Las Vegas, Nevada Casinos
part II ? Las Vegas, Nevada Today
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Nevada Casino History
Once a small mining and farming town in Nevada, nobody expected Las Vegas to grow into the giant casino & gambling town that it is. It is the capital of the entertainment industry. One would be hard-pressed to find anyone in America who has not heard of this town, and most people have either visited Vegas or certainly hope to some day.
Gambling became a favourite pastime for many Americans in the United States very early in its history. Poker, blackjack, craps, slot machines and roulette have been the mainstay of gambling in the United States since the 1800's. Games of chance in America can be dated back as far as the 14th century, and the lure of possibly reaping big rewards for a little bit of skill and a lot of luck has kept gambling popular with people all over the world for centuries. The rise of casinos - houses dedicated soley to gambling started to become very popular.
The Las Vegas and it's casinos of today is an awesome sight to behold, especially for someone who is seeing it for the first time. The Las Vegas strip never sleeps, and is lit up 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A person could spend a month cruising the 3 short miles of The Strip and still probably not see all there is to see.
The city of Las Vegas boasts a comfortable population of about 500,000 residents, but the number of visitors the town sees every year is approximately 36,000,000! Although gambling is legal everywhere in Nevada and casinos can be found in any town there, Las Vegas remains the most famous city in the state.
The sheer number of hotels and casinos in Las Vegas might be enough to give it its reputation, but the history, quality, and uniqueness of its casinos is what has made it so famous over the years.
Las Vegas casinos are equipped to handle every kind of gambling itch. Poker enthusiasts can enjoy playing video poker at a machine, or get in on a real poker game with real opponents in one of the many poker rooms, or poker-playing areas. Poker games can be low, medium, or high stakes depending on the preference of the players. Blackjack remains one of the most popular games of chance played in Las Vegas, and blackjack tables abound in all the casinos. With approximately 197,000 slot machines in the city, a person who is interested in only playing the slots can be content for the entire length of their visit, no matter how long that is.
Gambling tournaments in Las Vegas are a favourite draw for many high rollers. Poker tournaments seem to be the most popular and draw more than their share of interested spectators. Some are even televised. Texas Hold'em is a popular tournament poker game, and there is never a shortage of players willing to try their luck in a tournament. Poker tournaments have grown as a recognized sport, and Las Vegas has capitalized on the popularity of the tournaments by hosting more than one "World Series" game. For some poker enthusiasts, it has become a serious venture.
Casinos regularly hold other kinds of tournaments too; it's a great way to attract visitors and get some publicity. There are blackjack tournaments, slot tournaments, and even video poker tournaments. The entry fees for these types of tournaments are usually small, but there can be some substantial rewards for the winners.
Gambling is not just restricted to games in Las Vegas. Gamblers can bet on horse races that are shown on TVs, or on real-life sports events such as professional boxing. The room where gamblers can watch their favourite sports games on TV and bet on them is called a "Sports Book". Many people enjoy relaxing in a sports book, watching and betting on their favourite sport, and being served free drinks. For some sports enthusiasts, it doesn't get much better than that! Needless to say, there is very little a person cannot bet on in Las Vegas.
Top-notch entertainment is as much a part of Las Vegas as gambling. Headlining performers can be seen in the city all year round, with some famous entertainers even making Las Vegas their home and headquarters. Siegfried and Roy performed their magic act with their famed white tigers for over 30 years in various casinos in Las Vegas. Wayne Newton, a well-known singing star, has been performing in Las Vegas for almost 50 years, and maintains a home there. Whatever your preference in entertainment, you can find it in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has been seen for years as a town where only adults come to play. In the past few years, however, there has been a subtle move toward making the city more family-friendly. The Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino offers an actual sandy beach in the middle of Las Vegas, with a slow-flowing man-made river, wave pool and a few regular pools encased within its 11 acres. The adults can still enjoy all the benefits of gambling at a casino, but the kids can come along on this vacation and they won't be bored. Circus Hotel and Casino offers a 5-acre indoor theme park that includes a famous corkscrew roller coaster called the "Canyon Blaster", and on the outside there is a carnival where people of all ages can play games. More and more casinos are offering video arcades in their casinos where minors can play for prizes, and some even offer puppet shows, magic shows, and other such kid-friendly entertainment.
Las Vegas is and will remain a place where dreams are made or broken; where the pauper can become a king and the king a pauper in a matter of days, hours, or even minutes. The lure of Las Vegas can be hard to resist, and that's what the city counts on. It is a place of instant gratification, with quickie wedding chapels on every corner, countless pawnshops for the ones who think they can win if they try just one more time, and always, always the glitter of the thousands of lights that never go out. Whether known as "Sin City" or the "Entertainment Capital of the World", Las Vegas will remain one of the most famous cities in the world.
Las Vegas History
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