36 Fascinating Facts About Las Vegas

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36 Fascinating Facts About Las Vegas

Las Vegas is more than just a destination for fun. We have a fascinating background that most people don't know. Today, I will give you 36 fascinating facts about Las Vegas.

Historical Facts

#1) The first structure in Vegas to be built by non-Native settlers was built in 1855 by Mormon missionaries. #2) Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel's car is permanently buried under The Flamingo. This was done after his assassination in 1947. #3) Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is the oldest hotel and casino in the city. It was initially opened in 1906 as Hotel Nevada. #4) The Old West Town of St. Thomas is buried in Lake Mead. There was a forced evacuation in 1938. #5) The first telephone in the city was installed in 1907 at Hotel Nevada. A plaque still commemorates it in Golden Gate Hotel and Casino. #6) The legalization of gambling in the city in 1931 made other parts of the country request the recall of Nevada's statehood.

General Facts

#7) "Las Vegas" means "the meadows" because of the water found in underground artesian wells. #8) The High Roller is the tallest observation wheel in the world, standing tall at 550 feet and measuring 520 feet in diameter. #9) Las Vegas Strip is actually under the jurisdiction of Clark County, not Las Vegas. #10) The famous Bellagio Fountain Show actually has more than 1200 fountains. #11) Las Vegas is the brightest spot on Earth with its millions of lights. #12) The city has more than 15,000 miles of neon tubing. #13) The annual rainfall in Las Vegas is only a little above 4 inches. #14) Over 300 weddings take place in Sin City every day. #15) The Stratosphere is the tallest observation tower in the country and the second-tallest free-standing structure west of the Mississippi River. #16) The Metropolitan area is the most densely populated area in Nevada, with a population of over 1.6 million. #17) The amount of shellfish consumed in Las Vegas is over 60,000 pounds per day, which is higher than the rest of the country combined.

Business Facts

#18) Las Vegas holds over 22,000 conventions annually. #19) Conventions attract over 6.6 million people to the city per year. #20) There are over 50 wedding chapels in Sin City. #21) The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Symphony Park is the 10^th in the world by ranking in ticket sales. #22) The biggest industry in the city is leisure and hospitality. Trade, transport, and utilities follow closely.

Gambling Facts

#23) Gambling makes up over 43% of Las Vegas casinos' revenue. #24) The largest amount of money anyone has ever won on the slots is $39 million at the Excalibur. #25) Of the 15% of people that visit Vegas primarily for gambling, only 71% of them end up gambling during their stay. #26) The biggest roulette to have ever been made in the history of Las Vegas was in 2010 at Golden Gate, and it was worth $250,000. #27) Sports wagering is a little above 2% of the state's total income. #28) The biggest bet that has ever been placed in a casino was by William Lee Bergstrom at the Binion's Horseshoe Casino in the 80s. It was worth $777,000 ($2.3 million today), and he walked in with the money inside a briefcase. Yes, he won!

Tourism Facts

#29) Over 42 million people visit Vegas annually. #30) When asked about the reason for visiting the city, 48% say they are here for vacation, 11% to attend conventions, and 5% to gamble. #31) 20 of the largest hotels in the world are in Las Vegas. #32) The average occupancy rate of hotels in the city is 88.9% #33) McCarran International Airport is the 7^th busiest airport in North America. #34) There are over 150,259 hotel rooms in the entire Vegas. #35) Over 51.5 million people fly through McCarran International Airport annually. #36) Most visitors that come to Vegas from the US come from California, Washington, and Texas.