A new Las Vegas heart shaped resort?! A horse racing track planned for the Vegas Strip?! And a Mike Tyson Immersive Experience coming this fall?! These are real Vegas projects! And we’re going to tell you all about them This Week in Gambling! Vegas already has a resort shaped like a pyramid, and they’re building another in the shape of a guitar. So, why not build one in the shape of a heart? And the plans have already been approved for this 750 room hotel on the Vegas Strip, directly across from Mandalay Bay! But whether or not that resort actually happens… that’s another story.
Developers bought the 12 acre lot for $70 million and hope to build a 29 story property with a huge LED screen, a covered pedestrian area similar to Fremont Street, and a restaurant suspended in midair! Back in 2012, this site was supposed to become a London themed resort complete with an observation wheel. But the owners ran out of money and abandoned construction. But the pillars for that observation wheel are still there and could become the support structure for that new midair restaurant.
However, most Vegas projects are not successful, and the southern end of the strip is notorious for failed resorts. In addition to the abandoned London Hotel, there were also plans for properties like the Hienda, the Boardwalk, and most recently, Dream Las Vegas, none of which were ever built. So, any new Las Vegas heart shaped resort will have to survive some long odds. Meanwhile, not too far away, the Luxor is about to make a big change of its own, and everyone in Sin City will notice.
Their famous Sky Beam puts out over 40 billion candle power, and can be seen from 50 miles away! Soon, it will be changing colors for the first time in over 30 years. The beam has always been white, attracting the attention of Vegas visitors and every moth in the county. But soon that beam will glow red. No word yet on if the changes will be permanent, seasonal, or if there will be additional colors shown, but MGM did confirm that the Luxor will also be getting a new light show for their atrium indoors, and that should be ready to roll out sometime next year.
Meanwhile, if these changes don’t knock you out, maybe this one will. A new Mike Tyson Immersive Experience is headed to the Flamingo, with over 12,000 square ft of next generation multi-sensory attractions that immerses visitors into the Iron Mike legacy using augmented reality, virtual reality, holograms, and projection mapping. Tickets go on sale August 5th and the venue is expected to open this fall.
Finally, this week, there’s talk of bringing a horse racing track to Las Vegas Boulevard. And believe it or not, this is not a new idea. The Las Vegas Downs operated during the 1930s, Las Vegas Park in the 50s, Thunderbird Downs in the 60s, and there were even plans for a racetrack in Henderson during the 80s. So, what makes them think that horse racing would be successful now? Businessman Chip Meyers wants to build a track near Mandalay Bay modeled on the Jockey Club in Hong Kong.
The proposed 55 acre venue would work with Vegas casinos and not compete against them. And he believes he could sell 20,000 seats a night, bringing in half a million dollar every race day. And when the summer heat rolls in, the infield of the track could be transformed into a summer attraction. Meyers would like to see horse racing legislation on the agenda as soon as next year, hoping he can be successful where others have failed in the past.
So, what are your thoughts on horse racing on The Strip? Or a Las Vegas heart shaped resort for that matter? And would you pay to see a Mike Tyson hologram? These are questions which keep us up at night. So, if you watched this far, please support us with a like. And if you want to keep up with what’s happening in Las Vegas and the world of gambling, be sure to follow and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
