anthony curtis’ lasvegasadvisor...3,500 rooms at resorts world under three different brands when...

March 2020 • Vol. 37 • Issue 3 $5

LasVegasAdvisorA N T H O N Y C U R T I S’

CELESTIALess spent

in the tent … pg. 12

LVA TRAVEL PORTAL

Save money on rooms …

everywhere! … pg. 1

RECORD SETTING

2019 was a good year for Vegas …

pg. 4

BAZAAR MEAT

Even better than advertised …

pg. 6

CIRCA CONTESTS

Bigger and better in 2020 …

pg. 17

2020 MEMBER REWARDS

24 BUFFETS, 43 DINING IN-CLUDING “LOCAL CORNER”,

2 DRINKS, 8 SHOWS, 11 RIDES/ATTRACTIONS,

AND 37 GAMBLINGAdditional show discounts, Printable Rewards and show

codes located at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

*The 2020 LVA Member Rewards book is avail-able ONLY with a paid one-year subscription to

the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. No exceptions.

Local (702) Toll FreeCASINOSAliante Casino+Hotel+Spa ...................692-7777 ...... 877-477-7627Aria .......................................................590-7111 ...... 866-359-7757Arizona Charlie’s Boulder .....................951-5800 ...... 800-362-4040Arizona Charlie’s Decatur .....................258-5200 ...... 800-342-2695Bally’s ...................................................739-4111 ...... 877-603-4390Bellagio .................................................693-7111 ...... 888-987-7111Binion’s .................................................382-1600 ...... 800-937-6537Boulder Station .....................................432-7777 ...... 800-683-7777Caesars Palace.....................................731-7110 ...... 866-227-5938California ..............................................385-1222 ...... 800-634-6505Cannery ................................................507-5700 ...... 866-999-4899Casino Royale (Best Western Plus) ......737-3500 ...... 800-854-7666Circus Circus ........................................734-0410 ...... 800-634-3450Cosmopolitan .......................................698-7000 ...... 877-551-7778Downtown Grand .................................719-5100 ...... 855-384-7263Eastside Cannery .................................507-5700 ...... 866-999-4899El Cortez ...............................................385-5200 ...... 800-634-6703Ellis Island (Super 8) .............................733-8901 ...... 800-800-8000Encore ..................................................770-7100 ...... 877-321-9966Excalibur ...............................................597-7777 ...... 800-937-7777Fiesta Henderson .................................558-7000 ...... 888-899-7770Fiesta Rancho.......................................631-7000 ...... 800-731-7333Flamingo ...............................................733-3111 ...... 800-732-2111Four Queens .........................................385-4011 ...... 800-634-6045Fremont ................................................385-3232 ...... 800-634-6460Gold Coast ...........................................367-7111 ...... 800-331-5334Golden Gate .........................................385-1906 ...... 800-426-1906Golden Nugget .....................................385-7111 ...... 844-468-4438Green Valley Ranch ..............................617-7777 ...... 866-782-9487Harrah’s ................................................369-5000 ...... 800-392-9002LINQ, The .............................................731-3311 ...... 866-328-1888Longhorn (Super 8) ...............................435-9170 ...... 800-800-8000Luxor ....................................................262-4000 ...... 800-288-1000M Resort ...............................................797-1000 ...... 877-673-7678Main Street Station ...............................387-1896 ...... 800-713-8933Mandalay Bay .......................................632-7777 ...... 877-632-7800Mandarin Oriental .................................590-8881 ...... 888-881-9578MGM Grand ..........................................891-1111 ...... 800-929-1111Mirage...................................................791-7111 ...... 800-627-6667New York-New York .............................740-6969 ...... 800-693-6763Orleans .................................................365-7111 ...... 800-675-3267OYO ......................................................739-9000 ...... 866-584-6687Palace Station ......................................367-2411 ...... 800-634-3101Palazzo .................................................607-7777 ...... 866-263-3001Palms ....................................................942-7777 ...... 866-942-7770Paris......................................................946-7000 ...... 888-266-5687Park MGM ............................................730-7777 ...... 800-311-8999Planet Hollywood .................................785-5555 ...... 866-919-7472Plaza .....................................................386-2110 ...... 800-634-6575Rampart ...............................................507-5900 ...... 877-869-8777

Red Rock Resort ..................................797-7777 ...... 866-767-7773Rio ........................................................252-7777 ...... 888-746-7482Sahara Las Vegas .................................761-7000 ...... 855-761-7757Sam’s Town ..........................................456-7777 ...... 800-634-6371Santa Fe Station ...................................658-4900 ...... 866-767-7771Silver Sevens ........................................733-7000 ...... 800-640-9777Silverton................................................263-7777 ...... 800-588-7711South Point ...........................................796-7111 ...... 866-791-7626Suncoast ..............................................636-7111 ...... 877-677-7111Sunset Station ......................................547-7777 ...... 888-786-7389Texas Station ........................................631-1000 ...... 800-654-8888The Cromwell, The ...............................777-3777 ...... 844-426-2766the D .....................................................388-2400 ...... 800-274-5825The STRAT ............................................380-7777 ...... 800-998-6937Treasure Island (TI) ...............................894-7111 ...... 800-944-7444Tropicana..............................................739-2222 ...... 800-634-4000Tuscany ................................................893-8933 ...... 877-887-2261Vdara ....................................................590-2767 ...... 866-745-7767Venetian ................................................414-1000 ...... 877-883-6423Westin Lake Las Vegas ........................567-6000Westin Las Vegas .................................836-5900 ...... 800-937-8461Westgate Las Vegas .............................732-5111 ...... 800-732-7117Wild Wild West (Days Inn) ....................740-0000 ...... 800-777-1514Wildfire..................................................648-3801Wynn Las Vegas ...................................770-7000 ...... 866-770-7077

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March 2020 $5A N T H O N Y C U R T I S ’

LasVegasAdvisor

Travel Portal Live and BookingIt took a couple months longer than we anticipated, but the LVA Travel

Portal is now live and booking at LasVegasAdvisor.com. As I explained in the December issue, the Travel Portal is a proprietary booking avenue that’s neither available to the public, nor accessible by OTAs like Expedia and Travelocity. You have to be “invited,” in a sense, to penetrate this sys-tem and LVA members gain access automatically (your LVA login gets you in). Non-members can take advantage by signing up for our free-to-join “LVA Gold” club simply by providing a valid email address.

