Ever since moving to Las Vegas in 2001 I’ve heard stories of the “friend-of-a-friend” who makes $100,000 a year as a blackjack dealer, or the valet who just paid cash for his new condo.  These are the stories that make you question whether you’ve chosen the right profession, and they backup the long-held (and much debated) belief that education comes second to gaming in Nevada. 

Times are changing.

Skipping college for the casino floor is no longer an option when gaming revenues are in steady decline and companies are cutting employees and canceling future projects.

The realization came to me the other night when a caller to a radio talk show predicted more students would stay in school to find a career rather than gamble (literally) on the gaming industry.

Here’s a snippet from a recent report by News 3’s Hetty Chang:

“Historically, as we look at tough economic times, people go back to college, people go get that Master’s degree,” explains Dave Tonelli, UNLV’s Director of Public Affairs.

Obviously, the idea of “riding out the recession” in school does not guarantee a job upon graduation.  President-elect Barack Obama warned Thursday that “a bad situation could become dramatically worse” if Congress does not act soon on his stimulus proposal.  That quote can be found in this article, which cites that the recession, starting in December 2007, is already the longest in a quarter-century.

While the gaming industry is no longer a guaranteed landing spot for graduates, the CityCenter careers Web site is currently the biggest draw in Southern Nevada.  An MGM spokesperson said there would be not be daily updates, but more than 15,000 had applied within the first 24 hours of operation.

For job-seekers looking outside CityCenter, there is a glimmer of hope in the coming weeks: 

The next major Las Vegas job fair will be held Tuesday, January 20, at the Texas Station Hotel-Casino.  Click here for info and a list of recommendations for job seekers.

In Reno, the Showcase Career Expo will be held Tuesday, January 20 at the Grand Sierra Resort.  Click here for details.

A second Showcase Career Expo in Reno will be held Thursday, March 19 at the Meadowood Mall.  Click here for details.

Jason R. Latham - Senior New Media Editor

Welcome to the NVMoneyMatters.com blog, your look at what’s making headlines, what’s turning heads, and what’s buzzing through the minds of Sunbelt Digital Media.

We’re just five days into 2009 and already I’m starting to think that if this is going to be a make-or-break year for Vegas, it all hinges on CityCenter.  With the launch of its career Web site today, I’m thinking this is the last best hope for an economic turnaround. 

No, this is not a plug for MGM Mirage, this is just a hint of optimism in a city where people are losing their jobs left and right.  It’s depressing out there folks, 40 degrees and depressing.  Is it just me or is the combination of the cold and the economy making this feel like the worst winter ever?  

From a jobs perspective, it doesn’t get any bigger than what CityCenter is offering.  There are 12,000 positions available… 12,000.  Let me put that into perspective using an old Dennis Miller joke: If there were just one guy working at CityCenter, he’d have to do 12,000 jobs!!

I took a gander at citycentercareers.com earlier, it’s the real deal.  This is not like applying for a job on Craigslist.It opens with a virtual tour into the property and a voiceover, and an employee steps out as a video host of all the featured sections.  I don’t get this much love from this Web site. 

Contrary to what I was led to believe, there are positions open at every property in every department you can think of.  Do I want to be a Banquet Bartender at the Mandarin Oriental, or a Suite Butler at the Harmon? 

After scanning through the listings I thought about taking it a step further, to get a real feel of the application process.  Better not.  A spokesperson for MGM Mirage says that as many as 10,000 people could apply by day’s end, and while I’m not worried that my traffic will crash what’s obviously a very expensive Web site, I don’t want to waste anyone’s time.

Besides, MGM will have its hands full sorting through all those online resumes, which could include even more laid off casino workers after Harrah’s announced it had cut jobs at the Rio.  Today 70 positions either eliminated or “reclassified.”  That’s just a PC way of saying full-timers got cut to part-time.  You can read more about the layoffs here.

Getting back to CityCenter, I’ve been running through the Frequently Asked Questions area of the Web site, hoping to find answers to my questions and those submitted by NVMoneyMatters readers.

