STATESIDE STATESIDE
D
ecades ago, an American television commercial showed a “mature” woman who was furious over an attempt to imitate natural butter with margarine. She warned, “It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature” while she wreaked havoc on the world.
The company enjoyed great sales as the public laughed. No more, as more people worry about “Mother Nature” after this summer’s nationwide erratic and sometimes tragic weather patterns. On the East Coast, we endured numerous 90-plus degree
days with little rain. Elsewhere, excessive rainfall and flooding devasted midwestern towns. The western droughts caused fires and many riverbeds or streams that provide crop irrigation dried up. Near Dallas, Texas, one dried-up river revealed dinosaur footprints from 113 million years ago. This situation’s far-reaching effects may soon affect
I
Wynn called Las Vegas a “target rich” environment in November 2015 and recruited top law enforcement and military
consultants to formulate a security plan
8 SEPTEMBER 2022
casinos everywhere, but certainly more out West. Among all the daily operational challenges facing hundreds of Nevada’s, Arizona’s and California’s gaming properties, competing for water availability and legal usage may soon be one of them. Following the winter for centuries, the Rocky Mountains’ melting snowcaps in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado formed the mighty Colorado River. This water traveled southwest and has been the daily lifeblood of communities, many established across desert lands. Historically, the federal government has managed the
operations of the Colorado River’s dams, aqueducts and pumping stations. This oversight has helped the Southwest survive flooding and uncontrolled river flow. The two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, steer the water’s path. According to a recent
CNN.com report, managing water
production, direction and flow irrigates more than five million acres of farmland, powers the electric grids and provides drinking water to 40 million people. For years, many scientists and conservationists living
Ironically, my
there have recognized the potential for serious water shortage problems. This year’s worsening conditions may mean severe rationing in the near future. Aerial photos of the Colorado River don’t lie and the situation borders on catastrophic. In sharp contrast to the 20th century averages, the Colorado River’s flows have decreased by 20% since 2000.
Casino International article in September‘s G2E issue specifically focused on casino crimes. Ex-FBI agent Tom Raftery, one quoted source,
Statesi Stateside
Sharon Harris asks what can be lear recent events in Las Vegas
Sharon Harris says it’s time to put reality over politics. She’s almost certainly right
t was unimaginable that on the very week our global gaming industry converged on Las Vegas for G2E, the unthinkable could happen. As many had already arrived, or were arriving, a madman shattered the Las Vegas allure on October 1.
While 22,000 were enjoying an outdoor concert
at the chic Mandalay Bay, shots peppered the crowd from the 32nd floor. Within minutes, dozens lay dead and hundreds were wounded, some with lifetime injuries.
large group probably stayed at the Mandalay Bay. How does one react or prepare for this type of nightmare?
New York crisis manageme The lawsuits against them determine possible neglig
It is long overdue for ca Record low water levels have been recorded at Lake Mead With tens of thousands of G2E attendees in town, a Over time, we have learned this mass shooter, who
killed himself rather than be caught, methodically planned every detail of the carnage. A rich, heavy gambler, he did not fit any “standard“ profile.
A short ride from Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam is an engineering and architectural wonder that I have toured several times. Geographically, the Hoover Dam spans Nevada’s and Arizona’s borders and each state government regulates operations with its own self interests in mind. Prior to its 1930s construction and completion, flooding caused destructive, often deadly results to neighboring communities. Since the original November 1922 agreement, for what is referred to as the seven basin states, Mexico and Indian tribes’ region, inadequate discussions have not solved the proportional water distribution problem. Both the Upper Basin (Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico) and Lower Basin (California, Arizona, and Nevada) states have received the same water allocation. Experts’ estimates failed to address the impact of a
particular area’s population growth on water availability. Since 2000, total water flow has decreased by 25 percent. Satellite photos also prove the dangerously low water levels in Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Statistically, the Colorado River supplies 90% of the water used in Las Vegas. The explosive growth of Las Vegas and southern Nevada since the 1990s has put greater strain and demands on the Hoover Dam to manage the water output.
terrorism preparedness in killer brought guns into h cameras that monitored h He then used heavy-duty windows and take aim. No drawers be searched, but a lot of space.
Many question the relat
arsenal to his suite. Condi since the bar altering our shifting. So far, gaming ha these events, which is ama hour businesses have doze points that never close.
MichaelVi/Adobe Stock
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
