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About Vegas Info

Since 1999, providing a panoramic perspective of Las Vegas, including: history, food reviews, hiking, day trips, local information and photos of this great city.

5 Reasons Vegas Ain’t Just About The Gamble These Days

February 3, 2016

5 Reasons Vegas Ain’t Just About The Gamble These Days

Vegas has long been synonymous with one thing: gambling. The chances are, if you’ve been on a casino break at any point ever, it was to the good old Las Vegas desert in Nevada. The lifestyle that goes along with it is luxurious, and subsidised by the fact that they expect everyone to gamble. But do they? You may be surprised. Since 1978, when Nevada stopped being the only state where you could gamble, people have come for many other things. So, here are just five reasons why you should try Vegas for something other than the arcades and casinos….

You Can Gamble At Home Anyway

Seriously, online gambling has never been better. You can experiment with bingo, arcade games and even mobile slots. It’s all easily played from the comfort of your home, so once you get to Vegas, there’s time for an array of other activities since you’ll have already had your fix!

Vegas Is Now Charging For Parking

One of the subsidies – just like free alcohol, which when you think about it is a terrible mix – has always been that you got free parking in the thousands of spaces at casino parking lots. However, they’re starting to charge, and for the amount you’ll now be paying, it’s less of an incentive to just swing by for a quick game of blackjack. Instead, you can see a show, grab dinner or do any one of the amazing things the city has to offer.

The Food Is Amazing

Seriously, it’s amazing. If you’re just going for a gamble, you are doing it wrong. Save some money aside for one of the many impressive restaurants or even buffets with genuinely good food (which for a buffet, is rare!)

There Are Loads Of Activities

Whether you’re there for a pre-wedding celebration or a wedding itself, of course Vegas is notorious for a good time. You can enjoy cocktails with your close friends, or even tie the knot with Elvis as your priest! Of course, you may well want to see something cultural as well. You can get helicopter rides across the Grand Canyon from nearby Boulder, and the views are stunning. You can also shop til you drop in Vegas, or just have fun soaking up the decadence of it all.

The Hotels Are World Class

Whether they’re trying to attract new gamblers or not, there’s no denying that Vegas hotels are out of this world! The Luxor is like an Egyptian pyramid, whilst New York, New York is themed like The Big Apple and even has a roller coaster inside. The Venetian even has gondolas just like Venice! It’s not just the themes; you can enjoy some of the best pools in the world and the comfiest beds (seriously, you’ll sleep like a rock star at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino). Plus, beds are super cheap, because there are so many and they’re all trying to compete with one another!

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Live or Land Casino Play?

November 30, 2015
Dazzling Las Vegas welcomes millions of visitors every year

Dazzling Las Vegas welcomes millions of visitors every year

There’s no city on earth quite like Las Vegas. With its 24/7 excitement from the world’s most famous casinos to some of the biggest shows and sporting events on the planet – it’s a unique city with a charm of all of its own – that few would deny.

On the other hand, most of us simply can’t get to Las Vegas as much as we’d like to, but we still crave the excitement that the desert city brings. Of course, it’s no secret that the world of online gaming has witnessed a veritable explosion in recent years with millions of players from all around the world in countries where online gambling is legal playing online blackjack, poker, slot machines, baccarat and a whole host of other traditional land-based casino games. Slots were an instant hit when Charles Fey first manufactured the Liberty Bell slot in 1887, and they’ve been popular ever since then. Today, online gaming sites like 32 Red, Skyvegas, Paddy Power not only provide players with a plethora of slot gaming choice with titles like Tomb Raider – the Secret of the Sword. They also go to great lengths to provide the kind of excitement the real Las Vegas brings with table games such as roulette, poker and blackjack as well. Anyone with an internet connection can enjoy the thrill of casino gaming whenever they want.

But which of the two styles of gaming provide the biggest pay-outs and the best chances of winning?

Well first let’s deal with the question of why one would prefer online to being in Vegas itself. The sheer ease of access and availability of online gaming is a big plus – as is the speed at which gamers are able to play. Some of the best sites like the afore-mentioned and award-winning 32Red and others really do a great job of re-creating the atmosphere of a genuine Las Vegas casino given superb graphics, sound effects and an overall sense of realism that has to be seen to be believed. You simply can’t compare the convenience of playing online with the physical and financial effort involved in travelling to Vegas to sit and play the same games.

