The Tropicana casino is imploded as Las Vegas bets on sports

As Las Vegas pushes to offer more high-end experiences beyond gambling, the resort hotel was demolished to make way for a new baseball stadium.

With a flash and a boom, the Tropicana went bust.

The iconic casino was torn down in the wee hours Wednesday morning to make way for a baseball stadium, part of an ongoing pivot that Las Vegas officials hope will fuel the city’s economic future as affordability concerns simmer on and off the Strip.

The 22-story resort hotel, which opened in 1957 and featured in the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever” and “The Godfather” the following year, closed its doors April 2. But it didn’t go down in darkness: In true Vegas fashion, the city turned the building’s 2:30 a.m. implosion into a party, replete with a drone and a fireworks display.

“It’s kind of a celebration of life for all that property has meant to Las Vegas,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/tropicana-las-vegas-casino-implosion-sports-rcna172749

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