$4.3bn resort inaugurated on north Strip

Malaysia-based casino giant the Genting Group has officially opened the most expensive resort ever developed in Las Vegas. The $4.3bn Resorts World Las Vegas opened June 24 on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip to signature Sin City pomp and pageantry.

One of the guests of honor at the VIP launch, which preceded the official 11pm public opening, was Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak. He took to Twitter with a series of images of the opening celebrations:

Sisolak and other dignitaries, including Hilton president and CEO Chris Nassetta and president of Resorts World Las Vegas Scott Sibella, were part of a colorful ribbon-cutting ceremony which included a traditional lion dance for good luck and prosperity.

According to its website, Resorts World has 3,500 hotel rooms and suites, a 117,000-square-foot casino gaming floor, a poker room, and a Dawg House Saloon & Sportsbook. The resort is reportedly the biggest new property on Sin City’s famous Strip in over a decade.

Building the dream

Addressing VIP guests and media at the opening ceremony, Sisolak referred to the ‘if you dream it, you can build it’ adage. The Nevada governor said that, however, “you cannot dream what’s inside these walls.” He added that the resort was

so phenomenal […] so over the top it’s setting a new standard and raising the bar very, very high”.

One of the resort’s bar-raising attractions is the Japanese and anime-inspired Kuru Kuru Pa Yakitori. Resorts World congratulated the restaurant’s creator, GRAMMY-nominated DJ and music producer Steve Aoki, via Twitter:

According to the BBC, the original strategy behind the resort was to appeal to Asian gamblers, with the property known in Chinese as “Genting’s World of China” and plans in place for live pandas and a replica of the Great Wall. While less heavily themed than initially dreamed, the hotel nevertheless has no fourth floors to fit, with the Asian belief that four is an unfortunate number.

Energy and excitement

Speaking at the opening ceremony, the resort’s president Sibella said the goal was to “embody the unique blend of legacy and tradition” of the Resorts World brand, “combined with the energy and excitement of a modern integrated resort in the greatest gaming destination of all time, Las Vegas.”

As its doors officially opened to the public for the first time later that night, Resorts World shared the fireworks ceremony on Twitter:

Inside the property, there’s even more to wow guests. According to an Associated Press release, gamblers can wager at tables featuring chips implanted with sensors, allowing for cashless transactions and tracking “every bet, split, double-down and side wager.”

tables featuring chips implanted with sensors, allowing for cashless transactions

Resorts World casino operations chief Rick Hutchins said that, by using radio-frequency identification technology (RFIT), “the table knows exactly what I’m betting.” “We kind of broke the mold,” Sibella added.

While Resorts World inked a deal with the Gemini cryptocurrency exchange last month, crypto will not be making an appearance on the gaming floor as it’s not usable for gambling under current state laws.