In what is probably the first IRS raid inside a casino since the old mob days, major Strip casinos are extremely interested on how the probe of their nightclub tenants will turn out. The big boys are are prepared to jump on entities like Pure Management Group and the Light Group should irregularities be found--they can't have their carefully guarded reputations tarnished. The Nevada Gaming Control Board has repeated an earlier warning that casinos are “responsible for the activities that take place on their properties.”
A senior VP at MGM states it like this: “We should not need to remind any one of our partners about our expectations of them and of their compliance with all rules and regulations.”
Gee, think some nightclub execs might get their pee pee whacked?

Will the velvet rope shakedown end? (more)

It'll be a sad day for a few but to most of us it'll be just another "whatever". Nevada Palace was never a real success and always struggled in the shadow of its nicer, larger and more frequently upgraded Boulder Highway neighbor Sam's Town. Back in the old days, when the Red Rooster was the only swing game in town, their coffee shop wasn't a bad place to grab an early morning after-sex breakfast as our freshly-fucked look seemed to draw fewer stares than at the much busier Sam's Town.
Anyway, Nevada Palace will be leveled today to make room for a parking lot for the new East Cannery Hotel & Casino that is being built behind the Palace.
See ya later, Nevada Palace--surprised ya even made it this long.

Comedian Bill Engvall will perform his comedy act at the T.I. this weekend, becoming the first non-Cirque entertainment to perform at the venue.
An interview with Engvall.

No, not that Belushi and, since the other one o.d.ed years ago it certainly isn't that Belushi but he is related (son of James, nephew of John) and he's earned his right to be part of the quintet readying a new edition of the sketch and improv comedy showcase at the Flamingo, set for its formal debut on Monday.
A quick look at Rob Belushi and the new Second City cast.

We normally try to have fun/funny/positive/silly topics in the Know It A.L.L. but since this one involves sexually transmitted diseases and happens to be on a massive scale, we think you ought to be aware of it.
Seems that a Las Vegas clinic practiced very unsafe procedures such as re-using syringes and vials (can you believe that shit?!) and some other things in their everyday routine.
If you visited the the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada at 700 Shadow Lane between March 2004 and Jan. 11 you oughta get tested for hepatitis B & C and HIV as soon as possible.
Fotry thousand Nevadans will soon be notified of possible exposure in what a federal health official called the largest notification of its kind in U.S. history.
So far, there have been several cases of hep C reported, no hep B or HIV.
The whole story...

According to the agent who made the sale (so it's unverified), there's a new record paid for condos in Las Vegas on a per foot basis. 3 luxury penthouses were recently sold in the massive City Center project at prices ranging from $1,500 to $2,400 a square foot. The previous Las Vegas record was $1,300 per.
About 1/2 the condos have been sold at prices ranging from $500,000 to $12 mil.

Norm, the Las Vegas Review-Journal gossip dude sez:
Kiss singer in Phantom?
"Is Paul Stanley, the vocalist for Kiss, about to become The Phantom of Las Vegas? That's the rumor. Stanley, who twice starred as The Phantom in the Toronto production of "The Phantom of the Opera" in 1999, is in talks with "Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular," sources tell me."
CatHouse Closed
"CatHouse Loungerie, the 2-month-old nightspot at Luxor, was closed early Tuesday after structural damage was discovered on the second floor in the ultralounge area, a spokeswoman confirmed. A crack appeared in the ceiling, and upon further investigation, the structural damage was found on the floor."

Atlantic City has always wanted to be an East Coast Las Vegas but it just hasn't worked out that way. Now, with new billion dollar developments, they are trying once again, specifically in the restaurant business where Las Vegas has been able to attract some of the top chefs from all over the world. Will Atlantic City be able to follow suit?
Well, so far they've been able to coax several "name" chefs out of retirement including Marie Callendar, Chef Boyardee, and Jack, of Jack In The Box fame. An up and coming chef, Chef Rudy, the Chef de Cuisine at the Hoboken Outback Restaurant has also been snapped up.

Know It A.L.L. Corrects Errors (more)

A man from Liverpool--nobody in particular--who loves to gamble, always wanted to give Las Vegas a try and test his poker skills. He ended up joining an airline-sponsored tour called "Las Vegas: A Culinary Experience".
This is a look at a tourist's experiences eating in top notch Vegas restaurants by day and gambling by night.

