Sinatra Vegas Boxed Set

He sang about Chicago in My Kind of Town and about the city that never sleeps in New York, New York. But much of Frank Sinatra's top-of-the-heap crooning and razzmatazz jazz came out of Las Vegas, the focus of an upcoming $80 boxed set due Nov. 7 on Reprise. Sinatra: Vegas, packaged in a metallic foil clamshell with a 64-page book of essays, celebrity commentary, photos and memorabilia, contains four CDs and one DVD of previously unreleased material from five performances. The CDs offer an interview with Sinatra discussing his battle against segregation in Nevada casinos and three Vegas performances.

Thanks to Edna Gunderson

Wynn Dealers Have Tips Cut Starting today

If you want to see the wave of the future for pit bosses and tipped casino dealers at Las Vegas' most luxurious properties, check out Steve Wynn's plans to shake up his casino floor.

Wynn Las Vegas dealers - the highest paid in the city at a shade more than $100,000 per year, mostly from tips - will soon lose some of their tip income. Resort executives plan to reorganize the casino floor on Sept. 1, and to begin giving first-level supervisors a cut from the tip pool. Dealers are expected to see their pay drop by about $10,000 per year, while some frontline supervisors would see theirs jump by more than 50 percent.

The high-rolling gambling action at the Wynn generates some big tips, money that now gets divided by casino dealers. The problem is finding qualified floormen and pit supervisors. It's tough for the casino to get dealers, the most knowledgeable candidates, to accept a 40 percent pay cut to take a salaried position as a $60,000-per-year floorman or pit supervisor.

Wynn said the disparity in pay isn't fair. "This is upside down," Wynn said. "It's inverted. It's just outrageous."

Wynn Las Vegas has 578 dealers. Of those, more than 100 have run shifts or been supervisors at other casinos. "The current system makes the (200 supervisors and 38 craps boxmen) feel cheated," Wynn said.

The pay disparity has contributed to a reduction in the quality of the front-line managers, the folks who resolve game disputes, rate gamblers' play (how much is he betting and how long did he play?) and dispense comps such as free meals.

Wynn's solution? Reorganize the casino chain of command, and group dealers together with newly named frontline managers, who will now be "casino service team leaders." (Or, in the case of craps boxmen, they'll be renamed "craps team leaders.")

The casino is eliminating some of its top-level hierarchy. In the current chain of command dealers and clerks are supervised by floormen, pit supervisors and boxmen. They are supervised by pit managers, who themselves are directed by casino managers and assistant casino managers. At the top is the vice president of casino operations.

The VP of casino operations slot is being eliminated and each shift is being organized as a standalone entity. Each shift will have a casino manager at the helm with two specialists to assist him. The casino manager will supervise the service team leaders, who will manage one to four table games and their dealers along with a shared pit administrator who will handle regulatory and game inventory paperwork.

Wynn believes that by empowering talented people to run small groups of games that customer service will improve, leading to even stronger results from an already successful casino. Key will be finding people who understand the games and have good leadership ability, customer-service skills and judgment. And that's where giving the frontline executives a salary increase and a share of the tip pool comes in.

Wynn said that most casino service team leaders will get 40 percent of a tip-pool share (dealers get a full share), but the combined tip and salary would boost their pay to about $96,000. Craps team leaders would get 20 percent of a share of tip proceeds and would see their total pay increase from $52,000 to $67,500.

Wynn Las Vegas President Andrew Pascal doesn't expect any current employees to lose their jobs as a result of the reorganization. In fact, he expects to hire at least a few casino supervisors from competitors.

First, Wynn Las Vegas will collect expressions of interest internally. Some current dealers may want to be team leaders - and some managers may return to dealing, Pascal said.

Some of the dealers' lost tip income will be replaced by a bonus system that will reward customer service, adherence to procedures and attendance, Wynn said, noting that initial feedback from the affected dealers has been good. "My dealers are the highest paid dealers in the world," he said. "They still will be. But I want them to think of becoming a team leader as a career move."

Nevada law allows casinos to divide tips among workers in the service chain, said employment lawyer Gregg Kamer, who worked on the plan with Pascal. The team leaders clearly are in the service chain, he said.

Wynn told workers about the changes in meetings after flying back from Macau, where he's preparing Wynn Macau for its Sept. 5 opening.

If the Wynn Las Vegas changes work as planned, table game customer service will improve. That's a surefire recipe for increased tipping, and an improved Wynn Resorts bottom line. Wynn will more fully utilize his employees' talents, and he'll develop and attract top-flight managers as he builds a succession of new resorts on the property that surrounds the hotel. "This gives me the chance to get the best people in the gaming industry," Wynn said.

I don't know if giving frontline casino supervisors a small cut of the tip pool would work at midlevel and low-budget casinos, but I suspect it wouldn't, as the tip pools are already much smaller than those at Wynn. But at high-end properties where dealers make substantially more than the folks who supervise them, the change makes sense. When talented table game supervisors start leaving for better-paying jobs that include a share of the tip pool, I predict other high-end casinos will follow Wynn's lead.

Thanks to Jeff Simpson

Riviera Holdings Corporation Announces That Shareholders Have Not Approved Merger Agreement

Riviera Holdings Corporation (Amex: RIV) announced that at today's meeting of shareholders, shareholders did not approve Riviera's Agreement and Plan of Merger with Riv Acquisition Holdings Inc. ("RAHI"), which would have provided for RAHI's acquisition of all of Riviera's outstanding stock at $17 per share.

Consequently, Riviera will notify RAHI of the termination of the Agreement and Plan of Merger. William L. Westerman, Riviera's Chief Executive Officer, said, "We regret that holders of the required 60% of our outstanding shares did not vote in favor of the merger, as our board of directors recommended. We believe our board had a fiduciary duty to give our shareholders the opportunity to vote on this transaction. Our management team members will continue to dedicate their efforts to maximize shareholder value in both the short run and the long run."

Las Vegas Monorail Set to Grow

Major expansion plans are in the works for the Las Vegas Monorail to help relieve traffic congestion along the resort corridor, including a hookup with the airport down Swenson Street and new stations that will link all four of the Strip's major convention centers for the first time.

The company's plans, which are still being worked on, include adding at least five new stations as well as a series of connections that would link the Las Vegas Monorail to properties on the west side of the Strip, Las Vegas Monorail Co. President Curtis Myles said.

With the new stations, the monorail will link more than 6 million square feet of exhibit and meeting space, including for the first time the Sands Expo and Convention Center, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and the convention facilities planned at Boyd Gaming's Echelon Place, enhancing Las Vegas' role as the convention capital of the country, he said.

The Las Vegas Convention Center already has a monorail station, Myles said. "Our future is going to be getting the airport connector and connecting the system to more resorts," Myles said.

However, even with the expansion plans, expected to be announced in the next six months, the Las Vegas Monorail stands to play a limited, although essential, role in addressing the transportation problems already afflicting the area's economic drive shaft, he said.

Myles believes any relief to traffic problems along the Strip will be limited, partially because at least 25,000 added hotel rooms are likely to be built in the next four years, generating another 53,000 trips a day through the resort corridor, a 25 percent increase over the 225,000 cars that travel along the resort corridor now every day. Add the 75,000 to 80,000 condominium units that are also likely to be built in the area, and traffic could actually double from its current level.

The current monorail plan is to run a connector line down Swenson Street to McCarran International with spurs to Terminal 1, the main terminal today, and Terminal 3, which will be built north of the D gates, Myles said. Airport spokeswoman Elaine Sanchez said plans for Terminal 3 are near completion and the new building should open in mid-2011.

Earlier plans had envisioned a link-up between the MGM Grand terminus and the A gates, but Federal Aviation Administration regulations and the cost of underground tunnels made that cost prohibitive, Myles said.

Officials with the $650 million monorail, which opened in 2004, have been working with the airport and the FAA on a study of the plan that they will each have to approve, he said.

