A local’s favorite, Suncoast, is undergoing a massive overhaul, and the casino’s new sportsbook opens Sep. 4, 2024.

We are not a fan of “waiting” until things are “open.” We are more of a “sneak preview” person (along “with” being a “gratuitous quotation mark” person, “obviously”). So, we grabbed some pics of the new Suncoast sportsbook while it’s still behind curtains.

We’ve also got the skinny on what else is going on at Suncoast. There’s an ass-ton and there will be a quiz.

Suncoast is about 10 minutes west of the Las Vegas Strip, in Summerlin. Summerlin is also home to Red Rock Casino, and we’re pretty sure Boyd Gaming is making a substantial investment in Suncoast because Red Rock has set a new bar for locals casinos and Boyd wants a piece of that action.

Sportsbooks aren’t big moneymakers for casinos, but they’re an amenity appreciated by locals.

Suncoast has done its sportsbook right, gleaning winning aspects of other sportsbooks (both its own places and competing casinos), bringing together all those best practices in its new venue.

One of the trends Suncoast follows is making the most of automated kiosks, rather than human bet-takers. The existing Suncoast sportsbook has more than a dozen live betting windows, the new sportsbook has four.

Suncoast went all-in on its videos screens and capability. I’m sure they’ll add all the technical specs in their upcoming news release, but we’re pretty sure Suncoast’s video display, at 1,700 square feet, is second only to Circa’s in sheer girth.

Seating is ample, with booths and individual seating, providing a lot of flexibility for groups and reserved tables during big sportsball events.

The bar is beautiful, and there are 26 video poker machines in the sportsbook, with 18 at the bar itself.

Suncoast’s sportsbook sits where the showroom used to be, one of several moves and renovations in the works.

A new high limit slot room opened in the former buffet space. A new food court is coming to that part of the casino as well. Boyd knocked it out of the park with its food court at Fremont casino, and it would be great to see a similar mix of offerings at Suncoast. The fast food offerings are a smidge on the underwhelming side at this point, Subwaywise.

The existing sportsbook will close up when the new one opens, and that will become a new bingo room (relocated from the second floor, that space will now be used for meetings and conferences).

Here’s the current sportsbook. We figured you might want to say goodbye.

Bingo doesn’t make much for casinos, either. There’s a reason there are no bingo rooms on The Strip.

Here’s a rendering of what’s coming to the previous sportsbook space.

Also planned is a glorious, 70-seat center bar. We don’t know what it will be called, but it will be right in the center of the casino (the current casino video poker bar is going away).

Suncoast’s bowling center is also getting a revamp, along with the front desk and hotel check-in area (rendering below).

The excellent and relatively new William B’s Steakhouse at Suncoast should get more love than it does, as it’s a Strip-quality steakhouse, just with better prices. It’s what we call an “aspirational” offering at Suncoast, a venue for a customer it may not exactly have yet. (Ditto the sportsbook and fancy new center bar.)

The best off-Strip casino steakhouse you haven’t visited yet could very well be William B’s Steakhouse @SuncoastCasino. Giving Joe’s a run for its money for top banana cream pie in Vegas. Definitely returning for happy hour. pic.twitter.com/vXUtl59cFw

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) March 30, 2024

Boyd Gaming tends to be careful with its financial investments (the company is still experiencing institutional trauma from the closure of Stardust and the failed Echelon project, now the site of Resorts World), but the locals market continue to deliver strong results, and Boyd is doing its revamp thoughtfully and with solid execution to-date.

The company expects all the Suncoast upgrades to be completed in mid-2026.

When it comes to changes at locals casinos, even for the better, you can’t do anything too quickly or dramatically. It’s jarring. Regulars will have freak-outs. This isn’t a happy-go-lucky tourist crowd, they’re unforgiving and aren’t shy about expressing their grievances. Some grinders have still not emotionally recovered from casinos changing from coins to paper vouchers. They like what they like. Locals casinos are extensions of their own homes.

Sometimes, when locals casinos move slot machines around, they post signs telling regulars where their favorite machines went. We are not making this up.

Suncoast’s new sportsbook opens to the public at 11:00 a.m. on Sep. 4, 2024.

Big thanks to Suncoast for not booting us out following our “security breach.”

Update (9/4/24): Here’s more from the aforementioned news release following the opening on the Suncoast sportsbook. “”The stadium-style sports viewing experience includes one of the largest high-resolution, wrap-around LED screens in the Las Vegas Valley, measuring over fifteen-and-a-half feet tall, with a surface area of more than 1,700 square feet. The sportsbook features deco-inspired channel-tufted booths, rows of contemporary lounge seating, a 130-foot-long sports ticker and an 18-seat bar offering commanding views of the impressive video wall.”

The post First Look Inside Suncoast’s New Sportsbook, Plus Renovation Details appeared first on Vital Vegas.

You can never have too much golf, apparently.

