FOCUS online report: “Love is our business”: Wedding planner in Las Vegas makes telling Trump statement
In Las Vegas, casinos and wedding chapels make millions. Area codes are pending in the player metropolis. What do the managers in the City of Sin think about the political situation?
A newly married couple poses for photos in front of a shiny white stretch limousine, she in a white wedding dress with a meter-long train, he in a light gray jacket. They beam blissfully, framed by the glittering high-rise casinos of Las Vegas behind them. In the office building next door, Kurtis Shannon sits in front of the photo of a gay couple who also got married here in the “Chapel of the Flowers”.
Trump and Las Vegas: Does that go together?
Tolerance, openness and lots of love. This is the product of the “Flower Chapel” and its Experience Manager Shannon. A stark contrast to the America that Donald Trump represents. The ex-president has repeatedly incited hatred against homosexuals and other minorities in the past. Trump is in the election campaign; he is running in the primaries in the US state of Nevada, whose largest city is the gambling metropolis of Las Vegas. His victory here is certain because he has no opponent. The reason for this is internal power struggles within the Republican Party.
However, Las Vegas is a difficult place for Trump. Here he lost very clearly in 2020 against the eventual election winner Joe Biden from the Democrats. One reason for this may be Trump’s aforementioned attitude. The city thrives on its progressive, cosmopolitan lifestyle and attracts people from all over the world, of every religion, skin color and sexuality.
600 weddings a year and a clear framework of values
Many guests come to play, of course, but many also come to tie the knot here, either planned or spontaneous. The “Wedding Chapels”, dozens of which are lined up along the infamous Las Vegas Strip, are world famous. The “Flowers Chapel”, framed by a cheap motel and a gas station, is said to be the largest in all of Las Vegas. Shannon and his team arrange up to 6,000 weddings a year, which is an average of 20 per day. Rings are exchanged on the assembly line. The cheapest wedding package costs $355.28; those who choose the “Bella Elena” version come to $9,446.48. But there have also been couples who have shelled out more than $500,000.
“We offer every wedding-related service imaginable,” says Shannon. And of course the offer is open to every couple. The only requirements: money, a marriage license and sobriety. Flash weddings at night in complete intoxication? Pure Hollywood fiction.
“The owners of our chapel are very open-minded. Love is her thing, her business,” says manager Shannon. “Not only towards our guests, but also our team of around 120 people is very diverse. Whether the left or the right is in power in Washington, we will always uphold our values.” The wedding manager was unable to elicit a specific statement about which president the “Flowers Chapel” would like. His statements speak for themselves, he says.
Casino hopes to get more money from the Super Bowl – and Trump again
A few streets away, the “Eureka Casino” has been attracting players since 1969. It is one of the oldest and smallest casinos in Las Vegas. A visibly battered prostitute walks back and forth in front of the building, and a man clears beer cans from a delivery truck. Inside, the sweet smell of cold smoke and disinfectant wafts from the worn carpet. An older white-haired woman drags herself from one slot machine to the next; a few players sit at the bar and stare boredly at the television screens in front of them.
Not only is it primary election week, the Super Bowl is also taking place in Las Vegas. The final of the American football league NFL is the largest single sporting event in the world. The “Eureka” is also hoping for ten to fifteen percent more sales from the thousands of fans who will stream into the city in the next few days, says Rich Hunter. The dashing man with his hair slicked back is the finance director of the “Eureka”.
Since the end of the corona pandemic, business has grown every year, he says. But inflation is causing problems for the Eureka. Because 80 percent of the players in the approximately 250 one-armed bandits are locals, most of them are low-income earners. “Under Trump, gas was around $2.50 a gallon, now it’s around $4. Rising prices for everyday essentials are impacting the amount our guests can spend with us.”
That is an important argument for Trump in the fight against Biden, says manager Hunter. In addition, Republican presidents and especially a Republican-controlled Congress are more willing to reduce taxes for companies. Hence Hunter’s clear verdict: “A Republican in the White House would be better for us.”
Both parties receive money from the bosses of the mega casinos
The casino bosses do not agree. According to US media reports, Elaine Wynn, a multi-billionaire who became rich with the mega casino “Mirage”, has already provided financial support to several Democratic politicians, including Joe Biden.
Phil Ruffin, on the other hand, who is also worth several billion dollars, is a close Trump friend. According to US media reports, the 88-year-old casino and hotel mogul has already donated millions to the Trump campaign several times. Ruffin owns several of the mega casinos in Las Vegas as well as half of a hotel. Its name: “Trump International Las Vegas”.
2024-02-08 22:40:23
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