NASCAR is back in Las Vegas and the casinos are glad it is. All week long the town will be jam-packed with car racing buffs who will be pumping big bucks into the Las Vegas economy.
This year, more than 325,000 fans are expected to attend Sprint Cup Series qualifying Friday, the Nationwide Series (formerly the Busch Series) race Saturday and Sunday’s UAW-Dodge 400 Sprint Cup Series race. Last year, an estimated 156,000 fans attended Sunday’s race.
In 2007, NASCAR weekend produced an estimated nongaming economic impact of $133.9 million, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau. Including gaming, the figure soars to nearly $200 million.
The NASCAR Week Schedule
If one race per year is good, what would two races in Las Vegas be?

It's probably safe to say that Las Vegas wouldn't be Las Vegas without the forsight of mobster Bugsy Siegel. Too bad he never got to see the monster he created...

"It was on the night of June 20, 1947, that nine bullets from a .30-.30 carbine ripped through the living room window of socialite Virginia Hill's home on 810 North Linden Drive in Beverly Hills. The first shot crashed into the man's head, driving the victim's right eye from his skull and hurling it 15 feet across the room. The other shots quickly followed but there was no need. Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, the era's most infamous mobster, already was dead.

Ironically, hundreds of miles away, in a desert outpost called Las Vegas, Siegel's gambling dream was alive and well and just beginning to prosper.

The Bugsy Siegel Story (more)

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
"Casino guests were quickly evacuated from the Monte Carlo on Jan. 25 when a fire burned a portion of the hotel's rooftop facade.
A Las Vegas woman was one of the last to leave. She hit a $1,577 jackpot on a penny slot machine minutes before the alarms sounded and couldn't cash out because of the jackpot. She didn't want to leave the resort without her money.

Paul Berry, a CityCenter hotel executive who raced over to the Monte Carlo to help with the evacuation, said a quick-thinking security officer came up with a solution. The woman, the security officer and Berry waived to a nearby "eye in the sky" video monitor. The security officer alerted the surveillance department and the three were caught on tape at the slot machine. The customer had her evidence and the name of the security officer in case there were any questions.

MGM Mirage spokesman Alan Feldman said the customer returned the next day and collected her winnings."

The aging Rat Pack-era Sahara Hotel is trying to keep up with the Joneses. With all the new construction going on at the North Strip (approx. $18 billion in new projects!), the new owners of the Sahara are figuring out a way to fit in to the soon-to-be-upscale neighborhood and have taken a big step towards that goal, having had their expansion plans approved by the Clark County Commission.
The plans call for a new 520-foot hotel tower with 1,000 rooms, the renovation of the existing two high-rise hotel towers and the removal of the 200-room mid-rise tower. Upon completion, the Sahara would have 2,506 hotel rooms.

A Little Bit More (more)

Wanna count rapper Eminem, guitarist Paul Stanley of Kiss, singer-actress Jessica Simpson and wrestler Hulk Hogan as your neighbors? Well, starting at the end of the month you can. Palms Hotel & Casino is just about ready to let buyers move into their nearly completed condo tower called Palms Place. The 599-unit tower has a mix of 600-square-foot studio units and 1,200-square-foot one-bedroom suites. There are also 21 penthouses on the top four floors. Owners can rent out their condos through the hotel when they aren't using them, receiving 50% of the rented price.

More on what Palms Place will offer... (more)

Light Group, which owns hip and swanky properties in hotels like Bellagio and Mandalay (Light & Jet Nightclub, Caramel & Mist Lounge, Diablo's Cantina, Fix & Stack Restaurant, etc.) is heading to the Arab world's version of Las Vegas, Dubai. They are partnering with Dubai-based developers to build a Light Group-managed hotel and multiple restaurants in the Arab emirate.
So, how will that Light product translate in a part of the world where gambling is forbidden, drinking is discouraged and skin is definitely not in? "Toned down" seems to be the operative phrase...
The Dubai firm actually bought 50% of Light Group.

Toni Basil of "Oh Mickey you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind, Hey Mickey!" fame is a Las Vegas native and has moved back to town to be close to the new Strip production she is choreographing. Basil had a brief career as a singer with her hit "Mickey" reaching #1 in 1982 but has had much more long-lasting success as a choreographer. She has teamed with Bette Midler for over 30 years and has done so again for Bette's new show at Caesars Palace.
Toni is leasing a house near Maryland Parkway and Desert Inn, the same neighborhood she grew up in.
A look at Toni Basil and her long and varied career.

