Showgirls, neon signs, roulette tables—that's how we know Las Vegas. For some, it's a mecca for gambling and fun; for others, it's the end of the line. A look behind the scenes of Sin City.
Over half a million people call Las Vegas, Nevada, their home. Before 1930, gambling was illegal in the US, but with its legalization, the city quickly became the thriving center of an entire industry. At first, there were only simple casinos designed to attract visitors to the desert. Today, however, the city is characterized by gigantic hotels and more than fifty wedding chapels.
A little history
When Mexican Rafael Riveria was searching for an alternative route to Los Angeles via the Spanish Trail in 1829, he was amazed to discover a water source in the middle of the Nevada desert, complete with vegetation. It was a welcome discovery in this otherwise barren region. Riveria named the place "Las Vegas" ("The Meadows"). About 25 years later, a group of Mormons settled there on the orders of their prophet Brigham Young. However, due to crop failures and internal disputes, they broke camp again just two years later. Thanks to the water source, Las Vegas became an important stopover for travelers (both wagon trains and railroads) and thus grew in popularity. The city was finally officially founded in May 1905.
When gambling was legalized in 1931 and the construction of the nearby Hoover Dam brought many people to Vegas, the desert city began its rapid rise. In 1941, the first hotel, El Rancho Vegas, opened. In 1945, mobster Bugsy Siegel teamed up with several partners and bought theEl Cortez, the first luxury hotel with an attached casino. Siegel wanted more and began construction of the Flamingo hotel. The project was estimated to cost $1.6 million, but ultimately cost $6 million. The hotel was financed with money from the Mafia in Chicago and New York and from other sources. Just six months after opening, Siegel was the victim of a fatal attack in Los Angeles.
In the 1950s, nuclear bomb tests were conducted nearby in the desert. This attracted many curious visitors to the city, who wanted to watch the tests from a supposedly safe distance. But it was also the heyday of the Mafia. The casinos were booming, and the public was increasingly treated to performances by showbiz greats such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and others. The casinos' lavish profits were skimmed off before they were taxed. They financed the lives of the men behind the scenes, who were mostly based in Chicago or other major American cities. There is also repeated speculation about the connection between showbiz stars such as Frank Sinatra and the Cosa Nostra, but there is no evidence to support this.
Las Vegas was declared an "open city" by criminal syndicates. This meant that no single "family" was in charge. Anyone could do business here, and they took full advantage of this. Members of the mafia from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Cleveland, and other associations were active in the city. They weren't picky: protection rackets, corruption, white-collar crime —all these offenses were represented.
A billionaire changes everything
The arrival of film producer Howard Hughes changed Las Vegas forever. He first bought the Desert Inn, where he had been staying. When he realized how profitable this business was, he acquired five more hotels. As he expanded his property around the airport and acquired a lot of unused building land, he eventually drove the Mafia out of the city for the most part. No sooner had the mobsters left than another disaster struck the metropolis. In 1980, the 26-story MGM Hotel, then the largest hotel in the world, burned down completely. A total of 87 people died in this tragedy and more than 700 were injured.
With the opening of the Mirage in 1989, things started looking up again. Magicians Siegfried and Roy performed with their white tigers at the luxury hotel, which became a real tourist magnet. The Convention Center opened as the world's largest exhibition hall, attracting exhibitors and business people from all over the world to the city.
Since the 2000s, the city has been trying to change its image. More money is being invested in crime investigation. Leisure activities are intended to make Las Vegas more attractive to families. On October 1, 2017, tragedy struck the desert city. During a harvest festival (Route 91 Harvest 58), a gunman shot and killed more than 50 people. Several hundred were injured. The attacker had barricaded himself in the Mandalay Hotel and opened fire on the crowd with a submachine gun.
You always have to offer people something new.
Attractions such as the High Roller, the second-largest Ferris wheel in the world, and the Sphere, which opened in 2023, ensure that Las Vegas remains attractive to tourists. The Sphere is a huge spherical multi-purpose building completely covered with LEDs. Advertising messages or other animations can be easily displayed to a large audience on this new landmark with a diameter of 157 meters.
Even though the city wants to move away from its gambling image, the appearance of the metropolis is dominated by hotels. Due to fierce competition, hotels are constantly outdoing each other in terms of luxury, splendor, and amenities. This is also reflected in the construction costs. The construction ofthe Venetian, for example, cost $1.6 billion, while theWynncost $2.7 billion. Guests are to be pampered, so lush green lawns and impressive fountains, such as those atthe BellagioHotel, are simply a must.
However, this is not so easy in a desert city. The city's residents are required by law not to exceed their officially allocated water consumption. That is why you see inspectors, known as "Waste Water Investigators," making their rounds outside the Strip. It is not known whether such strict rules also apply to hotels.
In Vegas, you "experience" how moles feel.
