The Las Vegas 51s (formerly the Las Vegas Stars) is a minor-league baseball team. They are the AAA affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They play at Cashman Field (capacity 9,334) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League.

The 51s take their name from Area 51, located “somewhere” in Nevada.

The 51s have won two PCL crowns (originally as the Stars) in 1986 and 1988.

On October 31, 2007, it was announced that the Las Vegas 51s had been sold (pending the regulatory approval of the Pacific Coast League and the Commissioners of Major League and Minor League Baseball) from the Mandalay Group to the Stevens Baseball Group. There are currently no plans to move the team, and talks of building a new stadium have been essentially stagnant for the past seven years. The team has sold about 5,000 tickets per game on average the last few years, but far fewer fans actually attend typical home games. On March 24, 2008 Mandalay Baseball Properties sold the 51s franchise to Stevens Baseball Group.

The new owners have announced that they intend to change the team’s name for the 2009 season, potentially opening the process to a public vote.

Franchise history

Former Names

• Las Vegas 51s : 2001 – present
• Las Vegas Stars : 1983 – 2000
• Spokane Indians : 1973 – 1982
• Portland Beavers : 1919 – 1972

Major League Affiliations

• 2001 – present Los Angeles Dodgers
• 1983 – 2000 San Diego Padres

Notable alumni

Roberto Alomar
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Carlos Baerga
Bruce Bochy
Larry Bowa (Manager)
Larry Brown
Chin-Feng Chen
Joey Cora
Éric Gagné
Ozzie Guillén
John Kruk
Russell Martin
Gary Matthews, Jr.
Kevin McReynolds
Brad Mills (Manager)
David Ross
Jerry Royster (Manager)
Benito Santiago
Jolbert Cabrera

Link

• Las Vegas 51s web site

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Bellagio 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard South Las Vegas, Nevada 89109
Number of rooms	,421
Theme	Mediterranean
Gaming space	16,000 ft² (10,776.75 m²)
Permanent show(s)	“O”
Signature attraction(s)	Bellagio Gallery Of Fine Art Conservatory The Fountains of Bellagio
Notable restaurant(s)	Le Cirque Circo Picasso Michael Mina Jasmine
Owner	MGM Mirage
Date opened	October 15, 1998
Casino type	Land
Major renovation(s)	Bellagio Spa Tower added: 2005
Previous name(s)	Dunes (demolished)
Casino website	Bellagio

Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned by MGM Mirage.

Inspired by the Lake Como resort of Bellagio in Italy, Bellagio is famed for its elegance. One of its most notable features is an 8 ac (32,000 m²) artificial lake between the building and the Strip. The fountain shows on the lake are a major free attraction.

Inside Bellagio, Dale Chihuly’s Fiori di Como, composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers, covers 2,000 ft² (610 m²) of the lobby ceiling. The hotel also contains the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens.

Bellagio was conceived by Steve Wynn and built by his company, Mirage Resorts, Inc. following the purchase and demolition of the legendary Dunes hotel and casino in 1993. Bellagio was designed by Marnell Corrao Associates and Jon Jerde.

Bellagio is home to Cirque du Soleil’s production of “O”, the second permanent production show for the troupe.

History

• When it opened on October 15, 1998, it was the most expensive hotel ever built, having cost over $1.5 billion.
• In 2000 it became a MGM Mirage property when Mirage Resorts merged with MGM Grand Inc. to create MGM Mirage.
• Actor Justin Pierce commited suicide in 2000, by hanging himself in one of the Bellagio’s rooms.

Film History

• Bellagio was featured prominently in the film Ocean’s Eleven (2001). The safe for the three casinos that were robbed was located at the Bellagio.
• The sex tape that propelled hotel heiress Paris Hilton to stardom was shot in one of the hotel rooms in Bellagio.

Fountain details

The Fountains of Bellagio

The Fountains at Night (oarsman/shooter nozzles visible)

Wet Design, a company specializing in creating intricate water shows, designed an array of underwater pipes with over 1,000 nozzles that makes it possible to stage fountain displays coordinated with over 4,000 lights and music. The Fountains of Bellagio, as the attraction is called, was made using three types of nozzles: “oarsman”, which can swing back and forth to create dancing water; “shooters”, which can shoot water upwards; and “super shooters”, which can send a water blast as high as 250 ft (76 m) in the air. After the success that Wet Design had with the Fountains, Steve Wynn asked them to improve and modify the volcano attraction at sister casino The Mirage.

