Lost Vegas

by Bob Sparrow

Yes, we’ve probably all lost something in Vegas, but now, as you may have heard, Las Vegas is losing. The Las Vegas economy has experienced a multi-year economic contraction, marked by an 81% decline in Las Vegas Strip casino net income and a 7% to 12% drop in overall tourist volume. This is driven by soaring resort costs, shrinking middle-class travelers, and fewer international visitors

But don’t lose sleep worrying if Vegas is going to survive – despite these struggles, the city’s overall gaming revenue has remained relatively flat due to a “K-shaped” economic shift. “K-shaped”? That’s where the rich keep going and actually spend more (the part of the K that goes up), while the nots-so-rich stay away (the part of the K that goes down). It seems I have experienced both parts of the K.

If you have been to Vegas lately you know about escalating costs, like $50 daily resort fees, ridiculous parking prices, high table minimums, and escalated food prices — those things have kept people away

But not us . . . 

As you’re reading this on Monday morning, we’re at our favorite hotel, South Point in Las Vegas doing the usual – me playing craps and blackjack, Linda playing the slots, both having a cocktail (maybe two) and seeing a couple of shows. The thing we noticed most about Vegas on this trip is it is hot . . . VERY HOT! How hot you ask?  The high was 109, but by 3:00 am it had cooled to a low of 90 degrees! We obviously stayed inside most of the time. We had planned to go out with the Sagers and Budds on Sunday, but fortunately or unfortunately, we had nothing planned for Saturday, so Linda and I looked at each other and said, “Let’s go!”

So, we left on Saturday and stopped in Primm on the way out. For those unfamiliar with Primm, it is right on the California-Nevada border and the Primm Valley Inn, one of the original three hotels and casinos there, used to be the distination of our Yorba Linda Country Club’s annual golf trip every year on Kentucky Derby weekend. We had recently read that since Primm had turned into a ghost town with the three casinos closing, that the Primm Valley Inn had just re-opened under new management.

Back in the day, golf was played at the near-by Primm Valley Golf Club, which is in California, just over the Nevada border. Why is it out in this desert, just over the border? Interesting story:

Famous golf architect, Tom Fazio was asked by Vegas hotel owner, Steve Wynn to build a golf course behind his new Las Vegas hotel, the Wynn. However, there was a condition, because Wynn wanted to have the only Fazio-built golf course in Nevada, he told Fazio that in order to build the course behind the Wynn, he couldn’t build another golf course in the state of Nevada. Fazio agreed. So, when he was asked to build the two golf courses at Primm, he said OK, but that he would have to put them just a mile or so away from the Primm Valley Inn, in the state of California, and he did. He built the Lakes Couse in 1997 and the Desert Course in 1998. They were two great golf courses to play, but as Primm turned into a ghost town, the lack of golfers caused the courses to close in 2024.

The last time we went to Vegas and passed through Primm, all three casinos there had been closed. However, prior to going out this week, we read that the Primm Valley Inn had been reopened under new management. So, we decided to stop by on Saturday on our way to South Point and have a look.

It was sadly disappointing. There were new slot machines, but no craps, blackjack or any other tables, one restaurant opened and we were afraid to ask to see one of the rooms. It looked like they hadn’t changed the carpet for several . . . decades. It was quite disappointing to see one of our old haunts still looking a little tired.

We continued our journey into South Point and checked in and grabbed a hot dog and a beer for lunch. We gambled a bit (I ended up winning $6) then headed downtown to Freemont Street for a show that our son Jeff had recommended, magician/comic, Mike Hammer at the Four Queens. He was fabulous! If you get a chance to see him, go!  He interacts with the audience throughout the show and since we were sitting in the very first row, we got our share of insults!

On Sunday afternoon, we were joined by the Budds and the Sagers and had dinner at South Point’s Asian restaurant (my favorite). Zenshin; after dinner we strolled across the casino to see The Bronx Wanderers – this is the fifth time we’ve seen them – the father and two sons are the core of an 11-piece band that includes horns and strings. They play classic ’60s, ’70s and ‘80s music, interspersed with great stories about those eras. It was maybe their best concert we’ve seen them do. Fantastic!

Monday the Budds went home and Sagers and Sparrows hung around and tried to win some money. (Since this is going to publication before I have the results of that gambling) I would say with some certainty that we probably lost, but had a good dinner at Mon Ami Gabi, a nice French restaurant in the Paris Hotel and Casino.

Back home to cooler temperatures on Tuesday.