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Tag: Vegas

  • Phil Ruffin’s Gilley’s Gambling Hall in Kansas Readies Opening

    Posted on: December 12, 2025, 10:14h. 

    Last updated on: December 12, 2025, 10:36h.

    • Gilley’s in Kansas opens on December 15
    • Phil Ruffin is bringing the honky-tonk brand to Park City
    • Gilley’s replaces the former Wichita Greyhound Park

    The redeveloped Wichita Greyhound Park will open as Gilley’s next week.

    Gilley's Kansas Phil Ruffin
    The Gilley’s Girls are ready to lead line dances and pour drinks at Gilley’s in Kansas. The Park City gambling and entertainment venue from billionaire Phil Ruffin is set to open on Dec. 15, 2025. (Image: Gilley’s)

    Amid flagging interest in greyhound racing, Wichita Greyhound Park held its final dog race on Oct. 6, 2007. Kansas native Phil Ruffin, who owned the track during its closure and unsuccessfully fought for slot machines to save the facility and its employees, announced a redevelopment of the property soon after Kansas lawmakers approved slot-like historical horse racing (HHR) machines in 2022.

    The casino billionaire, who owns Circus Circus and Treasure Island on the Las Vegas Strip, will open Gilley’s Park City on Monday, December 15, at 6 pm.

    “It’s gonna blow your mind,” Ruffin told The Wichita Eagle. “Everybody’s going to be surprised at what we did at the track. It’s something even Vegas hasn’t seen yet. It would compete very effectively on the Strip.”

    Gilley’s combines gambling with family fun. Along with the Gambling Hall’s 1,000 parimutuel-based HHR gaming machines, Gilley’s has an arcade, golf simulators, and a bowling alley.

    For older guests, there’s a dance hall with live music, a sports bar, a parimutuel wagering racebook with simulcast racing, and a cocktail lounge.

    Gilley’s Brand 

    The original Gilley’s Club, cofounded by country music singer Mickey Gilley, opened in 1970 in Pasadena, Texas.

    Known as the “world’s biggest honky-tonk,” the popular club revived Gilley’s career, with the saloon’s mechanical bull portrayed in the 1980 film “Urban Cowboy” starring John Travolta. Gilley’s cover of “Stand by Me” on the movie’s soundtrack reached the top spot on the US country chart in 1980.

    Ruffin befriended Gilley in the early 1990s. Ruffin brought Gilley’s to Las Vegas in 1998 when he opened the Gilley’s Saloon at his New Frontier Hotel Casino. Ruffin opened a Gilley’s at Treasure Island after buying the Strip property in 2009, which remains in operation.

    Gilley died of complications from bone cancer in 2022 at the age of 86. Ruffin, 90, is carrying on his legacy.

    I have been a personal friend of Mickey Gilley and family since the early 1990s, and it led me to bring the Gilley’s experience to Las Vegas. Now, with his wife, Cindy Gilley, leading the company, I’m bringing the iconic brand to Park City, Kansas, guaranteed to be the best entertainment destination in the region,” Ruffin said.

    Gilley’s Park City is located off the Interstate 135 77th Street exit north of Wichita.

    Gaming Competition 

    While Ruffin’s Gilley’s won’t be able to house Vegas-like slot machines or live-dealer table games, a neighboring business can. Just steps south of Gilley’s is the CrossWinds Casino, a small gaming room owned and operated by the Wyandotte Nation.

    Being a federally recognized tribe holding a Class III gaming compact with the state, CrossWinds can offer traditional casino slot machines. While CrossWinds doesn’t currently offer table games, the tribe could bring in felt should it seek to limit Gilley’s poaching of its gaming business.

    Devin O’Connor

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  • Against odds, Storm in position for huge upset of Aces in Las Vegas

    (Photo credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images)

    The Seattle Storm cooled off the Las Vegas Aces and now have the opportunity to post a mammoth upset when the teams meet in the decisive Game 3 on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

    Seattle was beaten by 25 points in Game 1 and was trailing by 14 in the third quarter in Tuesday’s Game 2 before rallying for an 86-83 win at home. The seventh-seeded Storm finished the game on a dazzling 16-4 run.

