After 2 years of construction the Encore Las Vegas will open to the public tonight in the midst of the gaming industry's sharp decline. A $2.3 billion 2034-room hotel the Encore was initially planned as an addition to the Wynn Las Vegas (WYNN) but ultimately became its own resort. While a great many think the ribbon-cutting ceremony is the equivalent of putting that last stack of chips on 17 and hoping for the best CEO Steve Wynn -- who breathed life into Las Vegas' theme era with the Mirage and era of opulence with the Bellagio -- remains cautiously optimistic ...