Casino impresario Steve Wynn has announced plans to build a $1.5 billion “lake resort” behind Wynn Las Vegas and Encore on land that used to be a golf course. Tentatively dubbed Paradise Park, the project is being positioned as an expansion of the collective Wynn/Encore resort, adding a 1,000-room tower and a lagoon feature but not a dedicated casino.

The 38-acre lagoon will accommodate real water skiing, paddleboarding and parasailing, and be surrounded by white-sand beaches.

Also planned is a mile-long boardwalk, more convention space and a nightly fireworks show. Paradise Park is projected to be completed in 2020.

Slingshot: From Wednesday to May 19, Ellis Island will be the site of Las Vegas’ only Slingshot ride, which will propel riders more than 200 feet into the air and “catapult” them at more than 100 mph for some high-speed views of the Strip. The ride will operate daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and tickets are $30, or $55 for two people.

Burger swap: BK Whopper Bar has closed at the Rio, but only to make room for another famous burger chain. The third casino location of Smashburger will open at the Rio later this year, joining the first Smashburger in Caesars Palace’s Forum Food Court and another planned for Harrah’s Laughlin.

New Guy: The Rio is also the site of a new Guy Fieri restaurant called El Burro Borracho. The Mexican eatery from the star of TV’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” takes over the spot where Buzio’s had been since the casino opened.

Question: I used to love playing the Sigma Derby horse racing game. Are there any left in Las Vegas?

Answer: There are two remaining: One is at MGM Grand, and the other is on the second floor of the D downtown. Sigma Derby enjoys cult status with some players but was less a hit with the casinos because of the space required to house the machines and their tendency to need repairs.

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