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A N T H O N Y C U R T I S’
LasVegasAdvisor
March 2021 • Vol. 38 • Issue 2 $5
OMEGA
MART
Newest addition
to the ‘out there’
Area15 … pg. 13
THE TWO BIG-
GIES
Saving money on
rooms and travel
… pg. 1, 4
VIRGIN OPEN-
ING
Without paid
parking and resort
fees! … pg. 4
ENTER-
TAINMENT
RETURNING
Shows, concerts,
even day clubs
coming back …
pg. 12
MACK
ATTACK
Mattress Mack
scores big on
Super Bowl … pg.
15
CASINOS Local (702) Toll Free
2021 MEMBER Aliante Casino+Hotel+Spa....................692-7777....... 877-477-7627
REWARDS
Aria........................................................590-7111....... 866-359-7757
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Bally’s....................................................739-4111....... 877-603-4390
DINING, INCLUDING Bellagio..................................................693-7111....... 888-987-7111
Binion’s..................................................382-1600....... 800-937-6537
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Circa......................................................247-2258....... 833-247-2258
Additional Member Rewards Online Circus Circus.........................................734-0410....... 800-634-3450
Cosmopolitan........................................698-7000....... 877-551-7778
offers at LasVegasAdvisor.com.
Downtown Grand..................................719-5100....... 855-384-7263
Eastside Cannery..................................507-5700....... 866-999-4899
El Cortez................................................385-5200....... 800-634-6703
Ellis Island (Super 8)..............................733-8901....... 800-800-8000
*The 2021 LVA Member Rewards book is avail- Encore...................................................770-7100....... 877-321-9966
Excalibur................................................597-7777....... 800-937-7777
able ONLY with a paid one-year membership to Fiesta Henderson..................................558-7000....... 888-899-7770
Fiesta Rancho.......................................631-7000....... 800-731-7333
the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. No exceptions. Flamingo................................................733-3111....... 800-732-2111
Four Queens..........................................385-4011....... 800-634-6045
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Green Valley Ranch...............................617-7777....... 866-782-9487
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sues of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, mailed LINQ, The..............................................731-3311....... 866-328-1888
Longhorn (Super 8)................................435-9170....... 800-800-8000
first-class; the LVA Member Rewards book*; Luxor.....................................................262-4000....... 800-288-1000
plus 365 days of access to our website: M Resort................................................797-1000....... 877-673-7678
Main Street Station................................387-1896....... 800-713-8933
www.LasVegasAdvisor.com. Mandalay Bay........................................632-7777....... 877-632-7800
MGM Grand...........................................891-1111....... 800-929-1111
U.S. Membership $50: (Includes shipping of Mirage...................................................791-7111....... 800-627-6667
New York-New York..............................740-6969....... 800-693-6763
newsletter. Member Rewards book is shipped NoMad...................................................730-7000....... 888-706-6623
at an additional $3.50, or can be picked up at Orleans..................................................365-7111....... 800-675-3267
our office any day after the first business day of OYO.......................................................739-9000....... 866-584-6687
Palace Station.......................................367-2411....... 800-634-3101
the year.) Palazzo..................................................607-7777....... 866-263-3001
Palms.....................................................942-7777....... 866-942-7770
Canadian Membership $60us / Overseas Paris......................................................946-7000....... 888-266-5687
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seas, or can be picked up at our office any day Red Rock Resort...................................797-7777....... 866-767-7773
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less otherwise specified. Member Rewards book Venetian.................................................414-1000....... 877-883-6423
is not included.) Waldorf Astoria......................................590-8888....... 800-925-3673
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visor newsletter. No exceptions. Restricted to one per Wild Wild West (Days Inn).....................740-0000....... 800-777-1514
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Wynn Las Vegas....................................770-7000....... 866-770-7077
March 2021 $5
ANTHONY CURTIS’
LasVegasAdvisor
COUPONOMY
by Anthony Curtis
The Two Biggies
When visiting Las Vegas, or anyplace away from where you live, there
are two primary and necessary expenses: travel and lodging. First, you
have to get there and get back. Next, you have to stay somewhere. You
can watch the volcano and the fountains instead of seeing a show. You
can eat $1.25 hot dogs at South Point instead of going to Michael’s. But
you can’t avoid the two biggies. It’s one of the reasons we endeavor to find
ways to save money on at least one of them—lodging.
While I’ll have something to say about travel next, lodging is the logical
first target, thanks to the competition among resorts to get people in their
guest rooms. Not only do they make the room revenue, but customers
are overwhelmingly likely to spend most of their vacation time and money
where they’re staying. If you’re a long-time LVA reader, you know we’ve
tried again and again to crack this code, often with some success, but
always coming up a bit short.
Pre-internet, we wrote about bundled packages advertised in places
like the L.A. Times “Travel” section. Or we analyzed and recommended
the best ways to play the mini-junket-like “sprees” or even Bob Stupak’s
“Free Las Vegas Vacation” at Vegas World. After that, there was promise
in an early rate-comparison program we found called Travelaxe. Then it
was discounts from codes, which worked fairly well until the codes slowly
melted down into one big “discounted” price that you didn’t really need a
code to get. We really thought we had something when we introduced the
Travel Portal around this time last year. It looked good and the results were
impressive, but the Portal got creamed by COVID and it doesn’t look like
it’s coming back.
What next? I just can’t stop thinking that there has to be a method for
saving substantially on lodging, so the plan is to keep trying. Of course, I
wouldn’t be bringing this up if something wasn’t in the works. Actually, two
somethings.
