Ed Komenda

Story Archive

Is gambling being spread too far?

Sunday, June 22, 2014

New opportunities to gamble create new gamblers — and, in turn, new problem gamblers. So is it wise to unleash gambling on every state in the nation rather than contain it to just a few places where it can be controlled?

What now? Three mass shootings in a week leave communities wondering how to react

Sunday, June 15, 2014

The murders of two police officers and a shopper at Wal-Mart are only the most recent examples of public killings, part of a troubling national trend that has left communities wondering how to...

Food fight: Why we have so many markets

Sunday, June 1, 2014

There are more than 150 grocery stores in Southern Nevada vying for shoppers’ dollars. It’s a competitive market, but it may not have reached its saturation point. As with any transient city, new residents bring with them preferences from home. There’s something for everyone, so most markets serve a particular slice of ...

Bitcoin isn’t worth the headache

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Given that you can use bitcoins at a Las Vegas It seems the quirky trend is here to stay no matter how many skeptics hem and haw. The fortunes of this magical currency can rise and fall on a whim, and because it’s not backed by a central bank, prudent economists advise against gambling real, hard-earned dollars on it.

Your brain in 10 years

Breakthroughs in cognitive health are coming, and Las Vegas researchers are behind the push

Sunday, May 18, 2014

If the dreams of doctors at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health come true, the brain will be at the top of people’s mind in 10 years. We’ll wake up at dawn to hit the gym for an hour before packing up a healthy lunch and heading to work. We’ll make sure to get brain scans, even if we show no symptoms of disease, to check for toxic proteins that can fuel debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s. We’ll teach our kids about the brain and how important it is to maintain. For the past five years, the minds at the Ruvo Center have been...

Why China loves Las Vegas

Far East investors and visitors are changing the valley, Strip to suburbs

Sunday, May 11, 2014

They’re buying into Las Vegas like never before.

They’re pumping cash into major resort projects and big stage productions on the Strip and they’re purchasing single-family homes in quiet neighborhoods. Who are they? Chinese investors. And they’re propelling Las Vegas’ recovery from the recession. They are quietly helping to bankroll the $415-million SLS Las Vegas, a nightclub-themed resort set to replace the Rat Pack stomping grounds of the Sahara and...

You won’t believe what Sheldon Adelson said this time

Friday, May 9, 2014

Less than a week after spouting off about online gambling to a crowd at UNLV, Las Vegas Sands Corp. boss Sheldon Adelson stepped out from behind the curtain to speak again. This time, the GOP super-donor …

Cha-ching! This is reel nostalgia

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Are you a gambler who prefers getting your hands a little dirty? Well, you can still play old coin slots ...

The right billionaire could save Cosmopolitan

Sunday, April 27, 2014

The Cosmopolitan hasn't made money since it opened, but analysts say this could be a ripe opportunity to make an improvement and become a competitor on the Strip ...

Despite blowback, militiamen stand their ground with rancher Cliven Bundy

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Cliven Bundy’s racist comments about African-Americans and slavery in a New York Times story have not deterred scores of militiamen. They say ...

With a wink and nod, activist plans BundyFest! to protest rancher Cliven Bundy

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Bunkerville could be the site of a monthlong anti-Bundy festival dubbed BundyFest! At least, that’s what organizer, activist and author Sean Shealy is promoting on the Internet. The BundyFest! logistics seem...

The world through militia eyes

Domestic terrorists? Heroes? Who are the armed men who invaded Nevada?

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Militiamen descended on Bunkerville from all over the nation to help Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy reclaim his cattle from the federal agency that had rounded some of them up because Bundy had not paid grazing fees for more than 20 years. We got a close-up view of their encampment.

Guinness confirms another world record for Las Vegas

Friday, April 18, 2014

The High Roller now has a page in the “Guinness World Records” book as the world’s tallest observation wheel. At 550 feet tall, the wheel is bigger than …

Citing safety concerns, BLM calls off cattle roundup

Feds release all cows gathered

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The campaign to round up Cliven Bundy’s cattle has been canceled. The Bureau of Land Management announced today that federal agents would conclude their one-month operation to seize the 900 cattle roaming on federally owned land about 75 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Additionally, federal land managers confirmed ...

Q+A: Behind the Bundy, BLM battle

Friday, April 11, 2014

The complex case of Cliven Bundy raises questions about grazing permits, tortoises and ranchers’ rights.

