The novelty of the experience wore off fast after its inaugural race. I think many were enticed by the IDEA of having the Strip be an exhilarating, flashy backdrop for an F1 race.............but the schtick wears off rather quick for spectacles like this.
Vegas is not as bad as Cali, but not exactly Texas... Texas spends $100 million on a 1125' 8 lane (4 each way) suspension bridge near downtown Dallas.. Vegas spends almost $400 million rebuilding a bridge over a highway? California spends $11 Billion building a rail bridge over a river with no connecting tracks, and forget they need 2 rail lanes, so they need to do it again...
Agreed! F1 is not coming back after year 3. It's just not bringing in the numbers. Tourists who would normally come and gamble have been shut out and not just in November. They don't want to come there with all the BS going on with traffic. The strip has those stupid grandstands. The view of the sphere is blocked. It's just dumb.
F1 was a dumb cash grab debacle that ruined everything. Now the numbers stink, but that's not the real story, imo. The real and long lasting fallout is all of the tourists that feel screwed by the endless construction, traffic, closures and dead vibe of the torn up strip that ruined their day(s) or their entire stays. F1 is a long lasting eyesore that assaults the senses and diminishes the look and feel of everything - before and after the event. The aesthetic of everything is suffocated by F1. People don't/won't forget how stressful or poor Vegas was during their stays.
Vegas needs a wake-up call. 50 dollar resort fee, expensive parking fees, $8 espresso, etc. I was in Vegas in early December 2024, the least expensive week of the year. At 10 am all the table games in any casino on the Strip had a minimum of $50. If I have to go Downtown to find a lower minimum, I have no need to go to Vegas. There are tons of destinations where the customer is welcome without been fleeced. You guys are doing a great job!
@@whitecastle3032 Exactly. Smart players don't play trash table games. They bank on novice and new players to play them. I absolutely would never play 6:5 table BJ or a triple roulette wheel.
Since the early 2000’s the week after thanksgiving was one of our Vegas trips. Relatively quiet and inexpensive. That ended a couple years ago. It’s anecdotal, but I bet many people have taken November off the calendar.
LMAO! I was just gonna say about mark and his christmas decorations still being up! its 11 days into the new year they should be down and packed away now! 🤣😉
The Sphere moon is my favorite as well. Maybe it wasn't selected because it's featured in the very early morning hours. It looks awesome on the vegas skyline from the freeway.
Having F1 in November in Vegas means I automatically block out visiting in that month, which is a shame because November has pretty decent weather. I went in October last year and the traffic problems were already starting. I hope it goes away after next year.
I'm glad you guys have come around on your F1 opinions. This is not a success for Vegas and I think we can all pray this will be done after the 3rd year.
People gamble less with room rates high. I would get el cortez for $40. I tried to book a week. Averaged over $200 a night. Most states now have casinos and sports betting. Vegas has to re-think their strategy.
Went to Vegas last week, stayed at Encore with very good rates and the room had a perfect view of the Sphere and the strip. Not cheap on food, but I also live in Los Angeles so we are used to the high prices.
People are tired of flipping the bill for many things in Vegas. Are Mark said it best, it's not the Las Vegas experience anymore. Especially F1. But everything has changed, and people can only spread their money so far. I have friends that just go there to golf. They fly in, have a weekend of golf, and fly out. No gambling , no shopping. Only golf. Good amount of information today. Thanks.
The other “value” calculation on the Boyd Stadium land is the cost of demolition. In many land deals that involve public property, you can value the land as is and then deduct the cost associated with returning it to raw land for whatever future development is coming. It’s a way to get deals done, remove an ongoing maintenance cost from your budget, etc without giving tax breaks or incentives and/or incurring demolition costs to the public entity.
Same, even October is ruined because of the construction and blocked off fountains. October use to be the best month for a Vegas vacation. I won't go back until F1 is gone
@georgeg6755 They are not alone; at some point, visitors will "be missed" - especially if you Nevadans want to keep your 'no income tax' in place. Just a thought.
We just had a public works project done in 2022 here in San Diego, an extension of our light rail system, that finished BOTH $25 million under budget AND six weeks early
I take care of an 87 year old veteran, he's a spitfire! Drives a 1976 Stingray vette, goes to the gym 4 days a week, keeps his diet regimented...... but he doesn't move around as good as Elvis!!!!😆
I remember the Frontier strike. It lasted so long and eventually everyone ended up at jobs elsewhere it went on so long. All that was left was an outhouse sized, hand built wooden booth along a sidewalk with a bunch of union stickers on it. Probably someone's house by now. 🤣
21:03 Exactly, to get the true F1 numbers you have to use mid October to early December as a lot of people are avoiding Vegas during that time do to construction. We were at Paris the first week of October and were woke up every morning at 5am with noise from the Bellagio grandstand construction.
Good point about downtown. The reason we’re not spending as much $ is because the payouts have gotten worse. 6/5 blackjack. Lower RTP on slots. Defeats one of the big purposes of going to downtown.
I did the bungee jump there (It looks like the one I did) and remember vividly looking down into that little pool. I remember that when I jumped, hit the bottom of the 'rope' and as I flew back up the 'rope' almost wrapped around my neck. Last time I ever bungied anywhere.
I was at the Lenny Kravits show in the Sphere. The concert followed a CES Keynote address by the president of Delta Airlines and wasn't just for Delta employees, any attendee of CES was able to go. The Sphere was not full. The event was also a celebration of Delta Airlines 100th anniversary. Actress Viola Davis and Raiders investor Tom Brady were also part of the presentation. The Lenny Kravits show was really good even if the sphere visuals were a bit on the simplistic side. If he does do a residency there, I'm sure the graphics will be 100x better.
