Two downtown casinos are rumored to be close to a sale. The Downtown Grand is reportedly in talks with Penske Media, which owns Rolling Stone and Billboard magazines, with Penske interested in creating a Rolling Stone-branded resort in the vein of the previous and pending Hard Rocks. And a sale is thought to be near finalized for the downtown Western, which has been shuttered since 2012. While the prospective buyer hasn’t been disclosed, it’s described as a company with 200 properties in 20 states that’s known for “renovating properties and bringing them back to their glory days.”
Three Beards: Two Las Vegas chefs made the cut to become finalists in the James Beard Foundation Awards: Sarah Thompson (Casa Playa/Wynn and Encore) and Eleazar Villanueva (Restaurant de Joel Robuchon/MGM Grand) for Best Chef Southwest. Also, Cristie Norman (Delilah/Wynn) is a finalist for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service. The winners will be announced on June 16.
Dicey brunch: Toca Madera in The Shops at Crystals in CityCenter runs a “Roll the Dice” promo during brunch, which is served 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays to Sundays. Every dining party gets to roll two dice once, and if they come up 33, brunch for the table is free, up to $1,500.
Tourney correction: Previously reported to have a $1,000 first place prize, the Tuesday blackjack mini-tournament at The Strat awards $500 for first with a total prize pool of $1,000. The buy-in is $25 and the prizes are all in “promo chips” (explained below).
Question: How do promo chips work?
Answer: Promotional chips can be played one time only on even-money table-game bets. The promo chip is retained by the dealer after a single play, win or lose, and replaced with a real chip of the same value on winners. Since you win slightly less than half the time on even-money wagers, a promo chip is worth a little less than 50% of face value.
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