By
Jane Shaw
Senior Editor Updated: 11/08/2024
We count on Jane to inform our readers about the latest slot games in the US market. With her passion for video games and a degree in engineering, she’s our gambling tech expert. Jane’s also active in our blog section, where she tackles the curiosities and changes in the industry.
Tropicana Signs Out
The Tropicana is the third-oldest casino on the Strip, but in April, it closed its doors for the last time after welcoming guests for 67 years. Over the years, it became known as the “Tiffany of the Strip” for its opulence features. It was the frequent haunt of the legendary Rat Pack and cemented its place in Las Vegas lore due to its mob connections.
Before the first light, Tropicana said goodbye to Sin City in true style with an elaborate implosion that reduced the casino to rubble. Arike Knowles, general manager and vice president of hospitality at the Tropicana, told spectators on Wednesday morning,
Let’s not think of as an ending, but as the beginning of something even greater.
As the hotel towers tumbled, celebrations included a fireworks display. Las Vegas is no stranger to such elaborate displays, and the city loves fresh starts. But Tropicana’s implosion was the first for almost a decade when the final tower of the Riviera was levelled to make way for a convention center expansion.
The property has stood proud and tall for nearly 70 years, but it took less than 30 seconds to take it down. Over 2,000 pounds of explosives were used to demolish the Tropicana’s Paradise Tower and Club Tower. The space it opened up will be used for a new Major League Baseball stadium for the Athletics, formerly of Oakland, California.
The send-off also included a 555-drone and fireworks display timed to music from Vegas legends such as Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. The drones created images of the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and the Athletics logo. Unusually, there were no public viewing areas for the implosion due to safety restrictions. However, there was an invite-only event that drew around 500 spectators. Hundreds of people flocked to the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the show, many of whom were probably disappointed.
Hotels in the area took advantage of the historic event, with room rates skyrocketing on the night of the implosion. Mandalay Bay hosted an implosion watch party at the rooftop venue but charged guests $700 and more for a room, compared to the usual price of less than $80 per night. According to the websites of other local hotels in the area, such as Luxor, Oyo, and Excalibur, no rooms were available as they were fully booked.
Las Vegas is not known for being stagnant and can reinvent itself with little effort. From its Mobbed-up Rat pack era to one focused on building megaresorts, it now looks like the city has a new focus: sports. Bally’s Corp (a gambling company) and the Athletics are planning a new resort and ballpark on the site of the Tropicana. Nine acres at the location will be used for building a $1.5 billion, 33,000-seat indoor stadium. A new casino resort will make use of the rest. There is no opening date for the resort, and according to Bally’s chairman, details are still being worked out. However, the opening date for the ballpark is planned for the 2028 MLB season.
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