The connector will run along Harmon Avenue, down Paradise Road, across Tropicana Avenue and down Swenson. It is planned to include stops at the new W Las Vegas hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel and the Thomas and Mack Center, Myles said.

Despite its opposition to a station when the monorail was first planned, the Sands Expo and Convention Center also is negotiating for a new station entrance from the current Harrah's Las Vegas station. Monorail passengers would not make a second stop at the convention center, but would exit the monorail system and enter the Sands Expo and The Venetian through a separate building.

Talks are also in the works for a likely station at Boyd Gaming Corp.'s $4 billion Echelon Place on the Stardust site north of the current Sahara monorail terminus, Myles said. And there is still a possibility of a station at the Stratosphere although that is a less certain prospect, he said.

In addition to the new stations, Myles said talks are also in the works to integrate the monorail with the three unconnected tram systems at the MGM Mirage properties on the west side of the Strip: one from Mandalay Bay to Excalibur, one from Monte Carlo to Bellagio, which has been closed during construction of the $7 billion Project CityCenter, and a third connecting the Mirage and Treasure Island.

MGM Mirage executives declined to comment, but Myles said they are performing analyses to determine the most cost-effective way to integrate the trams with the monorail system. MGM Mirage Chairman Terry Lanni last year talked about integrating his trams into a single system that would run from Mandalay Bay through Caesars Palace, which is owned by Harrah's Entertainment, all the way to Treasure Island.

Myles said the monorail is studying alternatives to integrate the present system with the MGM Mirage trams or even to replace the MGM Mirage systems.

Earlier plans for an east-west loop around Fashion Show Mall from the Las Vegas Convention Center have been scrapped because it would not put the most riders where they want to go, Myles said.

Brian Gordon, a principal in Las Vegas-based consultants Applied Analysis, said the added stations are critical for the success of the monorail system.

Now, the monorail runs along a short, 4-mile route from the Sahara to the MGM Grand, with stops at the Las Vegas Hilton, the Las Vegas Convention Center, Harrah's/Imperial Palace, the Flamingo/Caesars Palace, and Bally's/Paris Las Vegas.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Professor Bill Thompson, who specializes in gaming studies, said the added stations are important to the destination, gaming companies and the community. Moving tourists and gamblers more conveniently enhances the visitor experience, he said. "Plus, stopping at Thomas and Mack is fantastic. That'll make Thomas and Mack part of the Strip. It'll be a rare evening when there isn't something going on there and it should cut down on street traffic and parking as well," Thompson said.

In the long run, Myles said any increased ridership could lead to reduced fares, especially if that would mean even more riders. "If people come here and can't move around, it won't be nearly as successful as it can be and we need to do our part," Myles added.

The Las Vegas Monorail Co. has not determined how its expansion plans would be funded. However, in the past, casino operators kicked in around $20 million per station.

Analysts, who declined to comment until they see how any bond financing is structured, anticipate stronger support from the airport and from MGM Mirage, once arrangements are finalized. They said with support like that, it should not be too difficult to float a new bond offering. A state guarantee or continued nonprofit status, each of which could be controversial, also would help, they said.

Greg Borgel, owner of consulting firm Moreno and Associates, said monies generated by casinos on the Strip will simply have to be used for transportation improvements, or visitors will face unacceptable congestion.

The monorail has struggled to gain riders since opening, with ridership far less than the 50,000 daily riders its backers first forecast.

The goal is for the system to carry 15 million to 20 million riders a year by 2016, Myles said, which will amount to about 10 percent of the rapidly increasing visitors moving about the resort corridor.

The company has yet to produce a profit and its bond rating has been reduced to "junk" status, though deep cash reserves have kept the system afloat so far.

Thanks to Rod Smith

MGM MIRAGE Named to LATINA Style 50

MGM MIRAGE has been named one of the "50 Best Companies for Latinas" by LATINA Style Magazine. The company is the only gaming company to make the list.

To select the best companies, LATINA Style evaluated more than 800 U.S. corporations on issues that the publication's readers identified as most important in the workplace. Principal areas of evaluation included the number of Latina executives and board members, mentoring programs, educational opportunities, dependent/child care support, and employee benefits.

Robert E. Bard, President and CEO of LATINA Style Magazine, said, "We have gone to great lengths to provide a reliable resource for Latinas to evaluate companies, so they can be confident that the 2005 LATINA Style 50 truly represents some of the best opportunities corporate America has to offer."

According to the MGM MIRAGE 2005 Diversity Report, female employees comprised 50.55% of the workforce. Additionally, of the employees at the manager level or above, 44.17% are women.

An annual awards ceremony honoring the LATINA Style 50 Companies will take place on February 8, 2007 during LATINA Style's Diversity Conference in Washington, D.C.

Social House at Treasure Island

Starting in September, Treasure Island invites you for sushi, saki, and socializing. Enter Social House and experience a mix of unrivaled decor and exquisite pan asian cuisine.

Opening Labor Day Weekend and located atop the Tangerine Nightclub and Lounge. It will be open 7 days a week with late nite dining from Tuesday through Sunday.

Bacardi Global Gathering on Labor Day Weekend in Vegas

Starting Friday, September 1st, Bacardi will be hosting a Global Gathering at the Palms. Friday will feature Tommy Lee, Saturday will kick off with Papa Roach and Sunday will finish up with Tiesto.

Ditch Fridays at the Palms

Ditch Fridays at the Palms will present Kaskade on September 1st, 2006.

Robby Gordon Goes "All-in" with WSOP

Harrah's Operating Company, Inc., the title sponsor of Robby Gordon's No. 7 Chevy, today announced it will brand the car with a new World Series of Poker (WSOP) design during three upcoming races, including this weekend's Sony HD 500 at the California Speedway.

The new paint scheme will promote the 2006 World Series of Poker telecasts airing Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on ESPN through Sept. 26 and 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. through Oct. 31. Harrah's owns and operates the World Series of Poker, which this year generated a total prize pool of more than $159 million, making it the largest, richest and most prestigious event of its kind.

"NASCAR fans are the most brand-loyal fans in the world," said Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker. "There's no doubt that running this paint scheme with Robby Gordon will increase our profile around the world and help drive exposure for our telecasts on ESPN." Prior to joining Harrah's Entertainment, Pollack was managing director of broadcasting and new media for NASCAR Digital Entertainment.

The new design for the No. 7 Chevy will prominently display the World Series of Poker and ESPN logos on the hood of the car and will feature an additional World Series of Poker logo on a poker chip just above the rear wheels. The rear half of the car is painted green to simulate the felt of World Series of Poker tables, a key element in ESPN's telecasts of the 2006 World Series of Poker.

In addition to the Sony HD 500, which airs Sunday at 7 p.m. EDT on NBC, Harrah's will display the World Series of Poker scheme at the Banquet 400 (Oct. 1 at Kansas Speedway) and the UAW-Ford 500 (Oct. 8 at Talladega Superspeedway). Harrah's also will hold a public event at its North Kansas City and Prairie Band casinos for guests 21 years of age and older on September 28 and September 29, respectively. Guests can meet Robby Gordon as well as other popular drivers. Further details can be obtained at 1-800-HARRAHS.

The World Series of Poker is the world's richest sporting event. This year's tournament shattered previous records with a total prize pool of more than $159 million and attracted more than 45,000 players from 56 countries.

Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. is the world's largest provider of branded casino entertainment through operating subsidiaries. Since its beginning in Reno, Nevada 68 years ago, Harrah's has grown through development of new properties, expansions and acquisitions. Harrah's Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its customers through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, unsurpassed distribution, operational excellence and technology leadership.

Viva Las Vegas

When it is complete, the latest super-hotel to hit The Vegas Strip will have enough beds under its colossal roof to sleep one large Leeds village. And of course enough bathrobes, slippers and shower caps for each of its 7,000 guests, which will make The Venetian the largest hotel in the world.

