If you’ve walked the Strip lately, you may have noticed a glaring lack of Canadian tourists. For decades, Canada has been Las Vegas's most reliable international ally, but over the last year, that pipeline has frozen almost completely solid.

Let’s get one thing straight right off the top: I am not jumping on the clickbait "Vegas is dead" bandwagon. Vegas isn't dead. But the numbers don't lie, and the city is suffering a very real "death by a thousand cuts."

Armed with hard data from the LVCVA, Harry Reid International Airport, Stats Canada, and international travel reports, I'm bringing the receipts to explain exactly why visitorship has plummeted. I'm busting the myth that Canadians are staying home just because of a weak dollar, and digging into the real reasons for the massive drop - from the fallout of unprecedented U.S. political rhetoric and border tariffs, to out-of-control Strip pricing, to insane nickel-and-diming of tourists, and the devastating reality of the "stealth layoffs" hitting the everyday hospitality workers who keep the city running.

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Las Vegas bills itself as "the Entertainment Capital of the World" and it's easy to see why with all the big names performing up & down the Strip on a nightly basis...and it's been that way for decades. But how did that all come to be...and what role did the world of organized crime play in making it happen?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help clear things up for us.

Making her second appearance on the podcast is Claire White, the Director of Education for the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. Last time Claire was on the show, we went in-depth on Liberace & the impact he had on the Vegas entertainment scene. We briefly touched on the topic of the mob and their place in Las Vegas's entertainment history, but I thought it might be fun to get Claire back to go into a little more detail.

We discussed the early days of Las Vegas entertainment, the Mob's role in helping to build up the industry in Las Vegas, and some of the prominent performers with alleged mob ties.

If you want to learn more about the history of Las Vegas & the role of the mob in establishing the entertainment industry, pick up a copy of Bright Light City: Las Vegas in Popular Culture by Larry Gragg. And be sure to pay a visit to the Mob Museum on your next trip to Las Vegas.  Visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

I've talked about a lot of Las Vegas history on this podcast and I absolutely love doing it. And, based on the reaction to the various Vegas history episodes I've released, it's pretty clear that you do too.

This time around, I'm covering a part of Las Vegas history that doesn't get the attention it deserves and if I'm being honest, it's a part of Las Vegas history that I really had no idea existed - and as someone who considers themselves a bit of a Vegas fanatic, I'm a little embarrassed by that fact.

Joining me on this episode is Claytee White, the Director of the Oral History Research Center at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas. I asked Ms. White to come on the podcast to have a conversation about Black History and the African American Community in Las Vegas after hearing her appearance on the podcast, "Spectacle - Las Vegas".

Ms. White shared her story of what brought her Las Vegas and got her interested in Black History, we discussed the situation in Las Vegas leading up to the founding of the Moulin Rouge, and what led to the integration of Las Vegas Strip.

If you'd like to learn more about Black History, the African American Community in Las Vegas, and the Moulin Rouge, visit Documenting the African American Experience in Las Vegas, a project of the UNLV University Libraries. You can also check out the books, The Moulin Rouge and Black Rights in Las Vegas by Earnest N. Bracey and Storming Caesars Palace by Annelise Orleck.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

In 1991, Warren Beatty jumped onto the big screen to portray one the most feared and most famous mobsters of all time...Bugsy.

The film, directed by Barry Levinson and co-starring Annette Bening (as Bugsy's longtime girlfriend, Virginia Hill) tells the story of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and his role in the creation of The Flamingo and the building of Las Vegas as an "oasis in the desert".

Bugsy was minor hit, grossing just over $49 Million at the box office, receiving high praise from critics, and garnering several Academy Award & Golden Globe nominations including a Golden Globe win for "Best Picture - Drama". But despite all these accolades, just how historically accurate was the film?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to tell us.

Making his FOURTH appearance on the podcast is Geoff Schumacher, the Vice President of Exhibits and Programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. Geoff was kind enough to join me once again to help separate fact from fiction when it comes to the story of Bugsy Siegel.

Did Bugsy actually try to get into acting during his time in Hollywood? Who actually came up with the idea for The Flamingo? And was opening night at the casino really a total flop?

If you want to learn more about Bugsy & his associates and their place in Las Vegas history, plan a visit to the Mob Museum on your next Vegas vacation. You can also follow the Mob Museum on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Picture it...it's the late 1970's. You're a singer-songwriter working the bar scene in New York City. One night, after having enough of dealing with crowds that don't pay attention to you, you decide to mess around with the lyrics of a popular song and perform that on stage...and you manage to turn that into a career spanning almost 40 years.

That's exactly what Dennis Blair did.

Dennis is a Las Vegas-based comedian & musician who, over the course of the last 4 decades, has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in comedy & music. He co-wrote a feature film, he's worked on TV specials, he's appeared on The Tonight Show and he recently released a book chronicling his time on the road as an opening act.

Dennis and I chatted about what got him into comedy, the early days of working with Rodney Dangerfield & what led to their falling out, life on the road with Joan Rivers, and what it was like spending 18 years as the opening act for George Carlin.

Visit Dennis's website to find out where you can catch him performing in Vegas, pick up a copy of his book, "Touring With Legends" from your favorite online bookseller, and check out his music on Apple Music & Spotify.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Nevada offers the same lax residency requirements to obtain divorce today as it did nearly 100 years ago; a person only has to live in the state for six weeks before being eligible to for a divorce.

But not too long after Nevada gained a reputation as the place to go for a quickie divorce, Las Vegas was the scene of a brutal public murder on the steps of a law office in a tale involving domestic violence, the death of a child, and a desperate insanity plea to avoid the gas chamber.

To learn more about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

In the 1970's Las Vegas was the site of bombings & murders...but not ALL of this mayhem was linked to the mafia.

In the fall of 1975, a labor dispute between the Culinary Union and several off-strip restaurants escalated into violence. This ultimately resulted in the head of the Culinary Union, Al Bramlet, learning a very valuable lesson:

No matter what, ALWAYS pay your hitman.

To learn more about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Thousands of bombs have gone off across the United States over the course of the 20th & 21st centuries for every reason…from the personal, to the political, to the financial.

And through its short history, the city of Las Vegas has not been spared from the threat of criminal bombings.

To learn more about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Las Vegas teenager Kim Bryant went missing from in front of her high school on a winter's day in 1979.

Her abduction & murder would scar the Vegas community and remain unsolved for decades. But just as the case seemed to be going cold, new suspects in the disappearance would emerge - including a vicious serial killer known as "The Chameleon".

To learn more about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The 1979 daylight abduction of a teenager from a parking lot nearby her Las Vegas High School absolutely stunned the local community.

It was only a few weeks before the body of Kim Bryant was discovered in the desert surrounding the city, but it would be decades before police would finally be able to figure out who was responsible for her tragic death.

To learn more about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

I generally try to keep things pretty light on the podcast and stay away from topics that some might consider "serious" or "controversial", but if I spot an issue that I think my listeners need to know about, I go for it. So, heads up...this might not be the Jeff Does Vegas that you're used to.

Human Trafficking is a massive problem around the world, and especially in Las Vegas; it might not come as much of a surprise to some people that Vegas has the 4th-highest rate of trafficking in the United States ranking behind Orlando, Atlanta and Washington D.C..

I wanted to take a dive into the issue, get to the root of the problem, and find out what's behind this high rate of human trafficking as well as but some of the myths & misconceptions surrounding it - and I think you might be very shocked by what you're about to hear.

To help me out with this topic, I reached out to a Las Vegas organization called The Cupcake Girls and my guest for this episode of the podcast is Amy-Marie Merrell, their Executive Director.

Amy & I discussed the work that The Cupcake Girls does with victims of human trafficking & sex trafficking as well as those working in the sex industry who are consensual sex workers, Amy shared some shocking facts about who's being trafficked and by whom they are being trafficked, and we talked about some of the legal changes Amy would like to see happen to better support & protect victims of trafficking.

If you want to learn more about The Cupcake Girls, support the work they're doing, or find the resources needed to get assistance, visit their website at TheCupcakeGirls.org. You can also follow them Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

As frequent listeners to the podcast know, one of my favorite parts of visiting Vegas is the food.

Over the last several years, Las Vegas has become a Foodie's paradise with dozens of new restaurants opening each year, featuring celebrity chefs and cuisine you can possibly imagine. But you know what? No matter how hard you try, you just can't beat a classic.

The Golden Steer, located just off the strip on Sahara Boulevard is Las Vegas's oldest continually operating steakhouse. They opened back in 1958 and over the course of it's almost-65 year history, they've become legendary not only for their amazing steaks but for the incredible service, old Vegas atmosphere, and their famous (and infamous) customers.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Nick McMillan, Managing Partner of the Golden Steer. Nick and I talked about the early days of the Golden Steer, it's evolution from "western roadhouse" to "cool celebrity hangout", their place in Vegas Mob History, and what makes the Golden Steer different from other Las Vegas steakhouses.

If you want to learn more about the Golden Steer and make a reservation for your next Vegas trip, visit their website. And for drool-worthy pics of their awesome food, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

"The only constant in life is change" - Heraclitus

There's nowhere else in the world where that statement is more accurate than Las Vegas.

It's constantly evolving, always trying to find new ways to bring new people - and revenue - to the city. And from the late 1980's through to the early 2000's, Las Vegas made the conscious decision to cater to a group of travellers whom they'd never attempted to attract before:

Families.

From castle-shaped hotels, to pirate battles in the desert, to full-blown amusement parks, Las Vegas made no secrets about who they wanted to come to the city during that time in history. But where did it all start? And how did it end up?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is UNLV professor and Las Vegas historian, David G. Schwartz. David & I discussed some of Las Vegas's early attempts at being family-friendly, what led to the push to try to attract families to the city, and the eventual shift away from that strategy.

Want to learn more about Las Vegas's family-friendly era of the 1990's? Visit these links:

- "Family Friendly Las Vegas: An Analysis of Space and Time" - Diana Tracy Cohn

- "Column One: Las Vegas Gambles on Families" - LA Times (Sept 23, 1994)

- "The Sun's List Of Shuttered Family Friendly Vegas Attractions" - Las Vegas Sun (Feb 23, 2012)

- "Family Friendly Las Vegas of the 90's" Panel Discussion (Video) - The Neon Museum (2016)

And as discussed, check out the "Treasure Island: The Adventure Begins" TV special that ran on NBC-TV in 1994 to promote the opening of the Treasure Island Resort.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Over the last several years, there's been a push in the travel industry for people to practice what's called "Responsible Travel". This is travel that's all about making choices to minimize the negative impacts of your travel in favor of ones that are neutral or contribute positively.

My guests for this episode are Erin Hynes & Kattie Laur, the hosts of Alpaca My Bags, a Canadian podcast that explores Responsible Travel.

During our conversation Erin shared what got her interested in travel & what inspired her to start blogging and podcasting as well as how she connected with Kattie & brought her into the fold, the ladies shared their experiences of their own Las Vegas vacations, and we discussed how to apply the principals of Responsible Travel to when visiting a city like Las Vegas - known best for total irresponsibility.

You can learn more about Responsible Travel by visiting Erin's website/blog as well as by following her on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. You can also follow Kattie on Twitter and visit her website as well. And be sure to listen to Alpaca My Bags wherever you get your podcasts.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

There's no question that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, and all through the city's history, it's played host to some of the most legendary acts of all time.

Some names come to mind instantly, like The Rat Pack...Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jr. There's Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton who's been headlining in Vegas since the mid-1960's. And of course, there's the King Of Rock N' Roll, Elvis Presley who sold out a record 636 shows at the International Hotel (later, the Las Vegas Hilton).

But one performer made his mark on Las Vegas before any of those people. In fact, some would say he paved the way for not only past legends but the massive residencies that would come decades later.

That performer is the one and only Liberace...

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Claire White, the Director of Education at The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. Before she joined the Mob Museum, Claire spent several years working at the now-closed Liberace Museum, also in Las Vegas, where she learned all about the long & storied career of "Mr. Showmanship".

If you want to check out some of the highlights of Liberace's life, check these out:

Liberace performing "Chopsticks"

Liberace live with the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Liberace's dual role as villains, "Chandell" and "Harry" on the classic TV series, Batman

Liberace's appearance on The Muppet Show

Liberace hosts on MTV in 1985

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

"In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I'm watching the casino manager. And the eye-in-the-sky is watching us all." - Sam "Ace" Rothstein, "Casino", 1995

Since the days of Sam Rothstein and the Tangiers - or Frank Rosenthal and the Stardust, if you will - casino security has come a LONG ways.

The industry has moved on from binocular-carrying staff, wandering catwalks in the ceiling to a world of digitally networked video recording and facial recognition software...and my guest for this episode of the podcast is here to take us behind the curtain and into that world.

Charles H. Barry is an expert in casino and corporate security, surveillance & investigations and currently runs his own consulting firm. He has over 30 years in the field and has worked with several major gaming companies. Mr. Barry is also a former law enforcement officer, having worked as a detective with the Phoenix Police Department and as a Special Agent with the FBI.

Charles and I discussed the evolution of casino security over the last several decades, emerging threats to casinos & hotels, and the major event that forced gaming corporations to re-examine their security procedures from top to bottom.

If you'd like to learn more about Charles and the services he currently provides, be sure to visit his website.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

According to reports, Strip Clubs in the United States - or "Gentleman's Clubs" as they're often called - were forecasted to pull in roughly $7.4 BILLION in revenue in 2022. In Las Vegas, there are over TWENTY different clubs for visitors to patronize. And often, visiting a strip club in Las Vegas is a person's first experience with this type of establishment.

If you've never been to a strip club, chances are you've got questions...and my guest for this episode of the podcast is the perfect person to answer them.

Her name is Keila and she's currently a dancer at a Gentleman's Club in Las Vegas.

In addition to discussing proper etiquette for anyone planning on visiting a club in Vegas, Keila was kind enough to chat with me about what got her into dancing, what her daily pre-and-post work routine entails, and we busted some of the myths & misconceptions about the people who work in her industry.

If you want to learn more about Keila & see what life as a dancer is like, follow her on TikTok and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

The 1995 movie, "Casino" directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone is, in my opinion, an absolute classic and a must-watch for anyone at all interested in Las Vegas.

The film tells the story of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, an expert sports-handicapper who's sent to Las Vegas by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the skimming operations at the fictional Tangiers Hotel & Casino.

"Casino" is based on actual events and pulls its story from the book, "Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas", written by Nicholas Pileggi who co-wrote the screenplay along with Martin Scorsese.

As always, whenever a book based on a true story makes a move to the big screen, there's certain plot points that tend to be overly dramatized (or even flat-out made up) for the sake of entertainment. My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help shed some light on some of the Fact vs. Fiction aspects of "Casino".

Geoff Schumacher is the Vice President of Exhibits & Programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. He was kind enough to join me to help separate reality from fantasy when it comes to the world of "Ace" Rothstein/"Lefty" Rosenthal.

Did hotel security actually smash a cheater's hand with a hammer?  Did an FBI surveillance plane actually run out of gas and land on a golf course fairway?  Was there really an issue with blueberry muffins?

We get the answers to these questions - and many more!

Visit The Mob Museum's official website and be sure to follow them on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Mob Museum's YouTube channel where you can check out virtual tours, special presentations and more!

And if you want to really get into Las Vegas history and read the true story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, Anthony Spilotro, the Hole in the Wall Gang and the massive Stardust skimming operation, pick up your copy of "Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas" by Nicholas Pileggi.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Dark Tourism - otherwise known as Thana Tourism, Black Tourism, or Morbid Tourism - is the term used to describe travel to places that are historically associated with death and tragedy.

Dark Tourism destinations exist all over the world; from Nazi concentration camps in Poland, to the site of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, to Ground Zero in New York City. There are Jack the Ripper tours in London, Pablo Escobar tours in Colombia and even JFK assassination tours in Dallas.

But what is it that brings people to these types of attractions? Why has so-called Dark Tourism seen such a boom in recent years?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to answer that question...and many others.

Marta Soligo teaches Sociology of Leisure at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and is also a visiting professor at the University of Bergamo in Italy, where she teaches Sociology of Tourism. Marta has also done extensive research into Dark Tourism, specifically as it relates to celebrity culture.

Marta and I discussed what got her interested in studying tourism & leisure from the sociology side of things, why people are attracted to "the macabre", and she shared a few examples of Dark Tourism destinations in Las Vegas.

If you'd like to learn more about Dark Tourism, there are LOTS of great resources on line including Google Scholar (which has - literally - HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of great articles on the subject) and the website, dark-tourism.com featuring an extensive database of over a thousand Dark Tourism sites in 115 different countries around the world! 

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Las Vegas resident, Frank Waters survived his service with the U.S. military in Europe during World War II.

But only a year after the war's end, the consequences of Frank's actions overseas followed him thousands of miles back to the middle of the Mojave Desert, ultimately leading to a series of events that would end with Frank's murder and a trial that made international headlines.

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

With the passage of the 18th Amendment and the Federal Volstead Act, liquor was, by and large, made illegal across the United States starting in 1920 – including in the tiny newly-formed desert town of Las Vegas.

This immediately created a lucrative black market for the illicit sale of alcohol, and along with it came an explosion of violent crime as competing rackets fought for control of this new underground market.

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

In the spring of 1980, headlines across the united states screamed out, “ANGEL OF DEATH!”

These sensational stories centered around 32-year-old Jani Adams, a nurse working the graveyard shift in a Las Vegas Intensive Care Unit. These articles about the so-called “Death Angel” carried a distinctly Vegas twist – word was, this nurse was running a hospital “dead pool”, placing wagers on when patients would die.

But how did a mild-mannered nurse - who described herself being “shy as a mouse” - end up in the national spotlight for allegedly murdering her patients?

Click here to read more about the case of Jani Adams - including photos, newspaper articles, and more!

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The trial surrounding the 1998 alleged murder of a casino heir was one of the most sensational cases in Las Vegas history, garnering national attention.

But decades before tales of jilted lovers, underground vaults in the desert, and a man rapidly squandering his wealth on a wild lifestyle, Ted Binion was at the center of another Las Vegas crime plot.

Click here to learn more about the planned kidnapping of Ted Binion and the wild events that followed - including newspaper articles, photos and more!

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

In the spring of 1996, a trio of bodies were discovered in the desert just outside of Las Vegas. Initially believed to be victims of sex trafficking, the case remained unsolved for over a decade, demonstrating a troubling proposition:

Three people can be murdered in a major American city, with little more than a passing mention in the local press and zero potential suspects.

Click here to learn more about the triple-murder of Luz Maria Mucino, Edith Mucino Gonzalez, and Gabriela Mucino Gonzalez - including newspaper articles, photos, and more!

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

It's one of the most high-profile murders in the history of Las Vegas.

On a scorching hot 115 degree summer day, a former FBI agent & prominent attorney left his office in downtown Las Vegas and made his way to the third floor parking garage.

Bill Coulthard climbed into his car, cracked the window, started the ignition, and THAT'S when it happened...

Click here to learn more about the murder of Bill Coulthard - including newspaper articles, photos, and more!

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

It’s June 3, 1999…early morning, sometime around 5 am in a quiet neighborhood roughly a mile from the Las Vegas Strip.

Walking through this serene scene is a young man in his early twenties, draped in a camouflage shirt, sporting black pants and boots. In his hands, a pump-action shotgun loaded to maximum capacity. In his pockets are more shells…ready to be used. A total of nineteen shells in all.

