Neon lights that pulse like electric veins, the hypnotic tinkling of slot machines, adrenaline that flows in rivers. Welcome to the metropolises of gambling, where time stands still and dreams take flight! Who has never fantasized about making a fortune with a roll of the dice? Even if in reality you just need to log in to the casino to place a bet, nothing beats the electricity in the air of a real gambling city.
Las Vegas: from the desert to the neon paradise
In 1905, Las Vegas was just a dusty village in the Nevada desert. And yet, here it is, the “Sin City”, defying the laws of nature with its dancing fountains and glass pyramids.
The first casino? The Pair-o-Dice Club, opened in 1931. But the real boom came in the 1940s, when gangster Bugsy Siegel got wind of a deal and opened the legendary Flamingo. From there, it was like an explosion of lights and dollars.
Did you know that the famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign was only installed in 1959? And guess what: the designer, Betty Willis, never copyrighted it. “It’s my gift to the city,” she said. What a woman!
Macau: The Las Vegas of the East
But if you think Vegas is the only queen of gambling, you’re very wrong! Macau, a former Portuguese colony in China, is giving it a run for its money. In 2006, it even surpassed Las Vegas in casino revenue.
Casino Lisboa, opened in 1970, was the first to break the monopoly of Stanley Ho, Macau’s “gambling king.” But the real game-changer? Sands Macao, opened in 2004. It recouped its construction costs in less than a year.
And what about the Grand Lisboa? Shaped like a golden lotus flower, it’s more eye-catching than a peacock in heat. At night, it looks like an alien spaceship that accidentally landed in the middle of the city.
Atlantic City: The East Coast’s Swing
Atlantic City! The “Vegas of the East Coast” has had more ups and downs than a roller coaster. Born as a beach resort in the 1800s, it became the Mecca of legal gambling on the East Coast in 1976.
The first casino? The Resorts Casino Hotel, opened in 1978. People would line up for hours just to get in! But luck is fickle, my friends. In the 1990s, competition from other states toppled the AC empire.
In 2014, 4 casinos closed their doors in a single year? A knockout blow for the city, but Atlantic City is trying to reinvent itself, focusing on sports and entertainment.
The economic impact: blessing or curse?
Gambling cities are like a kaleidoscope of opportunities and risks. On the one hand, they create jobs and attract tourists like flies to honey. On the other? Well, there are countless stories of lives ruined by gambling.
A 2018 study by the University of Nevada calculated that the gaming industry generates 37.5% of Las Vegas’ GDP. Mind-boggling numbers! But beware: according to the Council on Problem Gambling, approximately 2 million Americans are pathological gamblers.