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Gambling History
Have you ever asked yourself where all this gambling got started?Did snake and god bet on who will break down first and give a bite? or was it Satan who introduced the game over Iyov's faith (which to our taste god joined a bit too enthusiastically) Craps... who thought that one up? Roll them bones? Where did playing with cards come from? Who was the first king who thought about having his face on a piece of paper? My camel is faster than your camel! Who said that? Anything you can do I can do better? Sports? Contests? Big balls, basketball, oval balls, little balls (maybe that's why you see more men gambling), bats, nets, baskets, clubs, wickets, surfboards, even armadillo's. We bet on them all and more! Racing? Planes, trains, cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles... (Sounds like a screen play for a Bruce Willis film) we bet on them all! Bet money using a computer? How will it hear me shouting BINGo? Is this stuff really legal? Big business? Monte Carlo, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, just how big is this? Who gambles? or should that be who doesn't? Let's find out!
So this is the part where you get the answers for all the questions you never dared to ask about gambling, and probably never even thought of. But we have. And you wouldn't believe what we discovered. We had a great time and a lot of laughs while finding out. We hope you will too.
We tried to cover many areas from gambling as a whole and how far back it goes, to some specific categories such as the oldest forms of betting, cards, dice, horses, then games individually. We will title the "Chapters" so you can find an area that interests you if you don't fancy to read it all.
We will add a Chapter every couple of weeks, so if there is an area you would like us to cover or questions about things we wrote, e-mail us and we will try to fit it into a Chapter, or at the very least answer your question. Your ideas are welcome! Let's have some fun and maybe learn something at the same time.
Please choose an item below. Also, be certain to check back frequently because we will be adding new articles once in a while.
Las Vegas - just before it all startedLas Vegas as gambling town-first stepsUnforgettable events in the early history of VegasMarriages in Las VegasTragedies affecting Las VegasA few amazing facts and numbersRidicules and most remembered...Las Vegas Strip History
Las Vegas - just before it all startedWhere exactly does gambling history begin? For most of us, the first word that comes to mind when we hear the word gambling is Las Vegas. So lets start there. Who found this heavenly place? Was it even heavenly when first found? Why is it called Las Vegas? our story begins, like every good one, with a young man on a long and difficult journey that unexpectedly finds a beautiful valley... "Spanish traders en route to Los Angeles along the Spanish Trail in the early 1700s sought a route that would pass through the then unexplored Las Vegas Valley. At the time, the Spaniards referred to the route through the Valley as "jornado de muerta," journey of death. A young scout named Rafael Rivera was the first person of European ancestry to look upon the Valley. His discovery of a valley with abundant wild grasses growing and a plentiful water supply reduced the journey by several days. The valley was named Las Vegas, Spanish for "The Meadows."
However, it was not until famed explorer Captain John Fremont wrote of Las Vegas in 1844, that anyone other than Spanish explorers and missionaries, and the indigenous Indian population, knew of the Valley. So we now leave Rafael Rivera (who we hope went on searching for a princes in need of help), and look upon the new comers to this enchanted valley...
In 1855, 30 Mormon missionaries where assigned by Brigham Young to build a fort in the Las Vegas Valley. The fort constituted the first non-Indian settlement in the region. Their primary intention was to teach the Paiute Indians farming techniques. The Paiutes discarded the teachings and occasionally raided the fort until it was abandoned in 1857. And so the native people lived in peace for a few more years, until...
In the late 19th century, the discovery of minerals, including precious metals, lead to the beginning of the mining industry. The State Land Act of 1885 offered sections of land at $1.25 per acre. Farmers moved in and agriculture became the dominant industry for the next 20 years. From here on things happened at a dazzling speed...our valley was unfortunately starting to be just another place!
The completion of the main railway, linking Southern California with Salt Lake City in 1905, established Las Vegas as a railroad town. The availability of water made Las Vegas an ideal refueling point and rest stop. The railroad was the principal industry in Las Vegas for the next 25 years.
