Gaming

Cosmopolitan on Strip to open mid-December

The new Clark County Fire Station 32 located at CityCenter sits in the shadow of Cosmopolitan on Dec. 10, 2009.

The CEO of the new $3.9 billion Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas casino says it will open in mid-December with about one-third of its rooms delayed until July 2011. It is likely to be the last major new casino-resort likely to open on the struggling Las Vegas Strip for at least a few years.

Bally to sell casino, says profit will fall below expectations

Las Vegas-based slot machine maker Bally Technologies Inc. today announced the sale of a casino and said its annual profit will be less than anticipated — in part because casinos aren’t buying as many gambling systems as expected.

Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn paid $8.39M in 2009

Steve Wynn's compensation as chief executive of Wynn Resorts changed little in 2009 as the casino operator struggled in Las Vegas, according to a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Luxor in legal battle over name of Liquidity bar

A legal fight is under way over whether the Luxor hotel-casino can use the name "Liquidity" for one of its bars. Records show Thomas D. Weldon of Fernandina Beach, Fla., in April 2008 obtained a federal trademark for the word "Liquidity" for use in the sale of red wine.

Empty lots hurt nearby casinos on the Strip's north end

Boyd Gaming's unfinished Echelon sits vacant on the Strip.

The mothballed and postponed construction projects on the Strip are making the recession even rougher on one end of Las Vegas Boulevard. Standing between that northern section and the rest of the Strip is mostly vacant land bought by developers who tore down older hotels during the economic boom and aimed to build high-end resorts.

CityCenter hotels' features at your fingertips

John Bollen, Aria's vice president of information technology, displays departures from McCarran International Airport on the TV in a room at Aria on Friday, March 12, 2010.

Not so long ago, the quintessential Strip hotel room was an exercise in minimalism. After all, it was more important to be on the casino floor than in the room. So the electronic options included a television with limited channels, a clock radio, maybe a “Magic Fingers” vibrating bed. In recent years, rooms have gotten more channels, pay-per-view and Internet access.

Phil Ruffin: Captain of the ship on the Strip

Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin walks outside during a tour of the property Wednesday. Ruffin has invested $15 million in making the hotel appeal to a blue-collar audience, including adding a Gilley's saloon and a pizza joint across from the Mystere Theatre.

Just steps away from the pirate ship where sexy sirens make a splash nightly, Phil Ruffin is harboring a country-western haven. Gilley’s saloon, a brand popularized in the 1980 movie “Urban Cowboy,” was the featured attraction at Ruffin’s previous resort, the New Frontier, until that building was imploded in November 2007.

Tropicana earnings show recession taking toll on Laughlin

The recession continued to punish Laughlin's casino industry in 2009, figures released Wednesday show. Tropicana's two properties in Laughlin are the 1,495-room Tropicana Express and the 1,000-room River Palms. Together they employ 1,225 people.

Herbst Gaming reports smaller loss

Herbst Gaming said it narrowed its losses in 2009, according to a filing today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Nevada-based casino and slot route operator reported a loss of $60 million in 2009, compared to a loss of $209 million in 2008.

Hooters hotel-casino narrows loss, says bankruptcy possible

The small Hooters hotel-casino in Las Vegas narrowed its loss in the fourth quarter, its owner reported today.

Convention attendance hurts Las Vegas Hilton's earnings

The owner of the 2,950-room Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino on Paradise Road today disclosed it lost money during the fourth quarter as conventions attracted fewer business people to Las Vegas.

Station Casinos reports revenue drop in fourth quarter

Station Casinos Inc. of Las Vegas today disclosed that its revenue fell on a year-over-year basis in the fourth quarter as the recession reduced spending at its hotels and casinos.

Station Casinos bondholders: Stop loans to Green Valley Ranch manager

Bondholders in Station Casinos Inc.'s bankruptcy case are demanding that Station stop making loans to the Station subsidiary that operates the 496-room Green Valley Ranch Resort in Henderson.

Slot operator sees signs of recovery in Las Vegas

Nicole Sheldon plays a Gamblers Bonus game Friday at Chicago Brewing Co. Gamblers seem to be favoring video poker bars over locals casinos in the recession.

During the real estate boom, video poker bars mushroomed across the Las Vegas Valley like weeds after a desert monsoon. But with the recession, many bars have fallen on hard times. Several built within the past few years have closed.

Riviera stays mum on report of Starwood takeover

Riviera Holdings Corp. of Las Vegas reiterated Friday that it’s in talks with creditors about restructuring its debt – but continued to avoid comment on whether Starwood Capital Group LLC is preparing to take over Riviera through a prepackaged bankruptcy.