Casino [ptz]

SITE NEWS

I've made some changes in the front page--now is your chance to let me know what you think.

for the past few months, below the menu/photo/headlines I've had a simple description of what is on the site. Since most visitors should be able to figure this out from the menu, I guess that this was kind of superfluous. So instead, I decided to provide teasers for some deeper content.

"Did you know" features factoids from the subject guides; "From the Reading Room" features the beginning of an article from, guess where?; "Spotlight on" features one of the virtual exhibits.

I have also added Quick Reference for one-click access to popular pages on the site, and some of the key other sites that I use (and you may also find useful).

I'm still evolving the layout, so things may change. NOW IS THE TIME for you to let me know what you think of the changes. My email is dgs@unlv.edu. I'd really appreciate any feedback you can offer. It can be difficult creating a website to serve the information needs of people I don't know, and any feedback, even just a one line email, is good.

LOTTERY: MORBID SUPERSTITION DOESN'T PAY OFF

This one takes the cake. A train derailment would seem to be a lose-lose proposition, right? People dead or maimed, destruction of property, minor inconvenience for other travelers, right? Well, some people in my home state of New Jersey apparently believe that this is an omen of a possible financial windfall. The Star Ledger reports that, following the widely-reported derailment of NJ Transit commuter train 3920, dozens of lottery players selected those numbers for that day's Pick 4 drawings. There must be justice in the universe, because the number didn't hit.

NEW YORK: EXPANSION CONSTITUTIONAL

"Legislation allowing as many as six casinos to be built in New York, allow the state to join the multi-state lottery, and install electronic slot machines at race tracks, has been ruled constitutional by state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi. " See the story at BuffaloBizjournals.com.

AROUND LAS VEGAS

This is nothing officially reported, just stuff that I've seen around town, so take it for what it's worth. I've been spending a lot of time off campus working on a few archival acquisitions, so I can report on a great deal of activity around town.

WYNN LAS VEGAS, formerly Le Reve, is rapidly rising at the old Desert Inn site. Thousands of construction workers laboring 24 hours a day are making great progress on the theater and ballrooms. The hotel tower is coming up at the rate of a floor a week--they are around 19 right now. You can really see the resort taking shape, and it looks to be one that is completely unlike past Wynn creations like the Mirage and Bellagio. Just when everyone figures out the rules, Wynn changes the game.

Speaking of BELLAGIO, the buffet is a little pricier than most (I think around $16 for lunch at $25 for dinner) but it seems worth it. Out of idle curiousity I took a spin through there, and they seemed to have a good selection of fresh food. Yeah, this isn't some kind of novel observation, but I call it like I see it. Buffets are a true casino phenomemon.

I just got an invitation for the premiere of NEW YORK-NEW YORK's newest show, Cirque Du Soleil's ZUMANITY, and it looks really neat. Of course, I've been seeing the billboard on Tropicana for weeks, but I can't say I understand it. It should be an interesting show, if you like that sort of thing. It's supposed to be pretty racy. I will give you a full report on August 15, the day after the premiere.

BOOK NOTES

How is Suburban Xanadu doing today?
Amazon.com sales rank: 86,707; one customer review online
barnesandnoble.com sale rank: 212,222; one customer review online

So I need two things to be happy. First, people to buy the book. Second, people to review the book. Since I don't have any kind of advertising budget, this can only happen by the internet and word-of-mouth.

Until next time, keep it real, and remember that the house wins in the end.

posted by Dave at 10:29 AM

SITE NOTES/BOOK NOTES

Yes, it has been a while since I've added anything here. But I've had a busy couple weeks. Travel to the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking in Vancouver, a visit back home to Atlantic City, and another to some friends in the Aloha state have kept me occupied. In addition, Suburban Xanadu has been released, which means that I've been busy promoting my first book.

There have been some updates, though. The rest of the images for the Neon Survey have been posted, and the Early Las Vegas pages, done by UNLV Special Collections, have been revamped. These are some great galleries, and I suggest that you visit them.

Today's stats on Suburban Xanadu:
Amazon.com sales rank: 70,812
barnesandnoble.com sales rank: 209,274

While this means that the book is selling just fine, it still needs your support. If you live in the Las Vegas area, I'd be happy to sign any copies that you buy.

Also, if you've read the book and liked it, please write a review for one of these sites or for any online or print review site or journal. I'd appreciate you sending me notice of where you review it or see it reviewed--I'm trying to keep track of this.

INDUSTRY NOTES

Park Place Entertainment is renaming itself Caesars Entertainment. How about that? The world's largest gaming company, which includes the Flamingo, Hilton, Paris, Caesars, and Grand brands (Claridge is now officially part of Bally's Atlantic City), is dropping the monopoly-inspired Park Place moniker for the brand recognition of Caesars. To celebrate, PPE/CZR is going forward with plans to build a new tower at the flagship property, Caesars Palace.
It seems a bit ominous that news sources are reporting that CZR will raise money for improvements at the Palace by selling off assets. Is the LV Hilton on the block again?

MGM Mirage is selling the Golden Nugget. This means that the ownership of downtown Las Vegas casinos will be almost completely overhauled, with Barrick purchasing the Gaughan properties and Don Barden's acquisition of Fitzgerald's. Are changes on the way? Only time will tell.

posted by Dave at 10:46 AM