Business - Las Vegas Sun

Barkley says he’ll repay Wynn gambling debt: Friday, May 16, 2008; By Jeff German; Charles Barkley said Thursday he will repay $400,000 in gambling markers he owes the Wynn Las Vegas, but he didn’t tell the right people.

Stratosphere’s refusal to honor expired ticket gives sports books another black eye: Friday, May 16, 2008; By Jeff Haney; It has been an unwritten rule in Nevada sports betting for decades: A sports book will virtually always cash a winning ticket even if the bettor redeems it after its expiration date. For one thing, it’s good customer relations, plain and simple.

The mob's man in Vegas: 'Bugsy' Siegel left his mark and myth in Sin City; Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Ed Koch; In builder Del Webb’s storied career, he was never more nervous than when he was general contractor for the construction of the Flamingo Hotel.

Boulder City: A gateway to the past: Town home to Hoover Dam, but not casinos; Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Natasha Shepherd; Located half an hour outside of the bright lights of Las Vegas lies a quiet town that some might consider to be the Mayberry of Southern Nevada. Although the town has grown, it still displays parts of its beginning.

Desert highway turned destination: Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Mary Manning; A small slice of the once humble Highway 91, a two-lane road that offered an arduous trip between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, has become one of the most famous streets in the world: the Las Vegas Strip.

A gambling world away from the Strip: Neighborhood casinos offer gaming deals, food courts and theaters; Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Natasha Shepherd; At most neighborhood casinos, families can eat their fill at a buffet and then the kids can either watch a movie or go bowling while parents gamble. Neighborhood casinos provide something for everyone, close to home, encouraging locals to avoid the Strip and downtown.

Fremont Street: A block with experience: How a dusty main street transformed into a neon-lit gambling mecca; Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Rob Ponte; The canopy of lights that hangs over Fremont Street has a bit of a hypnotic, and fully intentional, effect on the people below. Walking through a crowd of hundreds who stand perfectly still, eyes cast upward on the synchronized 12.5 million LED lights and ears tuned to the 550,000-watt sound system is one of the city's most whimsical experiences.

The Wynn sues Barkley, claims $400,000 gambling debts unpaid: NBA legend, a self-described gambling addict, will have a chance to repay; Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Jeff German; Wynn Las Vegas filed a lawsuit in District Court on Wednesday to force former National Basketball Association star Charles Barkley to pay back $400,000 in gambling markers the casino alleges it extended him last year.

Landfill decree avoids big issue: County deal with EPA won’t settle who will pay for cleanup; Thursday, May 15, 2008; By Tony Cook; Clark County is preparing to sign a consent decree that would let it off the hook with federal authorities who want the Sunrise Landfill properly closed, but would leave unanswered the key question of who will pay for the work — the garbage company or county ratepayers.

Jack Sheehan on the rise of glass ceiling-shatterer Cindy Kiser Murphey, head of New York-New York: Tuesday, May 13, 2008; By Jack Sheehan; It’s tempting to report that a huge twister swept through Kansas one day, and lifted young Cindy Kiser from her bed and onto the Yellow Brick Road leading to the presidency of New York-New York. But that's too easy.

Guitars & Saxes adds feminine touch to cool jazz: Tuesday, May 13, 2008; By Jerry Fink; Guitars & Saxes began as a modest idea — a group of world-class guitarists and saxophonists traveling across the country playing cool jazz during the hot summer months.

Despite few layoffs, workers feel fear: Gaming companies are cutting other costs first, predicting fast rebound; Tuesday, May 13, 2008; By Liz Benston; After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, thousands of hourly Strip workers were laid off as tourists stayed home. In the current economic downturn, casino companies are moving more cautiously. But workers worry the shoe is still going to drop.

Vegas slump hits Station Casinos: LOOKING IN ON: GAMING: With operations concentrated here, its fate closely tied to local economy; Tuesday, May 13, 2008; By Liz Benston; Station Casinos has historically reaped impressive gains by putting most of its eggs in one basket: Las Vegas. But the housing slump appears to be hurting Station more than companies that own casinos outside of the Vegas.

One man’s theories on Vegas’ economy, then and now: ODDS 'N' ENDS:; Monday, May 12, 2008; By Jeff Haney; News item: The Nevada casino industry reports a significant decline in gambling revenue for a third consecutive month, blaming weakness in the national economy.

Despite slowdown, casino giant spending big: MGM Mirage is investing beyond the $8 billion it’s paying to build CityCenter; Monday, May 12, 2008; By Liz Benston; Even as gamblers, shoppers and diners are clutching to their dollars and Las Vegas reels from the worst economic slowdown since Sept. 11, MGM Mirage is spending billions of dollars on itself.

From The Gaming & Business Blog

CityCenter will not all open at once after all: For some time, the folks at MGM Mirage have touted the fact that CityCenter – all 18 million square feet of it – will open ...

Boyd may build casino in Henderson: After losing at least one opportunity to build a suburban casino some years back, Boyd Gaming Corp. is close to signing a contract to build ...

And you wonder who pays for those expensive casinos: Gamblers lost a record $34.13 billion in non-tribal casinos last year, a 5 percent increase from 2006 and more than consumers spent going to movies ...

CityCenter pushes ahead, despite economy: MGM Mirage officials topped off the first of six high-rise towers on its CityCenter development Wednesday, and a senior company official said it was pushing ...

No surprise: visitor numbers continue to soften: The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported more of the same today: fewer visitors, especially convention goers, are coming to town.