Bryan Horwath

Story Archive

MGM official: No plans to close Vegas casinos over coronavirus concerns
Saturday, March 14, 2020
MGM Resorts International this morning temporarily closed its Empire City Casino in New York over concerns of the global coronavirus pandemic ...
'Demand has decreased significantly': Coronavirus forces layoffs at Strip resort company
Friday, March 13, 2020
Las Vegas Strip companies have spent the week responding to a decline in business as visitors stay away and cancel outings because of coronavirus concerns.
Wynn Las Vegas to close sports book, poker room
Friday, March 13, 2020
Wynn Resorts will close its sports books at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore on Sunday, according to a company spokesman.
Wynn Resorts to use thermal cameras to check guests for fever
Friday, March 13, 2020
With the coronavirus spreading in Southern Nevada, Wynn Resorts says it plans to use special thermal cameras to screen guests for fever at the entrances of its ...
Las Vegas Aviators season also delayed because of coronavirus concerns
Friday, March 13, 2020
Last year, the Aviators established a franchise record with about 9,200 fans per game, one of the best clips in all of minor-league ball.
Las Vegas economy braces for life minus March Madness
Friday, March 13, 2020
The first weekend of the NCAA Tournament is a rite of passage in Las Vegas for many visitors, as thousands arrive from across the nation sporting the colors of their alma maters. There’s nothing better than March Madness viewing parties in Las Vegas.
Slowdown on Strip anticipated amid coronavirus fears
Thursday, March 12, 2020
On the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday evening, things appeared mostly business as usual — or as usual as things can be in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. A couple from Iowa sipped drinks outside ...
MGM CEO says hotel, convention cancellations up on Strip
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Hotel and convention cancellations are up at Las Vegas resort properties due to the coronavirus, according to MGM’s top executive. In a news release today, MGM Resorts International Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said the company is “actively managing ...
R-J wants documents in lawsuit with Sun withheld from public
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Sun attorney Leif Reid said that although the R-J liked to present itself as a champion of open records, its commitment to transparency didn’t apply to matters involving the R-J itself
Tourism agency braces for drop in revenue over coronavirus
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
The top executive at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said the organization will be able to weather a coronavirus-driven drop in revenue. “It’s a challenging time, there’s no ...
Las Vegas mayor says media’s coronavirus coverage is ‘destroying us’
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told tourism officials the media’s coverage of the coronavirus is “absolutely destroying us” and this is no time “for us to be wimps.” Speaking at the monthly Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board meeting, Goodman said fear about the outbreak has ...
Las Vegas travel agents press on amid 'mass hysteria' over coronavirus
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
A woman recently walked into the Prestige Travel & Cruises office at Horizon Ridge and Eastern Avenue and booked a vacation. Some are avoiding traveling because of coronavirus fears. Others not so much.
Technology, regulations are top of mind for UNLV gaming center’s new director
Monday, March 9, 2020
Staying on top of the ever-evolving gaming world can be tricky, even for industry experts. And with technological advances—think facial recognition applications or learning-based robot card dealers—comes an entire set of challenges in adapting.
Henderson listening to residents' feedback on hockey arena
Sunday, March 8, 2020
The plan, which calls for a $25 million, 6,000-seat arena at the Henderson Pavilion site just southeast of the 215 Beltway and Green Valley Parkway, must first be approved by …
Strip slot player hits $1.3 million jackpot
Friday, March 6, 2020
A lucky slot player at a Strip casino won nearly $1.3 million Wednesday on a Wheel of Fortune machine. The player was playing a Wild Red Sevens Wheel of Fortune game at ...
MGM Resorts rolls out new digital sports betting kiosks
Friday, March 6, 2020
In the next few years, Scott Butera expects digital wagering to represent nearly 90% of the sports betting market. Butera, president of interactive gaming for MGM Resorts, made ...
Median price for Las Vegas homes sets all-time record
Friday, March 6, 2020
There’s a new record for the median price of an existing home in the Las Vegas Valley. The new median price is $316,000, according to a report released today by Las Vegas Realtors, the organization that recently changed its name from Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors. The figure represents an increase of 7% from ...
Former RTC chief Quigley leaves Virgin Trains after brief stint
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
The former CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission, Quigley was hired by Virgin in November to help lead the effort to build a high-speed passenger rail line ...
Organizers of Las Vegas retail market show not buckling to coronavirus pressure
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
A trade show expected to bring 40,000 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center this month will go on as scheduled despite concerns about the coronavirus.
Slot player hits $440,000 jackpot at Golden Nugget
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
A slot player from Hawaii won more than $400,000 Saturday night at a downtown Las Vegas casino. A woman playing a $100 slot machine hit a progressive jackpot for ...
WinCo Foods slated to open third Las Vegas store next week
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
A third WinCo Foods in the Las Vegas Valley is set to open next week. The employee-owned chain will open its third valley location near Summerlin ...
Nevada cultivates fertile ground for those considering franchising
Monday, March 2, 2020
Nevada is one of the best spots in the country to do it, according to the International Franchise Association, a trade organization that recently ranked Nevada 10th on its list of the top U.S. states for franchise growth in 2020. Texas, Colorado and Arkansas were ranked as the three states.