I’ve hinted at the first: our move to online distribution of Member
continued on next page
Couponomy continued …
Rewards offers. One method that worked well for some was including
negotiated room deals in the Member Rewards Book. We did that for a
few years, then stopped because of logistical issues. But we get lots of
requests to bring them back. One thing we learned while working on Mem-
ber Rewards this year is that the casinos are open to room discounting. As
we’ve been pointing out in recent issues, the pandemic has caused prices
for most things to go up. But with 150,000 rooms to fill, being inelastic on
rate pricing isn’t a good strategy. The casinos know this and we’ve already
made some deals that we expect to become available this month.
We’ll see how that works out, but the second something is already
being implemented and it’s pretty cool, as it harks back to the first exam-
ple I cited—the bundled deals we used to find and analyze. It’s based on
the following concept: If a room costs $100, but comes with $75 worth of
benefits that you’ll use, then it’s really only a $25 room. Paramount among
these benefits are food and drink credits. You have to eat, right? Some
don’t agree with this reasoning, but I’ve always subscribed to it, especially
in the context of vacation expenditures. Hence, a good bundled deal acts
as a room-cost reducer. The nature of these types of deals is such that the
best of them apply to higher-end properties (they have more to bundle), so
what I’ll explain here will be of most value to those who like to stay in the
better places.
Through what we’re calling LVA Luxury Travel, we’ve partnered
with TravelEdge, the largest luxury-focused travel agent in North America.
They specialize in getting great rates at top properties and bundling them
with complimentary amenities. Sometimes the value of the amenities can
exceed what you pay for the room! The standard Las Vegas offer that we
like best is:
• A one-time benefit, usually a $100 credit toward F&B, spa, etc.
• Breakfast for two every day, usually a $30-per-person credit.
So we’re looking at a minimum of $160 in perks for two people. Addi-
tional amenities are based on availability, including room upgrades, early
check-in, and late check-out. Bottom line, booking these deals can save
you money over making straight-up reservations almost any way you do it,
but if you’re flexible and get creative, it can get really good. The following
example comes from Michael Friedman, one of our “Travel Game” experts.
LAS Publisher: Anthony Curtis
Senior Editor: Deke Castleman
Researcher: Brenda Stewart
Customer Service: Paula Machado
Contributing Writers: Jeffrey Compton, Bob
Dancer, Stewart Ethier, Bob Fuss, Scot Krause,
VEGAS Accounting: John Leitner Shipping/Receiving: Matt Wondolleck Bradley Peterson, Blair Rodman, Jean Scott
ADVISOR Web Manager: Tanya Maynard Production: Alexie Olivares Cover: Area15
LAS VEGAS ADVISOR (ISSN 1064-167X USPS 008602) is published monthly and is available for $50 per year ($60 Canadian; $70 foreign purchasers) and $5 per single issue at 3665
Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV, 89103. Phone: (702) 252-0655 • Fax: (702) 252-0675 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Las Vegas Advisor, 3665 Procyon St., Las Vegas, NV 89103.
e-mail: editor@LasVegasAdvisor.com • Internet: LasVegasAdvisor.com. All information is current at press time. Listed offerings are subject to change at any time. Huntington Press©2021
2 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021Let’s look at the program in action. I’ve decided that I want six nights in
Las Vegas at the beginning of April and I want to stay only at top-tier prop-
erties. But I also like variety (which also creates a better deal), so I won’t
stay at the same property all six nights. I’ll hit each end of the Strip, with
three nights at Delano and three at Wynn.
Delano (April 4-7): The best thing about staying at Delano is that you’re
guaranteed to be in a suite. In fact, it’s an incredible 725-square-foot suite
at the high end. There aren’t a lot of all-suite hotels on the Strip, particularly
at luxury properties, so Delano is always a special opportunity. The guaran-
teed benefits include a $100 F&B credit (can use at any MGM participating
restaurant), as well as $60 per day for breakfast for me and my wife. Here’s
what I get.
Total price, including all taxes and fees: $362.60
Value of amenities: $280
Net cost for three nights at Delano: $82.60 ($27.53 per night)
Wynn (April 7-10): I’ll finish my trip with what I rate the top property
in town. Wynn is perhaps the best hotel in the city and it’s offering a fan-
tastic 640-square-foot room with a sitting area. It traditionally prices at
a significant premium to the rest of the Strip, but LVA has a “third-night-
free” promo. The stay comes with the standard amenity, which includes
a $100 spa credit (which could potentially convert to an F&B credit,
depending on the state of COVID-19—please ask us when you reserve)
and breakfast for two every morning. You get a valuable $60 daily break-
fast credit that can be used at a number of fantastic venues.
Total price, including all taxes and fees: $447.05
Value of amenities: $280
Net cost for three nights at Wynn: $167.05 ($55.68 per night)
So I’m $810 out of pocket for six nights, but effectively paying only
$250, or less than $42 per day, for the rooms. Through this program, you
can get some great deals available at properties that you might other-
wise overlook because of the higher rates. And it’s not just for Las Vegas.
Through this program, we have offers available at top properties in every
major city in the world. Just ask.
By the way, these per-night rates include all resort fees. Wicked!
Here are a few more clarifications. As you may have gathered, at least
to start, we’re handling reservations internally at LVA. We had to think long
and hard about that, but we’ve used third parties in the past and their ser-
continued on next page
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 3News continued …
vice levels haven’t met our standards. This is a positive, as we’ll be able to
make requests on your behalf for things like smoking/non-smoking rooms,
high floors, specific views, etc. Not all requests will be granted, but in most
cases, they’re more likely to be than if you were working with many of the
discounters out there.
