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 10th 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 7th 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.