Monday, October 03, 2005

Las Vegas History: The Dunes

I remember the Dunes when i first started going to Las Vegas the casino in the front part was nearly always empty but the main casino did okay. The Dunes casino entrance was flanked each side by fake palm trees and the casino was called the Oasis which i could never understand. The Dunes struggled for several years in the late 80's and i can remember towards the end the machines in the front casino often broken or wrapped in plastic which was weird. In 1993 Steve Wynn owner of Mirage Resorts bought the Dunes and its 170 acres for $70 million. The casino was probally not making money but it seems a bargain to me for such a large area on a prime location on the strip. Steve Wynn wasn't interested in the Dunes and within a few months had held a big event where he blew it uo. The hotel he built on the site was the most expensive at the time the $1.6 million dollar Bellagio. Its sad to see the Dunes in old movies and now its gone but thats Las Vegas which is always reinventing itself.

No comments: