News - February 18, 2025 - by Ray Hagar

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International gaming architect Paul Steelman said on Nevada Newsmakers recently that he wants the designs of his many Las Vegas resorts to arouse the curiosity of the city's guests.

"The Las Vegas formula is interesting," Steelman said to host Sam Shad. "We have a lot of rules about that. But if we had one thought, that thought was to peak the curiosity of the guest to explore the building.

"That's what we have to do," added Steelman. "We want to peak the curiosity of the guest and we want to satisfy their emotions, their emotional needs for architecture and design within that design."\

Wait. What?

Steelman, designer of some of the world's most magnificent gaming properties, then re-phrased it.

"First off, what did Steve Wynn always do in the lobby?" he asked.

"One emotion: Wow!"  That's what we need to do in the lobby. We don't need to do that in a casino. That's a mistake."

Casinos don't need the "wow factor," Steelman said. Players need to focus on their game.

"That's not the place to do a 'Wow,'" he said. "Thee slot machines will win less money. The tables will too. The labor costs will be up."

The lobbies in Wynn's properties are so splendid that they gave the guests, "a sense of empowerment," Steelman said.

"We have to make you feel like James Bond," he said.

He then recalled, perhaps, the greatest pit in the history of gaming.

"So if you go into the pit at Caesars, the 1966 pit that Jay Sarno did ...that chandelier still remains today from 1966, probably the most powerful gaming space in all of Las Vegas because it makes everybody feel like they're James Bond."

Wynn's version of the "Las Vegas formula" for architecture also banned mirrors from the casino.

"Steve (Wynn) always had a thing, hated mirrors," Steelman said. "If we put a mirror in a casino like Bob Stupak would do, well, you would look at yourself and, you know, it's over. You're not James Bond. You are you."

The unique Circa

Derek Stevens' Circa Resort & Casino on Fremont Street -- away from The Strip -- sparked the Steelman Partner's creativity.

He's truly a genius at what he does," Steelman said of Stevens. "He gave us (Steelman's architectural firm) the opportunities to show him a building that had some pretty unique features that were controversial. The sports theater -- that was controversial."

The sports theater is a three-story sport book, stupendous even by Las Vegas standards. It is billed as "the biggest sports-betting experience of the world" on Circa's social-media advertising.

Steelman recalled that when he first mentioned the idea of this gigantic sports book to Steve Wynn, he scoffed at the idea.

"When I talked to Steve Wynn about it, he said, 'Paul, that's the stupidest idea you've ever had.'

"I said, 'Steve, you've got to realize Derek (Stevens) thinks this is his Beyonce concert 84 days a year -- with 84 special sporting events.' And then he said to me, 'Well, that could work, Paul, that could work.'"

The sports book was not the only architectural innovation of the Circa, Steelman said.

There's certain things about that building are not done in Las Vegas, like the horizontal distribution of the hotel tower," Steelman said about the Circa. "I mean, that's not done. They're all vertically distributed.

"And it has probably the most unique loading dock," Steelman continued. "It has the biggest beer coolers. I mean, it has an unbelievable back-of-the-house support space.

"It's not only designed to be functional and let the guests make every move seamlessly, it is also designed to be very efficient for employees," Steelman said.

The Mirage, 1989

Steelman points to the opening of the Mirage in 1989 as a profound transformation for Las Vegas. It was the first mega resort to focus on dining experiences and entertainment as well as gaming, according to reports. But it was much more than that to Steelman.

The Mirage "was the most incredible project that anybody had ever thought of in their entire life," Steelman said. "And it was a tremendous experience. It started a boon in Las Vegas that still hasn't ended today."

Wynn's Mirage put Las Vegas on a bigger path, Steelman said.

"He wasn't about building a better place for the people to come," Steelman said about Wynn and the Mirage. "It was about expanding the tourism base in Las Vegas, which of course, the Mirage did."

The Mirage closed in 2024, perhaps a victim of Las Vegas' ever-changing offerings

One of the stories in the media in 1989 reported that the Mirage had to make $1 million a day to break even. That was a jaw-dropping figure 36 years ago.

"Steve Wynn tells a very good story about that," Steelman said. "There was a lot of consternation. There were people in different financial magazines commenting, 'You know, he borrowed junk-bond money' and,' Oh, we've got to make $1 million a day.'

"That seemed like an unheard of amount, especially when most casinos were doing one fifth of that," Steelman said.

"He (Wynn) was standing next to a Wall Street Journal reporter and the gal asked him, as the people were coming in during the opening day in 1989, when will you break even here?

"Steve Wynn looked around and said to her, 'Ah, 20 minutes ago.'"

The power of architecture

Architecture of Las Vegas' resorts can also be a powerful magnet for tourists, Steelman said.

"So  if we build something powerful enough, we know that people will take part of the 168-hour visit to Las Vegas (time of average trip to Las Vegas), and they will spend three or four hours there, no matter what home hotel they're at.

"But it has to be significantly powerful," he added. "It has to be significantly different. It can't be what they see in their shopping mall ... Well, it has to be what Las Vegas is."

Macau Sands opening

The 2004 opening of the massive, $240 million Sands Macau was one of the most memorable days in Steelman's career. About 35,000 people showed up, many seeking the traditional good-luck charm of Asian culture for making the first bet.

"All the storefront was broken because at the last minute, they (Macau officials) told us we had to use metal detectors and the people were crowded in because there's some luck associated with the first bet," Steelman said..

The crowds broke the escalators, too. Steelman noted that Asian gamblers can be more passionate than gamblers in the U.S., and think of gambling as somewhat of a blood sport, not just a casual past time.

"There were so many people that were on those escalators that they overloaded it. It was hard to go backwards. Some of the people fell into the feng shui fountains.

"It was an amazing experience," Steelman said. "I always was amazed at watching everybody roll up to the Mirage in 1989 but that 2004 opening of the Sands was just shocking," he said.

Circa's 21-and-over policy

Stevens' Circa doesn't want anyone under 21 in its property. And there's a logical reason for that, Steelman said.

"In our world of gambling and liquor, if you have to train every single bartender to look at 50 different licenses to see (if they're 21), you know what? It slows everything down," Steelman said. "So consequently, just let everybody over 21 in the building. It's a very unique concept."

Dubai on the rise

Dubai and the United Arab Emirates do not have any casinos now and legal operators must be granted a license by the UAE gaming regulators.

Wynn Resorts has secured the UAE's first commercial gaming license for its resort in Ras Al Khaimah, according to the Casinos in Dubai webpage.

"It does have the legs to become the Las Vegas of the Middle East and I think it's probably in the cards and someday it will happen," Steelman. "It has a government that is really, really interested in development."

A big challenge for gaming operators in the region will be getting to know their customers, Steelman said.

"A lot of it has to do with American companies and the American regulations of knowing your customer," Steelman said. "They're going to have a lot of new customers that they're going to have to get to know -- a lot. But we're anxious to do something in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. And we are working on that right now. So we'll see where it takes us."

A lot of the future of gaming in the region will depend on the tax rates.

"I always say that if the tax rate is like it is in Austria and Vienna, where it is 70 percent, the casinos will be as small as my office. And then, you know, when the tax rate is like Nevada at 7 percent, well, you'll get a 7-million square foot building."

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