Swingers Las Vegas, a new golf-themed lounge and restaurant at Mandalay Bay, has set an opening date: November 8, 2024. That’s the news. All of it.

Yes, it’s a slow news day.

Swingers will cost $50 million and encompass 40,000-square-feet with multiple bars, minigolf, food and something called the “Swingers Arcade.”

Which we’re pretty sure is going to lead to a lot of disappointment in the swingers community.

The new venue will be inspired by an English country estate, although nobody’s really sure why.

The news release does say, “As guests enjoy the venue, the country house will come alive with double-height, animated projection mapping that changes from day to night and with the seasons, transporting guests to the bucolic English countryside and setting the scene for the ultimate house party.”

“Bucolic”? Why bring up a plague, or possibly babies crying? Weird marketing.

According to the official announcement of the opening date, Swingers Las Vegas will feature: “Crazy Golf Courses” (four golf courses across three floors, each featuring its own layout), “Caddies with Cocktails” (guest can purchase drinks from caddies going hole to hole), “Bars and Beats” (Swingers’ Sunken Garden, main level; Estate Bar will span the length of the venue; The Clubhouse, upper level), “Street Food Eats” (food), “Swingers Carnival” (old-school games, points can be earned at the Swingers Carnival and used to redeem an array of prizes that will take guests back to their childhood) and “New Vegas Nightlife” (DJs).

Swingers is described as being “located only steps away from the Mandalay Bay parking garage entrance.” That’s the former Light nightclub space. You can see S Bar in the background.

Here’s the official Swingers site.

Because this story doesn’t feel enough about us, here’s the previous version of the Swingers.

In our original story about Swingers, we pointed out some nuances in the rendering. To the credit of Swingers, they appear to have adjusted the rendering accordingly.

Opportunities to smack balls abound in Las Vegas. There’s the O.G. Topgolf near MGM Grand, Atomic Golf at Strat and PopStroke at Town Square, a mall five minutes south of the Las Vegas sign.

Have golf venues hit their expiration date? Read more about how Topgolf is struggling.

We were going to predict tough times for Swingers, given the over-abundance of “interactive, immersive, competitive socializing” offerings in Las Vegas at the moment, but our crystal ball has been off ever since Play Playground opened at Luxor and made us look like a clueless idiot. The place is printing money.

Companies with deep pockets continue to take big swings with venues like Atomic Golf. That complex at Strat cost $75 million to build.

These venues aren’t really about sports. They’re lounges and restaurants with sports activities to give people something to do and talk about.

You can throw darts at Flight Club at Venetian or throw axes at places like Axehole at Neonopolis and Dueling Axes at Area 15.

That was a shorter list than we thought it would be, but we’re exhausted from padding this story and don’t have the time or energy to Google anything. You get the idea.

Longtime Vegas obsessives will recall there was a short-lived (it survived about a year) Swingers Club minigolf bar at Plaza back in 2011. That was the brainchild of Anthony Cools, a comedy-hypnotist who now seems to be enjoying retirement. Swingers Club became the similarly short-lived The Drink. Plaza’s Sand Dollar has fared much better without golf, but it does have pool tables.

Minigolf is a tried-and-true way to spend an evening without breaking the bank, along with not having to be interesting or a good conversationalist.

It’s fascinating such venues are opening in and near casinos, as back in the day, casinos did everything they could to avoid customers doing anything but gamble. That’s why Las Vegas shows are shorter than other places. Shows can actually be penalized for running long, as it keeps gamblers away from the tables and machines.

Today, casinos are very interested in margins and monetizing idle spaces, and rent for a venue like Swingers is substantial. Attractions can draw bodies to a resort, some of whom might not have visited otherwise. Such attractions also appeal to a younger customer demographic, something casinos are very interested in given their core customer base is aging and dying off. Sorry, maturing and dwindling in size. It’s the circle of life!

We are not really a golf (or socializing) person, but we love TopGolf and Atomic Golf, so we’ll definitely give Swingers a go. There’s something for everyone in Las Vegas, and if you can’t beat ’em, you may as well join the club.

The post Swingers at Mandalay Bay Names Tee-Off Date for “Fore!” Play appeared first on Vital Vegas.

A jaw-dropping new drone video takes viewers on a dizzying ride above and inside downtown’s Fremont East entertainment district.

The one-shot drone video comes from Corner Bar Management and its owner, Fremont East Mayor and Visionary Supreme Ryan Doherty, with videography by JayByrd Films.

We have dabbled in droning and can assure you the video is nothing short of impossible.

The venues highlighted in the video include: Park on Fremont, Discopussy, Lucky Day, We All Scream, Cheapshot, Commonwealth and La Mona Rosa (the only venue not on Fremont Street, formerly La Comida). No Laundry Room, the speakeasy inside Commonwealth, but that’s “top secret” and not especially drone accessible.

Buckle up, Lili Von Shtupp.