    The loss was the first for Las Vegas since a horrific 111-58 setback against the visiting Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 2. The second-seeded Aces won their final 16 regular-season games before hammering Seattle 102-77 in the opening contest of the best-of-three first-round series.

    ‘This team was the hottest team in the league and we were able to beat them,’ Storm star Skylar Diggins said. ‘We have another tough one in Vegas.’

    Diggins had 26 points and seven assists and Nneka Ogwumike added 24 points and 10 rebounds to pace Seattle. Dominique Malonga converted the go-ahead 3-point play with 31 seconds left to give the Storm their first lead since they were up 37-36 in the second quarter.

    ‘We are not unfamiliar with tight games, and we’re not unfamiliar with playing from behind,’ Ogwumike said.

    Diggins and Ogwumike each made four 3-pointers and Seattle was 10 of 20 as a team.

    ‘We guarded poorly at the 3-point line,’ Aces coach Becky Hammon said. ‘Our hands were down, we weren’t disruptive, we weren’t even guarding. We were eight feet off of them. It was trash garbage (defense) at the 3-point line.’

    Las Vegas was sailing when A’ja Wilson scored four straight points early in the fourth period to give the Aces a 75-63 advantage with 7:06 left.

    Seattle dominated the rest of the contest by scoring 23 of the final 31 points.

    ‘It’s a shame,’ Hammon said. ‘I feel like we let one go.’

    After a Diggins basket with 4.2 seconds left to make it a 3-point margin, Las Vegas had a chance to force overtime, but Jewell Loyd’s 3-point attempt bounced off the rim.

    ‘We didn’t execute our stuff at a high level on both ends of the floor, and that led to us losing,’ Loyd said.

    Jackie Young scored 25 points and Wilson added 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for the Aces.

    The winner of Thursday’s game will face either the Atlanta Dream or Indiana Fever in the best-of-five semifinals.

    –Field Level Media

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  • F1 Las Vegas is Within Your Reach! • This Week in Gambling

    F1 Las Vegas is coming November 22, 2025! Think you can’t afford to attend the Las Vegas Grand Prix? Well, think again! We’ve got a breakdown on the best priced F1 tickets and hotels that can fit almost any budget! Plus, a shot list of parties and entertainment to enjoy all during the Las Vegas F1 race!

    F1 Las Vegas is scheduled for Saturday, November 22nd, but shows and special events are going on all week long. And despite what you may have heard, the race is not too expensive for the average person. So before we talk about parties, concerts, and hotels, let’s talk about tickets. Don’t get me wrong, there are some expensive ticket packages out there over $30,000. But in this video, we’re more focused on the average Vegas visitor.

    With that said, what you pay for a ticket will depend on where you sit… or stand. And that brings us to the T-Mobile general admission tickets near Sphere Las Vegas, which you can get for as little as $140 if you don’t mind standing. But why stand when you can sit for just a bit more at the Heineken Grandstands with all-inclusive beer? If you want something a bit more interactive, the Lewis Hamilton Grandstands have activations and entertainment starting at $185. And the Turn 3 Grandstands, with the largest band zone on the circuit, start at just $200 each.

    Back at the Sphere, the T-Mobile Grandstands boasts the biggest F1 Las Vegas party with top performers and prices from 225 bucks. But the Heineken silver main grandstand seats located at the start finish line are just $300. But if the thought of sitting in the grandstands doesn’t appeal to you, there are rooftop views from Beer Park at Paris for just over $2,800. The Bellagio Fountain Club with gourmet food and fine wine starts at just over $8,000. And the exclusive Wynn Grid Club luxury suite, with 360 degree views and your own private outdoor terrace? Well, that will set you back just north of $22,000. Financing is available. I’m kidding. They ain’t going to finance shit.

    So, now that we have the tickets settled, what about your hotel room? Well, believe it or not, there are over 30 hotels available for under $300 a night, and over half of those are under $200 a night. Budget friendly travelers can stay at one of these popular Sin City resorts, which may not have been your first choice, but many are on the strip or Fremont Street. There’s also many mid-tier resorts that offer great locations and plenty of amenities with some like Treasure Island not too far from the race course.

