Las Vegas is a city that constantly changes. Many of us who don’t regularly frequent the place may still have an image of bright neon lights, clicking chips, The Rat Pack, or Elvis, and the chance to win, win, win!
Is it still like that? Not really. Las Vegas has gone more and more mainstream. The glitzy image is fading. Casinos still abound, but they are increasingly the less attractive attraction in this city. Sin City? That’s a name it got from an earlier time. The city fathers have tried to erase that image, but maybe Las Vegas is now living up to it better than before!
“A brief sojourn in the new Las Vegas, where growth is booming but you have to search a bit to find the blackjack tables, raises a few questions. Is gambling played out in its historical capital? Now that it has gone mainstream, is gambling a discretionary spending industry, tethered to the flagging fortunes of the American consumer? And, really, just how much of Celine Dion can one city take?”
These are some of the questions asked by www.slate.com. Eugene Christiansen notes:
“Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo casino in Vegas in 1946. For virtually all of history, there’s been more demand than supply.”
Has that changed? Is the “new” Las Vegas becoming a gambling-less city? Will the attractions, the pseudo Parisian streets and Venetian gondolas, become the major reason for people to visit the city that carved its reputation on casinos and gambling? Maybe…
“As the strip fills up with condos and veteran casino operators tout their malls and variety shows, Native American tribes and states are seeking to provide local residents with gaming options. California now has 55 Indian casinos, whose combined haul now rivals that of Las Vegas.”
Maybe Nevada’s claim on being the gambling state is receding. It begins to look as if other parts of America are providing gambling to its eager residents. Kansas has started to open the doors on gambling. Massachusetts too. Maybe it won’t be long before all of America looks a bit like las Vegas.
