Las Vegas Casino Death Watch

The List

Last Updated: January 3, 2010

Game Over:

Lady Luck

The Lady Luck closed in February 2006, allegedly for a year-long refit. It has already been way more than a year, with no end in sight.

At Death's Door:

Imperial Palace

Caesars owns this property, and we're certain that the place as it stands is not part of their long-term future. The problem is, there's not much you can do with this parcel by itself. If one wants to build here, it would be tough to do without also taking out either Harrah's or the Flamingo at the same time. It will probably be a couple of years before it does go. The strongest reason to think so is that management has made the decision to incorporate this property in the Caesars national slot club.

Wild Wild West

Station Casinos' current plans look like this place will survive through 2009, although beyond that, who knows? Except, that we know it will be closing and going away eventually.

In the Hospital:

Binion's

The new owners take over at Binion's. This place needs a lot of work, although for the first time since family ownership, the folks in charge might be up to the task. We have a lot of fondness for this place, but years of neglect have dug a pretty deep hole.

Hooters

Hooters is facing some serious financial woes during the current downturn. Will they be enough for the current owners to loose control? Only time will tell.

Riviera

Not much has happened here, but as an under-performing independent Strip property, we think that once credit markets improve, interest in this place will pick up again as well. With their current economic woes, we worry this might not happen soon enough.

Sahara

The sale of the Sahara is official. So far the new owners have said that they want to improve things without closing the place outright. It wouldn't shock us in the least if they changed their minds on this. The recent closing of hotel rooms during the current downturn isn't exactly a good sign for a property that isn't likely to generate a lot of foot traffic.

The Western

Back when Barrick Gaming was in charge, they made big noises about replacing this place with something less awful. Under Tamares, those plans seem to have been, ah, shelved, although they've closed the motel portion of the property already. Since this place was basically running break-even when the great Jackie Gaughan was in charge, we wouldn't be shocked if Tamares decides that they'd be better off with a vacant lot than an operating casino here.

Look Healthy, but Might Have a Hidden Tumor:

Bally's

Rumors go out that the Bally's site might be a good place to put a Caesars Horseshoe branded casino. Possibilities include using vacant land on the Bally's property, renovating and retheming Bally's, and even the destruction of Bally's in its entirety. Needless to say, this attracts our attention.

Bill's Gamblin' Hall

This is the new name for what used to be the Barbary Coast. It may be around for a little while, but it's definitely not part of Caesars long term plans.

Flamingo

It goes without saying that the Imperial Palace isn't part of Caesars' long-term future. However, the plot it's on isn't really big enough for a new resort. Therefore, if it goes, either the Flamingo or neighbor Harrah's (or both) is likely to be redeveloped at the same time. Flamingo gets our nod for more likely to go, since the short-timing Barbary Coast, er ah, Bill's Gamblin' Hall, sits on the other side.

Golden Gate

Owner Mark Brandenburg gets a partner in Derek Stevens, and the two of them will try to market the place as a boutique hotel. As they put more money into the place, they're hoping that this investment will pay off. Will it? I guess we'll see. Extra cash makes this place more stable, though, hence the downgrade.

Harrah's

When Caesars finally develops it's "Miracle Mile" on the east side of the Strip, we expect Harrah's to eventually get at least a major remodel, if not an outright replacement. This won't happen for quite a while, we're sure, but there's a good chance it does happen some day.

Planet Hollywood

The Aladdin is now officially Planet Hollywood. Lots of changes have occurred at this place. The question is, has the remodel fixed all the problems that plagued this place when it opened? We'll see. Things look "better" now, but it's way too early to call them "fixed". If Harrah's completes its attempted buy-out of the place, that probably puts them in the same boat as Bally's, the Flamingo, and Harrah's.

Tropicana

The Tropicana is under new ownership. They even have plans to spend some money to fix up the property. We expect changes to this property, but no huge changes for a while. So far, the new management team has done everything they've said they'd do, so we tend to give them credit for a little stability for the time being. We'll be keeping a close eye on them, though.

Other Properties:

We don't think these places are going to vanish any time soon, but we've heard others talk about them as if they think they might. These are our thoughts.

Circus Circus

MGM Mirage is now talking about developments in and around this property. The current party line is that Circus Circus would receive a make-over, but there's always the possibility that they will change their minds and include Circus Circus in "CityCenter II" at the north end of the Strip. However, all plans point to Circus Circus being around well beyond 2010.

Las Vegas Hilton

Under Colony Capital, this place will be renamed eventually. Improvements have already been made. We think it's definitely viable and don't expect it's going (boom) anywhere any time soon, others seem to disagree, though.

Rio

There are rumors that the Rio might be for sale. If it does get sold, we doubt it would close down, even for a remodel. Of course, we think the chance that it will be sold is actually quite low at the moment, but you never know.

Stratosphere

Sure, it's been through some seriously troubled times, but we don't think anyone will be demolishing the tower any time soon. At least if they do topple it, it won't hit anything that wouldn't be better off crushed. Each year, developments cause the Strip to inch its way closer to the Stratosphere, and that has to be good for business. Who knows, though, what a change in management will bring?