The Corporatization of American Casinos

We discuss the "sameness" that many American casinos are starting to display in terms of architecture and themes, making them look like buildings with flashy lights instead of locations that come off as mini theme parks.

Pushing back against progress happens for a reason. Given the quiet talks about how dystopian our society seems to be headed in, there's a big and growing community of nostalgics wanting to yearn back in time when things were fun, calm and laid back. Yes, things like this are the reason societal progress hinders day by day, but perhaps it's time that stock/investments analysts take a second look, despite the bleak economy we've been having for years.

What we're saying is that there are online groups, and some videos on YouTube sharing pictures/videos of the olden days and vintage photos of Las Vegas casinos, how tidy it was, and how unique the casinos were back then. No complaints here, as we, too, miss the "old" Las Vegas and how the casinos felt like its own theme park with an identity that was fun and neat to look at. Better yet, despite the dramas that occur in casinos, like casino fights and cheating in casino [games], it was a laid-back atmosphere—still is—even if you didn't enter in to gamble. In other words, the casinos back then had some personality—a kind of warm, welcoming environment that psychologically makes you think and realize you're entering into a venue that gives you a vibe unfound anywhere that is or isn't a place of entertainment. Combine that with a casinos' very own theme, and you have a place that works very much like a theme park; There's plenty of them in one street—The Strip, for example—and you can visit some, most or all of them as you wish. However, as you may have guessed and have seen, these casinos, namely the ones in Las Vegas, have gradually disappeared, been demolished and remodeled by today's standards, and because The Tropicana is the most recent casino to be taken down, it's about time we discuss and reflect what's going on within the world of casinos, namely about the style and structure of it.

The "Theme-less" Casinos in America

While there's a lot to be said about casinos in other states in the US, we'll be talking and speaking about ones in Las Vegas, having grown up there since childhood.

Going into mid- to the late 2000s, many casino club members have noticed their cards aren't the logo of the casino itself, now being under the guise of a new entity, like Boyd Gaming Corporation. This, alone, bothered some guests/customers and there's a very small community critiquing about the Boyd's handling of the casinos, the rules employed and its operations. Anyway, as soon as this happened, the designs, themes and overall "uniqueness" such casinos have had and been known for has gradually dissipated. One of the more obvious examples is Treasure Island as shown below:


Treasure Island: Before and after.
Image sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal (left), iStockPhoto (right)

Even though changes like these hasn't had much effect on the tourism and visitation, there are those, including ourselves, that remember the mystique and individualism that each casino showcased. As mentioned earlier, it was like each casino was its own theme park, acquiring its own identity that makes it fun and inviting like you're entering in another country, or something that's area-specific around the world. Removal of these themes has killed and ruined the mystique of such casinos, making these flashy buildings look like "another" place to gamble and explore without missing out on much.

One of the Few Benefits of Corporatizing Casinos

Perhaps one of the few, good reasons to corporatizing casinos is the connection in working closer with the law when it comes to combating criminals. As we've documented casino fights here on this website since 2017, siding with the right side of the law, casinos under one entity can work to track, combat and rightfully punish those who ruin the atmosphere and who cheat the casino periodically, along with those who rightfully misbehave and make the place unsafe for innocent guests and employees. The corporate entity can employ lifetime bans, usually listed on the Las Vegas Black Book, to those causing mishaps and are a threat to the overall public. Such corporations also have ties with the media, reporting any criminal activity to the public, as well as sharing any ventures, updates and quarterly earnings (this was done in the olden days anyway, but as the years went by, these reports became more mainstream).

Another benefit to corporatizing casinos is the on the player's side: Being able to earn points and complimentaries no matter what and which casino you play at, as long as it is under the same corporate company. These points add up very quickly and players are able to get rewarded in an instant, from free hotel rooms to free vouchers at buffets, venues, shows and even bonus cash.

Corporatization of businesses are often met with negative word-of-mouth, but because there aren't enough people loud enough to protest, or boycott, such corporation(s), it's something we have and are currently living with. Even if these few people's voices grow louder and louder, wanting such corporate entity and/or private equity to stay out of the casino business(es), who and what individual(s) will carry the casino operations from here on out? (Because casinos appeal to a niche audience and customer, this is a question that's not often thought about.)

Loss of Identity

Many people are familiar with one of the most clever marketing phrases in business history—"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." This catchy phrase has stuck with residents and tourists for years, and despite the standards taking place today, it seems as if Las Vegas is "just another city." In other words, it's not as unique and exclusive as it was, compared to other cities known for attracting tourists and visitors like Hollywood or Hawaii. What this means, especially for younger generations, is it's just a small town with casinos—a "playground" for adults. Because casinos are doing what they can to attract younger millennials and Gen Zs into the world of casino gaming, this gradual loss of identity, and exclusivity, would pose a big problem for casinos wanting more patrons to come in, unwind and play a game. Granted, this alleged identity loss won't mean a complete loss of business and closure of the entire city, nor perhaps the whole state in contrast to its legalization of casino gambling, but one must think and see if issues as small as this may be the reason that places like Las Vegas aren't getting the draw they used to have. Sure, tourism is doing well, but how about the casinos and visitors wanting/willing to play a few hands of blackjack?

Don't get us wrong, there's nothing wrong with change; Often times, change is necessary in which the improved conditions and societal structures of recent years make for a great and even better advancement both technologically and for the collective betterment of business, benefiting both the workers and the customers. However, this can all be done without losing the true identity and individualism of casinos. It's like in video production, where you can apply color correction to make a movie look vintage, despite not being shot in actual film. Similar can be said about casinos: Revive and preserve the casinos' identities while going ahead and modernizing the way transactions are done, i.e booking hotel reservations online. Complete remodeling in the name of corporatization just makes a casino look like any other business, with flashy lights and a beautiful sign.

We may be the very few wanting to bring back the "old Las Vegas," but that doesn't mean our suggestions and voices can't be heard. Bring back the fun, identities and uniqueness of casinos into that "theme park-like" design; Make us customers and visitors feel like we're visiting and tuned in to a different world every time we set foot into a different casino. Given that Ellis Island is the next casino getting a 'face lift,' losing that British/Irish Pub vibes, makes you wonder the pathway these casino designs are headed towards. Of course, there are much more important issues going on right now, but for those in the casino industry, maybe you can have your social media specialists hang around these online groups that discuss and share these images and videos of Las Vegas back in the olden days and snag some ideas. Who knows, with its theme park vibes, it may just be a great atmosphere for the whole family*.


* Yes, casinos being fun for the whole family. I say this from personal experience: Being that I was exposed to the casino environment at a very young age has taught me a lot about its operations growing up. What did this lead to? Better management of my finances and if I were to play, it was about knowing when to stop. Everyone learns differently, but I believe early exposure to something, like gambling, can get kids more curious and learn better about proper etiquette and decision making when it comes to a pastime known for making many people financially broke.

Kris Caballero

Founder of KCU Network and KCU Plus, Kris has been writing since he managed a personal blog made back in late 2005. Officially back to doing computer programming (software development) and video production, Kris enjoys reading books on Mathematics, Quantum Computing, Philosophy, playing old video/DOS games, digital video archiving, and listening to sports, public radio and classical music.

👤 About me ✉ Contact me