12:44 Puck at MGM still has a decent $25 off My vegas award so that may be why it's still busy. We have eaten there many times and at least the dining area has always been very clean
Prior to F1, I was an annual November traveler to Vegas.. this past November was my first F1 vegas trip and I wish it would go away. Or maybe move it to the speedway?
That is where it belongs. Just ask Indianapolis where they always get good crowds for their race at a dedicated track instead of running it through the streets of their city.
Years ago, we went on a "chip hunt" where we walked the entire length of the Vegas strip, visiting every casino along the strip, from Mandalay Bay to the Strat. At each casino, we went in, bought a few $1 chips, a drink, and sometimes dropped a few bucks into a slot machine for a few minutes of rest. It took us all day and most of the night, but we completed the hunt; we hit around 30+ casinos that day. On another trip, we hit every casino downtown on Freemont Street, and again later we tried doing a circuit around locals casinos throughout the Vegas metro area. And, if that weren't enough, on other trips we've done it in Laughlin and Reno too. (Dam! We may have issues!!!) Overall, we hit probably 100+ casinos in Nevada and have chips to prove it, from all of the casinos that had table games and would allow us to palm chips out the door. (surprisingly, some casinos weren't too keen on us taking their chips out the door!) While it was fun to say we did it, it kind of sucked too as the lasting memory for me of the efforts, were mostly of the transit between casinos and not the casinos themselves. Although intriguing, I can't imagine visiting 111 casinos in the state in one day would be much fun. We took over 4-trips to accomplish our "chip hunt" and didn't even hit all Vegas casinos let alone the remote casinos salted around the state. While it may be quite an accomplishment, it certainly doesn't seem very fun, IMHO. Zk (...clearly with gambling issues...) Still aching to get a stealth chip from that casino out in Area 51...
Defo the snowglobe for the Sphere for me. 😊 I read somewhere on social media that they have started renovating the MGM Grand rooms, havent read anything on that since you guys covered that a while ago. If i remember the renderings looked decent..
I was VP Gaming Operations at a Major Casino in Atlantic City in the mid-1980’s, with an anticipated Union Strike, armed 3rd party security guards were stationed at my home. Freaked my wife out. Thank God a new contracted was signed. Same Union as Las Vegas.
Moving to the desert might be smart… F1 lasted 6 years in Long Beach, 6 years in Detroit, and 3 years in Phoenix. Is nobody willing to learn the “Pit”falls of F1 in the U.S.?
@@bobbowie9350Indianapolis is complete different. They already have a race track in place and there is no disruption to their regular businesses. In their case it is a net positive to their city and businesses due to it happening every year and the set up to handel the crowds with minimal problems to the city as a whole.
Just for the record… I didn’t throw in Caesar’s because it was a parking lot race. Miami and Dallas would be other honorable mentions. I am not anti F1 and spent 3 days in 83 camping and taking photos in Long Beach :)
Not surprised by numbers for gambling, things are getting tougher and the casinos have not been inviting to the avg middle class person in light of inflation.
I canceled my October trip as I want to be nowhere near Las Vegas in the month before F-1. in 2023, it took me 3.5 hours on a Tuesday night to drive from the 99 Ranch on Maryland Parkway to guest parking at Flamingo. I nearly ran out of gas.
I was there for F1 in November. I enjoyed taking my children to see the cars and special events they had on the strip. We were fortunate to have a room that had a view of a portion of the course. It was a pretty cool experience. I visit LV about once a month and agree that preparation for the race does reduce the appeal of the strip during those months, but it hasn't changed my plans to continue to visit in November. I understand those that don't visit as often may decide to stay away in November because an iconic walk on the strip is part of the charm. I agree with you and root for Vegas events, but I'm wondering if the organizers of F1 have considered a day race and how much less preparation would be needed for that? Are you aware of any conversations about that? A night race adds to the spectacle of the event but not sure a 90 minute telecast is worth the effort or the impact it has on locals? Also, related to a story from last week, I'm headed to Vegas this week to enjoy a couple of meals at Julian Serrano's before it's extinction 😆
I went to Hyde Park Jr. High in 1970 and we went on a field trip to Circus Circus with another school and the 1st thing we did was the rocket ship ride and while in line this girl in front of us kept saying her name was September, and her dad owns this place and the palace down the street. I later learned her name was September Sarno and her dad Phil Sarno did own CC and Cesears Palace.
This was an actual RTC Vegas city bus route announcement sent to me : "Thru 12/27 (December 27th) BELLAGIO fountain club dismantle with 2 SB lanes + sidewalk closed 24 hours on LAS VEGAS BLVD from FLAMINGO RD to BELLAGIO DR." So any international Vegas tourists who wanted to enjoy the iconic Bellagio fountains on Halloween, Thanksgiving, National Finals Rodeo or the Christmas holidays, cannot access the sidewalk in front of the Bellagio due to construction activity related to Formula 1, a weekend race. True insanity.
I'm a night owl and I'm frequently in the MGM properties late-night/early-morning. It's amazing how many friendly young women are out at that hour, greeting you with a cheerful, "Hi honey! What are you up to?" Vegas folks are so friendly!