    If you don’t mind paying a little extra, there are over a dozen nice resorts to choose from in the $200 a night range, including several on the actual racetrack. Step up your game with rooms over $300 a night. Some of which, like the Paris and Caesar’s Palace, have their own viewing experiences and offer direct access to the course and events. But if money is no object, go all out with a room at one of these exclusive resorts like Bellagio, which offers luxury suites and amazing views of the race action.

    Finally this week, now that we have our tickets and hotel sorted out, what about special events going on during race week? Well, there are plenty. And that’s in addition to the usual shows and residencies that are always in Las Vegas. You can enjoy a night of laughs with comedian Tom Sigura at Park MGM November 21st, plus the smooth, soulful music of Kim at the Palms and the party rhythms of Pitbull as he takes the stage at Fontton Blue on the 21st and 22nd.

    If you’re heading out in the evening, there will be plenty to dance to as several Sin City nightclubs host DJs during F1 Las Vegas, including Omnia and Zoo, plus a performance from Steve at the Hakasan Club located at MGM Grand. Of course, there will be live entertainment at the race itself with Zed, MGK, and Tain on stage in the T-Mobile Zone and additional artists performing at the East Harmon stage, including Dylan Francis and Shaggy.

    Plus, there’s an F1 app that you can download that will help you keep up with tickets, news, entertainment, the event schedule, and more. We’ll put a link to download that app in the description of this video. So enjoy the F1 race, but don’t try to watch it from a pedestrian bridge. They’re on to that and they really don’t like it. And check out our other videos for more entertainment options in Vegas. And subscribe to our channel to find out what’s going on in Sin City when there’s not a race.

    This Week in Gambling

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  • Fallout: New Vegas endures because of big clunky story swings

    Fallout: New Vegas endures because of big clunky story swings

    Fallout: New Vegas has endured in the cultural zeitgeist in a way that few other games have. Even within the Fallout fandom, it’s earned a prized position as a true classic of the RPG genre. That love is still reflected today, in goofy memes and fan art and enduring debates over which endgame is the right one. Even though the game has aged terribly in some respects — characters look rough, and not just from living in the apocalypse — it still persists as one of the high points of the Fallout franchise. The new Fallout TV series is set to premiere on Amazon, so there’s seldom been a better time to revisit New Vegas or play it for the first time.

    Fallout: New Vegas opens with an exploration of the Mojave Wasteland, setting up some of the factions vying for control of this region of post-apocalyptic America. This game builds off the lore of the first two isometric RPGs, returning to the West Coast. The New California Republic, a democratic attempt at building back an old America, has expanded too far. Here, at the Hoover Dam, they struggle to hold on to territory. Caesar’s Legion, an army emulating the empire of old Rome, has met the NCR here in a clash of ideologies. New Vegas, a sparkling city of progress run by the mysterious Mr. House, dominates the skyline with its neon towers.

    Unfortunately, the player character will need to work up to confronting these forces. The game begins with the Courier being waylaid by a smooth-talking group of goons. You awake in a friendly local doctor’s home, having miraculously survived being shot in the head and left in a shallow grave. You sort out matters in the small town of Goodsprings and then begin your trek into the Mojave.

    Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks

    New Vegas is built on the bones of Fallout 3, and the gameplay is honestly so-so. But the game is elevated by its fantastic writing. There are four possible paths the Courier can choose from: joining the NCR, allying with Mr. House, enlisting in Caesar’s Legion, or pursuing an independent Mojave. There’s a similar structure to Fallout 4, but I failed to connect with the various ideologies of the Commonwealth. They were a little too simplistic and flat. Fallout: New Vegas is anything but that.

    The questions posed in New Vegas are much more interesting to me as a player. At first, the NCR appears to be the default good guy faction. But one companion, Cass, openly expresses skepticism of the government. She critiques their expansion with the memorable line: “Nobody’s dick is that long, not even Long Dick Johnson. And he had a fucking long dick, hence the name.” Hanging out with Boone, a stoic and surly sniper I meet in the mouth of a giant dinosaur tower, complicates things further. After enough time working together, he shares the trauma incurred by his time with the NCR.

