Photo by David Vives from Pexels
The origins of Las Vegas
Before 19th century, Nevada was mostly populated by Native American tribes, who grew agricultural products, such as corn. In the early 19th century, a Spanish merchant founded a city here, called Las Vegas. Few decades after that, the town became an object of American attention, with John Fremont leading the expedition. 1865 was the year when Americans started to settle in Las Vegas. It all started with Octavius Gass, who founded a ranch here. Ultimately, American railroad company built a railroad to connect Las Vegas with rest of the country. This is what spurred on more population to move into town. With a population of about ten to eleven hundred people, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. In the following years, its growth was explosive and within ten years of 1911, it doubled.
Population growth further accelerated when the government decided to build Hoover Dam in Las Vegas. At the same time, Nevada embraced gambling in 1931, and the town welcomed its first few gambling establishments. Initially, the town didn’t get much attention from investors around the country. However, after WW2, Las Vegas started to become a home to more and more casinos. By 1960, the population was sixty times the population of 1911.
These days, Las Vegas is memorable because of amazing hotels and casinos. Many of these fine establishments got their starts in the 50s and 60s. With the opening of every new business, the population of Las Vegas continued to grow as well.
Mafia in Las Vegas
Soon after the legalization of gambling, the mob realized the potential this industry could have for the state. Mafiosos started to open some of the most famous casinos in Las Vegas, such as: Riviera, Fremont, Tropicana and more. Their actions even inspired a movie starring Robert De Niro. The casinos proved so popular that in the sixties, Las Vegas was attracting more than ten million tourists every year. Profits from casinos helped fund the entertainment in Las Vegas. The biggest stars in the country were performing here, which was a draw for everyone else to come visit as well.
Eventually, the federal government became interested in Las Vegas casinos and their ties to the mob. Over the next few decades, there was a struggle to transform Las Vegas from a crime-ridden city to a family-friendly destination it is today. Howard Hughes, an American capitalist, has played a big role in that transition. He was the one who bought all the casinos that were initially controlled by the mob, and transformed them into legitimate businesses.
Culture in Las Vegas
In the 21st century, Las Vegas has become home to many cultural centers as well. The city is home to the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, to commemorate its brief love-affair with the organized crime families from Chicago. Also, the US government tested nuclear weapons in the deserts of Nevada. The city has prided itself on the fact that visitors could observe the atomic tests directly from the hotels. Since 2005, Las Vegas has been home to the Museum of Atomic Testing as well.
Las Vegas Today
These days, the city boasts a population of 650,000. As we previously mentioned, its primary industries are gambling and hotels, but other industries are slowly but surely coming along as well.
Las Vegas is not the only place that offers legal gambling opportunities, but it’s by far the most popular. It offers a wide array of options when it comes to gambling, however, depending on which jurisdiction you live in, you could also enjoy the BetAmo casino and win prizes without leaving the comfort of your home.