My family and I were there for the most recent F1 and have been to Vegas several times, also lived there from 95 to 2000. We did not enjoy the barricades and blocked views everywhere we went and the filth round the barricades on the west side of the strip along with generators blasting away which were loud and had fumes. That said, I do plan to go back to see F1 this year but only because 3 of the 5 in the family got sick day of race and couldn't go. If not for that, I'd avoid Vegas when F1 is going on. And the by the way, resort fees are out of control so when I do go back I'll be looking off strip and Uber where I need to go.
The November gaming numbers indicate to me that interest in F1 has gone down dramatically ever since the first race. The only reason why the first race did decently when it came to gaming numbers & revenue was because people wanted to see what the first F1 race in Vegas in 40 years would be like. As someone who follows F1 closely, I really think that this year's race will be the final one Vegas hosts mainly because of these bad revenue numbers & there are multiple places globally such as Cape Town in South Africa that are bidding to be on the F1 schedule for 2026. Vegas along with Mexico City are the two tracks most likely to be removed from the F1 schedule.
I definitely would like F1 to go away. There are so many better events that don't cause so much disruption. Bring the Final Four. The Super Bowl was great. There is no need to wreck streets. Conventions probably stay away in November beause of F1. The casinos need to come back down to reality. They jacked up the prices and charged for parking and got rid of buffets and people stopped coming. They also keep jacking up resort fees. Stop already and people might come back. It also doesn't help that flying is more expensive and less enjoyable.
I did the Bunge jump and still have the DVD of it in storage. I was 3rd to go (the lift was tiny so only a few people could go up at once). The first person just jumped back wards. The second didn't want to jump so they got her to the edge and started counting down 3-2 and pushed her off at the count of 2. They asked if I wanted to touch the water of the pool and having seen it and how shallow it was I said no. I didn't so much jump as my knees gave way and I fell off. All I could think of on the way down was the guy had said I should 'jump out a bit' as they were not adjusting the cord for me (I must have been twice the weight of the previous person). Not sure if that was just to 'wind me up' but I didn't hit the water! I seem to remember they had a big accident some time after that and it closed.
I didn’t do that one but did an AJ Hackett 400 foot bungee in New Zealand. I was terrified as I got to the edge (I get vertigo too) and they were mocking me. Finally I said 3.2.1…f**k it in my mind and I jumped. Amazing experience but so scary.
Anyma was good, but still preferred U2 and others' graphics on the inside screen at their respective shows, overall. We've seen everyone who's played there. Fun show though. I'd see it again.
Whatever F1 makes is lost/offset in COB, road work, set up take down, extra security, overtime for cops, first responders. It cost so much for Vegas, add in the cost of lost income and taxes. Customers that stop going to the area because of it for 60 days prior and after. I believe it's a huge loss. It's a terrible business venture, makes no sense at all. Spend so much money for a net,net loss. Move it off strip.
My comment about F1 would be you have the track set up. Why not have another event use the track. Like those guys who ride motorcycles, or some rally car drivers. Or my personal favorite. Street racers. I would LOVE to see regular Joe's with their mom and pop set ups race their cars. Then you would see some SERIOUS action
Have you seen the video's of New Chinese building falling down - your an IDIOT. The bridge would be up in a month and fall down in a day. What the Chinese know about construction would fit a Fortune cookie.
I’ve been saying for years that the more volatile they make the casino games, and the larger the casinos hold, the more they will eventually drive people away. Yeah, they’ll get everyone at first (back to back years of record revenue) but long term, people will decide to spend their money doing other things. I hope they all start to realize that the “take, take, take” mentality is not a good business plan long term.
I ate at that Wolf Gang Pucks back In December while staying at the MGM Grand. I wasn't impressed either. Its pretty much the same restaurant he has in Disney Springs in Orlando FL
F1 is a deterrent for me. I will stay away from roughly September (when they start setting up) until January (when tear-down is complete). It's too bad because September through January was always a good time to visit. Not hot as heck and not as crowded. F1 destroys all that appeal.
Im a big fan of XFL and now merged UFL. The fact the Las Vegas vipers got screwed by the Sam Boyd restrictions and the only football field choice was at Cashman field. I hope this handoff to the county and restriction reignites an interest for the team. I know the marketing was absolute garbage but it brought a southern Californian out to vegas almost every weekend in march and april when the team was there.
Re: Gaming Numbers you need to factor in a deteriorating world- wide economy. Consumers are basically strapped for disposable cash and have generally wiped out all their credit and banks are not lending.
Does the drop on convention November traffic between ‘23 and 24’ take into account that AWS reinvent which is 60000 people, was last week of nov in ‘23 but first week of December in ‘24 because it’s always first week after thanksgiving so that drop (some of it) could be artificial.
I used to bungie jump there!!! The first time I jumped was about 1992. The employee really sold the jump cuz I almost chickened out. Then my ex happened to be in the company that built the pool and patio cover there. So I jumped many more times. Loved doing that. It really prepares u for a burning building jump if you are stuck 😂
Between the price gouging and the explosion of online gambling and most of the other states having casinos Las Vegas is not going to be a must go destination.
The F1 needs to just change how they market it - chase the volume rather than high rollers - promote it is as the cheap option to see F1, for what it costs to go to the British GP (around $1000 USD if you go for multiple days and get a grandstand seat) you could fly to Vegas. If F1/CET/MGM agreed not to erect any stands on LV Blvd itself (plenty of space for stands around The Sphere and down Koval etc) then the disruption before and after would be minimized.