It’s also important to note the total absence of crazy cancellation pol-
icies and “gotchas.” Almost all of these offers are cancellable and we
include the cancellation policies with your quote. And as we did in the
example, the resort fees will always be included in the price.
The process is straightforward. You can learn all about it by going to
lasvegasadvisor.com/deals/hotel-booking/luxury, or by accessing the
offers from “The Travel Game” section at LasVegasAdvisor.com. We’ll be
highlighting what we consider to be the most valuable, but the program is
vast, so you might find appropriate deals for your situation that we haven’t
highlighted. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Yes, here we go with another room-cost-saving experiment. Call me
crazy, but I have high hopes once again. n
Good Gas
We don’t have as defined a plan for saving on travel, but we do have
some ideas there, too. For now, here’s a quickie. Your best bet to get the
lowest gas price in town is the Wild Wild West Truck Plaza at 4830 Pro-
cyon Street. Heading west on Tropicana from the Strip, Procyon is a block
past the Wild Wild West casino, where you make a right. Prior to being
bought and renamed by Station Casinos, the casino was known as the
King 8 truck stop and the adjacent filling station is still there to serve truck-
ers, but the public is also welcome. It’s not always the lowest-priced and it
might not beat membership programs like Costco and Sam’s Club, but it’s
right there with them, often 40¢ to 50¢ per gallon below the going street
price.
The station is open 6:15 am-10 pm weekdays and 7:15 am-9 pm week-
ends. It’s the same price for cash or credit, but the pumps don’t take credit
cards, so you have to go inside. The gas is 87 octane only and there’s
diesel. You can get a look at the Plaza in our YouTube video at youtube.
com/c/lasvegasadvisorshow. n
Virgin Opening
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas debuts March 25. The opening of a new casino
is always exciting, but this one has me particularly jazzed. A press release
issued by Virgin states that the resort will open with free parking, free wifi,
and no resort fees. Now that’s the way to come out of the box! Finally,
4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021TOP 10 VALUES 1. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99
2. Buffet • South Point • Daily • $11.95-$18.95
The Ellis Island steak dinner 3. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1
holds the top spot in the Top 4. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99
Ten. It’s served 24/7 in the Café; 5. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25
get the $7.99 price by playing 6. Shrimp Cocktail • Fremont • Daily • 99¢
at least $5 in any slot machine 7. Prime Rib • Ellis Island • Daily • $16.99/$26.99
with your club card inserted,
8. Lunch • Planet Hollywood • Daily • $4.99
then downloading the required
9. $1 Blackjack • OYO • Daily • $1.20
discount coupon from an EI
kiosk. If you don’t want to play, 10. Room Rates • El Cortez et al • $49 and up
you can get it for $9.99 ($3 off the
listed price) just by downloading a coupon from the kiosk that’s available
to everyone with a club card. The South Point buffet (#2) remains the
only operating casino buffet in a town that used to have more than 40
of them, and there’s no sign of that changing in the near future. Show
a club card to get the $11.95 price for lunch. Budweiser and Michelob
Light in the bottle are $1 at the Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just
east of the Strip (#3); a ¼-pound hot dog and a Bud is $3. The steak or
ham & eggs at either Arizona Charlie’s (#4) is served in the Sourdough
Cafés for $5.99 when you show your club card, available 24 hours at
Decatur and 6 am-mid. weekdays and 24 hours weekends at Boulder.
The hot dogs at South Point (#5) are sold from a cart in the sports book
from 10 am until they close down the cart around 5 pm. The Fremont’s
shrimp cocktail is the last of the easy-to-get 99-centers (#6); it’s served
in the Lanai Express snack bar all hours except 7 to 11 am daily (get the
latest on the Circa shrimp cocktail deal in dining). Ellis Island’s potent
prime rib tandem (#7) is available 24/7. You won’t get a better prime deal
for the price anywhere in town and the humungous double cut stands up
to anything you’ll find at twice the price. Everything on the lunch menu is
$4.99 at Ocean One (#9) in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood;
lunch hours are 11:30 am to 5 pm daily. Oyo’s $1-minimum blackjack
game (#9) runs 24/7 in the pit; naturals pay even money on bets of
$1-$4. The $1.20 listed cost is your expected loss for one hour of play at
these stakes. Room rates continue to be low enough to put them in the
#10 spot on the list. See couponomy for some favorable developments
there.
someone is paying attention to what the public wants. On top of that, there
will be a Member Rewards offer in our online program. If the video poker is
decent, this could be my new favorite place—and I can assure you I won’t
be alone. n
continued on next page
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5NEWS
Shutdown—As hoped for and expected, Nevada’s COVID-related
restrictions were loosened a bit last month as part of a phased approach.
