Vegas World

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Vegas World was a casino/hotel opened in 1979 on Las Vegas Boulevard owned and operated by Bob Stupak. It was also signed as Bob Stupak's Vegas World.

Stupak bought the 1.5 acres of land on which he would eventually build Vegas World with money he raised himself and from his father's friends. On March 31, 1974, he built a small slot joint called Bob Stupak's World Famous Historic Gambling Museum. Although, on May 21, the place burned down when an air conditioner caught fire.

After the fire he managed to persuade Valley Bank to lend him more than $1 million to complete what would be known as Vegas World. Vegas World opened on Friday 13th, 1979. At first, Vegas World suffered but Bob Stupak's talent for promotion saved it. Stupak developed weird and original rules for traditional games, unique to Vegas World. Another of his successful promotions was his direct-mail coupons offering value packages.

At its peak, Vegas World made $100 million a year in gambling revenues.

Vegas World is remembered by some as one of Vegas's most unusual and quirky casinos. Vegas World closed on February 1, 1995, in order to make room for its successor, the Stratosphere, Stupak's dream project.

Prior to its closing, Vegas World featured the world's largest mural.

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The casino was featured in the 1986 NBC television series Crime Story, as the Lucky Star Casino home of mobster Ray Luca (played actor Anthony Denison).

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