Kanye West Offered Debt-Reducing Lifeline by D Casino in Downtown Las Vegas

Posted on: February 18, 2016, 12:31h. 

Last updated on: February 18, 2016, 12:32h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

Kanye West has a hard, hard life. And the rapper isn’t afraid to let the world know about it, either. Or ask for help with his undue burden, which, we all learned recently, includes some $53 million in debt load.

While the performer’s financial challenges might hit some as, how do we say this…ridiculous? Others have been moved by his tragic troubles, and one Las Vegas casino owner has now even reached out to poor Kanye with an offer he hopes Mr. Kim Kardashian won’t be able to refuse.

D Casino owner Derek Stevens is the gracious hand extended out to assist Kanye, with a performance opportunity Stevens says should at least put a small dent in West’s self-proclaimed financial fiascos. Stevens, who also owns the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLVEC), says he is offering up his outdoor 85,000-square-foot performance venue to host a concert for West, with the singer taking all the proceeds from ticket sales.

All Stevens wants for his magnanimous offer is 100 percent of the ancillary bar revenue the event should haul in. The DLVEC can host up to 10,000 patrons, and apparently, Stevens is sure they are all big on alcohol consumption, and probably of top-shelf booze to boot.

The opportunity came on social media when Stevens tweeted at Kanye, “IDEA @kanyewest Concert in Downtown #Vegas @DLVEC You keep all ticket rev, knock down debt, we take beverage.”

Last we heard, Kanye’s people haven’t responded yay or nay to Stevens’ concept.

Pleading to the Zuck

Perhaps that’s because West was already consumed with his own ideas for debt paydown. And we’ll grant him they were creative, if a tad, um, ballsy.

Early Sunday, Kanye petitioned Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to invest $1 billion into West’s “ideas” to help ease his $53 million in personal debt.

“Mark Zuckerberg invest 1 billion dollars into Kanye West ideas … I know it’s your bday but can you please call me by 2mrw…” Kanye tweeted.

Zuckerberg hasn’t responded, though he did “like” a since-deleted Facebook post by software engineer Steven Grimm that read, “Dear Kanye West: If you’re going to ask the CEO of Facebook for a billion dollars, maybe don’t do it on Twitter.”

Gold Digger: DLVEC or Kanye

Stevens’ offer to Kanye is most likely nothing more than a publicity stunt, as the DLVEC isn’t the typical venue an artist of West’s stature would perform in. While the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center name sounds impressive, in reality, it’s not much more than a large parking lot that happens to have a stage.

If Kanye accepts the offer, we estimate (loosely) that Stevens stands to generate an absolute minimum of some $240,000, should each of the 10,000 patrons purchase two $12 cocktails. If they guzzle down Dom champagne and Louis XIII bourbon, it could add up to much, much more.

Of course, the DLVEC would need to pay for staffing and security details, but the publicity would be virtually priceless. Not to mention, Stevens could probably nominate himself for a Nobel Prize for largesse of spirit.

West’s latest “Yeezus Tour” in 2013 grossed $34.7 million and sold 377,625 of the 391,208 total tickets available during the 53 available shows.

Selling 10,000 tickets at the DLVEC at a price of say $200 (hey, it’s for charity!), Kanye would still stand to collect $2 million. Assuming West became a responsible financial planner and used the entire take to pay down his debt, he would reduce his liability burden by a whopping 3.7 percent.

Or, Kim might abscond with it to buy a few new Birkin bags, who knows.

Off His Records

For someone appealing to a billionaire for money and asking the general public for support by buying his album, Kanye isn’t exactly doing himself any favors in improving his likeability rating.

The New York Post published audio recordings on Wednesday from his “Saturday Night Live” appearance that reveal West’s backstage meltdown, in which he lambasts Taylor Swift and threatens production staffers for altering his performance set.

West claims in the leaked recording that he’s “50 percent more influential” than filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, Pablo Picasso, and even St. Paul the Apostle.

SNL boss Lorne Michaels reportedly had to calm West down considerably to prevent him from walking off the show.

But let it not be said that Kanye isn’t a man who can reflect on his own human frailties.

“My number one enemy has been my ego… there is only one throne and that’s God’s,” West tweeted late Wednesday, apparently totally humbled and aware of the error of his ways.

Maybe he’s trying to make nice for Zuck.