Las Vegas hotel rates on the Strip have shown a steady decline through 2025, despite marketing efforts by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) to counter the city’s growing reputation for high prices. According to a recent report from Truist Securities, the ongoing promotional campaigns have had only a modest effect on reversing weakening demand.
The firm’s latest survey found that average daily rates across the Las Vegas Strip fell about 5 percent year-over-year. The decline was more pronounced for major resort operators, with room prices down 7 percent at MGM Resorts International properties and 17 percent at Caesars Entertainment hotels. Weekend rates fell 3 percent, 6 percent, and 18 percent respectively, while weekday prices dropped 8 percent, 7 percent, and 13 percent for the same operators.
Truist analyst Barry Jonas said the results were weaker than expected and below figures from the firm’s previous survey, which had already indicated a slowdown. He noted that while the LVCVA’s recent “Only Vegas” promotional campaign sought to challenge perceptions that the city had become too expensive, early results suggest the initiative has not yet produced a significant rebound in bookings or pricing.
Data from early October showed the same downward trend, with Strip rates down another 5 percent overall. MGM properties reported a 15 percent decline, while Caesars rates fell 12 percent. However, preliminary November data suggested a small improvement, with average rates inching up between 1 and 3 percent depending on the operator.
Jonas said the fourth quarter could mark a turning point as several major conventions and events are expected to draw visitors back to the Strip. He also pointed to early 2026 as a possible recovery period, provided consumer sentiment improves and international travel picks up.
In contrast to the weakening Las Vegas hotel rates, regional U.S. casino markets held steady in September, with overall gaming revenue up about 2 percent year-over-year despite lower visitation. That performance highlights the uneven recovery within the domestic gaming industry, as Las Vegas operators continue to face pricing pressures even amid a busy event calendar.
Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups — a Denver native and former basketball star at the University of Colorado and with the Denver Nuggets — allegedly participated in a years-long scheme to rig Mafia-led poker games through sophisticated technological means, scamming wealthy players out of millions of dollars, according to a sweeping federal indictment unsealed Thursday.
Billups was arrested Thursday in Oregon and faces federal charges of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. The NBA said he was placed on immediate leave.
The 49-year-old coach appeared in court later in the day, and attorneys from both sides told the judge they had agreed on Billups’ release from custody on the condition he secure “a substantial bond,” though the amount wasn’t discussed in court. He is also prohibited from gambling-related activity.
Chris Heywood, Billups’ attorney, released a statement to ESPN on Thursday night denying the allegations.
“To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his hall-of-fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game,” the statement read.
“Furthermore, Chauncey Billups has never and would never gamble on basketball games, provide insider information, or sacrifice the trust of his team and the League, as it would tarnish the game he has devoted his entire life to.”
The arrest came as part of a massive federal investigation into illegal, high-stakes poker games with ties to organized crime families. A second, related criminal case involved professional basketball players and coaches allegedly using inside information to set up fraudulent bets for their associates.
The 22-page indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, alleges the poker games began as early as 2019 and spanned New York state, Las Vegas and Miami.
Victims of the scheme thought they were playing in “straight” illegal poker games, according to the indictment.
In reality, a group of people — referred to as the “cheating team” — worked together to scam them out of more than $7 million, investigators said.
They used a variety of high-tech methods to rig the games, federal authorities alleged. Wireless technologies to read the cards dealt in each hand. Rigged shuffling machines. Electronic poker chip trays that could secretly read cards placed on the table. Card analyzers that could surreptitiously detect which cards were on the table. Playing cards that had markers visible only to people wearing specially designed contact lenses or glasses.
Billups, investigators allege, was known as a “face card.” He and other former professional athletes were used to attract victims to the poker games. In exchange, they received portions of the criminal proceeds, authorities said.
The indictment spells out one game in April 2019, in Las Vegas, when the group defrauded poker players of at least $50,000. Billups, along with four others, “organized and participated in these rigged games using a rigged shuffling machine,” according to the indictment.
‘Threats of force and violence’
Authorities say the games operated “with the express permission and approval of” members of certain organized crime families of La Cosa Nostra.
These individuals — with nicknames like “Spanish G,” “Flapper Poker,” “Sugar” and “Albanian Bruce” — provided support and protection for the games and collected debts in exchange for a portion of the illegal proceeds
The organized crime families used “threats of force and violence” to secure repayment of debts from these poker games, according to the indictment.
All told, the poker scheme defrauded participants of at least $7.15 million, investigators said.
“Using the allure of high-stakes winnings and the promise to play alongside well-known professional athletes, these defendants allegedly defrauded unwitting victims out of tens of millions of dollars and established a financial pipeline to La Cosa Nostra,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said in a statement. “This alleged scheme wreaked havoc across the nation, exploiting the notoriety of some and the wallets of others to finance the Italian crime families.”
Thursday’s indictment “sounds the final buzzer for these cheaters,” said Joseph Nocella Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
The second criminal case involved NBA players and coaches divulging nonpublic information to their associates for the purpose of placing bets.
The 23-page indictment does not name Billups, but does list nine unnamed co-conspirators, including an Oregon resident who was an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021. Billups played in the NBA from 1997 to 2014 and was hired by the Blazers in 2021.
That individual, referred to as “co-conspirator 8,” allegedly told a bettor that several of the Blazers’ best players would be sitting out a March 23, 2023, game against the Chicago Bulls in order to increase their odds of getting a better draft pick.
The gamblers wagered more than $100,000 that Portland would lose the game. The Blazers lost by 28.
Chauncey Billups with the Denver Nuggets during practice at the Pepsi Center in Denver on April 6, 2010. (Photo By Craig F. Walker/The Denver Post)
The Denver-born phenom graduated from George Washington High School and played basketball at CU before being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics.
Known as Mr. Big Shot nationally and the King of Park Hill locally in Denver, Billups also played for Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Billups won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Nuggets.
Billups is in his fifth season as Portland’s coach, compiling a 117-212 record. The Trail Blazers opened the season Wednesday night at home with a 118-114 loss to Minnesota. Billups’ brother, Rodney, is currently the Nuggets’ director of player development and an assistant coach on David Adelman’s staff.
The Portland coach also serves as executive director of the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, a summer program affiliated with Denver’s Regis University. The academy helps third through 12th-graders “cultivate character development through an extensive academic curriculum and exposes young leaders to career opportunities in their pursuit of individual success.”
