The Stardust hotel and casino was demolished on Tuesday 12th March 2007, in order to make room for Echelon, Boyd Gaming Corp.’s $4.4 billion mega casino resort.
It opened on 2nd July 1958, and was Las Vegas’ first mass-market togel casino, thanks to cheap rates and free food and drinks.
The implosion transformed a 32-story tower, which had been reduced to concrete and steel over the past three months, into the tallest building that was ever demolished on the Las Vegas Strip.
To implode the Stardust’s two towers, 428 pounds of explosives were placed in holes around the building, and covered with sandbags. Chargers were timed to ensure the building toppled into itself.
Twenty water cannons sprayed the massive dust cloud, which covered the area. The demolition also caused a temporary shut down of the streets close to the site. Cleaning up the site is expected to take up to two months.
Razzmatazz was the order of the night, in the form of a huge fireworks display as a pyrotechnics company choreographed a display to complement the implosion.
But the work isn’t all over now the towers fallen. Each floor of the larger structure resulted in about 2 feet of debris. About 60 workers have been assigned to clean up the dust, and by the time the entire site is clear, about 170,000 tons of debris will have been removed. Only then will the former Stardust site be ready for Echelon, which is scheduled for opening in 2010.
UK Gambling advertising laws to be scrapped
A ban on TV and radio adverts for casinos, betting shops and online gambling sites is to be scrapped. The new revised rules will come into operation in September 2007, as part of the Gambling Act 2005.
The new law will incorporate clauses in the area of marketing communications for “play for money” gambling products and “play for free” gambling products that offer the chance to win a prize, or that explicitly or implicitly directs the consumer to a “play for money” gambling product, whether on-shore or off-shore.
Minister for Sport Richard Caborn said “The government would monitor the changes and step in if problems arose. The restrictions are needed to protect children and other vulnerable groups”. But he added: “If they are insufficient to ensure proper public protection, the government will consider using its additional powers to impose further restrictions.”
Some forms of gambling are already exempt from the ban, including the National Lottery, but spread betting can be promoted as an “investment activity” under Financial Services Authority rules, and bingo halls, football pools and amusement arcades can advertise as long as they adhere to guidelines.
From September, advertisers must stick to a set of rules designed to ensure they are socially responsible. They must not, for example, depict gambling as a solution to debt problems. Adverts must not show gamblers behaving in a way which is irresponsible or could lead to financial, social, or emotional harm. Adverts will be banned during shows aimed at under 18’s, and anyone who is, or seems to be, under 25 years old may not be featured gambling or playing a significant role. No-one may behave in an adolescent, juvenile or loutish way. And as with alcohol, anyone promoting gambling must not link it to sexual success or enhanced self-image.
The new rules were drawn up by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP).
Under the new laws, advertising will be policed by the Advertising Standards Authority, and any breach could be referred to the Gambling Commission or the regulator Ofcom who could impose sanctions.
Nicola Crewe-Reade, from addiction counseling service GamCare, which is funded by the gambling industry, also backed the changes. She said “We hope the outcome of these new standards will be to encourage people to see gambling as fun and entertaining rather than as a way of making your fortune.”
