Bomb threat last year caused evacuation: https://www.theregister.com/2023/08/14/def_con_bomb_scare/

In 2018 we had aggressive room searches post the Vegas shooting that caused a lot of friction: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/08/security-theater...

Point being that it’s been a rough ride over the last few years. Combine that with corporate events probably being far more lucrative for Caesars I.e suits drink and gamble harder than geeks - I’m not surprised by this.

TBH my team and I skipped DEF CON last year and threw our own event in Banff instead because DEF CON has become quite boring with long lines and a Groundhog Day feel to it. If you’re looking for a proper con check out a local B-sides or a smaller legit con like Shmoocon.