American Casino Guide Features Coupons Galore; Vegas Picture Book Super

16 November 2005

By Howard Schwartz

Call it dual-action value with thousands of dollars worth of coupons to save visitors money in Nevada and elsewhere while offering a handy time-saving guide to the casinos of each state. The title? The 2006 American Casino Guide (496 pages, paperbound, $16.95).

For those who have never visited Las Vegas there's a visual treat titled We All Live in Las Vegas -- more than 300 color photos of the city by Francois Paolini (168 pages, hardbound, coffee-table format, $34.95).

These are two new arrivals at Gambler's Book Shop in Las Vegas, and each would make a nice holiday gift for a friend or relative.

The Guide, compiled by Steve Bourie, starts with advice on playing the casino games in the first 100 pages then moves to a description of what each state offers, in alphabetical order, in the way of games, prices you can expect to pay for rooms, the establishment's web site, whether there are RV facilities, with a state map showing where the casino is located, key phone numbers and, of course, addresses.

For Nevada and Atlantic City casinos there are more detailed street maps. Those interested in race tracks, cruise ships or Indian casinos will find this a handy guide well worth the price.

From page 365 on, the coupon parade begins with rental cars, rooms, meals, souvenirs, drinks, shows, slot play, match play, roller coaster rides. Most coupons apply to Nevada, but some are good in New Jersey, Mississippi and Illinois. They are good for a year, ending in December 2006, so there's no rush on using them immediately.

Paolini's We All Live in Las Vegas, published in 2005, to celebrate the city's 100th anniversary, captures the color, the diversity and the design of this very unique city.

Packed with color photos taken at some unusual angles, this would be a book for foreign visitors to the city to prepare them for a unique, sometimes overwhelming experience.

It's about how the city has changed, is constantly changing and how it differs from every other major tourist location in the world.

It's Las Vegas during the day, then at night, its murals, artwork, unusual signs and decor and the lights and design which consistently awes newcomers.