In our December room rate survey, the portal performed admirably, coming in with the best rate about a third of the time and yielding savings of up to $40 per night. But there were still tweaks to be made and now it’s even better. Just before this newsletter’s deadline, we ran a comparison of 10 casinos’ rates, including several that were part of a Caesars Entertain-ment Flash Sale, through which they offer their best room deals.

Following are the comparisons. These are base rates with taxes, but not resort fees. That doesn’t matter, because the RFs will be the same no mat-ter where you book.

Best Other Portal Per-Night SavingBally’s $44.37 $35.50 $8.87Rio $32.88 $21.85 $11.03Gold Coast $45.06 $46.39 -Main St. Station $55.04 $48.12 $6.92Palace Station $40.80 $33.24 $7.56Boulder Station $37.28 $30.37 $6.91Venetian $144.22 $155.72 -Cosmo $164.40 $104.03 $60.37Bellagio $180.27 $141.86 $38.41Caesars $112.25 $86.07 $26.18

COUPONOMY by Anthony Curtis

continued on next page

2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2020

Couponomy continued …

It’s just one study and only 10 selections, but it’s a pretty impressive result, with the LVA Portal turning up the best rates in eight of the ten com-parisons. And the saving is dramatic on the high end.

If this is representative, and I think it is, it should save you a lot on room costs. And it’s not just for Las Vegas. The portal can be used to book rooms in any city in the world. Access the portal via the drop-down list under “Stay” in the top navigation menu. Click on “Book a Room” and you’re there. Give it a try and let us know how you do. n

More Resort Fee Increases“At some point, there’s going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s

back. I don’t think we’re there yet, but I want us to be very judicious and cautious about taking those rates any further … we’re getting pretty high.”

Those were the words of Caesars Entertainment CEO Tony Rodio, spoken only six months ago. But as this issue goes to press, CET has con-firmed that it’s raising the RFs by $2 at The LINQ, Bally’s, Flamingo, and Harrah’s, bringing them all to $37 per night. Maybe he should have added a “Not!” to the end of his statement. C’mon, dude! n

NEWSDream—A new $300 million resort from the Dream Hotel Group’s

brand has been announced for the far south end of the Strip. Plans call for a 21-story 450-room hotel with multiple restaurants, a rooftop bar, and an undisclosed nightlife component. The developers are banking on the resort’s proximity to the new Allegiant Stadium, noting that guests will be able to walk to Raiders games. Construction on Dream Las Vegas is scheduled to begin next year with the resort opening in 2023.

MSG Sphere—After announcing last year that the price tag for the 17,000-seat MSG Sphere would be $1.2 billion, the number has now been increased to $1.66 billion. By comparison, T-Mobile Arena, with 1,000 more seats, cost $350 million.

Downtown Grand—The new seven-story tower at the Downtown Grand

LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian; $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. Phone: (702) 252-0655 • Fax: (702) 252-0675 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103. e-mail: [email protected] • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com All information is current at press time. Listed offerings are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press ©2020

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LAS VEGAS ADVISOR

MARCH 2020 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3


has been topped off and the hotel will begin taking bookings in the next couple of months for an open-ing in September. The resort’s third tower, which began construction a little more than a year ago, will have 405 standard rooms, 67 studios, and 23 suites, raising DG’s total room count to 1,120.

Wynn—The $300 million 430,000-square-foot Wynn Con-vention Center has opened. The new meeting space overlooking the Wynn Golf Course features a 20,000-square-foot pavilion and an 83,000-square-foot ballroom with a video wall nine feet high and 72 feet long.

Resorts World—Resorts World and Hilton have announced a partner-ship that will bring the Hilton name back to the Strip. Hilton will operate all 3,500 rooms at Resorts World under three different brands when it opens in 2021: a 1,700-room Las Vegas Hilton, a 1,500-room Conrad, and a 300-room LXR, Hilton’s uber-luxury brand that will cater almost exclusively to high rollers. The partnership is Hilton’s biggest multi-brand deal in com-pany history and will give it a solid presence on the Strip, which it hasn’t had since the Flamingo Hilton was sold to Harrah’s Entertainment in 2005 (the Waldorf-Astoria at CityCenter is a Hilton brand, but without the name). This is good news for Hilton Honors members.

Ahern Hotel—The former Lucky Dragon has reopened as the casi-no-less Ahern Hotel. The rooms have been renovated, though the conven-tion center and restaurants located in the former casino space won’t be completed until the official grand opening on July 4.

Arizona—Desert Diamond Casino West Valley has opened in Glendale, replacing a “temporary” casino that had operated since 2016. The new resort features restaurants and bars and a 75,000-square-foot casino with 1,100 slots, 48 blackjack tables, 36 poker tables, and bingo.

Macau—All casinos in Macau, the gambling capital of the world, were forced to close for 15 days in an attempt to contain the spread of the coro-navirus. Since reopening, crowds have been sparse. Reports haven’t come in yet, but the revenue hit is expected to be huge. Wynn Resorts alone reported losing $2.5 million per day during the closure.

Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was up 5.8% in Decem-ber compared to the same month last year. The Strip win increased 4.5%, and downtown increased 6.8%. Nevada casinos won $12.03 billion in

Presidential Lines

With the 2020 presidential elec-tion heading into Super Tuesday, we begin tracking the odds on the top candidates this issue and will update each month through the elec-tion. Here are the current lines on this year’s presidential race from CRIS. Bernie Sanders is the current favorite to win the Democratic nomination at -120, followed by Joe Biden at +300. Donald Trump is the favorite to win the presidential election at -190.


2019, a 1% increase over last year and the third highest annual total ever. It was the fifth year in a row of gaming-revenue increases, and the ninth in ten years. The Nevada sports book win was $329 million, up 9.5% on a record-setting handle of $5.3 billion (up 6.2%). It was the tenth year in a row that statewide sports betting set a new record for handle, even in the face of the nationwide expansion that started in May 2018.

Visitation closed with a 6.1% uptick in December. The strong finish resulted in a final 2019 visitor count of 42,523,700, a 1% increase over 2018.

Airline traffic was up 4.2% in December, making it a clean sweep of monthly increases in 2019. The total passenger count for the year was a record 51.5 million. It was the third consecutive year that a passenger record was set. n

Sports Betting ScorecardThe legal U.S. sports handle in 2019 was a record $13 billion. The total

nearly doubled 2018’s $6.6 billion, highlighting the rapid growth of the mar-ket. Nevada ($5.3 billion) and New Jersey ($4.6 billion) together accounted for more than 75% of the total; Pennsylvania books took in $1.5 billion, followed by Indiana ($436 million), Mississippi ($369 million), Rhode Island ($246 million), West Virginia ($226 million), Iowa ($212 million), Delaware ($103 million), Oregon ($45 million), and Arkansas ($11 million). Books in New York and at tribal casinos in Mississippi, Oregon, and New Mexico don’t report handle. New Hampshire sports betting began on the penulti-mate day of the year.

