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A N T H O N Y C U R T I S’
LasVegasAdvisor
July 2021 • Vol. 38 • Issue 7 $5
RESORTS
WORLD
OPENS
Big and friendly?…
pgs. 1, 3, 4, 5,
7, 13, 16
SUMMER
ROOM
RATES
Decent, but higher
than usual …
pg. 2, 5
MORE
BUFFETS
Excalibur, Bellagio,
and Wynn join in …
pg 6
VEGAS TEST
KITCHEN
Boss bagels and
baniza … pg. 8
CANNABIS
LOUNGES
Buy it; smoke it …
pg. 12
CASINOS Local (702) Toll Free
2021 MEMBER Aliante Casino+Hotel+Spa....................692-7777....... 877-477-7627
REWARDS
Aria........................................................590-7111....... 866-359-7757
Arizona Charlie’s Boulder......................951-5800....... 800-362-4040
Arizona Charlie’s Decatur......................258-5200....... 800-342-2695
Bally’s....................................................739-4111....... 877-603-4390
DINING, INCLUDING Bellagio..................................................693-7111....... 888-987-7111
Binion’s..................................................382-1600....... 800-937-6537
“LOCAL CORNER”, DRINKS, Boulder Station......................................432-7777....... 800-683-7777
Caesars Palace.....................................731-7110....... 866-227-5938
ATTRACTIONS, AND California...............................................385-1222....... 800-634-6505
GAMBLING Cannery.................................................507-5700....... 866-999-4899
Casino Royale (Best Western Plus).......737-3500....... 800-854-7666
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
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 Flamingo................................................733-3111....... 800-732-2111
the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter. No exceptions. Four Queens..........................................385-4011....... 800-634-6045
Fremont.................................................385-3232....... 800-634-6460
Gold Coast............................................367-7111....... 800-331-5334
Golden Gate..........................................385-1906....... 800-426-1906
Golden Nugget......................................385-7111....... 844-468-4438
MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS: Green Valley Ranch...............................617-7777....... 866-782-9487
Harrah’s.................................................369-5000....... 800-392-9002
FULL MEMBERSHIP: Includes 12 monthly is- LINQ, The..............................................731-3311....... 866-328-1888
Longhorn (Super 8)................................435-9170....... 800-800-8000
sues of the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, mailed Luxor.....................................................262-4000....... 800-288-1000
first-class; the LVA Member Rewards book*; M Resort................................................797-1000....... 877-673-7678
plus 365 days of access to our website: Mandalay Bay........................................632-7777....... 877-632-7800
MGM Grand...........................................891-1111....... 800-929-1111
www.LasVegasAdvisor.com. Mirage...................................................791-7111....... 800-627-6667
New York-New York..............................740-6969....... 800-693-6763
U.S. Membership $50: (Includes shipping of NoMad...................................................730-7000....... 888-706-6623
newsletter. Member Rewards book is shipped Orleans..................................................365-7111....... 800-675-3267
OYO.......................................................739-9000....... 866-584-6687
at an additional $3.50, or can be picked up at Palace Station.......................................367-2411....... 800-634-3101
our office any day after the first business day of Palazzo..................................................607-7777....... 866-263-3001
the year.) Paris......................................................946-7000....... 888-266-5687
Park MGM.............................................730-7777....... 800-311-8999
Canadian Membership $60us / Overseas Planet Hollywood..................................785-5555....... 866-919-7472
Plaza......................................................386-2110....... 800-634-6575
Membership $70us: (Includes shipping of
Rampart ................................................507-5900....... 877-869-8777
newsletter. Member Rewards book is shipped Red Rock Resort...................................797-7777....... 866-767-7773
at an additional $5us to Canada, $7us to Over- Rio.........................................................252-7777....... 888-746-7482
seas, or can be picked up at our office any day Resorts World........................................676-7000....... 800-774-1500
Sahara Las Vegas..................................761-7000....... 855-761-7757
after the first business day of the year.) Sam’s Town...........................................456-7777....... 800-634-6371
Santa Fe Station....................................658-4900....... 866-767-7771
ONLINE MEMBERSHIP $37us: Includes 365 Silver Sevens.........................................733-7000....... 800-640-9777
Silverton................................................263-7777....... 800-588-7711
days of access to www.LasVegasAdvisor.com, South Point............................................796-7111....... 866-791-7626
and the LVA Member Rewards book.* (Member Suncoast...............................................636-7111....... 877-677-7111
Rewards books can be picked up at the LVA of- Sunset Station.......................................547-7777....... 888-786-7389
fice or shipped to your home via coupon service The Cromwell........................................777-3777....... 844-426-2766
the D......................................................388-2400....... 800-274-5825
for $3.50 to a U.S. address; $5us to Canadian The STRAT.............................................380-7777....... 800-998-6937
and $7us to Overseas addresses.) Treasure Island (TI)................................894-7111....... 800-944-7444
Tropicana..............................................739-2222....... 800-634-4000
SINGLE ISSUE: Call to order—$5us hard copy Tuscany.................................................893-8933....... 877-887-2261
(First-class postage included. Current issue un- Vdara.....................................................590-2767....... 866-745-7767
Venetian.................................................414-1000....... 877-883-6423
less otherwise specified. Member Rewards book
Waldorf Astoria......................................590-8888....... 800-925-3673
is not included.) Westin Lake Las Vegas.........................567-6000
Westin Las Vegas..................................836-5900....... 800-937-8461
* The LVA Member Rewards book is available ONLY
Westgate Las Vegas..............................732-5111....... 800-732-7117
with a paid one-year subscription to the Las Vegas Ad- Wild Wild West (Days Inn).....................740-0000....... 800-777-1514
visor newsletter. No exceptions. Restricted to one per Wildfire..................................................648-3801
person and two per household, per year. Wynn Las Vegas....................................770-7000....... 866-770-7077
July 2021 $5
ANTHONY CURTIS’
LasVegasAdvisor
COUPONOMY
by Anthony Curtis
Resorts World Opens
After lots of starts and stops, twists and turns, and general changing
of directions, Resorts World finally opened on June 24. Am I impressed?
