Developer Says S. Florida Could Be Bigger Than Vegas

Sun Sentinel: The developer behind a plan to build the world's largest casino on the Miami waterfront predicts gamblers will spend more in South Florida than they do in the Las Vegas Strip, the kind of grand transformation that now has the mayor of Miami rethinking his support of the project.

The Malaysian-based Genting Group released a one-page summary of an economic study it commissioned saying the addition of three 5,200-room casino resorts would generate as much as $6 billion in gambling revenue a year. The Vegas Strip, long considered the hub of American gambing, generated $5.7 billion last year, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

The striking numbers come on the heels of a letter by Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado to Genting Chairman K.T. Lim that rolls back the mayor's previous embrace of the company's planned Resorts World Miami casino resort on the city waterfront.

"I believe that your proposed project may be one of the best things that ever happened to our community -- or the worst,'' wrote Regalado, who in June presented Kim with the key to the city shortly after Genting paid $236 million for the Miami Herald's waterfront headquarters. "It is too early in its planning to tell."

The mayor's Nov. 8 letter calls for both Miami and Genting to "stop and think and work together, carefully and unrushed, to avoid any problems that may develop" with the massive project, which would include 5,200 rooms and nearly four times as much gambling space as the largest casino in Vegas. Genting issued a statement Wednesday saying it was "working closely with authorities at all levels of government" as it moves forward with the proposed development.

Genting hired Spectrum Gaming Group to prepare an economic study on bringing three casino resorts to South Florida. On Wednesday Genting released a one-page letter by Spectrum stating three casino resorts would generate between $4.5 billion and $6 billion in casino winnings a year. The letter does not make the Strip comparision, but Spectrum managing director Michael Pollock said it's reasonable to imagine South Florida eclipsing Sin City.

"You've certainly got the population,'' Pollock said. "You've got the tourism infrastructure. You've got access to multiple markets -- many of which are untapped by gaming, such as Latin America."

Pollock said the study was based on three resorts the same size as Resorts World Miami. That would mean world's three largest casinos would operate in South Florida. The letter was released the same day Genting executives made their case in front of a Senate committee considering a industry-backed bill that would allow three casino resorts to open in South Florida.

In an interview, Regalado said his letter does not reflect a change in his position, and that the Resorts World Miami project would not be too large for the city as long as Genting can address traffic woes and new strains on city services.

"It could be manageable,'' he said. "But we just need to understand what kind of impact it will have."

Regalado's newest statement is "gratifying" to business leader Norman Braman who recently met with the mayor urging him to reconsider his views on gambling.

"I think it gets back to the more that people really think this through, the more they realize and understand all the pitfalls that casino gambling will bring to this community," Braman said. "I don't think Tomas Regalado wants his legacy stained by being instrumental in bringing casino gambling to this community."

Braman, who recently engineered the successful recall of Miami Mayor Carlos Alvarez, said he will make it his mission to defeat the casino gambling bill and the potential of three destination resort casinos in South Florida. He said he's received an flood of calls in the last few weeks from other community leaders interested in supporting his efforts.

"I will do whatever is necessary to prevent casino gambling from coming into this community," Braman said. "People now are really waking up to what's happening.This is an assault on our quality of life."

Getting Wet and Wild in Las Vegas

Splash Canyon Water Park

Vegas Chatter: Back in the day, it wasn't a Vegas vacation without a stop at Wet N' Wild on The Strip. Right next to the Sahara and before the reign of the Vegas day pool scene, the mega-waterpark was the cool place to get cool... at least until it turned off the spigots for good back in 2004.

Now, a new water attraction is about to make a splash, but don't look for it on Las Vegas Boulevard. Splash Canyon will keep the wet and wild times about 15 miles southwest of The Strip. Scheduled to open next Memorial Day Weekend, the H₂O complex will feature the requisite wave pool with 3-foot-high waves and Lazy River as well as 20 slides, a kids play zone, cabanas, picnic areas, restaurants, and probably a gift shop ready to teach us a lesson about forgetting sunscreen, our sunglasses, or Chapstick in the hotel room.