'Business as usual': Virus threat hasn't curbed Las Vegas tourism yet
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2020
Southern Nevada tourism officials are closely tracking the spread of the coronavirus, but there have been no reports to date of major business disruptions in Las Vegas related to the illness, which has rattled financial markets and temporarily shuttered casinos overseas ...
Coronavirus fears not hurting Caesars yet, CEO says
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020
Caesars Entertainment has been largely unscathed by reaction to the coronavirus outbreak, which has caused a dramatic two-day pullback on ...
How does a hotel inspector award a AAA Five Diamond rating?
Monday, Feb. 24, 2020
Crawling around toilets to make sure they’re clean and working properly might not sound like much fun, but no detail is too small for AAA hotel inspectors. If a hotel wants the association’s coveted ...
UNLV announces $9 million gift from California tribe
Friday, Feb. 21, 2020
UNLV today announced a $9 million gift from the California-based San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to support the Harrah College of Hospitality and Boyd School of Law. “As tribal gaming ...
Former Bears great Urlacher among celebrities in Westgate golf tourney
Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020
During his playing days, former Chicago Bears star linebacker Brian Urlacher said he didn’t think about Las Vegas as a realistic home for an NFL team. But the Raiders’ move ...
Court sides with Las Vegas Sun, orders R-J to pay $1.9 million
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020
A Clark County judge has confirmed an arbitrator's award ordering the Las Vegas Review-Journal to pay $1.6 million in damages, plus $261,000 in interest …
What Murren's meant to Las Vegas
MgM Resorts' retiring CEO played a huge role in pushing the Strip forward
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020
When Jim Murren arrived in Las Vegas from Wall Street in 1998 to become chief financial officer of the MGM Grand, the world was a different place. Social media wasn’t yet a thing, the thought of a pro sports franchise in Las Vegas was almost laughable and MGM had just one property on the Strip.

