Pro-Romney Super PAC Gets Big Boost

During the primaries casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gave millions to support Newt Gingrich.  Adelson has now shifted his support to Romney and is backing it with big bucks:

Billionaire conservative casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who helped keep Newt Gingrich’s failed presidential campaign alive during the Republican primaries, is giving $10 million to the super PAC supporting the presumptive GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The leader of the super PAC Restore Our Future, Carl Forti, wouldn’t confirm the donation and said his policy was to not comment on donors or potential donors. Mr. Adelson’s spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment.

The $ 10 million figure appears to be the largest single donation towards Mr. Romney’s efforts so far. The independent political action committee, by law, cannot coordinate its work with the formal Romney campaign.

Mr. Adelson is chairman and chief executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp., which includes the famous Venetian casino in Las Vegas, as well as casinos in Macau and Singapore. Forbes Magazine has ranked him among the 10 wealthiest Americans with a net worth of more than $20 billion.

Mr. Adelson and his family gave $21 million in total to a PAC supporting Mr. Gingrich during the early primaries, but turned off the spigot after Mr. Gingrich fell far behind in the races and the delegate count.

Since Mr. Gingrich pulled out of the primary race, Republican leaders have been waiting for Mr. Adelson to step forward for Mr. Romney.

Now when you pay to ride the gondolas at The Venetian you can get a tax deductible political donation receipt. (not really)

Crime Blotter Story of the Day

This was not a well thought out plan:

Las Vegas police have arrested a man for an alleged robbery at the Bellagio Casino that happened on Saturday night.

According to the police report, Michael Belton and another man walked up to a blackjack table and sprayed the people playing at the table with pepper spray. Belton then grabbed 23 $5,000 chips and tried to flee the scene.

He was apprehended by casino security and held until police arrived. The second man was able to escape.

Of all places to try this, Bellagio would not have been my first choice. It's one of the nicest places on the strip and the security there is as serious as it gets in Las Vegas.

"You Can't Go Take a Trip to Vegas...On the Taxpayer's Dime" - Unless You're the Government Agency in Charge of Cutting Costs

The first part of that title came from Obama's famous "Vegas" statement which nearly killed the convention business in the city.  When a corporation takes its employees or customers to Vegas and spends a bundle on them, that's okay because it's their money.  The government isn't supposed to do that that with YOUR money:

President Obama – “outraged” by an inspector general’s report detailing lavish spending by the government agency in charge of cutting costs – has fired the head of that agency, Martha Johnson, the now former administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration. Technically, White House officials, upon his order, sought her resignation, and she submitted it.

The GSA helps to manage the basic functions of federal agencies, including by developing policies intended to minimize the cost of doing business with the federal government.

Despite that charge, GSA spent $835,000 on a Las Vegas Convention in 2010 for 300 employees, which included thousands of dollars spent on items such as a commemorative coin set, a mind reader, a comedian, and a clown.

Hmm, I thought Obama wasn't there.  Guess he was.

Hope you enjoyed the way they spent your money.

Christian Card Counters?

Hmm:

It started when I met a guy at church named Ben. He had made a small fortune counting cards. Ben was putting a team together comprising people he’d found through mostly church connections — pastors, worship leaders and students of theology. This was the team I trained for and joined. As card counters, our common faith was incidental, but as team members it held us together.

We took our craft to casinos, from Vegas to Atlantic City to Biloxi, Mississippi, to Bremerton, Washington. We won millions of dollars. The money was not funneled into any ministry or religious consortium.

Instead, the winnings were split between those who invested in the operation, those who managed the team - which ran between 10 and 25 players – and the players, who didn’t risk any of their own money at the tables. As a player I made what amounted to a modest annual salary with no financial risk and maintained, on average, a 10-hour workweek.

We returned home with the gift of time to our ministries and families and, yes, to plenty of questions.

If the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, as the Bible suggests, what business did a bunch of Christians have throwing around big money on a game of chance? For us, chance had nothing to do with it.

Read the rest of it. It's an interesting story, but I'm not sure I can agree with the moral judgment that Jesus would be okay with card counters. Card counting is not illegal, but needless to say the casinos frown on activities that remove or reduce the house edge. In the old days they took people out to the desert where they disappeared. Today they blacklist them since beating them senseless can be a PR problem these days.

I'm not sure how a pastor would explain all that to his church board.

A Vegas Restaurant Lives Up To Its Name

The Heart Attack Grill:

It was always going to be unwise naming a restaurant that glorifies unhealthy food the Heart Attack Grill.

And on Saturday the inevitable happened when a customer suffered a cardiac arrest in the chain's Las Vegas branch.

An onlooker captured video of paramedics wheeling the unidentified man, thought to be in his 40s, out of the fast-food diner.

He was midway through eating a 6,000-calorie Triple Bypass Burger when he began experiencing chest pains.

The restaurant chain - founded in 2005 using the catchphrase 'Taste Worth Dying For!' - is run by a former nutritionist 'Doctor' Jon Basso who, remarkably, used to run a Jenny Craig weight loss diet centre.

He denied the incident was an elaborate publicity stunt....

The Triple Bypass Burger contains three slabs of meat, 12 rashes of bacon, cheese, red onion, sliced tomato and the Heart Attack Grill's own 'unique special sauce'. And that's before taking into account the accompanying 'Flatliner Fries', cooked in pure lard, and a giant soft drink.

I'll bet he'll say it was worth it...if he lives.

Yesterday Trump Was Going to Endorse Newt. Today It Could Be Mitt. Tomorrow Paul??

They should hold this press conference at Circus Circus:

We reported, along with the New York Times and the Associated Press among others, last night that Donald Trump is expected to endorse Newt Gingrich, according to sources around his campaign. The Times went first with the news in terms of national outlets.

What a difference 12 hours makes - Trump's endorsement is not likely to go to Gingrich, others said, and may in fact go to Mitt Romney when he makes his announcement at 11:30 a.m.

Matt Drudge, who has a relationship with top Romney officials, this morning - linking to our Gingrich story - was the first to indicate it would be Romney.

The endorsement of Romney would come after serious lobbying from some supporters of the frontrunner, according to several sources.

It would also make more sense, since Trump typically tends to like to go a with a winner.

Some are wondering if there's more Vegas politics going on than GOP politics. Sheldon Adelson, who owns the Venetian and the Palazzo, both within view of the Trump Vegas hotel pictured above, backed Newt with big bucks. Perhaps Trump backing Romney is a bit of a slap at his Vegas competition.

Sheldon Adelson Contributing 250,000 Gondola Rides at the Venetian Hotel to the Newt Gingrich Campaign

That translates to $5,000,000 (gondola rides at Adelson's hotel are $20 apiece).  The donation isn't going directly to Newt, but to a SuperPac that works on Newt's behalf.  It'll keep him on the air in Florida and give him a little bit of financial parity with Mitt Romney who could write that check himself if he wanted to.

The MGM Lions To Get Laid Off

It's tough for everybody these days:

The MGM Grand's corporate symbol won't be stalking the premises in the flesh after Jan. 31, when the hotel plans to close the lion habitat it opened in 1999 for $9 million.

A free attraction can't compete with a revenue-producing replacement still to be announced for the space. The daily display of lions behind soundproof glass is "a free show and that's what killed it," lion keeper Keith Evans said. "I don't blame them. It's a lot of money for a casino to cover."

That was always a favorite stop when we had our kids with us over there, but let's face it, lions like to sleep a lot and once you get over the initial impression of the big cats, there's not much to see.

Newt To Get Some Big Vegas Loot

I guess this guy would like a president who doesn't tell people not to come to Vegas for conventions and meetings:

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson is planning to direct $20 million to an outside group backing Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign, multiple sources told POLITICO – the first answer to urgent pleas from allies to the former speaker’s long-time billionaire supporters.

After leaving Congress, Gingrich cultivated a network of a few dozen uber-wealthy backers who poured tens of millions of dollars into a network of groups that helped him maintain a foothold in politics. Now, operatives supporting his presidential campaign are asking those same donors to write fat checks to a suite of new super PACs they hope can spend big on ads to offset Gingrich campaign fundraising that had lagged behind his rivals.

Adelson is considered the prized get for pro-Gingrich groups.

Ron Reese, a spokesman for Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. declined to comment.