The man’s name is Zane Floyd, and on this early summer morning, he plans to use those ninteen shells to kill the first nineteen people he encounters.

And as a resident of this neighbourhood, he already knows exactly where his first stop will be.

To learn about the story of Zane Floyd and other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

During the 1970's, the Las Vegas Hilton featured some of the most modern amenities in town along with incredible showcase entertainers. The hotel looked poised for additional growth and success heading into the 1980's.

But the deadliest arson in modern Nevada history temporarily derailed the steady expansion the Hilton had enjoyed, while putting a young hotel busboy in the national spotlight as the unlikely hero-turned suspect responsible for the blaze.

Click here to learn more about story of the fire at the Las Vegas Hilton - including photos, newspaper articles, and more!

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The term "serial killer" originated in the 1970s and was coined to describe individuals who commit a series of murders, typically with a cooling-off period between each crime. 

The FBI formally defined "serial murder" in the 1980s, highlighting the repetitive nature of the killings and the psychological motivation behind them.

The term has since become widely used in criminology and pop culture to categorize and understand this specific type of criminal behavior…

…a criminal behavior from which Las Vegas has not been spared.

Click here to read more about the serial killers who've had connections to Las Vegas - including photos, newspaper articles, and more!

To learn about other true crime tales from the darker side of Las Vegas history, visit Mayhem In The Desert.

Follow Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime on Facebook & Instagram

Follow Mayhem In The Desert on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Every year, inventors come up with DOZENS of ideas for new casino table games, but only a handful actually make it to the casino floor. Maybe you've got an idea for a new game floating around in your brain and you've been wondering how to make it reality and get it out to the Vegas gaming community?

My guest for this episode could be the one to help make it happen!

Back for her third appearance on the show is Heather Ferris, the CEO & Founder of Vegas Aces Services.

This time around Heather & I chatted about the process behind creating a new game, what makes for a good casino game, and some of the challenges behind convincing casino execs to give a new game a chance.

If you want to learn more about Heather, Vegas Aces, and the services they provide be sure to go visit their official website. You can also follow Vegas Aces on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Get ready...we're going on a little road trip.

We're heading about 35 miles southeast of the Vegas strip, to Black Canyon, where one of the greatest feats of engineering in the United States - and possibly the world - is located:  Hoover Dam

Constructed in the late 1920's & completed in the early 1930's, Hoover Dam serves a multitude of purposes including flood mitigation & hydro-electric power generation. Present day, millions of tourists visit each year to both marvel at this amazing structure and to take advantage of the many surrounding amenities including Lake Mead and the numerous hiking trails in the area.

My guest for this episode is Patti Aaron, Public Affairs Officer for the Bureau of Reclamation in the Lower Colorado Basin. Patti and I talked about the history of Hoover Dam including its planning & construction, the "controversy" behind its name, some of the economic benefits of the dam's construction, and she shared some fun bits of trivia about Hoover Dam.

For more information on Hoover Dam and to plan your trip, visit the Bureau of Reclamation's website and be sure to follow Hoover Dam on Facebook.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

There are some AWESOME Vegas movies out there. Classics like "Casino", "Oceans Eleven" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas". There are also some TERRIBLE Vegas movies out there...like "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone", "3000 Miles To Graceland" and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2".

I think it's fair to say that the film we're discussing in this episode falls somewhere in the middle.

Considered to be one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, Showgirls (written by Joe Eszterhas, directed by Paul Veerhoven, and starring Elizabeth Berkley) has morphed into a huge cult classic.

Thanks to a steady stream of nudity & gratuitous sex, the film was given an NC-17 rating and to this day, remains the only film with that rating to have had wide release in US movie theaters. And although Showgirls wasn't based on a true story, Eszterhas and Veerhoven claimed they did "extensive interviews" with people in the Vegas entertainment community to make the portrayal of the showgirl world as accurate as possible.

So, did they get it right? We're about to find out.

My guest for this episode, making her second appearance on the podcast, is Dani Elizabeth - a legit Showgirl and former cast member of the legendary Vegas shows, "Jubilee" and "Crazy Girls".

Dani shared the story of the first time she saw Showgirls and how it almost led to a career change, we dove into the film with some character analysis & theories on why people watch the film over and over again, and we compared Dani's "showgirl life" to Nomi Malone's.

If you want to dive further into the world of Showgirls - and really, who wouldn't? - check out the documentary You Don't Nomi directed by Jeffrey McHale (available for sale & rent on your favorite streaming service).

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Below the glitz & glamour of the Vegas Strip lies a massive network of underground tunnels. In addition to serving the practical purpose of directing flash flood water away from the big casinos & resorts, the tunnels have become a living space for hundreds, if not thousands, of homeless people in the city of Las Vegas.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is intimately familiar with these tunnels, having spent time interviewing dozens of their residents for his books "Beneath the Neon" and "Dark Days, Bright Nights".

Matthew O'Brien is a writer, editor and teacher who lived in Las Vegas for twenty years. He's considered an authority on homelessness in the Las Vegas tunnels and is the founder of Shine A Light, a program that helps people living in the tunnels and provides them with the resources to get out of the tunnels.

We discussed Matthew's first experiences with the tunnels of Las Vegas, the work that went into writing "Beneath the Neon", what inspired him to found Shine A Light, and much more.

If you'd like to purchase "Beneath the Neon", "My Week At The Blue Angel" or "Dark Days, Bright Nights" you can visit Matthew's website at beneaththeneon.com.

If you want to know more about Shine A Light and see the amazing work they do, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

(NOTE: I shouldn't have to say this, but I will. DO NOT go exploring the storm drains under Las Vegas. It's a very hostile environment for anyone who's not familiar with the miles and miles of tunnels. By going into the tunnels, you're risking severe injury or even death.)

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

In spite of its short history, the city of Las Vegas has some incredibly colourful characters in its past...and for this episode, I want to talk about one of those characters.

Howard Hughes was a billionaire, an inventor, an aviator, movie producer and philanthropist. He was also known to be a little "eccentric."

The stories about Howard Hughes are legendary - from the rumours of him urinating in mason jars & having foot-long fingernails to locking himself in a movie screening room for months on end & buying a Las Vegas hotel because he didn't want to leave. The stories have been around so long and spun in so many different directions, that it's sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. And that's what my guest is here to do...

Geoff Schumacher is the Vice President of Exhibits and Programs at The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas. Last time Geoff was here, we talked about Las Vegas's mob history...but another one of his favourite topics is Howard Hughes' time in spent in Vegas.

We talked about Hughes' aviation & filmmaking history, what prompted him to move to Nevada in the first place, the rumour that he bought the Silver Slipper Hotel & Casino because "the sign annoyed him", the bizarre reason behind his purchase of a Las Vegas TV station and much more.

Visit Amazon to purchase a copy of Geoff Schumacher's book "Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia and Palace Intrigue". Also be sure to visit The Mob Museum's website for Virtual Tours and follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

I think we've all had that experience where a bunch of time passes and we have no idea where it's gone. Whether it's while driving down the highway, surfing social media or - sitting at a slot machine in a casino in Las Vegas.

But what causes that effect? Why do our brains drift away like that and take us out of reality?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help us understand.

Spencer Murch has a PhD in Psychology & Cognitive Science from the University of British Columbia and, over the last several years, has been involved in several different research projects surrounding the cognitive science of gambling. Recently, Spencer completed a study surrounding "immersion" and being "zoned in" or "zoned out" during slot play.

Spencer took the time to jump on the show with me to explain the methodology behind the study and share the results of his research. We also talked about the part slot designers play in creating that "immersion", what the future of gaming may hold and how to avoid "zoning in" or "zoning out" while playing slots.

If you'd like to learn more about the psychology of slot machines, check out:

• Research Snapshot: Exploring zoned-in or zoned-out immersion during slot machine gambling
• Research Snapshot: The relationship between dark flow, depression, and multiline slot machines

Or pick up a copy of the book, "Addiction By Design" by Natasha Dow Schull.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

Did you know that approximately 2% of the world's population uses a wheelchair AND that nearly 20% of people have a disability that limits one or more activities of daily living?

If you applied that math to Las Vegas, that means that roughly 840,000 wheelchair users and almost 8.5 million people with different levels of accessibility requirements travel to Vegas every single year.

In the various Vegas-related Facebook groups I'm a part of, I often see questions from people who are apprehensive about visiting the city due to the perception that Vegas isn't very wheelchair friendly.

I wanted to break that perception...so I've called in an expert on the subject of wheelchair travel.

John Morris is the founder & creator of WheelchairTravel.org, a website & blog where he shares his own experiences of travelling as a wheelchair user. And, like me, John is also a frequent Vegas visitor.

If you want to learn more about John & get all the info you need when it comes to travelling to Las Vegas with a disability, visit WheelchairTravel.org and be sure to follow John on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

My very special guest for this episode has been in the comedy business for over three decades and he’s made – literally – hundreds of TV appearances.

Carrot Top has been headlining his own show at the Luxor in Las Vegas since 2006 and he recently signed an extension that will keep him there through to 2030.

Carrot Top and I talked about his early days of prop comedy, how he comes up with his material, the current state of comedy, his apprehension when he first signed on at the Luxor and much more!

Carrot Top performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor Las Vegas 6 nights a week.  Visit the Luxor's website for tickets and showtimes. 

To find out if Carrot Top is touring to a city near you, visit his official website and give him a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the five years I ran this podcast, from 2019 to 2024, I released over 180 episodes and along the way, I talked to some very cool Vegas insiders, entertainers, and local experts. I also shared lots of tips & travel advice, and explored the fascinating history of the city.

I thought it might be fun to take a little trip back in time and re-share some of those episodes. So, whether you’re a long-time follower looking for a re-listen or you’re a Vegas fanatic who just happened to stumble across the show, welcome!

There's an old adage that says "Sex Sells"...and I don't think there's anywhere in the world where that's more prevalent than in Las Vegas.

From the moment you step off the plane, you're bombarded with sex - from almost-naked showgirls on the strip asking for photos, to cab-top advertisements for topless shows, to giant roadside billboards for strip clubs, to a very public escort industry...which is where we're headed this time around.

My guest for this episode of the podcast was Kate Layne, a Vegas-based escort who'd been "officially" working in the industry for the 4 years and had been involved in the industry in some form for approximately 6 years.

Kate and I talked about how she ended up living in Las Vegas, how and why she decided to start working as an escort, how she kept her life as Kate separate from her "real life" and some of the common misconceptions surrounding people working in the escort industry.

And because this is a judgement-free podcast where I know people are grown-ass adults capable of making their own decisions on whether or not to partake in the industry, Kate also shared some etiquette tips for men who might wish to enjoy the company of an escort as well as some safety tips so you can avoid getting robbed, ending up in jail...or worse.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

By contrast, this podcast has lasted over 5 years and 180 official episodes, not including bonus & special episodes (if you count those, it's over 220 episodes).

I've been giving it a lot of thought lately and I've reached the conclusion that it's time for me to put a lid on Jeff Does Vegas.

But before I go, I felt I owed all of you - the listeners who've kept this thing running for the last 5+ years - an explanation on why now is the time to wrap it all up.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

So, to save people the effort of going on the hunt for them, I'm doing the digging for you with a feature I'm calling, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best episodes from the early days of the podcast.

This time around, we're hitting the road...solo.

I do A LOT of solo traveling, particularly to Las Vegas - but I've also done solo trips to other cities including Seattle, Toronto and Los Angeles.

People often ask me what the appeal is of traveling solo. 

Don't I get bored? Do I worry about my safety? What does my wife think about me traveling solo? (The answers to those questions are, in order: no, no and she's fine with it since I'm usually doing stuff she doesn't like)

A lot of folks won't take the jump and book a solo vacation, but I'm hoping my guest for this episode of the podcast might help change a few minds.

Janice Waugh is the founder of Solo Traveler World, a website & online community devoted to people who love to travel solo.

Janice & I talked about the inspiration behind her creating Solo Traveler, the best ways to plan a solo trip, the mistakes to avoid while traveling solo and how to stay safe & out of trouble when you're on your own in a strange city.

If you'd like to connect with Janice & the Solo Traveler community, visit their website at SoloTravelerWorld.com, follow them on Twitter & Instagram, or join the Solo Travel Society on Facebook.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

So, I thought that to save you searching all over the place for those episodes, I'd go ahead and do the digging for you with a feature I like to call, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best conversations from the run of the podcast.

This time around, I'd like to share one of my all-time favorite quotes:

"I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious." - Michael Scott, The Office

Whether we like to admit it or not, i think everyone is a little bit superstitious to some degree. And i don’t think there’s anywhere in the world where that superstitious nature is on display more than in Las Vegas.

Whether it’s a lucky shirt that you always wear when playing blackjack, tapping the buttons in a certain order when playing video poker, or not using $50 bills in slot machines.

And these are just a few examples of things i’ve seen on my many trips to Vegas.

But is there any science behind superstition? To answer that question, i decided to bring in a professional.

Stuart Vyse is a behavioral scientist, a teacher and a writer. He’s also an expert on superstition & irrational behaviour. 

I wanted to get his take on the world of superstitions.

We discussed some of the most common superstitions & their origins, we chatted about whether or not certain cultures are more superstitious than others and we talked about some famous superstitions in the world of sports, music and theater.

If you'd like to learn more about Stuart and the world of superstitions & irrational behaviour, be sure to visit his website.

Stuart's books, "Believing In Magic: The Science of Superstition" and "Superstition: A Very Short Introduction" are both available via his website or from your favourite book seller. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

So, in order to save you from having to go digging for them, i’ve put together a feature i’m calling “From The Vault”, where I re-share what I consider to be some of the best content from the early days of the podcast.

And this time around, we’re going to talk about the science of smell…

If you’ve ever been to Las Vegas, you’re well aware of the unique scents of the various casinos & hotels up and down the strip. In fact, if you ask people what one of their favorite parts of going to Vegas is, they’ll often tell you, “it’s the smell inside the casinos” – and it seems everyone has their preferred casino scent. So much so that there are literally thousands of posts online from people asking how to either purchase or replicate their favorite casino scent.

But what’s the big deal about smell? Why is the “scent” of a casino so important that the companies that own them spend - literally - millions of dollars on the development and distribution of these so-called “signature scents”.

To get the answer, i turned to an expert…

Dr. Rachel Herz is a cognitive neuroscientist, a Ted-X speaker, published author, and a world-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell.

In addition, Dr. Herz has worked as a consultant for multiple international corporations on the development of fragrances & flavors – including the company first responsible for installing scent vaporizer systems in The Mirage back in 1991.

Dr. Herz and I discussed how the sense of smell works, the connection between scents and emotions & memory, how businesses use scent to affect customer behavior, and much more.

To learn more about the science and psychology of scent, visit Dr. Herz's website or follow her on Twitter. You can also pick up one of her books:

• "The Scent Of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense Of Smell"
• "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship With Food"
• That's Disgusting: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Repulsion"

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

So, to save people the effort of going on the hunt for them, I'm doing the digging for you with a feature I'm calling, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best episodes from the early days of the podcast.

This time, I've got inside info that could keep you from making a HUGE mistake on your next Las Vegas trip...

Imagine this situation: You're walking down the strip with your significant other, minding your business, when all of the sudden someone jumps out in front of you and says, "What a lovely couple...how would you like some free tickets to a show?"

First-timers & newbies are thinking, "Sure...where do I sign up?" Meanwhile, the Vegas veterans are saying, "RUN! RUN AS FAST YOU CAN...AND RUN FAR AWAY!!!"

As anyone can tell you, nothing in Las Vegas is "free"...and the price of those "free tickets" is having to sit through a Timeshare Presentation.

For this edition of "From The Vault", we're going back to my conversation with Lisa Ann Schreier - aka "The Timeshare Crusader". Lisa spent over 20 years working in the Timeshare industry and has since moved on to become a consumer advocate, author, and blogger helping to keep people informed of some of the shady practices going on in the business.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

It's “The Hangover” – and 2024 marks a major milestone as the film celebrates its 15th Anniversary!

It was all the way back on June 5, 2009 when the world was introduced to "The Wolfpack” and we were all brought along for the ride as they tried to retrace their steps and solve several mysteries from the previous nights’ shenanigans.

Joining me for this episode of the show is David Rosen, the host of “Piecing It Together”, a movie podcast with a twist. 

David and I went in-depth on “The Hangover” as we discussed our first viewing; how it helped to launch the careers of several of the film's stars, the impact it’s had on Vegas tourism, and much more!

Be sure to check out my chat with David Rosen on Piecing It Together as we talked about films related to & inspired by The Hangover, and take a listen to David's conversation with Dayvid Rosen on CityCast Las Vegas and their discussion about the relevance of The Hangover in today's Las Vegas. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

As part of my own personal celebrations for this milestone, I decided to gather some of my Vegas podcaster friends/past guests for a Hangover watch-along episode!

Joining me is David Rosen, the host of Piecing It Together, a movie podcast with a twist and Dayvid Figler, the host of CityCast Las Vegas, a daily podcast that keeps you updated on the goings-on in Las Vegas.

So here's how this works:

For copyright reasons, I can't play the audio of the movie on the podcast BUT what I can do is invite you to cue up your own copy of The Hangover (whether it's on DVD/Blu-Ray or on your favorite streaming service) and when I give the signal, you press "play" and watch along with us.

Or, you can sit & listen to us laugh & talk our way through the entire film...it's totally up to you!

This is something completely different from anything I've ever tried on the podcast before, so hopefully you enjoy it!

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Joining me to answer that question – and many more – is Dr. Michael Brein, aka “the Travel Psychologist”.  Michael is an author, lecturer, adventurer, and publisher of numerous travel books and guides.

We went in-depth on the reasoning behind peoples changes in behavior & attitude when they travel, the types of personalities people adopt when they’re on vacation, and whether or not it’s healthy for people to “blow off steam” when they’re away from home.

We also talked about bad tourists and the role social media plays in causing their poor behavior.

If you want to learn more about Travel Psychology and check out some of Michael's books & articles, be sure to visit his website.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

So, to save everyone having to search for them, I thought I'd go ahead and do the digging for you with a feature I'm calling "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best content from the early days of the show.

This time around, it's sage advice for the Vegas rookies...

Las Vegas attracts tens of millions of people from all over the world every year, and a good number of those people are making their first ever trip to the city.  With so much to offer, Vegas is one of those places that can be extremely overwhelming for a first-timer - but don't worry...your friends will help you out with suggestions on hotels, restaurants, shows, and attractions.

What they likely WON'T tell you is all the things they did WRONG on their Vegas trips...mistakes than can literally make or break your Vegas vacation.

For this edition of "From The Vault", we're heading back to my conversation with David Demontmollin, a 20-year gaming industry veteran who's worked at both on and off-strip properties in Las Vegas.  David is also the author of the book, "Classic Vegas Mistakes", in which he runs down the biggest errors Vegas visitors make and how to avoid them.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

As the weather heats up and resorts start opening their pools, I've been seeing a lot of questions online about the pool scene in Vegas, specifically about Day Clubs & Pool Parties.

People want to know about prices, dress codes, etiquette, and everything in between.  So, in an attempt to help you out, I've enlisted an expert to assist!

Christalle Dalstead is a Las Vegas Promoter and the creator/owner of Vegas Free Guest Lists.  For the last decade, Christalle has been working with Vegas visitors to make sure they have amazing experiences during their time in Sin City - and she was kind enough to come on the podcast to share her vast knowledge with us.

