Vegas Inside Scoop(TM)

Aliante Station Debut in North Las Vegas

Aliante Station in North Las Vegas, the newest casino and hotel from Station Casinos officially opened today.  

Frankly, I'm jealous because we were supposed to get Durango Station in Southwest Las Vegas about 3 years ago now, and we keep getting disappointed as the reality of that property ever debuting is on hold while Station Casinos struggles to get financing for Durango Station in this tight credit market, instead of reaching into its own well-stuffed pockets.

I guess Aliante Station went first because Station Casinos was able to split the cost and risk with 50% partner backing, and they wanted to tap into the local retiree gambling market in Sun City and upper-end Aliante residents who are way out there by themselves.  People in those areas refer to theselves as living in "Aliante", but they can call it what they want, they still live in North Las Vegas.

Anyway, Aliante Station will mimic a smaller, less grandiose Red Rock Casino, and feature the usual well-done Station Casino amenities including a 700-seat showroom, 16-theater movie complex, sportsbook with 65 inch LCD screens and 6 restaurants including The Original Pancake House and TGI Friday's, and a brand-name food court that includes Dunkin' Donuts, Johnny Rockets, Villa Pizza, Rubios, Capriotti's and more.

If you want to go on a local's road trip.  Hike on up to Aliante Station.  I'm going to take a one-time trek spin myself with my convertible to satisfy my curiosity and get a further glimpse hopefully into Durango Station's future.

And that's the Vegas Inside Scoop on Aliante Station in North Las Vegas. 

Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

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NEW!  NEW!  NEW!  Melanie's Podcast--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM), The Podcast.  Check it out at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com.

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blogs:

The Healthy Food Review at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know - The Blog For Infopreneurs at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMore.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

Vegas Gaming The Palazzo Las Vegas Sportsbook Well Kind Of

Hi All,

The Palazzo Las Vegas, the newest Las Vegas Strip hotel (until The Wynn Encore debuts year-end) for all its upscale splendor was missing a very basic thing.  A sportsbook.  They apparently thought high-end people were above that kind of thing.  Apparently not, as The Palazzo Las Vegas did recently add a sportsbook.  Well, kind of.

Unlike most Las Vegas sportsbooks with giant screens and plenty of seating, The Palazzo Las Vegas does not really want you to hang out in its so-called sportsbook, because it consist of just a handful of small screens on a wall with no seating at all unless you count the rim of the marble water fountain nearby.  You can stand in a small area on the marble floor, and look at the games on a marble wall, but that's the extent of the sportsbook.

In fairness, you can get seats and watch games at its adjacent Sportsbook Bar And Grill at The Palazzo with waitresses dressed in black and white stripes as officials.  Sort of an upscale Buffalo Wild Wings, except you'll pay about $15 for a burger.

I don't know though, as I stood there on the marble floor, I couldn't help but think of the amusing guy in the Miller High Life commercials, who comes by and takes away the beer from people who are too upscale, and just don't get the right way to watch a baseball game or tailgate.  If they have Miller High Life at The Palazzo Las Vegas, our commercial buddy is probably on the way.

And that's the Vegas Inside Scoop on The Palazzo Las Vegas sportsbook. 

Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed.

Follow me on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/melaniejor

NEW!  NEW!  NEW!  Melanie's Podcast--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM), The Podcast.  Check it out at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com.

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blogs:

The Healthy Food Review at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know - The Blog For Infopreneurs at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMore.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

Things To Do In Las Vegas Football Central At The Las Vegas Hilton

Hi All,

If you love watching Sunday NFL football or Monday night football at the Las Vegas sportsbook in Las Vegas hotel casinos as a Las Vegas local or Las Vegas visitor, here's a treat for you!  I checked out Football Central at the Las Vegas Hilton this past Sunday instead of my usual local Station sportsbook and what a great time!

