Vegas World, Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Triblend Tee

Description

Bob Stupak’s Vegas World Hotel & Casino was a bold, space‑themed spectacle that helped define Las Vegas’s evolution during its 16‑year run. Opening on July 13, 1979, and situated at 2000 South Las Vegas Boulevard, Stupak transformed a burned‑down slot joint into a sprawling resort with the mantra “The Sky’s the Limit.” When it launched, Vegas World featured a modest eight‑story hotel with 90 rooms and a 15,000 square foot casino floor. The resort quickly became known for its daring promotions: Stupak introduced the world’s first $250,000 and $1 million slot jackpots, perpetual coupons for low-cost vacations, and wacky game variants like “double exposure 21” and “crapless crap.” By 1984, Vegas World had expanded with a 25‑story tower and ballooned room count to 932 by 1990—with further towers added. Vibrant space‑age décor—themed murals, mirrored ceilings, Apollo lunar module replicas, life‑size astronaut figures, model rockets, even moon rock souvenirs—draped the property in interplanetary flair. Vegas World also achieved attention-grabbing stunts: in May and August of 1984, stuntman Dan Koko set world records for high‑fall jumps from the hotel rooftop, earning himself a $1 million payout from Stupak. The resort drew national media coverage—featuring on 60 Minutes (1980 and 1988), Merv Griffin Show, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and even film projects. By the mid‑’80s, Vegas World had soared to annual gambling revenues of about $100 million. Yet Stupak’s greatest ambition lay beyond space gaming—he envisioned a towering observation and thrill‑ride structure. Plans for a colossal neon sign morphed into the Stratosphere Tower, construction beginning in 1992 right next door. Vegas World closed February 1, 1995, its hotel towers absorbed into the nascent Stratosphere complex which opened in April 1996. Though ultimately eclipsed by its successor, Vegas World remains iconic—as one of Stupak’s most audacious ventures. It was a “bizarre,” “tacky” masterpiece, the era’s “wacky capital of tackiness,” brimming with spectacle, mega‑payouts, cheeky promotions, and unforgettable visuals. Today the property is home to The Strat (formerly the Stratosphere), but Vegas World’s hotel towers remain and are part of the Strat complex.