We're not big on playing the whole "standing in line at a nightclub or paying extortion-sized tips to the doorman" thing but it's something that has become an integral part of all the newer, bigger, better clubs.
Did you know a doorman can make 1/2 a million dollars per year--cash--at some of the hotter clubs? Well, all that money flying around was sure to attract the cash-sniffers at the IRS.

A look at this crazy, cash-rich scene by Norm, the Review-Journal gossip dude: (more)

American LowLife will be having planned downtime Thursday, February 21 beginning around 9:00 a.m. Pacific time. Due to a record number of LowLifes joining the site over the past several months and a continual increase in bandwidth costs, we are moving our LowLife servers from on-premise to a co-location facility. This will allow nearly unlimited growth and, being the cheap bastards that we are, will allow us to do it much less expensively.

Mr. Admin

Las Vegas has yet another connection to ABC's hit TV series Dancing With The Stars as one half of the comedy team performing at the Rio, Jillette Penn (the taller one) of Penn & Teller, will be giving it a shot when the show resumes for it's 6th season March 17th. Another celeb selected for DWTS with local connections is Priscilla Presley who will be hanging around Vegas even more often as the opening of the Elvis-themed Cirque du Soliel show draws nearer with every floor added to the Strip's massive City Center project.

Last season Las Vegas was represented by a couple of residents including the Midnight Idol himself, Wayne Newton, and also by boxer Floyd Mayweather. ABC camera crews were sent to a Green Valley dance conservatory for Wayne and a Summerlin dance studio for Floyd each week to videotape practice sessions until both were ultimately eliminated.

Actress Shannon Elizabeth can also be seen in Las Vegas now and then as she's one of the better celeb poker players and will participate in a professional tournament from time to time.

The Complete 6th Season DWTS Cast (more)

Even if you aren't sports bettor--and especially if you are--you may have been using your cellphone in or around the sports book of a casino and unexpectedly been tapped on the shoulder by a security guard and asked to hang up. Why all the concern?
We always wondered that. I mean, even if we were transmitting betting line changes across interstate boundaries--although 95% of us are just making innocent calls like we do everywhere else--it's not like that information isn't all over the internet to begin with. I suppose we could be taking action from out-of-state friends who want to bet on a game but that happens now and then anyway, whether in the sports book or not..
Is it an archaic state law whose time has come to be updated? Nevada regulators are finally looking into this

The impending water shortage which several studies have predicted for Las Vegas is starting to heat things up between our beloved mayor and some of the farmers who receive 80% of Colorado River water.
Says Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman: "No one is going to allow us to dry up. The Imperial Valley farmers will have their fields go fallow before our spigots run dry."
You can bet things will only intensify as Lake Mead water levels get lower and lower...

Cher is coming to Caesars Palace, part of the Bette Midler/Cher team that will be replacing Celine Dion. With so much uncertainty hanging over each multi-million commitment to a new Strip show, why doe Mike Weatherford of the Las Vegas Review-Journal think that Cher is the surest bet in a long time, with a much better chance of succeeding than Midler.

For an excellent view of the Strip, try one of the rides atop the Stratosphere. That is, of course, if you can stand all the "Insanity".
"DANGLING over the edge of one of the tallest buildings in the world would be enough to make a grown man cry, wet his pants or even pass out.
But it happens on a regular basis on the collection of rides at the top of the Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower in Las Vegas."

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has been saying that Las Vegas will add 41,000 new rooms over the next few years, despite the economic slowdown. Because financing is tougher to get right now, some experts believe only half that many will be built. However, the LVCVA also has a "tentative" list that includes 33,000 more rooms!
So, which is it, 20k, 41k or 74k rooms? This LV Sun article takes a look.

"Bodies: The Exhibition" is a popular exhibit over at the Tropicana which displays actual human bodies in all their muscular glory. These skinned, preserved and posed bodies are supposed to have come from people (or the people's relatives) who had given their consent but ABC News, after a 3-month investigation into the source of the bodies, is finding that perhaps these subjects weren't so willing after all.
Word is, many of these seemingly otherwise healthy bodies came from very unwilling Chinese prisoners who "volunteered" for the job of "skinless display dude".
While there are a multitude of "hot bods" running around the Strip, ABC News gives a new meaning to the phrase...
Update: The investigation continues!
The LowLife Listing for Bodies: The Exhibition

A few days ago, Men's Fitness Magazine announced Las Vegas as the fattest city in the country, a proclamation they've made for the 2nd straight year. However, a local Sun reporter thinks they may have gotten their facts wrong. For example, the Center for Disease Control that we are only the 33rd heftiest and that the intersection of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio is the fattest area in the country.

