Vegas History

Pre-1931 Frontier Gambling and Prohibition

From Railroad Town to Underground Vice

1905–1942

Block 16: Social Dynamics and Demise

The Red Light District That Built Las Vegas

1905–1942

Block 16 and the Red Light District

Vice and Commerce in Early Las Vegas

1922–Present

Water Conservation and Resort Infrastructure

Sustaining an Oasis in the Desert

1922–Present

Water Politics and the Colorado River Compact

Survival in the Driest State

The 1931 Legalization and Hoover Dam Economic Boom

How the Great Depression Created Modern Las Vegas

1931–1941

Sims Ely and Federal Control in Boulder City

The Moral Enclave That Fueled Vegas

1931–Present

The Railroad Pass Casino

Nevada's Oldest Operating Casino

1931–1950s

The Divorce Ranch Industry (1931-1950s)

Six Weeks to Freedom

Tony Cornero and The Meadows

The Gambler Who Saw the Future

1931–1936

Boulder City vs. Las Vegas: The Federal/State Vice Divide

How Federal Prohibition Created the Perfect Economic Geography

The 1931 Legalization Bill and Early Licensees

Assembly Bill 98 and the Birth of Legal Gaming

1931–1960s

The Divorce Ranch Economy (1931–1960s)

When Getting Unmarried Built a City

The 1931 Legalization of Gambling

Nevada Bets on Its Future

1931–1936

The 1931 Legalization and Hoover Dam Economic Boom

When Two Decisions Built a City

Tony Cornero and The Meadows

The Bootlegger Who Saw the Future

1945–1970s

12 min read

Organized Crime Influence and Skimming Operations

How the Mob Built Vegas (1945-1970s)

1946–1970

The Mob's Financial Infrastructure (1946-1970)

How Organized Crime Financed the Strip

1946–1980s

11 min read

The Mob Era: Skimming and Street Tax (1946–1980s)

The Hidden Cash Economy of Organized Crime

1946–1990

The Mob vs. The Corporation: Management Styles

Two Eras of Casino Operations Compared

1950s–1960s

The Green Felt Jungle: Federal Crackdowns (1950s-60s)

When the Feds Came to Vegas

1950s–Present

The Junket System and Credit Play

Industrializing High-Roller Tourism

1951–1963

Atomic Tourism (1951-1963)

When Nuclear Tests Were Entertainment

1955–1982

The Teamsters Central States Pension Fund

The Mob's Bank for Las Vegas

1955–1982

11 min read

The Teamsters Central States Pension Fund

The Mob's Private Bank

1960s–Present

The Evolution of the "Whale": High-Roller Economics

When One Player Can Make a Quarter

1960–1980

The Mob vs. Corporate Control (1960-1980)

Two Worlds Colliding

1966–1970

The Howard Hughes Era and Corporate Legitimacy

How One Billionaire Changed Everything

1966–1968

Howard Hughes' Nevada Acquisition Spree (1966-1968)

The Billionaire Who Bought the Strip

1966–1970

Howard Hughes and the Corporate Transition (1966-1970)

The Billionaire Who Made Vegas Respectable

1969

Kirk Kerkorian and the International Hotel

Building the World's Largest Hotel

1970s

The Argent Corporation Scandal (1970s)

The Fall of Mob Control

1970–1985

The Mob to Corporate Transition (1970-1985)

How Wall Street Replaced Wise Guys

1970s

Frank 'Lefty' Rosenthal and the G-22 License Denial

The Man Who Ran Vegas Without a License

1974–1976

The Stardust Skimming Scandal

The Crime That Ended Mob Rule

1974–1976

The Stardust Skimming Scandal (Argent Corp)

The Crime That Brought Down the Mob

1975–Present

The Boyd Group (Sam Boyd)

From Dealer to Dynasty

1985–1989

The Junk Bond Era (1985-1989)

Milken Money and the Building Boom

1988–Present

Tribal Gaming's Impact on the Las Vegas Strip

From Competition to Ownership

1989–2009

12 min read

The Megaresort Era: From The Mirage to CityCenter

Building the Modern Strip

1989

The Mirage and the Mega-Resort Paradigm (1989)

Steve Wynn's Vision That Changed Everything

2000s–Present

The Evolution of the Resort Fee

How Hotels Learned to Hide the True Price

2004–Present

Exporting the Model: Vegas in Macau

When Las Vegas Conquered Asia

2007–Present

Modern Era: The Great Recession to Sports Betting

Reinvention and Resilience

2008–2012

The 2008 Recession and the 'Stalled' Projects

When the Building Boom Crashed

2008–Present

Private Equity in Gaming Operations

The Financiers Take Over

2013–Present

The REIT Revolution and Corporate Consolidation

When Wall Street Bought the Strip

2015–2021

The Exit of Founder-Led Dynasties

The End of the Builder Era

2016–Present

The Rise of Paid Parking and Resort Fees

The End of Vegas Freebies

2018–Present

The Sports-Industrial Complex

How Vegas Became Sports City USA

2021–Present

Tribal Gaming Operators on the Strip

A Historic Power Reversal