Ask the Slot Expert: Steve Wynn - not the first

One of my favorite programs is Connections, written and presented by science historian James Burke. An underlying theme of this program and his other programs is that the image of the lone inventor, tinkering away in his or her garage, basement or laboratory and single-handedly creating an invention or making a scientific discovery is a myth. Scientists and inventors all have built on the work done by others.

A few weeks ago I heard a talking head on a program, I don't remember which, say that Steve Wynn ushered in the age of corporate ownership of casinos.

Not really. Nevada passed the Corporate Gaming Act in 1967. Before the act, every shareholder in a company seeking a gaming license had to undergo a financial background check. Not that much of an obstacle when individuals or a small group of people owned casinos. Certainly, the mob found ways to pass or skirt the checks. Checking all of the shareholders in a large corporation, however, was impossible.

Around this time, Howard Hughes had taken up residence on the top two floors of the Desert Inn on Thanksgiving Day 1966. After overstaying his 10-day reservation, he was asked to leave temporarily so the space could be used for some high rollers expected on New Year's Eve. Instead of leaving, he started negotiations to buy the place.

To misquote a scene from Inception -- a movie about implanting an idea in a person using shared dreaming (Don't ask.) -- the team is discussing how to have 10 hours of uninterrupted access to the mark. The insanely rich businessman, Saito, who had commissioned the team to implant the idea says, "Sydney to Los Angeles, one of the longest flights in the world. He [the mark] makes it every two weeks."

The Joseph Gordon-Levitt character says, "Would have to be a 747. In a 747 the pilot's up top and the first class cabin is in the nose so no one would walk through. But you'd have to buy out the entire cabin and the first class flight attendant."

Saito says, "I bought the airline.... It seemed neater."

Perhaps it seemed neater to Hughes to just buy the DI rather than move out and move back in.

Hughes didn't stop with the DI and his Summa Corporation eventually also owned the Sands, the Frontier, the Landmark, the Castaways, and the Silver Slipper -- none of which could hold a candle to the DI, in my opinion.

Some people give Steve Wynn credit for the idea of a themed resort.

Well.... Jay Sarno opened the Roman Empire-themed Caesars Palace on August 5, 1966. Two years later, Sarno opened the circus-themed Circus Circus down the street a bit from Caesars.

Wynn also frequently gets credit for building big in Las Vegas.

Kirk Kerkorian completed the International Hotel (aka Las Vegas Hilton, LVH, Westgate) in 1969. With 1500 rooms, it was the largest hotel in the country.

Not to be outdone, four years later Kerkorian built the MGM Grand (aka Bally's, Horseshoe) with 2100 rooms and the world's largest casino.

Wynn may not have been the first, but he took theming and building big to a new level.

In the fourth part of Vegas: The Story of Sin City entitled The Greatest Show on Earth, gaming historian David G. Schwartz says that with The Mirage, Wynn added a lot of non-gaming. It was not a casino with a hotel attached, but a luxury hotel with a casino attached.

"What Steve Wynn did with The Mirage is take Jay Sarno's theme idea and Kirk Kerkorian's big hotel idea and merge them. And that really does create the modern mega-resort....It really does shift the model for what a casino could be."

As Newton wrote, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

That idea itself didn't originate with Newton. The metaphor of building on the work of the giants that preceded had been used for centuries before Sir Isaac.

If you would like to see more non-smoking areas on slot floors in Las Vegas, please sign my petition on change.org.

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert™, at slotexpert@slotexpert.com.

Copyright © John Robison. Slot Expert and Ask the Slot Expert are trademarks of John Robison.

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert™, at slotexpert@slotexpert.com. Because of the volume of mail I receive, I regret that I can't reply to every question.

Copyright © John Robison. Slot Expert and Ask the Slot Expert are trademarks of John Robison.