My first trip to Sin City was during Christmas week in 1995. Newly divorced, I would see my toddler daughter on her third birthday that December 18th, prior to her departure on an annual pilgrimage to Virginia with her mother, to visit with grandparents. As I knew this would be the first of many such holidays without her, I decided I needed some distraction. This began a tradition that lasted a decade and some change of gambling and skiing in rotating order, that week between Christmas and the New Year
I am a sentimental guy though, and as I was gambling and doing well at the legendary Hard Rock Cafe Casino on Paradise Road (then in its first year of operation) late on Christmas Eve, some somber news came into the casino. In the pre-dawn of Christmas morning, Dean Martin had just died. All the neon lights and signs were turned out for half an hour along the Las Vegas Strip, as well as Paradise Road, however, the gambling went right on.
Back in Vegas this past weekend, nearing 30 years later, The Hard Rock is now the Virgin Resort (ironic), and thanks to a whole lot of hotel reward points, I am staying in a spacious suite at The Venetian. As I was walking in and through the casino, I couldn’t help but notice how much smoke was in the air and on the casino floor. Apparently, select bars, airport smoking areas, and some casinos are the last spots in America where you can light up with abandon.
While Disney World and all its guests may choose from 40,000 hotel rooms on Disney resort property, there are 150,000 and counting rooms along the Las Vegas Strip. The MGM Grand alone has more than 5,000 rooms. During a trip there in the mid-2000's a client-side trip would allow me to briefly meet Mick Jagger underneath the Rolling Stones concert stage at the Grand, while doing vocal warm-ups on what was to be the first in a series of ‘final’ concert tours.
I have not gambled on every trip. And I only play Blackjack and only with female card dealers and typically in the Third Base position at the gaming table. I have other superstitions and customs, but I'm not going to give away the store here. I typically do well enough to warrant a few comps, and in the first 2000's decade, I was in the player's clubs of most of the major casino chains. I gamble much more conservatively today, with a budget and really playing only the winnings.
I have found Vegas crowds and casino floors to be incredible economic indicators. The Uber and Lyft drivers, casino dealers Pit Bosses, and others will easily tell you that Vegas has only recently recovered from the Covid travel pullback. The conventions and sporting events are back, but most of the High Roller and Poker-only rooms appear to be gone or are now at least hidden from view. The clinking coins slot machines, the cash cows of virtually every casino, are now silent and electronic, other than music played to indicate a big win and a paper receipt for payment to carry to the Casino Bank.
Somehow Atlantic City has always seemed slightly depressing to me. The smaller, but still growing gaming centers of Gulfport/Biloxi, Tunica, MS, and other one-off casinos in the Americas will never quite be Las Vegas. Windsor, Canada has a nice bit of luster, and Macau, just a few hours by boat from Hong Kong is worth making the trip at least once, but in this special category, Vegas I think will always be King.
And like any other brush with royalty, I paid my tribute and homage, thankfully again this time leaving with a bit more of their treasure than I brought in, though a bit lower on the pleasure scale this visit, some important business got done for our fraternity. I remind my friends, particularly the first-timers, that the next hand probably won't be the BIG win they are expecting or betting on. Remember to view gaming as an entertainment choice, and just like concert tickets today, the prices can get pretty stratospheric pretty quickly, and all those free drinks at the table actually come at a REALLY high price. Leaving a little love in Lost Wages, until my next return. Luck be a lady.
