Return of former Lady Luck appears to be real this time

Work has finally begun to convert the former Lady Luck to the Downtown Grand. The Lady Luck was shuttered in early 2006 and has gone through several near-returns, with nothing positive materializing to date. The announcement of the new name, along with renovation details, came earlier this year and it appears that this time it’s happening.

The $100-plus million project will renovate 650 rooms, add a pool and spa, create a new 50,000-square-foot casino area with 600 slots and 35 table games, and add 20,000 square feet of retail space. The resort is scheduled to open in late 2013.

» Scuba Santa: One of the more creative Christmas attractions is running at the Silverton, where Santa dons scuba gear and swims around in the 117,000-gallon aquarium while posing for photos. Santa will be in the tank each Saturday and Sunday until Dec. 23.

» Human Nature moving: The lauded Motown-tribute show "Human Nature," which recently closed at The Quad (formerly the Imperial Palace), will reopen at the Venetian next year. The group will tour briefly, then is expected to begin its new Las Vegas residency Jan. 22.

» New sports book: A new Cantor race and sports book has opened at Silverton. With its adjoining poker room, it’s similar to the Cantor book at the Palms, only on a smaller scale. It’s the company’s seventh sports book in Las Vegas.

Question: I read that the sports books are losing this football season. Is that possible?

Answer: According to Jay Kornegay, sports book director of the SuperBook at LVH, November was the worst month in history for the sports books. With favorites covering the spread all month, the public bettors (who traditionally back favorites and overs) scored their "best results in 26 years" of his tenure in the business. So, yes, it’s possible. But the books have the edge on most bets, so over time they will recoup and profit.

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