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We absolutely love a happy ending. One of the happiest of all endings is when we share news before anyone else and it’s later confirmed.

Back in June 2024, we reported Sphere was working on two top secret projects. It was confirmed Sphere is spending $80 million to bring “The Wizard of Oz” to its high-tech screen.

Now, Sphere has confirmed the other piece of our scoop: The venue will soon debut “V-U2,” a concert film of U2’s residency at Sphere. This “Inception” moment (a Sphere movie about a Sphere residency) launches Sep. 5, 2024.

Like everything new in Las Vegas in the past five years, “V-U2” is being promoted as “immersive.” It’s the law. In this case, however, the term might actually apply. It’s the Sphere.

U2’s Sphere 40-show residency (Sep. 2023 through Mar. 2024), “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere,” was a smash. It makes sense, then, that the band and Sphere have found a way to extend the show (translation: revenue stream).

The new film’s official name is “V-U2 An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas,” which is way too long, so we’re using the bris version, “V-U2.”

The movie was directed by U2’s Edge and Morleigh Steinberg, Edge’s wife, who is also probably a talented dancer, choreographer, lighting designer and director. Even Variety got her name wrong.

Oh, that’s right, it’s not “The Edge,” is just “Edge.” Ditto “Sphere,” apparently. Although, “the Sphere” is acceptable, but don’t you dare capitalize it.

Directing a concert movie isn’t really directing, per se. They’re basically help edit footage of a performance directed by someone else, in this case, Willie Williams.

Here’s a teaser.

Tickets for the U2 movie will start at $100 (“all-in pricing”), about what folks are paying for “Postcard from Earth,” another film made specifically for Sphere.

Here’s more about “V-U2”: “To create this larger-than-life concert film, a number of Big Sky cameras captured the band at extraordinary scale, sharpness and clarity. ‘V-U2’ employs Sphere’s immersive technologies including the 160,000 sq. ft. display plane, which at 16k x 16k resolution is the world’s highest-resolution LED screen; Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by Holoplot, which provides crystal-clear sound to every seat in Sphere; and haptic seats, which use vibrations so guests can ‘feel’ the experience. All of these technologies, which were used to great effect in ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere,’ will be leveraged in this Sphere Experience in new and different ways to reinforce the feeling of ‘being there’.”

While “Postcard” is bringing lots of bodies to Sphere, even at $100 a pop, the venue is losing a massive amount of money, nearly half a billion dollars over the past fiscal year. We wrote about it a day or two ago. Please keep up.

The fact is, U2 is one of the few big bands up for competing with the stunning (and sometimes overwhelming) visuals at Sphere. To make a splash to open the venue, Sphere gave U2 $10 million and 90% of the box office.

Are movies enough to keep Sphere afloat? Unknown. Is a U2 concert film a good fit for Sphere? Definitely. Was the height of U2’s popularity in the late 1980s? Don’t make it awkward. Are we asking these questions because we can’t think of a good way to end this story without bragging about our scoop again due to our incredible modesty? You bet.

The post Confirmed: Sphere Las Vegas at Venetian to Feature “V-U2” Concert Film appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Out with passable burgers, in with Mexican.

A successor has been named for the former Holsteins Shakes and Buns at Cosmopolitan, which we told you was closing long before it was announced, as is our way.

The new concept: Mariposa Rosa Mexican Restaurant.

In a rare turn of events, the Las Vegas Review-Journal was the first to share news about Mariposa Rosa. While the “paper of record” lacks the integrity to give attribution for original reporting, we aren’t that petty, probably.

What the Review-Journal didn’t say is how hard it is to get excited by another Mexican restaurant.

The restaurants at Cosmo overall are fairly underwhelming, other than Superfrico, so anything new in the mix is welcome.

The restaurant line-up changes (anticipate more) follow Cosmopolitan being integrated into the MGM Resorts family of casinos. Holsteins just wasn’t cutting the mustard.

The casino’s Identity loyalty program recently became MGM Rewards.

The construction of Mariposa Rosa Mexican Restaurant will reportedly cost $2.9 million and will be a Gen3 Hospitality concept.