Links

• Bellagio website
• Bellagio Hotel Virtual Tour – 360 degree virtual tour
• Las Vegas Travelog – photo collection
• Satellite view of the site
• Marnell Corrao Associates technical project overview
• Bellagio Casino Review
• Traveler reviews of the Bellagio Hotel

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is an annual gaming trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, generally in November, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The show is one of the two major gaming trade shows.

History

The show has been run by the American Gaming Association since its inception in 2001.

Links

• Global Gaming Expo web site

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Bally’s Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel has 2,814 rooms that are 450 ft² (42 m²) or larger. The hotel has over 175,000 ft² (7,000 m²) of banquet and meeting space. It also has a 67,000 ft² (6,000 m²) casino.

Bally’s is home for the long-running production show Jubilee!.

One of the signature features of this hotel is the neon lighting wrapped around the covered moving sidewalk that brings guests from Las Vegas Boulevard to the entrance of the casino.

The hotel has a Las Vegas Monorail station at the rear of the property.

History

The site was first occupied by the Bonanza Hotel and Casino which opened in July 1963. It was later renamed to the New Bonanza Hotel and Casino shortly before construction on the MGM Grand began.

The 43 ac (174 km²) site opened in 1973 as the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino with 2,084 rooms, the largest hotel in the world at that time. Kirk Kerkorian was the owner. The hotel had a movie theme when it opened.

The MGM Grand Hotel fire on November 21, 1980 killed 87 people.

It suffered a fire in the casino that traveled up into the hotel, killing 87 guests and employees on November 21, 1980. The facility was rebuilt in only eight months. The fire was, and still remains, the largest disaster in Nevada history in terms of loss of life. The fire resulted in a major reform in fire safety codes for the city’s casino resorts, which are now among the strictest in the United States.

The hotel was later sold in 1985 to Bally Entertainment Corporation, and the property’s name was changed to Bally’s. The MGM Grand name was transferred to the former Marina Hotel, now known as the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Bally’s was later taken over by Hilton Corporation. In 1998, Hilton spun off its casino holdings into a new company, Park Place Entertainment, later known as Caesars Entertainment. That company merged with Harrah’s Entertainment in 2003.

At the end of June 2005, Harrah’s Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman announced that the company would consolidate all its properties under a few brand names: Harrah’s, Rio, Caesars, and Horseshoe. This implies that Bally’s will be re-branded in the future.

Film history

In 1993, the hotel was featured in the film Honeymoon in Vegas, starring Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker.

It was also featured prominently in the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, also starring Cage and Elizabeth Shue.

Links

• Bally’s homepage

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The Cox Pavillion is a 2,472-seat indoor arena built in 2001 on the canpus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. It is used for small events and its main tenants are the UNLV’s women’s basketball and volleyball programs.

Notable natives and residents of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Natives

Adam Seward – football player
Andre Agassi – professional tennis player
Barry Zito – baseball player
Charisma Carpenter – actress
Daveigh Chase – actress
Greg Anthony – professional basketball player
Jack Kramer – tennis player
James Ronald Whitney – film and television director
Jenna Jameson – porn star
The Killers – Alternative rock band
Brandon Flowers
Mark Stoermer
Ronnie Vannucci
Kurt Busch – professional race car driver (NASCAR)
Lance Mazmanian – writer
Mikalah Gordon – American Idol contestant
Ricky Davis – professional basketball player
Stephanie Louden – professional golfer (LPGA)
Stephanie Romanov – actress

