Strip casino upgrading lobby, center bar for 80th anniversary

A landmark Strip casino is getting a handful of upgrades ahead of a milestone anniversary.

The Flamingo will unveil a new lobby, center bar and select public areas as it approaches its 80th anniversary in 2026, according to a news release from operator Caesars Entertainment.

The upgraded lobby will feature a 20-seat bar with tabletop gaming and a new VIP check-in area. Bugsy’s Bar, which sits in the center of Flamingo’s casino floor, will “undergo a full reimagination with a bold new design and an inventive cocktail menu,” the release said.

Caesars said the redesign “contributes to the ongoing transformation” of the 3,500-room hotel.

Other recent enhancements include Pinky’s by Vanderpump, Gordon Ramsay Burger, Havana 1957 and a $20 million makeover of the Go Pool.

Salt & Straw ice cream shop and Category 10, an entertainment experience inspired by country-music star Luke Combs, will be opening at Flamingo next year.

“We’re introducing fresh designs that complement the recent additions to the property, creating spaces that feel modern yet unmistakably Flamingo,” said Dan Walsh, senior vice president and general manager. “The resort has always been an icon on the Strip, and these renovations ensure it remains a vibrant, must-visit destination for years to come.”

Strip outlook

Atlanta-based Truist Securities sees a bounce-back for most companies with investments on the Las Vegas Strip but says companies still need to work to attract lower-budget and international travelers.

“(The fourth quarter) is looking healthier on the Strip than in prior quarters, on the back of a better calendar, healthier convention business and a strong sports calendar (including a better Formula One),” Truist analyst Barry Jonas wrote in a report. “MGM reiterated Q4 feeling better on a quarter-over-quarter basis given strong group and convention business, with only mid-December looking a bit light. Caesars Entertainment, however, doesn’t expect fourth quarter cash flow year-over-year growth with lingering leisure softness impacting hotel occupancy and rate.”

Jonas based his comments on management statements at a Truist event in Boston last week.

“Moving into 2026, operators are positive on the strong first-half group dynamic, but Caesars appeared to be measured on the prospect for sizable full-year cash-flow growth. For that to happen, Vegas would need to see some current leisure headwinds alleviate, including Canada and Southern California improvements, as well as the lower-end customer,” he wrote.

Jonas also wrote that so-called prediction markets were a hot topic at the event.

“We continue to monitor the prediction space closely given headlines generated by private operators and our interactive players launching sports contracts in the coming months,” he wrote. “DraftKings expects to go live with its sports prediction product in December, or possibly January, only with predictive sports in states that do not have legal online sports books. Management maintains the view that predictive will be less attractive to the casual sports bettor given exposure to sharp trading and a lack of promotional allowance, though overall should motivate states to legalize online sports betting faster than they otherwise may have and/or perhaps discourage tax increases.”

Deferring to courts

The new nominee to head the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said he’d defer to the court system on whether prediction markets involving sports outcomes is a form of gambling.

Michael Selig told U.S. senators in a confirmation hearing last week that he wants to hear what courts conclude before stating any opinions about whether sports prediction markets are a form of gambling.

Several states, including Nevada, are involved in lawsuits with companies offering prediction markets. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon told litigants in Las Vegas in a case involving New York-based KalshiEx LLC against Nevada casino regulators that he was leaning toward dissolving a preliminary injunction that allows Kalshi to offer a market for sports predictions in the state.

Nevada regulators consider the markets to be a form of illegal gambling being offered without licensing.

Other states also have battled markets such as Robinhood and Crypto.com in similar court cases.