Las Vegas was the world's first international gambling hub and still maintains its place as the world's gambling and entertainment center. The evolution from the "Glitter Gulch" (Downtown) of old, to the themed resorts of the Las Vegas Strip, and now as the destination of over 40 million gamblers and fun-seekers each year, Las Vegas still sets the trends and changes with the times as it needs to. Las Vegas is the most visited place on the planet.

The first licensed casino in Las Vegas opened at 15 Fremont Street in 1936 as the Northern Club. Known most recently as La Bayou, the casino closed along with Mermaids and Girls of Glitter Gulch on June 27, 2016 to make way for a new casino under development from relative newcomers, Derek and Greg Stevens, owners of D Las Vegas (formerly Fitzgerald's) the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center (DLV) and other downtown properties.

The downturn and recovery of Las Vegas

Las Vegas has always been vibrant, resilient, and able to reinvent itself when needed. New development stopped for awhile with the great recession of 2008. Visitor numbers fell to 37.48 million, and the city lost about another million footfalls the next year with a low of 36.35 million visits in 2009. But by 2015 a record 42.3 million people visited the city, and July 2016 saw 3.8 million visitors in a single month, setting another record.

Of course, the economic slowdown was not the only thing keeping Las Vegas from retaining its position as the number one gambling hub in the world as judged by gross gaming revenues. Thanks to Sands Macao and Wynn Macau, in 2006, Macau posted GGR of $6.95 billion while the Las Vegas Strip clocked in at $6.35b according to RubinBrown. After years of struggling, in 2015, the Strip again took in just under $6.35b and hotel occupancy rates were back to 90% marking a complete recovery and nothing but blue skies ahead.

A changing Las Vegas

Although visitor numbers are up, and individuals began spending more money each trip beginning in 2014, gambling expenditures aren't growing as fast as spending is growing in other categories. Only 12% of visitors surveyed by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) in 2014 said they came to gamble. Entertainment, rooms, and restaurants are the main draws now. But once in the city, 71% of visitors spent an average of 2.6 hours gambling each day.

All of these numbers point to a change in the way the casinos will continue to attract successive generations of visitors. In 2016 and 2017 it is the "Millenial" generation being courted. Skill-based gambling games were authorized by the legislature and governor in May 2015. By late 2015 and 2016 virtual reality and other hybrid video game gambling cabinets had made their way to the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas in a big way, and were slowly making their way to the casino floors.

There will always be gambling in Vegas, and the numbers show that visitors will likely play even when they don't really plan to. But the most important numbers are those showing precisely why people come to town, and those numbers show that it is for pleasure, vacation, and entertainment by a factor of five over those who come mainly to gamble, according to surveys conducted on behalf of the LVCVA.

Industry's response to a changing market

That's why we now have the Linq Promenade featuring an outdoor retail, dining, and entertainment plaza, not to mention the High Roller, the tallest observation in the world at 550 feet; A new 20,000 capacity arena behind Monte Carlo and New York-New York; Monte Carlo announcing plans to spend $450 million on a total renovation at The Park; a possible NFL stadium; a new casino going in Downtown; more outdoor events downtown; MGM committing to more art assets in the city; a Topgolf center, and dozens of other innovations intended to bring the younger crowds to town, and keep them around longer - whether they plan to gamble or not.

Today's player wants a little bit of everything and they want it now, or at least a few steps away. So casinos like Encore Las Vegas have developed players clubs, slightly separated from the casino floor with their own ambiance and attractions. Here you'll find a cocktail bar, gaming pit, and social lounge all in one place. Patrons can easily move from the blackjack tables to a free game of shuffleboard or billiards, watch big screen TVs from the bar or a comfortable lounge chair, and play at touchscreen tables featuring interactive social games with no gambling. The touchscreens are multi-purpose, letting visitors check sports odds, or simply browse the cocktail menu in between games.

The sports book at Cosmopolitan uses the same concept of hybrid space and multiple social avenues. The innovations are paying off and the offerings will continue to change in order to adapt to a more sophisticated, demanding, and younger clientele.

A more traditional Las Vegas experience

For old-style Las Vegas entertainment you may be disappointed that the longest-running showgirl revue, Jubilee @ Bally’s has ended its historic run - but as of late 2016 you can still find "Vegas the Show" at Planet Hollywood, and "The Rat Pack is Back" at Tuscany. Of course, there's always a concert or other show, and in September 2016 Britney Spears added 18 more shows to her run at Planet Hollywood.

If you want to see some of the seedy past of the great city, the Las Vegas Mob Experience at the Tropicana is always a good bet. An evening cab ride to The Freemont Street Experience is a must-do, or you can go to the Neon Boneyard for a tour of old signs to get your retro fix.

