The new spa at the new Palms Place (next to The Palms) is now open.

Drift Spa offers over 20 treatment rooms (including couples rooms) with a spa menu that ranges from ancient healing to renewal to aromatherapy to nutrition.

For a limited time, locals are invited to check 'em out with a 20 percent off all Drift Spa services and 25 percent off Sunset Tan services. Now isn't that better than the 24-hour tanning salon down the street?

The offer is good Mondays through Thursdays until May 30.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Prices are at this link.

Bring your local ID.

For an appointment, call (702) 944-3219.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Up to 80 companies will be at the next lasvegasjobs.com job fair taking place April 4 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Texas Station.

Dress for a first impression and bring lots of resumes, as you'll be able to interview for dozens of positions in one day. You'll also be able to network with other people.

Some of the companies attending include:

• Advanced Training Institute
  
• Consolidated Resorts
  
• Country Financial Services
  
• Cox Communications
  
• Credit One Bank
  
• Crescent School of Gaming & Bartending
  
• Cumming Corporation
  
• Dunkin' Donuts
  
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
  
• Excalibur
  
• Fairway Henderson Chevrolet
  
• Georgia Pacific
  
• Harrington & Reed, Inc.
  
• Hilton Grand Vacations
  
• Holiday Systems International
  
• KFC
  
• KVBC-TV Channel 3
  
• La-Z-Boy
  
• Luxor
  
• Mandalay Bay Resort
  
• Metro PCS
  
• MGM Grand Resorts
  
• Neiman Marcus
  
• Nevada Army National Guard
  
• North Las Vegas Police Dept.
  
• Pioneer Services
  
• Priority Staffing
  
• Ritz Camera
  
• Station Casinos
  
• The Nuance Group
  
• The Signature at MGM Grand
  
• Transportation Security Admin.
  
• U.S. Airways
  
• U.S. Border Patrol
  
• University of Phoenix
  
• Wells Fargo Financial
  
• Westgate Resorts
  
• Winder Farms
  
• Wyndham Vacation Resorts
  
• Yum! Brands

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As of the April 2008 issue, Las Vegas Life the magazine will cease and lasvegaslife.com will begin.

The website to the Greenspun Media monthly magazine has already existed but will now be the sole content provider of the soon-to-be defunct 10-year-old magazine.

Greenspun holds various Las Vegas publications, including Vegas magazine, Las Vegas Weekly, The Home News, Las Vegas Home & Design, In Business Las Vegas, Vegas Golfer, Las Vegas Valley News, Vegas.com, as well as the daily newspaper Las Vegas Sun.

Michael T. Carr, president of Greenspun Media, said the decision was based on being unable "to serve the great residents of our city in print alone" rather than cite economic issues that led to its downfall.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bon Jovi is still scheduled to perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 12 at 8 p.m.

But that might not be enough time if guitarist Richie Sambora re-enters rehab.

Sambora (mugshot above) was arrested Tuesday night for driving while intoxicated in Laguna Beach, Calif. He was with a young woman along with a 10-year-old daughter whom he shares with ex-wife Heather Locklear.

He's expected to appear in court May 7 under DUI and charges with endangering the lives of children.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tonight is a special birthday party for Fergie.

Somehow Quentin Tarantino also managed to get lumped in with the party, but thank goodness we just have a picture of the birthday girl.

Fergie turns 33 (and sorry, she's still engaged to Josh Duhamel).

Tarantino turns 45. His next movie is still expected to be his long-planned war flick Inglorious Bastards in two years, unless Robert Rodriguez wants to partner on something again.

Both invite you to celebrate their birthdays at JET (at Mirage) beginning at 10:30 p.m. tonight.

Tickets are the regular cover charge of $30. To reserve a table, call (702) 792-7900.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We've been at Sunset Station and Green Valley Ranch when the Jumbo Jackpot has hit, but we weren't actively playing a slot machine.

