What Is the Las Vegas Casino Death Watch?

The Las Vegas Casino Death Watch is more than worth paying attention to when you make annual trips to Las Vegas for a casino tour or if you’re looking to visit older gaming destinations that have taken to you in the past.

Here is the inconvenient truth regarding Las Vegas Casinos: Someone is either buying them, closing for good, or even receiving a makeover that would put the old TV show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, to shame.

And since we live in a constantly changing world where old news occurs just 20 minutes into the past, the Las Vegas Casino Death Watch serves as your official news archive involving the constantly changing landscape in Las Vegas Casinos.

Let’s look closer at the Death Watch.

The Las Vegas Casino Death Watch Explained

As mentioned, Las Vegas Casinos are always in danger of closing down, changing hands, and even moving to other locations within the city or surrounding city limits.

And it’s always a bummer when you make your annual trip to Vegas for your favorite event, whether it’s for a poker tournament like the World Series of Poker or even an athletic event like the IFBB Mr. Olympia. Because odds are, when you’re in Vegas, the casino is on the agenda.

To avoid such knuckleballs, it’s always smart to look at the Las Vegas Casino Death Watch. It will give you recent news as to who’s shutting down or if someone bought out an existing casino. Or, if your favorite casino relocated, it will let you know about its new address.

A man named Nick Christensen noticed the casino scene’s constant changing throughout the Las Vegas Strip and the surrounding regions.

Christensen’s page will also show you how they have repurposed the old casinos if they shut down for good. And it will also provide you with updates pertaining to which casinos may be on their way out next.

Christensen’s website, LV Revealed, also listed these in several categories that we will explain below.

But before we go any further, it’s smart to say that although we use the term ‘constantly changing,’ you don’t need to think that something’s up each year. In fact, Christensen can go several years without an update, so it’s not like the casino industry in Vegas is overly volatile.

One page, as of October 2021, had not been updated since January 2018, while another, Christensen, had not touched since July 2020, per his ‘Last Updates’ in the fine print.

Let’s look closer at the categories Christensen has used.

Category 1 – Game Over

As the title implies, it’s Game Over for the casino that faces foreclosure. Often, these casinos didn’t bring in enough cash to sustain themselves. Sometimes, casinos listed in this category close altogether, but this is not always the case.

You may find a casino listed here that you love simply changing hands. Now, if you make a trip to Vegas, they won’t be the same casino or resort. The address may not change, but the amenities, types of games offered, dining options, and even the staff may be unfamiliar to you.

It’s always worth hopping inside if the casino went under but foreclosed and new ownership bought and retooled the place. Who knows?

Sometimes, change is for the better and if a better group bought it, expect a greater experience all around.

Category 2 – At Death’s Door

The next category on the Las Vegas Casino Death Watch pertains to your endangered casinos. These casinos are still operating under financial strain. Odds are, they’re on the cusp of foreclosing or are in such dire straits they’re looking to sell to another group of investors.

Per Christensen’s website, At Death’s Door seems to be the least dense category, with nothing to show to date. The site has noted that these categories are opinion-based as much as they are fact-based. Therefore, if they don’t perceive anything to be on the chopping block, they will leave this category blank.

Category 3 – In the Hospital

These casinos aren’t on life support, and they’re neither close to closing down nor being sold. However, things are volatile enough that they may be heading in that direction in time. Christensen lists the casinos in this category, plus the signs that show why they may be “in the hospital.”

In other words, they can go from being in the hospital to “achieving” game over status overnight.

Category 4 – Might Have a Hidden Tumor

You will see the bulk of the casinos listed in this category. This section can involve new casinos that have not taken off or older casinos suffering losses because newer gaming outlets have cut into the market.

It’s also common to find dated casinos listed in this section. For example, if the current owners imply a redevelopment project is in the cards, then they can easily place even a healthy casino in this category.

They’re worth keeping an eye on.

A final category is Other Properties, but it’s almost identical to the ‘Might Have a Hidden Tumor Category.’

The only difference is that the Other Properties Section lists casinos that seem to be in good shape, whether they’re operating at a profit or a loss. You also see the bulk of Vegas casinos listed in this category, along with the Might Have a Hidden Tumor Category.

Recent News Regarding Las Vegas Casino Death Watch

As mentioned earlier, Christensen has not updated the above categories since January 2018. But they’re worth mentioning and describing because he can quickly revert to placing casinos in such categories at a later date.

Noteworthy news sources in this section have involved casinos or even entire companies that have been bought out by another. So any type of sale that has occurred over the past few years will be listed here, if you’re keeping track.

And while we’ve talked mainly about the Las Vegas Casino Death Watch Scene, this section will also discuss openings and potential openings. Casinos that are on track up to open a year in advance, or longer, will also find themselves listed here.

So if your favorite casino closed or is about to close, according to the Death Watch, there is always hope in the Las Vegas Casino Scene, as the recent news section of Christensen’s website shows.

Las Vegas Casino Death Watch Summary

Overall, if you’re looking to keep track of the Las Vegas Casino Scene and to accurately plan your trip to Vegas, it’s always a good idea to check for updates on Christensen’s site, LV Revealed.

You will receive perhaps a few inconvenient truths here. But that’s also the nature of the beast. In a volatile casino scene like Vegas, where there’s so much competition that you and other tourists to the city will never visit each casino in one trip, some casinos will sink or threaten to sink.

Which is why Christensen created Las Vegas Casino Death Watch in the first place.

Sure, you got your casinos facing Game Over status, or they’re at Death’s door.

But you also have news on acquisitions that may, in the future, make your favorite casino properties even more attractive gaming destinations. Or, your favorite casino may have closed down, but a new one has recently sprung up down the street. Therefore, the Death Watch also brings some good news.

So the next time you visit or plan to visit Las Vegas, make sure you check out LV Revealed, and it will tell you all you need to know.

Conclusion

Overall, the Las Vegas Casino Death Watch shows you which casinos are on the chopping block in varying categories. The List section has all the goods, where the Game Over Category will show you which casinos have either foreclosed or are on their way to foreclosure.

At Death’s Door and In the Hospital pertain to unhealthier gaming destinations, while others may be losing their health, even if things look good for them on the surface.

Finally, the more recent news section tells of sales by companies to others, along with news of new gaming destinations in America’s Gambling Capital.