The Battle for Las Vegas

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A closer look at the competition between MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment for supramecy on the Las Vegas Strip. Just two operating companies control a large part of the Casino business in the gambling capital. This video dives into the mergers, acquisitions, and high-stakes business gambles that led to today's fascinating situation. It presents an outlook on how the real estate business in Las Vegas is changing today.

Images via Getty, AP Newsroom
Map source by MapTiler / OpenStreetMap Contributors via Geolayers 3

[MockOverdrive]

I like how the video game, Fallout New Vegas, depicted the hotels as being ganglike factions competing for power, with one being ran by a mafia, another by cannibals, and one ran by a senior citizen with bloodthirsty robots. The House always Wins 💰

[andresth]

As a non-American, Las Vegas looks like such a surreal place

[mindob]

"While mom and dad gamble upstairs, the kids go downstairs to the arcade" responsible parenting right there

[zacka]

About a year ago, I was super drunk in Vegas trying to get back to my hotel and I kept walking around in circles because I kept seeing MGM on everything and thinking I was still all the way back at the actual MGM Grand hotel. I'm actually very familiar with where everything is on the strip and I don't get confused or disoriented if I'm not extremely drunk. But I was, so it was hopeless. I had to literally just sober up enough to realize the MGM logos were on other casinos, I'm not all the way back at the MGM Grand.

[eringanley]

Crazy how many monopolies exist where we might not even realize it. Love the visuals you did for this, really easy to get a sense of how everything shifted around until we got to how everything is today!

[GodTierComments]

I'm so glad that the 0.1% can avoid federal tax, I was worried for a moment that casinos might have to close down

[drumraider]

I do agree heavily that Vegas is like GTA. It really feels like it having lived here for years. People drive fancy cars with total disregard for traffic laws, there's crazy guns and many people are armed, there's constantly helicopters including police copters flying around, an airforce base nearby so sometimes you see jets in the sky, and the whole culture is over the top. Even our billboards are completely ridiculous, crazier than anything I saw growing up 18 years in the Midwest.

I once saw a digital billboard go from an ad for beer, to an ad for guns, to an ad for a Marijuana dispensary. Doing all those together is a felony but on a billboard in vegas? A typical Tuesday 😅

[AverytheCubanAmerican]

This is literally a Monopoly game in real-life. Another thing, these resorts are in Paradise, a town created in 1950 so that the resorts WOULDN'T pay taxes to the city of Las Vegas. Vegas tried to absorb the strip that year, and then the state government itself tried absorbing the strip for Vegas in 1975 and also failed.

Something else to note: When Treasure Island opened, it became the first Las Vegas resort to house a Cirque du Soleil show, called Mystère. Thus, this changed Vegas entertainment forever as more Cirque du Soleil resident shows dominated. O would later join at the Bellagio in 1998 with the feat of being Cirque's first aquatic show, then Zumanity at the New York-New York in 2003 (since retired in 2020 and replaced with the show Mad Apple), Kà at MGM Grand in 2004, The Beatles Love at The Mirage in 2006, Criss Angel Believe at Luxor in 2008 (retired in 2016), Viva Elvis at Aria in 2009 (retired in 2012 and replaced with Zarkana which retired in 2016), and Michael Jackson: One at Mandalay Bay in 2013.

[_PS.]

As a vegas native this honestly blew me back at a few points and made my jaw drop.

The fact the battle is alot deeper is amazing great work!

[IronicHavoc]

I literally just realized the Caesar's Legion being a faction in New Vegas was a reference to Caesar Entertainment.

[mtgbigdog]

War never changes. The battle for the Mojave strip raged on. Caesar’s Entertainment and The MGM continued to skirmish in the ruins of New Vegas, taking no prisoners. Only a courier, with luck 10, shot in the head by some junkie in Fremont, could bring change…

[xxDxxism]

One takeaway from this is companies can't make up their minds on a name

[richardtemple]

I would love to see a full history from say the 1960's to the present Las Vegas Strip. Showing what was where and when it was built and destroyed would be really impactful.

[Homer-OJ-Simpson]

The history of Las Vegas is fascinating. I've been there maybe a dozen times, a few times for pleasure and the rest for work. To think that the old popular part of Vegas was it's downtown by the 1970's or 1980's, the strip became the hot spot while downtown began to die out. The strip even pivoted in the 90's to family friendly only to drop that a few short years later.

When I first went to Vegas around 2005, downtown (Freemont Street) was dead and old. Looks nothing like today -- it was mostly seniors and locals. By around 2010 when I next went to Freemont, I saw some changes happening with new hotels plus the light show. It still didn't draw huge crowds like today but on my next trip to Freemont around 2015ish, it was a hot spot. Numerous improvements and modifications. It looked nothing like a decade before. Today, Freemont St is a must stop even for one day if you're visiting the strip. The light show is a great fun experience, there are at least 3 stages playing live music and sometimes even famous acts. I saw Shaggy perform for an hour for free with thousands of people watching.


Step away from downtown or the strip, and you have some areas serving great food. To the west of the strip is a huge area of great Asian food -- Chinese, Japanese and Korean. There are also great Mexican restaurants throughout the city. And from Vegas you can go to the lowest spot in the Americas which is the hottest place in the world -- Death Valley. Hoover Dam is a very popular half day trip for tourists and it's a must do. Or hit the mountains nearby, especially the beatiful Valley of Fire park.

[Beavis-ejny]

The most confusing thing is that Circus Circus in Las Vegas is an independent casino, but Circus Circus in Reno, is owned by Caesar’s Entertainment.

[MasterSluggyKornNuts]

I first went to Vegas in 1989 and then 1991. There was some growth then. But when I lived there from 2001 to 2015 to see the growth and change was tremendous on and off "The Strip". Even the Welcome To Las Vegas sign had to change and add parking because tourists were getting killed and or hurt crossing the street to take pictures.

[matthoward]

This is the best video explaining all of the acquisitions and mergers that I've ever seen. I remember this all happening in real time and didn't fully understand what exactly was going on. Thanks for the explanations

[noodlessurprise]

I stayed at the Venetian - it took 25 mins to get from my room to outside, it was a myriad of mazes to ensure you won’t leave the place.

[gfullcrayon]

Four years have passed since MGM Resorts held the Dam - just barely - against Caesars Entertainment onslaught.

The Legion did not retreat.

Across the river, it gathers strength. Campfires burned, training drums beat.

Through it all, the Vegas Strip has stayed open for business under the control of its mysterious overseer, Mr. House.

And his army of rehabilitated Tribals and police robots.

You are a courier, hired by the Mojave Express, to deliver a package to the Vegas Strip.

What seemed like a simple delivery job has taken a turn ...for the worse.

[CarolinaAutos]

I just moved to Las Vegas from the east coast (where I grew up, I'm 33 now) and WOW what a crazy place to live. I moved into the Downtown area on Fremont Street and I have to say I'm glad I didn't commit fully to the strip. It's a whole different vibe up this way and I love it. Enjoying learning more about my newly adopted city with videos like this