While almost all of the Las Vegas casinos have reopened after the pandemic shutdown, a few still have not.

Two of those — Texas Station and Fiesta Rancho — have been granted permission to remain “nonoperational” for another year.

In order to maintain their gaming licenses, the casinos will be required to open once per quarter over the next year. To fulfill that obligation, a trailer with a dozen slot machines will be brought into the parking lot and be opened for play for a day.

The two other still-closed casinos are Fiesta Henderson and Eastside Cannery, both expected to receive the same variance.

Marketplace empty: Almost all of the restaurants and gift shops that made up the Hawaiian Marketplace, located on the south end of the Strip across from CityCenter, have closed. It might have something to do with the recent purchase of an adjacent parcel that’s been earmarked for a casino project, but the owner of the property says he’s clearing the way for a “new flagship retail, entertainment, and dining experience.”

Downtown Loop: An expansion of the Las Vegas Loop underground tunnel system to downtown has been given approval. The tunnel will be dug below Las Vegas Boulevard all the way to Fremont Street. No timetable has been announced.

Lobster text: In response to four-hour waits for the $64.95 Wednesday-night lobster buffet at the Palms, you can now leave your phone number and receive a text when you’re approaching the top of the list. It’s a good move that eliminates the need to stand in line, but the wait time is the same. Once you get in, it’s all-you-can-eat whole lobsters, with a two-hour time limit.

Question: How has attendance been at the World Series of Poker?

Answer: As good as anticipated. Several events have experienced entry totals in excess of 50% higher than last year, led by the $500-buy-in Housewarming event that attracted 20,081 players, the fourth-largest in WSOP history (the record is 28,371 in a $500-buy-in event in 2019).

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