Category: Vegas

Will the Vegas Golden Knights Complete their Fairytale Start?

April 12, 2018

At the start of this NHL season, not much was expected of the Vegas Golden Knights. Having selected players from most teams in the expansion draft, Vegas was expected to finish near the basement and sell off their bigger names at the trade deadline.

82 games later, in their inaugural season, the Golden Knights stand atop the Pacific Division with 109 points and a +44 goal differential. There’s also a huge grin on the faces of all sports fans in Las Vegas. As the first league to make the leap into Las Vegas, the NHL couldn’t be happier with the emphatic start that the Golden Knights have had.

Not only did they get involved with the community following a horrifying incident, but they also went on to become the best expansion team in their inaugural season. Vegas is also the first team to reach the playoffs in their first season for 38 years. The last team to do so already had an established team moving from the WHA, which boasted Wayne Gretzky in its ranks.

Now, the Vegas Golden Knights have a chance to extend the historical season that they’ve crafted for themselves.

It seems like destiny

For the Vegas Golden Knights to connect with the community as they have, beat all the odds, and impress the rest of the ice hockey world in such a way, they now look destined to win the Stanley Cup.

Over the history of sports, you can see many occasions when teams simply look destined to win the ultimate prize, such as Zambia’s win at the 2012 African Cup of Nations or Muhammad Ali’s huge comeback to defeat George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle. Now it’s Vegas’ turn to fulfill their sporting destiny.

Golden KnightsSource: Vegas Golden Knights, via Twitter

Of course, people are more swayed by the regular season standings than they are the opportunity for Vegas to complete their fairytale start. But they also recognize how volatile and unpredictable the Stanley Cup Playoffs are. At +750 in the NHL betting odds, Vegas is only behind the +400 Nashville Predators and +550 Tampa Bay Lightning to win the Stanley Cup in their first time of asking.

But a team can’t get anywhere without putting in the performances on game night, and the Vegas Golden Knights have certainly been pulling their weight.

Playing as a team

Forging a team through the expansion draft meant that the Vegas Golden Knights would start without the high-selection elite-level superstar that all other teams have collected over the years. But that didn’t matter. Vegas’ general manager, George McPhee, was calculated and selected model professionals, hard workers, and those who would buy into the new Golden Knights ethos.

Golden Knghts
Source: Golden Knights Realm, via Twitter

While the likes of Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal, and David Perron headlined their picks, they quickly integrated themselves as team members instead of star players. Vegas excelled in all phases of the game, with the whole team pulling their weight. Vegas hosts five players on over 50 points for the regular season: only the Lightning, Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets have more. But this didn’t stop one Willaim Karlsson from emerging as a star of the league.

Not exactly the biggest name taken in the expansion draft, William Karlsson boomed this season. From 25 points in 81 games with the explosive Columbus Blue Jackets last season, the 25-year-old Swede ended this regular season with 43 goals and 78 points. Karlsson also finished with the highest rating in the NHL at +49 and had the third-most goals (only behind super snipers Alex Ovechkin and Patrik Laine).

It’s been a superb season from a bundled assortment of players who are playing for their team and their new home. Now it’s time to see how far this momentum can take Vegas. The Golden Knights have already made history – now they’ll extend their incredible young legacy.

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On This Date: March 31, 2014 the Largest Ferris Wheel opened in Las Vegas – The High Roller

March 31, 2018
The-High-Roller-observation-wheel

The High Roller Observation Wheel Largest in the World with a 520 Foot Diameter

High Roller is a 550-foot tall  520-foot  diameter giant Ferris wheel on the Las Vegas Strip. It is the world’s tallest observation wheel, 9 ft  taller than the 541-foot Singapore Flyer, which held the record for the world’s tallest observation wheel from 2008 until 2014. After nearly three years of planning and construction it opened to the public on March 31, 2014.