If we were, we would've received $50 in freeplay like everyone else who is playing whenever the progressive randomly hits at any Station Casino.

(Our strategy has always been to play penny slots at a low bet whenever the jackpot nears $150,000. Not only do we get free drinks, but playing a few pennies a spin could end up with $50. Alas, even betting pennies got us to bust before the jackpot triggered.)

Station is now upping that freeplay offer to their high-tier players, while lowering it for their low players.

If you're Platinum, the freeplay remains the same at $50. Lower tiers of Red and Gold receive lower freeplay of $25. Above Platinum is President, which receives $75. And if you're Chairman, you'll receive $100.

Freeplay must be played through once before being able to cash out.

Basically, this doesn't do much except allow them to advertise "up to $100." If we were a friendly private equity Fertitta-blooded casino exec, we would bump up Chairman to at least $500. Being Chairman is difficult to achieve (and maintain, as your account is reviewed every 3 months), and odds are slim anyway that they would be playing at the time the progressive hits. Plus, they could advertise "up to $500" which sounds much better.

The progressive will also no longer be shared across all properties. Reverting to how they did it in the past, each casino will have its own jackpot that must hit before $100,000 (the current all-Station jackpot has to hit at $150,000). There's no word yet whether they'll also offer a running tally of all casinos' progressives (this worked against them before, because our inclination would be to visit the casino with the highest jackpot).

The new nonshared Jumbo Jackpot begins March 30.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new book Double or Nothing: How Two Friends Risked It All to Buy One of Las Vegas' Legendary Casinos chronicles, as the subtitle states, the rise of Tom Breitling and Tim Poster.

From making their first $100 million by selling their online travel site to the purchase of the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas to selling it for another $100 million (all before they were 35 years old), the absorbing book details life and adventures in Las Vegas with a clear affection for the city.

We were hooked from the first page with the story of the abusive high-roller who brought his cash to the casino in pillowcases.

The book retails for $24.95 and is on Amazon for $16.47, but for a limited time you can read the book online in its entirety at HarperCollins by clicking this link. This link will only be good until April 14.

On Friday, Red Rock hosts a launch party for the book with Earth Wind & Fire performing and benefiting the Andre Agassi Foundation.

Tickets are $49.95 and can be purchased at this link.

The event takes place at 8 p.m. at the Sandbar.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BRAND Steakhouse, the new restaurant/lounge by The Light Groups, will be hosting an open casting call today between noon and 5 p.m.

Positions open are Marketing Host, Marketing Host Server, Marketing Bar Host, VIP Table Host, Food Runner, Bus Person, Master Cook, Cook, Sous Chef, Pantry Worker, Kitchen Helper, and Apprentice Bartender.

Just stop by the Monte Carlo Grand Ballroom 6 & 7.

Like Light's other concepts, BRAND fuses fine dining with nightlife in its 5,000-square-foot dining room with cowhide panel ceiling canopy.

BRAND is also the steakhouse that offers the only 8.6 pound beef porterhouse that we know of.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 1:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This summer, George Michael has come out of retirement and restroom stalls to perform his first North American tour in 17 years (we kid ya, George, we're still fans of "A Different Corner" and "Last Christmas").

Supporting his new CD Twentyfive, Las Vegas is among the dozen and a half cities he will be passing through (no exact date or location is set yet).

Tickets will be available on Ticketmaster beginning April 6, but if you visit the iTune store between March 25 and March 31 and purchase Michael's new album Twentyfive, you'll receive the bonus video "I'm Your Man" and you'll also be given a password to purchase tickets in advance.

To purchase the CD or tickets, visit this link.

You can hear samples of his songs at his website, and also see him guest on the ABC series "Eli Stone" on March 27.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

The Venetian Deep Stack event in February was so popular, they're doing it again!

While not as big as the first Deep Stack Extravaganza, this sequel will still provide lots of play to practice for the WSOP (or the next DSE, which is May 29-July 16).