But, we know what you really want to hear about is the rides -- and if you'll be taken for one to get in. The water slides will include two 7-story Speed Slides, a six-lane, head-first Mat Racer, and a three-slide, multi-rider Tube Complex where 2 to 3 people can get drenched at once. Unlike Wet n' Wild, the inner tubes will be free here. We can't remember how much we forked over to get in back then, but Splash Canyon will charge us a top ticket price of $29.99 for adults or really tall kids. Tykes under 48 inches will get in for eight bucks less as will seniors and the military. Children under two will be free.

If you come to Vegas a lot, the best option, though, is a special $99 season pass available "while supplies last." Once those are gone, they'll go up by $40 bucks. Of course, tourists will need to factor in a rental car, too, or a really expensive cab ride for a day of fun in the sun off The Strip.

Tickets for 2012 Electric Daisy Carnival on Sale Today

Vegas Chatter: Vegas' inaugural Electric Daisy Carnival sold 85,000 tickets in 24 hours. And, that's when quite a few of us didn't know just what to expect.

But, now we know what's in store (and how to survive it) so loads of folks are limbering up as the first batch of tickets for EDC 2012 go on sale starting at noon PST.

Sadly, only 3-day ticket packs will go on sale today. You'll have to wait for a yet-to-be-announced time for single day admissions. Three-day general entry tix will start at $215 and VIP 3-day passes will start at $500. Yes, we said "start at." You'll only be able to purchase them online at ElectricDaisyCarnival.com or via Insomniac.com so get thee to a reliable Internet connection now.

Some 230,000 people partied from dusk to dawn over three days for EDC this past summer. EDC 2012 will return to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway June 8-10.

Gun Lounge to Open in Las Vegas

The Daily Mail: Las Vegas is well known as a destination where – if such things are to your liking – you can indulge in a few days of heavy gambling and partying.

But now it seems that visitors to Sin City will be able to try their hand at another, rather more dangerous pastime – shooting automatic weapons.

Before the year is out, America’s most notorious city will see the doors open on a club where guests will be allowed – and encouraged – to fire high-powered rifles.

The brainchild of Genghis Cohen, the impresario behind Tabu, an infamous club at the city’s MGM Grand Hotel, Machine Guns Vegas is set to open on December 15.

Situated just behind the Mirage Hotel near the city’s central Strip, Las Vegas’s first ‘ultra gun lounge’ will glamorize the use of firearms. Guests will be taught how to fire weapons by 'stunning gun girls’.

'The world is now ready for a "Gun Lounge",' Mr Cohen says. 'Stunning "Gun-Girls" trained in gun-handling [will] look after VIP guests.'

Mr Cohen is quick to dismiss any safety concerns, commenting that: 'All Machine Guns Vegas girls are certified Range Safety Officers through the National Rifle Association.’

And while the 'lounge' will have a luxurious atmosphere, alcohol will not be allowed on site.However, the club will actively link gun use to fashion and high-end brands.

‘Louis Vuitton and Prada accessories for your guns and ammunition are available for purchase’, Mr Cohen continues.

And the lounge will celebrate the deaths of figures such as Osama Bin Laden, with guests able to train their rifles on targets that include the former al-Qaeda leader.

‘There is a full range of targets including Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and [Muammar] Gaddafi,’ Mr Cohen adds. ‘The works.'

Husband-and-wife team Mike and Leanne Heck, who have hosted celebrities such as Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Cher and Ice T for shooting excursions, will also be on hand to help visitors with their weapons.

Mr Cohen says: 'Gun Ranges in America have always been tacked on to gun stores up until now. We're the first luxury, dedicated gun lounge in the world. Machine Guns Vegas has changed everything. The right to bear arms was in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. The building blocks of this great nation.'

Sin City Still Fuming Over Presidential Rants

Las Vegas Sun: President Barack Obama has a Sin City problem that won't go away.

Obama is counting on Nevada's support for re-election next year. He easily won the Las Vegas Valley in 2008 and will probably win the largely Democratic, urban center again next year.

But some Nevada state officials and residents of this economically ravaged state have been fuming over comments they perceived as rants against the tourism industry since he first made them two years ago, and Republicans are hoping that fury will point voters in their direction.

The friction resurfaced as Obama visited a Las Vegas neighborhood Monday as part of a nationwide tour to sell his jobs plan. The stop came as Republican presidential candidates, business titans and former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman continue to remind people that Obama has twice disparaged Las Vegas tourism _ this western swing state's largest employer.