Holstein’s at Cosmo is officially past tense. Yes, we shared news of the closure first, but it’s not always about us, probably. Archive: https://t.co/1G5NrySADJ pic.twitter.com/PTL2pcWhjD

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) July 24, 2024

Gen3’s collection of underwhelming restaurants include Elephant Bar (formerly in Vegas-adjacent Henderson, permanently closed), as well as Haute Doggery and Flour & Barley pizza at Linq.

The only other Mexican offering we can think of at Cosmo is China Poblano by Jose Andres, the rare miss by the famous chef.

Mariposa Rosa Mexican Restaurant hasn’t shared a logo, menu, Executive Chef, opening date or renderings of the interior of the restaurant yet. Since the advent of A.I., we don’t have to wait for a lot of those things.

There was no further information about when Mariposa Rosa Mexican Restaurant might open, but in the meantime, head across the street to Nacho Daddy at the Miracle Mile Shops.

Update (9/18/24): Cosmopolitan has confirmed the new Mexican restaurant’s name will be Amaya Modern Mexican Restaurant. Mariposa Rosa Mexican Restaurant was a placeholder name. The concept is set to open January 2025.

The post Holsteins Replacement Named at Cosmo: Mariposa Rosa Mexican Restaurant appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The poker room at Caesars Palace has closed temporarily.

The space will be used for slot machines as the resort upgrades its high limit slot room.

That’s pretty much the entire story, but we were looking for another excuse to show off our fisheye photo of the poker room at Caesars Palace.

The closure is expected to last 2-3 months, about the period of time since we last had sex. And by “months” we mean “years.”

There have been some internal discussions about the possibility of a temporary poker room at Caesars, but there’s been no movement in that direction recently.

Poker rooms don’t really move the needle in terms of casino revenue, so they’re sort of considered disposable. Translation: When one closes, it’s not a huge loss. Unless you’re a poker dealer, of course.

Venetian doesn’t care, as it just opened what’s been touted as the biggest poker room on The Strip.

If your hackles went up when we said poker isn’t a big money-maker for casinos, please note Caesars Entertainment just sold its World Series of Poker brand.

WSOP sold for $500 million. Which seems to contradict our statement about poker not making money for casinos.

Life is complicated. Sometimes, two things can be true at the same time. Like the fact superhero movies tend to be terrible yet they make a lot of money for movie studios, or Las Vegas can be both the best (strip clubs) and worst (120-degree heat) place in the world. Complexity makes life interesting.

Take chefs, for example: Bobby Flay is a great chef, but Bobby’s Burgers taste like feet. Gordon Ramsay is mean to people on “Hell’s Kitchen,” then he’s a sweetheart to kids on “MasterChef Junior.” Guy Fieri can be a gag reflex-inducing goofball and his restaurants can be quite good. We could go on and on, but eventually we’d make a joke about Giada De Laurentiis and get canceled. Moving on.

In most casino games, players play against the house, the casino. In poker, players play against each other. The house takes a small commission, or “rake.” Playing poker is the closest we’ve ever come to raking. We tend to wait for a strong breeze.

Anyway, the rake in poker is a fraction of what slot machines generate in the same amount of space.

Poker rooms are sort of a public service, to give guys a place to go in order to avoid spending time with their families. (Yes, it’s mostly guys. Only about five percent of poker players are female.)

How we have managed to fluff up this story to more than 400 words, we have no idea. Thank you for reading this far. You would probably be a great poker player, as you have exhibited both a high degree of patience and an admirable ability to endure bullshit. Shuffle up and deal!

The post Caesars Palace Poker Room Closes Temporarily appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Some long-standing questions have been answered by Mirage: The resort will close July 17, 2024 (at 1:00 p.m.) as it gets a major overhaul and rebrand to Hard Rock Las Vegas. Technically, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas, but nobody’s going to call it that.

The news was first shared an an employee all-hands meeting on May 15, 2024.

Hard Rock Las Vegas will reopen in May of 2027.

Following the announcement of the purchase of Mirage by the Seminole tribe in 2021 (the deal closed in 2022), rumors and speculation was rampant about how the massive renovation of the resort would happen, especially since casino leadership said early on they might keep Mirage open during construction. That seemed unlikely, and now we know.

Mirage will take a much-deserved vacation as the resort is stripped to its bones and given a make-over, including the addition of a new guitar-shaped hotel tower.

