Gangstas as poker enemy No. 1

THE last 50 Cent concert in Las Vegas was held at a local stadium -- off the Strip. The big resorts cater to boomer tastes and are not known for rap shows, gangsta or otherwise. So it seemed somewhat bizarre last month when the State Gaming Control Board sent out a warning letter to all casinos, which referenced a previous letter from the Clark County sheriff expressing his desire that the board work in conjunction with him to “influence the gaming industry to not book gangster rap acts here in Las Vegas.”

The board stopped short of doing that, but it reminded the resorts to mind their nightclubs and venues, noting that the casinos were “accountable for incidents occurring as a result of entertainment the licensee knew or should have known would likely cause such incidents.”

To the Nevada ACLU’s general counsel, Allen Lichtenstein, the intent was clear. “The sheriff’s letter taken in conjunction with the Gaming Control Board memo makes the clear statement to properties with gaming licensees not to book acts with this particular type of content. That is pure censorship of a type that is totally contrary to the 1st Amendment,” he said in an interview.

Sheriff Bill Young describes banning gangsta rap events as “a legitimate crime-prevention strategy.” Yet the sheriff’s view on what constitutes gangsta rap is admittedly vague. Since there are almost no actual gangsta rap concerts or events that take place in casinos, it is interesting to note that the sheriff’s warning was sparked by shootings on the Strip that he blamed on the aftermath of a Nelly concert at the Aladdin last May. With the possible exception of Young, Nelly is no one’s idea of a gangster.

The sheriff insists that the ACLU is wrong, that his concern is crime caused at these events and has nothing to do with the content of the music. Yet when I told him that Eminem (not exactly a gangster, either) has a song about killing his wife, Young replied, “Personally, I don’t think we have a place selling that as a product here.” At the same time, Young also insists he is not on a crusade to keep any musical acts out of Las Vegas: “I have no next step. I wrote a letter. Gaming Control is responsible for these casinos and policing them.” The sheriff wrote the letter last year but it came to light last month when gaming officials sent the warning to nightclubs.

The ACLU, however, remains concerned the damage may already be done and the result could be self-censorship on the part of the casinos. Casinos now know that if they book metal act Korn and a fan gets out of hand it’s one thing, but if the same thing happens at a Snoop concert it will have more serious consequences, because they have now been warned. This stems in part from the fact that casinos fear alienating regulators.

“I can’t read the minds of gaming executives,” says Nevada ACLU Executive Director Gary Peck, “but anyone looking at this certainly understands that it is very difficult to step forward and to get into a fight with regulators who hold their license. This is why the regulators for so long have been allowed to play a bully.”

Still, despite holding few rap events in the first place, the casinos do not appear at this point to be at all cowed. Shortly after the regulators’ letter went out, a nightclub in Mandalay Bay hosted an event that featured -- drum roll -- Nelly. Asked if he had any reservations about holding the Nelly event in light of the warning, Alan Feldman, senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Mirage, replied, “No. What we need to do is be prepared for whatever may come up at an event. It could be Jimmy Buffett, it could be the Rolling Stones, it could be 50 Cent or Nelly; it is just a matter of having the proper plan in place.”

Feldman says that, from the casinos’ point of view, the warning from gaming authorities was not seen as a call for banning certain acts. Rather, it was a reminder about having proper security in place for them. “We have known that for a very long time. I feel our company is capable of assuring the safety and comfort of everyone.”

More than anything else, this relative boldness on MGM Mirage’s part may be the first sign of changing times in Vegas. Traditionally the regulators in Nevada, thanks to broad and vaguely written statutes, held unlimited power and discretion to protect the good name of gambling. But in 2004, the Hard Rock successfully fought the gaming board’s attempt to punish it for racy and suggestive billboards.

The ACLU clearly sees the link. According to Peck, “We are right back where we were when we were fighting over the Hard Rock’s billboard advertising and the regulators claimed the authority as regards to that advertising.” Peck adds, “The time is long overdue for someone to insist upon a thorough reform of the gaming regulations.”

But for now, the ACLU must wait, since no act has complained about being banned from playing Vegas. It’s a standoff and it may be a long one, because it could be decades before the fans of Eminem and 50 Cent become old enough to fall into the demographic the casinos in Las Vegas care about entertaining.

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Broadway or bust

DESPITE all the fanfare and an exclusive Vegas run, “Avenue Q” will be closing at Wynn on May 28. But that has not meant an end to the love affair between Vegas and Broadway, it’s just a bad date. “Avenue Q” may have helped establish that Broadway works better in Vegas as comfort food than a rare treat. Last month a fast-paced version of “Hairspray” opened at the Luxor to generally warm reviews. At the Venetian, “Phantom of the Opera” will be opening in June in a custom-built, tricked-out theater.

Meanwhile, “Mamma Mia!” recently hit its third anniversary with attendance still at about 90% for the seven performances that take place each week in the 1,600-seat theater at Mandalay Bay. And Wynn is not abandoning Broadway altogether but instead putting “Spamalot” in an expanded version of the theater that once housed “Avenue Q.”

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For more on what’s happening on and off the Strip, see latimes.com/movablebuffet.