Here are some quick things that stuck out, things you should know if you plan on submitting your resume:

• You can only have one open application at a time, which means you can’t apply for more than one job 
• Applications are only available in English
• Interviews start in April, and the majority of job offers will go out in September

One more, in case you were wondering about the pay, here’s the answer: Details on pay and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

That, I suppose, was too much to ask.

Heads up, over on kvbc.com we are trying to gauge the public’s expectations for CityCenter.  Will it lead to an economic turnaround, or is the project too risky in this economy?  You can answer the question here.

Senior New Media Editor Jason R. Latham might apply for Arcade Attendant so he can dazzle tourists with his Dance Dance Revolution skills.

Welcome to the NVMoneyMatters.com blog, your look at what’s making headlines, what’s turning heads, and what’s buzzing through the minds of Sunbelt Digital Media.

In this city, you could lose money in a casino faster than if you just left it on a street corner.  Think I’m joking, try it sometime.  Leave a dollar on the sidewalk, run into a bar, put your money in a video poker machine, play one hand and lose, then run back out and get your dollar.

I once lost money so fast I thought time actually stopped while some machine took my five dollars.

Fortunately, that’s about as high as I’ll go when it comes to gambling, and I don’t go that high very much.  But anytime I get an impulse buy or the urge to splurge at a casino, I end up regretting it later.  That five bucks could have gotten me five songs on iTunes, or a five dollar comic book, or I could have bought one of those sandwiches that I like for five dollars.

Now, with the year winding down, it’s time for me to run through my five worst spending regrets of 2008, along with my five big spending goals for 2009.

Biggest Spending Regrets

5) That Amazon Prime membership - This is great if you don’t want to pay any shipping on your packages, but I’m so dumb I ordered it last week, on the last gift I was buying for the holidays!  Terrific, I spent $79 to save $1.50 shipping on a $10 book.  Fortunately this is a year-long membership, so anyone who wants anything from Amazon.com should come to me, and you know where your gifts are coming from next year.

4) That extra bottle at the Pre-Independence Day party - Granted, it was also a combination birthday party for my friends Donnie and Judex, but this was a really unnecessary purchase.  It was obvious the first bottle was empty, but the bar was still open, and I should have sent everyone in that direction.  Instead I was overcome with this urge to “keep the party goin” with my own credit card.  I should have known better.

3) That extra bottle at my birthday party - Just a month separates numbers 3 and 4, why didn’t I learn my lesson?  This time the party was clearly starting to die down, and the few people remaining were not going all in on this bottle with me.  So I got stuck with a bulk of the check on my own birthday.  That, for sure, will be the absolute last time.

2) That mask I didn’t wear on Halloween - As I was getting everything together for my Halloween costume I made an impulse buy at the counter and got one of these white masks with the blank, expressionless face.  It’s the kind of thing they wear during bank robberies.  Anyway I really didn’t need this mask but I got it anyway.  Turns out, it was a female mask, and it’s too small for my face.  The lady behind the counter didn’t say anything and I didn’t notice.  Then I tried to return it and the guy tells me they won’t take it back.  So now I’m stuck with this mask and out six dollars.  Shame on you Halloween Town.

1) That suit I didn’t wear to my bachelor party - Granted, it’s a nice three-piece suit, but when it came time for the party-of-all-parties it was just wrong for the occasion.  I should have trusted my instincts and did a little window shopping before making a purchase at the first location.  Now I’ve got a suit hanging in my closet that I have never worn.  On top of that, I think the tailor messed up the pants, because they don’t look right.

In 2009, I am making myself a promise that if I’m going to splurge I’m going to be smart about it.  No more “second bottles” and no more cheap Halloween masks. 

Top three spending resolutions for 2009:

3) Join the 700 Club - I’m still watching TV on this 32-inch analog job that I bought myself after college.  It’s time for me to get a monster flat-screen and get all I can out of the 700-level HD channels.  Besides, there’s a new baseball video game coming out this year and I want a sharper picture.  Here’s my plan, I’m going to save five dollars a week all year long, then when 2009 is over I’ll be at least one-quarter of the way there.

