Gaming

CityCenter's Aria to protect blackjack dealers from smoke

A view of MGM Mirage's Aria as seen from the Panorama Towers in February.

Go ahead, blow smoke in your blackjack dealer’s face. If you’re playing at the soon-to-open Aria at CityCenter, they will hardly notice. That’s because Aria’s blackjack tables will be equipped with an air curtain that shoots straight up from the table, dividing dealer and players. That’s the next-to-best thing Aria could do to protect dealers’ health, aside from not allowing smoking in the casino, said Cindy Ortega, senior vice president of energy and environmental services for MGM Mirage, an owner of CityCenter.

21 August 2009
By Nicole Lucht

Why casinos in Nevada won't go online (for now)

Why casinos in Nevada won't go online (for now)

While Nevada officials pass on an opportunity to pursue Internet gambling for state residents, gambling interests in California, the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest regional economies, are pushing legislation to allow online wagering in that state. California’s efforts, made possible by a loophole in federal law, come as the federal government begins a comprehensive crackdown on offshore Web casinos by taking down the middlemen who pay gamblers from American bank accounts.

20 August 2009
By Liz Benston

Greek Isles owners suggest property might be sold

The new owners of the Greek Isles Hotel and Casino on Wednesday said they plan to keep the Las Vegas property open while they assess its future. Canpartners Realty Holding Co. IV LLC assumed ownership of the property last week.

19 August 2009
By Steve Green

Monte Carlo shows off new boutique-style HOTEL32

A look at the penthouse suite at the new HOTEL32 located on the Monte Carlo's top floor.

After more than 18 months, the Monte Carlo can finally close the book on its January 2008 fire with the opening of the once water-damaged 32nd floor. The hotel-casino showed off its new, boutique-style hotel concept called HOTEL32 during a tour for media and VIPs on Monday. The 32nd floor opened to guests for the first time last week since the fire.

19 August 2009
By Amanda Finnegan

How clubs were punished: Warn, warn again

County officials said Tuesday that their effort to clean up the nightclub industry is kicking off with a warning letter and workshops to try to help nightclubs comply with the rules. In other words, more of the same answer to an ongoing problem. In other words, at least initially, the county’s answer to what it said is a major problem is more of the same — yet another warning and more workshops. But for years the county business licensing department has had another tool available to try to force compliance but has not used it — its authority to issue ...

19 August 2009
By Amanda Finnegan

After foreclosure, Greek Isles casino has new owner

The 202-room Greek Isles is shown April 23, 2009, on Convention Center Drive near Las Vegas Boulevard. Ownership of the property that opened as the Royal Inn in 1970 has changed hands often over the years. It has operated as the Clarion since 2009.

The Greek Isles hotel-casino in Las Vegas has a new owner now that it has been foreclosed on. Clark County records show Canpartners Realty Holding Co. IV LLC became the owner of the property last week, buying it with a credit bid of $47 million during foreclosure proceedings -- far less than the $67.3 million owed to Canpartners by the former owner, bankrupt GIH-SPE II LLC.

18 August 2009
By Steve Green

M Resort chief reflects on first six months

Anthony Marnell III discusses his M Resort property on "Face to Face with Jon Ralston" after nearly six months in business in the south Las Vegas Valley.

The Las Vegas Valley’s newest casino owner, Anthony Marnell III, said business has been better than expected since opening M Resort nearly six months ago. But he’s noticed a summer slowdown. “We started off the first 90 days with a roar and then June 1 hit. The market just shut off,” Marnell told Sun columnist Jon Ralston on Monday on his “Face to Face With Jon Ralston” program.

18 August 2009
By Amanda Finnegan

Wynns sell 2 million shares of stock ahead of divorce

The Encore is shown to the left of the Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. of Las Vegas today said Chairman and Chief Executive Steve Wynn and his wife Elaine Wynn sold 2 million shares of Wynn Resorts stock Friday in anticipation of the completion of their divorce proceedings.

18 August 2009
By Las Vegas Sun Staff

Gaming win at Clark County casinos

Clark County Gaming Snapshot

18 August 2009
By Chris Morris,
Alex Richards

Gold Spike reborn as larger Lady Luck sits idle

The Gold Spike casino and hotel, seen from Fourth and Ogden streets, in downtown Las Vegas.

In some of Las Vegas’ grittiest dive bars, stale cigarette smoke hangs in the air, fixtures are coated with ’70s-era grime and the clientele often includes sex and drug peddlers. The Gold Spike used to be something close — a dive casino. “Before we bought the place, people were scared to come down here,” said Michael Crandall, business affairs director for the Siegel Group, which purchased the property early last year. The ambitious Siegel Group is finishing top-to-bottom renovations at the Gold Spike and the adjacent Travel Inn.

18 August 2009
By Sam Skolnik

Fontainebleau, banks take steps to resume construction

Progress is being made in court-ordered mediation aimed at settling disputes and lining up new financing so construction can resume on the big Fontainebleau casino-resort in Las Vegas. That's according to a report issued Friday to a federal judge in Miami who is overseeing a lawsuit filed by Fontainebleau against big bank lenders that this spring halted $656 million in planned funding for the $2.9 billion resort.

17 August 2009
By Steve Green

Fate of Fontainebleau will likely be determined by new owner

Though close to finished, the Fontainebleau may cost another $1.5 billion to complete, on top of $1 billion already owed to lenders.

The troubled Fontainebleau resort — which may not be worth more than the debt accumulated to build the project — is likely to change hands in bankruptcy.

17 August 2009
By Liz Benston

Points for playing are targets of thieves — often casino employees

At the heart of a casino’s marketing machine lies its players club, which uses swipe cards to track gamblers’ play as they rack up points to redeem for meals, hotel stays, merchandise and even cash. Casino insiders are raiding gamblers’ loyalty points.

17 August 2009
By Liz Benston

Some casino promos not as advertised

Some casino promos not as advertised

Amid crumbling profits, Las Vegas casinos are marketing aggressively with freebies, gambling discounts, contests and special events. Among them are inaccurately advertised payouts, gambling promotions available only to more profitable customers and comped hotel stays with hidden costs.

17 August 2009
By Liz Benston

Hooters loses $5.05 million in 2nd quarter

The company that owns Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas today said it swung to a loss in the second quarter and again warned it may seek bankruptcy protection if it can't restructure operations, refinance its debt or gain forbearance deals from lenders.

14 August 2009
By Steve Green
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