The exterior of the Sphere in Las Vegas lights up for a visual show on July 4, 2023.
Developers of the $2.2 billion Sphere in Las Vegas planned to have the entertainment venue’s exterior operational by November in time for the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Instead, the developers gave Las Vegas a memorable preview on July 4.
The holiday show illuminated the Las Vegas skyline with video and images for Strip visitors. The Sphere’s initial performance also lit up social media platforms. According to statistics on TikTok, the 10 most “liked” videos about the Sphere totaled 37.5 million views and 3.7 million likes.
The show began with a “Hello World” welcome followed by fireworks and stars and stripes animations. The Sphere transitioned through various visual content, including a giant eyeball, underwater scenes and a lunar surface.
Three days later, the Sphere’s exterior was transformed into a massive basketball for the start of the 2023 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, with a “Welcome to Las Vegas” message to teams, players and fans marking the start of the annual event.
The Sphere’s exterior is 366 feet tall and 516 feet across at the center. The 580,000-square-foot, fully programmable LED screen is the largest on earth.
“The exosphere is more than a screen or a billboard,” said Sphere Senior Vice President Guy Barnett. “It is living architecture, and unlike anything that exists anywhere in the world.”
According to CNN, “It’s not easy to move the needle in a city that boasts the Bellagio’s dancing fountains, a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower [at Paris Las Vegas], the second-tallest observation tower in the Western Hemisphere [at the STRAT] and a beam of light [from the Luxor] that can be seen for hundreds of miles.”
David Hopkinson, president of venue operator MSG Sports, said the Sphere provides a “360-degree canvas for brand storytelling that will be seen around the world, offering our partners an unparalleled opportunity to become part of the greatest show on Earth.”
Plans call for the Sphere to display a range of daily artistic and advertising images.
The exosphere consists of approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart. Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode capable of displaying 256 million different colors.
Sphere officials said the new shows and images will be displayed through the summer ahead of the venue’s official launch in late September with a residency by legendary rock band U2.
During the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Sphere will have a prime position along the 3.9-mile race circuit to display race-related content and advertising.
Regulators warn Nevada gaming operators about casino cage scam
Nevada gaming regulators issued a warning about a scam targeting casino cage operations where suspects use social engineering tactics to pose as casino executives.
The scam was first reported in late June by KLAS after Circa Casino Resort was defrauded of more than $1.17 million. The news outlet reported the Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite and the Golden Nugget Laughlin have also been targeted.
In an industry notice released on July 7, Gaming Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick and Enforcement Division Chief Kristi Torgerson said the scam involves imposters posing as high-level executives who contact a cage employee via the casino's private branch exchange (PBX), a telephone system used by businesses.
The initial call is followed up with a text message to the employee’s cell phone, purportedly sent by a second manager to confirm the fraudulent instructions.
“The cage scam is sophisticated and has been surprisingly effective in defrauding casinos,” Hendrick and Torgerson said in a statement. “Subjects gain intelligence on high-level casino owners, employees, managers, and others connected to the casino’s money operations.”
Casino cage employees are told to withdraw cash and take the funds offsite for emergency payments on behalf of the casino. According to the control board, fraudsters use a variety of scenarios to manipulate personnel based on a fear of negative consequences.
“Whenever an employee hesitates or resists prompt action, subjects state there is extreme urgency for the offsite payment,” Hendrick and Torgerson said. “Additionally, inferences are made that an employee bonus will be paid for the inconvenience of the unorthodox assignment.”
Gaming regulators asked operators to review all casino and cage security protocols that authorize the removal of cage funds from the licensed premises.
The agency said the scam continues to evolve and has shifted to target gaming pits and other areas of the casino.
“Licensees should be aware that advanced forms of technology, such as artificial intelligence, may increase the effectiveness of this type of fraudulent activity,” the control board said.