Vegas Advisor: ‘Top Gun’ attraction could be in the works

It’s been announced that Paramount has sanctioned the development of Top Gun Vegas, an attraction based on the blockbuster movies starring Tom Cruise. A 2-1/2-acre site near the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign has been purchased for $12.5 million to create an immersive experience that will include the Hard Deck bar featured in “Top Gun: Maverick,” along with other elements from the “Top Gun” movies. Whether or not it happens remains to be seen, as this attraction was previously slated for a location next to The Strat and never materialized. However, given that the project site has been purchased, the effort appears to be on better footing this time. A projected completion date was not announced.

Manilow returns: Barry Manilow has returned to the Westgate. After recovering from a long illness, the 83-year-old singer will play another 37 shows through the end of the year in the International Theater, where he has a “lifetime residency.” Manilow holds the record for the most performances there, breaking Elvis’ string of 636 a few years ago.

Hawaiian hall: A food hall called Stix Asia has been announced for the UnCommons complex on the west side of town. Originally from Honolulu’s Waikiki Shopping Plaza, it will feature Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino and Portuguese fare, and is expected to open this fall.

Question: Are prediction markets sports books?

Answer: Legally, it depends on where you are when you ask. In each state, and maybe eventually nationally, it will come down to the rulings of the individual jurisdictions. Leaving legality out of it, prediction markets essentially mimic sports betting exchanges, which were created to compete with traditional sports books, all of which facilitate their customers having a financial interest in the results of athletic contests.

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