The modern era of Nevada gaming started with the relegalization of “wide-open” casino gaming on March 19, 1931. By studying the early corporate era, we can gain insights into how the designs of casinos evolved in Las Vegas and better appreciate the distinctness of the eras that came before and after it. Defined more by expansions to existing properties than new resorts, this period saw a shift in the visual language of signage and uses of new technologies and strategies to identify establishments. While some aspects of the “new” Vegas were present, like a focus on larger hotels, many elements of the older Las Vegas remained. The megaresort era started in 1989 with the opening of The Mirage, and the time between Hughes’ arrival and Steve Wynn’s game-changer is typically brushed over as a mere precursor to the massive changes of the 1990s.īut the two decades between 19 don’t fit neatly into either period and deserve further consideration in their own right. Las Vegas casino history is often divided into the “classic” or “Rat Pack” era and the “corporate” or “megaresort era.” Classic Vegas starts in the early 1950s as the burgeoning gaming industry established itself on the Strip and can be said to end in 1967, when Howard Hughes’ purchase of five casinos signaled the start of a new regime.

Schwartz, Neon Museum 2020 Scholar in Residence. 'After Howard, Before The Mirage: The Early Corporate Era of Nevada Casinos and the Shifting Visual Landscape of Las Vegas' by David G.

Old casinos on las vegas strip