Bryan Horwath

Story Archive

Circa provides 'greatest view of Las Vegas' at rooftop Legacy Club
Luxury club, hotel suites to debut Monday at new downtown property
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020
Standing on the roof top Legacy Club at his new Circa Las Vegas, Stevens proclaimed what appeared to be obvious ...
Mirage to cease all midweek operations starting next month
Monday, Dec. 21, 2020
All operations at the Mirage will be closed midweek starting next month, according to a statement from MGM Resorts International. Beginning Jan. 4, the Mirage — including ...
Tent in parking lot offers steakhouse added capacity for pandemic dining
Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020
The tent, which can accommodate about 50 diners with social distancing in place, was Fogo de Chao’s way to help alleviate the lower capacity limits and still adhere to coronavirus precautions. It’s only being used on specials days, like Thanksgiving or Christmas, and …
Station Casinos to open two on-site medical clinics for its employees, families
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020
Situated near the pool at Red Rock and operated by Activate Healthcare, the new medical clinic will open today. Visits will be free for employees and family of all Station properties. It’s one of two 2,500-square-foot medical clinics at Station properties set to open this week …
Lucky Saturday: Downtown Las Vegas slot machine hits for over $500,000
Monday, Dec. 14, 2020
A slot player at the El Cortez hit a jackpot for more than $500,000 over the weekend. A man playing a Wheel of Fortune machine won nearly ...
Coronavirus sharpens Las Vegas group’s mission to get air-purifying device into market
Monday, Dec. 14, 2020
Well before COVID-19 became a household term, Xavier Morgan-Lange, Devon Scheg and Daniel Werth got started to formulate plans for an air purification device. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, which sent the idea for an air purification product that could be added to a commercial HVAC system into overdrive.
River town Laughlin stays afloat during pandemic as visitors seek respite
Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020
In October, just under 111,000 people visited Laughlin, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. That was down 25% from October 2019.
Las Vegas takes step closer to major underground transit system
Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020
The city’s tourism authority on Thursday paved the way for the development of an ambitious underground tunnel transport system that could connect key tourism points like McCarran International Airport and downtown Las Vegas.
Boyd Gaming sells Eldorado Casino in downtown Henderson
Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020
The downtown Henderson casino is one of three Boyd properties that have not opened since the state-mandated shutdown ...
Southwest plans to furlough 384 employees in Las Vegas
Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020
Unless its economic outlook changes, Southwest Airlines is planning to furlough 384 Las Vegas-based employees early next year.
Las Vegas marijuana dispensaries adjust during pandemic, coming back strong
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2020
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the two Curaleaf-owned dispensaries in Las Vegas didn’t focus much on delivery. Delivery options for customers were sporadic at best. Since COVID-19, however, that’s all changed. Today, Curaleaf is making about 1,000 deliveries ...
Palazzo temporarily closes hotel rooms, citing lack of demand
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020
Another Strip property is cutting room availability due to a lack of consumer demand ...
Las Vegas home prices continue steady climb despite pandemic
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has done nothing to quell the upward trajectory of home prices in Southern Nevada. The median price for an existing home in the area was $345,000 in November, according to a report released by the Las Vegas Realtors trade organization today. The monthly figure ...
Las Vegas body armor company among businesses expanding during pandemic
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020
A Las Vegas body armor company launched in the owner’s kitchen is among 11 Nevada companies expanding during the pandemic and getting nearly ...
Lawsuit: Online travel sites shortchanged Nevada on room taxes by $100M
Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020
Nevada may have been cheated out of more than $100 million in hotel room tax revenue in recent years by a host of online travel companies, according to a lawsuit. Filed in Clark County District Court in April, an 11-page civil complaint names nearly 30 online travel entities that ...
Water damage, not coronavirus, caused this Las Vegas restaurant to collapse
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020
Javier Barajas probably wouldn’t mind if the calendar had flipped straight from October to December this year. November was a bad month for ...
Players score big back-to-back wins at Red Rock Resort
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020
Red Rock Resort has been a lucky place this week. Monday afternoon, a day after a gambler landed a nearly $280,000 hand playing video poker, an ...
Las Vegas to bounce back like the Roaring '20s, casino exec predicts
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020
Once the pandemic subsides, Las Vegas could recover like the “Roaring '20s” with economic prosperity, according to one casino executive. “People are going to want to get out and have a good time,” Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox said in an ...
Golf courses in Las Vegas see spike in business during pandemic
Monday, Nov. 30, 2020
In many ways, golf is a perfect activity for COVID-19 times — it’s played outdoors, usually in small, socially distanced groups.

