Fortunately, it looks like we won’t have to worry about our NHL-franchise-to-be playing under a cliched name like “Las Vegas Gamblers.” Says majority owner Bill Foley, 
speaking of the league, “They’d prefer we don’t go in that direction.” Also, Foley seems pretty much set on Black Knights. A West Point grad, Foley wants to with team colors the same as those at the Point: black, gray and gold. (I have mixed feelings about this: When I lived in Minneapolis, the preferred street-gang gear was either of the Chicago White Sox or the Oakland Raiders, with their silver-on-black color schemes.) As for holding a contest to name the team, there’s not enough time. “We want to get our merchandise out in the stores as quickly as possible,” Foley told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Also-ran team names were “Las Vegas Aces” (hackneyed to the umpeenth degree), “Las Vegas Scorpions” (appropriate, particularly with the connotation of a sting in the tail) and “Las Vegas Mob” (absolutely terrible — talk about sending the wrong message). As the R-J points out, it’s Foley’s team — with a little help from the Maloof family — and he can call it what he wants. I say Black Knights is catchy and has a certain panache. Maybe it conjures up images of Tournament of Kings but so what: That’s arguably the most entertaining show on the Las Vegas Strip. And isn’t this all about having fun, when you get right down to it?
Local sports books might not even having to worry about taking Black Knights games off the boards. Not only does hockey represent a picayune percentage of sports betting, the NCAA (not exactly a laid-back organization) has allowed betting on Nevada college sports teams for 15 years now. “I would hope there would be no such restrictions because we would be sending the wrong message,” said Westgate Las Vegas Sports Book Director Jay Kornegay, adding, “It’s just another game. It doesn’t attract more attention than any other game.”
* Relocating the Newport Grand slot parlor to Tiverton, Rhode Island, looks like an electoral no-brainer but backers are leaving nothing to chance. Twin River 
Management Group, which bought out Newport Grand and its gaming license, held a rally to get supporters riled up. They’re promising 600 jobs although that’s a little disingenuous. Twin River rep Patti Doyle claims that “many of our dealers prefer to work part time.” Whatever the reason, the net gain will be closer to 400 FTEs. Twin River is also promising that, if the referendum passes, it’ll clean up after itself. “If we don’t have a buyer when we are ready to close Newport Grand, we’ve committed to scrap the building so they’re not left with an old jai alai fronton at the gate to their community,” said Twin River Chairman John E. Taylor. In case we forget between now and Election Day, S&G urges a “yes” vote on Tiverton.
* Tiverton’s promised 600 jobs pales next to the 3,600 that will accompany MGM National Harbor when it opens later this year. Part of the $1.3 billion cost of the property was an employment center that alone represents a $5 million investment by MGM, one that will be donated to Prince George’s County when it has served its purpose.
* On the heels of Rhythm City opening at its new location, the pace for onshore casinos in Iowa is picking up. Next to disembark: Isle of Capri Bettendorf‘s casino-hotel, offering 1,000 slots and 19 table games. One of the advantages of building from scratch is that Isle is able install a new HVAC system that will refresh the air in the casino three times an hour. “The riverboats were never built for that. The industry really didn’t know what we were kind of getting into at that point and so it kind of evolved is really what you`re going to see when you come into the facility now,” said General Manager Nancy Ballenger. There was never a good reason for casinos to be on riverboats to begin with, so it’s good to see sanity prevailing after so many years.
* If you want a prestigious address in a building where your co-tenants will include “the Michael Jordan of investment fraud,” 40 convicted felons and countless alleged felons, then Donald Trump‘s 40 Wall Street is the place for you. It may be rife with crooks but, hey, it’s one of the relatively few Trump investments that’s paid off in spades.
