E-524: Grindy

 Random Vegas 

In a deck of playing cards, the King of Hearts is the only king without a mustache (VitalVegas) 

TwitPic of the week 

This was a winner the moment I saw it, shared by @_GrandPaD. The installation of the Stardust’s super pylon, the shower of stars marquee standing a world record breaking 188 feet tall. An icon on the Vegas strip. Sadly and yet hopefully, her remains lay at the Neon Museum. While it is unlike that they will ever reassemble it one can dream that one day she will sparkle again. 

News

• 2024 Visitors Profile Study

• Nickel and Dimed Vegas 

E-523: Onwuachi

 Random Vegas

The 2024 F1 race drew 306,000 people, 175,000 unique visitors to Vegas. They spent an average of $2,400 per person excluding ticket costs. The event generated $45 million in Tax revenues. (@LasVegasLocally)

TwitPic of the week

It’s the future of Vegas casino/resorts, boutique. Mega Resorts are too expensive to build and the market is currently over saturated with them.  Here, Las_When shows us Barbary Coast in the mid 90s after it underwent a short-lived paint job converting it to white.  Kind of reminds me when TI was painted white for a while. We celebrate this picture this week as once again news of a rebranding has been reported. While some may consider it a step back one of the benefits of a boutique hotel is how relatively quickly and inexpensively you can refurb the space. We expect this will not be the last time this hotel/casino will be rebranded.

News

• Cromwell Rebranding

• 360 Patreon

• Rose.Rabbit.Lie. Returns

• Cousin Vito's Casino

• Talk About Las Vegas with Ira

E-522: Zero Interest Social Club

 Random Vegas 

Wynn’s Le Jardin project planned for Atlantic City just before Mirage Resorts merged with MGM was referred to as a supped-up Mirage with an estimated $1.35 billion price tag 

TwitPic of the week 

I miss the days when Vegas marquee signage had to be constructed out of giant pieces of steel and crafted into works of art. There was time when marquees were as unique as the properties they represented. Back when lightbulbs told stories and readerboards told all. The International, the city’s first megaresort with over 1500 rooms opened as the largest resort in the world. And with it came an equally large marquee sign shared by @Sclark2636 at its most iconic, with Elvis’ name blasted across it and with the International tower in the background. 

News

• Book Update

• 360 Vegas Vacation 15 RSVP

• Zero Bond Social Club

• Cherry Rewards

E-521: 360 Vegas Live

 Random Vegas 

March 19th, 1931, the state of Nevada re-legalized gambling in an attempt to recover from the great depression 

TwitPic of the week 

It’s 1988 and I’m currently in grade school while this marvelous display of Vegas existed. On the left we see the Desert Inn, all shinny after her exterior renovation. Just beyond that is the Sands and in the distance we see Caesars Palace. Which brings us across the street to see the Frontier and in front of that is the Silver Slipper. This is the view south of the Stardust. It’s the eve of the Mirage opening which would change everything and caused the eventual demise of all these properties. Accept Caesars but she would be radically transformed in a decades time. Another great pic from @Summacorp 

News

• TravelZork.com

• Amplified Coming

E-520: Soda Stream Saga

 Random Vegas

There are an average of 315 weddings per day in Vegas (@vegas_only)

TwitPic of the week

It’s a glorious sign that is given depth and size when you see people standing next to it, shared by @Vegas_Visual.  The Mint sign, one of the all-time great neon signs in Las Vegas. It runs a close second of the Dune turret marquee as those most missed from the landscape. The Mint was absorbed into Binion’s Horseshoe in 1989. A part of the sign still exists to this day, viewable from the staircase up to Whiskey Liquor up. Unfortunately, the Neon Museum wasn’t established until 1996 so it wasn’t saved for posterity.