The key change is the raising of the capacity limitations at casinos, restau-
rants, and bars from 25% to 35%. The 35% number seems odd—who will
really be able to discern a difference between 25% and 35%?—but it’s a
step in the right direction, and the plan calls for 50% capacity to be allowed
as of March 15. At restaurants, these numbers apply indoors only; there
are no restrictions on outdoor dining. The 35% edict also applies to gyms,
churches, bowling alleys, and arcades. Also of consequence, reservations
are no longer mandatory to eat at restaurants and the maximum number of
guests allowed at one table has been raised from four to six. The restrictions
on gatherings have also been relaxed, with the 35% rule in place there, too,
up to a maximum of 100 people in most venues. As of May 1, these numbers
will increase to 50% or 250 people. Large venues are allowed to admit 20%
of “fixed seated capacity.” As an example, up to 16,000 fans will be allowed
into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Pennzoil 400 NASCAR race
March 5-7. This adjustment also clears the way for more shows and possibly
small concerts (see entertainment). As a result of these changes, Virgin Las
Vegas has announced its opening date (see below) and Mandalay Bay, Park
MGM, and the Mirage, all of which had cut back operations in some way
mid-week, will be open full-time beginning March 3. In general, tourism-re-
lated businesses are running with what the government will give them, hop-
ing for more latitude as soon as they can get it. COVID numbers continue to
show improvement, adding to the optimism. Still closed with no reopening
date in sight are Palms, Texas Station, Fiesta Rancho, Fiesta Henderson,
Main Street Station, Eastside Cannery, and The Pass (formerly Eldorado).
Still disallowed from opening are the so-called “high-risk activities,” including
strip clubs, nightclubs, and brothels.
Virgin—Following directly on the heels of the loosening of restrictions,
Virgin Las Vegas announced that it will open on March 25. Virgin was orig-
inally scheduled to open last November, but the debut was pushed back
several times due to the pandemic. The 1,500 rooms will be managed by
Hilton Hotels under its Curio Collection brand, while the casino will be
operated by Mohegan Gaming.
The Drew—The hulking Drew, formerly Fontainebleau, has been sold.
Koch Real Estate has announced that it’s buying a 75% stake in the
27-acre property and its long-stalled 60-story unfinished building. Koch
is partnering with none other than Fontainebleau Development, the same
company that originally developed the project. The financial terms of the
sale weren’t disclosed. Neither is there information about plans for a name
change or an opening timetable, but the timing is good for a resurrection of
the project with Resorts World Las Vegas soon to open across the street.
6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021Plaza—The Plaza is celebrating its 50th anniversary with specials and
promotions throughout 2021, including the use of special commemorative
anniversary casino chips on all table games and limited-edition T-shirts,
pins, and keychains for guests. Also at the Plaza, after nearly 50 years in
operation at the same location, the downtown Greyhound Bus station has
closed to facilitate the Plaza’s renovation of the space. The bus station has
moved to the RTC South Strip transfer station on Gilespie St. off Sunset
Ave. near Las Vegas Boulevard.
Downtown—The estate of Zappo’s founder Tony Hsieh, who died last
year under mysterious circumstances and without a will, has disclosed plans
to sell much of his extensive downtown real estate holdings, which include
Container Park and the Fergusons complex. There’s a long way to go in the
process, but it opens the door for lots of change in the downtown sector.
Atlantic City—Trump Plaza was finally imploded last month, ending
a long saga for the Trump name and properties in Atlantic City. When it
opened in 1984 at the center of the boardwalk as the city’s 10th casino,
Trump Plaza quickly became its most successful and remained so until it
was eclipsed by Trump Taj Mahal in 1990. Donald Trump cut ties with the
Plaza in 2009 and the casino closed in 2014.
Pennsylvania—Philadelphia’s second casino has finally opened 16
years after it was authorized. The $700 million Live! Casino & Hotel Phila-
delphia has a 208-room hotel, restaurants, bars, and a casino with 2,100
slots, 120 table games, and a poker room.
Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was down 35.4% in
December compared to the same month last year. The Strip win was down
50.7%, and the downtown win dropped 27.9%.
Visitation was down 45.7%, with convention attendance registering 0
for the ninth consecutive month. The hotel occupancy rate fell again, drop-
ping to just 30.9%, with 45.4% weekends and a dismal 25% weekdays.
Airline traffic was down 60.7%, with 1.7 million travelers passing
through McCarran International last month. By comparison, monthly
pre-pandemic counts were routinely well above 4 million.
Collectively, U.S. casinos won $30 billion in 2020, down 31%. It was the
first time since 2014 that the total contracted. The magnitude of the decline
is put in perspective when compared to the drop in win during the reces-
sion, which was just 8.4% from 2007 to 2009. n
Sports Betting Scorecard
End-of-year numbers made it clear that New Jersey is the country’s
new sports betting king. Even in the midst of the pandemic, New Jersey’s
sports betting handle for 2020 was $6 billion, surpassing Nevada’s high-
continued on next page
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7News continued …
est-ever handle of $5.3 billion in 2019. Nevada’s 2020 handle was $4.3
billion, Pennsylvania booked $3.5 billion, Indiana $1.8 billion, and Colorado
$1.2 billion.
While the jockeying to be the next state to legalize continues, they
might all be beaten by Puerto Rico, which is aiming for an April launch.
Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country
and track developments as they occur via our map at LasVegasAdvisor.
com. n
DINING
Barry’s Downtown Prime at Circa
Does anyone miss N9NE at the Palms? We do. Some didn’t like it,
because it was loud and hectic, but that was the vibe they were going for
there. We didn’t mind the noise and judged it primarily for the food, which
was outstanding. N9NE was usually our first choice when asked to name
our favorite steakhouse and we were big fans of the chef, Barry Dakake.
Now he’s the head man in Barry’s Prime at Circa. And guess what? We
have a new fave.