You thought we were exaggerating, right?

Yes, use of “Joy Ride” was approved by hometown favorites, The Killers. Fun fact: Killers members Dave Keuning and Brandon Flowers played their first live gig in Vegas in 2002, at an open mic night at Cafe Espresso Roma.

Here’s more details for the drone nerds: “The final video, capturing seamless continuous shots across each of the seven destinations, required numerous takes. Directed by Jay Christensen and Doherty, with Christensen also serving as the drone operator and director of photography, the video showcases the unique perspective of Downtown Las Vegas using a GoPro Hero 12 mounted on a custom-built Sub-250 drone. The video was produced by Emily Erhart, with Gian Lorenzo Ferretti as the assistant camera and Erik Nelson as co-producer. Post-production sound design was completed by Taylor Lewin and Christensen.”

Hey, credit where it’s due, this is an exceptional video.

Also exceptional is the neighborhood vibe Ryan Doherty and his team have created.

The Fremont East district is a distinctly different vibe than its counterpart, Fremont Street Experience. Which is to the west. Please keep up.

Doherty’s eclectic, diverse collection of venues gel to create what feels like a cohesive place to eat, drink and dance.

Other popular spots on Fremont East include Le Thai, The Griffin, Therapy, Backstage Bar and Billiards, Corduroy, Evel Pie, Flippin’ Good Burgers and Shakes, Eureka and others.

We did a lame video of Fremont East back in 2016, but a lot has changed. Droning is the new strolling around with a stabilizer.

The new Fremont East video provides not only eye candy, but a sense of what each of the venues offers. Corner Bar Management’s bars typically host around 6,000 guests on a weekend night.

The video also serves as a useful map when you’re building your bar-hopping itinerary in Las Vegas.

Props to everyone involved in making this incredible video happen, including the insurance company, because jebus.

Note: The same drone company made another OMFG video for Wynn Las Vegas.

We are now inspired to dust off our drone. Your eyeballs and limbs have been warned.

The post Impossible Drone Video Highlights Fremont East Venues appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Imagine all the time we could’ve saved you by just putting the opening date of downtown’s new Glitter Gulch Tiki bar in the headline of this story.

We aren’t here to save you time. In fact, not everything is about you. Sometimes, it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Glitter Gulch Tiki opens July 12, 2024. We love building suspense, but we aren’t a monster.

So, what is Glitter Gulch Tiki?

You would not be asking this if you’d been following us on Twitter. We shared the name of the place, and a peek inside, back in March.

A little Friday boom. First look inside a new tiki bar under construction in the former Nacho Daddy space just off Fremont. Name: Glitter Gulch. pic.twitter.com/l3LcrHMl5s

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) March 22, 2024

Glitter Gulch Tiki comes from the folks behind the wildly popular Nacho Daddy. In fact, Glitter Gulch Tiki is where the old Nacho Daddy used to be, half a block off Fremont Street. Nacho Daddy moved next door. Long story.

Glitter Gulch Tiki was designed by a well-known tiki master, Ben Bassham, nicknamed “Bamboo Ben.” We bumped into Bassham and his son, Blake Bassham, as they were working on the bar, and they know their tikis. Unless the plural of tiki is tiki, then nevermind.

A news release about the new tiki bar says, “The Basshams have infused the space with an authentic tiki magic, honoring their deep-rooted Vegas ties. Elevated tiki elements including a social media-worthy straw-hut covered bar, handcrafted blowfish pendant lights, and an interior furnished with custom leather and glitter seating and exotic wooden archways emulating the South Pacific islands. Local artist You Killed Me First also designed custom tiki art window wraps that incorporate Vegas’ neon-lit history. The 90-seat indoor space will be a destination in and of itself, with its beachy lounge seating, center bar, intimate dance floor with a stage for live music.”

We will decide what is social media-worthy, thank you.

Not surprisingly, due to its affiliation with Nacho Daddy, Glitter Gulch will serve The Scorpion, “an impressive shareable drink and an ode to Nacho Daddy’s signature Scorpion Shot.” Yes, that’s actually a thing. With an actual scorpion. Top tip: Swallow, don’t chew.

The venue will have not only exotic drinks, but also food, of course. We suspect they’ll share the kitchen with Nacho Daddy.

Small plates will include Coconut Shrimp, Lumpia, Grilled Wings with pineapple BBQ sauce, desserts and “variations of the ever-popular Dole Whip like the Lili of the Valley Dole Whip (Telson Blanco Tequila, Coconut Cream, Lime Juice and Passion Fruit Puree).”

We don’t really get the connection between tiki culture and Dole Whip, but it’s very popular at another Vegas tiki bar, Golden Tiki.

Despite the fact live music (at the wrong volume) can ruin everything, we’re actually excited to check this place out.

The Glitter Gulch Tiki Web site is live.

