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Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort Agrees to $250K Settlement With Nevada Gaming Commission

The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno has agreed to pay the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) a quarter of a million dollars to settle a regulatory complaint stemming from an incident last year.

Grand Sierra Resort Nevada Gaming Commission
The Grand Sierra Resort in Reno has agreed to pay $250K to settle a regulatory complaint brought by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. This week, the Nevada Gaming Commission signed off on the resolution. (Image: Grand Sierra Resort)

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) brought a complaint against MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC, doing business as the Grand Sierra Resort, after one of its agents reported being denied prompt access to the property’s Grand Theatre during a routine inspection.

Michael Somps, a senior deputy attorney general in the Nevada Attorney General’s Office who represented the state in the matter, told the NGC that a Gaming Enforcement Division agent arrived at the Reno casino on Dec. 19, 2023. During the agent’s inspection, casino security approached the agent after he bypassed a metal detector outside the theater’s entrance.

Casino security told the agent, who had his NGCB badge and credentials displayed, that he had to relinquish his firearm before entering the theater. After about six minutes, higher-ups with the resort informed the security personnel that the gaming agent could enter the theater with his weapon.

Rare Occurrence

All establishments licensed by the Nevada Gaming Commission are subjected to routine inspections. State gaming agents are to have immediate and full access to “all portions of the premises,” with the definition of premises being “curb to curb,” said Somps.

The senior deputy attorney general explained that gaming agents review areas off of the casino floor to ensure that no illegal gambling or other unlawful activity is occurring inside the licensed gaming facility.

While a brief delay for access is sometimes common, a delay of six minutes, which the agent disputed and said was longer, is an outlier according to Somps. Paired with a similar incident in 2021 where a third-party security guard hired by the Grand Sierra blocked a gaming agent’s immediate access until he was wanded, Somps said a $250K penalty against the resort was warranted.

Licensees have a long history of complying and granting Board agents immediate access to all portions of the premises. The Board views the Grand Sierra Resort’s violation seriously and maintains that licensees and their employees understand that any Board agent be given immediate access to any portion of the premises of the gaming establishment after they display their credentials,” Somps said.

The Meruelo Group, the parent owner of the Grand Sierra Resort controlled by billionaire Alex Meruelo, did not contest the fine in agreeing to settle the complaint.

The $250K fine comes just days after Meruelo’s Grand Sierra donated $15K each to the Robert Mitchell Elementary School and Vaughn Middle School, both of which are part of the Washoe County School District.

Where the Money Goes 

The Nevada Gaming Commission and Gaming Control Board are responsible for the strict regulation of all persons, locations, practices, and activities associated with the state’s gaming industry. Nevada’s gaming law allows the NGC to impose fines on licensees found to be non-compliant with its regulations.

Fines received by the state gaming agency are directed to the Nevada General Fund. The $250K fine against Grand Sierra slightly offsets another decision made on Monday that determined that Nevada Restaurant Services Inc., the parent of Dotty’s gaming taverns, was owed a $3 million tax refund.

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Resort Fees Hiked to $50 a Night at Some MGM Las Vegas Properties

Resort fees have been raised approximately $3 per night at all MGM Las Vegas hotels. This means they have now hit $50 per night at the company’s most expensive tier: Bellagio, Aria, Vdara, and Cosmopolitan.

We asked ChatGPT, over and over in fact, to generate an image of “the Bellagio wrapped in a giant $50 bill.” For some reason, it could only do it with a $100. (Image: ChatGPT)

Resort fees are now up to $45 per night at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, and the Delano; $42 per night at New York-New York, NoMad, Park MGM, and The Signature at MGM Grand; and $37 per night at Excalibur and Luxor.

The new fees went into effect on Jan. 16.

On a positive note, most Las Vegas hotels now disclose resort fees on their websites, so they’re neither hidden nor surprising. Resort fees are now presented to guests when they shop for hotel rooms, whereas previously, some hotels and chains did not disclose their fees until checkout.

In the MGM world, selecting a date range now produces a list of average room rates, and resort fees, at each of their nine Las Vegas properties.

The added transparency may not represent kind-heartedness but a defense against a proposed Federal Trade Commission rule that would prohibit “hidden and bogus” junk fees in the hospitality and live entertainment industries.

If resort fees are not hidden, they’re exempt from the rule. That rule, proposed by the Biden administration in November, is still undergoing public comment with no date set for a vote.

Why Resort Fees Exist

According to resorts, they’re a convenience for their guests, who demand only one price for a bundle of amenities rather than be billed separately for things like Wi-Fi, gym access, digital newspaper and magazine downloads, boarding pass printing, and local phone calls.

Because all travelers use the hotel phone to make local calls in 2024.

No. The real reason resort fees exist is the introduction of online travel agencies (OTAs) in 1996. The first resort fees were rolled out one year later, allowing hotels to compete on Expedia, Travelocity, and Booking.com.