High Roller Facts:

  • The High Roller tops out at 550 feet making it the largest observation wheel in the world.
  • In addition to its great height, the High Roller offers an immersive pre-ride experience for its passengers on their journey from ticketing through the wheel house complete with a lounge, to the wheel ride which features unparalleled views of the Las Vegas Strip.
  • The wheel structure boasts 7.2 million pounds of steel and 112 cables. Each cable measures approximately 225 feet, for a combined total of 25,256 feet.
  • The High Roller features 28 spherical cabins that hold 40 guests.
  • Each cabin weighs approximately 44,000 pounds and includes 300 square feet of glass.
  • The cabin windows are doubly curved and fabricated from four sheets of laminated glass.
  • Fabrication of the wheel began in late 2011 and took place in several locations across the globe including China, Japan, France, Sweden, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Colorado, California and Las Vegas.
  • The High Roller travels at one foot per second and take roughly 30 minutes to make one full revolution.
  • The wheel is lit with more than 2,000 LED lights.

Photo By: Wikipedia Creative Commons

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Sin and Save: Visiting Vegas on a Budget

February 28, 2018

If you’re planning on paying a trip to Las Vegas, you don’t need to be a high roller to enjoy yourself and get into the spirit of Sin City. If you arm yourself with some useful tips on how to get the best deals, you can enjoy a lavish visit to Vegas at a reasonable cost. Here are some of the best tips for a trip to Vegas that can save you a pretty penny without sparing the luxury.

Watch your timing

Firstly, avoid visiting Vegas at any time there’s a citywide convention taking place. Hotel rates are higher, which limits your options when it comes to booking the right room for you. The Las Vegas Tourism website, features a calendar of conventions to give you advance notice. Generally, rates are at their lowest in July and August, as the crowds tend to be deterred by the hot weather. Rates also fall after Thanksgiving right through early January.

Keep food costs low

Dinner at one of the city’s famous eateries can set you back $150 or more. If you’re dining alone, visit during lunchtime when you can expect more reasonable prices. Further, some restaurants offer a happy hour with 50% off appetisers. You could also visit some of the more popular venues early in the day, when food is often the least costly; yet at the same time, delicious and freshly prepared.

Drink at a discount (or free)

If you plan on gambling at the casinos, you can expect free drinks. The casinos serve up free drinks to gamblers, even at the penny slots. The Cosmopolitan and the Wynn provide the best in free drinks. But even non-gamblers can find up to 50% discounts at happy hours at bars and eateries all over Vegas, many located inside the most popular resorts in the city.

Enjoy the luxury you’ve already paid for

Don’t forget that you can, on occasion, enjoy the luxury of the hotel room you paid for. While taking advantage of room service, you could unwind (and, at the same time, save a few pounds) by catching up on your favourite shows or enjoying other online entertainment. There are plenty of free games online, for example, such as Miner Jump and Zombie Survival. There are no shortage of slot games online, either, which, unlike those in the casino downstairs, offer numerous bonuses. Bonus.ca features many a link to online casinos that accept Bitcoin as a valid payment method; and all with bonuses, to boot. Bitcoin is a form of payment that is becoming more popular in Vegas, with such outlets as Amusespot and Elite Visual Audio all accepting the virtual currency.

Save on entertainment

Buying a ticket for one of the city’s popular shows could set you back a small fortune. If you don’t mind making last minute plans, however, you can try Tix4Tonight, which lists deals on shows for that day. The website updates daily, and you could find such discounts as 50% off a ticket to see famous illusionist, David Copperfield. Try avoiding the most in-demand and newest shows, however, as they have a tendency to be priced higher than others, and have less seating options for groups.

If you use just some of these tips, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the trip of a lifetime without returning home with a hole in your wallet.

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On This Date: February 21, 2014 The Cromwell Opened on the Las Vegas Strip

February 21, 2018
The Cromwell

The Cromwell – artist Rendering

On February 21, 2014 the Cromwell opened on the Las Vegas Strip. The property started as the Barbary Coast which opened on March 2, 1979, then sold and renamed Bill’s Gambling Saloon. Bill’s closed on February 4, 2013 and was sold. It remained closed for renovations for over a year and after a $185 million remodel, it opened as a boutique hotel called the Cromwell. The Cromwell currentyl owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.