Tacky and tasteless, vulgar and garish; this super-sized American statistic represented everything that is the desert destination – a glittering playground for the gluttonous and artificial, excessive and shallow. Never had the city struck me as an obvious choice for a holiday. I had seen the Hollywood movies – Casino, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Ocean's 11 – so I knew what to expect when I jetted off in the direction of Nevada State in America.

Luxury dining, top class shows, a boho arts festival, beaches – even if they were artificial – and natural world wonder The Grand Canyon, I certainly had not. Vegas regular Celine Dion, and her sparkling sidekick Elton John (the popstar's usual stand-in) had clearly both been kidnapped, while Nevada bigwigs had finally seen sense and banned gambling altogether. How else had the holiday guide found four days-worth of decent entertainment for her group without resorting to an afternoon at the roulette wheel?

You can imagine my jaw-dropping reaction then when our plane swooped in to land at McCarran International Airport after a 10-and-a-bit hour flight staring at little more than cloud, sea and finally parched dusty desert land. Sweeping left to right appeared suddenly the most zany and incredible landscape: Las Vegas Boulevard South, better known as The Strip. Six-miles of architectural madness began with the Stratosphere, gateway to downtown Vegas at the eastern end, which is the world's tallest free-standing observation tower. It finished spectacularly with the gold-mirrored Mandalay Bay hotel complex. In between the two, US airline passengers were showered with snapshots of the best of the rest – the Luxor pyramid; MGM Grand golden lion; Circus Circus' big tops; the turrets of Excalibur's draw-bridge castle; Paris Las Vegas' replica Eiffel Tower and the New York skyline of New York New York.
Scale and design

Jet-lagged and mind-blown at the scale and design of the hotel-casinos, we were checked into ours: the stylishly minimalist boutique THEhotel, nestled behind its sister hotel Mandalay Bay, a convenient five minute "cab" ride from the airport. The golden nugget's calming decor, simple design, casino-free lobby and, most importantly, cooling aircon beckoned us in from the 40 degree (celsius) dry heat outside. Upstairs, the bedrooms, which are in fact fully-fledged suites, awaited, each sporting a lounge, study, pair of three-quarter sized beds, giant bathtub, plazma screen entertainment, his and her sinks and a separate toilet for guests. This was pure understated luxury, and at £110 per night, just about affordable.

Our first port of call was THEbathhouse, the perfect place for post-flight massages and pedicures. Several hours later the group was completely refreshed, but undeniably jet lagged. It might have been teatime in Las Vegas, but back home it was 2am. Undoubtedly the best plan of action that night should have involved room service and a good night's kip. But we were in America's 24-hour party city on a tight schedule, so the glad rags went on and we hit The Strip for a slap-up meal, Pearl Jam in concert and the start of four jam-packed days, which were to blur into one. The night's entertainment was to be found at MGM Grand, which also boasts a lion habitat and sports arenas.

Staying at a Vegas hotel-casino is very much like living inside a gimmicky shopping mall – artificial lighting, recycled air and lots of people aimlessly browsing. If it isn't the biggest sporting venue, it is the highest roller coaster or the most authentic pirate ship that is being plugged to draw in the dollars. But with nearly every bedroom full at any one time in a place currently home to more than 133,000 hotels, brash and flash seems to be working.

At least 38.5 million pleasure-seekers worldwide descend on Vegas each year; and 500,000 British visitors make us the most frequent foreign visitor. Yet despite a reputation as the gaming capital of the world – a label that has stuck since the legalisation of gambling in 1931 – the one armed bandits, card and dice tables, were half empty. Big name shows, concerts and sporting events seemed to be where the latest craze was at.

BeatlesLOVE by Cirque du Soleil – the physical aerial performers of the modern day circus – at the Mirage is currently competing for an audience with Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular showing across the road at The Venetian. Both 90-minute musical extravaganzas were sell-outs, but there was no real contest between the two. The streamlined recreation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterpiece was more about demonstrating the gadgetry of the new £21 million theatre then the storyline. Across the road, Sergeant Pepper, a walrus and a girl with kaleidoscope eyes were brought alive by contortionists and trapeze artists. Smart editing eerily recreated conversations between John, Paul, George and Ringo. Their silhouettes were projected onto four white awnings hung at cleverly positioned right-angles in the centre of the indoor amphitheatre. The result was a touching and sentimental tribute to the globe's greatest boy band.

Vegas is a consumer's paradise, or bad shopper's horror movie. The city is far from relaxing, and people there thrive on everything that is bright, loud and entertaining. But there is always an oasis in the desert, and this one is in neighbouring Arizona. At more than 4,000-ft deep, 277 miles long and, at places, 18 miles wide the gaping gorge that is The Grand Canyon lies 260 miles to the west of Vegas. Short of time, but determined to see the magnificent rocks I took to the skies by helicopter passing over the Hoover Dam and giant Lake Mead.

Dropping down to the basin we tracked the Colorado River before coming to land. Organised boat rides awaited to take their passengers for a refreshing spin. Back at the summit, a visit to a cowboy ranch was a perfect pit stop for breakfast. I nearly choked on my beans when I heard that some bright spark has now designed a horseshoe-shaped glass skywalk that will stretch far over the mouth of the Canyon. The platform will suspend seemingly without support at twice the height of the Empire State Building when it is opened at the end of the year. Founder David Jin said about his creation: "Just like an eagle can fly into the Grand Canyon, my vision was to enable visitors to walk the path of the eagle, and become surrounded by the Grand Canyon while standing at the edge of the glass bridge."

The bridge has divided the Hualapai community with the younger generation keen to cash in on the beauty spot the elders savour as sacred. The economic benefits are endless, but environmentally it seemed a shame that the Vegas circus had stretched this far.

Flying back to the hotel it struck me that Vegas is everything I feared. It was outrageously gregarious, but somewhere along the line my perplexed brow had relaxed. I had underestimated the flattery and charm of a place desperate to please. And before I realised it I had already planned a rowdy return trip with the girls.

Thanks to Sophie Hazan

World Series of Poker Prize Money Frozen after Lawsuit is Filed against Gold

What's won in Vegas stays in Vegas.

So it seems for World Series of Poker main event champion Jamie Gold, who won a record $12 million on Aug. 10 after outlasting 8,772 players in the largest live poker tournament in history.

A Las Vegas district court judge has issued a restraining order to prevent Gold from collecting his money until the settlement of a lawsuit brought by Bruce Crispin Leyser, a Los Angeles-based TV development executive.

In the lawsuit, filed Aug. 21 in Las Vegas District Court and obtained by USA TODAY, Leyser claims that Gold verbally promised to pay Leyser half of whatever he won at the WSOP.

Las Vegas Chief District Judge Kathy Hardcastle signed a temporary restraining order Aug. 21 preventing Gold from collecting his winnings from the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino, where the World Series was held, until at least Sept. 1, when the first court hearing in the case is scheduled.

Gold, a former Hollywood talent agent from Malibu, Calif., and currently a television producer, could have received the $12 million payment (minus taxes) via cashier's check, cash or wire transfer within hours after winning the tournament but declined to do so.

"Jamie Gold is disappointed the plaintiff, a person he has only known since July of this year, has elected to file litigation rather than continue the parties' discussions in an effort to find a resolution to this matter," Gold's lawyers said in a statement. "Gold believes strongly in the American judicial system and believes it is better to present his case there than to try the matter before the court of public opinion."

According to the complaint, Gold and Leyser met in July. Leyser claims he was approached by Gold, whose $10,000 entry fee was paid by online poker site Bodog.com, seeking assistance in finding celebrities to play under the Bodog label. If celebrities were found Bodog agreed to provide either Gold or Leyser a seat at the main event, and, according to the lawsuit, both players agreed that whoever received the seat would halve their winnings with the other.

The lawsuit claims Leyser found actors Matthew Lillard and Dax Shepard to play and wear the company's logo. Lillard played the role of Shaggy in two recent Scooby-Doo films. Shepard might be best known for his work on the MTV practical joke show, Punk'd.