Great pedigree, great location, great concept and what appears to be a great execution, Glitter Gulch Tiki is bound to become a popular downtown hangout.

Update (7/10/24): The opening has been postponed. No new opening date has been provided.

Update (7/11/24): Despite the crushing disappointment of a delayed opening, we did get our hands on the Glitter Gulch Tiki cocktail and food menu. It will have to do for now.

Here’s the sweet backside. Of the menu.

Update (9/6/24): According to a rep, Glitter Gulch Tiki had to push back its opening because of safety regulations related to their flaming drinks. The venue has passed inspections, and Glitter Gulch Tiki opens Oct. 4, 2024. Here’s more.

The post Downtown’s Glitter Gulch Tiki Gets Opening Date appeared first on Vital Vegas.

The well-known Crown & Anchor British Pub has permanently closed on E. Tropicana Blvd. after nearly three decades.

Crown & Anchor was known for its drinks (including 30 draughts), food, video poker and love of soccer, along with the fact it was open 24/7. Oh, and some nonsense about being haunted.

Another Crown & Anchor (referred to as “Little Crown & Anchor Pub”), at 4755 Spring Mountain Rd., will remain in operation.

Crown & Anchor closed sans notice or fanfare on July 2, 2024.

There’s been no official acknowledgement of the closure in the restaurant’s social media. A call to the establishment confirmed the closure.

A post on Crown & Anchor’s Facebook page on July 1, 2024 gave no signal the restaurant would close the following day.

From the Crown & Anchor Web site, “We have been a Las Vegas social institution and tradition for over 20 years. In 1995, Crown & Anchor Pub was created with the love and labor of friends and relatives to create a traditional British pub–but with a Las Vegas flair. With its open spaces, nooks and crannies, two lofts, dark woods, and traditional pub decor, it looked the part. After 20 years of gifts and trinkets from customers, it’s got an unmatched, personalized patina.”

Reviews for Crown & Anchor weren’t stellar, but they weren’t bad. Yelp sat a 3.7 stars out of five. TripAdvisor gave the restaurant four out of five dots. Then again, they were kind of hamstrung having to serve British food. Yeah, we said it.

The vibe we got on the phone was everyone’s bummed at Crown & Anchor, understandably.

Big thanks to Twitter follower Vicki G. for tipping us off to the closure of Crown & Anchor.

We’ve reached out to Crown & Anchor’s ownership to try and learn more about what happened. You’ll know when we do.

The post Beloved Local Pub, Crown & Anchor, Closes on Tropicana appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Inspire has expired.

The venue, at the corner of Las Vegas Blvd. and Fremont Street in the Fremont East Entertainment District, was operated by DTP Companies (Downtown Project) and shut down with zero notice or fanfare.

The plug has been pulled on the Inspire Web site. Feel free to follow the link if you have a 404 fetish.

The closure follows on the heels of the acquisition of the property by Boston Omaha Asset Management and its co-managing partner, Brendan Keating.

Boston Omaha also owns the former John E. Carson Building, now called Tony @ Carson. Tony @ Carson is the home of the popular Carson Kitchen. Parts of the building are for lease.

Boston Omaha also owns the space where Nacho Daddy used to sit. Nacho Daddy has since moved next door and a tiki bar is opening in the former Nacho Daddy space soonish.

You’re right. We have a lot of Las Vegas things in our head. Every time we learn something new, there’s a reasonable chance it will push something else out, like how the mirror used by blackjack dealers to view their hole card is called a “peeker” or “peeper”; or how the gold nugget at Golden Nugget is a replica; or who pays million-dollar Wheel of Fortune jackpots (it’s IGT, the manufacturer); or how much Fontainebleau is losing every day ($400,000); or the story about how we once witnessed the owner of Circa, Derek Stevens, give someone 2-to-1 odds on a coin toss; or how Wynn Las Vegas uses trained hawks to keep pigeons away; or which downtown bars don’t carry Captain Morgan (Atomic and Carson Kitchen, for starters); or which Strip magician is rumored t o dip his penis in hydrogen peroxide before and after sex. You know, important stuff.

Inspire was one of several businesses in the buildings acquired by Boston Omaha from the Tony Hsieh estate in October 2023. The others are Flippin’ Good Chicken, Griffin, Corduroy, Downtown Cocktail Room and the closed Smashed Pig.

The aforementioned Brendan Keating is also chairman and co-founder of a brokerage firm, Logic Commercial Real Estate.

Logic was hired by the Tony Hsieh estate to sell 15 of Hsieh’s real estate assets. (Hsieh owned nearly 100 properties downtown, some claim in the shape of a llama. Long story.)

So far, Boston Omaha has been the only buyer of Hsieh’s properties.

There was reportedly an offer on the John E. Carson building for $200,000 more than the price Boston Omaha paid ($14.6 million), but Boston Omaha clinched the sale, anyway.