Non-natives

This is a list of people who played a notable role in the history of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Anthony Spilotro – mafia enforcer
Benny Binion – owner of the Horseshoe casino
Bob Stupak – developer of Stratosphere, controversial former owner of Vegas World
Bobby Baldwin – poker player and casino executive
Bugsy Siegel – developer of Flamingo.
Carl Icahn – owner of Stratosphere and Arizona Charlies
Céline Dion – singer
Clint Holmes – singer, songwriter
Corinna Harney Jones – actress and former Playboy playmate.
Danny Gans – entertainer
David Brenner – professional comedian.
Debbie Reynolds – entertainer
Del Webb – developer
Elvis Presley – legendary singer
Frank Rosenthal – sports handicapper, casino manager.
Gladys Knight – singer, entertainer and actress
Hank Greenspun – newspaper publisher and land developer.
Howard Hughes – billionaire casino owner and land developer.
Jay Sarno – developer of Caesars Palace and Circus Circus.
Jerry Lewis – entertainer
Jerry Tarkanian – former UNLV Men’s Basketball Head Coach
John C. Fremont – explorer
Jon Lindquist – radio announcer
Kevin Sorbo – actor
King Lizzard – entertainer
Kirk Kerkorian – developer of International Hotel and MGM Grand.
Larry Johnson – professional basketball player in the NBA.
Liberace – entertainer
Meyer Lansky – mob financier
Mike Tyson – professional boxer
Moe Dalitz – casino owner/executive (Desert Inn), developer
Oscar Goodman – defense attorney for mafia figures, Mayor of Las Vegas.
Paige O’Hara – actress
Pat Morita – actor
Randall Cunningham – professional football player.
The Rat Pack:
Dean Martin – singer and entertainer
Frank Sinatra – singer
Joey Bishop
Peter Lawford
Sammy Davis, Jr. – singer and entertainer
Robin Leach – writer, TV show host
Sam Boyd – casino owner
Siegfried & Roy – entertainers.
Roy Uwe Ludwig Horn
Siegfried Fischbacher
Steve Wynn – developer of The Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio and Wynn Las Vegas.
Toni Basil – choreographer, musician, one hit wonder
Tony Curtis – actor
Wayne Newton – professional singer

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is held each January in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association. At the show, many previews of products are introduced, or new products are announced.

The first CES was held in June, 1967 in New York City. From 1978 to 1994, CES was held twice each year: once in January in Las Vegas known as Winter Consumer Electronics Show (WCES) and once in June in Chicago, Illinois known as Summer Consumer Electronics Show (SCES).

CES is now considered one of the major technology-related trade shows, with the cancellation of Comdex.

2005

The 2005 exhibit was from 6 to January 9 in Las Vegas. The event started off with a twist when the main keynote address by Microsoft chairman Bill Gates went wrong as a device that was being demonstrated failed, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

Samsung showed off a 102-inch plasma television.

2006

The 2006 International CES took place on January 5, 2006 to January 8, 2006 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Sands Convention Center, the Alexis Park Hotel and the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. HDTV was a central theme in the Bill Gates keynote as well as many of the other manufacturer’s speeches. The standards competition between HD DVD and Blu-ray was conspicuous, with some of the first HD movie releases and first HD players being announced at the show. Philips showed a rollable display prototype whose screen can retain an image for several months without electricity.

Attendance was over 150,000 individuals in 1.67 million net square feet of space making it the largest electronics event in the United States.

2007

In a break from recent tradition, the 2007 CES event did not begin on a Thursday, nor span a weekend. It ran from Monday January 8, 2007 to Thursday January 11, 2007. The venues also changed slightly with the high-performance audio and home theater expo moving from the Alexis Park venue to The Venetian. The remaining venues were the same as previous years: the Las Vegas Convention Center was the center of events, with the adjacent Las Vegas Hilton, and the Sands Expo and Convention Center hosting satellite exhibitions.

The location for the main keynotes was the other major change for 2007. Previously held at the Las Vegas Hilton’s Main Theater, they staged for the first time at The Palazzo Ballroom in The Venetian. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, gave his ninth pre-show keynote address on the Sunday evening. The opening keynote was presented by Gary Shapiro (President/CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, which hosts the event), with Ed Zander, Chairman/CEO of Motorola. Other keynote speakers scheduled included Robert Iger from The Walt Disney Company, Michael Dell, founder of Dell Inc., and Leslie Moonves of CBS.

Finally, Industry Insider presentations moved to the Las Vegas Hilton, with contributions from Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO of Nokia and John Chambers, CEO of Cisco.

In the gaming section for Windows Vista and DirectX 10, there were two games shown: Age of Conan and Crysis.

2008

The 2008 exhibition was from January 7, 2008 through January 10, 2008 in Las Vegas. One of the highlights was Bill Gates’ keynote speech in which he formally announced his retirement from his day-to-day duties at Microsoft. Along with the announcement, he presented a lengthy comedy skit on how his last day with Microsoft would be like, complete with cameos including Jay Z, Jon Stewart, Brian Williams, Steven Spielberg, Bono, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George Clooney and Matthew McConaughey. The skit was believed to be written by WGA members before the writers’ strike.

