Vegas Facts
1. Bigger is Better
The casino hotels are locked in a constant battle to outdo each other. The long standing MGM Grand Hotel is a prime example of this need to be numero uno. The MGM Grand has over 5000 rooms making it the largest hotel in the USA. It is also home to the largest bronze statue in the USA, its mascot lion statue weighs over 50 tons.
Tristan Surtel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
2. Ding Ding Ding!!!!
Various Vegas casinos claim to offer the biggest slot machine jackpots available in the entire world. Regardless of who actually spits the most silver the largest jackpots anywhere in the world are offered in Las Vegas. The largest slot jackpot ever won was just over $39 million at the Excalibur Casino by a 25 year old software engineer from LA.
3. Thank you, Thank you Very Much
Las Vegas may be a city that has ‘ended’ many lives (financially) but it can also do the opposite. Elvis Presley enjoyed a career revival through his Las Vegas concerts from the late 1960s till his tragic death. The ties between Vegas and Elvis are still very strong. Elvis impersonators are still commonplace in the city.
4. A line in the sand
Las Vegas’ modern avatar emerged during the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s, when the many workers made a home of the city. Although the incredible images of the Vegas Strip make this city seem like a sprawling metropolis, it actually ends extremely abruptly into desert as far as the eye can see.
Bureau of Reclamation, Wikimedia Commons
5. This is bat country
Hunter S. Thompson would write probably the most famous novel about the hedonistic experiences in Las Vegas. His novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas would go on to be made into a hit cult classic film starring Johnny Depp.
Universal, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998),
6. Where Am I?
You can see spectacular imitations of worldwide hotspots, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Egyptian Valley as well as a faux English castle, all in Las Vegas.
Rob Young, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. High Society
The Bellagio, considered one of the most prestigious casino/hotels, has occasionally been used as a venue for exhibiting fine art. Past exhibits include pieces by Vincent Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse. The Bellagio isn’t the only place in Las Vegas to showcase fine works of art. The Hermitage Museum in Russia has used the Rio All-Suite Casino to display their masterworks.
8. Built by the mob.
Las Vegas has been known to have long standing ties to the mob. Gangster Bugsy Segal built a casino, which he named The Flamingo. Apparently a showgirl with particularly long legs inspired the name. There have also been many not so behind the scenes turf wars. The Vegas Mob Museum recounts all the gritty details of extortion and bloodshed.
KirkAndreas, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
9. Are you not entertained?
Vegas is the live show capital of the world. These shows differ from the Broadway play that may come to mind when thinking of a live show. These usually consist of overly extravagant settings and performers in over the top costumes displaying a variety of talents from magic to lion taming. A current staple show in Vegas is Cirque de Soleil, which wows audiences daily.
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10. Not Just Casinos?
There are some state parks located within the vicinity of the casinos if one is feeling nature-inclined. There are even skiing facilities available as well in the Spring Mountains. Can you imagine a day of skiing all morning and golfing in the afternoon? You can even do a day trip out to the Grand Canyon if you are feeling ambitious. Many awesome mid-west exploration vacations can be planned with a start/finish in Vegas.
Alex Proimos, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. Tricksy Casinos
You have to be wily enough to be aware of the tricks used by casinos on players. Casinos will have no clocks or windows, they will provide players with free drinks, and if you win they will do anything to keep you inside the casino including free luxurious steak dinners or even a few nights in a hotel suite.
Jim G, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
12. A glimpse at the other side
Enterprising strippers teach after hours (or perhaps before hours) stripping classes. That could make a hilarious form of entertainment for a group that wants to enjoy a wild night out. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
13. We’re here
The “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign was designed by Betty Willis who did not copyright it. She felt that the city needed it to garner publicity back when she introduced it.
LasVegasGuy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
14. The home team
Until recently, Las Vegas has not been the home of any major sporting entity. The NHL has recently chosen Vegas as a location for a new expansion team, The Golden Knights.
15. Aloha
Vegas has earned the nickname the ‘ninth island of Hawaii’ as it is popular with Hawaiians who often come here either for work or pleasure. Elvis Presley was known to spend his time divided between Las Vegas and Hawaii.
Curimedia, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
16. The king of Pop
Michael Jackson had plans to build a 50 foot tall moon walking robot replica of himself to roam the Las Vegas desert. It was intended to be an advertisement for a planned 2005 comeback tour.
