Today in VegasNovember 4, 2026

Nightlife
Hakkasan's Chief Executive Said in 2016 He Had No Intent of Leaving. He Was Gone Within a Year, and the Former Chairman Got 15 Years.
Khadem al-Qubaisi, the former Hakkasan Group chairman named in the Justice Department's 2016 1MDB forfeiture suits, was sentenced to 15 years in Abu Dhabi in 2019, and in May 2020 his trust gave up a New York penthouse and Beverly Hills sale proceeds worth more than $49 million to the United States. Prosecutors did not allege wrongdoing by Hakkasan itself, but chief executive Neil Moffitt sold his stake and left in April 2017, and Tao Group Hospitality bought the company in April 2021.
More from this week
- November 4, 2026 · Food
Mario Batali's Name Came Off the Venetian Signs in 2017. By July 2018, All Three of His Strip Restaurants Were Gone.
All three Las Vegas restaurants Mario Batali shared with Joe Bastianich closed on July 22, 2018, five days early, and their rooms at the Venetian and Palazzo have since gone to Matteo's, Brera Osteria and, after a David Chang run, Eyal Shani's HaSalon. Batali sold out of the company in 2019, joined Bastianich and the company in a $600,000 settlement with New York's attorney general in 2021, and was acquitted by a Boston judge in 2022.
More from Pace Vegas
- March 9, 2022 · News
Salt Bae Exposed as Serving Cheap “Fast Food” to the Dumb Rich
Nusret Gökçe, better known as Salt Bae, has become one of the most acclaimed chefs in the world thanks to the theatrical way in which he cuts meat and adds salt to his dishes. Something that has made millions share videos of the Turkish butcher making himself viral Worldwide. - March 17, 2021 · Food
David Chang Opens Weird “Spit Roast” Restaurant
David Chang's Bāng Bar, a spit roast counter from Momofuku, opened April 1, 2021, in The Cosmopolitan's Block 16 Urban Food Hall. Chang's group then ran three other Las Vegas restaurants: Momofuku, Moon Palace and Majordomo Meat & Fish. - December 1, 2020 · Locals
Vegas Sinkhole Swallows Restaurant and Missing Employee.
Lindo Michoacan, a Mexican restaurant on East Desert Inn Road open for 30 years, closed temporarily after a sinkhole opened in its dining room on November 14, 2020. The owners blamed a leaking pipe and laid off about 80 employees during repairs. - June 22, 2020 · News
OJ Simpson Exposed to Covid19 at Jing Restaurant in Las Vegas
Jing, a Downtown Summerlin restaurant, closed on June 22, 2020, after staff tested positive for Covid 19. The restaurant called the closure a "wellness day" and promised more spacing, masks, temperature checks and staff testing. - November 6, 2019 · Nightlife
KAOS Nightclub Closes After Payoff Scandal
After claims that several executives were getting payoffs to book DJs including paying Marshmello an overwhelming $60 Million Dollars, it seems that the Palms has decided to close their entire nightlife venue at an extreme loss.The Review Journal pointed at John Gray being at fault, while purposely avoiding any claims that there was “fraud” or payoffs. “Gray’s departure lined up with the collapse - October 16, 2019 · News
Another CCSD Coach Arrested for Sexual Assault
Yes, it happened again. CCSD seems to continue to hire predators with little or no background checks. - June 12, 2019 · News
Smoking Banned in All Vegas Pools, including Clubs
The Southern Nevada Health District said in June 2019 that smoking is banned at all public pools in Las Vegas, including resort pool clubs, under NAC 444.280. New pool rules starting July 1 required posted signs listing the ban. - March 21, 2019 · News
Vegas Mexican Restaurant That Supported Trump Goes Out of Business
In the least surprising news of the year, the Las Vegas Mexican restaurant that made headlines when the owner, Texas-born Irma Aguirre invited Donald Trump, has closed without notice or fanfare. Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, met with her and a few leaders at Aguirre’s downtown Las Vegas bistro in 2016 afternoon while dozens of immigration activists protested across the street, and t - February 12, 2019 · News
Las Vegas Police Will Stop Working with ICE
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department changed its jail policy in February 2019 so immigrants booked on minor traffic offenses and low level misdemeanors would not be turned over to ICE. Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo directed the change, a day after activists protested the department's ICE agreement. - January 17, 2019 · Nightlife
Update: How Hakkasan’s Chairman was Arrested
Vegas based nightclub and entertainment group Hakkasan was owned by the Emirati businessman Khadem al-Qubaisi who received hundreds millions in return for allowing his sovereign wealth fund IPIC and its subsidiary Aabar to act as a second ‘front’ for billion dollar thefts from 1MDB, again orchestrated by Jho Low. Party boy Jho Low hasn’t been found and attempts to locate him are underway, the repo - January 9, 2019 · Casinos
Five reasons why blackjack is so popular in Las Vegas
Blackjack made up about half of all table games played on the Las Vegas Strip in 2017, according to the UNLV Center for Gaming Research. Baccarat followed at 13 percent, roulette at 10 percent and craps at 7 percent. - November 16, 2018 · News
Investigators Found Rep. Kihuen Harassed Women Including Unwanted Touching
The House Ethics Committee found in November 2018 that Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen made persistent, unwanted advances toward women, including a lobbyist and campaign staff. The report, based on interviews with dozens of witnesses, came as Kihuen was leaving Congress after one term.