There are a lot of timelines out there reflecting the history of casinos in
Las Vegas. Here's another.
| Year | Month | Day | Event |
|---|
| 1906 | January | 13 | Nevada Hotel opens |
| | | | |
| 1931 | April | 1 | Las Vegas Club opens |
| | April | 1 | Boulder Club opens |
| | May | 2 | Meadows Club opens |
| | May | 5 | Pair-O-Dice Club granted gaming license |
| | September | | Meadows Club burns |
| | | | Nevada Hotel becomes the Sal Sagev |
| | | | |
| 1932 | | | Nevada Club opens |
| | | | |
| 1934 | May | 4 | Apache opens |
| | | | |
| 1935 | | | New Sal Sagev Hotel built on the site of the Hotel Nevada |
| | | | Meadows Club sold to Stearns, Stearns, and Potter |
| | | | |
| 1941 | April | 3 | El Rancho Vegas opens |
| | November | 7 | El Cortez opens |
| | | | |
| 1942 | April | 1 | Meadows Club closed |
| | April | 10 | Pioneer Club opens |
| | October | 30 | Last Frontier opens |
| | | | |
| 1944 | December | 22 | Casino portion of the Apache Hotel becomes the S.S. Rex |
| | | | |
| 1946 | August | 30 | Golden Nugget opens |
| | December | 24 | Flamingo opens |
| | | | |
| 1947 | April | 8 | Club Bingo opens |
| | July | 8 | S.S. Rex becomes the Eldorado Club |
| | | | Flamingo closes and reopens |
| | | | |
| 1948 | September | 2 | Thunderbird opens |
| | | | |
| 1950 | April | 24 | Desert Inn opens |
| | December | | Silver Slipper opens |
| | | | Club Bingo goes bankrupt |
| | | | |
| 1951 | August | 2 | The Eldorado becomes Binion's Horseshoe |
| | | | Last Frontier purchased by Kozloff and Katleman |
| | | | |
| 1952 | October | 7 | Sahara opens on the site of the former Club Bingo |
| | December | 15 | Sands opens |
| | | | |
| 1953 | | | Frontier Club closes |
| | | | |
| 1954 | September | 3 | Showboat opens |
| | | | |
| 1955 | April | 4 | Last Frontier renamed New Frontier |
| | April | 20 | Riviera opens |
| | May | 23 | Dunes opens |
| | May | 24 | Moulin Rouge opens |
| | October | | Moulin Rouge closes for the first time |
| | | | Golden Gate casino opens on the property of the Sal Sagev |
| | | | |
| 1956 | May | 18 | Fremont opens |
| | October | 12 | Hacienda hotel opens, the casino would open in 1957 |
| | | | Last Frontier renamed the New Frontier? |
| | | | Pioneer Club closes |
| | | | Dunes sold to James Gottlieb |
| | | | |
| 1957 | April | 3 | Tropicana opens |
| | July | 11 | Mint opens |
| | October | 18 | Sans Souci Hotel opens |
| | | | Apache closes |
| | | | |
| 1958 | July | 2 | Stardust opens on site of Royal Nevada |
| | | | Moulin Rouge closes for the last time |
| | | | |
| 1960 | June | 17 | El Rancho Vegas burns down |
| | | | Flamingo Capri opens |
| | | | Recrion Corporation acquires the Stardust and the Fremont |
| | | | |
| 1961 | September | | The Del Webb Corporation buys the Sahara |
| | | | |
| 1963 | February | | TallyHo opens |
| | September | 1 | Sans Souci becomes the Castaways |
| | | | Jackie Gaughan purchases El Cortez |
| | | | Westward Ho opens |
| | | | |
| 1964 | | | Lady Luck opens |
| | | | Casino Royale opens |
| | | | Wilbur Clark sells his ownership in the Desert Inn |
| | | | |
| 1965 | | | Last Frontier demolished |
| | | | Jackie Gaughan purchases the Western |
| | | | |
| 1966 | April | 1 | Milton Prell purchases the TallyHo and renames it the Aladdin |
| | June | 2 | Four Queens opens |
