Liz Benston

Story Archive

A new hit for 'Sex and the City': The idea: An over-the-top slot machine to play off cable smash's success. The job: work every (pink) detail, make it sparkle; Sunday, March 14, 2010; In an industry that seduces customers with gimmicks, perhaps no slot machine had ever been launched with such high expectations.
Report: Las Vegas hotel rooms are nation's most affordable: Wednesday, March 10, 2010; Thanks in part to the recession, Las Vegas has the nation's most popular and affordable hotel rooms, according to a twice-annual survey by the travel reservations Web site Hotels.com. Rates plummeted significantly from the first half of last year, when Las Vegas was ranked 45th in hotel pricing nationwide.
Gaming Control Board must balance cuts with its reputation, oversight mission: Wednesday, March 10, 2010; The recession has slashed casino profits and taxes, and it has made the job of regulating Nevada’s casino industry tougher. So legislators said they worried about how budget cuts would affect Nevada’s reputation for casino regulation.
Aria, Bellagio coexisting just fine, MGM Mirage says: Monday, March 8, 2010; During MGM Mirage’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call last month, the company’s executives attempted to address questions that have dogged them since the recession began. Would Aria have to use extremely low rates to keep rooms occupied?
Help for gambling addicts is salvaged in final state budget: Saturday, March 6, 2010; Last-minute lobbying led to the Legislature’s surprise reinstatement of a portion of slot machine taxes earmarked for problem gambling treatment, education and research.
Oddsmaker: 'Avatar' the Best Picture favorite at Academy Awards: Wednesday, March 3, 2010; The Las Vegas line on the Academy Awards – or, more specifically, that set by Wynn Las Vegas oddsmaker Johnny Avello – has the epic blockbuster "Avatar" a slight favorite to win Best Picture over the independent film "The Hurt Locker."
Alcohol sales lift resorts’ spirits, but fewer free drinks given out: Monday, March 1, 2010; Booze was still big business on the Strip last year, with visitors drinking their way through the recession even as they spent less on hotel rooms, gambling and eating, state figures show. The beverage departments of the Strip’s 38 largest casinos reported increases in revenue and profit amid the worst year for the casino business on record.
Population dearth doomed Casino MonteLago at Lake Las Vegas: Monday, March 1, 2010; One of Las Vegas’ maxims is that a casino is a license to print money. Casino MonteLago, closing next month for lack of business and liquidating its assets, is the rare exception to that rule.
High tax rates won’t keep Wynn out of Pennsylvania: Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010; After Pennsylvania lawmakers legalized slot machines in one of the nation’s most populous states in 2005, casino boss Steve Wynn said the Keystone State’s high tax rate on gambling would keep him from setting up shop there.
Slashing of problem gambling earmark is more costly in long run, state is warned: Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010; A state proposal to eliminate government funding for problem gambling treatment, education and research will not only hurt the lives of compulsive gamblers and their families but will also cost the state by taxing its health care and criminal justice systems, treatment advocates warn.
High rollers bring baccarat boom to Las Vegas: Aria a major factor in revenue spike as high rollers visit new casino; Monday, Feb. 22, 2010; A select group of players concentrated among a few Las Vegas casinos wagered an eye-popping $1.3 billion on baccarat games in December — a record for any single month in state history.
Hard Rock Hotel to offer Cantor Gaming mobile gaming devices: Friday, Feb. 19, 2010; Cantor Gaming has signed a deal with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to offer mobile gambling services at the Las Vegas property, the third Las Vegas casino to offer the company's gambling devices.
Sheldon Adelson says Asia holds Las Vegas Sands’ fortunes: Friday, Feb. 19, 2010; Las Vegas Sands, one of the most storied names in the history of Southern Nevada’s gambling industry, has become “an Asian or foreign company doing business in Las Vegas,” its CEO Sheldon Adelson said Thursday.
Harrah's debt gamble: Young CFO’s moves to delay repayment of company’s obligations bank on economic recovery; Monday, Feb. 15, 2010; About a year ago, investors were so convinced that Harrah’s Entertainment would file for bankruptcy protection that the company’s bonds traded for 10 cents on the dollar. Since then, the world’s largest gaming company has surprised naysayers by carving out a foothold of three years during which it can afford to make interest payments on its debt.