Panasonic attracted much attention in 2008 by releasing a 150″ Plasma TV, as well as a 50″ as thin as an iPhone.

2009

The 2009 exhibition returns to the previous Thursday – Sunday schedule; January 8 through January 11, 2009. The Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions will be taped during the exhibition.

Notable product introductions

Products and technologies introduced at CES include (in reverse chronological order):

Microsoft Xbox, 2001
Digital Video Recorder (DVR), 1999
HDTV, 1998
DVD, 1996
Virtual Boy, 1995
CD-i, 1991
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), 1985
Commodore 64, 1982
Compact Disc (CD) player, 1981
Camcorder, 1981
Pong home console by Atari, 1975
Laserdisc player, 1974
Video Cassette Recorder (VCR), 1970

Links

• CES Official Site
• Tips for attending the show at livedigitally.com
• Video Coverage of CES at Digitaltrends.com
• Live Coverage of CES at Engadget
• Video coverage of CES 2007 at video-blog.eu
• CES schedule Keynoters
• CES Video Podcast Center

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

A poker tournament is a tournament at which the winners are decided by playing poker, usually a particular style of poker.

Contrast this to a ring game, where the game is ongoing with no formal structure to determine a single winner in a certain length of time.

Entry fees and prizes

In a typical tournament, a player pays a fixed entry fee (called a buy-in) and receives, in return, a certain quantity of in-game currency, called play money, invariably represented in the form of poker chips. Typically, the amount of play money given each player is an integer multiple of the buy-in. Only this in-game “play” money can be used in the game, real money cannot. Additionally, real and play money cannot be interchanged at any time. Some tournaments, however, offer the option of a re-buy or buy-back; this gives players the option of purchasing more chips. In some cases, re-buys are conditional (for example, offered only to players low on or out of chips) but in others they are unconditional, or offered to all players. When a player has no chips remaining (and has exhausted or declined all re-buy options, if any are available) he or she is eliminated from the tournament.

In most tournaments, the number of players at each table is kept even by moving players, either by switching one player or (as the field shrinks) taking an entire table out of play and distributing its players amongst the remaining tables. A few tournaments, called shoot-outs, do not do this; instead, the last player (sometimes the last two or more players) at a table moves on to a second or third round, akin to a single-elimination tournament found in other games.

The prizes for winning are usually derived from the entry fees, though outside funds may be entered as well. For example, some invitational tournaments do not have entry fees and fund their prize pools with sponsorship revenue and/or gate receipts from spectators. (These tournaments are referred to as freerolls.) Play continues, in most tournaments, until all but one player is eliminated, though in some tournament situations, especially informal ones, players have the option of ending by consensus.

Players are ranked in reverse chronological order — the last person in the game earns 1st place, the second-to-last earns 2nd, and so on. This ranking of players by elimination is unique amongst games, and also precludes the possibility of a tie for first place, since one player alone must have all the chips to end the tournament. (Ties are possible for all other places, though they are rare since the sole tiebreaker is the number of chips one has at the start of the hand in which one is eliminated.)

Sometimes tournaments end by mutual consensus of the remaining players. For example, in a ten-person, $5 game, there may be two players remaining with $29 and $21, respectively, worth of chips. Rather than risk losing their winning, as one of them would if the game were continued, these two players may be allowed to split the prize proportional to their in-game currency (or however they agree).

Prizes are awarded to the winning players in one of three ways:

• Fixed: Each placing corresponds to a certain payoff. For example, a ten-person, $20 buy-in tournament might award $100 to the first-place player, $60 for second-place, $40 for third, and nothing for lower places.

• Proportional: Payouts are determined according to a percentage-based scale. The percentages are determined based upon the number of participants and will increase payout positions as participation increases. As a rule, roughly one player in ten will ‘cash’, or make a high enough place to earn money. These scales are very top-heavy, with the top three players usually winning more than the rest of the paid players combined.

Tournaments can be open or invitational. The World Series of Poker, whose final event (a $10,000 buy-in no limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournament) is considered the most prestigious of all poker tournaments, is open.

