Riviera

The Riviera was the first high-rise on the Strip when it opened in 1955. Liberace did the ribbon-cutting honors. Film auteur Orson Welles appeared on stage the next year performing – of all things – magic acts. A host of big-name entertainers have starred at the Riviera ever since, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Tony Bennett. But that Hollywood glamour has been almost entirely lost by now. Inside the dimly lit, confusingly laid-out casino, Penny and Nickel Town are faves with the old-as-the-hills clientele, who love the hot, hot slot tournies. Outside the front entrance, a bawdy bronzed statue of the Riv’s showgirls is fondly fondled by drunk tourists.