17. Boundaries people
In 1980, a Las Vegas hospital had to suspend workers who were betting on when patients would die. One nurse was even accused of murdering a patient so she would win.
Sunnya343, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
18. A good investment
Frederick W. Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx found himself in financial trouble when the young company owed $24 000 in fuel charges. The desperate owned brought his last $5000 to Vegas and let it ride on the tables. By some stroke of luck (or Vegas magic), he ended up winning $27 000, saving the company. Thanks to some good fortune in Vegas, Fed-Ex ended up growing to the logistics giant it is today.
MobiusDaXter, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
19. I pronounce you…
In Nevada, you can get married without a license. This has created a huge drive by wedding business in Vegas. There are over 300 weddings a day in Las Vegas, making it the top wedding destination in the US. Only Istanbul surpassed Vegas for the number of wedding in a single city.
Llaxina, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. Sustainable extravagance
Water structures in Las Vegas use something called grey-water This is recycled water from sinks, bathtubs and showers. All the fountains and man-made lakes use this recycled water, just something to think about before accepting the dare to jump into the fountain at the Bellagio.
Brocken Inaglory, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
21. Play the odds, don’t make your own
We have all heard stories or seen the movies, such as Rain Man or 21, which show players winning in Vegas with distinct advantages or strategies. This type of play can actually get you banned from casinos. These players are kept on a ‘black list’ and are banned from playing any games in Vegas.
Mikerussell, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
22. But ours is bigger
The Luxor Las Vegas’ Sphinx, a re-creation of the Great Sphinx of Giza, is 101 feet high. The Sphinx of Giza is only about 68 feet tall at its highest, making the Vegas recreation almost twice as tall!
23. Tails on tails on tails
The shrimp consumption in Las Vegas is over 60,000 pounds per day, which is greater than the rest of the states combined. These are consumed mainly in the form of shrimp cocktail which can be found on most menus in Vegas.
Krista, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
24. Many names, same awesome place
Las Vegas Boulevard, home of The Strip, has had several names. Its past names include 5th Street, Arrowhead Highway, Los Angeles Highway, Salt Lake Highway, US 91, US 93, US 466 and State Route 6.
25. To the Moon and back
There are about 15 000 miles of neon tubing in The Strip and downtown Las Vegas. Not quite the distance to the moon, but if you lined up all the tubes in straight line, they will stretch more than halfway around the Earth.
Pierre André, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
26. Keep the lights on
With all the lights on the Vegas strip, to stand out you are going to need a very bright light. Luckily for the Luxor Hotel and Casino, that is exactly what they have. At 42.3 billion candela/lumen, the Luxor Sky Beam is the strongest beam of light in the world. At full power it costs $51 per hour to operate.
27. Unlucky numbers
In some Asian cultures, the number 4 is considered to be bad luck. For that reason, some of the hotels in Vegas skip floors that begin with the number 4. The same goes for the 13th floor.
Jim G, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
28. Lack of gold nugget
In 1954 the most common questions from people who visited Las Vegas’ Golden Nugget hotel were, “How much does it weigh?” and “Where is it?” Many were surprised to learn that there was no actual nugget. This all changed in the 80s when an Australian man found The Hand of Faith with a metal detector. It was sold to the Golden Nugget and displayed there until 2013.
29. CIA’s secret airline
Nevada is home to one of America’s most secretive military facilities, Area 51. The base has been rumored to house everything from a top-secret missile test site to recovered alien spaceships. Because the base is inaccessible by design, The federal government created a special restricted access terminal at McCarran International Airport where it operates a fleet of nondescript planes that routinely ferry Area 51’s employees between the base and Las Vegas. The fleet is unofficially known as “Janet Airlines”.
Tim1337, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
30. The odds are in your favor, kinda
Slot machines highly regulated by the Nevada Gaming commission. Legally, the machines need to be set to a payout rate no less than 75%. This means if you put %100 in the machine, you should be walking away with no less than $75.
Tristan Surtel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
31. The Las Vegas Strip is not in Las Vegas
Historically, the casinos that were not in Downtown Las Vegas along Fremont Street were limited to outside of the city limits on Las Vegas Boulevard. This is the area that became the most popular location for new hotels and casinos. This means that technically, what is known today as the Las Vegas strip is actually located outside the city limits of Las Vegas in Clark County.
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