pictures of harrahs casino in laughlin nevada

It's the sort of place you go to escape the modern woes of Twitter. But Laughlin is about kindness and convenience more than any sort of culture clash. It's Middle America, it's Old West, and it’s mostly conservative. They love prime rib and they love country music. It's a family-friendly destination that draws folks from California, Arizona, and the rest of Nevada (in that order). Laughlin is old-school, big on return customers who appreciate the familiar. By comparison, Laughlin's newest hotel was built in the mid-'90s.Īnd people seem to like that just fine. Things come and go quickly in Vegas, with near-constant development and change on the Strip. 'We've created a niche with Nevada-style gaming, but without the high-speed lifestyle of the Las Vegas Strip.' Riverside Resort | Courtesy of Rob Kachelriess 'Laughlin is a more relaxed Las Vegas,' Matt says.

The town that shares his name is now home to about 8,000 people and 9 casino hotels, 10 if you include the Avi Resort about 15 miles south on Native American land.

In case you're wondering, Don Laughlin is still going strong at 88 years and living in a penthouse at the top of his resort.

He even financed a bridge that crossed the water between Nevada and Arizona - right next to the Riverside Resort, obviously. Over the years, his civic projects would include an airport expansion, flood control work, and the opening of a ranch that provided beef to Laughlin's restaurants. ('You can't have a post office without having a town name,' says Matt, now COO of the Riverside Resort.) The postmaster at the time was of Irish heritage and liked the name Laughlin, so all the stars seemed to align.īut Don was just getting started. The town itself - about a 90-minute drive from Las Vegas - became official when postal services were established. That motel added casino games and eventually evolved into the Riverside Resort, with two massive towers. 'He took a big risk by taking everything he had and investing it into an old boarded-up eight-room motel,' says his grandson, Matt Laughlin. At the time, the area was home to less than a thousand people. In 1964, pilot Don Laughlin was cashing in as the owner of the 101 Club in North Las Vegas and, while flying his plane over the Colorado River, saw a world of potential in a strip of Nevada land across the river from Arizona's Bullhead City. Here's the craziest thing about Laughlin, Nevada: It didn't even exist 55 years ago.

Pictures of harrahs casino in laughlin nevada