News

• 360 Vegas Book Out

• Backstreet Boys Sphere Residency

• Flamingo New Go Pool Plans

• Alexxa @Paris

E-519: Hillbillies

 Random Vegas 

In 2024, it’s reported that at least 16 people experienced a malfunction while playing a slot machine nullifying a jackpot. As a result, it’s projected that $1.3 million was lost. 

TwitPic of the week 

Something about grass in the desert just seems lush, high end. Probably because it doesn’t exist in nature so rich people will it to survive in the desert climate. Here we see it at classic Caesars Palace sporting said vegetation thanks to @Vegas_Visual. I’m surprised more chairs aren’t occupying the space. You would think that would be prime real estate. I can’t stop staring at those Sarno blocks. While I think the property looks better today, I can’t help but romanticize what she used to look like. 

News

• 360 Book Update

• Wrestlemania Vegas

• Sphere of Oz

• Museum of Ice Cream

• El Cortez Renovation

E-518: Random Sign Museum

 Random Vegas 

• Before he designed Bellagio, Wynn had fully developed, different plans for the land formerly home to the Dunes.    

  • Plans were to build a boutique hotel with intimate spaces, 2 hotel towers, one with 230 suites and two 7-story towers housing 461 rooms each  

  • He even planned to leave room for two future towers to be built  

  • Wynn believe if he pulled this off, it would be the death of the mega resort  

  • Wynn’s creative side was unsatisfied and after some guidance, scrapped them and started over with plans to reinvent the game again 

TwitPic of the week 

There was time when north strip was the center of the action in Las Vegas. Desert Inn, Frontier, Silver Slipper, Stardust, Silver City, Riviera, El Rancho, Slots A Fun, Circus Circus and the Sahara lorded over the area for decades. Today it's trying to resurrect its glory days with new additions Resorts World and Fontainebleau, but the location is currently a liability. This week we get a snapshot of the area as it existed in 1985 thanks to @_GrandPaD and comparing the density with today’s landscape is almost an unfair comparison. Today large chunks of land exist in between properties making it unappealing to pedestrian traffic. Specifically, the area is challenged by the still vacant lots that are the Frontier and Riviera. The former a casualty of the real estate explosion the strip underwent in the early 2000s and the later another victim of the ever-growing reach of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Crystal ball time, will north strip ever be where the center of the action is again? It isn’t likely even once people build on these parcels but that doesn’t mean it can’t become another hub of activity for the city that continues to evolve at all costs.

News

360 Vegas Vacation 15 Details

E-517: Blue Canister

 Random Vegas

Despite using the motto “Est. 1952”, Atomic Liquors didn’t open until April 17th, 1954 (@summacorp)

TwitPic of the week

It’s one of the last super pylons in operation in Vegas and one of the best uses of neon ever.  The Rio marquee is a gem that should be celebrated by all. Thankfully new ownership restored it and incorporated LED into the sign instead of replacing it with a large square TV screen as has become the norm in the Vegas skyline.  This week’s winner by @Summacorp is not of the recently refurbed sign but of the classic sign with a readerboard. Regardless its a spectacular sign of animated neon that should be appreciated while we have it.

News

• Book Update

• War Machine Returns

• 7 Shows to see in 2025

• MGM Renovations

E-516: Experimental Holes

 Random Vegas 

While down compared to the record-shattering levels tied to last year's inaugural F1 race, monthly ADR this year saw the 2nd highest record for the month of November. (@MeltzVegas) 

TwitPic of the week 

It’s an iconic look at Caesars Palace, with the Sarno blocks lit up in teal shared by @LasVegasLocally.  It’s at least 1989 because the Mirage is open. This aesthetic would be replaced with the more authentic Greco roman architecture the property has today, inspired by the design used on the Palace tower, which opened in 1998.  But this one has a charm to it. I mean how many properties go through an enhanced retheming. Caesars is an iconic brand around the world and both of her iterations are deserving of the designation. 

News

• CyberTruck Attack

• Death by Slot

• Gaming Revenue

• King’s Bar Temporary Closing