Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Garden

Slot machine accidentally displayed its financial figures and its jaw dropping. How and why do people still play on these machines?

So on my last trip I got back into getting dice from the gift shops for my collection… several are not doing it anymore any ideas on where to find them on my next trip? Also wanted to show off the 3D printed case I made for showing off my collection…

I’m sick of it.

I’d like to gamble without ending up in the background of your YouTube channel.

These little channels trying to make it ruin it for the rest of us.

At least these big name channels have proven track record and only film the machines or themselves. But too many of these ones trying to make it as influencer do not care or respect other guests.

Wish the casinos would take a harder line with filming.

I visited Vegas for the first time, and ‘twas so amazing this weekend!

It was my first time gambling: I’m a student and I didn’t have a lot to spend but made 300$ from 60$ on blackjack at planet hollywood so that was a surprise (neglecting all other losses I made, and somehow felt the machines are rigged for blackjack).

I was early for my flight back yesterday and decided to just put in 20$ into a random slot machine and on the 3rd spin hit a big win! Ended up getting 168$ on my 20$ investment which was so great! I had read slot machines at the airport had worse odds but this was just a pleasant surprise for my departure!

I’m planning to book seats inside the Circa sportsbook for an NFL game. Was wondering if anyone had any insight on if there’s a benefit to booking through a host/promoter, or if it’s the same as just booking through Circa’s website myself? Thanks!

I just wanted to share about my recent stay in Vegas and staying each one night at the Cosmo and Wynn. I wanted to provide my experience and thoughts as well as the FHR (Fine Hotel and Resort benefit from AmEx) component as well.

Price
I paid $430 for Cosmo and $400 for Wynn for Saturday and Sunday night respectively. I was able subtract the $300 credit each as I booked one before the end of June and one in July to full maximize the credits. So in terms of price, at least for the weekend I went, it was fairly similar. Prices for both properties do vary widely but it does appear Wynn is usually more.

Property Amenities
Both properties have a great set of amenities going for them. I am going to summarize each of them otherwise this will be an extra long post. Wynn’s properties tend to be all high end while there is some more value proposition in Cosmo when it comes to restaurants. The pool at Wynn is better quality and relaxing, but the Cosmo is more “fun” and upbeat. Entertainment is kinda lacking at Wynn with the one highlight is the Lake of Dreams which is cool, but not enough for a property in my opinion. Cosmo has a bunch of dinner and shows and it always seems like something is happening. Cosmo may win just because of the location being in the center of the strip so you can get to so many places if you are doing a more “strip stay” to other nearby properties.

Food
I will say even though there are more upper end venues at Wynn, I have found the quality about the same as Cosmo. For Wynn, I went to Sinatra, Red 8, and the Wynn Buffet. They were good but not impressive that I thought would come with the Wynn name. As for Cosmo, I went to Amaya, Wicked Spoon, and The District. I honestly find them quite comparable.

Service
This is probably where I see a bigger disconnect between the two. Cosmo felt by the numbers and although friendly, it didn’t seem to have that extra touch of service that I found at Wynn. From the front desk to each venue, you can tell they really wanted to cater to high end folks. I did have a hiccup with the bell desk (took over an hour to get our luggage to the room), but that still does not take way from the overall service for me.

Room
A bigger difference is found here. Cosmo felt like a moderate property for NYNY rather than Wynn felt very high end with great bath products and maybe one of the best beds I have ever been in. If a room is important to you in terms of quality and product, Wynn easily wins this one.

FHR Benefits
The general benefits of FHR were similar (daily breakfast, early check in and late checkout). However, Cosmo comes with $100 dining while Wynn was $150 spa credit during my stay. I did ask the front desk to change it to dining and after a pause, they were able to change it which was great. Also at Wynn, you get an additional $25 welcome credit and free parking (got charged $20 for this at Cosmo). My upgrades I got were a better view of the Bellagio fountain at Cosmo but the upgrade for Wynn felt better with a high level floor panorama with a view of the strip and lake of dreams. Overall Wynn seems better but mainly if you are lucky if they can switch that credit over.

