What you don't know about Vegas

The king of rock n roll, Elvis Presley, sang ‘Viva Las Vegas' in honour of Sin City; renowned for its casinos, shopping and fine dining, Vegas is luxury amplified. As the ultimate gaming city in the world, the Vegas casinos stand tall in the city's skyline, and make it the brightest place on Earth when looked at from space. The city has become a playground for the rich and famous, along with gamblers trying their luck to hit big-time jackpots.

Vegas is famously noted as the love-drunk capital, with many tourists flocking to the city's wedding chapels to say their vows. Couples can wed anytime, day or night, and wedding licenses only cost $55. The most notable Vegas celebrity wedding was Britney Spears and childhood friend Jason Alexander. The pair chose The Little White Wedding Chapel where countless celebs have married - Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow to name but a few, have all said their vows here. Britney's marriage might have only lasted 55 hours, but the spirit of Vegas never dies.

The hub of all activity has to be the Las Vegas Strip. The four-mile stretch is home to some of the largest casinos and hotels in the world, and has become one of the most popular tourist destinations. Anyone who visits Vegas says that driving down the Strip at night is where you really feel the buzz of the city. There are 15,000 miles of neon tubing in the strip and downtown, so you can imagine how the city shines in bright lights.

With all the casinos on offer, it's not surprising that the average tourist gambles for four hours a day. Temptation gets the most of people in Vegas, and a whopping 87% of visitors end up gambling during their stay. Many people say that you've never really visited a casino until you go to Vegas – they really do live up to all expectations. The ultimate in blurring reality, – you'll notice that there are never any clocks in Las Vegas casinos - this increases the sense of freedom and subsequently makes people spend more. There's not just big bucks in the winnings though, as Las Vegas' gaming revenue last year was an estimated $6.5 billion.

If you want to see some more interesting facts on Vegas, check out our graphic, full of silly stats about the City of Lights.