The event runs from April 4-25 in the poker room at The Venetian, with daily registration at 4 p.m. for the 6 p.m. tournament. Note that this will substitute for the regularly scheduled evening tournament.

Cost is $330 and players start with 4500 chips (plus $10 to the dealers for 1500 more chips). A food credit will also be given.

Satellites into the tournament will run every day, with winners receiving tokens that can be used to buy into not only the DSE but any poker tournament at The Venetian.

The Venetian's website does not yet list the DSE, but you can email poker@venetian.com for more information.

Posted by pokerprof at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Southwest Airlines, which offers many direct flights right into Las Vegas, is running a special rebate if you pay by PayPal.

Just purchase a ticket with PayPal at Southwest for $250 or more, and you'll receive a $50 rebate deposited to your PayPal account in 6-8 weeks.

Note that this is good for all Southwest flights, not just ones originating or arriving in Las Vegas.

That's 20 percent off your flight, the savings of which you can use on in-flight drink coupons.

The offer is only good for the first 10,000 people (or until March 27, whichever comes first), and there's no way of telling if you're one of the 10,000, but if you were planning to purchase a ticket anyway, try PayPal.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

See Led Zeppelin like you've never seen them before.

The Philharmonic of Las Vegas (betcha didn't know we had one) will do a one-night-only performance of "The Music of Led Zeppelin: A Rock Symphony."

The Philharmonic, combining a 50-piece orchestra with rock band and vocals by Zebra's Randy Jackson, will run through over a dozen of Zeppelin's greatest hits (including "Stairway to Heaven") in 2 hours,

CineVegas offers $10 off each ticket purchase by mentioning their name when purchasing at a Planet Hollywood box office or by entering KASHMIR at LiveNation.com. Offer is good for $25, $45, and $65 tickets and expires March 28.

$100 VIP tickets are also offered (though not included with the discount) and come with a free CD.

The concert takes place March 29 at 8 p.m. at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the fate of Las Vegas' Tropicana still to be determined (owner Columbia Sussex was forced to sell the Tropicana in Atlantic City after losing their casino license for not meeting regulatory compliance), Luxor (owned by MGM Mirage) is picking up on two of the Trop's popular exhibits.

Further turning their back on anything Egyptian, the "Bodies... the Exhibition" and "Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition" will both move over to Luxor later this year.

Contracts for both were continually renewed at Tropicana; at Luxor, each will enjoy a 10-year stay with an option to renew again for another 10 years.

The exhibits will be located upstairs in the atrium, the first stairs you see coming in from the parking garage. The atrium is also on the way to Mandalay Place, the walkway of shops that connects to Mandalay Bay.

A themed makeover is expected for the entire atrium to promote the exhibits, along with the removal of the IMAX theater and the King Tut museum.

Now what to do about Folies Bergere, the Strip's longest running show (since 1959) and one of the first to feature showgirls.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Go Rebels!

The UNLV team Runnin' Rebels are in the March Madness NCAA tournament for the second year in a row, kicking off their first opening round against Kent State.

The tourney takes place away from home tomorrow at the Quest Center in Omaha, Nebraska at 11:55 a.m. PT. In case you want to take an early lunch, Channel 8 will be broadcasting live (you can also watch live on streaming video for free at this link).

Though Kent State is favored, this should be a close game, with us as the underdog by just 2 points.

Whoops, did we say "us"?

Not that we would be placing a bet or anything... in the only state that legally allows sports betting...

See you at the sportsbook!

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Earlier this evening, the power went out at MGM Mirage casinos Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, and Luxor, including the famous Luxor beam emitting from the pyramid. The tram between the three casinos was also shut down.

Clark County fire officials stated a transformer caught on fire near Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, knocking out that southwest section of the Strip that also includes the Four Seasons hotel.