    Every companion in this game has opinions, and they’re interesting. New Vegas has a bunch of wildly interesting ideas, and it’s not shy about running with them. Lily Bowen is a giant nightkin super mutant who wears a giant sun hat and shades. Raul is a ghoul gunslinger who’s been press-ganged into service as a mechanic for a hostile state of super mutants. Arcade Gannon is a doctor and scientist who automatically joins your party if you have an intelligence of 3 or less, because he feels like someone needs to take care of you.

    The NCR may be complicated, but Caesar’s Legion poses a serious threat — or opportunity, depending on your decisions — to the denizens of the Mojave. The player is introduced to the faction through Nipton, a sinful town sentenced to a gruesome ritual known as the Lottery. The encounter starts with a guy running at you, hysterically laughing and screaming that he won, he won! You quickly realize that his joy is closer to a wild hysteria, and something truly terrible has happened in Nipton.

    A player in Fallout: New Vegas confronts two security automotons, bulky robots with grasping hands that balance on one wheel, with a rifle.

    Image: Obsidian Entertainment/Bethesda Softworks

    Mr. House offers a potential third path, but as I quest around the Strip, I can’t help but realize how many impoverished communities have sprung up in its shadow. I can’t even get in — under penalty of being shot by a giant murder robot — unless I meet specific qualifications. Can I trust the reclusive master of the Strip and its casinos? Or is it worth forging a new path for the Mojave, with no masters or kings?

    Each of these factions have interesting characters. Caesar is definitely a bad guy, and I have journeyed through his camp to blow him up in new and satisfying ways many times over the years. But it’s also worth talking philosophy with him, and learning more about the Legion and the sort of civilization they would establish. He’s not a mustache-twirling villain, but a satisfying antagonist to face and defeat.

    This is all skimming the surface of what New Vegas has to offer. The cherry on top of this great RPG is a radio station that’s full of bangers, with a particular shoutout to Big Iron. But the game takes big swings, and the overall vision is able to balance both serious themes and some intense goofiness.

    Similar open-world RPGs have quickly faded from conversation after their launch. Even a recent big RPG epic like Starfield has fallen off most of our radars. But Fallout: New Vegas fans are still making memes, arguing about the endgame variables, and sharing build tips to this day. It’s a clunky game in many respects, the characters don’t look great, and there’s the occasional glitch. I don’t care. Fallout: New Vegas is still the apple of my eye, and showcases how brilliant the setting can be.

    Fallout: New Vegas is available to play on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Game Pass, and Windows PC via Steam and GOG.

    Cass Marshall

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  • Your Weekend Playlist: New Music To Listen To This Friday

    Your Weekend Playlist: New Music To Listen To This Friday

    When commuting to work, I do a lot of people watching. Call me creepy, but in New York City, there’s not much else you can do besides be hyper-aware of your surroundings. And that includes taking note of the three main different types of commuters.

    There’s the insufferable worker: has a classic novel folded as they lean against the subway rails, barely cognizant of the fact that they could be launched onto their neighbor at any moment. Yes, they’re waiting for someone to ask them if they truly enjoy the discourse of the Charles Dickens book they’re toting.

    Then there’s the head down, hating-the-world commuter who just needs to get to their destination in one piece. Do not make eye contact, you’ll turn to stone.

    …And then there’s me: the off-duty DJ. At any moment, I’m hoping someone stops and asks me what song I’m listening to for their TikTok’s. I’m bobbing my head, there’s a little skip to my step, and I’m rocking out at all times. I like to think of myself as the pedestrian version of Baby Driver.

    Music gets me out of bed and helps me hype myself up for work. It’s the background noise as I get ready to go out each weekend. It’s also part of my job. I should have a black card Spotify membership at this point.

    So, as we know, I spend the week gathering up all the new music that’s released every Friday and compiling a playlist that is so irresistible you’ll spend the weekend replaying it. If you’re looking for new music, well, you’ve come to the right place.

    We’ve got another week filled with fresh tracks you won’t wanna miss. Without further ado, let’s get listening!

    “Saturn” – SZA


    GRAMMY award winner, SZA, is fresh off her SOS album: a thrilling sophomore addition to her no-skips, no-miss collection of music. She’s gearing up to release the deluxe reissue of the album titled, Lana, and “Saturn” is her first submission. It’s your classic, dreamy SZA sound with ethereal beats and longing vocals.