Regulars helping prop up locals casinos during pandemic
Monday, Nov. 30, 2020
As he walked the casino floor, Tim Brooks, co-owner of the Emerald Island in downtown Henderson, noticed a couple familiar faces. “Yeah! You guys are back,” Brooks said as he greeted longtime patrons Bob and Sandy Pelz, former residents back in town for a visit. “Welcome home.” On this ...
Despite pandemic warnings, millions will travel for Thanksgiving
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020
Callie Adamson of Henderson normally travels for Thanksgiving. Not this year. Because of the pandemic, she’ll be spending a quiet holiday at home, said Adamson, who has watched the virus surge in Nevada and had a ...
Mask up: Black Friday will have different feel during pandemic
Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2020
Velisa Johnson has joined the ranks of Black Friday shoppers before: Hitting the stores as soon as the doors slide open, jockeying for position, engaging in consumer combat for the hottest deals.
Las Vegas visitation up 10% in October
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020
The number of people who visited Las Vegas in October jumped nearly 10% from the previous month, according to a report released today. Just under 1.9 million visitors flocked to the city in ...
For Vegas restaurants already booked for Thanksgiving, restrictions deliver hard blow
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020
On Sunday, the Marche Bacchus French bistro in Desert Shores had about 150 reservations for Thanksgiving Day. Monday morning, less than 24 hours after Gov. Steve Sisolak announced enhanced COVID-19 safety restrictions on restaurants, owner ...
Mandalay Bay, Mirage ceasing midweek hotel operations amid pandemic
Friday, Nov. 20, 2020
Mandalay Bay and the Mirage will close their hotels midweek beginning later this month. They join a growing number of Strip resorts closed during the week because of soft customer demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Las Vegas restaurants, struggling to survive, fear protracted hardship
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020
If the rise in virus numbers doesn't slow, the state might reimpose prohibitions on in-restaurant dining. A second stimulus package has stalled in Washington. That means a restaurant industry still reeling from initial closures could be in for another blow.

Virus testing site at Texas Station beset by technical troubles
Monday, Nov. 16, 2020
Technical issues hampered proceedings at a COVID-19 test site at a Texas Station parking garage on Monday ...
Jim Murren optimistic about Las Vegas’ recovery from virus
Monday, Nov. 16, 2020
Jim Murren is convinced Las Vegas will come back bigger and better in the aftermath of the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
DraftKings' partnership with UNLV a ‘win-win proposition’
Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020
DraftKings wants to start plucking UNLV graduate talent in the area of casino game research and development. A $100,000 multiyear sponsorship agreement ...
Smith’s limiting purchases of toilet paper, disinfecting wipes
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020
Smith’s grocery stores in the Las Vegas Valley have moved to limit purchases of certain items as coronavirus cases surge, according to ...
Las Vegas Sands Corp. should draw plenty of interest for Strip properties, analyst says
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020
The list of potential suitors that may be interested in buying the Venetian, Palazzo and Sands Expo and Convention Center is filled with big industry players, according to one analyst. Chad Beynon, gaming and lodging analyst with Macquarie Group Limited, said ...
Governor names chairman of Nevada Gaming Control Board
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020
A Las Vegas lawyer who previously provided legal advice to Nevada gaming regulators as an assistant attorney general has been named chairman of ...
Why NV Energy credited customers an average of $107
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020
NV Energy is crediting customers in Southern Nevada $120 million — an average of $107 per home — because of a reduction in the utility’s revenue requirement. The credit was ...
Industry insiders say spread of sports betting benefits Las Vegas
Voters approved sports betting in three states — South Dakota, Louisiana and Maryland — last week
Monday, Nov. 9, 2020
More than half the country could have legal sports betting by the end of 2021, less than three years after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for all 50 states to adopt it. And that’s great news for …
Even during pandemic, robust housing market presents opportunities
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2020
In nearly 30 years in the business, Sean Hulsey has rarely seen a mortgage industry as opportunistic for would-be homeowners and those looking to refinance.

