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Las Vegas History and
Gambling
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 Las Vegas is the most populous city in the state of Nevada, United States, and a major vacation, shopping, entertainment and gambling destination. It was established in 1905, officially became a city in 1911 and became the largest American city founded in the 20th century.
The name Las Vegas is often applied to the unincorporated areas of Clark County that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. This 4½ mi (7¼ km) stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard is mostly outside the Las Vegas city limits, in the unincorporated town of Paradise.
The center of gambling in the US, Las Vegas is marketed as The Entertainment Capital of the World, also commonly known as Sin City, due to the popularity of legalized gambling, availability of alcoholic beverages any time (like all of Nevada), and various forms and degrees of adult entertainment. The city's glamorous image has made it a popular setting for films and television programs.
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 Las Vegas was
given its name
by
Spaniards in
the
Antonio Armijo
party, who used
the water in the
area while
heading north
and west along
the
Old Spanish
Trail from
Texas. In
the
1800s, areas
of the Las Vegas
Valley
contained
artesian
wells that
supported
extensive green
areas or
Meadows
(Vega in
Spanish),
hence the name
Las Vegas.
John C. Frémont
traveled into
the Las Vegas
Valley on
May 3,
1844, while
it was still
part of
Mexico. He
was a leader of
a group of
scientists,
scouts and
observers for
the
United States
Army Corps of
Engineers.
On
May 10,
1855,
following
annexation
by the
United States,
Brigham Young
assigned 30
Mormon
missionaries
led by
William
Bringhurst
to the area to
convert the
Paiute
Indian
population. A
Fort was
built near the
current downtown
area, serving as
a stopover for
travelers along
the "Mormon
Corridor"
between
Salt Lake
and the briefly
thriving Mormon
colony at
San Bernardino,
California.
Las Vegas was
established as a
railroad town on
May 15, 1905,
when 110 acres
(44.5 ha) owned
by
Montana
Senator
William A.
Clark's San
Pedro, Los
Angeles and Salt
Lake City
Railroad, was
auctioned off in
what is now
downtown Las
Vegas. Las Vegas
was part of
Lincoln County
until
1909 when it
became part of
the newly
established
Clark County.
Las Vegas became
an incorporated
city on
March 16,
1911 when it
adopted its
first charter.
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Major events
in Las Vegas'
history include:
-
Establishment
of Las Vegas
as a
railroad
town (May
15, 1905).
-
Legalization
of gambling
(March 19,
1931).
-
Completion
of Hoover
Dam (October
9, 1936).
-
Opening
of Bugsy
Siegel's
Flamingo
Hotel on
what would
become the
Las Vegas
Strip (December
26, 1946).
-
On July
17, 1960 The
first Strip
property
"The El
Rancho" was
consumed by
fire.
-
Atmospheric
nuclear
testing
(1951 to
1962).
-
The
floods of
1955, 1984,
1999, and
2003.
-
MGM
Grand Hotel
fire (November
21, 1980),
the worst
disaster in
Nevada
history.
-
Opening
of the
Mirage (November
22, 1989),
which began
the era of
megaresort
casinos.
-
On
October 27,
1993, the
Dunes was
the first
Strip
property
imploded to
make way for
the Bellagio.
-
100th
birthday, or
Centennial,
of Las Vegas
(May 15,
2005).
-
Arena
Bowl 2005,
2006
-
2007 NBA
All-Star
Game
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Las Vegas
started as a
stopover on the
pioneer trails
to the west, and
became a popular
railroad town in
the early 1900s.
It was a staging
point for all
the mines in the
surrounding
area, especially
those around the
town of Bullfrog,
that shipped
their goods out
to the rest of
the country.
With the growth
of the railroads,
Las Vegas became
less important,
but the
completion of
the nearby
Hoover Dam
resulted in
substantial
growth in
tourism, which,
along with the
legalization of
gambling, led to
the advent of
the
casino-hotels
for which Las
Vegas is famous.
The constant
stream of
tourist dollars
from the hotels
and casinos was
augmented by a
new source of
federal money.
This money came
from the
establishment of
what is now
Nellis Air Force
Base. The influx
of military
personnel and
casino
job-hunters
helped start a
land building
boom which still
goes on today.
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The primary
drivers of the
Las Vegas
economy have
been the
confluence of
tourism,
gaming, and
conventions
which in turn
feed the
retail and
dining
industries.
Several
companies
involved in the
manufacture of
electronic
gaming machines,
such as slot
machines, are
located in the
Las Vegas area.