Heck yeah I am. The place is a monster. But I seem to be in the minority
in that feeling. I’ve talked to lots of people who are rating it on a scale of
shrug to a full-out thumbs down. Why is that?
One reason, and I agree with it, is that even after all this time, it seems
like Resorts World opened before it was ready. A number of restaurants
and entertainment components are still not open and the first few days
were fairly glitchy, with systems going down all over the place. In the “most
technologically advanced casino” ever created, we couldn’t use a credit
card to buy two beers and the bartender couldn’t pull up the price (“gimme
twelve and we’ll call it even”). But the bigger reason may be that because
the expectations were so built up over such a long period of time, RW will
have a difficult time living up to them.
The big guy is always an easy target, but not for me. I wasn’t expecting
Resorts World to surpass Wynn or Bellagio in opulence and it doesn’t. I
didn’t expect good gambling rules or schedules and there aren’t. But I also
wasn’t expecting to experience something that made me almost forget
that I was on the Las Vegas Strip and I did. It’s hard to explain, but Resorts
World is oddly self-contained. By that I mean that it feels like you can
probably find whatever you’re looking for somewhere inside, so there’s no
urgency to get out. I found myself walking around and exploring the place
more than I usually do. I also found it more approachable than I expected.
That is, you can play 25¢ video poker at the bar and get a comped beer. If
you’re hungry at 7 am, you can get a darned good breakfast sandwich for
$10. The music is hip, but not ear-piercingly loud. There are USB portals
everywhere to charge your phone. It’s not a bargain joint, but for a high-
end Strip megaresort, it’s surprisingly friendly and welcoming.
Of course, there’s a lot to learn about Resorts World and we’ll have
much more to say about it next month. In the meantime, we’ve covered it
continued on next page
Couponomy continued …
fairly in depth with blog posts at LasVegasAdvisor.com and a video on the
LVA YouTube channel. It’s definitely worth checking out, and parking is
free, at least for a little while longer. n
July Room Rates
Last month, I warned about the “pandemic reset,” which is a general
move toward higher pricing. Everywhere. More evidence of that is revealed
in the results of our annual July room-rate survey. One of the best indica-
tors of overall marketing strategies is the price of a room, so this year’s
results tell a tale. Last year, with only 83 casinos in the survey, 48 had base
rates of $50 or below. This year, with a survey count of 98, there are only
30. While not unexpected, it’s certainly sobering.
Following are this year’s findings. All are base rates and do not include
resort fees. For the first time in many surveys, there are no casinos in the
“$20 and under” club, so that category isn’t included. The lowest base rate
was $22 at Golden Gate. Note that these rates were available when we
checked, but can change at any time—we can’t guarantee that you’ll get
all of the listed prices.
$30 and under—Circus Circus, Ellis Island, Golden Gate, OYO, Rio,
Silver Sevens, The STRAT.
$40 and under—Bally’s, El Cortez, Flamingo, Harrah’s, LINQ, Longhorn,
Gold Spike, Palace Station, Serene, Tropicana.
$50 and under—Downtown Grand, Excalibur, Artisan, Silverton, the D,
Gold Coast, Plaza, Boulder Station, Binion’s, Wild Wild West, Primm Val-
ley, Luxor, Tuscany.
High End—Planet Hollywood $53, NY-NY $65, Golden Nugget $69,
Park MGM $69, Treasure Island $76, Cromwell $81, Paris $82, MGM
Grand $86, Signature at MGM $89, Palms Place $99, Trump $101, Virgin
$104, Green Valley Ranch $110, Hilton Lake LV $114, M Resort $115,
Mirage $129, Resorts World $135, Circa $139, Elara $146, NoMad $149,
Red Rock $149, Vdara $159, Caesars Palace $162, Nobu $180, Venetian
$192, Mandalay Bay $199, Palazzo $200, Encore $207, Wynn $207, Del-
ano $229, Bellagio $275, Aria $279, Cosmopolitan $280, Four Seasons
$295, Waldorf Astoria $295.
The theme is consistent through to the high end, where almost every
rate is up, some extraordinarily so. For example, the Mirage is $64 per
night more than last year and Caesars Palace is $68 more. That ain’t
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: Alison Holka Cover: Resorts World
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 • JULY 2021
nothin’. The Venetian is +$80, Wynn and Encore are +$100, Cosmo is
+$130, Mandalay Bay and Delano are +$160, Waldorf Astoria is +$172,
and the “winner” is Aria going for a regal $180 more per night than last
July. What’s worse, the resort fees have also increased at many of these
places.
How long will it last? As long as people are paying. As touched on last
month, right now customers are so crazed to get out they’ll pay the freight
no matter how high. That won’t last forever. But it’s definitely happening
now.
The news isn’t all bad. Bucking the trend, Park MGM and Signature at
MGM are both $10 less than last year, plus there’s more help available with
the LVA Luxury Travel program we wrote about in March, where those high
rates at places like Bellagio and Cosmo come with $160-$175 in F&B cred-
its, knocking the cost back into the decent category (get details at
LasVegasAdvisor.com). And take another look at the list. There are still
lots of options under $50. Even though a place like Circus Circus comes in
at $61 per night after adding the RF, and Bally’s, Harrah’s, and The LINQ
wind up at $72, those are still good rates for staying on the Strip. And you
can still stay for under $50 downtown ($49.95 after RF at El Cortez). n
RFs and PP
That’s resort fees and paid parking. Resort fees were up by $5 this
month at Palace Station ($34.99) and California and Fremont (both $23.99).
