Today, it houses among the most luxurious and well-known hotels in the world, but less than a hundred years ago, there were hardly any people who were willing to bet on the success, of the city in the middle of the desolate desert. This is the story that made Las Vegas the gambling capital of the world.
In the third decade of the twentieth century, Las Vegas, and the state of Nevada, had a devastating economic decline – in the wide and rather desolate desert, it was not possible to maintain local agriculture, the mines were abandoned and the great economic depression that hit the United States and eventually the whole world, degraded the entire economy and had a very severe impact on places as far away as Las Vegas.
The city of gambling and the state of Nevada almost didn’t stand a chance. But then, an extraordinary move, gave a boost to this unfortunate place, and over the years that same move, made Las Vegas one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
On March 19, 1931, the governor of Nevada at the time, Frederick Bennett Balzar, signed on Act 98, which legalized gambling in the state. Nevertheless, the same move was seen as a desperate attempt to revive the moribund economy in the state of Nevada.
But amazingly the results were positive, and soon many casinos began to open in Las Vegas. The gambling revenue allowed the casino owners to invest their money and build bigger resorts, attracting more tourists, including families, and ultimately more investments.
The legal gambling industry led to an increase in population in the state of Nevada – first in Las Vegas and then throughout Nevada.
