s. Besides some of the amazing views from just about everywhere up there, you have plenty of great parks and golf just a couple minutes away.

Note: The above is not a paid endorsement. Newkirk’s Notes has never once contained a paid endorsement or advertisement of any kind.

Write Off Your Vegas Trip! – Our friends over at the Vegas Video Network have been putting out great, top-quality Vegas video content for years now. We’re proud to note that they are branching out into the area of network quality, highly professional video production for businesses of all sizes and individuals who want to do some kind of video presentation.

Commercials, website welcome videos, personal promotion, you name it… they do it well. The cost? Literally about equal with gambling budget the average visitor brings. (Hint: Much cheaper than you think). Click on over to the Vegas Video Co-Op welcome page and find out lots more. You’ll be glad you did. (We’ll be working with them in 2014 on some projects that I can’t tell you about yet).

Love The Feedback – Last week, we asked for feedback about the direction (if any) you’d like to see us take with this newsletter as we move in to 2014 (our 15’th year of publication), and also about how your Vegas visits are changing. (We’re hearing a lot of less gambling, more shows and sightseeing). It’s never too late to let us know what is on your mind. Drop us a note at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com

Hope you are enjoying this issue!

Associate Editor / News Researcher: Rick Ziegler

Concerts and Headliners: Amy Rayner-Cooley

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Treasure Island Pirate Show New Year’s Eve Las Vegas 1996-1997 – Now that the pirate show is permanently retired, enjoy this look at the original version of the Treasure Island Pirate Show which ran many years until it was replaced by the modern Sirens Of TI version.

  • Pumpkin & Spice Cocktail At The Country Club Wynn Las Vegas – The Pumpkin & Spice at The Country Club is a comforting drink that says, ‘holidays-in-a-glass’ every time. Stoli Vanilla Vodka, Fulton’s Harvest Pumpkin Pie and Goldschlager liqueurs, butterscotch Schnapp’s, half and half, and pumpkin spice all combine to create a beverage that’s perfect for sipping by the fire.

  • NASCAR Drivers Parade Down The Las Vegas Strip – For the fifth consecutive year the top 13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers paraded down Las Vegas Boulevard on Thursday. Led by six-time, Sprint Cup winner Jimmie Johnson, the parade of drivers performed burn outs at the Spring Mountain intersection.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

This year will be my husband and my 4th year in a row to celebrate New Years Eve in Vegas. We have watched the fireworks from The Strip – do you have a suggestion for the best place to see the fireworks? We stay at Harrah’s.

We really enjoy your newsletters!

Diann from New Oxford, PA

 

Ted Responds:

Next week, we’ll have a link to our complete run-down of New Year’s Eve events and parties. (The link is already in this newsletter, but we’ve just gotten a ton of stuff in that we need to post).

If you’ve done the fireworks on The Strip and are looking for something else, you may want to check out one of the parties we’ll be listing in the next few days. The best for the money is probably the one at PBR rock bar as you are on The Strip, they have a good-sized outdoor area, but you can retreat back into the warmth and have the restaurant’s restroom facilities right there at your disposal. If you can’t wait until we get the listings done for next week, give them a call at 702-750-1685.

In general, here’s what you need to know about the New Year’s Eve fireworks on The Strip:

* The Strip is closed to traffic from about 6 PM to 2 AM. Wherever your car is by 6 PM, that is where it is going to be.

* If you want to make reservations at a nice restaurant (highly recommended), make them NOW and make them in the area you are planning to party and watch the fireworks.

* The hotels pretty much go into lockdown. You can’t enter a hotel unless you have a room key, and you can’t park at one unless you are a guest. This is for New Year’s Eve only. The rest of the year, they want you parking at their joint and bringing your cash inside!

* There are porta-potty stations up and down The Strip. Make a mental note of where they are in case all that liquor starts to make you need one!

* Yes, you can drink. But… only out of plastic containers. Buy a big bottle of water (32 ounce or whatever), and mix up your own big drink in your room and you are on your way!

* Stay away from the center of The Strip. By 10 PM, it gets so crowded that you can barely move. Get yourself down by Aria at the very least. As a rule of thumb, the farther south you go, the more elbow room you get.

Don’t worry about missing anything. Last year, fireworks were shot off from MGM, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, The Venetian and Stratosphere. If you are staying mid-Strip, either slowly make your way south on foot as it gets more and more crowded, or simply jump the monorail which will whisk you down to MGM (and back again later). Don’t even think about driving or attempting to catch a cab. All of the side streets get jammed.

Hope that helps! Also, we know that many of our readers participate on various Las Vegas groups and forums. Feel free to post a link to this newsletter, letting people know that we’ve posted this advice. Please do not copy/paste the actual column elsewhere. Outside of the fact that it is illegal, we work very hard on this newsletter and need people to actually come by and see it for themselves so that our advertisers know we have eyeballs. Without actual visitors to this newsletter page, we lose our advertisers we go bye-bye. Thanks!

