[3] Construction ran over schedule and over budget, due in part to competition for labor with the under-construction Stardust, also on the Las Vegas Strip.

[7] It was the most expensive Las Vegas resort developed up to that point, beating the $8.5 million Riviera, which opened two years earlier.

[13] However, the Gaming Control Board raised suspicions over Kastel's apparent links to organized crime,[3] prompting him to sell his interest in the Tropicana in early 1957.

[5][16] The resort's involvement with organized crime was confirmed a month later, when a note bearing a Tropicana earnings figure was found in the possession of mobster Frank Costello, who was associated with Kastel.

[14][17] Kastel had publicly invested more than $300,000 in the project during construction, and the Nevada Tax Commission eventually ordered the Tropicana to rid its ties with him as soon as possible by paying off the debt owed to him.

[5] In the early 1970s, the Tropicana fared poorly from competition with larger, newer hotels like Caesars Palace and the Las Vegas Hilton.

[3] During this time, the Tropicana hosted annual fiesta parties to increase gaming revenue, inviting celebrities and high rollers to attend.

[36] She received a full license in July 1977,[32] and began construction of the property's first high-rise structure, the Tiffany Tower,[39][40] which opened two years later.

[43] Joe Agosto, then-owner of the casino's Folies Bergere show, oversaw the siphoning of money from the cashier cage to the Kansas City crime family.

Hotel chain Ramada Inns purchased the business in December 1979, along with a 50% share of the property's real estate that had been owned by the Doumanis.

The project also introduced a five-acre pool area of man-made lagoons, waterfalls and islands, accompanied by floating blackjack tables.

[65] In 1998, Aztar bought an option to acquire the 50% interest held by the Jaffe family, which would make future renovations easier to implement.

[67] The company eventually consolidated ownership of the Tropicana in 2002, buying the half interest in the land and buildings from the Jaffe family for $117.5 million.

[70][71] A decision about whether to proceed with these plans was expected in early 2004, but was pushed back by Aztar to focus on an expansion at its other Tropicana resort, located in Atlantic City.

[75] Gaming analysts viewed the redevelopment plans as a certainty; Aztar had already hired Marnell Corrao Associates to manage construction, and sought bank financing to fund the project.

[76] However, a bidding war soon began for Aztar, with Ameristar Casinos, Columbia Sussex, and Pinnacle Entertainment competing to buy the company.

[90] After taking over the Tropicana, Yemenidjian sought to update the property and transform it into a middle-class resort: "We're not interested in the very low end because there's no margin in that business.

[113] Michael Green, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), noted that, "Hotels built in the 1950s were not designed for the 2020s".

[141] The Oakland Athletics, a Major League Baseball team, began considering a Las Vegas relocation in 2021, with the Tropicana property as a potential site for a new stadium.

[153] At that time, the company stated there was no rush to build a new resort on the Tropicana site, instead focusing on other gaming projects, including Bally's Chicago and a possible New York property.

[157][158] Bally's stated that it hoped to finish phase-one in time to coincide with the opening of the stadium, with construction taking approximately two years.

[165][166] In 2001, table game dealers at the Tropicana voted to be represented by the Transport Workers Union, which later accused the casino of targeting its supporters.

[205][206] Two major hotel expansions would later occur: The first and second towers are designated as 22 and 21 stories respectively,[210][211] although both skip the 13th floor due to bad-luck superstition among gamblers.

[234][235] It displayed artifacts and memorabilia from hundreds of casinos, and held induction ceremonies to honor notable Las Vegas entertainers and gaming industry figures.

[247][248][249] After being plagued by technical problems, litigation, and low ticket sales, and going through a bankruptcy and partial closure, the exhibit became known as the Mob Attraction Las Vegas in March 2012.

Notable performers there included Louis Armstrong, Erroll Garner, Benny Goodman, Al Hirt and the Ramsey Lewis Trio.

Aside from the showgirls, Folies Bergere also featured other acts, including the Las Vegas debut of magicians Siegfried & Roy (1967) and Lance Burton (1982).

(1966) by Dave Brubeck,[278] Standing Ovation (1969) by Count Basie,[279] Keep the Customer Satisfied (1970) by the Buddy Rich Big Band,[280] and America!

It featured various entertainers – including jugglers, singers and dancers – who performed on a stage atop a bank of slot machines, with the casino's stained-glass ceiling as a backdrop.

[293][294] Other productions at the theater have included magician Rick Thomas (1997–2005);[295][296][297] magician Dirk Arthur (2005–2010);[297][298] singer Wayne Newton (2009–2010);[299][300] percussion group Recycled Percussion (2010–2012);[301][302] a live production of Dancing with the Stars (2012);[302][303] Mamma Mia!, the Broadway musical based on the songs of ABBA (2014);[304] Raiding the Rock Vault, a musical featuring classic rock songs (2014–2016);[305][306] illusionist Jan Rouven (2014–2016);[307][308] and illusionist David Goldrake (2017–2018).