We discussed what to wear, how to act, and what to bring.  We also talked about Cabanas & Daybeds (are they worth it?) and Christalle gave us an idea of what you can expect to spend for a day at at a Pool Party/Day Club.

If you're headed to Las Vegas and want to book an unforgettable day or night out, reach out to Christalle via DM on Facebook or Instagram.  You can also send her a text message at 303-589-9407

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

So, I thought that to save you searching all over the place for those episodes, I'd go ahead and do the digging for you with a feature I like to call, "From The Vault", where I re-share some of the best episodes from the early days of the podcast.

This time around, we're going all the way back to my conversation with Lauren Wolfe, the founder of the website, Kill Resort Fees.

Lauren is a Washington, DC-based lawyer who, like a lot of people who travel to Las Vegas (and elsewhere around the world) got tired being nickel-and-dimed with this so-called "mandatory fee" and decided to do something about it.

KillResortFees.com is a site devoted not only to eliminating resort fees, but educating travellers on how to avoid them, how to get them refunded, and how to force the government to take action against these and other "junk fees".

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

After 67 years, one of the most legendary properties on the strip is shutting down, and as of April 2nd, 2024, the Tropicana will be no more.

When it first opened back in April of 1957, it was one of the most luxurious hotels & casinos in Las Vegas, calling itself "The Tiffany of the Strip".  It's seen growth & expansion over the decades and it's survived ownership changes, financial crisis, and a global pandemic...all to be permanently closed to make way for a new baseball stadium.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is UNLV Professor & Las Vegas Historian, David G. Schwartz.  David and I went in-depth on the history of the Tropicana including the very beginnings of the property, what set it apart from other resorts on the strip, some of the infamous figures associated with running the Tropicana, and much more!

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

This is a list of people who are banned from entering any gaming establishment in the state of Nevada for ANY reason - as was highlighted by Joe Pesci & Robert DeNiro in this scene from 1995 classic film, "Casino".

So exactly how does one end up in "the Black Book"?  And, more importantly, how does one get OUT of it?  My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to answer those questions and many more...

Back for another conversation is Geoff Schumacher, Vice President of Exhibits & Programs at the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas.

We went in-depth on the history of the Black Book including when it came into existence and why, some of the famous (and infamous) names that have landed in the book, and much more.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

For this episode, we're recapping my most recent Las Vegas trip, from February 4-6, 2024 - trip #1 of the year and what might be my most SPONTANEOUS Vegas trip ever!

I've got another review of my stay at The Horseshoe, meals at Grand Luxe Cafe, Lou's Diner & Robert Irvine's Public House, and I share my thoughts & opinions on a few hotels/resorts that I took the time to walk through including one brand-new resort and one that's closing its doors at the start of April.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

We talked about things that had happened over the previous 12 months and made some predictions on what we thought would happen in the following 12 months. That "one-off conversation" has turned into an annual tradition and I'm pleased to welcome Adam back for the THIRD time as we share more of our Las Vegas prophecies & predictions!

We talk about last year's predictions - including what we got wrong & what we got right; We share our thoughts & opinions on how big events like Super Bowl & F1 went as well as what needs to happen to make these events better; And we make predictions on what 2024 will bring to Las Vegas!

Follow Adam on X (formerly Twitter) and be sure to check out his website, Cheapskate Vegas for all the latest updates on what's going in Las Vegas.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

But in 2023, things got weird. There seemed to be a real "boom" in content creators; there are literally hundreds of people blogging, vlogging, tweeting, and podcasting about Las Vegas.

The culture has gone through a real shift over the last year or so with the attitude changing from "When one wins, we all win" to "F**k everyone else...I'm looking out for number one".

For this episode of the podcast, I was joined by Adam Bauer - aka "Travel Fanboy", aka "Cheapskate Vegas" - for a frank & honest conversation about what's been happening in the Vegas Content Creator community. We talked about what's wrong, what needs to change, and who's doing things right.

Follow Adam on X (formerly Twitter) and be sure to check out his website, Cheapskate Vegas for all the latest updates on what's going in Las Vegas.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

There's lots going on behind the scenes with a few different projects on the go, planning out guests for upcoming episodes, and preparing for a Vegas trip at the end of February!

Enjoy!

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

For this episode, we're re-capping & re-living my most recent trip to Vegas, from December 10-13, 2023 - trip #4 of the year!  This was my annual birthday trip (a trip I've been making every year for the last 8 years) and my wife was along for the ride this time around.

I've got reviews of our stay at Caesars Palace, our meal at Scotch 80 Prime at the Palms, our experience with Ka by Cirque du Soleil, and much more!  I've also got thoughts & opinions on what's happening on and around the Vegas strip as well as a few "pro-tips" for people who might be new to using rideshare services like Uber and Lyft.

As promised, here's a couple of links you need to visit:

• Check out Caesars Challenge, a gameshow that was recorded live in the Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars Palace from 1993-1994
• Take a listen to my appearance on The Parc Fermé Podcast as I share my thoughts & opinions on the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix 

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

For the final instalment of 2023 In Review, I'm covering what's easily my favorite thing to talk about - and based on the reactions to these episodes, I'm guessing it's yours as well:

Las Vegas History

Over the past year, I was able to cover some very cool parts of Las Vegas History, and I was fortunate to be joined by some incredible guests for these conversations.

Take a listen to the complete episodes here:

• Mr. Showmanship - Liberace In Las Vegas
• Thirty Years Of Mania - The History Of Wrestlemania IX
• Ties That Bind - Vegas Entertainment & The Mob Connection
• The Cowboy - The Life & Times of the Legendary Benny Binion
• Vegas Cold Case: The Unsolved Murder of Tupac Shakur

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

For the third instalment of 2023 In Review, I'm doing something a little different; I'm re-visiting the chats I had with guests that aren't necessarily Vegas-specific, but could still be tied into Las Vegas.

Don't worry...it'll all make sense once you listen!

There are conversations about sports economics, cyber security, top secret airlines, and more!

Take a listen to the full episodes here:

• Accessible Vegas
• Classified: Area 51 & Janet Airlines
• Not For Sale - Human Trafficking In Las Vegas
• BIG GAMES, BIG BUCKS - Las Vegas & The Economics of Professional Sports
• Hackers vs. High Rollers: The Las Vegas Cyber Attack

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

This time around on 2023 In Review, I'm jumping into the archives and re-sharing conversations I've had the pleasure of speaking with over the last year including bloggers, podcasters, and even a pop culture icon!

It was amazing having them all on the podcast and sharing their fantastic work with you.

Check out their complete episodes here:

• Have a Seat: My Conversation with Chris Hansen
• VIP - Casino Comps & Loyalty Rewards
• Bon Appétit - A Conversation With John Curtas
• What The H**L Happened To Vegas?!?
• Mobsters, Martinis & the Mayor of Las Vegas: Mobbed Up - Season 3
• Concierge Confidential

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

For the first instalment of 2023 In Review, I wanted to pay tribute to all the entertainers who took time out of their lives to jump on the podcast and have a chat with me.

Singers, musicians, burlesque performers, comedians, and magicians all made it into the run this year.  We covered lots of great topics and it was a blast talking to all these amazing people!

If you want to check out their full episodes, here's the links:

• Petra Massey - Inside The Atomic Saloon
• Evolution: The Ever-Changing World of Vegas Entertainment
• My Special Guest - Mat Franco
• The Sweet Things In Life With Melody Sweets
• Rockin' The Boat With The Docksiders

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Back in the spring of 2020, as the world was shutting and COVID-19 restrictions were making travel impossible, I was looking for a way to keep putting out content despite NOT being able to go to Las Vegas and I had an idea to do a Vegas history podcast.  I'd already done several episodes about Vegas history, but I thought it would be cool to take deep dives into specific stories.

At the time, I was binge-listening to a show called Disgraceland, a very cool music history podcast with an incredibly distinct sound...it was like a documentary but not a "boring documentary"; it had music, sound effects, and vocal effects.  Disgraceland told the story in a really unique way that kept me engaged and wanting more.

That was the Las Vegas history podcast I wanted to do.

From that, Sin City Stories was born.

After the world opened up and I began traveling to Vegas again, I got back to releasing regular episodes of Jeff Does Vegas and, after 7 episodes, I put Sin City Stories on hiatus. 

But there was still interest in the show; people were still listening to it and every so often, I'd get emails asking if I had plans to release new episodes.

Flash forward to August 2023 and a conversation I had with Meagan & Anthony Smith, the creators of Mayhem In The Desert, a Vegas-focused true crime website.  We'd spoken numerous times before and every time we talked, we'd say, "We NEED to collaborate on something."

And now, it's finally happening!

Welcome to the world of Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime!

Take a listen to this snippet of the first episode, "Taken - The Kim Bryant Murder".

And mark your calendars for January 1st, 2024...that's when the first complete episode of Sin City Stories: Vegas True Crime will be released.

Listen exclusively at SinCityStoriesPod.com or find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts!

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I've got a recap of the most recent episodes of the podcast, I've got an update on my upcoming December Vegas Vacation, I've got exciting news about the re-launch of "Sin City Stories", and I'll take you "behind the curtain" on what's planned for the rest of 2023 and the start of 2024!

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

But on social media, it was a totally different story.

Guests at several MGM Resorts, including Mandalay Bay, the MGM Grand, and the Bellagio were all reporting major issues including slot machines & gaming floors shut down, room keys & locks not functioning properly, and hours-long lines waiting to be "manually checked in".

But what happened?  How did it all go down?  And how can it be prevented?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to answer those questions - and many others...

FC aka Freakyclown is an ethical hacker, social engineer, co-founder of cyber security company Cygenta, and the author of "How I Rob Banks (and other such places)."  He's spent the last 30 years helping thousands of corporations & organizations advance their security, both online and in the real world.

Learn more about FC on his website, follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and check out his YouTube Channel.  You can also head over to the Cygenta website to learn more about what FC and his wife, Dr. Jessica Barker, do for their clients.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Close your eyes and imagine it's the early 1980's.  You're sitting in the captain's chair, cruising the Atlantic shores of the Hamptons with your friends on board.  The bikinis are florescent, the shirt collars are popped, and the boat shoes are being worn sock-free.  The sound system is pumping out the soft rock vibes of Toto, Kenny Loggins, and Air Supply.

That's Yacht Rock.  And THAT is what Las Vegas headliners, The Docksiders, are all about!

Joining me for this episode of the podcast is Kevin Sucher, founder of The Docksiders, America's favorite Yacht Rock band!

Kevin is a long-time music industry vet who's worked with some pretty heavy hitters in the business - including Stevie Wonder, Train, Gwen Stefani, and David Foster.

Kevin shared what inspired him to form The Docksiders, we found out which music icon convinced Kevin to bring the show to Vegas, and we had an in-depth discussion about the music industry today & what the future of the business might hold.

Visit The Docksiders website to learn about the band, listen to their music, and get tickets to their latest residency at Notoriety Live in Downtown Las Vegas.  Also, be sure to follow The Docksiders on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and subscribe to the Docksiders YouTube Channel.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Joining me this time around is Brian Ortega, host & creator of the Concierge Confidential podcast.  Every episode, Brian gives his listeners an inside look at the world of Las Vegas and the people who work in it.  Brian explores every aspect of the Vegas lifestyle from hotels to restaurants to nightlife and he even shares some awesome tips & tricks for Las Vegas visitors.

Brian & I talked about his time working as a concierge at a major Las Vegas resort, what inspired him to launch the podcast, and he stepped back into his concierge role to share some of his favorite restaurants, shows and more!

Listen to Concierge Confidential on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.  And be sure to follow Brian on X (formerly known as Twitter).

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

Sign up NOW at patreon.com/jeffdoesvegas

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Fontainbleau Las Vegas sat completely dormant and roughly 70% complete for almost 15 years.  It's been through ownership changes, multiple bankruptcies, and lawsuits.  It's faced recessions, financial issues, questions about its structural integrity, and even a global pandemic.

But after all that, here we are...powering ahead towards the grand opening of what's shaping up to be one of the biggest & most luxurious resorts on the Vegas Strip.

For this episode, I'm joined by Eli Segall, Investigative Business Reporter and former Real Estate Reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal to talk about the past, present, and future of the Fontainebleau.  We went in depth on the history of the property - including the original ownership & concept for the property - and discussed the potential impact the new resort may have on revitalizing the north part of the Las Vegas Strip.

Check out Eli's articles on the Las Vegas Review-Journal website and be sure to follow Eli on X (formerly Twitter).

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On one side, you've got the proponents who love it; they say it will bring global attention to the city, shine the spotlight on Vegas as a world-class sporting city, and be a HUGE economic benefit for the city with an estimated $1.2 billion impact.

Then, on the other side, you've got the people who absolutely HATE the event; they're tired of traffic tie-ups & construction chaos, they're disgusted with F1's greed, and they're tired of disruptions on the strip with track preparation - including blocking off the Bellagio Fountains & closing the Mirage Volcano.

Joining me for his second appearance is Todd McCandless, host of The Parc Fermé Podcast, an awesome F1 podcast.  As we get closer to "lights out", I thought it might be fun to have Todd back for another chat about the Las Vegas Grand Prix.  Todd was here about a year and a half ago after the race was officially announced, but with things fully in motion and race weekend quickly approaching, I figured it was time for an update.

Todd and I also talked about the current F1 season, Max Verstappen & Red Bull Racing's dominance & the effect that was having on viewership, and whether or not the addition of another American-based team would re-spark U.S. interest in Formula 1.

For all the latest on Formula 1, visit The Parc Fermé website and make sure to listen to The Parc Fermé Podcast.  Also be sure to follow The Parc Fermé on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Last time I had Sergio on the show was a little over 3 years ago, shortly after Vegas had reopened following the big COVID-19 shutdown.  I was unable to go to Vegas due to various travel restrictions in place so I asked him to do a "Trip Report By Proxy" to talk about his Vegas experience.

It's now been almost 6 months since my last trip to the city, but Sergio just wrapped up a visit in the last few weeks, so I thought it might be fun to have him back to do it again.

Sergio shared his hotel experience staying both on the strip and downtown, we talked about what It's like attending a bachelor party with a bunch of Vegas virgins, and we discussed some of the same "challenges" Sergio ran into on this trip that others also seem to be dealing with on their own Vegas trips.

We also got a little serious during our conversation, as Sergio shared the epiphany he had during this trip and the blog post he wrote that's garnered a lot of attention.

Be sure to check out Viva Las Value for all the Vegas tips & tricks you could ever need and follow Sergio on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Dayvid Figler is a performer, musician, author, podcast host...and he's a long-time trial lawyer with several notable clients & cases in his portfolio.

Dayvid was kind enough to join me for a chat where we discussed his experiences growing up in the shadow of the Vegas Strip (literally), running away to college at the age of 16 and writing the Nevada Bar exam at 23, his role in overturning a lap dance ban in Clark County, what it's like hanging out with Flava Flav (yes...THAT Flava Flav), and his part in City Cast Las Vegas, a daily podcast that shares all the Vegas news & information you could ever need or want.

Follow Dayvid on X (formerly Twitter), visit the City Cast Las Vegas website for all your Vegas information & news, follow City Cast Las Vegas on X (formerly Twitter) & Facebook, and listen to City Cast Las Vegas on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

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On the night of September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot while sitting at a car at a stoplight at the corner of Flamingo Road & Koval Lane, just east of the Vegas Strip.  He died 6 days later at University Medical Center.

The case has remained unsolved for the past 27 years and the circumstances surrounding the murder have been shrouded with uncertainty & speculation with multiple theories floating around on who killed Tupac.

Joining me for this episode of the podcast to shed some light on the crime & peel away a few layers of the mystery is true crime author & journalist, Cathy Scott.

Cathy is the author of The Killing of Tupac Shakur: Who Did It and Why? which is considered to be one of the best books ever written on the subject of Tupac's murder.  At the time of the shooting, Cathy was working as a reporter for the Las Vegas Sun and she was one of the first people in the world to report Tupac's death.

Cathy & I took a deep dive into the case covering everything from the timeline of events the night of the shooting, to the bungled police investigation, to recent developments in the story.

Order your copy of "The Killing of Tupac Shakur" by Cathy Scott from your favorite online book seller.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Las Vegas entertainer, Melody Sweets!

You may recognize Melody from her time as "the Green Fairy" in Spiegelworld's Absinthe (a role she originated & performed for over 6 years), one her production show at the Roman Plaza at Caesars Palace, or you might have seen her photos in one of the dozens of places they've appeared (including Las Vegas Magazine, the New York Times, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition).

Melody jumped on the show to have a conversation about her latest project, a new web series called Sweets' Spot featuring "Baking, Boobies...and One Evil Donut".

We talked about Melody's life pre-Vegas and what brought her to the city, the evolution of Sweets' Spot from a live show in NYC to the video series it now, the future of the series, and much more!

Watch all 6 episodes of Season 1 of Sweets' Spot online now at sweetsspottv.com, learn more about Melody - including her music & live appearances - on her official website, and be sure to follow her on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Oscar has been a part of the Vegas scene since the mid-60's when he moved to town to practice law and ended up with some of the most notorious organized crime figures on his client list including Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal & Tony "The Ant" Spilotro.  Following his time as a defense attorney, he successfully ran for mayor, going on to serve three terms.  He had a cameo - as himself - in the film, "Casino" starring Robert DeNiro & Joe Pesci.  And, he even contemplated a run for Governor of Nevada.

Now, in his mid-80's, he's the subject of a new podcast series.

Season 3 of Mobbed Up - The Fight For Las Vegas focuses on the life & times of Oscar Goodman.

Joining for for this episode, and making his second appearance on the podcast is John Katsilometes, columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal who's also serving as host for this season of Mobbed Up.

John & I discussed what went into creating this season of Mobbed Up, how he convinced Oscar to be a part of the podcast, and how many hours he spent sitting with Oscar collecting his stories.

Season 3 of Mobbed Up - The Fight For Las Vegas is available September 14th, 2023 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts.

Be sure to follow John Katsilometes on X & Instagram and check out his column, Kats, at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

After my last trip to Vegas, I released the "NOT The May Trip Report" episode, in which I brought up several things that I didn't enjoy about the city and, in turn, my vacation.  I got a lot of a lot of feedback about that particular episode - some agreeing with me and some STRONGLY disagreeing with me.

I began to think that I was crazy...maybe it was just me.  Then, I started to see a lot of the same comments & complaints being made by people posting on Vegas-related social media channels and by several other Vegas content creators - including bloggers, vloggers and podcasters.

Then, it happened...

Sam Novak, the creator of Vegas Unfiltered (who's appeared on the show before) wrote an article for Vegas 411 titled, "This Is The Worst Time In History To Visit Vegas".

I asked Sam to join me for a conversation about the article as well as the current state of affairs in Las Vegas.  As expected, he was BRUTALLY honest about what's happening in the city.

We talked about construction chaos, skyrocketing costs, the overall state of the strip, and much more.  Plus, I asked the big question: What will it take to FIX things in Las Vegas?

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I've got a recap of some of the most recent episodes of the podcast in case you missed out and want to go back & listen, I've got an update on future travel plans & whether or not a Vegas trip is in my future, and I'll take you "behind the curtain" and reveal some of the upcoming episodes I'm putting together for you!

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

But if you go deep enough down the rabbit hole, you'll discover that every once in awhile, things in Las Vegas go "BOOM"...and that's what this episode of the podcast is all about.