You can watch all the games on giant screens in the Las Vegas Hilton showroom theater with no cover charge--the same one Barry Manilow plays in which may or may not be a plus for you--from the comfort of theater seating with drink holders and free prizes raffled off every few minutes.  Particularly amusing was the autographed OJ Simpson mini helmet given his current circumstances in Las Vegas jail--I guess they could have just run over and asked for the autograph.

There's over a thousand seats at the Las Vegas Hilton Football Central, so no worries about getting up at the crack of dawn to get your seat.  The helpful attendants even give out a guide, along with your raffle ticket as you enter, so you know where each game will be showing within the theater.  This way you can line yourself up with your favorite team, or the team you have your money on--which is your temporary favorite team.  A nice touch.

Also convenient is the satellite sportsbook right outside the theater door for placing your afternoon bets should you wish to donate more funds to the Las Vegas Hilton.

There's an MC who not only announces food and drink specials, and calls out raffle ticket prizes and winning tickets, but asks provocative questions like "is Frank TV any good since they advertise it so much?"  The answer was obvious from the four people or so who clapped their vote.  Nothing personal Frank, but TBS does overdo it on the ads.

Guys will like the beer and drink company girls who give out free t-shirts, beads, etc to those who buy their company's products during the game.  We also had "stars" from a local gentlemen's club handing out club invites--one of those only in Vegas things.  Don't worry female football fans, it won't get in the way of your enjoying the games and it's actually amusing to see how crazy guys will get for a t-shirt.

You don't get a personal small TV in front of you to select a particular game or non-football event to have at your personal disposal like you do at a Station hotel sportsbook, but it's really not necessary with the great viewing of all games from really most seats.  And you can't watch a Sunday night game, because you have to clear the theater for Barry Manilow or whatever show is on then.  A small price to pay.

And that's the Vegas Inside Scoop on where to watch NFL football in Las Vegas.  Just save me a seat since I'm the one who clued you in.

Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed. 

Follow me on Twitter:  http://twitter.com/melaniejor

NEW!  NEW!  NEW!  Melanie's Podcast--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM), The Podcast.  Check it out at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com.

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blogs:

The Healthy Food Review at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know - The Blog For Infopreneurs at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMore.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

Las Vegas Gaming Time For NFL Football And The Sports Book

Hi All,

The light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to living through the Summer hell season in Las Vegas, is simply to get to the post-Labor Day NFL football season kickoff and one of my favorite Las Vegas gaming pastimes--The Sports Book.

Yes you can have local Indian casinos sprout up throughout the country, and Atlantic City tries to be a rival to Las Vegas--tries that is.  But when it comes to the ability to bet on sports such as the NFL, there's only one place to do that in the country legally, and that's Las Vegas.

We do pay the price by having local professional sports limited to The Las Vegas 51's AAA baseball, and The Las Vegas Wranglers minor league hockey, other than exhibition games from pro basketball and pro hockey.  We'll never, ever have a professional NFL team or any other major professional sports team because of it.

So what?  The ability to go to the sports book on Sundays and watch every NFL game that's on simultaneously while having action on the game is heavenly.  Suddenly, because you have some money on a particular game, a football team you normally couldn't care less about can become your best friend and you root them on like you were born in their home city!

And besides the regular parlay or straight bets, most Las Vegas casinos, especially the locals casinos, have various other pools and contests for additional NFL football sports wagering fun. 

Over the years, I've gone to the various sports books for Sunday football both on The Las Vegas Strip and off.  There are good places to watch on The Strip like Ballys, The Las Vegas Hilton and The Bellagio, but many Las Vegas Strip casinos have cut the size of their race and sports books in favor of more square footage devoted to Poker and fancier bars.  Now as a local, I do favor the locals casinos like Station Casino for watching the games. 

However, if you have the luxury of making more than one stop, you may actually want to make your football bets at one casino's sports book, and watch the games at another.  Why?  The nicest sports book facilities do not always translate into the sports book that is paying the best football odds.  With gas prices as they are, you may not want to bother going to a different casino's sports book to place your NFL football bet unless you are making fairly large bets.  That's up to you.

