Circus Circus and Bellagio To Be Sold

Above, The Beast at Circus Circus RV Park in 2015. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

MGM Resorts has agreed to sell two of its Las Vegas properties: Circus Circus and Bellagio.

TravelPulse reported:

MGM Resorts International announced Tuesday it had reached an agreement to sell Circus Circus Las Vegas for $825 million to an affiliate of Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin. 

The deal includes $662.5 million paid in cash and a $162.5 million note due 2024. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2019.

MGM Resorts originally acquired Circus Circus Las Vegas in 2005 and the property features 2,300 employees, a five-acre Adventuredome indoor amusement park, a 10-acre RV park and a 37-acre festival grounds. 

In another deal announced Tuesday, MGM Resorts revealed an agreement with Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust that values the real estate of Bellagio at $4.25 billion, which represents a purchase price multiple of 17.3 times rent.

The joint venture will acquire the Bellagio real estate and lease it back to a subsidiary of MGM Resorts for an initial annual rent of $245 million.

The only questions I have concerning Circus Circus are: Will it be renovated (it looked a bit "long in the tooth" the last time I was there in 2015)? Will it be torn down? Will the RV park remain?

To read more, go here. 

Casino RV Resorts

Above, The Beast at the Route 66 RV Resort in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

RV travelers are discovering RV parks and resorts that are connected to casinos in many states. Quite a number of them are associated with Indian casinos.

Whenever I have business in Albuquerque, I stay at the Route 66 RV resort on the western edge of the city.

RV Life has an article on ten casino resorts in the U.S.

They begin with:

Many casinos are not only RV-friendly but they have their own RV resort with an extensive list of amenities. These are some of the best places to park and try your luck at the slots or table games.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's Diet Passes Resort Gambling Law

Above, the National Diet Building in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Japan's Diet finally did it! The national legislature has passed a law that will allow casino gambling at resorts. 

The resort gambling issue has been festering in Japan for the past several years.

Japan Today reported:

TOKYO - The Diet on Friday approved a contentious law allowing up to three casino resorts to open in this wealthy nation and possibly lure more foreign visitors. 

The bill was approved and enacted into law at the upper house after bulldozing by the ruling bloc. The lower house passed it last month. 

It adds rules of operation to a law on casino promotion passed in 2016. The enactment of the "integrated resorts" law means casinos can operate at resorts that include hotels, conference rooms and shopping malls in the mid-2020s. 

Supporters say casinos can attract more and wealthier tourists. Opponents say Japan already has pachinko pinball parlors and wagering on horse, auto, bicycle and boat racing, and expanding legalized gambling would fuel organized crime and compound gambling addiction. 

Media surveys have showed a majority of Japanese oppose the plan. Projections by experts show casino visitors would be predominantly Japanese, rather than foreign tourists. Opposition lawmakers said the casino law would only allow foreign operators to make money off Japanese.

To read more, go here. 

Casino RV Camping

Above, Jess in front of Twin Arrows Casino Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I move to New Mexico, I will have plenty of places in and around the state to take some nice camping trips.

There are state parks nearby with some campgrounds. There are also private RV parks around as well, including ones connected to casinos.

While on the way to Grand Canyon National Park last November, Jess and I stopped for breakfast at the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino Resort near Flagstaff, Arizona. They don't have a RV park, but they allow overnighting in a RV-designated parking lot. The food was great, by the way! Their website: http://www.twinarrows.com/.

Since I am moving to the Navajo Nation area of New Mexico, there are Indian casinos that either allow overnight parking or have a RV park with all the amenities.

A couple of which are located along Interstate 40:

Route 66 RV Resort is in the western area of Albuquerque. It is 20 minutes west of downtown Albuquerque off Interstate 40. It looks like a nice place and it is a part of Route 66 Casino Hotel. Their website is: http://rt66rvresort.com/.

Sky City Casino Hotel also has their own RV park. It is a bit closer to Gallup (about 45 minutes west of Albuquerque). It also looks like a nice place. Their website is: http://www.skycity.com/alpha.html.

During my perusal of casinos with RV parks, I came across a website that provides information on casinos with RV parks around the country, not just New Mexico.

It is Casino Camper.

Here's what they say about the site:

This website is operated by an RV'ing couple who have been living and traveling fulltime in a motor home since 2004. While traveling, it's great to have a free or inexpensive place to stop for the night. Many casino's not only allow RV overnight parking, they also encourage RV'ers to spend the night with them. They're hoping you'll also come in for a good meal and try your luck in the casino. Parking overnight in your RV at a casino is a great option. 