A minimum of six states and the District of Columbia are expected to legalize sports betting this year, starting with Illinois, where the governor says the state will be ready in time for the March Madness tournament.

Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country and track developments as they occur via our blog and map at LasVegas Advisor.com. n

DININGVirgin Dining

Information about the restaurant roster at Virgin Las Vegas (when it opens after the transformation from the Hard Rock) is leaking out. Nobu, which made a quick move to Bally’s when the Hard Rock closed, will

News continued …


return, along with MB Steak and Pizza Forte. Also expected is Todd English’s Olives, which operated for several years at Bellagio. There will also be a Hugh Jackman-owned coffee bar, the Commons Club, and a coffee shop. No word on whether or not a buffet will be included, but so far it doesn’t look likely. n


The Ellis Island steak dinner remains the #1 deal in the Top Ten. The complete steak dinner is served 24/7 in the Café; get the $7.99 price by playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your club card inserted, then downloading the required dis-count coupon from an EI kiosk. If you don’t want to play, you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the listed price) just by downloading a coupon from the kiosk that’s available to everyone with a club card. The Feast Buf-fet at Palace Station (#2) is our choice for Las Vegas’ best buffet when considering the combination of quality and price; get the listed prices by showing a Boarding Pass card. Get a ticket to the Mac King Comedy Magic Show and a drink for $14.98 by asking at the players club booth (#3). The hot dogs at South Point (#4) are sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until they close down the cart around 5 pm. Budweiser and Michelob Light in the bottle are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#5); a ¼-pound hot dog and a Bud is $3. There’s been a slight change in that tax is now being collected. That could be construed as a price increase, since tax was previously included in the price. However, we’ve never dinged an offer for charging taxes, so we’re not assessing a Top Ten penalty of any kind (see entertainment). The Skyline shrimp cocktail (#6) is available 24/7 at the main bar. The steak or ham & eggs at either Arizona Charlie’s (#7) is served in the Sour-dough Cafés for $5.99 when you show your club card, available 24 hours at Decatur and 6 am-mid. weekdays and 24 hours weekends at Boulder. OYO’s $1-minimum blackjack game (#8) runs 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay even money on bets of $1-$4. The $1.20 listed cost is your expected loss for one hour of play at these stakes. Everything on the lunch menu is $4.99 at Ocean One (#9) in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood; lunch hours are 11:30 am to 4 pm daily. Returning to the list is the free photo in front of $1 million at Binion’s (#10). It’s available 9 am-11:30 pm and the photo takes 30 minutes to process. It’s a great free souvenir.

1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99 2. Buffet • Palace Station • Daily • $9.99-$16.99 3. Mac King • Harrah’s • Tues.–Sat. • $14.98 4. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25 5. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1 6. Shrimp Cocktail • Skyline • Daily • $2.25 7. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99 8. $1 Blackjack • OYO • 24 hours • $1.20 9. Lunch • Planet Hollywood • Daily • $4.99 10. Photo • Binion’s • Daily • Free

TOP 10 VALUES


Dining continued …

Bazaar Meat by José Andrés (Sahara)Okay, okay, we admit it: This restaurant is amazing. We kept seeing

Bazaar Meat listed everywhere among Las Vegas’ best, but a restaurant this good and pricey being located at the Sahara just seemed incongruous. The menu is ridiculous, featuring steaks, chops, seafood of all types, tapas, fancy sandwiches, a ham bar, even a whole suckling pig (24 hours’ notice, $540). Bring your wallet if you want to go top shelf: prime steaks $120 per pound; authentic Kobe $65 per ounce; Nordic caviar $175 per ounce; tast-ing menus $185 per person.

Don’t panic, you can do this. An eight-ounce flat-iron steak is a mere $45 and a skirt steak is $42. We didn’t try them, but we did get the braised lamb neck for $38. Comparable to a fine osso buco, it’s served with fried oysters and potatoes—almost certainly the best bargain play on the menu. We also had an otherworldly rack of lamb ($60), prepared rare in a way that you often can’t even bribe chefs to do. The “super-giant” pork-skin chicharron is $12, cauliflower with pine nuts $15, “a sim-ple” tomato salad $15, and the classic steak tartare $32. Only the tartare rang the too-expensive bell, and it was our least favorite of the meal (give us Bav-ette’s for $24). An important point: The portions are large, so an entrée and a side or salad are all you need. Our line-up (minus the tartare) came to $140, and we took home enough for lunch the next day.

The restaurant is interesting in its own right, with a trendy vibe and ostentatious displays of meat. You can get a table inside or just pull up to the bar. Parking at the Sahara is free. Insert this one at the top of your splurge list. n

Crack Shack (Park MGM)This upscale fast-casual chain fronted by celebrity chef Richard Blais

of “Top Chef” is so popular in southern California that you might think they serve crack cocaine instead of chicken (the “crack” in the name comes from the brand’s proprietary “crack-spice” blend). We were skeptical after perusing the menu and taking note of the somewhat high prices: fried-

Rack of lamb at Bazaar Meat



chicken sandwiches with some combi-nation of bacon, avocado, egg, cheese, pickled jalapeño, onion, chiles, and rel-ish ($9-$12); bone-in fried chicken (five pieces $17, 10 pieces $35); breakfast, miso, and quinoa bowls ($8.50-$11); and sides like deviled eggs, chicken “oysters,” Mexican poutine (jalapeño cheese wiz replaces the cheese curds and gravy in the traditional Canadian poutine), schmaltz fries, slaw, and mat-

zo-ball pozole ($5-$11). We settled for the basic Coop Deville sandwich, just a fried breast, pick-

les, lime cabbage, and pickled chiles, while thinking that this had better be good fast-food for 12 bucks. And it was—wow, a big juicy fried breast that actually tastes like chicken! Crack Shack uses only boutique Jidori chicken (called the “Kobe beef of poultry”), free-range, processed by hand, and all-natural feed that includes no meat by-products, hormones, or antibiot-ics. The lime slaw was an excellent complement and the whole sandwich was so big, it took two sittings to finish it.

