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Posted by on Apr 7, 2014 in Blog, Las Vegas, Rants and Raves, Restaurant Reviews, Talking Points | 10 comments

My Rant About Results of the Las Vegas Review-Journal Annual “Readers’ Poll”

 

 

Give me props.

This year, I made it all the way to page 16.  That’s when I finally blew up and burned the newspaper.

By then, I’d had enough.

Of course, I’m talking about the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s annual “Readers’ Poll.”  Every year the readers of the city’s biggest newpaper send in their picks for their favorite this and that, which are tallied up and later released as the winners of the “Best of Las Vegas” awards.

Categories include everything from the best dry cleaners to the best Thai food.  The guide runs about 50 pages long and covers just about everything you can possibly think of — and then some.  And I made it all the way to page 16.

Hooray!

This latest edition of “Talking Points” features my immediate response upon seeing this year’s results for the first time.  As you might expect, there’s excessive profanity.

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Posted by on Apr 5, 2014 in Blog, Las Vegas | 9 comments

Ten Things Las Vegas Desperately Needs to Do

 

las-vegas-sign

 

Las Vegas is growing again.

According to reports, the city and surrounding area added 100,000 new residents within just the past year.  This news is both good and bad.

It’s good because local property values, which took the biggest hit in the nation right after the 2008 economic crisis, are inching closer back to the break-even point for many homeowners, who relocated here and then found themselves on the wrong end of upside-down mortgages.  It’s also a symbol of economic vibrancy, sure to entice businesses currently based elsewhere to move to Las Vegas, which has a plentiful supply of affordable labor.

It’s bad too.  Las Vegas doesn’t really need any more residents.  It’s limited resources — mostly a diminishing water supply — are already stretched perilously thin.  Lake Mead is at its lowest level ever and the problem is getting worse.  Air quality continues to deteriorate.  And local traffic is a mess.  Las vegas doesn’t need any more cars on the streets or people struggling to make ends meet.  It’s already got plenty of that.

Here are ten things Las Vegas should do which will improve the quality of life for most residents and make the city a far more attractive place to visit:

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Posted by on Mar 20, 2014 in Blog, General Poker, Las Vegas, World Series of Poker | 0 comments

Mitch Garber vs. Andy Abboud — Best Sound Bites

 

Howard Stutz, Mitch Garber, Nolan Dalla

Howard Stutz (Reporter, Las Vegas Review-Journal), Mitch Garber (CEO, Caesars Interactive, and WSOP.com), and Nolan Dalla

 

Opening day of the IGaming North America 2014 conference took place yesterday at the Planet Hollywood Casino, in Las Vegas.  Read my initial reaction here:  Andy Abboud Melts Down at IGaming North America Conference.

One of the most highly-anticipated presentations of the three-day gathering of online gaming executives included a moderated debate between Mitch Garber, CEO of Caesars Interactive and WSOP.com, and Andy Abboud, Senior Vice-President of Government Relations for the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.  On the question posed — “Is online poker/gambling the problem or the solution,” Mr. Garber argued in favor of a legalized and regulated framework which would allow adults to play online, while Mr. Abboud argued against the proposition.

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Posted by on Mar 17, 2014 in Blog, Las Vegas, Rants and Raves, Restaurant Reviews | 19 comments

A Nation of Tip Jars

 

tip-jar

 

We’ve become a nation of tip jars.

They’re everywhere.

Dry cleaners?  Tip jar.

The local deli?  Tip jar.

Take out pizza?  Tip jar.

Pet grooming?  Tip jar.

Oli change and auto lube?  Tip jar.

Starbucks?  Tip jar.

Ice cream shops?  Tip jars.

But nothing screams “what the fuck!” louder than the scene I witnessed last week here in Las Vegas.  Sitting atop the glass counter above all kinds of expensive gold and diamond jewelry was — a tip jar.  I shit you not.

At a jewelry store!

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Posted by on Mar 12, 2014 in Blog, General Poker, Las Vegas | 0 comments

Remembering Jackie Gaughan

 

Jackie Gaughan in 1965

Casino pioneer Jackie Gaughan in 1965, in front of his El Cortez Hotel and Casino

 

The name Jackie Gaughan may not be familiar to as many people as it should.

So, please allow me to take some time to tell you why this man was important, and so beloved, by so many, for so long.

Mr. Gaughan was one of the last surviving of Las Vegas’ early pioneers.  He was cast in the same mold as his iconic contemporaries — including Benny Binion, Bill Harrah, and Sam Boyd — all legends who embodied the casinos they built along with the reputations they earned and established over decades of changes within Las Vegas and the gambling industry, earning universal respect and admiration.

I just learned Mr. Gaughan passed away last night.  He was 93.

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