Las Vegas is famous for its supersized and lavish casino’s however recently the city has found it difficult to cope with the growing online market. Internet gaming has grown significantly in recent years with millions now opting to take part in casino games online.

Players can now access the games from the comfort of their own home allowing them to win huge amounts in without having to travel to a land based casino.

This new conception was an instant hit with millions beginning to to play online. Roulette, Poker, Blackjack, Slots and many other table games are all on offer at thousands of casinos in several different countries. As a result places like Las Vegas have struggled to attract new visitors.

Technology has come so far that players can now visit 3D online sites, where the physical environment is based on real life Vegas styled casinos. Industry experts believe that these could well be the future of gambling as sites such as Buzz Luck and Le Croupier open their doors for the first year of business.

This coupled with the economic downturn have resulted in Vegas profits and visitor numbers being hit hard. Already many construction projects have been put on hold as Las Vegas looks to weather to storm.

Las Vegas has had its fair share of Hollywood limelight over the years. This gaming capital of the world is featured in numerous films. For some it plays a key role in the script, in others it is merely has a cameo apperance. The size of the hotels, wealth and glamor attract many film writers and directors. Heres a list of some of the most famous films featuring Vegas:

Con Air – This action thriller staring Nicolas Cage features Las Vegas near the end of the movie. Cage actually lands an airplane on the Las Vegas Strip destroying half of it as he goes. Thankfully this hasn’t happened in real life. I couldn’t bare to see that amount of destruction on the strip.

Fear and Loathing in Vegas – This psychedelic quirky drug comedy starring Johnny Depp at his best portrays Las Vegas in the 1960s. Depp and a friend travel to the city with a case full of drugs which turns into long schizophrenic trip. The film also documents their stay in the famous flamingo hotel.

Casino – Casino was directed by the famous Martin Scorsese and tells the story of a Mafia member managing the large Tangiers casino on the strip. The film depicts the wave of mob crime which took place in the 1970s and 80s. You gain a great image of how Vegas was in those days from watching this film which, shows the glamor, wealth and extravagance the city has to offer.

Viva Las Vegas – This film starred the king of rock Elvis Presley as he played a character who wanted to win the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The song has become world famous and the movie helped the reputation of the city grow.

Oceans 11-This film starred all the the stars including, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julie Roberts and George Clooney. The plot is based on a group of robbers stealing from the famous Bellegio Casino.

MGM has announced a 69 % drop in profits for its 2nd year quarter. The MGM group own the MGM Grand complex and are one of the largest and most powerful organizations in Las Vegas. In spite of this decrease bosses at MGM are confident that they are not the worst effected and have out performed competitors.

“Our numbers have been rather good” given the economic decline, Chief Executive Terry Lanni said. “Las Vegas didn’t fall off the end of the earth, into the abyss.” Several competitor construction projects have had to been out on halt because of the economic recession.

“We have great physical facilities and we’ve consistently reinvested substantial sums of money, which allows customer to enjoy a better product at every level,” said Lanni.

The economic doesn’t show any signs of improving and Vegas chiefs will be looking for new marketing ideas to improve their finical position. With the rising costs of fuel and the options available at online casinos, Vegas chiefs are certainly feeling the full brunt of the economic recession. MGM grand are concentrating on luring middle eastern customers to Vegas in an attempt to attract a new customer base. The city has held its own against the economy in the past, but will it survive this time?

UK online casinos are now becoming very popular with online users. But nothing will compare to the Las Vegas experience. It is a world famous city, but still relatively new, so you may be thinking how it became the gambling capital of the world, well here a brief history of the city….

Las Vegas as we know it today is one of the most famous, extravagant, colorful cities around the world. The city can be found in the Nevada desert and has a rich history from its formation to its current day status of being the gambling capital of the world. Heres a brief history lesson in how the famous city was formed.

In 1855 Mormon setters from Salt Lake city traveled to the desert oasis to build a railway track through the Las Vegas springs. After building a small colony community the Mormons left due to constant raiding from Indians. In 1890 rail workers decided that the area of Las Vegas would be perfect for creation of a small town and stop off point due to its water rich oasis. The rail road was created and connected to several major towns near the region. The town was soon being built with small saloons, bards and shops opening.

Nevada was the first state to legalize gambling but in 1910 gambling was strictly outlawed. No form of betting was allowed even the flicking of a coin! Instead of gambling being driven out of the town, it simply only grew with several illegal casinos being setup up feeding the growth of an underground gambling industry. By the early 1930s the industry was thriving as the town grew and became larger and larger. Gambling was once again legalized in 1931 in an attempt to create taxes and funding for schools and state education. Now the state relies heavily on the income of gambling to help pay for state projects.

