In our last episode of This Week in Gambling we told you that a Las Vegas face masks mandate had been reinstated… but only for casino employees and others working indoors and around the public. We also stated, however, that the situation was fluid and could change at any moment. Today is that moment. Nevada Governor Sisolak has signed an Emergency Directive which rolls things back to May, and makes face masks mandatory for all individuals (whether employee or tourist) to wear face masks starting July 30th. This directive comes in the midst of the latest wave of infections from…

As the situation in Las Vegas becomes delicate, word has come that MGM casino workers will have to pay for weekly COVID testing if they cannot provide proof that they have been vaccinated. Authorities are still struggling to cope with the new variants of Coronavirus, so this move doesn’t seem too unreasonable considering the cost of a weekly test is just $15. And that is only for those employees who (for whatever reason) have not received the vaccine. The MGM Resorts policy on this matter went into effect on Monday, and has an interesting provision: Those who test positive must…

The Gaming Control Board has reported record Pennsylvania gambling revenue of $3.875 billion for the combined Fiscal Year 2020/2021 which just ended on June 30th. The previous high for revenue in a state fiscal year was during 2018/2019 when revenue was slightly more than $3.3 billion. Since that time there has been significant growth in the nascent sports wagering and fantasy sports contests markets along with the establishment of both the iGaming and VGT markets. Those four markets combined constituted almost 33% of the total Pennsylvania gambling revenue achieved in Fiscal Year 2020/2021. The year over year increase of revenue…

Anyone who has been to Sin City over the past decade has asked: What’s that big, blue Vegas hotel with no name? Well, it was once called the Fontainebleau. And now, it has a new opening date… again. Original plans for the Fontainebleau Resort were announced way back in 2005. Then, after fighting through the real estate crash and a bankruptcy, the property was set to open as the Drew Las Vegas. Understandably then, it is with some reservation that we accept the company’s new promised opening date of October, 2023. This old/new Vegas hotel is now owned by Marriott…

This episode of Fun with Vegas Street Performers is age restricted, as we look back over the many years of our filming down on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas! The Girls of Fremont edition shares the clips we either could not share before, or left out of shows for other reasons! You will have to log in to YouTube to watch this video! The Girls of Fremont Street was shot right in the middle of downtown Las Vegas and is well known to tourists and locals alike! There is always something going on at this location, which provides a…

Even though Sin City is on it’s way back, an American credit rating agency says a full financial Las Vegas recovery should be complete by 2023. Fitch Ratings, one of the “Big Three” credit rating agencies, says that a rebound from the pandemic is happening more quickly than expected, as evidenced by the recent billion dollar month. And indications are that the city will return to “normal” sooner than the previous 2024 forecast. Part of the reason for the increased enthusiasm is the record revenue despite a pretty much absent convention industry. Many believe that business travel will increase dramatically…