Generators immediately came up and powered the casinos only, leaving the rest of the hotels in darkness... including elevators, which halted mid-floor for an hour.

Ninety minutes later, the casinos and The Four Seasons were all back to full power.

Four years ago at Easter, the Bellagio (another MGM Mirage casino) lost its power, had its generator restore the casino, but ultimately went down for three days because both the main power and generator cables shared the same primary conduit and therefore could not be fixed without cutting both.

That was Bellagio's internal equipment at fault, and this time it's Nevada Power Company's.

The cause of the transformer fire is being investigated.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Native American casino in Las Vegas?

A consortium of Indian tribes including the Muckleshoots and Shoshone-Bannock are hatching a lofty plan for a casino called Ellis Las Vegas, run by Ellis Gaming.

Spread across 70 acres on the south Strip, the hotel-casino is expected to have 9,000 rooms over one large hotel and 5 smaller boutique hotels. Plans also include an indoor stadium, a sports and water park, an indoor ski resort, recording studio, Native American museum to rival the Smithsonian, and climate-controlled, Beverly Hills-like shopping.

And Beverly Hills-like tastes, too, as the mixed-use complex will also include a plastic surgery center.

While we have doubts a project this scope and size can get made in our time of foreclosures (not to mention riling the feathers of Las Vegas casinos that already are competing with Native American casinos not in their backyard), a casino like this would spectacularly and definitively make the connection between the Silverton side of Las Vegas Blvd. and the Las Vegas Strip.

See the below link for a 3D model of what Ellis Las Vegas is to look like.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Roger Bergendorff is the name of the man who was rushed to the hospital on Valentine's Day and went into a coma from apparent ricin poisoning at the Extended Stay America motel in Las Vegas.

Bergendorff, 57, recently awoke and is currently speaking with metro and the FBI about how ricin and The Anarchist's Cookbook came to be found in his motel room.

According to The Associated Press, Bergendorff's brother says that the ricin was indeed Roger's, and that he intended to use it for self-defense.

Though ricin can be lethal in amounts as small as the head of a pin, it's normally used in cancer research. There is no known antidote.

Bergendorff's brother also says he did not intend harm on anyone, and when he found himself infected, he said with surprise, "It worked on me."

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm a little bit country, I'm a little bit Miss USA.

The Miss USA pageant lands on April 11, and Donnie and Marie Osmond are onboard to not only perform but host at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

This is the same home of the Miss America pageant, which took place in January to declining ratings.

Miss USA is owned by the Miss Universe Organization, which is partly owned by Donald Trump.

Best known for "The Donny & Marie Show" in the 1970s, the Osmond siblings were last seen hosting 8 years ago on the daytime talk show "Donny & Marie." They've hosted the pageant twice before.

Separately, Marie was seen in "Dancing with the Stars," and Donny is in the movie College Road Trip.

Next up will be performing together at the MGM Grand, but tickets for all eight shows in July have already sold out.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

For those playing in the World Series of Poker, Harrah's has a special rate for rooms booked at Rio.

The all-suite hotel rooms at Rio are a dream, as well as being the most convenient to the WSOP, because it's just downstairs (and down the long hall to the convention area, but we won't get into that). When checking in, ask for the Ipanema Tower, which has the least amount of walking.

Book now for rates of:

May 28 to June 28: $100 Sun-Thurs, $190 Fri-Sat
June 29 to July 10: $115 Sun-Thurs, $210 Fri-Sat
July 11 to July 17: $100 Sun-Thurs, $190 Fri-Sat

Once you register for any event at the WSOP (you don't have to play the Main Event), your rates will drop to the following when you check out:

May 28 to June 28: $70 Sun-Thurs, $140 Fri-Sat
June 29 to July 10: $85 Sun-Thurs, $160 Fri-Sat
July 11 to July 17: $70 Sun-Thurs, $140 Fri-Sat

To book online, visit this link.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

All the red-line Full Tilt poker pros are coming out of the woodwork for a special tournament hosted by Jennifer Harman.