According to the complaint, Gold left a telephone message for Leyser about three hours before the final table of the main event was to begin play on Aug. 10, reassuring Leyser that he would get half of whatever Gold won.

"I promise you — you can keep this recording on my word — there's no possible way you're not going to get half after taxes," Leyser claims that Gold said in the message. "So please just be with me. I can't imagine you're going to have a problem with it. I just don't want any stress about any money or any of that s—- going on today."

Leyser's attorney, Richard Schonfeld of Las Vegas, says his client's case is "exceptionally strong."

"As stated in the lawsuit, we have a recording where Gold gives his word that Leyser will get 50%," he says. "As well, in order for us to obtain the temporary restraining order, we had to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merit of the case. We met that burden."

Bodog officials say they worked with many agents, managers, publicists and other entertainment professionals to set up a celebrity team for the WSOP. Bodog says Gold was included in Team Bodog because of his aid in setting up the celebrities, his successful poker tournament background and his relationship with poker pro Johnny Chan, a two-time winner of the WSOP main event.

"We are unaware of any side deal (Gold) may have made in obtaining these celebrities," said a statement by Bodog officials on Thursday.

Gold signed a two-year deal with Bodog after the event for pro poker sponsorship and television production. His endorsement deal includes tournament buy-ins and promotional appearances, and a $1 million television production deal. The deal also includes a Jamie Gold table on Bodog.com, where Gold will play frequently.

Thanks to Steve DiMeglio

Fool's Gold at the WSOP?

Bluffing helped Jamie Gold win $12 million and the World Series of Poker. But there are growing questions about how much of his resumé is bluff and bravado. Not that any of it will change the outcome of the poker tournament, which ended early Friday at the Rio.

Internet gossip sites are abuzz with reports claiming that Gold, 36, has wildly exaggerated his professional credentials as a Hollywood agent and producer.

As of Tuesday, his Web site, JamieGold.com stated he is "known for discovering, nurturing and launching the careers" of dozens of Hollywood notables, including James Gandolfini of "The Sopranos," Jimmy Fallon, formerly of "Saturday Night Live," Lucy Liu of "Charlie's Angels" and Felicity Huffman of "Desperate Housewives."

A source told defamer.com that the only "real celebrity" Gold has ever personally signed and represented was Ron Jeremy, the porn star.

Another Web site, hollywoodinterrupted.com, indicated that Gold may have to give up 50 percent of his winnings to bodog.com, the online gaming company that paid his $10,000 entry fee. In addition, Johnny Chan, who coached Gold, is reportedly due to get 10 percent, or $1.2 million. Chan, reached by telephone on Tuesday, said Gold repped him for about two years, until recently.

If Gold makes good on his promise to tip the WSOP dealers $1 million, his cut will be down to $3.8 million before taxes.

Sources say Gold, who raised eyebrows when he told organizers that he hired two bodyguards after "being threatened," still has not picked up his money.

Thanks to Norm!

Neon Boneyard

Step through the gate and you enter a world of giants. A towering pool player readies for a shot that's never taken. Around the corner, some errant Cinderella has left behind a silver slipper, size 600.

This is the Neon Boneyard, where Las Vegas' past awaits preservation.

Sin City, of course, isn't big on history. It regularly implodes casinos to clear the way for the next big creation. But about 100 signs have gotten temporary reprieves from the scrap heap.

Las Vegas' Neon Museum doesn't have a permanent gallery. But the museum has restored 11 signs, which now light up the night at and around downtown's main artery, Fremont Street. Others adorn the downtown shopping and entertainment complex called Neonopolis.

Still others await their fate at the museum's three-acre Neon Boneyard near downtown. You can see them by appointment on a guided tour, which runs $50 for a group of 10.

Visitors to the Neon Boneyard find that the signs retain their beauty even at rest. You can see brushstrokes on the handmade creations, most of which were made by a local company called Young Electric Sign.

The Silver Slipper was modeled on a shoe worn by the sign company's secretary. It's now being restored, at an estimated cost of $200,000.

The Neon Museum project started 10 years ago with the restoration of the sparkling Hacienda Horse and Rider sign that used to be on one end of the Las Vegas Strip and now welcomes people downtown. It had marked the old Hacienda hotel, destroyed to make way for the Mandalay Bay casino.

Soon followed a genie's lamp from the Aladdin Hotel, a red-glowing milkman from a local dairy, and an Indian. Dating to 1940, the latter is the oldest restored sign and once marked the Chief Hotel Court.

These signs are an important part of history, said Melanie Coffee, who works for the museum. They were designed for a new motor age and were meant to be read from cars passing by at 50 m.p.h.

Although casinos now use Jumbotron computer screens to flash their messages, neon still has its place. The new Wynn casino has about 80,000 square feet of neon signs, Coffee says. But the golden age of neon lives on. Visitors can marvel at giant martinis and watch a wine bottle empty as liquid (depicted in spaghettilike tubes of neon) seems to pour into a glass. The old Flame Restaurant's sign flashes a curved arrow, meant to lure diners.

For contrast to the neon, stroll over to Fremont Street. There, visitors crowd the pedestrian thoroughfare to stare at a three-block-long overhead screen, which comes alive nightly with computerized images and music. It's quite a show - and worlds away from a neon Indian chief staring down passing cars in the middle of the night. Both the old and the new come with their own delights.

Thanks to Larry Bleiberg

More Traffic to Gridlock Strip from New Condo Projects

If you think traffic down on the Strip is bad right now, just wait a couple more years. With all of the new casino resorts, high-rise condos and other projects, round the clock traffic jams could soon be the norm.

Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd. is one of the busiest intersections - just trying making a left hand turn. So when we tell folks that traffic is expected to get worse, a lot worse over the next few years, they don't want to hear it.

Pell Sparks drives a cab and has to deal with this mess every day. "Look you have several thousand people in a three and a half mile area, you're going to have traffic problems no matter what you do," said Sparks. And it could be getting even worse. With all of the high rise condo projects, Trump and others, plus the new hotel casino projects like the Cosmopolitan, it's estimated that there will be another 50,000 cars per day on the Strip. That's 25 percent more than right now.

One idea on how to fix the problem is to widen the access roads behind the hotels or to make lanes dedicated to commercial traffic.

The County is looking at making one of the medians into a bus-only lane. Another option is to leave the driving to someone else, perhaps a cab driver.

"Does it ever get frustrating? Yeah it does, but we try to go back ways and get around the traffic and stuff like that, but for people who don't know those short cuts, that's why they take a cab," said Sparks.

Some of the builders of these projects have said it's important for them to help the traffic situation as much as they can.

Some have talked about putting the main entrances to these projects off of the Strip. Others have talked about donating land to the county for additional traffic lanes.

Thanks to KVBC

Manilow Survives Surgery with Emmy, To Return to Las Vegas Hilton

Hours after telling a national TV audience he would, Barry Manilow took his newly won Emmy into the hospital with him on Monday as a good-luck charm for his hip surgery.

Apparently it worked. Manilow came through the operation "swimmingly"

Manilow's win came as a bit of a surprise to the Emmy crowd, and to himself. "He was excited. He didn't think he'd win," Marshall said.

In his acceptance speech, he excitedly told TV viewers that he was going bring his statuette into the operating room.

Manilow's recovery and rehabilitation is expected to take six to eight weeks. Then the celebrated showman plans to jump back into his performance routine.

He will travel to Atlantic City for an Oct. 14 performance.

On Oct. 21, he is scheduled to appear in Chicago, then it's back to his show at the Las Vegas Hilton on Nov. 8. He is in the middle of a four-year contract with the hotel. In early November, his new album, "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties," is due out.

Manilow postponed the arthroscopic surgery — to repair cartilage tears in both hips — so he could attend the Emmys on Sunday night. He performed "Bandstand Boogie," the theme from Dick Clark's "American Bandstand," as part of a tribute to Clark during the show.

