Las Vegas News, Rumors And Events In January 2023

Happy New Year!

January 2023 is starting off as though it’s the first real “post-Covid” year in Las Vegas. The virus may not be entirely gone from the world but things are getting back to normal for Las Vegas.

Leisure travelers returned to Las Vegas in droves last year. On the other side of the fence, business travel for conferences remained slow most of the year.

2023 is kicking off with the return of big conferences in January. Attendance estimates may be lower than before the Covid-19 pandemic but they’re greater than in the past couple of years.

Tourists planning midweek visits should consult a Las Vegas convention calendar like this. Visiting Las Vegas when there aren’t major events is a good way to find less expensive hotel rooms. This calendar can also include sports and concerts if you need them.

Since there should be more people visiting Las Vegas during weekdays there will be fewer entertainment options on the weekends. They’re not entirely going away but there won’t be as much as in the summer months when leisure travel is at its peak.

Busy Conference Schedule

While the summer months are typically a time for Vegas weekend getaways, the first month of the year is
typically busiest during weekdays because of the heavy conference schedule.

CES (formerly Consumer Electronics Show) is taking place at the Las Vegas Convention Center from Jan. 5-8. The show is expecting 100,000 attendees this year. This is slightly more than half of the 2019 pre-Covid show attendance, which had just over 175,000 in attendance.

For the first time in more than a decade, CES and AVN Adult Entertainment Expo (AEE) will overlap. AEE will take place at Resorts World Las Vegas from Jan. 4-7.

CES is mainly a technology industry event. AVN is open to the public.

SHOT Show is an industry event for companies that work with target shooting, hunting, outdoor, and law enforcement products. The show expects 60,000 people to come to the show at The Venetian from Jan. 17-19.

World of Concrete will take place inside and outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center. This expo should bring another 60,000 people to Las Vegas from Jan. 17-19.

These events all take place during the week so hotel prices are extremely high since corporations are usually footing the bill. Some guests will take a few days before or after the shows for vacation. This can lead to higher than normal prices but nothing too crazy.

Leisure travel in Las Vegas will pick up again with Lunar New Year on Jan. 22. This is more commonly known as Chinese New Year.

2023 is the Year Of The Rabbit. Expect to see Vegas casinos with bold and beautiful displays to coincide with the celebrations.

January Las Vegas Shows

January doesn’t have the typically large allotment of shows. Since Las Vegas is the “entertainment capital of the world”, the shows don’t take long breaks.

Take a look at some of the entertainment highlights this month:

• Sebastian Maniscalco at Wynn: Jan. 6, 7
• Special Lin-Manuel Miranda appearance at Freestyle Love Supreme at The Venetian: Jan. 12-14
• Lionel Richie at Wynn: Jan. 14, 15, 18
• David Blaine at Resorts World: Jan 14, 15
• Adele at Caesars Palace: Jan. 20, 21, 27, 28
• Chris Tucker at Wynn: Jan. 20, 21
• Donny Osmond at Harrah’s: Jan. 24-31
• Bruno Mars at Park MGM: Jan. 25, 27 & 28
• Bryan Adams at Wynn: Jan. 25, 27 & 28
• Styx at The Venetian: Jan. 27 & 28

The entertainment calendar in Las Vegas is highlighted by professional sports in January. The Vegas Golden Knights are playing seven home games in January at T-Mobile Arena.

The Las Vegas Raiders season will come to an end with two final home games at Allegiant Stadium in January. The Raiders play the San Fransisco 49ers on New Year’s Day. The following week they take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Casino News

Hard Rock is now operating the Mirage. The company has big plans for the property including an all-suite guitar-shaped hotel replacing the volcano on the Vegas Strip.

There’s still time to see the Mirage as you remember. The property should remain as is for most of, if not all of, 2023.

One big change in effect is a new rewards program. The property is now using Unity by Hard Rock rewards now that MGM has moved on.

Casino rewards programs offer different value propositions for guests. While high rollers get the big perks, low rollers can find a value that fits their budget.

Resorts World’s Genting Rewards program will allow all cardholders complimentary self-parking beginning Jan. 4. This is new and open to all levels of the program unlike other casinos on the Vegas Strip.

Self-parking will cost a flat fee of $10 per day for non-members. You can sign up for Genting Rewards here.

Bally’s Las Vegas has a new name. The yearlong reimagination of Bally’s to Horseshoe Las Vegas is completed. The casino floor has a new aesthetic and the property has new venues.

There are new restaurants, bars, and attractions including a new poker room and an arcade that has replaced the sportsbook.

Stop the presses! Just as 2022 ended Fontainebleau Las Vegas announced it has secured more than $2 billion to complete construction this year.

This is a big deal as construction on Fontainebleau started in 2005. The big blue unfinished resort on the north end of the Vegas Strip is staffing up and is slated to open during the fourth quarter of 2023.

Gambling News

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is returning to Horseshoe and Paris on the Vegas Strip on May 30 – July 18, 2023. A handful of dates for specific events have been released for anyone looking to make their summer Las Vegas poker plans.

Resorts World is the only casino on the Vegas Strip with cashless gaming. The property recently upgraded the service.

Players can now open and fund a casino (not sports betting) account prior to visiting the property. There are other improvements within the app as well.

Just a heads up that Resorts World charges a 2.96% fee on all mobile funding.

More News And Notes From Las Vegas

Dragons are coming to Las Vegas.

Learn more: https://t.co/3QM0w6cohu pic.twitter.com/NPFzwshquo

— Game of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) December 11, 2022

A Game of Thrones attraction is coming to Las Vegas. There isn’t much public information on this but rumor has it that this will be located inside Horseshoe Las Vegas.

The Brewdog rooftop beer bar and lounge opened in December across the street from Park MGM. The inside is what you’d expect in 2023 and the outside has gorgeous views of the Vegas Strip.

Proper Eats food hall opened on the second floor of Aria in December. There are nine food stalls and a large bar in the space that used to be home to Aria’s buffet.

Ordering for most eateries at Proper Eats takes place at a kiosk or on a mobile phone. Expect to pay around $20 for a main course and beverage.

Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas has a new food hall with a handful of new places to get a quick bite. The expanded casino has the first retail-only FanDuel sportsbook in Las Vegas.

Randy’s Donuts from Los Angeles is expanding throughout Las Vegas. Its first location on the Vegas Strip is located at Suns Out Buns Out inside Resorts World.