The Thursday night NFL kickoff game where the team of my NY roots, The NY Giants beat the Washington Redskins was a great start to the football season, but it's Sunday in the sports book that will really be the start of the NFL season to me.

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

NEW!  NEW!  NEW!  Melanie's Podcast--What You Know Is Worth More Than You Know(TM), The Podcast.  Check it out at http://www.WhatYouKnowIsWorthMorePodcast.com.

Check out Melanie's other blog:

The Healthy Food Review at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

Vegas Gaming Durango Station From Station Casinos Las Vegas Dead Or Alive?

Hi All,

Ever since I closed on my Las Vegas home in early 2005 (I know, perfect timing--NOT), the promise of the future was the giant sign on the vacant land at the !-215 and Durango Drive in Southwest Las Vegas that said "Future Location Station Casinos Durango Station".  Originally, Station Casinos was supposed to break ground on the Regal Cinemas component of Durango Station in Fall 2005.  Then Station Casinos was supposed to break ground in 2006 and complete 2008.  Break ground 20087 and complete in 2010.  Still waiting.

We get periodic updates on the Durango Station project from special town meetings from Station Casinos.  The last one this Spring sounded quite upbeat with ground breaking on Durango Station by anywhere from this September to year-end.  The latest update from Station Casinos is not so encouraging.

We went to a meeting Wednesday night at Red Rock Station Casino and were treated to the usual beautiful artist renderings which paint Durango Station to be a hybrid of Green Valley Ranch and Red Rock Station, in typical Station Casinos classy local style.  Now there's a District type retail and dining complex being added after a zoning change approval was one for a piece of the land they held recently.  It's all good, but where is it?

Now according to the Station Casinos representatives on hand at the Red Rock Station update meeting, the estimates breaking ground on Durango Station sometime in 2009 with completion in 2011.  The issue is the current local economy stabilizing (which we all know it will soon) and the more worrisome fact that Station Casinos does not have their financing secured for Durango Station--they're working on it in the tighter credit markets.

At the Spring update, financing was not an issue, now apparently it is.  Aliante Station got built first because the same partial backers of Green Valley Ranch agreed to go in with Station Casinos on it even though there is no way you can compare that Aliante Station location with the attractive demographics and location of Southwest Las Vegas for Durango Station.

The Station Casino representatives emphasize how badly they want to build Durango Station, and most people around here badly want Durango Station to happen. It will give us additional, shopping, dining and entertainment options.  And, more importantly, it will show other Las Vegas real estate developers that a major developer has renewed faith in this fast-growing part of Las Vegas, and help Las Vegas real estate values recover faster in our area.  It seems right now that everyone is waiting for everyone else to do their building (although Desert Marketplace is definitely hard at work at getting its major shopping complex built as we speak).

Station Casinos is supposed to be for the Las Vegas locals, so how about supporting those locals and get Durango Station built already.  We have no other major casino here besides Red Rock Station, The SIlverton and The Orleans which are all 15-20 minutes away from Durango Station. If you build it they will come!

And that's the Vegas Inside Scoop on Durango Station and Vegas Gaming for today!

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach and Sales Trainer/Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blogs:

The Healthy Food Review at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

The Palazzo Las Vegas As A Symbol Of Earth Day?

Hi All,

Call me crazy, but is The Palazzo Las Vegas really the Las Vegas poster child for Earth Day? 

I think it's cool that it was built with green living in mind, and is the largest green building in the world.  However, is as another giant Las Vegas hotel-casino that is not really needed (as it's not like we don't already have tons of hotel rooms), that contributes to a packed Las Vegas Strip, with cars stuck in traffic spewing emissions into the air, let's not fool anyone into thinking that Las Vegas is an eco-friendly place. 

There is more waste and excess here than just about anywhere in the entire country, and I doubt anyone would have it any other way, since that's Las Vegas.  The problem is that when "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas translates into smog, it's not so cool.

