Rio: The final frontier?

Although I was hoping to keep this under wraps a few more days, reader Jeff_in_OKC connected all the dots this afternoon, so I’ll have to scoop myself. Here goes …

At last week’s annual Star Trek Convention, the program contained a full-page announcement that next year the STC is leaving the Las Vegas Hilton and engaging its warp drive all the way over to The Rio. However, the casino’s media page has nothing on the subject. A Google News search for “star trek convention rio” produced all of nothing, as did “star trek convention las vegas rio.” Star Trek blogs were of little help. Two calls to Harrah’s Entertainment and one to convention producer Creation Entertainment have also proven fruitless to date.

So let me float this theory: LV Hilton owner Colony Capital has been tipped in recent weeks as the likeliest buyer for The Rio. Were such a deal to go through, Colony would have reason to move the Star Trek crowd to its trophy property, plugging part of the gaping hole that would be where the World Series of Poker once was.

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, a Rio sale has been agreed upon but not yet announced. Perhaps Creation, in its ardor to start selling premium tickets for the 2011 convention, let the cat out of the bag. Down comes the cone of silence. It’s all speculation at this point but Harrah’s non-announcement of landing a huge yearly attraction (one whose attendee demographic contains lots of fresh, young faces) suggests either ineptitude or evasiveness. Unfortunately for Harrah’s image, the Occam’s Razor explanation is “ineptitude.” My gut instinct is that a sale is/was in the offing and Creation “went rogue,” especially since Harrah’s idea of nixing speculation is to say it’s planning to hold the WSOP at The Rio next year … a non-denial denial if ever there were one. Besides, as we all know, plans are subject to change.

Oh, and if Colony does buy The Rio, would somebody please restrain CEO Tom Barrack from borrowing heavily against it. After all, it worked so wonderfully well for Resorts Atlantic City and Atlantic City Hilton, didn’t it? What’s that? “Receivership,” you say? Barrack does it again!

Update: Colony’s useless PR firm has some new faces but the same old, sullen attitude. To wit: “Colony Capital has no comment and they suggest you contact the LV Hilton with your inquiry.”

Stranger than fiction. Guess whose role model is Augusto Pinochet? Did Nevada corner the market on crazy or is LSD in the tapwater? (I initially mis-typed “LDS.” Quel Freudian slip!)