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Where to Watch the 2018 Kentucky Derby In Las Vegas

February 14, 2018

The Kentucky Derby is the best-attended horse racing event in North America, but if you can’t make it to the 2018 running at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 5, why not watch it all unfold live in Las Vegas?

As a major betting event, it would only be fitting to take in the big race somewhere on the Vegas Strip, which after all, is the spiritual home of gambling. What a great second prize to being in Louisville.

William Hill has Bolt d’Oro at the head of the 2018 Kentucky Derby antepost betting, just ahead of Good Magic. Who will add their name to the illustrious roll of honor in this world-renowned Group 1 stakes contest for three-year-old colts and fillies over 2km (one-and-a-quarter miles)?

These iconic Vegas venues are well worth a visit if you want to enjoy an exciting atmosphere for the Kentucky Derby.

MGM Grand

The MGM Grand is synonymous with great sporting events in Las Vegas and betting on those through their specifically designed Race and Sportsbook venue. With seating for over 100 guests in front of 60 plasma screen TVs, you can keep an eye on the Kentucky Derby in style and comfort.

If you’re feeling really lavish, there are also some skyboxes you can rent out to watch all the action unfold. One even comes with hospitality staff to serve beverages.

How about a bite to eat while the horse racing takes place? The MGM Grand’s Sports Deli also has screens for viewing while you tuck into New York style cuisine, including sandwiches, hotdogs and bagels.

Caesars Palace

Another world-famous Vegas venue is Caesars Palace and their racebook contains 65 private booths where bettors can watch their fancied horses get on via flat-screen TVs in complete comfort and privacy. It is attached to their sportsbook, which has been voted the best Las Vegas betting destination for four consecutive years.

There are 13 betting windows for you to place your stakes and large-screen HDTVs throughout the Book. Within the Caesars Palace complex, there are also 17 restaurants to tickle your fancy including Hell’s Kitchen – a restaurant of Scotland’s celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.

The Mirage

Watch the Kentucky Derby on 85-inch HD projection screens or interactive tablets you can hold in your hand at The Mirage and bet on account based player terminals in their Race and Sports Book.

There’s VIP seating with unlimited beer and cocktails, you can come and go throughout the day starting from $50. If you after some live entertainment, then The Mirage has the world famous Cirque du Soleil circus performing.

Treasure Island

Since 1993, Treasure Island has been so much more than a pirate novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. You can plunder booty of your own at the race and sportsbook by watching the Kentucky Derby on this hotel and casino’s 60-inch LED video wall.

Qualified bettors will receive complimentary cocktails on the house and they’re open from 7:30 am through til midnight on the day of the big race. Treasure Island has nine restaurants and a number of other bars, eateries and lounges. These places all offer you the chance to see the Kentucky Derby in real style and comfort.

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On This Date: February 10, 1983, the Las Vegas Post Office/Courthouse Was Placed on the National Register of Historic Places

February 10, 2018
mob museum

The newly restored Post Office/Court House historic building in downtown Las Vegas is now the home of the Mob Museum

The building was erected between 1931 and 1933, opening on November 27, 1933. It served as a post office, and as a court house of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.

The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983. The building remained an active post office for several more years.

Control of the building was turned over to the city in 2002 for use as a museum and cultural center.

Currently, the building is the home of the The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement. The Museum is located at 300 Stewart Avenue in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. It was one of the 14 courthouses in the nation to hold the Kefauver Committee hearings on organized crime. It is also the very courtroom where Museum visionary and former Las Vegas Mayor, Oscar B. Goodman, defended many mobsters as organized crime’s go-to defense attorney. Meticulously rehabilitated to its original beauty, the building is significant not only for its neo-classical architecture reminiscent of the period in which it was built, but also for the historic events that unfolded inside of it.

Photo By: LasVegas360.com
Date Taken: December 30, 2011

http://www.themobmuseum.org/

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