Question of the Day - 13 April 2023

If I had a time machine, Vegas World would be one of my first stops; I never made it there but it sounds like a hoot.  Here's an old blog post that gives some flavor:  http://bigempire.com/vegas/bobstupak.html

You said that the only physical section of VW that remains is part of the garage. Not true. The VW hotel was retained. The taller tower became the north end of the Strat's long hotel tower. It includes the portion with the rooftop pool. The shorter tower at the north end that is closer to LV Blvd still stands, as well. I'm not sure if/how it's currently used--might be offices.

I was a frequent customer of Vegas World back in the day. The promos were very good and often very strange, and while not as wonderful as implied by the advertising, still worthwhile. Stupak was a pioneer in introducing "carny" games--variations on existing table games (twenty years later, everybody was doing it).
Vegas World was very successful. What killed it was that Stupak sank all the profits into financing and building Big Bob's Substitute Penis, now known as the Strat Tower.
As I recall, Stupak ran (unsuccessfully) for mayor once. I sent him a letter saying that his campaign poster should feature a picture of the tower and the slogan, "Mine is Bigger Than Everyone Else's!" He didn't adopt my suggestion.

yes , the mrs.gifted me the package , early 80's . free spin for a 'CHANCE' at a million $$ was  included . Guess how many winners there were ????????????????  GUESS AGAIN . none , nodda , zilch . HOW MANY years .YES ,  YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks to Stupak to start the deals that are now disappearing in Vegas. We have fond memories of Vegas World. The leaky roof in the casino, the drunk who set off the fire alarm that made us go down 12 floor in the stairwell (the hotel gave us two free nights), the lawsuit that made the new owners honor the remaining trips Stupak gave us, our names on the walls for helping build the tower, the moon rock in the case(I think it belonged to Nicaragua), watching someone split the funny money between black and red and the roulette ball landing on green (talk about a learning lesson), the million dollars in the case, etc. Good old days in Vegas (World).  

If I member right in the 1980s for a while   Bob had single deck Blackjack maybe $1-5 minimum bet and the dealer would the deal whole deck out , no cut card just reshuffle the used cards and keep the game going. . He had some wild games  that were good for the players . It was a strange place 

but drove by it a few times. I remember those vacation package ads in the Sunday newspaper supplements and airline magazines, but never bit. 

According to "No Limit," Stupak was stretched pretty thin; and after the tower fire he had to take in partners to keep it going. The partners weren't impressed with Vegas World's working-class image, and insisted on a lot of additional "improvements" that drove expenses way up. More important was that Stupak had lost control, and eventually he was forced out of the company he'd built with his own hands. The tower was finished and operating, but the new hotel construction was suspended for several years. I went there once or twice in that period, and even rode the "Big Shot." Then Carl Icahn bought it out of bankruptcy (sound familiar?) and finished it.

Here's a link to another Vegas World memoir: apparently it was possible to make money on the vacation packages, if you played all the angles. 
http://bigempire.com/vegas/bobstupak.html

The John L. Smith book is really good (better than the one he wrote on Wynn, although that's good too).

Loved the old Vegas World.  Kitchy, fun place. 

Will the WAX ever return?

Bought the packages. Great fun. Free drinks at all the bars. Just showed a card. How about the entertainment of Allen & Rossi. Met Allen once in the elevator from the garage. He had a way of signing stuff. Something like "Hello Dare". Stupak would sit in at times, playing low bet blackjack with the customers. Free play money was $1000 in play through money. Think it was $600 in chips and $400 in tokens that had to be played through special slot machines. You were lucky if you got back $30 from that $400. Still, a great value and well worth the money spent. Packages were 6 for $2000. You got $1000 each trip as I have already noted. Between Vegas World and The Landmark, the ads in the LA Times began my Vegas experience that pulled me in. Too bad they are gone forever

My dad and I played 25 cent single play VP until we got worn out.  The VP games were either 10/6 or 9/7, our choice.  I never figured out which paid more, but we certainly did not lose.  I loved that place.

No mention of him beating ORAC computer on TV. I met Bob in the 90s after his bike accident. I was at Binions he was there and I asked him about playing the computer. He was so kind asked me to sit down and chat with him. We talked for around 20 minutes. My experience with him left me with a fond memory. At this time with his accident and smoking he wasn't well but a key part of Las Vegas history. So happy I was part of the good old day's 

I did the VIP package around twenty times. All you could drink at the bars, playing funny money on the craps table. One time I even saw a rotten cow tounge in the elevator!

My first visit  to Vegas was to Vegas World in 1988. Loved it then and still go to Vegas at least once a year since. Although the fun ofVegas has dropped 

Stopped at VW early 90's. Dicey area is being kind. Once in the casino, all I remember is blue air, some space stuff and a less than ideal setting. On the way out, we walked by the folk waiting for their "premium". A rachet set. One and done.

My beautiful wife & I have fond memories of VW VP.  She hit a .25 Royal; I think they still paid $1175. Bargain mailings followed, largely ignored.  In the following years, we never stayed there but we often returned for deals of one kind or another.  Low rollers, we didn't realize how fortunate we were to see Danny Gans for $25 at The Strat. Thanks again, Bob.  It's a tough call for best entertainment dollars we've ever spent between Danny for 25 or Mystere 4 or 5 years earlier for $28 (albeit from bleacher seats in a tent).  Thanks for the memory lane trip.