Touting Las Vegas comeback, Caesars CEO says Rio to open before 2021
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020
Caesars Entertainment plans to reopen the Rio before the end of the year, according to its CEO.
Ballot question on oversight of Regents too close to call
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020
A ballot question to determine whether the state’s Board of Regents should be protected by its constitution was too close to call early today. If the ballot question is approved, the ...
Citing pandemic, Park MGM to reduce midweek hotel hours
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020
The hotel will close at noon on Mondays before reopening for weekend business at noon on Thursdays. Hours for Park MGM’s casino, pool and restaurants will not be affected.
Las Vegas-California high-speed rail project hits snag
Monday, Nov. 2, 2020
Construction of a high-speed passenger train from Las Vegas to San Bernardino County in Southern California has been delayed. The project, called Brightline West ...
Sign builder takes pride in helping brand Las Vegas for decades
Monday, Nov. 2, 2020
Yesco has been behind some of the area’s most recognized displays, including Vegas Vic, the old Mint Hotel sign and the Circus Circus clown.
Citing pandemic, Naked City Pizza owners close original location
Friday, Oct. 30, 2020
The original Naked City Pizza location has closed, according to a social media post by the owners. In a statement posted Thursday on Facebook, Naked City co-owner ...
Nevada gaming regulator leaving for board of Fortune 500 company
Friday, Oct. 30, 2020
The outgoing chairwoman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board is taking position on the Fidelity National Financial board of directors. Sandra Douglass Morgan said today she ...
MGM Resorts considering midweek closures of some Strip casinos
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020
MGM Resorts International is considering closing some of its Las Vegas Strip properties during the middle of the week, company officials said today. “We’re ...
Siblings keep it all in the family as Station Casinos employees
Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020
Joe Yalda has worked for Station Casinos since he was a 16-year-old sophomore at Durango High School. He was drawn to the company because it treated its employees like family, he said. What he didn’t realize then was that his family ...
Las Vegas visitation rising despite pandemic
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020
Las Vegas visitation is trending up but remains significantly behind last year’s pace, according to report released today by the region’s top tourism agency. In September ...
Although Vegas atop stress ranking, some see reasons for optimism
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020
Las Vegas is home to the most financially stressed population in America because of the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic, according to a report released this week. WalletHub, a personal finance website, ranked Las Vegas ahead of Chicago, Houston, San Antonio and ...
California man wins $700K jackpot at Flamingo Las Vegas
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020
A California man landed a lucky hand playing Mississippi Stud to win over $700,000 on Monday evening at the Flamingo ...
Las Vegas Sands exploring sale of Venetian, Palazzo
Monday, Oct. 26, 2020
Las Vegas Sands is in talks to sell some or all of its Strip assets — the Venetian, Palazzo, and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. A Sands spokesman today confirmed a report by Bloomberg that the company is “exploring the sale of its flagship casinos in Las Vegas.”
New Circa casino called a ‘game changer’ for downtown Las Vegas
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020
The new kid on the block, Circa is also a beacon on the horizon of a gloomy economy decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Cromwell to reopen next week, Caesars officials say
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020
The Cromwell, one of a handful of Las Vegas casinos still closed after the coronavirus shutdown was lifted, will open next week, according to a news release from ...