That’s because OTA users almost always search for the “best value” or “lowest price” parameters on these platforms. And the only way for resorts to show up higher in these searches is to offer lower daily room rates, which would cut into their profits.

So instead, they categorize a portion of their rates as separate fees.

Now that 41% of all booking comes through OTAs versus 29% via hotel websites and 29% through travel agents, according to hospitality.net, the cost of not appearing on the first page of OTA results has increased, too.

And resort fees provide other economic benefits. Hotels pay commissions to OTAs for every room booked — commissions based only on room rates, not separate fees. Additionally, resort fees contribute to revenue per available room, an important performance indicator. And according to the analyst firm OTA Insight, resort fees offer tax advantages.

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Stalled Dream Las Vegas Resort Project Renews Building Permits

The Dream Las Vegas project could soon awaken from its coma if an extension application recently filed for its building permits is any indication.

Construction on Dream Las Vegas, a boutique casino hotel planned for the Strip’s southernmost end, is shown last year. (Image: Scott Roeben/Vital Vegas)

Construction of the casino resort on the southernmost tip of the Strip stalled in March, with its developers reportedly owing between $25M and $30M. According to the new documents filed with Clark County, and first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, it could restart at the beginning of 2024.

The Dream Hotel Group released this rendering in 2020. (Image: Dream Hotel Group)

One of those documents, a justification letter for the extension written on Oct. 4 by the developer’s attorneys, promised that the financing issues delaying the project were “being sorted out,” according to the newspaper.

Specifically, a bridge loan is expected to close by early November, followed by “the close of the full capital stack (equity and debt) by December 2023.”

At the time construction stopped, developer Bill Shopoff, president and CEO of Shopoff Realty Investments, told the R-J he expected to strike a new financing deal “in the next couple of weeks.”

What Dream is Made of

In February 2020, Shopoff and Contour, a privately owned commercial real estate development group, announced that they had purchased 5.25 acres of undeveloped Las Vegas Boulevard land next to Harry Reid International Airport.

Dream Hotel Group, a New York City-based operator of four Manhattan luxury properties and hotels in Miami Beach, Hollywood, and Nashville, signed on to run the planned 21-story luxury hotel.

It would include 531 guestrooms, seven dining and nightlife venues — one being a rooftop pool deck — a 12,000 square-foot convention center, spa, and a small casino floor. After being delayed by the pandemic shutdown, the casino hotel broke ground on July 8, 2022.

Dream Las Vegas was originally estimated to cost $300M to complete, but that estimate eventually doubled to $550M-$575M. Shopoff told the R-J last year that he blamed inflation, combined with the interest hikes on borrowing imposed last year by the Federal Reserve to control it.

Dream Hotel Group was acquired by Hyatt Hotels Corp. in February 2023. The corporation reportedly paid a base price of $125M, with an additional $175M due over the next six years “as properties come into the pipeline and open.”

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Palms Casino Resort Puppy Theft Leads to Massive Search in Las Vegas

Danny, a 10-week-old Pomeranian puppy, was stolen on June 28 from the Palms Casino Resort.

Danny, a puppy
Danny, a puppy, pictured above. He was stolen from the Palms Casino last month. (Image: Gary Stout)

He has not been seen since. Co-owner Gary Stout has been searching for him daily.

$1K Reward

Stout is now offering a $1K reward for his return, with no questions asked.

Here is a description: Danny is almost completely black. He has a white patch of fur on his chest and on the tips of his paws, according to Las Vegas TV station KTNV.

The dog was last seen in a black carrier that was on the floor near Stout’s girlfriend while she was at the Palms.

Earlier this month, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officers provided Stout photos and video of the suspected puppy-napper.

On Wednesday, LVMPD officers posted photos and a description on social media of the thief. He was wearing a green hat, a white T-shirt and black pants at the time of the crime.

On a social media post, the LVMPD said its detectives “are seeking the public’s assistance to identify [the] … suspect involved in the theft of a dog that occurred … in the 4300 block of West Flamingo Road.”

It is believed the dog thief grabbed the carrier and put the puppy in bushes at the Palms.

Two hours later, he picked up the dog and carried it with him as he walked toward the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, KTNV reported.

There are several apartment buildings near the Gold Coast, too.

The puppy if sold by the thief, it could fetch a few thousand dollars given its breed, according to KTNV. If there are new owners, they may not realize the puppy was stolen or that the legal owners were searching for him.

Stout spends many nights out on the streets of Las Vegas asking pedestrians if they have seen the dog. Recovering the dog is very important to him and his girlfriend.

Puppy Is Like a Child

You know, we don’t have any kids,” Stout recently told KTNV. “That is my kid, in my eyes. Any true dog owner would understand it.”

The couple had owned the puppy for about a month when it was stolen.

They planned to put a micro-chip in Danny when he was given his first round of shots. That way they could track him.