One special feature of the city is its public transport system. The city relies on buses and, since 2004, the monorail. The monorail runs every four minutes, but only between a few hotels along the Las Vegas Strip. Tech billionaire Elon Musk has offered a solution to connect the airport to the hotels. His electric cars carry passengers through underground tunnels. The network is currently under construction, but it is already possible to travel from some hotels to the airport. The car travels through a tunnel system that is constantly monitored by cameras. Although the cars can drive autonomously, a driver is always present for insurance reasons.
Most residents prefer to use their own cars. To ensure that the many tourists can get through the city safely and quickly despite heavy traffic, there are a total of 15 pedestrian bridges. These are equipped with escalators and elevators. Since 2024, however, users have been prohibited by law from standing within six meters of the escalators/elevators to take photos of the city. Stopping to watch a street performer is no exception. The city justifies this measure by saying that it wants to avoid "traffic jams on the pedestrian bridge."
The dark side of Vegas
As beautiful and impressive as the city is at night, it certainly has its dark side. The majority of visitors still come for the thrill of gambling. But for some, there is another reason. Time and again, hotels experience "cold departures." This term is used when a hotel guest dies in the building. This happens frequently in Las Vegas, and some of these deaths are not due to natural causes. Suicide tourism.
A security guard at a large hotel says in an interview that "people in Vegas often end their lives." Most of them don't do this out of desperation because they have gambling debts. They come to the city specifically for this purpose. "Most of them have received a serious medical diagnosis," he says. These people want to decide for themselves how they spend their final hours. "But above all, they want to spare their relatives the sight."
TW: Suicide!!
Just recently, a man cut his wrists in the shower. He was rescued in time, but only by chance. He had fainted from blood loss and fallen onto the drain. The bloody water ran out of his room into the hotel hallway. Other guests then raised the alarm.
Precise statistics on the number of suicides among tourists in Sin City are not available. However, a doctor at the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office stated that the cause of death for 1,100 tourists who died in the city was suicide in 15% of cases. That amounts to approximately 160 suicides in one year (2023). Programs are already in place to train hotel staff to better deal with mentally unstable guests. But can this prevent someone who has come to the hotel specifically for this purpose from carrying out their plan?
Roulette and blackjack also claim their victims
But the city has other problems to contend with, such as gambling addiction. At 6.40%, the percentage of gambling addicts in Clark County is twice the national average. Gambling addiction and its consequences, such as social isolation, financial problems, and even conflicts with the law (property crime), can lead to acts of desperation. The number of suicides related to gambling addiction in Nevada is nine times higher than in the rest of the country. (As of February 2025)
So what is Las Vegas doing to help its citizens, families, and the community in general? Similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, there is a self-help group called Gamblers Anonymous of Southern Nevada. The "Gamblers Anonymous of Southern Nevada." Somewhat more general is the 12-step program of a Christian church in the city. It is aimed at all addicts (drugs, gambling, eating disorders, sex addiction, etc.). The organization "Gam-Anon" has focused on supporting the families and friends of gambling addicts.
The hidden problem
You only see them early in the morning. They lie on thin cardboard boxes, rolled up to protect their few belongings. Homelessness is a problem that the city would like to hide. It doesn't look good to the tourists who bring in billions in revenue. However, as a visitor, you won't see most of the homeless people. That's because most of these approximately 1,500 people live in tunnels. These tunnels are actually there to drain water from the city during heavy rainfall. But they have now become a shelter for people who have nowhere else to go.
Life in the tunnels is dangerous. When it rains, they flood within minutes. Several people have already drowned there. Anyone who thinks these shelters are located somewhere outside the city is mistaken. There are five tunnels in total, starting between the famous "Caesars Palace" and the "Rio" hotel on the Strip. The"Shine a Light"organization exists to help the people there get back on their feet. It is run by a former drug addict who himself lived in the tunnels for years. Because you can't call it "living."
The city of Las Vegas is trying to help people through a "Courtyard Homeless Resource Center." It is always open and offers medical assistance as well as housing and job placement services. The aim is to break the vicious cycle of homelessness.
Las Vegas is a city full of stories. It shouldn't be reduced to neon signs and gaming tables. Even though the city has its problems, like all big cities, it's still worth a visit. And not just to gamble or get married.
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Sources:
https://www.projectworthnv.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/25NHD009_Nevada-Leads-Report_Digital.pdf
https://www.ranker.com/list/how-mormons-built-las-vegas/philgibbons
https://elcortezhotelcasino.com/about-us/timeline/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bugsy-Siegel
https://themobmuseum.org/exhibits/open-city/
https://www.uamr.de/war-frank-sinatra-teil-der-mafia/
https://www.boringcompany.com/vegas-loop
https://vegasnews.com/articles/gambling-addiction-las-vegas-help/
https://www.nzz.ch/english/the-misery-of-the-homeless-in-las-vegas-living-in-tunnels-ld.1708954
https://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/Residents/Resident-Services/Homeless-Services
Interview with a security guard at the Blue Fountain Hotel, Las Vegas, in December 2025
Photos: Author and copyright holder: Ingrid Müller
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