| | July | 23 | Howard Hughes purchases the Sands |
| | August | 5 | Caesars Palace opens |
| | | | |
| 1967 | March | | Desert Inn sold to Howard Hughes |
| | July | 1 | Bonanza opens |
| | | | New Frontier sold to Hughes, renamed the Frontier |
| | | | Kirk Kerkorian buys the Flamingo |
| | | | |
| 1968 | October | 16 | Circus Circus opens |
| | | | Boardwalk opens |
| | | | |
| 1969 | July | 1 | Landmark opens |
| | July | 2 | International opens |
| | | | Nevada Club closes |
| | | | Jay Sarno sells Caesars |
| | | | |
| 1970 | | | Bonanza closes |
| | | | Kerkorian sells International and Flamingo to Hilton |
| | | | Paddlewheel opens |
| | | | Tropicana sold to Trans-Texas Airways |
| | April | 19 | Royal Nevada opens |
| | | | |
| 1971 | January | 1 | Western opens its hotel |
| | | | Kerkorian sells Flamingo to Hilton |
| | | | Royal Casino opens |
| | | | Union Plaza opens |
| | | | Ralph Englestad purchases Flamingo Capri |
| | | | Allen Glick purchases the Hacienda |
| | | | Tropicana sold to Deil Gustafson |
| | | | |
| 1972 | July | | Royal Inn Casino |
| | | | Four Queens is purchased by the Elsinore Corporation |
| | | | |
| 1973 | March | | Meshulam Riklis purchases the Riveria |
| | July | 5 | Bonanza becomes MGM Grand (now Bally's) |
| | July | 7 | Holiday opens |
| | August | 1 | Steve Wynn takes control of the Golden Nugget |
| | | | Key Largo opens |
| | | | |
| 1974 | May | 1 | King 8 opens |
| | | | Carousel closes |
| | | | Nevada Hotel opens |
| | | | Slots-A-Fun opens |
| | | | Argent Corporation purchases the Stardust and the Fremont |
| | April | 24 | Royal Las Vegas opens |
| | | | |
| 1975 | January | 1 | California Hotel opens |
| | May | 1 | Marina opens |
| | May | 1 | Silver City opens |
| | | | Gold Spike opens |
| | | | Sal Sagev renamed Golden Gate |
| | | | |
| 1976 | | | Flamingo Capri becomes Imperial Palace |
| | | | Bingo Palace opens |
| | | | Foxy's Firehouse opens |
| | | | The Flamingo becomes the Flamingo Hilton |
| | | | |
| 1977 | January | | Thunderbird renamed the Silverbird |
| | May | 20 | 20th Century opens |
| | July | | Maxim opens |
| | | | Main St. Station opens |
| 1978 | July | 1 | The Nob Hill Casino opens |
| | | | The Holiday International opens |
| | | | |
| 1979 | March | 2 | Barbary Coast opens |
| | July | 13 | Vegas World opens |
| | November | 1 | Imperial Palace opens |
| | December | | Tropicana purchased by Ramada Hotels |
| | | | Nevada Palace opens |
| | | | Sam's Town opens |
| | | | Slots-A-Fun purchased by William Bennett and Bill Pennington |
| | | | Paul Lowden completes purchase of the Hacienda |
| | | | |
| 1980 | June | 28 | Sundance opens |
| | November | 21 | Tragic fire at the MGM Grand |
| | | | Imperial Palace opens |
| | | | Riviera files for bankruptcy |
| | | | |
| 1981 | May | 22 | Gold Spike opens |
| | | | Ed Torres purchases Silverbird, renames it the El Rancho |
| | | | |
| 1982 | April | 30 | Continental opens |
| | October | 20 | Paul Lowden buys the Sahara |
| | | | |
| 1983 | | | Paddlewheel opens |
| | | | Pioneer Club reopens |
| | | | Slots O Fun opens |
| | | | Gold Spike purchased by Jackie Gaughan |
| | | | Bennett and Pennington purchase Circus Circus |
| | | | |
| 1984 | | | Bingo Palace renamed Palace Station |
