There are lots of great reasons to go to Las Vegas. It’s sunny and hot, there’s a great casino or two on every block, hotel rooms are cheap and the nightlife rivals that of the biggest cities in the world. But, speaking of nightlife, there’s also a few reasons you might reconsider visiting the city of sin. Stuff like prostitution, drug-use, drinking to the point of hospitalization, fist fights and underage drinking. And that’s in the big, fancy nightclubs on the Strip.

As we all know, the city has long been a destination for people wanting to cut loose and go a little crazy. But a recent scandal has been brewing that indicates things are a little out of control in some of the most popular nightspots in the city. As discussed here a couple months ago, one of Vegas’ biggest party spots, Prive, was busted for a variety of lewd and unhygenic offences, and forced to pay a $500,000 fine to the city.

Since then, though, the city’s been cracking down a whole bunch of other clubs identified as being host to a variety of bad behavior. The Rio had to close its pool, due to suspected prostitution and drug-dealing. And the Hard Rock Hotel’s Rehab club was the site of eight arrests for similar activities.

And you know, that’s all well and good. But when they start dumping people who are passed out from drinking out into the casino, something else clubs have been accused of, that’s when things start getting dicey. Because not only is that extremely dangerous for the poor boozer, imagine yourself on a great run at a slot-machine, when all of a sudden a couple bouncers dump some passed-out college kid on the ground beside you. That’s the kind of thing that’s going to turn your luck around in a hurry.

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Not since Elizabeth Berkley schemed and skanked her way through the movie Showgirls, has there been a Las Vegas cabaret dancer with the rising fame of Holly Madison. The former Playboy magazine model and #1(ish) girlfriend of Hugh Hefner, Ms. Madison got her first taste of mainstream fame as a star of the hit reality TV show “Girls Next Door”. And now she’ll be the star, and producer, of her own show called “Planet Holly”.

Since it’s just been announced, we don’t yet know if Planet Holly will take place amid the exciting casinos and stages of her home-base Las Vegas, or back in her L.A. haunts. But we do know she’s equally at home in both places. She’s currently the headline showgirl in the Vegas burlesque act Peepshow, and she was hangin’ with Hef at the Playboy Mansion in L.A. while starring in Girls Next Door.

She’s not saying much about her new reality show, except that it will be “all good-natured and not mean like other reality shows”. She promises it will be inspirational and empowering for young girls. Which is pretty good considering her main claims to fame so far are dating the elderly Hugh Hefner, and taking off her top on-stage and in magazines. And, improbably, she even compares her new project to the Mary Tyler Moore Show. It starts filming on October 12th, so we won’t have long to wait to see what it’s really all about.

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NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and a friend in Vegas

If you’re here, chances are pretty good you love to gamble. So if you happen to be someone who also likes NASCAR, you better book your trip to Las Vegas ASAP. It was just announced that NASCAR will be racing down the Las Vegas Strip. Okay, maybe it won’t be an official “race”…but the ten top drivers on the circuit will be doing a nice fast cruise down the boulevard as part of the festivities around their annual dinner and awards ceremony.

The event will be happening on December 5th. I’m telling you about it now to give you lots of advance notice so you can book your trip early…or so you can be absolutely sure you don’t go anywhere near the place on that weekend. Hey, not everybody loves the stink and speed of cars driving really fast. Some people would prefer their visit to Vegas to be heavy on the cocktails and slot machines, and easy on the auto racing.

Oh and speaking of both racing and slots, did you know that we have an online slot machine that features both fast cars AND one of the coolest bonus features around? It’s called Green Light and you can play it right now in our online casino. That is, you can play it if you’re already a member at Silver Oak. If you’re not, it only takes a second to download our free software and get started. Just hit the blue button and that Green Light will only be moments away.

For sale: Sequined glove. Not sure where the other one is. Cost: $48,000.

Next time you’re in Las Vegas, you can take a break from the video poker machines and Blackjack in the casino and take a peek at the only $48,000 glove you’re likely to ever see. People say the best career move a celebrity can ever make is to die prematurely. And that certainly seems to be the case for Michael Jackson. Beset by a massive and growing debt for the last 10+ years of his life, the King of Pop’s estate is now a money making machine. And even people who aren’t associated with him are able to cash in.

Michael Jackson was long known for his eccentric fashion, best symbolized by the single white glove he frequently wore in concert. A number of the gloves have been auctioned off over the years, but none have ever made the kind of money this most recent sale did.

