Las Vegas is most famous for being the American capital of gaming and betting. Its renowned Strip is lined with giant resorts, including legendary names like the Bellagio, Circus Circus, and Caesars Palace. The city was built on this gaming industry, with early casinos built to cater to the workers of the nearby Hoover Dam. When the construction was completed, the casinos stayed and began attracting tourists from right across the country.
Today, Las Vegas no longer holds a monopoly over this as Americans can enjoy sports betting and casino games from the comfort of their own homes or just about anywhere else with an internet connection. In fact, the iGaming industry is exploding in the US, with dozens of online sportsbooks operating in around half of all states.
With so much competition in the market, many providers run sign-up promotions as part of their marketing to encourage new customers to use them. Savvy consumers have seized on this by turning to sites like OddsChecker to see all the free bets that they can take advantage of.
Vegas isn’t worried by the competition though; the city actually only makes a relatively small portion of its revenue from gaming. Other activities, like conferences, sporting events, and concerts also help bring in visitors. Another way the city gets people through the doors is by making it very easy to get married, resulting in the creation of its wedding chapel industry.
Millions of people get married in the city each year, and among them are several sporting legends.
Rick Salomon and Pamela Anderson
Rick Salomon is a professional poker player, though you may know him for his friendship with Paris Hilton. However, the socialite-cum-businesswoman isn’t the only high-profile celebrity friend that Salomon has had.
In 1995, he married the actress Elizabeth Daily, though they divorced five years later. In 2002, he married Shannen Doherty, though that was annulled shortly afterwards.
However, it was Salomon’s third marriage to Pamela Anderson that was most fitting for a professional poker player. The pair had been friends for many years before they wed at the Mirage Hotel in Vegas back in 2007.
Sadly, like Salomon’s other relationships, this one didn’t last long and the pair got their marriage annulled just a couple of months later. They tried again in 2014, but split for a second time after a year.
Arie Luyendyk and Lauren Burnham
Arie Luyendyk is perhaps best known among the general public for being on the reality TV shows, The Bachelorette and The Bachelor. On the former, he finished second, rejected by Emily Maynard who chose Jeffrey Holm instead.
However, it was on The Bachelor where Luyendyk met his Vegas bride, Lauren Burnham. Awkwardly, he rejected her in the season finale and chose Rebecca Kufrin, but later changed his mind and pursued Burnham off camera.
The pair got married shortly afterwards, but then decided to do it again in Vegas. In September 2019, they look to Instagram to announce “they’d got married on Saturday (again)” and that their friend Montell Jordan had officiated it for them.
Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra
Dennis Rodman played professional basketball between 1986 and 2006. Over his 20 year career, he won the NBA Championship five times, the first in 1989, and then over three consecutive years between 1996 and 1998. He also played outside of the US; after leaving the Dallas Mavericks in 2000, he joined the Long Beach Jam before heading south of the border to compete for Fuerza Regia. After a few short stints in Mexico, he hopped across the pond to play for the British side, Brighton Bears.
Not content with just basketball, Rodman became a professional wrestler, making his debut in 1997 and retiring (for the second time) in 2008.
However, it was at the height of Rodman’s career in 1998 that he married Carmen Electra. She was his second wife, but their relationship wasn’t meant to be. The pair eloped to Vegas and were wed at the Little Chapel of the Flowers.
After just nine days, Rodman filed to get the marriage annulled, but they reconciled for a short period. However, just a few months later, Electra filed for a divorce.
Source: DatingC