While unfortunate for the employees of Mirage, this seems the only practical way of doing such an extensive overhaul. It’s really more like a ground-up build, but cheaper.

Why did Mirage play the closure so close to the vest? Because the company didn’t want employees to bail.

On the bright side, we suspect there will be some generous severance checks (typically done by seniority). Mirage will need employees when it reopens, and no sense burning more bridges than necessary. The company will pay about $80 million packages to eligible employees. About 3,300 employees will be affected by the closure.

Mirage says it’s “expected to double the current number of jobs at The Mirage for the Las Vegas community, while the renovation of the property will generate over 2,500 construction jobs.”

Joe Lupo, President of Mirage, said, “While we pause for the incredible transformation of this iconic property, I’d like to thank all team members at The Mirage for their incredible commitment and helping us provide memorable experiences for our guests. We are planning to host collaborative hiring events with other employers in the Las Vegas community over the coming months. Connecting the thousands of talented Mirage team members who provide outstanding service with new employment opportunities is a top priority.”

Here’s more about the top-to-bottom reconstruction of Mirage.

There are a lot of details yet to be hammered out, but hotel reservations and show tickets for dates after July 14, 2024 will be canceled and refunded. Here’s an FAQ, but it wasn’t working when we tried it, as we assume the Mirage site is overwhelmed.

Yes, Shin Lim’s show is closing on that date. It was previously announced “Love” will close July 7. For anyone paying attention, the closure of Mirage isn’t a surprise, as we noted Cirque’s inadvertent leak of the timeline in an April 9 memo.

Juicy! Internal Cirque memo shares details about Mirage's plans that even Mirage hasn't shared yet. pic.twitter.com/hNcEvWN5p0

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) April 9, 2024

Yes, the volcano is done. Stop by to say goodbye before July 17.

The Mirage opened in 1989, and was pretty much the template for the Las Vegas we know today. We’re going to need a much bigger sad trombone.

Update (5/15/24): Here’s the internal memo to employees about the closure of Mirage.

Mirage chips can be redeemed at Mirage through July 17, 2024. Chips can be redeemed at Treasure Island up to 120 days after July 17, 2024.

As for Mirage slot vouchers, “All slot vouchers can be redeemed at The Mirage by July 17, 2024. After July 17, 2024, slot vouchers can be redeemed by the expiration date printed on the slot voucher via mail to 3400 S Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109. Guests must provide a copy of their identification card if the guest does not have a Unity account with The Mirage. All mail must be postmarked by the expiration date of the voucher.”

The post Mirage Resort to Close for Rebrand to Hard Rock Las Vegas appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The Jay Owenhouse magic show, performed in a tent across from Mandalay Bay, has discreetly closed. Or, as people used to say, “pulled up stakes.”

Jay Owenhouse is known for his big cats, but that element of the show didn’t sit well with the Clark County Board of Commissioners, so the short-lived tent production was catless.

The show opened on Thanksgiving 2023, as quietly as it closed. The whole Owenhouse saga has been, well, odd.

There has been no official announcement of the closure of the show, nor has it been confirmed.

However, if you follow the “Buy Tickets” link on the Jay Owenhouse site, you get this.

Other outlets where tickets are normally sold (if tickets were, in fact, sold) show no tickets available for any upcoming dates.

The Owenhouse tent sat on the site of the former Skyvue observation wheel. At one point, the site was being cleared and the rumor was the long-abandoned pillars would be removed. You know the ones. The pillars endure, sadly.

Tent is going up for catless Jay Owenhouse show across from Mandalay Bay. Workers now saying the observation wheel columns stay. (h/t @JamesInLasVegas) pic.twitter.com/EHhmi6EOue

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) October 3, 2023

So, what’s odd about this whole saga? A lot.

Jay Owenhouse’s story is intertwined with that of another Las Vegas magician, Dirk Arthur.

We wrote about their Venn diagrams overlapping when Dirk Arthur passed away. Rumors swirled about Arthur’s death and some of the financial dealings between Owenhouse and Arthur.

Owenhouse was one of the last people to see Dirk Arthur alive, and moved into Dirk Arthur’s home almost immediately after Arthur’s death, we were told.