2) Wear more suits - There’s a perfectly good suit hanging up in the closet, so that’s one.  Next my plan is to buy at least two more suits so I have a suit for every weekday, plus one extra.  So I’m going to save ten dollars a week for 52 weeks, and by the time the year is over I will have enough money for one, maybe two really good looking suits.  All of them will be three-piece suits, because if I’m wearing a tie, I will only wear one with a three-piece suit, unless it’s a skinny tie.  In that case, I’m going to need money to buy ties too.

1)  Save money for ties - If a good tie costs $30, then I only need to save five dollars a week for six weeks.  Or, I could save ten dollars a week for six weeks and get two ties.  I could also save $30 a week for two weeks.  I’m going to take the rest of the day to work on the math. 

As you can see, I’m a big believer in the five dollar a week plan.  If you have any better suggestions, just leave a comment below.

Senior New Media Editor Jason R. Latham is also dreaming of a velour track suit.  He’s going to have one by 2012.

Welcome to the NVMoneyMatters.com blog, your look at what’s making headlines, what’s turning heads, and what’s buzzing through the minds of Sunbelt Digital Media.

There has never been a better time to enjoy the luxuries of Las Vegas.  The rooms, the restaurants, the nightclubs, all are finally affordable and mine for the taking. 

There’s just one problem, I can’t afford it.

It’s funny that, after throwing down hundreds of dollars on bottle service during birthday season, here I am closing out the year afraid to spend 50 bucks on a hotel room to host a holiday party.  All of a sudden I am just as weary of spending money as the thousands of people avoiding Las Vegas on the weekends.

Friday night was my wake-up call.  I hit the Strip ready to knock out this open bar event at Cathouse inside the Luxor.  I should have suspected the event itself was a sign of desperation during this economic slump.  I’d been to Cathouse before and spent a lot of money without anyone offering me so much as a free dessert. 

I arrived early enough that I had time to walk around the Mandalay Bay-Luxor complex.  Right away I was reminded that there is nothing worse than killing time in a casino when you don’t want to spend a lot of money.  Time literally stops.  I got there at 9:10 to meet friends at 10:30, and it was the longest 80 minutes of my life.  I must have walked back and forth from Luxor to Mandy four times, passing through every corridor, every gift shop, and every inch of both resorts.

Never in all the years that I’ve lived in Las Vegas have I seen it deader than it was on Friday night.

It was so quiet I could actually hear myself mouth the words “Where is everybody?”

I looked at my watch thinking maybe it was just too early for things to get going, it was 9:30.  The bars were empty, the slots were silent, and in the Luxor I actually saw entire sections of the casino floor roped off to the public.  I wondered if maybe the machines were broken, but I had a hard time finding a casino employee to ask. 

I called my boy Judex, who was having dinner over at the Paris.  He was seeing the same thing.  If we didn’t believe it before, we believe it now.  The Strip is hurting people.

When I got home I checked out the Luxor Web site to see how much rooms are going for.  This week, rates are $50 Monday through Wednesday, $140 for a two-night stay on Friday and Saturday.  That’s ludicrous.  Luxor isn’t exactly a “must-stay” but it’s not the Circus-Circus either.  A two-night weekend stay for $140?  I’ve spent more money on dinner at Cathouse!

Maybe it’s just the Luxor, I thought.  There’s no way rates are that low for say, Mandalay Bay, a far superior resort in every way.  It turns out rooms aren’t that much more expensive.  I can stay during the week for $90 a night, but the price goes up to $140 on Friday and Saturday.

What about Encore Las Vegas?  Steve Wynn’s new resort opens to the public tonight, and I heard this (completely unfounded) rumor that Wynn lowered room rates to $160 to get people in the door.

Turns out that rumor isn’t completely off base.  The Encore Web site is advertising a $179 rate for Tuesday night, with a $50 dining credit for a two-night stay.  One SDM staffer who got to stay at Encore over the weekend described the rooms as “gi-normous” with huge bathrooms and massage tables in some of the suites.