In the
2000s retail
and dining have
become
attractions of
their own.
Tourism
marketing and
promotion are
handled by the
Las Vegas
Convention and
Visitors
Authority, a
county wide
agency. Its
annual Visitors
Survey provides
detailed
information on
visitor numbers,
spending
patterns and
resulting
revenues.
Las Vegas as
the county seat
and home to the
Lloyd D. George
Federal District
Courthouse,
draws numerous
legal service
industries
providing
bail,
marriage,
divorce,
tax,
incorporation
and other legal
services.
The
redevelopment
listed below
shows how the
city is trying
to diversify the
local economy
and revitalize
the downtown
area. The World
Market Center is
an example of
this.
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 When The
Mirage, the
first Megaresort,
opened in 1989,
it started a
movement of
people and
construction
away from
downtown Las
Vegas to the Las
Vegas Strip.
This resulted in
a drop in
tourism from
which the
downtown area is
still trying to
recover.
A concerted
effort has been
made by city
officials to
diversify the
Las Vegas
economy from
tourism by
attracting light
manufacturing,
banking, and
other commercial
interests. The
lack of any
state individual
or corporate
income tax and
very simple
incorporation
requirements
have fostered
the success of
this effort.
Having been
late to develop
an urban core of
any substantial
size, Las Vegas
has retained
very affordable
real estate
prices in
comparison to
nearby urban
centers.
Consequently,
the city has
recently enjoyed
an enormous boom
both in
population and
in tourism.
However, as a
New York Times
series on the
city reported in
2004, the median
price of housing
in the Las Vegas
Valley is now at
or above the
nationwide
median. The
urban area has
grown outward so
quickly that it
is beginning to
run into the
Bureau of Land
Management
holdings along
its edges,
increasing land
values enough
that medium- and
high-density
development is
beginning to
occur closer to
the core.
As a
reflection of
the city's rapid
growing
population, the
new Chinatown of
Las Vegas was
constructed in
the early 1990s
on Spring
Mountain Road.
Chinatown
initially
consisted of
only one large
shopping center
complex, but the
area was
recently
expanded for new
shopping centers
that contain
various Asian
businesses.
With the
Strip expansion
in the 1990s,
downtown Las
Vegas began to
suffer. The
Fremont Street
Experience (FSE)
was built in an
effort to draw
tourists
downtown. While
greatly slowing
the decline, it
did not stop the
decline in
tourism and
revenue. The
multi-level
Neonopolis,
complete with
food court and
theaters, was
built to offer
more retail and
services
downtown. While
there have been
changes in
ownership and
management,
Neonopolis has
not been able to
lease all the
space available.
As of March
2005, the
property is for
sale.
The city
purchased 61 ac
(247,000 m²) of
property from
Union Pacific
Railroad during
the 1990s with
the goal of
creating
something that
would draw
tourists and
locals to the
downtown area.
Las Vegas Mayor
Oscar Goodman
has announced
plans for the
Union Park
Development
which will
include
residential and
office
high-rises, The
Lou Ruvo
Alzheimer's
Institute, an
academic medical
center, The Fred
W. and Mary B.
Smith Center for
the Performing
Arts, a new City
Hall and a
possible
baseball stadium.
After failed
negotiations
with The Related
Co. on the
development of
Union Park in
October of 2005,
San Diego-based
Newland
Communities was
chosen by the
city as the new
development firm.
The Newland
contract calls
for Dan Van Epp,
Newland's
regional vice
president and
former president
of the Howard
Hughes Corp., to
oversee his
company's work
on Union Park.
The $50-million
Lou Ruvo
Alzheimer's
Institute
designed by
architect Frank
Gehry is
expected to
break ground in
August of 2006.
 The city
council of Las
Vegas has agreed
on zoning
changes on
Fremont Street,
which allows
bars to be
closer together
duplicating
efforts of
similar cities,
like the Gaslamp
Quarter of San
Diego. It is
expected that
this change will
bring more
tourism and
business to the
downtown area.
In the early
2000s, some
promising signs
emerged for
downtown Las
Vegas. The city
successfully
lured the
Internal Revenue
Service to move
operations from
outside the city
limits to a new
building
downtown that
opened in April
2005. The IRS is
expected to
create a demand
for additional
businesses in
the area,
epecially in the
daytime hours.
