Resort Jobs Not Coming Back Soon

Since the recession started few places were hit as bad as Las Vegas with the huge collapse in real estate there as well as the drop in visitor spending since the downturn. The hotel resorts have laid off thousands of employees and this started before the downturn as the casino’s used technology to get rid of positions such as people in change booths or change runners. The companies are also trying to use technology such as mini roulette which only uses one employee instead of several and slot point’s redemption machines which will cut down people in the slot club desks. I don’t see the casino companies slowing down on using technology to replace employees where possible these jobs won’t return. In recent week there has been a lot of press about the “Plaza” reopening with 800 new jobs and the Octavuis Tower opening at “Caesars Palace” but that won’t take up the slack for the thousands laid off before. The “Plaza” reopening is good for downtown and the city but you have to remember when it closed to remodel the employees were laid off as well as the employees in the “Lady Luck”,“Binion’s” hotel the “Sahara” and this week the loss of up to 90 jobs at the “Western.” Las Vegas will come back it always does but it could take longer that the rest of the country, time will tell on that note.

"Lady Luck" Sign Comes Down

Construction has begun on the new hotel to replace the long vacant "Lady Luck" in downtown Las Vegas located at 3rd and Ogden. The former "Lady Luck" is being renamed "The Downtown Grand" and is being redeveloped by Fifth Street Gaming who have said the hotel will have a factory theme which sounds a little strange but we will have to see what they do with that idea. The $100 million remodel will include 11 restaurants, 8 bars as well as a rooftop pool deck with a planned openning date to be announced soon. The "Lady Luck" always suffered from its block away from Fremont Street location but maybe with this new remodel it will be another to draw people to the property. "The Downtown Grand" is next to the new Mob Museum as well as many bar and restaurants that have opened in the last few years so hopefully it should do well.