    Singing about how she doesn’t belong on this planet, how life is better on Saturn – where none of this matters. It’s about the sheer feeling of escapism that overwhelms you from time to time…and it gets us excited for what comes next.

    “Planet” – Aidan Bissett 

    Aidan Bissett has a unique way of combining rock and pop to create an earworm-worthy single. Alongside his EP, Supernova, Bissett releases “Planet” – a song about finding inspiration in the most unlikely places. Written after being ghosted, he touches on real-life experience to produce yet another banger in his already impressive discography.

    Begging for someone to “come back down to this earth”, Bissett bursts into the chorus lamenting how he’s wasting his time and unable to understand his partner…so she must be from another planet. It’s a softer edge to Bissett that works just as well as his upbeat songs.

    “Proud” – SERGIO 

    When interviewing SERGIO a while ago, you could tell he was someone who had two things figured out: his sound, and how he wants to stay true to making music he loves. You can see this reflected in his new song, “Proud”, which emphasizes all the hard work he has put in to get to where he is now.

    SERGIO’s voice is smooth, clean-cut, and soothing, gently guiding you throughout the song filled with catchy pop sounds and passionate lyrics. “Proud” is a perfect example of how SERGIO can make a song both relatable and unique all in one.

    “All I Want” – Simi 

    Simi is a star in her own right: an actress, a songwriter, a singer, and a performer. She owns her own label, Studio Brat, which is where she’s releasing her next single, “All I Want” – and it’s every bit as fulfilling as the rest. An upbeat, encouraging song that is dedicated to finding love, Simi makes it all feel possible with this new single.

    “All I Want” is her follow up to last year’s ballad, “Stranger”, which is an exemplification of her vocal range and songwriting ability. It’s rare to have someone who can do it all, but Simi seemingly does it with ease.

    “Believe” – USHER

    Fresh off a Super Bowl Halftime performance, USHER has had himself a year. An extended Vegas residency that draws A-list crowds (my roommate sat next to the Kardashian’s table), and now new music as the cherry on top of it all. “Believe” is everything you love about USHER: his traditional R&B sound, littered with vocal runs and sensual sounds.

    “Believe” is your reminder that USHER isn’t going anywhere, any time soon. He looks as good as he did when he was performing “Somebody To Love” with Justin Bieber, and he sounds even better.

    Jai Phillips

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  • Keeler: Kyle Shanahan ignored Christian McCaffrey in third quarter. And it cost him Super Bowl LVIII.

    Keeler: Kyle Shanahan ignored Christian McCaffrey in third quarter. And it cost him Super Bowl LVIII.

    Cherry Creek did Valor Christian dirty. A game that should’ve been in Christian McCaffrey’s hands in the third quarter wound up in Patrick Mahomes’ mitts during overtime.

    Oh, there will be other Super Bowls for Kyle Shanahan, pride of Cherry Creek, son of Broncos icon Mike Shanahan. But if Chiefs 25, 49ers 22 stings a little more on Monday in Broncos Country, it’s because Little Shanny waited too stinking long to change course. It’s because the AFC’s newest dynasty feels as if it’s riding a wave of Front Range tears.

    And let’s be frank: It’s because McCaffrey, the 49ers star and former Valor bell cow, touched the ball 14 times in the first half and just three times in the third quarter, a stretch that helped Mahomes and Patriots West get up off the mat.

    It wasn’t the same script as the one that burned young Shanahan as badly as when he was offensive coordinator with the Falcons — a 28-3 Super Bowl lead turned, inexplicably, into another Tom Brady triumph.

    But the beats felt eerily close. Little Shanny responded to a touchdown cushion and a Mahomes interception coming out of halftime with six straight pass plays … which amassed negative-2 net yards. For a painful, fleeting moment, Kyle forgot he had the best tailback in the free world. He let Mahomes hang around too long.

    We already know how much the football gods love No. 15. Why tease or tempt them? Look at Kansas City’s postseason path. Miami at home? Minus-27 wind chill. Buffalo on the road? Wide right. Baltimore on the road? Lamar Jackson forgot he was Lamar and tied himself up in knots trying to be Mahomes.

    With 2:32 left in the third stanza, those gods finally struck. A Chiefs punt scraped the heel of Niners special-teamer Darrell Luter Jr. and eventually was recovered by KC’s Jaylen Watson at the San Fran 16.