Yes, the guy hired to shop these properties is the same guy who ended up acquiring them. It’s all a little weird, but we’ve been assured there’s nothing to see here.

Unrelated, but another recent (Sep. 2023) real estate deal involving Fremont East was for buildings housing Le Thai, Commonwealth, We All Scream and Cheap Shot. The owners of Plaza, Tamares Group, sold the properties to The Siegel Group. Siegel reportedly paid $11 million for the real estate, or rather overpaid, according to our sources. The next best offer was in the $10 million range. Siegel can afford it, as their Pinkbox Doughnut shop is printing money at Plaza. Thankfully, this is a long-term investment for Siegel, and no changes for the line-up of tenants is planned.

Boston Omaha bumped heads with locals about some murals on the Tony @ Carson building (a mural of Chef Kerry Simon was accidentally painted over, but it’s being redone by the original artist), but our overall impression is they’re invested in being a contributing member of the Fremont East community.

Refreshing the mural cost about $70,000, so Boston Omaha is putting its money where its mouth is.

Tony @ Carson mural update. Kerfuffle averted. https://t.co/szU6rlcXn3 pic.twitter.com/Xx7L190m11

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) April 9, 2024

The entire building has gotten a facelift by the new ownership.

New mural on the east-facing side of Tony @ Carson (formerly John E. Carson building) downtown is hawt. pic.twitter.com/dSGDmzJcyT

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) May 24, 2024

We’d wager Inspire never actually made money, but was subsidized by Tony Hsieh’s Downtown Project, as were many of the businesses in the area when Hsieh was alive.

The three-story Inspire Nightclub was always a little odd. It had nightclub elements, but was also a lounge at various times, and also had a 150-seat theater for panel discussions. According to Downtown Project, the space was “an ideal setting for meetings, lectures, workshops, or entertaining a small to medium group.”

Inspire got some attention from USA Today in 2020. The publication described Inspire this way: “Situated on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Fremont Street, Inspire is part of the burgeoning (and very trendy) Fremont East District. Housed in a building that once was a convenience store, Inspire today offers three levels, including a rooftop bar and club. The first level has a theater with 150 seats, the second floor offers a lounge with an outdoor balcony and the third level is the rooftop, where you can have drinks along with great views. Friday and Saturday the roof turns into a nightclub, complete with DJs. Bottle and table service is available (you can book online) and you’ll find a total of four bars throughout the three clubs.”

Without Tony Hsieh’s vision (and deep pockets) the fabric of his legacy is unraveling downtown.

The once tight-knit community enlisted and inspired by Tony Hsieh doesn’t seem to know what to do with itself at the moment. Hsieh’s family seems primarily interested in selling off his real estate and cashing out, despite lots of lip service about continuing what Tony Hsieh started. There was a symbolic gesture related to Inspire, however. Hsieh’s family insisted when the Inspire deal was done that a mural of Tony Hsieh not be touched by Boston Omaha for 10 years.

A quick shout-out: We first got wind of the Inspire closure from @VegasStarfish on Twitter.

Boston Omaha says they’ll tell us first when they have a new tenant for the Inspire space. Maybe something quiet and understated. Just kidding, it’s Fremont.

The post Inspire Nightclub Closes Abruptly on Fremont East, Downtown Drama Abounds appeared first on Vital Vegas.

A longtime Strip fixture, Margaritaville, closed at Flamingo on May 30, 2024 with little fanfare. There’s been lots of speculation about what might replace it.

While the ink hasn’t dried yet, we’ve learned Margaritaville will be replaced by a country-themed venue, likely in partnership with singer Garth Brooks.

Clearly, somebody’s seen the revenue numbers at Ole Red at Horseshoe, because that place was a smash right out of the chute.

Approximately zero details are available about what country venue will take Margaritaville’s place, but Caesars Entertainment loves its celebrity partnerships, so we suspect there will be a big country artist and a recognizable brand attached.

Caesars has made a killing with Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and others we don’t recall and don’t have the time to look up because we’re too busy dishing scoop.

Oh, and Lisa Vanderpump, with her frou-frou lounges. And Buddy Valastro. If we forgot him, we’d never get fresh “mutz” again.

Anyway, it seems there are two entities under consideration for the Margaritaville space, both potentially a big draw for fans of eating, drinking, chewing snuff, rodeos, banning books and line dancing.

If we were a gambler, which we may be, our money would be on Garth Brooks as the partner for the Margaritaville space. Possibly because that’s the rumor we just heard, two sources. It’s not a done-done deal, but that’s never stopped us from spilling tea before.

Garth Brooks has a popular spot in Nashville, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky Tonk, and that seems a perfect fit for Flamingo, given the Colosseum at Caesars Palace is right across the street. His Garth Brooks/Plus One residency is running at Caesars Palace.

A honky tonk, of course, is a “place where Caucasians gather.” Prior to our current Enlightened Age, honkey tonk music was referred to as “hillbilly music.” We put that in quotation marks because we’ve already been canceled 16 times this week, and our arms are tired.