The RF at Resorts World is $45. Parking fees are now back at Caesars
properties, MGM properties, and Cosmopolitan. Formerly free, fees will
soon be charged in the Miracle Mile Shops garage at Planet Hollywood
and they could show up any day at Resorts World, which isn’t charging
now, but has all the pay apparatus in place. You can stay up on the latest
in PP and RFs at LasVegasAdvisor.com. n
NEWS
Resorts World—After multiple delays, the massive Resorts World Las
Vegas opened to big crowds on June 24. The $4.3 billion 3,500-room
resort features more than 40 food and beverage outlets, 70,000 square
feet of retail space, an elevated pool complex, and a 117,000-square-foot
casino. Several restaurants and nightclubs are yet to open and the 5,000-
seat theater won’t debut until November. The resort is being touted for its
high-tech amenities, including keyless hotel rooms that you open with your
phone, digital-wallet purchasing throughout, and a cashless casino floor.
It’s the first new property to open on the Strip since the Cosmopolitan in
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 32010.
Convention Center—Thirty-three months after breaking ground, the
West Hall expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center opened early
last month for the World of Concrete convention, which attracted 10,000
attendees. The $2 billion 1.4-million-square-foot West Hall was actually
completed in December 2020, meeting the original deadline for hosting the
2021 Consumer Electronics Show in early January, but wasn’t needed until
World of Concrete. The West Hall occupies the property that was once the
Riviera; its entrance is directly off the Strip.
Las Vegas Loop—The $52.5 million Las Vegas Loop subterranean
transportation system that runs under the Las Vegas Convention Center
is now operating after taking only 18 months to build. While we’ve been
referring to it as a “people mover” and “subway,” it’s really just two tunnels
that are traversed by regular automobiles (specifically, Teslas) with human
drivers and three or four passengers per car, but it’s still a unique form
of (free) public transportation. As of now, it’s used only by conventioneers
to get from one end to the other of the massive Las Vegas Convention
Center, but it will soon have a link to Resorts World (many Resorts World
directional signs already include arrows to the “Vegas Loop”) and other
destinations are planned.
White Cross Drugs—Work on a $20 million “overhaul” of the iconic
White Cross Drugs building at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and
Oakey Boulevard near The STRAT is scheduled to begin in September.
Upwards of 17,000 square feet of the 25,000-square-foot 1950s’ structure
will be retained, with another 33,000 square feet added; the new building
will house “bars, restaurants, and possibly some office tenants.”
Lake Mead—According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the surface
of Lake Mead has dropped to its lowest level since it was filled to 1,225.44
feet in the 1930s. Last month the Bureau put Mead at 1,071.61 feet, tying
the record low set in 2016. But it will shatter that record, as water in the
lake is expected to keep declining for the next four to five months.
Statistics—Nevada’s statewide gambling win was up … wait for it …
28,255.9% in April compared to the same month last year. That’s a record!
Of course, it’s because the casinos were closed in April 2020 and the win
was just $3.7 million from online sports betting and poker. The April 2021
Powerhouse CC Play
We’re currently promoting an offer from Chase Sapphire for a credit card
that has a lot of advantage-play value. The primary appeal is that when you
charge $4,000 within three months, you get 100,000 points redeemable for
$1,000 in cashback or $1,250 in travel credits (they can also be used for
a 4-night stay over a weekend at Bellagio). That’s as juicy a premium as
we’ve seen. There are other benefits and the yay-or-nay approval process is
almost instantaneous. Check out the details in “The Travel Game” at
LasVegasAdvisor.com. n
4 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021TOP 10 VALUES 1. Resorts World • Las Vegas Strip • 24 hours • Free
2. Steak Dinner • Ellis Island • 24 hours • $7.99
For the third time this year, 3. Buffet • South Point • Daily • $9.95-$19.95
a new casino occupies the #1
4. Beer • Stage Door • 24 hours • $1
spot in the Top Ten. Resorts
5. Breakfast • Arizona Charlie’s • Daily • $5.99
World Las Vegas represents one
6. Hot Dog • South Point • Daily • $1.25
of the biggest openings ever in
7. Shrimp Cocktail • Skyline • 24 hours • $1.50
Las Vegas and there’s plenty to
8. $1 Blackjack • OYO • 24 hours • $1.20
see. We cover some of the key
9. $2 Menu • Jake’s Bar • 24 hours • $2
elements of the new joint in this
10. Room Rates • El Cortez et al • $50 and up
issue and will provide a com-
plete rundown next month. The
Ellis Island complete steak dinner moves to #2 for this month only with
it’s complete steak dinner. Served 24/7 in the Café, get the $7.99 price
by playing at least $5 in any slot machine with your club card inserted,
then downloading the required discount coupon from an EI kiosk. If you
don’t want to play, 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. Of the now eight operating buffets in Las Vegas, the South
Point buffet (#3) is the least expensive by far. Breakfast, which includes
unlimited bloody Marys, is the best deal; show a club card to get the
$9.95 price. Budweiser and Michelob Light in the bottle are $1 at the
Stage Door slot house on Flamingo, just east of the Strip (#4); a ¼-pound
hot dog and a Bud is $3. The steak or ham & eggs at either Arizona
Charlie’s (#5) 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 (#6)
are sold from a cart in the sports book from 10 am until they close down
the cart around 5 pm. The Skyline shrimp cocktail (#7) is served at the
main bar. Oyo’s $1-minimum blackjack game (#8) 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. Jake’s Bar at Eastern
and Sahara has more than a dozen food selections for $2 each (#9)—
and that includes tax—available all day to everyone, not just gamblers.
