Sunday, December 14, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

INSIDE GAMING: 'Phantom' may soon haunt Venetian

Sources say The Venetian has landed a $40 million production of "The Phantom of the Opera." The rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway blockbuster would be used to show off the Guggenheim Las Vegas space, but it wouldn't be just another road show. Sources say it would be a mega-"Phantom" in a customized theater. Venetian operators reportedly hope to knock Celine Dion's show at the Colosseum, which adds $50 million a year to Caesars Palace's bottom line, off the winner's platform as the biggest visitor draw on the Strip.

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Bill Weidner, president of Las Vegas Sands, says The Sands in Macau will open in March, or April at the latest. The company, operator of The Venetian, has invested $270 million in its first casino in Macau, and Weidner says it will ante up $1 billion for a second hotel-casino, The Venetian Cotai, as soon as needed changes in regulations are adopted. His company wants to make Macau the No. 1 destination in Asia with 20 resorts, 60,000 rooms, conference halls, shopping malls and entertainment venues.

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It looks as if the much ballyhooed sale of the Las Vegas Hilton and three out-of-town Park Place properties is going on hold for a few weeks. But sources close to some bidders tell us the real interest in the venerable property has less to do with the hotel-casino than the real estate. Company sources say rumors the tower would be torn down are off base, however. Too expensive, they say. At some $250 million to buy the hotel and another $100 million to tear it down, that would make it an expensive piece of real estate.

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Alone among gaming companies, Harrah's Entertainment last month was named a "Web Smart 50" company by BusinessWeek magazine. Fifty companies nationwide were tapped for their innovative use of information technology. Harrah's won the nod for its Total Rewards customer loyalty program. BusinessWeek reported that the program helped boost Harrah's share of customers' gaming losses from 36 percent in 1998 to 43 percent in 2002. They call that a winning hand.

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Look, up in the sky. It's a bird, it's a plane, no, it's a casino. Toulouse, France-based Airbus says its giant new A380 is large enough to include on-board casinos, spas or gymnasiums. A mock-up of the superjumbo jet, set to start flying in 2006, is on display to wow prospective clients. Its huge staircase, reminiscent of a cruise ship, links two full-size decks, sort of like the Titanic. And with revenues shrinking, airlines may prove great customers for casino cruises to nowhere, airborne-style.

The Inside Gaming column is compiled by Gaming Wire Editor Rod Smith. You can contact him by phone at (702) 477-3893, fax (702) 387-5243 or e-mail at rsmith@reviewjournal.com.