CMT to Air Miss America Pageant From Las Vegas

CMT will air the 2007 Miss America Pageant live from the Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Jan. 29. Pageant preliminaries, which include swimsuit, talent and evening wear competitions, will be held Jan. 25-27.

Tickets to the preliminaries and the pageant finals will be available to the public at www.ticketmaster.com.

CMT aired the Miss America Pageant for the first time in 2006 when Miss Oklahoma Jennifer Berry was crowned the winner.

Visitors Are Willing Cogs in the Machine

"I hate to pay more than $100 for a bottle of good wine. Even $150."

- Executives in a lunchtime cafe in The Mirage

Nothing so became my feelings for this town as the leaving it.

I know, a rant against Vegas is as a flea bite unto an elephant.

Nonetheless, with props to the classic castle-siege taunt in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, I snark in the city's general direction.

If, in fact, Vegas is a city. Part of it is, and you can see the twinkling lights of its sprawling expansion when flying in at night or on the opening credits of CSI. There are so many newcomers and burbs down there that it's only a matter of time before they all run out of water.
More accurately, Vegas is a mall. For adults. Mercifully, the whole family-destination marketing scheme of the recent past has been abandoned, so at least that hypocrisy is gone. And yet, given that it's the top convention spot in the country, with more hotel rooms than several major U.S. cities combined and an appeal that seems unstoppable, this mob-created Nevada oasis obviously has something going for it.

Sin, to be sure, but I think that misses the point. Vegas is more about stupidity. All the suckers that P.T. Barnum said are born every minute have found residence or reincarnation here. You may be thinking of going there yourself. Lo siento. But give the devil his due: The old Vegas of downtown, where the serious gamblers go and where a refreshing grit and unabashed sleaze shimmer in the heat, is OK in my book because it is what it is. And where else did neon become an art form?

The Strip is the opposite. True, one might as well call Texas hot as to point out that a place openly based on illusion and pretense is a giant con. But think The Matrix. Even Keanu Reeves eventually figured out that he was living in a dream world - as a battery, no less.

We are the batteries of Las Vegas. Without the incessant surrender of our bodies, the Strip would cease to exist, and all its financial pimps - I mean entrepreneurs - would have to get real jobs, or maybe go into politics. We are the energy that lights up the fountains of Bellagio, amplifies the sirens at Treasure Island, powers the mega-marts of consumer fraud known as casinos.

You don't want to be a battery; consider yourself a cash cow. Or an ATM, spitting out Benjamins for every conceivable brand of hustle, high-end to low-rent. And, if you can believe a mini-tube of toothpaste should go for $3, you'll enjoy the shopping experience. This is a town in which it takes a McDonald's to provide a sense of consumer balance.

During my own recent visit, I dutifully followed the herd through the bright lights in the desert. And certainly Vegas knows its stuff. Top-end restaurants from L.A. and New York are now mainstays in most of the gigantic hotels, and nightclubs buzz well into the wee hours, filled to the brim with free-spenders and spandex. Big-name entertainers, not just Celine Dion, are booked into every club every night of the week, although I have to say that I had never, ever heard of Danny Gans, the marquee impressionist at the Mirage. After watching some promotional clips, can't say I missed much. But, I will also say that even in the darkness, there is light. KÀ, the eye-popping show by Cirque du Soleil, definitely the biggest name in town since Wayne Newton, is one of the most innovative theatrical performances I've seen.

On my last night, I joined some enthusiastic fellow journalists to blitz Studio 54 and several other clubs I can't recall. In true Vegas fashion, I slept through my alarm the next morning and woke up barely in time to catch the airport shuttle, which, to my minor satisfaction, was filled with hearty partiers in a lot worse shape. But happy. All glowing with that what-happens-in-Vegas-stays-in-Vegas aura.

Maybe if I'd stayed a few more days, I would have hit the groove, dropping cash at games of chance (as in fat chance), spending money at restaurants and bars at a rate rivaling a Tyco executive's. Maybe even renting a swank cabana out by the pool.

I'm no saint, or superman resistant to overpowering brainwashing. But I'm no battery, either.

Thanks to Rod Davis

Las Vegas Now and Then

From the Monte Carlo, you look out on the Strip, Vegas' pulsating main drag; in the opposite direction you see parking lots nudging up to freeways, leading to warehouses and strip shopping centers serving miles of reddish brown subdivisions that sprawl toward reddish brown mountains, like a weird architectural talus slope.

Everywhere else, it's desert and dust, reminders that you're in a place created by will, not nature.

Las Vegas turned 100 last year, having started out as a transportation crossroads, an X in the desert, and evolved into an entertainment juggernaut with one of the largest service economies in the nation.

Its fortunes have ebbed and flowed over the years, slumping after its family entertainment fiasco of the 1980s, and again after 9/11, when the planes stopped coming. Now it's facing stiff gaming competition from California to Connecticut. But if Vegas is worried, it's not showing it. It is currently the fastest-growing major city in America, where real estate values are rising 20% a year and residents are changing houses as often as cars.

It's the center of a runaway high-rise condo boom, with an estimated 60 towers under construction or being planned. It is a wildly speculative market, with some of the most successful projects having owners but few residents, creating blanks in the glittering downtown skyline.

The city doesn't need and likely can't absorb this much space, but when you can make a quick $100,000 by flipping your pad, why not? A condo becomes just one more chip to play.

Welcome to Las Vegas, the quintessential American city, the apotheosis of the big hit and the second chance, where permanence and authenticity have been forgotten and everything turns on permutations of "new" and "now."

"America is a very poor lens through which to view Las Vegas," says resident culture critic Dave Hickey, "while Las Vegas is a wonderful lens through which to view America."

Like it or not, Las Vegas is us, a cockeyed reflection of our dreams and delusions, our consumerist longings and libidinous urges, which is why many people refuse to take it seriously.

Architects rail against its all-foam, no-stone esthetic. Those attending the American Institute of Architects convention in May 2005 blasted the organizers for banishing them to ersatzville, with only the Ghost Bar, Tabu, Olympic Gardens and bogus venues to ease the pain.

Urban planners condemn it for flouting sensible ideas of energy conservation.

True believers see its legitimizing of drinking, gambling and sex as an all-out assault on the Puritan foundations of our culture.

Even residents are angry about having to drive farther and farther out to find affordable housing, while next to the casinos and restaurants they work in developers are throwing up $500-a-square-foot condos for celebrities to occupy two weeks a year.

While the criticisms have some validity, for the 37 million visitors who pour into Vegas each year they are mostly academic, disconnected from the soul of the place. They take to heart Mae West's comment that "too much of a good thing is wonderful." They come for the hum of the casinos, the dueling pirate ships and exploding volcanoes on the Strip.

They wallow in the fakery that architects scorn. Here's a town where change is the norm, and everything turns into entertainment, where even the A-bomb tests at Nevada Flats used to be part of a casino weekend package. And most don't arrive in Porsches and Armani suits. They are ambassadors from Middle America who come to gamble a bit, act a little wild and then go home to one-up their neighbors.

For all these reasons, the Strip is one of the grandest and most implausible pedestrian streets in America, packed curb to curb at midnight and in 110-degree temperatures.

What matters here is not blocks and addresses but attractions -- the Manhattan skyline at one end, Treasure Island at the other, and Paris, Venice and Imperial Rome in between.

Like most of the city, the Strip is explicitly and relentlessly theatrical, with the sidewalks serving as stages, the small foreground buildings as sets and the hotels as overscaled backdrops -- which may explain why many of them are so banal architecturally. The play's the thing; who cares what backstage looks like?

Gambling used to account for 80% of its revenue; now it's closer to 50-50 or even 40-60, with shopping, dining and entertainment accounting for the difference. The hottest restaurants on both coasts (Lutece, Le Cirque, Michael Mena) now have outposts here, alongside Armani and Chanel.

The Strip has been renamed Las Vegas Boulevard -- not that anybody cares -- and the newest casinos along it, including Bellagio, the Venetian, and Wynn, have turned their backs on the city's populist past.