Going in, we’d heard that it was crazy expensive, which wouldn’t be a
shock, given some of the tough price points at Circa. But we were (mildly)
pleasantly surprised when we saw stickers pretty much in line with the
high-end steakhouses in town. Steaks are priced mostly in the $60s, but
that’s what big steaks go for these days. The least expensive steak on the
menu is an 8-ounce filet for $56, salmon is $38, and chicken is $36. The
steak tartare appetizer was $26. Sides were $12-$15 … except for the
most expensive side dish we’ve ever ordered (see next). Baked Alaska for
dessert was $22.
It wasn’t the best tartare we’ve ever had, but everything else was
superb. The star of the show was the kick-ass-awesome 24-ounce rib eye,
cooked to absolute perfection. For three of us, with a $70 Russian River
Pinot, the tab came to $395, including tax, and there were to-go boxes
aplenty. Exclude the wine (you can play video poker in the casino, tip the
bartender $5, and walk in with a pretty good outside pour) and it comes
to about $100 per person before tip. That’s not brutal for the quality of
this meal. Remember, also, this is the only place in Circa where kids are
allowed.
Circling back to the ambience, it’s not as chaotic as N9NE, but it is
loud—and according to Eating Las Vegas author John Curtas, “very ’70s.”
True to Circa’s theme, the TVs are tuned to sports—not something you
8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021typically see in a gourmet steakhouse, but perfectly appropriate here. Plus,
we had a bet, so it was darned appreciated! You want romantic? Hugo’s is
right across the street at the Four Queens. n
The $48 Side Dish (and Corkage)
Lobster mac & cheese. Forty-eight dollars. Listed as a “side dish.” How
could we review Barry’s without ordering the most expensive side dish
we’d ever seen? Our question to the waiter: “How much lobster”?
“Six or seven ounces.”
“Really? Don’t believe you, but bring it.”
Wow. Served in a hollowed-out lobster shell, it seemed like there was
more lobster than macaroni. It justified the price and there was enough
for three to share. No buyer’s remorse here. But don’t take our word for
it. John Curtas again: “That lobster is
great!!!”
Now about the wine. The markup on
our wine, a 2017 Siduri Pinot Noir, was
about 100%. Still, it’s better to order it
in the restaurant than fade Barry’s $50
corkage (the second half-a-Benjamin
corkage tariff we’ve encountered in as
many months). But there’s a pivot point.
In order to even be allowed to invoke
corkage, you have to bring in a bottle
that’s not on Barry’s wine list. So here’s
your rule: Switch to paying the corkage
fee when the wine you bring costs at
Lobster mac & cheese at Barry’s least $55 retail. n
Breakfast at Circa (and the Shrimp Cocktail)
We like Saginaw’s, as expressed in our review in December. We got
some push-back for the fact that they don’t use rye bread and a couple
other things, but this deli is from Michigan, not New York. Along with the
sandwiches, Saginaw’s also has a big breakfast selection available 24/7.
We’re less impressed with breakfast, especially a $20 salmon platter that
was noticeably light on the lox. Better was the hash & eggs, also $20,
though we’d prefer Hennessey’s down the block for about half the price.
The best deal might be the silver-dollar pancakes for $6.
We also got to the bottom of the 99¢ shrimp cocktail promo, which runs
from 3 to 5 am daily (it’s $11 other times). When Saginaw’s opened, you
continued on next page
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9Dining continued …
could get the 99-center without having to make an additional purchase,
but you now have to buy a sandwich, which takes a lot of the luster off that
deal unless you’re there at 3 am and hungry. n
Steak Special at Mr. D’s
Returning to our pay
grade, last month we
wrote about the $1 taco
special at Mr. D’s (1810
S. Rainbow). It’s a good
one that runs on Mon-
days and Tuesdays. But
even better is the steak
special on Thursdays and
Sundays. Served from
5 to 11 pm, it’s a big rib
eye that comes with a
baked potato and vege-
Steak special at Mr. D’s
tables for $13.99. They
don’t advertise the size of the steak, but it’s 12 ounces minimum and you’ll
probably be taking some home. While we don’t rate this one above the
steak special at the Village Pubs, it’s next best. n
Burger at Rum Runner
With the price of everything rising,
it’s getting tough to find a good ham-
burger for under $10. Here’s one. The
Rum Runner at 1801 E. Tropicana
still serves a build-your-own version
that starts at $5.99. For that price,
you get a half-pounder with lettuce,
onions (grilled if you like), and pick-
les. From there you can add on for
an additional 50¢ to $1.25 per item,
including cheese, tomatoes, grilled
mushrooms, guacamole, bacon,
bleu-cheese crumbles, even a fried
egg. A checklist gives you all the
options and provides a spot to spec- The basic burger at Rum Runner
10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021ify exactly how you want the burger cooked. It’s available 24/7. There’s
a slight catch in that you have to purchase a beverage, but that’s waived
if you’re gambling. Go on a Wednesday and there’s a play-$100-get-$20
deal. There are several other choices on the menu from its restaurant, the
Badger Café (for the University of Wisconsin). The bar features several pool
tables and one of the few good foosball tables in town. n
Reader Leader
On Mondays, ALL restaurants at the South Point are half-price if you pay
with your club points. That makes the lunch buffet about $6.
LVA: That’s a good move, and you can earn those points playing
South Point’s excellent video poker selection (see GAMBLING).
Dining Notes
Late Night—With more restaurants opening up, late-night dining is also
starting to come back and we’ll be listing good options as they turn up.
One location with two choices is at Spring Mountain and Decatur, where
both the Crown & Anchor and Honey Pig (Korean) are serving 24/7. The
Crown & Anchor on Tropicana also has a 24-hour kitchen.
