Home to millions of bright flashing neon lights, over the top hotels and casinos, A-list parties that last into wee hours of the morning on a daily basis and where many people win big…but more lose even bigger.
Of course I am referring to Las Vegas, Nevada. Now while Sin City may be well known as a place that attracts thousands of unique characters each year, its history is just as colorful.
Here are 25 interesting (and odd) Las Vegas facts.
1. One”fact” that people often times get wrong about Las Vegas is that prostitution is legal – it is not. But many counties outside the city have legalized the world’s oldest profession.
2. Las Vegas is the marriage capital of the United States, with roughly 50 wedding chapels in the city.
3. Speaking on tying the knot, Las Vegas has on average 315 weddings each day!
4. Average price for wedding license in Las Vegas is $35-$55 (no blood test or wait period required). Filing for a divorce will put you back about $450.
5. Las Vegas has roughly 500,000 residents and a little over 150,000 hotel rooms.
6. Industries love to have their conventions in Vegas, as the city hosts nearly 4,000 each year.
7. Mobster Ben “Bugsy” Siegel built the Flamingo Hotel and Casino (which he named after his long legged showgirl girlfriend) in 1946 with lots of “dirty” money. Unfortunately “Bugsy” was not around long enough to enjoy late night poker games and the all you can eat buffet with friends as he was “retired” a year later due to overspending and pocketing the mafia’s cash.
8. Like to golf? Las Vegas offers an astonishing 37 amazing courses.
9. The enormous neon cowboy that towers high above Fremont Street is called Vegas Vic. It is the world’s largest mechanical neon sign.
10. Las Vegas is home to 14 of the 20 largest hotels on the planet.
11. The electric bill for the Luxor’s shining light on top of their pyramid shaped hotel costs about $60 an hour.
12. On any given night, the larger casino’s vaults hold anywhere from $30-$60 million. That number doubles on holiday weekends.
13. The biggest slot machine jackpot in Las Vegas history was a little under $40,000,00.
14. Las Vegas is home to the largest community of Hawaiian born residents outside the Aloha State.
15. First licensed casino in Las Vegas was in 1931.
16. Elvis Presley performed 837 consecutive sold out shows at the Las Vegas Hilton.
17. In 1960, United Airlines became the first airline to provide jetliner service to Las Vegas via McCarran Airport.
18. Plenty of good hair days as the average humidity in Las Vegas is about 29 percent. Average temperature is 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
19. The famous “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” sign was installed back in 1959.
20. The New York-New York Hotel and Casino has been the only destination on the Strip without its own marquee.
21. Howard Hughes stayed at the Desert Inn for such a long period of time that he was asked by the hotel’s owner to check out. He later decided to buy the hotel.
22. In what has to be great Vegas casino news, the average visitor spends four hours of their vacation gambling.
23. The 6,852 room MGM Grand Hotel and Casino washes 15,000 pillows daily.
24. The MGM Grand is also home to 18, 000 doors – more than any other hotel in Las Vegas.
25. Although it is located in the middle of a desert, the Spanish translation of Las Vegas is “The Meadows.”
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25 Interesting (and Odd) New York Facts
25 Interesting (and Odd) California Facts
25 Interesting (and Odd) Chicago Facts
Image: Wikimedia Commons
