happy birthday, mirage!

Happy birthday to my favorite place on the Strip! From the Las Vegas Review Journal:

MIRAGE MIRACLE: The Mirage turns 20 today
Steve Wynn's tropical-themed resort-casino had its critics but kicked off building frenzy
By HOWARD STUTZ

Twenty years ago, The Mirage was the CityCenter of its time...But with the city still recovering from the economic doldrums of the early 1980s, many financial experts didn't think The Mirage would succeed.

Some wondered if The Mirage would really grow the market. Most expected it would just steal customers from neighboring hotel-casinos.

Sound familiar? Read more.

I know the building boom ushered in my the Mirage has its fair share of critics—too big, too garish, too corporate. But there's no denying the Strip recovered as a result of the larger-than-life mega resorts and helped rebuild the market. Thankfully, the idea of Vegas being a family-friendly vacation spot is no longer the brand identity.

Here's a very telling quote about how Steve Wynn built a game changer:

"The '80s were not an easy decade for Las Vegas. Casinos started going after a family friendly market; and Circus Circus (Enterprises) was the most profitable casino company on the Strip, because more people were betting $100 a trip rather than $100,000."
—David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas