Gaming

Harrah’s is the first casino in Las Vegas (and the entire state of Nevada) to install Roll To Win Craps from Aruze. This is the ninth Caesars casino in the US to install Roll To Win craps. This hybrid craps table game allows players to shoot live dice across a large LED playing field and place all their bets electronically.
 

We’ve been covering Virgin Hotels Las Vegas (Virgin) since the project was first announced in 2018. The property was supposed to open in 2020 but delays have pushed it back. Construction at Virgin has been moving forward through the coronavirus pandemic. The company says it will open in Spring 2021. Virgin hasn’t revealed a specific opening date just yet but it appears as though Virgin is targeting April.
 

Wynn Resorts recently announced the debut of Wynn Rewards in Las Vegas. The loyalty rewards program replaces Wynn’s Red Card loyalty program. While this is new to Las Vegas, Wynn Rewards was rolled out earlier in 2020 at Encore Boston Harbor. The program now works at casinos on both sides of the country. In a press release, the company says that Wynn Rewards “offers the finest rewards at the world’s largest Five-Star resort, presenting members with an unmatched level of personalized offers and experiences.”
 

Las Vegas casinos continue to reopen. Properties are reopening based on demand from customers. Hours and amenities still aren’t operating at 100% and each property has different offerings. One big change has been with poker rooms. Not many Las Vegas poker rooms reopened along with their respective casinos beginning in June. According to John from Vegas Advantage, only 18 of 31 poker rooms in Las Vegas have reopened.
 
While poker isn’t the most profitable game for casinos it’s still popular among visitors. Like other amenities, poker room hours might not be leaner than usual.
 
 

“We are thrilled to welcome guests back to the Poker Room,” said Ryan Beauregard, executive director of poker operations at Wynn Las Vegas. “Our team is looking forward to delivering the same exceptional poker experience Wynn has always been known for in a safe and enjoyable environment for all.”

 
The most recent poker room to open is inside the Encore Tower at Wynn Las Vegas. Unlike some other Las Vegas poker rooms operating on limited hours, the Wynn Poker Room will operate seven days a week, 24-hours a day.
 

Wynn Poker Room Safety Plan

The Wynn Poker room is open 24/7 and offers socially distanced games with protective barriers. Upon opening, the Wynn poker room is allowing eight (8) players per table. Not only will there be fewer positions available per table but each seating area will have a divider to mark where players should sit.
 
The number of tables in the Wynn Poker room has been reduced by four to help with distancing with wider paths for guests walking through the room. Prior to closing, Wynn had one of the more spacious poker rooms on the Vegas Strip. This should feel luxurious for players who may be used to being packed like sardines in other casinos.
 
Face coverings are required in all Las Vegas casinos. This should go without saying but face coverings are required by all players and staff members at the Wynn Poker room. Much like the rest of the casino, players may remove their masks while taking a drink. Of course, they must immediately pull the face-covering back up after taking a sip.
 
There are sanitizer stations throughout the Wynn Poker room and at each table. Wynn Las Vegas staff will sanitize high traffic touchpoints hourly. Poker table rails will be sanitized prior to each new player arriving. Additionally, the staff will sanitize chips and playing cards regularly.
 
One thing to note is that the daily tournaments aren’t returning to Wynn upon reopening. The casino plans to offer daily tournaments again in the future.

Las Vegas Poker Rooms Open On The Vegas Strip.

As previously noted, not all Las Vegas poker rooms have reopened along with their respective casinos.
 

The Wynn poker room reopened today. There were 31 Las Vegas poker rooms before the closure. Of those, 18 have since reopened. During the closure, I made o/u 19.5 reopened in a year. Most picked under. Some predicted only 10 or 12. I think poker demand has surprised most people.

— John Mehaffey (@John_Mehaffey) September 30, 2020

 
Vegas Advantage is a great resource for gamblers. The website has a breakdown of which casinos have reopened their poker rooms. The website lists all of the open poker rooms throughout Las Vegas.
 
For the sake of brevity, I’ll just share the open Vegas Strip poker rooms. You can reference Vegas Advantage for specific information for each room.

• Aria
• Bally’s
• Bellagio
• Caesars Palace
• Flamingo
• MGM Grand
• Sahara
• The Venetian
• Wynn Las Vegas

Hours, tables, games, and tournaments may change so check with the website of the casino you plan of visiting prior to your trip.
 

