Las Vegas knows how to handle an exit.
When many of its most famous casinos closed, they did not meet a wrecking ball or get dismantled piece by piece, they were imploded.
That's a spectacular way to reduce a massive property to rubble while also putting on a show. It's also an event that happens so rarely that it's a major event. The last Las Vegas implosion happened in 2016 when the Riviera's Monte Carlo tower was brought down.
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The Monte Carlo Tower's implosion was actually the second implosion at the same site. It happened about two months after the implosion of the Riviera’s 24-story Monaco Tower. That event was celebrated with a party-like atmosphere which included a fireworks show and a VIP area with live music, food, drinks, and showgirls, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
It seems odd that the end of once vibrant casinos would be celebrated, but Las Vegas has always been about change and rebirth. Usually, when a casino or other large property gets brought down, it makes way for something better.
The implosion becomes a party where revelers say goodbye to a piece of the past and prepare for what's coming next.
Image source: Shutterstock
Tropicana set for an implosion
The second-oldest casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the Tropicana closed on April 2. It was a planned ending for a property that, while it has a deep history, had become run-down and had seemed doomed since Bally's (BALY) took control of the property in September 2022.
At the time of the purchase, the company was vague about its plans for the property.
"So, for Trop, we've said that we will continue to operate the property. We obviously -- I think it's well-advertised that we intend to develop at some point in the future, but we will run the property on an as-is basis at least for the next 12 months until we have identified the plan and the partnerships that we want going forward," former Bally's CEO Lee Fenton said at the time.
Basically, Bally's had vague plans either to fully renovate or demolish and rebuild the Tropicana so it could return the Bally's name to the Las Vegas Strip. Caesars, which operated the former Bally's on the Strip, dropped that name in favor of its Horseshoe brand in 2023.
Bally's, however, changed its plans when the Oakland Athletics agreed to build a stadium on 9 acres of the 35-acre Tropicana site.
Now, the stadium will be built beginning after the current property is cleared. A new Bally's casino will follow at some point after.
Tropicana set for an implosion
When Tropicana closed, exactly how it would be removed was an open question. It has now been confirmed that, assuming all the required permits are acquired, it will be an implosion.
Controlled Demolition, Inc., which brought down the Landmark in 1995 and the Riviera in 2015, will be handling the demolition.
Before the implosion can happen, though, dust control and asbestos abatement permits must be secured, crowd and traffic control plans approved, and Bally's must obtain a special events permit, Casino.org reported.
Ballys CEO Robeson Reeves commented on his company's plans during its fourth-quarter earnings call.
"Following demolition, site prep, and approval of formal plans, construction of the Las Vegas A's Stadium will likely begin sometime thereafter. We continue to assess our available options for the very valuable development lands next to the stadium," he said.
Bally's does not own the land The Tropicana sits on. It has a 50-year lease with Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. (GLPI) which owns the site. The real estate investment trust owns 62 casino properties around the United States, all of which are leased to casino operators.