New luxury hotel planned for south end of Strip
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020
A New York hotel management company has plans for a new 21-story luxury hotel on the Strip. Dream Hotel Group plans to open a 450-room hotel near ...
Elite Medical Center aims to get visitors back to their Vegas vacations
Monday, Feb. 17, 2020
Imagine being in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in Las Vegas, only to get sick or injured during your visit. That narrative is common at Elite Medical Center, which opened in 2018 just off the Strip.
MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren stepping down
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020
After more than a decade at the helm of MGM Resorts International, Jim Murren is stepping down as chairman and chief executive officer. Murren, whose contract runs through ...
Player hits $1.7 million jackpot at Wynn Las Vegas
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020
A Wheel of Fortune slots player hit it big at Wynn Las Vegas on Monday. The player, whose name was not released, won just over ...
Digging on first ‘people mover’ tunnel nearly done at Las Vegas Convention Center
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020
Boring on the first of two “people mover” tunnels being dug as part of the Las Vegas Convention Center’s expansion project is nearly complete. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority officials said digging on the first tunnel, which is nearly a mile long, will likely finish ...
Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium getting virtual reality theater
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020
A new undersea virtual reality experience is set to open next month next to Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef Aquarium. MGM Resorts International is working with ...
In bustling Henderson, it’s ‘go time’ for developers
Monday, Feb. 10, 2020
As president and CEO of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Scott Muelrath is no stranger to construction sites. Wherever he is in Henderson these days, Muelrath typically isn’t far from a building project. This day, he’s at the construction site for the Las Vegas Raiders’ headquarters facility near ...
Station Casinos shows off new suites, renovated rooms at GVR, Red Rock
Monday, Feb. 10, 2020
An old suite at Green Valley Ranch that hadn’t been rented out for nearly a decade was recently brought back to life, offering sweeping views of the Strip and ...
Las Vegas locals urged to audition for 'Catch 21' game show
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020
The Game Show Network is looking for Las Vegans interested in being participants on its blackjack-based show “Catch 21.”
Realtors group president expects a strong 2020 for Las Vegas market
Friday, Feb. 7, 2020
Existing home prices dipped last month in Southern Nevada but remained above $300,000, according to the latest numbers from the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors. The median sale price for a home in January was $305,000, according to a report from the GLVAR’s Multiple Listing Service. That’s down ...
Macau casino closures costing Wynn Resorts up to $2.6 million daily
Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020
Wynn Resorts is losing up to $2.6 million a day due to its luxury casinos in Macau being closed over coronavirus concerns. That’s according to Wynn CEO Matt Maddox, who said ...
Judge to mull whether Sun can depose R-J’s Adelson
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler will decide in the coming months whether Las Vegas Sun lawyers can depose Review-Journal owner Sheldon Adelson as part of a federal lawsuit alleging Adelson is trying to silence ...
As Hard Rock Hotel goes dark, Virgin promises bright future
Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020
The scene inside the Hard Rock Hotel late Monday afternoon was an unfamiliar sight. Not only were the property’s famous rock ‘n roll memorabilia cases empty, but restaurants were closed, TVs were gone from bar areas and only a few lonely patrons were among ...
Office space looks different for a new generation of Las Vegas employees
Monday, Feb. 3, 2020
In place of offices and rows of identical cubicles, the twin buildings that make up the 180,000-square-foot complex for slots manufacturer Aristocrat Technologies ...

Las Vegas oddsmakers share their favorite Super Bowl stories
Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020
Jimmy Vaccaro, one of the deans of the Las Vegas bookmaking community, marvels at how popular and accepted sports betting has become. Now in his 46th year in the business ...
Allegiant becomes official airline of NFL’s Colts
Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020
When the Las Vegas Raiders host the Indianapolis Colts later this year, it will be a big day for locally-based Allegiant Air. Allegiant today announced a deal to become the ...
Airbnb stays up 19% last year in Clark County
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020
Airbnb stays in Clark County increased by 19% last year compared to 2018, even though residential short-term rentals are illegal in much of the valley. Guest arrivals in Clark County totaled ...
After Kobe's death, LVCVA postpones ad campaign rollout activities
Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020
Local festivities surrounding the unveiling of a new Las Vegas tourism slogan have been postponed after the unexpected death of basketball great Kobe Bryant ...
Murren: Raiders, MGM have ‘perfect partnership’ in Las Vegas
Friday, Jan. 24, 2020
When Jim Murren arrived in Las Vegas in 1998, the thought of a gaming company like MGM Resorts International becoming a partner with an NFL team was unthinkable. The divide between sports leagues like ...
McCarran not among U.S. airports screening for China coronavirus
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020
At this time, there are no direct flights between China and the Las Vegas airport. If screening were to begin at McCarran, it would be at the discretion of the CDC ...
MGM is gaming partner of Las Vegas Raiders
Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020
MGM is now the official gaming partner of the Las Vegas Raiders. MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren made the announcement this morning at Mandalay Bay with ...