Additionally, says the Sun, the magazine threw in non-scientific things like our extreme number of bars per capita which indicates that we're the second heaviest drinkers on the list, not taking into account the 40 million tourists that visit each year.
So, maybe we're not so fat after all...
The complete article

The debut of a new TV series is being filmed tonight at Seamless Gentleman's Club here in Las Vegas and you can watch the live show. It's called "Adult Star Dating Game" and, as the name suggests, contestants compete for the right to go out on a date with a smokin' bachelorette. However, unlike the old Dating Game of years past, this particular bachelor-seeker is a sexy adult film actress who is sure to have different requirements for her perfect date than the traditional bachelorette.

The updated Las Vegas version is totally uncensored and not only includes the game show itself but, once the competition ends, the camera will follow the two on a series of all-expense-paid dates, wherever the action may lead. And, if Las Vegas-based TV, radio, film and publishing company Vavoom Media has anything to do with it, what happens here definitely won't stay here...

Kylee Reese and Trisha Uptown are tonight's bachelorettes.
The LowLife Event Listing

According to R-J gossip dude "Norm", if you haven't made reservations for Valentine's dinner, you might want to try Arby's as V-Day is the busiest night of the year for many restaurants.
"The pressure's on if you haven't made reservations for Valentine's Day dinner. There's no room at the inn at many of the most romantic spots in town.
"We've been sold out for three weeks," said Jose Martel, longtime maitre d' at Michael's Restaurant, which moved to the South Point last year after almost 30 years at the Barbary Coast.
You might recall that it was at Michael's that a desperate 11th-hour planner got turned down a few years ago even after a most unusual offer. The caller, a local heart surgeon, offered Martel a free bypass.

More on V-Day (more)

David Spade has moved from the occasional weekend at the Mirage to quite a few weekends at Planet Hollywood. He'll make his PH debut this Friday.
Here's an interview with the actor, comedian, producer and writer--some of which deals with how he felt about the recent writer's strike.

Got What It Takes?
MGM Grand's Crazy Horse Paris will have auditions March 3-6, the first American auditions in the Crazy Horse group's history. A celebrity guest judge, not yet named, will help determine which three lucky winners will be chosen to join the prestigious dance troupe.
Andrée Deissenberg, managing director of the Crazy Horse Group, says, "We are looking for girls with a certain 'je ne sais quoi,' with a certain sparkle and lots of personality. The girls we cast in our troupe are natural and beautiful, and only the exceptional will make the cut."
The audition process will last four days. Concluding the open casting call, 12 finalists will be selected and invited on to the MGM Grand's Crazy Horse cabaret for the remaining audition process. All candidates will perform a freestyle piece as well as a choreographed piece prepared by the panel of Crazy Horse Paris judges.

Training in Paris (more)

A record 39.2 million people opened their wallets for a Las Vegas visit in 2007, filling more than 90 percent of our hotel rooms and leaving behind nearly $11 billion in gambling losses.
The average amount y'all spent per night for a hotel room jumped more than 10 percent to $132, the fifth-highest rate in the country.
We'll see what the higher room rates and the worsening economy will do for 2008. Experts are predicting a down year but ya can never count us out.

The title of this Know It A.L.L. isn't referring to a way to serve martinis. No, it's the basic theme of a new study predicting the odds of Lake Mead running dry by 2021 and that there won't be enough water behind the dam to generate Vegas' electricity by 2017.
The main culprit in all of this is, of course, climate change which experts are saying is going to get less and less favorable for us. While 20 million people get their water from Lake Mead, including nearly everyone in Las Vegas, 80% of the water goes to crops--not cities--so not only will a lot of people go thirsty but we all will eventually pay a lot more for food as well.
Yikes! I think I need a martini now...

