Nationwide prohibition was spurred by the temperance movement in the 1920s, which blamed alcohol for poverty, domestic abuse, and political corruption. In Las Vegas, citizens became deeply involved in defying the law because illegal drinking fueled a huge underground economy, started early tourism, and sparked a rebellion against federal government.
Locals and visitors participated in the Las Vegas prohibition resistance for several specific reasons. Las Vegas was full of corrupt officials and people were easily able to identify bootlegged operations and because Nevada repealed its own state prohibition laws in 1923, local police had little incentive to stop the flow of booze. While national prohibition was in effect, the Nevada legislature repealed the state’s prohibition law and local police were no longer legally required to enforce federal bans, turning alcohol violations into minor fines that were treated merrily as the cost of doing business. Downtown Block 16 was the only designated district in the city where prostitution was legal. Saloons and speakeasies operated openly here, drawing in railroad workers and tourists with owners easily paying off local law-enforcement to look the other way.
Bootleggers took advantage of the remote, rugged landscapes surrounding Las Vegas, producing and supplying alcohol to local speakeasies for years. During the 1920s, prohibition was notoriously difficult for federal agents to enforce in Nevada because many local operators, such as the historic Arizona Club, continued to supply alcohol which helped to boost the local economy. While alcohol was illegal during the 1920s, today it flows freely on the streets of Las Vegas. You are genuinely allowed to carry alcohol drinks on Las Vegas strip, providing the beverages are served in plastic or paper cups as glass is strictly prohibited.
Thank you to the Nevada State Museum for informing locals and tourists about our colorful history!
Related Link
In Las Vegas, Prohibition Was Sporadically Enforced (The Mob Museum)
Photo credit: Main image is in the public domain. Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives.
