Las Vegas casino operators are bracing for a difficult summer, as the desert heat keeps conventions away and hotels try to lure tourists with low rates already beaten down by the recession.

Last summer, MGM Mirage sent offers to Las Vegas residents who had previously gambled at the Bellagio, offering them a free stay at the resort. Business was down, so the hope was that these local guests, much like tourists, would spend money on other attractions during their stay.

Stripper Mobile Photo
A Las Vegas strip club has created a Stripper Mobile, and it’s equipped with a stage, and stripper pole! The stripper mobile drives around Las Vegas from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily, louring tourists to the Las Vegas strip club Deja Vu.
Stripper Mobile Video:

Nothing about the women or [...]

Hundreds of dealers and Transport Worker Union members gathered in front Caesars Palace Thursday afternoon to show their support for the casino’s dealers during prolonged union contract negotiations. Tourists weaved in and out of the sea of TWU members, dealers and supporters as they tried to make their way down Las Vegas Boulevard. Demonstrators, dressed uniformly in red union T-shirts, held signs reading “Contract now” and “Give Caesars dealers a fair deal.” Their chant: Two years is too long.

The publicity-shy Frank Fertitta Jr., founder of Station Casinos, will be remembered for both his vision and his philanthropy as a businessman, turning a small casino just off the Strip into a casino empire that catered to locals while most of his counterparts focused on tourists, and then pouring much of his profit into schools, charities and medical research. Fertitta died early Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a long-standing heart condition. He was 70.

Paris P asked:

Me and my buddy are pretty solid poker players (amateur, but better than the tourists who only watch on TV), and we are going to visit Atlantic City on either Friday afternoon or Saturday during the day (maybe both). I was just wondering if anyone has any opinions for the best casino?

Which casino has the best limit games, any tournaments on Friday night or Saturday morning, and finally, the best buffet (since we’ll be getting lunch or dinner in AC at some point). Thanks!