Las Vegas as it grows.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:35 am

Las Vegas has changed over the years. Old Casinos torn down new ones built.

This is a thread to talk about the city I love.

May 2 - MayWeather / Pacquiao fight no seats available. ringside seats went for $75,000.

May - The Riviera Casino Hotel will close Built in 1955. (Purchased for 240 million by the Convention Center only to be torn down.) The Convention Center will then spend 340 million to create more convention space and an outlet to the strip.

May 5- Sees the construction of an Asian themed Casino. After all is done estimated to cost close to 1 billion dollars.

Sometime this summer (presently being constructed) a 23,000 seat arena will be completed Next to the New York New York Casino. The calendar is filling fast to use it.

A Billionaire is courting the National Hockey League to get an expansion team to Las Vegas.

warspite1 · Post by **warspite1** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 6:16 am

Okay Zap, perhaps you can answer me this. There was a Trivial Pursuit question from which I learned that Las Vegas means "The Meadows".

Well a typical English meadow conjures up the image below. I do not think of this when I think of Las Vegas [:D] So, question is. why in the name of Bonaparte's balls is Las Vegas call Las Vegas? [X(]

Jim D Burns · Post by **Jim D Burns** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:58 am

Got its name in 1829 by a Mexican explorer due to an extensive underground aquifer that fed an oasis in the desert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Las_Vegas

Jim

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:02 pm

Las Vegas, California, Arizona, are suffering an extended drought. Las Vegas has funded a billion dollar project(my tax dollars helping to fund) to install a pump deeper into Lake Mead. It will insure that Las Vegas keeps receiving water when Arizona and California pumps stop working.
Supposedly, Las Vegas area suffered a 60 year drought back in the 12th century. Back then the Colorado River did not have to supply millions of people.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:36 pm

2009 saw the economy suffer. In 2010 I was able to purchase my home at a greatly reduced price.

By 2013 the economy has improved. 2014 saw the purchase of Casinos by other Companies. Which were in turn refurbished and modernized.

2014
The Imperial Palace is now The LINQ

Barnaby Coast is now The Cromwell.

The Sahara is now SLS (interesting, the closed Casino was purchased for 350 million and Modernized for 415 million.)

These have been done to attract younger people and higher income earners.

Curtis Lemay · Post by **Curtis Lemay** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:30 pm

I just got back from there last night. I hadn't been since the late 1990's. Only about half of the strip was even recognizable.

The first time I went there was in 1968 with my parents. I was 15-16. We walked into one of the casinos and there were strippers dancing on the bars. That was a first for me (of course my mother shoo'ed us out of there in a hurry). The cocktail waitresses were dressed and looked like showgirls.

Next time I went was 1978. No strippers on the bars now, but it was still very much sin city. Joey Heatherton was performing with Flip Wilson. The cocktail waitresses still looked like showgirls. They had old-style burlesque stripper joints as well, with headliner performers. I've never been into gambling and I just didn't get the people sitting at those slot machines mindlessly pulling the handle. They didn't even react win or lose - they just kept plugging away. The casinos even advertised the odds of the machines - even the best were less than 1:1. That means you lose over the long haul, people.

I'm sure I went in the 1980's as well, but I don't remember anything specific about it other than Balley's Jubilee. The burlesque joints were being replaced by modern strip clubs.

In the late 1990's theme-park casinos were starting to take over. With the exception of Rio, most of the cocktail waitresses were starting to look like they should work at Denny's. But there was this fairly new show called "Crazy Girls" that was sort of a knock-off of the Crazy Horse in Paris - sort of a replacement for the burlesque joints.

Now, it's almost all theme-park casinos. With a few rare exceptions the cocktail waitresses look like rest home patrons. There's a flood of "street performers" and other such hustlers everywhere you go. "Crazy Girls" may well end with the closing of the Riviera at the end of the month. Still, there were some good shows. Balley's Jubilee is still going. Planet Hollywood has Go-Go dancers around the Blackjack tables. But I miss "sin city". It seems to get tamer each time I go.

The other thing that bugs me about all these theme-park casinos is why can't they have at least one honest one: A Mafia-themed casino! They could call it "The Godfather's" or "Goodfellows" or such.

Rosseau · Post by **Rosseau** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:44 pm

First place I every stayed in was the Riveria in the mid-1980s. They liked to use the color red a lot in their decor. Also, remember smoking on the plane on the way over there. I guess I outlasted the Riveria, anyway.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:00 pm

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

I just got back from there last night. I hadn't been since the late 1990's. Only about half of the strip was even recognizable.

The first time I went there was in 1968 with my parents. I was 15-16. We walked into one of the casinos and there were strippers dancing on the bars. That was a first for me (of course my mother shoo'ed us out of there in a hurry). The cocktail waitresses were dressed and looked like showgirls.

Next time I went was 1978. No strippers on the bars now, but it was still very much sin city. Joey Heatherton was performing with Flip Wilson. The cocktail waitresses still looked like showgirls. They had old-style burlesque stripper joints as well, with headliner performers. I've never been into gambling and I just didn't get the people sitting at those slot machines mindlessly pulling the handle. They didn't even react win or lose - they just kept plugging away. The casinos even advertised the odds of the machines - even the best were less than 1:1. That means you lose over the long haul, people.

I'm sure I went in the 1980's as well, but I don't remember anything specific about it other than Balley's Jubilee. The burlesque joints were being replaced by modern strip clubs.

In the late 1990's theme-park casinos were starting to take over. With the exception of Rio, most of the cocktail waitresses were starting to look like they should work at Denny's. But there was this fairly new show called "Crazy Girls" that was sort of a knock-off of the Crazy Horse in Paris - sort of a replacement for the burlesque joints.