Siegfried & Roy, the legendary Las Vegas performers who ended one of the more successful acts in the history of our town after Roy was mauled onstage by a white tiger, will do one more show, this time as a fundraiser.
Tickets for the dinner and show go for $1,500 and the money goes to Lou Ruvo Brain Institute's ''Keep Memory Alive''.
Might be worth the price as there's a chance Roy could be mauled again. S & R are pretty sure the white tigers will be part of the act.

John O'Hurley has returned to his role of King Arthur in Spamalot, a production many critics are calling the "#1 Las Vegas Show" . O'Hurley took 4 1/2 months off and "relaxed", just hanging with his wife and 14 month old son. Oh, and he did a few other things, too:
• Taped 165 episodes of “Family Feud,” the game show he’s hosted since 2006.
• Promoted his book “Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, First You Have to Do It.”
• Performed a few concerts (he’s a composer and a pianist as well as a singer).
• Hosted the Purina-sponsored National Dog Show.
• Invested in a copper mine.
He's glad to be back in Las Vegas. Here's the complete Las Vegas Sun interview.

Besides population growth were #1 in another growth area: the waistline. Men's Fitness magazine has rated the fattest and the fittest cities in the country and, just like last year, Las Vegas has the porkiest pigs anywhere. While Texas kicks ass--kicks huge, honkin' ass--with 6 cities in the top 10, Vegas will get lots of airplay for being the fat kid on the block, something Mayor Goodman is none too pleased about.
According to the mag: "Poor eating habits and an alarmingly sedentary population kept Sin City atop the gluttony charts."
Based on Men's Fitness judging criteria Colorado Springs, CO, is the fittest city.

One used to see it all over town but these days it's somewhat rare. Lounges in casinos frequently had live--and free--musical acts where some pretty good musicians would pound out the hits and where some big name stars would often sit in for a jam session or two.
With the proliferation of the celeb DJ and recorded music it made sense, at least economic sense, to forget about a bunch of artists who can actually play the real thing.
The Palazzo is trying to buck the trend in their Salute Lounge with a mix of occasional big names and a local house band who can hold their own when on their own or play backup to anyone who stops by.
Live music--what a concept! Let's hope the trend continues in Las Vegas...
Update: Arizona Charlie's add live music to their lounges.

Anyone who thinks it's easy to organize an orgy should take a look at this article. An orgy can be a logistical nightmare. Here's what orgy-thrower Jerry Belsner had to say about the subject:
"I'm not naïve enough to think orgies just 'happen,' so I started making calls," Belsner said. "I was going to cover all the expenses myself, but when I started factoring in all the stuff we needed—snacks, liquor, handcuffs, condoms, lube, porno videos, anal beads, batteries for the vibrators, a Slip-N-Slide—it became clear that my wallet was going to take a major hit. So now I have to chase down everybody and try to get them to pitch in a little cash."
Full article about throwing an orgy.

Howard Hughes is a fascinating character and his impact on Las Vegas cannot be understated. During a time of when many of the casinos were run by the mafia, Hughes came to town and brought a corporate mentality with him, helping to usher out the era of the mob.
However, things were not all rosy inside the Hughes empire as his close aides were conspiring to take over and kept the rapidly deteriorating Hughes hooked on codeine, Valium and other drugs.
A local writer has written a new book on the subject and focuses on the years 1966-1970, when he confined himself to a suite on the ninth floor of the Desert Inn. The following excerpt chronicles the physical and mental decline that characterized Hughes' tortured final years.

The Mel Brooks stage show The Producers closes today (Saturday, February 9th) exactly one year after the show opened at the Paris Hotel. The trimmed, 90-minute version originally starred David Hasselhoff, who played flamboyant Roger De Bris, but he left the show after his daughter videotaped a now-famous alcohol-induced meltdown that was later posted on YouTube.
Tony Danza is the current star and he plays the show's egomaniacal theatrical producer Max Bialystock, as he did in the tail end of the Broadway staging.
Update:Mel Brooks shares curtain call

Monte Carlo, closed since Jan. 25 because of a fire atop the resort, will reopen in time for Presidents Day weekend. Monte Carlo plans to open 1,200 guest rooms on Friday. 1,300 more rooms will be available by Feb. 22. The remaining 500 rooms located on the upper floors will remain out of service while undergoing more extensive redesign.
Most of the resort's guest services, including the building's 100,000-square-foot casino, will open Friday. The Monte Carlo's meeting and convention facilities will also open that day. Most of the property's restaurants will also open Friday, except for the buffet and the Monte Carlo Brew Pub, which will open as business demands. Magician Lance Burton will resume his stage show Friday in the 1,200-seat Lance Burton Theater.

