Louis Theroux: Gambling in Las Vegas

Last updated

Louis Theroux: Gambling in Las Vegas
Louis Theroux Gambling in Las Vegas.png
Written by Louis Theroux
StarringLouis Theroux, Allan Earlick
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time60 minutes
Original release
Network BBC Two
Release4 February 2007 (2007-02-04)
Related

Louis Theroux: Gambling in Las Vegas is a TV documentary written and presented by Louis Theroux. He heads to the Las Vegas Hilton, to reveal the world behind the myths of casino culture. [1] [2] [3] Among the people he meets are two of the casino's 'high-rollers' and an employee who looks after them as well as a retired doctor who says she has gambled away $4 million in seven years. The programme was first broadcast on 4 February 2007 on BBC Two.

Contents

Reception

The Times newspaper gave the documentary a positive review. [4] The Sydney Morning Herald commented "There's an element of prurient ogling at the sheer, mind-boggling waste but Theroux also attempts to unravel the troubled relationship between the largesse the casino bestows upon its favourites and the resulting gratitude and loyalty of the gamblers - many of whom fall into the "addicted" category, much as they would deny it." [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casino</span> Facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities

A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, concerts, and sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louis Theroux</span> British journalist (born 1970)

Louis Sebastian Theroux is a British-American documentarian, journalist, broadcaster, and author. He has received three British Academy Television Awards and a Royal Television Society Television Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westgate Las Vegas</span> Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino is a hotel, casino, and timeshare resort in Winchester, Nevada. Located near the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, it is owned by Westgate Resorts. It opened in 1969 as the International Hotel, and was known for many years as the Las Vegas Hilton, then briefly as the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. From 1981 to 1990, it was the largest hotel in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrah's Entertainment</span> American gaming corporation

Harrah's Entertainment was an American casino and hotel company founded in Reno, Nevada, and based in Paradise, Nevada, that operated over 50 properties and seven golf courses under several brands. In 2013, it was the fourth-largest gambling company in the world, with annual revenues of $8.6 billion. It was acquired in 2020 by Eldorado Resorts, which then changed its own name to Caesars Entertainment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Wynn</span> American real estate magnate and art collector (born 1942)

Stephen Alan Wynn is an American real estate developer and art collector. He was known for his involvement in the luxury casino and hotel industry, prior to being forced to step down. Early in his career he oversaw the construction and operation of several notable Las Vegas and Atlantic City hotels, including the Golden Nugget, the Golden Nugget Atlantic City, The Mirage, Treasure Island, the Bellagio, and Beau Rivage in Mississippi, and he played a pivotal role in the resurgence and expansion of the Las Vegas Strip in the 1990s. In 2000, Wynn sold his company, Mirage Resorts, to MGM Grand Inc., resulting in the formation of MGM Mirage. Wynn later took his company Wynn Resorts public in an initial public offering and was Wynn Resorts' CEO and Chairman of the Board until February 6, 2018, when he announced his resignation. He is a prominent donor to the Republican Party and was the finance chair of the Republican National Committee from January 2017 to January 2018, when he resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stardust Resort and Casino</span> Historic casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Stardust Resort and Casino was a casino resort located on 60 acres (24 ha) along the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. The Stardust was conceived by Tony Cornero, and construction began in 1954. Cornero died in 1955, and the project was taken over by his brother. The Stardust had numerous creditors, and construction was stopped in 1956, when the project ran out of money.

Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was founded by Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The Sands was demolished and redeveloped as The Venetian, opening in 1999. An adjacent resort, The Palazzo, opened in 2007. Both resorts were sold in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sands Hotel and Casino</span> Historic hotel and casino in Nevada, United States

The Sands Hotel and Casino was a historic American hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States, that operated from 1952 to 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, with a prominent 56-foot (17 m) high sign, the Sands was the seventh resort to open on the Strip. During its heyday, it hosted many famous entertainers of the day, most notably the Rat Pack and Jerry Lewis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Adelson</span> American businessman (1933–2021)

Sheldon Gary Adelson was an American businessman, investor, political donor, and donor to Donald Trump. He was the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which owns the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, and the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited, which operated The Venetian Las Vegas and the Sands Expo and Convention Center before selling the properties in early 2022. He owned the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom, the Israeli weekly newspaper Makor Rishon, and the American daily newspaper the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pinnacle Entertainment</span> Former American gaming and hospitality company

Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. was an American gambling and hospitality company. It was acquired by Penn National Gaming in 2018. At the time of acquisition, it operated sixteen casino properties, located in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and a horse track in Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegas World</span> Historic hotel and casino in Las Vegas

Vegas World was a space-themed casino and hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was owned and operated by Bob Stupak, and was also signed as Bob Stupak's Vegas World.

