It's insane! NBA super madness has struck. Impossible-to-buy tickets for Sunday's NBA All-Star Game have hit the monster $25,000 mark with profiteers. There are no rooms at the inn anywhere; with some fans staying as far away as Mesquite to the north and Primm to the south. The eBay online auction for Hugh Hefner's Sky Villa (pictured below) in the Palms Fantasy Tower began at a whopping $80,000-a-night and ended up topping $100,000.


Forget March Madness -- this is February Fanaticism! There's never been a week like this in Vegas history, going back 100 years. Call it the perfect storm, because we've got all the fashion designers in for their twice-a-year MAGIC convention; the NBA mogul owners, multi-millionaire players past and present and cadres of corporate sponsors. It all combines together in one super slam dunk and yet, believe it or not, the Chinese New Year celebrations also start Sunday.

Vegas has become the #1 attraction in the world with our extraordinary entertainment, fabulous fine dining, nonstop, star-studded nightclubs, superb spas, sexy showgirls, rich resorts and, of course, some gentle gaming thrown in for good measure. In recent years, however, gaming has dropped down to the 46 percent level of the total revenues of the city.

Fortunately we're still #1 in gaming when it comes to certain folks. In recent weeks, much has been reported on Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil for being one of the biggest players. He denied published reports that he sometimes played to a $1-million-a-day level, but did acknowledge huge winnings at both the Caesars and Bellagio poker playgrounds.

One former NBA superstar who's here with us all week long -- working and playing -- is a high high roller in his own right. Charles Barkley celebrated a $700,000 win over Super Bowl weekend while here betting the game and playing blackjack. But he hasn't always been that lucky. The "Round Mound of Rebound" has previously admitted that he's lost $10 million in his Vegas gaming sprees, and in just one night lost $2.5 million. "It's a stupid, bad habit," Barkley said. "But the problem is when you can't afford it. I can afford to gamble. I didn't kill myself when I lost two and half million dollars. I like to gamble and I'm not going to quit." When he isn't anchoring the live sports broadcasts from the outdoor fountains of Caesars Palace this weekend you can bet your last dollar he'll be at the tables nearby.

BRITNEY WATCH
Is Britney Spears headed to town for the NBA All-Star celebrity parties? Well her name is on the VIP guest list tonight at Studio 54 for the star-studded Ed Hardy fashion show. The combo fashion, tattoo art and music show is part of the kickoff for opening day MAGIC marketplace festivities. Singer/actor Jeremy Jackson will host the Audigier Rocks Project show for 'Fashionistas' Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier and Johnny Hallyday. Former Victoria's Secret sexy knockout KDF Audbert will strut the runway first with dancers Lil C and Miss Prissy of 'krumping" fame and 'The Producers' star David Hasselhoff will close the show. Front-row VIP guests watching the 20 beautiful living dolls will include soccer sensation David Beckham, porn princess Jenna Jameson, actress Jessica Alba, rap mogul Kanye West and the aforementioned Britney.

GENE'S WARDROBE

My pal, Gene Simmons, who with his talented tongue has led KISS for 34 years, launches his new Street-Wear fashion line today at the Dussault Custom Ink booth of the MAGIC and the savvy financial investor is calling it MONEYBAG. He'll wear and show the line as super salesmen to buyers from stores around the country for the next three days. Thursday night he's invited me to his celebration cocktail and dinner party in his Venetian's penthouse suite. He worked with designer Jason Dussault on the Limited Edition streetwear of hand-finished and signed hoodies, belts, wallets, purses and hats! Go check it out at genesimmonsmoneybag.com.

Gene told me: "I have owned the trademark MONEYBAG logo for over 25 years. I have used it on my magazines, book imprint, record company and a few other areas. Until I met Jason Dussault, I held off on really going out into the marketplace in the street wear line. It has to do with finding a kindred spirit. And, Jason is it. He and I share a passion for only doing things in life that mean something. As a teenager he was a huge KISS fan and spent a lot of time not only dressing like KISS but also drawing my character all over his fashion-books so his teenage dream of meeting me not only became a reality but we hit it off with a great business idea. Together, we intend on creating cutting edge, in-your-face fashions. The MONEYBAG Line, at long last, is becoming a reality." The Hoodies have already been specially designed for Pamela Anderson, Nicole Ritchie and Kid Rock. Gene was at JET Nightclub last night, joining Gnarls Barkley who flew in to celebrate their Sunday night Grammy wins.