In 1996, MJ tossed one sequined glove to a lucky fan. It was the same one he wore when he got married to Debbie Rowe earlier in the day, which no doubt added to its collectibility. And now, thirteen years later, Michael Jackson’s glove has just sold at auction for that hefty $48,000 price tag. Not bad, considering it doesn’t even have a partner.

It was bought by a representative of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The chain of hotels and casinos has been a long time collector or rock n’ roll memorabilia, with a collection that includes things like Jimi Hendrix’s guitar, Elton John’s sunglasses and Mick Jagger’s dentures. The glove will be put on display where it’s hoped it will attract lots of the musician’s fans, who will then eat, drink and gamble enough to justify the hefty price tag.

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So you’re down in Las Vegas cruising around the hottest casino and looking for stars. From seeing all the Vegas party pics on TMZ, you know those celebrities are around somewhere…but where?

There’s no doubt that celebrities like to gamble. You see them playing poker on TV all the time, they flock to Vegas like moths to a flame and they obviously have lots of disposable income. But if you cruise around a Vegas gaming floor you have a better chance of spotting a virgin than a bonafide celebrity.

The reason they’re so elusive is, of course, because everybody wants to see them. That’s why celebrities go to the casinos that will cater to their every whim – especially the desire for privacy. Most major casinos, or at least the ones that the very famous frequent, will set up table games in a private area. And I’m not just talking about a VIP area, this is actually a private room where only the celeb and their entourage can play. Which might sound fun, but really, isn’t half the fun of Vegas watching all the other freaks get their gamble on?

But if you are determined to see how Ben Affleck plays suited connectors, your best bet is to look for a celebrity poker tournament. They’re a dime a dozen these days, but they’ll cost you considerably more than a dime to buy-in.

All in all, when I hit the casino I’m there for the games, not celeb-hunting. And if you’re the same then come on in to our online casino and try your luck right now.

On last night’s episode of “Mindfreak”, master illusionist Criss Angel did the seemingly impossible – he levitated his entire Las Vegas studio audience. What makes that all the more amazing is when you realize how many all-you-can-eat buffets there are in that town. But besides levitating the over-fed crowd of onlookers, he did something even more incredible – he levitated everyone watching the show at home on TV.

Or at least that was the idea. But, as all the videos feverishly uploaded to YouTube this morning suggest, not many people actually levitated. Though there are a surprising number of comments from people that say they did feel “lighter” or at least “tingly all over”. Of course, there are also comments like the one that says: “yeah I levitated, right over to the Easter Bunny’s house”. There’s a skeptic in every bunch.

Criss Angel is one of the ultimate showmen in a town long known for them. Las Vegas has always offered amazing casino action, but it’s also the home of some of the biggest stars in the live performance game. And right now, none owns the city like Criss Angel does. Between his Vegas-based hit show “Mindfreak” and his (semi) successful partnership with Cirque De Soleil, “Criss Angel Believe”, he’s levitating an awful lot of money into his own pockets.

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Getting in the book is serious business. These aren’t just card counters or petty thieves. These guys (and, in one case, girls) are banned for life, and they can be thrown in jail just for setting foot in a Nevada casino. In face, if a casino knowingly lets them on the premises, the casino itself can get in trouble with the law. In most cases, they have links to organized crime, or a long history of getting busted for cheating casinos and sportsbooks out of huge sums of money.

This being the information age, you can see everyone in the book right here, and even find out what crimes they committed to get listed. You should check it out, if only to see if your name happens to be on there. ; )

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Everything is big in Las Vegas, from the casinos filled with row after row of games and slot machines to the huge egos to the even huger bankrolls of the high-rollers. One thing Vegas doesn’t have is a fifty foot tall robot of Michael Jackson roaming around the desert outside town. But it almost did.

Back in 2005, years before the late singer’s planned 50 show residency in London, he was close to agreeing to an extended run of shows in Las Vegas. He had gone as far as rehearsing and planning the stage sets and costumes. And he had also had initial meetings with a designer about building a fifty foot high version of himself as a walking, robotic advertisement for the concerts. The idea was that it would wander around the desert just outside of town, and be visible to tourists as they flew into town.

Of course the concerts, and the robot, never happened. Michael Jackson was unable to raise enough investment to get the planned mega-shows off the ground. Which is probably a good thing, as it would have been a shame if the giant celebrity robot had gone beserk and wreaked havoc on the Strip.