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach and Sales Trainer/Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blog "the Healthy Food Review" at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

Vegas Gaming Las Vegas Gambling Revenues Down But Not Out

Hi All,

According to a Wall Street Journal story Slowdown Deals A Bad Hand to Las Vegas Casinos gambling revenue on the Las Vegas Strip was down 3.1% in February, following a 1.3% decrease in February.  The story failed to point out that for the fiscal year to date (July 1, 2007 through February 29, 2008) gaming revenue on The Las Vegas Strip is actually up 1%.

Which just goes to show you that you can make statistics say whatever you want them to--something I learned a long time ago as a Marketing professional.

All you have to do is look at the parking lot and the casino floor of any off strip "locals" casino like The Orleans, Palace Station, Red Rock Casino, Suncoast, etc. and you'll know that the locals are there in force.  And even when you go on The Strip, Las Vegas Blvd is jammed, the sidewalks are jammed, the casino floors are packed.  I think maybe some people who used to gamble bigger and can't afford it right now are hurting the revenue number a little, but volume-wise I don't see a difference in first-hand people statistics.

Need further proof?  I happened to be in The Suncoast last week and saw an ad for a bingo tournament and the entry fee was $345, for bingo!  And I have no doubt Coast will be successful with this bingo tournament or they wouldn't be doing it.  If people (and many of these participants will no doubt be local seniors on fixed incomes) can spend that kind of money on bingo of all things, how bad off can Vegas gaming really be?

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach and Sales Trainer/Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blog "the Healthy Food Review" at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008

Vegas Gaming March Madness

Hi All,

It's just one week to go before Selection Sunday for the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament which will officially usher in March Madness here in Vegas.  While you would think that the Super Bowl is the ultimate in sports betting, there is nothing bigger in Vegas Gaming for sports betting than the first weekend of March Madness.  Over the course of the NCAA tournament, more people will actually place more bets than for any other event. 

According to an ABC News article about last year's March Madness, The Imperial Palace's Sports Book claimed it would do 20 to 25 times the business it did on any other average day of the year (and that's what they admit to, I'll bet it's more--pun intended).  Between official and unofficial betting (office pools, side bets among friends, etc.), the amount of March Madness money bet will be in the billions.  And you say the economy is hurting?

We in Las Vegas welcome the gambling basketball fans who will descend upon us in the days to come.  March Madness, along with NASCAR, and this year's early Easter, and early Spring Break, will be terrific for our economy.

I have to admit that I even have a little Sports Book action already on the March Madness winner as a fun thing for my Dad and I.  I'm not a big gambler by any means, but I have to admit, my Vegas gaming is the Sports Book.  And while college basketball is not my sport (I let Dad make the pick--no pressure Dad), suddenly with some money on the line it is!

Besides I love being one of the few females going up to the Sports Book window and putting money down :)

While you can place a bet all over town, go for Sports Books that are easy to pop right in and out of.  As a local, I like Palace Station on Sahara just off the I-15.  The Sports Book is right off the entry from the parking lot.  In Henderson, Sunset Station makes it easy from their parking lot if you go in the right way too.  Coast Casino's off Strip Gold Coast (I-15 and Flamingo by the Rio) and Suncoast (Northwest Vegas Boca Park area) are also not too big and their sports books are also quickly located towards the back of the casino floor.

On The Strip, you could get lost for days before you find the Sports Book in some casinos.  My favorite from when I used to come into town from California was Bally's.  You've got the side entrance and back parking lot right on Flamingo and can avoid Las Vegas Blvd traffic.

Happy Betting!

--Melanie R. Jordan, Author, Publisher, Infopreneur/Marketing Coach and Sales Trainer/Coach with Vegas Inside Scoop (TM)!

Don't miss a post--subscribe to the Vegas Inside Scoop feed. 

Check out more of Melanie's empowering publications on work-at-home lifestyles, foreclosure investing and learn about her Marketing and Infopreneur Consulting and Coaching Services at http://www.SunLoverPublishing.com

Check out Melanie's other blog "the Healthy Food Review" at http://www.TheHealthyFoodReview.com

Copyright SunLover Publishing 2008