Las Vegas
Strip & downtown histories
View all →A living archive of the Silver State
Nevada was built on risk.
Here is what really happened.
True stories, primary sources, and timeless photographs from the people and places that shaped Nevada’s casinos. Carefully researched. Thoughtfully told.
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◇Reno
The original gambling capital
View all →Lake Tahoe
Resorts, roads & rivalries
View all →Beyond
Pioneers across Nevada
View all →Featured research
The year the dice hit the desert: 1931 and the birth of Nevada gaming
Long before the Strip, a small legislative change opened the door to consequences that still shape Nevada. Start with the story behind open gaming.
Read the research →New in the archive
Recently researched
2026 · Nevada Gaming History
The Silver Spur Casino in Carson City
From its 1955 opening across from the Nevada State Capitol to its final short-lived revival in 1978, the Silver Spur tells the story of a small Carson City casino trying to hold its ground.
2026 · Nevada Gaming History
Las Vegas Casino Timeline: The Turning Points
A clear timeline of the decisions, resorts, and reinventions that turned a desert rail town into the world’s best-known casino city.
2026 · Nevada Gaming History
Frank Costello, the Mob, and Las Vegas
Frank Costello’s influence ran through the partnerships, political connections, and casino accounting that linked New York organized crime to mid-century Las Vegas.
From the shelf
Go deeper with the books behind the research.
From the casinos of Reno and Tahoe to the power behind Las Vegas, Al W. Moe’s books tell the fuller story.
Explore the books