Resorts World Las Vegas Sees Nice – but Not Impressive – Turnout for Launch

Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) is now officially up and running, even if it’s still working out some bugs at some of its amenities. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the newest casino resort to land on the Las Vegas Strip enjoyed a modest grand opening, but it wasn’t nearly as large as some others. 20,000 people descended upon the venue to welcome it to Vegas, which is only a fraction of the 80,000 that was seen when the Bellagio opened its doors.

Grand Opening a Big Success

Despite the relatively small turnout, comparatively speaking, Scott Sibella, president of RWLV, said that the crowd last Thursday was “truly incredible.” He also added that the first opening of a resort on the Strip in over a decade had been a monumental achievement, and that the opening night surpassed all expectations.

Spokesperson Joslyn Garcia told the media outlet that the public was allowed into RWLV at 11 PM on the night of the opening, although about 5,500 people did attend an earlier private party. Ever since the Cosmopolitan opened in December 2010, there hadn’t been any new hotel-casinos to open on the Strip, until the unveiling of the $4.3 billion RWLV venue.

Hopes for Revitalization

RWLV was built by the Malaysia-based Genting Group at the location of the now-demolished Stardust casino. It’s located near the small Slots-A-Fun casino and the 1960s Circus Circus at the northwest end of the Strip. Hopes are up that the new property will lead to a recovery of that section of the Strip. The Riviera was the main attraction at the northeast end of the resort corridor; however, after its closure in 2015 and subsequent demolishing, that area had been slow-to-revive.

Within its red exterior, RWLV hosts 40 dining and drinking establishments, nine swimming pools and an array of luxury shops. The resort’s executives have stated that there are already plans to expand into vacant spaces around the site as the property settles.

A Blast from the Past? 

A Las Vegas resident, who visited RWLV just after its opening, told Casino.org that some things throughout the property reminded him of the previous hotel-casino at that location. Tommy Canale, a Las Vegas-based podcaster, said that he “kept seeing small little hints of the old Stardust,” as he walked around the property. Canale hosts two podcasts – Before the Lights and The Golf Zone. He also added that the displayed artwork, including a painting of Frank Sinatra, had a throwback appeal, as did the blue velour chairs on the property.

Nicholas Pileggi’s 1995 book Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas portrays that era. The movie Casino, which Pileggi co-wrote with director Martin Scorsese, was inspired by said book. Canale added that “The color scheme was similar, along with a small lounge near one of the check-in areas that had two steps up, which reminded me of the Stardust. If you look closely things will pop out.”