Virgin let me upgrade my comp rooms to a suite for $25 a night.. they are struggling with the strike. the strikers are super aggressive they kept yelling at my uber drivers.. i walked to the store and they would block the sidewalk and give mean looks. hope it works out soon.. some restaurants are closed or hours cut.
I like your work. 👏👏Bravo! 🤔 to bad I stopped going to Vegas since they make you pay to park your car 🤫🤫🤭🤭yep! everything is going to high limit, included the parking space 🤣🤣🤣
Where was the sphere visual where sergio perez gave himself a thumbs down? That was one of the best!😂 I think they played it when he got bumped out of qualifying.
Idc how many free "concerts" they put on, I'm not going anywhere near the strip OR Fremont during F1. A friend of mine bartends downtown, and she said F1 week was horrible for tips both years.
It wouldn't be the hotel rates that have $50 for resort fees, breakfast for 2 thats $60, triple zero roulette, 6;5 blackjack., slots that just make you mad for no payouts, and new fees that grow like my grass. Im sure none of that would make revenue slide. Most of the U.S. has a casino within a couple hours drive. I just can't believe triple zero roulette with a $25 minimum. That was the straw that broke my Vegas trips. Im tired of feeling like i am being robbed.
Vegas has become to expensive even for us who have been very fortunate. We've been coming out for the last 36 years mostly over Super Bowl weekend, however, this will be the last year for the foreseeable future.
I had a misfortune to live a few months at Harbor Island in 2014. I remember protesters with signs in front of then-Hard Rock all the time. Matrix is such a matrix
I will be happy when Tropicana is done…. I can drive from the Martin to Bass pro shop without having to really stop at any stop lights… that intersection was awful ( Dean Martin/ Trop)
Sorry, guys. I love seeing abandoned structures mixed. Our modern ruins! Boyd Stadium's land would make an excellent greenway for the community. Is that technically Henderson? On F1, I can tell you this: the average tourist, like me, is just not going anywhere near Las Vegas around F1 time (week before and after). It's all marketing, celebrities, and influencers. Not a fit. Vegas does not need F1 to define itself. It's bigger than that.
We drove past the Virgin hotel in December and I guess the protesters thought we were going to pull into the parking lot so they stood in the middle of the driveway yelling at our car I guess to prevent us from pulling in! Glad we weren't staying there! And Happy Birthday Elvis! 🎉
Vegas needs to remember that there’s a reason grocery/big box stores have loss leaders. There’s a good reason Walmart and Costco are happy to lose money on milk, hotdogs and rotisserie chicken. I don’t know, though, maybe there are reasons these psychological tricks that work in a store don’t work in a casino. I guess it’s possible too many people just come in for the cheap rooms and meals and are smart enough to stay away from the machines and tables, but I really doubt it. I think it’s most likely they are just getting greedy and it’s starting to catch up with them.
What is your take on the November gaming numbers and what they mean about the success of Vegas F1?
Interest is gone.
The novelty of the experience wore off fast after its inaugural race. I think many were enticed by the IDEA of having the Strip be an exhilarating, flashy backdrop for an F1 race.............but the schtick wears off rather quick for spectacles like this.
Vegas is not as bad as Cali, but not exactly Texas...
Texas spends $100 million on a 1125' 8 lane (4 each way) suspension bridge near downtown Dallas..
Vegas spends almost $400 million rebuilding a bridge over a highway?
California spends $11 Billion building a rail bridge over a river with no connecting tracks, and forget they need 2 rail lanes, so they need to do it again...
Agreed! F1 is not coming back after year 3. It's just not bringing in the numbers. Tourists who would normally come and gamble have been shut out and not just in November. They don't want to come there with all the BS going on with traffic. The strip has those stupid grandstands. The view of the sphere is blocked. It's just dumb.
F1 was a dumb cash grab debacle that ruined everything. Now the numbers stink, but that's not the real story, imo. The real and long lasting fallout is all of the tourists that feel screwed by the endless construction, traffic, closures and dead vibe of the torn up strip that ruined their day(s) or their entire stays. F1 is a long lasting eyesore that assaults the senses and diminishes the look and feel of everything - before and after the event. The aesthetic of everything is suffocated by F1. People don't/won't forget how stressful or poor Vegas was during their stays.
Vegas needs a wake-up call. 50 dollar resort fee, expensive parking fees, $8 espresso, etc. I was in Vegas in early December 2024, the least expensive week of the year. At 10 am all the table games in any casino on the Strip had a minimum of $50. If I have to go Downtown to find a lower minimum, I have no need to go to Vegas. There are tons of destinations where the customer is welcome without been fleeced. You guys are doing a great job!
at 10am "all the table games" on the strip were NOT at a $50 minimum, Vegas has become less of a value, but that's not accurate.
Blatantly lying
Maybe gambling revenue is down because of things like triple and quadruple zero roulette, and 6:5 blackjacks, and sizable table minimums.
That would probably drive more revenue.
Not if people don't play
@@whitecastle3032 Exactly. Smart players don't play trash table games. They bank on novice and new players to play them. I absolutely would never play 6:5 table BJ or a triple roulette wheel.
Yeah i agree, im not playing nearly as much with the odds getting worse. The odds were already in the casinos favor anyways
Don't forget the very tight slots
Since the early 2000’s the week after thanksgiving was one of our Vegas trips. Relatively quiet and inexpensive. That ended a couple years ago. It’s anecdotal, but I bet many people have taken November off the calendar.
Mark: what’s up with Vegas leaving old things up forever? Also sitting in front of his Christmas tree.