Ill with terminal lung cancer, ex-slot manager presses for ban: Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010; In April 2008, 60-year-old Cheryl Rose got a bad cough that wouldn’t go away.
Her doctors thought she had asthma — a bizarre turn for a woman who had never had difficulty breathing, not even during frequent workouts at the gym.
Casino dealers stymied in reaching labor agreement: Employers want to keep union influence at bay; Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010; When asked why it has taken unionized dealers more than two years to make progress toward a labor contract at Caesars Palace, a union leader said management was treating dealers like “garbage.” “These dealers are professional people who take pride in their jobs, but quite frankly, they’re treated like a bunch of second-class citizens,” said Joe Carbon, gaming director of the Transport Workers Union.
Pricey land buy on Las Vegas Strip a bit of a surprise: Monday, Feb. 8, 2010; Surprised observers of the $25 million acquisition of 2.15 acres at Harmon Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard by developer Brett Torino and two undisclosed partners had one key question: how to value Strip property in this — or any — economy?
MGM Mirage disputes N.J. regulators’ authority to vet its partner in Macau: Monday, Feb. 1, 2010; When regulators said last year that MGM Mirage needed to cut ties with an “unsuitable” business partner in China, the casino giant said it would defend itself against the allegations raised in New Jersey.
Judge to Harrah's: Turn over records on high roller's intoxication claims: Friday, Jan. 29, 2010; A Clark County District Court ruled today that Harrah’s Entertainment must turn over records to attorneys representing a high roller who allegedly owes $14.7 million in gambling debts.
Debt-free, Tropicana sees light after bankruptcy: It’s the first casino company to emerge from bankruptcy amid the crippling recession; Monday, Jan. 25, 2010; Less than two years after its bankruptcy filing, Tropicana Entertainment’s debt has been wiped clean, and the company’s new owner, billionaire Carl Icahn, is injecting $150 million to pay creditors and upgrade properties.
Carl Icahn to take ownership of Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort: Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010; Carl Icahn is expected to take over ownership of the bankrupt Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort after two potential competitors vying to buy the property failed to submit qualifying bids as of a 5 p.m. deadline Friday.
Caesars Palace plays hardball with dealers, asserts right to tips: Union says Harrah’s Entertainment’s proposed workplace rules prove the gaming giant ‘never intended to negotiate’; Monday, Jan. 18, 2010; Two years after casino dealers at Caesars Palace voted for union representation, they still don’t have a labor contract and relations with management have gone from bad to worse. Both sides filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board in late December.
Baccarat making a big difference: Gamblers who prefer higher stakes are dealing Vegas a winning hand; Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010; An exclusive class of customer deserves a good deal of credit for the Strip’s first increase in reported gambling revenue since 2007 - high rollers who play a game that most Americans don’t pronounce correctly. Baccarat, the high-stakes card game favored by James Bond, accounted for nearly 20 percent of the Strip’s gambling revenue in November, the Gaming Control Board announced last week. Strip casinos reaped $92.7 million from baccarat players that month - a 136 percent increase from a year ago.
Will a big wager on Fontainebleau pay off?: Three options for the billionaire investor Carl Icahn should he acquire the resort; Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010; In years past, casino bankruptcy auctions generated a frenzy of activity, with multiple bidders emerging at the last minute with the promise of cash at the other end of a cell phone. Those with little money or credibility would quickly drop out, leaving a few usual suspects vying for a shot at a bargain buy. There may be no such party for the bankrupt, unfinished Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort that is sought by billionaire investor Carl Icahn.
Harrah's to take over Planet Hollywood management: Friday, Jan. 15, 2010; Harrah's Entertainment will take over the management of the Planet Hollywood resort on the Las Vegas Strip at midnight tomorrow as part of the company's longer-range plan to buy the property, Harrah's announced today. In an internal memo to employees today, Planet Hollywood owner Robert Earl said things would be "business as usual" during the transition.