There were rumors Cher was going to be the replacement for Celine when she left Caesars. Then Bette Midler was confirmed as the next Colosseum mainstay so maybe not. Then there were rumors Cher would join Bette and split the duties and then the word was that Cher was out.
Well, it's official: the perennial, over-the-top, pop diva will come out of retirement for at least 200 shows over the next 3 years starting May 31st, alternating with Midler at Caesars Palace.
Costumes will be designed by Bob Mackie, who has come up with outrageous outfits for the star since her variety-TV days of the 1970s.
A more cynical look at Cher's return to Las Vegas.

As Know It A.L.L. reported earlier, comedian Amazing Jonathan has left the Sahara Hotel and will replace the Fashionistas at the Harmon Theatre once they close at the end of February. Jonathan has "accounting disputes" with the casino and also remains at legal odds with the Sahara over alleged spying on female performers with hidden dressing-room cameras.

Taking his place in Sahara's Congo Room will be Roseanne Barr doing her late night brand of blue humor. Regarding the alleged hidden cameras Barr says: "If they hide cameras in my dressing room to watch me get changed, that will be punishment enough for them." Roseanne's show starts March 1st and is open-ended.

Well, happy Chinese New Year to y'all! Please celebrate this 15-day holiday by going out and gambling 'cause that's a big part the tradition of this major holiday observed by the Chinese.
Las Vegas (specifically Caesars Palace) started catering to Chinese high rollers during this season more than 30 years ago and the annual celebration has evolved to a major--and extremely lucrative--happening on the Strip. What better place to celebrate the ancient theme of the New Year--luck and fortune--than in Las Vegas?

Last year the party wasn't quite as rosy as it fell during the Vegas-hosted NBA All Star game which brought the damper of traffic jams and a thug element. This year we expect a robust party, especially since it's the Year of the Rat and that li'l critter signifies prosperity and wealth to the Chinese.

How To Celebrate (more)

The Chicago Sun-Times recalls the mob days in Las Vegas:
"Give us points for nerves of steel.
In 1966, intrepid Chicago Sun-Times reporter Sandy Smith broke a national story about how the Chicago mob controlled and skimmed millions of dollars a year from Las Vegas casinos. The cash was lugged out in bags and suitcases and personally delivered to the Tony Sopranos of the day in Chicago, Miami, Cleveland and New York.
"To protect that vast funding of syndicate operations, a generous and steady supply of money was kept flowing into politicians' warchests," Smith wrote. "The gifts were labeled political contributions but were considered as payoffs by the gangsters and their casino frontmen."
Smith later testified for two hours before the Nevada Gaming Commission, and, less than a year later, seven Nevada hoods were indicted. Nineteen years would pass before Martin Scorsese's film "Casino" would dramatize the "skim" that Smith revealed first.
Now, here's where the nerves of steel come in: As part of his research, Smith once crashed a wedding reception for the daughter of a mob boss and wrote down all the names on the table cards."

This sort of thing usually doesn't happen to Las Vegas. Generally, like last year, older Midwestern industrial cities such as Detroit and Cleveland top the list. Unfortunately, due to borrowers utilizing bad loan products in order to buy homes with rapidly escalating prices , Las Vegas owns 7 of the top 100 zip codes in the nation for foreclosed properties with North Las Vegas' 89031 leading the entire pack.

While the game itself was the most-watched Super Bowl in history and the second most-watched TV show ever (behind that legendary M.A.S.H. finale), Vegas sports books didn't care about all that.
The director of the Las Vegas Hilton Sports Book said what the rest of the Las Vegas bookies were thinking: "It was a good day for Vegas, but not a good day for sports books. Early reports have this being the worst Super Bowl results ever."
The big underdog payoff for the Giants money-line backers meant a huge loss for Vegas.
Many of us sympathize with your pain...all the way to the bank!
Update: It's Official! Sportsbooks lose big! It's only the second time they've lost. Also, it wasn't a record wagering year.