The jabs are notable because casino-dependent Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and Obama can't afford to have voters blame him as his Republican rivals try to convince the nation that they would do a better job of turning the stalled economy around. Nevada's unemployment remained steady at 13.4 percent last month.

"He said it more than once," said former Nevada Gov. Bob List, a national Republican committeeman. "You can't un-ring the bell. You have to live with what you say. It just shows a lack of understanding of the engine that drives the state."

The feud began in 2009, when Obama admonished corporations using federal bailout money: "You can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayer's dime." A year later, Obama warned families against gambling away college tuition: "You don't blow a bunch of cash in Vegas when you're trying to save for college."

The call for financial responsibility didn't sit well with some Las Vegans, and Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Nevada all lashed back at the time. Even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Obama's most prominent ally in Congress and Nevada's senior senator, told Obama to "lay off Las Vegas."

With Obama campaigning for a second term, the president's critics are eager to call the outcry to mind.

"Perception is reality," said Republican Rep. Joe Heck, who represents southern Nevada. "After those statements were made, we had conventions call and pull out, so it did in fact cost Las Vegas business."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who won Nevada's caucuses in 2008, pointed to Obama's Vegas statements while campaigning here last week. He reminded voters of them in a statement sent out before Obama landed in Nevada Monday.

"My guess is it did not help when he talked down Las Vegas as a convention city, did it?" Romney told dozens of supporters gathered at his campaign headquarters in Las Vegas last week.

Obama tried to make amends Monday during a fundraiser with business leaders at the Bellagio casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

"I love coming to Vegas," he said. "The only people who love coming more is my staff. I would not be surprised if some of them missed the plane accidentally."

But the president did not allude to the tensions when he later spoke on a residential street in Las Vegas. In all, he spent only three hours in Nevada Monday. Amanda Hulsizer, 31, said she appreciated that Obama stopped by her street, but she said he hadn't completely redeemed himself for his earlier comments.

"You don't only blow money in Las Vegas, you can just as easily blow money in California at Disneyland," she said after the president's speech. Her husband lost his job on the Las Vegas Strip.

Las Vegas saw 3.3 million visitors in August, 2.8 percent more than the same month last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. But gambling revenues were down 6.7 percent for the same period in Clark County, home to the glittering Las Vegas Strip and the vast majority of Nevadans.

Michael Bonner, chairman of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce, said Obama's critics read too much into his Vegas comments.

"There was a measurable impact on convention and trade business following those comments, but the intent of the president was certainly not to damage the economy here," said Bonner, who has donated to Democratic and Republican candidates in recent years.

List, the former Republican governor, said Republicans plan to remind voters at every opportunity that Obama slammed the industry that influences the livelihoods of most Nevadans.

"A lot of people out of work won't forget it any time soon," List said.

The Newest Las Vegas Attraction

Vegas Chatter: Card slappers. Costumed characters. Water peddlers. Street musicians. Club promoters. And, now, Occupy Las Vegas protestors.

Vegas tourists will have one more sight to see before they even get into its casinos as the fledgling Occupy Las Vegas movement, which began a few days ago, now has a permanent base of operations just a few miles from The Strip. At least for the next 30 days, anyway.

Protestors have become frequent sights recently on both The Strip and in Downtown Vegas (as seen above). An official website details upcoming actions, including a protest planned for President Obama's visit to Vegas on Monday. There's a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a Livestream page, too.

Potty Humor in Las Vegas Hotels

Vegas Chatter: Probably not the no. 1 or no. 2 most important thing you'll do today, but care to guess which Vegas hotel is really into potty humor?

We had no idea fellas were the butt of this hotel's joke until we found this pic on Flickr. Being a chick, we've never been mocked in the Vegas loo, but we have been greeted by some attentive ladies ourselves. Except these gals left nothing to the imagination. And, we really mean, nothing.

Apparently, there's a lot more to flush out about the Vegas potty scene, because there's even a blog dedicated to it now, too. The Straight Flush only has a handful of posts and has been a bit silent of late (perhaps a laxative is in order?), but has already shared some hidden and disgusting finds.

Come back tomorrow to find out which Sin City loo is pictured above. Update: It's the Las Vegas Hilton.

Las Vegas Hotel Plans World's Largest Margarita

Vegas Chatter: If you like pina coladas this story isn't for you, but if can't say no to a good margarita, this'll make your day.

