The Rise of Electronic Dance Music in Las Vegas

The rise of electronic dance music in Las Vegas

Electronic dance music, commonly known as EDM, has become one of the most successful musical genres in history. Vegas Gaming has seen a surge in the popularity of dance music lately, and we’ve taken a behind-the-scenes look at what caused this intermarket symbiosis and how it works so well.

There are numerous examples of successful collaborations around this partnership. There is plenty to choose from, though popular music themed games in Vegas, many dance music artists have wholeheartedly embraced online slot machines as a viable source of income.

Why is dance music in particular contributing so significantly to this cross-market success and how has it become such an integral part of the successful development of casino games? To find answers to these questions, we looked at the origins of this phenomenon. Read on to find out why EDM and Las Vegas have become such a compelling synergy of booming music and cutting-edge casinos.

The rise of electronic dance music

Electronic music is not a new genre. Underground parties and raves became popular in Europe in the late 1980s. The increased interest in night clubs and club culture meant that dance music became a major attraction. This dance music, or club music, gradually became known as the genre we now call EDM.

By 2000, dance music had become a global phenomenon and festivals were regularly held around the world. These festivals had a positive economic impact and events like those in Ibiza and Tomorrowland in Belgium became international holiday destinations. In the early 2010s, with a surge in media coverage, EDM took on its official role – as an umbrella term for several dance genres such as house, techno, rave and electro.

Dance music clubs

The first dance club in Las Vegas was called Utopia. English record producer and trance DJ Paul Oakenfold made his first trips to Vegas for gigs at Utopia. His sets were so revolutionary, and so impressed the audience, that other clubs in Vegas began to implement their own residence models for electronic dance music. It wasn’t long before EDM became a mainstream industry and a steady stream of clubs began hosting electronic music nights.

In 2011 the Electric Daisy Carnival moved from Los Angeles to Vegas. Since then, Vegas has become one of the most popular dance music destinations. Many clubs regularly host events with the biggest names in the scene.

Photo by Andre Benz on Unsplash

Intermarket success

Las Vegas now hosts the most popular electronic dance music performers on a weekly basis, and many famous DJs have residency status along the Strip. Paul Oakenfold is one of these renowned international DJs and also one of the highest paid DJs in the world. In a 2008 interview, Oakenfold confidently compared Vegas to Ibiza and even went so far as to say that it would eventually replace Ibiza as the world’s leading international clubbing destination. With the ten most popular DJs in the world now performing regularly in Vegas, it seems like he’s on to something.

deadmau5 is another legend who saw the genre’s potential in Las Vegas. Known for his love of gambling, deadmau5 now lives in Vegas and performs there regularly. The artist used his meteoric success to branch out into various media. In cooperation with Microgaming and Eurostar Studios, for example, the world-famous DJ released an online slot machine in November 2020. With Deadmau5 as the title, the game features its licensed music as well as video material from its Cube v3 tour.

From Bongo’s Bingo to spin-and-win games like Spin Party, dance music has influenced numerous casino games. Online slot machines use electronic music to great effect, and there are already top 10 lists of EDM casino games. Different genres of music have contributed to the enormous success of slot machines; from Michael Jackson to Ozzy Ozbourne, Elvis Pressley to Jimmi Hendrix. Many music icons have used their talent to contribute to the rise of casino gaming software.

Electronic music success

There are several reasons for the success of electronic music in Las Vegas. These include the rise of online casino games and their significant role in the success of club music. Electronic music tracks also have an upbeat energy that many music genres cannot match, while DJs create a feel-good mood that perfectly matches the pace of a Vegas lifestyle.

Obviously it took an eclectic combination of influences to bring electronic dance music to the popularity it enjoys today; with nine of the ten highest paid DJs in the world hosting weekly events in the entertainment capital of the world.

Featured Image Source: Grant Cai on Unsplash