Richard N. Velotta

Story Archive

American Airlines to keep flying from Las Vegas to D.C.: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2014; Las Vegas has been spared from required cuts in service by American Airlines on flights to and from Washington's Reagan National Airport.
New water czar says drought as serious as other natural disasters: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014; The new head of the Las Vegas Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority compared the seriousness of Southern Nevada’s 14-year drought to storms that devastated the Gulf and the East coasts in the last decade.
Cowboys association makes counteroffer to keep rodeo in Las Vegas: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014; The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association submitted a counterproposal to keep the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, after it rejected a previous plan by local event organizers.
Cantor to pay $5.5 million to settle illegal sports-betting complaint: Monday, Jan. 13, 2014; The sports book management company accused of lax supervision of its employees in connection with an illegal bookmaking operation would be fined a record $5.5 million under a proposed settlement.
Follow New Jersey’s lead: Nevada can’t let other states get too far ahead in race for Internet gambling; Monday, Jan. 13, 2014; If Nevada is going to be the dominant state for Internet gambling, it’s going to have to make some tough decisions about where it should go from here.
Monorail boosts ridership in 2013, but revenue still drops: Friday, Jan. 10, 2014; Annual ridership for the Las Vegas Monorail Co. went up for the first time in five years in 2013, the company said, but revenue trends continued the downward spiral that began in 2006.
Las Vegas airport scores poorly for on-time flights: Friday, Jan. 10, 2014; McCarran International Airport had the seventh-worst rate of flight delays and cancellations among 35 North American airports in December, a company that tracks on-time performance reported. Portland, Ore.-based FlightStats said McCarran had a 65.8 percent on-time rate with 11.8 percent of its departures classified as “excessively late,” leaving at least 45 minutes after the scheduled time.
Allegiant Air execs talk routes, fees and the airline's future at McCarran: Friday, Jan. 10, 2014; Allegiant Air didn't announce many new Las Vegas routes last year, but the sixth busiest air carrier at McCarran International Airport still has big plans.
Wireless technology company to employ hundreds in Las Vegas area: Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014; A popular Chinese wireless technology company has started operating in Las Vegas and expects to develop manufacturing and distribution facilities that will employ hundreds of Las Vegans.
Meet the people behind the gadgets at CES: Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014; The International Consumer Electronics Show brings more than 150,000 people to Las Vegas. While attendance may be down this year as a result of thousands of flights across the country being canceled by conditions resulting from the polar vortex, there were still shoulder-to-shoulder crowds in many of the aisles of CES. Here are a few snippets about some of the people of CES.
'Transformers' director walks off stage at CES: Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014; "Transformers" director Michael Bay says he's embarrassed that he walked off the stage during a presentation of Samsung's new curved ultra-high-definition television.
Would you pay to gawk at CES?: Allowing consumers to attend the trade show could be a winner for everyone involved; Monday, Jan. 6, 2014; Could the Las Vegas convention and trade show business learn a thing or two from the adult film industry?
Thousands following progress of injured Las Vegas food critic: Friday, Dec. 27, 2013; Longtime Las Vegas food critic Max Jacobson was crossing a street while strolling to the gym when he was struck by a sports utility vehicle and hospitalized.
Cabbie gets $10,000 reward for returning $300,000 found in back of taxi: Friday, Dec. 27, 2013; A taxi driver who turned in $300,000 found in the back of his cab has received a $10,000 reward from the gambler who lost it. Gerardo Gamboa received the reward money from an unidentified gambler, believed to be a local poker player, who left the money in a paper bag in the cab.
Las Vegas food critic is hospitalized after being hit by SUV: Thursday, Dec. 26, 2013; Longtime Las Vegas food critic Max Jacobson was in critical condition today at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center after he was hit by a sport utility vehicle Monday while in a crosswalk.
Passenger traffic at Las Vegas airport flat in November: Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013; After five months of increases and five months of declines in the number of passengers flying into McCarran International Airport this year, November’s numbers were right where you’d expect — with no change at all.
Cabbie returns $300,000 found in taxi, wanted to ‘do the right thing’: Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013; Talk about a Christmas miracle. A Las Vegas cab driver who found $300,000 — $100 bills in six $50,000 bundles — in a brown paper bag in the back seat of his taxi returned the money to the owner, a gambler who had won big at the Cosmopolitan.
