John M. Findlay

In 1931, Nevada became the first state to legalize gambling after two decades of nationwide prohibition. It wasn't until the mid—1950s, however, that the newly developed casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip-the city's neon—drenched boulevard of hotels and roundtheclock gambling-began to attract millions of Americans eager to lose themselves, and often their money, in the futuristic fantasy world of Las Vegas. In the following excerpt from his book People of Chance: Gambling in American Society from Jamestown to Las Vegas, John M. Findlay examines the rise of the Las Vegas Strip and contends that it was highly influential in the cultural reshaping of mid-twentiethcentury America. A stay on the Strip redefined leisure for middle—class Americans as an exciting, mass—marketed consumer activity and became the prototype for...