Where Las Vegas Got Its Start
Hospitality is the city’s major economic driver. The area is home to 11 major hotel-casinos, many with a rich history in the place where Las Vegas was born. The city’s first casino, The Golden Gate Casino, opened in 1906, and the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, which opened in 1941, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, all casinos in the downtown area have experienced significant reinvestment and redevelopment, recapturing the glamour and elegance that put them on the map decades ago. A new major hotel-casino is also in the early development phase, further adding to the area’s robust hospitality offerings.
Gaming and room revenue numbers released by Nevada’s Gaming Control Board have consistently demonstrated the area’s strength for several years. Credit is given to investment in casino properties and an overall resurgence in downtown vibrancy that began in earnest more than a decade ago, bringing new businesses and developments, large and small, to the area.