Who Owns Las Vegas

MGM Grand Casino Las Vegas - Photo Courtesy of (MGM Resorts Media)

Well, "Who owns Las Vegas," is probably a silly question to ask. I think. Did you know that MGM Resorts owns approximately 57 percent of all the rooms on the Strip in Las Vegas? True stuff!

Just a few weeks back I mentioned that Harrah's was changing its corporate name to Caesars Entertainment. I discussed the impact and the meaning. I was boring. But this is pretty interesting, because Las Vegas, of all places in the world, has always been unique.

Right now you can ride the elevator inside the Paris casino and emerge at the top of a replica Eiffel Tower. From there you can easily see the Bellagio's opulence, Caesars' Roman columns and statues, the medieval fun of the Excalibur castle down the street, and of course the roller coaster and skyline of New York New York.

Inside, the casinos try to be different, although sometimes the games are the same, the slots are the same, and even the restaurants (Sorry Wolfgang Puck) can be similar. However, I sincerely hope every property continues to be unique, especially since most of the properties are owned by either Caesars Entertainment or MGM Resorts.

Right now, MGM Resorts is kicking off a casino loyalty program that rivals the old Harrah's program. Their new player's club, called "M life," will include a dozen properties. Your casino action will automatically be updated from every casino in the group, from the MGM Grand Detroit, the Beau Rivage and Gold Strike in Mississippi, to the company's nine resorts in Las Vegas. In case you lost track, the Vegas casinos include: Aria, Bellagio, Luxor, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, Mirage, Monte Carlo, and New York New York.

I guess I'll have to put all my individual player's club cards away and just carry a single M life card now. And, I'll let you know how the overall system works - first hand.