Multi-table tournaments are involve players playing simultaneously at dozens or even hundreds of tables. Satellite tournaments to high-profile, expensive poker tournaments are the means of entering a major event without posting a significant sum of cash. These have significantly smaller buy-ins, usually on the order of one-tenth to one-fiftieth the main tournament’s buy-in, and can be held at various venues across the country and, more recently, on the Internet. Top players in this event, in lieu of a cash prize, are awarded seats to the main tourney, with the number of places dependent on participation. Chris Moneymaker, who won the 2003 World Series of Poker, was able to afford his seat at this event by winning an Internet tournament with a $39 buy-in. Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker champion, acquired his seat via a $165 Internet tournament.

Betting format

Betting, in tournaments, can take one of three forms:

• In a structured (fixed limit) betting system, bets and raises are restricted to specific amounts, though these amounts typically increase throughout the tournament. For example, for a seven-card stud tournament with the stakes at 10/20, raises would be $10 in the first three rounds of betting, and $20 in the latter rounds.

• Semi-structured betting provides ranges for allowed raises. Usually, in this format, one may not raise less than a previous player has raised. For example, if one player raises $20, it would be illegal for another player to raise an additional $5. Pot limit is a semi-structured format in which raises cannot exceed the current size of the pot.

• Unstructured betting, usually called no limit. While blinds, antes, or bring-ins are fixed, players are free to bet as much as they wish, even early in a round of betting. To bet all of one’s chips (risking one’s tournament life, in the event of losing the hand) is to go all-in. In no-limit tournaments, players will sometimes take this risk even early in the betting; for example, in some no-limit Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments, it is not uncommon for players to bet “all-in” before the flop.

The betting structure is one of the most defining elements of the game; even if other aspects are equivalent, a fixed-limit version and its no-limit counterpart are considered to be very different games, because the strategies and play styles are very different. For instance, it is much easier to bluff in a no-limit game, which allows aggressive betting, than in a fixed-limit game. No-limit games also vary widely according to the proclivities of the players; an informal, emergent, betting structure is developed by the players’ personal strategies and personalities.

The stakes of each round, as well as blinds, bring-ins, and antes as appropriate per game, typically escalate according either to the time elapsed or the number of hands played.

Types of poker

While some tournaments offer a mix of games, like H.O.R.S.E. events which combine Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud and Stud Eight or Better and Dealer’s Choice events, at which one may choose from a similar menu of games, most tournaments feature one form of stud or community card poker, such as seven-card stud, seven card high-low stud, Omaha Hold ‘em or Texas Hold ‘em. Both Omaha and Texas Hold’em tournaments are commonly offered in fixed-limit, pot limit, and no limit forms.

Tournament venues

Informal tournaments can be organized by a group of friends; for example, most colleges feature poker tournaments. Casinos and online gaming sites often offer daily tournaments.

However, these are not the only venues. Poker cruises offer tournaments at sea. The 2005 World Series of Poker primarily took place in the conference hall of the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Major tournaments

The two largest and most well-known tournaments are the World Poker Tour championship event and the World Series of Poker, both held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The World Series has traditionally been featured on ESPN.

The 2005 World Series of Poker was the first held outside of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, though the final few days of the main event were held in the legendary Benny’s Bullpen. Future tournaments will be held at one of the Harrah’s Entertainment properties; 2005 saw the Rio as primary venue.

Arguably the most publicised European tournament is the Poker Million, which began in 2000 on Sky Sports, following on from the success of the Late Night Poker television show.

In addition to these events, there are other major tournaments throughout the year. The World Poker Tour broadcasts a series of open tournaments throughout the U.S. and Caribbean with buy-ins from $5,000 to $15,000, as well as a European event with a €10,000 buy-in. Some of these events are stand alone tournaments like the Caribbean Poker Adventure, but most are held in conjunction with a tournament series being held at the host casino, like the Commerce Casino’s LA Poker Classic, the Reno Hilton’s World Poker Challenge and the Bicycle Casino’s Legends of Poker.

Atlantic City hosts The United States Poker Championship at the Trump Taj Mahal casino. The Plaza casino in Las Vegas hosts the Ultimate Poker Challenge, a series of regular tournaments that culminates in a $10,000 buy-in event.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The Aladdin is an Arabian Nights theme hotel and casino located at 3667 Las Vegas Boulevard South on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. The hotel has 2,600 rooms, a performing arts theatre, and a 475,000 ft² (44,000 m²) shopping arcade called the Desert Passage.

History

The Aladdin was originally opened in 1963 as the Tally-Ho. It was later called King’s Crown in 1964. In 1966, the King’s Crown was purchased, and after major renovations was reopened and renamed the Aladdin. A little after a year it was opened, the Aladdin was host to Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s wedding.

