The most recent reporting month brought another double whammy for Las Vegas, with both gambling win and visitation down again. In August, the gambling on the Las Vegas Strip dropped 7.5 percent, and 4.3 percent fewer tourists came to town, compared to the same month last year. Statewide, the gambling win was down 8 percent, marking the eighth consecutive decline, while the visitor drop-off was the sixth this year, contributing to a 1.5 percent shortfall year-to-date. The downturn is causing some belt-tightening, including the recent closure of the Paris poker room and the long-running Rio restaurant, Antonio's.

MONORAIL PRICE DROPS: Of course, bad news can be good news for consumers, and the latest price decrease comes from the Las Vegas Monorail. It's still $5 for a single-ride ticket, but the price on the unlimited one-day pass (24 hours) has dropped from $15 to $12, while the three-day pass is down from $40 to $28. The former two-ride, six-ride and 10-ride tickets have been discontinued.

NO COVER: The Sahara has lifted the one-drink minimum in its Casbar Lounge. After several years of hosting some of the city's hottest lounge acts without a fee, the drink minimum was added last year, but now you can hang out for nada if that's how you roll.

CONTEST CARRYOVER: Here's a free shot at a big win. Every week, the Lucky's Sports Book group runs a free football contest in which the first prize of $6,000 carries over when it's not hit. As of this week, the prize was $42,000. To win it, you have to pick the outright winners (no point spreads) of all the NFL games. Not easy, but free to try. You must enter before 9 a.m. on Sundays.

Q. Has the Circus Circus Adventuredome been converted for Halloween again this year?

A. It sure has. The Adventuredome will be the "Fright Dome" through Oct. 31.

For information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and deals, see www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.