Riviera now completely gone after overnight demolition

The demolition job began in June when the Monaco tower was brought down and the video below shows the destruction of the Monte Carlo tower.

This has brought an end to a stay on the Las Vegas Strip of over 60 years, as the casino was the first high rise to open on the Strip in 1955, when it was officially opened by Liberace.

Business at the casino came to a conclusion when it closed in May 2015 and the property is now owned by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), which plans to build a $42m 13-building site on the area.

The LVCVA agreed to purchase the Riviera and its surrounding amenities for $182.5m in February 2015 and the deal included the authorisation of a lease-back agreement to Paragon Gaming, which managed the casino from 2013.

Among the casino’s highlights were appearances in four high-profile films set in Vegas – The original Ocean’s 11 (1960), Diamonds are Forever (1971), Casino (1995) and The Hangover (2009).

Stay updated with GI

Follow Gambling Insider for independent news, analysis and industry expertise.

Add as a preferred source on Google

David Cook

Editor

David Cook served as an editor and writer for Gambling Insider from 2018 to 2020, where he played a central role in shaping the publication’s editorial direction. He oversaw the creation and implementation of the broader editorial strategy for Gambling Insider and its related publications, managing the production of 30 print magazines annually while also contributing to the management of GamblingInsider.com and a weekly digital newsletter.

During his tenure, David led the publication’s largest editorial team to date, guiding its expansion and ensuring consistent, high-quality output across all channels. He also hosted and helped launch the GI Huddle podcast, a project he was proud to bring from concept to reality.

Visit Profile