Wayne Newton was a part owner from 1980 to 1982.

On April 27, 1998, the Aladdin was imploded [1], and a newer version was built that opened on August 18, 2000. The Aladdin was operated in conjunction with the London Club which ran a high roller casino on the property. It also included a major shopping center known as the Desert Passage. The performing arts theatre was not imploded but was refurbished.

The casino was in financial trouble from the start and was sold on June 20, 2003, to a partnership of Planet Hollywood and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.

The Aladdin was scheduled to reopen on August 17, 2000, at 6:00pm, with fireworks at 10:00pm. The opening was delayed while the Clark County building inspector completed its fire safety testing. Another delay was caused by last-minute repairs to the casino surveillance system. This left thousands of Aladdin visitors leaving in disappointment, as well as opening night hotel guests wondering where they’d spend the night. Many high-rollers waited out on the sidewalks in front of the Aladdin for hours. Most were unable to even get to their luggage, since the hotel had been locked down for testing. Aladdin employees tried to arrange alternate accommodations for the guests with Paris and Bellagio.

The Aladdin finally opened the next day at 7:45 A.M. 100 members of Culinary Local 226, as well as an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 other workers were marching on Las Vegas Boulevard to protest the Aladdin opening without a union contract. Barbara Eden’s speech as well as the other festivities were drowned out by the bullhorns and the rest of the protest.

Links

• Planet Hollywood (Aladdin) News – Vegas Today and Tomorrow
• History of the Aladdin
• Implosion pictures and video of old Aladdin

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

References

• http://www.insidervlv.com/lasvegasmovies.html

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet Insert
Owner	Greenspun Corporation
Publisher	Brian Greenspun
Editor	Michael J. Kelley
Founded	1950
Political position	progressive
Headquarters	Green Valley Corporate Center Henderson, NV
Website: [1] lasvegassun.com

The Las Vegas Sun was one of Las Vegas, Nevada’s two daily newspapers. It is owned by The Greenspun Corporation and is affiliated with Greenspun Media Group.

The paper was published in the afternoons on weekdays from 1990-2005. The paper is now included as a section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and continues operating exclusively on its website.

History

The Las Vegas Sun was first published on May 21, 1950, by Hank Greenspun, who served as its editor until his death. From its founding the paper was a published in the mornings. Starting in 1990 the paper switched to publishing in the afternoon.

The last afternoon edition of the paper was published on September 30, 2005. On October 3, 2005, the Las Vegas Sun began distribution as a section of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, a rival newspaper which it has a Joint operating agreement with.

Links

• Las Vegas Sun web site

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Type	Daily newspaper
Format	Broadsheet
Owner	Stephens Media
Publisher	Sherman Frederick
Editor	Thomas Mitchell
Founded	September 18, 1909
Political position	populist-libertarian
Headquarters	Las Vegas, NV
Website: [1] reviewjournal.com

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and Las Vegas’ only daily newspaper. It has a daily circulation of 198,000.

The Review-Journal, sometimes referred to as the R-J, takes a very libertarian editorial stance, particularly compared to the afternoon Las Vegas Sun, with which it has a joint operating agreement that runs through 2040. In 2005, the Sun ceased to operate an afternoon newspaper and began distribution as a section of the Review-Journal.

History

The Clark County Review was first printed in 1909 and became the Las Vegas Review as 1926. In March 1929, the Clark County Journal began publication, and in July of that year, the Review bought the Journal and began co-publication as the Las Vegas Evening Review-Journal. In the early 1940s, the owners of the RJ bought the Las Vegas Age, which began publication in 1905. The word “evening” was dropped from the name in 1949.

The Review-Journal entered into its joint operating agreement with the Sun in 1990.

Links

• Las Vegas Review-Journal web site

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is a public agency that runs the Las Vegas Convention Center, Cashman Center, and Cashman Field and is responsible for the advertising campaigns for the Clark County, Nevada area.

The fourteen member board is appointed by various elected governing bodies in the County. Funding is provided by a room tax on all hotels in the county.