I'm pleased to welcome back Meagan & Anthony Smith, the creators of Mayhem In The Desert, a true crime blog that shares the darker side of the history of Sin City.  On the site, they take deep dives into the famous - and infamous - crimes that have happened in Las Vegas, stretching back across the decades.

One of the subjects on their site that caught my eye was the history of bombings in Las Vegas, and I thought I'd invite Meagan & Anthony back to share these stories.  Some of them might be familiar to you...and others?  Not so much.

Be sure to visit Mayhem In The Desert online and make sure you follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Also, check out & subscribe to the Mayhem In The Desert YouTube Channel.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

And according to proponents, the impact pro sports can have on a community goes beyond what happens on the field or at the rink; job creation, tax revenue, and increased tourism are often cited as being big benefits to being the home of a pro sports franchise or hosting a big event like the Super Bowl or Formula 1.  These "benefits" are also the same ones brought up by team owners when they're trying to convince governments to hand over tax dollars to build new stadiums, as in the case of the Oakland A's likely relocation to Las Vegas.

But are these impacts real?  Do communities actually see any major economic benefit?  And is there an upside to the government handing hundreds of millions of dollars to billionaire team owners to build venues?

My guest is here to answer those questions - and more!  Victor Matheson is a Professor of Economics & Accounting specializing in Sports Economics at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA.  Victor has published numerous articles on the economic impact of hosting mega-sports events as well as the economics of sports stadiums, including the effects of public financing of sports facilities.

Follow Victor on Twitter and check out his Google Scholar profile to read his work.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

This time around, I'm joined by Las Vegas restaurant & food critic, John Curtas.

John has been living in Las Vegas since the early 1980's and started writing about the Vegas food & restaurant scene in the mid-90's.  He's the author of the book, Eating Las Vegas - The 52 Essential Restaurants and the creator of the Eating Las Vegas Blog.  John has also made appearances on TV & radio, he's been a judge on several episodes of Top Chef Masters and Iron Chef America, and he's the co-host of the podcast, Eat. Talk. Repeat.

John and I talked about he became a food & restaurant critic, how the Vegas food scene has changed over the years, what the future holds for Las Vegas when it comes to restaurants & cuisines, and John was kind enough to share some his favorite - and not so favorite - dining experiences.

To keep up with John & his culinary adventures, be sure to follow him on Twitter & Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Steve is a Casino Host in Las Vegas - but he's not just any host.  Steve is one of the elite hosts who deal almost exclusively with "whales".

What is a "whale", you ask?  "Whales" are the extreme high-roller VIP's who come to Vegas and spend MASSIVE amounts of money; it's not uncommon for a "whale" to drop $1 Million or more over the course of a weekend in the city.  In order to bring them - and their huge bank accounts - to Las Vegas, casino hosts hook them up with lavish comps...from high-end suites & villas, to private jets, to ringside tickets at UFC events, to pretty much anything you can imagine.

Steve is one of the guys who makes that happen.

We talked about his early days in the casino business, how he re-invented the way hosting was being done in Las Vegas, and some of the more "bizarre" requests he's gotten from his clients.

Order your copy of Whale Hunt In The Desert: Secrets Of A Vegas Superhost by Deke Castleman from your favorite online bookseller.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

A Las Vegas-based comedian & musician, Dennis's career has spanned almost 40 years and over that time, he's worked with some of the biggest names in comedy and music.  He co-wrote a feature film, he's worked on numerous TV specials, and he's appeared on the Tonight Show several times.

Dennis and I talked about what got him into comedy, his early days working with the legendary Rodney Dangerfield & what led to their falling-out, his time on the road with the incomparable Joan Rivers, and what it was like spending 18 years as the opening act for the late great George Carlin.

Order your copy of Touring with Legends by Dennis Blair from your favorite online bookseller now!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

December 15, 1952 saw the opening of one of the most iconic hotels in the history of Las Vegas - The Sands Hotel & Casino.

During its heyday, it hosted some of the biggest names in entertainment, most notably the legendary Rat Pack featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.  And although that might be what The Sands is best known for, there's way more to story than that.

David and I talked about what inspired him to cover the history of The Sands, how "mobbed up" the hotel was, Frank Sinatra's involvement the ownership of the property, and what led to the eventual downfall of The Sands (both figuratively and literally).

Get your copy of At The Sands by David G. Schwartz from your favorite online bookseller.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Eric entered the gaming industry following what I like to call a "forced career change", first as a dealer and eventually moving up to the position of pit boss.  As he got further into the crazy world of the casino business, he realized the stories from his day-to-day life were too good to NOT share.

First came the Twitter account, then came the book.

Eric & I talked about his entry into the gaming industry, what inspired him to create his Twitter account & write his book, and he even shared some tips & tricks for novice players thinking of hitting the tables on their next Vegas trip.

Dealt: Stories From My Life On The Felt is available from your favorite online bookseller.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

This time around on Vegas Book Club, we're headed back to Episode #93 of the podcast and my conversation with Matthew O'Brien, author of the books Beneath The Neon and Dark Days, Bright Nights: Surviving The Las Vegas Storm Drains.

Underneath the glitz & glamour of the Las Vegas Strip lies a massive network of tunnels which serve the practical purpose of protecting the big casinos & hotels from flash floods that often occur after summertime rainfalls.  However, those tunnels have also become a living space for hundreds - if not thousands - of homeless people in the city of Las Vegas.

Matthew is a writer, editor, and teacher who lived in Las Vegas for 20 years.  He's considered an authority on homelessness in the Las Vegas tunnels and he's the founder of Shine A Light, a non-profit program that helps people living in the tunnels and provides them with resources to get out of the tunnels.

Matthew & I discussed his early experiences with the tunnels, the work that went into writing his books, and what inspired him to create Shine A Light.

Beneath the Neon and Dark Days, Bright Nights are both available from your favorite online bookseller.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

July 31, 1969 was a day that changed Las Vegas forever; on that date, the King of Rock N' Roll stepped on stage at the newly-opened International Hotel to kick off what would eventually turn into one of the biggest Las Vegas residencies of all time..

Richard and I took a deep dive into Elvis's first appearance in Vegas back in 1956, the unlikely friendships he made during his time in Las Vegas, the toll his Vegas residency took on his health, and the overall impact Elvis made on Las Vegas.

Elvis In Vegas: How The King Reinvented The Las Vegas Show is available from your favorite online book seller.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Quite simply, there wasn't all that much to report from my most recent trip to Las Vegas.

As you may be aware, I had a trip planned to head to Vegas from May 29th to June 1st.  I had a lot of big ideas of what I wanted to do while I was down in Vegas this time around but, as the old saying goes, "The best laid plans of mice & men often go awry"...and that's exactly what happened on this trip and I ended up leaving town a a day and a half early.

That's not to say I have nothing to report though; I still had a great experience staying at The Horseshoe and I managed to (finally) get to Las Vegas Ballpark to take in a Las Vegas Aviators baseball game.  And, as per usual, I've got a few thoughts on what's happening in Vegas right now, particularly along the Las Vegas Strip.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

When you think "music" and "Las Vegas" there's likely a few names that come to mind almost instantly like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Liberace or Wayne Newton.

But I'm willing to bet that "Punk Rock" isn't even on your radar.  However, a new attraction, sandwiched between the growing Arts District and the World-Famous Las Vegas Strip is hoping to change that.

The recently-opened Punk Rock Museum houses the world's largest collection of Punk Rock artifacts & memorabilia including posters, instruments, clothing, and artwork - all donated by the people who LIVED it.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Vinnie Fiorello, the former drummer & lyricist for the Ska-Punk band, Less Than Jake.  Vinnie is also the Chief Marketing Officer and one of the co-founders of the museum.

Vinnie & I talked about the inspiration behind the foundation of the museum, some of the notable names who've come together to create the museum, and the incredibly unique experiences offered by the Punk Rock Museum.

If you'd like to learn more about The Punk Rock Rock Museum be sure to visit their website.  You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube.

Get your punk rock fix with the Punk Essentials Playlist on Spotify!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

It's been a busy couple of months around JDV-land and, as we head into the summer, things are shaping up to get even busier!

I thought it would be a good idea to jump on and give you a few updates on what's been happening in case you've missed out on some of the latest episodes, what I've got planned for my upcoming Vegas trip - happening as this episode is released, and share some of the cool stuff I've got planned for upcoming episodes of the podcast!

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The history of Las Vegas is jammed full of so many great stories about the mob and their involvement in the city but for this episode of the podcast, we're going in-depth on one that you might be be very familiar with.

Originally hailing from a small town in Texas that doesn't even exist anymore, Benny Binion rose to become a kingpin of the Las Vegas casino scene, creating a legacy that's lasted well beyond his death in the late 1980's.

Joining me to share Binion's story is Geoff Schumacher, Vice President of Exhibits & Programs at The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas.  Geoff and I talked about what got Benny into gambling & organized crime, what prompted his move to Las Vegas from Dallas, the unique trends Benny set in the casino business, and how the Binion name lives on in Las Vegas today.

To learn more about Benny Binion & his legacy, pick up a copy of Blood Aces: The Wild Ride of Benny Binion by Doug J. Swanson or I'll Do My Own Damn Killin' by Gary Sleeper.  You can also pay a visit to The Mob Museum and find out all about Benny Binion and the other famous (and infamous) people who helped to shape Las Vegas.

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I generally try to keep things pretty light on the podcast and stay away from topics that some might consider "serious" or "controversial", but if I spot an issue that I think my listeners need to know about, I go for it.  So, heads up...this might not be the Jeff Does Vegas that you're used to.

Human Trafficking is a massive problem around the world, and especially in Las Vegas; it might not come as much of a surprise to some people that Vegas has the 4th-highest rate of trafficking in the United States ranking behind Orlando, Atlanta and Washington D.C..

I wanted to take a dive into the issue, get to the root of the problem, and find out what's behind this high rate of human trafficking as well as but some of the myths & misconceptions surrounding it - and I think you might be very shocked by what you're about to hear.

To help me out with this topic, I reached out to a Las Vegas organization called The Cupcake Girls and my guest for this episode of the podcast is Amy-Marie Merrell, their Executive Director.

Amy & I discussed the work that The Cupcake Girls does with victims of human trafficking & sex trafficking as well as those working in the sex industry who are consensual sex workers, Amy shared some shocking facts about who's being trafficked and by whom they are being trafficked, and we talked about some of the legal changes Amy would like to see happen to better support & protect victims of trafficking.

If you want to learn more about The Cupcake Girls, support the work they're doing, or find the resources needed to get assistance, visit their website at TheCupcakeGirls.org.  You can also follow them Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I make no secret about the fact that I absolutely LOVE food.

In fact, as anyone who listens to the podcast on a regular basis knows, when I put together my "Trip Report" episodes, I always mention that that being able to tell people about the meals I've enjoyed in Las Vegas is probably my favorite part of the trip.

So, when I was presented with the opportunity to chat with a Las Vegas-based chef who took her passion for cooking and turned it into a career, I jumped at that chance.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Chef Alicia Shevetone.  Chef Alicia is a pop-up chef who regularly hosts events across the city, she's authored cookbooks, she makes appearances on local Vegas television, and she hosts her own online cooking show.  She's also the creator of Dink Cuisine, a unique cooking concept for a very specific demographic.

Learn all about Chef Alicia, find out about Dink Cuisine, see where she'll be appearing and get your hands on her cookbooks by visiting Chef Alicia's website.  Also, make sure follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Pre-order your copy of Chef Alicia's new cookbook, "Food With Spirit: Alcohol Infused Recipes" on Amazon. 

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Las Vegas bills itself as "the Entertainment Capital of the World" and it's easy to see why with all the big names performing up & down the Strip on a nightly basis...and it's been that way for decades.  But how did that all come to be...and what role did the world of organized crime play in making it happen?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help clear things up for us.

Making her second appearance on the podcast is Claire White, the Director of Education for the Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas.  Last time Claire was on the show, we went in-depth on Liberace & the impact he had on the Vegas entertainment scene.  We briefly touched on the topic of the mob and their place in Las Vegas's entertainment history, but I thought it might be fun to get Claire back to go into a little more detail.

We discussed the early days of Las Vegas entertainment, the Mob's role in helping to build up the industry in Las Vegas, and some of the prominent performers with alleged mob ties.

If you want to learn more about the history of Las Vegas & the role of the mob in establishing the entertainment industry, pick up a copy of Bright Light City: Las Vegas in Popular Culture by Larry Gragg. And be sure to pay a visit to the Mob Museum on your next trip to Las Vegas.  Visit their website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

After becoming the first ever magician to win America's Got Talent back in 2014, Mat Franco hit the Vegas strip with his show, Magic Reinvented Nightly at The Linq where he's been performing for almost 8 years.

On my last trip to Las Vegas, I had a chance to sit down backstage with Mat for a conversation.  We talked about what got him into magic & his family's support through his career, his AGT experience, the recent re-vamp of his Vegas show, and much more!

For tickets & showtimes, you can visit MatFranco.com and be sure to follow Mat on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

In years past, the Las Vegas Strip was jammed full of a combination of large-scale production shows and mid-level headliners with the odd big-time residency tossed into the mix.  And of course, there were also the casino lounges, packed full of people while Vegas's finest singers & musicians performed live.

But as you may have heard me talk about in past episodes - or even noticed on your own Vegas trips - the Strip has gone through a big shift when it comes to entertainment.

The large-scale productions are struggling, the mid-level shows have moved off the strip (or closed entirely), the casino lounges have gone silent & been replaced with sports books or high roller rooms, and Las Vegas Boulevard is littered with marquees touting high-priced monthly residencies from huge artists at almost every resort.

But what's behind this evolution?  To get the answer, I went to an insider...

Vincent John from The Bronx Wanderers, who've been caught up in all these changes over the last few years, makes his THIRD appearance on the podcast.

Vincent and I have had a lot of "offline" discussions about the state of Vegas entertainment, but we thought it was time for him to come on the show and have a conversation "on the record".

You can catch Vincent John & The Bronx Wanderers LIVE in Vegas or out on tour across the US.  Check their schedule and get your tickets NOW!

Listen to Vincent's solo work, streaming wherever you get your music including Apple Music and Spotify.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

It's time for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!

This time around, we're re-capping my most recent trip to Vegas, from March 4-11, 2023.  This was trip #2 of 2023 and was easily one of the busiest trips to Las Vegas that I've ever had!

I combined work and play for this trip; my wife joined me for a mini-vacation for the first few days of the trip, then I attended the Podcast Movement Evolutions conference at the Westgate Las Vegas Hotel & Casino for the last half of the trip.

Take a listen for reviews of my hotel experience at Luxor Las Vegas, our amazing meal at Mayfair Supper Club at the Bellagio, the time we spent seeing Mat Franco - Magic Reinvented Nightly at the Linq, and much more!  I've also got tips & tricks for anyone planning on attending a conference/convention in Las Vegas, as well as some thoughts & opinions about what's happening in the city.

__________________________________________________________________________

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The very first ever WrestleMania was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31st, 1985.  The brainchild of WWF owner Vince McMahon, WrestleMania played host to roughly 19,000 people at the Garden and was seen across the United States by over 1 million people via closed-circuit television.  At the time, it was the largest pay-per-view wrestling event ever.

In the years following, Wrestlemania would become the most successful and longest-running pro wrestling event in history, even setting several attendance records with crowds of over 100,000 people cramming stadiums to watch the show.

But that doesn't mean it was all good...which brings us to this episode of the podcast.

In 1993, 9 years after that first WrestleMania, the WWF (now WWE) decided to try their luck at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas with what was planned to be the most opulent WrestleMania ever.  There were elephants, camels, Roman Gladiators, chariots, and even an appearance by Cleopatra & Julius Caesar.

Despite all of that, WrestleMania IX is often regarded as "the worst WrestleMania of all time" and my guest is here to help break down all the reasons why.

Mark Hoke is the host of The Mark Hoke Show, the number 1 rated Pro Wrestling radio show in Las Vegas.

As WrestleMania IX gets set to celebrate its 30th anniversary, Mark and I went in-depth discussing the event; everything from the choice of venue to Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's memorable entrance to the politics behind the controversial ending.

You can listen to The Mark Hoke Show live Sunday mornings at 8am PT on Las Vegas's KDWN 101.5 FM and online via the Audacy app, or listen when you want wherever you get your podcasts.

Also, be sure to follow Mark on Facebook & Twitter for all the latest from the world of pro wrestling.

__________________________________________________________________________

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

One of the most serene spots along Las Vegas Boulevard also happens to be home to one of the biggest spectacles in the city's history:

That would be the fountains at Caesars Palace - and the attempt to jump over those fountains on a motorcycle by the legendary Evel Knievel!

During my last trip to Las Vegas, I caught up with Joe Friday from the Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, Kansas.  Joe was attending the same conference I was, as he's prepping to release a brand-new podcast all about the incredible story of Evel Knievel.

Joe and I talked about Evel's early life and how he got into stunt riding, how Evel "conned" his way into jumping the fountains at Caesars, his career following the jump, and much more.

Joe also shared some very cool Evel Knievel/Las Vegas news with me.

If you want to learn more about the history of Evel Knievel, you can visit the Evel Knievel Museum online and be sure to follow the museum on Facebook and Instragram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Spiegelworld's Atomic Saloon Show is easily one of the best shows - if not THE BEST show - currently running on the Vegas Strip...and I'm very happy to be joined for this episode of the podcast by one of the incredibly talented cast members.

On my most recent trip to Las Vegas, I headed out to the super-secret Spiegelworld HQ for a chat with Petra Massey, better known as Boozy Skunkton, the proprietor of the Atomic Saloon & Brothel who also serves as the MC for the show.

Petra and I chatted about what got her into performing, her career before joining Spiegelworld, the early days workshopping Atomic Saloon, and much more!

Atomic Saloon runs 5 nights a week (2 shows each night) inside the Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.  Visit the Spiegelworld website to get your tickets and be sure to follow Atomic Saloon on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Hey Everyone!

It's going to be a busy couple of weeks around the world of Jeff Does Vegas!

I'm not going to be releasing any new episodes for a couple of weeks, but I didn't want to leave you hanging!

So, I thought I'd put together a little update/bonus episode to tell you what's going to be happening over the next while including upcoming interviews & episodes I'm working to put together, plans for my current Vegas trip, as well as new content I'm working on for the podcast.

__________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I've had a few listeners reach out and ask me about doing an episode covering the topic of casino comps, tier statuses & loyalty programs, so I thought it was about time I actually got to it.  And, even though I'm a member of several different Vegas casino loyalty programs, I really have no idea how they work.

So, I'm turning to an expert to help me out!

Shawn Coomer is the founder & editor-in-chief of Miles To Memories, a website dedicated to sharing the best tips & tricks when it comes to maximizing the benefits of travel reward & loyalty programs - including casino loyalty programs.  Shawn is also a Las Vegas native and host of the Miles To Memories Vegas Podcast and Miles To Memories Vegas YouTube Channel.

Visit Miles To Memories for the latest news from the world of travel reward & loyalty programs and be sure to follow Miles To Memories on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I always LOVE having other Vegas fanatics on the podcast to chat about the latest happenings in "Sin City".  Back in Spring of 2021, I was joined on the show by Adam Bauer aka "Travel Fanboy" to talk about some of the big changes coming to Las Vegas.  We discussed the sale of the Cosmopolitan to MGM, the sale of the Mirage to Hard Rock, and the impending re-branding of Bally's to Horseshoe.