The deed for the sale of Arthur’s home was filed one day before his death. The home was sold to Clair W. Daines, trustee of the Daines Family Living Trust. Clair Daines is Jay Owenhouse’s father-in-law.

There has rarely been more “Nothing to see here!” in Las Vegas entertainment than this whole shady mishegoss. We didn’t want to use the word “saga” again.

And don’t get us started about what happened with Dirk Arthur’s 10 exotic cats. It’s all just part of the WTF brushed under the carpet because Las Vegas doesn’t have entertainment journalism.

Jay Owenhouse’s show was doomed form the start, but to its credit, it lasted six months longer than anyone anticipated. Hemorrhaging money the entire time, we assume.

Using a tent probably lowered overhead, but promoting a show in a crowded entertainment market takes deep pockets. Without exotic cats, there was nothing to distinguish Owenhouse’s show, and it got zero buzz, good or bad.

The biggest selling point was probably his very attractive kids, but from what we’ve seen, Jay Owenhouse has all the charisma of cheese curd. Enjoy this brainless advertorial segment on the local news (“Largest touring illusion show in America!”). Fun fact: “The Morning Blend” gets about 10,000 viewers, or about as many as can fit into one of the in-room whirlpool tubs at Bellagio.

Same old hacky props we’ve seen endlessly, but Owenhouse’s show did have 4.6 stars on Yelp. With 26 reviews. Did we mention he has a big family? Just saying.

We got no response to questions about what’s next for the Owenhouse tent, or the show, but we’ll share them if we get them.

Big thanks to Sam Novak at Vegas411.com for the heads up about this show closing.

Jay Owenhouse probably deserves props for making a go of a show outside a casino. It was an uphill battle from day one, especially when one relies on big cats as a draw. Shows featuring animals are disappearing, thankfully, but that leaves people like Owenhouse with no marketing hook and lots of hungry mouths to feed.

It seems lots of entertainers are still living on a prayer, but the Las Vegas entertainment landscape has changed dramatically. Even good production shows with money for advertising are experiencing declining ticket sales due to sports, bigtime headliner residencies and The Sphere.

Cheesy magic shows in Las Vegas are fading faster than buffets, free parking, coin slots, 3-to-2 blackjack and tipping. Long story.

Update (5/11/24): We heard back from the Owenhouse camp. The rep stated, “We completed our six month residency in the tent and are looking at doing another  international tour this fall. We are also exploring offers into a permanent building on The Strip.”

The post Jay Owenhouse Magic Show Pulls Up Stakes appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The greatest era in music is getting its own show at Linq, “Discoshow.” The greatest era in music was disco. In case that wasn’t readily apparent.

The show recently began the search for performers and the casting notice provides some insight to what audiences might expect when “Discoshow” opens mid-2024.

“Discoshow” comes from Spiegelworld and the demented geniuses behind “Absinthe” at Caesars Palace, “OPM” at Cosmo and “Atomic Saloon” at Venetian.

Why are we talking about the show when it doesn’t open until 2024? Because Spiegelworld. And disco. Please keep up.

The production will happen in the space that used to be the hotel’s sportsbook, renamed the Glitterloft. Demolition of the space was recently completed.

Before (2014ish) and current pics of the sportsbook at Imperial Palace, now Linq. Next up, “DiscoShow.” https://t.co/smoUCetMzN pic.twitter.com/c0YAmurA7V

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) May 5, 2023

Here’s what the casting notice provides as the show’s “storyline”: “Spiegelworld’s ‘Discoshow’ is inspired by the spirit of David Mancuso’s famous Loft parties which erupted out of the squalor and oppression of 1970s New York and gave birth to disco. The DJ was worshiped and salvation was found on the dance floor. A group of young New Yorkers, from all corners of the city, invite you to join them on a night out as they embrace their lust for life and search for the space where they can live out loud. Discoshow is an experiential event with a 1970s soul and a 2020s attitude. Set inside a transformative space, this 70-minute live show is unlike any other entertainment in Las Vegas—an intensity of light, sound, LED video, movement, dance, humor and emotion. We are not a passive audience sitting on the sidelines. There are no seats. We are invited to step inside the action with the characters; into their lives, on the streets, at the club—encouraged at every moment to lose and find ourselves in the music. To have fun. And to dance.”

