As a regular writer of Las Vegas and casino articles, I have always noticed the silent debate behind calling those huge gambling complexes in Las Vegas hotels, hotel/casinos, casinos, or resorts. As someone who travels to Las Vegas on a regular basis, I hope that I can settle this debate once and for all.

Correct Usage for, “Las Vegas Hotel”

When talking about the complex as a whole, the proper way to refer to them is a Las Vegas hotel. Granted, a Las Vegas hotel is normally going to make the most money off of the casino, but for tax purposes, and business license purposes, these complexes are listed as Las Vegas hotels. They just happen to have casinos, restaurants, and other attractions on the property.

Correct Usage for, “Las Vegas Hotel/Casino”

If you are planning a trip to Las Vegas through a website like Travelocity, you will see that the complexes are listed as a hotel/casino. You will also note that if you go to the website of most of the Las Vegas hotels, you will notice that they are listed as a Las Vegas hotel/casino. This is a point that came up back in the mid-1990s and stuck for some reason.

The goal of the casinos that label themselves as a hotel/casino is to point out that they have two main concerns. They are equally concerned with the hotel as they are the casino. This was to reflect the image that some of the Las Vegas hotels were spending more time improving the hotels, and neglecting the casinos. Other Las Vegas hotels were spending more time on their casinos, and less on the hotels.

Some of the companies that use the moniker of Las Vegas hotel/casino have added this to their legal names. When referring to these properties in a corporate sense (such as in a business article), it is proper to discuss them as their legal name states.

Correct Usage for, “Las Vegas Casino”

When discussing a casino directly, it is correct to refer to it as a Las Vegas casino. In the same way, you would call one of the eateries inside of a Las Vegas hotel, a Las Vegas restaurant. Remember that the casino is only one part of the entire complex. Granted, you can have a Las Vegas hotel without a casino and you can have a Las Vegas casino that is not attached to a hotel. In the case where both are present, only call it a Las Vegas casino if you are referring to the one part of the whole.

Correct Usage for, “Las Vegas Resort”

Granted, almost all of the Las Vegas hotels could be listed as a resort. There are separate actual resorts, though, around Las Vegas. There are only two times in which the usage of the phrase, “Las Vegas resort,” is actually proper. If there is an actual resort that is being spoken of off of the Las Vegas Strip, or if a Las Vegas hotel has the word, “Resort,” in it’s legal name (there is rumors that this might happen in the near future to a few particular Las Vegas hotels).

The next time that you find yourself reading an article, writing an article, or looking for a room, keep the proper usages in mind for the complexes in Las Vegas. I have actually seen times in the past where Las Vegas hotel workers have corrected patrons for using the wrong term at the wrong time. In some instances, workers can actually become offended if referred to in an incorrect manner.

Now people of Las Vegas are quite kind and generous to their patrons so you need not worry about the casinos that are brimming with poker, blackjack and JasaQQ as you would need all the help you need if you are new to the place and even if you feel awkward through incidents, just recall the famous saying ‘what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’.