NEWS & NOTES

The Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip, closed since March 16 because of the coronavirus pandemic, reopened August 27 at 10 a.m. The Mirage Volcano erupted at 8 p.m. that night, and the MGM Resorts’ property’s Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat also reopened. ●   Here’s one good reason to risk a casino trip in Vegas: on August 22, an unidentified player hit a nearly $4 million jackpot on the machine at the Bellagio. The jackpot hit when the player picked from 12 gold coins to match three Explosion Fu Babies symbols in the Gold Fu Babies Bonus. Last month, two Las Vegas visitors won big jackpots, including one for nearly $2 million. ● Pennsylvania state police and local law enforcement officers seized nearly 60 electronic gaming machines during a raid on an illegal casino in Berks County this month. The so-called 777 Casino, operated by Windfall Amusements, was unlicensed but operated in the open and advertised its services on Facebook. ● Boyd Gaming and its two Iowa properties, the Diamond Jo casinos in Northwood and Dubuque, announced they will contribute $50,000 to the American Red Cross Iowa Region to support ongoing aid efforts following Iowa’s extensive derecho damage. “We believe it is our duty to help Iowa during its time of need,” said Boyd President and CEO Keith Smith. “We are proud to support the American Red Cross as they provide much-needed relief and assistance to our neighbors and friends across the state.” ● Casino Royale on the Las Vegas Strip plans to permanently lay off nearly 100 employees, according to a notice sent to state officials. Among those laid off were 49 casino dealers and 12 from the housekeeping department. ● The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority may acquire the Las Vegas Monorail Co., a 3.9-mile transit system that first began operating in 1995. Clark County would transfer the franchise rights, and the LVCVA would not be permitted to plan any capital improvement exceeding 3 percent of its budgeted fiscal operating revenue or in excess of $10 million a year without first getting commission approval. ● The Flamingo in Las Vegas is installing and selling art influenced by the hotel-casino’s nearly 75-year history. The Caesars Entertainment Inc. property has launched a partnership with potter and designer Jonathan Adler that will place his design work in each hotel room and throughout the resort. The property completed a $156 million room renovation in two-thirds of its 3,500 hotel rooms in early 2019. ● Circa Resort & Casino, set to open in Downtown Las Vegas in October, will feature an eclectic beverage program including six original bar, lounge and coffee shop concepts including the rooftop Legacy Club, a cocktail lounge named Vegas Vickie’s for the famed neon cowgirl, and the Overhang sports bar with a three-story, 78-million-pixel screen. ● The Asia Poker Tour has cancelled its upcoming leg in the Philippines due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 crisis. The tour was scheduled to have taken place September 8-21 at Resorts World Manila. Earlier this month, the APT said it was adding a Vietnam leg from next year at the Corona Resort & Casino in Phu Quoc. ● Global tech giant Apple has revealed plans to open its first floating retail store at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands. “Apple Marina Bay Sands is a dramatic departure from the design of any Apple Store before it,” the company stated. “An elevated boardwalk and underwater passage connect the pavilion to the shore and the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands. The structure’s shape informs an entirely new store layout.” ● There will be a Wrangler National Finals Rodeo this year, but where? The rodeo event has been held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas since 1985, but its destination may change this year, or organizers could hold the rodeo in Vegas without fans. A final decision is expected by September 30. ● Landing International Development, the Hong Kong-listed firm behind Jeju Shinhwa World in South Korea, will sell a 19-seat Bombardier Global 6000 jet for US$18.9 million, for a loss of $4.4 million. The jet was originally purchased by Landing Chairman Yang Zhihui for $53 million. ● Elite Casino Resorts has partnered with Iowa philanthropic organizations to donate $500,000 in disaster relief funding to communities in the state dealing with derecho storm damage. “We extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by the extraordinary damage caused by this storm,” said CEO Dan Kehl. • MGM Springfield casino in Massachusetts will celebrate an understated second anniversary without food, music or much of anything else. Chris Kelly, president of MGM’s northeast group, said, “This was not the second year we were anticipating, but we remain optimistic for the future, and will continue to serve our guests and this great community to the best of our ability.” The reopening in July has been called by an MGM executive “the biggest challenge our industry has ever faced.”