Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

Sounds,24 Oct 2025,50 mins,

Contains some violent scenes.

Available for over a year

Best known for its world-class casinos and lavish hotels, the desert city of Las Vegas, Nevada has a darker side, too. For decades, connections to organised crime tarnished its reputation. Now, Las Vegas attracts tens of millions of tourists every year, many of whom come to gamble. But did games of chance really drive the transformation of this small, dusty desert town? And will it ever shed its persistent nickname of Sin City? This is a Short History Of Las Vegas. Written by Emma Christie. With thanks to Dr Michael Green, associate professor of history at the University of Nevada and Las Vegas.

Programme Website
More episodes