It figures.  One of the most luxurious hotels on the Strip brings room rates down to earth so I can finally live like the Suite Life of Zack and Cody and I’ve got to turn down the offer. 

So what’s the solution?  Do I spend money to keep the city in business or do I keep it all in my mattress?  If you know the right answer to that question, I’ll pay for your room and treat you to dinner.

Jason R. Latham - Senior New Media Editor

Welcome to the NVMoneyMatters.com blog, your look at what’s making headlines, what’s turning heads, and what’s buzzing through the minds of Sunbelt Digital Media.

Growing up in front of the television must have altered my view of the office holiday party.  I always imagined a group of people dancing, drinking, and sitting on top of the copy machine. 

When I grew up (and I use that term loosely) I realized that most of these parties happen outside the office where there are no copiers.  But there is still plenty of drinking and dancing, in fact if you get me going on the ‘04 Holiday Party I won’t shut up for like a two hours. 

So let’s not dwell on the past, even though brighter economic times definitely made for a more amusing holiday get-together.  These days few companies can afford the high-dollar, open bar celebrations that I used to enjoy. 

If that’s happened to you, you can choose to sit at home on a Saturday night, or you can choose to make someone else’s holiday party your own!

No idea where I’m going with this?  Think Wedding Crashers but substitute the wedding part with the words Holiday Party. 

Then take the word Crashers and replace it with something that doesn’t sound as harsh, like Employees You Didn’t Know You Worked With.

It’s the perfect low-cost way to celebrate the holiday season, and the best part is, you can have your pick from any number of hotels on any given weekend! 

The trick is to choose a location that has a lot of ballroom space, or somewhere with a big convention area.  It doesn’t have to be on the Strip either; a lot of Las Vegas companies are hosting holiday parties at local casinos.  It all depends on whether you’re in the mood to mingle with strangers from out of town, or if you’d really like to make new friends and do some holiday networking.

Like any successful mission, planning is essential. 

Always choose a big company with a big party.  Avoid law firms, those tend to be smaller, and those people are lawyers so if you end up busted, you knows what you’re in for.  Big companies, like gaming companies, can still afford to rent out those ballrooms with a dance floor and DJ.

First thing you’ll need to decide is the wardrobe.  This is a holiday party so you’ll likely have the urge to go with something festive.  I can’t speak for the ladies but I will tell the guys that sweaters are out of the question.  Not only do they up your chances of being mistaken for an unwelcome guest, they just don’t send out the message that you’re somebody important, somebody who may be so high up in the company that it’s likely most of these people have never met you.

The old adage “dress for the job you want, not the job you have” also applies to holiday parties.  That’s why I’m a big believer in the three-piece suit. 

If you’re wearing something festive make it the tie, but don’t, don’t choose a tie with any sort of holiday pattern.  This is Las Vegas, you can do better.  Besides, a holiday-themed tie will only make you stick out, when the key is to blend in.

When you arrive, arrive late, definitely when dinner is winding down.  The last thing you want to do is get stuck at that table of office misfits, you know the ones that don’t belong to any of the cliques and nobody wants to sit with.  Don’t be that guy.  Show up late and show up with drink in hand.  Make it look like you’ve been wandering around the hotel for a while, enjoying the casino while everyone is eating. 

You want to blend in just enough so people might think “Hey I’ve never seen that guy, but he’s dressed like James Bond.”  You don’t want them to think “Hey I’ve never seen that guy and he’s eating all of our food.”  Don’t worry, just because you’re not getting a full meal doesn’t mean you’re missing out on the holiday party experience. 

Before you make your entrance into the ballroom, stop by and have your picture taken at the holiday display.  Don’t ask for extra copies, because again, you don’t want to make a big deal about it.  Just pose for the photographer and pick up the picture when you leave.

Then it’s time to make your entrance.  It helps to have that drink in one hand and a date on your arm, that way you’re not some lonely guy wandering into a party.  Besides having that extra person there draws eyes away from you. 