The Wynn, which opened last year, is the icon of the cooler, slicker, more upscale Vegas. Unlike, say, Treasure Island and the Mirage, it is completely private and internalized, with all the traditional sidewalk spectacle hidden behind faux cliffs and real trees. The building is a sleek, streamlined curve that, except for the script logo, would look perfectly at home in a corporate office park. And the interior is more Rodeo Drive than Wild West.

Step off an elevator and you run straight into a Ferrari and Lamborghini showroom. Keep going and you're in a marbleized air-conditioned mall lined with chic boutiques of continental pedigree or pretension.

Everything looks out on a shallow lake where several times a night silvery mannequins appear and disappear to a vaguely operatic score. As a glimpse of the future, it is curiously retro, like a piece of '80s performance art. The response of many locals on opening week was, "bring on the pirates."

The high-rise boom is only exacerbating the affordable-housing crisis. With few apartments downtown for waitresses, croupiers and Elvis impersonators, they are moving in improvised family groups to suburban ranchettes with three-car garages and spend half the day commuting to work.

It's a big problem, but not yet big enough to become a distraction in hip Vegas.

"Here we start with one question," explains Steve Wynn. "'Who are these people and what do they want?'

"The answer controls everything we do. We respond to the emotional and psychological desires of our visitors. If this place has any other redeeming feature, I don't know what it is."

Thanks to David Dillon

3 Fine-Dining Finds Away from the Glitzy Strip

The roster of celebrity chefs in Las Vegas is as glittery as the Strip itself: Joel Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Thomas Keller, Wolfgang Puck, Daniel Boulud, Charlie Palmer. These high-voltage chefs have lent their names to and inspired the dishes for some exceptional restaurants in the resort-casinos of Las Vegas Boulevard.

That said, it's a good bet that you'll rarely find any of them actually in the kitchen - unless, perhaps, Wine Spectator magazine is in town for a cover shoot. And, the menus and wine lists, while unimaginably tantalizing, will give most visitors an acute case of sticker shock.

The city has some fine-dining alternatives, though, for an intrepid soul willing to leave the Strip for a couple of hours. In recent years, the celebrity-chef movement in Las Vegas has generated a spin-off effect, in which chefs and restaurant-management folk who worked for some of the big names have headed for the outskirts to open their own places.

The restaurant facades are uniformly nondescript - suburban shopping center frontage that could easily pass for an escrow office. But inside, superb cuisine is combined with earnest service, at prices closer to those of your favorite neighborhood bistro.

Three such establishments were sampled: Rosemary's, Table 34, and Todd's Unique Dining. While the main-course offerings were fairly predictable, the appetizer menu at each was wonderfully inventive - clearly a creative outlet for some of these guys.

"For me, the corporate environment didn't work," said Todd Clore, formerly chef de cuisine for Bally's acclaimed Sterling Brunch - and a onetime understudy of Philippe Jeanty in the Napa Valley and Roy Yamaguchi in Los Angeles. "I tell the story that, to change the menu when strawberries go out of season, by the time you get all the vice presidents to sign off on it, strawberries are back in season."

Clore opened Todd's Unique Dining in Henderson two years ago. In the same general neighborhood, due south of McCarran International Airport, is Table 34, commanded by Laurie Kendrick, who formerly managed Chinois and Spago for Puck at Caesars Palace (brother Wes is in the kitchen). And many blocks west of the Strip is Rosemary's, operated by chefs Mike and Wendy Jordan; Mike was a seven-year disciple of Emeril Lagasse and opened Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand.

Rosemary's
8125 W. Sahara Ave.
702-869-2251
www.rosemarysrestaurant.com

While Table 34 and Todd's Unique are simple, unassuming neighborhood establishments, this restaurant offers a distinct air of sophistication - in decor, service and ambience. We felt like the only Strip refugees in the other two restaurants, but it was evident here (certainly by the luxury vehicles in the parking lot) that high-rolling foodies have discovered this seven-year-old restaurant.

Some of the entree prices stray into the high $30s, but the payoff is considerable.

Jordan and wife Wendy have spent much of their careers cooking in the Deep South, and the preparation styles reflect that. My wife is still raving about the perfectly cooked striped bass she had here, with a deliciously crisp skin, served over a little heap of rock shrimp, andouille sausage and fingerling potatoes, with hush puppies nestled in a Creole meuniere sauce ($28).

The highlight on my side of the table was Mike Jordan's signature appetizer: shrimp laced with Texas barbecue sauce and served over a slaw made with bleu cheese from Maytag Farms in Iowa ($11). What an imaginative marriage of flavors and textures.

The roast rack of lamb ($38) I chose for an entree - essentially three rib chops - was serviceable, although the accompanying kalamata olive mashed potatoes that had looked so intriguing on the menu left me with the conclusion that the kitchen must have run low on olives. The fried arugula sprinkled on the chops was delicate and salty and melted in the mouth.

A premium is clearly placed on service. Dishes are served from the left and removed from the right, without exception. And they all arrive at once. Kitchen runners and waiters collaborate so that, even at a large table, no one is left waiting over a course while another diner's plate is fetched. For a table of six next to us, three servers arrived bearing two plates apiece, all of which were placed on the table in one grand flourish.

Because of the liberal use of Southern spices, we deferred to our waiter for wine selections. Good thing - who'd have guessed that a Spanish grenache (Bodegas San Alejandro "Las Rocas," $8 a glass) would work with the striped bass? But, our waiter said it would stand up well to the andouille and Creole spices, and he was right.

Despite its unassuming exterior, Rosemary's features smart decor, with oil paintings gracing the walls, an inviting bar beneath a row of stylish hanging lamps, and an open kitchen that emits the unmistakable sense of bustle (dining positions along a counter look into the kitchen).

The appetizer menu is the star of the show. Among its nine selections, we were also sorely tempted by the pan-fried veal sweetbreads with grits, onions and bacon mustard demi glace ($9.50), and the crabcakes with grilled asparagus and various shitake accents ($15).

Those dishes and Rosemary's in general left us with an inevitable conclusion: We'll just have to come back.

Table 34
600 E. Warm Springs Rd.
702-263-0034
www.usmenuguide.com/table34.html

One of the benefits of owning your own place is free rein for indulgence.

The Kendricks liked the idea of having smoked salmon on the appetizer menu, and they surely could have gotten their hands on some first-rate commercial product. But where's the challenge in that?

Instead, they make their own.

"We start with the fish whole," said Laurie Kendrick, "then it's brined for 2 1/2 days and cold-smoked" (a process in which a smaller fire is maintained in the smoker to keep the fish at a lower temperature).

The result is fabulous flavor and texture - with none of the fishy taste common to the commercial stuff. As an appetizer, the salmon is rolled into a cone and positioned atop a crispy potato basket, which sits in a little puddle of parsley-shallot cream. Atop the tower are thin slices of mild onion and a sprinkling of alfalfa sprouts. Alongside is a generous green salad. It was an impressive creation, and a bargain for $10.75.

Another success was an entree of Maine scallops ($26.50), seared so that they were crusty on the top and bottom, medium rare at the center. They were presented with an assortment of perfectly prepared vegetables: sauteed spinach, tender brussels sprouts, haricots verts, carrots and broccolini.

The scallops sat in a citrus sauce with Mandarin orange wedges, which hinted that someone in the kitchen has a sweet tooth. One of the salads on the menu confirmed it - arugula with goat cheese (it would have been better roasted than cold), sliced apples, candied walnuts, grapes and a sweet citrus dressing ($10.50).

We knew dessert would be a highlight of the night, and it didn't disappoint: a flavorful vanilla-bean creme brulee with decadently creamy custard and plump, thumb-sized berries on top, and a tangy lime tart with pecan crust (all desserts are $6.50).