Today we learned the collective noun for “light, sound, LED video, movement, dance, humor and emotion” is “intensity.”

As with everything Spiegelworld, there’s a lot of backstory you don’t need to know to enjoy the show, it just adds layers to your enjoyment if you know the backstory.

We get the feeling it’s not really about the story in “Discoshow.” It’s the vibe.

Our main takeaway from that “storyline” is the Glitterloft won’t have chairs. Brilliant, really!

Without chairs, you can sell more tickets.

In addition, no chairs means no conflicted Yelp reviews saying the chairs were uncomfortable and it felt like you were sitting on someone’s lap. Looking at you, “Absinthe.”

The biggest benefit of having no chairs? Standing ovations, literally every show. (Criss Angel gets them, too, but it’s through chicanery.)

The show is looking for a dozen featured performers. We’ll just share these as an image to avoid any transcription errors, and by that we mean it’s easier than exerting actual effort.

The casting call also provides a little inside baseball related to compensation. We trust these numbers are standard for performers in Spiegelworld shows, so, now we know what performers earn in these popular productions.

The “rate of pay” for “Discoshow” will be $1,200 per week during rehearsals. The show pay is a minimum of $2,100/week for 10 90-minute (or shorter) shows per week (two shows per day, five nights a week).

An additional perk: “Access to an employee shared health insurance program.”

The compensation is pretty good, but the bar is high and there’s a lot of competition.

A note from Spiegelworld says, “We’re not just looking for performers; we’re searching for storytellers. Those who can weave tales through a gesture, a stance, a fleeting glance. We are looking for folks who can commit wholeheartedly to the devising process. While prior experience in devising is preferred, a strong aptitude and willingness to dive into this approach is equally valued.”

Ah, theater people.

The “devising process,” of course, means the show is unlikely to be scripted, but will be developed during the rehearsal process. Unlike with TV shows and movies, the lack of a finalized script isn’t chaos, it’s a gift to performers, as they can bring their talents and inspiration to the endeavor and make the parts, and the show, their own.

The improvisation can then be honed and audiences get to see the results of a truly collaborative process.

If you’ve seen any of the current Spiegelworld shows, you can see the fruits of this creative process. Spiegelworld shows have an energy that’s tough to duplicate, which is why the “Absinthe” formula (circus plus variety plus comedy) isn’t easy to steal. Although, Cirque managed it pretty well with “Mad Apple” at New York-New York.

We’re genuinely excited to see what Spiegelworld has in store for “Discoshow,” even if we have to wait a damn year to see it (the show as announced in March 2023). Let’s go!

The post “Discoshow” Details Revealed in Casting Call appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Circus Circus was looking a little haggard, but every resort in Las Vegas is applying its lipstick for a date with F1 in November, this beloved (and maligned) resort included.

Circus Circus shared some photos of its recently-completed exterior refresh.

A little love can make a big difference.

Circus Circus opened in 1968. It’s unclear if the casino had been repainted before now.

We tease because we love!

No, really, we love Circus Circus. It’s the only Strip casino that still has coin slot machines! And we love what they’ve done with the place.

Circus Circus was very excited to share all the companies involved with the roof refresh.

The project was completed by Commercial Roofers, “the women-owned, largest roofing contractor in the Las Vegas valley, using products from GAF, North America’s largest roofing and waterproofing manufacturer.”

There’s even a name for the color used to paint Circus Circus: “Utilizing GAF’s coating products to create custom colors to match the original vivid hues such as Exuberant Pink, Commercial Roofers was able to deliver on a new roof to revitalize the circus exterior.”

As it’s obvious you’re a paint nerd at this point, here’s more: “GAF products applied include GAF Barrier Guard, GAF Unibase Primer, GAF High-Tensile Acrylic Topcoat and finally, the GAF Kymax Coatings in exuberant pink and white to match the Circus Circus signature colors. These products ensured a long-lasting, fade-resistant, robust coating that withstand extreme heat, wind, and weather conditions—all scenarios that Circus Circus’ roof must endure in their location.”

Dibs on all these band names! Barrier Guard, Unibase Primer, Acrylic Topcoat, Kymax Coatings.