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

Access Vegas Insider Vibe December 4, 2013

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National Finals Rodeo Las Vegas 2013

PBR Rock Bar Serves As One-Stop Spot For All Things National Finals Rodeo – Country-loving partygoers will corral at PBR Rock Bar & Grill, located inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, the official 2013 Wrangler National Finals Rodeo headquarters. The party spot will serve as an official NFR sponsor, offering nightly bull riding competitions complete with $500 in cash and prizes, drink specials and meet and greets with top riders from Thursday, Dec. 5, through Saturday, Dec. 14.

Famed NFR rodeo clown, Robbie Hodges, will lasso-up some fun when he hosts nightly events from Thursday, Dec. 5, until Monday, Dec. 9, every night at 10 p.m. Wade Sundell, Professional Bull Rider and NFR rider, will co-host with Hodges on Monday, Dec. 9. Sundell will sign autographs and judge the nightly bull-riding competition at the party spot.

Las Vegas Shows, Headliners, And Concerts

Christmas In Las Vegas

Cabo Wabo Cantina Celebrates ‘Christmas In Cabo’ With Ho-Ho-Ho Jolly Hour And Holiday Drink Specials – Rock in the holiday with HO-HO-HO Jolly Hour and drink specials all day from Monday, Dec. 23 through Thursday, Dec. 26.

The Strip-side cantina will serve up season’s greetings with four days of HO-HO-HO jolly hour specials including two Tacos al Carbon made with grilled chicken or steak, cilantro, onions and topped with salsa served on fresh corn tortillas, priced at $6; loaded cheese fries made with crispy French fries and topped with melted cheese, bacon, jalape±os and ranch dressing, priced at $6; plus complimentary chips and salsa with any jolly hour purchase. Photo J Rick Martin.

Rice & Company Inside Luxor Will Roll Into The Holiday Season With Celebratory Sushi – Rice & Company at Luxor Hotel and Casino will welcome the winter holidays with the “Peace, Love and Sushi,” “Santa’s Roll” and “Roll in the New Year” specialty sushi rolls. Guests may toast the New Year as they enjoy the “Roll in the New Year” specialty roll and champagne pairing. PHOTO CREDIT: Anthony Mair

It’s The Holidays…EAT!

New Year’s Eve (And New Year’s Day)

PBR Rock Bar Inside Planet Hollywood Bucks 2013 With New Year’s Eve Specials – The party spot will offer general admission packages including open bar access from 9 p.m. until midnight, complimentary champagne toast at midnight and access to Rock Bar, located inside PBR Rock Bar, and the Planet Hollywood Strip-side plaza, priced at $100 per person. Patrons will also have the option to enjoy premium open bar specials from 9 p.m. until midnight including complimentary champagne toast, access Rock Bar and the rockin’ Strip-side patio, priced at $200 per person.

Tender Steak & Seafood Inside Luxor Offers Celebratory Specials To Ring In The New Year – Tender Steak & Seafood at Luxor Hotel and Casino will celebrate the arrival of 2014 with holiday selections available Tuesday, Dec. 31 and Wednesday, Jan. 1. In celebration of the New Year, Executive Chef K.C. Fazel will add two selections to the menu, the Tender Rossini and Lobster and Japanese Wagyu Kobe Filet Mignon.

Gambling And Gaming

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Grand Canyon West Rim - Hualapai Nation Ground TourGrand Canyon West Rim – Hualapai Nation Ground Tour – Start on your Grand Canyon West Rim tour with a memorable journey departing from Las Vegas through the Mojave Desert, over the rugged canyons of the Black Mountains, past Joshua tree forests, the Grand Wash Cliffs to the magnificent West Rim of the Grand Canyon.

You will have time to enjoy the short hiking trails overlooking Eagle Point, Guano Point, as well as a visit to Hualapai Ranch. On your return travels back to the Las Vegas valley you will stop for photo opportunities at the man-made marvel of the Hoover Dam and the Mike O’Callaghan/Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, (The Bypass Bridge).

Tour Highlights & Features: Morning snack & lunch; National Park entry fees; Bottled water throughout the tour; Guided and narrated tour from a professional guide/driver; Approximately 4 hours on the Hualapai Indian Nation .

Click To Book Your Grand Canyon West Rim – Hualapai Nation Ground Tour Now!

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Latest Las Vegas Concerts Added This Week!

There is no better place to see your favorite acts then in Las Vegas! You’re relaxed, can enjoy a fine meal, have some cocktails without the worry of driving, and no alarm is going to jar you awake all too early the next morning.

