Will Las Vegas put its money on Trump? Sin City punters reveal where they’ll be placing their 2024 bets

In the early morning hours, a crowd of blue-eyed Las Vegans strolled down the Strip toward the Tropicana casino to witness the end of an era.

One of the oldest landmarks in Sin City was the Tropicana once known as the epitome of grandeur, graced by the Rat Pack and a host of feathered showgirls. It was the last real mafia building on the Strip.

But now it would be destroyed in a spectacular implosion, accompanied by fireworks, to make way for a baseball stadium.

The demise of the legendary venue after almost 70 years brought with it a mix of locals and tourists from across the country, who gathered on the side of the road.

As they waited, the conversation inevitably turned to the upcoming presidential election, and who might replace Joe Biden.

“Oh, that’s another kind of implosion,” a bystander joked about the political confrontation.

Nevada is a battleground in the razor-thin race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. For weeks, the airwaves have been flooded with ads pushing claims and counterclaims.

Crowds of people from across the country gathered to watch the implosion of Tropicana Las Vegas on the Strip after nearly 70 years. One bystander joked that the 2024 election would be another “implosion,” but people in Sin City had mixed thoughts about how the race for the White House would go.

But in the world’s most famous gambling city, people are still struggling to predict who will come out on top on November 5.

Now that the odds are better, some have decided not to vote at all.

Torta Jones was born and raised in Las Vegas. He knows all too well the important role his home state plays in the race for the White House. It’s not that he never votes, but he has no plans to participate this year.

“If they had a gun to my head and they forced me to vote, that gun would go off,” Jones insisted. “I can’t imagine voting for one of those idiots.”

Although he doesn’t plan to vote, if he had to bet, he thinks the Democratic candidate is the most likely winner in Nevada.

“When he tried to shoot Trump, I thought ‘oh, this motherfucker’s got it,’ he said, “but then Joe Biden left. I think Kamala could win. I just think they need someone young there.”

The latest polling average from Real Clear Politics indicates he may be on to something. It has Harris one point ahead in Nevada with less than a month to go.

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a tight race for the White House with just 27 days to go before Election Day on November 5

JC Lane, 46, traveled to Las Vegas to witness the implosion of Tropicana after growing up in the city and having fond memories of visiting the casino. Now he lives in Phoenix, Arizona, another presidential battleground state.

Lane won’t say who he’s voting for because he thinks things have “gone a little crazy” when it comes to politics. But he did make a prediction about the direction he thinks his state is heading.

“I feel pretty strongly that Arizona will go for Trump, judging by the amount of signs and bumper stickers,” he said.

His bet also lines up with the latest polling data. The Real Clear Politics average has Trump up nearly a point and a half in the Western swing state.

But Jason Grape doesn’t want to hear that. He was a Trump voter in 2016 and chose Biden in 2020. In November, both he and his wife Nicole plan to vote for Harris.

“I’m just tired of the MAGA bulls**t,” he admitted.

The fireworks before the implosion of the Tropicana Las Vegas on October 9, 2024

The couple drove all the way from Chicago to Nevada to watch the Tropicana come to an end. That’s about 25 hours away, and politics is his main occupation.

He initially worried after President Biden withdrew from the race, but now he thinks the 2024 election will give off real 2008 vibes and that Harris could win.

Grape said he voted for Trump in 2016 because he “wasn’t paying attention” and the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton influenced him.

He thinks November’s outcome will have an impact that will last for decades and that 2024 will truly be the “most important election of our lifetimes.”

Before first light on Wednesday, the Tropicana was finally reduced to rubble, taking less than 30 seconds to come down.

Two miles along the Strip, Donald Trump’s 20-year-old gold hotel will likely remain standing for decades.

It remains to be seen if the people of Las Vegas have put their money on him.