But sources who requested anonymity told POLITICO that Adelson planned to cut a check to one of the PACs as soon as this week.

Adelson owns both The Venetian and Palazzo hotels on the Vegas Strip, as well as other properties around the world.  The question now is who is Steve Wynn going to back?

Steve Wynn Takes on the Democrats and #OccupyWallStreet

On a conference call yesterday Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn had some comments about what the Democrat policies are doing to the country, and how it's being manifested in the form of Occupy this or that. One comment that's right on:

There are people in there who think the government should give them more just because they are alive.

There's much more a the link.

Wynn was present for the GOP debate the other night. I'd love to know what he thought about that.

The Vegas Train

Sign me up:

City officials have jumped on board with a proposal to run regular train service between Southern California and Las Vegas.

Fullerton's downtown station is one of the few stops on the proposed service's route, and city officials see an opportunity to hit the jackpot with Vegas-bound travellers taking advantage of downtown businesses.

The service has been dubbed the "X Train" by Las Vegas Railway Express Inc., the private company looking to start trains rolling in late 2012.

The ride would take about 4½ hours from Fullerton to the train's arrival in downtown Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Railway Express Chief Executive Officer Michael Barron said his company has made Fullerton its starting point because of the city's historic Santa Fe Railway station, downtown's cafés and bars, and most importantly, its central location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

With all the cars headed up and down I-15 I don't know why this hasn't been done before now. The track is all there - you can see BNSF and UP freight trains moving along the freeway all the way to Vegas, so if they can negotiate a good deal on track rights, this should be a pretty easy thing to set up.

If the hotels in Downtown Las Vegas are smart they'd also get behind this, because the train station for all these people will be in downtown, not on The Strip. They could really pick up some business if 1,100 people step off the train at their front door.

I probably wouldn't take the train every time I went to Vegas, but I'd definitely try it at least once.

Going to Vegas Tonight? Maybe Not

The I-15, the main route between Southern California and Las Vegas, is closed through the Cajon Pass right now because of a brush fire.  Couldn't come at a worse time with the holiday weekend just beginning.  Live video here.

UPDATE:  Northbound I-15 (towards Vegas) opened about 3:30.  Southbound out of Hesperia is expected to be closed all night with huge back-ups.

Elvis Has Left the Building, and the Elvis Building Will Be Leaving the Strip

I was kind of amazed by this story.  I'm not going to quote from it because the Las Vegas Review-Journal has a habit of using some sleazy law firm to sue bloggers, but you can go to the link and read it if you like.  Bottom line, for several years we've traveled to Las Vegas and watched the CityCenter development go up.  One of the more striking buildings in the project was supposed to be the Harmon Hotel, located right on Las Vegas Blvd. at the intersection of Harmon - pretty much dead center on The Strip.  It took some photos of the building a couple of years ago (it's the rounded blue building on the right):

According to the story MGM, which is part owner of the CityCenter property, now wants to implode this building because of design defects which could cause it to collapse in the event of a large earthquake. So, a 27-story tower that has never been occupied will bite the dust in another one of those patented Las Vegas implosions.

Given the location of this building, being right on Las Vegas Blvd and right next to the ritzy Crystals luxury mall, not to mention near several other hotels and fancy new buildings, I've got to believe the implosion will be a pretty tricky business. It's not like knocking one of the old hotels down that sat on a big lot by itself. And I can't imagine what this will do to the hotel and tourist business on that part of the Strip. I'm sure there will be at least several days in which this area will be completely inaccessible.

Somebody really screwed up.

You Can't Win in Las Vegas This Way Either

Yeah, this always works:

A Simi Valley teenager is accused of trying to extort money from several Las Vegas casinos by threatening to blow them up if they did pay him 'protection' money.

18-year old Zachary Jackson was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of making false bomb threats and attempted extortion.

Las Vegas police say Jackson and a juvenile accomplice, would call casinos, disguise their voices and demand large amounts of cash.

They would then threaten to blow up the casinos if their demands weren't met, according to Ventura County sheriff's officials.

In the old days they wouldn't bother with the cops. They'd just find this kid and his friends somewhere in the desert with an extra hole in his head.

