Las Vegas Strip casino closes

 

The Sahara, the Vegas casino that was the final place where The Rat Pack performed, is closing for good. The casino announced it is due to shut down May 16th.

The Sahara was the oldest remaining casino on the Las Vegas Strip, having been built in 1952. Unfortunately for the Sahara, not only was it the oldest strip casino in an era of multi-billion dollar palaces, but also the furthest from McCarran Airport.

The shuttering of the Sahara puts 1,000 Las Vegans out of work. It also means no more $1 rooms.

LAS VEGAS NBA TEAM?

 

GEORGE, GAVIN AND JOE MALOOF

There have been rumors of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings moving to Las Vegas for years. The Maloof family has strong roots in Vegas and own multiple casinos in Sin City including The Palms.

Now there are various reports that move may finally happen. However, the Maloofs may be out. The Palms is having serious financial problems. They are ripe for a takeover after missing a $400 million payment to the bank. Caesars Palace is looking to take over The Palms. Caesars also owns the land where a proposed new $488 million arena would be built.

Even the Maloofs are now admitting they might blow town. There is also the possibility of the Kings moving to Anaheim.

THE PALMS

VEGAS HOTEL IN TROUBLE OVER “DEATH RAY”

The Las Vegas hotel Vdara is receiving tons of bad publicity after burning a number of its guests sitting poolside. The Las Vegas Review-Journal, ABC News and several local tv stations have reported that sunlight reflecting off the hotel’s energy efficient windows have turned into “death rays” and scorched a number of people at the Vdara’s pool.

One guest showed tv cameras a cup and plastic hotel bag that he says were melted by the sun.

WHY ARE CARPETS IN VEGAS CASINOS SO HIDEOUS?

Gizmodo.com has a piece today in which they interview numerous experts to determine exactly why the carpets in Las Vegas casinos are so amazingly ugly. Among the theories:

* to keep your eyes on the machines so that you will gamble more

* hide casino chips that fall on the floor

* easy cleanup from drunks spilling their free cocktails

Bonus: photos of ugly casino carpets

Wired magazine even ran their own gallery on the same topic.

LAS VEGAS TO GET AN NBA TEAM?

With plans in place to possibly build a 20,000 seat Silver State Arena, Sin City may soon be getting  NBA and NHL franchises.

According to ace gossip columnist Norm! of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, an “internal NBA committee” has already been formed the study the “feasibility” of placing a franchise in Vegas. Rather than by expansion, the plan is for the Vegas group to agressively pursue existing professional basketball and hockey clubs.

This is a topic we have been covering for years. Sports Illustrated even interviewed us on the possibility of a Las Vegas NBA franchise back in 2004. The plan is to build the arena with 85% private financing and no new taxes.

LAS VEGAS ALLOWS HOLOCAUST DENYING TEACHER TO KEEP HER JOB

Unbelievably, a Las Vegas school teacher who told her students that the holocaust couldn’t have happened has managed to hang onto her job.  Lori Sublette is simply being transferred from Northwest Career and Technical Academy (a Las Vegas high school) to Johnston Middle School (in North Las Vegas.)

On November 25th, Sublette denied the Holocaust ever happened. She told her high school students that the Nazis simply didn’t have the technology to kill millions of Jews. She also told the students that photographs of Holocaust victims were “distorted.”

VEGAS SCHOOL WHERE HOLOCAUST DENIER TAUGHT

Parents at Northwest Career and Technical Academy complained to the Clark County School District about Sublette almost immediately. However, the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper didn’t even report the story until December 18th. The school district claims they disciplined Sublette by “suspending” her. However, they simply sent Sublette home during Christmas break. She has now returned to teach junior high school.

The Clark County School District has been slammed for its “cowardly” and “blase” treatment of Sublette and the entire matter.

NEW CLARK COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT LOGO

CRAZY SEMI-NAKED GUY IN A BARREL THROWS PAINT AT FAMOUS LAS VEGAS SIGN

VIDEO FROM FOX 5 IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS CITY COUNCIL THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN TAVERN THAT LET CUSTOMERS HAVE SEX ON TOP OF THE BAR

 

Apparently, it’s not just the big mega-resort clubs located on the Las Vegas Strip that are incurring the wrath of the fun police.

The small downtown bar “Snick’s Place” has been hit with a 14-day closure and a $15,000 fine by the Las Vegas City Council. The fine follows the bar being cited three time for “frequent nudity” and “sex in, and on, the bar.”

The fine and closure is in addition to a six-month loss of the bar’s gaming license and a $50,000 fine imposed by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

VEGAS CLUBS IN TROUBLE FOR BEING TOO FUN

Metro has made another major crackdown on some of the biggest clubs in Las Vegas.

Planet Hollywood has been fined $500,000 for what went on in their Prive nightclub over the Labor Day weekend. The state gaming board accused Prive of having “topless and lewd activity” as well as literally dumping club-goers into their casino in “various states of consciousness.” Planet Hollywood has been threatened with an additional $250,000 fine if they are cited for any more infractions.

Additionally, eight people were arrested at the Hard Rock’s Rehab pool parties.

 

REHAB POOL PARTY IN LAS VEGAS

 

PRIVE NIGHTCLUB AT PLANET HOLLYWOOD IN LAS VEGAS

JEREMY SHOCKEY PARTIES LIKE A ROCK STAR

 

JEREMY SHOCKEY

New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey had to be removed from the Rehab pool party on a stretcher at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas Monday. The celebrity website TMZ.com not only has pictures of the incident, but a video.

An update from ESPN says Shockey was suffering from dehydration and is now fine.