Crack Shack occupies a good-sized space with indoor-outdoor seating, a full bar in the middle (14 beers on tap), big screens with the games on, and a fun atmosphere. And it’s a walkable 15-minutes from the free park-ing at Miracle Mile Shops. We make it pick ’em between the sandwiches at Crack Shack and Hattie B’s next door at Cosmo. n

Rampart BuffetThis is the first new (at least significantly remodeled) buffet since the

Orleans. It’s certainly brighter and shinier—but nothing much has changed in terms of its product. Except for when it opened (as the Resort at Sum-merlin) with one of Las Vegas’ swankiest buffets, Rampart has always been a solid option for the price, but not what you’d categorize as a must-do, especially considering its location on the far west side of the valley.

For dinner, there are action Caesars salad and pasta stations, shrimp skewers and scampi, petite filets, basil pesto chicken, kung pao beef, Thai chicken wings, artichoke salad, bagels and a toaster, matzo-ball soup, carved rotisserie chicken, sausage, turkey breast, and prime rib, and a large dessert station. Our favorites were the kung pao beef, fried chicken, sausage, and sorbet from the container. Dinner is a low $14.99 with a play-ers card (the card is a must here, saving $3-$6, depending on the meal) and only $10.50 with the LVA Member Rewards Book offer. There’s also an all-you-can drink beer and wine option for $7.99.

The Coop Deville at Crack Shack

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Two more things worth noting. This is one of the few buffets in Las Vegas with TVs both in the room and clearly visible in the adjacent sports book, and it’s the only buffet in Vegas we know of that has outdoor-patio seating (with a small pond and some tall horticulture between the patio and the parking lot). n

Center-Strip Salad (Flamingo)Ya know, sometimes you find yourself at center-Strip in Las Vegas and

you just want a no-hassle salad. To be honest, we never really considered that, but on the Saturday before Christmas, an LVA staffer was visiting friends on the seventh night of their eight days in town at their Jockey Club timeshare. After a week of fancy food, all they wanted was a fast-food salad; they didn’t want to fight the crowds to get into a restaurant or buffet, sit and wait, then pay Strip prices and a tip. He started looking through the LVA listings and was surprised that he couldn’t come up with a single recommendation—nothing at Cosmopolitan’s Block 16, the Miracle Mile Shops, Bally’s Grand Bazaar Shops, not even the Caesars food court or the LINQ promenade. Finally, out of desperation, he looked at the Flamingo food court and eureka, lettuce at last. L.A. Subs offers base Caesar, Asian, and mixed-green salads, on which tomatoes, pickles, olives, pepperon-cini, and croutons can be added, all for $9.99 (chicken $3 extra). Big, fast, good—perfect! n

Santos Guisados TacosIn Eating Las Vegas, John Curtas decrees that the tacos at Santos Gui-

sados are “the best in town.” So when we heard that tacos there are $2 on Tuesdays, we ran downtown to 6th and Carson to bring a dozen back to the office. This is a festive little joint, with a 10-seat bar in the middle, vela-doras (prayer candles), red- and white-plastic roses, two TVs on the walls, and pop music blaring. You can sit at one of the seven tables and have your order taken or put it in at the kitchen window for faster sit-down or take-out service. Normally $3.50, the tacos at the top of the menu qualify for the $2 Tuesday deal: slow-cooked brisket, shredded chicken in


Tacos $2 on Tuesdays

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mole, chipotle chicken, pork, carnitas, and marinated mushrooms. The more expensive choices include carne asada, al pastor, fish, shrimp, and cauliflower ($3.50-$4.30). After sampling most of the choices, we concur once more with Mr. Curtas: For $2 and even $4, these tacos are hard to beat. Try ’em on Tuesdays! n

Other Mama SushiWe’ve written about Other Mama

many times, usually praising its sashimi plates, which are among the best in town (regular $24/deluxe $39). But Mama don’t do sushi, or at least she didn’t. OM has added a 5-piece nigiri sampler for $12 and you can add to that with a spicy tuna roll for $10. Grab a $4 PBR and you’ve got a first-rate sushi fix in one of Vegas’ hippest neighborhood hangs. n

G.O.A.T.(en) KnightsYou have only another month or so to take advantage of this one.

During Vegas Golden Knights hockey games, G.O.A.T. bar (3805 W. Sahara) sells $1 wings, $1 tacos, and $3 sliders. We got five wings, four tacos, and two sliders and the bill came to $15. On Tuesdays, it’s $1 tacos and karaoke. Or use the offer in the Member Rewards Book for a free menu item when you play $20 in video poker (double or lose). n

Dining NotesBuffets—It’s bad news for breakfast-buffet lovers on the south end of

the Strip. The price of the Aria breakfast has been raised by $4 to $29.99, while the Spice Market Buffet at Planet Hollywood no longer serves break-fast and its Champagne brunch that was formerly served daily is now avail-able Sat. & Sun. only. On the other side of the Strip, The STRAT no longer offers discounts for showing a club card.

EI Brunch—To the rescue comes Ellis Island with a new weekend brunch in the Front Yard. It’s an off-the-menu arrangement, which we typically don’t report on, but this one is far more affordable than the fancy Strip brunches, with many entrées priced under $10. It’s served Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm.

continued on page 12

Sushi sampler and tuna roll

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MARCH 3/1–3/30 • Thomas John • Caesars

Palace • $49–$1193/4–3/6 • Christina Aguilera • Planet

Hollywood • $60–$2263/4–3/7 • Dwight Yoakam Wynn LV • $59.50–$1753/4–3/14 • Chicago Venetian • $45–$2753/5 • Donavon Frankenreiter Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$273/5–3/7 • Jeff Allen • Plaza • $20/$403/5–3/26 • Frankie Moreno South Point • $20–$303/5–3/28 • Barry Manilow Westgate LV • $49–$3503/6 • Dennis DeYoung: Music of

Styx • GN • $59–$1793/6 • Richard Cheese Red Rock Resort • $44–$693/6–3/7 • Bruno Mars Park MGM • $195–$3853/6–3/7 • Tom Segura Mirage • $65–$873/6–3/8 • Atlantic City Boys South Point • $20–$353/6–3/8 • Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds Mirage • $32–$1633/6–3/14 • Billy Idol Palms • $39.50–$159.953/6–3/21 • Rod Stewart • Caesars

Palace • $49–$2393/7 • First Ladies of Disco Orleans • $24–$543/7 • Rippingtons Santa Fe Station • $36.50 3/7 • UFC 248 T-Mobile • $168–$5983/11–3/13 • Ultimate 311 Concert • Park

MGM • $199.50–$299.503/11–3/14 • Lionel Richie Wynn LV • $69.50–$3503/12–3/14 • Thea Vidale • Plaza • $20/$403/13 • Chase Bryant Aliante Casino • $25–$453/13 • Dance Gavin Dance •

