Casino City’s Friday Five: Openings, expansions and arrests edition
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Your trip to Sin City next year is going to look a little different with Paris Las Vegas undergoing an expansion as well as a new venue coming to the Strip. Those aren’t the only new stories for openings this week. A new sports bar is coming to another Las Vegas property, while a restaurant is being unveiled at Rivers Casino Philadelphia. Other news this week finds the San Diego Poker Classic returning to the Jamul Casino, while the Singapore police had to crack down on illegal gambling activities.
Let’s begin with a new dining venue:
5. Martorano’s Prime opens at Rivers Philadelphia
Celebrity cook and South Philly native Steve Martorano has returned home to personally serve his meatballs for all of Philadelphia. Martorano’s Prime, an Italian-American Steakhouse, opened yesterday at Rivers Casino Philadelphia in Fishtown.
The main restaurant seats approximately 200 guests, with an additional 24-seat private dining room.
The chef’s table will feature a customized tasting menu, showcasing the restaurant’s signature dishes, seasonal ingredients and innovative techniques. The chef will personally present and explain each course, answer questions and provide insights into the culinary creativity, technique and artistry of the kitchen team as it prepares and plates dishes.
4. Boulder Station to open sports bar later this summer
Boulder Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas announced the arrival of Game On, a new sports bar and grill from the creators of the Las Vegas destination Blondies.
Debuting later this summer, Game On will welcome fans with bar top gaming and a variety of food choices, spirits and draft beers, along with comfortable seating and screens for prime viewing. For recreation between games, Game On will also be home to popular bar games Golden Tee and tabletop shuffleboard.
The 8,000-square-foot bar and restaurant offers booth seating, and tabletop dining for live sports viewing on nearly 60 screens (including a 138” television). A full 16-seat center bar will give guests access to bartenders and their favorite bar top games; while a nine-seat side bar gives guests additional seating, dedicated screens and a selection of beer options.
?? BREAKING NEWS ??
Just in time for Football season, Boulder Station announces the arrival of Game On, an all-new sports bar and grill from the creators of the Blondies.
— Boulder Station (@boulderstation) July 26, 2023
3. Singapore police arrest 25 people for illegal gambling activities
The Singapore Police Force arrested 13 men and 12 women in an operation conducted by Woodlands Police Division for their suspected involvements in illegal gambling activities.
On 20 July, a 39-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman, were allegedly found to have acted as a gaming service provider to 23 people, aged between 31 and 76, at an industrial premise along Gambas Crescent.
Cash amounting to $19,752, 11 hand phones and gaming-related paraphernalia were seized during the operation. Police investigations are ongoing.
2. Jamul Casino announces second annual San Diego Poker Classic
With over $150,000 in prize money, the California casino will attract regional players for its second annual San Diego Poker Classic, 10-20 August.
Key events include the Weekend Opener with a $50,000 guarantee, and the Main Event with a $100,000 guarantee.
The San Diego Poker Classic features 14 trophy events, including:
- The SDPC $50K Weekend Opener from 10-13 August, offering a $50,000 guarantee with a $300 buy-in. Players may also rise through the ranks of the satellite tournament for a $55 buy-in, where one in 10 wins a seat at the main table.
- PLON Ladies Event on 12 August, with a $150 buy-in.
- 50+ Seniors NLH on 14 August, with a $150 buy-in.
- Helix Tag Team NLH on 17 August, with a $250 buy-in.
- High Roller NLH on 20 August, with a $1,100 buy-in.
- The SDPC $100K Main Event from 16-20 August, offering a $100,000 guarantee with a $600 buy-in.
Satellite table seats have an $85 buy-in for a one in 10 chance to earn a seat at the main event, or a $145 buy-in with a one in five chance.
— RunGoodGear.com (@RunGoodGear) July 16, 2023
1. Paris Las Vegas, plus a new venue on The Strip
In the most recent This Week in Gambling video, we discuss the overhaul of Paris Las Vegas on the Strip as well as the new construction occurring at the corner of the Flamingo.
Caesar’s Entertainment announced an overhaul of Paris. Specifically, the Jubilee Tower at the Horseshoe will be renovated and become part of the Paris as the Versailles Tower.
This make-over will run the company around $100 million. The changes will bring in over 750 redesigned luxury guestrooms to the existing Paris, along with a pedestrian bridge connected to the Versailles Tower.
The new rooms will be some of the largest standard rooms on the Strip, starting at 436 square feet. In addition, select guestrooms will offer new 55-square-foot balconies as part of the renovation. These enhanced rooms in the Versailles Tower at Paris are slated for completion in late 2023 with the pedestrian bridge to follow in early 2024.
There’s more construction underway near the Flamingo Las Vegas. A $50 million, four-story, 25,000-square foot building that will be known as the Bottled Blonde Las Vegas is being built.
To pave the way for the Bottled Blonde Las Vegas location, construction is having to tear up a lot of ground right beside the Strip near Flamingo Road. However, specific details about the build and any existing buildings that may be demolished have not been published. The Bottled Blonde Las Vegas location is not scheduled to open until the end of 2024.
As Casino City's associate editor, Dan produces and edits all of our weekly newsletters, and writes about the gaming industry for our websites and the GPWA Times Magazine. Dan graduated from Marist College in 2017 with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Sports. Email him at daniel@casinocity.com, or follow him at @casinocity_dan on Twitter.
As Casino City's associate editor, Dan produces and edits all of our weekly newsletters, and writes about the gaming industry for our websites and the GPWA Times Magazine. Dan graduated from Marist College in 2017 with a degree in Communications and a concentration in Sports. Email him at daniel@casinocity.com, or follow him at @casinocity_dan on Twitter.