Penn National exits bidding for Fontainebleau: Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010; Penn National Gaming, which spent months investigating the purchase of the unfinished Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort on the Strip, will not bid on the property at an upcoming bankruptcy auction, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania-based casino company said today.
Consultant offers advice casino moguls can heed: People — your customers and employees — are your most important resource; Monday, Jan. 11, 2010; The 1989 debut of the Mirage, Las Vegas’ largest and most expensive luxury hotel at the time, was a critical turning point in the city’s development. Even with the most elaborate bells and whistles at their disposal, executives had to develop a strategy to attract a new kind of customer — people who thought Las Vegas offered little more than gambling and kitsch.
Harrah's launches iPhone app; Caesars bypasses check-in: Friday, Jan. 8, 2010; Las Vegas hotels are flooding the Internet and e-mail inboxes with discounts, promotions and events aimed at luring customers to their properties.
Company might manage 4 Station Casinos properties: Isle of Capri would manage resorts if Station loses them in bankruptcy; Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010; St. Louis-based Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. on Wednesday confirmed reports by Debtwire that Isle has agreed to manage four Station Casinos Inc. properties should they be spun out of Station’s bankruptcy case.
Casino execs have to watch their step: Gaming Control Board has expanded power to discipline operators; Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010; If you’ve ever had a problem with your ex-wife, your lawyer or a friend, it might be nobody’s business but your own. Except if you own or operate a Nevada casino — in which case, all of your dirty laundry, no matter how lightly smudged, is subject to scrutiny by the Gaming Control Board.
Harrah's uses resort fees to take swing at competitors: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010; Struggling under a mammoth debt burden in penny-pinching times, Strip casino giant Harrah's Entertainment is taking the offensive with a press release informing consumers that none of the company's Las Vegas hotels charge so-called mandatory resort fees.
Despite economy, role of gaming manager noted for growth: Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2010; Among the top 50 careers recently identified by U.S. News and World Report for their stability, growth and earnings potential in 2010 is a job that doesn't seem to fit the bill.
Money management giant has faith in MGM Mirage: T. Rowe Price has bet $277 million on casino company’s future; Monday, Jan. 4, 2010; Although short sellers were betting on the demise of MGM Mirage last year, portfolio manager Joseph Fath of T. Rowe Price was buying shares. The money management giant has found itself increasingly alone in thinking things can only get better.
New Jersey could come between MGM Mirage, Macau: Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009; This month’s abrupt departure of MGM Mirage executive Gary Jacobs stems from East Coast regulators’ concerns about Jacobs’ handling of the company’s business partnership in the Chinese enclave of Macau, knowledgeable sources say.
Will CityCenter change type of tourist in Vegas?: Profits might drop as discounts lure thriftier visitors; Friday, Dec. 18, 2009; After a night spent gaping at Aria’s modernist splendor, draining designer cocktails and downing caviar and sushi, invited VIPs and other well-wishers at the opening gala for CityCenter’s centerpiece resort woke up Thursday to a grim reality on the Strip: Amid the worst recession in 70 years, only the toughest, best-equipped competitors will survive the coming battle for customers.
At CityCenter, art for the masses right next to the slots: Sculptures and paintings sprinkled with great care throughout Las Vegas’ newest Strip attraction; Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009; CityCenter's $40 million modern art collection has instantly put the resort on the map as one of the world’s largest public installations of corporate-owned art. Although some industry observers worry CityCenter isn’t revolutionary enough to generate strong profits in a recession, art publication artdaily.org recently hailed it as a “cultural destination of worldwide significance.”
Meet Barbara Davis, Aria's vice president of hotel services: Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009; In recent weeks a couple of hundred CityCenter employees have cycled through a warehouse on Dean Martin Drive each day to pick up their uniforms. Making sure the correct number of uniforms in the appropriate sizes are on hand has kept Barbara Davis busy.
Industry rolls out bonus-heavy slots that stretch playing time: Monday, Dec. 14, 2009; All gamblers want to win. But there are different definitions of winning.
