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Vegas Splashes Out
for Chinese New Year (1 of 2)
In Asian culture, the Lunar New Year is one of the
biggest events on the calendar. As much of the Eastern world geared
up to usher in the Year of the Ox in the weeks and days preceding
yesterday, the hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas Strip prepared a
fitting celebration. It is estimated that this holiday, which so
many overlook completely in this hemisphere, brings hundreds of
millions of dollars into Nevada. The celebration (often called the
Chinese New Year, although it is celebrated by most Asian nations)
is considered one of the luckiest times of the year, and many, many
Asian gamblers flock to the playing capital of the United States to
bet their fortune during this serendipitous time. Little red
envelopes of lucky money are passed around and duly loaded into slot
machines, poker tables, and roulette wheels. It’s a big-money
business attracting MANY visitors. And make no mistake, Vegas was
ready for them!
The New Year has been celebrated for thousands of years and has
always been tied to gambling. Vegas’s gambling industry has mastered
the art of putting on the pageantry and glitz that these players
expect. They cater to a wide diversity of revelers – from Chinese
high-rollers to the poorer but equally jubilant punters making the
trek from Southern California, all the way to new Chinese-Americans
who want to celebrate their fledgling citizenship with a trip to the
slot machines during this most festive time of the year!
Continue to part 2 here.
Back to January 2009 Archive.
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SLOTS DATA