Delta running pilot program at McCarran to curb baggage thefts: Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2013; Delta Air Lines, the second-busiest commercial air carrier at McCarran International Airport, has begun a two-month pilot program to prevent thefts from the airport’s baggage claim carousels.
Another arena proposed for the Las Vegas Strip: Monday, Dec. 23, 2013; Former UNLV and NBA player Jackie Robinson, a Las Vegas businessman, announced today plans to break ground next year on the 22,000-seat arena on the north end of the Strip. It could host basketball, hockey, boxing, rodeos and concerts.
Orlando rides off with NFR: But don’t expect Las Vegas to ride off into the sunset after losing one go round; Monday, Dec. 23, 2013; Congratulations, Orlando. None of us saw you sprinting to the finish in the great National Finals Rodeo chase.
Alaska Airlines makes inaugural nonstop flight between Anchorage, Las Vegas: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013; For Las Vegas, it’s perfect timing. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines today inaugurated nonstop service between Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, and Las Vegas, weeks after the state’s residents began receiving their annual Alaska Permanent Fund royalty checks.
Dotty’s owner gets gaming license for revamped Hacienda casino: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013; Dotty’s Casino chain owner Craig Estey and his company, Nevada Restaurant Services, requested a gaming license for the Hoover Dam Lodge, formerly the Hacienda, between Hoover Dam and Boulder City.
Medical school recommended to diversify economy: Monday, Dec. 16, 2013; Developing a medical school at UNLV would be the single most productive means of diversifying Southern Nevada’s economy and improving the quality of life here, a panelist addressing an economic outlook presentation said today.
Exporting our greatest ideas: Wynn, Adelson have applied the best of their Las Vegas creations to Macau properties; Monday, Dec. 16, 2013; Some of Las Vegas’ most successful casino entrepreneurs have parlayed their fortunes by developing great ideas, tweaking them over time, then exporting them.
Allegiant Air to sell pain relievers during flights: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013; Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air will be the first airline to offer over-the-counter medications on flights.
Greyhound subsidiary offering L.A.-Las Vegas bus rides starting at $1: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013; A subsidiary of Greyhound Lines is entering the discount bus service market in Las Vegas today.
Portable battery company finds success in Las Vegas: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2013; A local aircraft ground support company is doing so well it already has outgrown two buildings. Start Pac, which manufactures batteries and chargers used to start airplane and train engines, recently expanded to a 15,000-square-foot building on West Sunset Road.
Las Vegas deemed a top destination for tourists in 2014: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013; Las Vegas is one of the top 10 U.S. destinations to visit in 2014, according to the Lonely Planet, which publishes travel guides. The city landed eighth on the list announced today.
58 companies pump $450 million into Southern Nevada's economy: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013; More than 2,700 jobs were created in Southern Nevada during the most recent fiscal year, as dozens of companies moved or expanded operations here. Fifty-eight companies relocated or grew here from July 2012 to June 2013.
Should taxes here stay here?: Portion of revenue from rooms rented here goes toward marketing the entire state; Monday, Dec. 9, 2013; Some members of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors have quietly begun asking questions about whether it’s appropriate for room tax revenue generated in Clark County to be used to market tourism attractions statewide.
IGT exec on the future of gaming: Interchangeable titles for social media, online real-money play and brick-and-mortar casinos: Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013; Quick: Where is corporate headquarters for IGT, the world’s leading slot machine manufacturer? If you guessed Reno, you'd be wrong. Despite the fact that the company is Reno's fourth-largest employer, IGT’s corporate home is in Las Vegas. Both CEO Patti Hart and Chief Financial Officer John Vandemore live in Southern Nevada, which has become IGT's base of operations.
Killers music backs $1.3 million ski Tahoe ad campaign: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013; The Nevada Tourism Commission this week launched a $1.3 million winter advertising campaign heavy on promoting the Lake Tahoe area as a skiing destination.
Online poker starting to pad companies' bottom line: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013; It’s still too early to tell how profitable online poker will be, but trailblazing gaming companies are beginning to generate revenue from their Internet investments.