For a $5 buy-in + $5 fee, Full Tilt will donate $5 from each entry to the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a charity near and dear to Harman's heart.

Full Tilt will also match all donations.

Pros signed up include Andy Bloch, Berry Johnston, Chris Wolters, David Chiu, Erik Seidel, JJ Liu, Jordan Morgan, Lynette Chan, Marco Traniello, Michael Craig, Mike Swick, Scott Fischman, Steve Zolotow, a rare appearance by Howard Lederer, and a host of Internet pros known only by screen name (PearlJammed, dmmikkel, btnfly, and more).

The tournament takes place March 16 at 9 p.m. ET (hurry!).

Posted by R.C. Clark at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with free concerts all weekend on historic Fremont Street.

Whiskey Galore and Wild Celts perform at the Fremont Street Experience stages from Saturday through Monday.

Traditional Celtic folk band Whiskey Galore is based out of Bakersfield, Calif., and combines bagpipes, drums, djembe, guitar, bodhran, and other instruments to create their unique Celtic sound.

Wild Celts is based in Las Vegas and combines Celtic music with modern rock.

And of course, green beer will be flowing.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The MTV reality show "The Hills" returns for a third season on March 24, with Audrina Partridge, Heidi Montag, Whitney Port, and former "Laguna Beach" star Lauren Conrad.

On March 28, you can catch Partridge live as she introduces the Pussycat Dolls at Pure (Caesars Palace).

Now this is a far cry from actually being a Pussycat Doll, where she would join the ranks of other celebrities to hop on the stage in fishnets -- Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson, to name a couple.

Perhaps she may be convinced otherwise in the zero hour, as we think her show would be much better promoted if she did dance with the Dolls.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

The name has gone on the side of the latest Wynn creation, Encore Las Vegas. Promising to be the benchmark of luxury, the Encore will join the Wynn Las Vegas in an unparalleled Vegas fantasy world experience. Steve Wynn is the premier creator of ultimate Vegas sights, sounds, smells and tastes all neatly wrapped in brilliant bursts of color. Needless to say, I like his joints.

Posted by flipchipro at 9:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

The recent economic slowdown has caused the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to ramp up their promotion of our fine neon city in an effort to draw more tourists and remind businesses there's still plenty of convention space to be rented.

The $11 million planned for a new marketing campaign was moved up two months and will contain commercials featuring a new slogan.

"What happens in Vegas..." no, not that one, but it's still being kept.

"Your Vegas is showing..." not that one either, but it also will still be used.

Hey, if you spent millions on a slogan, you would keep 'em too.

The new slogan is "Vegas, Right Now."

As in, get your butt over here today to help out our poor casinos.

By our rough estimate, that boils down to $3.67 million per word.

Commercials will soon be touting the new multimillion-dollar slogan in major cities across the U.S.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Whatever is ailing Eddie Van Halen has caused additional show cancellations for a total of 17 dates in the Midwest and East Coast that will need to be rescheduled.

Van Halen is currently suffering through a series of medical tests, though the band's promoter isn't revealing what types of tests they are.

The guitarist has recently gone through a hip replacement and tongue cancer, the latter of which was cleared in 2002.

With a stint in rehab last year for alcohol addiction, a relapse may have been the cause.

The tour, with David Lee Roth, Alex Van Halen, and Wolfgang Van Halen, is expected to resume with the planned Las Vegas date of April 19 at Mandalay Bay, part of the annual Tiger Jam charity event.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The luxurious Westin Casuarina Hotel (which has our vote for best beds and best dual-headed showers in Las Vegas) has a special buy 2 nights, get 1 night free offer.

Rates begin at $119 per night and are good any day through Dec. 31.

For Westin, book online at this link.

The offer is also good for Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino, as long as booking is between Friday and Tuesday through Sept. 2. Rates begin at $99 per night.

