Ireland’s Unique Presence In Las Vegas’ Hospitality Business
The city of Las Vegas in the United States is primarily known for its fast-paced and eclectic casino industry, which brings in millions of visitors from around the world every year to walk The Strip and stay or play at casino hotels like Caesars Palace and The Bellagio. However, what might not be known is that Las Vegas also has a few themed casinos, some of which have connections to Ireland. Even though one of these Irish-themed casinos has since been rebranded, it’s still an interesting side story in Las Vegas’ grand history in the gambling business.
Fitzgerald’s (Fitz Casino and Hotel)
Fitzgerald’s opened in the late 1970s on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas, and it sported a “luck of the Irish” theme. The casino was full of shamrocks and leprechauns, and it was featured in several Hollywood movies, such as “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.” The hotel also offered affordable prices compared to other Las Vegas casino hotels like Caesars Palace. In 2012, the hotel completed a property-wide renovation, and the Irish theme was replaced during the rebranding process. Today, the casino hotel is called The D Las Vegas Casino Hotel.
O’Sheas Casino
O’Sheas Casino is an active Irish-themed casino within Las Vegas’ hotel-casino and shopping promenade, The Linq. After opening in 2011, the Irish-themed casino moved to its new location at The Linq in 2013. At O’Shea’s, gamblers will find a number of restaurants with Irish themes and symbols like the Blarney Stone and restaurants named after cities like Dublin. Even though O’Sheas is just a casino, it’s inside The Linq, which means gamblers can book rooms there.
Why Ireland?
There’s no explanation for why Las Vegas has chosen Ireland to be the theme for some of its casino hotels, but there are some hints. For starters, Ireland has its own successful gambling industry, offering traditional gambling at land-based casinos and online gambling through casino operators like Paddy Power. According to this review site, when you play online in Ireland, you can also win a casino bonus or welcome bonus to enhance your chances of winning real money. These casino bonuses tend to be generous, with welcome bonuses offering up to €1600. Knowing this generosity, perhaps the owners of Fitzgerald’s and O’Sheas Casino wanted to give off a similar feeling of loyalty and excitement that gamblers in Ireland feel when they find online casinos that offer these types of bonuses and promotions.
Another reason could be because there are so many famous Irish-themed slot games out there. For example, Rainbow Riches is one of the most popular slot game franchises in the gambling industry, and the game is full of leprechauns and pots of gold. The game is so popular that several variations have been made, including a Rainbow Riches Slingo version.
When you think about Las Vegas’ casinos and hospitality businesses, you often think of grand casino hotels like Caesars Palace and The Bellagio. Many people aren’t aware that there were, and are still, Irish-themed casino hotels spread out on the Strip. It’s an interesting piece in Las Vegas’ history, and it’s one that makes sense considering Ireland’s influence in other parts of the global gambling market.
