As information leaks out about the clubs and restaurants that will populate the next great Las Vegas resort, Palazzo, word comes that rapper Jay-Z and his girlfriend, Beyoncé Knowles, will open and operate a $20 million "party lair" called the 40/40 Club. The venue will be a 24,000-square-foot sports-themed restaurant featuring, among other things, 85 plasma-screen TVs, five bars, and (they claim) 24-karat gold and platinum flooring. The 40/40 Club is due to open in December along with the rest of the resort.

GRAND VENTURE: MGM Mirage, Kerzner International Holdings and Istithmar Hotels are discussing a joint venture to develop a multibillion-dollar integrated resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The new resort is to occupy 40 acres of land owned by MGM Mirage, on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, and combine a casino, residences, retail, restaurants and showrooms, similar to the in-progress CityCenter and Echelon Place.

EPIC INCREASE: The 24-hour steak dinner at Ellis Island has gone up $2 to $6.95. Softening the blow a little, the meal now comes with an EI microbrewed beer. Another venerable bargain, the prime rib and salad bar at downtown's California Casino, crept up a half buck to $7.50.

Q. How will the proposed new Harrah's arena compare to Las Vegas' other casino-located venues in terms of seating capacity?

A. The two that compare most closely are the MGM Garden Arena (16,500 seats) and the Mandalay Bay Events Center (12,000 seats). The Harrah's arena will dwarf both, seating 20,000.

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