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It was technically a swing and a miss, but it wasn’t a miss by much. After running slightly ahead of pace for 11 months, Las Vegas had a relatively slow December, causing the 2013 visitor count to land at 39.67 million tourists, just below 2012’s record total of 39.73 million. The difference of 0.1 percent translates to just 58,801 fewer visitors, which is half of the daily average of about 108,000. Since 2012 was a leap year, it had that one extra day that made the difference. Not to worry, Las Vegas got out of the gate strong this year with an 8.2 percent increase in January, putting it on a pace to surpass 40 million visitors in 2014. Meanwhile, the gambling win was healthy, hitting $11.1 billion statewide. It was a 2.6 percent increase over 2012 and the first time above $11 billion since 2008, another indication that things are getting better.
» "Pawn Stars" on the move: The spoof of the hit History Channel TV show "Pawn Stars" is now playing on the Strip. After a brief run at the Golden Nugget, the stage adaptation "Pawn Stars Live" will open at the Riviera in April.
» Bacchanal bump: Tally another price hike for what was already Las Vegas’ most expensive buffet, and it’s a big hike at that. All prices for Caesars Palace’s Bacchanal Buffet have been increased, with the exception of breakfast ($25.99). Lunch is up $3 to $35.99, weekday dinner is up $5 to $50.99, weekend dinner is up $3 to $53.99 and the Champagne brunch is also up $3 to $44.99.
QUESTION: Who came in higher on the Forbes list of wealthiest people, Sheldon Adelson or Steve Wynn?
ANSWER: It wasn’t close. Adelson came in with a net worth of $38 billion, placing him eighth overall on the list. Wynn’s net worth was a decimal off at $3.8 billion, putting him in 396th position. It was an exceptional year for Adelson, as the chairman of Las Vegas Sands Corp. earned $32 million per day in 2013.
For more information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and good deals, go to www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.
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