The Las Vegas Valley is ecologically part of the Mojave Desert, whose characteristic plant is the Joshua tree. The smallest of the North American deserts, the Mojave supports significant human settlement only in the Las Vegas area and at a few points along the Colorado River. More than four-fifths of the city’s water supply comes from the Colorado River at Lake Mead. As more water has been removed from these aquifers, the sandy soils have subsided, leading to fissuring and structural damage of the surface and the formation of large sinkholes. These fissures are compounded by the damage caused by occasional earthquakes; the Las Vegas Valley, particularly its northwest quadrant, lies in an active fault zone. Las Vegas’s historic core lies at a site once occupied by marshes, freshwater springs, and grassy meadows (hence the city’s name; vegas is Spanish for “meadows”), long since covered by streets, buildings, and parking lots.
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Such developments ensure that Las Vegas remains a top destination for both domestic and international tourists. “Bally’s Las Vegas represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine the heart of the Strip,” said Soo Kim, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Bally’s Corporation. This is also the only casino poker room in Las Vegas without plexiglass as of the writing of this article. The casino was able to remove the barriers when it was allowed to increase capacity because of the number of employees vaccinated. While the return of Las Vegas is great, it’s going to be a bumpy ride for a little while.
- Casinos are investing heavily in licensing and compliance measures to meet the evolving standards.
- Las Vegas is among the country’s leaders in personal and property crimes, as well as suicide rates, alcohol consumption, and illegal drug use.
- In February, Las Vegas hosted its first Super Bowl at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
- Employers who don’t comply may be liable for back pay for up to 60 days and civil penalties for failing to notify local government entities.
- The one-time president of the MGM Grand casino-hotel once appeared on a hit television show as an undercover executive, giving millions of viewers a behind-the-scenes look at casinos and endearing the industry to the public at-large.
- The other big change happening to Las Vegas casinos in the post-pandemic era is the overall cost of labor.
Live poker is back in Las Vegas this summer
The gaming numbers from February suggest casinos would love to see the NFL’s biggest game return. Casino gaming win was the best February ever and the fifth-best month in history for the Strip and sixth best for the state, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Despite some up and down months in 2024, commercial gambling in the Silver State will outperform every other legal jurisdiction in the U.S. by a wide margin, with casinos along the Strip leading the way. Many of the allegations centered on Mathew Bowyer, a Southern California bookmaker who took thousands of sports bets from the former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. Bowyer has pleaded guilty in federal court in Santa Ana, California, to running an illegal gambling business and is awaiting sentencing. For the latest Las Vegas casino and gaming industry news and headlines visit reviewjournal.com.
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The Great Vegas Comeback (™) is causing a flurry of business that includes everything from a slew of entertainment announcements to big business deals and plans for new casinos. Rideshares are limited as many drivers stopped last year and haven’t returned in full force. There’s also a shortage of rental cars as more people are flying in than at any time in the past year. Pre-booked car services can be a bit expensive but that’s one way to beat the traffic at McCarron Airport. The total number of Las Vegas casino workers who have been laid off in recent months is unknown, but it does not appear to be statistically significant. Kimberly Antes, who is searching for work in the sector, said the decline is concerning.
As part of the settlement agreement, Resorts World and its parent company neither admit to nor deny the allegations. But the casino agreed to make changes to its leadership and implement stricter protocols for preventing money laundering, the newspaper reported. A cyberattack against two major Las Vegas casino operators, in which a teenage boy is accused of helping carry out, caused millions of dollars in damage, authorities said. Details on the off-strip casino are sparse but Frank Fertitta shared some insight.
The ramp-up of visitors is happening at such a rapid pace that businesses can’t hire employees fast enough. Even as capacity is greater, there are lines for most restaurants at some point during the day. I think table games are going to become more of a high-end luxury thing,” he said. In 2025, players of all ages are increasingly comfortable gambling on screens, with two of the main factors behind the shift being the rapid expansion of mobile sports betting and the proliferation of regional casinos throughout the country. The other big change happening to Las Vegas casinos in the post-pandemic era is the overall cost of labor. In the past year or so, wages and benefits have gone up for tens of thousands of Las Vegas Strip casino workers due to new union contracts.
But it’s not just domestic sports that are driving the narrative that Las Vegas has become a sports town. Hard Rock and its giant guitar-shaped hotel tower are not expected to open for a few years, although demolition of The Mirage and the new construction began almost immediately during the summer. For many, 2024 will be somberly remembered as the year that two of the Las Vegas Strip’s most iconic casino properties shut their doors for good. The fine, issued on Thursday, is the second-largest handed down by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which has authority over disciplinary action. A newly licensed MGM Resorts executive also told regulators about how the Las Vegas casino operator is still working with the FBI on the cyberattack it suffered in 2023.
