Vegas History
2000 - A $3 billion deal closes to sell Caesars World Inc., including Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip, to Park Place Entertainment.
2000 - The Resort at Summerlin changes its name to The Regent Las Vegas.
2000 - MGM Grand Inc. announces the purchase of Mirage Resorts Inc., creating the largest corporate buyout in gaming history.
2000 - Station Casinos plans a $55 million expansion for its Texas Station in North Las Vegas.
2000 - The Clark County Department of Aviation unveils $1 billion plan for expansion and renovation of McCarran International Airport.
2000 - The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority awards a $113 million contract to PCL Construction Services to expand the Las Vegas Convention Center.
2000 - The two largest carriers to the Las Vegas market-Southwest Airlines and America West-add 2,762 seats.
2000 - Construction begins on Station Casinos’ latest hotel-casino, Green Valley Ranch.
2000 - Virgin Atlantic Airways begins first regular flights from England to Las Vegas.
2000 - Station Casinos purchases the Santa Fe hotel-casino for $205 million.
2000 - The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority opens an affiliate office in Sydney, Australia.
2000 - Caesars Palace announces plans to build a third hotel tower.
2001 - The Orleans plans $100 million expansion that will include the addition of a 620-room hotel tower, a 9,000-seat arena and a 40,000-square-foot casino.
2001 - Aloha Airlines announces daily round trips to Las Vegas from Honolulu and Maui.
2001 - Mandalay Resort Group announces plans to add a 1.8-million-square-foot convention center to Mandalay Bay.
2001 - ESPN Regional assumes ownership of the Las Vegas Bowl from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
2002 - NEONOPOLIS entertainment center opens downtown at the Fremont Street Experience.
2002 - JetBlue Airways announces daily service from Las Vegas to Long Beach.
2002 - For the first time, La Cumbre, the world’s largest trade show promoting travel to the United States among residents of the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America, comes to Las Vegas.
2002 - Wynn Resorts goes public with IPO for $1.85 billion megaresort, Le Rêve.
2003 - The $105 million ’40s themed property, The Cannery, opens its doors.
2003 - The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority debuts its new advertising campaign, “Vegas Stories” with the tagline, “What Happens Here, Stays Here.”
2003 - America West increases its number of daily trips between Las Vegas and Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, San Jose, Calif., and San Francisco.
2003 - The Stratosphere releases plans for its latest thrill ride, a teeter-totter like device situated nearly 900 feet above Las Vegas Boulevard, aptly called X Scream.
2003 - Steve Wynn changes the name for Las Vegas’ newest megaresort from Le Rêve to Wynn Las Vegas.
2003 - Las Vegas Premium Outlets open in downtown Las Vegas.
2003 - The Fashion Show mall completes a $1 billion expansion, including a towering outdoor multimedia platform called, “The Cloud.”
2003 - McCarran International Airport introduces new electronic ticketing kiosk system.
2003 - Mandalay Bay opens new 1,120-suite tower, THEhotel.
2004 - Park Place Entertainment Corp. officially changes its name to Caesars Entertainment.
2004 - Harrah’s Entertainment purchases Binion’s Horseshoe.
2004 - Boyd Gaming Corporation merges with Coast Resorts.
2004 - Mergers abound in Las Vegas. MGM MIRAGE announces plans to purchase the Mandalay Resort Group. One month later, Harrah’s Entertainment announces its plans to purchase Caesars Entertainment.
2004 - The Strip dims its lights for President Ronald Reagan’s passing. Other dignitaries to receive such a remembrance upon their passing have included President John F. Kennedy; Rat Pack members Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin; and George Burns.
2004 - The Las Vegas Hilton is sold to Colony Resorts for $280 million.
2004 - The Las Vegas Monorail, a $654 million mass transit system, opens to the public.
2004 - Las Vegas Sands releases new details about its planned $1.6 billion Palazzo casino resort on the Strip.
2005 - Las Vegas celebrates is Centennial year throughout 2005, beginning with the New Year’s fireworks display. Las Vegas will celebrate its 100th birthday on May 15, 2005, with the world’s largest birthday cake and a recreation of the 1905 land auction that started the Las Vegas community as we know it today.
2005 - Wynn Las Vegas, the destination’s newest megaresort, opens April 28, 2005.
2005 - Visitor volume for 2004 breaks tourism records with 37.4 million.
2005 - Wynn Las Vegas opens April 28, 2005. At $2.7 billion, the resort becomes the most expensive hotel and casino in the world.
2005 - “Condomania” hits Las Vegas. A multitude of developers ranging from Donald Trump to MGM MIRAGE announce plans for high-rise luxury condominium projects. By 2010, 10,000 to 15,000 condominium-hotel units are expected to be added to the current room inventory.
2005 - Las Vegas Sands breaks ground for The Palazzo, a $1.6 billion, 3,000-room resort adjacent to The Venetian.
2005 - MGM MIRAGE announces Project CityCenter, an “urban metropolis” with 4,000 hotel rooms and 1,650 condominium units. Project CityCenter will cost nearly $5 billion, making it the largest privately funded project in the United States.
2005 - Houston-based Landry’s Restaurants takes over downtown’s largest casino, the Golden Nugget.
