David G. Schwartz - Writing, Speaking, and Consulting | Las Vegas, Gambling, and More

MGM’s Park Will Be Good in Vegas Seven

By Dave on April 26, 2013

In addition to the two features (Light and space) in this week’s Vegas Seven, I have a Green Felt Journal, which talks about the probably impact of MGM’s proposed Park development:

How about getting back to urban basics and creating a worthwhile street-level experience? That’s what MGM did on April 18 with the formal announcement of The Park, comprised of retail/dining development on underutilized land between New York-New York and Monte Carlo, a renovation of the Strip-front facades of both resorts and a 20,000-seat arena operated by international sports and entertainment giant AEG.

via MGM’s Park, and Competition With Linq, Will Be Good for Vegas | Vegas Seven.

It’s a project that I think is correctly scaled to what Las Vegas is today. And from what people say about it, I’m looking forward to the Shake Shack, if nothing else.

This entry is filed under Vegas Seven and tagged caesars, las vegas strip, linq, mgm, park, vegas seven.

Anatomy of a Nightclub | Vegas Seven

By Dave on April 26, 2013

I already shared one feature I had in this week’s Vegas Seven: my piece on space tourism and Vegas with a sidebar on Zero-G, which currently flies out of McCarran. I also wrote a feature on the evolution of nightclubs, as seen in the soon-to-open Light at Mandalay Bay:

With all that success, it’s no wonder today’s nightclub scene is crowded. Meanwhile, clubs are working themselves more deeply into the weft of resort fabric, with dayclubs and vibe dining carrying them into new areas. At the turn of the millennium, nightlife started going Vegas. Now Vegas has gone nightlife.

via Anatomy of a Nightclub | Vegas Seven.

One of the things I like best about the online version is the link back to my January Green Felt Journal, which wondered if Las Vegas had a nightclub bubble.

This entry is filed under Vegas Seven and tagged light, nightclubs, nightlife, vegas seven.

Bad Debts in Las Vegas

By Roll the Bones, a gambling history on April 26, 2013

For years, Nevada casinos could not legally collect debts from gamblers they’d extended credit (or, in the industry parlance, given markers) to. That changed in 1983, when the state legislature amended the law to allow casinos to prosecute deadbeat marker-takers for writing bad checks.

That’s one of the interesting facts about the changing legal face of Nevada gambling you’ll learn in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.

Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.

This entry is filed under debts, fromthebook and tagged markers, nevada.

Vegas to the Moon! in Vegas Seven

By Dave on April 24, 2013

A few weeks back I got an email about an event connected to the launch of Virgin America’s thrice-daily LAX-LAS flights. I usually don’t go to those kinds of events–there’s not too much to “cover” outside of photo ops. But I got thinking…wouldn’t it be fun to ask Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson how Vegas might factor in his plans for regular open-to-the-public spaceflights?

That’s the genesis of this feature in Vegas Seven:

Could Las Vegas become a launching pad for a new type of tourist—the kind who’s looking for a thrill ride that can’t be found behind the velvet rope?

In the past five years, ideas that once seemed outlandish—medical tourism, a tech corridor, green energy—have been seriously considered as viable tools for our economic development. Why not space tourism?

via Vegas to the Moon! | Vegas Seven.

I also did a companion piece about a company that’s already flying out of McCarran. It won’t take you to space, but it will get you weightless:

You want to experience the feeling of spaceflight, but you don’t have the 200 grand to fork over to Sir Richard. What to do?

As always in matters of semi-sane wish-fulfillment, Las Vegas can help. The Zero G Weightless Experience—available several times a year at McCarran International Airport—never leaves Earth’s atmosphere, but does let participants leave gravity behind.

How to Get Spacey Without Going to Space

Between this and last week’s video game wagering piece, I’m all about proposing strange new worlds for Las Vegas to consider.

This entry is filed under Vegas Seven and tagged life in vegas, space, space tourism, vegas seven, virgin.

Gambling the Chicago Way, Circa 1850

By Roll the Bones, a gambling history on April 24, 2013

It didn’t take long for the Windy City to develop a reputation as a center for illegal gambling. By the 1850s, there were a host of upscale but dishonest skinning houses near Lake and State streets, and lower-amenity gambling in a rough part of town known as the Sands (this area has no known connection to the later Las Vegas casino of the same name).

You can learn plenty more about Chicago’s long gambling historyin Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.

Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.

This entry is filed under fromthebook and tagged chicago, illegal gambling.

Here’s the author discussing chapter 5, “Star…

By Roll the Bones, a gambling history on April 22, 2013

Here’s the author discussing chapter 5, “Star Spangled Gamblers,” of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition).

You’ll notice the t-shirt is subject-appropriate.

This entry is filed under american gambling, chapter summary, video.

This period image shows roulette play at Bad Homburg, one of the…

By Roll the Bones, a gambling history on April 19, 2013

This period image shows roulette play at Bad Homburg, one of the most important casino spa resorts on the 19th century.

Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling has plenty of fascinating detail about the evolution of European spa casinos like Bad Homburg.

Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.

This entry is filed under europe, fromthebook, homburg and tagged casino, roulette.

Will Video Games Go Vegas? in Vegas Seven

By Dave on April 18, 2013

Based on a Twitter conversation with @AgentMarco, I decided to look into what was happening with betting on video games. The result was this week’s Green Felt Journal:

Could betting on video games be the last chance for gambling? In 2009, Woody Levin debuted BringIt.com, a website that let gamers open accounts and bet against each other on a host of Xbox, PlayStation and Wii games. Accepting bets from $1 to $100,000 per matchup, the service appealed to hardcore gamers and soon attracted more than 100,000 users. But encountering some technical challenges, Levin chose to shift emphasis toward the social-gaming space, hosting mini-games where players competed for virtual currency. But he believes that wagering on video games has an enormous potential.

via Will Video Games Go Vegas? | Vegas Seven.

This was fun to write for a few reasons. First, it was a story idea that developed as part of a genuine conversation on Twitter, which to me shows how great a medium Twitter can be. When it’s done right, it’s people talking, and learning from each other.

Second, it’s something that I honestly haven’t seen much written about, so I’m glad to have the chance to blaze a trail. Not like it’s not fun talking about the latest month’s revenues, but there’s only so much to be said there. I’m really glad to have an editor, Greg Blake Miller, who lets me do stuff like this.

Finally, this week, as usual, I’ve been given great art for the column–I love the homage to Space Invaders.

I hope to write more about this in the future, and I really do think Atlantic City casinos should strongly consider doing something with video game tournaments.

This entry is filed under Vegas Seven and tagged betting, video games.

Vegas World packs ‘em in

By Roll the Bones, a gambling history on April 17, 2013

Entertainment has been a draw at casinos for a very long time. In the 1980s, many Las Vegas competed to get not the most lavish headliners, but the least expensive ticket prices. Bob Stupak’s Vegas World might have won the battle when it featured two soundalike extravaganzas “Reflections of Sinatra” and “Memories of Elvis” with ticket prices starting at less than five dollars in the late 1980s.

Read more about casino entertainment in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.

Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.

This entry is filed under fromthebook, vegas world.