These Are The 4 Oldest Casinos On The Vegas Strip

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Las Vegas is constantly reinventing itself. The city once run by the mob (*supposedly – I don’t want to get whacked) is now run by billion dollar corporations. The Vegas Strip is especially corporate with two casino operators, Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, owning 18 of the 28 casinos.

The people visiting Las Vegas have changed too. Visitors don’t want the same things that their parents and grandparents wanted when they visited Las Vegas. The casino operators understand this and restaurants, bars and shows seem to rotate every few months to meet the demands of those visiting today.

New Vegas isn’t the same as Old Vegas and that’s a good thing for many people. However, there’s always a little love for the past. Earlier this year we said goodbye to one of the oldest casinos on the Vegas Strip. The Riviera was imploded to make way for an expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center in the next few years.

The next casino to go away won’t be erased from the landscape like the Riviera. Monte Carlo will undergo a major renovation to become Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas. Not all older casinos are closing or have plans for a complete makeover. Here’s a look at the 4 oldest casinos on the Vegas Strip:

Flamingo (Photo: Wikimedia)

Flamingo

Flamingo

The Flamingo is the oldest casino on the Vegas Strip. It first opened in 1946 and has undergone many changes over the past 70(!) years. There have been rumors floating around that another major makeover will begin by the end of the year. Time will tell about the rumors. The iconic property could certainly use a little TLC.

Tropicana (Photo: Wikimedia)

This was the 3rd oldest casino on the Vegas Strip until the Riviera was imploded. It’s now the second oldest casino on the Vegas Strip having opened in 1957. The Tropicana has undergone a few ownership changes in the past 10 years. Every owner tries to reinvent the casino while keeping the south beach feel. Expect more changes next year from new owner Penn National Gaming.

Caesars Palace (Photo: Wikimedia)

caesars_palacewiki

This iconic casino-resort has been celebrating its 50th anniversary all year long. Caesars Palace is a much larger property than it was in 1966. There are now 5 hotel towers, a mall, massive nightclub, grand pool complex, a huge casino floor and more. This property has come a long way over the years and shows no signs of slowing down.

Circus Circus (Photo: Wikimedia)

Circus Circus

The family friendly casino at the north end of the Vegas Strip opened in 1968. Circus Circus has been a go-to location for two groups of people over the years. The circus theme with rides and attractions is a great option for families visiting Las Vegas with children. More recently this older casino has been home to many bargain hunters just looking for an inexpensive hotel room on the Vegas Strip.

There have been rumors about changes happening to Circus Circus for the past 5 years or so but nothing more. Those rumors will eventually come true. If there’s any old casino that could see the end of days in the near future it might be Circus Circus.