Las Vegas is known as ‘The Entertainment Capital of the World’ for a reason. Full of dazzling lights, world-class shows and endless attractions, the city offers something for everyone. So it’s no surprise that it can’t be contained!
Indeed, for the last few decades, Las Vegas’s influence has been seeping out into the rest of the world – both in the digital and physical space. Sometimes, this reveals itself in obvious ways – we know how popular a Las Vegas online casino can be, or a luxury resort modelled after one of the iconic hotels on the Strip.
But beyond that, Las Vegas’s influence can be a little more nuanced. Subtle. It’s hard to register unless you know what you’re looking for and understand how culture and entertainment can intersect. Take London, for instance. Being far older than Las Vegas, this city has spent centuries forming its own identity and personality, but over the years, the essence of the Desert City has been steadily seeping in – especially when it comes to London’s nightlife and event scene.
The Vegas Influence
Take Soho nightlife, for instance. This part of the city has long been known for its vibrant and eclectic nighttime scene, but recently, you can see echoes of Vegas’s larger-than-life energy shining through.
Themed events inspired by Vegas-style shows, complete with live performances, dancers, and elaborate stage setups, are becoming increasingly popular, and the ‘Vegas process’ – which involves visiting an entertainment show and then heading to a glamorous casino afterwards – has been adopted by several Soho event organisers looking to replicate that quintessential Vegas night out.
As well as this, the VIP experience you can get in London has been heavily inspired by how Vegas focuses on luxury and exclusivity. In Vegas, for instance, every visitor to an event or casino can be made to feel like a true VIP, complete with private lounges, personalised services, and exclusive access to high-stakes gaming rooms. And in London, too, nightlife venues have begun incorporating similar elements, offering bespoke experiences such as private booths and premium bottle services to cater to guests seeking a little bit more glamour and exclusivity.
Gaming and social gambling have also grown in popularity. Vegas, of course, is known for being the best city in the world for casinos and gambling, but cities like London are starting to make their own claim – only in new and creative ways. Instead of traditional casinos dominating the scene, there are instead pop-up gaming lounges, exclusive poker clubs, and even arcade-style venues that combine classic arcade games with social betting.
For people visiting Shoreditch, for instance, you have The Book Club, which hosts regular gambling nights and interactive gaming events. There’s also the Hippodrome in Leicester Square and Four Quarters in Peckham, both of which have managed to adapt the Vegas gaming vibe into a fresh, urban experience that lends from the Desert City but doesn’t replicate it outright.
Conclusion
Even outside of London, cities like Singapore, Barcelona, and Paris have all found ways to instill a bit of ‘Vegas’ into their nightlife scene, and this only goes to show how popular Vegas remains in the 21st century. There are some, for instance, who feel that the rise of online gaming and streaming for entertainment shows has taken away the magic from the city.
But it’s clear that the allure of Vegas remains. People still want that in-person experience. They want to walk the city streets and be taken away by the bright lights and the social buzz, and now, because of Vegas’s influence, they don’t even need to hop on a plane to do it. Just a single night out in London can provide that classic Vegas vibe, and long may that continue!
