This may be a scary column, but not for the reason you think. The masks are back on for Las Vegas in October, but not for Covid. It’s Halloween, the one holiday when Americans put on masks without complaining. Incredibly, it’s also the one holiday that casinos have not exploited. But why not? The marketing departments could come up with ideas for their properties to get in the spirit (and even sell more spirits) because “Halloween” should be about attracting more guys and ghouls to Las Vegas. To start things going bump in the night, here are some ideas for changing the names of properties and venues, and some promotions to match this frightful evening:
Haunted House of Blues
The perfect night for this venerable venue. Combine haunting music and costumes to make Halloween entertainment work on stage and off. Promotion idea: Give up the Gospel Brunch and let your guests meander through a blues-flavored haunted house with ghosts of musicians past.
Nightmare on Main Street Casino
Las Vegas doesn’t have an Elm Street downtown (although there’s an Elm Avenue), so Main Street and its namesake casino should work. A Freddy Krueger lookalike can greet you at the entrance and take you for a chilling tour through the casino. One suggestion: when Freddie says goodbye at the end of the tour, don’t shake his hand.
The D as in Devil
A devilishly good time at this Downtown establishment. Dine on steak at one of their restaurants using the devil’s pitchfork. For a great casino promotion, offer twice the payout for roulette if you always bet on the red. Now, why didn’t Derek Stevens think of that?
Ghostbar at the Palms
A natural name for the evening and a great place to hang especially now that it’s reopened. Care for an apparition aperitif? Zombies under 21 not admitted.
Planet Hollyweird
Visitors dressed as celebrities from a bygone era, who played sinister characters, are welcome. Come as Vincent Price, Lon Chaney (senior or junior), Elsa Lanchester or Boris Karloff.
Caesars Castle
A mixed title for Roman and Transylvanian history, but it could work. Come in costume as either Caesar or Dracula. Caesar gets stabbed and Dracula gets to drink. Gruesome, but this is Halloween (adults only).
Las Vegas Coven Center
The Las Vegas Convention Center becomes the Las Vegas Coven Center, welcoming witches and warlocks from around the world. What are they brewing in those cauldrons in their meeting rooms? Will we ever know? (And do we want to?) On a positive note: Once the coven is over, there are enough brooms to sweep out any leftover frog toes or eyes of newt.
The Frightening Street Experience
This is simple for the Fremont Street Experience, which just has to pay the existing street entertainers to ramp up their performances with scary greetings and pop-up fright pictures. Guests may be so frightened that they run into the casinos…which is where you want them in the first place.
These are a sample of what casinos and venues can do to bring this wicked demographic to Las Vegas. But will they? Or will they forego these tricks and not get a revenue treat?
Masks on!