This website is free and we strive to provide the most COMPLETE and CURRENT information available on overnight RV parking at casinos. This website is "user supported". Please create a free user account and submit your photos, new and updated casino listings, and reviews of your visit. The more submissions we get, the more accurate the information will be, which helps everyone. Also, please visit our "Sponsors". No purchase is required, but visiting them helps support the operation of this website.

The Casino Camper website is at: http://www.casinocamper.com/

RVers Are Discovering Casino "Camping"

Above, The Beast at Circus Circus RV Park in Las Vegas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Those who follow the Nomadic Fanatic and other RV/camping channels on YouTube have probably noticed that on occasion they will camp or park overnight in a casino's parking lot or RV park.

This is a growing trend as more casinos (Indian and otherwise) are popping up across the country.

Casino.org has posted an article on this growing trend. They call this trend "boondocking with benefits." They specifically mentioned the Circus Circus RV Park.

They begin with:

It’s a trend that RV owners are loving: regional casinos across the United States often have ample parking space to accommodate overnight motor homes and travel trailers, and retirees and vacationers are taking full advantage of that fact. 

With gambling venues now spread from the Atlantic to the Pacific, RVers traversing the country have plenty of casino destinations to take park at. With nearly every casino featuring some level of around-the-clock security (albeit not as stringent in a lot as on the tables where the money is), people staying in RVs say they feel safer in such parking lots, compared with big box store chains like Wal-Mart and Home Depot. 

According to a recent report in The Green Sheet Farm Forum’s Motor Matters section, the popularity of recreational vehicles is skyrocketing, as is the use of regional casinos for overnight parking. Many casinos are gladly welcoming the vehicles, as they believe guests will at some point come into the property to eat, shop, and gamble.

The article goes on to mention that casinos in Las Vegas are charging RVers to park their rigs. One charge that is not mentioned in the article is the amenity or resort fees on top of the nightly "camping" fees. I posted a blog about this last month concerning the aforementioned Circus Circus RV Park.

To read more, go here.

CasaBlanca Resort

Since the Wi-Fi at the Cedar City KOA was a bit on the slow side (photos I posted yesterday took forever to upload), I decided to hold off on posting some photos of the CasaBlanca Resort in Mesquite, Nevada. They also have a RV park, but I didn't go over there.

Here's a few:

Above, the main driveway to the hotel and casino. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the main sign in front. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the casino, where I won a whopping $3.50 (at least it partially paid for breakfast). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, The Beast and an earlier model Minnie Winnie. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Free Drinks May Soon Be History In Las Vegas

Above, The Mirage hotel sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While one is at a roulette wheel, a crap table, playing keno or even slot machines, free drinks have been a mainstay in Las Vegas for years.

All that may change (to a certain extent) if all Las Vegas casinos adopt a new technology.

According to Travel + Leisure:

Don't count on fueling your next Vegas vacation with those free casino drinks: There's a good chance those will be going away, unless you're willing to do a bit of gambling. 

MGM and Caesars, two popular destinations on the Las Vegas strip, are testing new technology that would better tell bartenders which casino visitors deserve those free cocktails—and who doesn't—based on how much they are playing and betting.

Last year, I played roulette at The Mirage Hotel casino in Las Vegas and was served free drinks while playing.

To read more, go here.

Caesars Is Eyeing Japan

Above, Caesars Palace Forum shopping area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With the bill that passed in the Japanese Diet on December 14 allowing for the legalization of casinos in Japan, U.S. casino operators are seeing opportunities to expand into Japan.

One of them is the parent company of Las Vegas's Caesars Palace.

According to GGR Asia:

U.S.-based casino group Caesars Entertainment Corp is “pursuing a number of growth opportunities in Asia, including Japan,” Steven Tight, its president of international development confirmed to GGRAsia. He added the group would “release information at the appropriate time”. 

The executive also said that Caesars was preparing to move forward on its previously-slated South Korea venture. 

The news comes as it was confirmed on Tuesday that Caesars Entertainment Operating Co Inc – which runs some of the group’s most profitable venues including flagship properties in Las Vegas – is on the path to concluding its reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

To read more, go here. 

Japan Opens Door To Future Casino Gambling

Above, slot machines at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

American casino and gambling equipment companies are salivating at the prospect of big sales now that Japan has opened the door to casino gaming.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

TOKYO—U.S.-based casino companies are eager to grab a foothold in Japan, one of the world’s largest gambling nations, after parliament early Thursday passed a law ordering the government to prepare for the nation’s first casino resorts. 