Whereas our traditional summer room-rate survey usually produces rates
worthy of the top spot on the list, this year’s rates just barely squeak in
at #10. Check out the results of the survey in Couponomy. There are also
some good bundled deals at the high-end resorts that you can access at
LasVegasAdvisor.com.
win was $1.4 billion, which is already ahead of pre-pandemic levels.
Visitation was up 2,307.7%, but unlike the win, still lags in its rebound
due to the continued absence of conventions—which reported 0 for the
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 5News continued …
13th consecutive month—and the slow return of foreign travel. The hotel
occupancy rate continues to improve, rising to 65.6%, with 83.5% week-
ends and 57.9% weekdays.
Airline traffic was up 1,806.5%, with 2.9 million travelers in April. Low-
cost carrier Frontier Airlines is adding new direct routes this month to Bur-
bank, Phoenix, and Denver, with introductory fares as low as $19. n
Sports Betting Scorecard
Bills have passed legalizing sports betting in Louisiana and Nebraska.
Online sports betting has been approved in Connecticut (see Gambling).
Ohio appears close to legalization and Arizona is on track to start taking
wagers by football season. Meanwhile, Nevada fell to third place in the
April comparison of sports betting handle ($454.4 million), trailing New Jer-
sey ($747.9 million) and now Pennsylvania ($479.4 million).
Follow the progress of sports betting legalization across the country
and track developments as they occur via our map at
LasVegasAdvisor.com. n
DINING
Buffet Update
Last month the buffet count was five. Before the end of this month,
it will be eight. The buffets at Wynn, Excalibur, and Bellagio reopen this
month, joining South Point, Cosmopolitan, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand,
and Circus Circus.
The Wynn is a re-reopening. It was the first to come back after the
shutdown, but the waiter-served format didn’t work and it closed again
in early September. There’s been no confirmation that it’s reverted to the
traditional self-serve format, but that’s almost a given. As of now, the
buffet will be served Thursday through Monday only, from 8 to 10 am for
breakfast ($38.99), 10 am to 3 pm for brunch ($45.99), and 3 to 9 pm for
dinner ($64.99). Saturday and Sunday brunch will run from 10 am to 3 pm
($48.99).
Excalibur is serving brunch only, Thursday through Monday from 8 am
to 3 pm. It’s $24.99 Thursday, Friday, and Monday and $29.99 Saturday
and Sunday.
It was announced at press time that the Bellagio Buffet will reopen on
July 16. Like Excalibur, it’ll be brunch only, from 7 am to 3 pm seven days
a week, Mon.-Thurs. ($39) and Fri.-Sun. ($49). Since the meals served are
6 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021different, we can’t make a proper value comparison, but the price points at
Bellagio are much more enticing than those at Wynn and Caesars.
The Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace is now open seven days a
week. It still offers dinner only from 4 to 10 pm, but for $10 more than last
month at $74.99. Yeoww! Who didn’t know that was coming?
Who’s next? Last month, Boyd Gaming joined Station in stating that
it won’t bring back its buffets. Caesars Entertainment has indicated the
same, despite the strong response to the Bacchanal. It’s looking more and
more like the lower-end buffets will be last to return, and then only when an
operator sees a marketing opportunity in making that move. It will
happen. n
Dollar Dogs at Slots A Fun
Last summer, Slots A Fun advertised $1
hot dogs and $1 beer, but neither was ever
available. We wrote it up as “The Dog &
Beer Promo that Isn’t.” Now they are. Both
are served at the bar, which is usually open
from 4 pm to midnight on weekdays, and
most of the day on weekends. The dog is a
bit puny and the beer is Busch Light poured
from a pitcher kept in the bar fridge (ours
was lukewarm and flat). So it’s not quite a
culinary powerhouse, but it’s $2 total. You
Hot dog and beer at Slots A Fun can walk there from Resorts World. n
Vegas Test Kitchen
Showing up in foodie cities, “test kitchens” provide a single space for
established chefs to test-market new menu items and up-and-comers to
introduce their offerings. Vegas Test Kitchen opened last December at
1020 Fremont St., next door to Fergusons Downtown. It serves several sta-
ple items Thursday-Sunday, hosts meatless Mondays for the vegan crowd,
puts on chef mini-residencies and one-off dinners, and runs special events,
such as a comedy club, on weekend evenings.
Since the featured foods are provided by different chefs, we assumed
this was a food-court format, but it’s not. It’s a sit-down restaurant where
you order from a menu (virtual, see pg.8). Morning choices tend to be
bagels and pies. The bagels can be ordered alone or as breakfast sand-
wiches to eat there or take out. It varies. Mornings sometimes have ban-
iza, a sweet or savory Bulgarian pastry. It’s fluid. Later in the day, you’ll
find pizza, sushi, Asian noodle soups, and whatever else is currently
being served up. It shifts. Then there are pop-up events, with guest chefs
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 7Dining continued …
swooping in to show off their
specialties—e.g., a recent cev-
iche series. The best way to
monitor timing and availability
of the offerings is to check the
“calendar” at vegastestkitchen.
com. We were there at 11 am
on a Saturday, so we tried two
bagels, one with a fried egg
and cheese, the other with lox
and capers. The bagels come
from the chef at the acclaimed
Rooster Boy Café, so they, and
the sandwiches ($8-$10), are
excellent. Our tab for two with Breakfast bagel at Vegas Test Kitchen
tax and tip came to $25.