Academy representatives said in a statement that they are “deeply troubled by the indictment against Chauncey Billups, co-founder of the Porter Billups Leadership Academy. We respect the legal process and will closely monitor developments as the facts emerge. Our unwavering commitment to the underserved youths through the PBLA program and our institutional integrity remains steadfast.”
Billups’ attorney indicated in the statement to ESPN that Billups planned to fight the charges made by the federal government.
“Chauncey Billups has never backed down. He does not plan to do so now,” the statement read. “He will fight these allegations with the same tenacity that marked his 28-year career. We look forward to our day in court.”
On Thursday, the FBI formally announced the arrests of multiple people including one former NBA and University of Houston player (Damon Jones), one current NBA player (Terry Rozier) and one current NBA coach (Chauncey Billups) related to a pair of gambling schemes that involved organized crime, sports prop bets and an elaborate ring of illicit poker games in New York City.
It was an absolute bombshell smack dab in the middle of opening week for the Association, which had already seen some fantastic games including an opening night double-overtime thriller between the Thunder and Rockets.
Clearly, we have only scratched the surface of what is to come from these allegations and there will be huge ramifications for the NBA and other professional and college sports. But, honestly, we should have seen this coming.
For decades, even discussing gambling was verboten in pro sports leagues. Jimmy “The Greek,” the famous betting guru, wasn’t even allowed to say what betting lines were for games. As recently as a decade ago, players like Tony Romo were forbidden from participating in fantasy sports conventions. Putting a team in Las Vegas? You must be crazy.
Fast forward a few years and billions of dollars later, things have radically changed. There are multiple teams in Las Vegas including the Raiders (NFL), the Aces (WNBA), and the Golden Knights (NHL). Soon, the former Oakland A’s will join them.
More critically, casinos, gambling outfits and fantasy sports have invested millions and millions into pro and college sports advertising and sponsorships. There are in-house sports books in stadiums across multiple leagues.
It has become so widespread that commentators tell fans the betting lines and go over potential prop bets during pregame shows. There are entire radio shows and podcasts dedicated to fantasy sports and wagering. It has permeated every aspect of sports. Leagues don’t just tolerate it, they embrace it and, more importantly, profit from it to the tune of billions of dollars in revenue.
And the prop bets, which used to be a funny sideshow — over/under on the length of the Super Bowl National Anthem performance — are now served up on screen in real time during games. Should anyone be remotely surprised players have attempted to leverage that into a payday for themselves and others?
In this specific case, Rozier was allegedly changing how he played to benefit himself and others. They would bet the under on specific stats of his games like how many minutes he played in a game or the number of points he had, and he would oblige with his on-court performance. According to the charges, he purposefully took himself out of games and missed shots to manipulate prop bet lines.
With the pervasiveness of gambling in sport, it’s remarkable it hasn’t happened with greater frequency, or at least the getting caught part. It would be, quite frankly, a shock if it weren’t happening far more often than we know.
Fans love conspiracy theories when it comes to officiating or “rigged” draft lotteries. They will decry cheating and demand retribution against teams that gamed the system. But, perhaps the biggest and most insidious threat to sports is the betting many of us partake in ourselves. Fans literally threaten the lives of players and coaches for making decisions that impact their wagers, something that is reported on with regularity. Why would we think those players and coaches are immune to the same influences that drive us to place bets?
We all would like to believe this will be some kind of wake up call for everyone. Leagues will face up to a growing problem in their ranks and see the detriment it has on not just sports in general, but the fans that support them. We could hope for some kind of reckoning that leads us back to a time when gambling lines weren’t served up to us alongside box scores.
But, that would require owners, players, broadcasters and even fans giving up the billions of dollars of investments that come from an industry that went from illegal and immoral to frowned upon but tolerated to accepted and lauded in this century. No one is doing that. What incentive do they have?
And whatever spin they use to redirect us back to business as usual, this is going to continue and likely get worse. The current NBA scandal is almost certainly just the tip of an enormous iceberg and it feels like we’re all just floating around in the Titanic.
If you’re headed to Nevada for a Las Vegas Halloween celebration, we have information on the best ways to scare you senseless! We’re covering spooky shows, escape rooms, haunted houses, and the best parties! And if you can’t make it to Sin City, we’re looking at new new slot machines and online games themed for Halloween!
When it comes to Halloween, Vegas is tough to beat. There’s so much to do that it can be hard to keep up with everything. But hey, that’s why we’re here! To help you find exactly what you’re looking for! So, let’s get right into things with some spooky shows… like The Adults Only Zombie Joe’s Underground Urban Death, billed as pure psychological terror and one of the most gory and ghastly shows in Sin City.
However, if you would rather be freaked out than terrified, there’s also the long running Chris Angel MindFreak Show at Planet Hollywood. Looking for something more light-hearted? Then check out Zombie Burlesque, with humor and some of the sexiest un-dead anywhere. But for something truly haunting, try Ghost Stories at Mandandalay Bay, a journey through the mind where dreams and nightmares collide.
You could also step up your Las Vegas Halloween game with something more interactive like the official Saw Escape Room… or Escape Blair Witch. And if you’re really brave, you can buy a combination ticket and do both. But hurry, these sell out quickly. And if creepy shows, sexy zombies, and escape rooms still don’t do it for you, there’s Universal Horror Unleashed at Area 15, where you actually step inside a live entertainment nightmare. Or what about 31 Screams and Skellington’s Spooktacular? |Two bone chilling haunted houses on the west side of town. But for real world thrills, visit the award-winning Zack Bagan’s Haunted Museum with creepy hallways and secret passages, located in downtown.
Now, before we get to all the parties and the clubs, I wanted to let you know about two new slot machines themed for some Halloween fun. And we have reviews for both before they hit casinos! First up, Light and Wonder is releasing Frankenstein Returns right now! A follow-up to their player favorite Frankenstein slot machine, which debuted back in 2022. And AGS will be releasing Ultra Werewolf Strike, a sequel to their popular Ultra Werewolf series, which should begin appearing on casino floors early next year. If you just can’t wait to play though, we’ve also published reviews for the Hot Hot Halloween, an online slot with high volatility, free spins, and wilds. And the Trickster Spins, a three reel, three row game with medium volatility that comes with jackpot prizes, wild and sticky symbols, and a bonus wheel.
