When Las Vegas casinos are mentioned, many people immediately think back to the glamor days of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. No doubt this is because of the multitude of films, TV shows and books about the people and places of that time.
These days Las Vegas online casinos offer exemplary service and betting opportunities to customers in the comfort of their own homes. This has made the whole experience more convenient and inclusive. But there is still something about those Rat Pack days of Vegas that enchant us. So, while today we can simply log in online to access our accounts, why not take a minute to take a look at our guide to five of the most memorable Vegas casinos of the past?
Flamingo
This is one Las Vegas casino you will recognize from a whole host of movies, TV shows and music videos. The Flamingo casino was actually built on the site owned by one of the city’s earliest settlers – and has seen more than its fair share of excitement over the years.
Mobster Bugsy Siegel was the first owner of the casino in 1946 – but it has passed through a number of hands since then. It has been a mecca for the big entertainers, including Judy Garland and Bobby Darin in the 1950s, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tom Jones in the 1960s. For many years, up until 2019, the main headline show was the hugely popular Donny and Marie Osmond show – selling around 9 million tickets in an 11-year run.
Dunes
The Dunes – later the Dunes and Oasis Casino – opened in 1955 and was the tenth resort on the world famous Strip. It initially faced financial problems and was passed around a number of owners in its early days. It was a trendsetter though, being the first resort on the Strip to offer topless dancing showgirls.
This was also the setting for one of the first golf courses in Las Vegas – and it boasted one of the tallest buildings in Nevada when it opened a new 21-storey tower in 1965. After years of financial troubles, the Dunes finally closed in 1993, with an implosion of the tower that – in true Vegas tradition – was used as a promotion for a new casino just up the block.
Stardust
This is the place that inspired the hit movie Casino, so you know that it was the real deal. Opening in 1958, it was then the world’s largest hotel with over 1,000 rooms. It only grew over time and became one of the landmark resorts and casinos of the Las Vegas Strip.
In the 1960s it was rumored that Howard Hughes was interested in buying the place – but that ultimately came to nothing. There were plenty of big name performers at Stardust though, including the famous Siegfried and Roy in later years. The place closed in 2006 to real sadness from the people of Vegas. Another spectacular implosion was the final glittering farewell to the city.
Figure 2 Many of the old signs are saved before implosions – including this one from the Stardust
Desert Inn
The eventual closure of the Desert Inn in 2000 was another that hit the city hard, as the place was forever linked to the original Las Vegas before the corporations really took over later. Frank Sinatra made his Vegas debut here and it remained a favorite of Ole Blue Eyes, as he even celebrated his 77th birthday there.
It was one of the first resorts and casinos on the Strip and was very popular with locals, as well as out of town visitors. A chef was brought in from the Ritz Paris when it opened and the golf course was actually used by the PGA Championship for a time in the 1950s and 60s.
Sands
If Sinatra was a fan of the Desert Inn, it was the Sands where he and his fellow Rat Pack members were really the main attraction. He first played there in 1953 and became a regular attraction, alongside stars such as Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin.
They were actually instrumental in desegregating Las Vegas, after questioning a number of instances with fellow performers and friends who were initially unable to enjoy the resort’s services. Ultimately unable to compete with the shinier new hotels and casinos, the Sands was imploded in 1996 to make way for the $1.5 billion mega-resort The Venetian.
