Rio: The big gundown; CityCenter: The big showdown

While Caesars Entertainment struggles to rid itself of dilapidated The Rio, it’s attracted another problem that will diminish its “curb appeal.” A gang-related gun battle erupted in the wee hours of Sunday morning atop The Rio’s parking garage. At least 30 rounds were exchanged the three-way shootout. Their bloodlust insufficiently sated, several assailants followed the victims to University Medical Center, where they discharged additional gunfire into a mob that had gathered outside. The flashpoint of the running firefight, which left five people wounded, was The Rio’s Crown Nightclub. Tempers evidently flared at a hip-hop event, and Metro patrolmen were following a blood trail when they found themselves in the crossfire outside the casino. A local TV station is promising a formal response from Caesars today.

Providentially, no innocent bystanders or policemen were wounded in the Rio fracas. And by having a Metro sergeant and six uniforms on property, Caesars would appear to have taken appropriate security precautions. Mike Blasky’s Review-Journal story ends with this chilling sentence: “The Crown Theater is a known hangout for members of the Wood gang and officers routinely worked overtime at the club because of the propensity for violence.”

Since Rio surveillance would — or should — have extended to the parking garage, I’m moved to wonder if The Rio’s eye-in-the-sky crew was able to communicate with the Metro contingent. When they barged into an ambush with little or no warning, it’s a miracle no lives were lost. According to LVA‘s “Today’s News” page, Crown will go dark Thursday-Saturday for the next month. All other events — including karaoke night — will continue as planned. After all, karaoke crowds aren’t known for busting a cap in your ass, no matter how badly you sing.

And they’re off! Attorneys for MGM Resorts International and Perini Building are putting up their dukes, now that litigation has begun in earnest over whether or not MGM can implode The Harmon, probably the world’s only $279 million billboard. Even if MGM prevails before Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez (who seems to draw all the heavy casino litigation), Perini is certain to appeal, so we’ll probably be discussing this two years from now. Perini has a good argument re the prejudicial effect of pulling down The Harmon before the construction-defect litigation itself can be heard. I’m less persuaded by Perini’s claim that, with a little fixer-upper work here and there, the building is habitable. We know too much about the slipshod construction practices that occurred — regardless of whose fault they were — to ever feel confident in the structural integrity of “Dubai’s Diminuendo,” as an S&G reader dubbed it. Personally, I find the testimony of MGM’s experts to be literally frightening … words I do not type frivolously.

Strange interlude. In a belated embarrassment for ex-Gov. “Bingo Bob” Riley, the high-profile prosecution of various e-bingo operators fell on its face. Although several indictees had sung like canaries for the government, all those who stood trial were acquitted. That means it’s back to business as usual at VLT casinos like Southern Star Entertainment Center, and sooner than one might have thought. VictoryLand will be close behind, although Attorney General Luther Strange is threatening a reprise of Bingo Bob’s crackdown.

That purge of bingo operators has been a boon to Poarch Creek Indian Gaming‘s three casinos, up 47% during the 2008-10 period. The owners of Southern Star and VictoryLand are going to argue equivalence between their operations and Poarch Creek’s. However, the latter enjoys tribal sovereignty and the private operators still appear to be in contravention of state (if not county) laws. However, the acquittal puts the ball back in the court of Gov. Robert Bentley (R) and his campaign promise to put e-bingo up to a popular vote. Also, Riley’s anti-bingo jihad — and longstanding connections to Jack Abramoff — have left a whiff of corruption over his attempts to eradicate tribal and private bingo.

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