🤣🤣
LMAO! I was just gonna say about mark and his christmas decorations still being up! its 11 days into the new year they should be down and packed away now! 🤣😉
My favorite Sphere image was the moon. It was so detailed it looked like they brought the moon down from the sky!
I do love the moon. Surprising it wasn’t on the list.
The Sphere moon is my favorite as well. Maybe it wasn't selected because it's featured in the very early morning hours. It looks awesome on the vegas skyline from the freeway.
The holiday moon with Santa and Rudolph flying across was really fun and festive. 🎅🏻🦌
I been coming the week after F1 but will wait till end of December to have all the barricades down and be able to see the Bellagio fountains.
Was there week before. Caused traffic jams going to Downtown. Unable to watch fountains due to barricades.
Having F1 in November in Vegas means I automatically block out visiting in that month, which is a shame because November has pretty decent weather. I went in October last year and the traffic problems were already starting. I hope it goes away after next year.
It's a mess for a month before and a month after. F1 is an absolute joke. I hope they are done after next year.
Hold your breath
@@kevin-4209
Eat a snickers, karen
It wasn't that bad 🤦🏼
F1 isn’t worth the 4+ months of headaches with all the construction. I was out there for a week in October and didn’t hear one good comment towards F1
As a local, there is nothing good to say about the F (ick) 1🤯
I'm glad you guys have come around on your F1 opinions. This is not a success for Vegas and I think we can all pray this will be done after the 3rd year.
Amen
People gamble less with room rates high. I would get el cortez for $40. I tried to book a week. Averaged over $200 a night. Most states now have casinos and sports betting. Vegas has to re-think their strategy.
Went to Vegas last week, stayed at Encore with very good rates and the room had a perfect view of the Sphere and the strip. Not cheap on food, but I also live in Los Angeles so we are used to the high prices.
Elvis is still alive! I saw him on the strip. 😎
Me too! I knew it! 😂
The last time I saw Elvis he was in the men's room at the Palm restaurant..
People are tired of flipping the bill for many things in Vegas. Are Mark said it best, it's not the Las Vegas experience anymore. Especially F1. But everything has changed, and people can only spread their money so far. I have friends that just go there to golf. They fly in, have a weekend of golf, and fly out. No gambling , no shopping. Only golf. Good amount of information today. Thanks.
The other “value” calculation on the Boyd Stadium land is the cost of demolition. In many land deals that involve public property, you can value the land as is and then deduct the cost associated with returning it to raw land for whatever future development is coming. It’s a way to get deals done, remove an ongoing maintenance cost from your budget, etc without giving tax breaks or incentives and/or incurring demolition costs to the public entity.
My wife and I are not coming back out to Vegas until F1 is over. And my opinion, F1 has ruined everything.
Same, even October is ruined because of the construction and blocked off fountains. October use to be the best month for a Vegas vacation. I won't go back until F1 is gone
Why not go in the Spring?
You will not be missed
@georgeg6755 They are not alone; at some point, visitors will "be missed" - especially if you Nevadans want to keep your 'no income tax' in place. Just a thought.
@@georgeg6755 - Collectively, we will all be missed. Many just don't realize it yet
Concerning the bridge it took five years to build Hoover dam. It took us four years to win WWII. This is an inexcusable mess.
We just had a public works project done in 2022 here in San Diego, an extension of our light rail system, that finished BOTH $25 million under budget AND six weeks early
That’s amazing! Takes the right people to do that in Cali
As a cab driver here, F1 has been a nightmare and not worth it even though earnings was good.
Traffic flow setup was crazy!
I take care of an 87 year old veteran, he's a spitfire! Drives a 1976 Stingray vette, goes to the gym 4 days a week, keeps his diet regimented...... but he doesn't move around as good as Elvis!!!!😆
😂
I remember the Frontier strike. It lasted so long and eventually everyone ended up at jobs elsewhere it went on so long. All that was left was an outhouse sized, hand built wooden booth along a sidewalk with a bunch of union stickers on it. Probably someone's house by now. 🤣
Man F1 has been a huge failure. I pray it ends as soon as possible.
Wrong. Its clickbait.
A lady of the night at Luxor at 5AM would be the worst bet you place your whole trip LOL
😂
Thank you to our co-hosts for this fun segment. Elvis definitely has not left the building. Didn’t know Elvis had ten years on me.
21:03 Exactly, to get the true F1 numbers you have to use mid October to early December as a lot of people are avoiding Vegas during that time do to construction.
We were at Paris the first week of October and were woke up every morning at 5am with noise from the Bellagio grandstand construction.
Good point about downtown. The reason we’re not spending as much $ is because the payouts have gotten worse. 6/5 blackjack. Lower RTP on slots. Defeats one of the big purposes of going to downtown.
2 February we arrive and 5-6 February is the world record attempt !!
I did the bungee jump there (It looks like the one I did) and remember vividly looking down into that little pool. I remember that when I jumped, hit the bottom of the 'rope' and as I flew back up the 'rope' almost wrapped around my neck. Last time I ever bungied anywhere.
Thanks for the commentary guys, any insight on the CES event that occurred recently?
Lenny Kravitz is 60….I know how you keep saying you want to see newer or younger performers….but Lenny is a fantastic “older” act!!