Hooter's Casino Goes Bust

It's hard to lose money running a casino, but Hooter's did it:

On August 1, 2011, the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas filed for bankruptcy protection, in order to restructure its outstanding debts. 155 East Tropicana, LLC elected to file for bankruptcy amid ongoing debt problems.

The Chapter 11 filing comes after months of speculation of the casino's fate amid a still-depressed Las Vegas real estate market. The casino is held independently of the Hooters chain of restaurants, which are owned by hooters of America, LLC. The casino is currently facing total liabilities of approximately $100-500 million, with total assets in the neighborhood of $10-50 million.

That's a lot of buffalo wings.

I can't say as I'm terribly surprised. We stopped in there one time just to check it out and it certainly didn't have the type of operation I'm used to seeing on The Strip. It's very hard to get to on foot, and that cost them a lot of business. Plus, with a bunch of gleaming new properties opening nearby on The Strip, Hooter's looked pretty small and old by comparison (it used to be the San Remo some years ago).  It never really fit in.

Political Quote of the Day

A lengthy one this time as casino mogul Steve Wynn unloaded on Obama during a company conference call (via Seeking Alpha):

I believe in Las Vegas. I think its best days are ahead of it. But I'm afraid to do anything in the current political environment in the United States. You watch television and see what's going on on this debt ceiling issue. And what I consider to be a total lack of leadership from the President and nothing's going to get fixed until the President himself steps up and wrangles both parties in Congress. But everybody is so political, so focused on holding their job for the next year that the discussion in Washington is nauseating.

And I'm saying it bluntly, that this administration is the greatest wet blanket to business, and progress and job creation in my lifetime. And I can prove it and I could spend the next 3 hours giving you examples of all of us in this market place that are frightened to death about all the new regulations, our healthcare costs escalate, regulations coming from left and right. A President that seems, that keeps using that word redistribution. Well, my customers and the companies that provide the vitality for the hospitality and restaurant industry, in the United States of America, they are frightened of this administration.And it makes you slow down and not invest your money. Everybody complains about how much money is on the side in America.

You bet and until we change the tempo and the conversation from Washington, it's not going to change. And those of us who have business opportunities and the capital to do it are going to sit in fear of the President. And a lot of people don't want to say that. They'll say, God, don't be attacking Obama. Well, this is Obama's deal and it's Obama that's responsible for this fear in America.

The guy keeps making speeches about redistribution and maybe we ought to do something to businesses that don't invest, their holding too much money. We haven't heard that kind of talk except from pure socialists. Everybody's afraid of the government and there's no need soft peddling it, it's the truth. It is the truth. And that's true of Democratic businessman and Republican businessman, and I am a Democratic businessman and I support Harry Reid. I support Democrats and Republicans. And I'm telling you that the business community in this company is frightened to death of the weird political philosophy of the President of the United States. And until he's gone, everybody's going to be sitting on their thumbs.

Steve needs to quit supporting Harry Reid, because Reid is nothing more than Obama's handmaiden in the Senate. The very things Wynn is complaining about were moved through the Senate by Reid.

Disease in Vegas

And we're not just talking about the hookers.  The new City Center complex in the heart of the Strip is having it's problems.  First you had the Vdara Death Ray, and now Legionnaires Disease in Aria:

Six guests who have stayed at Las Vegas' ARIA Resort have come down with Legionnaires' disease since the hotel open at the end of 2009. The hotel and Southern Nevada Health District are now contacting 18,000 guests who may have come in contact with the bacteria.

The six guests who came down with the disease stayed at the hotel between December 2009 and April 2011. MGM Resort International officials say they have been testing their water for some time and did find elevated levels of Legionella bacteria in several guest rooms from June 21 to July 4.

All 18,000 guests who stayed at the Las Vegas hotel during that time are being notified. People will typically show symptoms two to 14 days after exposure.

This is one of the newest hotels on the Strip. I recently stayed in one of the oldest, The Flamingo, and I'm feeling fine.  And I paid a whole lot less than the diseased folks who stayed at Aria.

Fremont Street

The lights are on at the Fremont Street Experience.

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Moving Statues

The statues at Caesers that come to life very awkwardly every hour or so.

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Mirage

The beautiful fountains and gardens that fill the entryway into The Mirage.

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