Native Americans lived in the Las Vegas Valley as early as 700 AD, more than 12,000 years ago, migrating between the nearby mountains during the summer months and the valley near Big Springs during the winters. However, we will not go back that far in history. Instead, we will explore the history of the city of Las Vegas as we know it today.
From artisans and missionaries to farmers and the mafia, the history of Las Vegas, as you might imagine, is an eye-opening tale. So how did a city so far off the beaten track become the entertainment capital of the world? Check out the history of Las Vegas gambling below, and after that, why not play some exciting online slots in the UK? We also have Las Vegas themed slots for you!
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The early days
Las Vegas was named in 1829 by Rafael Rivera, a member of a Spanish trading expedition tasked with establishing a trade route from Santa Fe to Los Angeles. The group stopped in the area for water while traveling the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico and realized it was the best place to resupply before heading to California. At the time, the valley had artesian wells surrounded by vast swamps rich in vegetation. The name Las Vegas therefore means « the meadows » or « the fertile plains » in Spanish.
Fast forwarding through a war with Mexico that led to the region’s annexation by the United States, Mormon migration, travelers, traders, and agricultural activities, we arrive at the beginning of the 20th century. Rail developers had decided that Las Vegas would serve as the main stop along the San Pedro, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles train lines, which would also connect the region to major cities on the Pacific Coast. When Las Vegas was built, it was just a small farming town, but the arrival of the railroad in 1905 brought with it stores, saloons, and guest houses. The spirit of the Wild West flourished, and with it, a thirst for fun. This is the city’s first casino.
Las Vegas grew slowly at first, except for a licensed prostitution and gambling area, which was booming. This changed in 1910, when the Nevada legislature banned gambling. Thus, a number of speakeasies and underground casinos began operating in secret, thriving underground until gambling was legalized in 1931. With the construction of Hoover Dam, thousands of additional workers came in Las Vegas, and casinos and performance venues opened along Fremont Street (the city’s only paved road) in response. The city has become a popular weekend tourist destination, with an influx of people working in the Hollywood film industry leading the way. The first hotel, El Rancho Vegas, opened in 1941.
Live Las Vegas
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The success of El Rancho Vegas inspired the opening of several other hotels along Highway 91, which later became the Las Vegas Strip. Between 1940 and 1950, the city’s population almost tripled, even doubling in the decade that followed. With the arrival of world-famous artists such as Elvis Presley, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, tourists flocked to the city. Between 1980 and 1990, the city’s population grew by nearly 100,000 to exceed a quarter of a million, and it continued to grow rapidly alongside the casino and entertainment economy in the years that followed .
The metropolitan area today had a million residents in mid-1990, a figure that would double a decade later. New casinos and hotels opened, and modern Las Vegas was at its peak.
Modern Vegas
Today, more than 41 million people visit Las Vegas each year. There are more than 150 casinos and approximately 150,000 hotel/motel rooms in the Las Vegas Valley. The city is also home to more than half of the world’s 20 largest hotels. Entertainment and casinos remain the city’s primary source of revenue, and gaming accounts for just over 43% of Las Vegas casino revenue. The rest comes from rooms, food and drinks. With millions of lights, Las Vegas is considered the brightest place on Earth and has been ranked among the top 10 destinations in the United States for its gastronomy!
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