I was at the Lenny Kravits show in the Sphere. The concert followed a CES Keynote address by the president of Delta Airlines and wasn't just for Delta employees, any attendee of CES was able to go. The Sphere was not full. The event was also a celebration of Delta Airlines 100th anniversary. Actress Viola Davis and Raiders investor Tom Brady were also part of the presentation. The Lenny Kravits show was really good even if the sphere visuals were a bit on the simplistic side. If he does do a residency there, I'm sure the graphics will be 100x better.
12:44 Puck at MGM still has a decent $25 off My vegas award so that may be why it's still busy. We have eaten there many times and at least the dining area has always been very clean
Prior to F1, I was an annual November traveler to Vegas.. this past November was my first F1 vegas trip and I wish it would go away. Or maybe move it to the speedway?
That is where it belongs. Just ask Indianapolis where they always get good crowds for their race at a dedicated track instead of running it through the streets of their city.
I'm not surprised by the Wolfgang Puck closure. Dining in the MGM properties is never much above average IMO.
Years ago, we went on a "chip hunt" where we walked the entire length of the Vegas strip, visiting every casino along the strip, from Mandalay Bay to the Strat.
At each casino, we went in, bought a few $1 chips, a drink, and sometimes dropped a few bucks into a slot machine for a few minutes of rest.
It took us all day and most of the night, but we completed the hunt; we hit around 30+ casinos that day.
On another trip, we hit every casino downtown on Freemont Street, and again later we tried doing a circuit around locals casinos throughout the Vegas metro area.
And, if that weren't enough, on other trips we've done it in Laughlin and Reno too. (Dam! We may have issues!!!)
Overall, we hit probably 100+ casinos in Nevada and have chips to prove it, from all of the casinos that had table games and would allow us to palm chips out the door. (surprisingly, some casinos weren't too keen on us taking their chips out the door!)
While it was fun to say we did it, it kind of sucked too as the lasting memory for me of the efforts, were mostly of the transit between casinos and not the casinos themselves.
Although intriguing, I can't imagine visiting 111 casinos in the state in one day would be much fun.
We took over 4-trips to accomplish our "chip hunt" and didn't even hit all Vegas casinos let alone the remote casinos salted around the state.
While it may be quite an accomplishment, it certainly doesn't seem very fun, IMHO.
Zk (...clearly with gambling issues...)
Still aching to get a stealth chip from that casino out in Area 51...
Nice collection!!
Defo the snowglobe for the Sphere for me. 😊 I read somewhere on social media that they have started renovating the MGM Grand rooms, havent read anything on that since you guys covered that a while ago. If i remember the renderings looked decent..
I was VP Gaming Operations at a Major Casino in Atlantic City in the mid-1980’s, with an anticipated Union Strike, armed 3rd party security guards were stationed at my home. Freaked my wife out. Thank God a new contracted was signed. Same Union as Las Vegas.
HBD Elvis. I vote for Tiffany as well, thanks guys for the updates!
Moving to the desert might be smart… F1 lasted 6 years in Long Beach, 6 years in Detroit, and 3 years in Phoenix. Is nobody willing to learn the “Pit”falls of F1 in the U.S.?
Indy was great in the early 2000s
@@bobbowie9350Indianapolis is complete different. They already have a race track in place and there is no disruption to their regular businesses. In their case it is a net positive to their city and businesses due to it happening every year and the set up to handel the crowds with minimal problems to the city as a whole.
Just for the record… I didn’t throw in Caesar’s because it was a parking lot race. Miami and Dallas would be other honorable mentions. I am not anti F1 and spent 3 days in 83 camping and taking photos in Long Beach :)
That bungee jump was nuts. They would ask you if you wanted to get dipped into the pool or not.
Yeah I knew some people who did the dip. I always thought the pool looked a little small.
Did the carpet match the drapes at the Luxor?
Not surprised by numbers for gambling, things are getting tougher and the casinos have not been inviting to the avg middle class person in light of inflation.
I canceled my October trip as I want to be nowhere near Las Vegas in the month before F-1. in 2023, it took me 3.5 hours on a Tuesday night to drive from the 99 Ranch on Maryland Parkway to guest parking at Flamingo. I nearly ran out of gas.
I was there for F1 in November. I enjoyed taking my children to see the cars and special events they had on the strip. We were fortunate to have a room that had a view of a portion of the course. It was a pretty cool experience. I visit LV about once a month and agree that preparation for the race does reduce the appeal of the strip during those months, but it hasn't changed my plans to continue to visit in November. I understand those that don't visit as often may decide to stay away in November because an iconic walk on the strip is part of the charm. I agree with you and root for Vegas events, but I'm wondering if the organizers of F1 have considered a day race and how much less preparation would be needed for that? Are you aware of any conversations about that? A night race adds to the spectacle of the event but not sure a 90 minute telecast is worth the effort or the impact it has on locals? Also, related to a story from last week, I'm headed to Vegas this week to enjoy a couple of meals at Julian Serrano's before it's extinction 😆
Durango casino floor looks like a Sears Department store in the early 80's.😢
I went to Hyde Park Jr. High in 1970 and we went on a field trip to Circus Circus with another school and the 1st thing we did was the rocket ship ride and while in line this girl in front of us kept saying her name was September, and her dad owns this place and the palace down the street. I later learned her name was September Sarno and her dad Phil Sarno did own CC and Cesears Palace.
10:14 Shawn getting read to filth on camera. Whenever Mark gets this kinda spicy an angel gets its wings. 😂
This was an actual RTC Vegas city bus route announcement sent to me :
"Thru 12/27 (December 27th) BELLAGIO fountain club dismantle with 2 SB lanes + sidewalk closed 24 hours on LAS VEGAS BLVD from FLAMINGO RD to BELLAGIO DR."
