Casinos have no windows, no clocks, nothing to remind you of real life or the passing of time. The MGM will have ATM machines so players can restock their bankrolls. Grandettes, the glamorous cocktail waitresses, many of them former models. Unlike smoky joints of yesteryear, modern casinos smell like fresh air, with slight notes of smoke and whiskey. You can smoke at MGM, but a sophisticated filtration system will suck the nicotine haze up and out of ceiling ducts and blast fresh air back into the room, exchanging the air at a rate of 20 times per hour.
Managers promise to reserve a few rows and tables for nonsmokers.
The MGM will be kept at about 71 degrees, says Nancy Ziolkowski, vice president for marketing. However, it may seem cooler or hotter depending on the crowd. Bring a sweater. The average casino these days, however, is heavy on senior citizens in shorts, curious tourists, slightly desperate regulars and a few flashy characters thrown in for flair. Lots of people have a cigarette in one hand and play the slots with the other.