Another
promising sign
of development
has come in the
form of
high-rise
development. A
substantial
increase in the
number of
high-rises under
construction and
proposed in Las
Vegas began in
2003 and has
continued into
2006. New
Condominum and
hotel high rise
projects have
caused the
entire Las Vegas
skyline to
change
dramatically in
recent years.
Many large
projects are
planned for
downtown Las
Vegas as well as
the Las Vegas
Strip including
the largest
privately
financed
development
proposed in the
United States-
Project City
Center. It is
expected that
high rise
condominium
development will
transform the
downtown area
into a vibrant
urban center,
and change the
demographics of
the Las Vegas
Strip by adding
residential
elements to
tourist areas.
In 2005, on a
lot adjacent to
the city's 61 ac
(247,000 m²),
the World Market
Center opened.
It is intended
to be the
nation's and
possibly the
world's
preeminent
furniture
wholesale
showroom and
marketplace, and
is meant to
compete with the
current
furniture market
capital of High
Point, North
Carolina.
In 2004, the
city partnered
with Cheetah
Wireless
Technologies and
MeshNetwork to
pilot a wide
area mobile
broadband
system. The
pilot system is
installed
downtown, around
the Fremont
Street
Experience.
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Las Vegas has
no major league
sports team;
however, there
are many sports
activities in
the area. The
University of
Nevada, Las
Vegas fields
Division I
athletic teams
and the NCAA
football Las
Vegas Bowl call
the city home.
The Las Vegas
Motor Speedway (LVMS),
just north of
the city hosts
NASCAR and other
automotive
events. Visitors
and residents
also have many
options for
boating, golf,
hiking, rock
climbing. The
city has many
parks which
offer a wide
range of
activities.
The city
hosts several
non-major-league
sports teams:
the Las Vegas
Gladiators in
the Arena
Football League,
the Las Vegas
51s, a Los
Angeles Dodgers
franchise in the
Triple A Pacific
Coast League,
and the Las
Vegas Wranglers
of the ECHL
hockey league.
However, due to
the perceived
risks of
professional
sports being
played in a city
with legal
sports betting,
none of the
major
professional
sports leagues
have ever had a
team in Las
Vegas, with the
notable
exception of the
Utah Jazz'
half-season
schedule at the
Thomas and Mack
Center in
1983-84. The
possibility of
relocating or
adding a
professional
major-league
team to Las
Vegas is an
ongoing
discussion that
the city
government is
having with
several leagues.
In addition,
Las Vegas will
host the 2007
NBA All-Star
Game, marking
the first time
the NBA All-Star
Game will be
held in a
non-NBA city. It
will be played
at the Thomas
and Mack Center.
The date for the
All-Star game
has yet to be
announced.
In 2005, the
city hosted
Arena Bowl XIX
at the Thomas &
Mack Center. It
was the AFL's
first-ever
neutral-site
title game. Las
Vegas will host
the Arena Bowl
again in 2006.
The city also
heavily insipred
the fictional
city, Las
Venturas, in the
video game Grand
Theft Auto San
Andreas.
Venturas is
mostly, if not
fully, a replica
of Las Vegas.
Rumors have
surfaced about
the possible
relocation of
the Sacramento
Kings to Las
Vegas in the
near future if
Sacramento
cannot build a
new arena for
the team. Kings
owners Joe and
Gavin Maloof
also have ties
to the city as
they are
co-owners of The
Palms Hotel &
Casino which
would make the
move more or a
possibility.