More fun facts that could win you a bar bet someday: “The 43,500 square-foot roof consisted of 41,300 square-feet on the tent proper and 2,200 square-feet on the flat, which presented technical challenges due to its steep 12/12 pitch in a 90-degree angle at the top.”

Whatever the logistics involved, Circus Circus is looking great, and just in time for F1, as well as the opening of Fontainebleau, its fancy neighbor just across the street.

The owner of Circus Circus, Phil Ruffin, also owns TI. He’s known for being a little fiscally conservative when it comes to capital investments (a fancy way of saying “cheap”), but it’s been reported a $30 million renovation is currently underway at the resort’s Adventuredome, in addition to the exterior overhaul project.

There have also been promises of improvements to Slots-A-Fun at Circus Circus, but we have seen little evidence that’s happening.

Slots A Sadness at Circus Circus. pic.twitter.com/4mbXyJKdsp

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) May 19, 2023

Still, the beautification of the Circus Circus tent is a great step in the right direction for the old girl.

Here’s a mind-bending fun fact.

The original cost to build Circus Circus was $15 million. The creator of Circus Circus also built Caesars Palace, owned by Caesars Entertainment. Caesars Entertainment just paid hackers a ransom to avoid disruption of their business. The ransom? It was $15 million. Boom.

See you at the Circus Circus midway! And by that we mean The Steakhouse.

The post Circus Circus Gets Gussied Up for Its Date With F1 appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Venetian Resort has finally announced the day it will end free self-parking. We’re not going to share the date in this paragraph, because delayed gratification is more satisfying.

You might say it’s the blog version of “edging.”

Learn to live with disappointment. At least until after this photo.

An internal memo to Venetian’s tenants and partners says paid self-parking will go into effect on August 29, 2023.

Are you not entertained?

We were the first to get our hands on the announcement, as that is how we roll. Look, if we had a life, breaking stories wouldn’t be such a big deal. We’re hoping to get a life, but apparently there have been supply chain disruptions, and that’s the story we’re sticking to.

Here’s the memo from Venetian management.

On August 18, 2023, Venetian shared the first details of its new paid parking policy.

The internal missive reiterates the details of the paid parking plan: Grazie Rewards Premier members and above will receive complimentary parking. Paid self-parking for hotel guests starts Sep. 5 (for those who booked on or after August 24, 2023).

Nevada residents get three hours of free parking.

The cost for hotel guests will be $18 per day. For non-hotel guests, rates start at $15 for up to four hours, Monday through Thursday. Four to 24 hours will be $18, Monday through Thursday. The fee will be $23 per day Friday through Sunday.

Valet still costs $35 a day.

All of this is subject to change, of course, because Venetian and Palazzo are going to take a massive hit when this program is rolled out. The imagined influx of cars going to shows at the Sphere is unlikely to transpire, and even if it does, it’s only going to be in the evening for concerts and movies.

Then again, customers have gotten used to paying for parking at Strip casinos, so Venetian/Palazzo could emerge unscathed, with a new source of revenue and a “screening process” to keep out employees of neighboring businesses and guests who aren’t really their desired customers in the first place.

As always, we’re obligated to mention paid parking is the norm everywhere else in the world, and rates are often much, much higher. Shout-out to everyone in New York City, Chicago and L.A. nodding right now.

The blame for the implementation of paid parking at Venetian rests directly on the bulbous noggin of the Sphere. The paid parking program is part of gearing up for the opening of the $2.2 billion entertainment venue on Sep. 29, 2023.

From the moment we heard Venetian/Palazzo would start charging for parking, we predicted Wynn Las Vegas will now be forced to do so as well. Rumblings are Wynn Las Vegas is partnering with Sphere during events, but it’s unknown if that will result in 24/7 paid self-parking. Wynn previously charged for parking, but rolled the policy back when it had a negative effect on business levels, especially at Wynn Plaza.

That leaves just a few hold-outs on The Strip: Tropicana (some parking is “premium”), TI, Casino Royale, Circus Circus and Resorts World (for loyalty club members).

This means one needs more Las Vegas parking hacks!