Las Vegas was founded as a city on May 15, 1905, when 110 acres of land situated between Stewart Avenue on the north, Garces Avenue to the south, Main Street to the west, and 5th Street (Las Vegas Boulevard) to the east, were auctioned off.
The City was governed as part of Lincoln County until 1909 when it became the county seat for the newly established Clark County.
Las Vegas became an incorporated city and adopted its first charter on March 16, 1911. At the time of incorporation, the City encompassed 19.18 square miles, and had approximately 800 inhabitants, less than 1 percent of the state's total population. Clark County had a population at the time of 3,321. By 1930, Las Vegas had grown to a population of 5,165. So for many years it seemed as though Las Vegas will be nothing more then a dreary town. But fear not. A valley once so magical will never surrender, and like in any fairy tail a surprising twist was just around the corner waiting to shake Las Vegas out of her common rags. It was 1931. Three events occurred that would forever change the face of Nevada and the City of Las Vegas!
On March 19, 1931 gambling was legalized in the State of Nevada. One month later, the City issued six gambling licenses.
Divorce laws were liberalized in the State of Nevada, making residency easier to attain. A "quickie" divorce could be attained after six weeks of residency. These short-term residents stayed at "dude ranches" which were the forerunners of the sprawling Strip hotels.
Beginning in 1931, the construction of Hoover Dam brought an influx of construction workers that started a population boom and gave the Valley's economy, which was in the grips of the Great Depression, a needed boost. Our modern tail was now on its way. Fame became reachable. Miracles kept happening...
By 1940 Las Vegas' population had grown to 8,422. The outbreak of World War II brought the defense industry to the Valley. The remote location, along with abundant water and reasonably priced energy, made Las Vegas an ideal site for military and defense related industries. The site for Nellis Air Force Base was located in the northeast, and the Basic Management Complex, providers of raw materials, was located in the southeastern suburb of Henderson. The defense industry continues to employ a significant number of Valley residents.
Following World War II, generously decorated resort hotels and gambling casinos offering top-name entertainment came into existence. Tourism and entertainment took over as the largest employer in the Valley.
In 1956, the City of Las Vegas annexed one square mile of land, its first such addition since incorporation 45 years earlier.
By 1960, Las Vegas encompassed 25 square miles and had a population of 64,405. Las Vegas had more than 22 percent of Nevada's total population on less than .02 percent of the State's land. At the same time, Clark County had a population of 127,016. During the 1960s, a phenomenon lead by Howard Hughes, occurred in Las Vegas. Corporations were building and/or buying hotel/casino properties. They had the capital necessary and the fertility made entrance into the casino industry extremely attractive. Gambling had become "gaming" and was starting the transition into legitimate business.
Throughout the 1970s and into the 1980s, gaming had become a legitimate business and corporations continued to invest in the hotel/casino industry. Some properties had stock traded on the market. Las Vegas economy remained sturdy and the population increased to 164,674 by 1980. Clark County, meanwhile, had grown to a population of 463,087.
Starting in the mid 1980s, a period of extraordinary growth began. Annual population increases averaging nearly 7 percent caused the City's population to almost double between 1985 and 1995, increasing from 186,380 to 368,360 during that time, a 97.6 percent increase. That's the same as building a city larger than Reno in only 10 years! At the same time, Clark County's population increased from 562,280 to 1,036,180, an increase of 84.3 percent.
Contributing to the population growth was a 4 percent annual increase in hotel rooms and a 9.18 percent annual increase in jobs from 1990 through 1994.
And the growth continues still. The latest population prediction in the Las Vegas Valley is 2 million people by 2005." Take a look at the valley, how far it has come. As Rafael Rivera, our first hero arrives once again (this time in a porch instead of on the horse) he curiously asks how exactly all this happened. Lets take a closer look. Follow us into the unbelievable secrets of THE STRIP...