While Downtown offers a mix of serious gambling opportunities at legendary spots such Four Queens or El Cortez Hotel & Casino (read up before you go, this is old-style Vegas) or upscale experiences at the D Las Vegas or Golden Nugget - The Strip is undergoing its own transformation.

The Las Vegas Strip evolves with new casinos and experiences

The Riviera came down in 2016 to make room for the Las Vegas Convention Center to expand all the way to Las Vegas Blvd. The T-Mobile Arena opened in April between New York-New York and the Monte Carlo casino hotels and will host an NHL expansion team beginning in the fall of 2017. MGM is also working on a new mid-size concert venue at The Park and investing $450 million in a complete renovation and possible rebranding of Monte Carlo with two separate hotels.

The ARIA Convention Center is expanding, and they've already opened the Jewel Nightclub with over 1,400 square feet of architectural LED ribbons highlighting the 24,000 sq ft multi-faceted hotspot featuring private VIP suites.

There are also four major developments expected to open on the Strip, or just next to it, each with their own particular appeal.

The first to open will be Lucky Dragon Hotel & Casino in early December. Very much Asian-centric, with signage throughout in Mandarin as well as English, Lucky Dragon stands to attract plenty of Asian visitors, especially since direct flights from China to Las Vegas are now possible.

In place of the what was to become Echelon (on the site of the previous Stardust) the $4 billion Resorts World Las Vegas could open as early as 2018, but more likely in 2019. The first phase should include a 3,500 room hotel and a 175,000 square foot casino, retail, dining, and convention space. As the 87-acre property develops further, expect to see three more hotel towers erected, movie theaters, an indoor water park, aquarium, and possibly even a panda environment from Genting.

No opening date is known yet for Ālon Las Vegas across from Wynn at the site of the former New Frontier Hotel & Casino, but best estimates put the opening in mid-2019. Developers have had some difficulty getting all of the funding together they will need to open, but construction is progressing. Expect something absolutely novel and cutting edge from this development.

The casino on the 34.5 acre property will only cover 50,000 sq ft and be the smallest of the resort's entertainment spaces. The nightclub, headed up by Jesse Waits, will be 56,000 sq ft, the ballroom will have 65,000 sq ft of space and the pool area will cover over 80,000 sq ft. MICE space will take up 90,000 sq ft and retail will see a footprint of some 116,000 square feet.

Although no final deal has been announced, it was revealed in July that owners of the Mohegan Sun were interested in purchasing the long-stalled Fontainebleau Resort which has been mothballed since 2009. The 68-floor hotel and luxury casino is the second tallest building in the city and is about 70% complete. The tribal authority's interest in Fontainebleau is further proof that Las Vegas has, indeed, rebounded from the downturn. Viva Las Vegas!

Las Vegas, Nevada has 173 casinos in which you'll find more than 88,218 slots and gaming machines. There are a total of 4070 table games. The minimum bet we've found at casinos in Las Vegas is $0 and the maxium bet is $50,000. Click a casino on the left for more information on a particular property.

There is poker in Las Vegas! You will find over 423 live poker tables to play at. You will find the following games in Las Vegas casinos: NL Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Limit Holdem, No Limit Holdem, NL Holdem, 7 Card Stud, Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha 8 or Better, Draw, Pot Limit Omaha Hi, Texas Hold'em, Mixed Games, Omaha, 7 Card Stud Hi-Lo, Omaha Hi, Tournaments, No Limit Texas Hold'em. Some Las Vegas casinos also offer convention centers and meeting spaces. Over the entire town, you will find a total of 8,360,118 conference sq/ft space in the various casino properties.

Largest Casinos in Las Vegas

The largest casino in Las Vegas, Nevada according to gaming machines and table games put together, is Boulder Station Hotel & Casino. The Boulder Station Hotel & Casino total casino square footage is 90,000 square feet. It has 2800 gaming machines and 33 tables games. You will also find 11 poker tables and 11 restaurants.

You can contact the Boulder Station Hotel & Casino at (702) 432-7777 . The Boulder Station Hotel & Casino is located at 4111 Boulder Hwy, Las Vegas, NV 89121, USA.

Visit the Boulder Station Hotel & Casino information page for more details on this casino, or click here to make hotel reservations. Boulder Station Hotel & Casino has a total of 299 hotel rooms available.

The second largest casino in Las Vegas would be Red Rock Casino Resort Spa with 2760 gaming machines / table games. The Red Rock Casino Resort Spa has a total casino square footage of 87,000 square feet. There is a hotel with 811 hotel rooms available. If you wish to make lodging accommodations at Red Rock Casino Resort Spa, please visit the Red Rock Casino Resort Spa information page for more details.

The largest casino in Las Vegas, Nevada according to square footage is the MGM Grand Las Vegas, with 170,000 square feet of casino gambling space.