Be forewarned: The menu and payment system are touchless. There’s
no paper menu and you need a QR scanner on your phone (and know
how to use it) to call up the current selections. If you don’t have a scanner,
the hostess—who could be the gracious owner, Jolene Mannina, queen
of the local foodie scene—can show you the menu on the “house phone”
(but then you’ll feel like a Luddite). Also, there’s no point-of-sale system;
you pay with a credit card (via a bank app on your phone), Apple Pay, or
a similar platform. There’s a workaround for this too, but you should go in
prepared for a high-tech experience. All in all, you’ll feel like you’re on the
cutting edge of the Las Vegas foodie scene here and except for when the
place hosts special events, there should be plenty of free parking on the
street. n
Pizza Picks
Continuing our foray into the exploding pizza scene, we revisited three
New York-style veterans. First, we went back to the little pizza counter we
liked when it first opened (LVA 3/14): Pin-Up Pizza, located in front of the
Miracle Mile Shops. Back then, it stood out by serving the biggest slice
on the Strip for $4.75. At the same time, Secret Pizza across the street
at Cosmopolitan was getting $4.50 for a regular-size slice. Today, a slice
at Pin-Up is roughly the same size, but half the quality and nearly double
the price at $8.95. Our bill for a slice of cheese and a 12-ounce soda with
tax came to $15.15. Ouch! Meanwhile, a slice of cheese at Secret Pizza is
$5.25, just 75¢ more than seven years ago, and better. A slice of cheese
and soda there, including tax, comes to $9.25. Then we drove out to Red
Rock Resort for some Side Piece pizza, which recently moved from the
8 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021Palms to Red Rock’s food court. Not only is it the same superlative pizza
as before, but the prices are also the same: cheese ($4) up to meat lovers
($7); you can also get salads, garlic knots, and stromboli. Our slice and
soda came to just over $7—the cheapest and best of our past favorites. n
Las Vegas-Style Barbecue
Similar to pizza, barbecue is burgeoning in Las Vegas. The best
“smoke shops” serve only a few items—brisket, ribs, pulled pork, sausage,
chicken/turkey and coleslaw, potato salad, beans, and corn bread—and
they’re mostly the same, with some regional variations. Unlike Texas, the
Carolinas, Memphis, and Kansas City, Vegas doesn’t have its own brand of
barbecue, but this month we’re reviewing two restaurants—one that touts
“Las Vegas-style” and one that actually delivers it, but not in the way you
think.
Jessie Rae’s advertises Las Vegas-style, but it’s merely a description of
its own (Texas) approach. For a 24-seat hole in the wall in an industrial part
of town at 5611 S. Valley View and Russell, this is outstanding ’cue and the
full tables and line out the door are proof that the brisket is delicious, the
ribs melt in your mouth, the sides are as good as any, and what they call
the “God sauce” is deep and rich (you can skip the chicken). The prices
are good; we got the three-meat platter with one side and potato salad a
la carte and the tab came to $26 before tax and tip. It’s been serving the
same food at this location since 2015—you can’t go wrong here.
Then there’s Benny’s Smokin’ BBQ and Brews at Binion’s. The restau-
rant has taken over Benny’s Bullpen bar in the back of the original wing
across from the registration desk. The menu is limited to brisket, baby back
ribs, and chicken and all dinners come with slaw, baked beans, a half-
cob of corn, and a corn muffin. It’s not first-rate bbq like Jessie Rae’s, but
we’d give it a solid B; the chicken is as tender and smoky as the ribs and
the brisket is serviceable. The big get here: Binion’s has never skimped on
quantity and these dinners continue that tradition with a vengeance. Trans-
lation: you get a heap of food. Really, the prices are loss-leader caliber: the
full rack of ribs $18.99, half-rack $14.99, half-rack and half-chicken $16.99,
and brisket $12.99 (we ate the leftovers for three days). Best of all, show
a players card and take $2 off every meal ordered. We got the brisket and
ribs-chicken combo, which equates to trying everything they serve, and
the bill came to the same (as Jessie Rae’s) $26 before tax and tip. Good
quality, enormous quantity, giveaway prices, and a players club discount—
that’s what we call real Las Vegas-style. n
Rum Runner Specials
The Rum Runner on E. Tropicana has always had good food coming
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 9Dining continued …
out of the adjacent Badger Café. We’ve writ-
ten about the build-your-own burger deal
and that’s still a good play, but the latest
are the $7.99 daily specials served from
10 am to 10 pm. A different special each
day comes with choice of soup or salad.
Beginning on Monday, it’s fettuccini Alfredo,
lasagna, sirloin tips and noodles, spaghetti,
fish & chips, pot roast, and teriyaki chicken.
Our favorite so far is the sirloin tips, which
you can combine with the bar’s Wednesday Sirloin tips at Rum Runner
play-$100-get-$20 video poker promotion. n
Dining Notes
High-End Returning—One lagging sector of the recovery has been the
high-end restaurants. While several came back early, many others didn’t
reopen right away. Among the big-name restaurants recently announcing
their returns are Joël Robuchon and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon at MGM
Grand, Nomad at Park MGM, and Aureole, Fleur, and Border Grill at MBay.
Prime Increase—The price of prime rib is up at Ellis Island. It’ll cost
you $2 more for the regular cut, which is now $18.99 and the double has
jumped from $32 to $38 (there was an earlier increase we missed from $27
to $32). It looks bad, but expect the rising wholesale cost of everything,
including beef, to affect prices everywhere.
Taco Increase—The price of tacos on Tuesdays at Mr. D’s has been
raised from $1 to $1.50. The taco special had been running on Mondays
also, but is now back to Tuesdays only.
Lotus Closes Again—A sign says it’s just temporary, but the original
Lotus of Siam in Commercial Center on E. Sahara has closed due to “staff-
ing issues.” The second location at 620 E. Flamingo remains open.
