E-357: Amateur Cult Follower

Random Vegas

Cosmopolitan has booked 9.3 million room nights since it opened Dec 15^th 2010 (Vital Vegas)

Twitpic of the week

It’s such a different experience to drive up to a Porte Cashere; have people rush up to take your keys and bags while welcoming you to whatever property you’ve selected to enjoy.  Their hustle to take care of you as fast as they can is engrained to prevent any further delay in getting you on your way to whatever adventure awaits you this trip.  I know its an experience available at any hotel in the world but in Vegas, it’s just a tad more grand and alluring, as showcased here by @Summacorp of the original Aladdin.  The VIP experience starts right from the moment you get out of your car. 

News

Mirage shows relocate to Park Theater

Caesars Forecasting

Travel Fanboy Table Minimums

Absinthe Tickets

PCP - 360 Vintage Vegas: Bob Stupak, Vegas World and the Stratosphere

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Patreon.com/360Vegas

Today, Bob Stupak is considered just another colorful character in the history Las Vegas and properly credited as the visionary behind Stratosphere.  His tacky taste, public antics and wacky persona are all just part of his legend. The truth is, Bob embodies everything negative you've ever been warned about gambling and the industry.  He didn't want to just take your money, he wanted to make you look foolish while he did it. His nickname might as well have been "fine print Stupak” because just about everything he did had a catch to it or a technicality he hoped you would miss so he could exploit.  He preyed on those that didn't know better. But what's wrong with that? Most people know there is a mathematically proven way to play some games and yet willfully choose to ignore them in favor of strategies that increase the odds already stacked against them. Some people believe the earth is flat.  The fact is we all have access to the same information, especially in the Internet age. The only disadvantage one person has over another is self-imposed. An intellectual isn't discourage from using their acquired knowledge so why is gambling any different? Morality, you say? Well, as Canada Bill Jones said, it's immoral to let a sucker keep his money.  I’m pretty sure Bob just thought it was fun.

If you're interested in learning more about Bob Stupak, check out No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and the Stratosphere

E-356: Hmm

 Random Vegas 

Visitation to Las Vegas was down 55% in 2020 or 19 million people.  The pandemic impacted gambling revenue down by only 34.6% compared to 2019 (Vital Vegas) 

Twitpic of the week 

The Monte Carlo is an interesting story.  It’s an example of a company lost and looking for an identity, unhappy with the one they’ve already established.  It all started with the addition of Diablos, evolved into a reimagining of the frontage and eventually evolved into a rebranding as Park MGM.  The problem is the Vegas market has something for everyone and when you take one of those options away, something has to replace it.  In this case, the needle not only didn’t recast Monte Carlo’s lot in the market, it degraded it.  Taking a property that pulled in $80 million a year and reducing it to $62 million a year after spending $550 million to rebrand.  Park MGM isn’t going anywhere but MGM Resorts didn’t intend for their new brand to be a discount option for visitors.  Thanks to @las_when for reminding us of a better time. 

News

360 VVX Update 

Covid Restriction Relaxed

Cosmopolitan Fire 

At the Sands Spotify

E-355: Tearing Up Carpet

Random Vegas

Nevada sports books lost $1 billion dollars in 2020 thanks to the pandemic shutdown.  That said, football set a new all-time record for wagers at 1.9 billion and wagers made on mobile apps accounted for 57.1% of all wagers ($2.5 billion) (@reviewjournal)

Twitpic of the week

Arial photos almost have an unfair advantage when it comes to Twitpic of the week.  I have a predilection for seeing things inaccessible to the public at large.  @MaverickHeli lives in that place, capturing images that the rest of us don’t normally get to see.  Taking a ride in a helicopter is probably number 1 on my list of extra-curricular activities to do in Vegas.  That said extra-curricular activities are usually pretty low on my list of things to do once I find myself in the mix of all the excitement.  That said, I continue to enjoy living vicariously.

News

Pinball Hall of Fame Update

Circa Power Outage

Caesars Stadia Bar