This was mainly due to Bugsy Siegel, who built the first large Flamingo casino in the Nevada desert, whose construction was financed by money borrowed from the American mafia. Other hotels and casinos quickly followed that example, creating the famous Las Vegas Boulevard, also known as The Strip.įor the next decades, gangs, mafia, and drug cartels overtook control of Las Vegas and used casinos and hotels to launder money to finance illegal activities. This resort was constructed a few miles outside the city next to the U.S. The first one worth mentioning is El Rancho Vegas, which was built in 1941. However, we will be most interested in 1931, when gambling was legalized in Nevada and began construction of the first casinos. A few years later, the settlement gained the status of a town thanks to the construction of the Hoover Dam. The first mention of Las Vegas was from 1905 when a settlement called Las Vegas was built in Nevada near Fort Baker. If you are going to the famous city of gambling, we bring you the best casinos and hotels which you can visit. During its more than 100-year history, it has attracted millions of tourists who have spent billions of dollars on gambling and on other entertainment that casinos in Las Vegas can offer. Las Vegas is undoubtedly the most famous sin city in the world.