$100 Burger—Slater’s 50/50 offers a $100 hamburger called the “whale
burger.” It’s one pound of wagyu beef, a fried lobster tail, “gold-dusted”
(huh?) bacon strips, truffle cheese, arugula, bacon jam, and roasted gar-
lic aioli on a “gold-dusted” (double huh?) brioche bun. That’s not quite
enough gold dusting to add up to $100 worth, so it’s served with a bottle
of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne.
Top Dogs—The argument that the $1.25 hot dogs sold from a cart in
the South Point sports book is one of Las Vegas’ best dining deals got
some major support with the release of some impressive sales data. South
Point sells more than 600 of them on a normal day—nearly a quarter-mil-
lion a year. The dogs come with all the fixin’s, including kraut. There’s a
10 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021limit of three per person.
MINDFREAK Diner—Criss Angel, the star of MINDFREAK at Planet
Hollywood, is opening a restaurant in Overton, a small town about 60 miles
north of Las Vegas. Cablp—Criss Angel’s Breakfast, Lunch & Pizza (yes,
that spelling is correct; pronounced Ca-blip) will also convert into “The
Magic Room,” featuring entertainment from Angel and others in the magic
community. n
Openings/Closings
Delilah opens at Wynn Las Vegas on July 14, more than two years after
being announced. It’s the Wynn’s answer to Bellagio’s Mayfair Supper
Club, with live bands and DJs performing while you eat dinner and after.
The Burger Lounge at Aria is now Posh Burger.
Siegel’s Bagelmania has closed on Twain and opened in its new loca-
tion at the LV Convention Center. The Tuesday Bagel Day discount has
been discontinued.
Smoke & Sizzle has closed in the Caesars Palace food court. n
ENTERTAINMENT
Fireworks for the Fourth
Get ready for a Las Vegas Fourth of July fireworks celebration like none
before it. At 11 pm on the 4th, a coordinated pyrotechnic spectacular will
simultaneously launch from the rooftops of Aria, Planet Hollywood, Cae-
sars Palace, Treasure Island, Venetian, Resorts World, and The STRAT.
It will be the first time that a New Year’s Eve-style display is presented
on Independence Day, possibly in part to celebrate independence from
COVID protocols. And it won’t be just the Strip. Other July 4th fireworks
displays will be launched from the Plaza downtown (the culmination of
three nights of fireworks to celebrate its 50th anniversary), Red Rock, Green
Valley Ranch, and Lake Las Vegas. Fireworks shows will also be presented
in Boulder City, Mesquite, and Laughlin. n
Dive-in Movies
On Monday nights throughout the summer, the Cosmopolitan hosts
movies at the Boulevard Pool. Amazingly for a high-end Strip casino, it’s
free just for being a member of the players club. Show your card at the
mini-box office on the third floor, get your ticket, and take the escalator up
to the fourth level, right above center Strip. The digital marquee that proj-
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 11Entertainment continued …
ects the movies towers over the south
end of the pool.
The doors open at 7 pm and the
movie starts promptly at 8. People put
lounge chairs in the shallow end of the
pool, right under the screen, to watch
with their feet and hands in the water.
On the north end, the seating area
rises six levels up from the pool, with
plenty of lounge chairs. Even 10 min-
utes before the movie started, people
were still claiming lounge chairs on the
upper levels. Though the movie format
fills only about a third of the marquee,
you can easily see the screen even
as far back as the fourth and fifth lev-
els and the audio is strong. Daybeds
Dive-In Movies at the Cosmopolitan pool ($75-$100) and cabanas ($160) are
available with reservations. Popcorn is
$5, chips and salsa $10, and it jumps up to $18 for sliders; bottled Bud is
$10, cocktails $17. Towels are available.
Children can attend and plenty were there, running around and playing
in the pool. Age 2 and under are free (didn’t see those), and there might be
some additional charges for older kids, topping out at $15 for non-hotel
guests. We had fun (the movie was Jumanji). It’s a cool (literally and figu-
ratively) scene, it’s free, and on the fourth floor overlooking the Strip, you
really know you’re in Vegas. n
Cannabis Lounges
While the sale of recreational marijuana in Las Vegas has been legal for
Spoon Bender
On July 16, Alain Nu, star of Alain Nu—The Man Who Knows, will
“attempt to mysteriously bend 100+ spoons using the power of his mind
and his audience’s collective minds.” OK, nothing too strange about that.
What is different, though, is that Nu recruited Anthony Curtis to count the
spoons. So Anthony will be at Alexis Park to validate the number. We’ve
made a deal for 50%-off tickets for LVA members, which should come
in at about $25. If you’re interested in attending (the show starts at 5 pm)
and hanging out with A.C. and some of the LVA staff afterward, go to
LasVegasAdvisor.com to get the details on the discount. n
12 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021four years, the problem has been finding a place to consume it, as its use
in public was not allowed. That’s soon to end after the governor signed a
bill that authorizes Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board to license and
regulate consumption lounges throughout the state. Two types of lounges
have been approved: facilities that are attached or directly adjacent to
an existing dispensary and separate and independent venues. Twenty
licenses will be issued after the law goes into effect on October 1. How-
ever, it could take another month or two after that for the first lounges to
show up. n
Bars and Happy Hours
Stadia Bar has opened at Caesars Palace next to the food court. It’s
described as providing a “next-level sports-viewing experience,” whatever
that means.
Ellis Island is extending the dates for its pop-up tiki bar in the Front
Yard. Originally scheduled to run only until July 4, it will now operate
through August 1.