Walk in with a smile, a confident smile that says “I belong here.”  Spend a few minutes working the room, making your way from bar to bar.  Don’t linger too long at one location and keep your hellos to a minimum. 

If anyone gets suspicious and asks who you are, be quick with a response.  Don’t be afraid to use your real name, this isn’t the F.B.I. holiday party or it would have been tougher to get in.

When it comes to questions, it helps to have a combination of words and phrases handy.  Just insert any of these into your sentences to sound credible:

• Johnson from accounting
• Merger
• Gladys in payroll
• My tech stocks are in the toilet!
• My brother-in-law works at that firm!
• The (insert name of team or company here) paid off huge last week!
• Layoffs

That last one can instantly get you off the hook in any conversation.  These days any mention of layoffs and people will leave you alone.  They might even get scared that you’re the C.E.O. from out of town and they’ll want to buy you a drink!  Who’s to say you’re not him, you’re wearing a three-piece suit!

So now that you’ve done all your mingling, it’s time to make your way to the dance floor and get down.  If you’re a good dancer, this is the one place where it’s cool to draw a crowd, because who’s going to ask a great dancer to get off the floor?  These people have been drinking for hours; anything short of the African anteater ritual is bound to impress them!

Want to make this holiday party your own?  I suggest strolling up to the DJ and putting in a request.  Don’t be afraid of blowing your cover, he doesn’t know you, and as long as you do it with that confident smile you’re guaranteed success.  If you’re really feeling froggy, why not make it a dedication?  Just choose a name at random and say congratulations on a job well done this year.  If you actually get people to clap that means you own the room and you can close the place down at the end of the night!

At this point, it’s probably getting late and everyone is starting to make their way out of the party.  That doesn’t mean your night has to end.  On your way out, stop by the coat-check desk and ask if the company is on the list at any nightclubs.  They’ll probably have a couple V.I.P. passes handy, maybe a free drink ticket or too.  Grab those for some late-night action, and don’t forget to pick up your photograph, you’ll want to enjoy this holiday memory for years to come.

Senior New Media Editor Jason R. Latham really enjoyed meeting everyone Saturday night.

The announcement of the Nevada Legislature’s Special Session threw a nice little curveball into my plans to blog from the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings at the Bellagio.

Turns out I’m not missing much on the local baseball front.

While I had high hopes to hear the Las Vegas 51’s announce they would be searching for a new team name, my sources tell me those plans have been put on hold for now. 

With the economy where it’s at, I can’t blame the Stevens Baseball Group for avoiding the risk that comes with a massive image makeover.  There has been talk that owners want new facilities to go with their new team, and there’s no way the Toronto Blue Jays, which recently took over as parent club, are going to invest a small fortune on new digs when they are only locked into a one-year contract.

My guess is the Blue Jays will move on after the 2009 season, with a preference for a Triple-A city that’s not based on the other side of the country.

That means Las Vegas baseball fans are stuck with more of the same next year.

Something has to be done to save the 51’s and save baseball in Las Vegas.  This city needs a great sports experience to grow its image and bring people together.  I know we’ve got the Wranglers and the Rebels, but I’m talking about a great baseball experience.

This franchise needs a makeover to attract the next generation of fans and bring back those who have gotten tired of Cosmo and the whole alien thing.  It works for the kids but it does nothing for the rest of us and it does leaves no impression on this community. 

To Las Vegas, the 51’s have always been, well, alien.  There’s no buzz outside the local baseball fan base.  It’s like the Las Vegas Zoo, that’s right we have a zoo here.  I actually went one time, that zoo has roosters running around outside their cages.  That’s not a zoo, that’s a farm.

It irks me that I’m not able to deliver my grand scheme to makeover the 51’s.  I was certain there would be a contest to name the new team and I would win and people would cheer and I would get the key to the city like Shane Victorino.  Then people would eventually forget I existed, but the team would live on! 