Let the show begin...The actual street where our story takes place is Las Vegas Boulevard South. Tough not a very big place it changed names quite a few times. It started as the Arrowhead Highway, and then it was changed to Salt Lake Highway, Route 91, Los Angeles Highway, and finally Las Vegas Boulevard South. (Jerry Fink has discovered that somewhere between Arrowhead Highway, Route 91, and Los Angeles Highway, it was also known as Fifth Street). Guy McAfee, a police captain and commander of the vice squad renamed the Los Angeles Highway the "Strip" in affectionate memory of the Sunset Strip. The Flamingo he saw reminded him of the sophisticated clubs he had seen on the Sunset Strip in the 1930s. (Yes - very loose connection-we thought so too...) The Strip is a world of its own. Where else can you go to visit Kings and Queens, Egypt, New York, the Tropics, Rome/Greece, Hollywood, and much more all on one street? (Mind you, no drugs!) This is the street of fantasy, dreams and sometimes-even miricals. This is the street that never sleeps. Some dreams come true becoming great successes and others sadly die. One look down the street on just a usual night is enough to see how ready for action and competitive the Strip is. Each property has to not only keep up with the others, but to also attract and maintain their visitors. Creativity, imagination, nerve and even vision are required for all of this. Just take a good look at any of these structures. There is inspiration all around them. The childhood dreams of owners, architects, designers, interior decorators, and employees are all wrapped up into these architectural wonders, making us believe all is possible. And all this in only three miles long!!!
Mayme V. Stocker and J.H. Morgan were the first lucky men who were issued Clark County Gaming License No. 1, on March 20, 1931 when gambling was legalized. It cost them $1,410 for a three-month license for Stocker's Northern Club located near the Hotel Nevada on Fremont Street. The Northern Club later became the Exchange Club, then the Boulder Club, then Rainbow Club. Wilbur Clark of Desert Inn fame leased the property from Stocker in 1954, once again changing its name to the Monte Carlo Club. During the mid-1960s, the property was decidedly unsafe. It leaned with the wind. (So does the pizza and is anyone doing anything with that?) When it was taken down in 1966, it was found that the adobe in the back wall was plastered over a big coil bedspring for support (whoopee...). The property now holds the Coin Castle. Some time after the license was issued, Morgan who was in poor health committed suicide. Stocker died in 1972 at age 97.
That same year (1931), the American Federation of Musicians became represented in Vegas, listing one Jack Tenney in the original charter member of 22. Musicians were paid $3 or $5 tops.
Who owned the land that is now occupied by Excalibur, Luxor and Mandalay Bay you ask? (Or maybe you haven't, but trust us to do the job) Between 1929 and 1934, four 160-acre parcels passed out of the General Land Office and were acquired by four private citizens under the terms of the 1862 Homestead Act. That is, the parcels were assumed virtually for free (!!!). Lester Rains, Mrs. Ira Logan, Carl D. Farrar, and Clark County Assessor Frank DeVinney (pictured) owned those properties.
The city of Las Vegas made its first attempt to annex the Strip in 1946, but was rebuffed by the organized efforts of hotel operators and residents who favored the looser codes and lower taxes of the Strip. Thirty years later, in 1960, locals no longer referred to the clubs on Fremont Street as the downtown area. Merchants voted to change the reference to Casino Center.
A tent located where the Sal Sagev was situated at Main and Fremont was the first post office. Walter R. Bracken, vice-president and general manager of the Las Vegas Land and Water Company, was postmaster in 1905.
The first resort in Las Vegas to open was the Arizona Club on March 31, 1906. A large portion of the resort was destroyed by fire on June 10, 1911. The first resort on the Strip, El Rancho Vegas, succumbed entirely to fire on June 17, 1960. (Talk about luck...)
Las Vegas was incorporated in 1911. Clark County was born on July 3, 1909. The Rotary Club in Las Vegas commenced in 1923.