A year has passed and all of those changes are either complete or well underway, so I decided to reconnect with Adam so we could share our thoughts on those projects as well as some of the upcoming openings and big events coming to the Vegas Strip.

Check out the official Travel Fanboy website for lots of great travel tips & tricks, as well as Adam's latest venture, Cheapskate Vegas, where you can learn to live like a high-roller on a low-roller budget.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Roughly 85 miles northwest of the Las Vegas Strip, you'll find what might be the most famous classified military installation in the world:

Area 51

If you believe what you see in pop culture, Area 51 - or "Homey Airport" as it's officially known - is the secret base where the U.S. Government stores dead alien beings & their spacecraft, and works on advanced technology like weather control, time travel, and teleportation.

But what REALLY happens there?  My guest for this episode is going to help shed some light on the subject...maybe.

Dr. Joseph Fitsanakis is a Professor of Intelligence and Security Studies at Coastal Carolina University, where he's also the program manager for the partnership between the university and the National Security Agency (aka: the NSA).  He's written several books on intelligence, espionage, and security and he's also a senior editor at IntelNews.org.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Here comes another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time around, it's a recap of my most recent trip to Vegas from January 23-26, 2023.

I've got reviews of my stay at Planet Hollywood plus meals at Flight Club in the Venetian, Ramsay's Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay at Harrah's, and the famous Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge at the north end of the Strip.  I'll also share thoughts on The Carroll Shelby Heritage Center and the Atomic Saloon Show at the Venetian.

__________________________________________________________________________

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

There's no question that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, and all through the city's history, it's played host to some of the most legendary acts of all time.

Some names come to mind instantly, like The Rat Pack...Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jr.  There's Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton who's been headlining in Vegas since the mid-1960's.  And of course, there's the King Of Rock N' Roll, Elvis Presley who sold out a record 636 shows at the International Hotel (later, the Las Vegas Hilton).

But one performer made his mark on Las Vegas before any of those people.  In fact, some would say he paved the way for not only past legends but the massive residencies that would come decades later.

That performer is the one and only Liberace...

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Claire White, the Director of Education at The Mob Museum in Downtown Las Vegas.  Before she joined the Mob Museum, Claire spent several years working at the now-closed Liberace Museum, also in Las Vegas, where she learned all about the long & storied career of "Mr. Showmanship".

If you want to check out some of the highlights of Liberace's life, check these out:

• Liberace performing "Chopsticks"
• Liberace live with the London Philharmonic Orchestra
• Liberace's dual role as villains, "Chandell" and "Harry" on the classic TV series, Batman
• Liberace's appearance on The Muppet Show
• Liberace hosts on MTV in 1985

__________________________________________________________________________

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Did you know that approximately 2% of the world's population uses a wheelchair AND that nearly 20% of people have a disability that limits one or more activities of daily living?

If you applied that math to Las Vegas, that means that roughly 840,000 wheelchair users and almost 8.5 million people with different levels of accessibility requirements travel to Vegas every single year.

In the various Vegas-related Facebook groups I'm a part of, I often see questions from people who are apprehensive about visiting the city due to the perception that Vegas isn't very wheelchair friendly.

I wanted to break that perception...so I've called in an expert on the subject of wheelchair travel.

John Morris is the founder & creator of WheelchairTravel.org, a website & blog where he shares his own experiences of travelling as a wheelchair user.  And, like me, John is also a frequent Vegas visitor.

If you want to learn more about John & get all the info you need when it comes to travelling to Las Vegas with a disability, visit WheelchairTravel.org and be sure to follow John on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

In mid-December 2022, I was offered the opportunity to talk with the one and only Chris Hansen, formerly of Dateline NBC and perhaps best known for the famous To Catch A Predator series of investigative reports.

If you're not familiar with To Catch A Predator, allow me to explain:

A group of decoys playing the part of underage teen boys & girls enter online chatrooms and wait for adults to engage them in sexually explicit conversations.  A meeting is set up, the predator comes to a house to meet who he believes is the minor he's been chatting with but instead he's greeted by Chris Hansen and local law enforcement.

But what does this have to do with Las Vegas?

As it turned out, Chris Hansen WAS headed to Vegas for a run of live shows at the Southpoint Hotel & Casino in early February (which unfortunately were cancelled, with plans to reschedule) where he'd be talking about To Catch A Predator, his latest predator investigations, sharing behind the scenes & never-before-seen footage, and hosting an interactive Q&A session with the audience.

You can watch Chris's latest predator investigations streaming online at WatchTruBlu.com and be sure to follow Chris on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

__________________________________________________________________________

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Get ready for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time, we're recapping mine & my wife's most recent trip to Vegas from December 11th-16th, 2022.

This episode includes reviews of our stay at Paris Las Vegas as well as meals at Roy Choi's Best Friend in Park MGM, Yellowtail Restaurant & Lounge at the Bellagio, The Steakhouse at Circus Circus, and others.  Plus, I share our experiences at Cirque Du Soleil's Mad Apple, Reckless In Vegas and Bat Out Of Hell - The Musical.

I also discuss the latest at The Mob Museum (including drinks & food at The Underground) and share a few thoughts & observations on recent goings-on in Las Vegas.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The Las Vegas Strip attracts all types of people.

Vacationers, gamblers, foodies, partiers...and daredevils.  And there's one specific spot on the strip that's been particularly appealing to those who make their living defying death:

The Fountains at Caesars Palace

Since Caesars Palace opened back in 1966, the usually serene spot along Las Vegas Boulevard has played host to multiple brave - and possibly crazy - people who've attempted to jump their motorcycles over the famed fountains.  Some have succeeded but many others have failed...spectacularly.

As we mark 55 years since the very first attempt on December 31, 1967, I invite you to sit back, relax and enjoy this specially re-mastered version of Sin City Stories: A Cunning Display Of Stunts.

If you want to learn more about these daredevils, check out the shownotes for Volume 4 of Sin City Stories featuring articles, photos, videos and more!

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

As 2022 comes to an end, I've decided to take you all on a little trip back in time to re-visit some of my favorite conversations from the last 12 months of the podcast.

For the third & final instalment of 2022 In Review, I've decided to cover what is easily one of my favorite things to talk about - and based on your reactions to these episodes, I'm betting it's yours as well:

Las Vegas History

Over the past year, I've covered some pretty cool parts of Vegas history and been very fortunate to be joined by some amazing guests for these conversations!

If you want to check out their full episodes, here they are (in order of appearance):

• EP#124: Las Vegas Black History - The Rise & Fall of the Moulin Rouge
• EP#103: The Best Dam Episode Ever!
• EP#132: Bugsy - Fact vs. Fiction
• EP#126: Dark Tourism
• EP#120: "Rare" History - The Story of the Golden Steer

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As 2022 comes to an end, I've decided to take you all on a little trip back in time to re-visit some of my favorite conversations from the last 12 months of the podcast.

This time on 2022 In Review, I'm jumping into the archives and re-sharing conversations with some of the excellent content creators I've had the pleasure of speaking with over the last year including authors, vloggers, bloggers & podcasters.

It was awesome getting them on the podcast to talk about Las Vegas and share their fantastic work with you!

If you want to check out their full episodes, here they are (in order of appearance):

• EP#105: Going Through Changes
• EP#127: Responsible Travel
• EP#112: LIGHTS OUT! F1 On The Vegas Strip
• EP#116: The Annoyed Pit Boss
• EP#130: The Vegas Confessions Podcast

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

As 2022 comes to an end, I've decided to take you all on a little trip back in time to re-visit some of my favorite conversations from the last 12 months of the podcast.

For the first episode of 2022 In Review, I wanted to pay tribute to the amazing entertainers who took time out of their busy lives to jump on the show for a chat.

Singers, musicians, showgirls, comedians and even an exotic dancer all made it on the podcast this year.  We covered a ton of great topics and it was a blast talking to all these incredibly talented people!

If you want to check out their full episodes, here they are (in order of appearance):

• EP#125: Showgirls - Fact vs. Fiction
• EP#102: My Special Guest - Enoch Augustus Scott
• EP#115: Interview With A Dancer
• EP#131: My Special Guest - Dennis Blair
• EP#133: My Special Guest - Anne Martinez
• EP#109: My Special Guest - Carrot Top

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

When you really want to know what's going on in the Las Vegas entertainment scene, there's only one guy you need to turn to...and he's my guest for this episode of the podcast!

John Katsilometes is the writer of "Kats!", a daily column in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that covers everything & anything to do with entertainment in Vegas, both on and off the Vegas Strip.

John was kind enough to join me to chat about his beginnings in the world of journalism, how me moved from writing about sports to writing about entertainment, some of the big stories he's broken during his career, and much more!

Check out "Kats!" on the Las Vegas Review-Journal's website, follow John on Twitter & Instagram for all the latest happenings in Vegas, and check out his podcast, "Podkats!"

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Back a few weeks ago, I decided it might be fun to step outside of my comfort zone and host an official Jeff Does Vegas Ask Me Anything session.

I put it out to you, the amazing listeners of this podcast, to ask me questions about anything you wanted to know - whether it was about Las Vegas, podcasting, my radio career, my personal life...literally ANYTHING.

And you guys didn't disappoint!  You asked some really great questions - both in advance and during the session - and it was a blast to engage with everyone and answer them.

I hosted the original live stream on October 21, 2022 and, as promised, I'm now releasing it as a podcast episode.  I've cleaned it up and done a bit of editing but, for the most part, it's presented here exactly as it happened.

If you'd like to check out the original video version of the Jeff Does Vegas Ask Me Anything live stream, you can find on the Jeff Does Vegas YouTube Channel.

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On November 21, 1980, the Las Vegas Strip was the site of what would become the third-worst hotel fire in modern U.S. history and what to this day remains the biggest disaster in the history of the state of Nevada.

Early that morning, a small fire broke out in a restaurant on the ground floor of what was - at the time - the MGM Grand Hotel.  The fire quickly spread, engulfing the casino level and sending thick black smoke & toxic fumes to the upper floors of the hotel.  In the end, 85 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.

But what exactly caused the fire and led to such widespread fatalities & injuries?  And what changes were made to ensure that something like this could ever happen again?

As we mark 42 years since this horrific event, these are the questions we aim to answer with this specially re-mastered edition of Sin City Stories: Inferno At The MGM Grand.

If you want to learn more about the history of the original MGM Grand Hotel, the fire that claimed the lives of 85 innocent victims, or any of the other incidents covered in this episode, check out the shownotes for Volume 2 of Sin City Stories featuring photos, videos, articles and more!

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

October 21, 1977 saw the release of what would eventually become one of the best selling albums of all time: 

Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell

The idea for the album came from a musical that writer/composer Jim Steinman had conceived back in 1974.  Meat Loaf & Jim spent most of 1975 re-writing & recording the album, then close to 2 years auditioning the record - and getting rejected by every single record company they presented it to.

After a concert video of the title track aired on BBC Television in the UK, the album gained A LOT of traction...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Bat Out Hell has sold 43 million copies worldwide, it's certified 14x Platinum in the US, and it's spent a record 530 weeks on the UK Album Charts.

Flash forward to the late 90's, when word of a new musical based on the album (and it's sequel, "Bat Out Of Hell II") begins to surface.  The show was officially announced in 2008, workshopped in New York City in 2015, and finally hit the stage in the UK in 2017.  After spending time in London's West End, Toronto, and touring around the world, it was revealed in early 2022 that the Paris Theater in the Paris Hotel & Casino would be home to a new resident production of Bat Out Hell: The Musical.

Joining me for this episode of the podcast is veteran Vegas performer, Anne Martinez, who plays the role of "Sloane" in the show.

Anne & I chatted about what initially brought her to Las Vegas a decade ago, we talked about her love for the music of Jim Steinman & Meat Loaf, and what makes Bat Out Of Hell such a special show.

For more info on Bat Out Of Hell: The Musical at the Paris Hotel & Casino, visit the show's website for showtimes/days & ticket info.  For exclusive pics & videos, be sure to follow Bat Out Of Hell on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

In 1991, Warren Beatty jumped onto the big screen to portray one the most feared and most famous mobsters of all time...Bugsy.

The film, directed by Barry Levinson and co-starring Annette Bening (as Bugsy's longtime girlfriend, Virginia Hill) tells the story of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and his role in the creation of The Flamingo and the building of Las Vegas as an "oasis in the desert".

Bugsy was minor hit, grossing just over $49 Million at the box office, receiving high praise from critics, and garnering several Academy Award & Golden Globe nominations including a Golden Globe win for "Best Picture - Drama".  But despite all these accolades, just how historically accurate was the film?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to tell us.

Making his FOURTH appearance on the podcast is Geoff Schumacher, the Vice President of Exhibits and Programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.  Geoff was kind enough to join me once again to help separate fact from fiction when it comes to the story of Bugsy Siegel.

Did Bugsy actually try to get into acting during his time in Hollywood?  Who actually came up with the idea for The Flamingo?  And was opening night at the casino really a total flop?

If you want to learn more about Bugsy & his associates and their place in Las Vegas history, plan a visit to the Mob Museum on your next Vegas vacation.  You can also follow the Mob Museum on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

And be sure to check out Geoff's previous appearances on the podcast including:

• Episode #22: Mob Rules
• Episode #62: Howard Hughes - Aviator, Innovator & Las Vegas Legend
• And Episode #87: Casino - Fact vs. Fiction

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

For this Podcast Flashback, I've decided to take a deep dive into the archives and, being that it's Halloween, I thought it might be fun to re-share something spooky.  And it all starts with a simple question:

Do you believe in ghosts?

With Vegas's somewhat shady past & tales of tragedy, it should come as no surprise that Sin City has more than its fair share of creepiness floating around.  A quick search on Google reveals several spots both on and off The Strip that are believed to be haunted by the spirits of the infamous, the famous, and the not-so-famous.

Way back on Episode #41 of the podcast, I was joined by Josef Kruger of Las Vegas Ghost Tours for a conversation about some of the creepiest & strangest stories of Las Vegas spooks & spectres!

If you want to learn more about Vegas Ghost Tours and book yourself on an upcoming tour, be sure to visit their website.  Also, follow US Ghost Adventures on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all kinds of cool ghost stories not just from Vegas, but from all over the United States!

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Picture it...it's the late 1970's.  You're a singer-songwriter working the bar scene in New York City.  One night, after having enough of dealing with crowds that don't pay attention to you, you decide to mess around with the lyrics of a popular song and perform that on stage...and you manage to turn that into a career spanning almost 40 years.

That's exactly what Dennis Blair did.

Dennis is a Las Vegas-based comedian & musician who, over the course of the last 4 decades, has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest names in comedy & music.  He co-wrote a feature film, he's worked on TV specials, he's appeared on The Tonight Show and he recently released a book chronicling his time on the road as an opening act.

Dennis and I chatted about what got him into comedy, the early days of working with Rodney Dangerfield & what led to their falling out, life on the road with Joan Rivers, and what it was like spending 18 years as the opening act for George Carlin.

Visit Dennis's website to find out where you can catch him performing in Vegas, pick up a copy of his book, "Touring With Legends" from your favorite online bookseller, and check out his music on Apple Music & Spotify.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I love having fellow Vegas content creators on the podcast and I've been fortunate to talk to several.  From bloggers to YouTubers to podcasters, I love learning about what got them interested in the city and what contributes to their drive to share their passion - and my guest for this episode is easily one of the most passionate Vegas podcasters I've ever chatted with.

Julian Romero is the host of the Vegas Confessions Podcast, which I can honestly say is one of the best Las Vegas podcasts available.

Julian and I talked about what initially got him into podcasting, what he loves about being a Vegas podcaster, how he's managed to turn a passion project into a full-time job, and much more!

You can follow Julian and the Vegas Confessions Podcast on Twitter and Facebook and be sure to search out the Vegas Confessions Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Also, before your next Las Vegas vacation, be sure to download the Vegas Near Me app so you can search out your favorite hotels, casinos, restaurants, attractions, shows and more!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

If you're a lover of that vintage Vegas vibe, but also a huge fan of the contemporary rock sound, you're going to LOVE my guest for this episode of the podcast

Joining me this time around is Michael Shapiro, front man for Reckless In Vegas who, after spending the last several years hustling their asses off around Las Vegas at various lounges and showrooms, recently landed their first ever residency gig at the legendary Sahara Las Vegas!

Michael & I discussed what initially got him interested in music, we talked about his early days working in cover bands & touring with other artists, he opened up about his addiction & recovery, and he shared what inspired him to create the unique sound of Reckless In Vegas.

If you want to learn more about Reckless In Vegas and get your hands on tickets to see them live at the Sahara, be sure to visit their website.  You can also follow the band on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

You can also listen to Reckless In Vegas online on Apple Music & Spotify.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Heads Up: This episode of Jeff Does Vegas contains descriptions of an event that some people may find disturbing or triggering.  Listener discretion is advised.

October 1, 2017. 

It's a date burned into the memories of both Las Vegas residents and visitors.  On that day, the Vegas Strip - a place normally associated with fun & frivolity - became a site of terror for thousands of people attending a country music festival.

From his suite on one of the high floors of a nearby hotel, a gunman opened fire on the crowd and in doing so, committed the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history with dozens of people killed, hundreds of people wounded, and the city of Las Vegas shaken to the core.

2022 marks 5 years since the shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival and in honor of this tragic milestone, I've decided to release a re-mastered version of the Sin City Stories episode I produced about his incident.

We'll look at the response to the shooting from the people in the city, across the United States and around the world; We'll hear how Las Vegas has healed over the last 5 years; We'll learn about the person who perpetrated this awful attack; And we'll dig into the question that, to this day, still remains unanswered...

Why?

If you want to learn more about what unfolded on October 1, 2017 in Las Vegas including the response of the brave heroes who rushed to the scene, the outpouring of support following the shooting, the investigation into the attack, and the tributes paid to victims following this tragedy, check out the shownotes for Volume 6 of Sin City Stories featuring articles, photos, videos and more.

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Over the last several years, there's been a push in the travel industry for people to practice what's called "Responsible Travel".  This is travel that's all about making choices to minimize the negative impacts of your travel in favor of ones that are neutral or contribute positively.

My guests for this episode are Erin Hynes & Kattie Laur, the hosts of Alpaca My Bags, a Canadian podcast that explores Responsible Travel.

During our conversation Erin shared what got her interested in travel & what inspired her to start blogging and podcasting as well as how she connected with Kattie & brought her into the fold, the ladies shared their experiences of their own Las Vegas vacations, and we discussed how to apply the principals of Responsible Travel to when visiting a city like Las Vegas - known best for total irresponsibility.

You can learn more about Responsible Travel by visiting Erin's website/blog as well as by following her on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.  You can also follow Kattie on Twitter and visit her website as well.  And be sure to listen to Alpaca My Bags wherever you get your podcasts.

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Dark Tourism - otherwise known as Thana Tourism, Black Tourism, or Morbid Tourism - is the term used to describe travel to places that are historically associated with death and tragedy.

Dark Tourism destinations exist all over the world; from Nazi concentration camps in Poland, to the site of the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine, to Ground Zero in New York City.  There are Jack the Ripper tours in London, Pablo Escobar tours in Colombia and even JFK assassination tours in Dallas.

But what is it that brings people to these types of attractions?  Why has so-called Dark Tourism seen such a boom in recent years?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to answer that question...and many others.

