What Is It About Las Vegas?

The city the world now knows as Las Vegas was officially established on May 15, 1905, when the 110 acres that later became the downtown Strip were auctioned off.

Gaming shacks popped up almost immediately but it was only when the nearby Hoover Dam got underway in 1931 that this town began to grow, and rapidly, when local businessmen and Mafia figures set up more elaborate gambling joints alongside showgirl theaters with scantily clad dancers meant to entertain, and drain the pockets of, the dam's construction crews.

It was after the first modern casino in Las Vegas, The Flamingo, was opened in 1941 by notorious gangster Bugsy Siegel that this dessert destination became a Mecca for those from every corner of the globe who were looking for the excitement of roulette, sports betting, blackjack, and those highly addictive one armed bandits. Slot machines were and are so popular in Vegas, you'll find them almost everywhere where you go, even the grocery store.

Only in Sin City can you venture out for a roll of toilet tissue and come back hundreds of dollars richer!

Another siren call to those looking for a walk on the wild side were the big time entertainers performing in the showrooms. Back in the 1960s and '70s, the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr.) and Elvis were the biggest draws, part of what made that period the golden age of Las Vegas. Hotels and casinos always operated at capacity when one of those legendary crooners appeared on the marquee at The Dessert Inn, Sahara, Tropicana, or the Sands.

Even today the biggest names in show business can be seen on the Strip - Cher, Celine Dion, Donny & Marie, Jerry Seinfeld, magicians Criss Angel and David Copperfield - all play before sold out, hyper-excited audiences.

Of course, you can't just snap your fingers and find yourself immersed in the thrilling action happening on The Strip right now (that day may come!) but the next best thing are the Vegas-like games of chance available at your fingertips right now, with a promo code casino777 to start your winning streak!

Meanwhile, in the middle of what used to be nowhere, it's that nexus between being surrounded by top tier entertainment and that feeling of being a winner that continues to attract high rollers to the city that never sleeps. Hotels are bigger today, the casinos more opulent, in that way Las Vegas barely resembles the small town it was 40 years ago.

What will the future bring? No one knows but it's sure to be as imaginatively game-changing as Las Vegas, a city that constantly reinvents itself, has always proven to be.

Always bet on Vegas!

It is what it is!

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