Well, I don’t care if the owners say that’s all on hold, it’s time for me to unveil my master plan right here in the pages of NVMoneyMatters.

Hey Stevens Baseball Group, you want to know how to make this a great team?  A great and profitable team?  Now I got your attention. 

It’s all in the name, and here’s yours, say hello to…

You heard me.

That’s it, Viva Las Vegas.  Not the Las Vegas Blackjacks, or the Las Vegas Bandits, or the Las Vegas Texas Hold Em’s.  Just the city, and all it represents. 

It’s time we stopped trying to give every Las Vegas sports franchise a gambling or “Old West” nickname.  Reno’s new Triple-A team is the Reno Aces.  How original.

You know what’s original, the Montgomery Biscuits.

Welcome to the NVMoneyMatters.com blog, your look at what’s making headlines, what’s turning heads, and what’s buzzing through the minds of Sunbelt Digital Media.

The first thing you want to do when writing your blog is set the mood.  So I put the iPod on shuffle and asked myself “What kind of song defines NVMoneyMatters.com?”  Then I realized the absurdity of that question and just decided to rock out to The Cars. 

So rock out with me, cause we’re on a mission today.  Tis the season for giving, and I want to know what people are giving away, or getting rid of, or just straight up selling for whatever money they can get back.  The whole idea came to me last night, as I rounded up old clothes to donate to Goodwill.  I was thinking, “Why don’t I sell these old shirts on eBay, who cares if they all have holes in the elbows!”  For some reason, all the shirts I buy at Express Men wear down in the left elbow, I don’t know why. 

Anyway, if I’m dumb enough to think people will buy my tattered shirts, there has to be other dummies out there!

So, with some help from New Media Editor Linda Wieland we have rounded up four must-not-have items you can purchase online right now:

• Worthless O.J. Memorabilia- We’re all waiting to see how much time O.J. Simpson gets when he’s sentenced in Las Vegas Friday.  Why not show your love with a hilarious (not) shirt featuring Johnny Cochran wearing the ski cap and proclaiming “If the glove don’t fit you must acquit!”  It’s selling on Ebay right now for 99 cents!  That’s a steal!  It’s like getting away with murder, again!

• Worthless Stuff - How about helping a victim instead.  We found a guy on Craigslist giving away a car charger and a handless headset.  He doesn’t need them because his cell phone got stolen.  Worthless to him, to you, maybe not.  I love what the guy wrote after he first posted the items: Free to the person who stole my phone… You might as well have the car charger and hands-free headset. Hope you are enjoying my phone.

• Spare Change- Here’s a guy in Las Vegas who needs to get rid of these old gift cards with $1 and $2 left on them.  I might snap those up dude, don’t throw away free money!  Who cares if you don’t shop at Dillards, it’s the holidays, go get something for someone and get the three bucks off!  I did that with this Visa Gift Card that had like six bucks left on it.  Got the girl a present that was already on sale for $19.99, minus $6.23 and that’s extra savings.  Yes, it’s okay to be cheap in times of crisis.  Actually it’s okay to be cheap most of the time, except in public where people can see you, and judge you.

• Bag-O-Chips - Yes, finally something from the Bag-O line.  Read this post from Craigslist: I came into a large amount of chips and i dont eat them and i dont want to throw them out.  So before he even considered giving them away to a food bank or just a random homeless guy, he was like “Hey I should put this on Craigslist and see if anyone bites!”  Bites, I just got that, I get jokes.  There looks to be about 20 or so bags in the collection, and the guy wants 20 bucks for the whole stash.  I should call this guy.

So that’s what we got, I would look up more, but I’m too busy laughing about the Bag-O joke from Saturday Night Live.  Look, we put a label on every bag that says, “Kid! Be careful - broken glass!” I mean, we sell a lot of products in the “Bag O’” line.. like Bag O’ Glass, Bag O’ Nails, Bag O’ Bugs, Bag O’ Vipers, Bag O’ Sulfuric Acid. They’re decent toys, you know what I mean?

Good times. 

Jason R. Latham - Senior New Media Editor