Now, it's almost all theme-park casinos. With a few rare exceptions the cocktail waitresses look like rest home patrons. There's a flood of "street performers" and other such hustlers everywhere you go. "Crazy Girls" may well end with the closing of the Riviera at the end of the month. Still, there were some good shows. Balley's Jubilee is still going. Planet Hollywood has Go-Go dancers around the Blackjack tables. But I miss "sin city". It seems to get tamer each time I go.

The other thing that bugs me about all these theme-park casinos is why can't they have at least one honest one: A Mafia-themed casino! They could call it "The Godfather's" or "Goodfellows" or such.

No doubt there is a move to more family type casinos. But their are really high class casinos. Bellagio, Venetian, Wynn, MGM really. I think they found the majority of visitors don't want to see strippers on game table tops. Vegas goes where the money is. Less people come to gamble as in the past, more come to see the shows and now the trend is night clubs. All the major Casinos have nightclubs (High End) a lot of young people coming. big money in night Clubs.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:18 pm

Visitors to Las Vegas

2009 - 36,350,000

2010 - 36,351,469

2011 - 38,900,000

2012 - 39,700,000

2013 - 39,7000,000

2014 - 41,100,000

2015 - the tourism board is shooting for 42,000,000

Gilmer · Post by **Gilmer** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 7:53 pm

How's Moe Green doing? Still having trouble with his EYE?

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:43 pm

GodFather, Moe Greene was a character who depicts the ,all to real Moe Dalitz, Who also built the Convention Center. He died in 1983. No shot through the eye as the movie depicts but of natural causes. a little Hollywood exaggeration.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:48 pm

@ Curtis Lemay

There are a ton of strip clubs just off the Strip. Also if you wanted to see scantily clad ladies. The Downtown Casino the "D" has girls in bikini's dealing cards. The Rio has girls get up and dance while your playing cards. Sin City! its just not done so publicly. The other day I was gambling on a machine in one of the high class casino's. A beautiful black women (well formed) passed by me and let me know she was in business, by rubbing her back-end up against me. Playing Black Jack at another Casino a young lady saw my stack of black chips. Trying to be discreet, she asked me if I needed companionship. Sin City!

Curtis Lemay · Post by **Curtis Lemay** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:04 pm

ORIGINAL: Zap

GodFather, Moe Greene was a character who depicts the ,all to real Moe Dalitz, Who also built the Convention Center. He died in 1983. No shot through the eye as the movie depicts but of natural causes. a little Hollywood exaggeration.

The Moe Greene character in The Godfather was based on "Bugsy" Siegel (original owner of the Flamingo). Shot several times in the head (and elsewhere), one of which blew his eye out of its socket.

Curtis Lemay · Post by **Curtis Lemay** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:14 pm

ORIGINAL: Zap

@ Curtis Lemay

There are a ton of strip clubs just off the Strip. Also if you wanted to see scantily clad ladies.

About every city in America has that. Houston and Dallas may even do it as well or better than Vegas. But for professionally trained showgirls you gotta go to Vegas. I saw Fantasy at the Luxor, X Burlesque at the Flamingo, and Jubilee at Balley's. But there were racier shows in years past.

The Downtown Casino the "D" has girls in bikini's dealing cards. The Rio has girls get up and dance while your playing cards. Sin City! its just not done so publicly.

I didn't see that at Rio, and I didn't go downtown, but I mentioned that Planet Hollywood has Go Go dancers on the weekend. I definitely approved.

The other day I was gambling on a machine in one of the high class casino's. A beautiful black women (well formed) passed by me and let me know she was in business, by rubbing her back-end up against me. Playing Black Jack at another Casino a young lady saw my stack of black chips. Trying to be discreet, she asked me if I needed companionship. Sin City!

I was approached a few times by street walkers. I'll pass on that.

Orm · Post by **Orm** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:29 pm

A Billionaire is courting the National Hockey League to get an expansion team to Las Vegas.

At times I find it sad that you do not have a series system in your professional sport. I do enjoy watching it but at times I miss the extra excitement of the possibility of teams getting promoted from the series below. And the threat of relegation for the teams that perform badly.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:05 pm

Hi Orm,
No we don't have that which you speak of. But we do it for individual players. Basket Ball, Baseball will send a player down to the minor leagues when they are performing poorly. Football, they let players go. These players usually end up playing Arena Football or sell new cars.

Orm · Post by **Orm** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:09 pm

ORIGINAL: Zap

Hi Orm,
No we don't have that which you speak of. But we do it for individual players. Basket Ball, Baseball will send a player down to the minor leagues when they are performing poorly. Football, they let players go. These players usually end up playing Arena Football or sell new cars.

Yes, I know that you do not have that kind of system.

But wouldn't it be cool if you could start a ice hockey team in Las Vegas that could advance all the way into NHL?

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:17 pm

Why Las Vegas does not have a professional sports team:

The temptation of betting on sports games by the actual team players is the great fear.
Easy access to betting; its felt that players will place bets on their own game and then alter their play to get a result that will allow them to win their bet.
That goes as well for fear of the player being paid off to intentionally loose a game.

Both of these reasoning's are faulty. A player can do the same anywhere in the united states.

Las Vegas really wants a professional team. its just convincing the Professional leagues it will work in Las Vegas.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:20 pm

We had a minor league hockey team. But they lost their contract. It appears the Casinos make more money hosting other events. Minor league hockey just does not draw enough people.

Zap · Post by **Zap** » Wed Apr 22, 2015 2:22 pm

That Billionaire is not from the U.S. He's Canadian. But he purchased a home and moved here to show the NHL he's committed.

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