Capturing the essence of Las Vegas

25 November 2024

By Gary Trask

Joris Dekkers isn't just another author with another book about Las Vegas.

He's a historian, an iGaming veteran, and a self-proclaimed "generalist" with an insatiable curiosity. His new work of art, The Las Vegas Book, takes a deep dive into the soul of Sin City, told through the eyes of the visionaries who built it. Inspired by his many visits to the opulent Wynn Las Vegas, Dekkers spent two and a half years uncovering the history and design brilliance behind the iconic Las Vegas Strip.

The Las Vegas Book is more than just a book; it's an experience. The 18-pound, 450-page book with a $495 price tag arrives encased in a lavish, red leather-bound clamshell box with gold-foiled lettering. The book prioritizes visual storytelling, with 70% dedicated to stunning imagery through more than 300 photos, complemented by expert insights from renowned Las Vegas authorities.

In this interview, Joris shares the moment that sparked his dream of writing The Las Vegas Book, the meticulous process of uncovering rare archival photographs, and how the Wynn resort became a symbol of his vision for the project.

Purchase your copy of The Las Vegas Book before 25 December and receive FREE shipping and 5% off

What initially sparked the idea for The Las Vegas Book, and at what point did you realize this was more than just an idea, but a full-blown project?
For me, it was my first visit to Wynn Las Vegas and then to Bellagio and its spectacular fountains. I had been to Vegas before many times, but the encounter with the most opulent resorts on the Strip changed things. For the first time in my life, I felt “home, away from home.”

When I first learned about Steve Wynn, I knew that he never intended to build hotels; he envisioned destination resorts. At first, I was mesmerized and just spent more time in them, every time I came back. At one point, a few years ago, I felt that I had to peel back the layers of history. I went to the Mirage and even though it was outdated, I could feel that evolution. I could feel that all Wynn’s properties had soul.

This is simply how my brain and heart work. It wants to understand and feel an environment, rather than just stay in it. Soon I bought my first books about Las Vegas history, and although there were some really good ones, I felt that something was missing. They weren’t drawing the full picture. I knew I wanted to do it better, bigger and brighter. In some ways, I wanted to create the Wynn of the Books.

Even though the book perceives The Wynn as the ultimate resort of the modern era, peeling back the layers has shown me how many wonderful casino resorts have formed the foundation of the current success. Whether it's the Flamingo, or the Sands, or Caesars Palace when it opened: all of them played their role in shaping the glorious days of the ’90s, when Steve Wynn's Mirage was revolutionizing the Strip and heralding a new era in casino resorts.

Obviously, I knew that getting to the founders of the Wynn would be a tough one so I reached out to people that have worked on their behalf. One key person by the name of Roger Thomas responded fast and has helped me tremendously along the way. He has been my advisor, aiding me through his vast network, knowledge, and effort.

In total, this undertaking took about 2.5 years from the first idea to launch. It's been the best 2.5 years of my life!

How did your history background and industry experience converge to inform and shape this project?
Being a historian helps. All the groundwork I have performed during my study (seven years), I have utilized. Whether it’s the research part, the fun that I had diving into the archives for both stories as well as pictures, whether it's the reading analysis and writing process, or it's the fabrication of the story, it all helped.

Then again, I never was a historian by the book. I am not the one that you ask for facts or to date back specific events. I see myself more of a generalist, trying to get the big picture, and also assessing the true value of commercial and design skills in a project like this. The story is one thing, but far more important is how you bring the story and how you sell it.

On those fronts, my work career in the i-Gaming space has helped, as well as my experiences as a customer in the casinos of Las Vegas.

What is it about Las Vegas that personally captivates you and fueled this passion project?
Las Vegas is the zenith of duality. It truly accentuates the good and the bad. This is true concerning your emotions, your pocket, your mood, your experience. It also does this on the Strip itself.

There are resorts that are truly spectacular like Wynn Las Vegas or Bellagio or Caesars Palace. But there are also parts of the Strip that are plain ugly, outdated, or simply soulless. I am not going to specify the areas or the resorts themselves, but their only ‘raison d'etre’ is them providing a budget option for people.

Yet, they somehow also belong there. Because the Strip essentially is a playground for everyone, and it is a mirror of American society. It's a theater of the Rich and Poor, in their most excessive forms. It shows the failure and the beauty of American society on one avenue and then supersizes it.

But there is more that fuels the passion of Las Vegas. This is a place like nowhere in the world: it caters to a need in our minds and souls to feel absolutely ecstatic, larger than life, for just a few days. Vegas takes you away from the boring office, from the same old days filled with work, children, and watching TV. Only in Las Vegas can you experience more in 24 hours than you could do at home in an entire year. The level of service, the DNA and structure behind it, and the way that people smile when they hear the word VEGAS, that is so special.

The book features rare historical photos. What was the process of uncovering these images? Were there any particularly surprising or exciting discoveries along the way?
I have been fortunate enough to experience, first-hand, the way that Las Vegas works. If you intend to do the city well, it helps you. In this case, I have been able to sign license agreements with both UNLV as well as LCVCA (Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority). Both organizations are a testament of the hidden community that makes Las Vegas tick.