If you like Vegas night life, there are several Las Vegas Halloween parties around town, along with nightclubs embracing the eerie holiday. And some of the best are downtown, like the annual Freaks on Fremont, taking place October 30th, or the Haunted Heights at the Legacy Club inside of the Circa Resort. Area 15 has the Monster Ball Dance Party on the 30th, while Ahern will host their Halloween Slash party. And the Sin City Halloween Ball will take place November 1st at Virgin Las Vegas. If you’d rather be dancing, then check out Halloweekend at the Zouk Nightclub, running October 30th to November 1st. But for the most bang for your buck, you might want to consider the Las Vegas Party Pass from the Tao Group, which will give you access to several popular venues. Just follow this link to check it out!
Gymkhana, the only Indian restaurant in London with two Michelin stars, understands the assignment when it comes to opening in Las Vegas. The goal, of course, is to bring the best of London’s Gymkhana to the Vegas Strip while adding new dishes and new dazzle for festive only-in-Vegas nights.
On December 3, Gymkhana will make its United States debut with a 170-seat outpost at the Ariacasino-resort. (Reservations are now live.) Gymkhana, known for dishes like tandoori lamb chops, venison keema naan and pork cheek curry, will serve beef for the first time when it opens in Las Vegas. New dishes will include a short rib pepper fry and wagyu keema naan, alongside an exclusive-to-Vegas goan lobster curry. Cocktail service will include Gymkhana’s first punch bowls.
Gymkhana, as always, will upend the idea of fine dining and what guests might expect at a two-Michelin-star restaurant.
“Maybe their perception is it’s going to be stuffy,” Pavan Pardasani, who recently joined Gymkhana parent company JKS Restaurants as global CEO, tells Observer. “It’s going to be formal. I’m going to have to dress a certain way. And that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Gymkhana is here to introduce Indian food to a wider audience. This is a restaurant that celebrates family-style dining and wants guests to rip and dip bread into curries. Gymkhana is where you’re totally fine grabbing a lamb chop with your hands. You can build a meal around vegetarian dishes or you can savor biryani and tandoori kebabs made with wild game. As always, the best nights in Las Vegas are about choosing your own adventure.
Tandoori masala lamb chops. Courtesy JKS Restaurants
“The truth of the matter is, you don’t need to love Indian food to love Gymkhana,” Pardasani says. “What you need to cherish and love and seek out is a really great night out, a really great culinary experience that’s about how we present, execute and deliver that food.”
In London, Gymkhana is a tightly packed 100-seat bi-level restaurant inside a Mayfair townhouse. In Las Vegas, there will be 170 seats, but Pardasani and JKS founders Jyotin, Karam and Sunaina Sethi are focused on preserving the warmth, coziness and conviviality of London’s Gymkhana. The new restaurant at Aria will weave together the jade-like green (what JKS calls Gymkhana green) and the kind of dark wood, metallic elements and plush seating that makes the London location feel like an elite private club.
“You have to understand that this opening was a big part of what sparked my brain and my heart and my passion to join JKS,” says Pardasani, who is the son of Indian immigrants and grew up in New York City. “Because otherwise, you would define me as your traditional coastal elite. I’ve spent 43-and-a-half of the 46 years of my life living in L.A. and New York, except for two-and-a-half years when I lived in Las Vegas.”
That time spent in Las Vegas, when Pardasani had a leadership role at Hakkasan, gave him clarity.
“Las Vegas truly reflects and represents America,” he says. “Living there and immersing myself in the community there and meeting people that come from different parts of the country with very different ideas, thoughts and worldviews taught me that Las Vegas is really the gateway to America.”
And at a moment when high-end Indian food is popping off in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, bringing it to Las Vegas is a no-brainer for Gymkhana. This isn’t just about opening a top-tier restaurant. This is about changing the culture.
“I see the strengthening of Indian concepts and I see that operators are thinking outside of just New York,” Pardasani says. “I hope that people experience us in Las Vegas and they take their love and their passion and their joy for our food back to where they live. Maybe it will inspire them to tell their local community that they need an Indian restaurant. Maybe it will inspire people to pursue what we’re doing. Let’s break down the myths and the barriers people might have about our food and make it part of the great cuisines that are available all over America.”
Even among top hospitality groups around the world, JKS stands out for its range and deep belief in the diversity of great food. JKS, which also has buzzing London restaurants that serve Sri Lankan, Thai, Spanish, British pub and modern European food, started with the Sethi siblings wanting to celebrate their heritage in London. Now it’s time to do the same thing in America.
Pardasani is excited to show guests in Las Vegas that bar snacks like samosas and pappadam are very much a part of the experience at Gymkhana.
“Typically in Indian culture, you don’t drink without eating,” he says.
Pardasani is also looking forward to serving guests who want vegetarian options like flavor-packed daal, chana masala and tandoori broccoli.
Amristari shrimp and scallops. Courtesy of JKS Restaurants
“It’s very common in Indian families to have a day or days of the week where you’re vegetarian,” Pardasani says. “The representation of vegetarian food within India is some of the best. You don’t have to give up on taste.”
But perhaps most of all, Gymkhana is ready to showcase the wonders of family-style dining.
“I grew up in an Indian household where we ate Indian food every day,” says Pardasani, who has visited India 20 times and fondly remembers dishes his late mother and grandmother made. “And what that entailed, always, was sharing. It was never, ‘This is my food. That is your food.’ And I think Gymkhana presents this opportunity where you don’t want to just eat one dish. The way to achieve that is to share.”
Gymkhana wants you to understand that Indian cuisine is food for everyone. And you’re very much encouraged to put multiple dishes onto your plate and just let everything blend.
The OYO Hotel & Casino Las Vegas (formerly Hooters Hotel & Casino) suffered a significant cyberattack in January 2025, according to court filings first reported by Crain’s New York Business on October 14, 2025. The resulting data breach reportedly compromised the personal information of 4,700 casino and hotel guests and employees.
The OYO Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas experienced a major cyberattack in January 2025, according to court filings reported last week. (Images: Shutterstock)
The cyber attack surfaced in a legal dispute between Highgate Hotels, a prominent hotel management firm, and OYO Hotels, which owns properties in Las Vegas and New York, among many other cities. Highgate filed suit contesting its abrupt termination from the OYO Times Square hotel, arguing that its August 1, 2025 dismissal violated New York Labor Law Section 860-a, which requires 90 days’ notice for certain mass layoffs.
