Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the world’s premier entertainment cities. The economy of this man-made oasis in the Mohave Desert is based on the entertainment industry, especially gambling. A little over seventy years ago, Las Vegas was a tiny town with under a thousand residents; it was used as a railroad stop on the trip between L.A. and Salt Lake City. Train passengers would walk around for a few minutes, little dreaming that one day this forgotten spot would be a major draw for tourists.
In March 1931, Nevada made gambling legal. Las Vegas issued six gambling licenses a month later. Things were slow until the end of World War II; after the war, the extravagant Flamingo Hilton was opened by Ben ‘Bugsy’ Siegel, a Mafia leader. Highway 91 made the new hotel easily accessible. This was the beginning of the Las Vegas Boulevard.
Stars like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Liberace, and Elvis Presley were soon lighting up the stages of Las Vegas. At first the casinos had strong Mafia connections. Corporations took over the gambling industry during the 1960s.
Today, over a million people make Las Vegas their home; the city, which is nicknamed “Sin City”, boasts 35 million visitors every year. Eighteen of the world’s largest hotels are in Las Vegas. Visitors enjoy models of Paris and New York, Venice’s canals, and Egypt’s pyramids as they stroll along “The Vegas Strip.” Treasure Island hotel and casino features a swashbuckling battle between a British Galleon and a Pirate Ship.
Yet, for all its bluster, Las Vegas can be surprising affordable. The hotel rates and restaurant prices are some of the lowest in the Western Hemisphere; businesses are willing to use these low prices to lure people to the casinos, where the real profits are made.
So what are you waiting for? find your cheap flights to Las Vegas now!