Country music has never been all that popular, but that all changed when Beyonce and her bosoms released “Texas Hold ‘Em.”

Just kidding, the Strip has had Gilley’s Saloon at TI forever, Losers Bar at MGM Grand is sort of country-themed and the aforementioned Old Red has definitely booted some scoots since it opened January 15, 2024.

Here’s a look at the view.

Redneck Riviera tanked at Grand Bazaar Shops (soon to be an escape room), but it was in a weird location and didn’t have Blake Shelton and his future ex-wife, Gwen Stefani, to promote it.

We have a special place in our heart for Gwen Stefani because she told a mutual friend she thought we were “cute” at a Hollywood party, circa 2001. Not that we have to make everything about us.

PBR Rock Bar closed at Planet Hollywood in 2022. The operators of Miracle Mile Shops reportedly didn’t feel the venue fit with the highfalutin image of the shopping complex following a massive overhaul. Such attitudes about country-music lovers cannot be tolerated. The book banning thing is totally valid, but not whatever Miracle Mile felt they didn’t want as the first impression of their mall.

There have been some rumblings about a country venue moving into 63 Las Vegas, at Shops at Crystals, next to Cosmopolitan. Morgan Wallen, whoever that may be, has expressed interest in an outpost of his This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen. Our friend @LasVegasLocally has heard Jason Aldean will get a spot at 63. Aldean was the one who ran for cover during the Oct. 1 shooting, leaving thousands of festival-goers confused and fighting for their lives. We are not a fan.

If true, watch for a friends, family and cowards discount. https://t.co/s6z0zoSdIr

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) May 31, 2024

Margaritaville has been a fixture at Flamingo for decades, but Caesars Entertainment is sprucing up the place with several new offerings, including Gordon Ramsay Burger (in the Bird Bar space), Pinky’s by Vanderpump (in the poker room space) and Havana 1957 (in the Tropical Breeze Cafe space).

How in the holy hell would you keep track of all this crap without us? Seriously.

You’ll know more about Margaritaville’s replacement when we do! Until then, Ole Red, already.

The post Margaritaville Closes, Country Venue is Moving In Next appeared first on Vital Vegas.

So much downtown news, so little time.

The popular Nacho Daddy, just off Fremont Street, has moved. Thankfully, fans won’t have trouble finding it, as it only moved a dozen feet to the north.

In the works in the former Nacho Daddy space? Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar. We popped in for a construction update.

Nacho Daddy has been a downtown favorite for years, perhaps best-known for its scorpion shots, flaming fajitas and hangovers.

Nacho Daddy says it has sold more than 50,000 scorpion shots since the restaurant opened in 2010.

The new location is bright (with tons of skylights) and airy, and the booze is still the star of the show. Nacho Daddy is near Fremont Street, so it’s the law.

The new address is 121 N. Fourth St., Las Vegas, NV 89101. We should probably should’ve made that link to Google Maps or something, but you’ll figure it out.

There are other Nacho Daddy locations, including in Miracle Mile Shops, Summerlin and Henderson. The chain’s first restaurant, in Henderson, closed to make way for a Chick-fil-A, but another Nacho Daddy returned to Henderson four years later. The restaurant’s success had led to locations outside Nevada, including Duluth and Salt Lake City. A Nacho Daddy was also announced for Miami, and the Nacho Daddy menu touts another location opening in Nashville in 2024.

The move is so recent, Nacho Daddy hasn’t updated its Web site yet. Check out the Nacho Daddy menu online.

Downtown visionary Tony Hsieh was a longtime silent partner of Nacho Daddy prior to his tragic death in 2020. The ownership has always been a little murky, but Las Vegas doesn’t really do journalism or ask too many questions, so bygones. Tony Hsieh subsidized a good number of small businesses in downtown, but Nacho Daddy is one of the self-sustaining ones.

The new location appears to be doing well, and was bustling during our recent visit. The move has pushed the vagrants (who often sleep along this stretch of sidewalk) farther north, so there’s that. Here’s a look at what this part of the street looked like prior to Nacho Daddy’s move.

Which leads us to what’s going into the previous Nacho Daddy space.

Specifically, the aforementioned tiki bar, Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar.

“Glitter Gulch” and “Tiki Bar” don’t intuitively mesh, but who cares? It’s two things everyone loves smushed together.

Glitter Gulch, of course, was the nickname for downtown back in the day, due to all the neon. And it’s hard not to love tiki bars. Frankie’s Tiki Room and Golden Tiki are two of the more beloved establishments in town.

We stuck our head into a window at the under-construction Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar and met a tiki bar legend, “Bamboo Ben.” Ben Bassham is a renowned designer of tiki bars, and we can attest to the fact he and his son, Blake Bassham, are weaving some serious tiki magic in the new downtown bar.

