Featured Articles Archive - Page 745

Bellagio's New Rooms Keep Luxury Level High

LAS VEGAS -- Adding 928 rooms and suites to the Bellagio entails more than just building a 33-story tower. With Bellagio recognized by AAA as a five-diamond property -- the organization's highest rating -- the hotel-casino's executives say they needed to carry that same level of expectation into the resort's newest addition, which opens to customers this morning...read more

Scherer Won't Seek Position

Gaming Control Board member Scott Scherer, thought to be one of the leading candidates to replace state Attorney General Brian Sandoval, removed himself from consideration for the post Tuesday, informing Gov. Kenny Guinn he would enter private law practice. Scherer, 42, who announced earlier this month he wouldn't seek appointment to a second four-term on the three-member control board, said he was joining Hale Lane, a statewide law firm. Hale Lane announced late Tuesday that Scherer will develop a gaming regulatory practice while serving in the firm's legislative affairs and government relations group. Sandoval, who has been nominated to fill a vacant federal judgeship, could be confirmed for the post by late spring, thus vacating his attorney general position...read more

Spreading Christmas Cheer ... $100 At A Time

Shoppers and employees inside the Goodwill Industries outlet on West Sahara Avenue were a bit surprised Tuesday by the portly gentleman from Missouri who entered the store dressed in red while flanked by ex-FBI agents, pro football Hall-of-Famer Dick Butkus, the daughter of a Las Vegas casino developer and others. When the self-described Secret Santa began handing out $100 bills, the surprise turned to joyous tears. The same reactions were felt by employees of a fast-food restaurant, patrons at a Laundromat, and individuals waiting at bus stops...read more

The WTO Report - the Impact, the Meaning and the Future

The World Trade Organization dispute panel's ruling in favor of Antigua and Barbuda, which states that U.S. policies restricting online gambling violate the United States' commitments under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), has been interpreted by many proponents of online gambling liberalization as a major accomplishment...read more

Mandalay, Union Hope to Avert Strike by Meeting Thursday

While Mandalay Resort Group seeks replacement employees in anticipation of a possible strike by 320 maintenance workers, one final meeting with a federal mediator has been scheduled for Thursday in an effort to end the nearly nine-month labor dispute...read more

Future of Gaming: A Developing Interest

The scheduled opening in April of the $2.5 billion Wynn Las Vegas may be the catalyst for the newest wave of casino construction along the Strip and around the valley. While the 2,800-room resort readies for its unveiling, other projects of diverse sizes, scopes and concepts are in varying stages of development. Some, including the $475 million Red Rock Station at the valley's western edge, are well under way. Others, like the $1.6 billion Palazzo next door to The Venetian, are in their initial construction phases. And many, such as the 63-acre Strip site that currently houses the Stardust, haven't even made it off the architect's design table. What's known, however, is Las Vegas's current inventory of nearly 129,000 hotel rooms will increase well into the next decade. History has shown that development of one significant hotel-casino usually foreshadows future growth. "Usually, there is a flurry of activity after one megaresort opens," Applied Analysis gaming analyst Brian Gordon said...read more

Union Workers Reject Mandalay Contract Plan

Union-backed maintenance workers at three Mandalay Resort Group properties could walk off their jobs as soon as Wednesday after the latest contract offer was overwhelmingly rejected in voting that ended Friday. Should the 320 workers, members of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501, strike at Circus Circus, Luxor and Excalibur, they could be permanently replaced by management, union officials said. "The fact was explained to the membership, but they were resolved in rejecting the contract offer," George Scott, business representative of Local 501, said about the 214-to-53 vote to turn down the proposal...read more

Harrah's Entertainment Names Communications Executive

A former chief of staff to Nevada's governor will lead the communications strategy for Harrah's Entertainment as the company proceeds with its impending $9.4 billion buyout of Caesars Entertainment. Marybel Batjer, who left Gov. Kenny Guinn in 2003 to serve as cabinet secretary to California Gov...read more

Horoscope for the week of December 19, 2004

Tip of the Week: This is the date that the elves start packing Santa's sleds each year. With Mercury retrograde until tomorrow, December 20, there could be a few delays and miscommunications to settle. This late hour countdown aside, Tuesday December 21 marks the annual Winter Solstice...read more

Las Vegas Sands Tops Market

LAS VEGAS -- On its inaugural day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, Las Vegas Sands became the industry's largest gaming company in terms of market capitalization after its stock price jumped 61 percent Wednesday. The operators of The Venetian recorded the biggest opening day of any American-based initial public offering in the past two years, according to Thompson Financial, surpassing Shopping.com's 60 percent first day gain on Oct...read more