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This page from my master list of all Las Vegas articles I wrote while developing Vanabode as the best travel vehicle for cheap easy long term road trips.

Las Vegas Casinos

Las Vegas casinos are the most famous casinos in the world and for the budget traveler like us they offer an enormous value. We have Vanabode camped here for months at a time on about $1,200 a month for BOTH of us including gas, food and lodging. There are at least 38 hotel-casinos centered on a four mile stretch called the Strip. It's not hard to find a hotel to fit your budget and your tastes. But since there are over 40 million people who visit Vegas every year, reservations are mandatory. Most visitors want to stay on the Strip, see the free local sites, take in the entertainment, gamble and have access to the convention center for business.

Most people who visit Las Vegas come for vacation or pleasure. When you plan your trip to Vegas, plan your time wisely. Be prepared to do a lot of walking. The casinos are huge and getting from one casino to the other is a hike. The good news is, there are many Las Vegas restaurants and diners along the way for resting and eating.

In Las Vegas casinos, you'll find sumptuous rooms with unbelievable amenities. But the hotels don't want you to stay in your room, they want you out on the floor gambling. They want you to enjoy yourself dining and spending money for entertainment or a show, preferably in the hotel you booked. For the young and restless, Las Vegas nightclubs offer drinking, dancing and a scene to be seen atmosphere.

downtown las vegas at night pic for free stuff to do

Of course, there are many free attractions to visit like the fountains at the Bellagio, the volcano in front of the Mirage and the Sirens at Treasure Island. These are one-of-a-kind attractions all within walking distance of each other. They make a romantic setting for Las Vegas honeymoons as well.

There are just a few big players who own all the Las Vegas casinos on the Strip. MGM Mirage is the largest land owner on the Strip with the MGM Grand, Bellagio, the Mirage, Treasure Island, Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus and the $7 billion "City Center Project." The Apollo Group which bought Harrah's Entertainment owns Caesar's Palace, the Rio, the Paris, Bally's, and the Flamingo on the Strip. Steve Wynn who once owned the Bellagio has the Wynn Hotel and the Encore. The Las Vegas Sands Corp., headed by Sheldon Adelson, owns the Venetian and the Sands Expo and Convention Center and the "Palazzo."

pyramid luxor at night from mix lounge skyscraper

Off the Strip, you'll find even more casinos. Downtown Freemont Street has some of the older casinos like the "Golden Nugget" and the Fitzgerald. But new casinos are springing up throughout Las Vegas designed specifically for local tastes. Station casinos, owned by the Fertita brothers, runs at least 15 casinos in the Las Vegas area including Red Rock and a 50% stake in Green Valley Ranch. Boyd Gaming owns the coast casinos such as the Suncoast, the Goldcoast, the Orleans, and Sam's Town. The hip Palms Casino is owned by the Maloof brothers. For some of the most exciting and possibly wildest time you will ever have, visit Las Vegas casinos. Details of just how to enjoy this incredible city cheaply you need the Vanabode book.

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