New Names—Station Casinos has changed the names of its cafés. The
Grand Cafés at Red Rock and Green Valley Ranch are now Lucky Penny
Cafes (which debuted at the Palms before the pandemic), while the Grand
Cafés at Boulder, Sunset, and Santa Fe Stations are now Brass Fork Cafés
(which debuted at Palace Station). These are all 24-hour restaurants,
something that’s not as common in the casinos as they used to be.
New Celeb Chefs—Las Vegas has its share of celebrity chefs and new
ones in the making. Eduardo Perez is the subject of one of the Modelo
Especial “Fighting Spirit” commercials that often feature UFC stars. The
commercial doesn’t identify where he works or even that it’s in Vegas,
but Perez is the head chef at Matteo’s Ristorante Italiano at the Venetian.
Also, Jamie Tran of The Black Sheep contemporary Vietnamese-American
restaurant on S. Durango will be one of 15 competing chefs on the upcom-
ing 18th season of the hit Bravo show “Top Chef.” n
Openings/Closings
Sushi Ichiban has opened on Fremont Street across from El Cortez,
with AYCE dinner for $27.95 and lunch for $23.95.
Randy’s Donuts from Los Angeles is coming to Las Vegas with plans to
open at least two outlets this year. n
continued on next page
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment Returning
The increase in capacity limits and the belief that they’ll soon be raised
again has prompted a flurry of action on the entertainment scene. This
includes the return of all major MGM Resorts shows and most from Cae-
sars Entertainment by the end of March. That doesn’t mean, however, that
it’s smooth sailing to Ticketville. On the contrary, there’s a lot of vagueness
in the marketplace about who’s doing what and when. And even when
it’s not vague, many of the shows are reportedly sold out of their vastly
reduced seating inventories. When we get solid information on a show
opening, we add it to our listings at LasVegasAdvisor.com, so check there,
then call for reservations as far in advance as possible.
One thing you need to be aware of is that prices are up everywhere,
which isn’t surprising, with producers trying to counter the still-crippling
capacity limitations. How much higher are they? It varies quite a bit. For
example, tickets for Absinthe are now $189 per, which is a whopping $60
increase pre-pandemic. However, tickets for Australian Bee Gees are
“only” $12 higher ($65). Still, that’s $24 more than before for two, which is
almost always the minimum number you can purchase.
Other entertainment options are also returning. The Electric Daisy Car-
nival is scheduled for May 21-23 and the Punk Rock Bowling and Music
Festival is on for Sept. 24-26, along with other concerts being resched-
uled (see “Entertainment Notes”). Even Céline Dion has gotten into the
act, announcing that her touring schedule is being pushed back, which
likely means that she won’t be able to begin a presumptive engagement at
Resorts World Las Vegas until sometime in 2022 at the earliest. Addition-
ally, Hakkasan Group says it will open three of its clubs this month: OMNIA
at Caesars Palace, Wet Republic at MGM, and Liquid Pool Lounge at Aria.
Also opening in March are Pool Marquee at Cosmo and Encore Beach
Club. It’s not clear what form these will take, given the clampdown on
clubs in general, but they’ll be operating in some capacity within the frame-
work of COVID health regulations.
Finally, the March Madness college basketball tournament begins
March 18. No one expects it to be the three-week party that it’s been in
the past, but if the Super Bowl was any indication, the sports books will be
jumping throughout the tournament. n
Bars and Happy Hours
This isn’t official, but we hear that the happy hour in Fresco’s at West-
gate Las Vegas is coming back. This one is so good that it was in the top
ten in October before being abruptly discontinued. Watch “Vegas News” at
12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021LasVegasAdvisor.com for the announcement and we’ll provide details next
month if it happens.
Kopper Keg Rainbow has happy hours Mon.-Sat. from 2 to 6 pm and
10 pm to 2 am, with $3 beer and well drinks, $4 wine, and $5-$6 appetiz-
ers.
Bogey’s on E. Sunset Rd. has happy hours daily from 4 to 7 pm and
midnight to 4 am, with $3.50 beer, wine, and well drinks, $5 martinis, $10
pitchers, and $6 appetizers.
Blue Hawk Tavern on S. Las Vegas Blvd. has happy hours Mon.-Fri. at
noon to 2 pm, 4 to 6 pm, and midnight to 2 am, with $1 off beer, $3 well
drinks, and $5 wine.
Jing in Downtown Summerlin has wine tastings on Tuesdays from 6 to
8 pm during which you can mix and match three wines by the glass and
two pairing selections for $12 each.
The Caesars Palace Forum Food Court will host a new sports bar called
Stadia, which will open this spring. Facing Vanderpump Cocktail Garden,
Stadia Bar will be big, 2,200 square feet with 120 seats; the bar’s design,
architectural details, and artwork will give it the appearance of a sports
arena.
The two Irene’s Cocktail Lounges on Spring Mountain and Tropicana
have been sold and are closing this month. n
Entertainment Notes
Cosmic Shopping—Omega Mart from Meow Wolf, an immersive enter-
tainment experience that takes place in a supermarket setting, has opened
at the Area15 arts complex (see this issue’s cover). It sounds kind of like a
Halloween haunted house, in that a bunch of things are happening inside
a closed structure, only those things include a multi-level playground,
a maze, an escape room, and other random diversions that artists with
wild imaginations make up. Tickets for the experience are $45 for general
admission and $35 for Nevada residents (discounts for children, seniors,
and military). From what we can tell, Omega Mart is considered the anchor
component of the out-there Area15.