The law gives Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government a year to develop specific plans on issues such as licensing operators and preventing gambling addicts from using casinos. The law doesn’t by itself legalize casinos, but proponents say they hope to pass further legislation in coming years that would enable the first casino to open in the early 2020s.

To read more, go here. 

Three Blog Posts Picked Up

Three of yesterday's blog posts were picked up by the good folks at The Japan Daily to share with their readers.

They are:

To read The Japan Daily, go here.

MGM Eyeballing Tsukiji Fish Market Site For Future Casino

Above, an inside view of the current Tsukiji Fish Market. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is currently planning to relocate its operations in 2016. As of now, no decision has been made on the 57 acres of land the fish market now occupies.

Several buyers have expressed interest in buying the location. One potential company has its eyes on the site: MGM Resorts International is looking at the site for a potential casino.

The Japanese legislature is expected to pass a casino-legalization bill during this year's fall session.

According to Casino.org:

MGM Resorts International, like most of their competitors, would love to build a casino in Japan. 

And if you’re going to build there, then the most lucrative city for a casino would have to be Tokyo. 

The only disadvantage to placing a casino in the nation’s largest city is the cost of building there, as finding available space is difficult and expensive. 

But it looks like MGM might have found a potential site that could become available in the near future. 

According to Bloomberg News, two sources familiar with MGM’s plans in Japan say that the company has scouted the Tsukiji fish market as a potential home for a casino resort in Tokyo.

Tokyo officials have been looking at Odaiba as a more suitable location for a casino resort.

Read more: http://www.casino.org/news/mgm-tokyo-fish-market-site#ixzz3BILgCn8f

Japan Casinos May Not Be Approved In Time For 2020 Olympics

Above, the National Diet Building, where a casino bill may not pass in this legislative session. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that people hoping to do some gambling in Japan by 2020 may have those hopes dashed unless the Japanese government approves legislation allowing casino gambling in Japan at the earliest possible date.

According to Casino.org:

It all seemed like such perfect synergy: with Tokyo hosting the 2020 Summer Olympics, millions of tourists and sports fans from around the world would be visiting Japan, all looking for ways to spend their travel money. It would be the ideal time for the nation’s first casinos to open, in what might be the best untapped gambling market in the world. 

There was only one problem: nobody ever ensured that everyone was on board with that plan. According to Japanese lawmakers who support the legalization of casinos in the country, their bill may be difficult to pass during the current legislative session, meaning that there may not be enough time to have casinos up and running by 2020, even if such a bill passes later on down the line.

Some lawmakers worry that organized crime may get influence in the casinos and promote gambling addiction.

Read more: http://www.casino.org/news/japan-casinos-may-get-approvals-time-2020-olympics#ixzz33T8vfEiE

H.I.S. May Buy Island Near Theme Park For Casino Resort

Above, many islands dot the Kyushu coast and may be candidates for a casino resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Sasebo may be known more than just the Saikai Bridge and the Hario Towers (featured in Rodan (1956)) if casino resort developers have their way.

The Japan Times reported:

H.I.S. Co.’s Dutch-themed Huis Ten Bosch amusement park along the Nagasaki coast is considering buying a deserted offshore island in an expansion to boost its appeal as a possible site for a casino resort. 

“We are planning to buy new land to offer more games at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park,” Hideo Sawada, chairman of the Tokyo-based travel agency and park operator, said in an interview last week. “There are a lot of deserted islands nearby.” He said at least ¥100 billion is needed to fund a gambling resort at the park. 

Huis Ten Bosch and sites across Japan are preparing to compete for possible gambling resort developments before the nation ends a ban on casinos, with preliminary legislation expected to be passed in the coming months. Global operators from Las Vegas Sands Corp. to Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd. have said they are prepared to invest billions of dollars should they win permits for casinos in the world’s third-largest economy. 

Japan’s casino market could eventually generate $40 billion in annual revenue, trailing only China’s Macau as a gambling hub, CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets estimates.

Above, the Shin-Saikai Bridge near Sasebo City. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Huis Ten Bosch is near Sasebo City (the train I rode on passed it while on the way to Sasebo in 2007) and is twice the size of Tokyo Disneyland, according to the article. There are many offshore islands near Sasebo, Nagasaki and Fukuoka, so any one of them could be a prime candidate for a casino resort.

To read more, go here.