For PH, book online at this link.

Book before March 31.

Incidentally, both hotels are Starwood properties and both are available for 12,000 to 16,000 Starpoints.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This summer, Lindsay Lohan's mother Dina will star in an E! reality show called "Living Lohan."

From the creator of "Real World," the show will revolve around Mrs. Lohan and her children-who-aren't-Lindsay: 14-year-old Ali, 11-year-old Cody, and 20-year-old Michael.

Starting with them living at home in Merrick, New York, they will then be uprooted and moved to Las Vegas, and hopefully the cameras will capture all of the dysfunction that sets in.

Even if Lindsay isn't in the picture.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A list of the twenty biggest hotels in the US includes seventeen resorts here in Las Vegas. Those megaresorts lining the Las Vegas strip continue to grow larger with hotel towers going higher to offer thousands of new guest rooms. FlipChip has compiled a list of the top ten biggest hotels in Las Vegas based on the number of guest rooms and included a current photo for each.

All photos inluded in this post are in an album in the Flipchip Photo Gallery. Larger images are available for use by everyone that agrees to provide a credit line and link per our Creative Commons License.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

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photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Coming in as #1 is the MGM Grand, the great Emerald City of the Las Vegas strip. Gargantuan by any measure the MGM Grand has miles of everything so bring your walking shoes. The first 'city-size' concept resort on the Las Vegas strip truly has something for everyone. If you stayed in a different room every day it would take you more than fifteen and a half years to try them all.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

There you have it, our list of the ten biggest hotels in Las Vegas with a combined total of 39,636 guest rooms and suites.

1. MGM Grand 5690 rooms
2. Luxor 4,408 rooms
3. Mandalay Bay 4,341 rooms
4. Venetian 4027 rooms
5. Excalibur 4,008 rooms
6. Bellagio 3,993 rooms
7. Circus Circus 3,774 rooms
8. Caesars Palace 3,349 rooms
9. Mirage 3,044 rooms
10. Palazzo 3,025 rooms

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Combining the Venetian and Palazzo as one property and the same for Ballys and The Paris, the list would change as follows and have a total of 45,008 guest rooms. It would take more than 123 years to stay one day in every room.

1. Palazzo / Venetian 7052 rooms
2. MGM Grand 5690 rooms
3. Ballys / Paris 5,730 rooms
4. Mandalay Bay 4,341 rooms
5. Venetian 4027 rooms
6. Excalibur 4,008 rooms
7. Bellagio 3,993 rooms
8. Circus Circus 3,774 rooms
9. Caesars Palace 3,349 rooms
10. Mirage 3,044 rooms

Posted by flipchipro at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

With the recent economic slowdown reflected most apparently in the local housing foreclosures, conditions have also affected gaming.

January of this year saw casino revenue fall 1.3 percent from 2007. Particularly significant is that a drop in earnings has not been seen since 2001.

Harrah's has laid off almost 100 employees from its eight hotel-casinos in Las Vegas. About 150 have been affected at MGM Mirage's 10 Las Vegas properties.

After their November opening, Planet Hollywood has laid off 68 employees. Casinos typically overstaff for openings, however, so this may not be indicative of the downturn.

On the bright side, MGM Mirage has increased minimum wage to its workers to $7.75 an hour, with cost-of-living increases beginning next year.

The reason for the increase is more business, to have the same pay structure across all its properties to allow easy transfers.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The cancellation of the "Las Vegas" TV series before it finished its season has fans up in arms. Or baby booties.

Since CBS resurrected "Jericho" largely from a fan base mailing literal tons of peanuts to CBS executive offices, fans from other recently canceled series have gathered force to protest.

Fans of NBC's "Journeyman" are sending boxes of Rice-a-Roni. The series' backend episodes weren't picked up after the writers' strike. Based in San Francisco, the lead character time traveled in the past to different eras of the city within his lifetime.