The first people to fly to Las Vegas were Lieutenant Randall Henderson, editor of the Blythe, California Herald, and Jack Beckley. This first airplane flight was made in May 1920. The men left Blythe on May 7 at 9:40am and flew to Needles arriving at 10:10. After lunch, they left at 1:10pm and arrived at 2:40pm. (What a waste!!!)
Here they come...The 1946 Grand Marshall of the Hell Dorado Days Parade was Frank Sinatra. A crowd of 50,000 packed Fremont Street to applaud and cheer at the star that rode by wearing an oversized Stetson.
"That night at the War Memorial Auditorium, Sinatra packed the hall as he sang hits from his recent movies, Anchors Aweigh, Step Lively, and Higher and Higher, with his special Oscar award number The House I Live In. On the inclined stage of the auditorium in the building that later became Las Vegas City Hall, all was smooth warbling until the electricity failed and the mike went dead. Sinatra's vocal ability, powerless without amplification, was bereft of its very engaging quality." - Bill Willard, 1993
Speaking of Hell Dorado, we don't know when it started but we can tell you that Clyde Zerby, a former vaudeville performer, promoted the Elks into putting on a typical frontier festival. The town of 7,000 was still in the country-and-western aspect of its evolution, and the first of the annual Hell Dorado hooplas got off to a good start. In 1954, it was reported that the resort hotels and casinos spent thousands of dollars on elaborated floats, the whole shebang was filmed for TV, and the rodeo attracted the greatest riders and busters in the country.
Dawn Wells who played Maryann on Gilligan's Island was Miss Nevada in 1959. Also during that year Wells shot the "Blind Bogey" deer for the Nevada Club deer hunting contest. She is the daughter of Joe Wells, a well-known Las Vegas businessman, and she studied dramatics at the University of Washington. She made quite an impressive entrance as miss Nevada - riding a horse down the boardwalk at Atlantic City as Beauty and the Beast.
Here comes the bride...Asking the simple question of who got married in Las Vegas turned out to be a sad mistake. We should have asked who didn't. But since we already asked the question, we decided to allow you to enjoy the (endless) answer...
Lew Ayres & Lola Lane - 1931 Clara Bow & Rex Bell - 1931 Johnny Weissmuller and Lupe Velez - 1933 Nelson Eddy & Ann Franklin - 1939 Helen Wills Moody & Aidan Roark - 1939 Tommy Dorsey & Pat Dane - 1943 Linda Darnell & Peverell Marley - 1943 Betty Grable & Harry James - 1943 Dinah Shore & George Montgomery - 1943 John Huston & Evelyn Keyes - 1946 Marion Davis & Horace Brown in 1951 Rita Hayworth & Dick Haymes in 1953 Kirk Douglas & Ann Buydens - 1954 Joan Crawford & Alfred Steele in 1955 Carol Channing & Charles Lowe - 1956 Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme - 1957 Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward - 1958 David Janssen & Ellie Graham - 1958 Zeppo Marx & Barbara Blakely - 1959 Billy Martin & Gretchen Winkler - 1959 Mary Tyler Moore & Grant Tinker - 1962 Betty White & Allen Ludden - 1963 Jane Fonda & Roger Vadim - 1965 Xavier Cugat & Charo - 1966 Ann-Margret & Roger Smith - 1967 Elvis Presley & Priscilla Beaulieu - 1967 Lesley Ann Warren & Jon Peters - 1967 Wayne Newton & Elaine okamura - 1968 Spanish Film Director Pedro Vidal & Susan Diederich - 1969 Freddie Prinze & Cathy ? - 1971 George Hamilton & Alana Collins - 1972 Chill Wills & Novadeen Googe - 1973 David Cassidy & Kay Kenz - 1977 Bette Midler & Harry Kipper - 1984 Bruce Willis & Demi Moore - 1987 Lorenzo Lamas & Kathleen Kinmont - 1989 Richard Gere & Cindy Crawford - 1991 Jan Berry & Gertrude Filip - 1991 Redd Foxx & Ka Ha Cho - 1991 Roxanne Pulitzer & John Hoggin - 1992 Melinda Saxe & Lance Burton - 1993 James Farentino & Rosanna Torres - 1994 Lamont McLemore (5th Dimension) & Mieko Tone - 1995 As stated in the Hotel Last Frontier's page, the Little Church of the West witnessed the weddings of Harry James and Betty Grable in 1943, and Judy Garland and Mark Herron 1965, as well as the weddings of Arlene Dahl and Fernando Llamas in 1954, and Deanna Durbin and Felix Jackson. It also witnessed the weddings of Zsa Zsa Gabor & George Sanders in 1949, Mickey Rooney, Robert Goulet & Vera Novak in 1982, Bob Geldof, Dudley Moore and Mel Torme. Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie were married at the Church on May 5, 2000.