| | | | Paradise Sold and renamed Treasury |
| | | | |
| 1985 | | | Bourbon Street opens |
| | | | Town Hall Casino opens |
| | | | Boyd Gaming buys the Fremont Hotel and the Stardust |
| | | | |
| 1986 | December | 21 | Gold Coast opens |
| | | | Kerkorian sells MGM Grand to Bally's, property renamed |
| | | | Bally's purchases MGM Grand and changes its name |
| | | | |
| 1987 | September | 2 | The Holiday International closes and reopens as the Park |
| | | | Steve Wynn purchases the Castaways and closes it |
| | | | |
| 1988 | February | 1 | Kirk Kerkorian purchases the Sands |
| | March | 17 | Sundance renamed Fitzgeralds |
| | | | Elardi family purchases the Frontier and Silver Slipper |
| | | | Silver Slipper closes |
| | | | Arizona Charlie's opens |
| | | | Kirk Kerkorian buys the Desert Inn? |
| | | | Ellis Island opens |
| | | | Foxy's Firehouse closes |
| | | | Mint becomes part of Binion's Horseshoe |
| | | | Royal Casino closes |
| | | | Sheldon Adelson purchases the Sands |
| | | | |
| 1989 | July | | O'Shea's opens |
| | November | 22 | Mirage opens |
| | December | | Ramada spins off Tropicana as part of Aztar Corporation |
| | | | Treasury renamed Hotel San Remo |
| | | | |
| 1990 | January | 15 | Rio Opens |
| | June | 19 | Excalibur opens |
| | November | 9 | Vacation Village opens |
| | November | 27 | The Nob Hill Casino closes |
| | November | 30 | Marina closes |
| | | | Park closes |
| | | | Royal Casino reopens as Royal Hotel Casino |
| | | | |
| 1991 | February | | Santa Fe opens |
| | August | 30 | Main St. Station opens (same site as the Park) |
| | | | Landmark closes |
| | | | Kirk Kerkorian sells the Desert Inn to ITT Sheraton? |
| | | | Paddlewheel closes |
| | | | |
| 1992 | July | 6 | El Rancho closes |
| | | | Casino Royale opens |
| | | | Holiday renamed Harrah's |
| | | | Main St. Station closes |
| | | | Nevada Hotel closes |
| | | | Union Plaza renamed Jackie Gaughan's Plaza |
| | | | Mirage Resorts purchases Dunes |
| | | | |
| 1993 | January | 26 | Dunes closes |
| | October | 15 | Luxor opens |
| | October | 27 | Dunes imploded |
| | October | 27 | Treasure Island opens |
| | December | 18 | MGM Grand opens |
| | | | Paddlewheel purchased by Debbie Reynolds and renamed after herself |
| | | | Desert Inn purchased by ITT Sheraton |
| | | | Boyd Gaming purchases Main St. Station |
| | | | |
| 1994 | July | | Boulder Station opens |
| | August | 16 | Boomtown opens |
| | | | Boardwalk acquired by Holiday Inn? |
| | | | Casino Royale opens on the site of Nob Hill |
| | | | Fiesta opens |
| | | | |
| 1995 | February | 1 | Vegas World closes |
| | March | 10 | Hard Rock Casino opens |
| | November | 7 | Landmark imploded |
| | December | 14 | Fremont Street Experience opens |
| | | | Fiesta opens |
| | | | Pioneer Club closes |
| | | | Texas Gambling Hall & Hotel opens |
| | | | Vegas World closes |
| | | | The Union Plaza becomes Jackie Gaughan's Plaza |
| | | | William Bennett purchases the Sahara |
| | | | Hacienda sold to Circus Circus |
| | | | |
| 1996 | April | 30 | Stratosphere opens |
| | June | 21 | Monte Carlo opens |
| | June | 30 | Sands closes |
| | October | 31 | Debbie Reynolds sold |
| | November | 22 | Main St. Station reopens under ownership by the Boyd Gaming |
| | November | 26 | Sands imploded |
| | December | 1 | Hacienda closes |