Brooklyn Bowl • $29.50–$403/13 • Foghat • GN • $39–$109

HEADLINERS & 3/13–3/14 • Bill Maher • Mirage • $65–$1043/13–3/28 • Shania Twain • Planet Hollywood • $70–$2893/14 • 38 SPECIAL Orleans • $39–$793/14 • Hotel California M Resort • $23–$433/14 • Liquid Stranger • Downtown

LV Events Center • $25/$453/14 • Post Malone MGM Grand • $83–$4033/14 • Soul Asylum • Silverton • $25 3/14 • WAR • Cannery • $29–$593/15 • IL Volo • Palms • $45–$2753/15 • Jeff Dunham • Caesars

Palace • $46–$833/15 • Rebel Souljahz • Brooklyn

Bowl • $27.50/$303/18–3/28 • David Lee Roth MBay • $63–$1293/19–3/22 • Ween • Brooklyn Bowl • $1783/20 • André Rieu T-Mobile • $74–$1443/20 • Melanie Martinez Palms • $162 3/20 • Tommy James and the

Shondells • GN • $59–$1393/20–3/21 • Daniel Tosh Mirage • $65–$1063/20–3/22 • Days of the Dead Plaza • $25–$2003/20–3/22 • Donny Edwards South Point • $30–$403/20–3/28 • ZZ Top • Venetian • $62–$3253/21 • Ana Gabriel MBay • $49–$1193/21 • Bill Burr • Cosmo • $119–$1593/21 • Jeffrey Osborne Cannery • $29–$593/21 • Ohio Players Orleans • $24–$423/21 • Prince Royce Palms • $36–$2753/24 • Silverstein Brooklyn Bowl • $25 3/24–4/4 • Robbie Williams Wynn LV • $69.50–$325


EVENTS3/25 • Galactic Brooklyn Bowl • $30 3/27 • Bad Religion & Alkaline Trio Brooklyn Bowl • $35–$553/27 • Billy Gardell • TI • $43/$723/27 • Molly Hatchet Golden Nugget • $29–$993/27 • Tchami • Downtown LV

Events Center • $25/$653/27 • Zac Brown Band T-Mobile • $39.50–$99.503/27–3/28 • George Lopez Mirage • $65–$873/27–3/29 • The Lettermen South Point • $34–$453/28 • Aventura T-Mobile • $59.50–$5003/28 • Brantley Gilbert Cosmo • $29–$3253/28 • Lit & Marcy Playground Cannery • $19–$493/28 • Nery vs Alameda Park MGM • $46–$1463/28 • Tracy Morgan Palms • $19–$159.953/29 • Diamond Rio Orleans • $25–$553/31 • Action Bronson • Brooklyn

Bowl • $32.50–$37.50APRIL 4/1–4/11 • Kelly Clarkson • Planet

Hollywood • $55–$1,0804/1–4/18 • Jonas Brothers Park MGM • $63–$4494/2–4/23 • Frankie Moreno South Point • $20–$304/2–4/30 • Shin Lim • Mirage • $49–$2504/3 • Joey Molland’s Badfinger GN • $29–$994/3–4/4 • Jerry Seinfeld • Caesars

Palace • $82.50–$1654/3–4/4 • Ray Romano & David Spade Mirage • $87–$1264/3–4/5 • AXEL • T-Mobile • $29–$1304/3–4/5 • TriviaCon • Rio • $209 4/3–4/5 • Tony Orlando South Point • $50–$60

SHOW notes

4/4 • L.A. Guns Aliante Casino • $20–$404/4 • MTV Wild ‘N Out Live MBay • $29–$6064/4 • Sech • Cosmo • $39–$694/4 • Up, Up & Away Orleans • $35–$554/4 • Wilco • Brooklyn Bowl •

$59.50–$79.504/5 • ACMA MGM Grand • $429–$6854/5 • Volbeat • Palms • $60–$3694/5–4/26 • Matt Goss • Mirage • $27–$914/8–4/18 • Diana Ross Wynn LV • $60.50–$3014/8–4/18 • Reba, Brooks & Dunn •

Caesars Palace • $60–$1944/9 • Reverend Horton Heat Brooklyn Bowl • $25/$304/9–4/11 • Vic DiBitetto Plaza • $20/$604/10 • Association • GN • $29–$1094/10 • Bill Engvall Red Rock Resort • $30–$704/10–4/11 • Gabriel Iglesias Mirage • $70–$110

• FRIENDS! The Musical Parody has moved from the D to Paris; ticket prices are are $65.02/$83.37/$105.60.

• “Jokesters Comedy Club” has moved from the D to OYO; tickets are $61.04/$71.94.

• The World Famous Ink Spots has moved from OYO to Alexis Park; tickets are $41.45/$51.45.

• Extravaganza opens at Bally’s on March 14; tickets are $67.27/$80.14/$102.94/$127.24/$141.14.

• Happy Hour The Show by iLuminate opens at Planet Hollywood on March 26; tickets are $95.31/$133.51/$155.31.

• Ticket prices for Legends in Concert at the Tropicana have increased from $67.79-$97.49 to $81.75-$125.35.

• Talking Paranormal & Ghost Hunt has closed at Binion’s.



Hell’s Kitchen Hits a Million—Opening barely two years ago, Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace has already served its one-mil-lionth customer. n

Openings/ClosingsAccording to a report from eatervegas.com, the space that was formerly

the Country Club at Wynn Las Vegas will reopen as the TAK Room some time this year. It’s the second TAK Room from Thomas Keller; the first is a trendy reservation in New York City.

The Slanted Door, a heralded Vietnamese restaurant out of San Fran-cisco, opens this month in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace.

Salt & Ivy Café and Patio Bar has opened at Aria in the space that was formerly Herringbone.

Aria Café has closed at Aria; it will be replaced by the noodle restaurant Din Tai Fung.

Carnegie Deli has closed at the Mirage.SEA Thai has closed at Bally’s.Tatsujin X has closed; the non-casino restaurant was one of the “52

Essential” in Eating Las Vegas. n

ENTERTAINMENTCelestia

The STRATWed.-Fri., Sun.; 7 pm; Sat. 7 & 9 pm (Dark Mon. & Tues.)