Las Vegas - The dark sideAfter the assassination of the John F. Kennedy, on November 22, 1963, the casinos on the Strip were hushed for one hour.
The lights were dimmed on the Strip when Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin died.
on September 14, 2001, Las Vegas Hilton, Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Paris, and Bally's were dimmed, and parts of the resorts went dark in memory of the September 11, 2001 terrorist's attacks.
March 11, 1970, is known as Black Wednesday on the Strip. The Culinary & Bartenders unions (Nevada Resort Association) went on strike, starting first with the Desert Inn, and then moving on to the International (LV Hilton), and Caesars Palace. Reporters visited the Strip ladies' one by one learning the word was out to clear the casinos by 8:00am on Thursday, with guests to be dispatched on the earliest transportation available. Some strike facts: For the first time in the Strip's history the neon signs were turned off with the exception of the Bonanza and Riviera Hotels (non-members of the Nevada Resort Association), and Circus Circus Casino. For the first time in Las Vegas history, hotel doors were locked to patrons, armed guards removed money, hotel shop proprietors were told to move all items of value into the vaults, and slot machines were disemboweled. A man that was seen taking over as bar tender, held a credit card of $25,000. Superstars were serving lunch (how we wish we were there...) A resort Vice President was seen wheeling out luggage with the self service guests It was reported that every day the strike was in effect for the four days, employees lost $375,000 in salary & $125,000 in tokes, casinos lost $600,000, and the state lost $500,000 in tax revenue. Sun Publisher Hank Greenspun was given credit to getting the three Als together for the final offer and compromise settlement that ended the strike. The three Als were Alex Shoofey, Al Benedict, and union head Al Bramlet. In the 1990s, five resorts were imploded. The Dunes in 1993, Landmark in 1995, Sands in 1996, Hacienda in 1996, and Aladdin in 1998. A total of 4,645 rooms were demolished, more rooms than in the entire city of Boise, Idaho.
Las Vegas telephone officials admitted that from 1961 to 1963, they had leased 25 lines to the FBI. These lines led from the local FBI office to secret listening devices in various hotels including the Desert Inn, Stardust, Fremont, Sands, Dunes and Riviera.
In 1961, architect Bruce Goff drew his plans for the triangular, 22-story Viva Hotel. Each following story was cantilevered out to some extent from the floor below, giving the building's form an organic energy. Spiral stair towers hung from each point. clad in white stone collective, the concrete structure was trimmed in white neon. A feathery porte cochere welcomed people below. At the tower's base three oval pods contained entry, casino, showroom, and restaurant. The center of the tower was open, an early proposal for an atrium lobby with elevators rising through its center. A topknot, shifted sixty degrees off the tower's triangle, held terraced suites and the Rocket Room sky bar graced by wagon wheel-shaped windows. oval bungalows and circular cabanas were spread around the hotel's base. The Viva Hotel was to have been built on the northern half of the Strip at Fulcher (Convention Center Drive).
But - the client, Viva Ruth Liles, lost a prime financial backer in a plane crash and the plans were scrapped. This three-winged plan was later used in the 1969 International (LV Hilton), and 1989 Mirage. Since we have no information as to whether this was going to be built on the Desert Spa or Silver City properties, we have placed it here until we know for sure.