And then it was my own ambition that did the rest: finding the best photographers to work with (I hired two, and I signed agreements with several others), as well as, of course, buying certain rights from existing photos. There have been many surprises, mostly in the archives: rare and hidden photos that never saw the light of day before, are now portrayed in this book.

You mention the book is "written through the eyes of the founders." Can you elaborate how you achieved this perspective? Were there any key individuals or interviews that particularly shaped the narrative?
Even prior to interviewing some of those founders (which I did), there is a very important cornerstone that you must have to fully exploit this viewpoint: to have the utmost respect for people who materialize the impossible.

Because that is what those founders have done.

I'm not talking money: money is everywhere and Vegas has always found ways to attract it. It’s all about what you do with it. What befuddles me is their vision and ambition. They might have lacked the inheritance and education available to those who live in supreme cultures like France or Italy, but that did not stop them.

People like Jay Sarno and Kirk Kerkorian came from very modest backgrounds, if not poor. But they went beyond their origins to build the most extraordinary places. Yet, the man who combined the American zeal for greatness with the thirst for learning from the masters in Europe truly was Steve Wynn. I believe that is why he became the true King of Las Vegas. I have had the pleasure to speak to his ex-wife and his former VP of Design (Mr. Thomas, the book's chief adviser). I also have cooperated extensively with Glenn Schaeffer, who provided me with more of the history of the lower-budget casino resorts. And they have been no less important to Vegas' history!

Can you share a specific instance when the collaboration with Roger Thomas significantly influenced the book's direction or design?
Oh, where to begin. On the thank you page of the book everything is explained.

Roger has not only exploited his network on my behalf, he has embraced my passion and positive outlook on Vegas, saying that “this is what Las Vegas has truly missed” when it comes to books. You have to understand: Las Vegas, during many occasions, has been approached in a negative way. Whether it's the gambling aspect, the “greed,” the dealings of the mob in the early days, or the way that it brings out the “bad” in human beings.

Las Vegas has always had to defend. Roger opened my eyes and said: yours is going to be positive. Let your passion speak in this book!

What is the core message or feeling you hope readers take away from The Las Vegas Book?
That no matter how bad your start in life can be, your position in society, or your neighborhood, you can always break free from it.

Las Vegas is the American story magnified! Las Vegas was a hidden town positioned in the harsh Nevada desert with no real potential for glory. Yet through ingenuity, pragmatism, persistence, and great marketing, it overcame all the hurdles. A desert town that became the capital of Entertainment. It's an enigma, but it happened!

Why was it important to you to create a luxury, high-quality physical book in an age where so much content is consumed digitally?
Because I believe that people long for it. The more digital we will become, the more we will become nostalgic to the days of old.

Quiet moments where you sit in a comfortable chair, just glancing or reading through a beautifully designed book that takes you away from your screens. Isn't that a true pleasure?

The longer we vacation in big cities, the more we long for nature. I don't believe the current world is sane anymore. We spend so much time on our phones and computers, it's as if we are plugged into the matrix. Books are a gateway to the past, where nobody pinged you, and nobody could hack you or make you addicted. In that sense, the book is also the perfect juxtaposition to Las Vegas itself!

What has the initial reaction to the book been like from both Las Vegas enthusiasts and those less familiar with its history?
So far it's been nothing but 10 out of 10. I have not had one complaint.

I'm sure there will be a few heading my way. For example, every book, and every product of size contains errors. Whether it's historical or grammatical, no book is perfect. I myself have already spotted like 10 “mistakes.” I can only hope I can get a chance to do a second edition to make it even better.

But the first edition will always be the most special. Like my publishing agent told me: those who got it first will love the book no matter the small mistakes because they are often the ones who appreciate the gigantic effort. And to be honest, most people have been so overwhelmingly surprised by the magnitude and quality of the clamshell, the design, and the book, that they hardly would spot that one mistake or glitch.

And then, of course, there is the author's view with which you can agree or disagree. In all fairness, my view is of course not the true view per se. Even more so, this is not a complete overview of the history of the Strip. With more than 30 resorts, that would have meant 4500 pages instead of 450 pages.

If you could travel back in time to any specific era in Las Vegas history, which would you choose and why?
The late 1950s. I would love to have watched Frank Sinatra perform at the Sands. I listened to the live album on Spotify a zillion times. It's a mesmerizing time when people would dress up, drive their convertible Cadillac cars, and smoke their cigars while others were having dinner.

Although, obviously, I would not have minded visiting the Strip in the 1990s as an adult. At least I could have had the chance to meet the man who inspired me to do this in his glory days: Steve Wynn.

For someone visiting Las Vegas for the first time, what is one "must-see" hidden gem or often-overlooked experience you would recommend?
I'm not the best person to ask about hidden gems. I would answer the opposite: the Strip's most majestic landmark that remains unchallenged is the Bellagio Fountains. I’ve seen that free water show, guided by classical music like Andrea Bocelli, a thousand times and I still love it every single time. It's the perfect symbol of Las Vegas, the “larger than life” feeling that you will get from watching them.