Top Tickets For All United States Events

Did you know that we not only sell premium concert and event tickets for Las Vegas, but also for the entire United States as well? If you can’t make it to Vegas, treat yourself to some great seats for something near you:

Most Popular Sports Tickets Most Popular Concert Tickets
NFL Tickets Beyonce Tickets
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– Seattle Seahawks Tickets Cher Tickets
– San Francisco 49ers Tickets Eagles Tickets
– Houston Texans Tickets Elton John Tickets
NHL Tickets George Strait
– Chicago Blackhawks Tickets Jason Aldean Tickets
– Pittsburgh Penguins Tickets Jay Z Tickets
– San Jose Sharks Tickets Justin Timberlake Tickets
– New Jersey Devils Tickets Kanye West Tickets
NBA Tickets Lady Gaga Tickets
– Los Angeles Lakers Tickets Miley Cyrus Tickets
– Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets One Direction Tickets
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College Football Tickets Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tickets

Newkirk’s Notes: The Boss Speaks…

Newkirk’s Notes are comments and insight from AccessVegas.Com publisher and 20+ year Las Vegas resident Ted Newkirk:

Hello From Las Vegas! – Make that a bitterly cold (for us) Las Vegas. Tuesday was in the high 60’s F, and we’re now dealing with mid-40’s and lows dipping below the freezing mark for the next 5-10 days (depending on what forecast you look at). While we’re no stranger to a few freezing nights per year, this is a bit excessive. December and January are our coldest months with an average of 57/39 F. So, pull 10-15 degrees off of that, and you have our current situation.

National Finals Rodeo – The pinnacle of the rodeo season is in town (as usual) during this time of year, so I hope the cowboys (and cowgirls) are of hearty stock when it comes to dealing with cold. If you are a little more country than rock ‘n’ roll and have never been during NFR season, you should come next year.

Even if you don’t have tickets, Las Vegas goes completely country. Swarms of visitors in Wranglers, cowboy hats, and boots. Plenty of Jack Daniel’s and Coors Light specials. Both free and paid (ticketed) concerts by some of the bigger names in country music and comedy. Some of the casinos let their dealers and servers deck themselves out on country garb. In fact, if one only visits during the first two weeks of December, they are probably shocked if the come during another time of the year when Las Vegas is more “normal” (if you can all Las Vegas normal during any time of the year)!

Changes For 2014 – We have a number of changes and upgrades in store for you in the next few months! We are finally going to a two-tier membership system. One will continue to be free, the other will be $1.99 a month (paid yearly), which we’ll use to super-serve our paid subscribers. 

We already feel that all the info we put out is well worth a couple bucks a month, and many readers have concurred. But, we’d like to do more. More deal hunting to save you money, more research on some of the common questions many of you have (but can’t find answers to because no one else publishes the information either because of the research involved).

We’re expanding into Atlantic City, Reno, Biloxi and perhaps a few more gaming areas. If you’d like to write us and tell us where you gamble and enjoy yourself when you can’t do a Vegas tip, we’re all ears at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com

Speaking of, as we go to make decisions on what we’re going to emphasize in 2014, we’re open to your suggestions. The past couple of years, we’ve been pretty dining heavy. With slots getting tighter, dining and shows are a couple of ways you KNOW that you are getting some entertainment for your dollars. We’re also going to start putting more of an emphasis on tours, and educating you about them.

Many of you are regular visitors, and yet have no clue that you can spend a morning seeing scenery like you’ve never seen in your life and making a lifetime memory that is destined to be the highlight of your trip. For some of you, it is simply the (incorrect) notion that if you fly to the Grand Canyon (a very short air trip from Las Vegas), you have to go back to the airport and go through all that screening and similar.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Our preferred tour company has its own upscale, comfortable, private terminals and you never go near where you flew in. Nor deal with lines and the TSA. Even if your next trip isn’t soon, head over to our Access Vegas Tours area and do some window shopping!

So as we look over everything we’re doing, your suggestions and input are always welcome and appreciated. Drop us a note at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com with what you like, don’t like, or would like to see added or changed with what we are doing here.

Hope you are enjoying this issue!

Associate Editor / News Researcher: Rick Ziegler

Concerts and Headliners: Amy Rayner-Cooley

What We’re Watching – Vegas Videos You’ll Enjoy

  • Video – Talktails – Harrah’s Headliner Comedy Magician Mac King – Longtime Vegas headliner and funny man Mac King joins Kelly on this week’s episode of Talktails on the Vegas Video Network. Together they start with his funny family history, including the moment his Grandfather got him hooked on magic. Then, Mac reveals the story behind his quirky checkered suits, and the first time he swallowed a goldfish on stage. Closing out the show and at the request of the live chat, Mac conjures up a magic trick that hits below the belt.

  • Video – Football Handicapping – Does Football Handicapping appeal to you? Then learn all about exotic bets, half-time wagers, money-line bets and much more from expert sports better Hollis “Harvard” Barnhart!

