The Great Wheel malfunction at the Rio, and Matt Goss returns to Caesars Palace

By John Katsilometes

Thursday, June 21, 2012 | 12:55 p.m.

A raking of the scene has picked up the following:

• After considerable conversation and speculation, we have an official explanation of the notorious stretch of 19s recorded at a roulette wheel at the Rio on Monday night: gambling malfunction. The electronic device that reads the wheel and posts the numbers on the lighted board hit a glitch, and the number “19” registered after seven consecutive spins, and on eight of nine, though the number on the wheel was not the same as what was posted. On Monday at 8:32 p.m., pro poker player Jeff Romano posted a Twitter update linking to his photo of the game and its extremely rare readout. Odds against 19 hitting seven times in a row on a 36-number roulette wheel are 3 billion to 1.

As Caesars Entertainment Gary Thompson explained Wednesday afternoon, the number 19 hit twice in a three-minute span (the number of spins in a stretch varies depending on how many players are at the table and the amount the dealer pays out). At that point, the machine began misreading spins, registering four 20s in a six-spin series, then the seven 19s. In all, eight of nine spins turned up “19” on the lighted panel.

But Thompson said, “We had a look at the surveillance cameras, and those number absolutely were entered wrong. The board was not reading the proper numbers on those spins.”

A modern-day roulette wheel, like those used at Caesars Entertainment properties, are equipped with tiny cameras positioned at the side of the game to record the ball landing in a particular slot. A computer device reads that image and automatically posts the number in the board next to the table, giving a read of the most recent 16 spins. That system, simply put, went haywire at the Rio on Monday.

• Matt Goss is set to return to Gossy Room at Cleopatra’s Barge on Friday and Saturday. He took a few weeks off from performances at Caesars Palace, resting his mind and body as he reaches the midpoint of recording his new album with the great producer Ron Fair. Goss has said he favors the title “All About the Hang” for the upcoming release. A song of that title was one of the quartet of tunes Goss and his band played for "Nevada Ballet Theatre’s premiere performance at Reynolds Hall in May. “All About the Hang” talks not of the placing of fine art, but of the need for great companionship.

Goss remains under contract with Caesars Entertainment through the end of this year, and we’re still awaiting word on if he will extend what is, at the moment, a three-year run at the Gossy Lounge. Not sure if this is a case of higher Goss prices (ba-zing!), but there is speculation that if Goss does not return to Caesars for 2013, Cleopatra’s Barge -- one of the city’s more noteworthy entertainment venues for decades -- will be torn down in a renovation of that space at the hotel. If Cleopatra’s Barge is dismantled, we lose another piece of lovely Las Vegas history.

• 98 Degrees founder Jeff Timmons arrived in Las Vegas more than a year ago as a guest host of Chippendales at the Rio, a successful run that ended Labor Day weekend of 2011. He liked the city enough that his family and he moved to Summerlin and since has been trying to find a home for a stage show starring … Jeff Timmons. He’s landed at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch, in “Wired,” a nightclub show where his backing band and he will crank out Top 40 hits, pop, R&B and songs performed by 98 Degrees. “It’s a fusion of a nightclub and singing,” Timmons said during a recent appearance on “Kats With the Dish.” “Wired!” debuts June 29 and is set to play Fridays and Saturdays. Doors open at 10 p.m., the show is at 11, and admission is free.

Beyond the summer run at Ovation, Timmons told co-host Tricia McCrone and me that he has a holiday show in development for one of the major Strip properties. It is likely that will be a Caesars Entertainment hotel, as he is managed by Primary Wave/Primary Violator, the same team that handles Cee Lo Green. Cee Lo opens his “Loberace” production at Planet Hollywood’s “Peepshow” theater Aug. 29.

Timmons also said a reunion tour of the original members of 98 Degrees, one of the successful boybands from the late ’90s, is not out of the question. There were reports the lineup of Timmons, Drew and Nick Lachey and Justin Jeffre would reassemble for a tour this summer. But members of the group who are not Jeff Timmons eventually balked at the reunion, and the idea has been tabled, for now. But as Timmons said, “I was definitely in favor of it ... and there is talk that there will be another tour.” Look for the conversation to reheat for a possible tour in 2013. Timmons also is recording a new album, and there is talk of a reality TV show centering on his life in Las Vegas, where Timmons has found himself a lot closer than 98 Degrees of separation.

• David Perrico’s “Pop Evolution” big-band show returned to South Point Showroom on Tuesday night. Some of the city’s top players populate Perrico’s 18-piece ensemble, and he deserves credit simply for bringing this collection of musicians together in the same place at the same time, for any reason. Vocalist Naomi Mauro handles most of the singing, as the bang forges through the familiar recordings of a wide range of artists (including Adele, Britney Spears, Gnarls Barkley, Lady Antebellum, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones). Perrico and the crew is onstage again Tuesday and July 3. Doors are at 10 p.m., and the show starts at 10:30. The cover is $5, and $2 drink specials are offered throughout the performance. It’s a ridiculously inexpensive cost for one of the best big-band showcases in the city.

• A few weeks ago, Mandarin Oriental unplugged all of the live music performed at the elegant Mandarin Bar overlooking the Strip on the 23rd floor. The decision appeared arbitrary, as those nights were a popular draw. But the reason swirling around the hotel and bar is that a suite on the floor above the bar had been purchased, and the purchasing party was not happy with the noise emanating from the live music nights. The volume was dropped for a couple of weeks, but not low enough, and the music has stopped altogether. Hopefully, everyone is sleeping soundly.

Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at Twitter.com/JohnnyKats. Also, follow “Kats With the Dish” at Twitter.com/KatsWithTheDish.