Unfortunately, our waitress was no help whatsoever when we asked for wine suggestions on our starter courses. But, we witnessed an impressive bit of teamwork when I flagged a passing bus boy and specified a glass of red to accompany the grilled rack of pork and spicy chipotle mashed potatoes ($24.75). Rather than track down the waitress, he personally carried the order to the bar, and soon the hostess whisked it to the table.

Table 34, which has been here about a year and a half, is obviously working hard to please. With its generous portions, extensive by-the-glass wine list and starter menu built around all manner of seafood, it is succeeding.

Todd's Unique Dining
4350 E. Sunset Rd., Henderson
702-259-8633
www.toddsunique.com

What an odd name for a restaurant. Clore explains that he didn't want his cuisine to be labeled.

"Because I'm so spontaneous," he said, "I want to eat Mexican food one night, then Thai the next, then Americana, then I want spicy again."

As a result, his menu is printed daily, based on his whim. The night we visited, Clore was clearly on a foray to the Far East.

Drawing raves at our table was one of his signature items, an appetizer of goat cheese wontons ($7). The shells were impossibly thin and lightly fried, with a soft, warm cheese filling and the tangy-sweet contrast of a raspberry-basil sauce.

Another starter, Malaysian barbecued shrimp ($9), was served with a spicy glaze, but not to the point of overpowering the delicate shellfish. It was served with tiny blinis and thin slices of pickled cucumber. Also impressive was a five-ounce Dungeness crabcake with roasted-pepper butter ($9).

A friend from Hawaii joined us, and the seared rare ahi ($24) had her thinking of home: It had the pleasing contrast of grill char on the outside and sashimi succulence at the center. Mashed potatoes infused with wasabi were a fitting accompaniment.

Kobe short ribs ($24) - boned, rolled, tied and cooked all day - were falling-apart tender and savory, served with jalapeño mashed potatoes. Oven-roasted monkfish in a garlic cream sauce ($24) was another winner.

Our enthusiastic waiter was helpful in suggesting both dishes and wines that went with them - a glass of Twenty Rows Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) from the Napa Valley, for example, that wasn't daunted by the ribs.

We concluded that, next time, we'd start with salads and then build a dinner entirely from that impressive appetizer menu. In fact, that could be a fun strategy at any of these three restaurants.

Try that on the Strip, and you might get a sniff of disapproval.

Not out here.

Thanks to Eric Noland

Vegas Hotels Off the Strip Can Be On the Money

Let's try some word association.

I say Las Vegas hotel.

You think - the Bellagio? Caesars Palace? Maybe the Flamingo or the Paris or the MGM Grand?
Whatever casino you named, it's probably on the famous Las Vegas Strip, because almost every visual impression we get of Vegas, whether a film clip or a photograph, includes a handful of casino resorts along that very familiar corridor.

However, it's a fact that casino-hotels are being developed almost as fast off the Strip as on it. Some of the newer so-called locals casinos - referred to that way because their primary market is the surrounding residential area - are surprisingly sophisticated. And off-Strip casino-hotels frequently are bargains for lodging and food compared with their competition on the Strip.

Of course, there is the issue of transportation. Staying at an off-Strip casino doesn't require renting a car, but it's a lot more convenient to have one.

I prefer to rent a car in Vegas, and usually I've gotten very reasonable rates. On two four-day visits this summer, for instance, I rented midsize cars for less than $80, taxes included. And, having a car in Vegas allows me to take advantage of one of that town's unique features among major U.S. cities - free parking.

Even if you're uncomfortable driving in Vegas, you can stay at an off-Strip property and use taxis or free shuttles to get to the Strip.

If you're ready to get off Las Vegas Boulevard and go native, here are three off-Strip properties that suit a range of tastes and budgets:

Red Rock Station.
The newest locals' casino to open in Vegas, Red Rock Station debuted in April in the Summerlin section of the Las Vegas Valley, west of the Strip. Like a sister property, Green Valley Ranch in the valley's southeast, Red Rock is an upscale locals' property. Guests may not find it much of bargain, but it has a sophistication to rival all but the most extravagant Strip resorts.

Several hues of onyx, Michelangelo marble and Swarovski crystal decorate the public spaces, and Egyptian cotton sheets are found in the private ones. There are two hot nightclubs; a sexy casino bar called Lucky; and a bunch of interesting eating places, including the Salt Lick BBQ, which specializes in slow-cooked brisket, ribs and pulled pork. Away from the casino is an elegantly subdued hotel lobby bar. But the star of Red Rock is its swimming-pool area, with the understated name of The Backyard. The three-acre circular oasis has several pools with a water-mist fountain in the middle; a beach area; pricey rental cabanas; and one pool that's attached to the Cherry nightclub. Even nonguests can get a look at the pool from outdoor areas just off the casino floor or from patio dining tables.

Red Rock isn't particularly cheap. A search of fall dates typically showed the lowest midweek rates at $169 a night and weekends at $229 to $429.

Orleans Hotel & Casino.
You can't see the Orleans from the Strip, but its location to the west on Tropicana Avenue is still convenient if you have a car. The Orleans, as its name implies, has a French Quarter-Mardi Gras flavor, with Big Al, a cartoon bayou alligator, the resort's mascot.

The Orleans was designed to be a notch above other off-Strip value properties. While more upscale locals casinos have followed, the Orleans still strikes a nice balance, offering a sold lineup of amenities at value prices. A check of September room rates showed availability at $75 per night midweek and $150 weekend; for quieter times in December, $50 midweek and $70 weekend.

The swimming-pool area is an example of the slight upgrade the Orleans offers over other budget hotels. While it's not an extravagant water park, a contemporary brick waterfall gives it a modicum of flair. It has a fair amount of shade at certain times of the day, which is not entirely a bad thing when it's 105 degrees.

Representative of the Orleans' value niche is the Prime Loft restaurant, which offers a thick prime-rib cut for $13.95 and a jumbo, bone-in double-cut for $20.95. Headliner entertainment skews toward older audiences - think Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell, Neil Sedaka and Dionne Warwick - but the Orleans also has an adjacent arena that stages spectacles from motocross shows to pro wrestling to risque costume parties. The Orleans also is a favorite among the auto-racing crowd and offers several packages for the major NASCAR race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

Palace Station.
Another hotel-casino in the Station chain, like Red Rock, Palace Station's appeal is in its value rather than its sophistication.

Sitting along Sahara Avenue just off Interstate 15 - the highway that parallels the Strip to the west - Palace Station is within an easy drive of all the Strip resorts. The theme is old-time railroading and the motif vaguely Victorian, but the room rates are reminiscent of the good old days when all of Vegas was a bargain.

Midweek rates for September were $49.99 midweek and $119.99 weekend. December weekends slid to $69.99. The hotel's smallish swimming pool areas were plain but neatly landscaped.

You can get a weekend brunch buffet at Palace Station for $8.99, where the pancakes are cooked in front of you and the roast beef is hand-carved. On the casino floor, they still deal $5 blackjack, a low-roller favorite increasingly hard to find on the Strip.

And tucked away off the casino is a familiar game of chance beloved by a certain type of gambler - bingo. Sessions are scheduled eight times a day. Just try finding that at the Bellagio or Caesars Palace.

More Casinos Off the Strip

Green Valley Ranch. A Mediterranean-themed, upscale resort southeast of the Strip. Favored by celebrities.

Hard Rock. Not a locals' casino, but off the Strip on Paradise Road. The name says it all.

J.W. Marriott Resort & Spa/Rampart Casino. Scottsdale-style resort with luxurious spa surrounded by golf courses.

Sam's Town. On the Boulder Highway on the east side of town, this place calls itself a "gambling hall." Catch the free laser-music show, "Sunset Stampede."

South Coast. New resort on the southern frontier of the Strip, with an equestrian center.

Suncoast. In Summerlin, near the JW Marriott. Good-size rooms, nice amenities at midrange prices.

Thanks to Bill Ordine

Las Vegas Clark County Sheriff Proposes Casino Cameras Cover The Strip

Las Vegas Clark County Sheriff Bill Young is pushing for the gambling industry to install and manage an expanded surveillance camera system on the Las Vegas Strip.