Las Vegas has a thriving live music scene but ya have to look off the Strip to find it. You could start downtown at the Beauty Bar or Bunk House or the Canyon Club among others or you could venture down to a dive bar off Tropicana and Pecos called, well, Dive Bar.
If you are interested in a little rock history with your music, check out Sin City Sinners every Tuesday night where a former Faster Pussycat bandmember has organized a weekly get-together featuring now-local transplanted rockers who were once fixtures in the pages of "Hit Parader," guys like former Keel frontman Ron Keel, ex-Love/Hate and Ratt singer Jizzy Pearl, vocalist Louie Merlino and guitarist Ron Mancuso from Beggars and Thieves, singer Paul Shortino from Rough Cutt and Quiet Riot and scads more.
Each week, guys like that as well as other guest rockers from around the country (from L.A. Guns singer Phil Lewis to Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome) join the band to play their signature tunes.
Rock history comes alive at the Dive Bar.
The LowLife Dive Bar venue listing.

When the Monte Carlo caught on fire parent company MGM Mirage had to transfer around 5,000 guests to other local hotels and keep them happy at the same time. Rather than try to minimize costs management asked themselves "what would we want done for us?" and went about placing people in the nicest rooms available and buying prescription meds and clothes for guests that couldn't access those necessities. All in all, it appears MGM Mirage displayed some excellent customer service during a time of crises.

Here are some gaming briefs to bring you up to date:
Hard Rock owners given license: The Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) approved a nonrestricted gaming license to the Hard Rock's relatively new owners, Morgan's Hotel Group. Morgan's was using another company to operate the gaming side of things during the licensing procedure.

Binion's new owner approved. The new owner of the legendary Binion's Casino (formerly the Horseshoe), Terry Caudill, was approved by the NGC and has a lot of work to do to turn the property around.

More Gaming News: (more)

Where to watch the Super Bowl in Las Vegas
It all depends on how you want to roll — with the stadium-style cheering of a sports book, at an all-inclusive party where your credit card is safe, or in a strip club where it might not hurt so much if your team is losing. If you’re in Las Vegas for Super Bowl Sunday, consider your viewing options for watching the Giants take on the Patriots.

Strip Clubs, Sports Bars, Prop Bets (more)

Michael Jackson and his children have been living at the Palms for nearly two months while he's been recording his latest album. How can it be that word didn't leak out about The King of Pop until this past week and, once it did, why didn't swarms of paparazzis descend upon the hotel looking for photos they could sell to TMZ?
Because Las Vegas is one of the few remaining places where celebs can go to get away from the constant media intrusion unless, of course, they want it and then access is granted only for a few precious minutes.
A look at how the media is controlled in Las Vegas and how maybe that will be changing in the future...

Hats off to The Signature at MGM Grand as it was named the No. 1 "Best Luxury Hotel in the U.S." by the 30 million travelers of TripAdvisor.com, the Web's largest travel community. It was also listed among the "Top 100 Best Luxury Hotels in the World" and the "Best Hotels in the World's 25 Most Popular Destinations." The non-gaming, non-smoking all-suite resort is the only Las Vegas hotel to place in each category.

For the past several decades, Interstate 15 has been considered the slowest highway in the history of Nevada. Until recently, there always seemed to be construction going on and when it was finished, the upgrades hadn't kept up with growth so it seemed just as congested--if not more so--than before.
The latest plan to speed things up on the stretch of I-15 that runs through the Valley involves the addition of no-exit express lanes where drivers will be able to, in theory, just zip past all the congestion of the Strip exits.
They're gonna add a lane in both directions and then segment off two 5.5 mile non-carpool lanes on each side between Russell and Sahara where ya can't get off or on until the end.
Can you imagine the chaos at the end of each express lane where drivers are quickly trying to get over to the right to get on Highway 95 in the North or I-215 in the South? Should be fun...

She's had the reputation for years: Diana Ross is a bitch to work with. While the word has been circulated around the industry for decades, ya really start to believe it when you listen to story after story from locals who have been in productions with the ultra-diva including Las Vegas stagehands, dancers, techies, musicians, producers, etc.

Here's the latest from Norm, the R-J gossip columnist:
"Diana Ross' diva act is wearing thin again. She was booed and heckled by a crowd Saturday in Montego Bay, Jamaica, when the 40,000 concert-goers were told Ross would not be shown on the jumbo screens. Sound familiar? She insisted on the same thing at the grand opening party for the Palazzo. In both cases, many concert-goers were so far away from the stage, they couldn't tell if it was Diana Ross or Betsy Ross. She also restricted cameras in Jamaica, like she did at the Palazzo party, but it was ignored here."