So any international Vegas tourists who wanted to enjoy the iconic Bellagio fountains on Halloween, Thanksgiving, National Finals Rodeo or the Christmas holidays, cannot access the sidewalk in front of the Bellagio due to construction activity related to Formula 1, a weekend race.
True insanity.
Yeah and it is scary that local leaders don't seem to be coming around to this. It can be both an amazing event and just not worth it.
That Luxor carpet DOES look great. And in general way brighter than when I was there in 2010.
I'd like to visit Virgin, but I'll NEVER cross a picket line. Those trees were by the bus stop. Is that owned by Virgin or the City?
Wowwww....so many commenters loathe F1 now. Welcome to the club!
F1 is the highlight of the year in Vegas for many people.
Happy friday!!
Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!
I'm a night owl and I'm frequently in the MGM properties late-night/early-morning. It's amazing how many friendly young women are out at that hour, greeting you with a cheerful, "Hi honey! What are you up to?" Vegas folks are so friendly!
My family and I were there for the most recent F1 and have been to Vegas several times, also lived there from 95 to 2000. We did not enjoy the barricades and blocked views everywhere we went and the filth round the barricades on the west side of the strip along with generators blasting away which were loud and had fumes. That said, I do plan to go back to see F1 this year but only because 3 of the 5 in the family got sick day of race and couldn't go. If not for that, I'd avoid Vegas when F1 is going on. And the by the way, resort fees are out of control so when I do go back I'll be looking off strip and Uber where I need to go.
Have a wonderful day today 😊
The November gaming numbers indicate to me that interest in F1 has gone down dramatically ever since the first race. The only reason why the first race did decently when it came to gaming numbers & revenue was because people wanted to see what the first F1 race in Vegas in 40 years would be like. As someone who follows F1 closely, I really think that this year's race will be the final one Vegas hosts mainly because of these bad revenue numbers & there are multiple places globally such as Cape Town in South Africa that are bidding to be on the F1 schedule for 2026. Vegas along with Mexico City are the two tracks most likely to be removed from the F1 schedule.
I definitely would like F1 to go away. There are so many better events that don't cause so much disruption. Bring the Final Four. The Super Bowl was great. There is no need to wreck streets. Conventions probably stay away in November beause of F1. The casinos need to come back down to reality. They jacked up the prices and charged for parking and got rid of buffets and people stopped coming. They also keep jacking up resort fees. Stop already and people might come back. It also doesn't help that flying is more expensive and less enjoyable.
Indoor sky dive closed 2 in so-cal and 1 in LA. It was popular long ago, I cant imagine people paying tons to float for a short time now days
Nows the time to go to Wolfgang Puck! It's clean for sure!
I did the Bunge jump and still have the DVD of it in storage. I was 3rd to go (the lift was tiny so only a few people could go up at once). The first person just jumped back wards. The second didn't want to jump so they got her to the edge and started counting down 3-2 and pushed her off at the count of 2. They asked if I wanted to touch the water of the pool and having seen it and how shallow it was I said no. I didn't so much jump as my knees gave way and I fell off. All I could think of on the way down was the guy had said I should 'jump out a bit' as they were not adjusting the cord for me (I must have been twice the weight of the previous person). Not sure if that was just to 'wind me up' but I didn't hit the water! I seem to remember they had a big accident some time after that and it closed.
I didn’t do that one but did an AJ Hackett 400 foot bungee in New Zealand. I was terrified as I got to the edge (I get vertigo too) and they were mocking me. Finally I said 3.2.1…f**k it in my mind and I jumped. Amazing experience but so scary.
Anyma was good, but still preferred U2 and others' graphics on the inside screen at their respective shows, overall. We've seen everyone who's played there. Fun show though. I'd see it again.
shawn with the nice haircut and beard trim... looking good
I stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village during their strike and it sucked. I feel bad for anyone going to any resort while they're on strike.
Definitely hard to feel that vacation vibe.
Whatever F1 makes is lost/offset in COB, road work, set up take down, extra security, overtime for cops, first responders. It cost so much for Vegas, add in the cost of lost income and taxes. Customers that stop going to the area because of it for 60 days prior and after. I believe it's a huge loss. It's a terrible business venture, makes no sense at all. Spend so much money for a net,net loss. Move it off strip.
My comment about F1 would be you have the track set up. Why not have another event use the track. Like those guys who ride motorcycles, or some rally car drivers. Or my personal favorite. Street racers. I would LOVE to see regular Joe's with their mom and pop set ups race their cars. Then you would see some SERIOUS action
China would have had the freeway bridge up in a month. The word you were looking for was immersive.
Have you seen the video's of New Chinese building falling down - your an IDIOT. The bridge would be up in a month and fall down in a day. What the Chinese know about construction would fit a Fortune cookie.
The elevator at Main Street Station has been closed since at least October when I went there. Really disapointing.
I’ve been saying for years that the more volatile they make the casino games, and the larger the casinos hold, the more they will eventually drive people away. Yeah, they’ll get everyone at first (back to back years of record revenue) but long term, people will decide to spend their money doing other things. I hope they all start to realize that the “take, take, take” mentality is not a good business plan long term.
I ate at that Wolf Gang Pucks back In December while staying at the MGM Grand. I wasn't impressed either. Its pretty much the same restaurant he has in Disney Springs in Orlando FL
I didn’t gamble at all on my last trip and still have comps. That’s how you know it’s getting bad🤣
Do you think there is a Zima bottle somewhere waiting to be unearthed ?
