As the century came to a close, the laws loosened up, and gambling was decriminalized in 1869. Initially, these laws brought punishments down on those who held and participated in gambling. Through the rest of the 1800s, gambling was a popular pastime for prospectors passing through the area, despite laws outlawing games of chance. At this point, Las Vegas was still a Mexican territory, with the land passing over to the United States after the Mexican-American War of the mid-1800s.

Las Vegas - Spanish for “The Meadows” - got its name from a caravan of Mexican traders who found the area to be a good resting point along the trade route to Los Angeles. The 1800s - Who Founded Las Vegas It’s impossible to study the history of casinos in Las Vegas without taking a look at how the city itself was formed. The casino industry has had its ups and downs, and the history behind it is long and complex. There were periods in the city’s history when gambling was almost entirely outlawed. Las Vegas, also known as Las Vegas Valley, wasn’t always about gaming and resorts, however. Vegas today is synonymous with the many casinos and resorts that inhabit the city.