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Besides being the world’s top destination for gambling, Las Vegas has been home to some of the biggest and most significant boxing matches in history…but this wasn’t one of them. Former champ Oscar De La Hoya is a great fighter, but from all reports, he couldn’t do much in his boxing match against the behemoth that is Shaquille O’Neal. Of course, that might be less about their respective skill in the ring, and more about the fact that Shaq outweighs him by about 175 pounds or so.

Why was this mismatched pair fighting at all? They took to the ring at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood Resort to film for an upcoming episode of O’Neal’s new reality show. It’s called “Shaq Vs.” and it features the basketball superstar taking on a variety of other athletes in their sport of choice. In last night’s premier episode, Shaq hit the field for some football drills, then took on Pittsburgh Steeler’s QB Ben Roethlisberger in a game. The QB won and, from early reviews, it sounds like viewers lost. Apparently watching two big, rich jocks fooling around on the field is less than compelling viewing. Though I’m sure I’m not the only one who will tune in when the episode with De La Hoya vs. Shaq airs.

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Ahh, Las Vegas in the off-season. While the action is hot all year at online casinos like Silver Oak, in the summer things cool off on the Las Vegas strip. Sure, there are the usual celebrity pool parties and nightclub appearances, but for the most part, summer is a time of cheap hotel rooms, oven-hot temperatures and conventioneers in matching outfits cruising the air-conditioned casinos. And if you’re looking for conventioneers in odd outfits, you should have been there this past weekend for the “world’s largest Star Trek convention”.

Yup, Trekkies (or Trekkers, as they prefer to be known) descended on the Las Vegas Hilton for a wild weekend of costume wearing, autograph buying and partying like a Klingon. All the biggest actors from many years, and many series’ of the show were on hand to shake hands, pose for photos and even call numbers in a huge bingo game. From the original series, William Shatner, Leonard Nemoy and George Takei all made an appearance. And fans of the rest of the Trek universe were excited to see actors like Christopher Lloyd, Jonathan Frakes and Brent Spiner.

Of course, the real treat for true Trekkers was the chance to dress up in their favorite costume and party and gamble with a bunch of people who’s idea of a great weekend in Vegas is to also dress up in their favorite costume. If that sounds like you, sorry you missed it this year. But in the meantime, if you’re a lover of the final frontier, then check out our space-themed online slot machine Outta This World.

Movie-Quoting Guy Strips Off in Casino – Unless your home-life is a lot stranger than mine, you don’t often have a session of online casino gaming interrupted by a naked man spouting quotes from the Terminator movies. But that’s just what happened in an unnamed US casino. When arrested, the man claimed he was from the future, and was a doppleganger of Arnold Schwarzenegger. After being tazed, the man admitted to having consumed marijuana and LSD.

Phony ATM set up in the Riviera Casino in Las Vegas – Scammers operating in Las Vegas is not a new story, but the audacity of these criminals is impressive. Not only did they set up a fake ATM in a major casino right on the Strip, they even did it while the Riviera was hosting a computer security conference! Needless to say, one of the attendees at the conference quickly spotted the scam machine and alerted the proper authorities.

Prostitution Ring Sleazing it up In Las Vegas – Again, it’s probably no surprise to anyone that prostitutes sometimes advertise their wares in Vegas casinos, but this is ridiculous. This ring was so huge that the investigation stretched all the way to Brazil, where twelve suspects were arrested for supplying hookers to Sin City.

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I’m not saying that partying and gambling in Las Vegas isn’t fun. But between the 105 degree summer heat, and some recent reports about nightspots getting shut down, I’d have to say that staying home to play in an online casino might be a whole lot safer, more comfortable and a lot more hygienic.

It seems that two of the big party spots at the Planet Hollywood, Prive and The Living Room, are about to be shut down by the authorities. The specific violations are still a bit of a mystery, but allegedly they may involve a range of things, from underage drinking, to drugs, to various lewd acts taking place in shadowy corners of the clubs.

Another particularly juicy, and gross, rumor says that two recent Vegas swimming pool parties had to be shut down so the pools could be drained and refilled, to get the water back up to minimum safety standards. I don’t really want to think about what exactly was happening in those pools to make them too filthy for human recreation, but it does make you wonder. And, like I said earlier, it does make you think you’d be better off saving your Vegas vacation money, and playing your favorite games right from the comfort of your own home.