Activities

The authority works to bring events to the Las Vegas area, sometimes by providing funds to subsidize events. These events include:

• The NBA 2007 All-star game
• The 2006 Tennis Channel Open Tennis Tournament

The authority is also responsible for the advertising campaigns for Las Vegas. Working with the same advertising company R & R Partners since 1982 they have developed ad campaigns like:

• Only in Vegas
• What happens here, stays here

Members

• Oscar Goodman, Mayor of Las Vegas
• Jim Gibson, Mayor of Henderson
• Tony Santo, Caesars Entertainment executive
• Vince Matthews, Mandalay Resort Group executive
• Bruce L. Woodbury, Clark County Commissioner

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

A view of Las Vegas Boulevard at dusk from the Paris Hotel and Casino’s replica of the Eiffel Tower

Las Vegas Boulevard, State Route 604, is the current name for a road that has a historic past. Over the years it has been called:

• Arrowhead Highway
• Los Angeles Highway (named for its role in connecting Los Angeles, California)
• Salt Lake Highway (named for its role in connecting Salt Lake City, Utah)
• U.S. Highway 91 (entire segment)
• U.S. Highway 93 (from Fremont Street north)
• U.S. Highway 466 (from Jean to Fremont Street, including the Las Vegas Strip)
• Nevada State Route 6 (entire segment, not signed)

With the construction of I-15, Las Vegas Boulevard went from being the main through road to one that only served as a bypass for travelers. The name change reflects its local importance rather than past names when it served as a main intra city road.

Las Vegas Boulevard, while running the length of the city of Las Vegas, Nevada is located mostly in Clark County, Nevada. “The Boulevard”, as it is sometimes called by longtime Las Vegas residents, starts at Apex, Nevada and continues south to about 2 miles south of Jean, Nevada.

At its northern end in Apex, the Boulevard starts in an industrial complex of manufacturing plants and power plants running along the Union Pacific Railroad line. As you travel south, the road meets Nellis Air Force Base on the east side and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on the west side.

As the road enters North Las Vegas, it passes through some of the older commercial areas of the area. As the road approaches Las Vegas itself, you see some of what Vegas was as some of the older casinos appear along with some of the older and more famous strip clubs.

On entering the city of Las Vegas, the Boulevard showcases the city’s past with a number of museums. the Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park and the Neon Museum at the Fremont Street Experience. On crossing Washington Street, the Bolvard is designated as the Downtown Las Vegas Boulevard Scenic Byway by the state. This designation continues down to Sahara Avenue.

Further south is a stretch of road that has many of the older motels, bars and wedding chapels that were among the high points of the old Vegas before the era of the megaresorts.

It is at this point the Boulevard leaves the city of Las Vegas and assumes its unofficial name for the next 4 miles: the Las Vegas Strip. This portion of Las Vegas Boulevard begins at the Stratosphere and runs to Mandalay Bay. This is the section of the road most people are familiar with: the home of the megaresorts and casinos with their lights and attractions seen around the world. It is designated as an All-American Road.

Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, picture taken looking north up the strip

At the end of The Strip, Las Vegas Boulevard passes the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and approaches the backside of the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign as it runs along the western edge of the McCarran International Airport property. South of Russell Road, the Nevada Department of Transportation assumes responsibility for the maintenance of the Boulvard.

South of this point, development thins out with newer shopping malls, hotels and condominiums as the Boulevard runs just east of Interstate 15. It passes though Sloan and Jean before ending in the Mojave Desert.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Gambling revenue will grow to $155 billion in 2012 from a 2007 revenue of $114 billion with an annually rate of 6.5 percent per year, says PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in a report released this week.

Asia, and especially Macau, will be the world’s fastest growing gambling region.

In accordance with this report, the US revenue will decline in 2008, due to the mortgage crisis and high gas and travel price. But, starting with 2010, Las Vegas will expects a new raise.

Online gambling and sports betting is expected to have a 4.9% yearly increase in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and a 4.5% yearly increase for the US tribal casinos. The most important increase for US is predicted for sports betting, rising 7% to $7.6 billion in 2012.

The Lance Burton Theatre is located in the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, Las Vegas. It has 1,274 seats, and is comprised of three main sections: the main floor, the mezzanine, and the balcony. The theatre was specially built for Lance Burton’s magic show and is currently hosting Lance Burton: Master Magician.

Links

• Lance Burton: Master Magician

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Golden Nugget Companies Inc. was formed by Steve Wynn in 1973. The company was created after Wynn acquired majority control of the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas, Nevada. The company ceased to exist after it constructed The Mirage in 1989. At that time, the name was changed to Mirage Resorts, Inc.