The Flamingo is planning to mix up the world's largest margarita next month in celebration of the opening of its new Margaritaville Casino. The drink planned will be so massive, it'll take 300 hours to create and will stand two stories high! Hmm, maybe Caesars Entertainment should scrap the Linq and just create giant drinks for us to pose next to... we know we're not the only ones looking for the perfect photo for our redesigned Facebook page.

Anywho... dubbed Lucky Rita, the ginormous concoction will top out at 8,500 gallons including "2,125 gallons of Margaritaville Gold Tequila, 708 gallons of Triple Sec, 5,667 gallons of Margaritaville Margarita Mix and Lemon-X sour mix and 22,667 Lime Wedges." So, if your liquor store says it's all out of any of that, you know why.

A topping off ceremony will be held on October 14 and while no specific time given yet (five o'clock??), it might be worth your while to find out as execs are planning to give out Jimmy Buffet concert tickets to a lucky few. Even better, though, is that everyone will be treated to -- what else -- margaritas. In fact, the good times will continue to flow through October 23 as the Flamingo is planning to serve up the mongo-margarita until all 181,333 individual servings are gone. We wonder if that gives us enough time to make the world's largest drinking straw?

The Guinness World Record attempt is just the start of the festivities, too. Margaritaville street parties are planned for October 15 and October 22. They'll start at 11 a.m. each date and will feature live music, games and more giveaways, from more concert tix to Margaritaville sunglasses and flip flops. If you can't make it down, you'll be able to watch the creation of Lucky Rita online at margaritaville.com/LuckyRita.

Focus on Las Vegas Elevator Music

Vegas Chatter: Music plays an important role in the casino. It plays in the background at a level that usually isn't intrusive (except night time at the party pit). We don't always notice the music unless we hear something that stands out, either good or bad. The one place we notice music is the elevator when we're staying at a casino. We're held captive for, hopefully, only a few seconds but there usually isn't much chatter so the music stands out.

A recent trip to Planet Hollywood (above) had us reeling a little as we heard one song over and over and over when we went to and from our room. Last year, Planet Hollywood had MidiMafia make a song for the casino called "Phamous", which went along really nicely with their branding. However, it's a year after the song came out and, after staying at Planet Hollywood a few times, they are still playing this song almost every time we're in the elevator. It's enough and we can't wait for the song to leave their rotation.


On the other hand, we've stayed at Palazzo a few times in the past year and they have had various Jersey Boys songs on their elevator playlist. Not only does that not bother us, but we'll miss it when Jersey Boys leaves Palazzo. More than anything, this is why we're curious to see what Palazzo replaces the show with.

Las Vegas Kitsch For Sale

Vegas Chatter: Last week as we were busy drafting our online petition for a slot museum in Las Vegas (or really, just salivating over some gold coins from Caesars Palace), we stumbled across this website Old Vegas Chips which sells, as its name indicates, old Vegas gambling chips.

But the site really sells anything Old Vegas-related including these old-fashioned room keys. It's hard to imagine an era when we used actual keys to open hotel room doors now that we're so accustomed to magnetized key cards but this site takes us way back offering room keys to the Riviera ($24), MGM Grand which has the lion featured on the key head ($17), the Hilton ($14), the Frontier ($17) and the Desert Inn ($27.)

Nostalgia, novelty and kitsch aside, the collection is somewhat limited (there's only 2 other hotel keys available) and we don't have any significant ties to these properties so we're probably gonna pass on this Old Vegas purchase.

However, after having gotten locked out of our room the other week after our room key got demagnetized in our purse, forcing us to wait 15 minutes for security to come up and open our door and losing valuable primping time for Thunder from Down Under, we kinda wish hotels would use real keys again.

Free Drinks for Being Social

Vegas Chatter: If this is the start to a new Vegas trend, we think we're in heaven, and we'll most definitely be at the bar. Two Vegas bars, specifically. PBR Rock Bar at Planet Hollywood's Miracle Mile which started offering free booze to its Twitter followers every Thursday back in April and now, McFadden's at Rio is on the verge of launching its Social Social Event.

