The first gambling halls of Nevada's modern commercial casino era were typically rough affairs. Bingo halls, card clubs, and slot parlors proliferated in downtown Reno and Las Vegas. But in the 1940s, a new creation--the casino resort--brought a measure of elegance to the state's gambling.
Located south of Las Vegas city limits on a stretch of roadway the would become the Las Vegas Strip, the first casino resorts featured gambling, entertainment, dining, and all the amenities of a tourist vacation.
Ynn's new hotel will have 2,000 to 3,000 rooms and will be built on the former Alon site across the street from the Wynn and Encore properties. It will be linked to both hotels by an “air-conditioned umbilical hallway,” Wynn said on a conference call Monday. The 38-acre lot was purchased for USD 336 M in December.
The first restaurants, though, were not overly luxurious. Most casinos had a 'gourmet' dinner theater, where the dinner usually took second place to the theater. Coffee shop were a popular informal option. And the El Rancho Vegas, the Strip's first resort, pioneered a Vegas tradition, the 'chuck wagon,' which would evolve into the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Similar to legal and illegal casinos and gambling halls throughout the Western world, early Strip resorts used food and beverage as a loss leader. Enticing patrons with cheap steaks and free-flowing liquor was seen as the best way to encourage them to gamble. With this in mind, quantity was usually emphasized over quality.
Though they were rarely fancy, these culinary trailblazers satisfied their guests' palates, and started many Vegas traditions.
First Casino Built On The Strip In Las Vegas
The first gambling halls of Nevada's modern commercial casino era were typically rough affairs. Bingo halls, card clubs, and slot parlors proliferated in downtown Reno and Las Vegas. But in the 1940s, a new creation--the casino resort--brought a measure of elegance to the state's gambling.
Located south of Las Vegas city limits on a stretch of roadway the would become the Las Vegas Strip, the first casino resorts featured gambling, entertainment, dining, and all the amenities of a tourist vacation.
First Casino Built On The Strip Las Vegas
The first restaurants, though, were not overly luxurious. Most casinos had a 'gourmet' dinner theater, where the dinner usually took second place to the theater. Coffee shop were a popular informal option. And the El Rancho Vegas, the Strip's first resort, pioneered a Vegas tradition, the 'chuck wagon,' which would evolve into the all-you-can-eat buffet.
Similar to legal and illegal casinos and gambling halls throughout the Western world, early Strip resorts used food and beverage as a loss leader. Enticing patrons with cheap steaks and free-flowing liquor was seen as the best way to encourage them to gamble. With this in mind, quantity was usually emphasized over quality.
List Of Casinos On Strip
Though they were rarely fancy, these culinary trailblazers satisfied their guests' palates, and started many Vegas traditions.