Marta Soligo teaches Sociology of Leisure at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and is also a visiting professor at the University of Bergamo in Italy, where she teaches Sociology of Tourism.  Marta has also done extensive research into Dark Tourism, specifically as it relates to celebrity culture.

Marta and I discussed what got her interested in studying tourism & leisure from the sociology side of things, why people are attracted to "the macabre", and she shared a few examples of Dark Tourism destinations in Las Vegas.

If you'd like to learn more about Dark Tourism, there are LOTS of great resources on line including Google Scholar (which has - literally - HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of great articles on the subject) and the website, dark-tourism.com featuring an extensive database of over a thousand Dark Tourism sites in 115 different countries around the world! 

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

There are some AWESOME Vegas movies out there.  Classics like "Casino", "Oceans Eleven" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".  There are also some TERRIBLE Vegas movies out there...like "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone", "3000 Miles To Graceland" and "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2".

I think it's fair to say that the film we're discussing in this episode falls somewhere in the middle.

Considered to be one of the biggest box office bombs of all time, Showgirls (written by Joe Eszterhas, directed by Paul Veerhoven, and starring Elizabeth Berkley) has morphed into a huge cult classic.

Thanks to a steady stream of nudity & gratuitous sex, the film was given an NC-17 rating and to this day, remains the only film with that rating to have had wide release in US movie theaters.  And although Showgirls wasn't based on a true story, Eszterhas and Veerhoven claimed they did "extensive interviews" with people in the Vegas entertainment community to make the portrayal of the showgirl world as accurate as possible.

So, did they get it right?  We're about to find out.

My guest for this episode, making her second appearance on the podcast, is Dani Elizabeth - a legit Showgirl and former cast member of the legendary Vegas shows, "Jubilee" and "Crazy Girls".

Dani shared the story of the first time she saw Showgirls and how it almost led to a career change, we dove into the film with some character analysis & theories on why people watch the film over and over again, and we compared Dani's "showgirl life" to Nomi Malone's.

If you want to dive further into the world of Showgirls - and really, who wouldn't? - check out the documentary You Don't Nomi directed by Jeffrey McHale (available for sale & rent on your favorite streaming service).

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I've talked about a lot of Las Vegas history on this podcast and I absolutely love doing it.  And, based on the reaction to the various Vegas history episodes I've released, it's pretty clear that you do too.

This time around, I'm covering a part of Las Vegas history that doesn't get the attention it deserves and if I'm being honest, it's a part of Las Vegas history that I really had no idea existed - and as someone who considers themselves a bit of a Vegas fanatic, I'm a little embarrassed by that fact.

Joining me on this episode is Claytee White, the Director of the Oral History Research Center at the University of Nevada - Las Vegas.  I asked Ms. White to come on the podcast to have a conversation about Black History and the African American Community in Las Vegas after hearing her appearance on the podcast, "Spectacle - Las Vegas".

Ms. White shared her story of what brought her Las Vegas and got her interested in Black History, we discussed the situation in Las Vegas leading up to the founding of the Moulin Rouge, and what led to the integration of Las Vegas Strip.

If you'd like to learn more about Black History, the African American Community in Las Vegas, and the Moulin Rouge, visit Documenting the African American Experience in Las Vegas, a project of the UNLV University Libraries.  You can also check out the books, The Moulin Rouge and Black Rights in Las Vegas by Earnest N. Bracey and Storming Caesars Palace by Annelise Orleck.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Imagine being able to attend a concert featuring some of the greatest rock songs in history from artists like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, the Rolling Stones, the Who, AC/DC and Van Halen.

Now, imagine those songs being played by musicians from some of the biggest bands in the world like Whitesnake, Starship, the Cult and Heart.

Stop imagining it because it's reality.  It's in Las Vegas and it's called Raiding The Rock Vault.

Raiding The Rock Vault has been a part of the Vegas entertainment scene for almost a decade with past residencies at the Westgate, the Tropicana and the Hard Rock Hotel with the show recently moving off the strip to the Rio to open a brand new venue, Duomo.

Joining me for a conversation is Sir Harry Cowell, co-creator of Raiding The Rock Vault.

Sir Harry and I talked about some of the incredible artists he's worked with over his long career in the music business, the inspiration behind the creation of Raiding The Rock Vault, the challenges of opening a new venue, and much more!

For more info & to snag tickets, visit Raiding The Rock Vault online and make sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Time for another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time, we're going over my most recent trip to Vegas from July 25th-27th, 2022.

This episode includes reviews of my stay at The Mirage as well as meals at Village Cafe at Ellis Island, Ri-Ra Irish Pub in Mandalay Bay, Home Plate Bar & Grill off the strip, Otoro Robata Sushi & Grill at The Mirage and my not-so-awesome dining experience at Mabel's BBQ at The Palms.

I recap my experience touring Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, talk about some of the changes I saw happening along the Vegas Strip, and I share a few observations on Vegas becoming the new "family vacation destination".

I also briefly discuss the homelessness situation in Las Vegas.  If you want to help support this vulnerable population, please check out the following charities:

• Las Vegas Rescue Mission
• The Shade Tree
• Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada
• Shine A Light

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

"In Vegas, everybody's gotta watch everybody else. Since the players are looking to beat the casino, the dealers are watching the players. The box men are watching the dealers. The floor men are watching the box men. The pit bosses are watching the floor men. The shift bosses are watching the pit bosses. The casino manager is watching the shift bosses. I'm watching the casino manager. And the eye-in-the-sky is watching us all." - Sam "Ace" Rothstein, "Casino", 1995

Since the days of Sam Rothstein and the Tangiers - or Frank Rosenthal and the Stardust, if you will - casino security has come a LONG ways.

The industry has moved on from binocular-carrying staff, wandering catwalks in the ceiling to a world of digitally networked video recording and facial recognition software...and my guest for this episode of the podcast is here to take us behind the curtain and into that world.

Charles H. Barry is an expert in casino and corporate security, surveillance & investigations and currently runs his own consulting firm.  He has over 30 years in the field and has worked with several major gaming companies.  Mr. Barry is also a former law enforcement officer, having worked as a detective with the Phoenix Police Department and as a Special Agent with the FBI.

Charles and I discussed the evolution of casino security over the last several decades, emerging threats to casinos & hotels, and the major event that forced gaming corporations to re-examine their security procedures from top to bottom.

If you'd like to learn more about Charles and the services he currently provides, be sure to visit his website.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

As frequent listeners to the podcast know, one of my favorite parts of visiting Vegas is the food.

Over the last several years, Las Vegas has become a Foodie's paradise with dozens of new restaurants opening each year, featuring celebrity chefs and cuisine you can possibly imagine.  But you know what?  No matter how hard you try, you just can't beat a classic.

The Golden Steer, located just off the strip on Sahara Boulevard is Las Vegas's oldest continually operating steakhouse.  They opened back in 1958 and over the course of it's almost-65 year history, they've become legendary not only for their amazing steaks but for the incredible service, old Vegas atmosphere, and their famous (and infamous) customers.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Nick McMillan, Managing Partner of the Golden Steer.  Nick and I talked about the early days of the Golden Steer, it's evolution from "western roadhouse" to "cool celebrity hangout", their place in Vegas Mob History, and what makes the Golden Steer different from other Las Vegas steakhouses.

If you want to learn more about the Golden Steer and make a reservation for your next Vegas trip, visit their website.  And for drool-worthy pics of their awesome food, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

July 16th, 2022 marks the 77th anniversary of the detonation of the very first atomic bomb and to honor that milestone, I've decided to release a re-packaged version of one of my favorite episodes of Sin City Stories, my Las Vegas history spin-off podcast.

And although the actual test occurred in the desert just outside of Los Alamos, New Mexico, it led to one of the most interesting periods in Nevada's history and a very bizarre tourism industry for the city of Las Vegas.

Just as the cold war with Russia was beginning to heat up, the US Government selected a spot a little over 60 miles away from the glitz and glamour of the Vegas Strip where they could test atomic weapons.  The explosions lit up the sky and the mushroom clouds that came with the blasts could be seen for miles around - including from the rooftops of the hotels in downtown Las Vegas.

If you want to go even further in-depth on the history of Atomic Vegas, check out the complete shownotes on the Sin City Stories website featuring articles, photos, videos and more!  And if you've got a Las Vegas trip planned anytime soon, be sure to visit the National Atomic Testing Museum.

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Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Welcome to another BONUS EPISODE of the podcast!

If you've been watching the news lately, then I'm sure you're aware of what's happening at airports all over the world.

Mass flight cancellations, huge delays, lost baggage, staff shortages and huge line-ups are just some of the problems plaguing flyers in recent weeks.

Adding to the problem is that after almost two years of a lot of the world not being able to travel anywhere, pent up demand has led to a lot of people hopping on planes for vacation, which in turn has put stress on an industry that might not have been ready for such a quick rebound.

As some of you may be aware, when I'm not doing the podcast, I work in operations for a major airline here in Canada, meaning I'm seeing first-hand the impact this craziness is having on travellers.

As such, I thought it might be helpful to share a few "insider tips" for anyone who might be planning a flight to Las Vegas (or anywhere in the world for that matter) to help make your trip a little smoother and even prepare you for the possibility that things might not go as planned.

There's a lot of information crammed into this episode, so I've made my notes downloadable for your own use!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Las Vegas - or more specifically, Lake Mead, located just outside Las Vegas - has found itself in the spotlight as of late & is attracting the attention of two very different groups of people:

Mob Historians and Climate Scientists

Lake Mead is known as a water playground for both tourists & locals, but it's also one the United States' largest reservoirs providing water for over 20 million people across 3 states.  However, due to drought and increased water demand, the lake's water levels have dropped drastically over the last several years, which has led to some bizarre and horrifying discoveries.

Returning for this bonus episode of the podcast to discuss recent events at Lake Mead is Anthony Smith, one half of the creative force behind Mayhem In The Desert, a Las Vegas True Crime blog that takes a deep dive into some of the stories that helped shape Las Vegas's history.

If you want to learn more about Vegas's true crime past and the darker side of Sin City, be sure to visit Mayhem In The Desert.  Also, be sure to follow Mayhem In The Desert on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm a MASSIVE airplane nerd.  I love flying and everything to do with flying.  Over the course of my life, I've had the chance to do some really cool aviation-related stuff from logging hours in a Cessna, to flying a full-motion Boeing 737 simulator, to visiting aviation museums around the world.

If you've ever wanted to try your hands at the controls of an airplane - and see some unique sights while doing it - my guest for this episode is the guy you need to talk to!

Paul Sallach is the founder & president of All In Aviation, a unique Las Vegas-based flight school that not only offers you a chance to learn how to be a pilot but do it while cruising over spots like Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon and the Vegas Strip.

Paul & I chatted about what got him into flying, what sparked his move to Las Vegas and what makes All In Aviation different from other flight schools.

If you want to learn more about All In Aviation and maybe even set up your first flight lesson, head to their website and book today!  You can also follow All In Aviation on Facebook and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The world is FINALLY starting to feel normal.  And part of that "normal" is a return to travel.

But when you haven't done something for a long time - for example, for two years during a global pandemic - it's easy to get out of practice and forget all those good travel habits you had that helped to keep you safe when you were venturing out around the world.

With more people starting to make the trek to Las Vegas (and elsewhere around the globe), I thought it might be helpful to put together an episode all about travel safety & security.  After all, nothing can wreck a vacation faster than being scammed, losing your passport or ending up sick or injured.

And although some people may think I'm "fear mongering" here, I prefer to think of it as "worst-case scenario planning".  I mean, it's better to have an umbrella and not need it than need one and not have it, right?

There's a lot to unpack here, so I've created a downloadable copy of my notes for your own use and here's links to some of the resources I used to put together this episode:

• 25 Important Travel Safety Tips Everyone Should Know (Expert Vagabond)
• 21 Travel Safety Tips: How to Protect Yourself and Prevent Theft While Traveling (Practical Wanderlust)
• Travel Safety Tips - How To Have A Safe Vacation (The Planet D)

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Have you ever been at a casino, sitting at a table playing and wondered, " What's the dealer thinking right now?"  My guest for this episode of the podcast is going to take you right inside that dealer's head - and share some amazing stories.

Eric Sherwood entered the gaming industry following what I like to call a "forced career change" first as a dealer, then becoming a pit boss.  As he got further into the crazy world of the casino business, he realized the stories from his day-to-day life were too good not to share.

First came the Twitter account and then came the book, "Dealt: Stories From My Life On The Felt".

Eric & I discussed his entry into the gaming industry, what inspired him to create his Twitter account, and he shared some tips & tricks for novice players thinking of hitting the casino and spending time on the tables.

Get your copy of "Dealt: Stories From My Life On The Felt" from your favorite online book seller (either in paperback or digital format) and be sure to follow Eric on Twitter at Annoyed Pit Boss.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

According to a recent report, Strip Clubs in the United States - or "Gentleman's Clubs" as they're often called - are forecasted to pull in roughly $7.4 BILLION in revenue in 2022.  In Las Vegas, there are over TWENTY different clubs for visitors to patronize.  And often, visiting a strip club in Las Vegas is a person's first experience with this type of establishment.

If you've never been to a strip club, chances are you've got questions...and my guest for this episode of the podcast is the perfect person to answer them.

Her name is Keila and she's currently a dancer at a Gentleman's Club in Las Vegas.

In addition to discussing proper etiquette for anyone planning on visiting a club in Vegas, Keila was kind enough to chat with me about what got her into dancing, what her daily pre-and-post work routine entails, and we busted some of the myths & misconceptions about the people who work in her industry.

If you want to learn more about Keila & see what life as a dancer is like, follow her on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Every year, inventors come up with DOZENS of ideas for new casino table games, but only a handful actually make it to the casino floor.  Maybe you've got an idea for a new game floating around in your brain and you've been wondering how to make it reality and get it out to the Vegas gaming community?

My guest for this episode could be the one to help make it happen!

Back for her third appearance on the show is Heather Ferris, the CEO & Founder of Vegas Aces Services.

This time around Heather & I chatted about the process behind creating a new game, what makes for a good casino game, and some of the challenges behind convincing casino execs to give a new game a chance.

If you want to learn more about Heather, Vegas Aces, and the services they provide be sure to go visit their official website.  You can also follow Vegas Aces on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

2022 marks the 20th Anniversary of one of the hottest shows on the Vegas Strip:

X Burlesque

Having opened back in 2002 at the Aladdin, the show now calls Bugsy's Cabaret home inside the legendary Flamingo Hotel.

Joining me for this episode of the podcast are Matt & Angela Stabile of Stabile Productions.  Matt & Angela are the husband & wife team who created & produce X Burlesque.  We talked about their early life in Vegas with Angela's involvement in several Las Vegas shows & Matt's family managing the career of a comedy legend.  We also discussed the inspiration behind the creation of X Burlesque, and some of the challenges X Burlesque has faced over its two decades in Sin City.

For more information on X Burlesque - including tickets and show dates & times - visit the Flamingo Las Vegas online and be sure to follow X Burlesque on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Welcome to a fun-sized bonus episode of the podcast!

This time around, I just wanted to take a moment to drop into the feed to send out a few quick shout-out's and "thank you's" for what's been going on over the last few weeks and share some announcements about what's coming up on the show over the next little while.

There's LOTS of awesome stuff coming up in the next few weeks, so be sure to keep an ear out for that and in the meantime, be sure to check out some of the recently released episodes including:

• EP#112: LIGHTS OUT! F1 On The Vegas Strip
• EP#111: Hoop Dreams
• EP#110: Viva Las Crypto
• EP#109: My Special Guest - Carrot Top
• EP#106: The Big League
• EP#105: Going Through Changes

I also want to give a special shout-out to Ron Wrobel aka "@TrekkerRon" for inviting me on his podcast, "Con Pod: A Star Trek Convention Podcast".  This year, Las Vegas's annual Star Trek Convention is making the move from off-strip at the Rio to on-strip at Bally's.  Ron and I talked about what it's going to be like for Trekkies attending this year's convention to be smack-dab in the middle of the action.  To check out the episode, follow the show on Twitter at @TrekConPod, listen to it here or find it wherever you get your podcasts.

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Formula 1 is considered to be one of the premier forms of auto racing.  The cars are the fastest regulated road-racing cars in the world with top speeds upwards of 350 km/h (215 mph).

F1 is also one of the richest sports in the world; with 22 races scattered across the globe, F1 reported over $2.1 BILLION in revenue in 2021 and it's not uncommon for the top drivers in the sport to earn well over $100 Million per year in salary alone.

So with all that money flying around, is it any wonder that Las Vegas wants a piece of that pie?

On March 30, 2022 the FIA and Formula 1, along with the City of Las Vegas & the State of Nevada, announced one of the worst kept secrets in motorsports:  Formula 1 would be hitting Sin City in 2023.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Todd McCandless (aka "Negative Camber" aka "the Chief Opinion Officer") from The Parc Ferme Podcast, a long-running F1-centered podcast that goes in-depth into the world of Formula 1.

Todd and I talked about the rising interest in F1 in the United States, the so-called "Drive to Survive" effect on the sport and we took a deep dive into the upcoming F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, sharing our opinions on the track layout as well as the impact the race will have on the city - both positive and negative.

For all the latest from the world of Formula 1 Racing, go check out the Parc Ferme website, follow the Parc Ferme on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram, and check out the Parc Ferme Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

The WNBA was founded back in 1996 as the women's counterpart to the NBA and started league play in 1997.  Originating with just 8 teams, the league has since grown to a total of 12 teams, one of which calls Las Vegas home.

The Las Vegas Aces have been playing ball since 2018 but their history goes back much further than that, and joining me on this episode to talk about that - and much more - is John Maxwell, the team's Director of Media Relations.

John & I sat down during my most recent trip to Vegas to talk about the team's arrival in the city & how they were received, what made Las Vegas an attractive market for the WNBA, and the Aces' passionate & loyal fan base.

If you want to keep up with the Las Vegas Aces, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  For tickets, game schedule, merchandise and other information, visit the official Las Vegas Aces website.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Crypto Currency...Block Chain...Non-Fungible Tokens...Alt-Coins...

If you've been paying attention to financial news over the last few years, these are likely all terms that you've heard mentioned...but what the HELL are they?  And how do they relate to Las Vegas?

My guest for this episode is going to do his best to break it all down for us in the simplest terms possible.

Making his second appearance on the podcast is Jake Gallen.  Jake previously hosted a podcast called "The Guest List" where he interviewed Las Vegas creators, leaders & entrepreneurs.  In early 2022, Jake re-branded and shifted focus to the world of Crypto & NFT's.  He also founded a Crypto Consultation Firm called Nativ Research & has become heavily involved in the Las Vegas Crypto scene.

Jake & I connected on my last trip to Las Vegas and he was kind enough to explain what Crypto Currency is and how it works, what an NFT is & how they're currently being used, and we talked about the potential future for crypto & NFT's in the world of Las Vegas.

If you want to know more, be sure to visit Jake's Website and take a listen to the Jake Gallen Podcast.  Also, be sure to follow Jake on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

My very special guest for this episode has been in the comedy business for over three decades.  He's been on stage all over the world and has been on hundreds of TV shows including Live with Regis & Kelly, Gene Simmons' Family Jewels, Scrubs, CSI and he's made over THIRTY appearances on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Carrot Top has been headlining his own show at the Luxor in Las Vegas for the last 16 years and recently signed an extension that will keep him there through to 2025.