Downtown Comedy—A non-casino night spot called Wise Guys Com-
edy Club is rumored to be headed for the downtown arts district.
Concerts Delayed—Perhaps the third time is the charm. The Garth
Brooks show that was originally scheduled to christen Allegiant Stadium as
a concert venue in August of last year and was rescheduled for February
has now been re-rescheduled for July 10. Similarly, Sting’s 16-show “My
Songs” residency in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace has been moved
again. Originally scheduled to begin last year, the debut is now planned for
May 7. n
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 13GAMBLING
Super Bowl
After opening with the Kansas City Chiefs -3.5 favorites over the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers, the line moved quickly to -3, then bounced back and
forth between those numbers right up till game time, when it closed -3. The
total opened 57.5 and was bet down to 56.5 and 56 before a late drop to
close at 55.5. When Tampa Bay won 31-9, Bucs and under bettors got the
money.
Nevada Handle—Nevada sports books took in $136.1 million in wagers,
a 12% decrease from last year. The decline was blamed on significantly
fewer visitors coming to Las Vegas due to COVID concerns (as opposed
to competition from other states). No one’s crying for the books, though.
While it was the lowest total since 2016, it was still the fifth highest ever
and the books won $12.5 million, a healthy 9.2% of the money wagered.
Nickel Line—There was some foreshadowing that betting was down
when the day before the game, the Westgate began offering -105 “for a
limited time” (it lasted until kickoff). It was the only reduced-juice line in
town and was applicable for bets on the side only (winner of the game
against the pointspread).
Books Crash—Sports books around the country had problems with
systems going down due to heavy betting volume—outages were reported
at DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, and Barstool sports books. That wasn’t
a big surprise in that 21 states took Super Bowl bets this year, compared
to 14 last year, so there were several first-timers in the game. But it also
happened in Vegas, where all of the BetMGM books went down in the
first half of the game, making it impossible for customers to make halftime
bets. Worse, players with winning tickets couldn’t cash after the game and
police had to be called in to calm angry customers.
Big Mack—Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, the Houston furniture
salesman, was back and credited for making this year’s biggest bet and
one of the biggest in Super Bowl history. Mack bet $3.46 million on the
Buccaneers +3.5 at DraftKings and won $2.72 million … kinda (see below).
Also reported was a $2.3 million bet on Tampa Bay +3.5 at BetMGM that
paid $2 million.
Props—The sports books didn’t let COVID affect their output of propo-
sition bets (though there was a big drop-off in attendance at the Westgate
the night they went up on the board). Both Westgate and William Hill were
prolific again, with well over 1,000 propositions each (WH was listed at
1,218). Others around the country added to the variety of wagers, though
the enforcement agencies in the new jurisdictions kept a lid on things,
mostly disallowing the crazy offshore-style props. Bettors backing Rob
14 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021Gronkowski to score the first TD cashed at 16-1, and fellow former-Patriot,
Tom Brady, won MVP at +250. No overtime (-1400) and no safety (-1100)
both cashed. Anyone who saw only 9 points for the Chiefs coming cashed
at 100-1. In cross-sports bets, a big beat came in Phoenix Suns points
vs. Chiefs rushing yards, when the Suns opened -.5 and the line moved
all the way to Suns -26. That means everyone was betting the basketball
points and when Kansas City rushed for 107 yards and Phoenix scored
100 (9 points below their season average), the books got away with a badly
calibrated opening line. LeBron James wasn’t playing this year, so neither
were the usual ubiquitous props involving him, but there were plenty of
other betting options. For example, the Vegas Golden Knights scored 4
goals to beat Mike Evans’ 1 reception, Kawhi Leonard’s 20 points crushed
the Chiefs’ total points -4.5, and though the L.A. Kings scored only 2 goals,
it was enough to beat Patrick Mahomes’ TD passes + interceptions -.5 (0
TDs/2 INTs). In the offshore props, Bruce Arians’ nostrils were seen before
Andy Reid’s (-200); in the interview with the president; Joe Biden men-
tioned the Chiefs before the Buccaneers (-120); once again, there were no
wardrobe malfunctions; and the Gatorade poured over Arians was blue,
cashing at +400.
Streaker—Controversy surfaced over the offshore prop, “Will there be
a streaker?” If you watched the game, you saw him briefly, and someone
claimed to have bet the Yes for $50,000 at +750 to win $375,000. That’s
highly unlikely, given that books don’t take big action on a bet that can be
manipulated. Everyone learned why that’s so when it came out that the
bettors had orchestrated the streak. Some books paid, others didn’t.
Leaker—More controversy came with this year’s National Anthem prop,
which opened at 1:59. But after a recording of a rehearsal was leaked, the
time was bet steadily up and closed at 2:16. Eric Church and Jazmine Sul-
livan’s rendition came in at 2:17. Several books took the bet down after the
leak, but in most places, the over betters got paid, even after the adjust-
ment.
Next Year—The futures line for next year’s Super Bowl has the Chiefs
favored at 5.5-1, followed by the Buccaneers and Packers at 9-1. The long
shots are the Lions, Jets, and Texans, all at 100-1. n
Mack’s Bet
Here’s an inside peek at the big Mattress Mack Super Bowl win. As he’s
done in the past, Mack was working with Anthony Curtis and Frank B to
hedge a promotion he ran for his Gallery Furniture customers in Houston.
Without getting into the details of the promo, Mack had to hedge a Tampa
Bay win that would result in his refunding a large amount of furniture pay-
ments. Yes, he won the bet and accomplished the hedge, but the wager
continued on next page
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 15Gambling continued …
was met with a lot of criticism on Twitter and from other sources.