Every third Friday of each month, McFadden's will give complimentary featured cocktails and draft beer to anyone who shows they interact with the bar through social media. Show the invite tweet and you're in. RSVP'd to the Facebook event? Golden. Checked in on Foursquare? Right this way. And when we say complimentary we mean F-R-E-E and none of that open bar, but first pay $20 bucks stuff, either. The free drinks will flow from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. during the event.

Now, that we have five days out of the month covered, here's to hoping other bars jump on board.

Burning Man Sets Attendance Record

More than 50,000 revelers are gathered on the northern Nevada desert this weekend for the climax of the annual Burning Man counterculture festival.

A record 53,341 people attended the Friday night burning of a 50-feet tall Trojan Horse. The annual celebration of radical self-expression reached its usual climax late Saturday night with the torching of its a 120' tall effigy which covers more than 45,000 square feet (left).

No major problems have been reported at the weeklong art, music and performance festival which ends on Monday.



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Vegas Hotel Experiences Kardashian Chaos

Vegas Chatter: Kardashian. Just the word will evoke squeals, disgust, eye rolls and, some cases, slight nausea so it's no surprise that when The Mirage excitedly revealed plans for a Kardashian Khaos retail store on Facebook, kalamity ensued.

Close to 100 people gave the news a thumbs up, but just as many blasted the hotel for its decision with some going as far as saying they'll never stay there again:

Will folks really stay somewhere else because a family of famewhores have set up shop? Probably not, but in a town where celebreality is usually met with not so much of a blink of the eye, it's klear The Mirage may have to take drastic measures. Like giving away some bedazzled tees. We're holding out for the Facebook "meet the Kardashian's" contest ourselves.

Las Vegas Submits Rogue Bid for 2020 Olympics

Business Insider: Las Vegas submitted a letter to the International Olympic Committee last week announcing its intention to seek to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

There's just one problem: The IOC will not accept any bid unless it also has the support of the national Olympic committee. The USOC has already declared that they will not submit an American bid for 2020.

The IOC has already specifically rejected the Las Vegas idea on those grounds.

But Vegas being Vegas, that technicality isn't stopping them. Bid organizers still think they can convince the USOC and IOC to change their minds, even though the deadline for applications is September 1.

Also – although NBC would certainly love to cover an American Olympics - unless the city can somehow find a way to hold every single event indoors, a Summer Olympics in the middle of the Nevada desert is a long shot at best.

Fukuburger Hitting the Streets in Los Angeles

Vegas Chatter: Vegas food trucks got prime time exposure over the weekend when the latest episode of "The Great Food Truck Race" on the Food Network ended up featuring quite a few of the city's best meals on wheels. Now at least one popular food truck is making tracks to Hollywood to seek even greater fame and fortune.


Fukuburger is hitting the road with plans to roll into LA this September, but Vegas foodies shouldn't mourn the loss of its mouth-watering burgers. The food truck will stay in Sin City, but Fukuburger -- the restaurant -- will pop up near Sunset and Hollywood. The eatery will have 60 seats and will serve full-size versions of the sliders we've come to love.

Fukuburger first hit the streets of Vegas last July. In case you've ever wondered in between mouthfuls, fuku means "luck" in Japanese.

Mermaids Make Splash in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Review Journal: How to tell if you're a mermaid:

1. You have a natural affinity for Darryl Hannah movies, especially "Splash."

2. You feel most at home in the ocean.

3. Your legs morph into a fish tail when someone spills water on you (if you don't know what that means, you should watch a certain Darryl Hannah movie).

4. You were at Mer-Con 2011, a mermaid convention held Friday at the Silverton hotel-casino .

While none of the Mer-Con attendees had actual experience with the third clue, there were plenty who wished they had.

"I've discovered that I hate having legs," says Allie Causin, who teaches ballet and special education in Minnesota. "And I hate oxygen. Of course, I love my legs because I use them to dance. But there's this serenity about the water. I love the freedom of the water."

Causin, 26, came to Las Vegas with her friend, Twig the Fairy, thinking it would be a great place to network and promote her children's book about fairies and mermaids.

With maybe 300 in attendance, it was a small convention but a good turnout for a first-time event, Causin says.

Mermaids are poised to knock vampires and zombies off their top-of-the-pop-culture perch, says Sita Lange, Mer-Con organizer.

They're popping up in novels, comic books, YouTube and television. Carolyn Turgeon's "Mermaid: A Twist on a Classic Tale" has been optioned by a movie company.