Young says it would cost about three million dollars to get the program involving about 120 surveillance cameras up and running. Several casino companies say they want more information on Young's proposal.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada calls the proposal a move in the wrong direction. Executive director Gary Peck says the cameras would intrude on privacy.

Young says his plan would not be an example of government intruding on private lives because it would be managed by casinos, which already have cameras installed at their facilities.

Music to be Heard, Not Pondered in Casinos

It starts with a familiar guitar twang, evocative of long hair and incense.

You're walking down rows of slot machines, listening to the Youngbloods croon, "Come on people now, smile on your brother," and you're wondering whether this is what it all came to, all the communes, marches, rap sessions, free love and brotherly love, all of it now background to ding-ding-ding and a slot machine that shouts, "WHEEL ¦ OF ¦ FORTUNE!"

What the heck? Who picks this stuff?

Those are questions the people behind the multimillion-dollar-a-year piped-in music industry hope no one ever asks about their "aural architectures" and "audio brand imaging." People are supposed to hear the music, says Joel Oltyan, who programs the music for Red Rock Resort, but not pay attention to it. "We don't want them to notice a song and think, 'Why are they playing that?' " Oltyan said in an e-mail. "Tapping toes and fingers, smiles, singing along, that's how we want them to notice." Like cool, oxygenated air, constant lighting and a lack of clocks, the music is there to keep people in the casino and gambling.

If it seems like it's the music of the '60s that is getting strip-mined and cyanide-leached in casino pits, that's because it's the musical gold standard. Most areas in most casinos aren't catering to one generation, says Leanne Flask, who, like Oltyan, works at one of the largest providers of piped-in tunes, DMX Music. "The kids these days, they know who the Rolling Stones are, and the 60-year-olds know who the Rolling Stones are. If you have songs that are familiar and comfortable, that's the biggest thing for getting people to linger," Flask says. "Whereas if you were all of the sudden playing world music for Middle America, forget it. They'd leave ¦ And it's got to be not too highbrow, but also not so redneck - like country - that it would drive mainstream people out."

Here, Flask is speaking of a hypothetical, middle-of-the-road casino, a soundtrack not unlike those of neighborhood bars and sit-down burger joints. The formula here is classic rock and soul, supplemented by Top 40 hits of the '80s and '90s. But casinos, and megaresorts in particular, like to have custom playlists, music designed to attract the type of customer they want - and keep out the type they don't.

At the Wynn, a place with an on-site Ferrari dealer, neither Lynard Skynard nor Snoop Dogg is likely to be heard. Instead: opera. Aesthetically speaking, it's pitched rich. Paris Las Vegas tends to sound like Edith Piaf meets Astrud Gilberto. And so on down the Strip. But even at the customized casinos, none of it is going to push listeners too much. All ages, if not all income levels, should feel comfortable.

Unlike casinos, clothing retailers tend to aim for narrower demographics. Abercrombie & Fitch defines itself (musically, we're not talking about the preppie clothes or risque advertising) with loud, energetic dance music, leaving its competitors to slice up pop, R&B and all the rest. Casinos are more like supermarkets: Tastes may vary, but everybody's got to eat. Or gamble.

At Red Rock, Oltyan says, his casino playlists skew a bit newer for an "upbeat, cool and hip vibe." (The music is different in the resort's restaurants, spas and other "zones.") Musically, he says that means Gwen Stefani, U2 and Goldfrapp. He says that he's "sensitive to lyrics in all genres of music," meaning he would be concerned by any music with "powerful messages."

Casinos are not quite like supermarkets, though. Oh, sure, the gambling areas are, but modern megaresorts have more places to consider. The pool might be irrigated with reggae, while the Italian restaurant will croon to Frank and Dino, and the hip club of the moment will, depending on inclination, aim trance, dance or rap at its patrons.

At the MGM Grand, the music in the gambling areas is more of the classic everyman vein. Unlike other casinos, however, the MGM controls its own music instead of hiring a company like DMX. John Taylor, the MGM's sound manager, controls 28 different zones and their iTunes playlists from the computer in his office. The main casino's list has 12,321 songs on it, much of it classic rock, soul and Top 40 music. And it does have some Beatles on it, songs from the band's whole career: "Can't Buy Me Love," "I Am the Walrus" and "Revolution."

At least, though, John Lennon's "Imagine" isn't in there. But it's not because Taylor's sparing anyone's sensibilities. "I don't see why we wouldn't play it," he says.

Well, but an anthem of peace and idealism and tolerance in a casino? Wouldn't it be a bit crass? And do you really want gamblers to "imagine no possessions"? (It's easy, if you try.) "Huh," Taylor says. "I've never thought of it that way."

Thanks to Brendan Buhler

Plush Meeting Venues Go All Out for Guests

A meeting to reward top sales executives may not seem like the most exciting thing in the world, but throw in a trip to Las Vegas, a private concert by rocker John Mellencamp, specially prepared lobster, top-of-the-line caviar and take over the resort's pool area, and you might change your tune.

Upscale meeting locales in Vegas are definitely not your father's -- or mother's -- out-of-town company conventions. Instead of the traditional tourist-driven hotel-casinos that also have bland meeting spaces, off-Strip properties are looking at meeting attendees as their bread and butter and going all out to dazzle them.

The J.W. Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa, which is located in Summerlin and connected with the Rampart Casino, is willing to let the meeting goers "take over" the entire hotel, according to the resort's director of sales, Carmen Rubino, Jr. That means meeting and event organizers can rent out the Marriott's Irish Pub, get the pool area shut down at night for a private party, or offer after-hours gatherings at the cabin-like "Lodge at the Lawn." Of course, that's when they are not working in one of the Marriott's 70,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space. J.W. Marriot's Valencia Ballroom boasts a 30-foot vaulted timber ceiling, perfect acoustics for a Brahm's piano recital.

Three ballrooms are available at the J.W. Marriott's Conference and Banquet Center. The 14,627-square-foot Marquis Ballroom includes a state-of-the-art sound system and high-speed Internet access. The 14,409-square-foot Grand Ballroom has a built-in theatrical stage and reception foyers. Meeting attendees will be struck by the 30-foot vaulted timber ceiling with Mediterranean decor in the Valencia Ballroom. Holding up to 1,000 guests, the Valencia offers three sides of attached floor-to-ceiling arched windows, which provide spectacular views of both the Red Rock Conservation Area as well as the Strip.

The Marriott caters to those groups rewarding their employees for jobs well done, Carmen explained. "That's why you are here -- to reward and pamper your attendees," he said. "People feel really special when they are in a grand building." As part of the experience, special banquet menu items are prepared. A private Mellencamp concert, rounds of golf, spa packages and bicycle trips to Red Rock Canyon have been among the add-ons in the past to make meeting goers pine for making their next sales quota.

Not far from the J.W. Marriott is the new kid on the block, Red Rock Resort Spa & Casino. Station Casinos' newest entry opened in April and has been hailed for its exclusive feel and high-end design. Red Rock's four ballrooms and 70,000 square feet of meeting space hearken back to the feel of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, explained Veronica Kistner, vice president of sales for Red Rock Resort.

"Many of our ballrooms have natural lighting and are very elegantly done," she said. "We have granite countertops and a lot of earth tones to match the (Red Rock) Canyon." High ceilings (30 feet and 24 feet, respectfully) dominate two of the resort's ballrooms -- the Summerlin and the Red Rock.

The newest Station's property is known for going to extremes to accommodate meeting guests. In one case, the actual meeting room doors were too low at 12 feet for the guests' set-up plans. The solution? "We changed them (the doors) out," Kistner recalled. Another meeting group is building boat docks in a ballroom (water not included). "If we can't accommodate the request, it is because it was physically impossible," she said. "People are overwhelmed by the design (of the ballrooms)."

Thanks to Valerie Miller