Carrot Top and I talked about his early days of prop comedy, how he comes up with his material, the current state of comedy, his apprehension when he first signed on at the Luxor and much more!

Carrot Top performs in the Atrium Showroom at the Luxor Las Vegas 6 nights a week.  Visit the Luxor's website for tickets and showtimes.  To find out if Carrot Top is touring to a city near you, visit his official website and give him a follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Become a Jeff Does Vegas Insider today for only $5 USD/month & enjoy all kinds of cool perks like early access to new episodes, commercial-free versions of EVERY episode, invites to exclusive live streams & videos, insider-only virtual hangouts and even real-life in-person hangouts IN Las Vegas!

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Welcome to another World Famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This time around, we're chronicling my most recent trip to Vegas, from March 20th-23rd, 2022.

This episode includes reviews of my stay at Bally's as well as some of the great food I was able to partake in at Ri-Ra Irish Pub in Mandalay Bay, Tilted Kilt at the Linq Promenade, Village Cafe at Ellis Island, Makers & Finders in the Arts District, Home Plate Grill & Bar at the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, and Water Grill at the Forum Shoppes at Caesars Palace.

I also share a few observations on the cost of ride share, restaurants & shops closing early, and how Vegas is "back".

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

There are literally hundreds of Las Vegas-related podcasts covering all sorts of topics from broad, general Las Vegas information (like trip reports, hotel reviews & interviews) to hyper-focused niches like history & sports betting.

Over the last while, I've been asked on a few occasions for my recommendations for Las Vegas podcasts...that AREN'T my podcast.  So, I thought it was time to buckle down, make a list and put together some thoughts on my favourites.

There's a ton of great content out there and some absolutely amazing creators.  Choosing just a few wasn't easy, but I hope you enjoy as I share the love for these fellow Vegas podcasts:

Vegas History:

- Mobbed Up: The Fight For Las Vegas - Wild Things: Siegfried and Roy - Spectacle: Las Vegas

Vegas Sports:

- SinBin Vegas - The Vegas Fever Podcast - Locked On Raiders - Vegas Nation - Silver & Black Pride

Vegas In General:

- The Vegas Confessions Podcast - Talk About Las Vegas with Ira - The Unofficial Vegas Podcast - On the Corner of Main Street

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Ever since the Vegas Golden Knights made their NHL debut back in 2017, big league professional sports has been booming business in Las Vegas.  And, following the relocation of the NFL's Raiders in 2020, we can expect to see even more teams & leagues calling Vegas home in the coming years with the NBA and MLB likely additions.

My guests for this episode to discuss the future of pro sports in Las Vegas are Jayson & Paula Williams, husband & wife hosts of The Vegas Fever Podcast, a new podcast that dives deep into the sports scene in "Sin City".

We talked about the impact the Golden Knights have had on Las Vegas, theorized about potential homes for NBA & Major League Baseball teams, and whether or not Vegas can continue to support the professional and minor league franchises that keep popping up in the city.

You can listen to The Vegas Fever Podcast wherever you get your podcasts and be sure to follow Jayson & Paula on Twitter!

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Anyone who's a frequent visitor to Las Vegas knows it's a city in a constant state of flux and, thanks to some changes in resort ownership along with a few re-brands & major overhauls, the Vegas strip is likely going to look very different in the coming years.

Joining me for this episode to discuss some of these upcoming changes is fellow creator and travel blogger, Adam Bauer - aka "Travel Fanboy".  Adam got his start blogging about Las Vegas and has since expanded his horizons to include travel in general.

Adam & I shared our opinions on what we think the effects of these changes will be, what a volcano-less strip would look like, and we even dove into unfamiliar territory - rumours and speculation - regarding potential changes at the Tropicana.

Make sure you go ahead and follow Adam on Twitter & Facebook and be sure to check out the official Travel Fanboy website. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Shortly after I launched this podcast, I put together an episode called Vegas FAQ, where I gathered together some of the more common questions that I saw being asked about Las Vegas and attempted to answer them.

It's been over 2 years since I released the original Vegas FAQ and in that time, the city has gone through some big changes.  As such, some of the information covered in that episode is no longer accurate & the LAST thing I want to be doing is sharing incorrect advice.  Plus, with the easing/removal of COVID-related restrictions, there's a large segment of the population that might be making their first ever trip to Vegas and I'd love to help make that trip a little more enjoyable.

I go over A LOT of material in this episode - including money & budgets, getting around the city, how to choose hotels, restaurants & shows and I'll also be covering the "sin" in "Sin City" (alcohol, drugs & prostitution).

And because there's so much information jammed into this episode, I've made my notes available to you to as a downloadable PDF file.

__________________________________________________________________________

Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Get ready...we're going on a little road trip.

We're heading about 35 miles southeast of the Vegas strip, to Black Canyon, where one of the greatest feats of engineering in the United States - and possibly the world - is located:  Hoover Dam

Constructed in the late 1920's & completed in the early 1930's, Hoover Dam serves a multitude of purposes including flood mitigation & hydro-electric power generation.  Present day, millions of tourists visit each year to both marvel at this amazing structure and to take advantage of the many surrounding amenities including Lake Mead and the numerous hiking trails in the area.

My guest for this episode is Patti Aaron, Public Affairs Officer for the Bureau of Reclamation in the Lower Colorado Basin.  Patti and I talked about the history of Hoover Dam including its planning & construction, the "controversy" behind its name, some of the economic benefits of the dam's construction, and she shared some fun bits of trivia about Hoover Dam.

For more information on Hoover Dam and to plan your trip, visit the Bureau of Reclamation's website and be sure to follow Hoover Dam on Facebook.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

* This episode contains paid promotional content

Long-time listeners know that I'm a total Vegas history nerd.  There's nothing I love more than digging into the history of Las Vegas and sharing those stories - and based on how well all of the Vegas history episodes I've done have been received, I'd say it's a fair statement to say that you guys enjoy it too.

As such, I'm happy to share news with you about a new podcast that I think you're really going to enjoy.

Pop culture podcast, Spectacle is back for its second season and this time around they're taking a deep dive into your favorite city and mine...LAS VEGAS!

Your host is journalist, artist and cultural critic, Brent Holmes - who also happens to be the son of longtime Vegas headliner & performer, Clint Holmes.  In this series, Brent examines "Sin City" through the lens of pop culture.  From mob movies to Elvis weddings and much more, each episode explores the story & impact of America's most unforgettable city.

To check out all of season 2 of Spectacle: Las Vegas, subscribe and listen on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

My guest for this episode of the podcast has been a part of the Vegas performance scene for close to twenty years.

Enoch Augustus Scott got his start in Las Vegas with the classic show, Tony & Tina's Wedding.  He currently stars as "Zenoch", the Host & MC of Zombie Burlesque at the V-Theater in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

Enoch & I discussed what initially got him interested in entertaining, some of his early Vegas gigs, his pandemic project (The Tiger Thing), and he shared what might be the most "only in Vegas" story ever.

Start following Enoch on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and be sure to visit the official Zombie Burlesque website for tickets & show info.

Also, check out the original Tiger Thing concept videos on YouTube.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

My guest for this episode of the podcast is a somewhat "unique" performer.

John Shaw is a magician, illusionist...and sideshow stunt artist.

He spits fire, swallows swords, eats light bulbs, and dangles paint cans from hooks attached to his eyelids.  And that's just a small sample of his repertoire.

Over the years, John has appeared on numerous TV talk shows, most recently on the Late Late Show with James Corden.

Currently, you can find him freaking out the visitors at Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum and performing twice-weekly with Late Night Magic at the Alexis Park All-Suite Resort Las Vegas.

John & I talked about the crazy path that brought him to Las Vegas, his past TV appearances & the lessons he learned from them, what got him interested in magic & sideshow performances, and some of the various injuries he's sustained as part of those performances.

Be sure to follow John on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook.

If you want to see John in Late Night Magic, get your tickets via TicketKite.com or Vegas.com.

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Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Back in March 2021, for various reasons, I put this podcast on a hiatus.  However, I noticed people were still listening and downloading past episodes.  As I watched the numbers grow, I made a commitment that when I hit 100,000 total downloads, I'd start releasing new episodes again.

I hit that mark in September of 2021 and since then, I've had the chance to have some great conversations with some incredible guests.

As I reach another milestone - Episode #100 - I thought it would be fun to go back and re-share some highlights from a few of those recent conversations.

If you want to check out the complete conversations, check out (in order of appearance):

- Episode #88: My Special Guest - Jonathan Jossel

- Episode #96: Show Me Vegas

- Episode #89: Vegas Unfiltered with Sam Novak

- Episode #94: Guys Gone Vegas

- Episode #91: Crime & Punishment - Mayhem in the Desert

- Episode #93: Beneath the Neon - The Tunnels of Las Vegas

- Episode #95: My Special Guest - David Perrico

- Episode #92: Reinvention - The Family-Friendly Era

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Welcome to another world famous Jeff Does Vegas Trip Report!  This is an episode that's been almost 2 years in the making, chronicling my & my wife's most recent trip to Las Vegas, from December 11th-18th, 2021.  This was also my first trip to Vegas since January 2020, which was right before COVID-19 shut down the world.

Being that this was our first trip in a very long time, we covered a lot of ground on this trip - meaning this is a king-sized trip report!

This episode includes reviews of our experience staying at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas as well as meals at Hussong's Cantina in the Shoppes at Mandalay Bay, Noodle Den at the Sahara, District and Lardo at the Block 16 Urban Food Hall at the Cosmo, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar at the Venetian, Maxie's at the Linq Promenade, Ri-Ra in the Shoppes at Mandalay Bay, The Henry at the Cosmo, Village Pub & Cafe at Ellis Island, and Oscar's Steakhouse at The Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas.

I've also got reviews on the shows we checked out including Fantasy at the Luxor, the Magic of Jen Kramer at the Westgate, the Bronx Wanderers at the Westgate, America's Got Talent Las Vegas Live at the Luxor and the Mondays Dark 8th Anniversary at the Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

And, as always, I've got a few extra thoughts to share as well as a few tips & tricks that might make your next Vegas vacation just a little more enjoyable!

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Admittedly, this episode is a bit of a "cheater", in that it's not a really a new episode per se; it's a slightly repackaged version of one of my favorite episodes from my spin-off podcast, Sin City Stories, where I take deep dives into Las Vegas history.

So why am I doing this?  Well, I'll tell you...

December 26, 2021 marks the 75th Anniversary of the opening of one of the most iconic resorts in Las Vegas...The Flamingo.

Part of the Vegas landscape since 1946, it was the brainchild of a LA-based nightclub owner, restaurant owner and entertainment news publisher who wanted to create one of the most luxurious hotels & casinos Las Vegas had ever seen.

But that's not what legend & pop culture would have you believe.  And, as you're about to find out, sometimes the truth is WAY more interesting than fiction.

If you want to go more in-depth on the history of The Flamingo, visit the official Sin City Stories website for photos, news articles and more!

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Sin City has served as the setting for dozens of movies over the last 75 years.  Drama, comedy, horror, action...films of every genre have used Las Vegas as a backdrop.  And if you've ever wanted to visit the spots where some of your favorite Vegas movie scenes were filmed and get the backstory on those scenes, my guest for this episode of the podcast has you covered.

Chris Ramirez is the CEO and founder of Las Vegas Movie Tours, a brand new tour experience that takes riders along the famed Vegas Strip, through the arts district and into Downtown Las Vegas showing off the spots that served as the settings for films like The Hangover & The Hangover Part III, Austin Powers, Jason Bourne, Oceans Eleven, and many others.

Chris and I discussed his background in the movie industry, what attracts film makers to Las Vegas and the inspiration behind the creation of Las Vegas Movie Tours.

If you'd like more info on Las Vegas Movie Tours and want to book your place on the tour, visit their website and secure your spot today!  You can also follow Las Vegas Movie Tours on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I love having other Vegas content creators on the podcast.  It's always a blast having conversations with people are as equally - or even more - passionate about Las Vegas as I am.

My guests for this episode are Jordan & Ashden, the creators of Show Me Vegas on YouTube.

Hailing from Missouri, the couple makes frequent trips to Las Vegas, sharing their adventures with their 3500+ subscribers.  They do live streams, room & hotel tours, restaurant & show reviews, and have recently launched a weekly Vegas news video series titled, This Week In Vegas.

We talked about what sparked their love of Las Vegas, what inspired them to start vlogging their Vegas trips, some of their favorite spots to stay & play, and much more.

Subscribe to their videos on YouTube and follow them on Facebook for exclusive content.

And, check out Jordan & Ashden's video review of Aria that got them a whole lot of attention!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

My guest for this episode of the podcast is "Best of Vegas" award-winning trumpeter, composer, producer and conductor, David Perrico.

If you've ever spent any time at the legendary Cleopatra's Barge in Caesars Palace, there's a very good chance you've seen David performing with his Pop Strings Orchestra, in which he takes some of the best musicians in Las Vegas and fuses together Pop Music with Classical Music.  And, in addition to Pop Strings Orchestra, David is also the creator & arranger of Pop Evolution, a mash-up of Pop & Big Band music.

Just this year, David landed what might be the most amazing gig ever: House Band at Allegiant Stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders.

David and I talked about what it's like performing in front of 65,000 screaming NFL fans, the inspiration behind creating Pop Strings Orchestra & Pop Evolution, other projects he's working on and much more.

Find out where David is going to be performing next, by visiting his website or following him on Facebook & Instagram.

And, if you want a sample of what Pop Evolution and Pop Strings Orchestra are all about, check these out!

Pop Strings Evolution performing Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher" (YouTube)

Pop Strings Orchestra performing Journey's "Separate Ways" (YouTube)

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

"VEGAS BABY!!!"

That's the battle-cry heard in pretty much every airport around the world, as groups of guys get set to board their flights for what they hope will be the ULTIMATE guys' trip to Las Vegas.  But will it be a trip to remember for all the WRONG reasons?  My guest for this episode is here to help make sure that's NOT the case.

David Demontmollin is a 20-plus-year casino industry veteran, star of Discovery Channel's series "American Casino" and the author of "The Las Vegas Little Black Book: A Guys Guide To The Perfect Vegas Weekend".

David and I discussed how to plan an amazing trip to Vegas for you and your pals, covering everything from the perfect time of the year to travel, to picking your hotel, to how to get into nightclubs and much MUCH more.

Order "The Las Vegas Little Black Book: A Guys Guide To The Perfect Vegas Weekend" on Amazon (along with David's other book, "Classic Vegas Mistakes") and be sure to follow Classic Vegas Mistakes on Twitter.

Also, check out David's past appearance on the podcast on Episode #16 - "Classic Vegas Mistakes".

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Below the glitz & glamour of the Vegas Strip lies a massive network of underground tunnels.  In addition to serving the practical purpose of directing flash flood water away from the big casinos & resorts, the tunnels have become a living space for hundreds, if not thousands, of homeless people in the city of Las Vegas.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is intimately familiar with these tunnels, having spent time interviewing dozens of their residents for his books "Beneath the Neon" and "Dark Days, Bright Nights".

Matthew O'Brien is a writer, editor and teacher who lived in Las Vegas for twenty years.  He's considered an authority on homelessness in the Las Vegas tunnels and is the founder of Shine A Light, a program that helps people living in the tunnels and provides them with the resources to get out of the tunnels.

We discussed Matthew's first experiences with the tunnels of Las Vegas, the work that went into writing "Beneath the Neon", what inspired him to found Shine A Light, and much more.

If you'd like to purchase "Beneath the Neon", "My Week At The Blue Angel" or "Dark Days, Bright Nights" you can visit Matthew's website at beneaththeneon.com.

If you want to know more about Shine A Light and see the amazing work they do, follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

(NOTE: I shouldn't have to say this, but I will.  DO NOT go exploring the storm drains under Las Vegas.  It's a very hostile environment for anyone who's not familiar with the miles and miles of tunnels.  By going into the tunnels, you're risking severe injury or even death.)

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

"The only constant in life is change" - Heraclitus

There's nowhere else in the world where that statement is more accurate than Las Vegas.

It's constantly evolving, always trying to find new ways to bring new people - and revenue - to the city.  And from the late 1980's through to the early 2000's, Las Vegas made the conscious decision to cater to a group of travellers whom they'd never attempted to attract before:

Families.

From castle-shaped hotels, to pirate battles in the desert, to full-blown amusement parks, Las Vegas made no secrets about who they wanted to come to the city during that time in history.  But where did it all start?  And how did it end up?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is UNLV professor and Las Vegas historian, David G. Schwartz.  David & I discussed some of Las Vegas's early attempts at being family-friendly, what led to the push to try to attract families to the city, and the eventual shift away from that strategy.

Want to learn more about Las Vegas's family-friendly era of the 1990's?  Visit these links:

- "Family Friendly Las Vegas: An Analysis of Space and Time" - Diana Tracy Cohn

- "Column One: Las Vegas Gambles on Families" - LA Times (Sept 23, 1994)

- "The Sun's List Of Shuttered Family Friendly Vegas Attractions" - Las Vegas Sun (Feb 23, 2012)

- "Family Friendly Las Vegas of the 90's" Panel Discussion (Video) - The Neon Museum (2016)

And as discussed, check out the "Treasure Island: The Adventure Begins" TV special that ran on NBC-TV in 1994 to promote the opening of the Treasure Island Resort.

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

I've covered a lot of Las Vegas history on this podcast, but something I've never really taken a deep dive into are some of the fascinating true crime stories from the city's past.  There's a lot of info out there about some of the more "notorious" cases, but my guests for this episode like to focus on some of the lesser-known crime stories.

Anthony & Meagan Smith are the creators of Mayhem In The Desert.  Born & raised Las Vegans (and legit "true crime junkies"), they took it upon themselves to start chronicling some of the extremely interesting and sordid tales that helped shape the history of Sin City.

We talked about what it was like growing up in Las Vegas, what inspired them to create the website, and their writing & research process.  They also shared some of their most favorite Las Vegas true crime stories.

Head over to Mayhem In The Desert & start reading some of these incredible stories.  And, be sure to follow Mayhem In The Desert on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Reddit. 

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

After operating for almost 25 years, the former Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - just off the Vegas strip at the corner of Harmon Avenue & Paradise Road - shut its doors on February 3, 2020 in preparation for a massive re-brand and renovation to become the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, which officially opened in March 2021.

In addition to being Sir Richard Branson's first entry into the Vegas market, it also marked the first tribal casino presence in the city with Mohegan Sun Gaming & Entertainment taking over operations of the new 60,000 square foot casino.

My guest for this episode is Joe Hasson, the General Manager of the Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.  We discussed his early career & how he got into casino management, the partnerships between Mohegan Sun & the other operators on site, and the challenges of opening a new property during a global pandemic.

For more information on Mohegan Sun Casino at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit their website where you can also book your stay at the resort.

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Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

"Probably Biased.  Definitely Honest."

Sam Novak has been been using that tag line over the last few years for his blog, Vegas Unfiltered.

Sam has become known around Las Vegas as the guy who isn't scared to share his opinion.  Whether it's a show, restaurant, hotel or any other Vegas attraction, if it's a complete and total train-wreck, he'll tell you exactly that.  However, if it's worth your time & money, he'll tell you that as well.

Sam and I talked about what inspired him to create Vegas Unfiltered, we reminisced about some of his more "savage" reviews, we discussed the changing Vegas entertainment scene, and much more!