"I had one of the first mermaid sites on the Internet," says Lange, who lives in Hawaii. "I've been making mermaid tails for years, and I've met a lot of people. We've been talking online for 10 to 15 years, I thought we might as well meet. Now, turns out mermaids are the new big thing."

The convention almost didn't happen. It was originally scheduled to take place over this weekend at The Mirage. Two weeks ago, Lange had to scramble for a new location when she discovered that attendees wouldn't be able to swim in the hotel's pool wearing their tails. The Silverton was a natural second choice, she says, as the casino boasts a fish tank with mermaids in it.

The highlight of the event was the beauty pageant in which 28 "mermaids" vied for the title of queen mermaid. The contestants, whose ages ranged from 10 months to 42 years old, wore their "land" clothes before posing as mermaids. For more than an hour, the Silverton stage was filled with a rainbow of fake fishtails. Two mermen, guy mermaids, competed against each other for the title of king.

In terms of Vegas weirdness, the one-day convention was a bit underwhelming. Vendors were on hand selling their handmade mermaid tails, jewelry, hair extensions and clothes. An artist painted mermaid pictures while authors sold their mermaid-themed books.

Mostly, people mingled, sought out autographs from famous mermaids or talked mermaid shop. Little girls promoted their mermaid videos on YouTube.

Kimberlie Mendibles, 41, came from California to find the perfect mer-tailor so she can finally buy a tail. She has been a mermaid her whole life, she says, but put off buying a tail because she didn't want to get ripped off. Tails range from $500 to $5,000.

Mendibles also hoped to gather ideas for her book, a 12-step guide on how to become a modern mermaid.

"So little kids know that they can do that, that it is attainable and they don't have to just wish for it anymore. Modern mermaids save the water, they're environmentalist kind of people," Mendibles says. "They're alluring and tempting but not like strippers."

Work to Begin on $500 Million Las Vegas Strip Project

Las Vegas Sun: Construction will begin this month on a $500 million mid-Strip development that will include a 550-foot observation wheel — developers insist it not be called a Ferris wheel — and a restaurant-entertainment district linking the Imperial Palace and Flamingo resorts.

Clark County commissioners approved the 18-month “Linq” project Wednesday, giving Caesars Entertainment the green light to break ground, said Marybel Batjer, Caesars Entertainment vice president of public policy and communications.

Design and construction of the observation wheel — its 28 cabins will each carry up to 40 people — will be a technical feat on par with the construction of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge, Batjer said.

“This takes that kind of thoroughness,” she said. “Only a few engineering firms in the world are capable of doing this.”

The project also involves the “re-skinning” of the Imperial Palace and O’Sheas, giving the businesses new facades, and the creation of 326,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment venues between the Imperial Palace and the Flamingo.

Representing Caesars Entertainment before the commission, attorney Tabitha Fiddyment said the project will cost about $500 million and “completely change this area of Las Vegas Boulevard … it’s going to entirely revitalize it.”

The project will employ 3,000 construction workers; when it’s complete it will create 1,500 new jobs.

Asked why Caesars Entertainment is doing the project now, as Las Vegas and Nevada remain in the grips of recession, Batjer said reinvention is what Las Vegas is known for.

“None of us in Las Vegas ever sits on our laurels,” Batjer said. “You continue to develop and bring new visions to this terrific place.”

When finished, Batjer said the area between the resorts will become an urban gathering place akin to the Meatpacking District of Manhattan, Fulton Street in New Orleans and South Beach in Miami.

The Linq observation wheel is the second planned for the Strip. In May, developer Howard Bullock of Compass Investments broke ground in construction of a 500-foot-tall wheel across Las Vegas Boulevard from Mandalay Bay. Completion is expected in the first half of 2013.

Commissioners said they hope the Linq development is a “green shoot,” signaling economic development will begin throughout the county.

“It will create thousands of jobs, both construction and permanent, and be another amenity on the Las Vegas Strip for tourists to visit and enjoy,” Commissioner Steve Sisolak said. “It will also provide an economic stimulus to county revenues.”

Commissioner Larry Brown added: “This project is another sign of growing confidence in the Las Vegas market. A $400 million investment, thousands of new jobs — the type of commitment that builds tremendous momentum for our economy.”