- The $6.3 billion dual acquisition of IGT and Everi all but solidifies Apollo as one of the largest and most influential players in the gaming industry.
- Consider the news impressive as the increased visitor numbers were already climbing even before capacity increasing inside casinos, restaurants and bars.
- According to the WARN Act, no large business may lay off 50 or more employees at a single site during a 30-day period without 60 days’ written notice to the affected employees, their union representatives, and state/local government officials.
- Hard Rock and its giant guitar-shaped hotel tower are not expected to open for a few years, although demolition of The Mirage and the new construction began almost immediately during the summer.
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About Marnell CompaniesFounded in 1974, Marnell Companies, LLC is a diversified design, development, and management organization headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company’s portfolio also extends to major hospitality, entertainment, and commercial developments worldwide. Envisioned as a vibrant hub for international travelers and regional baseball fans alike, Bally’s Las Vegas will showcase a curated mix of dining concepts, flagship retail and immersive experiences.
The other Las Vegas casino closing in 2024 was the world-famous Mirage, which turned out the lights for the last time on July 17. The Mirage — which many industry experts credit with ushering in a new age of Las vegas casino app Vegas megaresorts — shuttered so that Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and the Guitar Hotel Las Vegas could take its place. From casino closings and implosions to messy regulatory scandals and multibillion-dollar deals, Nevada’s gaming industry added plenty of new chapters to its storied history in the last year. The Nevada Gaming Control Board alleged that Resorts World allowed Bowyer to play 80 separate days over about 15 months, while repeatedly failing to verify his source of funding. Bowyer lost over $6.6 million during that time, while the casino extended gifts, discounts and flights on its private jet, according to the complaint.
Frequent snapshots of America’s top gambling hub, with news about the latest casinos and hotels to open, those that have shuttered, those that are renovating, and those that are expanding their footprints. There is also information about the gambling industry specific to Las Vegas, as it is often a microcosm of the US gambling industry as a whole. The plaintiff hopes the lawsuit will become a class action and accuses the company of failing to protect personal information from cybercriminals.
As part of a non-prosecution agreement with the federal government, Wynn Las Vegas admitted that it illegally used unregistered money transmitting businesses to circumvent the conventional financial system. When he was fired from Resorts World in 2023, it came to light that not all was as it seemed at either MGM Grand or RWLV under Sibella’s leadership. According to authorities, illegal bookmakers and other individuals with suspected ties to illegal gambling activities were regular customers at those properties.
In explaining the transition to an all-digital casino floor, Stevens said part of the thinking was that live dealer tables may eventually become more of an exclusive offering. Caesars Entertainment, the second-largest casino operator on the Strip by number of properties, has also reevaluated its labor levels in recent months. The Reno-based company has not publicly acknowledged any changes, and a corporate spokesperson declined a request by the Review-Journal to provide any details for this story. Last month, MGM Resorts International — the largest employer in Nevada — eliminated concierge services at six of its nine Strip casinos, resulting in 19 job losses and 15 employees being reassigned. The company also reportedly laid off the valets at one of its non-luxury properties. Federal and state authorities brought the hammer down on several casino operators doing business in Nevada in 2024.
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A recent decision by Golden Gate casino to eliminate all live dealer table games and run a fully electronic casino floor may seem like a radical move for Las Vegas, but it reflects a broader shift taking shape across the gambling industry. Casino operators are adapting to new consumer behaviors, labor pressures and the economics of running a gaming floor in a digital age. Over the past two decades, casinos have steadily introduced electronic table games, blending them on the floor alongside live blackjack, roulette and craps. For most of that time, ETGs were a niche add-on, appealing to certain players but never fully replacing the energy and excitement of table games with live dealers.
Red Rock Resorts will have more information about the plans for Durango Station during its next earnings call. During the call, representatives discussed that they’re currently developing a plan to finally build Durango Station. Others are looking at next year, especially around the time of when Las Vegas hosts the 2022 NFL Draft. The latest and greatest Las Vegas news this May includes cryptocurrency on the Vegas Strip, new residencies and booming casino sales.
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Joshua and Lizzy Farris, who were also at Golden Gate on the last night of in-person table games, felt a bit differently. Belarmino, the hospitality expert, said the combination of declining visitation and room occupancy, increases in labor costs and the lingering effects of inflation on customers’ spending habits will continue to cause casino operators to reevaluate operations. LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Las Vegas casino workers are facing financial hardship as tourism continues its seven-month decline, with many employees going weeks without scheduled shifts despite not being officially laid off. Earlier this month, gaming regulators reached a settlement with Sibella in which the former casino executive will have his gaming license revoked and he will be barred from re-entering the industry for at least the next four years. The settlement makes clear that Sibella is being punished for what transpired at MGM Grand, not what allegedly occurred at RWLV and absolves him of any wrongdoing related to the latter. Not too long ago, Scott Sibella was a rising star in the Las Vegas casino industry.