OYO defended its action by citing “seriously deficient” IT practices at Highgate, as demonstrated by a Las Vegas data breach that went unreported by mainstream news outlets until the legal filings surfaced. (OYO also fired Highgate as its Las Vegas property manager.)
However, OYO’s termination of Highgate came six weeks before the breach’s official discovery date. As recorded by the state of Maine attorney general’s office, it wasn’t notified of the incident until September 18, 2025.
Crain’s characterized this timeline discrepancy as “unexplained,” suggesting that OYO may have chosen to keep the incident under wraps for eight months.
As determined by Casino.org, BreachSense.com, a dark web monitoring service, published this report of the incident on January 14, 2025, fingering LockBit 3.0, a notorious ransomware group that it claimed leaked the compromised OYO Las Vegas data on its dark web portal.
Further details published on August 15, 2025 by another cyber monitoring site, Brinztech.com, claimed that 30 gigabytes of sensitive data was stolen and exposed in the incident. This reportedly included:
Personal and financial information of hotel and casino patrons
Internal financial and operational records
Human resources files containing sensitive employee data
Proprietary documentation related to casino gaming systems and procedures
OYO did not immediately return Casino.org‘s request for a response.
“It’s seven years in the making, but Las Vegas is getting a brand new theme park,” announces Daniel Leo Wittenkeller Jr., a minor TikTok influencer (379K followers) who dubbed himself the “CEO of Las Vegas.”
This AI rendering shows guests entering RetroEscapes through a simulation of a wormhole through time. (Image: RetroEscapes)
“It’s going to be the first ever nostalgia park,” Wittenkeller, 28, continues in his Sept. 30 video, gesticulating wildly in a fenced off vacant lot with the Las Vegas Strip behind him, suggesting that he has already secured the land on which to build his dream. (He hasn’t.)
In this A.I. rendering, car/boat hybrids float by malt shops. (Image: RetroEscapes)
Wittenkeller — who is partnering with his real-estate developer father, another individual with no experience planning or running a theme park — promises their theme park will be “the only place on Earth where you can live in America’s most iconic decades just as they were.”
Those decades would be the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. And each is said to feature rides, dining and shows with corresponding themes a la Disneyland. (Speaking of which, a “Tomorrow Zone” is also planned.)
“We’ve all got that itch to escape the now and blast back to when life felt simpler — or at least sounded cooler,” Wittenkeller posted.
Envisioned for 50 off-Strip acres near the Las Vegas Convention Center, RetroEscapes promises to be anchored by a fountain of youth, which will celebrate the icons of the aforementioned decades, including Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson, via a nightly fireworks and light show.
The projected budget for all this is estimated at $500–$600 million
Legit Interest?
Daniel Leo Wittenkeller Jr. stands in a vacant lot he doesn’t own in a still from his promotional TikTok video. (Image: TikTok/@Itsdaniel.leo)
Wittenkeller Jr. claims to have hired PGAV Destinations, a legit amusement attraction company, to design this fantasyland.
PGAV designed the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster for Epcot with Walt Disney Imagineering, the Manta thrill ride at SeaWorld Orlando and Cheetah Hunt at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — as well as the entire Aquatica and Discovery Cove parks in Orlando and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
There are renderings — of ’50s car/boat hybrids floating past malt shops and such — but they’re all A.I.-generated.
There are also social media posts. Neither cost any money to produce.
If you’re getting the sense that none of this is ever going to happen, it’s because All Net Arena has more of a chance of still happening.
Marilyn Monroe is depicted, along with Michael Jackson (poorly), in this A.I. rendering of the park’s fountain of youth. (Image: RetroEscapes)
As of October 15, no land for RetroEscapes has been purchased, no building permits have been filed, no environmental studies have been conducted and, most importantly, no funding has been disclosed.
To our knowledge, no project that ever ended up happening in the history of Las Vegas has ever turned to the public to drum up support before securing a single one of these things.
The Wittenkellers haven’t even lined up the designer they said they did.
When Casino.org contacted PGAV, a spokesperson for the St. Louis-based company told us it has “engaged in conversations” with the Wittenkellers but has yet to ink a contract, though they “look forward to the opportunity to collaborate as the project develops.”
The ’60s zone will supposedly feature a “Summer of Love” roller coaster lunging through flower-power murals. (Image: RetroEscapes)
“We’re pleased to see the excitement surrounding RetroEscapes and appreciate the recent media coverage the project has received,” the spokesperson also said.
That’s a reference to Attractions Magazine, a legitimate quarterly magazine and website that dedicated this October 7 news story to RetroEscapes, in which Wittenkeller Jr.’s plans were presented without editorial scrutiny.
Tellingly, though, the magazine’s tagline for the piece read as follows, and we strongly advise all of you to take the same advice…
“We do not endorse every attraction we write about. Even with the best of intentions, many announced projects end up not happening. Be sure to check the return policy and the legitimacy of the organizers before giving them any financial information.”
The chief executive of MGM Resorts addressed skepticism over the future of Las Vegas tourism this week, pushing back against criticism and offering a more optimistic view of the city’s prospects. Their CEO, Bill Hornbuckle, spoke before Nevada gaming regulators as part of MGM’s licensing review, calling negative narratives about Las Vegas tourism “silly.” He argued that long-term trends point to steady gains, and that recent soft spots are part of a normal cycle.
According to Hornbuckle, Las Vegas gaming revenue has grown on average 4.5 to 5 percent per year over the past 30 years. He said that claims of a fundamental decline in demand for the city do not align with that historical record. While acknowledging that the pandemic years were extraordinary, he asserted that the underlying market still remains strong. One of his arguments cited a division in the market: the luxury segment is currently holding up better than lower-price or value offerings.
Hornbuckle also mentioned a recent promotional effort by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority that nearly doubled room reservations over five days, which he said illustrates the city’s continued allure for travelers. Despite forecasts suggesting a roughly 11 percent drop in visitor numbers in 2025 compared with the prior year, he struck an upbeat tone. He noted that strong events such as the Super Bowl and the Las Vegas Grand Prix helped drive 2024’s performance, and that future conventions are expected to support demand.
Hornbuckle also detailed MGM’s expansion strategy beyond Las Vegas as part of a broader effort to diversify. He referred to his company’s domestic growth plans in markets such as New York and Texas, and to large international projects including a planned $12.5 billion resort in Osaka, Japan, and a hotel development in Dubai with potential for gaming. He also pointed to growth in digital operations, particularly through MGM’s BetMGM joint venture and increasing activity in Brazil.