A few amazing facts and numbers...
There are more than 15,000 miles of neon tubing lighted, unite the Strip and downtown.
Las Vegas was reported the brightest city in the world in 1996. The Desert Research Institute took figures off a military remote satellite orbiting the earth more than 500 miles up. Las Vegas, they say, was a lot brighter than Tokyo and Los Angeles, and to some extent brighter than New York. Luxor's beacon, strong as 40 searchlights, was the world's brightest artificial light.
Speaking of which, in 2001, it was reported that one video poker machine uses 154 watts of electricity. That increases to 330 watts during payout. The average casino has more than 2,000 slot machines - think of the power!
In 1953, the New York Times stated there were 1,800 hotel rooms on the Strip and the average stay was three days. A first-class hotel charged $7.50 a day, a motel, $3.00.
In May 2001, it was announced that Las Vegas held 124,270 rooms with an 80% occupancy rate. Vegas had 140-160 days a year when the complete town is sold out. Close to 93,000 passengers a day, go through McCarran Airport with nearly 63,000 vehicles a day driving in (1/4 from S. California).
The $150 million spreading out of the Vegas Convention Center nearly doubles its display space. That 1.1 million square-foot addition should be complete by the end of 2001. It's paid for by room taxes. That's a total of 2.1 million square feet, about the size of 38 football fields. Chicago has 2.2; orlando will have 2.1 in a couple of years. The Sands Expo gives Vegas another 1 million.
on February 1, 2000, AAA District Manager Rick Ernst declared that the American Automobile Association has been rating hotels and motels since 1937 to give its more than 40 million members information they can use to evaluate the quality of resorts around the country. He said fewer than 3% of the national's hotels have Four Diamond ratings. To be recognized as a Four Diamond resort, properties are evaluated on more than 30 criteria, from landscaping to public areas and private rooms. Now keeping this in mind:
on February 1, 2000, Treasure Island was awarded with the AAA Four Diamond rating. This now means Las Vegas has seven hotels with the Four Diamond Ranking with five being on the Strip (Desert Inn, Caesars Palace, Mirage, Treasure Island, and Bellagio), one off the Strip (Las Vegas Hilton), and one downtown (Golden Nugget).
Adding Treasure Island to the list gives Las Vegas 17,205 rooms with the Four Diamond designation. This places Las Vegas first in the nation, surpassing Chicago with 15,738 rooms, San Francisco with 14,084, orlando with 11,416, Los Angeles with 7,189, and New York with 6,731.
of the seven ranking resorts, four were the dreams of visionary Steve Wynn (Golden Nugget, Mirage, Treasure Island, and Bellagio).
of the five chosen on the Strip, four were "per decade" - Desert Inn - (opened 1950), Caesars - (opened 1966), Mirage - (opened 1989), and Treasure Island - (opened 1993), (Bellagio opened in 1998).
The Four Seasons at the Mandalay Bay is the city's only Five Diamond property.
Time-shares are a big thing in Vegas. Flamingo and Las Vegas Hilton have time-shares, and the Debbie Reynolds resort had them as well (We don't know if they still exist). Some properties such as the Polo Towers, and Jockey Club, are time-share based. A 2000 study by the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), a time-share industry association, stated that time-share owners have visits 89% longer than other visitors on average, spend 230% more over the course of their trips, and spend 40% more per person on gambling. ARDA estimated their industry's economic impact on Las Vegas was $1.2 billion in 1996.
In April of 1958, Traffic Safety magazine rated Las Vegas as number one over 172 communities reporting in the 25,000 to 50,000 - population group for traffic safety.
In 1996, Vegas had 29.6 million visitors, and the airport had 30.5 million. tenancy rates were 101,106 hotel rooms averaging 93.4% motels, 75.7%. CAT bus system averaged 35 million riders. In 2000, McCarran Airport ranked world's 7th busiest airport. Atlanta's Hartsfield was the world's busiest, Los Angeles - 4th busiest.
