Things have been changing for years in Las Vegas.With so many options on there for the gambling fan, Las Vegas is no longer the only viable option out there. This is true whether you’re a high roller or a casual one-armed bandit. For example, you can go to these sites if you’re a high roller, so now there are more options to meet your needs. Sure, high rollers love junkets to Las Vegas and all of the fringe benefits that go along with it. But many guys just love the rush of gambling and the thrill of winning, and now people can get that whether they go to Vegas or not.

Las Vegas is now selling the overall experience and entertainment just as much as they’re selling gambling. You can see that with new spots like the Cosmopolitan which is the latest hot spot where the beautiful people like to congregate. It can be fun as hell, but that also affects the gambling crowd. It seems like the casual gambler is much less educated these days, so the casino plays around with the table games offered. They haven’t messed with craps much, but games like blackjack are manipulated with the decks and the odds. Ignorant gamblers don’t know any better, so they’ll sit down at a one-deck game thinking they have an advantage, but not realizing that the altered blackjack payouts are screwing them.

This is less prevalent in the high roller areas, as those gamblers are usually much more educated. But the casinos have been messing with the formula on the casino floor for so long that they’re chasing away the guys who aren’t quite high rollers but will come to Vegas with a $1,000 bankroll. If you mess with them too much, you lose them to other outlets, like online options or the casinos around the country. It will be interesting to see how the gambling experience continues to evolve.

Steve Wynn has an incredible knack for creating the ultimate high roller experience. Sure, some also blame him for the corporate culture that invaded Las Vegas with the introduction of the Mirage. I guess those people liked it better when the mob ran Vegas. Regardless of that, Wynn was the main guy that brought Vegas out of the tacky 1970s into the ultra luxury era. After the Mirage can Bellagio, which elevated the standard even further. After cashing out, then he decided to put his name on the building. The Wynn casino wasn’t that much of a leap beyond Bellagio, but it did plant itself as one of the premiere luxury spots on the Strip. If you’re a group of guys or high rollers ready to have a great time in Vegas, then you can’t go wrong at the Wynn.

But now Steve Wynn the person is back in the news, as his ex-wife is threatening his casino empire. BusinessWeek explains that “Elaine Wynn has asked a federal court for permission to sell the Wynn Resorts (WYNN) shares she was awarded in the couple’s 2009 divorce.” This is a problem as she’s a swing shareholder of the company. Even if she just sells half of her 9.6 percent stake, such a transaction could possibly trigger a series of events that would threaten Steve’s sway over his company according to the article.

It’s funny how little things like a divorce, even a $750 million divorce, can have such a potential impact on a place like Las Vegas. Not that any of us really care. There are so many places in Vegas to gamble.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wynn decided to start all over again. Now with Aria and Cosmopolitan, his Wynn casino is no longer the newest luxury hot spot on the Strip. The guy seems obsessed with setting new standards, so maybe all of this drama will lead him to create something new again. That said, the odds may be against that course of action. Vegas is so saturated right now with high end hotels, and the days of the whale from Asia seem to be gone with overseas competition. Still, we love new hotels, so who cares if it’s a financial success for Wynn. He can afford it, even after his $750 million divorce!