Richard N. Velotta
Las Vegas Review-Journal
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Past articles by Richard:
Airport passenger numbers launch strong tourism start for ’23
Southern Nevada tourism is off to a strong start in 2023 after Harry Reid International Airport reported a 39.5 percent increase in passengers in January. → Read More
January gaming win surpasses $1B for 23rd straight month
Robust events calendar, strong comparison against Omicron-affected January 2022 led Clark County casinos to pace a $1.27 billion statewide win in January. → Read More
JetBlue expects growth in Las Vegas in merger with Spirit
CEOs for JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines are expecting expansion for the merged air carrier if Justice Department allows the $3.8 billion transaction to go through. → Read More
Are slot machines tighter? Yup, but by an inperceptible amount
In 2022’s record gaming year, Nevada’s slot machines got slightly tighter, but most players wouldn’t know the difference from a year ago. Solution: Play more nickel slots. → Read More
Hawaii moving forward with plan to ban casino ads
The bill, approved in a 3-1 vote of the Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, establishes a tax on trip packages to casinos, but removes references to Nevada. → Read More
As Harry Reid airport grows, so does the need for another airport
Consultants, government agencies and transportation stakeholders are at the table to solve the problem of airport capacity at Harry Reid International Airport. → Read More
Las Vegas casinos, tourism got a big boost in 2022
Las Vegas saw 38.8 million visitors last year, a 20.5 percent increase compared with 2021. But the double digit percentage increase was not enough to beat the city’s 2016 record of 42.9 million visitors. → Read More
Former Lt. Gov. Krolicki named to Nevada Gaming Commission
Replacing Ben Kieckhefer on the five-member Gaming Commission, Krolicki also formerly served as Nevada state treasurer and tried to bring the Olympics to Nevada. → Read More
Commercial gaming growth nationwide seems to have no end in sight
With states adding sports wagering and new casinos planned across the county, gaming revenue records may continue to fall. → Read More
Southwest’s holiday meltdown was decades in the making
Pilot, aviation consultant say the busiest airline at Harry Reid International Airport ignored technological updates for too long and suffered the consequences. → Read More
Lottery, online gaming shunned in Nevada
The reality is that the strong casino lobby works to thwart a lottery as potential competition for discretionary entertainment dollars in casinos. → Read More
Maverick Gaming buys four Washington cardrooms for $80.5M
The Las Vegas-based company received regulatory approval to assume operations of Evergreen Gaming Corp. → Read More
WynnBET gets Massachusetts sports betting license
A mobile sports betting license for WynnBET, tethered to Encore Boston Harbor, was approved unanimously by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. → Read More
Nevada’s largest tavern operator looks to more growth in 2023
The operator of the PT’s Pub chain, Golden Entertainment’s Blake Sartini II, reflects on the company’s 40 years in the business and what lies ahead in the future. → Read More
Hard Rock reveals plans to close The Mirage, gut and expand property
The $1.075 billion acquisition from MGM Resorts International first announced a year ago will lead to a major expansion of the property within three years. → Read More
Appeals court hears former Wynn salon manager’s suit against Steve Wynn
Attorneys for former Wynn salon manager Angelica Limcaco allege there was a conspiracy that kept Limcaco from working at the Strip resort. → Read More
Space station link-up will be part of CES 2023
Metaverse, Web 3, health-care technology and food tech will be a part the show expected to attract 100,000 to the city and kick off 2023 conventions in Las Vegas. → Read More
Las Vegas room rates hit all-time high in October
An estimated 3.6 million people visited Southern Nevada in October, 7.3 percent ahead of last year and just 0.8 percent off October 2019. → Read More
Breeze to offer nonstop flights to San Bernardino next year
The air carrier already offers nonstop flights to 11 destinations from Harry Reid International Airport and will add twice-weekly California flights. → Read More
Palms officials working to restore disrupted casino website
The casino company has hired outside experts to restore the Palms website and hasn’t said whether personal information was exposed during the breech. → Read More