  • Video – Magician David Copperfield From The MGM Grand Las Vegas Talks – David Copperfield his hailed as the most famous illusionist of all time. He has sold more tickets than any other performer in the world and we are proud to say he calls MGM Grand Las Vegas home.

Members Mania – We Love Our Readers!

I’m a long time reader of the newsletter and a former listener to your podcast so I’ve been following you for a while. 🙂 I have visited Las Vegas a dozen times or so which is no small feat since I live in on the East Coast. I wanted to express my thoughts on today’s Vegas, specifically, I wanted to comment on your “Tale Of Two Cities” article from the 10/09/13 newsletter.

I’ll start by saying I agree with everything you said in that article. Room rates have never been as attractive as they are right now no matter how much you have available to spend. The shows are varied and, if you care to look, you can enjoy free music and other acts all over town… and people watching is still free.

With regard to food, I love eating as many different kinds as I can, especially at one sitting. So the many buffets in town are a treat I don’t have much at home. I can get a great steak or lasagna at home so places like The Wicked Spoon and The M Resort Buffet are great fun for me.

The only feature of today’s Las Vegas that I struggle with is the current state of gambling there. In your article, you said, “… the reality is that slowly but surely, gaming revenue has become less and less of the overall revenue.”

Did tighter slots and less desirable table rules cause folks to play less or are gamblers staying home to gamble because it’s cheaper to do so? Maybe both? The casinos are trying to compensate for the lost revenue. The attitude of management seems to be, “If they want to gamble, they’ll do that at home… so we have to sell them shopping, restaurants, clubs and shows.”

But, as far as I’m concerned, many of those attractions are available all over and at home, too. All I’m saying is… the single biggest reason I went to Vegas was for the gambling and the comps; the shows and pools and shopping, etc. were secondary. Vegas seems to be 180 degrees turned around from what I used to know and love… and I’m not that old!

It’s not a big complaint, though. It’s not really even a complaint at all. It just feels weird to me. But that feeling is keeping me home for now.

All the best,

Mike from Syracuse, NY, USA

 

Ted Responds:

With gambling, we do have a question of whether the chicken or the egg came first. I’m of the thought that as properties had to manage their huge debt loads, they tightened up the slots. Which made people psychologically less inclined to gamble as much. (Fewer rewards triggering that happiness area of your brain).

Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman went on record a couple of years ago at a gaming conference, saying (and I’m paraphrasing) that he hoped his competitors also kept their slots tighter as well for now. IE, he was hoping there wasn’t any kind of “We have the loosest slots” wars like you saw in the previous decades. (Long time visitors will remember that casinos used to have big signs touting that some of their slots paid back 99%, and/or that they had the loosest slots in town).

Then along came 6 to 5 blackjack (when a blackjack should pay back 7.5 to 5) and the new penny slots, which are cute but have a higher hold. Then along came the entertaining slots with all the videos and chairs that rumble in an attempt to make you forget how quickly they are eating your money.

At the end of the day, people started to realize that if you put $100 in a slot machine, you’ll most likely kiss it goodbye pretty quickly. Alluding to what I wrote in Newkirk’s Notes, if you put that same money toward a great show, meal, or tour, you’ll have a definitive reward/return and a fantastic memory.

Next week, we’re going to talk about the Tropicana’s planned venture into a new, massive shopping area and the fallout of Treasure Island’s decision to do the same (which we’ve covered in the past). I personally agree that the saturation will be way too much and don’t see how it all can be successful. That is unless and until we get out of the 3.3 million visitors-a-month rut we are in and grow the market.

But, I don’t believe we can grow the market without bringing back gamblers. As you noted, a major trend across the U.S. is awesome shopping districts. If you live in a bigger city, you probably have plenty of amazing shopping options. And even if you don’t, you’re probably a couple hours away from some. We need to treat gambling as more than just an amenity, and return gambling in Las Vegas to that special experience that can’t be replicated.

In the long run, I think this shopping craze will go down in history as a semi-failure along with the “kid friendly” push of the 1990’s. Then, hopefully we’ll get back to the core of what makes Las Vegas special. The ability to spend your morning at the Grand Canyon, your afternoon playing games that don’t empty your wallet in no time flat, your evening at a special restaurant you’re not going to find in your local gaming venue, and your evening taking in your choice of world-class entertainment.

Las Vegas is the Entertainment Capital Of The World. While great shopping is a nice amenity, I hope it isn’t what we become known for.

We love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Here’s how to participate:

  • Want to comment on a current reader post? Use the comment box on that particular web page. Many of the stories we post also have comment boxes at the end of the story. Make your voice heard!
  • Drop us an email at AccessVegas@AccessVegas.com – We read them all!
  • Call our recorded comment line at 702-507-0055. We listen to every call.

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