The Fremont is the latest casino to opt for a food hall (or court) in place of reopening its buffet. The six-outlet hall will open in December in a 13,150-square-­foot space adjacent to what used to be the buffet.

A similar swap is also in the works at Aria, which is building Proper Eats, a high-end food hall along the lines of Block 16 at Cosmopolitan, Eataly at Park MGM and Famous Food Street Eats at Resorts World.

To date, only 12 buffets have come back, with several casinos that closed theirs during the pandemic apparently satisfied with food courts that were already in place.

Secret Garden closes: Following a third dolphin death in less than six months at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage, the attraction has been shut down. The closure is part of the Mirage’s transformation into Hard Rock Las Vegas; the remaining animals will be permanently relocated in new homes.

Bellagio display: The Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens has transformed into a winter wonderland. The “Gingerbread Dreams” display comes complete with a holiday village, including a snowy gingerbread house, a church tower, plenty of elves, 15-foot-tall toy soldiers, polar bears and the centerpiece 42-foot-tall Christmas tree, decorated with thousands of ornaments and lights. The display runs through Jan. 1 and is free to view.

Holiday nog: For the 20th straight year, Ellis Island Casino, Hotel & Brewery is serving its homemade alcoholic eggnog. Order the holiday nog at the bar for $8 per glass, or $38 per bottle that you can take out. A word of warning is in order: Made with rum, bourbon and brandy, this nog packs a wallop.

Question: Who is favored to win the World Cup soccer tournament?

Answer: The tournament is in progress and the odds change daily, but before the first game was played, Brazil was the +300 favorite, followed by Argentina at +450 and France at +800. The long shot was Saudi Arabia at +120000. USA was +13500.

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