2005 - The National Basketball Association selects Las Vegas as the host for the 2007 All-Star game. This will be the first time this high-profile sporting event is held in a city without an NBA team.
2005 - Megamergers galore in 2005. In June, MGM MIRAGE and Mandalay Resort Group complete its $7.9 billion merger. One month later, Harrah’s Entertainment buys Caesars Entertainment for $9.4 billion, making it the largest casino company.
2005 - The destination’s tagline, “What Happens Here, Stays Here” firmly cements itself into the American lexicon. The wildly popular phrase is included in countless television shows such as First Lady Laura Bush’s interview on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and Billy Crystal’s opening monologue during “The Academy Awards.”
2006 - Boyd Gaming Corp. announces Echelon Place, a $4 billion development project. The 5,300-room resort will be located on the 63-acre site now occupied by the Stardust.
2006 - The Castaways, the property formerly known as The Showboat, is imploded. Within 18 seconds, the 19-story hotel is reduced to a 20,000-ton pile of rubble.
2006 - Cirque du Soleil opens its fifth resident show, ‘ Love’ at The Mirage, replacing long-time Las Vegas magicians, Siegfried & Roy. The show is based on The Beatles music.
2006 - Nevada celebrates 75 years of legalized gaming.
2006 - Red Rock Resort Casino Spa, the newest property from Station Casinos, opens. The property is the first billion-dollar resort to be built off the Las Vegas Strip.
2006 - Fantasy Suites opens at The Palms Casino Resort. Located on the tower’s 25th and 26th floors, the Fantasy Suites take the themed hotel room to exotic extremes.
2006 - Palms Casino Resort breaks ground on Palms Place Condominium, Hotel and Spa.
2006 - McCarran Airport ranked fifth busiest passenger airport according to the Airports Council International North America’s annual traffic ranking.
2006 - Morgans Hotel Group selects Golden Gaming to operate the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino properties.
2006 - Hooters Hotel and Casino Opens in Las Vegas.
2006 - Lady Luck Hotel and Casino in Downtown Las Vegas closes for renovation.
2006 - Nevada becomes #1 in restaurant growth. The National Restaurant Association report shows that Nevada’s restaurant industry is growing faster than anywhere else in the country.
2006 - Wynn Resorts breaks ground on Encore.
2007 - NBA All-Star 2007 comes to Las Vegas. For the first time in history, the NBA All-Star game is played in a city without a resident NBA team.
2007 - MGM MIRAGE’s CityCenter releases residences for purchase.
2007 - Monty Python’s Spamalot debuts at Wynn Las Vegas.
2007 - The Producers debuts at Paris Las Vegas.
2007 - Fremont East Entertainment District Improvement Project celebrates its groundbreaking to revitalize Downtown.
2007 - Grand Canyon Skywalk Opens. This modern-day marvel becomes the first-ever cantilever-shaped glass walkway to suspend more than 4,000 feet above the canyon’s floor and extend 70 feet from the canyon’s rim.
2007 - Tropicana Resort & Casino celebrates 50 years on the Las Vegas Strip.
2007 - The Stardust Hotel & Casino is imploded.
2007 - The Aladdin Casino Resort transforms into Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Desert Passage Shops become Miracle Mile Shops.
2007 - Cirque du Soleil announces its seventh resident production show featuring renowned illusionist Criss Angel.
2007 - MGM Grand’s The Signature completes third and final tower.
2007 - The Las Vegas Springs Preserve opens to the public. This 180-acre, cultural and historic attraction, considered the “birthplace” of Las Vegas, features museums, galleries, the future Nevada State Museum and more.
2007 - Las Vegas hosts first MTV Video Music Awards at The Palms Casino Resort.
2007 - Harrah’s Entertainment announces $1 billion expansion of Caesars Palace including a new Octavius Tower.
2007 - Luxor unveils renovation plans.
2007 - FIBA Americas Championship is held in Las Vegas for the first time.
2007 - Harrah’s Entertainment and AEG announce plans for a 20,000-seat, state-of-the-art sports arena.
2007 - Silverton Casino Lodge begins $130 million expansion.
2007 - The Frontier Hotel & Casino is imploded to make room for a multi-billion dollar project from the Elad Group modeled after New York’s The Plaza Hotel.
2007 - Michelin unveils first-ever restaurant and hotel selections for Las Vegas. One of only four U.S. cities to be written up by this guide, Las Vegas joins New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Michelin Guide Las Vegas 2008 features 127 restaurants and 30 hotels.
2007 - Plans and details announced for Anthony Marnell’s The M Resort, Spa and Casino.
2007 - Neon Museum begins the reassembly of the historic La Concha Motel lobby at the site of the Neon Boneyard. The La Concha will serve as part of a permanent museum building for the non-restored historic signs.
2007 - Town Square Las Vegas, a new retail, dining and entertainment project, opens on South Las Vegas Boulevard.
2008 - The Palazzo celebrates its grand opening.
2008 - Golden Nugget completes $60 million expansion including adding convention space and a new nightclub.
2008 - Caesars Palace raises table game limit ceiling to the highest in Las Vegas.
2008 - Bette Midler becomes new resident headliner at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, replacing Celine Dion who had a successful five-year run.
2008 - Lake Las Vegas ownership shifts to the Atalon Group.