PEARL PRICES
When I chatted with Palms owner, George Maloof at our weekend Keep Memory Alive Gala he said in the next 10 days we'd take a final tour of his new Pearl Theater at the Palms, prior to the opening weekend of concerts starting on March 15 with Tool. But he did confirm that the 18 luxury boxes that surround the 2,300 seat complex will go for prices ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 in addition to the regular ticket prices, but that 20 fans can split the extra cost. He asked me how I kept breaking news of the acts appearing at the Pearl even before he knew the contracts had been signed. I smiled and told him to expect the reunited Van Halen to be the next big name band to get him wondering more.

VALENTINE'S DATES
Meantime George plays host tomorrow on love-day to Playboy's new Rock the Rabbit launch with a concert with Rhymefest and Whitestar. (Look for heart-throb Cisco to see if Mischa Barton is liplocked on heart-day with him.) The group will show up at 2PM in the Playboy boutique at Caesars Palace Forum Shops to sign autographs before the RAIN Nightclub concerts at the Palms. ... Kanye West will host his Valentine's Day lovefest at TAO in The Venetian with Maurice Hennessey while across the Strip at TI's Tangerine Nightclub ABC-TV star Kelly Hu from "In Case of Emergency" has 20 beautiful models from Marceau Fashions in tow.

SAKE TO ME

It was Nevada's largest ever sake tasting with an amazing 107 varieties from Japan's most important rice-wine regions. Luigi Alberganti who is the sommelier at Shibuya in MGM poured me four of the best; The Onikoroshi juvenile bamboo, the Kaze No Ichirin Blossom, the Junmai Ginjo Root of Innocence and JunMai Daiginjo Sword. Model girls Karen and Hope (pictured above) toasted the record-setting sake festivities, which ran until 1:30AM.

NEW RESTAURANT -- OLE!
It's supposed to be one of those best-kept secrets, but the Light Group which runs JET at the Mirage, Light at the Bellagio and the hit FIX and STACK restaurants, has a new taste treat coming up. As part of the Monte Carlo makeover, Diablo Cantina will open as a two-story entertainment complex of modern Mexican fare and entertainment set in a fiesta styled lounge. That trademark arch atop the Strip to the long driveway down to the hotel casino's front entrance will be changed to accommodate the new entertainment eatery.

STRIP SCRIBBLES

Tomorrow it will be a boxing hall-of-fame at MAGIC when fight legends Oscar Dela Hoya, Tommy ' Hitman" Hearns, Ken Norton, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini and "Smoking" Joe Frazier strut the fashion stage for Fashion Knockouts at MAGIC. ... Partying at LIGHT were the San Diego Charger cheerleaders, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Scott Spezio and his wife, Oakland A's hitter Frank ''Big Hurt' Thomas, and NBA analyst Charles Barkley. ... Actor Kevin Spacey and his 21 Blackjack movie producer Michael DeLuca went with 10 of the cast and crew to 'LOVE' at the Mirage. ... Social House at TI played host to former WBA Welterweight Luis Collazo. ... Over at Studio 54, Criss Angel was swarmed by Penthouse pet Shyla Stylez and a slew of other curvy creatures modeling Penthouse fashions including emcee Tiffany Masters. ... UFC fighters George St. Pierre and Keith Jardin pulled no punches at PURE, even when master magician David Copperfield showed with a few tricks up his sleeve!

TONIGHT'S TIP
High-kicking stunt king Jackie Chan takes a break from dangerous dare-devil action to sing for his supper with Asia's top pop group the SuperGirls at the first night of Fu-Sion 2007 at Aladdin/Planet Hollywood. ... The heavily-tattooed drummer Travis Barker hosts his own Famous Stars and Straps fashion showcase at PURE. ... And at ghostbar in the Palms, Will. I. Am. of the Black Eyed Peas joins Poet for Life and Stonerokk for the 4-5 Trunk Show at Gossip Tuesdays. ... Finally, Good Charlotte's Joel Madden, hooks up with Samantha Ronson and Kid Millionaire for BPM's Overamerica party at TAO.

TOMORROW'S TEASE
Love is in the air, and on Valentine's Day that means Vegas become World Marriage HQ. We'll have more couples tie the knot in 24 hours than any other city on the face of the earth. Luxe Life will have all the promises of love, honor, cherish and obey as I Do's ring out across the city with the most romantic restaurants and sensual spas welcoming Cupid!

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