But perhaps nothing can quite compare with Las Vegas itself and its exhilarating culture. Online casinos may do all they can to create the right atmosphere but sadly, they can only virtually let you wander down the world famous Las Vegas strip. A walk along Las Vegas Boulevard is a truly unique walk along what is probably the world’s most famous strip. Many tourists begin their sightseeing at the renowned “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” neon sign before strolling on along the whole length of the Vegas Strip.

Inside Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

Inside Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas

Here, you’ll find some of biggest names and most-recognised casinos in Las Vegas if not the world, including the Caesar’s Palace. the MGM Grand, Circus Circus, the Luxor, Bellagio, Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino, New York – New York, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and many more.

And it’s true – there is nothing quite like the real thing … unless you simply want the ease and availability of gaming quickly wherever you happen to be and that’s where the online gaming beats the live casinos hands-down of course.

The biggest wins

But what about when it comes to biggest wins? Well theoretically, there should be no greater chance on one than another, with the exception of two factors; the double zero additional slot in Las Vegas casino’s roulette wheels which means the house has the additional edge that you won’t find in online gaming houses – and the myriad special offers and bonuses the online providers use to tempt you in and encourage you to stay loyal. And these can be quite sizeable so it’s always worth checking for the best offers and latest updates etc.

As for the biggest ever winners, factory worker, John Orchard, from Long Sutton in England enjoyed an enormous online slots win in 2012, when he bagged a whopping £5.8 million for a 30p stake.

John’s win was almost matched for cash and more than matched for the odds in 2013 when a Scottish fisherman won £5.4m playing online slots for a 20p stake.

As for land-based real-life casinos; how about the incredible story of grand-mother Patricia Demauro at America’s second city of gambling, Atlantic City craps table. Patricia rolled the dice at a craps table a world-record-breaking 154 times without throwing a seven – though neither nor the casino were forthcoming about how much she’d won.

The final victory, though, goes to the online world. In January 2013, an online gamer from Finland broke a world record winning 17,861,813 Euros playing a Mega Fortune Slot!

Overall though, deciding which is best between live and land casino play is a little like comparing chalk with cheese in that you can’t truly say one is better than the other – they’re just different, but they’re both great fun.

 photos by: prayitnophotography & Daniel Ramirez

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Bitcoin in Poker Industry

September 9, 2015

bitcoinBitcoin in Poker Industry

Around the world, the big gaming companies and Poker players are increasingly allured by Bitcoin currency and using more and more bitcoin currency for all their monetary transactions. What is Bit coin? The simplest way to explain Bitcoin is that it is a type of currency which is virtual in nature and it is finding recognisation in the global finance world. Recently, various federal agencies suggested and agreed on the point that Bitcoin is a practical form of currency and there is need to find ways to accept it instead of refusing it. Rather, dramatically, value of Bitcoin rush forward, the reason behind is that China is amongst the countries which has joined the group of countries supporting Bitcoin deals and these countries are showing their financial interest in this new on the rise model of financial exchange. The velocity of changes in Bitcoin is so quick that no news is current for the reader. The basic motive of this article is to endow with poker players the basic understanding.

Pros of Bitcoin in Poker :

For Poker Players using Bitcoin is very advantageous. There are various aspects of bitcoin due to which it is very gainful to the poker players.

  1. Speculative feature of the Bitcoin. In Bitcoin, there is opportunity for the players for increase in their value of Bitcoin. Players can get return on investment as they can buy bitcoins at lower price and expect the value of currency to go up or may go down based on the market conditions.
  2. The poker sites which accept Bitcoin helps the poker players in having money on and off.while in other sites which uses traditional forms for payments, they do require a processor for payment and large time period for cashouts and we recommended you to try leading BTC gambling site for it.The transactions through this format that is Bitcoin are speedy and players can easily transfer money on and off from one site to another.
  3. Bitcoin driven sites allows players to play from all over the world, Poker players throughout the world can play with one another. For example in some states of USA, players can play poker online in their respective states only, but on bitcoin driven sites anyone can play.

