Reddit reviews Winner Takes All: Steve Wynn, Kirk Kerkorian, Gary Loveman, and the Race to Own Las Vegas
We found 3 Reddit comments about Winner Takes All: Steve Wynn, Kirk Kerkorian, Gary Loveman, and the Race to Own Las Vegas. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
We have a user here, u/grandissimo, who is an author of several Las Vegas books, a writer for Forbes, and is currently the Director of the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV. He has a few books that you may be interested in. My personal favorite is Grandissimo; a book about Jay Sarno, who built Caesars Palace and Circus Circus, but was a complete degenerate yet shaped how the city's casino industry is fundamentally positioned today.
You can also check out a fantastic response he did in r/AskHistorians to the question "How much truth is there that the Mob built Las Vegas?". Super interesting thread to read through that gives great background to the history of our lil town.
If you're looking for a more modern day history, Winner Takes All is a book on the dynamic of the top CEOs of the city and how they all have different visions for the city and their companies.
One I have not yet read but intend to is Blood Aces. It's about Benny Binion - mob boss, casino owner, and creator of the World Series of Poker. He's another huge influence on how casinos operate today. If I remember correctly, he was the first one to put chairs in front of slot machines, offer complimentary rooms and drinks to players, and much more.
Winner Takes All is good if you want to learn about the corporations took over.
Steve Wynn changed the game, and those old casinos can't compete:
http://www.amazon.com/Winner-Takes-All-Kerkorian-Loveman/dp/1401309763