Spanish for ‘The Meadows’, Las Vegas got its name because of its provision of spring-fed water. The city was officially recognised in 1905, becoming a perfect resting oasis for The Union Pacific Railroad. 2005 brought celebrations for the city’s centennial commemoration, although everybody knows that this place never needs an excuse to party.
Although recognised during 1905, it did not become incorporated as an official city until 1911. During Great Depression Era (the 1930’s), people were eagerly seeking work. Thousands flocked to this area. Building the Hoover Dam (formerly known as Boulder Dam) began construction on Colorado River.
Nevada was first in the country to legalise gambling. The Las Vegas gaming industry got its start in 1931 when Clark County issued a three-month gaming license to a downtown club. Not long after this, a dusty desert road came to life south of downtown. Once just a nicknamed ‘Strip’, she is now a much more famous street.
Something that most people do not know about the Strip is that she lies outside of city limits; officially under Clark County jurisdiction. Opening 1946 on New Year’s Eve, Flamingo was one of the earliest resorts along here. This establishment was built with mob money supplied by gangsters Benjamin Siegel (‘Bugsy’) and Meyer Lansky.
These earlier days had fewer restrictions with no state speed limits, no state income or sales tax, no waiting period for marriage licenses, with gambling being completely unregulated. It is easy to see how Las Vegas earned its reputation for fun, carefree behaviour. Gambling involved using silver dollars, which were replaced by now recognised silver dollar sized plastic chips.
Once 1950 hit with its explosion of Elvis, The Rat Pack, Liberace, the area was now a real destination for a vacation. At this time it also held a reputation as number one place in America for quick marriages as well as divorces. There were close to 1,800 rooms o the Strip with rooms going for an average of $7.50 a day. With rooms nowadays averaging between $50.00 to $300.00 a night, things have changed. There are also more than 150,000 rooms now. One thing that has remained consistent over time; an average stay is still 3 or 4 days with most of these visits falling on a weekend.
The 1960’s brought multiple coin slot machines, with the mechanical penny/nickel machines being replaced with computerised dollar slots. As the city generated more money, visitors could gamble with more money. Today, there are even machines that take $500 chips. Payouts had grown from a couple of hundred dollars daily to several millions of dollars of progressive jackpots.
Some original resorts still operate today (now over 50 years old). Still using their original name, The Flamingo, Riviera and The Tropicana are still popular destinations. The birth of the showgirl cabarets occurred at Minsky’s Follies at the Dunes Resort around 1957. An attraction that is now a staple feature of casinos.
Another attraction Las Vegas is known for is their amazing shows. The original one came from The Stardust around 1960. They brought in the Lido de Paris from France. The Tropicana bought rights to infamous Follies Bergere during 1959; this show continued for almost 50 years. Finally closing in 2009, it has been the longest running performance.
In 1959, the Convention Center was opened, with a goal of keeping rooms filled during slow months. People would like trave here for an assortment of conventions. Now boasting 1.5 million square feet of exhibit space, it is one of the largest convention centres worldwide, with over 5.5 million convention goers meet there every year.
1960 and years to follow saw more recognised casinos of today opening their doors; Caesars Palace being first in 1966. Followed by many other names that we see today. A few older resorts have kept their traditional atmosphere, but most newer additions and a few older establishments kept up with current trends, offering newer features.
As times change so does Las Vegas. With each visit, you are likely to see something new. There is always building, expansions and remodelling to strip residents. One thing that noticeably changed was an overall theme; no longer a family style vacation place, locals now caters to adults or convention goers who come to party while spending money. The birth of Sin City, as we now know her, had arrived.
In1990 several older resorts were imploded to make room for newer mega-resorts designed with big spenders as the top priority. The Vegas World which is a legend in history books became The Stratosphere in 1996. However, the poor location at the far north end of the Strip hurt its popularity and she did not benefit from class renovations like those resorts discussed next.
The Dunes turned into Bellagio; The Sands became Venetian; Hacienda turned into Mandalay Bay, and The Desert is now The Wynn mega resort. These newer resorts are commonly thought to be defined as best that Vegas has to offer, regarding lodging and amenities. If you do your research, it is not impossible to get into these places for reasonable prices. There are several strategies available to keep the 150,000 plus rooms filled year round, so if you look, you can find a deal.
The “New Vegas.”
Mega casinos now dominate the Strip, which is no longer a dusty road. Steve Wynn is praised for his design and development of the more famous luxurious Las Vegas hotels. Each new addition is more lavish than its predecessor, and emphasis has transformed from gambling to being an upscale destination.
Wynn’s changes started downtown, with The Golden Nugget, selling this to build The Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio. He created new luxuries with his new mainly expensive hotels, with each being unbelievable success stories. He also brought the Cirque du Soleil acrobatic show from Canada to his Treasure Island resort. Almost twenty years later, now known as ‘Mystere’, performances continue today. Since this introduction, seven Cirque du Soleil shows now play and are regularly sold out attractions.
The MGM Grand Corporation ought Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio around 2000. After this, Wynn turned his sights to a new 50 story, $2.7 billion dollar project; Transforming Desert Inn into Wynn Las Vegas in 2005. Now known as the most luxurious resort in the city. Right next door to his prized hotel, Wynn continued expansion with his Encore Resort in 2010.
Wynn’s expansions did not stay local. In 1997, Macau (once a Portuguese colony) became one of two new administrative regions of Peoples Republic of China. Just like that, an opportunity was born. Portuguese government officials had legalised gambling back in 1850. China decided to continue this policy. ‘Wynn Macau’ opened its doors in 2006, expanding to dozens of casinos. 2007 marked a unique turn of events, as Macau overtook Las Vegas regarding generating gaming revenues.