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Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com
The red carpet and premiere of Travel Channel’s “Vegas Stripped” at South Point on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012.
Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Once reality TV exploded a decade ago, it was probably inevitable Las Vegas would become the home of show after show after show. When your community’s nickname is Sin City, you’re pretty much a target-rich environment for ratings-seeking television producers.
With an overload of neon-soaked reality shows already out there, it was with some surprise that the Travel Channel’s “Vegas Stripped” debut contained lots of interesting little tidbits about the South Point.
And the really good stuff was in the wave of numbers related to South Point’s operation, specifically the financial details. Here is our by-the-numbers look at what we learned about Vegas’ “cowboy casino,” as it’s called in the show’s intro.
Note: The numbers were taken directly from the first two episodes of the television program and were not independently verified by VEGAS INC.
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Gene Gabaldon puts a few dollars on a Megabucks machine at the South Point Casino on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009.
14.5 million and 43 percent
The show says South Point spends $14.5 million a year on special events and that “these events only have one thing in common: they’re not moneymakers” for the property. It’s then explained that at least 43 percent of attendees at the events must gamble in the casino before profitability is typically reached.
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$25 million
It was revealed that South Point spends $25 million a year on comps.
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The Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball at South Point on Oct. 29, 2011.
500. Or 1,500. Or maybe 2,400.
On “an average night,” the casino’s all-hours restaurant, the Coronado Cafe, can serve up to 500 steaks to the casino’s late-night breakfast crowd. On the night of the Fetish and Fantasy Ball, the restaurant expected to sell at least 1,500 steaks, but ordered a total of 2,400 New York Strip steaks for the weekend at a cost of $20,000.
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100
By 3 a.m. during the Fetish and Fantasy Ball, held Oct. 29, 2011, the Coronado Cafe had served 80 pounds of sausage, more than 100 pounds of bacon and 140 pounds of breakfast potatoes.
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25,000
Not surprisingly, Saturdays are typically South Point’s busiest day of the week. The show said South Point averages about 25,000 people in the casino each Saturday.
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The Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball at South Point on Oct. 29, 2011.
71
For the Fetish and Fantasy Ball, South Point had 41 of its own security officers on duty and brought in an additional 30 contracted officers to help with the audience.
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$5,000
Many of those security officers were on pasties patrol. South Point officials worried pasties might violate a Clark County code related to “lewd activity, nudity or topless activity,” saying it could result in a $5,000 fine.
Comment removed by moderator. Inappropriate
MRLUCKY...... U are speaking of every Casino. Sure they are going to fill positions with friends and family but it comes down to having a good and sometimes Profitable time. If u are not happy with Southpoint there are many other Casinos>
How does one go about getting the job of pastie patroller?
anythng negative about the south point or the gaughan operations is immediately deleted even though there is no profanity or anything out of line. This is one of the worst casinos in town, the most unfriendly staff for sure.