F1 is a deterrent for me. I will stay away from roughly September (when they start setting up) until January (when tear-down is complete). It's too bad because September through January was always a good time to visit. Not hot as heck and not as crowded. F1 destroys all that appeal.
Maybe they will drop table minimums
Same thing is happening here in Philadelphia. They are building a new arena in center city for the sixers and nobody wants it.
GO PACK GO!!!
Im a big fan of XFL and now merged UFL. The fact the Las Vegas vipers got screwed by the Sam Boyd restrictions and the only football field choice was at Cashman field. I hope this handoff to the county and restriction reignites an interest for the team. I know the marketing was absolute garbage but it brought a southern Californian out to vegas almost every weekend in march and april when the team was there.
Long live the King ❤️❤️
Re: Gaming Numbers you need to factor in a deteriorating world- wide economy. Consumers are basically strapped for disposable cash and have generally wiped out all their credit and banks are not lending.
Does the drop on convention November traffic between ‘23 and 24’ take into account that AWS reinvent which is 60000 people, was last week of nov in ‘23 but first week of December in ‘24 because it’s always first week after thanksgiving so that drop (some of it) could be artificial.
I used to bungie jump there!!! The first time I jumped was about 1992. The employee really sold the jump cuz I almost chickened out. Then my ex happened to be in the company that built the pool and patio cover there. So I jumped many more times. Loved doing that. It really prepares u for a burning building jump if you are stuck 😂
Between the price gouging and the explosion of online gambling and most of the other states having casinos Las Vegas is not going to be a must go destination.
The F1 needs to just change how they market it - chase the volume rather than high rollers - promote it is as the cheap option to see F1, for what it costs to go to the British GP (around $1000 USD if you go for multiple days and get a grandstand seat) you could fly to Vegas.
If F1/CET/MGM agreed not to erect any stands on LV Blvd itself (plenty of space for stands around The Sphere and down Koval etc) then the disruption before and after would be minimized.
Virgin let me upgrade my comp rooms to a suite for $25 a night.. they are struggling with the strike. the strikers are super aggressive they kept yelling at my uber drivers.. i walked to the store and they would block the sidewalk and give mean looks. hope it works out soon.. some restaurants are closed or hours cut.
Tough times for a property that was already having tough times.
Is Durango parking free? If so, I’d go check it out.
Yup
I like your work. 👏👏Bravo! 🤔 to bad I stopped going to Vegas since they make you pay to park your car 🤫🤫🤭🤭yep! everything is going to high limit, included the parking space 🤣🤣🤣
Where was the sphere visual where sergio perez gave himself a thumbs down? That was one of the best!😂 I think they played it when he got bumped out of qualifying.
Hopefully f1 is free the first 2 days this year and I can get a comped room. Probably the only way I’d go lol
Idc how many free "concerts" they put on, I'm not going anywhere near the strip OR Fremont during F1. A friend of mine bartends downtown, and she said F1 week was horrible for tips both years.
There is aliens in the desert.
It wouldn't be the hotel rates that have $50 for resort fees, breakfast for 2 thats $60, triple zero roulette, 6;5 blackjack., slots that just make you mad for no payouts, and new fees that grow like my grass. Im sure none of that would make revenue slide. Most of the U.S. has a casino within a couple hours drive. I just can't believe triple zero roulette with a $25 minimum. That was the straw that broke my Vegas trips. Im tired of feeling like i am being robbed.
Vegas has become to expensive even for us who have been very fortunate. We've been coming out for the last 36 years mostly over Super Bowl weekend, however, this will be the last year for the foreseeable future.
I had a misfortune to live a few months at Harbor Island in 2014. I remember protesters with signs in front of then-Hard Rock all the time. Matrix is such a matrix
I will be happy when Tropicana is done…. I can drive from the Martin to Bass pro shop without having to really stop at any stop lights… that intersection was awful ( Dean Martin/ Trop)
Sorry, guys. I love seeing abandoned structures mixed. Our modern ruins! Boyd Stadium's land would make an excellent greenway for the community. Is that technically Henderson? On F1, I can tell you this: the average tourist, like me, is just not going anywhere near Las Vegas around F1 time (week before and after). It's all marketing, celebrities, and influencers. Not a fit. Vegas does not need F1 to define itself. It's bigger than that.
I'm fine if F1 stays as long as they move it off the strip and somewhere the months of construction each year won't cause major issues.
Put the A’s at Boyd Stadium site. Keep them off the strip!
That’s far from an ideal site for a stadium given how sprawling the city is now.
Sphere hologram of Michael Jackson and his greatest hits, when?
3 1/2 years for one interchange and the entire freeway between Barstow and Primm was built in 4 years.
We drove past the Virgin hotel in December and I guess the protesters thought we were going to pull into the parking lot so they stood in the middle of the driveway yelling at our car I guess to prevent us from pulling in! Glad we weren't staying there! And Happy Birthday Elvis! 🎉
Vegas needs to remember that there’s a reason grocery/big box stores have loss leaders. There’s a good reason Walmart and Costco are happy to lose money on milk, hotdogs and rotisserie chicken. I don’t know, though, maybe there are reasons these psychological tricks that work in a store don’t work in a casino. I guess it’s possible too many people just come in for the cheap rooms and meals and are smart enough to stay away from the machines and tables, but I really doubt it. I think it’s most likely they are just getting greedy and it’s starting to catch up with them.