Las Vegas Strip

The state of Nevada had been the last place where gambling had been outlawed in the early 20th century but gambling had never really stopped in the state. It was also the first state which in 1931 legalized gambling again. Gambling today brings in the largest amount of funds to the state.

Las Vegas strip evolution

The start of the famous Vegas Strip began in 1941 when Tommy Hull began the El Rancho casino in the city. After the World War two, the real growth of the city began. Several different casinos and hotels were built on the highway and the strip thus was born.

The famous Flamingo hotel had been built by Bugsy Siegel in 1946 and it soon became an important landmark in the city. After that the resorts and the casinos sprang up all over the city. The Sahara and Sands opened up in 1952 and Desert Inn before that in 1950. The Riviera resort became the first ever high rise in the city.

The famous Moulin Rouge casino and hotel had been established in 1955. The city soon became an important entertainment center in the US and many hotels and casinos started bringing in singers and entertainers for their guests. The Stardust was the first ever to bring in a stage show when they brought Lido all the way from France which performed continuously for 31 years. The topless show began first in the Dunes when they brought the Minsky's Follies in 1957 and everyone else followed suit.

In the 1960s the slot machines and the video games had been introduced. Some of these modern slot machines also accept customer's credit cards. The first ever megaresort had been the Circus Circus in 1972 which has since its establishment remained one of the most famous casinos and resorts in the city. The over-the-top Mirage had been set up in 1989 with a cost of over $630 millions. The hotel has a dolphin pools, waterfalls and even volcanoes.

The Buccaneer Bay soon followed with pirates and then came the Luxor with the famous Pyramids and the tomb of King Tut. The MGM Grand and the famous Bellagio with its mind blowing fountains are not far behind. Today the Vegas strip is known for its collection of various wonders from all over the world including the pyramids and the Eiffel Tower.

Though it all began downtown, the Strip is really the place where the action is. The Fremont Street show began in 1994 and it made things a little better for downtown. The Strip has been famous ever since the first world's best casinos opened up their doors to the public.