His comments offer a counterpoint to more pessimistic assessments of Las Vegas tourism, maintaining that cyclical ebbs are typical, but that the city’s core strengths — including luxury appeal, global reach, and digital integration — can sustain future growth despite short-term headwinds. And let’s also remember that MGM Resorts just extended their agreement with Formula 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix race.
The Las Vegas Aces will shut down the Las Vegas Strip on Friday, October 17 for their third WNBA championship victory parade and rally in four years. The Aces defeated the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 in Game 4 of the finals at Footprint Center in Phoenix on Friday, October 10, completing a 4-0 sweep.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates with Chelsea Gray #12 and Jewell Loyd #24 after winning Game 4 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on Friday, October 10, 2025. (Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The festivities will begin at 5 p.m. at Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. As with previous Aces parades, this one will travel north in the southbound lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard, turning left onto Park Avenue and Connector Road and ending at Toshiba Plaza outside T-Mobile Arena, the team’s home.
The first Las Vegas Aces’ WNBA championship victory parade and rally closes down the Las Vegas Strip on September 20, 2022. (Image: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Here, a two-hour rally will be filled with emotional speeches and live music. (In 2023, rapper 2 Chainz performed.)
To watch the rally, fans are advised by organizers to line up along the west side of Las Vegas Boulevard and Park Avenue.
Toshiba Plaza will open to the public at 3 p.m., with the celebration expected to last until around 7:30 p.m. An official Aces pop-up store will open at Toshiba Plaza at 4 p.m.
Closures
Great news for Las Vegas Aces fans eager to celebrate their favorite WNBA team means bad news for visitors attempting to navigate the Las Vegas Strip for any other reason.
Beginning at 3 p.m. on Friday, driving on the Strip will be impossible. Plan to do a lot more walking, through a lot denser crowds, than normal. Monorails will run but not RTC buses. Rideshare drop-offs are encouraged south of Tropicana Avenue.
Area Affected
Closure Details
Duration
Southbound Las Vegas Boulevard
Full closure from Tropicana Avenue to Park Avenue (near T-Mobile Arena)
Setup starts 4 p.m.; full closure 5–7:30 p.m.; reopens ~7:30–11 p.m. or later
Cross Streets (Flamingo, Harmon, Spring Mountain)
Rolling closures and detours at major intersections like Caesars Palace/Flamingo
Intermittent during parade; some setup from 6 a.m.
Tropicana Ave. to Aria Place
Partial/full southbound closure for staging
From ~4 p.m. until event ends
Park Avenue and Toshiba Plaza Area
Closure for rally and dispersal
Post-parade (~7:30 p.m. onward) until cleanup
For the latest, monitor official sources including the Aces’ website (lvaces.com) and police announcements on X (@LVMPD), as weather or logistics could adjust plans.
Casino consolidation chatter is alive, but not as vibrant as in past years
Still high interest rates weighing on Las Vegas Strip asset sales
Bolt-on, not transformational deals expected
The casino industry is often a hotbed of consolidation rumors, but if chatter from the recently concluded Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is any indication, large-scale deal-making likely isn’t the near-term cards.
Las Vegas Strip M&A activity is likely to be slow until interest rates fall more. (Image: Shutterstock)
In a new report to clients, Stifel analyst Jeffrey Stantial notes that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) talk at G2E was subdued compared to prior years. That includes a muted outlook for asset sales on the Las Vegas Strip.
Given larger average purchase price, Strip M&A appetite seems limited until interest rates come in further,” observes Stantial.
That’s relevant to Caesars Entertainment (NASDAQ: CZR) and likely priced into the flailing stock. Caesars has long been rumored to be a candidate to offload one of its Strip properties — a move that would help reduce debt — but the pool of credible cash buyers is small, meaning prospective suitors likely need to finance deals and that’s an unattractive proposition when interest rates are high. The potential good news is that rates are expected to fall by 100 to 120 basis points by the end of 2026.
Slim Pickings for Regional Casino M&A, Too
Beyond the Strip, it’s also unlikely that there will be needle-moving transactions among regional casinos over the near-term. Stantial said the bulk of seller interest is for lower quality assets and that could result in limited interest among potential buyers.
That jibes with some operator commentary indicating that would-be buyers of regional casinos simply can’t find assets that meet their standards and that they won’t be rushed into deals just to increase the size of their portfolios.
The analyst noted a possible exception on the seller side is Century Casinos (NASDAQ: CNTY), which is currently in the midst of a strategic review. Stantial said that operator “seemed open to all options in the ongoing strategic review.” The company is holding talks about the long-awaited divestment of its two-thirds interest in Casinos Poland.
“We continue to see an outright sale as unlikely given the variety of assets/markets & challenges under-writing to expected ‘fully-ramped’ earnings power, though see potential for one-off divestitures – in particular CNTY’s Canadian portfolio given increasingly non-core nature & historically higher transaction multiples vs. U.S. assets,” observes the Stifel analyst. “We expect management to be thorough evaluating options, indicating more likely CY26 resolution.”
Eye on Prediction Markets, Sports Betting
Given the recent flurry of financing activity in the prediction markets space, it’s possible that online sports betting (OSB) take closer looks at acquisition candidates in that arena. However, OSB operators could be hamstrung regarding prediction market purchases because some state regulators have warned gaming companies licenses could be at risk if they earnestly move into event contracts.
Related M&A trends to monitor include “undetermined prediction markets strategies for incumbent OSB operators, and efforts to accelerate player deposits/liquidity for exchanges, and brand & odds provider tuck-ins for regulated OSB operators,” concludes Stantial.
A’ja Wilson scored 31 points, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young both added 18, and the Las Vegas Aces won their third WNBA championship in four seasons, beating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 on Friday night for a four-game sweep of the Finals.
The Aces made quick work of the league’s first best-of-seven Finals. It was another offensive onslaught from Las Vegas, which scored 54 points in the first half and averaged more than 90 points per game in the series.
A’ja Wilson #22 of the Las Vegas Aces celebrates after winning game four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on Oct.10, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Wilson — a four-time MVP — was in the middle of the action once again, even if she didn’t have the best shooting night. She finished 7 of 21 from the field, but made 17 of 19 free throws. Gray made four 3-pointers, including two in the fourth quarter to help turn back a final rally by the Mercury.