Vegas was pretty much unaffected by the depression in the 1930s due to the amount of local economic growth taking place in the town. Hotels and casino’s were beginning to rise all over the town, the Hoover dam was constructed providing electricity in the region. During WW2 the Nellis Airbase was constructed and was the base for thousands of trainee pilots, many of whom took up residency in Vegas. Even today, many in Vegas are connected in some way to the air base.

After the war the town soon grew into a city and more hotel and casino complexes where being constructed. The El Rancho complex was the first successful hotel and casino complex on the now infamous strip. During the 1940 several new casinos were constructed along the same strip of road. These first generation era casino were renovated or demolished throughout time and by the 1960s the most famous was the Flamingo Hotel which was owned by Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel who was part of a notorious crime squad around that time.

The flamingo hotel still exists today and is part of the Hilton hotel group. The building boom continued throughout the 1950, with several big hotels being constructed including, the Tropicana, Hacienda, Stardust and Rivera Hotels. Every year hotels were being built and most were making huge amounts of money. Visitors were increasing every year and hotels and casinos were in demand. This growth has continued until this very day.

When gambling was legalized in other states such as Atlanta in 1976, Nevada could no longer pride itself as the only region in the US to legally gamble. It was at this time that plans for Mega Hotel/ Casino complexes were drawn up to make sure visitors kept returning to Vegas. Vegas chiefs increase the appeal of Vegas by not just appealing to tourists for gambling reasons. Before only gamblers would visit the city but, hotels owners and investors saw the need to expand facilities and entertainment to attract families. Through the 1980s and 90s theme parks were added to casino’s, further attractions were added for tourists to enjoy.

Vegas simply grew bigger and bigger as Hotels and casinos competed for the most extravagant complexes and facilities. Now the city boasts the greatest hotels in the world, numerous themed parks and of course at the heart of the city, the greatest casino’s facilities.

Its an amazing story. Who would would have thought the desert spring valley discovered just over 100 years ago would become such an iconic, famous and entertaining city loved by millions of visitors a year. Online gambling casinos are now the new rage, but they will never be able to replicate the character and atmosphere of Vegas.

The city of Macau is being dubbed the new Las Vegas by many. The city is located on south eastern coast of China and has recently made a name for itself as a gambling heaven. The area has thriving industries in textiles, toys, electronics and of course gambling.

As casino’s, such as the Las Vegas Sands, announce a loss in profits and shrinking share prices, the growth of Macau casino’s is unquestionable. The American economy is beginning to feel the effects of a recession, as Las Vegas casino operators are feeling these effects strongly already. The sand casino group however, also own the worlds largest casino in Macau and are currently building another Four season hotel in an area  of the city called the Cotai Strip.

The organization owns several commercial properties in Macau and are expanding in this region. In spite of this, back home in Vegas they are feeling the effects of the economic squeeze as are several other casino operators in the area. Macau is home to the Sands corporation’s Venetian Resort, which claims to be the worlds largest casino complex and is certainly one of the most premium venues in Macau.

Las Vegas casino’s will find it difficult to compete with this monster of a resort, as it has its own shopping mall with a Venetian canal running through the centre of it offering Gonadal rides! Visitors can also experience fine dining at its best by trying out the superb array of restaurants on offer. Entertainment wise, you don’t get any better than the Venetian. Watch international basketball, world class music stars and performers. Check out <a href=”http://www.venetianmacao.com/en/home.aspx/>their website</a> for more information!

The Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas is set to host a new TV show this Autumn, which will see normal members of the public go up against some of the world’s top poker players. ‘The Real Deal’ will give the audience and those on the stage the chance to play with and against the pros using wireless touch-screen devises.

Audience members will try to earn points which can be exchanged for prizes, from The Real Deal merchandise, all the way up to a $1 million grand prize.

The pros playing at the Vegas Casino include a number of the biggest names in the game, including Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth. Together the pros have accumulated over $48 million in poker prize money.

One of the pros, Doyle Brunson, commented: “Poker fans have been able to view and enjoy professional poker action for years on television. This is different. Everyone in the audience can be in the game and compete with the pros and other guests. It is a one-of-a-kind-poker experience.”

The inspiration behind The Real Deal, Merv Adelson, said: “Never before has poker been so integrated with entertainment,” “The popularity of poker is unquestioned, as is the viability of live game show experiences in Las Vegas. The Real Deal! will keep guests laughing and give them the unique chance to get into the heads of the world’s best pros as they share tips and strategy throughout the fast-paced game. We know it will quickly become a hot ticket.”

