The first casino to be built on Highway 91 was the Pair-o-Dice Club in 1931, but the true birth of the modern Las Vegas Strip occurred on the 3rd of April 1941 when the El Rancho Vegas opened its doors. This resort was not merely a place to gamble; it was the first full-service casino-hotel to be constructed on what is now known as the Strip, featuring 63 bungalow hotel rooms that offered a level of luxury previously unseen in the desert. Its immediate success prompted the construction of the Hotel Last Frontier in 1942, establishing a pattern of rapid development that would define the region. The area was originally part of unincorporated Clark County, sitting outside the city limits of Las Vegas, which allowed for a unique regulatory environment that attracted investors looking to operate outside the strictures of the city government. The name Las Vegas Strip itself was coined by Guy McAfee, a Los Angeles police officer and businessman who named the stretch of road after his hometown's famous Sunset Strip in Hollywood, creating a cultural bridge between the West Coast entertainment capital and the desert frontier. The early years were marked by the influence of organized crime figures such as Bugsy Siegel, who took an intense interest in the growing gaming center and funded the completion of the Flamingo with mob money. The Flamingo casino opened in December 1946, and the hotel followed in March 1947, setting a precedent for the lavish, mob-funded resorts that would come to define the city's identity. Wilbur Clark's Desert Inn resort opened in 1950, and the funding for many of these early Las Vegas projects was provided through the American National Insurance Company, which was based in the then-notorious gambling empire of Galveston, Texas. The Strip was previously called Highway 91, or the Arrowhead Highway, and later the Los Angeles Highway, serving as the main artery connecting the desert to the rest of the country.
The Unincorporated Empire
In 1950, Mayor Ernie Cragin of the City of Las Vegas sought to annex the Las Vegas Strip, which ran through unincorporated Clark County territory, in order to expand the city's tax base to fund his ambitious building agenda and pay down the city's rising debt. Instead, Gus Greenbaum of the Flamingo led a group of casino executives to lobby the Clark County commissioners for town status. Two unincorporated towns were eventually created, Paradise and Winchester, allowing the casinos to operate under a different set of regulations that favored their business models. More than two decades later, the Supreme Court of Nevada struck down a 1975 Nevada state law that would have folded the Strip and the rest of the urban areas of Clark County into the City of Las Vegas, cementing the Strip's unique political status. This legal separation allowed the Strip to develop independently from the city of Las Vegas, creating a distinct economic and cultural zone. The boundaries of the Strip have shifted over time, with the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, built in 1959, standing exactly 4.5 miles south of the city limits. The sign is currently located in the median just south of Russell Road, which is 1.5 miles from The Sahara, and about 3 miles south of the southernmost entrance to Mandalay Bay, which is the Strip's southernmost casino. In the strictest sense, the Strip refers only to the stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard that is roughly between Sahara Avenue and the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. Clark County uses the phrase Resort Corridor to describe the area including Las Vegas Boulevard between 215 Beltway and Sahara Avenue and surrounding areas. The Sahara is considered the Strip's northern terminus by Clark County, though travel guides typically extend it to the Strat to the north. Mandalay Bay, just north of Russell Road is the southernmost resort considered to be on the Strip. According to Clark County, the southern end of the Strip is the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign; the county acknowledges that some argue for Russell Road at the southernmost terminus. This political and geographical ambiguity has allowed the Strip to evolve as a self-contained entity, separate from the city of Las Vegas, which has shaped its development and identity.