Now with Delinda (Molly Sims) pregnant and about to deliver in "Las Vegas," fans are shipping baby booties by the case to NBC in an effort to get one more episode to bid a fond farewell to the series.

While being topical to the show, baby booties were also selected because they're cheap to ship and can easily be donated to charity.

To participate in the campaign, visit the fansite.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

I always get asked what is my favorite strip club in Las Vegas. Well, here's my top 5!

1. Sapphire

2. Spearmint Rhino

3. Olympic Garden

4. Cheetah's

5. Crazy Horse Too

More after the jump...

Here's the skinny on my Top 5...

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

1. Sapphire: Las Vegas strip clubs are very popular attractions. Most of them are always crowded it's impossible to get a lot of personal attention from dancers on the weekends. However, Sapphire is the largest strip club in Las Vegas, so that's not a problem. There's also a wide selection of women to choose from.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

2. Spearmint Rhino: The Rhino is a popular brand in adult entertainment with locations spread out all over America and all over the world. The Las Vegas location is a popular destination for both bachelor parties and celebrity sightings. In the past, Howard Stern, George Clooney, and random NBA players have been seen at The Rhino.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

3. Olympic Garden: In the mid 1990s, the OG set the standard for Las Vegas strip clubs. OG quickly became the premiere club in town due to their a spacious area and the fact that they had the hottest girls in town. Although the OG no longer the jewel of Las Vegas, I've been a couple of times and have never been let down.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

4. Cheetah's If you want cheap booze and sleazy strippers, then Cheetah's is the place for you. Cheetah's is a popular location for bachelor parties and the spot where a lot of new and young dancers start out in Las Vegas. Cheetah's has beer specials from 6am to 2pm. Here's an interesting bit of trivia... the 1995 film Showgirls was filmed on location inside Cheetah's.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

5. Crazy Horse Too: The Crazy Horse Too is the legendary strip club where Jenna Jameson and Dita got their starts in the adult industry before moving over to porn. In the film Ocean's Eleven, the strip club scenes were shot on location at Crazy Horse Too.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Posted by Dr. Pauly at 8:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Flipchip was out shooting location shots when he noticed the traffic backed up for a mile or so. Checking it out he found considerable Las Vegas Metro Police resources around a new Hummer pulled over at the Strip and Tropicana. A striking young lady was standing in the street in cuffs while her male friend was comfortably seated in a cruiser away from the prying public eye.

Checking out the situation revealed a drug dog had a hit on the Hummer and the search was on. After going through the pile of stuff in the back they found an empty bong, empty pipe and a med bottle with three small buds. Both the girl and the guy were unceremoniously hauled away to the slammer and the Hummer, still wearing dealer plates, was loaded aboard a transport and headed for the impound lot.

An interesting side note. When the crowd that had gathered to watch the free show began chanting , "Let her go!' one of the cops told the gawkers to start walking, no more watching. Someone in the crowd, probably a lawyer, suggested she tell them the bong was her science project. More photo of the action after the jump...

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Posted by flipchipro at 6:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Momentum is gaining for a resurrection of the historic Moulin Rouge casino (off Bonanza).

Listed in the United States National Register of Historic Places, Moulin Rouge was the first racially integrated, desgregated hotel casino across employees, entertainers, and patrons.

Banned performers in other casinos were welcome at the Moulin Rouge, the reputation of which lived much longer than the six short months in 1955 when it was open.

Ahead of its time, it wasn't until five years later in 1960 when all casinos in Las Vegas desegregated.

Every few years there are sparks to bring back Moulin Rouge. The owners of Foxwoods Casino (in Connecticut) were interested at one point, along with Bob Stupak, former owner of Stratosphere.

Still without solid financial backing, Republic Urban Properties and backers are hoping to have enough funding locked in to launch at the end of 2010. They've also enlisted Epic Gaming to consult and run the casino if/when it reopens.

