Caesars Entertainment increases employees' training to prevent terrorism

Friday, May 26th, 2017, 9:33pm

One resort ownership group has taken steps to prevent terrorism in Las Vegas to the next level. Caesars Entertainment is training its personnel to spot a bomb before it goes off.

Earlier this week, 8 News NOW broke the news that the Las Vegas Strip was featured in a new ISIS propaganda video. On the video discovered by intelligence officials last week, ISIS supporters are encouraged to carry out lone wolf attacks in major cities across the country.

Caesars told 8 News NOW exclusively that employees are being trained to notice and understand how powerful explosive devices can be disguised to look like everyday items.

"They will look for weakness," said George McKerrow, Mac-7 Security Training. "They will tend to go for an easy option, but if we are proactive, then they may drive past and look for someplace else."... Read More

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Colorado man admits starting fire at Trump hotel in Las Vegas

Submitted by 8NewsNOWStaff

Wednesday, May 24th, 2017, 3:08pm

A 28-year-old tourist from Colorado has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after he became the second person in less than a month to be accused of starting a fire at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.

Jacob Matthew Dezsi's court-appointed lawyer, Alexander Hubert, said a felony arson charge was dismissed after Dezsi pleaded guilty Wednesday to malicious destruction of property.

Dezsi lives in Littleton, Colorado. Hubert says the judge ordered him released from jail after five days behind bars and sentenced him to perform 50 hours of community service.

Las Vegas police say Dezsi told investigators he wasn't making a political statement when he set fire to a paper towel last Thursday and dropped it in a restroom trash can near the hotel lobby.

Hotel staff members quickly extinguished the fire... Read More

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Submitted by 8NewsNOWStaff

Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017, 3:24pm

On any given day, there are shows and concerts happening at the different venues on the Las Vegas Strip.

While security is typically tight during major events, the risks still exist.

There's no telling when and if Las Vegas may be a target but there are ways to stay vigilant, especially around large crowds.

More than 40 million tourists visit Las Vegas every year indulging in everything the Strip has to offer, but following the Manchester terror attack, safety is a topic of conversation along one of the most famous resort corridors in the world that is home to a number of concert venues.

"I think I take safety for granted because you kind of just walk in and just assume that you're safe," said Nadine Abdelgalil, a visitor from London.

"You kind of think about it cause if somebody had the intention to do something, you could easily do it," said Michael Borrell, who is visiting from Pennsylvania... Read More

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Submitted by 8NewsNOWStaff

Monday, May 22nd, 2017, 8:58pm

The City of Las Vegas has emerged once again as a potential terror target in an ISIS propaganda video. In the video that calls for lone wolf attacks, several Strip properties were prominently displayed.

U.S. intelligence agencies discovered the new video on ISIS website last week, according to Newsweek who reported the video's content shortly after it was found.

In a story you'll read only on 8 News NOW, counter-terrorism authorities sent notices to Strip hotels to be vigilant.

There's no word on when the video was shot, but the message is very clear: ISIS wants supporters to carry out attacks in the West.

"Las Vegas has kind of been a terrorism target for a long time," said Dave Shepherd, consultant, retired FBI agent.

Shepherd says the continued threats have kept law enforcement officers and hotel properties on high alert... Read More

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New Las Vegas casino-resort pushes opening date to 2020

Submitted by 8NewsNOWStaff

Wednesday, May 17th, 2017, 3:37pm

A long-delayed multibillion-dollar casino-resort project on the Las Vegas Strip that would cater to the city's Chinese tourism is pushing its opening date back another year.

Malaysia-based developer Genting Group on Wednesday said the proposed 3,000-room Resorts World Las Vegas will open in 2020 after overhauling its design to have a modern Asian flair and appeal to the younger generation of gamblers.

The $4 billion project on the Strip's northern end is expected to include a 100,000-square-foot casino, a variety of dining options with authentic Asian cuisines and abundant retail space.

The project's initial target opening was 2016. The Malaysian conglomerate bought the Las Vegas property in 2013 from Boyd Gaming, which had started building a hotel complex on the site of the former Stardust casino when the recession hit. ... Read More

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Submitted by 8NewsNOWStaff

Tuesday, May 16th, 2017, 7:10am

The Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino is now charging people to park. Starting Tuesday, you will have to pay $13 to valet for the first four hours and $18 for the full day.

For self-parkers, the first hour remains free. But after that, the price will start at $7 and go up to $10 depending on how long you're there. Motorcycles remain free.

The Sands Corp. which owns the Venetian and Palazzo are the only ones not charging to park... Read More

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Submitted by 8NewsNOWStaff

Saturday, May 6th, 2017, 12:43am

It's almost been a year since MGM Resorts International broke with Las Vegas tradition and started charging customers to park.

There was an immediate outcry from locals. Some of them promising to boycott MGM and take their money elsewhere.

Well, how did that work out? And did it effect MGM's bottom line?

MGM started charging for parking last June. The company's annual earnings report for 2016 is 123 pages long. The only mention of how much money the MGM generated from parking is a footnote at the bottom of page 37.

They disclosed a 7 percent increase in other revenue "primarily" because of valet and self-parking fees implemented in June of 2016.

The other revenue, according to the earnings report was $1.143 billion.

The company didn't make that much from parking alone, that number includes net revenue from entertainment and retail at all of MGM's domestic resorts... Read More

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