Like the free parking lot behind Target beneath BrewDog and Olive Garden across from Park MGM, or the free parking lot at Harmon Corner, or the four free spaces outside the sportsbook at Paris, or the free parking lot at Stage Door and Battista’s Hole in the Wall, or the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.

We’d say Fashion Show Mall, but given its proximity to Venetian and Wynn, that could end up being another domino to fall.

Venetian held out as long as it could on paid parking, but somebody in the company had a freak-out, so now we pay. Or don’t go there. Viable option, despite Venetian being one of the most beautiful casino resorts in the world.

Venetian was sold by Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. to Apollo Global and Vici Properties in 2022. Would Sheldon Adelson approve of paid parking? Unfortunately, he was unavailable for comment.

Oh, stop your cringing. It’s been more than two years. If you think two years is “too soon,” go back to breastfeeding like that Robert Arryn kid on “Game of Thrones,” you big baby.

Anyway, while we hope Venetian will do a turnaround on its paid parking policy, it’s a longshot. As other casinos found, visitors didn’t stop visiting because of paid parking (many find ways to avoid the charges, such as being in a casino’s players club or getting their credit card, which bumps them up to a tier status that gets them free parking).

Ultimately, any remaining outrage about paid parking comes from the fact Las Vegas is being compared to its former self. Things evolve. Economics change. Spheres happen.

We’ll all get around in the Vegas Loop soon enough, so the whole conversation will be moot. Unless Elon Musk takes a blow to the head from Mark Zuckerberg and forgets where he put his Prufrock tunnel drill.

Too soon?

The post Venetian Paid Self-Parking Start Date Announced appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Some are born into F1, some achieve F1 and others have F1 thrust upon them.

Ellis Island is the latest casino to have F1 thrust upon them, and we love the place, so we’re happy for them, probably. Nevermind the months of infuriating traffic jams out front for the last few months.

Ellis is ready to cash in on F1 fever as an “official venue of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit” with “Turn 4 at Ellis Island Casino.”

The F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix happens Nov. 16018, 2023.

Ellis Island has the possibly good fortune of being along the course for the big race.

Ellis Island is the closest hotel-casino to the Las Vegas Grand Prix Paddock Building on Koval Lane.

The casino doesn’t have all the fancy amenities a typical Strip casino has, and doesn’t seem a particularly good fit for the highfalutin folks F1 claims it will draw to Las Vegas, but if we were forced to take part in the F1 festivities, we’d probably do it at Ellis Island.

The “Turn 4 at Ellis Island Casino” deals include grandstand viewing, The Front Yard and hotel packages.

It’s a slow news day, so let’s dig into the options!

Grandstand viewing: “Constructed in front of the hotel, this primary viewing area will allow for guests to enjoy the sights and sounds of Turn 4 and the Koval Straightaway. Tickets will include complimentary food supplied by Ellis’ award-winning restaurants and soft drinks. Cash bars will be available throughout the viewing area as well as entertainment.”

We look forward to rocking the cash bars, rocking the cash bars. (As a youth, you are not expected to understand this reference.)

The Front Yard: “The indoor-outdoor beer garden sits parallel to the racetrack on Koval Lane. Guests will enjoy food, beverages and entertainment. As a ticketholder in The Front Yard, guests will also have access to an observation deck erected adjacent to The Front Yard. Guests will have the ability to move back and forth between the indoor/outdoor beer garden and The Front Yard Platform.”

We look forward to seeing this new erection.

Hotel packages: “Exclusive room and ticket packages are available by booking directly through the Ellis Island website.”

We look forward to commenting about the fact “Web site” will always be two words for us, despite the fact style and usage guides now say otherwise.

Here’s a link to the Ellis Island F1 page.

Grandstand tickets are $1,500, a little aspirational for the typical Ellis Island customer, but give access for all three days of the race. And they include food. Good luck getting a slice of pizza for $1,500 on race days on The Strip.

Interestingly, F1 has been strong-arming Strip venues for $1,500 a person to license views of the race. If venues don’t pony up, F1 reps “have warned that obstructions like barricades, stands and light stanchions could end up ruining the race for their customers.”

So, it looks like Ellis Island is offering grandstand viewing at-cost! We can put a positive spin on anything. Testicular cancer? Hey, it’s just the one testicle, probably!

