Spin City
Have you ever wondered who built the Las Vegas Strip and what was the first casino that was opened and how did it look? How long did it take for the second casino to get constructed and when did it all start rolling? We’ll talk about the history of Las Vegas here, starting with the first casino, which would be the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino.
But before we proceed, let’s just mention that fast winnings and fast payouts according to this webpage can be a reason for gambling addiction. Fast payouts can hurt you and you never knew, here’s a good resource regarding them. Now, let’s proceed with our story about Las Vegas. And what a story it is!
Las Vegas was founded in May 1905, when 110 acres of land were sold by the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad after the completion of the Salt Lake-Los Angeles line. It only took a year for the very first casino to open, Golden Gate, a hotel-casino at the previous site of Hotel Nevada, located at 1 Fremont Street.
Las Vegas still was a railroad town at this time, with that one casino standing as a sign of things to come. In 1909 gambling became illegal so Golden Gate ceased operations. For over 25 years things were quiet as far as gambling is concerned, but then in 1931 three things kickstarted the transformation into a gambling haven that we have today.
In 1931, in an attempt to improve Nevada’s economic health during the Great Depression (1929-1939), the state legislature changed Nevada’s divorce laws and dropped the residency requirement to a ridiculous six weeks. This meant that anyone who had been a resident for six weeks (dropped from 90 days) could file for divorce. This led to many so-called divorce tourists who’d visit the state and stayed for a month and a half just so they could get divorced.
They usually went to Reno, truth be told, but in 1939 there was a high-profile divorce as one Maria Gable, affectionately known as Ria, set up residence in Las Vegas to shed her husband, the one and only Clark Gable – who had left her three years prior for Carole Lombard, who in turn had divorced her husband in 1933 in Carson City, Nevada.
This meant that if you were a celebrity and you wanted a divorce, you were now doing it in Nevada.
From 1931 to 1936, Hoover Dam was under construction just east of Las Vegas, so thousands of workers – remember that this was during the Great Depression and everyone was desperate for work – flocked to the city and they required entertainment. Along the length of Fremont Street, casinos and other entertainment venues started opening.
Many of them sold alcohol – during the prohibition era 1920-1933 – and offered gambling, until this time still an illegal activity.
The year of 1931 brought about another change, a key one, as the gambling ban was lifted by the state legislature. This was the first case of a US state legalizing gambling. Clark County issued the first three-month gambling licence, to the Northern Club, just across Golden Gate, that had been running illegal casino games since 1912 anyway.
Northern Club as well as the alley that was between it and the Golden Gate disappeared in 2016 when the Golden Gate expanded.
Something that most people don’t know is that the Strip lies outcide of city limits, it’s technically under Clark County jurisdiction. In 1931, Golden Gate Hotel & Casino resumed operations under the name Sal Sagev (Las Vegas backwards). This was also the first establishment to receive plumbing and the first to have a telephone number in Las Vegas. Phone number? “Ring 1, please”.
Prohibition on alcohol was lifted in 1933 and the Fremont Street regulars are stunned to learn that whiskey had been illegal all along.
El Cortez was built by Marion Hicks and J.C. Grayson as the first major resort in downtown Las Vegas. It has been in continuous operation since. The casino quickly became so profitable that it was purchased by famous mobsters Bugsy Siegel, Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum, and Moe Sedway for $600,000.
We could say that The Golden Nugget and the Flamingo, both opened in 1946, really kickstarted Las Vegas into existence. The Flamingo was built with mob money supplied by gangsters Benjamin Siegel (‘Bugsy’) and Meyer Lansky, while The Golden Nugget was too owned by a mobster, Guy McAfee.
Both casinos are still standing. Golden Nugget Las Vegas, as it is now called, is operated by Landry’s, Inc. while Flamingo Las Vegas is operated by Caesars Entertainment.
The King of Rock and Roll began his music career in 1954 and had a commercial breakout in 1956. That same year, on April 23, 1956, he made his Las Vegas debut as the closing act of a show at the New Frontier hotel and casino. He had just delivered his first national #1 single, Heartbreak Hotel. His four-song performance received a lukewarm reception from the audience.
Elvis would return to Sin City often over the years, making it his home where he’d recharge the batteries. As we all know, Elvis has become synonymous with Las Vegas, a status that was cemented with his 15th film, Viva Las Vegas, in 1963, and his marriage with Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin Hotel on May 1, 1967.
Elvis had a residency in Vegas until 1976. His final performance was on December 12, eight months before his death. In 1977, the Graceland Wedding Chapel already had a first Elvis-themed ceremony, setting the stage for massive exploitation of the Elvis character.
There is no question about it – Golden Gate Hotel & Casino is the first Las Vegas casino. It’s still standing, so it is also the oldest Las Vegas casino you can visit.
It is the only casino that operated so early, in 1905, and while the Northern Club is also from this era, it opened in 1912 – but remained in operation throughout the gambling ban while Golden Gate did not.
El Cortez is the first new gambling establishment that was built after the gambling ban was lifted.
For adrenaline junkies, casual travelers, and all tourists of the world, New Zealand is calling you for your next big adventure and travel destination. If it takes you a little more convincing than just a call from the void, look up some pictures of this country and you’ll see what we mean. New Zealand is […]
Let’s get into Juicy Fever, a slot that Mancala Gaming has imbued with old-school machine nostalgia and the flair of innovative features. This game does not lose out on simplicity and charm true delight for those who revel in classic slots or for those who like it quite simple. Get your juices ready, pick your […]
Did you know that you can enhance your chances of earning a profit at an online casino by searching out the highest RTP slots? For today’s post, I’ll talk about what RTP in slots actually means and why it’s essential when selecting which online casino games you must play. Casino RTP Explained Casino RTP represents […]