For lodging accommodations MGM Grand Las Vegas has a total of 5627 hotel rooms available.

Visit the MGM Grand Las Vegas information page for more details on this casino.

Las Vegas, gambler’s heaven, is a flourishing centre of tourism where tourists flock the city all the year round. As almost every day is a carnival the city transport therefore suffers an extra load of traffic almost every day. Transport of the casino city is the lifeline of the city which maintains the proper flow of tourist traffic and prevents any chaos which the huge number of traffic flow may otherwise cause.

The city of Las Vegas boasts of a well networked transport system with adequate options for everyone to suit every taste and requirement. You just have to gather relevant information before you decide on what you choose to travel in while you are staying in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Efficient transport system is a necessity in Las Vegas, NV

As smooth running of traffic requires proper and adequate means of transport, the casino city also has such requirements but the requirements are many fold comparing the amount of traffic the city attracts. The city administration has therefore many options for a healthy transport system. The tourists have many options to go from one place to another. The major modes of transport are airlines, monorails, cabs, buses etc.

All major Airlines operate at Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas is well connected with almost all the major cities of the world. Many airlines are operating in the city. As Las Vegas is a major tourist attraction airlines are more than willing to open shop in the city.

Airport shuttles, the convenient service

There are many airport shuttle companies operating in Las Vegas. These companies provide tourists with airport shuttle to and fro from the airport. The shuttles will transport you from your hotel or casino to the airport and vice-versa.

Cat bus, the popular mode of transportation in L.V.

A very popular mode of transport for the locals as well as the tourists because of its well networked bus routes. These routes cover most of the parts of the Las Vegas. The network prides itself in transporting about 10% of the population, around 175000 people to different parts of the city. The improvements in the bus service and the increase in gas prices have helped in increasing the popularity of the system more and more. Though the enormous growth and a requirement of increase in the buses frequency is putting some strain and stretching limits of the popular network.

Las Vegas Monorail, the environment friendly solution

The Las Vegas Monorail system is a privately run and funded system. The rail connects the Sahara hotel at the northern end of the Strip to the southern end of the Strip the MGM hotel. The rail actually covers eight main resorts of the city along with many hotels and convention centers. The monorail runs on a 4 mile route with main stations like MGM Grand, Flamingo, Imperial palace, Las Vegas convention center, Las Vegas Hilton on its way to the Hotel Sahara.

The Monorail consists of nine trains with four cars each for the passengers running at the speed of 50 mph run on a single rail the rail itself is around twenty feet high from the ground and at some places it rises up to seventy feet above the ground the sight being the Las Vega convention center.

The system is a very environment friendly system that operates on electricity. The monorail runs on Mondays to Thursdays, the timings being 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. while from Fridays to Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. an unlimited 24hours pass costs 15 $, a 72 hours unlimited pass costs 40 $. You also get passes for single ride, a two ride pass and also a ten ride pass; choose according to your individual need.

Getting around Las Vegas in a rent-a-car

If you want a private transportation service in Las Vegas which offers you privacy while traveling or you want the convenience of your own vehicle, this is your service. You can hire a car and use it as long as you stay in Las Vegas. Many car rental services are offering these car rental services, which you can avail at a price. There are a whole lot of options available choose the one that suits you. Ask for any special requirement like a child seat, most of them will arrange it for you. It is a good idea to have a clear idea of the price structure so you have no problems later on.

Las Vegas Hotel shuttles

Hotel shuttles are a convenient way to travel to or between hotels and casinos. If you don’t have a car or have not rented one, it is a good idea to use these shuttles. You can find most of the ones in directory and the travel and tourists guides. These guides are available at airports and hotels, just ask for them.

Take the Limousines route...

If traveling by local or public transport is not your scene and you would rather have some private transport. And if this private transport should be stylish and classy then Limousines are what you are looking for. The sheer elegance and class of limousines speak for themselves; you can find these graceful automobiles at your disposal. Many Limousines companies are providing limousine services to the tourists who want to make their special vacation as classy as possible. Pick your limousine and travel in style.

Las Vegas Taxi Cabs

The taxi cab is the all time favorite. When nothing is available and you are in a hurry to reach the airport or casino nothing beats the good old taxi. These take you anywhere and everywhere in Las Vegas, you just name it. These wonder cars a phone call away.

Transport is definitely not a problem in Las Vegas, just make some advance research on the options available. Once you have the information available you can decide on your plan of action. Keep your budget in mind and make the necessary reservations and bookings if required. You will enjoy your trip more if some practical considerations are taken care of beforehand, a thought requiring your attention.