In 2000, McCarran Airport ranked world's 7th busiest airport. Atlanta's Hartsfield was the world's busiest, Los Angeles - 4th busiest.
In 1962, it was reported that running successful casinos on the Strip took experience. Men who were in the gambling game in other states operated each casino. The Sahara by a Montana and oregon group, the Riviera by a New Jersey combine, the Flamingo by Nebraskans, the Dunes by former Indianapolisites, and the Tropicana by Chicagoans.
In 1962 the Nevada State Bank opened with President Harley Harmon's giving his Ten Commandments of Courtesy for his staff to remember when dealing with customers. They are just as true today - Friendliness, Cheerfulness, Sense of Humor, Enthusiasm, Cooperation, Dependability, Tolerance, Emotional Stability, Humility, and Resourcefulness.
Redicules and most remembered..."Elvis has left the building." Where did that come from?
one of the stockholders of Mirage Resorts, Inc. Al Devore of Chicago had worked with Elvis Presley and coined the phrase In March of 1968. Believe it or not what caused him to say this wasn't anything more sophisticated than in fact- Elvis leaving the building!
Etta Cortez made this comment in her article. "The subject of a local Disneyland center was revived when a representative of that recreation facility visited Vegas recently. The gentleman spoke of the projected Disneyland for orlando Florida in the year 2001. If it takes that long to establish the fun area in Florida, we doubt we'll be around to see one here."
Reve White, musician and stand-up comic invented the dice clock, that kitschy Las Vegas souvenir. White was 74 when he passed away. (And we sincerely hope someone out there remembers him for other things he did in those 74 years)
The following is to our taste the best piece of information about gambling history! (A long title but it deserves it).
At any time of the day or night in Vegas a person can hire an attorney, have carpets cleaned, pick up dry cleaning, shop for groceries, and get married/divorced!
Las Vegas Strip HistoryThe next top ten "ladies" held the pathway for the rest of the Strip, the first major hotel/casino resort or casino to the present. There may have been clubs, casinos, or motels on the properties before which is listed underneath the name.
The Strip Welcomes You To:
April 3, 1941 - Its first resort El Rancho opening with 63 rooms. october 30, 1942 - Its second resort Hotel Last Frontier opening with 107 rooms. 1930 - Pair-o-Dice 1936 - Ambassador Night Club 1939 - 91 Club 1955 - New Frontier 1967 - The Frontier 1999 - New Frontier December 26, 1946 - Its third resort Flamingo Hotel opening with 105 rooms. March 1, 1947 - Fabulous Flamingo 1971 - Flamingo Hilton 1999 - Flamingo Las Vegas September 2, 1948 - Its fourth resort The Thunderbird opening with 76 rooms. 1977 - Silverbird 1982 - El Rancho April 24, 1950 - Its fifth resort Desert Inn opening with 300 rooms. ???? - Players Club September 1950 - The Silver Slipper/Golden Slipper. october 7, 1952 - Its sixth resort Sahara opening with 240 rooms. April 8, 1947 - Club Bingo December 15, 1952 - Its seventh resort Sands opening with 200 rooms. ???? - La Rue's 1988 - Sands MGM May 3, 1999 - The Venetian opening with 3,036 rooms. April 19, 1955 - Its eighth resort The Royal Nevada April 20, 1955 - Its ninth resort Riviera opening with 300 rooms. May 23, 1955 - Its tenth resort Dunes opening with 200 rooms. october 15, 1998 - Bellagio opening with 3,026 rooms. June 1956 - Hacienda opening with 256 rooms. March 2, 1999 - Mandalay Bay opening with 3,309 rooms. April 4, 1957 - Tropicana opening with 300 rooms. July 2, 1958 - Stardust Resort & Casino opening with 1,000 rooms. 