When someone says Las Vegas, what do you think of? Is it the Mojave Desert or the arid outcrop of Nevada? Or does your mind wander to it being the world’s entertainment capital, packed full of gaming and entertainment options? It’s the latter, surely.
That’s because Las Vegas has indeed been the capital for all things gaming for over a century, ever since the early 1900s. That is when the first shops, bars and houses were built around the railroad that connected the coast and the rest of the US, and when things began to take off.
Las Vegas was primarily a place where railroad workers, travellers and local ranchers lived, although it was undoubtedly more lawless than it is today as gambling was illegal. However, upon the building of the nearby Hoover Dam in the 1930s, gaming was legalized, which led to a swell of visitors, from business people to more nefarious types looking to earn their fortune. Then with the building of the El Rancho Hotel in the early 1940s, what we now know as The Strip was born, as more people saw the opportunity to get their own piece of the action. By the 1970s, Las Vegas’ reputation as a top destination was sealed. As an article from Business Insider India demonstrates, huge acts such as Elvis Presley were regulars, and mega-hotels were being planned with in-house casinos, bars and more, leading to what we know today.
However, while things were already going very well, the 2000s brought a boom of another kind, thanks to poker. Chris Moneymaker headed to the World Series of Poker at Binion’s Hotel after winning an online tournament that qualified him for the top tournament he went on to win. He did what many seek to do; turn a hobby into his job, and for Moneymaker, it was so significant that almost overnight it brought a boom of players heading online to play those games originally only found in casinos.
People realized they didn’t have to visit Las Vegas to be a winner. Since then, due to demand, online gaming has transformed into a multi-billion-dollar industry with technology pushing the limits of what’s possible. In return, the physical casinos are now bringing the popular online offerings to gamers. The most prominent examples of this can be seen in the Slingo games. There is a wide selection of Slingo games on Gala Bingo such as Slingo Starburst and Slingo Ante Up. These new online titles are a hybrid of the traditional casino gaming options of slots and bingo and are widely found online. However, they can also be seen in casinos up and down The Strip, after proving to be popular on mobile devices and home computers. In 2000, it was the lure of Vegas that drew people online, but in 2022, you can find online leading the way with Vegas trying to catch up!
Another popular online activity that’s being played in our homes that the physical casinos have embraced is virtual reality, as many of the resorts on The Strip now have virtual reality experiences and games as now part of their entertainment offerings to clientele. Rather than be threatened by the fact that people love these new technological titles, the Las Vegas gaming industry has welcomed them under its wing to give visitors what they want.
All this shows that Las Vegas continues to move with the times and visitors’ wants and demands. It’s gone from a humble railroad town, growing into a place for people to stopover during a long journey, to them becoming a gaming and entertainment mecca. It’s a place that embraces change and challenges accepted norms, and it’s why it’s become one of the premier gaming and vacation spots for people from all around the world.
