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Tag: Vegas casinos

  • Vegas Casinos Accept Canadian Dollars as US • This Week in Gambling

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    A group of prominent downtown Vegas casinos has announced a new initiative to accept the Canadian dollar at par with the American dollar. The promotion, which began this week and is scheduled to run through August 31, 2026, aims to reverse a sharp decline in international tourism from the north.

    The three participating properties are Circa Resort and Casino, The D Las Vegas, and Golden Gate Hotel and Casino. Under the new At Par program, eligible Canadian visitors will receive one U.S. dollar in value for every one Canadian dollar spent on specific services. This move effectively removes the current exchange rate barrier, which has seen the Canadian dollar trading at significantly lower values than its U.S. counterpart.

    According to Derek Stevens, CEO of the three Vegas casinos, the decision was driven by data showing a major drop in Canadian visitation over the past year. Industry reports indicate that Canadian travel to the city fell by approximately 20 percent in 2025, while airline seat capacity from Canada to Nevada decreased by roughly 30 percent. Stevens, who has personal ties to Canada, stated that the goal is to eliminate conversion stress and welcome back a demographic that has historically been the top international market for the region.

    The program includes several components. Canadian guests staying at these properties will pay for their room rates in Canadian dollars at a one-to-one ratio at check-in. The offer also extends to beverage purchases at designated locations, including BarCanada at The D, Overhang at Circa, and Bar Prohibition at Golden Gate. Additionally, the casinos are offering a gaming incentive where Canadian players can redeem up to 500 dollars in Canadian currency for 500 dollars in slot promotional play.

    To participate, guests must present a valid Canadian passport or government-issued identification to verify citizenship. The promotion is available to all Canadian travelers, regardless of whether they are staying at the participating hotels. Officials hope the financial advantage provided by the fixed exchange rate will encourage travelers to return during the busy summer season. As the tourism industry monitors cross-border travel trends, these Vegas casinos are positioning themselves as high-value destinations for international neighbors facing unfavorable currency markets.

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  • Vegas Casinos Face Federal Investigations • This Week in Gambling

    Vegas Casinos Face Federal Investigations • This Week in Gambling

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    Several Las Vegas casinos are looking at investigations from Federal agencies this week. MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment are dealing with separate issues in Nevada, and some in New Jersey.

    The Federal Trade Commission is looking at MGM’s handling of last year’s cyber attacks, and the company has sued the agency. Plus, the Department of Justice is looking at the possibility that Caesars colluded with other hotel operators to fix prices!

    Hello friends, Jay Todd here standing just outside of the MGM Grand. That was Ground Zero for last year’s cyber attacks that targeted several of their properties, along with Caesar’s Entertainment. Now MGM is suing the US Federal Trade Commission to stop their investigation into those attacks, but why? That’s a very good question.

    The head of the US Federal Trade Commission was staying at an MGM property in Las Vegas last September when all hell broke loose for Vegas casinos.  As the cyber attacks unfolded, chairman Lena M Conan found MGM employees writing down credit card numbers on pieces of paper, and when she confronted employees on how the company was handling the data, they could not provide an answer.

    The FTC opened an investigation into MGM’s handling of the situation shortly afterwards, and now MGM has sued the FTC and Ms Khan, claiming their investigation deprives the company of its constitutional right to due process and a hearing before an unbiased court. MGM has also filed a motion to recuse Ms Khan due to her personal involvement in this matter.

    Even though the FTC does not appear to be interested in how other Vegas casinos, including Caesars, handled these attacks, they are having legal issues of their own… Caesars, that is. The Department of Justice and the FTC are looking at them for hotel price fixing, which is obviously illegal. This unfolding in Atlantic City, and there are lawsuits.

    Caesar’s Entertainment and other Atlantic City casino operators have been sued for allegedly using third-party software to inflate their hotel room rates and guarantee that those rates  stay artificially high. This would be illegal under the Sherman Act, which criminalizes competitors from colluding to raise or fix prices. Now the Department of Justice Justice Antitrust Division, along with the FTC, are looking into these accusations which could result in greater scrutiny of how all hotel operators in New Jersey, Nevada, and all across America use such software to set their room rates.

    We close our show here, outside of the Ellis Island Casino, just off the Vegas Strip. A favorite of the smaller Vegas casinos by locals and tourists alike. And that noise you may hear in the background? That’s not traffic. It’s the sound of expansion! Family owned and operated Ellis Island is growing by nearly 6,500 square feet, expanding their casino floor and adding a sports book! This comes at the expense of their famous micro brewery, which was torn down to make way for the additions. But don’t worry, they are still producing their famous brews, which are available available for purchase, but they are now being made offsite. Renovation work will take from 8 to 10 months, and Ellis Island will celebrate its 56th anniversary this August.

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