Las Vegas has increasingly marketed itself as a family place, becoming a much more “kid-friendly” vacation destination. This has not happened without controversy, however.

Las Vegas, often called Sin City, has historically been considered the playground for adults seeking wild and long nights of gambling and bawdy entertainment, free booze and quickie weddings. However, in the process of revamping the Las Vegas façade, the environment has almost unexpectedly begun appealing to the more family-oriented vacationer.

Marketing To Kids

Almost without notice Las Vegas is marketing to kids. Theme parks, with a decidedly Disneyesque spectacle about them, have appeared among the more adult accompaniments of Las Vegas entertainment.

Theme park Entertainment

Circus Circus Hotel and Casino is home to the increasingly well known Adventure Dome, a whole theme park wrapped up under a glass dome among its casino veneer. The Adventure Dome has become popular for its cutting edge thrill rides and accompanying miniature golf course and IMAX theater, among many other exciting games and rides. Circus Circus also provides kids a non-stop circus on the resort’s grounds.

Gameworks is a high tech gaming complex inspired by the minds of Sega and Universal Studios. Gameworks is located centrally along the Strip and caters to every kid’s whim from a state-of-the-art climbing wall to virtual gaming. Laser tag and the more traditional games of pinball and Pac Man are represented, too.

Las Vegas has become a veritable laundry list of themed attractions, including animal exhibits like the dolphin habitat and saltwater aquarium at the Mirage and the lion habitat featured at the MGM Grand Hotel and Resort. And there are increasing numbers, critics say, of arcade style gaming venues that potentially teach kids the fine art of gambling.

The Controversy

There are nearly two dozen well known arcade locations along the Strip itself. Some even offer kid versions of casino games making many anti gambling advocates sit up and take notice. They argue that the casinos are intentionally marketing their wares to kids in the hopes of entertaining tomorrow’s gamblers.

The controversy is not likely to die down anytime soon. The anti gambling establishment has been grappling with many lawmakers who see broadening the gambling scope the only way to continue raking in the revenue that states need to fund such important projects as subsidizing public education and shoring up public health and transportation systems. For many of these politicians, hopes are that business will be good for the gambling future.

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