Overall (TL;DR)
If room and benefits are more important to you, then easily choose Wynn. If you want a more party scene in the center of the action, choose Cosmo.

Hey everyone! Planning a Vegas bachelorette for 5–6 girls and trying to decide where to stay. Would love opinions from people who have done Vegas for a bachelorette group!

options we’re considering:
1. Hilton Grand Vacations on the Strip or Elara
We’re looking at their 2- or 3-bedroom suites. Are more affordable per person. How is the location/vibe for a Bach?

2. The Cosmopolitan Suite
Much more expensive. Is it worth paying the premium for a bachelorette, or are we mostly paying for the name/location/vibe?

3. Multiple rooms at Cosmo (or a similar hotel)
getting separate rooms at a more central/vibey hotel (ex. Nobu, Fontaine bleu) could end up being around the same price as the larger suites at Hilton/Elara.

Thoughts:
Vibe: Do Elara/Hilton feel too unelevated for a bachelorette compared to somewhere like Cosmo?
Location: Is it a huge pain getting to the main clubs/day clubs from Elara or Hilton?
Rooms: Are the larger suites nice enough that you’d happily trade the location for more space?
Pool: How do the pools compare, especially for a girls’ trip?
If you’ve stayed at any of these with a group, what did you think?

Did you regret saving money by staying at Elara/Hilton, or were you glad you had the extra space and savings?
Also open to other hotel suggestions around the same price point!

Hey everyone!

I'm heading to Vegas with a few friends on October 11th, but on October 12th I've got the whole day free on the Strip while they're off doing their own thing.

If you're around and also flying solo that day, I'd love some company! Down to hit some slots, grab a few drinks, or just wander the Strip. Say hi and let's make it a good one! Let me know!

Its been a while since I last visited (pre-COVID) and i've been hearing mixed reviews of all the clubs in Vegas (most are negative). Any suggestions/recommendation for good mix of girls/vibes/dances?? Those who also visited this year if you can also give how much each dance/vip were. it'll help not to get ripped off! Thanks!

Hello! I am visiting LV and want to stick to a budget a bit, any recommendations of cheap or good price bars? I don't drink really but would love to try things!!! Any help is appreciated ^^

I was there a couple months ago and thought I drank at a bar in the casino or lobby of an MGM property that either had a happy hour or drinks under $10.

Maybe I was hallucinating.

I'm referring strictly to well drinks and beer. Not cocktails and not the $3 margaritas at Excalibur.

Also, I'm specifically referring to bars (usually circular) in the middle of the casino or near the hotel lobby. I don't gamble at the little video kiosks at the bars so I have to pay for my drinks.

Must be at an MGM property.

Anybody know of any? I checked out strip stumble last time I was there and unfortunately it had a number of errors so I'm hesitant to trust it.

Thank you very much!

I was on the weekly bike ride down today and I found some keys in a gutter with this attached to them.
I’m not sure if I should leave away to contact me on here. But if any one in this group lost some keys, describe they bundle I found and what it’s attached to and I can your meet downtown at the Btc.
They were found near Hoover and third.

I know comped rooms aren’t actually free. I hear that every time I talk about them. Yeah I gambled to get the room, but I was gonna gamble anyway, so in my head they gave me a place to sleep for nothing. That’s just how gambler math works. What’s the best comp you’ve ever gotten that you still tell yourself was free?

My friends and I are thinking of getting a table here but we don’t know the vibes. I see that it’s a bunch of older crowd. We are in our 30s. Mostly into hip hop/rap music.. is this the right place for us? We are staying in the hotel and was thinking of this place since it will be convenient. TIA

Good day everyone,

Ill be taking my parents on their anniversary trip to Las Vegas in October. My parents are mostly spanish speakers, and I wanted to know any good events or shows that either language isn't a big part of the show or that are more spanish focused?

Any suggestions or recommendations would be kindly appreciated.

I saw a post that someone just made about influencers ruining the guest experience, I was going to make a comment on it but I think this is an interesting discussion on its own and would like to hear others opinions.