The reason is, after he made the bet, the ticket was made public and
the amounts displayed worked out to a line of -127. Why would Mack
lay 127 when the market line at the time was -115? Actually, he didn’t.
Although the numbers on the published ticket indicated a -127 price, that
wasn’t the bottom line. What wasn’t evident is that Mack had negotiated
a number of bonuses, something that big bettors can do, that effectively
priced the bet at -105, significantly better than the market offered. As
Frank put it, “Mack made the biggest bet at the best price.” Anthony went
on the sports betting network VSiN to clear up the misconceptions and the
criticism stopped.
At that point, it was mission accomplished—Mack’s hedge was in and
his position secured. But an additional component of the play has been
overlooked: the possibility of the “scoop.” This wager afforded a best-re-
sult scenario of a Chiefs victory by 1, 2, or 3 points. Had that happened,
Mack would have kept the furniture money and won the bet. The Chiefs
scored first with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead. We all know what happened
from there, but for a brief few minutes, Anthony and Frank got to dream. In
the end, Mack got to make his customers happy and won back the refunds
on the wager. n
Gambling Notes
EI Jackpot—A Las Vegas man hit a $900,000 jackpot at Ellis Island
playing a progressive Buffalo slot machine. It was the second big Buffalo
hit for the casino after popping a $750,000 jackpot in 2017.
Sahara Multiplier—The Sahara is awarding 21X points on reel slots on
the 21st of every month in 2021.
High Limit—New high-limit rooms have opened at El Cortez and The
STRAT.
Poker Feud Conclusion—Doug Polk defeated Daniel Negreanu in their
heads-up grudge match. After 25,000 hands, Polk came out ahead, win-
ning $1.2 million. Polk indicated that he may move away from poker to
pursue other endeavors. Negreanu said he wants to play Phil Hellmuth
next, after Hellmuth criticized his play during the Polk match. That’s what
those guys do. n
Video Poker Lost and Found
South Point continues to be an excellent video poker house. According
to the online database vpFREE2 (and ads on the “Gambling With an Edge”
podcast), SP offers hundreds of games with 99%+ returns, including NSU
16 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • MARCH 2021Deuces Wild (99.73%), 9/6 Bonus Poker Deluxe (99.64%), and 9/6 Jacks or
Better (99.54%).
Kopper Keg Rainbow has an interesting Card of the Day progressive
that goes up $5 every time a non-COD quad is hit. On 6/5 Bonus Poker,
you’re at breakeven if the bonus reaches $220, and that’s with negligible
changes in strategy—break a FH to hold 3 CODs and hold a lone COD of
any rank rather than draw 5. We haven’t seen the progressive hit $220, but
we’ve seen it high enough to move the game up to the 99% range. Crown
& Anchor Spring Mountain has a Pick-a-Pair game that returns 96.2%.
Nothing special about that except this game at most bars returns 95.74%.
The difference is C&A’s game pays 120 for 4-of-a-kind instead of 100.
Crown & Anchor Spring Mtn. has a Pick-a-Pair game that returns
96.2%. Nothing special, except this game at most bars returns 95.74%.
The difference is C&A’s game pays 120 for 4-of-a-kind instead of 100.
The Village Pub at 2301 E. Sunset Rd. deals 7/5 Bonus Poker.
Blue Hawk Tavern at 11997 S. Las Vegas Blvd. has a play-$50-get-$20
sign-up bonus.
Bob Dancer’s free video poker classes are expected to resume at South
Point this summer. Until then, be sure to check out Bob’s weekly Tuesday
blog and the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast, with Bob and
Richard Munchkin, both at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n
WEATHER KEY dates
JANUARY APRIL
Mean 43° Avg. Max. 59° Avg. Min. 28° 11-15 Las Vegas Market - Spring 2021 - 50,000
Cool and dry. Days are crsip, but pleasant. Cold evenings.
Pools: Currently closed by government order.
Attire: Sweater and jacket—desert winters are cold.
FEBRUARY JUNE
Mean 49° Avg. Max. 66° Avg. Min. 33° 11-13 National Hardware Show 2021 - 30,000
Days begin to wram, evenings still cool.
Pools: Currently closed by government order.
Attire: Light jacket for day, something warm for
evenings.
MARCH JULY
Mean 55° Avg. Max. 72° Avg. Min. 39° 4-7 JCK Jewelry Show - 30,000
A fickle month for weather. Occasional rain and high 4-7 International Vision Expo West 2021 - 30,000
winds, warm days. 22-24 International Pizza Expo 2021 - 12,000
Pools: Currently closed by government order. 25-27 Big Boys Toys 2021 - 10,000+
Attire: Light jacket or sweater for evenings. 8-10 World of Concrete 2021 - 60,000
27-29 Cosmoprof North America 2021 - 40,000
28-30 NightClub and Bar Show - 40,000
MARCH 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 17Prsrt First-Class Mail
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Joe’s Dash
$15.96 + shipping
After stints in the Navy and Coast Guard, Joe Dorsey worked his way up
the ranks of the San Diego PD to become a detective with the elite Robbery
Unit. But it was when his career took him to Las Vegas that he really began
to make his mark—as an investigator for the Gaming Control Board, director
of security and surveillance for several major Strip casinos, and an interna-
tional debt collector. Security and debt collecting are hidden aspects of the
gambling business but revealed in Joe’s Dash.
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