The company held three hotel/casinos under the Golden Nugget brand:

• Golden Nugget Atlantic City
• Golden Nugget Las Vegas
• Golden Nugget Laughlin

History

Wynn’s, and the company’s interest, in Atlantic City did not last very long, due to frustration with gaming regulators in New Jersey. The Golden Nugget Atlantic City was sold to Bally’s Entertainment Corporation, which changed the name to Bally’s Grand Casino/Hotel.

The company and its casinos became part of Mirage Resorts in 1989.

This guide is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.

Fremont Street is probably the most famous street in Las Vegas, Nevada besides the Las Vegas Strip. Fremont was the major street in the downtown casino corridor. It is, or was the address for many of the famous casinos such as Binion’s Horseshoe, Eldorado Club, Fremont Hotel and Casino, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Golden Nugget, The Mint, and the Pioneer Club.

Prior to the construction of the Fremont Street Experience, Fremont Street was the picture of Las Vegas that was included in virtually every television show and movie that wanted to display the lights of Las Vegas. The abundance of neon earned the steet the nickname of Glitter Gulch.

Fremont Street by night.

History

Fremont Street dates back to 1905, when Las Vegas itself was founded.

Fremont Street’s illuminated “Space Frame”.

While gambling was well established prior to being legalized, the Northern Club in 1931 received one of the first 6 gambling licenses issued in Nevada and the first one for Fremont Street.

Glitter Gulch was closed to vehicle traffic in September, 1994 to begin construction on the Fremont Street Experience. (Wikipedia)

Fremont Street was the major street in the downtown Las Vegas casino corridor. It is, or was the address for many of the famous casinos such as Binion’s Horseshoe, Eldorado Club, Fremont Hotel and Casino, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Golden Nugget, The Mint, and the Pioneer Club. Prior to the construction of the Fremont Street Experience, Fremont Street was the picture of Las Vegas that was included in virtually every television show and movie that wanted to display the lights of Las Vegas. The abundance of neon earned the street the nickname of Glitter Gulch. Fremont Street dates back to 1905, when Las Vegas itself was founded. While gambling was well established prior to being legalized, the Northern Club in 1931 received one of the first 6 gambling licenses issued in Nevada and the first one for Fremont Street. Glitter Gulch was closed to vehicle traffic in September, 1994 to begin construction on the Fremont Street Experience.

The Frement Street Experience (FSE) is a pedestrian mall and attraction that occupies the westernmost 5 blocks of Fremont Street. The attraction is a barrel vault canopy, 90 feet high at the peak, that covers four blocks or approximately 1,500 feet. It was the first Las Vegas project of architect Jon Jerde, who went on to design the facade of Treasure Island, the Bellagio, and other projects on the Las Vegas Strip. The underside of the canopy is covered with an LED display, referred to as “Viva Vision” and built by the LG Corporation, programmed to show periodic sound-and-light presentations after dark. While Las Vegas is known for never turning the outside casino lights off, each show begins by turning off the lights on all of the buildings, including the casinos, under the canopy.

The Frement Street Experience (FSE) is a pedestrian mall and attraction that occupies the westernmost 5 blocks of Fremont Street. The attraction is a barrel vault canopy, 90 feet high at the peak, that covers four blocks or approximately 1,500 feet. It was the first Las Vegas project of architect Jon Jerde, who went on to design the facade of Treasure Island, the Bellagio, and other projects on the Las Vegas Strip. The underside of the canopy is covered with an LED display, referred to as “Viva Vision” and built by the LG Corporation, programmed to show periodic sound-and-light presentations after dark. While Las Vegas is known for never turning the outside casino lights off, each show begins by turning off the lights on all of the buildings, including the casinos, under the canopy.

The initial display contained about 2.1 million lightbulbs controlled by 32 computers located in kiosks on the mall. The sound system, using speakers suspended over the mall, was rated at 350,000 watts. Strobe lights were added at some point to provide additional entertainment options on Disco Nights. Displaying images that looked “real” took some innovation. New techniques were developed to make these curved, low-resolution images viewable from the ground. One adjustment was to move images slowly across the display to prevent blurring. The 2001 upgrade to the sound system raised the power to 550,000 watts. The 2004 upgrade features a 12.5-million LED display and more color combinations than the original display. The old control system was replaced by a central control room using 10 computers. (Flickr)