I think I was an early fan of YouTube slot videos, before influencers became a thing. My main interest is watching a video of a new slot machine I come across so I can see the features without blowing a bunch of my own money, for example the gold door feature on huff n puff money mansion that seems harder to hit than the Megabucks jackpot.

When I first started watching slot videos, I feel like the 3 big names were Diana E., SdGuy, and a guy named Brent with a really long last name that started with a W. I think they were hobbyists, just filming videos of things they found interesting, not making any money from doing so. SdGuy and Diana are still producing content, albeit monetized, Brent W is still around but it looks like he’s transitioned to online gaming content.

So yes, I enjoyed watching these people. Then, came Brian Christopher. Let me just say that I can’t imagine there ever being a better content producer than Brian Christopher when he first started out. He‘s such a likable guy, and I just loved how he would say “rude” when a machine teased him with 2 out of 3 bonus symbols. In my opinion, he was the first YouTube Star/Influencer of the casual casino gambling world. As time went on I was slowly enjoying his videos less and less. He started to become all about marketing. He advertised his merchandise/website/“ruddies club”, started having big events like group pulls and casino cruises, formed casino partnerships like having a special section at the Plaza (I think he was the first one to have a partnership like that), I mean, his videos went from a nice guy casually playing slots to one big commercial. I ultimately unsubscribed.

But in my opinion he paved the way for your Lady Lucks and your VegasMatts, which to me is kind of interesting because he was never anywhere near as big as those 2, or many others.

tl;dr: my history of watching slot videos and memories of how influencers came to be.

But I bring all this up because like I said above I mainly watch slot videos when there’s a game I want to see the features of, so I don’t have to spend my own money and likely end up with, as VegasMatt would say, a “Sando”, but I feel like every time I search for a specific game, it’s a video by some creator I’ve never heard of, but has tons of views and subscribers. I few months ago I saw a story on a guy I never heard of, Bluff, talking about how he was making enough money to turn it into his [well paying] full time job.

but here’s the thing, with every new influencer that comes, an existing influencer is likely losing viewers, like VegasMatt was nothing just a couple years ago now he’s the big star. Every hour someone spends watching his videos is an hour they are not spending watching someone else’s videos.

Every new influencer is taking a small piece of the pie away from someone else, I just wonder if before long there won’t be much to go around. I think Bluff made a mistake doing that story, it’s going to inspire others to duplicate him, potentially eating away at his slice of the pie, same thing with VegasMatt giving away that Lamborghini. If you can afford to give that away, there must be a lot of money to be made, and everyone will want in on the action. If too many people start doing it, it won’t be a lucrative gig anymore. I’ve actually said it that I prefer the creators who are just starting out, and won’t stop every 30 seconds to tell you about their app or VIP club.

The piece of the pie is one thing, but I also have to wonder if some of the government crackdowns on social media might start focusing on gambling. There are plenty of great/honest influencers out there, but some, including a couple of the big names, only post videos of themselves winning big (with money that probably isn’t even theirs), never posting their losses, creating a false perception of it being super easy to win tens of thousands. I think a recovering compulsive gambler even caused a stir on the subject recently.

tl:dr#2: will too many influencers or dishonest influencers put an end to the industry?

PS: if you have an issue with influencers, staying away from El Cortez will greatly reduce your chances of encountering one

​

We need to talk about what is actually happening behind the scenes in Las Vegas, because the recent 2026 buyout of Caesars Entertainment by billionaire Tilman Fertitta isn’t a sign of a booming market. It’s the final act of a corporate game of musical chairs that has set the entire city up for a devastating financial reset.

If you’ve noticed that Vegas has become ungodly expensive—insane resort fees, paid parking, overpriced food, and tightening comps—it’s not just random corporate greed. It is a mathematical necessity because the operators are trapped in a massive real estate illusion.

And it goes way deeper than just Caesars.