The Aces led 76-62 going into the fourth quarter, but the Mercury went on an 8-0 run early that cut the deficit to 76-70 with 7:56 left. That was as close as they would get.
Kahleah Copper led the Mercury with 30 points, shooting 12 of 22 from the field. Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts was ejected in the third quarter after receiving two quick technical fouls from official Gina Cross. Tibbetts was arguing a foul call against Mercury guard Monique Akoa Makani, and reacted in disbelief as he was escorted off the court.
DeWanna Bonner and Copper also got called for technical fouls in the fourth quarter.
The Aces never trailed in the series clincher, building a 30-21 lead by the end of the first quarter on 55% shooting. Jewell Loyd, Gray and Dana Evans made three straight 3s early in the second quarter to put Las Vegas ahead by 19.
Las Vegas settled for a 54-38 halftime advantage. Wilson had 14 points before the break while Gray added 10.
The Mercury were without forward Satou Sabally, who suffered a concussion near the end of Game 3. They suffered another injury blow on Friday when Thomas had to leave just before halftime after taking a hard hit to her right shoulder on a screen from Loyd.
Thomas returned for the second half but was hampered by the injury.
The Mercury enjoyed a deep playoff run under Tibbetts, but couldn’t find a way to slow down the Aces. Phoenix made it to the finals after beating the defending champion New York Liberty in the opening round and knocking off the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the semifinals.
Phoenix lost in the WNBA Finals for the second time in five years, also falling to the Chicago Sky in 2021. The Mercury have won three championships, with the last coming in 2014.
Following recent successful get-togethers at Coachella and FireAid, No Doubt is reuniting once again: a six-show residency has been set for May 2026 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The dates are May 6, 8, 9, 13, 15 and 16.
The group – Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young – most recently performed at the FireAid benefit concert in January, helping raise money for those impacted by the L.A. wildfires. The concert was held at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.
Regarding the Vegas residency, Stefani said in a statement, “The opportunity to create a show at Sphere excites me in a new way. The venue is unique and modern and it opens up a whole new visual palette for us to be creative. Doing it with No Doubt feels like going back in time to relive our history, while also creating something new in a way we never could have imagined.”
No Doubt will be the first female-fronted act to perform at the Sphere. Other performers there have included Dead & Co., U2, Eagles, Anyma and Backstreet Boys.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on October 17. Presales for No Doubt’s Sphere residency begin October 15. For more information, visit the No Doubt website.
Bay Area rapper Sky Nathan Branklyn, known professionally as “Sky Balla,” has been charged with two counts of sexual assault at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas, causing substantial bodily harm. According to court records, two other women testified that their encounters with the rapper unexpectedly turned violent when he allegedly sexually assaulted them.
Woman Says She Was Sexually Assaulted in a Las Vegas Hotel by the rapper
The 45-year-old was arrested in Las Vegas in 2021 after a woman reported a violent assault that prosecutors say began following an encounter at the High Limit Lounge at the Aria resort. According to the arrest report, the woman involved in the Aria case told police she met a man who identified himself only as “Sky” at a bar inside the casino. She said they shared several shots of alcohol, after which she lost consciousness.
She told investigators that when she attempted to resist and told him to stop, he struck her in the face, causing her to lose consciousness again. The woman said she later regained consciousness to find the man attempting to engage in further sexual acts. She also said that when she tried to resist and told him to stop, he struck her in the face until she blacked out again.
Eventually, she was able to crawl to the bathroom, where she remained in the dark for about two hours before telling the man she needed to leave. Police said he then ordered her an Uber.
During the investigation, police discovered a significant amount of blood in the hotel room. Housekeeping staff who came to clean the room the following day alerted security about a potential biohazard. One cleaner even confessed to feeling afraid to enter the room.
According to the report, housekeeping was told that hotel security had inspected the room and concluded the stains were from spilled wine, so the room was cleaned. However, several housekeeping employees interviewed by police insisted the stains were blood, not wine. Detectives also found out that bloody towels had been discarded.
Sky Balla’s Case Deepens as Two Other Victims Speak Out
It would seem that the rapper’s criminal history can be traced back to at least 2008, when he allegedly assaulted two other women. One of them said that Sky Balla offered her a ride to her hotel in California. However, he instead drove to an apartment complex. She also testified that she was intoxicated, but not “blacked out” drunk. The rapper then allegedly assaulted her, bit her, smashed her head into the ground, and dragged her by her hair. The woman eventually managed to call for help. Later, when Sky Balla was charged, he took a plea deal so that the woman was unable to testify, she said.
Another woman came up to say that she was sexually assaulted by the rapper in 2008 when she was just 17 years old. According to her, he contacted her and she invited him over while her parents were at work, he threw money on her bed, and began sexually assaulting her.
She said he was persistently putting his arms out like he was going to try to pin her down. She eventually grabbed her phone and ran to her parents’ room to call 911. These accounts will likely come up in Sky Balla’s case, as a jury trial is scheduled for February 9.
South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas will host the South Point blackjack tournament on October 12th as part of the festivities leading up to the South Point 400 NASCAR weekend. Officially titled the Brendan Gaughan Celebrity Blackjack Tournament, the event will feature teams of three competing at the blackjack tables alongside notable NASCAR drivers and personalities.
The celebrity lineup is expected to include former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace, Chris Buescher, Daniel Hemric and others. Participants will start the evening with a cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres before the competition begins. NASCAR driver and South Point executive Brendan Gaughan will also take part in the action and will deal the cards in the final round.
The entry fee for a team is set at $1,200, and each player will receive $5,000 in tournament chips at the start. The top team will win $5,000, while second place will earn $3,000 and third place will receive $2,000. Teams finishing lower in the standings will be awarded prizes such as dinner and show tickets at the resort. Proceeds from the South Point blackjack tournament will benefit the Las Vegas chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in need.
The annual event is designed as a fun and competitive kickoff to the racing weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. By combining celebrity guests, blackjack competition and charitable giving, the tournament has become a highlight of South Point’s NASCAR celebrations and a unique crossover between the worlds of motorsports and casino gaming. With a mix of star power, prize money and charitable impact, the 2025 South Point blackjack tournament is expected to draw strong participation and attention from both racing fans and casino players.