The Venetian Showroom in Las Vegas will be hosting the shows at 4pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Bellagio Hotel is probably the most famous hotel in the world. Since opening in 1998 the Hotel has provided an iconic image of Las Vegas and is recognized around the world. Employing approximately 10,000 staff its one of the largest Hotel’s in Vegas and cost $1.6 Billion to build. The famous fountains at the front of the Hotel have been used in several films, and the Hotel itself appeared in Ocean elevens, Thirteen and Lucky You.

The Hotel’s casino is used by thousands everyday and offers “Big Game” Poker tournaments. The World Poker Tour (WTP) hosts it events at the Bellagio casino and some of the biggest professional players can be frequently found at the poker rooms.

The Bellagio’s fountain display takes place every 30 minutes during the day and every 15 minutes after 8pm. The fountain shows also include a stunning 4,5000 light display and music to wow spectators. There are 3,933 hotel room ranging from basic guest rooms, to personal Villas and guest suites. There are four fantastic restaurants for guests to try all of which offer a huge variety of food.

The casino is heaven for anyone who enjoys playing, poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and slots. You can enter exclusive table matches with no limits or enjoy a small bet on a slot machine or roulette table. The facilities on offer provide everything a visitor could want or need. Swimming pools, spas, a golf course, art galleries discos and bars make sure visitors are never bored.

Let us know what you thought of the Bellagio hotel and casino by leaving a comment below

Las Vegas casino’s are feeling the effects of the growing online gambling industry. For years Las Vegas casinos have been unaffected from external forces and competitor’s, but now the Internet is starting to create a problem for Vegas casino chiefs.

Since 1995 the growth of online casino has been rapid. More games are available than ever before and players can visit the casino without moving from their living room. Now casinos are providing users with live dealers to improve the experience of online gambling.

Many gaming fans have been apprehensive with the idea of digital or online betting, not trusting the software used on many sites. What if however, sites used a live audio and video stream of dealers dealing cards? Well now this is a possibility.

Several online casino and poker sites are offering users live video streaming of dealers dealing cards. Players can talk with the dealer and witness their hands unfold from a live feed. This feature will make sure those who have concerns over the trust of online gambling sites, will now be able to play online casinos in confidence.

Dan Delgato, director of Lazerwager.com, said “With the addition of Live Dealer Casino software, players will no longer have to worry about being cheated by digital casino games since the outcome is determined from a real deck of cards actually being dealt in our casino.

This will be further bad news for casino mangers as it is expected that more players will opt to play at home with the confidence that they are being dealt an honest hand. Let us know what you think of live casino dealers on the internet by leaving a comment below.

Becoming a dealer in Las Vegas isn’t easy. The top casino’s will only employ the most trust worthy staff to work at their tables and cashiers. So if you want to become a casino dealer make sure you have a clean history and past experience.

Anyone who has a speck of dirt on their record will most likely be rejected. Experience and a clean record are essential to getting the table jobs as they are trusting you with large amounts money and players. Over the years several employees have been caught trying to steal money.

In past it used to be about who you knew not what you knew but now Las Vegas Casinos trust no one and employ maximum security systems. The amount of money going through a Las Vegas casino is frightening. I would love to know their daily earnings.

To become a dealer you need to complete a course at a dealers school where you can learn all casino games including, poker, blackjack, craps and roulette. After completing a course you can start working in smaller casino’s and then work your way up to the bigger super casino’s on the Las Vegas strip. Who knows one day you could be dealing the cards at a WSOP main event final.

The money to start off isn’t great, dealers can expect to be paid between $6.00 and $9.00 an hour. However with larger casino’s comes larger pay packets as well as big tips. Let us know if you have ever done any professional dealing in a casino and share your experiences with us by leaving a comment below.

Ricky Hatton has switched the Venue for his bout against Paulie Malignaggi to the MGM in Las Vegas. Hatton returns to the MGM grand complex in Las Vegas on either the 15th or 20th November to face Paulie Malignaggi, after losing to Floyd Mayweather at the same venue in December last year. The switch was decided so Hatton’s fans can afford to travel over and watch him in action again.

The MGM Grand Garden arena is home to some of the biggest sporting events on the globe, also attracting the best known names in music and entertainment. The arena can hold up to 16,800 people and has witnessed some the biggest boxing fights in history including bouts with Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko.

The complex also holds a huge casino offering gaming fans poker tables, slot machines and numerous other table games. The hotel offers visitors some of the best accommodation and service found in Las Vegas with the casino located at the centre of the complex.

Once again, Ricky Hatton’s loyal fans will be travelling in their thousands to support the Manchester man in the gambling capital of the world. 30,000 thousand fans descended on Vegas for his fight against Mayweather and a similar amount are expected for this event.

Will you be going to watch? or have you visited the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas? Make sure to leave a comment below telling us your experiences of this world famous casino.