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.
The first casino built on the Las Vegas Strip was the El Rancho Vegas, opening on this day in 1941, with 63 rooms. That casino stood for almost 20 years before being destroyed by a fire in 1960. Its success spawned a second hotel on what would become the Strip, the Hotel Last Frontier, in 1942.
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.
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.
Oldest Casinos On The Strip
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.
First Casino Built On The Strip In Las Vegas
Though they were rarely fancy, these culinary trailblazers satisfied their guests' palates, and started many Vegas traditions.