The estimated cost of Brightline West’s high-speed rail line connecting Southern California to Las Vegas has surged to $21.5 billion, nearly doubling from its last publicly confirmed estimate of $12.4 billion in January 2025. The updated figure was disclosed in a US Department of Transportation (DOT) report released this week.
Brightline West will travel 218 miles on the median of Interstate 15 at speeds of up to 200 mph, making the trip in about two hours. (Image: Brightline West)
According to Bloomberg, the increase is primarily driven by rising labor and material costs. In response, Brightline West is seeking a $6 billion federal loan from the Trump administration to replace a previously planned $6 billion bank facility.
The company also intends to raise additional equity to cover the remaining cost escalation.
“We have had very productive conversations with USDOT and the Federal Railroad Administration over the last few months to continue to move Brightline West forward,” said Brightline CEO Mike Reininger, speaking to Bloomberg in September.
Brightline West previously secured a $3 billion federal grant under the Biden administration, structured as a reimbursement contingent on meeting minimum spending thresholds.
Will Trump Derail It?
The future of federal funding for Brightline West has come under scrutiny amid broader cuts to high-speed rail initiatives.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration canceled a $64 million planning grant for a proposed Dallas–Houston rail line. Then in August, it withdrew $4 billion in federal support for California’s Los Angeles–San Francisco high-speed rail project, whose cost has ballooned from $33 billion in 2008 to $128 billion.
Brightline West appears to remain on track, however, likely due to its mostly private financing model.
“We are excited to be the only high-speed rail project currently supported by the Trump administration,” Reininger told Bloomberg.
Slow Train Coming
Stations would be located along the route in Victor Valley, Hesperia and, eventually, the Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport, not shown on this map, which is scheduled to open near Jean, Nev. between 2035-37. (Image: Brightline)
In September 2018, Brightline announced it had acquired the old XpressWest high-speed rail project, which had previously received approval to build a Vegas-to-LA high speed rail.
Two years later, construction costs were projected to be $8 billion. That amount was updated to $10 billion in mid-2023. During a bond offering in January 2025, the cost was updated again to $12.4 billion.
The last estimate, which was never officially announced, was $16 billion, according to the DOT.
In April 2024, construction on the project began following a groundbreaking ceremony, though only field investigation work and utility installation have been completed so far.
The Las Vegas terminus will be constructed by McCarthy Building Co. on Las Vegas Boulevard near Blue Diamond Road. Although that’s 2.5 miles south of the Las Vegas Strip, ride-hailing services, resort shuttles, and car rentals will be accessible at the station.
The Southern California terminus will drop passengers in Rancho Cucamonga, where light rail connections can carry them the 37 additional miles southwest to downtown LA, which for most people will take about an hour.
Brightline West has abandoned its initial hope of opening in time for the 2028 Summer Olympics in LA, admitting that service won’t be possible until at least December 2028.
The Florida-based company previously promised to charge $119 for a one-way coach trip and $133 for VIP service. It has not said if that estimate will rise in step with the project’s construction cost.
The Zac Brown Band has added two more dates to what is now an eight-show residency at the Las Vegas Sphere. The extra demand is no shock, since the country group’s first four Sphere shows are entirely sold out, and they headlined for a record-shattering 110,000 fans at Truist Park in Atlanta this summer.
Zac Brown, the man and the band, are in demand at the Sphere. (Image: Shutterstock)
Tickets for Friday, January 16 and Saturday, January 17, go on sale to the general public 10 a.m. PT Thursday, October 9 at thesphere.com, with a Sphere presale at 19 a.m. PT on Wednesday, October 8. (Use Code: SPHERE).
More Curtains for Rod
Stewart premiered at the Colosseum at Caesars palace in 2011, and performed his 200th show there on March 12. (Image: Shutterstock)
Rod Stewart is extending his Caesars Palace residency, “The Encore Shows,” into next year with six shows that will fall after his 81st birthday: May 27, 29 and 30, and June 2, 4 and 6.
“Next year will mark 15 years at The Colosseum and I still get terribly excited each time I return. I love this theatre,” Stewart said in a statement.
Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. PT October 3, with fan presales already underway.
Early Cat Call
Rapper Doja Cat was born Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini on October 21, 1995. (Image: Live Nation)
Doja Cat just announced she will perform at T-Mobile Arena on October 31. If only one month’s notice seems a little late to make Vegas plans, that’s October 31, 2026!
Tickets go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. PT October 10 via Ticketmaster.com. Go to signup.ticketmaster.com/dojacat for presale information.
More Music News…
Nine Inch Nails will bring the second leg of its “Peel It Back” tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 7. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, October 8 via AXS.com.
Collective Soul will return to the Venetian Theatre on February 4, 6 and 7. The general on-sale begins 10 a.m. Friday, October 3, at 10 a.m. PT via Ticketmaster.com, with presales beginning today..
The Neon City Festival, scheduled as downtown’s counter-programming to the Strip’s F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix race, will feature Good Charlotte, Deadmau5, Breaking Benjamin, Two Friends, Fitz and the Tantrums, Bowling for Soup and De La Soul, among others, from November 21-23. Admission is free.
Las Vegas is getting one of its poker rooms back. Station Casinos announced Monday that live poker will return to the Green Valley Ranch in Henderson, a 15-minute drive from the Strip.
Green Valley Ranch will soon become only the first Las Vegas poker room closed during the pandemic to reopen since 2021. (Image: phgmeetings.com)
The poker room, which the locals casino closed during COVID, will reopen by December, with 16 tables instead of the 22 (according to PokerAtlas.com) that it had pre-pandemic.
Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the room will deal fixed-limit hold’em, no-limit hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, and Omaha hi/lo in cash games and tournaments.
Knowing When to Fold ‘Em
Green Valley Ranch’s poker room will be only the 19th in a town that had more than 60 in the early-aughts. (It would have been the 20th, but the Poker Palace Casino will close on October 1. And its new owners, Truckee Gaming LLC, are planning to reopen it without poker.)
Around 40 Las Vegas poker rooms have closed since the poker boom started going bust around 2012. After COVID, Green Valley Ranch’s poker room, located steps from its sportsbook, was repurposed as a smoke-free slot machine area.
Poker rooms don’t typically return once they’re converted to slot areas. That’s because, per square foot, slots generate much more revenue for casinos. (Poker provides no edge to the house. Casinos don’t directly benefit from player losses and, instead, earn rake, a small percentage taken from each pot in cash games, or tournament fees.)