Militiamen make their presence felt in protest of BLM’s livestock grab

Thursday, April 10, 2014

The militiamen rolled in to draw a line in the dirt. About 70 miles northeast of Las Vegas, they set up camp on a sun-baked patch of land next to a bend in the Virgin River, keeping supplies ...

How one ad campaign changed the face of Las Vegas

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Five words changed everything: "What happens here, stays here." It’s a slogan unlike any other in the history of advertising. At a time when tourism had taken a hit nationwide, a city so dependent on other people spending their money here needed something to bring it back. The campaign was...

Quints’ dad’s legal woes may be a turn-off for reality television

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Deon Derrico has been talking with producers to try to get on the small screen, but he may have to clean up some dirty laundry before ...

Father of Las Vegas quints faces real estate fraud charges

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Until now, Deon Derrico has been in the news as the father of quintuplets. But now he's got more than just changing diapers on his mind. He's scheduled to be in court Wednesday to face...

Take a spin: High Roller observation wheel opens for riders

Monday, March 31, 2014

The world’s tallest observation wheel opened for business today in Las Vegas.

Tickets are now on sale to ride the 550-foot-tall High Roller at the Linq, between the Flamingo and the Quad. Attendants welcomed the wheel’s first ticketed passengers at 1 p.m. today. Executives with Caesars Entertainment, which built the complex, have said they expected between...

Has Sheldon Adelson found his Huckleberry?

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Sheldon Adelson’s hard-nosed attack on online gambling seems to be snowballing. But could his efforts to persuade the government to outlaw all forms of Internet gambling really pay off?

Tweeting isn’t 9-to-5

Being off the clock doesn’t always protect a worker from disciplinary action if his boss doesn’t approve of his social media commentary

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Discussing the proper use of social media is slowly but surely joining the ranks of the sexual harassment talk, the benefits talk and the dress code talk that employers have their workers sit through ...

Station Casinos ends year strong but still loses $104 million in 2013

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Station Casinos, a Las Vegas-based operator of 15 locals casinos in Southern Nevada, reported its fourth-quarter and year-end earnings today.

Caesars reports 4th-quarter losses top $1.7 billion

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Caesars Entertainment Corp. today reported its fourth-quarter earnings, announcing a stunning loss of $1.756 billion.

Las Vegas’ first topless club, Larry's Villa, up for sale

Monday, March 10, 2014

Larry’s Villa, the first topless club in Las Vegas, is up for sale. The owner of the bar on West Bonanza Road recently listed the joint for sale with an asking price of...

Talk of a strike unlikely to gain traction

Sunday, March 9, 2014

The Culinary Union says its members will take a strike vote this month to prepare workers for the worst-case scenario against 16 casinos that have yet to sign contracts with some 10,000 workers.

Silverton casino adding 390-room hotel tower

Friday, March 7, 2014

The Silverton is expanding with a new hotel tower. Construction on the 390-room tower on a lot behind the resort’s 1,500-space parking garage is expected to be completed in...

Boyd Gaming narrows loss to $47.3 million in 4th quarter

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Boyd Gaming, a Las Vegas-based company, reported its fourth-quarter earnings today.

MGM Resorts named top place for women to do business

Monday, March 3, 2014

MGM Resorts International has been named a top place for women to do business.

Standing the heat

The kitchen has tested Las Vegas’ Ferraro family, but they have beaten the odds to maintain a successful restaurant

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014

Maybe it’s no secret: Most family businesses fail. Though more than 75 percent of all operations in America are family-owned, only a third of them survive into the second generation, according to the Family Business Institute. Less than 12 percent survive into the third generation. Gino and Mimmo Ferraro have worked together for years. They are a father-son duo who have spent a fair share of time at each other’s throats over the family business. Through it all, the Ferraro family has stuck it out, often having dinner before opening shop, no matter how much the business has tested their relationship. To Gino and Mimmo, that’s a badge of honor.

Is Tony Hsieh downtown Las Vegas' savior or conqueror?

An in-depth, street-level look at the czar of Zappos

Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014

Tony Hsieh's power and influence is such that even Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman says she is available “whenever he needs anything,” and the city has shown a willingness to craft policies to facilitate his vision. But not everyone is happy with Hsieh and his presence downtown ...

