20 Fun Facts about Vegas that You Probably Didn't Know

There are 300 Weddings a Day

There's a reason why Vegas is known for their wedding chapels and quickie marriage ceremonies. With over 300 weddings every day in Las Vegas, it is the top wedding destination in the US and second in the world for most number of weddings in a single city, falling short of Istanbul.

You Can Gamble at the Movies?

Gambling is probably so popular in the city because there are casinos literally everywhere. McCarran airport has an area of slot machines and just about every movie theater in Vegas doubles as a casino with poker tables and slots. Fortunately, the auditorium where the movie is actually played is nice and quiet.

The $15,000 Electricity Bill

Lighting up the Luxor pyramid's shining light is not cheap. The cost of electricity for keeping it lit for just an hour is $51. That would equal to about $15,300 a month. Imagine getting that bill in the mail.

Why People Eat More Shrimp in the Desert

There must be something in the water in Las Vegas that makes people crave shrimp. Consumption on the shellfish in Vegas is over 60,000 pounds per day. That's higher than the rest of the United States combined!

The 50 Ton Lion

The largest bronze sculpture in America is housed in Las Vegas. It just so happens to be the MGM Grand Hotel's mascot, the bronze lion, weighing in at 50 tons.

The Invisible Golden Nugget

In 1954, Las Vegas' Golden Nugget hotel did not actually have a golden nugget on display. The most common questions from visitors at this time were, "How much does it weigh?" and "Where is it?"

Grey Water Abounds

It's not allowed, but you probably wouldn't want to attempt to swim in water structures in Las Vegas. The fountains and man-made lakes use something called "grey-water," which is actually recycled water from sinks, bathtubs, and showers throughout the city.

It's An Easy Life

You can make a cushy living as a bartender. In other parts of the country, people in the service industry such as bartenders and cocktail waitresses may not make enough money to make ends meet, but in Las Vegas these jobs can pay out in six figure salaries easily. It might be time to make the move to Nevada if you enjoy making or serving drinks.

Visit Vegas for 288 Years

There are around 105,120 hotel rooms in all of Las Vegas. That means if someone wanted to spend just one night in every room in the city, it would take them 288 years, which is probably not possible in the span of the average human life.

FedEx, Blackjack and Luck

It's not surprising that people down on their luck tend to visit Vegas to try to get rich quick, but even Frederick W. Smith, the founder and CEO of FedEx, saved his company by gambling in Las Vegas. When FedEx had a hard time paying their $24,000 fuel bill, Smith took the company's last $5,000 to gamble and managed to win $27,000 on blackjack and kept the business afloat.

Vegas Has Loads of Cash

It's a great place to live and raise a family. This is partially due to the state's lowest taxes in the country and there are even certain taxes present in other states that aren't in Nevada. The tourist industry in the city is so healthy that much of the money spent on tourism gets put back into funding for roads, schools, and parks.

It's Not All About Gambling

You may not come to Vegas specifically to gamble, but you're very likely to end up doing so once you get there. A study conducted in 2013 showed that although 15% of people visit primarily for gambling, about 71% do so during their visit anyway.

Dig It!

If you're craving some blue collar work while visiting, there's a heavy equipment playground. Feel free to drive around the various bulldozers and dump trucks the park has available purely for fun.

The Black List

Many people have been banned from Las Vegas for one reason or another. The city even has a "black book," with a list of people who are not allowed to set foot in any of the casinos.

$16.7 Million in Winnings!

A 25 year old software engineer visiting Las Vegas put $100 in a slot machine at the Excalibur and ended up winning $39 million. This was the largest sum ever won on the Las Vegas slots and the odds were stacked at 1 in 16.7 million. He definitely got lucky that night.

Lucky Math

The slot machines are set at a certain payout rate. Legally the machines have to have at least a 75% payout, meaning that if you put in $100, at the very least you should get $75 back. Sometimes it's not all about luck, it's about math.

Vegas Royalty

Private bowling is available at The Palms Casino Resort. If you really want to live like royalty while in Vegas, consider staying at the Palms in their Kingpin Suite that has two fully functional bowling lanes inside. It's a perfect fit for any "dude."

No Gambling in Boulder

Residents of Boulder City, located just outside of Vegas have to get their gambling fix in the city before returning home. This is because their hometown is one of only two cities in Nevada that prohibits gambling.

Megalopolis Hotels

Las Vegas is home to 15 of the world's top 25 hotels. This includes The Venetian, Caesar's Palace, and the Bellagio, just to name a few.

There's a Room for all of Burbank at the MGM Grand

The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino has 5,043 rooms, making it the largest hotel in the country and the second largest in the world. That's almost enough rooms for everyone in the entire population of Burbank, California to have their own room.