Las Vegas the entertainment capital of the world is the place where fun is a constant factor. Today, the city has a flourishing gambling business but this trade was not built overnight. Las Vegas History has seen some real tough times and faced many difficulties before reaching the smooth sailing Las Vegas is experiencing today. The ‘most’ major thrust was provided when the state of Nevada legalized gambling, Las Vegas hasn’t looked back ever since.

Las Vegas history, an interesting story

Las Vegas city is situated at Nevada. Once a wet marshland changed into an arid, parched landscape as the years went by. The rivers that used to flow on the surface went below surface. The water some time came to surface to nourish the vegetation on the surface. An oasis was thus formed. Spanish explorers were the ones who discovered Las Vegas and gave it its name. Las Vegas means “meadows” as the place was green luxurious land by natural sources. Las Vegas was the oasis on the Spanish trail to the city of California.

The Mormon influence on Las Vegas

Mormon missionaries settled in the valley. The missionaries cultivated land and also build a fort for protection for the travelers on the Los Angeles trail. Two years later they abandoned the place as they were running into losses. The fort still stands and is the oldest witness of Las Vegas history. Rafael Rivera was the first known non Indian to arrive at Las Vegas valley.

The Hoover dam effect

The Las Vegas town site was established in 1905 while the city of Las Vegas was established in 1911. The building of the Hoover dam brought many thousands of people to the site in 1931. The dam provided power to the states of Nevada, California and Arizona and it still does to some parts of the state.

Legalization of gambling in Las Vegas

Another event that played a very important role in shaping the Las Vegas history was the legalization of casino gambling in Nevada. Nevada was the first state to legalize casino gambling during the Great Depression. To be exact Gambling was legalized on March 13, 1931, literally transforming the state of Nevada and specially the Las Vegas history. Las Vegas was on the way to become ‘the gambler’s paradise’. As a result the gambling and the gaming industry just boomed after the Second World War. Due to the licensing the gambling industry became more organized. The first license was issued to the Northern Club. Legalization has provided the thrust that gambling provided.

The Glitter Gulch

The “Strip”, the street with a number of casino hotels came into existence. Pair-o-dice was the first casino that was built in 1931 on the Highway 91 while El Rancho Vegas was the first hotel to be erected on what we know as strip today. The Bugsy Siegel's Flamingo Hotel opened on December 26, 1946 was another turning point.
The Glitter Gulch also has his share of casinos like the Las Vegas club and the Apache Hotel. Many casinos and resorts came up as the fame of Las Vegas grew.
Most of the casinos were owned by organized crime groups but Meyer Lansky was a major influence in the city. Las Vegas was no more the small performer’s dream big names like Presley, Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Dean Martin etc. were performing in special performances. The casino center showcased spectacular performances by the top performers of the country. Soon Las Vegas came to be known as the Entertainment Capital of the world, a permanent place for wholesome entertainment.

The hindrances on the way to glory

The city has reached to today success passing many hurdles on the way. The city has survived the forces of racial tension and many administrative glitches on its way to crowning glory.

The first glitch
The first major problem was that the strip was outside the Las Vegas proper that had lead to revenue loss. To avoid the annexation of the Strip by the city authorities the strip properties were organized into an unincorporated township, Paradise city as that was against the Nevada law.

The second hurdle
The second hindrance was Hank Greenspun; the editor of Las Vegas Sun had set his heart and soul in exposing anybody related to criminal activities. The man was after anything remotely linked to corruption anywhere and everywhere. He exposed the Clark country sheriff Glen Jones.

The third problem
The third and final frontier was the investigation by the senator Kefauver and the senate special committee to investigate crime in interstate commerce. The special committee came to the conclusion that money from the organized crime was linked with to Las Vegas casinos. Only the influence of Nevada’s senator McCarran helped.

The racial mess
Las Vegas was now also a place where racial discriminations were leading to racial tensions. African American and Hispanics were not allowed inside the casinos. They had to restrict themselves to the ‘west-side’ only. Moulin rouge was an up market casino, a welcome break; though it lasted for only some time it showed the way. When the whole region was fighting for civil rights Las Vegas also participated in the struggle. Mayor Oran Gragson championed the Pauite cause and made infrastructure improvements for them. Slowly and steadily the city found its present state of recognition.

Visit the dazzling Vegas, today!

Today Las Vegas is a humming with anything, everything that is spectacular. You have everything from dazzling shows, entertaining tours and exciting clubs. Celine Dion and Barry Manilow shows are being presently held in the city.

Las Vegas the epitome of wholesome entertainment

If you are on a lookout for a place to have a gala time, visit Las Vegas, Nevada to have an experience of a lifetime. So why wait, pack your bags and come to the paradise on earth, the gala city on earth where you surely will have a gala time. Celebrate life at Las Vegas, a paradise city that is a performer’s dream and a viewer’s delight.