Rhumbar at the Mirage will close on July 25. It’s one of the longer-run-
ning cigar bars in town, having opened in early 2009. It will be replaced
with a $2.3 million “ultra-lounge” (remember those?).
Brera Osteria in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian has a high-
end apertivo hour daily from 3 to 5 pm, with appetizers from $6 (olives) to
$16 (beef tartare).
The Underground bar at the Mob Museum has a happy hour Sun.-
Thurs. from 5 to 7 pm, with $2-off beer, wine by the glass, and craft cock-
tails.
Blume Kitchen & Cocktails has a happy hour daily from 4 to 6 pm, with
$5 draft beer and half-price wine and appetizers. Located in Henderson,
Blume is an emerging celebrity hang.
The Gold Mine in Henderson has happy hours daily from 2 to 6 pm and
midnight to 10 am, with $2 beer and $3 well drinks.
Emporium Arcade Bar at AREA15 offers free play on its Killer Queen
arcade game on Tuesdays from 4 pm to midnight.
In Casa Calavera at Virgin, a margarita is $17, a draft Modelo is $9, and
a Tecate is $7. At Bonito Michoacan, a margarita is $13. In Gatsby’s at
Resorts World, a Bud is $8.67. At Rum Runner E. Tropicana, a house Cab-
ernet is $6, a Heineken is $5.50, and a Bud is $4. At Sticks Tavern, a Bud
is $3. n
Entertainment Notes
Star Power—Justin Bieber will play one show at the Encore Theater on
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 13Entertainment continued …
July 9. Guns N’ Roses will be the first rock band to play Allegiant Stadium
for one show on August 27. “Keith Urban Live – Las Vegas” resumes its
run in the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in September and “Rod Stewart:
The Hits” returns to the Colosseum in October. Just announced, Sammy
Hagar will begin a residency at The STRAT in October. Shania Twain “Let’s
Go” will play a 14-show residency at Planet Hollywood starting in Decem-
ber.
Mac Moves—Mac King, whose afternoon comedy-magic show at
Harrah’s has run for 22 years and is the longest continuous residency on
the Strip, has moved to Excalibur. The new show plays at 1 and 3 pm, the
same two times as it did at Harrah’s. Tickets start at $44.95; it doesn’t
look like the discount special that ran for years at Harrah’s is being offered
(we’re looking into it).
Butts Booted—After being on display since 1997, the famous bronze
statue of the Crazy Girls’ derrières that graced the front of the Riviera, then
Planet Hollywood’s Sin City Showroom, has been put out to pasture. The
statue was removed after Crazy Girls became a victim of Caesars’ closing
of several smaller showrooms last month. It’s not known if the show, or
the statue, will get a new home. Crazy Girls has performed since 1987. The
butts are said to have been rubbed by more than a million visitors. Natch!
Bellagio Summer Display—The new floral display at the Bellagio Con-
servatory and Botanical Garden features nearly 28,000 flowers and 1,500
plants, a 30-foot-tall treehouse, five tree frogs, a phoenix in full flight, a
12-foot-long leopard, a nine-foot-tall ibis, and a baby crocodile. The sum-
mer display runs through August 28 and is free to view
Downtown Rocks—The “Downtown Rocks” free concert series runs on
select weekends through November 6. Featured bands performing on the
Fremont Street Experience stages include Dokken, 3 Doors Down, Seether,
and George Thorogood.
NHL All-Star Game—T-Mobile Arena will be the site of the 2022 NHL
All-Star game. The date of the game hasn’t been announced.
Lights Soccer—The Las Vegas Lights United Soccer League team has
opened its season. Playing at Cashman Field, every match has some sort
of promotion, including two free tickets for buying $50 in groceries from La
Bonita Supermarkets. Regular tickets are just $10.
Downtown Movies—Downtown’s former Eclipse Theater is now Art
Haus. Similar to Eclipse, Art Haus offers first-run movies accompanied by
dinner and drinks for those who want it.
Vegas Flick—The zombie-themed Army of the Dead is now playing in
theaters and on Netflix. It’s the latest feature-length film to use Las Vegas
as its setting, although it’s portrayal is the “bombed-out dystopian ruins of
Vegas” in order to accommodate the movie’s theme. n
14 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021GAMBLING
SuperContest Dumps the Drag
Competition is powerful! In an obvious response to the success of
the Circa football contests, the Westgate will no longer drag 8% from the
SuperContest prize pool. Football-handicapping contests traditionally
pay back 100% of entry fees. However, in 2016, the SuperContest began
raking 8% of the money collected as an “administrative fee,” turning its
contest into a 92%-equity proposition. Why did they do it? Because they
could. It was the most prestigious contest in the world and everyone
wanted to play. But that was then. In just two years, Circa, which pays
back 100% of collected entry fees, has supplanted Westgate as host
of the premier football contest, prompting this reaction from Westgate.
The SuperContest has also lowered its entry fee from $1,500 to $1,000
and retooled the payout schedule to pay more places through a series of
in-season mini-contests.
Circa, meanwhile, is pressing its advantage by raising its guaranteed
prizes to a total of $10 million—$6 million for the Survivor contest and $4
million for Circa Millions III. It’s the biggest guarantee ever for a football
contest. We’ll have a full football-contest preview in the September LVA.
$10 Million Poker Guarantee
If Circa can do it, so can Wynn. A $10 million prize pool is guaranteed
for the $10K buy-in Main Event of the Wynn Millions poker tournament
that’s currently under way. It’s thought to be the largest guarantee ever for
a poker tournament in Las Vegas and equal to the largest ever anywhere.