<i>Louis Therouxs Weird Weekends</i> 1998 British TV series or programme

Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends is a television documentary series, in which Louis Theroux gives viewers the chance to get brief glimpses into the worlds of individuals and groups that they would not normally come into contact with or experience up close. In most cases this means interviewing people with extreme beliefs of some kind, or just generally belonging to subcultures not known to exist by most or just frowned upon. It was first shown in the United Kingdom on BBC2. In 2001, Theroux was awarded the Richard Dimbleby Award as well as the Best Presenter BAFTA for his work on the series.

A high roller, also referred to as a whale or cheetah, is a gambler who consistently wagers large amounts of money. High rollers often receive lavish "comps" from casinos to entice them onto the gambling floors, such as free private jet transfers, limousine use and use of the casinos' best suites. Casinos may also extend credit to a player to continue betting, offer rebates on betting turnover or losses, and salaries of employees may also contain incentive arrangements to bring in high rollers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moulin Rouge Hotel</span> Casino hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Moulin Rouge Hotel was a hotel and casino in West Las Vegas, Nevada, that was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1992. Although its peak operation lasted only six months in the second half of 1955, it was the first desegregated hotel casino and was popular with many of the Black entertainers of the time, who would entertain at the other hotels and casinos and stay at the Moulin Rouge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall Sylver</span> American performance hypnotist

Marshall Sylver is an American motivational speaker, author, and performance hypnotist who works primarily in Las Vegas, Nevada. He has billed himself as "The World's Fastest Hypnotist".

<i>The Most Hated Family in America</i> 2007 BBC documentary film

The Most Hated Family in America is a 2007 BBC documentary film written and presented by Louis Theroux about the family at the core of the Westboro Baptist Church. The organization was led by Fred Phelps and located in Topeka, Kansas. Westboro Baptist Church members believe that the United States government is immoral due to its tolerance of homosexuality; in addition, they protest at funerals of U.S. military killed in action with signs that display text such as "God Hates Fags" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers". With a BBC film crew, Theroux travelled to Kansas to spend time with members of the church and interview its leadership. Theroux interviews church leadership including Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper.

In these first special programmes (2003), Louis Theroux returned to American themes, working at feature-length, this time with a more serious tone than in his earlier Weird Weekends work. For example, Louis and the Brothel takes a sympathetic look at the sex workers working at a legal brothel in Nevada whereas Under the Knife takes a more critical look at the world of plastic surgery. Other programmes cover a wide variety of topics including law and disorder and Nazis.

<i>Louis and the Brothel</i> 2003 film by Louis Theroux

Louis and the Brothel is a 2003 British documentary by Louis Theroux.

<i>Americas Most Hated Family in Crisis</i> 2011 British TV series or programme

America's Most Hated Family in Crisis is a 2011 BBC documentary film presented and written by Louis Theroux, who revisits the family at the core of the Westboro Baptist Church. It is a follow-up to 2007's The Most Hated Family in America, also written and presented by Theroux. In 2019, Theroux made another follow-up, Surviving America's Most Hated Family, completing a trilogy of documentaries based on the church.

The Aladdin was a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Toy manufacturer Edwin S. Lowe originally opened the 450-room Tallyho Hotel on the property in 1962. The Tallyho was the only major hotel in Nevada to not include a casino; it closed at the end of the year and was sold to Kings Crown Inns of America, a hotel chain which reopened the property a month later as the King's Crown Tallyho. The company added a casino and showroom but plans to open the casino were halted when the Nevada Gaming Control Board declined to issue a gambling license because of concerns about the resort being inadequately financed.

References

  1. Gibson, Janine (5 February 2007). "Louis does Las Vegas". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  2. "Louis takes a big gamble". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  3. "Promising show, terrible time". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  4. Moran, Caitlin (5 February 2007). "Vegas Louis evens out the odds". Times. London. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  5. "Louis Theroux". SMH . 2 June 2008. Retrieved 5 October 2010.