Not only are there casinos with tattoo shops, but these days it might even be quicker to answer which ones don't! Well, that's an exaggeration and the frenzy seems to have calmed down now, but there was a time when a new ink venue seemed to open on almost a daily basis.
Not surprisingly, it was the hip new Palms resort that blazed the trail with the Hart and Huntington Tattoo Co., which debuted in February 2004. It was the brainchild of Vegas extreme motocross star Carey Hart (singer Pink’s husband), nightclub impresario John Huntington, and Palms owner George Maloof, but Hart and Huntington subsequently fell out and it's now just called Huntington Ink, while Carey Hart opened a new Hart and Huntington Tattoo Co. at the Hard Rock (we're not sure if the two reconciled or if Hart owned the name).
Other celebrities followed suit, with Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil opening up a shop in the somewhat unlikely location of O'Sheas, after which he opened a second studio at the Rio. The latter has since changed hands and is now called Count, but Vince Neil Ink is still on the Strip.
Chester Bennington, lead singer of rock group Linkin Park, partnered with industry leaders Sean and Thora Dowdell to open Club Tattoo, which now has six venues, including one in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.
Legendary tattoo artist Mario Barth opened his first Vegas venue at Mandalay Bay -- you'll find Starlight Tattoo located next to the House of Blues. He subsequently opened King Ink at the Mirage, which is more than just a tattoo studio -- it's also a lounge, live-music venue, and retail store and one of the few places where you can actually book an appointment with the man himself. Barth is also responsible for bringing the Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth to Las Vegas -- the largest expo dedicated to body modification in the world, which this year takes place Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
A British-owned outfit called Three Lions subsequently opened studios at the Riviera and the Sahara -- the latter, of course, is now gone, but the former remains and we have a an offer for 20% off any tattoo in the 2011 MRB.
Finally, Hooters is home to the poolside Sleepy Lagoon Parlor, offering custom tattoos and piercing by owner Anthony "Moochie" Trillo, which opened in the fall of 2010. Sleepy Lagoon was named the best tattoo and piercing shop on the 2010 "OC Hotlist."
For updates on the Vegas ink scene, follow @SinCityAdvisor on Twitter, where we try to keep abreast of tattoo events, new openings, and so on.