The spread of COVID-19 around the world has slowed down a lot of industries. Casino and gaming outfits are no different than most businesses. As you know by now, casinos were closed for a while to help slow the spread of the virus. Excitement to return to casinos was high for a limited audience. Las Vegas casinos were only able to operate at 50% capacity. There wasn’t a need for new casino games as people were just happy to get out of the house and enjoy one of their favorite forms of entertainment.
 

We recently looked at outdoor dining options around Las Vegas. The article Al Fresco Dining Las Vegas had a brief overview of the restaurants at Red Rock Casino. I want to further hone in on a few casinos off the beaten path. As you may or may not know, I live near Summerlin. The community is about 20-30 minutes west of the Vegas Strip. Summerlin is home to three very different locals casinos – Red Rock Casino, Suncoast casino, and Rampart casino (with J.W. Marriot hotel).
 

Hopefully, everyone who gambles when visiting Las Vegas was productive with their time staying at home. Practicing to be a better gambler should help improve gaming skills when visiting casinos again. While it’s easy to practice some casino games to improve your skills and potential returns, it’s also helpful to avoid some of the games with the largest house edge.
 

When Bellagio and New York-New York reopen the casino floors will have a new layout. In fact, all casinos in Las Vegas will look different thanks to new health and safety plans. Casinos will be operating at 50% capacity for the foreseeable future. Traditional table games will have fewer seats. Every other video poker and slot machine will either have seats removed or be turned off entirely.
 

There’s plenty of free time at home while being quarantined in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. Why not put that time to good use and practice playing casino games? Practicing your gambling skills could help make you a better gambler with a better chance of walking away from a table as a winner.
 

An important part of the fun of visiting Las Vegas is still gambling. Between the complimentary drinks and action on the table or machine, there are plenty of good times. I’ve gone through the ringer trying to find my favorite casino game(s). When I first started visiting casinos I played blackjack because it’s a simple game that all of my friends played. My preference in games has changed over the years but I still have one love in the casino.
 

We live in a society of convenience. Whether it’s ordering food or visiting the Department of Motor Vehicles, we simply want to access everything quickly and easily. Casinos are a little behind most businesses when it comes to efficiency but they’ve been slowly catching up.
 

MGM Resorts is making moves…most of which won’t affect your next visit. In early 2019, MGM Resorts formed a committee to evaluate its real estate portfolio. After reviewing its assets, the committee decided to take an asset-light approach for most of its US casino operations. This year, the CEO of the company decided to step away from his post. Coincidence?
 

I found Las Vegas and the casino business because of gambling. My first time gambling was in grade school when I learned how to play poker. We played for pennies and had a great time. My poker playing days stayed on the east coast since I only gamble in casinos nowadays. I don’t enjoy casino poker. The appeal of the game was beating my friends and taking all of their money! Muahahaha.
 

There’s a reason that it feels as though your money isn’t going as far as it used to in Las Vegas. Simply put, there’s a markup on price bars and restaurants. The more touristy the location the greater the markup. For example, the Starbucks at Red Rock Casino might charge 10% more than a freestanding shop while the markup at Planet Hollywood can be anywhere from 20%-50%. The price increases make sense since retail outlets are paying higher rent to be inside the casinos.
 

It’s time to get ready for the summer! The 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) will take place from Tuesday, May 26 through Wednesday, July 15. The world’s largest poker tournament will once again take place at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. The most well-known event at WSOP, the Main Event, will take place from July 1-14.
 

M Resort Spa Casino recently announced an official partnership with the soon to be Las Vegas Raiders. The deal makes M Resort the “Official Raiders Team Headquarters Hotel.” Not coincidentally, the Raiders will practice just a few minutes away from M Resort when they move to Las Vegas next year.
 

Pai Gow Poker is now my favorite casino game to play on the Vegas Strip. The game is always fun but it’s specifically great on the Vegas Strip. It’s been a long trip for Pai Gow Poker to become one of my favorite casino games.
 

The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) was in Las Vegas recently and featured the latest and greatest in casino games. We rushed to get pictures of the new slot machines that you should see in casinos in the next year. Branded slot machines aren’t the only gaming trend that will continue.
 

Video Poker can be an important part of a Las Vegas vacation. There’s especially a good chance that you’ll play video poker if you enjoy hanging out at a casino bar and receiving complimentary drinks. It used to be that you could play video poker at any denomination at any speed and receive a “free” drink. That’s no longer the case at most Las Vegas casinos.
 

The Global Gaming Expo (G2E) just ended and my feet are killing me! I walked the expo floor more than usual and I can still feel it. The gaming conference and expo bring the casino and gaming industry together. Panels discuss casino operations while the expo hall is where casinos go shopping.