Caesars Palace was established in 1966, but the true era of mega-resorts began in 1969 with the opening of the International Hotel, which boasted 1,512 rooms and set a new standard for scale and luxury. The International is known as Westgate Las Vegas today, and its opening marked a shift from small, independent casinos to massive, integrated resorts that offered a complete vacation experience. The first MGM Grand Hotel and Casino opened in 1973 with 2,084 rooms, making it the largest hotel in the world at the time. On the 21st of November 1980, the MGM Grand suffered the worst resort fire in the history of Las Vegas as a result of electrical problems, killing 87 people. It reopened eight months later, a testament to the resilience of the industry. In 1986, Kerkorian sold the MGM Grand to Bally Manufacturing, and it was renamed Bally's. The opening of The Mirage in 1989 set a new level to the Las Vegas experience, as smaller hotels and casinos made way for the larger mega-resorts. In the 1990s, more than 12 new hotels opened, including themed hotels like the Luxor, Excalibur, and Mandalay Bay. At $1.7 billion, the most expensive hotel in the world at the time, The Bellagio, was built in the 1990s. In 1993, the launch of the Mystère show at the new Treasure Island hotel by Cirque du Soleil marked a key point in transforming Las Vegas Strip entertainment. In an effort to attract families, resorts offered more attractions geared toward youth, but had limited success. The current MGM Grand opened in 1993, and the Strip began to transform into a destination that offered more than just gambling, with attractions such as M&M's World, Adventuredome, and the Fashion Show Mall. The trend towards luxury and scale continued into the 2000s with the opening of the Bellagio in 1998, the Venetian in 1999, the Wynn in 2005, the Palazzo in 2007, and the Encore in 2008. The Strip trended towards the luxurious high-end segment through most of the 2000s, while some older resorts added major expansions and renovations, including some de-theming of the earlier themed hotels. Announced in 2004 and built between 2006 and 2009, CityCenter, an $8.5 billion multi-use project on the former site of the Boardwalk hotel and adjoining land, represented the pinnacle of this era. Most elements of the project opened in late 2009, and the Strip continued to evolve as a global destination for entertainment and luxury.
The Tragedy and Transformation
On the 1st of October 2017, a gunman inside the Mandalay Bay hotel opened fire upon a nearby concert, killing 60 and himself. The incident remains the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, and it cast a long shadow over the Strip, forcing a reevaluation of security and safety measures. In 2012, the High Roller Ferris wheel and a retail district called The Linq Promenade broke ground in an attempt to diversify attractions beyond that of casino resorts. Renovations and rebrandings such as The Cromwell Las Vegas and the SLS Las Vegas continued to transform the Strip in 2014. The Las Vegas Festival Grounds opened in 2015, and in 2016, T-Mobile Arena, The Park, and the Park Theater (now known as Dolby Live) opened. In 2021, the Pinball Hall of Fame moved near the Fabulous Las Vegas sign at the south end of the Strip. Later that year, Resorts World Las Vegas opened in June on the site of the former Stardust Resort and Casino. The Sphere opened in September 2023, and the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened on the site of the former El Rancho Hotel and Casino and Algiers Hotel in December 2023. BLVD, a three-story shopping center, opened in November 2024 with several additional tenants opened and others set to debut in 2026. The Tropicana was demolished in October 2024, and it will be replaced with a new Bally's Las Vegas resort and New Las Vegas Stadium which will become the home of the Athletics after they relocate to Las Vegas from their temporary home in Sacramento. The stadium and hotel are set to open in 2028 for the 2028 MLB season. The Mirage also closed in July 2024, but will reopen as the Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027. These changes reflect a dynamic and evolving landscape, where the past is constantly being reshaped to meet the demands of the present. The Strip has become a place where history and innovation collide, creating a unique environment that is both a product of its past and a vision of its future.
The Entertainment Capital
The Las Vegas Strip is known for its lounges, showrooms, theaters and nightclubs, most on the hotel casino properties. Some of the more popular free attractions visible from the Strip include the water fountains at Bellagio, the volcano at The Mirage (now shuttered with the closing of The Mirage), and the Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountain at Caesars Palace. There are several Cirque du Soleil shows, such as Kà at the MGM Grand, O at Bellagio, Mystère at Treasure Island, and Michael Jackson: One at Mandalay Bay. Many notable artists have performed in Las Vegas, including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Prima, Rod Stewart and Liberace, and in more recent years Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Barry Manilow, Cher, Elton John, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, Donny and Marie Osmond, Garth Brooks, Jennifer Lopez, Reba McEntire, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Kylie Minogue, Shania Twain, Criss Angel, Olivia Newton-John, Queen + Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani have had residencies in the various resorts on the Strip. During 2019, 51% of visitors attended shows, which was down from 2015, 2017, and 2018. Among visitors who saw shows, relatively more went to Broadway/production shows than in past years, while relatively fewer saw lounge acts, comedy shows, or celebrity DJs. Numerous entertainment venues populate the Strip, with most of the resorts having a showroom, nightclub and/or live music venue on the property and a few having large multipurpose arenas. Major venues include Allegiant Stadium, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Dolby Live, Las Vegas Festival Grounds, LVXP Las Vegas, MGM Grand Garden Arena, Michelob Ultra Arena, PH Live, Sphere, T-Mobile Arena, and New Las Vegas Stadium. The Strip has become a global destination for entertainment, with a diverse array of shows and performances that cater to a wide range of tastes and interests. The evolution of entertainment on the Strip reflects the changing tastes of the public, as well as the increasing competition among resorts to attract visitors. The Strip has become a place where the boundaries between entertainment and tourism are blurred, creating a unique environment that is both a product of its past and a vision of its future.