There’ve been $10 million tournaments outside of Las Vegas and the World
Series of Poker has bigger prize pools, but they’re usually based on the
number of entrants without a guaranteed payout. Unlike football contests,
taking money out of the pool is common in poker and the Wynn is dragging
6% from the tournament. Are you 6% better than the average player and
willing to bet $10K on it? That’s a “yes” for the elite and a “no” for the rest
of us—tournament-equity-analysis 101.
Hellmuth Beats Negreanu
Make it 0-4 for Daniel Negreanu in high-stakes heads-up poker
matches. Following his loss to Doug Polk, Negreanu reacted to criticism
from Phil Hellmuth by challenging him to a $50,000 match. At one point,
Negreanu led that meeting $95K-$5K, but Hellmuth turned it around to
win. Negreanu exercised his right for a rematch and promptly lost again,
continued on next page
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 15Gambling continued …
this time for $100K. A second-rematch provision was exercised and, you
guessed it, Hellmuth won it for $200K, making it a clean sweep for a total
win of $350K. These types of contests are high-variance events, meaning
a better player can lose several over the short run. That said, it’s been a
rough run for “Kid Poker.”
These heads-up challenges seem to be currently in vogue, but they’re
not new. Our soon-to-be-released book, tentatively titled The 50 Greatest
Stories in Poker History, chronicles some earlier big-money challenges that
shine a light on the volatility of this type of heads-up freeze-out.
Gambling Notes
Jackpots—A player at Harrah’s hit a Mega Progressive jackpot for $1.3
million playing Three Card Poker. A player at the Venetian won $1.2 million
on the Millionaire Progressive playing Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em.
Dice Development—A new hybrid electronic and dealer-managed crap
game has been rolled out at Harrah’s. The Roll to Win table uses the same
footprint as a traditional table, but the layout is computerized, while individ-
ual player stations accept cash and provide tickets, so no physical chips
are needed. The new format is being touted for several reasons, including
making it easier for beginners to learn the game, attracting younger players
from the computer generation, reducing overhead to run the game, and
enhancing health safety.
CT Online—Connecticut has become the sixth state to legalize online
casinos and the seventh with online poker. Both will be offered solely by
the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes after the details of providing
service are worked out.
6-5 OK in MA—The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled
that Bay State casinos aren’t breaking gaming laws by paying 6-5, rather
than 3-2, on natural blackjacks. The court noted that the 6-5 payouts were
displayed prominently at the tables, so players “understood the rules and
the stakes.” We’re down with that decision.
Video Poker Lost and Found
We’ll cover the Resorts World gambling picture next month, but we
always check out the video poker as soon as possible and we’ll confirm
and update in the August issue. As expected, there’s not much in the way
of good schedules at RW. The best we saw for any denom in the main
casino was 6/5 Bonus Poker (96.87%), including quarter games at the
bars. The online database vpFREE2 reports some better schedules in the
Crockfords high-limit room, including Airport Deuces (98.91%), 9/6 Dou-
ble Double Bonus (98.98%), 9/7/5 Double Bonus (99.11%), and 8/5 BP
16 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • JULY 2021(99.17%), all from $1 to $25.
The Four Queens and Binion’s are running the same good bonus-points
promotion they ran last summer. Through August 31, get $10 for every 100
points earned up to a maximum of $400 in free-play. The bonus is paid on
top of normal cashback and comp rates. See LVA 7/20 for full details.
Previous reports that the quarter 8/5 BP progressives in the Vue Bar at
the D don’t award club points were incorrect. The card readers don’t dis-
play a countdown, but points are earned at .1%.
Club points at The Pass can be redeemed for cash at a maximum of
$50 per day. A cap like this is rare, but not unprecedented. Club Fortune is
the only other casino we know of that’s done it, but the Gambler’s Bonus
system has capped point redemption for years to thwart abuse.
Old Town Tavern at 3850 E. Desert Inn Rd. deals 7/5 BP (98.01%) and
has a play $20-get-$10 sign-up bonus.
Gold Mine Tavern at 23 S. Water St. in Henderson has a play-$20-
get-$10 sign-up bonus. The best game is 6/5 BP.
Bob Dancer’s video poker classes are not being renewed at South
Point. There are currently no plans for a new venue. Bob continues to write
his Tuesday blog and host the Thursday “Gambling With an Edge” podcast
with Richard Munchkin, both at LasVegasAdvisor.com.
WEATHER KEY dates
JULY JULY
Mean 87° Avg. Max. 107° Avg. Min. 67° 19-21 - Int. Security Conference ISC West - 30,000
Dry, sauna-like heat. Sun worshipers enjoy 85% 20-23 - Woodworking & Furnishing Fair - 18,500
sunny days. 25-29 - LV Market Summer - 50,000
Pools: Open
Attire: The skimpier the better. If it’s not mandatory,
don’t wear it!
AUGUST AUGUST
Mean 85° Avg. Max. 104° Avg. Min. 66° 9-11 - MAGIC Marketplace - 75,000
A very hot and wet month. Desert electrical storms are 10-12 - International Roofing Expo - 10,000
spectacular but can cause dangerous floods on and 10-12 - Licensing International Expo - 10,000
around the strip. 16-19 - SuperZoo West - 10,000
Pools: Open 22-25 - ASD Market Week - 10,000
Attire: Summer cool, bathing suits.
SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER
Mean 76° Avg. Max. 96° Avg. Min. 57° 1-2 - White Label World Expo
Warm sunny days, mild evenings. It doesn’t get any 6-9 - Western Veterinary Annual Conference
better than this. 13-15 - MINExpo International
Pools: Open 27-30 - Int. Wireless Communications Expo
Attire: No need for jackets or sweaters 27-29 - Pack Expo
28-30 - LV Souvenir & Resort Gift Show
JULY 2021 • LAS VEGAS ADVISOR • 17Prsrt First-Class Mail
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