The Nacho Daddy main bar remains, but pretty much everything else has been transformed into a tropical wonderland. We always expect tiki bars to be kitschy or cheesy, but Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar doesn’t feel ironic. It’s just sort of cool, and it hasn’t even opened yet.

Wikipedia has more sexy information about Tiki: “In one story of Tiki among the many variants, Tiki was lonely and craved company. One day, seeing his reflection in a pool, he thought he had found a companion, and dived into the pool to seize it. The image shattered and Tiki was disappointed. He fell asleep and when he awoke he saw the reflection again. He covered the pool with earth and it gave birth to a woman. Tiki lived with her in serenity, until one day the woman was excited by an eel. Her excitement passed to Tiki and the first reproductive act resulted.” That’s hawt.

“Bamboo Ben” has longtime Vegas ties, as he’s the grandson of Eli Hedley. Hedley was responsible for the statues that once adorned Aku Aku, a Polynesian-themed restaurant at the Stardust. One of the statues is still on display at Sunset Park in Vegas-adjacent Henderson.

It sounds like Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar could open in April 2024, but we haven’t heard an official opening date yet.

You can check in on Bassham’s progress on Instagram, where he posts frequent updates.

There’s a lot more downtown news, but we’ve been very busy winning hand pays at Ellis Island and stirring up crap on Twitter. Thanks for understanding.

The post Downtown’s Nacho Daddy Relocates, Glitter Gulch Tiki Bar to Replace It appeared first on Vital Vegas.

As part of its ongoing rejuvenation, Rio is reopening its Wine Cellar tasting room. The Wine Cellar opens March 21, 2024.

Finally, an answer to the question we’ve gotten approximately 460,000 times since Dreamscape purchased Rio from Caesars Entertainment.

We are not personally a wine person, but this is fairly awesome news for wine fans. You might say it’s a real corker. You’re likely to be pelted with rocks for saying it, but you might. You don’t live by society’s rules.

The Wine Cellar will be open Thursday through Sunday, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Reservations can be made online.

Per Rio, “The Wine Cellar’s beautiful rock setting provides the perfect backdrop for an intimate glass of wine to start the evening or a relaxing nightcap. The ambiance is reminiscent of esteemed wine regions like Napa Valley or Italy. Seasoned wine stewards, including The Wine Cellar resident expert Hung Nguyen, will guide guests on a sensory journey through wine territories from around the world, offering a delightful experience for their taste buds.”

Today we learned.

In its heyday, the Wine Cellar at Rio boasted 10,000 bottles of wine, valued at more than $10 million.

Some of the bottles are amazing, not just in terms of dollar value, but also historical value, and we trust they’re still in the inventory.

The venue has lots of cozy tasting areas to sip and use pretentious words like “terroir” and “vinous” and “flinty” and “vegetal.” Or, if you’re like us, terms like “bung hole,” which is an actual thing. You use bungs (mature people call them stoppers) to plug bung holes, obviously.

The Wine Cellar is a whole vibe.

The reopening of the Rio’s Wine Cellar tasting room is another symbolic step in the reinvigoration of the off-Strip resort.

Dreamscape is pouring $350 million into a top-to-bottom refresh of Rio, with a list of improvements growing by the day.

Rio recently became part of the Hyatt family, announced a rebrand of its lobby bar to Lapa Lounge, rebranded its All-American Bar & Grill to Luckley Tavern & Grill (debuts in May), opened an impressive food hall, renovated the rooms in its Ipanema hotel tower and more.

Rio is slaying, as our fellow youths say, and they aren’t done yet.

Our money’s still on it being the location of an A’s ballpark should the team actually move to Las Vegas at some point.

Keep the newness coming, Rio!

Update (3/19/24): We heard back from Rio about the wine inventory. The previous inventory wasn’t inherited by Dreamscape, so the team is starting from scratch, full cleansing of the palate, as they say.

The post Rio’s Bringing Back Its Wine Cellar Tasting Room appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Just when we’d given up on Slots-A-Fun at Circus Circus, there’s a glimmer of hope. Not just for Circus Circus, but for all of Humanity.

Circus Circus recently moved all its coin-operated slot machines (the only remaining coin slots on The Strip) to Slots-A-Fun, an adjacent casino space where value is once again king.

Here’s what’s new at Slots-A-Fun, including a look at the $2 food deals harkening back to when Las Vegas had dirtier fingers, an abundance of cheap eats and table games minimums that didn’t require taking out a second mortgage.

Circus Circus gets a lot of guff, or as the kids call it, “shade.” It’s not new and shiny, and its family-friendly clientele makes the experience different than other casino-hotels. But that’s what makes it special, and wildly profitable.

Slots-A-Fun is adults only, just the way we like our Vegas.

The space is now full of coin-operated slots. The rarity of such machines, combined with a 97.4% payback on many machines, has made the coin slots area at Circus Circus a big draw for years. We wrote about the coin slot cult following awhile back.