| | December | 18 | Orleans opens |
| | December | 31 | Hacienda imploded |
| | | | Bourbon Street closes |
| | | | Klondike opens |
| | | | Texas Gambling Hall & Hotel renamed Texas Station |
| | | | |
| 1997 | January | 3 | New York-New York opens |
| | August | | Key Largo opens |
| | November | 25 | Aladdin closes |
| | December | | Boomtown reopens as the Silverton |
| | | | The Reserve opens |
| | | | Royal Hotel Casino closes |
| | | | Silver City closes? |
| | | | Sunset Station opens |
| | | | Boardwalk acquired by MGM Mirage |
| | | | |
| 1998 | February | 1 | Phil Ruffin takes control of the Frontier, renames it the New Frontier |
| | April | 27 | Aladdin imploded |
| | July | 13 | King 8 reopens as the Wild Wild West |
| | August | 7 | World Wrestling Federation purchases the Debbie Reynolds |
| | August | | CBS Sports World Casino opens |
| | October | 15 | Bellagio opens |
| | | | Boomtown renamed Silverton |
| | | | Harrah's purchases the Rio |
| | | | Hilton spins off casino division as Park Place Entertainment |
| | | | |
| 1999 | March | 2 | Mandalay Bay opens |
| | March | 31 | Continental closes |
| | May | 4 | Venetian opens |
| | August | 1 | Harrah's sells Showboat to VSS Enterprises |
| | September | 1 | Paris Las Vegas opens |
| | October | 6 | Isle of Capri casinos acquires Lady Luck |
| | October | 31 | Silver City closed |
| | November | 21 | Maxim closed |
| | November | | Continental sold to Terrible's |
| | | | |
| 2000 | March | 7 | MGM Grand buys Mirage Resorts |
| | April | 27 | Steve Wynn buys the Desert Inn |
| | May | | Arizona Charlie's East opens |
| | June | 13 | Station Casinos buys the Santa Fe |
| | July | 20 | Station Casinos buys the Fiesta |
| | August | 18 | The new Aladdin opens |
| | August | 28 | The Desert Inn shuts its doors |
| | September | | Suncoast opens |
| | October | 3 | The El Rancho is imploded |
| | October | 18 | Station Casinos buys the Reserve |
| | December | 5 | Fitzgerald's bought by Don Barden |
| | December | 6 | Terrible's Casino opens (formerly the Continental) |
| | | | |
| 2001 | October | 23 | Desert Inn imploded |
| | November | 15 | Palms opens |
| | December | 18 | Green Valley Ranch opens |
| | | | Desert Inn Augusta Tower imploded |
| | | | Reserve renamed Fiesta Henderson |
| | | | Debbie Reynolds renamed Greek Isles |
| | | | |
| 2002 | | | American Real Estate Partners purchases the rest of the Stratosphere |
| | | | Aztar gains full ownership of Tropicana and it's land |
| | | | |
| 2003 | April | 29 | TLC Enterprises purchases the Four Queens |
| | June | 20 | Planet Hollywood purchases Aladdin |
| | | | Casino MonteLago opens |
| | | | Tuscany Opens |
| | | | |
| 2004 | January | 10 | Binion's Horseshoe is closed by state and federal officials |
| | January | 23 | Harrah's Entertainment buys Binion's Horseshoe |
| | March | 11 | MTR Gaming buys Binion's |
| | March | 25 | Barrick Gaming purchases Plaza, Las Vegas Club, Gold Spike, and the Western |
| | April | 1 | Binion's reopens |
| | June | 4 | Colony Capital purchases Las Vegas Hilton |
| | July | 1 | Boyd Gaming purchases/merges with Coast Casinos |
| | | | Tim Postner and Tom Breitling purchase the Golden Nugget |
| | | | MGM Mirage purchases Mandalay Bay Group |
| | | | |
