From: Alan in Lansing, Michigan
Question: What are some of the biggest myths about Las Vegas?
Answer: What an interesting question, Alan. Thanks for sending it in.
Top 5 Vegas Myths:
Myth #1: Prostitution is legal in Las Vegas.
Not true! Although it is legal in Nevada, it is only allowed in counties with populations under 200,000. Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, has a lot more people than that so prostitution is not allowed anywhere in the area.
Myth #2: Bugsy Siegel created the first hotel/casino in Vegas or on The Strip.
Sorry, but no. Casino hotels had existed for decades in the downtown area when Bugsy came to town, and there were two other hotels before the Flamingo (1946) on what would become The Strip: The El Rancho (1941) and the New Frontier (1942).
Myth #3: The reels on a slot machine determine payout.
Wrong. A slot machine is basically a little computer chip that constantly spits out numbers that equate to a win or a loss. When you put a coin in, that chip picks a number and then “shows” you what you won (or lost) when you spin the reels. So your fate has been decided long before you pull the handle.
Myth #4: You can still get a cheap hotel room at one of the big casinos.
I’m afraid the days where a hotel would offer a very cheap room rate in the hopes that they’d make up the money in the casino are mostly gone. The average room rate on The Strip on a weekend is more than $200. Those $19 Saturday night specials don’t exist anymore.
Myth #5: But it’s a dry heat.
So is the heat in a microwave oven. Doesn’t mean I want to spend too much time inside of one.
back to the top
From: Mark in Augusta, George
Question: I tried to list all of the hotels in Vegas that have a theme replicating a city or country but I lost count. What say you?
Answer: Hi Mark, thanks for sending your question in.
I guess the answer kind of depends on what you’re counting as having a city or country theme. For instance, Bellagio is modeled after an Italian village and the Aladdin has an Arabian theme, but I wouldn’t count either of those in the same category as say Paris or The Venetian.
So I’m going to eliminate ones that are merely suggested by a locale and only count those that embrace a specific locale as a design element throughout the property. I’m also only going to count major hotel casinos (sorry Greek Isles, you’re just not big enough). Using those guidelines, this is what I think:
Luxor (Egypt), New York-New York (NYC), Monte Carlo (for its namesake), Caesars Palace (Rome), Paris (as in France), Orleans (as in New), Texas Station (yeehaw), The Venetian (canals anyone?), and the Rio (samba anyone?).
So that’s nine by my count, although if you caught me on a good day I may also include Imperial Palace (China) and Fitzgerald’s (Ireland) but I think those are kind of stretching the point.
I say nine.
back to the top
From: Ernie in Tucson, AZ
Question: Awhile back you did your Top 5 Myths about Vegas. How about a Top 5 Things That Most People Probably Don’t Know About Vegas?
Answer: Hey Ernie – ask and you shall receive:
Top 5 Things That Most People Probably Don’t Know About Vegas:
5. In addition to having more hotel rooms (more than 135,000 at last count) than any other US city, Las Vegas hotels operate at more than 90% capacity compared to a national average around 60%.
4. Las Vegas is the fastest growing city (in terms of population) in the US and has been for more than a decade. The area population in 1970 was around 273,000. Today it is more than 1.5 million and more than 6,000 people move there every month!
3. Las Vegas means The Meadows in Spanish. Okay, so anyone who speaks Spanish probably knew that one but still…
2. Slot machines were originally employed in most casinos as a diversion for the wives of the male gamblers playing cards and other table games. They were relegated to the fringes of the casino. Today they take up the bulk of a casino floor space and account for most of the profit the casino makes off of you.
1. The Strip isn’t in Las Vegas. It’s actually outside of city limits (which end at Sahara Blvd.) and is managed by Clark County.
back to the top