Similarly,Poker players tries to assess the situation how to defeat an opponent by playing and observing the strategies and patterns used by players over time and how to make maximum utilization of the available information like betting patterns,tells,hands etc.Poker Plyers and companies tries to assess the implications and potentials of bitcoin in poker

Cons of Bitcoin in Online Poker :

  1. Bitcoin Sites are Unregulated Offshore Sites. According to some people using Bitcoin is not a problem but the problem is ethics to be followed by the online sites. The good Bitcoin sites are still striving to prove that their deals are fair. the risk is also involved with sites offering Bitcoin as government might take an action against them in some countries.
  2. Bitcoin Volatility as more and more people are lured towards Bitcoin and transact in Bitcoins ,its becomes more volatile. It is speculative and its value depends on various global factors which gives no guarantee to make a profit and value may go down.
  3. Bitcoin Use is Not unidentified. You can play poker at Bitcoin sites without giving any personal details ,but this is proven false. The reason is the use of bitcoins can be tracked within the block chain. A person’s personal bank account details can be tracked.
  4. The Tax Situation, according to some, the day may come when you may have to give the details of profit made through transactions in Bitcoins if they have increased in value and declare loss when the value of bitcoin go down and you sell it for less the value you bought.
  5. Bitcoin Is Not a Bank-Backed Currency form. Bitcoin is not a bank backed currency and that is why users favor it.But there is no safety net for users if the bitcoin industry stops functioning means there is no consumer protection.The principle of Bitcoin currency depends on trust.
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History of Slot Machines

August 26, 2015
Slot Machine

Slot Machine

Gambling has developed over the years and come a long way since its inception. Gambling is now known for various modern games with higher levels of sophistication. Yet there are some old games like Slots and pokies which are still popular in today’s modern world. These games started long back in the 20th century, and are still popular with vast number of people ever since.

Let us take an overview of slot machine history and how they have developed over the years in the gambling world. The history of slot machines is very old, it started long back in the year 1891, when the first ever version of slot machine was noticed. A machine with five drums was created by Pittman and Sachs, each drum showing poker hand symbols. The concept of paying while winning at these machines was different, when a player would win, the machine would not pay out rather Players would be served with drinks.

The version with which we are more acquainted today was created by Charles Fey. The machine would payout in cash to the players when they would win and they would win when machine would reveal matching symbols. These machines became very popular within short time period until a ban was enacted by anti-gambling groups in the early 20th century on these slot machines.

The Slots become popular again in online casino Netbet because the ban could not last for a long time. The period of fifties was the time when slot machines started to become admired by so many people around the world. It was the year 1953, when Australian Gaming Company Aristocrat noticed the new trend and manufactured its own product of electronic gaming machines called pokies.’ Clubman’ was the name given by the company to its first machine.

Over the years, casinos in Las Vegas started making electronic slot machines and became very popular because they were very different from typical and mechanical slot games. These electronic slots were very popular because they were more secure than typical slot machines. It was during this time, invention of random number generator took place, and this made slots even more unpredictable.

Slots remained the same over the next few decades. Online slots came into being with the turn of century. It was around year 2001 when first online slots were seen, it was the time when first internet casinos went live. First online slot machines were created by companies like Microgaming available to the people.

Of online casinos, slots have become some of the most preferred games by the players over past few years. 80% of land-based casino revenue is generated by slot machines. Nowadays online world is filled with so many different types of slot games with special features and innovative themes and players have so many options available to choose from. Branded and theme based slot games are available to players with wide range.

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Daily Neon: The Flame Restaurant

July 28, 2015
The Flame Restaurant - Historic Sign

The Historic Flame Restaurant Neon Sign

The Flame Restaurant sign was originally installed in 1961 on the roof of the restaurant on Desert Inn Road. It was restored through a generous donation from Rich Travis. The sign was installed as part of the Neon Museum on July 8, 1997. It can now be found on the southwest corner of Fremont Street Experience and Las Vegas Boulevard. It is believed to have been designed by Hermon Boernge and was built by Young Electric Sign Co.

Photo by: Las Vegas360.com

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Daily Neon: Arby’s Neon sign on Decatur Blvd. now gone

July 20, 2015
Arby's Classic Neon Hat sign

Arby’s Classic Neon Hat sign was found on Decatur Blvd Near Meadows Lane

Another classic neon sign has been removed in Las Vegas and it’s not the flashy ones found on the Strip or on downtown. The old Arby’s location (store #592) on Decatur Blvd. near Meadows Lane has been shuttered and the classic ten-gallon neon hat sign now removed, but I caught a photo before it was removed.

Photo by: Las Vegas360.com

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