Las Vegas Rumor Roundup: Harrah’s buys Barbary Coast?

You’ve found the Sin City scuttlebutt. Here you’ll see unofficial, off-the-record reports, obtained from fairly reliable insider information.

In other words: overheard in Harrah’s Diamond Lounges.

Pssst… Contrary to R.C. Clark’s report yesterday about Harrah’s not yet gobbling up Barbary Coast, it does seem that that is indeed the rumor and that it was sold last week.

And if that’s the case, Boyd Gaming, currently developing Echelon Place, must be very happy cash campers indeed. They knew what kind of gold mine Barbary Coast was to the Harrah’s empire, and they weren’t going to give it up without a fight. Not even with Strip land fetching $20 million per acre.

But not having BC as part of Harrah’s Monopoly board would be a thorn in their side, forcing them to build around it.

Last month, Harrah’s purchased a Koval Lane apartment complex direclty behind their main casino. That space adds 20 acres to their current 160.

If the rumor is true, this means Harrah’s can finally rest easy and announce plans for what they intend to do with that entire East Strip stretch, all now owned by the H man.

Any over/unders on when a West (MGM Mirage) vs. East Strip (Harrah’s) civil war will take place?

Got a rumor to pass on? Your secret is not safe, but your identity is. Email pokergrub@lasvegasvegas.com.