The History of Las Vegas Casinos

Las Vegas is famous as a gambling mecca that is visited by millions every year today. But the history of Las Vegas casinos is truly fascinating. The backstory of this city involves the mafia, money and more twists and turns than you can imagine.

The Railroad Town

Las Vegas was founded in 1905. Back then, it was just a dusty little railroad town, hardly more than a blip on the map. But all that started to change right away, when the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino opened at 1 Fremont Street in 1906. This was the very first casino in Las Vegas.

Boom Town

Despite the opening of the casino, Vegas stayed relatively quiet for the next two decades. The state of Nevada officially outlawed gaming before the rise of Prohibition in the 1920s, but people continues to both gamble and drink at various secret speakeasies that opened up around the city. Then in 1931, everything started to change.

A New Era

In 1931, the incredible Hoover Dam was built and brought a lot of new jobs to Las Vegas. With Prohibition gone, Nevada got back to its roots and many more places to drink and gamble started to open up along Fremont Street.

The Mafia Arrives

The era of the gangster had begun thanks to Prohibition, and the mafia was looking for new ways to make money once those days of bootlegging liquor ended. Las Vegas was the perfect place. Famous gangster Bugsy Siegel arrived in the city and began operating a popular casino. He found success right away and Vegas began to take on more of its modern look. The mafia brought entertainers to the city and started to turn Las Vegas into an experience, not just a gambling city.

The Casino Resort

Las Vegas became a destination for gamblers and entertainers. But by the late 1970s, Las Vegas had lost some of its glitz and glamor. That's when someone got the idea to build the biggest resort the city had ever seen. It was called the Mirage and it was massive, an incredible casino resort that transformed the look of the city. Within a few years, several other massive resorts opened up and paved the way for the modern Las Vegas that people enjoy today. Las Vegas got back to being a vacation mecca and the city continues to thrive and its history is still being written.