The Dining and Gaming Landscape
The Strip is populated with many restaurants and fine dining establishments, many of which are inside the casinos and resorts. In recent years, many celebrity chefs have opened restaurants along the Strip, including Wolfgang Puck, Michael Mina, Gordon Ramsay, Guy Savoy, and Joël Robuchon. In 2019, about eight in ten (81%) visitors said they gambled while in Las Vegas, the highest proportion in the past five years. The average time spent gambling, 2.7 hours, represents an increase over the past three years. Also, the average trip gambling budget, $591.06, was increased from 2018. About nine in ten (89%) visitors who gambled did so on the Strip Corridor. UNLV reported that in 2019, Big Las Vegas Strip Casinos (defined as Strip casinos with more than $72 million in annual gaming revenues) had more than $6 billion in annual gaming revenues, corresponding to about 26% of total annual revenues. From the time period spanning 1985 to 2019, there have been some changes in the mix of table games in casinos on the Strip. Blackjack: The number of tables decreased from 77% in 1985 to 50% in 2019. Revenue decreased from 50% in 1985 to 11% in 2019. Craps: Revenue decreased from 28% in 1985 to 11% in 2019. Roulette: Both the number of tables and revenue increased by 50%. Baccarat: About 2% of tables and 13% revenue in 1985 to 13% of tables and 37% of revenue in 2019. Additional games: Games such as pai gow poker, three-card poker, and mini-baccarat have increased in popularity, number of tables, and revenue. Casino operators have been expanding sports betting facilities and products, as well as renovating and upgrading equipment and facilities. Although sports betting has a relatively low margin, the high-end sportsbooks can generate significant amounts of revenue in other areas, such as food and drink. As a result, sportsbooks have been expanding and upgrading food and drink offerings. High-end sportsbooks include features such as single-seat stadium-style seating, large high-definition screens, a dedicated broadcast booth, and the ability to watch up to 15 sporting events at once. The sports network ESPN is broadcasting sports betting shows from a dedicated studio at The Linq. Some sportsbooks are now offering self-service betting kiosks. The Strip has become a place where the lines between dining, gaming, and entertainment are increasingly blurred, creating a unique environment that is both a product of its past and a vision of its future.
The Shifting Skyline
The Strip has undergone significant changes in recent years, with the demolition of historic properties and the construction of new landmarks. The Aladdin opened in 1962 as the Tallyho, became the King's Crown Tallyho in 1963, the Aladdin in 1966, and was demolished in 1998. A new Aladdin resort opened on the property in 2000, and was renamed Planet Hollywood in 2007. Big Red's Casino opened in 1981 and closed in 1982, and the property was developed for CBS Sports World Casino in 1997. Changed name to Sports World Casino after CBS threatened to sue, and closed in 2001, now a shopping center. Barbary Coast opened in 1978 and closed in 2007, and became Bill's Gamblin' Hall until 2010. Now The Cromwell. Boardwalk Hotel and Casino closed on the 9th of January 2006, and was demolished on the 9th of May 2006, to make way for CityCenter. Castaways opened in 1955 as the Sans Souci Hotel and became the Castaways in 1963 and was demolished in 1987. Now The Mirage. Desert Inn closed on the 28th of August 2000, and was demolished in 2001, 2004, now Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Las Vegas; Desert Inn golf course was retained and improved. Dunes closed on the 26th of January 1993, and was demolished in 1993, 1994, now Bellagio. The Dunes golf course is now occupied by parts of Park MGM, CityCenter, and T-Mobile Arena. El Rancho (formerly Thunderbird/Silverbird) closed in 1992 and was demolished in 2000. Now the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. El Rancho Vegas burned down in 1960. The Hilton Grand Vacations Club timeshare now exists on the south edge of the site where the resort once stood; the remainder is now the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. Hacienda closed