Circus Circus clearly decided its long-neglected Slots-A-Fun needed a boost, and moving the coin machines to this area might just do the trick. The move was presumably also sparked by the opening of Fontainebleau across the street, but that’s unlikely to move the needle at Circus Circus.

Slots-A-Fun currently has 75 coin-operated machines, with another 25 on order. There are a dozen old-school video poker and keno machines, along with 39 machines that take TITO vouchers, but those will be phased out as new coin machines arrive. There are 12 video poker machines at the bar that don’t take coins.

Coin-operated slots were just one aspect of the Slots-A-Fun relaunch, however.

The Slots-A-Fun bar now offers several food and drink specials, at the price point of $2. We are not making this up.

Yes, we tried all the food, despite the fact we are not a shrimp person.

The shrimp cocktail presentation is actually clever, with the shrimp hovering over the sauce.

The shrimp seemed fresh and there were six.

The popcorn was easily the best value, as the bag was nearly a foot long. Or tall. Depending upon one’s orientation.

The hot dog has the most room for improvement, but we weren’t drinking. The $2 dog would definitely handle one’s Vegas-feuled drunchies. We trust the preparation process is being refined. The lone bartender not only serves drinks at the bar, and acts as the service bartender for all of Slots-A-Fun, but also makes the food.

Here’s a look at Slots-A-Fun. This video may answer some of your questions, including, “Do you script the narration of your videos?”

As you might suspect, people are still rude and hogging machines.

The coin slots may have relocated from Circus Circus proper to Slots-A-Fun, but dipshits hogging machines are a constant. pic.twitter.com/J85hEN1TAp

— Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) March 10, 2024

We trust Slot-A-Fun will post the rules as it did when the coin machines were inside Circus Circus proper.

The fun at Slots-A-Fun doesn’t stop there, however.

Slots-A-Fun has table games again, including blackjack, roulette and an electronic craps table.

The craps table (real dice, but no chips, you bet through terminals) has a $10 minimum, uncommon for The Strip. Electronic craps tables aren’t exactly an authentic craps experience, but they have their benefits, beyond saving a casino money on labor.

Lots of longtime Vegas visitors have asked if Slots-A-Fun will bring back its craps table just inside the entrance, off the Las Vegas Strip. The answer is maybe. We trust increased demand and revenue will help drive that decision.

What else would you like to know?

Parking for Slots-A-Fun? Yes, parking is still free at Circus Circus, but self-parking is quite far away. During our most recent visit, we tried the surface parking lot outside the Circus Circus porte cochere. The lot accepts payment via Parking.com, and it was $6 for two hours. From that lot, Slots-a-Fun is just a few feet away, totally worth it and a great deal compared to other paid parking rates on The Strip.

You scan the thingy and pay online.

Will Slots-A-Fun keep its glorious carpeting? Yes.

Are we going to point out the pip gaffe in the Slots-A-Fun carpeting? Yes.

Are we going to point out that they got the other dice wrong, too? Yes.

Did we write a story about the dice pip problem? Yes.

We’ve been told Slots-A-Fun will have a DJ on Saturdays, so we know which day not to visit. Just a personal preference.

Overall, it’s awesome Circus Circus is reading the room and understands the desire for value is exploding with every price spike elsewhere on The Strip.

Circus Circus says in its news release, “With this strategic shift, Circus Circus reaffirms its dedication to honoring the essence of vintage Vegas while embracing innovation for the modern-day guest. The revitalized Slots-A-Fun area, alongside enticing promotional offerings, promises an unforgettable experience steeped in nostalgia and excitement.”

News releases gonna news release, but they aren’t wrong, and this direction is to be applauded and encouraged.

Off-Strip casinos have touted their throwback deals recently, including Downtown Grand (with their $2 hot dog and PBR deal) and Oyo ($1 blackjack), but the cost of doing business on The Strip is higher, so prices follow suit.

There’s nothing like a coin slot, in our humble opinion, for experiencing gambling the way Mother Nature intended. Two downtown casinos have coin slots (The Cal and El Cortez), but on The Strip, Circus Circus is the last casino standing.

The reaction to Slots-A-Fun’s new direction has been universally positive online, and the casino says business levels have been strong since the relaunch of the space.

Circus Circus is one of our favorite casinos on The Strip, and now we have another reason to love the place. (Especially since there are no kids at Slots-A-Fun.)

If you want fine dining or elegance or a dress code, Slots-A-Fun isn’t the place for you. If you want to visit the Las Vegas you fell in love with, this is about as close as you’re likely to get without going downtown. Fact that’s anything but fun: Slots are now tighter downtown than on The Strip.

It’s time to get grimy again, and thanks for the memories, Circus Circus.

<span id="hgpsm"></span>

The post Slots-A-Fun at Circus Circus is Bringing Value Back appeared first on Vital Vegas.