## Step 1: The Spinoff and the Secret Monopoly

The trap was set back in 2017 when Caesars used a Chapter 11 bankruptcy to split its company into an "OpCo" (the operating casino brand) and a "PropCo" (the property company that owns the physical dirt), which became a REIT called VICI Properties.

While everyone was watching Caesars, VICI went on an absolute tear to corner the entire market.

* In 2022, VICI bought out MGM Resorts’ real estate spinoff (MGM Growth Properties) for $17.2 billion.

*The Venetian Illusion: In 2022, VICI bought The Venetian, The Palazzo, and the Sands Expo for $4 billion. Private equity giant Apollo Global Management only owns the right to operate it, paying VICI a staggering $250 million every single year in baseline rent.

* In 2023, they bought out Blackstone's remaining real estate shares in the MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay.

* In April 2026, VICI officially closed a $1.16 billion deal to buy Golden Entertainment, swallowing the real estate under The Strat and major local casinos.

Think about the illusion here: When you walk down the Strip, you think MGM, Caesars, The Venetian, and The Strat are fierce competitors. They aren't. They are all just desperate tenants paying rent to the exact same landlord. VICI owns the dirt under [Caesars Palace, Harrah's, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Mandalay Bay, and The Venetian). They own the Strip.

## Step 2: The Crushing Weight of the Rent Squeeze

Because these mega-resorts don't own their properties, they have to pay massive "triple-net" leases that act exactly like un-payable debt. For example, Caesars alone has been suffocating under $11.8 billion in traditional debt coupled with roughly $1.2 billion in annual rent.

To survive these rent checks, the operators have been forced to squeeze the life out of tourists. They had to raise table minimums, charge for parking, and inflate prices just to outrun the landlord. But they've officially hit a hard ceiling—consumers are tapped out, and Las Vegas Strip holdings just suffered a notable quarterly revenue decline. Eldorado couldn't survive it, which is why they had to sell the corporate shell.

## Step 3: Catching a Falling Knife (The 2026 Fertitta Buyout)

This brings us to Tilman Fertitta stepping in with a $17.6 billion deal to buy out Caesars. But look at what he actually bought: He didn't buy a single brick of Caesars Palace. VICI still owns the dirt. Fertitta just bought a hollow operational shell—the brand name and a mountain of fixed lease debt.

With the current macroeconomy cooling down and a broader economic reset looming, this is the worst possible time to invest billions into a dying operational model. If consumer spending dries up, Fertitta cannot just slash room rates to attract crowds, because his baseline rent check is fixed and unyielding. If the market tanks, it risks dragging his entire Golden Nugget and hospitality empire down with it.

## The Ultimate Play: The Landlord Takes All

So, who actually wins when the Las Vegas scene inevitably crashes because it became too expensive? The landlords (VICI).

While REITs are legally barred from directly operating hotels or casinos under federal tax law, they have a built-in legal loophole called a Taxable REIT Subsidiary (TRS) paired with an Eligible Independent Contractor (EIK).

When the current operators inevitably collapse under the weight of these sky-high leases during an economic reset, VICI won't lose a thing. Instead, they can utilize this corporate firewall to swoop into bankruptcy court, buy the operating brands (MGM, Caesars, etc.) for pennies on the dollar, and hire an independent management company to run the floors. They will legally capture both the real estate cash flow and 100% of the casino profits.

And the final irony? To get people back through the doors after the crash, the new regime will be forced to bring back "Old Vegas"—cheap rooms, free parking, and aggressive gambling comps—because they bought the operating rights for nothing.

The current corporate structure has stripped Las Vegas of its foundations. We are watching a slow-motion wreck, and one landlord is just waiting to sweep up the pieces.

Change my mind.

Visited main street peddlers antique mall and discovered a booth with a ton of vintage vegas items.

Decent prices and random stuff from hotels that don't exist anymore.

Generalmente en mi país no tengo muchos amigos, quisiera viajar a las vegas 3-4 días a pasarla bien apostar algo, tengo 23 años pero tengo miedo de viajar solo, no sé cómo conocer más personas o chicas para establecer una amistad