$39.24/$50.14/$61.04/$71.94/$93.74/$115.54

Originally announced in November 2018 for a debut the following Jan-uary, Celestia underwent an abrupt 180-degree change of structure, with a new creative team, over a period of five months, and finally opened in May 2019. After seeing the retooled version, we can’t help but wonder what the original show was like. To say the one that emerged is derivative is putting it mildly; nothing that happens in Celestia hasn’t been seen before, many times through the years, in any number of Cirque du Soleil productions and other variety shows all over town. The two clowns who entertain before the show and during the breaks in the action are reminiscent of the flunes in Mystère. Some combination of acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, hand balancers, hula-hoopsters, flaming-torch fighters, and Wheel of Death

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balancers have been on display in shows ranging from KÀ (MGM Grand) to the defunct Blanc de Blanc (Sahara). We like how one reviewer put it: “[Celestia] It plays like a greatest-hits collection of familiar circus acts.”

Okay. But what’s wrong with combining several good acts into one overall production? Nothing really, especially at Celestia’s low price points (and if you haven’t seen the other shows). In fact, considering the pricing, Celestia is a good recommendation for someone who’s specifically looking for a variety show.

The 30,000-square-foot tent at the far end of The STRAT casino is a good venue and the inside surfaces serve as a screen for spacey videos. The live music invigorates the routines. Entertaining things are done with the colossal curtain. The staging is engaging; it revolves and the bottom drops out of the middle at points. And a few new takes on the old standbys are interesting: the boy-girl small-hoops act is charming and one of the aerialists bounces in and out of an assemblage of acrobats.

Celestia tickets start at $29, so the base price is one of the least expen-sive for a major production show in Las Vegas. The cheap seats aren’t bad, though you’re far enough from the stage to miss the details. Also, be pre-pared for the add-ons, which bring the total price for those seats to close to $80 for two—still a relatively inexpensive night out, and at The STRAT, you don’t pay for parking. (A quick note on pricing: The absolute least-ex-pensive ticket you can get is $39.24 complete. There are no discounts that we know of for these seats. However, you can save $5-$26 on better seats by using our codes at LasVegasAdvisor.com or the offer for a “30% dis-count” in the freebie mag, Where.) n

Midnight at WestgateDavid Perrico’s Pop String Orchestra will play no-cover midnight shows

in Westgate’s Cabaret, March 6-7 and 13-14. If you can’t get a seat, don’t worry, the room’s retractable doors will be open, so the show can be seen and heard from the casino. The Perrico band is a banger and this this is as creative an entertainment idea as we’ve heard of in a long time, apparently an experiment that might become an ongoing thing. According to John Katsilometes of the LV Review-Journal, “The idea is to generate the type of big-band scene the city used to be known for.” Sounds cool. Get there early if you want a seat inside the showroom. n

March MadnessThe March Madness college basketball tournament begins March

17 and kicks off three weeks of events and frenzied action in the sports

https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/shows-deals/


Entertainment continued …

books. Best is the first round that runs the long weekend of Thursday through Sunday, March 19-22. Much like the Super Bowl, promos and par-ties are announced about a week before the event, but free viewing soirees will be everywhere. Top candidates include South Point, Westgate, the D, and almost all the Station and Boyd casinos, but you don’t really need an organized gathering. This is one of those happenings that attract so many fans who come specifically to be a part of it, all you have to do is set up in any sports book to be in the middle of the action. Monitor our coverage at LasVegasAdvisor.com to get the latest on the best viewing options as they’re announced. n

Stage Door TaxNeed some change? Head over to the Stage

Door and order a beer. For many years, a dollar bill was all it took to snag a bottle of whatever was on special (Becks, Michelob, and now Bud-weiser), because the tax was included in the price. That recently changed and now the 8.5¢ tax is being passed on to customers, so you pay $1.09. Is this a big deal? No. Tax is tax. We all have to pay it. The base price for the beer is still $1 as advertised (though it was really 91¢ before), and there’s nothing close to $1 bottles 24/7 anywhere near the Strip. We didn’t even assess a price-increase penalty in the top ten. n

Bars and Happy HoursGreene St. Kitchen at the Palms has a happy hour Sun.-Thurs. from 5 to

7 pm, with $7 drinks and appetizers. Go on a Thursday and combine with $1 oysters, served from 5 to 10 pm.

The Prime Rib Loft at the Orleans has a happy hour Sun.-Thurs. from 5 to 7 pm, with $4 beer, $5 wine, $10 cocktails, and $8-$10 appetizers, including prime rib sliders.

The Salted Lime at Aliante has a happy hour daily from 4 to 6 pm, with $3 beer, $4 wine, $8 specialty cocktails, and $4-$8 appetizers.

The Plaza is advertising $5 Jameson at all casino bars.The Rhythm Kitchen has run an excellent happy hour for years and con-

tinues to do so with some changes. The new hours are daily in the bar from 4 to 6:30 pm and Mon. & Wed. in the dining room from 5 pm to closing.

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Drinks are half price, including bottles of wine (under $100) and appetizers are $5 off.

Al’s Garage has happy hours daily from 4 to 6 pm and 11 pm to 2 am, with $4 beer, $5 well drinks, and half-price appetizers.

The STRAT’s Blvd. & Main Taphouse is being converted to a PT’s Pub less than a year after opening.

BarCanada, the hockey-themed sports bar that’s replacing the show-room at the D, will open on March 16.

Ellis Island ended up with a surplus of its holiday egg nog and is selling it at a $10 discount. You can buy it by the bottle at the EI bar for $25 until they run out.

In Andiamo at the D, a Frangelico is $10.80. At Sand Dollar Lounge, a draft Stella Artois is $7. At Tres Cazuelas, a sangria is $7.59. At Honey Pig, a Hite beer is $7.58. At Izakaya Go, a draft Sapporo is $5.36. At Moon Doggies Bar & Grill, a draft PBR is $3.75. n

Entertainment NotesPools Opening—March is the new April, at least where Las Vegas

pools are concerned. Almost all of the major casino pools have announced opening dates this month.

Draft Party—If you don’t want to pay the steep ticket prices or deal with the crowds on the Strip, the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center is hosting a free NFL draft viewing party on April 23.

Marriage Moves—After losing its spot at the D to the new sports book, Marriage Can Be Murder has found a new home at Hennessy’s Tavern on Fremont Street. Tickets are the same as at the D: $94.94-$129.94.

VR at Shark Reef—Mandalay Bay’s Shark Reef will open a virtual-re-ality motion-simulation theater this month. The Ocean Explorer attraction will feature two live-action movies, Swimming with Humpbacks and Shark Dive, which highlight a rarely seen underwater world; the press release also mentions pre-show exhibitions, including a number of immersive and interactive experiences. The 36-seat platform will move together with the action on the big screen. Admission to Shark Reef will include the theater presentation.