But Danny being a few weeks old — that was too soon to get those shots. So, they waited not expecting the theft of their beloved pet.

They continue to wait and search for his safe return.

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City of Dreams Mediterranean is Open in Cyprus – Only Integrated Casino Resort in Europe

city_of_dreams_mediterranean_is_open_in_cyprus_only_integrated_casino_resort_in_europeCity of Dreams Mediterranean officially opened for business this week after five years of planning, building, and outfitting guests for the high-end adventure of a lifetime in Europe’s largest and only integrated casino resort.

The sheer mass and design elements of the building seem to indicate it would be visible from several miles away with a shape reminiscent of a Mayan temple or a well-known tourist landmark in the Middle East, Sheraton Doha. On might even recall A Cancun casino resort.

Despite the similarities in aesthetics from a distance, City of Dreams is much different – inside and out.

Casino Gaming in a Luxury Environment

While a Mayan temple at Chichen Itza may or may not hold grand treasures, the only way most people will leave this property with a small fortune is to enter it with a large one – lady luck notwithstanding.

The hotel has 500 rooms in a range of luxuries and price points but each room is fresh and the accouterments are unique to the property. The development in toto is the first in Cyprus to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating for its sustainability strategy beginning at the design stage.

Architecturally, the development was recently honored by the European Property Awards 2023 for achievements in three categories: Best Hotel Architecture Europe: Best Sustainable Commercial Development Europe, and finally, Best New Hotel Construction & Design Cyprus.

Once you get beyond the strategically placed palm trees and massive pool complex, expect high walls of marble to greet you indoors.

Options include a visit to a diamond boutique, relaxing in a cozy chair and trying on high-end wristwatches, or sorting through designer clothing in one of the retail outlets.

While the description may sound like a world away, the design elements are all tied together with local geo design elements like cobbled floors and paths outdoors, plenty of greenery on the pathways to the largest pool complex in the Mediterranean along with cool blues and other hues that tie it all together and meld it with the local environment.

If you are itching to simply know about the gambling experience, that element needs to be put in its proper context as this is an integrated resort as much as it is a casino surrounded by “distractions”. However, expect to find a modest number of slots – 750, and a modest number of gaming tables – 75. How and where the machines and tables are placed is unique with a mixture of banks of machines and scatters of machines throughout some table gaming areas.

Table game options include the following:

  • American Roulette
  • 3 Card Poker
  • Mini Punto Banco
  • Baccarat
  • Blackjack
  • Casino Stud Poker
  • Russian Poker
  • Texas Hold’em
  • Ultimate Texas Hold’em
  • Omaha

City of Dreams Mediterranean offers gaming in a luxury resort setting rather than obligatory distractions surrounding a money pit to capture revenues. It seems to be designed holistically.

Full days could be spent exploring everything from zip lines to obstacle courses, climbing walls, and trampolines.

Several eateries and other amenities opened on Monday following a soft opening earlier. Expect a few more food, drink, and entertainment venues to open strategically over the coming days, weeks, and months to help keep the property front and center in the minds of visitors and potential visitors.

Not All Is Paradisical Below the Surface

Union organizers and members are upset about policies that seem to be working against employees exercising collective bargaining to get their fair share of the profits that will be left n the machines and on the tables by visitors from all over Europe and the larger world at the Cyprus resort casino.

One union decided to cancel a planned protest at the request of the Labor Minister who had asked organized workers to “refrain from confrontation”. However, another union decided to go ahead with plans to hold a small protest at the property on opening day.

According to local media reports, the problem is systemic and major rather than specific terms of employment, compensation, or benefits for employees at this point. Cyprus Mail reports that Peo Union (Syxpa-Peo branch Neophytos Timinis) would not “back down” until assurances were given that representatives of the union would be given access to the property.

Both Peo and Deok assert that management in the form of Melco, forbids access to union activities in the workplace and will not allow efforts to unionize workers.

Predictably, perhaps, Melco called the protests “unfounded and poorly timed” an obvious reference to opening day. The opening and ongoing success of the casino is important to Cyprus meeting its goals of becoming a well-known tourist destination so it’s no wonder Labour Minister Yiannis Panayiotou has involved himself directly in the dispute.

On that issue, a Deok union representative said that the labor minister’s intervention would be a turning point towards “fully implementing Cypriot laws and the constitution, that set in stone union liberties.”. With that, Deck union canceled its planned protest.

“The operator of the resort casino needs to realize that its business activities are conducted on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and it should stop behaving like a state within a state, disrespecting the legal order of its host state,” Deok noted.

Peo union indicated talks were ongoing out of public earshot, but it would hold the course until City of Dreams Mediterranean allows the union access to the resort to work on unionizing employees.

“The how and where can be agreed later, with the minister’s help,” a Peo union rep purportedly told the Cyprus Mail.

Source: The City of Dreams Mediterranean casino resort officially opens on Monday, Cyprus-Mail, July 9, 2023

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