The Sahara Hotel and Casino shut down operations today, marking the death of a "classic" Las Vegas Strip property and the end of an era. The owners of the once-popular resort, a group called SBE Entertainment, say that they simply couldn't bring in enough business to keep the doors open.
Locals and gaming experts alike blame the global economic recession as well as the fact that the Sahara is located on the down-in-the-dumps northern end of the Strip. Some point the blame at the current owners, saying that poor strategy and bad management basically ran the place into the ground in recent years.
One thing is for sure: the Sahara was, at one point, one of the classic "Rat Pack" casinos and was frequented by everyone from Elvis to the Beatles to Frank Sinatra. In the last decade or so it's become known as the place to find dollar blackjack games, cheap drinks, a really short roller coaster, and ultra-cheap hotel rooms that are occasionally invested with bed bugs.
Things had definitely gone down hill.
Still, the old joint had its charms with Moroccan-themed decor and a 1950's Hollywood-style pool. It also had a good group of employees who lots of tourists knew on a first-name basis going back to the 60's. Many long-time Vegas visitors and locals -- including us -- will miss the place... just like we miss the Dunes, Sands, Stardust, and all the other Vegas classics we've seen disappear in recent years.
We say: Las Vegas casinos are some of the most profitable businesses in the world. The Sahara, as far as we know, had no significant debt problem. There's something seriously wrong when you can't get a place like that to crank out at least a small profit!
Learn some mo': Sahara hotel-casino closing on Vegas Strip
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