The Birth of Vegas | Gambling on the Future | 6

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 August 2021

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Sin City shapeshifts from its long-held ranking as the supreme adult playground on the planet to a bizarre family-friendly amusement park. Steve Wynn sets a redesign trend that emphasizes Vegas visitors who come for things other than gambling. It’s a world of boutiques, restaurants and Disney-esque rides for the kiddies.

But it’s a gamble that won’t pay off. As the new century kicks in, ever-changing Las Vegas goes through yet another attitude adjustment as Wynn and Kerkorian battle to the end. The city suffers a variety of tragic blows, and Wynn heads for a fall from grace no one could have predicted. It’s all part of the remarkable, continuing business growth in a city that is like no other.

Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/businesswars.

Support us by supporting our sponsors!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, prime members, you can listen to business wars at free on Amazon music. Download the app today.
0:13.2	A note to listeners this episode contains adult content.
0:19.8	It's January 23rd, 1994 in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
0:25.5	A family is enjoying their Sunday dinner ritual, pizza and television.
0:30.7	Tonight, mom and dad have left their 11-year-old son Billy pick the evenings programming.
0:35.6	Dad grabs a beer and turns to Billy.
0:38.8	Well, son, what's it gonna be? America's funniest home videos?
0:42.7	Billy studies the TV guide and looks up with a big grin.
0:47.3	Now, I want to watch this movie. Treasure Island, the adventure begins.
0:52.2	Billy's folks look at each other and shrug. Billy commands the remote and tunes into NBC.
0:58.7	The one-hour show is the story of a young boy and his family on vacation in Las Vegas.
1:04.0	They're staying at a new resort hotel. Steve wins latest multi-million-dollar move in redesigning Vegas.
1:10.8	But the Treasure Island hotel has more in common with Disneyland's pirates of the Caribbean than a casino on the strip.
1:18.3	Billy watches wide-eyed as the story unfolds. A kid, just about his age, is in the lobby staring in awe at a life-sized painting of a pirate.
1:29.3	Then, a man approaches him.
1:32.3	Hey, mate. It appears you like pirates.
1:36.3	Yeah, yeah, I'm really the one who's long-juts over. Me too.
1:40.3	You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a pirate.
1:45.3	Oh, yeah? Me too.
1:47.3	Who are you anyway? You staying here?
1:50.3	Well, I sort of look here on the head pirates. Name Steve Win.
1:56.3	The hour-long TV feature is Win's barely disguised infomercial for his new hotel.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.