Ellis Island hotel packages are $5,000 and include three nights at the hotel and two grandstand tickets. Not bad compared to many of the packages being offered elsewhere.

Wynn Las Vegas, for example, has a $1 million F1 package. Caesars Palace has a $5 million package.

Ellis Island making a little extra cabbage during F1 would be one of the few upsides we’ve seen related to this event, so more power to them.

Regulars will probably be pushed out during the three days of F1 hoopla, but we’ll be back. Ellis Island is one of the most unpretentious, value-oriented casinos in Las Vegas, despite being in close proximity to all this F1 nonsense.

Gird your loins for sky-high beer prices at Ellis Island during F1. Which basically means $5, rather than $2.50. Ellis is always going to Ellis.

The post Ellis Island Casino Sucked Into the F1 Vortex appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The 54th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) has dubbed its Main Event champion: Daniel Weinman.

Weinman bested 10,043 players to win $12.1 million, the equivalent of 12 cabanas at a typical Las Vegas dayclub.

The win is the largest Main Event prize in the history of the World Series of Poker.

Practice, apparently, makes perfect, as this was Daniel Weinman’s 16th year playing in the World Series of Poker.

The entire prize pool for the WSOP Main Event was $93.4 million.

Let’s just say this isn’t your grandpa’s poker night with the boys from the Veteran’s Lodge.

The Main Event is the most visible part of the World Series of Poker, a months-long series of events where mostly grown men vie for fancy jewelry. And by that, we mean mostly men, but mostly grown applies in many cases. If you know, you know.

Here are some words from the WSOP’s news release to describe how the Main Event culminated: “Steven Jones kicked off the final day of play on Monday in the lead with a chip count of 238,000,000. Adam Walton was the first to exit the final table after losing to Weinman’s pocket aces. After 23 hands in heads up play, tensions were high as both Jones and Weinman each tabled a pair of jacks, but Weinman had him out-kicked with a king, taking home the win in dramatic fashion.”

In poker, “dramatic” is used very loosely, as most poker is about as much fun to watch as concrete curing.

Still, there’s no denying the excitement around a guy winning $12.1 million dollars and a bejeweled bracelet as large as a surfboard.

The winner’s bracelet features 500 grams of 10-karat yellow gold, 2,352 gemstones, including 42 carats of diamonds, and 425 black and red stones to accentuate the suits.

While they didn’t get a fancy bracelet, the runners-up did pretty well. Steven Jones placed second in the Main Event and won $6.5 million. Walton took third place and a prize of $4 million.

We don’t follow the WSOP too closely, but we can’t remember the last time the top three finishers were all American. Not too shabby.

Daniel Weinman is a professional poker player, but his LinkedIn page says, “I’m a full stack web developer who specializes in building React.js applications, but prefers backend development. I enjoy building full stack applications from the ground up, generally using Node.js and Express for the backend.”

We want to party with this guy.

It was great to see the WSOP is still going strong following the move from its longtime home at Rio to Horseshoe on The Strip.

Yes, we were the first to share the WSOP would be moving to Horseshoe, known as Bally’s at the time. Not everything has to be about us, though, so please stop with the accolades. Our scoop was shared in June 2019 (see below) and confirmed in Nov. 2021.

More on the future home of WSOP: Look ye not unto Caesars Forum, but rather Bally's. Romans said "ye," right?

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) June 6, 2019

The number of poker rooms in Las Vegas may have declined dramatically, mostly because they don’t generate revenue for casinos, but the high level of attendance at this years World Series of Poker confirms there are still a lot of folks busy flopping and big blinding and check-raising and splashing the pot and belly busting and limping and nut flushing and cracking and pocket pairing and slowplaying and bad beating and rebuying and drawing dead.

Congrats to Daniel Weinman on his 2023 WSOP Main Event win. Our advice to Daniel: Don’t blow the entire $12.1 million on React.js applications, whatever those might actually be.

Want to explore more stories? Read about US gambling here:

• US Online Casinos
• Sweepstake Casinos in the US

You can also learn about online gambling in Canada here:

• Best Online Casino Canada
• Ontario Casino CA

The post WSOP Main Event 2023 Champ Snags $12.1 Million appeared first on Vital Vegas.