    Never one to refuse a gift, Mahomes pounced on the very next play, finding a wide-open Marquez Valdes-Scantling in the front of the end zone for an easy score and the Chiefs’ first lead of the evening, 12-10.

    San Fran, meanwhile, had opened with stanza with the rock at the KC 44, thanks to a clutch pick. Nothing. Shanahan got it back at the Niners 36. Still nada.

    This after Little Shanny and the Niners had ceded the halftime stage to Usher nursing a 10-3 lead — a scoreline that flattered the defending champs.

    Midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs’ ball of championship steel wool appeared to be unraveling, one strand at a time. CBS cameras showed Travis Kelce running over to coach Andy Reid, like a man possessed, and shoving his longtime coach in his side, raging and barking as if Captain Cheeseburger had just name-dropped one of Taylor Swift’s ex-paramours.

    Despite both teams’ sloppy starts, Shanahan was at least wise enough not to forget what he had in the backfield — McCaffrey touched the ball 14 times those first two quarters, nine of them carries.

    But the sweetest came on what looked, at first, like a broken play salvaged by speed and insanity. Slowed down, though, it became apparent that The Son of The Mastermind is indeed a chip off the old zone block.

    With 4:23 left until halftime, Niners wideout Jauan Jennings caught a lateral in the left flat, eyes upfield. Only he shifted quickly to his right, flicking a pass, this one a wounded duck, in the direction of McCaffrey. The Denver native had to spring to snare the ball in mid-flight, building up a head of steam the way Popeye does after wolfing down a can of spinach.

    Valor Christian’s finest, sure enough, proved strong to the finish. With at least two Niners blockers obstructing traffic in the right flat, McCaffrey turned what looked like sheer insanity into a 21-yard touchdown sprint and a 9-0 cushion.

    Kyle learned his lessons well. But the son of Mike, who coached the Broncos to back-to-back championships, also knew when to fold ’em on this stage. When to hold ’em. When to walk away. And, most importantly, when to run.



    Sean Keeler

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  • Vegas To Ring In New Year With Weddings, Weed, and WOW

    Vegas To Ring In New Year With Weddings, Weed, and WOW

    Vegas is always involving and always finding a way to entertain and engage visitors – Is this year going to be bigger & better?

    Las Vegas’s old theme was “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”, but when was the city every discreet? Sin City seems to be always going for bigger, better, and flashier.  Gone are the days of the $9.99 buffets and hello to the world of excess and excitement.  Home to three Tiffany & Cos, 4 Guccis, 8 Louis Vuittons, and 3 Hermes shops in less than 2 square miles – Vegas knows money. Now this year looks like Vegas to win in the New Year with weddings, weed and WOW.

    RELATED: TSA And Cannabis: What You Need To Know

    This year on December 31, 2023, the date’s repeating 1-2-3 pattern has made it a popular choice for couples looking to make their nuptials extra memorable. This year’s specialty date just happens to fall on a holiday famous for its celebrations, making it even more appealing. And couples are responding.

    Photo by lindsayascott via Pixabay

    Melody Willis-Williams, the president of Vegas Weddings, which operates multiple wedding venues shared “Anytime you get these specialty dates, they’re always hugely popular. But tie that in with New Year’s Eve and it’s a showstopper.”  The record of  4,492 for marriages in Las Vegas set on 7. July 2007. The day of the “lucky sevens.”

    Of course, Vegas has always had iconic locations – from the Golden Steer Las Vegas – home to massive steaks and lobsters to the kitschy Vegas sign and Bellagio fountain shows…Vegas gives you are reason to return again and again. The Spheres are the current showstopper.  Social media as blown as at the $2 billion globe like arena the outside has transformed from the Rocketttes to a Christmas Ornament mesmerizing locals and online community. And this is the first full year to make a splash and fill it with action, music and wonder. Look for Phish, U-2, and, rumor has it, Harry Styles to be part of their lineup.

    RELATED: Easy Holiday Whiskey Cocktails

    One of the nations most popular dispensaries, Planet 13, off the Las Vegas Strip, will get a bump when Cannabition opens in an adjacent space.  The immersive, “Instagrammable” experience designed for entertainment and enlightenment has the cannabis community excited.