You can follow Sam on Twitter & Facebook, and be sure to check out Sam's unfiltered reviews & recommendations at Vegas411.com and the Vegas Unfiltered blog.

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

When it first opened on July 1, 1971, at the corner of First and Main in Downtown Las Vegas, The Plaza Hotel & Casino was billed as "the largest hotel & casino in the world" with more than 500 rooms on the property.

Over the last half-century, in addition to cementing itself in Las Vegas pop culture, the property itself has seen a variety of changes.  It's been through renovations, upgrades, and ownership changes.

And as the Plaza celebrates it's 50th Anniversary, I'm joined on this episode of the podcast by Jonathan Jossel, the CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino.

We talked about his pre-Vegas life & what brought him to Las Vegas, what's behind the recent uptick in interest in Downtown Las Vegas, his plans for the future of the Plaza, and much more.

Be sure to follow Jonathan on Twitter & Instagram and make sure you check out the Plaza's official podcast, "On the Corner of Main Street" by heading to the Plaza's website (or wherever you listen to podcasts).  While you're there, book yourself a stay and take in some of their 50th Anniversary celebrations!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast & get exclusive deals by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Wow.  Honestly, I can't believe I've reached this milestone:

100,000 total downloads.

Again...WOW. 

To the listeners, to the guests, and to everyone who helped me get to this point...an absolutely MASSIVE "Thank You".

Let's celebrate together!

And, get ready for LOTS of new episodes coming soon!

__________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: Jeff Does Vegas is an official Vegas.com affiliate! 

Help support the podcast by booking your hotel stays, shows, attractions, tours, clubs and even complete vacation packages (including air & hotel) with our special link!

Whether it's the people who travel to the city every year dreaming of scoring a big jackpot or the investors, developers, designers and architects who dream of having their next big project come to life on the world-famous Vegas Strip.

Unfortunately, not every dream comes true.

From a resort based on a disastrous maiden voyage, to a hotel & casino built around professional wrestling, to what would have been the first ever "mega-resort", the history of Las Vegas is filled with these so-called shattered dreams.

That's what this episode of Sin City Stories is all about as we take a deep dive into What Might Have Been...

If you want to learn more about these unbuilt resorts & hotels, visit the Official Sin City Stories Website for photos, videos and more!

October 1, 2017.

It's a date burned into the memories of both Las Vegas residents and visitors. On that day, the Vegas Strip - a spot normally associated with fun and frivolity - became a site of terror for thousands attending a nearby country music festival.

From his suite on one of the high floors at a nearby hotel, a gunman opened fire on the crowd, committing the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Dozens were killed, hundreds were wounded and Las Vegas was shaken to the core.

But who would perpetrate such and attack...and why? What was the response from the city, the country and the world? And how has Las Vegas healed since this tragic event.

That's what you'll find in this episode, as we take a deep dive into 10/1/17.

If you want to learn more about what unfolded at Route 91 on October 1, 2017 - including the response from the brave heroes who rushed to the scene, the outpouring of support that came after the attack, the tributes paid to those who were lost, and the investigation into the incident you can visit the official Sin City Stories website.

The 1995 movie, "Casino" directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone is, in my opinion, an absolute classic and a must-watch for anyone at all interested in Las Vegas.

The film - which just celebrated its 25th anniversary - tells the story of Sam "Ace" Rothstein, an expert sports-handicapper who's sent to Las Vegas by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the skimming operations at the fictional Tangiers Hotel & Casino.

"Casino" is based on actual events and pulls its story from the book, "Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas", written by Nicholas Pileggi who co-wrote the screenplay along with Martin Scorsese.

As always, whenever a book based on a true story makes a move to the big screen, there's certain plot points that tend to be overly dramatized (or even flat-out made up) for the sake of entertainment.  My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help shed some light on some of the Fact vs. Fiction aspects of "Casino".

Geoff Schumacher is the Vice President of Exhibits & Programs at the Mob Museum in Las Vegas.  He was kind enough to join me to help separate reality from fantasy when it comes to the world of "Ace" Rothstein/"Lefty" Rosenthal.

Did hotel security actually smash a cheater's hand with a hammer?  Did an FBI surveillance plane actually run out of gas and land on a golf course fairway?  Was there really an issue with blueberry muffins?

We get the answers to these questions - and many more!

Visit The Mob Museum's official website and be sure to follow them on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.  Also, be sure to subscribe to the Mob Museum's YouTube channel where you can check out virtual tours, special presentations and more!

And if you want to really get into Las Vegas history and read the true story of Frank "Lefty" Rosenthal, Anthony Spilotro, the Hole in the Wall Gang and the massive Stardust skimming operation, pick up your copy of "Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas" by Nicholas Pileggi.

I do A LOT of solo traveling, particularly to Las Vegas - but I've also done solo trips to other cities including Seattle, Toronto and Los Angeles.

People often ask me what the appeal is of traveling solo. 

Don't I get bored?  Do I worry about my safety?  What does my wife think about me traveling solo?  (The answers to those questions are, in order: no, no and she's fine with it since I'm usually doing stuff she doesn't like)

A lot of folks won't take the jump and book a solo vacation, but I'm hoping my guest for this episode of the podcast might help change a few minds.

Janice Waugh is the founder of Solo Traveler World, a website & online community devoted to people who love to travel solo.

Janice & I talked about the inspiration behind her creating Solo Traveler, the best ways to plan a solo trip, the mistakes to avoid while traveling solo and how to stay safe & out of trouble when you're on your own in a strange city.

If you'd like to connect with Janice & the Solo Traveler community, visit their website at SoloTravelerWorld.com, follow them on Twitter & Instagram, or join the Solo Travel Society on Facebook.

One of my favourite things about being a frequent Vegas visitor and having friends who live there has been them taking me away from the tourist areas to check out some of the locals' spots around the city.

And I've been noticing more and more lately that people have been asking about these locals' spots; they want to know some of the cool places around Las Vegas where the residents go to eat and hang out - and my guest for this episode is here to help out!

Robert Harley is a Vegas local who runs a vlog called "Let's Get Vegasy".  He does live videos on Facebook & YouTube on an almost-daily basis showing his adventures around the city, and something he focuses quite heavily on is the food & beverage scene.  So, I thought it would be helpful for Robert to jump on the show and share some his picks for these so-called "hidden gems".

We talked about the big three - Pizza Joints, Steakhouses & Dive Bars - as well as a few other spots that Vegas visitors might want to check out.

If you want to check out Robert's latest videos, you can join the Let's Get Vegasy Facebook Group or subscribe to the Let's Get Vegasy YouTube Channel!

I think we've all had that experience where a bunch of time passes and we have no idea where it's gone.  Whether it's while driving down the highway, surfing social media or - sitting at a slot machine in a casino in Las Vegas.

But what causes that effect?  Why do our brains drift away like that and take us out of reality?

My guest for this episode of the podcast is here to help us understand.

Spencer Murch has a PhD in Psychology & Cognitive Science from the University of British Columbia and, over the last several years, has been involved in several different research projects surrounding the cognitive science of gambling.  Recently, Spencer completed a study surrounding "immersion" and being "zoned in" or "zoned out" during slot play.

Spencer took the time to jump on the show with me to explain the methodology behind the study and share the results of his research.  We also talked about the part slot designers play in creating that "immersion", what the future of gaming may hold and how to avoid "zoning in" or "zoning out" while playing slots.

If you'd like to learn more about the psychology of slot machines, check out:

- Research Snapshot: Exploring zoned-in or zoned-out immersion during slot machine gambling - Research Snapshot: The relationship between dark flow, depression, and multiline slot machines

Or pick up a copy of the book, "Addiction By Design" by Natasha Dow Schull.

I always love having other "Vegas fanatics" on the podcast, and my guest for this episode definitely falls into that category!

Joining me from "across the pond" is Steve White, better known on Twitter as @LasVegasUK.  If you've ever listened to the ZorkCast presented by TravelZork, you'll recognize Steve as the British half of the show.  Steve is also extremely well-versed in all things Vegas.

Steve & I chatted about everything from our predictions on potential changes coming to Las Vegas, to our very first trips to Vegas, to the unique Vegas guide that Steve is in the process of writing.  Also, being that Steve is in the UK under full-on lockdown and I'm in Canada facing extremely strict rules surrounding travel, we thought it was worth having a discussion about travel restrictions & the impact they're having on international travellers.

Start following Steve on Twitter right now and be sure to check out ZorkCast, the official TravelZork podcast, for great Las Vegas advice - and travel advice, in general.

My guest for this episode is a Vegas Showgirl - and I'm not talking about the "showgirls" you see strolling the strip, posing for pictures with tourists.  I mean, a LEGIT Las Vegas Showgirl.

Dani Elizabeth began dancing as a small child - and she just never really stopped.

Growing up in upstate New York, Dani studied marketing & advertising in University and continued to dance through her college years with her school's dance team, an arena football team and even performing as a superhero at a Six Flags theme park.  From there, she was off to Los Angeles, where she had the opportunity to train with a world-renowned Broadway dancer & choreographer.

From LA, she headed to Vegas where she joined the cast of of one of the most legendary shows in Las Vegas history: Donn Arden's "Jubilee" at Bally's.  She performed there until the show's closure in 2016, following which she joined the cast of yet another legendary Vegas show, "Crazy Girls" at Planet Hollywood, where she's since worked as a dancer in the production and now serves as the show's host.

Dani & I talked about all of this during our conversation, as well as how she's been staying busy during the COVID-19 shutdown - including launching a new business with her fiancee, who also happens to be another Vegas headliner.

If you want to keep up with what Dani is up to, be sure to follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  To see Dani performing live in Crazy Girls, visit the show's official website for tickets & info!

Only twice in recent history, has Las Vegas seen a so-called "shutdown" of the famed Vegas Strip.

In November 1963, casinos closed their doors for a National Day of Mourning following the assassination of then-US President John F. Kennedy.  That closure lasted about 17 hours and even then, only a few casinos took part with several just shutting down their gaming areas for the duration of the funeral - about 3 hours.

The next shutdown would happen 57 years later...and last much MUCH longer.

Due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued a directive ordering a month-long closure of all non-essential businesses as well as a freeze on all gaming & gambling, effective March 18, 2020.  This essentially brought Las Vegas to a screeching halt.

Originally slated to last 30 days, the total shutdown lasted almost 90 days.

To say the effects of the closure were "devastating" for the people who live & work in Las Vegas would be the understatement of the century.  And, due to ongoing restrictions & limitations, the effects are still being felt to this day - almost 10 months later.

Joining me for this episode of the podcast is C. Regi Rodgers, the Managing Partner & Director of Entertainment for Connoisseur Entertainment and Action Shot Productions.  Regi & his partner, Stephen Cibo are behind a new documentary called "Closed For Business", which gets up close & personal with the people who've been hit hardest by COVID-19 in Las Vegas.

Regi & I chatted about the inspiration behind the production, some of the stories shared by people appearing in the documentary and much more.

Be sure to check out the trailer for "Closed For Business" and follow Regi & his team on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

And if you'd like to help get "Closed For Business" completed & released, become a backer on INDIEGOGO.

Las Vegas is officially the magic capital of the world, currently playing host to multiple magic shows - not to mention some of the legendary performers who've graced the Vegas Strip throughout its history.

My guest for this episode of the podcast is Jen Kramer, who's currently headlining "The Magic of Jen Kramer" at the famed Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, which she opened in May 2018.

Named "Female Magician of the Year" by the International Magicians Society and recognized as a 40 Under 40 honoree by VEGAS INC, Jen has also appeared on Penn & Teller's "Fool Us", Penn & Teller's "Try This At Home" and "Masters of Illusion".

Jen joined me for the podcast to talk about how she became interested in magic, the time she spent attending Yale & founding the Yale Magic Society, her charity work with Magicians Without Borders, how she landed her Vegas headlining gig...and much more!

If you want to learn more about Jen and check out some her amazing illusions, you can visit her official website, subscribe to her YouTube Channel or follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Back in September 2019, I released an episode titled "Vegas FAQ", which was essentially a round up of the Vegas-related questions that I was seeing posted over and over again on Twitter & Facebook as well as the questions that I personally was being asked most often.

I covered a ton of material in that episode; everything from money & budgets to booze, week & prostitution laws.

Here we are, a little over a year later, and the world is a VERY different place.  And, thanks to "the 'Rona", the questions being posed now have changed A LOT.

As such, I thought it might be useful to release an updated version of "Vegas FAQ" with answers to several of the most popular Vegas/COVID-related questions.  This episode covers everything from mask guidelines & mandates to capacity restrictions in restaurants to transportation options and much more.

I'm also going to share my opinion on whether or not it's possible to "have fun" in Las Vegas right now - which seems to be the #1 most-asked question.

This episode does come with a bit of a caveat: All the info presented here is accurate & correct as of the time of recording/publishing.  However, if the last 10 months have taught us anything, it's that things can change - literally - overnight.  If you do decide to take a trip to Las Vegas, I'd highly recommend doing your own research into rules, restrictions & guidelines.

For the latest information on Las Vegas & COVID-19, visit the following resources:

City of Las Vegas - Coronavirus Update

Southern Nevada Health District - COVID-19

Clark County - COVID-19 Updates

Nevada Health Response - COVID-19

For information regarding travel restrictions, testing requirements or guidelines for entry to the United States, please visit the US Department of State's Travel page and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website for the most recent updates.  If you are planning to visit Las Vegas from outside the United States, be sure to consult your own country's travel guidelines for any restrictions or requirements to re-enter your home country.

If you have questions regarding hotel closures or limitations on reservations, please reach out directly the property affected as they will have the most recent & updated information.  If you've booked through a third-party or you've booked a package (including air & hotel reservations) you may need to contact the booking agency.

For information on transportation options in Las Vegas, visit the following providers:

Uber

Lyft

Nevada Taxicab Authority

Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC)

There's no doubt that Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world.  Anywhere you go in the city - whether on The Strip or off - you're going to find some of the most insanely talented people on the planet working as headliners in showrooms, busting their rear-ends in various casino lounges and everywhere in between.

I've been lucky enough to have several of them appear as guests on the podcast and even more fortunate to be able to call many of them my friends.

As we wrap up 2020, I thought it might be fun to go back and re-share some of the conversations I had with these amazing people.

And if you want to hear more from any of these fine folks, check out the complete episodes:

EP#58: My Special Guest - Murray The Magician

EP#63: My Special Guests - The Black Donnelly's

EP#65: My Special Guest - Sarah Hester Ross

EP#66: My Special Guest - Christina Shaw

EP#77: The Show Goes On with Vin A.

One of the things I've enjoyed the most about doing this podcast has been helping people plan their own trips to Las Vegas, and I've been able to do that in couple of different ways.

Firstly, with my "trip report" episodes; I've loved being able to share my Vegas experiences and provide reviews of hotels, restaurants, shows, attractions and anything else I've gotten up to during my time in the city.

Secondly, through the various conversations I've had with Vegas-related experts who I've recruited to help answer questions on a variety of topics.  Over the last couple of years, we've covered tipping etiquette, where to find the best late night eats, how to plan an "epic girls trip" and even what not to do on a Vegas trip.

As you start making plans for potential trips in the coming year, I thought it might be a good idea to re-share some of these tips & tricks.

And if you'd like to listen to the complete episodes, here you go:

EP#16: Classic Vegas Mistakes

EP#53: Girls Gone Vegas

EP#56: Mid-Night Munchies

EP#59: The Tipping Point

One of the most popular topics I cover on the podcast is Las Vegas history.  People love hearing about the colorful & interesting past of their favourite city as well as the cast of "characters" who helped to shape it. 

I've had the pleasure of speaking with authors, other podcasters and historians on a huge variety of subjects, covering everything from the mob's role in creating Las Vegas to deep dives into the history of some of the most iconic Vegas hotels & casinos and so much more!

I thought it might be fun to hop into my own personal time machine and re-share some of those awesome conversations with you!

Enjoy!

And here's the complete episodes featured in this bonus episode:

EP#46: The Full Reveal - The Burlesque Hall Of Fame Museum

EP#62: Howard Hughes - Aviator, Innovator and Las Vegas Legend

EP#71: "Made" In Vegas

EP#78: A Place In The Sun

Over the course of the last year or so, I've had the opportunity to talk gambling and gaming with some very cool guests and cover what I thought were some fun and interesting topics.  We talked about everything from how to bet on sports, to apps that help you keep track of table game limits, to when "skill" becomes "cheating" and even superstition as it relates to Las Vegas.

As such, for this bonus "Best Of" episode, I thought it might be fun to take a trip back and listen to some of the highlights of those conversations!

And if you want to check out the full episodes, here they are:

EP#36: Sports Betting For Dummies

EP#51: Cheating The Odds

EP#52: Superstitious Feeling

EP#54: Know The Limits

Just as the Cold War with Russia was beginning to heat up, the US Department of Energy began testing nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert.  The blasts lit up the sky and the mushroom clouds could be seen for miles around - including from the rooftops of the hotels in downtown Vegas.

But how did the nuclear age find its way to Las Vegas?  And what effect did it have on the city & its culture?

If you want to learn more about nuclear testing in the United States, the Nevada Test Site and atomic culture & tourism, visit the official Sin City Stories website featuring photos, videos, in-depth stories and more!

If you've ever been to Las Vegas, you're well aware of the unique scents of the various casinos & hotels up and down The Strip.  In fact, if you ask people what one of their favorite parts of Vegas is, they'll tell you "it's the smell inside the casinos".  And it seems that everyone has their own preferred scent - so much so, that there are thousands of posts online from people asking how to either purchase or duplicate their favorite casino scent.

But what's the big deal about smell?  Why is the scent of a casino so important that the companies that own them spend MILLIONS of dollars on creating these so-called "signature scents"?

To get the answer, I decided to talk to an expert...

My guest for this episode is Dr. Rachel Herz, a world-renowned expert on the psychological science of smell.  Dr. Herz is a cognitive neuroscientist, a TED-X speaker and a published author of both numerous research publications and several books on the topic of the science of smell.

We discussed what piqued her interest in the psychology of scent, the connection between scent and emotion & memory and how businesses use scent to affect customer behavior.

To learn more about the science and psychology of scent, visit Dr. Herz's website or follow her on Twitter.  You can also pick up one of her books:

• "The Scent Of Desire: Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense Of Smell"
• "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship With Food"
• That's Disgusting: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Repulsion"

And if you want your home to smell exactly like your favorite Vegas casino, visit Aroma Retail's website and check out their "Resort Collection" which includes scents from the Bellagio, Aria, the Cosmopolitan, Luxor, the Flamingo, Mandalay Bay, Wynn and many others!

December 15, 1952 saw the opening of one of the most iconic hotels in the history of Las Vegas:

The Sands Hotel & Casino

During its heyday, it played host to some of the biggest names in entertainment of the day, most notably the legendary "Rat Pack" featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis Jr.  And although that might be what the Sands is best known for, there's way more to the story than that - and that's where my guest for this episode steps in.

David Schwartz is the author of "At The Sands", a new book that takes readers on a deep dive into the history of The Sands.  Dave and I talked about inspired him to write a book about The Sands, how "mobbed up" the Sands was compared to other Vegas hotels, Frank Sinatra's involvement in the project, Howard Hughes' purchase of the famed resort & his plans for the future, and what led to the eventual downfall of the Sands (both figuratively and literally).

"At The Sands" by David Schwartz is available in both Kindle and Paperback formats on Amazon.