If Moulin Rouge returns, it could be the start of Las Vegas West.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Aww, look how much fun these people in the picture are having.

Don't you wish you could be part of it?

Tao Beach is launching in spring 2008, and they're seeking people who look good in swimsuits (because you'll be wearing one for your audition photo) for a variety of positions:

• cocktail waitress
  
• bartender
  
• porter
  
• busser
  
• bar back
  
• runner
  
• VIP host
  
• security guard (for this position, we think you could be excused from a swimsuit)

Auditions and interviews take place now through March 8 from noon to 5 p.m. at Tao (at The Venetian).

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Spend an evening with the Shores on March 7 and 8 at 11 p.m.

Comedian Pauly Shore performs with his dad Sammy Shore at the Orleans Showroom for this weekend only.

And if you use the code PAULY, you can get 2-for-1 tickets at a discounted rate of $16.50 to $27.50.

To purchase, call 1-888-365-7111 or (702) 365-7075 and give the code PAULY.

Note: you can get the above rate even if you purchase one ticket. Just use the code.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Las Vegas is one city that measures its history in months instead of decades or centuries. In fact, we often have to use minutes to remember what was there but is now gone. Remember how long you're gambling bankroll lasted last trip? Days? Hours? Minutes?

Here's a Top Nine list of the most temporary things in a city of temps from frequent Vegas visitor Special K...

1. Old hotels on The Strip
2. Hookers in your Hotel Room (you can include your wallet with this one cause it's gone)
3. Counting cards at Blackjack
4. Rain
5. Housing prices
6. Comps
7. Classy Downtown Vegas
8. Short cab lines at the airport
9. Your Cash

As a Vegas long-time resident, I can add another one to the stretch.

A stretch of road without construction cones.

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Posted by SpecialK at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The whirlwind marriage ended just as fast as it began for Pamela Anderson's third trip down the aisle.

We hate to tell Pammy we told her so, but we predicted a quickie divorce even before they officially married (check out the long comment on that post by DeepThroat, who has Anderson's motivations down pat).

Marriage #3 to Rick Salomon began Oct. 6 in a quick Las Vegas wedding (at The Mirage) between performances of her magic show with Hans Klok at Planet Hollywood.

Separation occurred Dec. 13.

Then a divorce filing citing the ever-popular "irreconcilable differences."

Then Anderson took that back in an attempt to work things through, and now she's filed papers in Los Angeles seeking to annul their two-month marriage, citing "fraud."

We don't know what the "fraud" entails (the last fraud anullment we remember is Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney), but Anderson intends to keep it private by enlisting a retired judge to handle the dirty work, hoping to keep both her and Salomon's income separate with no alimony.

Her once-reliable blog has been down since her denial that anything was other than wedded bliss.

Anderson was last spotted on Valentine's Day doing a striptease at the Crazy Horse (that would be the original one in Paris).

Click here for a video of Anderson picking up her luggage at the Charles de Gaulle airport in black leotard and high heels (how the airport got in leotard and high heels we'll never know).

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Locals can purchase 2-for-1 tickets to Stomp Out Loud, the $28 million show making lots of noise (literally) at Planet Hollywood.

Purchase tickets (ranging from $50 to $110) by calling (702) 474-4000 or by going to Ticketmaster and entering the code 241LOUD.

Show your Nevada ID at the box office when picking up tickets.

Offer expires March 31.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

photos by flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com

Sunday evening at Caesars Palace proved to be a very good night for Chris "Jesus" Ferguson after he beat Andy Bloch in a best of three set for the championship. Starting with 64 players the crowd was eliminated over the three days of play until only Ferguson and Bloch remained for the championship. This was Ferguson's third trip to a heads-up final table and it definitely proved to be the charm for "Jesus."

Read more details and check out the mini-gallery of Flipchip photos on the Prof's Poker Blog.

Posted by flipchipro at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)