Project approval came a day after the commission voted to create a committee that will spend the next few months figuring out how to address a sense of disorder on the Strip, including how to keep it physically clean and dealing with a growing number of unlicensed peddlers crowding sidewalks and irritating tourists. The committee will consist of representatives from the district attorney’s office, Metro Police, casinos and a handful of county agencies.

Star Trek Celebrities & Fans Descend on Las Vegas

KTNV: Fans from around the galaxy are beaming into Las Vegas to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Star Trek. The world's largest Star Trek Convention, which has moved to the Rio Suites Hotel, is expecting over 20,000 attendees this year.

On Saturday, Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock) will make his second to last convention appearance before retirement. On Sunday, William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and Sir Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard) will appear together and separately on stage.

Also featured this year will be Brent Spiner (Data), Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura), George Takei (Sulu from Classic Star
Trek) and John Cho (Sulu in the new Star Trek film).

In addition to celebrities, the non-stop theatrical show will include behind-the-scenes presentations, costume and trivia contests, no minimum bid auctions of unique collectibles and one-of-a-kind items, and special fan-made music videos. The exhibit hall will boast major companies and distributors selling and displaying Star Trek and sci-fi collectibles from across the nebula.

This year many of the fans will come dressed to participate in a Guiness World Record second attempt at "the largest gathering of people dressed as Star Trek characters". The previous record of 571 characters was garnered last year at Dragoncon convention in Atlanta.

General admission tickets are available in advance at www.creationent.com, or at the door for $40. Show hours are Saturday, 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM and Sunday, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

Alleged Impropriety at the Las Vegas Mob Experience

Courthouse News Service: The operator of the Las Vegas Mob Experience "looted" the company of more than $658,000, the new owner claims in Clark County Court.

Plaintiff Vion Operations says it bought the exhibit's "future receipts" for $4 million in February this year, relying on bogus claims from the exhibit's former manager, lead defendant Jay Bloom. Vion claims Bloom grossly overstated the anticipated attendance, concealed $8 million in debt and miscalculated ticket prices.

Bloom stepped down on July 5, only 4 months after the attraction at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino opened. The Mob Experience is a separate entity from the city-sponsored Mob Museum, which is slated to open sometime this year in downtown Las Vegas.

According to Vion's lawsuit, Bloom disclosed $8 million in debt, but Vion says the actual debt is now $16 million. Vion claims that Bloom failed to pay payroll taxes, and failed to pay contractors and electricians $2 million, saddling the new owner with $6.4 million in construction liens for lack of payment.

Bloom diverted more than $658,000 from the museum since 2009 and spent it on personal expenses such as car payments, credit card bills, cable TV, utilities, pool cleaning, maid service, groceries, and so on, "using categories in his own records such as 'cash for Jay,' and 'to be accounted for later,'" according to the complaint.
Now the museum "cannot operate and it cannot pay its existing debts without additional financing," Vion says.
Also named as defendants are Bloom's wife, Carolyn Farkas; Eagle Group Holdings; Eagle Group Marketing; ADD Productions; and Order 66 Entertainment.

Vion and co-plaintiff Strategic Funding Source seek damages for fraud.

Vion is represented by Todd Touton with Lionel Sawyer & Collins.

Get "Tanked" in the Comfort of Your Own Home

Vegas Chatter: How many TV shows can there be about Las Vegas? Apparently, we're just skimming the surface.

The newest Vegas reality show will make a splash later this month when "Tanked" debuts on Animal Planet. The show about two brothers-in-law who operate the biggest aquarium company in the US -- that just so happens to be headquartered in Vegas -- premieres August 19.

We're not sure who thought family squabbles, rivalries, belly laughs and making fearful relatives do things like climbing into shark-filled aquariums is good TV, but there you have it. And, really, how could you not watch the first show, if anything, just based on all the buzz bubbling up on the Internets by hobby enthusiasts?

If you can't wait for it to appear in your TiVo menu, head to AnimalPlanet.com now for a really cool Fish Guide that tells you how to start your own freshwater or marine aquarium (yes, there's a difference) or outdoor pond. It will have you swimming in information from set-up and stocking to maintenance and feeding. Suddenly, the goldfish we were planning to pick up for four year old's bedroom doesn't seem quite adventurous enough.