| 2005 | April | 28 | Wynn Las Vegas opens |
| | June | 13 | Harrah's Entertainment purchases Caesars Entertainment |
| | August | 22 | Harrah's purchases Imperial Palace |
| | September | 27 | Landry's Restaurants buy the Golden Nugget |
| | November | 17 | Westward Ho closes |
| | December | 22 | South Coast opens |
| | | | Showboat renamed Castaways |
| | | | Castaways, formerly Showboat, closes |
| | | | |
| 2006 | January | 11 | Castaways, formerly Showboat, imploded |
| | February | 3 | Hooters opens on the site of the San Remo |
| | February | 12 | Lady Luck closes |
| | February | 14 | Bourbon Street imploded |
| | April | 6 | Riv Acquisition Holdings purchases the Riveria |
| | April | 19 | Red Rock Resort opens |
| | May | 9 | Boardwalk imploded |
| | May | 11 | Hard Rock sold to Morgans Hotel Group |
| | June | 30 | Klondike closed |
| | October | 2 | Boyd Gaming trades Barbary Coast to Harrah's for the site of the former Westward Ho |
| | October | 24 | Boyd Gaming sells the South Coast to Michael Gaughan. It is renamed the South Point. |
| | November | 1 | Stardust closes |
| | November | 16 | Columbia Sussex purchases Tropicana |
| | | | Tamares assumes the assets of Barrick Gaming |
| | | | |
| 2007 | March | 1 | Barbary Coast renamed to Bill's Gamblin' Hal & Saloon |
| | March | 5 | SBE Entertainment purchases the Sahara |
| | March | 13 | Stardust imploded |
| | April | 23 | Goldman Sachs purchases the Stratosphere and both Arizona Charlie's |
| | May | 15 | ELAD Properties purchased the New Frontier |
| | July | | Greek Isles changes hands |
| | July | 16 | New Frontier closes |
| | November | 8 | Station Casinos goes private |
| | November | 13 | New Frontier Imploded |
| | | | The Western closes its hotel. The casino and restaurant remain open. |
| | | | After changing hands one more time, the Gold Spike is purchased by the Siegel Group. |
| | | | |
| 2008 | January | 17 | Palazzo opens |
| | January | | TLC Enterprises buys Binion's |
| | March | 20 | Desert Rock Enterprises purchases half of the Golden Gate |
| | May | 5 | Columbia Sussex (Tropicana) files for bankruptcy |
| | May | 8 | Jackie Gaughan sells the El Cortez to the Epstein family |
| | June | 27 | Klondike demolished |
| | July | 1 | Tropicana Las Vegas purchases the Tropicana |
| | August | 28 | Eastside Cannery opens |
| | November | 11 | Aliante Station opens |
| | December | 22 | Encore opens |
| | | | |
| 2009 | March | 1 | M Hotel opens |
| | March | 20 | Phil Ruffin takes control of Treasure Island |
| | July | | Tropicana spin-off complete |
| | December | 14 | Binion's closes its hotel operations, keno lounge, and coffee shop. The casino and steakhouse remain open. |
| | December | 16 | Aria opens |
| | | | |
| 2010 | November | x | Plaza closes hotel and most restaurant operations. |
| | December | 15 | Cosmopolitan opens |
| | | | |
| 2011 | May | 16 | Sahara closes |
| | May | 23 | Herbst Gaming changes its name to Affinity Gaming |
| | September | 1 | Plaza reopens |
| | October | 20 | Stevens brothers acquire Fitzgerald's |
| | | | |
| 2012 | January | 3 | Las Vegas Hilton changes its name to LVH |
| | | 17 | The Western closes |
| | | | |
There are obviously some missing dates, and there are undoubtedly a few errors,
so let us know if you find anything for us to add or fix!