Crowd problem building at airport: Soon, every day may be the day before Thanksgiving at McCarran International; Monday, Dec. 2, 2013; Congratulations! You made it through another harried Thanksgiving weekend of travel.
A look back at the year in business — and what to expect in 2014: Monday, Dec. 2, 2013; VEGAS INC assembled a panel of eight local businesspeople for a roundtable discussion about where we’ve been and where we’re headed. The takeaway: The economy is improving — slowly.
Who is DrVita? Hint: You might be buying his vitamins at Costco: Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2013; Wayne Gorsek is a self-taught vitamin and supplement manufacturer who arrived in Southern Nevada in 2012 after taking his first company, Vitacost, to Inc 500 prominence. Now most of Gorsek's products are distributed through DrVita.com, but he also has a distribution deal with Costco and manufactures his products under other labels.
Bally expects $30 million annual savings in takeover of Shfl Entertainment: Monday, Nov. 25, 2013; Shfl Entertainment’s 350 employees in Nevada and 900 worldwide began working for Bally Technologies today as Bally put the finishing touches on a $1.3 billion acquisition announced in July.
Angling for a bump in tourism: By hosting World Routes conference last month, city had chance to woo airline execs; Monday, Nov. 25, 2013; The dust has settled at the Las Vegas Convention Center and McCarran International Airport since the city hosted World Routes 2013, the annual aviation conference that brings together airline and airport representatives from around the world.
Those heading to McCarran urged to check for flight delays: Friday, Nov. 22, 2013; Officials at McCarran International Airport are encouraging passengers flying or picking up arriving passengers today to check with their airlines regarding weather-related flight delays.
Nevada gaming regulators OK Bally's acquisition of Shfl: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013; State gaming regulators quickly approved Bally Technologies’ $1.3 billion buyout of Shfl Entertainment in a pair of special meetings Thursday.
Study: Rail transport to airport would make Las Vegas more desirable: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013; A study by two Washington-based associations affirms what most local tourism leaders already knew: A rail transportation system serving the airport would make the city a more desirable place to live and visit.
Business recruiters use photo of Arizona to market Nevada: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013; The state economic development team uses a photo of Sedona's Red Rock Crossing instead of Las Vegas' Red Rock Canyon.
Southwest Airlines app to include electronic boarding passes: Monday, Nov. 18, 2013; Southwest Airlines is unveiling an updated smartphone app today that will allow passengers to get on their plane by showing a boarding pass on the screen of their phone.
City has some catching up to do: Conference shows how far Las Vegas has to go in world of medical tourism; Monday, Nov. 18, 2013; From the moment delegates stepped into Caesars Palace’s conference center for the sixth annual World Medical Tourism and Global Healthcare Congress, it was clear that Las Vegas was out of its league as a medical tourism destination.
6 companies OK’d for tax breaks bringing 766 jobs to Clark County: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013; Six companies relocating to or expanding in Clark County sought tax abatement and deferral incentives from the state. Approval of the abatements and referrals would result in an additional 766 jobs and a total capital investment of $60.5 million.
Military troops getting trusted-traveler status at Las Vegas airport: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013; McCarran International is among 100 airports that will soon start allowing military troops to pass through expedited security lines for trusted travelers, who don’t have to do things such as remove their shoes.
End of the line for L.A. to Las Vegas X Train? CEO says no: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2013; The top executive of a company planning to run a casino party train between Southern California and Las Vegas is denying a published report that the project is dead.
LVCVA expects Big League Weekend to be a home run for city: Cubs, Mets to meet during spring training series expected to bring nearly $3 million to Las Vegas; Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013; The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority unanimously approved spending $300,000 to bring the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets for a two-game spring training baseball series March 15 and 16.
New twist on ‘What happens here’ ads highlights ‘Vegas enablers’: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013; The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority today rolled out the first of a new batch of television ads that are a variation on the “What happens here, stays here” theme. The new ads, which debuted Monday nationwide, mostly on cable outlets, focus on “Vegas enablers” — the instigators and troublemakers who generate “What happens here” moments.
Station Casinos says payroll taxes, Obamacare drag on Las Vegas economy: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013; Las Vegas-based Station Casinos, operator of 15 locals casinos in Southern Nevada, reported its third-quarter earnings today.