ONLINE GAMBLING AND CASINO GUIDE

I hate to say "I told you so". From the Associate Press: America's first legal male prostitute has left a rural Nevada brothel after a two-month stint that generated plenty of attention but fewer than 10 paying customers. Brothel owner Jim Davis said Friday the Shady Lady Ranch had parted ways with the "prostitude" who worked under the name Markus. A replacement has been hired, but Davis hinted it was possible that Markus, a 25-year-old Alabama native, could be back. ... Markus, who like other sex workers has asked that his real name not be used, didn't immediately respond to an e-mail message seeking comment. He remained listed under the name "Markus Destin" by adult talent agency OC Modeling. Bobbi Davis, who co-owns the brothel with her husband and runs it as its madam, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal the departure of Markus was a mutual decision. She said the brothel would keep employing men to have sex ... Read the full blog post...

I suppose this comes as no great surprise to anyone: A report finds that Las Vegas visitors spent an average of more than $50 less on gambling in 2009 than the year before. A Las Vegas Visitor Profile released by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority found the average gambler budgeted about $481 per trip last year. That compares with almost $532 in 2008, more than $555 in 2007 and nearly $652 in 2006. The study found hotel spending per night was down 25% in 2009, to about $76; the average cost of a tour package was down 14%, to about $640; and the total spent on restaurants was down 8%, to about $250. Spending on shopping was down 16%, to about $102. Visitors spent an average of about $40 on shows, down 23%. According to recent stats from the LVCVA, the average room rate in 2009 was between $105 and $99, yet this release says ... Read the full blog post...

Just when you thought addiction levels couldn't get any worse, a whole bunch of of lives are getting ready to spiral out of control. At the airport no less. You can already gamble at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, and soon you may be able to buy a bottle of wine, or something stronger, as you're waiting to pick up your luggage after a flight. Commissioners in Clark County, which owns the airport, on Tuesday moved one step closer toward approving a liquor store at the airport's south baggage claim area by voting to seek out applications from parties interested in running such a facility. The store would sell beer, wine and spirits "for off-site consumption only," according to the proposal. Many of the country's airports already have bars, but if approved, this would be the only liquor store operating inside a U.S. airport, said Randall Walker, the county's director of aviation. Outside the ... Read the full blog post...

I can't believe they are doing this again. The Strip will go dark the evening of March 27, as the annual Earth Hour event comes to Las Vegas for a second year. The World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour, designed to raise global awareness of climate change, will roll across the world and reach the Strip at 8:30 local time, when high-profile hotel-casinos and government agencies plan to dim or turn off their exterior lights for 60 minutes. Leslie Aun, Earth Hour's managing director, said Las Vegas' participation as an Earth Hour flagship city in 2009 proved "critical" to advancing the event and its popularity. Unlike turning off the Eiffel Tower -- the real one, in Paris -- or Mount Rushmore, blacking out the Strip and surrounding areas requires the cooperation of myriad business executives and public officials, Aun said. That makes Las Vegas an ideal representation of what Earth Hour is all about. "Las ... Read the full blog post...

This is exactly why I don't read fiction. The truth is so much more bizarre. On Thursday, President O'Drama signed the "Travel Promotion Act" into law. This particular act is designed to convince people from other countries to vacation in the Unites Sates.  The act will be funded by a $10 fee on all tourists to the U.S. That's right, we will begin luring people to our great nation by charging them more money before they even set foot on our soil. So far, so bad. That's nowhere near the worst part, however. Get this: The man who promotes Las Vegas is now being asked to promote the United States. The U.S. Commerce Secretary wants LVCVA president Rossi Ralenkotter to lead the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. Ralenkotter says he looks forward to promoting the importance of travel. The chief executive of the primary tourism agency that promotes Las Vegas has been picked to lead a federal tourism advisory board ... Read the full blog post...

Here we go again. It's like Deja vu. This was how Planet Hollywood's demise began. For those who may be unaware, keep in mind that Texas Pacific Group is also known as "Harrah's". Texas Pacific Group, one of the private equity owners of Harrah's Entertainment in Las Vegas, is accumulating debt in the Palms resort, according to a story published Wednesday by Debtwire, a publication of the Financial Times. Citing unnamed sources, the publication said TPG had acquired a piece of the Palms' $380 million bank debt. It also said Palms' EBITDA – a commonly-used profit indicator – fell to $12 million this year amid the recession from about $70 million two years ago. The Palms is restructuring its debt and the Maloof family, which owns the Palms, is in the process of selling its beer distribution business in New Mexico for $100 million, the publication said. The Palms loans are privately-held but can be traded among ... Read the full blog post...