Yet another casino is bucking the bad economy and unveiling a major upgrade. The downtown Golden Nugget's new $150 million 500-room Rush Tower will open next month. The new rooms are 20 percent larger than the Nugget's North and South Tower rooms and reservations are already being accepted.

Also opening in the tower are a new pool, more casino square footage and retail space, and the Chart House Aquarium restaurant, featuring a 50,000-gallon tropical-fish tank.

HARD ROCK ON STRIP: A new Hard Rock Café opened last week on the Strip, at the Showcase Mall next to the MGM Grand. This is Las Vegas' second non-casino Hard Rock; the original café sports the iconic giant guitar at the same corner as the Hard Rock casino-hotel.

SUPER BBQ: Head to Ellis Island (behind Bally's) from 4 to 10 p.m. seven days a week for one of Las Vegas' best barbecue deals. There are only four choices in the little dining area near the bar, and you need to show an EI player's card to get the lower ($3 off) prices: full rack of ribs $11.99/$14.99, half-rack of ribs $7.99/$10.99, half-chicken $6.99/$9.99, and combo $8.99/$11.99. All come with corn on the cob, cole slaw, baked beans, and toast and you'll have enough for lunch the next day.

VOLCANO HOURS: The Mirage's volcano will be erupting every hour from dusk to 11 p.m. during the fall. If you haven't seen the show in a year or more, you'll find an upgraded presentation with a new soundtrack by Grateful Dead drummer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Mickey Hart, and Indian tabla sensation Zakir Hussain.

Q: Are the coinless slot machines here to stay?

It certainly looks that way. The "ticket-in ticket-out" (TITO) machines are too cost-effective for the casinos to go back to coins, and even the customers like them. In a survey garnering a whopping 4,221 votes at www.LasVegasAdisor.com, TITO was preferred over coins by a margin of 68 percent to 32 percent.

Find out more about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and deals at www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.