Dealers at three Caesars Entertainment casinos OK labor contract

Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014

A ratifying vote by dealers at Bally’s, Harrah’s and Paris Las Vegas ushers in a contract that gives dealers 29 days off with pay.

The Twitterfication of Las Vegas

Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

When I moved to Las Vegas in March to write about gambling, one of the first quirks I noticed was the compulsion to brand resorts and businesses with letters instead of words. Driving around town, passing joints like the M, MGM, LVH, SLS Las Vegas and TI, I thought I had fallen into Twitterland.

Easy-to-learn High Card Flush gaining popularity at the tables

Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014

High Card Flush might be the easiest game at the tables.
The brainchild of a card dealer at the Rio, the game also has become one of the most popular on casino floors.

WSOP announces calendar for 2014 event

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014

The 45th annual World Series of Poker kicks off the day after Memorial Day, culminating with a November main event worth $10 million, organizers announced today.

MGM Resorts adding charging stations for electric vehicles

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014

Drivers of electric vehicles will soon find 27 new charging stations at nine MGM Resorts International properties along the Las Vegas Strip.

'We are back': SLS Las Vegas opening Labor Day weekend

Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014

The announcement arrived today in the form of a banner across the forthcoming resort’s website, where SBE Entertainment CEO Sam Nazarian posted a blog item about the opening.

Union employees ratify 5-year contract with Caesars Entertainment

Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014

Union workers have secured a fresh five-year contract with Caesars Entertainment. Under the new agreement, there will be no pay raises for workers in the first year, but health insurance remains intact.

Profits are validation for building parking garages

Parking structures could be lucrative as downtown grows

Monday, Jan. 27, 2014

Paid parking garages could be the next big thing for Las Vegas’ downtown. They’re typically investments that fly under the radar, but they can be lucrative. “You could see it downtown,” said Brian Riffel, an analyst with Colliers International. “It’s almost like a mobile home-type investment ... People just park.”

Scaffolding coming down but SkyVue wheel still a go, developers say

Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014

Construction crews have been dismantling the scaffolding braided around two support columns of the planned SkyVue observation wheel. But that doesn’t mean the project is dead.

Iconic New York-New York marquee headed for Neon Boneyard

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Electric sign workers on Tuesday will dismantle New York-New York’s iconic neon marquee to make way for a new facade, part of a $100 million project to freshen up the walkway.

Cantor Gaming changing name to reflect its focus

Monday, Jan. 6, 2014

Cantor Gaming has changed its name. The powerhouse gaming technology company moves forward as CG Technology.

Adding it up: A look at Las Vegas’ NYE fireworks show by the numbers

Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013

In a city known for being over the top, it is still one of Las Vegas’ most explosive, colorful displays — the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show, one of the biggest in the nation.

Holiday skating rink open at Caesars Palace

Monday, Dec. 16, 2013

Caesars Palace has opened a 2,100-square-foot ice rink. Located across from the Absinthe tent, at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road, the Caesars Chalet holiday ice rink and lodge will be open through Jan. 20.

South Point partnering with prominent rodeo event family for expansion

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013

The South Point Arena and Equestrian Center will name its expansion project the Priefert Pavilion.

Demolition of flawed tower at CityCenter delayed again

Friday, Dec. 6, 2013

A judge has further delayed demolition of the Harmon Tower to allow the company behind its insurance policy to provide an update on its investigation of CityCenter’s $393.8 million claim that the hotel is a total loss. Inspectors discovered flaws in the steel rebar running through its concrete.

Final passenger cabin affixed to High Roller, but work continues

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013

If you took a look at the High Roller today, you’d think it was complete. That’s because construction crews today attached the final passenger cabin to the 550-foot-tall observation wheel.

MGM Resorts workers OK union contract, keeping free health insurance intact

Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013

A new labor contract landed on the Strip Wednesday when two prominent Las Vegas unions voted to accept the terms of a fresh five-year deal with MGM Resorts International.

Culinary, Bartenders unions reach agreement with MGM Resorts

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013

Leaders of the Culinary Union and Bartenders Union Local 165 have agreed on terms for a new five-year contract with MGM Resorts International.

Will the SLS change the game for the north Strip?

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013

The $415 million, 1,600-room SLS Las Vegas, budding on the former grounds of the Sahara, has been considered a key factor in the recovery of the Strip’s struggling north end.