Lure of high-tech slot machines: Slot machine makers unveil their jazziest to attract younger players; Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009; Behind a temporary wall and a beefy security guard warding off interlopers, slot machine manufacturer WMS Gaming showed off one of its most elaborate prototypes at the casino industry’s premier trade show last month — a slot machine based on the “Lord of the Rings” movie trilogy. It is complete with spinning symbols of goblets and swords, a digital Gollum who moans “precious” and a screen resembling an ancient map of a world inhabited by wizards, elves and, of course, hobbits.
As Wall Street goes, so does the Strip, analyst says: Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009; If paper profits in the stock market fueled trips to Las Vegas during the bubble years, then the collapse of the market in the recession conversely may have hurt business at Strip hotels to a disproportionate degree.
Fontainebleau: Half-built bargain bid up by billionaire: Famed casino flipper pushes price tag to $156 million; Monday, Dec. 7, 2009; At stake is control of the most spectacular bankrupt building in the country, the half-built Fontainebleau resort on the Strip.
The golden rule of service: Spa pampers its employees, who pass treatment on to customers; Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009; Spa-industry veteran Jennifer Lynn acknowledges what out-of-towners have increasingly been complaining about: Customer service — long a Las Vegas hallmark — is suffering as financially beleaguered hotels can’t afford to pamper run-of-the-mill guests as they used to.
Limo drivers' suit over wages gets class action status: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009; A federal judge has granted class certification status to a group of Nevada limousine drivers suing the state's largest limo company, claiming Bell Trans failed to pay drivers for time spent on the job while they were not transporting passengers. The landmark case marks a test of Nevada's complex wage and hour laws by drivers, who have historically been paid according to how productive they are in obtaining fares rather than for hours worked.
Uniform response: An acclaimed designer met the challenge of creating distinct outfits for CityCenter’s employees; Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009; City Center's uniforms are Star Wars inspired. Really.
Slot makers team up at behest of CityCenter: Many machines there will work in concert to give house flexibility; Monday, Nov. 30, 2009; Casinos have long complained about incompatible slot machine hardware and the increasing cost of upgrading their floors. But that’s changing with CityCenter and its 4,004-room Aria resort, which will open Dec. 16 with many of its 2,000 slot machines connected by a high-tech system developed with the cooperation of major slot manufacturers. It’s an unprecedented effort, unusual in the gaming industry as well as most of the business world, where Apple and PC-based computers and AT&T and Verizon cell phones, for example, run on discrete systems.
CityCenter: One man's concept of a real city: To Jim Murren, a CEO who had studied art and architecture and lived in New York, Las Vegas needed a true urban center; Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009; Visitors to CityCenter, the Strip’s newest spectacle, will be driven to look up at the glistening glass and steel. It is an inexorable pull, to cock your head backward and take in the sweep of six high-rise towers — including two that lean — that create an urban scene unlike any other. The man who conceived of this place, however, would like to draw your attention to a small park bench. It is found near the center of the 67-acre site, alongside Aria, the flagship high-rise filled with 4,004 guest rooms.
Frenzied appeal to finish the job: Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009; Jim Murren was MGM Mirage’s chief financial officer when he conceived of CityCenter and persuaded the company’s directors to build it. That was during a good economy.
Could the game be partly to blame for addiction?: Some say features common in machines may lull players into crossing the line; Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009; Hoping to solve the decades-old mystery of why some people develop gambling problems, a growing number of researchers are studying the other side of the equation: the games that gamblers fixate on.
At CityCenter, it's not your usual uniforms for workers: Second looks may be needed to spot employees by what they’re wearing; Monday, Nov. 23, 2009; At CityCenter’s 25,000-square-foot uniform distribution center on Dean Martin Drive, Jhane Barnes, a slight woman with squarish glasses and short hair, proudly shows off clothing racks heavy with new uniforms.
Illness theory gaining ground for gambling addiction: Similar disorders found in alcoholics, those with a compulsion to gamble; Monday, Nov. 23, 2009; Experts who study gambling addiction remain a long way from knowing why people develop gambling problems. But researchers now know what happens inside the brains of gambling addicts that fuels the addiction, and how best to help them.