Luxor Lights—The Luxor has added a new flashing-lights component to its nightly beam. The four corners of the pyramid now display LED Ver-tex Tube Lights that can produce more than 16 million color combinations. The show runs non-stop daily from dusk to dawn.

Expensive Knights—According to Team Marketing Report, a publica-tion that tracks the cost of attending major-league sports games, it costs a family of four an average of $559.42 to go to a Vegas Golden Knights hockey game at T-Mobile Arena. The total is the fifth highest in the NHL,


and over $100 more than the league average of $424.62.See the advance planner for dates, prices, and additional show updates. n

GAMBLINGSuper Bowl

After opening pick ’em, the Kansas City Chiefs were quickly bet to -1 favorites over the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. The line touched -2 briefly before closing at Kansas City -1.5. The total opened at 51.5 and moved steadily up to 55, before coming back and closing at 53. When Kansas City won 31-20, Chiefs and under bettors got the money.

Nevada Handle—Nevada sports books took in $154.7 million in wagers, a 5.7% increase over last year. It was the second highest total ever, just shy of 2018’s record $158.6 million. The $18.8 million win (12.1%) was also the second highest, behind 2014’s $19.7 million.

Vegas Ads—For the first time in the history of the Super Bowl, the NFL accepted an advertisement promoting Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Conven-tion and Visitors Authority’s new slogan, “What happens here only happens here,” was featured in a 30-second ad that aired prior to the game.

Mattress Mack—Last year, it was Bettor X; this year, it was Mattress Mack. The Houston furniture salesman who made headlines hedging his store promotion by betting big on the Houston Astros made the biggest reported bet of $1 million on the 49ers at the Mirage.

Props—Westgate and William Hill led the way, with the latter claiming to have over 1,000 proposition bets. Bettors backing Patrick Mahomes to score the first TD cashed at 20-1. Mahomes also won the MVP award, which he was the favorite to win, at -120. No-overtime (-900) and no-safety (-800) both cashed. In cross-sports bets, LeBron James scored an anemic 15 points and lost to Mahomes’ 26 completions. Worse yet, Trae Young, second in the NBA in scoring with an average of 30.1 points per game and second in assists with 9.2, tallied 12 points and 1 assist for a points-re-bounds-assists total of 19 that was crushed by Emmanuel Sanders’ 38 receiving yards. Sammy Watkins’ receptions vs. the number of sets in the Australian Open men’s tennis final pushed at 5; George Brett’s 317 career home runs beat Mahomes’ 286 passing yards; and Mark Stone went scoreless for the Vegas Golden Knights to lose to Jimmy Garoppolo’s one interception. In the offshore props, President Trump didn’t tweet, J-Lo and Shakira didn’t kiss (or twerk), and there were no wardrobe malfunctions. Demi Lovato went way under the posted 1:58 for singing the National Anthem, clocking out at 1:50.

Entertainment continued …


Mahomes Beat—The worst bad beat in years was suffered by players who bet Mahomes rushing yards over. The line varied from 30 to 35 yards and Mahomes had 44 going into the last series of downs. With the game locked up, he stepped back and took a knee on three consecutive plays, losing 15 yards and dropping his final rushing total to 29.

Purple Gatorade—The odds plummeted on purple Gatorade being poured on the winning coach, with bettors guessing purple (or yellow) would be used to honor Kobe Bryant. The Gatorade bath was orange.

Next Year—The futures line for next year’s Super Bowl has the Chiefs favored at 4.5-1, followed by the 49ers and Ravens at 8-1. The long shots are the Redskins and Bengals, both at 200-1. n

Blackjack BallThis year’s Blackjack Ball marked the 24th annual gathering of many of

the world’s best and most successful blackjack players. The Hall of Fame inductee was our own Anthony Curtis. It was Anthony’s first appearance on the ballot. The skills competition was won by Arnold Snyder, who is a Huntington Press author and a frequent contributor to the “Question of the Day” at LasVegasAdvisor.com. Anthony and Arnold join three others who are both in the Hall of Fame and have won the Ball’s skills contest: James Grosjean and Richard Munchkin have both won three times and Wally Sim-mons won the contest at the inaugural Ball, beating Anthony, who placed second. n

Circa ContestsCirca Sports has announced that the prize pool for next year’s “Circa

Sports Million II” NFL handicapping contest will be doubled to $3 million. All entry fees collected are returned in prize money; hence, the $1,000-entry (three max) event will have to attract 3,000 entrants or there will be an equity overlay for the players. Having an overlay means that, assuming all things are equal, the expected return for playing is greater than the cost to enter. This isn’t the case for everyone, as skill levels vary, but having a positive-equity starting point is highly desirable. Last year’s contest drew 1,875 players.

A second contest will also be offered. “Circa Survivor” will use a survi-vor format in which one team per week is chosen and players remain in the contest as long as their selections cover the spread. Once a team is used, it can’t be selected again. The entry fee is $1,000 (five max) and it’s winner- take-all for $1 million with a $1 million bonus for going 18-0. n


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Table ATMsA new automated cashless gaming system, ACS PlayOn, is making its

way onto table games in multiple casinos. It’s a small debit-card reader from which you can buy chips, bypassing the cage and casino ATMs. The fee is roughly the same as for a standard ATM: a flat $4, plus 2.5% of your withdrawal amount. It accepts debit cards only—no credit cards. ACS PlayOn was tested at Red Rock in 2019, then rolled out at the Palms and the D last month. It will also be installed at the Golden Gate soon. n

Gambling NotesWynner—A player at Wynn Las Vegas hit a $1.73 million jackpot on a

$1 Wheel of Fortune Spin Triple Gold machine. TI Sports Book—Treasure Island now has a 24-hour sports book. It’s

the third in Las Vegas, joining Golden Gate and South Point.Madness Contests—No contests for this year’s NCAA Men’s Basket-

ball Tournament have been announced, but that doesn’t mean something won’t pop up. Last year, contests were held at Station Casinos ($25 entry) and Rampart (free).

Boyd YAH—Last month, we incorrectly reported that the Boyd casi-nos’ “Young at Heart” promotion, with benefits for ages 50 and up, had switched from Tuesdays to Wednesdays. We got that reversed; YAH now runs on Tuesdays.

Hit Count—In the wake of the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, some sports books are putting up lines on how many Astros will be hit by pitches this year, due to opposition retaliation. The line opened at 83.5. Alex Bregman is the 7-2 favorite to be hit first in a regular-season game.

