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Welcome to MtM #Vegas – Our weekly look at the cool #news and happenings in Sin City.
The Flamingo (once known as Flamingo Hilton) has turned 75 years old. It is perhaps the most famous of the old Vegas casinos and we discuss its history plus one interesting fact about today’s Flamingo. There isn’t a single original building on property!
In other news MGM Resorts is planning a big re-brand of their Mlife loyalty program. Find out what it will be called. Plus we discuss some of the other cool “Downtown” areas in the Las Vegas Valley, cool Vegas Christmas gifts, Sour Rooters, Open Table’s love for 4 Vegas restaurants and how booking a Hilton in Las Vegas can be tricky.
Produced & Edited by: Shawn Coomer
Episode Guide:
0:00 Flamingo Las Vegas turns 75 years old – What is original?
2:29 Best Vegas Christmas gifts – Incredible pictures & a Las Vegas sign lightbulb
4:37 MGM Resorts about to undergo a major rebranding?
6:05 How MGM’s loyalty program used to be split and confusing
7:05 Downtown Summerlin is one of the coolest spots in all of Las Vegas and it often doesn’t feel like Vegas at all
8:35 Red Rock casino disappointments – Starting to feel dated?
9:38 Downtown Henderson & Juan’s Flaming Fajitas
11:18 Open Table’s Top 100 restaurants list includes 4 surprising Vegas choices
12:40 Why celebrity chefs don’t have the top Vegas restaurants
13:48 How Resorts World & Virgin Hotels room prices can be a bit tricky when booking
16:36 Gameworks leaving Las Vegas after 26 years
18:37 Sour Rooters – Vegas casino bottom feeders
11:05
20:55 Searching for coins in slot and payphone hoppers
Relevant Links:
Flamingo 75 –
MGM rebrand to M-Life –
OpenTable Top 100 –
Gameworks Closing –
Sour Rooters –
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Host – Shawn Coomer – @MtM_Vegas
Host – Mark Ostermann – @DetroitMark
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35 comments
Coomer & Ostermann! Keep up the great work!
Love the Flamingo.Love the talk.
i was in the flamingo about a month ago….. it needs some work. love downtown Summerlin.
Happy New Years guys
Call me sentimental, but love the Flamingo lighted signage at the entrance and the gardens and flamingos. Here’s for 75 years more. (I’ve got two years on the Flamingo)
Lucky Shawn. Two great L V-related gifts. Enjoy!
The sour rooter phenomenon used to be called “wonging” a machine, named in honor of Stanford Wong. The original game was an old 3-reel machine called Piggy Banking. He determined that there was a statistical advantage to this. At this point, many games don’t have a great payback guaranteed even if you get the win.
I have a friend who wongs all the Wheel of Fortune machines, as people often leave wild reels up. He’d never wait for someone to lose, but checking an empty machine is a good idea on many of these types of games.
I have never had the urge to visit any celebrity chef restaurant anywhere, unless that celebrity is making my food I am not interested… just a an Applebees with slicker marketing.
My wife and I make a game out of it when someone stands behind us wanting our machine. We stop playing and just talk about the weather or whatever and wait to frustrate them into leaving. Try it, it is a blast. 🙂
Will be in Las Vegas next week. Using it as a layover, also headed to Hawaii.
DONT BE “*BLEEP BAG”!! LOL! To funny! Hey the riff raff that comes with some casino floors… nowadays just start coughing ( with no masks) get the linger to go away! Happy New M2M Vegas! Next year, we want two parter year in review, please!
Headed to Vegas January 6th. Gonna have to check out Juan's Fajitas that place sounds like my kinda place. Thanks for the video guys.
Always love an early show. Thanks guys
RIP Gameworks! It closed all it's locations. Couldn't survive pandemic (at least that's the reason they are giving)
No more game works that’s to bad. My kids loved that place, o well. ✌️
About that light, did you know the edge lights on the Welcome to Las Vegas sign are not always yellow? There is another sign at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign that explains the edge lights of the sign. True. Also, I thought Gameworks at the strip location (underground where the Marshalls is now near MGM. ) was way cool. It was cool to be able to go to the basement of the strip away from the slot floor/blackjack table but still be in a fun place playing a game. I'm sure many teenagers were "sent" there.
The first time I was in Vegas was july 56. Spent much time in the pools at Sahara and Rancho Vegas
Have you heard about the new fees that the resorts are thinking about tacking on? What is your perception on this? It just seems as though they are just running out the people who can not afford Las Vegas and only wanting to have the wealthy individuals.
When are you heading out to Vegas Mark?
I’m old and miss the days when Vegas was a great deal for rooms and food, and you could gamble your wad away having fun! Now the wad is gone on room and eats. A bit of sleaze in the old days added to the attraction. RIP old (real) Vegas. Many of us remember you fondly and miss you greatly!
Joe's is one of our favorite places. We eat there for lunch almost every time we come to Las Vegas. Their key lime pie is the best!
Wishing you, Shawn and Mark a very Happy New Year! Stay safe and stay silly guys! ~Cheers!
Just love watching your videos. Informative and love your banter. Have a safe and Happy New Year. Karen
Will these hotels ever go back to daily cleaning of the rooms. I always left a daily tip anywhere I travel, but the maids not providing this service it must be hurting them .
OH, when we were kids is a new recurring bit! Quarter arcades! I used to have a pocket comb that fit right into the slot. I would shove it into jammed slots and at least $3.00 in quarters would pour into the return! I left arcades w more money i came with frequently! Memories indeed
I went to downtown summerlin one time and it was the last time. When you hear the term downtown you expect a massive downtown, people walking, public transportation. Las Vegas and summerlin lack what a downtown is . Chicago, Boston, New York. Those are real cities.
I went to The Flamingo with my girlfriend about 8 years ago. Paid about $60 for a (not) refurbished room that was ok,…at best. We mostly stayed there because of the awesome pool vibe. It was an outstanding pool experience filled with mostly young and beautiful people (I was 50 then).I was able to sneak in a water bottle filled up with straight vodka,…and got a bit wasted by the end of the day.It was a lot of fun,….and I sure did save a whole lot of money.BTW,….Donny and Marie Osmond were the headliners at the casino.
Sour rooter happens at the casino in town, it's annoying and rude.They do have a marker in back of Flamingo that honors the original spot of the old casino. Red Rock is getting a little dated , but I doubt they will remodel when they plan to build a new hotel casino. I think it won't be too long and you'll see celebrity chef joints going by the wayside. Was never impressed by any of them.
Happy New Year.
Celebrity chef food the only one I can afford is chef boyardee.
Just last week this couple were sitting side by side where only one was playing megabucks I had no qualms asking the one not playing if I could play.
Watch the McDonald’s fraud doc on hbo. It’s pretty good too.
Sorry to see GameWorks closed but went only once at the Town Square location…expensive and service wasn't good. Liked the original location. Would love to see Round One or Dave and Busters move into the old Frye's building. Great location, alot of space for games and food, and plenty of parking! Thanks for the vlog guys!
The "Sour Rooters" are known as "Cruisers" in the casino I work at.
They are real sadly.
Every time I go to Juan’s I leave smelling like fajitas. 😝😝
Juan’s flaming fajitas is so good. It’s a must go for me every time I visit.