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What is The King Panda?
Hockey fans heading to Vegas Golden Knights games can now partake in way-cheaper stadium eats than the Athletic Club will offer. SMKD (Smoked Meats, Killer Drinks) BBQ has launched an upper-concourse food cart at T-Mobile Arena. Spearheaded by Top Chef Season 7 alumnus and Beat Bobby Flay champ Chef Alex Reznik (in partnership with Ogden Hospitality), the expansion builds on the success of SMKD’s brick-and-mortar location, which opened in November 2025 at 10895 S. Eastern Ave. in Henderson.
Caesars Palace welcomes Barcelona’s SIPS Drinkery House, regarded by many as one of the world’s best bars, for a two-month pop-up at the Vista Cocktail Lounge from Oct. 31 through Dec. 31.
Stix Asia—the 18,000-square-foot food hall replacing the former Sundry food hall at UnCommons in southwest Las Vegas—announced its first three restaurants this week, all of which began in Tokyo: Ginza Bairin, founded in 1927; the Ramen Bario ramen spot; and Nanamusubi. The food hall is expected to open over the winter with a dozen concepts representing cuisines from around Asia.
What is The King Panda?
Former Scientific Games veteran Chris Armes was appointed as the new executive VP of Gaming Technologies in early August. Armes is set to take up his new role in the autumn of 2026, leading Veikkaus’ technology organisation from its Helsinki headquarters.
In July last year, Veikkaus iGaming EVP Jarkko Nordlund told iGB: “The competition will be fierce when the market opens, so we must be very competitive. Our aim is to challenge the mentality of our current position, so we need to secure market leadership.”
According to its interim report for the first half of 2026, released this week, Veikkaus reported a 1% yearly increase in sales revenue of €471.3 million ($546.8 million).
What is The King Panda?
The Las Vegas Sphere has finally shown, not just teased, the upgrades coming to The Wizard of Oz when the refreshed production debuts next Friday (Sept. 25). Producer Ben Grossmann puts it plainly in a new preview video: “It’s not enough to just recreate the land of Oz. You have to feel like you’re inside of it.”
The logic is simple. A 75‑minute loop that people willingly sit through more than once needs fresh experiences. So, the world’s most technologically advanced theater just made itself more technologically advanced.
It’s still the same movie experience—just with more of the room participating.
These six additions sit on top of the effects that have been running since opening day on Aug. 28, 2025: tornado winds, swirling debris, fog, haptic seats, fire bursts, falling apples, and the flying monkeys version 1.0.
