Back in the late 90's when mom and pop wireless shops were common, I remember the owner of one telling me an interesting about Vegas.
At the time he was getting into the wireless industry, he was approached in the early 1980's by AT&T to be the sole wireless manager for AT&T in Vegas. This guy loved Vegas, went there three or four times a year, gambled a LOT and was considered a fairly high roller at several of the casino's he frequented (but not a whale mind you) but he was curious so he took a month off and lived in Vegas to find out how good the opportunity would be.
He talked to anybody he could find, and started doing research about the people who lived there. He said after a month he realized there only really four kinds of people who were going to be his customers:
- The aging retirement community. Most came here from other cities, live on a fixed income and live in many of the retirement communities in and around Vegas
- The middle aged drifters who come in seeking fame and fortune, end up as dealers, waitresses or hotel staff. Most come, party, go broke and then leave and go back home
- The players. Most of them are like the owner himself. They can spend three weeks here, or a month, but always go back to their native states. To them Vegas is a playground, nothing more.
- The actual population of 470,000 people (this is 1980 remember) were compromised of a mix of the above and an even smaller group of people he'd have to convince to buy his services - which in 1980 were not cheap by any means.
In the end, he turned down the offer, but the article seems to say a lot of what he found is still true today compared to what he found way back in the 1980's.
The first bullet point is the only one that really has much population. There are tons and tons of people not covered who just live normal middle and working class lives, in affordable houses, and neighborhoods that look like just about anywhere else.
At the time he was getting into the wireless industry, he was approached in the early 1980's by AT&T to be the sole wireless manager for AT&T in Vegas. This guy loved Vegas, went there three or four times a year, gambled a LOT and was considered a fairly high roller at several of the casino's he frequented (but not a whale mind you) but he was curious so he took a month off and lived in Vegas to find out how good the opportunity would be.
He talked to anybody he could find, and started doing research about the people who lived there. He said after a month he realized there only really four kinds of people who were going to be his customers:
- The aging retirement community. Most came here from other cities, live on a fixed income and live in many of the retirement communities in and around Vegas
- The middle aged drifters who come in seeking fame and fortune, end up as dealers, waitresses or hotel staff. Most come, party, go broke and then leave and go back home
- The players. Most of them are like the owner himself. They can spend three weeks here, or a month, but always go back to their native states. To them Vegas is a playground, nothing more.
- The actual population of 470,000 people (this is 1980 remember) were compromised of a mix of the above and an even smaller group of people he'd have to convince to buy his services - which in 1980 were not cheap by any means.
In the end, he turned down the offer, but the article seems to say a lot of what he found is still true today compared to what he found way back in the 1980's.