With a week and a half to go until Christmas, the casinos are pulling out the stops. A new skating rink has opened at the Downtown Summerlin retail/ restaurant complex next door to Red Rock Resort on the west side of town; the Venetian has put up a 65-foot-tall Strip-side Christmas tree; the Palazzo atrium features an elaborate winter scene; and the centerpiece of the Bellagio’s Conservatory & Botanical Gardens holiday display is a 42-foot Shasta fir, along with representations of polar bears, penguins and a reindeer.
Other places to look for holiday displays and events are Sam’s Town (a decked-out atrium and Santa), Silverton (Underwater Santa), the Fashion Show Mall (Adventure to Santa by DreamWorks), the Town Square shopping district (snow flurries), and the Fremont Street Experience (a 50-foot Christmas tree). Taking holiday spirit(s) literally, all drinks are $2 casino-wide at South Point, or just $1 if you pay with players club points.
Megabucks hits: The Megabucks jackpot was hit for $14.3 million at the Rampart. It was the first Megabucks jackpot in almost a year, with the last hitting at MGM Grand last December.
ONJ extends: Olivia Newton-John’s "Summer Nights" show has been extended at the Flamingo through September 2015. Her new dates begin March 3.
Prize rise: The prize pool for the free Pick the Pros football contest has been raised from $30,000 to $50,000 per week through the end of the regular NFL season. Submit your picks by swiping a players card in a kiosk at Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast, Sam’s Town, California, or Fremont before kickoff of the Sunday games.
QUESTION: How can fantasy football be legal? Isn’t playing fantasy for money the same as making a sports bet?
ANSWER: Technically, it is. But fantasy is the beneficiary of "carve out" language that exempts it (along with lotteries and horse/harness racing) from laws prohibiting sports wagering.
For more information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and good deals, go to www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.