and was demolished in December 1996, now Mandalay Bay. Until 2015, a separate Hacienda operated outside Boulder City, formerly the Gold Strike Inn. Holy Cow Casino and Brewery was the first micro brewery in Las Vegas, closed in 2002, now a Walgreens store. Jackpot Casino closed in 1977, now part of Bonanza Gift Shop. Klondike Hotel and Casino closed in 2006, and was demolished in 2008. Little Caesars Casino opened in 1970 and closed in 1994. Paris Las Vegas now occupies the area. Money Tree Casino closed in 1979, now Bonanza Gift Shop. Marina Hotel and Casino closed, adapted into MGM Grand, now the West Wing of the MGM Grand. Mirage closed on the 17th of July 2024, expected to reopen as a Hard Rock resort in 2027. New Frontier closed on the 16th of July 2007, and was demolished on the 13th of November 2007. Nob Hill Casino opened in 1979, and closed in 1990. Now Casino Royale. Riviera Hotel and Casino opened in 1955; closed in May 2015 to make way for the Las Vegas Global Business District. Royal Nevada opened in 1955; became part of the Stardust in 1959. Sands Hotel and Casino closed on the 30th of June 1996, and was demolished in 1996, now The Venetian. Silver City Casino closed in 1999, now the Silver City Plaza Shopping Center. Silver Slipper Casino opened in 1950 and closed and demolished in 1988. It became the parking lot for the New Frontier until its closure and demolition in 2007. Stardust Resort and Casino closed on the 1st of November 2006, and was demolished on the 13th of March 2007, now Resorts World. Tropicana Las Vegas closed on the 2nd of April 2024, and was demolished by implosion on the 9th of October 2024. Set to be replaced by New Las Vegas Stadium, the future home of the Las Vegas Athletics. Vegas World opened in 1979, and closed in 1995. Now The Strat. Westward Ho Hotel and Casino closed in 2005, and was demolished in 2006. Now a McDonald's. The Strip has become a place where the past is constantly being reshaped to meet the demands of the present, creating a unique environment that is both a product of its past and a vision of its future.
The Future of the Strip
The Strip continues to evolve, with new developments and renovations shaping its future. The Tropicana was demolished in October 2024, and it will be replaced with a new Bally's Las Vegas resort and New Las Vegas Stadium which will become the home of the Athletics after they relocate to Las Vegas from their temporary home in Sacramento. The stadium and hotel are set to open in 2028 for the 2028 MLB season. The Mirage also closed in July 2024, but will reopen as the Hard Rock Las Vegas in 2027. In 2021, the Pinball Hall of Fame moved near the Fabulous Las Vegas sign at the south end of the Strip. Later that year, Resorts World Las Vegas opened in June on the site of the former Stardust Resort and Casino. The Sphere opened in September 2023, and the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opened on the site of the former El Rancho Hotel and Casino and Algiers Hotel in December 2023. BLVD, a three-story shopping center, opened in November 2024 with several additional tenants opened and others set to debut in 2026. The Strip has become a place where the boundaries between entertainment, tourism, and innovation are increasingly blurred, creating a unique environment that is both a product of its past and a vision of its future. The Strip has one of the highest concentrations of LEED-certified buildings in the world, including the Octavius Tower at Caesars Palace and the Linq Promenade, both certified LEED Silver. Many hotel resort properties have sustainability efforts, including water conservation, recycling, food handling, and energy efficiency. MGM built a solar array atop the Mandalay Bay in 2014 and expanded it in 2016. Part of a 28-acre system, it is one of the largest commercial rooftop solar arrays in the United States. The solar array's 26,000-plus solar panels that can provide a total of 8.3 megawatts DC (6.5 megawatts AC), enough for 1,300 homes or about one-quarter of the Mandalay Bay campus. The Strip has become a place where the past is constantly being reshaped to meet the demands of the present, creating a unique environment that is both a product of its past and a vision of its future.