We kick off the New Year with Las Vegas preparing for the worst! A face mask crackdown is sweeping over Las Vegas as the Omicron variant of Coronavirus closes in. And enforcement of the Nevada mask mandate is being ramped up with the help of the Gaming Control Board patrolling casinos and looking for violations!

Hello friends, the holidays are over and it’s time to get back to business. Yes, we will still be bringing you the gambling news for 2022. So, Happy New Year! And now that we have that shit out of the way, here’s this week’s big story! Last month, we knew that the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus was coming for us. And now, after all those Christmas parties and holiday trips to grandma’s house, were set to see a spike in the number of cases over the next several weeks. At least, that’s what they’re telling us.

Now, the Nevada mask mandate has been in effect for quite a while. And most people – most people – who visit Las Vegas wear they’re a mask exactly the way they’re supposed to. Most, but not all. However, moving forward, those individuals who choose not to wear a mask (for whatever reason) may be in for a surprise. A state sanctioned face mask crackdown is now underway. And the Nevada Gaming Control Board is stepping up enforcement of the mask mandate at casinos. Enforcement which could include “disciplinary action” against casinos found to be in violation. “Disciplinary action” which could include tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

Additionally, state business agents are also out in force for the face mask crackdown, checking for violations at places like retail establishments, restaurants, bars, taverns, strip clubs… sounds like tough work. Those agents can also issue warnings or fines… or even suspend a business license. Despite all this, the state continues to set new gaming revenue records. Nevada brought in over $1.3 billion in the month of November, falling just short of their all time revenue record. And extending their streak of billion dollar months to nine in a row.

So whether you wear a mask or not is your business. I’m just letting you know what’s going on in Las Vegas… and Nevada… and most likely a lot of casinos all across America. Now you have the information. What you do with it is completely up to you. This week, as we kick off the New Year, we have a brand new game review to share with you for the Wild Wild Buffalo slot machine from our friends at Aristocrat. This addition to the Buffalo family combines the player favorite cash on reels feature with Aristocrat’s Wild Wild game mechanic. It’s delivered on their Neptune Double Cabinet with 49 inch, curved 4k monitors stacked on top of one another! Plus, Wild Wild Buffalo comes with six jackpots and a wheel feature! This review is available right now on our YouTube channel.

And finally this week, anyone that’s visited Las Vegas in the past 10 to 15 years has probably seen that big, blue, 67-story resort sitting abandoned at the north end of the Strip, and wondered: What the hell’s the deal with that place? Well, originally called the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, it was then gonna be called The Drew, and then it was gonna be called the Marriott. It’s gone through several owners, a bankruptcy, a pandemic, but now after all these years it just might open! The original owners are back in charge of the project, and it’s once again being called the Fontainebleau. They’ve set an opening date of sometime in 2023! Probably near the end of 2023. But Hey, maybe by that time there won’t be a Las Vegas mask mandate!