Those who love Las Vegas will not want to miss the new temporary exhibit opening at the Alcatraz East Crime Museum. The exhibit titled โThe House Always Wins: How the Mob Built Vegas,โ opens on March 13, 2026, and will run through July 3, 2026. The display will feature some authentic artifacts and commemorate the 95th anniversary of Nevadaโs legalization of gambling, which opened the door to the oasis in the desert that so many visit today.
On March 19, 1931, the state of Nevada legalized gambling in an attempt to lift the state out of the Great Depression. While gambling became legal that day, it had been a common practice in the area for years before that. Once it was legal, mobsters from other states saw it as an investment opportunity and began funding some of the casinos. They also moved the gambling houses from all downtown to what became known as the strip, as they built luxurious hotels and, later, mega resorts. They also offered venues that hosted some headliners we still talk about today, including the Rat Pack and Liberace.
The new temporary exhibit will feature information and artifacts related to Nevadaโs legalization of gambling. The artifacts include an ashtray from the El Rancho Casino, a bowtie once owned by mobster Meyer Lansky, and a clock from gangster Allen Smiley. Guests will learn that, long before the city became the mega-adult playground it is today, it was a small desert stop for travelers heading west. They will also learn about how a 20th-century land auction planted the seeds of โSin City.โ