1960 - San Souci. Two establishments shared this property. The Red Rooster "clan" was first, then the San Souci. The Red Rooster eventually disappeared. San Souci was then the evolving property. 1931 - Red Rooster Nite Club 1933 - The Red Rooster 1933 - Red Rooster 1941 - Alice Morris Red Rooster 1942 - Red Rooster Nite Club 1947 - Gracie Hayes Lodge 1948 - Red Rooster 1950 - Martello's Red Rooster 1951 - Red Rooster 1953 - Hi Ho Club May 4, 1954 - The Patio Club 1954 - The Rendezvous 1956 - Gracie Hayes Lodge Sharing the property with 1942 - San Souci Auto Court 1949 - San Souci Court 1950 - San Souci Auto & Trailer Court 1955 - Sans Souci Hotel, Inc. 1963 - Castaways 1967 - oliver's New Castaways Casino November 22, 1989 - The Mirage opening with 3,044 rooms June, 2000 - MGM Mirage 1963 - Its first "motel" resort Westward-Ho April 1, 1966 - The Aladdin opening with 335 rooms. 1962 - The Tally Ho 1964 - King's Crown August 18, 2000 - Aladdin opening with 2,567 rooms August 5, 1966 - Caesars Palace opening with 700 rooms. 1972 - Circus Circus Hotel Casino Resort opening with 400 rooms. october 18, 1968 - Circus Circus Casino 1967 - El Morocco Motel 1956 - Ginseng Korean and Japanese Bar-B-Q Restaurant July 2, 1973 - Holiday Casino 1949 - Tumbleweed Motel 1957 - The Pyramids Motel 1971 - River Boat Casino 1992 - Harrah's July 1, 1967 - Bonanza Hotel and Casino opening with 160 rooms 1963 - Three Coins Motel 1969 - New Bonanza Hotel and Casino December 23, 1973 - MGM Grand Hotel opening with 2,100 rooms 1986 - Bally Grand 1996 - Bally's 1973 - Riata Casino 1974 - Silver City Casino 1975 - Marina Hotel and Casino December 18, 1993 - MGM Grand Hotel/Casino opening with 5,005 rooms. March 1979 - Barbary Coast opening with 150 rooms. 195? - Desert Villa 195? - Empey's Desert Villa November 1, 1979 - Imperial Palace 1955 - Flamingo Capri July 13, 1979 - Vegas World opening with 100 rooms. 1967 - Todkill/Bill Hayden Lincoln Mercury Dealership March 31, 1974 - Million Dollar Historic Gambling Museum April 30, 1996 - Stratosphere opening with 1,500 rooms. 1979 - Slots-A-Fun July 1, 1989 - o'Shea's June 19, 1990 - Excalibur opening with 4,032 rooms. January 1, 1992 - Casino Royale 1993 - Joey's New Yorker Night Club 1993 - Nob Hill october 15, 1993 - Luxor Las Vegas opening with 2,526 rooms. october 27, 1993 - Treasure Island opening with 2,891 rooms. 1993 - Boardwalk Holiday Inn 1969 - Holiday Queen June 21, 1996 - Monte Carlo - opening with 3,002 rooms. 1953 - Desert Rose Motel January 3, 1997 - New York New York opening with 2,033 rooms. 195? - Lone Palm Motel Sharing property with 1965 - Rodeway Inn September 1, 1999 - Paris Las Vegas opening with 2,914 rooms. 19?? - Galaxy Motel 1970 - Little Caesar's

Honorable mentionsThese ladies aren't on the Strip but had a direct or indirect impact on the Strip.
May 14, 1955 - Moulin Rouge 1957 - The Royal Inn Casino 1964 - Americana Hotel 1977 - Paddlewheel Hotel Casino 1993 - Miss Reynolds Hotel Casino aka Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino 1999 - World Wrestling Federation July 20, 2001 - Greek Isles Hotel & Casino July 4, 1969 - Landmark July 5, 1969 - International September 4, 1953 - Las Vegas Race Track 1970 - Las Vegas Hilton