    And, coming off their inaugural race, the Las Vegas Grand Prix will return in 2024!  After the 2023, Vegas business are eager to the return and yet another unique attraction in Sin City.

    So whether a ring, race, ribs or weed….Vegas has a promising 2024.

    Sarah Johns

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  • NBA G League player Chance Comanche arrested in death of woman missing in Vegas

    NBA G League player Chance Comanche arrested in death of woman missing in Vegas

    Chance Comanche, until recently a player with the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League, has been arrested, along with his girlfriend, in the kidnapping and killing of a woman in Las Vegas, authorities said Sunday.

    Comanche, 27, was a graduate of Beverly Hills High School.

    Las Vegas Metropolitan police said two people walked into a police substation on Dec. 7 around 3:30 p.m. to report that Marayna Rodgers was missing. Rodgers, 23, had gone out Dec. 5 and had planned to meet her friend Sakari Harnden, 19, and Harnden’s boyfriend, Comanche.

    Rodgers had not been seen or heard from since, police said; authorities suspected foul play. Las Vegas Metropolitan police later discovered Rodgers’ remains in the desert of Henderson, Nev.

    “Detectives determined that Harnden and Comanche were responsible for the murder of Rodgers,” said a statement from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

    Rodgers, who worked as a medical assistant, had been visiting Las Vegas from Washington state with friends, according to local media.

    Comanche played with the Stockton Kings in their game against the G League Ignite in Henderson the day Rodgers was last seen.

    Comanche was arrested Friday by the California FBI Criminal Apprehension Team in Sacramento and is awaiting extradition to Nevada on suspicion of kidnapping. The charges will be “amended to open murder” in coordination with the Clark County district attorney’s office, according to police. Comanche is being held at the Sacramento County Jail without bail. Harnden was arrested Wednesday in Las Vegas.

    Comanche signed with the NBA’s Sacramento Kings on Oct. 2, and they waived him Oct. 12. He then played with the G League affiliate the Stockton Kings.

    The Stockton Kings dropped the 27-year-old center Friday.

    The 6-foot-11 Comanche was a standout center when he played for Beverly Hills High School and went on to play for the University of Arizona.

    Rachel Uranga

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  • ALL GLORY TO THE LAS VEGAS SPHERE!

    ALL GLORY TO THE LAS VEGAS SPHERE!

    Jon

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  • Hotel housekeeping jobs have fallen by 102,000 during the pandemic. What happened?

    Hotel housekeeping jobs have fallen by 102,000 during the pandemic. What happened?

    As some U.S. hotels hung on to practices they adopted during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic — such as eliminating daily room cleanings — the number of hotel housekeepers fell by more than 102,000 last year from prepandemic levels, new data show.

    The total number of hotel housekeeping jobs as of May 2022 was 364,990, a 22% decline from the total of 467,270 such positions during the same period in 2019, according to numbers released last week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Unions…

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  • Cassandra Peterson Says Halloween Growth Has Been A Key Component In Elvira’s Success

    Cassandra Peterson Says Halloween Growth Has Been A Key Component In Elvira’s Success

    According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Halloween enthusiasm is back to pre-pandemic levels with related spending expected to reach $10.6 billion. Cassandra Peterson, the woman behind Elvira, the decades-long ghoulish cult favorite, isn’t surprised. For Peterson, the Elvira phenomenon has been a 24/7 business that has resulted in a multimillion dollar empire of projects and products. These days, you can find the fictional Mistress of the Dark featured on television programming, Vegas slot machines, purses, baby onesies, and pet bowls. With over 1000 licensed products, she’s everywhere.

    This year, the NRF projects that $3.6 billion dollars will be spent on Halloween costumes with $1.7 billion for adult costumes. Of those dressing up, 1.7 million adults report that they plan to dress as a vampire. More than a few will likely channel the “vampiress” Elvira.

    Elvira and Halloween

    Originally conceived as a year-round horror hostess television personality in the ‘80s, Elvira’s connection to Halloween culture has pumped the brand beyond Peterson’s wildest expectations.