Remote-Controlled Slots—The Hard Rock in Atlantic City has launched the first-ever physical slot machines that are controlled by players online. The machines are no different from normal casino slots, except they’re connected to the Internet, so they can be played on devices remotely. Players with an online Hard Rock account can access the machines via the website; if all 12 are occupied, they can get in a virtual waiting line.

Gambling Talk—While the jury is still out on the XFL’s viability, one thing’s certain: Gambling is a big part of the plan. Announcers and analysts weren’t shy about quoting lines in the opening games, especially on the ESPN telecasts.

Robot Dealers—A gaming manufacturer in China has developed a robot that can deal baccarat. The company says that the artificial intelli-gence robot can “steadily and accurately deliver cards in a thrilling bacca-

Gambling continued …


rat game” (thrilling?). The robot was displayed at a gaming convention, but has not yet been used in live play. n

Video Poker Lost and FoundWhile it may not have played out completely yet, it looks like Station

Casinos has standardized its video poker inventory across all properties. Following the eradication of Full Pay Deuces Wild last month, inventory lists at the online database vpFREE2 indicate that the best schedules at all Stations, Fiestas, and the Palms are 10/7 Double Bonus (100.17%), Loose Deuces Wild (100.15%), and 10/6 Double Double Bonus (100.07%). The DB and DDB games are in denoms from 25¢ to $1 and the LDW is 25¢ only. All properties also have several schedules returning 99%+.

Also according to vpFREE2, the Aces and Eights progressive at Circus Circus has been removed. The game was famous for lasting so long, given its 100.25% return at reset.

The best game at the Mint Tavern is 6/5 Bonus Poker (96.87%), but there’s a play-$20-get-$10 sign-up bonus.

The best game at the Distill bars is 6/5 BP, but you get $20 free-play in your birthday month. There are five Distills in town with independent cards, so you should be able to make a $100 b’day run.

Bob Dancer’s free video poker classes run on Tuesdays in the Silverado Lounge at South Point—beginner’s classes at noon and intermediate at 2 pm, except where otherwise noted. Must be 21. Topics are Advanced NSU Deuces Wild, one class only at noon (on 3/3); 13/4/3 Deuces Bonus Progressive (3/10); What Video Poker Players Should Know About Slot Clubs, one class only at noon (3/17). Be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tuesday blog and the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast, with Bob and Richard Munchkin, both at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n

Inside Game

The movie Inside Game has premiered in theaters. It’s based on the 2007 scandal involving three childhood friends, including a bookie and an NBA referee, who came up with a “foolproof” scheme to bet on games that the referee, Tim Donaghy, was officiating. The scheme was uncovered by the FBI and Donaghy pleaded guilty and served 15 months in a federal prison. It was the biggest betting scandal in NBA history and perhaps the biggest in professional sports. It appears to be a limited release, so it won’t be easy to find. Amazingly, Donaghy is currently the front man for a betting picks website.

https://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/gambling-with-an-edge/category/podcast/


1–2 Int’l Wireless Comm.—12,000 19–22 Nat’l Assoc. of Broadcasters—103,000

5-7 Hospitality Design Expo—18,500 5-7 LIGHTFair International—27,000 5-7 Nat’l Hardware Show—37,000 17-19 RECon Expo—37,000 19-21 Licensing Int’l Expo—16,000 21-31 Valley Nat’l 8-Ball—10,000

KEY dates

WEEKENDGold Coast • $94Four Queens • $99California • $100

Downtown Grand • $101Circus Circus • $111Orleans • $114

Paris • $188The Cromwell • $190Palazzo • $194

WEEKDAYFremont • $48Four Queens • $49California • $51

Downtown Grand • $54Circus Circus • $57OYO • $58

Paris • $103The Cromwell • $117Caesars Palace • $139

APRIL

WEEKENDSilver Sevens • $97Four Queens • $99California • $100

Circus Circus • $101Downtown Grand • $102Orleans • $103

Paris • $177Mirage • $196 The Cromwell • $207

WEEKDAYFour Queens • $49Fremont • $51Main Street Station • $51

Downtown Grand • $53Circus Circus • $54Orleans • $57

Paris • $96Mirage • $116Red Rock Resort • $119

WEEKENDEl Cortez • $76Fremont • $87Wild Wild West • $87

Circus Circus • $91Downtown Grand • $96Sam’s Town • $97

Red Rock Resort • $152Paris • $186 Green Valley Ranch • $189

WEEKDAYWild Wild West • $39El Cortez • $40Four Queens • $48

Circus Circus • $51Downtown Grand • $53Orleans • $55

Paris • $92 Mirage • $96Red Rock Resort • $119

13–19 Audiovisual & Integrated Experience—38,000 27–29 Int’l Esthetics Cosmetic & Spa—25,000 30–7/2 Cosmoprof N. Am. Expo—35,000

Best rates at press time. Rates NOT guaranteed, subject to change with-out notice, and do not include tax. Lower prices may be available online.

ROOM rates

Mean 56° Avg. Max. 69° Avg. Min. 42°Pools: ClosedA fickle month for weather. Occasional rain and high winds, warm days.Attire: Light jacket or sweater for evenings.

MAY

JUNE

WEATHERMARCH

APRIL

MAYMean 74° Avg. Max. 88° Avg. Min. 60°Pools: OpenThe most pleasant month of the year. Las Vegas at its best. Summer heat begins at the end of the month.Attire: Spring wardrobe.

Mean 64° Avg. Max. 78° Avg. Min. 50°Pools: OpenDaily highs reach into the 80s with regularity. Winds subside.Attire: Spring wrdrobe for days. Bring a warm jacket just in case.

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MAY

JUNE

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The Frugal Gambler Casino GuideJean Scott • $12.71 +S&H ($16.95 Retail)

Though Jean Scott was well-known to a select few Las Vegas aficionados throughout the ’90s, it wasn’t until the publication of The Frugal Gambler in 1998 that she became a household name to casino players across the country. Since then, it’s likely that no gambling personality has been fea-tured more often in the media than this “Gambling Grandma.” Her frequent national publicity, her long-term suc-cess in casinos around the world, and the solid low-rolling advantage-play techniques she’s divulged along the way have all helped catapult Scott’s frugal-gambler series into the ranks of best-selling gambling books.

The Frugal Gambler Casino Guide both updates and backdates The Frugal Gambler and More Frugal Gambling by covering, in comprehen-sive detail, the state-of-the-art of casino gambling for low-rollers and the concepts on which frugal gambling is built: how to lose less and play longer.

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