A recent survey conducted by the Las Vegas
Leisure Guide revealed a staggering statistic: A whopping 97%
of the 3,000 visitors surveyed do not go to Las Vegas to gamble.
Let's see. Do they go there for the museums? Don't think so.
Opera? Doubt it. Theater? I think they tried a production of "Death
of a Salesman" once but the guy who played Willy Loman couldn't
stay away from the tables long enough to depress anybody.
Still, I don't doubt the survey's legitimacy. I think that the
Las Vegas experience has become so complex that visitors don't even
realize their pockets are being picked. It's a masterful marketing
feat: "Honey, let's take that Coney Island roller coaster and then
play the slots."
"Okay, Cookie-puddin', but then let's go see the Eiffel Tower
and play a little roulette afterward."
Gambling has been so seamlessly integrated into the Las Vegas
environment that it's no longer the reason people go
there. It's just part of the experience. The house will
wind up with your cash whether you planned on it or not. Didn't
anybody out there see "Lost in America"?