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Aladdin Casino
3667 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
877-333-9497
Arizona
Charlie's Casino
740 South
Decatur
Boulevard
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89107
800-342-2695
Atlantis Casino
Resort
3800 South
Virginia Street
Reno, Nevada
89502
800-723-6500
Bellagio Casino
3600 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
888-987-6667
Binions Casino
and Hotel
128 East Fremont
Street
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89101
800-634-6811
Boomtown Casino
2100 West Garson
Road
Verdi, Nevada
89439
800-648-3790
Boulder Station
Casino
4111 Boulder
Highway
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89121
800-981-5577
Buffalo Bill's
Casino
31900 South Las
Vegas Boulevard
Primm, Nevada
89019
800-386-7867
Cactus Pete's
Casino
1385 Highway 93
Jackpot, Nevada
89825
800-821-1103
Casablanca
Casino
950 West
Mesquite
Boulevard
Mesquite, Nevada
89027
702-346-7529
Circus Circus
Casino
2880 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-444-2472
Circus Circus
Casino - Reno
500 North Sierra
Street
Reno, Nevada
89503
800-648-5010
Club Cal Neva
Casino
38 East Second
Street
Reno, Nevada
89501
775-323-1046
Colorado Belle
Casino
2100 South
Casino Drive
Laughlin, Nevada
89029
877-460-0777
Edgewater Casino
2020 South
Casino Drive
Laughlin, Nevada
89029
800-677-4837
El Cortez Casino
600 East Fremont
Street
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89101
800-634-6703
Eureka Casino
275 Mesa
Boulevard
Mesquite, Nevada
89027
702-346-4646
Excalibur Casino
3850 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-937-7777
Flamingo Club
Casino - Las
Vegas
3555 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-732-2111
Flamingo Casino
- Laughlin
1900 South
Casino Drive
Laughlin, Nevada
89029
800-435-8469
Green Valley
Ranch Casino
2300 Paseo Verde
Parkway
Henderson,
Nevada 89052
866-617-1777
Harrahs Casino
3475 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-634-6765
Harveys Casino
Highway 50 and
Stateline Avenue
Stateline,
Nevada 89449
800-553-1022
Hyatt Regency
Casino
111 Country Club
Drive
Incline Village,
Nevada 89451
800-233-1234
John Ascuaga's
Nugget Casino
1100 Nugget
Avenue
Sparks, Nevada
89431-5772
800-648-1177
Lake Tahoe
Horizon Casino
50 Highway 50
Stateline,
Nevada 89449
800-648-3322
Las Vegas Club
Casino
18 East Fremont
Street
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89101
800-634-6532
Luxor Casino
3900 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89119
800-288-1000
Mahoneys Silver
Nugget Casino
2140 Las Vegas
Boulevard North
North Las Vegas,
Nevada 89030
702-399-1111
Mandalay Bay
Casino
3950 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89119
877-632-7000 |
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas
Boulevard
South Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-929-1111
The Mirage
Casino
3400 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-627-6667
Monte Carlo
Casino
3770 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-311-8999
Nevada Palace
Casino
5255 Boulder
Highway
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89122
800-634-6283
New Frontier
Casino
3120 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-421-7806
New York New
York Casino
3790 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
888-693-6763
Oasis Casino
897 West
Mesquite
Boulevard
Mesquite, Nevada
89027
800-216-2747
The Orleans
Casino
4500 West
Tropicana Avenue
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89103
702-365-7111
Pahrump Nugget
Gambling Hall
Casino
681 South
Highway 160
Pahrump, Nevada
89048
775-751-6500
Palace Station
Casino
2411 West Sahara
Avenue
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89102
800-544-2411
The Palms Casino
4321 West
Flamingo Road
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89103
702-942-7777
Peppermill
Casino
2707 South
Virginia Street
Reno, Nevada
89502
800-648-6992
Plaza Casino
1 Main Street
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89101
800-634-6575
Rainbow Casino
1045 Wendover
Boulevard
West Wendover,
Nevada 89883
800-217-0049
Ramada Express
Hotel Casino
2121 S. Casino
Drive
Laughlin, NV
89029
800-243-6846
Rampart Casino
221 North
Rampart
Boulevard
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89145
877-869-8777
Red Lion Inn and
Casino
741 West
Winnemucca
Boulevard
Winnemucca,
Nevada 89445
800-633-6435
Reno Hilton
Casino
2500 East Second
Street
Reno, Nevada
89595
800-648-5080
Rio Casino
3700 West
Flamingo Road
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89103
800-752-9746
River Palms
Casino
2700 South
Casino Drive
Laughlin, Nevada
89029
800-835-7903
Sahara Casino
2535 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
702-737-2111
Sams Town Casino
5111 Boulder
Highway
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89122
800-897-8696
Stardust Casino
3000 Las Vegas
Boulevard South
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89109
800-634-6757
State Line
Nugget Casino
101 Wendover
Boulevard
West Wendover,
Nevada 89883
800-848-7300
Sunset Station
Casino
1301 West Sunset
Road
Henderson,
Nevada 89014
702-547-7777
Terribles Town
Casino
771 South
Frontage Road
Pahrump, Nevada
89048
775-751-7777
Texas Station
Casino
2101 Texas Star
Lane
North Las Vegas,
Nevada 89030
800-654-8804
Virgin River
Casino
100 Pioneer
Boulevard and
Interstate 15
Exit 122
Mesquite, Nevada
89027
800-346-7721
Golden Nugget
Casino
129 East Fremont
Street
Las Vegas,
Nevada 89101
800-634-3454 |
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