Elvis Presley
Casinos make more money off of entertainers than they do off of your gambling. It’s amazing, but it’s true. Last year, casinos took in more non-gaming revenue than gaming associated. However, this has not been the way things have always been. At one point, having a performer actually caused the casinos to lose money, and it was only the steady, dependable profits from the casino that allowed them to make any money in the first place. That era came to an abrupt end when “The King” took the stage at the International on July 26, 1969.
This was not Elvis Presley’s first foray into being a casino stage act. It was, however, his first successful foray. Elvis had played in Vegas in 1956 and the reviews had been terrible. His gyrating, rock-a-billy act was not considered to be appropriate for the Vegas crowd at the time, and he was subjected to the worst reviews of his career.
This time around, however, Elvis had a different kind of act. Trying to play into the glitz and glamour of late-60s, early 70s Vegas, he wore jumpsuits coated in rhinestones, threw silk scarves into the crowd and was backed by a total of 50 artists.
His songs were performed at almost frantic pace, the horns in the back providing a completely new sound. Elvis was an immediate hit this time around, and Vegas would come to be the King’s favorite place to play. In fact, he would be a staple of Vegas until his untimely death.
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