    “The holiday is a key component. Being associated with a national holiday that’s actually going worldwide…is just a miracle…I didn’t start out as being associated with Halloween. But Halloween is growing right along with me and the character. It started out as very much a kid’s holiday, you know, trick or treating, and it’s all fun. And as I started, and I can’t take all the credit, that’s for sure, but I think it’s built built built into more of an adult holiday, still a great kids’ holiday too. But as Halloween expands, so does Elvira and it’s just a fantastic thing…It’s just been bigger and bigger,” says Peterson.

    Real Life and Elvira

    The paperback edition of the pop culture icon’s memoir Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark released this month comes one year after the hard cover publication that included Peterson’s relationship reveal that introduced fans to the fact that she has been in a longterm romantic partnership with a woman.

    For Peterson, the last year has been enlightening and lightening thanks in part to the memoir which addressed her difficult relationship with her mother and her supportive relationship with her assistant Teresa “T” Wierson.

    “I’m kind of happy to get a lot of the stuff about her (her mother) off my chest. And I’m happy to stop hiding who I really am and what relationship I’m in. When you’re younger, you’re worried about that stuff. You’re worried about it affecting your work, your income, your personal relationships. But it’s finally all out there. And I’m like, ‘Yay, I feel like I am 100 pounds lighter.’”

    Did the disclosure that actor Cassandra Peterson was in a gay relationship affect the Elvira brand that had long been associated with a vampy female character that seems to be rather obsessed with men?

    Peterson notes that there was an initial shift of sorts, but it wasn’t a negative one. With respect to social media, she witnessed a dip and then a bigger surge in Instagram followers. “I lost 11,000 then gained 60,000 in the first weekend,” says Peterson.

    She claims the book and her revelations have had a positive impact on the Elvira franchise. “I’m gonna do knock on wood right now. So far, everything that I’ve done has been wonderful. None of my licensees, which I have over 300 of them, none of them have, you know, reneged on my contracts. None of them have said, ‘Oh, gee, we can’t do this with you.’ It’s all been positive. I’m so happy. I mean, maybe I’m just one of the lucky few, I don’t know. But it’s been a positive experience. And all the things I worried about, have not come true.”

    Peterson’s schedule continues to be packed with appearances and fans wanting a glimpse of the woman behind the Halloween icon. Like them, she’d love to see Yours Cruelly, Elvira becomes a biopic.

    Elvis and Elvira

    Fun fact: Her role in helping turn Halloween into a multigenerational holiday wouldn’t have happened without Elvis Presley. Peterson was a 17-year-old show girl in Las Vegas when the cast of her show was invited to a party in Elvis’ suite. She spent the evening talking with the superstar who told her she had a nice voice and then offered some advice.

    “He said, ‘Go out and get some vocal lessons. And get the hell out of Vegas ‘cause it’s no place for a 17-year-old girl.’ And I was like, ‘What? What? This is my dream come true.’ He’s going, ‘No, no, no, it’s not your dream come true. You have many more dreams in front of you. And you need to really start working on yourself. And furthering your career.’ I always tell people, I was the youngest show girl in Vegas. And if it wasn’t for meeting Elvis, I would now be the oldest showgirl in Vegas. But he changed the entire trajectory of my career and my life.”

    Peterson got singing lessons the next day, scored a song in her show and soon moved to Europe where she became lead vocalist for an Italian rock band and the rest is history—chronicled in her memoir.

    The Future Elvira

    The actor and business woman who has retired her dancing shoes from her long-running annual show at Knotts Scary Farm, still seems like she’s far from giving Elvira a rest. Has she thought about what happens if she ever hangs up the black dress and high hair?

    “Oh, yeah, I think about it all the time. But I truly believe that I have built a brand that is—finally, took me 40 years, but that the brand is solid enough that it will be forever associated with Halloween. And that even if I’m not appearing as Elvira, even if I’m not alive anymore, I think the brand will continue. I mean, I think it’s become enough like Santa Claus, for example, who really, you know, isn’t around to backup his image. I think that Elvira will continue with me or without me. So I feel pretty confident about that at this point. It’s like buying Marilyn Monroe memorabilia, Elvis Presley stuff, you know, they’re not around, and they’re doing better than they were when they were alive.”

    Nancy Berk, Contributor

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