This year’s “America’s Party” fireworks display will be launched from the rooftops of nine Strip casinos MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Aria, Caesars Palace, Venetian, Treasure Island, Resorts World, Fontainebleau and The STRAT. The show’s more than 80,000 individual pyrotechnics will be launched during an eight-minute presentation that will be synced with a soundtrack of hits from Mariah Carey, Black-Eyed Peas, ZZ Top, Panic at the Disco and others, and aired on local radio stations. The Strip will be closed to traffic for the evening and open to pedestrians who want to celebrate on the Boulevard. A separate fireworks show will be launched from the rooftop of the Plaza downtown.

Sphere New Year: Las Vegas visitors from all over the world can celebrate their hometown’s new year by looking to the Sphere at the appropriate time. Starting at 5 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time), a New Year’s countdown for a different time zone will be featured every hour on the Exosphere (outer shell), starting with Sydney.

Race removal: All of the infrastructure that was in place for the Las Vegas Grand Prix has been removed, including the build-out that blocked the Bellagio sidewalk and the bridge on Flamingo Road. As promised, the tear-down was completed prior to the end of the year and several weeks faster than last year.

Question: The dealers at Binion’s and Four Queens are keeping their own tips rather than pooling and splitting them. Why is this a rare practice?

Answer: Most casinos feel that the “table for table” policy (also called “going for your own”) encourages tip-hustling and even cheating by dealers who might disclose information or pay losing wagers to increase tipping. Casinos that do it feel that it makes for friendlier and more engaged dealers.

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