As Stations admitted in a press release, however, it was customer demand that was responsible.
“We took our guests’ feedback loud and clear and are pleased to announce the return of poker, among the many exciting upgrades happening at the property,” said Ken Janssen, Green Valley Ranch’s GM and VP. (Green Valley Ranch is in the midst of a $200 million remodel.)
Here are all the poker rooms in the Las Vegas area that will be left standing after the Poker Palace closes…
Aria
Bellagio
Boulder Station
Caesars Palace
Golden Nugget
Horseshoe
Mandalay Bay
MGM Grand
Orleans
Planet Hollywood
Red Rock
Resorts World
Santa Fe Station
Skyline
South Point
Venetian
Westgate
Wyn
Station Casinos operates three of them: at Boulder Station, Red Rock and Sante Fe Station.
Dolly Parton has postponed all six dates of her Caesars Palace mini-residency due to health concerns
The country music legend said she will need to undergo “a few procedures”
Instead of taking place in December, her shows have been bumped to September 2026
Dolly Parton has postponed all six shows of her upcoming Las Vegas mini-residency, scheduled for December at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, until September 2026. The 79-year-old country legend blames what she calls “health challenges,” though she did not detail what they were.
Tickets to Parton’s December 2025 run all sold out the day they went on sale, making her only the fourth performer in the history of the Colosseum at Caesars Palace to accomplish this feat after Celine Dion, Garth Brooks and Adele. (Image: Live Nation)
Parton promises to perform the six concerts (December 4, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13) on September 17, 19, 20, 23, 25 and 26, 2026 instead.
“I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see,” the “9 to 5” singer wrote in a message to fans via Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 28.
“As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” Parton continued. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Parton may be vaguely referring to an engagement she just missed in Dollywood, her theme Tennessee theme park, on September 17.
“I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems,” she told fans in a video made for event attendees. “It turned out it’d given me an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.’”
The Colosseum concerts were to have marked the first time Parton performed in Las Vegas for 32 years. Now they will mark her first time in 33 years.
“Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,” she wrote in her message. “But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures in life.”
Tickets purchased for the original dates will be honored for the corresponding new dates. Refunds are also available.
“I love you and thank you for understanding,” Parton signed her note.
The Athletics (76-86) played their final game of the 2025 season on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, but they gave Sacramento fans something to look forward to for next year.The team teased gold jerseys to be worn in 2026 with “Sacramento” displayed on the front in green font. Although their 2025 uniforms have a Tower Bridge sleeve patch on them, this is the first jersey since the A’s moved to Sutter Health Park to say Sacramento on it. Each Saturday home game next season will be part of “Sacramento Saturdays,” according to a release from the Athletics. Players will wear the new gold jerseys every Saturday, while also having the option wear them for other home games and on the road.The A’s are not expected to relocate to Las Vegas until 2028 as stadium construction is still underway. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The Athletics (76-86) played their final game of the 2025 season on Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, but they gave Sacramento fans something to look forward to for next year.
The team teased gold jerseys to be worn in 2026 with “Sacramento” displayed on the front in green font. Although their 2025 uniforms have a Tower Bridge sleeve patch on them, this is the first jersey since the A’s moved to Sutter Health Park to say Sacramento on it.
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Each Saturday home game next season will be part of “Sacramento Saturdays,” according to a release from the Athletics. Players will wear the new gold jerseys every Saturday, while also having the option wear them for other home games and on the road.
The A’s are not expected to relocate to Las Vegas until 2028 as stadium construction is still underway.
Las Vegas Sands CEO Rob Goldstein met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang
The Chinese leader expressed enthusiasm for strengthening his country’s relationship with the US
Sands operates five casinos in China’s Macau
Robert Goldstein, the chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, who assumed the roles in January 2021 following the death of his longtime boss and mentor, Sheldon Adelson, was among the American business leaders who met last week with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The Venetian on the Cotai Strip in Macau, owned by Las Vegas Sands, is seen. Sands’ top executive, Robert Goldstein, met recently with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. (Image: Shutterstock)
For decades, Goldstein was Adelson’s right-hand man. Adelson, the founder and longtime chair and CEO of Sands, was responsible for overhauling China’s Macau into the world’s richest gaming hub by developing the ultra-luxurious Cotai Strip.
During his trip to the US to attend a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York, Li, Chinese President Xi Jinping’s right-hand man, who is the second most important leader in China, met with several executives from major American companies that do business with China, with LVS among them.
Las Vegas-based Sands no longer has any resorts in Las Vegas or anywhere else in the US. The firm instead relies primarily on Macau, along with its Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Chinese Meeting
Goldstein was one of at least eight business leaders who met privately with Li in New York on Thursday after the UN gathering. Goldstein’s attendance was first reported by Bloomberg.
Looking forward, China and the US need to find the right way to get along in this new era,” Li said at the event hosted by the National Committee on US-China Relations, according to a readout posted by the Chinese government. “Economic and trade relations are an important part of our bilateral relationship.”
Li said that the world’s two largest economies “can and should become friends and partners.”
Those are welcome comments for Sands, which owns and operates five integrated resort casino properties in China — The Venetian, Sands, The Londoner, The Plaza & Four Seasons Hotel, and The Parisian. In 2024, Sands’ Macau operations generated net revenue of more than $7.1 billion for the company.
President Donald Trump’s tariff war and ongoing threats to the Chinese economy have caused some concern among the three US-based gaming operators invested in Macau that they could be targeted for retaliation. Along with Sands, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts own casinos in Macau.
Li’s comments, however, suggest the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to strengthen its US relationship.
Regardless of changes in the external environment, China will make every possible effort to ensure greater certainty for the growth of foreign companies,” Li added.
The premier said the Pacific Ocean is “wide enough” to accommodate a strong bilateral relationship between the US and China, but also additional countries. Li urged both sides and parties to “strengthen cooperation.”
Li Power
Along with Goldstein and Sands, Li reportedly invited leaders from BlackRock, Citadel Securities, Visa, FedEx, Estee Lauder, and Amphenol.
As premier, a position he’s held since March 2023, Li has been considered pro-business. The premier is the head of the People’s Republic of China government and leads the State Council.
Goldstein plans to step down next year. He’s set to be replaced by Sands President and COO Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Sands’ largest shareholder, Dr. Miriam Adelson, the widow of the late Sheldon Adelson.
